Creating a cooperative Inter-Departmental atmosphere in Emergency Research Paper

Creating a cooperative Inter-Departmental atmosphere in Emergency Management - Research Paper Example For example, Chernobyl disaster and Three Miles Island disaster has taught the world the necessity of interdepartmental cooperation in emergency management. It is impossible for a single department to manage huge disasters effectively. In fact, many countries seek the assistance of other countries when severe disasters occur. For example, Pakistan sought international aid recently when severe flood and storm struck many parts of that country which made the human life standstill. This paper reviews the available literature in order to learn more about the necessity of interdepartmental cooperation in managing emergency situations. â€Å"An effective emergency management system requires the most efficient use of all available resources. Whenever possible, emergency responsibilities should be the extensions of federal agencies† (Haddow et al, 2008. p.6). Many countries have emergency management and disaster preparedness agencies and programs. However, when disaster strikes heavily, it is impossible for these agencies to manage the problems independently because of the complex elements involved in the rescue and disaster management process. For example, nuclear disasters are common nowadays because of the increased use of nuclear power plants to produce nuclear energies. The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel. The resulting steam explosion and fires released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere and downwind. Two Chernobyl plant workers died on the night of the accident, and a further 28 people died within a few weeks as a result of acute radiation poisoning (Chernobyl Accident, 2009) Chernobyl nuclear power plant staffs were not trained properly to face any eventualities. Moreover, improper design of the reactor was the major cause of this disaster. It is difficult for the emergency management agency alone to

Critical Analysis of Early Childhood Pedagogy Article Essay Example for Free

Critical Analysis of Early Childhood Pedagogy Article Essay Argument stated that early childhood curriculum needs to be analyzed because the old curriculum was introduced by another culture. â€Å"Early childhood curriculum as defined by Haliwell is also called â€Å"cultural construction work† (Ashby, Grieshaber, p 127) and trading post between boundaries of culture, generations, and sexes (Ashby, Greishaber, p 128). † Consideration is given to the child centered education in order to answer the questions on what to be taught, who decides and who are the learners to develop childhood curriculum into â€Å"person-making† (p128). 2. Is the statement of the problem clear in the beginning to the end? The readings concluded that early education in the past did not respond to the changing circumstances (p. 139) makes it unclear since the circumstance of Australia is becoming a nation with multi-racial population contradict the point that traditional education in the past brought by European countries and the west did not respond to change. Statement is incoherent towards a universal outlook or people go through a phase of â€Å"inculturation â€Å"which if traced back came out from the west or European in origin. See more: how to write a critical analysis outline 3. Evidences that support the arguments which is leading to the conclusion. The argument is to consider the present trend with regards also to the so called child centered learning elaborated in the examples by the PCF (see pages 137-138). However, it did not provide other evidence on the effects of the child centered learning option which undermines classroom behavioral patterns or the teacher and pupil relationship. 4. Relevance of the evidence that support argument is it up to date? Moreover, it criticizes that the old or early childhood programs legitimated diverse cultural viewpoints (page 138). Evidence gathered to answer the question about who to teach and be thought and what should be taught was not very well implicated in the succeeding arguments although it discusses on the aboriginal culture of the nation. 5. Is there sufficient evidence to prove the case? Relevance? What is missing? The argument is to determine the best approach in the present childhood curriculum. However, there are no sufficient evidences if the past or the present trends are successful. 6. What (if any) would be a better order to present to strengthen the line of reasoning? The paper is to consider the methods of teaching early childhood education. What is missing are the comparative analysis or the pros and cons of both the early trend and the new trend which is child-centered. The argument discussed several avenues of conflict especially when culture, sex and generation gaps are examined. 7. Are there examples of flawed reasoning? Attempts to persuade the reader through an appeal to the emotions? Is evidence interpreted and used correctly? The reader is appealed to the emotion of seeking identity to a fast changing world and competencies in teaching (page 137-138). Article did not answer the question on how early childhood education should be taught in Australia. Further there is no conclusion for instance concluding that Child centered pedagogy must also become teacher focused.

political and pastoral in marvells poetry :: essays research papers

â€Å"A tension between the worlds of political engagement and private retreat† How distinct are the political and the pastoral in Marvell’s poetry The political and the pastoral certainly figures highly in Marvell’s poetry and often the two worlds become intertwined. Indeed, Marvell frequently utilises metaphors of nature to help convey and rationalise his political thoughts and feelings. With particular reference to the ‘mower’ and ‘Cromwell’ poems, I shall explore the relationship between the political and the pastoral in his work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin, in the overtly political poem An Horation Ode upon Cromwell’s return from Ireland, Marvell begins by describing Cromwell emerging from a muses â€Å"shadow†, and â€Å"private gardens, Where he lived reserved and austere†. This, as the critic Friedman asserts, is a typical retreat of â€Å"poetic creativity†, and one often employed by Marvell. Indeed, in A poem upon the death of his late Highnesse the Lord Protector, Marvell presents a young Cromwell spending â€Å"pleasing hours† with his mother. The addition of a private presentation of Cromwell lends him a more human edge and helps us to understand his human weaknesses. In his Horation Ode, Marvell portrays Cromwell as a â€Å"flame of angry heavens† who â€Å"tis madness to resist or blame†. This lends Cromwell a godlike eminence or as Thomas. M. Greene asserts, puts him â€Å"beyond ethical categories†. However, Marvell continues that the â€Å"same arts that did gain a power, must it maintain†, i.e. the â€Å"inglorious arts† of war. The irony of comparing war, something primarily destructive, as an art, highlights the unease and possibly transient nature of Cromwell’s rule. Certainly, the fact that Marvell likens Cromwell to a Falcon, who once â€Å"having kill’d† seeks a â€Å"green bough† to perch on and then â€Å"the falconer has her sure†, shows that although he is strong, he cannot continue forever and will eventually be in some way controlled. Therefore, by utilising the idea of natural retreat, Marvell subtly asserts beneath the grandiloquent verse, the frailty and humanity of Cromwell existence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Indeed the idea of the â€Å"green bough†, is a recurring notion in marvels poetry, and is often Connected with thought and retreat. In the epic poem Upon Appleton House Marvell seeks â€Å"sanctuary† in the woodland to â€Å"among the trees and birds confer†. This is something that the critic Friedman asserts as the â€Å"primeval unity of mind and nature†. This is amply supported by the line in Damon The mower, â€Å"My mind was once a true survey†¦ of all these meadows fresh and gay†, and further more

The Unnecessary Paranoia of Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake Essay

The Unnecessary Paranoia of Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake The novel Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood provides a dystopic vision of the outcome of unregulated pursuit of knowledge and control over nature. It is unlikely that the scenario portrayed in the novel would ever occur beyond fiction. The reason being the United States and many other countries already have regulating agencies and oversight commissions that would prevent scientists such as Crake from ever developing his ideas into reality. Atwood incorporates realistic experimental methods into her novel, which eventually lead to pigs being able to grow human organs, and creating â€Å"pigoons† that appear to be more horrific than Frankenstein himself. Consumers are the ones to decide what is put to use and what is not. There is a fine line between benefiting society and damaging society. This novel illustrates what may happen when that line is crossed a thousand times over; a horrific image. Atwood takes many of today’s scientific ideas with the potential to benefit so ciety and turns them into tomorrow’s nightmare and creates a false paranoia. However, without new scientific advancements or technology, there will be no hopes for those who are in critical health conditions; therefore, we should overlook the arbitrary ethical proclamations of certain groups of people, for genetic technological progression is the only key to the sustenance of the population in terms of being able to be cured from the infestation of nature. The pharmaceutical and biotech industries must be free to develop and research life saving medicines and other advancements that will benefit society. If this cannot be done, progress would never be made. People would still be contracting polio a... ...evailed and the world would continue to exist, unlike the novel. Atwood takes many of today’s potential scientific developments and illustrates the worst possible outcome of what may happen if we continue the unregulated pursuit of knowledge. In reality, the scientific advances of today will yield a higher standard of living for the majority of the world tomorrow. We will continue to push for the best in everything including science, medicine, and technology; we will not allow any single person to make the sole decision to develop an idea. Scientific progression will save many lives; therefore, it should and will always be there for us. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. Oryx and Crake. New York: Anchor Books, 2003. Crow, Michael. â€Å"Harnessing Science to Benefit Society.† 9 Sept. 2004. AG BioTech InfoNet. http://www.biotech-info.net/harnessing_science.html>;.

Origins of Psychology Essay

This theory was developed by Sigmund Freud in the early 1900’s and paved the way for modern psychology in the early 1900’s. This theory deals with the deep, inner and mysterious core of the human psyche, in search of understanding the psychology of the human being. It is also closely connected with evolutionary perspectives on personality. Behaviorist : The primary focus of the behavioral perspective is on behavior and the influence of the external environment in shaping of the individual’s behavior. Teaching, therefore, refers to the environmental conditions that are arranged and presented to students. Some of the key behaviorist theorists in the field of psychology are viz. , John Watson, B. F. Skinner, and E. L. Thorndike. Teachers who draw from behaviorist theory tend towards active learning (or â€Å"learning by doing†). The teacher determines all of the skills needed to achieve the desired behavior and students learn them in a step-by-step manner. Humanist : The focus of the humanistic perspective is on the self, which translates into â€Å"YOU†, and â€Å"your† perception of â€Å"your† experiences. This veiw argues that you are free to choose your own behavior, rather than reacting to environmental stimuli and reinforcers. Issues dealing with self-esteem, self-fulfillment, and needs are paramount. The major focus is to facilitate personal development. Two major theorists associated with this view are Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. Cognitive : The school of psychology that examines internal mental processes, such as creativity, perception, thinking, problem solving, memory, and language. Cognitive psychologists are interested in how a person understands, diagnoses, and solves a problem, concerning themselves with the mental processes that mediate between stimulus and response (Garvey,1999) Neuro-scientific / Bio-psychological : The neuro-scientific framework seeks to relate behavior and mind to the brain. The important overall point of a neuro-scientific perspective is that analyses of normal or abnormal function need to be informed by an understanding of the brain structures and processes that implement the function. Psychiatrists need to monitor emerging work that highlights the need for both a neuro-scientific and medical perspective in the management of complex disorders. Evolutionary : Evolutionary psychology is the science that seeks to explain through universal mechanisms of behavior why humans act the way they do. Evolutionary psychology seeks to reconstruct problems that our ancestors faced in their primitive environments, and the problem-solving mechanisms they created to meet those particular challenges. From these reconstructed problem-solving adaptations, the science then attempts to establish the common roots of our ancestral behavior, and how those common behavioral roots are manifested today in the widely scattered cultures of the planet. The goal is to understand human behavior that is universally aimed at the passing of one’s genes into the next generation. Socio-cultural : The social-cultural perspective concentrates on the culture of a group of individuals or society as a whole rather than the individual. To understand why people tend to show certain behavior traits, mental health clinicians look at what affects the community as a group of individuals might have on their own thought processes. Some of the questions pondered are if a person behaves a certain way to be accepted or commits an act because it is accepted amongst their society.

Leave me alone essays

Leave me alone essays Many celebrities are always being followed at by paparazzi. They mostly follow the celebrities that are at their peak of the job. One of the huge paparazzi victims was the singer and king of pop Michael Jackson. He has been through so many problems through the scrutiny of the media. Everything he does has been sent to the public in a wrong and weird way that everybody from the media to the people has tagged him as wacko Jacko. Michael himself has told the public many times that many of the allegations that have been told about me are totally false. A persons privacy should be kept private and not be known to the public. In the year 1989, Michael Jackson released a song titled Leave me alone. This was from his album Bad. From the music that he makes, a person can clearly state that the genre he will fall into is pop. Later on in his carrier he was recognized as the king of pop. He had fans in all types of race and religion, whether it was African American, Caucasian, Asian, and so forth. Everyone was affected by his music. Pop music, which is, basically known as popular music was the most listened to genre of music during the period of his career. Michael Jackson was a huge during this time that many of his songs were super hits. Just like all Leave me alone won a Grammy award for Michael. There was so much scrutiny about Michael life due to his physical change by a cosmetic nose job. The surgery changed his face color. The media portrayed him as a white man wannabe. There were many reports that many of his African American fans hated him for that reason. He was criticized by many for his acting of an innocent person. He said that the changes were natural. The tone of the song itself was very madly done. The lyrics were also used in a mad way. This was to reflect upon the hatred toward the media. The main lyric of the song ...

ap liy Essay

ap liy Essay ap liy Essay The title of Kate Chopin’s novel is significant because it refers to many ways in which Edna begins to awaken herself and the world around her. The Awakening shows a title that can only be completely understood after the incorporation of the themes in the content. The title, The Awakening, shows a vague picture in the mind. At first the reader does not fully portray what content the novel will possess. After reading of the novel, one can really understand that the title represents the main character, Edna Pontellier's, sexual awakening and resurrection that takes place in the plot as opposed to not having a clue on what the plot will be about. Edna Pontellier first shows a form of awakening when she encounters another character that plays a musical instrument. As the musician plays, the crowd for the most part disregards it as just another performance. However there is the exception of Mrs. Pontellier who breaks out into tears due to the vivid imagery that the music brings into her mind. The musician responds to Mrs. Pontellier by telling her that she is the only one who truly speaks her language. This form of awakening brings one of the themes out in the book showing that as a person learns to begin to express themselves, they find that there is a lesser concentration of people who can understand. This becomes of greater as Edna begins to express herself through the use of her artwork. The sexual aspect of Edna's awakening is formed through her relationship with a supporting character, Robert LeBrun. In the beginning of the novel, Robert assigns himself to become the helper of Mrs. Pontellier and his advances help to break down the wall in which Edna is placed in because of her role as a woman of the

Supplier Relationships and Negotiations Essay Example

Supplier Relationships and Negotiations Essay Example Supplier Relationships and Negotiations Paper Supplier Relationships and Negotiations Paper Good relationships with suppliers are essential for running successful businesses. Managing supplier relationships can be a challenging and resource intensive operation. It would also require time and energy to be invested. Hence, it is important that the management identifies priorities in this area and focus their attention there. Segmenting the vendor base is one practical way of accomplishing this task. That is, instead of treating all vendors in equal footing, giving preferential treatment to key vendors is the right way to go. This is especially valid when the business enterprise is fairly large. The management needs to assess supplier relationships in terms of their complexity and criticality and then prioritize. In order to ascertain how complex the relationship with a particular supplier is, the following factors should be considered: â€Å"1.Number of individual relationships (contracts) your organization has with the vendor. 2. Variety of information products licensed from the vendor. 3. Degree of fragmentation of the vendor group, i.e., to what extent does the group act as autonomous units?† (Brevig, 2008, p.28) Criticality, on the other hand, is the negative consequences that the company would suffer if a particular vendor was not available. Hence, it is fairly obvious that depending on complexity and criticality of any supplier relationship management efforts toward maintain a healthy relationship should be decided. For example, â€Å"If the vendor relationship is uncomplicated and noncritical, you should probably use an opportunistic approach focusing on managing costs. Dealing with such vendors at arm’s length is adequate and the least resource-intensive. For vendor relationships of medium complexity and criticality, a collaborative approach is more appropriate.† (Brevig, 2008, p.28) Strategic relationships are another option that can be pursued for those suppliers who are deemed extremely important for the short-term and long-term operations of the company. It takes a lot of time, effort and energy to build strategic relationships. It also requires the involvement of top management from both parties to ensure its success. One of the key objectives of strategic management is to leverage the total potential with one solid relationship instead of many. Another aim would be to fully avail of the expertise offered by the supplier. (Bendixen, et.al, 2007, p.3) Skilful negotiation is another feature of supplier relationships. Negotiation is usually considered an art then a systematic method. Negotiation is defined as the amicable reaching of agreement among all involved parties. Successful negotiation depends on three important factors. The first is the compelling drive to succeed. Second is the strong comprehension of fundamental concepts; and third is good fortune. In essence, success or failure in negotiation is more dependent on â€Å"actions, inaction, habits, idiosyncrasies, blinders, insights and clever strategic movements of the individual involved, more than the terms of the agreement or other formal elements of the proposed transaction.† (Hanselmann, 2001, p.60) There are three different types of negotiation. These are: â€Å"The first is internal, which primarily involves managers and employees focusing on work and employee issues, such as job roles, pay, goals, priorities, tasks, productivity and deadlines. The second type of negotiation is external. This type of negotiation occurs between an organization and an external party, such as a customer, a suppler or your insurance carrier. All of us in the credit profession are involved in external negotiation on a daily basis. Some examples of external negotiation are bid proposals, delivery schedules, quality, deadlines, financing and the approval to supply our customers on a credit basis. The third type of negotiation is legal, which involves an organization abiding by the legal requirements of the various governing agencies.† (Hanselmann, 2001, p.60) Bendixen, Mike, Russell Abratt, and Preston Jones. â€Å"Ethics and Social Responsibility in Supplier-customer Relationships.† Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship 12.1 (2007): 3+. Brevig, Armand. â€Å"Getting Value from Vendor Relationships.† Searcher Oct. 2008: 28+. Hanselmann, Jacob J. â€Å"Success in Negotiation.† Business Credit Sept. 2001: 60+. Good relationships with suppliers are essential for running successful businesses. Managing supplier relationships can be a challenging and resource intensive operation. It would also require time and energy to be invested. Hence, it is important that the management identifies priorities in this area and focus their attention there. Segmenting the vendor base is one practical way of accomplishing this task. That is, instead of treating all vendors in equal footing, giving preferential treatment to key vendors is the right way to go. This is especially valid when the business enterprise is fairly large. The management needs to assess supplier relationships in terms of their complexity and criticality and then prioritize. In order to ascertain how complex the relationship with a particular supplier is, the following factors should be considered: â€Å"1.Number of individual relationships (contracts) your organization has with the vendor. 2. Variety of information .

KOSOVO independence AND KOSOVO FACTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

KOSOVO independence AND KOSOVO FACTS - Essay Example In exchange, Kosovo will eventually gain self governance as guided by EU. Last year (September 10, 2012), Kosovo was given full autonomy when UN and EU peacekeeping forces withdraw its forces from Kosovo after 13 years of UN and EU oversight. Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence was adopted on February 17, 2008 at a meeting of the Assembly of Kosovo declaring itself to be independent from its former host country Serbia. The declaration of independence meant that it will be accorded its own national symbols such as a flag and coat and arms and have its own territory demarcated on its borders. This declaration however was rejected and not recognized by Serbia. Negotiations ensued and when the negotiation did not improve, Kosovo declared its independence unilaterally as Republic of Kosovo with the sight of abiding with the Ahtisaari plan in full when it formulated its own Constitution drafted by Constitutionalist both local and abroad. The law was to take effect in June of 2008, meaning, Kosovo’s formal independence will take into effect and its commitment to Ahtisaari plan of minorities guarantee of their rights and representation in the new government. The Declaration of Independence by Kosovo drew mixed reactions. For one, the northern region which is composed mainly Serbs were sympathetic towards Serbia and thus remained under Serbia’s effective control of which the latter refused to relinquish control despite UN’s order in exchange of full membership in the EU. As expected, the declaration of independence of Kosovo was also contested by Serbia in the UN’s International Court of Justice claiming that it was illegal. The court however decided in favor of Kosovo in October of 2008 by declaring that Kosovo’s declaration of its own independence did not violate any international law. Until now, Kosovo is still in the process of creating its own

Marketing case write up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing case write up - Essay Example McGraw intends to retain Oscar Mayer’s (OM) reputation within Kraft Foods as the fastest growing profit maker, and hopefully achieve a +4% volume growth and +15% profit growth for the coming year. His division has two business lines: the traditional OM meat-based products line and the recently acquired/fast growing Louis Rich (LR) turkey-based products line. He has to tailor his strategy which would balance the interests of both lines and yet, achieve his targets. Strengths: OM products enjoyed customer confidence for nearly 100 years, and contribute a massive 82% or $110 MM of the total profits. Acquisition of LR and investment in its line of white meat products has proven to be a strategically wise decision, as shown by the strong volume growth of its products. Weaknesses: There is a significant shift in consumer preference towards less fat/salt food products, i.e., the LR line, while OM line has been giving the maximum profits; its prices are out of tune with the market. Investment costs for acquisitions and/or A&P to buttress LR business will further depress OM business and depress short-term profits; competition from unbranded products will add to the pressure on pricing and bottom line. LR products are susceptible to copying. In terms of convenience, taste, price and customer satisfaction factors, there is a greater negative bias on OM products. OM’s frozen product ‘stuff n burger’ has not been an outstanding success. Opportunities: LR product line business is showing promise of further growth, albeit at the expense of OM product line. LR can add further range to its existing products through in-house R&D efforts that are already underway. Or, it can acquire one or more mid-size firms dealing in white meat products to complement present facilities and products. Threats: Consumers are shifting to healthier and more convenient foods, directly impacting OM range. LR range of products is easy to copy and competition from branded as well

Change in Food pricesin the last 10 years(choose one of the food Essay

Change in Food pricesin the last 10 years(choose one of the food commodities) - Essay Example Factors that influence the changes in prices of cereal when compared to overall prices of food are undertaken. There is also a discussion on the relationship between food prices and oil prices. To better examine and understand how food prices are changing, the FAO uses a metric known as food price index to measure changes in food prices on a monthly basis, an average of which is extended to yearly determination of changes in food prices. Below, data are presented to examine how cereal prices have changed over the last 10 years as compared to overall food prices. The cereals price index and food price index of the FAO are used in these analyses. The food price index is made up of the average of 5 food group price indices which are meat price index, diary price index, cereals price index, vegetable oil price index, and sugar price index (FAO, 2014). Cereals price index is on the other hand comprised of prices of such cereal products as wheat, rice, and maize. Figure 1 below compares food price index as an average of all food prices to cereal prices from 2005 to 2014. From figure 1 and table 1, it is seen that the prices of cereals as compared to overall food prices have alternated from 2005 to 2014. What this implies is that whenever food prices go up, cereal prices come down. At the same time, when food prices go down, cereal prices begin to rise. This has been the trend without any change. It can also be seen that from 2005 food and cereal prices both rose sharply till the middle of 2008 when prices began to fall. The fall however lasted for only 12 months till the middle of 2009 and prices started rising again till the last quarter of 2011, since which time there has been a steady decline. The data above shows two major trends, one of which is the periods within the last 10 years when prices have gone up and when prices have come down. This section tries to compare the trend of changes

Death Penalty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Death Penalty - Research Paper Example The proponents of the penalty derive their arguments from the fact that is cheaper than holding convict for life, and acts as a deterrence to crime. However, the proponents are tasked with a heavy burden of proof assignment that has not been successful so far. This leads to the question whether the death penalty deters crime The paper seeks to answer the question through an argumentative approach. According to Amnesty International USA, the assertion that the death penalty reduces murder rates are flawed (Amnesty USA n.d). The fundamental basics to prove that it does not deter crimes are evident in the murder statistics difference between states that employ the death penalty and the states that do not use the penalty. According to the said statistics, it is seen that states that do not have the penalty have lower rates of capital crimes as compared to others. Consequently, the penalty is not popular among the public. The pie chart shows the public opinion about death penalty and its effect in deterrence of crime. Sources indicate that people who commit capital crimes are commonly under the effects of drugs and or alcohol. The claim implies that the persons are not conscious enough to reckon the repercussions of the crime they are committing. Death penalty is not part of their reasoning at the time when they are consumed by rage or fear. It follows that a crime will be committed, with or without death penalty laws. Thus, death penalty is not sufficient to deter crime in such incidents. Another reason that taints the deterrence assertion is that criminals do not expect to be nabbed after committing an atrocity. Suspects in murder cases do not consider the probability of being arrested and facing charges for the crime. Instead, they consider the possibility of walking free (Michigan State University 2000, p.3). In these cases, the fangs of the death penalty do not scare the criminals from their actions. The same implies that criminals do not weigh their

Art History through the 19th Century (Final Compare and Contrast Term Essay

Art History through the 19th Century (Final Compare and Contrast Term Paper) - Essay Example He was born in Flanders. Rubens was raised Catholic, which was reflected in many of his paintings (Belkins, 11). The environment Rubens grew up with a Calvinist father and mother. Since Rubens father was away at King William of Orange I, his mother taught him to be a Catholic after moving to Antwerp (Belkins, 16). The anti-Protestant environment in Flanders caused this move. After studying under Titan, Rubens really came into his own. His sublime portraits dealt with the ugly subjects many would not touch. In comparison, Delacroix was a French Romantic painter. He was trained as a classical painter at the time. After visiting England, Delacroix started illustrating different works of writing. His clients included Shakespeare and Lord Byron. Both Rubens and Delacroix were affected by royal courts. Rubens was affected by William of Orange I and Delacroix was affection by the Neapolitan royal courts. Delacroix was influenced by Rubens artwork. Since Ruben was a Baroque painter, his paintings including Allegory of the Outbreak of War, is an emotional religious generated piece of art. Since being a Catholic, Ruben’s paintings had symbolism of right and wrong. Even though it might seem blasphemous to paint pictures of ancient gods, but the painting was an allegory. Since it was popular under the Catholic Medici’s to create works under the Baroque styles, Ruben fulfilled this goal with most of his work. Delacroix, on the other hand, was a painter from the Romantic era, which means Death of Sardanapalus was in that style. The painting was based on a work by Lord Byron. The sublime content of the painting was typical of the Romanticism style. The nationalism of Sardanapalus killing himself for losing in a military battle is also a factor in a Romanticism painting. Monsters, a broken lute, Mars’ feet on a book, and the women all have sorrowful looks and torn veils, all signify the horrors of war (Cooper). The allegory

Constructing three chapters of proposal Dissertation

Constructing three chapters of proposal - Dissertation Example In 2011, a pipeline fire killed 100 people and seriously injured 120 in Nairobi. In 2010, a Pemex (Petroleos Mexicanos) pumping station in Central Mexico exploded, killing 27 and injuring 50 (Ellingwood, 2010). In 2006, a pipeline explosion in Nigeria killed up to 500 people (BBC News, 2006), but the fatalities in this incident are only second to the Ufa train disaster in Russia in 1989, where train sparks set off a gas leak from an LPG pipeline and killed 645 people (Observer-Reporter, 1989). Oil and gas accidents can have catastrophic results, all the more underscoring the importance of assessing the crisis management systems in this industry, and ascertaining whether or not these are within acceptable standards to ensure the protection of the public. 1.1 Background of the Study One of the more comprehensive and meticulous definitions of â€Å"crisis,† as it is conceived in business crisis management, is that of Fink (1986, quoted in Reid, 2000, p. 2), who states that  "A crisis is any situation that runs the risk of: 1. Escalating in intensity. 2. Falling under close media or government scrutiny. 3. Interfering with the normal operations of business. 4. Jeopardizing with the positive public image presently enjoyed by a company or its officers. 5. Damaging a company’s bottom line in any way.† Fink’s well-crafted enumeration of the attributes of a crisis situation noticeable lacks one element: that of being â€Å"unforeseen† or â€Å"unexpected.† This is a defining trait of a crisis for other authors (Hoff, 2001; Boi, 2005; Laws, Prideaux & Chon, 2007), but apparently not for Fink, whose definition focuses on the impacts rather than the causes of the crisis situation. In many instances, crises are so characterised not because they are unforeseen. Rather, they are foreseen (or at least foreseeable), but are historically and statistically deemed so unlikely to happen that precautionary and preventive measures against them are overlooked (Loveridge, 2009; Daft & Marcic, 2011). Warranting the necessity for the enhancement of crisis planning, prevention, assessment, and mitigation for the oil and gas industry are the deleterious effects of the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (Casale, 2010). Despite the serious harm to the environment and to livelihoods in the affected area, the potential closure of large oil and gas companies or the shutdown of their pipelines is a risk which major oil producers could not be take because of their critical role in the world economy (Omolara & Olayide, 2011; Kamal, 2012). The matter of oil and gas crisis management to ensure continuity, therefore, becomes an important area of study. Unfortunately, there are few academic studies which have addressed this area. Lee Clarke of Rutgers University underscored the fact that all most oil and gas companies have to rely on currently are what he calls â€Å"symbolic planning† and â€Å"fantasy documents† upon which crisis strategies are built (Morse, 2004). 1.2 Statement of the Problem In defining the research problem, it became apparent to this researcher that the threat of impending crises (i.e., crises that are unlikely, but may eventually happen) confront all organisations in varied ways. Consequently, all organizations need some

Death Penalty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Death Penalty - Research Paper Example The proponents of the penalty derive their arguments from the fact that is cheaper than holding convict for life, and acts as a deterrence to crime. However, the proponents are tasked with a heavy burden of proof assignment that has not been successful so far. This leads to the question whether the death penalty deters crime The paper seeks to answer the question through an argumentative approach. According to Amnesty International USA, the assertion that the death penalty reduces murder rates are flawed (Amnesty USA n.d). The fundamental basics to prove that it does not deter crimes are evident in the murder statistics difference between states that employ the death penalty and the states that do not use the penalty. According to the said statistics, it is seen that states that do not have the penalty have lower rates of capital crimes as compared to others. Consequently, the penalty is not popular among the public. The pie chart shows the public opinion about death penalty and its effect in deterrence of crime. Sources indicate that people who commit capital crimes are commonly under the effects of drugs and or alcohol. The claim implies that the persons are not conscious enough to reckon the repercussions of the crime they are committing. Death penalty is not part of their reasoning at the time when they are consumed by rage or fear. It follows that a crime will be committed, with or without death penalty laws. Thus, death penalty is not sufficient to deter crime in such incidents. Another reason that taints the deterrence assertion is that criminals do not expect to be nabbed after committing an atrocity. Suspects in murder cases do not consider the probability of being arrested and facing charges for the crime. Instead, they consider the possibility of walking free (Michigan State University 2000, p.3). In these cases, the fangs of the death penalty do not scare the criminals from their actions. The same implies that criminals do not weigh their

Constructing three chapters of proposal Dissertation

Constructing three chapters of proposal - Dissertation Example In 2011, a pipeline fire killed 100 people and seriously injured 120 in Nairobi. In 2010, a Pemex (Petroleos Mexicanos) pumping station in Central Mexico exploded, killing 27 and injuring 50 (Ellingwood, 2010). In 2006, a pipeline explosion in Nigeria killed up to 500 people (BBC News, 2006), but the fatalities in this incident are only second to the Ufa train disaster in Russia in 1989, where train sparks set off a gas leak from an LPG pipeline and killed 645 people (Observer-Reporter, 1989). Oil and gas accidents can have catastrophic results, all the more underscoring the importance of assessing the crisis management systems in this industry, and ascertaining whether or not these are within acceptable standards to ensure the protection of the public. 1.1 Background of the Study One of the more comprehensive and meticulous definitions of â€Å"crisis,† as it is conceived in business crisis management, is that of Fink (1986, quoted in Reid, 2000, p. 2), who states that  "A crisis is any situation that runs the risk of: 1. Escalating in intensity. 2. Falling under close media or government scrutiny. 3. Interfering with the normal operations of business. 4. Jeopardizing with the positive public image presently enjoyed by a company or its officers. 5. Damaging a company’s bottom line in any way.† Fink’s well-crafted enumeration of the attributes of a crisis situation noticeable lacks one element: that of being â€Å"unforeseen† or â€Å"unexpected.† This is a defining trait of a crisis for other authors (Hoff, 2001; Boi, 2005; Laws, Prideaux & Chon, 2007), but apparently not for Fink, whose definition focuses on the impacts rather than the causes of the crisis situation. In many instances, crises are so characterised not because they are unforeseen. Rather, they are foreseen (or at least foreseeable), but are historically and statistically deemed so unlikely to happen that precautionary and preventive measures against them are overlooked (Loveridge, 2009; Daft & Marcic, 2011). Warranting the necessity for the enhancement of crisis planning, prevention, assessment, and mitigation for the oil and gas industry are the deleterious effects of the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (Casale, 2010). Despite the serious harm to the environment and to livelihoods in the affected area, the potential closure of large oil and gas companies or the shutdown of their pipelines is a risk which major oil producers could not be take because of their critical role in the world economy (Omolara & Olayide, 2011; Kamal, 2012). The matter of oil and gas crisis management to ensure continuity, therefore, becomes an important area of study. Unfortunately, there are few academic studies which have addressed this area. Lee Clarke of Rutgers University underscored the fact that all most oil and gas companies have to rely on currently are what he calls â€Å"symbolic planning† and â€Å"fantasy documents† upon which crisis strategies are built (Morse, 2004). 1.2 Statement of the Problem In defining the research problem, it became apparent to this researcher that the threat of impending crises (i.e., crises that are unlikely, but may eventually happen) confront all organisations in varied ways. Consequently, all organizations need some

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare Essay ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a romantic comedy and one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays or stories. The main characters of this story are Oberon, Titania, Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius and Helena. This story deals with marriage, family, elope and comedy. Hermia elopes with her lover Lysander to get married and Demetrius who loves Hermia follows them into while Helena, Hermia’s friend and Demetrius’ lover, follows Demetrius into the forest. Meanwhile, Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies in the forest, have an argument which causes tension between them. Is the forest a magical place? Yes, it is because all the characters in the forest reconcile. The story starts off with Egeus, father of Hermia, reporting to Theseus, King of Athens at that time, that his daughter refused to obey him when he commanded his daughter to marry Demetrius, a man of a noble Athenian family. There was a strict law in the city of Athens that if a daughter refused to marry the man her father had chosen, she would be put to death. Hermia had not loved Demetrius but she loved another Athenian, Lysander. She also didn’t want to marry him because her best friend, Helena, loved Demetrius and she wanted to stay loyal. Theseus could not alter the laws the rules of his country so he could only give Hermia four days to reconsider her decision or else she would be put to death. Lysander was informed about this and proposed to Hermia that they should elope to his aunt’s house outside of Athens, where the laws were not applied. Demetrius heard of this and thus, he followed them into the forest. Helena was afraid of losing Demetrius forever so therefore she followed him into the forest. Demetrius reproached Helena for following him but Helena tried to remind him of his former love and true faith to her. Demetrius, after saying many cruel things to Helena, abandoned her while Helena still raced after him. Oberon and Titania are the King and Queen of the Fairies respectively. They were having a disagreement when Titania refused to give Oberon a changeling boy. Titania dotes over this child which makes Oberon jealous. Oberon wants to make the boy part of his entourage. Titania refuses to give the boy up, hence the conflict. They lived in the magical forest. Oberon had a counsellor, Puck. Oberon observed the conflict between Demetrius and Helena. Oberon was always friendly to true lovers and felt sorry for Helena. He reported this to Puck  and commanded him to use a piece of the purple flower, which has a ‘love-juice’, and use it on Demetrius to make him fall in love with Helena. Oberon described him as wearing Athenian clothes. Puck found a man in Athenian clothes but it turned out be Lysander who was sleeping next to Hermia. Puck poured the love-juice into his eyes and the first person he saw he would fall in love with. The next morning, Helena would find Hermia and Lysander. When Lysander woke up, he saw Helena in front of him and immediately fell in love with her. Helena was confused and then she became angry with Lysander. She thought that he was pulling a sick prank on her. Oberon and Puck soon realized what happened. Oberon scolded Puck and Puck found Demetrius asleep. Puck applied the love-juice to his eyes and when Demetrius woke up, he first saw Helena and became in love with her. Ironically, what had first started out as Lysander and Demetrius chasing Hermia with Helena left behind, now had turned into Lysander and Demetrius chasing Helena with Hermia left behind. Helena outraged, thinking it was a prank, got herself into a war of words with Hermia. Oberon and Puck observed the chaos he caused and immediately attempted to fix it. Puck wearied them out by getting them lost and removed the charm from the eyes of Lysander with an antidote to reverse the effects and forget his new love for Helena. After, everything was back to normal Hermia was with Lysander and Helena was with Demetrius. Meanwhile, Oberon, longing for the changeling boy, had poured some love-juice on Titania to make her give it up. When Oberon had returned, he found a clown sleeping next to her. He put a donkey’s head on him and Titania fell in love with the clown. Oberon seized the chance and demanded the changeling boy which she unwillingly accepted. Soon, Oberon had poured some juices of another flower and had brought her back to her senses. She immediately loathed the sight of the monster. All the couples in this story reconciled. Egeus understood Demetrius not wanting to marry his daughter but Helena and Egeus accepted the marriage between Lysander and Hermia. The forest is truly a magical place because what had started as elope, disagreements and hatred turned out be union, harmony and love.

Transportation of Hazardous Material Strategies

Transportation of Hazardous Material Strategies When it comes to the transportation of hazardous material by plane normal procedures of safety do not apply. There are very specific sets of rules and regulations that must be adhered to in order to be licensed to transport by an airliner any material that is classified as hazardous. Why do we need regulations? After all, arent regulations always a source of headache for most ethically ran properly maintained businesses? One would like to believe this, however, as planes come crashing down investigations can often times reveal negligence in the handling and transport of materials that cause cataclysmic devastation. In this paper we will explore what is classified as a hazardous material and then we will slide right into who regulates transportation and how transportation of these materials is regulated. What is classified as a hazardous material? Any material that can be labeled radioactive, allergenic, poisonous, a biohazard, corrosive, toxic, asphyxiating (lack of oxygen to the brain), explosive, oxidizing, flammable, pathogenic (dangerous living organism usually a virus), or magnetic can be classified as a hazardous material and requires a highly trained professional to handle and transport for the safety of all those in close proximity to the material. Wait? Did I say magnetic? Yes. Magnetism inside an aircraft other than normal currents can adversely influence an aircrafts sensitive computer systems, gauges, and mechanical systems. This could cause the plane to fly in circles or, worst case scenario, cause a serious malfunction that would ultimately conclude with a fiery ball of flames and the demise of the flight crew and, quite possibly, other fatalities and casualties. Many materials fall into more than one of these categories. Poisonous and asphyxiation for example could be listed on a material that poisons the body and as a result asphyxiates the poor soul. But who has the authority to classify materials as such listed here? The Department of Transportation was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966. It began operations on April 1, 1967. It is the purpose of the DOT to guarantee a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future (DOT 1966).   Inside the borders of the USA it is the DOT who regulate and enforce all laws that govern transportation in even its simplest form, walking. In respect to air transport of hazardous material they have a strict set of guidelines that must be adhered to that ensures they meet their motto. In later paragraphs in this essay we will examine a few of those guidelines. The Department of Transportation mandates that all employees who handle hazardous material will be required to participate in a training class that will entitle them at the end to receive a license to handle hazardous material. Outside the borders of th e USA each country has its own department that regulates transport but each country has to adhere to the guidelines of both International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA). If a country utilizes air transportation to deliver any hazardous chemical or material to another country then it has to abide by a strict set of guidelines set forth by ICAO and IATA. However, if an American business wants to move materials considered hazardous as described above then it will adhere to the guidelines of the DOT. As stated by DOT 49 Sec. 175.79 Orientation of cargo. (a) A package containing hazardous materials marked â€Å"THIS SIDE UP† or â€Å"THIS END UP†, or with arrows to indicate the proper orientation of the package, must be stored and loaded aboard an aircraft in accordance with such markings. (b) A package containing liquid hazardous materials not marked as indicated in paragraph (a) of this section, must be stored and loaded with closures up (other than side closures in addition to top closures). This means that if a box or container arrow pointing in any direction – up, down left or right the container must be stood up or laid down according to the arrows. This is called material orientation. If the box says this end up then that end must be at the top. If a box is laid on its side when it should be standing up as indicated by the arrows and a hazardous material is contained inside the consequences of this error could be devastating. An example of a devastatin g consequence can be identified by the wreck of cargo jet shortly after taking off, killing three crew members and disintegrating the aircraft. The accident was due in part by a leaking container in the aft cargo hold. Zimbabwe is not governed by the Dept of Transportation so their rules and regulations for cargo transportation are slightly different from the United States. Apparently, a chemical leaked onto some of the important electrical wiring and sent the plane hurtling into the ground due to electrical failure. The rules and regulations set forth by the Dept of Transportation are designed to keep pilots, co-pilots, all personnel, whether they are on land or in the air, and innocent civilians safe from tragedies such as this. In the United States it is estimated that one cargo plane carrying a hazardous material will either be forced to land or will crash due to deviation from the rules and regulations set forth by the Dept of Transportation. Material orientation is easy compar ed to securing hazardous material. Looking at a container and identifying its orientation is the easy part. When securing hazardous material it must be secured properly as to make no forward, backward, or sideways movements. If the hazardous material moves even in an inch it is no longer in compliance with is Title 49 Section 175.81 which states, packages containing hazardous material must be secured in an aircraft in a manner that will prevent any movement in flight which would result in damage two or change in the orientation of the packages. If a transportation agency is found to be in noncompliance the Dept of Transportation can fine the agency or can temporarily suspend or permanently revoke the agencys license to haul hazardous material. If the noncompliance resulted in damage to hazardous material containers the hazardous material will be thoroughly inspected for damage and or leaks after being unloaded from the aircraft. According to Title 49 Section 175.90 part B in the case of a package which is leaking the employee must ensure that the remaining packages in the delivery do not have leaks or contamination. According to part C of the same title the package identified as being damaged or contaminated will not be placed aboard an aircraft for further transport. Hypothetically, you are carrying a material that has a label saying, dangerous when wet, and the plane is also carrying barrels of water to the same destination you do not want the material marked dangerous when wet to come into contact with the barrels of water. Most likely, they plane will not be carrying both materials as a precaution however not all countries abide by American regulations and common sense. When the pilot performs an inspection of his cargo and finds a damaged container he will immediately remove the container according to regulations for the removal of hazardous material and he will ensure the rest of the shipment is unharm ed. He will not risk the safety of his passengers and personnel by placing the damaged container back on board the aircraft. If the Dept of Transportation receives evidence that he has done so the pilot will have his license revoked and his wings stripped. He may even be slapped with a fine as determined by the offense. The rules and regulations set forth by the Dept of Transportation for the transportation of hazardous material are designed with safety in mind. Many organizations believe that these rules and regulations are way too restrictive. Even so, many companies may actually lose money while trying to adhere to these rules and regulations. The necessity of rules and regulations such as these were designed to protect society from plane wrecks, explosions, system disorientation, birth defects caused by radiation, fatalities and casualties, chemical spills, radiation poisoning, poisonous gas plants causing asphyxiation, etc. The Dept of Transportation is not sympathetic to a company losing money trying to adhere to these regulations. The Dept of Transportation is a committee designed to protect society from the mission Giddings of bad business in transportation. It is their sole duty to uphold safety, efficiency, speed, reliability, convenience, and accessibility of all transportation. Any organization found to be in noncompliance with the rules and regulations of the Dept of Transportation can be fined or terminated by the department fo r noncompliance. There are many rules and regulations set forth by the Dept of Transportation for the transportation of hazardous materials that I have not covered but these are the basics. It is, in the United States, the Dept of Transportation and regulates all transportation. Internationally, it is ICAO and IATA.

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 Essay

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 Both Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 portray hedonistic societies. The inhabitants of both societies seek to enjoy themselves for as much of the time as possible, however only citizens in Brave New World are truly happy. This leads to the conclusion that humans can never be truly happy, according to the authors, as their natural selves. The people in Brave New World enjoy themselves with promiscuous sex, complicated sports, movies called feelies that engage all the senses, and excessive use of the mind-altering drug called soma. Their schedules are always full. A Controller relates the workings of society to some adolescent boys, telling them happily that â€Å"the old men work, the old men copulate, the old men have no time, no leisure from pleasure, not a moment to sit down and think—or if ever by some unlucky chance such a crevice of time should yawn in the solid substance of their distractions, there is always soma† (Huxley 67). When they are awake they are working or playing sports with coworkers, during the nights they attend the feelies and the parties and go home with someone to have sex with. The people are conditioned to never want to be alone, to always be engaged, never thinking further than what their job requires. For the people whose jobs require little or no thinking, special castes are created with alcohol added to the brains, destroying cognitive functions. The hedonism portrayed in Fahrenheit 451 tends to be darker. People drive cars as fast as they can to get a sense of speed, regardless of who or what they may run into. The fun houses that people go to have â€Å"games† such as the window smasher, playing into ... ...tory system until the person can no longer breathe. The overdoses of soma are few and far between however, the Brave New World society appearing to genuinely believe in its happiness and the suicide rate being correspondingly very low in contrast to the nightly attempts in Fahrenheit 451. The majority of the aspects in the two hedonistic societies are equivalent. Conditioning the minds of the population appears to prove far superior to motivating them with fear. In Brave New World the only ones who are unhappy are those who do not respond to the conditioning, who do not receive conditioning, and those who are separated from society. No one is truly happy in the society of Fahrenheit 451. Works Cited Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group, 1953. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Garden City, NY: Country Life Press, 1929.

The Incarcerated and Bare Life Essay -- The Birth of a Nation

Bare life refers to a kind of living, whereby, one does not interact with the society and enjoys only the biological life. One is inhibited to rights such as politics, social events, family sharing, religion, and conjugal rights. The bare life condition is basically characterized by subjecting an individual to sovereign power. Bare life pertains to incarceration. This is clearly depicted by several narratives. These narratives do so by exhibiting characters that are faced with difficult situations. The narratives seem to be biased on the basis of race. This is evidenced by the fact that, most of the characters who are assigned these roles are portrayed as black people. In the narrative The Birth of a Nation: Confederate Myth, it exhibits presence of slaves. The slaves are depicted as the people who are to work in the fields the whole day. The day working hour’s being from six in the morning to six in the evening. The slaves are seen to just enjoy a two hour break which was for feeding their bellies. The author further acknowledges that for the slaves, they faced numerous difficulties that nobody took note of them or showed a sign of concern (Wallace 91). Further depiction of bare life is illustrated by the narrative of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In this narrative, one character who is Topsy, is depicted as a slave subjected to difficult lifestyle. She appears as a slave with uncombed hair, poorly dressed, and she is ever moving from place to place. Various factors and processes that an individual is exposed to in life, lead him to incarceration. The narrative red as an example, the author talks of a story of three people. He clearly points out that, the three do not know their fate, but the kind of lives they will live will det... ...that, the incarcerated people are not necessarily criminals. Some find themselves there due to various situations that they are faced with in life. This varies from the time of growth and development of an individual point of view, to the interaction with the society or surrounding environment. Also, the encounter has helped in the change of the perception that, the incarcerated should receive severe punishment of their acts. Since the incarcerated are exposed to bare life only while in prison, there is a need to have a look at the situation and help in creating systems that will enhance interaction between the bare life and other kinds of life for the incarcerated. Cited Works Sherwin, R, Nomos and Cinema, Hein Online 2000-2001 Wallace, M, The Good Lynching and â€Å"The Birth of a Nation†: Discourses and Aesthetics of Jim Crow, University of Texas Press 2003

New Media Marketing Campaign Success Story Essay

Dove was one of the biggest global brands introduced and owned by Unilever since 1957. Dove started its life as a beauty soap bar that was clinically proven to be milder for dry, sensitive skin than other leading soaps: half of women have dry skin. Dove provides a wide range of cleansing and personal care products that make a genuine difference to the condition and feel of consumer’s skin and hair. Some products of Dove include; antiperspirants, deodorants, body washes, beauty bars, lotions and moisturizers, hair care and facial care products. During the 1990s, the group began to extend the brand across the complete personal care spectrum, and Dove now encompasses a wide range of products from bar soap to shower gel, and from deodorants to shampoo-conditioners. Dove has attracted widespread media attention since 2004 for its marketing. A new line of Dove for Men products was launched in 2010. Over the last few years, Dove has focused on delivering products that inspire women to enjoy their own beauty and individuality. As part of our Campaign for Real Beauty, the Dove Self-Esteem Fund (DSEF) demonstrates our commitment to the brand’s mission ‘to make more women feel beautiful every day, by widening today’s view of beauty and by inspiring women to take great care of themselves.’ The DSEF aims to educate and inspire young girls through a series of tools and workshops which ultimately protects and nurtures their body-related self-esteem and enables them to become fully realized adults. Campaign Introduction Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is campaign that focused not on the product, but on a way to make women feel beautiful regardless of their age and size. The point behind the campaign is to celebrate the natural physical variation embodied by all women and inspire them to have confidence to be comfortable with themselves. The launched campaign featured normal women of different shapes and sizes viewed in a number of ways’ one was approaches in the street another answered an ad which was placed in a local newspaper. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is a global effort that is intended to serve as a starting point for societal change and act as a catalyst for widening the definition and discussion of beauty. The campaign supports the Dove mission: to make women feel more beautiful every day by challenging today’s stereotypical view of beauty and inspiring women to take great care of themselves.† In addition to changing women’s view of their bodies, Dove also aimed to change the beauty market. In an industry where the standard of beauty is often a size two blonde supermodel, Dove distinguished itself by using models that ranged from size six to fourteen. CRFB abandoned the conventional cynical method of portraying â€Å"perfect† women as beauty role models. Main goals of the online campaign were to bring awareness to the new product line, generate debate about the definition of beauty, receive media attention, gain market coverage allow consumer interaction with the brand, and call to join the self-esteem program partnership. . Type of New Media Used Website Through Dove’s website, the public is able to gain more insights about the campaigns. The Dove Self-Esteem Fund was developed as part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty to help free the next generation from self-limiting beauty stereotypes. We have already helped over 5 million girls and we invite you to play a role in supporting and promoting a wider definition of beauty. Dove Self-Esteem Fund – Girls Only Interactive Self-Esteem Zone (Appendix 1.3) allows the public to do everything from take interactive quizzes, creating their own online magazine to get a reality check in art of image manipulation. Furthermore, they created a viral video (Appendix 1.4) – Evolution, showing the transformation of a normal looking girl into a stunning model and posted it on the website. Visitors can access new self-esteem building tools, take part in interactive self-esteem activities and join self-esteem discussion boards. Facebook As consumers nowadays are getting more IT savvy, the Dove Facebook page (Appendix 1.1) generally attracted 3,688,330 people liking it. From the page, Dove not only educates the campaign to the public, it also engages the public and users of Facebook to communicate with them. Dove has done so through the interactive panels (Appendix 1.1), where they asked â€Å"What does real beauty mean to you?† From there, the public will post their response or view up the wall of the page. The Dove Facebook page is able to reach mass audience of different languages and culture as they allow visitors to pick their current country and language choices. Thus, even if the visitor is not English speaking, they will still be able to understand the information stated on the page. YouTube YouTube is a social media platform that allows feedback from its viewers. By using YouTube, Dove has stimulated its customers to get involved by telling their own opinions about beauty concept. That helps the campaign more and more successful and well-known. With YouTube, Dove can also measure the effect of their campaign via the number of viewers. They created viral video and placed it on the CFRB website, the video – Evolution, shows the transformation of a normal=looking girl into a stunning model and it became a hot throughout YouTube by the name; Dove Evolution Video, 2006. Dove’s â€Å"Evolution† video (Appendix 1.2), which won both a Film Grand Prix and Cyber Lion (A Grand Prix for cyber-marketing) at the 2007 Cannes Lion International Advertising Festival, takes a different approach. By highlighting the extent to which pictures of models are often modified and retouched in advertisements, this video point out the unrealistic nature of many models’ appearances. Showing how much a model’s appearance can change from its natural state at the beginning of a photo shoot, thanks to make-up, stylists and computers, â€Å"Evolution† is intended to challenge women not to accept a type of beauty that is unrealistic and attainable only through the use of editing and retouching Conclusion Result of the Campaign Through the campaign, results stated that the campaign has been shown on over 25 major TV channels and in more than 800 articles in opinion leading newspapers as well as in popular women’s magazines. In the first six months of the campaign, sales of Dove’s firming products increased 700% in Europe and in the United States, sales for the products in the advertisements increased 600 percent in the first two months of the campaign. In 2004, the first year of the campaign, global sales surpassed $1 billion, exceeding company expectations. Dove’s public relations company built in news coverage for Asia with the Dove â€Å"models† appearing in 618 different newspaper clippings with a circulation of 139 million. By the end of 2005, sales in the Asian-Pacific market increased from 19 percent to 26 percent. In the United States, the campaign got free advertising space from media coverage on national television shows reaching 30 million daytime television viewers. These shows included The Oprah Winfrey Show, which included the campaign everyday for a week, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Today Show, The View and CNN. â€Å"Evolution† the viral video and the most famous execution of the campaign to date had global impact. The viral has been viewed more than 15 million times online and seen by more than 300 million people globally in various channels of distribution, including news coverage, by the estimation of Ogilvy Chairman-CEO Shelly Lazarus. Dove and Ogilvy have won awards for this campaign. These include the two Grand Prix Cannes Advertising Awards in 2007. This is an unprecedented number of awards to win. â€Å"Evolution† the viral won Film Grand Prix and a Cyber Grand Prix. Dove won a silver IPA for effectiveness with the campaign. In 2006 it was awarded a Grand EFFIE, which honors the most significant achievement in marketing communications effectiveness. Individual Opinion The success of the Dove campaign has been its agility in bypassing traditional mainstream media and entering popular culture through new media. Dove used YouTube to ask their consumers to help create the Self-Esteem Campaign. To get things started, Dove posted a fast-motion, one-minute film entitled, â€Å"Dove Evolution,† which races through the cosmetic artistry and Photoshop â€Å"plastic surgery† that ultimately transforms a model’s features into an ethereal face that then appears on a billboard. The film ends with the tag line: â€Å"No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.† The YouTube Dove film has been viewed over three million times and has brought more attention to the Campaign for Real Beauty. Dove’s message and story then migrated to the entertainment media. The spot played on TV shows such as â€Å"Ellen,† â€Å"Entertainment Tonight† and â€Å"The View.† Dove, the brand with a point of view, now had customers with a point of view. The Dove Campaign opened marketer’s eyes to the importance of global consistency. The internet makes it easier for people to connect the dots and to share information. With the internet giving the consumer a voice and allowing user-generated media to have a real impact on our culture, marketers should be able to recognize this and realize how much power the consumer now holds.

Communication: Meaning of Life and Words Essay

The words we use and the order in we use them give particular meaning to our communication. There are certain occasions when the meaning is clear even though the words used are technically wrong. But you cannot be certain that everyone with whom you communicate with will understand what you are saying or the person who is sending you a message. Prejudice is an unreasonable dislike or preference for a person or group based on their religion, race sex etc. While perception is how you notice things especially with your senses. Since we use most of our senses to communicate, most people will use the most dominant senses they have to pass a message and the outlook will determine how we judge them, for example a person may be a visually dominant person and you may maybe a touch oriented person so the way he may pass on a message to you will not come out clearly or it may bring out a different meaning as to what it was originally intended to. Incorrect expression will mean that the ideas that are to be conveyed will not be clear and you may lose interest in the message or communication and thus you will come out with a different perspective of the person conveying this message or the message itself. As humans we tend to have this weakness of stereotyping people once we look at them. We tend to judge people from their outside appearance rather than from what they say or do but once a person has written or spoken something we come out with a different view of them according to Pearson, nelson, titsworth and harter (2003) our expectations and our expressions of the behavior of others are guided by how we perceive them and its through their communications is how we will look at it. How words dictate pride and prejudice Here is where we will discuss how use of words will affect how we perceive people and how prejudice will come in. Adopting the proper use of words are both crucial to both personal and business life. Unless friends and acquaintances know what they mean, relationships will become strained. Unless employees interpret what is communicated to them well, work production will go down. so the proper use of words will dictate how we interpret things and use them in our day to day activities. Words can be seen as formal and distance lacking the personal touch which is so often positive, a feature in other forms of communications. It takes a highly skilled communicator to interpret the message to its intended form. People tend to use complicated words which they may try to impress the person receiving the message †¦. â€Å"Never use complicated words or phrases for simple things† (sillars 1988) as it will bring a huge meaning from what it was originally meant to and it will make the message receiver look at it from a different perspective. Using inaccurate words and in a misplaced order will affect how a message is supposed to be passed along. Words tend to lose their effects through constant use, its far better to be specific and clear than to risk irritating and confusing to the receiver of the message†¦ â€Å"communicators who fail to realize that persons from different cultures may not look think or act as themselves do run the risks of having those whom they interact with judge them to be insensitive ignorant or culturally confused† (gamble 2002) like a word which may mean happiness to you may mean totally different in another different community or country. Since perception is through our senses and our senses vary, we interpret words and messages differently. Not everyone perceives things the way we do, we form stereotypes of people, things and situations so the way a message is passed along and the words used in the message dictates how we will perceive the message and interpret it. Each individual perception of a message is influenced by his or her attitude thus out of the massive information available to us we will pick out the messages that has words that conform to our own beliefs, expectations or convictions and we tend to reject the information that has words which contradicts them. Our selective processes allow us to add delete or change stimuli so that we can avoid dealing with certain information. Wrong use of words can also lead to a process called selective perception which is the tendency to see hear and believe only what u want. Words can help us form first impression about people thus first impressions can dramatically affect perception about people†¦Ã¢â‚¬ you will find that people usually attribute positive qualities to persons A, selecting a descriptive word with very positive connotations in contrast, persons B is often perceived as possessing negative qualities and for this reason the word chosen to describe B has also negative connotations† (gamble 2002) Perhaps the most difficult thing with words is that they can mean two different things to two different people, and they do not have the opportunity to query it immediately. Benjamin Disraeli, the first English prime minister of Jewish descend and a brilliant novelist used to reply in this words to admires who send him large manuscripts of their own in the hopes of gaining his advice†¦. †many thanks, I shall loose no time in reading it†. The gulf between what he meant and what they thought he meant was, we can guess, considerable. Everyone who works with words should be aware of how they can take on a new, different and disturbing meaning in the minds of others, and should guard against this by checking even the most apparent straightforward expressions before using them. Many new words add vigor and strength to a language and can be very effective when used in the right context. Words need to be used with caution if you do not want to be ambiguous, inaccurate or totally incomprehensible in what you say, even if a new word or a new saying becomes common and is heard in every television or radio broadcast, try not to adopt it immediately and uncritically, pause for a moment and consider whether it helps to clarify the ideas it puts forward, or whether it obscures it otherwise it will bring forward a different perception of the message it intended to pass forward†¦Ã¢â‚¬ it is also important to realize that a word that does not function for you may function differently for another person even if you did not intend it to be given a certain interpretation†(gamble 2002) Since we assign meaning on the basis of our experience, and since no two people have the same set of experiences, it follows that no two people will have the same meaning for the same word. This aspect should neither be lauded nor cursed; it should simply be remembered. Too frequently we let our words lead us away from where we want to go, we unwittingly antagonize our family, friends and co-workers. We are i nfuriated, For example, when an important deal collapses because our position has not been understood; or we are terrified when the leaders of government miscommunicate and put their counties on a collision cause. In order to avoid or alleviate such problems, we must remember that meaning can change as people who use their words change. You might wear a sports jacket or a sweater or a Pair of jeans to a casual party, but this does not mean that everyone else who is invited to that party would interpret casual in the same way. The meaning people attribute to symbols and words are affected by their background, age, educational level and work. Forgetting this can cause misunderstandings and lead to communication difficulties. â€Å"Words in themselves have no meaning, the meaning resides in the mind of the communicators†(sillars 1988). try to identify how the lives of people with whom you communicate with can cause them to respond to words in ways you would not respond. Different responses are neither right nor wrong they are simply different. Conclusion While points argued attempt to reflect accurate use of words, they should be used with certain limitation and care. Remember that human beings are the same physically but they may differ in mind and reasoning, even the meaning of words may change or alter with time. For example, scholars who edit Shakespeare have to update the punctuation of earlier editions so that the contemporary reader can gain a proper grasp of the meaning and movements of the speeches and the significance to the actions. Be clear, be accurate, and be concise, always choosing the words which make you point in the most direct way, and you will be able to communicate effectively. References Baran, (2004) introduction to mass communication, McGraw hill companies New York Harter, nelson, Pearson, titsworth (2003) human communication, McGraw hill companies New York Michael gamble, Teri gamble, (2002) how communication works, McGraw hill companies New York Sillars (1988), success in communication, john Murray (publishers) ltd, London Sillars (1981) communication rules ok! John Murray (publishers) ltd, London.

Why is the UK the TOP Destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Essay

Why is the UK the TOP Destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the European Union - Essay Example The United States yet maintains to be the forerunner amongst the investors into the UK alongside Germany, Japan, India and France. The recently published World Investment Report, nowadays by the â€Å"UNCTAD† (Green 2011) illustrates that the UK is one of the most favored nations for FDI in European Union and third globally. According to the report published by UNCTAD, the stock of FDI in the United Kingdom is $US 1,086 billion of FDI stock. This report strengthens the position of the UK as one of the most attractive business destinations of the world. Susan Haird, acting CEO of UK Trade & Investment talking about this report said that this report strengthens the attractiveness of UK’s Foreign Direct Investment. Significant potential future Foreign Direct Investment gains are likely from further incorporation, particularly subsequent successful liberalization of services organizations. The long-term FDI cost of withdrawal would be significant. EU Impact on UK FDI: UK ha s been capable to attract comparatively more FDI than a number of other European financial systems as a consequence of market incorporation. As a percentage of GDP the UK also catch the attentions of more FDI than the United State. UK Trade & Investment has played a significant role in promoting UK as an attractive FDI location to the overseas investors and to come them to the UK for investment. â€Å"Worldwide, most FDI is between Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The USA accounts for just under a quarter of global FDI, outward and inward† (Milne 1999). Worldwide, the United Kingdom is the second largest outward depositor and the third largest receiver of inward investment. In the year of1998 and 1999 outward British Foreign Direct Investment was alike in value to outward United State Foreign Direct Investment. The UK, with stretchy labor marketplaces and a tradition of physically powerful incorporation into worldwide FDI flows would be well-placed to catch the attention of an important share of future FDI flows, mainly in high- efficiency knowledge- rigorous businesses. The World Investment Report demonstrates that, the UK has outperformed a declining European marketplace, the share of UK’s FDI stock enlarged â€Å"while the overall stock of FDI in Europe declined to $7,614 billion from $7,951 billion† (UK is Europe’s Top Destination for Foreign Direct Inward Investment 2011) in the year of 2009 and that in the European Union fell to $6,890 from $7,296 in the year of 2009. According to the report, 46% of the investors are faithful to the United Kingdom, which helped attracting repeat business. Now, it is very much necessary for the government of UK to focus more on attracting new shareholders from BRICs. Infrastructure and Technology, quality of life and constant financial environment, customs and language are cited as the key characteristics that made the UK more attractive for the investors . â€Å"The UK attracted 728 FDI projects in 2010, up 7% on 2009, compared with 562 projects in France and 560 in Germany — whose projects rose by 34%, bolstered by its position as the number one location for Chinese investment.† (Destination UK: Sustaining Success in the New Economy 2011). This denotes that since in the year of 2004, the UK has been chosen as the site of choice for around one in five of every investment announcements crossways Europe. Why UK has been Successful in FDI: FDI brings various advantages to the UK financial system such as rising employment and productivity, inspiring competition, and rising efficiency.

Poverty in Haiti Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Poverty in Haiti - Essay Example During the last four years, there have been some positive changes like the restoration of political stability in 2006, the establishment of a better macroeconomic framework, the reduction of insecurity, and a slight economic growth (IMF, 2008:8). In spite of these positive signs, the country faces many challenges. In 2001, 4.4 million persons (56 percent of the total population of 8.1 million) were living below the extreme poverty line (US$1 per person, per day), and 7.6 persons out of 10 were poor (less than US$2 per person, per day) (IMF, 2008:8). At the same time, 40 percent of the poorest population only had access to 5.9 percent of total income, while 68 percent of this income belonged to the most affluent 20 percent of the population. (IMF, 2008:8). This means that 80 percent of the population was in control of only 32 percent of the total income. It has been calculated that 2 percent of the richest group in Haiti was in control of 26 percent of this income. (IMF, 2008:8). This is a clear picture of a high level of poverty and inequality. Besides that, Haiti fell from position 146 in 2000 to 153 in 2005 regarding the indicator of human development. There have been a gradual increase of deforestation, very low life expectancy at birth, and a deterioration in living conditions due to the annual average decline in real per capita income and average consumption. (IMF, 2008:8). Lack of education and the prevalence of ignorance and superstition keep many Haitians in a state of underdevelopment. For many Haitians survival is the most important issue that they face day by day. Both economic and human development have to be addressed with quick and effective solutions. 2.- Challenges Ahead. Challenges have to be identified accurately in order to tackle them in a proactive way. Haiti's Government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have been implementing the guidelines established in the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (DSNCRP) in which four key challenges have been identified: achieving more meaningful social development in order to overcome the lag regarding the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), creating a modern, competitive economy to align Haiti with other Caribbean economies by rebalancing its competitiveness at the regional level, modernizing the State so it can really be at the service of all citizens by reshaping the public management system, and using at the fullest the country two comparative advantages (its cultural creativity and historical heritage, and the economic resources from the Diaspora). (IMF, 2008:9). Since poor Haitians struggle to survive desperately day by day, the most critical challenge of immediate survival must be consid ered as the highest priority problem to be solved in a viable, concrete way. 3.- Poverty

The price elasticity of gasoline in the United States has been Essay

The price elasticity of gasoline in the United States has been estimated to be 0.15. if this is so, should profit maximizing gasoline stations raise their prices Explain why or why not - Essay Example Since gasoline is considered as normal goods the income elasticity will be positive. The estimated price elasticity will vary according to income, demography and the geography. The demand for gasoline is closely associated with the fuel economy of the vehicles. If the price of the gasoline rises the profit maximizing gasoline companies will not be able to raise the prices according to their wish as in such cases the consumers will shift to the more fuel efficient vehicles which will ultimately lead to a fall in demand conditions for gasoline1. The rebounding effect will have a role to play in this case. The organizations may witness a rise in demand in the short run but in the long run the demand will not be persistent and in fact the demand will fall further than expected. Gillingham, K. 2011. How Do Consumers Respond to Gasoline Price Shocks? Heterogeneity in Vehicle Choice and Driving Behavior. Available at: http://www.umass.edu/resec/seminars/docs/Gillingham_ConsumerResponseGasPrices.pdf. [Accessed: 18th October,

Statistical analysis by michael cummins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Statistical analysis by michael cummins - Essay Example ested whether there are significant differences among the overall job satisfaction of three departments, namely, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Administration. The results demonstrate that there is no significant difference among the three categories (F=1.74, p>.05). This means that they have more or less equal levels of overall job satisfaction. When tested by position, the results indicate that there is a significant difference between the two groups of full-timers and part-timers, with part-timers yielding a higher overall satisfaction level (t=2.34, p.05). This means that the three groups have more or less equal levels of overall job satisfaction. Gender. The results for gender that indicate no significant difference between the two gender groups are not supported by literature. The review of literature suggests that men are more satisfied at the workplace than women, mainly because of unequal treatment in the workplace. However, with work conditions being equal, women tend to be more satisfied at work than their male colleagues (www.coe.iup.edu). Age. A review of the relevant literature shows that most of the age-job satisfaction studies have concluded that there is some association between employee age and job satisfaction. Gibson and Klein (1970) have demonstrated an increase in satisfaction with age over all tenure levels in their sample. They discussed the age-satisfaction relationship in terms of changing needs, a mellowing process, and dynamic cognitive structures related to age. Siassi et al. (1975) presented higher levels of job satisfaction in workers over 40 than in those under 40, regardless of the

Fieldwork report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fieldwork report - Essay Example While providing much needed support to the patient and the family in order for them to cope with the emotional stress associated with being critically ill, it has also been found that nurses and health care staff assigned to intensive care units that deal with end of life situations deal with more stress than nurses assigned to other wards (Kostopoulou & Katsouyanni, 2006). During my visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong, I observed the palliative care given to patients in their oncology ward. This a mixed ward where they give care to both geriatric and pediatric patients with cancer. As an observer, I was able to see the developments made in giving palliation and what needs to be improved still. Queen Elizabeth Hospital is one of the many hospitals in Hong Kong that provides palliative care to their patients in the oncology ward. The services that they offer include providing possible placement and hospice care for patients. In providing palliative care, the patient and their families are given support for quality of life by preventing and providing relief from emotional, spiritual and physiological impacts of chronic illnesses such as cancer. ... The giving of palliative care may differ a bit in giving care to different age groups. Such as with pediatric palliative care that deals with children with the idea that children with chronic illnesses may not survive to become adults (Liben, Papadatou, & Wolfe, 2007). Education and psychosocial support is also given to patients and their families. In educating families, it is giving them options with clinical trials that can help with the prognosis of their illnesses. The psychosocial aspect helps patients and their families deal with the emotional and psychological stresses associated with being chronically ill (Chan, 2001). Culturally speaking, Chinese people find it a privilege to spend the last moments of their loved ones. This is slowly changing with the advancement of medicine and the constraints of living spaces in Hong Kong. Most deaths happen in the ICU or hospices and this has a significant impact especially on the elderly who seek palliative care. Even health care workers are aware of this human factor and may sometimes allow patients who are admitted to hospices to go home for a few days. This home leave improves the psychological and emotional aspect of the patient, but in most cases is brought back to the hospice or hospital (Ngai, Yuen, & Wong, 2006). CONCEPTS BEHIND PALLIATIVE CARE IN CLINICAL ONCOLOGY Palliative care has a significant role when dealing with patients who are chronically ill. The scope of care does not only extend to the patient, but to the family of the patient as well who together with the patient deal with the stresses and emotional burdens of being ill. Palliative care also gives importance on the role of health care workers in giving appropriate psychosocial support and exploring other clinical studies that can help in the

Ecotourism in Washington DC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ecotourism in Washington DC - Essay Example The organization has some strategies, which are put in place for ensuring that the environment upon which it exists is sustainable and at the same time, the environment is upheld in the expected way. One of the ways through which this is done is with regards to the disposal of wastes that come from the institution. This is especially bearing in mind that most of the disposable products which come to the environment may be of danger to the environment and the people in it. These elements, according to the institution ought to be disposed in a manner, which will bring about the upholding of proper environmental standards within and around the institution. The institution also supports the aspect of practices, which bring about developments in the community in which it exists. In the course of people ought lives there to be the aspect of giving back to the society. This is because there are benefits, which people realize, and it would be beneficial to let other people also share these b enefits. The main intention of volunteering is for the purpose of bringing improvements to the lives of people. One thing, which should be noted, is that the act of volunteering can also be regarded as a way of serving the community. There are various ways through which voluntary services can be realized in a community. This may be done on an individual level or as a group. In the present world, voluntary services have moved from just an act, which is conducted by individuals as opposed to back in the days. Currently, organizations also engage in the acts that are meant to bring about service and benefit to the community. In the corporate world, this may be termed as corporate social responsibility. Which such organizations can bring about the elements that are associated with volunteering through various ways. For example, these individuals may opt to visit places where there exist less fortunate individuals. Another way that this can be made possible is by sharing things, which wi ll be beneficial to the recipients of the voluntary service. These acts are majorly to do with organizations and firms that want to engage in such services. Likewise, there is the aspect to do with personal feeling, which a person gets to experience at the thought of having volunteered something for the purpose of helping another person. Through voluntary activities. lives can be changed. This change is not only experienced by the people receiving the service. There is also the personal gratifying feeling, which the person giving the service receives. These are some of the things, which the organization greatly supports. The main idea is that there ought to be the development of the individual person, the environment and the community in general. With these revelations, there are various programs, which the organization is in support of. These are majorly those, which assist the young children and the old people in the society. In this case, the charity organizations will be orphana ges and houses for the elderly. Some of the ways through this assistance is realized is through the provision of health services and other services that will lead to the bettering of the lives of the people therein. Similarly, the organization engages in interactive days where

No More Homework Essay Example for Free

No More Homework Essay Homework has historically been given to students to reinforce what they learn at school, and ultimately to help them learn the material better. However, too much homework is not helpful, and can be counterproductive. Excessive amounts of time spent on completing homework can take away from a students social life, family time, and limits participation in sports or other activities. The amount of homework a teacher can give to a student should be restricted, and only assigned due to necessity. Critically acclaimed author Tamim Ansary reports that since 1981, the amount of homework given to the average sixth grader has increased by more than fifty percent. Many people claim that the increase in homework dates as far back as 1957, when the Russians launched Sputnik into outer space. The new competition that resulted served as incentive for schools to try to increase the difficulty of the curriculum. With harder classes came more homework (Ansary). Many teachers defend large amounts of homework, claiming that it helps prepare students for a world that is becoming increasingly competitive. However, Dr. Kralovec, author of The End of Homework argues that doing homework during high school has little or no effect on successful study skills of students in college. College students have only a few hours of class a week and lots of daytime hours in which to study. She says the college schedule is nowhere as grueling as in high school. In addition, the average adult does not return home from the office with three or more hours of work to complete (Kralovec). Excessive amounts of homework can be harmful to kids both physically and mentally. A lot of homework usually means a lot of books to carry. Fifty-five percent of the Massachusetts children surveyed by researchers at Simmons College carry loads heavier than fifteen percent of their body weight, the suggested limit. Carrying large amounts of weight daily at a young age can do a lot of damage because bones are still in development. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported that in 1999, more than 800 kids were treated in emergency rooms for backpack-related injuries. Many of these injuries can lead to serious problems later in life including chronic shoulder, neck, and back pain (“Children”). The large amount of homework is causing kids in both high school and junior high school to be up until midnight or later. When extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs, etc., are added to the picture, kids may even have to wake up early the next morning to finish their homework, leaving them with an insufficient amount of sleep. Some parents and teachers argue that it would be beneficial to a child’s academics to limit after school activities. However, cutting back on the few hours a week teenagers use for exercise could be a factor in the growing obesity rates (Igo). Homework also takes away from time that a kid could be spending with his or her family. Rather than spending time bonding and building strong family relationships, parents and children argue over homework. Time is taken away from important elements of daily life. This time is particularly precious in families with two working parents whose time with their children is limited. This time could be better spent going out to dinner as a family, or doing other activities that most families are not able to do because the kids do not have time to take a break from their homework schedule (Igo). When busy work assignments are given carelessly and frequently, it causes students to lose interest in the subject. Negative results can also occur when a student is not able to complete his or her homework. Many times they will resort to copying homework, having others do their assignments, or cheating on tests. Bad habits such as these are likely to follow kids through their lives and have an effect on their moral judgment. With no consequences to these actions students will almost always take the easy way out when it comes to homework (Kralovec). The use of homework is effective when used by the rule less is more. Overwhelming students with loads of homework can cause them stress and possible physical injury. Homework takes away from the small amount of time kids get to spend with their parents and siblings. A limit on their physical and social activities can also take a large toll on their lives, and could hinder their health and future relationships.