Foundation of Human Service Essay

1. Identify the four themes of human services. According to the reading assignment Chapter One of Introduction to Human Services, the four themes are: 1. Concerns with problems in living- This is when people unable meet their own basic needs. 2. The increase in problems in our modern world – This include having a growing number of people feeling estranged from their communities or not having the support needed from friends or family when there a joyous times and times of sorrow. 3. The need for self-sufficiency – This is where to rely on others to meet their basic needs, it is destroying to their self-esteem. This creates a makes them feel they are incapable of doing for themselves. 4. The goals of social care, social control, and rehabilitation – social care is when a person cannot provide for themselves, social control when a person is able to care for themselves but not well enough or according to the law. Rehabilitation this is when a person is not currently able to care for him or herself as if they were prior, possibly because of an accident or crisis. It can be short term or long term but the hope it to get the individual to be able to care for his or herself. (Woodside & McClam, 2012) 2. Identify professional disciplines that influence human services. The disciplines listed in the reading assignment Chapter One of Introduction to Human Services 1. Sociology – helps human service professionals understand the foundations of life that affect our existence, such as a family’s organization, the roles that each family member places, race, gender, even poverty. 2. Psychology – is your behaviors are looked very closely along with how your mind works. They look at how you react to certain things and why you react the way you do. 3. Anthropology – studies the cultural, physical, and social development of humans and the variation in their customs and beliefs. (Woodside & McClam, 2012) 3. How have societal viewpoints concerning mental illness or health influenced human services over the past three centuries? I feel that over the last three centuries societal viewpoint has changed how things are categorized which leads to how we deal with things. In the past some of the categories were, child, abled-person, and not abled-person. This does not help when it comes to helping people with different illnesses or the poor. I feel that if we have such a wide categorizing system then there is less help. When we break things down then it gives you the opportunity to provide better help. 4. How have societal viewpoints concerning child welfare influenced human services over the past three centuries? I feel that over the last three centuries societal viewpoint has changed child welfare for the better. Our children now get more help than what they did in the past. Now children are treated equal amongst society than before. We now have people in place that can help a child and our child know they will get help. Now children are not just dismissed when they are having problems. 5. How have societal viewpoints concerning incarceration and probation influenced human services over the past three centuries? I feel that now incarceration and probation is becoming something that is look at closely in the past I felt that people got away with things because they â€Å"knew someone.† Now we have employed people to make sure they are following the rules of society and this helps our communities out. We now have a better handle on things than we did in the past. 6. Explain how political and legislative changes have affected client care. Now that we do not treat the mentally ill as if they have a demon inside then and we have the politician and legislature to set law to help then we are a lot better off. If it was not for laws being, pass like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and time things would not be where they are today. Reference: Woodside, M., & McClam, T. (2012). An Introduction to Human Services, Seventh Edition. Cengage Learning.

Driving Teachers Crazy Essay

Teaching is not just earning a buck, it’s a snap. At the beginning of a new school year with high school sophomores, Mr. Finn is working at his desk wondering what the first period is going to be like. While waiting for the bell to ring, most students stand in clusters talking quietly but a few the knock- upstairs are rather loud and boisterous around the room causing a commotion with every group they pass. Not wanting to be overly negative on the first day, Mr. Finn says nothing. By the time the bell rings most of the class has become loud and boisterous. Although, teaching is a snap. Some students make it rather difficulty. When he realizes that his class is going to be immature, he will need to learn self-discipline. He remembers the classroom management suggestion he learned in college. â€Å"Don’t simile until Christmas and be tough on the first day†. Therefore, he commands everyone to sit and get the class started. From the time of role call to the time Mr. Finn is passing out textbooks, and then thought the introductory lesson, several students are loud and sometimes obnoxious, others to the other side of the room are murmuring, swearing and don’t forget the corners someone is snoring. He tells the students to be quieter, but they don’t listen. By the end of the first period he wonders whether his going into teaching might have been a mistake. He wanted to teach and help young learn, but certainly lost he thinks, when you spend your whole day disciplining students rather than teaching them. As routine as it may sound, this is the experience that I go through everyday. Having twenty students a day that are as loud as action is never pleasant. By the time I get home I head to the fridge to get chocolate ice cream not just because I need it, but also because want it. Noise distracts other slow learners as well as teachers. It maybe that this student needs to be noticed and recognized. I have a friend who always shouts to be noticed, being loud seem to enhance her personality, and sometimes to appear tough. It is so irritating when you are reading and  someone shouts loudly keeping you off track. This student need to encouraged repeatedly, she requires redirection and always told to demonstrate mature behavior. Secondly, name-calling is also a common occurrence and very nefarious. It bothers me when a student calls someone a name just to be noticed or for attention. Although there are key problems that lead to this behavior there are key issues behind the scenes. One key major aspect is sexuality, a student may feel that he/she is an outcast or cannot make friends. He/she attracts attention from peers through name-calling. Some classmates are also amused by this behavior – as long as it’s directed toward someone else. Sometimes, a student may have a need for food and drink, and may be covering this need by name-calling. A teacher has to recognize why the student is presenting this behavior in order to be of help. There are things that can be done by the student. A close relationship with someone may reduce this student’s need to call others names. Another irritating behavior is making fun of other’s weakness. People need to belong and respected no matter what their weakness, if this is taken advantage of they might be hurt or discouraged. Last year, I had a friend in my health class, he had a domestic problem and that his parents were divorced. Now that he lived with his mother who couldn’t support him in any way, he thought he could the world it all belonged to him. This friend of mine was real dumb and ill tempered, even though you greeted he thought that he was being insulted. He also had problem with English since his home language is â€Å"French† sometimes he would pronounce words with an accent for example â€Å"wit† instead of â€Å"with†, other students thought that this was weird or even fun and they always made fun of him they even nick-named him â€Å"wit†. As time went by, he suddenly stopped talking. Early in the morning he could sit by the corner and sleep. There are students like my friend who have different weaknesses, it doesn’t mean that they are different although they seem that way. A teacher can help these kids by getting a translator or after school tutoring. A teacher may all own the class to establish rules regarding this behavior. Our goal is to make † making fun of other’s weaknesses† socially unacceptable. School time dozing is another major problem in history of the classroom. In the middle of a discussion, a teacher unexpectedly stops speaking. Everyone stops speaking, nothing is heard except a faint sound from somewhere in the corner. Noise that sound like†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.snoring? Suddenly with a loud thwack! The teacher claps a book shut and the snoring culprit is jarred from his sleep, lifting his head up with blear- eyes all ashamed! You would think times have changed. Falling to sleep among today’s teenagers is a common occurrence. Why do the sleep in class? An obvious reason is lack of sleep. IT bugs me when someone is snoring and I am studying or typing. I remember last yeast in my keyboarding class a boy who sat adjacent to me. He slept and snored real loud, that the ceiling could tremble. I could hardly contrite and since this was a keyboarding class that never cared much the rule was â€Å"Do all you can but turn in work on time†. The only possible cure to school time dozing is personating time for activities as well as schoolwork. I conclusion, being a teacher can be tiresome. No matter how routine the day, still teachers get away with it. Teaching is supposed to be a snap as you lock the door, driving by the countryside sing † I t was horrible, but I managed†. Although you spend all day disciplining instead of teaching them.

Combating Compassion Fatigue Essay

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the significance of Compassion Fatigue (CF) and its effects in the lives of caregivers. A caregiver is defined by dictionary. com as an individual, such as a physician, nurse, or social worker, who assists in the identification, prevention, or treatment of an illness or disability (dictionary. com). Caregivers may also include family members, friends or neighbors who voluntarily have accepted responsibility for looking after a vulnerable neighbor or relative. For the purpose of this paper, the primary caregivers discussed will be nurses. Most nurses chose nursing as a career because they have the desire to both help people and provide care for patients with physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. Having this desire puts nurses at risk for suffering from CF. CF can affect nurses in many areas such as physically, emotionally, in job performance, as well as their attitude toward the work environment, coworkers, and their patients. Nurses suffering from CF may experience emotional symptoms that include, but not limited to; poor concentration, decreased focus, poor judgment, mood swings, irritability, anger and resentment (Eyre & Lombardo, 2011). Work related symptoms that may be experienced are; avoidance or dread of working with certain patients, reduced ability to feel empathy towards patients or families, and frequent use of sick days (Eyre & Lombardo, 2011). Physical symptoms often experienced are; headaches, digestive problems: diarrhea, constipation, and upset stomach, sleep disturbances: inability to sleep, insomnia, or too much sleep, and cardiac symptoms: chest pain/pressure, palpitations, and tachycardia (Eyre & Lombardo, 2011). If compassion fatigue continues and no interventions are implemented to combat it, full Burn Out will result. Burn out (BO) is defined as exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration, which gradually builds to a breaking point (www. merriam-webster. com). Nurses suffering from CF or burn out are unable to provide their patients optimal care. In order to build a healthy relationship with patients, a nurse must have a lot of compassion. CF prevents caregivers from showing compassion as well as preventing them from providing effective care because they are tired, unmotivated, and not giving prompt attention to their patients. This is problematic because patients want and deserve not only good clinical care but also the feeling and warmth and compassion from their nurse. When a nurse is experiencing CF or BO he or she may be plagued by negative emotions which include frustration, anger, depression, feeling stuck, feeling paralyzed, irritability toward coworkers and clients, cynicism, bitterness, and being negative about self, others, and the world in general (Espeland, 2006). What patient wants or deserves a nurse who has thought tendencies such as these? It may also cause a hostile work environment for their coworkers as well. Their family life is also affected. The main cause of compassion fatigue is the increasing workload of healthcare. Nurses frequently feel overworked and overwhelmed by competing demands on their time. Nurses and other caregivers are required to put in much more time dealing with inflexible aspects of healthcare such as completing paperwork and computer documentation (Windsor, 2007). They are also encouraged to see more patients in less time, leaving much less time for the nurse/patient relationship (Windsor, 2007). Many times nurse have to work short staffed, but are still expected to complete all components of the job. Increased patient load and the desire to complete all task without the possibility of overtime causes nurses to use their lunch hour or stay late to complete task and complete charting. Thus, in trying to save time, they eliminate the very things that replenish their physical, emotional, and spiritual stores such as exercise, family meals, friends outside of work, or meditation (Windsor, 2007). Many nurses such as this writer are trying to balance work, family and school as well as other life events, putting themselves at high risk for CF or BO. Other difficulties include staff communication problems including not being heard and feeling unsupported, as well as no time to build relationships with patients and families and no time to follow up on important issues. It’s imperative to know the causes and the signs of the condition in order to prevent it or get help. Nurses need to provide for their own wellbeing by meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Physically, the nurse must participate in exercising, relaxation, maintaining adequate sleep and nutrition. It’s important for them to keep themselves healthy so they can help their patients. Not eating right, drinking plenty of water or getting enough rest puts them and those they care for at risk. Ways they can help themselves physically is by purposely taking some time to take a walk, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. This writer knows personally the benefits of a 15 minute walk. It helps relieves stress, it lowers your blood sugar, and relieves those aching muscles. Eating right is also very important. Many times nurses eat on the run, grabbing whatever they can eat and still move. This is unhealthy. Learning to eat frequent small healthy meals can make you feel like a new person. Fruit, salad and healthy snacks like yogurt and nuts should always be on the list. Taking care of emotional needs is just as important as the physical needs. Nurses can reach out to friends and coworkers when feeling emotionally stressed or drained. Sometimes just having someone to talk to or feel that you can relate to can be so helpful. Today, many facilities have programs to assist employees who are having trouble or feeling stressed. The facility this writer works in provides employees with a psychologist who is available when needed to meet and talk to staff in a private and professional manner. Talking with someone often helps alleviate compassion fatigue by bringing the stress out of yourself and into the open (Windsor, 2007). Colleagues are often a good resource in this area, as they may be having similar day-to-day experiences. Professional counselors are also a good source of help. They have special training and may be able to help create a recovery plan (Windsor, 2007). It’s also a good idea for administration to meet with the staff to find out how they feel about different aspects of the job, and to see if there are any ideas to make their work environment healthier, less stressful and more fulfilling. Spiritual needs may be the most important need of all. Growing spiritually in relationship with God can bring about true healing and resilience. Reading the Bible, praying and meditating are the prescriptions that help us to prevent compassion fatigue, minimize its severity or find healing. God is the one who gave us the desire to be caregivers in the first place, so He is ultimately the one that can help us when we are troubled. Frequently counting your blessings and thanking God for them is so helpful. It takes your mind off of your problems, and keeps you from complaining all the time and thinking negatively. Praying and asking God to show you the source of your struggle and what’s bothering you can be the beginning of the healing process. Attending church services routinely can help to revitalize you and prepare you to deal with the many circumstances you may encounter. There are many resources and coping strategies that nurses can use. One thing nurses must do is to remember to take care of them-selves. They need to be mindful that it is not selfish to put them-selves first. If they are healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually, they can be of more assistance to those they care for. Participating in any programs that their place of work offers them to improve performance, encourages physical renewal, and allows for time to de-stress should be encouraged. Joining a gym to get adequate exercise is a good idea. If the nurse has problems with their diet, attending nutrition classes may be helpful. Having a positive self-image is also a coping strategy that is essential for nurses to combat CF. Clearing the mind of negative thoughts immediately is also important. Prayer and meditation is a way to keep the mind clear and on a positive thought path. Learning to provide compassionate care for oneself, allows you to provide that same care to someone else. The most important coping technique of all is balancing their giving to others with giving to themselves (Bush, 2009). Only when nurses take time to heal themselves can they be truly available to aid in the healing of others. The major preventive self-care tasks well understood by the majority of nurse caregivers (Bush, 2009), as previously stated in this paper are: exercising, relaxation, maintaining adequate sleep and nutrition, and reaching out for support from others. Conclusion In conclusion, suffering from this condition prevents nurses from providing quality care. Not recognizing or refusing to acknowledge and get help for compassion fatigue causes people to leave their profession, turn to drugs or alcohol, or in extreme cases become self-destructive or suicidal (Eyre ; Lombardo, 2011). In today’s economy compassion fatigue can be very costly personally and professionally for nurses and financially for institutions (Eyre ; Lombardo, 2011). It is important for nurses to become knowledgeable about compassion fatigue symptoms and intervention strategies and to develop a personal plan of care so as to and achieve a healthy work-life balance (Eyre ; Lombardo, 2011). Equally as important is that healthcare systems invest in creating healthy work environments that prevent ompassion fatigue and address the needs of nurses who are experiencing compassion fatigue. It is important that we all recognize and understand this condition for our own health, but also for our coworkers. If you notice a coworker who you feel may be suffering from CF, reach out to them. Let them know you care and are willing and available to talk if they need you (Eyre ; Lombardo, 2011). Remember yourself, and let your coworkers know that this condition is treatable, and you can get the help you need to get your life back on track.

Award

Has anyone ever thought about being on stage at the MAT or Red Carpet Awards giving an award next to a famous person you would die to see laughing and making jokes? I HAVE, and I believe I would probably pass out cold. But honestly for me, standing here right now is a little bit better than that. It gives me great pride to be here today, awarding what must be the finest, most wonderful exponents of cheerleaders In this country. They say fortune favors the brave and It Indeed takes a lot for these girls here to go out on the competition floor ND give It all they have to bring home the medal.There are a select few that have gave 1 10 % on and off the mat to promote there name In cheerleader. The All- American Cheerleader award Is not easy to receive yet always goes to the most loyal one to the sport. Some of the many ablest the winner of this award must present to the table are: Standing tuck, triple toe back, a layout, and the ability to load a stunt with a full up and base a flyer wi th 3 body positions. She must also present many team corporation and outstanding sportsmanship.The young lady who is receiving this award this evening not only achieved all these skills but she went above and beyond with greater skills. She has presented leadership skills through working at the children's facility here at Brenan, carrying out many office positions in many organizations, and holding herself up to high standards to be a role model. She has many young cheerleaders wanting to follow in her footsteps just because of the way she presents herself as a well-rounded person, and her many achievements up to this point.Within her office positions, cheerleaders, and her Job she is dedicated and hardworking. She always has her tasks completed early and never fails to exceed thought everything. She has also already accepted many awards for group competitions and individual events to keep pushing herself to be better. Many of the award include: Top sportsmanship, Number one in stat e competition (Receiving a state ring), and all around best stunt group. This young lady has never failed to show excitement and interest in everything she has done.Even though sometimes she may e ready to throw her hands up and walk away she always pushes to the end. TLS one performer stood out because of her sheer determination, talent and energy In the performance and life skills that follow. So without further ado, the winner of this competition is Skylark Hawkins. Award By Chelsea-Holland Ladies and Gentlemen, wonderful exponents of cheerleaders in this country. They say fortune favors the brave and it indeed takes a lot for these girls here to go out on the competition floor and give it all they have to bring home the medal.There are a select few that have gave 110 % on and off the mat to promote there name in cheering. The All- American Cheerleader award is not easy to receive yet always goes to the most loyal one to the sport. Some of the many abilities the winner of this aw ard must present has many young cheerleaders wanting to follow in her footsteps Just because of the be ready to throw her hands up and walk away she always pushes to the end.

Overview of Risk and Quality Management in Health Care Assignment

Overview of Risk and Quality Management in Health Care - Assignment Example and improvements, as leaders are always at the core of the entire health service for long times with assistance from clinicians and other medical practitioners. Leaders in charge of quality and safety in the health care sector have broad knowledge of health care compared to managers and other leaders handling other aspects of management. Comprehending the health service describes the expansive knowledge as it entails the bigger picture of health care besides the international and local quality and safety context. Leaders shape the culture by participating in quality and safety seminars and other related activities. In the process, they encourage others to take part via efficient means of communication, acting as role models through demonstrations, and recognising developments and achievements where it happens among the team members. Specifically, leadership and governance plays a critical role in improving practices in the clinical section, every day care practices, decision making in the clinic, and the operations on the patient on the bedside. Leadership offers direction where decisions determine the quality and safety of health care. Leadership and governance guides the participation of other stakeholders in identifying quality and safety agenda as it takes the responsibility of leading the execution of set agenda. Quality management and risk management are different but relate very closely. Risk management constitutes identification, prioritising, addressing, and minimising the likely sources of failure to attain set targets. Analysis of stakeholders is a process applied during identification and evaluation of the influence and significance of vital groups of people, people, and institutions with important influence of success in provision of

Intellectual Property Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Intellectual Property Law - Essay Example This law provides a framework for protection of legal rights of artists, traders, inventors, and writers among other people and institution that create original works. The main purpose of intellectual property law is to encourage inventions, artistic expressions, and new technologies, which are critical ingredients for economic growth. It is informed by the fact that when people know that their creative works will be protected and there is a great possibility of benefitting from their works, they are more likely to enhance their capacities to produce things that develop new technology, create beauty in the world, make processes more effective and efficient, and create jobs.2 This part of the paper will focus on intellectual property law; in particular, it will focus on a scenario that brings out the aspects of copyright which is covered under the intellectual property law. The paper will seek to advise James on various issues that relate to copyright law. James is faced with legal is sues that need to be focused on and appropriate decisions made regarding the issues to ensure that he gets legal remedy and he is rewarded for his creative work. Similarly, the advice will help to make decisions that will ensure that James is not short-changed in any way by the parties involved. Discussion From the facts, it can be gathered that James, who is an employee of Farnon and Farnon, a large veterinary practice, is a charismatic figure and as a result has been chosen by a television producer to talk about animals’ problems in a weekly series â€Å"James on Pets†, which is a popular series. It can also be gathered that while still employed by Farnon and Farnon, James writes a book titled â€Å"The James Pet Book† which concerns basic pet care. Parts of this book are based on guidelines and instructions that had previously been produced and distributed to new veterinary staff at Farnon and Farnon. However, Siegfried, who is Farnon and Farnon’s seni or partner, is claiming that the Animal Care Guidelines that belong to the veterinary practice. It is clear that this claim is founded on the fundamentals of intellectual property law that seek to protect the legal rights of an original author of a book and to ensure that the person who developed it has benefitted from it.3 On one hand, Siegfried wants Farnon and Farnon to benefit from the copyrights of the book as he believes that the Animal Care Guidelines contained in the book belongs to the veterinary practice. On the other hand, this seems like a protracted claim on the part of the firm to deprive James of his copyrights on the book, probably because he may not be conversant with the intellectual property law. Therefore, it is important to put this issue in the legal perspective in order to advise James accordingly to make sure that he is not short-changed. Firstly, it is important to understand what the intellectual property law says about copyright. The James’ situatio n falls under the copyright; a main area under the intellectual property rights. Copyright applies to works which are recorded in some manner: copyright exists in things or items such as dramatic, literary, musical, and artistic works, as well as typographical arrangements, films, and sound recordings. Copyright gives the author particular rights that relate to the work, and prohibit actions that are unauthorized. Besides, copyright allows the

International Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

International Economics - Assignment Example The expansion of businesses in the country will lead to growth of the economy through building of industries and infrastructure. Creation of industries and construction of infrastructure will result in the creation of job opportunities to the citizens of that country.Therefore, improving their living standards and the economy (BalinÃŒÆ'o, TomaÃŒ s and Cottarelli, pp. 45-50). The yen, on the other hand, is weaker compared to U.S dollar. The situation may pose different effects on the economy of Japan. The funding cost of government will be high in the country. Since flows from outside the country often go into local government bonds, the flow will higher yield, therefore, raising money at a higher rate in the market. The little currency will trigger an increase in taxes, which might cause inflation hence lowering value of the economy. The import rates will be high, therefore, discouraging growth of local industries. On the other hand, a weaker currency enables a country to increase its competitive advantage internationally. Since the currency is weak, goods from the country will be in high demand hence increase sales of local industries thereby improving the economy (Nelson, E, and Buckland, pp. 71-75). According to the report, U.S job growth has increased from 214,000 to 230,000. The increase in employment in the U.S is because of currency growth. The currency increases in value, employment increase in the country. The increase in employment opportunities leads to growth of the economy due to increasing in income of employees. In addition, the increase in employment may be attributable to the expansion of businesses in the country. Since the industries are expanding, it translates to an improvement in the country’s economy and development of people living standards. The currency improves as economy of the state improves, as investors are attracted to investing in the country. More investors in the country will mean more

Group Decision Making Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Group Decision Making - Term Paper Example Thus, in cases where decision making involves technical aspects, tools and applications come in handy to the group members, whereas in situations that warrants identifying potential issues and challenges, brainstorming and discussions play an important role. How do groups arrive at decisions that are mutually understood and accepted? What are the different dimensions involved in the group decision making process? These are some of the questions addressed in this paper that illustrates the dynamics of group decision making through practical insights and examples. Group dynamics and decision making process Groups comprising of number of individuals provide an effective platform for enhancing performance at workplace or achieving common goals and objectives that form the primary reason for forming a group. Working in a group is riddled with challenges since individuals from different backgrounds, attitude and opinion come together to work towards common goals (O’Connell & Cuthber tson, 2009). Coordination and cooperation among the group members can be challenging since arriving at a single decision requires mutual understanding and empathy between the group members. The diversity in opinion, outlook and perspective clash at each stage of the decision making process – thereby causing conflict and failure to arrive at a single decision. However, the benefits associated to working in groups cannot be undermined since collaborative ventures can be more fruitful and have expanded potentials in terms of achieving the desired outcomes (foundation coalition, 2011). In order to overcome these challenges decision making process within groups is guided by certain norms and statutes that help the group in arriving at a decision. The effectiveness of decision making in groups is realized in the fact that an individual could not have taken the decision alone, the decision provides a perfect solution to the problem, the decision is based on unbiased inputs provided by group members and contributes to the group objectives (foundation coalition, 2011). Johnson and Johnson in their book (2009) describe five distinct methods of decision making that include decision making by authority, decision making by majority, decision making by minority, decision making by expert and decision making by consensus. Among these methods decision making by expert and consensus are widely used in most scenarios. Group discussions and problem solving processes in groups are often presided by experts who can provide their valuable opinion and views in context that helps the group in making the final decision. Often the expert is one of the members of the groups and in some cases an external individual might be consulted or asked to preside over the discussions to enable the group to take judicious decisions. However, the primary challenge in this decision making approach lies in identifying a key member of the group or external individual who is acknowledged as an ex pert in the given context by all members of the group. â€Å"Group members who do not view the expert as an authority may be reluctant to implement the recommended decision† (O’Connell & Cuthbertson, 2009). Decision making by group consensus is commonly applied in teams working towards common goals and objectives. The term consensus implies that all members of th

Individual Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individual Assignment - Essay Example According to Weitz (2012), the use of multiple retail channels enables the consumers to buy what they want, when they want and wherever they want. This strategy has provided great convenience to consumers in that they can enjoy shopping from the comfort of their homes. They can also do shopping whenever they want in an environment that promotes interaction with the retailers. The other advantage of multi channel retailing is that the customers can have access to a variety of products. The buying behaviour of the consumers is also influenced by different cultural factors. Basically, every consumer belongs to a specific culture and these cultural factors help the consumers make sense of and relate to the environment (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010). It can be noted that specific behaviour are related to certain aspects of the culture. Thus, culture is comprised of a set of basic values, perceptions, work patterns as well as products and food customs among other factors. All these shape the behaviour of the customers. Therefore, it can be seen that the products offered in mainland Hong Kong are tailored in such a way that is meant to fulfill needs and interests of the targeted consumers. Given such a scenario, it can be observed that the mainland consumers are under no pressure to look further than their boundaries to purchase different products since they can get them from their own country. The products are also designed to attract new customers while at the same time r etaining the already existing buyers. Certain categories of products benefited most in the past and they include the following. For instance, the department stores sales dropped down to 5.3% y/y drop in December and this was a reversal of the +6.0% y/y growth that was witnessed in November. On the other hand, it can be observed that medicines and cosmetics growth slowed down to

Deaf Reflection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Deaf Reflection - Coursework Example I feel that the teachers ought to protect the deaf students. This is because they better understood the deaf student than any other person did. There was no register for the deaf in the country, therefore; the authorities would not have accounted for any deaf student missing (Biesold 143). I feel disappointed with some Nazi educationalist. I believe that educationalist can understand the right of every child and the importance of education. I get disappointed when some Nazi educationalist questioned the education of the deaf, terming it as wasteful, instead of enlightening the officials to promote the deaf education. Doctors terminated pregnancies to prevent the birth of deaf children (Biesold 144). It is beyond anyone’s control not to give birth to a deaf child. Doctors ought to understand this fact more than anyone else does. I feel horrified to learn that doctors risked the lives of the mother and their unborn child by performing an abortion of six months! The doctors were not sure that the unborn child is deaf. This practice was unfair and uncalled for, bringing pain and misery n the lives of the expecting mothers and their families (Biesold 145). Many deaf couples do not have children. This has made their lives unbearable and lonely. The horrific and sinister turns of events of 1939 were unbearable. Nazi authority killed deaf persons (Biesold 145). The authority referred to them as ‘useless eaters’. I feel that the government instead of referring to any person as, ‘useless’ they should at least show concern because it is not for their wish to be born in that condition. A government should protect her citizen and Nazi government should have stood to their initial policy of protecting and providing for their citizen (Biesold 146).

Technology and education.What if we didn't depend on technology in the Essay

Technology and education.What if we didn't depend on technology in the classroom as much as we do - Essay Example Education reform continues to be a question of grave concern for educators and policy makers. Braithwaite’s (2002) novel To Sir With Love which was set in the 1960s informs that education reform is nothing new. Students are particularly vulnerable to failure both at school and after school. Braithwaite’s (2002) novel cautions that students are resistant to traditional teaching methods and require training which goes beyond mere academic learning. In today’s world, President Barak Obama cautions a student body that regardless of what career choices they make, they will require some level of computer literacy (Obama 2011). Essentially, we are learning that education reform places a greater degree of pressure on teachers as they attempt to improve teaching techniques and outcomes. As it is, educators and policy-makers are concerned about the high drop-out rate among high school students across the US (Obama 2011). In other words, keeping students engaged becomes mor e challenging when teachers are required to integrate technology into the curriculum. On the other hand, integrating technology into the curriculum can be one method of responding to the drop-out rate. Research studies reveal that academic performance and being held back are not the only contributing factors to the school drop-out rate. In fact, these studies also reveal that a student’s attitude toward school student’s experience at also contributes to the school drop-out rate (Lamb 2011, p. 370).... As Lamb (2011) informs, research studies indicate that students are at a greater risk of dropping out of school when their academic performance is poor. It therefore follows that non-conventional teaching can improve engagement and as such can improve retention. Arguably, engagement is tied to academic performance. This explains why there is so much emphasis on education reform and the significance of quality teaching. Braithwaite’s (2002) teacher did not have the science and technology at his disposal to introduce innovative and non-conventional methods of teaching. He was forced to be creative and by doing so engaged his East London students who were by no stretch of the imagination, conventional students. The result was, these children’s attitudes toward school changed and the students were for the most part successful. Bennett (2011) reveals the extent to which teaching occupies the minds of policy-makers. This is a result of the poor academic outcomes. According to Bennett (2011), the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed that 40 percent of American high school seniors scored 36 percent below average in math and 26 percent below average in reading. The results for American history are even more disappointing with high school seniors scoring over 50 percent below average (Bennett 2011). Bennett (2011) explains that while these poor outcomes can be accounted for by a number of issues, one thing is certain: quality teaching can turn this around. This brings us to the question of technology in the classroom. Technology has the potential to improve teaching by bringing into the classroom a significant part of the student’s daily life and future job prospects. Therefore technology in

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 39

Essay Example After the data collection, average method has been used to derive monthly averages of currency exchange rates. The analysis starts from correlation test to understand the nature of relationship. After that graphical interpretations have been developed to analyse the trends in data. Finally, criticism on data has been presented with a few recommendations to improve the method of data collection. Moreover, primary data collection sheets have been also presented to improve the quality of data. Correlation analysis has been done to analyse the nature of relationship between exports and imports and exchange rates of the countries. For example, how the collected eleven months data of Chinese Yuan is correlated with Chinese exports and imports. The correlation of Yuan with Chinese exports gives 0.59, which means that a positive correlation exists between Chinese exports and Yuan (Table IV – Appendix). In other words, with increase in the value of Chinese Yuan against Dollar, the exports of China to the United States will increase. Although the data has been collected from very reliable resource still, the derived values of correlation are giving very different results. According to economic concepts, the devaluation of currency is positively related to the exports and negatively related to imports of an economy. The reason is that devaluation of currency makes the products of the country cheaper in the international market and the demand of exports in international mar ket increases. Although the prices of the products decline however, the increased volume of exports enhances the exports value of the country. On the other hand, when goods become cheaper because of devaluation of currency, people need more money to buy the imported products therefore, the imports of the country from other states decline. Because of this relation between trade balance and currency exchange,

Governance & Public Managemenet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Governance & Public Managemenet - Essay Example This report explores that the idea of freedom is very comforting and when the government authorities realized that the society can no longer be controlled by the use of the coercive power of the state, it gradually follows the trend towards â€Å"governing without government†. Governing without government is seen as a concept of political freedom which is supported with the concepts of civil liberties and human rights. Most democratic societies are characterised by various freedoms which are afforded with the legal protection of the state. This essay stresses that there are several types of freedom of which, various kinds are legally protected by the state. In a democratic society, citizens enjoy the â€Å"freedom of assembly† of which, they are free to gather, organize a club, groups or any organization as well as â€Å"freedom of association† where in, in building up an organization, adults can freely choose their associates. Slavery and discrimination is a thing of the past, and today, many organizations in countries have imposed laws to respect the human rights. There is now a â€Å"freedom from government sanctioned discrimination† and â€Å"freedom of religion† where in the distinction in races, age, gender, religion, religion practices and culture is now respected and seen as a normal part of a society. Discrimination in the society was decreased, if not eliminated, by the help of policies imposed by the government such as civil rights legislation, equal opportunities law and benefits . Today, citizens are now enjoying the "freedom of education" of which, parents are now free to choose any school that they wanted for their children to send to. Capitalism is also known as "freedom of enterprise" wherein, companies are now privately owned

Rumi In Forty Rules Of Love Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rumi In Forty Rules Of Love - Assignment Example The spiritual faith was also vital in that it was passed onto his friends and family who happened to follow the teaching that Rumi followed. This was important in that it helped him develop further his religious faith and get to understand people and the environment even further. Focusing further on the spiritual relationship between Rumi and Shams, one gets to understand the extent to which the former inspired the latter to renew his faith even at times that they saw as if their friendship would fail. The deep spiritual character in the story is also experienced from the manner in which they promise each other that they would be there for each other. There even at times that the other one had lost faith and that they would renew this faith and consequently lead a better life.Throughout his life, the one thing that Rumi wanted became a successful poet. As he went around his life carrying out his activities, he often required a boost in order to ensure that his life goals got achieved . It is from this that we often find that he had a character of persistence and dedication. These two are well expressed in the character throughout the book, and this is from the manner in which he does not give up hope but rather continues pursuing his goals sure he would achieve them. It is from this that one gets to understand that the character is very well endowed with the required attributes to perform well. Shams know this well enough that the author says Shams decided to dedicate his life to see to it that Rumi achieved his goals.

Resource Estimates and Budgets Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Resource Estimates and Budgets - Research Paper Example The following discussion will emphasize each activity in terms of its time and cost resources and identify the variances as a result of differences in the baseline and actual performance. Planning Planning activity is the first activity of the project in which 15 days were specified as baseline duration. Due to efficient utilization of time, the project team completed this activity in just 12 days sparing 3 days for the next activity to be commenced. In terms of cost resources, the project team managed to save $4,000 in respect of material cost whereas the company had to pay extra $2,000 for the wages to the labor. Overall, the company performed better and managed to save both time and cost resources. Development This was the biggest activity for the project team in terms of both time and cost resources such that the baseline duration for this activity was kept for 44 days and total cost estimates were reserved for around $55,000. This activity also went successful such that the proj ect team saved 4 days as well as $4,500 on overall basis. Testing After the development, the next activity was the testing of the product which had been developed at the previous stage. Baseline resources for this activity included 10 days of duration and $27,000 in terms of total cost. Since the previous two activities saved around 7 days in total, therefore, the testing activity took more time and underwent with serious stress testing procedures. In this whole practice, the project time consumed around 15 days and spent around $27,000. Overall, the activity could not perform up to the mark in terms of both time and cost estimates. Commercial Viability Testing activity led the project to the commercial viability of the product such that the product was experienced by different types of consumers and analysts to check how the product is perceived. Baseline resources in terms of time and cost were set to be 15 days and $37,000 respectively. The overall activity completed in 13 days s aving 2 more days, but the company had to pay the extra cost $3000 for this activity. Branding The moment commercial viability was affirmed by the project team and it was decided that the product was ready for its commercial production and launch in the market, the branding activity took place such that effective marketing and advertising campaigns were launched by the project team. Around 21 days were kept as the baseline period for the completion of this activity and $20,000 were specified as the cost of this activity. Project team almost completed the activity in 20 days with 1 day to spare but, on the other hand, incurred around $21,500 showing an adverse variance of $1,500. Product Launch Actual product launch was the last activity of this project and only 5 days were specified for the completion of this activity, but the activity actually took around 10 days utilizing the previous 5 slack days. In terms of cost estimates, the activity was assigned around $20,000 on overall bas is. However, the activity underperformed in this activity as well and incurred around $4,000 in excess of the baseline cost of $20,000. Conclusion Overall, the project remained partially successful in achieving its desired results such that time resources have been utilized effectively as the project team managed to

Presidency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Presidency - Essay Example He has the supreme power of veto, even though the Congress can override it. A man endowed with such important powers needs to be a balanced individual, capable of taking on the spot, quick and appropriate decisions. But his actions need to stand the test of close scrutiny by the Supreme Court and he has to take enough care that he does not violate the provisions of the US Constitution. Though he has an array of legal advisers, the President must possess that sixth sense to take right decisions at the right time. The real test with a President is in dealing with the foreign countries. No doubt, he is working under a system of delegated powers but President is the Chief Diplomat, and he has to take important and big decisions that have far reaching political significance and effect on the American economy. State of war and depression in the economy are the worst thing that can happen to a country. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) faced such a challenging situation. He negoti ated both the crises successfully by keeping a close rapport with the people and about 80% of the people listened to his speeches. As such communicating effectively with the people is a quality that will make the President great. Another important issue for the President is to deal with his advisors. He has the power of appointment, and some of those who disagree with his viewpoints later, may be his appointees. A good President needs to create such a congenial atmosphere that those who disagree with him should feel free to air their opinions. What is important is expression of independent opinions irrespective of the consequences. They are serving the President, ipso facto, the Nation, even when they disagree with his estimate of a particular issue. The President has great projects to implement as per his election promises, and he needs great and fearless individuals to implement them. They may not agree with the President always; The President may not agree with their viewpoints s ometimes. But the ship of national and international politics commandeered by the President has to sail through the turbulent waters. When you get ready to vote for a Presidential candidate, what is most important? I would go by the merit of the Presidential candidate, though I have affiliations with a particular party that I would not like to disclose. To me the President is a supreme personality and interests of the Nation are more important than party interests. Moreover, I am not voting for a candidate in the local body elections. I will cut through the party-liners, if necessary and vote for the best candidate, without fear or favor. Now, the question is how to select who is the best? Here I make use of the knowledge that I possess on the subject of leadership qualities. First and foremost is the character of the individual as character traits have an overriding influence on other qualities. Grit and determination follow. Often, peace-time problems are more important than the p roblems of the Nation at war. Political opponents turn vociferous during peace-time and the expectations of the people also are more. The economic issues like crime, drugs, healthcare, education and immigration take the front seat to challenge the President. As such I will vote for the President

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Certain personality characteristics can also be very helpful in starting a new business. A study conducted by Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business lists several shared characteristics of more than 200 successful entrepreneurs (those who have been in business more than 5 years and have gross revenues of at least $1 million), including good health, an ability to control, strong self-confidence, high energy and sense of urgency, comprehensive awareness of a situation, a realistic outlook, conceptual ability, a low need for societal status, an objective approach, emotional stability, an attraction to challenges and an ability to describe situations with numbers (Glick-Smith, 1999). Strategic planning is important to any small company that wishes to grow or expand product lines or services. Different from a business plan in which something is started, strategic planning maps out the various practices a company will use to obtain a desired goal, such as increased sales, employee growth or adjusting to new competition (Kautz, 2005). Like running a race, if you don’t know where the course is, you have little chance of arriving at the finish line prior to the competition. A strategic plan should include a business purpose that makes the mission and philosophy of the company clear to employees and others in a concise statement, organizational goals that define the endpoints toward which the plan is striving, mapped out strategies for meeting each of these goals, action plans to implement the various strategies and the implementation of a monitoring plan to ensure the company is on the right path toward meeting these goals (Kautz, 2005). The plan should remain flexible to meet the growth needs of the company as well as the changes within the marketplace. According to Alex Goumakos, there are 5 major factors that should be considered when deciding on the format of ownership: liability protection, taxes, management, ownership transition and

Explain and evaluate de Beauvoir's critique of patriarchal man-woman Essay

Explain and evaluate de Beauvoir's critique of patriarchal man-woman relations - Essay Example There is a proverb which says that â€Å"Men make houses, women make homes!† (Metin, 2011). This very proverb points out the fact that relationship between men and woman is quite mutual. If the men acquire houses for their family, then women with their love and care make it a home. Yet one has always seen that relationship between men and woman comprising of love as well as conflicts. The paper here seeks to examine the patriarchal man- woman relationship with reference to an evaluation of de Beauvoir’s critique of this concept and her notion of woman as the other. Disparities between men and women: different views Man and women are the creations of God, and each has been endowed with different features. Their existence is mutual in nature because active participation of both is required to build and sustain the next generation. However one often comes across situations where women are considered to be imperfect and weaker compared to their male counterpart. Generally, in a male dominated society it is believed that women are completely unfit to lead an independent life and hence she has to be under the supervision of men. The topic of dissimilarity between men and women was also seen during the time of Plato and Aristotle. Plato believed that the disparity in men and women were quantitative in nature, that is, women were considered to be physically and mentally weaker than men. ... Even the Old Testament believes that man and woman are made of the same flesh and blood but they differ in terms of their views, needs, and other things (Women and her Rights, n.d). The relationship between man and woman has various dimensions. They can be as friends, as spouses or as siblings. According to Marx, the relationship between man and woman is essential. This is so because need is an indication for essence. If we need something then it plays a crucial role in our development and in realizing our essence. It is through need that one can understand that their requirement is related to them: in fact it is a part of their essence. Similarly, man and woman are considered to be an essence for each other. This is so because they need each other to give birth to build up the future generation (Kain, 1993, p.323). Patriarchal man-woman relations The relationship between man and woman had gone through many changes with the passage of time. Even in ancient civilizations one can see v ariations in this relationship. In some cases women were given equal importance and in many cases one would come across a patriarchal society. In case of civilizations which were agricultural in nature, one would find that they had always underestimated the potential of women and their society had been patriarchal in nature. Such type of society is built on the assumption that the reigns of political, economic, and cultural life was in the hands of the man. Here after marriage the woman was expected to act in accordance to her husband’s wishes. As women were considered to lack certain features which were possessed by men so they were subjugated in their relationship. Not all agricultural economy had the same patriarchal conditions. If conditions were stringent in the

The Reward strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Reward strategy - Essay Example The case study "The Reward strategy" discusses the development of a talented pool of personnel and the retention of those personnel is now becoming one of the primary focuses of the HR department in any sound business. Classic Travel need to put systems into place that attract, retain, and develop talent. The case study highlights that these systems also have the double-duty of keeping the job itself interesting and exciting for the staff. Programs such as those that rotate employees between different kinds of units within the organisation, that encourage directed learning as well as promoting interagency communication across the entire company are becoming an integral part to any business unit. Furthermore, the HR department must develop a system of recognition and reward for the staff in regards to their contributions to the agency. Furthermore, on a practical level Classic Travel, nor any company, can give out reward without some return on that investment. They would need to examine the overall cost of the reward system as compared to the overall benefits not only to the employee but to the company as well. Being a travel agency which provides exclusive city breaks and short holidays to all major European countries. The case study emphasizes that Classic Travel may be able to combine work and reward in one package. For instance a yearly training session could be held in Morocco, or some other vacation site where a three day training could also provide some much needed fun and even team building experiences. The company could pay travel training expenses and even base accommodations on a reward basis. Those staff with more customers or bigger increases in their overall business may get a private suite, and so on.

The process of gathering forensic evidence Essay

The process of gathering forensic evidence - Essay Example Electronic data is also fragile like any other type of data so any data that is to be preserved has to undergo a given protocol to make it safe. The expert should ensure that the data is not damaged and that computer virus does not affect the data. This can be done by storing data in a computer that is well protected from any virus and at the same time has a secure system that gives access to only stakeholders who can come up with the password. Once its location has been known the data has to be collected by the experts. They have to go to the virtually stored data get it and record it in the prepared storage device that had been preserved for its storage and that has minimum potential of destroying the data. When collecting the data various data collection tools are required to enable the process. This is the part where the experts sit down and examine the data that had been collected. This is the stage where they are able to know if the data has been tampered with after they have done all this then they have to give the go ahead for the writing of the report. This is a computer hardware toolkit that is used in the performance of very detailed digital examination of forensic evidence. It is built using ubuntu software and is able to combine witness experience to come up with a witness format that is used in hand with advanced forensic format. The software’s that are used to make the device is sleuth kit which is a kit used to make file systems for analysis. The device has the capability of taking fingerprints through a touch screen and storing it in the computer memory. This tool helps forensic experts to secure and examine raw data disks. It also has the capability of handling multiple file systems as well as come up with the format for the evidence that has been made. The tool also has the capability of placing strict deadlines to the data and how to work on it. In order to see all visible traffics, the tool is able to

The Views of Adam Smith Essay Example for Free

The Views of Adam Smith Essay The views of Adam Smith, the Declaration of the Rights of Women, Declaration of Independence, and the Declaration of the Rights of Men have a few similarities and some differences. The similarities were difficult to find based on most of what Smith thinking was centered on economics. However, the works of Adam Smith and these three declarations all share a common theme on rights of human beings. For instance, Adam Smith was against slavery and his views were that he wanted it to be abolished. The thinking was on the same level thinking as was the three declaration views toward how men and women should be treated. The thoughts of all the authors were geared to place the individual before all; including profit. Adam Smith and the three declarations were quite different in many ways. One major difference among them were that the declaration were mainly concerning how individual should be treated. The declaration sought the government to be fair and just towards the treatment of both men and women. Whereas Adam Smith was in the infant stage of early economics and how capitalism could and would be fueled by human self-interest. Smith placed a lot of emphasis on what he termed as laws of the market; specifically addressing issues pertaining to goods that are produced for society. The declarations are pleading to the government for equal treatment in all phases of society, however the importance of the market is not the main concern in the declarations. Adam Smith is simply interested in how society managed to sustain itself through mechanism that are somewhat â€Å"invisible hand.† As Heilbroner 1999 questions, â€Å"How is it possible for a community in which everyone is busily following his self-interest not fly apart from sheer centrifugal force?† From these questions Smith was able to construct the laws of the market. Smith interest was in relation to how the individual interest and passion of men are in line with what society is in agreement with. The laws of the market is what Smith believes is the most influential part of society and its success or failure is based and dependent upon it. Smith see how an individual that is driven by self-interest in society coupled with similar motivated individuals will consequently end in competition. This competition directly leads to goods and quantities that society wants and desires. His intellect along years of studies and debating with some of the most gifted scholars of his time has granted to the conclusion that the self-interest and motivation of man solely for profit has to have a regulator to control the greed of profiteers. The regulator to which he defers to is called competition. Smith is able to see that for each man that wants to do the best for himself and reap maximum profits, will always be met the a similar individual with the same motives in mind. Smith views confirms with the views and demands of the authors of the three declarations. Smith was not in agreement with all the practices in his day as he displayed his understanding of the market and pre-capitalism. Even his day there those who would cheat the markets by rigging prices. He understood the exploitation of children for labor in the cotton mills were wrong. These practices was not his ideal way that the market and the future of should proceed but he knew that this the approach and the path in which it was following. It also confirm that even with the negatives that accompanied the market, these activities continued because society including felt that they were necessary evils attached to the overall progression of society. The Declaration of Man best describes the world as we know it today. This is based on the articles that are attached to this document. Although this declaration was drafted and written in 1789, some if not most of the pleas and demands are still being sought in today’s society. One of articles states, â€Å"That men are born and remain free and equal in rights.† However, this particle article was evident in society as late as the 1960s. During this time the Civil Rights struggle was need to simply grant Black (Negros) the right to vote, attend integrated schools, sit at the same lunch tables, or simply sit in the front of a public bus. The seventeenth article of the Declaration of Man states, â€Å"Since property is inviolable and sacred right, no one should be deprived thereof except where public necessity†¦..† This article also was not enforced until almost a one hundred years later and even then people of color ran into many obstacles when approaching property ownership. Even Smith time there was the rich who sole goal was to accumulate more wealth. Smith himself did not approve of giving to the needy or donation to charities. However Smith was not vain to believe in the accumulation of wealth simply to have more; Smith felt that capital was better suited to be invested into machinery to further the progress of the society.

Ariel Dorfmans Death and the Maiden 40 lines analysis Essay Example for Free

Ariel Dorfmans Death and the Maiden 40 lines analysis Essay The following forty lines from Ariel Dorfmans Death and the Maiden (1990), take place in scene 1 of Act 3, after Roberto has been tied up by Paulina and threatened with being tortured the same way as she had been, and then shot. In response to Paulinaà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s threats, Roberto begins confessing the brutality of his actions and his motives. This confession may be true; however, Gerardo has advised Roberto to indulge Paulina, to confess as this would save his life. Whatever the case, the extract is important because it portrays how a man can slide into brutality, without initially meaning to. Second, the extract is important because it helps expose the iniquities of dictatorial military governments. Finally, it is also important because it gives us an idea of Robertos character and personality. In this extract we clearly see the stages by which a respectable doctor became a brutal sadistic torturer. Though Robertos brother told him that helping the torturers could be a way to pay the communists back for what they did to [his] dad, Roberto stresses that he accepted the job for humanitarian reasons. Firstly, he wanted to help the prisoners who were dying from the tortures as someone to help care for them, someone they could trust. Later on, however, Roberto became involved in more delicate operations and was asked to sit in on sessions where [his] role was to determine if the prisoners could take that much torture. This indicates that he was there while the prisoners were tortured, watching these brutal scenes. Roberto thought this was a way of saving peoples lives, as he ordered them to stop or the prisoner would die; however, watching brutalized him, and slowly the virtue [he] was feeling turned into excitement. Soon, brutalization took over [his] life and he began to truly like what [he] was doing, so much so that, from an observer, he became a participant. Torture became a game for him, a game that was partly morbid, partly scientific, as he tortured women to find out things like How much can this woman take? More than the other one? Hows her sex? Does her sex dry up when you put the current through her? Can she have an orgasm under those circumstances? By the end, Roberto had become a sadist totally obsessed with carry[ing] out all [his] fantasies of sexually torturing women who were entirely in his power, women with whom he could do whatever [he] want[ed]. So, stage by stage, we see in the example of Roberto how men can slide from positions of respectability and motives of kindness and compassion to becoming human monsters, men who delight in the sufferings of others. The tragedy of Robertoà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s slide from being a humanitarian to being a torturer is emphasized by the style of his speech, which reveals that he is an intelligent, educated, insightful man. Firstly we see how Robertos diction indicates his intelligence and level of education. Words such as brutalization and morbid, and phrases such as he lost his capacity for speech, humanitarian reasons and install a totalitarian dictatorship clearly manifest his ability to speak articulately and in a high register. We also see how analytically capable Roberto is, as he does not just describe his own actions but explains why they occurred, carefully dissecting his his motives for working with the torturers, not to pay the communists back but for humanitarian reasons. He can organize his account in clear, logical stages, with phrases like It was slowly, almost without realizing how, At first, But afterwards, By the time, I began to, and It became. Additionally, even in the circumstances in which he is giving this confession, in fear of his life, Roberto uses figurative language, suggesting that he has good rhetorical abilities. He uses euphemism, for example, in calling torture sessions delicate operations, and he uses metaphors when he refers to his brutalization as the mask of virtue fell off, and to his descent into sadistic torture as the swamp. So, we see how Robertos use of language clearly reveals his high level of education and intelligence, and this makes us even more horrified at how such a sophisticated man could have become a brutal torturer of women. More than exposing the degeneration of individual men, exemplified in Roberto, however, this extract also exposes the iniquities of military dictatorships, like the Pinochet regime in Chile, which Dorfman himself had to flee from. We see how military governments divided families: though Roberto became a doctor devoted to saving lives, his brother, determined to pay the communists back for what they did to [their] father, took another path, joining the military dictatorship and becoming a member of the secret services.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ We also are given the impression of how military dictatorships can convince people to support them by manipulating their sufferings under previous governments, promising some kind of compensation, as Robertoà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s brother joined the dictatorship to pay the communists back for what they didà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ to his father à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½the day the peasants took over his land at Las Toltecas. Such governments also persuade people to support them, as Roberto did, by deceit and lies, getting Roberto involved in torture by saying the prisoners needed someone they could help care for them, but actually slowing criminalizing Roberto as a torturer. The fact that they have had such an enormous influence on Robertoà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s personality shows just how psychologically manipulative such regimes can be. Finally, the fact that, throughout his speech, Roberto refers to the government only as they evokes the way in which such governments work in the shadows, secretly and anonymously, to torture and terrorize. Thus this extract does not only show how Roberto and men like him deteriorate when they become involved in torture; it also shows how dictatorial regimes can manipulate such men, facilitating and enabling this deterioration to occur. In conclusion, this extract is very important as, whether Robertoà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s confession is true or feigned, it reveals how even the best of men may slide into such brutality and how military governments can create vile monsters out of exemplary human beings. Through the details of Robertoà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s confession, Dorfman is inviting his audience to consider how a man becomes sub-human. If a respectable doctor, a benefactor to the community, could turn into such a monster because of the effects of such a regime, then what would happen to the rest of society? Dorfman tries to make the reader consider that this incident that has turned Robertos life into a monster might happen to anybody in our society; especially in a switch of regime.

An Analysis Of The Extended Mind Philosophy Essay

An Analysis Of The Extended Mind Philosophy Essay à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Minds like ours can (without the need for any radically new techniques, technologies, or interventions) extend into the world (Clark, 2010, p. 81). Evaluate this statement with reference to the literature on extended cognition. This essay aims to study the extended mind, without any need of completely adapting new techniques, technology, or interventions the minds like ours can launch into the world (Clark, 2010). The focus of the essay will be on internal and external representation of the mind and will evaluate the statement made by Clark (2010) with reference to other literature on extended cognition. Cognitive science believes that the mind has mental representations which are similar to computer data structures and computational procedures analogous and computational algorithms. Cognitive researchers have put forward that the mind holds mental representations as rules, images, logical proposition, and concepts (Dawson 1998). According to Norman (1988, 1993) cognition is viewed as terms of knowledge in the head and knowledge in the world. According to Clark (2010) one of the most significant current discussions in legal and moral philosophy is the extended mind, which refers to the concept between the mind and the environment, from the thesis of Clark and Chalmers (1998) active externalism or Hypothesis of Extended Cognition (HEC). The extended mind commences with the inquiry of where does the mind stop and the rest of the world begin? in respond to the question Clark and Chalmers (1998) present an alternative view with Hypothesis of Extended cognition (HEC). This is to be distinguished from the more traditional externalism meaning from the writing of (Putnam, 1975 Burge, 1986). Clark is asking for people to visualize that individuals could rotate images of geometrical shapes on a computer screen, by the use of a neural implant in their heads or by using a rotate button in the world. Clark affirmed that the implant perspective is evidently cognitive; therefore the button perspective is as well, in spite of either if they are carried out in the head or in the world (cited in Clark 2008). For this reason, it can be argued that the mind extends into the world which was Clarks belief in technology, physical objects, chips and CD-ROMs, as external memory stores that individuals can consult as needs dictate sort of coupled systems (Clark and Chalmers 1998). According to Dartnall (2007); (Schegloff, 1992, cite Alterman, 2007), Clark and Chalmers (1998) admitted that the processes in the world might be seen as individual, truly mental states-experiences, desires, emotions, beliefs, and so on might be in the mind. Nevertheless when it is performed in the head, it should also add up as cognitive when it is carried out in the world, Dartnall (2005) affirmed that the mind leaks or loops into the world. Clark and Chalmers (1998) argued that cognitive processes extend into the world when an individual uses pen and paper to solve a problem, using language to work or to solve a problem and the use of computers. Zhang and Norman (1994) draw our attention to internal representations as being intrinsic to many cognitive tasks and not just input and stimuli to the internal mind. This means that all these researchers thesis show a supportive argument toward Clark (2010) stating that the human mind can be extended into the world. Clark and Chalmers (1998) made such arguments as cognitive states being Parity argument by the things in the environment, in which they identify a number of possible objections to this argument such as the cognitive and the conscious, portability and reliability. They demonstrate two untrue characters to support their argument that the mind can extend into the world, using the example of Otto and Inga, who were both interested in art. Inga has a normal functioning brain, while Otto suffers from Alzheimers disease. They hear about an exhibition at different times and places and they both decide to go, Otto consults his notebook, which says that the museum is on 53rd street so he went to 53rd street to the museum. Whereas Inga recalls that the museum is on 53rd street and walks to the exhibition, as a result of this case Clark and Chalmers (1998) stated that the notebook plays the same role for Otto that biological memory plays for everyone else. They concluded for this reason that som e external objects execute this duty, and that some of our cognitive processes transcend the boundaries of skin and skull (Clark 2008). The HEC has been thoroughly criticized by Adams and Aizawa (2001) defenders of brainbound or organismbound approach to cognition. Clark and Chalmers, (1998) maintain their argument by pointing out to what extreme the mind extended, if someone hardly ever takes relevant action without consulting their Filofax, for instance, their cognitive system will be like that of the notebook in Ottos. Nevertheless if the individual frequently acted without consulting themselves, for example if the individual sometimes answers important questions with I do not know then the information in it counts less as part of individual belief system. Also if someone is relying on the internet is likely to fail on multiple counts, unless the individual is unusually computer reliant, facile with the technology, and trusting, but information on certain files on the individual computer may qualify (cited in Clark 2008). Dartnall, (2005) who argues for internalism and its epistemological implication that an individual can execute actions mentally that someone could typically carry out in the world. These are naturally achieved on inner analogues of external substance, which means that there is a leakage in both ways such as from world to mind, from mind to world. This parity argument has epistemological inference; if the individual can make an empirical discovery in the world using a procedure, then that procedure will also lead to empirical discovery when carried out in the head. For instance if a person walks into a room and sees a partially completed jigsaw puzzle on the table, looks at the puzzle and leaves the room. The person then mentally rotates one of the pieces and discovers where it fits into the puzzle. They have discovered something new, where the piece fits in the jigsaw puzzle, but how has the person done this? Not by straightforward empirical discovery, they did not have the direct en try to the puzzle when they solved it, or if they might have remember it when they walk into the room, because they did not know where it fitted when they were in the room and Shepard Metzler, (1971) also in support of this work also is consistent with Clark (2010) statement. A number of studies have highlighted that our mind extends into the world in support of Clark and Chalmers (1998); Clark (2010); Kosslyn (2006); Zhang and Patel (2006), (Baddeley, 1986; Smith and Jonides, 1997) (cited in Kosslyn 2006). In addition, Kosslyn argues that you are not restricted to whats in your head, but also includes things around you, including other people. Consequently, the self becomes distributed over other people who function as long term social prosthetic devices, cited in (Kosslyn 2006). Rupert (2004) developed a methodology for the hypothesis of extended cognition (HEC) which he called hypothesis of embedded cognition (HEMC), they are two divergent holds on cognitive scheme and their composition and their position in cognitive processing. HEC could more or less correspond to the viewpoint implemented by Clark (2008) those cognitive processes factually extends into the environment, while the traditional HEMC persists that cognitive organism is bound. According to the HEMC rely on cognitive processes, instead of being constituted by the external mechanism and strategy for cognition to happen without the external element being a factual part of the cognitive process. Rupert (2010) opposes Clark (2010), but does not fully reject the HEC. Thus, the HEMC has further empirical support and descriptive worth than HEC (cited in Dahlback, Stjernberg, Kristansson and Skagerlund, 2010). A recent study by Dahlback et al (2010), reviews the hypothesis of the extended mind and in order for them to support Clark and Chalmers (1998), they conducted an empirical study. They developed a definition of what cognitive processes are and how to examine cognitive systems, for instance how external memory support is actually used in elderly peoples everyday life. The participants were four elderly people with mild memory impairments and were diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, and some with a form of dementia. It was observe that one of the women kept the disposed plastic envelopes for the medicine she used and clipped it on her kitchen table. The woman stated that the envelope is a way of reminding her that a home healthcare practitioner as visited her as she will not remember. Dahlback, et al. (2010), pointed out that the plastic envelop is part of the womans memory system from an active internal process, since an already existing material artefact is put to use to improve her m emory, because they is no need to create a material artefact to improve the womans internal function any more. While Clark and Chalmers state that the mind can extend into the world through active externalism, that if process counts as cognitive when carried out in the head, then it could be also counted as cognitive when someone uses object as external memory via a notebook. Bs note were on the inside of her door, for her not to open the door for strangers, just like Otto, but Otto carries her own every were she goes. C uses a shopping list, because she forgets things all the time, while F has an appointment at podiatrist, which she has written and posted on her fridge, she then rewrites the note and the information has been mixed up. Dahlback, et al. (2010), Clark and Chalmers (1998), the imagination of Otto is not as straightforward as they may think in real life. Hence external memory support in this context is of question on how information finds its way into the external memory with participant Fs memory support functions. Dahlback et al (2010) concluded that extended mind hypothesis of Clark and Chalmers had been argued in isolation, for instance the hypothesis was not looked at in a wider theoretical framework surrounding all variety of cognition. In addition, the empirical debate has been slight be being limited to a few paradigms. Consequently, they supported Clark and Chalmers, but proposed alternative theoretical framework that Activity Theory could be used to illuminate some problems brought up in the debate. Activity Theory cognition is first and foremost organism centered and biologically evident in examples alternative from Clark and Chalmers, (1998). Hutchins (1995) argued that cognition is culturally and socially processed. The Activity Theory which is derived from Vygotskys (1978) cultural historical psychology, that the human mind is essentially associated to the interaction linked to the world and the human being. According to the Activity Theory, culture may not only be external which might have power over the human mind, instead is an underlying producing power that is an element of the extraordinarily manufacture of the mind. This finding is consistent with Clarks (2010) thesis, even though they have a different idea. Vygotsky (1978) is also debated Clark and Chalmers (1998) thesis, stating that the human mind is social in nature; that people are shaped by their language, how they are construed and by their culture as well, also that human beings live in a social and communal w orld. Although they has been critics such as Adams and Aizawa (2001) claiming that there might be a crucial difference between a real extended cognitive process where some external artifact in the world is element of an actual cognitive process and process that permit some process. They ask Clark a question: Why did the pencil think that 2 + 2 =4? And Clark answered because it was coupled with a mathematician. According to Adams and Aizawa (2010) in respond to Clarks answer they stated that, there were problems with Clarks extended mind hypothesis. They stated that Clark had no right explanation of the cognitive and the coupling constitution fallacy, so they made a theory mark of the cognitive, which may well prove that cognitive processes in fact are extended. Adams and Aizawa (2001) illustrated some artifact pencil and paper, in which they explain when using pen and paper and at the same time as carry out arithmetic which is rather difficult, the individual may not be able to work out the problem when using just their head and that the person needs to pass information onto the paper. They state that the paper and pen merely permitted a little cognitive process or else may be unattainable. While Menary (2010) feels that the mark of the cognitive is too limited. Adams and Aizawa (2010) propose an explanatory work, that cognition is constituted through underlying processes that involve non-derived content. They offer this in two ways, chemistry, and physics and by psychological laws. They stated that particular psychophysical laws, like Webers law, and psychological laws central memory formation and recall. Consequently they projected that the weight of empirical evidence supports the view that, since an object is of conditional empirical fact, that there are some processes that are identifiable cognitive, which happened in the brain and cannot cross from the brain into the external world. Clark (2010) argued that Adams and Aizawas (2010) argument is not strong enough, mark of the cognition, that cognition should be noticed not by its causes, but by its effects, which means Clark is arguing for a different cognition science which is the coupling constitution fallacy. Nevertheless Adams and Aizawa (2010) believe that Clark cannot come understand the view they had that cognition is a fundamental processing concerning non-derived content. As a result their work did not provoke Clark to address the problem of the most widespread problems with extracranial and transcranial theories of tool use. According to them, Clark did not offer a response to the coupling constitution fallacy and he gives a hint at what he thinks distinguishes the cognitive from the non cognitive. In conclusion this essay has given an account of and the reasons for the widespread extended mind debate and the statement made by (Clark 2010, p. 18) that minds like ours can (without the need for any radically new techniques, technologies, or interventions) extend into the world. It is possible to state that external representation has shown an option to the classical thesis of Clark (2010) view of all cognition taking place in the head. In addition, how it can be practical to be of assistance in real-world problem solving and arrangement of tasks, hence it provides insight into the association between human internal and external worlds and the nature of the mind itself. Furthermore other researches such as Clark, 2003, Clark and Chalmers, 1998, Dennett, 1996, Donald, 1991, Hutchins 1995 (cited in Dartnall, 2005) state that, cognitive processes extend into the world when individuals use pen and paper to work something out or the use of a computer. These findings suggest that the statement made by Clark with reference to other literature on extended cognition has brought new areas to be looked into like the need of technologies. Finally, a number of important limitations need to be considered, first Adams and Aizawa (2010) (cited in Clark 2008) which were the ones who attempted to argue what was wrong with the extended mind hypothesis and Clark stated that they fall short to successfully undermine the argument for the extended mind, because it seems that everyone agreed with Clark, but also bring alternative explanations. However, Adams and Aizawa (2010) argued that Clark was not able to address their theory of the mark of the cognitive, on the other hand Clark and Chalmers attempt to tackle the pervasive coupling constitution fallacy and set out a reasonable theory of what differentiates the cognitive from the non cognitive. The statement made by Clark and Chalmers (1998) has thrown up many questions in need of further investigation with empirical evidence to support the statement.

Replacing Fossil Fuels | Dissertation

Replacing Fossil Fuels | Dissertation Abstract This research provides guidance as to the most successful style of renewable energy in replacing the current dominant fossil fuels in the future. This success is based on a number of key variables, not least the implications of cost, management and longevity that are intertwined with developing, installing and running a renewable energy source. The case-study focused on the four main types of renewable energy, solar power, wind power, biomass energy and geothermal energy and came to some interesting conclusions. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative research was used, with the majority of the findings coming from the qualitative research. However, the quantitative research was in the form of two case studies highlighting the effectiveness of two types of renewable energy in certain household situations and how the energy can replace that of traditional fossil fuels. The findings show that while no one particular renewable energy type gained a majority backing from the research, knowledge about these types of energy is still perhaps too limited for any person to make a correct and informed choice as to the development of renewable energy. The qualitative research indicated that there are many strengths and weaknesses to each type of energy, while the quantitative research stressed that in certain situations renewable can be very effective. Another key finding of the literature was that general knowledge and understanding of renewable energy is not at an acceptable level in terms of the general public and leads to the recommendation of increased awareness. Aims and Objectives This section is designed to provide a detailed overview of the research aims and objectives of the present dissertation and the research questions that the study will try to answer in as comprehensive a manner as possible within time and resource constraints. Research Aim The aim of this study is to establish the possible options for renewable energy available in the United Kingdom for future use. This will be conducted through a comparative analysis of the four main types of renewable energy currently available, solar energy, wind, biomass and geothermal energy. The main aim of the research is to: o Identify successful alternatives to the non-renewable energies in the United Kingdom In order to achieve this, a number of objectives will need to be met. The aim of the research is to be able to conclude with clarity, the most attractive option or options available to the United Kingdom and its government in terms of renewable energy, for the current day and moreover, into the future. The uncertain prospect of the traditional non-renewable energies, coal, oil and natural gas, have meant that renewable energies have had to be developed with the aim that in the future, these newer, more environmentally friendly options will gradually take over the burden of energy supply in the United Kingdom. Research Objectives Based on the research aim outlined in the previous subsection, the research objectives that the present study will seek to achieve are as listed below: o To undertake an investigation into the four main sources of renewable energy; these include Solar Energy, Wind, Biomass and Geothermal energy. o To gain an understanding of the history and development of these energies is needed to fully understand the extent to which the United Kingdom can rely on them in the future. o An analysis of the benefits and disadvantages of each particular type of renewable energy o To explore how well the government is backing renewable energy with incentives o To examine the financial implications – to gain an insight to how much renewable energy will cost in installation, what grants are available? o To examine design implications – installation of renewable sources, aesthetic, dimensional requirements. Research Questions There are particular research questions that will need to be addressed when attempting to analyse possible future energy alternatives. These include: * How significant is the extent of cost when attempting to replace non-renewable energies with the more environmentally friendly types? * How far does the government wish to develop all four types of energy? Do they have a particular idea as the market share that each one should ideally hold on providing energy to the United Kingdom? * What can history tell the research about the likelihood that these renewable energy methods will succeed over a longer period? * Can (and will) these renewable energies ever fully replace the non-renewable energies that the United Kingdom (and globally) has relied heavily and dependently upon since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution? The research will attempt to address these questions and objectives whilst trying to meet the aim of the entire project; identifying successful long term strategies to replace dwindling non-renewable energy sources with abundant renewable sources while still enabling the United Kingdom to grow and hold its position of relative power and influence on a global scale. 1: Introduction Ever since the realisation that non-renewable energy sources (coal, oil and natural gas) are exactly as the description suggests, and that the level of these are reducing rapidly due to the global appetite for energy consumption in the continuing race for power, influence and development, it has been apparent that renewable energy sources would have to be developed to enable this global growth to continue. The United Kingdom, whilst overtaken in recent years by countries such as the United States and China in terms of energy consumption, has had a history intertwined with this notion. The Industrial Revolution, beginning in the United Kingdom in the 18th Century, acted as a catalyst for the rapid consumption of a large proportion of the world’s traditional, non-renewable energy sources. This has led to the necessity of developing renewable energy forms to supplement these more traditional energy types, with the aim to take over the burden of energy supply in the future. Brown (cited in Miller Spoolman, 2008:211) states that in terms of history, the 19th Century belonged to coal and the 20th Century to oil. However, the 21st Century will belong to the sun, the wind and energy from within the earth. This belief is widely held for a number of reasons and highlights the importance that the development of renewable energy sources has on the current agenda of policy makers and governments on a global scale. However, this will prove to be a difficult challenge. As Sawin (2004) stresses, over the previous decade, the World Bank funding for fossil fuel projects (totalling $26.5 billion) far exceeded that for renewable energy (Sawin, 2004:13). It is this type of obstacle that can make the development and mainstreaming of renewable energy difficult to implement and is why it is so crucial to research this issue, highlight the financial costs of renewable energy as a long term successor to the fossil fuels and increase public knowledge of renewable energies an d their benefits. The renewable energy options are possibly limited to four main types. Whilst many various options have been and are being developed by researchers and scientists, only four are currently at a stage where they could develop enough energy to be able to supplement and then eventually succeed non-renewable energy. These are highlighted as solar energy, wind power, biomass and geothermal energy (Tiwari Ghosal, 2005:17). These four types of energy will therefore form the focus of the research with each particular strand of energy being investigated to establish whether it is feasible that any one (or perhaps a combination) of these energies can ever be relied upon to replace fossil fuels. This is the long term aim of renewable energy, whilst at the current time, they are still on the periphery in terms of usage when compared to non-renewable energy forms. The research will identify strengths and weaknesses of each of the four types of energy, particularly focusing on people’s opinions and other variables such as cost, performance and design issues that may gain or lose support depending on the results. The research will be conducted through two different approaches. Firstly, there will be a qualitative analysis of the literature available on each of the four main sources of renewable energy. This coupled with official government information detailing about each type of energy will form the majority of the research. In this manner, the proposed research will be qualitative based. However, the success of the mixed method approach to research, as championed by Maxwell (2005:183), highlights that the research should include quantitative data research as well. This will be conducted through two case studies, analysing the effects of two of the renewable energy sources on a small scale. These will be focused around particular individ uals’ attempts to use a form of renewable energy to replace more traditional fossil fuel energy in their home. The quantitative data achieved by these two samples will provide evidence as the success of the renewable energy type in replacing more established non-renewable energy in an everyday life situation. This will enable the research to identify key areas that surround the debate over renewable energy sources and the suitability of each of the four main types in their possible future role as the majority providers of energy to the United Kingdom. 1.1: Solar Energy Solar energy is perhaps the most prominent of all the renewable energy sources currently available. Solar energy has existed in many forms for thousands of years (Craddock, 2008:28). He stresses that early users of solar energy include the Romans who used the suns’ rays to heat their rooms and designed south facing windows to make use of the heat provided by the sun. In the modern era, technology has developed rapidly and solar energy is now seen as much technical and efficient than ever before. The literature review will analyse solar energy and emphasise the strengths and weaknesses of the energy as a possible candidate for large scale usage on a national level. As Figure 1 highlights, when the sun’s rays shine upon a solar panel, the effect converts the light energy to electrical energy. In this instance, the power from the solar panel is directly proportional to the amount of light shining on it, so if the light from the sun is three times as bright on a particular day than the previous day, then you will receive three times the power. (Stubbs, 2008:4) The development of solar energy has occurred due to the understanding that our current way of life cannot continue if we remain economically dependent on fossil fuels. A champion of solar energy, Scheer (2004) supports the theory that it is imperative that we make comprehensive use of solar energy, not just to augment fossil fuels but to replace them before they either run out or critically damage the world through pollution and dangerous emission levels (Scheer, 2004:4). There are two main formats that solar energy takes. These are passive and active formats (Craddock, 2008). A passi ve solar energy system uses the sunrays directly to heat water or gas. The active system converts the sun’s energy into electrical energy by using a photovoltaic semiconductor material called solar cell (El-Sharkawi, 2005:89). The researcher also provides evidence that solar power can be relatively low in terms of its efficiency stating that the electrical power output of the solar panel, arrived at by multiplying the solar power input by the efficiency of the panel (Figure 2), can often produce a low amount of energy. The energy produced in the equation above is only high enough to power two light bulbs. This can be countered by increasing the size of the panel and the efficiency of the panel. These two changes will increase the output (El-Sharkawi, 2005:89). Developments made recently should, according to Jones (2003:48), allow solar cells to operate more efficiently. The recent innovation of solar concentrators is used in solar thermal technology to generate heat to power turbines. With solar concentration technology, mirrors or lenses focus light onto specifically designed cells. The older versions of solar cells have solid absorbing layers that require clear skies and direct sunlight to produce energy. However, new solar concentrators follow the sun’s path through the sky during the day allowing a better chance at finding direct sunlight. This highlights that solar power is increasing in efficiency and from a relatively un-technical beginning, solar power is now a real possibility at pr oviding alternative power to fossil fuels in the future. 1.2 Wind Wind power is perhaps the most striking of all of the recent developments in renewable energy. The wind turbines that adorn high peaks across the country are constant reminders of the attempts by the government and industry to develop renewable energy. Wind power is generated through the utilisation of large scale convective currents that carry heat from lower latitudes to more northern destinations. These create rivers of air that are used by newly developed wind turbines to generate power. (Figure 3) Winds are strongest at high peaks and specifically more frequent and at their strongest along the shores of lakes, seas and oceans, restricting the placement of wind turbines to coastal regions in many parts of the world (Gipe, 2004:24) As Figure 4 highlights, the power of wind can be increased to almost two hundred percent of its normal speed as it reaches the crest of a peak, thus ensuring the positioning of the wind turbines. These have led to many criticisms of the aesthetics of the turbines, given that they are large and seen as imposing by some onlookers. The wind turbines can produce a large volume of energy but are dependent on nature and days of unusually low wind speed can reduce the effectiveness of the turbines remarkably. When the wind speed is above the level needed to produce the maximum efficiency, no power losses are achieved in the system. It is only when the wind speed drops below the necessary level that the efficiency of the wind turbine drops (Hau, 2006:489). There are a number of strengths and weaknesses of wind power and these will be assessed in the literature review. However, the UK has increased its share of the wind turbine market recently (at an average rate of 35% per annum) in its attempts to increase the percentage of which all electricity generated will come from renewable sources by 2020 (This has been set at 20% : Government White Paper, 2003). There are various types of wind turbines, in different shapes and sizes, developed to harness the wind power at a particular geographical location. The main two versions of the modern wind turbine are based around the axis. The two different types are the horizontal axis and the vertical axis. The horizontal axis (Figure 5 above) is the most commonly seen in the United Kingdom and is popular due to the high efficiency rating. The higher the tall tower base, the higher the wind speed and the more output that can be created. This is why the horizontal axis is the most popular. However, this is also one of the disadvantages with complaints arising about the sight of these wind turbines on the horizon from many locals when they are installed. Vertical axis wind turbines (Figure 6) are less common in the United Kingdom. These vertical axis turbines are less common due to the fact that they are generally less efficient, because of the nature of its rotation and the stress on the blades. This leads to frequent replacements and therefore a higher cost. They are, however, less tall than horixontal axis wind turbines and therefore less of a distraction on the horizon for those that are angered by the horizontal axis types. 1.3 Biomass Biomass energy is defined as any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel source derived from recently dead biological material. This is opposed to fossil fuels that come from long dead biological material. Biomass constitutes the largest non-hydroelectric renewable source of primary energy in the United States and its presence is growing rapidly in the United Kingdom (Turner Doty, 2009:443). This is highlighted by Chiras (2006:21) who stresses that many countries are now turning to biomass as an alternative fuel source due to its relative ease in creating energy and the low cost involved. Biomass includes a wide assortment of solid fuels, such as wood, and liquid fuels such as ethanol derived from corn and biodiesel, a liquid fuel made from vegetable oils. The wide variety of forms that biomass can take can be found in figure 7. Biomass is remarkably popular as an energy source, as stated previously due to the low cost and relative ease at obtaining the materials needed for conversion. The three main conversion types are anaerobic digestion, fermentation to alcohol and the thermal process which produces a range of fuels and by-products including methane, methanol and ethanol that can produce heat, power and light, as well as fertilizers and fibres that can be used to produce food, textiles and plastics. (Figure 8) This range of products and power that it can produce make it very flexible and attractive to those who support the development of renewable energy. However, one key advocate of biomass energy states that currently most use of biomass energy is not clean or sustainable. The pollution caused by burning wood, manure and agricultural waste is causing severe health problems. It is also true that some energy crops have a bigger energy and environmental cost than they return. Thomas (2007:44) indicates that if biomass is to be a vital part of the future energy mix then there needs to be methods developed to process and use it in sustainable way over a long period of time. Biomass energy has accounted for over thirty percent of the United Kingdom electricity generation from various renewable energy types over the past five years. This amount is only second to that of hydro power (Institute of Physics Report, 2010). Although the total amount generated by renewable energy is still relatively small compared to that of traditional fossil fuels, it highlights that if biomass can be developed on a larger more industrial scale, and if more environmentally friendly processes can be created, then the usage of biomass technology may increase dramatically in the near future. Support within the United Kingdom exists for the development of the biomass energy industry. A recent report (European Wind Energy Association, 2009:524) highlights that the United Kingdom government has developed grant schemes (funds reserved from the New Opportunities Fund) for investments in energy crops and biomass power generation of at least  £33 million over three years. This will ho pefully enable the biomass industry to develop cleaner, more sustainable methods of creating biomass energy that can be used on a much larger scale. 1.4 Geothermal Geothermal energy is identified as power extracted from heat stored in the earth. It has a long history of use, from simple ways such as bathing to the modern use; that of generating electricity. In recent years, geothermal power has developed but still only supplies around 0.5% of the global electricity. Geothermal power is identified as cost effective, reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly. However there are setbacks in the development of the energy. The main negative aspect of geothermal energy is that it is has been historically limited to regions that are close to or on tectonic plate boundaries (Craddock, 1998) Geothermal power works through a relatively simple process, exploiting the heat of the earth and transforming it into electricity. Figure 9 highlights how this process occurs. Capehart (2007) underlines the abundance of geothermal power and states that the resource base for the power can be drawn from shallow ground to hot water and rock several miles below the Earth’s surface to even further down, to molten rock known as magma (Capehart, 2007:377). There are three types of geothermal power plants operating in the world today. These are dry steam plants, flash steam plants and binary cycle plants. Dry steam plants directly use geothermal steam to turn turbines. Flash steam plants pull deep, high pressure hot water into lower pressure tanks and use the resulting flashed steam to drive the turbines. Binary cycle plants pass moderately hot geothermal water by a secondary fluid to flash to vapour and then this vapour then drives the turbines (Capehart, 2007:337). Geothermal energy is seen as very reliable in that it has an average system availability of 90-95%. This is far higher than other sources of renewable energy. There is however a negative aspect in the aesthetics of the geothermal power plants, with many scholars highlighting the unattractive nature of the plants (figure 10) as well as negative public opinion on this matter (Saunders, 2007). The benefits of geothermal power have been harnessed by countries such as Iceland and the United States for a number of years but only now is the United Kingdom beginning to realise the potential of this renewable energy process. An article by Morris (2009) notes that with the recent development of planning for the United Kingdom’s first geothermal energy plant, the most suited region may be that of Cornwall due to the granite located there lending itself to the process. Morris (2009) emphasises that those behind the Eden scheme believe that Cornwall could provide as much as 10% of the United Kingdom’s electricity for the next one hundred years from geothermal plants. He also identifies other granite basements in the north of England and the north-east of Scotland. Geothermal power is therefore a currently underdeveloped source of renewable energy in the United Kingdom but has the potential to become a reliable and environmentally friendly source of power over the next few decades. The development of technology should also help to strengthen the support behind geothermal energy, given that at any location on earth, deep down in the core there is the potential energy for geothermal power. If developments can be made the energy to be harnessed away from tectonic plate boundaries, then the power of geothermal energy could perhaps become unrivalled when compared to other renewable energy sources. The literature review will continue this debate as to the strengths and weaknesses of each particular renewable energy resource. 2: Literature Review This literature review will provide part of the secondary research into the research question posed at the beginning of the work. The aim; to identify successful alternative renewable energy sources to replace that of non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels) that currently are in demand today. Morgan (2007:9) stresses that while fossil fuels bring enormous benefits to the world, in term of the production of mass energy that has allowed global industry and technology, as well as levels of living to rise rapidly in the last one hundred and fifty years, there a number of negative aspects to non-renewable energy sources. The limited nature of the resources is one, but also the affects that the use of coal, oil and natural gas has on the environment is also a key factor in the need to develop renewable energy sources that are environmentally friendly. Therefore this literature review will attempt to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the four main renewable energy types; solar, wind, biomass and geothermal and highlight a possible successful candidate or candidates that could take over in producing the large majority of global energy. In this manner, the four main types will need to be analysed in a number of key areas; cost, effectiveness, affect to the environment and aesthetics. Cost A good overview is provided by Freris Infield (2008). They highlight that after the United Kingdom government set the target of achieving 20% renewable energy in electricity supply by the year 2020, it became possible to analyse a cost for the proposed energy developments. An analysis completed in 2003 suggested that the extra cost for the development of renewable energy processes would represent an additional 0.3p/kWh on consumer electricity bills. This was focused primarily on wind power, as wind power is expected to contribute the majority of the renewable energy target (Freris Infield, 2008:215). Other scholars also support the view that wind power is the most expensive of the renewable energy processes. Ackermann (2005:300) acknowledges that the use of wind energy in remote areas is an exceedingly expensive option when trying to harness power from the earth, rather than using non-renewable energy sources. Quaak, Knoef and Stassen (1999) indicate their preferred method, through cost analysis, is that of Biomass. They state that the initial start up costs are less expensive than wind, solar and geothermal energy plants and also the longevity of the plants as compared to that of wind turbines (that need parts replacing on a regular basis) is a key factor in the cost analysis and that biomass is by far the cheapest of the renewable energy sources currently available (Quaark, Knoef Stassen, 1999:1). However, although Walker (2007) identifies that biomass is currently the cheapest form of energy, the scholar also states that solar power could become, over time, the cheapest form of energy. While solar panels are expensive, this is only because of the low number of them. Walker (2007:7) notes that solar cells would become dramatically less expensive if more people bought them, allowing the solar cell companies to reduce prices due to a healthy competition. The simple nature of solar power, combined with a drop in prices could aid the overall cost of the energy source, allowing it to become cheap and competitive with other renewable energy sources. Sass Duffield support the view of the cheap costs of geothermal energy as opposed to wind, biomass and solar energies. They state that geothermal energy, despite high initial installation and start-up costs, can dramatically lower monthly energy bills and therefore in the long term, or within a few years, the cumulative energy savings e qual the extra up-front costs and can become less expensive than other forms of energy. An interesting viewpoint is provided by Orr (2009:23) who indicates that at the current time, none of the existing renewable energies are cost effective and it is why governments across the globe are having to provide grants to develop them. The competitive nature of global society means that only cost effective and profit generating products succeed. Therefore, designers of renewable energy processes need to find ways to lower the costs of purchase for these energies in an attempt to rival cheaper and more established fossil fuel production. It is only in this way that renewable energies can hope to develop rapidly; to the benefit of the Earth. Effectiveness and reliability The effectiveness and reliability of an energy source is the most fundamental issue that surrounds its development. An energy that has low levels of effectiveness and low reliability rates will usually never be mass developed, due to the restrictive nature and high costs to gain a substantial yield. Wind power is suggested to have a relatively high effectiveness rating by Spilsbury Spilsbury (2007). However, other scholars stress that wind power is the least effective of all of the different renewable energies due to the loss of potential power through its design (Petersen, 1999). Other energies such as geothermal, with a 95% availability (Bracaloni et al, 1995) have a far higher efficiency rating. Quaark, Knoef Stassen (1999:52) also highlight the relative low efficiency rating of biomass energy, stating that conditions at times only allow a 25-35% efficiency rating. Lomborg (2001:134) stresses that the efficiency of solar cells is also around the 20% mark, indicating that geother mal energy is far more efficient that other forms of renewable energy. Environmental effects One of the key weaknesses of the fossil fuels and their use in energy production today is the negative effects that they have on the environment. The creation of carbon dioxide from the processes needed to create energy from coal, oil and natural gas has acted as a catalyst in lowering climate conditions across the globe. Therefore, one of the main aims for new renewable energy sources is to promote an environmentally friendly strategy. Lomborg (2001) identifies that one of the renewable energy sources being discussed lacks this strategy. Lomborg stresses that biomass energy production gives rise to a slew of pollution problems such as suspended particles, sulphur, nickel, cadmium and lead. This is supported by the Council of Europe (no date) who indicate that the weakness of biomass energy is that it produces relatively large amounts of fine particles and often also other air pollution like polyaromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Compared to this, the Council stress that wind energy only causes some carbon dioxide and fine particle emissions in the construction phase, whereas solar energy appears to be the most environmentally friendly of the renewable energies. Chiras (2009) identifies this and supports the notion that solar power is perhaps the most environmentally friendly of all of the renewable energies. The construction phase causes less emissions than any other renewable source and the fact that industrial plants (such as that used for biomass and geothermal energy) are not required for solar power means that like wind power, once constructed there is no harm to the environment, with the solar panels soaking up the heat of the sun and transferring this into energy. Aesthetics The aesthetics of renewable energy is a key factor in gaining support for possible renewable energy sources. Gipe (2004) stresses that wind power often comes under a lot of scrutiny due to the developments of horizontal axis wind turbines that dominant certain landscapes. Gipe indicates that communities are generally against these being developed because of the ugly aesthetical factor. However, he also notes that due to the nature of wind turbines and wind energy, these locations are generally remote and therefore do not affect the majority of people. There is also the development of wind turbines at sea, which could possibly aid the reduction of resentment towards wind turbines. Moreover, Scheer (2007:200) underlines that the rejection of wind power on grounds of aesthetic landscape pollution is treacherous and short-sighted and cites key examples of previous architecture such as skyscrapers as precedents. He also argues that the benefits of wind power far outweigh any argument on a esthetics and therefore feels it is a pointless debate. Chandrasekharam and Bundschuh (2002) feel that there is a similar argument for geothermal and biomass energy plants. The aesthetic factor may often be overriding but the success of creating environmentally friendly (geothermal in particular), renewable energy should outweigh any decision as to the aesthetical impact of these new sources of energy. Summary A number of key concepts were analysed in this literature review. The review suggests that opinions over renewable energy sources and their potential success rates are divided. While there appears to be agreement in the literature over the importance of developing renewable energy sources due to the fact that fossil fuel supplies are decreasing dramatically and that they have an adverse effect on the environment, there is real debate as to the preferred methods of renewable energy. Perhaps the most important contributing factor may come down to cost, and the literature review suggested that the current cost for all renewable energy forms are too high and