Cultural Considerations in Moral and Ethical Reasoning

Cultural considerations in moral and ethical reasoning The sound development of moral reasoning and ethics is an integral part of the growth and maturation of a healthy and productive human being. Without morals and ethics, a person cannot exist within society’s boundaries and would be doomed to be forever barred from its hallowed walls for as long as that person did not conform to the societal norms of having the ability to morally reason and implement a set of ethics. But morals and ethics, as necessary as they are, are relative and not absolute (Brink, 1989).This means that what a particular society constitutes as moral behavior is actually very much like beauty and in the eye of the beholder. The society in which an individual grows up in and is a member of dictates the type of societal rules that must be accepted as part of the price of membership. However, it does not take into account the various cultural differences that must affect which ethics and morals are adhered to in a particular place. Ethics are generally defined as the principles of morally acceptable conduct of individuals, and a person’s belief about right and wrong behaviors (Cosmides & Tooby, 2004).It is evident however, that the difference in cultures around the world make it quite clear that moral reasoning and ethics are directly influenced by the cultures in which they are developed (Boyd & Richerson, 2005). Behavior that is unacceptable in the U. S. is perfectly acceptable elsewhere in the world. For example, polygamy is accepted in most African societies, and even encouraged, but in the U. S. it is not only considered morally reprehensible, but also criminal. Homosexuality is accepted and even celebrated in the U. S. et woe betides the person trying to engage in this behavior in the Middle East, where it is considered a moral abomination (Haidt & Hersh, 2001). It is clear that there is no universal standard for moral reasoning not with culture, religion, and even environment playing roles in how it will occur (Wright, 1994).Therefore, it is of utmost importance to teach developing humans how to evaluate critically their own views on morality and that of others in order to preserve a balance in their world view no matter where they are. They must be taught an openness that allows for them to discuss omfortably moral matters with many types of people in order to gain a clearer picture of the world. By honing reasoning skills one can better evaluate ethical and moral statements or judgments (Gigerenzer & Goldstein, 1996) and this will help to describe the negatives and the positives of a situation and ultimately take us a step closer to understanding our world and the various subsets of which it is made up of.References Boyd R. , & Richerson, P. J. (2005). The origin and evolution of cultures. New York: Oxford University Press. Brink, D. (1989). Moral realism and the foundations of ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Co smides, L. , & Tooby, J. (2000). Knowing thyself: The evolutionary psychology of moral reasoning and moral sentiments. Unpublished manuscript. Gigerenzer, G. (2004). Fast and frugal heuristics: The tools of bounded rationality. In D. Koehler & N. Harvey (Eds), Handbook of judgment and decision making (pp. 62-68). Oxford: Blackwell. Haidt, J. , &Joseph, C. (2004). Sexual morality: The cultures and reasons of liberals and conservatives. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 31 191-221. Wright, R. (1994). The moral animal: Why we are the way we are. New York: Pantheon.

History of graphic design Essay

To understand the nature and characteristics of visual communication, first it is important to define visual communication. Well, as the name suggests, it is communication of ideas and information through visual representation and display. Basically, it involves photography, signs, art and typography. However, recent studies and research on the subject have revealed that now visual communication is a more focused term, involving mainly web and graphic designs used for advertising. Earlier, visual communication was not a commercialised phenomenon. The first time an outdoor public space was rented for advertising purpose was in USA in the late 1860’s. However, until the early 20th century, advertising was unregulated in the United States. Ranging from products such as drugs, oils and ointments, any thing could be sold without proper verification. For instance, the advertisement of the of Merchant’s Gargling Oil, 1894, shows the oil to be ‘A Liniment for Man and Beast’ and below it is inscribed that yellow wrapper was for animal and white for beast. Companies selling such products could easily deceive people by selling of a same potion, wrapped differently. The rise of graphic designing and advertising, as complimentary to each other, was seen in the late 19th century as business directories started using different type sizes for the names of various companies, so as to identify each company and the products that it sold. Then advertisements promising job opportunities and a high standard of living and attracting people to come and settle in particular states, became popular. Here again, a very good example is the sunset magazine cover, published din 1904. The cover image displayed California, the ‘Golden State’ as a paradise with fruit orchards and 2 History of graphic design 3 pleasure for the youth. to change its image. The 19th century was however, characteristic of a stale and stagnant designing strategy. But, in the early 20th century, the graphic designers started to use the sans-serif font. Although the change was not significant, it was a slow evolution of graphic designing. They did not have the advantage of computer use and software products like Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress and Corel Graphics Suite, just to name a few. Creating designs with the use of technology was a very challenging and arduous task. However, in 1890s, Frederic Goudy’s ‘The Inland Press, 1898, and Printer’s Ink, were among the first publications designed to serve the graphic designing world with technical knowledge. There are great names that had emerged and gained popularity in the early 20th century itself. One such designer was Eric Gill, a well known British typographer, sculptor and engraver. His first successful work was ‘Mother and Child’ created in 1912. Gill invented the Perpetua typescript on the foundation of Classical Roman letters for Morison in 1925. Herbert Bayer born in 1900 was another famous designer of this period. He invented a vivid visual style of designing and believed in clear simplification. Herbert Bayer became the art director of the Berlin affiliate of Vogue magazine in 1928. With graphics designing gaining ground as a coveted profession and increased use of technology in the industry, there has been no looking back.

Summary and Analysis of Japanese, Korean and China Business Essay

Summary and Analysis of Japanese, Korean and China Business - Essay Example Horizontal KGBs are either ex-Zaibatsu (Mitsubishi, Mitsui), or bank-led (Sanwa, Fuyo). Vertical KGBs are divided into supplier and distribution: the former supply parts and components, whereas the latter operate as a distribution channel. There are also general trading companies (sogo shosha), which specialize in exports and imports and serve relevant intermediaries for foreign trade. Japanese enterprises exhibit and rely on unique management styles. Lifetime employment, seniority wages, and no lay-offs during recession are fairly regarded as the main and most advantageous features of the Japanese management style. Keiretsu companies can easily relocate their workforce from one unit to another, whereas bonuses play a cultural and historical role in profit sharing. As a result, Japan enjoys flexibility of labor compensation and has everything needed to reduce unemployment. Most Japanese enterprises start at the very bottom of the business ladder, gradually expand to become medium and large corporations and, eventually, win the world. Low prices and domestic markets are the two management priorities for start-ups. Management efficiency, technological improvements, huge R&D investments and managerial efficiency are the main drivers of business development in Japan. Lean production systems, division of labor, JIT philosophies, and economies of scale are all important sources of competitiveness. Kaizen is the basic system of quality control in Japan, which works through series of small improvements. Total Quality Control implies that employee participate in quality management. The success of Japanese firms is in (a) cost advantage; (b) long-term planning; (c) financial strategies; and (d) continuous striving to achieve high quality at a low cost. Until the beginning of the 1950s, the system and drivers of Foreign Direct Investments in Japan had been inward-looking and

Fundraising for a charity Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fundraising for a charity - Literature review Example While reviewing a search in EBSCO Host turned up 297 results. Of the 297 results, 6 articles were used. The articles used cane from various different sources. All of the sources used are peer reviewed by a University Library. The articles gave an I depth explanation of popular theories and means of creating a successful charity. After narrowing the search from fundraising to charities, the search performed by EBSCO turned up 210 results. Of the 210 results found, 6 sources were used. The literature chosen to review was peer reviewed only. Many of the sources that were not used contained information that did not pertain to the topic. Other information that seemed to contain biased information was not used. I intended to only use information that strictly pertained to direct theories on fundraising for charities. The findings made for amazing research. The articles gave much insight as to how charities are able to host fundraisers and receive the money that is deeply needed. As described by Ben Goss 2005, Charities must be accountable in order form individuals to want to donate. A person willing to give to a charity wants to know that the charity is not a scam. This leads into another topic that was researched regarding whether or not the charity has positive reviews. An individual can go online and research the charity. The search is likely to find reviews by others whom have donated to the charity. As explained in the journal by Miller 2009, networking is the new way to raise money for charity. Networking allows for those giving donations to go on the charities web page to donate, volunteer and see the charity in action. Seeing accomplishments that the charity has completed is important and a means of proof that the charity is an accountable charity. Accountability can also be discovered by the age of the charity. Most charities are may struggle when first starting out. Many making donations are giving large portions of money and

Advanced management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Advanced management accounting - Essay Example The process of benchmarking involves the search for the best practices and then comparing the performance with that followed in the organization and determining the future performance. The three underlying principles of the process are quality, customer satisfaction and improvement in action. (Kozak, 2004, p.5) The application of the process of Benchmarking is done to improve the overall productivity of the business. Through the process of Benchmarking it enables the organization to highlight their individual strength and weakness. The internal knowledge about a business is essential to bring about changes in performance level and through benchmarking the objective is achieved. As the process of Benchmarking involves a finding of the best practices used by organization, it also enables an overall analysis of the competitors. Thus the process of benchmarking enables organizations to stay ahead of the competitors in the same line of business (Moore, 2008, p.181). Four types of benchmar king are generally in use by the organizations. They are named as internal benchmarking, external benchmarking, competitive benchmarking and sector benchmarking. The scopes and objectives of the different heads of benchmarking are different in their nature. (Wober, 2002, p.3) Intel has been global leaders in the makers of computer chipsets over a decade. The business aims to improve the performance of the new generation of chipset in every release of their updated product. The popularity of Intel has been so vast that it has almost established a monopoly in the market of PC chipset producers. The company uses the process of benchmarking as one of the tools to improve the overall performance of the organization. Intel uses the help of PC platform performance bench marking process that helps in analyzing and measuring the performance of the PC’s build by them. The analyzing of the performance of their product helped them in Customer satisfaction to a large extent. The

Literature review on administrative marketing vs entrepreneurial Essay

Literature review on administrative marketing vs entrepreneurial marketing - Essay Example This latter form of marketing, also called entrepreneurial marketing, is more about a unique spirit of marketing than a single strategy of marketing, which sets it apart from more administrative or traditional marketing practices. Rather than adhere to the fundamental traditional marketing principles meant for large and generally well-established firms, entrepreneurial marketing uses unorthodox and new practices aimed at gaining market share for the entrepreneurial firm in a crowded market (Ruzzier & Hisrich, 2013: p34). Indeed entrepreneurial firms are more successful as a result of unconventional marketing. Brettel et al (2010: p8) note various points of difference between entrepreneurial marketing and more traditional administration marketing with regards to their management structure, commitment and control of resources, opportunity-recognition and commitment ability, and strategic orientations. Hills et al (2010: p11) concur, noting that the strategic orientation of entrepreneurial marketers showed a strong zeal and commitment to marketing and concluding that successful entrepreneurs do not behave in a sequential or rational manner that administrative marketing theory assumes. Rather, entrepreneurial marketing is always in contact with the market, while the preference of consumers is always in their mind alongside their vision thinking constantly on ways to enhance customer value. Nasution et al (2011: p340) add that entrepreneurial marketing adapts to new competitive advantage opportunities through without being constrained by their conceptualised strategy as administrative marketing tends to do. For entrepreneurs, marketing is viewed as different fragmented factors influencing the performance of sales, instead of comprehensive, coherent, substitutable, and strategic variables of demand, including the marketing mix used in traditional marketing. Most successful entreprene urs often ignore traditional constructs of marketing in their best practices,

Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden, Research Paper

Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden, - Research Paper Example Shin and after a series of interrogation determines several discrepancies in his account of the life and experience while in North Korea a feature that portrays his inability to gain psychological freedom even after leaving the camp. His inability to gain the psychological freedom is explainable through the analysis of the Stockholm syndrome, which helps outline several factors that account for such reactions as discussed in the essay below. Judith Lewis in her book, Trauma and recovery explains that children born ins misery grow up with the hope that adulthood would present a chance from freeing the oppressive childhood. However, the personalities developed at such tender ages often do not permit the children to achieve their hopes of freeing their miseries since they become adults with myriad trust and identity issues. As explained by the Freudian theory of psychological development, childhood is a fundamental part of human development. The thoughts people acquire in their childhoods become parts of their personality even in adulthoods. This explains the life of Mr. Shin who hoped to become free after escaping from the prison camp in North Korea. Mr. Shin had horrific lifestyle while in North Korea. He was born in the prison camp as a child to two prisoners granted the opportunity to sleep together after good work. He automatically became a prisoner on the principles of being a son to prisoners who had committed crimes against the state. Mr. Shin went without food for days and suffered various inhumane treatment. He worked alongside other prisoners and witnessed fellow children and other inmates die from hunger, diseases and accidents in the camp much to the chagrin of the prison guards. As a child, Mr. Shin hoped that life would better once he grew up. However, this would never be as he later facilitated the inhumane murder of his parents when he leaked their plan to escape to the authorities. Even after escaping the country, Mr. Shin had

Oil Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oil Market - Essay Example In case the price of oil went down, then the price of such commodities were also stable, and if the price of this commodities went down, then these products also follows such occurrences. If we are to analyze this, one might ask, what is with oil that it has the power to control different scenario On the second thought, analysts particularly economists suggests that it is not only the oil that can have such a trend, but almost every product that is available to the market. This kind of occurrences is dictated by the demand of the customers and the availability of the product. In this case, the law if supply and demand comes into picture. Therefore, what is the law of supply and demand Before analyzing such a law let us first scrutinize the meaning of demand and supply with regards to economics perspective. The Columbia encyclopaedia (2005) described supply and demand as, 'Supply refers to the varying amounts of a good that producers will supply at different prices; in general, and a higher price yields a greater supply. Demand refers to the quantity of a good that is demanded by consumers at any given price. According to the law of demand, demand decreases as the price rises.' Upon analyzing this premise we can now have a clearer picture of what supply and demand has something to do with the oil market. It is now clear that oil will be regarded as the supply and the wanting of the consumers to get the oil to compensate their needs is the demand. Upon looking into this scenario, one might conclude that the oil as a commodity has the power to dictate its price regarding to the demand of world market. As stated on the first page that almost every human activities on earth needs the consumption of oil, therefore, it would be safe to conclude that there is a huge amount of demand for oil. From cooking meals, generating electricity and running automobiles, this kind of activities consumes oil. If we are to base such things with the aforementioned premises, the price of oils would tend to go up and it is due to the law of demand. The law of demand is defined as " a microeconomic law that states that, all other factors being equal, as the price of a good or service increases, consumer demand for the good or service will decrease and vice versa (answers.com 2006)." In this regard, the flow of the prices of oil would tend to go up if we are to base this phenomenon to the worldwide demand of oil. All over the world, oil is a necessity in life. On the second thought, one might ask that why it is that oil can dictate the flow of economics of some countries in the world Why is it expensive than other necessities The answer would be, it is because of the availability of the product. If we are to compare oil's prices in the majority of Middle East countries where oil is abundant against distant countries such as the Philippines where there is a minimal source of the said product, there is a huge amount of difference with regards to the amount of oil. In countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and the likes, oil prices ranges from $20-$30 centavos per liter to judge against $1.2 per liter. This is due to the following reasons: 1) the fact that oil production is limited, then the priorities of the distribution of oil would be in the countries were it was extracted and therefore, counties

Peter ducker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Peter ducker - Essay Example Management can survive only through superior competence and continually improving performance. Drucker has emphasized the importance of role of management not only in business but also on political state of affairs of many countries. He asserted that only management can help most of the countries to come out of their economic and/or political struggle and build their economies. Drucker’s seven key elements, as described by Hutton and Holbeche, (Drucker, 2007a) that influenced organisational thinking and practice to a large extent include, scientific management as the key to productivity; decentralization as the basic principle of organisation; personnel management as the orderly way of fitting people into organisation structures; manager development to provide for needs of tomorrow; managerial accounting for use of analysis and information as the foundation for firm decision-making; marketing; and long-range planning (Drucker, 2007b). Drucker’s philosophy of management was based on five basic principles: setting objectives, organising, motivating and communicating, establishing measurements of performance, and developing people and self. Drucker refers to these principles as manager’s responsibilities. However, some of these principles have been criticized by others. For example, Parkinson argued that some of Drucker’s principles are vague and others are still to be defined. He also felt that Drucker’s ignorance of a specific issue/problem seems greater than his knowledge. Some of leading management theories of the 20th century contributed by Drucker include, management by objectives; putting the customer first; the role of chief executive in corporate strategy, and structure follows strategy. Drucker proposed the theory of the business, in which he contended the fact that businesses are run on a

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

Release - Essay Example Also the break of study would badly hamper my educational career; therefore it is not very desirable from my end to take such drastic measure. After a hard day’s labour, it is really becoming very tough for me to concentrate on my studies. I also seriously feel that if a better manageable condition is rendered to me then I would be definitely able to give better result in my work as well. The mental and physical tiredness and the dilemma which is occurring in my mind regarding the continuation of my education along with the job, is making me psychologically disturbed as well. Moreover, the road which I traverse everyday to reach my University is not only long but full of hurdles too. The traffic is very busy throughout the path and it is very accident prone area as well. As I need to manage my classes and work so I am compelled to take some hasty and faster means of communication which are very rash on road. This also keeps me under the threat of an accident whenever I take th e plunge to reach my University. Also I would like to draw the attention of the management that the departure time form the work-station has been extended to 4:00 pm from 3:30pm.

Fluency Reading Plan Essay Example for Free

Fluency Reading Plan Essay Brief Synopsis- The story takes place on Manor Farm and has a third person perspective. The animals on the farm are unhappy with their current conditions. Led by a few pigs they revolt against the farmer that housed them. They hope to form a utopian farm for all animals. However, Napoleon (one of the pigs that started the revolution) starts to manipulate the animals and the humans around the farm. The farm starts to resemble its former self and Major begins to resemble the villainous farmer. This book is basically depicting communism in an interesting way. Overview of the Unit Reading fluency is an extremely difficult area to assess and instruct. In general, there are three areas that are addressed that make up fluency phonemic awareness (being able to say words and understand the construct of the letters that make up the word), grammar and comprehension. These three areas formed together help a teacher assess the students they have. However, it is still very difficult to classify since fluency seems to come natural to many students especially by grade 8 (Rasinski, 2004). Keeping all of this in mind there still needs to be a definitive gauge for assessment. This unit is based around some reading aloud in class. After the students have read on their own time, having them reread the various passages out loud will help to increase their fluency. According to the book Classrooms that Work, â€Å"repeated readings is a way to help students recognize high-frequency words more easily, thereby strengthening their ease of reading† (Addison-Wesley 1998). This will also allow for the next area of significance to become a link in the fluency chain-vocabulary. The student’s readings will provide opportunities to ask them about the various vocabulary words in this unit. The unit will stress various vocabulary words and a higher order of thinking to gain comprehension. As they read, the teacher can pick out these words and engage the students to see if they comprehend what is being said. If the students do not understand the words, the next step cannot happen which is comprehension. Comprehension and fluency are forever linked. One cannot happen without the other. The easiest way to label it is students must be able to understand what they read. That is why in many younger grades, grade levels are not simply based on the student being able to read the words, but to what degree they understand what they are reading. The main construct of the lesson is to expand the knowledge of the students and have them reading something outside of their normal realm. Students should always feel they are learning something new (Grabe, 2010). This book and unit will allow for that to happen. Reading aloud by the students, by the teacher, and discussions about various vocabulary and plot themes will make this lesson successful. The students will read a great book that is a classic and they will gain an understanding of some high school level vocabulary and thought processes. References Cunningham, P. M. Allington, R. L. Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write. Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc. 1999 Rasinski, T. (2004). Creating fluent readers. Educational Leadership, 61(6), 46-51. Grabe, W. (2010). Reading in a second language. Ernst Klett Sprachen.

Asthma Is A Chronic Inflammatory Disorder Biology Essay

Asthma Is A Chronic Inflammatory Disorder Biology Essay Introduction Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the bronchial tubes that causes constriction and inflammation of the airways. This results in narrowing of the airways. Airways narrowing in asthma is caused by three major processes that act on bronchi. These are: inflammation, bronchospasm and hyperreactivity. As a result, symptoms of wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath occur. (Womenfitness, 2004) This essay will aim to discuss the pathophysiology, epidemiology, aetiology and the various causes of asthma. Furthermore, it will compare recent prevalence rates and patterns that have arisen in recent years. It will also concentrate on the effects of asthma on children and exercise, and the long term effects this may have on lung function. Finally, it will present the hygiene hypothesis that has drawn great attention and speculation over recent years. C:UsersuserPicturesasthma2.jpg Figure 1 adopted from asthma.about.com//def_hyperresponsiveness.htm Phathopysiology: Asthma is known to be an inflammatory disease which is characterised by airway inflammation, airflow obstruction and bronchial hyperresponsivness.The mechanism of airway inflammation in asthma maybe acute, sub acute or chronic. Inflammation is the most important factor that causes narrowing of the bronchial tubes. It increases the thickness of the wall of the bronchial tubes and produces excess mucous that forms plugs and clogs the small airways resulting in a smaller passageway for air to flow through. In irregular air flow obstruction and bronchial airway reactivity, oedema and mucus secretion also contribute to further narrowing of the airways. Thus resulting in difficulty breathing. When asthmatic patients are exposed to triggers such as allergens, irritant and infections, the inflamed or constricted airways becomes more sensitive or reactive to those triggers leading to increase narrowing and inflammation of the airways. As a result an asthmatic person has to make a greater effo rt during expiration and inspiration. (Szeftel and Shiffman, 2009). Asthma is characterized by an increased number of mast cells, eosinophils, macrophages, activated T lymphocytes, dendritic cells and neutrophils in the bronchial tissues. During an asthma attack, antigen presenting cells e.g. (macrophages or dendritic cells) in the airways capture and process the inhaled allergen to T-lymphocytes which in turn becomes activated. Once T-lymphocyte becomes activated it produces TH1 cells and TH2 cells both secreting cytokines respectively. TH1 release (INF, lymphotoxin, IL-2) .TH2 release (IL-3, IL-4, IL-9, IL-13, IL-15).TH2cells (CD4 T-lymphocytes) has an important role in allergic response. Allergens drives the cytokine pattern towards TH2cells which in turn promotes B cells to produce immunoglobin E (IgE) and eosinophil recruitment .Then IgE binds to high affinity receptor for IgE, Fc-epsilon-R1 on the surface of mast cells and basophils. This leads to degranulation of the cells and the release of mediators such as histamine, leukotrienes and other enzymes. The production of histamine and leukotrienes result in bronchial hyperresponsivness and air way obstruction causing the symptoms of asthma. (Morris, 2009) Types of asthma: There are two main types of asthma: Extrinsic or allergy asthma: This type is more common and is responsible for 90%of all cases. It develops in children and is associated with features of atopy such as rhinitis or eczema. (Szeftel and Shiffman, 2009) Intrinsic asthma: This type is less common and presents for only 10%of all cases. It is more commonly found in women after the age of 30 and is typically not associated with allergies. (ibid 2009) Epidemiology 5.4million people in UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma. 1.1million children in UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma. There is a person with asthma in one in five household in the UK. (Asthma Uk,2008) The incidence of asthma has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. This is not due to the changes in our genetic makeup, however, due to environmental factors (allergens, infection, life style and diet) that influence on the development of asthma. The prevalence of asthma in Wales is amongst the highest in the world. With 260,000 people currently living with the condition and the rate of hospitalization for adults is 28%, it exceeds all other regions in the UK. (Asthma UK, 2009) Mortality and morbidity Asthma affects 5-10% of the population in United States or an estimated 22 million persons, including 6 million children. Asthma is common in industrial countries such as Canada, England, Australia, Germany and New Zealand. The prevalence rate of severe asthma in those countries ranges from 2-10% and is estimated to affect 300million people world wide. There are about 5000 deaths per year in U.S.and about 500 deaths per year in Canada. (Kelly, 2009) C:UsersuserPicturesasthm prevelance.gif Figure3: shows the high percentage of the population affected with asthma was reported in USA, Canada, UK, Australia and NewZeland (>10%). The lowest prevalence were reported in China and India (

Renewable Energy Sources In Malaysia

Renewable Energy Sources In Malaysia Today, energy challenge turned out to be a grave threat to sustainable development in developing countries since their energy needs is increasing more quickly than advanced countries. On the other side, fossil fuel combustion cannot maintain longer in the foreseeable future because of the environmental impact and the reduction of resources. Malaysia is experiencing dramatic growth of population and the economy and need to search for options energy sources in support of its inhabitants and business energy needs. Fourth-largest energy source in the world is biomass and was rich in the countries. Malaysia blessed with the tropical forests and moist climate all the year round which is a wonderful opportunity for full exploitation of agricultural and tropical rain forests possible. Term of waste-to-wealth has been started at the end of 1990, and it has become common. This idea is based on undesirable waste that is converted into useful energy while minimizing waste generation and to increase the economic-impact used primarily for cooking, for heating and electricity. Presently, coordinated attempts and different biomass energy plans are persuaded by the government for growth, commercialization and demonstration. This studys purpose to this present state and perspectives of the biomass use and strategy promoted to the future development of Malaysia. Keywords: Renewable Energy biomass potential Policy Sustainable Malaysia Introduction Malaysia covers a landmass of 329,847 square kilometers which consist of two regions; Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo which are separated by the South China Sea [1]. With its population growth of 1.7% 1.6% per annum [2], Malaysia is heading to its governments vision to become a humane industrialized country by year 2020 and with such ambitious vision, the growth of Science and Technology is continuously developing hence contributing to increase need of energy [3]. Malaysia relies on non-renewable energy and is currently venturing into renewable energy. There are a number of identified renewable energy sources ; for example solar power, hydro power, oil palm biomass and waste materials [4] which are being used and further studies are being conducted to improve its quality and performance. The usage of renewable energy has contributed to reduced pollutions to the environment, cost saving cheaper source of energy [5], and does not reduce the natural sources [6]. As a developing country, Malaysias population continues to grow and live increasingly energy dependent lives the future of energy supply is growing. This paper is revised the present potentials of energy resources especially biomass and then the future contributions to the national energy generation in Malaysia. Information Analysis Energy crisis is becoming a serious threat to sustainability mainly in developing countries and communities of the last decades. Between 1990 and 2000, the Asia Pacifics developing countries met 27% increase in conventional energy consumption whereas the consumption of world energy was 11% [7]. Growing in the energy demand is predicted to continue in the future. Fossil fuels have been the main source of energy since first sparks of technology appeared in mankind lives, however, depletion of fossil fuel reserves as well as significant environmental impacts, leads the governments and authorities to focus on renewable energy resources. In most recent years, demand for petroleum-derived fuels is increasing as a result of grow in population and economy [8]. The contemporary Malaysian economy is a net energy exporter with 11% of export income in 2004 derived from crude oil, LNG and petroleum products [9]. The final energy demand of Malaysia is expected to grow at 2.9% per year, reaching 69.39 MTOEÂ  [1]Â   in 2020, nearly double the 2002 level. The industry sector will have the highest growth rate of energy demand at 3.38%, followed by transport at 2.74%, residential at 1.86% and commercial at 1.14%, as shown in Fig.1 [10]. Fig.1. Predictions of Malaysian energy demand by sector (1980-2020) [11] Energy position in Malaysia Malaysia produces and utilizes both conventional and renewable sources of energy. The largest conventional energy resource found in Malaysia is petroleum (i.e. oil and gas). According to the Oil Gas Journal (OGJ), Malaysia held proven oil reserves of 4 billion barrels as of January 2010, and its oil reserves are reported to be the third highest in the Asia-Pacific region. Malaysia was the worlds tenth largest holder of natural gas reserves in 2010 and the second largest exporter of liquefied natural gas after Qatar in 2009. OGJ states that Malaysia held 83 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven natural gas reserves as of January 2010. Coal deposits can also be found in Malaysia. However, only a small percentage is being mined [12]. Malaysia is a significant oil and natural gas producer and is strategically located amid important routes for the seaborne energy trade. Malaysias oil reserves are the third highest in the Asia-Pacific region after China and India. Fig.2. The electric power generated by different sectors in Malaysia (in 2009) (Source: trading economics) [13] It is evident that Malaysia is still very much dependent on fossil fuels in all its commercial energy demand and electricity generation (Table 2). Table2. Percentage of electricity generation based on fuel types [14] Year Coal (%) Petroleum (%) Gas (%) Hydro (%) 1994 9.30 22.30 51.70 16.70 2000 15.00 5.00 70.00 10.00 2010 18.00 2.00 50.00 30.00 2020 29.00 1.00 40.00 30.00 The most important sources supplies were crude oil and petroleum products and then followed by the natural gas. It can be stated that the total supply of energy is increased gradually from 1978 to 2013 (Fig.3). In 2013, the percentage of crude oil and petroleum products descending to under 10 % but the percentage of natural gas is ascending to just over 62 %. Although crude oil and petroleum had contributed the largest percentage of total amount supply, an increase in the usage of coal and coke had reduced the annual growth rate of oil supply. The contribution of the other sources whereas had remained the same. The cost effective, quality, reliability, and security supply need to be considered to produce optimal energy mix from domestic sources. The international market price of crude oil is projected to remain high so that alternative approaches need to be make to reduce the dependency on petroleum products. Fig.3. Fuel mix trend in power generation in Malaysia [15] Renewable energy resources The most important sources of renewable energy in Malaysia are biomass and solar and sustainable use of energy has been emphasized in the countrys development plans and supported by Government initiatives. Under the 10th Malaysia Plan, the Government will be introducing the feed-in tariff (FiT) of 1% to be incorporated into the electricity tariffs of consumers to support the development of renewable energy (Fig.4). 330 MW Biomass Biogas Mini-hydro Solar PV Solid Waste 100 MW 290 MW 65 MW 200 MW 41.5 23 X 2015 2009 5.5 % % of total electricity generated Planned increase in renewable energy capacity Fig.4. Moving towards renewable energy replaces the need for fossil-fuel power plants [16] Solar power The RE sector is fast gaining ground as a new growth area for many countries with the potential it presents environmentally and economically. It plays a major role in meeting energy needs, making it possible for businesses to reap energy cost savings while combating global warming. Currently, Malaysia is world the third largest producer of solar cells after China and Germany (Fig.5). Malaysia already has companies across the entire value chain, from silicon production to solar cell manufacturing and module assembly. With the committed amount of fund for the rolling out of the first FiT incentive for 2012 2014, Malaysia is on the right direction to achieve a targeted revenue of at least RM70 billion from the private sector by 2020. Fig.5. Predicted solar manufacturing from 2006 to 2020 by different regions [17] Predicted to be a clean energy of the future, solar energy has been at the forefront of power development in the developed countries and a possible source of energy for developing countries similar to Malaysia. This paper introduces Malaysias solar energy or solar photovoltaic development prospects. The study was carried out by first searching in the countrys energy policy linked to solar power. Key players in solar power development as government organizations are presented. Initial solar energy programs and key projects entitled Malaysia Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) and the successful initiatives will be submitted. Measures that adopted by the government of Malaysia include appealing incentives to promote solar photovoltaic development, solar energy potentials of the country, foreign investment and the future direction and the feed-in tariff plan will be submitted with a length provide a wide range of solar power development in Malaysia. The prospects were positive and the country was actively promoting solar as alternative energy sources and aware of the benefits it bring for economy development in future [18]. Hydropower Hydropower is the only renewable energy technology that is presently commercially viable on a large scale. It has four major advantages, namely it is renewable, it produces negligible amounts of greenhouse gases, it is the least costly way of storing large amounts of electricity, and it can easily adjust the amount of electricity produced to the amount demanded by consumers. Hydropower accounts for about 17% of global generation capacity and about 20% of the energy produced each year [19]. Malaysia has a total land mass of 332,000 km2 and its mean elevation is about 300m. The average rainfall is slightly more than 2,600mm per year. The total gross hydro potential is 414,000 GWh/year, of which about 85,000 GWh/year is available in Peninsular Malaysia. Hence, whilst Peninsular Malaysia has 39% of the land area, its share of hydropower resources is only slightly more than 20% [20]. Tenaga Nasional Berhad operates three hydroelectric schemes in the peninsular with an installed generating capacity of 1,911 megawatts (MW). They are the Sungai Perak (1249 MW), Terengganu (400 MW) and Cameron Highlands (262 MW) hydroelectric schemes with 21 dams in operation. A number of Independent Power Producers also own and operate several small hydro plants. At present, hydro power is the only renewable energy source in Malaysia that is considered to be economically viable on a large scale. As for future hydro development in Peninsular Malaysia, several projects have been identified and studied at feasibility and pre-feasibility levels. These potential projects have to compete with alternative energy sources such as coal and gas in terms of economic viability. Wind The potential for wind energy generation in Malaysia depend on the availability of wind resource that varies with location. Understanding the site specific nature of wind is a crucial step in planning wind energy project. Detailed knowledge of wind on site is needed to estimate the performance of wind energy project. Average wind speeds are low in Malaysia and harnessing wind energy is only practical on remote islands or east coast states of peninsular Malaysia where the wind may reach 30 knots or more during periods of strong surges of cold air from the north. 30 knots is equivalent to about 15.4 m/s, which is about 55 km/h. However, application of wind energy at Malaysia can be used widely if the turbine can operate in country average wind speed which is 3-5 m/s. There was some study [21] done successfully to produce the electricity that suitable with wind condition of Malaysia, classified as low wind speed wind turbine. The northwest coast of Sabah and Sarawak region also potential to application of wind energy due to strength wind that reach 20 knot or more [22]. Due to maximum wind can be obtained during monsoon season which is between Octobers to March, the hybrid system of wind energy is feasible to compliment electricity supply during monsoon season. The first wind farm in Malaysia was set up on Terumbu Layang-Layang Island, Sabah. A Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia study in 2005 has shown that the use of 150 kW turbine on the island has shown a good degree of success [23]. This study mentioned that Terumbu Layang-Layang Island has the largest wind energy potential compared to other places in Malaysia. Tidal energy is also promising renewable energy source available in Malaysia. Until recently, a preliminary study was carried out to explore the potential of ocean energy for electricity generation in Malaysia [24]. Study by Ref. [25], identified that Pulau Jambangan, Kota Belud and Sibu are the locations with great potential for tidal energy extraction. The total amount of electricity that can be generated on those locations is about 14.5 GWh/year. Biomass Nowadays, biomass is regarded as one of the primary sources of energy in the developing and developed countries. Malaysia with a large quantity of biomass waste as a source of power generation is considered as one of the possible countries in this area [26]. Oil palm is one of the main economic plants in the large number of countries. Malaysia alone generates about 47% of the global palm-oil supplies and can be regarded as the worlds leading manufacturer and exporter of oil palm. Malaysia also produces great quantities the oil palm biomass as oil coconut stems, oil palm leaves, blank product bundles, shells and fibres as waste from palm-oil product harvesting and oil extraction treatment. At now there is a constantly growing interest in the use the oil palm biomass of the source of cleaner energy. One of the main interests is hydrogen fuel from oil palm biomass. Hydrogen from biomass is clean and effective source of energy and is expected to make a major role in the future energy needs because of the raw material availability [27]. There are different types of thermo-chemical processing to convert the oil palm biomass to hydrogen wealthy petrol. Fig. 6 shows the cultivated area for oil palm in Malaysia (divided into three categories, i.e. Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak) within 34 years. The total oil palm planted area in the country increased by 4.5% to 4.69 million ha in 2009 [28]. In Sabah and Sarawak, the drastic increase in the 1990s can be attributed to the government policy in the intensification of palm oil industries in East Malaysia [29]. Malaysia produces about 15 million metric tonnes of palm oil per year. One tonne produces about 414 kg of biodiesel. With a caloric value of about 40,000 kJ/kg, this results in a total energy supply of about 7.8 GW/year from palm oil. Cultivated areas for oil palm in Malaysia.jpg Fig.6. Cultivated areas for oil palm in Malaysia, 1975-2009 [22] While the total energy available from residues and landfill gas has been estimated as 3.1 GW [30]. Major agriculture crop in Malaysia are oil palm (43.67%), rubber (30.56%), rice (12.68%), cocoa (6.75%) and coconut (6.34%). These provide Malaysia huge of biomass resources. In fact, government of Malaysia has announced the 5th Fuel Policy that states To supplement the conventional supply of energy, new sources such as renewable energy will be encouraged and biomass resources such as oil palm and wood waste as well as rice husks, will be used on a wider basis mainly for electricity generation [31]. Currently, residue from agriculture crops like paddy, rubber and sugar are use as fuel for generation of electricity in Malaysia using the cogeneration system. However, the percentage of using this residue for electricity generation is still low. Biomass residues are the main source of energy input to the mills using cogeneration system. It has been estimated the total biomass energy potential is equivalent to 2-3% of total power production in the country [32]. Report from [33], about 14 mills already used agriculture waste for energy demand, both for steam and electricity wit h total capacity amount 1567.2 MW. The increasing amount of paddy production make highly potential in CHP technology to convert the paddy husk residue for energy purpose. Around 20% of paddy is husk, rice husk in turn contains 16-22% ash, and 90-96% of the ash is composed of silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2). According to [34], by 2020 Malaysia will produce 768,290 tonnes of rice husk. As refer to [35], 1.5 kg of rice husk can generate 1 kWh, this mean by 2020 Malaysia can produce 512 TWh using rice husk residue. Some example of cogeneration project based on rice husk installed in Pendang Kedah Darulaman, which uses a steam boiler, 6.5 tonnes/h, 30 bar, saturated, connected to a 450 kW back pressure turbine and heat exchanger [36]. Electricity produces use for their owned consumption. Other example of rice husk project cogeneration that connected to system grid is installed at Titi Serong Rice Mill [37]. In Malaysia, the annual production of sugarcane bagasse reaches a number of million tonnes [38]. Nearly 30% of that number will turn into bagasse when it is crushed in a sugar factory [39]. Sugarcane baggase is the fibrous waste that remains after recovery of sugar juice via crushing and extraction. A ton of bagasse (50% mill-wet basis) is equal to 1.6 barrels of fuel oil on energy basis. The total of sugarcane energy content on dry basis, excluding ash (around 2-3% of weight) can be divided into three main parts. Malaysia produces 274,620 tonnes of sugarcane for 2009, with a moisture content of 50%. This means we can get 150,000 tonnes of dry bagasse annually. The caloric value for dry bagasse comes to be 17.33 MJ/kg, which make to total energy potential of 0.421 million boe per year. At the time, all the bagasse is being used as boiler fuels in sugar mills operating in the country. Most agriculture crops in Malaysia can be used to generate electricity. If all crops are fully utilize can help reduce the dependency on fossil fuel sources. Conclusion Biomass could be Remarkable as a stable and suitable replacement for fossil energy in Malaysia that cover appropriates 76% of land by thick and compact kind of tropical agricultural and forest. Currently, high motivation of biomass consumption in order to generate energy, sustainability of bio-sources, economic impact and environmental aspects are considered. Therefore, improving technologies related to bio-power and bio-fuel is continued. Recycling and using residues of forest and agriculture are valued in order to convert to useful energy and by product. Establishing biomass projects such as CDM by Malaysian Government is prominent in order to allocate subsidy to this kind of projects. Allocated subsidy is one common way of support biomass project. However, still there are many obstacles such as , knowledge development of biomass in Malaysia, risky situation for applying new technology, cost-benefit with financial indicators in comparison with conventional energy, energy demand in market place, speed of commercialization, feasibility of knowledge transferring, and the policies of government still are not successful to persuade and encourage industries to use biomass and efficient communication and negotiation with suitable strategy including integration, alignment and balancing situation between government and industries concern based on win-win is considered. Outlook of using biomass depends on the total cost of producing biomass energy in compared with fossil fuels. Using biomass instead of fossil energy with the decreasing cost of biomass is achievable and it can respect to environment.

Essay --

Good Morning. As we start off today, I have a question and you can answer it by a show of hands. How many people in this room have ever started a project that you knew you probably wouldn’t ever finish? I mean, maybe you thought to yourself, this would be really great and I should do it, but in the back of your mind, if you were being honest with yourself, you knew that you probably weren’t going to see it through to completion? So only three people out of four hundred? (Pause, laugh) There we go†¦ ok, good, I’m not alone. Over half of you have started a project that you had no intention on finishing. Me too. When my daughter was born, I got into the common practice of reading her a book before bedtime. We read and read every night. And I realized something. Many of these children’s books are just not very good. After a few months of reading to my daughter I went into my bedroom and said to my wife. â€Å"That’s it†¦ seriously.. I’m writing a children’s book!† See had heard this kind of bravado from me before. But this time I wasn’t joking around, in fact, the next day, I pulled out my laptop, in an effort to make bedtime a better experience for every dad in the world and I started writing. At the end of a blistering 2 hour writing session I had typed three pages about a courageous carrot facing his fears. I saved the file and promised myself I would complete it the next day. My daughter is now nine years old and I’m still working on completing that fourth page. There is good news for all of us that raised our hands though. And that good news is this: God finishes everything that he starts. Today, we start a brand new sermon series called Be The Church and the text for today is located in Acts 18:1-11. When I think about being the c... ... am here to announce that he can. He does. Believe it. Last night I received a text message at 2:13am. Now, I always hesitate before I look at the phone when I receive anything after midnight. It’s typically never good. It was from my aunt. We were raised in the same home and she is now 48 and she has never believed. Just about everyday of my life for the last 15 years I have prayed for her. That the Lord would fill her with the Holy Spirit, that she would discover Him. Let me read you the text that I received.. â€Å"Chris, thank you for always praying for me. I woke up in the middle of the night and just submitted to Jesus. I want to live my life for Him. Thank you. Love, Jan.† I know I’m not the only one in the room that has been praying for a loved one for a long time. Keep being the church, keep praying and remember that God always finishes what he starts. Amen.

Free Grapes of Wrath Essays: Contrasting Rich and Poor :: Grapes Wrath essays

Contrasting Rich and Poor in Grapes of Wrath One of the ironies of Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath was that, as Ma Joad said, "If your in trouble or hurt or need -- go to poor people. They're the only ones that'll help -- the only ones."(pg 335) The irony is that if you need something you have to go to the people who have nothing. There are many examples of this in the book. The first example of this is at the truck station in chapter 15 when the restaurant owner and waitress give the family bread at a discounted rate, and candy two for a penny when it is actually nickel candy. The truck drivers then leave large tips to the waitress. Neither the truck driver nor the restaurant owner and waitress are very rich but they are generous anyway. In chapter seventeen the person at the car dump gives Tom and Al things for way discounted rates. Ma Joad is also an example of this. The Joads are poor and yet they give what little they have to the children who need it. They also stay and help the Wilsons when it just slowed them down. Another example is when the small land owner that Tom first gets work warns them of the plot of the Farmer's Association to raid the government camp. The clerk in the company store in chapter twenty-four is also generous, lending Ma ten cents so that she can get sugar for the coffee. These acts of generosity are contrasted to how the rich people are trying to rip off the migrants. Chapter seven shows how the car dealer rip the people off by selling them pieces of junk for high prices. They use cheep tricks such as pouring sawdust into the gears or transmission to cut down the noise of the car and hide problems. They take advantage of the tenant farmers ignorance of cars and interest rates to make a profit. Chapter nine shows how junk dealers bought all the things from the tenant farmers at a very low price. The farmers have to leave and can't take the stuff with them, so they take advantage of the fact that the farmers have no choice but to sell them at whatever price they name. Chapters nineteen, twenty-one, and twenty-five are general chapters that show how the large land owners are cheating the migrants and smaller land owners to make a larger profit.

Personal Narrative Essay - The Ski Trip :: Personal Narrative Essays

The Ski Trip Standing in awe, cold air permeated through my hair. The smell of fresh and minty pine scent complimented the beautiful vantage of the wilderness. With my boots wedged in the snow, a shiver took over my body. This is was a place of peacefulness and tranquility. Never before had I been so close with nature. Facing the north was the vast forest. To the left and right, only the crystal white snow was visible. While looking up, I caught a glimpse of the old ski lift, the solo apparatus which was my passport to this great adventure. All that could be heard was the sweet chirping of birds nestled upon tree branches. "This is indeed a moment to remember." I thought to myself. Being that close to nature could put anyone in a state of nirvana. As I stood admiring the clear blue sky and the world around me, I was interrupted by my friends' constant taunting, "Come on, let's go!" They were not rookies. They had experienced the sport of skiing and the atmosphere around it and were not as enthusiastic toward the surroundings as I was. Their calls became louder, with annoyance. I stepped up to the edge of a great slope. The steepness of this colossal block of snow I stood upon, was frightening. The only was to go was down. I took a deep breath with no worries, for this was not the first time I was confronted with a suicide mission. In a heartbeat, the exhilarating feeling of going downhill on a pair of thin skis took over.

Ambulatory Care Essay

Ambulatory health care has definitely been a type of health care that has benefited a lot of Americans since it became of existence. There are several health care clinics available in every city that helps the people on a daily basis. Its not as costly as the ER and you can receive just about the same kind of service as if your were going to the Hospital just in a faster time in some cases. There is a need to sometimes get further assistance, meaning that the particular outpatient service was not able to assist the patient fully and needs some additional help in diagnosing the problem. A visit to the doctors office provides someone with a sense of calmness to be able to have a one on one relationship with their private doctor, as opposed to going to the a large place like the hospital to see a doctor, any doctor at that. When I think of Ambulatory care I think of a one and done type of scenario, in some cases. The patient is able to see the doctor get a diagnosis and prescription at one time, without the need of visiting several doctors. In most cases, now there are times when the patient would need to visit different specialists for their care. With the upbringing of ambulatory care systems, there is a less need for someone to have to be in the ER waiting for hours unless it is a real emergency and the regular office is closed.

Balloon Car Essay

Our first idea was to make a paper Lamborghini. We looked on many websites to find ways to make an origami-type Lamborghini. All of the instructional videos that we found were at least an hour-and-a-half, or did not even look like a car. As we got to school I had the idea to look up paper models of Lamborghinis, the kind where it has the dotted lines and you cut it out, fold it where it says to, and tape it together. We printed it out and we could not get it big enough on a standard-sized piece of printer paper. There were five basic shapes on the model so we just decided to take five pieces of paper and draw the shapes much bigger and duplicate the design. After we drew the design and cut it all out we decided to cut out pieces of cardboard the same shape and put it behind the paper so it was more stable and added some weight. For our balloon, we put a hole in the back of the car that we could put a straw through, and taped the balloon to the straw. We taped the straw up on the back part of the car so when we blew up the balloon it would go straight up. Our wheel idea came to mind when I was drawing out an idea for our car. I was using a blue highlighter, accidentally dropped it, and we discovered how fast it rolled. We decided to try to pop out the center part of the highlighter so we could put a piece of wire through the center through the two ends and hook the wire through the bottom part of the sides of the car. We were going to use two highlighters, one in the front and one in the back, instead of â€Å"4 wheels†. However, we could not get the center out of the highlighters. We went â€Å"dumpster diving† around the school and ending up getting pop caps from Ms. Chambers. Since our idea was to use highlighters and the wire, once we hammered a hold through each of the caps, we couldn’t figure out how to make them turn because we did not have a good axle. We tried to use just a straw for the axle and that did not work. We then tried to compact the straw so it was not as big around and that did not work either. We also tried to put nails through the caps and stick the nails into the side of the car but that did not work either. Our next idea was to go to the band room and put four timpani wheels on the bottom of our car, but they were way too heavy. Eventually we smashed the straws to make them thinner and put it inside a hollowed-out pen. This made a good axle and we used this for our car. As we tested our car to see if it would move, it did not. We realized that our car may be too heavy so we had to think of a Plan B. We decided to take five kabob sticks and hot glue them side-by-side so it was pretty much flat. We then put our Pepsi cap wheels on the bottom, and taped the straw and balloon on top. We tested it and it moved over five meters and the path it took was fairly straight. The speed of our car is 2. 37 Meters/second. We found our speed because it took 2. 37 seconds to travel one meter. Our car is a good example of inertia. It keeps moving until its â€Å"power source† (balloon) runs out of air. It stops it because if the balloon never ran out of air, and if there was nothing in its path, our car would never stop moving. It’s also an example of acceleration because it starts off slow, gets a little faster, and as the balloon starts to run out of air, it slows down again. It’s also an example of every action has an equal and opposite reaction, because as the balloon releases air the car moves.

History: Sociology and Karl Marx Essay

Sociology is the study of people within a society. Three important Modernist Thinkers; Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber are the three important figures in sociology. During the time of the modernist thinkers, they played a role in sociology thinking. This paper will explore the importance on why these three figures are considered modernist thinkers. What there main focus was and how they are considered a modernist thinker. Karl Marx was born in 1818. He was a German philosopher who believed that material goods are part of the social world. Marx was committed to revolutionist. Marx was trying to influence the social movement. According to Marx, the ideal government would be a communist state where resources are equally shared. Marx was involved in political and social issues which later on lead to more a communist theory. Marx theory on history is focused on whether or not society will rise and fall. Based on this theory Marx was influenced by Hegel. Marx belief on history evolved from many unpredictable directions. Marx was trying to explain the analysis of capitalist within societies and the economic failures that were produced. He suggested different socialist remedies. In the article â€Å"Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s philosophy of Right† by Karl Marx, â€Å"The foundation of irreligious criticism is: Man makes religion, religion does not make man. Religion is, indeed, the self-consciousness and self-esteem of man who has either not yet won through to himself, or has already lost himself again. But man is no abstract being squatting outside the world. Man is the world of man – state, society† in other words Marx was thinking about how a human being could exist. Religion is dependent on economics such as â€Å" state and society† Marx explained that capitalist takes more of our productive labor where as religion we believe there is a god or to be called that there is a god. Accordi ng to Karl Marx, alienated labor is the process of capitalism. We create dominates us. The difference of alienated labor is â€Å"the relationship of the worker to the product of labour, the second is the relationship of the labour to the act of production, and lastly is the difference is man is a species-being not only in that practically and theoretically he makes both his own and other species into his objects† (15) this is the consequences of man alienation of production from work. Therefore man is opposed from himself. Social change fits with Karl Marx perspective because Karl Marx believed there needed to be a better society and with a social change there was going to be conflict. One of the conflicts was the class conflict, the capitalist. With social change he was able to produce a better society even though there were going to be economic problems. Emile Durkheim was a French sociologist argued that society had to be studied on its own. He was the primary of society. In Durkheim’s perspective society influences individual through norms and social facts. The way an individual think or acts is constituted as a proper domain which is defined as a â€Å"constraint† in Durkheim perspective. â€Å"Constraint† is used to identify the reason behind social facts. A constraint holds power over an individual and becomes stronger over reaction. He believed that societies are held together by values. Durkheim main focus was the concern of social order, how does modern society hold together given the individualism of an individual. In the article Suicide Durkheim connects division of labour and anomie. In Suicide he connects the analysis of suicide, by exploring the different rates, different places and to explain how they are different. Emile Durkheim treats religion by according to the article â€Å"In the Human Meaning of Religion, Durkheim differentiates religion in the context of social life. It states: â€Å"religion is a mirror of society and that in fact what people take to be the realm of the sacred is society itself†(68), in other words religion is a reflection of society. The importance function of religion is to make us act. He states: â€Å"If among certain peoples the ideas of sacredness, the soul and God are to explain sociologically, it should be presumed scientifically that, in principle, the same explanation is valid from all the peoples among whom these same ideas are found with the same characteristics† (68). Based on this article religion is the meaning of life, it provides support and authority figures. Religion impacts and influences society and effects different social norms an individual. Based on my understanding social change does fit with Durkheim perspective. Therefore; in the article Division of Labour in Society, Durkheim focuses on the origin of connecting individual with one another with society, he analysis the social change and explains the conflict in modern society. In Durkheim perspective what unite us is called â€Å"social solidarity† which brings individuals together. In the article it states: â€Å"Society it not seen in the same aspect in the two cases. In the first, what we call society is more or less organized totality of beliefs and sentiments†¦ the society in which we are solidarity in the second instance is system of different, special functions which definite relations unite† (107) meaning solaridity is based on similarity because it binds us together but is different because we are different people. With Durkheim producing social change it was reduced by social reform. Max Weber was a German sociologist. Weber agreed with Marx that individuals had to fight to protect their own property and interest. He also agreed with French sociologist Durkheim; that people interest is determined by shared values. Weber believed in causality. There were multiple causes on why people behave the way they do according to him. He also believed that society is more of rationality and bureaucracy. Sociology should be more of a social action according to Weber. Weber work was the process of rationalization. Rationalization is where rules and laws dominate sectors of society in the model of a bureaucracy. According to Weber â€Å"Class, Status, Party; the way in which social honor is distributed in a community between typical grounds participating in this distribution we may call the ‘social order’. The social order and the economic order are, of course, similarly related to the ‘legal order’ (102), class, status and party was a source of social conflict that became a social difference. Class and status influences one another where as† ‘parties’ live in a house of power† (106) in other words Weber was trying to explain that these spheres are connected by distribution of power. Status makes up the social order and classes are the economic order each promotes power and social change In the article â€Å"Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism† focuses on the religions ideas and economic behavior as part of the rationalization of the economic system. It states: â€Å"We can treat ascetic Protestantism as a single whole. But Since that side of English Puritanism which was derived from Calvinism gives the most consistent religious basis for the idea of calling , we shall, following our previous method , place one of its representatives at the center of the discussion†(158).Weber explore the emergency of capitalism was by an ascetic spirit of sacrifice. The development of capitalism was influences by Calvinism. In the society of this time they had more highly capitalist who were Protestants. Social change fits with Weber perspective because in the article Bureaucracy, it states â€Å"The principles of office hierarchy and of levels of graded authority mean a firmly ordered system of super- and subordination in which there is a supervision of lower offices by the higher ones† (89) bureaucracy is a social order where as the authority who changes the order it becomes a social change to society. In conclusion three important figures of sociology were Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Each three were considered modernist thinkers for sociology. Even though they all had different theories and ideas, Marx believed economics was the force of social change where Weber though religion was. Reference Emile Durkheim selections from â€Å"Division of Labor in Society† From Scott Appelrouth and Laura Edles (eds.) Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory (Pine Forge Press, 2008) Emile Durkheim selections from â€Å"Suicide† From Scott Appelrouth and Laura Edles (eds.) Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory (Pine Forge Press, 2008) Emile Durkheim â€Å"The Human Meaning of Religion† From Peter Kivisto (ed) Social Theory: Roots and Branches (Oxford University Press, 2008). Karl Marx â€Å"Alienated Labor† From Peter Kivisto (ed) Social Theory: Roots and Branches (Oxford University Press, 2008). Karl Marx â€Å"Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right† From Christopher Hitchens (ed) The Portable Atheist (Nation Books, 2009) Max Weber â€Å"Bureaucracy† From Peter Kivisto (ed) Social Theory: Roots and Branches (OxfordUniversity Press, 2008). Max Weber â€Å"Class, Status, Party† From Peter Kivisto (ed) Social Theory: Roots and Branches Max Weber selections from â€Å"Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism† From Scott Appelrouth and Laura Edles (eds.) Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory (Pine Forge Press, 2008).

Visual Rhetoric Research

Visual rhetoric is a sort of communication that happens in a test but its happen by the visual images or you can say visual rhetoric is the images you turn into an argument. The term visual rhetoric itself has a lot of things that determine it, when evaluated a visual rhetoric essay you must know the shape, the nature, the color, the architecture, the design, etc. of the image. The most accurate place that use visual rhetoric is the advertisement company and one of the causes is to attract customers. Visual Rhetoric does not necessary need an academic knowledge to understand or to evaluate an image because everyone can evaluate an image by there own understanding of the design. My research show that the term visual rhetoric is broader than I can imagine and to go inside that term, we need a visual literacy process. When I went to https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/691/01/. It is a page that is more focus on the academic world of visual rhetoric, that is why they explain that the term visual rhetoric comes under the words visual literacy and it brings into three categories: Visual Thinking, Visual Learning, and Visual Communication. Through the understanding of visual thinking is the metaphoric thinking, the visualization, the source of imagery, and the working brain, the visual learning is the reading, the design, and the research, the visual communication is the art, media, and aesthetics. When looking at an image, you think first about the image in front of you, then you start to learn about the source, the shape, and the value of what you see, and then you start your argument with the image in front of you. I also learned at the same OWL page section 04 that the visual rhetoric use of images has a lot of impact on the ethos (credibility), the design of an image can determine whether an audience will appreciate your work or take you seriously. That give us an understanding, when using visual rhetoric, we need to thing about our audience and make sure that the color, design, architecture, shape, and the nature of the image is well place in our design. Another source says that the more you know about your audience, the more effective you will be on your message. You must have a purpose and you need to inspire your audience through your visual design. When working to find the purpose, context, and your audience in a rhetorical situation, you need to ask yourself same question. According Kostelnick and Roberts, authors of Designing Visual Language, we need to ask those question; â€Å"Is the message call to action? Is the message intended to inform? Who the message directed to? And What is the purpose of the document and where it will be viewed?† When those questions have a clear answered then your visual rhetoric skills will be very meaningful. According to A Research Guide for Student, â€Å"the term visual rhetoric is closely linked to Semiotics, a science studying signs and meaning.† I learned that a can looking at a same image with someone else and it may mean something different for both of us. This is because we both can come from different culture or society, because of that situation, the author must choose his/her audience very carefully. This page show that visual rhetoric is become more significant everyday because society is contemporary increasing visual, and even if a text does not include any design or image, it still provides a visual image to the readers. Wikibooks see visual rhetoric as an intertextuality. Which work how an image has the same similarity with another image, that give visual a more important aspect to the world we are living in. That wikibooks page see objects in images represent something that we value in our society or something that have a meaning in our culture. They give an example of the American flag, how people see it as freedom in America. The term visual rhetoric varies culture to culture, you cannot judge someone prospective on a design. Red in an image can mean something in one country and mean something else in another country. The term visual rhetoric become more understandable to me because of all that I have learn throughout my research. How one image can have an infinite meaning because of the variation of culture and the way each person can examine the image. I also learn that when designing I need to know who my audience would be because that is one of the strength of visual rhetoric.

Analysis of Offshoring Jobs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Offshoring Jobs - Research Paper Example India has become one of the dominant players in the field of offshoring; this has taken place mostly in works related to software. There are several factors that have aided the evolution of offshoring in India and its spread to other countries. The first factor includes the regulations put by the Indian government during the 1970s; these regulations allowed all foreign ventures to have ownership of majority Indians. Another factor that contributed to offshoring included the advent of the internet as well as telecommunications technology. This enabled the doing of computer-based work anywhere in the world. As a result, the phenomenon of offshoring spread to countries all over the world.Offshoring witnessed immense changes during the early years of the 1990s. The CEOs and CIOs of large corporations realized the need to reduce budgets of information technology. The significant and rapid development of web-based communication made information technology become an essential part of carryi ng out business, thus leading to the revolutionization of the corporate world. To curb the costs of maintaining processes, Chief Information Officers and Chief Executive Officers changed their strategies and began outsourcing the development and maintenance of IT systems. This set the trend for other support and administrative functions being outsourced.According to Gupta (2008), there are several jobs that are offshored all over the world; these jobs tend to be more affected by outsourcing than any other jobs.

Recycled Blackberry Phones Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Recycled Blackberry Phones - Assignment Example This project has been taken into concern for the purpose of designing an appropriate project management plan for recycled Blackberry phones. For making this project successful, various strategies that have been adopted by the company in the past will be deeply analyzed upon. As a project manager, future plans of actions will be decided based on the past strategies adopted and executed by the company. Also, the potential shareholders who can provide variable amount of contribution in the recycling process will also be identified. As a project manager, it will be one of the primary duties to create a well diversified SMART project scope which can be effectively utilized in the overall recycling process of Blackberry phones. The project will also include a well diversified plan concerning the sequence of activities in a step-by-step process that will be implemented in a timely and orderly manner. In addition, written documents concerning the exact amount of resources that will be requir ed for the execution of the project will be maintained. Moreover, another plan concerning HR will be developed along with the broad criterion that will be adopted for identification the success or the failure of the project (BlackBerry, 2013; Cleland & Ireland, 2006; Verizon Wireless, 2013). Stakeholders These entities may include the employees of Blackberry, suppliers and distributors of raw materials along with finished goods. In addition, certain other stakeholders like the creditors of the company along with the customers whose role are considered to be important in determining the overall profitability of an organization would be taken into concern. ... Stakeholders The stakeholders in this recycling process will include different entities that will directly or indirectly get affected by the project especially in an affirmative manner. These entities may include the employees of Blackberry, suppliers and distributors of raw materials along with finished goods. In addition, certain other stakeholders like the creditors of the company along with the customers whose role are considered to be important in determining the overall profitability of an organization would be taken into concern. Being the project manager, it is quite needed to ensure that various outsourced agencies which can deliver effectual ideas pertaining to the launch of new applications and programs in Blackberry phones are also needed to be included in the list of the potential stakeholders. Specially mentioning, the above identified stakeholders would play an imperative part in developing the overall project management planning procedure and most importantly enhancin g the decision-making procedure by a considerable level. It is expected that the roles which play by the recognized stakeholders would eventually standardize the ongoing viability of the project by a greater extent (Groman, 2007). Project Management Plan This portion of the project management plan would hold the top most priority in successful completion of the project concerning recycled Blackberry phones (Hossenlopp, 2010). In order to execute the plan in an orderly and appropriate manner, a few of the most fitting actions will be undertaken that would provide greater aid in quick start of the project (Hossenlopp, 2010). These actions have been elaborated hereunder. Collecting and arranging all reports relating to the availability

Modern Design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Modern Design - Assignment Example The proclamation also described the utopian craft guild that combined architecture, painting and sculpture into a single but creative expression. The craft-based curriculum used at the Bauhaus was designed to turn out designers and artisans into beautiful and useful objects that are appropriate for the new system of living. The Bauhaus was designed to combine the elements of design and fine arts education. The curriculum started with a preliminary course that provided a brief background to the students who were admitted from a wide range of social and educational framework. The preliminary course was taught by veteran visual artists such as Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Josef Albers among others. The immersion of the students in the Bauhaus educational framework allowed them to participate in specialized workshops. The workshops often included cabinetmaking, metalworking, pottery, weaving, wall painting and typography (Raizman 188). Even though the initial aim of the Bauhaus was to unify the arts through craft, the aspects of the approach proved financially impractical. Gropius found it important to maintain the aim of the Bauhaus and decided to reposition its goals in 1923. He stressed on the benefits of designing for mass production and encouraged the school to adopt the â€Å"Art into Industry† slogan. The Bauhaus later moved from Weimar to Dessau in 1925, where Gropius set up a new building to accommodate the school. The building contained several features that later formed the hallmarks of modern architecture. The modern architecture included a glass curtain wall, steel-frame construction, and pinwheel plans among others. Today, the Bauhaus is still an experiment al design and research and teaching which are dedicated to the development and communication of the Bauhaus legacy. It also seeks to work on contemporary issues affecting the urban sector. The Russian constructivism was the last but most

Investment in Education in United Arab Emirates Research Paper

Investment in Education in United Arab Emirates - Research Paper Example As for some more practical applications of investment in education, it would be profitable in terms of increase of professionals’ rates in UAE. The development of education multiplies professional opportunities for young people and helps them to become specialists in what they want to do. This means that when young people understand that all the spheres of studying are developed enough and could provide them with educational opportunities and career perspectives, they do not even consider other countries as their educational options. In addition, investment in education keeps labor rates in stable positions (Jorgenson &Fraumeni 1989). The phenomenon of brain drain often happens because young people do not see any educational perspectives for further staying in their own country, so they move to another country in order to get a better education in their chosen realm. Then they become professionals in what they do and get hired on some well-paid positions in foreign countries, so they decide not to come back. I believe this problem also exist in UAE because many talented young people move to other countries, which would not be happening if UAE education had a better financial support. If UAE education receives more funds and starts developing rapidly, the country will attract many young people from every part of the world who would be glad to obtain a high-quality education in UAE. This would be profitable for both the country’s international image and an increase of intellectual and professional cadres.

Illegal Involvement with Drugs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Illegal Involvement with Drugs - Assignment Example According to Guideline E on personal conduct, if a person is dishonest or unwilling to comply with the regulations, this would be an indicator that such a person may not properly safeguard classified information (US government Publishing Office 1). In this case, Smith is dishonest about his travel to Russia and Italy. For instance, he gave contradicting dates about his travel to Russia. In addition, he failed to state that he had traveled to Italy giving an excuse that he was young. Moreover, he was unable to explain the reason why he was concealing information about his other social security number. This is an indication that he is a dishonest person who cannot be entrusted with highly classified information. In the second case, Kidwell should be given a temporary eligibility according to part 147 of the guidelines. This is because an intensive investigation needs to be conducted in order to know whether having two closely related social security numbers was a strategy to make malicious dealings (US government Publishing Office 1). However, the fact that she has come out and declared that this issue existed without concealing and being compelled is an aspect that indicates that she is an honest person. Temporal access would give time to authority to investigate about all credit information provided in the form and through the interview. The defense security service acts as an administrator of the National Security Industrial Program. In addition, it controls and influences foreign ownership. Furthermore, it supports the National Industrial security on issues related to personnel security clearances.  

Optimal Number Of Firms In The Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Optimal Number Of Firms In The Market - Essay Example Imagine if the world is consuming what has been given to them, the world is being operated on daily basis, such as a limited amount of food is prepared daily and in order to prevent the food from getting stale, people consume every unit of it, is it possible Of course there is no chance for such situation, so we have to consider even bigger policies for production and consumption, may be we can use the past records of what is the optimal level of production and consumption or at which particular level firms are having maximum profit and minimum loss. We now have to consider the importance of the circular flow or economic cycle, the market system heavily relies on the supply and demand to solve the three major arising problems that are What goods and services will be produced, it is determined by the daily purchasing decisions of the customers as keeping it on the yearly basis can be very risky, one can see that over the past few years the bird flue took place significantly, therefore we cannot rely on yearly basis as the behavior of consumers can change unpredictably. The second problem is How things or goods produced would be rated in terms of pricing, of course there is a competition everywhere, so the problem of differentiating the product arises. Taking the example of bird flue there are many other issues that are very common in every day life such as at times there is drastic change in the technological market, such as everyday a new computer technology replaces the old one which eventually results in greater competition and brand switching. The third issue is For whome things are produced, here the focus is obviously on consumers and their level of consumption, but supply and demand has a major role to play here. The immediate task the companies have to face is to determine the wages, land rents, interest rates and many factors related to everyday life, it is explained thoroughly later in this discussion. The circular flow is all based on the previously d iscussed three problems. What the flow intends to show is that all the money is constantly moving within a frame of a country, there are minor changes but over all the flow is constant until and unless some big change takes place such as war. The circular flow is all comprised of four things, those are product markets (prices are set by the markets keeping in view the scenario), Household markets (the buyer behavior which keeps on shifting but over all the money utilization and spending is unchangeable), the business sector (which pays the rents and wages to the people working, who are also at the same time are households) and the factor markets (which keep on changing the rents, wages, interests but over all the wealth remains within the country, if less rent for one person may be much higher for another person). Until and unless these problems would not be solved which of course cannot be solved the firms would find it impossible to be operated at an optimal level. "Dollar votes of households interact with business supply in the product markets at top, helping to determine what is produced.

Governance Regulation and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Governance Regulation and Ethics - Essay Example The main conflict which is presented in the film is based on consumer protection, specifically in relation to the environment. This occurs first when the families file a claim about the company putting toxic waste into the environment, specifically which leads to leukemia and other health problems among the consumers. As the story line continues, the problems with health from the waste and lack of environmental concern continue to increase. The issues relate to several problems and questions of what the stand point should be with the company as well as what is required in terms of responsibility and obligation to potential consumers through the environmental concerns that are approached. The concept of relationships with consumers is the first problem which is related to the film. The consumers are unaware of the health problems and there is not disclosure of what is occurring with the environmental concerns or health, leaving each of the individuals susceptible to becoming ill. The right to know is followed by questions of moral responsibility, corporate obligation and the commercial context, all which are violated. The lack of morality is based on the known factors which attribute to the toxic waste and how this will affect those in the region. This is followed by corporate obligations that are not followed, specifically which are inclusive of corporate social responsibility which is ignored with the only focus on production and money that needs to be made within the environment. The commercial context follows this with the advertising of the company becoming negative as well as unfair consumer contracts based on misleading concepts of the rules and regulations being followed within the company (Nelson, 2005: 96). The concept of consumer protection within the business as well as other legalities relate to this impact the business and consumers in several ways with the expectations with the business. In any business, the marketing and advertising, as well as t he brand identity, is expected to have a specific perception and attitude about the company. The advertisements, which represent a positive identity with the consumers, are furthered with an understanding that the business acts in specific ways within society. When the context is broken, consumers, stakeholders and others believe that there is a violation of the relationship which has been created. Since this is communicated as a promise from the company, specifically in relation to the strategies and implementation within the company, it causes the relationships to not be protected and leads to false pretenses with the business. The corporate responsibility and consumer protection then intertwine with the understanding that the relationship is built on the corporation having the responsibility to care about the consumer (Werther, Chandler, 2011: 105). The concept of consumer protection and false advertising is followed by other barriers that are often created with consumer relation ships. This is related to the stakeholder agreements, investments and other negotiations that have taken places with businesses. Often, these lead to more profits as well as expectations which are taken. If the communication and relationships with others involved in the

Assignment 13 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

13 - Assignment Example are different in employment of labor where in some organizations, workers have the freedom to choose what they want to do while in others, duties are assigned to employees. However, many inequalities that arise from the nature of the employment, as identified by, Adam Smith need to be addressed to create harmony in the work place. These principal counter balances in some employment while in others, it is a gain. The first principal, the wages of labour vary with the hardship, the cleanliness, the honorableness of the employment. Those who carry out heavy duties earn more that those who undertake light duties. Additionally, dirtier work tends to fetch more wages than the clean ones and exposure to unsafe or dangerous environment (Smith and Dickey, 1993). The employees in dishonorable employment may take home more wages than those in the honorable employment because it takes patience and courage to carry out the duties; however, this is not always the case in all employment. This also applies in the profits of stock the bigger the stock the more the profit it earns. Secondly, the wages of labour vary with the easiness and cheapness, or the difficulty and expense of learning the business. If an employment requires a skilled person who have taken enough time to learn about it and used expensive resources, the level of wages must be high. This is because time consumed in training is great and not just anyone who can perform the duties especially the specialized ones be it technical or technological. Skilled labour fetches more wages and as one upgrade the position is left vacant for another to join and learn as the latter continues with his/her training under the master just like it is in Europe (Smith and Dickey). Easiness and cheapness hardly affect the stock of profit because for any business to do well, a lot of effort must be employed. Thirdly, the wages of labour in different occupations vary with the constancy or inconstancy of employment. Employment varies

A Report Evaluating ICT and its Implementation for Distance Learners Essay Example for Free

A Report Evaluating ICT and its Implementation for Distance Learners Essay a) Evaluate how to maintain effective communication with your tutor. As this is a self-study course, the answer to this question is a little complex. Although there is an actual physical tutor to mark assignments and give feedback, a vital part of gaining a good grade on my assignments is to demonstrate my independent work ability with minimal guidance from my tutor1. Lessons are delivered via the online website, so in a sense the most important skill set necessary is to read, re-read, search the internet to understand any terms which aren’t clear, and then re-read again. There are two tutors on my course. I sent a note of introduction, stating who I am and giving a brief synopsis of why I am studying this course. Although I am sure that I will have study related questions to ask later, and possibly requests for more information regarding assignment feedback, I think that at the moment our communication falls within the bounds of regular courtesy. As the course progresses I think checking my messages regularly, respecting and listening to my tutors feedback, sending a note of acknowledgement on receipt of any messages, and perhaps if appropriate sending a note if I think there will be an unusual amount of delay in finishing the modules, are about as far as the bounds of the course allows for communication. b) Evaluate how technological tools will help you study. The first thing to establish here is what technological tools are both available and relevant to me as a distance learner. Essentially the only tools I will be using are my computer and the internet. My computer will be for collating information in my ePortfolio, writing essays, and accessing the internet. I have divided my ePorfolio into four sections: coursework, reflective notes, research, and self-assessment activities. The necessary ICT skills here are: word processing, scanning and printing, drawing charts and diagrams. I completed a course in word processing and data analysis so I am relatively competent at this. However I have also been refreshing my knowledge via the Microsoft Office ‘Help, Training and Tutorials’ page2, particularly for drawing diagrams, an area I haven’t had much use for recently. Remembering to organise and file relevant information and tasks into the appropriate folders, and ensuring that at the end of each unit I  have created a co mprehensive review of my study methods and what I have learnt are the most essential components here. In completing this course the internet is my greatest tool, and can be broken down into many sub-categories. Below is a basic system diagram of how I am accessing the internet to complete my course assignments: To help me research and study, I can go online and use: electronic books, journals, articles, videos, podcasts, and publications from governments and respected counselling organisations. I will go into greater detail later, on exactly which websites I am utilising. However as a brief example: Exploring counselling skills with an emphasis on ICT. I did a basic search for â€Å"counselling resources† online. I discovered a website run by a qualified, practicing, experienced, counsellor in the UK.3 This website provided me with general information, a PDF ebook on training to be a counsellor,4 and links videos providing online lessons on counselling skills and concepts.5 I returned to my original search and followed a link to resources offered by a UK university for its students doing a comparable course.6 This gave me a list of books and journals that undergraduates would be using to explore counselling skills.7 I looked at the recommended books on amazon and ordered sample content of those available as ebooks . I then did web searches on the various authors, and contributors to chapters, to both check their credentials and see if they offered any resources on their practice / university / personal website. I went back to the recommended reading list and looked at the recommended journals and found links to them, eg. British Journal of Psychology.8 I returned to my original search and started investigating counselling organisations and their publications including: UKCP,9 BPS,10 the BACP,11 and the CPCAB12 I went to the UN,13 and EU,14 websites to check their publications regarding counselling. Finally I checked the PubMed15 website to find more links to relevant journals. I noted all of these links for use when researching other more specific aspects of counselling. c) Evaluate how performing a SWOT analysis can help you study. I was unfamiliar with the idea of SWOT analysis before beginning this unit so initially I did some background research on the concept16 and looked at a summary of Authur  Humphrey’s, the inventor of SWOT, main principles and conclusions.17 I then searched the internet for ideas on exactly how to identify my own particular strengths and weaknesses. I found mindtools18 particularly helpful because it gave me ideas to consider as I looked at each section. I also performed a personality test19, to see the strengths and weaknesses of my particular personality type. This was less useful, because it was more to do with me personally than with my ability to study, although it gave me several things to consider. I created this chart: At first glance I actually found it quite demoralising – the weaknesses and threats seemed to be considerably more extensive than the strengths and opportunities. However as I analysed it more closely, I quickly realised this was unfounded. I think although I certainly need to consider the threats and weaknesses, they have a lot less weight in comparison to the strengths and opportunities section. So far as I can see my weaknesses are things I can compensate for and take into account as I study. These are my thoughts and solutions for each of them: 1) Limited prior experience of the subject being studied: This is only a temporary problem. I am doing a great deal of background research for this assignment’s part two, and looking into books which might supplement my knowledge. I think I will feel caught up in the near future. 2) Sometimes overly perfectionist (i.e. I can struggle to remember that â€Å"done† is better than â€Å"perfect†): I am setting myself time limits on how long I can edit and re-edit my work. I am consciously writing things that I know may well be deleted or completely revised later, simply to make sure I have a base to work from. 3) Can become over-involved in studying to the point that other areas of my life suffer: I have compiled a detailed schedule for myself, to ensure that I can maintain a balance in my life. I have made sure to keep time free, in particular the weekends when my children are not in school, and to allow time to keep up with my domestic responsibilities. 4) Not having a classroom of other students to bounce idea around with may limit potential: I have been investigating groups of other trainee counsellors and mature students. I have also made sure to check-in on the Oxford College forum20 so I have the potential of meeting other  people. I also found the process of self-assessment useful in countering this weakness, I give more detailed thoughts on that later in this report. 5) Sudden loss of enthusiasm – if I overload myself with unrealistic goals I tend to want to quit: In part this is covered by my solution for weakness 6), however I have also been carefully breaking down each unit and each assignment so it is in bite size, manageable chunks. If I can focus on simply completing each section within each unit, without getting overwhelmed by the whole, and in particular with the word count, I can complete everything without any panic. The threats I identified are largely out of my control. I am estimating that it will take me four to six weeks to complete each unit to the best of my ability. This leaves me with a minimum of six weeks free at the end of the two year time limit. I think that this should be enough to compensate for any slowing down in my pace due to unforeseen circumstances. Listing my strengths and investigating my opportunities was a very positive experience for me. Knowing that I am good at research, experienced in distance study, and that I also have access to a university library has made me feel a lot more confident of my abilities. However acknowledging my weaknesses and proactively coming up with plans to counter them has been the most helpful part of the exercise. d) Evaluate the practice of Reflective Writing. Reflective Writing is the process used to: Consider what you originally thought and what you have learnt. Analyse its implications and outcomes.  Consider what you could do differently, what more you could learn, how what you have learnt will affect you. It is a vital skill for learners at any level, and considered a necessary practise for health professionals at all levels. When you write reflectively you use a unique mixture of both academic analytical skills and apply them to your own personal situation. It was a concept I was previously unfamiliar with. I looked at the general theory behind it on several university websites, I found the Exeter University guide particularly helpful21, and then more specifically at the  Faculty of Public Health website and how it is used by health professionals.22 Throughout this course it is a good way to look at the learning outcomes of each unit. To assess what you originally believed, what you have learnt, and how you can put things into practice. It is also a useful way to keep track of things you think deserve further consideration. So for instance when I was researching SWOT, I came across an interesting theory by Athur Humphrey saying that that the level of people’s work and the effort they put into it is strongly related to reward23. Later on as I was researching what makes effective learners, I came across a scientific study by behaviour economist Dan Ariely that proved this same theory24. Although this information seems interesting, I decided it was not actually directly relevant to what I was being asked to evaluate. It was however something to note and consider in my reflective writing as something that might possibly be relevant later on and something I could learn from. e) Evaluate the practice of Self-Assessment Self assessment, is one of the most important and vital skills in this course. One aspect of it is reflective writing, (detailed previously) but there are several other components. When I do the self-assessment activities in the units I am provided with a baseline of my current knowledge. When I look up the answers at the end of the text this gives me feedback on how much I know, and also helps me to identify what I should be researching to improve my current knowledge level. This is a basic diagram of how I am using the self assessment activities: Essentially, once I know the level of my own knowledge, I can see what I need to work on. A large part of self-assessment seems to be organisation and understanding. The Black Box Report25 on self assessment in British schools noted that the main barrier to student self assessment, is being unsure of exactly what you should be achieving. If you can establish that you have a platform from which to work. Through my SWOT assessment, I established my own personal areas I need to work on. Through the subject specific learning objectives, and self-assessment activities I can establish what I know and what I need to learn. As knowledge is cumulative, organisation is key here – writing up my reflections, with particular reference to the learning  objectives of each unit, and collating them in my ePortfolio to provide a body of reference specific to my needs and learning preferences. f) Consider the Principles of an ePortfolio. ePortfolios are widely used, and an integral component of many online courses. The promotion of ePortfolios is also an EU policy26 as a way of â€Å"valuing and celebrating the achievements of the individual.27† From under graduate to doctoral study28 in counselling ePortfolios are now prevalent. The Inter/National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research29 says they are a way for students to both generate and document learning. â€Å"It’s important to think of an ePortfolio as both a product -a digital collection of artefacts- and as a process of reflecting on those artefacts and what they represent.30† There are three main goals when creating an ePortfolio. Firstly, mapping my progress as a student, to clearly set out my research, plans, essays, and self reflection. Doing this allows me to not only clearly see my progress, but to critically assess and reflect on what I have learnt. Secondly, my ePortfolio allows me to document my own personal growth, goals, and achievements; to be able to look at what I have done, how I have viewed challenges and worked through them, and perhaps use those methods again in the future. One of the most important pre-requisites to being a counsellor is empathy; having a clear view of myself, the challenges I have gone through, and my reactions as I went through them is a relevant way of helping me remember and being able to relate. Thirdly my ePortfolio provides a body of information that I can use to help me format a CV – both by showing what learning goals I have achieved and how I have achieved then, and by providing evidence of continuous learning. At a later date it can also provide me with the basis for constructing a professional website. Task 2. Collate Web Resources Relevant to Counselling Studies, and Reflect on What Has Been Learnt. As detailed in section b) I have evaluated counselling resources based on their credibility, i.e whether they are peer reviewed, produced by a national or worldwide organisation, and the qualifications of the author. I have only included resources that meet these guidelines fully or in part. I concentrated my web searches on these websites (in alphabetical order): Bielefeld Academic Search Engine – BASE.31 BASE is a  search engine for academic related articles, and journals. A lot of resources related to counselling studies can be found there. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – BACP.32 The BACP is a professional organisation for counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK. It sets guidelines for good practice and has various resources and information booklets for counsellors and psychotherapists. It has recently become the first government accredited register for counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK. CogPrints33 is an online archive of journ als and articles with a large psychology section. It is run by Southampton University UK. Columbia University Academic Commons34 gives access to a large number of articles and research papers including many related to counselling psychology. Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body – CPCAB.35 The CPCAB provides standards for counsellors and psychotherapists. It also has a large amount of reference information, including videos on counselling practice. European Union – EU.36 The EU sets standards and makes laws for the whole of Europe. They have a database with a large number of reports, many concerning counselling and it’s implementation. Falmouth University Library*3738 has a large selection of articles and journals related to counselling and psychology. FreeMedicalJournals39 – a website providing access to journals and their articles that have passed their embargo period. Google Scholar40 a search engine for scholarly articles and journals. PubMed41 – is a website run by The United States National Library of Medicine. It gives access to journals, articles, and reports concerning health. RELATE42 is the UK based organisation specifically set up to provide counselling for couples. It has a wide range of publications relating to this. This website will be particularly useful when studying the ‘Relationship Counselling’ unit. Science Direct (the replacement for the now retired SCIRUS)43 Science Direct is a website that allows you to search for science related articles and journals. The Directory of Open Access Journals – DOAJ.44 The DOAJ is a search engine for journals and articles, many related to counselling and psychology and it’s worldwide implementation. UK Council for Psychotherapy UKCP45 The UKCP brings together counselling psychotherapists with a broad range of specialisations throughout the UK. It is nationally recognised and accredited. It has a range of free publications for counsellors. UN university46 has a large collection of research, articles and publications  including many regarding mental health. United Nations Children’s Fund – UNICEF.47 UNICEF deals with the rights of children and mothers throughout the world. They have a large database of reports co ncerning the physical and mental wellbeing of children and young people. This website will be particularly useful when studying the ‘Child Counselling’ unit. United Nations –UN.48 The UN sets world standards for human rights and health care. They have a large database of articles and reports making recommendations for international well being, including a significant number regarding psychological health. This is a fairly extensive list of resources, and many of the websites listed gives access to reports and articles which number in the tens of thousands. I have listed only those website which have a very good search procedure – this means that when I look for information I can cut down on as many generalisations as possible and find articles that specifically deal with the topics in each unit. My preference is to first search for articles in well regarded journals, and then to move onto lesser known or new reports and findings. So for example to find information on Counselling Studies I went to the Falmouth Library Database and checked for the three main journals related to counselling in Europe: The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, Counselling Psychology Review, and Counselling Psychology Quarterly. I then searched within these publications for articles on Counselling Studies and Therapeutic Person Centred Counselling in particular. I read the BACP and UKCP guidelines and policy for counsellors and for their training. I made notes and considered what I had learnt. Before I began my research I made some brief notes on what I thought Counselling Studies consists of: A practical study of people and their needs in times of crisis, and how a counsellor can best help them; combined with a minimal but still significant grasp of counselling theory and philosophy. Having conducted independent research on this I think my ideas were accurate though necessarily very basic. Counselling Studies is such a huge subject it is difficult to sum up briefly all the necessary qualities a counsellor needs – the prerequisite role of empathy and the difference between empathy and sympathy, the need for acceptance rather than advice, could fill up several pages alone. However I think that I have a basic idea of who a counsellor should be and very much look forward to learning in greater detail how to be that person. Bibliography. BACP (2014) British Association for Counselling Psychotherapy,Available at: http://www.bacp.co.uk/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). 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DOAJ (2014) DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals, Available at:http://doaj.org/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). ElfEL (2014) Memorandum of Understanding: ePortfolio for all, Available at:http://www.eife-l.org/activities/campaigns/epmou (Accessed: 31st March 2014). Elsevier (2014) Science Direct, Available at:http://www.sciencedirect.com/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Europa (2014) European Union: Index, Available at:http://europa.eu/index_en.htm (Accessed: 25th February 2014). European Union (Europa) (2014) Official Documents of the European Union, Available at: http://europa.eu/publications/official-documents/index_en.htm (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Fair, Boyd ed. Albert S. Humphrey (2005) SRI International December 2005 Newsletter, History Corner p7, Available at:http://www.sri.com/sites/default/files/brochures/dec-05.pdf(Accessed: 25th February 2014). 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Oxford Learning (2013) PCC Unit 1 Assessment UD, Available at:file:///C:/Users/Casper/Downloads/COUN_UNIT_1_ASSESSMENT_UD2013%20(3).pdf(Accessed: 20th February 2014). PubMed (2014) PubMed Database, Available at:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Relate (2014) RELATE: The Relationship People, Available at:http://www.relate.org.uk/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Syed, Naveed; Anne Scoular, Liz Reaney (2012) Faculty of Public Health: Tips on Writing Effective Reflective Notes, Available at:http://www.fph.org.uk/uploads/FPH%20Tips%20on%20Writing%20Effective%20Reflective%20Notes.pdf(Accessed: 25th February 2014). UKCP (2013) UK Council for Psychotherapy, Available at:http://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). UN (2014) United Nations, Available at: http://www.un.org/en/(Accessed: 25th February 2014). United Nations (2014) United Nations Publications and Reports, Available at: http://unbisnet.un.org:8080/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=bibmenu=search#focus (Accessed: 25th February 2014). United Nations Childrens Fund (2014) UNICEF, Available at:http://www.unicef.org/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). Universitat Bielefeld (2014) BASE: Bielefeld Academic Search Engine, Available at: http://www.base-search.net/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). University of Waterloo: Centre for Teaching Excellence (2012) ePortfolios: What, Why, and How, Available at: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/resources/integrative-learning/eportfolios-what-why-and-how (Accessed: 31st March 2014). University Southampton (2014) CogPrints: Cognitive Sciences Eprints Archive, Available at: http://cogprints.org/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). UNU Office of Communications (2014) United Nations University, Available at: http://unu.edu/ (Accessed: 25th February 2014). 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