Human Society

In discussion of inhumane treatment, a controversial issue is whether animals are entitled to their rights. While some argue that only humans have rights, others contend that animals should have the same privileges as humans. The author of â€Å"A Change of Heart about Animals,† Jeremy Rifkin, claims that animals should have better treatment. Rifkin rhetorically changes one’s view on this subject without the consent of the reader. Rifkin begins by showing the animals’ human qualities, then giving a counter statement to common objections, and finally ends it by utilizing negative language. Rifkin’s expressive strategy is to note the similarities between animals and humans. Rifkin mentions Koko, a 300-pound gorilla. Koko was able to learn sign language and yet some people never even learn how to communicate in sign language. Rifkin also notes the similarity between rats and humans. He states, â€Å"Recent studies in the brain chemistry of rats show that when they play, their brains release large amounts of dopamine, a petrochemical associated with pleasure and excitement in human beings. Rifkin shows that not only do animals have the ability to learn the things we do, but also have some features that we do. After providing the analogy between the two, Rifkin anticipated that many people would view animals as one of them. The result is that to believe that animals are not any different than us, so they shouldn’t be in the brutal situations they face every day. It also, makes much more likely to accept the statement he makes based on the similarities he provides, that we must work to increase the benevolent treatment of animals. Among Rifkin’s subtly persuasive strategies is to denote the common objections and give a counter statement. Jeremy Rifkin for showing us that science supports what we pet owners and animal rights activists have known in our hearts all along: animals have feelings and abilities not very different from humans. When will more people begin to realize that we share this world with many creatures deserving of our care and respect? Animals have a right to live without being confined, exploited, and tormented.

Analysis Of Crooks in Of Mice and Men Essay

Answer: Crooks is so mean to Lennie because although he and Lennie are quite similar (they are both categorised as the ‘weak ones’) Lennie has the better life, simply because he is white. Lennie is allowed in the dorm room and allowed to play cards should he choose to (if he even knew how to) whereas Crooks cannot. Throughout the conversation, we see Crooks’ character come out of his shell, and be nice to people whom he normally wouldn’t conversate with except Slim and the boss. Obviously, because he’s black and because of segregation, he is mean to those who disregard him because of his colour, but maybe there is another reason he is mean to Lennie, such as he is jealous of his lifestyle or he wishes he were white. Also, he is pretty low on the societal totem pole and Lennie is an easy target for him. Crooks’ first reaction when Lennie visits him is that he wants to prove a point: if he as a black man can’t enter white men’s houses, then whites aren’t allowed in his room. He wants Lennie to know that he has to have some sorts of rights. But Lennie’s inviting smile and Crooks’ desire for company means that Lennie can enter, and thus starts the convo where we learn all about Crooks. Like Curley’s wife, Crooks is a powerless character, and it seems that he seeks vulnerable characters to make himself feel good – He starts â€Å"suggesting† that maybe George will never come back and only stops the cruel game when Lennie threatens him with physical violence. He shows us that his loneliness means he often has no-one to talk to and his character would like sympathy. He is also interested once Candy and Lennie start conversating and forgets all about his mean self. He has seen men of all sorts come on and off the ranch and no-one has actually fulfilled the American Dream which he is doubtful of because it seems this â€Å"Dream† does not apply to him due to the colour of his skin. This is why he scrutinizes others. Question 2) Are there any similarities between Lennie and Crooks? Answer: Lennie and Crooks are both marginalised from society – Lennie’s lack of mental abilities keep him isolated and Crooks’ skin colour keep him isolated. For this, they are classed as ‘the weak ones’. When Lennie comes by, Crooks is immediately unfriendly. â€Å"You go one get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunk house; you ain’t wanted in my room. † However, both men long for company, and so begin talking. Their similarities wipe out any awkward silences and end their isolation. Crooks understands that Lennie has the better life and uses this against him to compare himself. â€Å"I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets lonely an’ he gets sick. † Both men can be seen as lonely, not only are they marginalised, and even though Lennie has George, his mental challenges keep him alone because no-one can completely understand him which emphasises his differences and Crooks’ colour leaves him excluded from the dorms. Question 3) What does this conversation tell us about the relationship of Crooks with other men? Answer: Crooks’ relationships are built around the fact that he is a victim of racism and is outcasted from companionship. We know from the start that Crooks takes a liking to Skinner and the boss, and since we don’t get to know him until Chapter 4, this outlines his lack of status, credibility and power. We as readers are able to emphasise with Crooks because we are shown how black people were treated in the time of the Great Depression. We see how Crooks is able to open up to Lennie and he confesses all his feelings and thoughts because he sees him as a figure of trust as he is unable to remember what he is told. His relationship with Slim is tight because we admire Slim as a good, supporting member of society.

Diversity Organizations Worksheet Essay

What has been the status of women in the United States throughout history? Throughout history women have been seen as less than to men. It has been rough on the women coming from minority groups because not only are they looked down on because of the group they are associated with but they are also women. For example, in the black community during the civil rights movement when blacks could not vote, and when they finally were allowed to vote, the women still could not. There has also been situations within the workforce when women could do a â€Å"manly job† but according to society they were not capable. †¢What is the status of women in the U.S. today? The status of women in the U.S. today has improved a lot. According to The State of Women in America, â€Å"women made up only about one-third of the workforce in 1969, women today make up almost half of all workers in the United States. Women are also stepping up to lead the country; a record number of women ran for public office in 2012, and a record-high percentage of women are serving in Congress.† Women today feel more apart, rather than an outcast. It is also clear to see that America is going to start to see changes with leaders of the country. Women are also paid equally to men according to their qualifications for the nature of the job. †¢What are some examples of concepts or constructions of masculinity and femininity that you see in society and in media? With media today, masculine males are seen as military men, or law enforcement officers, also most athletic figures. Men are shown to not to have emotion or care about women’s feelings.men are also portrayed to not care that much about their physical appearance. A man sitting back watching his favorite sports team and drinking beer on his favorite couch, while his wife is in the kitchen cooking and cleaning , as well as taking care of the children. Feminine in the media today is coming off as a petite, big breasted, and a fit body.it is seen on the famous lingerie commercials as well in movies associated with tough guys and fast cars. These commercials and movies give society a view that women should be a certain size and carry themselves a specific way. †¢Historically, what has been the social status of GLBT people? Historically, the social status of GLBT people has been very rough. It was hard for these individuals come out of the closet and be who they really are in front of the public eye. GLBT people have been discriminated against almost as much as African Americans. For example men who had a more feminine side could not show that because they feared that they may be beaten, or set aside from the rest of the men. These individuals believe because they live the way they choose they are unable to find jobs because companies would be ashamed to have them working for their company unless the owner is gay themselves. There has been a lot of changes throughout history to ensure that all Americans are being treated equal. †¢What is the status of GLBT people in the U.S. today? GLBT people in the U.S. today are beginning to experience a lot more equality. What this means is they are now starting to be allowed to marry one another. They are receiving a lot more protection in places like prisons, or jails. The overall awareness for these individuals has increased. Media has allowed for them to tell their stories, and there are some television shows about their lifestyles as well. Media has probably the largest impact in today’s society, so the fact that media is now coming around to promote the awareness is definitely a plus for GLBT people. †¢What are some social and political issues relevant to women and GLBT people in the U.S.? The social and political issues that surround this is that the women are becoming more lavish in today’s politics, and they are very tough within our political system. Hilary Clinton is a strong female in politics and has made a name for herself. There are many other women that have strong traits and similarities in politics just as Mrs. Clinton does and these women are just as valuable as the men are. GLBT people have also made a very recognizable name for themselves by using as many avenues as possible to strengthen their movement for equality. The media has been a big influence for these individuals and it is constantly on the rise. Gay marriage has been a big update on news channels all across America and is spreading like a rapid fire. This has given them the ability to come out and be who they are and not worry too much about what others have to say about them. There is still along path ahead of both women and the GLBT community but they are well on their way.

John Crowe Ransom described Hardy as essentially a Victorian poet, in Essay

John Crowe Ransom described Hardy as essentially a Victorian poet, in which sense is this true - Essay Example His first volume of poems, Wessex Poems, was not published before 1898, even though a number of its lyrics dated from the 1870s. Early critics found Hardy's lyrics tasteless as well as his novels, in particular, because of their unsophisticated style, pessimistic motifs and abstractive philosophy. He was also charged with his simplistic refrains and uncomplicatedness of his lyric forms. Furthermore, he was "accused of writing lyrics that were flawed by the pervasiveness of the philosophy that informed them. Gothic architecture loomed in the back of Hardy's mind throughout his career as a poet, providing a powerful model for artistic unity and complexity" (Mitchell, 1988, p.307). Contemporary critics admire his self-sufficient 'evolutionary meliorism' and his sharp poetical irony, woven into his own psychological insights as well as modernist 'spareness' and roughness of his poetic and melodic experiences. His poetry is a quintessence of loss, severe nostalgia and the somber borders of human hope and love. To great extent, Hardy saw himself as a poet - foremost a poet - through his literary career, and even though his poetic heritage is not always acknowledged by critics, his numerous powerful verses, such as 'Nature's Questioning', 'Neutral Tones', 'The Convergence of the Twain' and many others, make the reader re-think one's own existence and human emotions on the background of Victorian landscape. "His poetry is spare, unadorned, and unromantic, and its pervasive theme is man's futile struggle against cosmic forces. Hardy's vision reflects a world in which Victorian complacencies were dying but its moralism was not, and in which science had eliminated the comforting certainties of religion" (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2004, p. 684 (21027)). Thomas Hardy is often seen as a Victorian poet (Williams, 1972; Page, 2000; Mitchell, 1988) for his perception of time, space and external objects, typically attributed to Victorian realism. Thus, it is important to outline the typical features of classical Victorian poetry. First of all, poetry was considered superior than prose by Victorian poets, because the real genius can be noticed in lyrics and rhymes. Poetic illustration of social problems was vital, and poets were viewed as masters of style and rhythm, due to their ability to interweave profound philosophy (including philosophy of life) with such social issues, as marriage, gender and education. Secondly, Victorian poets widely used retrospective forms (such as epigram, epitaph and elegy) and archaic language. In addition, they sometimes referred to ancient mythical characters, especially to those from Greek mythology. On the other hand, despite the general elaboration of language and style, many poets practiced simplistic and colloquial genres. Thirdly, Victorian poetry is also characterized by the use of social themes, such as individual versus society, social drama, as well as by realistic approach (influenced by the emergence of Utilitarianism, Unitarianism and other moral theories). In addition, many poets appealed to the reader's sympathy and sentimentalism as well as to his/her imagination (Page, 2000) (especially as it related to rural landscapes and pastorals), but merely within the realistic context. In addition, the

TV Violence and Aggressive Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TV Violence and Aggressive Behavior - Essay Example Regardless of the grade of movie, media is continuously exposing alcoholic beverages as a source of fun and fashion. Advertisements during children programs are not carefully designed and contain aggressive behavior, exposure to alcohol and smoking etc. Advertisements today contain sensual messages and images which are contributing to the likelihood of early sexual initiation in adolescents. Advertisements are influencing the psychosocial environment by sexual exposure on television, music videos, internet and movies. Alcohol consumption encourages aggression and violence as the normal brain functions are disrupted due to alcoholism. Alcohol is responsible for weakening the brain mechanisms which keep rash, violent and aggressive behaviors under control. This aggression is one of direct effects of alcohol consumption. Hence, increased alcohol consumption may be related to increased aggression and violence (Gustafson, 1994). Children get a lot of information from television and believe what they watch. They trust their favourite characters beating the monsters and so called ‘bad guys’ after having an energy drink or milk or some other product. They perceive it all to be true and are more likely to consume that particular product and imitate those characters in every possible manner. Such portrayals are of course not true and advertisements are exaggerating the energy and effects of products. They target children because children are easily influenced by such fantasies. Children who watch aggressive and violent movies are likely to behave aggressively and choose violent games to play than those who do not watch television or violent shows. The advertisements nowadays are targeting young generations and are using different characters as powerful objects and promoting their products by portraying them as a source of energy and supremacy (Chaves, 2008). The characters of children’s favourite movies, cartoons and games are portrayed with a cigarette, wine bottle or involvement of that character in some sexual activity also affect the children’s perceptions and thoughts. The aggressive behaviors of action animated characters (like superman, batman, power-puff girls etc.) also increase the probability of their future aggressive behaviors. Advertisements involve these characters to attract young consumers and indirectly affect their behaviors. Children live in their fantasy world and believe everything they watch or are told of. They perceiv e the effects of products as are exposed and try to use the brand that their favorite cartoon character or hero uses in the media content. The irony is the fact that they imitate the action of those characters which more often result in aggressive behaviors and leave long lasting effects on their behaviors (Strasburger, & Donnerstein, 1999). The act of imitation and copying the media characters, however, is not the only way children are affected by violence exposure. One more common psychological process that is associated with media exposure is desensitization. This process points towards the emotional response of a person as a result of a particular action. People who are exposed to the dangers associated with wild animals are more likely to become psychologically upset and emotionally aroused if they face them in real. They are more likely to fight against it or protect themselves in some way. However,

Significance and influences Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Significance and influences - Literature review Example Branding therefor is not a modern business strategy although this is recently subjected into law, not only for regulation but also to institute intellectual property rights to all products introduced in the market (Interband, 2004). Branding is considered very significant for business leveraging. Products are advertised and purchased regularly by consumers using its brand as basis to determine good’s quality and services offered (Interband, 2004).Those brands that have gain significant figures of loyal consumers increased the value of good’s production. Quality clothes, milks, shoes, kitchen wares, appliances and the likes are often the most popular brands, thus, business managers handling these products enjoy high return of investment (Interband, 2004). With very good yield coupled with satisfactory business performance, share price can therefore be positively swayed. Branding commands discrimination of purchase. It also justifies increase of products’ prices us ing the presumption that these are all produced in accordance to quality standards. This experience is true to all pharmaceutical industry, in biotechnology, in liquor and other non-essential goods. At times due to inability of people to purchase these medicines, petitions and protest are done by government by threatening to overrule patents and permit local pharmaceuticals to produce desired medicines (Interband, 2004). Fearing that local competition will affect sales and profit, multinational-pharmaceutical will prefer to cooperate and concede with domestic market requests following negotiations to maintain their leverage and control in the market. Economists have made some guidelines to highlight the significance of branding. Design to protect its brand, trademark polices also include securing the logos, color, names and the features of packaging products, its smells, and even the music used in advertising it (Interband, 2004). Patent and copyright laws have been effective in pro tecting the producer’s universal rights over his products and the method of how these are marketed (Interband, 2004). As customer mostly prefer diversity of products and services that will cater their needs and expectation, companies want to engage in producing different products but are also in consideration to the interest, reputation, and values of its shareholders. Hence, companies work with innovation, accountability and social responsibility to maintain its brand image (Interband, 2004). They treat brand as both an asset and an investment for business sustainability (Interband, 2004). They correlate marketing products with business integrity and effectiveness. In case there is strong market competition, companies also delve at the opportunities of co-branding, franchising and licensing as profitable dealings to exploit their brands (Interband, 2004). A strong and strategic branding is derived from shareholders sense of values. Branding details are also defined by corpor ate business managers and is managed by brand marketers (Interband, 2004). It is often derived from an integrated component of the entire organization and is valued as an investment hence, assessed in financial terms. Nowadays, as branding becomes an international norm, brands can

What is the Role of Ethnicity in Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is the Role of Ethnicity in Africa - Essay Example 138). In a simple way, ethnicity refers to a group of people who share same ancestral background, language, lifestyles and culture. From the above definition, enmity among Hutu, Tutsi and Twa relates to the above definition. Ethnicity led to a political divide in Rwanda (Scott, 2007). By 1959, the Tutsis were keen to liberate Rwanda from colonial oppression. This however led to massive killings for the sake of finding this freedom. This liberation made Tutsis dominant thus the forming of the one party state, which was powerful enough to penetrate the whole Rwandan society. To ensure dominance, they came up with ideologies that were against education and the press. To define ethnic boundaries, they came up with a system that involves the use of identity cards to show where individuals belonged. Between 1958 and 1962, there was massive campaign against the Tutsis, which claimed close to 200,000 Hutus as revenge from the Tutsi. Due to the indirect rule, Rwandans came to define their identities due to the idea that a society that everyone must belong to an ethnic group. This led to political divide in that they believed power was a key item in ethnic identity. This evident when in 1990, there emerged real enmity between supporters of then the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana who was a Hutu and the Rwandan Patriotic Front led by Paul Kagame who was a Tutsi. Due to this rivalry, Juvenal’s plane was shot while in the air and none of the people on board survived. This led to a blame game with the Tutsis being blamed for the assassination. The blame game left women and children at risk since they were the easiest to attack and kill in the name of revenge. Ethnicity played a key role in control of resources during and before genocide. Since independence, the Tutsis enjoyed the monopoly of being the only ones with the power to control the country’s natural

H.W Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

H.W - Essay Example This car was carrying around 125,000 litres of propane gas that had begun to escape through the leaks. The intention of the railroad employees was to convey the contents of the tank car to the storage tanks of the Williams Energy Company. In order to correct the leaks in the valves, one of the employees struck at the valve with a wrench. This proved to be the beginning of the catastrophe as the sparks that flew as a result of the friction between the two ignited a flame. Since propane is highly inflammable, the resultant flame quickly grew into a large fire. The forked fire grew to heights as large as seventy to eighty feet. By this time, the leaks had expanded to both vertical as well as horizontal directions. This led to further difficulties in the confinement of the perimeter of the fire. With an expansion in the amount of pressure that had been building up in the railroad car, there was an explosion that was felt by everyone who was within a radius of a little over eight kilometr es. The immediate impact was felt by the firefighters who were stationed near the site of the explosion. Including those who died later of burns, eleven deaths of firefighters have been recorded till date (â€Å"The Disaster Story,† 2011). Before a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) incident occurs, the fire grows to dangerous heights. The real hazard however, lies in the explosion that is caused by a sharp rise in pressure in whatever contains the fuel. During a BLEVE incident, the firefighters are faced with the twin-problem of quelling the fire and not allowing pressure to build up within the container. Needless to say, the damages that are caused to life and property in such a situation also arise from the above-mentioned twin sources. The part of the incident that could have been avoided, however, was the casualties that were caused by the large number of spectators. Many people gathered to watch the fire,

Buying Behavior & Market Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buying Behavior & Market Analysis - Essay Example It also took a substantial amount of risk because some of the files could be corrupted and it wouldn’t function. Again, the game could refuse to work with my computer. On the other hand, a low involvement purchase needs simple process of evaluation. Buying underwear was simple and it is something I do every now and then. I knew the brand and the size I was going for. In purchasing the computer game, I felt that I needed a better and a recent version of the game I had. I had seen this new version in my friend’s computer and felt that I, too, should have one like that. The next thing I did was to enquire about the game. The price was the first thing to enquire so that I could know if I could afford it or at least needed some assistance. Another thing that I had to know was whether the game could play on my computer, that is the processor and RAM requirement of the game. Lastly I had to enquire if there was a warranty in case the game was not in good condition. After getti ng all the information about the game, I had to evaluate in what terms it was better than the one I had. Another friend of mine had told me about another similar computer game and I had to go and enquire from him and compare the two. Finally I decided to purchase the game. It worked well with my computer and I was completely satisfied with that purchase. In purchasing the underwear, the task was rather simple. ... I purchased the underpants and they were just as good as I had expected. The process of purchasing a computer game is quite different from the process involved in purchasing the underwear. First, it is the time taken in each stage of the process. In a low involvement purchase, the process is quite simple because it involves purchases we do regularly. Most of the time, in a low involvement purchasing, we skip some steps or even rearrange these steps. When a need arises, the next step automatically is searching information about what one needs, however, this step is mostly skipped in low involvement purchasing. This is because one already knows what they want. From there, the decision is made and one goes straight to purchasing. In a high involvement purchasing, all the steps have to be followed and this makes the process longer. One has to take a lot of time in searching for information about the product to be purchased. Also, a lot of time is needed in evaluation of alternatives so t hat one purchases the best product. The other difference between the two purchases is that in the purchase of computer game there was a high risk involved compared to purchasing underwear. The risks in a high involvement purchase are due to the amount of money involved. This is because it is not the kind of a purchase one does every now and then. This is the reason why it is important to take enough time in the process When marketing any product, the essence is to attract and persuade customers to purchase your products. This process is not as easy as it sounds. One has to have the skills needed in order to affect the decision of the buyer. Understanding the customer behavior model is the first step in marketing of any product, be it a low or a high involvement purchase. However,

Mangroves and sea grasses in Florida Research Paper

Mangroves and sea grasses in Florida - Research Paper Example They usually form mangrove forest that is often inundated by tidal salt twice a day. Sea grasses are grass-like flowering plants that are totally submerged in estuarine and marine waters. These habitats occur throughout the coastal areas of Florida, however, most are found in Florida Bay, and the region between Tarpon Springs northward to Apalachee Bay. Types of Mangroves in Florida There are three species of Mangroves found along the coastal region of Florida: black mangrove, white mangrove, and red mangrove. Black mangroves survive in slightly higher elevations than red mangroves, while white mangrove grows upland more than black and red mangroves. Red mangrove grows along the water edge (Saenger 289). Red mangrove is identified by its branching and arching drop roots from branches, prop roots from trunk. Black mangrove is identified by its pencil-like roots that grow up through the soil. The white mangrove is identified by its more rounded leaves than the leaves of black and red m angrove (Saenger 289). Importance of Mangrove in the Ecosystem Mangrove ecosystems are essential habitat for fish production. They provide breeding and feeding grounds for shell fishes and many fishes. Besides fish, it also supports a variety of wildlife such as crocodile, snakes, birds, deer, insects and fishing cats (Saenger 289). The mangrove forests also protect the coast from floods, fury of cyclone, coastal erosion, UV-B radiation, wave actions and sea level rise. Mangroves act as sinks for nutrients, and traps for sediments (Saenger 289). How do Mangroves Reproduce? Mangroves are flowering and seed-producing plants. Their seeds are larger as compared to other seeds produced by other trees and plants, and they usually begin germinating while still attached to the main plant. When the seeds drop from the tree, they float on water for a short period, and then they sink to the bottom (Gleason 21). They float for a short period while being dispersed to areas where they can grow: t hey can only grow in tidal water. The rate of growth depends on mineral availability and climate. Health of Ecosystem Occupied by Mangrove These ecosystems are free from the deleterious impacts of UV-radiation. Mangrove trees produce flavonoids, which serve as UV-screen compounds. Shores and coastlines with mangrove forest are protected from cyclones with tremendous speed that severely disturbs and destroys coastal ecosystem. This makes it a potent nursery and breeding ground for many fishes and other wildlife (Gleason 21). The mangrove roots prevent erosion of the coast, and attract suspended sediments making these regions fertile grounds for cultivation. They also support the growth of planktons, which is a source of fish food (Gleason 22). How Mangrove deals with Salt in the Water Mangroves eliminate salt at the root level, and mangrove trees can tolerate high salt levels in their tissues more than normal plants. Most of the salts are eliminated at the root level through Ultra fi ltration process. Any salt that passes through the roots is stored in old and dry leaves, which are later shed (Gleason 42). A few mangroves can tolerate high salt levels in their tissues, and the excess salt is eliminated through specialized cells in their leaves. For example, Avecennia is the only tree that survives in hot and salty regions. Florida Laws that Protect Mangroves The Florida Legislature passed the Mangrove Trimming and Prevention Act to protect mangrove forests. The act

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

Abstract - Assignment Example Modernization is a positive step forward, but what about what we leave behind? Building new, technologically-advanced and expensive cities cannot alleviate poverty or reduce the income gap that is expanding every year. According to Cohen, large cities like Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Bangkok follow the unsustainable blueprint of grander projects at the expense of equity. Cohen (55) argues that growing cosmopolitan jungles like Delhi are also joining the fray by ignoring the poor and giving more power to the privileged. Cohen cites sources that highlight poor sanitation, health, housing and unemployment are the undercurrents that define 21st century cities. Sadly, these same issues were present in 19th and 20th century cities, but we have chosen to continue the trend instead of stopping it. Which begs the question, how long will we keep it going? How long do we think the poor can continue watching opportunities being given to the rich? A solution is needed; urgently. Results: Cohen argues that the events of the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street and Cabalgata de los Indignados show that we are sitting on a time bomb that will destroy everybody; the rich and the poor. As much as these events were politically motivated, social conditions played a huge role in their occurrence. The fact that they took place in major cities of those countries is another reason to worry. For example, why did the Occupy Wall Street protesters not go to Denver or Washington? The answer is because New York has enough frustrated people to sustain such a drive. We need to start designing urban 3.0, the cities that will gradually do away with the inequalities inherent in our current white elephants. Cohen’s analysis and arguments are based on past experiences and credible sources that support his claims. According to Cohen, this is not to say that urban 3.0 will solve all our problems, but it will reduce them significantly. It is all a matter of good planning

Life of a Chinese Farmer Essay Example for Free

Life of a Chinese Farmer Essay If I were a Chinese farmer in 2006 I would be continuing my livelihood that I have done all of my life even when I was a child helping my family. I later got married and I now have 6 children ranging in age from 4 to 18. We all live in a village called Xinzhuang (Village of Xin) in China. This is a farming village that is about 1481.3 miles outside of Shanguani, China that is the closest well known city. My typical day starts out at 7:15 AM when I get up and eat breakfast with my family and then I go out into the garden and pick the vegetables that are ready and we use these vegetables for our dinner that evening. Then I have time to do some other things around the house including laundry and household repairs that need to be completed. Our normal meals consist of rice and vegetables unless I have the money to purchase some meat from one of the small shops in the village. For entertainment we normally visit with others in the village, sing songs, and occasionally we are able to access the internet, and watch television. The biggest concerns that I have for my family is are we going to have enough food and is our farm going to be taken over and built on so that we don’t have enough room to grow our vegetables. I also worry about my family and their health because we do not have a doctor in our village. We must travel to Shanguani for any healthcare issues that arise with our family. REFERENCES www.chinatoday.com/entertain/entertain.htm www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-11/19/content393991.htm

Occupational Theory And Well Being

Occupational Theory And Well Being This discussion will be looking at the health needs of an individual and impact these have on health, illness and well-being, in relation to occupational therapy. Firstly it will look at the individual, identifying key aspects of their health and wellbeing. Then it will focus on Occupational therapy, looking at the impact occupational therapy can have on health and well-being. There are 2 appendices attached to enhance the readers knowledge but are not essential to the discussion. It will be set out as an assignment with clear headings. Nathan Como This discussion will be focusing on a 45 year old man called Nathan. He is a first generation British National; his parents were born in Trinidad. In 1984 Nathan married and had a baby. Nathans wife left him, and the baby, when they baby was one. Nathan was unable to cope, went to his doctor and was given antipsychotic medication. He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia (see appendix 1). A few years later, Nathan noticed he was struggling to breathe so went to his general practitioner (GP) who diagnosed him with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (see appendix 2). Nathan is an active smoker and has been since he was young. Nathan has not had a steady job since young but does work to support his family. Nathan was never a particularly social man but did begin to take part in the community when his son was young and his neighbors were regular babysitters. This discussion will focus on the impacts of changes to ones health needs and the effect this has on their occupational balance. Occupational Therapy There are various versions on the definition of occupational therapy. The world federation of occupational therapists (WFOT, 2004) defines occupational therapy as a profession concerned with promoting health and wellbeing through occupation. An occupational therapist views the participation in occupations as stimulating for an individuals health and wellbeing (Wilcock, 1993). It is important to remember that although occupations are often assumed to be healthy or productive this is not always the case as: binge drinking, smoking and risky sports, can all be described as occupations; these could all have a detrimental effect on ones health and wellbeing. It can be concluded that without the ability to complete occupations it can then be assumed that a person will not lead a healthy or productive life. Occupational therapists aim to identify an individuals occupational identity. This can be described as who the individual sees themselves as and who they would like to aim to be (Duncan, 2006). People all have a different view of who they are and how they see themselves within a community. This is important for occupational therapists to establish as each client they meet with will have a different occupational identity (another reference). Additionally it is core to an occupational therapist to establish the individuals occupational performance. This has been defined as some kind of purposeful and goal directed activity (Crabtree, 2003) or Duncan (2006) defines occupational performance as what his or her (the individual) physical, cognitive and social abilities are. Crabtrees (2003) definition of occupational performance includes the words purposeful activity. There is a great debate among occupational therapists as to the meaning behind purposeful activity (and if this indeed the r ight word to be used in a definition). A purposeful activity to one person may not be the same to someone else. For Nathan, carrying out simple everyday tasks may be difficult due to his breathing, so a purposeful task may be to have a shower independently. For others a shower may just be seen as a basic human need and not purposeful at all. It is all based upon the individual and what it means to them. When a person develops an illness there occupational balance can be disturbed and they need to re-adjust their lives to ensure they continue to have an occupational balance. Occupational balance can be defined as a combination of self-care, play, work and rest (Wilcock et al, 1997) or self-care, productivity and leisure (Le Boutillier and Croucher, 2010). Additionally that it is through occupations that a healthy physical and mental wellbeing is obtained (Wilcock et al, 1997). The college of occupational therapy (COT), 2006 suggests that individuals have a built in drive and need to be active and to partake in occupations. Occupation is central to the existence of individuals, groups and communities COT, 2006. Without occupations people would never reach the potentials within themselves or the world, (Wilcock, 1993). The COT report that if people are deprived of activity or have limited access to a wide variety of occupations both their physical and psychological health will suffer. Children take part in occupations largely to learn and develop whereas adults complete occupations to contribute to the community and to be rewarded for their contribution. It can be very important to some that they establish a role for themselves. For Nathan his roles within his life have developed and changed. He was a husband for a short time, a father to Saul, but this was partially shared with his neighbours. It is reported by the COT, 2006 that the older generation use occupations to support their independence and to give them a role within a community or society. Maintaining a routine of occupations, that, have meaning to an individual, can provide a structure and sense of purpose and direction to life to an individual. Irrelevant of disability/disease an individual can carry out a routine which can provide fee lings of identity, normality and wellbeing. Therefore any disruption to the routine thanks to illness, injury or environmental challenges can lead to dissatisfaction, disorientation and distress for the individual. Occupation is, therefore, essential for good mental health and wellbeing COT, 2006. When a person is unable to engage in occupation, whether due to personal, social or environmental factors, the occupational therapist works with her or him to develop skills, challenge inequalities and promote social inclusion COT, 2006. Occupational therapists believe that occupational competency (another reference) in everyday activities depends on the interaction between the individual; their occupations (the things they do) and the individuals environment. It has been reported that an individuals wellbeing is directly related to the quality of this interaction. Duncan (2006) reports that when an individual is temporarily or permanently unable to relate or engage in the roles, relationships and certain occupations expected of someone of a similar age and sex; within a particular culture, it can be assumed the individual has an occupational dysfunction. Kielhofner, 2009, states that occupational dysfunction occurs when an individual does not have the capacity to choose, perform or organise occupations or the ability to choose a pattern of occupational behavior that facilitates a quality of life. How would an Occupational Therapist Assess and choose interventions for Nathan? Reed and Sanderson (1999) report that there are 7 key reasons why occupational therapists should use models and the advantages of a model based practice. Models provide a link between theory and practice, define and focus the area of interest for the OT, provide a framework for assessment, intervention and evaluation, contribute to a sound philosophical basis, use of common vocabulary to communicate ideas, provides a professional unity and the use of common themes throughout all models; such as concern for the individual, the value of human occupation and looking at an individual holistically. Although models give a good grounding and starting point for occupational therapists, it is important to remember they are just that; a starting point. They do not include details on every aspect or outcome that may occur and they assume a basic knowledge of the key attributes expected of an occupational therapist. Models are used to guide practice but not to dictate. Models are sometimes used as the boundaries of the occupational therapy intervention, as practitioners come across new patients with varying conditions and they may not fit neatly into an existing model. It is important for an occupational therapist to note that models are inclusive not exclusive and in these cases the practitioner should be experienced enough to notice the need to perhaps adapt a model or develop a new one. An occupational therapist should also be mindful of models become out of date as practice is evolving all the time so using an old model may result in out of date practice (Feaver and Creek, 1993). Kielhofner (2009) discusses the Model of Human Occupation, within which he reports that volition (what values an individual has, the interests an individual finds satisfying and how an individual is able to interact within the world) leads to the choice of occupational activities (functional and dysfunctional occupations). If an individual has a mental health problem it may contribute to the i ndividual being unable to assess their personal interaction within the world and may result in a change in how a person interacts within the world (Crist et al, 2000); resulting in a change in their occupations. Nathan has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, as a result his views and how he is viewed within society has changed. There is a lot of stigma and stereotypes related to schizophrenia, a study by Angermeyer and Matschinger (2004) looked at the stereotypes a person with schizophrenia experiences. They concluded that the most common are people believing they are incompetent, unpredictable and also dangerous. As a result individuals with mental health illnesses find themselves socially excluded, with no one to turn to. For an individual such as Nathan who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but has been receiving successful treatment for a number of years, this could be extremely frustrating. Morgan (2007) reports that people with mental health illnesses are the most excluded population. This statement is also supported by Le Boutillier and Croucher (2010). The definition of social inclusion is a debated one, it is highly inconsistent and comes with ambiguity. A report by Le Boutillier and Croucher (2010) argues that social inclusion is more than just engaging in community activity within the physical presence, as this doesnt necessarily imply that the individual feels included. Nathan began to attend community activities when his son was younger thanks to a family who would regularly babysit for him. They encouraged him to attend the local church and also become more involved within the community. It can be argued that although Nathan was actively involved in the community for a short while did he really feel included? The media portray schizophrenia in a bad light only highlighting the bad symptoms (mentioned earlier being incompetent, unpredictable and also dangerous) and not addressing the positive ones or identifying that it is a manageable illness. As a result it is often recorded that not only is it a stereotype of the individual s who do not suffer from a mental health illness but also it is often the individuals with the illness who feel they are incapable to socialising with others and being involved for fear of how they may react. Individuals feel fear and rejection, as a result of their mental illness, and lack a sense of connection and belonging. Le Boutillier and Croucher (2010) also identify that individuals who are not socially active within their community still may feel socially included, again emphasising the fact that it is not just physically attending community activities which can cause an individual to feel included. Other authors report social inclusion as being the ability of an individual to fit into a community by conforming to its traditional values of housing, education and employment (Lloyd et al 2006). Others refer to social inclusion including the social, psychological and physical components but emphasising the individuals sense of belonging and the importance of a support network (Labonte, 2004). However Le Boutillier and Croucher (2010) report that feeling socially included must also include personal meaning, an individual should feel involved and feel connected to the community, not just simply an individual physically engaging within the community. Therefore all these views indicate that how the individual perceives themselves within a community will determine whether they view themselves as socially included; it is highly individual. From this information it would be hard to conclude as to whether Nathan was feeling socially excluded as it is an individual view. An occupational therapist would need to conclude with their service user what their view of social inclusion means to their specific environment. A study by Le Boutillier and Croucher (2010) report that the occupational aspects associated with social inclusion are; self care, leisure, productivity, occupational deprivation, occupational alienation, occupational balance, habits, roles routines an d occupational performance. It states that all these aspects help an individual to feel more socially included or may cause them to feel isolated depending. For occupational therapists, the three main occupational performance areas are self-care, leisure and productivity (work). A study completed by Moyer (2000) looked at the impact of work for individuals with mental health illnesses. He looked at work as a means of integrating into a community, not just as an income as work can be voluntary or within home management. He identified that work helps to develop a persons confidence, identity and self-esteem. It also establishes a role for the person within a community. Nathan has not had a stable job since he left school but has been working constantly. The reasons behind his nomadic style are not clear but could be due to his schizophrenia and the social exclusion he receives when colleagues, employers or customers discover his illness. It has also been recently discussed by Sweetsur, 2009 that many individuals with a mental health illness are seen to be critically ill and are not seen as people who are able to carry out work when well. S weetsur, 2009 also suggests that mental health institutions are not promoting people back to work or encouraging them to better themselves. If the people working with and for individuals with mental health illnesses are not promoting work then it is not surprising that society has the view that people with mental health problems are incapable of working. If an individual is not working they will not be fulfilling the productivity aspect to ensure they have occupational balance. Conclusion From the above information it is clear to conclude that one key trend throughout this discussion is the prominence of client centred practice. The fact that every individual is different and there is no clear definition, model or practice that will fit two clients. Using this information it is very hard to establish Nathans particular health needs as the information provided is limited. Assumptions would need to be made in all aspects of his life. It is clear from the above that occupational therapists believe to ensure an individual is healthy they should partake in occupations which are purposeful and meaningful to the individual. When an individual becomes injured, has a disability or something affects their environment resulting in them no longer being able to partake in occupations it causes an occupational dysfunction. Occupational therapists use models to help asses and implement plans for the individual although it is essential that the practitioner understands the limitations of models. References Angermeyer M and Matschinger H (2004) The Stereotype of Schizophrenia and Its impact on Discrimination Against People With Schizophrenia: Results From a Representative Survey in Germany. Schizophrenia Bulletin 30(4) 1049-1061. Accessed 03.11.10 via http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/4/1049.full.pdf Boyer G, Hachey R and Mercier, C (2000) Perceptions of Occupational Performance and Subjective Quality of Life in Persons with Severe Mental Illness. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health,15(2)1-15. Accessed 02.11.10 via http://0eb.ebscohost.com.serlib0.essex.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5hid=105sid=89328e11-b7d8-4de4-97ad-93b4e1890459%40sessionmgr104 Cao V, Chung C, Ferreira A, Nelken J, Brooks D and Cott C (2010) Changes in Activities of Wives Caring for Their Husbands Following Stroke. Physiotherapy Canada, 62 (1) 35-43. Accessed 02.11.10 via http://0-web.ebscohost.com.serlib0.essex.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10hid=109sid=416f83bf-4f0b-4fbf-8f04-2db73ffdc44c%40sessionmgr111 College of Occupational Therapists (2006) Recovering ordinary lives: the strategy for occupational therapy in mental health services 2007-2017. London: COT. Accessed 01.11.10 via http://www.cot.co.uk/MainWebSite/Resources/Document/ROL_Vision_2010.pdf Crabtree J (2003) Occupational Performance. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 17(2), 1-18 Creek J (2010) The core concepts of occupational therapy: A dynamic Framework for practice. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Crist P, Davis, C and Coffin, P (2000) The Effects of Employment and Mental Health Status on the Balance of Work, Play/Leisure, Self-Care, and Rest. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 15(1), 27-42 Duncan E (2002) Foundations for Practice in Occupational Therapy. Elsevier Ltd, London. Feaver S and Creek J (1993) Models for practice in occupational therapy. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 56(2) 59-62. Gronkiewicz C and Borkgren-Okonek M (2004) Acute exacerbation of COPD: nursing application of evidence-based guidelines. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly, 27(4), 336-352. Honey A (1999) Empowerment versus power: Consumer participation in mental health services. Occupational Therapy International, 6(4), 257-276 Kielhofner, G (2009) Conceptual Foundations of Occupational Therapy Practice. F.A. Davis Company. Philadelphia, USA Labonte R (2004) Social inclusion/exclusion: dancing the dialectic. Health Promotion International, 19(9), 115-21. Accessed 02.11.10 via http://heapro.oxfordjournals.org/content/19/1/115.full Le Boutillier, C. Croucher, A. (2010) Social Inclusion and Mental Health, British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(3) pp.136 139 Lloyd C, Tse S, Deane FP (2006) Community participation and social inclusion: how practitioners can make a difference. Australian e-journal for the Advancement of Mental Health, 5(3) Accessed 02.11.10 via http://www.qldalliance.org.au/resources/items/2009/09/294410-upload-00001.pdf Lloyd C, Waghorn G, Williams PL (2008) Conceptualising recovery in mental health rehabilitation. British Journal of Occupational Therapy,71(8), 321-28 Molineux M (2004) Occupation for Occupational Therapists. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford. http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=enlr=id=-UeXMIL3B0Coi=fndpg=PR9dq=Molineux+social+exclusionots=-HzrxHwTFmsig=C1vzJYcR7HY6IcdicghK5D5aQAI#v=onepageq=Molineux%20social%20exclusionf=false Morgan C, Burns T, Fitzpatrick M, Pinfold V and Priebe S (2007) Social exclusion and mental health Conceptual and methodological review. British Journal of Psychiatry, 191, 477-483. Retrieved 01.11.10 from http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/191/6/477 Petty T (2000) COPD: interventions for smoking cessation and improved ventilatory function. Geriatrics, 55(12), 30. Reed K and Sanderson S (1999) Concepts of Occupational therapy (4th Ed). Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Maryland, Usa. Accessed 02.11.10 via http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=enlr=id=1ZE47g_IRTwCoi=fndpg=PR7dq=occupational+therapy+modelsots=sJkzgUie_Psig=6z3WRZ5AlTAfifSKZqPkkkO_n68#v=onepageq=occupational%20therapy%20modelsf=false Reilly M (1962) Occupational Therapy Can Be One Of the Great Ideas of 20th Century Medicine. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 16 (1) 87-105. Accessed 16.10.11 via http://moodle.essex.ac.uk/file.php/1640/future_OT.pdf Schermer T, Weel C, Barten F et al. (2008). Prevention and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care: position paper of the European Forum for Primary Care. Quality in Primary Care. 16 (5), p363-377. Sweetsur D (2009) Schizophrenia and the work ethic: is it time to stop thinking and start doing? Mental Health Occupational Therapy, 14 (3) 106-107 WFOT (2004) What is OT? Retrieved 13-10-2010 from: http://www.wfot.org/information.asp Wilcock A (1993) A theory of the human need for occupation. Occupational Science: Austrialia, 1 (1) 17-24 Wilcock A, Chelin M, Hall M, Hamley N, Morrison B, Scrivener L, Townsend M and Treen K (1997) The relationship between occupational balance and health: A pilot study Occupational Therapy International, 4(1), 17-30. Accessed 02.11.10 via http://0-web.ebscohost.com.serlib0.essex.ac.uk/ehost/detail?vid=11hid=109sid=416f83bf-4f0b-4fbf-8f04-2db73ffdc44c%40sessionmgr111 Yuil C, Crinson I and Duncan E (2010) Key Concepts in Health Studies. SAGE Publications Ltd. London. Accessed 04.10.10 via http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13029/49397/49397.pdf Appendix 1 Schizophrenia When someone believes untrue things about their cultural society and has considered to have lost touch with reality they are generally diagnosed with a form of psychosis such as schizophrenia (Morrison et al 2008). Psychosis itself is a persons belief in events in reality that are imaginary or unreal (NHS, 2010). Individuals who develop schizophrenia are will never be the same as another schizophrenic as they all bring their own individual experiences and symptoms (NICE,2010).Other mental illness involve psychosis, but what separates schizophrenia from bipolar disorder (a.k.a manic depression) for instance, is that the patients problems are not centred exclusively around their mood (Morrison et al 2008). Schizophrenics may also, believe that they have great powers and abilities (Morrison et al 2008), have strange changes in behaviour or find it difficult to concentrate even on everyday tasks (NHS, 2010). It is quite possible that Nathan could be further diagnosed as having paranoid s chizophrenia as his symptoms largely relate to this form of psychosis. Negative symptoms for the illness also exist such as low mood and being social withdrawn (NHS, 2010). There is some confliction within literature as it seems that personal and professional ideas differ with regards to recovery from schizophrenia (Rethink 2010). Professionals may view recovery as completely overcoming the symptoms of the illness, most patients, carers and some organisations try to view recovery in terms of achieving personal goals and targets such as returning to work or having an active social life (Rethink 2010 Morrison et al 2008). While some research suggests that some patients do make a full recovery (but often over very long periods of time), there is still variation between individuals and it is not the case for everyone (Morriosn et al 2008). For these individuals, finding ways of managing their illness through medication and therapy in order to rebuild their lives to a level that they can cope with, gives them and their carers their own personal sense of recovery (Morrison et al 2008). NICE, 2010 report that inequalities in mental health services are common and especially for clients from Afro-Caribbean origins to access UK services.

Literature Review About Management Information Systems Management Essay

Literature Review About Management Information Systems Management Essay In this chapter all of the concepts, theories and methods that are related with the management Information system such as system, information system and MIS will be discussed. The concept of educational management system is also well presented. In other sections the concept of EMIS will be considered in the world by especially focusing this concept in Pakistan will be discussed. In final sections of this chapter EMIS of COMSTAS institutes of information technology will be discussed. This data will be then act as guideline to analyze the empirical findings of primary data. 2.1 Management Information system There have been numerous kinds of systems that have been developed over the past several years. These information systems had helped to fulfill the needs and requirements of decision making not only at managerial but also at the operational level. Every organization develops its own management information system (MIS) which is totally dependent on the personal needs of the organizations. Management information system developed for one organization is useless for other organizations with different requirements (Cassidy and Cresswell, 1997). In the management information system, not only the system itself is important but to get the maximum advantages from the system it is important that the human intelligence, perception and judgment must be powerful and strong enough to get combined with the system information (Thierauf 1984). This combination will provide managers with the unique and valuable tool for the information management in any company (Cassidy and Cresswell, 1997). 2.1.1 What is a system? The system is capable of converting the collected data from the routine user and machine interactions in to the effective information which later on is used by the decision makers to make efficient decisions. In the management information system, the most important entity is system itself which is set of defined and interrelated components which are generally described as all of the direct or indirect complex components or elements that are related in a casual network. Within any particular time period, all of these complex components are related in more or less stable way with at least some other components (Thierauf 1984). So a well developed and interactive system is one which provides best and useful information to the managers at all levels. 2.1.2 Information system? The best system is one that provides useful information and user interaction at all levels. An information system is a collection of activities, procedures, methods, technology and peoples that are organized to get the valuable related data and information. This system must also be able to store this information until it is required by the user. It should be capable of data processing and responding to its end user by providing the answers to all set of queries. Information systems should best interacts and communicates with the end user In order to provide the accurate required information (Knight Silk, 1990). 2.1.3 Management Information System The information system which is composed of formalized procedures that can provide all of the relevant appropriate information at all levels to all of the managers is called management information system (MIS). This system uses all of the internal and external resources to provide data and information to the end users which enable them to take timely decisions that are effective from the directing, planning and controlling point of view. As a whole this is an efficient system that can provide all of the required information to the management at all levels at appropriate times. Management information system is basically an affective combination of human and technology resources that results in data storage, collection, and communication, data retrieval and usage. In managerial operations and business planning, these MIS systems play a vital role in business success (Lucey, 1989). In literature, there are several definitions of the management information systems (Lucey, 1989, Thierauf, 1984). The system is capable of converting the collected data from the routine user and machine interactions in to the effective information which later on is used by the decision makers to make efficient decisions. The specialized systems that are being used for decision making for the management at all levels are generally known as management information systems (Thierauf, 1984). Information systems are of significant importance in any type of organization, generally, it is really impossible for any organization to operate without any sort of information system. These information systems are developed by focusing the needs and requirements of the particular organization which are unique for every other organization. In the early 1960s, the importance of system designers and administrators gained much importance and attention. In an organization, at the administrative level, management information systems are composed up of the human and machine combination that are used to fulfill the information demands at these levels. In very large organizations, these MIS are also a combination of many interrelated sub systems which are sharing the same resources for data and processing. While discussing the concept of MIS in an organization, this activity is considered just as a part of all of the other ongoing activities. This MIS activity is important because it equips the top management with all of the information about the lower management and maintains a continuous flow of information throughout the organization. MIS system also facilitates the owners of the organizations with the general information about the organization. The main advantage of MIS system in an organization is to maintain appropriate information flow that can be achieved by dividing organizations in to different sub systems with some integrated and unique functions. This function integration of the sub system must be much efficient to make the whole organization as an affective MIS system. By adopting this approach, as soon as all of the needs of the sub systems are achieved, all of the needs of the organization are achieved. In literature, there are many characteristics discussed for an effective MIS system (Cassidy and Creswell, 1997). Some of them are listed below: MIS system should be composed of integrated sub systems with the ability of forward and backward looking systems. MIS system should be capable of planning and controlling the clearly defined business activities. MIS system should be capable of generating the reports that can help the management at all level in planning and controlling all of their current and expected business activities. MIS system should be able to retrieve the information about the operations control at appropriate time and should allow the transactional data processing. For the timely response, MIS system should have the batch processing as well as interactive operational modes. In order to store the data that is being frequently accessed, MIS system should use all of the data protection procedures that can assure to authorize user in more protective way. In order to extract the relative information quickly, MIS system should have appropriate data storage medium like random or direct access storage. In order to generate the meaningful and affective output for the ongoing control operations, MIS system should enable the standard and custom made model that must have the storage medium for the online data. 2.2 Educational Management Information System The revolution in the information and communication technologies (ICTs) has greatly influenced the life style of whole world. Over the past several years, ICT infrastructure is considered as a symbol for a countrys development. In every way of life, there is a vital role of these Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by all means to improve the quality, standardizing the different stakeholders role and imparting the operating procedures (Ed Crowley, 2003). ICTs has a proven role in the field of medical, business, industry, entertainment, communications but now these technologies has emerging efficient role in education field. In developing countries, especially like Pakistan education sector is one of the core areas that require more attention for the countrys rapid development. The goal of every educational institute is to provide the quality education to all of its students. In these institutes management at all level continuous strives to achieve this aimed goal. Universities are hiring highly qualified professors and equipping their scientific laboratories with latest equipments, adding new technologies and books to their libraries. In these educational institutes the concept of digital libraries is also introduced, in classrooms multimedia projects are installed. The concept of distant learning, different tutorials like web and disk based as well as the concept of audio and visual data to aid lectures is introduced in these instit utes. In short, ICTs have played a major significant role for knowledge dissemination among various groups in these educational institutes. In order to get the maximum benefits of the available facilities of hardware and software, it is not enough to just connecting the laboratories with the internet facility but there is lot more in to this. This type of human attitude towards the computer resources propose that there is always a need for some educational intervention to get the possible benefits. The better usage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be attained by pedagogic intercessions (Jorge Ferreira Franco et all, 2006). As the issues raises, it starts creating interesting opportunities for the individuals and organizations for improving the individuals understandability and skills. From the educational point of view, it is believed that when the individuals discernment is challenged and they receive any sort of intellectual or practical support then their productive and creative talents are used which can also be enhanced (Jorge Ferreira Franco et all, 2006). In all this competitive ICTs equipped educational institutes there is much more than the quality education that is expected by the students. Students need quality service in all of the required information that is required by them. In order to present their day to day problems, students needs environment that can facilitate them in every way. Different higher educational institutes are continuously striving to achieve this target. For example when a student require his transcripts after courses finalization then it can take more than a month time when there is conventional system installed in educational institutes. It can take more time because of the limited number of acting staff members that are dealing with the results and transcripts issuing process. There are many other daily issues that can arise every day and this limited number of staff will not be able to prompt instantaneously to all of the students. In order to handle such hectic routine universities used to employee mor e employees but as its known that increasing manpower can never solve the problem so another solution is required that can cope up with all such issues. There are many activities that can not be handled with simple processing applications and they are also much time consuming but these are simple processes like admission, registration, conduction of examination, keeping track of the employees and students and managing both employees and students accounts (Marlon Pierce et all, 2002). In order to manage thousands of its students and employees the best effective way is to use the information and communication technologies in more efficient way. Educational management system (EMIS) is an example of such an information system that has been developed over past several years to get the maximum benefits from the human and machine interaction to generate the appropriate information. This concept of EMIS has been imported from the business world which represents a system for information processing for educational management. This system is not developed to replace the statistics based system and this system itself is not a statistical system. This system has been developed to handle all data types which may be statistical in nature. An authoritative professional is required to train this data as reliable, verified, authoritative and professionally trained. This authority must be professional and independent entity that must be acceptable by all of the other users in an organization. When an information system is being developed then it is very much necessary to get the exact and reliable statistics before this system get applied t o any sort of management. Information systems are always designed to process valid data into information not the garbage data. In educational management systems, these information systems should address both of the management and statistics in more efficient way and should produce information in an affective format. In literature, there are many definitions and descriptions about the EMIS systems as its being developed over the past several years (EPRD, 1997). Educational management system is a formalized collection of the operational procedures, processes and mutual agreement that are integrated in such a way that it can produce useful information and data for the educational institutes and all of related entities like teachers, students and other management at all levels. All of the data relevant to the concerned entities is aggregated, collected and organized, managed and processed which is then disseminated across the organization and is used by the concerned authorities and management at all levels to take the beneficial decisions for the educational institutes (EPRD, 1997). EMIS contains all of the relevant information that is required by the educational managers at all levels to support all of their activities. EMIS systems always responds to the consumers for the affective information and serves the needs of end users, therefore it can be said that these information systems are serving on the basis of demand response methodology. In order to get the maximum benefits out of this information system it is very much necessary that the process chain of information management and in the transaction between the end users demand of information and the system response of information delivery, all of the statistics must be updated and reviewed properly. If this whole chain of information management is not properly maintained then there will be no meaningful information from the data aggregation and processing. The system integration is also much important in EMIS to get the best possible outcome from the system because if there will be any problem with the system integration it will results in irrelevant information delivery that will make whole EMIS as an irrelevant system. In order to work these EMIS systems up to dated, it is necessary to conduct clients surveys. These surveys will help the educational institutes to cope up with all of the newly raised requirements and then it will give up dated response to its consumers. These surveys will also help to figure out the needs of producers and will generate a user friendly and interpretable services and products accordingly. Educational institutes should also create general awareness among the users about the advantages of these EMIS systems that can provide information for decision making. In order to avoid a total system loss, it is very much important that these EMIS systems should be self sustainable and they must have a back up even if master system will fail to fulfill the requirements of all of its end users. At the very earlier stage of system development it is important to train the individual entities but at the later stage of capacity building this training is not of much importance. EMIS systems have been employed in many different countries as a big success and there these systems have provided support services and capacity building to the distributed as well as the decentralized statistical functions. There are many specialized functions needed for the EMIS development such as setting the standards, development of application software, quality control, providing technical assistance and training services as well as coordinating annual statistics production. System integration is an important step in EMIS development because all of the loose parts will be combined efficiently can develop an affective system output. Quality control is also of much significance because it can assure quality checks at all levels. In educational institutes, an effective and efficient information management system that should help management at all level for planning, policy making, and management can be developed by adopting common data collection instruments, by developing data processing software and by adopting all of the procedures for quality control and assurance. Such a developed system can assure the effective performance of all of the statistical functions in the institutes. The processes of data collections its entry and verification are all very close to the source. This data is then transmitted as an electronic copy all around the institute. At every level of management, this data is analyzed on the basis of the users requirements which ensure the minimization of inconsistency and task duplications. Such a system also ensures the quality, reliability, data validity and effectiveness as well as the end users satisfaction at all levels. 2.3 EMIS in World As discussed above that the concept of educational management information system (EMIS) has been adopted by many developed and developing countries over the past several years. In some of the countries, this technique has failed because of ignoring many important entities and critical procedures that were necessary to adopt in order to ensure its success. In these countries, these EMIS were not big success because they forgot that adopting a new technical name, obtaining funds and grants and improper system adaptation never ensure the adaptation of new technology. In developing countries there are some trends listed for increasing the demand for EMIS (Chapman, 1990). They are: Explosive growth of Educational System This is the foremost and important trend that pressurized the developing countries to make them adopt EMIS systems. This trend will reflect the growth of population which afterward will show the increased rate of participation. It also puts the pressure on the teaching materials and on the stipulation of the qualified teachers and staff. This explosive growth subsequently limited the development of the educational resources and caused the decline in education quality in these developing countries (Chapman Mahlck, 1993). Increased Complexity of Educational System As the educational system has grown explosively in the developing countries, it also results in its complexity. Educational ministry has pursued multiple objective so many different and new course works has been under taken so that education quality can be improved. Increased Financial Pressure Many governments are experiencing the increased financial pressure so they need to adopt those resource allocation procedures that are efficient in longer run. International Funding In order to attract international funding agencies in the area of education, it is necessary to provide them with the quantitative data that must show the success and progress of the educational projects. These agencies are pressurizing the developing countries so that they can also justify their own accountability. In developing countries, they are financing only when they get accurate statistics and data that can evaluate their funded projects so they require strict accountability. Low Cost Information Technology As technology is advancing so it is available at very low cost. In these developing countries, large data amount is being handled by using the low cost advanced information technology. All around the world, there are policies of different organizations to improve the educational systems. UNESCO is also one of the organizations that has strategic objectives in the field of education with their clear policy of improving the quality of education. This policy includes the agenda of improving educational quality through diversification of methods and content, diffusion, experimentation promotion, dialogue, by adopting best practices, innovation and by information sharing. Information and technology advancement has put the pressure all around the globe to adopt these ICTs in their educational system and tech them to the students. This learning of advanced ICTs is very important to cope up with the challenges of 21st century. UNESCO, in its World educational report discussed some of the fundamental implications that ICTs have for the conventional learning and teaching (UNESCO World Education Report, 1998). In order to meet all of the requirements that are must for the int egration of these ICTs in the conventional systems there are some frameworks proposed in different publications (UNESCO World Education Report, 2002). These are fundamental requirements that are identified as the important strategies for the teacher education, for managing the change process in learning, for managing change process in adopting and integration of these ICTs. Technology has become a catalyst that is transforming the learning and whole education systems (UNESCO World Education Report, 1998). Different multimedia projects have been employed that are using the information visualization techniques and are beneficial for the citizens of the far distant countries. In this way, students from the distant countries are also learning new technologies. These multimedia applications are also installed in schools so that students can learn new technologies at the very basic school level. This helped the school community to explore both the real and virtual technologies within the context information and by using the interactive visualized systems (John P. Dougherty et all, 2002). In terms of information technology (IT), there have been substantial discussions for the preparation of the workforce that can work globally. In developing countries, still there are limited resources along with the limited number of professionals that can make best use of this IT so the promise to increase the productivity in educational system by the use of IT is still on hold. In order to succeed at any level of life, it is now a must to incorporate these IT in their careers so that the rapid change of the world can be handled (John P. Dougherty et all, 2002). All around the world, these EMIS started as a result of the individual research projects or as an innovative idea that has been initiated by academic individuals by taking risks that result in the development of the web based initiatives which were not a complete system. On the other hand, there are now many complete systems that are well planned, institutionally comprehensive and systematically integrated (JC Taylor, 2001). For example, at the University of Southern Queensland, where there is history of distant learning for almost 25years, there the transformation to the IT environment was a natural step. The organization itself as a whole adopted this new move rather than by just adopting by some individuals. They adopted the web based information and communications technologies at universities and reflect on element of the corporate mission statement i.e. To be a leader in flexible learning and the use of information and communications technologies (JC Taylor, 2001). The word portal has gained much attention in past several years which means door entrance or gate (Winston Dictionar, 2009). In higher educational systems, it is difficult and risky but is necessary to develop a portal so that the educational system can compete and realize the importance of ICTs. In this way, universities and colleges can get a very clear idea about the benefits of investing on to the enterprise systems, data warehouses and in other information services. By developing their own portals, educational institutes can integrate services, information and other infrastructure so that uniform information will flow all around the institute. Its a big challenge to incorporate higher education and technology, same is the case with portal strategy but the result is always beneficial to the organization. 2.4 EMIS in Pakistan EMIS is not a new field of study, but as we see that now it is receiving more importance around the globe. But in Pakistan in past few decades EMIS research encircle Basic Primary education System but my research on EMIS in HE of Pakistan is completely new area of research for Pakistan. Also the Educational Organizations are learning new methods of enhancing the efficiency of their organizations, individually and as a whole as a group. In Pakistan, many reforms have been made after the establishment of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). These reforms target the improvement of the quality of the education as well as to generate more resources for the growth of education in the higher education in the country. In Pakistan, the most recent trend is to improve the processes and resources in the universities. In these days, Engineering and Technology programs has created a big hype so majority of the students are taking admission in these areas. Higher Education Commission (HEC) as well as Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has set certain critera that universities need to fulfill before offering admissions to students in these areas. This critera required the availability of manpower, certain infrastructure, highly qualified staff, well equipped labs, and quality education process. In order to produce highly qualified and trained staff, HEC is offering certain scholarship and funding schemes so that more qualified manpower can be produced. 2.5 COMSATAS Institutes of Technology 2.5.1 EMIS in COMSATAS Institutes of Technology In order to standardize the universities much attention is driven to the adaptation of new technologies as well as towards the infrastructure development and improvement of the operating procedures. The criteria of HEC for the higher education institutions is very strict and is based on resource counting, collection of performance data and collection of all of the corresponding ratios which are in bottom up manners until the final reports are generated. This evaluation criterion demands the individual assessment system for each department in the university so that independent and quality information can be elaborated. This whole process will result in enhancing the quality of different operating procedures and processes that are being exercised in the institute and will results in enhancing the university ranking. There are many ways by which this feedback loop can be achieved in the higher educational institutions. It is possible that certain reports and indicators may be widely available all around the campus as soon as they are generated so that effective data is readily available. At various decision making points, the key personnel can take immediate corrective action when required by just keeping a sharp eye on these reports. This is significant in a way that it will increase the awareness in the whole academic community. Whenever administration decides for any required change then all of the standard measures can be taken. The possible measure that can increase the reliability of the feedback loop is to make sure that all of the relevant elements in the institutional information system are readily available. By adopting this technique, all of the entities will be permanently connected and consulted the information all around the institute. Other measure that can be adopted is that all of the old practice that are being performed at different departments can be refined. This process of refinement needs the experience that has already accumulated and it can also take into account the suggestions by all of its users or the involved entities. The intention for the development of the EMIS for COMSATS IIT was to refine most of the activities that were being performed at various levels in different departments of the university. This refinement will be done by taking in mind all of the accumulated users suggestions and from the experience of the all of the involved entities. In this EMIS, a new service layer has been added that corresponds to the extraction of all of the related derived information. This information is particularly designed to support university management at several levels. 2.5.2 COMSATS University Online System (CU-Online) In order to get the advantage of the maximum possible ICT utilization, COMSATS IIT, Pakistan has developed an automated educational management system which is commonly known as CU-Online (Iqbal Saadat et all, 2000). This system has been developed to create an integrated educational system. This system aims to maintain all of the information related to the students, facilitate the employees to access all of the resources related to the curriculum that can help them in lesson planning, examination conduction, results reporting and managing all of the other students and teachers accounts. This system has the capability to report and analyze different data and information for the individual users and collective users that can help them at all levels to get a broader picture of the whole educational institute and system. This system has been developed with the intention to provide user connectivity everywhere all times as a pure web based application. It provides academic, transactional a nd administrative access to all its users which results in development of the collaborative campus. In CU-Online system there are four main components that constitute its environment (Iqbal Saadat et all, 2000). They are: Data Student/Parent Management, faculty, staff Hardware In this EMIS system, there are various stakeholders like faculty, parents and students and management and staff. Faculty needs this system to plan their lessons and curriculum, for progress report and class assessment. This is a tool by which faculty can communication with parents and students. It also reports the progress towards students goals. This EMIS enables the parents and students to keep a check of the progress reports, work assignments. They can also check their work assignments and progress towards their graduation requirements. Management and staff use this system to achieve all of the staff and student information (Iqbal Saadat et all, 2000). This system has modules for admission, student information system, library, human resource management, course portal, inventory and hardware monitoring and for fee and accounts. In COMSATS IIT, the introduction of ICTs not only automates all of the departments but also facilitates all of the involved entities in the university. Students are getting quality education and they are required many facilitations in different aspects. In order to earn good name to university, management is required to adopt quality procedure and must assure quality at all level of management. While in a university, students can come across many different procedures and problems so this system must facilitate them in every aspect so that they can only concentrate on their studies. Similarly staff and faculty members must avoid all of the cumbersome procedures and must only perform their required duties (Iqbal Saadat et all, 2000). All of such facilities must reach to the users with ease on their desktops.

Ciceros De Amicitia Essay -- Friendship Death Love Essays

Cicero's De Amicitia Cicero’s De Amicitia brings a unique perspective to the topic of friendship and how it relates to death. The word amicitia comes from the Latin root word amor which is translated to mean â€Å"love†. In this day and age the word friendship has taken on a slightly different meaning from the ancient meaning. Cicero’s De Amicitia seeks to define what friendship is, its characteristics and principles. He has challenged us to reconsider what constitutes a true friend. Upon observing a typical friendship it becomes clear to us that this relationship is actually devoid of true love; the love in which Cicero speaks of. A genuine friendship is a rare and beautiful thing; a mutual relationship formed between two virtuous people of the same sex in which both individuals love the other as much if not more than themselves. â€Å"In the face of a true friend a man sees as it were a second self.† To love another person as much as you love yourself, to give without the expectation of receiving something in return is indeed an amazing concept. It is sometimes hard to comprehend its existence in this world where friendship is more for utility; â€Å"serve for particular ends - riches for use, power for securing homage, office for reputation, pleasure for enjoyment, health for freedom from pain and the full use of the functions of the body. But friendship embraces innumerable advantages.† The structural foundation upon which a friendship is built is a key determining factor concerning the quality, life and longevity of a friendship. When this foundation is weak and built on the selfish desires of those individuals, that friendship is ultimately put to the test. A utility based friendship is impermanent; giving way to the changing circumstances it faces over time as Cicero stated â€Å"For if it were true that its material advantages cemented friendship, it would be equally true that any change in them would dissolve it.† It does not have the qualities to endure and will fail to thrive in the face of such trials and tribulations as â€Å"conflicting interest; differences of opinion in politics; frequent changes in character, owing sometimes to misfortunes, sometimes to advancing years.† In this type of friendship the individual takes pleasure in each other’s company only in so far they have hopes of gaining an advantage from it. For Cicero, true friendship can only be achie... ...h act. â€Å"I am disposed to think, therefore, that in his case mourning would be a sign of envy rather than of friendship. If, however, the truth rather is that the body and soul perish together, and that no sensation remains, then though there is nothing good in death, at least there is nothing bad.† This statement shows a certain level of jealousy for you envy the freedom your friend has now achieved in death whereas you are still encased in your human form, your soul trapped and yearning for knowledge and wisdom. Feelings of joy would wash over the surviving friend if indeed their friendship were true. Feeling joyful that this person he has loved with all his heart and soul has moved on to a beautiful place, free from the human condition. Reading Cicero’s work has helped validate that which I have always felt to be true; not just of friendship but of death. I conclude with a passage in which Cicero touches on the purpose of forming friendships; †For it is not so much what one gets by a friend that gives one pleasure, as the warmth of his feeling.† One day I hope to understand through first hand experience rather than just through speculation and dissection of Cicero’s writing.

The Fool in William Shakespeares As You Like It Essay -- William Shak

The Fool in William Shakespeare's As You Like It The fool is one of the first character archetypes that any student of literature learns how to analyze. Despite his seemingly light or even pointless chatter, the fool usually manages to say some fairly important things. Upon further study, the student may perceive that it is because of his penchant for silliness that the fool is given leave to express even offensive truths about the other characters. What happens, though, when one fool encounters another? Fools are not used to being subject to one another’s wit; this experience of being held up to a sort of mirror is generally reserved for the characters who must undergo some change to further the plot. Touchstone and Jaques manage to break that rule, and merely by coexisting seem to compete. Both live up to some part of our expectation of the fool, but neither manages to fill the role entirely. Which one comes closer is a matter worthy of some debate. In her book The Fool: His Social and Literary History, Enid Welsford devotes a chapter to â€Å"The Court-Fool in Elizabethan Drama† and briefly discusses As You Like It specifically. She at one point describes fools as being â€Å"†¦partly within and partly outside the action of the drama.† (244). This idea is applicable to Touchstone and Jaques, but in a slightly different way than she intended it. She was describing characters placed by circumstance in that liminal state--characters with no desire to move to either side of their middle ground. Also, she describes the differences between Touchstone and Jaques, both in appearance and attitude. Most importantly, she mentions that Touchstone â€Å"†¦exposes affectation; but he is capable of†¦criticism, and his judgments are r... ... encroaching on his territory. Jaques is a sort-of fool in a sort-of court, but Touchstone’s presence brings in a glimmer of the rest of the world—a real fool from a real court—that shatters Jaques before he ever has a chance to throw a single stone at Touchstone. Jaques’ attempts to find a place for himself, then, simply read as a strange, lost man making faces in a glass. There is no way that Jaques can surpass Touchstone’s inherent liminality—where Touchstone slips seamlessly from one world to the next, in and out of the action, Jaques just hops jerkily back and forth like someone walking on hot coals. He never lands in any one place long enough to really establish himself. It is for this reason that Touchstone fills every facet of the fool’s role more ably than Jaques, up until the bitter end when Jaques takes the traditional fool’s ending and stands alone.

Celta 1st Assignment

Assignment 1 / Language focus The car's going to crash Form describe the form: Be going to Affirmative: Subject + be + going to + bare infinitive Interrogative: Be + subject + going to + bare infinitive ? Negative: Subject + be + not + going to + bare infinitive Short form response: Yes, subject + be + going to + bare infinitive No, subject + be + not + going to + bare infinitive Phonology : /g / Anticipated Problems confusion with will for future purposes onfusion with getting for future plans (getting more certain) Context Look at these dark clouds! It's going to rain. 1 Use certainty that something is going to happen to the future(imminent)/prediction (Look at this car! It is going to crash into the yellow one) Contributions to learning I could use personalization (Based on my possible knowledge of a students other activities, I could use an example like: John is going to walk back home) Have the students listen or read from the board/student book/handout some examples with oing t o (these receptive skills make learning more concrete and give confidence by repeating the structure) Give the students the chance to repeat the structure (produce) via speaking, exercises and writing Use contrast, concept questions and other technics in order to clarify, in case the students get confused You should have done your assignment Form describe the form: Should (Should is the conditional form of shall, which is a modal verb) Affirmative: Subject + should + verb Interrogative: Should + subject + verb Negative: Subject + should + not + verb Short form response: Yes, subject + should + verb No, subject + should + not + verb Phonology : / d/ Anticipated Problems: differences between should and shall differences between should and would (future in the past) differences between should and must to (obligation) differences between should and will (only about the future) phonology, should not should confusion with the irregular verb in the example, make one with a regular Should + present = advise, desirability (You should go to the doctor) Should + past = criticism (You should have paid your bills) Context By the time John woke up, it was too late to visit the local museum. I should have used my alarm clock, he said to himself. Use to give advice (You should take regular exercise) in hypothetical situations (Should you need any help, just call me) to give tentative opinions (I should think the cost will be about 50 euros) Contributions to learning I could use personalization (Based on my possible knowledge of a students other activities, I could use an example like: John missed the deadline. He should have been more responsible) Have the students listen or read from the board/student book/handout some examples with hould (these receptive skills make learning more concrete and give confidence by repeating the structure) Give the students the chance to repeat the structure (produce) via speaking, exercises and writing Use contrast, concept questions and other technics in order to clarify, in case the students get confused I have to complete this assignment on time Form describe the form: have to Affirmative: Subject + have to + verb Interrogative: Should + subject + verb Negative: Subject + should + not + verb Short form response: Yes, subject + should + verb No, subject + should + not + verb Phonology: /h? / (obligation) but /h? v/ for possession Anticipated Problems confuse with the verb have (possess) confuse with have as an auxiliary verb used in tense formation have got to (the same, mostly British english) to has a weak sound Context John was late. He had to leave the hotel immediately if he wanted to catch his train. But first he had to go to the reception and pay the bill. Use to talk about strong obligation that comes from somewhere else, for example from you boss, you parents, a rule at school or work. we do not use have to when we talk about what is a good idea to do, but we don't do it yet Instead,we use should. Contributions to learning I could use personalization (Based on my possible knowledge of a students other activities, I could use an example like: John lost his jacket. He has to buy a new one) Have the students listen or read from the board/student book/handout some examples with have to (these receptive skills make learning more concrete and give confidence by repeating the structure) Give the students the chance to repeat the structure (produce) via speaking, exercises and writing Use contrast, concept questions and other technics in order to clarify, in case the students get confused