The Hand-in Assignments

Untitled Document 1 of 4 https://elearning. uol. ohecampus. com/bbcswebdav/institution/UKL1/C†¦ WEEK 6 ASSIGNMENTS Print Page Use the links below to jump directly to the related information. Hand-in Assignment Individual Project HAND-IN ASSIGNMENT Hand-in Assignments are one way for you to demonstrate your learning. The Hand-in Assignments provide an opportunity to apply concepts and strategies to an authentic context. Typically, Hand-in Assignments are written papers or computer programs that are submitted to the Instructor.They require you to pull together information from the weekly Learning Resources, the Discussion and your own experiences to address an issue from the perspective of a real-world situation. Unless otherwise noted, the papers you write in Hand-in Assignments must follow Harvard Referencing Style reference and citation guidelines. You must submit your answers to the following Hand-in Assignment (HA) questions by the end of Day 7 (Wednesday). Answers will be su bmitted to the weekly Assignments area, but are not to be posted in the module Discussion Board. Question 1 Activity Mean durationStd. dev. (days) A 11 0. 9 B 13 1. 1 C 7 0. 2 D 9 0. 8 E 6 1 F 7 1. 2 G 10 0. 7 H 9 0. 6 11/04/2013 9:52 AM Untitled Document 2 of 4 https://elearning. uol. ohecampus. com/bbcswebdav/institution/UKL1/C†¦ I 8 0. 8 Table 1 Complete the following: 1. Calculate the project completion time. 2. Indicate the critical path activities. 3. What is the probability of completing this project between 38 and 40 days? 4. What are the slack values for activities C and F? Interpret the meaning of their slack values? Question 2 A registered nurse is trying to develop a diet plan for patients.The required nutritional elements are the total daily requirements of each nutritional element as indicated in Table 2: Required nutritional element total and daily requirements Calories Not more than 2,700 calories Carbohydrates Not more than 300 grams Protein Not less than 250 g rams Vitamins Not less than 60 units Table 2 The nurse has four basic types to use when planning the menus. The units of nutritional element per unit of food type are shown in Table 3 below. Note that the cost associated with a unit of ingredient also appears at the bottom of Table 3.Required nutritional element and units of nutritional elements per unit of food type Element Milk Chicken Bread Vegetables Calories 160 210 120 150 Carbohydrates 110 130 110 120 Protein 90 190 90 130 Vitamins 50 50 75 70 Cost per unit ?0. 42 ?0. 68 ?0. 32 ?0. 17 Table 3 Moreover, due to dietary restrictions, the following aspects should also be considered when developing the diet plan: 1. The chicken food type should contribute at most 25% of the total caloric intake that will result from the diet plan. 2. The vegetable food type should provide at least 30% of the minimum daily requirements for vitamins.Complete the following: Provide a linear programming formulation for the above case. (You do not need to solve the problem. ) 11/04/2013 9:52 AM Untitled Document 3 of 4 https://elearning. uol. ohecampus. com/bbcswebdav/institution/UKL1/C†¦ Save your Assignment as a . doc, . docx, or . rtf file and use the Turnitin link below to submit it. Return to top INDIVIDUAL PROJECT T he purpose of this simulation project is to provide you with an opportunity to use the POM-QM for Windows software to solve a linear programming problem and perform sensitivity analysis.POM-QM for Windows software For this part of this project, you will need to use the POM software: 1. Read Appendix IV of the O perations Management (Heizer & Render, 2011) textbook. 2. Install and launch the POM-QM for Windows software and from the main menu select Module, and then Linear Programming. Note: You can retrieve the POM-QM for Windows software from either the CD-ROM that accompanied your Heizer and Render (2011) textbook. 3. Program the linear programming formulation for the problem below and solve it with the us e of POM. Refer to Appendix IV from the Heizer and Render (2011) textbook. ) Note: Do not program the non-negativity constraint, as this is already assumed by the software. For additional support, please reference the POM-QM for Windows manual provided in this week’s Learning Resources. Individual Project problem A firm uses three machines in the manufacturing of three products: Each unit of product 1 requires three hours on machine 1, two hours on machine 2 and one hour on machine 3.Each unit of product 2 requires four hours on machine 1, one hour on machine 2 and three hours on machine 3. Each unit of product 3 requires two hours on machine 1, two hours on machine 2 and two hours on machine 3. The contribution margin of the three products is ? 30, ? 40 and ? 35 per unit, respectively. Available for scheduling are: 90 hours of machine 1 time; 54 hours of machine 2 time; and 93 hours of machine 3 time. The linear programming formulation of this problem is as follows: Maximise Z = 30X1 + 40X2 + 35X3 3X1 + 4X2 + 2X3

The Rate Of Photosynthesis: Lab report

1) Construct a graph of your data2) Using the graph, estimate the time at which 50 percent of the leaf disks were floating on the surface. The point at which 50 percent of the leaf disks are floating will be you point of reference for future investigations Using the graph the estimated time that roughly 50% of the leaf disks were floating on the surface was around the 10th minute. At the 10th minute our number rose up to 26/50 leaf disks. 3. What variable were you testing in this investigation?We were testing the leaf disks as the control. The white light, and the water were the controlled variables. 4. Explain why the leaf disks started to float after being exposed to white light. The leaf disks started floating after being exposed to white light because the process of photosynthesis is light- dependent. Light is required for the process of photosynthesis to begin and so the disks would not start floating unless they were placed under the sun, or in this instance the white light.In this investigation, you measured the rate of oxygen production. How might you measure the rate of loss of carbon dioxide? The rate of oxygen production was measured by the amount of dicks that stated to float at a certain time. After the disks have all floated to the top, the rate of carbon dioxide loss could be measured by how long it takes for the leaf disks to float back down to the bottom. 7) Brainstorm possible environmental factors that could affect the rate of photosynthesis. Do research on one of these factors and write a short paper on your findings. Factors that could affect the rate of photosynthesis could be the duration of wavelength, high light intensity, or even air pollutants.The topic we researched was ‘High Light Intensity†. High light intensity happens beyond saturation point. Light intensity reduces the rate of photosynthesis. This affect is called solarization. It can be caused by photo-inhibition and photo-oxidation. Photo-inhibition and photo-oxida tion occurs when shade leaves are abruptly exposed to bright light or when sun leaves are exposed to bright light with environmental stresses such as water deficit or extreme  temperatures. Both occur when the energy absorbed by the photosynthetic reaction centers exceeds the ability to use that energy in metabolic activity.

Art and Human Nature Essay

When discussing art it has continuously been examined how much it is applied to human nature. In The Art Instinct by Denis Dutton he spend an entire chapter discussing the colorations between the two. Art can be seen in human nature through its history, it’s comparison to language, and its creation from humans through genetics and their tendencies. Language has always been considered a part of human nature. All culture through all ages has some manner of language. Though it changes throughout the world with over six thousand known types, the universal ability to communicate is unquestionable â€Å"Despite vocabulary and surface grammar differences †¦ languages are never mutually incommensurable †¦ This is possible because language structure is shared across cultures and because languages are ties to universal prelinguistic interests, desires, needs, and capacities (30). Language is cross-cultural and though the mannerism and speech are different they are all inherent in their ability. At the same time one cannot argue that each language and gesture changed throughout the different culture. This is how language can be considered so universal in human nature. Art can be said to have the same universality of language. Like language it has transcended through all cultures and history. Different cultures all express them in a different way, and though everyone doesn’t necessarily understand all others cultures art, it is still a human universals. Also like language, art has the innate ability throughout all societies. Art in many way is very comparable to the human nature of language â€Å"The field of natural languages resembles the field of art considered cross-culturally: both exhibit an interplay between, on the one hand, deep, innate structures and mechanisms of intellectual and emotional like and, on the other hand, a vast ocean of historically contingent cultural materials† (31). With these many colorations art appears essentially connected to human nature. This thought that art has coloration with human nature has been around throughout history. Plato though rejected art as a form of knowledge, he still admitted it connection with nature. He saw art as an imitation of nature, which was already the imitation of the Forms, which make up our true reality. This he felt was disillusion, which brought out the worst customs of human nature. Either it represented a misleading view of our world in the sense of the beauty always found in art, but not in true reality. Or that it feeds our most basic instincts From a Platonic point of view, much of the violent entertainment offered by dramatic form – from the theater of the Greeks to the violence and animal passions of today’s entertainment media †¦ For Plato, the arts at their worst are bad for the soul because they engage and reward its basest elements (32). Though you sense that Plato fears the dangerous of the arts, this is only because he admits the inherit nature of it. Aristotle however has quiet a different opinion of art. He realized that with the variety in art it provides awareness into the human condition. In his works on drama and poetry he demonstrates that impact that art has had throughout the culture and history of his own society. Also he argues for the natural tendency that mankind has to represent themselves with art expresses the innate nature of it â€Å"Human beings are born image-makers and image-enjoyers† (33). Though the idea behind art and its connect between human nature is not always the same, it has existed during the course of history. Like art, human nature itself has been questioned on wither it is truly natural or has evolved over time and cultures. With the evolution of man many of human instincts has developed over time. Natural selection over thousands of generations have helped hones many skills needed to survive throughout mankind’s existences. These effects over many generations can be considered part of what makes up human nature â€Å"pressure over thousands of generations can deeply engrave a physical and psychological traits into the minds of any species (42). However it can also be argued that much of natural instincts come from our social nature. There is always the inherent hunter-gather sense that all humans have, but on the other side are the social tendencies we all have in common Human beings, for example, are curious about their neighbors, like to gossip about them, pity their misfortunes and envy their successes. People everywhere tell lies, justify and rationalize their own behavior, exaggerate their altruism. Human beings like to expose and mock the false pretentions of others. They enjoy playing games, telling jokes, and using poetic language (45-46). This social nature can be seen as innate within all cultures. Both this and genetic predispositions of humans is what human nature is derived from. This is where Dutton true argument comes full circle. Human nature no matter its origins is what makes up humans and all that they create. With our natural instincts we developed many tendencies, and theories. Our history as humanity we have gone through many things such as survival, not only those from the environment, but from the social forces that surrounds us. All of this is what truly makes up human nature, and from all this is where we create art. This is what makes humans what they are, and with that what they feel inspired to create no matter the culture and its form of art. This is how he reasons that art is human nature â€Å" eventually produced the intensely social, robust, love-making, murderous †¦ knowledge- seeking, arguing, clubby, language-using, conspicuously wasteful, versatile species of primate we became. And along the way in developing all this, the arts were born (46). Since art is derived from all that is human nature how can itself not be human nature. Through its colorations with language, the history, and the effects that human genetics and social tendencies have had art can be considered to be a part of human nature. Art like human nature has transcended throughout all of mankind’s existence. Wither art will ever be considered a part of human nature, its impact on humans not only through history but culture cannot be denied. Dutton, Denis. The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, & Human Evolution. Array New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2009.

International Banking Law and Capital Markets Assignment

International Banking Law and Capital Markets - Assignment Example There is a need to develop more stringent standards for the banks to address the deficiencies that come on the surface in the financial crises of late 2000. The introduction of Basel-111 aims at to strengthen the capital requirements of the bank and the regulatory requirement of bank liquidity and bank leverage. In Basel II, the risk management was out sourced to third party. The Ratings of financial instruments were conducted by the outsource agencies Fitch ibca, moody and poor and standard without intervention of official agencies. The AAA ratings on  mortgage backed securities,  credit default swaps  and other instruments in practice evidencing extremely bad credit risks. The implementation of Basel III surely will decrease annual GDP growth to the extent of 0.05 to 0.15 percentages. It is responsibility of the directors of the company to keep an eye on  market liquidity  condition that enables them to hold major assets for the accountability of material losses2. Require ment of Basel III The Basel III primarily addresses and focuses on the liquidity risk, capital adequacy ratios and stress testing. It requires banks to follow the requirement of Basel III and to compute the liquidity and leverage ratios accordingly. Therefore, the banks are to keep themselves align with the new requirement in order to integrate all relevant data to develop a new approach of data analysis and modeling. Basel III demands sufficient transparency and zero rated documentation ever than before to ensure that the deployment of funds would bear fruits3. Banks must ensure creation of new models that ensure compliance of Basel III requirement. It is a matter of fact that most of the institutions are reluctant to implement it in its true spirit due to reasons best known to them. However, they have no other option but to implement it in order to avoid penalty from compliance and monitoring watch dogs. In other words, compliance of Basel III requirement is mandatory and not opti onal. Keeping in mind the necessity, the banks are developing infrastructure and models for the banks to make best use of its capacity to pin point and respond to the profit making opportunities4. According to Simon Nixon, â€Å"no one disputes the broad thrust of Basel III, that banks should hold much higher levels of higher-quality capital. Indeed, all major European banks have well-developed plans to meet the new rules ahead of time.†5 It is a matter of fact that in today’s world each and every organization including banks heavily relies upon latest technology to meet the requirement of customer satisfaction besides regulatory compliance by the banks. The more efficient business decision making are based on the reliability of their quality data. Any bank who successfully receives the data through reliable domestic sources within the bank to position its data warehouse on sound footings coupled with technology infrastructure stands to deliver the goods efficiently in terms of compliance and better business6. â€Å"Basel III tightened up the rules on what could be counted as core capital, increased the risk-weights that determined how much capital a bank should hold against a particular exposure and finally introduced a tough new minimum ratio of core capital to risk-weighted assets, set at 7% for small banks and rising to 9.5% for the largest banks deemed

Media and Reality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media and Reality - Research Paper Example According to Friedman (2002), we live in a technological phase since persons spend several hours on electronic screens conversing or inquiring on diverse topics. Evidently, television programs; for example, â€Å"All in the Family† can alter people’s perceptions of individuals from other races (Dill, 2009). Exposure to this episode can influence the person to generate an optimistic attitude to other races and compel them to initiate interactive relationships. Such a program can instigate a substantial urge to destroy racial bigotry; thus, becoming a force of societal changes (Dill, 2009). However, this program can differ from the realistic situations existent in the country. Racism can be extensive in numerous areas; however, the program acts on our perception since it shuns the reality. Indeed, reality is our discernment of the truth despite the obvious anomalies in the details that can be existent in the background. Television commercials are created in entertaining f orms to lure the audience. They usually encompass an appealing story displayed repeatedly in attractive designs hoping it will induce the audience to ponder on the commercial message. Perception and Reality Friedman (2002) affirms individuals are currently living in two dissimilar worlds that have contrasting realities. One entails the world that the media channels portray and a world that one experiences by engaging in real processes. There are instances where the conceptualization of these diverse worlds significantly varies; thus, shocking the people since it is differs from the expectations (Dill, 2009). As such, the Media controls how we react to gender roles, sexuality, politics and institutional matters (Friedman, 2002). For example, the American Media relays numerous reports on the security threat of other nations to its citizens. Thus, the media portrays violent content leading to a feeling of paranoia amidst the citizens. Consequently, the sensation of exterior threats and violence propagated by the media was instrumental in propelling the US invasion witnessed in diverse countries; for example, Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, the obsession of the media with potential repercus sions of external threats continues to influence airlines, immigration authorities and corporations, which have boosted their security protocols. Interestingly, the repetitive conveyance of the Muslim countries as threats continues to shape the perception of the US populace towards Muslims (Dill, 2009). As such, there were incidences of racial attacks towards American Muslims who fail to engage in the acts of distant relatives. Indeed, this is one of the adverse implications of media on societal perceptions. According to Dill (2009), such influential power of the media is escalating to controversial levels since it is instigating widespread changes in the mannerisms and circumstantial implications on individual lives. Technological advancements are consistently becoming a mechanism of

RIBA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

RIBA - Essay Example The RIBA plan of work is prepared by the Royal Institute of British Architects in conjunction with other stakeholders to provide a regulatory framework for practitioners in the building and construction industry (Cross, 2013). The RIBA plan of work is widely used in the UK as the official guideline and directive indicating the best practices in the industry (Farrelly, 2014). The plan of work has been extremely efficient such that it has been benchmarked by numerous countries worldwide, modeling their building and construction industry regulatory framework on RIBA’s. RIBA has continued to update its plan of work since 1963 as times and circumstances change (Hopkirk, 2014). The latest plan of work was prepared in 2013 and represented a paradigm shift from the previous one prepared in 2007. The stages of work have essentially remained the same only that they have been categorised and labeled differently (Architecture.com, 2014). Instead of the eleven stages that were explicated b y the tasks to be conducted, the new plan of work has eight stages and eight task bars under each stage indicating the tasks to be conducted.

Tsunami Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Tsunami - Essay Example (Boork, 2005). a. Studies into the causes of tsunamis have revealed that there are actually many different factors that can lead to tsunami generation – including the already mentioned earthquake – but not every earthquake causes a tsunami and not every tsunami is caused by earthquake. b. Earthquakes can cause tsunamis. It is generally believed that earthquakes that move in a vertical direction are more likely to cause tsunami, but Dr. Tony Song from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory has shown how â€Å"horizontal motions of continental slopes confer five times the energy of a vertical displacement.† (Mayer, 2006), indicating that movement of the continental margins should be the focus of tsunami detection. c. Landslides are another possible cause of tsunamis, whether they occur above or below the water level. Landslides that occur above water and slide into the water can cause tsunamis while underwater landslides can cause a high degree of water displacement. These landslides can be caused by excessive flooding or, more commonly as global warming continues, due to the melting of layers of permafrost. Sometimes underwater landslides work in combination with earthquakes to cause tsunami. â€Å"For example, submarine slope failures can be triggered by much smaller earthquakes which could not cause a tsunami by themselves.† (Lauterjung cited in Mayer, 2006). d. A third way in which tsunamis can be generated is with the eruption of volcanoes, again with equal devastating effect regardless of whether the volcano exists above or below the water level. â€Å"Tsunamis started by this process are uncommon, but present a real threat to residents of the lower Cook Inlet region, the Alaska Peninsula, and the Aleutian Islands.† (Haeussler, 2006). f. Characteristics of tsunamis caused by earthquakes and volcanoes are that they travel long distances from the earthquakes epicenter and strike coastlines thousands of miles from their

Sir Richard Rogers Lloyds Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sir Richard Rogers Lloyds Building - Essay Example This building, started in 1979 but not completed until 1984, is a complex combination of both Modern and Postmodern ideals that manages to evade allowing either framework to dominate. A basic description of the building indicates a tall structure with the unusual feature of having its service features exposed to the exterior and utilized as a decorative element. This follows the Modernist movement in its focus on the mechanical elements of the structure while it also reflects the postmodern element of everything being in a constant state of flux. The building was originally designed to serve as the corporate headquarters of a large insurance firm and is erected in the center of London’s financial district. This context illustrates the importance of its design as a means of reflecting the higher monetary, capitalistic values of the community and thus much in line with the Modernist ideals of the era. However, the building was also required to be highly flexible to be able to ac commodate perhaps as yet unknown technologies and to adapt to often changing uses, thus reinforcing the concepts of Postmodernism. As the following investigation will prove, though, the building itself, in its focus on mechanics and materials, falls more within the realm of the Modernist movement while its means of addressing the concerns of the times and the context incorporates the values and ideas of Postmodernism. The concepts of the Modern approach focus upon the assumption that everything can be classified into specific categories and definitions. â€Å"Modernity is a project, and not only a period, and it is, or was, a project of control, the rational mastery over nature, the planning, designing and plotting which led to planomania and technocracy† (Beilharz, 2001: 6). Emerging as a product and reaction to an increasingly mechanized world in which standardization seemed inevitable; the basic

Marketing strategy of Starbucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing strategy of Starbucks - Essay Example Starbucks is attempting to involve its customers in the product in many ways. First, the company is marketed as a status item hence it is high involvement (has higher psychological, economic, and social risk) cheaper coffee or unbranded coffee from its competitors. Secondly, Starbucks is utilizing different campaign, like â€Å"Bold Coffee† campaign and the â€Å"Via† taste challenge so as to get its customers to come to the store continuously and try the new products. This is a perfect use of the buyer behavior theory that predicts that the customers could switch brands only to try a new thing. Offering its customers with a new flavor to try every week, the company actively manages the natural inclination of the customers to try new things. These strategies together with emphasizing on socially responsible behavior, the company are also offering customers with additional benefits on which they can evaluate its products. Through building a strong brand that its customer s are loyal to, implying that the customers don’t even consider the other brands whenever they are going for coffee, immediately they will choose Starbucks since it’s the coffee for any person who loves coffee. These are the strategies that are employed by Starbucks to keep its existing customers satisfied (Simon, B. 2009). Promotion is the most common promotional mix elements utilized by Starbucks are internet marketing, advertising, public relations, personal selling, and sales promotion (Michelli, J. A. 2007).

African American Contributions to American History Essay Example for Free

African American Contributions to American History Essay In today’s society there are many people living in poverty. All across America there are different projects and reservations where the less fortunate reside. Statistics show that mostly minorities live in these different locations. Native Americans and African Americans are two of the more popular races living in these places. The group suffering the most in these situations is the youth. Although both Native American and African American children living on a reservation or in the projects experience a terrible community, have little to no faith, and a broken family structure, African American youth living in the projects have it worse than Native American children living on a reservation. First, one of the most common living situations for less fortunate African Americans is in the projects. A project is a public living environment that is government owned. Although these buildings are government owned they are far from nice looking. Most of the buildings have no windows, are run down, dirty, and old. The government’s main goal is to maintain affordable housing not to make them the best looking homes in town. The projects aren’t a good environment for a child to be raised. Throughout these neighborhoods different gangs can be found. These gangs are built to defend the different areas in the projects. The gangs bring major violence to the area and are one of the main causes of death. At a young age children join these gangs and are raised to be violent. Many of them decorate the buildings they are living in with graffiti expressing their gang colors, symbols, or motto. In contrast, while Native American youth also live in poor housing, the environment is safer than the projects. A reservation is an area set aside for a specific type of land use or activity, or for use by a particular group of people, mostly Native Americans. Similar to the projects, houses on a reservation are old, beat down, and dirty. The houses on a reservation are government owned as well. Although these two locations are very similar they also differ. The reservation is a safer place then the projects. On the reservation there is a couple cases of mild violence but they aren’t as severe as the violence in the projects. Therefore, the reservations environment is a better environment than the projects. Secondly, many of the young people have no faith growing up in the projects. A lot of them believe their only way out of the projects is to become a basketball or football player or to become a top selling rap artist. At as young as sixteen years of age most African American males end up in jail, deceased, or selling drugs. A lot of them are also lead to believe that if they don’t do what every other man on the streets is doing, then they won’t make it anywhere in life. On the reservation the kids believe their only way out is to become NBA players or â€Å"powwowers†. Powwower’s are traditional Native American cheerleaders or dancers. Much like the African Americans growing up in the projects, the life expectancy rate for those living on a reservation is in the mid forties. Considering that both of these locations are in the United States mid forties is very young of age. Many of these people don’t live very long because they don’t have enough money to take care of themselves as well as their families. They also aren’t able to live a healthy lifestyle which shortens their days. Death is common in the two locations which leaves these two young groups wondering what’s beyond the age forty. Lastly, family structure is very important in a household. In the projects many of the homes lack a very strong family structure. Children growing up in the projects nine times out of ten don’t have both parents in the home. Most of them are drug dealers, alcoholics, prostitutes, or doing any and everything to try and provide for the child. Although these parents are trying to provide for their children a lot of the time they are also on welfare. Moreover, these children’s parents aren’t ever around, they sometimes go days without having anything to eat. Many of the young men follow after the footsteps of their father, older brother, or uncles which is why this cycle has continued for so long. Native Americans typically stick together as a unit. According to Sherman Alexie, an award winning author who grew up on a reservation, â€Å"Native American children are taught to be suspicious of Caucasian people. † Native Americans teach this to their children because there are many people in America that are against minorities and believe that just because they are the majority they’re better. A lot of the parents on a reservation go from job to job not being able to keep one job for a long period of time. Many of these parents are also alcoholics. On the other hand, some of these families on these reservations are very family oriented unlike the African American families in the projects. These Native American families have up to seventeen family members living in one house. They keep their families very close and are very supportive of one another rather then being against each other like African Americans. The parents watch over their children to make sure they don’t go down the wrong path in life. Although these families are experiencing hard times they cheer each other up and manage to smile every once in a while. Therefore, the Native Americans family structure is stronger then African Americans. In conclusion, Native American youth living on a reservation have it better then African American youth living in the projects. Both of these minorities are going through some hardships. From alcoholic parents to not having anything to eat they both are suffering as young children. Native American families provide a safer living environment, work harder, and look after one another, where as African Americans are against one another, on the streets all day, and are strongly associated with violence. As the years go on these families are hoping that the government will separate people in the projects and those living on reservations and provide them both with a better living situation. If these environments are separated the United States will be one step closer to eliminating violence in America.

Detente Was Caused By Political And Economic Motivations History Essay

Detente Was Caused By Political And Economic Motivations History Essay In the context of the Cold War, dà ©tente (the French word for relaxation) was an easing of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. It lasted through the 1970s, starting with the Nixon administration and ending with the Carter administration. Dà ©tente was mainly caused by political and economic motivations. The Sino-Soviet Split strained relations between the Soviet Union and China, the two largest Communist countries at the time. As China began to form a more diplomatic relationship with the United States, evidenced by President Nixons visit to China in 1972, the USSR feared that an alliance between the two countries would undermine its power, prompting it to seek amicable relations with the United States as well. Economic motivations were also a factor. Before dà ©tente, both the US and the USSR stockpiled weapons to keep on par with the other it was believed that Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) could be averted only if both countries had the same nuclear capability. However, nuclear arms buildup was proving to be more and more unfeasible for both countries. In the United States, a combination of arms buildup and the Vietnam War strained the federal budget and stifled President Johnson and Nixons domestic policy of the expanding social welfare. Naturally, dà ©tente led to greater cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union. Probably the most significant act of cooperation between the two countries was the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (dubbed SALT I) of 1972, an agreement that limited nuclear arms production for both countries. During the same year, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty limited systems that defended against Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). The Apollo-Soyuz project in July 1975 was a space flight cooperative between the two countries, where American astronauts worked collaboratively alongside Russian cosmonauts on scientific experiments. The project eased Space Race tensions and provided a foundation for future space cooperatives such as the International Space Station. Cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union also extended economically, as the US shipped grain to the USSR after the failure of its collectivized agriculture program, where the state controlled large conglomerate farms. Unfortunately, however, dà ©tente was abandoned by the 1980s. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan forced President Jimmy Carter to abandon the SALT II talks that were in progress and to increase US military spending. President Reagan continued the increase of Cold War tensions throughout his presidency, until the collapse of the Soviet Union by the end of the 1980s. Diogenes -412 BCE to 323 BCE -Greek Philosopher, co-founder of Cynic philosophy -Life -Born in Sinope, a Greek colony -Worked with father as a banker, exiled for defacing currency -Traveled to Greece and made a personal goal of challenging the status quo -Became the pupil of the ascetic Antisthenes, who was a pupil of Socrates -Captured by pirates on his way to Aegina; sold to the Corinthian Xeniades; tutored Xeniades sons and lived in Corinth for the rest of his life -Divergent stories of his death: held his breath, infection from a dog bite, complications from eating a raw octopus; supposedly, he left instructions to be cast outside the wall of the city after he died so that animals could eat his carcass -Philosophy -None of his written works survive; anecdotes about his life provide the source for his philosophy -Protested against the artificial material comforts of society and called for a return to a simplistic life in harmony with nature -Obscene: urinated and defecated and masturbated in public -Called himself a citizen of the world, a cosmopolite, at an era where ones social standing was intimately tied with ones city-state. -Diogenes the Dog: -The word cynic is derived from the Greek word meaning dog -Living shamelessly -Extolled the dogs honest simple living and mocked the artifice and hypocrisy of civilized living -Anecdotes -Threw away his wooden bowl as a child so he could drink from his hands -Said to have lived in a tub -Walked with a lamp in broad daylight, as he was looking for humans -When Alexander asked him if there was a favor he wanted, he told Alexander to stand out of his sunlight Diogenes Diogenes was a Greek philosopher who lived from 412 BCE to 323 BCE. As a co-founder of the Cynic philosophy, he is famous for anecdotes of his asceticism and disregard for social conventions. Born in Sinope, a Greek colony, in his youth Diogenes worked with his father as a banker. He was exiled from the city after he was found complicit in a controversy surrounding the defacement of currency. After being exiled, he settled in Athens and made a personal commitment to challenge the status quo there. He subscribed to the ascetic philosophy of Antisthenes, who was a pupil of Socrates, and became his only pupil. At some point in time, he was captured by pirates on his way to visit the Greek city of Aegina. The pirates then sold him to a Corinthian man named Xeniades. Diogenes tutored Xeniades sons and lived in Corinth for the rest of his life. There are multiple accounts of his death: he either died by holding his breath, by an infection from a dog bite, or from complications after eating raw octopus. Supposedly, he left instructions to be cast outside the wall of the city after he died so that animals could eat his carcass. While it is believed that Diogenes had a respectable body of written work, none survive today; only anecdotes about his life provide the source for his philosophy. As a Cynic, he protested against the artificial material comforts of society and called for a return to a simplistic life in harmony with nature. In perhaps the most famous anecdote about Diogenes, Alexander the Great, awed by the great philosopher, asked him what favor could he do for him. Diogenes only asked Alexander to step away, for he was blocking the sunlight. During a time when success was measured in material gains, he lived in destitute poverty. It was said that, as a young boy, he cast away his wooden bowl so that he could drink from his hands. During a time when ones social standing was intimately tied with ones city-state, he called himself a citizen of the world a cosmopolite. As Diogenes lampooned the follies of man, he praised the virtues of the dog indeed, the word cynic is derived from the Greek word me aning dog. He himself was comparable to a dog, as he lived shamelessly he often defecated and urinated in public, much to the chagrin of the people around him. Because of his radical break from the traditions of his time, Diogenes is still well-remembered today. He is often seen as a symbol of truth and honesty an image of candid, if eccentric, simplicity against corrupt artificiality.

Main Reason Behind Trade Union Decline Commerce Essay

Main Reason Behind Trade Union Decline Commerce Essay Trade Union decline is today common across the world. However, in the first half of the last century unions were at the zenith of their power, and were almost synonymous with employment relations in most of the industrialised nations. They were perhaps the only vehicle for employee voice through collective bargaining and industrial action in those times (Freeman and Medoff, 1984). Since the early 1950s, the union movement started seeing a downfall in the United States (Blanchflower and Bryson,2008). While the effect was more pronounced and early in the USA, the trend soon caught up in the UK and European nations. By the 1980s, the effects started to show dramatically on union membership and density figures in UK. Countries like Australia (Waddoups, 2001), Japan, India, and China (Kuruvilla et al.,2002) have also seen a southward trend in membership since the 1990s. Even in a country like Germany where the union membership has not declined sizeably, a variety of factors suggest that u nion power has been declining (Katz, 2005). In the UK, as per the WERS2004 data, aggregate membership density fell from over 50% in the late 1970s to around 30% by 2000. The number of workplaces with union members present fell from 73% in 1984 to 54% by 1998. The proportion of workplaces where unions are recognised by employers fell from 53% in 1990 to 45% in 1998. The number of employees whose pay is determined by collective bargaining fell from around 70% in the late 1970s to 27% in 2004 (Bryson and Forth, 2010). But why is membership so important? Unions derive power by controlling the supply of labour through union organisation and thus union membership is an indicator (or rather a prerequisite) of trade union power (Blyton Turnbull, 2004 p138). The other headspring of union influence is their voice within the political arena and the ability to clog businesses through industrial action. All of these have taken a hit since the 1980s owing to multiple influences arguably leading to membership decline. The scope of this essay is to examine the critical reasons for this decline through the workers lens largely in the UK, with support from similar trends in other parts of the world. It is now beyond dispute that union membership and density have fallen beyond imagination causing much agony to unionists, but, what needs to be explored is whether the perception of unions in the eyes of the worker has indeed diminished. Hence Diminishing Worth, Increasing Woes might have been an apt title for this essay. The CBIs Director of Employment Affairs had once quoted: collective bargaining no longer presents itself as the only or even the most obvious method of handling relations at work; fewer employees and employers feel the need for union mediation in their dealings (Gilbert 1993: 252 as cited by Claydon in Beardwell,1996 p144); Millward et al, (2000) have also concluded that union membership decline was the result of a withering of enthusiasm on the part of workers ( cited in Charlwood, 2003); So, one might be tempted to agree that workers no longer see value in membership; but there is not one single reason which can be attributed to this precipitous fall in union membership. A myriad of factors like the political landscape of the times along with the legal reforms, some macro and micro-economic issues, and the socio-demographic changes have to be considered. In fact, some researchers have looked internal to hint that unions are the architects of their own fall (Dunn, 2009). In order to understand the reasons for decrease in union membership, it might be prudent to ask , Why do workers join a union? Why or Why Not Unions?: The main motive for employees to join a union comes from a pluralist view where they feel they have different interests from managers (Bacon in Redman Wilkinson, 2006). Waddington and Whitstone(1997), provide the top two reasons as to why employees continue to join unions; first, to get support if there was any trouble and second, to improve their pay and conditions. Guest Dewe, advocate a relationship between job dissatisfaction and willingness to unionise (1988); Ratified to some degree by Charlwood,(2002). The rational choice theory explains that workers are inclined to join a union if the benefits they receive exceed the cost of joining (Guest and Dewe,1988). The sociological point of view provided is that, an individuals social context, parental occupation and pattern of social interaction are likely to influence the desire to be a union member (Guest and Dewe,1988; Visser, 2000). Therefore, people do come with a pre-conceived belief whether to join or not join a union which might get subsequently modified based on their experience and political inclination(Charlwood, 2002). Hyman was quoted on BBC News, (2004), being a union member has ceased to be the social norm, and a new generation has grown up who not only are not trade unionists, but whose parents have never been in unions either. John Monks (2001), former General Secretary of the TUC, also confessed, there is a general assumption among non-union workers that unions are for blue collar workers with problems, not white collar workers with opportunities (Blyton and Turnbull,2004 p141). These socio-psychological contexts are to be borne in mind before we look at the other reasons which might have influenced workers attitudes and thereby union membership. Thatcherism: 10 Downing Street is considered to be the place where it all began; where the future of employment relations in the UK was rewritten by the conservative government under Mrs Thatcher in 1979. The impact of the iron ladys legislative reforms on trade unions and membership is an all time favourite with most writers. The exclusion of unions from any role in national policy making, encouraging management to assume greater control within the workplace (Waddington, as cited in Edwards 2003 p216) were direct hits on the source of the Unions power. At the peak of union membership and density in 1979, almost 40 per cent of all trade unionists (23% of all workers) were covered by a closed shop (Dunn and Gennard, 1984). So in 1980, when closed shop agreements were almost made illegal, coverage fell to 8% and in 1990 to 2 %.(Millward et al., 2000 as in Blyton and Turnbull 2004). The 1982 Employment Act, also delivered a severe blow to the Unions which had its desired repercussions ( Taylor, 2000). In fact, the WERS98 data indicates that only a minority of members (46%) believe that unions can make a difference to what it is like to work here'( Cully et all,1999, p213) Blyton and Turnbull suggest the reason behind this cynical view might be the impact of the legislation that weakened both individual and collective employment rights (2004). Hence government legislation combining with employer policies can be seen as a synergistic project to create a potent gradualist route to union exclusion (Smith and Morton 1993: 100 as cited in Beardwell 1996 p156). But this might not hold true in hindsight today, since the Conservatives have lost power for over 15 years and yet the trend has not reversed or even rectified even after some of the future governments have taken a liberal view of the unions with the statutory support for unions reinstated in 1999. In his book charting the growth and leadership of the TUC, Robert Taylor (2000) indicates that the union leadership wa s well aware of the changing times much before the Thatcher government came into power and that the termites of ineffective leadership had already hollowed the unions from within; so when the winds blew hard after the winter of discontent the structure just fell apart as a natural process. Union De-recognition: Managements attitudes towards unions and their growing indifference to union recognition has also been considered to be an additive to union decline (Disney et al., 1995). Ackers and Payne are of the view that, businesses are increasingly turning hostile to unions (1998). Edwards, mentions a unitary view where unions are looked upon as external pathological elements causing disturbance [to management] (2003). Encouraged by the changing legislations, management in the private sector did not miss the opportunity to sideline unions. While they did not really work towards de-recognition, they carefully eliminated collective bargaining rights affecting pay conditions from unions in newer and private sectors (Beaumont and Harris, 1995). This has been a key determinant in membership decline as mentioned by Bryson and Forth, (2010). Thus, Charlwood, (2003) agrees any withering of enthusiasm for unions on the part of the workforce was a response to the assertion of manag erial prerogatives. Undoubtedly, the presence of a union is the least required for an employee to join a union. Green (1990), for example, found that ( using data from the general household survey) 30% of female part-time workers were Union members, but where a union was available to join, the membership rose to almost 60%. The 1998 British Social Attitudes survey shows 40% of non union employees expressed a willingness to join a union if they had one. If all these people join a union then membership will increase by 3.2 million, this is consistent with similar studies in North America (cited in Charlwood, 2003). Rise of HRM: When the news of alternative practices in non unionised companies like IBM and HP travelled the Atlantic in the early 80s, it affected management practices here in the UK and Europe as well. It has been suggested by Lucio and Weston(1992, as cited in Blyton Turnbull,1992) that unions were unable to focus on the emerging issues concerning employment such as health and safety, equal opportunities, worker participation and others and continued to reflect on the narrow areas of pay and conditions; and as they neglected to tie the new issues back into collective bargaining , the legislative framework surrounding these issues left management the task of unifying these rights within Employment relations as HRM. In a study of an IBM plant in the UK by Dickson et al(1988), employees identified with the individualistic ethos of the company and deemed no requirement for a Union, since the company provided them with good pay and conditions, fair performance management systems and i ncentives, opportunities for growth and development, job security and grievance mechanisms, and a positive ER climate which might have been the functions of a union (cited in Redman and Wilkinson,2006). The rise of newer practices of voice representation and direct employee participation have added to the agony of traditional IR practitioners. These HRM strategies are perceived by trade unionists as an encroachment into their territory (Blyton and Turnbull, 1992) However, empirical evidence does not support this view in totality. The first general finding from WERS98 is that HRM practices are strongly associated with a recognised union presence (Cully et all 1999). Guest (2001), mentions in the 1998 IPD survey among union members 26% employees felt they were more fairly treated because they were union members; only about 3 percent felt that they were treated less fairly. This means about 69% were indifferent about unions; a similar trend showed in non union members where almost 70% thought union membership made no difference. It also showed that workers are more likely to put credence to a union at work where they felt management did not have great HRM practices (Storey, 2001). Workforce Composition: In the 1950s union membership was largely concentrated among the 3M workers male, manual and manufacturing (Visser, 2000). Between 1999 and 2009, the pedigree of union members became more feminized, older, educated, dominated by workers in non-manual jobs and those working in the public sector (Bryson and Forth, 2010). Many researchers (Brown et al., 1997; Millward et al., 1992, Bryson and Gomez, 2005, Towers, 1989) have argued that the changing composition of the workforce, like the shift in employment from manufacturing to services and the growing labor market participation of women and part- time workers have been important contributory factors to lesser propensity to unionisation . However, this is just a symptom, not a diagnosis of the problem. As Kelly(1990) pointed out there is no reason why a decline in manufacturing or growth of female employment should automatically signal a decline in union membership'( as cited in Blyton and Turnbull, 2004 p142). A point worth considering is that with the rise in real wages, workers had no stipulation to join unions, while the rampant unemployment of the times provided employers with wider choices and hence an opportunity to resist unionisation. The increase in free-riding and never- membership have also posed a setback to unions as mentioned by Bryson and Forth(2010). There are currently almost three million free-riders among the eight million covered employees in Britain. This increasing trend is causing more problems for trade unions since they are representing such workers in collective bargaining without receiving anything in return in terms of membership dues. By 2006-8, half of all employees were never- members (Bryson and Forth,2010). This might be attributed to a rise in individualism among workers as opposed to a collective approach in the past or it might be an indication of failure to organise on part of the Unions. Failure to Organise: Undoubtedly, the perception of union power has diminished over the years leading to the waning of appetite to join unions. One of the primary causes might be that Unions could not organise themselves well in the changing years to retain their agenda or increase their agenda. Whether pressurised by legislation or de-recognition by management, unions have accepted concessions in collective bargaining in recent years, which has led to further erosion of their perceived powers. Trade unions were initially slow to meet the neo-liberal challenge posed by the Conservative government, with the consequence that its impact was amplified. Until 1987, the majority of unions openly opposed the legislation and hoped for the election of a Labour Government that would repeal the legislations (Taylor, 2000; Edward 2003). Millward et al, (2000) and Machin (2000) believe the key reason for union decline is their failure to organise workers and gain recognition for collective bargai ning in new firms and workplaces. The poor organisation of the union leaders and stewards has also led to a loss of faith in members and left no choice for workers but to renounce their collective rights and give in to the devils bargain in lieu for a more individualistic employment contract. Geary, (2006) found that only 24 percent of non union employees in unionised companies were ever asked to join the union and the remaining 76% were never even approached. In difficult times as these, this lackadaisical approach has cost unions a lot more than what they could anticipate. Union Response and Future Trends: Unions of late have embarked on a series of reforms to policy, structure and activity to pull up their act (Williams, 1997; Wright ACAS, 2011). In spite of the decline in membership, Unions still have many areas of opportunity. As Hyman (1997) has indicated, workers have a broad range of potential and competing interests, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (as cited by Heery, 2003) and Unions as representatives have the choice both in terms of picking the interests and the methods. Some studies suggest that HRM initiatives introduced over the past 20 years have had little impact on workers perceptions of them and us ( Kelly and Kelly 1991;Dart and Turner 1999) So unions will benefit if they were to take a more proactive approach rather than reactive to HRM practices. Guest (in Storey, 2001) mentions that WERS98 offered a list of nine conventional items like pay, payment systems, grievances handling, health and safety and training. There was no negotiation with union re presentatives over any of these nine issues in half the workplaces where unions were recognised. On a average unions negotiated on only 1.1 of the nine issues while non-union reps negotiated over 0.9 issues. Hence, the picture that emerges is one of limited industrial action. There are almost half of all organisations and a majority in the private sectors where there is neither a union presence nor great HR practices this could be an opportunity for unions. the other ray of hope for unions is that, the percentage of employees in British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA) who say the workplace union is doing its job well has been rising since 1997 both among union and non-members (as seen in Fig 1. Bryson and Forth, 2010). There is thus some support for the notion that unions have re-oriented themselves in recent years. Fig. 1 Percent age agreeing union doing its job well, 1983-2008 (Note: Employees working 10+ hours in unionised workplaces.) Source: British Social Attitudes Survey. In conclusion, it cannot be denied that the perceived power of unions has been severely affected and this could have led to workers not seeing value in their membership. The reason why workers might have been indifferent to unions are manifold but the key reason that emerges is the inability of the unions to organise and sell their benefits to their customers. The legislation, alternative management practices, undoubtedly aided the workers feelings and so the statement given cannot be the main reason for trade union decline. But if we take the BSA in fig 1. above, this notion is slowly giving way to some expectations from unions. While the image and brand of trade unions has been severely affected and the damage is considered beyond repair by many, as Purcell (1993) said, this is the end of institution IR, but there are areas where unions can make a difference only if they organise themselves well and there are pockets of opportunity if they are willing to look beyond traditional IR practices. But can they reverse the trend? Do they have the will or skill to do it ? Only time can tell.

Divorce is An American Family Tragedy Essay -- Informative Essays Fami

In America today, one of our main life goals is to marry the person we fall in love with, live happily ever after, and skip gleefully away to live the American dream. In most cases, after marriage then comes children which starts a family. This has been a part of human nature since the beginning. Marriage and family are the backbone of our culture. Families need each other for support, dependence, learning, love, encouragement, and ultimately survival. Parents are the ones that supply these needs, meanwhile supplying their own needs by depending on each other for love and support. Only the two of them can give this support because of what they are to each other, husband and wife. When two people get married, they are obviously in love and feel that they want to spend the rest of their lives with each other. They make the ultimate commitment to love one another and one another only, forsaking all others til death do they part. So if this is such an important part of our culture and we have such high goals to get married, then why do 40% of marriages end in divorce? Why does America have the highest divorce rate in the world? What makes couple who previously had fallen madly in love fall out of love and into divorce? What are the main causes of divorce and what are some of the warning signs that you, if you are married or soon to be married should be award of if you do not want your marriage to fail and become one of the statistics? There are many reasons people divorce and there are always very unique circumstances around certain divorces. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census taken in 1992, younger people are marrying for the first time and only about 50-60% of these couples? marriages are surviving. That... ... of Denver and PREP Inc. Adults and children are at increased risk for mental and physical problems due to marital distress and divorce. Marital problems are associated with decreased work productivity, especially for men. Married men and women in all age groups are less likely to be limited in activity due to illness than single, separated, or divorced individuals (National Center for Health Statistics, 1997). Also children living with a single parent or adult report a higher percentage of activity limitation and higher rates of disability. They are also more likely to be in poorer health than children who do not come from a divorced family. Think about this before you untie the knot. The dangers that financial problems, lack of communication, and failure to work together as a team can impose on your marriage or future marriage can have devastating effects.

Brave New World :: essays research papers

Title: Brave New World Significance of Title: In Shakespeare’s The Tempest, in act 5 scene 1, on line 204, Mira states: â€Å"How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in’t!† To say the least, this book has quite a few references to Shakespeare. This segment in particular is used, because the setting of the book is of a ‘brave new world’ where almost everything is different from our current situation, and outwardly, every member of the society seems content in their position. It is likely that Huxley thought this was slightly ironic, as what appears to be a perfect government is in reality ultimately oppressive of the most basic personal freedoms, infringing even upon the opinions of its constituents. Author: Aldous Huxley Significant facts about the author: Aldous Huxley was born in Surrey, England on July 26, 1894 to a family deeply rooted in England's literary and scientific tradition. Huxley's father, Leonard Huxley, was the son of Thomas Henry Huxley, a well-known biologist who gained the nickname "Darwin's bulldog" for supporting Charles Darwin's evolutionary ideas. His mother, Julia Arnold, was related to the important nineteenth-century poet and essayist Matthew Arnold. Brought up by a family of teachers and scientists, Huxley had an exceptional education. His intelligence was very well balanced between English writing and science, making him a very good science fiction writer. Huxley was very eager to believe new theories and ideas in the science world, and quickly incorporated them into his novels, which, although unscientific, produced extremely entertaining results. Huxley’s writing has also been affected by a partial blindness that he contracted at an early age. First of all, it forced him out of his preferred career as a doctor, and it also show up in quite a few of his novels as a theme. After graduating from Oxford in 1916, Huxley began to make a name for himself writing satirical pieces about the British upper class. Though these writings were skillful and gained Huxley an audience and literary name, they were generally considered to be somewhat vapid and meaningless. Huxley continued to write prolifically, working as an essayist and journalist, and publishing four volumes of poetry before beginning to work on novels. Without giving up his other writing, beginning in 1921, Huxley produced a series of novels at an astonishing rate: Crome Yellow was published in 1921, followed by Antic Hay in 1923, Those Barren Leaves in 1925, and Point Counter Point in 1928.