Compare and Contrast the Colonization of Jamestown, Plymouth

HIST 1301: U. S. History to 1865 Fall 2012 Essay Assignment #1 Question: Compare and contrast the colonization of Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay. Be sure to discuss the settlers involved, the purpose of the colonies, the success or failure of the colony, important developments associated with colonization, and the role of religion in the colony. HIST-1301-009 – U. S. HISTORY TO 1865 Essay Assignment #1 Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay are all belong to English Colonization. There have some similarities and differences among these three places.Jamestown has no settler, but only 100 male adventures which was leaded by Captain John Smith looking for quick profit. Then, Thomas Gates sails 500 colonists and Lord Delaware arrives with 150 colonists in Jamestown. However, different with Jamestown, although Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay were settled by different people; Plymouth was steeled by Separatists from the Church of England and Massachusetts Bay was stee led by Non-Separating Congregationalists, but those settlers are all Puritans. The settlers of Plymouth are 101 men, women and children.In Massachusetts Bay, over 1000 Puritans sail for America in 1631 after 1630. Jamestown is for those adventures looking for a quick profit. But in Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, both of them settled up not for quick. Plymouth was settled to avoid persecution. Massachusetts Bay was settled to reform the Church of England, to some extent, the colonists build a new society in there. Unfortunately, not like the success in Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, the colonization of Jamestown is failure. From 1607 to 1624, people in Jamestown died from 14,000 to 1,132.In Plymouth, after they settled the colony up, it still had many people died at the first winner. The colonists helped the Wampanoags, and colony became self-sufficient in the following year. Then, civil government also grew out of church government. As Plymouth’s success, Massachusetts Bay also success in colonization. The colonists formed the New England Company, and Charles I grant a charter to the company. Finally John Winthrop moved the company to America to ensure the Puritan control. Even though Jamestown is failure, there still have many developments in colony. Related article: Jamestown and Plymouth Compare and ContrastTobacco became goods in exportation, colony accepted the Head-Right Policy to gain more settlers, and colonists granted the right of Englishmen. In Plymouth, colonists signed for the Mayflower Compact and became civil government because they landed off course and outside governmental jurisdiction. Massachusetts Bay had General Court. It was form by Winthrop and a few people, after more and more people got in, it finally became a legislative body in 1634, and became bicameral in following year. From Jamestown, there is no any religion get involved.Just some adventures want to get money in the short time, so they established the colony. However, different from Jamestown, religion plays a crucial role in Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay. First of all, the settlers of Plymouth are Separatists from the Church of England, and the settlers of Massachusetts Bay are Non-Separating Congregationalists. Both of those settlers are Puritans . Furthermore, Plymouth’s settlers established colony for avoid persecution, and Massachusetts Bay’s settlers established colony for reform the Church of England. Religion relates to these two colonies at the beginning.

Similarities Between Men and Women

Sociology of Women October 18th, 2012 Are men and women more similar or different from each other? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each position? If not a gender dichotomy (male/female), then what? Can we unlearn, as a culture, the ins and outs of gender? Is gender a question of exclusion or is it a question of difference? Women and Men are more similar than people believe them to be. People focus on the evident physical differences we see on a daily basis in men and women.Women are commonly described to have breasts, a vagina, and are considered more â€Å"voluptuous† or curvy than men, Whereas men are known for their manly tools, their penis, and all the preconceived social and cultural notions that go along with that. However, aside from these minor physical differences men and women are innately the same. Although most people do not realize this, the only legitimate difference that is scientifically proven between men and women is that a woman’s body contai ns two X chromosomes and a man’s contains an X and Y chromosome (Connell, 2012, pg. 1). This biological difference then allows a woman’s body to develop slightly differently to enable reproduction, such as a womb, breasts, and wider pelvis. A man then develops testes but surprisingly both men and women’s genitals come from the same embryonic tissue. In other words biologically a penis and clitoris, scrotum and labia, come from the exact same starting place, and until people age these physical characteristics aren’t drastically visibly different (Connell, 2012, pg. 52).One of the most ridiculous arguments about the differences between men and women comes back to our hormones. Many people are taught the differences between men and women throughout popular culture and education but not similarities. We are taught that our gendered bodies do not share any of the same physical characteristics. Men should be buff, taller, and able to do more in terms of strengt h while women should be graceful, dainty, caregivers that are objects to look at. Most people are unaware of all the commonalities that men and women share.In fact our hormones function in the same ways, and there are not â€Å"male† or â€Å"female† hormones. The difference is the levels and patterns our hormones take on. Men generally have higher levels of androgens such as testosterone whereas women have higher levels of reproductive organs at certain points. What most people are unaware of is that the same reproductive hormones present in women also work in men to enable the process of sperm production (Women's Studies Collective, 2005, pg. 87). There is a huge overlap in the levels and process our bodies take on.As explained in the text, â€Å"Even in early adulthood the physical characteristics of males and females as a group overlap extensively† (Connell, 2009, pg. 52). Height is used as an example, because adult men are generally slightly taller than adu lt women, but the variety of heights within each biological group is large, in relation to the average difference. Many argue that the build of a man and a woman are completely different. It is true that men on average grow about 10 to 15 percent larger than females and tend to have more upper body strength, but in comparison to other mammals the margin is slim.Universities across the United States are providing new research that suggests it was similarities among men and women of our early ancestors, not differences which helped early humans evolve to become the dominant species that we are. To understand the similarities of men and women you must understand that sex is a biological categorization based primarily on reproductive potential, whereas gender is the social elaboration of biological sex. Not surprisingly, social norms for heterosexual coupling and care of any resulting children are closely intertwined with gender.But that is far from the full story. Gender builds on biol ogical sex, but it exaggerates biological difference, and it carries biological difference into domains in the world which it is completely irrelevant. There is no biological reason, for example, why women should take more delicate roles in the world and men should dominate in society, or why women should have red toenails and men should not, but as we consider sex as biological and gender as social, this difference is not clear-cut.Men and women require the same types of emotional and physical care from the time of birth to adulthood, in order to remain healthy and functioning members of society. Both male and female brains are exactly the same. An argument that is commonly seen about the male and female brain is that on average a man’s brains grows for a bit longer and are a bit larger than females, but aside from the slight size difference both a male and females brain can function the same way. Size does not relate to function. Both men and women go through life trying to fulfill a desire to have emotional connections with others.Whether these are positive or negative emotional connections based on the persons experiences, men and women still try to fulfill the same voids. Men and women also require the same physical care from birth to adulthood. Both men and women need to be physically cared for in order to survive. Men and women both require the basic needs to have food, water, shelter, and personal hygiene in order to maintain their health. Without one of these things either sex could die. This is explained clearly is Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which explains that you satisfy your biological needs before your personal and social needs.According to Maslow, when it comes to satisfying your needs, you begin at the bottom of the needs hierarchy, with physiological needs, and then work your way toward the top. Every level on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains needs that both men and women require such as Level 1-Physiological needs: Food, water, sex, and sleep, Level 2-Safety needs: Protection from harm, Level 3- Love and belonging needs: Affiliation with others and acceptance by others, Level 4-Esteem needs: Achievement, competency, gaining approval and recognition, Level 5- Self-actualization: Fulfillment of one’s unique potential (Plotnik ; Kouyoumdjian, 2011, pg. 33). Another huge argument regarding the differences between men and women is sexual behaviors and urges. However, it is becoming more obvious that both men and women have the same sexual desires and urges and it’s becoming more socially acceptable for both man and woman to engage in these behaviors in Western Society. In previous times men were described to have more sexual urges and behaviors than women which excused them from any promiscuous behavior they engaged in. However, if a woman chose to do similar things she ould be shunned and looked down upon because she was being â€Å"too promiscuous† or a â€Å"whore. à ¢â‚¬  Reality is that both men and women have very complex sexual lives, with few major differences. Often time’s differences are seen across sexes because of societal and cultural beliefs within that community. If a woman having sex with more than one partner is considered a sin and dirty in many cultures these instances are kept quiet to keep order. The same goes with a man, but often only men’s sexual tales are spoken of as less sinful.Society proves time and time again to be sexual biased on what is acceptable for men and women. Men and women are both simply results of societal and cultural upbringing. A woman in a Western society versus a Middle-Eastern society would behave differently due to family, beliefs, values, and Religion. Strengths for a man versus a woman are based on personal beliefs. I think that both men and women have too many similarities to not be considered equal, but there are not enough strong-willed women such as myself with the same thought p rocess.Western culture presents men as stronger physically, and ultimately the bread winner, where a woman is considered a caregiver, and delicate. It’s very hard to explain the strengths and weaknesses of two different sexes that are innately the same. A dichotomy is any splitting of a whole into exactly two non-overlapping parts, meaning a gender dichotomy is a procedure in which biological sex is divided into two parts, male and female. Societies around the world use a gender dichotomy to keep order and help better organize and understand sex and gender.Although with how much evidence there is on both man and woman overlapping we have no use for a gender dichotomy, and yet society remains the same to keep gender in order. With the elimination of a gender dichotomy society may eventually be able to see both man and woman as equal, but truth is we are still so far from that. In order to eliminate the separation of biological sex into two parts people would need to unlearn wh at they know about gender, which is far from happening. As a culture to unlearn something mass groups of people need to step forward with new information proving the previous to be wrong.However, feminism is still a growing movement with small numbers, and in order to make social change, sadly enough, we need large numbers of people to explain the facts. If people understood the real depths of feminism and what it entails in a positive way, The Feminist movement could help move forward how people view men and women as more similar than different. Human beings are like sponges for knowledge, and are able to obtain new information to help remove the old, so I am not saying that it is impossible to unlearn the ins and outs of gender, I am simply saying that as most progression does, it will take time.References Connell, R. (2012). Short introductions gender. (2nd ed. , pg. 50-71). Massachusetts, USA: Polity Press. Women's Studies Collective, H. C. (2005). Women's Realities, Women's Cho ices- An Introduction to Women's Studies. (3rd ed. , pg. 85-87). New York, New York: Oxford University Press. Plotnik, R. , ; Kouyoumdjian, H. (2011). Introduction to Psychology. (9th ed. , p. 333). Belmont, CA, USA: Wadsworth- Cengage Learning.

Accounting for Decision Making Essay

Transfer Pricing 1. Calculate the increase or decrease in profits for the three divisions and the company as a whole (four separate computations) if the agreement is enforced. Explain your thought process, comment on the situation, and make a  suggestion based on the computations you have made. Given that we have the operating costs of Division C, we can calculate their loss from reduced output. In the case of Division A and Division B, the reduction in cost related to lower outside cost would be considered profit change. The proposal increases profit, but leaves Division C under-utilized. The fixed cost of under utilization would have to be considered before I would suggest the Company go to the new proposal. My suggestion is to go ahead with the new proposal and increase Division C output and sell to outside customers. 2. Evaluate and discuss the implications of the following transfer pricing policies. Transfer pricing policies should include a fixed cost portion of the internal supplier to identify the true cost. Profit taken by the internal supplier is overall company profit. By using a standard costing process, the internal supplier would be expected to keep efficiency at standard. In this case. Division C had profit from part 101 at $300 per unit and part 201 at $800 per unit. If the fixed cost of Division C were included in the transfer price, it would not be necessary to identify a profit per part. a. Transfer price = cost plus a mark-up for the selling division This policy provides contribution to the cost of the selling division. The mark up must be appropriate to nulify the cost of the selling department, but not to make the selling department a high proofit center. b. Transfer price = fair market value This policy will force profit to be declared within the selling division and may or may not provide a means of tracking efficiency. If the fair market value generates a lot of profit for the company this should be used. c. Transfer price = price negotiated by the managers See more: Unemployment – problems and solutions essay This is a policy that can create challenging and meaningful relationships between departments. Since the price is negotiated, the result would be benefitial for the company and would encourage competition between divisions. Although the ending price should be less than fair market value. 3. Why is transfer pricing such a significant issue both from a financial and managerial perspective? From a financial perspective, transfer pricing can help improve profits and allows the company more control of quality which would improve profits. It does casue additional financial reporting  for the selling division. From a managerial perspective transfer pricing can create a competitive environment within the company resulting in lower cost and higher profit. It can cause problems if one department is making more profit than another, unless it is clearly identified as efficiency variance. In managerial accounting, when different divisions of a multi-entity company are in charge of their own profits, they are also responsible for their own â€Å"Return on Invested Capital†. Therefore, when divisions are required to transact with each other, a transfer price is used to determine costs. Transfer prices tend not to differ much from the price in the market because one of the entities in such a transaction will lose out: they will either be buying for more than the prevailing market price or selling below the market price, and this will affect their performance. Division C data 2012 Proposed Part DM DL VOH TP AnVol Cost of Unit Unit Profit Total Profit Volume Profit Lost Profit 101 $200 $200 $300 $1,000 3000 $700 $300 $900,000 2000 $600,000 $300,000 201 $300 $300 $600 $2,000 1000 $1,200 $800 $800,000 500 $400,000 $400,000 $1,700,000 $1,000,000 $700,000 101 201 Outside Required Unit Cost Outside $ Profit Current A 3000 1000 4000 $900 $900,000 B 1000 1000 2000 $1,900 $1,900,000 C 3000 1000 4000 Proposed A 2000 2000 4000 $1,800,000 $900,000 B 500 1500 2000 $2,850,000 $950,000 C 2000 500 2500 Change in Profit Follow formula path for further explanation Division A $900,000 Division B $950,000 Division C ($700,000) Total Company $1,150,000 Source: Investopedia.com

Family Friendly Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Family Friendly Workplace - Essay Example On the other hand in stage two, this is where there is a more supportive culture, widened perception of work and family, and a well-planned or coordinated set of reactions. Finally, in the last stage, is where companies or workplace organizations start to encounter the status quo and putting their attention towards forming a real family-friendly culture and neighboring community (Poelmans, & Caligiuri, 2008). Once an organization has put into practice one program or policy, the initial anxieties is unnecessary but instead, the firm has the prospective of widen its programs and carry on with the same for over a long period of time. The following figure illustrates the evolution and advancement work/family programs based on the research conducted by Family and Work Institute. The prospect of many business organizations or varied work places based on the quality of life for the employees’ families may rely entirely on how work and family engagements are solved. According to Crout er, & Booth (2009) adequate focus to these issues will be significant for promoting growth and development of the businesses or any organization. STAGE ONE Coming up with a programmatic approach or response STEP TWO Constructing an integrated attitude STEP THREE Transforming the culture COMMITMENT Emerging though uncertain issue Family friendly work place as a human resource issue Work life a competitive Overcoming presumptions: Forming a family friendly workplace is not a business issue. Parity implies the same policy for all workers Family friendly work place is a woman’s affair Child care assistance implies forming on or near-site amenities. Attention on child care is widened to entail other work/ family aspects such as relocation and elder care. Programs and policies widened The aspects of family friendly workplace in the entire company are incorporated in such subjects as gender parity and diversity. There is a drive towards a life-cycle attitude, hence widening the idea of work-family to work/life Company concerns extends to world issues and concerns Constructing work-family policies is recognized as a continuous, vibrant and problem-solving procedure PROCESS Recognizing the problem Integrating the duties for work/family programs and policies Mainstreaming the matters Devoted individuals takes on the responsibility of making a business case for a firm to react to work-family matters Part or full time duty is assigned to an individual at higher rank usually manager, director or vice president Executing flexible leave and time policies and programs become central. Champion (s) persuades and convinces the firm’s management that ignoring the work/life programs comes with consequences such as workers may miss time and become less productive to the firm especially if the issues are related to family life such as child care are not met The place of work-family coordinator may be established, high rank commitment starts to show up Work-family polic ies and programs are recognized as a key to engaging and maintaining competent workers Varying the workplace to be more comfortable and flexible to the worker calls for organizational culture assumptions to be put into considerations. Work-family administration training is carried out or such training is incorporated into central management training programs Champion(s) illustrate variety of possible solutions if a task force is established to evaluate and determine the

Police Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Police Operations - Essay Example Initial law enforcement undertakings in the USA were tentatively planned, as there was no supposed need for permanent, trained forces, and watchmen were frequently volunteers. In the eighteenth century, nevertheless, large urban areas for example New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago had established permanent police forces. Specialized, permanent state police forces were not customary in the America until the twentieth century. The 20th Century heralded pragmatic research and expertise to the world of policing. Innovative practice in identifying bodily characteristics for example fingerprints, first applied in the early 1900s concerned police agencies used more authority on criminal inquiries, crime deterrence, and other specialized jobs. In the period between 1920s and 1940s, nearly all large cities had special juvenile crime units; in the 1920s and 1930s, there was a growth of traffic divisions; in the 1940s and 1950s, police agencies established public relations positions; the 1950s introduced the first telephoto transmissions of documents, photographs, and fingerprints; and since the 1970s, police agencies have worked toward automated data collecting, sharing, and analysis. At the end of the 20th century, municipal police forces had specialized units for managing emergencies for example bombs, hostage situations, crowd control, undersea rescue, and violence. F Forensic science highly-advanced evidence collection and analysis in the last decades of the 20th century, however trivial, rural police operations rarely had the resources or use scientific innovations. At the same time as the consequences of DNA testing were generally believed dependable, such experiments could take months lacking the necessary resources or skilled workforce to perform them. Since 2001 there were still a number of states with no regular system of preserving crime incidents and collection of evidence. Police Organization: An Introduction In accordance with the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 1996 there were 922,200 permanent, local police workforce, of whom 663,535 had detention authority. Constant expansion for the last couple of decades show estimated 1 million local law enforcement employees all over the USA, about a quarter of them women and minorities. Data from 1997 show that, normally, local police officers were expected to have 1,100 hours of training, and, by 2000, over 37% of local police agencies were needed to have college education. In 2000, there were 88,496 federal officers, about thirty-one for every 100,000 people. The bulk of police officers are in Texas; California; Washington, D.C.; New York; and Florida. Since most U.S. police units have been set up and supported by the local populace, and for the reason that they were established at different periods, there are numerous forms in how the police agencies are structured and supported. Normally, city police are supported by the city and led by a police head, either chosen by the mayor or designated. Counties hire patrolman and sheriffs, who generally are responsible to an elected county

Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur - Essay Example Various world leaders have already declared the situation genocide, but are still slow to act. Given the slow global response to the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, the United States government needs to stop up and take action, and help the humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Darfur right now. The situation in Sudan is a complicated one, and one that will not easily be solved. Throughout the course of the years of violence, the situation has impacted the lives of millions of Darfurians. So far, "The ongoing devastation has killed an estimated 400,000 and displaced over 2.5 million Sudanese since February 2003", and the wide spread course of destruction is only going to continue unless someone steps in and takes action (Darfur, 2007). Just these facts only warrant intervention on the basis of humanitarian need, but these numbers alone are not the only reasons the United States should get involved in Darfur. In fact, the United States should have gotten involved in Darfur a long time ago, but still has decided to leave innocent people to die at the hands of a violent government. What kind of government do we have that can keep its blind eye turned for so long on the horrible actions of another government The United States needs to take immediate action to stop these atrocit ies from continuing to happen in Darfur, and stop more innocent lives from being shed for pointless reasons. The United States Department of State has given even higher numbers than the conservative estimates by the refugee agencies. The Department of States has released numbers showing that "4 million people have been displaced from Southern Sudan, with a total of 6 million displaced from the whole country, there are a estimated 220,000 refugees from Sudan currently living in Chad, 358,000 in other neighboring countries, and 170,000 refugees from other countries that are seeking home in Sudan" ( (U.S. Department of State, 2007). Many of these numbers could have been avoided if the United States has moved in to help Sudan, hypothetically speaking, instead of throwing ourselves into the quagmire that is Iraq. Or even if the United States has begun to put pressure on the Sudanese government earlier, we could see much lower death tolls coming out of the century's first genocide. Beside just the immediate effects of the genocide, if one were to look at the far reaching effects, one could find another reason the United States should step up and help Darfur. Another area of Darfur that has been affected is the education of the children. Once the warfare finally does stop, Darfur is going to need help in rebuilding and reeducating its children. Sudan has the lowest access to primary education in the world (UNICEF, 2005). Ninety-nine percent of women in Southern Sudan are illiterate and only seven percent of all teachers teaching Southern Sudan are trained to be teachers (UNICEF, 2005). As if those numbers are bad enough, only ten percent of girls ages 7-14 attend school, and fewer than one percent of girls complete primary education (UNICEF, 2005). Also, only Afghanistan under the Taliban had fewer girls graduating from primary schools than the few number of girls that are graduating from Sudanese schools today. The horrible things that are happening in Darfur are only going to have the ripple effect, and have a horrible effect on the generations to come. The United States needs to step in, not only to help the horrible things

Heidegger and Understanding Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Heidegger and Understanding - Term Paper Example Fear and anxiety can be regarded as pivotal in philosophy, art, and literature; however, fear and anxiety are frequently confused, partially because the two are intertwined. The two terms can be easily differentiated: fear makes reference to certain object or situation, while anxiety represents a state of mind (mood) with its object and/or origin is never concise and is a source of anguish for the individual experiencing the emotion. The paper explores the claim that, â€Å"fear, is anxiety, fallen into the ‘world’, inauthentic, and, as such, hidden from itself,† and formulates arguments in favor against the claim. It is essential to recognize that phenomenological analysis of the form of intentionality that accompanies moods does not simply register a passing adjustment of the psyche, but rather discloses crucial fundamental elements of the self. For instance, the element of threat yields to fear, which makes individuals perceived some places of the world as more threatening, or some individuals vulnerable. Anxiety and fear are mainly distinguished to diverse degrees in psychology and philosophy. Fear manifests based on some danger or threat around a person’s self, whether precise or imprecise, but definitely known. Anxiety, on the other hand, conveys an ontological situation that is atypical to the individual’s quintessence indicating uncertainty or nothingness (Heidegger190). Nevertheless, is essential to appreciate that, the fact that the object is irresolute does not necessarily imply that it I connected to a certain situation. A frightened individual usually acts as per the situation, irrespective of whether the source of the fear is unknown, even in instances in which the case of fright remains tentative. The fact that fear manifests devoid of any distinct source signify that fear avails itself as an occasion of achieving freedom, whereby the context is solely distinct to man. Fear presents man with the opportunity to choose to be

IB Biology Food Energy Content Experiment Essay

IB Biology Food Energy Content Experiment - Essay Example 263). The nutritive value of food is derived from the ability of a food to supply energy to the organism (McDonald et al. 263). To calculate the quantity of chemical energy present in food, it is necessary to convert it into heat energy and calculate the amount of heat it produces (McDonald et al. 264). This conversion is conducted by oxidizing the food by burning it; the amount of heat that is created from the complete oxidation of the unit weight of food is identified as the gross energy (McDonald et al. 264). The central determinant of the gross energy content of a food is its degree of oxidation as conveyed in the ratio of carbon plus hydrogen to oxygen (McDonald et al. 264). Carbohydrates contain approximately the same gross energy content of 17.5 MJ/kg DM while triglyceride fats contain lower amounts of oxygen and have a higher energy content of approximately 39 MJ/kg DM (McDonald et al. 264). Proteins have a higher level of gross energy values than carbohydrates due to the fact that they contain the oxidizeable element nitrogen (McDonald et al. 264). The present study was conducted in order to determine the energy content of four different samples of food that includes a cracker, a Mars chocolate bar, bread, and a 'Flips' chip. The researcher hypothesized that the mass of food will have no effect upon its energy content. In addition to this, it is hypothesized that the food with the highest energy content is the 'Flips' chip followed by the bread, cracker, and Mars chocolate sample. The researcher determined the energy content of the food by calculating the amount of Joules per mass in grams of each sample. Method: The researcher chose four different food samples to test for energy content. The quantities of food included a 2-gram sample of cracker, a 5.6-gram sample of Mars chocolate, a 10.4-gram sample of bread, and a 0.8-gram sample of a 'Flips' chip. There were three variables in this experiment. The first variable was the variety of food type, the second variable was the temperature of the water, and the third variable was the difference of mass of each sample of food. All other factors of the experiment were be consistent including the distance of the bunson burner from the test tube, the volume of water in each test, and the environment in which the experiment was conducted. The researcher used a beaker to measure 25cm^3 of water into each test tube. Five tests of each food were conducted in order to determine a mean value of each sample. The mass of each food sample was determined as well as the temperature of the water in each test tube before heating. Each food sample was attached to a pin and burned with a bunson burner. When the food sample burned, it was placed under the test tube until the flame burned out. During this time, the water in the test tube was stirred in order to evenly distribute heat transfer from the flame. After the flame burned out, the Celsius temperature of the water in the test tube was measured. The mass in grams of the food sample was then measured. The following formula was used in order to calculate the amount of energy each food sample contained in Joules: 25g * temperature rise of water (C) * 4.2 (J/g/C)/ mass of food (g)= Energy (J/g) This process was repeated for each food sample Results: Food Mass (g) Volume of water (cm3) Temperature after heating (oC) Temperature before heating (oC) Rise in water Temperature (oC) Energy content of food (J/g) Cracker 2 25 34 20 14 735 Mars

Microsoft and Monopoly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Microsoft and Monopoly - Essay Example Monopoly as such is stated to have negative connotations, as it tends to do away with healthy competition, resulting in costly products and services to the customer. But, in the software industry things are quite different. In the software and services industry, there are a number of key players offering their products and services. The products and services being offered by the companies like Cisco, Microsoft, Firefox, Linux, Mac, Oracle, Sun etc. are different from each other in many features. These products might be useful for similar computer applications, but some of the features are quite distinct from each other. In such a scenario, when most of the companies produce 'similar yet not perfectly substitutable products' is termed as monopolistic market (Investopedia, 2009). Microsoft is an international company, in the software industry, with stakes in almost every nook and corner of the world. As the industry needs to cater to almost all other industries, the global software and services industry has become worth $2,239 billion, registering a growth of 10.5 percent in the year 2008, i.e. even during the period hit by recessionary trends (Datamonitor, 2009). This goes on to prove that the industry is indeed quite attractive. Microsoft is a well known brand the world over. Anybody having anything to do with the field of IT, computers or technology finds the italicized brand name easily distinguishable and identifiable. Microsoft, with a brand value of $76,249 million was firmly placed at second position after Google in the ranking of brands prepared by MillwardBrown for the year 20091. In order to protect the industries and give room for healthy competition countries and regulatory authorities come out with anti-trust laws. Such antitrust policies and regulations are meant to safeguard the interests of companies carrying out their business operations in fair manner. Such laws encourage healthy competition; discourage monopolistic trade practices, while coming down heavily on unfair trade practices. For the overall economic development of the country, what is more important is to see the economic welfare of the country and its populace while guarding the business interests of the corporate world. For example, 'United States antitrust law' is a set of 'such laws' which discourages anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices from the corporate world. The stated objective of the antitrust policy of US government2 is to promote and protect the competitive and the American economy, by using a host of antitrust laws. Microsoft, has been at number one in position in system software as well as application software. Despite their best efforts, no other company is able to match the power of its operating system software. Windows is the first name that comes to our mind when we talk about operating system. In fact Windows itself became a brand identity for operating software. Now with valuable upgrades like Vista, the OS range is quite wide. While trying to propagate its cause, the company has been accused many a times of adopting unfair trade practices. Having corporate rivalries or business disputes is not uncommon amongst leading companies. Such disputes arise on account

Ethical Issues in Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethical Issues in Research - Essay Example It studies the principles about how we should do things right. We study ethics in order to improve our lives, and therefore its principal concern is the nature of human well-being. (Aristotles Ethics, 2007) Despite all these supposed advantages, there are still numerous ethical issues. This is because people interpret ethics differently. I might think of something as ethical while it may be totally unethical for another person. This is what leads to ethical problems and concerns. In the context of research, let's say, that a scientist feels that it is perfectly moral to test medicine on animals. He thinks so because his priority is benefit of science. An environmentalist, on the other hand, may feel apprehended at the thought of animals being made test subjects because his utmost priority is to protect the environment. What can we say about ethics here Both parties, in their places, are entirely reasonable. However, an ethical issue arises because both have different conventions for distinguishing between right and wrong. These issues are faced everyone everyday. Everybody comes to a point where they have to decide between what's right and what's not. This dilemma becomes especially apparent when carrying out research. There are specific norms for everything; in case of ethics of research, they are the aims or goals to be applied to people who conduct research in a systematic and scientific manner or other scholarly or creative activities, and there is a specific discipline, research ethics, on which these norms are based (Resnik, 2007). Ethical Issues Like mentioned above, these norms serve the goals of research. What are these goals The most important goal of research clearly is to find out whatever is possible about what is being studied. How does sticking to these ethical norms achieve this aim The answer is in the following section. While we get to that, we will study about the conflict of research and ethics.The biggest problem with carrying out ethical research is that it doesn't give perfectly naturalistic results. Either you can have an absolutely ecologically valid study or you can be absolutely moralistic and adhere to every ethical norm. Ecological validity is when the study is true to life. One may think, what has that got to do with ethics To carry out an ecologically valid research, it is important that subjects don't know about a lot of things that could cause demand bias characteristics or results that are affected by preconceived notions. And if subjects don't know a lot of things, this means that they haven't bee n told by the researchers and this is unethical. Researchers, on the other hand, may say that it was ethical as they kept things private for the benefit of science. Nevertheless, for an average person, it is unethical to keep things from the subjects of the study. This ethical issue is an honesty issue. Apart from honesty, another concern is confidentiality. When researchers carry out research and find amazing results, they feel obliged to share it with the rest if the world even if it means breaching of the initial agreement. Information about participants is leaked out and this too for them is for the good of science. Sharing results is one thing, while breaking a contact is another. The

Smoking and its effect on society Essay Example for Free

Smoking and its effect on society Essay Many people believe that they are in control of their own lives. They believe that their lives are based upon choices they make as individuals. For me on the other hand it is different. I have given my choice away. Throughout my entire life I have been waiting to attain a feeling of independence and a sense of power over my decisions. However, over the past couple years I have succeeded this power, this choice to an addiction that impacts individuals and families all over the world. In high school I was a three sport athlete whom had the opportunity to play at the college level in both soccer and basketball. But like I previously stated I gave my choice away when I began the treacherous addictive habit of smoking cigarettes. When I wake up every day I make a list of things I need to get done that day, I never write down smoke a cigarette but in the back of my mind there is always a plan for smoking a â€Å"bogie†. Imagine waking up every morning and needing a drink of anything you can get your hands on just so you can breathe. This is what I deal with on a daily basis. I am constantly thirsty, out of breathe, and congested. My day is run by when to smoke one. I have a cigarette when I wake up, drink coffee/red bull, after a meal, on the drive to class, on the drive home from class, while I’m doing homework, after sex, when I get bored, and before bed. I smoke a little more than ten cigarettes a day, so let’s do the math for how much I spend in a year for cigarettes. If we round it to half a pack a day, that means I smoke a pack of cigarettes in 2 days. If there are 365 in a year, that’s 182. 5 packs I smoke a year. In today’s economy cigarettes in New York go for $10 a pack, that’s the cheapest you can buy a single pack of Newport’s, which are my cigarette of choice. So if you multiply 182. 5 times 10, that’s $1825 a year I spend on cigarettes. To put this number in perspective for you, the tuition costs here at Clinton Community College for a full year is 3,960. So for one semester it’s $1,980. Essentially this means that if I wasn’t addicted to nicotine I could just about pay for a whole semester of college each year rather than buy 182. 5 packs of cigarettes. For now a pack every two days isn’t a death sentence, but if it’s one thing that is true about addictive habits it is that they only get worse. On this pace within years I could be gradually progressing my addiction to the point where I smoke a pack, maybe even two a day. At this point I struggle sometimes to even find the cash to get a pack, so I can only imagine the financial hardships that await me if my disease progresses. My finances aren’t the only part of my life that is impacted by my nicotine addiction, my health has also suffered an extreme amount. Throughout my whole life I have been the kid yelling one more; one more throw, one more kick, one more shot. Even though I have always dealt with a mild case of asthma, sensational has been the only word to describe my athletic performance between the lines on a field or court. My senior year in high school I ran a 5:40 mile, today I would be lucky to run for 5 straight minutes let alone almost complete a mile during it. Coming out of high school I was recruited by the Plattsburgh Men’s soccer coach to play center half back, which if you know anything about soccer is basically the position which requires the best athlete with the best conditioning on the entire team. In the spring of 2009 I tried my first cigarette. At first I hated it, made me cough, feel sick, and smelt horrible. But then I kept smoking them, soon I began to crave the high of smoking one. Whether it was morning, noon, or night when I wanted one I had to have it. Eventually the summer came and since I was recruited by SUNY Plattsburgh I was required to get myself in to tip top shape before I went up there for preseason. Instead I fed into my addiction and smoking cigarettes led to less energy, which led to partying more than I ever had my entire life. This new phase of my life where every other night there was a graduation party just furthered my habits. It was a phase that to this day I still believe opened doors I was never able to close. By the time preseason had come around I was in the worst shape id ever been in. There were certain expectations I was supposed to meet and I couldn’t have been further from that point. Instead of being a freshmen stud starting on a college soccer team, I became a reserve who could not even go on away trips with the team. My addiction of smoking not only took a toll on my health that year, but also my life. I had failed to meet one of the goals I had worked so hard for my entire life. At this point I came to a realization that cigarettes were my kryptonite, they made me weak and were slowly but surely killing me. A person who hasn’t dealt with addiction will say why don’t you just stop, it’s a choice just don’t do it. What these people don’t understand is that I not only don’t have a choice but I am not one bit in control of anything, nicotine owns me, runs me and fuels me. I am one of many Americans either directly or indirectly effected by smoking. Our society has been very progressive in encouraging people to refrain from smoking. The biggest weapon used is just flat out information. Just reading over these facts makes me want to throw my pack in the toilet as we speak. There are more than 4,800 chemicals in cigarette smoke, and 69 of them are known to cause cancer (Kenny, 2012). Also 90% off lung cancer deaths and 80-90% of emphysema and chronic bronchitis deaths are due to smoking (American Lung Association, 2014). Smoking decreases the life of the average male by 13 years (American Lung Association, 2014). The average male in the U. S. is expected to live until 77. By smoking my entire life I am decreasing my life expectancy from 77 years to 63 years, scary to think about. A scary fact to hear is about second hand smoke. Smoking at home, in your backyard, or alone in your car is one thing because it is mainly only effecting yourself. Smoking in public however is a whole separate issue. In one year there are approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 46,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers annually due to second hand smoke (Facts about Smoking and Tobacco Use, 2014). Those are people who die because of cigarette smoke and they aren’t even the ones smoking them, pretty cruel way to die. Smoking has greatly affected our society since the appearance of these statistics. Work places, public parks, and many other places have all out lawed smoking there, and if they haven’t outlawed it they have designated smoking areas away from the majority of people. Over the past 50 years our society has changed its perception of smoking. Years back the social structure of the world made it out to be a cool thing to do. If you didn’t smoke you were an outcaste, you would almost be looked down on. Back then it was a common thing to smoke in people’s homes, in movie theaters, even on planes and in restaurants. I can remember when I was a kid my family would go out to eat and we would have to say non-smoking section so we wouldn’t choke on our food while eating because of all the smoke. They used to promote smoking by having celebrities be their icons of the product to draw attention of the fans, or used mascots like a cowboy to signify manliness and strength, and some companies even stooped so low as to use animals as their mascots in order to make smoking friendlier towards children. Society truly does dictate what is considered a norm and what is considered to be irregular or strange. Today all of those things are illegal because a majority of the people believe those methods to be dishonorable and misguiding. The social structure of our society is constantly changing and maybe one day society as a whole will realize how harmful smoking is to the individual as well as the group and outlaw it completely. In this paper I have talked about my addiction to nicotine because it is a problem I deal with on a daily basis. This addiction of mine has effected many areas of my life including work, relationships, health, school, even self-esteem. Through writing this paper I have realized what a financial toll this habit has already taken on my wallet, thousands of dollars have been stolen from me by my addiction. In addition and more importantly, this addiction has already possibly taken years off of my life which is an eye opener that one cannot turn their back on. In conclusion smoking cigarettes has not only impacted my life, but is a nasty habit that effects the lives of individuals and families all over the world.

Major Reflective Essay Example for Free

Major Reflective Essay I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in the study of Business, Management and Economics concentrated in Accounting at Empire State College. I work full-time as private nurse assistance due to my present job. If I condense all my assumptions and expectations for the time being, I could say that my nearest and primary goal is to earn the degree and be a recognized expert in my chosen field. Here is how I narrated my goals in my previous paper; I have enrolled at the degree course with an aim to achieve my goals in the near future, to be well educated and knowledgeable in many areas, to restore my confidence to continue learning throughout my life, to open my own business preparing taxes in the next five years or be a controller of a company, and build a degree that will qualify me for many job opportunities, to increase my skills and broaden my abilities towards my future, to learn a variety of skills and techniques to help others as well, to work with people, as I enjoy working with them, and set a great example for my daughter which I had right after high school. I want my daughter to know that a college education is important to get what you want in life. As I advanced in my readings I realized that the list of my goals is huge, very obscure and not regulated. I repeated my goals in paraphrased sentences when I spoke about learning and development, I had contradicting concepts when I mentioned about opening my own business and still being qualified for many job opportunities, I related enjoyment with working with people, and I allocated very small portion to my daughter, again, linking my care towards her to my learning and hard working experience. I am undergoing serious reflections while grouping and formulating my goals into four sections; learning, working, family and social life. In my previous statements I had only learning and working in my mind, the words â€Å"family† and â€Å"social life† were uttered, but meant â€Å"working† and â€Å"learning†. At this stage I put the first three are on the same level, and still downgrade â€Å"social life†. I experienced a significant breakthrough during my readings on time management, correlations of work and social life, division of life between career and family. First of all the studies I read, the facts and figures from the history, the revolution in gender concept helped me to view the human life from a wide range of angels. (Kalleberg 2004) What does career mean for people? Is it for the well being of the family, or for the self? What is the secret of simple human happiness; in career advancement, learning, discovery, or love and warmth in the family? (Harvard Business School Press 2000)Those were the questions that I rose while reading information about increasing workload and learning needs, and decreasing marriage and birth rates in our society. The current economy rapidly changes, and this is the reason I wanted to be qualified in many job qualifications, which is practically extremely difficult. The background of this behavior is the insecurity in my future life. Shift of age groups in management greatly concerns me when I am doing a long term planning. Although I am open for learning, I can hardly imagine how I can accommodate myself in the employment market when I am over 40 and less capable of acquiring new knowledge and new skills. (Kalleberg 2004) I realized that my choices should be very limited and meet my learning and working expectations and abilities. I have to consider my career plans in the background of my social and family life. I should have in mind that in a few years I will have to reshape my routine day to day tasks in order to be physically more available for my daughter when she steps the path of learning and self-development. She will not be able to take my best example in learning and working, as she will not see me in the learning and working atmosphere, but will have an evening mother, tired and eager to get rid of her questions as soon as possible. The two time management exercises greatly helped me to experience extension of time (clock time) and full satisfaction after completing a task (event time). (Levine 1998) I am more likely to use the event time, but clock time is essential for the busy life I have already chosen. Although, it doesn’t mean I will not enjoy my weekends beyond any time. My ideal concept of life will be to master using the three categories in different circumstances, or even bind them all together and experience beyond-time feeling during 15 min. coffee breaks. I got very concerned when I assumed that I have put my family and individual values aside. I realized that in order to develop my long term plans I have to study other sides of human nature as well; how the endless working and learning atmosphere may influence on my physical and mental health, what personal problems may arise in my life, and how it my affect on my socialization skills. And finally, how the short and long term planning can be best practiced to contribute to a creation of self reliant and happy old age life? I feel the need to explore human nature and life stories, and get skills on how to save time for things that are more valuable for me. The final conclusion I had from this course is that I have to consider investing time as if I invest money. Investment in my professional development should have tangible outcomes in securing a dignified life for me and my family. This vision should guide me in any minor and major task I take over. Bibliography Harvard Business School Press. Harvard Business Review on Work and Life Balance . Perseus Distribution Services, 2000. Kalleberg, Cynthia Epstein and Arne. Fighting For Time. Russell Sage Foundation Publications , 2004. Levine, Robert V. A Geography of Time. Basic Books, 1998.

Case Study Workplace Learning Analysis Education Essay

Case Study Workplace Learning Analysis Education Essay In recent years workplace learning has gone from being largely unnoticed to attracting unprecedented interest among employers, researchers and policy makers. This interest can be attributed to globalisation, technological and social changes, economic shifts and organisational developments. The ideas of learning linked to work roles and learning occurring at work are not new yet concepts such as lifelong learning, the learning society and the knowledge economy have contributed to the development of workplace learning as a distinctive field of enquiry (Lee et al., 2004:2). The recognition of workplace learning as a source of sustainable competitive advantage for individuals and organizations alike have also attracted a great deal of interest to ensure that workplace learning is effective. David Boud (1999:5) goes on to assert that in this context: Workplace learning is concerned not only with immediate work competencies, but about future competencies. It is about investment in the general capabilities of employees as well as the specific and technical. And it is about the utilisation of their knowledge and capabilities wherever they might be needed in place and time. Many scholars agree that the workplace provides a rich environment for learning (Hager, 2004; Billet, 2001, Boud, 1999). In the changing context of work and new competence demands there is widespread consensus about the importance of workplaces as significant sites for learning new skills and knowledge. Indeed, the workplace is now even named by some as the Learning Organisation which is defined by Pedler et al (1998) as an organisation which facilitates the learning of all its members and continually transforms itself (Thompson, 2006:2). Workplace learning includes a variety of models like formal, non-formal, informal and incidental. On the contrary to the wide availability of different types of learning, relatively little is known about its effects at individual and/or organisational level (Felstead et al, 2009). The lack of such information may involve a low degree of intentional influence at individual and organisational level to optimise take up and effectiveness of workplace le arning (Felstead et al, 2009). Literature substantiates the claim that workplaces differ in terms of the opportunities they provide for employees to engage in learning activities and personal development (Billett, 2001). Workplaces also differ in terms of their complexity, their culture, their power and the nature of their boundaries with contexts of learning and knowledge production (Clarke, 2005). Research shows that workplace learning is a socially situated process where the context, in terms of its structures, activities and relationships shape the learning environment and learning opportunities in the workplace (Lee et al, 2004). As Marsick and Watkins comment, the creation of a learning environment goes far beyond the design of learning itself. It involves the design of work, work environments, technology, reward systems, structures and policies (1990:44). Awareness and understanding of these factors is a pre-condition to foster an effective workplace learning at organisational level as well as at policy lev el. In fact, Felstead (2009:193) has suggested that there is some evidence in the larger field of human resource development that a focus on the learning of individuals is less significant than a focus on the organisation as a context for learning Increasingly, the importance of developing an appropriate learning environment in order to foster workplace learning is dominating organisational agendas (Clarke, 2005). Such realisation are in evidence in the UK, where the British government through the HM Treasury report Prosperity for all in the global economy -world class skills (2006), has set workplace learning in the wider context of government policy and emphasised the importance of developing effective workplace environments to support workplace learning in particular (HM Treasury 2006, The Leitch Review of skills). Despite ongoing government support for learning in the workplace, findings showed that there remains a significant gap between policy and practice (National guidance research forum). Employers complain that despite the available government funding the costs of involvement outweigh the benefits. Further many UK workplaces are still considered as being low-skill and offering poor opportunities for learning and there are worries that significant shortages of skilled workers will start to appear, unless workplace learning is enhanced (CIPD, survey report 2008). Addressing the issue, findings from The Teacher and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) revealed that for workplace learning to be effective in the UK, various aspects of workplace context need to be considered than merely providing learning opportunities at work. Since learning is influenced by the workplace context, exploring the contextual factors that may influence employees learning is critical to advancing our understanding of how different aspects of the workplace environment are likely to be important in fostering an effective learning climate (Clarke, 2005). It has been acknowledged that workplace provides an environment for learning that either facilitates or inhibits learning, yet few research studies have examined the extent to which the environment serves to enhance learning. A few commentators, notably Billett (2001), Fuller and Unwin (2003), and Ashton (2004), have sought to extend this view and have pointed to workplace structure and context as significant factors within the processes of learning at work (Lee et al, 2004). In particular, Skule (2004) has acknowledged that research on assessing and measuring the contextual factors that promote or impede learning at work is underdeveloped (Skule, 2004). Therefore this study sought to investigate and discuss the influence of contextual factors that have been posited in the literature as influencing workplace learning specifically. This paper shows that by locating workplace learning in context, clearer understandings of the factors influencing the learning environment and processes can be gained. It also shows how the workplace context can provide both barriers to and opportunities for learning. Firstly, different forms of workplace learning are identified. Two opposite paradigms or approaches to understanding the phenomenon of learning at work are discussed. However, the focus of the paper is not on formal programs but on informal/incidental learning which occurs in the workplace. Then the report aims to discuss appropriate context conditions for learning at the workplace. Workplace learning Workplace learning is attracting attention for a number of different reasons. It is often characterised and conceptualised as advantageous to all those involved: there are benefits to employers in raising productivity and profitability, there are benefits to employees in raising employability and earnings and there are benefits to the economy in raising competitiveness and growth. Apparently, workplace learning is a term applied to various contexts and surrounded by different points of view. Thereby generating a myriad of different lenses through which workplace learning is viewed and understood. David Boud (1999:11) argues that, workplace learning is a site of intersecting interests, contested ideas, multiple forms of writing and rapidly evolving practice. There is no consistent and generally accepted definition of workplace learning (Lee et al., 2004). One definition of workplace learning was provided by Marsick and Watkins during the 1990s. Their definition focused on the way individuals learn and respond to changes in the organisational environment that in turn influences the way in which people construct meaning in their personal and shared organisational lives. Fuller and Unwin described workplace learning as learning in, for, and through the workplace (2006:23), suggesting that learning can be embedded in social relations. Beckett (1999), in relation to workplace learning, tends to focus on key HR policy choices and agues that organisations should provide mentoring and coaching and dedicated time to engage in policies for individual strategies such as appraisal, career planning, incentives to learn etc and link workplace learning strategy to evidence of learning (cited in workplace learning: main themes and perspectives). Not only workplace learning is represented by a variety of meanings, the literature is also informed by different views. The literature on workplace learning is rather confusing as it has been viewed from the perspective of a variety of disciplines such as sociology, cognitive psychology, policy studies, management theory, learning theory etc, each reflecting different assumptions and perspectives (Hager, 2004). However, in the field of management theory (HRM), approaches to classifying types of workplace learning demonstrate two main dimensions or approaches to discussions. The dominant perspective has been the traditional perspective of learning. Many researchers work within what Beckett and Hager (2002) have called the standard paradigm of learning which assets that the best learning consists of abstract ideas that are context independent and transparent. Here learning is a process of individual acquisition of knowledge. Hence he goes on to argue that in this paradigm non-transparent learning is a second-rate kind of learning (Hager 2004:244). This is important for studies of workplace learning because it takes us beyond the simplistic and restricted traditions of cognitive and behaviourist psychology and embraces the role of tacit knowledge. This learning opposes the emerging paradigm of learning which emphasise the importance of how people make sense of their experiences at work. Hager (2004:246) argues that rather then being simply a change in the properties of the learnerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the main outcome of learning is the creation of a new set of r elations in an environment. This is why learning is inherently contextual, since what it does is to continually alter the context in which it occurs. Similarly, Sfard (1998) has used the notion of metaphors of learning. The first metaphor -learning as acquisition is based on the premise that knowledge exists independently of the knower but can be acquired and acted upon. The second metaphor -learning as participation emphasises learning happening in relation to others before it is internalised by the individual. Sfard (1998) emphasized that neither metaphor was adequate on its own (Sfard, 1998:44). A different perspective to workplace learning emerged in academic writings in the early nineties, greatly influenced by the work of Lave and Wenger (1991). Situated learning theories draw on concepts such as communities of practice to explore workplace learning. This new perspective emphasises the construction of knowledge within the social and cultural circumstances in which learning occur, namely the social context. Lave and Wenger (1991) who in stressing that learning is at its most meaningful when it is situated showed how researchers should focus on the community of practice rather than on the individual as the unit of analysis. It is argued that workplace learning depends on the extent to which organisations afford employees opportunities to participate and interact with colleagues (Billet, 2001). Even though Lave and Wengers concepts of communities of practice have enjoyed widespread popularity within workplace learning theory, it has been criticised for failing to take accoun t of the role of formal education and not discussing that employees in a workplace may or may not have opportunities to be part of a community of practice (Fuller and Unwin, 2003). The second main dimension of learning relates to the distinctions between formal and informal learning. Formal workplace learning is typically associated with training and education. It is also conceptualised as a standard paradigm of learning or learning by acquisition. According to Marsick and Watkins (1990), formal learning occurs as part of an organised workplace-accredited programme and is embedded within the organisations structure. They argue that formal learning has a finite end point that results in a qualification to undertake specific work activity. In contrast, informal workplace learning can be thought of as a process of learning that takes place in everyday work experience (Marsick and Watkins, 1990). Informal learning involves action and reflection and includes self-directed learning, mentoring, coaching and social interaction. Informal learning is seen to be integrated into daily routines (i.e. experience-based learning), not highly conscious (i.e. implicit learning), influenced by chance and linked to learning of others (learning by communicating) (Lee et al., 2004; Marsick and Watkins, 1990). Indeed research shows that learning by doing is the most effective method of learning. The term informal learning sometimes is used interchangeably with incidental learning. Marsick and Watkins drew distinction between informal and incidental learning. They described informal learning as focusing on experiential forms of learning and incidental learning as focusing on unintentional or unplanned learning (cited in affordances and constraints on informal learning in the workplace). In this context, learning is assumed to be an action arising from experience that may enable the learner to develop and acquire new skills. Incidental learning can be described as a social process and can be conceptualised using Lave and Wenger (1991) notion of a community of practice. Research indicates that about two-thirds of workplace learning may be informal or incidental (Marsick and Watkins, 1990; Skule, 2004). There is also apparent consensus that informal learning is becoming increasingly the preferred option for developing employees. One of the most important issues here is the realisation that much of the knowledge that individuals need and use in organisations is based upon their experience and often cant easily be found in any written form. For example, Billett (2001) conducted several studies of coal miners and workers in industries, concluding that in the informal learning setting of the workplace, effective learning resulted from learners engagement in authentic activities, guided by experts and by interacting with other co-workers. Although learning was unique to each co-worker, it was also shaped by the workplace culture. His study revealed that the quality of learning depended on the kind of activities engaged in, access to support, guidance, and how co-workers constructed their knowledge of different situations. According to Billett (2001:21) ..these factors influence the process of learning and what is learnt. In doing so, they reflect the interdependence between work and learning, providing a basis to consider not only the contributions of the workplace as a learning environment, but also how the workplace might be organised to improve learning Informal learning suggests that the social and cultural environment has the potential to influence how learning occurs. Furthermore few studies have investigated how the sociocultural context has facilitated and constrained informal learning at work. This is a critical area of investigation because of the growing reliance on informal learning as a means of developing the knowledge and skills required in the workplace (Felstead, et al, 2009). Although informal workplace learning is the most prevalent form of learning in organisation, it is also the least well supported (Eraut, 2004). A central argument of this paper is that the workplace can be understood to foster or hinder particular types of learning environment. Drawing on Lave and Wengers (1991) situated learning theory, Fuller and Unwin (2003) developed an expansive-restrictive framework that provides a conceptual and analytical tool for evaluating the quality of learning environments and for analysing an organisations approach to workforce development (Lee et al, 2004). Expansive learning environments include opportunities to engage with multiple communities of practice, gain broad experience across the organisation, learn off and on-the-job and extend job roles. Restrictive environments on the other end are characterised by workplaces with limited opportunities to acquire formal qualifications and much narrower approach to work design (Fuller and Unwin 2003; 2004a). In their study, they identified three participatory dimensions. Firstly opportunities for engaging in multiple communities of practice at and beyond the workplace. Secondly, access to a multidimensional approach to the acquisition of expertise through the organisation of work and job design and finally the opportunity to pursue knowledge-based courses related to work (Clarke, 2005). The findings further revealed that organisations with expansive approach foster a wide range of formal, non-formal and informal approaches to and opportunities for learning whereas a restrictive approach impose many limitations on learning. Within organisations adopting an expansive approach, learning is likely to take place horizontally as well as vertically, and the culture is likely to be less hierarchical. Individual employees are also likely to vary as to whether their approach to learning is expansive or restrictive, and their attitudes may be in harmony with or in opposition to the culture of the organisation in which they work. Fuller and Unwin (2003) and Billett (2001) stress the importance of persons dispositions towards workplace l earning. Those personal dispositions influence what and how an individual learn at work. Fuller and Unwin research was contested by some authors, notably Young (2001) who pointed out that not all workplace learning will take place across teams or in social circumstances. Young further argues that the emphasis that expansive learning places upon transformation could potentially lead to the creation a new learning binary mirroring that of formal/informal learning (Lee et al, 2004, cited in workplace learning main themes and perspectives). This brief introduction has highlighted that learning in the workplace can be formal, informal and incidental and that workplace can foster or hinder particular types of learning environment. The various definitions of workplace learning explain that the all encompassing nature of the term makes it difficult to establish how far there has been a shift in human resource management towards making more effective use of the workplace as a source of learning (Stern Sommerland 1999 cited in workplace learning main themes and perspectives). Arguably the differing dimensions of workplace learning within these literatures examine the influence of the workplace context at different levels of analysis and more importantly influence learning differently (Clarke, 2005). Organisations can play a major role in facilitating their employees learning by providing an environment that is conducive to a positive attitude to learning. Conditions for effective Workplace Learning The effectiveness of learning activities at the workplace is dependant on a variety of factors. Scholars such as Fuller and Unwin (2003), Billett (2001), and Skule (2004) have identified various factors that affect workplace learning, either directly or indirectly in a large number of contexts. Research shows that organisational structure, workplace context and social-cultural conditions at work shape the learning environment and learning opportunities in the workplace (Ashton, 2004). Besides, there are also individual factors such as individual dispositions, psychological learning potential, employment status and educational background which affects individuals learning at work. This section focuses on analysing briefly the workplace context and social-cultural conditions influencing workplace learning. Based upon a review of the literature, a range of factors were identified that were considered aspects of workplace environment for facilitating or constraining workplace learning ou tcomes: (Clarke, 2005:8). Environmental factors The rapid changes in the economic and social conditions means organisations have to constantly adapt in order to survive. This adaption involves the acquisition of new skills and competences at the workplace and job level, thus inevitably influencing the degree and quality of learning in the work context (Skule, 2004). This relationship is empirically confirmed by Skule (2004) who identify a positive correlation between exposure to competition of the organisation and learning-intensity of jobs. Moreover diversification of technologies and advanced information are becoming increasingly pivotal to the success of organisations and professional practices, irrespective of their size or industry sector. This is because information technology not only automates, it also informates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ information technology can create an environment for thinking and problem solving (Schuck 1996:1999). Thus the successful integration of technology into the organisations functioning can have drama tic impact on the learning opportunities. Organisation structure and culture How motivated individuals are to learn and how encouraged they feel in learning all depend in large part on the organisation, its culture and how it is managed. In short, when it comes to learning, an organisation can facilitate or hinder workplace learning. Ashton (2004) through his empirical studies identifies the following workplace practices that have major influence on workplace learning: (1) Tasks variation in the job. Placing employees into different functions or departments so that they gain skills and knowledge in different contexts and able to shadow other employees. Secondments and job rotation constitutes an appropriate instrument in this respect. (2) Autonomy vs Standardisation of tasks and work processes. Task with a high degree of autonomy facilitates developmental learning, whereas a task with a high degree of standardization facilitates reproductive learning. (3) Cross-functional teams. Many organisations are starting to see the potential of cross-functional teams as an effective means of supporting workplace learning. One benefit of employee working in cross functional team is that knowledge and skills from other team members is transferred directly and formally. (4) Organisational decisions about learning and its impor tance. This underpinned the support available for learner from all levels (Lee at al, 2004). Whilst Ashton empirical study reveals that workplace practices can and do influence learning and access to learning, it also draws attention to the significance of learning culture. It follows that a very effective way of improving workplace learning is to improve the learning culture. This entails making changes to existing working conditions and day-to-day practice of management (Skule, 2004). Skule (2004) identifies, in a quantitative study that managerial beliefs, attitudes and behaviours together with leadership issues (like feedback, support and reward) were the most conducive factors to learning at work. While approaches to management development normally emphasise motivation, productivity and appraisal, relatively little attention is given to creating a climate which promotes learning (Thompson, 2006). More specifically managing should be comparable to coaching, education and skills of managers have to be adapted towards pedagogy and teaching methods to support and structure learning processed in workplaces. To appoint managers and develop them for this new role of facilitating learning would be a highly significant move. According to Schuck (1996:207) The beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours of the manager are at the heart of the environment of inquiry. Within pedagogy for meaning, a manager creates opportunities for learning and becomes an active participant in it. The manager of inquiry encourages people to ask questions and creates an environment in which intellectual play and socially mediated learning are necessary and legitimate components of work. Research shows that the most effective learning cultures are best when a learning culture is expansive (Fuller and Unwin, 2003). Fuller and Unwin study on apprenticeships revealed that quality of learning varied significantly between expansive and restricted firms despite the fact that all were part of the same government scheme. Furthermore, they state that expansive learning environments, which encourage access to diverse forms of participation, were more likely to facilitate integration of personal and organizational development. Billett (2001) shares Fuller and Unwin (2003) view on co-participation but adds that learning is more likely to be effective if there is synergy between the factors and forces that contribute to the learning -e.g workplace affordances (race, gender, personal relations etc), supportive management and learn part of the culture (Clarke, 2005) Socio-cultural context While the organisational context of learning is clearly important, we should also note the significance of the socio-cultural context of learning. Socio-cultural perspective on learning can be traced back to the work of Vygotsky (1978) who suggested that learning cannot be understood without considering the social and cultural context in which learning takes place. Echoing Vygotsky, Lave and Wenger (1991) have conceptualised learning in the workplace as participation in social practice. From this perspective, workplace learning is seen as arising as a result of a complex interaction between knowledge acquisition based within the work and social activities or practices of groups within organisations (Lave Wenger, 1991). Workplace leaning is not isolated from social practice. This is clearly an important consideration in understanding the consequences of learning in workplaces (Billett, 2001). This can be seen to apply in a number of ways: The social circumstances in the learning situation can play a significant part in how learning experiences proceed for example a disable learner may be held back in his or her learning because of disadvantages within the organisations concerned. Moreover, factors such as race, gender can have a significant influence on learning. For example gender stereotyping can shape peoples attitudes and approach to learning (Felstead et al, 2009). Billett (2001) highlighted that workplace learning is social and cultural in nature. In his research on skill formation in coal mines, Billett argued that workplace activities are structured by historical, cultural and situational factors that influence the kind of learning that occurs through work (Clarke, 2005). From the sociocultural perspective, learning is recognised as a social practice where it is highly dependent upon the social situation and cultural context in which it takes place. In order for workplace learning to be effective then, such insights recognise learning not as an isolated individual activity but deeply rooted with networks of social relationships (Clarke, 2005). The point was made earlier that workplace conditions can either foster or hinder workplace learning, but it is not just these factors that can play such pivotal role. There are other barriers within the workplace that hinder workplace learning, these will be discussed next. Workplace learning is not only dependent on workplace conditions but also on personal factors. Smith (2000) has criticised the literature on workplace learning for assuming that all learners in the workplace are generally self-directed and motivated (Clarke, 2005:15). However many employees do no have these skills. Learning readiness should be apparent in individual. Willingness to learn can also be limited if the specific needs and potential benefits are not apparent such as time made available during working hours. Moreover an understanding of the different types of learning strategies used by individuals within organisations is crucial to foster an effective workplace learning. It is often claimed that employee learning is essential to the success of a firm, but the evidence in UK says otherwise. It is important to note that not all employees are provided with the same opportunities for learning in the workplace. Survey from CIPD shows that unskilled workers are the least to receive opportunities for learning, mostly female part time employee. Further findings revealed that three-quarters of organisations reported that their manual staff had no formally appointed mentor and half admitted that they had no structured on the job training. The lack of awareness of learning needs for organisations and the reluctance by managers to guide and provide support to learners may inhibit the outcome of workplace learning. Managers may be reluctant about sharing knowledge for fear of loss of status and power (Lave Wenger 1991). For example in Japanese corporations, where workplace learning is widely accepted, managers roles include training subordinates. Yet these manag ers are secure because promotion is based on seniority, therefore, they will not be displaced. In Australia however industrial affiliation results in particular jobs being undertaken by particular groups of workers (Owen 1995, cited in current issues and agendas in workplace learning). Lack of awareness of learning needs is also connected to uncertainty regarding the incentives to employees. In many UK organisations pay and status are rarely linked to the attainment of qualification and thus provide little incentive to see further training (Owen 1995, cited in current issues and agendas in workplace learning). Conclusion This paper explores and discusses the influence of workplace context on workplace learning specifically. Attempts to characterise workplace learning have generated a myriad of terms and hence, seen as a complex and multifarious concept within the literature (Lee et al, 2004). One of the reasons for the apparent ambiguity is because the term is applied to many different contexts and activities. This paper has also provided an overview of the two dominant perspectives of learning with the emphasis on the participation as an important learning process. To summarise the two perspectives: the standard paradigm of learning and learning as acquisition perspectives are rooted in traditional understandings of learning inspired by cognitive psychology and behaviourism. These perspectives tend to focus primarily on how individuals acquire knowledge within and across different psychological processes and levels. In contrast, the emerging paradigm and learning as participation perspectives understand the process of learning to be collectively generated. These perspectives are rooted in social understandings of learning where this is seen to occur through the social relations and participatory practices of individuals within communities of practice (Lave and Wenger, 2001). The second main dimension in discussion is the distinctions between formal and informal learning. Formal learning i s planned and provided by the organisation in an effort to increase employees effectiveness. Workplace learning can also be informal learning that is unintentional and result from interaction with other employees. Workplace learning is embedded within, takes its shape from and can be impeded or facilitated by the workplace context (Fuller et al, 2003:47). As mentioned in the paper workplace learning is a socially situated process where the context, in terms of its structures, activities and relationships shape the learning environment and learning opportunities in the workplace (Fuller and Unwin, 2003). All learning in the workplace is influenced by a range of factors and is shaped by external as well as internal imperatives. Factors namely environmental factor, organisational structure, workplace culture and social context were discussed. This paper e

Tuberculosis :: Health, Diseases

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection that can attack any part of the body, but it is normally found in the lungs (Huether, McCance, Brashers and Rote, 2008,). TB is an infection caused by a acid-fast bacillus also know as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Huether et al. 2008) It is one of the leading causes of death in Asia, China, Indian, Indonesia and Pakistan (Huether et al. 2008). These countries show that in most cases the incidence rate is highest in young adults, and are usually the result from re-infection in recent infections. The spread of TB is attributed to the emigration of infected people from high-prevalent countries, substance abuse, poverty, transmission in crowd places, and the lack of proper medical care for the infected individuals (Huether et al. 2008). Tuberculosis is transmitted from person to person through airborne droplets, when a person that is infected with TB coughs, sneezes, talks, and/or sings letting tiny droplet to be released into the air(Bare, Smeltzer, Hinkle, and Cheever, 2008). TB cannot be spread through touching inanimate objects, food, or drinks (Bare et al. 2008). The person must be in the same area an affected individual is in and inspirate the droplets to be affected. Once the bacillus is inspired into the lungs, the bacilli start to multiply causing lung inflammation also known as nonspecific pneumontis (Huether et al. 2008). To cause an immune response the bacilli will travel through lymphatic system and become lodged in the lymph nodes (Huether et al. 2008). Lung inflammation causes the activation of the alveolar macrophages and neutrophils (Huether et al. 2008). Granulomas, new tissue masses of live and dead bacilli, are surrounded by macrophages, which form a protective wall. They then transform into a fi brous tissue mass, the central portion is called a ghon tubercle (Bare et al. 2008). The bacterial then necrotic, forming a cheesy mass, this mass may become calcified and form a collagenous scar (Bare et al. 2008). At this point, the bacteria becomes dormant and there is no further progression of the active disease. The disease can become active again by re-infection or activation of the dormant bacteria (Bare et al. 2008). TB can be classified as latent or active (Bare et al. 2008). TB that is a latent is bacilli that are isolated with a tubercle can remain, dormant, causing no symptoms. Active TB occurs when live bacilli escape into the bronchi or if the immune system is weaken by diseases such as HIV or Cancer (Bare et al.

Solar Cell :: essays research papers fc

Solar cells Solar cells today are mostly made of silicon, one of the most common elements on Earth. The crystalline silicon solar cell was one of the first types to be developed and it is still the most common type in use today. They do not pollute the atmosphere and they leave behind no harmful waste products. Photovoltaic cells work effectively even in cloudy weather and unlike solar heaters, are more efficient at low temperatures. They do their job silently and there are no moving parts to wear out. It is no wonder that one marvels on how such a device would function. To understand how a solar cell works, it is necessary to go back to some basic atomic concepts. In the simplest model of the atom, electrons orbit a central nucleus, composed of protons and neutrons. each electron carries one negative charge and each proton one positive charge. Neutrons carry no charge. Every atom has the same number of electrons as there are protons, so, on the whole, it is electrically neutral. The electrons have discrete kinetic energy levels, which increase with the orbital radius. When atoms bond together to form a solid, the electron energy levels merge into bands. In electrical conductors, these bands are continuous but in insulators and semiconductors there is an "energy gap", in which no electron orbits can exist, between the inner valence band and outer conduction band [Book 1]. Valence electrons help to bind together the atoms in a solid by orbiting 2 adjacent nucleii, while conduction electrons, being less closely bound to the nucleii, are free to move in response to an applied voltage or electric field. The fewer conduction electrons there are, the higher the electrical resistivity of the material. In semiconductors, the materials from which solar sells are made, the energy gap Eg is fairly small. Because of this, electrons in the valence band can easily be made to jump to the conduction band by the injection of energy, either in the form of heat or light [Book 4]. This explains why the high resistivity of semiconductors decreases as the temperature is raised or the material illuminated. The excitation of valence electrons to the conduction band is best accomplished when the semiconductor is in the crystalline state, i.e. when the atoms are arranged in a precise geometrical formation or "lattice". At room temperature and low illumination, pure or so-called "intrinsic" semiconductors have a high resistivity. But the resistivity can be greatly reduced by "doping", i.e. introducing a very small amount of impurity, of the order of one in a million atoms. There are 2 kinds of

Analysis of Virtual Reality Essay -- Virtual Reality Technology Comput

Analysis of Virtual Reality The term Virtual Reality (VR) is used by many different people with many meanings. There are some people to whom VR is a specific collection of technologies, that is a Head Mounted Display, Glove Input Device and Audio. Some other people stretch the term to include conventional books, movies or pure fantasy and imagination. However, for purposes of this research, we restrict VR to computer mediated systems. We would define Virtual Reality as a way for humans to visualize, manipulate and interact with computers and extremely complex data. The visualization part refers to the computer generating visual, auditory or other sensual outputs to the user of a world within the computer. This world may be a CAD model, a scientific simulation, or a view into a database. The user can interact with the world and directly manipulate objects within the world. Some worlds are animated by other processes, perhaps physical simulations, or simple animation scripts. Interaction with the virtual world, at least with near real time control of the viewpoint, is a critical test for a 'virtual reality'. Some people object to the term "Virtual Reality", saying it is an oxymoron. Other terms that have been used are Synthetic Environments, Cyberspace, Artificial Reality, Simulator Technology, etc. VR is the most common and sexiest. It has caught the attention of the media. Types of VR Systems A major distinction of VR systems is the mode with which they interface to the user. We would describe some of the common modes used in VR systems. Window on World Systems (WoW) Some systems use a conventional computer monitor to display the visual world. This sometimes called Desktop VR or a Window on a World (WoW). This concept traces its lineage back through the entire history of computer graphics. In 1965, Ivan Sutherland laid out a research program for computer graphics in a paper called "The Ultimate Display" that has driven the field for the past nearly thirty years. "One must look at a display screen," he said, "as a window through which one beholds a virtual world. The challenge to computer graphics is to make the picture in the window look real, sound real and the objects act real." Video Mapping A variation of the WoW approach merges a video input of the user's silhouette with a 2D-computer graphic. The user watches a monitor that... ...irplane that the inspector can navigate through via voice commands to mark a region of the airplane that is in need of service. Once identified, the application tags the area for transmission to the maintenance database and initiates the proper form for the inspector to fill out. The form is completed and then transmitted to the same maintenance database. When the inspector has identified all of the problems with a particular region, voice navigation is used to continue to other areas of the aircraft. The inspector is not required to take any information about the aircraft, previous defect records, clipboards, paper, etc. with them, everything required to perform the inspection is on-line and displayed in a manageable fashion in real time during the inspection. When the inspector completes the inspection, no further input is required. The inspector is not required to take notes and then pass them off to someone else to decipher and input to the system. The information is already in the maintenance database and ready for verification, planning, and scheduling. The timesaving realized from start to finish of that inspection is 30-50% depending on the inspector and the aircraft. Analysis of Virtual Reality Essay -- Virtual Reality Technology Comput Analysis of Virtual Reality The term Virtual Reality (VR) is used by many different people with many meanings. There are some people to whom VR is a specific collection of technologies, that is a Head Mounted Display, Glove Input Device and Audio. Some other people stretch the term to include conventional books, movies or pure fantasy and imagination. However, for purposes of this research, we restrict VR to computer mediated systems. We would define Virtual Reality as a way for humans to visualize, manipulate and interact with computers and extremely complex data. The visualization part refers to the computer generating visual, auditory or other sensual outputs to the user of a world within the computer. This world may be a CAD model, a scientific simulation, or a view into a database. The user can interact with the world and directly manipulate objects within the world. Some worlds are animated by other processes, perhaps physical simulations, or simple animation scripts. Interaction with the virtual world, at least with near real time control of the viewpoint, is a critical test for a 'virtual reality'. Some people object to the term "Virtual Reality", saying it is an oxymoron. Other terms that have been used are Synthetic Environments, Cyberspace, Artificial Reality, Simulator Technology, etc. VR is the most common and sexiest. It has caught the attention of the media. Types of VR Systems A major distinction of VR systems is the mode with which they interface to the user. We would describe some of the common modes used in VR systems. Window on World Systems (WoW) Some systems use a conventional computer monitor to display the visual world. This sometimes called Desktop VR or a Window on a World (WoW). This concept traces its lineage back through the entire history of computer graphics. In 1965, Ivan Sutherland laid out a research program for computer graphics in a paper called "The Ultimate Display" that has driven the field for the past nearly thirty years. "One must look at a display screen," he said, "as a window through which one beholds a virtual world. The challenge to computer graphics is to make the picture in the window look real, sound real and the objects act real." Video Mapping A variation of the WoW approach merges a video input of the user's silhouette with a 2D-computer graphic. The user watches a monitor that... ...irplane that the inspector can navigate through via voice commands to mark a region of the airplane that is in need of service. Once identified, the application tags the area for transmission to the maintenance database and initiates the proper form for the inspector to fill out. The form is completed and then transmitted to the same maintenance database. When the inspector has identified all of the problems with a particular region, voice navigation is used to continue to other areas of the aircraft. The inspector is not required to take any information about the aircraft, previous defect records, clipboards, paper, etc. with them, everything required to perform the inspection is on-line and displayed in a manageable fashion in real time during the inspection. When the inspector completes the inspection, no further input is required. The inspector is not required to take notes and then pass them off to someone else to decipher and input to the system. The information is already in the maintenance database and ready for verification, planning, and scheduling. The timesaving realized from start to finish of that inspection is 30-50% depending on the inspector and the aircraft.