US HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

US HISTORY - Essay Example The north purchased raw cotton and converted it into finished goods using the cotton grin, leading to disparity between the two. As a result, substantial differences in economic attitudes were realized. Since the period of the revolution, differences emerged between those arguing that the federal government needed to have more control and those arguing for greater states’ rights (Huston 173). The thirteen states formed a rather loose confederation with quite a weak federal government. This weakness enabled the leaders to come together when problems arose and create in secrecy the U.S constitution. Most people felt that this constitution ignored the rights of states to continue being independent. This resulted to the idea of nullification, and when this never worked out they moved towards secession. Growth of the abolition movement was another cause. The northerners become more polarized against slavery in which the southern depended so much on slaves for their cheap labor. Some key events such as the publishing of Harriet Beechers Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and others held individuals responsible for harboring fugitives even if they were on non-slave states. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, South Carolina issued its declaration of secession and believed that Lincoln was antislavery and favored the interest of the northern people hence living the southerners out (Huston 181). The fight between slave and the non-slave state proponents took center stage, and this was the main reason for this civil war. This led to wars even in the floor of the senate when antislavery discussions were being

Indivisual rights, health disparities and policy options Essay

Indivisual rights, health disparities and policy options - Essay Example According to surveys that have been conducted ranking health care provision in several areas of the United States, the state of Washington was found to have some of the region’s healthiest counties, and these counties included counties such as Montgomery and Fairfax. The research also showed that there happens to exist some pockets within the state that had relatively high levels of poor health. These counties included counties such as the Prince George’s County and Maryland County. Like most other poor counties in the United States, Maryland and Prince George counties of Washington have been found to be facing some major challenges in efforts aimed at trying to ensure that they provide quality health services to their residents. This has mainly been found to be as a direct result of crippling fiscal constraints as a direct result of the relatively poor income and high unemployment rates of the residents of these two areas (Rand Corporation 1). According to a report provided by the Center for Health Equity. Maryland County has been seen to be struggling with a variety of health care issues. The County has relatively high levels of smokers. While the current rate and goals that have been set by the CDC stand at 12 percent for adult smokers, Maryland County has an average adult smoker’s rate of over 17 percent. The state also spent about 1.5 billion dollars in treating ailments related to obesity (Avalere health 41). An estimated 80,000 of the adults living in prince George County were found to be uninsured. These levels were found to be more than twice of those in the neighboring County of Howard. The non-elderly Latino population in Maryland was also found to be more likely to be uninsured as compared to the whites in the County (Avalere health 41). Cancer has been found to be the second leading cause of death in Maryland County with lung cancer being the most common for both the women and men. In the

A study on the various personality type tests

A study on the various personality type tests It is only fairly recently that personality tests have become a common practice by companies looking to employ people. These personality tests enable organizations to match people to specific jobs and tasks. The tests also help to eliminate false information given in the interview. For example: A person being interviewed is asked how well they can work as part of a group. Naturally the person will say they like working as part of a group. A personality test will make it more difficult for the person to lie about things like that. History The basic principles or foundation of the modern personality type test can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. The ancient Greeks identified four personality traits known as the four temperaments or four humours. These four types are cheerful, sombre, enthusiastic, and calm. These four temperaments provided Carl Jung with the inspiration to develop his own physiological theory. Carl Jungs physiological theory provided the foundation for Myers Briggs and David Keirsey to build their assessment systems. These two systems are considered the modern day personality tests. Carl Jungs functional types Carl Jung categorised psychic energy into two types. The types are introverted and extroverted. These two categories are used extensively in the world today. They are two of the main types of personalities identified and used by the Myers Briggs personality test. Jung did not just leave it at this. He then went on to create four psychological types, these being: Thinking, Feeling, Sensation and Intuition. Jung also stated that things were either rational or irrational. Thinking and Feeling he considered to be rational. Sensation and Intuition he classified as irrational. Though his theories make sense the application of these theories for test purposes was difficult and tedious. Myers Briggs type indicator This type indicator is probably the most commonly used personality type test. It is based on Carl Jungs physiological theory. It is in the form of a questionnaire with the purpose of measuring psychological preferences with regard to how people make decisions and how they perceive the world around them (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). Myers Briggs converts Carl Jungs theory into a methodology and system that can be used to understand and assess personalities. The Myers Briggs model can be used for: Gaining an understanding of and developing oneself To develop and understand other people Gain insight as to what motivates other people Assess other peoples strengths and weaknesses Developing and working in teams Agreeing on and allocation of tasks and responsibilities The Myers Briggs test is composed of four pairs of personality types. These types are: Extrovert vs. Introvert (EI), Sensing vs. Intuition (SN), Thinking vs. Feeling (TF), and Judgers vs. Perceivers (JP). Once an individual takes the test he/she will fall into one of sixteen possible personality groups. The sixteen personality groups are all the possible combinations of the four pairs of personality types. The sixteen personality groups fall into four distinct groups. These groups are: Internal Sensual Group, External Sensual Group, Internal Intuition Group, and External Intuition Group. This can be seen in the table below taken from Kersey.com (Keirsey Temperament Website). Internal Sensual Group External Sensual Group Internal Intuition Group External Intuition Group ISTJ ESTJ INTJ ENTJ ISFJ ESFJ INFJ ENFJ ISTP ESTP INTP ENTP ISFP ESFP INFP ENFP The advantage of this test is that if done honestly it can accurately reflect the individuals personality. This would enable managers to assemble a team of people with different personalities and each personality suited for the job required. The disadvantage is that this test may not necessarily be accurate as the individual could choose an option that they would most likely perform in their current state of mind. This could mean that the result could change if they were to take the test again under different circumstances. This would mean that their true personality would not be identified as the result is subject to the persons current mood and chain of thought. David Keirseys Personality Types Another personality type test is that of David Keirsey. Known as the Keirsey Temperament Sorter it helps people to better understand others as well as themselves. This test has been developed from the four temperaments and from Carl Jungs theories. Like the Myers Briggs test Keirsey categorises human personality into sixteen types and each type belongs to one of four categories. The four categories are: Artisans these are people who say what is and they do what will work. Guardians these people say what is and do what is right. Rationalists these are people who say what is possible and do what will work. Idealist these are people who will say what is possible and do what is right. Keirsey places the sixteen personality types into the four categories as seen in the table below taken from Keirsey.com (Keirsey Temperament Website). Artisan Guardian Rationalist Idealist Promoter (ESTP) Supervisor (ESTJ) Fieldmarshall (ENTJ) Teacher (ENFJ) Crafter (ISTP) Inspector (ISTJ) Mastermind (INTJ) Counsellor (INFJ) Performer (ESFP) Provider (ESFJ) Inventor (ENTP) Champion (ENFP) Composer (ISFP) Protector (ISFJ) Architect (INTP) Healer (INFP) Note: The letters in brackets are the equivalent Myers Briggs personality types. Like the Myers Briggs test Keirseys test is subject to the individuals frame of mind when taking the test and can only marginally determine the individuals temperament and personality. Another con is that if the person applying for the job knows the desired personality he/she can determine the outcome of the test. There are books on how to answer the test to achieve the desired personality for the job. Eysencks Personality Inventory Hans Eysenck brings a new dimension with the addition of emotional stability. Eysenck used two scales to measure personality, these being as follows: Introversion and Extroversion Stability and Instability With these two scales Eysenck created four types of personalities: Unstable introvert means that the person can be moody, anxious and unsociable Unstable extrovert this means that the person is aggressive, impulsive and changeable Stable introvert means that the person tends to be even-tempered, calm, reliable and controlled Stable extrovert this category means that the person is outgoing, lively, easy-going and is a good leader It is the dimensions of stable and unstable that sets Eysenck apart from systems of Myer Briggs and Keirsey. This helps to add a new view on the four temperaments. It also enhances the perspective of Jungs psychological types and adds to the Myers Briggs and Keirsey tests. Katherine Benzigers brain theory type Benziger has a different approach as compared to the likes of Myers Briggs and Keirsey. She places great importance on the fact that one should not try and falsify ones personality type. Benziger reckons that most people falsify their type so as to get the job for which they are applying. This could have an impact on their performance as they are not really the right people for the job. Like with the other tests she drew inspiration from Carl Jungs work. Her theory is that personality can be mapped in four quadrants of the brain: The Rear Left part is for processing and routines. The rear Right is associated with empathy and intuition. The Front Left part is associated with logic. The Front Right is associated with creativity and vision These quadrants can be linked to Jungs functional types. Benziger Jung Front Left Thinking Rear Right Feeling Rear Left Sensing Front Right Intuition The advantage of Benzigers test is that it places a strong emphasis on not falsifying personality type. There is even a section in the assessment that assesses the extent to which the person is falsifying their type. This can help in determining those who are honest and those who are not. This helps a manager select the best possible candidates for a position or a team. DISC This test determines four behavioural aspects by testing a persons preferences when it comes to word associations. The four dimensions of DISC are: Dominance Influence Steadiness Conscientiousness Dominance and Influence represent extrovert. Steadiness and Conscientiousness represent introvert. Some of the benefits of the DISC profile are: Being able to understand behavioural challenges and strengths in others as well as yourself. Gain an appreciation for the strengths and differences in others Identify tools to aid in conflict resolution Decrease conflict within the team and improve teamwork Gain an awareness of how to deal with diverse people Understand client behaviour resulting in increased sales Enhance customer satisfaction By identifying communication styles you can improve communication skills These benefits can help place the right people in management. Being able to motivate and understand people is a very good trait to have as a manager. The problem is that like most other assessments DISC is not one hundred percent accurate and therefore it does not display a reliable measurement. The Big 5 personality test This test measures your intensity to deal with change, people, work, and depression situations. The five factors are: Agreeableness or Accommodation this is how you deal with people. The higher the degree the more agreeable or courteous you are. The lower the degree the more unpleasant and aggressive you are. Openness to change the higher the degree the more open to sudden changes you are. A low degree means that you oppose change with vigour. Extroversion A high degree represents an extrovert while a low score represents an introvert Conscientiousness A high degree here means that you are focused and organized when it comes to work. On the other hand a low score means that you are lazy and dislike lots of work. Neuroticism This is your ability to handle depression. The higher the degree the more stability you have when pitted against depression. A low score means that you take a long time to recover from the shock caused by depression. This type of test is considered better than the Myers Briggs and DISC test. This is because this test does not focus on types or temperaments. Instead it tries to measure your ability to handle five factors. Conclusion There are many personality tests out there all of which can be used to gain insight into others and ourselves. Companies may use personality type tests to gain an idea as to how people think and then based on the outcome of the test build the best possible team. Managers can also use these tests to help them place the right people in the right position. Though these are great positives the downside is that the tests are not 100% accurate and some people know how to answer the test as to get the desired outcome. This means that you may get the wrong person for the job due to them being good liars.

Christopher Marlowe Essay -- essays research papers

Christopher Marlowe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Comparisons are odious†, was once said by Christopher Marlowe in Lust’s Dominion, Act iii scene4. Christopher Marlowe has been identified as the most important Shakespeare’s predecessors. He was born in Canterbury, England, on February 6, 1564 and then baptized at St. George’s Church, Canterbury, on February 25, 1564. Marlowe was the eldest son of John Marlowe, a shoemaker and Katherine Arthur, a Dover girl of yeoman stock. Christopher’s intermediate family and extended family had a reputation of getting in trouble with the law. His sister was known for being a selfish person seeking the unjust vexation of her neighbor’s, while his father was always continually engaged in lawsuits containing debts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Christopher Marlowe entered the King’s School at Canterbury in 1579. There he held a scholarship requiring him to study Ministry. The school was a canter of theatrical interests. It contained a large library filled with a number of volumes which have been claimed as sources for Marlowe’s plays. In 1584, Marlowe received a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree. Following that, in 1587, he had received a Master of Arts Degree. Shortly after receiving his Master’s degree, Marlowe went to London. There he was part of a circle of young men which were: Rawley, Nashe, and Kyel. By 1587, his first play was â€Å"Tamburlaine the Great†, had been performed on stage. As a result of his first play, Marlowe has started getting ...

High Crime Neighborhood

Living in high-crime neighborhoods has a great impact on how neighbors socialize with each other. It either brings them together to fight against violence or torn them apart because the violence is promoted among other neighbors. Neighborhood environment serves as a source of socialization, mainly for adolescents. Being exposed to different behavioral models or cultural ideas, disadvantaged neighborhoods are thought to influence how young people make decisions about education, employment and relationships (Hackney, 2011).Adolescents interacting with older people that are unemployed, not going to school and involved in crimes can expose them to cultural models that violate social rules and norms. As mentioned in the article it became â€Å"a street culture that arguments are too often settled only when a body ends up on a slab in the morgue† (Hackney, 2011, p. 3). Cultural values are not respected and instead of having dispute-resolution skills and anger management, violence mo st likely becomes the way of life and solving problems.Socialization is what allows us to be skilled in the ways of the culture we were born into, however, if violence is what one was born into or grew up into that is what they will learn and do. The very fabric of our community has changed, violence has become acceptable by many due to its fast increasing rate but we have to do better (Hackney, 2011). Numerous crimes in neighborhoods destroy socialization although violence is not taught among cultures it could be acquired by its young members if seen promoted by older adults.During adolescence is when youths are developing and exploring new ways of socializing with older adults and that could be dangerous if they are hanging out with the wrong crowd. Young people are highly influenced by their surroundings and if violence is promoted that is what they will learn as a result. Despite the negative impact of violence in neighborhoods it also brings neighbors to work close together in finding solutions for the problem and making their neighborhoods a safer place for their children to grow up and become decent citizens.In Detroit the murder rate has increased and many innocent people were killed by random violence. Public safety plays a great role in socialization therefore the city developed plan to â€Å"strengthen neighborhoods and improve safety† (Hackney, 2011, p. 3). The police patrols were reinforced and many cases were closed with tips from citizens and strong police work.There were programs to get youths engaged in activities other then hanging out in the streets and involved in criminal acts (Hackney, 2011). Working close with youths and getting them involved in activities that can keep them out of the streets can reverse the effects of early exposure to violence and promote a better way of socializing.Reference Hackney, Suzette (2011, November 13). Living with murder: The agony of Detroit’s neighborhoods and their cry for help. Free Press, pp. 1-7.

Program for Education, Health and Food in Mexico Essay

The United Nations formulated global targets to be attained by all nations which are referred to as millennium development goals (MDGs), which need to be met by 2015. This is the foundation for the major development agendas set by separate nations in the world today that all are geared towards these goals. For instance these goals includes poverty and hunger reduction, universal primary education, equitable access to all levels of education and a reduction in maternal and child mortality (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 45). Therefore in order these targets to be achieved globally, they ought first to be achieved by the individual nations as units making the globe. This therefore calls for the commitment of nations geared towards implementing multi sectoral strategies of these individual nations in the whole world to attain these MDGs which bears the common good to the majority. In this connection, Latin America is not an exception to the global programs. In this regard, Latin America established five conditional cash transfers programs aimed at reducing poverty and to increase human capital in form of education, (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 23) health and nutrition in order to contribute to the attainment of the United Nations development targets set by the year 2015 in the globe (Coady Parker, 2004, p. 178). These programs include Bolsa Escola program (which provides school grants), Programme for the Eradication of Child Labour in Brazil, the Families in Action program in Colombia, the Social Protection Network in Nicaragua, and Oportunidades program in Mexico. However this term paper shall give focus to the Oportunidades program in Mexico (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 63). Concepts of Conditional cash transfers The concepts of CCT (Conditional cash transfers) are new development programs adapted by nations as a result of global development challenges. The approach of CCTs are adapted with an aim to foster human capital accumulation among the young generation in order to break inter-generational vicious poverty cycle in the modern generation (ECLAC, 2002, p. 82), so that tomorrow world can have a poverty free generation with reduced social crisis. Therefore CCTs involves providing and availing money to poor families conditional upon investments in human capital such educating children, improving the health through creating health centrers close to the people and nutritional aspect (Coady Parker, 2004, p. 23). This is done through the use of the demand-side interventions to support directly the beneficiaries as opposed to traditional supply-side mechanisms like provision of general subsidies or investments in health providers of social services or health facilities and centrers or schools. In this regard therefore Conditional Cash Transfers programs targets at improving children’s human capital. Which is similar to the case of Latin America and Mexico’s Programa de Educacion, Saludy Alimentacion (PROGRES) (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 131). However in order to analyse the conditional cash transfers, the analysis should be based on the new approach to social protection, that encompasses risk management approach that is aimed at enhancing human capital and defeating poverty in the longer term plans (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 5). For instance the social risk management strategy indicates that individuals, households and communities are exposed to multiple risks in their environment. Thus Poverty translates to greater vulnerability of the poor community, simply because poor people in the community or society usually are limited to access to instruments that are necessary for risk management (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 213). In addition poor sect of society or community are always poorly prepared to cope with crises whenever they occur. For example the poor sect would handle a financial crisis using an informal method and approach like taking their children out of school and keeping them at home, which is insufficient approach to crisis management. This way of handling crises results to irreversible loss of human capital and perpetuated intergenerational poverty cycle that becomes hard and difficult to reduce (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 141). In this respect the social risk management model uses three functions that are vital for the public policies. This includes the prevention, mitigation and coping, which embraces the long term benefits and reduced consequences. Therefore, it ends up helping benefiting people living in structural poverty, people who are just above the poverty line and groups with special needs in the society. Therefore, the CCTs approach is rooted from the concept of social protection as human capital investment that holds that poverty is reproduced across human generations due to a lack of investment in human capital (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 63). In this respect CCTs approach is more effective than the traditional approach, since it incentivizes this human capital investment by attaching conditions to transfers to produce desired results to the community and world at large. The use of CCTs in education ensures that opportunity cost of education is reduced hence reinforces the income effect of the transfer in such a way that school attendance and child labour is not as a substitute to income effect. This is aided by implementation regulations such as compulsory attendance of school by children with income substitution to enhance its impact. In this case when the children spend much time in school they would not consume as much resources as they would consume when are at home. Hence in terms of conditional cash transfers it implies that,there will be a minimum transfer amount needed to produce incentives >0 to send children to school (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 56). Therefore, this ensures that the saved resources are put to development agendas that will enhance wealth creation and more investment realization. The program was created in the year 1997 by Mexican Federal Governments as a strategy to support rural families in extreme poverty to alleviate from those poor conditions (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 39). But the name changed to Oportunidades meaning Opportunities that was extended to urban populations by president Fox in the 2001. This program uses the conditional cash transfer concept within Latin America and its design marks a significant shift in social services provision in Mexico today. The guiding principles that the program uses to work are; targeting, intersectorality, empowerment of women and shared responsibility. The program was created for the purpose of increasing the capabilities of families that live in extreme poverty by investing in human capital in Mexico (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 42). This goal has three main objectives which includes education, health and nutrition. This is because the three component are dependent of each other. For instance, education will enhance technological development in the health and food production sectors to handle diseases and agricultural areas respectively, while education can not continue and progress within the environment that is infested by diseases and poor health as a result of malnutrition. Both components, if they are not balanced, can result to poor productivity in the economy and society. In this connection, the following section shall look at these three components Educational component The payments that concerns educational expenses are made to families with children under the age of 18 who are enrolled in school between the first year of primary education and the third year of secondary school. But in order to create and initiate incentive for families to invest in human capital, payments are conditional to children attending school. In addition, if a child has a non-attendance rate of over 15 percent in one academic month without a valid reason, the family does not receive the assistance that concerns education. By doing so, the government ensures that great emphasis is laid to education and eliminates unnecessary laxity in the implementation process, by involving parent to monitor their children and educationalists to keep updated record which the government uses to allocate payments to parents hence, each stakeholder participates in the process (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 272) . The amount of money that is transferred are set basing on the additional income the children would be fetching to the family if the child would be working and not attending to school. The payment rises with an increase in the age of a child. However, this is schemed higher for girls at secondary level (ECLAC, 2002, p. 71) . This is to encourage a girl child education like many parts of the world today do. In addition to regulation of the payment, the pay is designed to be inflation concious that prevents falling of value. In general, the grant is dependant on the enrolment and school attendance. While, the grant covers both direct costs required like school fees, school supplies, transportation and the opportunity costs as a result of attending school in Mexico (Davis, 2003, p. 30). Health component In relation to the health component Oportunidades program invokes the provision of primary health care to all members of the family, this to cultivate an enabling environment for the leaner to able attended to well. The health services are provided at clinics, dispensaries and health centrers which are operated and run by Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Social Security Institute) and the Secretariat of Health (Davis, 2003, p. 128). These grants are targeted to newborn children of about 2-3 years of age (ECLAC, 2002, p. 129), hich may continue up to the time the children enrols in primary school level. In addition to the that, pregnant and lactating women are included in the program. This component consists of a cash transfer aimed at health care, nutrition education and food consumption that benefits mothers and children. The transfer is on the basis of compliance by participating household members with a pre-determined number of health centre visits and health and nutrition workshops which are attended, this ensures a full participation in the process and community unity (Gertle, 2000, p. 61). The children’s health care visits are linked to growth monitoring and vaccination protocols that needs to be observed by mothers. This ensures that, the health standards are maintained by citizen which forms a healthy nation. In addition to that, Health Care visits for pregnant and lactating women ensures appropriate prenatal, childbirth and puerperal care (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 76) through attending clinical check-ups once or twice per year in Mexico. This health component ensures that the society’s well being is taken into account therefore, this will translate to good education involvement and participatory. Therefore health component indirectly or directly promotes and support education. Nutrition component The grant provided is directed towards providing money to improve food consumption and availability, especially to children below age of 4 months to 2 years (Gertle, 2000, p. 232), weaned babies and breastfeeding mothers. This package is inclusive of children aged above the age of 2 years to 5 years who are at risk of malnutrition or those who are poorly nourished (ECLAC, 2002, p. 223) in the society. The condition to continue and get the grants is based upon ability to visit the health clinics regularly, in this way, the population continues to be updated on the health prevention and cure methods while the government gets the required statistics that are vital for planning and fighting infections to its citizens. It should be noted that the nutrition and health voucher as equivalent to the value of the time invested by the mother during the trip and waiting at the health centre to to get health services (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 267). For instance, the statistics indicate that health grant per beneficiary per month was set at the same level as the education transfer of about US$9, which is twice the monthly expenditure per person on health care and medicine costs.

Hegemons in Africa essays

Hegemons in Africa essays During the Cold War, most African states have been perceived as potential leaders due to strategic support by the West and East. With the end of proxy wars in Africa most states have been left on their own for survival, hence in order for them to be potential leaders in African politics they should have certain characteristics that would enable them to adapt to the changing environment in which the international political system has changed impacting on African politics. The aim of this paper is to discuss core states in Africa that have economic, political and military power to influence other African states in pursuit of vial political, economic and security issues that are directed at restoring peace, security and development in the African continent, Baregu and Landsberg (2003) . Secondly, the paper will highlight strategies that have been formulated by leaders of the core states in order to counteract negative outcomes that may arise in pursuit of consensus towards initiatives that could promote Pan-Africanism in Africa in the post-Cold War era. Lastly, the paper will provide a conclusion about the effectiveness of the core states in Africa in realising their core objectives and goals. CORE STATES IN AFRICA AND THEIR ATTRIBUTES. In general, a core state is seen as backbone and a driving force behind initiatives that would produce gains and in which those who are engaged and motivated in attaining the gains cooperate and give recognition the drivers of the initiative. In political terms, various scholars have termed core states as hegemonies. Although hegemony is associated with use of coercive power and domination with territorial control, Baregu and Landsberg (2003 :173) explains hegemony along the lines of a state having the ability to wield power in non-coercive ways with the consent of other states. Moreover, the core states should have the ability to pay military and economic costs when exercising hegemony. It is ver...

Business value of wireless technology in chemicals and automotive industryBusiness value of wireless technology in chemicals and automotive industry

Business value of wireless technology in chemicals and automotive industryBusiness value of wireless technology in chemicals and automotive industry Wireless technology has been widely used in industrial processes because of its benefits that contribute to total quality management. Chemical and manufacturing industries have particularly used wireless technology because it adds value to the industries. Like other information technologies, wireless technology has many business related benefits, which include contributions to â€Å"customer service, finance, sales and marketing, information and technology operations, and operations management† among others (Baltzan and Philips 7).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Business value of wireless technology in chemicals and automotive industryBusiness value of wireless technology in chemicals and automotive industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These benefits help in achieving cost effectiveness, higher customer satisfaction, business growth, and improved competitiveness (Baltzan and Philips 7). Chemical and manufacturing companies use wireless technology to enhance their efficiency in time utility. This is because the technology helps in saving time, facilitating faster response, and improving productivity (Baltzan and Philips 7). Other manufacturing applications that benefit from the technology Other manufacturing applications that benefit from wireless technology are branding and packaging applications (Baltzan and Philips 7). Why they benefit The two applications benefit from wireless technology because they form part of the manufacturing industry (Baltzan and Philips 7). Business benefits of wireless technology in finance and investmentsAdvertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Business benefits of information technology are also realized in the finance and investments sector. Finance and investments involve activities for enhancing an enterprise’s worth throu gh financial avenues and information technology helps in monitoring trends and changes in market factors. The use of wireless technology to gather information about a target market is therefore important in identification of new products and market segments (Baltzan and Philips 7). Other recommended application Other suitable applications for finance and investments include internet applications through mobile phones and computers (Baltzan and Philips 7). Reason for recommending the applications This is because the technologies are significantly effective in enhancing communication and tracking online information (Baltzan and Philips 7). Business benefits and challenges of using wireless technology in retailing Retailing has also been a major beneficiary of the wireless technology. Economic benefits, derived from time and operational efficiencies, have been realized in the sector as the technology is used to facilitate communication in retail enterprises. Using the technology in sto cktaking has also enhanced their advantage through time efficiency and accuracy in records keeping.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Business value of wireless technology in chemicals and automotive industryBusiness value of wireless technology in chemicals and automotive industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Economic implications of wireless technology have however been its major disadvantage with its high installation cost making it too expensive for some retailers. This has limited its use. Complications in supply chains have also imposed a disadvantage on application of wireless technology due to the incompatibility (Baltzan and Philips 81, 82). Other applications that might be beneficial to consumers Like parties to financial and investment sector, retailers and consumers can alternatively use internet services through mobile phones and computers to facilitate communication (Baltzan and Philips 81, 82). Reason Mobile phones and modern computers have even better communication facilities than the wireless technology (Baltzan and Philips 81, 82). Suitable substitute for HP pocket PC Suitable equipment that Celanese would have used, as a substitute to HP pocket PC, is GPS. The system that was developed four decades ago is faster. It is suitable because it identifies object locations. It is also more efficient because its communication system is initiated from a centralized point (Baltzan and Philips 174, 175).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Features of HP pocket PC Features of pocket PC include processor, storage capacity, and games. The processor and storage features allows for creation and transmission of information from one point to another (Baltzan and Philips 174, 175). New possible devices New devices that can be used for better services today include GIS, mobile phones, and LBS technologies. LBS also track location of objects while mobile phones provide instant communication. The new technologies are therefore more efficient than the HP pocket PC (Baltzan and Philips 174, 175). Cost of RFID tags There exist varieties of radio frequency identification tags at different costs. The costs and choice of a particular tag depends on its features. Implication of RFID cost on its use by retailers Availability of a wide range of prices for RFID tags means that more retailers are able to afford the tags. There is, therefore, a wide application of the technology among retailers (Baltzan and Philips 187). Baltzan, Paige, a nd Philips, Amy. Information Systems. California, CA: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2011. Print

Harriet Martineauâ€Biography and Works

Harriet Martineau- Biography and Works Born in 1802 in England, Harriet Martineau is considered to be one of the earliest sociologists, a self-taught expert in political economic theory  who wrote prolifically throughout her career about the relationship between politics, economics, morals, and social life. Her intellectual work was grounded in a staunchly moral perspective that was influenced by her Unitarian faith (although she would later become an atheist). She spoke out against slavery and was fiercely critical as well of the inequality and injustice faced by girls, women, and the working poor. As one of the first women journalists of the era, she also worked as a translator, speechwriter, and novelist. Her acclaimed fiction invited readers to consider the pressing social issues of the day.  She was known for her keen ability to explain complicated ideas in an easy-to-understand manner, presenting many of her theories about politics, economics, and society in the form of appealing and accessible stories. Early Life   Harriet Martineau was born in 1802 in Norwich, England. She was the sixth of eight children born to Elizabeth Rankin and Thomas Martineau. Thomas owned a textile mill, and Elizabeth was the daughter of a sugar refiner and grocer, making the family economically stable and wealthier than most British families at the time. The Martineaus were descendants of French Huguenots who fled Catholic France for Protestant England. They were practicing  Unitarians  and instilled the importance of education and critical thinking in all of their children. However, Elizabeth was also a strict believer  in traditional gender roles, so while the Martineau boys went to college, the girls did not and were expected to learn domestic work instead. This would prove to be a formative life experience for Harriet, who bucked all traditional gender expectations and wrote extensively about gender inequality. Self-Education, Intellectual Development, and Work Martineau was a voracious reader from a young age,  was well read in  Thomas Malthus  by the time she was 15, and had already become a political economist at that age, by her own recollection. She wrote and published her first written work, â€Å"On Female Education,† in 1821 as an anonymous author. This piece was a critique of her own educational experience  and how it was formally stopped when she reached adulthood. When her father’s business failed in 1829, she decided to earn a living for her family  and became a working writer. She wrote for the  Monthly Repository, a Unitarian publication, and published her first commissioned volume,  Illustrations of Political Economy, funded by publisher Charles Fox, in 1832. These illustrations were a monthly series that ran for two years, in which Martineau critiqued the politics and economic practices of the day by presenting illustrated tellings of the ideas of Malthus,  John Stuart Mill,  David Ricardo, and  Adam Smith. The series was designed as a tutorial for the general reading audience. Martineau won prizes for some of her essays, and the series sold more copies than did the work of Dickens at the time. Martineau argued that tariffs in early American society only benefited the rich and hurt the working classes both in the U.S. and in Britain. She also advocated for the Whig Poor Law reforms, which shifted assistance to the British poor from cash donations to the workhouse model. In her early years as a writer, she advocated for free market economic principles in keeping with the philosophy of Adam Smith. Later in her career, however, she advocated for government action to stem inequality and injustice, and is remembered by some as a social reformer due to her belief in the progressive evolution of society. Martineau broke with Unitarianism in 1831 and adopted the philosophical position of freethinking, whose adherents seek truth based on reason, logic, and empiricism, rather the dictates of authority figures, tradition, or religious dogma. This shift resonates with her reverence for  August Comtes positivistic sociology and her belief in progress. In 1832 Martineau moved to London, where she circulated among leading British intellectuals and writers, including Malthus, Mill,  George Eliot,  Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Thomas Carlyle. From there she continued to write her political economy series until 1834. Travels Within the United States When the series was completed,  Martineau traveled to the U.S. to study the young nation’s political  economy and moral structure, much as  Alexis de Tocqueville  had done. While there, she became acquainted with  Transcendentalists  and abolitionists, and with those involved in education for girls and woman. She later published  Society in America,  Retrospect of Western Travel,  and  How to Observe Morals and Manners- considered her first publication based on sociological research- in which she not only criticized the state of education for women but also expressed her support for the abolition of slavery due to its immorality and economic inefficiency as well as its impact on the working classes in the U.S. and in Britain. As an abolitionist, Martineau sold embroidery in order to donate to the cause and also worked as the English correspondent for the  American Anti-Slavery Standard  through the end of the American Civil War. Contributions to Sociology Martineau’s key contribution to the field of sociology was her assertion that when studying society, one must focus on all aspects of it. She emphasized the importance of examining political, religious, and social institutions. By studying society in this way, she felt, one could deduce why inequality existed, particularly that faced by girls and women. In her writings, she brought an early feminist perspective to bear on issues such as race relations, religious life, marriage, children, and home (she herself never married or had children). Her social theoretical perspective was often focused on the moral stance of a populace and how it did or did not correspond to the social, economic, and political relations of its society. Martineau measured progress in society by three standards: the status of those who hold the least power in society, popular views of authority and autonomy, and access to resources that allow the realization of autonomy and moral action. She won numerous awards for her writing  and though controversial, was a rare example of a successful and popular working woman writer of the Victorian era. She published over 50 books and over 2,000 articles in her lifetime. Her translation into English and revision of  Auguste Comte’s  foundational sociological text,  Cours de Philosophie Positive, was received so well by readers and by Comte himself that he had Martineau’s English version translated back to French. Period of Illness and Impact on Her Work Between 1839 and 1845, Martineau became housebound due to a uterine tumor. She moved out of London to a more peaceful location for the duration of her illness. She continued to write extensively during this time but due to her recent experiences shifted her focus to medical topics. She published Life in the Sickroom, which challenged the domination/submission relationship between doctors and their patients- and was viciously criticized by the medical establishment for doing so. Travels in North Africa and the Middle East In 1846, her health restored, Martineau embarked on a tour of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. She focused her analytic lens on religious ideas and customs and observed that religious doctrine was increasingly vague as it evolved. This led her to conclude, in her written work based on this trip- Eastern Life, Present and Past- that humanity was evolving toward atheism, which she framed as rational, positivist progress. The atheistic nature of her later writing, as well as her advocacy for mesmerism, which she believed cured her tumor and the other ailments she had suffered, caused deep divisions between her and some of her friends. Later Years and Death In her later years, Martineau contributed to the Daily News and the radical leftist Westminster Review. She remained politically active, advocating for women’s rights during the 1850s and 60s. She supported the Married Women’s Property Bill, the licensing of prostitution and legal regulation of customers, and women’s suffrage. She died in 1876 near Ambleside, Westmorland, in England, and her autobiography was published posthumously in 1877. Martineaus Legacy Martineau’s sweeping contributions to social thought are more often than not overlooked within the canon of classical sociological theory, though her work was widely lauded in its day, and preceded that of  Ãƒâ€°mile Durkheim  and  Max Weber. Founded in 1994 by Unitarians in Norwich and with support from Manchester College, Oxford, The Martineau Society in England holds an annual conference in her honor. Much of her written work is in the public domain and available for free at the Online Library of Liberty, and many of her letters are available  to the public via the British National Archives. Selected Bibliography Illustrations of Taxation, 5 volumes, published by Charles Fox, 1832-4Illustrations of Political Economy, 9 volumes, published by Charles Fox, 1832-4Society in America, 3 volumes, Saunders and Otley, 1837Retrospect of Western Travel, Saunders and Otley, 1838How to Observe Morals and Manners, Charles Knights and Co., 1838Deerbrook, London, 1839Life in the Sickroom, 1844Eastern Life, Present and Past, 3 volumes, Edward Moxon, 1848Household Education, 1848The Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte, 2 volumes, 1853Harriet Martineau’s Autobiography, 2 volumes, posthumous publication, 1877

Week 4 assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 4 - Assignment Example It mainly focuses on the type of work they undertake, where they get finances and the target community. The united African transition is one community organization that has a focus on African Americans. The target community for this organization is quite different from the habitat for humanity and communities in schools. The habitat for humanity has a focus on any member of the society who cannot afford a home. Communities in schools, on the other hand, focus on at-risk school going children. It is to this respect that the united African organization does not solely relate the whole community. This is a key difference from the other organizations, which are not specific to other members of a society (Marshall et. al., 2007). The habitat for humanity organization, for example, avails cheap, non-profit mortgages to the disadvantaged members of society. This means that their focus is across the board. The communities in schools also do not have a direct focus on a particular school going children. Community organizations mostly have the non-for profit system in terms of their finances. Similarly, the habitat for humanity, community in schools and the united African organization share the same system. The united African organization accepts donations and sponsorships to help the needy African American community. In terms of their workforce, they use volunteers from the local communities. In this sense, they provide jobs for the locals. This is a similar strategy applied by communities in schools. They focus on volunteers and community partners. This helps them become very cost effective. The habitat for humanity, as a non-for-profit organization, acts a center where individuals interact with the aim of viewing the world as a common habitat for humanity. It is this respect that they gather donations and grants to help the disadvantaged community members. Each community organization has a target society.

The positive and negative impacts of an IT application within an Essay

The positive and negative impacts of an IT application within an organisation - Essay Example BT Industries is a manufacturer of trendy home appliances such as coffee makers, small microwaves, toasters, and an automatic defroster for frozen food. Market share was expected to increase from 4% to 12% in a highly competitive market. Projections were a direct result of the proven ability of designers to successfully anticipate trends for the BT market segment as well as the ability of the manufacturing sector to translate those designs into easily manufactured items. Location The Head Office is in Boston, with four assembly plants in Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami and Boston. The company accounting function is centralized in Boston with remote terminals at all manufacturing plants. Systems analysis and programming staff are also based in Boston whilst each of the four plants have only a few applications programmers to ‘trouble shoot’ on site. Market Essence of marketing is aimed at the ‘Yuppie’ market where two-income families have made time more precious than money. For this market, the emphasis is on up-to-date styling and perceived quality for traditional appliances. It is the intention of BT Industries to keep the final design of its products as secret as possible especially from Far East Asian competitors. IT Systems 1.4.1 CAD/CAM system in Boston with communications links directly to assembly plants. The purpose of the system is to accelerate the design process of currently sold appliances from the inception idea to the actual manufactured product.

Any recent news from wall street journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Any recent news from wall street journal - Essay Example My reasoning relies on the fact that housing is amongst the most significant contributors of our economy and yet the mortgage rates that are in place are not affordable to the low-income earners. The idea of adopting mortgages has always been meant to make the reality of building homes easier (Green 6). Nevertheless, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development reports, though the housing sector has registered far-reaching improvement in recent years, a considerable section of the new homeowners resorted to constructing their homes instead of embracing the mortgage plan. Comparing both population growth and the need to replace older houses to the development of the housing sector, one will not fail to recognize the fact that more houses should be put up. This can only be achieved if the housing rates are reviewed in favor of the market. By putting in place, favorable housing policies will create not only more jobs for the unemployed, but also boosts our economy and result in the housing sector recording its highest sales value

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Case Study Example The lost service charge provisions are not protected by TUPE because they are deemed to be independent contracts that have been outsourced. They are only protected when the service entails the provision of one whole activity such as catering, and when the completion of the job is credited to the company, such as the entity has no options of other service providers. The basic principle of UK law is the sale or transfer of an entity automatically brings all the contracts the entity had with the employees, and the employees have a choice on whether to continue with the new entity or resign. This makes a lot of legal sense because of the nature of a contract, which is an agreement between two parties regarding a particular subject. A contract is reached upon after considering many factors, bargaining and the future circumstance. Therefore, imposing a contract upon a secondary entity may not be fair. However, Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) law is lenient on employees and protects their rights but this protection is not automatic. The law has to consider the circumstances of each case to see whether the employees qualify for a protection or not. Therefore, this question applies the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) law because it touches on the transfer of an entity and also on organized group of employees. In the case of Argyll Coastal Services v Sterling and others UKEATS/0012/11/BI, the question that came up for consideration by the court was the definition of the word organized group of employees. The court contented that an organized group of employees was a particular set of employees who were less than the entire workforce of the entity concerned and who worked together as a team for the accomplishment of a particular purpose. However, on appeal, the court contended that the group was not an

Littering the side of the street Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Littering the side of the street - Assignment Example Additionally, trash may harbor diseases, which can be passed to animals eating it. Also, litter may attract other litter since it tells people to continue dumping litter in the same place. Moreover, litter may turn out to be a fire hazard. Furthermore, apart from littering being bad, it just looks disgusting (â€Å"JB Green Team†). Cigarette butts are considered the main source of litter (â€Å"Keep America Beautiful†). Despite being small, they are very dangerous. Cigarette butts have harmful chemicals such as arsenic that contaminates both soil and water. Cigarette butts are also a potential fire hazard (â€Å"JB Green Team†). It simply means that cigarettes can now not only harm us when we smoke it, but even when we do not smoke it. Generally, litter prevention starts with an individual. As an individual minimizing litter may be easy, however it requires vigilance. For beginners, never throw trash from your  car, and always ensure that you tightly seal the household garbage bins so that animals do not get the contents. Also, never forget your garbage upon leaving a public space such as a park. If you smoke then consider quitting bearing in mind the impacts that cigarettes have on the environment. Furthermore, if the roadway to your home is like an asylum for litter, volunteer for a cleanup. â€Å"Litter in America: Results from the Nation’s Largest Litter Study.† Keep America Beautiful, Inc. 2010. Web. 19th April 2015.

Principles of Operations Management by J.Heizer & B.Render Essay

Principles of Operations Management by J.Heizer & B.Render - Essay Example Creating an image thus refers to the process of determining the perception the organization seeks to influence on its different publics. The organization interacts differently with its different publics. Among the publics is its staff, the customers, shareholders and the media among others. The management of the organization must determine the perception that each of the groups have about its operations in order to maximize of profitability (Hill & Jones, 2011). In analyzing the importance and the process of image building, the author uses the metaphor of a porter who at the beginning of his crafting work has a piece of clay but must work and create a new product from the same. The porter therefore conceptualizes an idea and determines the best way of executing through an appropriate design. In the metaphor, the author sees managers as artisans and the strategies they use to approach the various organizational publics as their clay. Just as the porter some must they employ the most a ppropriate strategies to earn the organization the best reputation among every audience group in order to sustain the organization’s profitability objective. Strategy determination is most important; the managers must determine an appropriate strategy of executing a plan of action with the view of achieving a particular objective. The strategy is important to the artisan just as it is to the managers. The author of the article approaches the concept as a review of the organizations past performance and its plans for the future. In crafting a pot or nay other clay product, the craftsman will refer to his past works before infusing such thoughts with the future products. Using his past works as a reference to influence his current work, the porter thus creates a new product that best fits his objectives. The same scenario applies to managers who must make effective managerial decisions on an everyday basis. The decisions the managers make influence the public’s perceptio n about the organization. In doing this, the managers must therefore use their experiences at the organization. An analysis of past decisions provides managers with an effective and reliable reference points (Mintzberg, 1971). The managers thus refer to the outcomes of past decisions of the diverse publics the organization has before constructing a current decision, which must also reflect the organization’s future. While the future is always a gamble, the past on the contrary is concrete owing to the fact that the organization had previously experienced the same. The managers thus make decision using the past reactions of the same publics but project such reactions on the future. In case of desirable reactions, the organization must improve on such with the view of increasing the scope of the organization’s acceptance among its specific publics. In case of an undesirable reaction by a particular public, the managers must seek to redress such by employing effective fut ure decisions that best address all the points of weakness in the past decisions. The author asserts that managers must read the mind of the organization. In doing this, the manager must assume the position of the specific public and therefore work on strategies that are effective enough to address their particular concerns about the organization. The process is cumbersome but requires an equally effective market research. Marketing is a management role concerned with the determination, identification and the sustainment of the customer’s demands from the market. Marketers as managers thus rely on the quality of their market researches to determine the future productions of the organization. The same is the case with all other managers when determining the strategies of solving

Littering the side of the street Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Littering the side of the street - Assignment Example Additionally, trash may harbor diseases, which can be passed to animals eating it. Also, litter may attract other litter since it tells people to continue dumping litter in the same place. Moreover, litter may turn out to be a fire hazard. Furthermore, apart from littering being bad, it just looks disgusting (â€Å"JB Green Team†). Cigarette butts are considered the main source of litter (â€Å"Keep America Beautiful†). Despite being small, they are very dangerous. Cigarette butts have harmful chemicals such as arsenic that contaminates both soil and water. Cigarette butts are also a potential fire hazard (â€Å"JB Green Team†). It simply means that cigarettes can now not only harm us when we smoke it, but even when we do not smoke it. Generally, litter prevention starts with an individual. As an individual minimizing litter may be easy, however it requires vigilance. For beginners, never throw trash from your  car, and always ensure that you tightly seal the household garbage bins so that animals do not get the contents. Also, never forget your garbage upon leaving a public space such as a park. If you smoke then consider quitting bearing in mind the impacts that cigarettes have on the environment. Furthermore, if the roadway to your home is like an asylum for litter, volunteer for a cleanup. â€Å"Litter in America: Results from the Nation’s Largest Litter Study.† Keep America Beautiful, Inc. 2010. Web. 19th April 2015.

Chinese Culture Essay Example for Free

Chinese Culture Essay The climate and temperature of China varies throughout the area of the country. Most of the country lies in the temperate belt, but the southern most part lies in the subtropical belt while the northern part is in the sub arctic belt. There is usually a lot of rain in the summer, and very little in the winter. China has the largest agricultural output in the world, while only cultivating 15% of its total area. Rice is China’s most harvested crop, while wheat is second. China also produces potatoes, other vegetables, and some fruits. By the end of 2000, China had 633 different cities, while 13 of them had a population of two million or more. The three biggest Chinese cities are Shanghai, Beijing, and Chongqing, in that order. Hong Kong is inside China, but isn’t considered part of the country. Confucianism used to be the main religion in China and help shape its history. However, Buddhism has the most followers and biggest influence in China than any other religion, now. Some other major religions throughout China are Taoism, Islam, and Christianity. Most people in China, now, play sports just like us such as ping pong, soccer, and badminton. These types of sports are fairly new to China, while different types of martial arts have been around much longer than team sports. China is a communist state. This means that everything is ruled and owned by the government. There is no private ownership, and all goods are shared by the people, who are all equal. Chinese education is required and free for ages 6 – 15, and can be continued longer if the person wants to and can afford it. Most of the jobs throughout China are related to agricultural businesses, or they do cheap labor for companies all around the world. The employment rules in China are much more relaxed than the U. S. so big corporation usually have Chinese factories make their goods for much cheaper. Stir fry is the most common cooking technique throughout China. It requires a small amount of oil in a heated pan, and the ingredients of the mea, usually vegetables and meat, are put into the pan and cooked until ready. The most used cooking tool is the wok. It is pretty much like a pan with rounded edges for stir frying. Chopsticks are by far the most used eating tools of the Chinese people, just like our forks and spoons. Chinese meals almost always have rice or noodles. The is usually vegetables in the meals, which could be many different types, such as broccoli, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, cabbage or eggplants. The meat is usually chicken, pork, or fish. Chinese meals are eaten pretty much at the same time as out meals. Breakfast is in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, and dinner is at night. There are much unusual eating etiquettes that must be followed in China. One is that your tea can never be empty. The host will always be refilling their guests’ cups, and the guests must tap their cup on the table as a showing of thankfulness. Another eating etiquette is that, when out with a group of people, you must order an even number or plates, even if there is an odd number of people, because odd numbers symbolize death. Bibliography Climate http://www. chinatraveldepot. com/C149-China-Climate Major Cities http://www. china. org. cn/english/feature/38093. htm Recreation http://www. ajpanda. com/Articles. asp? ID=227 Types of Jobs http://factsanddetails. com/china. php? itemid=366catid Ingredients and equipment http://www. china-family-adventure. com/chinese-food-ingredients. html Bourbon Chicken recipe http://www. food.com/recipeprint. do? rid=45809 Chinese fried rice http://www. grouprecipes. com/25313/chinese-fried-rice. html/print Chinese Almond Cookies http://chinesefood. about. com/od/dessertcookies/r/almondcookies. htm Chinese Almond Cookies Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: †¢ 2 cups flour †¢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder †¢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda †¢ 1/8 teaspoon salt †¢ 1/2 cup butter †¢ 1/2 cup shortening †¢ 3/4 cup white sugar (can add up to 2 more tablespoons, if desired) †¢ 1 egg †¢ 2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract †¢ 30 whole, blanched almonds (one for each cookie). †¢ 1 egg, lightly beaten Preparation: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (162. 5 degrees Celsius). 2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter or margarine, shortening, and sugar. Add the egg and almond extract and beat until well blended. Add to the flour mixture and mix well. Note: The dough will be crumbly at this point, but dont worry that is what its supposed to be like. 3. Use your fingers to form the mixture into a dough, and then form the dough into 2 rolls or logs that are 10 to 12 inches long. Wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours (this will make it easier to shape the dough into circles). 4. Take a log and lightly score the dough at 3/4 inch intervals so that you have 15 pieces and cut the dough. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a lightly greased cookie tray, approximately 1 1/2 inches apart. Place an almond in the center of each cookie and press down lightly. Repeat with the remaining dough. 5. Brush each cookie lightly with beaten egg before baking. Bake for 15 minutes to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and store in a sealed container.

An Introduction To Logic Gates Essay

An Introduction To Logic Gates Essay Logic circuit is one that behaves like a switch, i.e. a two-positive devise with ON or OFF states. This is termed as binary device, in which the ON state is represented by 1 and the OFF state by 0. We require devising a logic statement which can be expressed in only one of two forms. For instance As you may know, computers store information in gigabytes, megabytes, and so on. The fundamental unit of storage is the bit or binary digit, which is similar to a switch. Like a switch, which has two states on or off, the bit has two states 1 and 0 (sometimes represented as true and false. We use this abstraction to represent numbers with the binary number system. In order to perform calculations, the computer manipulates bits by means of logical operations, which use inputs to yield a particular output based on the input bits states. To explicitly define the logic, we use truth tables which express the outputs in terms of all combinations of inputs. Examples of truth tables for logical operations are given below: Logical AND (i.e. A.B=C) Logical OR (i.e. A+B=C) Logical NOT (i.e. A) A useful way of representing these logical operations is by means of logic gates, which are pictorial representations of the logic. The most basic logic gates, which illustrate the Boolean logic of the above truth tables, are AND logic gate C=A.B OR logic gate C=A+B NOT logic gate B=A Using the logic gates above, we can create schematics of more complicated circuits. These combinational logic circuits involve feeding the output of one gate to the input of another gate. This allows us to create useful circuits that function according to our needs. Examples are provided below: F=X.Y.Z F=X+Y+Z F=X+Y.Z We probably know that calculators and computers store decimal (0-9) numbers as long strings of zeros and ones in a form called binary code. Each number is stored using microscopic electronic switches called transistors. Its easy to store binary numbers simply by switching transistors on and off. Switching on a transistor stores a number one; switching it off stores a zero. So storing numbers is easy. But how can you add, subtract, multiply, and divide using nothing but electric currents? Calculators and computers do these using clever electronic circuits called logic gates. Fig:1.1 Photo: A gate can keep we out or let we into a field. In the same way, a microscopic logic gate is a barrier in an electronic circuit that can let electricity through or stop it flowing altogether. Put lots of logic gates together and you make a machine thats capable of basic mathematical reasoning. TYPES OF LOGIC GATES: Logic gates: circuits that compare A logic gate might sound horribly complex, but its simply an electric circuit with two inputs and an output. It receives two incoming electric currents, compares them, and sends on a new, outgoing electric current depending on what it finds. A logic gate is a bit like a doorman or bouncer who is allowed to let people into a nightclub only if they pass certain tests. There are quite a few different types of logic gate, the most common of which are called AND, OR, NOT, XOR (Exclusive Or), NAND (NOT AND), and NOR (NOT OR). Lets look at the three simpler ones, AND, OR, and NOT: AND Suppose we went to a nightclub where the doormans job is to enforce a simple rule: Everyone in our group must wear a tie to come in. We went along with a friend one night. If were both wearing ties, youll get in. If only one of we is wearing a tie, or if neither of us is, neither of you will get in. An AND logic gate works the same way with two electrical inputs. If both inputs are switched on (that is, carry a number 1), the output will be 1 as well. Otherwise the output will be 0. In electronics, we can represent an AND gate with this little symbol. Three ways in which the gate can work are shown below. OR Were not wearing a tie, so you go to another club further down the street. Here, the person on the door is enforcing a different rule: A group of people can come in if any one of them is a member. If either we or our friend is a member, or if you both are members, we can both come in. If neither of we is a member, youre both left out in the cold. An OR logic gate works this way with two electrical inputs. If either input is switched on (that is, carries a number 1), the output will be 1 as well. Otherwise the output will be 0. In electronics, we represent an OR gate with a different symbol. Three ways in which it can work are shown beneath: NOT So far, weve failed to get into either of the clubs. But theres one last hope: you know a friend is having a party a few streets away. The only trouble is, theres a really argumentative and contrary person on the door. He talks to each person in turn as they approach him. If youre nice and polite, he shouts abuse at you and turns you away. But if youre rude to him, he likes that for some reason and lets you in. In other words, he does exactly the opposite of what youd expect! In electronics, theres a logic gate that works in the same, contrary way and its called a NOT gate or invertor. Unlike AND and OR gates, it has only one input and one output. The output is exactly the opposite of the input, so if the input is a 0, the output is a 1 and vice versa. Heres how we represent a NOT in electronics. Two ways it can work are shown beneath. The other three common logic gates are variations on these three. XOR (Exclusive OR) is like an OR, but it switches off if both the inputs are switched on. NAND is just like AND, only the end result is swapped over (so where AND produces an output of 1, NAND produces an output of 0). NOR is like OR with the end result swapped over in the same way. Calculators can do all the things they need to do using different combinations of logic gates. Its logic gates that control how the display works in a calculator and more logic gates that figure out the results of calculations. Lets take a closer look NAND gate This is a NOT-AND gate which is equal to an AND gate followed by a NOT gate. The outputs of all NAND gates are high i any of the inputs are low. The symbol is an AND gate with a small circle on the output. The small circle represents inversion.   NOR gate This is a NOT-OR gate which is equal to an OR gate followed by a NOT gate. The outputs of all NOR gates are low if any of the inputs are high. The symbol is an OR gate with a small circle on the output. The small circle represents inversion.   EXOR gate The Exclusive-OR gate is a circuit which will give a high output if either, but not both, of its two inputs are high. An encircled plus sign () is used to show the EOR operation. EXNOR gate The Exclusive-NOR gate circuit does the opposite to the EOR gate. It will give a low output if either, but not both, of its two inputs are high. The symbol is an EXOR gate with a small circle on the output. The small circle represents inversion. The NAND and NOR gates are called universal functions since with either one the AND and OR functions and NOT can be generated. Note: A function in sum of products form can be implemented using NAND gates by replacing all AND and OR gates by NAND gates. A function in product of sums form can be implemented using NOR gates by replacing all AND and OR gates by NOR gates. IMPLEMENTATION OF LOGIC GATES FIG: 1.2 130 ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR   The Friden 130 uses diode-resistor OR and AND logic gates, with transistor-based inverter, buffer, and flip-flop devices. It performs math operations in bit-serial form, using the magnetostrictive delay line as the medium for storing its working registers. Logic levels are 0 Volts representing logic 1, and -12 Volts (nominally) representing logic 0. The delay line input transducer is driven with a pulse of approximately 20V, and by the time the signal makes it to the other end of the delay line, the voltage induced in the transducer is approximately 35mV, or 35/1000ths of a volt. Digits are stored within the delay line as a series of pulses arranged in groups for each digit. Zero pulses represent a zero, and nine pulses represent a nine, with the numbers in-between represented by a number of pulses matching the number. As the pulses exit the delay line, they are amplified and fed into the counters (the A and/or D counters), which count the number of pulses in the digit to form a uniq ue five-bit identifier that represents the number. The counter registers are not configured as counters in the usual binary sense. They are instead configured as five stage switch-tail shift registers, such that they count in a sequence of shifting 1s. For example; 0 is represented as 00000; 1 as 10000; 2 as 11000; 3 as 11100; 4 as 11110; 5 as 11111; with 6 as 01111, and ending with 9 as 00001. With five flip flops, each counter can represent the numbers zero through nine as unique combinations of bit patterns. In terms of applying logic gates to real world applications, many gates can be used in Figure1`.3CEP-1114 Piezo Buzzer Frequency processing. For example, when dealing with piezo audio transducers such as the CEP-1114, an oscillating frequency signal is require to produce a sound pattern from the buzzer.   Figure 3: AND gate signal output wave generator such as an oscilloscope or a programmed PIC must be logically processed with a second frequency signal to create a combination of high/low outputs which will turn the Buzzer on and off creating a sound pattern. So if you used a Square-wave signal from a PIC as one input into an AND gate and a second varying frequency as the other input, it is proven due to AND gate logic that when both signals are high the buzzer will produce a sound, and any other combination will turn the buzzer off. Furthermore, as you can see from Figure 3 on the left, the output is only high when both Input A and Input B are high. If Input B was changed or altered, this would alter the output signal sent to the buzzer. Imagine that Input B was stretched so that only one period was observed in the time give rather than two periods. This would extent the time that Input B is high and would increase the time that the output is high. Additionally, if variation of the waveform inputs is difficult or impossible, variation of the output can still be accomplished by simply changing the logic gate implemented. If the AND gate currently being used was replaced with a NAND gate, the output would be completely reversed. Every time the output was high using the AND gate will now be low, and every time the output was low will now be high. Conclusion Logic gates come in all shapes and sizes, and whether they are used in combinations or individually, they provide the user with many options and solutions to problems which may appear difficult at first. Furthermore, these seven basic logic gates ease the complexity of Boolean algebra and allow for simple application in electronics and circuit analysis. These gates can be used in almost any situation such as comparison of frequencies when developing filters in communication or in more mechanical settings when using choppers and inverters which compare input and output currents to determine modulating indexes. Figure 2: CEP-1114 Piezo Buzzer FLIP FLOPS Flip flops are actually an application of logic gates. With the help of Boolean logic you can create memory with them. This is the most basic idea of a Random Access Memory [RAM]. If the logic gates are designed correctly, they will be helpful in remembering the input value given to them. A higher application of flip flops is helpful in designing better electronic circuits. The main use of flip flops is the implementation of a feedback circuit. As a memory relies on the feedback concept, flip flops can be used to design it. Given below is a simple feedback circuit using two inverter logic gates. Take a look. Though this circuit is not good for practical electronic circuits, it will help you to get a clear idea on what a feedback circuit is. When the value of the output Q happens to be 0, it always remains 0. If the output happens to be 1, it always remains 1 There are mainly four types of flip flops that are used in electronic circuits. They are The basic flip flop or S-R Flip Flop Delay Flip Flop [D Flip Flop] J-K flip flop T flip flop 1. S-R Flip Flop The SET-RESET flip flop can be designed with the help of two NOR gates and also two NAND gates. These flip flops are also referred to as S-R Latch. S-R Flip Flop using NOR Gate The flip flop has mainly two inputs, called the SET [S] and RESET [R]. There are also two outputs, Q and Q. The diagram and truth table is shown below. S-R Flip Flop using NOR Gate From the diagram it is evident that the flip flop has mainly four states. They are S=1, R=0-Q=1, Q=0 This state is also called the SET state. S=0, R=1-Q=0, Q=1 This state is known as the RESET state. In both the states you can see that the outputs are just compliments of each other and that the value of Q follows the value of S. S=0, R=0-Q Q = Remember If both the values of S and R are switched to 0, then the circuit remembers the value of S and R in their previous state. S=1, R=1-Q=0, Q=0 [Invalid] This is an invalid state because the values of both Q and Q are 0. They are supposed to be compliments of each other. Normally, this state must be avoided. S-R Flip Flop using NAND Gate The circuit of the S-R flip flop using NAND Gate and its truth table is shown below. S-R Flip Flop using NAND Gate Like the NOR Gate S-R flip flop, this one also has four states. They are S=1, R=0-Q=0, Q=1 This state is also called the SET state. S=0, R=1-Q=1, Q=0 This state is known as the RESET state. In both the states you can see that the outputs are just compliments of each other and that the value of Q follows the compliment value of S. S=0, R=0-Q=1, Q =1 [Invalid] If both the values of S and R are switched to 0 it is an invalid state because the values of both Q and Q are 1. They are supposed to be compliments of each other. Normally, this state must be avoided. S=1, R=1-Q Q= Remember If both the values of S and R are switched to 1, then the circuit remembers the value of S and R in their previous state. Clocked S-R Flip Flop It is also called a Gated S-R flip flop. The invalid state can only be removed by using a bistable SR flip-flop that can change outputs when certain invalid states are met regardless of the condition of either the Set or the Reset inputs. For this, a clocked S-R flip flop is designed by adding two AND gates to a basic NOR Gate flip flop. The circuit diagram and truth table is shown below. Clocked S-R Flip Flop A clock pulse [CP] is given to the inputs of the AND Gate. In the beginning the outputs of both the AND Gates remain 0 until the value of CP is 0. When a pulse is given the value of CP turns 1. This makes the values at S and R to pass through the NOR Gate flip flop. But when both the S and R values turn 1, the HIGH value of CP causes both of them to turn to 0 for a short moment. As soon as the pulse is removed, the flip flop state becomes intermediate. Thus either of the two states may be caused, and it depends on whether the set or reset input of the flip-flop remains a 1 longer than the transition to 0 at the end of the pulse. Thus the invalid states can be eliminated. 2. D Flip Flop The circuit diagram and truth table is given below. D Flip Flop D flip flop is actually a slight modification of the above explained clocked SR flip-flop. From the figure you can see that the D input is connected to the S input and the complement of the D input is connected to the R input. The D input is passed on to the flip flop when the value of CP is 1. When CP is HIGH, the flip flop moves to the SET state. If it is 0, the flip flop switches to the CLEAR state. To know more about the triggering of flip flop click on the link below. TAKE A LOOK :  TRIGGERING OF FLIP FLOPS TAKE A LOOK :  MASTER-SLAVE FLIP FLOP CIRCUIT 3. J-K Flip Flop The circuit diagram and truth-table of a J-K flip flop is shown below. J-K Flip Flop A J-K flip flop can also be defined as a modification of the S-R flip flop such that it is a refinement at the indeterminate state of the SR flip flop. The inputs J and K behave just like the S and R inputs of the S-R flip flop. The letter J stands for SET and the letter K stands for CLEAR. When both the inputs J and K have a HIGH state, the flip-flop is designed to switch to its complement state. So if the value of Q was 1, it switches to Q=0 and if the value of Q was 0 it switches to Q=1. Two 3-input AND Gates are used in the circuit. The output Q of the flip flop is given as a feedback to the input of the AND along with other inputs like K and clock pulse [CP]. So, the flip flop gets a CLEAR signal when the value of CP is 1 only if the value of Q was earlier 1. Similarly output Q of the flip flop is given as a feedback to the input of the AND along with other inputs like J and clock pulse [CP]. So the output becomes SET when the value of CP is 1 only if the value of Q was earlier 1. The output may be repeated in transitions once they have been complimented for J=K=1 because of the feedback connection in the JK flip-flop. This can be avoided by setting a time duration lesser than the propagation delay through the flip-flop. The restriction on the pulse width can be eliminated with a master-slave or edge-triggered construction. 4. T Flip Flop This is a much simpler version of the J-K flip flop. Both the J and K inputs are connected together and thus are also called a single input J-K flip flop. When clock pulse is given to the flip flop, the output begins to toggle. Here also the restriction on the pulse width can be eliminated with a master-slave or edge-triggered construction. Take a look at the circuit and truth table below. T Flip Flop Conclusion Logic gates come in all shapes and sizes, and whether they are used in combinations or individually, they provide the user with many options and solutions to problems which may appear difficult at first. Furthermore, these seven basic logic gates ease the complexity of Boolean algebra and allow for simple application in electronics and circuit analysis. These gates can be used in almost any situation such as comparison of frequencies when developing filters in communication or in more mechanical settings when using choppers and inverters which compare input and output currents to determine modulating indexes

All Quiet On The Western Front :: essays research papers

Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet On The Wester Front. Fawcett Crest; New York. 1958 Glaser, Rollin O. All Quiet On The Western Front Notes. Cliffs Notes, Inc.; Lincoln, Nebraska. 1990 Erich Maria Remarque Erich Maria Remarque was born in Osnabrà ¼ck, Westphalia, Germany on June 22, 1898. Being that his father was a book binder by trade, Erich was brought up in a fairly poor household. That did not stop him from receiving a wonderful education at his local “gymnasium'; (equivalent to an elementary school), then proceeding onto the University of Mà ¼nster. While attending there, he was drafted in to the German Army at a mere 18 years of age. He was wounded five times, then released. After returning home, he had a plethora of jobs including: a school master, a tombstone salesman, and even joined a “Gypsy caravan';. His searching for a profession then came to an end when he started writing articles for a Swedish car magazine. He became very well known in the areas of car racing and auto mechanics. He then used his literary skills to write novels that branched from his own personal reflections and experiences. He wrote several best-sellers including: All Quiet On The Western Front, Arch of Triumph, and The Black Obelisk. (contd.) Plot Summery Of: All Quiet On The Western Front All Quiet On The Western Front is a record of seven school chums that all enlist in the German Army after being urged by their school master Kantorek. These poor youth are forced to endure the debilitating effects of World War I, and represent the generation of men that were torn from youthfulness and serenity to face a world of survival horror. They become remnants of Europe’s degenerate youth from that time period. Over the period of years, they are slowly killed off, their once bright and cheerful youthfulness has been ripped from their beings, replaced with listlessness and hardened souls. The story is told in first person by a young man named, Paul Bà ¤umer. He is a very kind and sensitive lad, that wants to make a difference in the world. He has a hard time seeing how fighting against fellow man will make any sort of difference in the world. “He holds fast to a single vow: to fight against the principle of hate that meaninglessly pits young men of the same generation but different uniforms against each other..'; (Remarque, cover) Theme: A Broken And Sorrowful Youth

Karl Marx and His Work Essay -- Karl Marx Communist Manifesto Essays

Karl Marx and His Work German Economic/Political Philosopher 1818 - 1883 This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and his partner Friedrich Engels. The document first appeared in 1848 and has been a manuelfor the following political parties: Socialist, Social Democratic, Labor, and Communist. In the time of its existence it has created disagreement all over the world. Friedrich Engels said these words in 1888 to summarize the Communist Manifesto. "In every historical epoch, the prevailing mode of economic production and exchange, and the social organization necessarily following from it, form the basis upon which is built-up, and from which alone can be explained, the political and intellectual history of that epoch;†¦consequently the whole history of mankind (since the dissolution of primitive tribal society, holding land in common ownership) has been a history of class struggles, contests between exploiting and exploited, ruling and oppressed classes;†¦the history of these class struggles has been reached where the exploited and oppressed class (the proletariat) cannot obtain its emancipation from the sway of the exploiting and ruling class (the bourgeoisie) with out, at the same time, and once and for all, emancipating society at large from all exploitation, oppression, class distinctions and class struggles. This proposition†¦is distined to do for history what Darwin’s thory has done for biology†¦1". Engels quote is explained by saying the pattern developed is the class that is being ran by the higher class will soon grow angry and revolt by starting a revolution to take over the ruling class. It is only natural that a group of people being pushed around by another grou... ...th the possibilities of new ideas on how to govern our world. Although, many people object to these propositions, they are supported by some. This concept has been responsible for shaping other forms of government, such as the Socialist, Social Democratic, Labor, and Communist parties for 150 years. It will continue to add reference to governments that wish to practice parts of it and may one day be used solely as a form of government. Bibliographies 1. Gilman, Antonio. "The Communist Manifesto, 150 years Later." Aniquity. Dec 1998. Pp. 910-913. 2. Kessler, Gary E. Voice of Wisdom. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Company. 1998. 3. McGoven, Arthur F. "World Christianity and Marxism." Theological Studies, INC. Dec 1998. Pp. 796-770. 4. Tyler, Gus. "150 Years Later: Marx’ Manifesto revisited." The New Leader. Oct 5- Oct 19. Pp. 11-14.

A Modern Day Sleeping Beauty

Once upon a time there lived a young couple who had found true love and were bound together by fate. His name was Brian and hers was Melody. They lived it the beautiful city of Anchorage, Alaska. Brian was a C-17 Pilot stationed at Elmendorf AFB and Melody a 1st grade teacher at local school. Melody was a beautiful sight; her body was athletic, her hair fell over her shoulders and was highlighted to the most beautiful blonde, her skin was flawless and her eyes were blue but not an ordinary blue; like a tropical ocean and they sparkled like the water when the sun hit it. Brian wasn’t so bad himself. He was what all girls dreamed prince charming to be. He was tall and worked out often; his muscles could be seen through his shirt, his hair was dark, his skin tan, and one could get lost in his piercing green eyes. Brian and Melody spent every chance they had together outside of their busy schedules. They went on evening walks together and early morning jogs. They sat on their front porch and watched the sun rise and set in the beautiful snow covered Mountains of Anchorage. Most weekends the couple would make time for dinner and a movie. Brian and Melody were made for each other. Even a stranger could clearly see the love they had for each other would never die. (Sight & Touch) It was a cold brisk night in late December; the weather had changed in a matter of hours. The wind rose with a backing wind, it brought a clouded sky and a heavy snowstorm with it. A pallor of winter evening seemed to have closed upon the city, cloaking it in a blanket of snow. Brian and Melody were returning home after eating dinner at the Olive Garden and watching the movie â€Å"The Black Swan†. They had enjoyed their night out at dinner and a movie. The aroma of garlic wafted through the air from the white styrofoam box filled with Sicilian Scampi and the delightful flavor of light buttery popcorn remained in their mouths as if they were still indulging on it. The weather brought the worst driving conditions; (Sight) everything around them seemed to disappear in a thick white haze through which large snowflakes of snow were flying; the sky merged with the earth. (Hear) The wind blew with freezing blasts and such force it howled around the car as it faded out the music playing over the radio. The vehicle swayed while Brian fought to regain the road that was now a snowdrift burying the yellow and white painted lines. The challenging road conditions were inviting collision as other cars overtook the wrong side of the road and had a complete disregard for speed limits. Brian deeply concentrated and felt comfortable driving his 4 wheel drive Rubicon in these conditions. Breaking his concentration; Melody frantically shouted, â€Å"Brian, that truck, he is in our lane†! Brian didn't have time to react, â€Å"Crash†. The airbags deployed while the jeep flipped end over end and slid on the white blanket of snow that was once the road. The jeep came to a stop landing on its roof, the windows were busted out and the headlights shinned directly at the truck that had hit them. The Ford F-150 sat upright sideways in the road. It took a moment for Brian to come to reality with what had just happened. He glanced over at his wife who still sat there restrained, unconscious and bleeding severely from her head. He could hear the sirens of an Ambulance and Fire Truck off in the distance. Before he knew it he and Melody were being rushed to the hospital in an Ambulance. Brian lay there in the back of an Ambulance suffering only minor injuries. Melody lay across from him. Time seemed to stand still while he watched the Paramedics try to revive his wife. He shouted at the Paramedics, â€Å"do something, do something! † â€Å"Please do something; please don’t let my wife die! † They arrived at the hospital in what seemed to take hours to Brian. The Paramedics were able to get Melody’s heart beating but she was still unconscious. Brian paced back and forth up and down the hospital halls as his wife underwent surgery. The Dr. finally came out and said, â€Å"I have good news and bad, your wife seems to be stable but she is in a coma that could be indefinite. † â€Å"Indefinite†, Brian shouted! The Dr. attempted to calm Brian and Explained, â€Å"I can't promise that she won't wake up but it may take a miracle. She could wake up tomorrow, she could wake up in a month or she could be a Modern day Sleeping Beauty†. The following months felt like years to Brian. Melody lay there in a deep sleep and Brian remained by her side. Brian would speak to her softly while clasping her hand or pinching er fingers; He would tell her he loved her and beg her to wake up. He played songs the couple had danced to from their wedding and read to her from her favorite books. Often Brian would run his hands through Melody’s long blonde hair admiring her beauty dreaming of a future they had planned. The Dr. ’s showed little hope that Melody would ever wake up but Brian never gave up believing. Six long Months had passed and summer had come. Brian was at his last wit and desperate. One late night Brian said a prayer for his wife as he did every night before. Then he leaned over her bedside and pleaded, â€Å"Melody if you can hear me, please just give me a kiss. † What happened next was beyond Brian’s wildest dreams. To his shock Melody responded; slowly she turned her head towards his, puckered up her lips and gave him the smallest kiss. At that moment fate was sealed tightly, bound by one simple kiss and they lived happily ever after. â€Å"You can’t stop fate; â€Å"Whatever will be, will be†. Life presents unavoidable risks. You can’t stop the fate of True Love; it is also unavoidable. True Love is worth believing in and True Love never dies.

Gender stereotypes

Gender stereotypes refer to the characterisation of groups based on their basic gender attribute as male or female. The gender-based stereotypes are the simplified evaluations of male and female groups that are shared by the community, a culture, a society. The evaluations usually encompass the attributes of physical capability, psychological state, personality, interests and behaviour. (Hogg & Vaughan, 2008) These attributions could be based on fact that such as the differences in the physiological and hormonal characteristics of males and females. However, the evaluations may be overstated. The other attribute evaluations may not be supported by evidence. (Myers, 2008) The nature and source of stereotypes lead to two implications. One implication is on the positive or negative impact of gender stereotypes. Women as emotional and men as rational could be positive when considered as strengths but these stereotypes could also be negative when used to discriminate or exclude in the workplace and in other situations. The other implications is the non-predictive value of these stereotypes over the individual attributes of members of the group. While women are stereotyped as emotional and men are stereotyped as rational, these are not necessarily the core attributes of all females or males. Nevertheless, gender stereotypes are pervasive in different cultures and form part of day-to-day lives. As such, gender stereotypes form during the growing up years (Hogg & Vaughan, 2008). Acquired gender stereotypes develop alongside gender roles, influence gender roles and are reinforced by gender roles. Understanding the factors that foster the development of gender stereotypes and gender roles provide the key areas in influencing the development or in changing the stereotypes and gender roles developed during childhood. Children going through the developmental stages are exposed to different factors that influence their development of gender stereotypes and gender roles. Two of the most pervasive influences on the development of gender stereotypes and gender roles in children are parental influence and media influence. The earliest exposure of children to the meaning of gender and gender differences is from parents. During the development stage, children look up to their parents in developing perceptions, beliefs and attitudes towards various aspects including gender characteristics and roles. (Erkes & Trautner, 2000) Gender socialisation is one concept that explains parental influence on the development of gender stereotypes and gender roles in children. Gender socialisation is the process that facilitates interactive learning of certain behaviours considered as acceptable for males and females based on social-cultural beliefs and values (Hogg & Vaughan, 2008; Myers, 2008). The different expectations for males and females build stereotypes that are reinforced by how these are exacted from children by their parents, The attitudes of parents towards their children, in terms of the encouragement of gendered activities and interests, influence the development of gender stereotypes and roles (Eckes & Trautner, 2000). One manifestation of parental attitudes towards gender is differentiation through colours and patterns (Cunningham, 2001). As early as the pregnancy, the baby’s room is designed and furnished according to the expected gender of the baby. When babies are born, parents buy things such as clothes and other items depending on the gender of their child. Typically, pink is the colour for female babies and blue for male babies. Floral and other similar patterns are bought for girls while cars and truck prints are designated for boys. Dolls are typically for girls and cars or trains for boys. These attitudes and behaviours of parents communicate differences between males and females together with expectations on the concurrent attitudes and behaviour of their male or female children. Another manifestation of parental influence is the chores assumed by parents and assigned to their children (Cunningham, 2001). Usually, girls have more chores inside the household. Mothers usually obtain help from daughters. Sons are also assigned chores but these commonly pertain to work such as lifting or other manual work. These gendered attitudes and behaviours of parents exert influence during socialisation with their children who are receptive to the explicit and implicit messages communicated to them (Eckes & Trautner, 2000) As they become aware of gender differences, they also develop male and female stereotypes. Concurrently, they also start to assume gender roles. Parental influence during the development stages is the key to the development of gender identity. Gender stereotypes and roles acquired during childhood are likely to be retained in the long-term. Parental identification is another concept that explains parental influence as a factor contributing to the development of gender stereotypes and gender roles in children. Parental identification is the process of internalising he attributes of parents and the unconscious repetition of the perceptions, attitudes and behaviour of parents by children (Hogg & Vaughan, 2008). Male children internalise the observed characteristics of their fathers and female children internalise the attributes of their mothers. The gender stereotypes shared and exhibited by parents and the gender roles assumed by the parents constitute signals of the attributes of males and females. Socio-economic background influence the extent of gendered attributes of par ents. Apart from an expected higher educational level for families with higher incomes, gender stereotypes and gender roles is linked to economic status. In developing countries with high poverty rates, gender stereotyping and gender roles are strong. Male preference is tied to expectations of bigger income. Manual work, which is the predominant work, is delegated to males. Domestic chores are assigned to females. In developed countries, female children tend to have lesser restrictions in terms of expected roles. Nevertheless, other factors such as educational attainment of parents determine the gendered attributes observed from parents. Parental influence contributes to the development of gender stereotypes and gender roles in children through the processes of gender socialisation and parental identification with children becoming aware of gender differences through the attitudes and behaviours of parents. The media refers to a wide range of venues including television, gaming consoles, mobile phones, and the Internet. Exposure of children to media has increased over the past five years. A recent survey showed that half of the children under the ages of 5-7 have televisions inside their rooms that they can use anytime without parental supervision. Households with a gaming console have also risen from 67 to 85 percent. Children in this age group also increasingly own personal mobile phones. Every one in five children between 5-7 years old can access the Internet in their homes without supervision from their parents. These support the strong influence of media on children during the development years. There are benefits and downsides to the exposure of children to media. The benefits include reinforcement and support for academic learning. The Internet has become a virtual encyclopaedia for children. Another benefit is social learning. However, the benefits are not absolute and largely depend on the type of media content exposure (Villani, 2001). The downside is the adverse influences on perceptions, attitudes, personality and behaviour from the media content and lack of parental supervision to medicate media influence. Media has an influence on the development needs of young children depending on the media content and the internalisation of this content. Gender stereotyping and gender roles are developmental areas strongly affected by media. Gender socialisation also occurs through media influence. Gender socialisation through media refers to the interaction between children and media content presented in various venues (Hogg & Vaughan, 2008; Myers, 2008). The nature of interaction involves the expression of messages pertaining to gender by media content and mode of delivery. Children internalise these messages to influence their development of ideas on gender, which together with their experiences, affect the development of gender stereotypes and gender roles. Movies and television shows comprise a media more popularly accessible to children. When media portray gendered messages aligns with their actual experiences, then media becomes a reinforcement of their awareness of gendered meanings. If media portrayal differs from their experiences, then other influences such as peers and the school become mediating factors in the development of perceptions about gender. The role of parental supervision is the key to how children internalise gendered messages from movies and television shows. Games are mostly role playing games with players selecting their characters, In the case of games designed for children, gender distinctions emerge from the creation of characters with physical attributes reflecting beauty for girl characters and strength for boy characters (Villani, 2001). The characters usually have clear-cut gender delineations with male characters with muscled physique and female characters with curvaceous physique. The characters in games influence gender stereotypes by providing models of expected physical and psychological attributes of boys and girls. These influence the development of identity and assumption of roles of children. Advertisements express gender categorisation. In a study of advertisements targeting children in the United States and Australia, there is a common trend towards gender stereotyping. The portrayal of boys or the message of advertisements for products intended for boys express aggressiveness, mental dominance, active lifestyle and keenness in operating instruments. The advertisement targeting girls express physical attributes and embellishments. (Browne, 1998) Exposure to gendered advertisements also influences the awareness of children of gender differences and expectations. Gender role identification and categorisation also explain how media contributes to the development of gender stereotyping and gender roles in children. Gender role identification pertains to the association with a gender by an individual. Gender categorisation refers to the classification of attributes for males and females. Hogg & Vaughan, 2008;Myers, 2008) During the development years, children internalise media influences in categorising attributes. Their awareness of gender then leads them to identify with the attributes and role expectations of their gender. The extent of influence of media on the development of gender stereotypes and gender roles depends on the extent of exposure of children and the mediating role of parental supervision or intervention together wit h other influences. Parental influence and media influence are two factors that contribute to the development of gender stereotyping and gender roles in children. Gender socialisation and identification explain the influence on children. As strong influences, it is also through these factors that negative gender stereotypes and gender roles can be changed. Parents exercise authority and moral ascendancy over their children and children look up towards their parents for guidance or models during the development years. Parents should recognise their role in guiding the perspectives, attitudes and behaviour of children towards gender and gender identity development. There is need for parents to become conscious of destructive gender stereotypes and gender roles and proactively make changes, The interaction between various forms of media and children is increasing in frequency. While there are more gender sensitive and androgynous media content, children need parental supervision in internalising media content, especially since children are exposed not only to media intended for them but also to media intended for adults.