The Moderating Effect of Culture on the Success Factors of Information Essay

The Moderating Effect of Culture on the Success Factors of Information Systems Projects - Essay Example Although a wide variety of factors can affect this phenomenon, this paper examines the cultural factor. This study provides an understanding of cultural impacts from the national level, based on Hofstede’s and Trompenaars models of culture. The research tries to identify if the differences existing between the countries can affect success factors of Information Systems implementation; these factors include learning, incorporating the user into the design, the communication and finally the distributed work -- all giving useful insights for the design and use of these systems. The research design is situated within the theoretical constructs of Trompenaars and Hofstede who both advanced sociological notions of culture as contextually related to international business interactions. These models inform the research’s overall approach, as evidenced in the utilization of interview data sources. The interview subjects reflect categorical distinctions as influenced by these the orist’s frameworks. In these regards, four individuals from Greek and four individuals four Dutch culture will be interviewed as they cultural distinctions represent significant diversity of thought and perspective. Furthermore, the study follows Trompenaars and Hofstede in interviewing individuals from different levels of the corporate hierarchy within both of these cultural climates. These semi-structured interviews will be analyzed through qualitative description methods. Furthermore, a theory driven approach thematic code approach as articulated by Boyatzis (1998) is implemented as a means of structuring the qualitative analysis of these interviews. Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Most of the literature concerned with Information Systems treats them as a unified and universal subject. This approach can create serious misunderstandings and is one of the important factors that have caused the failure of many Information Systems projects. Existi ng theories of Information Systems use are criticized for lacking cultural sensitivity (Stolh, 2001). They have not foreseen that all these various systems are going to be used in different organizations and countries where perceptions and ways of acting can severely vary. As such, preferences are not unified into a standard model, even though norms and ways of doing things can vary strongly form culture to culture.While technology itself is compelling, emerging Information Systems are used by people in social contexts, so it is critical to explore how people belonging to different cultures are affecting and being affected by Information Systems (Sornes, Stephens, Browning & S?tre, 2004). What is currently known is that comparisons between cultures are very dissimilar (e.g. US and Japan) (Sornes, Stephens, Browning & S?tre, 2004). A large amount of research has taken as subject countries with an Anglo-Saxon background. Within the EU a large number of countries with diverse cultures exist without an Anglo-Saxon background. The research will be based in two of these countries (Greece and The Nederland). Information System projects involve group-oriented activities, organized and executed in teams, therefore, they are subject to all the benefits and problems of group dynamics, interactions, coordination, and communication (Ewusi-Mensah, 1997). Some of the underlining problems are managerial, technical, inappropriate economic evaluation techniques, but also culture related factors. Developing Information

Negotiation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Negotiation - Assignment Example The two-day long correspondence with the client leads to us negotiating with a price that did not amount to my work but was not in their favor as well. I ended up withholding the rest of the series I had been working on for them and they paid me half price on a project that I had worked a lot on but the positive point is that I knew my walk away terms. It was established that poor communication was what lead to the break of the deal and a case was not filed from either of the party which I think is an achievement. I could have conducted the negotiating terms better if there had been a better communication system involved with information sharing from the start that would have helped in benefiting both parties. Another tactic that I could have applied in the negotiating terms is priorities because I left a pile of unfinished projects in lieu of this certain project and had to put double the time in other projects, so one important thing I learned from this failed project was to always get my priorities right and to give maximum time to things but do not forget that there are other tasks that need to be done as well.The two-day long correspondence with the client leads to us negotiating with a price that did not amount to my work but was not in their favor as well. I ended up withholding the rest of the series I had been working on for them and they paid me half price on a project that I had worked a lot on. It was established that poor communication was what lead to the break of the deal.

Kohlberg: Theory Of Moral Reasoning

Kohlberg: Theory Of Moral Reasoning Moral reasoning is a segment of social cognition that particularly aims at understanding the reason to why young people involve themselves in criminal offenses or behaviors. In most cases delinquency is associated with delayed maturation and development of moral reasoning. For minors when an opportunity for a crime arises, their underdeveloped cognitive ability to control and resist the urge or temptation to offend allows them to go ahead and commit the criminal act. In general this group of offenders lack self control and they tend to act impulsively. The strength of causation of crime varies from one individual to the other. In this paper I will discuss several theories in relation to the moral reasoning, evidence for and against moral reasoning. According to Kohlbergs theory of moral reasoning, the cognitive-development takes an assumption that the primary mental structure is as a result of relationships or interactions between certain organismic structuring tendencies and the general structure of the outside world. Kohlberg examines that moral reasoning is exercised in the mental structure; the structure refers to the general attributes of shape, pattern organization of response like rules that guide the processing of information, for connecting experienced events. He goes a head and explains that linkages are formed by both selective and active processes of attention, information-gathering tactics and motivated thinking. Kohlbergs structures of moral reasoning are synthetic due to the active processes between the human organism which is a self regulating system of cognitive and effective inclination and the social environment in which it is found. Moral Reasoning is a process that progresses through stages. The theory argues that moral reasoning catapults the cognitive growth, for instance the capacity to reason and think is basic for improved and high levels of moral reasoning. Advanced moral reasoning wholly depends on advanced logical reasoning, that is, ones logical stage demarcates the moral stage he can achieve. The moral stages should only be taken for what they are worth of. Morality is the foundation on which Kohlbergs theory is developed. In cognitive development, morality is a natural product of a universal human tendency toward empathy or role taking, and putting oneself in the conscious condition of another being. Consequently, moral reasoning is a product of a universal human advocacy for justice. Kohlbergs understanding of morality is primarily based on Piagets definition whereby all morality comprises of rules, and the core of morality as a whole is to be sought for in the reverence which a person acquires for these rules. Morality according to Kohlberg is judgment based on justice. However justice is a distribution of rights and duties governed by concepts of quality and reciprocity. Justice is identified and recognized by Piagets logic, the equilibrium of social action and relations. Moral Stages according to Kohlbergs theory are divided into Preconventional level, Conventional level and Postconventional level. Preconventional level Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience Orientation-the physical consequences of an action determines its goodness or badness regardless of human meaning or value. These consequences are weighed basing on the impact to the individual rather than based upon the consequences for all. Stage 2: Instrumental-relativism Orientation-a right action is that which instrumentally fulfills ones own needs and in some occasions the needs of others. These two stages have an egocentric point of view where ones choices are based on the fear of punishment and a desire to be rewarded. Conventional level Stage 3: The Interpersonal concordance Orientation: good manners and behavior is that which pleases or helps others and is acknowledged by them. The person progresses to consider the approval or disapproval of other and not only after fulfilling ones own interests. The intention of self and others are considered. Stage 4: Law and Order orientation: the progress is made with regard to looking at the society at large rather than yourself and approval of others. Generally it is the orientation towards law, fixed rules and maintenance of social order. Doing ones duties while showing respect to the authority and maintaining the given social order for its own sake. The conventional stage requires one to make choices from a societys perspective, considering the good of others, positive relation maintenance taking into consideration the rules of the society. Postconventional level Stage 5: Social Contract Orientation: Right actions are defined in terms of an individuals rights and standards rather than those that have been examined and agreed upon by the society at large. The individual see the current rules and regulations as subordinate to the needs of the society instead of instructing them. Stage 6: Universal-Ethical-Principles Orientation: Right is defined by a decision of conscience in accordance with self chosen ethical principles attractive to the logical comprehensiveness, universality, and consistence. Principles are abstract and ethical; universal principles of justice, reciprocity and quality of human rights with respect of human beings as individual persons. In the Postconventional level, prior to the societys perspective, personal ideals take precedence over particular societal laws. Literature review Evidence for Moral Reasoning Eysenck Personality Theory Psychologies the world over assume that behavioral consistence relies or depends primarily on the determination of ones underlying attributes to act in a particular way in a certain situation. These tendencies are mainly personal traits like impulsiveness, assertiveness, excitement seeking, dutifulness and modesty. According to Eysenck, offending is a normal and rational basing on the assumption that human beings were hedonistic, sought pleasure and avoid pain. He also identifies that criminal acts like theft, vandalism, and violence were generally pleasurable to the offenders. Eysenck also gives the reason to why all people are not criminals to be as a result of build up conscience (conditioned fear response). Nevertheless, people who commit offenses have no strong conscience build up because they have poor conditionality. To Eysenck, poor conditionality is associated with personality dimensions: Extraversion (E), Neuroticism (N) and Psychoticism (P). He defines that people with high E build up respond poorly as they have lower levels of cortical arousal. Those with high levels of N condition less well as their high resting levels of anxiety obstructs their conditioning. In addition N stimulates and anchors the existing behavioral tendencies, for instance neurotic extroverts are criminals. High P levels individuals particularly tend to be offenders; they are emotionally cold, have high hostility, inhuman with low empathy. Studies relating to Eysenck personality dimensions reported that people with high N were official offenders while those with high E levels self-reported offending. High P level was found to be related to both. The study of 400 boys in London, reported that those found with high levels of both E and N were juvenile self-reported offenders, adult official offenders and adult self-reported offenders. No juvenile official offender was reported. In addition to these, there are other factors like low family income, low intelligence, and poor parental child rearing behavior that contributed to the malice. From individual questionnaires, it was established that impulsiveness was key causing these criminal acts amongst the minors. There is a big linkage between impulsiveness and offending. Impulsive Theories Doing things without thinking is the most vital and crucial personality dimension that envisages offending. Some individuals are unable to control behavior; they are always hyper-reactive, impulsive, and unable to consider consequences before acting, sensation-seeking, risk-taking, poor ability to plan ahead and poor ability to control gratification. A study of 400 boys in London, three categories of the boys ended up offenders in their later life: a) boys nominated by teachers to be lacking concentration or exhibited restlessness, b) boys nominated by parents, peers, and teachers to be most daring or risk taking, and c) boy who were highly impulsive on psychomotor tests at ages eight to ten. In essence, daring, poor concentration, and restlessness predicted both self-reported delinquency and official convictions; daring being the independent predictor. The Pittsburgh Youth Study by Jennifer White found out that self-reported delinquency of males between ten and thirteen years were teacher rated impulsiveness, self-reported under-control, motor restlessness and psychomotor restlessness. In general, most theories suggest that impulsiveness reflects the deficiency in the executive function of the brain, located in the frontal lobe (Moffitt). Individuals with neuropsychological shortage are likely to commit crimes as they have poor moral control over their behavior. There is also an indirect connection between neuropsychological deficiency and offending whish is propagated by hyperactivity and inattention in schools thus resulting into school failures. Some related assumptions suggest that low cortical arousal produces impulsive and sensational seeking behavior. The benefits of offending include material gain, sexual gratification, and peer approval. Despite these benefits, there are diverse consequences in relation to offending or committing a crime like being caught and punished, pangs of conscience, and disapproval by onlookers. Wilson and Herrnstein (1985) describes and emphasize conscience as the key to prevent offending or crime, and that conscience is built up in asocial learning perspective regardless of parental punishment in childhood transgressions. Individual difference is also another factor according to Wilson-Herrnstein theory as it provides the extent to which peoples behavior is influenced by the immediate as opposed to delayed consequences. People vary in their ability to think about or plan for the future. Highly impulsive individuals are poorly influenced by the likelihood of the future repercussions thus they are more likely to offend or commit a crime. Evidence against Moral Reasoning From practical arguments, morality is a rational enterprise. In Moral despair and Moral discouragement we are told that if there is no source for moral, order morality will collapse; it will cease to be a sustainable enterprise. Kant for instance argues that if the highest good cannot be attained then the moral law which bids us to seek it must be fantastic and directed to imaginary ends must therefore in itself be false (Kant 1996/1962, 231; 5/114). In relation to this, if morality ends are unattainable, then there would be no obligations and duties. In general it would be demoralizing believing that there is no moral order to the universe because demoralization in itself is morally undesirable. For instance, Theism acts as a source of moral order which then implies that there is an advantage in believing that there is moral order in the universe that governs all activities and duties of human beings. For this matter there is a moral advantage of accepting theism (Adams 1987, 151). Morality demands that we become as good as we can be, this then means that if there is no source of moral order in the world then the need for us becoming as good as we can be is faced with many difficulties. And the only way these difficulties can taken or driven away is by us accepting theism. In essence we have a moral reason for driving ourselves into a situation where we can come to believe in the truth of theism. In most cases truth is demoralizing and there is no reason for one to think that it is false. People are after organizing the world so as to meet our deepest human needs. With this in mind, such a hypothesis would be null and void if existence of God who gives us a divine source of moral order. In addition Kant appeals that individuals should believe that there is God but there are also needs of reason. Drabkins take is that the moral ills that afflict or would afflict us if there were no God give us ground, not for the belief that there is a God, but for undertaking the project of becoming to believe that there is a God (Drabkin 1994:171). This is evidence enough to go against moral reasoning.   Conclusion Moral reasoning helps in establishing the real causes of criminal behaviors amongst the young individuals. Kohlbergs theory is key and funder mental in establishing the behavioral characteristics and traits of and individual through his developmental stages. For instance Kohlberg explains different stages of behavior development starting with Preconventional level, conventional level then lastly the Postconventional level. Evidence for moral reasoning are provided using two theories; Eysenck personality theory where offending is considered to be normal and pleasurable to the offenders. The theory also tells us that criminals have no strong conscience build up because of their poor conditionality. Impulsive theories explains to a great extend what causes one to offend; for example the theories explains that some individuals are unable to control their behavior, are hyperactive, impulsive and unable consequences before acting, they are sensation-seeking, apt in risk-taking, and poor ab ility to control gratification. The evidence against moral reasoning provides us with the existence of God who is the source of moral order of the universe. Morality is the key to having a good and cohesive society the world over.

China: Threat or Friend? Essay -- Economics

China: Threat or Friend? If you input â€Å"China’s GDP† by using a Google search, the first result jumps into your eyes should be a chart presented by World Bank, which indicates how dramatically the economy has grown in China from 0.10 trillion dollars in the year 1960 to 5.93 trillion in 2010. As Professor Stephen S. Roach wrote in his article ‘10 reasons why China is different’, China’s economy has made a break-through indeed due to its tremendous changes and unremitting efforts among: â€Å"strategy, commitment, wherewithal to deliver, saving, rural-urban migration, consumption, services, foreign direct investment, education and innovation. †Ã¯ ¼Ë†Stephen S. Roach ï ¼Å'10 reasons why china is different ï ¼â€°So many cases illustrated how China’s immense impacts not only in domestic but also on universe. By focusing on its worldwide influences, one evidential example in domestic was Lenovo purchased the giant IBM’s PC branch in the year 2005. With the completion of the 1.75 billion bill, which was expected to happen before the end of the second quarter, June 30, 2005, made Lenovo become a much larger company and had more than quadrupled of its annual revenue. â€Å"The company, which owned just under $3 billion in annual revenue before the acquisition, now has annual revenue of around $13 billion and is the world's third-largest PC vendor, behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard.†(Sumner Lemon, IDG News) Lenovo, as an indigenous computer enterprise in mainland of China, was firstly incorporated in Hong Kong in the year 1988. It used to be a tiny computer producer and gained little influence in its market. After expanding its areas, Lenovo has become a multinational technology company as a technologic legend in China. Its products include personal computer... ...â€Å"Chindia-Threat or Opportunity† New Presence: The Prague Journal of Central European Affairs, Winter2010, Vol. 12 Issue 4, p47-50. Economist, 6/26/2004, Vol. 371 Issue 8381, p44-45. Edward, Friedman and Barrett, McCormick, What If China Doesn't Democratize?(Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2000). Peter Hays Gries, China's New Nationalism (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004). David M. Lampton, Same Bed, Different Dreams: Managing U.S.-China Relations: 1989-2000 (Berkeley, CA: California University Press, 2001). Robert ,Sutter, China's Rise in Asia: Promises and Perils (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005). Ming, Xia. â€Å"China threat or a peaceful rise of China†, The New York Times, March, 2006.Web. Wikipedia, List of Countries by GDP (nominal) per capita. World Economic Outlook Database-April 2012, International Monetary Fund. 18 April 2012.

Greek literature

During the time of Homer, Greek literature was saturated in laws and rituals carefully presented through the thrilling plots of adventure and drama. This way, a storyteller could keep the interest of his audience by relating a fantastic episode to the everyday occurrences of an oikos and give the reader both the extraordinary and the familiar. The Odyssey is an assemblage of these episodes whose cloaked intentions were to represent a distinct theme in Ithacan culture. Each story presented in the Odyssey allows the reader to further understand the true state of Ithaca and how it compares in civility to other cultures, on the basis of laws, rituals and social conduct. A passage of particular interest is found in Book IX, lines 105-141. It is when Odysseus sits in the palace of the Phaiakians and recalls his encounter with the culture of the Cyclopes. The obvious purpose of this recount is to give the audience another adventure, a new idea which will keep their attention. Yet his journey to the land of the Cyclopes has a greater purpose. It allows the audience to consider another culture with much different civil standards than their own oikos (which in many ways is similar to Ithaca). The Cycloptic culture is that of great indolence and barbarism. Its inhabitants are extremely lazy and live off the livelihood provided to them by Zeus. â€Å"[The Cyclopes'] neither plow with their hands no plant anything, but all grow for them without seed-planting, without cultivation, wheat and barley and also grapevines, which yield for them wine of strength, and it is Zeus' rain that waters it for them† (Book IX. ll. 108-111). They do no take part in any of the food making process, so it isn't even as though Zeus is helping them out, he is just doing it for them; this shows how lethargic these creatures truly are. The culture of the Cycloptic civilization has a striking resemblance to the situation in Ithaca. Although during Odysseus' reign of Ithaca's, we are lead to believe that it is a great city with hard working citizens, this is not the case all the time. While Odysseus is gone, the situation Telemachos must face reflects an environment with a similar social conduct. The suitors that have come to court Penelope have completely overtaken the oikos. All of Ithaca's goods and services are at their disposal, of which they did not work or pay for in any manner. â€Å"[The suitors'] heralds poured water over their hands for them to wash with, and the serving maids brought them bread heaped up in baskets, and the young men filled the mixing bowls with wine for their drinking† (Book I. ll. 44-149). Just as the Cyclopes relied on the gods, the suitors did not earn any of their food, but rather they relied on the (one-sided) hospitality of the Ithacans. The political order of the Cyclopes is a very sketchy, undefined one. There is no central government and it is as though they are in constant competition in order to maintain their survival. They do not necessarily look out for each other, but rather have their own personal goal to take care of themselves and their families by any means necessary. â€Å"These people have no institutions, no meetings for council†¦ and each one is the law for his own wives and children and cares nothing about the others† (Book IX. ll. 110-115). Again, this is similar to the way the suitors treat the situation they are put in. Each man is out for himself, to win Penelope's hand in marriage. Telemachos is fully aware of this fact and tells the assembly of their misconduct. â€Å"For my mother, against her will, is beset by suitors, own sons to the men who are the greatest hereabouts. These shrink from making the journey to the house of her father Ikarios, so that he might take bride gifts for his daughter and bestow her on the one he wished, who came as his favorite; rather all their days, they come and loiter in our house and sacrifice our oxen and our sheep and our fat goats and make a holiday feast of it and drink the bright wine recklessly† (Book II. ll. 50-58). Telemachos tells of how the suitors have no respect for Penelope or the oikos and how they do not care about whether or not the food will run out. They are only out for themselves. In fact, they did not even go to Penelope's father's home to pay gift because they are too lazy and selfish. They is no order in the oikos, it just an unruly chaos in which every man is out to get the grand prize for the lowest price possible. Homer has a very ingenious style of story telling, in which he compares and contrasts Ithaca with the civilizations Odysseus encounters during his many years away. Each of these civilization is a reflection of what Ithaca is, was, or could be. In the case of the land of the Cyclopes, Odysseus has a glimpse of what is going back home without even being there. Because Odysseus goes through these journeys, he is able to better understand his own country, and gain a new appreciation for the social rituals which are common during his reign in Ithaca.

Homeostasis and how the body responds to exercise Essay

This report will interpret the results of the practical activities that was done in order to monitor the changes in heart rate, temperature and blood pressure before and after exercise. Blood pressure is the measure of how much pressure is put on the walls of the blood vessels when the blood is pumped through them. This is measured in two parts, the larger number on top is known as the systolic pressure, this measures the pressure as the blood is pumped away from the heart whereas the lower number (The diastolic pressure) measures the pressure as the blood returns to the heart. The normal range for a healthy blood pressure is around 120/80 at rest. When I was at rest I recorded my blood pressure which was 118/57. This blood pressure can be considered normal for my age range and fitness level. However it is possible that the reading may not have been completely accurate due to having eaten recently before, the machine may not have worked properly or because of emotional state at the t ime. The pulse is the measure of how many times the heart beats in one minute. This can be measured in either the artery in the neck (Called the carotid artery) or in the wrist. Though the beat is stronger in the neck it is sometimes more difficult to locate and so most people tend to measure it from the wrist. For a healthy person of my age a pulse rate between 60 and 100 is considered to be normal. When I was at rest my heart rate was 82 bpm (Beats per minute). This could be inaccurate due to being nervous though I took my pulse reading both manually and on a machine and it came back the same both times, which may increase the reliability of the results. I recorded my temperature by placing a thermometer in my mouth, this is because under the tongue is one of the more accurate places to get a reading on the body temperature. The normal body temperature of a person is around 37  °C. At rest my temperature was 36.3  °C. This is a normal temperature. When I did the activities I recorded my heart rate, blood pressure and temperature after 1 minute, 3 minutes and then after 5 minutes of exercise. After one minute my heart rate had increased to 94 Bpm, my temperature was 36.8  °C and my blood pressure was 120/68. This is an increase in when I was at rest due to the body’s need for a higher amount of oxygen to go through the blood to the muscles that needed it; this caused an increase in heart and breathing rate so that there was an increase in the amount of oxygen supply to the  body. There was an increase in temperature because there is an increase in physical activity, which creates an increase in the heat that is given off by the muscles, increasing the overall temperature of the body. I then did the activity again for three minutes before I recorded my heart rate, blood pressure and temperature again. After three minutes there was a further increase in all three results. My heart rate was 112 Bpm, my temperature increased to 37.5 °C and my blood pressure was 120/78. I then repeated the exercise for a further 5 minutes, however there was an interval of where I had to wait to be able to record what the results were. Due to this my heart rate was 102 Bpm, my temperature was 37.3 °C and my blood pressure was 120/75. When an individual exercises there are internal changes that the body must respond to in order to keep the body functioning as it should. As you exercise your pulse and respiration rate increases to compensate for the higher demand of oxygen in the muscles. While your heart and respiration rate increases the muscles also produce heat as a waste product which heats up the body, in order to control the body temperature, the body produces sweat, when an individual sweats the body is trying to cool itself down. This is known as a negative feedback loop, in a negative feedback, the body responds to change by trying to bring it back to the normal range. In a negative feedback there is a stimulus, a sensor, a regulator (Or control) and a effector. In the case of an increase in temperature the stimuli, which would be the skin, sends a signal to the sensor, this is the nerves. Once this happens a signal is then sent to the regulator (Or control), this is the hypothalamus, When this happens another signal is then sent to the effector, which is the sweat glands which respond to the rise in temperature by producing sweat. In conclusion I found that the longer that I exercised the more my readings increased, however these may not be acute due to the equipment was not readily available and so I had to wait to record the readings allowing the results to decrease. Another way this may not be true is because my reading that was taken after 5 minutes was lower than both of the other results, this could be because I had to wait a longer period of time to take the results.

Gender Bending Party Reflection Essays

Gender Bending Party Reflection Essays Gender Bending Party Reflection Essay Gender Bending Party Reflection Essay We are living in a twisted world. When I first heard of this gender bending party, I did not feel special at all because I experience this gender bending process myself everyday in my life. However, this party did raise the old memories of my teenage days. I was a typical little girl when I was 3 or 4 years old. I behaved very gently and followed everything my parents said. I also dressed very girlish at that time. I remembered that I refused to wear trousers even we were off to the playground (I just could not believe that I wore a dress to climb up the monkey mountain) 2 years old. My hair was such a disaster! I did not wear dress (expect school uniform) since then until entering university. I kept this hair style for many years the recent year. For 9 years I was living a gender bending life. I was called little brother, mister whenever I was out in my casual wear. I am so used to be a boy or have a males identity that I would not feel embarrassing when the others misjudge my sex. My mother asked me if I needed a transgender operation or not. This is a very inspiring question indeed. I agree with some of the trans revolutionists that male / female norms are no longer objectively defined by the sex organs a person was born with, but subjective and socially constructed (LaBarbera, 2001). Here, the word socially is the focus. The interpretation of gender identity depends mostly on what society you are living in. Furthermore, the appearance cannot tell the whole story of a person. To me, wearing sports wear and clothing that are originally designed for men are just because I feel like to. : It is more convenience for me to dress that way. There is nothing to do with psychological abnormality. I like to be a girl. Nevertheless, the others are not thinking in the same way as I am. For many people, especially for my parents generation would think that you must be homosexual, bisexual or some kind of freak if you dress like the opposite sex. Boy meets girl, an experiment that carried out by a television broadcast company in England (2001). The participants of the program had to transform themselves into members of the opposite sex. They must walk, talk, dress, behave and think differently as they developed a character who they would play while living as the opposite sex. It was similar to our gender bending party, yet, more strict. People were free to join, but there was different stage of elimination. Girl to boy Our gender bending party was not that successful because the gender concept limited our creativity. Actually all of us should know what a typical boy / girl should like, yet, we were not open enough to play the new gender role that was different from what we were originally. We were not psychologically prepared well to join the party. From the Boy meets Girl program, I learnt that the most successful participant was the one who fear of nothing including the insecurity feeling that generated by him. The weakness of us was the characteristics of the gender were not emphasized enough. The Boy meets Girl program participants were to change from head to toe, including their body shape, voice, fashion taste and even behavior. To me, the most difficult thing to breakthrough in the party was to commit something that I was not. How can we face the public when we are not familiar to ourselves? How can we present ourselves? It was certainly not comfortable for us and the people would have contact with us. As I mentioned before, gender identity was closely related to social context. You wont feel strange if every boy wear dress in street. Actually, the history of cross-dressing stretches back a long way, to origins far removed from gay night clubs. In medieval Europe, women cross-dressed to overcome the gender hierarchy. Historical accounts reveal that abandoned wives often donned male disguise in order to live independent lives. The literature of the time reveals a fascination with cross-dressing. Some have speculated that Joan of Arc was a transvestite and there is even a legend of a female Pope. Cross-dressing was also found in China. During the Wei-Jin period, idle talk ( ) was popular among the upper class and the intellects. Only men could join idle talk. They would make up and wear beautiful garments like ladies to attend these idle talk meetings. However, the popularity of idle talk did not mean the disempowerment of machoism. It is not difficult to see why. First, under the patriarchal society, the power of male is always protected. Second, if men can successfully play the role as women, means they can take control of both sexes. They act or dress like women because they choose to be, on the other hand, women should dress properly what a women should dress. This was my interpretation of gender identity in Wei-Jin period. I do not think it is the case now in Hong Kong. Cross-dressing is always linked with fashion, uniqueness. In many fashion magazines, you can always see a male model dress very girlishly.

Top 12 Creative Writing College Programs †Pro-Academic-Writers.com

Top 12 Creative Writing College Programs It may be too difficult to choose a dedicated creative writing program at the institution of your dreams. Another thing you should care about is how to pass the admissions process. Anyway, there are always some world-known alternatives that attract most of the students. Our team has researched several options in the field of creative writing colleges and corresponding programs to come up with this list of the top demanded colleges for creative writing in the USA. How Did We Choose? College rankings do not always reflect the reality. US News rating might be the most accurate, but you still have to rely on the obvious information you find about each creative college of your interest. We have prepared our own list based on the feedback of thousands of students as well as some other crucial factors. Mind not just what the rankings are, but how they are defined. Our top list will assist in your personal investigation. While observing, don’t forget to take notes which might be useful for your further admissions essay. In case you’re having some troubles with creative or academic writing, contact online writing help website to get a winning personal statement. First of all, it is important to understand which criteria I have used to name the best colleges in the field of creative writing. My first stage was to narrow down my search results by leaving only those institutions that proposed a particular creative writing major degree. In case you are sure in the competence of some schools which are not on the list, it may mean they only offer minors. While ranking those schools, we considered 5 basic factors: MFA Ranking  - This point stands for the level of local personnel proficiency and the number of smart students specific college attracts. We have looked through professors’ qualifications to choose the best places in terms of teaching. It was also noticed that colleges with powerful MFA programs tend to possess perfect alumni networks and internship options. At the same time, one has to realize that a lot of colleges with excellent undergraduate programs lack MFAs. Overall Creative College Reputation  - You still have to understand that the majority of your future classes will be in other areas than creative writing. Thus, we have evaluated the level of teaching other subjects such as English and Literature as well. Extracurricular Opportunities  - Another benefit of obtaining major  in creative writing is that it can lead to various creative writing opportunities after class, meaning part-time job and other activities. That is why our team has taken into account such features as internship programs, author readings, and literary magazines offered by the explored college. Learning Diversity - We have awarded extra points to each creative college with a large range of professional fields and interesting additional classes.   Alumni/Prestige  - We can say that deciding on this criterion is a rather subjective process, but we tried to do our best. We have searched for the famous writers released by the particular institutions. The product of any university is its graduates, so they have to be evaluated in order to assess the quality of local teaching. Possessing a brand name degree can be useful in many life situations. Top Preferred Creative Writing Schools Now it’s time to look at the list itself. It is not that easy to locate these wonderful creative colleges objectively, so we would say that it is simply the list of the best schools, not just another rating. While those placed on the first five places are simply amazing, the rest might be called super good. So, don’t take the numbering close to your heart.   #1: Northwestern University Northwestern's undergrad creative writing program  has conquered the hearts of many students as it is run by acclaimed tutors and graduates who became word-known authors (i.e., Veronica Roth with her â€Å"Divergent†). The University suggests that students get involved in such activities as running literary journal, interning at a publication, or submitting to the Department of English's yearly creative writing competition.   #2: Columbia University The institution offers two great programs: the one in creative writing and the one in journalism. Being located in NYC, students have an opportunity to try their best in local publishing houses and literary journals. #3: University of Iowa University of Iowa's  Graduate Writer’s Workshop is what makes this place absolutely special. It is called the most wanted MFA program in the US. Famous writers and established professors allow choosing from a large list of subjects. University’s literary community will provide you with any book or manual you need for free. #4: Emory  University If you have a desire to study creative writing along with the most professional authors and scholars, Emory  is right for you. Except for the regular classes, each student has a chance to visit questions-answers face-to-face sessions with the award-winning writers and journalists. You will be able to work closely with a personal counselor to complete an honors project. #5: Oberlin College Oberlin  is actually a pretty small liberal arts school in Ohio. Lena Dunham, who attends the school regularly to speak to the students, was among the local alums. Students can pursue writing in the surrounding city. #6: Hamilton College One more tiny college, situated in upstate New York. Local students have a pure interest to observe topics both during the lectures and out of the classroom. The opportunities to intern and publish impress.   #7: Brown University Brown's Literary Arts  program is known for one of the leading MFAs in the United States. Core requirements are excluded, so students are free to explore additional topics after classes with the help of the stellar English department and screenwriting program. #8: Washington University in St. Louis Enjoy local magnificent MFA program along with the diversity of topics, wide range of scholarships, and creative writing jobs you may find outside the university. #9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Even though the place has a lot to do with technology, it still has a special creative writing program. It can boast an interesting course in digital media. Besides, except for creative writing, students can master the art of scientific writing. It provides each student with an extraordinary set of skills and more career perspectives.   #10: University of Michigan The University of Michigan  is one of the best American universities in general. It is obvious that it offers a top-notch MFA. The program is aimed to provide every interested student with the excellent creative writing major and good reputation. #11: Johns Hopkins University Remove engineering major from the list of this university, and you’ll get enrolled in the dedicated creative writing program. After passing its valuable courses, one will be able to compose poetry, fiction as well as official reports  and persuasive essays. #12: Colorado College One more small liberal arts college on the list. It is outstanding thanks for the block plan, which makes it possible to concentrate on a single class per three-and-a-half-week block. You’ll take four writing workshops and visit every reading of the Visiting  Writers Series. Don’t forget about New York University writing opportunities as well! How to Make a Final Decision? Don’t lose your head – have a look at the most important criteria to consider when selecting the degree and college which is right for you. Are you interested in the suggested college courses? Analyze which skills you wish to obtain and what each college program offers. Match your personal desires with what the target school proposes. What opportunities are expecting after your classes? Discover whether there will be an opportunity to practice your creative skills outside the college. It can be everything: from campus newspaper to local music or fashion magazine. Who'll be teaching you? The best way to decide on this factor is to analyze Rate My Professor section of each college’s official website. Pay attention to objective comments only. What is the alumni’s future? Find out who used to graduate from the walls of your target college. Are these people successful?   What about the rest of the school? Analyze and evaluate all courses provided by your college. Make sure to select the college where you like the entire curriculum so that you won’t have a desire to miss some classes. All you have to do once you decide on your target college is to prepare a creative writing piece (personal statement + cover letter) and apply for the chosen program. In case there are any obstacles on your way to inspiring creative writing,  contact online writers and buy original admissions essay or cover letter that would increase your chances to be accepted.

Chinese Pronouns

Chinese Pronouns There are just a few pronouns in Mandarin Chinese, and unlike many European languages, there are no subject / verb agreements to worry about. Just a few simple rules tell you everything you need to know about pronouns in Chinese. Basic Pronouns These are the pronouns of written Mandarin Chinese. I, me: wÇ’: 我You: nÇ  - ä ½  You (formal): nà ­n:  Ã¦â€š ¨Ã‚  He, Him: tÄ : ä »â€"She, Her: tÄ : Ã¥ ¥ ¹It: tÄ : Ã¥ ®Æ' Youll notice that there are two ways of saying you. When speaking to elders or someone in authority, it is more polite to address them formally with æ‚ ¨ (nà ­n) instead of the less formal ä ½   (nÇ ). While there are six pronouns listed above in written Mandarin, in spoken Mandarin it boils down to just three basic pronouns: I / me, you, he / she / it. This is because ä »â€" / Ã¥ ¥ ¹ / Ã¥ ®Æ' are all pronounced the same, tÄ .   Plurals Plurals are formed by adding 們 (traditional form) / ä » ¬ (simplified form) at the end of a basic pronoun. This character is pronounced men. See below: We, Us: wÇ’ men: 我們 /  Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¤ » ¬You (plural): nÇ  men: ä ½  Ã¥â‚¬â€˜ / ä ½  Ã¤ » ¬They, Them:  tÄ  men: ä »â€"們 /  Ã¤ »â€"ä » ¬ Differentiating Gender As discussed earlier, gender differentiating pronouns like he, she, and it all have the same sound, tÄ , but different written characters. In spoken Mandarin, differentiating between genders is a little less obvious. However, the context of the sentence will usually tell you whether the speaker is referring to a man, a woman, or a thing. Reflexive Pronoun Mandarin Chinese also has a reflexive pronoun è‡ ªÃ¥ · ± (zà ¬ jÇ ). This is used when both subject and object are the same. For example: TÄ  xÇ  hun tÄ  zà ¬ jÇ Ã¤ »â€"Ã¥â€"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã¤ »â€"è‡ ªÃ¥ · ± /  Ã¤ »â€"Ã¥â€"Å"æ ­ ¡Ã¤ »â€"è‡ ªÃ¥ · ±He likes himself. è‡ ªÃ¥ · ± (zà ¬ jÇ ) can also be used directly after a noun or pronoun to intensify the subject. For example: WÇ’ zà ¬ jÇ  xÇ  hun.我è‡ ªÃ¥ · ±Ã¥â€"Å"æ ¬ ¢ / 我è‡ ªÃ¥ · ±Ã¥â€"Å"æ ­ ¡I, myself, like it. Sentence Examples Using Chinese Pronouns Here are some sentences using pronouns. See if you can use these examples as a guide or template to creating your own sentences. Audio files are marked with ââ€" º WÇ’: 我 I am a student.ââ€" ºWÇ’ shà ¬ xuà ©shÄ“ng.​我æ˜ ¯Ã¥ ­ ¸Ã§â€Å¸ (traditional)我å ­ ¦Ã§â€Å¸ ​(simplified)I like ice cream.ââ€" ºWÇ’ xÇ huÄ n bÄ «ngqà ­là ­n.我åâ€"Å"æ ­ ¡Ã¥â€  °Ã¦ ·â€¡Ã¦ ·â€¹Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥â€"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã¥â€  °Ã¦ ·â€¡Ã¦ ·â€¹I don’t have a bicycle.ââ€" ºWÇ’ mà ©i yÇ’u jiÇŽotchÄ“.我æ ²â€™Ã¦Å"‰è… ³Ã¨ ¸ Ã¨ »Å Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¦ ² ¡Ã¦Å"‰è„šè ¸ Ã¨ ½ ¦ NÇ : ä ½   Are you a student?ââ€" ºNÇ  shà ¬ xuà ©shÄ“ng ma?ä ½  Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¥ ­ ¸Ã§â€Å¸Ã¥â€"Ž?ä ½  Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¥ ­ ¦Ã§â€Å¸Ã¥ â€"?Do you like ice cream?ââ€" ºNÇ  xÇ huan bÄ «ngqà ­là ­n ma?ä ½  Ã¥â€"Å"æ ­ ¡Ã¥â€  °Ã¦ ·â€¡Ã¦ ·â€¹Ã¥â€"Ž?ä ½  Ã¥â€"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã¥â€  °Ã¦ ·â€¡Ã¦ ·â€¹Ã¥ â€"?Do you have a bicycle?ââ€" ºNÇ  yÇ’u jiÇŽotchÄ“ ma?ä ½  Ã¦Å"‰è… ³Ã¨ ¸ Ã¨ »Å Ã¥â€"Ž?ä ½  Ã¦Å"‰è„šè ¸ Ã¨ ½ ¦Ã¥ â€"? TÄ : Ã¥ ¥ ¹ She is a doctor.ââ€" ºTÄ  shà ¬ yÄ «shÄ“ng.Ã¥ ¥ ¹Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã©â€  «Ã§â€Å¸Ã¥ ¥ ¹Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¥Å' »Ã§â€Å¸She likes coffee.ââ€" ºTÄ  xÇ huan kÄ fÄ“i.Ã¥ ¥ ¹Ã¥â€"Å"æ ­ ¡Ã¥â€™â€"å• ¡Ã¥ ¥ ¹Ã¥â€"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã¥â€™â€"å• ¡She doesn’t have a car.ââ€" ºTÄ  mà ©i yÇ’u chÄ“.Ã¥ ¥ ¹Ã¦ ²â€™Ã¦Å"‰è »Å Ã¥ ¥ ¹Ã¦ ² ¡Ã¦Å"‰è ½ ¦ WÇ’ men: 我們 /  Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¤ » ¬ We are students.ââ€" ºWÇ’men shà ¬ xuà ©shÄ“ng.我們æ˜ ¯Ã¥ ­ ¸Ã§â€Å¸Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¤ » ¬Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¥ ­ ¦Ã§â€Å¸We like ice cream.ââ€" ºWÇ’men xÇ huan bÄ «ngqà ­là ­n.我們åâ€"Å"æ ­ ¡Ã¥â€  °Ã¦ ·â€¡Ã¦ ·â€¹Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¤ » ¬Ã¥â€"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã¥â€  °Ã¦ ·â€¡Ã¦ ·â€¹We don’t have a bicycle.ââ€" ºWÇ’men mà ©i yÇ’u jiÇŽotchÄ“.我們æ ²â€™Ã¦Å"‰è… ³Ã¨ ¸ Ã¨ »Å Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¤ » ¬Ã¦ ² ¡Ã¦Å"‰è„šè ¸ Ã¨ ½ ¦ TÄ  men: ä »â€"們 /  Ã¤ »â€"ä » ¬ They are students.ââ€" ºTÄ men shà ¬ xuà ©shÄ“ng.ä »â€"們æ˜ ¯Ã¥ ­ ¸Ã§â€Å¸Ã¤ »â€"ä » ¬Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¥ ­ ¦Ã§â€Å¸They like coffee.ââ€" ºTÄ men xÇ huan kÄ fÄ“i.ä »â€"們åâ€"Å"æ ­ ¡Ã¥â€™â€"å• ¡Ã¤ »â€"ä » ¬Ã¥â€"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã¥â€™â€"å• ¡They don’t have a car.ââ€" ºTÄ men mà ©i yÇ’u chÄ“.ä »â€"們æ ²â€™Ã¦Å"‰è »Å Ã¤ »â€"ä » ¬Ã¦ ² ¡Ã¦Å"‰è ½ ¦ Zà ¬ jÇ : è‡ ªÃ¥ · ± He lives by himself.ââ€" ºTÄ  zà ¬jÇ  zhà ¹.ä »â€"è‡ ªÃ¥ · ±Ã¤ ½ I will go myself.ââ€" ºWÇ’ zà ¬jÇ  qà ¹.我è‡ ªÃ¥ · ±Ã¥Å½ »

How the Internet is Changing Market Research Paper

How the Internet is Changing Market - Research Paper Example The marketing research activities are based on a number of techniques to gain potential information from the marketplace. Activities of primary research which enables the use of primary tools can conduct interviews on groups of people or on specific individuals. These interviews conducted over focus or target groups are conducted either personally or through telephones or by rendering mails. Again the data can be gathered by the researcher through the conducting of experiments where control over the data variables is rendered through effective observation. After the division of the population into focus groups questionnaires are designed to conduct interviews to help retrieve potential data. After collection of potential data the same can be tested using statistical tools or hypothesis is conducted on the same to help retrieve potential inferences (Isikli, 84-88, Jakubiak, et. al. 7-11). Use of Internet Research Techniques in Marketing ResearchWith the advent of internet technology s everal firms like Procter and Gamble have gained considerably. It is because the development of internet has helped the company in building a test market wherein the company can launch new products and services to help reach a large number of consumers spread along large geographical areas and territories. These consumers can render potential ratings to the new launches on gaining required information and also renders their personal information on the same. These ratings and personal information serve as potential databases.... After collection of potential data the same can be tested using statistical tools or hypothesis is conducted on the same to help retrieve potential inferences (Isikli, 84-88, Jakubiak, et. al. 7-11). Use of Internet Research Techniques in Marketing Research With the advent of internet technology several firms like Procter and Gamble have gained considerably. It is because the development of internet has helped the company in building a test market wherein the company can launch new products and services to help reach a large number of consumers spread along large geographical areas and territories. These consumers can render potential ratings to the new launches on gaining required information and also renders their personal information on the same. These ratings and personal information serve as potential databases to the consumer goods company which in earlier times had to be gathered through building of a market research team that would roam about the market place to gather potent ial business data. This activity of the business company would have led to the increase of business costs and would also require a large amount of time to be expended on the same. Hence with the advent of internet technology these business companies which survived on the basis of considerable information retrieved from the market place to help reduce the cost of gaining the same. Again the use of internet based technology in regards to marketing research activities also helps the consumer goods company in gaining large amount of secondary data that is used by the company later on to train the sales and organizational staff. Secondary data generated from the internet can be potential information in regards to the competitor’s position and their

Managing change in orgainsations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Managing change in orgainsations - Essay Example The common definition of globalisation suggests that globalisation is fuelled by the interrelationship between various central trigger factors including economic, technological, socio-cultural, political and biological factors, resulting in the interconnectivity of states. In turn, the proliferation of the globalisation phenomenon has offered novel business opportunities regarding expansion in international business strategy. The integration of the globalisation phenomenon into business with the increased movement of capital and commodities has had a significant impact on international business strategy (Tomlinson, 1999). Additionally, Held and McGrew argue that globalisation represents the interconnectedness of states, societies and culture, which has thereby propelled global trade, ideas and capital (Held & McGrew, 1999). Furthermore Brah et al, argue that globalisation as a novel cultural paradigm is exemplified by the internet revolution, which has challenged methods of dissemination (Brah et al, 1999: 3). Moreover, Tomlinson posits that globalisation has had a concomitant effect on traditional cultural models with the creation of new cultural models (Tomlinson et al, 1999). The digital era fuelled novel business opportunities and the continuous evolution of online business channels has made multi-channel retailing a reality, with the customer now placed at the forefront of business strategy. In turn this has reshaped business distribution and marketing models in addition to competing in a product marketplace; in certain industries the customer is the marketplace. Indeed, the e-commerce business model has challenged traditional adage that â€Å"location, location, location† is critical to commercial success (Chaffey, D. 2006); which has threatened the traditional business model for travel agencies in the tourism industry; compelling agencies to formulate novel strategic moves to sustain continued growth (Zhou, Z. 2003). A prime

The legal rules and regulations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The legal rules and regulations - Assignment Example Different ethical theories studied in chapter 3 include the ethical decision-making theory of utilitarianism as well as deontology and theories of ethical actions such as virtue ethics. The theory that has appealed to me the most is the ethical decision-making theory of utilitarianism. The theory provides a guideline for managers for making ethical decisions. The guidelines state that in order to make ethical decisions a manager needs to view each decision associated with an issue from the lens of cost. In order to ensure that the decision that a manager is taking is ethical, the manager should select the decision which is offering the highest number of benefits and lowest number of costs to the overall society. I am quite attracted by this ethical theory because it promotes the idea that ethical decisions are those that benefit a higher percentage of the population and does not benefit a few powerful individuals who are in the decision making positions. It promotes the idea of viewi ng the society as a whole and not as different parts that are independent of each other. It can even be considered unethical under the light of virtue ethics. Abortion is one of those practices that have been heavily debated in the profession of healthcare due to the ethical issues associated with it. Abortion is a legal practice in several nations and the USA has even rendered it legal during the initial stages of pregnancy. But, this very act is considered as unethical by many and several stakeholders are completely against it.

Political Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Political Morality - Essay Example t of knowing whether the public require to know about politician’s private lives only during the time when this information is important for assessing their capability to be elected into office. Consequently, I do not agree with this claim. In fact, the public require knowing the private lives of politicians all the times. Even such things as the politician’s sexual relationships and private finances have to be known to the public especially when they have a connection with the management of public resources. Dimensions of privacy and publicity Social practices and activities of public life versus private life have a wide range of domain. There are however, three broad dimensions of these forms of life. These are access, agency, and interest. Access refers to visibility of resources and information. Agency refers to the control and capacities, which political agents enjoy while interest refers to the relevance of resource utilization (Benn and Gaus, 1983). Access, also known as visibility involves many things. First, it involves the people physically accessing such spaces as beaches, theatres. If the access is public, then it means that anyone has the right to space. On the other hand, if access is private, it means that group, or someone has access right. In this case, such a person can allow or deny others access. Access to space does not come in as far as the need to know more about a politician is concerned. In any case, the politician does not wait until the public is aware so that he or she can get into such spaces as theatres or beaches. These are recreational places and politicians have the right to get entertained. This right does not affect the management of public resources in any way. In fact, it is considered in remuneration. This is why every employee has entertainment allowance (Benn & Gaus, 1983). Secondly, it involves people accessing social activities like public meeting. For public meeting, anyone has the right of

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Essay Example And mostly, the words that I had said were the negative ones which may hurt other’s feelings. Although it didn’t happened regularly I experienced it in times when I have arguments, conflicts and fights with other people. Secondly, the defense mechanism which is so common to everyone but some of us are not aware of doing and expressing it. I have a certain behavior on which I tend to tell a lie in reasoning and answering to other’s questions and even in my initial reactions. And sometimes, I am also unaware that I did things which were not meant in a certain activity but I still did it to elude from shame and to protect my ego as well. In addition to the example above, I had also experienced the sleep-talking and sleep-walking which I also think it was being influenced by my unconscious thought process, considering that I am deeply asleep on those times. I have clearly observed that almost a hundred percent of my actions and behaviors were determined by my conscious thought4 process and mental awareness, while a fraction of it were influenced by my unconscious mind when I am awake. And it was so obvious that most of us are thinking and are aware before the actions, emotions, sensations, and thoughts are expressed, because if the unconscious thought process dominates over the consciousness of our mind, then our mental awareness are being suppressed, thus, causing mental abnormality. Based from Aswers.com, the slip of the tongue, dreams and other neurotic symptoms are part of the psychic apparatus which normally don’t enter to one’s awareness, thus, it is determined by the unconscious thought process of our mind. Of the examples I had like, the slip of the tongue and the denial which were used for protecting me from shame were both explained by the proponents of Freudian theory by Sigmund Freud. Being denial for protecting one’s self-importance or ego was part

A survey on Finnish SMEs investment Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

A survey on Finnish SMEs investment - Thesis Example 46 4.12 Findings of Secondary Survey†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 47 4. ANALYSIS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 52 5.1 Interpretation of SME’s Investment Policy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 54 5.2 Analysis of SME’s Employment Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 55 5. CONCLUSION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 56 6. SOURCES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 59 List of Tables Page No Table 1. No of Each Type of Firms in Finland’s Economy in 2009 7 Table 2. Total Tur nover of the Four Types of Firms in 2009 8 Table 3. Comparison of Finnish SMEs Facts with corresponding data average of the EU countries in 2004, 2005 5 Table 4: SME’s Investment Performance in the past one year 26 Table 5: Future Investment Plan of Finnish SMEs for next one year 28 Table 6: SMEs opinion regarding the factors which could limit their investment and growth 31 Table 7: Preference of the SMEs in directing their Investment Projects towards specific Aims 34 Table 8: SMEs Employment Performance in the past one year 36 Table 9: SME’s Plan of Employment during next one year 38 Table 10: SME’s Opinion about the importance of Regulatns in influencing the Firm’s Grwth and Operations 40 Table 11: SMEs Sales Performance over the past one year 42 Table 12: Future Sales Plan of Finnish SMEs for next one year 43 Table 13: SMEs Debt Performance during the past one year 44 Table 14: Future Debt Plan of Finnish SMEs for next one year 46 Table 15: The Role of SMEs in the Finland Economy in 1991 47 Table 16: Number of SMEs in Finland according to Firm Size and Turnover in 2003 47 Table... According to the Business Register of Statistics of Finland, in 2002 the country’s economy was home to 226,600 business enterprises (excepting those related to agriculture). The total turnover of these organizations was EUR 274 billion and they provided employment to 1,315,000 persons in the economy. Out of this total, 99.7% of the firms could be categorized as SMEs, which accounted for 52% of the gross turnover of the industrial sector and employed 61.5 % of the total working force of the economy. Among the total number of business enterprises, 40% were owned by self-employed entrepreneurs (OECD, 2005, p.213). The Federation of the Finnish Enterprises conducted a survey and found that there were 263, 759 business enterprises in Finland’s economy (excluding agriculture, forestry and fishing). They classified them into four categories according to their number of employees and noted the number of firms under each category. They also surveyed the total turnover and the nu mber of employees of each of the four classes of firms. According to the Report of the European Commission Enterprise and Industry (ECEI) regarding Finland’s business scenario, there are about 36 SMEs present in the economy for every 1000 citizens. In comparison, other countries of the European Union (EU) have an average of 40 SMEs per 1000 inhabitants in their economies. In Finland, the micro firms and the small enterprises employ a comparatively lower number of people than their counterparts in the EU countries.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Essay Example And mostly, the words that I had said were the negative ones which may hurt other’s feelings. Although it didn’t happened regularly I experienced it in times when I have arguments, conflicts and fights with other people. Secondly, the defense mechanism which is so common to everyone but some of us are not aware of doing and expressing it. I have a certain behavior on which I tend to tell a lie in reasoning and answering to other’s questions and even in my initial reactions. And sometimes, I am also unaware that I did things which were not meant in a certain activity but I still did it to elude from shame and to protect my ego as well. In addition to the example above, I had also experienced the sleep-talking and sleep-walking which I also think it was being influenced by my unconscious thought process, considering that I am deeply asleep on those times. I have clearly observed that almost a hundred percent of my actions and behaviors were determined by my conscious thought4 process and mental awareness, while a fraction of it were influenced by my unconscious mind when I am awake. And it was so obvious that most of us are thinking and are aware before the actions, emotions, sensations, and thoughts are expressed, because if the unconscious thought process dominates over the consciousness of our mind, then our mental awareness are being suppressed, thus, causing mental abnormality. Based from Aswers.com, the slip of the tongue, dreams and other neurotic symptoms are part of the psychic apparatus which normally don’t enter to one’s awareness, thus, it is determined by the unconscious thought process of our mind. Of the examples I had like, the slip of the tongue and the denial which were used for protecting me from shame were both explained by the proponents of Freudian theory by Sigmund Freud. Being denial for protecting one’s self-importance or ego was part

Neighbourly Relations Essay Example for Free

Neighbourly Relations Essay Examine the argument that neighbourly relations are characterised by friendly distance. Neighbourly relations are an aspect of life which affects every single one of us at some point in our lives. When we look to live somewhere we not only consider the property and general area, but are also curious about our neighbours. A common question when viewing a property is ‘what are the neighbours like? ’ and the answer is usually ‘they are really nice’ whether they are or not! But what makes a good neighbour? Some people get on with their neighbours but just as many don’t and usually it’s due to what can appear as trivial disputes. This essay will look at the term ‘friendly distance’ which plays a huge part in how neighbours interact with each other. Many studies have asked the question ‘what makes a good neighbour? ’ and social scientists have found that despite different back grounds or settings the majority of people want the same set of standards from the people living near or around them. People need to be friendly and be there for each other but at the same time respect each others’ ‘need for privacy and reserve’ (Willmott. , cited in Byford, 2009, p. 253). So you have to be friendly but keep your distance at the same time. So how do we do this? Neighbouring relations comes with it’s own set of unwritten rules. These rules are constantly being portrayed and carried out in our day to day lives subconsciously. A 2004 study carried out in Manchester neighbourhoods further shows that this is a widespread practice. Neighbours of various areas demonstrated similar actions and practices of what is expected from neighbours, a common one being that they will chat with their neighbour when they are outside of the house if they see them but wouldn’t they wouldn’t go in each other’s house (Harris and Gale, cited in Byford, 2009, p. 55). This type of understanding of what is expected of a neighbour is also echoed in another study where neighbouring is seen as an ‘occasioned activity’ (Laurier et al. , cited in Byford, 2009, p. 256). This study showed that whilst neighbours can exchange pleasantries quite happily with one another if they meet in a public place, they would only directly go to the neighbours house and ring their door bell if there was something specific they wanted of if something was wrong. Although similar studies were carried out in the USA and findings were very much the same as the UK, other countries and cultures can be quite different. In 1970, the anthropologist Stanley Brandes visited Spain to study how modernisation and urbanisation affected small rural communities there. He resided in the village of Becedas and observed the daily life of it’s residents. What he found there was quite different to the UK, in that neighbours would enter each other’s houses without knocking or a second thought. They introduced themselves immediately by name and offered their help and went out of their way to make Brandes feel welcome. (Brandes, 1975, cited in Byford, p. 260). But as Brandes resided there longer he came to understand that what appeared at first as welcoming and friendly practices, it actually belied a community that in reality was quite mistrusting and critical of each other. Privacy was not seen as necessary and someone who required it would be considered rude and impolite. The poor status of the village meant that the villagers relied on each other for daily help with manual labour and other traditional activites. Without each other they felt they couldn’t surive even, but this high dependence on each other masked the underlying feeling of distrust they had for each other. But what about when neighbouring goes wrong? As human beings we can’t get it right all the time and relations can break down leading to disputes and disagreements. Noisy neighbours is a common complaint and one that is suffered more commonly in overcrowded housing estates where insulation is poor. This in turn leads to a lack of privacy and leads to a neighbours making adjustments within their daily life to prevent embarrassment of being overheard. These adjustments can referred to as ‘distancing mechanisms’ (Bourke, 1994, cited in Byford, p. 266). Such adjustments could include turning the bed away from the adjoining wall, and other ways of preventing noise from being heard. So although people can do what they like in their own homes, they are expected to take necessary steps to minimise what other’s can hear. Another much more serious example of neighbourly relations going wrong is exhibited within the cases of the murders of Catherine Genovese and James Bulger. Although neighbours assume they offer security to one another and ‘look out for each other’ (Attwood et all. , cited in Byford, p. 271) the public exposure of both the above cases uncovered a massive breakdown in neighbourly relations. In both cases a large number of residents heard screams, or observed unusual behaviour which left them concerned but they failed to do anything. A number of studies were carried out to study ‘bystander intervention’ to determine why these people didn’t help. One study carried out showed that if one person helps out then nother may do as well, but people are led by each other’s actions (Latane and Darley, cited in Byford, p. 279) and this was referred to as the ‘bystander effect’. In another study by Levine (1999) he found that the percieved relationship between the three boys in the Bulger case led to the reason why no-one intervened. People failed to get involved because they assumed the boys were all brothers and it was nothing to do with them. As neighbours we commonly share a social identity, or even a collective identity through our relationship with each other. This shared identity should profer a loyalty to each other as people within a shared group usually ‘stick together’. However, it would seem neighbourly relations are alot more complex than merely a shared identity. Neighbouring practices are carried out without thinking within our normal day, and these practices allow us to manage the fine line of private and public space. Neighbourhood life is ordered and defines how people should live together, and go about their daily lives without interfering but also by being there for each other too.

Panama Canal Construction Problems

Panama Canal Construction Problems The canal of Panama is 77km long and it facilitates shipping in region by connecting the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. This waterway has been a vital route for trade in international maritime. The US canal project commenced in 1904 and completed in 1914. Since its completion, it has witnessed an increase of traffic from approximately 1000 ships per year to 14,702 ships per year in 2008. This was one of the most complex and huge engineering project ever carried out. Its completion had a huge effect on navigation between the two water bodies since it aided to eliminate treacherous and long route through the Cape Horn and Drake Passage. The idea of a canal in the neighborhood of Panama was embarked from early 16th century. The primary effort to build a canal started in 1880 under French headship, although it was deserted after 21,900 workers were reported to have died. Many deaths were caused by landslides and diseases specifically yellow fever and malaria. The US started another at tempt to construct the same canal that resulted to 5,600 additional deaths although managed to open the canal in 1914. After completion, United States government took over authority of the canal and neighboring Zone of Canal. The control of Panama was placed under transition by the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties and starting from 1979 until 1999, the water way was under joint control of Panama and US. However, starting from 31st December 1999, the management of the waterway was passed to Waterway Authority of Panama. Panama Canal construction raised several issues that resulted to change of the initial design. French Construction Issues The French government was inspired after it successfully completed the Suez Canal construction in 1869. This gave them confidence to pursue the project of same magnitude which was to join Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. The La Societe Internationale du Canal Interoceanique Company was established in 1876 to oversee the project and after two years from its creation it acquired a concession from the Government of Columbia, which at that time had the control of land, to construct a canal passing through Isthmus. The leader of the project was a Frenchman, Ferdinand de Lesseps, who oversaw the building of Suez waterway. Ferdinand managed to gain enthusiastic leadership accumulated from success of Suez Canal project. This kind of leadership allowed him to convince ordinary citizens and speculators to invest in the project to raise about US $400 million. Exceptionally, Ferdinand was not an engineer by profession although he succeeded in the previous scheme. The building of Panama water way was very distinct compared to Suez Canal that was simply digging a ditch in a level desert of sand, which represented few problems. The Central America terrain runs to a low spot at Panama, while still elevated to the altitudes of 110 meters from level of sea at the lowest areas. Lesseps suggestion of sea level canal would need enormous digging presenting a challenge as a result of differentiated rock hardness. French was faced with another challenge presented by rivers passing across the canal because their flows would increase substantially in wet seasons. The water would interfere with canal because it would raise a very serious danger to shipping. Therefore, the rivers cutting right across the canal course needed to be redirected. Another grave challenge that faced the French project was diseases in tropics, specifically yellow fever and malaria. This was aggravated even further by the lack of skills on how diseases spread and any prevention measure was futile. The legs of hospital beds used by French workers were put into containers full of water to prevent insects from infesting the bed, little did they tha t the tins provided suitable environment for mosquitoes breeding. The Panama project as proposed by Lesseps was dogged by deficiency of engineering professionalism from its initial stages. The meeting in Paris of international engineering congress in May 1879 comprised of 136 members with merely 42 professions in engineering and the rest comprising of non-professions. The building of the canal by French started in 1882 and a huge manpower was prepared in 1888. The labor force comprised of approximately 20,000 workers where 90% of them were afro-Caribbean men originating from West Indies. The status of project and well-paid French engineers fascinated professionals from French engineering schools but massive losses of workers from diseases lowered their attraction. In early 1885, it became apparent to many that a canal of sea level was impossible and that a raised ditch with locks was the only feasible solution. Nevertheless, Lesseps did not readily buy the idea until late 1887 when the design of lock canal was accepted. At the time of adopting the plan, the project was dogged with a lot of challenges such as mudslides, floods, death tolls, engineering problem and financial crisis. Additionally, the company was declared bankrupt in 1889 forcing it to abandon the project in 1889. Until the collapse of the project, money amounting US $ 234,795,000 had be used and project was only 40% done. The project was entirely abandoned in 1893 as a result of inadequate skills and other difficulties. U.S Construction US showed a huge interest in constructing the waterway through Isthmus and in 1902, the US government embarked on the project of Panama waterway. The then US president, Roosevelt Theodore, decided to purchase the excavation and machineries from French at a cost of US $ 40 million and the job was commenced in 1904. The head of Engineering between 1905 to 1907, John Stevens, opposed the plan of French to build a sea level canal. Fortunately, President Theodore bought the idea of chief engineer to built waterway with locks and dams. Engineer John Stevens managed to lay down infrastructures in panama that were vital for completion of the project. He improved the transport technology by restructuring Panama Railway and developing a way of collecting soil from the digging via rail. Additionally, he put in place good shelters for workers and encouraged funding to improve sanitation. He also gave attention to programmes of controlling mosquitoes in order to remove yellow fever and malaria fr om the region. The building of a raised waterway with locks started to be feasible after the considerable redesigning of the infrastructure and effective diseases control programmes were put in place. The US government saw the need to replace the deteriorating machineries of French with equipment designed for massive jobs to hasten the speed of construction. The Ellicott Dredges Company in US developed the cutter dredges utilized in building Panama waterway. The initial equipment to be build by the company was 900 HP steam engine with dredge of 20 inches. The completion of constructing Panama Canal was finished in 1914, much early than it was projected. The waterway was officially opened on August of the same year of completion. Panama Canal Technology The technology that was employed to construct Panama waterway by French was sea level design. This is because they had successfully employed the same technology in construction of Suez Canal. Unfortunately, the technique did not work in the Panama Canal project. With the development of technology in field of engineering, the United States ignored the design of French and continued with the design based on a huge lake raised with one and two lock combination on the side of pacific and three locks at the Atlantic side at Gatun. The technology employed in design of sea level suffered severely from the huge volume of digging needed and from flooding that would have happened on the Charges River. This river was usually frequented by flooding that would have put the waterway into peril and affect traffic flow. The engineering technology allowed US to built dam close to the Chagres River mouth in order to mitigate impacts of flood and reduce excavation. The locks were controlled by highly d esigned electro-mechanical control system that are still functioning since 1914.The issue of diseases that had cropped in French project was tackled by US through technological improvement in the field of science. A Doctor from Cuba, Dr. Reed Walter, had been able to discover that mosquito was the vector that transmitted malaria. In addition, technology saw US in the replacement of old ineffective equipments with machineries that were designed to handle huge work like the big hydraulic crusher. Conclusion French government embarked on the attempt of constructing Panama Canal in 1982 after gaining motivation from successful completion of Suez Canal. The French head of project was not an engineer by profession and he employed the design that was used to build Suez Canal although Panama terrain was different. A sea level design utilized by French was faced with high elevations and rivers passing across the canal. Workers during French project perished from floods and diseases because of lack of skills to deal with those challenges. Owing to lack of enough skills and other difficulties, the project was entirely abandoned in 1893. In 1902, the Government of US embarked on the construction of Panama Canal. Learning from failure of French, US opted to use different design that employed locks and dams. There was a considerable redesigning of the infrastructure and effective diseases control programmes. The engineering technology enabled US to built dam close to the Chagres River mouth in orde r to mitigate impacts of flood and reduce excavation. The technology that was used in1914 to operate locks is still in use today.

The Holocaust and the Cambodian Genocide: Similar or different? How ab

Evil doesn’t even begin to cover it. The mass murder of millions of people. The complete obliteration of an entire society. Each and every genocide has the same core principles, but a distinct face. A dictator takes over a weak country with promises of returning it to its former glory, once he has everyone’s support, he implements extremely discriminatory laws and finds reasons to kill anyone who dares oppose him. The Holocaust and the Cambodian genocides are remarkably similar, and yet strikingly different. The Holocaust was an attempt to wipe out all Jews and other minorities such as gypsies and handicapped people. The Cambodian genocide, led by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, was in some ways a mirror image of the Holocaust, but it happened forty-two years later. On the other hand, there are many more that one distinction that sets Cambodia apart from all other genocides. Although the two genocides are quite different at a first glance, they are interestingly similar upon deeper inspection. For starters, the Holocaust is best known for it’s brutal and inhumane treatment of prisoners, such as tattooing a number on their arm against their will and feeding them food that is not even fit for dogs to consume (â€Å"Holocaust†). It may be shocking for some people to hear that in Cambodia, it was just as atrocious, maybe even worse. During the Khmer Rouge takeover in 1975 most Cambodians were forced to leave their homes on such short notice that numerous families were killed on cite for not evacuating quickly enough. Those ‘lucky’ enough to escape immediate death were forced to work, unpaid, in labor camps until the fatigue wore down their immune system and they died of some wretched disease (â€Å"Genocide†). Another intriguing similarity betw... .../www.yale.edu/cgp/chron.html>. "Eight Stages of Genocides." Genocides and Conflicts. William Mitchell College of Law, 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. . "Genocide- Cambodia." Talking About Genocide - Genocides. Peace Pledge Union, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. . â€Å"Holocaust, 1933-1945, The† World Without Genocide. William Mitchell College of Law, 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. . January, Brendan. Genocide: Modern Crimes Against Humanity. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2007. Print. Walker, Luke. "Cambodian Genocide." World Without Genocide. William Mitchell College of Law, 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. .

Epic of Gilgamesh :: essays research papers

The Change in Gilgamesh   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever since the beginning of time, man has learned to mature by trials and tribulations. In the beginning of The Epic of Gilgamesh, the protagonist Gilgamesh appears to be an arrogant person who only cares about himself. He abuses all his powers and takes advantage of people with his physical abilities. Basically in the beginning he thinks that no one on earth is better than him. However, just like all epic poems, the protagonist encounters many challenges that make him a better person. So as the story progresses Gilgamesh slowly starts to change his personality. Various events help transform this tyrant to a humble person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the book, Gilgamesh appears to be selfish. Gilgamesh’s â€Å"arrogance has no bounds by day or night† (62). Even though he is created by the Gods to be perfect, he misuses his powers and gifts for his own earthly pleasure. He has sexual intercourse with all the virgins of his city even if they are already engaged. Through all Gilgamesh’s imperfections and faults, he learns to change his amoral personality. The friendship of Enkidu helped to change his ways, for only Enkidu, who â€Å"is the strongest of wild creatures,† (66) is a match for Gilgamesh. Through this companionship with Enkidu, Gilgamesh starts to realize his incapabilities and need for his friend. When they fight Humbaba, they both give moral support to each other when the other is scared. Another event that changes Gilgamesh’s character is the death of Enkidu. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh goes through the suffering of losing a loved one. Gilgamesh experiences a pain, which no worldly pleasure can ease. By this experience Gilgamesh starts to understand his vulnerability toward death and pain. Losing his best friend causes Gilgamesh to be melancholic. At this point Gilgamesh is humbled by the fact that even he could not escape the wrath of death. Gilgamesh goes from this arrogant king to a lonely grieving person with fear of death in his heart.

Agriculture in India Essay

Since long ago, agriculture has been associated with the production of basic food crops. At present agriculture, besides farming includes forestry, fruit cultivation, dairy, poultry, mushroom, bee keeping, arbitrary, etc. Today, marketing, processing, distribution of agricultural products etc. are all accepted as a part of modern agriculture. Agriculture plays a crucial role in the life of an economy. It is the backbone of our economic system. The following facts clearly highlight the importance of INDIA. 1. Source of Livelihood: In India the main occupation of our working population is agriculture. About 70 per cent of our population is directly engaged in agriculture. 2. Contribution to National Income: Agriculture is the premier source of our national income. According to National Income Committee, in:- 1960-61, 52% national income was contributed. see more:non farming activities in indian villages 1976-77, contributed 42.2 per cent 1981-82, its contribution was 41.8 per cent. 2001-02, it contributed around 32.4 per cent 2006-07, 22% 2012-13, 13.7% 3. Supply of Food and Fodder: Agriculture sector also provides fodder for livestock. Moreover, it also meets the food requirements of the people. 4. Importance in International Trade: Agricultural products like tea, sugar, rice, tobacco, spices etc. constitute the main items of exports of India. 6. Source of Raw Material: Agriculture has been the source of raw materials to the leading industries like cotton and jute textiles, sugar, tobacco, edible and non-edible oils etc. All these depend directly on agriculture. 9. Vast Employment Opportunities: With the fast growing population and high incidence of unemployment the agricultural sector is significant as it provides greater employment opportunities in the construction of irrigation projects, drainage system  and other such activities. 13. Basis of Economic Development: The development of agriculture provides necessary capital for the development of other sectors like industry, transport and foreign trade. TYPES OF FARMING PRIMITIVE FARMING It is also commonly called ‘slash and burn agriculture’. It is used in areas where Soil has low nutrient levels. An area for cultivation is selected and then it is burned so that the required nutrients for the crop to grow are maintained and biomass is converted to useful inorganic ash. Then nth chosen crops are sown. Then the land is given a period of rest called ’fallow’. Then the same process continues until the land is wearied of nutrients(i.e. about 5-6 yrs). This type of farming usually depends on the type of soil, rain and most importantly climatic conditions. It is done using primitive tools like hoe, hull, dagger, dao, etc. and requires a lot of labour. Such crops are not produced in a large quantity and farmers grow crops only to sustain their family with little or no intention of selling them. The famer does not use chemical fertilizers or modern inputs, thus the production is low. TRADITIONAL FARMING Traditional farming represents the original method of farming. This type of farming uses extensive local knowledge and natural resources so that no harm is caused to biodiversity. Such farmers maintain soil fertility and prevent erosion of topsoil. There are many methods of traditional farming namely:- Nomadic Pastoralism It is the practice of raising domesticated animals like goat, sheep, cattle, etc. All humans practicing this method live off entirely on animal products like fat, meat, milk, etc. These people are constantly in use of new grounds for their animals to feed. Mixed Sustenance Farming This can provide a very stable farming platform, where plants and animals work together to support each other. The plant waste that cannot be used by humans is used as fodder for animals and their waste acts as natural manure. This type of farming is usually the most productive and sustainable compared to any other type. COMMERCIAL FARMING It is a type of large-scale farming of crops to sell them to wholesalers or retailers. Crops such as wheat, maize, rice, tea, etc. are harvested and sold worldwide in international markets. Due to its extensive nature modern machines and use of chemical fertilizers is required thus increasing the capital. Due to its large capital, it is mainly practiced by large companies or rich farmers. Yield as well as profit is high due to the use of modern techniques and hybrid varieties of seeds. Commercial farming started with the advent of the Green Revolution and production in India increased by 50% during the years 1970-1990. In today’s world Hybridization is very important to increase the yield of crops. Many varieties of hybrid seeds are now available which are disease resistant, healthier and give more yields. FIVE YEAR PLANS First Plan (1951-1956) The First Five-year Plan was launched in 1951 which mainly focused in development of the agricultural. The total planned budget of Rs.2069 crore was allocated to seven areas: irrigation and energy (27.2%), agriculture17.4%), transport and communications (24%), industry (8.4%), social services (16.40%), land rehabilitation (4.1%), and for other sectors (2.5%). The monsoon was good and there were relatively high crop yields. Second Plan (1956-1961) The Second Plan stressed on the development of the sector. Hydroelectric projects and five steel plants at Bhilai, Durgapur, and Rourkela were established. The total amount allocated under the Second Five-Year Plan in India was Rs.48 billion. This amount was allocated among various sectors: power and irrigation, social services, communications and transport, and very less amount was allocated towards agriculture due to the other increasing problems. Third Plan (1961–1966) The Third Five-year Plan stressed on agriculture and improvement in the production of wheat, but the Sino-Indian War of 1962 led to weakness in the economy and the plan stressed on the defense industry of India although equal priority was given to agriculture and industrial sector. PROBLEMS FACED The major problems confronted by the Indian agriculture are as follows (a) Population Pressure: India has a huge population of over one billion and it is increasing at a very fast rate. According to 2012census figures the overall density of population is 3264 persons per sq. km. Every bit of land has been used up for construction of commercial sites. (b) Small and Fragmented Land Holdings: Dividing a small plot of land due to increasing population has resulted in a small piece of land getting fragmented further. The small size of such holdings makes farming activity uneconomical and leads to less productivity and eventually less income. (c) Inadequate Irrigation Facilities: In India irrigation facilities are not adequate at all. Almost all fields, owned by poor farmers, are left to get naturally irrigated by the monsoons(except those owned by rich farmers and companies). (d) Depleted Soils: Farming has been a tradition of India for over 1000 years which has resulted in the decrease in fertility of soil and deforestation has led to erosion of the fertile soil giving less productivity. (e) Storage of food grains: Storage of abundant food grains is a huge problem faced by Indians. Almost 10-12% of our harvest of food grains goes waste due to no proper storage. (f) Farm Implements: In some parts of the country mechanization of farming has taken place, but most of the farmers are poor and cannot afford to purchase and use modern tools. This hampers agriculture. Forests-86.1†¦Non agriculture-21.8†¦barren/Uncultivable-20.1†¦Permanent pasture/grazing-12†¦Fallow-24..Cropped area-142.5(Food grain-123.5; Rainfed-89) Multiple cropping In agriculture, multiple cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in the same field during a single sowing season. There are many types of multiple cropping schemes that the government has introduced in India. They are:- Double-cropping, in which a second crop is planted after the first has been harvested. This helps in restoring the nutrients that have been used up by the plant. Relay cropping, in which a second crop is started amidst the first crop before it has been harvested. This ensures bountiful harvest as well as keeps crops healthy. Intercropping, where an additional crop is planted in the spaces available between the main crop. This helps in keeping away pests. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION Intensive agriculture area program(1964) The main objective of the IAAP was that â€Å"greater emphasis should be given to scientific agriculture in an intensive manner in areas with high production potentials†. The emphasis was on important crops such as Wheat, Rice, cotton, etc. High yielding variety program(1966) The main motive of the program was to increase the productivity of food grains by adopting new high yielding varieties of improved seeds. The HYVP introduced :-High-yielding varieties of seeds, increased use of fertilizers, increased irrigation. These three are collectively known as the Green Revolution. National agricultural innovation project(2006) The NAIP is contributing to the transformation of the agricultural sector to more of a market to get rid of poverty and improve income. The main aim is to make people aware about how agriculture can be taken to an international level through technological innovations. SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION WATER Some Major River Valley Projects Bhakra Nangal Project On Sutlej in Punjab. Highest in India.Ht. 226m. Reservoir is called Gobind Sagar Lake. Chambal Valley Project On Chambal in MP & Rajasthan, 3 dams are there:- Gandhi Sagar Dam, Rana Pratap Sagar Dam and Jawahar Sagar Dam Damodar Valley Project On Damodar in Bihar, Based on Tennessee Valley Project USA Hirakud Project On Mahanadi in Orrisa, World’s Longest Dam: 4801m Kosi Project On Kosi in N.Bihar Tugabhadra Project On Tugabhadra in Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka Sardar Sarovar Project On Narmada, Gujarat/MP. Due to the magnitude of floods in 1978, a project of flood prone rivers was started to prevent further casualties. SOIL During the 7th five year plan, the government decided to take careful measures towards soil conservation. The scheme of reclamation of alkali soil in Punjab, Haryana, and U.P. took place. During the 9th plan this scheme was approved and being practiced in all states. It aimed at improving conditions of alkali soils for better production of crops. GREEN REVOLUTION Well-known agronomist, Dr. M S Swaminathan led the Green Revolution in India. India was in the middle of a food crisis in the mid 60’s. The food economy was falling down very fast. The domestic production of wheat had gone down to about only 12 million tons(from 23 million tons) due to inflation. About the same had to be imported from the US. The introduction of high-yielding varieties of wheat like Lerma Rojo and Sonora 64 during the mid-’60s with farm technology and chemical fertilizers brought about the green revolution.

Radium Girls

Isn’t it scary to think that someone could keep a huge secret from you, a secret so big that it could potentially kill you and hundreds of other people? This happened in the 1920’s and changed many people’s lives forever. Today, I’m going to share with you something that had a big effect not only as u as a country but us as the Illinois Valley. My topic is the Radium Girls of Ottawa. This is a topic that I know much about; I did my 8th grade history fair project on this, read a few books about it, and even interviewed two of the radium girls.My three main points will be what the radium dial company was, who the living dead girls were, and the after effects of this tragedy. My first point is the Radium Dial company, according to the book Deadly Glow, in 1922 the radium dial company moved from Peru Il, to Ottawa and hired hundreds of girls to paint the dials of WWI and WWII clock faces. The paint used was called luna that contained radium to make the watch g low in the dark.To get the dials perfect the girls were told to wet the tip of the brush with their lips. Their boss failed to mention that radium can cause anything from cancer anemia, bone fractures and necrosis of the jaw, known as radium jaw. Their boss knew about the dangers but told them it would only make their cheeks rosy. Unaware of the dangers the girls would paint their teeth, nails, skin, and hair and turn off the lights so they could glow. This brings me to my second main point, who were the society of the living dead?According to the book Radium Girls, after a year the girls started to complain about jaw pains and their teeth started to fall out. They demanded to be seen by doctors, only to be lied to about not having radium in them and they were perfectly healthy. The doctors who saw them knew they had radium in them, but didn’t tell them. This started their group â€Å"the society of the living dead† the girls were filing for unsafe working conditions. Catherine Donohue was the leader and she was one of the girls who were affected the most.Even through her illness she still won the case that granted all the girls $10,000 to split amongst themselves and all their medical bills were paid. Some of the girls benefited from the case, but money could never heal their mental and eternal illness. The death toll in Ottawa was 35, and 4,000 nation. My third and final point is the aftermath of the case. In my interview with June Menne and Pauline Fuller in October of 2010 both who worked for the radium dial company at this time shared a little information on just how things hanged. Even though a lot of the young girls died before they reached thirty, this tragedy changed lasws that ban people form working hands on with deadly chemicals and right to sue corporations for labor abuse. The building was torn down in 1969. The governor then appointed 2 million dollars to clean up the radium. This tragedy is still affecting Ottawa today, there was a test in 2007 for radium detection and to this day it is still scattered in Ottawa. Thankfully there have been no other cases of anything like this.It just shows that something bad has to happen before things will change. On September 2, 2011 a statue was put up of a girl holding a wilted tulip in one hand and a paintbrush in another to remember the tragedy. Thank you for listening to my speech on the radium girls. I hope you learned my three main points which were what was the Radium Dial Company, who the society of the living dead was and what the effects of this case had on our nation. Any questions?