Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Ethical Issues Of Offshore Drilling - 1008 Words

Ethical Issues of Offshore Drilling As we know today, and have known for many years, BP is not just a local gas station that we go to sometimes to fill up our tanks. BP is a HUGE Multi-Billion dollar company! Many people believe they get there oil mostly from the mid-east but they’re also a company (or industry) that does offshore drilling for oil that is refined into a much more stable state that doesn’t blow up cars as soon as ignition occurs. Off shore drilling by definition on BP’s main site is drilling oil â€Å"35,000 feet (10,660 meters) below sea level, under layers of hard rock, thick salt and tightly packed sands.† The deep-water horizon, where BP drills thousands of oil from is located in the Gulf Mexico, a couple years ago on April 20th, 2010 BP had the largest explosion that resulted in a oil spill disaster in the petroleum/gas industry in history. BP oil spill killed 11 people and destroyed sea life. Many people say the whole thing could hav e been avoid if safety precautions were up-to-date. The definition of ethical dilemma is a choice between two options, both of which will bring a negative result based on society and personal guidelines (yourdictionary.com) and BP showed to have a ton of them. We can break down safety (main category) into a few subcategories: mechanical failures, human judgments, engineering design, operational implementation and team interfaces. It’s fair to say, but not all companies do this, some inspections occur from range ofShow MoreRelatedOffshore Drilling1527 Words   |  7 Pages Offshore Drilling Does anything out weigh the importance of our planet’s health? You would be surprised by the number of people who look the other way when it comes to keeping the planet clean. Offshore drilling is just one of the major environmental issues that has existed for many years and still continues to be a problem. The topic of offshore drilling not only touches on environmental issues but also political, economic, and ethical issues. All of these tie into the huge debate over offshoreRead MoreOffshore Oil Drilling and the Deepwater Horizon Spill of the Gulf of Mexico1591 Words   |  7 Pagesfossil fuel, oil drilling is used. Land-based oil drilling became less productive and as the global stipulation for energy increased, technology, law, and geology impacts stepped in and pushed the exploration of oil away from shores (CITE). With its historical background, offshore oil drilling is one of the most important aspects of today’s economy although we are faced with its risks an d consequences, such as the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion of the Gulf of Mexico. Offshore oil drilling is known asRead MoreEssay on Offshore Drilling3083 Words   |  13 PagesOffshore Drilling What is it? Drilling for oil in the ocean is one of the greatest technological breakthroughs in recent decades, and many new techniques have been developed to profit from the abundance of oil underneath the ocean floor. While drilling for oil has been around for hundreds of years in one form or the another, the effective extraction of petroleum from beneath the sea floor did not surface until the last forty years. The search for oil often turns out to be unproductive, butRead MoreBP Oil Spill and The Deep Water Horizon Accident1218 Words   |  5 PagesDeep Water Horizon was a nine year old semisubmersible drilling rig that was designed to operate in waters ten thousand feet deep. This particular rig was built by the South Korean company Hyundai and owned by Transocean, on the world’s largest offshore drilling contractors. BP would charter the Deep Water Horizon from March 2008 to September 2013 for deep exploratory drilling. BP would drilling off of the Gulf of Mexico eighteen thousand three hundred and sixty feet below sea level, in five thousandRead MoreShould The United States Suspend Arctic Offshore Drilling?1657 Words   |  7 Pagescontroversies within it. In the pro/con section of her article, Weeks asks the question, â€Å"Should the United States suspend Arctic offshore drilling?† Senator Mark Begich argues that the resources in the Arctic are too great of an opportunity to miss out on. Although Arctic drilling is a controversial topic, many people believe it should continue because of the financial and ethical circumstances; however, evidence to support this is lacking, which leads to the other side of the debate to be in the rightRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility : Bp Leased A Rig From Transocean1016 Words   |  5 PagesCorporate Social Responsibility In order to access the crude oil there, BP leased a rig from Transocean, the world’s biggest offshore drilling company. With more than 26,000 employees and a fleet of 136 vessels, Transocean operates in some 30 countries. BP also hired Halliburton, the second largest oilfield services company, to cement and seal off the well once drilling was complete. Halliburton employs more than 50,000 people and provides services in 70 countries. Considering overall strategicRead MoreStrategic And Value Of Operations Management1599 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Macondo blowout† (Ocean Portal, 2012). The Bloomberg National Poll described the BP oil spill as a â€Å"freak accident†, urging the U.S. government not to shut down deep water drilling for those oil companies who adheres to proper safety guidelines and procedures (Brown et al., 2013). Those who are in opposition to deep water drilling criticized BP for improper procedures regarding safe operations and risk management (Brown et al., 2013). British Petroleum lost billions of dollars due to crude oil spillingRead MoreEthical Issues Surrounding the Bp Oil Spill1236 Words   |  5 PagesEthical Issues surrounding the BP Oil Spill By: Angela Higgins December 16, 2010 The BP Oil Spill which happened on April 20, 2010, was the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history releasing approximately 185 million gallons of crude oil into the gulf. This event was the result of a wellhead on the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform blowing out in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 40 miles southeast offs the Louisiana coastline. Eleven men working on the oil rig platform were killedRead MoreBp Oil Spill : Business Law1601 Words   |  7 Pageseducation, economic development, practical approaches to environmental issues, and humanitarian relief†, has donated more than $210 million dollars. Since 2006, the BP Foundation has also donated $20 million to humanitarian relief. ( BP PLC (BP) Company Profile | Reuters.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2015.) BP is the largest lease holder in the Gulf of Mexico and has been for the last 10 years, with roughly 600 leases. Drilling in the Gulf for BP has proven to be extremely profitable along withRead M oreThe Legal Issues and Ethical Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Explosion and British Petroleum Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico 20101542 Words   |  7 PagesHead: BP GULF OIL SPILL The Legal Issues and Ethical Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Explosion and British Petroleum Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico 2010 Terry D. Bollman Park University BP Gulf Oil Spill 2 British Petroleum’s Roll in the Gulf Oil Spill This paper will explain some of the effects of three legal issues and three ethical issues surrounding the London-based British Petroleum Company’s involvement in the explosion of the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon and the subsequent

Monday, December 23, 2019

Societal Norms Of Domestic Violence - 2500 Words

Abstract Each situation within society has its own guidelines to follow and is determined based on a particular group. There are many social norms surrounding acceptable behaviors within society. This paper will examine societal norms in relation to behavior from a domestic violence view and explore the batterer’s and victim’s perspective. Keywords: domestic violence, batterer, victim, social norms, theories Domestic Violence a Social Issue Everyone is different with a unique set of values which shapes our beliefs and views that affect our personal behavior. Domestic violence can happen to anyone no matter the race, ethnicity, or social economic status. According to Babcock, Gree, and Robie (2004), domestic violence is a learned behavior and is defined by the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (2014) â€Å"Is when two people get into an intimate relationship and one person uses a pattern of coercion and control against the other person during the relationship and/or after the relationship has terminated. It often includes physical sexual, emotional, or economic abuse.† When defining the parties involved in domestic violence disputes, a batterer and/or victim can be male or female. For the purpose of research results we will discuss the batterer being male and the victim as female. The process of understanding domestic violence includes understanding human behavior in the social environment a nd examining battering from a batterer’s perspective.Show MoreRelatedAlcoholism Is A Strong Predictor Of Job Loss Amongst Men829 Words   |  4 Pagesperceived positive societal gains from social drinking. Results of the study indicated that males who consumed alcohol at a similar rate of their peers were considered the most popular. Alternatively, those who consumed greater amongst of alcohol than their peers were social ostracized. This study indicates that individuals who are willing to conform to group standards in regards to alcohol consumption are more likely to be excepted than individuals below or above the norm. The present study conductedRead MoreRelation Between Traditional And Modern Societies Essay1199 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction: According to family violence clearinghouse, intimate partner violence consists of physical and sexual violence, emotional abuse, intimidation, harassment, economic abuse damage to property and threats or sexual abuse towards an intimate partner. Whilst intimate partner is defined as spouses, co-habiting partners, dating partners, boyfriend/girlfriend and separated or divorced partners. (Rayner-Thomas, Fanslow, Dixon, 2014, p. 4) Sociologist, Emile Durkheim was well-known for his understandingRead MoreThe Peace Domestic Violence Agency1315 Words   |  6 PagesThe PEACE Domestic Violence Agency (PEACE) has a mission of reducing the victim trauma, empower the survivors, and lastly, promote the recovery of the victims in the city of Portland. PEACE does this through the use of the direct services by trying to reduce the incidence of sexual assault and domestic violence through education all while striving to challenge societal norms and beliefs that condone and perpetuate violence in the community. Part One: In this paper, a stakeholder is the key to theRead MoreThe Prevalence Of The Human Papilloma Virus ( Hpv )1576 Words   |  7 Pagesserving as a median for the rest. This study explores these social, educational, cultural, and behavioral factors and how they influence the high prevalence of HPV in the Caribbean. Literature Review In The Influence of Early Sexual Debut and Sexual Violence on Adolescent Pregnancy: A Matched Case-Control Study in Jamaica, Joy Noel Bumgartner et.al conducted interviews with 250 pregnant and sexually experienced females between the ages of 15-17, but never-pregnant, neighborhood-matched controls. TheirRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children780 Words   |  4 PagesDefinition/History/Statistics Historically, domestic violence has been a devastating social problem affecting individuals from every segment of the American society irrespective of race, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, nationality and economic status. Although, men to a smaller extent experience domestic violence, it is usually understood as a women s issue; which inadvertently affects children. Approximately, 85 to 95% of victims are females (Laney, 2010). Every 9 seconds in the UnitedRead MoreViolence Against Women Is A Women’S Health Issue Stemming1465 Words   |  6 PagesViolence against women is a women’s health issue stemming from the cultural acceptance of the power dynamic between men and women. Specifically, men are socialized to be more powerful, commanding and assert themselves in the public sphere. While females are socialized to be more docile, reserved, obedient and to consume as little space as possible – both physically and figuratively. This mindset is something t hat adversely affects the health of women, taking away her autonomy, and subverting herRead MoreDomestic Violence Related Crime Throughout West Virginia1208 Words   |  5 PagesDomestic violence is a universal problem that can affect an individual of any age, gender, race, education level, social class, or culture. This type of violence is considered to be one of the most widespread public health crises in the United States (Black et al., 2011). The purpose of this essay is to create a plan for a program that addresses domestic violence-related crime in West Virginia. To begin, significant information in relation to domestic violence will be provided. This will be followedRead MoreGender Stereotypes And Gender Identity Essay1310 Words   |  6 Pagescreating stereotypes and societal norms. Males are groomed to be leaders and protectors and women to be nurturers and housewives. These stereotypes control not only young children but the adults that are raising them. Lois Gould, author of X: A Fabulous Child’s Story, details how it would be difficult to be a unisex child not only because of peer alienation but also because the judgement parents would inflict because they too are slaves to societal norms. These societal norms negatively affect genderRead MoreIntimate Partner Violence And Sexual Relationships1379 Words   |  6 PagesIntimate Partner Violence One of the biggest problems that have been happening in some households over the last numbers of years is intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV has been identified as a world-wide public health concern (Kulwicki and Miller, 1999). The term intimate partner violence has been defined as the physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual abuse between a person and their spouse, this includes cohabitation and marriage. This type of violence will usually involve harm/control from oneRead MoreDomestic Violence : A Social And Legal Problem1344 Words   |  6 PagesHistorically, domestic violence has been viewed as a private issue to be dealt with between partners. It wasn’t until the 1970s that intimate partner violence (IPV), also known as domestic violence, became recognized as both a social and legal problem. Policy and lawmakers have been avidly defining the roles of the criminal justice system and communities in responding to domestic violence since its official acknowledgements as a pu blic issue. Male Victims’ Experiences with Domestic Violence Our societal

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship The American Dream Free Essays

I have always been fascinated by the concept of the â€Å"American Dream†. Even if, nowadays, this concept is more and more criticize because some people believe that the structure of American society doesn’t follow anymore the idealistic goal of the â€Å"American Dream†, providing example such as inequality in class or race which suggest that the â€Å"American Dream† is not attainable for all. But to me the term â€Å"American Dream† stays unchanged: all people can succeed through hard work, and all people have the potential to live happy and successful lives. We will write a custom essay sample on The Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship: The American Dream or any similar topic only for you Order Now And in my mind, the entrepreneurship is one of the most famous way to achieve this â€Å"American Dream†. Steven BUYERS who is the founder and owner of EnergyLogic –a fast-growing company in Northern Colorado, appears to me as a very good example of this â€Å"American Dream† which is about hope and the potential for change. In fact, I feel this at the same time through the very innovative and sustainable development oriented concept of his company, and the take of initiative he seems able to show without having a precise idea of where it will lead him. In this paper, I’m going to discuss two major topics which seems relevant to me given Steven BUYERS’ experience, they are: the self-made man and the capacity to see opportunity. Self-made man The first thing I would like to precise is about the vision I have of a self-made man. Obviously when I use this term I’m not saying that Steven BUYERS is the only one responsible of the success of his company, because it would mean that nobody have accompanied him in this project and it wouldn’t be fair not to think about his employees or his wife who has apparently plays a huge role in his success. But I rather mean that he had managed to create and manage a success business starting from like nothing. The concept of the self-made man is necessarily connected with the â€Å"American dream† that I have mentioned before. The self-made man comes from unpromising circumstances, is not born into privilege and wealth, and manages to become a great success in life by his own efforts. The story of the self-made man embodies the goal of every man: â€Å"to become the captain of his own destiny. Actually this is really close to the reasons that people become entrepreneurs and starts their own firms, that is to say: â€Å"be their own boss, pursue their own ideas and pursue financial rewards. † A self-made man is anyone who attains far greater success which was not predictable. The background that Steven BUYERS told us about isn’t exactly what we can call a â€Å"predestinated background†. Indeed, he went through many different jobs and life’s experiences (from the army to a bookstore) before he found his way which tends to prove us that he is one of whose are able to create their own greatness. Finally I would say that being a self-made man, as being an entrepreneurship, is the result of a difference in your character and a willingness to do whatever it takes to be the best and achieve your dreams, just as the concessions made by Steven BUYERS at the beginning of his project. Capacity to see opportunity â€Å"An opportunity is a favorable set of circumstances that creates a need for a new product, service or business. † When we know that homes represent 20% of the energy use in USA –whereas transport â€Å"only† represents 27%, it appears logical to focus on this problem. But at the time that Steven BUYERS started his business, that is to say in 1998, nobody cared about saving energy. He came with this really simple question: â€Å"How to be more efficient with houses’ energy? †, and his project was to provide people with a solution. As far as the opportunity recognition is concerned, Steven BUYERS has done a really good job. Indeed, he identified a product/service that people need and are willing to buy. Everybody isn’t able to see opportunity, because opportunity isn’t just an idea you come with thinking it could work. And this is a crucial point which will determine if the business is going to work, or not. An opportunity has to perform four essential qualities: attractive, durable, timely and anchored to a product. That was the case for Steven’s idea. It was attractive because it allows people to save money; it was durable because it lasts a life-time; it was timely because sustainable development was beginning to develop; and finally it was anchored to a product because it deals with houses and isolation. What is even more impressive in this recognition of opportunity is that Steven BUYERS hasn’t done any real market study or business plan before launching his company. To me the way to identify an opportunity which fit the best to Steven BUYERS is the personal characteristics of entrepreneur. This capacity to see opportunity is an essential trait in my mind which is related to creativity. To conclude I would cite the philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson: â€Å"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. † Being an entrepreneur means being able to go where nobody else went before you, being able to take risks, being able to see opportunities where nobody has looked before you†¦ In my mind there is different ways to succeed in your job. Steven BUYERS succeed by seeing opportunities and managing his own success story as many self-made men have done before him. But no matter what is your background as far as you take your chance to develop successfully your business idea. Unfortunately, nowadays, entrepreneurs are more and more assimilated to capitalism and all the unfairness it can raise. As a result, famous self-made men such as Rockefeller are not as well-recognized as they were in the past –and sometimes even criticized. So we can wonder if the â€Å"American Dream† is still an example to follow or a goal to reach for the majority of American people. How to cite The Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship: The American Dream, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Monasticism In The Middle Ages Analysis Essay Example For Students

Monasticism In The Middle Ages Analysis Essay Monasticism in the Middle Ages During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the monasteries served as one of the great civilizing forces by being the centers of education, preservers of learning, and hubs of economic development.Western monasticism was shaped by Saint Benedict of Nursia, who in 529, established a monastery in southern Italy.He created a workable model for running a monastery that was used by most western monastic orders of the Early Middle Ages. To the three vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity, which formed the foundation of most of the old monasteries, he added the vow of manual labor.Each monk did some useful work, such as, plowing the fields, planting and harvesting the grain, tending the sheep, or milking the cows.Others worked at various trades in the workshops.No task was too lowly for them. Benedicts rules laid down a daily routine of monastic life in much greater detail than the preceding rules appear to have done (Cantor 167-168).Schwartz 2The monks also believed in learning, and for centuries had the only schools in existence.The churchmen were the only people who could read or write.Most nobles and kings could not even write their names. The monastery schools were only available to young nobles who wished to master the art of reading in Latin, and boys who wished to study to become priests (Ault 405). The monasteries played a part as the preservers of learning.Many monks busied themselves copying manuscripts and became medieval publishing houses.They kept careful calendars so that they could keep up with the numerous saints days, and other feast days of the medieval church. The monks who kept the calendar often jotted down, in the margins, happenings of interest in the neighborhood or information learned from a traveler.Most of the books in existence, during the Middle Ages, were produced by monks, called scribes. These manuscripts were carefully and painstakingly handwritten.When the monks were writing, no one was allowed to speak, and they used sign languageto communicate with each other. The books were written on vellum, made from calfs skin, or parchment, made from sheeps skin.The scribes used gothic letters, that were written so perfectly, they looked as if they were printed by a press.Many of the books were elaborately ornamented with gold or colore!d letters.The borders around each page were decorated with garlands, vines, or flowers. After the books were written, they were bound in leather or covered with velvet.The monks copied Schwartz 3bibles, hymns, and prayers, the lives of the saints, as well as the writings of the Greeks and Romans and other ancient peoples.The scribes added a little prayer at the end of each book, because they felt that god would be pleased with their work.Without their efforts, these stories and histories would have been lost to the world. The monks became the historians of their day by keeping a record of important events, year by year.It is from their writings that we derive a great deal of knowledge of the life, customs, and events of the medieval times (Ault 158).Medieval Europe made enormous economic gains because of the monks.They proved themselves to be intelligent landlords and agricultural colonizers of Western Europe. A very large proportion of the soil of Europe, in the Middle Ages, was wasteland.There were marshes and forests covering much of the land.The monasteries started cultivating the soil, draining the swamps, and cutting down the forests.These monastic communities attracted settlements of peasants around them because the monastery offered security. Vast areas of land were reclaimed for agricultural purposes.The peasants copied the agricultural methods of the monks.Improved breeding of cattle was developed by the monastic communities.Many monasteries were surrounded by marshes, but their land became fertile farms. .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 , .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 .postImageUrl , .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 , .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6:hover , .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6:visited , .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6:active { border:0!important; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6:active , .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6 .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u364b302f8b2677789804a5da1e235ef6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Terminus Hotels EssayThe monasteries became model farms and served as local schools of agriculture. Farmingwas a chief economic activity of the monasteries.They sold the excess that they grew in the marketpla!ce, and this drew them into trade and commerce.Schwartz 4They sold hogs, charcoal, iron, building stone, and timber. This made them into the centers of civilization.Many monasteries conducted their market during patron saints day, and for several days or weeks after it.The aim was to buy and sell at a time when the greatest number of people assembled.Many times, the merchandise sold was not actually present at the market, but the buyer had to travel to another monastery to get it. No deferred payments or partial payments were allowed.Articles could not be bartered or exchanged for other articles.The prevalence of a money economy made this rule enforceable (Dahmus 322). In theory, the monasteries were supposed to use the gains of disposing of their surplus for religious purposes. . .These religious orders did vast amounts of charitable work and built beautiful buildings during this period.The monasteries heaped up vast treasures as a result of their personal activity.In many monasteries, only a small part of the land was cultivated by the monks. The remainder was allotted out to laborers, dairymen, foresters, and serfs, who paid their dues and rents in kind.Some of the articles received were eggs, cheese, mustard, shingles, posts, kegs, and casks.Many women spun and wove linen cloth, and sewed garments for the monks.Serfs tilled the fields and cultivated the vines. The monasteries had their trade well organized.They knew all of the paths and shortcuts on the highways.They built warehouses to hold their merchandise.They also started the practice of using agents to sell their products. Many monasteries were built on the Schwartz 5banks of navigable rivers, and this added to the development of their capabilities.Almost all of the monasteries received immunity from tolls along the highways and rivers.As the monasteries entered more and more into trade, as means of increasing their incomes, they established markets at convenient points between their monastery and other dependent holdings.The monasteries came into the possession of widely scattered lands as a result of donations. As their possessions became widely dispersed, it became difficult to maintain a strong centralorganization to manage their holdings and to keep them profitable to the monastery.Many times, the monasteries exchanged possessions of their widely scattered properties for those that were more centrally located.Often, exchanges were difficult to accomplish because the donations were given with a stipulation that the monastery had to retain the land in its possession (Thompson 663).Many artisans were employed at the monasteries. They manufactured utensils and articles that were the by-products of agriculture, like harnesses, saddles, shoes, and woolen goods.Many times, these artisans lived in quarters outside of the monastery walls.Fine arts were also represented by craftsmen living in the monastery.There were many skilled men practicing their trades, such as wood and stone carvers, guilders, painters, goldsmiths, silversmiths, and parchment makers. Because the monks enjoyed many privileges and exemptions, they wereSchwartz 6able to produce articles of manufacture at a cost far below those of regular artisans and merchants (Lacroix 301).We have observed in the history of the development of the monastic economic system that there are successive stages.At first, the monasteries were agricultural colonies; then they began to market their produce; then to manufacture commodities.As the economic and social life of Europe grew more complex, the monasteries looked for new forms of investments. They developed a mortgage and loan business and became the earliest banking corporation of the middle ages.Although the Church prohibited the charging of interest, the monasteries argued that they were a corporation, not a person, so no sin was attached to the taking of interest.The loans made always carried a high collateral so the monastery made a handsome profit, even in the event of a default.Many times, the person borrowing the money was required to make a gift apart from the collateral he had to put up. .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d , .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d .postImageUrl , .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d , .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d:hover , .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d:visited , .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d:active { border:0!important; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d:active , .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8b92001881321120d24593b02968112d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Cause And Effect: Women's Rights EssayWhen the loan was paid back by the borrower, he was also expected to make an additional gift.The loa!ns made by the monasteries were usually short term, and the borrower would have trouble repaying it.Frequently, the monastery would cancel the loan, and the land held as security would go to the monastery.As the loan business grew, the monasteries were compelled to seek the assistance of trained officials to handle various transactions. Jews were hired for this purpose, since they were skilled money-changers and brokers of this period.This was a Schwartz 7natural transition from making profits in markets and trade to actual banking (Hartman 213).In conclusion, the monasteries offered many important services to the regions in which they were located.The monks and monasteries offered the leadership, that society needed, that could only come from the Church. They provided examples of order and discipline, preserved classical works, and taught reading and writing.The scribes did a great service to civilization, for through their work, many valuable books are preserved for us today, that otherwise might have been lost to the world.Monasteries were educational and economic centers in the areas in which they were established.They had a profound influence in the development of the society of the time. They acted as centers of agriculture and trade.Monasticism, which had begun as a flight from the civilized world, became, not only an integral part of society, but a great civilizing force of their time.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Software Requirements Specification free essay sample

Software Requirements Specification For SYSTEM TO AUTOMATE PAYROLL PROCESSING Team members: CH. SAIKIRAN (08R01A0580)-CSE KANTAM RAMESH (08R01A0549)-CSE M. SAIMADHAVI -IT BATCH NO. : 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Abstract 2. Requirements Specification (RS) 3. Database Fields Specification 4. Operating Environment a. Software Requirements b. Hardware Requirements 5. High Level Design 6. Low Level Design a. Login b. Administrator c. Clerk d. Employee 7. Database Design 8. Test cases Abstract of the project: Consider a medium sized IT establishment which manages its own payroll requirements. This project will aim to develop an automated system to pay employees their monthly wages. The system should store employee salary details and leave allowance. At the end of the month the system should automatically credit the employee’s bank account with their salary. Income tax and loan payments should be deducted at source and appropriate accounts credited. Salary slips should also be generated. This system can be integrated with Leave and loan systems to give a holistic solution to the organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Software Requirements Specification or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Requirements Specification (RS) |No. Requirement |Essential or |Description of the Requirement |Remarks | | | |Desirable | | | |RS1 |The system should have a login for |Essential |A login box should appear when the system is |The logins are assigned by the | | |Administrator | |invoked for Administrator with his/her user |admin. | | | |name and password. | | |RS2 |The system should have a login for |Essential |A login box should appear when the system is |The logins are assigned by the | | |staff. | |invoked for Staff with his/her user name and |admin. | | | | |password. | | |RS3 |Data Entry screens to maintain |Essential |Online screens should be created with inputs |The information maintained by | | |employee information. |from end user. |admin. | |RS4 |Data Entry screens to maintain |Essential |Online screens should be created with inputs |The information should be | | |Allowance information. | |from end user. |maintained by admin. | |RS5 |Data Entry screens to maintain |Essenti al |Online screens should be created with inputs |The information should be | | |Standard Deductions information. | |from end user. |maintained by admin. |RS6 |Data Entry screens to maintain |Essential |Online screens should be created with inputs |The information should be | | |Attendance information. | |from end user. |maintained by clerk. | |RS7 |Data Entry screens to maintain Other|Essential |Online screens should be created with inputs |The information should be | | |Deductions information. | |from end user. |maintained by | | | | | |Staff(clerk/employee). |RS8 |Automatic crediting of employee |Essential |These reports will created when a trigger is | | | |salary | |initiated by the user | | |RS9 |Generation of Salary slip |Desirable |Different Depreciation methodologies should be| | | | | |evaluated and uilt into the system. The end | | | | | |user should be allowed to choose any one. | | |RS10 |Generating Salary report |Desirable |Database can maintain the salary reports | | Database Fields Specification No. |Field Name |Data Type |Remarks | |1 |Employee Number |Text |This is the key field of the database as it is | | | | |unique for an employee. This will also serve as | | | | |the login for the system. This is a primary key | |2 |Employee Name |Text |Special characters like underscore are not | | | | |allowed. |3 |Email id |Text | | |4 |Address |Memo | | |5 |Contacts |Number | | |6 |Designation |Text |Designation like Clerk, Emp etc | |7 |Qualification |Text |This specifies the Qualification of a employee | |8 |UName |Text | | |9 |PWord |Text | | |10 |DOR |Date/Time |Date of registration of a employee | |11 |Bsalary |Currency |Fixed amount as per employee | |12 |HRA |Text Primary key | |13 |PPA |Text | | |14 |Maint_Allow |Text | | |15 |SPL_Allow |Text | | |16 |EDU_Allow |Text | | |17 |Wash_Allow |Text | | |18 |Sun_Allow |Text | | |19 |EPF |Text |Primary key | |20 |VPF |Text | | |21 |LIC |Text | | |22 |Canteen |Text | | |23 |Transport |Text | | |24 |ITax |Text |According to income tax rule | |25 |PTax |Text |Professional Tax is fixed as per policy | |26 |AttndMonth |Text | Current Attendance month. | |27 |TotalDays |Number | | | | | |Total working days of an organization per month. |28 |PrsntDays |Number |Present Days of an Employee in current month. | |29 |AbsntDays |Number |Absent Days of an Employee in current month. | |30 |ExtraDays |Number |Extra working days of an Employee in current | | | | |month | |31 |PayDays |Number |Payable days | |32 |EntryDate |Text |Attendance Entry date. |33 |HomeLoan |Number |25% of Basic salary | |34 |EDULoan |Number |15% of Basic salary | |35 |HealthLoan |Number |5% of Basic salary | Operating Environment: Software Requirement: Operating System: Windows 2000 or Higher Service Pack: 2+ Platform: JAVA Language: HTML, JSP JDBC Database :MS Access Web server : Tomcat server Hardware Requirement (Minimum) Processor: PIV Ram: 128 Mb Hard Disk: 1 GB Monitor: VGA Color (256) High Level/Detailed Design (HLD/DD): a. Login : This module accepts the username and password which on validation passes the control to the respective module. This checks for the authorized users before logging in. b. Administrator: This module is for the administrator who maintains the information of the employees each identified with unique id numbers. c. Clerk: This module is for the staff to maintain the attendance of the employee and generate the salaries for that current month. d. Employee: This is for the employee who on logging in can view their basic salary, allowances and standard deductions provided by the company. Low Level Design The system is split in to its design components. For each of the components, we provide information in the following format: 1. Login Module: This module accepts the username and password which on validation passes the control to the respective module. This checks for the authorized users before logging in. 2. Administrator Module: This module is for the administrator who maintains the information of the employees each identified with unique id numbers. Their basic salary, allowance and standard deduction percentages are specified by the administrator. He can view the salary reports of the selected employee for that month and for the given period. He can maintain the following information a. Employee info set by administrator b. Set Allowances c. Set Standard deductions. d. View Other deductions. e. View Attendance info. f. View Salary Slip. 3. Clerk: This module is for the staff to maintain the attendance of the employee and generate the salaries for that current month. The salary reports for that month and over the given period can be viewed by the staff. He can also view the employee information with allowance and Standard deduction. And he can view the other deduction and salary reports. He can maintain the following information a. View Employee info. b. View Allowances info c. View Standard deductions. d. Set Other deductions. e. Set Attendance info. f. Prepare Salary Slip. 4. Employee: This is for the employee who on logging in can view their basic salary, allowances and standard deductions provided by the company. They can specify their other deductions like Insurance, home loans etc which are to be deducted from the current month salary. These details are to be provide by the employee before the salary date. Employee can also view the attendance information, salary slip and salary information. He can maintain the following information a. View Employee info b. View Allowances c. View Standard deductions. d. Set Other deductions. e. View Attendance info. f. View Salary Slip. 5. Integration with leave and loan system if already existing, else create screens to key in leave and loan details. 6. Credit Employee bank accounts electronically. 7. Generate electronic or hard copies of pay slips. 8. Enable users to modify income tax details as these may change frequently. OVERALL USECASE DIAGRAM FOR PAYROLL SYSTEM: [pic] USECASE DIAGRAM FOR STAFF: [pic] USECASE DIAGRAM FOR ADMIN: [pic] USECASE DIAGRAM FOR EMPLOYEE: [pic]ACTIVITY DIAGRAM FOR PAYROLL: [pic] CLASS DIAGRAM FOR PAYROLL SYSTEM: [pic] Sequence and Collaboration Diagram for Login: [pic] Employee Info: [pic] [pic] Allowances: [pic]c [pic] Standard Deductions: [pic] [pic] Attendance Info: [pic] [pic] OtherDeductions: [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]Database Design: Employee table |No. Field Name |Data type |Remarks | |1 |Employee Number |Number |This is the key field of the database as it is | | | | |unique for an employee. This will also serve as | | | | |the login for the system. | |2 |Employee Name |Text |Special characters like underscore are not | | | | |allowed. |3 |Address |Text | | |4 |Contacts |Number | | |5 |EMail |Text | | |6 |Designation |Text |This specifies the designation in org | |7 |Qualification |Text |This specifies the Qualification of a employee | |8 |DOR |Date/Time |Date of registration of a employee | |9 |Bsalary |Currency |Fixed amount as per employee | |10 |UName |Text | | |11 |PWord |Text | | |12 |Status |Text | | Allowance Table: |No. |Field Name |Data type |Remarks | |1 |HRA |Number |Primary key. |2 |EDU_Allow |Number | | |3 |Maint_Allow |Number | | |4 |SPL_Allow |Number | | |5 |Wash_Allow |Number | | |6 | Sun_Allow |Number | | Standard Deductions Table: |No. |Field Name |Data type |Remarks | |1 |EPF |Number |Primary key. |2 |VPF |Number | | |3 |LIC |Number | | |4 |Canteen |Number | | |5 |ITax |Number |According to income tax rule | |6 |PTax |Number |Professional Tax is fixed as per policy | Attendance Table: |No. Field Name |Data type |Remarks | |1 |EmpNo |Number |This is the key field of the database as it is unique for an | | | | |employee. This will also serve as the login for the system. | |2 |Attndmonth |Date | Current Attendance month. | |3 |Tdays |Number | | | | | |Total working days of an organization per month. |4 |Pdays |Number |Present Days of an Employee in current month. | |5 |Adays |Number |Absent Days of an Employee in current month. | |6 |Edays |Number |Extra working days of an Employee in current month | |7 |Paydays |Number |Payable days | |8 |Edate |Date |Attendance Entry date. | | | | | Other Deductions Table: |No. Field Name |Data type |Remarks | |1 |EmpNo |Number |This is the key field of the database as it is | | | | |unique for an employee. This will also serve as | | | | |the login for the system. | |2 |Homeloan |Number |25% of Basic salary | |3 |EDUloan |Number |15% of Basic salary | |4 |Healthloan |Number |5% of Basic salary | Test-Plan (Unit test-plan and integrated test-plan) |No. |Test case Title |Description |Expected Outcome |The requirement in RS|Result | | | | | |that is being tested | | |1 |Successful User |The login to the system should |Login should be |RS1, RS2 | | | |Verification |be tried with the login assigned|successful and the | | | | | |by the admin and the correct |user hould enter in | | | | | |password |to the system | | | |2 |Unsuccessful User |The login to the system should |Login should be |RS1, RS2 | | | |Verification |be tried with the login assigned|unsuccessful and the | | | | | |by the admin and the incorrect |user should enter in | | | | | |password |to the error page. | | |3 |Successful data entry |After login the user should |The data entry should |RS3 | | | |of employee information. |enter the correct employee |be successfull | | | | | |information. | | | | |4 |Unuccessful data entry |After login the user should |The data entry should |RS3 | | | |of employee information. |e nter the incorrect employee |be unsuccessfull | | | | | |information. | | | | |Successful data entry |After login the user should |The data entry of |RS4 | | |5 |of Allowances. |enter the correct Allowances |allowances should be | | | | | |information. |successfull | | | |6 |Unsuccessful data entry |After login the user should |The data entry of |RS4 | | | |of |enter the incorrect Allowances |allowances should be | | | | |Allowances. |information. unsuccessfull | | | |7 |Successful data entry |After login the user should |The data entry of |RS5 | | | |of Standard deductions. |enter the correct Standard |Standard deductions | | | | | |deductions information. |should be | | | | | | |successfull | | | |8 |Unsuccessful data entry |After login the user should |The data entry of |RS5 | | | |of Standard deductions. enter the incorrect Standard |Standard deductions | | | | | |deductions information. |should be | | | | | | |successfull | | | |9 |Successful data entry of |After login the user should |The data entry of |RS6 | | | |Attendance. |enter the correct Attendance |Other deductions | | | | | |information. should be | | | | | | |successfull | | | | |Unsuccessful data entry |After login the user should |The data entry of |RS6 | | |10 |of Attendance. |enter the incorrect Attendance |Other deductions | | | | | |information. |should be | | | | | | |unsuccessfull | | | |11 |Successful data entry of |After login the user should |The data entry of |RS7 | | | |Other deductions. enter the correct Other |Other deductions | | | | | |deductions information. |should be | | | | | | |successfull | | | |12 |Unsuccessful data entry |After login the user should |The data entry of |RS7 | | | |of Other deductions. |enter the incorrect Other |Other deductions | | | | | |deductions information. should be | | | | | | |unsuccessfull | | | |13 |Navigation between |Screen navigation should be |The screens navigated | | | | |screens is Role based |checked to ensure correct |should be based on the| | | | | |sequence of screens is thrown to|role of user | | | | | |the user. | | | | |14 |Database interactions |Values stored in the database |Data retrieved should | | | | |should be accurate |should be what the user intended|be what is stored in | | | | | |to store. the database | | | |15 |Boundary conditions |When scrolling options are |UI should support | | | | |should be checked |enabled on screens data between |boundry level | | | | | |different pages should be |conditions | | | | | |accurate | | | | |16 |Accurate reports should |The reports should be accurate | | | | | |be created. | | | | | Employee details, investment details, salary details, tax rules, leave details Data entry for employee details, Income tax rules, Leave rules, loan details Apply leave, key in investment details, Employee Salary Slips Administrator

Monday, November 25, 2019

What micro environmental factors Essay Example

What micro environmental factors Essay Example What micro environmental factors Paper What micro environmental factors Paper What micro environmental factors have affected Xeroxs performance since the late sass? BY lady 7 What micro environmental factors have affected Xeroxs performance since the late sass? Xerox has dominated the industry by inventing photocopying but changes in the internal environment shook its fortune and market value. At the beginning of technological change, Xerox lacked a solid management level. Poor leadership makes poor marketing decisions. Restricted product options limited necessary opportunities for growth and staying atop competition. They were stuck on the copying and printing technology at the time when the customer market moved on to sharing documents and information digitally. The inability to meet customers demands drove down the stock price and cost the company profits. To stay in business, Xerox had to make changes in marketing channel firms, namely the revision of suppliers, by outsourcing to China. It improved product cost, while preserving quality and creating better customer value. Vast management modifications, in form of attaining good leadership, cutting down on workforce, and changing focus room selling product to fitting customer needs, saved companys economics from declining. It is until the recession of 2001 that negatively marked all economic activities; to recover, Xerox made a major decision to acquire ACS, an IT company. Incorporation has equipped the company with new expertise, capabilities, and business channels to proceed with a new business plan. Importantly, innovations allowed improving document management process, Xeroxs new production and marketing focus, dropping the number of technological errors and lowering labor to complete tasks. As the company expanded offering a broad portfolio of document management technology and services products, it redefined its name and altered Xeroxes competitors from copy machine producers to IT companies like HP and IBM. A new strong competition usually inspires more effort to serve customers better. These changes in the Xeroxs micro environmental factors have positively affected the companys ability to serve its customers. Being in business for more than 50 years brings the company advantages in the form of branding and strong reputation with consumers and other customers.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Personal statement for Hult International Business School

For Hult International Business School - Personal Statement Example I have acknowledged that a brighter future awaits if I pursue higher educational degrees in the field I am most interested in. Since the start of my bachelor degree, I have focused on delving in International Business at Hult International Business School due to the shared commitment for â€Å"personal growth, intellectual integrity, global sensitivity, local engagement, and civic values, so that students are able to flourish in the global economy and are empowered to contribute meaningfully to their business and community† (Hult: Mission, 2010). In this regard, I am looking forward into changing cities to face new challenges and experiences. After completing Master of International Business, I plan to pursue a job in finance or real estate, concurrent with past experience in my family’s business. Likewise, after a few years of work experience, I am determined to return to Hult to pursue my MBA.   For my long-term goals, there is this entrepreneurial drive to take over my familys real estate firm in Belgrade, pursuant to the encouragement of my parents. Equipped with the theoretical framework and skills honed through the academe, I am determined to expand it and to seek new business opportunities to capture Balkans’ growing market. The course in International Business would effectively develop the needed knowledge and skills to venture into opportunities in the local market (initially) and eventually in global and emerging markets. My current course in Economics with focus on finance and administration would provide the theoretical background to indulge in higher education on an analogous field on endeavor. As I have been part of our family business, I was exposed to the rigors of entrepreneurship, management, operations, and human behavior in organizations. These experiences, in conjunction with the academic framework, provide the impetus for making my plans viable and credible, both in the short-term and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

See Order Instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

See Order Instructions - Essay Example Ð…ince itÃ'• unveiling in early 2004, BaÃ'•ecamp, the hoÃ'•ted project management application from 37Ã'•ignalÃ'•, haÃ'• received a lot of kudoÃ'•. BloggerÃ'• have praiÃ'•ed itÃ'• clean interface, major newÃ'•paperÃ'• have extolled itÃ'• focuÃ'• on collaboration and product reviewerÃ'• have applauded itÃ'• low price. I, too, waÃ'• impreÃ'•Ã'•ed when I previewed BaÃ'•ecamp'Ã'• featureÃ'• in Ð…oftware Development'Ã'• People and ProjectÃ'• NewÃ'•letter in May 2004. However, aÃ'• I've grown more familiar with BaÃ'•ecamp, I've found it hard to overlook one important detail: The application haÃ'• no way to produce a Gantt chart. Gantt chartÃ'•â€”thoÃ'•e horizontal bar chartÃ'• that Ã'•how dependencieÃ'• between taÃ'•kÃ'• and the eÃ'•timated time in which they might be completed—have been the mainÃ'•tay of project managerÃ'• ever Ã'•ince mechanical engineer Henry Gantt demonÃ'•trated in the early 1900Ã'• how one can be uÃ'•ed to track taÃ'•kÃ'•, workflow and Ã'•cheduling all at once. The Ã'•yÃ'•tem became Ã'•o popular that it'Ã'• Ã'•aid that managerÃ'• working on the Hoover Dam and the U.Ð…. interÃ'•tate highway Ã'•yÃ'•tem uÃ'•ed Gantt chartÃ'• to keep track of their projectÃ'•. Unfortunately, Gantt chartÃ'• haven't retained their popularity. Ð…ome criticÃ'• now argue that they pull a project manager'Ã'• focuÃ'• away from the project and onto perfecting pretty graphÃ'• that don't match reality.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Historiographical perspectives of the Cold War Essay

Historiographical perspectives of the Cold War - Essay Example While the explanations of the origins of the conflict in academic discussions are complex and diverse, several general schools of thought on the subject can be identified. Historians commonly speak of three differing approaches to the study of the Cold War: "orthodox" accounts, "revisionism," and "post-revisionism." Nevertheless, much of the historiography on the Cold War weaves together two or even all three of these broad categories. The first school of interpretation to emerge in the U.S. was "orthodox". For more than a decade after the end of the Second World War, few U.S. historians challenged the official U.S. interpretation of the beginnings of the Cold War. This "orthodox" school places the responsibility for the Cold War on the Soviet Union and its expansion into Eastern Europe. Thomas A. Bailey, for example, argued in his 1950 America Faces Russia that the breakdown of postwar peace was the result of Soviet expansionism in the immediate postwar years. Bailey argued Stalin violated promises he had made at Yalta, imposed Soviet-dominated regimes on unwilling Eastern European populations, and conspired to spread communism throughout the world. From this view, U.S. officials were forced to respond to Soviet aggression with the Truman Doctrine, plans to contain communist subversion around the world, and the Marshall Plan. U.S. involvement in Vietnam in the 1960s disillusioned many historians with the premises of "containment", and thus with the assumptions of the "orthodox" approach to understanding the Cold War. "Revisionist" accounts emerged in the wake of the Vietnam War, in the context of a larger rethinking of the U.S. role in international affairs, which was seen more in terms of American empire or hegemony. While the new school of thought spanned many differences among individual scholars, the works comprising it were generally responses in one way or another to Williams' Apple man landmark 1959 volume, The Tragedy of American Diplomacy. Williams challenged the long-held assumptions of "orthodox" accounts, arguing that Americans had always been an empire-building people, even while American leaders denied it. Following Williams, "revisionist" writers placed more responsibility for the breakdown of postwar peace on the United States, citing a range of U.S. efforts to isolate and confront the Soviet Union well before the end of World War II. According to Williams and later "revisionist" writers, U.S. policymakers shared an overarching concern with maintaining capitalism domestically. In order to achieve that objective, they pursued an "open door" policy abroad, aimed at increasing access to foreign markets for U.S. business and agriculture. From this perspective, a growing economy domestically went hand-in-hand with the consolidation of U.S. power internationally. "Revisionist" scholars challenged the widely accepted notion that Soviet leaders were committed to postwar "expansionism". They cited evidence that the Soviet Union's occupation of Eastern Europe had a defensive rationale, and that Soviet leaders saw themselves as attempting to avoid encirclement by the United States and its allies. In this view, the Soviet Union was so weak and devastated after the end of the Second World War as to be unable to pose any serious threat to the United States; moreover,

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Conflict Analysis of Main Character in “The Clinic”

Conflict Analysis of Main Character in â€Å"The Clinic† Conflict Analysis of the Main Character in â€Å"The Clinic† Movie Synopsis Proposal CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study Literature is intimate experience of an author carefully expressed in concrete images, through the use of structure, imaginative style and luxurious metaphors. It is not practical or logical communication, but an aesthetic experience. Literature can be divided into three parts. They are prose, poetry, and drama. Literary works is a life reflection of human living relating to conditions, interactions and conflict in the stories (Taylor, 1981, p. 5). Literary works contain aspects and elements that occur in the real life, such as: love, sufferance, struggle, happiness and sadness. In addition, literary works consists of several basic elements. They are plot, theme, character, point of view, and setting. The common parts of a plot are: the exposition or preliminary situation, the inciting or exciting force, or challenge, the rising action, or complication, the climax, or turning point, and the denouement, or resolution. Movie is a kind of literary work that explores that human imagination using imagery, adventure and experiences, in order to see life more interesting (Boggs, 1999, p. 3). In the movie there are a lot of character, the characters are important to make the movie run smoothly. 1.2 Identification of the study Thrillers movie is one of genres movie that offers mystery and suspense to the audience. â€Å"The clinic† is included as thriller movie. â€Å"The Clinic† movie talk about the struggles of the woman who is loss of their infants. Their struggles breeds many conflict, like that happened in Beth’s character when she struggle to find her infant. Conflict is the basic drama of the opposition experienced by characters as response to the dramatic emergence of these forces (the conflict could be quarrels between character with the idea or the environment)†. 1.3 Limitation of the study The analysis of this research is limited to internal and external conflict of the main character in â€Å"the clinic† movie. 1.4 Formulation of the study 1. what are conflict faced by the main character based on Lewis Coser theory? 2. how are the conflicts in â€Å"the clinic† movie ? 1.5 Objective of the study 1. To describes how Beth faces her own conflict. 2. To describe how are conflicts in â€Å"the clinic† movie 1.6 Significance of the study There are several significance of this research, there are: a. To increase the readers and me knowledge about literary work especially conflict. b. To improve the interest of the readers in understanding of movie. c. To increase the readers and the writer knowledge about character, main character and minor character in the movie. d. To help the next researcher or the students of English Department in understanding of conflict in the movie. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATE LITERATURE The description of Movie Movie is dramatized representation of reality and it is included in one of fiction. According to Griffith (2011, p. 20) â€Å"fiction to describe prose works that tell a story about events that never happened in real life† According to Bluestone (1956, p. 6) â€Å"films are originally a product of a genuine folk-art. At the very beginning of things we find the simple recording of movement, galloping horses, railroad trains, fire-engines, sporting events, street scenes†. Berry Keith Grant (in Virginia, 2002, p. 163-164) categories of genres as fellow: comedy film, crime film, disaster films, suspense or thrillers film, epic films, erotic films, film noirs, gangster films, horror films, melodramas, musical films, science fiction films, sports films, war films, and western films. 2.1 Character Character is very important element in literary works. The character can be human, or even animal. In a movie, the character usually dominated by human as the character. The personality of the character will lead the character to act such emotional, behavior, and all the logical things that deals with the problems which be faced by the character. The character according to Robert (1993:20): â€Å"characters are the person present in dramatics of narrative work, who are interpreted by reader as being endowed with the moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say in the dialogue and what they do in action.† 2.1.1 The main Character A major is main character that develops the plot of the story and always appears on the story. The major character has significance roles in the story. It means that major character occupies most part in plot or events that are occurred in a story. The main character is sometimes called a protagonist whose conflict with an antagonist may spark the story’s conflict. Beth and Cameron are the main character in â€Å"The clinic† movie. 2.1.2 The Minor Character The minor characters can be defined as the supporting characters of the major characters that their function is to illuminate the major characters. The appearance of minor characters is usually infrequently. The minor characters role are also seems not important as the role of the main characters, although the minor characters sometimes related to the major character directly. Veronica, ivy, Allison, Hank, Ms. Shepard, Duncan, etc are the minor characters in this movie. 2.2 Conflict The conflict of the human happened because human has a limited and restricted capacity to satisfy most of his need. When human endure the conflict, this can cause human to react and brings out the extremes of human energy, human may take action, decision, response, and interactions toward the conflict which they are facing. 2.2.1 The definition of conflict Conflict is necessary to every fiction works; there is usually one major conflict. Conflict is also the essential part to the plot, without conflict there will be no plot. The conflict usually becomes clear to the beginning of a story. Conflict is a struggle over values and claims to scarce status, power and resources in which the aims of the opponents are to neutralize, or eliminate their rivals. 2.2.2 Types of conflict Internal conflict is more commonly referred to as â€Å"man vs. self â€Å", as the name suggests, it deals with a character having to overcome and change something about his or her being that they are struggling against what they have in mind. External conflict is the struggle of the character against the force from outside. There are several kinds of the external conflict that the character might face. First, the character against another characters. Second, the character against the society, third, the characters against the nature force. CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY In order to gather and compose the data in this research, the library research is applied as the method of analysis in this research. The relevant data that found as the source of the data idea which support to the topic being discus in this research all are collected and then applied in finishing this research. 3.1 Technique of collecting data In making this research, the researcher went through various stages of collecting the data. First, the researcher went to the movie corner and found out this movie. Then, the researcher watched the movie. Having watched the movie, the researcher made the topic and outline of the study. After deciding the problem formulation, the researcher to analyze the courage which can be found in the character of Beth, and the researcher went to the library and browsed the internet to find more info. Technique of analyzing data The data analyzing applied when all the primary data from the movie is collected and selected, as the data from movie is in the dialogue, which concern about the classification of conflict found from the main characters that has been chosen to the most significant data, then the data will be interpreted and to be brought into this research as the subject matter of the analysis, that is the main characters conflict found from the movie. Next the analysis will be stated by explaining the conflict of the main characters based on the definition and the classification of the conflict as descriptions above which reflected in â€Å"The Clinic† movie. BIBLIOGRAPHY Deetz, Stanley. A and Sheryl. L. Stevenson. 1986. Managing interpersonal Communication. New York: chapter Row Publisher. Diyanni, Robert. 2001. Literature Reading, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. McGraw Hill International Edition. Nurgiyantoro. Burhan. 2012. Teori Pengkajian Sastra. Gadjah Mada University Prees.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

To Live in a Vermin’s World: A Marxist View of Kafka’s The Metamorphos

To Live in a Vermin’s World: A Marxist View of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis One of the honors for ‘greatest theories’ in contemporary civilization has to be awarded to Marxism. Invented in late 19th century by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Marxism has had great influences on the development of modern society. Despite its eventual failure, Marxism once led to numerous revolutions that working classes raised against the ruling parties in different countries. Consequently, it paved the way for the erection of the Berlin Wall, the formation of the Warsaw Treaties—communist camp confronting NATO, and the establishment of a world super power, the Soviet Union at the dawn of this century. Even decades later, after all those Marxist milestones have collapsed, China, with one fifth of world’s population, still faithfully believes in this theory. It is certain, then, Marxism’s effect on people’s thoughts is deep and profound. It is natural for people living in the birthplace and at the birth time of Marxism, Franz Kafka for i nstance, to have been affected by this theory to a greater extent. As an author, Kafka’s affiliation with Marxism was revealed in his novella, The Metamorphosis. It tells about a German travelling salesman Gregor Samsa, who awoke one morning only to find himself transformed into a bug. Thereafter, Gregor was soon deprived of his job and was no longer able to financially support his family as he had been. Confronted with this sudden change, the family members started to discard Gregor one after the other. Not only the father, who was eager to get rid of his bug-shaped ‘son’ right after Gregor’s disaster, his mother and sister finally retracted all their love and care as well. Ending with Gregor’s miserable death, ... ...ncy of interest lies in the fact that Gregor’s family members have to sacrifice leisure and go on work after his transformation while Gregor himself switches from a provider to a consumer. Thus, it is easy to observe a match between Gregor’s outcome and that of proletarians. Gregor is not a bug physically, but mentally he is. A story about his denial of a life in oppression, Gregor’s metamorphosis is as well a story about his pursuit of a life with fairness. Marked by Marxist characteristics, the transformation conforms to a proletarian struggle in that they have 1) like motives--unjust social and economic position; 2) like natures—both the target and the form; and 3) like outcomes--a wretched collapse. Though noticed and commented on by few critics, Marxist thoughts are clearly presented by Kafka in terms of Gregor’s decisive turning: to live in a vermin’s world.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Legal Aspects

Talking about the legal aspects of healthcare administration means taking into consideration the law that governs all the transactions that are carried out within the medical field so as to protect both the medical practitioner and the patient, with a dominant motive of bringing about improved quality of life devoid of diseases. It is believed widely that knowledge and the strengthening of these legal aspects will also bring ameliorations in the field of medicine and to this end, efforts are being made to make this set of information on the legal aspects as accessible as possible by feeding them into both the electronic media such as computers, televisions, and radios among others, and print media comprising the newspapers, journals, magazines, and periodicals among others. The ninth edition of the legal aspects of health tried to fulfill this purpose by taking a historical approach to the legal aspects of health care so as to showcase the accruals that have been made through these undertakings plainly when addressing their counterparts who are the pharmacists, physicians, physical therapists, assistant physicians, imaging technicians and respiratory therapists among others. Apart from the eighth edition chapter which revised the important issues of patient safety and sought to provide self assessment in evaluating the prospects of healthcare organizations, the World Wide Search chapter sought to inculcate global awareness in health and law –related spheres. This culminated in the ‘’last chapter journey to excellence’’ which after a decade of survey introduced an exotic approach into bolstering these laws to better the medical field by bringing healthcare institutions together (Pozgar & Santucci, 2006). On the other hand, the basic concepts of insurance portend the derivative, a table which shows the financial transactions that occur between two players; the insurer and the insured, in the field of insurance. The balance between what the two should pay each other being directly proportional to the magnitude of the danger involved for both parties. Although this concept is used as a formula to calculate the â€Å"expected payoff†, it is not yet adequate since it ignores the concept of inflation. According to Durbin, (1990) this problem can be solved by â€Å"discounting payoffs by a risk less return† and â€Å"using risk –adjusted probabilities that is â€Å"risk-neutral probabilities†. When calculating the payoffs. In a case whereby the insurer fails to dissolve risks through decentralization, the standoff can be resolved by â€Å"assuming the market price to be the value which will be used to infer the risk-neutral probabilities that determines these values† Durbin maintains that workers compensation insurance differs from liability insurance since in the former it is mandatory for employers to subscribe for their employees with the major cost component of workers compensation being loss of wages. This also covers occupational injuries and diseases picked at work-the employer assumes responsibility regardless of whose fault it was. It covers against dangers ranging from injuries, diseases, rehabilitation of the employee, loss of salary, medical treatment, to death. Conversely, liability insurance is a coverage that protects against claims against the insurance holder of property damage, personal injury, and negligence. The complainants could be the employees, the repair people, delivery people who may come into contact with the business property. There are two types of liability insurance: liabilities to non-members which covers mostly under a Comprehensive General Liability (CGL) terms and to members of the firm comprising employees and partners. The CGL normally covers payments resulting from accidents, immediate medical expense as a result of the above, the attorney fee and investigation expenses and the cost of court bonds. The difference between claims made and occurrence coverage is that the latter caters for claims made and reported to the insurer while the contract remains in force. During the primordial years when the policy is being renewed, the premium increases to take into account the potentiality of claims being reported from both current and previous policy periods. The former, normally regarded as the traditional form of coverage on the other hand is used to provide professional liability insurance. It caters for injury or damage incurred during the policy period regardless of when the claims are reported. Occurrence coverage also provides long term protection for any covered claims that may arise at any time in future (Robinson & Scherlen, 2007). Reference. Durbin, D. & Borba, P. (1993).Workers compensation. United States: Kluwer Academic. Durbin, T.B. & Durbin, T.B. Jr. (1990).Group insurance: basic concepts and alternatives. United States: American College Insurance Group Pozgar, G & Santucci, N. (2006).Legal aspects of healthcare and administration. United States: James &Bartlett Publishers. Robinson, M. & Scherlen R. (2007). Drug control. United States of America (USA): State University of New York Press.   

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Effects of Social Networking Sites Essay

As the world moves into the second decade of the 21 st century, one of the major markers of this era is the rise and use of online communities. In particular, a paradigm called Web 2.0 describes recent technologies that focus on networking mass numbers of individuals into distinct communities over the Internet (O’Reilly, 2007). Social networking sites (SNS) are online communities designed to connect individuals to wider networks of relationships, and are one major example of Web 2.0 applications. Sites such as Facebook have exploded in membership. In a short period of 2007 – 2010, Facebook estimates that its membership has grown from 50 million to over 400 million users (Facebook, n.d.). Online social networks are now an integrated part of daily life and compel questions of how these media platforms affect human development, relationships, and interaction. Teenagers are among the most avid users of technology in general and social network sites in particular (Lenhart, Madden, Macgill, & Smith, 2007b). Recent reports find that youth spend nearly 10 hours per day using some form of technology, with socially networked media playing a large role in their daily lives (Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010). New technologies are deeply intertwined with adult perceptions about teenage life. Mimi Ito and colleagues observe that, â€Å"Although today’s questions about ‘kids these days’ have a familiar ring to them, the contemporary version is somewhat unusual in how strongly it equates generational identity with technology identity† The clear finding is that today’s youth are increasingly connected to the world through socially networked media. While teenagers are engaged with technology, they are ever more disengaged from another major component of their lives – school. Read more:  The Effects of Social Media on College Students National analyses find that nearly 30% of high school students do not obtain their diploma on time (Cataldi, Laird, KewalRamani, 2009). High school completion rates are difficult to measure, but various independent studies also suggest that nearly one-third of students ultimately drop out of school (Barton, 2005). When one compares these competing aspects of teenage life – technology versus education – a simple strategy clearly emerges. Perhaps if educators begin to integrate social technologies into learning, they will increase student engagement and achievement in school. Heeding the call of scholars (i.e. Jenkins, 2006; Ito et al. n.d.) recent policy and research efforts are now racing to develop new social media platforms and technologies for learning. For example, the  Federal Department of Education and organizations such as the MacArthur Foundation have invested millions of dollars to build social media platforms, video games, and other digital tools for learni ng (Whitehouse, n.d.). Despite the optimism that social media tools might improve student engagement and learning, the stark reality is that these new technologies often conflict with the practices of K-12 schools. Surveys find that the vast majority of school district leaders believe social technology can improve student learning. However, these same district administrators typically block student access to online resources like social network sites (Lemke & Coughlin, 2009). The decision to ban students from accessing social network sites underscores a major conundrum for educators. Online social networks widen a students’ access to resources and social support and may have beneficial effects on their development. Conversely, as student access to the world widens they are inevitably exposed to potentially negative material and interactions. The simplest strategy to limit liability and safeguard school districts is to ban access to these new digital tools. However, such policies neglect the potentially large benefits of using social media in the classroom. To alleviate this dilemma, educators and policymakers need a deeper understanding of social media and youth. Several questions are critical in the area of youth learning with social technologies, including: †¢ Which youth are using particular social technologies? †¢ How do they use these technologies to communicate, develop relationships, socialize, and learn? †¢ What are the effects of these technologies on youth development? †¢ What are the effects of these technologies when applied in educational contexts such as the classroom? In this dissertation, I explore these questions by examining a particular technology: the social network site. Communities such as Facebook and MySpace mediate teenage life, affecting how youth communicate and learn from one another. In addition, social networks are intertwined into just about every major online community today (Livingstone, 2008). These factors make SNS a particularly salient focus for evaluation. Throughout the following chapters I examine different questions surrounding the phenomena of social network sites and teenage youth. In Chapter 2, I review the extant research literature that examines SNS. I consider several controversies around SNS and youth: (a) What kinds of youth are using social networking sites? (b)  Does student participation in these online communities affect their privacy and social relationships? (c) Do student activities in SNS influence their personal development in terms of self-esteem and psychological well-being? (d) Does SNS use affect student grades and learning? The review highlights how research in this field is only just emerging. The few stud ies that examine social network sites are mainly exploratory. However, media researchers have a rich history of scholarship from which to draw new insights. I integrate previous thought on Digital Divides, Psychological Well-being, Social Capital Theory, and Cognitive and Social Learning theories to guide SNS researchers in future studies. In Chapter 3, I present an empirical analysis using a national dataset of teenagers from the Pew Internet & American Life Project (Lenhart et al., 2007b; Pew Internet & American Life Project, n.d.). In this study, I ask whether demographic variables such as education, socioeconomic status, and access to the Internet are significantly related to whether teenagers participate in social network sites. This line of analysis is typical of digital divide studies that examine whether particular populations have less access to new technologies. If new technologies do have positive benefits for individuals, but under- represented populations do not have access to such tools, there are tremendous issues of equity and access yet to be addressed (Jenkins, 2006). Most studies of digital divide and SNS examine adult and college-age populations. I present an analysis of teenage populations to examine their usage patterns. The results of this paper highlight how the association between demographic indicators and social media use are weaker in 2007 than seen in earlier studies. Teenage youth of all backgrounds increasingly find ways to connect with others using social network sites. In Chapter 4, I consider a question of particular importance to teachers and education leaders. Through a large-scale experiment, I examine whether using social network sites in urban classrooms has any causal effect on students’ social capital, engagement with school, or academic achievement. I build an experimental social network site that approximates the functionality seen in sites such as Facebook and MySpace. The key difference in this experimental condition is that the site is private to two urban, school districts and explicitly for use to exchange educational information. Working with 50 classrooms and nearly 1,400 students, I utilize a cluster-randomized trial,  where class periods are randomly assigned to use the experimental site. Employing this randomized trial design, I find that an academic social network site does not necessarily improve student engagement with their peers, their classes, or increase student achievement. However, I find exploratory evidence that existing social network sites such as Facebook and MySpace improve students’ feelings of connection with their school community. The study offers evidence for one compelling idea: Perhaps schools should attempt to leverage students existing social networks, rather than block access to them or impose their own. In Chapter 5, I outline what is needed in future research about social network sites, and new technologies in general, to better inform the policies and practices of schools, educators, parents, and those interested in youth development. In particular, previous scholarly thought has focused on either a technologically deterministic or social agency perspective. Technological determinism suggests that a media tool itself affects social outcomes such as learning, but a long history of research underscores the fallacy of this philosophy. Scholars who focus instead on social agency, explore how individuals use new technologies in cultural and social contexts. However, this stream of research neglects rigorous evaluation of how new media affect youth. Both perspectives in isolation offer incomplete analyses o f how new media, such as SNS, impact youth. I argue that future researchers must develop and test finer hypotheses that simultaneously consider the technological affordances of social network sites, the social and cultural institutions within which SNS are used, and the actual interactions between individuals that occur in these online communities. The chapters in this dissertation examine the phenomena of social network sites and youth through different but complementary lenses: theoretical, descriptive, and experimental. The summative contribution of these analyses is a deeper picture of how teenage youth use SNS and its effects on their academic and social development. The studies show that youth of all backgrounds are increasingly connected via online social networks. The empirical analyses also show that social network sites are no silver bullet for improving learning in high school classrooms. The technology itself does not improve learning, but social media might help students become more connected and engaged with their school communities. The implications for educators and  schools are numerous. Problems such as student disengagement with education are profoundly significant issues, and additional research is needed to better understand how online networks influence youth development and learning. The current tools of teenage communication go by a peculiar set of names. Wall Posts, Status Updates, Activity Feeds, Thumbs Ups, Facebook Quizzes, and Profiles are some of the ways that youth today communicate with one another. These tools are features of social network sites (SNS), such as Facebook and Myspace. SNS are part of a suite of recent web applications, also called social media, which utilize Web 2.0 principles. The term Web 2.0 defines websites that are designed to: (a) rely on the participation of mass groups of users rather than centrally controlled content providers, (b) aggregate and remix content from multiple sources, and (c) more intensely network users and content together (O’Reilly, 2007). People use these web applications to interact in hyper-aware ways and the scale of this mass communication phenomena is significant. As of May 2009, Facebook ranked as the 4 th most trafficked website in the world and Myspace ranked 11 th highest (Alexa, n.d.). That high school youth are connected to these global online communities is both a frightening prospect for parents and educators and an intriguing area for social science research. Educators and parents in the United States face difficult quandaries concerning students and SNS. No one denies that youth use these technologies to communicate with the world, and they do so with high frequency and intensity (Lenhart et al., 2007b). Many scholars suggest that students learn in new ways using social media and that educators should embrace these new platforms (Ito et al., n.d.; Jenkins, 2006). In a recent national survey, the vast majority of school district leaders report that they view social media as a positive development for education (Lemke & Coughlin, 2009). Nevertheless, 70% of districts also report that they banned all access to SNS in their schools. Despite the clear understanding that social media can be vital to student learning and digital literacy, educators currently struggle with how to comply with regulations like the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), as well as overcome general fears about student interactions in social network sites. To inform both the policy concerns of district leaders and  the local practices of teachers and parents, research is needed to understand how youth use SNS and what effects it has on their social and academic development. In this chapter, I consider several key controversies around youth usage of SNS, and review relevant research that begins to inform these debates. I first define the media effects framework and outline how this research tradition attempts to understand the effects of new technologies on social outcomes. Second, I define social network sites and describe studies that capture how youth use these technologies to develop relationships, hang out with friends, and learn new skills. Third, the chapter reviews relevant research that informs several controversies concerning SNS and adolescents. I also connect these contemporary debates with previous scholarly thought about students’ out-of-school time (OST) and traditional concerns about the effect of technology on learning. The specific controversies reviewed are: †¢ What kinds of youth are using social networking sites? †¢ Does student participation in these online communities affect their privacy and social relationships? †¢ Do student activities in SNS influence their personal development in terms of self-esteem and psychological well-being? †¢ Does SNS use affect student grades and learning? Finally, I outline the overall condition of research on SNS and youth. The current state of the literature is suggestive of the effects on adolescent social and academic development, and primarily consists of ethnographic and cross-sectional data. I outline the future questions that will be critical for the field and suggest relevant methodological directions to move this emergent research stream forward. What Can We Learn from a Media Effects Framework? Many of the controversial questions concerning social network sites ask what kinds of effects these technologies have on youth development. Given this focus, I work primarily from a media effects tradition of research. Media effects scholars examine the outcomes that arise when people use new technologies. Talking about effects engenders important theoretical discussions that must be laid clear when examining studies. Most significantly, the term implies a focus on causality. Studies in this framework imply that a media form, or the features of the technology, causally influences some outcome (Eveland, 2003). The structure of questions from this perspective is usually in the form of: Does media affect learning? Does television influence student achievement? Or do social  net work sites affect the psychological well-being of adolescents? Media effects scholars in a variety of fields have quickly come to realize that the answers to these questions are more complex. Very rarely, if ever, is there a direct causal relationship between a technology and a social outcome such as learning (Clark, 1983; Clark, 1991; Schmidt & Vandewater, 2008). Early media questions often used a technological framework or object-centered approach (Fulk & DeSanctis, 1999; Nass & Mason, 1990). Such a perspective assumes and tests whether a technology itself causally affects a social outcome. For example, in Education a major question of technology research is whether media affects learning. Education researchers now firmly conclude that media does not affect student learning (Clark, Yates, Early, & Moulton, In Press). Numerous studies show that the media tool neither improves nor negatively impacts learning when compared to the same teaching strategy in the classroom (Bernard, Abrami, Lou, Borokhovski, Wade, Wozney et al., 2004; Clark, 1983; Clark, 1991). What matters is not the computer, but the learning behaviors that occur within the software or educational program. T he findings of non-significant media effects on student learning do not mean that technology has no influence. For example, Richard Mayer (2001) shows through a series of experiments that the design of a multimedia presentation affects student learning of a topic. Putting words and pictures closer together on the screen, when they are relevant to each other, helps students retain more knowledge than when the elements are placed further apart on the screen. These results do not validate a technological orientation, where one expects that the computers themselves improve learning. Rather, the pedagogical strategy of placing relevant words and images together in a presentation affects cognition. Media researchers understand that the features of a technology afford certain possibilities for activity. A multimedia video on the computer allows one to design words and images on the screen, while a computer simulation might guide a learner using models of real-world cases. A media tool allows for different possible learning behaviors (Kozma, 1991). This subtle difference in theoretical orientation is what scholars call an emergent perspective (Fulk & DeSanctis, 1999) or a variable-based approach (Nass & Mason, 1990). Scholars using an emergent or variable-based approach view technology as a structuring factor. Features of  a technology, not the technology itself, enable and constrain how one uses that tool. Conversely, social forces such as cultural norms and behavioral practices influence how one ultimately uses a technology. William Eveland (2003) offers five characteristics of media effects research that help define how studies take into account both technological and social variables. Media effects studies have: (1) A focus on an audience, (2) Some expectation of influence, (3) A belief that the influence is due to the form or content of the media or technology, (4) An understanding of the variables that may explain the causality, and (5) The creation of empirically testable hypotheses. A focus on audience compels researchers to understand the characteristics of the youth who use SNS. Knowing who uses, or does not use, social network sites is an important sociological question for scholars of digital divide. In addition, Hornik (1981) notes the possible differential effects for disparate populations, â€Å"If communication researchers have learned anything during the previous three decades, it is that communication effects vary with members of the audience† (p. 197). Current media studies also focus on the form or content of a technology, and move away from making black-box comparisons between technologies. Questions that ask whether Facebook is related to lower grades, or if MySpace is unsafe for children, are broad and uninformative directions for future media effects studies. Instead, the pivotal questions explore how the features of SNS enable or constrain behavior. Future media studies about SNS and youth should not frame questions using a technologicall y deterministic perspective where one expects the technology to cause an outcome. Instead, media scholars identify how youth interaction, communication, and information sharing are the critical variables in understanding SNS effects on social and academic outcomes. This understanding of media effects research helps define finer-grained hypotheses of why a tool like SNS might affect student development, under what uses, for whom, and when. What are Social Network Sites and How Do Youth Use Them? When a teenager joins a site like Facebook they first create a personal profile. These profiles display information such as your name, relationship status, occupation, photos, videos, religion, ethnicity, and personal interests. What differentiates SNS from previous media like a personal homepage is the display of one’s friends (boyd & Ellison, 2007). In addition to exhibiting your network of  friends, other users can then click on their profiles and traverse ever widening social networks. These three features – profiles, friends, traversing friend lists – represent the core, defining characteristics of social networking sites. One will notice that SNS also include other media tools such as video and photo uploading and many websites now employ social networking features. For example, YouTube is primarily a video sharing service, but users can add others as their friends or subscribe to a member’s collection of videos. Using boyd & Ellison’s (2007) definition, YouTube can be included as a type of social network site. As resear chers examine the effects of SNS on social behaviors, they will undoubtedly come across these blurring of technologies. Sonia Livingstone (2008) notes that SNS invite â€Å"convergence among the hitherto separate activities of email, messaging, website creation, diaries, photo albums and music or video uploading and downloading† (p. 394). This convergence of technologies may complicate what one means by the term social network site. Amidst the sea of what websites can be termed SNS, the technical definition of social network sites still provides a shared conceptual foundation. Comparing across common features – i.e. profiles and friend networks – researchers can begin to understand how various communities co-opt these characteristics to create entirely new cultural and social uses of the technology. Patricia Lange’s (2007) ethnographic study of YouTube shows that users deal with issues concerning public and private sharing of video. Some YouTube users post videos intended for wide audiences, but share very little about their own identities. Their motivations might be to achieve Internet fame and gather viewers. Other members upload videos intended for a small network of friends and may restrict the privacy settings to only allow access to those individuals. The concepts of friend and social networ k for these users are entirely distinct. Dodgeball, an early and now defunct mobile-SNS, is another social network site that has been studied. In Dodgeball, a user broadcasts their location via cell-phone to their network of friends:

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Introduce, Discuss, and Analyze The Ethics of Selling Organs essays

Introduce, Discuss, and Analyze The Ethics of Selling Organs essays The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the essays "The Body Bazaar" by Karen Wright and "'Strip-Mining' the Dead: When Human Organs Are for Sale" by Gilbert Meilaender. Specifically, it will compare and contrast the writers' perspectives on selling and transplanting body organs. The moral and ethical issues surrounding human organ transplant and sale are many, and many of them are ingrained with society's fear of death, dying, and money. Some people feel it is incomprehensible to even think about selling or donating a loved ones organs after death, but there are thousands of transplant patients waiting for organs or they will die and there lies the moral dilemma. Families of transplant patients waiting desperately for transplants so they can survive are always emotional and heart wrenching. Equally moving are the stories of families who donate their loved ones vital organs after a tragic accident trying to find some meaning in their loved ones' untimely deaths. Yet millions of transplant victims are still on waiting lists every year, and many people simply would not consider donating an organ, no matter how drastic the need. These two authors discuss the ethics and morality of donating organs, but they also discuss another aspect of organ transplant, the sale of donor organs for profit, something that most people are much more squeamish about even considering. Author Meilaender notes, "It's not hard to understand our national reluctance to permit the buying and selling of human organs for transplant, for it expresses a repugnance that is deeply rooted in important moral sentiments" (Meilaender). In contrast, Wright's essay at first dis cusses body part harvesting as a business just like any other. She writes, "Core-blood banking is just one of many enterprises that make up the late-twentieth-century trade in body parts and products" (Wright,?, p. 476). Clearly, this is the same issue, but vi...