Psychologists describe motivation Essay

Obedience typically denotes something which describes dogs and kids fond of pleasing those they are in particular fond of. It is akin to being docile or domesticated and synonymous to tamed and controlled. It is a necessity where servants and workers are concerned and an anti-thesis to anyone who studies and breathes of terrorism and wreaking small scale havoc. Personally, it is expected of me as an employee, and as a citizen of this country. However, in real life, it can also be threatening if the individual has obedience as a dominating trait in his life; he could be prey to one who is working against the law if and when he intends to be the whistleblower of sorts. The paper attempts to share understanding of obedience in context of two major cultural milieus: India and America. There are important considerations to establish this understanding. It is in laying down the arguments such as providing contrasts to the concepts, extrapolating from a variety of illustrations, and taking on the moral issue as a motivating factor to manifest this trait. In explaining the behavior of people, we start our description with reference to some kind of active driving force: the individual seeks, the individual wants, the individual fears. Various psychologists describe motivation, in other words, as the driving force behind our behavior (Atkinson, et al. 1983). Smith, et al. labels their discussion on motivation as the â€Å"Why† of behavior (1982). Why does the tardy student in mathematics spend the rest of the period outside instead of inside the mathematics classroom? Emotions or strong feelings usually accompany motivated behavior. Often, emotions direct behavior toward goals (Atkinson, et al. 1983). In specific and familiar cases, the need to be accepted is acceptably present especially in collectivistic societies. The paper then attempts to examine this aspect of motivation in a person’s life in contrast to the notion that people move or are persuaded to do something if there is that authority figure to supervise or check on the tasks assigned. It examines theoretical perspectives to help elaborate the nuances of these two general aspects. II. DISCUSSION India is said to be a nation which is characterized by remarkable obedience. Studies have shown repeatedly the landscape of poverty and the primary factor is the value of obedience. America is known for liberty, democracy and freedom of speech, as well religiosity of the best and worst kinds. However, instances that reveal the deep-rootedness of obedience within subcultures described as American help paint a better and bigger picture on this observation. There are similarities and there are distinctions that make each culture stand out in terms of how obedience comes to the fore in decision-making. In addition, the distinctiveness come usually with the flavour that is identified clearly in each of the cultural backgrounds each country represents. a. Studies on Obedience i. Deviance in contrast: Illustrations and comparisons The world of humans is oftentimes unpredictable, changing and wondrously exciting. However, when these attributes become extremely bizarre and painfully detrimental, humans become sick and worried about to what extent can other humans afford to inflict harm against them. Suicide bombing is, if not the most, one of the most gruesome acts anybody can commit. It is outright crazy and stupid. One must be beside the normal to be entertaining such a thought in mind. Ironically, fanatics who have committed and attempted suicide bombings in the past, were deemed normal until the day when the execution of their ultimate plans were made public whether foiled or completed. People who are afflicted with mental disorder may, as other people, travel for the same reasons – vacation, visiting friends or relatives, business, recreation, and sometimes for religious or spiritual focus (Miller & Zarcone, 1968). Others indeed may travel for reasons other than the normal – for reasons triggered by malformed mental state such as the men who carried out the 911 attack of the Twin Towers in New York. Along the 911 attack, suicide bombing through aircraft came to prominence resulting in the stirring of the awareness among the international public of the fact that the regular traveler might not be that â€Å"regular† anyway. It is probable that some of them are driven by excessive anger or motivated by utopic hope as taught in the communities wherein they have pledged their life allegiance (Silke, 2003). In a recent turn of events in Pakistan, upon the return of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to her home country, 124 were killed and 320 plus got injured as a result of another suicide bombing. The bomber threw grenades among crowds of people and afterwards blasted himself to death (CNN update, Oct. 18, 2007). It’s difficult to think of sensible reasons why a sane person (if that person was ever considered sane by his colleagues) has committed such an act in the first place. To spend and expend one’s self for a noble cause is commendable only if they benefit people outside one’s own community. It’s never an ideal to advance a religion’s cause at the expense of the lives of other people. A suicide bomber is demented in that even in the logic of religion, all religions presupposed a benevolent god who is both powerful and loving. There must be distortions somewhere within the suicide bomber’s mind to have associated the act of delivering a bomb and acts of piety. ii. American Context: Milgram Study The world came to know about the kind of research that Stanley Milgram had just started to explore in 1963 when he started to make his experiments known to the public. One of the major consequences of his studies was the development and establishment of ethics in research especially those involving human subjects. However, that became more like a serendipitous outcome of an entirely different pursuit in studying behavior. What Milgram set out to study was the issue of obedience in retrospect of the holocaust and the probable reasons that many people then under the Nazi regime followed orders that were inhuman or barbaric. It was approximately around the investigation of Adolf Eichmann who manned the Gestapo persecutions during the said Holocaust; this person had to face charges of genocide which was held in Jerusalem (Milgram, 1963). The experiment involved what Milgram called the learner, the teacher and the experimenter who authorized the course and duration of the study. The learner is the person who actually was employed to help the experiment (assumingly with the consent and guidance of Milgram). The â€Å"naive† or innocent person (the learner) will work with the same group of people but one who was actually a good actor. The teachers will conduct the tasks assigned to him about the memory exercise he was to supervise which was the learner will be able to accomplish; later an evaluation takes place of what that person (the learner) may have retained. If the learner commits mistakes, varied or graduated shocks were to be applied with matching painful and agonizing sounds that can be heard (Morris & Maisto, 1999). The experiment showed that despite attempts by the learner to communicate to the teacher/volunteer that the painful shocks should be stopped, whenever the experimenter (e. g. Milgram) was asked about stopping the treatment and the latter affirming that this was a part of the experiment, an overwhelming approximately 65% continued administering the shocks. What was even astounding was that when the person playacting as if in sheer agony and even almost dying or breathless, the teacher continued to administer these shocks which were increasing in intensity (Morris & Maisto, 1999). What were the implications of the study? An important lesson could be gaining insight as to people’s reasons why they may subject other people who were innocent to these painful episodes. Like the SS men of Eichmann during the captivity of the Jews in the early 40s, men who were deeply religious to a large degree, obey the orders despite what have been obvious clashes of understanding (Morris & Maisto, 1999). Authority figures cannot be denied as people who ought to be listened. Factors for a brief view on the implications point to people’s previous upbringing or how they were inculcated on by caregivers and figures who acted as people in authority and the value of obedience. iii. Indian (East) Context An example of collectivist culture, India, like Japan and other similar cultures and countries, obedience is a given in this nation (Rajagopalan, 1992). . Collectivism values the contributions of every member of the family and that support of whatever kind is expected from all family constituents. Obedience is then understood in the light of cultural influences. Culture influences our perception both directly and indirectly. Indirectly, because culture influences our personal needs and motives. Directly, because a person’s habits of looking at and interpreting things, objects, persons, and situations depend partly on his culture (Rajagopalan, 1992). A person’s social experiences exert a strong influence on how he sees or interprets a situation, specially a social situation. In his contact with his family, friend, school or business associates his responses to situations are influenced by experiences with these social groups. In other words, his perception of situation depends upon his social interactions with people and (Rajagopalan, 1992). Because of this a person’s social relations, family structure, and his working relationships are greatly impacted depending on whether he comes from an individualist or collectivist background or milieu. A person’s personal identity will be vastly different if he was brought by a culture which is collectivist in nature. His analysis of the things that occur around him, his values on possessions, money and family set-up will be filtered through the collectivist point of view. A person who is raised this way tends to see himself as functioning well only in relation to the valued members of the clan or the community which he belongs. The needs of the rest of the members of his community will always be a consideration. In contrast, the same person when raised and bred in an individualist culture such as in the American setting, tends to only see his function and identity through the training of his parents and community to look out for himself first and the needs of the rest of the family or community come second (Rajagopalan, 1992). Women are expected to occupy the role subordinate to their husbands or men. Consequently role expectations involved that of obedience and nurturance. Alongside this, children need to exhibit strong obedience traits to the mother (Rajagopalan, 1992). iv. Acceptance or obedience George Herbert Mead is a major influencer to many theorists who developed his major concepts into equally powerful viewpoints. His works although never published even during his lifetime had been influential to many of those who followed the path that he carved not only for himself but others close to him. Mead coined a lot of phrases and terminology. An important consideration when attempting to understand â€Å"obedience or conformity† and the idea that all that a person needs is his relationship be improved and eventually show that what motivated an individual is either because of a basic human need which is acceptance or that forces kept a person from committing a deed which is within the bounds of almost modern day type of living. To George Mead, an all important consideration when responding to stimuli of various forms, may actually come from this so-called â€Å"looking glass self† which is a mental picture resulting from assuming if a role of another person. In other words, social interaction is more than the mere contextualization of present experience; rather it takes into account that there is the importance of how the social exchanges take place. This looking glass self is an approach into getting insights in many of a person’s decision-making processes and how that person responds depend a lot to the degree of reality-based kind of relationship (http://www. afirstlook. com/manual6/ed6man04. pdf_). SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSION Common knowledges are often inane talks. They are handed from generation to generation through word of mouth and are thus accepted as they are without clear scientific bases. They are not a good source of information because they are often misleading. They often prevent people from seeking laudable information and at times could be lethal. It should be noted that psychologists now utilize careful measures and specialized research techniques and procedures to avoid pitfalls of the so-called common knowledge (Aronson, 1972). Psychologists, being scientists, are concerned with investigating and explaining behavior. They make use of scientific inquiries in gathering data for obtaining facts about human behavior. These facts are collated, organized, and interpreted or analyzed according to the aims of the research (Aronson, 1972). Experimentation and direct observation are two modes that are employed in the empirical approach to investigation – the approach that is guided by experience. They propose hypotheses or propositions to be tested, which may either be derived from theories or formulated from observations. Hypotheses may be tested by experimental or non-experimental methods (Bower et al. , 1987). There are several well-known methods in social psychological research. Although not all are used for a given research project, a knowledge of these approaches will help one to choose the most suitable way to obtain most data and the most effective technique to use especially when studying individual behavior in groups (Aronson, 1972). Reference: Aronson, E (1972). The Social Animal. San Francisco Freeman. Atkinson, Rita L. , Richard C. Atkinson, and Ernest R. Hilgard (1983). Introduction to Psychology. 8th ed. , New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. Berkowitz, L. (1972). Social Psychology, Glenview, Ill. Scott. Foresman. Bower, G. H. , R. R. Bootzin, R. B. Zajonc (1987). Principles of psychology today. New York: Random House.

Britvic Case Study Essay

The marketing concept urges organizations to focus on the needs and wants of their customer. By following this concept the organization’s success can be achieved solely through customer satisfaction. In the case study we see that by identify the needs of the customer; a key characteristic in the marketing concept, Ralph Chapman acknowledged that the Great Depression in the UK meant that many of the poorest customers needed an affordable source of vitamin C. He found a way to bottle fruit juices so they stayed fresher for longer without the addition of preservatives, his juices were sold in small glass bottles that ensured easy transportation. This contributed to keeping the products cost effective. Customer satisfaction is another significant part of the marketing concept. Britvic has a constant flow of new product development; they plan on launching a new Tango variant called Tango Clear with no added sugar. They plan on marketing this to the older generation. They have understood a knish in the older market to meet customer satisfaction by supplying a healthier alternative to their original product, which was more brand appealing to children and teenagers. We can identify that by using the marketing concept Britvic’s core goals are meeting the consumers needs and wants to achieve full customer satisfaction and to sustain their title as the second most successful soft drinks supplier in the UK. Customers are central, we can see this in the case study when we look at the considerable amount of products they supply too approximately 20,0000 outlets across the country including all leading supermarkets, local shops, restaurants, pubs, hotels and cinemas. They are the leading drinks supplier to the licensed premises and have more soft drinks brands in their portfolio than any other UK manufacturer. This makes them so accessible to the consumer, and offers a large variety of different products to suit numerous markets

Central Valley Forest Fires Essay

The cities of California’s Great Central Valley Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno and Bakersfield, which are together called the heart of Ca1ifornia, have repeatedly entered American popular culture and folklore. The cities have their own fire departments and in times of need firefighters and equipment might be taken on supplementary purpose. There have been quite a few incidents of forest fire in these cities and there always is a debate on how crisis management could improve and minimize the impact of these incidents on the environment and human health. This paper explores threats posed by the forest fires in California and its surrounded lower central valley between Bakersfield and Modesto. The paper first describes the nature and impact of forest fires and then follows to damaged forest fires and what it does to the environment. Finally a global and national environmental picture is presented relating to the subject. A forest fire is a powerful force of nature. It can kill people, animals, and trees. It can destroy homes and buildings. But it also is part of a forest’s natural life cycle. Forest fires clean out forest lands by burning dead leaves, plants, and trees (Simon 34-40). The dead and dried timber is undoubtedly one of the reasons why wildfires in the United States have been so devastating in recent years. According to the National Climatic Data Center, dryer than average conditions over most of the country have contributed to burns in excess of 9.5 million acres in 2006 and over 8.5 million in 2005 (Wagtendonk 3-17). These figures broke the old record of 7.4 million acres in 2000, and almost doubled that of the 4.5 million acres burned in 1960. The extended drought, forest die-offs from insect Infestation and human encroachment have all contributed to the increase in wildfires. But the primary cause of forest fires can be attributed to climate change. It has been the shift in ocean currents and weather patterns that has brought about the extended drought conditions. Added to this are the warmer conditions and heat waves triggered by the increase in global temperature. This has led to a drying of the foliage and a prolific increase in insect infestation. As we have seen, these parasitic tree killing insects such as the Bark Beetle and Pine Beetle have moved to higher altitudes and more northerly climates due to warmer temperatures (ReVelle & ReVelle 321-366). All these conditions have placed great stress on the forests of North America, making them ripe for forests fires. Battling wildfires is a challenging task because wild-land firefighters have to contain the rambling fires while they withstand intense heat, poor vision and dangers of the wilds. Thousands of full-time firefighters and volunteers, planes, helicopters and fleet of engines are employed by firefighting agencies along with different technologies such as shovels and infrared imaging, to control wildfires. There are specially trained firefighters such as smokejumpers, who are employed by firefighting agencies to extinguish fires by parachuting in unreachable areas during the early stages of fire. â€Å"Helitack† crews are also hired by firefighting agencies to attack fires when landing is not an option. Thus the Helitack crew lowers firefighting equipment in such areas and then firefighters are able to reach the surface. Sometimes, water or retardant which can be up to 3,000 gallons is dropped by airplanes and infrared aircraft at a time, in a long string for creating a line. The pilot is allowed to see where he can land with the help of a pink dye. Sometimes, shovels and other tools are also used by firefighters to build firelines which refer to a 3-5 feet path created by firefighters by clearing away leaves and branches. Wildfires can spread to several acres of land. How bad a fire can be is determined by topography, weather and fuel supply. When a fire breaks out, it can stretch across acres of land and its own weather patterns can be created. The fire first spreads into the crown of the tree and when it gets more oxygen from below like a chimney, it is nourished and gets worse. Dry fuel away from the fire can also be ignited by the floating embers, thus it is essential to control the fire as soon as it breaks out (McNamara). Fiscal stress came to California from three distinct sources: natural events, other events beyond the state’s control, and events that were induced by California citizens, and out of those three sources fires have been among the most costly. Three types of natural catastrophes have contributed to the fiscal stress. The drought of 1987-1992 (and which apparently has recurred in 1994) has cost California farmers about $3—$4 billion; the Loma Prieta quake of 1989 resulted in about $10 billion in direct and indirect losses, with net losses after federal aid being about $6 to $7 billion; and property losses from the 11 Oakland fire and the 1993 Southern California fires were about $4.7 billion.’ There are three exogenous events that are consistently mentioned in any discussion of the stresses on the state’s economy: the recession that began in 1990; the cut in defense expenditures, including the closing of many military bases; and the immigration of undocumente d aliens. In October of 2007 wildfires broke out in Southern California (Carle 71-79). From Malibu to the Mexican border, over 16 separate fires raged while being whipped by the Santa Anna winds. Thousands of acres were scorched, over 2000 homes destroyed and nearly one million people were evacuated. This was the largest evacuation in American history, exceeding even that caused by Hurricane Katrina. Over ninety aircraft and 6,000 firefighters were involved in suppressing the fires. The total cost of lighting the fires, including the damage inflicted, is estimated to exceed 1 billion dollars. Due to the forest fires budget cuts in 2012, lost fire fighters have added more to the difficulties faced by the firefighting department. For instance, when a wildfire broke out in June, 2011 north of Highway 180 in Fresno County, firefighters had difficulty controlling the fire. The fire broke out through thick grass and burned down oak trees in the area. It was a regular event for firefighters, who attacked the fire from two sides. Nearly 300-foot hose extensions were carried by them as they tried to circle the fire before it spread further. However, due to the firefighter budget cuts, there were only three fighters per engine instead of four firefighters who normally worked during the wildfire season. Since there were only three firefighters per engine, it took long to get water around the fire. Due to the above mentioned cuts firefighters are concerned about their first-strike capabilities to attack severe wildfire because they think that their work has been affected due to staffing cuts. According to a Cal Fire Capt, it became difficult to control the fire with a three-man crew due to the fatigue factor. Fire, which the captain hoped to keep to less than 10 acres, had stretched across 133 acres because of the shortage of the crew which cost $300,000 to extinguish. In 2011, the budget cut saved $34 million because 750 seasonal firefighters in California were laid off. It implies that there will be three firefighters per engine instead of four for handling thousands of feet of hose lines and for sharing the hard work to control wildfires. This has severely affected the extinguishing capabilities of firefighters because they require more time and energy to control the blazing fire (Hecht). The staggering one billion dollars attributed to the 2007 California wildfires is just the beginning. When all the fires and climate change related disasters are added to this figure. The amount assumes unimaginable proportions. The National Climatic Data Center records seventeen separate weather related events occurring in the United States from 1998 to 2002, which cost over 1 billion dollars each. These events include droughts, floods, fire seasons, tropical storms, hailstorms, tornadoes, heat waves, ice storms, and hurricanes (Carle 44-60). The consequences of forest fires are the atmospheric emissions of various environmentally significant gases and solid particulates that contribute to local, regional and global phenomena in the biosphere. Pollutants emitted include atmospheric particulate matter (I1) and gaseous compounds. Such as carbon dioxide (C02), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), nitrogen oxides, (NO) and nitrous oxide (N20). Smoke pollution due to forest fire events can represent an important public health issue to the community, particularly for personnel involved in firefighting operations. In addition, high levels of trospospheric ozone can occur at great distances from emission sources (Simon 85-90). The environmental effects of these emissions are related to the transport and deposition processes involved (Johnson & Miyanishi 25-39). The protection of homes and communities from the threat of forest fire depends on the proper treatment of wildland-urban interface, the area directly adjacent to homes and communities. However, current efforts to protect communities from the threat of forest fire are protecting homes and communities from forest fires. Projects that reduced forest fuels are often implemented far away from communities, in areas where treatment will do the least good. Considering the current risks and the limited resources available for the implementation of fuels reduction projects, individual projects and strategic plans need to utilize the best available science to develop the most effective and efficient methods for protecting the homes and communities (Johnson & Miyanishi 25-39). At the same time, focused fuels reduction in the wildland-urban interface is necessary to avoid damaging adjacent forest ecosystems and wildlife habitat with poorly planned and ineffective logging projects. Wildfires can be prevented by not parking the vehicles on dry grass, never taking out burning sticks out of a fire, never using lanterns, stoves and heaters in a tent, by storing flammable liquid containers in a safe area and knowing the area’s outdoor burning laws because to burn trash is a punishable crime. It is essential to contact a Ranger as soon as possible when the first sign of a wildfire is seen. The area should be left immediately by recognized roads or trails but if the escape route is blocked, it is important to go to the nearest stream or lake (McNamara). Wildfires which consume Southern California are extremely dangerous because they have affected a large number of houses; they started abruptly and stretched across acres of land rapidly. According to scientists, the severity of wildfires is associated with the changing climate and it is believed that wildfires will become more common because of global warming (â€Å"California Wildfires and Global Warming†). The USA seems to have reached a tipping point: the majority of citizens now accept the reality of global warming. National discussions have steadily shifted from whether climate change exists to what America should do about it. To be sure government and industry are dragging their feet, hard. They argue that global warming is a natural (not human-caused) cycle; that it won’t be that bad; that there’s nothing we can do about it; or that, most especially making drastic changes to quickly combat global warming is too costly to the nation’s economichealth to consider. According to a 2011 study, greenhouse gas is boosted by wildfires thus, global warming is accelerated. The study found that the release of nitrous oxide from soil is boosted because of wildfires, change in the climate and nitrogen deposits which accelerates global warming (â€Å"Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds†) Concern for air pollution has led to a society-wide discussion about greenhouse gases touching every aspect of modern life: from building design and light bulbs to auto emissions and planting trees. While states wrestle with the federal government over how much and how quickly to raise auto fuel economy standards (currently averaging 21 mpg), car-loving consumers are starting to vote with their pocketbooks (Johnson & Miyanishi 98-109). In addition to this, Water issues are particularly acute in the West: the region’s underground aquifer is being drained at a phenomenal rate, and increasing water salinity is playing havoc with farming. Also, the West has witnessed a surge in new oil and gas drilling, in part because of government- approved industry exemptions in 2005 to the Clean Water Act. An unlikely coalition of ranchers, hunters and conservationists is lighting this all-too- common sacrifice of health for cheap energy (IJWF 116-26). Wildfires are very dangerous because they destroy land and harm the environment. Fire ravages dry vegetation, burning everything in its way. Under prolonged dry conditions with even moderate winds fire can spread across a wide area very quickly, stretching the emergency services and testing their ability to contain and manage the spread and to minimize risk and damage to people and property. Natural fires have traditionally caused extensive damage to grassland, woodland and forest. Wild fires can stir a primeval fear and fascination in most of us. Many have long been concerned about the loss of valuable timber to fire and about the effects of fire on soils, watersheds, water quality, and wildlife (Simon 96-121). Fierce battles over the environment have been a fixture of the American political landscape for over a century, and for business, this last argument has been a winner, whether the issue is pollution, dwindling resources or endangered species. This effectiveness rests, in part, on the dependable reluctance of us citizens to make sacrifices in their consumptive lifestyles. Typically, Americans support regulations and alter their habits only when environmental problems become undeniable, quantifiable and urgent. With global warming, that moment seems to have arrived. The U.S. citizens and the government are well aware of the environmental concerns and have from time to time addressed these issues. The environment protection agency (EPA) has been the forefront player in this regard and has formulated strategies and policies to control forest fire hazards. California is home to a great variety of wildlife habit and environmental protection can help save many of the endangered species in the lower central valley. Works Cited â€Å"California Wildfires and Global Warming.† Global Warming – California Wildfires Influenced by Global Warming – The Daily Green. October 23, 2007. Web. May 13, 2012. Carle, David. Introduction to Fire in California: Berkeley, University of California Press, 2008. Print. Hecht, Peter. â€Å"Budget cuts mean fewer firefighters to fight California wildfires.† Budget cuts mean fewer firefighter to fight California wildfires — Society’s Child — Sott_net. Aug 1, 2011. Web. April 29, 2012. Johnson A. Edward, and Kiyoko Miyanishi. Forest fires: Behavior and Ecological Effects. San Diego: Academic Press, 2001. Print. Keeley, Jon E. â€Å"Fire intensity, fire severity and burn severity: a brief review and suggested usage.† International Journal of Wildland Fire (2009): 116–126. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. McNamara, Melissa. â€Å"Wildfire Safety Tips.† Wildfire Safety Tips – CBS News. February 11, 2009. Web. April 29, 2012. ReVelle, Penelope, and Charles ReVelle. The Global Environment: Securing a Sustainable Future. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett, 1992. Print. Seymour, Simon. Wildfires. New York: Harper Collins, 2008. Print. Sugihara G. Neil, Fire in California’s Ecosystems, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. Print. Wagtendonk Van, and Jan Wagtendonk. â€Å"The History and Evolution of Wildland Fire Use.† Journal of Fire Ecology 3.2 (2007): 3–17. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. â€Å"Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds.† Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds. June 8, 2011. Web. May 13, 2012.

How Exceptional is or was the American Federalism Compared to Canada Essay

How Exceptional is or was the American Federalism Compared to Canada and Germany federalism - Essay Example In accordance with LaCroix, federalism has been based on ‘the necessity for the existence of states’ (LaCroix 2) and the theory that a country with extensive territory, such as USA, cannot be easily organized as a republic (LaCroix 2). Moreover, Obinger (2005) noted that the development of a precise definition of federalism would be quite difficult, mostly because the specific term is used in order to describe a series of conditions and events, including a series of ‘institutional and jurisdictional arrangements’ (Obinger 9) for protecting the interests of local populations – referring to the population of the states. Despite its complexity, the federal system of governance is preferred by many states worldwide. About 23 countries in the international community are based on the specific system of governance; their influence on the global political system is quite important taking into consideration the fact that a percentage of 40% of the global popul ation are governed through the particular system of governance (Obinger 9). The characteristics of federalism as developed in USA are critically discussed in this paper; emphasis is given on the advantages of American federalism compared to other forms of federalism worldwide, especially the Canadian and the German forms of federalism. The key characteristics of federalism can be identified in the following definition: ‘the activities of government are divided between regional governments and a central government’ (Riker 1975 in Obinger 9).... government and the regional governments have the power to develop their own decisions on the activities under their control – meaning the political, social and economic activities being under the control of central or the regional governments, as defined in relevant arrangements (as noted in the definition of Obinger above). Federalism, as described above, has certain priorities. These priorities have been described in the Federalist Papers, through which Federalism has been established. The key priorities of federalism, are the following ones a) specific measures need to be developed by the government – referring to either the central government or the regional governments, as noted above, so that the concentration of power (meaning the political power) is avoided; at the same time, political and economic freedom needs to be guaranteed (Obinger 10), b) in the context of federalism emphasis is given on the rights of minorities; in fact, these rights have key importance for federalism, a type of governance which has been developed mostly for covering the needs of areas with high cultural and geographic diversity (Obinger 10). Reference can be made to the case of Canada, a country where federalism has been used for ensuring the protection of rights of citizens who have different cultural background and ethics (Obinger 10). At this point, the following issue should be highlighted: despite the fact that federalism has been introduced in order to respond to specific needs, as described above, it is difficult for the specific system to have a common level or form of development worldwide – reference is made to the countries that their system of governance is based on federalism. An indicative example of this prospect is mentioned in the study of Obinger. In accordance

Why Economies Grow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why Economies Grow - Essay Example Any country is said to be developed if the demand & supply chain of that country show that there is more supply of goods than demand by the market. Many factors count in this regard, the natural resources according to the geography, manufacturing, distribution, consumption, exchange medium etc. All these factors set the constraints & parameters in which the economy of any country works & may or may not flourish. All activities happening in a country also account for its economic growth. The occupations, education, business & investments are the basic pillars upon which the economy stands. The greater amount of people a country produce as literates or skilled workers, the more productivity will increase & the economy will grow. More the resources are being used by the government for its people, the less will be the demand & ultimately the economy will boost. Any country’s economy initially depends upon the extraction of natural resources like iron, coal, oil & gas, petroleum et c, then these are transformed from raw structure to products like machines, furniture, clothes etc, then these products are supplied to consumers along with the personal services provided by skilled workers. Finally economy depends upon the private & public sector facilities which include hospitals, transports, libraries, institutes etc. All these factors play their parts in the growth of any state’s economy. Overall, the size of economy of any country is determined by the Gross domestic product GDP & GDP per capita of that country, which only includes such economic activities in which the money is exchanged. The living standards in a particular state are measured through GDP per capita & every change in GDP indicates a change in the living standards. Economic growth is defined as the â€Å"increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs i ncluding labor, capital, material, energy, etc for a given amount of output†. (Kendrick, John W.1961). In his famous book Why Economies Grow, Jeff Madrick argued that market growth through trade & expansion is the biggest factor of economical development. He also said that technological advancement is not the cause of economical growth in developed countries, rather it is an effect caused by the economical revolution during the mid of 20th century. The economic growth also generates such resources which improvise the social services sector which includes healthcare, safety, good infrastructure, education etc. Such kinds of resources diminish the affects of unequal distribution of income in the society & are equally distributed amongst the whole population. Hence every individual can take benefit from it. The healthier & stronger a nation, stronger will be the country & the economy will get more stable. Such resources increase the living standards of the general public & thus h uman development propels economic development of a country. If there is an increase in average income, it leads to proper use of social services provided thus building a healthy & prosperous nation. On the other hand, if poverty is reduced, there will be more use of social services & more population will enjoy their benefits. Economic growth is often related to Economic Freedom, which offers a surviving Hope to Countries which are struggling with poverty & other severe issues. Such countries must develop such policies by which economic growth will increase & then they have to go on the subject of health & food. The policies may include economic freedom in which citizens are allowed to make their own economic policies without the interference of

The Strategy of Verizon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Strategy of Verizon - Research Paper Example The strategy of Verizon in increasing their business process and evolving new technologies in their business. Verizon is the service provider of broadband wireless communication service to its users. They want to meet the global need and establish new technologies and meet the customer requirement. The primary goal of the company is to reach the top in the market and take the leading position. A SWOT analysis is done on Verizon to identify the objectives of the company. Verizon is transforming its business process and aligning the different segment of its business process with their new strategy. The primary strategy of Verizon is to move to the wireless platform and make their infrastructure capable of giving the internet and wireless service to the cars and automobiles (About Verizon,2016). Verizon is innovating new technologies that would help the company to take a lead position in the future. It has identified that the wireless technology in the next evolution and thus it has qui ckly jumped into the wireless platform for further development. According to the strategy, they are working on new technologies that can implement and as a result, more than 98% of the US 4G network covered by Verizon (Greenwald,2013). They use the optical fiber cables for faster transmission instead of traditional copper wires.

Managerial Leadership. The skills and expertise required for being an Essay

Managerial Leadership. The skills and expertise required for being an authentic leader - Essay Example In order to evaluate my leadership potentials I have used primary research. After analyzing those data I do have a clear idea about myself and also evaluated the requirements within myself in order to become a successful authentic leader. Authentic Leaders: - Authentic leaders are the persons who actually know themselves and portray what they know about themselves from their heart. Some of the essential characteristics of an authentic leaders are they always speak the truth, leads from inside, courageous and ambitious (Holden Leadership center, n.d.). Introduction The purpose of the report is to critically evaluate my competence and efficacy as an Authentic Leader. The report will highlight the applications of the presented models within the lecture. Apart from this the report will also highlight on the Personal intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. The report will also portray the primary and secondary research conducted by me for the completion of the entire project. Report Aim and O bjectives The report is principally focused to demonstrate the four factors such as authentic leadership, values, self awareness and motivation. ... are indisputable in their purpose and recognize the purpose of their leadership as serving the customers, employees and investors and not the one related to self interest. Authentic leaders must perform their values constantly, balance their extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, build reliable relationships and operate with high levels of personal discipline and obedience. Therefore to become an efficient authentic leader self awareness is the most important factor. It comes from the understanding of the life stories of some eminent leaders and the impact of their crucibles and reflects on how their life stories and crucibles add to their motivations and their behavioural patterns. The leaders who do not take time their time out for introspection and manifestation of their life stories, crucibles and experiences are considered more susceptible towards being seduced. The seducing factors are external rewards such as authority, money, and recognition. The leaders may also feel the need to appear in such an ideal way so that other cannot confess any ill-activities and disclose their faults. In the process of becoming more self-aware, I have learned to find and accept my weak points, failures, and vulnerabilities, as like we appreciate our strengths and successes. While doing so, I gain compassion for myself and also tried to relate to the world around myself in authentic ways. This also allows me to release from the need to adopt pretences to astonish other people. This also helped in self understanding and what I am at an interior level. The report will also reveal how I learnt to reframe my failures and negative experiences into positive growth opportunities. Mindful leadership is a worldly idea which enables people to maintain effective leadership throughout their

Describe the cycle view of supply chain processes and explain why Essay

Describe the cycle view of supply chain processes and explain why organizations need to integrate their processes - Essay Example Supply chain activities make up processes, which may be described as cycles because it involves constant flow of information, goods, services, and funds between different stages. The processes in a supply chain involve service providers and manufactures, who produce goods and services for customers. The customers transfer funds to the manufacturers, who then convey point of sales data as well as replenishment orders via trucks back to the stores (Sinha, 2009). The manufacturer transfers funds to the distributor after the products are replenished. The distributors provide pricing information and offer delivery schedules to the manufacturers. All these processes show that the supply chain activities are cycles that are interlinked and work hand in hand. The supply chain stages consist of various players who include; customers, retailers, distributors, manufacturers and the components, which are the raw materials suppliers. Each stage sometime may not be represented in the supply chain because the chain would depend on the customer’s needs and the roles of the stages involved (Sinha 2009). Schniederjans and LeGrand (2012) stated that the customer order cycle occurs at the customer and retailer level and this is where all processes are directly involved in receiving and filling the customer’s order. The customer starts the cycle at the retailers’ shop by ordering what goods they need and the retailer works on fulfilling the customer’s demand. This interaction between the retailer and customer ends when the customer receives the order. The replenishment cycle occurs at the retailer and distributor level and includes all the processes involved in replenishing the retailer’s inventory/ stock. The retailer is the customer in this case, and places an order to replenish inventories to meet his and her customers’ needs or to make sure he or she has enough stock of the good quality of products available in the market (Fredendall,

The Theory of Market Mechanism Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Theory of Market Mechanism - Case Study Example Due to a fall in the rental, the supply of flats also declines, however, the quantity demanded of flats increases. This follows from the law of demand and supply. As a result, there is a gap between demand and supply or in other words, there arises a shortage in the market for dwelling spaces. This shortage is not a natural outcome but created by the suppliers or the landlords which result in an excess demand situation. This shortage generates scope for black marketing of flats at a higher rental. From the land lord's point of view, the creation of shortage is quite justifiable because the cost of maintenance and electricity has remained the same. In the process of black marketing, the flats are rented out at market clearing rental or even more. Since dwelling place is a necessary item for any consumer, the tenants are ready to pay the excess amount above the ceiling price. Thus there is discrimination because some are getting the flats at the Government determined rental whereas some have to pay out a huge amount. Thus there is a reverse effect of what the Government intended. Here the concept of economic rent also comes into play. Because of the price ceiling, a number of landlords are not willing to rent out their space, they are restricted from entering the market in fear of loss. Now suppose the Government decides to remove the ceiling and the rental price is determined by market mechanism, there will be huge opposition from both landlords and tenants because those who we re getting the flats at lower rent will oppose and again the landlords who were operating in the black market will passively support the tenants who were opposing. This is because the landlords are better off in a black market where they extract huge profit. The lobbying cost, lawyer fees, public relation costs are substantial.

Two Early Childhood Education Services in Your Community Essay Example for Free

Two Early Childhood Education Services in Your Community Essay Identify TWO early childhood education services in your community. Briefly explain their history and then compare and contrast their philosophies, educational goals and the strategies employed to achieve these goals. Kangaroo Kids education limited (KKEL) and Indian Montessori Foundation(IMF) are two organisations providing early childcare services in Mumbai, Maharashtra. W hile KKEL represents a more contemporary approach based on student-centric experiential learning processes, dynamic curriculum and stress-free environment that meet the ‘best practices’ and international standards of education (KangarooKids Education Ltd. [KKEL], n. d. ), the IMF, a long existing organization was setup with the vision of enabling children to reach their full potential through the principles of Montessori Education leading towards a more harmonious and peaceful world. (Indian Montessori Foundation. (IMF). n. d. ) The KKEL Vision as stated above, is to wholeheartedly serve children and make every learning moment a joyful, effective and meaningful one. Kangaroo Kids Education Ltd (KKEL) has brought about an alternate system of education which is a stark contrast to the widely prevalent ‘learn by rote’ methods of learning. The emphasis is on active learning and on providing a system that leads to the acquisition of both knowledge and skills. Today, KKEL supports 80 schools in India that are operating in 17 cities and has an international presence in Dubai and Maldives and is still growing rapidly. (KangarooKids Education Ltd. [KKEL], n. d. ) In contrast, the central principle in the Montessori Approach is that of using education as an aid to life. This approach comes from the fact that the principles of the Montessori Approach go hand in hand with the child’s own natural development stages. Montessori classrooms are referred to as prepared environments which provide children an atmosphere where they can choose the work they wish to pursue and allow them the freedom to develop at their own pace. In this work, the children are guided by a trained adult. The IMF aims to achieve the above goals by nurturing Montessori principles in schools, supporting AMI Montessori training, bringing together AMI Alumni, Promoting research and development of all aspects of Montessori Education and expanding the awareness of Montessori Principles in society. (Indian Montessori Foundation. [IMF]. n. d. ) The approaches of these organisations are perhaps most significantly different in terms of the philisophical underpinnings. W hile KKEL seems to derive from the experiential aspects largely contributing to the specific knowledge and skills the IMF instead relies on providing an understanding of universal principles of peace and harmony. Additionally their strategies seem starkly different, while IMF is focussed on engaging the community as a mode of sustaining, KKEl appears to be a promotion driven organisation. Finally and most crucially while their systems might seem quite different it would be fair to say that KKEL is perhaps an evolution of the IMF model, which while based on modern demands of cutting edge education solutions seems customised and contemporary but still aims to develop a child skills in manner broadly the same but specifically different. 1 BEd110C5: Introduction to Early Childhood Education – International 20110503 Namrata Sharma 2.

The Special Properties Of Concrete Construction Essay

The Special Properties Of Concrete Construction Essay Admixtures are used to give special properties to fresh or hardened concrete. Admixtures may enhance the durability, workability and characteristics of a given concrete mixture. Admixtures are used to overcome difficult construction situations, such as hot or cold weather placements, pumping requirements. The use of admixtures to increase the workability or to accelerate the hardening of the concrete will be permitted when approved by the Engineer. Admixture dosages shall result in the mixture meeting the specified plastic and hardened properties. The major reasons for using admixtures are 1. To reduce the cost of concrete construction. 2. To achieve certain properties in concrete more effectively than by other means. 3. To maintain the quality of concrete during the stages of mixing, transporting, placing, and curing in adverse weather conditions. 4. To overcome certain emergencies during concreting operations. CHAPTER 2 Set Retarding Admixtures Set retarding admixtures are water soluble chemicals that have little or no other effect than to delay the setting of the cement. They do not plasticize significantly and have little or no effect on the water demand or other properties of the concrete. Set retarding water-reducing admixtures not only delay the setting of the cement but are also efficient in plasticizing concrete or reducing its water demand. Most commercially available retarders are of this type. Retarding water-reducers and retarding high range water reducers are used to: Give workability retention to the concrete Delay the setting time of concrete Prevent the formation of cold joints Increase initial workability Increase ultimate strength Produce economies in mix designs Materials Used The main types of chemical used for retarding admixtures are: Sucrose and other polysaccharides Citric acid Tartaric acid Salts of boric acid Salts of phosphoric, poly-phosphoric and phosphonic acids. The main types of chemical used for retarding water reducing admixtures are: Hydroxy carboxylic acid salts Hydroxylated polymers Lignosulphonic acid salts These may be also be used in conjunction with sulphonated naphthalene/melamine-formaldehyde condensates or polycarboxylates to produce retarding high range water reducing admixtures. The retarder molecule chemically adsorbs onto the cement particle in a mechanism similar to that described for water reducers. The main difference is the strength of the chemical bond that is formed. This strongly links the retarder molecule onto the cement surface, blocking and slowing down the rate of initial water penetration into the cement. Retarder molecules also chelate calcium ions in solution, slowing the crystallization of portlandite. These two mechanisms slow the growth of hydration products, delaying the stiffening and setting of the cement but once initial hydration starts, the retarder molecules are swamped and normal hydration proceeds. Uses 5.1 Admixture Selection Where predictable set retardation is required, a retarding admixture is the best choice. Where set needs to be continually amended, a graph of dosage rate versus setting time can be determined for a given mix, at a given temperature. For phosphate based products, the retardation time graph may often be linear, and this is a major advantage for this type of retarder. Sucrose and other polysaccharides are more efficient, but a dosage versus setting time graph may often be exponential, making accurate prediction more difficult. These types are often blended with lignosulphonate to produce cost effective, retarding/water reducing admixtures. Hydroxy carboxylic acid salts will often reduce cohesion in the mix potentially enhancing bleed and segregation. Polysaccharides, especially if blended with a lignosulphonate, tend to stabilise some air and may enhance cohesion.The choice between the different types of retarding water reducing admixtures is often determined by other properties such as mix cohesion. Selection may therefore be based on the particular mix characteristics of the concrete. 5.2 Dosage Retarding admixtures based on phosphates and phosphonates are designed to have a linear effect of dosage upon setting time. The dosage rate used may be quite high, as they do not have any effect other than retardation. Depending on the molecule chosen, typical dosages are 0.1% to 3.0% by weight of cement to yield a delay of set of 1 hour to 35 hours. Retarding admixtures based on sucrose and other similar polysaccharides are very powerful, and their retarding effects are rarely linear so that small increases on the intended dosage can lead to large increases in retardation. They are very cost effective, but are more difficult to control than the higher dosage phosphate based types. Typical dosages are 0.1% to 1.5% by weight of cement to yield a delay of set of 3 hours to 50 hours. Retarding water reducing admixtures are very commonly used at a low dose, typically 0.2% by weight of cement, to reduce the water content of the concrete by 7 to 10% with only a small delay in setting. They can be used at higher dosages; typically 0.3 to 0.6% to reduce water content, but simultaneously to delay the setting time. Greater water reductions may be achieved by using retarding high range water reducers, generally at 0.5 to 1.5% dose, depending on the type. Retarders are quite sensitive to temperature. At low temperatures retardation will be further extended. At very high temperatures, the converse is true and it may be difficult to achieve the required workability retention and extension of stiffening time. 5.3 Cement type Retarding admixtures and water reducing retarding admixtures can be used with all types of Portland cement, including all those covered by EN197-1. However, it is very important to note that their effectiveness in terms of retardation of set is very dependent upon the type of cement. Cements such as CEM1 require the highest level of retarder to achieve a given level of retardation. However, as the proportion of slag or pulverised fuel ash, as used in CEM 2 and CEM3 types increases, then the level of retarder will decrease in order to achieve a given level of retardation. The chemistry of the cement is also important in determining the effect of retarders. Cements low in tricalcium aluminate (C3A) require significantly less retarder for a given degree of retardation than normal cements. 5.4 Yield Retarding admixtures do not have any significant effect upon the yield of concrete. Retarding water reducing admixtures, when used to reduce the water content of concrete, will reduce the yield in direct proportion to the water reduction made. This needs to be taken into account when modifying the mix design. 5.5 Overdosing The level of retardation achieved is related to the dosage used. Any overdose will result in an increase in setting time. Large overdoses of retarders can produce very long setting times and even small overdoses can have this effect if the initial dose is high. Provided the overdose is no more than double that which was intended, and the concrete is well cured to prevent it from desiccation, accidentally retarded concrete will normally set and recover strength within two to three days. Where a dosage range is given, the normal dose should be taken as the bottom of the range. Where very large, accidental overdoses occur or where large overdoses of a water reducing retarders have been used without a correspondingly large water reduction, the concrete may not recover its strength in a reasonable time. As a general rule, if concrete contains an overdose of a retarding admixture and has not set hard in 5 days, then it may not gain useful mechanical strength within a reasonable time. Effects upon properties of concrete 6.1 Strength As with water reducing admixtures, ultimate strength gain is increased with increasing water reduction Retardation of set allows the slower formation of a more ordered, smaller, denser cementitous matrix. This has the effect of increasing ultimate strength relative to an unretarded mix with the same water cement ratio. Acceleration of strength by heat produces the opposite effect, with the rapid formation of a coarse matrix. This explains why steam cured precast concrete rarely produces the same ultimate strength as concrete cured at normal temperatures and produced from the same concrete. 6.2 Workability Retarding admixtures do not have a significant effect upon initial workability. However, they generally have a beneficial effect upon workability retention, particularly at elevated temperature. Retarding water reducing admixtures, have a pronounced effect upon workability. Typically, an increase in slump of 60-100mm results from the addition of a dosage of 0.25% by weight cement. Set retarding high range water reducing/plasticizing admixtures may be used to enable workability to be increased to a greater extent, at a typical dosage level of 0.3 to 1.0%. 6.3 Slump loss Retarding admixtures are useful for helping to reduce slump loss, particularly at elevated temperature but it is still important to have a high initial workability. Retarding water reducing admixtures are very effective at reducing slump loss when used to increase the initial workability of the mix, but less so when used as a water reducer. Indeed, if water reduction is taken at the expense of high initial workability, initial slump loss may be slightly faster and will slow when about half the initial slump is reached. 6.4 Setting time The prime function of a retarder is to extend the setting (stiffening) time of concrete, usually in order to prevent the formation of cold joints between deliveries of concrete. Even if workability has fallen to almost zero slump, fresh concrete can be vibrated into, and will bond with, a preceding, older pour. In hot weather, even a small delay in deliveries or a short breakdown of the pump can result in the first concrete pours setting before subsequent pours can be placed and vibrated to form a monolithic joint. In deep pours, if concrete placed early starts to set, the heat generated can cause faster setting of concrete above it and again lead to cold joints. In this situation, retarder dosage can be progressively reduced as the pour proceeds. 6.5 Air entrainment Retarding admixtures do not normally entrain air, and some types, especially those based on hydroxycarboxylic acid, may actually reduce air content. This may cause these retarded mixes to feel harsher and have more tendency to bleed. Most types of retarder can be used effectively in combination with an air entraining agent. 6.6 Bleeding The total volume of bleed water arising from concrete is often related to its setting time because once setting starts, bleeding stops. Thus retarded concretes are always more prone to bleed. Any reduction in air tends to aggravate this potential problem. The plasticising component of a retarding water reducing admixture may help to offset this effect and some types are formulated to slightly air entrain in order to reduce bleed. 6.7 Heat of hydration Retarding admixtures do not reduce the heat output of concrete but do serve to delay the time of peak temperature rise by exactly the same time interval by which it was retarded. In small sections this may allow slightly more heat dissipation and so peak temperature may be a little lower. In thick sections there will be no reduction in peak temperature and there is evidence that the peak temperature may even be increased slightly. 6.8 Volume deformation Creep and drying shrinkage are not significantly affected by the inclusion of retarding admixtures. If the concrete is water reduced by the use of a retarding water reducing admixture, then drying shrinkage will be reduced. 6.9 Durability Provided that the concrete is correctly cured, then retarded concrete should be stronger and just as durable as equivalent plain concrete. However, because of the extended plastic stage, more attention needs to be paid to protecting the concrete before it sets. Retarded water reduced concrete will have a lower water content than the equivalent plain concrete, and will be correspondingly more durable. MECHENISM OF RETARDING ADMIXTURES Retarding admixture is an admixture that retards the setting of concrete. A retarding admixture causes cement set retardation by one or more offollowing mechanisms: (1) Adsorption of the retarding compound on the surface of cement particles, forming a protective skin which slows down hydration; (2) Adsorption of the retarding compound on to nuclei of calcium hydroxide, poisoning their growth, which is essential for continued hydration of cement after the end of induction period; (3) Formation of complexes with calcium ions in solution, increasing their solubility and discouraging the formation of the nuclei of calciumhydroxide . (4) Precipitation around cement particles of insoluble derivatives of the retarding compounds formed by reaction with the highly alkaline aqueous solution, forming a protective skin . Detailed Explanation According to the first mechanism, a retarding admixture is adsorbed on the surface of cement particles. This layer of retarding admixture around the cement particles acts as a diffusion barrier. Due to this diffusion barrier, it becomes difficult for the water molecules to reach the surface of the unhydrated cement grains and hence the hydration slows down, and the dormant period (period of relatively inactivity) is lengthened. Due to the slow hydration, no considerable amount of the hydration products giving rigidity to the cement paste will be formed and thus the paste remains plastic for a longer time. Later, when the admixture is removed from solution by reaction with C3A from cement or by some other way it is removed and incorporated into the hydrated material, further hydration is eliminated. On first contact of water with cement grains (C3S and C2S) calcium ions and hydroxyl ions are rapidly released from the surface of the cement grains. When concentration of these ions reach es a critical value (at which the solution becomes saturated), the hydration products calcium hydroxide and calcium silicate hydrate start to crystallize from the solution and then hydration proceeds rapidly. According to the second mechanism, a retarding admixture incorporated into cement paste is adsorbed on the calcium hydroxide nuclei and prevents its growth until some level of super saturation is reached during the induction period of hydration. Thus, retarder lengthens the induction period by causing an increase in the level of calcium hydroxide super saturation before crystallization begins. This is analogous to the poisoning of crystal growth of calcium hydroxide by the retarding admixture as both calcium and hydroxyl ions are present in the solution but unable to precipitate as a result of poisoning of the calcium hydroxide nuclei. According to the third mechanism, a retarding admixture incorporated into cement paste forms some kind of complexes with calcium ions released by the cement grains during the first few minutes. Formation of the complexes increase the solubility of cement, i.e., increased concentration of Ca2+, OH, Si, Al and Fe in the aqueous phase of the cement pastes will occur when hydrated in the presence of the retarding admixture. Thus the calcium ions and hydroxyl ions will accumulate in solution and will be unable to precipitate to form calcium hydroxide. For example, when ordinary Portland cement is hydrated in sucrose solution, lime is solubilised and a sucrose calcium complex (R -O à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ca+ -OH) is formed in which Ca+ -OH group is attached to the five membered ring (R) of the sucrose molecule. Such sucroseà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬calcium complex will be able to become absorbed on the growing calcium hydroxide nucleus. The adsorption of the complex on the calcium hydroxide nucleu s will inhibit its growth as the calcium and hydroxyl ions will not be able to precipitate. In this way, hydration is retarded. The fourth mechanism is similar to the first but here some kind of insoluble derivatives of retarder are formed by reaction with the highly alkaline solution as pH of the solution rises to over 12 within few minutes after first contact of water with cement. For example, inorganic salt admixtures (borates, phosphates, zinc and lead salts etc.) give insoluble hydroxides in alkaline solution. The cement hydration is suppressed through the precipitation of protective coatings of these insoluble derivatives around the cement grains.

Traditional And Modern Music Of Malta Film Studies Essay

Traditional And Modern Music Of Malta Film Studies Essay Maltese folk music is intrinsic to the culture of the country and is valued worldwide since it is sung in English (Zahra Borg, 2006). Over the years, interest In Maltese Music has spread significantly. In 17 century, Malta was an influential place where musicians and publishers recorded music. The 18th century was certainly the Golden Age of Maltese music. Moreover, music life of the island was divided and focused on the Manoel Theatre in Valletta, St. Paul`s cathedral in Mdina and Conventual Church of the Order, St. Johns in Valletta (Bruni, 1998). It is undeniable that Malta and Italy made a great influence to each other. The first study to deal with Maltese music and its relations with Italy was in 1929. In spite of its drawback due to absence of historical proof Rolandi`s research Is the only extensive survey of Maltese music and culture among the few works on this topic (Sansone, 2001). Also, during the last decade Professor O Aquilina and then in 1942, Capt. Busuttil in his Gabra ta` Qwiel Maltin, made a beneficial contribution to the research of Maltese songs (Pullicino Aquilina, 1947). Ghana The primary traditional Maltese music is Ghana. Ghana verses are represented by a mixture of Sicilian ballad and Arabic tune (Cassar, 2010). With the time the way people sing Ghana has been modernised. Some published song texts and written notes about Ghana are more than 100 years old. It is believed that todays Ghana is very similar to the one that has been formerly written and performed, however, it can be noticed that some developments over an ancient form took place, music has adapted to the changes within a society. In 1909 Bertha Ilg and Hans Stumme have published the largest collection of lyrics that has ever been gathered (Zahra Borg, 2006). The villagers enjoyed singing the Ghana versions from Stumme and Ilg, both at work and their own spare times. And a lot of people, who grew up before the 1960s in Malta, still remember that they enjoyed singing these versions as a child (Casha, 1994). Depending on peoples moods, they could improvise the way they sang the songs. But usually they sang textbook quatrains which they selected according to ones mood. Rather than improvising the words, the voice was far more important and also many different instruments were involved in the music (Zahra Borg, 2006). Up until the 1960s, Ghana changed considerably towards a version about modern times. This change was reflected in the way Ghana was sung. Another change was that Ghana became more popular throughout Malta even with the middle class. This was largely due to a folklore festival, first organised by Guze Cassar Pullicino in 1953. Middle class people started realising that Ghana was more folklore and not just singing songs by the lower class (Zahra Borg, 2006). Since then Ghana became music for the popular events of the middle class. The change was bigger among the working classes. The influence of the radio made Ghana more widespread. New listeners to Ghana heard ballads, laments and satire, all about a changing society, where old lifestyles and values were disappearing. A militant Labour Party invited people to Ghana sessions to win them over. Also, it was the time of Maltese people emigrating to Australia, Canada and they listened to Ghana recordings. Famous Ghana events were recorded on tape and later also on video (Zahra Borg, 2006). All of the above changed the role of the Ghannej, as they now performed in bars, where men judged their skilful art in silence. Types of Ghana Nowadays there are three types of Ghana distinguished among others: Spirtu Pront Tal-Fatt Fil-Gholi Ghana Spirtu Pront Today the most popular form of Ghana is Spirtu Pront. This is a song battle between two singers known as Ghannejja. The singers try to make their point in the argument and it is important to rhyme perfectly. The arguments are interrupted by guitar parts, thus, giving the singers an opportunity to create new rhymes (Cassar, 2010). Moreover, there is a prize for exceptional vocabulary, repartee or metaphor. Though the spectators should follow the rules and show their gratitude only when the duel is over. Today, Spirtu Pront is the most popular type of Ghana and such duels usually are organized in bars and are not advertised in the media (Zahra Borg, 2006). Ghana Fatt Ghana Fatt is usually melancholic. In this form of Ghana, the Ghannej recounts a tale of a tragic event (Cassar, 2010). In this type of Ghana only one singer is involved. In the olden days, between 50-100 years ago, songs were composed and published by more educated people and only then Ghannejja sung them, though, in our days lyrics are often written and then performed by the same person. Moreover, today it is popular to transform the local poetry, legends and ballads into Ghana-Fatt. The Ghannejja of today write their own lyrics, and some are influenced by Maltese poetry. Because there is a resemblance between the poetry and Ghana Tal-Fatt, especially the way it rhymes and the way the metre goes (Zahra Borg, 2006). Fattijiet always are about morals, so the singer uses simple values to share them with the audience. As opposed to before, when Fattijiet was sang on holidays, feasts and picnics, today people listen Ghana Fatt not only on festivals, but also via cds, radio and mp3 players (Zahra Borg, 2006). Ghana Fil-Gholi This type of Ghana is also called La Bormliza. The meaning of the word Fil-Gholi is: high-pitched; while the town of Bormla gives its name to La Bormliza. Fil-Gholi used to be sung by groups of women who were doing chores together. Some men have sung it, trying to reach high enough notes. You do not really hear it much these days (Zahra Borg, 2006), and unfotunately, today there is a small number of places in Malta where Fil-Gholi is sang (Cassar, 2010). La Bormliza really brings out the melodious use of the voice, accompanied by a guitar. It feels like the audience is drawn into this melodiously sung songs. Unlike in Spirtu Pront, in Fil-Gholi people are enchanted with the music and the lyrics do not matter that much (Zahra Borg, 2006). Modern Ghana The last decade was crucial in history of Ghana. During the first part of twentieth century no one could imagine that Ghannejja would be estimated at ones true worth, moreover, it was inaugurated by the Head of the State (Zahra Borg, 2006). It is important to remember that ghana is considered as a true music of Malta and highly conserved as an inalienable part of culture. Some composers and musicians have arranged fame Ghana melodies in various stages and recorded them, as well. Above all, it enables to save precious history of Ghana development, makes it eternal and keeps it for younger generation and fans. It goes without saying that the more ghana gain popularity and general recognition the merrier it attracts young Ghannejja and bring into line (Casha, 1994). Earlier music was linked to the frame of the Roman Catholic Mass, wedding songs and once was movingly performed at the funeral of Fredu Abela Il-Bamboccu, one of the greatest Ghana singers. GÄana Festival was organised in 1998 by the Ministry of Culture. Nowadays, Gorg Mifsud-Chircop, famous folklorist, manages to organize this annual event. The festival has made a great contribution to the modern music, assisted novice talanted singers, revealed female ghannejjas and also acquired vogue. Some ghannejja musicians still trying to experiment with music style, rhetoric musical instruments and subjects. It is vital to note that twentieth century progress has made a great influence on gÄana melodies, that is why since 1998 when the first website was designed for Maltese folk music by John J. Cassar, gÄana has covered the internet (Zahra Borg, 2006). Many musicians took part in development of ghana, such as Charles Camilleri, who has revealed the essence of classical music on his works; Vince Pulo who has promoted ghana in his recorded works on television and radio, Evarist Azzopardi, Laurie Bugeja and others. The main issue that may bother people is fate of this music stream in the future; For all that the skill should be pass on to the future generation to avoid a terrible loss. Moreover, Frans Baldaccino was first ghannejja singer who has introduced theatre the novel side, side of gÄana music. By dint of his works he create a new life of gÄana culture. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Budaj became a new trend that had influenced even oversea cultures. The popularity was growing and he has managed to record his first Ghana CD. That time he had his own band of Karmenu Bonnici (II-Bahri), second Ghannej singer, and guitarists: Jon Saliba and Manwel Panis (Casha, 1994). Music between yesterday and today Between the XIX and the XX century the whole World started its evolution with the new technology. As results the music followed its steps. In fact, without forgetting the importance of folk and popular music, new musicians find their way to express their self in the new type of music called Modern. In addition the instrumental traditions of the people, such as farmers and fishermen, allow European instruments to take their place. As Charles Baudelaire said The music, other language dear to the lazy and deep souls who seek recreation in the diversity of employment, will talk about you, tells you about the poem of your life. Maltese Local cultural history represents an enigma to artists today who look for their own creativeness in the Maltese folk heritage and some Maltese musicians interpret their Poem of your life as a link with their culture. One example of that is Etnika, a group of Maltese artists would like to popularize the traditional Maltese music. Since 2004 Ruben Zahra, Steve Borg, Guzi Gatt and Andrew Alamango built old instruments and searched melodies, rhythms and musical text forgotten in the old archives. Three songs also include Arabian melody with Maltese folk music on a basis of West European harmony. These songs join different type of instrument: from clarinet, violin piano to electric guitar and drum kit. These variations bring a dynamic and explosive quality of these three tunes because they include parts of rock with parts of folk music. They found their inspiration in the Maltese folk music and they became famous in the last year because Etnika participated at Etnikafe, held annually and other Mediterranean festivals. This is just an example of a music mix between the past and the present. This shows how Folk music is an inspiration for modern artist because they sustain to be link with the past and from there they build the present with new contemporary music. (http://www.rootsworld.com/reviews/etnika.shtml) Maltese artists around the world In general, artists are pushed to travel away from their country by making known their talent and their music internationally. During the last century, the majority of the artists follow this way and they travel all around the world improving their skills and expanding their knowledge of music. This happen especially in small country as Malta because popular singer want to let the world know about their history and their country traditions. Charles Camilleri is one of these types of artists. He was born in Malta in 1931 and his father was valid musician in his small country. The young Charles began his way along the paths of art from an early age learning the styles of popular music and began performing improvising on various instruments. At 15, he composed his first melody about Maltese traditions which was played in the orchestra. After he left his studies, he dedicated his life to the music and born his global vision of the music where he defined as metaphysical entity without space and time osmotically flows through the Earth, Man, Space and the Universe. Charles begins to travel around the world, introducing in his compositions the folklore of all the places he visited. After studying at the Conservatory in Canada, his fate offers him a beautiful musical scene where he and his huge corpus created almost 300 compositions. After his experience abroad he decided to return to his homeland, Malta, and he became a music lecturer at the university. In addition, in 2006 he also became a member of the Malta council for culture. The 9th January 2009 Charles Camilleri died in Malta aged 77, four days before his last composition, New Idea Symphony, is premiered in Brussels. Of this great Maltese author, his fans surely remember his magnificent organ concert (favorite instrument of the author) in 1983 with other songs like Wine of Peace, Lamour de Dieu and Invocation to the Creator. In addition, Charles Camilleri is in the recent news: in fact as the Sunday Times of 23th December 2012 write, Mrs Camilleri decided to donate her late husbands music scores to Maltas National Archivesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Camilleris reputation helped put Malta on the international music map and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ his music belongs to Malta as much as it belongs to the world mainstream  [1]  . (http://xoomer.virgilio.it/fborsari/arretra/personaggi/comp21.html) Much more modern than Charles Camilleri and completely different from him is Fabrizio Faniello, another Maltese artist who looked for fortune reached Italy and becoming famous there. Fabrizio has Italian parents and before he discovered his talent for music, he dedicated himself to the sport, specifically in football. During his career he also participated in the Maltese selections for the Eurovision Song Contest but he only reached the fourth place. Fabrizio Faniello is a pop artist who has a very strong feeling with the Italian peninsula: in fact one of his famous songs, cosà ¬ semplice is written in Italian also if he is Maltese. In 2010, his fame became important enough to participate in the selection of Sanremo Giovani, a very important Italian festival that present all the song from the best Italian artists (Dove ce musica, 2011). From the small Maltese island, many artists decide to travel around the world bringing with them their culture, their traditions and introducing new music to other countries. The Travelling, however, is not becomes a way to forget their homeland but it is an alternative for introducing a bit of Malta anywhere. Maltese music festival As many tourism web sites shows, Malta has a continue holiday mood during the hole year. This is determined by a huge number of national and international festivals and important concert which take place in Malta. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Maltese_musical_festivals) One of the most important international events is the Jazz festival. This event is organized by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and it is held annually since 1990 during the third weekend of July .These are three Mediterranean nights where Latin and classic International jazz is played by the most famous musicians in a truly unique setting. In fact, it take place in the picturesque backdrop of Ta Liesse in Vallettas Grand under the ramparts of the sixteenth century close to the Grand Harbor. In the story of this special event, there was a transformation in 2006. The event was subtracted from its tradition and from the management of Charles Gatt City, director and founder of the festival. Therefore it was assigned into the hands of the private NGN company who tried to change the conventional style of the festival, transforming it into a Rock and Jazz Festival. But, conversely to their expectative, the event had less success. Consequently, in 2009 the traditional Internation al Jazz festival was returned to its roots and was an incredible success. To conclude, as MCCA said: Malta International Jazz Festival is known as a hub for the exchange of musical experience. (http://www.maltaculture.com/content.aspx?id=185294). This implies that the host population, the Maltese people, enjoy this festival and they cooperate each year to improve their music culture more and more. http://www.maltaculture.com/content.aspx?id=185294 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta_Jazz_Festival Another important European music event was the Malta song for Europe where the contests organizer is the PBS Malta (Public Broadcasting Services). The music event nationally selects who will represent Malta in the Eurovision Song contest. This contest is an annual competition founded in 1956 and organized by the European Broadcasting Union. Malta participated for the first time in 1971. During the seventies, however, it participates only twice, in 1972 and 1975 but it returned in 1991. Since then it has taken part in all editions achieving good results. These songs were all sung in English except for the first two, which were sung in Maltese. Malta song for Europe is important for Maltese because they choose who will represent them at the European level by competing with 26 other nations. Moreover, through this festival Malta makes known its own characteristics and skills in whole world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta_Song_for_Europe In addition to these international events there are others nationals such as Malta folk music festival. This is held in 3 days during the first week of June and, as the jazz festival and it is organized by Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. The Malta Mediterranean Folk Music Festival is a wonderful festival of Mediterranean folk music which different types of Ghana songs are played by Maltese folk groups and folk musicians from neighboring Mediterranean countries such as Morocco, Spain and Greece. Furthermore the festival also offers special activities for children and a big number of traditional instruments seminars. In fact, the Maltese are very attached to their culture and traditions and live in a constant state of feast imitating the origins of their folk songs (Arts, 2012). These are just a small part of the musical events that the Maltese island offers. There are many festivals organized by local television broadcast, such as the Isle of MTV, MTV music Award and all the popular festivals which take place in each city in Malta. In general music festivals and events promote tourism in Malta and offer the chance for young people to meet and continue their culture and tradition participating in the Maltese cultural festivals. Contemporary Maltese music Many people were concerned with a question what Maltese music is? One of the ways to present it is to get to know albums that were written by Maltese bands in their native language. There are three of them which can be identified as underground music that you won`t hear on the radio (DEmanuele, 2009). The Brikkuni`s album which called Kuntrabanda is an example of Maltese music and contemporary Mediterranean culture. The band is considered as superb and if you are into music, you won`t pass over the performance to enjoy the authentic voice of local dwellers of the island. Music of the band Xtruppaw sounds punk but it is ranged from continuous rock to country. Their single Diska Cool GÄar-Radio (A Cool Song for Radio) was still quite successful, which is ironically written about the politically lyrics just to be heard on the radio, although their streetwise lyrics are offensive. 3. Album from the annul L-Ghana tal-Poplu (The Song of the People) contains songs from different singers. This festival is different from the others because all singers are singing live which feels acoustic and real. (DEmanuele, 2009) Conclusion

Stereotypes, Stereotyping and Teen Pregnancy :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Teen Pregnancy and Stereotypes Teen pregnancy is increasing yearly. According to the March of Dimes, teenage birth rates have decreased steadily in the country since 1991. Teenage birth rates in the United States remain relatively high compared to the more developed countries. According to the March of Dimes, "nearly thirteen percent of all births in the United States were teens ages fifteen to nineteen. Almost one million teenagers become pregnant each year and about 485,000 give birth (Teenage 1). Babies, as well as the teenage mothers, face long-time problems may face long-term problems from the pregnancy. These problems may include school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness. Babies born to teenagers are at greater risk for neglect and abuse than those of a woman. Teenage mothers may feel like they are being demanded to do the job and they may take their frustration out on the child (When 1). Why are so many teenagers having children at such a young age? What are the parents doing about it? For a long time now, I have thought about these questions. I am a teenager, why aren't I pregnant? Teenage girls feel pressure from their peers. Peers may say to you "Everyone is doing it." You may feel that you need to be part of the group to be "cool". Sometimes you may even feel that you know what you are doing. You think that nothing is going to happen to you until one day, and then you are delivering a baby. Parents are not as smart as they used to be in the sex education area. Many parents are afraid to speak with their children. Some may feel that their children are learning about it in school so why should they say it again. Many teenagers are sent to foster homes because the parents are too busy to take care of their responsibilities. Neglect is a cause for teenagers to get pregnant. They feel that if they have a child that they can be loved. Teen pregnancy, in my opinion, is awful. I feel that young women should not be having children at such a young age. I feel that these teenagers that are having babies are children themselves, and do not know how to take care of them as well as an older, more mature person might.

gay literature :: essays research papers

While sexual difference may not exist between lesbians all other forms of difference do. These include differences of identity: race, class origins, employment status, age, religion, physical abilities - and while we may struggle against these differences within our individual ‘spaces’ they have a material and institutional reality that cannot be wished away What, to you, seems important about the terms gay and lesbian in literature? In the face of a homophobic society we need creative and critical processes that draw out the complexity of lesbian lives and same sex choices, not a retreat into the comforting myths of heroines and unfractured, impeachable identities This quote addresses directly the primary difficulty of the issue. The terms gay and lesbian are useful in literature in that they allow a group of people who have been marginalised and even persecuted to become visible. They enable a way of life and a set of identities, harmonious or conflicting, to be presented, to be questioned, to be understood and accepted. As categories they create ‘space’ in which there may develop a more evolved understanding of texts and they also create a genre within which many lesbian and gay writers are comfortable with being placed. A gendered reading of a text can reveal undercurrents and depths which might otherwise not be apparent. These categories also make ‘space’ for the author within the text which leads to a closer tie between the author and the reader in the reading process. However the danger which this sort of terminology presents is that of homogenising ways both of reading and writing a text. In creating a category one is always not only creating an inclusive zone but in doing so also excluding certain elements. The risk is run of stultifying the creative process through the exclusion by a minority group of the minority groups within. As Bonnie Zimmerman writes in her essay ‘Lesbians like this and that’ By positing the lesbian as ‘excess’ in the patriarchal system we may fail to note the identities that function as ‘excess’ within our own newly created lesbian community. There is a risk of adopting a separatist approach, of placing the categories of gay and lesbian literature outside the mainstream and creating a gay canon but in doing so retaining the underlying values of that ‘patriarchal system.’ How does one avoid replicating the masculinist cultural error of taking the dominant for the universal

Cosi Shows Us That ‘Fairytale Endings’ Do Not Reflect Real Life Essay

Cosi is a play set in the 1970s, when Australia and the world were facing political complexities, such as the conflict against the communist government and the happenning of the Vietnam War. It was a time when people had to choose their loyalties, causing great frustration and tearing the community apart. We are able to see this in Cosi in the lives of two best mates Nick and Lewis, as their priorities and commitments during that period of time, as well as conflicting social views with the rise of different social conventions such as ‘free love’ during the 1970s. It is a play within a play with parallel runnings with Mozart’s opera ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’, both plays explore the meanings of love and fidelity and how Lucy parallels the infidelity of the women in ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’. Nowra also allows us to see how the theatre works its magic, as a therapy not only for the insane but as well as the sane. As we slowly see the cast blossoming towards the end of the play, Lewis ends it by announcing some fateful happenings of the cast such as the deaths of Julie and Henry, giving an unfairytale like ending to the play. However not all had the same fate, we see how Ruth’s obsessive compulsive disorder allowed her to become a â€Å"time and motion expert† and Zac’s eccentricity making him a â€Å"rock and roll† player. ‘Cosi fan Tutte’ main theme is about a woman’s infidelity towards man. Despite the opera being set in the 1700s and facing problems with love and fidelity, it proves that society still hasn’t changed in that perspective with the characters in Cosi mirroring some of it’s values. The ‘free love’ movement during the 1970s also shows how society is becoming much more liberal in character and less conservative. The influence also caused a seperation between the community as some still stick to their conservative views such as Lewis, Nick and Lucy. Lucy redefined the modern meaning of fidelity by claiming she â€Å"only had sex with Nick, but slept with Lewis. † Lewis himself also holds his very bias view on fidelity, despite his obvious attraction towards Julie, he still claims his fidelity by â€Å"not having sex† with Julie even though he kissed her. This shows the society’s gradual evolvement by beginning to define it’s meaning of fidelity with the references to sex only. Nowra allows us to observe the discrimination and social defining ways of the people by beginning the play in a â€Å"burnt out theatre†, displaying the neglect shown towards the mental patients and the seperation it had formed between the sane and insane people. â€Å"They are just people who have done extraordinary things, thought extraordinary thoughts. † Nowra shows the fine line drawn between the sane and insane, and that those in the institution are not always as what the society defines them. The act of isolating mental patients shows the people’s way of dealing with kinks in the society, an easy solution. Julie for instance, is completely sane however has an addiction to drugs, â€Å"They don’t know how to deal with drug users† shows how the people had either the lack of knowledge or wasn’t eager enough to dwell into and solve the problem. Instead, Julie was prescribed more drugs for her habit, which did not break and caused her death in the future with an overdose. Zac also displays the extremities of drug consumption, causing him to have no control over himself and later not being able to appear in the opera. Such as ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’s’ use of Mesmer magnets and Cosi’s use of shock treatment for magnets showed the society’s inefficient way of dealing with problems. Through Cosi, whether insane of sane, the cast blossomed as they progressed on into the play and just like Justin’s main aim â€Å"to bring them out of their shells†, Lewis suceeded. Not only with them but from a shy and confused young man, Lewis came out with a stronger sense of leadership and confidence. He was more certain on what he wanted compared to earlier where he allowed Roy to grab his glory. Lewis broke up with Lucy and learned to console Roy before the opera showing a huge improvement from his character before, he â€Å"proved Roy wrong†. The cast showed lots of gratitude towards him in the end of the play even with Henry stuttering a â€Å"Tttthank you†, who before this could only communicate with the form of â€Å"shaking his head†. Despite his improvement in speech and confidence, Nowra made his fate a sad one showing the unrealistic ‘fairytale endings’, along with Julie’s overdose despite being discharged. Roy had showed no improvement with his continuous enthusiasm over the wards where â€Å"his fellow patients took petitions to get rid of him†. But with Ruth and Zac’s improved careers, Nowra shows that there are still hopes in ‘fairytale endings’.

Institute of Technology Essay

A minor news item featured in MSNBC last month, from which the above excerpt is taken, talks about a 38-year-old aging nuclear power plant in the state of Vermont that is still efficient but appears to pose increasing threat to the environment. The local and state authorities want it to be decommissioned, but the owner of the plant, Entergy corp. , intends to run it for another 20 years. The plant meets one-third of the state’s electricity needs, and the people of Vermont are very much dependent on it for the electricity, of course. But at the same time they have grown distrustful of the quality of management at the plant and the plant’s viability. The future of this plant may not be a national or international concern, but it is a crucial issue for the local people. The fundamental dilemma of the situation here reflects, in microcosm, the vastly larger problem of the future of nuclear-generated electricity as such: should we enthusiastically embrace it or wisely abjure it? Many of the rapidly developing countries of the world, especially, tend to be upbeat about the potential of nuclear power, while in some of the developed countries where nuclear power has been put to use for generating electricity for several decades now there has been an increasing degree of opposition to the continued reliance on nuclear power, from the point of view of threats it poses to the environment. As in the case of Vermont Yankee power plant, the basic conflict in the nuclear power sector is between the potential and the potential risk. The Vermont facility has still the potential to supply a large fraction of the state’s electricity needs for a couple of decades more which is by no means a mean feat, but there are signs, such as the recent tritium leak detected at the plant, of the decreased reliability and robustness of the plant. The Vermont news story provokes the question: Can nuclear power plants be robust and reliable in general? The rewards they proffer may outweigh the risks they pose, but even so, do the rewards far outweigh the risks so that the risks – to the extent they are present – can be considered acceptable? A number of countries of the world have benefitted from nuclear power for several decades now with only one major disaster to speak of so far. But how many closely averted disasters such as the Three-Mile Island incident of 1979 there might have been — it is difficult to estimate. Because, as can be seen in the case of Vermont facility, there is apparently a widespread culture of â€Å"leaks and lies† in the nuclear power sector, which tends to neatly cover up inefficiencies, mismanagement, breaches, increased risks and so on. The world’s experience with nuclear-generated electricity so far could be seen as a trial or an experiment, based on which we are compelled to take decisions regarding the future of nuclear power. Should the world’s reliance on nuclear power be dramatically expanded, as advocated by many nuclear power enthusiasts and as was initially expected when nuclear power technologies were developing in the 1950’s? Or, should we gradually phase out our dependence on nuclear power and switch to much safer alternatives, or should a middle way be adopted? There are many well-informed people who would like to see all nuclear power plants shut down — how far are their fears valid? Literature Review: 1) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2003, 2009) The Future of Nuclear Power: An Interdisciplinary Study. Retrieved from http://web. mit. edu/nuclearpower/ The experts at MIT â€Å"believe† in nuclear power and prominently emphasize the chief advantage of absence of carbon emissions in its production. This study takes a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to assessing the feasibility of nuclear power. While the basic stance of MIT favors the increased use of nuclear power, the risks are not downplayed. The issues that the nuclear industry faces are tackled in a clear and detailed way. The study does succeed in inspiring confidence in the potential of nuclear power. Though the fears and concerns are not really eliminated, they are not simply vague forebodings of doom now but are based on actual facts and conditions. The challenges can be dealt with, in principle, with more commitment and initiative. 2) Biello D. (2009). The Future of Nuclear Power: An In-depth Report. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www. scientificamerican. com/report. cfm? id=nuclear-future This is a 4-part in-depth report featured in the Scientific American magazine in early 2009. The first report, â€Å"Find Fissile Fuel,† explores the issue of availability of uranium and other raw materials for nuclear power. The second report, â€Å"Reactivating Nuclear Reactors for the Fight against Climate Change,† examines the ongoing escalation in nuclear power production in the U. S. â€Å"Spent Nuclear Fuel,† the third part, deals with the major issue of nuclear waste management. The final report, â€Å"Atomic Weight: Balancing the Risks and Rewards of a Power Source,† asks the question: â€Å"Is it worth the minor chance of a major catastrophe? † 3) Department of Trade and Industry, U. K. (2007). The Future of Nuclear Power: The Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon UK Economy. Retrieved from www. berr. gov. uk/files/file39197. pdf This is a UK government white paper / consultation document on the relevance of nuclear power in addressing the issues related to global warming and climate change and ensuring continued energy supplies. Though it is a document of advice and information provided to the UK government to help it make decisions, a consideration of the particularities of the UK situation can be useful in more general contexts. In the UK, nuclear power is already making a significant contribution to the ‘electricity generating mix’ and this paper is inclined to the view that it could make an even more prominent contribution. 4) Mahaffey, J. (2009). Atomic Awakening: A New Look at the History and Future of Nuclear Power. New York : Pegasus Books Mahaffey, a senior research scientist at Georgia Tech Research Institute, has written a book meant to interest laymen about nuclear power and its possibilities. He wants to show us that nuclear energy is not the monster it is portrayed to be; while the risks cannot be completely mitigated it can still be used in a very safe manner. One of the barriers to greater acceptance of nuclear power is the general unfamiliarity of the subject, the degree of alienation between the common man and the tall-standing nuclear reactors. The author seeks to bridge this gap by familiarizing his audience with the subject in an entertaining and engaging manner, largely in a historical perspective. 5) Smith, J & Beresford, N. A. (2005). Chernobyl: catastrophe and consequences. New York : Springer The public perception of nuclear power has radically changed after the Chernobyl tragedy. Ever since, people living in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant are naturally beset with fears that their installation does not turn out to be another Chernobyl. And if a nuclear facility is actually having some known problems, as in the case of Vermont, these fears are vastly exacerbated. In this context it is very pertinent to understand what caused Chernobyl and assess how likely is it for a similar disaster to happen again, for broadly similar reasons. Smith and Beresford’s detailed yet uncomplicated account of the Chernobyl incident is useful for developing a mental picture of the events that led to the 1986 mishap, what really occurred and how it was handled. Methodology: This short paper is built around a minor incident at Vermont’s nuclear power plant and the public reaction to it — with the aim of examining the broader implications of nuclear power to the future of the world. We propose to survey the works cited in the literature review in order to glean the opinions and standpoint of their authors in regard to the risks and rewards presented by the use of nuclear power. A special focus is laid on the Chernobyl incident. Results: — The MIT study of 2003, later updated in 2009, is the one of the most authoritative studies in this field. It begins with what would appear like a sad note that despite the great promise nuclear power holds in regard to significantly restricting earth’s green house emissions, nuclear power is virtually facing stagnation. It recommends a tripling of world’s nuclear generating capacity of the world by 2050 in order to turn around the situation of decline. Doing so would help in cutting 25% of the increment in greenhouse gas emissions which would occur if such a resurgence of nuclear power did not take place. The safety of modern reactor designs is considerably superior to those of the earlier models, and there is very low risk of serious accidents. However, the very low risk associated with modern nuclear reactors holds true only when their operation implements â€Å"best practices. † Proliferation is another major concern in regard to nuclear power generation. With increased use of nuclear power, there is increasing likelihood of misuse of raw materials and technology for manufacturing nuclear weapons. The existing international safeguards regime is far from being adequate, according to the report, to meet the greater security challenges of a global growth in nuclear usage. Especially, the kind of reprocessing system that is used in a majority of nuclear power using countries, including European Union, Japan and Russia, poses unwarranted risks of proliferation. Waste management is yet another major area of concern. Closed fuel cycles involving reprocessing are generally considered to offer waste management benefits, but the study is not convinced of their benefits; improved open fuel cycles can offer just as many benefits and they present diminished security threats along with decreased costs. The study therefore recommends open, once-through fuel cycles for facing both security and waste management challenges in a better way. However, the international safeguards regime needs to be improved, and greater efforts have to be put in by the government and the private enterprise to develop better solutions for the waste disposal problem. Apart from the safety, proliferation, and waste management concerns, the fundamental issue in regard to nuclear power is the cost, which is not yet competitive with the other conventional modes of power generation. However, even this problem is not insurmountable, and various strategies are suggested to increase the economic feasibility of nuclear power. Finally, forebodings and misguided perceptions among the public present a great barrier for creating a movement to expand the world’s nuclear power capacity. This, the report suggests, can be dealt with by implementing an intensive program of public education. — The 4th part of Scientific American’s in-depth feature on the future of nuclear power covers many risky scenarios faced by the American nuclear power sector in the past few decades. The report leads us to conclude that the future of nuclear power in the US largely depends on the quality of management of the nuclear installations. So far the US has a rather impressive track record in running the nuclear facilities, and this consistency is likely to continue. — A chapter in the UK white paper on the future of nuclear power addresses the specific safety and security risks posed by nuclear installations. It stresses on the additional safety features added to the latest models of nuclear reactors: Designers of nuclear power stations have taken this earlier operational experience and learned lessons from previous nuclear events. They have added features to reduce the likelihood of plant failures and to limit the consequences when failures occur. (p. 105) From design to operations and maintenance, rigorous procedures can be developed, and in fact have been developed, which make nuclear energy one of the best options for meeting the electricity needs of UK and Europe. — Mahaffey, in his book ‘Atomic Awakening’ raises many interesting points. He observes, for example, that Chernobyl caused only 55 to 60 deaths (most of them being fire fighters exposed to lethal doses of radiation), whereas the Bhopal incident which took place in 1984 in India killed over 15,000 of the city’s inhabitants. Despite the overblown public fears, the safety record of the nuclear industry world wide is relatively very solid. There is no reason why people should fear nuclear power generation more than they fear many other processes to do with advanced technology. Seen from a safety perspective, nuclear power plants are like airlines: a single disaster can create great fear among the public for air travel, but when we look at the statistical record of safety of airlines and compare them with road transport, airplanes turn out to be vastly safer than cars. — In the early hours of April 26, 1986, a massive nuclear reactor accident took place at the Chernobyl Power Plant in Ukraine. A small test procedure that was being conducted went completely out of control, resulting in two non-nuclear explosions that demolished the heavy ceiling of the reactor and expelled the radioactive contents and waste products of the reactor’s core into the surroundings. Chernobyl is the worst nuclear disaster in the history. It has cast a heavy shadow on the entire nuclear industry which continues to darken the horizons. But we must note that the Chernobyl disaster is a result of bad design compounded by bad management practices and a work culture which flouted all safety considerations. One safety feature after another was deliberately suppressed in order to facilitate the test procedure; serious warnings were callously disregarded. The Chernobyl meltdown occurred as a result of operator incompetence on a huge scale, as was acknowledged by the Soviet official report of the disaster. A group of technicians are directly responsible for this disaster, and they committed six serious violations or errors besides many others. Many of the operators as well as managers in charge at Chernobyl actually knew very little about nuclear technology. Moreover, there were certain high-risk features associated with the RBMK design of the Chernobyl reactors. A Chernobyl can never happen in the Western world because the minimal industrial standards here are far superior to those that prevailed in the Soviet Union during the last years of its existence. Conclusion: Nuclear power plants have been safe and would continue to be safe — in the context of advanced nations. But the real problem comes when we consider nuclear energy in the setting of the developing nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America. All the studies we have dealt with so far focus on the U. S. , U. K. and the E. U. How would nuclear power fare in the volatile developing countries is in fact even difficult to outline even in broad terms. The major obstacle for the Third World Countries in embracing nuclear power is the cost. However, in a bid to develop environment-friendly energy sources, Western nations are engaged in bringing down the costs of production of nuclear power. If they succeed, nuclear power production can spread rapidly in the developing countries of the world, and this can have potentially highly adverse consequences. A Chernobyl can never happen in the U. S. or Europe, but it can very well happen in Angola or Pakistan or Columbia. References: Associated Press. Vermont Town Halls Want Nuclear Plant Shut. MSNBC. Retrieved from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/35687805 Biello D. (2009). The Future of Nuclear Power: An In-depth Report. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www. scientificamerican. com/report. cfm? id=nuclear-future Department of Trade and Industry, U. K. (2007). The Future of Nuclear Power: The Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon UK Economy. Retrieved from www. berr. gov. uk/files/file39197. pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2003, 2009) The Future of Nuclear Power: An Interdisciplinary Study. Retrieved from http://web. mit. edu/nuclearpower/ Mahaffey, J. (2009). Atomic Awakening: A New Look at the History and Future of Nuclear Power. New York : Pegasus Books Smith, J & Beresford, N. A. (2005). Chernobyl: catastrophe and consequences. New York : Springer