Globalization & Migration Essay

Globalization is the interconnected web of communications between countries and different cultures including technology, business and culture. Migration is the movement of people into or out of a different country. Migration increases globalization by creating a greater diversity of cultures, different ideas, and increasing the way the economy grows. The internet is one of the biggest global communication systems. In the 1980s, mail order wives were introduced. Men in the US seeking Asian brides could now simply go onto the internet and find a wife and communicate with them. Men usually want to marry foreigners because they are viewed as more â€Å"exotic† and â€Å"dependent† than women raised in the US. Without the internet (aspect of globalization) there wouldn’t be communication between US men and their possible spouses. Globalized consumerism also affects the topic of the relationship between globalization and migration. When companies are creating a new product, they have to create the design. Once the design is created, the product is made then the company pays for the distribution of the product. The people who make the products are usually immigrants. They do this because â€Å"there is a demand for unskilled labor in the North and because there is a large supply of unskilled workers in the South who are ready and willing to migrate North. † Usually the workers in the South migrate to the North for higher paying jobs. There are great differences in the salary from the South and the salary from the North. In 1995, workers in the US(North) were paid $17. 20 an hour, 71 cents per hour in the Philippines(South), 46 cents per hour in Thailand(South), and 25 cents per hour in China(South). People from third-world countries are also parts of migration and globalization. In 1945, two brothers from Chinantlan, Mexico moved to New York and got jobs mopping floors. As the years passed they pooled their income and started sending the money they saved to their hometown. They began an organization where more of their relatives from Chinantlan joined them in New York and sent money back home to improve their community. By 1990, the organization had already sent $2 million each year. This shows that migration can improve third-world countries and their cities.

Family Business Plan Essay

Besides that, Ming Yi Feeds is operated in the category of control and management of family member. All the important thing and decision is making by themselves but not the outsider. The business is the first generation and established for 8 years. The founder of Ming Yi Feeds Sdn Bhd is not currently planning his retirement and is not deciding to pass the ownership of the company to anyone since he is still young and is able to run the business. The succession factor of the company is the father of the CEO is highly support for the business. And one of the biggest customers of the company is the BM Lean Huat Chan a chicken farming company own by the CEO’s father. The supportive family members of the CEO is participating themselves in the business and the support from their father made the company successful. The business is kept private and confidential to the public as well as their family. The only persons able to access the business information are the CEO and his father. This is because all the business information is crucial to the company like their supplier and customers. The founder does not have any interested to sell their family business, because the owner dreams to remain the business in their family. However, in order to expand their business, shareholder may be required to gain some capital, but the family will still holding the majority share compare to other shareholders. The company is implementing a basic compensation method which is base salary and allowances. However, there is a bonus to every employee every year and the amount is based on the performance in the particular year. Background Information Company address: Plot 31, Jalan Perindustrian Bukit Minyak 9, Taman Perindustrian Bukit Minyak, 14100 Simpang Empat. Telephone No: 04-5078488 Fax No: 04-5086488 Types of Business Entity: Sendirian Berhad Work Force: Presently 20 Staff Member Building Particular: offices 24 X 98 feet Turnover per year: RM 100 million Profit Margin: 0 ~ 1 % Quality Policy Mr. Seah said that they are committed to consistently provide the quality product and services to satisfy or exceed customer’s expectations through continuous process improvement, adequately trained and developed work force and on time delivery. Vision Ming Yi wants to be a competitive manufacturer in agriculture product in Malaysia. Mission Ming Yi Feeds is committed to bringing the best and safe agriculture product to Malaysia agriculture industry through its innovative R&D department, facilities and services offering. Objective Ming Yi Feeds wants to further boost its sale by 10% in the next two years. Organization Chart Role of Family Members Chief Executive Officer – Seah Yeok Chee the CEO is responsible in making decision and ensures the smoothness of the business operation as well as the sale of the company. He is the eldest son in the family. General Manager – Kuo Yee Mei the GM is assisting the CEO in daily operation. She is responsible in maintaining stock level. She is the wife of the CEO Mr. Seah. Financial & Human Resources Manager – Seah Ai Ling the financial and human resources manager is responsible in the financial division in the company as well as recruitment and selection of new employees. She is the sister of the CEO. Operation Manager – Seah Yeok Chew the operation manager is responsible in the feed production process and ensures the quality of the product to meet the standard. He is the younger brother to the CEO. Conflict * Connectivity There is lack of connection between the company and the entire market, because most of materials are come from family member (other business entity in the same family). So, the cost is slightly higher. * Management problem The hierarchy level and the authority are unclear. Which are the difference / gap between first generation (father) and second generation (son). * Concept The company is implementing a conservative approach. The company is not actively sought for new customer and do not take risk in new investment. Solution * The company communicates to the market and gets other suppliers in order to minimize the cost. By this the company found different supplier and compare the price. * The authority among father and son are differentiated clearly. So, the decision made by the son is not affected by the father. In order to achieve the company vision and mission, they do some investment in marketing their product to new customer. Business Activity * Selling feeds * Selling Raw Material to others supplier especially Maize and Soya bean * Others services Raw Material The main raw materials are Maize, Soya bean meal, Corn gluten meal, Broken Rice, Feed Wheat, Salt, Meat and Bone, DCP, Feed Oil / Cooking Oil and Vaccine all the ingredients of grain are l ocally available at low prices but some vitamins other ingredients will need to be imported. Product Manufacturing Process The compound feed preparation process requires 1. High accuracy and precision of weighing 2. Feed ingredient handling and processing 3. Mixing 4. Packing 5. Labeling Process Flow Diagram Compound Feed Process flow of UBM Formula of Feeds R1 – 12 – 10 ( 8107C ) Group| Name| Amount| Big Scale| Corn| 1058| | SBM Hipro| 478| Liquid| Olien / Cooking Oil| 48| Bin| C. G. M | 70| | Feed Wheat| 100| | DDGS ( Low-Pro )| 100| | MBM| 70| Hand-add| D. C. P 18%| 14| | Limestone Powder| 9| | Salt| 0. 50| | Sodium Humate| 10| Premix | Premix Merah| 1 X| | Premix 8107| 1 X| L-Lysine| 9. 84| | DL-Methionine| 6. 58| | Choline Chloride 60%| 2. 40| | Toxisorb| 3. 00| | Natuphos ( 5000G )| 0. 30| | | 1979. 62| Types of Feeds * 8107 Crumbles * 8207 Crumbles * 8207 Pellet * 8307 Pellet * 8107 c is for the chicken ( 1-8 days old ) * 8207c is for the chicken ( 9-14 days old) * 8207p is for the chicken ( 15- 21 days old ) * 8307p is for the chicken ( 22days – selling ) Location Tanker for storage raw material Packaging process Photo of the storage exist Loading process Working condition Weight the feeds and truck before send to the farm

The Origins of Sociology

FK8R 34 Sociology A: Introduction to Sociology Alisha Walsh In the mid 1800’s, French author Auguste Comte came up with the term â€Å"sociology†. Although previous philosophers, historians and political thinkers had studied and tried to make sense of their societies, this was when it began to develop as a distinctive science. Comte grew up in a time of great social and political upheaval. As the world rapidly changed, he and others began to study the societies they lived in.He sought to create a science of society that could explain the laws of the social world just as science explained the functioning of the physical world. (Giddens 2006:11) Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century political revolutions occurring throughout Europe, the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution all lead to previously unseen changes in many societies. The French Revolution of 1789 meant that monarchs of Europe came under severe scrutiny. Subjects began to question their  "divine right† to rule.Ideas of individuals’ rights and their say in how society was run emerged. Political parties and social reform quickly followed. Great scientific discoveries formed a perspective of looking to science and reason to answer questions about the natural and social world. People were turning away from the church, religion and superstition for these answers. The Industrial Revolution 1780-1800 had a profound effect on Britain and laterally Europe. Almost all aspects of life were changed as people became part of the factory system.People moved from rural areas and agricultural jobs to towns where social life was more impersonal and anonymous. They began to work by a clock instead of the rhythms of the season. Traditional values and roles were dropped as new ones evolved. To study Sociology, one must have what C. Wright Mills called a â€Å"sociological imagination†. Sociological thinking and imagination requires us to remove ourselves from our eve ryday lives and experience, and look at them differently. Only then can we realise that individual experience can actually reflect larger issues.He emphasised the difference between â€Å"personal troubles of millue† and â€Å"public issues of social structure†(Mills 2000 :5) This means that the sociological imagination allows us to see that public issues such as war, marriage, the economy, urbanisation etc, can affect the individual as well as personal circumstance and experiences. â€Å"The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two. That is its task and its promise. †(Mills 2000:2) He stated that sociologists must ask three crucial questions: What is the structure of this particular society?Where does this society stand in human history? What varieties of men and women prevail in this society and in the coming period? (Mills 200:3) He believed that as individuals these questions would help us make sens e of our own place and experience in the society we live in and identify its structures and characteristics. He also stated that â€Å"they are the questions inevitably raised by any mind possessing the sociological imagination. For that imagination is the capacity to shift form one perspective to another†.The sociological imagination allows us to be analytical and critical of the world and to look at the bigger picture. There are many sociological theories which attempt to explain how society works. They provide a framework for explaining social behaviour. They find the relation between individuals, groups and society. These theories can be put into two broad categories, macro theories and micro theories. Macro theories such as Functionalism and Marxism look to explaining behaviour through the notion of social structures and look at society holistically.Macro theories tend to use quantitive research when a social theory or model is being explored. Data has to be measurable a nd proccessed mathematically (surveys) to provide unbiased results that can be measured, compared and related to large parts of society (Amit B. Marvasti 2004:7). Micro theories such as social action and symbolic interaction look at individual behaviour and how small scale interactions shape society. Micro theories use qualitive research methods, concentrating on smaller groups but providing more detailed analysis and descriptions of human experience.The experiment can be based around a theory and results are recorded as detailed, narrative descriptions as opposed to numerical codes found in quantitive research (Amit B. Mavasti 2004:10) Functionalism analyses how social structures explain behaviour. Interdependent parts of society have to function together to create a whole system. Biological or mechanical analogies are often used. Functionalism emphasises integration, harmony, stability and continuity. It is a positive perspective that views even tragedies or inequality as serving a function in society. McClelland2001:1) It looks at society as a whole and is good at explaining the persistence of social phenomena (anomie). Marxism also focuses on social structures but is a conflict theory. Society is made up of infrastructure and superstructure. This structure is based on the inequality of distribution of production and causes conflict. It recognises different power interests in groups and is good at explaining conflict and change ( SparkNotes Editors 2006). Social Action theory emphasises the intentional behaviour of individuals as the cause of social structure.Individuals shape society as a result of intentional individual or group interaction. It concentrates on the meaning of social behaviour and its interpretation by others and is good at explaining small scale interactions. According to Anthony Giddens , good sociology must examine both social structures and social interactions. It is how a fuller understanding of social life is achieved (Giddens2005:25) . Socialization, Social order and Social Stratification are three key concepts in sociology that try to explain the relationship between the individual and society.Social order is the way in which societies’ basic requirements are met to exist, how peace and order is maintained. It is obtained formally through laws and through the use of social norms, roles and values. It involves a set of linked structures, institutions and practices that can maintain and enforce conformity and social order (Dr Almog 1998). Functionalist theory views individuals as contributing to social order by happily playing out their occupied roles within social institutions. These roles are guided by the norms and values we learn through socialization and are necessary for society to function (Dr Almog 1998).Marxist theory claims that social order is forced on the individual, norms and values are used by institutions that want to maintain capitalism. They are a way to control the working class (Giddens 2006: 301-302). Social Action theory sees social order as a product of social interactions, symbolic meanings and how they are interpreted by others. The individual is a social actor who will interpret and process social stimuli and makes choices accordingly. Socialization is a lifelong learning process and plays a crucial part in forming our identities. It is the process by which individuals learn the culture of their society† (Haralambos & Holborn 2008:3). The important stage of socialization occurs during infancy. The child learns many basic behaviour patterns of its society by responding to the approval or disapproval of their parents and also by copying their example. In western societies, the educational system, religion, the mass media, the occupational group and peer groups are also important in the socialisation process ( Haralambos & Holbor2008:3).Functionalist theory believes that socialisation reinforces the social structure and maintains society. That it is functional and beneficial to social order. It transfers culture, norms and values to new generations and integrates individuals into society. It is the social glue that holds society together and helps create a sense of harmony and cooperation (Kent McClelland 2001). Marxism sees socialization as one of the most effective tools of the Bourgeoisie.It legitimises existing social inequalities and prepares the individual for a class related role they will fill indefinitely (SparkNotes Editors 2006). Social Action theory believes socialization is relevant in relation to symbols and their interpretation, the development of social identity and the small scale interactions that shape it. Socialisation helps maintain social order (Cardiff University 2010). Social Stratification is the ranking and ordering of individuals within a society. It is a structured hierarchy which leads to divisions and higher status, wealth and privilege for some groups.Social class is the stratification system f ound in modern industrial societies like the UK, but it can also occur due to other attributes such as gender, age, religious education or military rank (Giddens 2006:295) Members of a particular strata will share a similar lifestyle and common identity which will to some extent distinguish them from members of other social strata (H & H 2008:19) A functionalist perspective of social stratification is that it is based on meritocracy and is therefore an inevitable part of all societies.Talcott Parsons believed that social stratifications are a basic expression of shared values which are an essential part of a functioning society. Social stratification is functional because it integrates various groups in society (H& H2008:21) Marxism regards stratification as a divisive structure rather than an integrated one. It is seen as a mechanism for the ruling class to exploit the subject class, rather than a means of furthering collective goals (H & H 2008:27). Various institution s such as legal and political systems are used to dominate the subject class resulting in conflict (H & H 2008:28).Social action theory focuses on how a persons’ social standing affects their everyday interactions. According to Max Webber, social stratification not only involves class but also status and party (social status and political power) (Giddens 2006:302-303). Social action theory studies the processes behind stereotypes, mixed interactions and labelling. Its notes how stratification is a way to put people in groups and questions how much power individuals in these groups have to realise their goals (Cardiff University 2010) ReferencesHaralambos & Holborn (2008) Sociology Themes and Perspectives , 7th Edition, London, Harper Collins Anthony Giddens (2006) Sociology, 5th Edition, Cambridge, Polity Press Amit B. Mavasti (2004) Qualititive Research in Sociology, London, Sage Publications Ltd C. Wright Mills (2000) The Sociological Imagination, 40th Edition, New York , Oxford University Press Inc World Wide Web Page Kent McClelland, Grinnel College 2001 Functionalism (Online) Available: web. grinnel. edu/courses/soc/s00/soc111-01/IntroTheories/Functionalism. tml SparkNotes Editors 2006 Sparknote on Sociology Major Figures (Online) Available: http://www. sparknotes. com/sociology/major-figures/ (Acceseed 31 October 2012) Dr Oz Almog, Electronic Journal of Sociology 1998 The Problem of Social Type: A Review (Online) Available:www. sociology. org/content/vol003. 004/almog. html (Accessed 31 October 2012) Angus Bancroft and Sionead Rogers, Cardiff University 2010 Max Weber-Natural Science, Social Science and Value Relevance (Online) http://www. cf. ac. uk/socsi/undergraduate/introsoc/weber6. html

The Chernobyl disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Chernobyl disaster - Essay Example There were economic, technological and political factors alongside the almost complete lack of effective health and safety measures were highly evident causes of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Indeed despite its then status as a military superpower in the mid 1980s the Soviet Union had serious problems that the Chernobyl nuclear disaster amply demonstrated. By the mid 1980s the Stalinist era economic planning and one party political systems of the Soviet Union were beginning to show their age and their propensity for economic failure, administrative inefficiency, and declining political legitimacy. More ominously the Soviet Union’s outdated industries were a danger both to its own people, other countries, as well as the environment. The strain of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and a renewed a nuclear arms race with the United States were not taken by the stagnant economy (White, 1990). The main economic and political institutions as well as it systems dated back to the infrastructure constructed by Stalin in the late1920s and the 1930s. The collectivisation of agriculture and industrialisation had been achieved at great human cost, with political obedience and loyalty to the Communists counting for more than efficiency or ability to do their jobs (James, 2003 p. 53). When such an approach was typical of the managers and the workers of nuclear power stations it was always a potential cause of accidents. The Soviet Union had suffered horrendous losses during the Second World War which were partially compensated by the gaining of satellite states in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the desire to prevent itself being invaded ever again (James, 2003 p. 301). Yet the onset of the Cold War meant that the Soviet Union took undue risk in both its civil and its military nuclear programmes in order to generate electricity and make atomic weapons as quickly as possible. Undue risks that

Identify a current business issue Research Paper

Identify a current business issue - Research Paper Example This has caused businesses to take a step back and consider ethics seriously. Companies rely on auditors and accountants for their financial processes. For this reason, a strict code of ethics should be followed by accounting professionals. Even though it is common to find unethical behavior in accounting professions, ethics in accounting is vital because it is important to ensure a correct and clear financial image of a business, to instill confidence and trust with stakeholders and the public and to prevent fraud, embezzlement or financial scandals. Ethics are the backbone of any business and it is vital that ethics are implemented within the accounting and bookkeeping systems of an organization (Axline, 1990). Like other operating bodies involved in business activities, Accountants also need to focus on ethics set by the company in order to solve the problems and complexity that they will encounter. For example, the capital markets’ need to focus on the broken up profits th at may attract an organization’s management authorities to bend or even break accounting rules to inflate reported net income. In these situations, technical competence is not enough to resolve the dilemma (Hoffman, 1996). Qualitative Research The chosen method of qualitative research for conducting research on Ethics in Accounting is literature review, which facilitates the researcher to read and analyze the collected data from various sources and incorporate it in his research. Hypothesis Even though it is common to find unethical behavior in accounting professions, ethics in accounting is vital because it is important to ensure a correct and clear financial image of a business, to instill confidence and trust with stakeholders and the public and to prevent fraud, embezzlement or financial scandals. Literature Review Ethics are said to be an intangible asset of any organization and a key to success as it a system which is led by the moral and fair systems helps distinguishi ng the wrong or right. Problems in ethical system are, infect, a situation faced by a group of persons or by an individual, and to solve these ethical problem, they need to get complete information (â€Å"Role of Ethics in Accounting†, 2011). According to Axline (1990) in his journal about accounting, ethics are the backbone of an organization and play a vital role in the development of the organization. As the importance of ethics is increasing, organizations are becoming more conscious about the ethical system in their book keeping and accountancy. Ethical environment in the accountancy and book keeping is now subject to scrutiny and criticism from the media, regulators, and public interest groups (Axline, 1990). Although accounting is a very helpful record of a business and it is a most valuable sort of knowledge, people who are directly or indirectly related to the firm believes that the accounting records should be same like a pure science and it should be strong enough to solve some problems of the firm. Similar to the medical and legal professions, society is also obligate to give grants to the public accountants some extra and especial rights which help them improving their performance and handle certain activities with more proficiency as they are suppose to get something good in return (Mautz, 1988). Professional practitioners are always on the higher expectations of the public and they are

How Religion would Respond to Today's Issues Essay

How Religion would Respond to Today's Issues - Essay Example This paper analyses the ways in which religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam respond to today's issues. Hindu religion consists of different castes such as Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras and Chandalas (Jayaram). Brahmins are the upper class caste while Chandals are the lower class caste in Hindu caste system. In other words racism appears in the form of caste system in Hindu religion. Hinduism considers poverty as a virtue rather than curse. In other words, Hindus do believe that the sufferings or poverty in this world is good for getting salvation. Hindus are not much aggressive like some of other religions. They will try to avoid war and murder as much as possible. They are peace loving people which are evident from the fact that India never tried to attack Pakistan even though Pak terrorists created so many problems in Indian soil in the recent past. Hindus normally do not believe in sex activities outside a marital relationship. However, in some of the Hindu castes, keeping more than one wife is allowed. Hindu women command huge respect from Hindu men and it should be note d that some of the goddesses of Hindu religion are females such as Sita, Lakshmi and Saraswathy. Hindus do believe in democratic administrations and they are the strong advocates of freedom and individuality. Education is considered as an essential activity by Hindu religion. Perhaps Buddhists are the most liberal and peace loving people in the world. They hate all types of war and murder activities. Killing of even an insect is a sin in Buddhism. Racism in any form cannot be witnessed in Buddhism. Freedom and liberties are much respected terms in Buddhism. Truthfulness is the major land mark of Buddhism. Buddhism advocates normal sex activities for layman. However, â€Å"Complete sexual continence is considered an essential feature of the monastic life. Intercourse of a heterosexual or homosexual character is automatically a Parajika offense† (Walshe). Capitalism and injustices are unacceptable to Buddhism. Taoism give more emphasize to living in harmony with the environment or nature. Taoism believes in the ancestor spirits and immortals. Taoists believe in a peaceful life filled with happiness. So, war and murder like activities are unacceptable to Taoism. Even though Taoism considers sex as a vital component in the relationship between men and women, it never advocates crazy sex habits or unnatural sex. As per the beliefs of Taoism, â€Å"a strong military was an important tool in human relations, but the conduct of warfare was an absolute last resort. Its consequences so potentially harmful that it had to be understood completely and practiced flawlessly when required†(Davis). Confucianism believes in humanity more than any other religions in the world. It has not much customs or rituals compared to other religions. War and crimes are unacceptable to Confucianism. â€Å"Confucius regarded himself as a transmitter, not the originator, of social values and wisdom† (Dr. Sprunger). Judaism, Christianity and Islam are three Abrahamic relig ions. Even though the origins of these three religions have some common elements, their beliefs are entirely different. Islam does not hesitate to conduct wars against the enemies. In fact killing of enemies of religion is a sacred act in Islam. Jews and Christians are also seeing no dangers in conducting wars even though they are not much adamant in religious belief and thoughts. Jews and Christians give more freedom to the sexual life. Homosexuality is practiced among Christians and Jews even though their religious beliefs are against it. On the other hand such things are punishable acts in Islam. Muslim males can keep

PDR and Gnatt chart for the data access project Research Paper

PDR and Gnatt chart for the data access project - Research Paper Example For this project a student and faculty web-portal design will be created to give both students and faculty members separate access towards their past performance records, quizzes, assignments and other data track record and access. Executive summary To resolve the problem we recommend implementing a web portal for students so that they can access their records off the normal process of using the university website. We reviewed other alternatives but the proposed solution is selected because it will save the institution extra cost and also will save the university the trouble of maintaining two different websites, for students and for visitors. The technology for the solution meets our long term goals of faster internet access and reliability in accessing records for students. The solution dovetails with our current operating environment where we have implemented strategic systems that help students in their studies. The project is expected to cost $306640 and require 2 months to comp lete. Specific benefits this project provides are faster access to student records, assured security of the data and reliability in accessing details for students. ... This problem can also be solved by making proper networking in the college networking department. This networking will help to differentiate the portal of faculty and students so that their treatment and privacy can be individually managed without intervening in each other’s portal or access point. Alternatives We reviewed other alternatives like if we could create a different website that would be used by students and teachers alone. We thought this alternative would not make sense because the website would be congested after some time and implementing security and authentication in a normal website would also be tedious. By implementing a web portal, we would still use the same domain name that we already have. Stakeholders The stakeholders of the project include students and members of staff. They will benefit from the project directly. With regard to the above-mentioned networking and portal services solutions, the students and faculty will be directly affected. They will gain a number of benefits out of these services in different forms including fast service, rapid access to their accounts, and an increase in student and faculty productivity as well. This Project will also help new and potential students who visit the college website to retrieve information (i.e. admission and course schedules) in an efficient manner. Scope/SOW The project will entail developing a web portal that will address the data access issues for faculty members and students. This does not however mean that the project will come up with a separate website to be used by these groups. It is developing a different system that will be integrated with the website which will help students and faculty members to access various records. The web portal that is being developed in

Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Assignment 1 - Essay Example The information obtained from management accounting system help facilitate this objective. For example the management of an organization can use management information to determine which products to drop outsource or produce in house. The information used in planning can then be used as standards against which future performance can be evaluated. This then forms a basis for controlling output or inputs ad determined from the variance. In management accounting, the decision maker is able to forecast an activity and the required input, such as labour time and cost for production, which helps in planning to determine the feasibility of the project. During actual production, he costs incurred are used to evaluated performance and determine the necessary course of action through control mechanism (Needles, Crosson, & Powers, 2002). Management accounting information is also used in decision making is to; generate information that is useful in helping the management allocate costs between costs of goods sold and inventory for internal and report profit to external users Financial accounting is a term used to describe the process of maintains a system of accounting records such as revenues, and exoenses for business transactions and other items of financial nature and reporting the financial position and fianacial performance of an entity. The main purpose of financial accounting is to provide information to external users such as investors, banks and shareholder (Needles, Crosson, & Powers, 2002). The scope of financial accounting concretes on the external users of financial information of the company. Therefore accounting information is useful in acquisition of financial resources from lenders banks and other financial institutions that depend on such information to make decisions. From a company’s financial information a bank is able to determine the ability of a firm to pay interest on bonds. Financial accounting

Presentations of Attack of Pearl Harbor PowerPoint Presentation

Presentations of Attack of Pearl Harbor - PowerPoint Presentation Example This paper and exposition would thus analyze and contextualize the main components of a database set. To begin with, there is the tables which are diagrammatic representations and intuitions which are mostly used to store data. It is needless to mention the fact that without tables, a database would not be complete and it would not be referred to as a database. Once a person logs in to an excel or a database page, there are rows and columns which would be labeled and named according to the information they store (Chays & Deng, 2003). For example, if it is row and column on teachers-then such a row would be called teacher while the columns may be the names of the people. Other variables may be entered such as numerical and dates. Intuitively, there are queries which refer to the primary questions concerning the data contained in the database. It is important to note and mention that that queries encompass specific records, summaries or fields which may be required or needed from the database. In principle, queries allow a user to obtain information based on the defined criteria by a user. Forms are also a component which seek to reduce the challenge and ease the process of data entry. In the conventional sense and knowledge, most scientists and scholars prefer to use tables for data entry other than tables since they look more appealing and presentable. Report on their part have print records to present the contained and encompassed information or data. Similarly, there are other components of a database discussed below here in. There is the space for index which is a customization which allows for a person to retrieve and obtain information much faster and with ease. In principle, the index allows the user to get the information easier and faster. For example, the person or the user would customize information as using the First or last name of the columns and rows. This is to say that an index is unique to differentiate itself from other items and

To what extent do governments shape the global oil economy In your Essay

To what extent do governments shape the global oil economy In your analysis, consider the role of nature, industrial structure and war - Essay Example Constant discovery of new oil fields is necessary to avoid depletion of current reserves; however this is challenging from both economic and business perspectives. For instance, in Canada the oil reserves are difficult to correctly measure because of technological difficulties leading to high cost involvement. On the other hand, oil reserves in Alberta which are now considered second largest oil reservoir were considered as non-economical to develop in past decades (Inkpen, 2012, p.2). One of the most important aspects of oil industry is that rich and poor nations alike are consumers of oil. However, since oil is location-specific therefore only a specific number of nations are major oil producers of the world. Over the last decades, the developed nations have become leading importers of oil which has resulted in severe geographical and political issues. Oil industry is one sector which has experienced large scale government interventions and regulations ranging from taxation to cont rol over production. OPEC â€Å"represents government intervention on a global scale† (Inkpen, 2012, p.4). For five years Saudi Arabia which is OPEC’s largest producer country controlled price by reducing production during phases of excessive supply and increased production during phases of low supply. It could afford because of low population and excessive production. Thus Saudi Arabia along with other OPEC members strived to maximize their oil revenues in the short run (Spero & Hart, 2009, pp.346-347). OPEC’s goal is to sustain the bargaining power on oil producing countries by controlling price. The idea is to ensure smooth distribution of oil to consumers, producers getting their regular profits and investors earning fair returns. However, OPEC’s capacity to fulfill its mission is controversial since increasing oil prices in the 1980s resulted in storing up of oil by producing countries and new exploration

Art History (Michelangelo) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Art History (Michelangelo) - Essay Example The placing of David outside of the Florentine government created a symbol for freedom and protection for the residents of the city. Instead of portraying King David from the Scriptures after defeating Goliath, Michelangelo decided to show David before the great battle with Goliath. The slingshot hanging casually over his back show David’s fearlessness fulfilling Catholicism theory that David had God on his side. The muscle toned young man Michelangelo depicted was another portrayal of the heroic nude. The heroic nude of David could be considered as the strength of God through a human in this instance. Although a famous sculpture, David does have a flaw. The most noticeable flaw is the fact that David is uncircumcised. Michelangelo learned to draw nudes from the morgue of Florence, but probably never seen an unclothed Jewish man. Even if he did see an circumcised male, the questions of placing a circumcised male in view of the public would have been too controversial. David fulfilled a prideful purpose for the city of Florence. A strong looking Italian David stood guard over the government. The calmness in the statue’s face shows no fear in the face of an enemy. David reassured the Florentines no matter the other

Literature Review of 14-19 Education Essay Example for Free

Literature Review of 14-19 Education Essay Abstract This literature review compares research conducted and articles written about the development of 14-19 education and the changes it has gone through since 2002. It briefly outlines the initial implementation of 14-19 education during the Thatcher government before going on to concentrate on how the Labour government introduced Diplomas and what the Coalition government are doing to push this agenda forward. It asks whether academic and vocational education can ever be valued equally and whether the introduction of 14 year olds in further education establishments is successful or not. The majority of the literature was commissioned either by the government or conducted in 14-19 educational establishments. Similarities and comparisons between the research are identified and questions are asked as to how successful it might be in the future. . History of 14-19 Education The idea of 14-19 education was introduced in 1983 by the Conservative government under its leader Margaret Thatcher. The first development was called the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI), and was a pilot scheme was rolled out into schools and colleges in1988. The scheme was run by the Manpower Services Commission (MSC,) which came under the Department of Employment not the Department of Education and Science. Jeremy Higham and David Yeomans point out in the London Review of Education (2011) that, from 1988 to 2002 14-19 vocational education was on simmer and it was not until 2002 under the New Labour government that we saw renewed enthusiasm to for this area of education. The initiative came from the Curriculum 2000 Reform of Advance Qualifications. Between 2002 and 2010 the focus was back on the progression of our young people and, essentially, the future of our work force. The Labour government commissioned an independent enquiry by Mike Tomlinson in 2004 who proposed a new vision for 14-19 education, recommending the introduction of Diplomas. These would build on the strengths of the education system already in place. However the government rejected this and decided to keep GCSE and A levels but to offer diplomas as an alternative the initiative gained respect from schools, colleges and local authorities. Diplomas were introduced in 2008 but have not been successful in gaining credit in industry or education; this has brought forward many issues relating to 14-19 education from teaching and learning, funding, employer contributions and the integration of school age pupils in FE colleges. The current Coalition government commissioned Alison Wolf to review 14-19 education in 2011. Academic/Vocational Education and Funding A major divide in 14-19 education is attitudes towards academic and vocational training. To give equality and value to both sides of what is still an educational ‘divide’ we need to alter society’s thinking and social attitudes. The review of the 14-19 Green Paper by the Department for Education (2002) states that, ‘Pushing for parity of esteem in the current educational climate leads to ‘academicising’ vocational subjects. It was felt by some that the vocational was being forced into the traditional classroom-dominated achievement environment, rather than realistically accepting the different teaching and assessment demands of vocational courses. ’ (DfES, 2002) Even though there are differences between the academic and vocational routes, teaching and assessment methods have to be different, can the value of learning and the qualification be equal? The DfES review does state that to make attitudinal changes requires substantial investment as well as long term consultation and marketing campaigns which they compare to the commitment to improving the long term plan of the National Health Service (NHS). Connexions consulted with learners in 2001 to gain their view on government papers entitled: Green paper-Schools: Building on Success, 2001 and white paper-Schools: Achieving Success, 2001. The focus group of learners conducted by Connexions produced a positive response. Learners were enthusiastic about being asked to participate in the consultation and formulating opinions on education, they concluded that, ‘†¦the choice of core subjects was generally right. They wanted to maintain the entitlement to study a modern foreign language, design and technology, the arts and the humanities. The subjects, deemed essential for personal development for example citizenship (which is to be introduced as a statutory subject within the National Curriculum from September 2002), religious education, sex and health education, physical education, work related learning and careers education should all be compulsory although not necessarily studied to GCSE level if the young person does not want to. ’ (Connexions, 2002) Regarding the discussion on the equality of academic and vocational training young people were of the opinion that, ‘vocational pathways needed to be heavily publicised to young people themselves, employers and higher education institutions so that the pathways became quickly established to form part of the traditional pathways for entry to higher education. ’ (Connexions, 2002) Comparing the two opinions, the DfES review of the 14-19 Green Paper by the Department for Education and the consultations conducted by Connexions both from 2002. The DfES wanted to take their time to ensure development of 14-19 education was more successful, but the learners wanted action to be quick, as they could see the benefit of changing views and progression. This showed that they want to progress and do have aspirations of Higher Education (HE). Tomlinson’s (2004) VE proposal was not taken on board fully, only in part with Diplomas being introduced as an alternative to GCSE and A Levels. Do we need a radical reform of 14-19 education as he suggested? To change deep rooted attitudes and opinions in society about academic and vocational education, maybe it is necessary. An article in the guardian stated prior to launch of the diplomas, ‘We have never seen big new public qualifications arrive with so little input from people who have experience in qualifications and teaching. ’( Meikle 2007) It would seem that the implementation of diplomas has been rushed; therefore they have not achieved the status needed to change opinions. In response to Tomlinson’s (2004) proposals for diplomas the Nuffield Review (2009) asks the question, who is responsible for the Vocational Training Education system? In the UK it is not clear, but does include a long list of people: parents, students, the government, education and training providers and employers. Vocational courses have been seen to have less value than traditional educational routes with fewer opportunities to progress to HE and advanced qualifications but, as Alison Wolf (2011) points out, other countries have reformed their systems and increased numbers of students taking two and three year learning programmes. She states, ‘Bringing vocational pathways into a single framework would give formal equality of standing between, academic, vocational, and mixed pathways, recognise areas of overlap between them; provide opportunities to combine, transfer, and progress between them; and ensure greater educational content within vocational programmes. It would make them easier for learners to identify progression routed to advanced level and beyond. ’ (Wolf, 2011) Wolfe (2011) agrees with the views of Tomlinson (2004) over the integration of academic and vocational education. With this in mind, as well as the research from the DfES and Connexions I quoted earlier, I believe it is the roles and responsibilities that need definition, from the education and political establishments to all people involved as well as those undertaking the training. However, a structured achievement and progression route in VE is necessary to engage employers and bring value to FE training and qualifications if we are to see equality between academic and vocational training. Wolf has recommended that the government extends funding up to the age of 24, as not all students will have achieved a Level 2/3 by the age of 19. To ensure students achieve their potential in Maths and English, extending funding was also proposed. Wolf criticised the funding structure at present, saying that it gave colleges the incentive to create programmes for profit but not for the benefit of the students. She agreed with Foster‘s opinion in 2005, and The Nuffield Review 2009, that funding should follow the learner encouraging institutions to collaborate which would integrate education and provide the best educational programme for each individual student: ‘Policy levers, i.e. funding and performance measures, should focus on collective action rather than promote institutional competition’ (Nuffield, 2009) Funding used as a ‘policy lever’ could achieve more integration of academic skills into vocational areas. Teaching and Learning and Inspection VE has been taught in FE colleges because they are equipped for vocational subjects. Schools have primarily chosen classroom based vocational subjects as they do not have the facilities to offer practical vocational learning, which defeats the object of VE. The opening of new educational establishments currently planned to open between now and 2014 University Technical Colleges (2012) (UTC) will give VE an identity of its own as well as integrate it with the national curriculum. Compulsory education to the age of 18 will be introduced from 2013 with more opportunity and choice being given to students to access VE making it more important than ever to progress 14-19 education. Issues were raised during research by the Learning and Skills Research Network (LSRN) who researched ‘the capacity of the teachers and their institutions to meet the needs of younger learners’ (Harkin, 2006). For example, the college environment could be overwhelming and frightening, especially at lunchtimes. The research questioned who was responsible for the students, were they mature enough to be treated in an adult way? This identified conflicting views: some teachers thought they needed supervision all the time at college but others commented that colleges were not ‘in loco parentis’, but still had a duty of care. They did, however say that college support in the classroom was essential to maintain the safety of the student as well as managing behaviour. In conclusion, it was identified that getting feedback from 14-16 year old students about teaching and learning was difficult due to their unpredictability and poor literacy skills. For example, discussion was often an alien concept for formulating and articulating their opinions and views, it is a more andragogical approach, one not used enough in a school environment for them to feel confident in expressing themselves. FE tutors need to have a clearer understanding of how teaching is carried out in schools, as it probably follows a more pedagogical approach. To ensure that college tutors adapt their teaching to the needs of younger student the TLRC said that, ‘There is a particular need for pedagogical training, rather than training in behaviour management, and for staff to understand the prior attainment of the students’ (Harkin, 2006, p. 36) I feel that there is a need for behaviour management training during professional development as it complement teaching and learning in the classroom. The Nuffield Review (2009) highlighted the importance of teachers being central to the planning of the curriculum for 14-19 year olds, ‘Teaching quality and the relationship between teachers and learners is central to successful education. This requires a respect for the profession of teaching – for the role of teachers as the custodians of what we value and as the experts in communicating that to the learners. Teachers should be central to curriculum development, not the ‘deliverers’ of someone else’s curriculum. (Nuffield, 2009) Tomlinson (2004) said that the quality of learning depends ‘heavily on the quality of the teaching’ and that teachers would need time to develop their own skills in their subject area to keep up to date and inspired, especially in vocational teaching. Foster (2005) also said that, more emphasis was needed on updating professional knowledge and industry development and even suggested sabbatical and secondment opportunities between education and industry. This I feel is idealistic in today’s economic climate but I have in recent years seen increased opportunities to update professional skills within my own teaching establishment. He also asked that FE colleges improve employability and skills in their local area to contribute to economic growth and social inclusion and offer a range of courses that have solid foundations. With these extra roles are FE colleges spreading themselves too thinly? FE colleges are like the ‘middle child’ aiming to please both compulsory education and higher education as well as employers. How can they do this most effectively and gain respectability for the diversity they offer both in courses, abilities, social backgrounds and disabilities of their students? Foster 2005 compared the situation in this country to the one in America where they have no formal inspection process and colleges have a strong self-regulation policy. Giving responsibility and trust to our colleges would see the higher levels of achievement already evident in America. Assessment of institutions is an added pressure. Working in English education we have come to accept it, but is the English system’s controlling, heavy- handed approach necessary? Foster compared Britain with its European neighbours and concluded that they had a much lighter touch. Such development here would give FE tutors more self-esteem, less pressure and more time to teach. Employer contribution FE has always had to promote and build strong relationships with industry and employers, including, supporting apprenticeships and work experience, and forming partnerships with employers to develop qualifications and make them relevant to industry. The TLRP in 2006 concluded that, ‘We need a sector-by sector analysis of the distinctive role apprenticeship can play in providing the knowledge and skills required in the contemporary economic and occupational context. Further and higher education, as well as employer bodies and trade unions, need to be involved in a forward-looking partnership that lifts the work-based route out if its social inclusion ghetto’ (The Teaching and Learning Research Programme 2006, p.40) In 2004, Foster commented that the LSC National Skill Survey of 2004, found that only 15%, of employers had made use of FE colleges when enquiring about training and skills needed in industry. Whilst Tomlinson ( 2004) wanted to reform 14-19 education and merge VE and academic learning, he had no view on how industry and employers would be an imperative and central part of the development in VE. College qualifications and skills teaching will not stand up to industry standards if employers are not consulted thoroughly. They need to be consulted initially to develop qualifications that are relevant as well as periodically to integrate changes, updates and progression within industry. Links with employers have traditionally been through apprenticeships, mainly for 16-18 year olds. The introduction of adult apprenticeships has had an impact on apprenticeships available to young people as older apprentices can offer life skills and additional qualifications to an employer, The Wolf Report confirms this, stating that 19+ students with A levels took the majority of Advanced Apprenticeships. In 2008/9 there was a 7% fall in the number of 16-18 year olds starting on apprenticeships. This was due to the promotion of adult apprenticeships as well as the economic downturn of the country. With the age of compulsory education rising and a lack of apprenticeships being offered by employers, it will be important to strengthen the links with employers to help young people stay in education, learn valuable skills and contribute to society for our future work force. The Wolf Report (2011) highlighted the need for employer engagement, saying that employers have gradually been ‘frozen out’ of the way VE operates. Strengthening links between employers and VE is one of Wolf’s major recommendations, as well as prioritising the development of apprenticeships and work experience and increasing the involvement of employers in FE colleges to improve employability. Her report recommendations summed up below, state; ‘Implementing its recommendations should raise the quality of provision, increase the time spent teaching and thinking about students, reduce the time spent on pointless bureaucracy, increase young people’s skills in critically important areas and make a real difference to young people’s ability to obtain employment’ (Wolf, 2011, p.144). From the TLRP report 2006 and the Wolf Report 2011, 5 years apart, has much changed or been implemented? Working with employers, I have seen the effect of the economic decline in employment opportunities and feel that some of the changes necessary are beyond the power of education specialists and need to come from alternative government policies to increase employment opportunities. The future The future involves change and evolution of what we have in place at present to ensure FE tutors keep up to date with knowledge and skills. The government have introduced 13 University Technical Colleges (UTC) which will start to open in September 2012, with a government commitment to another 24 and plans for 100 in the next 5 years. UTCs are linked to a university and will be open all year round with a timetabled day between 8. 30am and 5. 30pm and cater for between 600-800 students. They will cover academic subjects in Maths, English, Sciences, Humanities and Languages as well as transferable employment skills. UTC students will have two specialist vocational subjects i. e. Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing. The lengthened day will ensure that all homework, enrichment and work experience is covered in the timetable. FE colleges will have the opportunity to become co-sponsors but they will be led primarily by a university. Does this reduce the role of FE colleges? more seems designed to strengthen the progression forward to HE and not FE, whereas Foster (2005) described FE as essential to widening participation in HE and removing barriers. Another emerging education route is Studio Schools which will be state-funded and accommodate 300 students, time tabled between 9am and 5pm. Six are already open with another 6 planned by the end of 2012. They will teach through community projects, enterprise and work experience. By focussing on how subjects are delivered they may be able to contribute to closing the divide in vocational and academic education. These 2 different types of establishments are similar in the way they are designed to transform of 14-19 education, such as opening times and their work and the community experiences approaches to learning. The biggest difference is the number of students enrolled. It seems that large academies have been growing over the last couple of years with numbers in excess of 1000 students. Throughout the research I have read there has been no mention of class sizes. It has been proved in the past that some students do not flourish in a large class environment but yet no one has thought to research this. I think on occasions students become a number and I hope that in the future we can still personalise education for the individual as they are all unique. Conclusion During this literature review I found a diverse range of opinions articles written about VE and academic education and how they can be both valued in society . In January 2012 Alison Wolf backed the action to remove the equivalency of GCSE’s from most vocational subjects. I feel this widens the gap of value between the two education routes but, UTC’s and Studio Schools offer alternatives and it may be an advantage to separate academic and VE entirely. Through this research I have looked at many areas, concerns and government policies and one of the areas that I think is more important and has a direct relationship to teaching is how 14-16 years old learners integrate into FE colleges and whether learning is appropriate and meets their needs this is an important consideration that requires more research. Word Count-3100 Bibliography Connexions. (2002). Results of the Connexions Service consultations held with young people on the green paper. 14-19: extending opportunities, raising standards. Connexions. DfES. (2002). 14-19 green Paper Consultation Workshops Review. DfES. Foster, A. (2005). Realising the Potential, A review of the future of further education colleges. Nottinghamshire: DfES Publications. Nuffield Foundation. (2009). Educational for All The Future of Education and Training for 14-16 Year Olds. The Future of Education and Training for 14-16 Year Olds. Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2011). London Review of Education, Vocational education and training in the spotlight:back to the future for the UKs Coalition Government. London: Routledge. Harkin, J. (2006). Behaving like adults:meeting the needs of younger learners in further education. London: Leaning and Skills Council. Higham, J and Yeomans, D. (2011). Thirty years of 14-19 education and training in England: Reflections on policy, curriculum and organisation. London Review of Education, 217-230. Hodgson, A. and Spours, K. (2010). Journal of Education and Work, Vocational qualifications and progression to higher education: the case of the 14-19 Diplomas in the English system. London: Routledge. Hodgson, A. and Spours, K. (2011). London Review of Education, Educating 14-19 year olds in England: a UK lens on possible futures. London: Routledge. Hodgson, A. , Spours, K. , and Waring, M. (2005). Higher Education, Curriculum 2000 and the future reform of 14-19 qualifications in England. London: Routledge. Huddleston, P, Keep, W, Unwin, L,. (2005). Nuffield Review of 14-19 Education and Training Discussion Paper 33, What might the Tomlinson and white paper proposals mean for vocational education and work based learning? Teaching and learning Research Programme (2006). 14-19 Education and Training. London: Teaching and Learning Research Programme. Teaching and Learning Research Programme. (2006). 14-19 Education and Training:A Commentary by the Teaching and Learning Research Programme. London: Teaching and Learning Research Programme. Tomlinson, M. (2004). 14-19 Curriculum and Qualifications Reform, Final Report on the Working Group on 14-19 Reform. Wolf, A. (2011). Review of Vocational Education-The Wolf Report. Websites Studio Schools Trust. n. d. [online] Available at: www. studioschooldtrust. org [Accessed 30 January 2012] University Technical Colleges. n. d. [online] Available at:. www. utcolleges. org [Accessed 30 January 2012] Newspaper Articles Baker, L. (2011). ‘Wolf’s backing of vocational training is great, but she ducks the question of how much it will cost ‘The Times Educational Supplement. 25 March 2011, p. 31. Meikle, J. (2007) ‘Diplomas being introduced too fast, warns MP’s’, The Guardian. 17 May 2007. [online] Vasager, J. (2012). ‘Thousands of vocational qualifications to be stripped out of GCSE league tables’. The Guardian. 31 January 2012. [online] Wolf, A. (2012) ‘An end to qualifications that have no real value’ The Guardian. 31 January 2012. [online].

Examining media representation of mental disorders

Examining media representation of mental disorders In the following assignment we will discuss the way of media representation of mental disorder. Additionally, a brief description of the film Me, Myself Irene will take place in order to understand how the media misrepresent mental disorder. Furthermore, we will try show the real relationship between violence and mental disorder and thus, how accurate are media portrayals of this mental health problem. Ultimately, we will explain the impact of negative media representation on the mentally ill people and on the public. Mass media representation of mental disorder is negative and describes mentally ill people as monsters. Medias sovereign depictions of mental health problems appear to emphasize violence, dangerousness and criminality as long as Poor, unbalanced press coverage of mental health issues fuels stigma and reduces the quality of life for sufferers, says a leading charity (www.news.bbc.co.uk). This inappropriate representation causes severe stigma, moral panic, ostracism, as well as discrimination and victimization of these individuals. Me, Myself Irene, is a comedy film directed from the Farrelly brothers and was released in U.K on September 22, 2000. The plot of the movie is about one mentally ill man Charlie Baileygates who is passive and generally peaceful. He has split personality and thus his alter ego (Hank) is aggressive, foul-mouthed and violent. Charlie has been diagnosed with delusionary schizophrenia with involuntary narcissistic rage, and whenever Charlie does not take his medication, Hunk takes his place causing several problems because of his turbulent mental state. His behaviour becomes obscene as he defecates on a neighbours lawn and suckles from a strangers breast. This uncontrolled rage makes Hank to make fun of one man with albinism who explains that he killed his entire family but was released early just to make room for psychos. Both Charlie (good) and Hank (evil) try to protect Irene from a gang of corrupt cops who want her dead. Menacing Hank insults and punches nearly everyone he encounters and Irene apologises all the time for Hanks behaviour, explaining that he is a schizo. The film raised many dilemmas about its inappropriate presentation of mental health problems and lot of people argues that the film makes fun of mentally ill people and perpetuates ugly stigmas about mental illness. Me, Myself Irene is a perfect example of what the media represents about the relationship between violence and mental disorder, and as Thornicroft (2006) claims, schizophrenia is often linked to violence in films and media. This can be seen in my case example, when Hank assaults a group of people and also when starts to drown a young girl who has insulted him. The media today has become more powerful agent than it was in the past. Many support that the function of media is vital within societies as they have been acclaimed as agents of the democratic institutions and guardians of citizens rights (McQuail, 2003). Others believe that the media just represent extremity and exaggeration to earn publicity, and as Bennett (1999) claims News is the policy of hallucinations. However, it is a fact that people collect most of the information from the TV, newspapers and radio and as Thornicroft supports the majority of people gather what they know about mental illnesses either from personal experience and contact with people with such conditions, or from the mass media (Thornicroft, 2007). Media portrayals are most of the time inaccurate and sensationalized, depicting mentally ill people as different, dangerous, unpredictable and violent. According to that and what we see from the film My, Myself Irene, Hank unpredictably assaults whoever is in front of him, making strange movements and behaving abnormally (especially during the personality change from good Charlie to villain Hank). Such representations make people to misunderstand mental disorder, and this misrepresentation appears to play an active part in shaping and sustaining what mental illness means in our culture. As probably already shown, I am not a totally unbiased observer of what is happening these days. I have a point of view, based on what I have read so far (research) and on personal experience (once, I had the opportunity to have a conversation with a mentally ill friend) and what is going to be presented in this assignment convey this point of view. I strongly believe that mass media portrayals of mental disorder are in the overwhelming majority inaccurate, inappropriate, unfavourable and harmful to mentally ill people. You only have to read a newspaper, switch on the TV or go to the cinema to spot such demeaning attitudes which can affect significant undesirable consequences. Such consequences will be discussed later in another chapter. Mass media treat mental disorder as an object of ridicule, using psychiatric terminology inaccurately, and to overuse slang disrespectful terms for mental illness. For example, consider the use of Charlies diagnosis with delusionary schizophrenia with involuntary narcissistic rage. I am not an expert thus; I have had to do a research on that, just to find that, once again, misrepresentation took place and media used mental disorder as a source of humor. Britains two largest mental health charities, Mind and National Schizophrenia Fellowship, have joined with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and claim that people affected by schizophrenia dont switch from gentle to mental, as the billboard advertisements say, but are more often withdrawn. In fact, split personality is a totally different condition; it is a dissociative disorder rather than a psychotic illness. Furthermore, they argue that the behaviour portrayed in the film, has nothing whatever to do with schizophrenia (www.findart icles.com). I am a member of mass media consumer myself. I am continually entertained by the television programmes, movies and newspapers which I eagerly consume. However, this will not stop me from looking carefully and critically the media misrepresentation of mental health problems. Comedy portrayals tend to depict mental illnesses as primarily involving little more than specific oddities that the individuals manifest repetitively. This notion of mental disorder as a humorous oddity is conveyed in our movie and movies, whatever their titles, continuously find ways to present mental illnesses as laughable and ridiculous. The fact that our film has a funny plot which involve violence, mental health, beautiful girls and bad guys hunting good guys, succeeds to attract viewers attention and interest (Charlie, Hank and Irene produce fun during the film for example when Charlie is trying to make Hank go away etc). Media images are emotionally arousing, they do not only provide information, but they manipulate emotions in deliberate, skillful and effective way. Thus, I believe that it is very important to understand that movies which are not about mental illnesses, (our movie is categorized as comedy) they make viewers to merely absorb what they see, and therefore reinforce their biases and already inaccurate views, without being particularly aware that they are learning about mental illness. According to that, and as one film critic commended, Comedies may be mindless, but that does not mean it is not affecting minds (Wahl, 2003). Societys lack of knowledge, negative attitude and discriminatory behaviour is one of the central paradoxes because we live in a world in which up to half of all adults will be diagnosed with mental disorder in their lifetime. Furthermore, up to three-quarters of adult population know someone directly who has mental disorder, and yet we all act as if nobody knows anything (Thornicroft, 2006). Thus, I cannot understand why people who still feel threatened by it, allow stigma to thrive. Mental disorder misrepresentation by the media also poses significant limitations in the initiatives to normalize mental health services within the community and therefore reduce harmful stigma. According to that, many mentally ill people face prejudice and severe discrimination when happens to live next to healthy people Just because I have a mental health problem, I am now shunned, my life made even more difficult to live. Maria is a woman whose only crime is to live in an area in which a hostel for people with mental health problems is planned (Thornicroft-Shunned-2006). Publics perception of mental illness is one of fear and paranoia, bordering on mass media as they often use words such as nutter, psycho and schizo. This can be seen in the film Me, Myself Irene, when Irene used to apology for Hanks behaviour, saying that he is a schizo. These words are derogatory which should not be used. In relation to this, I have the obligation to express my opinion that a civilization should be judged by how it behaves towards mentally ill. Likewise, I believe that the well-being of a social system depends on the prosperity of the teams within this social system. Thus, any discrimination and stigma makes social system dysfunctional as a whole. Equally important to be mentioned is that during the movie, I have realized that misrepresentation of mental disorder not only took place on Charlie/Hank but there was a pervasive and persistent pattern to degrade mental disorder through Whiteys portrayal that according to the plot, have killed his entire family. As mentioned before, everyday people are learning, from everyday sources, concerning mental illnesses and it appears unfortunate that the majority of those people learn about mental illness from what they see and hear in the mass media. However, even if I believe that the mass media are not wholly to blame for negative perceptions, but every time programmes, articles or film portrays a stereotype, they fail to clear up a misunderstanding about mental disorder and thus, this helps to perpetuate the myths. In the following extract taken from the book Media madness: public images of mental illness (Wahl, 2003), there is an interesting, clear illustration of how the fearful mass media with the bold headlines tend to misrepresent mental disorder. The case is about a 30 year old woman who entered an elementary school in Winnetka, Illinois in May 1988 and shot a number of children. ..Times May 30, 1988, headline introducing the story of this tragic incident was One Lunatic, Three Guns. The event was truly tragic, and it is likely that mental illness was a contributing factor in the womans actions. Referring to the mentally ill person involved as a lunatic, however, was both unnecessary (Newsweeks article on the same incident was titled simply I Have Hurt Some Children: Nightmare in Winnetka) and inconsistent with standards applied to other groups. If the Winnetka school killing had been committed by someone in a wheelchair, it is unlikely that the Times headline would have read One Cripple, Three Guns. If the incident had involved a black woman, the headline would not have proclaimed One Nigger, Three Guns. There seems not to be the same hesitancy about using similarly disrespectful terms in referring to people with mental illnesses (www.time.com). Hence, it is obvious that the mass media tend to misrepresent mental illness with disrespectful patterns, fueling public fear and letting stigma to thrive. Stigma, in ancient Greece was bodily sign for those who were different. Stigmata were cut and burnt onto these different people (most of the time slaves) bodies to mark them as different from the rest population (http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk). Nowadays, mentally ill people are no longer physically mutilated, but still depreciation and hostile attitudes towards them can be just as hurtful to them. Individuals with mental health problems are stereotyped and stigmatized through the media as mad and violent, and thus this stigma causes serious obstacles in their life. Shame, blame and secrecy are taking place as they are the black sheep of the family. Mentally ill people experience severe stigma, discrimination, social exclusion and thus, isolation. Media represents mentally disordered as individuals dangerous to the public, strange and unpredictable like Hank (after all, who would want to live next to somebody who parks a car inside a shop and fights a cow?). But, the relationship between violence and mental disorder is not what the mass media simply represents. It is a complex matter that needs further consideration and critical thinking. Thus, in the following paragraphs we will try to understand what the real relationship is. Having said that the representation of a phenomenon by the media reflect the frame in which a phenomenon is socially placed, it is considered essential at this point to mention that it is much more likely for people to become victimized from healthy offenders than becoming a victim from a mentally disordered individual. The depiction of the mentally ill individual as violent, unanticipated, dangerous and potential criminal appears to be extremely popular in the medias interest. Furthermore, in the connection between mental illness and violence, schizophrenia possesses a prominent place, mainly because of its complexity. According to this, researches in Great Britain shows that the frame of violence outclasses against other approaches in proportion 4:1 and the individuals with mental illness almost always are presented with negative way, as violent, murderers or rapists, or, in the better case, as objects of sneer (Wahl, 2003). Additionally, and as empirical evidence show us, actually, the percentage of crimes of violence that has been committed by individuals with mental disturbance does not abstain perceptibly from what is attributed to the general population (Eronen et al., 1996), and the majority of acts of violence that are committed by mental patients are located in cases of incomplete therapeutic confrontation or even parallel use of substances (Swanson, 1997). However, this study, and most of the studies conducted until recently, have focused on the rates of violence among people with mental disorder, based on those who were hospitalized (inpatients) or on rates of mentally ill which were arrested, convicted or incarcerated for violent crimes. For example, one national survey showed that the lifetime risk of schizophrenia was 5% among people convicted for homicide, a prevalence that is much higher than any published rate of schizophrenia in the general population (suggesting the relationship between schizophrenia and homicide). (http://content.nejm.org). These studies, however, have many limitations as they only refer to individuals who were arrested, hospitalized or incarcerated which are by definition more likely to be violent or very ill and thus are not accurate representative of mentally ill in the general population. However, according to a study conducted by NIMH Epidemiology Catchment Area it was found that mentally ill patients suffering from serious mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression were two to three times as likely as healthy people to be assaultive. At this point it is very important to mention that not all mental illnesses are linked to violence. For example, anxiety disorders do not increase the risk of violence. However, although the overwhelming majority of mentally ill with major depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder do not produce criminal behaviour, the presence of such disorders is significantly linked to an increased risk of violence. Furthermore, this study which had representative sample of 17.803 subjects, showed that people with no mental health problems who abuse alcohol and drugs are seven times as likely to report a violent behaviour as those without substance abuse whereas, mentally ill with substance abuse compounds the increased risk of violence (alcohol and substance abuse far outweigh mental disorder in contributing violence) (http://content.nejm.org). I am aware of the fact that the link between violence and mental disorder is not that strong. It is a controversial subject and hence, I believe that whether or not, mentally ill are more likely than others to engage in violent behaviour, the subject is not an idle and needs further consideration. Thus, the public should not losing sight that most people who are violent are not mentally ill, and most people who are mentally ill are not violent. A look at the broader picture is essential, thus even though the media represents dramatic statistics in order to underscore their cases, mass media consumers should know that serious mental illness is quite rare and actually contributes little to the overall rate of violence in the general population. Furthermore, it is crucial for us to understand that, most of people who are violent do not suffer from mental illnesses. More specifically, mentally ill are more likely to be the victims, rather than the perpetrators of violence current research shows that people with major mental illness are 2.5 times more likely to be the victims of violence than other members of society (http://www.cmha.ca). Moreover, a 1996 Health Canada review of scientific articles found that the strongest predictor of violence and criminal behaviour is not major to mental illness, but past history of violence and criminality (http://www.cmha.ca). To conclude, and as mentioned before, mental disorder plays no part in the majority of violent crimes committed in our society. However, mentally ill people who live in a stressful, unpredictable environment with little family or community support may be at risk high risk of becoming violent (in relation to our case, Charlie/Hank was away from his family and chased across the country by corrupt cops). However, mental disorder misrepresentation by the media continues and it is not hard to understand why. Pamela Kalbfleisch claims, that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦nothing sells like an insane, unpredictable, undetected, glory killer on the loose who has caused a great deal of pain and anguish to the friends and relatives of the victim (Wahl, 2003). To the question why are people with mental disorder depicted consistently from the media in such inaccurate and inappropriate way (dangerous, different) the answer would be for profit. There is no question that mass media selection of what to present to the public is based on financial factors). Mass media operate for profit and wants to fulfill the publics thirst and excitement for violence related to mental disorder, and thus should present what the public will buy. Hence, it was considered essential for the films trailer to show Charlie explaining that he suffers from delusionary schizophrenia with involuntary narcissistic rage so that, attract viewers attention. Nevertheless, mental disorder produces profits (the film grossed $83 million in the USA according to The Guardian, July 28, 2000), (http://pb.rcpsych.org). Phenomena that are dramatic and puzzling have always been attractive to the public. Thus, what is more buy-able than a funny and unpredicted character acting like mad. Mental illness is therefore, transformed into madness, and madness related to fun is even more fascinating. Media representation of serious mental disorder, challenge publics appetite for arousal and excitement as stories about violent crime linked to mental illness provide titillation. However, the most important thing during the movie is that there was an inappropriate and inaccurate depiction that whenever a mentally ill individual does not take the medication becomes villain (Hank wanted to fight a 10-year-old boy, he vanished a cow, almost drowned a young girl). Thus, this misrepresentation contains an explicit message that the public needs vigilant protection from mental patients. Consequently, when viewers see such misrepresentation of mental disorder taking place, they become fearful that those different people are highly likely to cause physical harm to other people. In other words, this pervasive portray of mentally ill as violent and extremely dangerous, will only lead media consumers to a general belief that mentally ill individuals will attack and therefore harm their community. Such belief will, in turn, create moral panic, and fear in the presence of mentally ill. After all, and as previously expressed, who would feel safe next to somebody who parks a car inside a shop? According to this, and as many believe that homelessness is closely related to mental disorder, moral panic lead to a random attack on a homeless man with schizophrenia in Toronto June 4, 2000 Fillmore was attacked as he lay sleeping in a bus shelter last June: he was stabbed and bled to death (http://pb.rcpsych.org). Just imagine that once patients leave psychiatric hospitals and therefore eager for support and acceptance, are instead treated with suspicion and fear. This misrepresentation will fuel panic and increase the prejudice and fear, and will make people to cross the street or exit buses or move away when they happen to be next of mentally ill. Moreover, it is highly likely that people who are persuaded by the media to ignore and fear of mentally ill, to become mentally ill. This, in turn, will lead them to self-loathing as they now know that they have become violent, dangerous, and different and so forth. Moreover, mentally ill are bombarded with unfavourable information about them and therefore perceived as threat (self-stigma) and thus, these attitudes towards them have devastating effect on their relationships, employment, housing and social functioning. The discrimination and stigma, excludes them from any social activity and the issue of employment as well (http://bjp.rcpsych.org). According to this, I believe that the most important step to recovery is to work, because of employment offers a social network, route out of poverty. To conclude, I would like to mention that it is very sad when viewers (including myself) see the way films and mass media in general, portray people with mental disorder as if there is not anyone who is positive. But I guess, non aggressive mentally ill do not sell. It is also very inappropriate the fact that the mass media misrepresent mentally ill people and portray them as monsters who want to harm us. Additionally, I have concluded that the mass media inaccurately present the relationship between mental disorder and violence. Furthermore, I found that the mass media fuel public fear by generalizing all mental illnesses and stereotyping its patients. I also found that the impact of stigma and the discrimination against mentally ill is both common and severe. Ultimately, I suggest that all the incorrect beliefs of previous generations should not be passing on to new. The stigmatizing and discriminating attitudes towards mentally ill people have been going on for a long time and it is time to stop as I am a believer that the way our society behaves the mentally ill, is not only an issue of mental health care but human rights issue. According to this, I would like to conclude with the following words written by a relative of one mentally ill patient. For me stigma means fear, resulting in a lack of confidence. Stigma is loss, resulting in unresolved mourning issues. Stigma is not having access to resources Stigma is being invisible or being reviled, resulting in conflict. Stigma is lowered family esteem and intense shame, resulting in decreased self-worth. Stigma is secrecy Stigma is anger, resulting in distance. Most importantly, stigma is hopelessness, resulting in helplessness. (http://apt.rcpsych.org). .

Composites Used In Aircraft Structure Engineering Essay

Composites Used In Aircraft Structure Engineering Essay This report explores the uses of composites in modern aircrafts and investigates the technical effects of applying composites to aircrafts. In addition, this report also evaluates the future usage of composites in aerospace industry. Background Composites are defined as engineered materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties those remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within the finished structure. (Definition, 2010) The American Heritage Dictionary (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1981) comes close, with a complex material, such as wood or fiber glass, in which two or more complementary substances, especially metals, ceramics, glasses, and polymers, combine to produce some structural or functional properties not present in any individual component. The problem with even a good definition, of course, is that it is all encompassing, so that every material in the universe could in some sense be defined as a composite. (Composites Manufacturing, 2006) Composites are first introduced after crash cases of aircrafts due to metal fatigue in the 1950s. And since then the use of composites in aircrafts increases exponentially over time. Method of Investigation Information is obtained online in the form of e-books, news articles and industrial reports. Furthermore, relevant book from SP library had been used in this report. Scope of Investigation This report explores the history of composites. Besides, this report also explores the types of composites used in aircraft structure, for example carbon fiber, fiberglass and Kevlarà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ aramid, as well as fabrication of the carbon fiber. Furthermore, this report discusses the technical effects and applications of composites in aircraft structure. Composites in the future such as self-repairing composites and shape memory composites are also discussed in this report. History of Composites Composites were introduced in the 1950s and 1960s, fiber-reinforced plastic, was introduced to substitute the usage of duralumin in the structure of aircrafts. Before composites were introduced, primary structure of aircrafts was made largely of aluminum alloy. Duralumin, a type of aluminum alloy, was widely used in aircrafts primary structure due to its high strength to weight ratio and good toughness. Furthermore, good corrosion resistance of duralumin makes it so suitable to be used under harsh condition. However, in 1950s, a fully loaded De Havilland Comet jet airliner crashed due to metal fatigue. This gave rise to demand of materials suitable for aircrafts primary structure with high fatigue resistance. English scientist, Norman de Bruline, was the first to propose the use of composite materials in aircrafts structures. Then, more and more composites were introduced to suit certain requirement of properties of aircrafts structure. Modern fibers, such as carbon-reinforced fibers, Kevlarà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ aramid, glass-reinforced fibers and boron fibers, are the stiffest and strongest materials known. (Composites Manufacturing, 2006) Modern Composites Composites are well known for their favorable properties such as high strength to weight ratio, high stiffness, very high stress level, high fatigue resistance and good corrosion resistance. Some of the widely used composites in aircraft structures will be discussed below. In common, all composites are made of relatively weak bonding of lamination of materials. Hence, core in composite laminate is introduced to increase the laminates stiffness by effectively thickening it with a low-density core material. This can provide a dramatic increase in stiffness for very little additional weight, where lightweight implication is so crucial for aircraft structure. For example, application of honeycomb core provides stronger impact resistance to composite laminates. With its hollow cells, it provides good energy absorption and sound dampening effect to the laminates. Types There are many types of composites currently used in aircraft structure. However, in this part only carbon fiber, fiberglass and Kevlarà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ aramid will be discussed. Carbon Fiber Carbon or graphite fiber is basically fiber that contains more than 90% of carbon. Carbon fibers are ideal for lightweight reinforcement, as well as high strength, high stiffness application in aircrafts structure, due to its unique combinations of properties. High-performance carbon fibers are available in a range of properties, product forms, and prices. Most of the Carbon Fibers are made from organic polymers, with chains of carbons connected to each other, such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN). (Composites Manufacturing, 2006) Fiberglass Fiberglass is a reinforcing material that is widely used in aircraft structure. More than 70% of the reinforcement of thermosetting resins is made of fiberglass. In general, the longer the fibers, the greater the strength of the fibers is. And continuous fibers are the strongest amongst all. Glass does not burn, and at high temperature glass retains its mechanical properties, up to 50 per cent of its strength at 700 °F. Furthermore, glass has excellent moisture resistance compared to metals. Thus, it is suitable for application on aircraft structures. Lime-alumina-borosilicate glass, or E glass, was the first glass developed specifically for continuous fibers production. It is designed for electrical applications, with its good adaptability and high effectiveness in processes and products, ranging from decorative to structural applications in aircrafts. (Composites Manufacturing, 2006) Kevlarà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ Aramid Kevlarà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ aramid, introduced commercially in the 1970s, is an aromatic long-chain polyamide polymer produced by spinning using standard textile techniques. It was introduced to replace steel in racing tires. Kevlarà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ aramid is well known for its high tensile strength, low density and good impact resistance with about half the stiffness of graphite structure. These properties offer a better choice for materials used in aircraft structures. For example, Kevlarà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ 49 aramid fiber is widely used as reinforcement for plastic composites in aerospace, marine, automotive, and other industrial applications. (Composites Manufacturing, 2006) Fabrication In general, the reinforcing and matrix materials are combined, compacted and processed to undergo a melding event. In this part, fabrication of carbon fiber will be discussed in details. Figure 1 below illustrates the brief process of fabrication of carbon fiber, from its precursor form to the fiber. Figure 1 Fabrication Of Carbon Fiber (Flow Chart, 2010) Firstly, acrylonitrile, CH2CHCN, a chemical compound derived from propylene and ammonia, is mixed with another plastic in powder form, and is then reacted with a catalyst in a solution polymerization process. In results, a polymer is formed. After that, the polymer is put under spinning process to form the internal atomic structure of the fiber. This process is done by heating up the mixture and pump through tiny jets into a chamber where the solvents evaporate. The polymer is then washed and stretched to align the molecules within the fiber. This complete process is called stretching. The final product after this process is known as precursor. Next, the fibers will undergo oxidation process. The fibers are heated in air to about 200 to 300 °C for 30 to 120 minutes, to convert the linear atomic bonding to ladder bonding. This is to prepare a more thermally stable bonding of fibers. After the fibers are stabilized, they are heated again to 1000 to 3000 °C for several minutes in a furnace. This has to be done in inert environment to prevent fibers from burning with presence of oxygen gas. As the fibers are heated, they start to lose their carbon atoms as well as non-carbon atoms while the remaining carbon atoms will form a tightly bonded carbon crystals that are aligned almost parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fibers. This process is known as carbonization. In some processes, two furnaces are operating in two different temperatures to provide a better control of heating rate. Lastly, the fibers will undergo surface treatments such as oxidation to provide better bonding properties, coating to protect fibers from external damage. (Composites Manufacturing, 2006) Technical Effects Generally, composites are superior in fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, and high strength-to-weight ratio. These properties give composite aircrafts better fuel efficiency as well as better load capacity, as compared to the metal alloy counterparts. In addition, composites design offers lower maintenance cost compared to that of metal alloy design. Composite parts are manufactured as a whole, compared to metal parts are manufactured in the form of sheet metals and are connected by means of fasteners, the former greatly reduce maintenance cost by simplifying maintenance procedure. Figure 2 below shows the fuselage barrel section being manufactured in one piece, without the needs of fasteners. Figure 2 Boeing 787 DreamLiner Fuselage (Composites Material, 2004) However, composites are not as almighty as they have been told. For instance, most composite materials are poor in electric conductivity and such, causing them to be more susceptible to damage due to lightning strikes. Compared to metal alloy airframes, composite counterparts require extra procedure in order to take care of the electric charge from the lightning as well as static charge from friction when flying. Furthermore, unlike metals, composites break without sign or physical warning. Compared to aluminum alloy, composites do not bend when subjected to impact but break once they fail to withstand the load. Applications Composites are currently used widely in aerospace industry. Primary structures, for example fuselage, wings, ailerons, flaps, empennage, are made of composites in modern aircrafts. For example, composites contributed 50 per cent to the weight of Boeing 787 DreamLiner, whilst almost 100 per cent of the fuselage skin and wings surface are composites. Figure 3 below illustrates the usage of composites in Boeing 787 as compared to that in Boeing 777, has increased significantly. Figure 3 Goodbye Metal Planes (Goodbye Metal Plane, 2005) Secondary structures such as pressure bulkheads, floor beams, and landing gear door are also made of composites. Furthermore, composites are also used in interior. Composites In The Future Self-Repairing Composites Self-repairing composites are composites that are able to repair cracks on the aircrafts as they happen. Figure 4 below illustrates the fundamental of self-repairing composites. By designing a network of glass rods filled with resin, it is possible to stop the crack from propagating and repair the aerodynamics characteristic of the aircraft when crack happen in flight. Figure 4 Self Healing Artificial Skin (Self Repairing, 2007) However, there are limitations in self-repairing composites, for example, the supply of the resin in the network. A system with vascular network has to be developed to resupply the resin so that self-repairing composites serve their purpose from time to time. Shape Memory Composites Shape memory composites are composites that retain one or two shapes after being cold-worked. Figure 5 illustrates how shape memory composites retain shapes after being subjected to heat. Figure 5 Shape Memory (Shape Memory, 2007) This is highly useful in aircrafts design as it means the aerodynamics of the aircrafts can now be controlled according to whether maneuverability or stability is needed. Conclusion Composites are currently used as a better material used in aircraft primary structures, substituting aluminum alloy that had been used for decades. Due to composites superiority in corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, and weight saving, it is expected that incoming models of aircrafts will use composites extensively. Application of composites in modern aircrafts once again proves that composites are more reliable than metal alloys in airworthiness. However, further development of composites should be done to overcome weaknesses found currently to further improve the safety of aircrafts.