Science and its Impact on Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Science and its Impact on Society - Essay Example However, in the recent past, there has been a growing awareness among society that the effects of science and related research are not always beneficial. The perception amongst people is that science will only lead to the destruction of nature eventually. That no matter what advancement in technology is enjoyed; the harmful effect on our planet in the name of research and science is increasingly being felt. Only those aspects of science receive attention in society which suit the goals or which inspire awe - this indicates that people at large read science because it serves their purpose or because the subject is topical, sensational or controversial. At most, only a handful read science for the sake of the knowledge it might impart. Much research is required to identify those subjects so that science could be made more popular and effective. Science was a great investment towards a better life and this resulted in the discovery of light waves and radio waves, the electric motors, the first photograph and telephone, and the first publication of the periodic table. There was also great controversy when Charles Each society is faced with the challenge of keeping its proper place in a world defined by economic and political change. Knowledge, in particular science, technology and innovation, is indispensable to meet this challenge. Scientific and technological progress results in new innovations that are an integral part of international competitiveness. This translates into what the society's needs and aspirations are, such as peace, jobs, security, health and sustainable development of the planet. Viewing science from two angles: The benefits are many: medical advancements have saved many lives; internet and increased access to information is definite; research in the field of weather has led to the predictions of storms and the study of astronomy has given society knowledge of the formation of Earth and of the solar system. The adverse effects are: The medicines prescribed come with their own side effects; and nuclear technology! This scientific knowledge has helped in creating bombs which are used for massacres and gruesome killings; it has also been used for energy, releasing radiation which causes medical problems to many. Factors controlling the usage of science: The relationship between science, controlled by the government, and society is a hostile one because the society that enjoys benefits of science cannot do anything to prevent the side-effects of science - it is powerless to take action to curb the harmful turn of events that result from science; especially more so if the science is

Ducati Sports and Cruisers Bike From Buyers Point of View Research Paper

Ducati Sports and Cruisers Bike From Buyers Point of View - Research Paper Example Research design can be considered as one of the most important tools in conducting the research in the quest for positive results. Ader et al  stated that the research design is concerned with what question to study, what data are relevant, how to collect those data and how to analyze those data in an effective and efficient manner. Usually, qualitative and quantitative research plays an important role in the research design. The qualitative research design is based on the theoretical aspects of the chosen topic based on analyzing the literature while quantitative research design is based on analyzing the collected data through statistical tools to derive conclusion and results based on the result question to achieve the proposed aim and objectives of the research. In quantitative research design, it is important to assess the variables along with relating them to the research question. Variables in this particular research can be personal attributes, likeliness and personality, op inions and personal and brand image. All these variables can be analyzed through primary research and data collection methods through the use of questionnaires and interviews. However, in this particular research, interviews can be considered as a feasible and appropriate option. Interviews will help in communicating with the riders on a personal basis along with analyzing their preference and likeliness for the sports bike and cruisers. Questionnaires can be of great help in analyzing data and variables using statistical tools and methods.

The Design Of Multi Level Car Parks Tourism Essay

The Design Of Multi Level Car Parks Tourism Essay Car sales, close to 8 lakh units a year, are growing at an average rate of 10 per cent while two-wheeler sales at 5 million are expected to grow 14-15 per cent. In order to accommodate the large volume of vehicles, small cities and towns must develop their infrastructure roads, flyovers, car parks and other facilities. Otherwise their arteries are most likely to get clogged like they do in big and mini metros.   One solution may be a multi-level car parking system to maximise car parking capacity by utilising vertical space, rather than expand horizontally. Although at a nascent stage in India, it is one of the options to decongest roads and solve parking problems.   However, with land in metros and A grade cities becoming scarce and dearer, and plots getting smaller, conventional parking is proving infeasible. Sometimes soil conditions rule out excavation for multiple basements, or multiple RCC parking slabs take total building height beyond permissible limits. Sometimes it is found that the ramp or car lifts eat up much parking area that no increase in parking capacity is possible. In such case, mechanised car parking systems make creation of extra parking capacity feasible. So far three types of mechanised car parking systems puzzle, tower and mini have been operating in India. In each of these, the car is always parked or retrieved at one level only, and the stationary vehicle is carried to different levels in steel pallets.   The number of vehicles in metros is approaching one million mark. Mumbai has over 13 lakh vehicles, and up to 200 are added everyday. Suburbia Mall, Kalptaru Builders, and Evershine Builders in Mumbai are equipped with multi-level car parking system. Even towns like Chittorgarh and Jaipur are interested in multi-level car parking (also called elevated car parking system).   The puzzle system is configurable and module capacity can vary. For instance, car parking space meant for two cars can accommodate three cars. The optimum capacity of the tower type system is 50 meant for three. Fully automatic systems generally cater to higher capacities per unit. Since conventional multi-level car parks have a clear height of 9 ft. to 10 ft. above each level, they can accommodate Small Utility Vehicles also.   The mechanised system does not cater to these. It is possible to customise systems to accommodate SUVs, but it has not been done so far. Any decent capacity parking plan invariably has ground parking slots (where no mechanized system can fit), and these usually suffice for the proportion of SUVs, says Rajeev Goel, CEO, Kinetic Escalator Elevator Ltd. Depending on the type of system and order size, the mechanised parking systems installed by Kinetic cost from Rs 2 to 3.5 lakh per car. A semi-mechanised (valet parking) option is also available per car cost under one lakh. Depending on the type, its configuration and position of the pallet, it takes half to two-and-half minutes from the press of a button to an approaching car to the drive way level to park a car on it or drive away the car parked on it.   Parking charges depend on what the user is wiling to pay, and whether he has an option to park nearby without paying. A parking slot may be permanently allotted/sold/leased to the built-up area buyer/lessee. Where an owner can charge parking fees by the hour, the fee depends on demand and supply of parking space, not on the parking system. It can vary from Rs 2 a day to Rs 25 an hour.   Many state governments and civic bodies, and some Central government departments are aware of these systems and are expected to give them push. Some civic bodies have liberalised bylaws to enable builders to maximise parking capacity in their projects. Some civic bodies have also floated BoT or like tenders inviting private investment in maximising public parking capacity, according to Goel. The government shouldnt allow parking on roads, states Shree Gopal Kabra, President, Ram Ratna Group.   Goel is quite confident that the demand for car parks is an integral part of a residential or commercial complex, rather than an independent commercial venture. However, it may take years before parking fees in India reach a level at which the investment in these systems and their maintenance cost can be recovered from parking fees alone. Kabra says that a multi-level car parking system will be a success in commercial layouts. One has to club towers with ad revenues or with some other alternatives like commercial activities so that the revenue keeps flowing to the owners who implement car parking systems. Design Image of the inside of a multi-storey car park Movement of vehicles between floors can be effected by: interior ramps the most common type exterior ramps which may take the form of a circular ramp (colloquially known as a whirley-gig in America) vehicle lifts the least common In locations where the car park is built on sloping land, the car park may be split-level. Many car parks are independent buildings that are dedicated exclusively to that use. The design loads for car parks are often less than the office building they serve (50 psf versus 80 psf), leading to long floor spans of 55-60 feet that permit cars to park in rows without supporting columns in between. The most common structural systems in the United States for these structures are either prestressed concrete concrete double tee floor systems or post-tensioned cast-in-place concrete floor systems. In recent times, car parks built to serve residential and some business properties are built as part of a larger building, and often are built underground as part of the basement. Motorcycle parking inside a multi-storey car park Car parks which serve shopping centres can sometimes be built adjacent to the shopping centre so as to effect easier access at each floor between shops and parking. One example is the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA, which has two large car parks attached to the building at the eastern and western ends of the mall. Another common position for car parks within shopping centres in the UK is on the roof, around the various utility systems, enabling customers to take lifts straight down into the centre. Examples of such are The Oracle in Reading and Festival Place in Basingstoke. Automated parking Automatic multi-storey car parks provide lower building cost per parking slot, as they typically require less building volume and less ground area than a conventional facility with the same capacity. However, the cost of the mechanical equipment within the building that is needed to transport cars internally needs to be added to the lower building cost to determine the total costs. Other costs are usually lower too, for example there is no need for an energy intensive ventilating system, since cars are not driven inside and human cashiers or security personnel may not be needed. Automated car parks rely on similar technology that is used for mechanical handling and document retrieval. The driver leaves the car in an entrance module. It is then transported to a parking slot by a robot trolley. For the driver, the process of parking is reduced to leaving the car inside an entrance module. At peak periods a wait may be involved before entering or leaving. The wait is due to the fact that loading passengers and luggage occurs at the entrance and exit location rather than at the parked stall. This loading blocks the entrance or exit from being available to others. Whether the retrieval of vehicles is faster in an automatic car park or a self park car park depends on the layout and number of exits. Advantages: The advantages of this can be seen immediately: there is no room to build conventional multi-storey car parks above ground in the areas they are required, and under-street parking is actually more cost effective than other schemes on a per parking space basis. In addition, an automatic system brings significant savings in engineering because elevators, ramps, stairways, lighting and ventilation do not need to be provided to the same extent. The construction, however, also means the transfer of sewer, storm drains and water services from beneath the centre of the road to conduits at the side of the roads. PARKING PROCESS Cars (maximum dimension 5.25m long, 2.2m wide and 1.7m high) must be driven to one of four receiving stations (marked A to D), the entry to which is actuated by a control device which responds to a transponder chip held in the car by the user. On gaining entry the driver proceeds to correctly position / park the car on a transfer ramp and then locks and leaves the vehicle. A combination of laser scanners and light barriers will then examine the car for its positioning and dimensions. The elevator ramp is then actuated and the car is raised to its parking level and stored (cars are parked side by side). In July 2007 the Wà ¶hr Multiparker 740 equipped garage was given the ADAC Award (German Automobile Association) for the best use of space, security and reliability. On returning, the driver comes to the same transfer station (they may pay by credit card at an automated paying station) and the car will be retrieved from its storage level according to the transponder chip still held by the driver. The car is retrieved on its transfer pallet and the driver simply drives away through automated exit gates. The pallet has a lighting system which illuminates the area for two minutes while the driver gets into the car. Customer help is available via an intercom system 24 hours per day in case of breakdowns or unforeseen problems. If a car is not retrieved for its owner within two hours then the owner receives compensation from the parking operator. PROJECT 1: TECHNOLOGY TYPE SIMPARK (Completed in November, 2001) CALCUTTA, INDIA We make Calcuttans proud by introducing the Worlds First Fully Automatic Mechanized Public Multi-Level Car Parking System on a Curve, at the intersection of Park Street-Rawdon Street crossing, in a Joint Venture with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The ground plus two-storied computer based system, accommodates upto three times more than conventional parking. The system at Rawdon Street has been constructed to provide car-parking facility for around 210 cars on a ground area of 1260 Sq. Mtrs. Each row can individually hold on average 73 numbers of cars. The system is operated from both the ends of the structure. Each lift lobby having its own individually control panel and ticketing system. However, one can park and retrieve his/ her car from either end and vice versa. A steel pallet is designated for every car slot in the system. Whenever a car needs to be parked, the ticketing button is pressed and the entrance gate opens only after a pallet has been delivered. The driver parks his car on the pallet, engages a gear, locks his car (optional as nobody can go inside the system and your car is safe as in a vault), and walks out of the system. The tickets to the system is a simple the magnetic strip cards, which the ticket attendant swipes. From herein onwards, the computer takes over. One must remember not to lose the magnetic card as it contains information on the parked vehicle. Technologies : Simpark The beauty of this Parking system is inherent in its intrinsic simplicity. It is a modular Lego like system and therefore can be adapted to fit any size or shape of plot. Each grid has an independent lift and each floor or array of cars has its independent carrier. For every car to be parked in the system, there is a steel pallet designated when a car is to be parked, on a button being punched the entrance gate opens. The driver parks his car on the pallet, engages a gear, locks his car (optional), and walks out of the system. From herein onwards, the computer takes over. Uniquely designed lift, enables carriers to pass through lift shaft, when lift is not in the specific floor. More than one lift can be placed in each row at either end, or in the middle as required. THE PARKING PROCEDURE The PLC system computer decides, which floor, which and slot the pallet with the car is to be placed is to be parked on. Accordingly, the pallet with the car placed on it is taken up with the help of the vertical elevator system to the desired floor. The next step is that on reaching the particular floor the carrier system picking up picks up the pallet along with the car, and moving it horizontally along the structure over the other vehicles to the place assigned by the computerit slowly lowers it into the slot assigned by the system. It should be made quite clear here, that the height of each floor, is a little more than twodouble the cars height, so that the carrier transports the car above the already parked cars. Retrieval of parked cars is precisely the same operation, but in the reverse order. When the driver comes to collect his car, he gives the ticket/magnetic card, which was given to him on parking. The card is swiped and; automatically the bill for parking is generated for payment. Simultaneously the computer has issued the order for retrieval. Carrier picks up the relevant pallet, transports it over other cars and places it on the elevator. The elevator brings down the pallet. On retrieval retrieval, through a turntable, the pallet takes a turn and keeps the car is in a drive-out position. The Main gates opens automatically, driver walks in and drives out in his carfor the driver to drive out his car. The Gate close automatically and the system is on standby for the next requests. The entire system can operate, with just one ticket attendant in each lobby. In case of the remote eventuality of any problem, the same shall be reflected immediately in the master computer in the control room and the fault rectified within minutes. SERVICES OFFERED 1. Night parking. 2. Multiple Entry and Exit facilities. 3. Provision for long term booking of parking slots. 4. ATM and Vending Machine. 5. Public Call Booth. 6. Front / Backlit show windows for corporate and product advertising CONSTRUCTION DETAILS We have used RCC grid of Concrete Column and Beam only for the parking tower. There are no slabs for the parking tower. Top Roof is done with coated G.I. Sheets simply supported by Crush Structures. The structure has been designed for required dead load lift load as per I.S. Standard. Necessary construction instructions as per I.S. Construction have been provided. Elevators have been placed at both the end of the structures. The Control Panel with P.L.Cs will control the movement of the elevator and Electronic devices. Fire fighting with sprinklers system has been provided. The fire fighting system has been divided into various zones. Wet risers have also been provided. Other details have been met as per fire laws and by-laws. Round the clock, security cameras have been provided for recording the vehicles entering and exiting the system. These security cameras would also be utilized for recording the movement of people in the entire compound. Managing of a Multilevel Parking Lot using IPv6 Problem with multilevel parking lot now To find a parking space in a crowded multilevel parking facility now, the driver must be lurking around while driving. Even if not speeding, this is very dangerous. The possibility that a accident resulting in injury or death could happen is very high here. To solve this problem If a parking space at a multilevel parking lot can be found without the driver lurking around, the number of accidents can be decreased. So, I thought of attaching each curb at the parking space with a sensor using IPv6. And the open space can be checked at the entrance of the parking lot, and reach there without the driver lurking around. How to use IPv6 1) Each curb at the parking space is attached with a sensor by IPv6. First, each curb is attached with a sensor so the position and floor of the place open can be known. 2) The open space can be known by the screen placed at the entrance of the parking lot, using a sensor. Another problem If a car ahead of you parks at the place you were think of parking, this system will be useless. To solve this problem When deciding where to park at the entrance of the parking lot, a simple reservation is made, so the next person knows that the place is taken. By doing so, the driver does not have to lurk around when a person ahead of you parks at the spot he/she was thinking of parking. Image of Screen at Parking Entrance R e d- -The sensor shows that there is a car. B l u e- -It is open now, but the person ahead of you is trying to park there. White- -The space is open. The screen is a touch panel, and reservation can be done by pressing the screen, and the status of the 3rd, 4th, and all floors can be checked By making this facility, accidents at parking lots will decrease In the limelight Kolkatas first underground automated car parking system was now acting as a showpiece attracting municipal corporations from around the country. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has already signed an agreement with Simpark for such projects at more than one station. Hi-tech bay: Cars at the underground parking lot built by Simpark Infrastructure at the New Market complex in Kolkata. The facility will be opened to the public on April 20. Kolkata April 15 Simpark Infrastructure (P) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Simplex Projects Ltd, braving several odds has just completed an underground modern automated car parking system at one of the most congested areas of the city the New Market complex, a relic of the Raj to which all Kolkatans are emotionally attached. A trip to the Market for pre-Christmas shopping is a must for both young and old. The engineering marvel 30 ft below the ground has been achieved without disturbing the red brick-stoned heritage New Market structure facing the southern faà §ade, including the fabulous clock tower to the left. Initially planned as a multi-level car park above ground, the BOT project, facing stiff resistance from the market shop establishments, was shifted below with a shopping mall at the minus one level and the actual gantry system car parking at the minus two level. Sheet piling over a period of 18 months was done to safeguard the old buildings facing the market complex. Top down construction method has been adopted (no cannibalisation of the top surface), and the gantry system can be accessed through five entry points (gates) for cars to be placed on pallets, which will take them down to the designated parking slot. Fully computerised, there will be just one person each at the entry point to operate the system, and car recovery is said to take just 90 seconds. Showpiece Cited as Kolkatas first underground automated car parking system, the project, commissioned by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), according to Mr B.K. Mundhra, Chairman and Managing Director of Simplex Projects, was now acting as a showpiece attracting municipal corporations from around the country. He said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has already signed an agreement with Simpark for such projects at more than one stations. Talking to Business Line on the various challenges faced during the four-year construction period of the Rs 34-crore BOT project (with a 20-year concession period) by the Simpark engineering team, Mr Mundhra said the company has been able to just about break-even. The gain for us is the immense satisfaction of having completed such a difficult project in a small stretch (just 40,000 sq ft), capable of accommodating some 280 cars. He said the KMC would get 5 per cent of the parking fees, which is projected to be around Rs 2.5 lakh annually. The main earning for KMC will be through secondary basic rent from shop owners in the plaza. This is expected to yield annually around Rs 10 lakh for KMC while providing hassle-free parking for Kolkatans. Some 150 shop owners are said to have booked space at the plaza. Asked on Simparks future plans, Mr Mundhra said the company was planning to enter the semi-automatic private retail parking segment with the Intelligent Cubicle Sliding system, for which it has entered into a strategic tie-up with a Korean company. He said orders for prototypes of the compact system, which can be installed easily at building sites to fulfil private parking needs, have already been placed. A base level model, for holding some 8-10 cars, may cost anything between Rs 1.75 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh.

Women in the Military :: Women in Military Essays

Men and women live in society jointly. According to the U.S. Constitution, all men are created equal, and thus includes women. Although everyone is considered equal, history of women in the military proves different. Many contributions have been given to the military by women for hundreds of years. 'Women's struggle for a place in the armed forces has been about seeking the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship' They have earned the right to the recruiting poster?s promise and challenge: 'Be All You Can Be'" Major General Jeanne Holm, USAF(Ret.) (Women 4 Mar 1998). Although the Military standards have been set, equal opportunity regardless of race, gender, or religion, "glass ceilings" are still in effect in the military. According to the Active Duty Military Personnel by Grade/Rank and Gender 1997 and 1995 chart, women are still stopped by a "glass ceiling". At the grade of O-10 from both 1997 and 1995, zero women had achieved this status. At O-9, two women and at O-8, three women respectively. For total officers in 1997 only 13.53% were women and total enlisted only 13.71% were women(Glass 4 Mar 1998). These facts and figures show the difficulty that women have had in breaking through the "glass ceiling" even today when women have proven themselves to be competent and successful. Women have served in the military for hundreds of years. The "official" history of the United States military begins in the 20th century with the establishment of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 (American 4 Mar 1998). These women worked hard and dedicated to the troops and their country. They cared for the sick and wounded, identified and buried the dead, cooked, sewed, and laundered(American 4 Mar 1998). Although these women worked diligently and were dedicated, they were considered officially invisible and only earned half rations and earned the name Camp Followers(American 4 Mar 1998). Tending to the sick was considered woman?s work. Until 1901, they were civilian volunteers or contract workers who had no rank and received no benefits(American 4 Mar 1998). A bill was written by Dr. McGee to establish a permanent Nurse Corps of June 20, Congress passed this bill in 1901(American 4 Mar 1998). The United States Navy Nurse Corps was established on May 13,1908. At that time, no provisions had been made for rank and rating compensation equal to the Navy?s personnel(Women WWI 26 May 1999). In 1913 Navy nurses began serving on ships aboard the USS Mayflower and the USS Dolphin(American 26May 1999).

Was the Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima Justified

Were the Americans justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945? The dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945 by the Americans is a very controversial issue with no definite answer. Both sides of the issue have very justifiable arguments. Reasons for dropping the bomb include the fact that Truman’s options were limited at this point in the war, that the bomb did have the desired outcome of Japans surrender and that the majority of reasons America had for dropping the bomb are justifiable. On the other hand, the atomic bomb was complete new technology and there is no way that Japan could have possibly been ready for it and for that reason the dropping of the atomic bomb is very much morally and ethically wrong. It is also important to consider that two bombs were dropped, both with different motivations and it is quite possible that while one is justifiable, the other is not. There were many reasons why America would have chosen to drop the bomb and the majority can be justified. Before the atomic bomb was dropped, America was nearing the end of the war. They had made the Potsdam declaration requesting Japans surrender and at this point had the Japanese at a very weak position. At a similar time, the Americans had completed the development of the Atomic bomb or Project Manhattan that, after Germany surrendered, had no other competition. A lot money had been put into the development of the bomb and at this point, Truman’s options were limited. Invasion was out of the question due to the Japanese’s strong military and patriotic values: The continuation of conventional bombings and a naval blockade were also considered but deemed unsuitable. The negation of surrender had been tried with the ‘Potsdam Declaration’ and had failed. It is important to point out that by ignoring the declaration; the Japanese in effect gave their acceptance of the Americans threats of ‘prompt and utter destruction. ’[1] America and Britain were both aware that the development of the bomb meant they no longer relied on the allied troops from Russia, and with the fear of communism, this was a motivation for the dropping of the bomb: ‘It is quite clear that the US do not at the present time desire Russian participation in the war against Japan’ [2]. There was also the question of time. The atomic bomb was by far the quickest way that America could see for the ending of the war, and they were eager to end the war as before long, Russia would become involved making a heavier casualty rate inevitable. America were also a very powerful country now they had the development of the Atomic Bomb, it would have been a waste to not be able to show their true power and the true destruction they could use through the bomb. There is also the point that the Americans were looking for revenge against the Japanese, as they had injured and killed many American soldiers, and even more to come, had the Americans not taken quick action. Looking back at the dropping of the bomb, it is possible to say that it was a method of prevention in many different circumstances. Firstly, the dropping of the bomb meant that the war would be over: ‘The atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended World War II. There can be no doubt of that. ’ [3] It is possible that leaving the war longer could have resulted in a much worse fatality rate for both Japan and America. Also, the dropping of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima effectively decided the use of atomic technology for weapons for the future. Before the dropping of the bomb, people had no idea of the severity and power of atomic weaponry and therefore, the argument can be made that the dropping of the atomic bomb prevented a lot more serious cases that could have happened say the power of atomic bombs was not explored at this time. The dropping of the atomic bomb caused great loss of life, and there are many arguments suggesting the dropping of the bomb was both morally and ethically wrong. There is no way that the Japanese could have been prepared for the dropping of the atomic bomb as the world had never witnessed something like the bomb before. The Americans had the opportunity of demonstrating the power of the bomb on a deserted area and showing the Japanese what they were facing. This was proposed by a number of American scientists, but rejected by the Military Leaders: ‘we did not think exploding one of these things as a firecracker over a desert was likely to be impressive. ’[4] There was the option of dropping the bomb on purely a military target, yet the Americans chose a target that not only affected Japans military, but took the lives of many civilians. The Americans were always slightly racist towards the Japanese or ‘colored people’ and this could easily have been secret motivation for the dropping of such a severe form of bomb. There is also the consideration of the two different bombs. The American military leaders would have been completely aware of the severity of damage of atomic bombs after Little Boy was dropped yet they still went on to drop Fat Man. It is possible that while the first bomb could be excusable, the dropping of a second, in full knowledge of the damage that it would cause, is not only unnecessary but definitely morally incorrect. It is also important to consider the Truman’s alternatives once again. From the American’s point of view, Truman’s options were very limited, but peace could have been found through the Japanese and the Soviet Union, a pathway which the President was aware of but didn’t really explore. It can also be pointed out that the Potsdam declaration was a very harsh document, especially on a country with such strong patriotic values. Had the declaration not requested ‘unconditional surrender’[5] and had in fact let Japan keep some of their imperial rule, they could have been more likely to accept the declaration. Japan was already very vulnerable when America chose to drop the bomb. In reality, it was only a matter of time before Japan would have needed to surrender anyway. America knew that Japan would need to surrender soon as they were unable to import or export goods: ‘it was quite logical to hope and expect that with the proper kind of warning the Japanese would have made peace’. [6] It really was only a matter of time before Japan would have had to surrender and America knew that. It is possible that the Americans were not just interested in the ending of the war, but had other reasons such as racial discrimination, revenge and greed for power to drop the two atomic bombs. In my opinion, the Americans have enough reasons to justify the dropping of the bomb. They gave the Japanese sufficient warning of their plan through the Potsdam declaration and it was the Japanese’s mistake to ignore this. They also completed the desired outcome with Japan’s surrender. For these reasons America can justify their reasons for dropping the bomb. However, being able to justify something does not mean it is necessarily the best thing to do, and I think that it was morally incorrect to make the Japanese uffer to the extent that they did considering that the war was almost over. The fact that America chose to drop two bombs changes my opinion significantly as well. The first bomb can be looked with the idea that America was not aware of the damage they could cause, however a second bomb was cruel and inexcusable. The Americans were after more than just the end of the war, they wanted the Japanese to feel their power and to have revenge: ‘In being first to use it we had developed ethical standards common to barbarians in the dark ages. [7] The bomb however has benefitted the world in the way that it has prevented anything like the atomic bomb disaster from occurring again, and the use of this technology earlier on could easily have prevented a later, more severe disaster. The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima can be justified and looked at as a mistake that possibly had many benefits. The dropping of the bomb on Nagasaki was an example of the American’s greed for power and race driven revenge. In conclusion, I think that America had very strong reasons for dropping the bomb, some of which are valid and some of which are not. This said they should not have dropped it as they knew the effect that this bomb was going to have on Japan, especially when Japan was so unprepared, and there would have been much more appropriate ways of ending the war. ———————– [1] Lewis, Robert AGORA, Vol. 25, No 1, 1990, HTAV, Source 9, page 29 [2] Lewis, Robert AGORA Vol. 25, No 2, 1990, HTAV, Source 22, page 19 [3] Lewis, Robert AGORA, Vol. 25, No 1, 1990, HTAV, page 19 [4] Lewis, Robert AGORA Vol. 25, No 2, 1990, HTAV, Source 16, page 14 [5] Lewis, Robert AGORA, Vol. 25, No 1, 1990, HTAV, Source 9, page 29 [6] Ibid page 34, source 14 [7] Ibid page 19

Location Decision and Sustainability Essay

In this paper we are going to give an in-depth perspective on the subjects of location decision, clusters and corporate social responsibility. First, we will address the location decision subject. Second, we will discuss clusters and different cluster types. Last, we will review the corporate social responsibility subject. After giving an in-depth perspective on the three subjects, we will discuss the relationship between these different topics. Location Decision Location decision is an important strategic decision that must be considered by a firm. It is important because the location strategy could affect the ability of the firm to reach it consumer, to produce in economic scale, or even to get access to the resource they needs. Location decision could also be able to give the firm a competitive advantage, because of transfer of knowledge, innovation, specialisation, and complementariness. In choosing a country, there are two main dimensions that usually be considered. Those two main dimensions are country competitiveness and also risk of the country. The country competitiveness usually is divided into two main categories, which are the market competitiveness and also the industry competitiveness. A firm should able to assess those categories to find out in which location or in which country they should operate to maximize their opportunity and profits and minimize their risks and costs. Country Opportunity Assessing the market opportunity for a country means that we assessing the potential demand that available in a country. The variables that take into account for this assessment are the growth of the market, the size of the market, and also the quality of the demand that exist on the market in a certain country. This market assessment will define whether it is worth or not to start a business in that country, will the firm have a good demand or not, and will that demand able to generate profit for the firm or not. Looking some macroeconomics indicators can assess the market opportunity. Those indicators can be the GDP, GDP per capita, and income distribution, etc. ooking to those indicators can give us an insight about the market size of the country or country buying power compared to another country, etc. the quality of demand is describing the segmentation of the countries. Generally countries are grouped into 4 main clusters: †¢Developing countries, low income per capita, and low growth †¢Emerging countries, relatively low income per capita but high in growth †¢The newly industrialized economies, high growth and moderate to high wealth †¢The final cluster, low growth and high wealth, usually these countries have already reached their ‘maturity’. The other important opportunity that needs to be considered is the industry opportunities. The industry opportunity is including a broad part of aspects. Those aspects are the resource (including human resource and natural resource), the infrastructures, and also government policies (such as government incentive to enhance foreign investment, or tax reduction). A company needs to consider the human resource issue. It is usually addressing the quality of the labor in a country. It is also considering the minimum wages or average wages of labor in a country. That issue is an important issue because it will affect the production cost and production process. The natural resource issue usually also become some major strategic issue because it enables the firm to get closer to the input that they needs including strategic geographical location that can benefits their mobility. Country Risks Beside the opportunities, a firm should also consider the risks of the country. There are some major risks that need to be considered. Political risk, this risk have a high relation with the government policies and political condition in each country. A country with an unstable politic environment may have higher risk of rioting or policy changed. It can cause disadvantage for the firm such as vandalism to firm’s assets, or difficulties from the bureaucracy. Economic risk, this economic risk is including the inflation rate, economic growth, exchange rates of the currency, and also the variability. A firm needs to consider it carefully because it surely will affect the company stability and profitability. Competitive risk, this risk refers to the risk that company gets from the competition, the business group, cartels, or even the competitive advantage among product that being sold in the company. Operational risk, this risk is covering the risks from infrastructures, supplier policy, or even government regulation such as taxation, and nationalistic preference. Location Strategy After knowing the opportunity and the risks that exist in a country. A company should use that data to forming their strategy. The firm needs to compare a list of country to know which country that is the best for their investment, considering the risk and the opportunity of each of them. Clusters In this section of the paper we are going to discuss clusters. In order to explain what clusters are, we will use the definition given to clusters by Michael Porter (1990), which he used for his study of clusters. â€Å"clusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers, firms in related industries, and associated institutions in a particular field that compete but also cooperate†. There are many different types of clusters, which we will discuss below. However, we are going to start by explaining how and why corporations form clusters. Usually for clusters to arise there are already certain resources and capabilities available in a certain area, which are important for the industry and thus the cluster that is formed there. Next, there need to be several corporations that see the advantages of joining and creating a cluster. This is necessary so the different corporations can work together to improve their cluster and add value to it. This will attract new players for it, who can add even extra value to the created cluster. As this process continues, more players tent to join the cluster because it becomes more important every time for the general industry on which the cluster is based, but also because a lot of knowledge and resources are generated within the cluster on which a corporation not joining it, would miss out. Besides generating a lot of knowledge and industry advantages, clusters also improve the general competitiveness of a certain area. Moreover, they can significantly boost the economy of the area were the cluster is situated as many employment opportunities are created alongside the expansion of the cluster. According to the research of Lundequist and Power (2002) four types of clusters exist. These are the industry-led initiatives, the top-down cluster-branding exercises, the visionary projects and temporal clusters. We will discuss each type separately below. The industry-led initiatives are clusters that depend greatly on involving the public sector into the cluster. Moreover, they are the key importance of regional economic growth in their area and they can even bring national economic growth. The second cluster type is the top-down cluster-branding exercises. This type does not have the industry as its key building block but instead builds on the public sector. Also, this type does not find the creation of the clusters itself very important, but focuses on the creation of a brand name first. The third cluster type is the visionary cluster. As the name says, this cluster builds on one strong vision and it therefore needs good leadership in order to execute this vision. Thus, this type needs ‘cluster motors’ (Lundequist and Power, 2002) which are firms that can really start up the cluster and keep it going. In order to sustain this cluster there needs to be a good task division in terms of responsibilities and tasks. This all needs to be supported by a good and strong network and environment. The last cluster type is the temporal cluster and is usually build up around natural resources and physical conditions. Noteworthy is that this type can even be climate-driven and seasonal, meaning that the cluster does not always exist outside certain seasons for example. Lundequist and Power (2002) mention some similarities in all these types of clusters and they are worth mentioning quickly. First, all types work best when there are multiple players with a large interest in the cluster. Moreover, it is important that a clear vision is present for it. Above we mentioned the ‘cluster motors’ which is especially important with regard to the visionary cluster, but all types benefit greatly if such motors are present. Second, it is important if every corporation has a clear view of what they add to the cluster. Thus, good management should be present to support this. Third, it was mentioned explicitly for the second cluster type, but again all types benefit from brand building and thus attention should be paid to marketing this. Last, the progress made within the clusters is very important and appropriate policies and strategies should be present to support this. To conclude, not all cluster types fit exactly in the definition given at the beginning of this part but all have proven to be successful initiatives (Lundequist and Power, 2002). However next to Porter also Eden (2002) and Markusen (1996) identified a cluster typology. According to Eden a cluster could be horizontal (specialized) or vertical (complementary). However it must be said that Eden actually identifies the cluster characteristics than cluster types. Markusen on the other hand identifies the type of clusters by the geographic area, the type of clusters are formed within a metropolitan area. The four types she identifies are Marshallian Industrial Districts and Subdistricts, Hub and Spoke Industrial Districts, Satellite Platform Districts and State Anchored Industrial Districts. The typology in her case is derived from the geographic, public or private investment decisions, the availability of labor, and amount of trade within and outside the district. It is said that there are several similarities between Markusen and Porter’s work. (Fraizer and Zelbst, 2010) Corporate Social Responsibility Affected by the globalization and thus growing importance and awareness of ethics and human rights, as well as being environmentally, socially and economically responsible, internationally operating corporations have to deal with a lot more issues than several years ago. This area of growing importance is called â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† (CSR) and will be explained as follows: In the past decades most of the corporations did not care about issues like sustainable development, business ethics, human rights or global citizenship, instead only focused on making as much financial profit as they can, however they could achieve it. But over the last several years the number of natural disasters and the increasing warming of the planet have made the people more aware of issues such as sustainable development and allocation of resources. Furthermore the globalization and advanced technologies such as the World Wide Web make the markets and the operations of internationally operating corporations much more transparent to all parties concerned. This is why consumer have also started to base their buying-decision on issues such as human rights, business ethics and sustainable development and take into account if a company does well in the field of â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† or not. Moreover, laws and public initiatives put a lot more pressure on corporations to improve ethical and sustainable actions in the regions they are operating in. As a consequence, companies started to consider these aspects more seriously than before and tried to implement such topics in their strategic activities. To combine ethical, environmental and social aspects with economic aspects is a challenge and one of the most difficult strategic issues corporations have to deal with. Nowadays, corporations are ade feel responsible for the regions they are operating in, as well as for the people who are working for them. Because of that, â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† has become one of the core strategic issues of them to maintain a good image, which is finally responsible for their financial results. By investing in their employees, in infrastructure of the region they are operating in and in acting natural friendly or investing in sustainable energy, corporations not only generate a greater image of them and help the public, they also make finally profit out of it. Because of that, we can say that it is a â€Å"win-win situation† for both. Customers are being strongly influenced by such issues, because they sensitively recognize the â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† performance of a corporation. When a company does well in this field, the customer is finally willing to buy its product or to keep on buying its product, because he or she feels comfortable investing in a company who helps the public and treats its employees very well. This finally results in better revenues, which is a financial parameter. Furthermore employees are feeling much more comfortable and thus work more efficient, when the corporation gives them the feeling of feeling important and investing in them. Higher Efficiency finally results in better products, which affects the buying-decision of the customer, again. Moreover business partner and suppliers are more willing to cooperate with a corporation, who has a good image and who treats them fairly. By cooperating with good business partner and suppliers the corporation ensures good quality of its products, which finally results in better products and thus greater customer-satisfaction, again. So we can see that there is a strong correlation between the financial performance of a corporation and its social performance, which we also know as â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility†. Additionally, according to Kanji and Chopra (2010) these are the six dimensions in CSR that are most important for companies, they are (1) Organizational Strategic Planning Systems, (2) Social accountability and Social Investment, (3) Environment Protection and sustainability, (4) Corporate Governance and Economic Responsibility, (5) Ethics and Human Resources, and (6) Corporate Social Responsibility Index. Furthermore, there are more advantages of â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† than the financial one, which we can see while looking at the business relations, mentioned above. Although, â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† has become much more important over the last years, it is still a field, which has to be more researched about, when we refer to the number of articles already published. The less number of articles published in this field could be related to its definitions, which are very broaden and sometimes difficult to express, because of large number of issues involved. To sum it up, because of the growing awareness of ethical, social and sustainable activities of corporations the field of â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† has become a core strategic activity of corporations and for some even a source of competitive advantage. Location decision, clusters and CSR in relationship. As one can already notice when reading the in-depth perspectives above, there are some common grounds for the three topics. When one forms a cluster it will likely increase the country opportunity by specifically creating very attractive industry opportunities. As the cluster generates knowledge, resources, and capabilities attractive for some specific firms. Moreover, they create the necessary infrastructure and often the right political climate is thus present. Often this contributes to better economic circumstances in that area or region, increasing the market opportunities. Market opportunities are strongly connected to corporate social responsibility. Often industrialized countries demand more corporate social responsibility of a firm than a developing country does. Again this whole process influences the location decision that a company has to make and the market attractiveness for a firm.

Conservation of Momentum Lab Report Essays

Conservation of Momentum Lab Report Essays Conservation of Momentum Lab Report Essay Conservation of Momentum Lab Report Essay Analyzing Exploding Carts Lab Activity Objectives We will study the relationship of force and the duration of the collision. In doing so we will observe the max force experienced by an accelerating cart when it impacts another cart with a spring. A stiff spring will be used. We will collect the information through two items. We will use distance and time as information collectors. This will measure the acceleration, velocity, and position of the cart as it moves down the track. The most important measurement collected is the velocity; which will be used to calculate the momentum. We will also explore how mass impacts in the change of momentum, and if there can be a non-changing impulse between the two carts with different masses. Data Refer Experimental results: Analyzing Exploding Carts Lab Activity Handout (back part) Materials Stopwatch 1 meter stick 1 Cart 1 Cart with string 2 blocks/books 1 Mass block of 1. 0kg 1 Mass block of 0. kg Method Setup materials: Construct horizontal track, using the meter stick to create it. To surround it (and to prevent the carts from falling), set the 2 blocks/books at the edge of each side. Set the string to its first module. Total track should be 1. 0m; however, distance travelled by the carts will be 0. 52m. Record the interval as d in Table 1. Put the carts next to each other, with the string separating them (but still together). Mark this location with a small piece of tape if necessary. Repeat until timing is precise. Once this finished, calculate the velocity of all trials; FL and v, using ODL (distance traveled by cart 1) and do (distance traveled by cart 2). Also calculate momentum; Pl and pa. Hence, the equations used will be: v = d/t Comments and observations: Setting the material was simple. The activity was interesting. We had lots of experimental error; lots of variations in velocity and some for time. This was equal for cart and cart. We had to run many trials in order to get the most precise results. Total track was 1. Mm long however, only 0. Mm was traveled. The two carts were set in different spots along the track. Cart had an initial weight of 1. Egg, while cart was 0. Egg. The cart on which mass was added was cart 1. We can see here all the trials and how each changed in comparison to the one done before. Between each mass change for cart , distance traveled decreased 0. Mm (or 2. CM). Velocity decreased at different rates; so there was a different acceleration. This was on cart 1, because mass was being added to it; which not only involves a bigger mass but also brings a higher force of friction acting on it. Conclusion We conclude that it is not only possible for two collisions with the same initial velocity to have the same impulse but mandatory. That is, as long as the time of the impulse is free to change. We had some error in our experiment, in the difference in momentum and the integrated impulse. I believe that this was caused by two factors. We did not really measure the force sensor between each run. This could lead to a miss measurement of force and would account for the doubled error for the spring. Also we did not release the cart from the same point on the track (although this was made to have them finishing at same time; easier to administrate). The difference in the mass and distance traveled would naturally cause the final velocity before impact to be different (this is because of friction). The Max force that occurs during a collision is a function of the change in velocity over a change of time. The shorter the time span, the larger the force must be. However, this will not change the impulse. If we had correct calibration and similar momentums for both our runs, I am confident that we would have seen an even more accurate account of impulse. Even with our error we had conclusive results.

Aztecs of Mexico Essay

Aztecs of Mexico Essay Aztecs of Mexico Essay The Aztec Indians created a great civilization in Central Mexico, reaching its peak in the 1500’s. Being late arrivals to the area, and because of their strong neighboring nations, they were forced to live in the swampy western areas of the Lake Texcoco. Because of the swampy surroundings, the Aztecs used mud to create miniature islands in the swamps. These islands are called chinampas, or â€Å"floating gardens,† and were used as farming lands. On these fertile islands they grew corn, squash, vegetables, and flowers. Being an agriculturally dependent empire, the Aztec’s religion was based highly on the forces of nature and worshipped them as gods. The god of war, Huitzilopochtli, was the most important deity. They had many other important gods, such as Tlaloc, the god of rain, Quetzalcoatl, the god of wind and of learning, and Tenochtitlan, the sun god. The Aztecs believed in order to appease these and many other gods that they needed to perform human sacrifices. The main purpose of the great Aztec pyramids was, in fact, human sacrifices. They also believed that there were â€Å"lucky† and â€Å"unlucky† days for baptism and to declare war on, which were decided by a priest. Most art and architecture in the Aztec civilization was based on their religion. There are many brightly colored murals and paintings on walls and on bark which depict religious ceremonies, along with large idols of gods. One of the most amazing and famous of the Aztec’s art works is a huge calendar stone that

9/11 Terrorism Attacks Essay Example for Free

9/11 Terrorism Attacks Essay ? After the September 11 World Trade Center Attacks, America had had second thoughts about their immigration law. On September 11, 2001, four commercial planes were hijacked in the US. Using the planes as bombs, the hijackers flew two into the World Trade Center in New York City; one was flown into the Pentagon in Washington DC, and the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania. Over 6,000 people were killed, most when the World Trade Center collapsed. The FAA immediately grounded all US planes to prevent further attacks. The 19 men who hijacked the planes were foreigners who had been in the US from a week to several years. At least 16 entered at US ports of entry, with student or tourist visas; some of their visas appear to have expired before September 11, 2001. About 40 percent of the 8. 5 million unauthorized foreigners in the US similarly entered with seemingly valid visas, but did not abide by the terms of their visa by e. g. departing within 90 days. (Martin & Martin, October 2001) Our enemies have repeatedly exercised this option of inserting terrorists by exploiting weaknesses in our immigration system. A Center for Immigration Studies analysis of the immigration histories of the 48 foreign-born Al-Qaeda operatives who committed crimes in the United States from 1993 to 2001 (including the 9/11 hijackers) found that nearly every element of the immigration system has been penetrated by the enemy. (Camarota, 2002) Of the 48, one-third were here on various temporary visas, another third were legal residents or naturalized citizens, one-fourth were illegal aliens, and the remainder had pending asylum applications. Nearly half of the total had, at some point or another, violated existing immigration laws. 9/11 was not the only terrorist plot to benefit from lax enforcement of ordinary immigration controls—every major Al-Qaeda attack or conspiracy in the United States has involved at least one terrorist who violated immigration law. Gazi Ibrahim Abu Mezer, for example, who was part of the plot to bomb the Brooklyn subway, was actually caught three times by the Border Patrol trying to sneak in from Canada. The third time the Canadians would not take him back. What did we do? Because of a lack of detention space, he was simply released into the country and told to show up for his deportation hearing. After all, with so many millions of illegal aliens here already, how much harm could one more do? Another example is Mohammed Salameh, who rented the truck in the first World Trade Center bombing. He should never have been granted a visa in the first place. When he applied for a tourist visa he was young, single, and had no income and, in the event, did indeed end up remaining illegally. And when his application for a green card under the 1986 illegal-alien amnesty was rejected, there was (and remains today) no way to detain and remove rejected green-card applicants, so he simply remained living and working in the United States, none the worse for wear. (Krikorian, 2004) Immigration Changes According to Daniel T. Griswold (2002) â€Å"We should not allow the war on terrorism to be hijacked by those who would turn it into a war on immigration. Members of the Immigration Reform Caucus and writers in National Review have tried to hitch their anti-immigration agenda to legitimate concerns about border security in our post-9-11 world. But â€Å"border control† and immigration are two separate issues. The problem is not that we are letting too many people in but that the federal government has not been doing enough to keep the wrong people out† Philips and Susan Martin stressed that The federal government immediately made some immigration changes in response to the terrorist attack, such as holding foreigners who violate immigration laws 48 hours without charge, up from 24 hours. But the Bush administration is seeking more immigration changes, and the new Homeland Security Council, with 100 staff members comparable in size to the National Security Council staff, is likely to suggest even more as the 46 federal agencies whose work it coordinates to fight terrorism review the processes of issuing visas to foreigners, controlling their entry into the US, and ensuring that they abide by the terms of their visas inside the US. Immigration policy reforms can not prevent terrorism, but they are a key part of any effort to combat terrorism. Immigration policies aim to facilitate the entry of wanted foreigners, and to identify and deter the entry of terrorists and other unwanted foreigners. This paper outlines the immigration reforms that could help prevent the entry of future terrorists. It would be unfair and self-destructive to blame America’s immigration policy for what happened on September 11. Immigrants come to live and work and build a better life for themselves and their families. The terrorists did not come here as immigrants. They entered the country on temporary non-immigrant tourist and student visas. They didn’t apply to the INS for green cards or any other kind of permanent status. Immigrants are only a small subset of the much larger pool of 30 million foreign nationals who enter the United States in a typical year. More than 95 percent enter as tourists or business travelers. Only 3 percent, or about one million, enter to immigrate, that is, to settle here permanently. We could reduce immigration to zero and it would do nothing for our national security. (Griswold, 2002) 9/11 Terrorism Attacks. (2017, May 03).

Macro & Micro Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Macro & Micro Economics - Essay Example The characteristics of the market include durability, heterogeneity, high costs of transaction, long time delays, an investment as well as a consumption good, and immobility. The housing market possesses the importance of second hand transactions. According to the largest lender of the country, 5% of the total transaction is for the purchase of new properties while the rest is for purchase of either old or modern property. Two reasons can be accounted to assess the importance of the housing market for the economy of UK. The first reason states that the purchasing of houses is one of the biggest single purchases for the household and the purchased commodity represents the biggest single item of the wealth of the consumer. The changes in the prices of the houses have the potential to affect the entire economy. Current UK housing market The real estate industry is suffering from another wobble as the lenders are raising the rates of mortgage. The potential buyers are feeling the heat of consumer squeeze. Analysts are of the opinion that it is going to be a tough year ahead and the prices of the houses are taking the declining curve. The market outlook reports that the average price of the new properties failed to take the rising curve in the months of April-May, 2012. The market is driven by the release of equity. According to the nationwide house price index for the month of April, the property values have declined by 0.2 percent. It also states that the house prices are going to fall further as the households are uncertain of any possible recovery in the economy. The lenders are putting double squeeze on the home owners. The experts of the industry concluded that this is the greatest threat for the industry and it has come at the time when the economy was showing the signs of recovery. The seasonally adjusted net balance of headline price recorded a slip of 19%. The newly agreed sales value turned to negative again. The price outlook of the three months declined in the month of April and net balance witnessed a drop from -3 to -17 (RICS, 2012, p. 1). Several economists have noted that the housing market has moved out from the impacts of business cycle for the major economies including that of UK (Jones, Colin and Watkins 2009 p.1). Some writers opined that the housing market of the country is correlated with that of the economy while some others opposed it. Some writers concluded that the market is dominated by the investors and that is why demand may be artificially high or low for a long time. The interest rates act as the key economic variable for the housing market and the level of the interest rate will have impact on the demand for housing as it has the potential to determine the cost of credit for the buyers. In order to boost the economy, the interest rates have been set at a lower level. The different stages of supply and demand controls the housing market and so the market for UK is same as the market as in any other part of the World. There are two potential risks that are associated with the housing market. The first is the interest rate and the second one is mortgage indebtedness. The borrowing costs are a significant factor that determines the rates of mortgage and the ability to pay back the loans. The repayments of the mortgages become expensive as the interest rates rise and the previous crashes occurred due to this reason. The offered mortgages vary from nominal fixed rate to variable rate or index

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Employee Commitment Among Essay

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Employee Commitment Among Perfusionists - Essay Example IV. This study shall establish the relationship between self-efficacy and employee commitment among CCPs. It shall also investigate the role of age, gender, workload, experience, education and self-efficacy on CCP commitment. V. The research design is that of a quantitative correlational study. Two survey instruments would be used. One would measure organizational commitment through the organizational commitment questionnaire and the other would be the work self-efficacy inventory. Data would be analyzed using t-tests and multiple regression analyses as well as non-parametric tests. VII. With positive social change, better societal outcomes can be gained, in this case, better outcomes for patients and better working scenarios for CCPs. This study would benefit CCPs primarily, improving their work conditions and commitment. It would also benefit the patients with improved quality of care. This is an optional page for a dedication. If you include a dedication, use regular paragraph spacing as shown here (not centered, italicized, or otherwise formatted). If you do not wish to include this page, delete the heading, the body text, and the page break below the end of the text. No page number appears on any of the pages up to this point. If you do not wish to include this page, delete the heading and the body text; if a blank page remains, delete the page break above but leave the section break that you see below this text. Perceived self-efficacy refers to an is an individual’s beliefs in about accomplishing a specific task successfully (Bandura (1977). The theory of self-efficacy is a component of the social cognitive theory, which emphasizesd that cognitive, behavioral, personal, and environmental factors interact impact on to determine motivation and behavior. Beliefs in personal efficacy affect individual personal choices, including the quality of their performance, their resilience, and their level of motivationimpact the choices

The importance of HBCUs in the modern world Research Paper

The importance of HBCUs in the modern world - Research Paper Example Equality was often the cry. Nowadays, when people think they have achieved the desires of their old folks, social issues such as discrimination or racism are seriously examined on every corner of the world. With the acceptance of the merging of different races towards a global goal, it is being considered if racism has indeed been eradicated or if there is still the scars of racism that show that in the modern world, racism still exists. One of the things being closely examined in relation to this issue is the existence of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in a world wherein such racist impositions are greatly criticized. In this paper, it will be studied if the HBCUs are still relevant or if they should be dissolved just as slavery has been dissolved in order to get rid not only of the pains of racism but also its memories and scars. In order to consider well the different angles of the HBCUs, it is important to learn about the history of the colleges and universit ies. According to the title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, an HBCU is a school of higher learning whose principal mission was and is the education of African Americans accredited and established before 1964 (thurgoodmarshallfund.net). The Higher Education Center on the other hand specifically mentions that it is any historically black college or university (higheredcenter.org) and continues with the definition mentioned earlier. The first HBCU was established in 1837, twenty six years before the end of slavery (Coleman), in Pennsylvania and named Cheney University. The school catered to African Americans who have just earned their freedom from their slavery, who wanted to earn an education which they believed would grant them better lives. It was birthed by a Quaker who was also known to be a philanthropist, who yearned to educate and train free Blacks to become teachers (Coleman). For years, HBCUs stood for the educational rights of African American citizens and provided them with quality education that helped them actively participate in their communities. Among them are Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University organized in 1875 through the efforts of a former slave, William Hooper Council; Bowie State University which boasts of its dedication to the advancement of knowledge through teaching, research and service; and Lincoln University, known as the oldest historically black university founded in 1854 (thurgoodmarshallfund.net). The Historically Black Colleges and Universities boast of quality education that made way for a lot of African Americans and other cultures alike to succeed in the educational arena not only for undergraduates but also for graduate studies. It is claimed that nine out of ten of those who earn doctoral degrees are from HBCUs. Moreover, the HBCUs also boast about the high percentage of practicing professionals to be their graduates and African American Medical school applicants from HBCUs to have outnumbered the applic ants from Johns Hopkins, Harvard and the University of Maryland, combined (thinkhbcu.org). Among others that make HBCUs proud about their achievements are the significant number of their African American degree holders and doctorate degrees awarded for communications. HBCUs also boast that they are excellent institutions falling in line with the top ten colleges and universities for African American, even placing in the top six

An Organizations Performance and Macro-environmental Factors Essay

An Organizations Performance and Macro-environmental Factors - Essay Example The macro-environment of a business is understood through assessing the four factors, a process regarded as the PEST (Political, Economical, Social, and Technological) analysis (Thompson, 2002). This paper is a critique of Abercrombie and Fitch, which is a retail organization dealing with textile products such as men and women wear. It presents a PEST analysis as well as a competitive audit of the organization, with GAP Inc. Tommy Hilfiger Corporation and Urban Outfitters as the main competitors. The paper also presents an analysis of the threat of new entrants, the power of buyers, substitute products, bargaining power of suppliers and competitive rivalry, as well as an internal analysis of the organization. It highlights primary support services, as well as a SWOT analysis the firm. The organization has been faced with political influences although they have not affected its productivity. It operates under the UK employment laws that protect the rights of all people who have attained the age of employment. The organization has been faced with various cases involving individuals who feel that they have been marginalized in employment opportunities. Discrimination of potential employees can have negative impacts on the organization. Moreover, there are laws that protect consumers from unscrupulous businessmen, which are meant to prevent low-quality products from entering the UK market. However, the organization is not affected by government influence since its products are of high quality and it also adheres to the required quality. Employees are hired according to merit and therefore there are no cases. The organization has not fallen victim of terrorist activities or military  invasion since the UK is a politically stable nation (James, 1998). The organization operates under the protection of the WTO and it has experienced a steady growth.

Needs & Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Needs & Motivation - Essay Example He moved to Wisconsin university later where he studied psychology and earned his MS, BS, and Ph.D. in 1934. He discovered his theory in which he called the hierarchy of needs in 1943. In Maslows theory, people are motivated to fulfill their own needs. Everybody starts at the foot of the pyramid and works hard to attain the goals of the next layer working to the top section. For one to move to the next level of the pyramid, he/she has to meet the needs of the first level. If these needs are not assembled, the person can fall back to the first level. The first level of the needs is psychological needs. These are basic needs that are to be met n order to continue surviving, including water, food, clothing, shelter and sleep. The next level of the needs is security. This means that the environment surround people are neither threatening to them nor their families. If the surrounding is safe, it means that there is a sense of foreseeability or stability in the environment. Security may also be financial security that means that there is no financial unreliability in the future. This security is achieved by creating a retirement package, securing positions in the work, and insurance. Third is the affiliation level which is the need required for one to feel a sense of belonging or loved. People need the urge to be accepted by the other people, especially those around them. This may be at work place, home or other places. The next level is esteem. This is the visibility that one has of themselves. People must have a high image of them self and encompass self respect in order to understand this level. This level contains two components that are feelings of self value and the need for courtesy by other people. The last level of requirements in the hierarchy is self-actualization. This stage explains as some being all they can be and they have got each of the foregone needs in the stages. A talent of a person in this level is utilized

Art Theory Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Art Theory Paper - Assignment Example Jacques Ranciere and other western philosophers who have studied the emergence of new art have termed these form of art to be against the traditional forms of art, which is paintings and Sculptures. These forms of art as Ranciere states are always in opposition to the old schools of art. The emergence of this artistic trend tries to oppose formal or customary practices in artworks that delineated paintings, drawings and even sculptures. In his article titled problems and transformations of critical art, Ranciere explores these art forms which he terms as critical art. He proposes that critical art is more concerned about the function and not the form. Hence this type of art wills always exp-lore the themes or issues in society and not how the artwork was produced. In doing so, Critical art tends to break the rules that have been established for different kinds of schools that defined classical artworks. Artists such as Hung Liu have used art in the form described by Ranciere. Hung Li u can be categorized as being Critical art. Her art is not only political but critical of classical art movements. Ranciere states that the opposition of critical art to the classical forms of art does not criticize these pieces but tries to oppose the methods of classical works of art in modern art. The methods employed by New Art artists do not also conform to the classical schools and art movements. This paper explores how Hung Liu, one of the most famous American Chinese artist has exploited and reflected Ranciere’s proposition and contextualization of critical art. Hung Liu is a Chinese American Artist who was born in china in 1948. Hung Liu moved to the US in 1984 and then returned to China 1990. It was while in china that he discovered the art of mural paintings. Hung Liu‘s Art work uses varied medias in producing masterpieces.. Her main field of art includes Painting, print work and also drawings. Hung Liu’s work takes the form of critical art. His work i s transformational and it tries to raise awareness on various themes. Her background has a big influence in her work. Hung Liu’s style of painting and print tries to infuse contemporary and ancient Chinese culture in tackling issues to do with politics, the girl child, social problems, the Chinese society, the migrant and immigrant plight, the rural Chinese life and other social problems in Chinese and western modern life. Culturally, Hung Liu tries to raise issues in the society using her paintings. Most of her paintings depict the rural life of the Chinese people. Her work of art that she did before the moving to the US was concentrated on the rural life of the Chinese people in paddy fields where she had worked for four years. Using print as a media, Hung Liu reflects the life of the rural people and their suffering. She captures the culture of the Chinese rural worker. In her 2000 painting titled by the rivers of Babylon, Huang Liu uses oil on canvas to capture the rural life of the Chinese people and the culture of poverty. Her paintings have employed the contemporary techniques in capturing and passing a message that is transformational. This is one of the ways in which Ranciere says modern art has taken. By using Chinese images in her paintings and print, Liu identifies with her Chinese culture and she is able to communicate the issues in the culture. Hung Liu’

Needs & Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Needs & Motivation - Essay Example He moved to Wisconsin university later where he studied psychology and earned his MS, BS, and Ph.D. in 1934. He discovered his theory in which he called the hierarchy of needs in 1943. In Maslows theory, people are motivated to fulfill their own needs. Everybody starts at the foot of the pyramid and works hard to attain the goals of the next layer working to the top section. For one to move to the next level of the pyramid, he/she has to meet the needs of the first level. If these needs are not assembled, the person can fall back to the first level. The first level of the needs is psychological needs. These are basic needs that are to be met n order to continue surviving, including water, food, clothing, shelter and sleep. The next level of the needs is security. This means that the environment surround people are neither threatening to them nor their families. If the surrounding is safe, it means that there is a sense of foreseeability or stability in the environment. Security may also be financial security that means that there is no financial unreliability in the future. This security is achieved by creating a retirement package, securing positions in the work, and insurance. Third is the affiliation level which is the need required for one to feel a sense of belonging or loved. People need the urge to be accepted by the other people, especially those around them. This may be at work place, home or other places. The next level is esteem. This is the visibility that one has of themselves. People must have a high image of them self and encompass self respect in order to understand this level. This level contains two components that are feelings of self value and the need for courtesy by other people. The last level of requirements in the hierarchy is self-actualization. This stage explains as some being all they can be and they have got each of the foregone needs in the stages. A talent of a person in this level is utilized

Presidential and Parliamentary Systems of Government Essay Example for Free

Presidential and Parliamentary Systems of Government Essay Introduction and Main Distinguishing Features of Both Systems: A presidential system of government is one in which there is a head of government, i.e. the executive branch, who is separate from the legislature and is not accountable to it. Generally, the legislature does not hold power to dismiss the executive. This system can be traced back to the monarchal system in the medieval ages which countries such as France, England and Scotland followed where the Crown held all executive powers and not the parliament. When the office of the President of the United States was created, this system of separate powers of the executive and legislature was replicated in the U.S. Constitution. In contrast, a parliamentary system is different from the above because its executive branch of government needs the direct or indirect backing of the parliament to stay in power, which is generally expressed through a vote of confidence. However, the mechanism of checks and balances is different from one found in a presidential republic because there is no distinct separation of powers between the legislature and the executive. In parliamentary systems, the head of government and the head of state are distinct entities, where the former is the prime minister and the latter is an elected president or a hereditary monarch. The U.K. follows a parliamentary form of government, where the prime minister and the cabinet govern using their executive power on a daily basis, but actual authority is held with the head of state.[1] In distinguishing between presidential and parliamentary systems, three points must be considered. First, in a presidential system the head of government (the president) is elected for a fixed term and will serve this unless there is the unusual and exceptional process of impeachment, whereas in a parliamentary system the head of government (prime minister or equivalent) is dependent on the confidence of the legislature and thus can be removed (along with the whole government) by a motion of no-confidence. Second, in a presidential system the head of government (the president) is popularly elected, if not literally directly by the voters then by an electoral college popularly elected expressly for this purpose, whereas in a parliamentary system the head of government (prime minister or equivalent) is selected by the legislature. Third, in a presidential system there is effectively a one-person non-collegial executive, whereas in a parliamentary system the executive (i.e., the cabinet) is collective or collegial.[2] For his part, Sartori like Lijphart, makes three basic points in that ‘a political system is presidential if, and only if, the head of state (president) i) results from popular election, ii) during his or her pre-established tenure cannot be discharged by a parliamentary vote, and iii) heads or otherwise directs the governments that he or she appoints’. There are two distinctions between Lijphart and Sartori worth noting here. First of all, Lijphart refers to the president as the head of government whereas Sartori refers to him or her as the head of state. Second and related, Sartori conceives of the government as being broader than the individual president. As such, Sartori rejects as too narrow the notion ‘that the head of state must also be the head of government’ in favor of a looser notion that authority flows from the president down – perhaps via a separate head of government.[3] Mainwaring attributes two distinguishing features to a presidential democracy. First, the head of government is elected independently of the legislature in the sense that legislative elections and post-election negotiations do not determine executive power. In countries where the chief executive is selected by the legislature, not as a second alternative when the popular vote does not produce a clear winner but as the fundamental process, the system is either parliamentary (the vast majority of cases) or a hybrid (as in Switzerland). Post-election negotiations that determine which parties will govern and which will head the government are crucial in many parliamentary regimes, but they are not part of the selection process of chief executives in presidential systems. The chief executive in a presidential democracy is usually elected by popular vote, although some countries, notably the United States, have an electoral college rather than direct popular elections. Even so, in the United States, the popular vote has a virtually binding effect on Electoral College votes. In other presidential systems, including those in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile (before 1973), the congress votes for a president if there is no absolute majority in the popular vote. Yet the popular vote is the first criterion, and in Argentina and Chile, tradition has dictated that congress will select the candidate with the most popular votes. Note that it must be the head of government-not simply the president-who is elected by popular vote or an electoral college. In Austria, Iceland, and Ireland, the president is elected by direct popular vote but has only minor powers and is therefore not the head of government.[4] The second distinguishing feature of presidential democracies is that the president is elected for a fixed period of time. Most presidential democracies allow for impeachment, but this practice is rare and does not substantially affect the definition because of its extraordinary character. The president cannot be forced to resign because of a no-confidence vote by the legislature, and consequently, the president is not formally accountable to congress. In a parliamentary system, in contrast, the head of government is elected by the legislature and subsequently depends on the ongoing confidence of the legislature to remain in office; thus the time period is not fixed.[5] Implications for Policy Making and Democracy: Whether a regime is parliamentary or presidential has a major impact on significant aspects of political life: how executive power is formed, relationships between the legislative and the executive branches, relationships between the executive and the political parties, the nature of the political parties, what happens when the executive loses support, and arguably even prospects for stable democracy and patterns of domination. The proponents of presidential claim that presidential systems claim that such systems ensure that the presidents power is a legitimate one because the president if, in most cases, elected directly by the people. The United States follows a different system in which the president is elected by an electoral college but is still considered to be popularly elected. Parliamentary executives can not claim to be elected via a direct vote of the people. Separation of powers is another benefit which the presidential system provides because it established the executive branch and the legislative as two distinct structures which allows each body to supervise and oversee the other and prevents abuse of the system. In a parliamentary system, the executive is not separate from the legislature, reducing the chances of criticism or scrutiny, unless a formal condemnation in the form of a vote of no confidence takes place. Hence, in a parliamentary system, a prime ministers unethical deeds or instances of misconduct might never be discovered as Woodrow Wyatt (former British Member of Parliament) said while writing about the famous Watergate scandals during the presidency of Richard Nixon, dont think a Watergate couldnt happen here, you just wouldnt hear about it.[6] In a parliamentary system, even though the option of a vote of no confidence is available, it is an option resorted to only in extreme cases. It is considered extremely difficult to influence or stop a prime minister or cabinet who has already decided to pass legislation or implement measures. Voting against important legislation is tantamount to a vote of no confidence, as a consequence of which the government is changed after holding of elections. This is a very tedious process because of which it is a rare occurrence in some parliamentary countries. Britain for example has only rarely undergone such a situation. Therefore, it is often believed that in a parliamentary system, because of the lack of separation of powers, the Parliament can not actually exercise any real control over the executive. However, there can be a downside to separation of powers. Presidential systems can lead to a situations where the President and Congress both evade blame by passing it to the other. In the words of former Treasury Secretary C. Douglas Dillon as he described the United States, The president blames Congress, the Congress blames the president, and the public remains confused and disgusted with government in Washington.[7] Woodrow Wilson agreed in his thesis, Congressional Government in the United States, as he said, †¦how is the schoolmaster, the nation, to know which boy needs the whipping? . . . Power and strict accountability for its use are the essential constituents of good government. . . . It is, therefore, manifestly a radical defect in our federal system that it parcels out power and confuses responsibility as it does. The main purpose of the Convention of 1787 seems to have been to accomplish this grievous mistake. The `literary theory of checks and balances is simply a consistent account of what our constitution makers tried to do; and those checks and balances have proved mischievous just to the extent which they have succeeded in establishing themselves . . . [the Framers] would be the first to admit that the only fruit of dividing power had been to make it irresponsible.[8] Separation of Powers has mixed implications. It can lead to gridlock, i.e. when it becomes next to impossible to pass items on the partys agenda because the legislature is almost equally divided, usually an occurrence in the U.S. when the Senate and House of Representatives are dominated by opposing parties. However, the upside to gridlock is that it often prevents radical policy changes. Another problem with the presidential system is that while it is inherently stable because the president is elected for a fixed term, this also compounds the issue of the presidency being a zero-sum game, where winner takes all. As Linz (1990, 56) states, The danger that zero-sum presidential elections pose is compounded by the rigidity of the presidents fixed term in office. Winners and losers are sharply defined for the entire period of the presidential mandate†¦losers must wait four or five years without any access to executive power and patronage. The zero-sum game in presidential regimes raises the stakes of presidential elections and inevitably exacerbates their attendant tension and polarization. Parliamentary elections can also lead to one party winning an absolute majority, in most scenarios a number of parties gain representation through these elections. Power is often shared and coalitions are formed, as a consequence of which the position holders give due weight to the needs and interests of smaller parties. In turn, these parties expect a certain share in power and as is obvious, are stakeholders in the overall system, instead of non-entities. Now if, as is the case in presidential systems, one sole person believes that he has independent authority and a popular mandate, he might start to develop a tendency towards authoritarianism. When he develops such notions about his standing and role, he will not react appropriately to the inevitable opposition to his policies, finding it annoying and unsettling, as would a prime minister who considers himself a mere representative of a temporary governing coalition and not the sole voice of the nation. Hence the examples of Venezuela and Colombia, where when democracy was reestablished in times of great political instability, and when the written constitutions warranted a presidential government, the leaders of chief political parties opted for consociational agreements whereby the rigid, winner-take-all consequences of presidential elections were softened.[9] While stability is often touted as one of the prime advantages of the presidential system, it is simply another word for rigidity. On the other hand, parliamentarism lends a certain element of flexibility to the political process. Advocates of presidentialism might reply that this rigidity is actually a plus because it prevents the uncertainty and instability so definitive of parliamentary politics. Under parliamentary government, after all, a number of entities, even rank-and-file legislators, can choose to adopt basic changes, cause realignments and shifts, and, most importantly, make or break prime ministers. But it must be remembered that while the need for authority and predictability might serve as justifications for presidentialism, there can be a myriad of unexpected developments- anything from the death of the incumbent to serious errors in judgment committed under the pressure of adverse political circumstances – that often lead to the presidential rule being less predictable and often weaker than that of a prime minister. The latter can always make efforts to bolster up his legitimacy and authority, be it through a vote of confidence or the dissolution of parliament and the consequential new elections. Also, a prime minister can be changed without it necessarily leading to a major regime crisis.[10] Conclusion: The above analysis has largely favored a parliamentary system over a presidential one. However, one must remember that success regimes, regardless of the amount of thought and care gone into their design, are determined by the extent of support they manage to arrest from society at large, its major forces, groups and institution. Public consensus therefore is a basic need, which confers legitimacy to the authority of the regime, and this is achieved only by the power which is attained lawfully and in a democratic fashion. Regimes also depend to a large extent on the ability and aptitude of their leaders to govern, to arouse trust and to respect the boundaries of the power they hold. Every country has unique aspects that one must take into account-traditions of federalism, ethnic or cultural heterogeneity, and so on. Both systems have their pros and cons, even parliamentary systems can suffer grave crises. Hence, countries must consider their own individual past, present and future, in order to determine which system has the greater probability of success. References Hardin, Charles. 1989. A Challenge to Political Science. PS: Political Science and Politics 22(3): 595-600. Lijphart, Arend, ed. 1992. Introduction in A. Lijphart (ed.), Parliamentary versus presidential government. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Linz, Juan. 1990. The Perils of Presidentialism. Journal of Democracy (Winter): 51-69. Mainwaring, Scott and Shugart, Matthew. 1997. Juan Linz, Presidentialism, and Democracy: A Critical Appraisal. Comparative Politics 29(4): 449-471. Mainwaring, Scott. 1990. Presidentialism in Latin America. Latin American Research Review 25(1):157-179. Sartori, Giovanni. 1994. Neither presidentialism nor parliamentarism, in J.J. Linz A. Valenzuela (eds.), The failure of presidential democracy, vol. 1: Comparative perspectives. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. Thomas, Jo. Oct. 9 1988. The fate of two nations. The New York Times. Wilson, Woodrow. 1886. Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics. The New Englander 45(192). [1] Mainwaring, Scott and Shugart, Matthew. 1997. Juan Linz, Presidentialism, and Democracy: A Critical Appraisal. Comparative Politics 29(4): 449-471. [2] Lijphart, Arend, ed. 1992. Introduction in A. Lijphart (ed.), Parliamentary versus presidential government. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [3] Sartori, Giovanni. 1994. Neither presidentialism nor parliamentarism, in J.J. Linz A. Valenzuela (eds.), The failure of presidential democracy, vol. 1: Comparative perspectives. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. [4] Mainwaring, Scott. 1990. Presidentialism in Latin America. Latin American Research Review 25(1):157-179. [5] Linz, Juan. 1990. The Perils of Presidentialism. Journal of Democracy (Winter): 51-69 [6] Thomas, Jo. Oct. 9 1988. The fate of two nations. The New York Times. [7] Hardin, Charles. 1989. A Challenge to Political Science. PS: Political Science and Politics 22(3): 595-600. [8] Wilson, Woodrow. 1886. Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics. The New Englander 45(192). [9] Linz, Juan. 1990. [10]   Linz, Juan. 1990.

A Child Protection Social Worker Social Work Essay

A Child Protection Social Worker Social Work Essay Upon a social service department receiving the initial referral a decision will be made by the manager whether to act upon the information received. In the case of Samantha and her children the referral offers enough information to meet the criteria for a social worker to undertake an Initial Assessment. Local Authority (Social Services) Act (1970), places a duty on authorities to provided social services. It sets out a legal framework for local authorities and social work responsibilities in a statutory role, this being continually updated. In the case of Samantha and her children the authority in which the family reside in have a legal responsibility to undertake an assessment and a corporate obligation to provide services to children in need and adults, if necessary. Powers grant Local Authorities to act in certain ways but there is no obligation to do so and there is a degree of discretion of how powers are applied. In relation to the case study, the social worker would have the power to initiate contact with the family and other professionals they felt may provide valuable information to assist in the assessment process (Brammer, 2010). When carrying out the assessment, the social worker would refer to legislation which governs what they can do in order to safeguard children. The Children Act, (1989) sets out that the welfare of the child is paramount, the child being the primary client (Brayne Carr, 2010). The Act provides the legal framework within which social work practice with children and families is situated and promotes the family as being the best place for the child to be brought up in, where it is safe and possible to do so. The Act also includes principals with regards to welfare, childrens rights and introduced the concept of parental responsibility (Children Act, 1989, s.3, Brammer, 2010). The Act states that the local authority is required to provide services for children in need, their families and others (Children Act 1989, sec.17) and investigate if they have reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering or is likely to suffer from significant harm (Children Act 1989, sec.47). It also gives the authority the power to apply to the court if they believe the child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, placing the child in local authority care (Children Act, 1989, sec 31). The Children Act (2004) was introduced following an enquiry into the death of Victoria Climbe by Lord Laming. The Government responded by producing a green paper Every Child Matters and Wales Rights to Action, this led onto pass the Children Act 2004. Its main focus is to highlight the importance of multi-agency working placing a duty on local authorities and their partners including health, schools, and the Police to work responsibly and collaboratively to promote the wellbeing and safety of children. A common assessment framework was introduced so that social workers and partner agencies could provide better preventative support for families deemed not to reach child protection thresholds. The introduction of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) considers a holistic view of the child and their family, incorporating the childs developmental needs, parenting capacity and family and environmental factors (Brammer, 2010). In relation to the case study there have been concerns regardin g Callum and Claudia from their school. The Education Act 2002 also includes a provision requiring school governing bodies, education authorities and further education institutions to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (NSPCC, 2012). Using the CAF will also allow the social worker to explore family issues concerning the childrens father, older siblings and immediate family. The CAF will also consider the families identity and promote any welsh language needs in accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993 (CCW, 2002, 1.6). In response to the Children Act, 2004 the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) produced, Safeguarding Children; Working Together under the Children Act 2004, providing local authorities with guidelines and descriptions of roles of partner agencies and focused on working responsively and proactively (WAG, 2004). The All Wales Child Protection Procedures, 2008 were also introduced upon recommendations from Lord Lamings report requesting that governments strengt hen their child protection procedures (WAG, 2008). The Human Rights Act 1989 also plays an important role in the social work assessment. Professionals are required to uphold and defend the rights of individuals whilst seeking to meet their needs. The Act has also heavily influenced the Disability Discriminations Act, 2005 and Equality Act, 2006 2010 (Brayne Shoot, 2010). Wales have also implemented their own introducing The Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2007 (BASW, 2011). This legislation will be relevant when taking into account the needs of Samantha in relation to her historical mental health problems. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 (UNCRC), is an international agreement that protects the human rights of children under the age of eighteen and recognises children as possessing rights on equal footing with adults. This along with the Human Rights Act 1989 is instrumental in the CAF as it requests that the child is to be seen and a consideration of their needs and wishes recorded. The children, along with Samantha have the right to have their wishes and feelings known in relation to any assessment or intervention undertaken (Children Act, 1989 sec. 22 Human Rights Act, 1989, UNCRC, 1989 article 12). There are also national bodies that provide social care professionals with common guidance on their practice. These are the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), the General Social Care Council (GSCC) and in relation to Wales the Care Council of Wales (CCW) and the National Occupational Standards of Social Work (NOS). The legislation and guidance discussed will assist the social worker in undertaking an initial assessment of Samantha and her children. Using the CAF will help to establish what support if any the family requires. The assessment should show the strengths, difficulties and impact of the situation on the family (Parker Bradley, 2008). The social worker will need to determine from an analyses of the assessment whether the children are children in need (Children Act, 1989 sec. 17) or children in need of protection (Children Act 1989 sec.47). The worker will be required to work alongside other professionals in a multi-agency approach in particular education, possible mental health agencies and recognising that the children, in particular Callum maybe a young carer (Children Act, 2004, Disability Discrimination Act, 2005, Equality Act, 2006 2010, Carers Recognition Services Act 1995). The social worker would also be abiding by statutory bodies codes of ethics in recognising and promotin g services users rights, working open and honestly and respecting their views and wishes (BASW, 2012 CCW, 2002, CCW, 2003 GSCC, 2002). Section B. Upon receipt of this further information from the Health Visitor, the Local Authority would have a duty under the Children Act 1989 to initiate Sec.47 enquiries. The Children Act 1989 Sec. 1b states that, If the local authority have reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives or is found in their area is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm. The authority shall make or cause to be made such enquiries as they consider necessary to enable them to decide whether they should safeguard or promote the childs welfare. Following this legislation the social worker in consultation with a senior manager would undertake a strategy discussion at the earliest opportunity. Information would be gathered from the referrer and also the consultant paediatrician and discussed with the police; this can be done via telephone (WAG, 2008). Any other relevant information about the family should also be shared during this time. Information should be given to the Police regarding Samanthas partner David and checked against the police national database, although this should have been done as part of the Core Assessment process. Pertinent questions should be raised regarding the consultants assessment of the alleged burn marks; How did the hospital visit come about? Why did the consultant not make the referral themselves? Was Claudia sent home after the examination? The strategy discussion should agree the course of action to be taken; if a medical examination is needed, whether the investigation would be a single or j oint agency response (social services alone or in conjunction with the police) and what information should be shared with the family at this time. It should also take into consideration the needs of any other children who may be affected, in this case Claudias brother Callum (WAG, 2008). As part of the Sec.47 enquiries it is a statutory requirement for the social worker to see the child unless there is enough evidence and information to proceed (Children Act, 1989 s47.4). It is important that any discussions with children are done in a way that minimises the distress and maximises the likelihood of them providing clear and accurate accounts (Brayne Carr, 2010). Due to the seriousness of the information regarding Claudia and Callum and the presence of a potential non accidental injury, the decision needs to be made whether emergency action is needed. This may be because access to the child is being refused; parent is refusing a medical examination or deliberately delaying enquiries. Legal advice should also be available through the local authoritys legal service (WAG, 2008). Following this there are a range of options available to the local authority for securing the protection of Claudia and Callum. Samantha may agree to David leaving the household and sign a safe-care agreement for him not to have contact with the children. Although this may not be possible as there are allegations of a non-accidental injury with no reasonable explanation to the cause. Claudia and Callum may be cared for be extended family subject to safeguarding checks (WAG, 2008). The children may be looked after by the local authority with parental agreement (Children Act, 1989, sec. 20). Social services can also make an application to court for an Emergency Protection Order, allowing them to accommodate the children for up to eight days without parental consent. The last option is Powers of Police Protection whereby the Police have the power to remove the children (WAG, 2008, Williams, 2008). Although there must be no delay in safeguarding children who are at risk, it is important to be aware of the possible trauma and disruption such proceedings may have on the children involved and every effort must be made to minimise this. Section C. Under the Human Rights Act 1998, Claudia has the right to respect for a family life and privacy and local authorities have to justify any interference in family life with any involvement being necessary and proportionate (HRA, 1998 article.8). This is also supported by the UNCRC 1988. These rights can be compromised when there are concerns regarding child welfare and child protection. Local authorities exercising their legal duties and functions must do so without violating the rights of children and their parents. In relation to Claudia and the escalating concerns for her welfare and safety, social services are legally justified in intervening in family life if it is to protect her health and wellbeing (Laird, 2010). This must only happen in accordance to the law, Children Act 1989 and must not interfere with the convention law, beyond what is absolutely essential to prevent some kind of harm (Laird, 2010, p150). The case study highlights incidents of escalating seriousness with regards to Claudia, she has suspected non accidental injuries and her brother Callum has alleged that David has slept in her room on occasions, this alongside on-going issues of neglect. This information would be sufficient to trigger compulsory measures by the local authority under sec.47 Children Act 1989. Section 47 enquiries and powers of police protection to remove children in an emergency do not require a court order. A court order ensures that there is a forum in which the rights of those who are involved and what is needed in order to safeguard the child can be considered by a judge, this ensures that in most cases compulsory measures will not normally breach Article 8 ECHR (Williams, 2008). In situations of extreme urgency where the child is at risk of significant harm, relating to the case study and the non-accidental injuries to Claudia, the local authority can apply to the court for an emergency protection order (EPO) which can be granted by a single magistrate without the prior knowledge of the parents (Laird, 2010). Courts must regard Claudias welfare as paramount and must be satisfied that making an order is better than making no order at all. Local authorities must look to identify family placements for the child before opting for foster care. Laird (2010) uses an example of X Local Authority v B (Emergency Protection Orders), whereby the local authority where the children lived did not take into account the viability of placements with extended family members before applying for an EPO. This contravening article 8, as removing the children from all their relatives into foster care is the most extreme interference in family life. In relation to Claudia, if she was to be removed from the care of her mother, into foster care and possibly separated from her brother, without giving prior consideration to any immediate or extended family may breach her rights under article 8 or the Human Rights Act 1998 and UNCRC 1989. Working in partnership with professionals during child protection procedures is guided through legislation and agency roles, powers and duties. The difficultly can be working in partnership with parents especially when they are not in agreement with the process. In child protection work the relationship between parent and social worker can be fraught and tightly directed by legal and procedural requirements (Pinkerton Devaney, 2009). If Claudia was to remain in the care of her mother, she would be the subject of an Initial Child Protection Conference. WAG (2008) states that where possible parents and others with parental responsibility should be invited to attend and helped fully to take part. They also have the option of bringing an advocate or legal representative. Family members and professional should be able to share information in a safe and non-threatening environment and for family members to speak to the chair in the absence of other relatives, especially if there is a risk of violence or intimidation (Brammer, 2007 CCW, 2002, 1.3, 3.1). This could be apparent in relation to Samantha if Claudias father having parental responsibility also attended the conference. The social worker should also meet with the parents beforehand to share the report which highlights the concerns bringing them to conference. The chair should also meet before the conference to ensure that they understand the procedure and purpose of the event (Brammer, 2007). At six years old, Claudia is able to voice her wishes and feelings and this should be done through direct work with the social worker, not to obtain a disclosure about possible abuse, but to build a trusting relationship between worker and child with the child being able to feel safe and secure whether they remain at home or in placement (Milner OByrne, 2009, CCW, 2002 1.2, 2.1 UNCRC, 1989, article 12). Studies show that children are capable of understanding complex situations and are able to construct ways of dealing w ith them, so an honest explanation of the situation is more productive, however young they are. However issues can arise when the child knows only too well the seriousness of the situation. Claudia may hesitate and feel unable to talk freely as she may worry how the information discussed will be used. If she is to return home to her mother, she may be questioned over what she has said (Milner OByrne, 2009). Although the worker will respect the confidentially of Claudia, it is not wholly guaranteed and this should be explained to her in an age appropriate manner, ensuring her understanding (BASW, 2011, CCW, 2002, 2.3, Children Act 2004 sec. 12). Any disclosures from Claudia which could potentially put her or others at risk will require compulsory action under sec. 47 Children Act 1989. Whilst working with Claudia and her family the social worker will be guided by legislation and statutory guidance which will on times conflict with human rights and ethical values. The very nature of child protection work can be oppressive with a distinct power imbalance. The power and status is firmly with the worker who is advantaged by being someone of the authority. It is also likely to be reinforced by the parents and children being disadvantaged by gender, class, race and age (Pinkerton Devaney, 2009). Childrens rights to protection are clearly laid out in international and domestic law (Human Rights Act, 1998, UNCRC, 1989, Children Act, 1989/2004) and promoted in national and international codes of ethics and practice guidance (International Federation of Social Workers, British Association of Social Workers Care Council of Wales). In relation to Claudia the Human Rights Act 1989 and UNCRC 1989 article 8, supports her right to remain in the care of her mother. In contrast to this article 19 ensures that Claudia is protected from violence, abuse and neglect by her parents or anyone else who looks after her. Article 9 goes on to support the removal of the child for their own protection but promotes contact with parents if safe to do so (UNCRC, 1989). The social worker would encounter ethical dilemmas during her work with Claudia and have to balance her needs and interests where they may conflict with those of others, especially other professionals, and child protection issues in regards to her safety (CCW, 2002, BASW, 2011). The worker would apply the relevant codes of ethics and practice around issues of information sharing and confidentiality (CCW, 2002 2.3, 6.5, 6.7). However in relation to child protection and the law, the welfare of the child would always be paramount over any rights of confidentiality (Children Act, 1989). The social worker would need to give due consideration regarding Claudias life-skills and knowledge and promote her participation in the process that concerns her (BASW, 2011, 2.1, CCW, 2002, 1.1, 1.2, 3.1). Although consideration of a childs wishes and feelings does not impose a duty to act upon them (Brayne Preston-Shoot, 2010). Overall this assignment highlights the complex nature of social work in one of the most demanding areas, child protection. The need to follow legislation and statutory guidance and to balance that with the individuals human rights, taking into consideration ethics, non-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice can, on times be a highly contentious process but one that hopefully has the desired outcome, the child has been protected and is safe from harm. Children have a right to live in this world and be protected from violence, abuse and neglect and child protection should be the business of everyone. There have been incidents when things have gone wrong and unfortunately children have died as a result, lessons have been learnt and law and policy nationally and internationally has been changed to hopefully prevent this in the future.