Nature of Partnerships Essay

Nature of Partnerships When starting a business, it can be with a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or as a company. A partnership is the most popular and the easiest to form. Partnerships combine individual talents and skills together for a hopefully successful business enterprise venture. Man has realized that it is easier to do something with the help of others than singly. Partners, also, provide a greater chance of obtaining equity capital for their business venture, while sharing the risks that go along with a rapidly growing business. There are basically three types of partnerships: the general artnership, the limited partnership, and the limited liability partnership. This paper discusses the general partnership. The definition of a partnership is â€Å"the association of two or more persons to carry on as co-owners of a business for profit . † Partnerships may be formed as a formal agreement or informally with a handshake. Either way, a partnership agreement should be written up with all the aspects of the partnership covered. Once the partnership agreement is filled out and agreed on by all partners, each partner will need to sign stating they are in agreement. A artnership agreement helps to alleviate any conflicts that may arise at any future date. When accounting for a partnership, it will depend on the accounting method stated in the partnership agreement. If any noncash assets were contributed, these will need to be assigned a fair value. Any noncash assets brought to the partnership are the property of the partnership . Each partner investing capital will have to be agreed upon by all partners. This investment will determine the ratio or percentage of net profit or loss to be divided between each partner. If there is no ratio or ercentage stated in the partnership agreement, then everything is divided equally. When setting up the accounting for the business, most accounting methods have multiple accounts for each partner. These accounts are the capital account, which shows the initial investment of each partner, the drawing account, showing any withdrawals taken over a years’ time, and the loan account, where partners can take a loan from the business. The capital account can be maintained in two different ways: the fluctuating capital method or the fixed capital method . The division of net profit equally. To account for this division, say S, T, and U decided to set up a partnership. S contributes $40,000, T contributes $30,000, and U contributes $30,000. This would be a ratio of 4:3:3. The total contributed to the partnership is $100,000. Profit for the first year is $300,000. Because the ratio is 4:3:3, S’s net capital would be $120,000. T and Us net capital would be $90,000 each, for a total of $300,000. If the partnership decides to add a partner, whatever was determined in the partnership agreement will determine what steps to take for adding this new partner. Adding a new partner normally adds profitability. If the partners decide to cease operations, there are two alternatives to help them decide which approach is better for the business: liquidation or dissolution. â€Å"Liquidation refers to the complete sale of the business’ assets and dissolution refers to the closure of a business, often on voluntary terms of the business owner. Liquidation means that the business is closing its doors and liquidating all noncash assets and liabilities. Dissolution may mean that the partnership is dissolving and a new partnership, another partnership or business is buying out the business, or the business is dissolving. When considering dissolution, there are two types, a technical dissolution and a general dissolution . A technical dissolution is when there is a change in the composi tion of the business. A general dissolution is a complete dissolution or winding up of the partnership and the business. The dissolution may result with a mutual agreement of all partners, a partner being served notice, a court order, fraud, misrepresentation, or illegal activity, or where the business is not making a profit. Whether liquidating or winding up a business, transactions to process are the collection of receivables, conversion of oncash assets to cash, payments to creditors, liabilities closed out, and the remaining distribution of net balance to the partners, in cash . When starting a business with a partnership, it is with the intent purpose of longevity.

Piaget vs Vygotsky Essay

Initially the study of lifespan development rose due to Darwin’s desire to understand human evaluation (Boyd & Bee, 2006). Developmental psychology is concerned with the changes of people during their life span including motor skill changes, problem solving changes, moral understanding changes, but it is originally concerned with these changes during infancy and childhood (Boyd & Bee, 2006). Without any doubts, Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), are two major contributors who have affected developmental psychology with their theories on human development. According to Lerman (1996), Piaget and Vygotsky belong to two different traditions; Piaget belongs to the constructivism perspective that sees learning as construction and Vygotsky to the activity theory perspective that sees learning as an appropriation. According to Piaget, cognitive development results from the development of the brain, acquiring new abilities and experiences, thus he separated development into stages (as cited in Santrock, 2008). Piaget developed four stages the sensori-motor stage (0-2 years) where the infant is trying to make sense of the world, and acquires the development of object permanence (Shaffer & Kipp, 2007). The pre-operational stage (2-7 years) where language development, animism, egocentrism and the use of symbols hallmark this stage (Shaffer &Kipp, 2007). The concrete operational stage (7-11 years) where children start classifying objects and are able to conserve and think logically about objects and events (Shaffer & Kipp, 2007). And the formal operational stage (11 years and beyond) where children develop hypothetico-deductive reasoning and imaginary audience and believe in the uniqueness of oneself and one’s experiences (Shaffer & Kipp, 2007). On the other hand, Vygotsky developed his sociocultural theory indicating that cognitive development is promoted in a â€Å"sociocultural† context which influences the form it takes (Shaffer & Kipp, 2007). Furthermore, Vygotsky indicated that many of the child’s most important cognitive functions develop from social interactions with parents, teachers and other more competent associates. Moreover, Vygotsky elaborated his Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) where the child is the learner and can manage independently and the difference between what the children can learn with guidance of a more skilled and competent partner and expect further cognitive growth, by internalising the help of the skilled partner (Shaffer & Kipp, 2007). Starting on the debate and trying to shed light upon the different approaches on development from Piaget and Vygotsky, the differences on egocentric speech and language will be analyzed. Vygotsky in one of his main books published in 1934 â€Å"Thought and Language† wrote about Piaget â€Å"Psychology owes a great deal to Jean Piaget. It is not an exaggeration to say that he revolutionised the study of child language and thought† (Vygotsky, 1962, p.9). Though, even if he exalted Piaget he differed his approach around the concepts of egocentric speech and egocentrism. In line with Vygotsky (1962, p. 14-15), the outcome of the observations of Piaget led him to the conclusion that children’s speech can be divided only in two distinct entities, the egocentric speech and socialized speech. The difference between them is due to their functions, during egocentric speech the child talks only about him having no interest in other people and expecting no answers, whereas socialized speech attempts exchanges with other people. According to Vygotsky, the conclusions of Piaget showed that the majority of preschool children talk is egocentric, though when the child reaches school age, egocentric speech declines (Vygotsky, 1962, p. 16).Vygotsky differed his view from Piaget on egocentric speech believing that it has a specific function and this function other than its communicative role, it also serves as a thinking tool and as a tool to solve problems (Vygotsky, 1962, p. 18). Piaget and Vygotsky seem to agree that inner speech develops from egocentric speech which leads to logical thinking, though Vygotsky highlighted language as an apparatus of thought other than another way of expression. On the other hand, Piaget awarded to language a less significant role than Vygotsky toward the development of thought (Piaget, 1970). Moreover, Vygotsky praised the use of language and egocentric speech as thinking tools which promote development, but Piaget disagrees indicating that Vygotsky could not understand that egocentrism could be a main obstacle for learning, concluding that language can also reduce learning and development (Piaget, 1962). Another main issue where Vygotsky and Piaget collide is the role of the social and the role of the individual in learning. Piaget indicates that teaching is divided in two sides, the one is the rising individual, and the other side consists of social, intellectual, and moral values that the educator attempts to transmit (Piaget, 1969). Piaget’s aim was to make children capture the solution of the problem on their own strength, self-regulation, and their own experiences rather than receiving help from any rules or from a more skilled individual (Piaget, 1969). Thus, Piaget points out that learning is not social, and that the individual on his own entirely captures the surrounding knowledge. On the contrary, Vygotsky who belongs to the activity theory indicates that learning is an active process from the child’s perspective, and that the child can duplicate culturally accumulated knowledge with assistance from social support (Vygotsky, 1962). The outstanding difference in learning is that Piaget perceives the individual as the onset of learning and also children can learn through repetitive interaction and experience with the environment, moreover the egocentric speech serves as a tool for logical thinking, though it can also intricate the meaning (Piaget, 1969). On the other hand, Vygotsky is emphasising more that an individual (child) cannot produce knowledge and learn without the verbal interaction and activity of other probably more skilled individuals (Vygotsky, 1962). Thus, Piaget seems to combine and emphasise on both the individual side and the social side, whereas Vygotsky emphasises more on one side, the social side. Additionally, Vygotsky proposes that knowledge arrives from the outside, on the contrary though Piaget points out that learning lies on a child’s innate capability. Piaget was mainly affected from his biological roots which influenced his approach on human development, and Vygotsky was influenced by the Marxist tradition forming his own ideas about human development and that is where the foundational difference lies on these two approaches on the essence of humanness (Newman & Holzman, 1993). On the contrary to Piaget who has strongly settled in a biological worldview and asserts human development in the adaptation to the environment, Vygotsky emphasizes on the centrality of transformative collaborative practices by individuals who do not adapt to their environment but as a whole transform it, and through this transformation also alter themselves and acquire their own status and essence (Newman & Holzman, 1993). For Piaget what promotes cognitive growth is disequilibration, a revolution made from the connection of two elemental processes. Concurrences with the world were either adapted, assimilated to anterior existing mental functions, or prevailing functions were altered to accommodate them. According to Piaget, there is this double connection between assimilation and accommodation highlighting that this double connection leads to cognitive growth, but none of these two functions can serve on its own the purpose of cognitive growth (Bruner, 1990). On the other hand, Vygotsky did not attribute to the mind this logical calculus. For Vygotsky, the mind is determined to consist of processes for attributing experience with meaning. Vygotsky indicated that meaning does not entirely depend upon language but also on the ability to apprehend the cultural context where language is used (Bruner, 1990). Vygotsky believed that cognitive growth would be promoted by acquiring essential order culturally allocated symbolic structures, with each of these symbolic structures having the ability to blend or switch pre-existing knowledge (Bruner, 1990). Additionally, these essential orders are manufactured by culture and cognitive growth is not formed by the biological perspective unless they are aided by language and culture which rely upon endured social interactions. Piaget was mainly concerned with the balanced order of mental development, whereas Vygotsky was merely concerned with how other more skilled individuals or the society implement the cultural patterning that constructs the process of cognitive growth and makes development achievable. According to Vygotsky’s general genetic law of cultural development any function the childe displays during his cultural development will appear two times. Firstly, it will appear in the social stage and then on the psychological stage. For Vygotsky, the unit of analysis is the individual engaging in social activities rather than psychological activity of the individual’s characteristics, arguing with Piaget’s position that children’s development must precede learning, Vygotsky’s position was that the development process lies behind the learning process. These two major theorists seem to disagree ontologically about learning due to the fact that Piaget is a constructionist and Vygotsky belongs to the activity theory. Ontologically constructivism indicates that there is no reality that exists outside of human thinking, whereas the activity theory points out that for everything that exists it does include physical characteristics. Furthermore, constructivism indicates that knowledge and thinking are inextricably on people’s brains and they just construct from their personal experiences. On the contrary, the activity theory indicates that knowledge is formed from a social negotiation involving people. Another issue which differs Vygotsky’s approach from Piaget’s is that the Piagetian theory does not provoke that children perform tasks that are far away from their cognitive capabilities. The teacher simply prepares the environment for the child’s developmental level of mental operations, concluding that the child is limited by its own developmental stage. On the other hand, Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development welcomes the child to attempt beyond its potential mental capabilities. Both theorists have contributed with their approaches of human development. The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget and the Russian Lev Vygotsky consequently influenced from their environments and cultures and also from their beliefs in constructivism and the activity theory formed their approaches on human development were in some parts seem to agree, but have major differences between them. Most critiques reflecting on these two approaches seem to weigh more on Piaget due to the fact that several developmental tasks he applied on children especially in the pre-operational stage are not clearly stated and it seemed that Piaget often underestimated children’s mental capabilities. Piaget claimed that pre-operational children cannot decentre on the ‘three mountain task’ though new studies have shown that by altering the objects with something more familiar, children were able to decentre. Also in some other Piagetian tasks children performed better than expected by Piaget. And that has revealed that Vygotsky’s approach to the socio-cultural aspect seems more appropriate than Piaget’s constructivist approach. REFERENCE LIST: Boyd, D. & Bee, H. (2006). Lifespan Development (4th. Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Lerman, S. (1996). ‘Intersubjectivity in Mathematics Learning: A Challenge to the Radical Constructivist Paradigm?’ Journal for Research in Mathematics Education Vol. 27 2, pp.211-223. Newman, F., & Holzman, L. (1993). Lev Vygotsky: Revolutionary Scientist. London: Routledge. Piaget, J. (1962). Comments on Vygotsky’s critical remarks concerning ‘The Language and Thought of the Child’, and ‘Judgement and Reasoning in the Child’. Cambridge: Massachusetts, The M.I.T. Piaget, J. (1969). Psykologi og paedagogik Copenhagen: Hans Reitzell. Piaget, J. (1970). Genetic Epistemology. New York: Columbia University. Santrock, J., W. (2008). A topical approach to life-span development (4th Edition). New York City: McGraw- Hill. Shaffer, D., R., & Kipp, K. (2007). Developmental Psychology: Childhood & Adolescence (7th Edition). Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth. Vygotsky, L., S. (1962). Thought and Language Cambridge: Massachusetts, The M.I.T. View as multi-pages

Job dissatisfaction Essay

1.What symptom(s) in this case suggest that something has gone wrong? In this case, there are few symptoms clearly stated that something has gone wrong for this company. These symptoms can be classified into two main areas; one is the negative feedback from the customers and another one if from its own employee’s job dissatisfaction. As stated in this case, the customer services business has grown doubled in the past five years as the advancement of technology allowed employees to investigate most software and hardware system faults from the center through remote monitoring. However, as the business grows, there are possibility of increasing work load and pressure that causes the rise of those negative feedbacks from both customers and employees. First of all, the symptoms that suggested something had gone wrong includes the company was unable to live up through their customer’s expectation. This is shown by the increasing complaints regarding poor quality service by customers. Customers have commented that employees seem indifferent to the client’s problem, not enthusiastic in assisting and helping them. Besides, they also commented that they are receiving slow response to their problem where solving their issue requires the involvement of more than one department. This might due to poor procedure flow. Moreover, their customer also commented that employees are lacking of knowledge regarding client’s unique information technology system infrastructure. There are more symptoms being detected in employee side which include increased in employee resignations above industry average and employee referrals become rare. Employees are complaining about monotonous work where the work is lacking in variety and interest. Employees also commented that they are disconnected from the consequences of their work, where the outcome of their service is not made known to them. Conflicts that frequently occur among employees with different departments also a symptom that showing appropriate action must be taken by the management. Employees also complaining about the stress level are increasing when serving dissatisfied clients. It is clearly that the company is experiencing some growth; however, the management needs to find a solution to solve the arising issue where their employees are lacking of motivation in their job. However, the executive team’s decision to raise pay rates for its customer service staff and the vested profit-sharing plan does not improve the employees’ work performance or customers’ satisfaction. 2.What are the main causes of these symptoms? The main cause of these symptoms is the lack of motivation among customer service employees. As according to the results of employee survey and informal comments given by employees, we can conclude that most of the employees do not meet their job satisfaction. This is the main factor for the lack of engagement in doing their task, ended with poor performance in their customer service. The work effectiveness is strongly affected by employees’ work motivation and job satisfaction. The lack of motivation among customer service staff is caused by several factors which include the boredom from monotonous work, feels disconnected from the consequences of their work, conflicts with other departments and the stress serving unhappy clients. All of the above causes are leading to job dissatisfaction among employees which then driving poor quality service to their customers. They are lacking of common goal in their task. The relation between those factors and motivation level among employees can be explained by the Job Characteristic Model. According to Job Characteristic Model, five core job dimensions, skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback from job, produce three psychological states among employees and lead to higher level of internal work motivation, job satisfaction and work effectiveness. From the employee survey and informal comments, it is clear that the job is lack of variety and lacking of feedback from job. In addition, problem within the structure of the company causing conflicts between departments. This might due to lack of proper channel of communication from the time of query have been made by customer and the ticket is issued until the problem has been resolved. Besides, high quit  rate and lower productivity among new employees is another reason causing poor quality service to customers. The overall scenario does not improve but turned worst instead when the management takes the wrong approach in solving the problem by rising employees pay. The problem and causes of the poor quality service is not been analyzed and identified, thus there is no positive impact by just rising pay rates to customer service staff. This can be further discussed as ineffectiveness of reward. The reward given is not linked to the work performance; as the results, employees do not experience the positive emotions even when they receive higher pay or incentive from the vested profit-sharing plan. 3.What actions should Yakka Tech executives take to correct these problems? Yakka Tech executives should take few actions in order to correct these problems. These actions mainly focus on three parts, first is on boosting up employees job satisfaction to increase their job motivation. Secondly, the management should implement a better and more organize system for the flow of query between departments. Thirdly, the Yakka Tech executives should reconstruct the reward system in order to improve reward effectiveness. These problems must be properly addressed and analyzed before the company implements new solutions. Management shall gather more information regarding the factors causing employees job dissatisfaction which results in poor quality service. Productivity among employees is strongly related to their job engagement and job motivation. As in this case, the executives should establish a goal setting plan in order to help employees have a clear goal on their job which help in motivating the employees. By setting a precise goal can also help to motivate employees to stay in track. In addition, the executives can establish a feedback system to promote communication between management and staff. Set a regular employee survey, group meetings or other feedback system to enable employees to share their thoughts to the management. This is to allow the management to detect those areas that need improvement to have better employee engagement. An organized system is vital in any organization in order to promote smooth work flow. Yakka Tech should implement a better and more organize system to solve the communication problem between departments and the flow of query between departments. A clear procedure of work flow should be set and made known to all departments that involve in addressing customer’s problem. Moreover, adequate training for new employees and ongoing training for employee is important. This is to keep employees skills up-to-date and increase productivity. Reconstruct the reward system to promote reward effectiveness. The rates of pay do not increase productivity, but employee engagement does. The executives should come out a better incentive scheme to motivate their employees. For example, reward is given to employee who receives good comment from their customer or annual bonus is given to the team when the complaints rate is lower than the benchmark. The reward given should be always linked to the employee performance and the management should provide relevant reward the valued by their employee.

Chose the topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chose the topic - Essay Example After getting drunk, they would walk around making noise and talking immoral while others were fighting each other. This is evident when Philomena and Pelajia complaints about this and saying that she wants to go to Toronto. They later overcome this by stopping the name callings, towards themselves, and considering one another for consolation. The social conditions in the hills seemed to be harder when Pelajia complaints about men snatching away their neighbors wives. She also complains of the women snatching their neighbors husbands and sleep with them. Those involved in this have shown disrespect and caused discomfort to others, including the sisters, in the hills. Pelajia says, " †¦..Andrew Starnblanket and his brother Mathew. Drunk. Again. Or sounded like†¦." She continues saying, "†¦. Fighting over some girl. Heard what sounded like a baseball bat landing on somebodys back. My lawn looks like the shit this morning" (Tomson 59). This condition has made the sisters resolve their differences and stay in peace since this is the only way to their resilience. The sisters have been staying in a state of joblessness. None of them is employed, and we even see them relying mostly on charity so that they can get some finances to better their lives. In the play, we see them being idle all the day and having nothing to do so as to improve their living conditions. This is evident when Pelajia says, " †¦ I will tell him there will be more jobs because the people have paved more roads to drive to work on†¦" (Tomson 59). The sisters are living in poor housing conditions. There houses roofs are poor and in bad condition relatively their neighborhoods. Comparing to the other houses they saw in Toronto and Espanol, they live in poor living conditions, and thats why Pelajia is planning to leave the hills and go to Toronto. They are forced to repair the roofs

Performance Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Performance Plan - Essay Example So as to get the performance plan running, the faculty should work closely with the members ensuring their active involvement in various performance-related objectives. The planning involves both an initial performance plan and a performance improvement plan. The faculty not only sets objectives but also fixes target dates for achieving them by defining time limit of the entire work plan. Throughout the planning process, the entire crew must be covered and all must be encouraged to see themselves through thriving conclusions. If the plan is solely for the faculty’s own improvement purpose, it should consider all aspects of the person’s poor performance and weakness. The performance plan, both for the individual and the team must align with the overall objectives of the organization as well. The absence of a performance plan can surely affect the competency levels of the faculty and the team they lead. To be specific, performance plan is vital to enhance personal product ivity, team efficiency, cohesiveness, and work satisfaction. In this context, it is vital for a faculty (who has not been meeting expectations) to develop a well defined performance plan. Why Performance Plan? Absenteeism in higher education is a bone of contention among university lecturers. To illustrate, some scholars argue that attendance should be mandated whereas some others condemn enforced attendance in higher education. According to Lipscomb and Snelling (2010), enforcing attendance runs counter to important pedagogic (humanistic and androgogic) principles† and hence, â€Å"lecturers should refrain from associating non-attendance with unprofessional behavior and poor professionalization†. Although researchers are deeply at odds regarding enforced attendance in higher education, they all converge at the point that absenteeism can cause adverse effects on student performance. If this is the case, the effects of faculty absenteeism can be much more intense. The fa culty who has been missing classes tends not to focus properly on materials and thereby fails to incorporate necessary curriculum changes and technology in the teaching materials. This will not only affect the integrity of the person as a teaching professional but also adversely affect the learners’ academic future. In other words, only a faculty having well prepared performance plan can succeed in his/her profession in the long run. A nursing faculty will; create a feasible learning environment in which a variety of appropriate teaching strategies are incorporated to achieve desired learner outcomes ensure continued learning and self assessment to improve the quality of the teaching process utilize IT related facilities to enhance both learning and teaching identify the desired level of performance in teaching define how the desired level of performance could be achieved always maintain a focused level of scholarly activity that mainly involves research and development of be tter guidelines â€Å"participate in professional development activities† (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 2008)

Man on the Moon Real or Hoax Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Man on the Moon Real or Hoax - Essay Example However, along with this arose innumerous numbers of controversies regarding the legitimacy of the claim. Various theorists and scholars claimed that the entire plot was hoax, and a considerable proportion of people claimed that the whole chapter was genuine. On February 15, 2001, the FOX television network broadcasted the program named Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon? The program provided considerable amount of evidence to show that NASA cheated the world by faking moon landings. In We Never Went to the Moon: America’s Thirty Billion Dollar Swindle, Bill Kaysing pointed out that it is irrational to believe that the landing on moon actually took place because according to estimates in late 1950s, the possibility of successfully landing on the moon was just 0.0017%, that is, approximately 1 in 60,000; and in fact, this estimate was done by the Rocketdyne Company that took into account the efficacy of technology that existed at that point of time (7-8). Another serious allegation comes from Ralph Rene, the author of NASA Mooned America. He points out that all American missions before Apollo 11 were detected to have multiple numbers of defects. The scholar points out that the earlier projects had so many technical errors that would have forced American to drop the idea of moon landings and to fake it instead (as cited in Eisen, 378). Similar is the allegation that the poor quality of the images of moon landings is a deliberate effort to prevent others from examining them. Still, the photos available were sufficient to initiate controversy. For example, the pictures presented the astronaut saluting the American flag, and unfortunately, the flag was waving as if in a wind. The point in consideration here is the fact that there is no air or wind on the moon. Yet another major allegation came that when a camera was fitted to the astronaut’s chest, how would this be possible to take such excellent photographs that

Urban Change and Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Urban Change and Conflict - Essay Example In a perfect world, the movie would exist uniquely as a representation of darker days long since past. However, ‘Selma’ displays the evolution of urban change and conflict while gleaming a spotlight on the slow growth of that which has not changed. The movie’s story offers a blueprint not only on the past events, but of the way forward in terms of urban change and conflict. The movie ‘Selma’ of course did not happen in a vacuum. The mass movement against Jim Crow apartheid, for the right to vote and equal rights in public accommodations, had been growing for almost a decade, ever since the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955. However, the early 1960s witnessed the Freedom Rides and lunch counter sit-in movement against segregation on interstate bus transportation1. This movement for equity and democratic rights was made possible by the struggle of the working class of the 1940s and 1930s that preceded it. The Urban crisis is jarringly evident in the shattered storefronts and fire-blemished African apartments in the movie. Rates of poverty among these black residents are very high. With a few expectations, most of them have witnessed loss of manufacturing job and the arrival of a low-wage service sector. Most of the streets that are revealed in the movie have ghettos that are characterized by extreme spatial isolation and segregation. This means that central-city residence, joblessness, race, and poverty were intertwined in the urban areas. It can be noted that patterns of racial and class segregation in the cities in America had continued and hardened. As evident from the movie, racial conflict and tension as a tenacious refrain in the people living in the urban areas. Discrimination by race and color was a key fact of life in the urban areas of America in the 1950s and 60s.

Mechanical engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Mechanical engineering - Essay Example Because of this blatant impunity that led to massive environmental degradation, global warming crept in altering the global climate for worse. The wanting state of global climate has been a major force behind the dedication that manufacturers across the world have show towards developing new technologies that are environmental friendly unlike the past. The advancement in technology has focused on improving efficiency to the optimum, while focusing on causing as minimal destruction to the natural environment as possible. Several scholars have dedicated their time to finding new technologies in the field of engineering and one can access numerous resources pointing out at the milestones that engineering technology has achieved over the years. The biggest question is: how is advancement in technology significant to engineering field as well as the current and future world? While some sources (Simister; Dodgson; and Conding et al.) postulate that improvement in engineering technology will improve efficiency and making life better, others (Mayer; and Elektorowicz) hold that new engineering technologies are developed with the idea of environment conservation, which is a crucial factor for reducing global climate change. The purpose of this paper is to explore various sources of information relevant to back up the claim that advancement in technology is crucial for high efficiency level and environmental conservation. In her article The Sport-Utility Vehicle: Debating Fuel-Economy Standards in Thermodynamics, Shannon Mayer discusses Fuel-Economy Standards in Thermodynamics, declaring that the world of the 21st century faces critical problems because of the persistent increase in the rate of population. According to her, the world needs engineers with technical experience and critical thinking ability in order to analyze and develop mitigation strategies. In her paper,

Femail Trafficking Who Are Trafficked for Sexual Exploitation Research Paper

Femail Trafficking Who Are Trafficked for Sexual Exploitation - Research Paper Example As all such extreme crimes, the incidence of human trafficking is significantly high in the world, in both developed and developing countries. This exploitation of human beings, done by the powerful human beings to the comparatively weak and helpless people, occurs in many forms throughout the world, with thousands of victims falling prey to it every year. These forms include, â€Å"prostitution, sexual exploitation, slavery, child labor, organ transplant and other types of involuntary servitude† (UNODC, 2009). Human trafficking also includes the abduction of people and making them work under false promises of money, employment or other such benefits. The victims include men, women, as well as children, who find themselves victims of this crime both in their homelands as well as in foreign countries. Human trafficking bears a striking resemblance with the illegal practice of slavery, due to the conditions and exploitation that are subjected to its victims. One specific type of trafficking is sex trafficking of females, which is one of the most commonly found forms of this crime. Exploiters force women into prostitut ion due to debt-bonded agreements in this crime, and this has currently come to be the face of ‘modern slavery’, and a severe violation of human rights. Female trafficking is a practice, which leads to the compelling of the victimized female to perform sexually, for the exploiter’s financial gain (Hart, 2009). It is a growing business because of two reasons: it is profitable and it uses people who are not difficult to trap. The profitability of this crime is because there is a large market for the illegal trade of sex; a demand that female trafficking satisfies with its low prices and exploitation of helpless women. The helpless women are usually those from poor communities, who have been tricked into taking debts that they cannot afford to repay. They also include those women from families and communities, which are minorities in a country,

Theatre Funding in America Essay Example for Free

Theatre Funding in America Essay The theatres for the performing arts in the United States of America greatly vary in terms of age composition and specialties on theatric performances. As a result, the theatres found across America derive their funding from different sources, ranging from private individuals who share the same passion to companies and other organizations that seek to establish beneficiaries from their financial capabilities to support groups for the arts. It is not surprising, therefore, that theatre groups for children may have funding sources quite differently from theatre groups composed of more mature, if not adult, members. In general, the patrons for the theatre arts include but are not limited to local and national politicians, non-government organizations that primarily promote the preservation and the wider appreciation of theatre arts, and private entities and corporations. Basically, it is a widely held fact that membership in theatre groups do not essentially come for free although there are exceptions to this. Setting aside these exceptions, the initial source of funding for theatre groups to ‘operate’ are the membership fees paid for by the members of the theatre groups themselves. There are also many other fees that may be collected from the members of theatre groups depending on their discretion, and some of these fees may include monthly contributions and other miscellaneous fees. However, it can be said that the funds derived from the contributions of the members will hardly sustain the more resource-demanding activities of the theatre groups. For instance, a major performance in an auditorium with a large seating capacity and with complete amenities will require more than the members’ contributions accumulated during a certain period. In a case like this, it is often the prerequisite of theatre groups to seek major sponsors. External sponsorships play a significant role in funding the major activities of theatres inasmuch as they play an equally important role in securing the preparations for the event such as booking an auditorium a few weeks or months before the actual event, and selling tickets, if applicable, with the aid of creating a team that will handle such role. These two things, at the least, require funding, the source of which can practically come from the financial aid provided by private and public entities willing to stand as sponsors. For the most part, the government also contributes to the funding of theatres, one of which is through the creation of several agencies that promote the culture and the arts as a whole. Perhaps the primary arm of the government in sustaining the assistance to the art projects from various groups in America is the National Endowment for the Arts or NEA. Since the public agency was established by Congress in 1965, it has continued to provide grants to deserving applicants to this day. In 2007 alone, the agency has provided approximately $144 million to its beneficiaries from the different states of the country, both rural and urban (â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Appropriation History†). NEA provides a fragment of its general funding appropriations to theatre companies of different genres, sizes and membership composition. A potential organization applying for NEA funding can request for up to $150,000 to a minimum of $5,000 depending on the needs of the theatre organization. Moreover, NEA also provides financing assistance to underserved populations, allotting them a grant for up to $10,000 as part of the agency’s mission of reaching every community in America with the artistic inclinations for the theatre arts. NEA also encourages the participation of children in the theatre arts through its provision of financial grants reaching up to $150,000 to deserving theatre organizations composed primarily of young students (â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Theatre Grants†). One important aspect with regard to the collaborative efforts of private corporations to sponsor several activities of theatre organizations in the United States is the fact that the government provides â€Å"indirect subsidies† to corporations doing so through â€Å"tax expenditures that allow both individuals and corporations to make tax deductible donations to cultural organizations (Mulcahy and Wyszomirski, p. 121)†. It is not surprising, therefore, that private enterprises engage in sponsorships for the activities of theatre groups precisely because it’s a win-win solution for both the sponsoring corporation and the receiving theatre organization: the theatre group receives the financial support it needs in order to materialize their stage performances and the sponsoring corporation gets tax deductions, which means more profit for the latter. Suffice it to say that there are several examples which can be cited that supports this observation. For example, Paper Mill Playhouse, a musical theatre group established during the 18th century in America, has conducted several theatre performances in the past which were sponsored by American Airlines, one of the leading companies in the American airline industry (â€Å"Paper Mill Playhouse: Shows on Our Stage†). Another example is that of Orpheum Theatre located in Memphis, Tennessee where at least a series of nine Broadway plays were sponsored in part by Harrah’s Tunica Hotel and Casinos which is a private corporation (â€Å"Orpheum Theatre Broadway Series†). There are still countless other theatre organizations that have been receiving funding from private corporations through sponsorships either in part or in full, which brings us to the differences in sponsorship packages. Funding from private corporations usually comes through sponsorship packages, depending on the internal arrangements made between the theatre organization and the private corporation. For example, the sponsoring corporation may prefer to finance the overall theatre performance of the organization, including the expenses for the stage set-up and the payment for the location where the theatre performance will be held. The ‘package deal’ may also be limited to an inclusion of the company’s name in the billing or in the tickets as an advertisement bargain. The important thing to note is that corporate sponsorships of any theatre group’s activities greatly vary depending on the agreement made between the performing theatre group and the corporation itself. These variations, in turn, affect the funding which will be received by the theatre organization. The bigger the share of the sponsoring corporation in the payment of expenses for, say, a specific stage play, the lesser the finances the theatre organization will handle at the end of the day. The bigger the share of the sponsoring corporation could also mean the bigger tax deductions from the tax payments for the corporation. There is also another way for theatre groups to receive funding from private corporations, which is to solicit directly from these corporations a certain amount. A theatre organization can, for instance, make solicitation letters and personally deliver them to the corporation that they seem fit to sponsor their stage play. In return, the organization can provide advertisement deals with the corporation before and until the day of the stage performance. The primary difference between soliciting from the previous funding example provided is that the former necessitates the organization to directly engage prospective sponsors through the organization’s initiatives. On the other hand, private corporations who are attracted to sponsor a certain theatre activity are usually the ones who make the first step in contacting the theatre organization and in laying down their sponsorship deals. Another source of funding for theatre organizations is personal donation from private individuals who do not represent either the government or any private corporation. Philanthropists, among others, provide a big push for theatre organizations in pursuing their activities especially when philanthropists donate a huge sum of money without expecting anything in return such as exposure in the form of advertisements from posters to tickets. Although the instances when such persons give financial donations to theatre groups are not always present or are not the usual order of things, it can hardly be denied that personal donations from such people can stand at par with, if not more than, the financial backing provided by private corporations and government agencies such as the NEA. There are also private individuals who, although their contributions through monetary donations may not equal those from the corporations and the NEA, can provide additional funding. Establishing theatre organizations and, more importantly, sustaining activities for such groups are hefty tasks which involve funding in many ways. Although funding is a challenging task for theatre groups to handle especially for those who are new in theatre arts, there are several private corporations and individuals as well government agencies who can provide help in financial terms. Works Cited Mulcahy, Kevin V. , and Margaret Jane Wyszomirski. â€Å"The Organization of Public Support for the Arts. † America’s Commitment to Culture: Government and the Arts. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995. 121. â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Appropriations History†. 2008. National Endowment for the Arts. August 7, 2008. http://www. nea. gov/about/Budget/AppropriationsHistory. html. â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Theatre Grants†. 2008. National Endowment for the Arts. August 7, 2008. http://www. nea. gov/grants/apply/Theater. html. â€Å"Orpheum Theatre Broadway Series†. Memphis, TN. Orpheum Theatre. August 7, 2008. http://www. orpheum-memphis. com/index. cfm? section=comattracpage=broadwayma. â€Å"Paper Mill Playhouse: Shows on Our Stage†. Millburn, NJ, 2006. Paper Mill Playhouse. August 7, 2008. http://www. papermill. org/stage/shows. php? ID=45.

Environmental Degradation: Causes and Effects

Environmental Degradation: Causes and Effects Introduction Thesis statement and Purpose statement Nowadays, the development of urbanization, which causes concentrated human population and habitat in small areas, has occurred at a very quick pace. Urban standard of living has risen roughly on the basis of technical innovations and changes in social structure. However, at the same time, there is a widespread concern about unsustainable city development and infrastructure due to the inequality between the progress and the environmental threat (Boyce, 1994, 18). The economic development brings both prosperity for people and damage to the environment, which includes air, water and soil pollution. Lovejoy (1993, p.125) argued this common occurrence is rampantly increasing all over the world, particular in developing countries. With limited time and resources, this paper will explore some common features of urban environmental degradation based on the authors experiences and geographical perspectives of Vietnam. The aim of this paper is to identify what urban environmental degradation is, and then understand the reasons and effects of this issue. From this basis, the research will refer to some assumptions and implications of other authors work and examples before suggesting some possible solutions to ensure the sustainability for new urban developments as well as the environment. Definition of urban environmental degradation Recognition of an environmental degradation is essential for the management of urban environment. Hackett (1993, pg. 116) writes that urban degradation is a result of the rapid growth in urban population and industrialization which causes many negative impacts on the urban landscapes and living quality of cities, such as poor quality housing, inadequate infrastructure and industrial pollution. Simultaneously, some factors seriously affect the environment as well as the balance of nature. According to Bolay et al. (1997, p. 185), urban environmental problems such as air and water pollution and solid wastes are becoming more serious in developing countries, and Vietnam in particular. Most cities in Vietnam have a high level of population density compared to other countries in the world. There are, for example, more than 23,000 inhabitants per square kilometers in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). The shortage of infrastructure and urban services in those cities has become alarming, which has led to the city amenities not being able to meet the enormous population demand (Bolay et al. (1997, p. 189)). Therefore, pollution of surface and underground water, soil and air by households and production has increased roughly these days. It is expected that the Government would take immediate measures in this issue by identifying and suggesting possible solutions to reduce these effects in order to improve the quality of the urban environmental. As can be seen in the Figure 1, urbanized area in HCMC has been expanding rapidly in the past five years. The population has roughly increased in the fringe areas of HCMC, while decreased in the city center (particular in District 1, 3 the centre Business district (CBD)) from 1999. This partly reflects the changes in the land prices. Higher land prices in the city center are affecting population decrease in that area and population increase in suburban areas. Besides, we can predict that the housing development of HCMC would increase in the West and Northwest directions and start occurring in East and South directions in the next ten years. Problem analysis Urbanization causes an overload on infrastructure, particularly in road network, water supply systems and drainage. As Lovejoy (1993, p. 126) referred, the sudden increase in population puts the city under pressure of basic infrastructure demand. There are many requirements for the expanding urban areas, rising food, water and infrastructure quality as well as offering more jobs. To cater for these demands, industrial companies have to increase products and exploit resources as fully as possible. This creates many environmental problems because the natural resources and urban amenities are limited (Satterthwaite, 2009, p. 546). The major problem of urban degradation is air and water pollution. In urbanized cities, air and water pollution is mainly emitted through industrial activities, especially from the production of electricity generated by fossil fuels. Transportation, households, hospitals, laboratories and pesticide used for crops are also responsible for the release of these pollutants into the environment (Satterthwaite, 2009, p. 546-547). Consequently, this dumping of dangerous waste on open sites produces poisoned air and water probably makes people living around the site suffer from diseases simultaneously increasing the incidence of allergies and other symptoms. In HCMC, due to the progress of urbanization, the quality of air and water gradually decrease these years. It can be seen from Figure 2, since 2003, the index of air pollutions has dropped dramatically and the water quality has been below the standard of Vietnam (TCVN). Especially, because the city residents are accustomed to using motorbike, the emissions from motor vehicles contribute high concentrations of air pollutants and smoke. Therefore, pollutions from traffic congestion are becoming one of the most serious environmental issues in HCMC. In addition, urbanization causes population density and increases the demands on urban amenities. Lovejoy (1993, p. 124) states most new dwelling places have no civic facilities, such as water supply, drainage, roads People living in these places discharge rubbish and dirty water directly to channels and rivers as they used to in rural areas. This condition leads to establish the new slums with many environmental and social problems. There are two basic reasons for the disordered urbanization for the past few years which involve the roles of local Government and residents. The first reason is the lack of specific urban planning. The urban planning management is rather passive and mainly depends on experiences (Lovejoy, 1993, p. 124). In many countries, local governments do not know exactly what the function of a specific land will be and how to control this issue effectively. Investor demands hardly meet government approval, and even worse, several projects have not been able to persuade local residents to accept and be carried out (Satterthwaite, 2009, p. 559). The other factor is the awareness of community about environment problems. Majority of residents are just aware of the visual environmental problems in short-term such as noise pollutions and smoke while the solid wastes and underground water pollutions are actually the elements destroying the natural systems in long-term. As a result, it is necessary to establish more and more education programs for citizens in attempt to rise the understanding of community in the quality of urban environment (Bolay et al. (1997, p. 192). Solutions: In my point of view, to improve the living quality and solve the environmental degradation, the government should establish a comprehensive planning system which includes socio-economic development plan, urban construction plan and land use plan. Planning should regulate where it is appropriate to have certain functions located, where it is necessary to have waste disposal sites or green areas and where is suitable to build industrial zones Besides, urban planning should take into account many other factors such as infrastructure and relevant works, making it favorable for development of an area where urbanization is taking place. As an illustration, Figure 3 shows an example of land use plan which respects the natural principles and probably leads to a sustainable development area. An establishment of laws, regulations and guidelines is also necessary in implementation of the Urban Master plans in each level, such as General plans and Detailed plans. For example, policy makers should establish specific socio-economic characteristics in each local area in order to make new and specific policies for urbanizing areas, which should be different from policies for districts already urbanized. Besides, apply indirect tools such as economic measures, including penalties that a production or company have to pay whenever it causes pollution, is also useful in avoiding the increase of urban environmental degradation. Conclusions Urbanization has clearly caused impacts on the city economic structure, especially in urbanized areas. There are positive changes in many social aspects. There is also environmental deterioration and pollution. If people are not noticed and properly solved, this issue will result in extremely consequences and cause negative impacts on the citys urban sustainable development. References Bolay, J.C Cartoux, S Cunha, A Du, T.T.N Bassand, M 1997, Sustainable Development and Urban Growth: Precarious Habitat and Water Management in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, Habitat INTL., Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 185-197, Elsevier Science, viewed 14 Dec 2009,. Boyce, J-K 1994, Inequality as a Cause of Environmental Degradation, Ecological Economics, vol. 11, pp. 1-20, Political Economy Research Institute, viewed 12 Dec 2009,. Chiapponi, M 1992, Environmental management and planning: The role of spatial and temporal scales, Ekistics 356-357, pp. 306-310. Hackett, B 1993, A landscape basis for planning, Ekistics 360 361, pp. 116-118. Lovejoy, D 1993, The vital role of the landscape architect in solving environmental problems, Ekistics 360 361, pp. 124 126. Satterthwaite, D 2009, The implications of population growth and urbanization for climate change, Environment and Urbanization 2009, vol. 21, pp. 545, Sage, viewed 17 Dec 2009,http://eau.sagepub.com >

A Justification Of The Caste System Bhagavad Gita Religion Essay

A Justification Of The Caste System Bhagavad Gita Religion Essay People in Hindu society are born into different castes with different qualities and their responsibility of fulfilling their dharma, which means scared duties, is inevitable. A passage In the Bhagavad Gita reveals that mankind is created into four classes: I created mamkind in four classes, / different in their qualities and actions; (The Bhagavad Gita 53). This indicates that born caste are not changeable, since they are set when individuals are created. The text then describes that each caste has its specific dharma and emphasize the restricted dharma on the idea that dharma is fixed by birth, as the text continues: The actions of priests, warriors, /commoners, and servants/ are appointed by the qualities/ born of their intrinsic being (The Bhagavad Gita 141). Such restricted social expectations are reflected in the caste system in Hindu society. Furthermore, we can see this restricted expectation when the Lord Krishna convinces Arjuna to perform his duty as a warrior: Look to your own duty; / do not tremble before it; / nothing is better for a warrior/ than a battle of sacred duty (The Bhagavad Gita 36). The lord Krishna wants Arjuna to perform his duties even if doing so is against his will. We can see that personal goals and emotions are suppressed when one performs dharma against ones will, and no matter what one is forced to perform caste duties. This strictness of caste duty is state clearly in the text: No one exists for even an instant / without performing action; / however unwilling, every being is forced / to act by the qualities of nature (The Bhagavad Gita 43). This describes the absoluteness of the caste system and that caste duties are the highest priority in ones actions. By creating such strict order, the Bhagavad Gita reinforces the hierarchy structure of the caste system. In addition, the Bhagavad Gita uses fear to further ensure that people follow their caste duties, by stating that failure to act accordingly to ones duties is considered sinful and will create disorder in family and society. Such idea is stated in the text: When the family is ruined, / the timeless laws of family duty / perish; and when duty is lost, / chaos overwhelms the family (The Bhagavad Gita 29). This creates a fear that is one does not follow than one will bring chaos to the family. More ove the text continues to describe the consequences of misbehavior. The text states:The sins of men who violate/ the family create disorder in society/ that undermines the constant laws/ of caste and family duty (The Bhagavad Gita 29). The text attach the word sin in order to attach the quilt to the wrong doings. This passage alsosets the definition of good and bad by warning not to violate the law of caste and by setting such definition the society is further restricted to confined social cl asses. Furthermore, since individual disobedience can bring disorder to the society as a whole, social pressure will be stressed on the individual who refuses the follow. This brings mutual responsibility in such a way that everyone needs to make sure everyone else follow the rule, so that the society as a whole can avoid disaster. The Bhagavad Gita creates great psychological pressure that concretes the caste system. According to the Bhagavad Gita, the ideal way to perform caste duties is by detachment: Always perform with detachment / any action you must do; performing action with detachment, / one achieves supreme good ( The Bhagavad Gita 45). By detaching from ones emotion, it is easier to endure the suffering of performing caste duties especially in the lay caste since their duties are the most miserable. We see this idea of detachment when the lord Krishna tells Aryuna to fight and not be influence by his own emotions. Moreover, this idea of detachment creates an indifference to the good and bad, poor and wealth. According to the text, when one views things with detachment, one will not see the materialistic inequality between them. We see this state of detachment in the passages: Self-reliant, impartial to suffering / and joy, to clay, stone, or gold, / the resolute man is the same / to foe and friend, to blame and praise ( The Bhagavad Gita 24). This reduces the anger of the lower caste pe ople who are not satisfied with the caste system. Therefore, this detachment promoted in the Bhagavad Gita strengthens the caste system by making each castes focus on their caste duties The idea of equality in all living beings is briefly discussed in the Bhagavad Gita, but one should not take it as indication of that social equality is promoted in Hindu society, since it does not reflects in the structure of Hindu society but only in a spiritual way. One may interprets certain passages in the Bhagavad Gita to argue against the caste system. For instance, the lord Krishna says to Arjuna: Learned men see with an equal eye / a scholarly and dignified priest, / a cow, an elephant, a dog/ and even an outcaste scavenger (The Bhagavad Gita 61). The word equal eye mentioned in this quote describes one of the key ideas in the Bhagavad Gita that every individual are originally in the brahmin caste and has the same spiritual quality. However, this spiritual equality does not reflects in the societal structure and it even reinforces the caste system by reducing the oppressiveness of the caste system because it makes the people in the lower caste feel that they are equal with t he people in the higher caste. This spiritual equality comes from the idea that every living thing is created from the Lord Braham. This oneness of all living beings is also mentioned in one of the passage: Arming himself with discipline, / seeing everything with equal eye, / he sees the self in all creatures/ and all creatue / see in the self (The Bhagavad Gita 69). Therefore, even the Bhagavad Gita mentions equality in some way, it only serves as a reinforcement of the caste system. In addition, another reinforcement of the caste system mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita is that by focusing on ones scared duties every individual can achieve the ultimate goal which is escaping from the cycle of rebirth. The state of being free from the cycle of death and rebirth is called moksha and can only be attained through fulfilling ones own caste duties (Bentley and Ziegler 184). This idea is conveyed when the Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to do what he must do in order to attain the everlasting peace. Moreover, the idea of devoting ones self to caste duties to attain moksha not only further defines the differentiation of each caste but also comforts the suffering of the lower caste by telling them that they will be able to achieve the final goal if they devote to their own caste: Each one achieves success / by focusing on his own action; / hear how one finds success / by focusing on his own action (The Bhagavad Gita 142). Furthermore, this quotes mentions own actions which indica tes the specific duties in each castes and that every castes has different paths toward attaining moksha. Such indication promotes greater separations of the classes in society. The idea of reincarnation in the Bhagavad Gita provides a promise for the people in lower caste that if they devote them self to their caste and endure sufferings from their lower social status, they will be able to attain a better next life. This idea of reincarnation rewards people who follow the caste and punish people who do not. According to the text, a person will continues to suffer until he is reborn to a higher caste:Fallen in discipline, he reaches / worlds made by his virtue, wherin he dwells / for endless years, until he is reborn / in a house of upright and noble men (The Bhagavad Gita 41). However the only way to be reborn into a higher caste is to accept the sufferings in the current life and devote to ones caste duties. As the text continues, it states that one needs to be purified his sins with effort and it is not a simple task: The man of discipline, striving / with effort, purified of his sins, / perfected through many births, / finds a higher way (The Bhagavad Gi ta 45). Therefore, this idea of reincarnation not only gives the people in the lower caste a purpose to endure their sufferings but also provides them psychological supports that comfort their inferiority in Hindu society. Through this, we can see how the Bhagavad Gita reinforces the caste system by providing spiritual supports that reduce the oppressiveness in the caste system. All the emphasis on duty, moksha , caste separation, and reincarnation in the Bhagavad Gita show the intension to justify the Hierarchically ordered caste system in Hindu society. Bhagavad Gita creates strict order that solidifies the caste rules, and set out a final goal, moksha to unite the castes but separates each castes path toward moksha to further differentiate each caste. While the Bhagavad Gita does mention equality, it does not apply in the materialistic sense. However, the equality is applied in a higher sense that does not contradict the caste system but reinforce it instead. The Bhagavad Gita with no doubt plays a key role in the Hindu society, since it is so closely related to their social structure and caste life. Through those previous discussions, we are able to see that the Bhagavad Gita not only creates strict rules and fears that endure the obedience within the system, but also uses religious goal and philosophy of detachment to further brain wash the people in th e Hindu society. It is clear that the ideas and philosophies presented in the Bhagavad Gita reinforces the caste system and justifies the inequality in the hierarchical social structure of the Hindu society.

Myrdal On Wall Street :: Roger and Me Economics Essays

Myrdal On Wall Street Myrdal’s economic theory of circular and cumulative causation is depicted in the film Roger and Me. In Flint, Michigan, General Motors closes eleven factories, which causes over thirty thousand people to become unemployed. The company claims that they need to close the factories to â€Å"stay competitive.† The viewer sees the truth; they are greedy and will make money wherever they can, regardless of the people they may harm. Labor is much less expensive in Mexico, where GM only has to pay the workers $0.70 an hour. As a result, General Motors begins to close plants in Flint and move them to Mexico. Some people leave Flint to find work elsewhere and some remain, struggling to find new forms of employment. As more and more workers lose their jobs, poverty in Flint becomes more severe. Increasingly people are evicted from their homes, become ill, the violent crime rate in Flint becomes the highest in the country, and the general standard of living plummets for the poor. M ichael Moore describes their living conditions, â€Å"The rat population has now surpassed the human population.† Their environment worsens to the point where Money Magazine declares Flint the worst place to live in the country. The poor citizens in Flint live Myrdal’s circular and cumulative causation theory. In addition, the rich population of Flint prospers during this time of great poverty. The wealthy community of Flint spends their time at the ballet, golfing and relaxing at Grosse Point. When the jail becomes too full and another one is built there is a large party in which couples pay one hundred dollars to stay over night in one of the new cells. They didn’t seem to mind â€Å"celebrating American tragedy,† as Moore had said in another instance. At the end of the documentary, Michael Moore says, â€Å"The rich were richer, the poor, poorer and the people everywhere had a lot less lint thanks to the lint rollers in my town. It truly was a dawn of a new era.† Myrdal’s theory is also highlighted in the films, Wall Street and The Boiler Room. By not hiring women and creating a male dominated environment, the men progressively gain power, just like the rich getting richer in Roger and Me. The women do not have the same opportunities to earn money and power. Several factors contribute the portrayal of Mrydal’s theory of circular and cumulative causation.

Realism vs. Romanticism in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essays

     Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic tale â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a good example of a short story embodying both characteristics of realism and characteristics of romanticism. M. H. Abrams defines romantic themes in prominent writers of this school in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as being five in number: (1) innovations in the materials, forms and style; (2) that the work involve a â€Å"spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings†; (3) that external nature be a persistent subject with a â€Å"sensuous nuance† and accuracy in its description; (4) that the reader be invited to identify the protagonist with the author himself; and (5) that this be an age of â€Å"new beginnings and high possibilities† for the person (177-79).    Let us examine â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† in light of the above. First of all, Hawthorne was a real innovator in his use of the psychological approach to characters within a story. A. N. Kaul considers Hawthorne â€Å"preeminently a ‘psychological’† writer – â€Å"burrowing, to his utmost ability, into the depths of our common nature, for the purposes of psychological romance. . . .† (2). Q. D. Leavis says: â€Å"Hawthorne has imaginatively recreated for the reader that Calvinist sense of sin. . . . But in Hawthorne, by a wonderful feat of transmutation, it has no religious significance, it is as a psychological state that it is explored† (37). The reader experiences most of the story through the eyes and feelings of the protagonist, Goodman. In the following passage the reader is allowed, as is typical, to read his thoughts:    "Poor little Faith!" thought he, for his heart smote him. "What a wretch am I, to leave her on such an errand! She talks of dreams, too. Methought, as she spoke, there was troubl... ... Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† 1835. http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~daniel/amlit/goodman/goodmantext.html    James, Henry. Hawthorne. http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/nhhj1.html    Kaul, A.N. â€Å"Introduction.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Leavis, Q.D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.      Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne.† The Norton Anthology: American Literature, edited by Baym et al.   New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1995.    Swisher, Clarice. â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.   

English Language Anxiety Essay

English as all know is the international communication language which plays a great role in many important aspects of a society. In Malaysia, English as a second language after Malay language, is not only used in terms of education system, but is extensively used in inter-cultural communication and professions such as law, medicine, engineering and of course business. In this era of increasing globalization, Malaysia will have to face with tighter and rigid competition from other foreign countries. In accordance to that, Malaysian students will have to get themselves ready for the upcoming circumstances especially those involving the usage of English. Malaysian students have been learning English continuously for at least 11 years starting from primary school till secondary school before enrolling themselves into a third-level education. English has been a compulsory subject for students in Malaysia in which they need to pass in all the major examinations in Malaysia such as UPSR, PMR and SPM. In higher education, English is used more expressively as entire main and core subjects such as medical, law, algebra and business use English as the principal language. Whether it is a local university or a private one, English has become the main source of commandment other than becoming a subject in the curriculum. To exemplify, universities which use English as the medium of language such as International Islamic Universities Malaysia (IIUM), which has been an English-medium university since it was first established in 1983, require its students to pass a standard level of English before enrolling into the university. The students will be tested again during their orientation week on English language by undergoing an English Placement Test ( EPT). Students who gain level 6 and below will be placed in English classes till they have reached the standard of exemption. These English classes are necessary as all the subjects taught are in English. These efforts show the importance of English in education. After graduation, students who are proficient in English will have a better future as they will be easily employed by multinational companies. One of the job’s specifications in Malaysia is to have soft skills especially the ability to communicate in good English. Furthermore, job interviews nowadays are also conducted in English. Here it is clear that, in order to have better chances in future, one must have full confidence in using English language. Nonetheless, English is not the first language for most Malaysian students. Most Malaysian students use their own mother language, for example Malay language, Mandarin and Tamil when communicating with family and friends. This will cause their English language skills to rot if it is continuously being practiced which will later on lead to anxiety in the process of learning English. After a minimum of 11 years of studying English in both the primary and secondary schools, students in the Centre for Foundation Studies ( CFS), IIUM still have difficulties in using the language effectively. For example, a study by Mohd Hilmi Bin Hamzah ( 2007) in CFS, â€Å"in Semester 1, 2006/2007, more than 40% of the students taking first level English obtained grade â€Å"D† in their papers, while only 5% of them obtained an â€Å"A†Ã¢â‚¬ . This shows that the students have not yet mastered the language before entering the university. The writer added that despite of having English Intensive Class Programme and extra classes by individual English lecturers, the level of English proficiency remains dissatisfactory. With the increasing usage of English globally, it is really necessary to find out the factors which may hinder English language learning. One of the factors which has not been paid attention to is language learning anxiety. â€Å"Anxiety is a major factor that affects second/foreign language learning† ( Mohammad Javad Riasati, 2011). He also states that levels of anxiety differ from one individual to another but is always present. Most of today’s education and economy uses English as the language of commandment. For that reason, it is really important to find out the factors which affect anxiety and ways to reduce it to increase the performance of an English language learner. Different students have different proficiency levels in English language skills namely reading, writing, listening and speaking. With that reason, different students will also encounter different levels of anxiety for all those skills. One student may feel more anxious in speaking while the other in writing. As all of these four skills are needed to be mastered in order to be proficient in English, even by losing confidence in only one of it might cause difficulties in carrying out tasks in both education and job. This study will help both the educators and learners of English language in CFS, IIUM. The teachers will get information about the factors causing anxiety among students. They will also be given information on the rank of students’ anxiety in possessing the 4 language skills namely writing, listening, reading and speaking so that the teachers will consider about which one of these 4 language skills should be given more attention to. Last but not least, the findings of this study will help both the students and teachers to design a suitable strategy on ways to reduce anxiety in order to increase the performance of mastering English language. This study specifically addresses the following 3 research questions: 1) Which language skill namely writing, listening, speaking and reading creates the highest anxiety level among students in CFS, IIUM? 2) What are the factors that are probable to cause anxiety? 3) What are the ways used by the students to reduce anxiety? The objectives of this study are as follows: 1) To identify specific language skill in which students in CFS, IIUM feel most anxious. 2) To identify the factors which are more probable to cause anxiety. 3) To identify the ways students use to reduce anxiety. According to Hansen (1977), anxiety is â€Å"an experience of general uneasiness, a sense of foreboding, a feeling of tension† (p. 91). Anxiety is a type of psychological phenomena and ranges from mixture of open views of behavioral attribution. Due to anxiety’s impact on the students’ performance in learning English as a second language, it has been continuously studied by many researchers. Learning a second language will cause awareness among the learners that they are using a language which they have not yet mastered to communicate (Toth, 2011). This phenomenon will lead to many upcoming problems the learners have to face in using English as they have not completely accepted a second language as a part of their lives. This is according to Cohen and Norst ( 1989) â€Å" language and self/identity are so closely bound, if indeed they are not one and the same thing, that a perceived attack on one is an attack on the other† (p. 76). This will somehow lead students of English learners to feel less enjoyable during their class. Few studies conducted about the factors that affect anxiety are communication apprehension ( McCroskey, 1970), fear of negative evaluation ( Watson & Friend, 1969) and test anxiety ( Sarason, 1978). Communication apprehension for example is the difficulty in understanding teacher’s instructions, negative evaluation for example is the fear of correction and last but not least, example of test anxiety is the fear of failing in the class. According to Young ( n.d.), language anxiety is caused by â€Å" (a) personal and interpersonal Anxiety, (b) learner beliefs about language learning, (c) instructor beliefs about language teaching, (d) instructor-learner interactions, (e) classroom procedures and (f) language testing† ( Mohammad Javad Riasati, 2011, p.908). The 4 language skills namely writing, speaking, reading and writing plays vital role in helping students to attain proficiency in English Language. A study of anxiety in learning English as a foreign language by Wilson (2006) and Mohd Hilmi Bin Hamzah (2007) have included the findings on language skills. Wilson (2006) states that â€Å"†¦anxiety might exert a deleterious influence on language achievement and equally intuitively, that poor language achievement might arouse even more anxiety† (p. 25). In Wilson’s (2006) research, although a four-skills approach is used (taking in listening, speaking, writing and reading) the oral skill was emphasized. This shows that most students are afraid of speaking English as a second language during class. In his study, Young (1991) interviewed Krashen who stated that teachers often expect new students to perform beyond their expectations which increases the level of anxiety among students. This will further discourage the students to use English in their lives. â€Å" A students who believes that one must never say anything in English until it can be said correctly will probably avoid speaking most of the time† ( Khairi Izwan Abdullah and Nurul Lina Bt. Abdul Rahman, n.d.). An arouse of language anxiety from different language skills such as writing, listening, reading, speaking and grammar have further been studied by Brantmeier (2005), Hussein Elkafaifi (2005), Greyersen and Horwitz (2002) and Casado (2001). This will lead the learners to perform poorly especially in speaking. The feeling of anxiety needs to be treated to avoid students that have been affected by this problem to be carried away into some other serious problems. In some studies, it was found that anxiety levels were highest during the early stages of language learning and lessened at an advanced level. This has been concluded by MacIntyre and Gardner (1991, p.111), â€Å"an experience and proficiency increase, anxiety declines in a fairly consistent manner†. This means that if students keep on practicing all the language skills of English by reading books, listening to English songs, writing blogs and communicating in English continuously, they will be able to overcome the feelings of anxiety and will perform better. Methodology The main purpose of this study is to investigate the level of English learning Anxiety among the students of Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). A population from CFS, IIUM was chosen to identify the specific language skills in which students in CFS, IIUM feel most anxious, the factors which are more probable to cause anxiety and the ways the students use to reduce anxiety. Data for this research was collected through a set of questionnaire. This research employed the use of questionnaire research methodology. The instrument used to collect the data was a questionnaire containing nine questions. The questionnaire was passed to thirty students of the CFS, IIUM randomly where its scope of distribution was not limited on a certain course, level of study, age or gender. To ensure that the questions were fully understood by the students, a brief introduction about the topic was provided at the top of each questionnaire.

Citizen Kane Essay

The film Citizen Kane (1941), directed and written by Orson Welles and Herman Mankiewicz, is an American film drama that use various film techniques to illustrate themes, attitudes, and the development of a story. Welles’ use of camera angles, lighting, movement, symbolism and expression allow the audience to comprehend and understand the themes such as power and exploitation that are present in this movie along with many other themes that pertain to the life of the main character, Charles Foster Kane. Many of the filming techniques that are used in this film illustrate Kane and his feelings and transitions through and about his life. Citizen Kane is a film that demonstrates the importance of how simple scene techniques can help develop a story. After viewing the film, the audience comes to understand that the main theme of the movie is centered around the importance of childhood. Throughout the movie, symbolism is used to reinforce the theme. Thompson, the reporter, attempts to figure out the meaning of the word â€Å"rosebud†, Kane’s last words before passing away. Kane’s life seems to be a mystery to some people, and the word â€Å"rosebud† is that missing piece to Kane’s life. Thompson never figures out what â€Å"rosebud† means, but at the end of the movie we see the word â€Å"rosebud† on the sled that was thrown into the fire. At this point the audience understands that rosebud is indeed symbolic of his childhood and the missing piece of his life. Earlier in the movie, Kane is outside playing with that same sled while his parents are discussing a plan to send him away. â€Å"Rosebud† can now be connected to the snow globe which represents his childhood in Colorad o. Thomson said that â€Å"rosebud† was a missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle. He is illustrating that Kane always felt that he lost his childhood and himself. All he had to show for it was that sled and the snow globe. Further importance on the theme of his childhood is illustrated through lighting when Thomson the reporter investigates Tatcher to get a better understanding of Kane’s childhood. When he enters the room there is a very distinct, glowing light that is angled in such away that it focuses on a book containing information about Kane’s childhood. Right away, we see the importance of Kane’s childhood in the developing plot. To further emphasize this importance, when Thomson opens the book, the audience notices the very distinct contrast between the bright light on the book and the dark area surrounding the book. Throughout the movie, the director is hinting to the audience that his childhood is symbolic of something very important which just might be the answer to the question, â€Å" What/who is Rosebud?† By now the audience understands that that Kane was unable to have a normal childhood due to a lack of say and power. This is illustrated using a depth and focus effect. In the early parts of the film there is a scene in which Kane is outside playing while his parents and banker are negotiating his fate. The actors are ordered in such a way that the mother is always in front, followed by the banker, Kane’s father, and then Kane. Kane’s mother seems to have the power due to her position in this scene. It is important to notice that although Kane is in the far depths, he is still in focus, but with limited power. As we transition through the movie, Kane gains power and is in the front of this scene but there is always depth and focus in the shot to illustrate a hierarchy of power. Another theme in the movie that is reinforced by this technique of depth focusing is relationships. As Kane develops through the movie, the audience recognizes that he is losing his power and his weakness leads to broken relationships. When he takes control of the Inquirer, he is constantly surrounded by people and they are not physically distant from him, but as his status on the hierarchical system dwindles down, he begins to distance himself from others in scenes. When Kane fires Leland, we see a great deal of depth and distance between the two but both remain in focus. In this same scene Bernstein is standing in the doorway at a distance away from Kane but he has no significance. The way the actors are positioned illustrate how Kane is developing as person and with other people around him. When Kane gets taken away by Tatcher at a very young age, his life is transitioning into one of power and corruption. When his employees and partners welcome him for the first time at the Inquirer, all the shots are low angle shots. The angle also makes it seem as though Kane is significantly larger than everyone else in the subsequent scenes. It is as though the audience is looking up to him just as his employees are, illustrating the theme of power that Kane now holds. Exploitation is a theme that begins to develop after Kane has taken control of the Inquirer. His need for power continues to grow and he becomes more and more corrupt. Not only is there corruption within his company, but he comes to exploit other peoples thoughts and ideas. As Kane obtains more power and greed, he gets the idea to run for governor, but in the process he gets exploited in regards to his developing relationship with Susan. This is where the movie transitions from power to weakness. Up until this point there has been many low-angle shots to illustrate Kane’s growing power. When Kane loses the election, the film moves transitions into high-angle shots. Prior to anyone even saying that the election was over, the scene setting clearly illustrates that the election was lost. Even though the office looks like it is a mess, it is very empty. No campaign crew, no feeling. The shot then moves to Kane. During this scene Kane speaks with two different people but his face is down and hidden from the audience. The camera is constantly at a low angle illustrating Kane’s diminishing power. Furthermore, this is the first scene with Kane in which there is limiting lighting in the room, which reinforces the concept of an empty feeling. As mentioned before, the director uses deep focused shots to illustrate a hierarchy of power. Throughout the movie, deep focused shots are also used to put significance on a specific actor. In the deep focused shots, actors are usually separated by long distances, like in the scene where Kane is talking to Susan across a long corridor with Thompson as the interviewer. When either Kane or Susan speak, the camera shot is always focused in front of them to draw attention to what they are saying. Another technique used to put focus on Kane throughout the movie is by drawing in on Kane by passing through and object or person through a continuous shot. This filming technique is used in the first scene of the movie. The scene begins with the audience closing in on a â€Å"No Trespassing† sign, and then passes through the sign to reveal a house with light coming from one window. This might not be a significant amount of light, but the lighting does illustrate the importance of what lies beyond those windows. The scene continues through a garden, over fences, etc. but the whole time the lighted window stays in the same position, continuously bringing a attention to its significance. Of course as the scene continues it is that of Kane passing away and revealing the mystery which follows throughout the film. The director attempts to always keep the attention on Kane even when it seems as though he is fading out of the discussion. The audience can always find a relationship between the characters of a story/film and the main themes. In the film Citizen Kane, the relationship between the characters and important themes are illustrated by filming techniques that range from camera angles to symbolism. Throughout the movie symbolism played an important role in determining the main theme and what â€Å"rosebud† meant. Kane’s development as a person and place in society was illustrated through camera angles, lighting, and depth. These techniques not only assists the audience in understanding Kane, but also understanding other characters and the relationship Kane had with them.

Media Coursework Of Mice & Men Essay

Of Mice & Men is a very poignant, appealing and insightful novella as well as film. It is a very powerful and emotional piece, which studies the themes of nature, dreams, violence, friendship, suffering, loneliness and more. The author, John Steinbeck, produced this fascinating novella in 1937, yet the film which was produced by Gary Sinise (who played George), was published in 1992. In America, in 1929, The Wall Street Crash occurred which led to The Depression in 1930. Both the novella and film are based around those two events, as John Steinbeck used his experiences from life in California, as background for Of Mice and Men. For example, Of Mice and Men is set in the farmland of the Salinas River, where Mr. Steinbeck himself was born. Using information from not just only my knowledge, I will illustrate the differences between the film and novella of this popular piece. The novel is told from the point of view of a third-person, who can access the point of view of any character as required by the narrative. Chapter one begins by unfolding the setting near Salinas River, the place in which the novella takes place. As a reader, you are introduced to the beautiful atmosphere that is exemplified by the writer. Mr. Steinbeck immediately describes the scenery and the animals in their natural surroundings. He uses illustrious description for the audience to imagine that they are present in this peaceful area. Many literary terms are used within the text such as a 3 part lists: â€Å"molted, white, recumbent limbs..†, poetic imagery: â€Å"golden foothill slopes† and â€Å"the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them† as well as different tones: â€Å"hillside†¦deep and green†, â€Å"twinkling†¦yellow sands†. Steinbeck refers to the colour green as it represents nature, and yellow as it refers to light; this type of text is used to show the readers how idyllic the setting is. Intrigued by how lovely the atmosphere is, readers don’t take notice of the absence of people. As the writer gives us an idea of how the animals express themselves, and how they live in this serene place they call home, we are suddenly introduced to the two main characters of the novel. In beginning his novel with such emphasis on the setting, Steinbeck accomplishes numerous goals. He sets the tone and the atmosphere of the story’s location, introduces his two main characters, uses imagery which has been previously stated, and foreshadows later events in the novel. The attention to his choice of words and repetition are just two examples of how he accomplishes his goals such as: drawing the reader’s attention, intriguing them, wanting them to continue reading. For example, the setting is a few miles south of Soledad, California, near the Salinas River. â€Å"Soledad† is a Spanish word that translates into ‘solitude’ or ‘loneliness’, a reference to one of the novel’s main themes. Steinbeck also shows the relationship between George and Lennie, and the attitude in which they behold, by the use of effective descriptive writing. In terms of the style of narration, third-person omniscient is used to provide us, the readers, with information, including all actions that take place within the novel. By way of contrast, the first shot of the film is very dramatic. It begins with George vividly emerging from a dark spot on the train, due to flashing lights. This is shown from a close-up shot. Not long after, shot two begins with a land appearance. A woman who is unknown to the audience emerges, running and screaming with all her might through a field, as she seems appallingly frightened. This gives the audience a sense of contemplation, questioning the condition of herself, as well as her predicament. At the same time, you start to see both George and Lennie, the two main characters, rapidly running away from a group of men, some on horses’ backs and others on foot having dogs by their side. The camera shot used within those scenes was crosscutting. In this case, it is the edit of two shots combined. The advantage of crosscutting is that the tension within the audience is increased. Viewers would continue to question what’s going on, as they are not aware of subsequent events. Although a close up and crosscutting scene is applied in the beginning, within the film, a consistence of mainly straight-on angle shots is visible. Unlike the novel, the film shows the viewer what things look like from the characters point of view, visually, rather than having to imagine everything. Due to less emphasis on written language, the film eliminates many characteristics of the novel. The continuation of viewers watching the film depends on the visualized picture; the action, the suspense, the music, ect. Throughout the beginning, heart-racing types of melodies begin to play. Percussion and string instruments are heard within the music to give an â€Å"I wonder what’s going to happen now†- effect. The atmosphere becomes tenser as a build up is developed and the music volume rises. The camera gradually zoomed back and forth during the film to focus on the character or background. Although it is merely only the opening of the film, as shown by these two extracts, there could already be a tense atmosphere within the audience’s perspective, as well as their attention span being drawn towards the film in a stronger manner. Evidentially, you can see that both the film and text differ immensely. Personally, I believe the film producer chose to differ the opening of the novella, to attract the audience making them intrigued, wanting to watch the film and wonder what happens next. The display of George being on a train with no meaning to the viewers in his first appearance, or the screaming from the mysterious woman, captivates the audience. In my opinion, the film gives more of an effect to the audience, simply because the novella only creates images in a person’s mind, while the film gives an unsolved, puzzled thought. The movie would attract individuals who like a bit of mystery and suspense, unlike the novella which would draw attention more to the civil, passive type of audience.

Animal Welfare

Nicole Stengel ENG 122-009 Lawless, Caprice 04/ 11/12 Thesis Confined animal feeding operations (CAFO’s) are more commonly known as factory farms in the United States and are this country’s primary source of animal food products. Mass production of meat in The U. S. has continued to increase industrialization of itself for over the course of a century. As technology within factory farms advances, efficiency increases; profit is the primary goal in mind for these industrial owners.In the 19th century, industrialization of CAFO’s thrived in efficiency and profits with new procedures that divide labor duties, cut expenses and decreased interaction between workers and livestock (Purcell, 61). The most primary difference between CAFO’s and local farming is that CAFO’s are corporately owned, confining hundreds of thousands of animals in small spaces at one time, reducing labor expenses and necessity for land ownership (An Encyclopedia of Issues). Local fa rms are more traditional having an appropriate ratio of livestock to workers.These livestock are less likely to suffer from neglect, abuse or unethical slaughter procedures. The tactics of meat production within CAFO’s such as the forklift and assembly lines, as well as controlled growth rates are least concerned with animal welfare and most concerned with profit as well as production efficiency. The establishers of this industry have been able to increase profits substantially by technological advancements as such devices and the use of growth hormones in livestock to obtain a fortune of income for themselves.Unfortunately, the fortune the establishers continue to earn is handed to them at a detrimental cost to three areas of importance: a) Animal Suffering b) Consumer Health c) Environmental Hazards Animal Suffering Slaughter processes are very brutal within CAFO’s and are usually long lasting in terms of suffering. CAFO livestock are exposed to neglect, abuse, physi cal mutilation and psychological trauma. Most livestock agriculture within CAFO’s are so closely compacted next to each other in tiny cages, they catch diseases from living in each other’s bodily wastes(In-text note).They live in sickly environmental conditions, they do not leave their cages and never see the light of day-except, perhaps when being transported to slaughter. One procedure that occurs prior to slaughter common in CAFO’s is known as, â€Å"stunning† where cows are shot by a metal bolt to the head. Hogs are stricken with an electrical jolt. This, in all is to shock the livestock subject unconscious. However, terrified cows and hogs who attempt inhibition of this process are often left partially, or even completely conscious.Nevertheless, meat production does not slow down at the sake of one subject. The subject will be preceded to slaughter regardless of whether it is conscious or not (Freeman, 66). Chickens, however, were exempted from the H umane Slaughter Act from the stunning process. Instead, they are paralyzed by the dragging of their heads along underwater pools with electrical charges. After they are paralyzed (and fully conscious), they are continued through the slaughter process on machinery that boils them alive and/or chops their heads off consecutively on a fast paced line (Freeman, 78).Calves are kept confined in small crates tied up by their limbs and necks to keep them from moving in order to keep their muscles premature and their meat tender. Meanwhile, their diets are maintained deficient in iron to keep the color of their skin pale. The harsh conditions exposed to calves are willfully condemned upon them by farm operators as a mechanism to obtain a specific taste in the meat. It is not surprising that when compared to all diseases that spread among livestock in CAFO’s, calves are the most susceptible to fatality. Calve deaths range from 15-20% in most â€Å"successful† factory farm operat ions.Other than iron deficiency and confinement, this fatality for calves is also caused by their stress of separation from their mothers (Mason 25). `CAFO’s also process animals are through â€Å"skinning machinery† at fast paces. (Purcell, 71). Regardless as to whether the animal is conscious or not, the fast paces of machinery such as this leaves no time between subjects for any concern for animal welfare. Costs to Public Health On a secondary note, mass production of meat is linked to the spread of salmonellosis and mad cow disease to consumers (Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics).It also contributes to a lack of resistance to antibiotic bacterial infections in consumers because factory farmed animals are fed high doses of antibiotics. Heart disease and stroke are also associated with diets high in meat intake (Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics), especially that of poor quality. Controlled growth rates by the use of hormones such as estrogen and testostero ne in livestock also play a role in public health hazards, in addition to mechanisms for profit and industrialization. The average U. S. citizen consumes 607 pounds of animal products yearly.Many nutritionists believe USDA Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee to be excessive in protein anyway (Mason, 113). Animal sources of protein are rich in cholesterol and polyunsaturated fat. Consider this, The United States is one of the most obese countries in the world. Our food guide pyramid is much different from other parts of the world with nutrition habits clinically proven to be more beneficial, such as the Mediterranean Diet. According to Andrea Cespedes in a comparison between the two pyramids, protein portions are much larger for a daily value recommendation on the USDA chart when compared to that of the Mediterranean’s. Nuts and seeds, as well as beans, are grouped with meats, poultry and fish. Nuts and seeds are not foundation foods for the USDA pyramid† (Cespedes). Fi sh are rich in polyunsaturated fat, an essential fatty acid to the body. It is not surprising that the USDA Food Pyramid puts a stronger emphasis on animal proteins than the Mediterranean Pyramid, requiring some of them to be served in school lunch programs-many USDA Reps are financially tied to the meat industry! In 1998, the USDA elected six representatives out of eleven onto the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Freeman, 98).These fattening meats infused with growth hormones (testosterone or estrogen) that are recommended for children may be a reasonable explanation for peculiar bra sizes and premature sweating in some young girls. Technological upgrades and new mechanisms of industrialization also play a large role in the CAFO costs to consumer health. Upgrades are used to cut expenses and to increase product quantities in order to increase profits for the industries. Purcell demonstrates a strong example of this concept. †¦Mechanization of slaughterhouse facilities, wh ich made killing a rapid, iecemeal, impersonal process. The knocker alone would confront live animals and quickly send them down the line as immobile carouses. Divided labor meant a series of discrete and relatively simple tasks for the largely unskilled and poorly paid immigrant workers (Purcell, 62). Procedures as such, indeed are the mechanisms that make the mass production of meat a multi-billion dollar industry accounting for unjust and dangerous working conditions for slaughterhouse workers and hazards to the health for consumers of these products. Costs to the EnvironmentOn a third note, CAFO’s inflict a variety of hazards to the environment. Animal waste is absorbed into the ground and distributes pollution to water. The consumption of electricity in CAFO’s is extremely demanding. Greenhouse gases that emit into the air from these establishments warm the earth deteriorating the atmosphere. According to the Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics, over 8 billion animals are slaughtered in CAFO’s every year. This generates 1. 4 billion tons of manure-which is 130 times more than humans produce in an equal time period.Excessive animal waste seeps into waters polluting living environments for fish and the water sources the public drinks from. Methane is a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide and is most commonly produced by farm animals (Brickman). Excessive emissions from gases as such heat the earth, destroying ecosystems and lead us in the direction of global warming. Fossil fuel is another leading cause of Global Warming (Campbell, 1239) and is released in excess from high energy usage of CAFO’s. Although J.Patrick Boyle, President and CEO of the American Meat Institute (AMI) assured Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (AHSUS), â€Å"The AMI is an ethically appropriate organization as the entire establishment is committed to the welfare of animals,† evidence provided by Pacelle supported that CAFO livestock are beaten and tortured to death (qtd in Clemmit. ) According to Pacelle, from his testimony before Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture in 2008, a staff member of the AHSUS had been andomly selected to investigate the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. in Southern California under-cover as a factory worker. Pacelle had not been surprised by the report he had received back from the investigator. He filmed workers ramming cows with the blades of a forklift, jabbing them in the eyes, applying painful electric shocks to sensitive areas, dragging them with chains pulled by heavy machinery and torturing them with a high pressure water hose to stimulate drowning, all in attempts to force crippled animals to walk to slaughter. Shortly after this investigation, AHSUS discovered, â€Å"Hallmark/Westland had been previously cited for mishandling animals. Incidents as such, accounting for animal abuse and suffering are common among CAFO†™s across the United States and it is clear the USDA and the AMI could strive for a higher quality conditions of life for livestock. The AMI is not concerned with life quality-only industrialization efficiency. The USDA does not hold regulatory requirements firm enough to regulate adequate life quality for livestock in CAFO’s. J.Patrick Boyle of the AMI claims, â€Å"The AMI seek not only to meet the regulatory requirements but to exceed them† (Qtd. in Clemmitt)). Unfortunately, USDA does not regulate frequently enough to ensure such a deal. Most commonly, the USDA is aware of animal suffering and inadequate living conditions provided for them. The AHSUS investigator reported that, during his undercover investigation, an agent from the USDA visited the establishment. He claimed, â€Å"the agent was present twice daily in the living area-which he merely noted animals who could not stand yet approved the rest for slaughter. It may have been appropriate for the USDA re presentative to investigate these animals in greater depth after the sighting of sick and injured livestock. It is clear that the responsibility for animal welfare should not be left in hands of the AMI or the USDA-their standards for animal welfare are not adequate enough. The AMI has far too many animals to care-take each one individually and the USDA is not present frequently enough to regulate already low standards.After all, the primary responsibility of the USDA is food, not animal welfare. Livestock agriculture is in dire need of regulatory welfare requirements that will protect their well being adequately instead of minimally. In addition, it also needs inspectors who will enforce these regulations firmly as the AMI is solely in the business for the sake of profit; not animal welfare. As of now, regulatory inspections of CAFO’s are not performed with the carefulness necessary to ensure a quality way of life for livestock. J.Patrick Boyle of the AMI stands that the mea t industry provides adequate living for livestock and there is no need for additional welfare standards within CAFO’s. Proven numerous times, requirements are often not met and regulators are dis-concerned with the matter. Something more must be done to increase animal welfare requirements for livestock agriculture. Conclusion Establishers of CAFO’s are only concerned with industrialization and profit; their livestock is abused, neglected and they suffer slow, painful deaths.Livestock growth control is another method of industrialization, deigned for profit at the cost of health for animals and consumers. CAFO’s exhibit severe environmental hazards such as global warming from greenhouse gases and pollution from animal use in addition to excess animal waste. Low quality meat-a product of mass production spreads diseases. It is the responsibility of USDA affiliates to regulate these conditions. However, this responsibility should be taken far more seriously by inc rease of welfare requirements and inspections that are performed more frequently as well as efficiently.