Critically examine the argument that organizations are gendered and Essay

Critically examine the argument that organizations are gendered and evaluate different strategies for achieving gender equality - Essay Example e established dominance of males in the vast number of areas of public life, women are often placed in a disadvantaged position from the very beginning. Studies have revealed that such gender inequality have grave effects on women’s perceptions of their efficiency and motivation. Some women fall into the trap of giving in to bleak self-fulfilling prophecies that they are not as good as their male co-workers and eventually prove the expectations to be right. Working women are usually faced with a multitude of challenges. On top of balancing their duties and responsibilities as members of their families, they need to be efficient workers and competitive in their chosen professions. One main challenge is the issue of proving themselves as worthy employees to gain equal opportunities with men. Some work places may not be too accepting of the empowerment of women in employment and may strip them of their dignity to make them realize that they do not belong there. Due to the significance of equal opportunities to citizens the world over, laws have been passed to ensure that they are available to everyone. These laws have been designed protect anyone from being discriminated against by reason of sex, marital status, ethnic or national origin, color, race, nationality, age, disability, religion, and differing terms of employment, including pay for jobs of equal value. 1 In the United Kingdom, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (amended 1986 and in the Employment Act 1989) makes it unlawful to discriminate in terms of gender who is offered the job; opportunities for promotion, transfer and training. (Equal Opportunities Management Guidelines) The Gender Equality Duty, which is included in the new law, requires public bodies to eliminate sex discrimination and promote equality throughout their services, policies, and employment and recruitment practices. The monumental world-wide response to the Platform for Action for the resolution of women’s issues delivered

Enforcing Racial Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Enforcing Racial Discrimination Essay The series of photographs documented by the Farm Security Administration of the Office of War Information photographers were taken between 1937 and 1943, presumably during the years the unit was in operation. These photographers were tasked to document various manifestations of change and continuity in the prevalent American life, and this resulted in a vivid collection of images that particularly focused on the practice of racial segregation. Curiously, while the photographers were not officially acknowledged to have been directed to document specific scenes, the prints produced exhibited a skew toward signs that indicate racial discrimination and segregation (LOC 2004). Among the thirty-one photos included in the series, all depict signs situated in a number of locations such as bus and train stations, restaurants, cafes, bars, movie theaters, stores, and billiard halls. These signs also collectively show the use of words such as â€Å"colored† and â€Å"white’, which clearly validate the existence of segregation between Caucasian Americans and individuals of ethnic origins such as blacks and Indians. True to the era during which they were photographed, the environment and people incidentally present in each picture appear in authentic manners of architecture and fashion. II. Racial Segregation in America The issue on race and discrimination in America can be famously traced centuries back, with the history of Africans being brought into the country as slaves. Though this deplorable condition had been corrected by the gains of the Civil War, thus granting freedom to blacks. However, the occurrence of the Great Depression in the 1920s brought back situations identical to those experienced by African-Americans previously, as the country was beset by the chaos produced by the lack of jobs and sources of income. In 1932, most blacks found themselves without work, and there was increasing pressure from whites to have blacks fired from any job that they believed should be assigned to unemployed whites. Numerous forms of racial violence again ensued, particularly in the South, during the 1930s (LOC 2002). The legal foundation of racial segregation was the Jim Crow laws, which were imposed in the 1860s mainly in railroad cars, and continued to be enforced throughout the decades until the 1960s (McElrath 2008). The effects of segregation on typical American life and society were apparently significant enough to create scenes extraordinary enough to tell their own stories through photographs, which were precisely what the Farm Security collection achieved. III. Beyond the Signs: Marking the Lines of Race The objective of the Farm Security photographs had been to depict regular American life, yet it is clear how the typicality of the images at the time does not lend itself in the same nature today. There is a point of discussion in the deliberate move to show not just groups of whites and ethnic people, but the centering on the signs that limit freedom, that erase the function of choice. The study of signs, known as semiotics, provides the connection between the audience, interpreter, and the sign itself (Littlejohn 2008). The photos, with their studied involvement of the actual sign, venue, and individuals, already form the three-part process; the blacks are the audience and the photographer is the interpreter, within the space covered by the sign. This shows how the photographers aimed to convey a reality, a system that used semiotics as a way to impose discrimination. This they had done with not just a bit of participation on their end, quite like the way Coles (1997) appropriated documentary work with the linking of lives with the subject. The same logic is utilized by Gripsrud (in Gillespie and Toynbee 2006), when he classified a photographer’s work as indexical—the identifying of a specific aspect of a subject—and therefore lends to much subjectivity. IV. Showing Signs of Racial Conflict to an Audience While the audience of the signs were the blacks—and whites, depending on the sign and situation—the photos’ audience are people who would benefit from knowledge of a different period, as was the arguable objective of the Farm Security photographers in documenting change and continuity in American life. Mainly, the photos were for research and evaluation, whether or not the audience would find them appalling or give them their approval. It may be possible that some of those who comprise the audience are people who have lived through the same era, making them mere confirmations of what they already know; but the more relevant audience would be the uninformed, who would find new insight into American society and its management of racial issues in the late 1930s and early 40s. V. Appropriation of Technique and Style in Communicating Racism The black-and-white photography is already significant on its own, referring to the subjects as well; seeing words on the signs captured in the photographs deals a double blow—‘black’, or ‘colored’, and ‘white’ signs in black-and-white photos. The photographers simply captured the signs as they were, specially for those in venues without people milling around, but there were also photos that provided degrees of humanity and emotion. One of the most striking is a photo of a bar showing whites having beer, a sign on the wall above them that says â€Å"Positively no beer sold to Indians†. Though Indians are known for their penchant for alcohol, it is disturbing one clear sign can show how this ethnic group is singled out and discriminated against—an error of generalization. The white people in the photo appear serious and quite professional, which indicates how the sign should not be misconstrued as a joke. Other photos in the collection, though showing signs and places rather than people as subjects, reveal the increasing culture of urbanization—shown by the railroads, buses, and stores where the signs are found. Urbanization, being common ground for both blacks and whites, necessitates signs; these indicate white control over society and economy, and the intent to keep ‘colored’ people away from this power. Works Cited Primary Source: Library of Congress. â€Å"Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial Discrimination: Documentation by Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photographers†. Prints Photographs Reading Room. April 30, 2004. http://www. loc. gov/rr/print/list/085_disc. html Secondary Sources: Coles, Robert. â€Å"The Tradition: Fact and Fiction†. Doing Documentary Work. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Gripsrud, Jostein. â€Å"Semiotics: signs, codes and cultures†. In Gillespie, Marie and Jason Toynbee. Analysing Media Texts. Berkshire: Open University Press, 2006. Library of Congress. â€Å"Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945: Race Relations in the 1930s and 1940s†. 2002. http://lcweb2. loc. gov/learn/features/timeline/depwwii/race/race. html McElrath, Jessica. â€Å"Creation of Jim Crow South: Segregation in the South†. About. com. 2008. http://afroamhistory. about. com/od/jimcrowlaw1/a/creationjimcrow. htm

Analyse the way the villain is presented in three Sherlock Holmes stories :: English Literature

Analyse the way the villain is presented in three Sherlock Holmes stories Analyse the way the villain is presented in three Sherlock Holmes stories. Is there a stereotype? In Conan Doyle’s stories, ‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’, ‘Silver Blaze’ and ‘The Adventures of the Dancing Men.’ the villain is always used as the key element. It’s interesting that Doyle always makes the villain more fascinating than the hero. This is certainly true in each of these of these stories. In the Speckled Band, the villain is a Dr Roylott. This was not made clear to the reader until the very end of the story, a trick that Conan Doyle uses in all three of these stories. Dr Roylott is the stepfather to Helen Stoner and her sister Julia Stoner. He is presented by Helen Stoner in the beginning of the story when she goes to visit Sherlock Holmes. She describes past events and her suspicions about her stepfather. She begins by flattering Sherlock Holmes by saying ‘I have heard†¦, that you can see deeply into the manifold wickedness of the human heart.’ She then begins from the beginning telling Mr. Holmes everything about her life and why she ended up at his door. She starts by describing her stepfather as a man who is the last survivor of one of the oldest Saxon families in England. He has access to  £1000 a year which was left to him by his wife, a vast sum in those days. Rylott was then supposed to give Helen and her sister a yearly allowance when they married. As soon as his wife left the money to the stepfather in her will, coincidently she died in a tragic railway accident which had happened eight years previously. These are big clues to the reader to make them suspicious and to make them think he is a villain. Helen and her sister from that moment have been very isolated from the outside world. They had been living in the house with their stepfather and his two Indian animals, which are a cheetah and a baboon, which were both allowed to walk free around the grounds. Helen goes on to describe some nasty fights and the stress caused by these. incidences. She describes to Sherlock Holmes the fact that her sister was particularly distressed. ‘She was but 30 at the time of her death, and yet her hair had already began to whiten, even as mine has.’ It is then that we learn that her sister is dead and that her death occurred within two weeks of her getting engaged to a young man.

Lawyers’ Role in Dispute Resolution Essay -- Law Legal Lawyer

Lawyers’ Role in Dispute Resolution Modern American culture provides an inconsistent vision of the role of lawyers in dispute resolution. Lawyers are alternately portrayed as greedy, corrupt people without morals or as necessary and competent allies in protecting individuals against larger and better-funded opponents. In reality, while lawyers have the definite capability to change the outcome of a dispute in a negative way, they ultimately have a positive effect by allowing citizens access to the legal system. By its very nature, the legal system is confusing, puts the inexperienced at a disadvantage, and can be difficult to access for claimants with little authority. Lawyers provide a way to overcome these obstacles. They are beneficial because they effectively use their experience and education to help their clients, facilitate their client’s freedom in trial, aid in the formation of cases, and add authority and weight to a claim. The experience and education lawyers have is invaluable in providing legal access for their clients. Their knowledge and skill allow lawyers to effectively interpret the legal system and therefore help their clients navigate it. The American legal system, in the two hundred years it has been in existence, has become extremely complex and confusing to the uninitiated. The trial process alone can become a Byzantine series of motions, objections, briefs, and rulings. Despite the fact that defendants are allowed to represent themselves, the very structure of the system is so complicated that being or employing a professional lawyer is all but necessary. Legal documents, too, are so confusing that even non-trial disputes can be impossible for a layman to handle. A lawyer’s training i... ...nore, Peter d’Errico, Ethan Katsh, Ronald M. Pipkin, Janet Rifkin (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002) 76-83. Langum, David J. â€Å"William M. Kunstler: The Most Hated Lawyer in America, Introduction to Legal Studies: A Reader, ed. Thomas Hilbink, 2005, 83-97. Haltom, William. Michael McCann, â€Å"Distorting the Law: Politics, Media, and the Litigation Crisis,† Introduction to Legal Studies: A Reader, ed. Thomas Hilbink, 2005, 23-46. Menkel-Meadow, Carrie. â€Å"The Transformation of Legal Disputes by Lawyers: What the Dispute Paradigm Does and Does Not Tell Us,† Before the Law: An Introduction to the Legal Process. Ed. Stephen Arons, John J Bonsignore, Peter d’Errico, Ethan Katsh, Ronald M. Pipkin, Janet Rifkin (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002) 478-480 Toobin, Jeffrey. â€Å"Killer Instinct,† Introduction to Legal Studies: A Reader, ed. Thomas Hilbink, 2005, 251-260.

“I know why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou

The poem I chose to analyze was â€Å"I know why the Caged Bird Sings† by Maya Angelou. I chose this poem because even at first read, I noticed that there was a deeper meaning behind this poem and I instantly connected to it. The poem compares the life of a free bird and how different it is from the life of a caged bird. The free bird has the ability to be free and do what it pleases, while the caged bird is limited as to what it can and can't do. As I read this poem, I was confused as to why Angelou decided to write about birds, but by the end of the poem, I understood who the birds were supposed to be representing. After reading the poem I made the assumption that there were two birds, a free bird and a caged bird. The caged bird had â€Å"clipped wings and his feet were tied† (Angelou), so he only had the ability to sing, whereas, the free bird had the opportunity to fly anywhere he wanted, and eat whatever he pleased. In the first stanza, lines 1-3, Angelou describes the adventures of the free bird when she says, â€Å"A free bird leaps on the back of the wind†¦ and dips his wing in the orange suns rays.† These lines help me, the reader, picture a bird flying across a horizon, and just how free the bird is. Reading further ahead, Angelou says, â€Å"And dares to claim the sky as his own.† This line helps me further understand the extent of the freedom the free bird has. The second stanza Angelou describes the life of the caged bird, and how â€Å"his wings are clipped and his feet are tied.† The imagery in these lines helps me picture just how trapped the caged bird is. The caged bird has been stripped of its natural ability to fly and walk. Because of these restrictions, the only thing left for the caged bird to do is sing. Similar to the second stanza, in the third stanza, Angelou describes the singing of the caged bird, saying it is â€Å"fearful trill.† She also says, â€Å"†¦his tune is heard on a distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. Through these lines one can infer that the caged bird is singing is very loud, and through this trill one can hear the fear as well as the desire to be free. As the poem goes on, Angelou again emphasizes her point on how trapped the caged bird is. Line 19 says, â€Å"A caged bird stands on the grave of dreams† (Angelou). To me this line means that the caged bird is so confined to the caged life, that he has given up on all his dreams and buried them in a grave because he knows he will probably never get the chance to achieve them.. However, I was confused as to why the caged bird continued to sing about being free if he had already given up on his dreams. Did the caged bird's struggles describe Angelou struggles? Something that seemed interesting to me in the poem was how the caged bird sang â€Å"a fearful trill of things unknown† (Angelou). The caged bird has never been free, and has never experienced freedom, but still desires it. This led me to believe that even though the caged bird doesn't know exactly what it feels like to be free, he knows that anything will be better than the condition he is in now. After reading the poem for a second time, I wondered why Angelou decided to write about this topic, and if the birds represented something deeper. With further research I found out that Maya Angelou wrote this poem in 1983. During this time, segregation and racial differences between blacks and whites were still prevalent in America. Using this information, I concluded that the â€Å"free bird† used in the poem refers to the dominant white race, while the â€Å"caged bird† represents the oppressed black race. I can also infer, that since Angelou is a black women, she is referring to herself as the caged bird described in the poem. At this particular time period, whites were given more freedom and more rights compared to the blacks. The black people were segregated against and weren't given the same opportunities the whites were given. Due to this, one can infer that Angelou, being black and a woman, wasn't given the same opportunities, and therefore felt trapped like the caged bird. She felt as if the only thing she had the ability to do was use her voice and speak out about what was happening to her and how it made her feel. This is also why Angelou decided to write this poem. It was a way for her to use her voice to get her message out and express how she feels trapped in a society that is dominated by white males. The life of the privileged white male is representing the life of the free bird. The free bird can â€Å"claim the sky† (Angelou) and eats â€Å"fat worms† (Angelou) while the caged bird is not only enslaved in the â€Å"narrow cage† (Angelou), but has also been stripped of the ability to fly. Similarly, the black people during this time period, have been stripped of their fundamental rights as human beings, and are being oppressed by the whites. Singing, or writing, is the only way to validate their existence. The only right that these blacks posses is the right to use their voice and express themselves. In addition to being apart of the black minority, Angelou was a women. Women were given even fewer rights as compared to men, and often were looked down upon all over there world. Her voice was used as a way to demand attention to show the world the challenges she has to face as a black women. The poem † I know why the Caged Bird sings† is symbolic of the hardships Maya Angelou had to face during the time period when the black community was discriminated against. Angelou knows why the caged bird sings because she is the caged bird. She didn't possess the same freedom as the white people, and at the same time, the caged bird didn't possess the same rights as the free bird. Singing about freedom was the only way the caged bird could express its feelings, and writing was the only way Angelou could express her opinions. This poem is very meaningful to me because like Angelou I too often feel like the caged bird. I feel trapped in a society where I am a part of a minority group. Sometimes I feel as if my beliefs and opinions are overlooked and my feelings are not taken into account equally. This poem shows me how using your voice in order to express your thoughts can be a very effective way of commuting an idea, just as Angelou has done.

Effects of Overpopulation in China Essay Example

Effects of Overpopulation in China Essay Example Effects of Overpopulation in China Paper Effects of Overpopulation in China Paper The results of these studies clearly show that the overpopulation has multiple active impacts on the Chinese environment and that strategies and policies regarding these issues should be established. The population of China is growing exponentially and it is a serious issue because of its impact on the environment. The water deficiency is growing and as it is presented, the expectations of the Chinese people exceed the capacity of the land. Since the population of China is increasing fast, the arbitration of land and the agricultural development increase at the same rhythms. As it is presented, human activity and human density are the main explanation for climate hanged. According to Shies Hangs study, the southwest of China is experiencing a desertification, in other words the land becomes like a desert left with no resources. Each article presents a different way of conducting its research to prove its point. In Asian Hong et al. Research, the methods used to pursue the study are Pressure-State-Response (USSR), the landscape ecology method and Remote Sensing Global Positioning System (RSI-GAPS) According to the authors, there are three types of indicators: Pressure indicators, State indicators and Response indicators. The indicators either resented a high or a low number. If the number is high, it means that the region suffered from important water degradation; if the number is low, it means the opposites. The analysis of the research is made through a process called Analytical hierarchy process (APP) that has four specific indicators. Joanna Sheens study uses urban-rural population model to do predictions about the density of the population and is also represented as spatial demographic-economic model 8, whereas Shies Wang conducted its research by investigating the studied region and by using indicators such as aerial hoots and satellite images. He then compares and analyses the results with previous images and researches from the land. The only piece of work that did not use any kind of Research method was written by Hung Mining-Et et al. Who preferred to write the paper in reference to researches and studies made and scientific predictions One Of the most important consequences of overpopulation is the expanding deficiency in water resources. Investigators processed in six districts of China which are part of one region (Jinn) that was recognized for its important source fatter, aquatic ecosystem and surface. Due to industrial development and human actions the water condition became polluted and rarer. Researchers found that water deficiency and erosion, rainy climate, poor land vegetation, climate change, loss and decrease of agricultural production, which all lead to desertification of land, are all consequences of the activities of the overpopulation. Mining-Et et al. s study presented that the UGH level increased rapidly and the national security is at risk. UGH growing production would also make the lack of water and air pollution worse than it actually is; also they stated that climate change, in addition to being caused by overpopulation, is influenced by poor sustainable development, poor resources management and over-use of energy. This study shows that such changes have impact such as poor water resource and low agricultural production.

Greenland versus Iceland Essays

Greenland versus Iceland Essays Greenland versus Iceland Essay Greenland versus Iceland Essay Greenland versus Iceland Name: Course: Instructor: : Institution: Date: Greenland versus Iceland Iceland is considered among the most developed and wealthiest countries in the world. It operates on a free market economy, whereby its taxes are lower compared to other OECD countries. It was listed the fourteenth most developed nations in the world, in 2011. Greenland is located within Denmark. It is the largest island in the world and least dense populated country in the world. The country’s economy depends on its home country, Denmark. The Inuit society of Iceland survived due to adaptive measures that have ensured its sustainability. One of the ways that this is achieved is by controlling the population growth. Their main activities included whaling and trading with other communities. Their survival skill in adapting to the environment is flexibility. When a resource becomes unavailable, they turn to another one for survival. Iceland relies a hundred percent on energy from renewable resources, whereby seventy percent made from hydropower and thirty percent geothermal power. The main supplier Landsvirkjun is the owner of hydropower plants. The ability of the country to produce renewable energy relies on its geology. Iceland lies on the Mid-Atlantic ridge. There are six hundred hot springs, two hundred volcanoes in the country and twenty steam fields of high temperature that are lowest at 1500c. Waterfalls and rivers in the country on the other hand produce hydropower. Greenland on the other hand relies on biomass as its source of energy. Biomass is divided into three categories, which are solid, fluid and gas. There are plants for burning waste in six cities in Greenland. There are threes types of theoretical potential, namely, the economical potential and the technological potential. The economic potential technically lasts for twenty years, with heat production paid back after twelve and a half years and heat and power production after 5 years. Before there was any human, activity in Iceland, there were birch forests, colonies of sea birds and a lot of green grass. When man invaded the land, the grassland was destroyed by the European crops and domestic animals that man had introduced into the land. Deforestation on the other hand enhanced soil erosion, as the soil was exposed to water and wind. This has led to the destruction of ninety percent of the forests of Iceland and forty percent of the soil. The soil erosion, today, has destroyed Seventy-three percent of the land surface. The population in Greenland is affecting its environment through oil spillages. In 1980, millions of tons of oil were estimated to go into the ocean every year. The main sources of these spillages are sewage outfalls, tanker operations, atmospheric outfall and urban runoff. Accidental spills present a threat to the environment, because they are of high concentration. Oil degradation in the Arctic would be slow, since the temperatures are low. Further more, since the infrastructure is not good and the climatic conditions are harsh, clean up would be hard. A more adverse effect would be if the oil spilled on ice in the ocean. The oil would concentrate on the ice edges where most animals and birds would bid up during migration. Oil is a toxic substance to organisms. Its effects would depend on the oil composition and the organism that has been affected. Climate change can be caused or cause biodiversity change. Climate change is one of the most important factors that determine change in species distribution in an ecosystem. Change in the climate is also affected by human activities, which produce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Another effect of climate change is the change in the required concentration of carbon in marine and terrestrial systems. The change in biodiversity on the other hand affects the circulation of the benefits that species acquire from ecosystems. The benefits consist of regulating services such as managing variability in pathogens and pests and cultural services such as recreation. Biodiversity supports such ecosystem services as climate regulation. For example, converting forests into agricultural production increases carbon emissions. This in turn affects the climate by increasing its rate of change. Human activities that lead to the emission of greenhouse gases greatly cause climatic changes, which in turn affect biodiversity. The Vikings migrated from Iceland and arrived in Greenland in 980 A.D. it settled in farming communities. They related with their European communities through trade. However, this community eventually collapsed due to a number of reasons. The reasons why the Viking society in Greenland collapsed were; first, they had hostile relationships with their neighbors. They were in war with the Skraelings, who captured and killed some of their people. Secondly, they had lost support from their native homes and their trade partners. In the event, when half of the population in Norway was killed, it caused economic and political instability, such that no trade ships could be sent. The Inuit owned larger weapons, dogs and other equipments that enabled them protect themselves from other communities, such as the Dorset. They made trade with various culture and societies, which hence ensured their survival. When they could not survive the climates in the regions they had settled, they moved into friendlier regions. The Inuit society also had a greater population as compared to the Vikings, which probably led to their survival. In conclusion, species are eliminated from a setting through natural selection. In this, the strongest species or the most adoptable survive. The Viking society collapsed because they were a weaker group than the surrounding communities were. They also had weaker survival skills. In the present world, species survive depending on their ability to adapt to the existing climates and conditions of their surrounding environment. Reference Crystalinks. Inuit. Retrieved from crystalinks.com/inuit.html Brown, D., M. (2000). The Fate of the Greenland Vikings. Retrieved from archaeology.org/online/features/greenland/

Using dbExpress in Delphi Database Applications

Using dbExpress in Delphi Database Applications One of the strengths of Delphi is the support for many databases using several data access technologies: the BDE, dbExpress, InterBase Express, ADO, Borland Data Providers for .NET, to name a few. What is dbExpress? One of the data connectivity options in Delphi is dbExpress. In short, dbExpress is a light-weight, extensible, cross-platform, high-performance mechanism for accessing data from SQL servers. dbExpress provides connectivity to databases for the Windows, .NET and Linux (using Kylix) platforms.Initially designed to replace the BDE, dbExpress (introduced in Delphi 6), allows you to access different servers - mySQL, Interbase, Oracle, MS SQL Server, Informix.dbExpress is extensible, in that it is possible for third-party developers to write their own dbExpress drivers for various databases. One of the most significant features of dbExpress lies in the fact that it accesses databases using unidirectional datasets. Unidirectional datasets do not buffer data in memory   such a dataset cannot be displayed in a DBGrid. To build a user interface using dbExpress you will need to use two more components: TDataSetProvider and TClientDataSet. How to Use dbExpress Heres a collection of tutorials and articles on building database applications using dbExpress: dbExpress Draft SpecificationAn early dbExpress specifications draft. Worth a read. Introduction to ClientDataSets and dbExpressA TClientDataset is a part of any dbExpress applications. This paper introduces dbExpress and the power of ClientDataSets to people who have been using the BDE and are afraid to migrate. Additional dbExpress Driver OptionsA list of third-party drivers available for dbExpress Migrating BDE Applications to dbExpressThis PDF goes into extensive detail on issues you may face when migrating applications from BDE components to dbExpress components. It also provides information on performing the migration. Create a Reusable Component to Connect Delphi 7 to DB2 with dbExpressThis article shows you how to use IBM DB2 as the database for applications written with Borland Delphi 7 Studio and dbExpress. Specific topics include how to connect the seven dbExpress components to DB2 and use them to build visual forms on top of database tables.

Wittgenstein's Approach and Domestic Model of Learning Language Coursework

Wittgenstein's Approach and Domestic Model of Learning Language Acquisition Theories - Coursework Example I use the description and explanation of Wittgenstein’s Approach theory and the Domestic Model of learning language acquisition theory to speculate whether my lesson was successful or not.This paper represents a rationale of the lesson on healthy and unhealthy food groups as an aspect of language acquisition. The main objective of a lesson rationale is to provide a logical basis for discussion as well as explaining the lesson worthiness to the students. Various lesson rationales vary in terms of how the students find them convincing. According to O’Donnell, Reeve & Smith (2011), students find lesson rationales that connect the lesson with their future goals and strivings to be more satisfying and convincing. In this lesson rationale, I compare and contrast two major language acquisition theories used to inform a lesson. In this lesson rationale, I also explain the influence the observation of my mentor teachers may have on my lesson and speculates the success of my less on plan based on the mentioned major language acquisition theories.One major language acquisition theory is Wittgenstein’s approach theory. This theory explains various issues pertaining to language acquisition. One of such issues is that language as skills are paramount as a starting point for learning languages (Erneling, 1993). According to Erneling (1993), the theory also explains that language heard and conceptualized is limited and that language is learned and used in a communicative context. This makes this theory a very important theory in trying to understand how a language is acquired. One of the aspects of this theory that makes it a very important language acquisition theory is that it can be used to explain the acquisition of the first language as well as the acquisition of the second, third and fourth languages.

The Course of Mexican History Research Paper Essay

The Course of Mexican History Research Paper - Essay Example The reflection specifically aims to address the following: (1) to provide a description of how the course has enhanced one’s understanding of the term "culture"; (2) to explain how historical and social contexts have helped to shape human belief systems and values; and (3) to evaluate how one’s own cultural perspective has influenced personal intercultural experiences. Description: Personal Understanding of the Term Culture One’s personal contention is that the term culture encompasses a collaborative learning and experiences of a particular group of people who have developed common sets of values, preferences, traditions, norms and practiced these as their way of life from generation to generation. This understanding of the term culture was reinforced by discussions on business culture (Unit 1), specifically how Mexicans value personal relationships, mix business transactions with leisure activities and continue to practice the manana habit that tends to delay a ctivities to a later time or date. Further, lessons on art and architecture from ancient times that marked the development of practices from the time of the Olmec and Aztec cultures, enhanced one’s understanding of how various religious practices influenced traditional beliefs and the way architecture was created and built (Unit 3). Culture, as a way of life, were discussed to be manifested and expressed through music (Unit 10) from the rule of the Spanish conquests to contemporary times in terms of the evolution and development of musical instruments, styles, and forms. Finally, one of the most evident cultural forms is exemplified through the way Mexicans enjoy and prepare their food (Unit 2) and how their eating habits differ from other cultures. Diverse historical timelines that aimed to trace the roots and evolution of Mexicans, as an indigenous group, presented more comprehensive discussion of how Mexicans were influenced by significant personalities from the time of Ki ng Charles V of Spain (Unit 5) to the restoration of the republic through revolt in 1910 (Unit 6). All these events helped shape and make Mexico a distinct and rich culture that have influenced other people through interactions and global connections through time. Explanation: Historical and Social Contexts that shaped Belief Systems and Values Human belief systems and values are likewise shaped by the historical and social events depicted through the rich experiences discussed in the module. One of the most pronounced social events is the use of musical instruments that were traced since the time of the Aztecs from their drums that accompany their ceremonies (Unit 10). The role of the church is also crucial in the development of a distinct musical genre focusing on solemnity, hymns and chants. Other historical events that significantly shaped beliefs and values of Mexicans were the art and literature expressed in architectural sites which were traced from their religious practices of worshipping gods and goddesses (Unit 3). The experience of Mexico is parallel with other cultures that exemplify religion as having shaped traditional values and beliefs. Most of these are handed from generation to generation and some remain to be practiced until contemporary times. Finally, the influence of other races: Spaniards, in particular, in their way of life, in political endeavors, and in fighting for national freedom from foreign rule and

Scientific Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Scientific Management - Essay Example Anukul Designs is a company that has been in the business of manufacturing exclusive patchwork linen, for the last 20 years. The assembly line followed in this company will be tested during this experiment. This experiment has been carried out to prove the following conclusion: In the Recruitment stage, the applications are invited for positions like tailors, cutting experts, tacking experts, finishing experts and finally, supervisors. There is a need for 24 tailors, 8 cutting experts, 12 tacking and quilting experts, 12 finishing experts, and 4 supervisors to oversee these four activities. In the Selection stage, there are interviews and practical tests to find which applicant is best suited for which job in the operational activities. Also, they are questioned regarding their leadership abilities so as to find four supervisors who also know enough about the job. This brings us to the final phase known as Functional Study. By working in a group, the supervisors held meetings with each other at the end of the day. This brought about better communication and synchronization of activities. Also, they got a chance to discuss any strengths and weaknesses so as to garner second and third opinions on tacking and taking advantage of the same. This led to standardization of activities along the lines of a set formula. This formula involved the following: The work culture has to be one where there is constant reinvention and innovation. This can be brought about by allotting responsibility to a new man every day. Detailed reporting helps in the psychological molding of the men. This was an important area which the supervisors focused upon. The best use of men came from keeping them at the machines for the longest time. There was an increased use of ramps and pulleys for the transportation of material. Also, there was a consensus among the supervisors that the material handling capacity must be

Developing Competitive Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Developing Competitive Advantage - Essay Example In analyzing the information sharing, this paper will look at relevant examples so as to elaborate on the inherent need of information to both the customers and the firms. Discussion The supply chain becomes more efficient with the increased coordination of activities due to automation. Consequently, the need for inventories is reduced. Proctor and Gamble (P&G) is a company that has been operational in the world for a long time. The manufacturer has a relationship with the retailer Wal-Mart (Clark & Lee 2000, p. 126). The relationship between the two companies has to be analyzed from a transactional perspective as well as from an operational and strategic one. The two companies, apart from sharing information with each other have gone ahead to share the same information with their customers. This has stemmed from the need by the companies to involve their customers in the pricing of products as well as increasing the value of these products. The basis of the relationship between the companies and the customers is based on mutual trust. P&G and Wal-Mart are not only partners but also competitors. Therefore, the trend that they have set in the sharing of information can be analyzed from the benefits that the two derive from being in a relationship with each other as well as with their customers. The sharing of information has to be approached cautiously. Naturally, many companies are skeptical that the information that they share with the customers as well as competitors would be used in a negative manner which may hurt the company’s profitability. Doctors concede that the patient they treat today have a major difference from the patients that they treated in the years gone by. Once a patient seeks out a doctor, the patient is usually armed with information regarding the treatment procedures that are available for the conditions that they may have. The doctor will start by giving the patient the preliminary information regarding the condition from where th e patient will inquire more on the treatment procedure and the condition. The patients will want to know the different risk factors that are involved in treatment as well as the benefits that are to be gotten from the procedures. This sharing of information between doctors and patients explains why the business environment is changing. The consumers of certain products require that the producers share the information that they have on the products (Seidmann & Sundararajan 1998, p. 34). There are very many chat rooms on the internet that are aimed at sharing information on a hoard of topics. The members of these chat rooms will critique as well as praise some products. At the end of it all, the consumer is armed with the necessary information in order to make a certain purchase. When Michael Dell started IBM, the cost of a computer was $3,000. This suggested that the markup from selling the machines as well as the costs were too high. He saw it prudent to reduce the costs associated with the assembly of the machines so that they would retail at lesser prices. In attempting to do this, he had to use less expensive methods of sourcing for the raw materials as well as internal ways that would cost less. The box, speakers, memory, hard disks and drives were being

Concepts in mental Health Consensus and Controversies Essay

Concepts in mental Health Consensus and Controversies - Essay Example A good understanding of such concept is essentially relevant with mental health care. Origin and Historical Significance of Mental Health Concept The concept of mental health has a polymeric nature, and inaccurate and general borders, which gains from a historical view to be better understood. At present the broadly understood concept of mental health has its origins chased back to advances in public health in different branches of knowledge such as clinical psychopathology and psychological medicine. The origin of the mental hygiene movement can be assigned to the piece of work of Clifford Beers in the United States. A book namely A mind that found itself was published in 1908, which was based on the authors personal experience of admittances to three mental institutions and asylums. Through its origins and in reflecting Beers’ experience in mental hospitals, the mental hygiene movement was chiefly and essentially referred to the betterment of the care of people with mental f olies. In the year 1909 when Beers wrote the book, a Mental Hygiene Society was instituted in Connecticut. Adolf Meyer suggested the term â€Å"mental hygiene† to Beers (Schneck, 1975). This had got tremendous and quick popularity to the initiation of the National Commission of Mental Hygiene. The Beers (1937) states: â€Å"When the National Committee was organized, in 1909, its chief concern was to humanize the care of the insane: to eradicate the abuses, brutalities and neglect from which the mentally sick have traditionally suffered.† The globalization of activities of this Commission led to the administration of some national associations related to mental hygiene in different countries from 1919 onwards. The International... This essay discusses that in a general sense, mental health has established to be a crucial component of the definition of health and also continues to be used both to indicate a state as an attribute of health. It refers to denote to the crusade deduced from the mental hygiene movement, representing the practical application of psychiatry and psychological medicine not only on an individual basis but also to groups such as societies and communities, as is the case with clinical psychiatry. Mental health is, rather unluckily, even so, considered by many as a field of study, either as an equivalent of psychiatry and psychological medicine or any other complementary fields of psychiatry. Above discussed elements can be served as evidence of the importance of mental health cognition as not only a field of study. For psychiatric nurses, the knowledge of mental health and mental illness concepts is particularly important in a way that they are part of the diagnosing of mental disorders an d treatment of mental health patients in outpatient community clinics or inpatient care hospitals. For such a reason, mental health nursing requires specified and specialized training isolated from other segments of care in the field of nursing. Instituting standard concepts of care in mental health nursing ameliorates inter-communication among faculty and the quality of intervention and handling of mental health patients. Dealing with mental health patients interests will better the overall wellness and performance of the patient.

Developing Competitive Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Developing Competitive Advantage - Essay Example In analyzing the information sharing, this paper will look at relevant examples so as to elaborate on the inherent need of information to both the customers and the firms. Discussion The supply chain becomes more efficient with the increased coordination of activities due to automation. Consequently, the need for inventories is reduced. Proctor and Gamble (P&G) is a company that has been operational in the world for a long time. The manufacturer has a relationship with the retailer Wal-Mart (Clark & Lee 2000, p. 126). The relationship between the two companies has to be analyzed from a transactional perspective as well as from an operational and strategic one. The two companies, apart from sharing information with each other have gone ahead to share the same information with their customers. This has stemmed from the need by the companies to involve their customers in the pricing of products as well as increasing the value of these products. The basis of the relationship between the companies and the customers is based on mutual trust. P&G and Wal-Mart are not only partners but also competitors. Therefore, the trend that they have set in the sharing of information can be analyzed from the benefits that the two derive from being in a relationship with each other as well as with their customers. The sharing of information has to be approached cautiously. Naturally, many companies are skeptical that the information that they share with the customers as well as competitors would be used in a negative manner which may hurt the company’s profitability. Doctors concede that the patient they treat today have a major difference from the patients that they treated in the years gone by. Once a patient seeks out a doctor, the patient is usually armed with information regarding the treatment procedures that are available for the conditions that they may have. The doctor will start by giving the patient the preliminary information regarding the condition from where th e patient will inquire more on the treatment procedure and the condition. The patients will want to know the different risk factors that are involved in treatment as well as the benefits that are to be gotten from the procedures. This sharing of information between doctors and patients explains why the business environment is changing. The consumers of certain products require that the producers share the information that they have on the products (Seidmann & Sundararajan 1998, p. 34). There are very many chat rooms on the internet that are aimed at sharing information on a hoard of topics. The members of these chat rooms will critique as well as praise some products. At the end of it all, the consumer is armed with the necessary information in order to make a certain purchase. When Michael Dell started IBM, the cost of a computer was $3,000. This suggested that the markup from selling the machines as well as the costs were too high. He saw it prudent to reduce the costs associated with the assembly of the machines so that they would retail at lesser prices. In attempting to do this, he had to use less expensive methods of sourcing for the raw materials as well as internal ways that would cost less. The box, speakers, memory, hard disks and drives were being

Case Study Phase 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Phase 1 - Case Study Example In terms of business and management, the possibility of an investment’s actual return usually differs from the expected and risks include the probabilities of losing part of or the entire original investment. On the other hand, risk assessment involves determining both quantitative and qualitative risks associated with a situation and recognizing threats (Hussain, 2013). A risk assessment of quantitative nature needs calculations of two aspects of risk including the degree of the possible loss and the possibility that the loss take place. Additionally, acceptable risk is the risk that may be understood as a consequence of the cost or difficulty in the implementation of an efficient countermeasure for the related vulnerability that surpasses the expected loss. Apple is an international company whose head office is in California, that is involved in designing, developing and selling consumer electronics (Young, 2009). Even though Apple develops its own products and comes up with the software which is run on its devices, it manufactured and assembles its devices through outsourcing operations. Since the company has a heavy dependence on its partners on the delivery of the final product, it is faced with the threat of not having the full ability to control its supply operation. Apple also has a heavy dependence on numerous other organizations to develop components that constitute its final products. Even though this kind of partnerships is advantageous in the production of high quality devices, they also underscore the technological dependency of Apple on external companies. Additionally, any form of disruption suffered by the companies, which manufacture its components will directly influence the ability of Apple to produce products for the market on a timely basis. Regardless of the fact that this form of partnerships are advantageous in the production of devices of superior quality, they underscore the

Mindy’s Sections Essay Example for Free

Mindy’s Sections Essay Profitability BJB intends to apply a six sigma approach to improving profitability in the innovative CD changers. Using such tools provided through this approach will lead to major cost reduction and quality improvements that will result in an increase in profitability. The approach will involve measuring capability of processes to produce services and products that remain free of defect. Experts at BJB will analyze standard deviation, short term performance data, and critical to quality (CTQ) characteristics to predict long-term process capability. Such analysis will apply concepts to the product, such as opportunity for defect, defects per opportunity, and defects per million opportunities. Experts previously described will use a four step approach to deploy this strategy. These steps include measuring of CTQ characteristics; analysis through benchmarking and gap studies, improvement, and control. With a ratio of 1 expert per 100 employees, BJB will lead more projects per year as well as have a potential savings of $175,000 per project. Reference: Harry, Mikel J. (1998). Quality Progress. Six Sigma: A Breakthrough Strategy for Profitability. American Society for Quality. Retrieved from: http://asq.org/qic/display-item/index.html?item=13334 Customer Complaints Management BJB will apply a Six Sigma approach to manage and improve customer complaints’ management process. This methodology provides an organized structure for solving and analysis of problems. BJB will apply DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) phases to solve and define problems within the organization. First, the problem is defined, variables influencing processes are measured, cause for process failure are analyzed, improvements are planned and made as well as variables are controlled until a defined six sigma level and a solid level of customer satisfaction is determined. Reference: Riesenberger, Carlos Sousa, Sergio Dinis (2010). Application of the Six Sigma Methodology in Customer Complaints Management: A Case Study in the Automotive Industry. Retrieved from: http://www.pomsmeetings.org/ConfPapers/015/015-0345.pdf Environmental Regulations Compliance BJB must consider environmental regulations compliance in regard to computer and electronic product manufacturing sector (NAICS 334). This sector covers manufacturers of electrical distribution equipment and electrical industrial apparatus as well as other electrical equipment and supplies. Laws and Regulations that BJB must abide by include: †¢ Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program †¢ National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP): air toxics regulations: o Degreasing Organic Cleaners (Halogenated Solvent Cleaners) o Magnetic Tape (surface coating) o Semiconductor Manufacturing †¢ Stratospheric Ozone Regulations: o The Phase-out of Ozone Depleting Substances o Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program: EPAs program to evaluate and regulate substitutes for the ozone-depleting chemicals that are being phased out under the stratospheric ozone protection provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Compliance to such laws and regulations will assist BJB meet environmental obligations. Enforcement of legal action against BJB is a result of noncompliance to such laws and regulations. Reference: United States Environmental Protection Agency (2012). Laws and Regulations. Retrieved from: http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/compliance/

An Overview Of A Constructions Productivity Construction Essay

An Overview Of A Constructions Productivity Construction Essay Recently, construction productivity is on a long-term slide and it is recognized as industry challenge. System, people, materials, information and energy must flow effectively and efficiently to produce its objective at high productivity to complete construction at lowest possible cost with possible shortest timeframe (Picard, 2005). Productivity is critically important in construction industry. Many researchers have expressed their concern over productivity in construction industry. Defining productivity is not a simple task to everybody. Different people will give different definition and understanding. Most of them agreed that marketable output was essentially the main measure used. Increased productivity was a leading concern to all Committee stakeholders such as users, contractors, and construction labor unions and led by the owner. The construction users emphasized the need of collecting data directly relevant to productivity improvement. The Committee was concluded that the front-line construction foreman/supervisor would be a reliable source of information. These informants would be asked to provide their judgment of the greatest impediments to a productive construction project (Tucker, 2003). Definition of productivity Within these several decades, many researchers have defined the productivity term in their studies in a number of ways. The term productivity has different meanings to different people. Many individuals automatically think only of labor unions when the term productivity is mentioned. Others associate capital expenditures with the term. Each of these interpretations is only partly correct (Adrian, 1993). Many researchers have attempted to define precisely the meaning of productivity and below are some of it that referred from their studies: Oglesby et al. (1989), presented that productivity can be defined as in-place value divided by inputs . Some researchers have defined it as works-hours divided by the equivalent quantity of work. In construction, productivity normally can be understood as work quantity divided by man-hours (or work-hours) consumed to accomplish the work. Productivity = Work Quantity Man-hours According to Dolman, Parham, Zheng, (2007), productivity is a measure in order to know how much output is produced per unit of input. Diewert Lawrence, (2006) presented that productivity can be defined as the level of economic output per unit of input and also per worker. Productivity is important to the wealth and well-being of a nation and give efforts to improve productivity occur at all levels of society. According to Hwang and Liu, (2005), productivity is an effective index that can indicate output of construction work quantity versus the input of resources. Productivity of a crew is directly impacts the cost and time needed to complete a task. By analyzing and forecasting productivity, project manager can be more effective to control and predict project time and cost throughout execution up to completion. Thomas and Mathew, (1986) presented that no standardized productivity definition had been established in the construction industry. It is difficult to define a standard productivity measure because companies use their own systems which are not standardized. Association simply illustrates the productivity between an output and an input. The form has been widely used and existing in literature over the years in construction industry is; Productivity = Input/Output Prokopenko, (1987), defined the productivity as effective and efficient utilization of all resources, labor, plant and materials. According to Jugdev, et al.,(2001), productivity is a ratio between inputs and outputs. In calculating the productivity, it is important to specify the inputs and outputs that to be measured because there are many inputs such as labors, materials, equipments, tools, capital and design in construction system. Uusi-Rauva and Hannula, (1996), presented that productivity can be defined as internal efficiency of the organization or other object to be measured. A more precise definition of productivity is the following: output divide by the input that is used to generate output. Output is consists of products or services and input is consists of materials, labor, capital, energy, etc. Productivity is not only affected by the quantities of inputs and outputs but also the qualities of inputs and outputs. According to Halligan, et al., (1994), there are many ways to define productivity. In construction, it is usually taken to mean labor productivity which is units of work placed or produced per man-hour. Teicholz, (2004), stated that productivity in construction industry was measured by constant contract dollars of new construction work per hourly work hour The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, 2009) of the U.S. Department of Labor was defines productivity into two type which are labor productivity and multifactor productivity. Labor productivity can be measures as output per hour of labor and it is used in over 40 industries including construction. Productivity can be calculated by dividing the quantity of work completed (Quantity) by number of labor hours used to complete the work (Man Hours). A productivity value represents performance of an operation with respect to time and cost, where activity duration and activity cost is directly affected by productivity. Duration (Hours) = Quantity of Works (Quantity / Man Hours) = Quantity of Works Productivity The formula above indicates how critical the reliability of the productivity factors in estimation time. Measurement of productivity There is controversy surrounding productivity that rooted in the differences in data collection. It is due to incorrect in assuming productivity measured uniformly and that all published productivity values have the same basis (Whiteside, 2006) Overall conception of productivity is difficult to express or to measure. It is sometimes expressed either in terms of output from labor or from services or from capital invested. These parts of expressions often do not give an accurate picture of the overall position. Although, there are measurements of some or all of the inputs and outputs of the industry but they still failed to combine these measurements into any satisfactory measure of efficiency. In fact, the ratio is easy to compute if the unit uses a single input to produce a single output (Choy, 2008). According to Whiteside, (2006), production is average direct labor hours to install a unit material. He also stressed that in perfect world, perfect productivity (1.0) will be accomplished in 40-hour work week, with everyone taking all of their holidays and vacation days planned. It is regarding to all the engineering drawings must be 100% complete, there would be no delays of any kind, everyone would work safely, everything would fit perfectly at the first time, the weather would be 70 degrees Fahrenheit and there would be no litigation at the end of the project. But, we do not live in perfect world and true productivity is often poorly understood. The first challenge in understanding productivity is lacking of common terms. The definition of hours identified as direct labor should be consistent. Second is too much focus in determining productivity which is incorrectly placed on the individual worker. Productivity is something to do with the worker because many workers work at the s ame rates. The main thing should be focused in productivity measurement is proper or complete planning. It is because like-out-sequence work will contribute to lower productivity due to the rework hours required to complete the original task. The final challenge is how to make productivity comparison when the data used in productivity studies before have the same basis. Productivity is not based on wage rates or cost data alone and it is improper to combine wage rate, hours and material quantities to make productivity comparison. According to Hwang and Liu, (2009), construction productivity studies have centered on the identification of factors that influence productivity and quantification of the impact of such factor on productivity. As a result, there were various qualitative and quantitative factors have been discovered and various methods for productivity have been presented. Majority of those methods are based on relationships between productivity and factors. Based on Thomas and Yiakoumis (1987), they stated that theory underlying the factor model is the work of crew is affected by a number of factors. If the cumulative effect of these disturbances can be mathematically represented, then the expected actual productivity can be estimate. But, it is not always feasible to quantify the impact of various factors and represent the relationships mathematically. Another limitation is the value of many related factors in future is not available and thus, they have to be estimated. In fact, some of the factors can be correlated with others which the correlation may be higher or lower under different situations. There is several research efforts have been devoted to developing models. The models that being used in the construction industry are such as below: According to Sonmez and Rowings, (1998); Portas and AbouRizk, (1997), recommended Neutral Network (NN) techniques which have been used to develop method of productivity prediction. Everett and Farghal, (1994), recommended learning curves that for various activities. Abdelhamid and Everett, (1999), have applied time series analysis to evaluate hoisting performance comparing the CRANIUM technology with the conventional technique. According to Brockwell and Davis, (2002), ARMA (autoregressive moving average) models are used to model time-lagged relationship of self-correlated observations within a single series. Cumulative Average and Simple Moving Average that wisely used to model a single time series Exponential Smoothing produce forecasts of weighted value of past observation with exponentially decreasing weights (NIST, 2006). Although there are numbers of publications exist on construction productivity, there is no agreed upon definition of work activities nor a standard productivity measurement system. Most of researchers have concluded that it is difficult to obtain a standard method to measure construction labor productivity because of project complexity and unique characteristics of the construction projects (Oglesby et al. 1989). The uniqueness and non repetitive of operation in construction projects make it is difficult to develop a standard productivity definition and measure (Sweis, 2000). Current measurement of productivity in construction industry Our labor productivity experts specialize in labor productivity analysis and may utilize the following industry-recognized methodologies, where appropriate: Measured Mile Analysis Work Sampling Comparable Work Study General and Specialty Industry Studies (Mechanical Contractors Association of America [MCAA],  Construction Industry Institute [CII], Business Roundtable, etc.) Total Cost Method Modified Total Cost Method Time and Motion Studies   The selection of a particular productivity analysis methodology is depends on the project facts, the nature of the events being analyzed, the nature and extent of available labor data and may vary from project to project. Each of the above-referenced productivity analysis methodologies has inherent its own advantages and disadvantages. Interface Consulting has extensive experience handling construction labor productivity claims and construction claims consultants are skilled at tailoring productivity analysis approach to suit a projects needs and constraints (ICII, 2009). Factors influence productivity in construction According to Tucker, (2003), he presented the most factors that can affect the construction productivity especially on site as below: Design: specifications, drawings, documents have to be improved Field support for timely responses; have architect/engineer on site with field competency Coordinate Design/Review Timely RFIs/RFPs (Request For Informations/Request For Proposals) Construction/Project management competency He also suggested that productivity improvement should be done based on this area: Constructability of the design documents with input of major contractors on schedule quality and realism Coordination among major contractors Pre-project planning Communication and teamwork between owners, design professionals, contractors and labor Improvement of the construction management process. Parisi, (2008) presented that potential factors influence the construction productivity are many, including out-of-sequence work; skilled labor shortages; worker crowding/congested work areas; interference of trades; owner interference; design problems and defects; contractors inadequate management/supervision; failure to properly staff the project; overtime; and acceleration. Lim et al (1995) studied factors affecting productivity in the construction industry in Singapore. Their findings indicated that the most important problems affecting productivity were: difficulty with recruitment of supervisors; difficulty with recruitment of workers; high rate of labour turnover; absenteeism from the work site; and communication problems with foreign workers. Olomolaiye et al (1996) studied factors affecting productivity of craftsmen in Indonesia, with their findings indicating craftsmen in Indonesia spent 75 % of their time working productively. Five specific productivity problems were identified: ie lack of materials; rework; absenteeism; lack of equipment; and tools. Kane et al (cited in Herbsman et al, 1990) classified factors affecting construction productivity into two main groups: technological factors and administrative factors. The technological factors encompass those related mostly to the design of the project; the administrative group factors relate to the management and construction of the project. Technological factors comprise sub-groups such as design factors, material factors and location factors. Administrative factors comprise sub-groups, such as construction methods and procedural factors, equipment factors, labour factors, and social factors. Heizer and Render (1990) classified factors influencing site productivity into 3 groups: labour characteristic factors; project work conditions factors; and nonproductive activities. Olomolaiye et al (1998) stated that factors affecting construction productivity are rarely constant, and may vary from country to country, from project to project, and even within the same project, depending on circumstances. They classified factors influencing construction productivity into 2 categories: external and internal, representing those outside the control of the firm s management, and those originating within the firm.. External factors included the nature of the industry, construction client knowledge of construction procedure, weather, and level of economic development. Internal factors included management, technology, labour, and labour unions. Enshassi et al 2006, Enshassi et al 2007, and Al Haddad 2007 stated that among the problems which the Palestinian construction industry is facing are material supply schedules and project scheduling techniques. Although a number of training courses were conducted to local contractors, these training efforts did not focus enough on the abilities to use project scheduling techniques such as Microsoft project and Primavera. Therefore training effort should also be tailored to improve methods of studying productivity and ways of productivity improvement on construction sites. The important productivity rate in project scheduling The duration of construction project is a key factor to consider before starting a new project which is it can be determine project success of failure. Despite the uncertainty and risk level is very high in construction industry, current construction planning which is more relies on traditional deterministic scheduling method is still not clearly ascertain the level of uncertainty involved in the project. Subsequently, it can prolong a projects duration and cannot be completed within the allocation time of the project (Lee, et al., 2009). Construction projects are subjected to changes which it require constant performance monitoring and follow-up schedule updates. Project manager must take proactive attitude to analyze project data and to predict potential problems and delay in order to make timely decisions and to reduce the negative impact on cost and schedule (Hwang and Liu, 2005). Planning in construction is a complex and iterative process. A plan usually is prepared based on the estimates by the participants actual commitment. Therefore, construction productivity plan plays a significant role in the process. Based on Parisi, (2008), in estimating labor, there are several key factors that should be considered: Productivity of its field forces Union labor agreements and requirements Past experience with the owner, designer, and construction manager Labor availability Specialty trades Therefore, if the actual construction work deviates from the anticipated plan, once the contract is signed and the project is underway, several situations may result as below: The job may take more time because the progress is not being made at the rate projected in the original baseline schedule and thus, project completion must be extended. (In such cases, acceleration of the remaining activities may be implemented to recover time) More hours of labor may be required to install the work items because materials are not being installed by the contractors workforce at the productivity rates (the anticipated quantities of material to be installed per hour) same as estimated in the original bid. An overrun of both time and labor may occur. In order to succeed, the companies must make a phase affirmative action into the total management of productivity through a formalized, documented process such as depicted in Figure 2.0. The process should be started with historical productivity analysis. The knowledge that gained from this processes should then be utilized to forecast and manage future productivity. The supervisor that involved in this process must implement and monitor the predetermined productivity values. Only then the companies can be more competitive and successful in todays global market Figure 2.0: A model to manage construction productivity Construction industry seemed as low sector when there is low technology and low skilled employments occur. According to Saad, (2002), in order to raise level of construction productivity, it is recommended that the projects should have the following features: High degree of standardization Design is preferred to use pre-fabricated units or pre-assemble forming system Building system should be easy and simple to construct and repetitive Well managed construction methods with details planning and specification High level of mechanized methods and skilled workers Roof works Roof is a basic human need is for shelter, which for most of us consists of a few walls and a roof over our heads. Roofs come in many shapes and sizes. One of the main reasons for having a roof is to keep out rainwater and snow. The selection of roof is based on the following characteristics: Stability Protection from the sun, weather, wind and rain Durablity Heat resistance Brightness and ventilation Beauty Construction of roof must be strong and able to support the load and stressed that going to happen. The load that is attributable to roof, firstly is dead load which is the weight of the roof trusses, roof covering; secondly is live load which is consists of tools, equipment, workers, rain water and lastly is wind load. Wind is a major stress to the roof which is difficult to forecast accurately. Roof stability is depends on the support such as roof trusses, column, walls, beams and foundation of the building. Design of roof also takes into account the respective functions of the building. Building for residential and office should have a comfortable situation in terms of condition, light, air and dam parts sounds. Industrial buildings and warehouses may require heat insulation on the roof to maintain the same conditioning in buildings. Traffic in the building to allow use of the pillars supporting the roof of the short-range distance. Roof for theater and stadium, must be supported by long span of roof trusses and the support in the middle will distrupt the view and noise and sound effect protection from the audience. Productivity work to be consider in roof works The productivity works to be considered in this study as below: Installation of roof trusses (cold form) Installation of insulation Installation of roof covering (concrete roof tiles and metal decking) No. of workers in group Daily Productivity (m2) METHOD PRODUCTIVITY OF ONE WORKING DAY Handling Half Mechanized Full Mechanized Summary From the literature review of the productivity in construction is important especially to provide accurate duration of task in building project scheduling. Rerefences: Dolman, B., Parham, D., Zheng, S. (2007), Can Australia match US productivity performance?, Retrieved May 7, 2007, from http://www.pc.gov.au/commission/work/productivity/publications/reports.html. Diewert, W. E. and Lawrence, D. (2006), Measuring the contributions of productivity and terms of trade to Australias economic welfare, Retrieved May 7, 2007, from http://www.pc.gov.au/commission/work/productivity/publications/reports.html. Oglesby, C.H., Parker, H.W. and Howell, G.A., (1989), Construction productivity improvements, McGraw Hill, New York Adrian, J.J. (1993), Construction Estimating: An accounting and productivity approach 4th Edition, 1993 Hwang, S. and Liu, L.Y. (2005), Proactive project control using productivity data and time series analysis, Computing in Civil Engineering 2005 Thomas, H.R. and Mathew, C.T., (1986), An analysis of the methods for measuring construction productivity, SD 13, Construction Industry Institute, The University of Texas. Whiteside, J.D., (2006), Construction Productivity, AACE International Transaction, 2006 Picard, (2005), Construction productivity qualifications, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Prokopenko, J.,(1987), Productivity management, Geneva International Labor Office. Jugdev, K., Thomas, J. and Delisle, C., (2001), Rethinking project management old truths and new insight, International Project Management Journal, 7(1), pp. 36-43 Uusi-Rauva, E. and Hannula, M., (1996), Measurement A tool for productivity Improvement, 9th International Working Seminar on Production Economics, Innsbruck, pp. 13-29 Halligan, D.W., Demsetz, L.A., Brown, J.D. and Pace, C.B., (1994), Action-response model and loss of productivity in construction, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 120 No. 1, March 1994 Teicholz, P., (2004), Labor productivity declines in the construction industry: Causes and remedies, AECbytes Viewpoint #4, April 14 2004. Tucker, W.W., (2003), Construction Productivity Study Summary, Eastern Michigan University, 2003. Choy, C.F., (2008), Productive efficiency of Malaysian construction sector, Built-Environment Department, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia. Lee, H.S., Shin, J.W., Park, M. and Ryu, H.G, (2009), Probabilistic duration estimation model for high-rise structural work, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, December, 2009 Hwang, S. and Liu, L.Y. (2009), Predicting short term productivity I: Contemporaneous time series and forecasting Methodologies, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, December, 2009 Sonmez, R. and Rowing, J.E., (1998), Construction labor productivity modeling with neutral network, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, December, 124(6), 498-504 Portas, J. and AbouRizk, S. (1997), Neutral network model estimating construction productivity, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 123(4), 399-410 Everett, J.G. and Fargahl, S. (1994), Learning curve predictors for construction field operations, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 120(3), 603-614 Abdelhamid, T.S. and Everett, J.G., (1999), Time series analysis for construction productivity experiments, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 125(2), 87-95 NIST, (2006), Engineer statistic handbook Oglesby, C.H., Parker, H.W., and Howell, G.A., (1989), Productivity improvement in construction, McGraw-Hill, New York. Sweis, G.J., (2000), Impact of conversion technology on productivity in masonry construction, PhD dissertation, Northwestern University, Evanston, III. Interface Consulting International, Inc.(ICII), 2009 Parisi, R.F., (2008), When the best-laid plans go astray A primer on labor productivity, Capital Project Management, Inc. Saad, D.A, (2002), Standard labor productivity of reinforced concrete building structures and factor affecting on it, Thesis presented to university of Technology, Iraq FACTORS AFFECTING LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY IN BUILDING PROJECTS IN THE GAZA STRIP Adnan Enshassi1, Sherif Mohamed2, Ziad Abu Mustafa1 and Peter Eduard Mayer3

Frosts sense :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frost’s Sense   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Robert Frost has a certain theory. That a sentence has an overall sound and that word may be taken out and the sound analyzed. The theory is Frost’s â€Å"Sound of Sense.† Or I like to say, that you may sense the sound of a sentence, with a simple little trick. Put your hand over your mouth and speak the sentence, pay attention to the muffled sound instead of the words being spoken. That would be the sound of sense. This paper is an introduction to this theory along with an analysis of a Frost poem I feel articulates this well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The poem that I have chosen is taken from his later years, after he first came up with this theory. While Frost was up in a mountain interval in ’23, I believe his imagination started to stray. This may be how the poem, â€Å"Brown’s Decent† started. It starts, â€Å"BROWN lived at such a lofty farm That everyone for miles could see His lantern when he did his chore In winter after half-past three.† Meaning; there was a farmer, in an extremely high vantage, with a farm high in view of a town below. This is a simple rhyme poem with and a simpler A-B-C-B style. Yet the roll of the words and the fluidity of the story make it a perfect example for the sound of sense. Try using the hand method to get a sense of the sound here. In the second rhyming section we see two great examples as Brown goes about his chores, â€Å"And many must have seen him make.† And, â€Å"'Cross lots, 'cross walls, 'cross everything,† The second here is an unusual stammering descriptive sentence that we see imitated later in the poem to add consistency and texture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The poem goes on to detail Brown’s accident and fall, and as he is sliding down the mountainside we again get a feeling that he is intentionally using certain words to add a sound to the sentence he wants custom. â€Å"Sometimes he came with arms outspread/ Like wings, revolving in the scene.† There is a section of four rhyme sets describing the fall. These are all blended together to flow better and increase tension and concentration. Sixteen lines in total, I believe this is the most entertaining part of the poem. Towards the end of Brown’s slide is where we get the stammering descriptive rant again, â€Å"He reeled, he lurched, he bobbed, he checked.

Divine Comedy: Dante Puts the Hell in Hellenism Essay -- Divine Comedy

Divine Comedy: Dante Puts the Hell in Hellenism    Ever since they were created Greek heroes and their stories have found a perpetual home in the minds and imagination of everyday people.   There they grow to new height through art and literature.   Dante Alighieri includes famous Greek characters throughout the first book of his Divine Comedy: Hell.   From the famed philosophers and personages who fill Limbo to the very last circles of Hell where the giants inhabit, Dante uses as images of different sins, and punishment for individuals sins famous Greek monsters, lovers, and heroes. Throughout history monsters and hideous beasts have been used to terrify men.   Dante uses beasts not only to terrify, but to be images of individual sins as well as tormentors of these sins. "Most of the monstrous organisms by which the functions of Hell are discharged are taken from Greek and Roman mythology.   They are neither devils nor damned souls, but the images of perverted appetites, presiding over the circles appropriate to their natures"   (Dante 89).   The Furies, images of empty remorse that never repents, serve as guards to Circles V and VI.   In classical mythology they eternally pursued the guilty, haunting him wherever he journeys and therefore driving him insan... ..., the popular hero who returned to his wife after ten years of wandering, in the Inferno with the Counselors of Fraud. Dante places him here because he is responsible for the theft of the great Palladium, the ancient image of Pallas Athena, an idol that, as long as it remained in Troy, prevented the city from being taken.   Dante shows the reader that it matters not how great one is on earth, the price of one's sins must be paid.   Dante uses as icons of different sins, and punishment for these sins Greek monsters, lovers, and heroes.    Work Cited Alighieri, Dante. Divine Comedy: The Inferno. Viking Penguin. October 1983.

Misc-En-Scene Sin City

For my essay on mise-en-scene, I will be talking about Sin City, written and directed by Frank Miller, Robert Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino. In this film, there are many unique techniques used by the directors to portray emotions, hidden meanings and to determine mood. Sin City is a bold and brutal adaptation of the graphic novels written by Frank Miller. Mise-en-scene is a cinematic term, which refers to techniques used by directors to help construct a specific onscreen representation. It consists of the setting of the film, costume and make up, lighting, staging, and last of all, time and space. The scene that I will be analyzing would be the scene in which Marv confronts Cardinal Roark and forces him to confess, after which Marv kills him. Marv, a brute of a man, is one of the protagonists in this film. He wakes up after a one-night stand with a prostitute ‘Goldie’ and she lies beside him dead. Marv realized that he has been framed and goes on a vengeful rampage to uncover the truth. He kills Kelvin who is a cannibal who murders and consumes people, and finds out the Kelvin was the cardinal’s ward. The setting of this scene is in the Cardinal’s room where it is dark and we can barely make out the furniture present inside. Color symbolism is extreme in the entire film; the film is almost entirely inked in black and white. The directors created the film using the visually stunning black and white style of film noir to emphasize cynical and extreme attitudes and sexual motivations. Film noir is used to depict the darker aspects of modernity, and is usually set in a criminal milieu; exactly what this film needed. The narrative and existential angst that drives a male protagonist and a voluptuous femme fatale who seduces the protagonist for her own benefits are the gist of film noir, which are present in Sin City. Goldie used Marv for his huge size and brute strength to protect her, while Marv had feelings for Goldie. Her murder drives him mad and fuels his rage to find her killer. Sin City can be classified as a neo-noir film, which possesses elements of film noir, but with updated themes and visual elements that were absent in classic film noir. However, it is the color rendering in this film that is unique. The retained or added color to certain objects is an amazing technique, bringing out the emotions of the character or empathize the significance of the object. In the confrontation scene, the eyes of Cardinal Roark are painted green and it is the only other color present in that picture of black and white. The color of the eyes shown would make the audience focus on Cardinal Roark as he confess, and to be drawn to ponder on his sick thoughts and emotions. Green color may have been used to depict a sense of evil and perverse present in the Cardinal, and true to the saying â€Å"The eyes are the windows to a person’s soul. The color red is rendered many times in the strikingly monochromatic film, mainly in the form of bloodshed or love objects like the heart-shaped bed where Marv and Goldie had their one night affair. Red is meant to depict extreme violence, death, love and vulnerability in Sin City and it plays an important role in stimulating the emotions of the audience. In spite of this, red is only used when it is required and not all blood is painted red. In some scenes, the blood is left as white colored to show that it is not as significant in the film. There is a scene in the flashback during Cardinal Roark’s confession, in which Goldie is fully colored from her yellow locks to her fiery red dress and the color of her skin. The idea was to illustrate how beautiful Goldie was in Marv’s eyes and how full of life Goldie was to Marv in the dreadful Sin City. Besides the color in the scene I have chosen, there are flashes of brilliant color at different junctions of the film. There is one scene where the prostitutes in Old Town, depicting justice served in a crude way, stain the skies red during the massacre of mercenaries. One very distinct color I would like to point out would be the Yellow Bastard’s skin color at the last part of the film. The connotation of yellow in this case, will be to represent dirty, pungent and obnoxious, so true to Yellow Bastard’s character that even his blood bleeds yellow. The costumes and makeup play another important element of mise-en-scene. As in the case of the dressing of the prostitute Goldie, the elegant and sexy dresses that she dons in the film help her play the part of the seductress. The blonde locks along with the blood-red lipstick she possess give the audience the vibe that she is a femme fatale. On the other hand, Marv is clothed throughout in a black trench coat with a white singlet inside, displaying his heedless of caution attitude. The actor playing Marv, Mickey Rourke is portrayed as the graying behemoth embodied underneath a ton of facial make-up to make him look grotesque and fierce. Besides that, Kelvin wears a pair of glasses to invoke the look of a creepy psychopath killer. All this costumes and makeup contribute in building the personalities of the characters in Sin City, empowering them with attributes the directors require them to have. In the lighting context for Sin City, low-key lighting is utilized throughout the film. Low-key lighting or chiaroscuro is present in the scene that I mentioned, with artificial light shone through the windows of the Cardinal’s room. The room is supposedly pitch dark and the only light present comes from outside the window. Thus creating a dimly lit scene, which gives the audience a feel of the impending doom of Cardinal Roark. Strong shadows engulf both the Cardinal and Marv, generating tension between the both characters. Marv’s face is barely visible at times, only a portion shown by the lighting. I believe by making the room so dark, it forces the audience to focus on what is visible. The weak light shone on Kelvin’s decapitated head also creates an eerie feel. At the final part of the scene whereby Marv presumably cuts Cardinal Roark’s throat, the darkness and shadows conceal the gore that ensues. The low-key lighting acts to dampen the effect of the violence as the details are being obscured. Furthermore, in the flashback during the confession of the cardinal, there is a shot of Kelvin with bright lighting shown from behind him. His entire face is black due to the shadow and his glasses were the only thing white in color. The effect creates such a deviant character and literally sends chills down one’s spine. On the whole, the sinister environment of Sin City is primarily submerged in low-key lighting, except in dramatic epic sequences, where the directors want the audience to see the details clearly. Another important aspect of misc-en-scene used in a film is the staging. Staging refers to the movement and placement of actors and objects. In the chosen scene, Marv breaks into Cardinal Roark’s room, shows him the decapitated head of Kelvin and places it on the table. â€Å"The dog ate the rest†, Marv tells Roark straight in his face. Marv does that to show his hostility towards Roark and to instill fear in him, but it does not seem to work as Roark just got out from his bed to examine the head. The act of Marv drawing his gun from his holster tells the audience that Marv was all ready to shoot Cardinal Roark in the head. His stance is in standing position while Roark just sat there without fleeing. This shows that Roark was ready to accept his fate. Yet, Marv did not blast his head to smithereens. He sat down across Roark to listen to his confession before murdering him. He smokes a cigarette as he listened to Roark, taking his time. All of this staging tells us that he wanted pleasure in killing the cardinal slowly. Expression on the characters is a critical part of staging and in a scene of confrontation as such, it plays a huge role. The expression on Marv’s face in the cardinal’s room remained unusually calm, without showing much rage. It creates a very tense atmosphere in the room, keeping the audience in suspense over when Marv would end Roark’s life. On the other hand, Roark was almost expressionless when he confessed to Marv about his perverse deeds and till the very end when he was killed in cold blood. There was only a slight tinge of nervousness when he saw Kelvin’s head. This scene illustrates vividly about a man who knows he is about to meet his doom and a man who is determined to take the life of another. It is the part where dark truth is revealed. Speech used is another element of mise-en-scene, not only can it invoke thoughts in the audience, it can bring out the true nature of the character. The rampaging Marv finally achieves his maniacal madman majesty when he answers Cardinal Roark’s final question of whether killing him would satisfy him, Marv answers â€Å"The killing? No, no satisfaction. Everything up to the killing, it’d be gas. † From that, we find out that although the diabolical priest and his ward deserve to die, Marv in fact enjoys torturing people and the speech alone reveals the sadistic nature in him. The camera is focused all the time on the closed-up faces of Marv and Roark when either one is speaking. In cinematography, facing the camera is the position with the most intimacy as the character is looking in our direction and we are able to see the expressions on his face, engaging our attention. Hence in a scene like this, the closed-up face positioning would be best. Close ups give the audience time to judge a character and create mood and tension between the two characters present. In the scene, I realize that the camera points upward towards Marc, giving the audience the perception that he is the powerful and dominating character now. The camera is high angled when focused on Roark, the cannibalistic cardinal, making him seem powerless and pitiful. The computer-generated monochromatic landscape of Sin City is both elegant and vivid. Presence of retro sets and vintage cars make the city seem like a city decades again, except when one of the thugs in the film drives a Ferrari from the modern world. This means that it could be a retro-modern world or it could be set today, just that the city is still in the 40s era. The costumes donned by the characters are weird for modern day fashion, from trench coats to stripper wear. It is perhaps pulp noir imagination and visualization of a world found only in graphic novels. The use of shallow depth of field in the scene I choose, allowed the subject to be isolated from the background. It serves to direct the audience’s gaze upon the expressions of the two characters. Depth is also created by lighting, which reveals or hides the parts, which the director want the audience to see. The scene is also set up in a small room to confine the background and focus on the characters. In this essay, I have analyzed how the directors used cinematographic elements of mise-en-scene to convey meaning and stimulate response in the audience in the particular scene. Mise-en-scene is extremely important in filmmaking and has to be incorporated in every film, how well the individual or combined mise-en-scene techniques are used will help create the desired meanings in each scene.

Is Affirmative Action Effective?

Is Affirmative Action Effective? The Declaration of Independence states â€Å"all men are created equal† (Declaration of Independence) and have certain unalienable rights that among these are â€Å"Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness† (Declaration of Independence). Judging Americans by different standards does not honor this truth. In efforts to remedy the ills of segregation through Affirmative Action, the unintended consequences of this action have created another injustice. If men are created equal then they should be judged equally.Affirmative action is outdated and unconstitutional and it is time for a level playing field. Giving people opportunities based solely on race without the qualifications to succeed in a competitive environment is a major problem in today’s society. The SAT, the Standard Aptitude Test, â€Å"†¦merely measures differences in academic preparation†¦ [The] affirmative action policies [that they] seek to remedy are prima rily produced by â€Å"continuing disparities† in pre-collegiate academic achievements of blacks and white students.On those measures of merit that selective colleges use to decide who gets in, not all groups perform equally† (D’souza 266). Standardized tests are excellent predictors of academic capability, but, even with comparable test scores, evidence shows there simply may be natural differences between the races, similar to the assumption that whites naturally are not as athletic as blacks. America cannot deny opportunities to the people who are the most qualified and give them to someone who is less qualified but of the â€Å"right† skin color.This practice diminishes not only the achievement of the individual, but makes this country less productive than it could be. America is slowing down its’ competitiveness in the world and dumbing down the country. D’souza states that â€Å"†¦ admitting Hispanic and African American students with grade point averages of 3. 2 and SAT scores of 1100, while turning away White and Asian American applicants with GPAs of 4. 0 and SAT scores of 1300† (D’souza 265). In the NBA, more than three fourths of the league is African American. Many believe as stated previously that blacks are more athletic than whites.Demanding that the NBA draft more whites to achieve racial equality, even if they are much less athletic, is effectively the same as demanding that businesses hire less qualified workers based solely on race rather than their academic performance. Rewarding people based on race instead of hard work and intelligence encourages an entitlement mentality and creates a false sense of achievement. Granting people opportunities that they may not deserve creates a sense of entitlement and perpetuates stereotypes and the cycle of racism. Equal opportunity is essential to a healthy society.Everyone should be held to the same standard regardless of individual characteri stics that have nothing to do with intelligence, hard work, or creativity. The person most qualified deserves the opportunity. The original justification for affirmative action was to correct historical discrimination against blacks in the south. This justification has been exaggerated and expanded to apply to many classes of people who were never intended to be included. This wide application of affirmative action creates a form of reverse discrimination.The original purpose was to provide government intervention where blatant racism was present. As presently applied, each class has a different standard and set of remedies based on what ever injustice they believe they suffered. According to a 1991 commentary by Patrick Hall, an African American librarian, â€Å"the irony in all of this is that affirmative action and equal opportunity originally intended people to be judged on their qualifications as individuals without regard to race, sex, or age† ( Hall 311). Affirmative a ction now takes away from the key to success which is motivation.Hall suggests that â€Å"motivation, individual initiative, and perseverance can overcome the most the most abhorrent situations† (Hall 312). Instead of creating that motivation, affirmative action has discouraged the majority races that face the same adversity and has caused a tension between races because people who deserve an opportunity are being overlooked because they are white just to create a sense of diversity. Rather than a targeted corrective strategy, a case can be made that affirmative action has diminished some minorities’ drive to achieve prosperity in their lives.The key to successful affirmative action is to create individual initiative regardless of their race. Without this motivation, affirmative action is unfair and can become as destructive as the evil it was intended to correct. The biggest example of affirmative action’s place in the world today is its effect and role in coll ege admissions. These days, the main focus of universities and other educational institutions is to be or become as racially diverse as possible. However, with that being said â€Å"†¦ dequate racial diversity can’t be achieved without rejecting a certain number of more academically qualified white applicants in favor of preferred minority applicants† (Parks 146). In trying to create more equality in opportunity for minorities, the white population’s opportunities are then diminished. Instead of race, the privileges or assistance that comes along with affirmative action should be given to people based on factors that would actually affect their admissions. The policy should almost be used as bonus points for â€Å"†¦ ruly deserving students whose lower grade point average and SAT scores, correlate to overcoming poverty, a single-parent household, lack of English-language background, enrollment at an underperforming high school, a physical handicap or undiagnosed or untreated learning disability† (Parks 149). Growing up in or with a condition that is out of their control, affirmative action should be award to those who have problems that directly affect their education. Within the last century, African Americans have fought harsh battles for their civil rights.Back during Jim Crow law days, segregated schools allowed for differences in educational standards. The few schools that were provided helped some, but for the most part did little for the majority of blacks. This oppression â€Å"†¦ left a large gap in amount of wealth, educational attainment, and social status†¦ † (Young 14). The more the gap in attainment increased, the greater the gap in economic opportunity. Some African Americans view affirmative action policies as a form of pity. Because of past struggles and their assumed continuance â€Å"†¦ ffirmative action programs give blacks and other disadvantaged groups extra consideration when a pplying for admissions† (Young 14). Whites now feel â€Å"bad† about their past wrongdoings and are trying to make up for it by giving education as a handout. These policies anger many blacks because they want the same opportunity to show how far they have come and prove they are capable of being successful on their own without any special assistance. Even though most educational institutions are trying to increase their racially diverse appeal, most still favor whites over other minority races. With that being said â€Å"†¦ hites, whatever their status, can view themselves as entitled to privileges and priorities over blacks† (Bell 77). This in turn causes more tension between races because of the factor of competition. If schools based admissions solely on the information they are presented with, race and ethnicity aside, they could fairly base their rejection or acceptance and have it be justified. This would also help the competition tension because admi ssions would be based on their effort and achievements instead of something that is beyond their control. There are many different standards of education around the world.In order to make sure every student has the same chance of success, every school needs to if not at the same level, at least offer the same or similar courses. Many â€Å"†¦ recommend that courts should concentrate on enforcing genuine equality in education by requiring schools to conform to uniform standards â€Å"(Bell 76). This way every student has the access to these resources if need be. So students are judged on what they bring to the table, not on race or unchangeable characteristics. Most races are hurt by some of the practices or effects of affirmative action policies.Getting rid of race-based pickings, would help increase educational equality across the board and also increase economic opportunity. Unfair cruelty and underestimation is also presented upon Hispanics. The stereotypical view that man y Americans have on Hispanics is that their lack of education means that they have no worth to this country and that they should be given a job with just as poor worth as their stereotype gives the individual. â€Å"The preponderance of recent immigrants in unskilled and low-paying jobs as de facto proof that Americans refuse to do what is traditionally considered menial labor.As an result, some of the business community, supported by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, clamor for a liberal guest-worker program based upon the assumption that without one, America will face a long-term labor shortage and economic ruin† (Haugen 24). This shows how Americans actually refuse to do these types of jobs because they are viewed as unfavorable low-paying jobs. With the assumption that they are jobs well suited for these immigrants who do not have a proper educated background, when really, these are some of the most important and beneficial jobs to the country.This menial labor may not be th e ideal job, but without these jobs, or the Hispanics that occupy them, America would face a tremendous labor and economic downfall. Americans have not only underestimated the importance and power of menial labor, but also of Hispanics. Although these people may be unskilled and uneducated, they have been put in tougher situations where they must work harder than other Americans in order to survive. The severity of discrimination has been taken to a whole different level. â€Å"The prejudice, intimidation, and hatred of the†¦ riots were directed at Hispanics who had done nothing wrong† (Haugen 27).Hispanics have taken the role of America’s scapegoats and the reason for their problems when they have done nothing but come into the country looking for a better life for themselves. This view that Hispanics are worthless and incapable of succeeding in anything in spite of their race is unfair and insensible. Affirmative action was created to be a positive and beneficia l way of improving and enhancing the employment and educational opportunities of members in a minority, but quickly turned into an ongoing controversy filled with detriments from all point of views. This action has gone from helping the minorities, to denying races.There have been cases where students have been denied from colleges merely because of their race. â€Å"The court has ruled that a system of strict racial quotas, like denying someone because of their race, is unconstitutional, but that schools are allowed to use race as one of several factors when determining an applicant’s acceptance† (â€Å"Expanding Access to College for Disadvantaged Students† paragraph 3). Colleges aim for those certain percentages of each race in their school, but that does not mean that they should be able to turn hard working and deserving students away because of the color of their skin.Colleges have lost the true meaning of affirmative action, which is to give a boost to th e minorities, not push them away. Members of both majorities and minorities see this action as an unfair advantage. Many Whites view affirmative action â€Å"as giving an unfair advantage to racial minorities†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Expanding Access to College for Disadvantaged Students† paragraph 4) and many Blacks view the affirmative boosts as a gesture of pity towards them and take it offensively because they feel like they can pave a way for themselves without Whites doing it for them.On the other hand, many Hispanics see affirmative action as one more racial barrier that puts, yet, another stereotype on them that they are incapable of being a real benefit to a college, or the country in general (Marcovitz 27). Affirmative action needs to make its way back to its original purpose which is to give Hispanics a helping hand because of their lack of a proper education. Over the years, more and more people have witnessed affirmative action’s misfortunes and have worked t owards a resolution to this controversy.Instead of viewing Hispanic immigrants as a burden to public welfare, Americans need to desire a growing workforce and welcome them with the belief that America is a beacon for all diversities of races (Haugen 21). Many have come to the conclusion that Hispanics are just another group of people who are here to overpopulate and do not bring anything to the table to benefit our country, but the truth is, they benefit this country a great amount.By helping these immigrants have a better and new life in America, they can achieve great things for our country and introduce America into many new cultural aspects which can raise the nation to a whole new level. Throughout the revision process of affirmative action, critics have hypothesized new ways that will make more of a beneficial impact. â€Å"Critics also say they doubt that racial or economic diversity will really benefit colleges. Ideological differences are more helpful in achieving that goa l than differences in race or income†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Critics See Problems† paragraph 5).It has been predicted that ideological differences would be far more helpful in achieving the action's goals rather than segregating by race. Diversity by race in colleges will do nothing but cause more controversies in this issue, which is already a heated topic. By seeking out the differences of ideology rather than race, it will give colleges a background look at the persons’ political and economic beliefs and ideas instead of their race. Being able to see these ideological beliefs would be much more beneficial not only for the colleges, but for the country.Affirmative action violates the natural rights that have been given to Americans since the beginning of this great country. Judging students based off skin color takes away from the pursuit of happiness and creates an idea of inequality among races. Instead of just focusing on the person's race, but on the qualities and k nowledge a person actually attains, this country will move ahead faster socially, but economically as well. Works Cited â€Å"Affirmative Action. † Issues and Controversies on File: n. pag.Issues and Controversies. Facts on File News Services, 1 Sept. 1995. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. Bell, Derrick A. â€Å"Equality in Education is More Important than Integration. † Issues on Trial: Racial Discrimination. Ed. Mitchell Young. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale, 2007. 77. Print. D’souza, Dinesh. â€Å"A World Without Racial Preferences. † Taking sides: Clashing views on Controversial Issues in Race and Ethnicity. Ed. Raymond D’angelo and Herbert Douglas. Dubuque, Iowa: The McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc,2005. 265-270. Print.Hall, Patrick A. â€Å"Against our Best Interests: An Ambivalent View of Affirmative Action. † Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Race and Ethnicity. Ed. Raymond D’angelo and Herbert Douglas. Dubuque, Iowa: Th e McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc, 2005. 311-316. Print. Haugen, David. â€Å"How Does Illegal Immigration Impact America? † Illegal Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Davis Haugen and Susan Musser. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Print. Marcovitz, Hal. â€Å"Lancing the Boil of Racism. Race Relations: Gallup Major Trends and Events: The Pulse of Our Nation 1900 to the Present. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2007. Print. Parks Jr. , A. Lee. â€Å"Race-Based College Admissions Violate Individual Rights. † Issues on Trial: Racial Discrimination. Ed. Mitchell Young. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale, 2006. 145-152. Print. 17 USC. Sec. 304. 2000. Print. Young, Mitchell. â€Å"New Challenges in a Diverse Society. † Issues on Trial: Racial Discrimination. Ed. Mitchell Young. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale, 2006. 14-15. Print.