Monday, September 30, 2019

Concept of eco-city

The following new moving ridge in metropolis planning is â€Å" Eco-City † in response to planetary clime alterations crisis. It is a comparatively new construct, uniting together thoughts from several subjects such as urban design, urban planning, transit, wellness, lodging, energy, economic development, natural home grounds, public engagement, and societal justness ( Register 1994 ) . In simple word, Eco-city is colony where it allows the citizen to populate and work utilizing minimal resources. As metropoliss continue to turn and population addition quickly, the demands for sustainable signifier of development become increasing pressing. The hunt for appropriate solution and to make more sustainable metropoliss has become the chief concerns of interior decorator, policy shapers and environmental groups. The locations, types of edifices and substructure have direct impacts on its environment, economic system and society. As metropolis continue to turn and alters over a periods of clip, it is hard to alter after inhabitancy and building. So, interior decorators are seeking to avoid that jobs and prefer a new, maestro planned eco-cities. They argue that new eco-cities can to the full incorporate sustainable constructs of urban be aftering rule to make sustainable life environment as we go along with retrofitting bing metropoliss. The maestro program eco-city will be built utilizing all the latest green engineerings. But there people who oppose eco-city construct and called it a Utopian metropolis. But is eco-city truly executable or is it Utopian construct? To to the full understand, beginning of eco-city construct will be analysed. Eco-city originated in 1975 when Richard registry and few friends founded Urban Ecology in Berkeley, California, as Non-profit administration to do reinforced our metropoliss in balance with nature. Harmonizing to Register ( 1994 ) , the intent of urban ecology was to construct in Berkeley a â€Å" slow street † which is to hold many trees along route, solar green houses, energy regulation, set up good and efficient public conveyance, advancing pedestrainization as alternate to automobile, keeping regular conference meeting with different interest holder. But it was until the publications of Register ‘s airy new book called Eco-city Berkeley in 1987, that the urban ecology gained impulse ( Roseland, 2001 ) . And the administration ‘s new diary called The Urban Ecologist. The administration held First International Eco-City Conference, in Berkeley in 1990 and of all time since it held conference every twelvemonth ask foring people from around the universe to discourse urban jobs and to subject proposal for planing our metropoliss based on ecological rules. In 1992, David Engwicht, an Australian community militant, published Towards an Eco-City, in which he talks about how metropolis contrivers and applied scientists have virtually eliminated effectual human interaction by edifices more roads, shopping promenades, gutting communities and increasing dense traffic. For Engwicht, a metropolis is a topographic point for innovations of maximising interchanging and holding minimized travel distance. The book was subsequently reissued in North America as Reclaiming Our Cities and Towns ( 1993 ) . Engwicht negotiations about how metropolis contrivers and applied scientists have eliminated effectual human exchange by constructing more roads, taking commercialism out of the metropoliss into strip promenades, gutting communities, and increasing traffic human deaths. A metropolis is an innovation for maximising exchange and minimising travel ( Engwicht, 1993 ) . He advocates eco-city where there is dealing of all kinds of goods, money, thoughts, em otions, familial stuff, etc and where people move freely via pes, bikes, and mass theodolite and interact freely without fright of traffic and pollutions. But it was until the 1960 ‘s, the usage of fossil fuels, chemically controlled agribusiness, deforestation and depletion of marine resources was thought to be non in dangers. In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development ( the Brundtland Commission ) , released a drumhead study called â€Å" our Common Future † which cause widespread concerns on universe intensifying environmental debasement ( WCED 1987 ) . And this pushed sustainable development on the head. Assorted industries and sector are besides traveling for sustainable development. The issue of sustainable planning is besides a concern for contriver, urban interior decorator, building industries, development authorization and the population at big. Register, Engwicht and Urban Ecology surely deserve recognition for popularising the term â€Å" eco-city † in the last decennary, but the eco-city construct is strongly influenced by other motions as good ( Roseland, 2001 ) . The mission of Urban Ecology is to make ecological metropoliss based on the following 10 rules ( Urban Ecology 1996 ) :Revise land-use precedences to make compact, diverse, green, safe, pleasant, and critical mixed-use communities near theodolite nodes and other transit installations.Revise transit precedences to favor pes, bike, cart, and theodolite over cars, and to stress â€Å" entree by propinquity. †Restore damaged urban environments, particularly creeks, shore lines, ridgelines, and wetlands.Create decent, low-cost, safe, convenient, and racially and economically assorted lodging.Nurture societal justness and create improved chances for adult females, people of colour, and the handicapped.Support local agribusiness, urban greening undertaki ngs, and community horticulture.Promote recycling, advanced appropriate engineering, and resource preservation while cut downing pollution and risky wastes.Work with concerns to back up ecologically sound economic activity while detering pollution, waste, and the usage and production of risky stuffs.Promote voluntary simpleness and deter inordinate ingestion of material goods.Increase consciousness of the local environment and bioregion through militant and educational undertakings that increase public consciousness of ecological sustainability issues.The practical application of these rules has non been truly promoting for many old ages until literature that promotes the thoughts began to look. It appears in different nomenclature as per the orientations of the writers. The Authors include Designers, Practitioners, Visionaries and Activists, and the nomenclature includes everything from neotraditional town planning, prosaic pockets, reurbanization, post-industrial suburbs, sustaina ble metropoliss, green metropoliss and eco-communities. Although, the writers ‘ orientation has discernable differences in analysis, accent, and scheme between the fluctuations as shown in table-1, the â€Å" eco-city † subject can embrace any and all of them. The term eco-city can be applied to bing eco-city or maestro program eco-city as affirm by Register ‘s when he explains that â€Å" there are two ways to travel about constructing eco-cities: altering bing towns or constructing new 1s † ( Register 1987 ) . Citizen organisations and municipal functionaries in metropoliss and towns around the universe have late started experimenting on this eco-city construct to run into the societal and environmental challenges ( Roseland 1997, 1998 ) . There is a pressing realisation that Urban planning is a important direction tool for covering with the sustainable urbanisation challenges confronting twenty-first century metropoliss. Many metropoliss has applied eco-city planning construct although most of them in little graduated table. Chattanooga and the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. , Ottawa, Hamilton-Wentworth, and Greater Toronto in Canada, and Curitiba in Brazil are some of the earliest metropoliss where this construct has been successfully applied. Curitiba, a little Brazilian metropolis, is one of the most sustainable metropoliss in the universe. It has received international acknowledgment for its incorporate transit and land-use planning, and for its waste direction plans. The metropolis ‘s success is due to strong leadership-city functionaries who focused on simple, flexible, and low-cost solutions. Throughout the undertaking, the authorities conducted regular meeting with citizen so that citizen are involved in the procedure ( Rabinovitch 1996 ) . Emboldened by the success of the above undertakings, Designer and local authorities are be aftering for monolithic inspection and repair of traditional manner of metropolis planning. They are looking at a manner to be after new metropoliss integrating the full above construct. China, one of the universe most thickly settled states in the universe, faced monolithic environmental job. It has emerged as major industrial power but at a great cost. The environment debasement is so terrible that it is a cause for concern in China and could hold international reverberations. Since pollution know no boundaries. Sulphur dioxide and N oxides produce by China ‘s coal-burning power workss fall as acerb rain on Seoul, South Korea, and Tokyo. Suspended particulate over Los Angeles metropolis originates in China, harmonizing to the Journal of Geophysical Research ( Kahn and Yardley 2007 ) . The Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation ( SIIC ) hired Arup in 2005, to plan a metropolis which would entirely utilize sustainable energy ( solar panels, air current turbines and bio-fuels ) , self-sufficing and cut down energy ingestion by 66 % in comparision to Shanghai. The eco-city of Dongtan, which is be located on the island of Chongming, non far from Shanghai will be one of the universe largest eco-city to supply lodging for 500,000 people from rural countries. The Dongtan metropolis will cover about 8,800 hectares which is approximately equal to the size of Manhattan Island. Dongtan will hold ecological footmark of 2.2 hour angles per individual by agencies of a combination of behaviour alteration and energy efficiency which is really close to bound of sustainability of 1.9 hour angle set Forth by World Wide Fund for Nature. China is besides partnering with Singapore to construct eco-city in Tianjin based on three harmoniousnesss rules which are people-people, people-environment and people-economy ( Quek 2008 ) . The 30-square-kilometer site is a otiose land and H2O scarceness country which will be built over a period of 15 old ages at a cost of around 50 billion kwais ( S $ 10 billion ) . The standard for choice of site are that it should be wasted land and H2O scarce country. First, reconstructing the jiyun river will be top precedence for propose new metropolis of 350,000. Renewable energy like solar and wind power, rainwater harvest home, effluent intervention and desalinization of sea H2O are some of the proposal. United Arab Emirates has planned to construct the universe ‘s most sustainable metropolis, called Masdar City, enterprises of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company. It is an ambitious undertaking which will be $ 22 billion to construct a new, zero-emissions metropolis for 50,000 occupants in Abu Dhabi. The undertaking is launched in 2007 and is designed by British house Foster + Partners. The propose new metropolis will hold new university, the Headquarters for Abu Dhabi ‘s Future Energy Company, particular economic zones and an Innovation Center. Harmonizing to the interior decorator, Masdar eco-city is to be constructed in an energy efficient manner that depends on big photovoltaic power works to run into energy demands, which shall be for 2nd stage of the metropolis enlargement. The metropolis is a auto free, with a maximal walk-to distance of 200m to the nearest conveyance nexus and comfortss. The streets are compact to promote walking and are complemented by a individualiz ed rapid conveyance system. Due to it concentration, the paseo and streets are shaded making a pedestrian-friendly environment. The metropolis will hold air current, photovoltaic farms, research Fieldss and plantations, so that it is wholly self-sufficient. Masdar City will be built in seven stages, the first of which is the Masdar Institute, which is set to be completed in 2010. The metropolis ‘s stages will be increasingly built over the following decennary with the first stage making completion in 2013 ( Foster and Partner ) . The thought of a metropolis without any waste, landfill, auto, ego contained or without any C emanation seem really desirable for a metropolis but for some sceptic it a Utopian dream which will ne'er happen. Skeptics are oppugning whether wholly planing a new metropolis is possible integrating all the eco-city constructs due to clip and cost involved. The chief failing for maestro program eco-city is the big inputs of energy required to build an full, functional metropolis as a long uninterrupted undertaking. They are concern that it might merely be a scheme used to screen from environmental unfavorable judgment while states like China and UAE continue to turn along the same unsustainable way. However, states like China and UAE are in a place to fund such sort of undertakings and if it is successful it will make a case in point for other parts of the universe every bit good. Unfortunately, Dongtan eco-city ne'er materialise. Although, the highest echelon in Chinese functionary expresses has shown acute involvement in the undertaking, the first stage of building which is to be ready for Shanghai exhibition 2010 has non even started. The Dongtan eco-city in malice of being a authorities enterprise has failed to happen. The Mayor of Shanghai has been sentence to 18 old ages jail term on corruptness charges and maltreatment of power in 2008 ( Larson 2009 ) . Skeptics of eco-city are stating that policy shapers in China misuse the term of eco-city, to cut down unfavorable judgment of China ‘s hapless environment records without holding any existent committedness to the thought. As for Masdar eco-city, work has already started for stage 1. However, skeptics are concern that it might be merely an stray viridity in the desert where the remainder of UAE proceed in the same line of large ecological footmark which is even bigger than United State. They are besides discerning about the corporal energy used in edifices and substructure which are really high. The heavy dependant on engineering for personal rapid conveyance and substructure is another issue. Since the engineering for personal rapid conveyance is non to the full developed and co-ordinating substructure with different bureaus is hard. The construct of constructing a metropolis from a abrasion or retrofitting bing edifice or redeveloping bing metropolis are some of the combustion issues. Planing a new metropolis from abrasion permits a greater comprehensive, whole systems attack, and more grades of freedom than version of an bing metropolis ( Fox 2008 ) . On the other manus, the resources and energy needed for new building of a metropolis will be far greater than redeveloping an bing metropolis. However, the beliefs and motion toward eco-cities has spread worldwide and has taken strong clasp among contriver. In malice of reverse for some undertaking, eco-city has will be chief driving force for today metropoliss and tomorrow metropoliss. Eco-cities can be built on bing eco-cities or new maestro program eco-city. Most propose maestro program eco-city is to be developed in several phases in the following 15 to forty old ages. Some of the relevant issue for Eco-city planning construct for developing new metropolis or accommodating for bing metropoliss are as follow:Eco-city is based on holistic attack. This incorporate attack is hindered by disconnected administrative constructions, political competitions and a neglect for citizen expertness. As in Dongtan instance, the surrounding dwellers are non even consulted and non cognizant of the undertakings.Eco-city construct is non truly encouraged by policy shapers and contriver as there are leery of the purpose as it involve alternate ways of decision-making ( e.g. community engagement ) , the execution of new engineerings ( e.g. like Personal rapid theodolite for Masdar or energy coevals ) and new organizational solutions ( e.g. multiple usage ) . The extra costs involved and loss of influence are some of their chief concerns.Eco-city construct may neglect due to miss of political will and committednesss on the portion of everyone involved.The Initial investi ngs are really high compared to traditional attack to be aftering which can scarce possible investor.However, for successful execution of eco-city, committedness from single or Party involved is paramount. Vision, aspiration and believing large in long term are some of the necessary demand. Besides, there has to be free flow of information and trust between the policy shaper and non-policy shaper. There has to be creative activity of win-win state of affairs for everyone to do it successful. There has to be via media in difference of sentiment and integrity of confederation. A series of challenges exist for developing metropoliss in many portion of the universe, peculiarly in developing states where rapid economic development will set force per unit area on metropoliss to suit lifting population and more substructures. It is the topographic point where following megacities are coming up. The interior decorator, public policy shaper are committed to developing eco-cities and other types of sustainable communities in the face of clime alteration, environmental pollution, H2O deficit, and energy demand. Today utopia ‘s vision can go tomorrow world. Many of the sustainable metropolis stress on compact land usage, clean conveyance, waste direction, renewable energy ( wind turbines and solar energy ) . Most of eco-city program are immense and need long term investings. But should we turn away from Utopian visions they provoke? Planing wholly new metropoliss is expensive, and it is non possible to construct all new metropoliss. However, we can endeavor to better bing metropoliss when there is an copiousness of already established metropoliss and urban countries. In my sentiment, I think we should encompass them and work towards seeking for bettering them. Possibly, the graduated tables of new maestro eco-city undertaking demand to be smaller so as to hold short building clip and less dearly-won. Someday the impressive catch phrases, such as â€Å" carbon-neutral † , â€Å" zero-waste † , and â€Å" car-free † for a metropolis might be world.MentionDaly, H. 1973. Toward a Steady-State Economy, Freeman, San Francisco ( 1973 ) .McDonnell, M.J. , Hahs, A.K. , Breuste, J.H. 2009, Ecology of a metropoliss and towns: A comparative attack. Cambridge University Press 200 9.Rabinovitch, J. 1996. Integrated transit and land usage planning channel Curitiba ‘s growing. In World Resources Institute, United Nations Environment Program, United Nations Development Program, The World Bank, World Resources 1996-97: The Urban Environment. New York: Oxford University Press.Roseland, M. , 2001, The eco-city attack to sustainable development in urban countries. In: Devuyst D, Hens L, De Lannoy W ( explosive detection systems ) . How green is the metropolis? Sustainability appraisal and the direction of urban environments. Columbia University Press, New York, pp 85-104.Register, R. 1987. Eco-City Berkeley: Building Cities for a Healthy Future. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.Register, R. 1994. Eco-cities: Rebuilding civilisation, reconstructing nature. In D. Aberley, ed. , Futures By Design: The Practice of Ecological Planning. Gabriola Island, B.C. : New Society Publishers.Roseland, M. 1995. Sustainable communities: An scrutiny of the literature. † In Sustainable Communities Resource Package. Toronto: Ontario Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.Roseland, M. 1997. Dimensions of the eco-city. City: The International Journal of Urban Policy and Planing 14,4: 197-202.Roseland, M. , erectile dysfunction. 1997. Eco-City Dimensions: Healthy Communities, Healthy Planet. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers.Roseland, M. 1998. Toward Sustainable Communities, ResourcesRoseland, M. , â€Å" Sustainable Community Development: Integrating Environmental, Economic, and Social Objectives, † Progress in Planning, Volume 54 ( 2 ) , October 2000, pp. 73-132.Roseland, M. , Dimension of the eco-city, Cities, Volume 14, Issue 4, August 1997, Pages 197-202Resilience Alliance ( 2007 ) A research prospectus for urban resiliency. A resiliency confederation enterprise for transitioning urban systems towards sustainable hereafters. Available at hypertext transfer protocol: //www. resalliance.org/files/1172764197_urbanresiliencere searchprospe ctusv7feb07.pdf accessed on 29 March 2010Kenworthy, J.R. , The eco-city: 10 cardinal conveyance and planning dimensions for sustainable metropolis development, Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 18, No. 1, 67-85 ( 2006 )World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987. World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future. , Oxford University Press, New York ( 1987 ) .Dongtan, An Eco-City, edited by Zhao Yan, Herbert Girardet, et was published by Arup and SIIC in February 2006.UN HABITAT, Planning Sustainable Cities: Policy waies. Global Report on Human Settlements 2009. Abridged edition. Gutenberg Press, Malta. Available from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.unhabitat.org/grhs/2009. Accessed on 2 March 2010Kahn, J and Yardley, J. As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes. The New York Times. August 26, 2007. Available on hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html Accessed on 27 March 2010Dongtan: The un iverse ‘s first large-scale eco-city? Available on hypertext transfer protocol: //sustainablecities.dk/en/city-projects/cases/dongtan-the-world-s-first-large-scale-eco-cityQuek, Tracy, S'pore, China interruption land, straits times, China Correspondent. Sep 29, 2008. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.straitstimes.com/Breaking % 2BNews/World/Story/STIStory_283867.html. Accessed on 27 March 2010Larson, Christina. China ‘s Grand Plans for Eco-Cities Now Lie Abandoned. Yale e360. 06 Apr 2009. Available on hypertext transfer protocol: //e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp? id=2138. Accessed on 28 March 2010Fox, Jesse. â€Å" Ecocities of Tomorrow: Can Foster + Partners ‘ Masdar City in the U.A.E. be Truly sustainable? † . Treehugger. March 4, 2008. Available on hypertext transfer protocol: //www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/masdar-roundtable.php. Accessed on 29 March 2010Richard Register – Writer, theoretician, philosopher and 35 twelvemonth veteran of the ecocity motion. Founder of Ecocity Builders and Urban Ecology, and writer of Ecocities: Rebuilding Cities in Balance with Nature.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Vitamin C

Research Question: How the amount of vitamin C in fruit juices affects its freshness and till what extent is the information provided on the pack by manufacturers is reliable? Background Information: Hypothesis: -fresh juices have more vitamin C than long-life juice that is ‘not from concentrate’ is best in terms of vitamin content -if heat destroys vitamin C then heat-treated long-life juices will have lower concentrations -if heat destroys vitamin C then boiled fruit juice will have lower concentrations than unboiled -manufacturers generally provide reliable information about their products -the amount of vitamin C content in given fruits is: So the amount of vitamin C and its percentage in fruit juice must go with the given ratio which means that guava and apple juice should have the highest and lowest concentration respectively. Variables: Independent: {text:list-item} Dependent: {text:list-item} Controlled: Materials Required: 6 test tubes, 50 cm3 burette, 10cm3 pipette, 1cm3 pipette, 3 small beakers, DCPIP solution, 0. 1% ascorbic acid, distilled water, 4 varieties of fruit juice, for example mango, grape, apple, guava etc. Preparation Take a properly washed beaker and make 0. 1% solution of vitamin C or ascorbic acid with 0. 1 g of vitamin C in 100 cm3; this is 10 mg cm-3 or one may also use a readily prepared 0. 1%ascorbic acid. Take a 0. 1% solution of DCPIP. Take 6 test tubes and label them as A, B, C, D, E and F. Now slowly pipette out 1cm3 of DCPIP solution into each test tube using a 1 cm3 pipette. Take 5cm3 of the 0. 1%ascorbic acid using a 10cm3 pipette. Using a graduated pipette or a burette, add 0. 1% ascorbic acid drop by drop to the DCPIP solution. Shake the tube gently after adding each drop. Add the acid solution until the blue colour of the final drop does not disappear. Record the exact amount of ascorbic acid that was added. Similarly in test tube B add the same volume of distilled water and gently shake the test tube to observe the change in colour. Investigation Dilute all the juices, that is, mango juice in C, grape juice in D, apple juice in E and guava juice in F before testing because fruit juices have a strong colour that will interfere with determining the end point. Now keep adding mango juice drop by drop with the help of a 50 cm3 burette in test tube C containing DCPIP solution and gently shake the test tube until the DCPIP solution is decolourised. Repeat the same for other 3 fruit juices, that is, grape, apple and guava. Uncertainties and errors Uncertainty or error while preparing ascorbic acid = Uncertainty of solid vitamin C + uncertainty of water = 0. 01+ 0. 1 = 0. 101 Uncertainty while making the mixture of DCPIP and vitamin C = uncertainty of DCPIP(1cm3 pipette) + uncertainty of ascorbic acid (10cm3 pipette) = 0. 01 + 0. 101 = 0. 111 Uncertainty while making the mixture of DCPIP and fruit juices = Uncertainty of DCPIP(pipette) + uncertainty of fruit juices(burette) = 0. 01 + 0. 1 = 0. 11 Data Volume of ascorbic acid added to decolourise DCPIP = 2. 25(+ 0. 1) cm3 Table 1 Calculating concentration of ascorbic acid Data processing Concentration of ascorbic acid in fruit juice (%) = Volume of ascorbic acid added to DCPIP x 0. Volume of fruit juice added to DCPIP Uncertainty = uncertainty in the volume of ascorbic acid + uncertainty in the volume of fruit juice = 0. 111 + 0. 11 = 0. 221 Concentration of ascorbic acid in mango juice = 2. 25 x 0. 1 = 0. 02% 11 Concentration of ascorbic acid in grape juice = 2. 25 x 0. 1 = 0. 01% 16 Concentration of ascorbic acid in apple juice = 2. 25 x 0. 1 = 0. 006% 36 Concentration of ascorbic acid in guava juice = 2. 25 x 0. 1 = 0. 04% 5 Table 2 comparing the experimental value with the given value on the pack Vitamin C An experiment to investigate the enzyme concentration and rate of reaction Background To carry out our experiment we used 3 different types of orange juices, and we also used 0. 1% of vitamin C solution. The aim of our experiment was to see how much DCPIP was needed to be added to make the orange juices turn back to the orange colour and the DCPIP to decolourise once the 0. 1% of vitamin C was added. DCPIP is a blue dye in its non-reduced form; it becomes colourless when it gains electrons.Vitamin C is an anti – oxidant, this is found mainly in fresh fruit and vegetables. The main use of Vitamin C is that it neutralises free radicals, which can cause damage to cells, including cells in the cardiovascular system Planning My aim in this experiment is to investigate how much juice is required to decolourise 1cm3 of 0. 1%of DCPIP solution. Prediction Before I started the investigation I made sure I did a hypothesis so that I would be able to refer back to it in the conclusion at t he end.Below is my hypothesis: My hypothesis is that: ‘there will be less’ Don Simon’ juice needed to decolourise the DCPIP, the other juices will require more juice to decolourise the DCPIP’ Fair Test I will have to make sure that I will be carrying out a fair test. This is to ensure that anything affecting the amount needed to decolourise the DCPIP is due to what I have changed (independent variable) and nothing else. Below I have listed the independent variables as well as those factors which should be kept the same. Independent Variable: * The Juices * Amount of Juice added to the DCPIPDependent Variable: * The amount of DCPIP put in the test tube * 1% of DCPIP * 0. 1% of vitamin C solution Fixed Variables: * The volume of DCPIP poured into the test tube * Keeping a fixed volume of the DCPIP ensures that the decolourisation of the DCPIP is only because of the amount of juice added and not the different amount of DCPIP that is present * Concentration of DCPIP solution * Different concentrations can affect how long it takes to decolourise, therefore it is important that there is nothing else making it less concentrated. * Concentration of Vitamin C solution The concentration of this can affect how much DCPIP is needed to make it colourless The experiment should also be repeated a number of time from which an average will be calculated. This is to ensure that the results are accurate and reliable. The method The method we used to carry out this experiment and the equipment we used is shown below; I also included any faults with the method when we carried out the experiment this is all shown below: Equipment and chemicals needed: * 1% of DCPIP solution * 0. 1% vitamin C solution * A range of fruit juices * Test tubes * Test tube rack Syringe STAGE| PROCEDURE| PURPOSE| ANY FAULTS/LIMITATIONS? | 1| Pipette 1cm3 of 1% DCPIP solution into the test tubes| Provide a clear sight into the experiment at hand. Therefore it makes it easier to e stablish the decolourisation of the DCPIP. | N/A| 2| Using a pipette or burette, add 0. 1% vitamin C solution drop by drop to the DCPIP solution. After adding the drops shake the tube gently | Allows the solution to react with the vitamin C. And therefore resulting in more accurate results| Using a burette would have been more accurate. Also doing the experiment on a bigger cale would also allow any room for accuracy for the results collected| 3| Continue to add drops of the vitamin C solution until the blue colour of the DCPIP has disappeared. | Measure how much vitamin C solution was needed to decolourise the DCPIP| At this point we made sure that the solution was absolutely colourless which was correct, however later we did not do the same thing for the orange juices and therefore we were not able to collect accurate results. | 4| Record the exact amount of the vitamin C solution that was added to decolourise the DCPIP solution.Repeat the procedure and average result| To calculat e how near our value is to the actual value of vitamin C in the other orange juices. | We did not decolourise the DCPIP, when adding the orange juices. As we had done for the vitamin C solution | 5| Repeat this procedure with the fruit juices provided. If only one or two drops of the fruit juices decolourises the DCPIP, dilute the juice and repeat the test. | To obtain an average to measure whether our results match the fact that there is meant to be 100mg of vitamin C in the juices. At this point we would get the result of the vitamin C and one of the juice means and divide them two and times it by a 100 to see how are results are, if it is close to the actual number it will mean it is reliable and accurate, however if it is not near the number it means that it is not very accurate. | Limitation of the apparatus and method Throughout the experiment I felt that there were many things that could have been improved on, so if I were to do the investigation with the modifications, I wou ld get the correct and accurate results.Firstly the syringes that we were using to measure the liquids were not very accurate because, it did not have the lines between the whole numbers, therefore forcing us to guess the amount that was needed. A more precise piece of equipment would be needed instead such as a burette, if this experiment was done on a larger scale this would be more efficient, and accurate. Another limitation with the experiment was that there was not enough DCPIP, thus limiting the amount of repeats being done. If more repeats were done, we would be able to take out the anomalies and be able to acquire a more accurate result.Therefore, decreasing the range of the range bars. From the graph we can see that the range bars are fairly big, therefore to decrease this we would have to do more repeats which would decrease the range of the range bars The most difficult part of the experiment was detecting the change in colour of the DCPIP solution while performing the ti tration. Two of the juices showed clear disappearance of the colour, while the others had the tint of yellow due to some other compounds of colours present. The date of manufacture may be different which may change the nutrient content or concentration in different juices.There were many limitations to the method as well, the main limitation was the fact that the method was not well explained; we added too much vitamin C to the DCPIP, making the DCPIP absolutely colourless. However we should have stopped adding the DCPI when the DCPIP had stopped turning blue. This would have given us a result of around 0. 8 but from the results we can see that the results went up till 2. 4. A modification that could be made to this method, is to include more detail of how to do it, and what it should look like, this would increase the likelihood of the results to be more accurate. ResultsBelow is the results collected by are class. Trends & Patterns From the results table we can see that the values of the 0. 1% vitamin C solution had a large range of results. Therefore this emphasises that the results were not very accurate. For this part of the experiment we had to decolourise the DCPIP in the test tube by adding the vitamin C to it. This in itself was not very accurate, because people’s perception of colourless was different to others. Therefore, it is evident that, from the first step many people’s results were different for the other orange juices, the range of the results were within 0. cm3. The overall mean show us that there was a lot of Asda concentrated orange juice needed to decolourise the DCPIP. This shows that the amount of vitamin C in that volume of the juice was the same amount of what was in the 1. 35mg of the Don Simon orange juice. After collecting all the results and finding the means of all juices, I was able to construct a bar graph. A bar graph was drawn as the variable along the x axis could not expressed in the term of numbers, therefore a line graph was not suitable for this which left us with either drawing a histogram or a bar graph.Personally I chose the bar graph as it was easier to construct and also easier to understand. I also included range bars to show the highest and the lowest values that we had got from the repeats that were done, this also shows that the value that was plotted using the bar, is the average of the range of values for the one liquid. From the graph we can evaluate that the mean concentration of vitamin C/mg cm-3 was ‘Asda from concentrated’ juice, the next juice that was after that was the ‘Asda pure’ juice, lastly leaving the ‘Don Simon’ juice at the end.This means that the Vitamin C present in the 1. 35mg is the same in the other juices for example, it has the same amount of Vitamin C in the Asda Pure juice which has 1. 48mg required to decolourise the DCPIP My hypothesis, ‘there will be less ‘Don Simon’ juice needed to decolou rise the DCPIP, and that the other juices will require more juice to decolourise the DCPIP’ was correct. I predicted this as ‘Don Simon’ juices was seen as a better quality juice than the others, therefore I thought that a better quality juice would have more vitamin C in a small volume.Other juices will have the same amount of vitamin C in a larger volume of juice. Systematic/Random errors In our experiment there were a number of errors caused, for example in the methodology, we had made the colours of juices different to the vitamin C. This was one of the biggest mistakes in the experiment as it affected the whole experiment. If we were to make the juices more clear, when it was being added to the DCPIP, then we may have got more accurate results. As this is what we did, when we were adding the Vitamin C solution to the DCPIP.A systematic error is a problem that you can't overcome because it's a problem with the experiment itself. For instance, if you're measur ing a colour change in a reaction, you have to rely on your eyes, there's a systematic error there because your eyes are not as accurate as a machine. A systematic error that was made was the fact when we were trying to make the DCPIP colourless, people’s perception of colourless was different, and therefore the results that had been acquired by the rest of the class were different. This is one of the reasons there was a big range of results for the decolourisation of the DCPIP.Another possible error in this experiment that could be made is the fact that the person may have read the volume at the wrong place each time. Random errors in experimental measurements are caused by unknown and unpredictable changes in the experiment. These changes may occur in the measuring instruments or in the environmental conditions. A random error made was the fact that the syringes were not the same. In the way that they were measured differently, sometimes they were not big enough to carry th e amount of orange juice we needed to decolourise.An effective and more accurate equipment we could have used is a burette, as it can hold up to 40cm3 of liquid, and therefore we would have more than enough space to read the reading and to use the juice at once. Another random error that could have been made is that the vitamin C may have not been added by less than a drop a time, so sometimes the next drop may be too little or too big, which may change the colour of the solution more quicker therefore the volume will not be very accurate.Lastly the end point may be misjudged, as it is quite tricky to say exactly when the DCPIP has become colourless. In conclusion, there were many small mistakes made during the experiment, if I was to do this experiment again, I would make sure that I was to do all the repeats myself, so the mistake about people’s perception of what was decolourised would not affect the results. Also the fact that there would be enough equipment would mean th at I would also get the results I need, and that there can be a different piece of equipment used for each of the different experiments. Interpretation of resultsOverall the quality of my data is shown to be fairly accurate as most of the results I got were fairly close, in our class for the juices, however for the vitamin C; the results were not so accurate. This emphasises that there were a number of mistakes which could have caused this problem. There are many factors which affect the result such as, the temperature, pressure, and the equipment used etc. in the investigation I think the main mistake that was made was that we did not stop adding the Vitamin C solution to the DCPIP when it stopped going blue, therefore the value should have been at around 0. instead of the class average which was about 1. 7. We overestimated the amount of Vitamin C that should have been added into the solution of DCPIP. However if we had decided to do this we should have added more orange juice to the DCPIP. Therefore to see whether we had accurate results we did a calculation to see the ratio of vitamin C in the actual Juices on the carton to the results of our experiment. The calculation was found by doing the following: Volume of 0. % vitamin C solution required to decolourise 1cm3 of DCPIP cm3Mean volume of juice required to decolourise 1cm3 of DCPIP cm3X 100 Therefore as we know the volume of standard vitamin C solution needed to decolourise a fixed volume of DCPIP, by using simple proportion, we can calculate the amount of vitamin C in the three different types of orange squash. 0. 1% vitamin C solution: In 1. 70cm3 should be 1. 70mg of 0. 1% vitamin C solution * 1cm3 1mg * 1. 70cm3 1. 70mg Don Simon: In 1. 36cm3 should be 1. 70mg of 0. 1% vitamin C solution * 1. 70mg 1. 36cm3 * 100ml 125. 0mg Asda from Concentrated: In 1. 85cm3 should be 1. 0mg of 0. 1%vitamin C solution * 1. 70mg 1. 85cm3 * 100ml91. 9mg Asda Pure: In 1. 48cm3 should be 1. 70mg of 0. 1% vitamin C solut ion * 1. 70mg1. 48cm3 * 100ml 114. 9mg 0. 1% vitamin C solution: In 1. 70cm3 should be 1. 70mg of 0. 1% vitamin C solution * 1cm3 1mg * 1. 70cm3 1. 70mg Don Simon: In 1. 36cm3 should be 1. 70mg of 0. 1% vitamin C solution * 1. 70mg 1. 36cm3 * 100ml 125. 0mg Asda from Concentrated: In 1. 85cm3 should be 1. 70mg of 0. 1%vitamin C solution * 1. 70mg 1. 85cm3 * 100ml91. 9mg Asda Pure: In 1. 48cm3 should be 1. 70mg of 0. 1% vitamin C solution * 1. 70mg1. 48cm3 * 100ml 114. mg To find whether our results were accurate, I found out how much vitamin C was present in each of the solutions, this is shown in the box below: From the calculations above, we can see that the results collected from the class were not very accurate. This is shown through the fact that it says that in the Asda Pure juices of 100ml there should be 114. 9mg of vitamin C when there should be 100mg of vitamin C in a 100ml of the juice. Conclusion & Evaluation My prediction, ‘there will be less’ Don Simonâ₠¬â„¢ juice needed to decolourise the DCPIP, the other juices will require more juice to decolourise the DCPIP’ was correct.This is because; the smaller volume of fruit juice needed to decolourise the blue DCPIP solution, the higher is the Vitamin C content in the fruit. It is also shown on the graph, as there is less volume of Don Simon Orange juice needed to decolourise the DCPIP. This means that in 1. 35cm3 of Don Simon, there is the same amount of Vitamin C in 1. 48cm3 of the Asda Pure orange juice, and in 1. 85cm3 of the Asda from concentrated orange juice. The smaller volume of orange juice needed to decolourise the DCPIP solution means that the DCPIP solution is reduced at a faster rate.Within my results, I did find quite a number of anomalies. However there were other numbers within the range of the anomaly such as in the 0. 1% vitamin C solution had the highest value of being 2. 4 cm3, which at first I had thought to be an anomaly, however 2. 1 cm3 was also another re sult that had been collected. However if we took out the 2 repeats, there was also another repeat of 2cm3. Therefore in the end I left the results in the results table. 0. 8cm3 was also another repeat I had though was an anomaly; however there were also other results that were near 0. 8 cm3 such as 1. cm3. Therefore I did not record these results as anomalies. The main reason for the high range was because of the fact that people had different perceptions of when the solution was to go colourless. In the rest of the results there were not any anomalies recorded as they were in the range of each other. If I was to do this investigation again I would make sure that the instructions were read clearly and also do the experiment on a larger scale, so instead of adding 5 cm3 of the DCPIP I would add 20 cm3 and therefore use a burette to add in the different types of orange juices.This would make it more accurate, as the reading would be able to be made more precisely. Another thing I woul d do better next time is to do more repeats, even though there were a lot of repeats for my results, the results were not done by the same person and therefore the perception of the colour would be different to each person, and therefore if I was to do all the repeats myself I would be able not to take the risk of getting a wide range of results. Also I would make sure that there was enough DCPIP for my experiments as I know in my experiment there was not enough DCPIP for some people to do another repeat.The most repeats a group was able to do were 2. Another factor I would change if I were to do the investigation again is that I would use other brands of orange juices as well to widen the results I was going to get. In conclusion, the investigation has stated that there will be less’ Don Simon’ juice needed to decolourise the DCPIP, the other juices will require more juice to decolourise the DCPIP. This is shown on the bar graph with the mean volume of the different t ypes of juices needed to decolourise the DCPIP against the different types of juices.There is also range bars included to inform the highest and lowest values obtained from the repeats. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Edexcel AS Biology Revision Guide for SNAB and concept-led approaches -EDEXCEL, Published: 2008 [ 2 ]. Edexcel AS Biology Revision Guide for SNAB and concept-led approaches – EDEXCEL [ 3 ]. AS-level Biology-Exam Board: Edexcel-complete revision & practice, Published: by CGP in 2008 [ 4 ]. Edexcel AS Biology Revision Guide for SNAB and concept-led approaches -EDEXCEL Vitamin C Research Question: How the amount of vitamin C in fruit juices affects its freshness and till what extent is the information provided on the pack by manufacturers is reliable? Background Information: Hypothesis: -fresh juices have more vitamin C than long-life juice that is ‘not from concentrate’ is best in terms of vitamin content -if heat destroys vitamin C then heat-treated long-life juices will have lower concentrations -if heat destroys vitamin C then boiled fruit juice will have lower concentrations than unboiled -manufacturers generally provide reliable information about their products -the amount of vitamin C content in given fruits is: So the amount of vitamin C and its percentage in fruit juice must go with the given ratio which means that guava and apple juice should have the highest and lowest concentration respectively. Variables: Independent: {text:list-item} Dependent: {text:list-item} Controlled: Materials Required: 6 test tubes, 50 cm3 burette, 10cm3 pipette, 1cm3 pipette, 3 small beakers, DCPIP solution, 0. 1% ascorbic acid, distilled water, 4 varieties of fruit juice, for example mango, grape, apple, guava etc. Preparation Take a properly washed beaker and make 0. 1% solution of vitamin C or ascorbic acid with 0. 1 g of vitamin C in 100 cm3; this is 10 mg cm-3 or one may also use a readily prepared 0. 1%ascorbic acid. Take a 0. 1% solution of DCPIP. Take 6 test tubes and label them as A, B, C, D, E and F. Now slowly pipette out 1cm3 of DCPIP solution into each test tube using a 1 cm3 pipette. Take 5cm3 of the 0. 1%ascorbic acid using a 10cm3 pipette. Using a graduated pipette or a burette, add 0. 1% ascorbic acid drop by drop to the DCPIP solution. Shake the tube gently after adding each drop. Add the acid solution until the blue colour of the final drop does not disappear. Record the exact amount of ascorbic acid that was added. Similarly in test tube B add the same volume of distilled water and gently shake the test tube to observe the change in colour. Investigation Dilute all the juices, that is, mango juice in C, grape juice in D, apple juice in E and guava juice in F before testing because fruit juices have a strong colour that will interfere with determining the end point. Now keep adding mango juice drop by drop with the help of a 50 cm3 burette in test tube C containing DCPIP solution and gently shake the test tube until the DCPIP solution is decolourised. Repeat the same for other 3 fruit juices, that is, grape, apple and guava. Uncertainties and errors Uncertainty or error while preparing ascorbic acid = Uncertainty of solid vitamin C + uncertainty of water = 0. 01+ 0. 1 = 0. 101 Uncertainty while making the mixture of DCPIP and vitamin C = uncertainty of DCPIP(1cm3 pipette) + uncertainty of ascorbic acid (10cm3 pipette) = 0. 01 + 0. 101 = 0. 111 Uncertainty while making the mixture of DCPIP and fruit juices = Uncertainty of DCPIP(pipette) + uncertainty of fruit juices(burette) = 0. 01 + 0. 1 = 0. 11 Data Volume of ascorbic acid added to decolourise DCPIP = 2. 25(+ 0. 1) cm3 Table 1 Calculating concentration of ascorbic acid Data processing Concentration of ascorbic acid in fruit juice (%) = Volume of ascorbic acid added to DCPIP x 0. Volume of fruit juice added to DCPIP Uncertainty = uncertainty in the volume of ascorbic acid + uncertainty in the volume of fruit juice = 0. 111 + 0. 11 = 0. 221 Concentration of ascorbic acid in mango juice = 2. 25 x 0. 1 = 0. 02% 11 Concentration of ascorbic acid in grape juice = 2. 25 x 0. 1 = 0. 01% 16 Concentration of ascorbic acid in apple juice = 2. 25 x 0. 1 = 0. 006% 36 Concentration of ascorbic acid in guava juice = 2. 25 x 0. 1 = 0. 04% 5 Table 2 comparing the experimental value with the given value on the pack

Friday, September 27, 2019

Presentation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Presentation - Assignment Example The main aim of using the television is because it had a wide audience, and the retailing giants could reach as many customers as possible. Ziobro (3) identifies Wal-Mart, Target Corp as the highest advertising spenders. For example, Wal-Mart managed to spend approximately 57 million dollars on television advertising. Home Depot and Sears spent less on advertisements. Ziobro (2) denotes that Sears Holdings only spent 26 million dollars on television advertising. Ziobro (1) denotes that these figures are reliable because an advertising tracking company carried out the survey, to find out how much retailing organizations spent on advertisements during the Black Friday. The advertising company under consideration is Kantar Media. In coming up with the Data, Kantar Media managed to calculate the advertising fees a retailing unit spent for purposes of making people buy into their company. Ziobro (3) denotes that the only limitation with the methodology used to collect data is that information does not reflect how much people spent in the retailing units. It only identifies the number of visitors to a retailing unit, based on the advertisement under consideration. From this research, Ziobro (5) denotes that Wal-Mart was able to attract the highest number of visitors to its stores. This is as compared to its rival company, Target Corporation. Wal- Mart was able to attract a higher number of visitors to its retailing units as opposed to Target Corporation because in every two Wal-Mart TV ads, Target Corp had only 1. On this note, during the Black Friday Weekend, Wal-Mart was able to gather 34% of visitors, as opposed to Target Group which had on 12% of visitors. Sears, who spent less on advertisements managed to acquire only 1.9% of visitors to its stores (Ziobro, 5). Ziobro (6) goes on to denote that there are other factors that made these stores to have the number of

The Signalling theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Signalling theory - Essay Example Similarly, human interactions rely on signals most of the time. The signals enable people to identify some hidden qualities of the other person. The theory focuses on providing comprehension of the varied signals as well as noting, which are dependable. For example, in making decisions, employers and managers rely on the information they obtain from the signals they receive. For instance, in making decisions about capital structures and payout policies, a manager would rely on the existing arrangement and try to evaluate its effectiveness before deciding on the next step (Chang & Hong 2000). Signals according to the theory can be categorized into assessment and conventional signals. The assessment signals denote the signals that are reliable; that is, they are signals that tend to restrict individuals who do not pose the quality required by the signal from using it. For example, if a manager perceives the organization to be overvalued, he or she should not signal the stakeholders tha t the organization holds a better opportunity in the future to increase profits by increasing their payouts. This is because implementing the signal will lead to embarrassment of the manager as well as create distrust. The conventional signals on the other hand denote unreliable indicators. In most cases, the signals are external and can result in heavy consequences. For example, if a manager makes a decision based on the consumer behaviour; for instance, seeing that the consumers are making high purchases of a product, the manager decides to produce these in high quantities perceiving that the profits for the organization will increase. This can be a false signal, especially when the consumer is presented with another alternative for the same product. The manager will lose face before the investors and can even be dismissed from office. Therefore, it is imperative to first identify the aspects affecting the capital structure and payout policies of the organization before signalling the respective parties or making any major decisions (Notes on Signalling 2005). Cost appears to be major factor in the signalling theory. This is because prior to making any decisions, managers need to consider the expense. At times, some signals may be deceiving and may later affect the decisions made adversely in a negative way. For example, the target earnings of the business may seem promising in the next quarter of the business thereby making the manager decide on a high pay out percentage. This signal could be truthful or deceiving and will eventually impact on the decision made for pay outs. On the other hand, deceptive signals can be used to benefit the creator of the signal. For instance, a manager can signal stakeholders and potential investors that the organization is well off to making more profits by increasing the payout ratio for their dividends. This would make them invest more in the organization and thus, enable the manager to expand the business and increase pro fits (Pacheco & Raposo 2007). Managers face the basic responsibility of deciding on the amount to debt to be employed on the capital structure as well as determine the dividend percentages to be paid out (Barclay et al. 1992). Different theories have been established to identify the aspects that are relevant in identifying capital structures and payout policies. Among these is the signalling theory. Aside from cost, taxes have also been noted to be a vital aspect that affects the capital struc

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Gender War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Gender War - Essay Example This essay "The Gender War" outlines the battle of the sexes, feminist movement and why the gender war is wrong. Arguably, women have become aggressive and they have progressively taken the role of men in the society. However, as women attempt to rise in the society they have inevitably taken into the foray of men. This is because women think that being feminine is a sign of weakness. The assumption is that what men have rightfully belongs to women. Suffice to say, more and more women have become financially independent and they no longer have to depend on women for their upkeep. As women make foray into the domain of men, the effect is that men no longer have no-where to go. Men no longer have the desire to become self sufficient and possibly raise families in the future. This is due to the fact that women have become independent and they no longer think of men as the sole providers. Fundamentally, all genders are equal and thus there is no ground to discriminate people based on their gender. In most societies, traditional cultures form the basis of gender stereotyping. When children are born, they are raised in a manner that fits the prescribed gender roles. Some societies believe that the men are more important than women and this is reflected in the way that children are raised. Male children are encouraged to participate in masculine games and activities. On the other hand, the female children are taught to play submissive roles that border on motherhood and house- keeping duties. Thus, over time women have felt that men have been given undue advantage in life based on their gender. As the author of War on Me points out, women â€Å"women are angry†. Due to the anger, feminist movements have made it their business to tackle the perceived inequality by asserting their new found freedom in the society. Although it is evident that all genders are equal, it is necessary for the genders to celebrate the inherent differences that make life balanced. It is right for women to seek equal treatment in all respects but they should also appreciate their femininity. The dynamic relationship that portrays women as good and men as bad has created what can be termed as the battle of the sexes. On the receiving end of this battle are men who feel that they do not have

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Marketing Strategy-Product, Place, Price and Promotion Case Study

Marketing Strategy-Product, Place, Price and Promotion - Case Study Example Where appropriate, research material will be cited to clarify the discussion. With this in mind, let's begin our discussion of business marketing. In order to make this research relevant to a wide range of consumers, and to inject a bit of fun into the discussion, we will take a look at McDonald's, the fast food chain that people have grown up with for decades. In fact, the reason that people have grown up with McDonald's for decades is because of skillful marketing. Through precise blending of product, place, price and promotion, we have viewed McDonald's as a restaurant that has always been there, and can be found anywhere with consistent quality, price and selection. With these statements in mind, the first area we will consider within the scope of McDonald's is product. When Ray Kroc developed the ideas in the 1950s that eventually led to the birth of the McDonald's restaurant chain, one of the cornerstones of his fast food process was the ability to rapidly serve food to large numbers of people efficiently (Manila Bulletin, 2005). This was accomplished in large part by offering a very limited menu and turning out those products faster and better than anyone had up to that time. Within a narrow product line, the eventual McDonald's restaurants attracted a huge following of loyal customers, who knew that there would always be a certain product available at the restaurant and that it would be just as delicious on the tenth visit as it was on the first visit. Although over the years, McDonald's has introduced additional products, they still keep the products within the line somewhat closely related to each other. This allows for the formation of a uniform marketing strategy that stresses quality food, served in a fast, clean and courteous manner. The tactic incorporates all of the positive things that people want in dining, without a hefty price tag. The limitation of McDonald's product line is a stroke of genius. Place, in Relation to Marketing Marketing experts know that the best product in the world will never make an impact in the business world if no one can locate and obtain it (Delaney, 1994). Keeping this simple, yet vital brick in the house of marketing, McDonald's gives careful consideration to the placement of its restaurants. Within their marketing research, they take into consideration the population of a given area, major roadways in the vicinity of the proposed restaurant site, traffic that passes by the restaurant site, and the demographics of the area, as they know a great deal about their customers (more about this in the "People" section of this paper). The construction of a McDonald's restaurant costs millions of dollars, and in order for the operation to be profitable, placement must be in an area that maximizes the customer exposure, therefore increasing the chance of generating business. As mentioned previously, however, please keep in mind that McDonald's leaves nothing to chance. They do their marke ting homework, and it shows. The fact that McDonald's always seems to be "right around the corner" is due to a great deal of extensive marketing research, planning and execution. If you really give this idea a great deal of thought, take into conside

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Human Behaviour in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Behaviour in Organisations - Essay Example Transactional leaders differ from transformational leaders, in the fact that they do not seek to transform the future. The aim of the transactional leader is to preserve the extant state of affairs (Odumeru & Ogbonna, 2013, p. 358). Transactional leadership is of great value in addressing crisis and emergency situations, and in completing projects in some specific manner. The Trait Theory of Leadership presumes the presence of inherited traits among people, and that some of these traits are especially suited to leadership. Effective leaders possess specific characteristics, and great leaders have certain common personality traits. This theory attempts to identify the physical, mental, and personality features associated with successful leadership (Chartered Technofunctional Institute, 2013). For several years, the trait theory had been ignored and it had been assumed that situational and learned factors were of greater significance than inherited traits among individuals accomplishing leadership roles. Subsequently, behavioral genetics has emphasized that genes and inherited traits have a significant effect on the individual (Warrilow, 2014). It is this writer’s opinion that leaders are made and not born. Upon assuming that leaders are born, most of their children would have become great leaders. This does not transpire. Hence, leaders are crafted by the situation and not hereditary. It has been concluded by researchers that successful leadership emerges from the interaction between the situation and the characteristics of the leader. This interaction has been regarded as the key to understanding leadership, in conjunction with the crucial situational and trait variables (Fleenor, 2006, p. 832). In the contemporary business world, it is essential for a company to possess the creative ability.  

Monday, September 23, 2019

Response Sheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response Sheet - Essay Example Although the main intention of the author was to see the full moon rise, he was attracted so much by the scenic beauty of Navajo that he could not believe what he was experiencing was real. The author reveals his excitement by stating that â€Å"all Navajo dwellings face east†. He is so much swayed by the nearby surroundings that he also camped facing the East. When he saw a Navajo girl herding a flock of sheep, he could not resist expressing his feelings towards the dress and ornaments that she wore. He also finds a woolly dog to be different than others under the influence of the moonlit night. Indicating his state as almpst hypothised by the opitate environment, the author himself is unsure whether the girl or the dog that he saw were an illusion or he was really experiencing something different. It was so strong that he compares himself with the wizard of Stonehenge waiting eagerly to see the full moon rise, tempted with the charm and the scenic beauty of the location, the author is filled with thrill and excitement. Illustratively, he could not restrict himself questionning: â€Å"Has the Navajo medicine men contrived this for our benefit?† (Young

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Appropriateness, Reinforcement, Preferences and Transformation Essay Example for Free

Appropriateness, Reinforcement, Preferences and Transformation Essay Question: According to Eunson (2006, p.15) there are four main criteria to be considered when choosing the medium/s of communication to best articulate an argument: Appropriateness, Reinforcement, Preferences and Transformation. Select one of the criteria and discuss its importance to a communication situation. Any successful communication process requires the presence of a message, appropriate medium   and the desired message’s effect on the receiver.   Ã‚  To effect success in communication, it is important to use a suitable medium based on the Preferences criterion. Modern technologies have greatly facilitated human communication. However, as Priestley’s Paradox illustrates, people get to actually communicate less as communication technologies further advance (Eunson 2006, p.4). Hence, for effective communication, it is more important to consider the message and the effect of that message on the receiver (Eunson 2006, p.7). The successful transfer of message and its effect, however, largely depends on the communication mode used or â€Å"preferred†. The medium is crucial to the effect of a message because as emphasized by Marshall McLuhan (Lister 2003), â€Å"societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media† . In other words, the medium is the message. A case in point would be a Human Resource Department in an office where the HR Manager normally ‘prefers’ communicating with his staff through memos and e-mail notifications. But being a smart manager, he or she will not hesitate to utilize other media as needed, according to the importance of the message and the desired effect to the recipients. He or she may ‘prefer’ to personally discuss an individual’s unsatisfactory ‘Performance Assessment Report’, earlier sent as is via individual e-mail, through   one-on-one review. The richness of media (Daft Lengel 1986, p.557) effected by direct face-to-face discussion is ‘preferred’ to the e-mail channel, which in this case plays a secondary role as preparatory medium of documentation. Herein, interpersonal communication appropriate to a small group (Baker, Barrett Roberts 2002, p.11), is considered and selected to amplify the Report’s â€Å"warning† content with the goal of effecting the desired change in the staffer’s behaviour. Exploring â€Å"Preferences† in choosing media is vital to effectively convey the message. Since the medium, which helps shape the content, is mostly the message itself and that the message’s effect on the receiver is affected by the medium, selecting the suitable channel from a range of Preferences becomes crucial to any effective communication.    Bibliography Baker, E. Barrett, M. Roberts, L 2002, Working Communication, John Wiley Sons Australia Ltd., Milton Qld. Daft, R. L. and Lengel, R. H. 1986 â€Å"Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness and Structural Design,† Management Sci., Vol. 32, No.5, pp. 554–571. Eunson, B. 2006, Communicating in the 21st Century, John Wiley Sons, Australia Ltd., Milton Qld. Lister, M 2003, New Media: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, London.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Sino-Soviet Split Essay Example for Free

The Sino-Soviet Split Essay 1. The significance of the communist revolution in china 1949 The Chinese Revolution was among the first hot conflicts of the Cold War, and its ramifications were certainly among the most far-reaching. The most important long-term effect was to create a Communist state with the size and power to stand as a rival to the Soviet Union within the Communist world. The Soviets and Chinese were initially allies, but eventually split apart, and fought bloody border conflicts in the 1960s. The Sino-Soviet split forced many Communist states to choose sides, with China even invading pro-Soviet Vietnam in 1979. 2. Early Sino Soviet cooperation in the 1950’s The Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance or Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance for short, is the treaty of alliance concluded between the Peoples Republic of China and the Soviet Union on February 14, 1950. It was based to a considerable extent on the prior Treaty of the same name that had been arranged between the Soviet Union and the Nationalist government in 1945 and it was the product of extended negotiations between Liu Shaoqi and Stalin. Mao travelled to the Soviet Union in order to sign the Treaty after its details had been concluded and this was the only time that he travelled outside China for the duration of his life. The Treaty dealt with a range of issues such as Soviet privileges in Xinjiang and Manchuria and one of its most important points was the provision of a $300 million loan from the Soviet Union to the Peoples Republic, which had suffered economically and logistically from over a decade of intense warfare. The treaty did not prevent relations between Beijing and Moscow from drastic deterioration in the late 1950s early 1960s, at the time of the Sino-Soviet split. In light of opening up China to the international market and the expiration of the Treaty, Deng Xiaoping wanted China not to negotiate with the Soviets unless they agreed to Chinas demands. Those were that the Soviets retreated from Afghanistan, removed their troops from Mongolia and Sino-Soviet borders and stopped supporting Vietnams invasion of Cambodia.[1] The treaty expired in 1979, which allowed China to attack Vietnam, a Soviet ally, in the Third Indochina War as a response to Vietnams invasion of Cambodia, as the treaty had prevented China from attacking Soviet allies. 3. Reasons for deteriorating Sino-Soviet relations from 1958 to 69 The Sino-Soviet split (1960–1969) was the worsening of political and ideological relations between the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) during the Cold War. In the 1960s, China and the Soviet Union were the two largest Communist states in the world. The doctrinal divergence derived from Chinese and Russian national interests, and from the rà ©gimes respective interpretations of Marxism: Maoism and Marxism–Leninism. In the 1950s and the 1960s, ideological debate between the Communist parties of Russia and China also concerned the possibility of peaceful coexistence with the capitalist West. Yet, to the Chinese public, Mao Zedong proposed a belligerent attitude towards capitalist countries, an initial rejection of peaceful coexistence, which he perceived as Marxist revisionism from the Soviet Union. Moreover, since 1956, China and the USSR had progressively diverged about Marxist ideology, and, by 1961, when the doctrinal differences proved intractable, the Communist Party of China formally denounced the Soviet variety of Communism as a product of Revisionist Traitors, i.e., the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, headed by Nikita Krushchev. The divide fractured the international Communist movement at the time and opened the way for the warming of relations between the United States and China in 1971. Relations between China and the Soviet Union remained tense well into the 1980s, and were not considered normalized until the visit of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to Beijing in 1989.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Hinduism Essay: History, Beliefs and Culture

Hinduism Essay: History, Beliefs and Culture Hinduism Hinduism is the world’s oldest organized religion existing for 4500 years. Based on the prehistoric Vedic text, it is a faith in constant change. Populated by an infinite amount of gods, the belief system is open to adopting any of the gods produced by younger religions. Reincarnation and Karma are the primary mechanisms of Hinduism. The Hindu religion also consists of a belief that man has seven principles; these principles consist of the Dense Physical Body, the Etheric Double, Prana, The Desire Body, Manas, Atma, and Finally Buddhi. The Indian Subcontinent is home to some of the world’s largest religions. Some of the religions are Jainism, Sikhism, and Hinduism. The word Hinduism is not found anywhere in scriptures, and the term Hindu was introduced by foreigners who referred to people living across the Indus or Sindhu River, in the north of India, around which the Vedic religion is thought to have originated. Hinduism believes that there is only one absolute called Brahman. Nevertheless, it does not advocate the worship of one God. Hindu’s believe that one characteristic of God is human, and their different Devas are nothing but various characteristics of nature, each recognized and worshipped. Sanatana Dharma which also means everlasting religion is a label preferred today for Hinduism. Sanatana reflects the principle that these ways have always existed, while Dharma includes duty, natural law, social welfare, morals, wellbeing, as well as transcendental awareness. Dharma is then a holistic approach to the good of all, subsequent to order in the cosmos. The holy language of Sanatana Dharma ranges from great simplicity to extreme sensuality, from the heights of individual dedication to the heights of intangible beliefs, from metaphysical proclamations of oneness behind the physical world to adoration of images representing a variety of deities. The cultural influences that have made Hinduism essential to the region in which it originated is that thousands of years ago, the beliefs in the Vedas were broken into various schools of thought by philosophers. These values were brought forth experientially by methods of great spiritual discipline. Unlike many other religions, Hinduism is a way of life; Therefore people who practice the Hindu religion attempt to teach their religious values by passing the word to their children and others. There are many sacred teachings that relay the word of Hinduism; the first is called Samhitas, these were hymns of praise to the gods. Soon after there was the Brahmanas, this was a book of guidelines regarding ceremonial sacrifices to the deities, finally, the last of the sacred teachings was the Upanishads, and this was a collection of teachings from highly recognized divine masters. These teachings explained the transformation that results from psychic contribution to the rituals. The Sanatana Dharma honors the divine in numerous forms; As a result, there is a religious celebration in India almost every day. There are sixteen religious holidays that are recognized by the Indian Government. Most Hindu celebrations articulate theology in its happiest parts, these festivals keep the religion alive. Every individual that practices Hinduism typically finds a way in which to place him or herself to a Guru, also known as a saintly educator. The label guru is applied to admired holy guides. Gurus do not declare themselves as teachers; followers are drawn to them because they have achieved the spiritual status the seekers aspire. Gurus are frequently regarded as enlightened individuals. A guru does not provide scholarly training; they offer guidance, good examples, and encouragement to those in search of enlightenment or self-realization. Works Cited Primary Source Easwaran, Eknath. The Bhagavad Gita. Trans. Eknath Easwaran. 2nd ed. Canada: Nilgiri P, 2007. The Bhagavad Gita, Prince Arjuna asks direct, adamant  questions of his holy guide on the eve of a great battle. In this expanded edition of the most renowned of Indian  criptures, Eknath Easwaran analyzes and explains the key concepts of Hindu religious thought and the difficult vocabulary of yoga. Accordingly, this translation uses simple, comprehensible words to convey the poetry, universality, and timelessness of the Gita’s teachings. Secondary Sources Besant, Annie. The Seven Principles of Man. 2nd ed. London: Theosophical Society, 1892. Besant lays out in specific terms the theosophical doctrine of our multidimensional being. Besant claims that mans nature has seven aspects that can be studied from many different points of view, with seven principles consisting of the Atma, Buddhi, Manas, Kama Rupa, Prana, Linga Sharira, and Sthula Sharira. Bhaskarananda, Swami. The Essentials of Hinduism. 2nd ed. Seattle, WA: Viveka P, 2002. Bhaskarananda’s book, â€Å"The Essentials of Hinduism† explains the philosophical ideas of Hinduism in a clear and easily understandable way, with many excellent analogies. The book covers the foundation and goal of Hinduism, concepts of God; the four yogas; creation and the three Gunas. The book explores the different spiritual paths, the holy books and doctrines of karma, reincarnation, and predestination. Panikkar, Raimon. A Dwelling Place for Wisdom. Trans. Annemarie S Kidder. Louisville, KY: Westminster, John Knox P, 1993. The title of this book is taken from the first chapter: â€Å"Prepare a Dwelling Place for Wisdom,† a lecture given in Munich by the Panikkar in 1990. The following three long chapters are lectures or essays given at various times and places, now translated into English. Panikkar draws on his broad understanding of Hinduism and Buddhism to present the reader with his unique insights into Wisdom. Wright, Leoline. An Anchient Basis for a New Psychology. Pasadena CA: Theosophical UP, 1998. Leoline Wright looks deeper into each principle of man, like Besant she explores mans nature in seven aspects, and thoroughly investigates the qualities of each principle. Works Cited Primary Source Easwaran, Eknath. The Bhagavad Gita. Trans. Eknath Easwaran. 2nd ed. Canada: Nilgiri P, 2007 Secondary Sources Besant, Annie. The Seven Principles of Man. 2nd ed. London: Theosophical Society, 1892. Bhaskarananda, Swami. The Essentials of Hinduism. 2nd ed. Seattle, WA: Viveka P, 2002. Panikkar, Raimon. A Dwelling Place for Wisdom. Trans. Annemarie S Kidder. Louisville, KY: Westminster, John Knox P, 1993. Wright, Leoline. An Anchient Basis for a New Psychology. Pasadena CA: Theosophical UP, 1998. Hinduism and the Seven Principles of man Price Controls: Advantages and Disadvantages Price Controls: Advantages and Disadvantages Price Control I. Introduction In a market economy, such as in the United States, the price of a good reflects the demand relative to the supply. This is a term known as scarcity.(Ten Things 2015) When an item has a high price it is said to be scarcer than an item of lower price. By looking at the relative prices of an item, consumers and producers can choose how to respond to market scarcity.(Ten Things 2015) Higher prices for example, can lead consumers to choose products that require less scarce resources. The government can play a significant role in a market economy in different ways. One of which is by setting what is called â€Å"price controls† on certain products and services. A price control is a maximum or minimum price that a government imposes on specified goods.(Sowell 2011) The most common type of price control is a price ceiling. This is simply when the maximum price is set below the market price. Common examples of price ceilings are rent controls. On the other end of the spectrum is a pric e floor. This is the opposite of a price ceiling in that a minimum price is set below the market price.(Sowell 2011) A common example of a price floor can be found in the agricultural markets. Price controls have existed all over the world for thousands of years and have applied to almost everything at some point in time.(Sowell 2011) According to economist Thomas Sowell price controls are imposed â€Å"in order to keep prices from rising to the levels that they would reach in response to supply and demand†(Sowell 2011) A large topic of interest regarding price control is, what affect does not allowing prices to fluctuate freely according to supply and demand but rather by law, have on the overall market. Most agree that price controls in the long run lead to shortages and surpluses as well as black markets and corruption, however most also agree that in markets where prices are volatile, price controls are a necessary evil. This paper will discuss the advantages and disadvan tages of price controls in regards to maximum and minimum price setting, as well as touch on the policies used to implement them. II. Disadvantages of Price Controls The disadvantages of price controls can be summed into two different scenarios. Both scenarios while relying on completely opposite regulations, lead to an unbalanced market. The first of the two scenarios is when a price ceiling is imposed. To reiterate this is when the maximum price is set by law to be lower than the market price. The instatement of a price ceiling leads to a fundamental Keynesian problem. By keeping prices artificially low, consumers naturally demand more of the product. When this number becomes greater than the producer is willing to supply we have what is called a shortage. Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman once said, †We economists do not know much, but what we do know is how to create a shortage. If you want to create a shortage of tomatoes, for example, just pass a law that retailers can’t sell tomatoes for more than two cents per pound. Instantly you’ll have a tomato shortage† A market shortage commonly results in one or more of the following negative consequences. Black markets can arise in which products that are unavailable in the regular market are sold.(Price Controls Adv.) This can also be true of products with excess demand that are sold at higher prices than in the conventional market. Black markets often involve non-monetary bargaining methods such as nepotism and violence. Another common result of a market shortage is price discrimination. This is when similar goods or services are priced differently by the same producer to differing regions or groups of consumers.(Investopedia) Essentially this is the practice of charging different prices to different buyers of the same product. Theoretically price discrimination discourages the resale of a good and leads to a decrease in competition.(Investopedia) This is the foundation for a monopolistic economy that does not operate at maximum efficiency. Yet another result of a market shortage is the use of rations, or the controlled distribution of scarce goods and resources. A prime example of when rationing was used is during World War II, when food shortages pushed up prices so high that price controls and rations were used in an attempt to keep the cost of living reasonable. (World War II) Rationing often leads to the emergence of a black market as people seek out goods that are not available in the rationing system. ( The second scenario in the disadvantages of price controls is when the result of a price floor is a surplus. A surplus can be just as detrimental to the market as a shortage. Having an excess supply can result in the market being in disequilibrium. This occurs when the price of a good cannot be adjusted naturally due to price controls. In a state of disequilibrium a market is not operating efficiently. (Price Controls) One example of a price floor that can cause a surplus is that of the labor market. The minimum wage is an example of a price floor, which establishes a base line per hour wage. This can result in employers hiring fewer employees and subsequently the supply of workers exceeds the amount of work available causing the unemployment rate to go up. (Boundless) III. Advantages of Price Controls While there is certainly no arguing that in the long run price controls can lead to major economic drawbacks, there is a brighter history in the success of price controls in the short run. Generally speaking price controls can achieve three things. The first is that certain control regulations can ensure that necessary goods, such as food, remain affordable to most citizens. (Boundless) This can also be seen in more luxury markets such as football games. Tickets to important games are often set at a maximum price rather than the market price (which would often times be absurdly high) in order for the common supporter to attend the game.(Price Controls Adv) Secondly price controls can make sure producers receive enough revenue allowing them to adjust to the market climate and limit the possibility of a shortage. (Boundless)This is extremely important in the commodities market where there is frequent fluctuations in price.(Price Controls) Without price controls farmers would experience extreme ups and downs that would not allow for continued production. Price controls can also help during a time when a shortage has taken place. (Boundless)In the latter case price controls prevent producers from overcharging consumers. The most popular form of when price controls helped during a shortage is in the housing market. The use of a rent ceiling put a limit on the amount landlords could charge their tenants when the market would allow for detrimental price gouging. (Rockoff) Another practical example of a necessary price control is the use of a ceiling on interest rates. A ceiling here can take the pressure off of borrowers who were forced to take out loans in a time of desperation that very well could have been caused by the state of the nation. IV. Analyses of Price Controls Price controls can be quite tricky to analyze because there are contradictory ways of looking at each individual case. Going back to the football ticket example, while a proponent of price control legislation would argue that a ceiling allows for the common fan to attend games, a critic would argue at the same time that a shortage has been created and less total fans attended the game. Both sides are correct yet one policy must be made. This is a prime example of where long-standing political views collide with market economics. In analyses of the negative impacts of price controls one could argue that without letting a market naturally work its way back to equilibrium then we will never achieve efficiency. This is also where the positive impacts of price control show that welfare and market intervention can increase the standard of living. So it is a choice of whether the government wants to adhere to strict economic idealism and respect the balancing nature of Keynesian economics o r if it wants to intervene in order to prevent a possible disaster. I think the answer lies on a case to case basis. For instance in the case for putting a price floor on agricultural products, our country relies on the farming industry for our well-being and survival. Without control of the weather and other exogenous factors farmers often are in need of assistance to survive and I think most economists would argue that the most effective way of helping the would be to have a consistent price floor. In a different case however, such as the pharmaceutical market I believe there should be little government intervention. The danger in such an area is that a proposed price ceiling to make drugs affordable for seniors on Medicare would result in less profit gained by pharmaceutical companies. This would in turn cause a downward trend in their research and innovation spending prohibiting the discovery of new cures and medications. Another example of when a price control wasn’t per haps the best solution was in the 1970’s when the administration rose the demand for gasoline so high that long lines were found at gas stations throughout the country. (Rockoff) Most would agree that a good as necessary as gasoline, especially at the time, should not inhibit a citizens day to day schedule. V. Conclusion So in conclusion, the amount someone is willing to pay for an item is the items price. From here we derive our basic set of supply and demand functions for our market economy. Essential to the market economy is the term scarcity, demand relative to the supply. Scarcity is what determines the market for goods and services. If the government feels the need to intervene in the market it can implement a price control. The government can approach implementing a price control in two different ways. Price controls are defined as when a government sets a minimum or maximum price for a particular good or service. (Sowell 2011) In the arguments for and against price controls it can be found that most all price controls lead to an inefficient economy in the long run but a possible increase in market stability in the short run. (Sowell 2011) It is up to each administration to decide if government intervention is necessary and most economists agree that it is wise to proceed with the utmost cauti on when doing so. Price controls when ineffective can result in not only long term disequilibrium, but also negatively affect the day to day life of citizens. (This can be seen in the oil example of the 1970’s.) When effective price controls can protect both consumers and producers, increase market stability, and maintain a reasonable cost of living.(Such as the farming example) In analyses it is best to determine whether a price control should be used on a case by case basis because each market represents different views, challenges, and characteristics. It is important to learn from the past examples of price controls, as they have been occurring for thousands of years, as they will continue to shape not only our financial future but our political future as well. VI. References Boundless. â€Å"Arguments for and Against Government Price Controls.† Boundless Economics. Boundless, 03 Jul. 2014. Retrieved 25 Feb. 2015 from https://www.boundless.com/economics/textbooks/boundless-economics-textbook/introducing-supply-and-demand-3/government-intervention-and-disequilibrium-49/arguments-for-and-against-government-price-controls-188-12286/ Hugh Rockoff. Price Controls.The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics.2008. Library of Economics and Liberty. Retrieved February 25, 2015 from the World Wide Web: http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/PriceControls.html Parker-Lue, S., Santoro, M., Koski, G. (2015). The Ethics and Economics of Pharmaceutical Pricing. Annual Review Of Pharmacology Toxicology, 55191-206. doi:10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010814-124649 Price controls – advantages and disadvantages. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/621/economics/price-controls-advantages-and-disadvantages/ Price Controls: Maximum and Minimum price. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.dineshbakshi.com/ib-economics/microeconomics/161-revision-notes/1766-price-controls-maximum-and-minimum-price Price Discrimination Definition | Investopedia. (2007, May 17). Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/price_discrimination.asp Sowell, T. (2011).Basic economics: A common sense guide to the economy(4th ed., p. 21). New York, N.Y.: Basic Books. Ten Things Debaters Should Know About Economics. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/aboutecon.html World War II on the home front: Rationing. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/ww2-rationing/5922

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Sony Corporation :: essays research papers

Sony Corporation-Company Information Sony was founded in Tokyo in 1946 by engineer Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, a physicist. They started the company with 20 employees repairing electrical equipment and attempting to build their own products. The company’s success started in 1946 when Sony launched Japan’s first transistor and the first â€Å"all-transistor† radio in 1955. In the more than 50 years since the company first began trading, it has grown from 20 employees to over 160,000 people around the world. The name Sony was chosen from the Latin word sonus, which is the root of sonic and sound, and the English word â€Å"sunny.† Sony Corporation of America was established in the United States. Today, Sony Corporation develops and manufactures consumer and industrial electronic equipment. The Company's products include audio and video equipment, televisions, displays, electronic components, computers and computer peripherals, and telecommunication equipment. The Company is also active in the worldwide music and image-based software markets. Since the 1980’s, Sony had transformed itself from an electronics company to a global entertainment company with such products. Some of this company’s major competitors include Matsushita, Philips, and Sanyo. The world’s first CD player was launched in October 1982. Sony conducts insurance operations through Sony Life, a Japanese life insurance subsidiary, and Sony Assurance Inc., a Japanese non-life insurance subsidiary. Sony is engaged in a leasing and credit financing business in Japan through Finance International Inc. It also conducts an internet-based banking business in Japan through Sony Bank Inc. which is an eighty percent directly owned subsidiary of Sony Financial holdings. Sony acquired Columbia records from CBS and it was named Sony Music Entertainment. Sony has been historically notable for pushing its own in-house standards for new recording and storage technologies, which are often different from those of other manufacturers or of market trends and standards. On July 20th, 2004, the European Union approves a 50-50 merger between Sony Music Entertainment and BMG. The new company will be called Sony BMG, and will control 60 percent of the world wide market.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Educating Rita :: English Literature

Educating Rita. In the play Educating Rita by Willy Russell we are lead to believe that in the first few scenes Rita and Frank have nothing in common. We assume this on a few small things like the way Rita talks. She is a very out going character who talks like a commoner." you'd better get that bleadin' handle fixed. She hair dresses in a shop and is not happy with the position she is in. She does not have much interest in hair dressing and it does not feel that it is good enough for her. She could do much better. Frank on the other hand is a lecturer at the Open University. He has a bad alcohol problem and only works there to get money for the booze. From what we gather he is not a very good lecturer and is not really all that interested in the job, just the money. He talks not in a posh accent but a smart middle class. Rita perceives her job as a working class hairdresser to be a job that only the lowest of the lowest would do. It is an unsatisfactory job that does not for fill her dream of being a middle class woman. She has the potential to go for what it is that she wants and luckily she knows you to motivate her self to do so. Neither frank nor Rita is really interested in there jobs. They both just do it for the money. This is when we learn that they do have something and common they share the same out looks of there jobs. At the beginning of the play we hear frank talking-to his girlfriend Julia on the phone. She is complaining that he will not be home in time for diner and he is complaining that he wants to go down the pub. This is when we realise that frank is in an unstable relationship with his girlfriend. Due to Rita's nosey personality we find out that Frank was one married but has split up from his wife. When Rita asks why he comments it was "because of literature". When really it was because of his drinking problem, if he is not careful the same thing will happen to him again. Rita finds out that frank use to write poetry and this is why him and his wife split up (or so frank says) Rita then realises that she and frank have another thing in common they both have rocky relationships. Unfortunately Rita's husband Denny has other ideas about what Rita should do with her life.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

History of Psychology Essay

I declare that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted in any form for another unit, degree or diploma at any university or other institute of tertiary education. Information derived from the published or unpublished work of others has been acknowledged in the text and a list of references is given. I warrant that any disks and/or computer files submitted as part of this assignment have been checked for viruses and reported clean. Student signature: __________________________ Date: __________________________ Abstract This paper aims to trace and analyze the historical development of the subjective nature of truth, the sources and reactions towards the theory. The implications of the theory of subjective truth are vast since a position on the nature of truth permeates one’s personal life goals and purposes, cognition, and morality of individual and hence also affects research methodology and psychotherapy. Subjectivism focuses on individuals’ thoughts and feelings as well as the proposition that knowledge of humans can never be separated from the knower. This literature review covers the existence of truth as being subjective during the time of the early Greek philosophers, present within Hellenistic and Roman psychology and persisting within romantic and existential philosophy, humanistic psychology and the approaches of the postmodernists in the mid-1960s. Keywords: subjective truth, history, postmodernism The Subjective Nature Of Truth: A Historical Development The constant tension of whether truth is objective or subjective has long since existed throughout history and continues to pervade in current schools of psychotherapies. â€Å"Science versus Humanism† is the term Conway (1992) gives to the philosophical dimension along which the values underlying the theories of psychologists differ. A scientific approach to psychology is based on the epistemological tradition of objectivism. Mahoney (1989) summarizes objectivism as beliefs that an objective and separate ‘real world’ lies beyond the organism, independent of perception and that valid knowledge is ultimately rendered from our sensory experiences, and can be totally separated from the knower (Mahoney, 1989 as cited in Conway, 1992). In contrast, the humanistic approach to psychology is based on the epistemological tradition of subjectivism which focuses on thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, knowledge of humans can never be separated from the knower (Conway, 1992). Due to different theories on the nature of truth, methodology for observing consciousness and the role of inner experience differ. The human science approach to psychology seeks to explain behavior in terms of a person’s subjective existence (Kendler, 2005). Humanistic psychology and philosophical phenomenology are two schools of thought that employ the human science interpretation of psychology (Kendler, 2005). The implications of the theory of the relativity of truth is seen in the individuals personal life goals, purpose of life, cognitive styles, morality, ethics, counseling goals, research methodology and conceptualization of definitions. Due to the great relevance of the topic to psychology, this essay traces and analyzes the historical development of the subjective nature of truth, the sources and reactions towards the theory. Early Greek Philosophers and Hellenistic and Roman Psychology The Sophists were a group of philosophers who believed that nothing is inherently right or wrong but that believing something is right makes it right and vice versa (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 41). Protagoras (485-420 B.C.) was the most popular Sophist who proposed that man is the measure of all things, meaning that man determines whether something is true or untrue and hence, truth depends on the perceiver not physical reality (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 41). The context of this perspective of the nature of truth is that Protagoras lived in the Periclean democracy where skills for effective communication were valuable to own especially in the political sphere (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 42) where some beliefs were more advantageous to utilitarian harmony than others. Hence, Protagoras was primarily interested in teaching effective argumentation to demonstrate the practicality of the relativity of truth. Socrates (470-399 B.C.) disagreed with the Sophists’ view that no truth exists beyond personal opinion. In the second century A.D., a school of thought named Skepticism promoted suspension of judgment and preferred to say ‘This is how things appear to me† rather than to claim having arrived at irrevocable truth (Hergenhahn, 2009). They were of the view that dogmatists constantly fought amongst themselves and were always agitated unlike the Skeptics who sought a life of peace and lived by two primary guides: appearances (sensations and feelings) and social convention (Hergenhahn, 2009). Displaying a similarity with the Sophists and the Skeptics, the Cynics such as Diogenes (412-323) advocated individualism and that true happiness depended on self-sufficiency and living a life that was natural, rejecting any type of control, be it bodily or social control. The theme of moving away from absolute truth and towards a relativistic conception of truth, individual feelings, opinions, social convention or whatever ‘truth’ brings gain (e.g., political status or living peaceably with others) will manifest itself again throughout history. Instrumental theory of truth: Profitability as criteria for truth William James (1842-1910) was of the view that ideas become true as long as they help people satisfactorily relate with other parts of one’s experience (De Waal, 2005, p. 43). James proposes that it is far from essential for our thoughts, beliefs or in other words, conceptions of truth, to copy reality. Hence, he opposes the singularity of truth and posits that multiple, though different beliefs are acceptable. In contrast, there can only be one truth for the empiricists and the rationalists since truth is the perfect copy of reality (De Waal, 2005, p. 47). Based on pragmatic principles, James proposes that any hypothesis cannot be rejected if there are useful results that come from it. Pragmatism is hence a principle that views any ‘truth’ as true as long as it profits. In other words, the pragmatist’s notion of truth is that beliefs originating from within one’s self but does not copy anything without the believer will still count as true when these lead people to directions that are worthwhile (De Waal, 2005, p. 50). The theme of moving away from a singular truth independent of the knower and towards whichever concept, idea or belief brings profit is a pattern seen even during the Early Greek Philosophers and Hellenistic and Roman Psychology. A profit-focused approach to handling truth, as proposed by the pragmatists, will strongly permeate and an underlying principle in future philosophies and approaches to psychology such as romanticism, existentialism, humanistic and postmodern psychology. Romantic and existential philosophy: Feelings, human choice and freedom In the late 18th century, an artistic and intellectual movement named Romanticism rebelled against Enlightenment rationality that overemphasized linear and the investigation of causes by trying to add feelings and intuition to rationality (Schneider, 1998). Romanticism emphasized the wholeness of experience via implicit processes such as affect, intuition, kinesthesia, imagination as well as the descriptions of these processes (Schneider, 1998). Rousseau was of the view that facts of history were of less importance than what values can be learned from them and that history should be considered as a collection of fables (Rousseau, 1762 as cited in Robinson, 2008). This type of thinking is seen again in Postmodernist thinking later on in history although to Rousseau, historical facts were not subjective but unknowable because of human error and interpretation. In psychology, romanticism is manifested in orientations of existential-humanistic, hermeneutical, narrative, and transpersonal psychologies (Schneider, 1998). Carl Rogers of the school of humanistic psychology, whose thoughts will be further explored later on in this paper, has much similarity with the romantics since experience is Rogers’ highest authority and makes decisions based on what feels [emphasis mine] right, valuable or worth doing (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 593). Like romanticism, existentialism stresses subjective experience. The existentialists (18th and 19th centuries) encourage us humans to consider the meaning of living authentically, in one’s own personal way (Oaklander, 1992). If one chooses freely, one chooses authentically and leads an authentic life. Since there are no objective values for the existentialist, it depends more on how one chooses rather than what their choice is. An existential philosopher, Kierkegaard proposed that each person’s life individually has its own self-determined meaning. Subjectivity is truth, that is, the person’s beliefs define that person’s reality (Oaklander, 1992, p. 577). Though the existentialist philosophers differ in their views in a few aspects of their thinking, one common theme is the emphasis on human freedom and choice and the related slogan of Sartre that ‘existence precedes essence’ which means that humans have no prepackaged nature or essence but that we are is what we choose to be (Oaklander, 1992). In other words, subjectivity must be the starting point (Oaklander, 1992). Sartre also says that â€Å"Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. Such is the first principle of existentialism. It is also what is called subjectivity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Influenced by existential philosophy, a brand of contemporary psychology which has the key concepts of freedom, individuality, authenticity and responsibility emerged called existential psychology (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 574). The man who is generally considered to be the bridge between existential philosophy and existential psychology is Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) who is of the view that there is no ‘ultimate truth’ but emphasizes interpretation and that there is no ‘real meaning’ behind a phenomenon (Daitz, 2011). He proposed that humans choose nature of their own existence and it is worthy of notice that Heidegger chose to be committed to Nazism (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 574). The theme of moving away from a singular truth independent of the knower and towards â€Å"personal truth† as self-defined by individuals as well as the unfortunate consequence of individuals freely choosing what they think is right or desirable which may conflict with what society views as desirable. This will manifest itself again with slight differences in humanistic and postmodern psychology. Humanistic psychology: An application of subjective truth In the early 1960s, humanistic psychology, a new human science that would study humans as aware, choosing and emotional beings, appeared in reaction to traditional scientific approaches to psychology (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 571). Unlike the two existing schools of psychology, behaviorism and psychoanalysis, which assume determinism in explaining human behavior, humanistic psychology assumes humans are free to choose their own existence and that subjective reality is the most important cause of behavior (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 571). A basic tenet of humanistic psychology is that subjective reality is the primary guide for human behavior (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 586). Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) was of the view that humanistic science should allow the individual to be freer and more inner determined (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 586). What he deemed as self-actualization is what humans achieve when they are true to their own nature (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 587). Carl Rogers (1902-1987) also proposed that a person who is likely to live a fulfilling life is motivated by his true inner feelings instead of beliefs, traditions and values imposed by others outside the individual (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 593). Rogers started the movement of Person-Centered therapy which stress an essential trust in the experiential world of the client and stress three conditions to promote the client’s growth: congruence (genuineness on the therapist’ part), true empathy, unconditional positive regard. A limitation that Owen (1999) notes in his analysis of both psychoanalysis and person-centred therapy is the conflict for the person-centred therapist to both communicate unconditional positive regard as well as congruence with a negative feeling about a client. In other words, prizing the client and also at the same time, being honest with personal feelings towards client. This poses a question of what a therapist should rightly do when being honest also means being non-empathic and withholding unconditional positive regard from the client. This problem of congruency undeniably stems from the theory of truth and its subjective nature since what the therapist believes to be true and what the client believes to be true are both equally ‘true’ if the assumption is that the individual self-defines truth. Postmodernism approaches: Contemporary development of the theory of truth Modernists believe in objective reality that exists independent of any attempt to observe it whereas postmodernists believe in subjective realities that do not exist independent of observational processes (Corey, 2005). Postmodernism is similar to the romantics, existentialists, the Sophists, and Skeptics and aspects of James’ psychology in that there multiple truths and these vary with individual experience, thus paving the way for postmodernism. According to Schneider (1998), the postmodernist were different from the romantics in that postmodernists promote a relativistic chaos when this conflicted with the sensibility of Romanticism (Schneider, 1998). The Romantics assumed knowledge as determinate and argued for the universality of autonomous experience while postmodernism assumes it as indeterminate and relativistic, thus fragmenting knowledge and experience (Webb, 2006). Similar to James’ pragmatism, the postmodernist is of the view that a problem exists only when people agree there is a problem needing to be addressed. Narrative therapy is an application of the Postmodernist approach to psychology and encourages clients to see their stories from different perspectives (Corey, 2005). The client’s reality is focused on without disagreeing whether it is accurate or rational (Weishaar, 1993 as cited in Corey, 2005). Unlike traditional therapists who see the client as the problem, the narrative therapists believe that the problem is the problem (Corey, 2005). This separation of client from problem allows one to take a stance against specific storylines, be hopeful in generating a more positive, healing story and thus reducing self-blame. The therapist searches for times when the client made a choice and times when the client was successful (Corey, 2005, p. 403). Very similar to the assumptions of the Cynics and particularly the Romantics, the Postmodernist approach is based on the optimistic assumption that people are able and that they possess alternative stories that can enhance their lives (Corey, 2005, p. 403). The nature of truth and the approach to psychology: Future research direction Within the United States and internationally, Kirschenbaum and Jourdan (2005) carried out a survey that found an increasing number of therapists who identify themselves as â€Å"eclectic† or â€Å"integrative† amongst Carl Rogers’ client-centered/person-centered therapists over the past 30 years. In his writing on the topic of romanticism’s potential in complementing psychology, Schneider (1998) writes that experimental research, whether in hypothesis-making or verification, cannot fully replace romantic insights and needs to refer back to qualitative data that Romantics emphasize (Schneider, 1998). Hence, there are advantages in employing research as well as therapy methodology that take into account aspects of the intuitive and emotional aspect of human beings that romanticism emphasizes. In view of the advantages, Schneider also writes about the implications for therapists in training. He proposes the provision of rich and sensitive qualitative descriptions of their clients in addition to treatment plans that are problem-oriented or behavioral in focus (Schneider, 1998). Therapists in training should also pay attention to emotional, kinesthetic, and cognitive experiences of clients. Besides just assessing progress toward therapy goals, the meaning of therapy goals for clients should also be considered. Schneider is of the view that therapist with the full range of experiential data about their clients would be in an optimal position to collate essential data for a treatment plan. Hence, research should be done to measure the effectiveness of this approach to therapy in addition to (i.e., eclectic approaches) or instead of traditional approaches. In his comparison of person-centred therapy with psychodynamic therapy, Owen (1999) notes the possibility of conflict that person-centred therapists might face in trying to be congruent to their own personal feelings while at the same time, being non-judgmental and providing unconditional positive regard. Further research should be carried out in the area of long-term consequences to the therapist and to the client as well as strategies that can be employed when there is a conflict in the congruence of the therapist and the therapist’ provision of unconditional positive regard. Research may also include investigating the incorporation of one aspect of the psychodynamic approach which is neutrality (neither making interpretations nor providing unconditional positive regard) towards the client’s sharing of his personal experience or thoughts (Owen, 1999). Neutrality allows for a full range of emotions including negative emotions of the client. Conclusion Whether truth is absolute and independent of the knower and perceiver has been supported and argued against since the period of the early Greek philosophers. Similar themes that focus on the human individual to evaluate and make their own choices, define their own meaning and ultimately, define and act upon what is the nature of truth and the truth itself recur time and time again whether in the form of an emphasis on affect like the Romantics or Postmodernist who selects part of a narrative, whether accurate or true, to put it to good use in helping the individual cope during therapy. The implications of the position taken on the nature of truth have been demonstrated throughout history in major schools of philosophy, psychology and in this paper. Future speculation of this theory of truth is that, after certain negative events that will happen in future times as a result of pragmatic and postmodern thinking, a reaction against relativistic and individualized conceptions of truth that may take a shape of fundamentalism may return to schools of philosophy and the social sciences. References Conway, J. B. (1992). Presidential address: A world of differences among psychologists. Canadian Psychology, 33(1), 1-23. Corey, G. (2005). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (7th ed.). California: Thomson Learning Inc. Daitz, L. (2011). Understanding, truth or resolve? Considering the ‘aim’ of existential psychotherapy and the approaches of van Deurzen and Spinelli. Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 22(1), 140-149. De Waal, C. (2005). 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