Environmental Urbanism

Introduction Research conducted by various researchers on the environment, in particular the urban centers, reveal various practices that range from pollution in the cities through conservation of natural vegetables to soil, that are worth checking towards sustaining the environment. In the chapter An Introduction to Ecological Design, Stuart Cowan and Sim van Der ryn argue in terms of the way people and cultures have established various mechanisms, all of which aim at preserving their environment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Environmental Urbanism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Human beings can live together in harmony just like the way wild animals interact, not only with one another, but also with their environment (Van Der Ryn Cowan, 2000, p. 519). Therefore, according to them, design is paramount in ensuring a steady balance between the ecosystems. On the other hand, in The Wasteful Cities, John Lorin c argues in terms of how cities cannot survive without water, a crucial resource whose reliability depends much on the nature of the environment. According to him, the society ought to step up environmental conservation in the cities to ensure the sufficiency of water and wastewater infrastructure (Lorinc, 2006, p. 113). Government therefore, needs to intervene on issues of environmental conservation in the urban centers. However, Nicholas Low’s book Green-Shaded Cities claims that, cities should employ mechanisms for sustaining them in a way that people respect, not only one another, but also the nature around them for the benefit of all (Low, 2003, p. 211). Nevertheless, based on a keen analysis of the works of these authors, there stand some loopholes, as they do not give a detailed procedure of the steps to follow in order to realize the dream of an environment conducive for the people leaving in the cities. In addition, cities have continued to deteriorate in terms of th eir surroundings, despite the efforts made by people like these authors, as they also do not pinpoint the requirements needed from the people towards the realization of this goal. They also do not tell what exactly needs to be conserved and why. In this paper, I argue that the main reason why there appears to be a disconnection between environmental preservation, and conservation and human beings’ social and industrial practices is ignorance on the part of man. By ignorance, I mean the lack of information on how to preserve and conserve the environment. Man is a rational being and if he/she knows what is at stake when he/she engages in environmentally unfriendly practices, it will become easier for him/her to refrain from them (Low, 2003, p. 224). Over the years, market economists, and other environmental entities have portrayed human beings as ‘monsters’ seeking to destroy the environment with their inventions of automobiles, skyscrapers, and other pollutants. T he concept of waste is a common allusion linking all the three articles. The authors agree that waste disposal has a major effect on how a city or an area’s environmental management is undertaken. One of the main reasons why this vice is rampant in urban centers includes the presence of air pollution policies that have no authority (Lorinc, 2006, p. 117).Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Chronic technical failures of hydroelectric power plants result in waste release into the atmosphere. Over dependence on power energy is another problem affecting urban areas, especially those with lots of industries. â€Å"Nature’s cooling and purification systems are no longer functional because wetlands and woodlots have been eradicated by urban constructors and landscapers. Trees cut provide space for parking lots, â€Å"we build cities that function like huge heat sinks † (Lorinc, 2006, p. 114). The houses seem insufficiently insulated and therefore the growing need for artificial heating systems. Pavements are made of asphalt and other ecologically insensitive building materials that absorb solar radiation. In Toronto for instance, the statistics report 1700 premature deaths, 6000 hospitalizations annually due to air pollution related conditions (Lorinc, 2006, p. 116). Smog and ground level ozone quantities have escalated and the situation is simply tragic. Ecological footprints, defined as the amount of land, water, mineral resources and energy required to sustain an individual’s lifestyle remains worth measuring. Therefore, planners need to incorporate these measurements when developing cities. That way, the green cities spoken of, will appear a dream easy to realize, at least for future generations to live in. Ecological design is another critical concept advanced throughout the three articles. It is what Van Der Ryn and Cowan prop ose as the possible solution to the environmental degradation, which currently seems directly proportional to the rate of urbanization. Briefly, ecological design refers to processes during and after a development that reduce environmental destruction through integration and adoption of natural processes (Van Der Ryn Cowan, 2000, p. 223). Experts have tested such designing. Based on their findings, the designs result to the advancement of sustainable life: a life of â€Å"social responsibility and financial profitability† (Van Der Ryn Cowan, 2000, p. 528). For its implementation, an ecological design requires the cooperation and sacrifice of the present generation, which seems likely to benefit the least from their responsible actions, for the benefit of future generations. Van Der Wyn and Cowan highlight three steps necessary to achieve this design with conservation as the first step. It refers to the practice of ‘economizing’ environmental resources or using less and reducing the wasted resources. Regeneration, the second principle, refers to â€Å"repairing and renewing a world deeply wounded by an environmentally insensitive design† (Van Der Ryn, Cowan, 2000, p. 519). Finally, stewardship refers to interweaving nature and the urban environment in a way that yields maximum profitability. Some of the methods proposed for the advancement of these principles include the construction of ‘pedestrian oriented’ urban designs, cogeneration, recycling of industrial wastes, toxic cleanup and the production or acquisition of sufficient energy to run the urban centers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Environmental Urbanism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They also include the consideration of resource efficiency, construction of ‘healthy’ buildings, use of ecologically sensitive materials, social and ecological sensitivity in the usage of lan d, and aesthetic sensitivity. For these measures to succeed, it calls for the combination of efforts among architects, engineers and planners. Such cooperation remains guaranteed to result in a very ecologically sensitive city, whose citizens, and administration appreciate the role of a healthy environment in the social and economical wellbeing of its inhabitants. Such a city will befit the title, ‘Green-shaded city’. Other characteristics of such a city include the â€Å"recognition of the intrinsic value of biodiversity and natural ecosystems-to protect and restore them† (Low, 2003, p. 210). Citizens can demand for it from their leaders by applying their democratic rights. They can stage citizen action through rallies, campaigns and boycotts, which insist upon the maintenance of pure environments by all residents, including industries and factories that are naughty for polluting the environment. â€Å"Cities must coexist with and indeed within, nature. Cities must become resource pools rather than users of resources, reusing their own energy and resources- both natural and human† (Low, 2003, p. 225). It therefore seems necessary for people to understand the importance of conserving energy and resources, so that they can gain the motivation to do so. It is also important that the opinion leaders be the ‘tool’ to administer this knowledge as more are likely to listen to their arguments. The result of such information dissemination will be diligent, self-driven environmental conservation by the people inhabiting such environments. References Lorinc, J. (2006). Wasteful Cities. In J. Lorinc, The City Under Stress. Toronto: Penguin Canada. Low, N.(2003). Green Shaded Cities. In N. Low, The Green City. Oxford: Bellwether Publishing Ltd. Van Der Ryn, S., Cowan, S. (2000). An Introduction to Ecological Design. In R. T.  LeGates, The City Reader. London: Routledge.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This essay on Environmental Urbanism was written and submitted by user Tinley Forbes to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Teledentistry within Kentucky Essays - Dentistry, Health Informatics

Teledentistry within Kentucky Essays - Dentistry, Health Informatics Teledentistry within Kentucky Teledentistry allows for an entirely new way of providing specialist advice. Through the use of telecommunication and computer technologies, it is now possible to provide interactive access to specialists that are not limited by the constraints of time and distance. It is a valuable tool in providing dental care in rural areas, where there is a shortage of specialists and a lack of comprehensive and sophisticated health care. It can be a solution to the barriers of dental care like the lack and cost of transportation, time off from work and school, and to save the patients money. In September of 2014 a member of the Kentucky Board of Dentistry discussed the advantages for the practice of teledentistry. The member questioned if the board needed to transmit regulations that addressed teledentistry, as it is an emerging issue nationally and publicly in Kentucky. After a discussion, it was decided to table the issue and try to find out more about other state boards involvement in teledentistry at an upcoming AADB meeting. During a meeting later held on November of 2014, the Kentucky board of Dentistry discussed the impact that teledentistry will soon have on the dental profession by creating issues in the areas of public health; digital imaging of dentition; fee splitting; and cyber dentists. A motion was also made that the teledentistry committee be comprised of certain members and that the committee will invite members from other reasonable stakeholders from such entities as the KY Dental Association, University of Louisville School of Dentistry; University of Kentucky College of Dentistry; KY Dental Hygienists Association; Academy of General Dentistry, etc. as appropriate to facilitate, research and formulate potential regulations to then present to the full Board for consideration. Using the state of Virginia as a proposed model to immolate, the Virginia Legislator has directed the Department of Medical Assistance Services to create a two-year pilot program to provide dental services to school-age children who are eligible to receive pediatric dental services through the Smiles for Children program in school systems, which at least 50 percent of the elementary students have not been examined by a dentist within the preceding 12 months or have no dental home of record. Those participating dentists will provide supervision of dental hygienists through the methods of teledentistry. A cost analysis was undertaken by comparing the costs of teledentistry with two alternatives: outreach visits, in which the specialist regularly visited the remote communities, and hospital visits, where patients in remote communities traveled to hospital for consultations. This study found the cost savings of teledentistry were greatest in the remote communities, where patients would otherwise have had to travel long distances for specialist consultations. Currently, overall dentist needed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky is high with 36% of the current supply required to meet current demand. Many counties in Kentucky need greater than 100% increases in the current dentist workforce, and three counties appear to have no dentists currently practicing. Jefferson County has the most pronounced need of 150 dentists. In spite of some issues, which need to be resolved, the potential of teledentistry is tremendous, which needs to be explored immensely in the state of Kentucky. 1."Kentucky Board of Dentistry." 13 Sept. 2014. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. dentistry.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/73A6DB01-4DA1-4E59-B509-5E1730E9C29E/324451/approvedseptminuteswithcorrections.pdf 2."Kentucky Board of Dentistry." 22 Nov. 2014. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. http://dentistry.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/73A6DB01-4DA1-4E59-B509-5E1730E9C29E/325525/NOV222014minutes1.pdf>. 3."MATRC - Teledentistry." MATRC. 15 Feb. 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. matrc.org/teledentistry>. 4.Nikumbh, Dhiraj B. "Http://www.jcdr.net/article_fulltext.asp?issn=0973-709x&year=2013&month=March&volume=7&issue=3&page=604-605&id=2821." Jcdr Journal Of Clinical And Diagnostic Research 5.7 (2011). Print. 5."VA Legislation: SB 647 - Teledentistry Pilot Program." VA Legislation: SB 647. 3 Mar. 2014. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. http://cchpca.org/va-expired-legislation-sb-647>.

Legal Risk and opportunity in Employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legal Risk and opportunity in Employment - Essay Example Even though there was a personnel manual that outlined the corrective action plan that would happen before employee termination, the at-will employment statement that Pat Grey signed is taken as contractual rather than those specifications in the manual. Part of agreeing to be an at-will employee means that, similar to the way an employee can quit for any reason, an employer can fire an employee for any reason. The only reasons that are an exception to this rule are things like race and gender that have been labeled discriminatory. (Workplace Fairness, 2008). If Pat Grey's expressed views at the school board meeting ultimately caused him to be fired, then so be it. Furthermore, without a direct statement that this was the reason he was fired, he would have trouble proving it in court - although because of at-will employment it would not matter anyways. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects employees from sex discrimination, which includes sexual harassment. Sexual harassment can include "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature [that] explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment." (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2008). Newcorp is liable to protect its employees from sex discrimination. In order to do so, they can begin by firing Sam. There are many reasons he should be fired. First, by preventing Paula from transferring departments and by making unwelcome sexual advances, Sam is committing sexual harassment. If Newcorp did not reprimand Sam for sexual harassment in any way, Paula may take legal actions against Newcorp. Secondly, Sam likely violated his conditions of employment by becoming romantically involved with an employee that he supervised. Many companies have policies stating that supervisors cannot date the employees they supervise because other employees may feel that they are being put at an unfair advantage by not dating supervisors. Finally, Sam was using paid work time to have romantic encounters with Paula - any employee who uses company time for anything other than work is fair game for termination. It may also be advisable for Newcorp to fire Paula, as she was also using paid work time to have romantic encounters with Sam. Her public displays of affection in front of the other employees may have also caused them to feel uncomfortable - which is a type of sexual harassment. Even if Paula is not fired, she should be disciplined in some way. However, it is a bad idea for Newcorp to fire Paula but not Sam, because Paula will try to sue Newcorp for the sexual harassment from Sam that Newcorp allowed. Legal Encounter 3: Newcorp has very little liability to Paul and his claim for worker's compensation. While Paul's claustrophobia may have arisen from his working conditions, these particular working conditions were normal for the job of a maintenance technician. Because being a maintenance technician normally requires a person to get into small spaces to fix things, Paul will not be able to claim worker's comp for his claustrophobia. On the other hand, for example, if he worked in a cubicle for a calling

Research study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research study - Assignment Example He asserts that several elements can be used to define quality of goods and services. Such factors include performance, operational features, aesthetics, reliability, durability, conformity, perceived quality and serviceability. Garvin reiterates that satisfaction among customers should not be restrained to goods alone. It should also be extended to services. According to the research, it is clear that customers establish a balance between price and benefits obtained from the goods and services acquired. For this reason, the research emphasizes that marketers should often equate value of goods and services with price. In order for businesses to deliver excellent services and products, they should exactly understand customers’ tastes and preferences. However, it is worth noting that different customers have various perspectives pertaining to what they really value in goods and services. Typically, not all dimensions used by businessmen to attract customers are appealing to them in a similar way bearing in mind that preference of certain brands by marketers is an indication of how customers perceive their goods and services. According to Garvin (2009), businesses should try as much as possible to comprehend their clients’ tastes and perspectives. Consequently, they will be able to increase the success rate of marketing their merchandises. For instance, Big W is a departmental store located in Australia that deals with sales of major products such as households, leisure, health, farm, entertainments and kids’ products. In the process of expanding its sales coverage, it has established a series of stores in Australia. At the same time, the company has increased several components including grocery. Currently, the company has put in place several links both at the local and international level. Needless to say, employees and managers in the company are very keen in analysing and adhering to consumers’ tastes and preferences. The researche r defines quality characteristics targeted in the research. The researchers note that entrepreneurship in business is about exchanges between buyers and manufacturers. Since it is continuous process, business men ensure that they win customers favour for future. For this purpose, it is important to understand the quality characteristics of products or services in order to ensure constant inflow of customers. Companies are able to sustain a royal group by offering quality products and services hence guaranteeing their future sale. Vividly, customers influence on future purchase is dependent on the present quality of goods and services obtained in the market. If at any time they feel dissatisfied, they are likely to change their purchase sites in future. It is evident from research conducted that, the quality of products derived from companies highly influence purchases in future either positively or negatively. Further, the researcher notes that it is advisable for businesses to fost er qualitative satisfaction to clients and their target groups. This can be done by conducting an analysis of clients’ preferences. The latter analysis will assist businesses to identify which products are highly preferred and to what extent customers are willing to purchase them. Additionally, considering customers preferences will help business men to make vital and reliable decisions that will favour customers. In line with this, this will help companies to optimize on more designs in terms of services and products. In order to accomplish this, they

The effect of mohammed ali on Arabic culture in Egypt i mean how Dissertation

The effect of mohammed ali on Arabic culture in Egypt i mean how mohammed ali make modern egypt education scholarships , - Dissertation Example Research Methodology Why Muhammad Ali? As Viceroy (alternately Wali, Khedive or Pasha) of Egypt 125 years earlier had a revolutionary impact on Egyptian society, politics and culture. He also established a dynasty in 1805 that would last for almost 150 years: A dynasty that would only end with the Egyptian revolution and establishment of a Republic in 1953. (Dodwell, 1977, passim.) The following discussion will focus on the first Muhammad Ali and his impact on Egypt and Egyptian development. Initially, a brief biography of the Viceroy will be presented. The body of the discussion will focus on his reforms to various aspects of Egyptian life such as the army, academia and administration. The concluding section of this discussion will assess the impact of these changes and their importance. Biography Muhammad Ali was born in 1769, in the Ottoman province of Kavala, which was located in present-day Greece. According to Encyclop?dia Britannica online his â€Å"ethnic background is unkno wn, though he may have been an Albanian and was certainly a Muslim and an Ottoman subject.†(n. d.) Historian Afaf Lutfi Al-Sayyid Marsot, argues that even his birthday is unknown and suggests that 1770 was his actual date of birth. He also argues that Muhammad Ali was not Albanian but Kurdish. (1984, pp 24-25) His father was a military leader for the governor of Kavala. Muhammad Ali sustained a rumour that his father died when he was very young and thenceforward the young man was raised by the governor.(Encyclop?dia Britannica online, n. d.) Again, Marsot disputes this tale and asserts that his father did not die until Muhammad Ali was a married man of 20. (1984, p. 25) Details are sketchy but he followed in his father's footsteps in the military while also dabbling in trading and in 1787 he married his first wife, a relative of the governor. (Encyclop?dia Britannica online, n. d.) The various versions of Muhammad Ali's early life are complex and contradictory. However, this p roposal and the subsequent dissertation will focus on his life after 1801 and his impact on Egyptian politics, culture and society. Therefore, these specific historical questions do not have a major impact on this discussion. However, these disputes do clearly establish that the historical record of Muhammad Ali (as it is present in both primary and secondary sources) must be closely assessed for veracity and accuracy. What is clear and undisputed is military experience and connections to the government led to his being dispatched in 1801 as an officer in a force of Albanians sent to Egypt by the Sultan to drive out the French, who had invaded the Ottoman province three years earlier. He was to succeed in a manner that far exceeded the Sultan's expectations or desire. Napolean and Muhammad Ali The French invasion of Egypt in 1798 by Napoleon Bonaparte's Army of Italy had numerous motivations. Personally and politically, his eye on control of all of France, Napoleon hoped to enhance his popularity and prestige. Further, he was accompanied by an army of scholars who were assigned to explore and document Egypt's natural and ancient history. The French were also exploring the possibility of constructing a 'Suez' canal to facilitate destruction of Great Britain's hold over India (Harten, 2003). Eventually, the British defeated the French in Egypt, but themselves evacuated in 1803 once the Napoleonic threat was eliminated. Muhammad Ali remained and and a

The Public Information Model

The Public Information Model By the early of 1920s, the Press Agentry Model has been criticized as deception model by large corporations and started to lose credibility among the journalists (Grunig Hunt, 1984). Ivy Lee, a former journalist turned to Public Relations practitioner recognized the problem and established Declaration of Principles to journalists. By that time Public Relations has taken the changes from on accuracy in communication and more concerned with truthful information distribution than manipulating the news (Kaid, 2004). Thus, this practice has eventually contributed to the rise of Public Information Model. Public Information Model basically is to inform the public without carry any emphasizing promotion and publicity. This model does not seek to direct persuade or change the attitude of the public but is to disseminate any relevant information to them. Therefore, it is thus predicated that if the public has sufficient information that is relevant and truthful about the organization, then the public will believe and behave to what the organization desired. In Public Information Model, Public Relations practitioners often being refer as the journalist in residence, whose job is to report objectively information about their organizations to the public (Grunig Hunt, 1984). In addition, Public Information Models explained the importance of maintain and enhancing the image of the company or organizations by disseminating information to the target public. It has been characterized as a one way communication techniques used by Public Relations practitioners. Although both Press Agentry and Public Information Model has been characterized as one way communications, the Public Information model differs because the purpose is to giving out clear and factual information to the public. In fact, this model is a one way communication where the process start off with information flows from sender (PR practitioners of the organizations) to the receiver (target audience or public). This technique included press release, features story, video release or any communication related to the information of the company that is directed among the public In this model, a good Public Relations practitioner is able to disseminate the information by putting in their organizations ideas or approaches and uses it to influences their target public. Therefore in this model, Public Relations practitioner has to constructs their writing in creative and informative way. This creative can be applied into the newsletter of the company, magazine, brochures with any related information about the organizations like the products, testimonials, organizations successful background, top management people and etc. People are exposed to different kind of media messages in their daily life. Mass media are very important particular on Public Relations Practitioner for delivering their messages to the target audience. Grunig and Hunt (1984, p.223) explains that media relations is very important among Public Relations when it comes to Press Agentry and Public Information Model. Therefore, Public Relations practitioner as the third-party information endorser for the media is responsible to giving out the information that is credible and valuable to the public (Wilcox, 2005). Today, the Public Information Model can be found in mostly in government agencies, NGOs, education and health institutions or in some other businesses. In fact, the concept of this model is to give out the information to the public usually through the media by hoping someone will pay attention to the information. The example can be seen in one of the Malaysian Governments policies, 1 Malaysia Concept. Agenda setting theory explains the powerful influence in the media that able to create public awareness on important issues (Mccombs, 2002). The media cannot tell what the people to think but has the ability to inform the people what to think about (Cohen, 1963). In order word, Public Relations practitioners able to raise the importance of an issue through the repetition of news in the media. Malaysia is a multicultural society of which the population is made up by different types of ethnic groups includes Malays, Chinese, Indian and the Native. In fact, Malaysians are very sensitive to the issue that particular related to ethnicity and races. Thus, national unity has become the top agenda to the public and thus it has become a Public Relations discourse in Malaysia. In that case, PR practitioner has utilised the mainstream media to disseminate the messages and information that is associates to unity to the Malaysian citizen. Everyday Malaysian citizen and also foreigner have been bombarded by with the messages of 1 Malaysian Concept by the mainstream media. The 1 Malaysia logo and slogan is ubiquitous due to mass advertising and commercials in mainstream media (Hashim, 2011). Therefore, by observing at the very general perspective, the Public Information Model has been practiced in 1 Malaysia concept is to create the awareness on the importance of unity in the society. The Public Information Model has also been applied in the public service announcements that related to health, safety and environment. One of the examples is the Tak Nak!, an anti-smoking campaign conducted by Malaysia Ministry of Health. The purpose of this is campaign to create awareness of the dangerous and harmful effect of smoking to the public. The campaign usually associates smoking to deadly diseases such as lung cancer and heart attack. The Tak Nak! Campaign is considered as a Public Information Model because it basically provides the information about the chemical substances that can be found in the cigarettes and how it is harmful to the individuals or the people around them. In fact, Public Information Model also been practiced in some campaign like HIV prevention, Crime Awareness, or any social issues that basically aimed to educate the public. In brief, these campaigns are characterised as a one way communication, in which the PR practitioner only involves in creating a wareness and telling the information to the public. Similarly, Public Information Model also being used for crisis management. The outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Southern China in November 2002 has been recognised as one of the global threats in 21th century. SARS had eventually caused hundreds of death and also bring a worldwide impact on economic and the travel industry. However, Public Information Model has been practiced by the Singapore Government and media to overcome the crisis. Information regarding the SARS outbreak was widely distributed by the media and government. The information such as the SARS knowledge, symptoms, prevention and safety precaution has been distributed to the public. The Singapore Ministry of Health has established the channels that provide sufficient and comprehensive information to the public. All types of media were used, including a public television channel, radio, newspaper and internet to ensure constant information update and keep the public informed of the risks for infec tion and preventive measures. In fact, Singapore was taken out of the official list of SARS-infected countries by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2003 due to the quick responses of Singapore Government and their media in controlling the crisis. Therefore, the above example has highlighted the importance of the Public Information Model for PR practitioners when handling the crisis management. Meanwhile, the higher education institutions have also been spotted on practicing the Public Information Model. We often can see the university and college create the publicity materials such as press release, banner, brochure, flyer or even static web content. In fact, the process usually involved is disseminating the details and information about the history, achievement, facilities, event, faculty and courses. In this context, we have selected Tunku Abdul Rahman College as one of the examples to analyse. We can see Tunku Abdul Rahman College webpage has become the channel of distributing the important information that is related to the academic, facilities, student loan, collaborative university partnership and any upcoming event in the college. In addition to this, the practice of Public Information Model can be highlighted when Tunku Abdul Rahman College provide the information through the distribution of the brochures. The brochures usually consists the information of the cours es and overseas university collaborative partnership. Therefore, the process involves the dissemination the information by putting in the college ideas or approaches and uses it to influences their target public. In recent years, private sector has started to realised the importance of providing and explaining the company policies to their stakeholder. Public Information Model plays an important role when comes to new innovation that needs to explains to the public. The diffusion of innovation theory explains the adoption of the idea, practice, culture or object that is perceived to be new in the society (Rogers, 1962). The theory explains that media as well as interpersonal communication play the important role in providing the information to influence others opinion. Similarly,

Newspaper Report on a Town :: Papers

Newspaper Report on a Town I am going to write a newspaper article about my town, it is called Luton. It is thirty miles north of London. And has a population of around 187000 people. Its main features are the airport, which is currently being extended and the Vauxhall factory. The area, which I live in, is called Wigmore. It is on the very edge of the town and backs onto the countryside. There are a number of small villages beyond Wigmore, Tea Green, which has a small golf course, and Cockernhoe, which has a small junior school. They both have very few houses, as well as a church and of course a pub. All of the houses down my road are either four or three bed-roomed houses. They all have front and back gardens as well as a park. This is a good feature as it allows children to play in the comfort of their own road; this is very reassuring for parents. If you go out of my road there is a main road, which if you follow will either take you to Wigmore Valley Park, which is an enormous playing field that sits directly next to the airport. It is used mainly in the summer where you would have families with picnics, fun and games and people walking their dogs. If you go the other way you will be taken to the local supermarket, ASDA. Which is the second busiest attraction in my area, next to the airport. The supermarket consists of everything you could think of from designer clothes, ready cooked food as well as your every day shopping. It also has a music and video store which has a number of top of the chart products as well as a large archive of old music and videos. And all of this at exceptionally low prices. If you go slightly further than ASDA then you will reach Ashcroft area, this is where my School is. My school is an I.T communications college which means that its main interest is I.

Good sameritan essay Essay

Should being a Good Samaritan be a law? This is a question that many people do not think about everyday. In my opinion, I believe that there should not be a law on being a Good Samaritan. I believe this because; there should not be a law that causes human beings to put their lives at risk, only to save another’s. This may sound selfish but it is also the truth. Do you think its right for human beings to put their livea at risk to save anothers? The Good Samaritans USA are afraid to Act article states â€Å"They are imposing on us a duty to assist, provided we don’t put ourselves at risk.† (Sjoerdsma Paragraph 4) This means that if we have to be Good Samaritans then there is a chance that we are putting ourselves at risk. There is a chance that we could die. Therefore, there is a chance that there would be many deaths at a cause of this law. If you have a special relationship between the victims, then of course it would only be logical for you to help the person in need. For example, â€Å"certain people have a duty to take care of others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sjoerdsma Paragraph 9) This would be like between a doctor and a patient. Then it would be the doctor’s duty to make sure that the patient is taken care of. Also the article states â€Å"instead of compelling reluctant incompetent people to intervene, we should concentrate in protecting Good Samaritans who act now without force of law.† (Sjoerdsma Paragraph 6) Here we can clearly see that humans can be good people without law forcing them to do so. It would be better for all of the US to feel like they are doing a good deed by being a Good Samaritan rather than a requirement. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a requirement for US citizens to always be a hero and do an act of kindness. This law would put not only one life at risk but the lives of many others at risk.

How does Showboat raise issues of race in American culture and bring serious issues to musical theatre Essays

How does Showboat raise issues of race in American culture and bring serious issues to musical theatre Essays How does Showboat raise issues of race in American culture and bring serious issues to musical theatre Paper How does Showboat raise issues of race in American culture and bring serious issues to musical theatre Paper Musical theater has been around for many years, with the first musical produced, which is similar to that of modern day musicals was The black Crook in September 12 1866. Before showboat the theatre was reserved for white people, using make up to make black characters noticeable. Showboat revolutionized the face of musicals by being the first racially integrated play, but some argue whether the play should be looked upon like this. As it was not always fully racially integrated in all aspects. Nevertheless, the idea was still very controversial at the time, as I will discuss later. Showboat took a new look upon the way theatre was and for some it was seen as the first as the first American musical play. The musical was based upon Edna Ferbers book; she often dealt with characters that were discriminated against for reasons such as ethnicity. Hammerstein wrote the lyrics for showboat, which were often poignant and controversial. Oscar Hammerstein is highly regarded in the history of American musical theatre with the utmost respect. The lyrics he produced such as that from South Pacific could be looked at to understand the views of Hammerstein. His use of language concerning racism is exceptionally strong, and for the most part very correct. Youve got to be taught, Its got to be drummed, To hate all the people your relatives hate. He takes this idea that no one is a born racist. You must often be brought up to be one, as suggested in this piece, which takes careful teaching and hatred. America during the 1920s was in a terrible state concerning racism, it was worse in the south with extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan being created. Who openly hated black people and Catholics. This resulted in lynching of black people for no reason and segregation to the point that black people were not even aloud in the same restaurant or bus as a white person. Showboat was not shown in the south during this time, this was most likely a result of such amounts of racism in the south that it would not be accepted. Possibly even making the overall situation worse. This racism in general was the reason why Showboat was such a huge step forward in American culture. The characters in the play were still at times stereotypical with black characters being presented to you as maids and stevedores. However, the major difference was for the first time black characters where given individuality, emotions and meaning. Using songs such as OlMan River sung by Joe one of the stevedores. This song sympathized with the character and his situation. It symbolizes how the black characters were often of less importance than the leading white characters. The blues influence to the songs makes them more emotional and touching. Joe is one of the characters that is shown to have much love, especially for Julie. Joe shows great respect for miss Julie as he refers to her as. Julie is the star of the show but having a mixed background causes her to have nigger blood as Vallon the racist sheriff refers to it. It would therefore be illegal for her to marry anyone who does not have nigger blood in them. At this time in American, it was a criminal offence causing the charged to be arrested. In the first scene Andy introduces her as the little sweetheart of the south Miss Julia LaVerne showing how she is made into this figure to be looking up to and admired greatly. Yall know her, and yall love her Andy says. It is rather ironic how they love Julie, as they all know her. However, in reality they know very little of her background and real identity which may not be as openly accepted as the character she prefers to be instead. She is what is known as passing. This is when someone passes for something they are not. In Julies case a white woman, but in reality, she is mixed race with many of her influences coming from the black community such as the songs she sings. Another example of the racism towards characters and use of language, which is said in an everyday manner, is Pete. Thats a hell of a thing to do giving my present to a nigger. It shows no respect towards black people. Julie is idolized, for example Magnolia who looks up to her seeking advice. Julie often refers to her as child, they have a mother daughter relationship but also like two sisters at the same time. Again little evidence is shown of Magnolia ever being told the truth about Julies upbringing. Julie is obviously very afraid of being found out for passing, which shows the harsh realities of the racism. She is afraid of the consequences and would loose everything on the showboat, it would not even be allowed for her to act on stage as someone of mixed race. Which is another strong issue that showboat brings up. The fear of being caught is shown when Julie sings a song Cant help loving that man of mine and queenie recognizes the song. The subtext says a swift terror steals across her face this gives an impression of Julies initial reaction. She is very cautious about being found out but it states the expression quickly vanishes. I believe at no point is Julie ever ashamed of the life she has lived. Or of any of her black heritage, she fears the system that is scandalizedd with racism. Everything comes to an emotional climax when Pete alerts the sheriff about the case between Julie and Steve. Showboat uses this seen to create a very strong message of how love can overcome boundaries. Steve cuts Julies hand with a knife and sucks the blood, this way Steve could honestly say, he has nigger blood in him. Vallon the sheriff is obviously grossly racist referring to the miscegenation case as a negro woman married to a white man. This is where Steve says You wouldnt call a man a white man thats got negro blood in him, would you? There is a mixed reaction by the characters with Windy openly swearing that Steve is telling the truth. While Parthy is not even allowed to speak as, Andy does not trust her to back up Steve and Julie. Magnolia desperately wants to see Julie but Parthy says you come back here this instant! No daughter of mines goin to talk to that that. Parthy appears to be like many during this time racist with no remorse. Her words are held back, but she seems to look down upon Julie even more now she found out her past. While others such as Andy are much more open-minded and sympathize with the situation. Also giving Steve money as a good gesture despite all that has happened. In conclusion, showboat raised many serious issues but most of all the racial hatred that was amongst people. It gave all characters despite their skin colour a distinct unique personality and highlighted the great faults, which lay in society. By playing with the emotions of the audience led you to feel great sorrow for Julies situation. In addition, the fact she is of mixed race seems completely irrelevant, as no one should be treated in such a manner. It made it very clear how so many people in the play (but in reality many people in real life) used racist undertones in everyday conversation without thinking twice about it. Showboat used varying themes to draw us into the whole situation such as belonging; Julies burning desire to be her real self but knowing she would not belong. And identity as she often felt inclined to cover up her roots so she would not be found it. Also, ignorance is a theme that remains throughout. An example of this is Pete who feels it is the right thing to do to alert the sheriff of the situation having no grasp of the consequences on the relationships. Because of the way society was it seemed something that had to be done, but fortunately, Captain Andy held hope and had a good nature, someone who saw the true He also saw Julie as person not a case or lawbreaker. Showboat revolutionized musical theatre and by taking such a serious theme and implementing, it into a musical environment made it all the more emotional opening the door for black actors. Also changing theatre, resulting with more serious issues being confronted in musical theatre such as Blood Brother and South pacific. Showboat was a milestone in the history of musical theatre.

The selfish gene theory Essay Example

The selfish gene theory Essay Example The selfish gene theory Paper The selfish gene theory Paper Therefore, if people acted purely in their self-interest as relayed in the often misunderstood purest form of the selfish gene theory, this person would not contribute to the common account in the first place and would reap the rewards of everyone else’s contribution. Contributions to the common fund started at approximately 50% of the total points of each player but this decreased over the course of the game as some people put less in the common account. Justifications for the decline in cooperation were that the only way to punish people who were not contributing to the common account was to decline to contribute to that account also. It begs the question as to how sustainable cooperative and social behaviours are without a significant deterrent to behaving selfishly. When this game was conducted with opportunity to heavily punish non contributors by using their own points to deduct from those of the non-contributing players this was consistently selected. This pattern of behaviour meant that cooperation no longer decreased over the rounds so cooperative behaviour was maintained by reward and punishment as it often is in society. More recent neurobiological evidence supports the notion that even this seemingly altruistic behaviour by the actor is selfish at a genetic level, De Quervain et al (2004) found that when a person punishes another for non-cooperative behaviour the dorsal striatum is stimulated and as this is the circuitry involved in reward-related activity there is a direct fitness benefit being bestowed by this behaviour to the actor. Additionally, there are indirect benefits for the group to which the actor belongs as this behaviour increases their survival chances and productivity. Therefore the overall fitness benefits to the person’s genes through the ultimate maintenance of the group and societal norms which help to preserve that group outweighs the personal sacrifices made to maintain this system of cooperative and social fairness which has fitness benefits for those who engage in it (Hamilton, 1964, 1975). If selfish behaviour increases a persons’ overall fitness then it would seem obvious that genes which promote selfishness should increase their presence in the gene pool and that altruistic genes would therefore be outbred. This would mean that Dawkins (1976) explanation for cooperative and social behaviour would be fundamentally flawed. However, game theory has shown how important the combination of those who behave selfishly and those who behave in a seemingly altruistic way is to the evolution of the genes that promote these behaviours. A game called ‘prisoners dilemma’ demonstrates that when two people behave altruistically they increase the overall fitness of both parties and hence the gene that promotes this behaviour is likely to survive and be replicated. When both parties behave selfishly both decrease their overall fitness which makes the gene responsible less likely to survive and be replicated and when one partner behaves selfishly it is their own fitness that will increase but if there is discrimination from those who have the altruistic genes in their willingness to interact with those carrying the selfish gene then this explains why the population is not overcome by those carrying the selfish gene. Dawkins purports that consciousness has evolved to be able to override the influence of the genes and that the more executive decisions are made at the helm of this consciousness. It is the relationship between the genes and consciousness that determine how a person will behave and the influence of the environment and its culture shapes consciousness more than genes do. Dawkins acknowledged a meme as a unit of culture that can be passed from person to person at a much faster rate than genes would be and therefore memes create rules for cooperative and social behaviour and these rules help to maintain systems of cooperation by punishing those who do not engage fairly in social interactions. Therefore where behaviours cannot be explained by genes they are explained by memes and Cartesian-dualism. Because ultimately genes are primarily concerned with their own replication, they influence people to behave in ways that are most likely to meet this need; altruistic and cooperative behaviour has evolved as a consequence of its success at replicating itself and therefore cooperative and social behaviour is explained by the SGT as having evolved at the level of the genes through selfish means. Cooperative and social behaviour at the level of the organism is therefore only a mechanism to ensure that the needs of the genes are being met. The survival of the fittest is therefore not a competition for resources and advantageous selfish behaviour but it is an enhanced chance of survival and reproduction bestowed on those who behave in efficient ways such as through cooperative and social behaviours (Margulis Lovelock, 1974) Conclusively, Dawkins SGT appears to be able to offer adequate explanations for cooperative and social behaviours that enhance the fitness of the actor and those who share the same genes. If the fitness is not directly or indirectly enhanced with an immediate effect then this can be explained as having a lifetime fitness benefit by this same theory but it is worth noting that measuring lifetime fitness benefits is difficult to do which limits this explanation. The weaker the genetic connection between the actor and the recipient the weaker the theory becomes when offering explanations for cooperative and social behaviours, especially as the behaviour of the actor becomes increasingly altruistic. Therefore from the perspective of the SGT even apparently cooperative and social behaviour at the level of the organism is always one of selfish motivation at the level of the genes; put succinctly, ‘scratch an altruist and watch a hypocrite bleed’ (Ghiselin, 1974). References Dawkins, R. (1976). The selfish gene. New York: Oxford University Press. Hamilton, W. D. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behaviour. I II. Journal of Theoretical Biology. 7, pp. 1-52. Hamilton, W. D. (1975). Innate social aptitudes of man: An approach from evolutionary genetics. In R. Fox (Ed. ), Biosocial anthropology (pp. 133-155). New York: Wiley. Sachs, J. L. , Mueller, U. G. , Wilcox, T. P. , Bull, J. J. (2004). The evolution of cooperation. Quarterly Review of Biology, 79, pp. 135-160. Trivers, R. L. (1971) Evolution of reciprocal altruism. Q. Rev. Biol. 46, pp. 35-7. Gardner, A. , and West, S. A. 2004. Spite and the scale of competition. J. Evol. Biol. 17, pp. 1195–1203. Gardner, A. and West, S. A. 2006. Demography, altruism, and the benefits of budding. Journal of Evolutional Biology. 19, pp. 1707–1716. West, S. A. , Gardner, A. , Barton, N. H. (2007). The relation between multilocus population genetics and social evolution theory. 169, pp. 207–226. Maynard Smith, J. (1964). Group selection and kin selection. Nature, 20, pp. 1145-1147. Johannsen, W. (1911). The genotype conception of heredity, Amer. Natur. , 1911. 95. 1911-10005-00110. 1086/279202. Krebs, J. R. , Davies, N. B. (1993). An introduction to behavioral ecology. (3rd ed. ). Oxford, england: blackwell. de Quervain, D. J. , Fischbacher, U. , Treyer, V. , Schellhammer, M. , Schnyder, U. , Buck, A. , Fehr, E. (2004, August 27). The neural basis of altruistic punishment. Science, 305, 1254-1258. West, S. A. , A. S. Griffin, and A. Gardner. 2007. Social semantics: altruism, cooperation, mutualism, strong reciprocity and group selection. J. Evol. Biol. 20, pp. 415–432. West, S. A. , A. S. Griffin, A. Gardner, and S. P. Diggle. 2006. Social evolution theory for microorganisms. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 4, pp. 597–607. Griffin, A. S. , and S. A. West. 2002. Kin selection: fact and fiction. Trends Ecol. Evol. 17, pp. 15–21. Frank, S. A. (2003). Perspective: repression of competition and the evolution of cooperation. Evolution 57. pp. 693–705. Lehmann, L. , and L. Keller. 2006. The evolution of cooperation and altruism- a general framework and a classification of models. J. Evol. Biol. 19 pp. 1365–1376. Kummerli, R. , Gardner, R. , West, S. A. , Griffin, A. S. (2008) Limited dispersal, budding dispersal and cooperation: an experimental study. Ghiselin, M. (1974). A radical solution to the species problem. Systematic Zoology, 23, 536-554. Van Baalen M. and Jansen V. A. A. (2006) Kinds of kindness: classifying the causes of altruism and cooperation. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 19: 1377-1379 Heylighen F. (1992) Selfish Memes and the Evolution of Cooperation, Journal of Ideas , 2. pp 77-84.

The Need for a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Dissertation

The Need for a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan - Dissertation Example 11). While it might be difficult, and sobering, to convince a reluctant boss that consideration must be given to keep all of their employees safe form violence while on the job, it is certainly worth the effort. To begin, it is helpful to point out some real world examples that bring the problem a little bit closer to home. Consider a bank, where tellers are on the frontline of ealing with the public on a daily basis, with thousands (in some cases much more) of dollars in their grasp. Without a violence prevention program in tact, an unsuspecting teller, and the public at large, can quickly become the victim of a violent act of grave proportions. There are many types of businesses that have a propensity towards violence occurring in the workplace. Consider any business that has its primary function being various interactions with the public. By the sheer nature of having unsecured people entering the office or place of business on a daily basis, all employees and an unsuspecting publ ic are put at risk. To not have some type of prevention effort in place to ward off possible attacks, management and owners are simply doing a disservice to the very employees that have devoted their working lives to the company. This is not to mention the customers who have a basic assumption that they are safe during the time that they are in a place of business. The management and owners owe it to the very customers that make them money to keep them relatively safe from harm in every way possible. Owners need to be aware of the risks, and cannot simply adopt a ‘this will not happen us’ mentality. A firm example of this can be seen in a company that utilises armoured trucks to transport money and various precious metals around major cities all across the United States. Such employees literally put their lives on the line to protect that which they are transporting, yet they all too often become victims of violent crimes. Without an adequate plan of workplace violence prevention, the drivers and guards would be left at a loss for which protocols to follow when they are under threat (Bruce & Nowlin, 2011, p. 294). Yet, almost all such companies do have a violence prevention plan in place. Naturally, such a plan does not work in every case, unfortunately, but they have thwarted many a violent attack in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. The owner who simply says that their business is not subject to violent attacks, such as the one described in this example, is missing the point. Any business that has any number of employees is, at some point, vulnerable to an attack. Consider any transportation company. Their drivers would be under the risk of attack from criminals who would seek to rob them of their merchandise. Any employee, working alone or with a partner, that is off site for any part of the work day is in a dangerous position and should have some kind of protection to ward off a possible violent attack that might occur. It is not only businesses that work with the public that are subject to violent attacks either. Consider the recent attacks at post offices, tax agencies, and general office

Investment and Fund Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Investment and Fund Management - Essay Example The current difficulty that the members of Fortunes are facing now is regarding the portfolio of pension provision. According to the current provisions, the members will be paid lump sum based upon individual contributions. But a careful analysis of the pension fund portfolio reveals that it was built up in an undisciplined manner. Hence, the current portfolio is considered inappropriate since the global markets are facing downturns. The objective of the study is to carefully analyse the current portfolio and recommend suitable adjustments so that Fortunes Inc. can meets its pension provision in the coming years. Analysis of Current Portfolio Tottenham Hotspur Fortunes Inc. has bought 2000 ordinary shares of Tottenham Hotspur plc which was founded in 1882 and it owns Tottenham Hotspur FC. It falls under entertainment sector. The total revenue of the company at the end of 2011 was ?261.90 million. The company has experienced a growth rate of over 45% during one year. BAE Systems BAE s ystems plc is multinational British defence aerospace and Security Company. It is the world’s largest defence contractor and third biggest in terms of revenue. It falls under aviation sector. The total revenue at the end of 2012 was ?17.84 billion with net profit over ?1billion. Tesco Tesco plc is a multinational British general merchandise and grocery retailer and is the third largest retailer in the world. It falls under consumer goods sector. The total revenue of the company for the year ending 2012 was over ?65.5 billion with net profit over ?3.9 billion. Whitbread Whitbread plc operates in hotels and restaurant business. As of 2012, the company has over 619 hotels and over 385 restaurants. The total revenue of the company for the year ending 2012 was GBP 1.9 billion with a net profit of GBP 281 million. Barclays Bank Barclays plc is a leading banking and financial services providing multinational company which is headquartered in London, UK. It is public limited company and is traded as BARC on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). It falls under banking and financial services sector. For the year ending 2012, the company reported total revenue over ?24 billion with bottom line about ?235 million. The company specialises in Investment banking, corporate banking and Wealth banking. Helical Bar Helical Bar plc is a holding company operating in property investments and development. It falls under the realty sector. The company leases or owns land and properties for the purpose of trading and selling. The company booked profits of over GBP 7.65 million from a total revenue over 65.85 million. Cable and Wireless Communication It is a global telecom service provider that offers broadband, mobile, television, and fixed lines to customers. It falls under the entertainment sector. In October 2011 the company has sold its 50% interest to Mauritius based Telecom Company known as Vanuatu ltd. In the year 2012, it sold 49% stake to Fiji and formed an amalgamated ent ity known as Fintel. In April 2013, it announced the sale of majority stake to Monaco & Islands division. For the year ending 2012, the company suffered a net loss of GBP 55.49 million. Flybe Group It is UK based domestic airline company and it falls under aviation sector. As on 2012, the company reported to own 19 aircrafts but it suffered a net loss of GBP 22.30 million. Lazard UK Alpha Retail Inc Fund The fund does not charge any initial fee currently