Education in “The Republic” & “Discourse on the Arts and Sciences”

The role and significance of education with regard to political and social institutions is a subject that has interested political philosophers for millennia. In particular, the views of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, as evidenced in The Republic, and of the pre-Romantic philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau in his Discourse on the Arts and Sciences, present a striking juxtaposition of the two extremes of the ongoing philosophical and political debate over the function and value of education. In this paper, I will argue that Rousseau's repudiation of education, while imperfect and offering no remedy to the ills it disparages, is superior inasmuch as it comes closer to the truth of things than does Plato's idealized conceptions. To do so, I will first examine Plato's interpretation of the role of education and its function in shaping the structure of society and government and in producing good citizens. I will then introduce Rousseau's view of education and the negative effects of the civilized culture which it produces, and using this view, will attempt to illustrate the naivete and over-idealization of Plato's notions. Finally, I will attempt to demonstrate that it is Rousseau's view, rather than Plato's, that is ultimately more significant in assessing the actual (vs. idealized) merits (or lack thereof, in Rousseau's case) by which education should be judged with regard to the nurturance of good citizens. For Plato, the question of the role of education arises near the end of Book II (377e), after a discussion of both the necessary and consequent attributes of Socrates' kallipolis or â€Å"Ideal City. Such a city, Socrates argues, will, before long, have need of both a specialization of labor (in order for the greatest level of diversity and luxury of goods to be achieved) and of the establishment of a class of â€Å"Guardians† to protect the city from its envious neighbors and maintain order within its walls (i. e. , to police and govern the city). This, in turn, leads inexorably to the question of what attributes the Ideal City will require of its Guardians, and how best to foster such attributes. The early, childhood education of the Guardians, Socrates argues, is the key. What, then, asks Socrates, should children be taught, and when? This quickly leads to a discussion of censorship. Socrates cites a number of questionable passages from Homer which cannot, he thinks, be allowed in education, since they represent dishonorable behavior and encourage the fear of death. The dramatic form of much of this poetry is also suspect: it puts unworthy words into the mouths of gods & heroes. Socrates suggests that what we would call â€Å"direct quotation† must be strictly limited to morally-elevating speech. Nothing can be permitted that compromises the education of the young Guardians, as it is they who will one day rule and protect the city, and whom the lesser-constituted citizens of the polis will attempt to emulate, assimilating, via the imitative process of mimesis, to the Myth (or â€Å"noble lie†) of the Ideal City in which justice is achieved when everyone assumes their proper role in society. The process of mimesis, is, of course, yet another form of education, in which those of Iron and Bronze natures are â€Å"instructed† and inspired by the superior intelligence and character of the Gold and Silver members of the Guardian class. It is therefore a form of education without which the polis cannot operate. Thus, for Guardian and ordinary citizen alike, the education of the young and the continuing â€Å"instruction† of the citizenry are crucial. In addition to these aspects, Plato also conceives of another function of education, and one which is quite significant in its relation to Rousseau's views. For Plato, education and ethics are interdependent. To be ethical, in turn, requires a twofold movement: movement away from immersion in concrete affairs to thinking and vision of unchanging order and structures (such as justice) and then movement back from dialectic to participation and re-attachment in worldly affairs. It is a temptation to become an abstract scholar. But the vision of the good is the vision of what is good for oneself and the city — of the common good. If one does not return to help his fellow human beings, he becomes selfish and in time will be less able to see what is good, what is best. An unselfish devotion to the good requires an unselfish devotion to the realization of this good in human affairs. Just as the purpose of understanding order and limits in one's own life is to bring about order and restraint in one's own character and desires, the understanding of justice requires application in the public sphere (through education). A man who forgets the polis is like a man who forgets he has a body. Plato thus advocates educating both the body and the city (for one needs both), not turning one's back on them. If education is, for Plato, the means by which man comes to fully realize (through society) his potential as a human being and by which society as a whole is in turn elevated, for Rousseau it is quite the opposite. Education, argues Rousseau, does not elevate the souls of men but rather corrodes them. The noble mimesis which lies at the heart of education in Plato's kallipolis is for Rousseau merely a slavish imitation of the tired ideas of antiquity. The ill effects of this imitation are manifold. Firstly, argues Rousseau, when we devote ourselves to the learning of old ideas, we stifle our own creativity and originality. Where is there room for original thought, when, in our incessant efforts to impress one another with our erudition, we are constantly spouting the ideas of others? In a world devoid of originality, the mark of greatness, intelligence, and virtue is reduced to nothing more than our ability to please others by reciting the wisdom of the past. This emphasis on originality is in marked contrast with Plato, who finds no value in originality, deeming it antithetical to a polis otherwise unified by shared Myths of the Ideal City and of Metals. Rousseau rejects this â€Å"unity†, rightly denouncing it as a form of slavery , in which humanity's inherent capacity for spontaneous, original self-expression is replaced with the yoking. of the mind and the will to the ideas of others, who are often long dead. In addition to suppressing the innate human need for originality, education (and the appetite for â€Å"culture† and â€Å"sophistication† that it engenders) causes us to conceal ourselves, to mask our true natures, desires, and emotions. We become artificial and shallow, using our social amenities and our knowledge of literature, etc. , to present a pleasing but deceptive face to the world, a notion quite at odds with the ideas of Plato. We assume, in Rousseau's words, â€Å"the appearance of all virtues, without being in possession of one of them. Finally, argues Rousseau, rather than strengthening our minds and bodies and (a critical point) moving us towards that which is ethical, as Plato contends, education and civilization effeminate and weaken us physically and (perhaps most significantly) mentally, and cause us, in this weakness, to stoop to every manner of depravity and injustice against one another. â€Å"External ornaments,† writes Rousseau, â€Å"are no less foreign to virtue, which is the strength and activity of the mind. The honest man is an athlete, who loves to wrestle stark naked; he scorns all those vile trappings, which prevent the exertion of his strength, and were, for the most part, invented only to conceal some deformity. † Virtue, as opposed to Plato's conception, is an action, and results not from the imitation inherent in mimesis, but rather in the activity — in the exercise — of the body, mind and soul. Education, however, demands imitation, demands a modeling upon what has been successful. How, then, do we rightly assess the merits of education with regard to its it molding of the public character — in its ability to produce â€Å"good† citizens. The answer to this hinges, I submit, on how we choose to define the â€Å"good† citizen. Clearly, if obedience (or â€Å"assimilation to a political ideology†, or perhaps â€Å"voluntary servitude†) is the hallmark of the good citizen, then we must regard Plato's disposition towards education as the proper one. However, obedience, despite its obvious centrality to the smooth operation of society (as we would have social chaos were it completely absent), has its useful limits. Over-assimilation to a political idea or â€Å"blueprint† is every bit as dangerous — indeed, far more so — as the utter under-assimilation of anarchy. For those inclined to dispute this, I would urge them to review the history of Nazi Germany as perhaps the definitive example of what sad, awful spectacles of injustice we humans are capable of when we trade in our mental and spiritual autonomy for the convenient apathy and faceless anonymity of the political ideal. Furthermore, if , as Rousseau contends, our civilization is such that, â€Å"Sincere friendship, real esteem, and perfect confidence [in each other] are banished from among men,† what is the quality of the society for which education — any modern education — purports to prepares us? When, â€Å"Jealousy, suspicion, fear coldness, reserve, hate, and fraud lie constantly concealed under †¦ [a] uniform and deceitful veil of politeness,† what is left to us to educate citizens for, other than the pleasure we seem to derive in pedantic displays of hoary knowledge? If we remove the civility from â€Å"civilization†, what remains to us that any education will remedy?

Investigating the effect of different liquid densities on the time taken to release 25 ml of alcohols Essay

* Research question: * Does the change in liquid densities at the same temperature affect the time taken to release 25 ml of the alcohol from a 50 ml burette? * Variables: * Independent variable: The liquid density / g ml-1. * Dependent variable: The time taken to release 25 ml of the alcohol from a burette / s. * Controlled variables: * The volume of alcohol in a burette / ml. * The temperature of the alcohols / oC. * The absence of unnecessary substances or ions. * The same burette for the entire experiment. * Prediction: * The time taken to release 25 ml of the alcohol from a 50 ml burette is, stated by F. Weinberg (1984) [1], dependent on flow velocity and in particular are very sensitive to small changes in the density difference between the two liquids. * My prediction is, the higher the liquid density is, the more time taken for 25 ml of the alcohol to be released from the burette. The time taken to release 25 ml of alcohol increases in order: Methanol, Ethanol, Propan-1-ol, Butan-1-ol and Octan-1-ol. * Method: * Apparatus: * 50 ml burette (Uncertainty: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.500 ml). * Retort stand. * 125 ml ethanol C2H5OH 95.0%. * 125 ml methanol CH3OH 99.5%. * 125 ml propan-1-ol CH3(CH2)2OH 98%. * 125 ml butan-1-ol CH3(CH2)3OH 99%. * 125 ml octan-1-ol CH3(CH2)7OH 94%. * Thermometer (Uncertainty: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.0500 oC). * 5 x funnels. * 50 ml conical flask. * Casio stop watch (Uncertainty: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.0100 seconds). * Distilled water. * Risk assessment: * The procedure uses poisonous alcohols. Notably, suggested by Department of Chemistry – Imperial College London (2006) [2], less than 2 teaspoons (2 ml) of methanol can cause blindness, and 2 table spoons (30 ml) can cause death. This toxicity is mainly due to it being converted in the body to formic acid and formaldehyde, which first attack the cells in the retina, then the other vital organs. Plus, propan-1-ol is used as a common solvent and cleaning agent in chemistry laboratories. Also, because it evaporates rapidly, IPA is widely used in astringents to cool the skin and constrict surface blood vessels. * Goggles and lab coat are therefore needed to be worn throughout the experiment. * Procedures: 1. Close the tap and run some distilled water into the top of the burette, then swish the burette up and down to let the water clean all the inside of the burette. Open the tap, let the water drain out. 2. Attach the burette to the retort stand and take care that the burette is upright and stable. 3. Close the tap and use the funnel to put 25 ml of ethanol into the burette. 4. Remove the funnel, make sure that there is no air bubble inside the burette. Measure the temperature of ethanol by the thermometer. 5. Put the conical flask under the burette, adjust the height of the burette so that the tip of the burette is just above the lip of the conical flask. 6. Open the tap and immediately start the stop watch. 7. Stop the watch when 25 ml of ethanol is fully released from the burette. 8. Continue to open the tap and collect the remained ethanol in the burette. 9. Repeat step 1 to 8 four more times. 10. Then change ethanol with methanol, propan-1-ol, butan-1-ol and octan-1-ol. Experiment step 1 – 9 with each alcohol. * Range and repetitions of experiment: * There are 5 different ranges (The lowest value: 0.789 g ml-1 & the highest value: 0.826 g ml-1, Please refer to Data Collection and Processing -> Processed data). * The initial procedure is repeated 5 times and thus 25 results are recorded. * Control of variables: * The volume of each alcohol sample remains constant for every test at 25 ml. Different volumes of the alcohol sample may cause inaccuracies in terms of measuring the time taken to release. For instance, larger volume of the same alcohol sample certainly takes longer time to be released. * The temperature of each alcohol sample need to remain constant for every test at 20 oC (293 K). The analysis, written by Weirauch, D. A., Jr. (1998, December) [3], of the high-temperature spreading kinetics for liquids affecting density shows that they can be modified with a constant shift factor. Therefore, higher temperature of the same alcohol sample may reduce the time taken for the alcohol to be released. * The burettes and funnels are rinsed carefully with distilled water prior to the experiment to ensure that inside the burettes do not contain any unnecessary substances/ions. If present, they may react with the alcohols to form products which have different liquid density, as opposed to original liquid densities of the alcohols at 20 oC (293 K). * The same burette is used for every measurement. This is because burettes from the same manufacturer cannot be guaranteed to have the same radius of the tips (possessing relatively small values). The use of different burettes can result differences in the time taken for the alcohol to be released. DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING * Raw data table: Alcohols Dependent & independent variables Ethanol Methanol Propan-1-ol Butan-1-ol Octan-1-ol Liquid density / g ml-1 at 20 oC (293 K) [4] 0.789 0.791 0.804 0.810 0.826 1st repetition: Time taken to release 25 ml of alcohol from a burette / seconds à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.0100 39.0 43.0 67.0 82.0 112 2nd repetition: Time taken / seconds à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.0100 41.0 44.0 69.0 81.0 115 3rd repetition: Time taken / seconds à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.0100 38.0 46.0 70.0 83.0 111 4th repetition: Time taken / seconds à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.0100 39.0 42.0 71.0 80.0 114 5th repetition: Time taken / seconds à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.0100 40.0 45.0 70.0 79.0 110. Table 2.1 shows the collected raw data table. * Processed data: * Calculating the mean time taken to release 25 ml of alcohol from a burette: * Mean time taken / s = (1st + 2nd + 3rd + 4th + 5th trial data) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 5. Alcohols Dependent & independent variables Ethanol Methanol Propan-1-ol Butan-1-ol Octan-1-ol Liquid density / g ml-1 at 20 oC (293K). 0.789 0.791 0.804 0.810 0.826 The mean time taken to release 25 ml of alcohol from a burette / à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.0100 seconds 39.4 44.0 69.4 81.0 112 Table 2.2 shows the processed mean time taken to release 25 ml of alcohol from a burette. * Presentation of processed data: Graph 2.1 shows the relationship between the liquid density and the mean time taken to release 25 ml of each alcohol from a burette. * Treatment of uncertainties: * I try to read off carefully volume of the burette from the bottom of the meniscus with my eye level at the meniscus in order to make sure that the volume of each alcohol sample used is only 25 ml. CONCLUSION AND EVALUATION * Graph analysis: * According to the presented graph of the mean time taken to release 25 ml of different alcohols, there is a very strong positive correlation between the liquid density and the mean time taken to release 25 ml of alcohol from a burette as a very good line of best fit can be observed. (Please refer to Data Collection and Processing -> Presentation of processed data -> Image 2.1). * Conclusion: * The results demonstrate that, the higher the liquid density is, the longer time taken for 25 ml of the alcohol to be released from the burette. * The conclusion totally agrees with my hypothesis. * Evaluation of procedures: * Strengths: * Safety in the laboratory is highly maintained (by wearing goggles, lab coat and being careful with glass apparatus to avoid any poisonous alcohols that may splash). * Standard ranges and repetitions are met, a very strong positive correlation between the liquid density and the mean time taken to release 25 ml of alcohol from a burette is observed. * Quantitative investigation, with repeats strongly supporting each other, successfully proves that the expectations based on scientific knowledge are totally correct. * Weaknesses: * Several inevitable uncertainties occur throughout the whole experiment which may account for inaccuracies in the collected data. * The concentrations of the alcohols vary from 94.0 % to 99.5 %. The differences in concentration of each alcohol affect the reliability of the data, since 25 ml of pure alcohols (or 5 alcohols with the same concentration) may take different time to be released from the burette. * Although there is a very strong positive correlation between the liquid density and the mean time taken to release 25 ml of alcohol from a burette, the independent variables (liquid density) do not increase constantly due to the limited number of available alcohols (Please refer to Data Collection and Processing -> Presentation of processed data -> Image 2.1). * The entire procedures, although are simple, take a long time to finish because of the 50 ml burette need to take at least 3 times to add 5 alcohol samples (5 repetitions for each alcohol), 25 ml each. Overall there are 15 times to add 25 alcohol samples since I decide to investigate 5 different alcohols. The more time I need to add more alcohols into the burette, the more likely inaccuracies to occur. * Improving the investigation: * The procedures can be partially replaced by computer data logging suggested by Laurence Rogers (1995) [5] to prevent uncertainties from human errors when stopping the watch. The experiment can be programmed to collect the data (Time taken for 25 ml of the alcohol to be released from the burette) automatically. * More alcohols with liquid densities within the ranges (The lowest value: 0.789 g ml-1 & the highest value: 0.826 g ml-1) can be tested to fill the 2 gaps between methanol and propan-1-ol, butan-1-ol and octan-1-ol in the presented graph. For instance, penta-1-ol has the liquid density of 0.815 g ml-1 at 20 oC (293 K) [6]. * Pure alcohols should be bought in the same concentration to ensure the reliability of the collected data. Otherwise, diluting the alcohols to the same concentration can be less expensive, yet time consuming. * A larger burette, for instance, with measuring volume of 75 ml (only 2 times to add 5 alcohol samples, 25 ml each) will reduce the times need to pour more alcohols into the burette to 10. Not only this change in equipment may save time of experimenting, but also minimise the uncertainties. Bibliography [1] Weinberg, F. (1984, December). Fluid flow from a low to a higher density liquid. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, 15(4), 681. Abstract retrieved March 8, 2009, from Springer Link. Web site: http://www.springerlink.com/content/n84726w432072592/ [2] Department of Chemistry. (2006, August 25). Biological effects of Methanol and Larger Alcohols. In Ethanol. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from Imperial College London. Web site: http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/mim/environmental/html/ethanol_text.htm [3] Weirauch, D. A., Jr. (1998, December). Predicting the spreading kinetics of high-temperature liquids on solid surfaces (Vol. 12). Alcoa Technical Center. Retrieved March 8, 2009. doi:10.1557/JMR.1998.0478 [4] Process Calculator. (2009). SG. In Liquid Density. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from Radix Business Models Pvt Ltd. Web site: http://www.processcalculator.com/Liquid_Density.aspx [5] Rogers, L. (1995, May). Sensors and The Data-Logger. In Hardware and software. Retrieved March 9, 2009, from School of Education, University of Leicester Web site: http://www.le.ac.uk/se/lto/logging/test1.html [6] Process Calculator. (2009). SG. In Liquid Density. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from Radix Business Models Pvt Ltd. Web site: http://www.processcalculator.com/Liquid_Density.aspx

Geography Bangladesh Coursework

To what extent does the Physical Environment of Bangladesh determine its level of development? What efforts could be made to reduce the country's problems? The aim of this coursework is to investigate how Bangladesh's Physical environment is affecting the rate of the development of the country. Furthermore, to explore what efforts could be made to reduce the country's problems. [Section 1] To what extent does the Physical Environment of Bangladesh determine its level of development? Bangladesh is situated in South Asia. It is surrounded by India, and borders Burma. The population is roughly 150 million people; 45% of it's population is in poverty. The minority of the population of in Bangladesh are located in Dhaka, the capital city, Chittagong and Khulna; most of the population are located in rural areas. The main river running through Bangladesh is the Ganges-Brahmaputra. This river is the main cause of the issues in Bangladesh. Monsoons occur every year, without fail, causing the country even more problems. Only 40. % of the adult population are literate, and only 21. 6% of children have secondary education. The government are continually trying to solve the problems, but this is unsuccessful as a result of the country's poor wealth. Bangladesh is 49. 8% below the poverty line referring to its wealth, and its rapid population growth hinders the development of the country. There are many reasons why Bangladesh is an LEDC. The main reason for this, is the flooding which occurs every year as a harsh result of the monsoons, prohibiting the speed of development. The river Ganges-Brahmaputra is seen as an ‘untameable' river, which changes its form very frequently. This causes disaster in itself as it destroys many parts of Bangladesh's fertile land which is at is best by the river. As a result of this, there are a lot of homes located along the river as it is a main source of water for everyday life, and to provide jobs such as farming and agricultural work. As a result of this, the continuous building and rebuilding of communities uses time and money, consequently slowing down the progression of the country. Another reason for Bangladesh being an LEDC is a consequence of its highly dense population. This would not be a problem if money was sufficient in Bangladesh, but the country is poor, meaning it cannot provide for its large number of inhabitants. Finally, the aid given to Bangladesh by other countries can be useless, for example, much of the money aid given to the Bangladeshi government, are loans. When the country cannot afford pay back the loans, Bangladesh is in more and more debt, meaning the development of the country is decelerate. Furthermore, most of the other aid given to the country does not help the poor, continuing poverty; highly-skilled experts can be expensive, again spending the money the government do not have; charities can be influenced by the people who support them, therefore the aid given may to be teach a certain subject, whereas simple life skills may be of more use; and fi- nally, the aid may be given to individuals, rather than communities which would be more useful. Bangladesh is between stages 2 and 3 in development. The country is poorly educated, meaning families are stuck in a poverty circle. This is when a family are poor, they have many children because the majority of them will die due to disease and malnutrition. The family need the surviving children to work to provide for the family, and to look after the parents when they are old. Then the children have children, who will do the same for their parents. This is a vicious circle which is extremely hard to get out of. Another reason why Bangladesh is in between the stages 2 and 3 is because of the floods, continually destroying parts of the country, and their valuable crops which help to provide many, many families with income. Furthermore, the money aid given to the country is usually in the form of loans; when the country is unable to repay these loans, they get into serious debt. The reason Bangladesh is in the development stages between 2 and 3 is as a result of a combination of factors. (Data from 1989. ) The employment structure in Bangladesh is very different from here in the UK. In the UK, just 7% of the population are unemployed; whereas in Bangladesh, 25% of the population are unemployed. Of those who are employed, 75% work in agricultural jobs such as, farming the fertile land. In the UK, only 2% of the population are employed for agricultural positions. % of the Bangladeshi population are working for the industry, and 20% of the UK work for the industry. 78% of the employed population in the UK are working in services, and just 19% in Bangladesh. This data shows that Bangladesh are still very much relying on the old way of life, working on farms for example, while most of the population in the UK are working in jobs such as policemen/women. This also implies that if the land is damaged, or crops do not flourish successfully as a result of the flooding, almost four fifths of the population suffer from an immense fall in their income. This is a major reason contributing to why Bangladesh's physical environmental is such an impact on the stage of development. Bangladesh do have another way of making money though. They export some goods, mainly to the US. The main exports are fish products, textiles, clothing and jute (a type of woven material). This brought in $1,305 million to Bangladesh in 1989. Bangladesh is situated in Asia. It borders Burma, and is surrounded by India. The land in Bangladesh is mainly floodplains and delta; suggesting that there would be a high level of flooding in the country, slowing down any development of the area. As we can see from the map, (below), most of the land is in the colour blue, meaning it is very close to sea level, increasing the chances of flooding. Also, there are many swampy locations liable to flooding. The majority of the country is up to just 10 meters above sea level. The country is flat, also meaning when large amounts of flooding by the large and main rivers occur, the water would spread out quickly, therefore this would affect vast areas of the country, rather than just secluded areas. The main rivers flowing through Bangladesh are the River Brahmaputra, the River Meghna and the River Ganges. This, therefore, affects a huge number of the people, as when the rivers flood, the rivers are close together, increasing the volume of the flood water, and increasing the impact on the Bangladeshi society. As a result of the country being mainly floodplains and the four main rivers running through, building on the plains would be unconstructive and a waste of valuable money, this meaning the development of the country is very limited, due to the physical features of Bangladesh. The climate in Bangladesh is split into three main phases; the hot season, the cool season and the rainy season. The hot season is between March and June. The cool season is between November and February, and the rainy season is between June to September. The hot season is known to consist of some heavy showers. Depending on the area, the amount of rainfall throughout Bangladesh in the rainy season, ranges between 200cm and 300cm; the north tends to have the most rain. During this season, tropical rainstorms occur also. These can cause very strong winds and more heavy rain. The wind spreads the flood water out more over many miles, causing excess flooding, prohibiting development of the country further. The temperatures in Bangladesh are fairly consistent. The temperatures do drop during the winter, but on average, do not fall to below 10 degrees Celsius. In the summer, the temperatures reach their highest during April and May. These temperatures are roughly 34 degrees Celsius. The annual monsoons have devastating effects on the people of Bangladesh. Firstly, the floods have destroyed many of the Bangladeshi people's homes and many communities, leaving some dead, and some badly injured. Aid has to be called for as the country cannot support itself alone, meaning they have to rely on others. Another effect is that cattle are stranded and worse, drowned in the floods. This means farmers are losing valuable ‘tools,' consequently loosing money as a result. Furthermore, the water will become stagnant and cause things to rot, attracting vermin, eventually spreading disease. In addition to this, homes and building vital for development of the country will be destroyed, bringing development back to square one every time there is a major flood. As we can see, there is a huge impact of monsoons on the whole country, keeping it in a state of poverty. Yes, the weather does effect the development of the country as every time the country is flooded, valuable and limited money is spent on repairs and aid. This can get Bangladesh onto serious debt, meaning money is spent on other things which need to be spent on development, stumping the development of the country on a regular basis. There are three main rivers running through Bangladesh. There is the River Brahmaputra (below left and below right), the River Meghna and the River Ganges. The River Brahmaputra is the largest of the three; it is 2,900km long in total. The river does not start in Bangladesh, but it splits into two there. The river also flows through Tibet, India and China as well as Bangladesh. The rivers source is high up in the Himalayas in Tibet, and travels at a steep anticlimax until it finally levels out in the plains in India. After 35km of travel, the river joins to two others, and becomes the very wide River Brahmaputra. The river travels into Bangladesh, and is used there for a range of purposes. The main ones being a source of energy, food, clean water, deposition of waste in the deepest parts, defence barriers and transport. One of the most important uses of the river is for energy. Because there are waves, generators are assembled and when the waves reflect off of them, energy and power is created. Much energy is produced every second because the river is so large. Another main use of the river, is that it is fast moving water, (not as fast as the Ganges), meaning it is fresh, enabling the people to use it as drinking water. People will bottle this water, and sell it. A good way of making money. People are able to use boats and swim in the river as the water is not as rough in the River Brahmaputra than it is in the River Ganges. The river causes many problems as well as being of use to the people. When it floods, which is every year, it kills crops, people and cattle. It also destroys homes and leaves villages wrecked. The river Ganges is seen as a wild and untameable river. Its source is also in the Himalayas at the confluence of six other rivers. A confluence is the meeting of two or more rivers or water sources. The Ganges then flows through India and into Bangladesh. The river is seen as sacred to the people because when it comes into the city of Kanpur, it is joined by the Yamuna at Allahabad. This point is recognised as the Sangam at Allahabad. The Sangam is a scared place in Hinduism, therefore the river has some religious meaning to it. The River Ganges has also been used for modern day films, and to test out new submarines. Because of its unique features, some submarines and other vessels have been named after it. The final main river is the River Meghna. This river begins its journey in the hilly regions of India. It is the only one of the three main rivers that actually forms inside of Bangladesh itself. It is a very dangerous river, so the people who live near it, cannot use it as it is so very dangerous. Its only use to its people is that it deposits a lot of silt, so therefore the local farmers can enjoy successful crops. As we can see, each river has advantages and disadvantages. The River Ganges is viewed as the least constructive of the main rivers as it is prone to flooding, and the deposition of silt is low, meaning it is of little use to farmers. In addition to this, the river is highly polluted. The River Meghna is useful as it deposits a lot of silt, yet is far too dangerous to bath or wash, cook clean etc. in. So, this means that the River Brahmaputra is the most useful to the country. It allows people drinking water, water to cook, clean and sell. Furthermore, it is a huge supplier of energy to Bangladesh, meaning it is valuable for the development of the country. Deforestation does have a large impact on the rivers in Bangladesh. It increases the amount of surface runoff where the forest has been cleared because there is no interception of the plants and there are no trees to use the extra water in photosynthesis. This means that the surface runoff will flow into the rivers, causing the water levels to rise, and contributing to the flooding. To conclude, the rivers have uses, but are also prone to at least 3 major floods a year, hindering the development of the country. Deforestation is causing a rise in water levels also. However, the River Brahmaputra is a useful source of energy, helping to contribute to the development of the country. There are many things which are being done to overcome the Bangladesh's problems. As a result of the country's poor wealth, it is a great struggle to try to pull the country out of its current state of poverty. There already have been, and will be many schemes to try to rule out the problems Bangladesh has and is experiencing. For example, the Flood Action Plan was set up, also, the World Bank plan was established, flood guards have been purchased, and the H. E. E. D scheme was set up. The H. E. E. D Scheme The H. E. E. D scheme was developed and designed by the Tear Fund. The Tear Fund is a Christian Charity, working globally to try to eliminate poverty. The H. E. E. D scheme's aim was to support villages in Bangladesh to push for a better future. H. E. E. D stands for Health, Education, Economic, Development. The scheme operates by addressing the roles of both women and men in society to allow everybody to play a part in trying to overcome problems, together. Women form in groups of about 20 to discuss problems and show that they have a voice and that they also have rights in society. Only the women are able to do this as they are the only ones who have the time. Their main role is to be a housewife, looking after the family, while the men are out working. The men work as farmers all day, therefore they are unable to support the women as much.

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Project management - Essay Example As recommended by literature (Field and Keller 2007, p.198), the forward pass mode has been used for calculating the ETS for each of the activities. The mode is based on the assumption that all previous activities have been finalised. The following equation has been used in calculating its values: ETSj  = max (ETSi  + Ti  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ i - when an activity is linked to j on an arc from i to j). The values of ETS for each of the activities are provided in a Table 1. Early Finish Time (EFT) is calculated by adding the duration time of each activity to its ETS. The Late Start Time (LTS) is calculated through the use of backward pass mode. It is based on the assumption that the latest time the last event can occur is equal to the last event ETS. The following equation has been used in calculating its values: LTSi  = MIN (LTSj  - Ti  -j is an activity linked to i on the path from i to j). The values of LTS for each of the activities are provided in a Table 1. Float The total float in the scheduling provides information on the accepted event delay that will not result in total delay of the whole project (Field and Keller 2007, PMI 2008). It is the difference between the LTS and ETS of each project activity, i.e. Fi = LTSi–ETSi 3. The project duration and the critical path. The minimum required time for the completion of the project is 80 days. A final step in designing the network is the identification of the critical path. A critical path is made out of the critical activities of the project. An activity is assessed as critical when if delayed, will cause a delay of the whole project duration by an equal amount of time (Field and Keller 2007:183, PMI 2008). For a critical activity: The ETS and the LTS of the activity must be equal at the each node; The Float must be equal to 0; Table 1. Task Name Duration Pred. Early Start Early Finish Late Start Late Finish Float Critical path A 4 - 0 4 0 4 0 yes B 4 A 4 8 4 8 0 yes C 2 A 4 6 14 16 10 no D 6 A 4 10 10 16 6 no E 5 A 4 9 11 16 7 no F 8 B 8 16 8 16 0 yes G 10 C,D,E,F 16 26 16 26 0 yes H 7 G 26 33 26 33 0 yes I 6 H 33 39 33 39 0 yes J 5 H 33 38 34 39 1 no K 7 I,J 39 46 39 46 0 yes L 14 K 46 60 46 60 0 yes M 8 L 60 68 60 68 0 yes N 2 M 68 70 68 70 0 yes O 2 N 70 72 76 78 6 no P 8 N 70 78 70 78 0 yes Q 2 O,P 78 80 78 80 0 yes 1. Different Project Scenarios If the project starts on Monday 21st, May, 2011, what is the earliest date it can be completed using a 5 day working week? For calculating the schedule and the earliest date the project can be completed, the project management tool - Gant chart is used, presented in Appendix 2. The calculation is as follows: the total duration project of the (80) is divided with 5 (working days in the week) = 16 weeks. The earliest date is for completion of the project is Friday, September 2nd, 2011. If the following happened what would be the effect on the duration of the whole project? Explain the reasons. a. A two day delay in activity

South African News Reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

South African News Reports - Essay Example Rens recalled an incident in which Oscar thought that a burglar had entered his house only to realize that it was nothing more than a tumbler dryer. This was not a particular incident since the prosecution cited a tweeter update in November 2012 when Pistorius talked about going into ‘core-red’ mode after entering his house but later realized that he had left the washing machine on. Additionally, the defense supported their claims about his trigger-happy nature by citing 10 visits to the shooting range.The primary witness on Monday clarified that Oscar understood private gun ownership laws in the land. All purchasers are required to fill a questionnaire that tests their knowledge of these laws. Some of the questions seek to find out if the buyer understands conditions for use of the guns. When asked whether one should shoot buglers stealing a TV, Oscar replied negatively because no life was in danger. Additionally, he selected an ideal shooting incident as a condition wh ere burglars were pursuing the gun owner, were armed and no barrier existed between them. The questionnaire ended with a final question in which the gun owner is always expected to know their target as well as what lies beyond. 18th March, Tuesday was police captain Chris Magena’s day. He explained how he reconstructed the scene in order to establish how the crime occurred.It came to light that he was not wearing his prosthetics since the bullet trajectories supported this conclusion. The chief investigator measured the athlete.

Child Labor and rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Child Labor and rights - Research Paper Example Despite this practice being illegal, it remains a rampant phenomenon. In some cases, it remains practiced openly (Alan 25). The international Labor Organization places the number of children aged between five and fourteen who are workers in one way or another at an estimated 211 million across the world. Over 120 million children work full time to support their poverty stricken families in places that remain considered as hazardous (Michel 9). It estimates that the Asia/Pacific region hosts the highest number of children laborers at over100 million. Majority of child workers exist in the Sub Saharan region of Africa. It gets estimated that over 26% of the child population that is equivalent to 50 million children get actively involved in work. The International Labor Rights Forum gets actively involved in lobbying to eradicate the practice of child labor all over the world. This gets done through shedding light on imported goods whose manufacturing process involve the participation of child labor, lobbying for creation of crucial policies and legislation governing child labor and by increasing heightened consumer action and awareness (Megha 10). It also promotes the strategies and policies of the International labor organization on child labor. The labor laws with regard to children are dynamic and vary across nations. These labor laws set the rules and regulations that govern workers and work related issues. The minimum age that laborers ought to be, often gets stipulated in these labor laws. Employers get restricted from hiring anyone who does not meet the minimum age requires by the law (Megha 10). This minimum age varies from country to country and also defines the work that gets permitted at that particular age. Countries that ratified the 1973 Minimum age Convention that got convened by the International Labor Organization adopted the minimum age as fixed between the ages of fourteen to sixteen. In the Unites states, Child Labor Laws set the

Accountin information system Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Accountin information system - Coursework Example The main parts of the revenue cycle are the sales order processing subsystem and the cash receipts system. The sales order system includes units such as the sales, credit, billing, warehouse, shipping, billing, inventory control, accounts receivable and general ledger. Another important unit is involved with the sales returns on the basis of the fact that the sales made are not always final. The cash receipts system on the other hand is involved in the financial phase of the revenue cycle (Hall 2004, ch.4). 2. Validity checks, completeness tests and reasonableness tests can be used to ensure accuracy of customer orders on the basis of the principle regarding levels of authorization. Validity of the transaction, completeness of the process involved in the sales made and the reliability of the processes undertaken are included in the factors that can determine the finality of the transaction. In addition, the data that are gathered can be used to determine the expected sales in a particular period rendering the amount of funds that can be collected. 3. The CRM refers to customer relationship management which can be considered as one of the important parts of the accounting information systems. It is generally used for storage of customer data (Encyclopedia of Business and Finance). 4. EDI or electronic data interchange is an input device in the AIS that can help the billing and account receivable process by increasing the speed of the phases involved through automatically adjusting the correct input of data (Encyclopedia of Business and Finance). 7. The credit approval is an important part of the revenue cycle on the basis of the fact that it can be considered as part of the build up for a proper provision for in-debt payments. The said process reduces the risk of over invoicing a non-credit worthy customer, thus, decreasing the risk for unpaid accounts. It serves as a way of counter-checking (Encyclopedia of

Salvation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Salvation - Term Paper Example t Taylor points out that God through the Bible is: Telling mankind that every effort to save them will continue until they themselves find that they are lost and require Salvation. The Bible starts with the perception on how the universe was created. Then it comes to the creation of the first human, Adam, and later his spouse, Eve. It was both of them who did the first sin of the mankind, and that was the reason why God pulled them out of the paradise. From then on, man was forced to earn his livelihood by himself, and there started the diversion of man from God. All these things happened in the Old Testament, and man became a subject to the rage of God as an outcome of his sins. He longed for peace, and that’s when man’s run for Salvation commenced. The Old Testament cites the laws or commandments that man had to follow to take the road to Salvation. At this juncture, it is important to understand the Greek, Hebrew meanings of the word Salvation. In Greek, the word tha t refers to salvation is ‘Sozo’, which is very comprehensive in meaning like ‘to save, to make whole’ etc. In King James Version of the Bible, from Gen 49:18 to Psa 18:46, the term Salvation occurs 164 times in  158  verses (Strong's Concordance with  Hebrew and Greek Lexicon). At the same time, in Hebrew, the word for Salvation found in the Bible is ‘Yeshuwah’ which indicates "deliverance" or ‘something saved’. Since man continued to sin, in the Old Testament, God made a promise to lead the mankind to Salvation, which paved the way for the advent of Jesus Christ, the son of God to the Earth to save the mankind. It is mentioned in the New Testament that God gave the commandments to make mankind aware that they crave Salvation; they were never intended to be the means of salvation. As... The researcher of this essay analyzes the Bible, that is a standard parameter whenever there is debate or discussion on faith and science. Salvation is a topic that often comes up in discussions about the Bible, and, of course, the core element of the entire New Testament. Theologians are deeply at odds regarding the extent to which the concept of salvation is used in the Old Testament. James Barr points out that Salvation has not been given ‘central prominence’ in the Old Testament. Salvation in religion refers to the saving of the soul from sins and its aftermaths. Biblical Salvation rarely refers to Salvation from hell. Absolution from hindrances in life is the common meaning given to Salvation in the Old Testament. To sum up, the researcher mentions that human Salvation was foreseen by God even before creation in time immemorial. Post creation, God executed the plan of Salvation, which he intended to implement through his Son. He promised the coming of the Messiah, a saviour, to attain mankind’s Salvation. The Old Testament is thus an account of God trying to make mankind realize the need of Salvation and the coming of the Messiah. The New Testament is the account of life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah by which Salvation was attained in its real sense. In culmination the researcher states that the Old Testament is the substratum of the New Testament and though it is the materialization of the plan of Salvation, that is depicted from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

Emergency assignment for the subject Supply Chain Management. Writer Essay

Emergency assignment for the subject Supply Chain Management. Writer MUST be ON TIME. Writer also needs to send me references files which you used. Writer nee - Essay Example Some of the books will be Supply Chain Management: In theory and Practice, by Birgit Dam Jespersen and Tage Skjtt-Larsen, as well as another book called Supply Chain Management: Concepts and Cases, by Rahul V Altekar. While the first book discusses the basics that form the conception of supply chain management, the second book discusses various cases that help demonstrate the elements of this concept in a better way. Further, the journal articles will focus on the work produced by the Supply Chain Management Professionals, so as to gain an insight into this area of operational significance in the organisation. These journal articles will include Coordinated Supply Chain Management by D. J Thomas and P. M Griffin, for the European Journal of Operational Research. Apart from such articles, there will be a strong focus on Internet sources like www.bettermanagement.com which describes various strategies as well as business policies that support systems like supply chain management and knowledge management. Texan Foods is a company founded and based in Texas, near Amarillo. Born in the year 1941, this company has grown from strength to strength to consolidate its standing as one of the best gourmet chain which specialises in grocery products. Their line of products includes croissants, English muffins as well as exotic sandwich breads, buns and other baked goods like tortillas. Besides being a household name by the mid 90s with ample support from a former oil businessman, R.L (Buddy) Howlett, who was its founder and a successful entrepreneur, this company had come to employ a major supplier who went by name of Valley. (Autry, 2005)2 As a big manufacturing company, it has been demonstrated that Texan has a very poor system of supply chain management as far as its model of collaboration, planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR), is concerned. To start with, let us describe the exact nuances of supply chain management, in context of the CPFR model. Supply chain management (SCM) may be defined as that sphere of activities that takes place in context of planning, implementing, and controlling the operations. These operations or activities, in turn, are connected with the management of the supply chain so as to effectively cater to the requirements of the customer and gain complete satisfaction of the same through a focus on optimum ulisation of resources. (Atlekar, 2005)3 In this regard, supply chain management deals with all activities pertaining to the mobilisation, storage as well as an account of the semi finished and finished products that are of value to the end user. (Hugos, 2005)4 In this context, various scholars have also refered to this form and area of management as logistics as it connects the quantitative areas of assessment with the qualitative goal achievement progress of the organisation. These areas have been assessed in Texan, through inputs from two officials who are connected with the operational realities of the supply chain management system followed at Texan. Chapter 1.2: Problem Areas In this regard, Texan

Labor and employment issues in the hospitality industry in San Research Paper

Labor and employment issues in the hospitality industry in San Francisco - Research Paper Example The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires hospitality employers to provide heath care coverage for its full-time employees. The Act provides that employers with more than 50 full-time employees or full-time equivalents must provide heath care coverage for its employees. Such an employer will be subject to tax if one or more of its enrolls for cover through a state exchange and qualifies for a premium tax credit or a subsidy because the employer does not provide minimum cover or provides cover that does not meet minimum value or is inappropriate. The tax for the employer, in this case, ranges from $2000 to $3000 for every employee who is not covered. Hospitality employers with more than 50 employees must, therefore, provide minimum essential coverage in order to avoid these taxes. The tax liability can adversely affect the operations. In order to ensure that employees have the appropriate cover, it is essential for the employer to determine if it's employees are full-time employees. The Act provides that a full-time employee must work for at least 30 hours a week and should have worked at least 130 hours in the preceding month. This implies that both hourly and non-hourly employees qualify as full-time employees if they meet the criterion. Additionally, the IRS provides the use of the look back or stability period. Under this method, an employer will need to look back at a period of three to 12 months and if the employee worked an average of 30 hours per week then the employee qualifies as a full-time employee.

RNA-Seq and Microarray Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

RNA-Seq and Microarray Analysis - Research Paper Example Therefore, dogs become the best models for indentifying the genetic underpinnings that are associated with cancer in humans (Mooney, et al., 2013). The fact that dogs and humans depict similarities in cancer treatment and responses also allow for the opportunity to apply advanced cancer diagnostic tools. This is meant to enhance the understanding of the possible treatment of cancerous diseases for the benefit of both dogs and man (Mooney, et al., 2013). The typified canine lymphoma in dogs presents some analogous characteristics with the human Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) in form of biological and other clinical features. This makes it possible to understand this type of cancer in humans (Mooney, et al., 2013). The canine lymphoma is the most common canine cancerous disease in dogs accounting for 24% occurrence. On the other hand, the NHL is the most common cancer in the USA, while it has almost doubled throughout the world in the last 35 years (Mooney, et al., 2013). Canine cancer is a multi-centric lymphadenopathy cancer that has no other organs involvement, requiring the same type of treatment that apply the multi-agent protocol, which is the standard of care for the NHL cancer in humans (Mooney, et al., 2013). Therefore, the understanding of the canine lymphoma is acceptable for enabling the understanding of the diagnostic process and therapeutic treatment of the NHL patients (Mooney, et al., 2013). The methodology applied in this study first sought to attain the consent of the dog owners that were participating in the study. This was followed by seeking for the approval of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee since it the body responsible ensuring the welfare of animals subjected under studies. The sample applied in the study was 30 dogs, from which Fine needle aspirates (FNAs) were collected for analysis (Mooney, et al., 2013). The dogs qualifying for the study required to have a lymph

Fraud Cases Essay Example for Free

Fraud Cases Essay Tan Sri Eric Chia Eng Hock or commonly known as Eric Chia is a millionaire in Malaysia ad is a former chairmain of Perwaja Steel. In June 2007, Chia discharge committing criminal breach of trust 13 years ago when embezzling money from the company of Perwaja Rolling Mail and Development Sdn Bhd of RM $76. 4 million at 19 February 1994 when was the Managing Director. In his cases, Perwaja Rolling Mill and Development Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur instructed American Express Bank Limited to transfer and credit 2,890,130,210 yen (RM76. million) into Frilsham Enterprise Incorporateds account. Yvonne Lam Yuen Shan, an operations support and control manager of the bank, said she also corrected Frilsham Enterprises account number from 953601855 to 9530018552. Lam, has agreed that the amount stated was actually credited into another bank account (account number 547003027) of Frilsham Enterprise. The 2,890,130,210 yen was the specific sum of payment under the technical assistance agreement, minus the bank charges. The original payment amounted to 2,891,580,000 yen. Asked why the money was transferred to the second account instead of the earlier account, Lam said: We got confirmation from the customer that they would like the amount to be transferred into the second account. We executed the clients request to credit into the account. Chia is accused of dishonestly authorising payment for the amount to the account of Frilsham Enterprise Incorporated with American Express Bank Ltd, Hongkong, for technical assistance from NKK Corporation, when no such payment was due to the latter. Alternatively, he is charged with dishonestly disposing of the funds by entering into an agreement with NKK Corporation and authorising payment for the amount without the approval of the board of directors or the tender committee of Perwaja Rolling Mill Development Sdn Bhd. He is alleged to have committed both offences as managing director of Perwaja Rolling Mill Development Sdn Bhd at its office at Menara UBN on Jalan P Ramlee here, between Nov 4, 1993, and Feb 22, 1994. Another witness, Jesse Leung Ngai Chow, said he signed a letter on behalf of Apex Corporate Services Limited, directed to American Express Bank, on an application to open a bank account for Frilsham Enterprise Incorporated. Leung, who worked part-time at Apex as the managing director between 1993 and 1994, said the letter needed the signatures of four authorized signatories T. O. Yip, Robert Kong, H. Y Tan and himself. Asked to name the person who gave the instruction to open the account, Leung said it was Yuji Maeda. Apex Corporate Services Limited provides incorporation of companies, company secretarial services, setting up of trusts and trustee, corporation nominee director and operation of bank accounts. Leung agreed that the two signature cards referring to two Frilsham Enterprise bank accounts were dated Feb 2, 1994, and both indicated closure of account on July 7, 1994. Another letter by Yuji Maeda instructed American Express Bank Limited to transfer the amount of 2,890,130,210 yen to Waterfront International Limited through a bank account 9547003126, he said. On the search conducted by Michael Burley, acting chief investigating officer of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Leung said: Although the clients (Frilsham Enterprise) current status report which, was kept by Apex, was struck off, the Hongkong ICAC could still detect and reactivate that data. Leung said he did not know how the ICAC officers, who conducted the search on July 15 this year, could detect the data and added that it was suprising as Frilsham Enterprise was not functioning anymore and its data have been deleted completely. Under cross-examination by lead defence counsel Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Leung said the Anti-Corruption Agency in Malaysian made two visits to Apex Corporate Services Ltd for investigations. The first visit was on June 19, 1996, to check some details without any seizure, while the second visit was in April this year. Leung confirmed that Yuji Maeda was the only one who gave any instructions to Apex pertaining to Frilsham Enterprise. Asked how many companies Yuji Maeda had asked Apex to maintain for him, he said: A couple more, such as Sakyo Consultancy Inc. Ltd, Borneo Enterprise. However, when asked whether Sita Investment Ltd was included in the list, Leung replied in the negative. The prosecution led by Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail kept its promise to wrap up on Thursday its recording of evidence here on the alleged money trail pertaining to the RM76. 4 million when it called its sixth and last witness to the stand Cheng Tai Foon, a nominee director of Borneo Enterprise in January 1994. Cheng, who is currently a director in a security firm, said he signed an application to open a bank account in Banque Indosuez on the instruction of Leung, who was his former boss when they were working at an accounting firm, John Byrn and Co. Asked how he got involved in signing as a nominee director, Cheng said Leung often referred cases to him and he admitted that he was also a nominee director of other companies such as Borneo Enterprise.

Research on crowd behaviour

Research on crowd behaviour On April 11 2001 Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg was filled beyond capacity as people rushed to purchase football match tickets. Police and security officials struggled to contain the crowd and a stampede occurred. The crush resulted in around 250 injuries and 43 deaths. (Mason, 2001) Crowd behaviour can be surprising when individuals join a group and behave in a manner which is out of character. This was certainly the state of affairs in this case, as the behaviour displayed that night was not characteristic of South African soccer spectators. (Ngoepe and Semenya, 2002) The question therefore arises as to what influences the behaviour of the crowd. This discussion will consider the factors affecting individuals once they are part of a group by applying the study of crowd behaviour specifically to this case. Research, theories and debates will be considered along with the implications this all has for social psychology in the future. From Le Bons perspective, this stampede is a classic example of crowd behaviour, where individuals lose their sense of self and responsibility by being anonymous members of a crowd, and are susceptible to contagion and suggestibility. The LeBonian and Freudian view of the crowd as pathological and abnormal (Ngoepe and Semenya, 2002) is reinforced in this case as members trampled over others in a bid to save themselves. (Mason, 2001) Le Bon proposed that basic, primitive instincts then arise, making violence and anti-social behaviour more likely. (Hogg and Vaughan, 2008) And violence most certainly ensued in this situation. Gates were ripped apart, many places around the stadium were being vandalised and several people were consequently crushed to death. (Ngoepe and Semenya, 2002) What both Le Bon and Freuds theories overlook however is the importance of the social dynamics of the event. They give no consideration to grievances and social conflicts (Reicher, 2001), nor do they take into account the inter-group relations between the police/security and the crowd. In this case, the stampede began when the untimely announcement was given to several thousand people who had travelled from all over the country that tickets for the event were sold out. (Ngoepe and Semenya, 2002) The Final Report states that this was one of the causes of the tragedy. It is therefore important to consider further explanations of crowd behaviour. Festinger, Pepitone and Newcombes research (1952), and Zimbardos Stanford Prison Study (****) placed great emphasis on anonymity and concluded that deindividuation was a key factor in violent behaviour and loss of self awareness.(Hogg and Vaughan, 2008) It is difficult in this case to measure levels of anonymity however. Other theorists later revised this model as a result of research (Postmas and Spears, 1998, Diener, 1980) and Reicher at el (2001) argue that the individual doesnt lose his identity in the crowd but takes on a new social identity. This is an important point for this case as it implies that an individuals behaviour and perspectives will be determined by the type of group that is involved. Reicher (2004) identifies that the values and standards of a crowd of Catholics will be very different from a crowd of soccer supporters This begins to address the suggestion in the case study that this wouldnt have happened at a cricket or rugby match. But does this mean disasters a re inevitable in football crowds? Turner and Killians Emergent Norm Theory (****) changed the approach to crowd behaviour by identifying the presence of norms that emerge from within the crowd which are deemed to be goal orientated (Hogg and Vaughan, 2008) Indeed, the crowds goal was to secure a place to watch the football match and this could have led to the crush. Social Identity Theory begins to consider wider factors affecting the crowd and addresses the conflicts that may occur between groups which was a considerable factor in this case. Police and security personnel, in keeping with Le Bons view of the crowd as primitive, base and ghastly (Le Bon 1908), were deemed to be hostile to the spectators and displayed a general disrespect for their dignity. (Ngoepe and Semenya, 2002) The preconceived views of security personnel may have served to further escalate the situation and to increase feelings of aggression in crowd members. (Stott and Reicher, 1998) Social psychologys theories on aggression can also be drawn u pon to further elaborate on the event but the purpose of this discussion is to deal primarily with collective behaviour. The Elaborated Social Identity Model identified two conditions whereby the crowd may resort to violence and aggressive behaviour either an out group behaves in a way that is deemed as unfair or unwarranted, or others act in a way that prevents the crowd doing what they feel is legitimate. (Reicher 1996) And both of these conditions seem to be present in this situation. The crowd were prevented from accessing the stadium and they were subject to tear gas and aggressive conduct. (Ngoepe and Semenya, 2002).The focus appeared to be on crowd control rather than safety. (Mason, B 2001) The question therefore arises as to whether football crowds are thought of and treated differently to other groups by police, security and event planners. Social psychology plays a vital role in explaining crowd behaviour and later theories are particularly useful for the fact that they consider wider aspects than just the crowd itself. They acknowledge that the crowd does not behave in isolation but is subject to influence from the environment and other groups. Theories regarding anonymity were difficult to apply in this case but needed to be considered for the influence they have had on other theorists. It is interesting to note that both LeBons and Freuds view of the crowd was mirrored by security personnel. This is a key factor which needs to be considered further by event planners, police and security companies. Indeed, it is imperative that these groups gain a better understanding of crowd behaviour in order to prevent future mistakes and disasters. Whilst it is easy to adopt the view of the crowd as an aggressive mob, it is very inaccurate to do so. Not only is it inaccurate, it is dangerous and potentially life-threatening. (Re icher et al, 2004) During this discussion, questions have been raised which remain unanswered. They lead to the identification of areas in need of further research in the field of social psychology: namely crowd types, particularly football crowds; stewards and crowds; preconceived ideas about football crowds; inter-group dynamics and collective aggression. Whilst acknowledging that research on crowds can be difficult to implement, it is vital that further research is undertaken to prevent a repeat of this disaster.

Statistical Analysis of Train Arrival Times

Statistical Analysis of Train Arrival Times Introduction In carrying out this project, the Researcher will be able to provide the reader with the findings of the project works through the use of Class Material and Statistical Data collected which was conveyed using the real-time analysis and Irish Rails Annual Report. In doing so, this will establish in short the output response by way of the trains arrival time. In addition, producing regression analysis graphs in terms of Null and Alternative Hypotheses being asked and relayed through the workings of Minitab (ANOVA (one way factor) will determine the P-value by way of the design of the experiment (DoE) The project will be focusing on the requirements set under the Public Service Contract between the National Transport Authority and Iarnrà ³d Éireann Concerning Compensation for Public Service Obligations pursuant to Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 (as amended by the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009) and EC Regulation 1370/2007, Schedule B Performance Obligations of Iarnrà ³d Éireann to complete this project (Irish Rail 2017). This report will provide key information to be documented and relayed throughout this project, such as: Describing the process you are analysing, generically and technically. Designing an experiment that will allow you to determine the effect of the factor on the output response, run the experiment and gather the data appropriately and taking into account Sample size, Randomization, Independence and Previous results available. Providing statistical analysis of the experiment and describing the statistical evidence collected, in terms of Null and Alternative Hypotheses Show results of your experiment. In particular, does the factor affect the output response? Does your assumption, statistical and technical, seem reasonable for these data collected? Identify one area of weakness in your study and/or your results and suggest how a new study could investigate it to improve the performance of the process.      Ã‚   (Luu ,2017) In completion of this project the research hopes to reach an agreement based on the train time performance obligations against the researchers real-time data collected. This in turn has given rise to the question being asked by way of the Null and Alternative Hypotheses. In doing so it produces findings by way of graphs which focus on the residual analysis produced and P-value based on Irish rails 95% confidence requirement. Thereafter, determining the level of compliance being corresponded by Irish rail against real-time analysis output response carried out over a two week period. Results were achieved through the use of Irish Rail real time software application. Finally, the researcher himself has an added interest in the findings as he has spent the last 5 years using the service from Dublin to Galway and Galway to Dublin collectively and is fully aware of post -arrival time delays and their add -on effects that he has endured on arriving at his final destination and the knock on effects interlinked. Irish Rail company profile Iarnrà ³d Éireann is a service that provides passengers and freight rail services both intercity and regional services. Operating between Dublin, Belfast, Sligo, Ballina, Westport, Galway, Limerick, Ennis, Tralee, Cork, Waterford and Rosslare, Europort and Iarnrà ³d Éireann jointly operates the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise service with Northern Ireland Railways.( Irish Rail 2017) In addition the DART service operates between Greystones and Howth/Malahide. It also runs a commuter service in the Dublin area between Gorey, Drogheda, (Irish Rail 2017) Performance obligation punctuality and reliability Track Records Punctuality is set by the National Transport Authority (NTA) for all routes which regulates Irish Rails performance rates. Punctuality is defined as on time or within 10 minutes of arrival times. Delays outside of Iarnrà ³d Éireanns control are trucks hitting bridges or extreme weather conditions such as snow or fog (Irish Rail 2017). The NTA performance reports under the Public Service Obligation contract is measured against Iarnrà ³d Éireann punctuality records. This excludes delays as stated above and figures are independently verified by the NTA. Reliability simple put is whether the train operates or not. Train performance in terms of punctuality and reliability Galway to Dublin track performance results 2016 Period Dates Punctuality Reliability 01 Jan 01 to Jan 31 95.1% 100% 02 Feb 01 to Feb 28 96.4% 100% 03 Feb 29 to Mar 27 96.8% 100% 04 Mar 28 to Apr 24 94.9% 100% 05 Apr 25 to May 22 95.4% 100% 06 May 23 to Jun 19 95.5% 99.38% 07 Jun 20 to Jul 17 94.4% 100% 08 Jul 18 to Aug 14 94.3% 100% 09 Aug 15 to Sep 11 96.7% 100% 10 Sep 12 to Oct 09 97.9% 100% 11 Oct 10 to Nov 06 93.4% 100% 12 Nov 07 to Dec 04 92.6% 99.70% 13 Dec 05 to Dec 31 0.00% 0.00% Galway to Dublin track performance results 2015 (Irish Rail 2017) Period Dates Punctuality Reliability 01 Jan 01 to Jan 25 92.2% 99.83% 02 Jan 26 to Feb 22 98% 100% 03 Feb 23 to Mar 22 95.2% 100% 04 Mar 23 to Apr 19 95.8% 100% 05 Apr 20 to May 17 92.6% 100% 06 May 18 to Jun 14 96.9% 100% 07 Jun 15 to Jul 12 95.5% 100% 08 Jul 13 to Aug 09 93.3% 100% 09 Aug 10 to Sep 06 94.9% 100% 10 Sep 07 to Oct 04 96.3% 100% 11 Oct 05 to Nov 01 88.8% 99.07% 12 Nov 02 to Nov 29 80.2% 99.69% 13 Nov 30 to Dec 31 91.5% 100% Galway to Dublin track performance results 2014 (Irish Rail 2017) Period Dates Punctuality Reliability 01 Jan 01 to Jan 26 95.2% 99.83% 02 Jan 27 to Feb 23 91.2% 100% 03 Feb 24 to Mar 23 94.3% 100% 04 Mar 24 to Apr 20 97.7% 100% 05 Apr 21 to May 18 96.1% 100% 06 May 19 to Jun 15 96.5% 100% 07 Jun 16 to Jul 13 94.3% 100% 08 Jul 14 to Aug 10 94.8% 100% 09** Aug 11 to Sep 07 98.6% 100% 10 Sep 08 to Oct 05 95.8% 100% 11 Oct 06 to Nov 02 90.4% 100% 12 Nov 03 to Nov 30 89.8% 100% 13 Dec 01 to Dec 28 96.6% 99.71% (Irish Rail 2017) Design of Experiment In the undertaking of this project the design of the experiments (DoE) objective was to discover if the punctuality (Train Delay) of real time analysis meets the requirements set and if the tasks could be repeated would we get the same results or could the process be improved to achieve better results. In carrying out this experiment the topic choice untaken was to be of significant value to achieve the right information which in turn helps to design the experiment in the right manner otherwise this information could be mixed up with something else such as an observational study (Reilly 2017, pg 109). To differentiate from the above, a design of experiments was sets out to identify causes that may enable us to change the behaviour pattern and help improve the process. In achieving my final results this experiment considered the effect of a factor (Time of Day) on an output response (Different times of the Day). Additionally this experiment placed emphasis on a number of different train times (factor levels) which were randomly selected beforehand consisting of Peak and None peak times during the week. Hypothesis Testing To get a true value one can only assume that what is being relayed by the company is accurate. This should not be taken as being accurate until otherwise proven but one can only assume that the null hypothesis is true. In order to get a true reflection in statistics the theory of testing is called the null hypothesis (H0). Hypothesis is another word for theory, and it is null because at the outset it is neither proven nor disproven (Reilly 2017, pg. 68). In the task being carried out the objective is to prove or disprove that Irish rails punctuality clams mean is at 95% and to show how close or far from the 95% it is. Then you have to ask the question. What is the probability of the data, assuming that the null hypothesis is true, this probability is called the p-value (Reilly 2017, pg. 68).Then using the standard ÃŽÂ ± = 0.05 cut-off, the null hypothesis is rejected when p p > .05 also known as type one and two errors. The Null Hypothesis being asked. The null hypothesis (H0) Different times of the day does not affect the time of day. This means that all the factor levels according to the null hypothesis, that random variation is only present. The alternative hypothesis (H1) Different times of the day does have effect on the time of day. This means that the factor does have an effect on the response and that some of the variation in the response is explained by the factor. Single-Factor Experiments and ANOVA by software For the purpose of this project, A single-factor experiment was to be carried out, which considered the effect of one factor on a response as stated prior. Furthermore, other factors that could affect the arrival time, such as accidents on bridges and extreme weather conditions, where kept constant during this experiment by applying the principles of experiment design. Principles of Experimental Design in this case Replication To get a true measurement for each response three test was carried out for each factor level over two weeks. This then allows you to see how much random variationoccurs in the response even when the factor level remains the same, otherwise known as the error variance (Reilly 2017, pg 109). It must be noted that The term error does not convey as a mistake in this instance but simply takes into account impacts that could affect the overall result such as environmental impacts along with other underling facts for example driver error, trains not leaving stations on time, other trains impacts and peak travel times. Furthermore, it also must be noted that the learning effect should have no effect on the over final results in this case. The learning effects in this instance should not be correlated with random variation as this only amounts to unexplained variation and not with explained variation such as driver training which should be carried out under prior supervision in order to eliminate the learning effect. Randomisation In order to achieve a true reflection of the project in hand, the researcher projects logistics required the experiment to be performed in a random run and not that of fixed method. In order to achieve a fare random selection the researcher randomly picked days of the week Monday to Friday and every first to third day or second to fourth day simultaneously. This in turn allowed each train time on the track equal status over the project phase and not allowing any factor to be more prominent over another during the test regardless of the time permitted by the company Principles of Experimental Design in this case. The reason for this is that there may be some progressive change as stated prior addressing any concerns. Blocking Blocking was taken into account in this case but after the fact and not prior to the random section. This only became apparent to the researcher as the different days of the week could have an effect on the output response, as can be seen in the data below in some small part in this case. To get a true reflection of this the researcher would repeat the test again in a different blocking manner to see if the start of the week output response is greater than the end of the week over a longer period of time as the number of people travelling declines as the week progresses. This is one element of the test if repeated the researcher would look at in more detail. Data Collected from Real- time Analysis Different Time of Day (response) Time Of Day (Factor Levels) MON WED FRI MON WED FRI 06:30 08:41 5 4 5 0 5 4 09:30 12:00 12 6 8 2 4 3 13:05 15:43 7 6 3 0 2 8 15:05 17:42 8 14 1 9 7 3 19:20 21:47 4 -2 8 16 4 1 RESULTS Descriptive Statistics: Different time of the day Variable Levels N N* Mean SE Mean StDev Minimum Q1 Median Different time of the day 06:30 08:41 4 0 4.500 0.289 0.577 4.000 4.000 4.500 06:30 08:41 2 0 2.50 2.50 3.54 0.00 * 2.50 09:30- 12:00 2 0 7.00 5.00 7.07 2.00 * 7.00 09:30 12:00 4 0 5.25 1.11 2.22 3.00 3.25 5.00 13:05 15:43 6 0 4.33 1.28 3.14 0.00 1.50 4.50 15:05 17:42 4 0 5.25 1.93 3.86 1.00 1.50 5.50 15:05 -17:42 2 0 10.50 3.50 4.95 7.00 * 10.50 19:20 21:47 6 0 5.83 2.26 5.53 1.00 1.75 4.00 One-way ANOVA: Different time of the day versus factor Levels 4 in 1 overview Method Null hypothesis All means are equal Alternative hypothesis At least one mean is different Significance level ÃŽÂ ± = 0.05 Equal variances were assumed for the analysis. Factor Information Factor Levels Values Levels 8 06:30 08:41, 06:30 08:41, 09:30- 12:00, 09:30 12:00, 13:05 15:43, 15:05 17:42, 15:05 -17:42, 19:20 21:47 Model Summary S R-sq R-sq(adj) R-sq(pred) 3.98672 19.61% 0.00% 0.00% Means Levels N Mean StDev 95% CI 06:30 08:41 4 4.500 0.577 (0.366, 8.634) 06:30 08:41 2 2.50 3.54 (-3.35, 8.35) 09:30- 12:00 2 7.00 7.07 ( 1.15, 12.85) 09:30 12:00 4 5.25 2.22 ( 1.12, 9.38) 13:05 15:43 6 4.33 3.14 ( 0.96, 7.71) 15:05 17:42 4 5.25 3.86 ( 1.12, 9.38) 15:05 -17:42 2 10.50 4.95 ( 4.65, 16.35) 19:20 21:47 6 5.83 5.53 ( 2.46, 9.21) Pooled StDev = 3.98672 Regression Analysis Analysis of Variance In carrying out the Regression Analysis it is important to understand that the first hypothesis in regression formula is: (H0: ÃŽÂ ² = 0) or more importantly it accounts for the P-Value (Levels) in this case. In addition the null hypothesis states that X is not a useful predictor of Y, or graphically Meaning the H0: ÃŽÂ ² = 0 regression line is horizontal. Subsequently, If the null hypothesis is accepted, it may then indicate that there might be no predictive relationship at all between X and Y, and the analysis is over. But if this null hypothesis is rejected, it indicates that there is a predictive relationship between X and Y, and so it is useful to construct a regression equation for predicting values of Y. The second hypothesis is: H0: ÃŽÂ ± = 0 is not accounted for in this case as there is no constant present in results as stated below (Reilly 2017, pg. 97). Alternatively, If the null hypothesis is accepted, this means that the regression line may pass through the origin or that Y is directly proportional to X, so that any change in X would be matched by an identical percentage change in Y (Reilly 2017, pg. 98). Minitab by software output results as stated bellow. Source DF Adj SS Adj MS F-Value P-Value Levels 7 85.30 12.19 0.77 0.621 Error 22 349.67 15.89 Total 29 434.97 The p-value for levels is 0.621, which is less than 5%, so we reject the hypothesis that the regression line is horizontal in this case. One-way ANOVA individual Observational Data Residuals vs Fits for Different time of the day In this case you can notice that on-peak times have consistently lower scores than the other train times. You also notice that the x-axis marks are unequally spaced. The length between the ticks is proportional to the number of scores (observations) for each arrival time The following observations Noted: The lines near the centre of each line represent the arrival mean. At a glance, you can see that the mean for each arrival looks significantly different. The vertical span of each line represents the 95% confidence interval for the mean of each arrival. Additional Observational Data Normal plot of Residuals for Different time of the day In this case the plot above indicates that the arrival times are reasonably normal. There is some scatter with one outlier; however the points are roughly speaking linear in this instance. Residual Histogram for Different time of the day In this case the result shows that the data are positively skewed (To The right). This means that the trains delay times might be much longer than expected, but could not be much earlier than expected, because the train cannot leave the last station prior to its scheduled time. Residuals vs Order for Different time of the day In this case the time series plot shows a spike, this shows where there was a late arrival outside the expected arrival time before returning to expected level again. This correlates with outlier in the additional data stated above. Conclusion References http://www.irishrail.ie/about-us/train-performance http://www.irishrail.ie/about-us/2014-performance http://www.irishrail.ie/about-us/2015-performance

Maintaining Healthy Relationships Essay -- Gender Studies Marriage Rel

Healthy Relationships Both partners should feel safe to share their thoughts without feeling that their partner will judge them. They should be able to communicate with one another without having any fear of judgement or ridicule. They should also help build their partners self-esteem and make them feel good about themselves regardless of the situation. They shall embrace one another and respect each other. In order for the couple to maintain a healthy and successful relationship, the couple should nurture open and honest communication, encourage the expression of feelings, and build self-esteem amongst each other. Communication is a significant component in a healthy and successful relationship. The three main successful parts to communication is verbal communication, physical communication, and mental communication. Verbal communication is the ability to carry out a successful conversation without any interruptions. For instance, when a couple argues, it should be over a justifiable reason and not over something minute. If the couple argues over little things that should have been resolved before the conversation even occurred, then their relationship will soon collapse or lead to greater difficulties in the future. Physical communication is the physical contact needed to nourish the partners needs. For example, if the wife comes home from work and is feeling stressed out or had a bad day, the husband should be there to comfort her. Giving comfort to your partner will let them know that you are concerned about their situation. Mental communication is the ability to connect with your partner on a mental basis and be able to notice what irritates them. For example, if the husband is doing something the wife does not lik... ...tinue losing the weight. Complimenting one another makes a relationship stronger. Healthy relationships tend to last long and are enjoyable for both partners involved. These factors which were communication, expression of feelings and building self-esteem that have been mentioned above were key aspects to building a healthier and successful relationship. If one of the partners does not include these factors into their relationship, then there will be nothing to hold it together. Both partners have to be willing to consider these ideas and have an open mind towards every situation. These matters will also improve a rocky relationship, if implied into a current relationship. They should treat the partner the way that they would want to be treated. If all are within a relationship then the couple should have no problem getting along and living a delightful life.

What to do about Music Videos? :: Essays Papers

What to do about Music Videos? What did he say? Have you stopped recently and really listened and watched the music of today? Music has been used in various forms since early human history. According to the Encarta Encyclopedia, â€Å"Music is the organized movement of sounds through a continuum of time. Music plays a role in all societies and its exists in a large number of styles, each characteristic of a geographical region or a historical era.† Music has a been and is presently used in different cultures for different reasons. Music can be associated with religious establishments, dancing, theater, concerts, recording devices, and through out televisions. Overall, it has always been a form of expressing oneself. Specifically, music is as unique as each person here, but should artists express themselves in ways that poorly influence our young people? In 1981, our televisions began to introduce visual expression into our homes through music videos. It was the first advertised-supported televisions network and it was call MTV. In 1985, VH1 was launched as a second network playing a popular music format as opposed to the rock format shown on MTV. For the first time, viewers could â€Å"see† their favorite songs performed and expressed without going to a concert. This allowed our young people to see a world not as readily available before. Music videos in and of itself is not something that can be considered the absolute cause, but rather the catalysis that for some young people gives them the ideas and impressions to look or act in a certain way. Today young people are anxiously looking older and determined to grow up faster than ever before. They have strong desires to emulate some of these performers. In a recent Newsweek magazine, an article was featured about Brittany Spears. She was cited for changing her image in recent concerts and videos to appear much more seductive. As a 17 year old performer, her outfits consist about skin-tight, sexy attire worn during provocative dance sequences. Through the artists use of videos, young people have been encouraged to â€Å"walk the walk†. As a parent of young children, I am very concerned of the influence music and its artists might have on them. Hopefully, as adults we will try to continue to monitor this situation. A rap singer, Todd Smith, also known as LL Cool J is a father of four living in Westchester County, New York.

Brisingr- Eragon Book Report

Discuss how the author engaged the reader in your chosen fiction book, using setting, plot, theme and characterization. Also convey your idea/s about the author's message. The book â€Å"Brisingr† by Christopher Paolini is an astonishing adventurous fantasy story that is part of the Eragon trilogy. It is an intriguing story that is loved by millions all around the world. The book takes a lot of reference from the famous world known book – Lord of the Rings – and therefore is recommended for the fans of it. This book report will tell you about its setting, plot, theme and characterization. The setting in â€Å"Brisingr† takes place in various places because the characters Eragon and his dragon, Saphira are led to different adventures. At first, Eragon and Saphira are inside of the country named Surda, helping his cousin Roran, rescue his future wife from the horrible creatures called the Ra’zac. After they rescue her, they set out to see the crowning of the next dwarf king in the dwarf city of Tronjheim. Later, they find themselves going to their elf teacher Oromis and his dragon Glaedr in the elf city named Ellesmera. Brisingr† is told in a three-person view point including, Eragon, his cousin, Roran and the leader of the Varden, Nasuada. The plot starts when Eragon goes off with his cousin Roran to rescue his betrothed, Katrina from the Ra’zac. They kill one of them and rescue Katrina safely. Eragon tells Roran to go on to Surda while he will be killing the other Ra’zac. Eragon kills him and when he comes back to the Surda, Roran is marrying Katrina and asks his cousin to hold the wedding. Eragon agrees but alas, a sudden attack from the Empire came up in the middle of the wedding. Elven spell-casters aid Eragon and Saphira and cause Murtagh, his past friend who was captured by the evil Emperor Galbatorix and his dragon, Thorn to flee, winning the battle. After that battle Eragon realizes how strong Murtagh had become in the past few weeks. He thinks his teacher, Oromis and his dragon, Glaedr know how to defeat the evil Galbatorix and why Murtagh’s power grows so fast. Therefore, when Nasuada sends them to witness the coronation of the next dwarf king, he pleads her to let him go to the elven city of Ellesmera, in order to ask his teachers. Nasuada considered the idea and then agreed after perhaps a tenth argument with Eragon. So later, when Eragon finds out the secret of Galbatorix’s power, he has to start thinking how to defeat Galbatorix, which will come out in Paolini’s next book. The theme in â€Å"Brisingr† is redemption. When the Ra’zac captured Roran’s beloved Katrina, he blames himself for that mistake. He keeps blaming himself over and over again until he finally rescues her. Then he finds his redemption. Eragon finds his redemption after he defeated Murtagh. In the previous book â€Å"Eldest† he had lost easily to Murtagh and he thought it was his fault that he wasn’t learning enough until he defeats him during Roran’s wedding. Oromis, Eragon’s teacher and the only other Dragon Rider not counting Eragon, Murtagh and Galbatorix, was hidden with the elves for over a century, watching his comrades slowly fall, unable to do anything. He was really sorrowful, but he knew he had to stay alive and hidden in order to teach one Rider that might have to face Galbatorix in the future. Still, the doubt was growing every year, and when he finally gets to fight again at the end, he is still very sick and not as strong as he ones been. Galbatorix gives him a chance to surrender, but Oromis refuses, and dies, but deep inside, he finally feels calm and peaceful because of his redemption. Eragon, the main character in the book, changes throughout the story. It seems in the beginning, he was feeling really miserable after he discovered the awful truth of his father. Murtagh told him that Morzan, one of the Forsworn, the one who betrayed his comrades and helped Galbatorix kill all the Riders, was his father, and Murtagh, was his brother. He was bearing a huge weight on his shoulders, thinking of his horrible parents, until Oromis tell him that his real father was Brom, his past teacher who died. In his heart, Eragon always knew that was the truth, he knew that Brom was like his father, but he never accepted the truth. When he finally heard the real story of his parentage, he changes to a more proud person, a person who wants to be like his parents. Eragon grows up and becomes more mature as the book progresses, getting to be more and more like Brom, which is probably going to make him one of the best Dragon Riders in the future. The message in â€Å"Brisingr† is that Eragon went from being a farm boy to one of the most important people in the whole Empire. Paolini is saying that anyone can be anything, and greatness is not dictated by circumstances of you birth. Paolini is a wonderful writer, and he is certainly very talented in writing cutting edge situations. This book proved to be very intriguing and is recommended to anyone who loves fantasy stories.

Social Research Methods

Social Research Methods/Unobtrusive Research Introduction – Unobtrusive measures are ways of studying social behavior whithout affecting it in the process. Unobtrusive research is simply the methods of studying social behaviorwithout affecting it. – There are three types of unobtrusive research: Content Analysis Analysis of existing statistics Comparative and historical analysis Content Analysis – With content analysis you focus on the details of recorded human communications.For example you would analyze a painting a written document, photos, films, and things like face book. – Appropriate topics include who says what, to whom, why, how, and with what effect. For example, if our unit of analysis is writers, then we can use units of observation like novels written by them, chapters and paragraphs of the novels, etc. – Variable identification and measurement in content analysis depend on clarity of the unit of analysis. – Content Analysis involves coding which may attend to both manifest and latent content.The determination of latent content requires judgements by the researcher. – Both quantitative and qualitative techniques are appropriate for interpreting content analysis data. – There are four characteristics that are usually coded in content analysis: 1) Frequency – a count of the number of occurrences of a word, phrase, image, etc 2) Direction – the direction in meaning of the text content (e. g. positive vs negative or active vs passive) 3) Intensity – degree or strength of a text reference 4) Space – the size of the passage, image, or other content Strengths of content analysis:Research poses little to no harm on subjectsTime efficient, cheapAllows researcher to correct mistakesCan look at processes occurring over timeGood reliabilityWeaknesses of content analysis:-Limited to what the researcher is able to record -Validity can be limited – In content analysis we could employ any conventional sampling techniqu e like random, systematic, stratified, or clustered sampling. When concerning sub-sampling, sampling needs not to end with our unit of analysis.For example, if our unit of analysis is writers, then we can use units of observation like novels written by them, chapters and paragraphs of the novels, etc. Analyzing Existing Statistics – With analysis of existing statistics, your focus would be mainly statistics of different studies without confusing this with secondary analysis which is just obtaining a copy of somebody's data and carrying out ones own analysis. – When analyzing existing statistics, it may be the main source of data or a supplemental source of data. Most existing statistics come from governments and large intergovernmental organizations.When describing the units of analysis, existing statistics describe groups. You must be aware of the ecological fallacy. This means making assumptions regarding individuals based on characteristics of entire population. â⠂¬â€œ Whenever we base research on an analysis of data that already exists we’re limited to what exists. The existing data do not cover exactly what we are interested in, and our measurement may not be altogether valid representations of the variables and concepts we want to make conclusions about. Two characteristics of science are used to handle the problem of alidity in analysis of existing statistics: logical reasoning and replication. – Problems of validity in the analysis of existing statistics can often be handled through logical reasoning and replication. –Existing statistics often have problems of reliability, so they must be used with caution. Comparative and Historical Research – And lastly comparative and historical research which is the examination of societies (or other social units) over time and in comparison with one another. – An example of comparative and historical research is the U. S. nthropologist, Lewis Morgan, who saw a pro gression in societies from â€Å"savagery† to â€Å"barbarism† to â€Å"civilization. † Also Robert Redfield noticed the progression from â€Å"folk society† to â€Å"urban society. † Pitirim Sorokin however respresnts a different form of this research. He theorizes that societal trends follow a cycle pattern between two points of view. One he called â€Å"ideational† and the other â€Å"sensate. â€Å"Later he developed third point of view, which he called â€Å"idealistic. † – Historical research and sociology often use the same tools and datasets as history, but they have different goals. istoriography – methodology of doing historical research The comparative historical method was the backbone of 19th century sociology. Sociologists such as Durkheim and Weber focused in on societies and studied and categorized them during different stages of development. In the mid-twentieth century, as the United States became the center of sociological research, the comparative historical method virtually disappeared.It has been revived in the U. S. in the past 35 years by researchers inspired by the European sociological classics. – There are two types of sources a researcher can use when conducting historical research. )primary sources – physical artifacts of human societies; (ex. documents, letters, official records, personal recollections) 2)secondary sources – books and papers published by governments and historians; (ex. statistical running records) Examples of famous studies include Durkheim’s Study of Suicide and Kentor’Consequences of Globalization. – The unit of analysis of existing statistics describe groups.Means you must be aware of the ecological fallacy which involves making assumptions regarding individuals based on characteristics of entire population. Although often regarded as a qualitative method, comparative and historical research can make use of quantitative techniques. – Archives are the most important type of comparative and historical reserach because they are well maintained by reliable organizations. However, they can by biased or partially incomplete. Ethics and Unobtrusive Research – While the use of unobtrusive research does avoid many ethical issues that are frequently present in other techniques of data collection and analysis, potential ethical risks still exist.For example, the use of diaries or private communications in content analysis give rise to questions of confidentiality. – Sometimes even unobtrusive measures can raise the possibility of violating subjects privacy. – The general principles of honest observation, analysis, and reporting apply to all research techniques. – – Traditional Approaches – To conduct field research of the past, primarily using materials such as letters, diaries, documents, oral histories, etc. (often these are case studies and a re not necessarily comparative)To study different societies, using the differences and similarities to highlight macro-social theories, primarily using history books and newspapers (the facts of history themselves). Often these are studies of current history and are not necessarily truly historical. – The actual comparative study of societies and their development over long stretches of history using a variety of resources. This produces research that is both comparative and historical. – Coding: Procedure of turning raw data into a standardized form that can be interpreted by a machine and processed/analyzed.E. g. A processed scantron for an exam. Coding is the process whereby raw data are transformed into standardized form suitable for machine processing and analysis. Content analysis is essentially a coding operation. In content analysis, communications- oral, written, or other- are coded or classified according to some conceptual framework. Coding in content analys is involves the logic of conceptualization and operation, as in other research methods, you must refine your conceptual frameworks and develop specific methods for observing in relation to that framework.Latent Content: In connection with content analysis, the underlying means of communication. E. g. In a war movie, how effective the movie depicted actual combat via the flow of the movie scenes or the general reality of how well the war was captured on a subjective interpretation. Latent content is as used in connection with content analysis, the underlying meaning of communications, as distinguished from their manifest content. – Manifest Content: In connection with content analysis, the actual concrete terms within human communication.E. g. In a war movie, how many times â€Å"fire†, â€Å"shoot†, or â€Å"bomb† is said (concrete, objective terms). Coding the manifest content, the visible surface content, of a communication is analogous to using a stand ardize questionnaire. Manifest coding is more reliable than latent coding, but is generally less valid – Archives are the most important source for this type of research. They are maintained by governments, private foundations, and some corporations and