Monday, September 30, 2019

Of mice and men is the story of two men George Milton and Lennie Small Essay

Of mice and men is the story of two men George Milton and Lennie Small who are two people who move from place to place in search of work. This is so that one day they can afford to buy a small farm somewhere where they can live alone and be there own bosses. George looks after Lennie because Lennie is mentally slow and he has looked after him since Lennie’s aunt died, because Lennie is mentally challenged, he tends to get George and himself into trouble because of stupid little things. They where on the run and they found a ranch in the Salinas valley California where they could work as ranch hands. Crooks, the black stable buck, was a proud aloof man who kept his distance from other people and demanded that they keep their own distance too. This was because he was black and at the time this novel was written, there was a lot of racist discrimination towards people with black skin, and so if he did mix with the others they would just make a mockery of him by using sarcasm and taunts. Crooks was obviously a very intelligent person because he controlled his inner anger towards the other people on the ranch but he was also a proud and bitter man. Proud because he never let anyone see how he truly felt and the ridicule and name calling and bitter because of the way he is treated and he passes on the hurt feeling he has to other people he thinks that there will be no recriminations from. He feels he is isolated because he is the only black man on the ranch and one of the very few black people in the entire area. Crooks is treated badly due to the racism in both the ranch and society as a whole. At the time when this story was written, the world was a very racist place and anyone with a different coloured skin other than white was treated differently. He was called a nigger and yet he was born in America so in fact, he was a true American and not a nigger, but due to him being black, he was treated very differently. He was given all the jobs that a white man would like to consider below him, i.e. cleaning out the stables. Even though the workers on the ranch did not set out to insult him deliberately, the use of the term ‘nigger’ signals to people that black men like Crooks were degraded both verbally and physically by people with white skin. Crooks was openly referred to as a ‘nigger’, which amplifies the casual racism that was directed at him by the others. Crooks bullies Lennie because he has been tormented and bullied all the time he has been able to understand the facts of racial prejudice. He is then given the chance to bully Lennie. To get Lennie’s attention he uses a subdued and convincing voice. When he gets the affect he wants he then turns to bullying and you can see his â€Å"face lighted with pleasure in his torture†. He revelled in the suffering and tribulation he put on Lennie because he is enjoying bullying instead of being bullied himself. He also likes his new level as he can only do this to Lennie because he is not a threat and it is possibly the only time he can get his own back in some small way shape of form. Crooks’ character helps to widen the theme of loneliness in the novel because all the men on the ranch would have been proud and bitter men in someway because of the work they were forced to do. In addition, the way it says that it is unusual for people to travel around in twos I think that they were used to people keeping them selves to them because at the time it was written it was the great depression and so people were sad and tended not to communicate with other people. Crooks is given the smallest most desolate room on the ranch he is made to keep away from the bunkhouse where the rest of the workers work. His room is not only his room it is sort of an equipment store a place where equipment gets fixed. He is the also the only black person on the ranch and possibly the only black person for miles, which means that he has no one of his own race to converge with. The other thing that is not on his side is that with him being black no one would believe him if any thing went wrong an example of this is when Curleys wife goes into Crooks’ room and crooks tell her to leave she replies with that she calls him a nigger ands that she could get him lynched (hanged) quiet easily, implying that she doesn’t like him and that she could do it if she was pushed. The language used to describe Crooks gives him a lack of recognition which help the author to make the reader of the novel feel sorry for Crooks and that they would just want to help him. John Steinbeck uses this to show his lack of identity and thus making him an outsider to the rest of the people on the ranch who have a full explicit description of the way they look. The lack of description of crooks makes us feel sympathetic towards him Steinbeck also uses like a sad slow old-fashioned form of writing to make you feel like he is lonely and is sympathetic towards him. Crooks is quit an important character in the novel it helps the writer convey the loneliness and solitude there must have been being a worker on a desolate ranch. Crooks is also the only person in the novel who can take part in one of the novels main themes (discrimination). It is also a good way of letting you see what life was like and the way people strived to make their life long dream come true (the American dream). After a while Crooks begins to trust Lennie and they become friends, which is another (friendship).

Sunday, September 29, 2019

GCSE Macbeth Assignment Essay

Shakespeare wrote â€Å"Macbeth† around 1606. This was a very violent time for the newly recognised British Isles. Just three years earlier, after nearly half a century in power, Queen Elizabeth I had died. She was succeeded by James I (or James VI of Scotland). James was of Scottish heritage and his style of rule was very different to that of Elizabeth who had been strong and imposing character. It would seem that James was a weaker monarch and in 1605, just two years after being crowned, there was a plot to destroy the houses of parliament, a symbol of his power. This is famously known as the Gunpowder Plot and is still commemorated every year on the 5th of November. Most agree that Shakespeare wrote â€Å"Macbeth† (or â€Å"The Scottish Play†) to comment on the underlying mood of the time. He sets his play in Scotland to try and win favour with King James and furthermore, makes the subject matter that of assassination and regicide ending in overall failure, to try and warn other possible plotters against the king. King James was renowned for his fascination and hatred of witches and during his reign tens of thousands of â€Å"witches† were killed. Shakespeare thus makes all the carnage and murder in the play the result of the witches’ prophecies. Our first impression of Macbeth is a very good one. In only the second scene, before we even meet Macbeth, we hear him referred to as â€Å"brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name.† Again, before Macbeth is even introduced to us, King Duncan remarks (with regard to Macbeth and Banquo) â€Å"they smack of honour both.† Although we are also told that Macbeth’s sword was â€Å"smoked with bloody execution† this is most definitely seen as a positive attribute and not as grounds for worry for the other characters. It could however, be a hint from Shakespeare that things are not completely as they seem. Initially, we see Macbeth as valiant and honourable and the man who, almost single-handedly, has saved the battle for his country. At this point, there is no finite indication of the madness that is to follow. In my opinion, right from the scene where we first meet Macbeth, Shakespeare makes it perfectly clear that he is not completely emotionally or psychologically stable. Whilst returning from the battle, Macbeth and his good friend Banquo encounter the three withes that commenced the play. They tell him, â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter.† Macbeth is clearly startled by this, but he tries to reason with himself that what has been said cannot possibly be true. After a short jovial interlude with Banquo – Angus and Ross arrive and congratulate the two on their victory. Then they endow Macbeth with the title of â€Å"Thane of Cawdor,† and I believe that this is the turning point of the whole play. Macbeth seems almost entranced by this and speaks almost the whole of the rest of the scene to himself. He tries to reason what had just taken place but now, he seems changed. As the play develops, we get a closer insight into Macbeth’s mental instabilities and nowhere more so than before the murder of Duncan. Shakespeare has purposefully orchestrated a situation to show Macbeth’s true personality and inner feelings. Macbeth, however bloody and deranged he may seem after his encounter with the witches, is still a respectable man, and killing his king is a very large decision for him to take. Lady Macbeth has completely pressured him into this situation and this in itself shows us that Macbeth is not a strong person at all. We can see this clearly by the fact that Macbeth says â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business,† supposedly putting his foot down. However, by the end of Lady Macbeth’s response Macbeth is already asking the question â€Å"If we should fail?† This indicates that Lady Macbeth has no respect or fear for Macbeth who, only three scenes earlier was being described as bloody, valiant and honourable. He reminds his wife that â€Å"Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague th’inventor,† pondering whether he would be killed if he were to be found out. Possibly in another act of cowardice he never directly tells Lady Macbeth about what he thinks will happen. But instead tells her, â€Å"This blow might be the be-all and the end-all here.† However, Lady Macbeth’s influence and determination is far greater than his and she forces Macbeth into the committing the deed. Macbeth tells his wife that it would be inhumane to kill King Duncan, â€Å"I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none.† We can also see that there is a definite element of fear in Macbeth, as when speaking, he refrains from using the word â€Å"murder.† Instead he uses euphemisms, â€Å"done† or â€Å"it†: â€Å"If it were done when’t is done.† He uses other words such as, â€Å"surcease† and â€Å"blow,† because Macbeth cannot even bear to say the word â€Å"murder.† Throughout the scene we see flashes of the â€Å"honourable† Macbeth described at the beginning of the play. For instance Macbeth displays a degree loyalty to Duncan when arguing with Lady Macbeth because he tells her, â€Å"as his host who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself.† The words â€Å"who should† mean that although Macbeth accepts that he should have said no to his wife, her influenced has forced him otherwise. In fitting with the times, Shakespeare uses Biblical imagery in his writing. Macbeth says â€Å"That is virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taking-off.† Apart from showing us that Macbeth is fearful of the immediate consequences of his actions, this also reveals his paranoia over the effects it will have on his after-life. The belief that someone would either go to heaven or to hell was virtually taken for granted in the early 17th Century. By using religious imagery in his play, Shakespeare makes sure that his intended audience are able to relate to the play fully. Finally, a stronger side of Macbeth then comes out and he says â€Å"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition.† Meaning that the only thing â€Å"spurring† him on is his ambition and nothing else, not even the pressure being exerted by his wife. He tells her that she is not affecting his actions, and in doing so, attempts to reassert him authority on the conversation. Shakespeare investigates many different aspects of Macbeths psyche in this short scene. On the one hand, contradictory to the picture of Macbeth that we have built up, Macbeth seems to be very weak. This is shown by the way Lady Macbeth has easily manipulated him and in some ways poisoned his mind. In this scene we also see shades of a more gentle Macbeth coming through, with his reluctance and doubt about killing Duncan. This whole scene leaves the audience very confused. Should they feel sympathy for Macbeth as they watch him try to defend himself against Lady Macbeth’s barrage of out-downs? Or should they dismiss his reluctance to kill Duncan as a symptom of his schizophrenia (and not that his conscience is catching up with or his more humane side coming out)? I am not even sure that Macbeth quite knows what to think, something that works perfectly for Shakespeare – as this layer of uncertainty creates suspense within the audience and forces them to carry on listening. After the murder, we are given yet more insight into Macbeth’s character. Fleeing from the scene of the crime he shows signs of paranoia. After hearing someone in the distance he shouts â€Å"Who’s there? what, ho!† He is clearly not thinking as, having just committed a terrible crime; he should have tried to have stayed undetected. The murder has definitely had an effect on him. He then discovers that luckily, it is only his wife and when he meets her anxiety clouds his thoughts. The first thing that he asks is â€Å"Didst thou not hear a noise?† To calm himself down he persistently asks Lady Macbeth whether she heard noises â€Å"When?†, â€Å"As I descended?† trying to reassure himself that he was not detected and there is nothing to worry about. His speech is edgy and uneasy. It that shows that he has not managed to calm down. Shakespeare usually wrote in iambic pentameters and these short one-word questions distort the flow of this pattern and are meant to indicate the paranoia and nervousness of Macbeth and his wife. Macbeth must have been extremely perturbed when he was in the room with Duncan. He says â€Å"this is a sorry sight,† whilst he is looking at his hands. This indicates that the killing was messy and later, Macbeth describes them as â€Å"hangman’s hands.† This could mean that Macbeth is disgusted and sorrowful for committing such a disgraceful crime and that he is showing signs of remorse. He continues to use euphemisms, such as â€Å"deed† to block out and forget the murder as much as he can. Shakespeare tries to give the audience the impression that Macbeth is sorry for his actions and not a cold-blooded person. Shakespeare also gives Macbeth another human element whereby he has him looking down at his hands, something that many people can identify with. Macbeth then goes on to talk about the â€Å"deed.† He mentions that when the two grooms were in the room with Duncan one cried, â€Å"Murder!† As Macbeth has refrained from using this tabooed word throughout the passage he must be very unstable to finally use it. Shakespeare also uses an exclamation mark which is meant to startle the audience and create suspense with a short pause. The short pause here is in start contrast to Macbeths other words which are written to be spoken very quickly. This is to give the audience the idea that Macbeth wants to forget his experience and get it off his chest as quickly as possible. A good example is when Macbeth is again talking about the two grooms, â€Å"That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them; but they did say their prayers, and addressed them again to sleep†. What Macbeth says next can also tell us much about his inner feelings. He does not respond to Lady Macbeth’s remark â€Å"There are two lodged together,† but instead carries on as if she were not there. This is a sure sign, as if it were needed, that he has been deeply affected by the prior events. He speaks in a jumbled fashion but yet his flow is uninterrupted. He refers to the Biblical terms used by the guards, â€Å"G-d bless us!† and â€Å"Amen.† He then says that he could not respond to the statement â€Å"G-d bless us† with the traditional â€Å"Amen.† This is probably because, looking at his blood soaked hands and thinking about what he has done he feels that he has badly dishonoured his religion Muddling his sentences, once more reveals the volatile state of his mind and his inability to think straight. Obsessed with the betrayal of his religion, he continues to talk about his inability to say â€Å"Amen.† He also mentions, â€Å"I had most need of blessing.† Here, Macbeth must be thinking about what will happen to him in the afterlife and whether he will be eternally damned for his actions. Macbeth then carries on to talk about sleep. He tells us that sleep is â€Å"innocent,† hinting that whilst he is asleep, he does not feel the guilt of whatever cruel actions he has taken during the day. He says that sleeps is â€Å"great nature’s second course,† referring to his life as a meal and saying that his â€Å"innocent sleep† is the best course. Then his words take on a dark tone. Again, completely ignoring what Lady Macbeth has said, he carries on in an entranced state. He says â€Å"Macbeth does murder sleep†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"Glamis hath murder’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.’ The fact that he can no longer escape to his â€Å"innocent sleep† because â€Å"Cawdor† and â€Å"Glamis† (he does not mention his own name or talk in the first person, probably through guilt) have murdered it evidently disturbs Macbeth. In my opinion, Shakespeare uses makes Macbeth say â€Å"Cawdor† and â€Å"Glamis† to remind the audience of the significance of the prophecy by the witches to the plot of the play – and specifically the murder. Finally, the audience are shown that Macbeth is broken and hysterical. Macbeth has given up and is reluctant to carry on. â€Å"I’ll go on no more: I am afraid to think what I have done.† Macbeth believes that he cannot carry on through fear of being discovered and that he would be constantly reminded of this great sin. This scene reiterates to the audience Macbeth’s insanity and shows us many of his emotions that we have already seen such. However, we see yet another side to Macbeth’s persona in the form of his religiousness. The audience is now confronted with someone who initially was the archetypal hero, but now is the complete antithesis. During the play the audience have seen his rationality and his insanity, his treachery and honour and both his bravery and cowardice. Now furthermore, we see his spirituality. Again, the audience cannot help but be bemused about who the real Macbeth is – and at this point in the play, which signals Macbeths psychological demise, this serves a brilliant dramatic purpose in that the audience really do not know what to expect next. The final act regards Macbeth’s demise. After hearing that Macbeth has murdered his entire family, Macduff (who has had his doubts about Macbeth ever since the murder of Duncan) joins forces with Prince Malcolm (Duncan’s son who fled to England after hearing of his father’s death).Meanwhile, Macbeth has visited the witches again – paranoid of Macduff’s challenge to his crown. They told him that he has nothing to worry to about â€Å"for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth† and that he was alright â€Å"until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane shall come against him.† At the beginning of Act 5 Scene 3, Macduff is already advancing on Macbeth. Macbeth seems confident and he insists, â€Å"bring me no more reports: let them fly all.† He is obviously not worried, however desperate the situation may seem because he truly believes that what the witches have told him is true. Shakespeare is possibly hinting this when he uses the word â€Å"fly† which has connotations of witchcraft. We are then reminded of Macbeth’s valiant side we were told about at the beginning of the play. He shows fearlessness by describing his servant as a â€Å"cream-faced loon,† meaning that he is pale faced and fearful. Macbeth therefore tells the servant to â€Å"prick thy face, and over-red thy fear.† Here telling him to cut himself and cover his face with the blood to look less pale. The Macbeth speaking now able to talk about subjects like shedding blood and feels no need to replace such words with euphemisms. This could be a sign that either Macbeth has lost all the guilt and remorse for his past murders, or that he is completely insane and no longer has any humanity left. We see flashes of this valiant Macbeth throughout the act. An example of this is when he says â€Å"I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked.† Macbeth is then greeted with the news that – in the words of his messenger – â€Å"The wood began to move† He wonders whether the witches have deceived him, and he sets out fighting even though it may be in vain. He crosses Siward’s son. Macbeth is very arrogant about his clash with Siward’s son, because the witches’ predictions have proved correct so far, and they have told him not to fear any human born of a woman. Siward’s Son asks him his name, and as if a man assured of victory he replies â€Å"Thou’lt be afraid to hear it.† He finally answers â€Å"My name’s Macbeth,† this short phrase shows how self-assured Macbeth is. It also carries alliteration when spoken. The conflict concludes with Siward’s Son’s death. Macbeth makes a speech in soliloquy after killing Siward, â€Å"But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn, Brandished by man that’s of a woman born.† The rhyming couplet gives his image a boost by convincing the audience that he is invincible. He assures himself that he has power and control over fate. When Macbeth meets Macduff, he tries to take the same tone as with Siward’s Son. He tells Macduff that â€Å"I bear a charmed life, which must not yield To one of woman born† Macduff replies â€Å"Despair thy charm†¦ Macduff was from his mother’s womb Untimely ripp’d.† At this Macbeth is clearly startled and he curses the witches accusing them of being â€Å"juggling fiends,† because they have tricked him through â€Å"juggling† their words. When Macbeth accepts Macduff’s challenge, even though he knows the end is near, the valiant and honourable side of his character shines through again. Macduff calls Macbeth a â€Å"coward† and tells him to â€Å"yield.† Possibly in one final maniac act of desperation he accepts the challenge and does not yield. He says that he cannot be dishonoured, â€Å"to kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet.† This is very clever as it uses distinct imagery that is easy to relate to. He goes on to say â€Å"I will not yield†¦ to be baited with the rabble’s curse†, saying that if he yields even common people will tease him. He goes forth to battle with Macduff and is killed. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is on of the classic tragic figures in literary history. He personifies a man’s corruption as a result of power. From our initial view of him, as what can only be described as a hero, we see him fall into an abyss of mental instability and eventually insanity. Shakespeare investigates many ideas such as, things not being as they seem, feminine influence and the overall result of regicide. He uses many cleverly crafted semantic fields such as clothes (â€Å"why do you dress me in borrow’d robes†) and a man’s face (â€Å"There’s daggers in men’s smiles†). These all work as clever imagery to further entice the audience. Apart from being a tragic hero, Macbeth is also one of the most complicated of all of Shakespeare’s characters. He goes through almost every emotion that we have a word for, and his feelings always contradict. First we think he is a fearless warrior, and then we see him bullied by his heartless wife. This serves a superb dramatic purpose for Shakespeare as the audience are never sure what to think or what to expect next. The conclude, the play â€Å"Macbeth† is undoubtedly one of Shakespeare’s greatest masterpieces and is a timeless piece of theatre – with its core, being the dramatic enigma that it the character, Macbeth.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Principal-agent Agreement and Tort Warranty Theories Assignment

Principal-agent Agreement and Tort Warranty Theories - Assignment Example The law implies certain responsibilities to the principal. Agents cannot avoid their duties and responsibilities that they have been assigned to by the principal by delegating or assigning to the other party. The relationship is highly personal by nature, and therefore non-delegable in that it cannot be performed by any other than the agent selected. An agent is supposed to obey all the lawful and reasonable instructions assigned to him by the principal in the performance of the agency. If losses occur to the principal due to an act committed by the agent acting more than its authority, the agent shall remain liable to those losses. In the relationship, the urgent is appointed by the principal and is working for the principal. Therefore agents must remain diligent, faithful, and loyal to their employers, and act in an ethical manner, and in the most professional way putting forth their best interests and efforts towards achieving their principal objectives. The agent must act with reasonable care and poses the skills required to perform such duties. Agents must have reasonable judgments in rendering the service and in advertisements. Agents hold themselves to the public as possessing skills and certain abilities and that have a duty to perform with full competence. In addition, agents cannot escape responsibility due to lack of ability, negligence or pleading ignorance, and therefore they should keep informed of legal developments, economic, and social developments in their fields of expertise Principals have several duties to the agents in their relationships such as fulfilling the obligations set forth in the agreements, paying the agents like indemnifying the agents for liabilities incurred in carrying out the agency duties and for reasonable expenses.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Islam Way of Life Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Islam Way of Life - Research Paper Example Today, more than 1.75 billion people are following this religion of Islam that makes them more than twenty-four percent population of the world. Analysis (Haddad, pp. 23-25) has indicated that like other revealed religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, etc, Islam also has similar principles of ethics, equality, patience, impartiality, etc; however, Islamic way of life has been confronting a number of issues due to opposite practice of few Muslims around the globe. In other words, terrorism is one of the major issues that have resulted in wrong image of Islam in Western countries due to the concept of Jihad in Islam that actually calls Muslims to fight in the name of Allah (God); however, few uneducated Muslims took this in actual phrases and began to breed terrorism in the name of Islam. On the other hand, a huge number of Muslims in various parts of the globe are practicing their lives on the fundamental principles of Islam and consider Jihad as a fight with one’s own self for improvement rather than someone else. It has been an observation that everything passes through a face of alteration during its existence that is the true law of nature. In this regard, religions undergo the same process of continuous change. Christianity confronted such phases, and that has been same for Islam as well. According to sacred scriptures (Haddad, pp. 29-34), Islam encourages an astonishing form of unity and pluralism, and that has been one of the reasons of higher level of cultural diversity of Muslim population in different parts of the globe. In this regard, this paper is an endeavor to discuss different ways of Islamic life that will enable the readers in better understanding of this monotheistic and religion with second largest global population. Scrutiny has indicated that sixteenth century began the existence of Islam in the United States with the arrival of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Global Reporting Initiative and Sustainable Reporting Essay

Global Reporting Initiative and Sustainable Reporting - Essay Example The increase in regulatory scrutiny, the emergence of new standards and the heightened interest on the part of public and private policymakers are the reasons why sustainability reporting becomes imperative for organizations today. To demonstrate this, this paper will explore one of the most widely recognized sustainability standards, the Global Reporting Initiative. Reporting Standard The Global Reporting Initiative was established in the year 1997 and sponsored by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies; the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was formed for the purpose of outlining a set of guidelines that would deal with the economic, environmental and social consequences of organizational activity (Brown, 2005, p.90). Because of this objective, the initiative is often called as â€Å"sustainability reporting.† Its declared mission is â€Å"to create conditions for the transparent and reliable exchange of sustainability information through the development an d continuous improvement of its Sustainability Reporting Framework† (GRI 2007). ... ainability Reporting Guidelines mandates that â€Å"a sustainability report should provide a balanced and reasonable representation of the sustainability performance of a reporting organization† (SRG, p.3). The significance of this initiative for companies rests on the determination of the sustainability performance. By defining, outlining and documenting the economic, environmental, social and governance areas for specific economic activities, an organization through the report, could identify its achievements in the context of its sustainability objectives. It is able to better benefit from the impact of its sustainability performance because the report contains correct and legitimate feedback. The benefits of a transparent organization, which will be explored further later on, is particularly maximized. This is the reason why companies release sustainability reports. In the International Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting in 2008, for instance, it was found that a lmost 80 percent of the companies in the Global 250 issued sustainability report (White, p.47). The same report cited numerous other reasons. They include ethics, economic considerations, brand reputation, innovation and learning (p.47). These variables reflect the changing dynamics of doing business today as stakeholder relationships changed. It appears that profit, which traditionally govern such relationship, is no longer the sole concern especially on the part of investors or that profit is no longer exclusively driven by purely economic activities. The case of AstraZeneca is an excellent example of how sustainability reporting could achieve a valid and acceptable sustainable reporting. The company has incorporated environmental and social aspects into its existing accounting and reporting

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Thr Gate Gourmet service company study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Thr Gate Gourmet service company study - Essay Example However incorporation of a foreign program in the operations scenario gives rise to different challenges and problems in place that need to be effectively administered to contribute to the overall gains. Herein this paper focuses on properly evaluating the parameter of utility of such software in rightly helping the company management and the stakeholders gain potential information relating to external environment changes and also in addressing the problems emerging thereof. The paper divided along potential sections would contribute in getting useful recommendations along several facets thus helping in the holistic development of the service enterprise, Gate Gourmet in effectively serving airline passengers. Contents Contents 3 Introduction 5 Discussion 5 Critical Determination of the Systems that Enable the Efficient use of Input Resources 5 The Input-Output Related Transformation Process 5 Process of Optimally Using the Available Resources 6 The Case of Gate Gourmet 7 Trade-Off an d Challenges Faced by Gate Gourmet during the Process 8 Benefits and Challenges Faced by Gate Gourmet in integrating Information Technology in Supply Chain 9 Benefits 9 Challenges 11 Recommendations for Enhanced Performance of Information Technology Driven Supply Chains 12 ERP Implementation and Challenges 13 Challenges Faced by Gate Gourmet in the Implementation Phase of Organisation Wide Information Systems (ERP) 13 Addressing ERP Implementation Problems in Gate Gourmet 14 Tacit and Implicit Knowledge Use in Gate Gourmet 15 Case of Gate Gourmet 15 Conclusions and Recommendations 16 References 17 Introduction Gate Gourmet is a firm that works in the rendering of effective operations and services to airline passengers in the mode of rendering quality food and catering products. The company in the unison with other employee groups also renders other value addition services relating to cleansing, baggage checking, loading and unloading and other flight crew services. Gate Gourmet has effectively incorporated information technology to enhance the level of integration and competency involved in its functions and collaboration with other stakeholders like suppliers supplementing them with information relating to market and demand changes. The paper in this connection tends to evaluate the effectiveness of the information technology component rightly integrated and incorporated by the company in its service delivery network. Discussion Critical Determination of the Systems that Enable the Efficient use of Input Resources The Input-Output Related Transformation Process The Transformation Process related to the input-output system relates to the effective integration of different type of resources pertaining to human, financial and technological capital for the production of goods and services as needed outputs. The model for the Transformation Process used in Operations for effectively transforming inputs into effective outputs can be rendered as follows. Figure 1 Th e inputs segment of the Transformation Process tends to incorporate two types of resources like Transformed and the Transforming. Transformed resources are as such that get readily transformed to serve as outputs in the process while Transforming Resources are such that aid in the effective transformation of inputs into proper outputs. Herein the Transformation

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities - Essay Example As the paper outlines, the knowledge statement makes adequate performance on the job possible while the skill statements refer to the proficient manual, verbal or mental manipulation of data or things. On the other hand, the ability statements refer to the power to perform an observable activity at the present time. Integrating these statements can serve as a basis for distinguishing the 'qualified candidates' from the 'unqualified candidates' for a position.  The development and selection of job performance tools depend upon the type of job. Not all kinds of performance instruments can be attributed to a person and therefore different tools such as Monitoring, Testing, Observations etc are employed. Because competence is multi-dimensional and individual assessment approaches have limitations, it is unlikely that a single approach to assessment will be adequate.  The primary question with any personnel instrument is of overall effectiveness. This is considered an extremely import ant factor in selecting a job performance instrument. This includes the feasibility and cost-benefit analysis of developing a specific type of instrument. It caters to factors like time and training required to implement the assessment, equipment or technology required, number of assessments required per examinee, financial cost, and the extent to which an assessment has been used. If an instrument that is not practical to be tested upon the candidates, then it is useless and therefore it must be rejected. Similarly, if the time and cost incurred to train and test the candidate are more than the value that can be derived from assessing the instrument then again the instrument it useless. Also, the assessment should provide new and useful information that facilitates teaching and learning. For instance, the assessment should allow the collection of enough detailed information that it is possible to know what performance improvements or curricular modifications are needed. If this is not provided by the performance instrument then again the instrument must be rejected.  Another factor that is equally important to effectiveness is the validity of the data. Valid data provide accurate information about what is being assessed. Different types of evidence may be used to infer validity. It may be inferred when assessment results help to predict performance in actual practice. Validity may be inferred also when it is possible to detect the responsiveness. Data that is invalid is of no use to the company and hence an instrument that extracts invalid data must not be considered for measuring job performance.  Apart from the factors mentioned above, job performance instruments must be broad so that they cater to various aspects of an employee. This helps in diminishing any bias that may arise in the instruments.  

Monday, September 23, 2019

Sustainability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Sustainability - Assignment Example Sustainability has appeared as a consequence of significant apprehensions about the unplanned social, ecological, and economic penalties of rapid populace growth, economic developments and expenditure of our natural possessions. In its untimely years, EPA acted principally as the country’s ecological watchdog, determined to make certain that businesses met lawful requirements to manage pollution. In succeeding years, EPA started to establish hypothesis, tools, and performances that facilitated it to emerge from scheming pollution to averting it (Anink, Chiel and John 240). Nowadays EPA intends to put sustainability the next intensity of environmental fortification by drawing on progresses in science and expertise to guard human healthiness and the surroundings, and promoting inventive green business applications. As population increases, civilization ought to establish traditions to expand devoid of depleting resources permitting subsequent generations to exist comfortably. Green construction and building is a thought developing from this necessity. One idea of green construction is sustainable building (BragancÃŒ §a, 45). This is an increasing eco-friendly technique of construction proposed to reduce unconstructive impact on the surroundings all through the construction process and organization of life cycle. Obtaining sustainable developments requires strict harmonization from the designers, engineers, and proprietors. The course starts with establishing a location that fits the implementation of the project. Throughout construction, there is alteration to the adjacent ecology there earlier. Excellent planning could decrease the consequences of emergent land. Architects utilize innate resources to diminish damage to surroundings. The solar system and the air current could be power resource s in a house. Experts in air conditioning, water, and thermo electricity set up systems to decrease energy use (Calkins,45).

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Corporate Social Responsibility (Gallaher Group PLC ) Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility (Gallaher Group PLC ) - Essay Example One year on, we are commencing an annual process of reporting. This report examines our activities during 2004 and highlights the steps we intend to take in the future. We also provide an update on how we are performing against targets set last year; how we are establishing new performance indicators, and explaining further what we are doing, as we strive for continual improvement in corporate responsibility. Tobacco, by its very nature, is a controversial business sector, and it is important that we continue to listen to the opinions of others and communicate with clarity. One of the areas that we recognise is of key importance is communication and engagement with all of those who interact with our business. Feedback on our approach to corporate responsibility confirms that this is an area where we should continue to focus attention and, in recognition of this, dialogue is a key theme throughout this report. I hope that you will find this report informative. We believe that good corporate responsibility is the hallmark of a successful organisation, and we very much welcome your views, (yourviews@gallaherltd.com)". (http://www.gallaher-group.com/corporate/crr.asp) What sector does the company appear under GALLAHER GROUP PLC' main purpose is to increase it cash inflow from its big clients (Tobacco sector) in the countries like Austria, Republic of Ireland, Sweden and the UK and capitalize its operations in international growth strategy (Thompson, 1999) through export opportunities such as investing money in acquiring other companies and also entering into joint ventures and business tie ups with businesses all over Europe, the CIS, Africa and the emerging Asian economic region. In the UK, Gallaher Group PLC wants to increase its market shares(Irwin, 2000) in the growing value cigarette sector within the United Kingdom by continuing increasing its leading positions in the premium cigarette and cigar market segment. Gallaher Group PLC also aims to attain its goal of equalizing its sales figure with its profit percentages gained on these volume sales.Gallaher Group PLC also plains to vigorously maintain its top market positions in Austria and the Republic of Ireland by continuing its management strategy of equalizing its sales volume with profit percentages. Gallaher will implement its plans to enter into uncharted territories especially in Central and Eastern Europe. Gallaher Group PLC is presently aiming to increase geometrically its regional market portion(Chisolm, 1981) in the Commonwealth of the Independent States while it is doubling its efforts to increase the proportion of its brands(Goldman, 1997) marketed in the higher priced and intermediate markets in this region. Gallaher Group PLC plans to also increase its market positions(Slavin, 1989) in Poland, the Baltics, Africa and the Asia Pacific region. Alongside with this plan, Gallaher Group PLC is currently fighting to maintain it present market share in Sweden's cigarette market by also implementing it company policy of balancing its volume sales and profit ratios. ( Aug, 2006) What macro

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Sustainability Issues with the Milk Industry Essay Example for Free

Sustainability Issues with the Milk Industry Essay A bottle of milk purchased in Christchurch is very like to be produced in the South island, either in Canterbury or Southland, which are the main dairying areas. The production process for milk: From the farm: milk is produced from grass, dairy cow’s graze on the grass and then they are milked twice a day using mechanical vacuum milking machines. The raw milk flows through stainless steel pipes to a refrigerated bulk milk tank. The milk is collected by road tanker every one to two days and taken to a milk processing plant. The Separator: at the processing plant the first step is separation where the raw milk is passed through a separator, which spins 100 times per second to separate the milk from cream. Standardisation: this is where cream is added back into the milk as some cows do not always produce the same amount of cream in their milk, also milk changes depending on the time of year. Homogenisation: is the process where the milk is heated and pushed through a very small opening to stop the cream rising from the top this evens out the fat so it all tastes the same. Pasteurisation: heats up the milk to almost boiling point to kill any bacteria and then the milk is cooled very fast. Packaging: The final stage of production is the pumped in to cartons of plastic bottles and then sealed. (Fonterra, n. d, milking it section, para. 2) The production of milk at a processing plant does not create many major issues relating to sustainable resources use and conservation. The key issues associated with the production of a bottle of milk are created at the start of production on dairy farms. Farmers engage in practices to enable the production of milk. Cows can eat up to 70kg of grass per day (Fonterra, n. d, grazing section, para. 1) which means a lot of land is needed for farming and chemical fertiliser is used on the soil to boost the growth of grass. Irrigation systems are also used to aid the growth of pastures to enable to dairy cows to continually graze so they can produce milk. (b) It is not environmentally sustainable to produce milk using the current method. One of the key issues is the use of chemical fertiliser. This fertiliser is used to increase the growth of pasture to allow farmers to maintain high numbers of stock per hector, which causes soil compaction and does not allow it to breath. The air spaces in the soil are very important as air and water travel through to the roots. Compacted soil leads to water logging, where bacteria that survive without oxygen flourish and create nitrous oxides (Greenpeace, 2010a, Chemical fertiliser a corporate treadmill section, para. 3) The fertiliser destroys the living humus in the soil, the biology micro-organisms and minerals critical for plant health and performance. Humus is organic matter that has reached a point stability, where it will not break down any further and if conditions do not change, it may remain as it is for centuries. If the humus is not working, the soil becomes lifeless and hard as a result any that is put on top of the soil does not get absorbed instead runs off and pollutes water ways. The fertilizer only creates growth of grass on the top of the soil and destroys the soils natural life cycle. Without this layer of natural humus, the chemicals in the fertilisers will eventually make its way down through the thin dead subsoil left behind, down into the earths underground fresh water tables. The chemical fertilisers destroys the nature’s own recycling system without earthworms and the soils micro-organisms that build humus decompose organic matter breakdown, manmade toxins protect plants and promote good soil structure, the soil erodes and cant sustain life and becomes worthless. (Scoop, 2011, para. 14) Cows that graze on fertilized soil are also known to have digestion problems and other health issues. (c) If this method of production is continued, there will be many future implications for the environment. The production of milk in Canterbury has many externalities as the cows on dairy farms produce a lot of pollution. The nutrient from farmland runs of into water ways and aquifers polluting the water which leads to algal blooms and degrades fish habitats. This is threating many native fresh water fish species and freshwater ecosystems (Forest and Bird, 2011, Freshwater species in freefall section, para. 1). The use of irrigation systems reduce water levels, by drying out springs, streams, lakes and rivers. Reduced water levels can block fish passage to and from the sea. The implications from this are again threatening ecosystems and using a lot of New Zealand’s water supply. As the New Zealand dairy industry expands to meet demand overseas, more cows are breed which creates more greenhouse gases. Whens cows burp they emit methane into the atmosphere which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. (Greenpeace, 2010b, Agriculture and climate change section, para. 1) New Zealand’s agricultural sector contributes to half the greenhouse gas emissions, the use of chemical fertilisers, deforestation and gases emitted from cows are all factors that affect climate change. New Zealand’s clean and green image is also being tainted. (Greenpeace, 2010b, What happens if New Zealand agriculture doesnt lift its game? section, para. 1) The production of milk not only affects New Zealand’s natural environment but also has contributed to the destruction of Indonesian and Malaysian rainforest. New Zealand has been importing palm-based animal feed for livestock to boost production. In the last decade New Zealand’s demand for palm kernel animal feed has increased by 2000 per cent with the objective to produce more milk products without having to use more land. Fires are lit to clear the rain forests to make room for palm plantations, the conversion of carbon rich peatlands significantly contribute to climate change, creating 20 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions per year. The deforestation of these rain forests also destroys habitats for wildlife including animals such as orangutans and the sunatran tiger. If this method of process is to continue the future implications would increase climate change and species would to become extinct. (Greenpeace, 2010c, para. 1) . References Fonterra. (n. d). The storey of milk. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www. fonterra. com/wps/wcm/connect/fonterracom/fonterra. com/Our+Products/The+Story+Of+Milk/ Forest and Bird. (2011). Agriculture. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www. forestandbird. org. nz/saving-our-environment/threats-and-impacts-/threats-impacts-agriculture Greenpeace. (2010a). Intensive Farming. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://www.greenpeace. org/new-zealand/en/campaigns/climate-change/smart-farming/the-bad/ Greenpeace. (2010b). Smart Farming. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://www. greenpeace. org/new-zealand/en/campaigns/climate-change/smart-farming/ Greenpeace. (2010c). Fonterra implicated in rainforest destruction. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://www. greenpeace. org/new-zealand/en/news/fonterra-exposed/ Scoop. (2011), The Peoples Choice Party 2011 Campaign, Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://www. scoop. co. nz/stories/PO1105/S00037/the-peoples-choice-party-2011-campaign. htm.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Womens Engagement in Politics

Womens Engagement in Politics Why are there relatively few women engaged in political activity? Introduction It is evident that women are underrepresented in government and in general do not engage in political activity in the same numbers as men do. Various explanations have been used to explain this phenomenon: entrenched discrimination on the part of candidate selectors, elite theory as well as the Supply and Demand Model. This paper visits each explanation in turn finding some value in each. Finally, the argument is made that another possibility is that the system has been created by men for men. When states and constitutions were created in today’s developing countries, women did not have the right to vote, own property or engage in any political activity. Therefore, one could argue that the terms of the social contract on which liberal democracies are based are male- centric and do not allow for the equal representation of women. Theoretical Perspectives: Women and Democracy Beyond the basic interpretation of democracy as â€Å"rule by the people†, scholars have noted that democracy has evolved, changing over time and space and responding to evolution in public affairs. As explained by Meny â€Å"it is commonly accepted that democracy has varied over time, evolving from a rather elitist and restrictive form to a more open and participatory form of government† (Meny, 2002, p.10). Dahl identifies three evolutionary waves, or â€Å"transformations† of democracy, from the Greek city- state to the republic and finally to the nation- state (Dahl, 1989). Furthermore, Dahl identifies the basic criteria for a democratic process as: effective participation, voting equality at the decisive stage, enlightened understanding, control of the agenda by the people, and equal opportunity (Dahl, 1989). Effective participation is the requirement for citizens to have an equal chance of expressing preference for the political outcome, and their choice should be weighed as equal to that of any other citizen. Enlightened understanding means that citizens should be informed in their choice and have an understanding of the system. At first glance, therefore, one would be surprised with the arguments posed by some Feminists that standard definitions of democracy such as the above are discriminatory against women and legitimize a gender- biased system. Waylen asserts: â€Å"democracy defined in these ways becomes a ‘political method’ simply an institutional arrangement to generate and legitimize leadership† (Waylen, 1994, p.332). To help us understand statements like these, we should consider the distinction between different kinds of â€Å"equality† and the historic inequality democratic systems have imposed on women. There is an important distinction between equality of opportunity and equality of result. If a system merely aims at equality of opportunity then giving women the right to vote and come forward as candidates would be an end in itself; but if equality of result is sought, then one would see that external factors diminish the value of equality of opportunity (Karam ed. 199 8). A historic overview of â€Å"democracy† reveals that as a system in application, it is embedded with inequality. The democrats in ancient Greece excluded women, slaves and immigrants and considered foreigners to be â€Å"barbarians† and therefore inferior to the Greeks. At a minimum, democracy requires that people have the right to vote, and this right was not given to women until recently: 1919 in West Germany, 1920 in the USA, 1921 in the UK and 1971 in Switzerland (just to name a few examples of developed and democratic states). In accounting for this inequality, Feminists emphasize the concept of patriarchy and the distinction between the public and private sphere. Patriarchy[1] means â€Å"rule by fathers† and mainstream political theory argues that this system has been obsolete and no longer n existence since more than three hundred years ago. Feminists, however, have always been pointing out that it still exists. Pateman argues that patriarchy has been replaced by â€Å"fraternity†[2] through the establishment of the social contract. Patriarchy has its foundations in the separation between the public and the private sphere, thereby keeping women confined in the private sphere, removed from politics: â€Å"The division of public and private life as one that differentiates the woman (private) from the man (public) is the overarching ideological tool of patriarchy† (Corrin 1999 quoting Eisenstein 1984). Liberal Democracy This system aims to check both the tyranny of the majority and the abuse of power by a government, usually through a system of checks and balances. The system merely aims at equality of opportunity (and not equality of result or of condition) and accountability through voting. It assumes that society consists of a plurality of interests which compete with each other over influence over political outcomes. As a result of this competition a stalemate may occur which means little or piece meal change to the system can be achieved and thus the status quo perpetuates. This model embraces the distinction between the public and private sphere. [3] Feminists therefore criticize liberal democracy and assert that inequalities between husband and wife reduce the value of political life for women. Feminists also feel that a â€Å"gender- neutral† approach to citizenship (as is proposed by liberal democracy) actually serves to exclude women. Phillips argues that concepts such as the individual, citizenship, rights etc are male categories (Phillips, 1991). Participatory Democracy This model requires social equality and emphasizes participation. It challenges the private- public distinction and proposes that for democracy to be meaningful in the public sphere there must also be democracy in the private sphere. Feminists agree that voting is not enough and that there must be discussion and participation. However, feminists argue that this model also creates an elite of â€Å"active† citizens. As certain categories of women such as housewives have less free time, they are less able to be â€Å"active† in public affairs and would therefore be disadvantaged. Elite Theory Elite theory assumes that throughout history there has been a group of people who â€Å"rule† and the rest who are ruled by them. Essentially this theory is about power and its distribution. Gaetano Mosca argues that the existence of the elite and its dominance depends on its organizational position and abilities. Mosca believes that the more organized minority will prevail over the less organized majority. Mosca distinguishes between an upper stratum elite (small group of political decision- makers) and a lower stratum of the elite, who perform lesser political functions. Mosca saw elite- formation as inevitable; if the mass were to rise against the elite and replace it in government, another small group would rise from within the masses and prevail over the rest. Mosca saw elite theory and democracy as compatible (Rush, 1992). Michels drew upon Mosca’s â€Å"iron law of oligarchy† and argued that like all other organizations, political parties are dominated by their leadership. Pareto diverges from the Marxist notion that the elite are defined in economic terms, and argues instead that it is human attributes such as motivation and abilities which define it (Rush, 1992). Political Recruitment The Selection Process Norris and Lovenduski identify three levels of analyzing political recruitment: a) systematic factors such as the legal system, the electoral system and the party system, which set the context for analysis, b) context- setting factors such as party organization, rules and ideology, c) factors influencing directly the recruitment of individual candidates such as resources and motivations of applicants and the attitudes of â€Å"gatekeepers† (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995). The recruitment process is generally evaluated by testing whether the system is democratic (involving local activists and grassroots members), whether it is fair (treating all applicants equally), whether it is efficient (as a decision- making process) and whether it is effective in producing candidates of a high standard (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995). There are six main types of selection process and these are: 1) informal- centralized, where constitutional mechanisms may be in place but in essence patronage controls outcomes and rules are largely symbolic 2) informal – regional where factions bargain in order to get good positions for their candidates, 3) informal- localized where the decision over which selection procedure will be used depends on local groups and therefore procedures vary and the system is open to manipulation by small groups 4, 5) formal- centralized/ formal- regional where party leaders at national or at regional level have the power to choose candidates and 6) formal- localized where constitutional rules and guidelines create a standard procedure and all applicants are treated equally (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995). According to Norris and Lovenduski: â€Å"in the long term the main change in recruitment within British parties has been in process rather than power. There has been a gradual evolution from an ‘informal- localized’ system based on patronage in the nineteenth century towards more ‘formal- localized’ system today based on more meritocratic standards† (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995, p.5). Supply and Demand In analyzing trends in political recruitment, Norris and Lovenduski present the Supply and Demand Model : â€Å"based on a ‘supply and demand’ model, the study distinguishes between the factors influencing the ‘supply’ of candidates willing to come forward and the factors influencing the ‘demand’ of party selectors in making their decisions† ((Norris and Lovenduski, 1995, p.14). On the Demand side, selectors choose based on perceptions of the candidates’ abilities, experience etc. Such perceptions can be affected by discrimination and stereotyping either in a positive r in a negative way. Direct discrimination is judging people as members of groups instead of as individuals. Imputed discrimination amounts to selectors favouring certain categories of candidates e.g. women or racial minorities (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995). On the Supply side, selectors may argue that certain categories of people such as women do not come forward as candidates. Motivation and constrained resources may affect potential candidacies. Also, demand and supply are inter-related; some may be deterred from coming forward out of fear of discrimination (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995). Applied to the case of women, the Demand side proposes that women may have lower resources in terms of money and time as well as lower levels of political ambition and confidence. On the supply side, selector may employ direct or imputed discrimination against women: â€Å"the basic problem is that selectors are not enthusiastic about women candidates. They believe the electorate does not want them. They do not see women as having the same commitment as men. They do not know how to categorize them †¦ in short, they apply different standards† (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995, p.115 quoting Mitchell 1982). Party Selection In the Conservative Party, following the Chelmer Report 1972 the rules guiding procedures were revised. This slightly strengthened the role of party members at the expense of the constituency executive committee. In 1980 the Conservative Central Office introduced managerialist selection boards to scrutinize candidates on the Approved List before they could apply. These boards aimed to produce better quality candidates and fairer procedures (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995). The Labour general party modernization in the 1980s included selection rules reform. Thus, there was a mandatory reselection for incumbents, a formalized selection procedure and power shifted downwards to an electoral college of all members. To encourage more women candidates the Party altered short listing rules and introduced more training programs (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995). For the general election 1997 Labour introduced women-only shortlists whereby a proportion of local parties were required to shortlist only women candidates for selection. The policy was then withdrawn as it was found in breach of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. The Electoral System According to Norris and Lovenduski â€Å"the British electoral system is commonly seen as contributing towards the localism of the selection process, by strengthening the links between individual MPs and their constituency† (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995, p.28). The British first- pass- the post system is based on a 651 plurality, single member districts and opportunities are determined by the number of seats. Voters can vote for or against individual candidates, but have no say over who is placed before them as a candidate (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995). The incumbency turnover further constrains opportunities to enter parliament. The rise of â€Å"careerism† whereby MPs enter parliament at a younger age and see their position as a career further supports this proposition. The party system is a further constraint; traditionally the UK was considered a two- party system, but this has gradually been weakened in the post- war period (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995). Conclusions: Accounting for Women’s Under representation The Discrimination Argument Some feel that women are discriminated against by part selectors: â€Å"discrimination by gatekeepers is probably one of the most common explanations of the social bias in our parliament† (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995, p.123). However, it is difficult to establish proof of this discrimination. Others feel that at present the system is open to women and explain the under representation in terms of structural constraints such as lack of confidence or the difficulty to combine family life with a career in politics (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995). There is also the argument that selectors may not be biased themselves, but may feel that the electorate has biased perceptions. Therefore, to avoid ‘losing’ they do not select ‘risky’ candidates such as women or ethnic minorities. In general, ‘winning’ candidates are perceived as local, white, middle class and male: â€Å"perceptions of anticipated electoral gains and losses reflect, and thereby reinforce the dominant class and racial biases within parliament† (Norris and Lovenduski, 1995, p.136). The Elite Theory argument An application of elite theory to liberal democracies at present, confirms the validity of this model. Electoral systems may mean that the voters do not have a genuine choice and that this lies in the hands of the selectorate, usually party officials: â€Å"studies in a number of countries show that in socio- economic terms the differences between successful and unsuccessful candidates are not great and that the selection of candidates is often in the hands of a small group of party leaders and activists† (Rush, 1992, p.66). The Social Contract Revisited Nadezhda Shvedova identifies the difficulties women face in achieving equal representation in government: political, socio-economic, and ideological/psychological obstacles (Karam ed. 1998). Political obstacles include: the type of electoral system ( Shvedova believes proportional representation is better for increasing women’s representation), prevalence of the â€Å"masculine model† of political life e.g. the â€Å"predator mentality† that is supposedly alien to women, and lack of party support. Arguments of socio-economic obstacles usually stem from the theory that higher development brings more democratization; Ideological/psychological obstacles are the traditional social roles assigned to women and men, women’s lack of confidence, the perception of politics as a â€Å"dirty†, and the way in which women are portrayed in the mass media. In newly democratized countries mechanisms such as quotas have been devised to ensure equal representation. Quotas are introduced to make sure that women constitute a certain percentage of the members of a public body such as a candidate list, committee, parliament assembly, or government. They usually aim at achieving at least a â€Å"critical minority† of 30-40% for women (Karam ed. 1998). The three most common forms of these mechanisms are: constitutional quotas which reserve seats in the national parliament for women, election law quotas which are written in national law, and political party quotas which are adopted by political parties to achieve a certain percentage of women as candidates. According to Dahlerup, â€Å"History seems to prove that the implementation of a quota system is made easier in a new political system than in an older one, where most seats might be ‘occupied’, and consequently a conflict may arise between the interests of new groups versus those of the incumbent† (Karam ed. 1998). Countries that have implemented quotas for women are : Uganda, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Tanzania, Belgium, Italy and Namibia (Karam ed. 1998). An example of a newly democratized state where women played an important role in creating the institutions and the foundations of the state is South Africa. According to Seidman â€Å"During the South African transition women activists played a surprisingly important role in the negotiations, in the elections, and in designing the new state. Women’s participation is already leading to new approaches in policy making and, I will suggest, to the construction of a new vision of gendered citizenship† (Seidman 1999, p. 288). This illustrates the ambiguous relationship between development and democracy, and the relationship between the role played by women in freedom or independence struggles and their subsequent role in the new state. . However, it is more difficult to implement such mechanisms in older democracies where rules of procedure and systems are entrenched. Another reason is that the liberal democratic model creates systems that are less â€Å"gendered† than the participatory democracy model, for example, would. This may not have been done to purposely discriminate against women; it may be more about the general ideology of liberal democracy. A good illustration would be the case of the USA where the founding fathers of the American Constitution aimed at creating a â€Å"free† society. â€Å"Free† however, does not imply equal in resources or in condition. Liberal democracy can be therefore criticized because the state will strive to achieve the equality of disadvantaged people; it is more likely to act as a neutral mediator or even observer in the free, pluralist system, where the strongest group/ elite will prevail. It therefore follows that in such a system, reforms to improve the r epresentation of women in political activity will be piece-meal and gradual. References Corrin, C. (1999). Feminist Perspectives on Politics, Essex, Pearson Prentice Hall. Karam, A. (ed) (1998). Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers, Stockholm, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). Waylen, G. (2003), Gender and Transitions: What Do We Know?, Democratisation, 10 (1), p. 157- 178. Waylen, G. (1994), Women and Democratisation: Conceptualising Gender Relations in Transition Politics. World Politics, 46 (3), p. 327- 354. Seidman, G. (1999), Gendered Citizenship: South Africa’s Democratic Transition and the Construction of a Gendered State, Gender and Society, 13 (3), p.287-307. Phillips, A. (1991), Engendering Democracy, Cambridge , Polity. Pateman, C. (1988), The Sexual Contract, Cambridge, Polity. Meny, Y. (2002), De la democratie en Europe: Old Concepts and New Challenges, Journal of Common Market Studies, 41 (1), p. 1-13. Dahl, R. (1989), Democracy and Its Critics, New Haven; London, Yale University Press. Rush, M (1992), Democracy and its Critics, Harvester Wheatsheaf, Prentice Hall. Norris, P. and Lovenduski, J. (1995), Political Recruitment: Gender, Race and Class in the British Parliament, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 1 Footnotes [1] Adrienne Rich defines patriarchy as â€Å"a familial- social, ideological, political system in which men by force, direct pressure, or through ritual, tradition, law and language, customs, etiquette, education, and the division of labour, determine what part women shall or shall not play† (Corrin 1999, p.8 quoting Rich 1997). [2] Fraternity means â€Å"rule by brothers† and is seen by Feminists such as Pateman as equally discriminative against women as patriarchy [3] Plato and Aristotle had made this distinction in their writings (Phillips, 1991)

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Analysis Of Writers Paulo Frei Essay -- essays research papers

Perspectives in the Arts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The stories behind a piece of art are infinite. The reasons the artist produced the piece is only one explanation behind the work. Even so, who is to know the specific thoughts the artist was thinking at the time? As each art critic may conclude his own analysis of an artwork, who is right and who is wrong? Just as students challenge the information that is supposedly â€Å"deposited† in them by the teacher in the classroom setting, art challenges the belief- that information can only be used as it was intended, which is highly rare in our day and age. The concept of perspectivism falls into place in this scenario. Art is perceived differently by varying individuals. There can be millions of interpretations that exist for one piece of artwork, however none more or less correct than the next interpretation. Similar to teachers depositing information to the students, each student may receive the information in different contexts. Whose to say whether or not the students’ interpretation is wrong? As writer John Berger points out the concept of reproducing art, in his essay â€Å"Ways of Seeing,† he addresses the idea how perspectives change completely when an artwork is reproduced to be used in a different context. As this is done, new thoughts and interpretations are created, thus can be seen as a progression of ideas. Writer Paulo Freire used the idea that â€Å"knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention(Freire 348)† in his essay, â€Å"The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education.† This idea is the essence of what Berger is trying to point out through the reproducing of art. That the reproduction of art is basically the â€Å"re-invention† of the ideas and interpretations that already exist. And thus only through the re-invention of art, new ideas and new interpretations can be formed, a progression of ideas, achieving true knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"[Art] becomes information of a sort, and, like all information, it is either put to use or ignored(Berger 120)†. Each individual sees art differently, images become information that is incorporated with the individual’s own knowledge and personality. As art is reproduced over and over again in different contexts, the artist’s original purpose of the image is altered, a progression from old ideas to new ideas. Clearly one can see how the original intended purp... ... of an image, even more ideas and thoughts are evoked. These reproductions now represented in new contexts bear new ideas that are to looked upon in a different manner for these images, â€Å"like all information, have to hold their own against all the other information being continually transmitted(Berger 123)†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea that surrounds an image having one clear message has been proved to be obsolete. Information cannot be used in one single manner. Matter of fact, there are just too many variables regarding perspectivism, individuality, and personal knowledge that prohibits a single idea that is to be received universally. Berger’s reproduction of art only further implicates the ideas that already exists, and takes it to the next level of thinking, incorporating new ideas that originally may have had no relevance whatsoever, the progression of ideas, so to speak. As art challenges the belief- that information can only be used as it was intended, the conclusion is that information can be used in innumerable ways. Information was meant to be challenged, evoking new challenges and new thoughts and ideas in a never ending cycle of progression from old to new.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Job Stress Essay -- essays research papers

Over the past few decades, many people are hearing more about job related stress. With many households depending on duel incomes, people are working more and having less leisure time. Many claim that job stress has contributed to such illnesses as heart disease, depression, gastric problems, exhaustion, and many other related illnesses. This paper will focus on the background issues surrounding stress; as well as, the steps that need to be taken by one’s self and the employer. According to The Random House Dictionary, stress is defined as “physical, mental, or emotional tension.'; Job stress occurs when demands are imposed upon the workers in which they can not meet those demands, or when there are not enough adequate supplies or information available for the employee to perform their job as required (Paine, 1982, pg. 68). In the book The Overworked American, author Juliet Schor (1991) reports that 30 percent of adults have reported experiencing high levels of stress on a daily basis. There is an even higher percentage of adults who have claimed to have high levels of stress at least once or twice a week. In 1965, only a quarter of the population reported that they are rushed to get things done resulting in high stress levels. Today, that number has increased to one-third of the American population claiming they are rushed on a daily basis (Schor, 1991, p.11). King 2 Prolonged severe stress can cause emotional depression, the exhaustion stage is not depression, but a physical process. Long-lasting excessive stress can cause a variety of physical illnesses. Among them: high blood pressure, ulcers, colitis, arthritis, diabetes, stoke, and heart attack. The same type and level of stress can effect individuals differently. It depends on the person’s physical condition (age, sex, genetic predisposition) and on certain external factors (diet, or treatment with certain drugs or hormones) as to the physical or emotional suffering that will occur. The weakest link in a chain breaks down under stress, even though all parts are equally exposed to it (Bensahel, Goodloe, and Kelly, 1984, p. 130). Illnesses that derive from stress usually develop slowly, without the individual being clearly aware of what is happening. Guidelines were developed by Robert J. Ban Amberg, a practicing psychiatrist in Montclair, New Jersey to help individua... ...t should be flexible with goals which are reasonable, rather easily achieved, promoting high success rates, and participation should be voluntary. 8. Program should be chosen or constructed and implemted on on the basis of close cooperation between mangement, employees, and professionals in the field. Employers and employees share responsibility for the maintenance of a healthy and safe working enviroment. Employers are by law obligated to provide a safe working intervention, formal and informal, is shared responsibility and calls for a coperative effort. In general people react badly with either to little or to much stress. In basic terms,stress is one aspect of living that can be beneficial when it motivates,encourages changes or inspire. Bensahel,Jane,Goodloe,Alfred,and Kelly,John. (1984). Managing Yourself-How to Control Emotion,Stress,and Time. New York: Franklin Watts. Kizer, William M. (1987). The Healthy WorkPlace. New York: John Wiley and Sons Paine, Whiton Stewart. (1982). Job Stress and Burnout. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications. Schor,Juliet B. (1991). The Overworked American. New York: Basic Books. Cooper and Marshall. (1985) Stress in the Workplace Job Stress

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Human Genome Project :: Science Genetics Papers

The Human Genome Project Imagine having the recipe to make a human being. Knowing its entire genetic make-up from beginning to end. Sounds far fetched, well it isn’t with the latest scientific achievements in sequencing the Human Genome. It’s only a question of how far we will take this information to get an understanding of its full potential. The Beginnings: Long before there was a formal Human Genome Project (HGP), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Institute of Health (NIH) and some of their predecessor agencies were interested in developing more sensitive methods to detect changes in our genetic make-up, induced by ionizing radiation, and to begin understanding the related health effects due to this type of exposure. It has been know for some time that the genetic-information containing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the molecule in the cell that is the most sensitive to the effects of radiation and other pollutants, even at low levels. One can only begin to imagine the impact it will have, in the pharmaceutical, and medical fields as well as how research will change, once we have our complete genetic make-up spelled out.(www.ornl.gov/hgmls/publicat/judges/aren.html) In 1984, researchers got together at a conference to discuss a single question. The question being asked was if modern DNA research provided an adequate way of detecting genetic mutations. Particularly, if there was sufficient evidence to indicate an increasing mutation rate in those people and their descendants, who survived the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. The overwhelming conclusion was, not yet, and so this was the underlying question-answer series that sparked the idea for the formation of the Human Genome Project. (www.ornl.gov/hgmis/publicat/tko/01_forword.html) In 1988, the DOE and the NIH signed a memorandum joining them in a combined effort to sequence the human genome. Then just two years later, on October 1, 1990 the official clock began counting down, signaling the journey and adventure to sequence the entire human genome. (New England Journal of Medicine, July 1, 1999) It was evident that once this project was completed it would furnish a highly detailed and accurate genetic reference guide that others could use to build on, without having to repeat the sequencing process from scratch. Originally the goal of the project was to have a completely sequenced genome within15 years. Due to improved sequencing techniques and the increased competition generated by the private sector, a "highly accurate" version of the human genome is set to be completed by the year 2003.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Changing Learning Styles in the Light of New Educational Technology Essay

Over the last twenty years technology is guiding our lifestyle, i. e. how we should live, how should we communicate and also how one shall learn. Discoll (2000) defines learning as â€Å"a persisting change in human performance or performance potential which must come about as a result of the learner’s experience and interaction with the world. † In other words learning is defined as lasting changed state (emotional, mental physiological- skills) brought about as a result of experiences and interactions with the content or people. This definition holds the notion that gaining knowledge is an objective of learning (or a style) that is attainable if not already innate through either reasoning or experiences. It is known that learners create knowledge as they make attempts to understand their experience, as they are not empty vessels to be filled in with knowledge Instead learners are actively attempting to create meaning, they often select and pursue their own learning styles. Although it is believed that real life learning is messy and complex, but methods which emulate the fuzziness of this kind of learning is more effective for lifelong learning. Earlier the life of knowledge is measured in decades but today as knowledge is growing exponentially, and there we may have such fields where the life of knowledge is measured in months and weeks. Today what is known may become obsolete after few weeks. According to (ASTD) American Society of Training & Documentation the amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 10 months as a result this is responsible for the shrinking half life of knowledge. It is believed that because of these trends in the development of knowledge formal education remains no more the ultimate source of learning, rather learners are switching on to a variety of sources like personal networks, communities of practice and personal experiences. As we can no longer personally experience and acquire learning that we need to act in this digital age making connections has become necessary to keep moving the learning theories. We may derive our learning, competence and expertise by forming connections with the experiences of others, as experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge, so here the quote â€Å"I store my knowledge in my friends mind† becomes an axiom for collecting knowledge by collecting people of varied experiences. Chaos is the new reality for the learners to attain knowledge, as with Chaos learners foster their understanding by deriving out the meaning of their task which has hidden patterns and their chaos unveil that meaning. Chaos as a science connects specialized communities and further it connects everything to anything. It recognises the adjacent patterns for new knowledge which is a key to learning. Since technology is getting advanced day by day thereby altering one brain, it further defines and shapes our thinking. In today knowledge economy it is necessary to form connection between the sources of information in order to develop useful informational patterns or a network, it can be computer or social networking which works on the simple principle that people groups systems nodes, entities all can be connected to create an integrated whole. This way sharing and exchanging of ideas may greatly lead to the notion of serendipity, innovation and creativity. In their new learning styles if students are connected to their teachers, their peers, and with other social groups through various networks. It may be possible that they come up with new ideologies and experiences which will result in the enhancement of their learning, researches in the past have indicated that cognitive (interactive and experimental) learning is the result of â€Å"Mental Construction† in a collaborative learning environment. It is believed that 1. Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions. 2. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes (experts) or information sources. 3. Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known. 4. Nurturing and maintaining connective bonds is needed to facilitate continual learning. 5. An ability to seek connections between fields, ideas and concepts is a skilful learning. 6. Updated knowledge is the index of all learning activities. Learners change as the knowledge keeps on changing from time to time, learning styles acknowledges the tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal individualistic activity and learners no more permissive sponges. It requires us to rethink and redesign our learning styles for the digital age. This paper is an attempt to provide an insight into new form of learning style and tasks needed for learners to compete and flourish in this age. Connections based on small efforts of many with the large efforts of few, where flow of knowledge starts when the individual enters into his social network, add something from the global nodes comes back to him. Radio and television, print media are just a one way preposition, they push their contents to us, but the web is a two way push and pull. It connects the learners directly to the sources it can be live as on line and offline too. Web has the ability of two ways reciprocity, another important aspect of learning through web is that it is the medium that honours the notion of multiple intelligences as experts from all over the world are at an ease to contribute their knowledge at a single platform. Web has become a great tool for writers as they provide the learners learning with entertainment, it has multiple forms of intelligence abstract, textual, visual, musical social and kinaesthetic. Learning through web has a chance to construct a medium that enables all young people to become engaged in their ideal way of learning. The Web affords the match we need between a medium and how a particular person learns. One of the goal of Learner is to have course curricular to be offered in multiple formats – teach Led, CD- Rom, DVD, Video and internet , Mobile Phones, Spoken and written Information, Conferencing, Virtual Classrooms etc. The right technology used appropriately can greatly enhance the learning experience. The key to choosing the right technology to support learning is to match the technology to the learner and the learning context. E-learning has a two way benefit for learners, one to have professional lessons from the experts and to have the lessons available at anytime as online subject matter of different courses is being delivered over the internet, and is available for all learners. The most common function used in online learning style is electronic mail that allows students and teachers to send and receive messages along with attached files. In addition web conferencing capabilities let participants conduct multi-person discussions, either in real time (chats) online or off time, combination of technology with personal contact and support is optimal for pedagogy. If the faculty members of distant learning integrate technology into their teaching it will be of great help in mentoring and giving time to time support to the learners.

The Ethics of Enron

Reading Enron's code of ethics, on first impression, you would expect nothing but excellence from a respectable company. Their code of ethics relied heavily on effective communication, a high level of integrity, and nothing but excellence. Through this code they portrayed a business that was capable of exceeding greatness to the highest standard. This soon to be eluded fact jaded by the deception with Enron's unethical actions, which would ultimately lead to its untimely demise. Enron, at one point, was the seventh largest company within the Fortune 500. Careful accounting strategies allowed it to be listed as the seventh largest company in America, and it was expected to dominate the trading it had virtually invented in communications, power and weather securities. Instead it became the biggest corporate failure in history. Enron was formed in 1985, by Kenneth Lay, CEO. Lay graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in economics. He then went on to get his Ph.D. from the University of Houston. With his extensive background in economics, Lay began to work for Exxon Mobil, and thus began his life in the energy business. He soon began to get involved in the natural gas market, which led him to propose the idea of the deregulating energy. Lay merged his company, Houston Natural Gas, with Omaha, Nebraska's InterNorth to form Enron (Briefing 2012). In addition to traditional sales and transportation of natural gas, Enron, under Lay's direction, invested into, what at the time was, future markets. From around 1983-1987, oil prices fell drastically. Buyers of natural gas switched to newly cheap alternatives such as fuel oil. Gas producers, led by Enron, lobbied vigorously for deregulation (Briefing 2012). Once-stable gas prices began to fluctuate, spooking buyers. That's when Enron started marketing futures contracts guaranteeing a price for delivery of gas sometime in the future (Briefing 2012). The government, again lobbied by Enron and others, deregulated electricity markets over the next several years, creating a similar opportunity for Enron to trade futures in electric power. With this, Enron began to grow at a rapid pace, having their assets grow by $50 billion in the matter of a short fifteen years. Being seen as a powerful company was undermining motive that lead to Enron's one main goal that they continuously strove to achieve. Who would not enjoy having a superior image for as long as this company did. Enron, before its collapse, was one of the worlds leading electrical, natural gas, and communication companies (NPR 2012). The company, with profit of $101 billion in 2000, markets electricity and natural gas, delivers physical commodities and financial and risk management services around the world, and has developed an intelligent network platform online business (NPR 2012). However, all so called good things for Enron came to an end. Despite Enron's perceptual display of ethical standards in its transactions, social conduct, environmental and financial reports, evidence of unethical behaviors such as engaging in massive corporate fraud, misleading its investors and employees about its financial status bloated out when it collapsed in 2001. By excluding its partnerships with Chewco and Joint Energy Development Investments (JEDI) from its financial statements, Enron was able to hide its $600 million debt from the balance sheet. For about eight years, Enron used complex and unethical accounting schemes to reduce its tax payments, overstate income and profits, inflate stock price and credit rating, hide losses, transfer the company's money to themselves, and fraudulently misrepresent its financial condition in public reports. Enron Senior Management did perform a job well done until it fell apart when Enron's share price started to drop in 2000. Before Enron filed for bankruptcy protection, the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) already found out these accounting irregularities where Enron clearly misled its shareholders, analysts and creditors. By the end of 2001, it left thousands of employees who have invested their savings and pensions in the company and small shareholders maintaining their investments; while members of Enron management sold their shares knowing the falling performance of the company. Enron was not protecting the interest of its stakeholders at all. Thousands of employees lost their jobs and significant amount of retirement savings, while investors were left with worthless stocks. These further affected their families and their community as a whole. Enron's scandal damaged public trust on corporate leaders. The behavior of Enron's leaders were far from the good leadership behavior we know of, where leaders should demonstrate integrity. What's worse was that, the Auditors of Enron who should have been the one to report their accounting malpractices long time before, accepted the accounting practices and remained silent. This was most probably because of the conflict of interest because these auditors earned high revenues from audit and non-audit works with Enron. In the most basic sense, lack of management integrity and the resulting impact on corporate culture was the root cause of Enron's downfall and the fundamental ethical issue. Enron's management chose ego gratification, power maximization, stakeholder deception and short-term financial gains for themselves, while destroying their personal and business reputations and hurting literally tens of thousands of stakeholders. Enron's scandal called for the need of significant change in accounting and corporate governance in the U.S. This is why the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002 was introduced. It was officially signed into law july 30th, 2002 to protect investors by imporoving the reliability and accuracy of disclosures made pursuant to securities laws. Sarbanes-Oxley developed the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a private, nonprofit corporation, to ensure that financial statements are audited according to independent standards. The legislation also mandates that companies listed on stock exchanges have completely independent audit committees to oversee the relationship between the companies and their auditors. Sarbanes-Oxley further banned most personal loans to any executive officer or director, accelerated reporting of trades by insiders, and stiffened penalties for violations of securities laws. SOX is generally applicable to all companies, regardless of size, who require to file reports with the SEC. SOX established the creation of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to oversee the audit of public companies that are subject to the securities laws. The PCAOB establishes auditing, quality control, ethics, independence and other standards relating to the preparation of audit reports. They are also responsible for conducting inspections of registered public accounting firms, as well as conducting investigations and disciplinary proceedings, where, justified, concerning registered public accounting firms. The Enron case will forever stand as the ultimate reflection of an era of near madness in finance, a time in the late 1990's when self-certitude and spin became a substitute for financial analysis and coherent business models. Controls broke down and management deteriorated as arrogance overrode careful judgment, allowing senior executives to blithely push aside their critics. Indeed, it could be argued that the most significant lesson from the trial had nothing to do with whether the defendants, both former Enron chief executives, committed the crimes charged in their indictments. Instead, the testimony and the documents admitted during the case painted a broad and disturbing portrait of a corporate culture poisoned by hubris, leading ultimately to a recklessness that placed the business's survival at risk. The ethical lesson that can be learned front the Enron scandal is that, no success is important enough to be achieved at the price of dishonesty and illegal activities. Not only did the scandal tarnish the reputation of Enron but it ruined the lives of the people who belonged to the name, People who have invested time and money into the company. It goes without saying, corporate values is far more important than unethically scheming in order to make profits.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Pros and Cons Fire Hydraulics today.

In the fire service today many new up and coming firefighters are taught that when operating the pump on the truck â€Å"It set Is you Just move these levers and It will flow. I believe there is pros and cons to this tactic that has been adapted. While making It easier on new recruits to learn how to operate the equipment, It also denies them of the deep knowledge of the equipment and the ability to react to situations outside the norm. Some of the pros to the set It and forget It style of teaching new firefighters Is of ours the ease of learning.If you don't have to learn calculations and be able to do them on the fly you can be trained In a shorter time period, becoming an effective member on the fire scene In less time and for less cost to the city who you are employed. This tactic also allows for more people to be trained on the equipment in a shorter time. On the other hand though some cons to this style of teaching is that new members lack the ability to adjust to unforeseen c ircumstances. They are never taught the necessary skills to run into a sticky situation and be able to make needed adjustments to get themselves and others out safely.When safety should be top priority firefighters and equipment operators need to be trained as much as possible. The last thing you want is to have something happen where you lose incoming pressure or a pump and not be able to react and adjust to keep your guys on the inside with vital water to flow. In my opinion on the matter I absolutely believe that people should be trained to a point where they understand the equipment not Just where to slide the handle or which knob to turn and how far. The ability to calculate the water pressures and aka necessary adjustments is a vital task that is part of being a pump operator.I believe that more people should be trained to that level and should also pass there training and knowledge on to new people Joining the fire service. Those are just some of the pros and cons to addition al training of fire service members when it comes to operating the bumper. There are numerous other pros for making operation of this equipment simpler as well as plenty of cons that go with It as well. Pros and Cons Fire Hydraulics today. By John-Likewise when operating the pump on the truck â€Å"it set is you Just move these levers and it will low'.I believe there is pros and cons to this tactic that has been adapted. While making it easier on new recruits to learn how to operate the equipment, it also Some of the pros to the set it and forget it style of teaching new firefighters is of them on the fly you can be trained in a shorter time period, becoming an effective member on the fire scene in less time and for less cost to the city who you are training and knowledge on to new people Joining the fire service. Those are Just some equipment simpler as well as plenty of cons that go with it as well.