Management in a Globailsed world Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Management in a Globailsed world - Assignment Example The movement of goods and services is usually carried across different countries. Most of the businesses engaging in the trade are multinationals and to some extent, the smaller established companies. In addition, globalization entails the movement of human resources that includes labor across various countries. Labor is an important part of an organization since a business needs the right workforce to make it in any business environment. Some of the organization may move their compatriots in major positions before they offer them to those of the host country. As such, the companies to prevent conflicts with the government follow various laws that affect such activities. The movement of labor usually brings people of different languages and backgrounds together. The culture of the people is thus different, and, therefore, there is need to make sure communication is improved between the workers. For there to be an understanding, there should be an improvement in the communication. The refore, the common ground is that the language is an issue and therefore bringing the people together and using various communication channels to help in bringing unity among the workers. Globalization, for example, can be evidenced by various multinationals like Coca Cola since they set up their business in developing countries and end up imposing the western culture on the people especially those that work in the companies. The people thus have to learn the various cultures of the foreign businesses. Macro level deals with what is required of the organization in adhering to various regulations in the host country. The micro level deals with the interests of the employees, mainly expatriates. The interests of the expatriates in terms of security and other issues that may affect them in the host country are looked into by the organization. The expatriate is taken to be working 24 hours for the company and therefore if

Success Depends on Good Leadership

Success Depends on Good Leadership Introduction Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective of a firm. An organisations success depends on the good leadership in that organization. Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and the will power, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self study, education, training and experience. To inspire workers into higher levels of team work there are certain things to know and do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills. Leadership is a process where by an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership knowledge and skills. This is called process leadership. While leadership is learned, the skills and knowledge processed by the leader can be influence by his or her attributes such as beliefs, values, ethics, an character. Knowledge and skills contribute directly to the process of leadership, while the other attributes give the leader certain characterstics that make him or her unique. (http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html) Characterstics of a good leader Trust worthy A good leader has an exemplary character. It is of utmost importance that a leader is trustworthy to lead other. A leader needs to be trusted and be known to live their life with honestly and intergrity. A good leader walks the talk and in doing so earns the right to have responsibility for others. True authority is born from respect for the good character and trustworthiness of the person who leads . Enthusiasthic A good leader is enthusiastic about their work or cause and also about their role as leader. People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication. Leaders need to be ableto be a source of inspiration, and be a motivator towards the required action. Although the responsibilities and the roles of a leader may be different, the leader needs to be seen to be part of the team working towards the goal. Confident A good leader is confident. In order to lead and set direction a leader needs to appear confidentas a person and in the leadership role. Such a person inspires confidence in others and draws out the trust and best efforts of the team to complete the task well. A leader who conveys confidence towards the proposed objective inspires the best effort from team members. Tolerant Good leaders are tolerant of ambiguity and remain calm, composed and steadfast to the main purpose. Storms, emotions, and crises come and go and a good leader takes these as part of the journey and keeps a cool head. Main focus on goal A good leader, as well as keeping the main goal in focus, is able to think analytically. Not only does a good leader view a situation as a whole, but is able to break it down into sub parts for closer inspection. While keeping the goal in view, a good leader can break it down into manageable steps and make progress towards it. Positive A leader also needs to function in an orderly and purposeful manner in situations of uncertainty. People look to the leader during times of uncertainty and unfamiliarity and find reassurance and security when the leader portrays confidence and a positive demeanor. Good communicator A good leader easily explain to the others what he want to say and easily convey the ideas. He also easily understands the problems of his workers. Good communication makes a leadership more efficient and effective. These personal characteristics are foundational to good leadership. Some characteristics may be more naturally present in the personality of a leader. However, each of these characteristics can also be developed and strengthened. A good leader whether they naturally possess these qualities or not, will be diligent to consistently develop and strengthen them in their leadership role. (http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Personal-Characteristics-Of-A-Good-Leaderid=59305) Two good business leaders Vijay Mallya (Chairman of the United Breweries Group and Kingfisher Airlines) Talk of style, elegance and flamboyance He is a tycoon of indian business industry. He is very stylish and had a great impact on his collegeous. He also invest his money in games. Last year he invest money in Indian primier league of cricket. He invest on banglore team. He always remain in top stories in india. Vijay Mallya is the apt name. Even though Kingfisher Airlines might be incurring losses every quarter, Vijay Mallya has always been in the limelight for every other reason. His Kingfisher beer is omnipresent in India, and also after purchasing the Whyte and Mackay in 2007 for $1.2 billion, he gathered the chance to sell premium scotch to the worlds largest whiskey market. He is a good leader. Even though in losses he never gives up, he always move forward to gain profits. Ratan Tata (Chairman, Tata Group) a) He has always been soft-spoken and media-shy. b) The most admired business leader in India. Steel, telecom, autos, and mining interests of his group are diverse. More recognition was meted out to the group by the multibillion-dollar takeovers of steelmaker Corus and automakers Jaguar and Land Rover. New craze with the launch of the small car in India, Ratan Tata has made it really big in the Indian business environment. (http://business.mapsofindia.com/india-business/top-indian-business-leaders-2009.html) Part B 1. Poor communication by senior management The culture in our workplace, and the way we feel about working somewhere has a direct correlation to the performance levels that can be achieved. It is likely, then, that the performance in your business area is also under-achieving, which will add additional pressures to a management team already under stress. Any senior manager worth their salt should recognise that the leadership team are having a negative impact on performance and culture in your organisation, and that it needs to change. So it is the responsibility of the leader or manager to sort out the problems of the workers by communicating well with them. 2. Office politics In the organization sometimes the leaders use the politics amoung the workers to increase the profits or efficiency of the firm, which sometimes had adverse impact on the structure. The leaders praise the nearer worker to them than the actual one. on that fact that worker always pull others downwards. It decreases the effieciency of the works and firm march towards loses. 3. Lack of teamwork Team work has great influence on work place if there is not proper flow of information from top level to lower level it means there is lack of team support in an organization. As a result company production drop immediately and it means company have to improve it for workers satisfaction and in this way organization look forward for future profit. 4. The use of politically correct language Political correct language is a term used to describe language, ideas, policies, or behaviour seen as seeking to minimize offence to gender, racial, cultural, disabled, aged or other identity groups. Use of correct language can improve good communication between staff members and employers in this way we can say that companies can move forward without any hazard. 5. Nosy co-workers If a company unable to handle workers properly and dont  provide skills and material on time so there is problem related to product shape and size.workers dont show enthusiam in work this means an organisation unable to meet the reqirement of workers. References http://business.mapsofindia.com/india-business/top-indian-business-leaders-2009.html. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://business.mapsofindia.com/india-business/top-indian-business-leaders-2009.html http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Personal-Characteristics-Of-A-Good-Leaderid=59305. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Personal-Characteristics-Of-A-Good-Leaderid=59305 http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html. http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html.

A post-colonial canonical and cultural revision of Conan Doyles Holmes narratives :: Essays Papers

A post-colonial canonical and cultural revision of Conan Doyle's Holmes narratives Redefining the British literary canon as imperial construct and influence 'A canon,' Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffiin argue, 'is not a body of texts per se, but rather a set of reading practices....' (189). They define 'reading practices' as 'the enactment of innumerable individual and community assumptions, for example about genre, about literature, and even about writing....' (189). The purpose of the following discussion is to investigate the link between the British literary canon and its attendant culture. That culture, Said argues, was one which imperial and colonial ideology had infiltrated. "Imperialism", in this discussion, will be defined in Said's words as 'the practice, the theory, and the attitudes of a dominating metropolitan centre ruling a distant territory....'(Culture 8). "Colonialism", likewise, will be noted as representing 'the implanting of settlements on distant territory....'(Culture 8). Increased imperialism and colonialism between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries resulted in the creation of a 'socially desirable, empowered sp ace in metropolitan England....[which was] connected by design, motive and development to distant or peripheral worlds....conceived of as desirable but subordinate....' (Culture 61). England viewed itself as the powerful economic, academic and military centre of its empire: the colonised native was reduced by 'the authority of the [Western] observer, and of European geographical centrality' to occupy 'a secondary racial, cultural, ontological status....' (Culture 70). The oppression of the native cultures of the colonized territories maintained the fantasy of the centrality and superiority of British culture. Said's argument, when combined with Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin's canon moulded by 'reading practices' which include 'community assumptions' (189), suggests that the bias toward priviliging its own imperial and colonial status in Britsh culture would logically lead that culture to accept texts which affirmed its imperial centrality and primacy. Said affirms this when he argues that the culture of imperial Britain encouraged 'canonical inclusion and exclusion....' (Culture 70). The first stage of questioning the canon and canonical texts as constructs of imperial ideology entails identifying 'unspoken subjects [i.e. marginalised, distorted representations of colonised cultures and individuals]' in texts accepted by their contemporary British culture. Said argues that the critical reappraisal of such texts 'entails reading the canon as a polyphonic accompaniment to the expansion of Europe, giving a revised direction and valence to such writers as Conrad and Kipling who have always been read as sports, not as writers whose manifestly imperialist subject matter has a long subterranean or implicit and proleptic life' in the works of preceeding generations of writers (Culture 71).

Personal Worldview Inventory Essay

My personal beliefs have formed me over the course of my lifetime by many different influences. Many people have made important impact in my life that have changed my beliefs in society and my life. The major two values that help determine my worldview are God and Ethics they are the ways that help me shape my beliefs, and life decisions. I feel the strongest aspect of my worldview is my tremendous sense of spirituality and the relationship I have with God. All of these beliefs help me every day with my decisions. The moral values I have learned are from many different influences through my lifetime. Strong Catholic influences have been the good foundation to be closer to God. I have learned to live a life of compassion, service and teaching. Ethical choices that I have made in my life have not been the most popular but they are the ones I live with. One of my beliefs is that not all humans respond or act the same way. It all depends on their world view, background, morals, and personalities. My main goal in life is to help others ever since I was a child. I was raised in a very religious catholic home. I was the middle child of five children in a Hispanic family. I grew up in a small Hispanic community near Mexico. As we were growing up we were exposed to people living in poverty and we were expected to help them with what we had. Even though we were not a rich family we would give we would make the effort to donate food and the necessary items to the needy families. We would donate dinners on Christmas Eve to the most unfortunate families with small children for the holiday. This tradition continues to be in my family and now my children are experiencing it. My mother and father  have always taught us values and morals. I grew up with the belief to help out people in need. While I was growing up I wanted to be a Doctor or a nurse because my main objective was to help people in need. Now that I have accomplished my dream I am able to help people who are in need by caring for them. What is prime reality? One of the many definitions that describe Prime reality is â€Å"Prime reality is the infinite, personal God revealed in the Holy Scriptures. This God is triune, Transcendent, sovereign and good. (Sire, 2009). It is also describes God as being a supreme power. God cannot be compared with the study of Cosmos. Also the relationship that man has with God is extraordinary because man can trust God for any problems in life and relate with him in any personal way. In religious pluralism defines Prime reality generally refers to the belief in two or more religious worldviews as being valid or acceptable. It is a multiple path that leads to the same God. Early as the seventeenth century the main concept was the religious working together. Even though Muslims and Christians believe in helping the most need both have different ideas and precept of God (Tripp, 2000). In Scientism the main concept of Prime reality is main goal is to extend to broaden scientific methods, to the life of humans in society and political issues. In post modernism the Prime reality the main concept is there main philosophy that states, â€Å"There is no absolute truth does not exist†. This leads to relativism which means that what is right for one group is not necessarly true for everyone in today’s society. What is the nature of the worlds around us? Nature can be interpreted as patterns of relationships. This is encouraged by the Buddhist belief that there is a interconnectedness of all things. This belief does not deny the reality of things that are typically perceived as being â€Å"in the objectively real world†, but it denies that these things have any ontologically isolated essence (Tripp, 2000). The basic idea is that there are no substantial or truly independent â€Å"essences† of things because the essence of any given thing consists in its interconnections with every other thing. The â€Å"objectively real† world cannot exists without us, not  because minds â€Å"create the world† but because the quality of our experiences and the things in the world that we typically call â€Å"objectively real† are ontologically interdependent. The ontological essence of each thing consists in its relations to all other things, thus nothing exists unless everything it is related to exists as well. External reality is the way God created the earth to work in uniformity and the earth was made out of nothing (Sire, 2009). In a scientism view it was the art of science that started the universe. Chemical reactions within the world is what started life in earth. What is a human being? It is a creature created by God. We are extraordinary machines full of mystery images of God and we were made to serve God. â€Å"Human beings are created in the image of God and thus possess personality, self-transcendence, intelligence, morality, gregariousness and creativity† (Sire, 2009). In postmodernism and scientism human beings are created by matter and there is no foundation of human beings from the beginning or why we exist. What happens to a person at death? Death is viewed as a gate to meet God and live an eternal life with him. Whatever happens at death is always a mystery. In much religious death once everyone dies they will face judgment by God (Noebel,2006). Death is not the end of life; it is the beginning of eternal existence. Postmodernism has no moral absolutes but rather places responsibility into the hands of the individual. Each absolute belongs into the hands of the individual and therefore each position on after afterlife is relative to an individual’s meaning of truth. In scientism death is viewed as the end of life and that a person is not passed to a better life. They also have the belief that near death experiences do not exist. Their only conclusion is that there s no scientific evidence that near death experiences are actual afterlife experiences. Why is it possible to know anything at all? Human beings are the images of God. God gave us the capacity to know and learn from his teachings. In postmodernism the truth about reality itself is forever hidden and no explanation. In scientism human reason & the methods of science the universe is responsible for knowing everything. Humans were  created this way(Tripp,2009). How do we know what is right or wrong? We determine what is right or wrong based on our teachings from the bible and from the word of God. As we are growing up our parents are the ones who teach us the values and morals. The way they learned from their parents. It is guided by the teachings of the bible. In scientism right and wrong are what we decide for our ourselves as humans it may be individually, or families. In postmodernism each person or culture develop their own moral values. It also depends how each individual is raised. They sometimes ask each other is that right for me? How will this help me? Also our actions are determined by our responsibilities as human beings. What is the meaning of human history? The meaning of history for people who follow a certain religion is creation, fall and redemption. God is wonderful and has a plan for everyone. God is in total control of the world. The main purpose of God was to create man and have a good relationship with him. God gave us the tools to follow him and if we commit sin God is always willing to forgive us. In postmodernism their belief is that human history is the study of one’s culture over another. It is main concept is relative, the postmodernist will be will to rewrite history to try to convince other in believing what is better for them. In scientism history has no purpose. Also they believe that someday the plant will freeze up or burn and will be the end of life. Conclusion All human beings have a purpose in life, regardless of their worldview. We should respect them and love them the way they are. Sometimes they will learn from each other and obtain the positive beliefs from each other. A good paper, Shirley. I would like to have seen you give more attention and analysis to pluralism, scientism and postmodernism. Still, this is a good paper. References Noebel, D(2006). Understanding the Times: The Collision of Today’s Competing Worldview 2nd(ed) Summit Press. Sire, J. (2009). The universe next door. (5 ed.). Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic. Tripp, D (2000). â€Å"Where did I come from†. Exploring Christianity. Retrieved on June 26, 2015 from www.christanity.co.nz

Ethics in Advertisements

Ethics in advertisements Advertisement is the process of communicating the most persuasive selling message possible, to the right potential consumer of products or services at the right time and place, at least possible cost. Advertisement acts as a communicating bridge between producer and consumer. With industrialization and expansion of market access, importance of advertising is steadily on the increase in modern society. Advertising, using media as its vehicle, is a pervasive, powerful force shaping attitudes and behavior in today's world. At times it goes beyond the traditional role of ‘fair and truthful’ information and portraits obscene, undesirable and unethical scenes giving a detrimental result especially on the young population of the society. The article have talked about various types of unethical advertisements like advertisements endorsed by children, surrogate advertising, false and misleading advertisements etc. This article also talks about few advertisements which are ethical. The ethical aspect of Indian advertisement is extremely important for restoration of our Indian culture, norms, ethics and heritage. Introduction: Ethics: Ethics have always been an important aspect of every business activity, although the term has meant different things at different times in different lands to different people. Nonetheless, as ethical concerns are an inseparable element of business, advertising cannot ignore them. Sadly, the advertising industry has rarely cared to look beyond immediate marketing objectives. The argument in the industry is that it is the government's job to judge what is right and what is wrong. Shirking its own responsibility for regulation, the industry has belittled business values and agencies have harmed their balance sheets. For any business, customer is very important, and businessman attempt to communicate to all their target customers using means of communication like advertising and sales promotion. Advertising is a very powerful and most commonly used tool. Definition of ethics in advertising: The term ethics in business involves â€Å"morality, organisational ethics and professional deontology† (Isaac, cited in Bergadaa', 2007). Every industry has its own guidelines for the ethical requirements. However, the principal four requirements for marketing communications are to be legal, decent, honest and truthful. Unfortunately, in a society where the course of action of the companies is determined by profit targets the use of marketing communications messages â€Å"may constitute a form of social pollution through the potentially damaging and unintended effects it may have on consumer decision making† (Hackley and Kitchen, 1999). Benefits of advertising Communication The organization has to attract the customer and crededate a market for its products. For this purpose, advertising is the most powerful and widely used tool for communicating message regarding products/services to a large target audience. To raise the standard of living In our developing economy, adverting with its micro and macro level influences, exerts vast and varied influences that have played key role in raising the standards of physical and material well being of the Indian society. To make market competitive In India, one finds many innovations being introduced which has changed the market structure from seller's market, and thus the result is more competitive market conditions. Product differentiation It is a fact that advertising brings about products variety through real and psychological product differentiation. Critical evaluation of advertising Though many benefits are achieved through advertisements, the ad message is becoming more and more exaggerated. To achieve competitive advantage, advertising magnifies unimportant differences, resorts to clever, tricky product promises, and claims more and more unbelievable benefits. The customer finds many advertisements as false, deceptive, or misleading. Consumers are uncertain regarding whether or not the performance of a product purchased will in fact meet their needs. If they find that the product lacks in quality, advantage, durability etc. , as advertised they might not buy it again, and develop an aversion to every other product of that company. Unethical advertising Advertisement is considered unethical in the following situations; When it has degraded or underestimated the substitute or rival's product. When it gives false or misleading information on the value of the product. When it fails to give useful information on the possible reaction or side effects of the product. When it is immoral. Ways of misleading the consumers: Many a time, traders entice the customers into their stores by advertising goods at a very low price, but they stock only a handful of such sale items in the store. When the advertised goods are sold out, consumers are steered towards the higher-priced stock or lower quality goods. Sale offer should be for a limited period. Advertisement should declare that sale offer is for a limited time period. The period of the offer should be made clear in the advertisement only when the advertised goods are available for a limited period or stocks are limited. Traders often offer insignificant price reduction. To illustrate, a trader may advertise that the price of product is reduced to Rs. 99. 95, when the normal selling price is Rs. 100. The trader must include the normal selling price and discounted price in his offer . The trader sale offer is misleading if the trader claims the product is below cost, when the price is not below cost after discounts, rebates and other allowances it is misleading if the trader simply shows a fictitious higher price as normal selling price in the advertisement. Advertisement must clearly indicate the total price of goods or services. All price comparison must be truthful and must not intentionally or unintentionally mislead the consumers. Under the Fair Trade Practices Act, retailers have an obligation to ensure that they do not mislead or make false representations to customers with respect to price of the goods. The consumers who shop around and compare the prices of various products are less likely to be deceived by misleading claims consumers should also be aware of what is a reasonable price of goods and not take any advertised discounts at face value. While many sales are legitimate or genuine, the consumers should not get attracted to such sales offers i. e. , â€Å"Hurry†¦ very few days remain for sale†. The consumers should be aware of what to expect when retailers place items on sale and how to avoid being misled by discount advertisements. A marketer should take care to ensure that when goods or services are advertised to be available at a discount or as being on sale, it is a genuine discount or sale. Categories of advertisements: Personal ethics Business ethics Human values Societal ethics Personal ethics: Advertisements which shows impact on personal feelings and relations are divided into two categories viz. , ads which convey personal ethics and which do not. Advertisements which convey personal ethics are: HDFC life insurance: This ad tells about personal relationship between father and his daughter. Surf Excel: This ad conveys the student’s affection towards his teacher. Advertisements which do not convey personal ethics are: Mentos: This ad shows declining respect of a student towards his teacher. Close up: This ad degrades the value of friendship. Business ethics: Advertisements which follow the business rules and values are divided into two categories viz. , ads which follow business ethics and which do not. Advertisements which follow business ethics are: Clinic all clear: This ad follows business ethics by only promoting its product. Horlicks: This ad promotes its product by exhibiting its product. Advertisements which do not follow business ethics: Adwars which come under this category are: Coke vs pepsi Rin vs tide Human Values : Advertisements which shows human nature, cultureand behavior are divided into two categories viz. , ads which convey human values and which do not. Advertisements which convey human values are: Airtel: This ad features its promotions by showing the importance of togetherness. Fair and lovely: This ad shows the importance of human values. Advertisements which do not convey human values are: Dairy milk silk: This ad features its promotion by degrading the importance of culture Fair and lovely: This ad shows the impact of beauty on culture Societal ethics : Advertisements which shows responsibilities towards society are divided into two categories viz. , ads which convey societal ethics and which do not. Advertisements which convey societal ethics are: Tata tea : This ad shows the need of public participation and importance of politician towards society Pulser mania : This ad mainly concentrates on promoting itself rather than safety Idea : This partly conveys societal ethics but donot concentrate on the applicability of it There are many other advertisements which show concern towards the society. Some of them are: Aircel, which has taken an initiative to save our national animal by the campaign â€Å"save our tigers† Conclusion: Reputable companies and advertising agencies avoid telling lies. They realize the cost of being caught. A dent in trust can prove to be much costlier than the failure of an ad campaign or for that matter, even a brand. The challenge before advertisers and agencies is to ensure that ads reflect our values. We must endeavor to see that â€Å"advertising† does not remain a dirty word.

5 Guaranteed Strategies to Getting a Raise

5 Guaranteed Strategies to Getting a Raise You know this is your moment. You’ve bided your time, minded your Ps and Qs, and you’re just waiting for your boss to realize and recognize all your hard work with the raise that you so richly deserve. The trouble is, you’re realizing that you might have to actually prompt him or her for it. Here are five  things to consider when you think it’s time to ask about getting a raise and you want your boss to  up your compensation. Remember: it’s easy as ABCA: Achievement. Show your value, what you’ve done for the company, your excellent performance. B: Brand. Yours and the company’s, and how they fit together, how you are invaluable to the company and everybody knows it. And, C: Campaign. Have as much support as possible. If your colleagues think you deserve a raise, chances are your boss will too.Look to the futureIt’s all well and good to say: here’s what I’ve done for you so far. But go the extra mile and show wh at you still have in you to do, and why that should be worth more to your boss. Make your ongoing personal career development crucial and connected to the development of your company. And keep the conversation on the great things you can achieve working together.Be preparedThat said, it’s also important to have a clear outline of what you have achieved, and what your accomplishments have been so far. Show your boss that you’ve consistently gone above and beyond your job and salary parameters, and have gotten the results. Be prepared also to make your case and still not get the answer you are looking for.Do your homeworkDon’t go in there asking for a 25% pay bump when you know the company is making cuts and no one has gotten more than a 5% raise in the past five years. Do know your value, based on what you’ve done and how you’re situated to do even more. Be realistic about what you can ask for in the current climate of your company. Have a precise a nd reasonable range in mind. Your boss will appreciate this level of attention to what’s possible, and your ability to compromise.Be confidentDo so even if you don’t get the raise. If you’ve done the necessary preparation and have a clear picture of your worth and achievements in your head, it’s still cause to celebrate. It means you and your boss know exactly what you’re worth. This doesn’t mean be arrogant, but do enjoy the new perspective on your unique position and worth within the company.

Gender Differences and Roles essays

Gender Differences and Roles essays How Gender Differences and Roles are Changing Today As the years have gone on we have seen many changes in the differences and roles of the genders in our society. The Spartans of ancient Greece for example had the woman as stay at home moms to parent future warriors, but they had to participate in many athletic activities because they thought a strong mother would give birth to a strong child. However, the men were the fighters and were kept very close to each other to the point of homosexual relationships forming. Even today though we tend to still classify the genders under certain roles no matter what science has to say. I read an article About Gender: Differences by J. Bland. The author starts out by stating that try as much as we like men and women are different. He is quick to point out though that everyone is different, so why bother worrying? The difference is so strong apparently that it is one of the most important things we look for in a person. After the introduction he starts going into various theories about gender roles and differences. He disproves a few things along the way like: There are studies about relative abilities of perception, vision sound and touch. Certainly, if you watched a carpenter run his fingers along a planed surface and being able to tell how "true" it was, you would find it difficult to believe that boys lack tactile sensitivity. He goes on to say that men are seen as stronger of the two genders, but the fact is that overall women are stronger. They can fight off viruses better, can sustain trauma better; have better endurance, and live longer. This is why they make not only good protectors for a child while its in the womb, but also after its born. Men on the other hand dont as good protectors for the young do to their more aggressive nature and may put a child in harm. This is thinking on a nature level though. The biggest difference the aut...

Healthy Truckers Go the Extra Mile!

Healthy Truckers Go the Extra Mile! If you’re a trucker who’s serious about your career, make sure you think about ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle- both in and out of the driver’s seat. Do you own a trucking company or are part of a company’s management team? Consider implementing a driver wellness plan. Healthy drivers will help minimize staff retention challenges and make open positions on your team more attractive to newer, younger drivers. Driver wellness programs are growing in popularity across the country and for good reason- they help prevent illness, boost productivity, and enhance life satisfaction. Healthy drivers are happier, better employees who stay at their jobs longer. They also help reverse the trend of increasing trucker turnover, a problem that has burdened the industry for the past few years as older truckers are retiring and aren’t being replaced by new drivers.What are the reasons behind this trend? For many, these jobs, with tough, unhealthy working conditi ons and limited opportunities, aren’t as appealing as they once were. But thoughtful, well-designed wellness programs can help offset some of these unappealing aspects of truck driving.In order for driver wellness programs to have a deep and lasting impact, they need to be proactive in their efforts to work with drivers, and should be thoroughly holistic, addressing all major dimensions of wellness:Physical: proper nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle choicesEmotional: promoting emotional healthIntellectual: strategies for sound mental health and developmentOccupational: creating true job satisfactionSocial: forging meaningful community connectionsSpiritual: creating and following a meaningful set of guiding valuesHere’s the bottom line: Trucking companies should make sincere and measurable efforts to support the wellness of their drivers, and when drivers make health and wellness an important part of their lives, everyone benefits.Why Wellness in Trucking Needs to Go th e Extra MileRead More at Supply Chain Management Review

Brain based learning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Brain based learning - Assignment Example It has also been found that the learning process of a person is dependent on the brain’s capacity to handle a variety of activities in one go (Zadina, 2014). Additionally, research on the brain-based learning explains that the same type of information is likely to be stored in various parts of the brain (Jensen E. P., 2008). As such, the brain-based learning depends on the emotional state of the learner during the learning process, which can be facilitated by factors such as diet, stress and exercise among other conditions. For this, it is evident that the use of brain-based learning technique highly enhances the learning process of the students (Politano & Paquin, 2000, p. 123). In regard to the confidence, brain-based learning has been found to be efficient in reducing anxiety in learners who are struggling with activities such as reading, pronunciation or any other learning-related activities (Sprenger, 2010). As such, tutors can use this technique to seek the right opportunities that can be used to emphasize the ability of the learner towards the achievement of the brain that they would want. Brain-based learning may also employ various techniques such as the inclusion of music and activities, which have been shown (Connell, 2005) to minimize stress, a killer of confidence in

Business report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business report - Essay Example tement in mind, this work will focus on how patron satisfaction is affecting the use of a specific library technological tool, the self-checkout machine, at Library of American University in Dubai. The technological advancements of the electronic age have permeated all aspects of our everyday lives. Businesses in many parts of the world and most businesses in the industrialized countries have embraced some kind of technology in their daily operations. Libraries have certainly not been left out. Library administrators must be involved in ongoing decision making and planning to ensure that library equipment have appropriate capabilities to meet the purpose for which they are intended. Library automation is the process by which library operations are performed electronically. In particular, it performs tasks that people would normally do (Greenberg, 2002). The need for library automation has arisen because of the information explosion; many libraries are being inundated with unprecedented demands by their users. Almost all aspects of library services have been impacted by the technological advancements of the information age. In fact, libraries that recognize how technology can e nhance their services and consequently improve patron satisfaction are destined for success. Today’s technological innovations have indeed overtaken traditional library services, as libraries have undergone major transformations moving them from the Stone Age to the Electronic Age. In order to be successful in their work, librarians are now required to take a fresh look at their profession. In some cases, libraries may experience an increase in patronage as more and more people take advantage of the innovative services that have been introduced to the library world. Almost every aspect of library services has been affected by technology. The growth of technology has forced library professionals to rethink the way information is collected, stored, and dispensed. As a result of the wide

The analysis of the lecture about Human Rights and The Expirence of Essay

The analysis of the lecture about Human Rights and The Expirence of exile - Essay Example In particular, the Iraq Jews are an example of how human rights violation can be rampant in a political system that is not just. The presence of Jews in Islamic world can be traced back in the days of Abraham, Sarah, Rachel, Jacob, David, and Solomon. The Jews and Christians in Iraq were treated as second-class citizens because of their religious affiliation. This shows high level of religious discrimination that was experienced by these citizens who are not actually Muslims. The Jews in Iraq because of their religion were subjected to limited economic opportunities. This cuts across in all sectors of economy and even property ownership. Genocide of Jews in Germany during the Second World War is only but just an example of religious persecution. In the human scriptures though there is no exact word human rights but that does not imply that they do not advocate for equality. For instance, in Exodus and Deuteronomy the laws advocate for slave justice and equality. These scriptures try to caution that everyone is equal. The law of equality is written in every human being’s heart. This means that it should be a natural thing for a person to treat the other with equality regardless of religious affiliation. In any social set up there should be guidelines or provision that should guard or protect the right to any religion. Countries should embrace many religions to avoid religious conflict experienced in most North Africa states in the recent past. The constitution should be in the forefront to promote democracy in all aspect of life. If this is well captured in the constitution then let be assured that the society will be peaceful. Religious discrimination can lead to exemption of basic economic rights. For instance, the Jews living in Iraq, their accounts were frozen. Their schools were closed down and their property seized. This is just a demonstration of how bad the condition can get in a society that does not embrace

Air Operations Certificate Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Air Operations Certificate - Assignment Example The fleet size shall be expanded based on future trends and growth prospects in two years from now. Consequently, there is a need to dwell upon all the requirements to obtain an Air Operator's Certificate and give a smooth start to our airline operations. Air Operations Certificate is issued by the Aviation authority of the country of registration after an operator satisfies the authority of its technical competence, professional outlook, meeting legal requirements necessitating safe aircraft operations and maintenance practices besides other criteria involving quality assurance, passenger safety and emergency requirements. The convergence of goals between an operator and the authority lie essentially in ensuring safe conduct of operations, and with due regard to national security aspects in contemporary security scenario. Essential specific criteria as per JAR-OPS-1.175 requires that an operator does not hold an AOC from another country, holds principle business interests and aircraft registrations in the country of application, and most importantly, the ability to conduct safe aircraft operations. With first three criteria already fulfilled for us, our task narrows down towards meeting the last part, i.e. to demonstrate the ability to operate our airline safely. However, with initially limited fleet size of just five aircraft for flight operations, the task is fairly achievable within the limited timeframe available to us. CAA Investigation The investigation by CAA towards grant of an AOC essentially evaluates following criteria: a. Previous Conduct. Previous conduct forms the basis for grant of AOC. We have an upper hand in this regard due to our impeccable and enviable reputation in the market. b. Previous Experience. Although we have negligible previous experience in aviation, our company's excellent reputation, our service to the nation, monetary record and good business practices are expected to help us tide over these requirements without much ado. Further, with a professional outlook and a dependable brand name, we should be able to satisfy the authorities of our competence and convictions of establishing a credible organisation which will not only meet the laid down safety requirements but also complement them in time to come through our awareness programmes and innovations. c. Equipment. With our plan to commence with a fleet of 5 aircraft, we have options of outright purchase of aircraft or borrowing an aircraft on lease. While the latter is an economical option for a new entrant, it is not very profitable in long run if the plan is to establish a major airline in due course. Further, we can go in for a wet lease (with operating crew) or a dry lease (just the aircraft). Considering our eventual plan to establish an airline in long term, it is strongly advocated that an outright purchase of aircraft from company like Boeing or Airbus be affected. Further, considering fleet size and interoperability, we should go in for same type of aircraft for the time being. However, since due to previous orders the company is not likely to be able to provide us with an aircraft immediately, a wet lease for a period of about

Trade Unions in Great Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Trade Unions in Great Britain - Essay Example Thus, by the end of 2005 the number of those, who take part in the activity of British trade unions, has reduced from 14 to 8 million people. One of the main reasons for such sharp reduction was in the fact, that British workers didn't see any benefits of collective representation. If the numbers of trade unions members are compared, it will be seen that 35.5% of the UK workers were trade unions members in 1993, while their number has declined to almost 28.8% in 2004. (Howe, 2004) This decline is reflected through both absolute numbers and relative percentage of the labour force, presented in the private sector. The number of those, who participate in trade unions in public sector, has nominally increased due to the general increase of this sector labour force, but as a percentage this membership has also fallen. The general profile of trade union members has also changed during this period, with women leaving them and middle-income earners becoming the main force of trade unions now adays. The main reason for the constant decline in the trade union membership in the UK lies in general decline of the 'manufacturing base within the UK and the fragmentation of the workplace, linked to outsourcing and private sector influence in the public sector' (Beaumont, 1992) The bigger portion of those, who are occupied in private sector, has refused from such membership, seeing no use and no protection in trade unions' activity, with 58.8% of public sector workers being members of trade unions at present time. The total number of days devoted to strikes has also reduced, which is connected with the fact, that trade unions prefer devoting less time to strikes, but solving the major problems, without going into details. It is also forecast, that the amount of time, devoted to the strikes, and thus to breaks in working process, will continue to decrease. Speaking about the other reasons membership decline, the following reasons should be taken into account: - a considerable portion of those who represent labour force in the UK is constituted by migrants, who look for jobs on temporary basis and thus have the following reasons not to join the unions: a. the temporary nature of jobs these people prevents them from joining any trade union on the constant basis; b. such workers mostly work for the agencies, and not directly for their employers, which also prevents them from joining a trade union; c. the wages these workers earn are often so low, that the subscriptions they have to pay appear to be excessive for them. Migrants often move from one factory to another and thus they are difficult to be organized. Moreover, together with those, who work on a constant basis, they become very skeptical as for the possible positive role of trade unions in their employment relations. (Howe, 2004) Thus, it is clear that nowadays workers underestimate the role of trade unions in protecting their rights, refusing from membership. As Gall (1994) writes, 'Unions are painfully aware of the need to recruit new and younger members to reverse the decline in membership that has continued for over a decade. The changing nature of the workplace, with a decline in manufacturing and an increasingly fragmented and globalized workforce, is creating difficulties for trade unions which they are finding hard to meet. The sustained declining trend is a little surprising given legislation passed in recent years

Management Accounting (I WILL UPLOAD THE SUBJECT) Assignment

Management Accounting (I WILL UPLOAD THE SUBJECT) - Assignment Example Under the following sections, each of the budget and projected financial statements are briefly discussed along with the assumptions taken to complete these projections. Assumptions 1. There are two types of raw materials to produce the final product named as Kungfu and Jodu respectively. 2. As far as the labour is concerned, two types of labour, is used according to their level of skills namely as skilled and non-skilled labour. 3. The company has invested in two types of capital expenditures such as furniture and equipment. Other non-current assets are acquired on rentals by the company. 4. Two selling prices are set by the company for first and last six months of the year such that the selling price for first six months is set to be ?300 and for the last six months, it is set as ?320 per unit. 5. For material and labour prices, it is assumed that these prices will remain same in the whole year. 6. For overheads, it is assumed that they are going to be 60% of the labour cost. 7. Cl osing stock is estimated to be 15% of the sales volume of the upcoming month. 8. Collection for sales is to be completed in such a manner that around 70% of the sales are to be obtained in the month of sales whereas the remainder of the collection is going to be completed in the next month. 9. For purchases, the company has estimated that around 80% of the purchases are going to be made in their corresponding months whereas the remaining amount will be paid in the next month. 10. For other expenses like labour and overheads, the payments are to be made the moment they arise. 11. Around ?2,500 is going to be taken out in the form of drawings every month by the owners. 12. Income tax rate is going to be applied at 30% of the income before tax. 13. The rate of depreciation is set to be 30% with the straight-line method Discussion Unit Cost The unit cost of the product â€Å"Karate† consists of three basic ingredients such as direct material cost, direct labour cost and overheads (Kinney and Raiborn, 2009). The total unit cost of Karate is expected to be ?221. If this per unit cost is split in all three components, direct material consumes around ?165, direct labour consumes around ?35 and overheads constitutes around ?21. Budgets The product budgeting purpose is served with the preparation of six kinds of budgets namely as Fixed Expenditure, Sales, Purchases, Production, Direct Labour, and Cash Budget. Comprehensive figures are accounted for the preparation of these budgets such that each budget consists of, not only having the annual figures but also monthly figures. Since this is the first year of the operations of the business, therefore, it is assumed that the start-up capital of the business is ?50,000. The following discussion takes into account each budget briefly: The fixed expenditure budget consists of ?50,000 cumulatively such that the business has planned to spend ?45,000 at the start and ?5,000 after six months of the start of the business. Fo r furniture, ?10,000 amount is reserved and for equipment, ?40,000 will be used. As far as the sales budget is concerned, 300 units are anticipated for the sale purpose in the 1st three months, followed by 365 units in the next six months and in the last quarter, the sales unit are expected to be 400 units. The

Trade Unions in Great Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Trade Unions in Great Britain - Essay Example Thus, by the end of 2005 the number of those, who take part in the activity of British trade unions, has reduced from 14 to 8 million people. One of the main reasons for such sharp reduction was in the fact, that British workers didn't see any benefits of collective representation. If the numbers of trade unions members are compared, it will be seen that 35.5% of the UK workers were trade unions members in 1993, while their number has declined to almost 28.8% in 2004. (Howe, 2004) This decline is reflected through both absolute numbers and relative percentage of the labour force, presented in the private sector. The number of those, who participate in trade unions in public sector, has nominally increased due to the general increase of this sector labour force, but as a percentage this membership has also fallen. The general profile of trade union members has also changed during this period, with women leaving them and middle-income earners becoming the main force of trade unions now adays. The main reason for the constant decline in the trade union membership in the UK lies in general decline of the 'manufacturing base within the UK and the fragmentation of the workplace, linked to outsourcing and private sector influence in the public sector' (Beaumont, 1992) The bigger portion of those, who are occupied in private sector, has refused from such membership, seeing no use and no protection in trade unions' activity, with 58.8% of public sector workers being members of trade unions at present time. The total number of days devoted to strikes has also reduced, which is connected with the fact, that trade unions prefer devoting less time to strikes, but solving the major problems, without going into details. It is also forecast, that the amount of time, devoted to the strikes, and thus to breaks in working process, will continue to decrease. Speaking about the other reasons membership decline, the following reasons should be taken into account: - a considerable portion of those who represent labour force in the UK is constituted by migrants, who look for jobs on temporary basis and thus have the following reasons not to join the unions: a. the temporary nature of jobs these people prevents them from joining any trade union on the constant basis; b. such workers mostly work for the agencies, and not directly for their employers, which also prevents them from joining a trade union; c. the wages these workers earn are often so low, that the subscriptions they have to pay appear to be excessive for them. Migrants often move from one factory to another and thus they are difficult to be organized. Moreover, together with those, who work on a constant basis, they become very skeptical as for the possible positive role of trade unions in their employment relations. (Howe, 2004) Thus, it is clear that nowadays workers underestimate the role of trade unions in protecting their rights, refusing from membership. As Gall (1994) writes, 'Unions are painfully aware of the need to recruit new and younger members to reverse the decline in membership that has continued for over a decade. The changing nature of the workplace, with a decline in manufacturing and an increasingly fragmented and globalized workforce, is creating difficulties for trade unions which they are finding hard to meet. The sustained declining trend is a little surprising given legislation passed in recent years

If Age And Gender Play A Role In Staying Healthy Or Gaining Weight Essay

If Age And Gender Play A Role In Staying Healthy Or Gaining Weight - Essay Example This is because women have a lower resting metabolic rate more than men who burn a lot of energy when they are resting. This means that men need extra calories for maintaining their body weight more than women need. However, the research indicates that, in most cases, women gain more weight than men after menopause because the metabolic rate for women decreases considerably. RESEARCH QUESTION Does age and gender play a role in staying healthy or gaining weight? METHODS The research was conducted by employing qualitative research design for data collection. It also involved some participant of different age group brackets and a different gender. The research employed an effective procedure through using different apparatus in order to achieve the intended results. Participants The researcher included varied age group brackets that were selected from different gender groups. For instance, those who participated in the research study included 27 women and 23 men from different areas. The selected age of women and men were from the age of 35 and above. Among these groups, there were 15 children aging from 10-15 and 10 youths aging from 18- 35. The participants came from various schools and people from the community surrounding the chosen schools. The researcher chose the participants through random sampling on the targeted study area. The research study employed qualitative research design method in collecting information to reveal in case gender and age play significant roles in maintaining health. ... Moreover, the current study indicates that gender is a risk factor for healthy determination. For instance, women tend to gain weight faster than men (Mokdad 2003, p. 76). This is because women have lower resting metabolic rate more than men who burn a lot of energy when they are resting. This means that men need extra calories for maintaining their body weight more than women need. However, the research indicates that, in most cases, women gain more weight than men after menopause because the metabolic rate for women decreases considerably. RESEARCH QUESTION Does age and gender play a role in staying healthy or gaining weight? METHODS The research was conducted through employing qualitative research design for data collection. It also involved some participant of different age group brackets and different gender. The research employed an effective procedure through using different apparatus in order to achieve the intended results. Participants The researcher included varied age gro up brackets that were selected from different gender groups. For instance, those who participated in the research study included 27 women and 23 men from different areas. The selected age of women and men were from the age of 35 and above. Among these groups, there were 15 children aging from 10-15 and 10 youths aging from 18- 35. The participants came from various schools and people from the community surrounding the chosen schools. The researcher chose the participants through random sampling on the targeted study area. Qualitative Research Design The research study employed qualitative research design method in collecting information to reveal in case gender and age play significant roles in maintaining health. Qualitative research design is one of the effective methods employed by

Biofuels And Bioenergy

Biofuels And Bioenergy Introduction The use of fossil fuel as a source of energy has aided the development of the human race for many years. This technology has allowed for many benefits such as electricity, transportation, manufacturing machinery etc. The world is faced with the complex economic and environmental issues associated with energy use that must be addressed if we are to maintain and improve our lifestyle. Our economy depends on low cost energy. The idea of renewable energy has been around for quite some time but did not receive much attention mainly due to lower oil prices over half a century ago. However the time has now come when it can no longer be ignored as we enter a new level of consciousness about our fuel consumption and the lack of fossil fuels we have including awareness about the impact on the environment[i]. The pressure to have cheaper alternative energy has become more important especially at a time where we are facing a global recession. As pressing as these economic issues become, we are also faced with even greater environmental consequences if we do not change our energy use patterns. Looming in the background of everything is the mounting concern of carbon dioxide (CO2) build up and other so called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which trap the heat that usually radiates from the earth, and cause global climate change[ii]. Therefore clearly, developing alternatives to fuel should be one of the highest priorities of many nations. With record oil prices, the future of Biofuels made from biomass is of keen interest to the world. The global production of Biofuels has increased from 4.8 billion gallons in the year 2000 to about 16.0 billion in the year 2007, but this still accounts for less than 3 percent of the global transportation fuel supply[iii]. This literature reviews the technology of biofuels, their production, usage and impact on a global scale. What are Biofuels? A biofuel can be defined as fuel derived from biomass which is found in many living biological material. Living organisms and their metabolic byproducts such as manure have been successfully used as biomasses. Biomethane, Bioethanol, Biodiesel Biobutanol These fuels can be burnt to produce heat and power, used to run vehicles (Brazil has the highest proportion of road vehicles designed to run on biofuels which peaked at 90% in the 1980s) or powering fuel cells. The content by volume of a biofuel is a minimum of 80% biomass products. Biomass is a form of stored energy just like coal of petrol. The main advantage of biofuels compared with most other traditional fuel types is that this is a biodegradable technology, therefore it is comparatively harmless to the environment. A large amount of biofuels come from specifically grown agricultural crops such as sugar cane and corn. Another useful source is biodegradable by-products that come from industries, households and forestry e.g. timber and rice which can also be used to generate biofuel. There is a growing interest in the field renewable energy technology. And this has resulted in research currently being carried out on projects such as the large scale utilization of micro algae as an energy source. Brief History of Biofuels The initial use of biofuels was in the early days of the automobile industry. A German inventor known as Nikolaus August Otto came through with his invention of running the combustion engine using ethanol. Another historic invention was the powering of diesel engines using peanut oil was by Rudolf Diesel, the German inventor. But unfortunately however in the 19th century when crude oil became cheaper, cars began using fuels from oil which has led to where we are now. There is an increasingly importance in the use of biofuels as a replacement, now being considered by many countries such as the United Stated, by 2025 aim to replace 75% of the oil coming from the Middle East. Over the last century, the world has become accustomed to petroleum based transportation fuels, lubricants and other useful products derived from fossil fuels. However the recent oil prices have been escalating ever since the 1970s fuel crisis and the global climate has changing drastically. Perhaps the time has come to learn a lesson from history and adopt the idea of biofuels for the benefit of the living to save the planet instead of taking the easiest and cheapest way out, saving the planet for the next generations to come. Case Studies and practices of Biofuels We will now look at a few case studies where Biofuels have been successfully used and utilized. Case Study 1 A Lesson from Brazil The worlds second largest ethanol program is based in Brazil and they are capitalizing on bountiful soybean supplies to spread out into biodiesel. About 20 percent of the countrys fuel supply is obtained from the nations sugarcane crop which is processed into ethanol. Brazils policy program was changed to encourage the nations energy independence and creating a substitute value added market for sugar producers. The following was set off in the 1970s right after the famous OPEC oil embargo. Sugarcane producer have been well supported by the government which has spent billions to develop distilleries, build infrastructure and promote the production of pure ethanol and other transport fuels[iv]. It was shown that while the costs were high, this program benefited by saving far more in foreign exchange from the resulting reduced petroleum imports. Brazil in the mid to late 1990s pursed a less intrusive move towards the elimination of direct subsidies and price settings for ethanol with two main elements. Which were a blending requirement (which is now about 25%) and tax incentives favouring the use of ethanol and its purchase for flex-fuel vehicles. Today 80 percent automobiles produced in Brazil have flexible fuel capability[vi], up from 30 percent in 2004. Ethanol is widely available to consumers at nearly all of Brazils 32,000 gas stations; the consumers primarily have the choice between a 100-percent hydrous ethanol and a 25-percent ethanol-gasoline blend on the basis of relative prices[vii]. Roughly 20 percent of current fuel use in Brazil is ethanol, but it will be challenging to raise the share as Brazils fuel demands keep growing with the rest of the worldou. Brazil is a middle-income economy having a per capita energy consumption which is only 15 percent that of the United States and Canada. Unfortunately, the current biofuel production levels in Brazil are not much superior than they were in the late 1990s due to the limitations by the economy and environmentalist. Biofuels have however, come under serious attack recently saying that it is eating into farmlands meant for food production. And as a result last year the European Union backed out from a commitment which would introduce a 10 percent compulsory quota of biofuels in all transportation by 2020[viii]. While admitting that â€Å"biofuels are no silver bullet,† the authorities in Brazil understand and insist that biofuels are the best way forward for developing countries[ix]. A large expansion in ethanol production is underway in the United States, spurred by high oil prices and energy policies The production of ethanol is the U.S climbed to almost 5 billion gallons[x] in 2006, up nearly 1 billion gallons from 2005. Regardless of the speed and degree of this increase, the industry has stepped up the speed of expansion, with production expected go as high as 10 billion gallons by 2009[xi]. Market conditions and policy factors are fueling the rising interest in ethanol. A rapid run-up of oil prices over the past several years has combined with provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and already existing Federal and State biofuel programs to provide economic incentives for an expansion of U.S. ethanol production. This increase in prices reflects rising global demand for crude oil resulting from strong world economic growth, including rapid manufacturing gains in China and India. Further growth in global economic activity will continue to drive up world demand for oil, particularly in highly energy-dependent economies in Asia. Although the increase in demand is likely to be partly offset by future oil discoveries, more new technologies for discovery and extracting oil, and constant expansion and enhancement in renewable energy, the oil prices are expected to remain high by historical standards. As a result of these strong incentives, the ethanol production capacity has increased over the last year as more production plants have been built or are under construction. Once the constructions of the new plants are complete according to the Renewable Fuel Program of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 renewable fuel use should reach 7.5 billion gallons by year 2012[xii]. The vast expansion in biofuels production and use mandated by EISA will require the development of new methods and equipment to collect, store, and pre-process biomass in a manner acceptable to biorefineries. These activities, which constitute as much as 20% of the current cost of finished cellulosic ethanol, are comprised of four main elements: Harvesters collectors that remove feedstocks from cropland and out of forests. Storage facilities that support a steady supply of biomass to the biorefi nery, in a manner that prevents material spoilage. Preprocessing/grinding equipment that transform feedstocks to the proper moisture content, bulk density, viscosity, and quality. Transportation of feedstocks from the field to the biorefinery. Case Study 3 Biofuels in Senegal JATROPHA PROGRAM It all started in India when Jatropha Carcus-â€Å"Honduras† were carried in by Portuguese sailors a few hundred years ago. They were planted around other valuable plantations as a fence because animals and insects were repelled away from it. Meanwhile, Indian farmers found out that the nut contained oil which they used in their oil lamps. Over the years, these farmers bred the plant to have higher oil content as high as 40-50%. India has always been interested to produce biofuels however it had to come from non-food crops. The Biodiesel produced required certain characteristics for example it had to come from non-food crops and grown in non-prime agricultural land. Jatropha fulfilled these requirements as it is resistant to droughts, requiring minimum use of pesticides and fertilizers. Jatropha plants are very hardy and grow very fast producing seeds for extraction within a few months. The main objective of the program is to ensure Senegals self-sufficiency in biodiesel by 2012 with the production of 1 190 000 000 litres of crude Jatropha oil. This production will represent 1 134 000 000 litres of refined oil which can be used as biodiesel for vehicles as well as to generate power[xiii]. It is also the aim of the program to accelerate the modernisation of the agricultural sector, to create 100,000 direct employment opportunities for the local population particularly in the rural areas where the cultivation of jatropha will be mostly undertaken. The successful implementation of the jatropha program will ensure the diversification of the cultivation of cash crops, reduce the energy bill of households in the country as well as its heavy dependence on imported energy and improve the countrys international trade and balance of payment. Moreover, the program will contribute towards the reduction of environmental pollution caused by vehicle engines; and will also help alleviate poverty and inequality between rural and urban areas. BIOFUEL PRODUCTION TYPES SOURCES Biofuels can be classified in two ways, firstly by the state at which the fuel exists in their natural form which are mainly gas, liquid or solid. And secondly by the sources they have been produced from and the technology used to produce them. In this literature review, biofuels have been classified according the second way. FIRST GENERATION (food crops) First generation biofuels are derived from food crops such as starch, sugar and vegetable oil using conventional techniques discussed later on. Several types of first generation biofuels are discussed briefly below. Biodiesel Biodiesel is probably the most common and most popular type of biofuel in the world because it also is the easiest to produce from ordinary vegetable oil. Biodiesel is produced very simply by combining any type of oil or biomass with methanol and sodium hydroxide[xiv]. It can be used on any diesel engine without any changes to it by mixing with mineral diesel as was described earlier in the â€Å"History of Biofuels† section. Vegetable oil These kinds of oil can be either used for cooking purpose or even as fuel. The main fact that determines the usage of this oil is the quality. The oil with good quality is generally used for cooking purpose. Vegetable oil can even be used in most of the old diesel engines, but only in warm atmosphere. In most of the countries, vegetable oil is mainly used for the production of biodiesel. There has a been great interest shown by European countries and the USA, the graphs below show a rising trend of biodiesel production is USA and many countries of Europe. Biogas Syngas Biogas is produced from organic materials by anaerobic digestion. Waste materials which are biodegradable can also produce biogas if they are fed into anaerobic digesters[xv]. The resulting biomass can be used as fertiliser for agricultural usage. Biogas is rich in methane gas which can be recovered and used as burning fuel. Methane gas is also produced by the natural decay of garbage dumps over time. Another process to produce Syngas or biosyngas is by gasification of biomass into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Hydrogen can be recovered from syngas or the syngas can be converted to diesel fuel using Fischer-Tropsch process[xvi]. Bioalcohols (bioethanol) Enzymes and micro-organisms are used to produce alcohols through the process of fermentation of starches and sugar[xvii]. Ethanol being the most common of those bioalcohol as in bioethanol produced from sugar cane in Brazil. A significant amount of ethanol is also produced from sugar beets and corn by fermentation in other parts of the world. SECOND GENERATION (non food crops) Second generation of biofuels had been developed to use biomass left from the non-food parts of current crops such as stems, leaves and husks left behind after the important parts of the crop has been taken. It also includes biomass from non food crops such as Jatropha plant (which are toxic), switch grass and industrial waste such as wood chips, skin and pulp from fruit pressings. This generation of biofuels is not cost competitive with existing fossil fuels, do not threaten food supplies and biodiversity[xviii]. THIRD GENERATION (agriculture) Third generation biofuels is obtained from algae and this is also called advanced biofuel. Algae is easy to grow and it is a high-yielding feedstock for the production of biofuel as it produces 30 times more energy per acre of land than traditional crops such as corn or soybean[xix]. They are biodegradable so it is environmentally friendly. Similar to obtaining the oil from vegetation, algae contains almost 40-50% oil which is squeezed out and the remaining biomass can be used as fertilizer or high protein animal feed. The oil from algae can be converted to biodiesel. FOURTH GENERATION (biodiesel to gasoline) Last but not least is fourth generation biofuels which is still undergoing research at the highest levels. The main aim is to convert biodiesel into gasoline similar to the one obtained from petroleum but it will be much cleaner with less harmful emissions. This is similar to how natural gas or methane is converted to petrol. However there is much more study required in this part and will probably not be available in 10-20 years time. First generation feedstocks include corn for ethanol and soybeans for biodiesel. These feedstocks are currently in use and their yields have been increasing. Second generation feedstocks consist of the residues or â€Å"left-overs† from crop and forest harvests. They show much promise for near-term adoption with the development of cellulosic conversion technologies. Third generation feedstocks are crops whichrequire further RD to commercialize, such as perennial grasses, fast growing trees, and algae. They are designed exclusively for fuels production and are commonly referred to as â€Å"energy crops†. They represent a key long-term component to a sustainable biofuels industry[xx]. BIBLIOGRAPHY Charles E. Wyman (1996) Handbook on Bioethanol Production and Utilization, Taylor Francis Publishers, pg 1 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 1990. J.T. Houghton, G.J.Jenkins, and J.J. Ephraums, eds. â€Å"Climate Change-the IPCC Scientific Assessment,† Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Amber Waves, November 2007, Volume 5, Issue 5, William Coyle â€Å"The Future of Biofuels A Global Perspective. Amber Waves, November 2007, Volume 5, Issue 5, William Coyle â€Å"The Future of Biofuels A Global Perspective. Market Research Analyst, â€Å"Worlds Ethanol Production Forecast 2008 2012† http://www.marketresearchanalyst.com/2008/01/26/world-ethanol-production-forecast-2008-2012/ Flex-fuel Vehicles inBrazil: http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/ethanol/a/ffvsbrazil.htm Amber Waves, November 2007, Volume 5, Issue 5, William Coyle â€Å"The Future of Biofuels A Global Perspective. CLIMATE CHANGE: â€Å"Brazil Defends Biofuels†, Claudia Ciobanu, http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49597 CLIMATE CHANGE: â€Å"Brazil Defends Biofuels†, Claudia Ciobanu, http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49597 Green Car Congress, â€Å"Energy, Technologies, Issues and Policies for Sustainable mobility†: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/08/us-ethanol-prod.html Amber Waves, September 2007, Volume 5, Issue 5, Paul. C. Westcot â€Å"U.S. Ethanol Expansion Driving Changes Throughout the agriculture sector.† Shurson, Jerry, Mindy Spiehs, Jennifer Wilson, and Mark Whitney. â€Å"Value and use of ‘new generation distillers dried grains with solubles in swine diets,† Alltechs 19th International Feed Industry Symposium Proceedings, May 2003. Ministry of Agriculture, New orientation for the Agriculture Sector Policy, REVA Plan, Special Biofuels Program, March 2007, â€Å"Biofuels in Senegal Jatropha Program 2007-2009.† Biofuel Organisation: http://biofuel.org.uk/first-generation-biofuels.html Biofuel Organisation: http://biofuel.org.uk/first-generation-biofuels.html Lee S., Lee L., Encyclopedia of Chemical Processing, CRC Press (2005), â€Å"Biofuels and Bioenergy† pp123 Biofuel Organisation: http://biofuel.org.uk/first-generation-biofuels.html RenewableEnergy.com News Article: Next generation of biofuels; http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=49099 Washington Post News Article; http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303907.html United States Department of Agriculture, â€Å"National Biofuels Action Plan†, September 2008, Board Action Area 2: Feedstock production pg 5.

There is No Captain Kirk: A Theory of Universal Lack of Personal Identity :: Identity Essays

There is No Captain Kirk: A Theory of Universal Lack of Personal Identity There are multiple ways to interpret the second scenario provided to us. In general, the Captain Kirks in scenario two are either identical or they are not. Since we know that anything can only be numerically identical to itself, we also know that the two Kirks are not numerically or perfectly identical to each other. Thus, the question we are left with is: how are the two Kirks identical and how are they not? In the first scenario, we only witness that there is only one Captain Kirk throughout, therefore we make the assumption that the Kirk on the surface of the planet and the one that stood on the transporter platform are numerically identical to each other and that they are in fact the same Kirk. In the second scenario, the two Kirks that we witness are identical in respects to body, brain, memory, and functionality. However, there are many reasons that these factors do not make the two Kirks the same person. The two Kirks appear to be identical physically. This is known as bodily identity, which is in short, the theory that you are your body and that wherever your body goes there you are. Daniel C. Dennett refutes this theory in â€Å"Where Am I?† using the following argument: If Tom and Dick switch brains, Tom is the fellow with Dick’s former body – just ask him; he’ll claim to be Tom, and tell you the most intimate details of Tom’s autobiography. (See Endnote 1) John Perry also discusses this in â€Å"A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality†: Weirob: And would you reason conversely also? If there were in this bed Barbara Walter’s body – that is, the body you see every night on the news – would you infer that it was not me, Gretchen Weirob, in the bed? Miller: Of course I would. How would you have come by Barbara Walter’s body? Weirob: But then merely extend this principle to heaven, and you will see that your conception of survival is without sense.

the trounle with sweatshops :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The controversial issue of sweatshops is one often over looked by The United States. In the Social Issues Encyclopedia, entry # 167, Matt Zwolinski tackles the issues of sweatshops. In this article Matt raises a question I have not been able to get out of my head since I have begun researching this topic, â€Å" are companies who contract with sweatshops doing anything wrong?† this article goes on to argue that the people who work in the sweatshops willingly choose to work there, despite the poor environment. Many people in third world countries depend on the sweatshops to earn what they can to have any hopes of surviving. If the sweatshops were to shut down many people would lose their jobs, and therefore have no source of income. This may lead people to steal and prostitution as well. this article is suggesting that sweatshops will better the economy by giving people a better job than what they may have had. Due to this the companies contracting with swe atshops are not acting wrong in any way. This was a deductive article it had a lot of good examples to show how sweatshops are beneficial to third world countries. Radly Balko seemed to have the same view point as Matt Zwolinski. Many people believe the richer countries should not support the sweatshops Balko believes if people stopped buying products made in sweatshops the companies will have to shut down and relocate, firing all of the present workers. Rasing the fact that again the worker will have no source of income, the workers need the sweatshop to survive. Balko also uses the argument that the workers willingly work in the current environments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the arguments against sweatshops raised by Americans is the they take jobs away from the American people. In the job force it is becoming harder to find an open position any where. Instead of keeping the factories here the companies are shipped over seas, causing millions of job opportunities for Americans to be lost. Some arguments raised by the United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) are the poor working conditions, low wages, long hours, and children in the factories. The damp, dark, and cold environment can depress the workers even more than they may be, causing rates in suicide to increase. Low wages is another concern USAS have. The workers barley get enough money to survive.

Powerful institutions such as the mass media, the police and judiciary label social groups as deviants and/or criminals

Labelling is present in many areas of sociology, and crime and deviance is no exception. It involves a ‘label' or categorisation being applied to someone or to the social group of which they belong, either rightfully or wrongfully, which can have detrimental or positive effects. Various institutions label social groups, some believe it is done predominantly by the police, mass media and judiciary system. By exploring aspects like moral panics, arrests, and laws passed by the judiciary, we will establish to what extent these institutions do label these social groups as deviants and/or criminals. Labelling theory is a theoretical approach derived from symbolic interactionism, which looks at the consequences of having a particular social typing or label placed on an act, group or person. What the labelling theory alerts us to is the way in which the whole area of crime is dependent upon social constructions of reality – law creation, law enforcement and the identities of law breakers are all questionable. The media composes a key element of creating these social constructions. When considering reports of crime on television for example, they are thought to help create or inform people's perceptions of crime, and of which social groups are deviants and/or criminals. There is also a problem when defining ‘criminal' and ‘deviant' because it depends on the individuals own perceptions, there is no universal definition. The relationship between the media and crime when concerning labelling theory is emphasized by a concept known as a moral panic. The idea of a moral panic can be defined as outrage stirred up by the media in reaction to a particular social group or issue. Sociologist Stan Cohen in his study of the ‘mods and rockers' first adopted the term. Since the media had a lack of new stories around that time, they caused these two groups to be classified as ‘folk devils', meaning that they were the subjects of the moral panic and seen as troublemakers. Due to the extensive media coverage, young people were classified or ‘labelled' as either ‘mods' or ‘rockers', and some internalised the label and were actually violent. Consequently, this helped to create the violent stereotype that the ‘mods' and ‘rockers' were supposedly famous for. This confirmed the media's image that they were troublemakers to the public. Becker examined the possible effects upon the individual of being publicly labelled as deviant. It is a ‘master status'. The youths were stigmatised and given this label by the media as deviant troublemakers, so eventually come to see themselves as being deviant – their master status. All other qualities become unimportant, and they person is responded to solely in terms of their master status. If someone is labelled as criminal for example, this largely overrides their status as parent, neighbour, friend etc. nd others only respond in terms of the label. The police may also target the youths on once this moral panic occurs, so the may change their behaviour to avert punishment or stigma. Discussion of the area concerning the police's role of applying these deviant labels to social groups is also an interesting one. Since there are significantly higher rates of imprisonment of blacks than their proportion in the population, the issue is important when considering race. The Metropolitan police, for example, reported that 37% of those stopped were from ‘ethnic minorities', where as they form 20% of London's population. There are higher rates of stop and search among black and Asian youth than among white youth. Arrest rates of alleged offenders were also significantly higher for those of Afro-Caribbean origins than whites. A study by Walker suggests that, although there may well be police bias in stops and arrests, statistically the difference in arrest rates is so high that the only way this could explain the discrepancy in the figures would be ‘to arrest black people more or less at random and charge them falsely'. Blom-Cooper and Drabble argued that black defendants are likely to be charged with more serious crimes than white defendants when the actual offences committed are similar. For example, black defendants are more likely than other groups to be remanded in custody. Stephen Lawrence is an example, of a black person being treated unjustly by the criminal justice system. Four white people were accused of his murder, but were not found guilty. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the case, as the Metropolitan police were accused of tampering with the evidence so it was inadmissible in court. The question is, had it of been four black people murdering a white person would the case have had the same outcome? In reviewing this evidence, it seems that the treatment of black people in the criminal justice system is very unsatisfactory. It seems the police are labelling the blacks as deviant, concentrating policing in the inner city areas where the majority are. The judiciary system already has preconceived ideas about blacks, and this affects the amount that are arrested, prosecuted and put on trial in the courts. Some would say that black youths have even developed their own subcultures, as a form of resistance to capitalism and negative labelling. From a Marxist perspective, youth are the social group that are under the least control by the bourgeoisie. They do not pay taxes or have mortgages, like the working-class do. Since the youth then find it hard to legitimately achieve the high societal goals, they develop ‘magical solutions' via youth subculture. In the same way, blacks have found themselves marginalized from white society, and in response have developed their own subculture resisting capitalism and often turning to crime. They are essentially ‘driven underground' by the labels the media and police apply. Another social group that the media and police can be seen to ‘drive underground' is the subculture of drug-takers. This is a good example of how the police label this social group as deviant and a problem to society. In a study by Parker, he found that the drug-takers regarded their activity as being wholly innocent and consisting of just ‘having fun'. Another interesting aspect is that the drug-takers come from backgrounds that just do not fit the media's stereotype of a deviant criminal. Parker discovered in his study that drug-takers are mostly middle-class, in full time work or further or higher education. Furthermore, there is little if any violence and most clubbers were reported to feel ‘completely safe'. It is thought that the media and police's labelling of this social groups is a little extreme, and is resulting in the culture being driven further underground. Another instance of this media labelling surrounds the case of the death of Leah Betts, when she died after taking an ecstasy tablet on her 18th birthday. The media claimed she was ‘poisoned' by the drug, called for tougher legislation and their was a lot of outrage stirred up by extensive media coverage. After various tests, it was then revealed that the pill she had taken was virtually pure and she had kidney failure from drinking too much water. It seems that sadly, the only person responsible for her death was herself, and the pill was perhaps just there at the wrong time. It was also revealed it was not the first ecstasy pill she had taken. After the moral panic and the way the media amplified the situation, it turns out there is little supporting evidence for their claims. Perhaps this subculture is not as deviant as the media make out, even classifying drug-taking as a subculture is questionable since millions of ecstasy pills are sold each year and their use if widespread. A confidential survey of pupils' behaviour in a representative sample of 20 fee-paying schools showed 43 per cent of pupils in the lower sixth form (aged 16-17) reported experimenting with drugs and one in eight said they were regular users. Illegal drug taking is no longer limited to a disaffected and rebellious few. It is part of the culture of teenagers. They do not believe it is as dangerous as we say it is. Even where they recognise the dangers, they are not deterred believing that most enjoyable activities involve some risks,† the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference (HMC) said. A 19-year-old who left a private sixth form college last summer, and was previously at a fee-paying boarding school in London, talks about drugs and school. He says â€Å"From the age of 14 upwards, about 50 per cent of us were smoking marijuana at lunchtime. And I can't think of anyone from my sixth form who hasn't tried drugs. † There have been many other moral panics as well as drug takers that have le to the stigmatization of various groups by the media and police. One such case that stigmatized young people was the murder of James Bulger. Two 11-year-old boys in Liverpool from a shopping mall abducted James Bulger. He had massive injuries inflicted upon him, which resulted in his death and he was left on a railway line. The deviant act committed by the children dominated newspaper headlines and stirred up public outrage. The murder was portrayed by the media as a horrific act, which symbolized the degeneration of modern British society, despite the fact that statistically such murders were extremely rare and the UK, though not unique. When Mary Bell aged 11 years old murdered two toddlers in 1968 there was no such moral panic, and seemed to be largely ignored by the press. The media used the Bulger case to symbolise all that was wrong with Britain, they focused on the difference between innocence and evil and why we as a society had allowed it happen, it suggested the increase of public indifference, lowering family values and increasing isolation. It generated massive public guilt, and since predicted a breakdown of societal values and cohesion. There was a significant focus on child crime, as people searched for answers to this tragedy. The group's stigmatization was further fuelled by polices claims that juvenile crime was on the increase and young people were out of control, breaking the law due to insufficient penalties for their delinquency. This prompted demands for tighter controls, curfews for young people and stricter laws. However, other statistics showed that juvenile crime had indeed dropped, these were dismissed by the authorities because claiming the figures a misrepresentation and only appeared so due to a reduction in numbers in the juvenile population. There were also calls for stricter controls on violent films as it was reported by the media that the boys may have been influenced by the film Child's Play III though there is little evidence in place to support this argument. Overall, it seems the police; mass media and judiciary do label social groups as deviant and/or criminals. From the above examples, we can see cases where this happens with a resulting effect of alienating or categorizing a social group in a negative light. When the powerful institutions do seem to label, it does however largely depend on one's definition of criminal or deviant, but the powerful institutions can be seen to play a part in creating this definition.

Tulips by Sylvia Plath

Tulips by Sylvia Plath Tulips, by Sylvia Plath seems to be a poetic expression of depression. The speaker who I assume is Plath is describing the psychological effects after a surgical procedure,which I feel is the time when sadly Plath miscarried her baby. The poem was written through her own view in a hospital room, where the reader is given an insight to the inner thoughts of a woman who has gone through a terrible ordeal, and the objects around her which influence her mentality. The poem follows Plath's admission into hospital and the heart-rendering account of her attempt to recover.There are nine stanzas in the poem, each with five lines, there is no evident rhyme pattern and there is little structure to the poem, although the lack of organization in each stanza seems to be a reflection of the confusion and the loss of control that Plath feels, the only structure shared between the stanzas is the abundance of punctuation, creating a slow rhythm throughout the poem, although Pla th uses alliteration to increase fluency in parts of the poem, â€Å"plastic-pillowed†, â€Å"water went† and â€Å"light lies on white walls†.Plaths tone is serene throughout the poem, however there is a sarcastic tone when she says â€Å"The tulips are too excitable, it is winter here†. The tone of the poem starts out as depressed and bleak then changes into more dynamic and hopeful and the imagery more surreal: â€Å"the mouth of some great African cat†. In the first two stanzas, Plath talks about the situation and her surroundings, whereas the rest of the stanzas reveal her feelings.The most symbolic item in the poem is the tulips, their colour is the first contrast brought to light, they are red and they clash with the white room, they drink in her oxygen and fill the room with life, she describes how nice it had been before the tulips came in and robbed her peaceful isolation. Their redness reminded her of her wound and the tulips lightly bre athing through their white swaddling reminds her of the baby she has lost. In the end the flowers win and begin to overtake the dull whiteness that Plath once found so peaceful. the walls, also, seem to be warming themselves. Another contrast to the red tulips is Plath's use of white as a symbol. The imagery described in the first two stanzas is all white, meaning the absence of colour, which is figurative for the lack of life. â€Å"How white everything is†, â€Å"white walls†, â€Å"white lids†, â€Å"white caps†, she is propped between the white pillow and the white sheet, white is clean and pure and the contrast between the white, sterile surroundings and the red of the tulips is too distracting.Plath uses colour imagery to manifest the themes of life, the red of the tulips is symbolic for life, the colour of blood, and tulips are associated with spring which is a contrast to the winter outside. It is customary to send flowers to a funeral or when som ebody dies, they symbolise a tribute to the life of the one who has died, â€Å"I didn't want flowers† she did not want to be reminded that her baby would never have a life for her to pay tribute to, the tulips were an intrusion on her grief and since they were given as a loving gesture, she looks at them in contempt. â€Å"Nobody watched me before, now I am watched. †Plath includes several references to water, â€Å"my body is a pebble to them, they tend it as water tends to the pebbles it must run over. † â€Å"Water went. † â€Å"The way a river snags and eddies. † The water is symbolic of the tears she has shed over her loss. The interactions between Plath and the nurses are portrayed as cold and impersonal, they do not regard her as an individual, her body is compared to a â€Å"pebble†, an inanimate object with no identity. There is no communication between the nurses and Plath, they simply deliver her medication: â€Å"they bring me numbness in their bright needles, they bring me sleep†, they come to relieve her pain.She seems to relate most things back to her illness, using similes to compare her overnight case to a black pill box. â€Å"They have swabbed me clear of my loving associations†, this could be an indication of what depression does to a person, it robs them of joy In life that comes from loving associations. Even her own family are a cruel reminder of what she has lost: â€Å"My husband and child smiling out of the family photo; Their smilies catch onto my skin, little smiling hooks. † although Plath has no desire for life it is her family and the tulips that are keeping her from letting go, retaining her from sinking.She wants to be free to just be, but the tulips remind her that she has people who love and need her Electroshock treatment, recovery from a suicide attempt and miscarriage were only a few of the times Sylvia Plath was hospitalised. Plath was diagnosed with a combin ation of severe depression, acute insomnia and bipolar disorder (Griffin) the time she spent in hospital and her mental illness are reflected in her poetry. Plath's description of the hospital setting may be a reflection of her own experiences when hospitalised, this would explain why she is so detached from the medical staff.The entire point of the poem is simply how these flowers show her that she can never truly be free from her pain, There will always be something there to remind her of it, sadly we all know the outcome of Sylvia Plaths life and how sad it seems today that Sylvia Plath had to face her mental illness at a time when no one knew the truth about how to treat it. This poem reflects the same depth, grief and creativity that was expressed within the life of Sylvia Plath, and because of her beautiful mind we are left with the gifts she left behind, and Tulips is one of them.