Cinematic Techniques in Film Narrative Essay

How do movies carry us from scene to scene? The answer is in the screenplay as well as the cinematic techniques used in the film. Scriptwriters will start their script with a series of meaningful cinematic techniques. Cinematic techniques such as the act structure, choice of shot, scene transition, and camera movement, can greatly influence the structure and meaning of a film. These techniques include the hook, establishing shot, montage, leitmotif, foreshadowing, transition, ‘MacGuffin’, ‘red herring’, ‘bus’, flashback, climax, and twist ending, and will be discussed in detail. The first and most important technique is the hook. The hook is the core of both a film and its screenplay. It is what grabs the viewer’s attention, usually in the first 5-10 minutes. It is used to captivate and take hold of an audience, blatantly speaking, ‘hooking them in’. If a film does not have a strong ‘hook’ then audiences can lose interest in that film, so a good scriptwriter would use this technique to captivate the audience, and retain their interest throughout the entire film. Almost every film contains a hook, but a great film will have an astonishing hook, for example, ‘Three days of the Condor’, 1975, directed by Sydney Pollack. Another example would include, ‘National Treasure’, 2004, directed by Jon Turteltaub. Knowing the importance of a good hook, many screenwriters write their hooks first. Conceivably, the life of a screenplay might evolve from hook to 1-page synopsis, to 4-page treatment, to full treatment, to scriptment, to screenplay. Another great cinematic technique is the establishing shot. The establishing shot is a long, wide-angle or full, shot at the beginning of a scene intended to show things from a distance. It is used to inform the audience with an overview in order to help identify and orient the locale. â€Å"An establishing shot in film and television sets up, or establishes the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects. It is generally a long- or extreme-long shot at the beginning of a scene indicating where, and sometimes when, the remainder of the scene takes place. † (‘Establishing Shot’, Wikipedia, viewed 27 May 2010, ) An example of a film with an effective establishing shot is ‘The Dark Knight’, 2008, directed by Christopher Nolan. A cinematic technique frequently used in film is the montage. Montage is a form of movie collage consisting of a series of short shots or images that are edited into a sequence to condense space, time, and information. It is usually used to suggest the passage of time. Montage sequences typically combine numerous short shots with special optical effects such as dissolves, cuts, fades, super-impositions, and wipes. These effects are often used to link the images in a montage sequence. One of the best-known examples is the training sequence in the 1976 movie ‘Rocky’, which culminates in Rocky’s run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Another cinematic technique is a leitmotif. A leitmotif is an intentionally-repeated, recurring element or theme associated with a particular person, idea, scene, or action. It can be a repeated sound, shot, bit of dialogue, or piece of music, that helps unify a film by reminding the viewer of its earlier appearance. An example of a leitmotif is in the ‘Star Wars’ series, in which composer John Williams uses a large number of themes specifically associated with people and concepts, for example, a particular idea attaches to the idea of ‘the force’. Foreshadowing is another cinematic technique regularly used by filmmakers. Foreshadowing is a literary technique used to provide subtle clues for the viewer to be able to predict what might occur later on in the film. It is a literary device in which an author will drop hints about the plot and what may come in the near future. These hints are normally in the form of symbols, images, motifs, repetition, dialogue or mood. These hints are an indication of what’s going to happen next in the story and usually suggests plot developments that will occur later in the story. A perfect example of foreshadowing is in the movie Star Wars Episode Two, Obi Wan is quoted, â€Å"Why do I get the feeling you will be the death of me? † He is later killed by Anakin, whom he is speaking to in the quote. Transitions are very important elements to a film, if used appropriately they can add a great deal of value to a scene. A film transition is a technique by which scenes or shots are juxtaposed. The most common transition used is a cut, however, many films will also include selective use of other transitions, usually to convey a tone or mood, suggest the passage of time, or separate parts of the story. These other transitions may include fade, dissolve, wipe, and transition focus. A transition focus is when the current scene goes out of focus and the next scene comes into focus. This type of transition can be seen in the film ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. A very interesting cinematic technique is the ‘MacGuffin’. â€Å"A MacGuffin is a plot element that catches the viewers’ attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction. The defining aspect of a MacGuffin is that the major players in the story are, at least initially, willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the MacGuffin actually is. In fact, the specific nature of the MacGuffin may be ambiguous, undefined, generic, left open to interpretation or otherwise completely unimportant to the plot. Examples might include money, victory/glory, survival, a source of power, a potential threat, etc†¦.or something entirely unexplained. † (‘MacGuffin’, Wikipedia, viewed 29 May 2010, < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/MacGuffin>) A ‘Red Herring’ is a cinematic technique that is commonly used in thriller films and intended to distract the reader from a more important event in the plot, usually a twist ending. One of the best examples of the use of a red herring in contemporary film can be found in the 2004 movie ‘Saw’. During the whole film, two characters spend time imprisoned in a room in which a third character lies dead. Throughout the film, both characters appear to be guilty of a series of murders, until is discovered at the end that the third person in the room is not actually dead. He is, in fact, the killer. A quite effective scene used more commonly lately is the flashback scene. A flashback is a transition to an earlier event or scene that interrupts the normal chronological development of the story. It is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory. The popular television series ‘Lost’ primarily uses flashback sequences to fill in backstory to all of the characters. The Climax of a film is the arguably the most important point of a film or narrative. It is the highest point of anxiety or tension in a story or film in which the central character faces, confronts, and deals with the consequences of all his/her actions. The climax of the 1997 film ‘The Titanic’ is when the ship hits the iceberg. The last cinematic technique discussed is the twist ending or surprise ending. A twist ending is when a film has an unexpected or a surprise ending that isn’t revealed until the end of the picture. This may cause us to re-evaluate the characters and narrative. One of the most recognised twist endings in history is that of the 1999 film ‘The Sixth Sense’. The shocking twist ending is when it is revealed that Bruce Willis’s character has been dead the whole time. How do movies carry us from scene to scene? It’s usually the story’s fascinating hook, dramatic climax, and all of the cinematic elements in between. Excellent filmmakers will use a great deal, if not all, of these cinematic techniques to greatly influence the structure and meaning of a film.

Transformative Power of Civil Society

Apartheid divided people and was in favour of white people and left the majority of black people poor. This created inequality between black people and white people, thus this resulted in the people in the people who are disadvantaged by apartheid to form civil societies to help fight poverty themselves. This essay will critically discuss whether civil society has transformative potential in south Africa and also to what extent does it have transformative potential, that is if it has transformative potential. This paper will discuss this by looking at what at what civil society is, looking at development and how ordinary people challenge forced development (top down) by engaging in civil society. In this paper three case studies namely the Victoria mxenge and amadiba crisis committee and the xenophobia protest will be used as examples to analyze the topic further. Essentially this paper will attempt to show that civil society is both transformative and non-transformative. Development has been debated by social scientist and they came up with different theories of development. Development theories are trying to equalize the inequalities that were created by apartheid and anlyse and find reasons about why things are like this in south Africa. The theories of development include modernization theory, dependency theory, people centred development theory and sen’s development theory. Modernization theory implies that western culture is more superior and modernization theory looks at the different levels of technological development across the globe and explores development in terms of inequality ( Graaf, 2001). According to Davids (2005) modernization theory focuses on the fact that if the less developed country wants to develop then it should follow the developed countries. According to davids (2005,09) â€Å"modernization theory regards western culture to all others†. This notion of modernization takes us back to apartheid where the western culture was seen as the ideal culture out of the cultures we have in south Africa argues David (2005). This makes the people to start civil societies so that they can voice out their views. Roodt (2001) argues that civil society is formed when the formal government becomes more distant from rural people and the people decide to do things for themselves. Modernization theory is often challenged by civil society by counteracting and challenging the status quo. Graaf (2001) talks about the two main approaches for development which is top-down and bottom up approach. The two approaches monitors how development happens the people that are needed to participate in order for development to happen. According to Roodt (2001,469) argues that â€Å"participation is seen as one of the ingredients necessary to promote sustained development†, thus roodt further says that â€Å"this not to say that development equals sustained development†. The â€Å"top- down approach to development refers to the tendency of the state to implement development with little or no consultation with the people who are meant to benefit† Roodt (2001,469). For example when wanting to develop the poor in south Africa the rich people will come up with ways to do develop them and the poor people will not have a say or will have a little voice. Bottom up approach of development is when the beneficiaries of any proposed development participate through their organizations in determining the type of development most relevant to their needs, and may also participate in the implementation and subsequent running or monitoring of the development† Roodt (2001,469). This approach is dependent o n the needs of the community and its about how the community want to develop its self and not getting some one from the state to tell the community what they should do. But its about the community telling the state what they are doing (Roodt,2001). The bottom-up approach goes hand in hand with civil society and sen’s theory of development. According to Roodt (2001) civil society is the part is the part of the society outside the boundaries of both government and the family which is often seen to be the source of democratic innovation and of resistance to government excess. This means that people create social movements that does not include the government getting involved and so civil society is non-governmental. Walby (2009) argues that the aims of civil society is to respond in changes inresources, power, and material positioning, revorking the frames and material positioning and reworking the frames and discourses that provide meaning. Blaaw (1999) argues that â€Å" civil society is increasingly being looked on as the source of alternative and more equaltable forms of society. Civil society focuses more on people centred development and according to Scholte (1999,07) Civil society exists whenever people mobilise through voluntary associations in initiatives to shape the social order. Civil society challenges top down approach of development because it gets people involve in their own development by challenging the notion of top down approach For example according to Ismail (2009) Victoria Mxenge was building houses for poor people because the houses that the government was building were too small and the government a lot of time to build the house so they built the houses. Note Ismail (2009) notes that since South Africa is a developing country so poor people regards or acknowledges learning and education to overcome poverty. The case study of Victoria Mxenge Housing Development Association part of the south African homeless peoples federation, its an organization made up of women who wants to develop themselves by forming a housing social movement Ismail (2009). In this case study civil society has transformative potential because previously during apartheid â€Å"in South Africa poor women have been excluded from mainstream education by apartheid legislation, lack of money, no easy access to educational facilities, or social prejudices which dictate that women stay at home to care for the family† Ismail (2009,282). So by doing this civil society changed the social order or the functioning of the country by breaking the bounderies. According to Ismail (2009,292) â€Å"The VM women built on traditional notions of African ‘motherhood’ but went further in important ways and developed political skills in mobilising resources and learnt through great personal endeavour, patience, sacrifice and rigour but seldom developed a feminist consciousness and therefore made no analysis of patriarchy or capitalis According to Ismail (2009) this social movement also broke the of women learning in informal and non- formal way, there for civil society transformed them because they can now participate in learning in their every day life and support their daily struggles. Ismail (2009,01) further says that â€Å"in South Africa informal education and learning has developed so that excluded groups do have some opportunity for learning. This development is eople centred because if people where not there it wouldn’t take place. Furthermore â€Å"this development response has given rise to a ‘poor women’s pedagogy’ in which they become the advocators and innovators of development practice†. Victoria mxenge did have transformative potential because it built house for the poor and made a difference and changed the social order that not only can government can build houses for the poor but also women can build houses on their own. However in the end the organization did not have transformative because Victoria mxenge was taking loans from banks to build the houses left the organization in debt and in that sense Victoria mxenge didn’t have transformative potential. Furthermore the state ended up getting involved in the matter and they did not have much of a say now in the development so it didn’t have transformative potential because they did not change the top-down approach of development. Victoria mxenge shows that civil society can be transformative and non transformative. Roodt (2001) talks about sen’s theory, Sen’s theory argues that freedom is the primary end and principal means of development and Victoria mxenge has lost that freedom because they did not choose in the end, but the government choose for them and Victoria mxenge doesn’t have collective agency. Sen’s theory of development talks about development as freedom that looks at human well-being and how to evaluate it. According to Roodt(2001) Sen’s theory values that in order for people or a community to develop, freedon should be taken as the foundation for development. Furthermore more the theory talks about substantial freedoms or opportunities in the sense that if people have substantial freedoms they will have the â€Å"ability to achieve what they value, engage in economic transactions ,participate in political values will be equal to the capability to function in ways they consider valuable archieving the goals they have set for themselves† Roodt,2001. Sen’s theory is people centerd and participation is important in order for development to take place and thus democracy matters in the sense that choice matters and so the theory takes equality and rights of the people seriously ( Roodt,2001). So this means that people centred way of taking decisions about what the community wants and what is valuable is important. sen’s theory of development has human agency because public participation is important. â€Å"Globalization refers to the fact that we all increasingly live in one world , so groups and nations become interdependent† Giddens (2006). The interdependency takes place ecomonically, technology wise and communication wise. During apartheid in south Africa, the global civil society got involved and helped to fight apartheid. According to Klungman (2011,09) â€Å"global civil society is manifestation of social energies released by awakening of human consciousness to possibilities for creating societis that nurture and rejoice in a love of all human beings. According to Scholte (1999) argues and says that global civil society is ensures peace around the world for example if the is war global civil society has to fight and try to create peace there. So in the context of south Africa global civil society helped and fought apartheid . o in this context civil society has shown to have transformative potential by changing the social order that the apartheid government was using and brought democracy in south africa. When globalization takes place they are people who are benefiting from it and some are not benefiting but are actually disadvantaged by globalization. For example looking franchise wise mc donalidazation is not benefiting south Africa in the sense that they build their restaurants but more of the m oney that they get goes to their country of origin so it does not do much on south africa’s economy. So it does not transform south Africa in that context however it does transform south Africa by creating jobs for the unemployed and they get money so it does have transformative power because it helps fight unemployment. Blaauw (2003,02) argues that â€Å"the economic and social choices that government entails for national government also have ernomous implications for civil society organizations and formations†. By this blaauw (2003) argues that the dicisions that the government takes economically and socially affects civil society. Furthermore Blaauw (2003,02) argues that â€Å"the new global reconfiguration, which compels governments to become more responsive to financial markets than the needs of their poor citizens, has met with resistance from social forces ostensibly because of the dialectic of inclusion and exclusion†. This means that since when the state gets involved in global reconfiguration it stops paying attention to the poor and pays more attention to globalisation . n addition Blaauw (2003) argues that as â€Å"global markets forces rise the role of the state as an economic provider lacks and this calls for a need for civil society to develop and grow†. The people respond to being disadvantaged by globalization by striking, forming civil society groups and some by sticking more to their ways of doing things. For example people are afraid of getting involved in globalization because they think they will loose they will loose their money. For example looking at people in eastern cape are still farming for themselves to resist development and globalization. For that reason civil society has changed that and therefore it did not show to have transformative potential, because it did not change the social order of doing things. Looking at the under development in the transkei Bundy cited in (Graaf & Venter, 2001) argues that poverty and self-reliance in the former Transkei region was not in the form of the community not wanting to participate to the modern economic sector opportunities. Amadiba community crisis committee is Community-based organisation which has members of about three thousand local people from Amadiba. Amadiba crisis development fought the lobby group against Xolobeni sand dune mining walby (2009). The organisation was fighting to get the mine back so that it can be theirs and amadiba favour sustainable community based eco-tourism argues Walby (2009). by this the community was in charge of their development and the development it their choice . madiba crisis committee has also partnership with ACC and Sustainable community based tourism Civil society has transformative potential because looking at the amadiba case study the community fought to get the mine back from the people from austraila. The people fought by themselves without the help of the government and the government was not part of the people who wanted the mine. This brought transformation to the community because they were fighting for one thing and with the same vision and they got wh at the mine that they were fighting for . However even though they got the mine they are not using it which brings the point that civil society can have transformative potential and non transformative potential. They don’t have transformative potential in the sense that the mine is not benefiting them in any way because it is not opened and they are fighting alone and taking each other to court. Its also not transformative because the people who are fighting might be both members of the state and business and it leads to conflict, so now they don’t know what to choose between the two. his shows that amadiba crisis committee have agency, because it manage to change the social functioning . The paragraph shows that one organization can have society having transformative potential and also not having transformative potential. During may 2008 south African citizens started a xenophobic attack , where by the citizens were removing people who came from other countries to work here while they are not south African cit izens were removed ( Bond,2010). Bond (2010) furthermore argues that the xenophobic attacks were violent such that 62 migrants were murdered while hundreds of people which includes children and women were attacked and some were raped. Bond (2010) argues that not only did the people attack the migrants but they also burnt their houses and some of the houses were destroyed. According to Bond (2010) peoples reasons for the xenophobic attacks was employment in the sense that they saw the migrants taking cheap labour and taking most of the job opportunities. Employment was the key factor for the xenophobic attact because Bond (2010) mentions that some of the citizens were saying that the migrants come in to the country and open businesses so jelousy was also involved and some said its because the number of foreigners was uncontrollable. So this was implemented because of the lack of effective communication between communities and the state so it caused conflict and the citizen were angry and decided to things by the selfs and remove the foreigners out of the country. In this case civil society had transformative potential because the community did what they wanted to do because the government was not doing anything for them. A civil society was formed then to move the people who are not south African citizens out of the country. The movement was not formal in the sense that was not like amadiba crisis committee or Victoria mxenge because this social movement did’nt have a name and it was a group of people from different parts of south Africa who saw the same problem and started the attack. nd it had transformative potential in a bad way, thus according to Scholte (1999) civil society can be good and evil. Xenophobia brought social change because it resulted in the people going back to their countries and south African citizens getting the job. The movement used bottom up approach of development but the question is, is it really bottom-up because they might have been someone who incited it. The transformation also has consequences which resulted in people loosing their lives . he whole xenophobia transformed the image of south Africa and it made people to have doubts about whether the country will be able to host the 2010 FIFA World cup safely . It led to people wanting to change their minds about coming to watch the world cup. The transformation was bad in the sense that it disturbed south africa’s interrelationship with other countries. So this brings out the proves that this social movement was creating the bounderies that globalization is trying to break. So the transformation was against globalization in the sense that people were now not comfortable coming here and they lost their trust in south Africa. This negative transformation leads to a drop in the number of tourists that comes in the country and this ended up affecting the economic growth which ended up affecting those people who started xenophobia. However while people were chasing foreigners out of the country the was also civil societies formed which had people who were protecting the victims by hiding them (Bond, 2010). Bond(2010) argues that the civil societies that were formed to protect the foreigners used mostly churches to accommodate the people who were being chased out of the country until the xenophobic attacks calms down. This brings the thought that not everyone sees things the same way because some saw the chasing the people out of the country as not good and others saw it as being good. This shows that civil societies can clash with one another and throught the clashing it shows that civil society had a transformative potential because a lot of the foreigners when back to their countries. To conclude civil society has shown to have transformative potential as well as not being transformative potential in south Africa. I have proved that civil society has transformative potential it has helped the country to fight apartheid and change the social order of the way things were done during apartheid. This proved that civil society has a lot of transformative power when people have the same goal and showed that participation is important in order to change things. In the case of xenophobia civil society showed to have transformative potential in the sense that it achieved the goal of the social movement and removed the foreigners from the country. The xenophobic attack showed that civil society can be can be evil as Scholte (1999) argues because during the social movement people were killed and some were hurted and this attack showed that civil society can be negative because people ended up looting houses of the people who were foreigners. The xenophobic attack also showed that civil societies can clash because people want different things. The Victoria Mxenge showed that civil society doesn’t have transformative potential because the organization did not change the top down approach. Furthermore the amadiba crisis committee showed that civil society has transformative potential because the people fought for the mine and got the mine. However it showed that even if people form civil societies to fight for things at times they end up not using the things they are fighting for when they have it. By compering this I can conclude that civil society has more transformative potential in south Africa since apartheid as it has changed many social orders.

Answer my 6 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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The Nurses Role in Prevention of Central Venous Line Infection Essay

The Nurses Role in Prevention of Central Venous Line Infection - Essay Example The problems identified for this research are that CVLI presents a serious health risk to patients, nurses are frequently in a position to contribute to the problem, and that training and prevention strategies should be employed to reduce the frequency and severity of CVLI. Significance of the Problem. The significance of CVLI cannot be overstated. It increases the morbidity and mortality rates of patients who suffer infection as a result of bacterial introduction and growth in what is often an immunosuppressed environment. This issue is important to nursing for two primary reasons; nurses are in a position to contribute to the frequency and severity of the problem, and they are also the first line of defense in prevention, detection, and resolution of CVLI. Research Hypothesis. The expectations for this research are that it will clearly demonstrate; that most cases of CVLI are preventable, the incidence of nurse contribution to the condition is high, a program of training and preventative strategies would reduce the frequency of infection, and that more research is needed to determine the protocols for a program of prevention. Literature Review. There are several studies on the subject of CVLI and the contributory issues involved. While this body of literature is informative, it does not obviate the need for the research proposed herein. From Hadaway, we know t... The expectations for this research are that it will clearly demonstrate; that most cases of CVLI are preventable, the incidence of nurse contribution to the condition is high, a program of training and preventative strategies would reduce the frequency of infection, and that more research is needed to determine the protocols for a program of prevention. CHAPTER TWO Literature Review. There are several studies on the subject of CVLI and the contributory issues involved. While this body of literature is informative, it does not obviate the need for the research proposed herein. From Hadaway, we know that central venous lines are much more likely to increase the frequency, as well as the seriousness, of infections than are short peripheral catheters. She points out that two factors that contribute to this fact are that the patients themselves tend to be more vulnerable, and the exposure to microorganisms is increased due to the more frequent access required in maintaining central venous lines (Hadaway, 2006, p. 58) These infections, particularly those at the site of the intravascular device, are a major source of morbidity, occur frequently, and have the ability to increase both the length of a patient's stay at the hospital as well as the costs associated with that period of convalescence (Musher, el al., 2002, p. 769). The research of Dr. Oudiz and his co-authors has found that early detection of infection in such patients is crucial, though it can be difficult given the fact that the symptoms often present in a generalized way and do not initially appear as an acute infection (Oudiz, et al., 2004, p. 92). When those symptoms do present, however, it is often necessary to remove the central venous line in order to eradicate the infection (Brooks &

Audiovisuals MaterialsTechnologies Used To Help Students With Learning Essay

Audiovisuals MaterialsTechnologies Used To Help Students With Learning Disabilities And How Are These Students Incorporated Into The Regular Classroom - Essay Example However, special attention and different teaching strategies should be employed by the teachers for this system to be effective. Students with learning disabilities have strengths and weaknesses that affect their learning. For teachers to be successful, they need to identify these points. Upon identifying these strengths and weaknesses, the teachers should work to enhance the students' skills and work to improve on the students' weak points. (Alberta Education , 2002) Teachers can start by guiding their students using an organized system. Teachers are encouraged to pay special attention and give extra time to such students for a certain period of time and slowly adjust the intensity or level of guidance according to the progress made by the student. This should be done until such time that the student can work independently. (Alberta Education , 2002) There are a variety of approaches that teachers can employ in teaching students. These approaches are like tools or strategies that will help the teachers in making the challenging task of imparting knowledge to these special students a lot easier. Students will also experience the benefits of the learning experience with the aid of such strategies. Professionals in the field of education are constantly doing research and looking for ways to improve the systems of teaching, especially students with learning disabilities. They believe that by carefully understanding the case of each individual, employing the right approach for each, and carefully monitoring their progress, there is a great possibility to improve and even correct these disabilities in the regular classroom setting. As much as possible, teaching professionals would like to address learning problems in the regular classroom setting without having to resort to special education classes. Before a student is referred to enroll at a special education program, the teachers conduct an assessment test called the Response-To-Intervention or (RTI). This is to make sure that all efforts are exhausted in the regular classroom setting before resorting to special education programs. Identification is the first step in teaching students with learning disabilities. There are two standard approaches in identifying proper strategies in teaching special students. There is the problem solving approach and the standard protocol approach. (Teaching LD, 2005) According to the website "Teaching LD", the problem solving approach involves four steps. These are proble m identification, problem analysis, plan implementation, and problem evaluation. (Teaching LD, 2005) Problem identification involves observing the students' behavior while in class to determine and enumerate the problem areas that need attention. After the teacher determines the students' weakness or limitation, the teacher check on the possible factors or causes that bring about the problem and develops a plan to address the situation. Plan implementation entails carrying out the plan set to solve the individual's problems. Problem evaluation is the last step. Here, the effects of the solutions implemented are checked vis--vis the problem of the student to determine if significant improvements have been made due to the implementation of the solution. This step is very important to determine whether to

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

Assignment - Essay Example The company’s management is not market oriented and lagging behind market changes is dangerous for any particular company. The paper attempts to look at basic management concepts and their effective application in the daily running of a company. The basic definition of management is getting work done by others. Comprehensively management can be described as a set of functions that are directed at the efficient and effective utilization of resources for the achievement of set organizational goals. The difference thus arises in the management of the Royal Store that violates the definition of management, as its management does not adhere to any set functions. Effectiveness in the running of a business organization refers to the making of right decisions and successfully implementing them. It also means the accomplishing of tasks that are helpful in achieving organizational objectives. On the other hand, efficiency in a business entity refers to getting work done with the use of minimum effort, expense, or waste. Efficiency entails the use of resources available to an organization in the most cost-effective way. Effectiveness and efficiency in any business organization contribute to productivity.... The difference thus arises in the management of the Royal Store that violates the definition of management, as its management does not adhere to any set functions. a) Relationship Between Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Productivity Effectiveness in the running of a business organization refers to the making of right decisions and successfully implementing them. It also means the accomplishing of tasks that are helpful in achieving organizational objectives. On the other hand, efficiency in a business entity refers to getting work done with the use of minimum effort, expense, or waste. Efficiency entails the use of resources available to an organization in the most cost-effective way. Effectiveness and efficiency in any business organization contribute to productivity. This forms one of the major arguments of Taylor on the issue of productivity. Productivity entails the performing of assigned duties in the manner that is required. In any company, the measurement of productivity is imp ortant in relation to the resources employed, which include labor, time, and monetary resources against the total output. Effectiveness and efficiency establish a base in measuring productivity in any organization. The Royal Store in its business activities exhibited lack of efficiency and effectiveness in its management leading to the productivity falling below the owner’s expectations. The company in its efforts to boost productivity should employ several of Fayol’s principles on successful management. The first principle they can inculcate is the unity of command. The principle means that any organization no matter how large it is should

A paper for oceanography based off of the book called The Eskimo and Essay - 1

A paper for oceanography based off of the book called The Eskimo and the Oil Man by Bob Reis - Essay Example ng of the global climates and the trending climatic concerns such as the global warming and the possible impacts on the ecosystem dynamics and the life supporting atmospheric portion i.e. the biosphere at large. The atmosphere and the biosphere are interrelated through the natural processes of evaporation, precipitation and the natural heat exchange processes. This refers to the study of the ecology of the marine ecosystems with regards to their surrounding ocean environment. Marine biologists study the life in the oceans (marine ecology) and as well as the total organic production in the seas and oceans. The marine life consists of the floating or weakly swimming organisms known as planktons and rapidly swimming organisms referred to as nektons. Marine oceanographers map the floors of oceans, analyze the problems of the shorelines, and study the deposits and other sediments of the ocean floor and rock layers of the earth’s crust. Biological oceanography therefore looks into the influence of the ocean’s physical, chemical and the geological characteristics on the marine ecology or ecosystems. This is the study of the Chemistry underlying the ocean environment and the processes of its interactions with the atmosphere. Chemical oceanography is looks into the chemistry of seawater, the major salts it contains, and other trace elements found in the oceans. This is the study of the physical processes of the oceans such as the mixing, waves, tides, ocean currents, water transparency density and temperature; as well as under water acoustics and sound transmission. In his book, The Eskimo and the Oil Man: The Battle at the Top of the World for America’s Future, Bob Reiss is particularly concerned with the Oil exploration strategy by the Shell Company on the North Arctic coast of Alaska, focusing on the potential threats to the Ocean, impact on the marine ecosystems and the Americans living within the neighborhood. This intertwines all the mentioned branches of

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Report - Essay Example Notably, this case represented a miscarriage of justice. The evidence presented by Krex’s attorney pointed to his innocence. This evidence engrossed two trial expert witnesses who had alluded to Mr. Klex’s innocence and a justification professional witness, a world renowned handwriting expert, who noted that Mr. Klex was innocent (McLaughlin 1). Courts should take measures to maintain both the veracity of convictions and the moral force of their burden of proof. In Mr. Klex’s case, the judge denied a caregiver from speaking on behalf of Mr. Klex’s satisfactory character and his attribute as a loving and a caring husband (McLaughlin 1). This court failed on its part of burden of proof. This is among the many reasons for wrongful convictions for deeds people did not do. Over the past three years, more than eleven convicts have been exonerated on account of actual innocence based on evidence. In order to establish the innocence of an accused, the courts require assistance from an expert in fields such as science. In the case of Mr. Klex, the judge refused to hear out a renowned forensic handwriting expert who acknowledged that Mr. Klex was innocent (McLaughlin 1). If many of the cases in Pennsylvania were to be reviewed, there would be some cases where those convicted are innocent in the sense that they did not partake in the crime. In order to guarantee that such instances do not recur, it is essential for the Pennsylvanian criminal justice system to consider all the recommendations contained in the report of the advisory committee on wrongful convictions. Who would object to efforts of eliminating wrongful convictions? What would be eviler than taking guiltless citizens, tarnishing their lives and punishing them for offenses they did not commit? After having studied why innocent men and women were wrongfully convicted and doomed, the advisory committee established that some of the basis of wrongful convictions

Overweight Children Essay Example for Free

Overweight Children Essay Being overweight is one of the major health problems among the youth of today. In the United States, the number of children becoming overweight is steadily increasing as they allot more time watching TV, playing video games, and surfing or chatting on the Internet (Nemours Foundation, n.d.). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, from the latter half of 1970s to 2004, the pervasiveness of excessive weight among children 2 to 5 years of age rose to 13.9 percent from 5 percent.   Among children 6 to 11 years of age, it escalated to 18. 8 percent from 6.5 percent, while it increased to 17.4 percent from 5 percent among those who are 12 to 19 years of age (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]), 2008). Thus, certain efforts were made by health and education experts to help parents encourage their children to engage in sports, exercise, and eat a healthy, balanced meal. After all, prevention is better than cure. If not taken care of, the excessive weight can make children vulnerable to certain diseases like high blood, diabetes, and other health illnesses (CDC, 2008; Boyse, 2007). Many experts suggest that one of the ways to help these children to lose weight without sacrificing the food that they want to eat is to encourage them to engage in sports and other group activities (Weintraub et al., 2008; Nemours, n.d.; Boyse, 2007). By engaging in physical activities, it will not only help the individual shed body fat, it would also promote self-esteem (Weintraub et al., 2008). Definition, Detection and Causes of Overweight   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being overweight is a result of imbalance between the food intake and the activities needed to spend the energies taken (Daniels, 1997). It is characterized by an exceptionally large volume of body fat with respect to lean body mass (Stopka, 2005). To know if an individual is obese or overweight, his or her body mass index or BMI is computed (Stopka, 2005; Daniels, 1997). This method considers the proportionality of the individual’s weight to his or her height child (Stopka, 2005; Daniels, 1997). The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) states that individuals with BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered as â€Å"overweight,† while those with a BMI of 30 and above is considered as â€Å"obese† (Stopka, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A number of studies have discovered that that breastfeeding is associated with overweight children (Hediger, et al., 2001). Once a mother fails to nurture her child with the practice of breastfeeding, chances are that the child will become overweight in the future. Breastfeeding helps to lower the risk of obesity during the stage of childhood and adolescence (Hediger, et al., 2001). Most cases of overweight among children occur during the adolescence stage when the transition from child to adult happens (Hediger, et al., 2001). The food intake is later on built up as fats if not properly burned out of the body (Hediger, et al., 2001).   Fat distribution is also changed during this stage which also incorporates hormonal influences. The condition also varies according to gender. According to Heidger and his associates (2001), girls are more likely to be overweight than boys.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most individuals on the adolescence stage are busy with their studies and participate in activities that will help them be informed and entertained. Many of them play video games and watch television after school as their own way of overcoming stress and pressures from school. While in the midst of these activities, they also munch junk food and drink sodas. As there are high amounts of calories in unhealthy food and drinks, they make children overweight (Collins, 2007). The incessant rise of fast food chains, consumption of calorie-dense foods and taking too much soft drink bring out more energy intake (Collins, 2007). However, this would not be a problem if the child regularly exercises and participates in activities. Lack of necessary exercise and physical activities also causes children to be overweight. When children eat more calories, they also need to burn more calories (Collins, 2007). Eating food that is detrimental to one’s health without enough physical activities to burn it will guarantee a child to be overweight (Collins, 2007). This is also said to be an environmental cause of obesity due to the technological means of entertainment available for children today. Collins (2007) calls this phenomenon as modern obesity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another cause of being overweight is the genetic roots of the child. The genes of the parents are inherited by children upon birth. Babies who are born to mothers who are overweight are more likely to gain more weight and are less active in actions (Collins, 2007). The metabolism of a child is also inherited from his or her parents. Thus, an obese parent whose metabolism is slow would have children with slow metabolism as well (Collins, 2007). The family eating habits also play a great influence as to why a child becomes overweight. Preparing and laying too much food on the table causes a child to eat more. Shopping and buying unhealthy foods and calorie-rich items will also cause the weight of children to increase (Collins, 2007). Effects of Obesity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Risks are always present once a child is overweight. Chances are that the child will accumulate certain diseases most of which are related to too much calorie, cholesterol and sugar intake. Bone problems are also expected for overweight and obese individuals. The social development of a child is also affected because of being overweight. The overweight children may find it difficult to breathe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obese children are often inactive and lazy to do physical activities. This causes their hearts to weaken. With their relatively weak heart, it will pump harder than the normal sized individual. This condition is commonly known as cardiovascular abnormalities (Daniels, et al., 1997). Another cardiovascular abnormality that occurs in overweight or obese individuals is the escalation of blood pressure. When a child is obese, the blood pressure is more likely to increase. These cardiovascular abnormalities usually lead to a disease known as left ventricular hypertrophy which is a prevailing condition among obese and overweight children (Daniels, et al., 1997). This disease is characterized by an â€Å"increased left ventricular mass,† along with â€Å"lean body mass, fat mass and abnormalities in the systolic blood pressure† which predicts the accumulation of diseases such as â€Å"coronary heart disease, stroke and sudden death† (p. 804). Hypertension is also common for children with too much weight (Daniels, et al., 1997; Nemours Foundation, n.d.; CDC, 2008; Boyse, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The disease Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is also common among overweight children with a BMI of 30 kg/m2, which, according to adult standard, is counted as â€Å"obese.† According to the National Cholesterol Education Program, acquiring this disease also makes them vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases such as a coronary artery disease (Daniels, et al., 1997).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being overweight also causes a child to mature early. In general, an overweight childs body develops faster than those who have normal body sizes. Overweight female children also reach the pubertal stage earlier. This may be due to the fact that most overweight female children do not have strenuous activity that can help them lessen their weights. Since most foods taken by obese children are rich in oils and other fatty acids, they are also prone of having pimples, acnes and skin problems (Nemours Foundation, n.d.; CDC, 2008; Boyse, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychological and social problems are also present when a child is overweight. One of the most common issues on this is depression. When a child grows bigger than his or her peers, he or she is more likely to be humiliated and teased in school for having a different body shape. This is a delicate issue which the child may find hard to overcome. It also results in the child’s low self esteem and negative self image (Strauss Pollack, 2003; Nemours Foundation, n.d.). The normal interaction towards other children is also limited because of this. More often than not, overweight children have fewer friends and their social life is limited to those who accept them as they are. Obese children are more likely to stay at home rather than go out and play with other people. They are isolated which makes them feel depressed, lonely, and stressed out. Teasing overweight children is also said to be associated with increased suicidal tendencies out of frustration and depression. Their condition causes them so many complications physically, emotionally and developmentally (Strauss Pollack, 2003; Nemours Foundation, n.d.). Prevention of Obesity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is better to prevent being overweight rather than regret it once a child becomes obese. This is not easy to do but it needs to begin as early as childhood days. This should be considered especially for those who are born to overweight parents. Behavior is also one good way of handling childhood obesity. Diminishing unhealthy eating habits and getting right exercise result in a healthier body and lifestyle. In addition, reducing stagnant physical activities like watching television and video games will also lower the chances of being overweight.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Limiting the intake of calories will also stop one from being overweight. Instead of drinking sodas and other carbonated drinks, a child may switch to drinking fresh fruit juices. Fresh juices are healthier instead of artificially made juices. Drinking the recommended number of glasses of water a day (8 to10 glasses) will also help in replenishing lost water in the body and digesting food easily, and therefore, prevent all those fatty food and huge amount of calories from getting stuck in the body. The children should also be advised to avoid eating meals in fast food restaurants, where the meals served contain preservatives and too much food extenders that have more calories (Matheson et. al., 2004). Parents should also encourage their child to eat home cooked meals and convince him or her that these meals are more delicious than those that can be bought outside. (Matheson et. al., 2004). This will also guarantee parents that the food eaten by their child is clean and well-prepared. The parents should also stop preparing large servings for their child, as this entices a child to eat more and makes him or her always expect the same size of serving every meal time (Matheson et. al., 2004). They should also limit the inactivity of children by giving them scheduled time for television and playing computer games (Matheson et. al., 2004). It will also help if a child is encouraged not to eat and watch at the same time. Too much focus on the television program makes a child unaware to the amount of food already consumed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For difficult cases like gene-related obesity, it is important to counter this by doing physical activities. Regular exercise helps to achieve good digestion and good metabolism. Physical activities such as â€Å"biking, walking, and swimming† can also be done with the whole family. These activities also help brings the heart in good condition. Playing ball games also prevents being overweight and helps children become more sociable towards their peers (Campbell et al., 2001). Basketball and soccer are some examples of sports which can help overweight children lose and maintain their weight. At the same time, by engaging in these kinds of group activities, they will enjoy themselves with their peers (Campbell et al., 2001). Indoor physically activities like dancing will also help children lose weight (Campbell et al., 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a recent six-month experiment conducted by Weintraub (2008) and her colleagues among fourth and fifth graders, they divided the 21 participants into two groups. The first group received a health education program after school, while the other was subjected to a soccer program. Midway through the study until the end, a significant decline in BMI was found among participants in the soccer group as compared to those who were in the health education group. In three months, there was also a considerable increase in the everyday average and strenuous physical activities among children in the soccer group. The authors concluded that making overweight and obese children participate in an â€Å"after-school soccer program† is a practical, agreeable, and effective method to control the weight of these children. Excessive weight increases the likelihood of children to acquire fatal diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Being overweight also negatively affects their self-esteem and self-image, leaving them depressed as a result. Encouraging them to eat a balanced diet and do physical activities such as family and school sports can aid overweight children in losing and maintaining a standard weight. This is a great opportunity not only for the children but for the whole family to stay fit and active. References: Boyse, K. (2007, February). Obesity and overweight. University of Michigan Health System. Retrieved April 15, 2008 from http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/yourchild/obesity.htm Campbell K, Waters E, O’Meara S, Summerbell C. (2001). Interventions for preventing obesity in childhood: a systematic review. Obesity Review, 2, 149–157. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2008, March 4). Overweight and obesity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved April 15, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/ Collins, Anne (2007). Causes of obesity. Anne Collins. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.annecollins.com/obesity/causes-of-obesity.htm Daniels S.R., Khoury P.R., Morrison J.A. (1997, June). The utility of body mass index as a measure of body fatness in children and adolescents: differences by race and gender. Pediatrics, 99 (6), 804–807. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from Pediatrics Database. Matheson D.M., Killen J.D., Wang Y., Varady A, Robinson T.N. (2004). Children’s food   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   consumption during television viewing. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79 (6), 1088–1094. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from the AJCN Database. Nemours Foundation (n.d.). Overweight and obesity. KidsHealth. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight_obesity.html Hediger M.L., Overpeck M.D., Kuczmarski R.J., Ruan W.J. (2001). Association between infant breastfeeding and overweight in young children. The Journal of American Medical Association, 285 (19), 2453–2460. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from JAMA Database. Stopka, C. B. (2005) Chapter 18: Students with temporary disabilities and other special conditions. In J. Winnick (Ed.),   Instructors Manual, Adapted Physical Education and Sport, 4th Edition (pp. 323-340). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Strauss R.S. Pollack H.A. (2003). Social marginalization of overweight children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 157, 746–752. Retrieved April 15, 2008 from Archpredriatics Database. Weintraub, D.L., Tirumalai, E.C., Haydel, F., Fujimoto, M., Fulton, J.E., Robinson, T.S. (2008). Team sports for overweight children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 162 (3), 232-237. Retrieved April 15, 2008 from Archpredriatics Database.

Ethical and Moral Issues in Surveillance Technology

Ethical and Moral Issues in Surveillance Technology Surveillance technology:  The ethical and moral dilemma Introduction The global increase in terrorist atrocities, such as 9/11 in the United States and 7/7 in the United Kingdom, have undoubtedly led to the increase necessity for surveillance technology in order to protect society and it’s citizens. The question is how far have these developments reduced the â€Å"claim of individuals, groups or institutions to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent information about them is communicated to others.† DeCrew (1997) Over the past three decades, digital surveillance technology, and its usage, has increased dramatically across a whole range of areas that impact upon our lives, as both individuals and groups. Advances in digital technology and science means that governments and commercial organisations have the ability to maintain a more widespread visual, physical and data based record of every aspect of a citizen’s life. From CCTV to speed cameras, passports to credit cards and DNA, the tracking of an individual’s movements, financial activity, health, and other relevant aspects, have the potential to be compiled centrally into a complete, and regularly updateable profile. One of the latest such digital advances, is the Electronic Vehicle Identification system (EVI), with which the international movement of vehicles, and by default, their owners, can be tracked. The potential of intrusive surveillance, particularly in terms of digital technology advances, has received little serious attention from the public, despite the fact much of it is not inspected, unregistered, and misunderstood, (Lyons 2002) although possibly deliberately used. The reason for the public’s apparent apathy could result from the subtle way in which technology has been developed and implemented. These developments raise some serious ethical and moral issues. Visual and physical surveillance â€Å"Great Britain is acknowledged to be the most watched nation in the world. It has been estimated that there is one CCTV camera for every fourteen citizens of this country, and you can be caught on camera up to 300 times merely by walking around the streets of your nearest city.† (Kirstie Ball 2006). In its infancy, digital surveillance technology was primarily visual based and utilised for security and protection purposes. A classic example of this is the CCTV use in car parks and towns, and X-ray machines at airports, both used to detect the potential for, and prevention of crime against persons or property. This type of surveillance was overt, in that there were publicly displayed signs clearly indicating the use of such equipment, and no attempt was made to hide the equipment itself. However CCTV, now using the latest digital, satellite, and web-cam technologies, has become far more sophisticated, with the equipment itself a fraction of the size it was. It is used extensively in town and urban locations, both in static and mobile forms. As many celebrities have found to their dismay, range for identification purposes is no longer a problem. Similar developments have occurred in travel. Now it is possible to dispense with traditional (hard) surveillance techniques of x-ray and search, in favour of (soft) automatic sensing devices. Some modes of transport have installed video transmitting devices. (G.T. Marx 2005). Potential travellers do not have to allow this infringement of their rights, but if they do not they will be unable to use the travel facilities. With the EVI system, the EU is endeavouring to develop an international standard, utilised by manufacturers, member state governments, and public bodies, of vehicle identification. The recommendation is to include this device within the vehicle chassis. Ostensibly, the promoters of this system state that its specific purpose is for vehicle identification, location, and security (Intelligent Transport Systems. 2006). However, it is acknowledged that, through other agencies, there is an ability to link this information to the personal details of the car owner. In this respect the EU, recommend the introduction of more enhanced data protection and privacy legislation. Technology is now available that can search without the necessity of consent, detecting persons by such characteristics as scent, breath and odour. For example, a machine can remotely inhale a person’s breath to detect alcohol content, without the consent, or any proactive action, of the individual. Thermal imaging and night-vision technology allows surveillance that was not previously possible, penetrating buildings and darkness. Current research is also looking at the development of technology and equipment able to detect a person’s medical condition, simply by odour analysis. Data Profiling Advances in digital technology have also led to a vast expansion in the way that personal financial, ethnic; lifestyle and other related recorded data is collected and thus performs a surveillance task. Credit cards now contain substantially more information than previously possible, with ‘chip and pin’ cards now able to store a whole raft of personal data. The new UK personal identity card will store a complete personal dossier on the individual, which can include ethnic, age, and medical history. Theoretically, and in some cases in practice, databases held by local authorities, governments, commercial organisations, and other bodies can be linked to other user systems. Ethics and Morals The ethical and moral dilemmas surrounding digital surveillance technology seem to increase in tandem with the advances made in this field. Within these dilemmas there also needs to be a link between practical and philosophical ethical values. Paul La Forge (1999) in his presentation to the OEC suggested that, â€Å"practical ethics can be conceived of as †¦ an ethical vision, nourished and integrated around a philosophical viewpoint.† It follows that governments and businesses should consider this when making decisions regarding digital surveillance. There are three main areas where ethical and moral dilemmas may arise because of the use of this technology. Collection of data Information can be collected from individuals in a number of ways. Firstly, it can be required by law, be that government at all levels or the judicial system. In this instance, there is a demand placed upon the individual to part with the data therefore, providing the collection agency has encompassed sufficient protection, there is no choice. The dilemma facing the collection agency is to ascertain the ethical necessity of the information gathered and avoid breaches of human rights. There are also faced with the moral duty to ensure that any location the information is transmitted to will not use it for purposes that are unethical, immoral or impinge upon the individual human and civil rights. Secondly, information may be collected by request. The dilemma with this method is that, from the providers’ point of view, often it is accompanied by a negative consequence, as we saw with the transport examples given earlier. There is a penalty, or loss, if you decide not to divulge the required information. For example, a person may not be able to purchase a property if they do not divulge financial and other historical information about themselves. The other problem with denying a request for information is the perception that it may leave with the requesting source. Even the denial itself may be noted. Conversely, such information gathering can be accompanied by a positive consequence. If you provide the information, there will be a gain. This could be something like a gift, or a discount on a product or service. As Lyons (2002) observed, this method has the potential for suspicion by denial, or seduction for acceding to the request. In the third instance, data is collected visually with such items as CCTV, speed cameras, satellite, and data provided via credit and store card applications. In addition, information can be collected covertly via such methods as computer and electronic mail monitoring, inadvertently through applications for competitions, insurance, and other products, or through the simple act of completing a survey. Simple innocent actions in releasing information in these ways can lead to personal data being available in the public domain for any purpose. The question the collection sources need to ask themselves in this case is whether collection in such a manner is ethically or morally defensible. EVI is an example of this type of collection; choice here is likely to become restricted once this system is in place. If you own or purchase a car, there is no choice but to accept the knowledge that the vehicles’ location, and by default possibly the owners, can be traced internationally. The only element of privacy choice is being denied the right to own a car. Protection of data The paramount issue is privacy. Under law, every person has a right to privacy. The difficulty lies in deciding where that right begins and ends. For example, there is an ethical vision that a person’s home is their â€Å"castle,† a place where they can expect privacy, unless they invite its invasion. However, in the case of Kyllo v United States (2001), where thermal imaging was used, it was adjudged that there was no expectation of privacy as no effort had been taken to contain block heat emissions. This absolved the investigators from any moral breach by their actions. Privacy in respect of a person’s activity external to the house is a more difficult judgement to make. Many radio shows now offer their thousands of listeners the ability to view web-cams of town centres and other public areas. Does this create an invasion of privacy for the person who might be walking through the streets of the town at that point? Data protection is another human right that is protected by law. The EU have already recognised that, in the development of the EVI system, they are creating the potential for access to personal information about the owner by the use of this technology. However, bearing in mind that this information will be available to the vehicle manufacturers, system designer, and potentially other organisations such as insurance companies and vehicle testing and maintenance location, there is considerable opportunity for such data to be transmitted to any number of sources. Therefore, although the government sources may have strict safeguards, this does not necessarily attach to other sources. Motoring organisations have already expressed doubts about this system, claiming it may breach human rights. Use of data Lyons (2002) observed that the possession of information does provide for a divisive environment. It can be used to denote social standing, ethnicity, financial or physical ability, as well as political persuasion. The dilemma is the factors upon which such divisions are made. For example, social standing may be dictated by the area of residence. Political leanings may be incorrectly analysed. The information itself can be incorrectly organised, creating difficulty for the individual. Conclusion Whilst public security and protection is an admirable goal, questions remain regarding the ethics and morals surrounding digital surveillance technology. Opinions differ on this. Governments claim it is essential in the fight against terrorism, are not over intrusive, and a small price to pay for security. David Reisman’s (2001) book presents an opposing viewpoint, suggesting that surveillance technology doesn’t succeed in its prime target of averting disasters, causes injustice, and squanders resources, whilst at the same time providing the potential for social and personal division and invasion of privacy. Our research shows that a number of ethical and moral issues need still to be addressed and that government, commercial organisations, and other bodies, whilst performing the duties for which they were elected, have a duty to ensure that the performance of those duties do not contravene the ethical and moral rights of the individual. References Ball, Kirstie (2006). Who’s watching you work? Surveillance in business. BBC, The Money Progamme. Retrieved 12 August 2006 http://www.open2.net/money/briefs_20060526watching.html DeCew, J. (1997). In Pursuit of Privacy, Law, Ethics, and the Rise of Technology. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Intelligent Transport Systems. (2006) Electronic Vehicle Identification. European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy and Transport La Forge, Paul (1999) Practical Ethics through Philosophy: Meditation, Readings, Casework. Presented at the OEC International Conference on Ethic in Engineer and Computer Science. March 1999. Lyons, D (2002). Surveillance and Social Sorting. Routledge. New York Marx, G.T. (2005) Soft Surveillance: The Growth of Mandatory Volunteerism in Collecting Data – â€Å"Hey Buddy Can You Spare a DNA? Dissent, winter 2005 Mohammed E. (1999). An Examination of Surveillance Technology and Their Implications for Privace and Related Issues – The Philosophical Legal Perspective. The Journal of Information, Law and Technology (JILT) 1999 (2). Retrieved 13 August 2006 from http://elj.warwick.ac.uk/jilt/99-2/mohammed.html Reporter of Decisions. (2001) Syllabus of Kyllo v United States (99-8508) 533 U.S. 27 (2001) 190 F .3d 1041. Supreme Count of the United States. Riesman, D. et al (2001). The Lonely Crowd. Yale University Press. New Haven Olliffe, R (2002). Briefing on Automatic Number Plate Recognition and Electronic Vehicle Identification Systems. British Motorcyclists Federation. Retrieved 15 August 2006 http://www.bmf.co.uk/home-page/index-0401.html

Discrimination in Harrison Bergeron, after you my dear Alphonse, and Th

Discrimination in the Short Stories, Harrison Bergeron, after you my dear Alphonse, and The Lottery The trait of discrimination is the basis for the stories, Harrison Bergeron, after you my dear Alphonse, and Lottery. Discrimination is when someone is hated or acted upon negatively for the reason of race, sex, or nationality. In the short stories the author's feelings of discrimination are expressed through the characters differently. In these stories the author has his own feelings and thought depicted through the characters. By the popular theme of discrimination and racism it suggests that these stories were written in the late sixties early seventies. In the story Harrison Bergeron the whole country is handicapped except for one individual. The one person is Hazel who is thoug...

Lord Of The Flies Story :: essays research papers

The war was over, but not without casualties. Numerous ships, planes and factories had been bombed with regular bombs, and London was totally destroyed - by a single atomic bomb. Only derelicts lived there now, not knowing of the harmful radiation that surrounded what once was the great capital.Slowly though, things were getting back to normal, shops began opening, and the war started to shift to the back of people's minds. Life was becoming more normal, but the memory of the war was still there, and always would be. Unfortunately, my memories of our time on the island would never shift to the back of my mind - I would never forget what the war meant to me. I might not have been killed, though I wish I had been, I might not have lost my home or seen London go up a huge mushroom cloud of bright red light, but I had lived with people that hardly deserve that title, people that became animals, people that were worse than animals - murderers. And I myself, was one of them.I was slowly getting better, but I never got through a night without hearing the chant and Simon's furtive screams as we jabbed, attacked and mauled him, without seeing Piggy's fat body flying into the air and then crashing down on the rocks. I had never recovered from those experiences and at no time had a job. I live in a small, damp apartment above a coin laundry. The greatest pleasure I had in life was feeding the pigeons in the park. I would get what stale bread I could from the bakery to feed the birds. They would rush at me when they saw me and fight for the small scraps of bread before it had even hit the ground. They were animals, but not like Jack and the others, they were kind animals, they never hurt anyone - they went about their lives regardless of us. Many times I wished that I too could be a pigeon. I wanted to lead the simple life that they did, I wanted to forget what had happened, I wanted to escape the plaguing memories.It was Tuesday morning and I was feeding pigeons in the park. They were fighting for the pathetic scraps of stale bread I threw on the ground as usual, looking at me begging me with their eyes for more.

Immunization: Health Care Delivery

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO). Nowadays, this is one of the global issues that experts are trying to solve on how they can help each individual to attain this stage, which in the end they across of finding ways on how an individual will be able to achieve this goal. That is through immunization. Immunizations are used to protect the human body against preventable diseases. Immunizations are usually given in the form of a shot or vaccine.When one gets immunized, the body develops the ability to fight off a given disease. Immunizations safeguard the body from illnesses and death caused by certain infectious diseases. Some immunizations are given to prevent a single disease, while others will take care of two or three diseases. Immunizations help control infectious diseases that were once common. They have reduced, and in many cases, eliminated, diseases that routinely killed or harmed infant s, children, and adults.However, the viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable disease and death still exist and can be passed on to people who are not immunized. Children need immunizations to protect them from dangerous childhood diseases. How can this be possible for everybody? That was answered by World Health Organization, when they initiated the Expanded Program on Immunization in May 1974 with the objective to vaccinate children throughout the world.Ten years later, in 1984, the WHO established a standardized vaccination schedule for the original EPI vaccines: Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DPT), oral polio, and measles. Increased knowledge of the immunologic factors of disease led to new vaccines being developed and added to the EPI’s list of recommended vaccines: Hepatitis B (HepB), yellow fever in countries endemic for the disease, and Haemophilus influenzae meningitis (Hib) conjugate vaccine in countries with high burden of disease.In 1999, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) was created with the sole purpose of improving child health in the poorest countries by extending the reach of the EPI. The GAVI brought together a grand coalition, including the UN agencies and institutions (WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank), public health institutes, donor and implementing countries, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation, the vaccine industry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and many more.The creation of the GAVI has helped to renew interest and maintain the importance of immunizations in battling the world’s large burden of infectious diseases. The current goals of the EPI are: to ensure full immunization of children under one year of age in every district, to globally eradicate poliomyelitis, to reduce maternal and neonatal tetanus to an incidence rate of less than one case per 1,000 births by 2005, to cut in half the number of measles-related deaths that occurred in 1999, and to extend all new vaccine and preventive health interventions to children in all districts in the world.In addition, the GAVI has set up specific milestones to achieve the EPI goals: that by 2010 all countries have routine immunization coverage of 90% of their child population, that HepB be introduced in 80% of all countries by 2007 and that 50% of the poorest countries have Hib vaccine by 2005. In each of the United Nations’ member states, the individual national governments create and implement their own policies for vaccination programs following the guidelines set by the EPI.Setting up an immunization program is multifaceted and contains many complex components including a reliable cold chain system, transport for the delivery of the vaccines, maintenance of vaccine stocks, training and monitoring of health workers, outreach educational programs to inform the public, and a means of documenting and recording which child receives which vaccines.At the local level, implementation of the health care delivery system has been given greater responsibility to the local government Unit (LGU) by virtue of the Local Government Code of 1991, the Magna Carta for health workers for Republic Act 7305 in 1992, and the barangay health workers benefits in Incentives Act of 1995. The latter act provides for training volunteer workers as well as minimal incentives to convince them to help run barangay health station or centers. This volunteer will assist in clerical tasks and minor health procedures, such as weighing and measuring patients and malnutrition mitigating activities.However, this workers do it in this context that the study was conceptualize the results of the study may provide an assessment of the status of the health care delivery system and immunization status of children whose ages are 0 to 12 months old in Barangay San Juan- San Ramon of Municipality of Camaligan, Camarines Sur. The research finding can be a basis and inputs to the Local Government Units of Camaligan and Barangay San Juan- San Ramon in planning and implementation of barangay health care delivery system.Furthermore, allocation of Local Government Units (LGUs) budget or expenditure priority can also be guided towards a more responsive allocation level of health services. Results of the study may also contribute towards awareness building and educating the barangay residence about preventive health care. In terms of capacity building, the Local Government Unit (LGU) and the National Government will be given one basis for their technical support and training program for the health care workers to better improved the capacity to perform their jobs.After all, an empowered and well trained social health care work force will improved the delivery of community health care and reduce the number of children from preventable illnesses such as measles, malaria, diarrhea, malnutrition, and acute respiratory infection. Providing care for the children is really important. They will live to grow into adulthood and eventually become the future adult citizens. To ensure a productive future for these children, they must be protected from heavy childhood diseases which can be prevented through immunization.Presidential Decree No. 996 stated about â€Å"providing for compulsory basic immunization for infants and children below 8 years of age†. Immunization is one of the most important preventive management that should be done and given to infants in the first few months of his life. Estimates reveal that diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, and measles are responsible for the deaths of about 5 million children every year in developing countries.These diseases are preventable through immunization with a handful of vaccines that can be given within the first year of a child’s life. Immunization has been recognized and accepted as one of the most important components in the prevention and control of c ommunicable diseases. Immunization is a basic health service; therefore it is integrated into the healthcare delivery service of the ministry of health. With the assistance of UN children’s fund and WHO, the ministry of ealth launches the expanded program on immunization objective of reducing the morbidity and mortality rates of the EPI mentioned by increasing the proportion of fully immunized children in their first year of life. The researchers are fully aware and knowledgeable about the immunization that will provide maximal immunity to Expanded Program on Immunization diseases before a child’s first birthday. The respondents are well exposed to immunization activities for they have volunteered and participated in the community’s activity program. Thus, they can well undertake the study.

Sometimes People Are Unable to Control the Directions Their Lives Take.

Sometimes people are unable to control the direction their lives take. This can be a hard concept to grasp, but one needs to understand that one cannot control every single detail or event in one’s life, and also cannot possibly predict what will happen in the future. Obstacles of every kind will strike, whether these trials come in the form of day to day hardships, catastrophic natural disasters, or even the fate of the gods. The only thing one can really do is adapt to the new situation and try to move forward. Making decisions can be extremely difficult but one of the worst feelings a person can have is having a decision made for you. Although one may consider these changes in direction to be trivial, in truth they may actually have the power to alter the path of one’s life. Like many Grade Twelve's, I put my fate into the hands of the Admissions Office of each prospective University. I had done everything I could in the beginning of the year to get respectable grades and be accepted into all the schools I wanted, just so I had every possible option available to me. It started off well, with my early acceptance to Queens University and University of Alberta but then came McGill University. It had been one of my top choices, and I was tremendously disappointed. Although I have now accepted that I have no chance of attending McGill this upcoming Fall, it was still painful to think that an entire future, a whole different person that I could have become, died away with that one rejection letter. In time, I realized there was nothing left to do but to go check out the other universities. Fortunately, I fell in love with the Queens University campus just two weeks ago after visiting it for the first time. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, â€Å"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. Though I may not be able to control the unexpected twists in my life, at least I know that I will always be able to face any upcoming challenges with a strength and determination that I will always be able to control. Additionally, people always find themselves unable to control the direction their lives take when natural disasters strike. This unfortunate destruction can come in the form of a tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina or most recently, the earthquake in Haiti. Considered one of the worst natural disasters in recent history, the quake caused immense damage to structures f all kinds, and wreaked havoc upon millions of lives. These poor people had no real way of knowing a disaster that immense would strike, and ultimately were powerless to stop its terrifying force. Unfortunately, the citizens of Haiti had to experience a complete change to their lifestyle, and were forced to deal with a massive obstacle that the rest of the world could barely comprehend. All that these victims could do was accept that they had no control over what happened, and then attempt to pick up the pieces of their lives amidst the chaos that surrounded them. Truly, human beings are left powerless to control the detrimental effects that Mother Nature has on their lives when a natural disaster hits. Furthermore, no matter how many obstacles or how impossible they may seem, even if against the will of the gods, one must still try to move forward. In Homer’s timeless epic, The Odyssey, the protagonist Odysseus is faced with countless trials and tribulations that he must endure before he may finally return home. After the great battle of Troy, Odysseus attempts to return to his love, Penelope and son, Telemachus. Unfortunately his homecoming is delayed an endless 10 years because of the reckless actions and behaviours of himself and his crew which have angered the Greek gods. Consequently, the gods provide them with a series of dangerous obstacles presenting tragedy, death, and destruction to the mortals. He has no choice but to meet every challenge without question if he is to ever see his home again. In the end, it is not his triumphs at Troy but his persistence and ability to never give up on his voyage home that makes Odysseus so infamous. Many times people find themselves unable to control the direction their lives take. While this can be unbelievably frustrating, one needs to keep in perspective that one cannot control every single detail of his or her life, and moreover one cannot predict what may or may not happen in the future. When something that is out of one’s control alters one’s set course, all that person can do is work through the hardship and attempt to find some solid ground once more. It is inevitable that life will take some nasty turns over the years, but one must accept that once the unexpected hits, the only thing that one can do is adapt to the situation and carry on.

Development of Gothic Architecture in Relationship to Medieval Society

The Middle Ages covered a thousand year span. The period began after the schism of the fifth century in which the Roman empire was split into east and west. It continued until the start of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. The medieval period was notable for the origins and development of Gothic architecture. Because there was so much upheaval during the Middle Ages, the one constant was the Church. At that time the only denomination was Catholic.The Church was usually the largest structure in the medieval environment and was a main gathering place in which a variety of functions (which today would be provided by civic  buildings), occurred. (The Middle Ages, 1). Since the holy Catholic Church had already been a powerful institution at the conclusion of the Roman Empire, it continued to be the unifying force among the many small kingdoms that would develop into Europe. Replete with its own laws and large coffers, it wielded much influence during this time ( Enter the Middle Ages, 1).In addition, it had kept much from the ruins of the ancient world and became one of the centers of learning during during the Middle Ages. Not only did the Church preserve much of classical Latin knowledge, but it also maintained the art of writing.The cathedrals developed learning specialties such as rhetoric or logic in schools named cathedral schools. (Middle Ages, Learners. Org, 1). Whether one’s station was that of lowly peasant or of noble lord, the Church touched everyone’s life. Rank or class did not matter. Within towns , with the exception of a small amount of Jews, everyone in Europe was Christian. However, beyond the core areas of western Europe, there remained many people with little or no contact with either Christianity or classical culture.Outside the deurbanized remnants of cities the power of the central government was greatly  lessened and governmental authority was delegated to local lords who supported themselves directly fro m the territories over which they held power. This was the beginning of the feudal system ( Enter the Middle Ages, 1). For safety and defense people in the Middle Ages formed small communities around a central lord or master, living on a manor , which consisted of the castle, the church, the village, and outlying farmland. In exchange for living on his land, the lord gave protection to his serfs. Manors were isolated with occasional visits from peddlers, pilgrims on their way to the Crusades, or soldiers from other fiefdoms.  (Sobol, 22).Bishops, who were frequently wealthy, and came from noble families, ruled over a group of parishes called a diocese. Parish priests, however, came from humbler backgrounds and often had little education. The village priest tended the poor and sick, and if he was capable, taught Latin and the Bible to the youth of the village. (Enter the Middle Ages, 2). Medieval cathedrals sometimes functioned as marketplaces with the different portals of the mark etplaces containing sellers with their produce: items such as textiles might be at one end, while fuel, vegetables, and meat at another. Sometimes the clergy tried to put a  stop to the marketers. They tried to block access to the cathedral. But it was in vain.The sellers were not taxed on the items they sold inside the church; while the items they sold outside were. (Chartres, 1). The Church was all in all during medieval times. From the moment of its baptism a few days after birth, a child began its life of service to the Lord and to His Church. As the child developed , it would be taught basic prayers- and unless ill- would go to church every week. Every person was required to pay heavy taxes to support the Church.The reward for this was being shown the way to everlasting life and  happiness- a great trade off for lives that were often short and difficult. In addition to collecting taxes, the Church also granted special favors for people who wanted assurance of a place in hea ven. Gifts in the form of land, crops, flocks, and even serfs scrambled into the coffers. All this largess allowed the Church to become very powerful. As a result, it often employed this power to influence kinds and do as they wanted. (Enter the Middle Ages, 2). The power continued with the Pope who was considered to be God’s representative on earth. If someone went against the Church, the Pope could excommunicate them.This meant that the person could not attend any more church services or receive the sacrament, thus ensuring that they would go straight to hell when they died. At a time when everyone believed in heaven and hell, and all belonged to the Church, this excommunication was an unbearable horror. (Ibid, 2). The population increased throughout the Middle Ages. As it expanded in the 12th century, the type of church that had previously been used for worship; the ones built in the Roman or Romanesque style, with round arched roofs, became too small. Some of the grand ca thedrals became maxed to their structural limits.Although they built more mightily, going ever higher and larger, it appeared to be too much and these grander edifices collapsed within a century or less of their construction ( Enter the Middle Ages, 3). Enter a man who was about to change the style of these Middle Age churches and with it, bring forth a whole new field of architecture- gothic. Abbe Suger had been affiliated with the Church of Saint Denis in Paris for a good part of his life. The building needed repairs, so he took on the reconstruction, bringing in the finest of workers from the Low countries and from Italy.For his inspiration, Abbe Suger  looked to Canterbury Cathedral. Pilgrimages had been an important part of religious life in the Middle Ages as people journeyed to visit religious shrines. Suger particularly admired Canterbury Cathedral for its stained glass windows. Desirous of creating a physical representation of the the Heavenly Jerusalem, Suger aimed for a place of light that would speak of the positive aspects of the religious life: Redemption as opposed to the hellfire and damnation that was constantly being sermonized in the dark and dank Romanesque churches.Suger conceived of the idea â€Å"lux continua† – this theory would transform his church into one of  radiance and splendor, magnifying the spirit. He and his team gave themselves to the reconstruction of the church. After a four year renovation, the choir was completed in 1144. In a magnificent ceremony, complete with King Louis VI and Eleanor, and other notables, the church was dedicated to the Lord. With its thin columns, stained glass windows, and a sense of verticality, the choir of Saint Denis originated the elements that would be developed further during the Gothic period. Now architects were able to expand Saint Denis upward to more than twice the height of the earlier cathedral and free the walls to be filled with stained  glass.The great expanse of glass helped Abbe Suger with his goal of â€Å"lux continua†. These brightly colored stained glass windows were decorated with parables and stories of the Bible that would help inform the illiterate in their faith. Trade guilds funded other windows and the decorations contained within demonstrated what life was like during this medieval time. Saint Denis was designed along the lines of sacred geometry: the use of number angles, shapes that mirror the principle of the faithful believer, and flying buttresses that would support those higher ceilings and slender columns; the verticality suggesting aspirations to heaven  Additionally, Saint Denis contained a golden cross and a golden altar where kings and nobles donated their precious jewels (Gothic Art and Abbe Suger, 1)The influence this church had over French architecture was profound because it was also a political symbol. Suger virtually ran the kingdom while Louis VI was away on the Crusade. Yet for Suger, the Church was neither political symbol nor an architectural one, but solely a religious symbol. His main goal in its design was to honor God and Saint Denis. Suger had become fascinated by the religious implications of the light. He had inscribed on the main doors, which  are representative of the passion and resurrection of Christ: The noble work is bright, but being nobly bright; That work should brighten the minds, allowingThem to travel through the light. To the truth where Christianity is the true door (Simson,111). The Gothic style had emerged. It would give rise to the development of many other buildings and cathedrals who copied its characteristics, the most visible of which was its verticality. A skeletal stone structure, pointed arches using the ovoid shape, ribbed vaults, clustered columns, sharply pointed spires, flying  buttresses and sculptural gargoyles became part of the Gothic look. (The History of Art, 255).One of the most superlative examples of Gothic architecture can be f ound in Chartres Cathedral. Chartres, fifty miles from Paris, is considered to be extremely outstanding in its use of the Gothic elements. It was rebuilt in the Gothic style after a fire had decimated the building. Called a miracle of stained glass and stone, it was created in the form of a cruciform and dedicated in 1260. Chartres contains one of the most complete collections of medieval stained glass in the world. The Rose Window contains a sun and a rose.Jesus Christ, the Son, represents the sun, while Mary is the rose without thorns. Also there are depictions of kings and lords in additional stained glass, but their lower elevation connotes submission to the Lord. Along with many stained glass windows containing biblical stories which are typological allegories between the Old Testament prophecies and the New Testament, there is much statuary. Rows of arches and niches within the arches contain the statues. (Chartres,Online 1). Within the confines of the Cathedral is a sacred re lic that was given by King Charlemagne. It is called the â€Å"Sancta Camisia,† and is said  to be clothing worn by Mary.Charlemagne received it on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This clothing, also called the cloak of the Virgin, was the source of much pilgrimage during the medieval times. The Cathedral was the life of the town and these pilgrimages brought in much revenue that the town depended upon. These pilgrimages occurred four times a year. Chartres, Wikipedia, 1). Although Raphael despised the Gothic style and named it derisively after the savage Goths who had ransacked Rome, the style survived and is an everlasting style of beauty and majesty. It is a wonderful contribution from the Middle Ages.