Monday, September 30, 2019

Annotated Bibliography Essay

Juleen K. Buser, Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development 37.2 (April 2009): 94-104 This article is a great article that relates to African Americans seeking mental health treatment at lower rates than whites. The article states that this disparity can be attributed to attitudes toward services, alternate coping, and differences in care. This article also illuminates biases in counseling. Snowden, Lonnie R, Barriers to Effective Mental Health Services for African Americans, Vol. 3, Issue 4, 181-187 (Dec. 2001). Social Services and Welfare, Psychology This article states that many African Americans do not seek proper mental health care. It states that the ones that do generally drop out. The article attempts to define the causes and the effects that would help alleviate this problem. McField, Edward, Culture, acculturation, and social capital: Latinos and use of mental health services. Loma Linda University, 2010. 3405317 This article states that Latinos suffer from the sam e mental disorders as others, but when they do, they receive less than standard care. The article gives the results of studies that state that state that there is an association between acculturation, models of illness, stigma, need, and mental health service use. Organista, Kurt C. New Model for Latinos in Need of Social Work Services, Social Work, 54.4, (Oct 2009). 297-305 This article is wonderful in that it gives some of the best pragmatic models and concepts in the cultural competence literature. This article states ways in which to enhance cultural sensitivity, as well as increasing awareness of the Latino experience and understanding of problem patterns in their historical, social, and cultural contexts. Borup, J. (1999, May/June). Foundations of social work practice with lesbian and gay. Families in Society, 80.3, 308-309. Describes a foundation for helping gay and lesbians for the human services worker. When helping or working with a person who is gay or lesbian it is important to have knowledge of professional literature,  experiences from professional peers, history, and the actual case information. It is also important to remember the family history, for this characterizes and confronts any myths associated with this particular lifestyle. The lack of social support and homophobia can create consequences to those who are not accepting of this community. The author is educating students about the knowledge and facts on working with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and the most important is the code of ethics for social workers. Cavet, J. (2000, Oct). Children and young people with a hidden disability: and examination of the social work role. British Journal of Social Work, 30.5, 619. The recent study described that children and young people with hidden and impairment received a social work service which was at a minimal level. It is recognized that the level of social services intervention available to these families may be a reflection of a low priority assigned to disabled children. A change in priorities is needed which recognizes the importance of knowledgeable support to disabled children as a means of improving their environment and reducing families stress levels and the likelihood of abuse or rejection. Copeland, C.A. (2011, January/February). School librarians of the 21st century using resources and assistive technologies to support students’ differences and abilities. Knowledge Quest, 39.3, 64-69. This article describes the many ways librarians can help differently abled children realize they are special. And by librarians having all the resources (informational and technical) they can further help these differently abled children understand how truly especially able they are. It opens their eyes to their own gifts and abilities and this helps the librarians these abilities to develop the information literacy skills and multi-literacies necessary for lifelong learning. The National Center for Education Statistics shows that approximately one in seven students have one or more characteristics society defines as a disability. Technologies can be selected and so they can best meet the needs of the students who are differently abled. Donahue, P. (2005, July-September). Current perspective and future directions  for social work practice and research. Families in Society, 86.3, 359-366. This article describes the aging gay and lesbian community. Past research of this community focused more on the gay White man, well-educated, active in the gay community and high socioeconomic backgrounds. This study examines current roles of social work regarding research with older gay men and lesbians and presents recommendations for both practice and research in the years ahead. Not only is this community of sexism, they are also victims of ageism. Future work must strive to be more representative of older lesbians, geographic diversity, and classes because these variables play an important role in shaping the gay aging experience. Bell-Tolliver, L., Burgess, R., & Brock, L. J. (2009). African American therapists working with African American families: An exploration of the strengths perspective in treatment. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 35(3), 293-307. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220979644?accountid=35812 When working with African Americans and Native Americans human service workers must consider important factors. When doing a study researches found 5 strengths that African Americans showed. They have strong kinship bonds, strong work orientation, adaptability of family roles, strong achievement orientation, and strong religious orientation. African American family† is defined as †¦ an intimate association of persons of African descent who are related to one another by a variety of means, including blood, marriage, formal adoption, informal adoption, or by appropriation; sustained by a history of common residence in America; and deeply embedded in a network of social structures both internal to and external to itself (Bell, 2009). Waites, C. (2009). Building on strengths: Intergenerational practice with African American families. Social Work, 54(3), 278-87. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215269004?accountid=35812 These families are diverse groups of people with their own ideas, opinions, and values. African American families have strengths, and that the use of those strengths within the therapeutic setting can lead to successful outcomes. We also believe that understanding the strengths of African American families can help mental health professionals develop successful treatment outcomes for families. It is critical that professionals gain an understanding of how these strengths impact the functioning of the African American family to empower families who are struggling. When helping this group we should focus  on their strengths and not their weaknesses (Waites, 2009). Michael, T. G., & Eugene, F. P. (2000). Red as an apple: Native American acculturation and counseling with or without reservation. Journal of Counseling and Development: JCD, 78(1), 3-13. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/219014436?accountid=35812 The United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (1988) legally defines Native American as a person who is an enrolled or registered member of a tribe or whose blood quantum is one fourth or more genealogically derived from Native American ancestry. When working with Native Americans one must remember that they are very religious and hold traditional values and beliefs. They practice only traditional tribal customs and methods of worship. However some Native Americans may be more willing in the practices of other cultures. That is why the counselor must not make assumptions without gathering further information (F.P, 2000). Kathleen, A. E. (2000). Counseling with Native American Indians and Alaska Natives. Families in Society, 81(5), 543-543. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230163172?accountid=35812 Culturally based treatments may be needed. This group can be offended very easily and the counselor must be careful not to overbear (A.E, 2000). Latino-Kuglin, M. (2009). Latino outreach. Children & Libraries, 7(3), 42-46. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/212161869?accountid=35812 â€Å"It’s a way to celebrate Latino heritage, literacy, and families coming together at the library,† said Watts. She said Dà ­a celebrations at HCL have two goals. The first is to â€Å"celebrate the heritage of the community that we see already. We’ve got libraries that have large Spanish- speaking populations that actively use the library, so this is a way to celebrate and acknowledge the community that is already there. â€Å"‘No-show’: Therapist Racial/ethnic Disparities in Client Unilateral http://psycnet.apa.org. N.p. In the present study, the authors examined the source of racial/ethnic minority disparities in unilateral termination form of dropout that is associated with poor alliance and outcome. First, the authors must be tested whether some therapists were more likely to have clients who reported unilaterally terminating as compared with other therapists. Next, the authors examined 2 competing hypotheses regarding the therapists role in  termination disparities: (a) that racial/ethnic disparities in unilateral termination are similar across therapists and thus due to other components of the treatment process or (b) that racial/ethnic disparities in unilateral termination are specific to therapists, where some therapists are more likely, on average, to have higher rates of unilateral termination with REM clients as compared with white clients.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Minny from the Help Essay

In the book â€Å"The Help† by Katheryn Stockett the author portrays Minny is one of the primary women representing â€Å"The Help†, the black women that make their employers life so nice and comfy. In Jackson the help or the maid as they are also called are expected to be obedient and respectful. Minny is the opposite of that. Minny is a bossy, hot headed maid who is unable to keep a job because of her mouth. She always states her mind and does not hesitate to sass-mouth anyone that crosses her. Her home life is difficult because of the fact that she has five children and a husband. Her marriage with Leroy is complicated since he often gets drunk and beats on her, and it is hard for Minny to look past this awful characteristic of Leroy because she is in love with him. Because Minny is courageous, fearless and loyal nothing can knock her down. Minny is a loyal person that worked for Miss Hilly’s mother, Miss Walter, throughout the beginning of the novel. They wanted Minny for a maid because she was â€Å"bout the best cook in Hinds County maybe, even all a Mississippi. But when Miss Hilly sends Miss Walters, her mother, to the old folks home and tells Minny that she needs to work for her. Minny does not accept so Miss Hilly goes out and tells her friends how Minny is a thief so she would have no choice but to work for her. Minny gets so outraged that she gives Miss Hilly that horrible pie. As fearless as Minny is she does not hesitate on taking action when someone crosses her. In the book â€Å"The Help† Miss Hilly crosses Minny by making everyone believe that Minny stole from her. Minny decides that she has had enough of Miss Hilly and that she needs to teach her a lesson so she puts it on herself to get payback. Minny as a way to get back at Hilly baked a cake with poop in it and fed it to Miss Hilly. Hilly didn’t even notice until Minny said â€Å"eat my shit†. As tension rises between Hilly and Minny. Minny decides to participate in the book, talking about the daily life of the help, since she has nothing to lose. As an act of courageousness Minny puts herself in danger by cooperating on the book as she puts her daily life on paper. But in Jackson that is a punishable crime because it is considered a rights movement and it is frowned upon. Since the maids are tired of being mistreated by the whites and having unfair laws they are ready for change. They are hoping to open everyone’s eyes so they can see how horrible African-Americans are being treated and Minny doesn’t hesitate on trying to accomplish that. So after she thought about it â€Å"every time we meet, I complain. I moan. I get mad and throw a ot potato fit. But here’s the thing: I like telling my stories. † Minny’s courageousness and actions influence major changes in Jackson, Mississippi. As an act of fearlessness Minny tamed Hilly without knowing it. By Minny being loyal she got respect from almost everyone. She has been through so much which has made her a better person.

Friday, September 27, 2019

ET Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ET - Essay Example In this scenario, the link between BA and strategy is coordinated. Here the BA function is purely reactive and there is no feedback procedure from BA to strategy. Method competencies help a business analyst to keep the tool kit in order. He or she should be able to deliver multiple information in same data and should be able to visualize the information as the user. Answer. A data warehouse provides an organization with data which is consistent, integrated and valid. It ensures the collection of data from its source. Data warehouse retains the desired key features and provides data for creating reports. Answer. A company can collect source data either by collecting primary data or secondary data. The data collected for the first time is called the primary data. A primary data when further used becomes secondary data. A secondary data is collected from already collected data.The data sources for a company can be classified as: 1.Data generating source system- A data generating source system specifies which systems which create data for the first time and which don’t. Some examples of data generating source systems are billing systems, Reminder systems, Debt collection systems, CRM systems, and Product and consumption information. 2. Source system -When a data generated for the first time is saved, it becomes the source system for data warehouse. Data in the warehouse comes from primary sources and is saved on the basis of organizations rules and requirements. Based on the data warehouse information a large number of analysis and business processes are carried. 1. Establishment of information wheel- In order to provide the right information to the right people at the right time, data is condensed into information and knowledge. This is called information wheel. An information wheel summarizes the knowledge and information. 2. Creating Synergies between Information Wheels- The BICC must maintain the information wheels. The BICC

Total quality management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Total quality management - Research Paper Example The various marketing challenges have led to the emergence of the Total Quality Management (TQM), which lays emphasis on the fast and timely supply and delivery of goods. TQM is instrumental in improving the productivity of the organization since the evolvement of the concept. TQM approach helps in improving the quality of services and goods on a continuous basis, which involves participation of individuals at every level and phase of organization. This concept also helps in the integration of activities which constitutes of various managerial systems and is the prime determinants of the sustainable competitive advantage. Being one of the leading beverages of the world, Coca Cola believes in creating long term value and training the employees in such a way that they understand the changing market trends and forces which will shape the company’s future. ... The study will also highlight the operational procedures and the management systems of the company. The study will give an insight into the various TQM practices of Coca Cola regarding the production of goods and services. Finally, the study will conclude with recommendations for the improvement in Coca Cola’s process measurement and management systems. Background of the Company: Coca Cola Ltd Coca Cola is regarded as one of the leading beverage corporations of the world which is headquartered in Georgia. The company specializes in manufacturing carbonated beverages throughout the countries worldwide Except Cuba and North Korea. The carbonated cola beverages was initially formed by John Pemberton in the year 1884 and by the year 1886 the company sold 3 version of carbonated cola drinks to various business individual units. The main objective of the company was to lay emphasis on the needs and requirements of the customers and provide a congenial work atmosphere. Presently, the company offers more than 3500 products in more than 200 countries worldwide (Coca Cola, 2013a).The company tries innovative and unique methods to develop core products which suit the taste bud of the customers and also cater to their needs. Presently, the company manufactures carbonated beverages in varied flavors, juices, energy drinks and juices. Organizational Strategies The marketing strategy of the company includes the manufacturing of carbonated beverages and satisfies the customer needs and requirements. One of the major objectives of the company is to understand the customer needs. Understanding the customer requirements is essential in developing the products as per the customer

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Karyotyping (cellular chemistry) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Karyotyping (cellular chemistry) - Assignment Example DNA strands are systematically wound around several times over to permit storage without sacrificing the efficiency of regulated translation of the coded information into proteins, which are essential molecular components of biological processes (Gilbert 9). Defect in the highly-organized structure chromosomes will thus inhibit either the regulation of gene translation, or the translation process itself. Karyotyping is the examination of chromosomes of a particular sample of cells to detect differences in the chromosomes’ number and structure. Cells may be obtained from amniotic fluid, blood, bone marrow, or placenta. As mentioned earlier, such aberrations manifests physically and functionally. For example, chromosomal aberration may affect fetal development, especially when the site of defect involves genes necessary for molding a child from a unicellular zygote. In such cases, either a couple cannot produce an offspring and continuously suffer miscarriages, or physical abnormalities and functional defects are evident after their baby is born. The abnormalities may manifest as soon as the baby has been delivered, or may take some time to be observed. In addition, chromosomal aberrations can also predispose someone to develop certain diseases, such as cancer (Chambers 2009). When karyotyping was performed on a 28 year old male complaining of infertility, it was determined that he has an extra X chromosome, a condition known as Kleinfelter’s syndrome. This extra copy of X chromosome, specifically the genes that come with it, interferes with the proper function of testes in its production of viable sperm cells and testosterone. Each can exclusively cause the infertility experienced by the patient. Moreover, he might also have had small testes, large breasts, and reduced facial and body hair. The patient is also predisposed to developing breast cancer and systemic

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Online privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Online privacy - Essay Example As the Internet grew and technology becomes more sophisticated, advertisers found that they had fertile ground to hawk their products. If you have a laptop, "hot links" can be found in most fast food restaurants, hospitals or airports. Today, information is accessible from anywhere. Advertisers can also use consumer information to market specifically to their hobbies and interests. Social networking has created more challenge to privacy (36) because anyone who takes part in it has their information availably through search engines. "Personal websites, blogs, social networks and Twitter people are sharing too much information about their lives" (935). It only takes a few mouse clicks and this information can be broadcasted all over the world. No one is safe whether they are a grandmother or grandfather or a small child; if they are on the Internet, someone can find them. Many people think that if they stay away from the social networking sites they are safe. However, the article states that people are being tracked anyway by advertisers who surf the Internet for people who are looking for their products. A frightening fact of this practice was that they do not only find out the search words that were searched, but they can find out the dates that people searched and the time; they can also find the computer that the information came from to more directly target their consumers (935). Many advocates of more controls for the Internet suggest that there should be changes in the laws that govern the Internet but reform efforts are very slow (941). Instead of waiting for reforms, citizens must take charge of their own online privacy. In this readers opinion, it is very important for people to take control of their own privacy online. One of the challenges to better controls over the Internet information is that many people like the fact that they can share everything with the world. This creates a hassle for those

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Using 3D photogrammetry to monitor a simplex tensegrity structure's Assignment

Using 3D photogrammetry to monitor a simplex tensegrity structure's deformation - Assignment Example The example dwells on a mesh reflector. The mesh reflector is extensively used for apertures space aerial systems that are large due to their light weight and are packed easily and compactly. The reflector’s radio frequency exterior comprises of a mesh with reflective faces. It is bound from interlaced thin wires that are electrically conductive. This wires are made from molybdenum that are gold plated having diameters of 0.03mm. The mesh is extended over a net of cable that is made of composite filaments that are stiff and unidirectional, glued to a structure. The reflective exterior comprises of elements that due to their flexibility can be folded with ease. The accuracy mostly lies on the cable net’s shape. There are two major conceptual designs that can be spotted. The first design is based on partition of parabolic exterior in gores that get support from radial cables or radial ribs glued to an external ring. The second design is takes into consideration a separation of surfaces in facets that are flat formed by cable net tensioned using forces that are applied at each junction node. The concept has been borrowed from Miura who developed the concept of tension truss. Many large antennas that use this concept of tension truss have been launched and tested for instance Astromesh reflector and space radio telescope. The same concept has also been studied by a man called Tibert. He used the concept in designing an antenna that was based on tensegrity structure (Tibert 2002). Tension that is fairly uniform and isotropic in a reflective mesh makes sure that there is a good conductivity of electricity and RF reflectivity. The tension of the mesh should be adequate to withhold lateral accelerations that are greater than the ones having experience in orbit with no harsh distortion of the surface of the reflector. Tensions of mesh from 5N/m have been frequently used. Higher tension often

Monday, September 23, 2019

How to build a phone app Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How to build a phone app - Research Paper Example Likewise, there is no requirement for installing a flash player in order to play audio and video. Moreover, it can be completely integrated with Java script and can deploy new structural elements while eliminating traditional tags. As a result, coding is more organized and structured. One more, advantage of using HTML 5 is the local data storage ("Html 5 Advantages "). Clients can access the application even when they are disconnected from the Internet for a short period. Furthermore, it also minimize development cost by giving options such as enhanced interoperability, super visioning elements in a way that may save both cost and time ("Html 5 Advantages "). Java Script has one significant advantage and i.e. almost all the processing is done at the client side rather than processing it to the server side and transferring it to the client side consumes a lot of time and delays. Likewise, layer of Java Script running in the browser services manages all the front end processing and logic that makes the processing faster for a better and robust browsing experience. Moreover, CSS includes a customized style sheet containing one set of content. Developers only have to maintain this set of content by using only a single document in order to change the style. However, CSS has some limitations including no enhanced graphic and design support. Therefore, customization options are also limited. As mentioned above, application will be offline. It concludes that there will be a customized icon, startup phase, instinctive display and most importantly, the application will execute regardless of the Internet connectivity. Likewise, the application will provide similar functionality regardless of being connected to the Internet similar to other non-web based applications. However, there are some prerequisites including an access to a server from where a developer can modify HTTP headers on the files that will be used in the application. This activity will add a feature

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Visual Literacy Essay Example for Free

Visual Literacy Essay Visual Literacy throughout the history of our world has been important; dating back to cave drawings and carvings, and developing all the way to automated street signs signaling vehicles when to slow, stop, or go. Visuals are a part of our daily lives today as much as they were at the beginning of man’s time-and other living beings’ time-and his, first ability to communicate, visually. Communication was not something that was first spoken or written, it was something shown or demonstrated; such as dance for instance, while someone else was viewing/watching, to portray a message or a feeling to that other person. Whether the Visual Literacy or communication is hand signals-similar to sign language, facial expressions-as simple as the way an individual winks at another individual today, a nod to another person, or something as complex as an artists’ message through a painting, sculpture, other, or not; Visual Literacy is and always will be the first mode of communication in the past, present, and future. Visual Literacy can be a considered a universal language because everybody, or most individuals understand pictures, drawings, artwork, or hand signals/sign language of today. â€Å"The only individuals who do not understand visuals are the blind community-however, this handicap is adapted by the body and other the other body senses become enhanced greatly† (B. Kennedy, 2010). Perhaps sign language varies throughout different regions of the world, but the basics will always be well-known, regardless. For example, pointing to oneself means me, no matter what country you are residing in. A simple sign such as this is a basic way to communicate, and is universal. If two individuals from different countries who did not understand each other were to sit down together and draw a picture of a house, hut, or dwelling of some sort; each individual would understand the drawing, or picture of a dwelling as a home. This is considered Visual Literacy, as well. These two individuals may not be speaking with their mouths, or sounds, but they are communicating with visuals. Brian Kennedy provides an excellent portrayal of what he believes Visual Literacy to be in today’s world. However, our text provides a wonderful explanation of Visual Literacy within the business world today as well, and between both of these resources is a wealth of information. Mr. Kennedy takes a very literal look at Visual Literacy- no pun intended. Kennedy believes that what we view each day through sight is a way that we can learn and communicate if we pay attention. Most of the time, however, we do not pay attention. In fact, he states, â€Å"everything we see is an image, but unless we connect cognition and memory, we do not remember what we see† (B.  Kennedy, 2010). We see hundreds of images everyday throughout our lives, but unless we have some connection to the image, we do not retain it. However, if we â€Å"slow-look, we can look, see, describe, analyze, and interpret or construct meaning† (B. Kennedy, 2010). As with this prior quote, Mr. Kennedy made many other interesting statements within his presentation. For instance, â€Å"we read non-text 60,000 times faster than written text,† and â€Å"90% of what we learn is taken in visually† (B. Kennedy, 2010). Regarding our text, and the definition provided regarding Visual Literacy compared to the video containing Brian Kennedy speaking about the subject, our text is more business oriented, or technically derived. The text this week seems to focus on the high-tech aspect of Visual Literacy. This includes television, billboards, computer images, etc. Also, there almost has to be a difference between the two definitions because one was presented visually, and the other was presented in a written format. Within the text, there are other terms for Visual Literacy, such as media literacy, for example. Also, within our text (W.Ryan, 2012), are two authors (Avgerinou and Ericson, 1997) featured who present this opinion of the definition of Visual Literacy along with 9 other definitions, but will not get into in this paper: â€Å"Visuals may be objects, events, actions, pictorial representations, nonverbal or digital symbols, written words, or numbers. They then argue that visual literacy refers to the use of visuals for communicating, thinking, learning, constructing meaning, creative expression, and aesthetic enjoyment. For example, supplementing a business meeting with visuals created in PowerPoint or Prezi communicate information in a manner alternative to the  spoken word, may engage visually literate audience members in critical thinking about the message, and help them learn more than they may have if they had only heard the message. When these media are used effectively and appropriately, they may stimulate creative thinking and generate affects or liking among audience members through the use of charts, graphs, audio, images, and video† (Avgerinou and Ericson, 1997). It seems that our text is much more technical as far as addressing the definition of Visual Literacy, than the video created by Brian Kennedy. Perhaps it seems that way because the definition that Brian Kennedy offers is visual, as well as audible, but it does seem that he offers a much easier explanation. Communication, through visuals such as photographs for example, have been a way of communicating across borders, oceans, and continents over the decades. One photograph that finds its way on a national magazine cover can convey much more than an entire book devoted to a certain topic. A wonderful example of this comes from our text this week, and that is The National Geographic cover of â€Å"Afghan Girl† that was the cover of the magazine when this girl featured was just 17. It touched many people, and many lives, enough for the photographer to search her out years later without even knowing her name. She was found, and reunited with the photographer, but how does a girl who did not want her picture taken to begin with, react to a huge worldwide reaction to her picture so many years ago, and now with so much attention? She never even knew, or saw her picture. That says quite a bit, as well, as far as Visual Literacy. Perhaps it does not reach as far as we think it does. Globally, perhaps we are not there yet, with our Visual Literacy-or, as easy of a definition, communicating visually. Perhaps we are still a bit Visually Illiterate when it comes to the way we want to portray others, our art, our people, or people from other countries. Also, we should be aware of the way that other countries present us visually. That is something that The United States has not really worried about too much, it seems. We find ourselves upon a pedestal at times and just burst in and start snapping pictures, or slapping paint, etc. The story regarding â€Å"The Afghan Girl† was a reminder of that. We, as a Great Big Beautiful, Wonderful, Intelligent Country believe that all of our media reaches every crevice in the entire world, yet it does not, by any means. We must be mindful of that, while still trying to see everything we are looking at†¦. References: Avgerinou, M. , Ericson, J. (1997). A Review of the Concept of Visual Literacy. British Journal of Educational Technology. Kennedy, B. (2010). Brian Kennedy’s TedTalk: Brian Kennedy: Visual Literacy and Why We Need It . Retrieved From: (http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=OefLEpds5Is). Ryan, W. (2012). Visual literacy: learning to see. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Lesbians as Represented in Mainstream Television Essay Example for Free

Lesbians as Represented in Mainstream Television Essay Lesbian images have been entering into mainstream media more and more. Some argue that this is a sign of a wider acceptance of lesbianism in Western culture. In this paper, two mainstream television programs, Grey’s Anatomy and Law and Order: SVU, will be looked at to assess the nature of lesbian images. It will be argued that if and when lesbians are portrayed in mainstream television they are highly feminized, desexualized, and their lives are almost always framed in ways that appeal to heterocentric norms. Thus, mass media almost always fails to provide the viewer with an accurate and unbiased perception of lesbianism or homosexuality in a broader sense. Grey’s Anatomy has emerged onto the lesbian scene in the last couple of years by developing Callie Torres, a beautiful, vivacious, Latino woman, into a lesbian in the fifth season. A friendship develops between her and Erica Hahn, a successful, ‘sassy’, and appealing newcomer, and it gradually progresses into something more until finally the two share a kiss. Before the romance can flourish, Torres wrestles with her sexuality, her fears, and her lack of understanding of lesbianism. Soon after the relationship establishes itself, Hahn unexpectedly breaks up with Torres and leaves the show. Typical or is it? A season later, Arizona Robbins, a semi-regular of the show, comes into focus when she blatantly hits on Torres. Shortly after, the two start to date and later find themselves in a committed relationship. The question is how good a job does the show do of accurately portraying lesbians? To start, all three of the women mentioned above are attractive and feminine. All three have long flowing hair always nicely styled and maintained and pretty faces carefully done up with light make-up. This is what Ann Ciasullo refers to as â€Å"sanitizing of the lesbian through her feminizing† (599). In other words, Grey’s Anatomy offers up an image of lesbians that is not too homosexual for the heterosexual audience. While it could be argued that such representations help to combat the rigid stereotypes of lesbians as ugly, butch feminists, the very widespread nature of the ‘femme’ image in media indicates something more is going on (Tamsin). The book Out of Focus, suggests that such feminine representations act to lower the threat of lesbianism by reassuring viewers that such (beautiful and feminine) women can or must actually be heterosexual (Kath Davies). In fact, in Grey’s Anatomy, as in many television programs, the ‘butch’ lesbian is completely absent. All of this suggests that the lesbian chic of the ‘90s is far from dead (Tamsin). Grey’s is well known for its scandalous call room sex scenes. Characters, heterosexual characters that is, escape to hidden corners of the hospital where they argue, make up, and make love on a regular basis. This is interesting because such scenes are practically nonexistent between Torres and Hahn or later Torres and Robbins. In fact, physical contact of any kind is somewhat limited between Torres and Robbins. An example of this can be seen in Season five episode 13 when Robbins` patient dies during surgery. When she gets home to see Torres has planned a surprise birthday party for her she bursts into tears overcome by her grief. The pair leaves the room and at this point you would expect a comforting hug, a loving embrace, or a reassuring kiss on the cheek from any reasonably intimate couple or from any other couple on the show for that matter, but not in this case. Torres tells Robbins that she will explain the situation to their friends and at that Robbins leaves. Additionally, sex scenes between Torres and Robbins are few and far between; those that exist are cut short by interruption or not shown at all. The latter is evidenced in Season five episode 11 when the viewer is shown only the aftermath them lying in bed together, presumably after making love, eating pizza. It is a cute scene but not a sexual scene. This is a familiar pattern found in most television programs or movies featuring lesbian couples and just one way lesbians are desexualized (Ciasullo). A notable exception to this pattern is The L Word, but it will not be the focus of this paper. Since the beginning of their relationship Callie and Arizona have slept together three times. Three times in an entire season and for a relationship in its beginning stages is incredibly low by Grey’s standards (or anyone’s standards really). One of these scenes is the ‘pizza scene’ previously mentioned. In another â€Å"sex† scene, Lexi Grey walks in on the two in the shower and quickly walks out; the viewer sees what Lexi sees and nothing more. The final scene implies the two may have sex, but it is not pursued any further. Considering the show develops long, sensual sex scenes between its heterosexual characters, following them from start to finish, the unwillingness to do the same for its lesbian characters is problematic. This is not an isolated phenomenon. The pattern of desexualization is evident not just in television but also in movies as noted by Ciasullo and Yvonne Tasker in her book Working Girls (Ciasullo; Tasker). Another problem with the depiction of Torres and Robbins’ relationship is that it is often framed by the heterosexual constructs of marriage and reproduction. Tasker discusses this issue noting that by explaining lesbianism within a heterosexual context the (heterosexual) audience is assured that lesbians are normal (by heterosexual standards) (Tasker). Such a practice adheres to conventional social norms while ignoring the differing reality of lesbian’s lives. After Torres’ father finally accepts her lesbianism his first question to her addresses the issue of marriage and children. She assures him that she will put on a â€Å"big white dress and dance down the aisle† if Arizona wants to spend the rest of her life with her. Another example takes place in season six episode three, when Torres talks about being married and having a house, kids and a pet dog with Robbins. This description perpetuates heterocentric beliefs that heterosexual activities and institutions are better than homosexual ones simply because it gives no thought to the possibility that things could be different within homosexual relationships. Furthermore, this effort to depict lesbian couples as ‘normal’ by tying them to conventional social norms suggests that homosexual practices are not normal and as such fails to challenge heterocentrism. Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) is another show with some problematic representations. In over 11 seasons, it has aired a total of five gay-centred storylines and one lesbian specific episode. This discrepancy seems to reflect the idea touched on in Out of Focus that â€Å"coverage of ‘homosexuality’ actually refers to gay men† (Kath Davies 91). A recent episode entitled PC features Kathy Griffin as Babs Duffy, a rude, abrasive, man-hating lesbian activist. First of all, the stereotyping evident in Griffin’s character is troublesome because it feeds into the negative view of lesbians. Visibility is important, but the cost of portraying lesbians in such a light is possibly greater than or as great as not showing them at all. Furthermore, this particular episode is strewn with negative or inaccurate images of lesbians. The episode begins with the discovery of a woman who has been left for dead in an abandoned building. She has been raped and beaten and later dies in the hospital. It is not too long before the viewer finds out from Babs Duffy that the victim was a lesbian. Duffy makes a dramatic entrance into the detectives’ office ordering for the capture of the murderer whom she alleges is targeting lesbians. The investigation commences with a visit to the victim, now known as Alyssa’s, girlfriend. As the episode progresses, you notice something striking – all the main lesbian characters are conventionally attractive, feminine women. More than that though, any lesbian character who is questioned and thus comes into the focus of the camera, is also feminine and pretty. The few butch lesbians in the episode are in the background and barely noticeable. The absence of the butch lesbian is telling. Ciasullo notes that â€Å"without the signifier of the butch, the femme’s lesbianism disappears † (Ciasullo 599). Thus, by eliminating the butch lesbian from the forefront, Law and Order: SVU effectively downplays the lesbianism of the episode. There is, however, one exception – the victim’s girlfriend Sharon, but even here there are issues with her representation as a butch lesbian. The fact that the show chose to make her ‘butch’ is interesting because they also make her a working class, aggressive, even violent, woman. This in effect vilifies the butch lesbian. Sharon even becomes the main suspect at one point because of her temper, and while it is important to shed light on the issue of domestic violence in lesbian relationships the choice to make Sharon, who is butch, into the abuser is not by accident. Ann Ciasullo talks about how presenting butch lesbians in this negative way makes butches into the â€Å"’oppressor,’ the ‘bad’ lesbian† (Ciasullo 600). Further still, her status as a bouncer (and thus as a member of the working class) adds to her mainstream undesirability (Ciasullo). Moreover, even though Sharon is presented as a butch or as Law and Order puts it an â€Å"aggressive,† she is simultaneously portrayed as somewhat feminine. In the first scene that we are introduced to Sharon, her long hair is pulled back into a loose ponytail and she wraps herself up in her long feminine sweater. She is not wearing any noticeable makeup but she is conventionally pretty. After this initial introduction she is likely not yet labelled as a butch by the viewer. It is not until later when she appears in a plaid shirt and leather jacket that it becomes evident that she is butch. It seems butch images are permitted as long as they’re not too butch and as long as the butch character is not framed in a positive way that could be make her desirable. Perhaps the best example of how lesbians are desexualized in Law and Order is in a scene between Babs and Olivia Benson, the female nvestigator. In the initial taping of this scene Babs kisses Olivia, but the kiss doesn’t make it past the cutting room floor. Even worse, the editing is atrocious. It cuts awkwardly from Babs leaning in to Olivia proclaiming that she is straight and something is noticeably missing. The kiss may not be necessary to the plot, but to sacrifice quality in order to remove it demonstrates how fearful t he media are of lesbian sexuality. Further evidence lies in the fact that a kiss between Babs and Elliot Stabler (the male investigator) that happens at the end of the episode remains untouched. However, this revelation, that Babs isn’t actually a lesbian, has a lot of problems on its own. The discovering that Bab’s has a boyfriend, plays on the â€Å"I know she’s a lesbian but † scenario so often found in mainstream media. This idea presents the viewer with the possibility that the lesbian can always become straight or as Ciasullo puts it â€Å"’unbecome’ lesbian† (Ciasullo 592). This places the heterosexual audience in a more comfortable position where they can entertain the idea that the attractive lesbians in the show may actually be straight. This issue comes up once again when the suspected murderer/rapist is in interrogation. Olivia pretends she is a lesbian in order to get a confession out of him: Olivia: â€Å"You know how to correct us you’ve got everything you need to make me a real woman right between your legs –† Suspect: â€Å"and you’d love it just like those other two [victims] did – every moment of it† While this scene may be laid out this way specifically to show the demented thinking of the rapist/murderer, the notion that a lesbian can be â€Å"corrected† or made straight as well the idea that rape victims enjoy being raped are never addressed and corrected. The audience is never informed about how inaccurate these views are. With all this said, the homosexual viewer tends to be somewhat accepting of the images in Grey’s and Law and Order, because as Clare Whatling puts it â€Å"we’re [the lesbian population] so starved, we go see anything because something is better than nothing† (86). Thus, because of the lack of representation, lesbians are more willing to accept inaccurate portrayals. This is troublesome because such images can potentially be detrimental to lesbian’s self perceptions and they’re all the more vulnerable because of the relative disparity of lesbianism in mainstream culture. In conclusion, lesbianism in mainstream television is poorly and inaccurately represented. While shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Law and Order: SVU, have taken steps towards representing lesbians in mainstream media, we have to be careful to assess how big these steps really are. There are several issues with the representations of lesbians in these shows, some of which are addressed in this paper, others which have been left untouched. Thus, there is still a long way to go and many hurdles to surmount before lesbians can be done justice in mainstream media.

Friday, September 20, 2019

2012 London Olympic Games Construction Essay

2012 London Olympic Games Construction Essay My report is based on the 2012 Olympic Games project in London, the selected contractor submitted detailed documentation and project details which were evaluated reviewed by the clients. All the documents deal with all type of administrative procedure, procurement strategy among others. The report also explained all items involved in the construction industry coming from the project history, the pre-construction and post-construction stage. This report will benefit the client as to the successful completion of the project due to organize administrative procedure of procurement strategy. 1.2 Project Brief or History The London 2012 Olympic Games, the Project Brief was a high level document that outlined the objectives and operational requirements for each project. As the project progressed through the different Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) stages of the design process, the brief was developed to form Initial Brief Design brief Project Brief The initial brief was used to set out the initial ODA requirements of the project and informed the development of the design through RIBA design stages A/B. It captured the data from the Project Initial Document and the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) Venue Requirements and described what the Design team was required. The design brief defined what will be the next phase of the project that should be delivered and informed the RIBA Stages C/D. It focused on the technical requirements and the measurable criteria defined during Design development. The Project Brief The London 2012 Olympic Games projects are including 1 to 10 Milestone base as below Milestone -01, Construction of the Olympic Stadium Milestone -02, Construction of the Aquatics Centre Milestone -03, Construction of the Velodrome Milestone -04, Construction of the International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre(IBC/MPC) Milestone -05, Construction of the Handball and Basketball Arenas Milestone -06, Construction of the Lee Valley White Water Centre Milestone -07, Construction work on Eton Manor and the Royal Artillery Barracks Milestone -08, The External Structure of the Olympic Village Milestone -09, Construction of all Permanent Bridges Milestone -10, Construction work at Stratford Station Including the project photo Appendix -B Under the Project Brief, the following are included: Project Name- 2012 London Olympic games Project Value-  £9,298m-the Public Sector Funding Package Contract Period Construction took four years from 2007 to 2011. Project Procurement Method- design and build Awarded Main Contractor Name- Sir Robert McAlpine Barr Construction Carillion ISG Balfour Beatty Consultant Name : Architect Populous Wilkinson Eyre Architects KSS Design Group Hopkins Architects, Grant Associates Zaha Hadid Architects Structural and services engineers, Planning Buro Happold Expedition Engineering Hyland Edgar Driver Ove Arup Partners, BDSP SKM Savilles Hepher Dixon Project client IOC, LOCOG, ODA, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, 02. Chapter 2.1. Identified Various People / Organisations London 2012 Olympic Games Organizations involved in key Project Stakeholders Olympic Delivery Authority : (OAD) The London Organizing Committee of the Olympics Games: (LOCOG) The Greater London Authority (GLA) British Olympic Association (BOA) The Government (MPA, 2006). And also in additional The Mayor of London Olympic Park Legacy Company London Development Agency (LDA) British Paralympic Association (BPA) The Olympic Board (OB) International Olympic Committee (IOC) International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Their main functions are to collectively advice and provide assurance to the board (MPA, 2006). These stakeholders have different perceptions as to what constitute success. While they all have different responsibilities towards the success of the game, their individual objectives has to be met. It is worth noting that their varying objectives were well reconciled as per the game. Shared understanding was created among them and reconciliation of objectives was easy because one of the predominant overarching aims of both the UK government and IOC for the games is sustainability among the Consultant, the main Contractor, the Sub-Contractor and the Supplier. The more details including the Appendix-A 2.2. Financing Structure/Final Cost The financing structures are two distinct aspects of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the preparation for the games by the ODA and LOCOG operational budget running the games. The Secretary of state for culture, media and sport announced, in an oral Statement to the house, that the budget for the preparation of the 2012 London Olympics had increased from an initial estimate budget of  £ 2.375 billion, at the time of the bid the estimated cost of the Games was  £4 billion:  £3 billion for the Olympic Park and an element for elite and community sport; and  £1 billion as part of the wider Lower Lea Valley regeneration (excluding tax and wider security costs). Following a review by the Government a revised funding cost was announced in March 2007 of  £9.325billion, as details below Table-01. The Budget as Announced for the Games on 15 March 2007 Item Description Amount Million ( £) 1 Core Olympic Costs -Olympic Delivery Authority(ODA) 3,081.00 2 Infrastructure and regeneration costs associated with the Olympic park and other venues 1,673.00 3 Contingency (Excluding Tax) 500.00 4 Total ( Net of Tax )(1+2+3) 5,254.00 5 Other (Non ODA),Olympic Cost 388.00 Other Provisions Policing and Wider Security 600.00 Tax (on ODA Costs) 836.00 General programme Contingency (including tax) 2,247.00 6 Total Provisions 3,683.00 Grand Total (4+5+6) 9,325.00 Overall Revised Budget 9,325.00 Table -01 The 2012 Olympic Games over-all budget (9.325 Billion ( £) were distributed to all stockholders and summarized as follows on Table-02. Public Funding Available Item Description Amount Billion ( £) 1 Exchequer 5.975 2 National Lottery 2.175 3 Greater London Authority 0.925 4 London Development Agency 0.250 Total Cost(1+2+3+4) 9.325 Table -02 However, on 24 March 2010, the Awarded budget was reduced to  £ 27m and breakdown as follows Table 03: Item Description Amount Million ( £) 1 Olympic Delivery Authority(ODA) ODA Base Cost Including VAT 6,100.00 Programme Contingency 968.00 Funders Contingency 1,004.00 Total Available to ODA 8,072.00 2 Non-Olympic Delivery Authority(ODA) Elite and Community Sports 290.00 Paralympic Games 66.00 Look of London 32.00 Security 600.00 Security Contingency 238.00 Total Non ODA 1,226.00 3 Total Public Sector Funding Package (1+2) 9,298.00 Overall Original Budget 9,298.00 Table -03 The 2012 Olympic Games over-all Revised budget (9.298 Billion ( £) were distributed to all stockholders and summarized as follows on Table-04. Sources of Funding Item Description Amount Billion ( £) 1 National Lottery 2.175 2 London (GLA and LDA) 0.875 3 Central Government 6.248 Total Cost(1+2+3) 9.298 Table -04 Unveiling the governments final quarterly budget update, the sports minister, Hugh Robertson, said that at a conservative estimate the final cost of the Games would be  £8.921billion against an overall original budget of  £9.298billion 2.3. Project Procurement Structure/Methodology The specific new construction of Olympic stadium, the project leadership has been established, and then the procurement method will be accepted. The project was procured on a design and build basis. A method where the contractor is responsible for undertaking both the design and the construction of the work in return for a lump sum price. There are variants on this option depending on the degree to which initial design is included in the clients requirements. Appointment of a contractor is often by two stages tendering, thus keeping a competitive element, but not expecting every tenderer to produce full proposals. The clients requirements can range from a simple accommodation schedule to a fully worked out scheme design, but generally should be matched by the contractors proposal For design and build procurement there are three main types of contract: Package Deal or Turnkey Contract Design and Build Contracts Contractors Design Obligations Contractors Design for Specific Elements Only The project procurement plan includes the following: Sourcing materials with low embodied carbon Minimizing waste at source, promoting use of secondary materials Policies on eco Ecologically sensitive materials: e.g Timber and Food Ethical procurement and fair employment Sourcing healthy materials and ensuring health and safety on site (ODA, 2009:1) The procurement plan is being implemented by a rigorous procurement process. All partners and collaborators will have to meet individual and overall criteria in order to contribute to the successful outcome of the plan. This will have to be made visible through product and service supply, engagement in relevant projects, promotion of behavioral change, consumers, employees and supply chains (ODA, 2009). 2.4. Main Forms of Construction Contract/Tender Document The New Engineering Contract (NEC) was used to facilitate all the necessary documents during the bidding and awarding stage. Both parties, the Client and the Contractor, agreed and closed the project based on the NEC contract. The NEC3 suite of contracts was selected because it provided the following key attributes in response to ODA, s Requirements. A flexible approach, providing a range of contract solutions relative to the level of design information available and procurement option being considered. The pro-active management of risk as an inherent and fundamental element of the entire contract forms. A collaborative approach supporting timely delivery, which is fundamental to ODA. Full visibility of cost (Except under option a contracts), supporting effective programme budget management. ODA has number of obligations under the London Olympic Games Act 2006, particularly around risk, brand protection and stakeholder rights, which necessitated changes to the standard NEC3 Contract Forms. These changes included, Additional collateral warranties for key interested parties Restrictions in change of ownership of tier 1 contractors Enhanced conflict of interest provisions Items NEC3 Contract and Option Usage Rationale 1 Engineering and Construction Contract Option- C (Target contract with activity schedule) Major and complex venues and infrastructure Target price was best fit to developing specification 2 Engineering and Construction Contract Option- A ( Priced contract with activity schedule) Other venues Designs were firm allowing cost certainty 3 Term Service Contrcat Option -A ( Priced contract with activity schedule) Logistics and security contracts Pricing schedules accommodated required flexibility in both volume of services required and scale ( through enhanced services schedules) The New Engineering Contract 2005 version 3 Engineering and Construction Contract recommends that the various methods of specifying the works should be adopted Option A C Activity Schedule Option B D Bill of Quantities Option E F A traditional Specifications or drawing The Olympic Delivery Authority used procurement through e-procurement system and methodology, particularly an evaluation system to enable delivery of its policy objectives and ambitions as follows: Sustainability and Legacy Design and Accessibility Equality and Inclusion Employment and Skills Health, Safety and Security Delivery of London Olympic Stadium in Time, Cost and Quality Tender documentations are: Activity schedule Method statement Working drawing BOQ Quantified Specification Work Schedules ( the word Item denotes pricing) Specification + Contract Sum Analysis or Schedule of Rates 03. Chapter 3.1. Construction Technology Challenges The London 2012 Olympic Games project was constructed with many construction challenges and new construction technologies. Some of which are as follows : Low-carbon concrete with 40 percent less embodied carbon was used for concreting structures. Surplus gas pipes were used to build the top ring of the Stadium. Recycled containers were used as toilet facilities. Demolished existing structures were placed on top of the ground that served as a solid base for the construction. To reduce the loads on the project, 75 percent lightweight steel materials were utilized in the construction. As part of the landscaping works. 500,000 plants were planted in the Olympic Parks wetland areas Due to new technologies that were adopted, only 10,000 tons of steel were used. Tensile roofings were used as to cover the ground bowl-like stadium. The project settled at 2,821 feet perimeter land and stands at 197 feet high. The Delivery Partner was comprised of three construction industry leaders, who were responsible for the construction of all new venues and infrastructure needed for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympic Park will house nine state-of-the-art venues including the Olympic stadium, velodrome and aquatics center. New Technology was used to fast track the project and attained the completion date of the Project. As the time is the essence, the constructions were done on a 24 hour basis as the design required new methodology to meet the criteria of the Project Specifications Methodological challenges that are anticipated include: Achieving adequate coverage of project-level evaluations, within the bounds of practicality, across legacy and sub-legacy themes, geography, demographics, project size/type etc; The complexity of the task and the interdependencies that exist between outcomes and impacts of different projects and programmes; The aggregation and synthesis of different measures and indicators, which may also be of varying quality; Assessing the impact and additionality of interventions in a consistent fashion; Ensuring value for money and benefits are being measured or estimated using credible evidence; Measuring intangible impacts using experimental measures such as subjective well-being and through custom techniques such as media content analysis; Measuring wider strategic impacts and added value generated through coordination of the organisations involved in planning and delivering legacy 3.2. Health and Safety Records/Achievement The HSE has published the first in a series of research reports on the London 2012 Olympics as part of a concerted effort to circulate the health and safety lessons learned from the Stratford project among the wider construction industry. There are so many magnificent aspects of London 2012 when it comes to Safety issues and this was achieved through the excellent safety record, especially during the construction phase. The park was built with zero construction fatalities. It shows the approaches to gain a good occupational Safety and Health. Some of the achievements are as follows: The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) honored the Olympic Delivery Authority in a ceremony. More than 12,500 workers helped construct the venues and the Big Build of the site was hailed as the safest construction of an Olympic Stadium. The Executive started working with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) soon after London was awarded the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and set out clear targets of what standards were expected, encouraging strong leadership and sharing of good practice. Up to this month, the HSE has received reports of only 114 injuries and eight dangerous occurrences that occurred during the projects 66 million hours of work. And also the ODAs commitment to health and safety has been recognised by the British Safety Council (BSC) with its 5-star award, following an independent, rigorous audit of the ODAs health and safety management system and processes, in which the ODA received a score of 98 per cent. The ODA was also awarded the Sword of Honour, one of the most prestigious international health and safety accolades that an organization can receive, which is designed to encourage and reward organizations that work to best practice. All applicants must have already received 5 stars from the BSC 04. Chapter 4.1. Conclusion Based on the above submission, it can be concluded that the Construction of the facilities needed for the 2012 London Olympic Games were successfully done and completed to the satisfaction of the Client. This achievement was due to the following: Thorough evaluation of the Project Requirements as reviewed and evaluated by the Client. An organized procurement strategy within the UK and International market environments. Teamwork and coordination among the stakeholders Utilizing the familiar form of contract in UK Proper implementation of all construction methodology accepted in the construction industry. Proper planning and implementation to meet the required completion date. Utilizing new construction technologies and materials. Likewise, a complete record for health and safety were properly organized. A strict implementation of a Safety Plan were followed resulting to no fatalities or major injuries recorded. With respect to the financial aspect of the project, variation orders and cost were not clearly indicated as this will have a big impact on the total and final cost of the project involved. Nevertheless, the over-all aspect of the report can be recommended as it clearly shows that all necessary strategies and construction methodology will have a successful outcome as expected by the client specifically the completion of the project as per the time schedule, work quality and project cost. 05. Chapter 5.1. Bibliography Olayide Mutiu Adedeji, Senior Quantity Surveyor, February 20,2013 Company : CEG International Contact : Tel- +974-44551188 Fax +974-44551144 E-Mail: [emailprotected] Web: www.ceg-qatar.com Post: P.O. Box -3973, Doha Qatar Mohamed Azhar, Senior Quantity Surveyor, February 22,2013 Company : CEG International Contact : Tel +974-44551188 Fax +974-44551144 E-Mail: [emailprotected] Web: www.ceg-qatar.com Post: P.O. Box -3973, Doha Qatar Elajun E. Custodio, Civil Engineer, March 20,2013 Company : CEG International Contact : Tel- +974-44551188 Fax +974-44551144 E-Mail: [emailprotected] Web: www.ceg-qatar.com Post: P.O. Box -3973, Doha Qatar Mahmud Anees Senior Quantity Surveyor, March 15,2013 Company : KESO Contact : E-Mail: anees @yahoo.com Web: www.ceg-qatar.com Post: P.O. Box -3973, Doha Qatar

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Hydrolysis of Oxoanions :: essays research papers

Hydrolysis of Oxoanions Nonmetals in positive oxidation states do not exist in aqueous solution as cations but rather as hydroxides or oxides. These species often act as oxo acids which ionize to form oxoanions in solution. The general form of an oxoanion is MOxy-. Since these oxoanions are quite different in their properties, Z2/r ratios for nonmetal cations do not give accurate predictions of their chemical behavior. A different approach is needed to determine what these elements will do when they are dissolved in water. Oxo Anion Hydrolysis Like cations, oxoanions are hydrated in aqueous solution. In this case the electrostatic attraction is between the electron pairs on the oxoanion oxygen atoms and the partially positive hydrogen atoms of the water molecule. The hydration of oxoanions is an exothermic process. The hydration energy is dependent on the charge and size of the oxoanion. Hydration energies increase with increasing charge and decreasing anion size. As with cations, if the interaction between the anion and the hydrogen of the water is sufficiently strong, the hydrogen can be removed from the water generating a hydroxide ion resulting in a basic solution. MOxy- + H2O [MO(x-1)OH](y-1)- + OH- The equilibrium constant for this reaction is the base ionization constant, Kb. Base ionization constants are tabulated as pKbs. Successive ionizations are listed as pKb1, pKb2, etc. The larger the pKb value the lesser the degree of ionization and the weaker base the oxoanion is. When determining the acidities of metal cations, three variable are important -- charge, size and electronegativity of the cation. When determining the basicity of an oxo anion, the size of the nonmetal atom (or high oxidation state metal atom) is not relevant. This central metal atom is significantly smaller than the multiple oxygen atoms in the anion. Therefore, different central atoms bearing the same number of oxygens will be very close in size. Effect of Charge on Basicity Increasing charge on an anion increases its tendency to hydrolyze and form basic solutions. pKb Values For Some Oxoanions Anion pKb1 pKb2 pKb3 H3AsO4 10.5 6.8 1.5 H3PO4 11.88 6.8 2 H2SeO3 11.43 7.4 H4GeO4 5.41 1 The table above shows that the pKb values of an oxoanion decrease by 4-5 units for each additional negative charge on the anion. Thus, increasing the negative charge substantially increases the anion's basicity. Effect of Number of Oxygen Groups Since most nonmetals exhibit more than one oxidation state, they can form oxoanions that differ in the number of oxygens bonded to the metal.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael - The Destruction Continues :: Quinn Ishmael Essays

Ishmael   - The Destruction Continues Ishmael  Ã‚   The Biblical depiction of Adam and Eve's "fall" builds the foundation of Daniel Quinn's novel, Ishmael. In this adventure of the spirit, a telepathic gorilla, Ishmael, uses the history of Biblical characters in order to explain his philosophy on saving the world.   Attracting his final student, the narrator of the novel, with an advertisement "Teacher seeks pupil. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person," Ishmael counsels the narrator through a series of questions that force him to stretch his mind. Diving straight into Biblical allusions, Ishmael begins his lesson with the history of his evolution from "Goliath" (17) to Ishmael. He explains this evolution as a time of realization where he shifts from blindly accepting the infamous reputation of Goliath, an evil giant from the Bible, to the quiet, thoughtful being of Ishmael. After his brief history, Ishmael shifts his attention to the creation. "A culture is a people enacting a story" (41), and the story of the Garden of Eden opened up new thoughts on man's transformation from dependent to independent beings. When Adam and Eve began their lives on earth, they fully depended on the gods for all their necessities. Just like all of the other animals in the garden, they followed the philosophy of "leavers" and left the question of who should live and who should die up to the gods. However, the serpent, a member of the "taker" group tempted Eve with fruit from a tree that would give them the knowledge of life and death. Eve, which means "life" (179) in turn, tempted Adam with the fruit. Although pre-warned that eating this forbidden fruit would kill man, Adam fell into temptation and his desire for life. Through this action, his eyes were partially opened to the gods' vision. However, this knowledge ultimately would lea d to the fulfillment of the gods' warnings that "[the world's] doom was assured" (166). After man's realization, he placed himself in a category separate from the animals and beasts that continued to rely on the world's situation rather than themselves. An allusion to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve's descendents, Cain and Abel continued the progression of man's shift from leavers, to what they are now, takers. The taker philosophy that "the world was made for man" (61), epitomized the their obstinate attitude that the universe was meant to be conquered and exploited by humans.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Backround of a Language Learner

Nazrahdin (Nas) moved from his native Algiers to the United States in a quest to gain live a better life and to be able to make enough money to send some back to his family each month. His uncle Talib has lived in America for seven years and was the main reason Nas made the move. Nas is currently working as a valet attendant at a hotel. His language proficiency is quite high. He is fully bilingual with Arabic and French and he can also understand a bit of Spanish. His English abilities are elementary.That being said, when speaking with him he is quite effective at communicating his ideas through non-verbal methods and patience. He is eager and willing to be taught and he always has questions to ask. Currently his uncle and aunt are the main sources of information and teaching when it comes to English. At work Nas does not interact with customers, except when absolutely necessary. He is not comfortable enough with the language and his coworkers do not want him to converse with custome rs due to his limitations with English.For this reason Nas is beginning to read and listen to English lessons in an attempt to gain fluency. He wants to become comfortable enough with the language within the next six months so as to be able to interview for a public transportation job through the city. He did not have to interview for the valet position because his uncle worked him into the job. With his enthusiasm and track record of learning other languages, his goal is well within reach.When I interviewed Nas and asked him about what his ultimate goal is, he replied, â€Å"Really I want money for family that I work for so I can buy me a home here to live. † His ideas come across quite clearly and the thing I noticed most about this statement was not the broken grammar, but the clarity of though and the seriousness with which he delivered his ambition. He maintains eye contact and uses his hands to emphasize his points. I notice his non-verbal connotations almost more than his verbal cues, especially when he is speaking in Arabic with Talib.They are both very animated and outgoing and their arms are in constant motion when they are speaking. They also use intonation to great effect so that even though I do not understand a word of Arabic, I can fairly accurately gauge the tones and attitude of what they are talking about. In this way, I think the main goals that we will work for in our English lessons will be to translate that non-verbal communication into everyday expressions in English. Nas, at least at this point, is not interested in the finer details of grammar and lexicon.What he most wants is to ‘tell a good joke that people smile. ’ He wants to become conversational. He does not need nor want to learn academic rules. He wants to be able to meet a stranger and be able to talk to them. He wants to be able to fulfill his objectives at work. He wants to be able to secure his own job and not to rely on Talib. Mostly, he wants to become more than just a card-carrying American citizen, he wants to exercise his mind and rights through the use of English.That being said, we will face obstacles in the implementation of this new language because it is not related to the romance languages of French and Spanish and it definitely has little in common with the rhythmic Arabic of his native language. We will begin by integrating cross-cultural themes that draw connections between his life in Algeria and here in the U. S. His mind is already developed and he has been successful in his endeavors up to this point. I do not want to tutor him like I would a younger person.I think a great way for us to move forward will be to watch television and movies that have similar interests as well as subtitles, whether in Arabic, French, or Spanish. I want to cultivate a multi-disciplinary approach that focuses on getting ideas to translate more than having them be perfectly grammatical, especially considering that most conversational Eng lish does not abide by the rules of the book of grammar, even to native speakers. I think we will have greater success in implanting English into Nas’ everyday life because he already has the model of his Uncle Talib.Talib had learned English in less than a year after moving the America. Like Nas, he had a very limited knowledge of the language beyond a few expressions before moving here. Nas has the added advantage of already holding a job where he is surrounded by native English speakers and Talib. Whenever Nas cannot grasp what we are talking about in English, he and Talib discuss it together in Arabic and then Nas will come back to the discussion and reiterate his opinion.I am confident that Nas will succeed in his goal to learn English in order to gain full-time employment that utilizes his language skills. He has a positive example to base his optimism and he is one of the most fearless non-native English speakers I have met when it comes to trying to speak in a languag e you are not fluent in. The fact that he will continue to ask questions, to continue to make mistakes and to continue applying himself is an accomplishment unto itself and yet he does not cut corners. This makes the tutoring process not only easier, but much more enriching for all involved parties.

Monday, September 16, 2019

My Childhood Essay

When I started pre-school, I found it difficult to speak English because I spoke Chinese at home. I was distracted and frightened when I attended school in our Los Angeles neighborhood, and crime was a constant concern for us. It worried my parents to see that I was losing interest in school, so they moved me to Chino Hills after I finished 7th grade to live with my sisters, hoping that the environment would be a better place for me. The different atmosphere I was in changed my perspective on education. The students in Chino Hills are very competitive in their academic pursuits which motivated me to try harder and work up to my potential. The realization that a different environment can make a huge difference brought much confidence to me; I began developing better judgment and making better decisions toward my education. As I approached high school, I was beginning to understand the importance of an education. Although my parent’s remarks about school were simply for me to behave, I knew they also wanted me to have a good educational opportunity. My first year as a freshman in high school was difficult for me; it became evident that I didn’t know how to manage my time. As every con has a pro, I knew that time management was no exception. Mastering the art of time management can reap great rewards, and by ignoring it I found myself facing great disappointment with my grades. At the end of the day, I tried to reflect on my performance and soon realized I have accomplished little. In my sophomore year of high school, I began to manage my time more wisely and took my education more seriously, and realized that it did not take much to use time management in an efficient manner; but the rewards were fulfilling because my grades had greatly risen. My course work and grades became obvious to me that I still had trouble managing my time. I soon started to decompose my goals, making it possible to tackle them one step at a time and realized as I progressed, my time management bettered. During my junior year, Procrastination was the biggest barrier to time management I had to face. I found it difficult at times to start working; however, I realized not working was related to the fear of poor results than it is to the actual difficulty of the work. My junior year gave a spark to my life; it helped me create a target to aim for, which is to attend a top 4 year  University and pursue my dreams in the medical field.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Adrian Crump Essay

Manslaughter is a crime that is unjustified, inexcusable, and the intentional killing of a human being, whether it be involuntary or voluntary. This is the criminal charge that Adrian Crump from Jacksonville, Florida had to face. He shot a 15-year-old boy, around 2 in the morning, who was driving around shooting rocks from a slingshot. Adrian heard a noise in his home and thought it was a gunshot. He got up and checked it out, then went back inside and grabbed his gun as well as getting dressed. He then got in his car and pulled up behind the offender’s car, and shot the boy because he put his hands down, and he said he thought the kid was reaching for a gun. During the trial the prosecutor and defense team brought up the two sides of the story. We were asked how we felt about the trial and how we would find him. I took into consideration Adrian’s motivation or intention, self-defense, the witness’ statements, and crimes going on around the city. In the courthouse Adrian wore his navy uniform, even though at the time he was living as a civilian. I looked at his appearance because it showed his personality. For me it conveyed, a respectable and responsible citizen, which was a good move on the defense team. Along with his family, 4 kids and a wife, it would make it hard for a jury to convict him as a criminal. Since all those factors were in his favor, it is hard to see that man as a criminal. During the trial, the prosecutor asked some witnesses to come take the stand. First was a young boy that was in the car with Danny, and he was asked if Danny’s hands were down? The witness answered no. Then the defense asked the witness if they were paying attention to Adrian, he answered yes. That was very hypocritical of the witness, because you can’t watch the man with a gun and your friend at the same time. Even if this  child did it would be hard for him to remember exact details because of the traumatic event. Next the prosecutor brought up the medical examiner, who testified that the autopsy was inclusive. Which did not favor the state’s position. These witnesses did not help provide the state with a case. This also made it hard for me to find someone guilty when we don’t have many facts on the board. I know that Adrian made a big choice by getting off his property and chasing down someone, but it is not illegal for someone to do that in Florida. This means he broke no laws when he made that choice. I also think he was not just doing it for himself but his neighbor, who had been a victim of vandalism a couple days prior to this. The neighbor along with Adrian and his family are black Americans, who lived in a white dominated neighborhood; I think he was trying to protect all his neighbors. I look at the position of Danny’s hand as a crucial point for the case. According to Adrian, Danny had put his hands down. With the circumstances of â€Å"hearing a gun shot,† and then having someone reach down, I do believe that he thought Danny had a gun. I know I would have shot first, especially if it was my life or someone else’s. I am going to save mine before anything else. Now I probably could not have killed him but that is because I have no experience with a gun, while Adrian has military experience and has been taught to kill. I think that self-defense is a big part in this case for me. Some times it is hard to believe but I just put myself in his shoes and it was easy for me to decide, especially along with the circumstances. Right now it is easy to say I would shoot someone in self-defense, especially if it was a kid, but kids think they are older then they really are, and are capable of a lot more. I cherish my life so I would try and keep it. Also Adrian pointed out if he had acted out of anger he would have used all 6 rounds in his gun. He also could have shot him multiple times but shot him only once. He even called 9-1-1 after he shot the kid, to get him help. This helped me decide what his intention was when he went out there. Continuing on with evidence, I looked at the fact there was an increase in crime among the youths in Jacksonville. Danny’s mom had a suspicion of what her son was of participating in. He had been suspended from school, and burglarized several homes including getting caught by the police. Then her car keys go missing that night, I would suspect that he may take part in some illegal late night activities, even if it was just late night joy riding. I am not a mother yet but if I was his mother, even though it would be hard I would have to take some responsibility for his actions, since I didn’t question or look harder for my keys that night. With that idea I think I would maybe even blame myself a little for my child’s death. I know that I might act differently if I am put in that situation but there is so much against her son. As a citizen of the city of Jacksonville, Florida I would take into consideration the crimes that are occurring around me. This poor guy was a victim of a crime, and even though it was not a serious crime, it was a crime and he was a victim. The kids that are part-taking in crimes of vandalism and other more serious crimes are also running the risk of being victims themselves. Other people may try to protect their property too, and someone else may be hurt. That is the risk criminals’ take. With the evidence that was presented at the trial, and the circumstances that I discovered within the film, I came to the verdict of innocent for Adrian. I believe he did not intend to hurt the child, just scare him, but when he thought his life was threatened he reacted. I also think he is also the kind of man that is going to live with the guilt of killing that child for the rest of his life.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Proposal for sociology

Sexuality Introduction to the paper: In this paper, I will be writing of how the development of media, especially pornography and setting has influenced society's sexuality. First of all, setting refers to act of sharing or sending sexually explicit Images or words through the use of cellular phones or internet. As the technologies have developed over time, it became much easier for individuals to have access to setting and pornography. Now, with the rapid development of smart phones, and various applications to download, it became a lot more easier for people to enter the world of pornography.The effect and Influence of pornography Is almost Inevitable and seems almost Impossible to put a firm stop to the business due to the great amount of economic power and portion it has on global scale. According to â€Å"Top Ten Reviews†, there statistics on pornography reveals that every second, 3,075. 64 dollars are spent on It, and 28,258 people view them. â€Å"In 2006, $13. 33 bill ion dollars was spent In porn Industry and It exceeds the combined revenues of BBC,CBS and NBC.However, it is very difficult to accurately determine the number of dollars spent and gained through the pornographic equines, because most of the revenues are created and hidden under the shade of black market. The combination of huge growth of market power and technological advancement has even allowed to push down the average age of viewing sexually explicit videos and pushed up the number of viewers. The reason this industry is able to gain and maintain its great financial power is due to the huge demand by the population.In 2009, Medal Research Center shared a result that the word â€Å"Porn† was the most used word In the search for the videos In Youth. The reason I am sharing the results of statistics done by various researches is to show the amount of economic power the business of pornography holds and how so many people demand for the access to them. This paper Is not neces sarily written to criticize the effect of the pornography market. It Is to observe how the new form of sexuality Is being created and how people's sexuality is influenced by this great market.It does not necessarily look at how 1 OFF how the stereotype people have about setting and use of pornography could essentially lead to factorization of some teen aged girls. The purpose of this paper is to challenge the criticizing view that is given to teen aged girls that participate in setting. One of the most interesting part of this paper is where is criticizes the law ND education that does not fully educate or give cautions to people who may be exposed to the use of setting or any type of sexually explicit sources.At one point, the author questions how setting would reproduce the cycle of pornography industry and how they are to challenge sexism. They believe that setting could be viewed as a way to be more free of sexual expression. This paper was very helpful in writing my paper, beca use it allowed me to have a look at different perspective of setting and the media. My paper is not to criticize the power of the media, rather it is to observe he power and the influence it has on the society.Detailed data's are very useful to support my statements in the paper. By looking at the data's provided from this website, I was able to figure the economic power, circulation of pornography industry, great amount of demand by people around the world. Moreover, the data's help analyzing the different context of sexuality in relation to pornography, for instance â€Å"67% of young men and 49% of young women say viewing porn is an acceptable way to express one's sexuality' (Covenants, 2013).It not only carries many accurate data but also provide many interesting views and ideas in writing the paper; many statistics in this web site were shocking. The number of data's and the results lead people to suggest how so many individuals around the world are involved and being influenc ed by the market. The statistic data from here are expected to be the main source for any statement that needs to be supported with some statistic data's.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Performance Management - Essay Example Performance Management, therefore, combines various management methods that support each other in striving for improved performance in organisations. The concept of performance management and the debate over the effectiveness of performance management programmes have been of interest among human resource professionals for many years (Lawler & McDermott, 2003). As organisations seek ways to improve their competitive edge while maintaining or cutting budgets they are looking towards their human resources to provide more value for money. Performance management is seen as a key element for success in today's increasingly competitive environment (Anonymous, 2001). Indeed, a review of its theoretical foundations indicates that performance management should achieve the stated and, while there is empirical evidence to that effect, the fact remains that its implementation is problematic. Performance Management, as a management method, has three major components, each of which is based on management theories. The first component is strategic planning, involving short and long term goals and objectives, as well as defining the mission and future vision of an organisation and each of its divisions. The second component has to do with constant measurement of variables from the various parts of an organisation. The third component is feedback. The use of teamwork is emphasized in all three major components of Performance Management. The Goal Setting Theory, Total Quality Management (TQM), Reinforcement Theory, and Job Characteristic Theory are used as theoretical bases for Performance Management. The main emphasis in Performance Management is on direction, measures and feedback, to redirect and/or celebrate. Goal setting provides an important basis for management methods, such as strategic planning. Workers must know exactly what results are expected from them and receiv e feedback on actual results which are based on measurements. Strategic planning involving goal setting, both long term and short term, a plan of how to reach the goals, measurement, and feedback are the main factors in Performance Management. Proceeding from the above stated, it appears that the management theories in which Performance Management is grounded, predefine it as a successful approach to managing an organisation's workforce towards greater productivity. While numerous scholars have tended towards this opinion, the fact remains that Performance Management is a topic of controversy. If one is to objectively evaluate Performance Management, it is necessary to review the criticisms which surround it. 3 The Dilemmas of Performance Management In spite of frequently cited problems with traditional, standard performance measurement systems, most companies continue to rely upon them so this practice continues to be vital to organisations. Research at the Center for Effective Organisations suggests that performance appraisal represents the key element in the overall human resource management of an organisation (Mohrman, 1990). The judgments of

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Middle school and their teachers views of mental health Essay

Middle school and their teachers views of mental health - Essay Example This paper presents a critique of the perceptions, views, perspectives, understanding and attitudes of middle school pupils and teachers on mental health. It highlights what they think or how they perceive mental health concept, positive mental health, negative mental health, psychological needs, and mental health problems in the adolescence years, the risk and resilience factors as well as the causes of mental health. The paper also presents a review of literature in regard to the teachers’ role in promoting students’ mental health, the risk and resilience factors and students mental health problems in secondary school as well as identifying these problems early. It also reviews studies about mental health education curriculum and programs designed and applied in school in order to promote students’ mental health especially fro middles schools in Australia, UK, Canada, Finland and the US, such as SEAL, LEAs and PATH among others. The pupils’ attitudes and perceptions of mental health are influenced by the beliefs of the public and the communities from which they come from regarding mental health. Children acquire the wrong information regarding the unworthy nature of people with mental health problems. Generally, members of the public and parents tend to isolate their children from people with undesirable symptoms of mental health thereby instilling a negative attitude in their children. It is therefore common for adolescents to come to school with pre-determined judgment regarding mental health. Dalton et al. (2007) argue that the negative attitudes instilled in the adolescents may become more intense as they grow to adulthood if measures are not taken to change their beliefs. These perceptions lead to low self-esteem and feelings of rejection. The adolescents usually view mental health problems as a disadvantage that hinders the affected peers from accomplishing the tasks that are assumed to be

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 36

Reading response - Essay Example other hand, the US Supreme Court did not completely render it legally useless and added a condition that federal agencies need to consider Indian religions before making any policies that will affect the religious beliefs of the Indians. This paved the way for some positive changes with the formation of American Indian Religious Freedom Coalition (AIRFC) in 1988 which made statutory changes to protect the religious rights of the Indians. One amendment happened in National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) which was enacted in 1992. This Act required that Indian religious and cultural sites be included in the list of National Historic Properties and this automatically protected them from consequences of any federal agencies’ policies (â€Å"American Indian Religious Freedom Act†). Firstly, I doubt the authenticity of this article provided the author name the date of publication are not stated. However, I have found this article quite interesting since it reveals the US government’s contribution in preserving the rights and freedom of the Native American tribes. Being minority, they may endure cynicism in the context of their religious beliefs and it is common occurrence that they face hurdles when attempting to enter religious sites or practicing religious ceremonies. To get the full support of the US Supreme Court it is necessary AIRFA’s language is rectified so that the clauses become more watertight. The article talks about the sacred objects, ceremonies and traditional rites of the American Indians which are included in the Act which protects them from any consequences of policies made by federal agencies. This article leads me to question the actual impact of AIRFA considering that it is not allowed to be used as defensive armor by the Amer ican Indians in the court of law. The US Supreme Court’s limited support on the Act is stated in another article by Alvin M. Josephy et al. (1999) which tells about a case where two Native American employees were

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Firms in Context to Liberal and Coordinated Market Economies Essay

Firms in Context to Liberal and Coordinated Market Economies - Essay Example However, it is important to explore that because of different types of economies and different systems of governance, the firms all over the world are operating in similar manner or not. For understanding this concept it is first important to describe what are firms or organisations and what are their aims or objectives. Firms or organisations are a collective set of people who are striving to achieve a common goal or target. The main aim or objective of almost every other firm is of maximizing the overall profits and revenues. It is difficult to conclude that firms or organisations are similar in different social setups and economies or not. Different researchers and analysts have presented several theories in order to answer the complicated question that is there any difference in the firms and management across different societies and economies (Dore, 2006). Two most popular categories of theories in this regard are universalistic theories and particularistic theories. According t o the universalistic theories the firms are same all over the world and are subject to same rules and regulations. ... This has given rise to the concept of the international business and globalization. Organisations are composed of different humans, and the basic characteristics or features of human behaviour are same all over the world (Koen, 2005). On the other hand, according to second school of thought, firms and organisations are different across different economies and societies because of the different preferences and expectations of the management. It is important to consider the impact of the history and culture on the operations and organisational culture of the firms. It is not possible to change the basic culture or history of the firms and there is always a certain level of difference among different firms which cannot be disappeared even by globalization (Koen, 2005). In this paper an attempt has been made to explore and investigate that whether firms are same all over the world or not. For this purpose, emphasis has been placed on the firms in liberal and coordinated market economies. Nature of operations of organisations operating in liberal market economies has been compared with the nature of operations of organisations operating in coordinated market economies. In order to better understand the difference and similarities in the firms in these both types of market economies, characteristics of each type of market economies are also explored. Along with this the universalistic and particularistic theories are also further explained and investigated in the process of finding an answer to the questions under study. Finally, the impact of globalization on the firms and organisations has been examined. UNIVERSALISTIC THEORIES: According to the universalistic theories, organisations are exposed to same laws and

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Current State of the Economy in China Research Paper

Current State of the Economy in China - Research Paper Example This paper presents a thorough analysis of the current state of the Chinese economy. The main focus of the paper is on the potential of foreign and domestic trade activities in the country. Impact of the reforms in the economic policy, pertaining to the trade sphere, is also considered. The Chinese government in respect to foreign trade has worked to render some potential changes in this sector by removing some essential barriers pertaining to tariffs, and also reduced the level of monopolistic interventions of the different Chinese states. Even the foreign trade policies in relation to the export and import activities have been reformed by the Chinese government in terms of liberalizing the import licenses and enhancing the level of subsidies in regards to exports. The ascension of China to the WTO has also largely impacted the trade policies of China concerning the domestic trade activities. Government of China through the reduction of subsidies connected related to requirement of growth of import activities in such sector and thereby explicitly desired the reduction of dependence on indigenous materials. This activity is found to be impacted through the enhancement of American interference where the government of America strongly desired the reduction of the Chinese potential. American interference to alter the realm of government policies pertaining to Chinese domestic trade can be understood from the potential threat which the American government faces from growth of Chinese power. Thus American intervention is strongly observed altering the course of Chinese policy actions relating to domestic trade activities. The focus is rendered more on the energy sector of the Chinese economy which happens to render large amount of competition to the American region. Thus a fall in subsidies in the energy sector of China especially in the realm of wind energy helps countries like America to develop their potential in the international arena (Wolf). International and Domestic Trade Practices of China The trade practices of China pertaining to the domain of international trade of recent times is being widely accused for taking resort to a large amount of manipulation and adulterated activities. Developed countries around the world like United States and the European countries have in fact accused