A rough Man essays

A rough Man essays Rough, vigorous, hot-tempered and rich is what Mark Twain grew up to be. Born 1835 in Missouri, Florida he always did what he needed to in order for him to reach his goal. Even though he dropped out of school at the age of twelve, when his father died, he accomplished numerous things. Mark began writing when he took the job of a journalist. The tale 'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County' was his first success. After a trip by boat to Palestine, he wrote The Innocents Abroad. As his writing career blossomed, he also became successful as a lecturer. In 1870 got married, and a few years later he and his wife settled in Hartford, Connecticut. Huckleberry Finn is Twain's masterpiece, for its use of the brilliant character and descriptions, showing the humor of man's cruelty to man. He also wrote The Gilded Age, 1873, Old Times on the Mississippi, 1875, The Prince and the Pauper, 1882, Life on the Mississippi, 1883, Pudd'n-head Wilson, 1894, and Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, 1896. His later works, such as The Mysterious Stranger, unpublished until 1916, are not as amusing and more discouraging. He is known as one of America's finest and most characteristic writers. 1872 is the year when Roughing It was written. This book was just a personal narrative and not a history to show-off, nor a thoughtful commentary. It's a record of several years of exciting migration, and it's intention to help the reader rather than to hurt him with truth, or fill him with science. In this book there is lots of information about episodes that happened in the Wild West. There is stories in this book that have never been told and only been seen in the writers own eyes. There is a great deal of information in this book and the writer himself says this book can not be helped, but Twain was never exactly worried about giving his books an artistic framework. The information that he wrote came out of him naturally. He felt this urge to wr...

Cheaska essays

Cheaska essays New England and Virginia were both settled by people of English decent. Both areas were settled at around the same period of time. However, the two developed into very different societies. The main explanation for this is the bases upon which each area was founded. The Puritans were a hard working, god-fearing people. After many years of religious prosecution in their homeland of England they sought out refuge in the neighboring country of Holland. After living in Amsterdam for a year, the group moved to the town of Leyden. For the next twelve years the Puritans built the reputation of being honest and hard working. However, life was very hard in Holland. Many families did not have enough money to make ends meet. The group resolved that they would lead a better life in America. The trip to America was a hard one, however, it brought the group closer together. On November 11, 1620 the Puritans anchored in Cape Cod Harbor. The Puritans worked extremely hard to set up a community in which they could worship their god and raise their families. Because many families had an extraordinary amount of children (Document B), it was important for them to set up a good foundation of togetherness in which the children could grow up. Each man did not work for the better of himself but for the better of the community as a whole. ...being by Gods providence engaged together to make a plantation (Document D). This was needed in the initial building of houses, churches, and other structures that were crucial to their survival. [Yet] we must be knit together and work as one man...We must delight in each other, make others conditions are own...always having before our eyes commission and community in the work...(Document A). However, the people who started the colonies of Virginia did not have the same outlook on life. The Virginia Company, which funded the early settlements of Virginia, emph...

Critical evaluation of abortion as a social problem in the society Research Paper

Critical evaluation of abortion as a social problem in the society - Research Paper Example In such an occurrence, it becomes extremely necessary to conduct therapeutic abortion, which is prescribed by a health professional so as to save the mother. On the other hand, abortion can be induced willingly by a healthy mother so as to relieve herself from the responsibility of bearing and rearing the child, in which case it is referred to as elective abortion (Baumgardner, 2008). This paper is a critical evaluation of abortion as a social problem in the society, providing viable solutions to the menace. Abortion Abortion as discussed herein is a social problem, which has continued to remain a contentious topic of discussion internationally. This is due to the fact that different societies around the world engage in this debate from two perspectives. There are those who support it and those who feel that it should be illegalized on the basis of ethical and moral perspectives. However, several countries around the world such as the US, UK and some parts of Australia among others, have gone to the extent of legalizing abortion by enshrining it in their constitutions, while some such as Vatican city, El Salvador, Nicaragua, brazil, Mexico among others have made it illegal to have abortion irrespective of the prevailing circumstances (Beckwith, 2006). In general, at least 54 countries around the world permit abortion although some apply restrictions to avoid carelessness and irresponsibility. However, it is ironical to note that the rate of abortion in places where it is illegal matches that of places where it has been legalized (Beckwith, 2006). This is to imply that despite the efforts by these authorities to curb the menace, willing patients can acquire the services of clinics, which operate without their knowledge. According to research, approximately 45 million abortions are conducted on yearly basis. However, 50% of these are done under illegal and unsafe conditions contributing to a significantly high number of deaths, approximately 75000, and more than 3 million disabilities per year (Rosenbaun, 2005). This is a worrying trend based on the fact that, if the mortality rate emanating from abortion remains constant for 10 years, it means that more than 750000 persons would lose their lives while more than 30 million others would become disabled. Therefore, it is important to face the facts as they are and find viable solutions to this problem. The church for example has continued to uphold its moral standing, claiming that life begins at conception and therefore, harming a fetus is equivalent to murder (Beckwith, 2006). On the other hand, it remains adamant on the need to use natural methods of birth control. This may be the reason why abortion is illegal in places such as Vatican City, where the Catholic Church is most influential. However, they fail to realize that this only puts the citizens at a higher risk of performing unsafe abortions based on the fact that cartels operating illegal clinics will always establish themselves wit hout the knowledge of the authorities. Statistics indicate that at least 40% of women around the world can have access to these services, which are acquired in at most secrecy and discretion (Heary, 2009). The result is that the authorities will not have the capacity to protect these women since there is no way they can check on the qualifications of the personnel in this business as well as supervise the conditions through which abortion in these facilities is carried out. In order to find a better solution to the problem, it is important to highlight the various reasons why a woman may opt to have an abortion. To begin with, immorality in the society has continued to grow, with cases of rape, prostitution, adultery, incest and

International Commercial Arbitration and Privity of Contract Essay

International Commercial Arbitration and Privity of Contract - Essay Example What is international commercial arbitration? International commercial arbitration is a way in which parties can use an alternative method of dispute resolution on an international level. International law however does not clearly and concisely define what it is in reality. Alternatively, the UNCITRAL contains a Model Law which governs and defines more clearly international commercial arbitration as â€Å"any arbitration whether or not administered by a permanent arbitral institution†.1 David also provides a definition which states that ICA is a tool by which parties can settle a question by decisions of third parties â€Å"who derive their powers from a private agreement, not from the authorities of a State, and who are to decide the case on the basis of such an agreement†.2 Indeed, arbitration clauses are often specifically contained in contracts, which are specified as binding on the parties outside of court: ICA is binding privately according to the agreement of the parties.3 The purpose of the UNCITRAL Model Law is to aid states in reforming and brining up to date their national laws and regulations on the process of arbitration and it was adopted and implemented globally some 26 years ago.4 The Model Law is comprehensive and applies to all signatory states in many areas of ICA, including the recognition and enforcement of orders and awards, though states are not obliged to directly apply the law in their domain. Such countries prefer to use the Model Law as a framework which they adapt to coincide with their own national laws, economic systems, and public policy norms. Privity of Contract in International Commercial Arbitration Privity of contract requires that all parties to an agreement must voluntarily commit to the agreement for it to be enforceable; this is otherwise termed as mutual consent. In an ICA context, it can thus be applied to state that the parties to a contractual arbitration clause must voluntarily agree to the content of t he clause before it can be deemed binding upon the parties. Essentially, it is stated that arbitration without privity is not enforceable; particularly if â€Å"coercion, fraud,...[and]... lack of identity of the parties† is evident.5 Privity of contract thus aims to provide an equal playing field for both parties who come from different counties, as it allows them to rely on arbitration clauses in order â€Å"to be free of national procedural and substantive law†.6 ICA thus allows disputes which may arise between parties to become subject to regulations which are on a different level to the national laws of the parties so that claims concerning international privity of contract may be avoided. By agreeing on an alternative method of arbitration, both parties are able to be defined as autonomously agreeing to settle their disputes in a value-free manner. However, this again is differently viewed in practice, as many express concern in relation to privity of contract be cause parties to a contract may not be said to be parties to the international regulations on ICA. This claim is further aggravated by the fact that the UNCITRAL in particular is often altered or adjusted to fit in with national law, and its content is thus

Strategic Issues For Information Security Managers Essay

Strategic Issues For Information Security Managers - Essay Example As on can see, there are various physical elements that go into information security. Information systems play a large role in this. Firewalls are common, as they protect PCs and laptops from viruses on the Internet. Virtual walls are important in order to streamline information and make it suitable for company use. Information systems are one of the key driving forces in information security. Without security there could be no systems. Most prevalent nowadays is the necessity of information security professionals to be on top of problems which deal with breaches of security. Perhaps heard about more recently was the hacker named HackerKroll, an individual who hacked into various corporate accounts at social networking site Twitter. This hacker found a pattern in Twitter's system, also related to Google accounts and Amazon.com accounts, that had an effect on how the system was operated. Passwords for these organizations, as well as Facebook chat, was regarded as unsafe after this uni dentified individual user HackerKroll revealed certain insecurities in not only Twitter's system but other systems as well. The TechCrunch web site displayed a letter written by HackerKroll which went into quite a bit of detail about the information security breaches at Twitter, now known as Twittergate. The reason this problem caused such a stir was because senior advisers at Twitter had had their Twitter accounts hacked, and this also led to a vulnerability in advisers' e-mail accounts as well. This undoubtedly angered many head honchos at Twitter and caused a scandal. The fact that TechCrunch allowed HackerKroll's open letter to be published on its site was widely criticized. "Why would TechCrunch openly give other potential hackers, a.k.a., the public at large, any potential opportunities to hack the system by letting HackerKroll's salient information be released" Technically, one wonders why indeed TechCrunch would have released such a document. Surely, one must think, this is a folly. Why would one hacker's comments about the very system he hacked be allowed to be publicized on the very web site that is supposed to be joined to Twitter at the hip One potential reason that TechCrunch allowed HackerKroll's letter to be displayed on its web site perhaps had something to do with the reason that perhaps releasing this information would somehow trick other hackers into following similar steps that HackerKroll did, thus revealing weaknesses in the system. Inversely, this could also affect potential hackers. If new hackers tried HackerKroll's old tricks, perhaps TechCrunch was phishing for hackers, practically inviting hackers to try what HackerKroll had done-precisely so that Twitter could find and prosecute anyone who had ideas about performing similar actions.

Application Of Activity Theory Implemented In Information Systems Psychology Essay

Application Of Activity Theory Implemented In Information Systems Psychology Essay Activity theory is a theory of understanding the unobservable mental processes of the human, and their response and perception to a stimulus. Philosophers have established many definitions and explanation of activity theory, however it can be most clearly defined as: Activity theory theorizes that when individuals engage and interact with their environment, production of tools results. These tools are exteriorized forms of mental processes, and as these mental processes are manifested in tools, they become more readily accessible and communicable to other people, thereafter becoming useful for social interaction (Kim 2010 p:1). The activity theory has been made well known especially in the field on psychology by the likes of Leontev, Vygotsky, Luria (1977) and recently Engestrom (1999). Its main use it that of an explanatory nature in multiple disciplines, to enable us to gain a clear understanding of they way systems work and how change may occur. In this study we will introduce the origin of the activity theory, its framework and constructs, and identify its use. Furthermore we will analyse the activity theory from a philosophical, ontological and epistemological perspective. To analyse the application of the activity theory, we look at three examples from which we will draw out the theoretical framework. History of the activity theory The origin of the Activity Theory lies within the work of Russian psychologist, Lev Vygotsky (1896 1934). Vygotsky spent his time discovering the relationship between words and consciousness, and studied human mental development (Vygosky, 1986). In the 1920s, Lev Vygotsky worked on a way to develop a psychological theory based on Marxist philosophy and thinking (OLeary, 2010). During the 1920s and 30s, Vygotsky worked alongside two other psychologists, Alexander Romanvich Luria (1902 1977) and Aleksei Nickolaev Leontev (1903 1979), together they formed the Troika (Radzikhovkii Khomskaya, 1981). The work of these three psychologists were developed and carried out at the Institute of Experimental Psychology and the Krupslcaya Academy of communist Education (Radzikhovkii Khomskaya, 1981). Luria was one of Vygotskys students and worked on this project with Vygotsky. After working with Vygotsky on this theory, Leontev went on to extend Vygotskys work develop a more practical structure of the Activity Theory, which only became well known in the 1990s once it was translated form Russian into English (Levy, 2008). As mentioned above, the Activity Theory was developed by the philosophers, namely; Vygotsky, Luria and Leontev (Engestrom, 1999). Three general themes are present throughout the research done on the Activity Theory by the three Philosophers: The use of genetic or developmental method. The claim that higher mental functioning in the individual emerges out of social processes. The claim that human social and psychological processes are fundamentally shaped by cultural tools or mediation means. (Vygotsky, 1978). Figure 1 below shows the basic structure of the Activity Theory developed by Vygotsky. Tool Subject Object Figure 1: The basic schematic of mediated Activity as developed by Vygotsky (1978, 1987 p:201). General overview of the activity theory Although the Activity theory originates from the three Russian psychologists, a key set of structures were developed in the late 1970s by Engestrom (1970), which was used to explain the Activity Theory in a more clear and informative manner. This frame work was developed and used over multiple disciplines. The following quote by various philosophers provide a brief explanation of the Activity Theory; According to Hasan and Crawford (2003 p:155), Activity theory is based on the idea that human activity is a dialectic relationship subject (person) and object (person). This means that the relationship is not harmonious and that human perform actions with a predetermined outcome in mind. These actions however are influence d by tools, words, or cultural signs (Hasan and Crawford, 2003). Engestrom (1989 p:30) philosophically describe Activity Theory as a system of collaborative human practices and sees it as a generator of a constantly and continuously emerging context. Morten et al (2002 p:158) specified that the individuals interaction with other humans and their surroundings leads to thoughts and perceptions. Thus, Morten derived two types of activities (Levy 2008); Goal directed activities: the action occurs due to the goal that was set. Goal derived activities: an action occurs before goals are set. Shchedrovitsky (1995) on the other hand noted two approaches in his study of the Activity Theory; Formulation of the activity: This means that the individual carries out a set task or activity. Activity as an attribute of individuals: where the subject is the cause of the activity. When comparing Morten and Shchedrovitskys approaches we can see that they are alike, Mortens goal directed activities and Shchedrovitskys formulation of activities are alike as individuals do not have control over the activity to be performed. The goal derived activity and activity as an attribute is the same as the individual makes the decision of what and how the activity will be carried out. Theoretical constructs of the activity theory After Leontev expanded on Vygotskys theory, a modern philosopher, Engestrom developed a general theoretical construct in 1987 for the Activity theory; there are various other structures that were developed to explain Activity Theory which will be discussed below. Engestroms Structure of Activity According Yrjo Engestrom (1987) the activity theory is composed of 8 elements that interact with each other to achieve a specific goal. Activity and Tasks: an activity is an action that performed on an object to achieve an outcome or a goal. This activity may contain numerous steps or task that may or may not lead to achievement of the ultimate goal (Barthelmess and Anderson, 2003). Subject: subjects refer to the person that carries out the activity. The subject may play a specific role in completing a task, but is ultimately part of a group or team doing an activity. Object: the object is that which becomes transformed in the process of the activity and is motivated by a goal (OLeary, 2010). Outcome: the outcome is what happens after a task or activity is completed, it may or not obtain the object or goal (OLeary, 2010). Community: the community is composed of all the people or subjects and objects involved in the activity being performed (OLeary, 2010). Tools: tolls refer to physical and mental tools. They determine the way people interact with reality. They may limit peoples reactions or help them by enabling them to do things they previously could not (OLeary, 2010). Rules are guidelines, conventions, codes etc. that are usually set up by the organisation for a specific activity (OLeary, 2010). Division of labour: includes the hierarchical structure in the organisation and how activities are broken down into tasks and divided among members of the organisation (OLeary, 2010). The Activity Theory framework can be diagrammatically summarised as follows: Figure 2: The structure of an activity. Source: Engestrom, 1987 p:342. Drawing conclusions form the above framework, it is evident that a pattern occurs in the analogy of the Activity Theory of most philosophers. The Activity Theory can thus be explained as an explanatory theory that enables us to understand, identify and acknowledge strengths and weaknesses in a system. With the use of Activity Theory, a subject performs an activity on an object to reach an outcome. The activity in influenced by a tool(s) and the outcome driven by a goal. However, there are rules that govern how these tasks and activities are performed, and how tasks are divided among participants. These participants for the community of the activity, it includes everyone that was directly involved in the activity. Bendy et al. Units of Analysis The activity theory is based on cognitive of perceptive actions and the analysis there of (Bendy et al 2000). In general, the activity theory is composed of 5 units of analysis: Activity Task Action Operation Function Block Activity and tasks are objects of study as they are composed of assorted units with complex internal structures that represent particular kinds of activities focused to achieve terminal goals. Actions, operations and functional blocks emerge as units of analysis. Activities have intermediate couscous goals. Theories related to the activity theory Two theories have shown to be prominent that relate to the activity theory, namely the Information Systems Development (ISD) model and the Activity Analysis and Development (ActAd) Model. The activity theory is an explanatory theory that gives us a clear indication of the current situation and its problems, whereas the ISD model and ActAd is designed to carry out solutions and bring about change in systems. According to the paper written by Korpela et.al (Information Systems as an Activity), the ISD model and the ActAd model are interlinked where the ISD model is used as a universal work activity, with influence from ActAd as a theoretical framework. ActAD describes an activity as whole unit, comprised of networks and smaller activities or tasks, which is almost identical to the framework of the activity theory, Mursu et.al (2007). Korpela et.al explains the ISD model as a method in which an activity is manipulated by tools such as analysis, design, implementation, introduction and sustained support, as well as process management. In theoretical terms, the ISD model can be easily analyzed by using the activity theory as a framework, as all elements of the activity theory are interlinked forming a network for the interaction of activities. The use of activity theory and the diciplines in which it is used Psychology was the first discipline to use the activity theory, specifically a Russian psychologist Leontev (1977). Leontevs initial concern was the nature of the human consciousness and understanding the fundamental psychological basis of human behaviour through the study of linguistics, mental disabilities and its phenomena. In Engerstrorms article, Activity theory as framework for analysing and redesigning work the activity theory is defined as a multi-disciplinary approach, as it cuts across disciplines ranging from economics, sociology, psychology, ergonomics and criminology. Engerstrom (2000) describes the theory as drawing on psychological notions of mental processes, and makes use of institutions and communities rather than individuals as their units of analysis. Activity theory is directly proportional to learning and doing, in the sense that one cannot exist without the other; they are driven or initiated by a goal (Rohrer-Murphy and Jonassen, 1999). During the 19th century, social science was defined as the study of human behaviour within societies. An authentic definition of social science given by Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber: A society is made up of individuals are a major unit of analysis within a society, entitles them as primary architects of modern social science. With the use of the activity theory, we can predict the outcome based on background information and existing knowledge. This will enable us to gain a clear understanding of the varying behaviours and mental processes of people within a society. In criminology, activity theory was proposed by Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson in 1979 (Miller, 2006: 81). It was a response to attempt to analyse the then increasing crime rate of the United States during 1947 to 1974 (Cohen, 1979: 588).during that period, the crime rate was increasing and economic conditions were deteriorating, the activity theory was thus popular at that time as it was the only theory that could explain the circumstances. Once the analysis was complete, Cohen and Felson created a theory that was based on the rational choice model, in which people make rational decisions in ways that increases their advantages, and decreases their disadvantages as much as possible (Akers, 2004: 26). It is thus evident as stated above that the activity theory is versatile and can be used across multiple disciplines. It is an explanatory theory that enables the development of change and can be implemented in countless situations. Philosophical perspective of Activity theory According to Kutti (1991), activity theory is the Philosophical framework for studying different forms of human praxis as developmental processes both individual and social levels interlinked at the same time In other words the activity is not classified as a methodology but as a philosophy that looks at different forms of human natures acceptable practices, as developmental processes both on a social and individual level simultaneously. This philosophy is further described by Engestrom (1987) as a structural framework focused at surpassing all known dichotomies of micro-macro mental and material, observation and intervention in analysis and redesign of work. The Philosophical views deals with problems connected with knowledge, values, reason, mind and language (Teichmann and Evans 1999).Philosophical perceptions of activity theory found its origins in 1987, the birth of the society for research that was based on Activity Theory (ISCRAT) foundation. The Activity Theory was developed to solve problems for four main areas include Psychology of play, learning, cognition and child development (Becker and Niehaves 2007). Further more there where key outcomes or focus areas; language acquisitions and experimental development, these were also linked to educational institutes and schools. The activity theory discovers deep underlying concepts; the study of these concepts takes us through a process of transcendence. Thus it is important to realise that individuals have a variety of societal circumstances, secondly it creates ways to understand change, and thirdly the concept of labour and the role it plays. Labour comprises of the use and making of tools and the conditions that affect the activity. These conditions can be broken down to the functions of the process, relationship with nature, other people and the different people in the society (Engestrom 1999). Ontological perspective of Activity theory The term ontology comes from field of physiological concerned with study of being or existence. In computer science and information science ontology designed to enable the use of knowledge in a specific area whether physical or virtual. Ontology defines concepts, relationships and other distinctions that are relevant for development in a precise area (Liu and Tamer 2009). Ontology and activity theory is useful for theoretical and methodical lengths characterising and analysing and designing for a particular unit. The transition to meditated activity, fundamentally changes all psychological operations. The use of tools limitless broadens the range of activity within which new psychological functions may operate (OLeary 2010) As shown in the above figure. Activity Theory ontological perspective branches off the core disciplines of activity theory and looks at the tools, rules, division of labour, community, subject, object and outcomes in depth. The Ontology view will result in areas of meditational tools and artefacts, norms, tasks and roles, groups, individual, goals and results. Ontology offers a deeper and descriptive understanding of collaborative learning. (Barros et.al 2002). (Barros 2011 p:2) Epistemological perspective of Activity theory Epistemology is a philosophical study of what is required in order to have rational benefits and knowledge. Both traditional methods of philosophy and modern methods of cognitive science have broadened the understanding of epistemology (Cruz, 2011). Epistemology is an attempt to make sense of the possibility, nature and limits of human intellectual achievement. A key focus is to try to understand what is really known or believe reasonable. Epistemology aims to understand general and ever-present elements of human enquiry such as perceptual knowledge or inductive inference. Epistemology aims to investigate specific areas of knowledge or rational beliefs. To understand the nature of explanation in cognitive science ultimately the use of epistemology is present (Thorne 2005). When one relates the elements of Epistemology to the Activity Theory we can deduce that possibilities relate to the outcome of the activity and the limits referred to the rules that govern these activities. If we look at Activity Theory from an Epistemological perspective, its purpose is to describe a situation and how outcomes are achieved through the use of knowledge and resources, same as tools found in at. Activity theory thus realise what we know based on our knowledge and experiences, and gives us clear understanding thereof. Part b Activity Theory as an Analytical Tool: A Case Study of IS Development for an Anti-Retroviral Treatment Clinic in South Africa Does Activity Theory assist in highlighting challenges faced by the ART clinic with their current IS and assist in representing what users require from IS? The above the question is that which the case study seeks to answer. The ActAD model was used to highlight work and communication activities for which IS was needed. It was used to investigate the quality of data and illustrate importance of linking IS development and work practises. Research methods used were observation, structured and semi-structured interviews. These were used to help with understanding on how IS are used and also to understand reasons why it is not used. Value and performance of current IS needed to be researched if a potential explanation could be found. A number of techniques were used to collect data and to develop the process flow, these included the following: Use of available info, common knowledge, published docs and literature study on health info. Physical observations of the current process to watch and record the processes in the current systems Structured, semi-structured, unstructured interviews with various stakeholders were held. Either face to face or by email. After the collaborations with stakeholders and noting of concerns and viewpoints towards the current HIS, the ActAD model was used to represent the current IS and also the desired IS. Activity Theory as an Analytical tool: Actors and subjects: ART staff clinic that produce healthcare for HIV/AIDS patients requiring ART Means of work, the instruments and the facilities: computer, excel spreadsheet, docs in patient files, statistical data and medical instruments Object: unwieldy patients Means of co-ordination and communication division of work, rules, etc.: communications via phones or verbally, the rules stipulated and applied and use of captured data. Researchers role was to observe current situation by focusing on object, the means of work, instruments and facilities and how the actors and subjects made use of data collected. There are also exterior players illustrated by governmental and non-governmental organizations. Usefulness of Activity Theory: Highlighting the challenges The need for change: computer network and connectivity is lacking and thus a computer-based IS would be needed to aid the data incarceration, analysis and reporting. Current HIS does not support management functions or work processes of the clinic. IS as part of the work activity: work processes need to be streamlined if a computerised IS can assist with improving data quality and help improve decision making. Some of the improvement would include: Segregation of duties Verification of data Standardisation of ART clinic IS. Role of different stakeholders: the greatest challenge is the need for all the stakeholders to agree on a flexible IS that meets the minimum data requirements of the parties involved. Need for on-going support: funding for IT and training, ongoing upholding and support will be required once the system has been designed and implemented. This will lead to enhanced quality of healthcare services if it is part of proper admin and resource management.

Sports Violence in Relation to Preserving Values in Society Essay

Bench clearing brawls in baseball, bloody hockey fights, soccer mobs, post-game sports riots, and increasing injuries are all images of today’s sports that are familiar to us. In recent years players and fans alike have shown increased aggression when it comes to sporting events. One of the most disturbing trends in sports is the increasing frequency and severity of violence. Injuries and deaths among participants are on the rise, as are injuries and deaths among fans and spectators. Violence in sports is an important issue because sports themselves are an important aspect in our lives and the society we live in. Their importance, however, should not be greater than our concern about preserving the values and aspects of our society. The problem of sports violence has become a worldwide phenomenon, that is an unacceptable, growing social problem. Sports violence can be defined as behavior by a player, coach, or fan that is intended to inflict pain or cause injury (Berger 8). Sports violence causes harm, breaks the rules of the game, and is unrelated to the competitive objectives of the sport. Leonard identifies two forms of aggression in sports: Instrumental aggression, which is non-emotional and task-oriented and reactive aggression, which has an underlying emotional component, with harm as its goal(165). Violence is the outcome of reactive aggression. There are three major theories of aggression in sports: The biological theory, psychological theory, and the social learning theory(Leonard 170-171). The biological theory sees aggression as a basic, innate human characteristic, in which sports is seen as a socially acceptable way to discharge built-up aggression(170). The psychological theo... ...ect for authority, but that we have lost respect for each other. Our society’s preoccupation with winning has caused sports stars to play with the intensity of emotion, which leads to violence. While most occurrences of violence come from players, others, including coaches, parents, fans, and the media, also contribute to the increasing violence in sports today. Fans seem to emulate the violence they watch in sports and spectator violence is increasing as participant injuries rise(Yeager 11). Mass media contributes to the acceptability of sports. It provides exposure to sports-related violence via television, magazines, newspapers, and radio, which provides many examples to children who may imitate such behavior. Also it often glamorizes players who are controversial and aggressive. Reading this, I couldn’t help but think of the honorable Mike Tyson.

Mis at Coca Cola

Management Information Systems at The Coca-Cola Company Lewis Bianco Professor Rampersad CMS 315 Due: 12/7/10 As a world-wide leader in the soft drink and beverage industry, Coca Cola maintains a vast corporate and industrial structure which serves to run the business as smoothly as possible, and enhance all around internal performance. To make this happen, and to grow to where Coca Cola is as a business today, they have amassed a large variety of products, and reached deeply into the global market with these products.Some useful stats which help to realize the corporate landscape of The Coca-Cola Company are as follows: as of 2009 the company employed 92,800 people, featured a line of 3,300+ beverages, boasted 48 consecutive years of increased dividends, and had its products being sold in over 200 different countries (The Coca-Cola Company, 2009). However, all of this expansion and growth as a business could not take place without significant internal structuring.The corporate struc ture of Coca-Cola utilizes a mix of high end technology and computer systems, collaboration with bottling companies and retailers which exists on a large and impressive scale, as well as a massive focus on advertisement that is constantly on the competitive edge and the horizon of social developments in order to represent their products most efficiently to customers.Customers are of course, the final and most important link in this chain, and Coca-Cola has excelled at finding new and creative ways to reach its customers, while at the same time growing and expanding as a business in order to retain its position as the global leader in its industry. An example of Coca Cola’s extremely large dominion over the beverage industry comes in the form of a statistic, one of several important statistics found on the Coca Cola corporate website which states that according to a 2009 study, people worldwide consumed an average of 1. billion servings of Coca Cola products per day (The Coca- Cola Company, 2009). In order to manage all of this capital effectively, Coca-Cola employs a highly technological, highly structured system that includes 300 bottling companies independent of Coca-Cola. The company works essentially by producing the syrups, concentrates, and base products used in Coca-Cola beverages. This is the main purpose of the Coca-Cola Company, along with advertisement and management. After the syrups and bases are manufactured, they are shipped to any of the 300 bottling companies, who finish and package the final product.In this way, Coca-Cola is able to exist on a global level, while still working with local bottling companies. This is an efficient way to manage such a huge distribution operation, and although corporate oversight obviously still exists to a certain extent, it breaks the huge process of distribution up into smaller, more manageable chunks which improve the over-all efficiency of the company. Bottling partners are for the majority not owned b y Coca-Cola, and the company prides itself on allowing bottling partners to work completely independently in most cases.An important stat which highlights this corporate relationship between Coca-Cola and bottlers can be found in the Coca Cola 2007 Investor’s Review, where in a pie graph entitled â€Å"Company’s 2007 Worldwide Unit Case Volume by Bottler Relationship† it shows that a majority 54% of its bottling operation is in non-controlling equity interest. The other portions of Coca Cola’s unit case volume are as follows: 25% – no ownership interest, 10% – controlling interest, and 11% – â€Å"other† which includes foodservice operations as well as the production of juice and sports drinks (The Coca-Cola Company, 2007).As we can see, the importance of these â€Å"bottling partners† cannot be underestimated, as it is their responsibility to manufacture the product and package it to vendors, who are the next key member in the structure of The Coca-Cola Company. The vendors are less intimately involved with the workings of the company as a whole but are equally important as it is their job to actually sell the products to customers. In this way, we see that the organizational structure that exists from within and without The Coca-Cola Company is elegantly simple, and is prosperous for bottling companies who are allowed to take part in the ompany without being owned by it. This is definitely something that most consumers don’t know about Coca-Cola, but it is a defining factor that makes the company what it is today. It is obviously important to understand how this relates to management information systems and in the sense of that term, without such systems in place the process by which information is gathered that is needed to make decisions on behalf of 300 independent bottlers as well as retailers would be a much less easily manageable task.The Coca-Cola Company also has a unique relations hip with its retailers and vendors, the people who actually sell its products. Through Coca-Cola’s superb information management, they are able to reliably track information about their products and make adjustments to their business strategy accordingly online accordingly. We see that management information systems are perfectly suited to a task like this as it allows Coca-Cola to gather bulk data on sales and details on the nature of those sales.This insight into the market is a big reason why it is possible for Coca-Cola to operate on such a large level with independent businesses working together in this way. The information gained through the use of management information systems is utilized by Coca-Cola in several different levels of the business structure which was mentioned in detail earlier.A simple and effective way of summing up this process is laid out in the publication â€Å"Management Information Systems, Controller’s Handbook† by the where it sta tes â€Å"MIS also enhances job performance throughout an institution. At the most senior levels, it provides the data and information to help the board and management make strategic decisions. At other levels, MIS provides the means through which the institution's activities are monitored and information is distributed to management, employees, and customers. (Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks). With this information, and general knowledge on the matter it is easy to see that this method of gaining large amounts of data is becoming an industry standard by necessity and those businesses who utilize management information systems will have a competitive edge in their markets. This is due to the foresight that this data offers into who is buying products, how many are being bought, and where they are being bought.Another important area where management information systems come into play with The Coca-Cola Company is that of online sales, and especially in to day’s market no major business can afford to disregard this tool. As many companies do in today’s industry, Coca-Cola chose to find another business to help organize and run their e-commerce sector. This company’s job is to essentially serve as a massive inventory center for Coca-Cola, in order to help with their distribution and shipping of products that customers may buy online.The shift towards the importance of e-commerce created a change in the marketplace that successful companies were able to adapt to early on. The most noticeable change that companies had to undergo after the rise of e-commerce was the fact that focus and control shifted from the retailer to the customer in online markets. No longer were retailers allowed to choose the hours during which customers could purchase things, and the demand could not be affected by how much any given retailer ordered for stock.With the online shopping experience, the companies themselves had to bend to the wil l of the customer in an even more in depth way than ever before. With this challenge of course came the necessity for increased data from online sales. A company like Coca-Cola has prospered very well from a combination of using all possible information to react to the changing market, as well as utilize some of the same practices that make them so successful with offline sales.Perhaps the biggest perk to having the internet at Coca-Cola’s disposal for the purposes of collecting and utilizing data is the fact that the speed of the internet can make for a much smoother over-all operation. As it is stated in the book â€Å"E-Commerce† by Ritendra Goel, â€Å"delays in inventory tracking and management can ripple from the cash register all the way back to raw material production, creating inventory shortages at any stage of the value chain.The internet promises to increase business efficiency by reducing reporting delays and increasing reporting accuracy. Speed is clearl y the business imperative for the value chain† (Goel, 2007). This is a very important concept to understand as it shows how important the collection of up to date data is for a company like Coca-Cola, especially when the nature of their corporate structure contains over 300 independent bottlers and even more numbers of vendors and retailers. Effective management of all of this data is what allows this unique structure to prosper.Being a global leader in its market, The Coca-Cola Company is in a unique position as a business. It has over 80 years of history behind it, and in that time has grown to become one of the most recognizable names in the world when it comes to beverages. Because of this, they can accelerate past much of the research and development that younger, less established companies must undergo. However, with such a huge business, the need for effective and fast data collection and storage is absolutely imperative.The unique structure of the business, with Coca-C ola primarily making syrups and concentrates, while 300 bottling companies make the finished product calls for even more careful management and analyses of this data in order to turn these numbers and figures into profit. After researching into what makes this company tick it is easy to see how Coca-Cola has become so successful in today’s market.Bibliography Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks. (n. d. ). Management Information Systems Controller's Handbook. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from Office of the Comptroller of the Currency : http://www. occ. gov/static/publications/handbook/mis. pdf Goel, R. (2007). E-Commerce. New Age International . The Coca-Cola Company. (2009). Growth, Leadership, and Sustainability. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from The Coca-Cola Company: http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/index. html The Coca-Cola Company. (2007). The Language of Refreshment 2007 Annual Review . Executive Communications, The Coca-Cola Company .

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and Its Decision essays

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and It's Decision essays There have been many attempts to look at the decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and claim it was erroneous in some respect. One of the most often used is the social policy' argument. Some constitutional scholars believe that the Supreme Court went too far in the decision, far beyond deciding the single issue involved. That issue concerned the need for an African American little girl to go to a black school that required of her a dangerous walk through a rail yard rather than a pleasant walk to a closer school that was all white. It is easy to argue that any decision of any reasonably lofty court in the land makes social policy decisions without benefit of election. Indeed, even lowly courtscity courts in small townsmake social policy decisions by virtue of the need to interpret the law when passing judgment or imposing sentences. A judge in a small town in New York State, for example, gives everyone convicted in his court the lightest possible sentence, 60 days plus two years of parole. Why' Because he knows the career criminals will violate their parole, and then it's an automatic five years up the river, no appeal, no questions asked. (Personal knowledge via In effect, that judge is making social policy. Therefore, criticism of the unanimous ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka on the grounds that it made social policy is relatively ludicrous. If it is all right for small courts in small towns to make social policy by engineering its use of statutory punishments, then assuredly it would be even more acceptable when the arguably wisest judicial minds sitting on the bench in the United States do the same thing. If the Court did make social policyas arguably it didthere is every reason to believe that the society was ready for the policy being made. The...

Thermodynamics Overview and Basic Concepts

Thermodynamics Overview and Basic Concepts Thermodynamics is the field of physics that deals with the relationship between heat and other properties (such as pressure, density, temperature, etc.) in a substance. Specifically, thermodynamics focuses largely on how a heat transfer is related to various energy changes within a physical system undergoing a thermodynamic process. Such processes usually result in work  being done by the system and are guided by the laws of thermodynamics. Basic Concepts of Heat Transfer Broadly speaking, the heat of a material is understood as a representation of the energy contained within the particles of that material. This is known as the kinetic theory of gases, though the concept applies in varying degrees to solids and liquids as well. The heat from the motion of these particles can transfer into nearby particles, and therefore into other parts of the material or other materials, through a variety of means: Thermal Contact is when two substances can affect each others temperature.Thermal Equilibrium is when two substances in thermal contact no longer transfer heat.Thermal Expansion takes place when a substance expands in volume as it gains heat. Thermal contraction also exists.Conduction is when heat flows through a heated solid.Convection is when heated particles transfer heat to another substance, such as cooking something in boiling water.Radiation is when heat is transferred through electromagnetic waves, such as from the sun.Insulation is when a low-conducting material is used to prevent heat transfer. Thermodynamic Processes A system undergoes a thermodynamic process when there is some sort of energetic change within the system, generally associated with changes in pressure, volume, internal energy (i.e. temperature), or any sort of heat transfer. There are several specific types of thermodynamic processes that have special properties: Adiabatic process - a process with no heat transfer into or out of the system.Isochoric process - a process with no change in volume, in which case the system does no work.Isobaric process - a process with no change in pressure.Isothermal process - a process with no change in temperature. States of Matter A state of matter is a description of the type of physical structure that a material substance manifests, with properties that describe how the material holds together (or doesnt). There are five states of matter, though only the first three of them are usually included in the way we think about states of matter: gasliquidsolidplasmasuperfluid (such as a Bose-Einstein Condensate) Many substances can transition between the gas, liquid, and solid phases of matter, while only a few rare substances are known to be able to enter a superfluid state. Plasma is a distinct state of matter, such as lightning   condensation - gas to liquidfreezing - liquid to solidmelting - solid to liquidsublimation - solid to gasvaporization - liquid or solid to gas Heat Capacity The heat capacity, C, of an object is the ratio of change in heat (energy change, ΔQ, where the Greek symbol Delta, Δ, denotes a change in the quantity) to change in temperature (ΔT). C Δ Q / Δ T The heat capacity of a substance indicates the ease with which a substance heats up. A good thermal conductor would have a low heat capacity, indicating that a small amount of energy causes a large temperature change. A good thermal insulator would have a large heat capacity, indicating that much energy transfer is needed for a temperature change. Ideal Gas Equations There are various ideal gas equations which relate temperature (T1), pressure (P1), and volume (V1). These values after a thermodynamic change are indicated by (T2), (P2), and (V2). For a given amount of a substance, n (measured in moles), the following relationships hold: Boyles Law ( T is constant):P 1 V 1 P 2 V 2Charles/Gay-Lussac Law (P is constant):V1/T1 V2/T2Ideal Gas Law:P1V1/T1 P2V2/T2 nR R is the ideal gas constant, R 8.3145 J/mol*K. For a given amount of matter, therefore, nR is constant, which gives the Ideal Gas Law. Laws of Thermodynamics Zeroeth Law of Thermodynamics - Two systems each in thermal equilibrium with a third system are in thermal equilibrium to each other.First Law of Thermodynamics - The change in the energy of a system is the amount of energy added to the system minus the energy spent doing work.Second Law of Thermodynamics - It is impossible for a process to have as its sole result the transfer of heat from a cooler body to a hotter one.Third Law of Thermodynamics - It is impossible to reduce any system to absolute zero in a finite series of operations. This means that a perfectly efficient heat engine cannot be created. The Second Law Entropy The Second Law of Thermodynamics can be restated to talk about entropy, which is a quantitative measurement of the disorder in a system. The change in heat divided by the absolute temperature is the entropy change of the process. Defined this way, the Second Law can be restated as: In any closed system, the entropy of the system will either remain constant or increase. By closed system it means that every part of the process is included when calculating the entropy of the system. More About Thermodynamics In some ways, treating thermodynamics as a distinct discipline of physics is misleading. Thermodynamics touches on virtually every field of physics, from astrophysics to biophysics, because they all deal in some fashion with the change of energy in a system. Without the ability of a system to use energy within the system to do work - the heart of thermodynamics - there would be nothing for physicists to study. That having been said, there are some fields use thermodynamics in passing as they go about studying other phenomena, while there are a wide range of fields which focus heavily on the thermodynamics situations involved. Here are some of the sub-fields of thermodynamics: Cryophysics / Cryogenics / Low Temperature Physics - the study of physical properties in low temperature situations, far below temperatures experienced on even the coldest regions of the Earth. An example of this is the study of superfluids.Fluid Dynamics / Fluid Mechanics - the study of the physical properties of fluids, specifically defined in this case to be liquids and gases.High Pressure Physics - the study of physics in extremely high pressure systems, generally related to fluid dynamics.Meteorology / Weather Physics - the physics of the weather, pressure systems in the atmosphere, etc.Plasma Physics - the study of matter in the plasma state.

Individual Consumer Decision-Making Process Paper Essay

Individual Consumer Decision-Making Process Paper - Essay Example In this paper, we will discuss the ways marketers can use the consumer decision-making process to drive buyer’s actions. The paper will also include a discussion on the impact of marketing on consumer satisfaction. As Tatum (n.d.) states, â€Å"with most customer buying process models, the approach begins with the determination by the consumer that he or she has a need or a want that must be fulfilled†. At this stage of consumer buying process, consumers identify their needs and then carryout a search for the available alternatives. At this stage, marketers determine the needs of the customers to know what strategies they should use to make people buy their products. Moreover, marketers can look at various aspects of the requirements of the customers to know whether their marketing strategies will be able to drive customer focus or they need some modifications to make their products attractive for the customers. Problem recognition stage is of great importance in the overall consumer buying process because this is the stage when a customer makes out whether he/she should continue with the buying process or not. This stage is dependent somewhat on the marketing of products. i.e. people first look at the advertisements of new products and then if they like some particular product, they make up their mind to continue the buying process. At this stage of the buying process, a customer searches for some available alternatives which are similar to the product they are intending to buy. If they find some better product from the same product range, they shift their choice to that item and discard their decision to buy the already chosen product. Consumers explore promotional materials and product’s history gain information about the desired product (Stroebel, 2011). From the perspective of consumers, search for the alternatives refer to the search for companies that manufacture the desired product. Marketers can play a vital role at this stage

The History of Warfare in the Perspective of John Keegan Essay

The History of Warfare in the Perspective of John Keegan - Essay Example The samurai were roughly considered as Japanese counterparts of Western European knights during their time. The Japanese were a literate a people, and the literary culture of the samurai was highly developed (Keegan 42). The samurai also developed a strong code of ethics that revolved around loyalty, self-denial, and honor to his lord and clan, and also being in constant readiness to die in the face of duty or failure. These set in mind the samurai’s striving for perfection in the art of war, especially in swordsmanship and the martial arts: It was fostered by Zen Buddhism, which stressed the ‘two supreme ideals – fidelity and an indifference to physical hardship’. It was reinforced by the culture of the warrior class, ‘a culture that paid meticulous attention to the formal, the ceremonious, and elegantly expressed in life and art’; Japanese swordplay was as much an art as a skill, governed by rules of deportment and gesture which epitomized th e Japanese concern for style in every aspect of existence (Keegan 45). The introduction of firearms in Japanese warfare during the 16th century was initially accepted at first due to practical reasons in relation to the ever-changing landscape of war during that time. ... Also, guns were unquestionably a symbol of foreign intrusion and were associated, illogically but inescapably, with the spread of Christianity (Keegan 44). It was for this reason that during the Tokugawa Shogunate period, all firearms in Japan were banned, therefore reversing the military advantage it once enjoyed for the sake of maintaining the samurai status quo. The next question to ask is when societies and organizations are most likely to originate or adapt to new military technology. The answer simply lies in necessity. The harsh realities of war and battlefield set the precedence that societies and organizations must adapt or completely change the way they wage war. During the First World War, nations developed several new military technologies to gain battlefield dominance that would ensure victory in the war. The invention of the machine gun, the breech loading shell cartridge rifles and artillery served as the initial technology for such dominance, but this led for all comb atants to take up trench warfare with much horrific loss of life for the attacking side since all combatants were equipped with such technology on the onset of hostilities. The invention of the tank was the second solution, but the machines produced were too few in number, too slow and cumbersome to impose a decisive alteration to tactical conditions (Keegan 313). The tank was developed as a defense, and because of it, there was no need to send waves of soldiers that will be cut down by deadly volleys of bullets and artillery shells. The last inquiry deals about specific characteristics of societies, technologies, and organizations in relation to their readiness to adapt to military changes. A specific characteristic is conditioned on society possibly