Ethical Media Professionals - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1611 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Media Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Introduction Every day in every career or job, decisions have to be made. However, it is really hard to differentiate ethical and unethical decisions. At times, decisions even have to be made in the heat of the moment. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ethical Media Professionals" essay for you Create order So how does one ensure that the ethical choice is made? Media professionals do not differ much from other professionals in this regard. Professions such as lawyers and possibly doctors are also faced with ethical and unethical decisions to be made. Therefore, codes of conduct for these professions have to be made in order for the people involved to be able to make the right decision at the right time. However, unlike media professionals, violating these codes will often get the other professionals barred from practice or even have their licenses revoked. Media professionals on the other hand, have no professional review boards to revoke or to even grant these licenses. Although the performance codes for media are not as strict as other industries, they still exist. And here we are today to discuss, or rather to present, these ethical principles. The Print Media The first set of ethics was set by the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) in 1923, one year after founding the organization. They adopted the Canons of Journalism without any pressure from the government or the public. There were seven canons, namely; responsibility, freedom of the press, independence, accuracy, impartiality, fair play and decency. The canons are mostly prescriptive rather than proscriptive, in the sense that it tells the media what to do, rather than to tell them what to avoid. A brief description of each cannon: (1) Responsibility The right of a newspaper to attract and hold readers is restricted by nothing but considerations of public welfare. The newspaper makes use of the share of public attention it gains which serves to determine its sense of responsibility, which it shares with every member of its staff. A journalist who uses his power for any selfish or otherwise unworthy purpose is faithless to a high trust. (2) Freedom of the Pre ss Freedom of the press is to be guarded as a vital right of mankind. It is the unquestionable right by law, including the wisdom of any restrictive statute. To its privileges under the freedom of American institutions are inseparably joined its responsibilities for an intelligent fidelity to the Constitution of the United States. (3) Independence Freedom from all obligations except that of fidelity to the public interest is vital. A. Promotion of any private interest contrary to the general welfare, for whatever reason, is not compatible with honest journalism. So-called news communications from private sources should not be published without public notice of their source or else substantiation of the claims to value as news, both in form and substance. B. Partisanship in editorial comment which knowingly departs from the truth does violence to the best spirit of American journalism; in the news columns it is subversive of a fundamental principle of the profession. (4 ) Sincerity, Truthfulness, Accuracy Good faith with the reader is the foundation of all journalism worthy of the name. A. By every consideration of good faith, a newspaper is constrained to be truthful. It is not to be excused for lack of thoroughness, or accuracy within its control, or failure to obtain command of these essential qualities. B. Headlines should be fully warranted by the contents of the articles which they surmount. (5) Impartiality Sound practice makes clear distinction between news reports and expressions of opinion. News reports should be free from opinion or bias of any kind. This rule does not apply to so-called special articles unmistakably devoted to advocacy or characterized by a signature authorizing the writers own conclusions and interpretations. (6) Fair Play A newspaper should not publish unofficial charges affecting reputation or moral character, without opportunity given to the accused to be heard; right practice demands the giving of su ch opportunity in all cases of serious accusation outside judicial proceedings. A. A newspaper should no invade rights of private feelings without sure warren of public right as distinguished from public curiosity. B. It is the privilege, as it is the duty, of a newspaper to make prompt and complete correction of its own serious mistakes of fact or opinion, whatever their origin. (7) Decency A newspaper cannot escape conviction of insincerity if, while professing high moral purpose, it supplies incentives to base conduct, such as are to be found in details of crime and vice, publication of which is not demonstrably for the general good. Lacking authority to enforce its canons, the journalism here represented can but express the hope that deliberate pandering to vicious instincts will encounter effective public disapproval or yield to the influence of a preponderant professional condemnation.* *: Cited from www.superiorclipping.com/canons.html When the Canons of Journa lism was first released, an article in the Times magazine stated that The American Society of Newspaper Editors aim to be to journalism what the American Bar Association is to the legal fraternity. However there was a major difference both of the organizations. ASCE has never removed anyone from its membership even with ample reasons for it. However, the American Bar Association had the power to revoke license of practice. Even though these canons exist, it is still really difficult to differ between ethical and unethical actions. For example, using the canon responsibility, if a reporter were to do a write up on a celebrity, namely Britney Spears, on her career, will that reporter just report the good parts of her life? Or will that reporter include her scandals as well? These 7 canons were later revised by the ASNE in the year 1975. They were renamed as Statement of Principles. Those were the code of conduct by the ASNE. Somewhere around that time, another organizatio n called The Society of Professional Journalist (SPJ) adopted their own code. SPJ was formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi. The SPJ code did not change for over 45 years, but was however revised in years 1973, 1984, 1987 and one more time in 1996 due to ethics within the journalistic society being more problematic. SPJ designed their code to guide journalist involved in every media and are based on these four principles: Seek the truth and report it. Journalist should be honest, fair and courageous in reporting the news. Minimize harm. Journalist should treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect. Act independently. Journalist should be free of obligation to any interest other than the publics right to know Be accountable. Journalists should be accountable to their audience and each other. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬   à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  : Cited from page 395 Joseph R. Dominicks The Dynamics of Mass Communication tenth edition In 1975, another code was again adopted by yet another organization named the Associated Press Managing Editors (APME). This time around, the codes are about responsibility, accuracy, integrity and independence. In 1995, the code was then revised to cover issues such as plagiarism and diversity. In late 1999, another organization came into the picture. A newspaper chain called the Gannett Company, was the first to use ethical principles for the content of its papers. Theyve took upon this decision mainly because of the growing distrust that the public has on the media. They wish to regain the trust of the public and to reassure them that their contents are not inaccurate or unfair. The new guidelines forbid, among other things, lying to get a story, fabricating news, and publishing misleading alterations of photographs. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ © à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ © : Cited from pag e 395 Joseph R. Dominicks The Dynamics of Mass Communication tenth edition Broadcasting Since 1929, radio and television broadcasters have followed the Code of Good Practice by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). The code was revised over certain periods throughout the years. The code itself is divided into two parts. The first part of the code covers advertising in the radio and television. The second part covers general program practices. However, in 1982, due to certain limitations on advertising, and after being ruled by court, the advertising part of the code was dissolved. The following year, due to more legal pressure, the NAB officially abolished the code entirely. In 1990, a programming principle was issued by the NAB. This time around, it addressed four key areas: children TV, violence and drug, substance abuse, and indecency. These new guidelines were stated obviously, for example Glamorization of drug use and substance abuse should be avoided^ ^: Cited from page 396 Joseph R. Dominicks The Dynamics of Mass Communication tenth editi on In 1997, a bill was introduced by four senators. That bill enables all broadcasting and cable industries to be immune from antitrust laws. Antitrust would mean Opposing or intended to regulate business monopolies, such as trusts or cartels, especially in the interest of promoting competition as cited from The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. This allowed them to develop a new code. Other bills were introduced in Congress 1998 and 1999. These bills were similar in the sense that they all encourage broadcasters to develop a voluntary code of conduct. The Radio and Television News Directors Association, in the broadcast journalist area, came up with a more extensive code. The 11-part code covers everything from camera in the courtroom to invasion of privacy. The new philosophy concerning ethics in broadcasting reveals that: They are advisory rather than prohibitive; they should be centred in indi vidual stations or corporations, rather than a national organization like NAB; since there is no provision for monitoring and enforcement on the national level, any concerns about ethics should come from individual stations and listeners/viewers; the decentralization of ethics may be indicative of a pluralistic society, where values and mores reflect distinct group perspectives, rather than a national standard.

Euthanasi A Moral Dilemma - 1190 Words

Shubhpreet Janda Prof. Anthony Fraser English Comp 1 May 5, 2015 Euthanasia: A Moral Dilemma In a brightly-lit, cold white room, Dr. Jesse is discussing the extent of the life-threatening disease that a patient, Mark, has. Mark has a chance of survival, but only for about two torturous months where he will have to separate himself from his normal life and engage in chemotherapy every day. When first hearing about his situation, Mark immediately decides that plowing through two painful months is not worth his time or effort, and he wishes to end his life on a positive note without wearing down his body since he will have to depart sooner or later anyways. Now when confronted with Mark’s decision, Dr. Jesse freezes and rationalizes with his beliefs to try and figure out the morally correct resolution to this problem. Like Mark, many other ill patients ask for life termination to relieve themselves from suffering and many other doctors, like Dr. Jesse, are also placed in this position where they must choose to either follow the patients’ requests, or to try an d keep the patient living despite their wishes. Who has the power to make this decision about ending a patient’s life, and to what extent? A terminally ill patient has the right to request the act of euthanasia as long as he or she is deemed as consciously aware. According to the online Princeton Wordnetweb dictionary, consciousness is â€Å"an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation†

The Copper Free Essays

Gavin cares about his Job. He sees the importance of the existence and enforcements of laws. Caring about a job and feeling important helps the employee perform better. We will write a custom essay sample on The Copper or any similar topic only for you Order Now He has also learned the techniques to distance himself from the Job and how to be efficient while on the clock (1. 71-80). Those cartel’s makes a good employee Ana a good cop. By long so Gavin Decodes ten right person for the Job. B. Children all around the world is raised differently. With the different cultures that exist, will there automatically occur different viewpoints on how to raise children proper. Some believe in non-violent negotiations and treating their children like young adults instead of kids. Others believe in the strength of corporal punishment and fear. I have never been laid a hand on by my parents. Together with their guidance I have figured out what I believe is right and wrong. I respect my parents, but not out of fear. My upraise and relationship with my parents would have been very different, if I had been raised with corporal punishment. I assume I would do what was expected of me, but without thinking for myself. Ata certain age parents can no longer control their children by corporal punishment. The children will not have learned considering responsibility for others than themselves. They have not matured in the same way, as if they had been forced to think like adults from the beginning. Besides the level of maturity, do I don’t believe in corporal punishment. I don’t understand parents, who need to smack their children to teach them a lesson. Why not reason with their children instead and make them see what’s right and wrong and avoid having a bad conscience (if you get such). In school I don’t believe n corporal punishment either, but in treating the students with respects or like young adults, if their age is more advanced. The school systems have an important job besides educating the children. They also have to discipline them. They teach how to interact in a society and to follow rules and norms. In the school, as like the rest of the world, a child is not irreplaceable, like it is to the parents. This makes it possible to teach the children things, that wouldn’t be possible inside the four walls at home. My way of thinking is classic Scandinavian. In other countries were corporal enmeshment is common, would complete different arguments come up. They would argument that children needs the discipline to get most out of school and that they haven’t yet age enough to be treated like adults. Until that point would they need a strict seed of rules. But in a fast moving society like today’s, criteria are constantly changing. Children are forced to take initiative, to grow up fast and get a sense of what kind of person they want to become. An upraise with corporal punishment is becoming out aged, and will not sooner or later no longer be able to keep up with the time. How to cite The Copper, Papers

Theme Assignment- Night free essay sample

Night Theme Assignment Holocaust survivors provide an opportunity for studying the lasting effects of massive suffering and extremely stressful experiences. Before the Second World War, the Germans made laws, which said that Jewish people are no longer welcomed in Germany. German people began to persecute them. When the Second World War started most of the Jews were brought to concentration camps all over Europe including Eliezer and his father. Everyone who was in one of these concentration camps will never forget their experience during the war. In the novel, Night, Elle Wiesel states the theme, that the victims of the Jewish holocaust are profoundly affected by their hellish experiences. Many quotations from different major characters extracted from the novel support the theme. â€Å"One day I was able to get up, I decided to look at myself in the mirror on the opposite wall. I had not yet seen myself since the ghetto†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 115) this quotation is a final statement about the effect the Holocaust has had on Eliezer. He implies that even though he has survived the war physically, he is essentially dead; his soul was killed by the suffering he witnessed and experienced. In this quote he indicates a fundamental separation between his sense of self and his identity as a Holocaust victim. His body-image reminds him of how much he suffered throughout the holocaust and how much of himself-his faith in God, his innocence, his faith in mankind, and his family. Eliezer survives and develops a sense of identity that will endure beyond the Holocaust. In assessing the impact of the Holocaust on survivors, it needs to be said that no person could have survived Hitlers concentration camps and emerged totally unchanged. Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed â€Å"(p. 34, 11-12) this is one of the first quotation which shows that Eliezer’s life change from the beginning of the camp. The quotation is taken after Eliezer is brought to the camps. In his head there are always these memories from the journey they had to make. He thinks about Mrs. Schachter who went crazy in the train because she had no water. He thinks about the smoke from the crematoria which scared him a lot. And he thinks about all his lost hope. Elizer doesn’t believe in god anymore beginning from this point. He thinks if someone like god would exist, he wouldn’t have to suffer in a concentration camp and he wouldn’t have to see all these pain. â€Å"That night, the soup tasted of corpses† (p. 65) this passage occurred after the pipel suffered, struggled between life and death, under Eliezer’s eyes, as he was obligated to watch a criminal act. Eliezers had seen worse, like the old man and the Polish boy who had done wrongs to deserve the punishments they received. The Polish boy stole during the bombing session and the old man ate soup from the cauldron. The pipel on the other hand did not really do anything wrong, but refused to talk and sacrificed his life. The death of the innocent child represents the death of Eliezer’s own innocence. Elizer was starting to lose faith in god in a world where an innocent child could be hung on the gallows and his entire emotional worldview transformed. The fact that the young boy remained alive and experienced death slowly made them cringe the most, which is why the soup tasted like corpses. Many psychological effects caused by the Holocaust forever changed the way the Jewish people view the world and themselves. â€Å"Many years later in Paris, I sat in the Metro, reading my newspaper. Across the aisle, a beautiful woman with dark hair, and dreamy eyes. I had seen those eyes before. † (p. 53, 21-23) this quotation occurs when Eliezer is working in a factory. One day, unprovoked, Idek, a German officer, savagely beats Eliezer, after which a French girl who works next to Eliezer in the warehouse offers some small kindness and comfort. She tells him to keep his anger for another day and advise him not to begin consider rebellion but to rely on faith. Eliezer sees after many years this one French girl again in Paris. He still remembers her look, especially her eyes. They talk about what happened in their past and in this one moment they shared. This quotation proves that pain goes by, but the horrible memories are still alive and can be affective in a person’s life. â€Å"Men to the left, women to the right† (p. 29) eight words spoken, indifferently, without emotion with painful life changing meanings. These ords separated Eliezer and his mother and sister forever, as well as countless other husbands and wives, mothers and sons, fathers and daughters on their arrival. The weak, old, and young people were basically worthless and had to be immediately executed by the SS officers. It emphasizes the cruel Nazi guards and the tragedies that were daily upon Jews in Auschwitz concentration camp. Millions of J ewish lives were profoundly affected by the Holocaust as a result. Being separated from your loved ones at such a young age is something that sticks with you your whole life and can make you cold as a person. Years later I witnessed a similar spectacle in Aden. Our ship’s passengers amused themselves by throwing coins to the â€Å"natives,† who dove to retrieve them† (p. 100, 18-20) in this quotation Elizer is after the Holocaust on a ship for holidays. When this ship passes natives the passengers starting to throw coins to them. Elizer sees how to young children are fighting in the water to grab these coins. Immediately his old memories are coming up when he is sitting in the train and people try to help by throwing bread into the wagons. But the people in there are starting to kill each other for bread. Deeply in Eliezer’s memories is one moment when a son kills his own father just to eat his bread. Elizer who felt this pain already once doesn’t want to happen it again, so he tells the passengers on the ship to stop it. All this proves that his experience and all the things that happened in concentration camps will never be forgotten by the prisoners â€Å"Jews, listen to me! That’s all I ask of you. No money. No pity. Just listen to me! † (p. 7) this passage occurs after Moshe returns and describes how the deportation trains were handed over to the German secret police at the Polish border. He escaped the concentration camp in order to warn Eliezer about the situation, but no one wanted to believe his story and people thought he was a lunatic. Moshe was a different person when he returned to his hometown; the joy inside of him was gone. His horror stories about deprivation, killing, and taking away everything you owned sounded so awful and unbelievable that his truth was dismissed. Moshe tried his best to warn the people from Sighet, but they ignored him and as a result everything that he was telling the citizens actually occurred again in 1944. This time he was clever enough to slip away before getting caught again. This quotation proves that Moshe’s previous hellish experience affected his chance of surviving. â€Å"I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name. † (p. 42, 23) The Nazis started in the camp to mark people. They did it so they wouldn’t have to learn the names of the prisoners and the Nazis could handle with numbers and letters to identify them. Every prisoner became his own number. This number is a symbol for how he was seen in Auschwitz, as a slave and not as a person. This tattoo will always stay on Eliezer’s body, and it constantly reminds him of the many bad memories and feelings at the camp. So the most terrible thing which will always remind Elizer of his ominous time at Auschwitz is his tattoo. Night mostly occurs when suffering is worst, and its presence reflects Eliezer’s belief that he lives in a world without God. In Night, Eliezer exploits this allusion and develops the theme that the victims of the Jewish holocaust are deeply affected by their hellish experiences. Wiesels experiences in the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Buchenwald are very well detailed in the story; his accounts of starvation and cruelty are shocking—an intense testimony to the penalties of evil. The Holocaust was perhaps the most evil single event ever performed by human beings. Today, he is a writer, professor, political activist, and a holocaust survivor. â€Å"No human race is superior, no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them† Eliezer Wiesel.

Radio In The 1930s-1940s free essay sample

An analysis of the Golden Age of radio. Examines radios Golden Age, innovations in sound, focusing on the comedy of Jack Benny and dramas by writer Norman Corwin. Radio in its so-called Golden Age in the 1930s and 1940s developed a means of expression that made use of sound as a tool of communication and that found a way to utilize sound in the service of dramatic presentation. For most of its history, radio drama and comedy were live, and their sound effects, music, and dialogue were delivered to a live audience both at home and in the studio in many cases. Comedies had an interactive and participative audience, and the laugh track carried over into filmed television was an attempt to maintain that element. Both comedy and drama were experimental in terms of their use of sound, though this has not always been recognized. A serious drama such as a play by Norman Corwin or a CBS Radio Workshop would be recognized for their interesting use of sound, but comedies like The Jack Benny Show used sound to convey ideas and attitudes with

Cognitive Treatment of Depression

Cognitive Treatment of Depression The hassles and hurdles of life are usually characterised by mood variation which may take toll on an individual and affect the normal functioning of the body. Depression has for a long time been associated with the difficulty to deal with challenges experienced in the day to day life.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cognitive Treatment of Depression specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is a condition that makes a person excessively moody; always sad, discouraged, hopeless, anxious, irritable and a general feeling of despair and emptiness in life (Dobson, 2011). This state usually lasts longer than is normally expected. A depressed person may loose enthusiasm in activities that were initially of great interest. Research has shown that this condition is one of the leading risk factor for suicidal tendencies due to the strong emotions associated with it (Butler Beck, 2005). There are several sub-types of depression dep ending on their signs and symptoms, and the effects they have on a person. Effective treatment of depression relies on proper identification of the type. Several options for treating this condition have been developed. The essay discusses the cognitive treatment of depression disorder. It describes the rationale for the therapy, some of the therapeutic techniques used to treat this disorder, and provide a brief overview of the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of this treatment method. The rationale for cognitive therapy Treatment of any disease or disorder depends on the accurate understanding of the signs and symptoms, the possible causes as well as the effects it has on an individual. Some of the treatment options include music therapy, group therapy, pet therapy, psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, physical exercise, and use of medicinal drugs. Cognitive therapy is one of the most effective and efficient method for treating depression (Rupke, Blecke Renfrow, 200 6). As already mentioned, depression interferes with the normal functioning of the body including the thought process.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A depressed person develops extremely negative thoughts and attitudes towards life in general resulting in a distorted perception of reality. The negative thoughts have to be defused by the use of appropriate techniques in order to restore normalcy in the person’s thought process (Beck, 2006). This has emerged as one of the major reason justifying the use of cognitive therapy in the treatment of depression disorder. While antidepressant medicines have been found to work effectively in dealing with moderate depression, research findings reveal that cognitive therapy is effective as well (Butler Beck, 2005). Symptoms such as fatigue, low self-esteem and manifestations of suicidal tendencies are closely associated with t hought problems (Beck, 2006). It would therefore be appropriate to use cognitive therapy to reduce these symptoms and reinstate proper thinking and better feeling. For a long period, depression had been treated using medicinal drugs and had been found not to work effectively in treating all cases of depression (Butler Beck, 2005). This was mainly due to the multifaceted nature of the condition. Among those cases that could not be treated include the ones involving negative thoughts and attitudes. In the 1960s, cognitive therapy was introduced as an alternative method for dealing with the disorder. The other rationale for using cognitive therapy in treating depression disorder is the fact that thoughts can significantly influence the moods of an individual (Dobson, 2011). A depressed person may have negative thoughts without being aware of them. Conscious effort should be made to identify the existence of such automatic thoughts which are known to be recipe for distorted perception of reality. Cognitive therapy plays a significant role in facilitating this effort. The depressed person will be able not only to think positively but to have a realistic view of life and its challenges. How cognitive therapy works Cognitive therapists employ several strategies while treating people with depression. These therapeutic techniques are used to help individuals re-order their thinking patterns especially when confronted with problems in life. It is the ups and downs of life that contribute to depression in many people, young and old alike (Persons, Davidson Tompkins, 2000).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cognitive Treatment of Depression specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This treatment approach is very active and structured in nature with focus on the problem at hand. The first strategy is to understand the fact that problems in life are multifaceted: different individuals view the same problem from dif ferent perspectives; thoughts about the same problem vary; the emotions of a person concerning the problem are also unique; the view of the problem depends on the physical feelings of an individual when dealing with a problem; and most significantly, the actions of an individual prior, during, and the period after the occurrence of the problem (Segal, 2004). These are the most important angles from which any problem may be viewed. Cognitive therapy helps an individual to learn how to breakdown the problems into its constituent facets and categorise them into critical and minor problems. This will go a long way in ensuring that each problem is dealt with, one part at a time. The patient is usually taught the various tools of cognitive therapy. The treatment process is organised into clear therapy sessions by a qualified cognitive therapist (Rupke et al., 2006). At the end of specific sessions, the depressed person is expected to complete some take-home assignments which will enable h im or her to apply what has been learnt in selected real life challenging situations. All sessions are linked by continued review of the progress made from one lesson to the next. Under normal circumstances, a complete cognitive therapeutic course consists of about 14 to 16 sessions. Serious cases, however, may take longer than usual. These opportunities are designed to help the patient improve on his or her thinking and behavioural patterns in a progressive manner culminating in the reduction of depression (Persons et al., 2000). Apart from the sessions, there is the formulation of individualised cases, scheduling of various relevant activities as well as the schema change method. In order to understand the relationships between the type of thoughts, emotions, physiology and overt behaviour, the patient is requested to keep a record of all the undesirable thoughts as well as mental impressions or images about reality. Once these cognitions have been identified, the depressed person is taught how to evaluate them and adapt a realistic viewpoint and eliminate negative thoughts and distorted mental images (Dobson, 2011). In general, this approach employs both cognitive and behavioural techniques during treatment hence the alternative name, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Empirical Evidence on the Effectiveness of Cognitive Therapy The effectiveness of cognitive therapy relative to other treatment options has been proved to be superior over time in various depression treatment centers. A number of studies have indicated that cognitive therapies have good results just like in the case of pharmacotherapy in all cases of depression (Dobson, 2011). Cognitive therapy has also been found to be effective in the prevention of relapse which is quite common when alternative treatment interventions are exclusively used (Segal, 2004). The therapy has been found to be a reliable and effective alternative treatment option for physical and mental symptoms associated with depression. Conclusion Depression is definitely a serious state that has significant impacts on an individual both physically and mentally. The essay has discussed the cognitive treatment of depression disorder. It has given the rationale for the therapy and some of the therapeutic techniques used to treat this disorder. The paper has also provided a brief overview of the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of this treatment method. Cognitive therapy remains one of the most effective treatment alternatives for depression and should be embraced. References Beck, J. (October 2006). Cognitive therapy shows promise for suicide prevention. American Psychological Association, 37(9): 17 Butler, A. C. Beck, A. T. (2005). Cognitive therapy for depression. The Clinical  Psychologist, 48(3): 3-5 Dobson, K. S. (November 2011). Cognitive therapy. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association Persons, J. B., Davidson, J. Tompkins, M. A. (October 2000). Essential  components of cognitive-behavior therapy for depression. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association Rupke, S. J., Blecke, D. Renfrow, M. (January 2006). Cognitive Therapy for Depression. American Family Physician, 73(1): 83-86 Segal, Z. V. (November 2004). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for  Depr ession. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association

AIDS identified 1981 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

AIDS identified 1981 - Essay Example , the United Nations, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as those in the national and local levels have remained troubled of the effects of this condition as millions continue to contract the virus and die every year. In fact, the United Nations recorded 2.7 million new cases of HIV infections worldwide in the year 2008 and noted almost three-quarters of this number have died an AIDS-related death in the same year (â€Å"The Global AIDS† 1). As it worries the authorities and the total population of the current times, this paper intends to tackle how the condition was discovered and how it has affected the history since then. AIDS first came to view in the early 1980s when a number of homosexual men presented a kind of ill health condition which had not been identified in the history of the medical field Practitioners in Los Angeles, New York, and California have linked and treated the unknown condition with mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus, and other related conditions with their designated treatments as supported by the signs and symptoms seen in the patients (Grmek 3-5). The homosexual men who went to Joel Weisman showed â€Å"hectic fever, weight loss and swollen lymph nodes† (Grmek 3). A New Yorker also presented the same condition when he illustrated â€Å"lassitude, weight loss, spiking fevers, and slow consumption of the body† (Grmek 5). However, despite the attempts to counter the symptoms observed, no improvements became visible. Grmek even pointed out that two of Weisman’s patients â€Å"treated since fall of 1980, went from bad to worse† (4). After a number of labora tory works, the cause of the involvement of some opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia were attributed to the â€Å"reduction in the population of lymphocytes, due to the almost complete disappearance of the helper T subgroup,† components of the immune system that helps fight infection (Grmek 4). This decrease in efficiency for immune

Social Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Social Change - Essay Example There certainly have been various debates regarding the best form of governance that will maintain the Social Order or the Social Coherence of the people in general. The idea of society was born out of the fact that there needed to be a social coherence and security. As we can see in Scott Sernau’s essay, regarding the development of governance, right from the tribal days to the present kind of welfare-state; the present-day types of governance didn’t just sprout from the ground. It has taken a natural course until the time of the development of socialism by various philosophers. Post the era of socialism, there has been the interference of imperialistic rule, attacks against socialism-in the form of pseudo-capitalism etc. Let us look at five varied kinds of governance and compare the cases in depth. To begin from the beginning, governance was essentially Autocratic, which lent major amounts of power to one single ruler, who was determined to bring the people together and control their behavior. This formed the beginning of any kind of governance maintaining the premise that Humans essentially need to be governed. Usually the person who governed such states was known as a ‘dictator’ or an ‘autocrat’. (Perlman 1). The state was given birth to, by this kind of a rule, which marked the beginning of governance and governments. The rule is thereby continued by way of Nepotism, since; usually the throne of the ruler is taken over by the son or any other close descendant of the ruler. Autocracy or Chiefdom, slowly led to the formation of the nation-state. The formation of the nation-state is one of the more modern phenomenon since the times of the ‘despots’. This is the kind of governance that eventually led to the two World Wars. It is important to know the implications of the Nation-State since it led to the formation of ruling and opposition parties which is practiced even until today. There came to be collective consciousness among the

Analysis and Response Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis and Response - Movie Review Example But the desperate situations make him fight back. Remarkably, he wins over the enemies and destroys even one who betrayed him. Finally, in the climax he realizes that a drifter does not deserve a woman therefore; and leaving away his girl friend he walks towards the Club. Seijun Suzuki, a well known director of Japan introduced many techniques and tactics in this film, making it a significant one. The specific feature to be discussed and appreciated is the camera techniques. The film is the combination of black and white and color. Initially, the film received many compliments for the editing and different processes involved in image telecasting in unique style and in color. Color is rightly used at different occasions matching with the mood and situation. Most of the scenes are outstanding as color is appropriately applied. One such example for this technique is that the movie begins with black and white in color. And vibrant color is applied during the action sections, realizing th at vibrant images of action scenes evoke the emotion of the viewer. The particular fight scene shows the real anger and intensity of the fighter. Therefore, the story is clearly explained without any difficulty. Color is not just given priority at a violence scene but throughout the action scenes, understanding the real applicability of it. In addition, the editing of color gained many appreciations. Moreover many believed that color is the key factor for the success of the film in the box office. Of course, it deserves certain kind of worldwide recognition. Secondly, the music and sound technique play a vital in the movie. It is the well known fact that the music is an inevitable for the achievement of every film. Surprisingly, the movie Tokyo Drifter is an exemplary example for this. Techniques used behind the music and sound demand high value. Apart from this, the song sung by the actor has greater importance which was also introduced in the film. The music of Tokyo drifter is so mething unique in its presentation unlike other Japanese style of music. Every music piece is organized with the proper meaning, the situation of different feelings and melodious voice. Music is as soothing to the years and mind as one of the theme related song â€Å"Tokyo drifter song† clearly indicates it. As he sings the wordings â€Å"I’m a Drifter, the man from Tokyo’ a real feeling of circumstance is experienced. Therefore, such songs tell the story and attract the attention of everyone. Eventually, no matter one would come to a conclusion that a movie with ineffective music will have a negative impact on the overall success of the movie in the box office. The most significant filming technique of the film Tokyo Drifter is nothing but the very nature of storytelling. The style of storytelling is quite unconventional. Initially, a relevant theme is selected and organized with creative and innovative ideas. Unlike all other themes he rightly selected a soci al issue of gangs. Although the hero shows loyalty to the boss even after a defeat, the situations push him to a new world of wandering like monk leaving everything aside. Thereafter, he takes revenge on enemies, precisely not a revenge but can be rightly said a kind of survival tactics. Since the theme and activities undertaken are adventurous, the fight scenes gained its right rhythm. The most significant part of the storytelling is the unusual and unexpected ending of the film. Such kind of climax and

Introduction To Service Industry Restaurants Marketing Essay

Introduction To Service Industry Restaurants Marketing Essay The food service industry continues to grow in volume and revenue every year and typically divides itself into two categories: full-service restaurants and fast-food restaurants. Each individual restaurant is in competition with other food service operations within the same geographical area. The fast food restaurant industry is highly competitive. McDonalds competes with other restaurants through the quality, variety and value perception of food products offered. McDonalds Corporations main competition comes from other fast-food restaurants; most notably, YUM! Brands Inc, Wendys International, Dominos and Burger King. Figure1: The total revenues of the major players in the fast food industry (www.ycharts.com) The figure represents the market share of McDonalds in the fast food industry. McDonalds Corporation (MCD) has company operated and franchise restaurants all over the world. They are the leading global food service retailer by means of over 30,000 restaurants in more than 117 countries, serving about 50 million people every day. Franchising plays a major role in McDonalds system with 26,216 were operated by franchisees (including 19,020 operated by conventional franchisees, 3,160 operated by developmental licensees and 4,036 operated by foreign affiliated markets (affiliates)-primarily in Japan) and 6,262 were operated by the company. Their total revenue in 2009 was $ 23 billion. McDonalds success in the fast food industry stems from their main success factors which are branded affordability, menu variety and beverage choice, convenience and daypart expansion, ongoing restaurant reinvestment and operations excellence. These success factors are used to promote McDonalds brand image, p rovide customers with quality products and differentiate themselves from other competitors like YUM Brands (YUM owns brands like KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver) After extensive research, analysis and valuation, it is found that McDonalds corporation is currently an undervalued company and rated as a Market Outperform and thus I recommend this stock as a Buy. Executive Summary The food service industry is one of high competition; however, McDonalds has been able to obtain the position as the leader in market capitalization with a market capital of $74.6B in 2009. While McDonalds has deployed high amounts of capital, the company manages its asset base with high inventory turnover while also maintaining cost efficiency. Industry Demand Drivers: The market of the food service industry attributes much of its growth to global sales and revenue. Despite tough environment, McDonalds delivered an exceptional year of growth, posted strong sales and increased market share around the world. In 2009, global comparable sales increased 3.8 percent, fueled by solid gains in the United States (+2.6 percent), Europe (+5.2 percent), Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (+3.4 percent), Latin America (+5.3 percent) and Canada (+5.8 percent). Earnings per share for the year increased 9 percent to $4.11 (13 percent in constant currencies), while consolidated operating income increased 6 percent (10 percent in constant currencies). We also returned $5.1 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends paid, bringing our three-year cash return total to $16.6 billion-notably at the high end of our stated target of $15 to $17 billion for the years 2007 through 2009. Globally, McDonalds caters and adapts to different cultures and societies, while still providing them with the same McDonalds experience. With a significant portion of McDonalds sales derived from international stores, foreign denominated sales should generate additional earnings leverage given the weakening of the US dollar against other currencies. McDonalds is well positioned: McDonalds is able to maintain a loyal customer base, and compete with the existing competitors by introducing variation to their menu, such as the Dollar Value Menu. Also, in order to adhere to a more concerned health concise society, McDonalds has implemented holistic approach which consists of High-Quality Choices for customers, Consumer-Friendly Nutrition Information and communicate responsibly. The Happy Meal, which has been a long standing childs favorite, now has options such as fruit instead of French Fries and all white meat chicken nuggets. As for one McDonalds company goals is to adhere to outstanding customer service, strengthens the maintenance of long standing customers, as well as develop new relationships with customers of a new generation. Franchising business model: Within Fast Food restaurants franchise models are common. Franchise models can grow faster using others capital. Franchises have to be pay rent and royalties based on a percent of sales along with minimum rent payments, and initial fees. On the other hand, company-owned models have greater control over pricing, operations and can close underperforming restaurants more quickly. In 2009 the total no of franchised restaurants was 26,216 compared to 25,465 in 2008 and the number of company operated restaurants decreased by 3.6%. The total revenue from franchises in 2009 was $7,286.2 Million an increase in 4% compared to 2008. McDonald Franchises Revenue from Franchises Key challenges and Adaptability Intensity of competition: Competitors of the industry also try to compete with similar products; therefore, leading to price wars. McDonalds created a Dollar Value Menu, in response to competitors such as Wendys 99 cent menu. Overall, the industry has tried various product differentiations in order to accumulate greater market share, but most consumers are drawn to the classics. McDonalds is doing more and more to compete with health focused restaurants like Subway. Nutritionist and other leading experts have been hired to join the McDonalds team in order to ensure that the correct items are added to the menu, while still keeping and improving the classics that they are famous for. For example, the chicken nuggets that we all grew up on are now 100% white meat. McDonalds is flexible in their menu to conform to the changing tastes of society. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: In recent years the industry has had a small problem with beef, because of the outbreak of the mad cow disease. This problem raised the cost of beef in Europe tremendously but the cost actually went up around the world because of the beef shortage in Europe. The suppliers that sell to McDonalds have a strong voice also because of the fact that the switching cost for McDonalds as a whole would be so tremendous, so any problems or disputes would be worked out with there suppliers. Comparative Ratio Analysis Ratio analysis helps us analyze the financial trends of previous years and extrapolate those trends into future years for McDonalds and its core competitors within the industry. It is divided into three areas: fundamentals, growth and profitability, and capital structure of the company. Liquidity ratios are used to determine how liquid the firm is, and how it will meet its obligations. This also helps us determine how risky the firm is by determining if the company is employing an adequate amount of liability or risk to generate profit. Profitability ratios give us the perspective profitability of the firm is operating. The ratios will help in accurately valuing the company at its current condition, compare its performance against competitors, and project the future results of the company. Fundamentals of McDonalds (MCD) vs. YUM Brands (YUM) Table 1 Financial Condition Company Industry Average SP 500 Debt/Equity Ratio 0.74 1.82 1.13 Current Ratio 1.4 1.3 1.4 Quick Ratio 1.3 1.2 1.2 Interest Coverage 30.6 18.8 28.0 Leverage Ratio 2.1 3.8 3.8 Book Value/Share 13.12 11.95 22.35 The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King and Wendys. Current ratio: Since 1999 McDonalds has experienced a steady increase in their current ratio. The present current ratio of 1.4 is higher compared to industry average of 1.3. This increase shows that McDonalds has more ability to pay off their short term debts from the sale of their currents assets. Overall, McDonalds is in fairly good shape because their current ratio is growing. Receivables Turnover: McDonalds has consistently been well below its competitors YUM with accounts receivables turnover. This means that they arent collecting their accounts receivables as promptly as their competitors. This prevents McDonalds from reinvesting and expanding their restaurants which is a major source of revenue. This also allows for a greater chance of default on their accounts receivables. Asset Utilization: This ratio indicates how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. The return on assets (ROA) ratio illustrates how well management is employing the companys total assets to make a profit. The higher the return, the more efficient management is in utilizing its asset base. McDonalds Asset Turnover has consistently been lower than its competitor YUM since 1999. Debt to Equity Ratio: The debt-equity ratio is another leverage ratio that compares a companys total liabilities to its total shareholders equity. McDonalds has maintained a fairly low Debt to Equity Ratio of 0.74 which means that the company has an efficient amount of equity that can cover the cost of its liabilities compared to Yum of 3.14 or the industry average of debt to equity ratio of 1.82. Book value per share: This is an indication of how much shareholders are paying for the net assets of a company. McDonalds book value of 13.12 is higher than the industry average (11.95) or YUM (3.05) Net Income: The net income for McDonalds suffered a dip of 23% in 2007 but recovered in the year 2008, 2009. The total net income in 2009 was $ 4,555 Million compared to YUM who had a net income of $1071Million Shareholders Equity: Shareholders equity represents the amount by which a company is financed through common and preferred shares. The average Shareholders Equity for MCD is $13,287M compared to YUM who has a $709M. Dividend: MCD has consistently grown in dividends over the years. This is one of the most attractive features of MCD. Comparing the dividends of MCD and YUM, MCD has 25% increase on YTY compared to YUM who has only 14%. Growth and Profitability Table 2 Investment Returns % Company Industry Average SP 500 Return On Equity 34.8 48.2 21.4 Return On Assets 16.2 13.1 7.5 Return On Capital 17.6 15.4 10.0 Return On Equity (5-Year Avg.) 22.7 29.0 16.4 Return On Assets (5-Year Avg.) 11.4 10.1 7.6 Return On Capital (5-Year Avg.) 13.0 12.5 10.3 The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King, and Wendys. Revenue Growth: The global recession has affected the revenue of both the companies. By year 2009 the consumer demand and currency exchanges have helped recover to pre-recessionary levels. EPS and Growth: The portion of a companys profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock. Earnings per share serve as an indicator of a companys profitability. The EPS for MCD is 4.11 which have increased from 9% from the previous year while the EPS for YUM is 2.26. The growth of EPS has been fluctuating due to the global economic crises. Profit Margin: A higher profit margin indicates a more profitable company that has better control over its costs compared to its competitors. MCD has a profit margin of 20% compared to Yum is 10%. Return on Equity (ROE): Return on equity measures a corporations profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. The ROE for MCD is 34.8 which is less than the industry average of 48.2. From the above figure we can infer for 2009 the ROE for YUM is 180%, but this has not been consistent over the years. For a long term investor this is not good. Capital Structure Charts Table 3 Price Ratios Company Industry Average SP 500 Current P/E Ratio 16.4 20.9 22.4 P/E Ratio 5-Year High NA 6.8 15.8 P/E Ratio 5-Year Low NA 3.2 2.4 Price/Sales Ratio 3.21 2.33 2.03 Price/Book Value 5.30 7.11 3.21 Price/Cash Flow Ratio 12.70 11.90 13.80 The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King, and Wendys. Market Capital: Market capitalization represents the public consensus on the value of a companys equity. McDonalds in 2009 had a market capital of $67.3B compared to YUM brand that had a market capital of $16.35B. It also represents the market estimate of a companys value, based on perceived future prospects, economic and monetary conditions. Price to Earnings Ratio: A stock with a high P/E ratio means that investors are expecting higher earnings growth in the future compared to the overall market, as investors pay more for todays earnings in anticipation of future earnings growth. From the table 2 McDonalds PE is 16.4, which is below the industry average of 20.4. However there are limitations since the ratio depends on the earnings per share. McDonalds earnings per share of 4.24 are above the industry average of 1.43. Price to Book Value: This ratio used to compare a stocks market value to its book value. A lower P/B ratio could mean that the stock is undervalued. From the above figure McDonald has a stable P/B ratio compared to the Yum. From table 3 the P/B ratio for McDonald is 5.31 which is below the industry average of 7.11. Price to Sales ratio: The P/S ratio measures the price of a companys stock against its annual sales. From table 3 we can understand that the P/S ratio for McDonalds is 3.21 compared to the industry average of 2.33. This means that the investor would be paying $3.21 for every dollar of McDonalds sales. Price to Cash Flow Ratio: This ratio compares the stocks market price to the amount of cash flow the company generates on a per-share basis. McDonalds has a Price/Cash Flow ratio of 12.70 which is higher than the industry average of 11.90. Conclusion In our overall analysis of McDonalds Corporation using a variation of methods and models, we have conclusively found that McDonalds is currently undervalued in the market and is a Buy. The Method of Comparables was used, which included such ratios as: Price/Earnings, Price/Book, Price/Sales, and Price Earnings growth ratio valuations. The ratio valuations were calculated by finding the industry average and using a varying of other factors to project an expected share price. The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King, and Wendys. Price to Book Ratio $ Industry Average of Price to Book value 7.11 Current Book Value of McDonald 13.12 Estimated price of share $93.28 Current Market Price 69.37 Trailing Price to Earnings Ratio Industry Average of Trailing Price to Earnings Ratio 17.9 Current McDonalds earnings per share $4.11 Estimated Market price $73.59 Current Market Price 69.37 Dividends Yield Ratio Analysis Industry Dividend Average (%) 2.73 McDonald Dividend per share 2.2 Expected share price found by dividing McDonalds (Dividends per share)/ (Industry average Dividends yield ratio) $80.50 Current Market price $69.37 Forward Price to Earnings Ratio Industry Average of Forward Price to Earnings Ratio 14.73 Current McDonalds earnings per share $4.11 Estimated price of share $60.54 Current Market Price 69.37 All Data obtained from Yahoo finance on 13/016/2010 From the above calculation the estimated price of McDonald is between $60.54 $93.28. However McDonalds corporation has faced previous law suits on being held accountable for obesity, similarly following the litigation process of cigarettes and tobacco companies. The courts ruled against this issue in McDonalds favor, making this a remote future risk factor. In addition, MCD in its effort to be a more socially responsible corporate citizen, by supporting a healthier society, has developed light and healthy menu items in order to give customers additional eating options and in doing so, broadening the array of its customer base while offering its existing customer base with healthier menu options.

English Revolution :: European Europe History

English Revolution The history of the English Revolution from 1649 to 1660 can be briefly told. Cromwell's shooting of the Levellers at Burford made a restoration of monarchy and lords ultimately inevitable, for the breach of big bourgeoisie and gentry with the popular forces meant that their government could only be maintained either by an army (which in the long ran proved crushingly expensive as well as difficult to control) or by a compromise with the surviving representatives of the old order. But first there were still tasks to be done. (1) There was the conquest of Ireland, the expropriation of its landowners and peasantry - the first big triumph of English imperialism and the first big defeat of English democracy. For the petty bourgeoisie of the Army, despite the warnings of many of the Leveller leaders, allowed themselves to be distracted from establishing their own liberties in England and, deluded by religious slogans, to destroy those of the Irish. Many of them set up as landed proprietors in Ireland. (The Leveller revolt of 1649 had been occasioned by the refusal of many of the rank and file to leave for Ireland, for that meant violating their Engagement of 1647 not to divide until the liberties of England were secure.) (2) There was the conquest of Scotland, necessary to prevent a restoration of the old order thence; Scotland was opened up to English traders by political union. (3) A forward commercial policy was undertaken with the Navigation Act of 1651, the basis of England's commercial prosperity in the next century. This aimed at winning the carrying trade of Europe for English ships, and at excluding all rivals from trade with England's colonies. It led to a war with the Dutch, who had monopolised the carrying trade of the world in the first half of the seventeenth century. For in that period the royal policy had frustrated all attempts of the bourgeoisie to throw the resources of England into an effective struggle for this trade. In this war, thanks to Blake's fleet and the economic strength the Republican Government was able to mobilise, England was victorious. (4) An imperialist policy needed the strong Navy which Charles had failed to build up, and under Blake the Commonwealth began to rule the waves to some purpose; war in alliance with France against Spain brought Jamaica and Dunkirk to England. (5) The

“Kuso Culture Can Positively Uplift the Political Participation of Adolescents.” to What Extent Do You Agree with the Above Statement?

â€Å"Kuso culture can positively uplift the political participation of adolescents. † To what extent do you agree with the above statement? With references to the above sources and your own knowledge, explain your answer. To a large extent, I agree that â€Å"kuso culture† can positively uplift the political participation of adolescents. â€Å"Kuso culture† refers to people reorganizing other people’s cultural products with creativity, creating works that are humorous and sarcastic. Most of the â€Å"kuso culture† is pictures or photos. Adolescents can freely express their views on political events.They are the â€Å"second making† of the original pictures, and some of them are just for fun. But most of them reflect the problems or policies that we are facing. For example, when the Chief Executive of Hong Kong was still in the voting period, Harry Tang was discovered that he is telling lies. He built underground Unauthorized Building Works i n his house. It is illegal. After this news published, many people started their â€Å"kuso culture†. They made pictures to satirize Harry Tang. Making ironic pictures about Harry Tang is also one of the political participations. It can let adolescents care more about policies by â€Å"kuso† pictures.Nowadays, adolescents love surfing the Internet. â€Å"Kuso culture† can be easily found on the Internet. Due to it, it is not hard to let adolescents keep in touch with the political participation. Adolescents like watching humorous pictures or video. â€Å"Kuso culture’s† pictures are humorous and easy to remember. It is also the reason why â€Å"kuso culture† is popular and adolescents would like to gain more interests in the â€Å"kuso pictures†. â€Å"Kuso culture† is like comic books. There are full of pictures with funny charters and actions. But the difference between them is the meaning of the pictures.Comic books may not meaningful but â€Å"kuso pictures† are mostly with meaning. They remind people what happened or released in that period of time. For example, iPhone 5 was released in 2012. Many people think it was just a taller version of iPhone 4S, so they make â€Å"kuso† picture of â€Å"iPhone 10†, which is more like a laser sword. It is one of the examples that â€Å"kuso pictures† tell people what was released nowadays. There are also examples of â€Å"kuso culture† about policies in Hong Kong. For example, there is a picture that has two faces — James Holmes and Barack Obama (See figure 1).It was shown that James killed 12 people, everyone freaks out. But Obama killed thousands with his foreign policy, he won Nobel Peace prize. It shows that people care about policies of their government in every country or city. Figure 1 In conclusion, as â€Å"kuso culture† is one of the political participations in order to telling people the policies of th eir government and it is easy to find on the Internet, adolescents can easily get it and read it. It will directly uplift the political participation of adolescents. Therefore, to a large extent, I agree that â€Å"kuso culture can positively uplift the political participation of adolescents.

Pax Romana essays

Pax Romana essays Aelius Aristides obviously believes there are many benefits to the Pax Romana. Aristides feels that having a centrally run government is the best way for an empire to thrive. Through this government, greater trade is capable and no rebellions will occur. Another benefit is the concept of equality. Everyone living under the Roman Empire has citizenship and is therefore is equal. The governor sets an example of the proper way to be a citizen. In turn, the subjects follow by example, thus, order and peace reign throughout. First of all, this speech was given in front of the Emperor. You cannot speak pessimistically of your ruler to his face. Secondly, Aelius Aristides is living in Greece during a time of peace. This peace is very unique and well received in Greece particularly. Living in Greece, Aristides may not see the flaws of the Republic or he just might not care. He would like this peace to last thus giving him a biased viewpoint. The exaggeration used is a means for propaganda. While Aristides knows there are flaws, the good outweighs the bad. I believe Aristides portrayal of the Pax Romana is a fair one. Nowadays, you cannot open the paper without reading about a hostage situation in Russia or a bomb going off in the Middle East. I am a firm believer that the ends justify the means. Yes the Roman Republic was fairly corrupted. Elections were rigged and the citizens really had no political power. The fact of the matter is, between 27 B.C. and A.D. 180, no major wars were fought. The economy went through ups and downs like it always does, but the governmental system in place was structured around equality and assimilation. This proved to be successful and enduring. ...

The Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts The Palace of Fine Arts is the monumental building located at San Francisco, California. It was built in 1915 after the 1905 earthquake. It was build purposely for the exposition of Panama Pacific. This building was the only one left after other buildings which were meant for exposition were smashed.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Palace of Fine Arts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The city of San Francisco decided to retain the building because people loved it. At that moment, the Palace of Fine Arts was in bad shape because it was not build permanently, and hence maintenance was necessary. The building was build with wood and a weak burlap fiber with this being the main reason why the building would not last long, but the gallery which housed the creative arts had concrete walls that were designed to protect the arts. In 1950s, Casper who was an assembly man and other significant citizens came tog ether and decided to donate funds for the rebuilding of the palace. In 1964, the original building was demolished and reconstruction started (McCoy 6). According to Williams, the Palace of Fine Arts has become a tourist attraction for both foreign and local tourists (15). The buildings’ central rotunda is surrounded, which provides a mirror for reflecting the building from far. There are many ornaments with three panels at the rotunda which symbolizes the Greek culture of the great effort of the attraction. The sculptured figures represent the meditation, amazement, and thought. At the side of the rotunda, there are eight large insets which have paintings for Robert Reid: four of them portray the beginning of art, the progress, and the human recognition of the art. The other four insets symbolize the gold of California which includes the golden wheat, fruits and wheat. Many events take place there, including wedding parties because this place has a good site for photography, and especially for wedding couples. The building can accommodate 1000 people in its theatre which has comfortable chairs with velvety fabrics on its walls. Dances together with worldwide concerts and interviews for celebrities take place in the palace. McCoy concurs that tourists walk leisurely with their dogs at the walk way near its relaxing lagoon while also enjoying the sunset view because palace is popular (10). Television and film series are recorded here because of palace’s beauty and natural looking landscape. The palace has many art exhibits and trucks and jeeps which were used during the World War II.Advertising Looking for critical writing on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Exploratorium, which is also referred to as the museum of science is found in the palace. This museum was started by Doctor Frank Oppenheimer whose aim was to make science easy for access to the citizens and oth er foreigners: this goal has been achieved because the palace has become a popular attraction especially to the tourists. Likewise, the Fillmore auditorium is found in San Francisco. It was named after the Fillmore Street and found between the Western addition and pacific heights. Bill Graham who made Fillmore famous shifted the concerts to different venues where he named the other as Fillmore West. It was damaged by an earthquake in 1989, but was later relocated to where Geary Boulevard was located before its closure. As compared to the Palace of Arts, Fillmore holds musical concerts especially the counter culture type with musicians such as Elton John performing live concerts at its hall. Fillmore has become another spot for shows and can accommodate up to 1199 people. It is located in many places such as Denver, Washington DC, Detroit, Silver Spring Mary Land, and Philadelphia. Additionally, Fillmore has undergone many changes because of change in management and location, especia lly when it was handed to live nation. It has become a brand name and many clubs have incorporated it in their names. It has a collection of concert wall posters from many performances, especially from the past, which are displayed at the mezzanine level inside the auditorium. It gives out free copies of the night’s performance. According to Fillmore Center, Fillmore retains its traditions such as giving apples to the people who attend the concert which are put at the entrance and a person at the door who greets the guests as they enter and welcomes them to the place. As compared to the Palace of Fine Arts, Fillmore has got many events, which include theatres and clubs, but the Palace of Fine Arts has a natural feeling such as the water surrounding the building and the unique fine arts. However, both have the same experience because they were at one point affected by earthquakes. In this regard, the Palace of Fine Arts has attracted many people, including science students fro m all over the world because of its museum of science and its beautiful surroundings. Unique fine arts has been preserved and kept for view by people from all over the world.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Palace of Fine Arts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Both the Palace of Fine Arts and Fillmore, with their music concerts and shooting of films, have attracted national wide musicians such as Elton John and Pink Floyd with acts such as Grateful Deaths being performed there. Both remains historical music venues, with the Palace of Fine Arts becoming historically unique place for the preservation of fine arts with different sculptured figures which makes the observer to reflect on what the allegorical figures represent. McCoy, Esther. California Museum. New York: Reinhold Publishing Corporation, 2003. Print. The Fillmore Center. Apartments Downtown San Francisco, CA. 2011. Web. Williams, John. The P alace of Fine Arts and its exhibit. The Jewel City, Its planning and Achievement. San Francisco: Tacoma, 2000. Print.

Multicultural Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Multicultural Education - Essay Example These instances would certainly give a sense of optimism on the success of their child's education to every parent. The words of the teacher reflected the need for making the parents understand what the broad expectations from the child would be during the course. Also, assurance to have constant support and earmarking sessions for discussions between teacher and the parent too would give the parents high level of confidence for the particular course. Giving the milestones for performance like preparation of country reports being conveyed to parents and indicating that it is the parents responsibility to help the child to prepare reports properly would made a few parents inconvenient due to their personal shortcomings. Also, towards the last part of the speech teacher wanted parents to use email facility for easy communication without being aware of the extend of computer literary levels of the parents. These situations would certainly make parents feel a little hesitant to approach the teacher. As a certain level of ability was expected from the parents for the above mentioned situations, those parents who may not be able to undertake these things might tend to keep them away from the schools and this would have serious impact on their child. As teacher had employed a translator for easy communication, giving the parents printed guidelines on certain aspects without any specific discussion on them could lead to confusion among parents. Teacher could have been a bit more sensitive to explain the finer details of these things using the support of the translator. Also, teacher could have allowed the parents to talk or discuss over telephone, than expressing a strong preference for email, which would have given more opportunity for parental involvement in their child's education process. Parent is the navigator in the process of their child's education. Their role in exploring their child's aspiration and caliber is very important (Cotton and Wikelund, 1989). In order to facilitate better parental involvement it is necessary to take the feedback from parents on the child's reaction from the classroom experience. Also, those parents who are involved in teaching would be invited for special interactive sessions with the students with the objective if identifying the relationship issues among them. Task 2 Topic : Multiculturalism Learning objective: With rapid movement of students across countries for education, it has become inevitable to incorporate the importance of multiculturalism in the high school education. The learning objectives proposed in this course are To develop the ability for identification of issues or problems resulting from multiculturalism. To express right emotions for the situations where multiculturalism factors are highly involved. To report the right initiatives that need to be implemented to tackle the issues or problems emerging from multiculturalism. To apply various theories or methods tried by various leaders to address problems related to multiculturalism. Grade of study : 12th Grade - High school Instructions on course - Brief script The importance of the course is to create awareness among the students on the multicultural interactions and the need for expressing more

How am I prepared to contribute to Pepperdine's mission and community Essay

How am I prepared to contribute to Pepperdine's mission and community of faith, learning, and service - Essay Example Starting from my school I have always been obedient to my religion and faith and have took all the aspects of life along with my strong faith. I have strived for education all my life and have come to the conclusion that one can never stop learning. I can contribute to the mission of Pepperdine university by using my skills to bring about a change in the society along with my faith. With my strong beliefs in religion I believe that I can take both my faith and education together at the same time. Throughout my life I have undergone many instances in which I had to act as a leader and this has given me experience when leading individuals. I believe that I can lead from the front and can strive for education if enrolled in the Pepperdine University. By getting enrolled in the University not only would I be able to commit myself to the mission of Pepperdine but would also be able to learn more. The excellent curriculum of Pepperdine University suits the needs of every student who wants to learn. I being a struggling student always dreamt of studying in a reputable institute. By getting enrolled in the Pepperdine University I can be able to learn and experience more which I can share around with people and make them aware about different things. With the help of the excellence provided by Pepperdine University I would be able to excel in my studies and polish my talent so that it does not come to a waste.

Describe adjustments of the Hmong to America and to biomedicine Case Study

Describe adjustments of the Hmong to America and to biomedicine - Case Study Example Adjustments of the Hmong to America and to biomedicine In the US, inequalities in the health care units caused many Hmong Americans to lack health care insurance; furthermore, they are usually served inappropriately. Restrains on welfare budgets have also contributed to the poor services offered to the Hmong Americans. Moreover, traditional curing strategies practiced by the Hmong and the American health practices are contributing factors to them being poorly served. The Western health providers never recognize the Hmong American culture. For example, a child with seizures among the Hmong immigrants was diagnosed with epilepsy at a Western hospital. They then sent her home with a complex and varying types of medicines, which the parents administered irregularly. The parents then thought the child was affected by evil spirits, and started treating the child with different remedies including offering animal sacrifices. Since the two cultures did not mingle, the child became brain dead due to a massive seizure, though her people kept caring for her. This shows the significance of cross-cultural medical system (Fadiman 18). When people move to a new place and they have to change their cultural systems, they can use their own cultural processes in understanding the new culture. This is made easier when there is participation on the site of the receiving culture. However, this assistance was not there for the Hmong. Every component of the American culture was very dissimilar to their culture. This entailed house styles and every other external appearance of American culture. They were not helped to understand their new environment apart from the only guidelines they had, which were of the Hmong culture, and this was not applicable to their new environment (Fadiman 19). The American biomedical field is different from those of the Hmong community because their beliefs are etical. Medical students and other medical experts are accustomed to the health care practices dur ing their trainings. For example, according to the American culture, the scientific concerns are the ones that are real and are of clinical significance. The Materialistic approach has influenced how the patients in the hospital are handled. The Biomedical view makes Americans to believe that, magic never exists and there exists no other substitutes apart from what they believe. This has made the American Medical professionals to think that their medical systems are superior globally. Their view is rigid and judgmental and has unpleasant effects when treating patients from the Hmong culture (Fadiman 19). The Hmong people have their beliefs concerning the symptoms and healing of illnesses. They do not depend on the germ hypothesis regarding the causes of diseases, unlike the Americans. To them, diseases are caused by control of spirits, soul loss, and infringement of taboo. Their healers make the identification of illnesses and prescribe the appropriate treatment, unlike the America biomedical system. The adjustments to the system were difficult for the Hmong. The barriers that contributed to the difficulties in getting medical care deliveries are the lack of English proficiency, qualified health interpreters, and lack of clinical terminologies in their language. The cultural obstacle that made their adaptation to American life difficult is lack of trust for the western medication. Furthermore, they lacked awareness of the medical systems. They had negative thoughts concerning the medications, because the health providers did not

Søren Kierkegaard Essay Example for Free

Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard Essay 1. Some existentialist do believe in God and some do not. Being an existentialist does not necessarily involve denying the possibility of a higher power. Existentialism is a philosophical position that advocates 1) the individuals absolute freedom and full capacity to determine its place in the world; 2) the individual as indefinable, as outside of all systems and totalities. The individual is only defined on the basis of what they do, and with each action they change who they are. For Sartre, at least, we can only define what a person is when they have died. Existentialism is said to begin with Soren Kierkegaard, who is a Christian existentialist. For Kierkegaard, the human individual is outside of all systems, and is irreducibly singular. He is a Christian existentialist because he claims that a personal relationship with God is the highest accomplishment of human existence. As an existentialist, he opposes what he calls Christiandom, which is basically organized religion in which the individual loses itself in a group mentality. Religion is a personal event for Kierkegaard, not a communal one. Christian existentialism relies on Kierkegaards understanding of Christianity. Kierkegaard argued that the universe is fundamentally paradoxical, and that its greatest paradox is the transcendent union of God and humans in the person of Jesus Christ. He also posited having a personal relationship with God that supersedes all prescribed moralities, social structures and communal norms, since he asserted that following social conventions is essentially a personal aesthetic choice made by individuals. Kierkegaard proposed that each person must make independent choices, which then constitute his existence. Each person suffers from the anguish of indecision until he commits to a particular choice about the way to live. Kierkegaard also proposed three rubrics with which to understand the conditions that issue from distinct life choices: the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious. 2. In this scenario, the essence of humanity, including both its end or purpose and the means to that end are all predetermined by God. Even though humans have free choice, they cannot change their God-given essence. A person might try to change his or her divine purpose of knowing and loving God by finding her true happiness in the purpose of such things like a talent or a habit. But if there heart is made in the image and likeness of God, there heart will be restless until it rests in God. Furthermore, if one accepts there true purpose as the knowledge and love of God but then tries to make up their own means or design for reaching that goal, that attempt will also likewise fail. The essence is God-created as to both the overall purpose of humanity and the general means to that goal, and human freedom cannot change human nature. Sartre uses this example of the paper-knife in order to explain the difference between existence preceding essence and essence preceding existence for everything else. Because the paper-knife has a pre-decided essence of opening letters or cutting apart the pages of a book, its useless when there are no books around. Man, on the other hand, can never be put in this position, since man has no pre-determined essence. So human beings can never be useless because they never had a previous defined use. 3. If God has created man and his nature, man cannot claim the primacy of his existence. Therefore, if existentialism makes human life possible in the aforementioned sense it cannot treat the question of God as a purely theological or academic issue. On the contrary, the way how we resolve the question whether God exists or not will determine the character of human self-understanding and the general condition of man in the world. Sartre says that the problem of Gods existence is not the issue for existentialism. What he means by this is not that existentialism is not interested in the question but that it has already resolved it given the need of man to regain himself as the creator of his own world. Or better to say, human reality proves that man is responsible for himself. In other words, nothing can save him from himself, not even a valid proof of Gods existence. On the other hand, if we believe that God has created man in his own image then, according to Sartre, we have to admit that human essence, as conceived by God, precedes existence. The reasoning will have the following pattern: If God exists, the essence precedes existence. God exists. Therefore essence precedes existence. 4. Sartre explains the priority of human existence in this way: Man first exists, turns up, appears on the scene, and only then defines himself. Sartre does not want to say that eating and sleeping is more important than anything else which is a kind of luxury in life. He admits the biological priority of basic functions but claims that what is built upon it is by far more decisive. As Sartre says later on, every man performs an absolute act in breathing, eating, sleeping or behaving in any way whatever, but this act does not constitute human essence who we are, only a configuration within which an already present existence shapes its own essence. To be sure, man exists like a configuration before he can be defined by any concept and hence his existence should be the basis for any posterior definition of his nature, not the other way round. But his nature is that he does not have a nature, at least initially when he appears in the midst of other beings. Therefore biological life does not equal human existence nor essence. The point here is that what man is (the traditional nature of man) is not determined by any pre-existing essence, not even the biological nature. Man himself decides whether he is going to be a grumpy and nasty person or a kind and caring infividual, a miserable creature or an energetic and optimistic human, a murderer or an artist, an obedient subject or a free spirit Sartre phrases the statement (a) existence precedes essence as synonymous with (b) subjectivity must be the starting point. This is obvious from the fact that he accompanies the former with an or: existence precedes essence, or, if you prefer, subjectivity must be the starting point. 5. Sartre phrases the statement (a) existence precedes essence as synonymous with (b) subjectivity must be the starting point. This is obvious from the fact that he accompanies the former with an or: existence precedes essence, or, if you prefer, subjectivity must be the starting point. There are several difficulties with this though. First, even if we follow Sartres expectation to accept his or between the two propositions as indicating a synonymous meaning it remains questionable . Subjectivity is obviously taken in the Hegelian sense, as the core of autonomy and self-reflection. Second, while the contention (b) is really faith blind, (a) is not. On the contrary, theists cannot accept it if it entails the non-existence of God. 6. Sartre calls this Subjectivity but explains his meaning to avoid misunderstanding. Subjectivity –We mean that man exists first and he is capable of realizing this. He uses his â€Å"will† to make conscious decisions and he is held responsible for his actions because his existence and free choice precedes his essence. Subjectivism can mean that an individual chooses and makes himself . In the second sense, it means that â€Å" it is impossible for man to transcend human subjectivity. † 7. The anguish results from the direct responsibility toward others who are affected by our actions. ANGUISH. It is in anguish that we become conscious of our freedom. My being provokes anguish to the extent that I distrust myself and my own reactions in that situation. We must make some choices knowing that the consequences will have profound effects on others like a commander sending his troops into battle. In choosing for ourselves we choose for all humankind. We experience anguish in the face of our subjectivity, because by choosing what we are to do, we ‘choose for everyone’. When you make a decision you are saying â€Å"this is how anyone ought to behave given these circumstances. †Many people don’t feel anguish, but this is because they are â€Å"fleeing from it. † If you don’t feel a sense of anxiety when you make decisions, it’s because you are forgetting about your â€Å"total and deep responsibility† toward yourself and all of humanity. 8. Our choices are a model for the way everyone should choose. If we deny this fact, we are in self-deception. If we say, Everyone will not act as I have done, then we are giving a universal value to the denial. There are no omens; there are no signs by which to decide. We are responsible for ourselveswe are the sole authority of our lives. We cannot give up this responsibility except through self-deception or bad faith. Because man is free and at the same time responsible. A man who involves himeslf cannot escape the feeling of immense, deep and total responsibility for his actions and for other men. Man is responsible not only for the person he chooses to be but also for other men. He stakes himself out by choosing both himself and all mankind. His actions are inevitably actions of a lawmaker. Man is constantly in anguish not because he makes daily trivial choices but, as Sartre stated in the discussion following the lecture, (a) because his original choice is constant but uncertain and (b) there is no justification for the choice made. 9. Quietism is the attitude of people who say, â€Å"Let others do what I can’t do. † The doctrine I am presenting is the very opposite of quietism, since it declares, â€Å"There is no reality except in action. † Moreover, it goes further, since it adds, â€Å"Man is nothing else than his plan; he exists only to the extent that he fulfills himself; he is therefore nothing else than the ensemble of his acts, nothing else than his life. One of the biggest objections was that it was a pessimistic philosophy that encouraged people to dwell in quietism of despair . In his essay, Existentialism is a Humanism, Sartre attempts to prove that existentialism is probably the most optimistic doctrine available to modern man by attempting to answer other objections brought against existentialism. However, I do not believe that Sartre is completely successful at presenting his doctrine as optimistic and giving valid responses to the many objections. 10. Sartre writes, Values in actuality are demands which lay claim to a foundation. (Ibid. p.46) But if the foundation of values were found in facts, then what would be valuable would be determined by facts and my will would not be in control of its own values; my will would not be master of itself. But if my will is the source of values, then this foundation is a foundation that can be changed at any time and it is possible for me to have no values whatsoever. It follows that my freedom is the unique foundation of value and that nothing, absolutely nothing justifies me in adopting this or that particular value, this or that particular scale of values. As a being by whom values exist, I am unjustifiable. My freedom is anguished at being the foundation of values while itself without foundation. You can’t judge sincere choices, but you can judge self deceit. For example when someone blames their actions on their passions or determinism, implying that they could not help what they did and so are not responsible. Or when someone says that certain values are ‘incumbent’ on us, i. e. the values, or duties, impose themselves on us so we have to follow them, we have no choice. If someone chooses to deceive himself you can’t judge this morally, but can judge it as an error. Furthermore you can judge it morally, because freedom can have no end but itself. To value anything is to choose it. So if we were not free to choose anything there could be no values. So freedom is the foundation of all values. So to value anything we are thereby valuing freedom itself. But we cannot value our own freedom without valuing others’ freedom. So if someone else denies that they are free, they are denying something that we value, and so we can judge them morally. Satre argued that existentialism was a kind of tough optimism. First to realise that there is no god taking care of our action or guiding us. Subjectivism leads to a forlornness and then the despair of being responsible for our own actions and probabilities gives way to freedom. The realization that what we achieve for ourselves is up to us. When we realise and accept this state of existence we are left with only possibilities. What we do with them can become a kind of despair but hope and change is always possible. The fact man is condemned to be free. It is from this existence that we create an essence for ourselves and not the other way round. It is a anti-fatalism and pro-determinism. By asserting that human action is futile, if not impossible, existentialism invites people to remain in a state of desperate quietism, resigned and passive. Existentialism itself ends up in a kind of contemplative bourgeois philosophy (just observing the world) lagging behind the demand of Marx 11th Thesis on Feuerbach which stipulates that philosophy should change the world not only look at it. The word bourgeois in the charge was linked to luxury in the sense of being redundant and unnecessary.

The future of laundry technology

The future of laundry technology Laundry is a task that all households must complete. Laundry is a very broad task that encapsulates the entire process of cleaning fabric items so that they can become fresh to be worn or used again. It is a tedious process, and one which has potential for simplification. The aim of this research report is to identify The Future of Laundry: What are the main problems of the domestic laundry process? What future technologies could benefit the washing and drying of fabrics? Are there methods that can help the laundry process become more environmentally friendly? These are the main report objectives that will be researched and analysed, to then obtain conclusions which will help form the basis of a design brief and specification for a new product. There is a particular focus on the Domestic Market in More Economically Developed Countries (MEDC). A Conceptual Framework (Figure 1) has been produced to summarise the research methods that will be taken to obtain information for each of the Objectives. By the end of the report the aim is to have evident information, provided by a variety of sources and methods that should indicate the Future of Laundry. Task Analysis Before further research began it proved vital to perform a first hand laundry experience for myself. It enabled me to be fully immersed into the whole laundry procedure. Each stage of the task was broken down into its core processes. Figure x is a Task Analysis diagram that outlines the most common laundry procedures followed by consumers in UK households. A range of early conclusions and opportunities were identified from the first hand experience and Task Analysis diagram. The number of processes in the diagram highlights the lengthiness of the procedure. Procedure taken by most people is common, but there is variation in the drying process, which is dependent on climate and resources available. There is opportunity for simplification Improvements needed towards the eco-efficiency of the procedure. Its a procedure that very few people enjoy and take pride in. It could be more interactive and fun task. The process has barely changed since the early 20th Century Find out the main problems of laundry This section of the report aims to identify current weaknesses in the laundry process. The Task Analysis already performed will form the basis for User Observations. An investigation will be performed into the resource problems that may be creating a hindrance in the laundry procedure for many consumers. Finally, a look into the Psychology of Laundry provides an insight into the consumer attitudes towards the task. User Observations / Experiences Task 1 User Observations The aim is to gain a better insight into the consumer habits and the difficulties faced with the laundry procedure. A range of participants have been observed: Mother: Lives with husband and two children Elderly Person: Retired lady living with husband Student: Lives in a house with three other students Young Professional: Lives alone in a small apartment The Task Analysis Diagram (Fig x) was used to record the observations. (see Appendix x) A table has been produced to give a brief comparison on which basic tasks are performed by each participant: The Mother and Elderly Person maintain a routine time between washes. The Elderly Person washes every three days and the Mother every other day, as the dirty clothes pile up quickly. By comparison the student washes only when most of the available clean clothes have run out. The Young Professional also did not have a routine, but washed once the basket fills up. Although he did state that if a few individual items were required, then he would do a wash. It was surprising that only half of the people turn their clothes inside out during washes, which can prevent the dulling of fabrics (Housekeeping 2008). Although all participants washed colours and whites separately, possibly due to the known effects. The Student did state that she often gets confused with white clothing that has coloured detailing. None of the four people ever separated clothing according to fabric types or even delicates. When questioned, they all said that it adds complexity and is extra hassle. Only the Mother regularly pre-soaks clothing, which is because she has young children. She suggested that adding baking soda helps to lift dirt. The Elderly Person believed that new clothing should be pre-soaked on its first wash to prevent colour run. On extremely stubborn stains, the Young Professional recommended Varnish stain remover. All participants except the Student use branded detergent, as they believe it guarantees clean results. The student uses supermarket brand detergent as she believes the results are satisfactory. The Young Professional liked to use Liqui-tabs whenever doing a full wash so he is sure the correct amount of detergent is added. All participants agreed that fabric softener helps make the clothing feel softer. Most surprisingly, no-one washed delicates by hand. The Mother and Student believed that it adds extra time and wasnt necessary. None of the participants washed clothes with cold water. The Young Professional didnt think it would wash the clothing particularly well. During all of the observations, the spin speed was never adjusted or considered. The Mother and Elderly Person did not know what the benefits of the feature were. Although, the Mother very often performs an extra spin to try and extract a little more water. The drying process was an area where there was much variation. The Mother and Elderly Person both prefer to dry clothes outdoors, as it dries with a fresher smell. They both shared the same frustration though, of the unpredictable British weather. The Mother also has access to a tumble dryer, but it is in the garage. She finds it an inconvenience and is also aware of the costs related to using a tumble dryer. During the winter months, the mother makes use of the airing cupboard, and any other items are placed on the radiators. She says the clothes dry very quickly. The Young Professional makes use of the airing cupboard on odd occasions when there are a few items to dry, otherwise he makes use of the drying facililty on his washer/dryer combi. The Student tries to squeeze the majority of clothes into the airing cupboard, and the remainder onto a indoor clothes airer. As there are three other students in the same house, space is a difficulty. She said a tumble dryer in the house would be ideal. Only the mother and elderly person iron most of their clothes. The Mother said her husband usually deals with this task, so it takes the sting out of it. The Young Professional and Student try to avoid ironing, but any smart items are ironed. Task 2 Structured Interviews Dry Cleaning is a process that all participants are trying to avoid. It adds extra expenditure to the laundry process and is an inconvenience. All participants used machine washing as their core method of cleaning clothes. All the other processes were not performed as they were deemed as extra hassle and unnecessary. Its very surprising that none of the people felt the need to hand-wash delicates. The main areas in which people wish to see improvements in the laundry procedure are: Simplify the process: remove some steps Use less water Lower costs Be able to wash a smaller load of clothes without it costing the same as doing a full load. Not everyone requires a large machine The time it takes Make it more enjoyable None of the participants were aware of any environmental impacts related to the use of detergents. On hearing this, the Elderly Person suggested that measures should be taken to improve on this. She also stated that her husband suffered from skin allergies. Changing the detergent solved the issue. Nobody was happy with the costs. The Elderly Person used less than the recommended dosage to make it last longer, whilst the Young Professional only bought it when there was an offer at the supermarket. The number of varieties available was also a point of confusion. New developments gained positive reactions by all participants, although on-one was aware of new technologies. They all wanted to see improvements in the laundry process. An example of a future development is Nano-coating, and this was given to gauge a reaction. People were most concerned about how the results would compare to a normal wash using detergents, and how the textures of fabrics will be affected. The Elder Person thought the fabrics would become hard and shiny. Surprisingly, only the student mentioned concern of having to buy all new clothes. The Young Professional wanted any new developments to speed up the process and cost less. Resources Time At present, the laundry process takes far too long. This is due to the many different stages involved, as identified in the Task Analysis (sectionPgx). There is opportunity to simplify the process by removing stages. Water Problems Several laundry problems are directly related to minerals, organic matter, and other impurities in the water supply (AG Facts 1999). Water problems can affect the colouring and quality of the fabrics whilst also causing build up of soils. The most common water problem in the UK is Hard Water. It is caused by calcium and magnesium in the water. Fabrics become stiff and hard over time, and soil continues to build up because hard water does not clean as well as soft water. Much of the detergent added to the wash goes to softening the water. Adding extra detergent can compensate for, but this increases costs and causes further water pollution due to the phosphates contained in detergents. Use of heavy duty liquid detergents can solve the issue. Other water problems include rusty water, turbid water and acid rain. They all cause staining and colour disfiguration of fabrics. Across most of Europe these water problems are rectified, using relevant filters, before it reaches the main water supply in homes. Space Standard washing machines are 85cm in height and 60cm in width. This size comfortably fits beneath a kitchen work surface. Unless the consumer has a utility room in the home, the washing machine is most likely to sit within a kitchen as it is convenient for plumbing. In more compact kitchens, the washing machine tends to dominate the environment as in Figure 11. It spoils the appearance of the kitchen. A kitchen of this type is likely to be in a home with maximum one or two occupants. Such a large machine is often not required. A tumble dryer also occupies the same amount of space, and in a kitchen like Figure 11, it cannot be accommodated. Money Laundry is a very energy intensive procedure, with most of it being used to heat water in the washing process, and then extract water in the drying process (See Energy Efficiency Section x). Detergents are another major consumable that tend to vary in cost greatly, depending upon brand. Not everyone can afford the more expensive detergents, which are proven to be slightly more effective compared to budget variants. One in five adults use less than the recommended dose to make their laundry detergent last longer. (Figure 37.Clothes Washing Products Mintel) And 21% of people in the same survey have switched to supermarket brands to save money. Buying the washing machine and tumble dryer is also very costly with the average B rated models costing approximately  £270 and  £340 respectively. Although, the life expectancy of these products are generally very good according to Appliance Life Expectancy (Demesne 2007). A washing machine is expected to last up to 11 years and a tumble dryer closer to 14 years. Psychology of Laundry A report by Mintel, Clothes Washing Products, theres a section named Consumer Attitudes Towards Laundry'(Mintel 2009) . This report has provided most of the information for this particular section. The underlying topics of this report are costs and convenience. Saving money has become a key influence in doing laundry, and this will be further boosted by the current economic climate and lack of consumer confidence. In a survey conducted by Mintel (Mintel 2009), it showed that 56% of people prefer to buy clothes that do not require dry cleaning. In the same survey it also shows that 27% of people sometimes wash clothes in a washing machine even though they are Dry Clean only items. It shows that people dont want extra hassle. Many consumers are even choosing to not wash their clothes after every wear, and are using smaller doses of detergent to make their money go that bit further. Performing more washes, wears out fabrics quicker. Given the chore of doing the laundry, products that take the hassle out of clothes washing wins the hearts of consumers (Mintel 2009). Consumers will therefore welcome a simpler laundry procedure. Only one in ten people dont separate out colours from whites (Mintel 2009). This shows that there isnt a particular need for a specialist product in this area. The reason for this particular statistic could also be due to the fact it is an extremely well known pre-caution, and people are being far more conscious of making their clothes last longer. Teens are happiest to buy new clothes rather than looking after the ones they already own, which is the contrary to people over the age of 55. They are more likely to follow instructions and buy into more expensive detergents. Teens are less likely to have responsibility with their money, and most often, it is left to the parents to do the laundry. .men are just as cautious, if not more so, than women when it comes to washing their clothes. This is the absolute opposite from the common stereotypical view that men dont have a clue about laundry. Although this claim could partly be because men perform laundry less often than women, and are therefore less familiar with the process. They may feel the need to check the instructions for reassurance as a result. Conclusions A Task Analysis highlighted that the laundry procedure involves too many stages. User Observations showed very little variation between each of the four participants methods taken to wash clothes. People skipped minor processes which they deemed unnecessary. Those living by themselves didnt require a large machine, as it was one of the reasons for washing less frequently. Consumer desire for lower costs and better convenience has been highlighted in the huge decline in Dry Cleaning clothes. Branded detergents are seen as most trusted, although consumers are using less to make their money go further. If less detergent is used, and water content and temperatures were reduced, costs would be massively reduced. Consumers are trying to make their clothes last longer, which can be aided by using less detergent or switching to more natural cleaning products. Laundry was seen as more of a chore amongst the younger participants during observations. They were the ones that supported the use of tumble dryers. Drying clothes outside was favoured by the elderly participants as they believed it produces fresher smelling fabrics. Washing machines tend to dominate smaller kitchens. Any new development must either be smaller, or have the possibility to be positioned away from the kitchen area. New developments to improve the laundry procedure gained very positive reactions by all participants. Concerns include the implications on fabrics and whether cleanliness will be maintained. Laundry times and overall costs need to be reduced too. New developments must account for different water problems, and although none of the participants were aware of the negative impacts detergents have on the environment, eco-efficiency needs to be improved. Other areas where people would like to see improvements include smaller machines or the possibility to wash smaller loads without any affect on efficiency. By making the laundry process more enjoyable or positively interactive would be well received. What are the methods technologies that could clean clothes (Present and Future) This section firstly aims to view the expert opinions with regards to the Future of Laundry. A discussion of Future Technologies that could revolutionise the washing procedure follows. The section concludes with an investigation into technologies from other devices that could benefit the future laundry procedure. Speak to Experts At the end of 2007 Henkel hosted a scientific conference on The Future of Washing. From this conference a publication named the Future of Washing'(Henkel 2008) was produced. Early in the publication it was recommended that innovations must always conform to social, ecological and economic responsibility (Henkel 2008). This suggests that sustainability must remain a key focus for all future developments. Consumers priorities are undergoing definite transformations. Saving energy is what they want most (Henkel 2008). This is quite a change from two years ago when washing efficiency took precedence over energy conservation. This is a result of greater exposure of the current global situations and increasing energy prices. Consumers though, are not willing to back down on standards of hygiene. Out of 100 people interviewed, almost 70% named washing machines as the most indispensable household appliance (Henkel 2009). This suggests that this is a very high risk product, and you cant afford to get it wrong. Consumers are so used to the process at the moment that they will scrutinise any new technologies. Of 65 million washing machines sold each year, most of which are sold in Europe: 25 million (Henkel 2009). As a result, it would be wise to target any new innovations at the European market, since it is the most thriving market. In the future, we will have to be more proactive in addressing segments and matching concepts to specific target groups (Henkel 2008). Washing machines are becoming more intelligent and gaining new features, hence more complex. The older generations, who struggle with all the new gadgets, will no doubt have difficulty. By comparison, many of the younger generations will welcome such features as it adds a new dimension to what is currently quite a mundane task. Throughout the publication, a major highlight has been energy conservation and efficiency. In a personal communication with the founder of http://laundry.about.com, Mary Marlowe Leverette also believed that protecting natural resources is a high priority (Leverette 2009). Mary also gave her personal insight into the Future of Laundry. She thought that there will be greater advances in more energy and environmentally efficient laundry products and techniques, using less water and detergent. She also thought that there will be additional work in the design of fabrics that repel stains and odours (Leverette 2009). See Appendices x Future Technologies Washing With Only a Single Cup of Water Developed by researchers at Leeds University and Xeros. The invention has been proven to wash clothes using only a cup of water, nylon polymer beads and a little detergent. This method is claimed to use only 2% of the water and energy required from an ordinary washer and dryer. The nylon polymer beads have a special polarity that draws the stains out of the clothes and into the centre of the beads. Humidity causes the nylon polymers to become very absorbent. It soaks up the water and dirt, therefore no rinse or spin cycle is required (Go Green Today 2009). The clothes are virtually dry once the cycle is completed, which boosts its green credentials. The main question surrounding this technique regards the disposal of the nylon beads. Each wash requires 20kg of nylon beads, and need to be replaced after approximately six months or 100 washes. So what happens after six months when every household needs to dispose of the beads? The nylon beads are not recyclable. Ultrasound/Ultrasonic Technology Ultrasonic technology applied to the textile washing industry has been a subject of investigation for many years. It has proved effective in the removal of soils from fabrics. There are many negatives that have been preventing it from becoming a commercially viable technique, in particular the relatively high cost of equipment and lack of availability. Fabrics need to be positioned very close to the high intensity source and only a few layers can be penetrated. Institute of Acoustics in Madrid, found that using ultrasound would speed up a washing cycle from 30-45 minutes to 5-10 minutes. Ultrasound works well on grease and dirt (Independent 1994). In Japan, Sanyo have been trying to commercialise a machine that uses Ultrasound technology. Electrodes are placed on the side of the tub, which electrolyze the water. An ultrasonic wave generator at the base of the machine uses sonic waves to generate millions of tiny air bubbles to help loosen grime and grit on clothes in a purely mechanical action. With this product Sanyo have tried to make very few alterations to a current washing machine, meaning its not as effective as it could be. Steam Cleaning Uses clean water to create a powerful cleaning force. It leaves no toxic residues on surfaces and does not stain clothing. Steam is able to kill well known bacteria such as e-coli, listeria, and salmonella; although these are food related bacteria (Earlex 2008). Steam has been recently introduced into some of the latest domestic washing machines, but it cannot be used as the only source of dirt removing agent. When used in conjunction with the regular washing process it can be of good benefit since it can reduce the water content required and can raise the temperature inside the drum using less energy. Silver Nano Technology Clothes washed in a solution of silver ions become sterilised. Water is passed through silver ions, which prevent bacteria and microbes attaching onto the clothes. The silver kills germs whilst oxidation reaction lifts dirt and odours (Washing Machine Reviews 2009). Fabrics that are coated with silver nano become anti-bacterial for upto 30 days. The main problem with silver ions being introduced into the wash cycle is that scientists are not sure of the long-term effects on mankind. Cold water can be used which is a huge eco-benefit, and although some sources state that no detergent is required, others state that a small amount is, on more heavily soiled fabrics. Development of Fabrics: Nano Coating While the idea of using nano-particles to enable textiles to repel dirt and self-clean is not new, the uses to which this technology is being applied and enhanced are increasing almost daily (Just-Style 2008). The Lotus Effect is becoming a far more commonly used term in the textile industry. It is a metaphor being used to describe how water and dirt drip of the structured fabric surface, just like a lotus leaf. The process works by reducing the surface area available for dirt to gather on. This is made possible by coating the fabric with tiny nanoscale wax pyramids (Just-Style 2008). The fabrics are dipped in a solution of nano-whiskers, which contains cotton that is a 1/1000th of the width of cotton fibre. A cushion of air is created, which improves its wrinkle resistance and causes liquids to bead up and roll-off. It is designed for use on cotton, polyester, wool, silk and rayon. Adidas is one of the many large clothing retailers that is using Nano-Tex to protect its sportswear, which suggests that nano-coating has the possibility to eventually become mainstream. Figure x is priced at  £48, which isnt hugely more expensive than non-coated equivalents. Anti-microbial silver particles can be embedded into fabrics which prevents the growth of bacteria and other odours. Though nano-silver is known to darken fabrics; hence pure white fabric will be difficult to produce. As well as the lotus-effect, there have been discussions about Ultraviolet-C light being able to clean nano-coated fabrics. This would be a very economical solution since no water would be required, but there is very little evidence of the viability of this method. Can Technology From Other Devices Be Incorporated? Mangle / Pasta Maker The mangle was designed in the 18th Century to aid the wringing of water from wet laundry. Clothes were passed between two rollers which squeezed water out. A pasta maker uses the same principle to flatten dough. Salad Spinner As the internal basket rotates, centrifugal force pulls the salad to the outer edges where the liquid escapes through the holes. A standard front-loading washing machine uses a very similar method with its perforated drum. This is still a very effective method for removing water. The system of spinning out the water would yet be more efficient if it spun around a vertical axis instead. Jacuzzi Highly pressurised jets plunging water at the clothes from different directions would help to agitate the fabrics very well as the force will open up the fibres. Spherical Roller Bearing This allows random movements around 5-axis. A spherical container to wash the clothes in could stimulate these movements allowing far better agitation of the fabrics. Plunger A plunger is able to create a vacuum in which air and water is able to forcefully loosen dirt from fabrics. This technique would eliminate the need for any rotational movements to agitate the fabrics. Simulate Hand Movements Washing by hands is considered to be the most efficient method of removing stains since it flexes the fibres apart, allowing water and detergent to pass through. So in theory, a device that could simulate hand movement would produce very clean fabrics. Conclusions The publication on the Future of Laundry (Henkel2008), understandably, avoided mentioning developments that did not require detergents as Persil Detergents is one of their brands. A key point in the publication was that sustainability must remain a key focus. Mary Marlowe Leverette also believed that protecting natural resources is very important (Leverette 2009). There is opportunity to target a new product at specific groups. It has already been established that students have different laundry requirements compared to a mother. Considering that Europe is the largest market for new washing machines, new innovations should initially be targeted at this market. Consumers are trying to save energy at all costs. Water is the sole reason why the laundry procedure consumes so much energy. Therefore new developments will need to reduce, if not eliminate water content. The technology, Washing With Only a Single Cup of Water, would provide huge energy savings since the clothes come out virtually dry. Detergent is still required in the wash. There are concerns over the disposal of the vast quantity of nylon beads as they are not recyclable. This is not a sustainable technique. Steam is a good addition to the wash cycle to kill bacteria and allergens, and raise temperatures quickly, but it cannot solely remove dirt. This is the same for silver nano technology. Silver ions can be introduced to a cold wash cycle to kill bacteria. Silver ions will also become embedded into the fabric making it anti-microbial for up to 30 days. There is a vast amount of continuing research into nano-coating fabrics. Top clothing manufacturers are applying the technique to many of their products, which suggests that this could eventually become mainstream. Mary Marlowe Leverette also thought that development of fabrics is the future (Leverette 2009) Another proven technique is ultrasound technology. No detergents are required, but the fabric items need to be placed in close proximity to the source. The Pasta Maker provides inspiration on how this technique can be made feasible. When pasta is passed through the rollers, this could be like clothes being passed through an ultrasound source to remove dirt. The rollers could also remove excess water, like the mangle. A powerful stream in the opposite direction could carry the loosened dirt away. The jacuzzi and spherical roller bearings provide inspiration for random movements. Washing machines only turn around a single axis, but if the clothes could be pounded at from different directions it would agitate them more effectively. All of which leads to simulating hand movements, which provides the ultimate random movements. Can Laundry Become Greener? This section of the report aims to investigate if laundry methods from the past and in other countries could contribute towards a more modern green laundry technique. An investigation into Energy Efficiency of the current laundry methods then follows. Greener Methods From the Past Other Countries In the developing world, laundry is often viewed differently compared to the UK. There are places around the world where washing can be about meaning, about family contribution, about providing nice feelings (Henkel 2009) Is there opportunity to integrate such emotion into the Future of Laundry? This would be good since it will remove the almost robotic and soul-less techniques adopted today. Washing By Hand This is a method that has proved to be most popular over the years and is still in use today. Many sources have suggested that washing clothes by hand produces cleaner results as the flexing of the fibres allows more water to penetrate in, hence agitating the fabric more. Clothes are initially soaked in a basin/faucet containing detergent. The detergent is often dissolved in a small cup beforehand. The clothes are then rinsed several times before hanging out to dry. Its a very time-consuming method, but one that is well established. The wringing action opens up the fibres to allow the detergent water to pass through. For more stubborn stains a washboard (see Figure 3) is commonly used for scrubbing. Modern washing machines struggle to match the cleanliness of the hand-washed clothes since they do not flex the fibres in the same way, but it does massively improve the time consumption of washing and drying. It is far more energy efficient though since all the energy being applied is human intervention. Water availability was a big concern in Mexico as running water was never guaranteed. a key desired feature was the possibility to recycle both wash and rinse water. (Henkel2008) The Lavadero is a specialised wash basin that has been used for washing clothes for years. The surface is inclined so that water accumulates in the deep end whilst the ribs act as a rubbing surface. Water would often be provided by that collected in the roof tanks during heavy rainfall. Dh