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

Business Model of Toyota :: essays research papers

Business Model of Toyota As one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the world, Toyota ranks within the top three worldwide. Due to their unique business model, they are now have a market share of 14% in the first four months of this year. That is an astonishing 2.3% jump from the previous year. According to Autodata.com, the Toyota City based automaker ranks fourth in United States sales. We have determined that their business model is an Integrated Low Cost – Differentiated Strategy. It involves finding the lowest operational cost along with a unique niche or strategy that separates them from the competition. Toyota’s new statement â€Å"Moving Forward†, reflects their plans and expectations for the future. This includes the known and the unknown factors that a business must face. In 2000, Toyota launched a new cost effective strategy called CCC21 (Construction of Cost Competitiveness for the 21st century), for Low Cost operational expenses. With this aspect Toyota plans to advance such initiatives globally, based on its policy of purchasing the world’s best parts at the lowest cost with the shortest lead times. According to Toyota, they have undertaken a manufacturing revolution that has fundamentally changed established practices; all the way back to the product development and design. They have done this by integrating four areas: design, production engineering, procurement, and component supply. They have achieved higher quality at lower costs by creating standardized, multipurpose components. Also the reduction in cost has heightened the value and fortifies the competitiveness of product. To do this, Toyota has required intensive coordination with its suppliers. Another factor of their Integrated Low Cost is that Toyota steadily feeds cost improvements back into the product to raise their value along with the fact that four Toyota’s seven corporate auditors are outside corporate auditors. Toyota’s Integrated Differentiated Strategy is very unique to the automotive industry. Its main focus, according to the president of Toyota, is that Toyota is not trying to rival other automakers; Toyota is trying to conquer customers with great products and service to obtain high customer satisfaction.

Impact of Globalization Essay

It has gradually evolved from the 1970s after the advent of different forms of high speed transportation and communication to the age of information technologies around the millennium, to make a single unified community where all the major sources of various social conflicts have disappeared (Scheuerman, 2010 and World Regional Geography, 2009). There are several ways of defining Globalization. As defined by Dr. Nayef R. F. Al-Rodhan (2006), â€Å"Globalization is a process that encompasses the causes, course, and consequences of transnational and transcultural integration of human and non-human activities. The effects of Globalization are manifold. It influences industrial sector, financial sector, labour markets and consumers of a particular country. On one hand it gives rise to more jobs and industries, however, on the other hand, countries are becoming dependant on the other country for a specific product/raw material. Additionally, because of outsourcing jobs from developed economy are being transferred to the developing economy, which has a negative effect on the developed economy and positive on the developing economy. 2. 2 Consumer Packaged Goods and Globalization Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) are sold at relatively low price and are non durable goods like grocery items, soft drinks etc. Large CPG manufacturer has an advantage of strong brands, greater geographical coverage and having major retailers. CPG industry is affected by the change in fashion, fads and consumer preferences, which in turn effects the purchasing decision of a consumer. Therefore, I believe that in the fast and ever changing world of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) it is imperative to discuss the effects of globalization on this industry. Additionally, there is immense pressure and intense competition between the manufacturers globally to fulfill the demand of consumers. 2. 0 Impact of Globalization on CPG Industry 3. 3 Costs and Benefits of Globalization on CPG Industry There are diverse ways in which globalization impinge on CPG industry. Some are beneficial for the industry and some aren’t. The good side of globalization is explained as follows: a. Profits from emerging markets: Procter and Gamble in year 2006, showed a total sales of US $ 68 billion, out of which US $ 21 billion was from emerging markets. Additionally, from 1992 to 2006, globalization has boosted the American economy by US $ one trillion in Gross Domestic Product (Veiders, 9th July 2007, Supermarket news). b. Consumer’s advantage: The consumer gets the advantage of choosing from wide variety of goods, in addition to the comparative advantage. Additionally, the offshore markets are producing goods at a price which is lower than the domestic production of a particular country. Though this is an advantage to the consumer, this could hamper production and associated profits in some countries (Oline Thompson, 2006, CPG Manufacturing) c. Foreign capital access: Foreign capital access is the main driving force of globalization. This in turn increases the investment power of a particular country to produce better produce economically (13th February, 1996, WTO News (press releases). The other side of globalization illustrates some problems faced by CPG Industry: a. Cultural disparity: A product that might be a necessity in one country might not be even known or used in the other, which would have a negative effect on the CPG industry while trying to encourage its use in a particular country. To cite a salient example, Brazilians usually don’t have breakfast, because they sleep late at night and consumers in China for breakfast eat hot, soft and savoury, while the North Americans love cold, crunchy and sweet breakfast. This was the difference analyzed by Kellogg Company in 2007 (Veiders, 9th July 2007, Supermarket news). b. Global Competition: In this fast paced environment any CPG company have to constantly innovate and differentiate their product, to maintain or increase their market share. Every year large number of new products are being roduced and capture the shelve space of the existing labels and compete with them.

Reading Response to Introduction in Handbook of Race and Ethnic Studies Essay

Upon reading the Collins and Solomos introduction to their Handbook of Race and Ethnic Studies, I soon realized that the field of race and ethnicity is a diverse, living thing that is constantly evolving. The authors make reference to the fact that the civil rights movement has been working for decades and it appears at times that no progress has been made. They make this point by mentioning the nightly newscasts on television that show global atrocities brought on by policies of ethnic cleansing or other forms of hate. This is proof that more work has to be done and we must continue to seek and promote understanding and equality. Collins and Solomos also mention the rise of more right-wing political groups that they refer to as the new right. These groups use the media to promote their ideas of an ideal state. They state that `for the new right` the appeal is by and large no longer to racial supremacy cultural uniformity` and they get around this by  ¨parading under the politics of nationalism and patriotism ¨. This reminded me of my history classes in school where I first learned of Hitler and how he used extreme nationalism as one of his tools to gain influence and power over a economically struggling Germany. There seems to be a great many voices and perspectives out there that may contradict one another at times, but I feel that the study or race and ethnicity must continue to be pursued.

SADDAM HUSSEIN essays

SADDAM HUSSEIN essays many 20th century dictators used a form of totalitarianism to rise and maintain power. totalitarianism describes a government that takes total, centralized state control over every aspect of public and private life ( pattern of interactions) totalitarian leaders, such as saddam Hussein practiced the totalitarian system of government in order to maintain control. their are many elements of totalitarianism, all in which he followed. the Iraqi president saddam Hussein born to a poor Sunni Arab family on April 28, 1937 in Tirkit, Iraq. his father died shortly after his birth, largely neglected and abused by his stepfather saddam sought to take control of his life at an early age ( Bio: Encyclopedia Volume 3) denied permission of his education, saddam ran away to his maternal uncle, who was a retired army officer and advocate of Arab nationalism ( villains and Out laws). this attracted him to the military service as a career. extremely interested in politics and impressed with the nationalism that swept Iraq. saddam decided to move to Baghdad in 1956. In 1957 saddam joined Bath Arab socialist party, a radical Arab nationalist organization opposed to the government. when Iraqi dictator general Abd al Karim Kasseem, was president, saddam was a member of the Bath team assigned to assassinate him ( volume 3). the attempt failed and saddam and other people ran away to exile. he reached Egypt, where he met up with a number of other exiled Iraqis after five years in exile, saddam returned to Iraq where the Bath party had just seized power. while in Bath party saddam was always going in and out of prison. the new regime was quickly overthrown and Hussein was arrested and imprisoned. he later escaped in 1966. Hussein successfully had the Bath party in control of the country in 1968 by helping to lead a revolution. In this act he became vice president of the revolutionary command council ( volume 3...

Hispanic populace

Hispanic populace The name Hispanic has been branded with more traditional viewpoints, and the term Latino has been linked with more liberal politics. This is partly because Hispanic is an English word meaning â€Å"belonging to ancient Spain.† The U.S. census bureau has determined to settle on one term, Hispanic.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hispanic populace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Hispanic population represents the largest minority group in the United States. The 45.5 million Hispanics in the United States in 2007 include 15.1% of the entire population. California (13.2 million) has the largest Hispanic population of any state, followed by Texas (8.6 million) and Florida (3.8 million). It is guessed that Hispanics will represent 30% of the U.S. population by 2050 (Martin 30). Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the U.S’s Hispanics are of Mexican ancestry. Another 9% are of Puerto Rican social heritage, with 3.4 % Cuban, 3.1% Salvadoran, and 2.8% Dominican. The rest are of Central American and South American origin. More than three-fourths of Hispanics reside in the West or South. The Hispanic populace is more different than it was in the past. U.S. Hispanics of Mexican ancestry the largest Hispanic group- has been increasing considerably. Another fast increasing group, in percentage terms, is the group of â€Å"other† Hispanics. Many of those who select â€Å"Other Spanish/ Hispanic / Latino† on the U.S. survey form are immigrants from the Central or South America. â€Å"Other† Hispanics also comprise an increasing number of people with multinational backgrounds who do not recognize with a particular country or region of origin. Hispanics are not a very well understood part of the population. First, no one knows precisely how many Hispanics have crossed the boundary from Mexico as illegal immigrants. Second, many Americans of Hispanic ancestry do not classify themselv es as Hispanic on survey forms and are not counted as such. People born in Latin America can be spotted all across the United States, but most live in only a few areas. The difference is the place of birth. For example, 75% of U.S. residents born in the Caribbean live either in the New York or the Miami metro areas. More than half of those born in Mexico live in the Los Angeles area or in Florida or Texas. Interestingly, while the immeasurable majority of Hispanics come from rural areas, 90% settle in America’s industrial cities and surrounding suburbs. Living together in closely united communities, they share a common language and customs. However, distinction in the number of racial discrimination Latinos experience depends on the socioeconomic position of immigrant parents and their ethnic form.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Also, those whose parents migr ated as high-skilled immigrants do not experience as much discrimination, while those Latinos with darker complexion go through more racial inequity than those who look whiter (white Hispanics experience less favoritism and black Hispanics experience the most) (Martin 57). Hispanic Americans are to a less extent, generally included in conventional American culture, but because a great number of them are ethnically white, the tribal difficulties to exogamy with whites are less (Martin 56). Lastly, with the Latin resettlement to the north, the United States has gone through the largest migration in its history. Around one half of Hispanic residents in the United States were born in a foreign country. Newcomers to the United States started their settlement with many economic and educational drawbacks compared to the average American; more than half have not graduated from high school and most are unskilled. With the low turnout in education among the Hispania’s, the parts of soc iety where they have excessively reach a desired goal are music and sports. Martin, Marger. Race and Ethnic Relations: American and Global Perspectives. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

Grand Theft Auto VS The Power-Go-Round Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Grand Theft Auto VS The Power-Go-Round - Essay Example In this case, what Finn is trying to emphasize is the fact that most of the agencies responsible for the monitoring and regulating of video games (in Australia, the Office of Film and Literature Classification), especially on video games with a violent and interactive content, usually fall short in properly classifying games that is to be played and not to be played by the Australian public; given that the game GTA3 has already been generating much sales on the video game playing public, and have already become one of the most popular games played by video game enthusiast before it was banned by the said agency (Finn 2006). The fact here is that the violent game Postal 2 also shared the same experience, and even worse, wherein despite being involved with controversy due to its violent content, even gaining opposition from the American politician Senator Joe Lieberman, who decried in it Congress (Wolpaw 2003), the game was not banned in the United States (although it was banned in oth er countries) (Wolpaw 2003). Another important concept that was revealed by Finn in his essay is the fact that the reason why the Office of Film and Literature Classification actually bans video games is because if the fact that it actually â€Å"exceeded limitations† of how games are going to be classified; that is, according to â€Å"the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults; the literary, artistic or educational merit (if any) of the publication, film or computer game; the general character of the publication, film or computer game; the persons or class or persons or who amongst whom it is published or intended or likely to be published† (Finn 2006) From the said standards, it can be seen that the game Postal 2 certainly exceeds the limitation of these classificatory descriptions. With regards to the â€Å"the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults† (Finn 2006), Posta l 2 ultimately fails, given that the game actually shows and encourages players to â€Å"†¦drop-kick grenades and whip scythes at unsuspecting civilians if they refuse to participate in your everyday life story (which is, after all, the plot behind the game). Of course, this includes using cat carcasses as silencers on your gun, hitting people with anthrax-laden cow heads and playing ‘fetch’ with dogs using the severed heads of your dismembered victims† (Chomick n. d.). Of course, such kind of behavior does not pass any standard of morality or decency of reasonable adults, given that such kind of behavior, which expresses and encourages cruelty, murder and defamation are considered totally unreasonable and unacceptable. In no way can drop kicking grenades and whipping scythes to â€Å"

Effective leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Effective leadership - Research Paper Example Scoring is based on the same evaluation and results are investigated with possible suggestion on team improvement. Introduction Structure of the paper The paper analyses a team performance based on theoretical frameworks right from its formation till the very end. It begins by identifying the team and the components within it and then discusses the process by which a team is formed. The team here is identified as a group created to stage a drama in 31 days time. The group identifies its various departments and operates for 30 days. In these 30 days, the group functioning is analysed based on few theoretical frameworks on group behaviour. The next stage discusses the role of individual participation and contribution towards the group and how personal and interpersonal skills were utilised. The paper concludes in evaluating the team’s performance on the team effectiveness critique and exploring the results thereof. The Team The team under study is a small one of 15 people coming together to stage a drama designated to the task of providing a good theatre experience to its audience. The team has 15 members who are divided into various divisions of the work unit. Each member on the team has a level of competency that is desired by the theatre event and the department under which the team member operates. Each team member works towards the common objective of giving a good performance on the day of the event. Team members are equally competitive and capable in delivering high levels of performance. Each individual has a separate set of skills that are necessary for achieving divisional and common organizational goals. The group is divided between actors (6), technicians (3), scriptwriters (2), director (2), marketers and organizers (2). The director has all necessary information regarding the drama event and shall act as the team leader. The Project To stage the drama, the team has a time period of 30 days to stage the drama. They have to present the show on the 31st day of the task being assigned. The team decided to meet 15 alternate days to put together the entire drama in place. The meetings were held on day 1, 2, 5, 9, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 from the day it was decided to stage a drama. Team Development Building an effective and efficient teamwork is important in today’s scenario. It is observed that team building is an onerous task. New teams do not start functioning exceptionally well at the very onset. Their formation takes time, efforts and a pattern that follow stages that can be easily classified into four general categories. A group of strangers becomes a team with common goal once they undergo the following stages (Mindtools, 2013). Forming The first stage is characterized by coming together of individuals to form a part of the group. Here individuals act in a very polite and positive manner primarily because they want to be accepted by the other members. The team leader has an advantage at this stage because the roles and responsibilities of other members are unclear. People are engaged primarily in deciding tasks and gather impression and information about other members of the group. This stage usually lasts very long, may be one single meeting and is devoid of any major conflict or controversy. The team under study identifies the roles and responsibilities of each participating in creating the entire drama. The behavior was formal and polite where individuals got acquainted with

Confucianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Confucianism - Essay Example Thus politeness being a universal communication phenomenon it reflects particular cultural values that come with or rather which are linked to diverse cultures. Being a relatively vital aspect in cross-cultural communication, politeness enables people from different cultures to establish, consolidate or maintain harmonious interpersonal relations that reduce misunderstandings and conflicts in the society. A snapshot on various aspects of politeness in the two cultures, Chinese and English, depicts that the rules of communication differ as they are influenced by the values and beliefs of individuals from these communities. For instance, the English people always address others according to their genders; Mr., Mrs., Miss and Ms, followed with a surname, depending on age and marital status. On the other hand, the Chinese address people using a surname and the title of the occupation; â€Å"Wang yi sheng† to mean Doctor Wang, â€Å"Lee xiao zhang† to mean Principal Lee and â€Å"shi fu† can be used to address strangers. In addition, the Chinese culture, especially for children, â€Å"shushu† and â€Å"a yi† are always used to address uncle and aunty respectively. Another aspect of politeness in the two cultures is farewell and greetings. Whenever the English people meet, they always use phrases like â€Å"Nice to meet you,† â€Å"Good Morning,† â€Å"Good evening† and â€Å"Good afternoon.† For the Chinese, the phrase â€Å"ni hao† is always used whenever people meet. Moreover, when the China people meet their acquaintances, one can say â€Å"qu na li† to ask where one is going or â€Å"chi le ma?† to ask whether one has eaten or not. Thus, whenever an native speaker of English hear the Chinese phrases, he or she might interpret them as invitation lunch or dinner and any other interference in their personal affair. I met one of my colleagues, an English speaker on my way to a restaurant. I was

Argumentative Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Argumentative - Article Example Moreover, the rise of sites has ensured that they work in countless ways such as chatting, breaking news, following events such as elections, and expressing different forms of humor. Moreover, the media have also helped people keep up with friends or colleagues and contribution to online debates (ITU 1). On the other hand, the sites have led to transformation of online user’s behavior. In fact, most of people have been spending their time in these sites usually Facebook and Twitter. Consequently, it has led to the exposure of many people private lives, and this is seen as an acceptable behavior and etiquette for the users (ITU 1). The number of users is expected to increase significantly in the near future. In 2009, there were close to a billion users of social networks worldwide (ITU 1). Consequently, these sites continue to impact on society positively and negatively. The use of social media such as Facebook should be controlled as it affects the student’s performance , leads to cyber bullying in schools, escalation of violence behavior, poor health and concentration in class, and poor social life. Negative Impact of Social media on Education Education is vital for the success of any individual especially the teenagers. Currently, the number of teenagers using social sites such as Facebook has been on the rise. Moreover, teenagers show most in interest for using social sites. As a result, learning is affected in a significant way. A research that was done showed that over 90% of college students use social sites (Tariq, Mehboob, Khan and Ullah 409). On the other hand, technology has shown much progress especially with the development of devices that have made it possible for most people to access social sites anytime and anywhere. Some of these devices include smart phones, computers, laptops, and simple mobile phones (Tariq et al 490). Consequently, students have been able to access the social sites while still in school. However, technology can be an excellent innovation, but it is dangerous when it provides ease of accessing social sites for social network addict. In fact, easy access to social sites provides many opportunities for development of addiction especially for students that suffer from social isolation (Tariq et al 409). First, social media such as Facebook diverts the attention of students. The effects are that concentration of students is diverted to non-productive activities such as chatting, time killing by random searching and failure to fulfill schools undertaking (Tariq et al 409). The distraction occurs due to various programs available in social sites. Some of these programs include gaming and advertisements. As a result, it leads to endless venture of the students in the sites, as programs available in social sites never satisfy (Tariq et al 409). The addicts become delinquent parents, friends, and other associated people as they lack a sense of upcoming future and competition in their careers (Tariq et al 409). A study carried out showed that high school and college students kept on checking Facebook after every fifteen minutes (American Psychological Association (APA) 1). The outcome was an achievement of inferior rank in the class. Moreover, social sites use different features that divert the attention of the students as they multitask. This occurs due to an increasing number of

How is Soviet montage is revolutionary With the reference to the work Essay

How is Soviet montage is revolutionary With the reference to the work of Soviet Russian film directors Sergei Esienstein and - Essay Example The creation of expression with culture and politics as well as the understanding of how to use specific techniques in this time period were all associated with the construction of the film. While both directors had specific styles, there were more associations with the new creation of film and the experimentation of how one could communicate specific messages to the viewers. Defining the Soviet Montage The concept of the Soviet montage began in the 1920s with the focus on editing specific scenes within movies and combining this with other scenes to create fractured images for the overall plot line. This specific concept emerged out of the Russian Revolution of 1917, which was based on the objection to socialism. The propaganda of socialism was the main component; however, many began to overlook this and believe that the values of socialism were a detriment to society and would lead to strict rules and regulations within society, as opposed to building a stronger ability for citizens to work within society1. The symbolic objective which was established was based on having a free flowing thought of narrative, as opposed to a strict establishment, such as many believed was a component of socialism. This was followed by combining the plotline into one which didn’t require techniques to be consistent or for the plot line to have the established, chronological order that was expected within cinema2. The concept of revolution in the montage was one of the most important factors in using this technique. While this was based on methodologies and techniques for the arts, film producers considered it a way of getting a message across based on the Russian Revolution as well as the politics and economy of the time. The meanings which were established through the broken edits created a political and intellectual agenda that those in the Soviet region could look at and change their understanding about. The narrative and content that was used became important in establ ishing a sense of a political and intellectual revolution, specifically which was believed to be a vehicle for social change. Most of the content which was used in this form was able to take place in an abstract way. However, the meaning which was established allowed for the meaning to relate to the political and economic difficulties of the time, specifically which linked to the voice that was based on the revolution of Russia3. The first historical presence of the montage began with editing between scenes, specifically which would move from long shots that would be followed by a cut in black. This would then lead to a narrative flow that would link specific types of vocabulary and philosophies that were within a specific film area. The main ideal was to create a sense of space, which then held some connections but was able to move into a different narrative direction within the film. As this evolved, it moved into specialized techniques, such as mise-en-scene, where movements were the main component linking together the edits, while the narrative was able to continue in the same direction4. The rules which were established included an established shot in a specific scene, followed by a long shot to create a sense of orientation of where one was as well as to position the performers and objects. This was known

The relationships between prison inmates and correction officers in Essay

The relationships between prison inmates and correction officers in regaurds to violence - Essay Example The workshops are managed by inmate trainers, but with the support and involvement of outside volunteer co-trainers. AVP workshops are typically two or three days in length, depending on the specific module. Both inmates, as well as outside trainers are volunteers, their qualifications being completion of all AVP modules in addition to the "train-the-trainer" workshop. Participants start with the basic workshop, progress to the advanced, and from there to the adjunct modules which include Bias Awareness and Manly Awareness. The ethnographic study, completed in May of 2001 (Sloane 2001), suggested that AVP participants' behaviors were modified by their involvement in these workshops. Prisons are essentially closed institutions. To all but the state employees who work in them, the prisoners confined in them and the officials who are permitted access, prisons are generally hidden from public view. Under special authority extended to the Correctional Association since 1846, members of its Prison Visiting Committee can enter prisons, interview inmates and staff, and communicate their findings and recommendations to state policymakers and the public. While the Correctional Association does not have authority to mandate change, it uses its knowledge of prison operations to advocate for reform to those who do have that authority. Based on observations of the Correctional Association's Prison Visiting Committee from visits to 25 state correctional facilities conducted between March 1998 and October 2001, key problems and areas for reform based on conversations with hundreds of inmates and correctional staff are mentioned here and/or described in the individual prison reports: - Youth Assistance Programs in which inmates and correction staff volunteer as counselors to at-risk youth from the community; - The "Puppies Behind Bars" program, where inmates train puppies to become seeing-eye dogs; - The piloting of an in-cell substance abuse treatment program for inmates in disciplinary confinement; - Mandatory academic programming for inmates who read and/or have a math score below the ninth-grade level; - Parenting programs featuring structured groups and parenting education classes; - Family visitor centers at 36 facilities to provide inmate family members with a place to refresh themselves prior to entering the prison; - The installation of Automatic Electronic Defibrillators in every state correctional facility; - Aggression Replacement Therapy provided by trained inmate facilitators to help prisoners identify and control aggressive behavior; and - Earned Eligibility and Merit Time programs, which reward certain nonviolent offenders who meet various program requirements with the possibility of early release. Motivation levels at the start of the workshops

Argumentative Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Argumentative - Article Example Moreover, the rise of sites has ensured that they work in countless ways such as chatting, breaking news, following events such as elections, and expressing different forms of humor. Moreover, the media have also helped people keep up with friends or colleagues and contribution to online debates (ITU 1). On the other hand, the sites have led to transformation of online user’s behavior. In fact, most of people have been spending their time in these sites usually Facebook and Twitter. Consequently, it has led to the exposure of many people private lives, and this is seen as an acceptable behavior and etiquette for the users (ITU 1). The number of users is expected to increase significantly in the near future. In 2009, there were close to a billion users of social networks worldwide (ITU 1). Consequently, these sites continue to impact on society positively and negatively. The use of social media such as Facebook should be controlled as it affects the student’s performance , leads to cyber bullying in schools, escalation of violence behavior, poor health and concentration in class, and poor social life. Negative Impact of Social media on Education Education is vital for the success of any individual especially the teenagers. Currently, the number of teenagers using social sites such as Facebook has been on the rise. Moreover, teenagers show most in interest for using social sites. As a result, learning is affected in a significant way. A research that was done showed that over 90% of college students use social sites (Tariq, Mehboob, Khan and Ullah 409). On the other hand, technology has shown much progress especially with the development of devices that have made it possible for most people to access social sites anytime and anywhere. Some of these devices include smart phones, computers, laptops, and simple mobile phones (Tariq et al 490). Consequently, students have been able to access the social sites while still in school. However, technology can be an excellent innovation, but it is dangerous when it provides ease of accessing social sites for social network addict. In fact, easy access to social sites provides many opportunities for development of addiction especially for students that suffer from social isolation (Tariq et al 409). First, social media such as Facebook diverts the attention of students. The effects are that concentration of students is diverted to non-productive activities such as chatting, time killing by random searching and failure to fulfill schools undertaking (Tariq et al 409). The distraction occurs due to various programs available in social sites. Some of these programs include gaming and advertisements. As a result, it leads to endless venture of the students in the sites, as programs available in social sites never satisfy (Tariq et al 409). The addicts become delinquent parents, friends, and other associated people as they lack a sense of upcoming future and competition in their careers (Tariq et al 409). A study carried out showed that high school and college students kept on checking Facebook after every fifteen minutes (American Psychological Association (APA) 1). The outcome was an achievement of inferior rank in the class. Moreover, social sites use different features that divert the attention of the students as they multitask. This occurs due to an increasing number of

The relationships between prison inmates and correction officers in Essay

The relationships between prison inmates and correction officers in regaurds to violence - Essay Example The workshops are managed by inmate trainers, but with the support and involvement of outside volunteer co-trainers. AVP workshops are typically two or three days in length, depending on the specific module. Both inmates, as well as outside trainers are volunteers, their qualifications being completion of all AVP modules in addition to the "train-the-trainer" workshop. Participants start with the basic workshop, progress to the advanced, and from there to the adjunct modules which include Bias Awareness and Manly Awareness. The ethnographic study, completed in May of 2001 (Sloane 2001), suggested that AVP participants' behaviors were modified by their involvement in these workshops. Prisons are essentially closed institutions. To all but the state employees who work in them, the prisoners confined in them and the officials who are permitted access, prisons are generally hidden from public view. Under special authority extended to the Correctional Association since 1846, members of its Prison Visiting Committee can enter prisons, interview inmates and staff, and communicate their findings and recommendations to state policymakers and the public. While the Correctional Association does not have authority to mandate change, it uses its knowledge of prison operations to advocate for reform to those who do have that authority. Based on observations of the Correctional Association's Prison Visiting Committee from visits to 25 state correctional facilities conducted between March 1998 and October 2001, key problems and areas for reform based on conversations with hundreds of inmates and correctional staff are mentioned here and/or described in the individual prison reports: - Youth Assistance Programs in which inmates and correction staff volunteer as counselors to at-risk youth from the community; - The "Puppies Behind Bars" program, where inmates train puppies to become seeing-eye dogs; - The piloting of an in-cell substance abuse treatment program for inmates in disciplinary confinement; - Mandatory academic programming for inmates who read and/or have a math score below the ninth-grade level; - Parenting programs featuring structured groups and parenting education classes; - Family visitor centers at 36 facilities to provide inmate family members with a place to refresh themselves prior to entering the prison; - The installation of Automatic Electronic Defibrillators in every state correctional facility; - Aggression Replacement Therapy provided by trained inmate facilitators to help prisoners identify and control aggressive behavior; and - Earned Eligibility and Merit Time programs, which reward certain nonviolent offenders who meet various program requirements with the possibility of early release. Motivation levels at the start of the workshops

A Theoretical Vision of Community Essay Example for Free

A Theoretical Vision of Community Essay Introduction and overview of a theoretical vision of community The following document outlines the defense of my theoretical vision of community. It will address the extent to the vision is informed by my particular beliefs and understandings regarding the nature in which a society can more efficiently function. It will also delve into some of the perspectives of communitarian vision in relationship to this particular theoretical vision, and will look into areas of human personality and agency as mechanism for the success and failure of past and future visions of community. The document will also address some of the more intricate theories of knowledge and moral truths, as well as the details of logistics as to how such a community will function in a democratic fashion. Priorities on rights and morals within the community will be addressed, as well as the general systems of social welfare. The concept of equality will be introduced as a force within this envisioned community, and will be analyzed in terms of its meaning within this vision of community. This vision of community will base itself mainly on Conservativism and the visions of group behavior and community from such philosophers as Allen Bloom, Alasdair MacIntyre and Russell Arben Fox. My particular theoretical view of community is quite simple to state, and yet very difficult to enact. It is a view that believes that the human experience is not sustainable if one only works towards individual liberties. It is important to understand the web of relationships to which we all belong. These webs can consists of our relationship to the environment and the earth, our relationship to our local and global community and our relationship to our families, friends and other social networks. By understanding the complex webs of existence that determine the human condition, we can begin to conceptualize a community that is sustainable. Currently we are functioning within a paradigm of an unsustainable collective reality. My vision of community perceives of a group collective whose members dedicate a minimal amount of attention, energy, and resources to projects that uplift the collective. This brings up one of the other principle understandings in my envisioned group. It is that the exclusive pursuit of individual interests, rights and freedoms places an enormous burden on the social and physical environment. Individual rights and freedoms can only work within the greater paradigm of the collective reality that encases it. And so, my vision recognizes the need for human rights and the existence of human agency, while at the same time it recognizes the existence of the human collective. In this sense, my vision gives equal rights to the collective experience as to the individual experience. When considering the state of institutions and organizations in America, one must reconsider the notion of community and morality within a group paradigm. I envision a theoretical community based on much of the resurgence of communitarian ideas. Disturbing trends towards crime and social disorder, as well as an all-prevailing attitude that gives emphasis towards self-affirmation and self-interest. Communitarian ideas focus on restoring integrity in human community efforts and institutions, especially in the administrative and localized realms. Within communitarian studies, one can begin to perceive a renewed interest in a community that fights for basic ideals regarding the human individual character, integrity, and the virtues and values which manifest themselves in the public sphere. My vision of community calls for the embodiment of communitarian ideals and policy approaches which begin at the micro-level of the human individual experience, branching out to the macro-level of cultural and institutional development. The basis of the vision involves a union of individuals committed to becoming the change that they wish to see in the world. This involves the education of good personal conduct and personal responsibility, a notion that has unfortunately seeped out of the basic frame of reference of many individuals of our modern time. This theoretical vision of community is based on a more Conservative approach to the philosophical notion of morality and human decision-making, as well as the functioning of society as a unit. An important aspect of this theoretical vision for society is an idea that as individuals can work as communities that assert moral standards for conduct, we can reduce a reliance on costly government programs. In an economic sense, there is an underlying moral standard for conduct as well, as the individual may think more towards empowering a group of people instead of his own personal interests for gain. In this sense, the theoretical vision for a community is an optimistic take on the nature of the human being as a capable individual for decision-making, given the right education and values. It is true that humans tend to act in selfish ways, but through the creation of community there can be a mental shift whereby the individual can begin to open in awareness. This opening in awareness comes from the direct experience of the benefits involved in creating a society based on cooperation of common goals for the common good. This can only be ingrained into the mind of the individual through the actual experience and practice of living in a community that strives for the common good. Similarly, the modern 21st century society has inspired the mind to search for individual and immediate satisfaction. The communitarian approach considers itself to be the â€Å"essential optimistic view that has animated Americans throughout our history.†[1] I agree that communitarian policy has brought forth positive change in the creation of social and community awareness, as well as the creation of social action that works towards reversing the trends of self-interest alone. If I had to adhere to one particular form of Communitariansism, it would be the Ideological approach to social wellbeing. This approach bases itself on a perceived observation of deteriorating social networks, and an attempt to correct that deterioration by increasing social capital. In my vision of community social capital can be increased by observing what Robert Putnam calls the collective value of all social networks and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other. To directly quote The Responsive Communitarian Platform:   Ã‚  Ã‚   Many social goals . . . require partnership between public and private groups. Though government should not seek to replace local communities, it may need to empower them by strategies of support, including revenue sharing and technical assistance. There is a great need for study and experimentation with creative use of the structures of civil society, and public-private cooperation, especially where the delivery of health, educational and social services are concerned. The role of the human individual: agency and personality in the community vision The Communitarian approach focuses mainly on the advocating of social capital and the furtherance of the community through an agreement on particular values and morality choices. In my vision of community, this is also one of the strongest aims for the collective. And yet, within that collective import, my vision also holds space for the acknowledgement of human free will, personality or agency. If one creates an ideological or theoretical vision based only on an awareness of the social collective, one misses the duality that exists between the individual and the group as a paradigm of human existence. It is important to understand that human agency is still the motivating force behind all collective vision. Without the personality of the individual, groups would merely consist of collective drones marching to the beat of the loudest drummer. The collective vision of social capital resurgence can only function against the greater backdrop of human individual change and awareness. And so, the basis of this paradigm of collective change is one that acknowledges the need for individual education and the evolution of self. The great irony is that many libertarians or freedom and rights advocates believe themselves to be â€Å"free,† when actually they are merely working within a different paradigm that limits the development of the individual. Allan David Bloom notices this irony in his groundbreaking work The Closing of the American Mind. â€Å"The most successful tyranny,† he states, â€Å"is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are viable, that removes the sense that there is an outside. (p. 249) Bloom’s ideas on human agency and social control are based on preserving certain philosophical truths for later generations. His book is a critique of the contemporary university, and yet we can find within in it the even greater critique of American society. He believes that modern liberal philosophy was responsible for the crisis, stating that the notion that â€Å"a just society could be based upon self-interest alone, coupled by the emergence of relativism in American thought had led to this crisis.† This belief embodies the heart of my vision for a communitarian-based social reality. Here we can clearly see how while the recognition of self-interest, personality and human agency exist and are important, it is through the creation of a solid commitment to the well-being of the whole that the human agency of action can be stimulated to put energy and effort into that ideal. And so, the vision entails a training of the human agency, an education of the individualism and self-interest that, if left unchecked can lead to the social crisis and the void of spirit that we find in America today. In his critique on American universities, Bloom discusses this void of spirit. As it now stands, students have powerful images of what a perfect body is and pursue it incessantly. But deprived of literary guidance, they no longer have any image of a perfect soul, and hence do not long to have one. They do not even imagine that there is such a thing. (p. 67) Bloom discussed how the failure of contemporary education has lead the modern human being to be stunted in the development of self. Modern life in America offers us all the promises of material gain and monetary success, yet these are small mundane offerings being misrepresented as â€Å"success.† The search for commercial gain as the most highly valued element of the human life has poisoned the human soul. I am therefore in full agreement with Bloom that the individual must be educated to search for philosophic truths and self-awareness. In this sense, a huge part of the community vision involves the commitment in each and every individual towards the search for higher truths beyond self-interest and material gain. Macintyre and a theory of morality My theoretical vision of community resonates with the writings of Alasdair Macintyre and his belief that â€Å"the best theory so far† for understanding human morality is the tradition of Thomistic Aristotelianism. Macintyre worked within the tradition of virtue ethics, which states that the most effective way of determining human morality is to actually look into the habits, virtues and knowledge surrounding how one actually lives their life. I am attracted to this particular understanding of moral reason because it resonates with my belief that it is more important to â€Å"be† and â€Å"do,† than to merely come up with lofty ideals that remain in one’s speech and not in behavior. This approach is so elegant in that it focuses on how to make the most out of an entire human life. Many other theories focus on specific issues such as gay rights, abortion, women’s rights and religious debate, but in my vision of community, these issues are merely symptoms of the greater problem. It is more important for each human being to focus on their own good judgment than on the issues that society is debating upon. By focusing on good judgments, meaning honesty, not creating ill will, working to have good speech towards others, non-violence, etc., one creates good character for oneself. The underlying morality of my community, therefore, is not based on anything that any one agency or institution â€Å"decides upon,† but is wholly based on the virtues of life that enable good behavior to emanate naturally from individuals committed to integrity. MacIntyre, who bases himself on the Aristotelian idea of an ethical teleology, believes that right and wrong are more important than the formal rules that attempt to encourage them. MacIntyre emphasizes the need for a community of individuals committed to the highest good. These individuals must be engaged actively in the â€Å"practice† of what he calls â€Å"goods of excellence† rather than any commitment to some exterior moral agent. This, once again, fully parallels my own understanding of an ideal community, whereby the â€Å"proof is in the pudding† of individual action, not within the individual need for rights. Universal morality and truth My vision of community is based on the belief that there is in fact a universal objective moral or truth. At the same time, I am not claiming that I myself can outline what those universals are, nor can I explicitly define a notion of moral truth, but as the saying goes, â€Å"I know it when I see it.† Truth is an experience whereby ones witnesses and experiences. When I speak of morality and value systems throughout this document, it is important to mention that I am not referring to any hard-coded set of rules to be used indiscriminately by force, but am referring to the instilling of values within the individual that actually allow them to become more free. Freedom, in this sense, refers to becoming a more peaceful, aware human being. A part of this peaceful nature entails not harming others, or oneself. And so, when I refer to the education of youth, it does not mean an indoctrination of a group of people, but more an opening of the mind, so as one becomes less and less focused on the individual success, and more and more focuses on the good of all beings. In this sense, I do adhere to the existence of truth as a human universal. This human universal is that we are all looking to lead a life which reduces human suffering, and increases a peaceful existence. The tactics and recommendations provided herein are merely stepping stones to reach that greater freedom. Tradition and traditional values The role of tradition in this vision of community is only tradition-based if that particular tradition works in adherence to the ideals on community up-lifting and the advancement of virtue. Only traditions have the capacity to inspire a community to move forward should be given precedence. Traditions, no matter what ethnic or racial background they come from, are only valuable if they are steeped in the wisdom of the collective reality. This means that traditions that are self-centered or and driven by greed should be avoided. Traditions that work towards special interests of a few very powerful should be ignored. This means that if one were to analyze the current American government or economy, one could determine that much of the tradition of the capitalist society is based on the search for individual material gain. In this sense, the tradition of laissez faire economics and capitalism may be a tradition that could be remedied. On the other hand, there are many American traditions which are based on the spirit of community which should be given space for growth. The value of family and friendship networks, the emphasis placed on spiritual and religious adherence, and the feeling of patriotism towards the country (not government), could be considered as positive traditions. And so, tradition plays a role in my vision of a community inasmuch as the tradition can prove to play a correlating role within the greater scope of the vision. In another sense, my vision of community does take a more conservative approach to ethical matters, and in this sense, may be considered to be steeped in â€Å"traditional values.† Such values include the notion of family, parenting and education. In order to instill a sense of values and morality into the human individual, it is important to start with the new generations. In this way, it is the responsibility of parents to instill certain values of moral education and integrity into their children. This is done by setting an example, not through words alone, but through actions. I believe that most children today are being given an education by teachers or from the mass media. This is an unfortunate fact. The examples that parents are giving it one of the mass consumer, obsessed with acquiring the next technological advancement, or purchasing the latest designer clothes. Most parents are products of the individual-based society. They are so focuses on themselves, that they forget to remind their children of the importance of the greater social reality. Other parents who are less selfish are under huge societal pressures to make enough money to keep up with the current standards of living. These parents, while they may have the desire to educate their children in a good way, simply do not have the time and flexibility to attend to their moral and educational duties. Once again, children are left to be educated by under-paid, over-worked teachers and even worse, the mass media. In my vision of community, workplaces play a crucial role in reestablishing some of the more â€Å"traditional† values involving family life and parenting. Parents, particularly those with young children, need to be given the opportunity for more flexible work schedules. For the sake of the upcoming generations, parents need to be present at the educating forces in the child’s life. Programs such as paid and unpaid parental leave, flextime, shared jobs, opportunities to work at home, and for parents to participate as volunteers and managers in child-care centers, are an integral part of the more traditional vision of family and child education. Furthermore, there needs to be a shift in the collective conscious on how we value parenting. Child raising needs to be given new precedence as one of the most important things that a human being can ever endeavor to attempt. Also, continuing with an adherence to traditional values, it is important that human individual have support with the raising of children. It has been consistently shown that single parent households often have a more difficult time in raising children. This is not to place a moral judgment on single parents, but is just to say that women or men who are left to be single parents should be given more social support due to the sheer lack of resources that they have. Schools represent one of the main areas where the establishment of good morals can be ensued. Because the American family has become so weak, the capacity for parents to provide proper education has been greatly impaired. Schools now play the major role in the character formation of the next generation. Therefore, in the envisioned community, not only do parents and communities play a role in proper education, but also educational institutions would recognize the incredible role that they play in shaping the moral education and value system of students. Tolerance, equality and the creation of peaceful idealism How can a school teach value systems without getting involved in religious issues on morality? Once again, we can come back to the principals discussed earlier in the document, on universal truth. I feel that no one in the community would argue with an organization that teaches us to work for the dignity of all human beings. Nor would anyone be inclined to argue with the teaching of equality, respect and tolerance. Human equality is the highest virtue of this perceived theoretical society. All persons should be treated as equals, and the discrimination of any human being is unacceptable. Of course, these are lofty ideals but we must have some sort of ideal that we can try to work towards. In this sense, we must create an arsenal of peaceful idealism. Peaceful ideals include a peaceful resolution to conflicts. Violence, in any form, should be avoided. Basics such as lying, stealing and killing are universals to be avoided. One could also state that a democratic government which fosters participation from all citizens could be considered as one that works toward peaceful idealism. Totalitarianism and authoritarianism are not. Equal pay for women and men, as well as equal pay for all ethnic groups is another part of peaceful idealism. Much in the same, this ideal can be applied to globalization as well. With the onslaught of the widely spreading mass media and rapid forms of travel and communication, we must also extend our idea of the collective to include the global collective. These same ideals, because they are not religious or culturally or even politically based, can be applied to any group of people. The nature and scope of democracy Like Robert Putnam, I believe that social capital is a key component to building and maintaining democracy. The political setup of society today is a false democracy. The perceived democracy of American society today is actually the an oligarchy of a few very influential, powerful, wealthy corporations. In my envisioned community, there would be much more local participation in politics. Ordered liberty, rather than unchecked, unlimited individual and corporate license would be obtained not through force, but through the cultivation of education which is based on shared values. These shared values are not limited to any particular culture, but are universal values that assure a respect for one another’s rights. In the same, the democracy is based on policies that are accepted as legitimate by the social reality, not policies that are imposed through force. Any political policy that works through force will only be successful at masking the problem. The government of my community would be a real democracy, representative and participant democracy that was responsive to the needs and realities of all community members, regardless of race, gender or religious background. This can be done by creating ways to make citizens of the community feel that they actually have a voice within the decision making process, whether by direct vote or by fostering programs for wellbeing and education. An important part of a democracy is the diffusion of information to the population of citizens. Government needs to be transparent. Similarly, corporations and governments alike must modify their practices to reduce the role of private money, special interests and corruption. Voting is another method for keeping the community constituents involved in the decision making process, but it is not the only method. Being involved in non-political activities such as community volunteering and relief efforts, or social work and fundraising is another way to affect change on the community and be responsible members of society. Economic responsibilities include paying one’s taxes to enjoy social works. Justice In the words of Bloom: The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are viable, that removes the sense that there is an outside. (Closing of the American Mind, 249) Law may prescribe that the male nipples be made equal to the female ones, but they still will not give milk. (Closing of the American Mind, 131) The following quotes embody my vision of the creation of collective community in regard to its attitude towards justice. Law and justice systems are only affective inasmuch as they are working towards the truth, or the embodiment of the human universals and peace principals. The justice system of this theoretical society must therefore work towards correcting behavior through education and persuasion. Most methods of the current justice system involve either coercion or through the fear of punishment. This simply masks deeper hidden social ills. What we end up with is a nation full of costly prisons and uneducated human beings, rather than programs which foster education and reasoned judgment.   The realm of justice lies not in unrestrained individual freedoms, nor in harsh governmental control, but in the balance between the two: the communitarian social space. Social justice is one such area of understanding in the community space. This involves the notion of reciprocity. All members of society feels that it is indebted to the collective, just as the collective society feels that it is indebted to its members. In order for social justice to exist, all members must feel a responsibility towards the community effort. Individual rights and responsibilities towards the collective My vision of community gives priority to the â€Å"good† for the collective over the rights of the individual, only if the collective good is something that has been agreed upon by the social reality. This means, the â€Å"good† has been determined by individuals that are clearly searching for higher truths and values in their lives. These values are based on the uplifting of others as a social collective. This approach embodies the need for balance between the rights of the individual (which it also recognizes) and the responsibility that the individual has towards the collective. This means, if the individual is given a plethora of rights, then there must be an exact correlation of strong responsibilities at hand. In this sense, the age-old saying, â€Å"To whom much is given, much is required,† rings true. If I am committed to ensuring the best for the collective, and I am responsible for looking out for the social well-being, the certainly I am an individual that can enjoy many rights. On the contrary, if I am a self-centered individual, only looking out for my own material gain, my rights need to be limited, as I am certainly likely to do grave harm to the social collective. My vision of rights and the collective good is based on a belief that contemporary society has been too liberal in bestowing rights and individual autonomy. This has come at the price of individual and social responsibility. That said, there are many rights that all individual should have. This includes basic human rights like the right to good healthcare, education, a safe living environment, and basic employment. These are rights that all human beings are entitled to. It is of utmost importance to mention that my vision of community, while placing much emphasis on the collective good, does, in no way, place disregard on human rights. I am of the firm belief that the more and more one works towards collective responsibility, the more one can enjoy the rights and freedoms that one is entitles to. Simply bestowing rights to uneducated, self-interested human beings is no freedom at all. Rights and freedoms are only freedoms according to how each and every individual uses them. And so, all individuals in my theoretical vision of community should enjoy a clean environment, public education and works programs, as well as equality under the law. And in this sense, the community or society works at maintaining the delicate balance between individual rights and the collective enjoyment of agreeing upon certain individual limitations. Many critics of a more conservative, non-liberal approach to the philosophy of community cite the First Amendment as an important right. I believe that the First Amendment is an incredibly important right, but that also we should consider the rights of the victims of such a right. Take for example an extremely racist, sexist person. If they have complete freedom to speak their minds, they are doing so at the cost of the wellbeing of others. In a sense, their freedom is incurring on the freedom of the victim of their words. Imagine that that individual is a member of a college campus, and that his words spark an onslaught of sexist and racist behavior on campus. In this case, a college-wide program educating individuals on the benefits, logic and rationale behind having a more tolerant mind state would be helpful to the community by promoting inter-group understanding. This is an example of how we can work to create awareness, understanding and tolerance as morals and values of the highest level, without sacrificing the First Amendment. This can occur because there are some universals of truth that all humans can live by. And so, we should have complete freedom in all sense, if and only if, that freedom does not cause harm to another being within the collective. This is an aspect of the human universals that have been discussed in his document, and is the cornerstone of the greater vision of my view of a theoretical community. Social welfare I believe that the government should not be the sole institution to provide social welfare programs. This involves caring for the sick and elderly, the homeless, the poor and for new immigrants. I believe that we should work as a community to address these problems on a local level, and that government should only intervene if our social systems (as small collectives) fail. Big government programs have proven time and again to be costly and inadequate at meeting the needs of specific local levels.   In the case where it is absolutely necessary, nationwide programs could be established. But once again, I believe it to be much more effective to work to affect change on a micro-level first. This means that social welfare should be attended to by families first. By educating people more and more, there will be less need for the national government to have to intervene. This is a positive step in actually giving individuals more freedom of choice in their lives. By giving the national government power to create social welfare programs, we are actually taking more and more power out of the hands of the local constituent communities. Social goals regarding welfare can be achieved through a partnership between local groups and institutions. A creative use of structures of both civil and private society could be used to create health, education, and social care systems that empower individuals at a local level. Community and excellence of character Russell Arben Fox speaks of a communal authority in his essay, Activity and Communal Authority: Localist Lessons from Puritan and Confucian Communities. While not very fashionable in today’s modern Western society, Fox urges us to look at some of the lessons we can gain from the communal spirit and the goals of excellence of character in both Puritan and Confucian communities. Both cultures work at understanding human arrangements based on ideals of behavior that work towards a moral character or a universal â€Å"worldview† for correct behavior. As we move more and more towards a more relativistic globalized macro culture, we are losing the role of the overarching harmony that must exist within the global â€Å"melting pot.† We are so focused on relativism and cultural differences that we attempt to function as a collective within a chaotic collective mindset. The notion of harmony in Fox’s work is a pivotal part of my own idea of peaceful idealism and human universals. And while I do not agree with either Confucian nor Puritan communities on their ideas of authority, I do believe that contemporary society could learn very valuable insights into their ideas on boundedness, interconnection and harmony. The, Confucian understanding of communal harmony could be easily applied to the justification of the new trend towards localism in the face of mass globalization. Confucian and Puritan understandings are an attempt at arriving at some of the universals that have been discussed through the paper. My vision of community is contingent upon the notion of excellence of character, and it is within this paradigm that all other aspects of society fall into place. But how can we arrive at this Confucian harmony, this excellence of character for the greater social whole? Excellence of character is based on a human dignity and the respect for all beings. I believe that by instilling this value into humans, we can arrive at a responsive community that will be the best form of human organization possible. Self-inquiry is a huge part of the process, and in this sense, human agency is very important to maintain social wellbeing, but at the same time, shared deliberation among the people is also pivotal. My vision of peaceful idealism and human universals may seem utopian. But how can we being to make a better world if we do not first create an ideal or an utopia with which to work towards? This cannot be achieved through authoritarianism and coercion, but through genuine conviction of change within the individual. My vision may seem utopian, but quite frankly, I believe that it is the only hope for a movement towards peace and wellbeing in the world. The global community, on both a global and local level, must work towards programs that deal with the pressing problems that threaten our lives as human beings. More and more we are plagued by war, environmental degradation, social and political unrest and technological breakdown. It is my belief that through the education of collective responsibility, individuals may actually begin to heal some of the great psychological, emotional, social and physical stresses that they are under. And so, the theoretical vision of community is one that is based on a renewed commitment to the social space, a renewed commitment to human rights and equality, and a new commitment to discovery and healthy intellectual debate on human truths and universals. Within this healthy debate, we can hope to achieve a greater understanding of not only the human individual experience, but also the collective one. Resources    Bloom, Allan. 1987. Closing of the American Mind, New York: Simon Schuster. Fox, Russell Arben. Activity and Communal Authority: Localist Lessons from Puritan and Confucian Communities. Friends University MacIntyre, Alasdair. After Virtue. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1981, 2nd edn. 1984. MacIntyre, Alasdair. The MacIntyre Reader. (Knight, Kelvin (ed.)) Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1998. Putnam, Robert. Communitarianism, National Public Radio, February 5, 2001. Sandel, Liberalism and the Limits of Justice, 143. [1] The Communitarian Network, Responsive Communitarian Platform Text. http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/platformtext.html