Should Texas have a voter ID law or not Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Should Texas have a voter ID law or not - Essay Example The law was allowed despite the dissenting opinion of the Supreme Court judges who indicated that the law was unconstitutional and would lead to poll tax. This essay will examine the pros and cons of the Texas having a voter ID Law. The main aim for coming up with the stricter voter ID law was to ensure that there was a reduction of fraud during the election. The most common type of fraud that is witnessed during the election is impersonation fraud, which would be curbed using the Voter ID law because the voter before voting has to produce an identification that contains their photo (Smith et al 90). By so doing, it ensures that another person does not vote on their behalf. For that reason, the enacting of voter ID laws was meant to ensure that one person one vote; hence, allowing free and fair elections. Secondly, the voter ID law is imperative to the state of Texas because it is sensible and legal because it safeguards the integrity of the polls (Langholz 731). This is an opinion given by the United States Supreme Court. The elections should be free and fair and such elections can only be achieved by ensuring that there are set out procedures that will ensure that people vote in a democratic manner. Therefore, the State of Texas enacting a law that will ensure such elections will be conducted in a democratic manner should not be challenged. Additionally, the candidates that are competing have the duty and right to be elected fairly and by ensuring that the integrity of elections is safeguarded then it becomes appropriate to have such strict elections laws. â€Å"We are pleased that the United States Supreme Court Has agreed that Texas’ Voter ID law should remain in effect for the upcoming election. The state shall continue to defend the voter ID law and remain confident that the district’s court misguided ruling will be overturned on the

Life in the Country Verse Life in the City Essay Example for Free

Life in the Country Verse Life in the City Essay Even though amenities are more accessible when you live in a big city, it is healthier to live in the country because of the differences in culture and the surroundings. It is healthier and safer to live in the country rather than in the city for a number of reasons, one being that there is less congestion out in the country. With congestion and over population of a city brings gangs and violence. With gangs come drugs, killings, and murders. People become very territorial when a space is over crowed or congested. It was reported that last year in the first week of summer in Battle Creek, Michigan, there was a total of 13 shootings all related to either gangs or drugs. When you live out in the country there are less people living right on top of each other. There isn’t a large amount of crime and acts of violence, because people have their space and they respect others space as well. They don’t feel as though they have to fight to keep what they have because there is plenty to go around. With that being said it is my personal opinion that with more space there is less drama that would build up the kinds of animosity that would make someone want to commit murder. Which is why growing up in the country I can’t remember a time when we had to make certain that our doors and windows were locked, that goes for both our home and our vehicles. Not only is there an increase in crime there is also an increase in pest, rodents, and critters. There are more cases of cockroach infestations in a larger city then there is out in the country that is all because of the congestion. Having to live with cockroaches creates a major health hazard because of the risks posed by cockroach antigens for people who suffer from asthma, also because they carry disease-causing germs. Some of the methods people traditionally use to eliminate them cause additional health hazards. Pesticides are never healthy to breathe in to even ingest. If you put down bate to kill them you risk them tracking it all over your home. If you have pets you have to worry about them consuming it before the cockroaches. Another way people commonly try to treat a cockroach infestation is to bomb their house. There is a reason you can’t be home for this kind of treatment, and why you need to open all the windows in your home at least an hour before you can return. It is very harmful to breathe in. Cockroach antigens are made up of proteins that can be found in the insect’s saliva, feces, eggs, and shredded cuticles. These antigens can cause allergic reactions and asthmatic episodes when they are inhaled because they are airborne. According to health house, â€Å"A large study supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has demonstrated conclusively that the combination of cockroach allergy and exposure to the insects is an important cause of asthma-related illness and hospitalizations among children in U. S. inner-city areas. † There is a major difference in the surroundings that can affect a person’s health from living in a larger city versus living in the country. The food that we consume in a larger city is so full of preservatives and additives. There are more fast food restaurants available for a quick meals. Some of the side effects of eating out and ordering in all of the time include high cholesterol, and clogged arteries. The majority of foods found out in the country are organic, because they are home grown. Living in the country as a child we always had a garden with fresh vegetables. Another difference is the air that we breathe when living in a larger city, because there are so many fast food chains and factories, there is higher pollution in the air. For extremely larger cities like Chongqing, Beijing, and Shanghai they have smog alerts where you have to wear a protective mask to prevent you from breathing in harmful pollutants. When you live in the country you’re not at risk of this because there aren’t as many factories creating these pollutants, so the air is crisp and fresh. The worst thing you have to worry about in the country is when farmers lay down the fertilizer for their crops that is an unpleasant smell. One good thing about living in a larger city as opposed to living out in the country would be that there are hospitals. When you live out in the country there aren’t as many hospitals available to you. Just like with everything else there is so much more open space and less people, which create less reasons and finances to have a hospital, because there are fewer reasons for health risks and that you are less likely to have to rush off to an emergency room, doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be one close by you never know what might happen. A farmer might get his hand caught in a machine while trying to perform routine maintenance. A child could ingest some sort of chemicals such as pesticides. This would have to be the only down fall I can see about life in the country versus living in a large city. However for an extreme emergency there is always an option of having an air lift. You can also still call 911 and have an ambulance out to your place maybe even sometimes faster than if you were living in the city just because there is less traffic. There are always going to be things that challenge our health, wellness, and survival; however, the risks are higher living in the city as opposed to living in the country for two main reasons. First when living in the city there is so much more congestion, overcrowding, and diversity that can bring out the worst in people; in this case, the worst of these brought out are drugs and violence. When you live out in the country you don’t have to worry about these kinds of things as much. The second thing that challenges our health and wellness is what we consume. The air that we breathe to the nourishment we give to our bodies. We are not perfect but the little things that we can change to improve our situation the closer we can come to optimal health and wellness. References americanlungassociation. com battlecreekenquire. com healthhouse. com

Modernism Essay -- Literature Literary Essays

Modernism â€Å"An inclination to subjective distortion to point up the evanescence of the social world of the nineteenth century bourgeoisie.† -Barth, â€Å"Literature of Replenishment† (www.iath.virginia.edu/elab/hfl0255.html) Modernism was rebellion against not only the repressive principles of the Victorian era but also the emergence of the fast-changing, materialistic corporate society. The period preceding modernism held up Victorian virtues, which accepted the worldview of everything being ordered, neat, stable, and meaningful. While fundamentally optimistic, Victorian culture featured hypercritical moralism as it had a very narrow, strict viewpoint. Modernism eschewed such an absolute, clear-cut apprehension of the world. The movement was fueled by the First World War and led by that devastating war’s intellectual casualties, Gertrude Stein’s ‘the Lost Generation’ whose loss of faith in absolutes led them to search for new morals and ideals. Disillusionment, pessimism, and apathy towards society and the popular consensus colored the works of these artists, the literary leaders of whom were T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein. Literary modernism challenged the accepted norms of writing on almost every front. It trod away from traditional narrative structure, clean resolutions, and bourgeois morality that marked the preceding literature. Writers tackled the ordinary notions about writing and communication itself, questioning the ability of language to convey meaning, and experimental writing that broke off from tradition marked the movement’s most famous and exemplary works. Instead... ...ing his lifetime, both of these writers very much catered to the mass-market audience. The fame, wealth, and celebrity were issues with which these men struggled as their hearts belonged to the modernist ideals of the period’s intellectuals while their reputation and success were out of sync with modernism. But ultimately, Hemingway and Fitzgerald occupy important spots in literary modernism as popular culture’s symbols for their generation. Works Cited Knapp, James F., Literary Modernism and the Transformation of Work, (Northwestern University Press, Evanston, IL:1989). www.iath.virginia.edu/elab/hfl0255.html Additional Material Willison, Ian, Gould, Warwick, Chernaik, Warren, ed., Modernist Writers and the Marketplace, (MacMillan Press, London:1996). www.ils.unc.edu/%7Ekaisn/pathfind.html www.class.uiadho.edu/eng258_1/modernists/homepageL.htm

Globalization is only for Developed Countries Essay

In the 1990s, the term globalization gained the popularity. At that time, globalization had become phenomena with an aura of an elemental force, almost similar to that of time and gravity. In simple words Globalization means that the same products will be available in all the countries of the world. It also means economic integration and a world united by the web. This glorious ideal made us think that if globalization would stay on with all its perks with falling trade barriers, leaving countries batter off economically and that it will reduce the widening gap between the rich and the poor. It was believed that the removal of the barriers to trade and foreign investment would result in a dynamic change in the way a company anywhere in the world would do business. It was hoped that the integration would prove beneficial to all. In the 1990s the iron curtain disappeared and trade barriers started falling, the gifts of several rounds of WTO, the Western and Japanese entrepreneurs started looking far beyond there borders for highly beneficial deals, cheap labor new markets and a very big lot of new customers. Nobel Laureate, Stiglitz (2002) rightly interpreted the situations of developing countries in his illustrative work Globalization and Its Discontents. He says; â€Å"Small developing countries are like small boats. Rapid capital market liberalization, in the manner pushed by the IMF, amounted to setting them off on a voyage on a rough sea, before the holes in their hulls have been repaired, before the captain has received training, before life vests have been put on board. Even in the best of circumstances, there was a high likelihood that they would be overturned when they were hit broadside by a big wave (p. 17). † With the end of World War II globalization started taking shape in a big way. In 1975, there were still only 7000 MNCs compared to more than 60000 today. A maddening race for going global began from opening up a two-man sales office to chalking out a countrywide network. Companies had to be big and they had to be universal. By the 1990s no one was alien to the charms of the phenomenon called globalization. The intellects of the world-entrepreneurs, economists, celebrities and politicians traveled around the world to tell us how small the world was getting. We were told to think globally and act locally. However, soon the reality dawned. The developed nations have discarded the moth-eaten policy and adopted an open-shutter strategy in coping with the developing nations. In the past they donned an apologetic camouflage and devised subtle and under-the-counter means to bring the developing countries round to their point of view, they at least acknowledged their sensitivities and treated them as members, no matter how low-grade, of the homo sapiens species. But now they have thrown all pretence to the winds and, without mincing words, dictated their terms to the developing world. Even Kipling had the decency to spell out the Western concern for the ‘uncivilized’ people of the third world by treating them as ‘the white man’s burden’. He was deeply committed to their improvement and had probably hatched some fantastic schemes to pull them out of their ‘savage’ state. But the present day reformers make no bones about it. They shamelessly believe that the condition of the third world countries is simply irretrievable and no amount of logic and persuasion can help them out of their ugly predicament. Therefore they now rely on dictation as a prescription for their conversation and have imposed their brand of progress and prosperity spineless people of the third world. And they are least bothered about their preferences and priorities.

Does violence on televison lead to violence in real life? Essay

The debate on television violence has been on going for many years now and has produced a wide and varied set of views and research results. Many well established psychologists have attempted, through various types of experiments and observations, to either support or negate a link between violence on television and the violent episodes in â€Å"real† life. These sets of data have thrown up some interesting views and personal conclusions regarding the subject of television violence, and we will show the varying views and conclusions that some of these psychologists have reached; and by using a respected and well known system we will try to show the views of a small section of our community. Previous research into the link between violence and television Over the years numerous psychologists have produced thousands of experiments and or research to support or negate the link between violence and television. In 1987 a psychologist named Cumberbatch produced data on the actual amounts of violence found to be in British television programmes. He concluded that 30% of the programmes contained some form of violence, with an overall frequency of 1.14 violent acts per programme and 1.68 violent acts per hour. Each act of violence lasted an average 25 seconds leading to violence occupying just over 1% of total television airtime. His research showed that in 26% of violent acts death occurred, but in 61% no injuries were shown and the victim was portrayed as being in pain or stunned. In 83% of cases, no blood was shown as a result of a violent act, and considerable blood and gore occurred in only 0.2% of cases. Cumberbatch also revealed that most perpetrators of violent acts were more likely to be portrayed as â€Å"baddies† rather than â€Å"goodies†, and violence occurred twice as frequently in law breaking than in law-upholding contexts. His research, although neither for or against violence on television, gives us an idea of the amount of violence on television we are exposed to. Howitt and Cumberbatch in 1974 analysed 300 studies of television violence and it’s direct effect on children’s behaviour, they played down the link between television violence and the children’s behaviour. A further study into the relationships between the media and violence carried out by Eron 1987and Phillips 1986 found a different conclusion. They concluded that a positive correlation between the amount of aggression viewed at 8 and later aggression at 30 could be seen. George Gerbner (1989) researched television and its influences on human behaviour and said: † Television influences human behaviour because there are â€Å"routes† or mechanisms whereby the content of television can have an effect on what we do, and how we act. Thus, part of televisions influence comes about because of how we learn (by observation and imitation), because of how we respond to certain kinds of story material (arousal/desensitisation), and because of the structure of our inhibitions and the way television provides the kind of stimulation necessary to release them (disinhibition). I called these behavioural mechanisms, because for the most part the influence was shown on some activity† (p128 The Psychology of Television) Aletha Huston (university of Kansas 1989) studied the effects of television violence on children’s behaviour and stated: † Children who watch violent television programmes, even ‘just funny’ cartoons, were more likely to hit out at their playmates, argue, disobey class rules, leave tasks unfinished, and were less willing to wait for things than those who watched the non violent programmes.†(p 142 The Psychology of Television) We can see from the varying studies, different results and opinions of these psychologists just how hard it can be to support or negate a link between violence on television and in real life. How the questionnaires were prepared in class In a classroom environment we produced a questionnaire on peoples opinions relating to the link between television violence and real life. The class split into small groups of three or four and discussed possible questions to add to the questionnaire, trying to have a balance of pro television and anti television questions. The individual group questions were discussed and eight questions picked to make up the actual questionnaire, these questions consisted of four pro television and four anti television, the questions were set out so an anti television was followed by a pro television question. The obvious reason for the split into pro and anti television is to try and produce a questionnaire that will give the people taking part a non-biased set of alternate answers. The questions we decided on where as follows: 1. Violence on TV causes certain people to copy those actions in real life 2. People understand TV is not real life and have no wish to copy what they see 3. Children often act out violence from TV especially cartoons 4. Violence in playgrounds is not influenced by TV 5. Violence is sensationalised in TV soaps to boost ratings 6. Violence in soap story lines is vital to keep viewers interested 7. News programmes use to much graphic violence 8. Graphic violence is needed in the media to show reality in news stories To measure these results we required a scale, this scale is known as the Likert questionnaire scale and was devised in the 1930s, and it works on the principle of asking the question and then giving the subject five possible answers, strongly agree, moderately agree, unsure, moderately disagree and strongly disagree (the first two and last two can be reversed) Questions one, two, five and six were prepared using the answer scale, 1: strongly agree, 2: moderately agree, 3 unsure, 4: moderately disagree and 5: strongly disagree. Questions three, four, seven and eight were prepared using the answer scale, 1: strongly disagree, 2: moderately disagree, 3: unsure, 4: moderately agree and 5: strongly agree. The reason for this is to prevent untrue answers and is explained in the next section. Why are there anomalies in preparation and analysis When preparing the questionnaire we realised that we could possibly encounter problems in the way people would answer the stated questions, the Likert scale is specifically designed to prevent this. For example we could encounter people who would pick only their favourite number and pay no attention to the questions being asked, or people would stick to the left side or right side of each column. The way the scale is set out at the moment both someone who is anti and someone who is pro television would both score the same, 24, and somebody who is unsure of every question asked would score 24 as well. Also a person who sticks to only one side of the scale, say the right side, would score a maximum of 40. This would not form a very interesting conclusion and people’s true views would be unknown so we have to alter the scale to produce interesting results, we alter only the scale and not the actual answers. To alleviate these problems the scale has to go through slight changes when we have all the necessary data, but we must emphasise that only the scores are changed and not any of the actual answers given by the participants After we have made these changes it can be seen that we now have a set of interesting results with definite pro and anti opinions and the people who have not completed the questionnaire correctly have no bearing on the result. How the data was analysed To analyse all the data collected from the questionnaires we needed to produce a graph of all the answers. This table would show in detail how the subjects of the questionnaire answered our eight questions and, when we alter the scale, would provide us with evidence of the pro and anti television feeling. The graph shows all the answers to the questionnaire and also shows the changes made, the numbers in red show how we have altered the value for the actual answer e.g. question 1 answer 1 has now become question 1 answer 5 etc Summary results of questionnaire To find the pro and anti television views of our subjects we needed to work out the over all percentages, these were found by the mathematical processes below: 1. Strongly pro television: value 1 (79) divided by the number of participants (520) multiplied by 100 to give us 15.19% 2. Moderately pro television: value 2, 113/520 x 100 = 21.73% 3. Unsure: value 3, 45/520 x 100 = 8.65% 4. Moderately anti television: value 4, 181/520 x 100 = 34.81% 5. Strongly anti television: value 5, 102/520 x 100 = 19.62% These results show that 54.43% of the people who participated in our questionnaire are moderately or strongly anti television, compared to 36.92% who are moderately or strongly pro television. Other theories for the cause of aggressive behaviour Although the debates still continue on the links between television and aggressive behaviour, other links have been researched and their findings well documented. Probably the most well known person to document his findings on aggressive behaviour was Sigmund Freud (1856-1939); he had a psychoanalytical approach and stated that we all have innate instincts in the form of something called Eros (the seeking of pleasure and self-preservation) and Thanatos (a tendency to self destruct) He tells us that this tension can often lead to the Thanatos being projected outwardly and onto others. Freud stated that the need for displaying aggression comes as naturally as the need for food, drink and sex. The aggressive instinct can be displaced through cathartic activities such as sport. Megargee (1966) supported Freud in his findings and found that crimes are often committed by over controlled individuals who, over a period of time, have repressed their anger. Another approach to this topic was Lorenz’s ethological approach, his hydraulic model claimed that ‘aggressive energy builds up gradually over a period of time and needs to be released periodically.’ Lorenz (1966) stated that aggression is connected with our need to be adaptive, to fit in and survive within our environment. Dollard et al (1939) adopted a very different approach, the frustration-aggression hypothesis. This hypothesis claimed that aggression is always a consequence of frustration and the existence of frustration always leads to aggression. Dollard et al view aggression as innate and in doing so agree with the findings of Freud and Lorenz, but, say it would only take place in particular opportune circumstances. Aggression could possibly be delayed or it could be aimed at a third party, a scapegoat. It is as if the mind thinks things through and only acts when the time is perceived to be right, or is advantageous. Another view is that of Berkowitz (1966) who says we rely on certain cues to trigger our responses. Frustration leads to anger, which is different from actual aggression, the frustration cues a readiness to act. Then only an environmental cue will actually trigger aggression. This theory is somewhat similar to the frustration-aggression hypothesis but it has the intermediary response that takes the form of anger, something has to come along that tips us over the edge. Bandura (1961, 1963, 1965, 1973, 1994) produced a theory on social learning. He claimed that aggressive behaviour was learned through observation, imitation and reinforcement of aggressive models. Even non-tangible reinforcements such as the words † be tough† can have the same effect. Bibliography Course notes R Walters & P J Daly 2003 The psychology of Television John Condry

Anomic Suicide essays

Anomic Suicide essays Durkheims theory of anomic suicide presents itself in a complex yet sound manner. He chooses to concentrate wholly on society as a force on individuals than individuals as a force upon themselves. Isolation and lack of participation in normal social activities according to Durkheim is the root and cause of suicide. Those that commit the act of suicide are deemed to have felt a sense of purposelessness in their lives. Excessive ambition and aspiration towards unrealistic goals followed by failure is also a determining factor in anomic suicide. Setting limitations upon oneself and practicing modesty, humility, discipline and reason coupled with understanding would liberate man from the thoughts of self-destruction. Lack of religion in recent history has negatively affected some people due to deficiency of belief in an all-powerful being watching and loving mortals indiscriminately. Opulence of a man generally causes a decreased belief in religion and a greater belief in self. This mil d sense of grandiosity can at any trying moment veer into great depression triggering suicidal acts. Simmel discusses the mentally evolved state of being and thought in man living in a metropolitan society. The presence of varying types of people, institutions, and things as a whole desensitize man, to a point, from certain situations. Intellect and wealth, according to Simmel are interrelated. A notion of blas is prevalent in a metropolitan man since he dwells in a diverse environment. However, this certain indifference may develop into a belligerence from individually defined triggers of aversion. ...

The Heroic Ideal essays

The Heroic Ideal essays Heroic qualities have always been debatable but historians tend to agree that the qualities of a hero are a reflection of the values of the society. Augustus and Beowulf are two individuals revered as heroes during their own time. Both sustained their share of criticism but still managed to come out on top. Augustus was responsible for uniting Rome and creating a society that influenced every single society that followed. Beowulfs success was in keeping the peace for the Geats with the surrounding kingdoms. Through comparing the ideals and values of Rome in the first century and Britain in the eighth, a definite parallel can be drawn connecting these values with how the people viewed the heroes of the time: Beowulf and Augustus. Despite criticism that Augustus used bribery and intimidation to force his way into power, his successful leadership of Rome during the first century B.C. made him one of the greatest leaders of all time. Augustus was thought of as a powerful man and he always had the good of Rome in mind and never took his power for granted. Obviously, Augustus was proud of his leadership and even said as much in his Res Gestae Divi Augusti. His tone did not seem to be bragging, but merely stated the facts of his reign. Augustuss first sentence reminds the Romans that he liberated the Republic at the tender age of nineteen on [his] own initiative and at [his] own expense (WRW 56). A common theme he repeats in his statement is how much of his own money was invested in building the Roman empire. He repaired temples, gave gladiatorial shows, came to the assistance of the treasury (WRW 56) and made up [the] tribute in grain and in money from [his] own grain stores and [his] own patrimony...when ever the provincial taxes fell short (WRW 57). He also emphasized that he repaired Rome without inscribing his name on the buildings and he often gave shows in other people&apo...

Lines of Longitude in Geography

Lines of Longitude in Geography Longitude is the angular distance of any point on Earth measured east or west of a point on Earths surface. Where Is Zero Degrees Longitude? Unlike latitude, there is no easy point of reference such as the equator to be designated as zero degrees in the longitude system. To avoid confusion, the worlds nations have agreed that the Prime Meridian, which passes through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, will serve as that reference point and be designated as zero degrees. Because of this designation, longitude is measured in degrees west or east of the Prime Meridian. For example, 30Â °E, the line passing through eastern Africa, is an angular distance of 30Â ° east of the Prime Meridian. 30Â °W, which is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is an angular distance of 30Â ° west of the Prime Meridian. There are 180 degrees east of the Prime Meridian and coordinates are sometimes given without the designation of E or east. When this is used, a positive value represents coordinates east of the Prime Meridian. There are also 180 degrees west of the Prime Meridian and when W or west is omitted in a coordinate a negative value such as -30Â ° represents coordinates west of the Prime Meridian. The 180Â ° line is neither east nor west and approximates the International Date Line. On a map (diagram), lines of longitude are the vertical lines running from the North Pole to the South Pole and are perpendicular to lines of latitude. Every line of longitude also crosses the equator. Because longitude lines are not parallel, they are known as meridians. Like parallels, meridians name the specific line and indicate the distance east or west of a 0Â ° line. Meridians converge at the poles and are farthest apart at the equator (about 69 miles (111 km) apart). Development and History of Longitude For centuries, mariners and explorers worked to determine their longitude in an effort to make navigation easier. Latitude was determined easily by observing the inclination of the sun or the position of known stars in the sky and calculating the angular distance from the horizon to them. Longitude could not be determined in this way because Earths rotation constantly changes the position of stars and the sun. The first person to offer a method for measuring longitude was the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. In the late 1400s, he began measuring and comparing the positions of the moon and Mars with their predicted positions over several nights at the same time (diagram). In his measurements, Vespucci calculated the angle between his location, the moon, and Mars. By doing this, Vespucci got a rough estimate of longitude. This method did not become widely used however because it relied on a specific astronomical event. Observers also needed to know the specific time and measure the moon and Mars positions on a stable viewing platform- both of which were difficult to do at sea. In the early 1600s, a new idea to measure longitude was developed when Galileo determined that it could be measured with two clocks. He said that any point on Earth took 24 hours to travel the full 360Â ° rotation of Earth. He found that if you divide 360Â ° by 24 hours, you find that a point on Earth travels 15Â ° of longitude every hour. Therefore, with an accurate clock at sea, a comparison of two clocks would determine longitude. One clock would be at the home port and the other on the ship. The clock on the ship would need to be reset to local noon each day. The time difference would then indicate the longitudinal difference traveled as one hour represented a 15Â ° change in longitude. Shortly thereafter, there were several attempts to make a clock that could accurately tell time on the unstable deck of a ship. In 1728, clockmaker John Harrison began working on the problem and in 1760, he produced the first marine chronometer called Number 4. In 1761, the chronometer was tested and determined to be accurate, officially making it possible to measure longitude on land and at sea. Measuring Longitude Today Today, longitude is more accurately measured with atomic clocks and satellites. The Earth is still divided equally into 360Â ° of longitude with 180Â ° being east of the Prime Meridian and 180Â ° west. Longitudinal coordinates are divided into degrees, minutes and seconds with 60 minutes making up a degree and 60 seconds comprising a minute. For example, Beijing, Chinas longitude is 116Â °2330E. The 116Â ° indicates that it lies near the 116th meridian while the minutes and seconds indicate just how close it is to that line. The E indicates that it is that distance east of the Prime Meridian. Although less common, longitude can also be written in decimal degrees. Beijings location in this format is 116.391Â °. In addition to the Prime Meridian, which is the 0Â ° mark in todays longitudinal system, the International Date Line is also an important marker. It is the 180Â ° meridian on the opposite side of the Earth and is where the eastern and western hemispheres meet. It also marks the place where each day officially begins. At the International Date Line, the west side of the line is always one day ahead of the east side, no matter what time of day it is when the line is crossed. This is because the Earth rotates east on its axis. Longitude and Latitude Lines of longitude or meridians are the vertical lines running from the South Pole to the North Pole. Lines of latitude or parallels are the horizontal lines running from the west to the east. The two cross each other at perpendicular angles and when combined as a set of coordinates they are extremely accurate in locating places on the globe. They are so accurate that they can locate cities and even buildings to within inches. For example, the Taj Mahal, located in Agra, India, has a coordinate set of 27Â °1029N, 78Â °232E. To view the longitude and latitude of other places, visit the collection of Locate Places Worldwide resources on this site.

American language Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American language - Personal Statement Example Linguistic discrimination thus should constitute hefty defense below the law. Consequently, this will ascertain that nobody feel neglected or biased by the rulings. International law assures security against linguistic inequity in work areas. This exemplifies that persons endure safeguarding when working regardless of origin. Moreover, language discriminations pose as an illegalized act  basing on the information that people should live free from all sorts of torture (Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism 29).  Articulating against language  discrimination amongst persons includes an exceedingly creditable act. However, people necessitate safeguarding even far from working premises. This would ascertain that language discrimination poses as an illegal doing in all places. For instance, this includes application in extensive perspectives like worshipping localities, homes and service centers. Additionally, safeguarding persons against language discrimination entail promotion of ethnicity. This necessitates explanations from the truth that promoting languages involves a rich move towards safeguarding ethnic diversity. Therefore, people should endure protection below the law as regarding their languages as this involves advocating for culture. For instance, immigrant persons should face non-language discrimination in foreign states (Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism 21). Furthermore, language discrimination hinders person’s advancements in the current world, where diversity entails a theme of intense regard (Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism 32). Therefore, law should proliferate its championing in liberating persons from language discriminations in all localities. Diversifying the law’s relevance in every place constitutes total safeguarding for a person’s

Entrepreneurship&Change Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Entrepreneurship&Change Assignment - Essay Example There is need for entrepreneurship therefore to accept this change management considering that it has been a field that is significantly growing over the years. Flexibility therefore is fundamental to put up with this change. Entrepreneurs are individuals who are involved in innovation and creation of new ideas and therefore need to be in line with the current states in order to attain success in their innovation. The only way that they can be in line with the current state is by accepting to adopt change management. Flexibility will allow them to be able to leave behind the ideas that are not successful and adopt new ones that are more consistent with the present conditions and operations (Charantimath 2006). Accepting change management is an important step in achieving success in entrepreneurship. One of the reasons why change management should be accepted in entrepreneurship is because it increases the need for entrepreneurs to explore new opportunities. Entrepreneurship is a field that involves creation of new ideas and considering the changes that occur in the global world, there is need for entrepreneurs to accept change in order to be able to put up with the changing business environment. According to Charantimath (2006), change management will require the entrepreneurs to be flexible enough therefore for them to be able to analyze new opportunities that the global changes expose them to. Change management is crucial to helping the entrepreneurs to discover the opportunities that the global changes expose to them. The ability to explore new opportunities is therefore an indication of successful entrepreneurship. Another reason why accepting change leads to successful entrepreneursh ip is that change management results to success in dealing with harsh competition at the local as well as global levels. This competition can be attributed to globalisation, which results to change in the business environment exposing the business organisations harsh conditions

Proplem statment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proplem statment - Essay Example This however does not hold up when the internal structure is considered. Employees see things very differently from an outside observer. My individual experience as a team leader and EVP in the company is that there is an absence of both satisfaction with the job and poor employee motivation to succeed. The company employs both Kuwaiti nationals and a number of expatriates. This observed lack of motivation has a negative effect on work habits and the consequent outcomes. There is a lack of enthusiasm in the workplace and the result is a failure to meet expected outcomes. Another difficulty is the relationship between management or leaders and workers or followers. Within KFIC, as discussed earlier in the module on management change, the making of decisions is kept within the upper layers of management at CEO level and with the company chairman. Others in the company, supposedly in positions of leadership are prevented from making decisions in their own rights as they are not given su fficient information, and have neither the skills required or the authority within the workplace that would enable them to do so. The other members of the work teams are well aware of this situation and this makes for poor co-worker relationships. Information is restricted to an elite and the result is a lack of motivation on the part of both team leaders and others. ... This means that there is much private knowledge which must naturally be safeguarded. However unless leaders and workers have sufficient knowledge they are unlikely to be able to make required decisions and carry out tasks given to a satisfactory level. The KFC problem discussion in light of available literature In 2001 Guthrie discussed how the most successful businesses do not rely only upon their obvious assets, but also depend upon more intangible things such as knowledge creation and information held. This is something that KFIC needs to take hold of. They need to understand the importance of knowledge creation and the process of passing on necessary information. There have been a number of studies on the topic of knowledge management i.e knowledge creation, sharing and transfer according to Mitchell and Boyle ( 2010). They argue that for knowledge creation it is necessary to conceptualize knowledge and to build a consistency of operations. As Coff indicated in 2003 KFIC needs to create knowledge about organizational aspects of their operation, but also stress social aspects. Drucker (1998), as cited by Mitchell & Boyle, 2010) explained that it is employees rather that employers who should control and own knowledge production. Â   In their 2010 work Mitchell & Boyle give evidence based upon a number of earlier research studies about the importance of the creation of knowledge. This they say is because it both provides a means of competitive advantage in the market place, but also adds worth to an organization.. KFIC, as an organization, need to comprehend how important knowledge is to their future success. This should then motivate them to search for ways in which they can gain and create suitable aspects of knowledge. The knowledge

Everyones Gasoline Problems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Everyones Gasoline Problems - Assignment Example This indicates that there are a number of factors other than oil prices that dictate price fluctuations in gasoline.   The factors that drive gasoline prices are complex and encompass international crude oil inventories, national wholesale product price discounting, inflation, domestic retail competition and federal taxes (Borenstein, Cameron, & Gilbert, 1997). The description and influence of the following factors on gasoline prices are described below:   Price of Crude Oil: Reports from Federal Trade Commission recognize that changes in crude oil are the major contributing factor of the variability of gasoline prices. Crude oil prices, in turn, are reflective of supply and demand imbalances across the world, especially triggered by production levels set by OPEC countries. Rising demand in developing economies such as China and India also affect the supply and demand for crude oil.   Infrastructure Issues: In the United States, the availability, consistency, and prices of gasoline are intricately linked to its production and delivery infrastructure such as transmission lines, processing plants etc. and are also a driver of gasoline prices.   Weather: Many times, colder than normal weather patterns are responsible for short-term volatility in gasoline prices since fluctuations in weather can change (rise or fall) the demand dynamics of the commodity.   Speculative Trading and Market Manipulation: Presence of unreliable price data and large price movements attracts the attention of speculators and hedge funds that see market volatility as an opportunity to make the profit. Speculative tradition can further cause gasoline market to be imbalanced and hence cause high price differentials.   In case of premium coffees, it is assumed that the coffee market is currently in a state of equilibrium, i.e. the supply and demand for the product balance one other.  

Job study report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job study report - Essay Example This report focuses on oil drilling companies and the work of a mechanical engineer, the extraction of oil requires the presence of a mechanical engineer in order to facilitate the maintenance of the various machinery uses in the process. Many of the companies involved in the process of oil drilling need to have not only mechanical engineers but also civil engineers, exploration engineers and petroleum engineers. The main work in the oil drilling process includes installing and maintenance of machinery,1 therefore the main tasks in this oil company is to install machinery with the assistance from other engineers and also the maintenance of this machines. Being reliable and responsible - this involves taking responsibility for ones share of work and also for any mistake one commits. This means that a person should carefully attend to his or her share of work that has been assigned. Constructive and supportive attitude- workers should have a supportive attitude and also they should be interested in learning, they should treat their co workers and superiors with respect and understanding. Apart from the above mentioned personal qualities there is need to have good communication skills and this aids in enhancing communication within the organisation, there is also the need for one to be academically qualified from a recognised institution because the minimum requirements by most organisation is a bachelors

Everyones Gasoline Problems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Everyones Gasoline Problems - Assignment Example This indicates that there are a number of factors other than oil prices that dictate price fluctuations in gasoline.   The factors that drive gasoline prices are complex and encompass international crude oil inventories, national wholesale product price discounting, inflation, domestic retail competition and federal taxes (Borenstein, Cameron, & Gilbert, 1997). The description and influence of the following factors on gasoline prices are described below:   Price of Crude Oil: Reports from Federal Trade Commission recognize that changes in crude oil are the major contributing factor of the variability of gasoline prices. Crude oil prices, in turn, are reflective of supply and demand imbalances across the world, especially triggered by production levels set by OPEC countries. Rising demand in developing economies such as China and India also affect the supply and demand for crude oil.   Infrastructure Issues: In the United States, the availability, consistency, and prices of gasoline are intricately linked to its production and delivery infrastructure such as transmission lines, processing plants etc. and are also a driver of gasoline prices.   Weather: Many times, colder than normal weather patterns are responsible for short-term volatility in gasoline prices since fluctuations in weather can change (rise or fall) the demand dynamics of the commodity.   Speculative Trading and Market Manipulation: Presence of unreliable price data and large price movements attracts the attention of speculators and hedge funds that see market volatility as an opportunity to make the profit. Speculative tradition can further cause gasoline market to be imbalanced and hence cause high price differentials.   In case of premium coffees, it is assumed that the coffee market is currently in a state of equilibrium, i.e. the supply and demand for the product balance one other.  

Is Globalization Boon or Bane Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Is Globalization Boon or Bane - Research Paper Example You have already accepted the fact that rescuers may take days or even months before discovering you, so with all that was left the group struggled to start to live on a remote island. That would be for a while for sure. Here you are starting a community - away from technology, but with knowledge about it-you wonder if ever you will get by. If you survive, how long will it take you to build a replica of the city that you hope will be "lost" only for a moment? Tragic, it might seem, like a plot in movies shown in big screens, is the picture that such a scenario will project. Even more tragic are the emotions accompanying the players involved. This is far easier than what our ancestors have experienced though. Then, they only relied on crude forms for a weapon to shield them from their enemy. They had more ferocious animals as neighbors, no concepts of what makes society and culture flourish. To them "survival of the fittest" might best describe their manner of gathering their goods. No political system is yet conceived; the stronger group tends to manipulate the weaker ones. Even more astonishing is how they communicate with each other and how they were able to preserve their culture that became the foundation of a more developed, more complicated yet structured society that we now have. From their time to ours, inevitable movements and changes filled the vacuum (time and space connecting our past and future). We all became an agent of change-affecting and being affected in the process. In man's search for a better life, needs became more diverse, solutions more complicated. This required the creation of systems aimed at structuring every process and making any inconsistencies more evident and, in effect easier to manage.

ICRC and onternational law Essay Example for Free

ICRC and onternational law Essay The ICRC started when Swiss businessman Henri Dunant traveled to Italy to meet with Emperor Napoleon III of France . Before he reached Napoleon he first passed through the town of Solferino where a battle was fought. On that day over 40,000 soliders on both sides fell; many were left to die on the battlefield without adequate care. Henry Dunant was shocked by the terrible aftermath of the battle. Instead of proceeding with his planned trip he spent the next few days tending to the wounded. Through his example, the local population began to administer aid without discrimination. When he returned home, he wrote a book called A Memory of Solferino. He sent copies of the book to political and military leaders throughout Europe . He advocated the formation of a national voluntary relief organization to help nurse the wounded and for the development of international treaties to safeguard the neutrality and protect those wounded on the battlefield. By February 9, 1863, Henry Dunant founded the Committee of the Five as an investigatory commission of the Geneva Society for Public Welfare. Their aim was to examine the feasibility of Dunant’s ideas and to organize an international conference about their possible implementation. In October 26, 1863, the international conference organized by the Committee was held in Geneva to develop possible measures to improve medical services on the battlefield. A conference attended by many European states resolved the following: The foundation of national relief societies for wounded soldiers. Neutrality and protection for those wounded. Utilizing volunteer forces for relief assistance on the battlefield. The organization of additional conferences to enact these concepts in legally binding international treaties. The introduction of a common distinctive protective symbol for medical personnel in the field, specifically a white armlet bearing the red cross. Within a year, specific grounds were developed for the recognition of a national relief society by the International Committee; namely: The national society must be recognized by its own national government as a relief society according to the convention, and the national government of the respective country must be a state party to the Geneva Convention. The Commission’s first great achievement occurred on 22 August 1864 when the conference adopted the first Geneva Convention â€Å"for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in the Armies in the field. † A total of four Geneva Conventions have been passed since then. With successive conventions aimed an improving or updating previous conventions to ensure that they are up to date with current technology and norms. Today there are 185 national Red Cross societies and over 1,330 employees directly under the ICRC assigned to field operations. All thanks to the initiative of one man. III. ICRC as a Driving Force in IHL The ICRC draws its authority to act principally from the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols. The Geneva Conventions from the First to the Fourth are the primary international treaties that limit the cruelty of war. They are meant to protect people who do not take part in the fighting, such as civilians, medics and aid workers. They also protect hors de combat or those who no longer have the means to continue fighting such as the wounded, sick, shipwrecked or those who have surrendered. The Geneva Conventions have been acceded to by 194 States and enjoy universal acceptance as a form of custom. The Geneva Conventions then are the primary documents governing International Humanitarian Law and the main overseer of International Humanitarian Law is the ICRC. However, the provisions of the present Convention constitute no obstacle to the humanitarian activities which the International Committee of the Red Cross or any other impartial humanitarian organization may, subject to the consent of the Parties to the conflict concerned, undertake for the protection of civilian persons and for their relief[2]. Article 10 is of considerable value in the field of international law because faced with the barbaric reality of war, the law continues to be realistic and humane. It keeps in mind the object of the Convention, namely the protection of human life and peace between man and man, conscious that it is only a means. (a ridiculously weak means compared to the forces of war) of attaining this goal. When everything has been settled by legal means –ordinary and extraordinary—by assigning rights and duties, by obligations laid upon the belligerents and by the mission of the protecting powers, a corner was still found for something which no legal text can prescribe. However this niche was the most effective means of combating war. That niche is charity or the spirit of peace. This is where Article 10’s symbolic value can be seen. Through it, Henry Dunant’s action on the field of battle in Solferino. Article 10 is more than a tribute to Henry Dunant. It is an invitation to all men of good will to continue his work[3]. In order for the ICRC and subordinate National Commissions to effectively perform their role, members are granted considerable rights and privileges. For example, all Red Cross members have the right to wear the Red Cross, (or crescent in Muslim States). Wearing this mark affords immunity, for all practical purposes from violence by the combatants because, as outlined in Additional Protocol No. 1 of the Geneva Conventions[4] the Red Cross is the mark associating a vehicle, person or building with the ICRC and is sacrosanct and protected[5]. However, any use not expressly authorized by International Humanitarian Law constitutes misuse of the emblem and releases combatants from the obligation to respect the symbol. The types of misuse are Imitation, Usurpation and Perfidy. In fact, Improper use of distinctive emblems in a war crime committed when, in an international armed conflict, an intent to use them for combatant purposes prohibited under international law[6]. Owing to the ICRC’s unique position as the actual commission that proposes and puts forth the Geneva Conventions and other major IHL documents, it can be said that ICRC is the Organization that created IHL. The latter will of course continue to develop as time goes by. Other documents of international law respecting human rights and with respect to international crimes have evolved since then. But International Humanitarian Law began with Henry Dunant and his desire to help the wounded in Solferino.

Impact of Shock on the Body

Impact of Shock on the Body Steve Powell It is important to understand by what is meant by shock. Shock in a physiological is a life threatening condition, and must be taken lightly. Shock as a definition is: â€Å"failure of the circulatory system to maintain adequate perfusion of vital organs†. (1) Mitch Taylor. (2010). Multi-Organ Dysfunction Syndrome Available: http://acls4u.homestead.com/MultOrganDysfunctionSyndromeVoiceOver.pdf. Last accessed 01/06/2014 Shock comes used to be classified as separate types: Cardiogenic Hypovolaemic Anaphylactic Neurogenic Toxic Recently this has been condensed in three types: Cardiogenic Hypovolaemic Distributive The definitions of these types of shock are: Cardiogenic –pump failure resulting in the blood cannot get to where it’s supposed to go i.e. the tissues, hence a low cardiac output. Hypovolaemic –a low volume of blood in the body as a result of major trauma or massive haemorrhage Distributive (Vasogenic) –this type of shock relates to changes in the body’s blood vessels, vascular changes, as a result of Anaphylactic, Neurogenic or toxic insult on the body.(2) Mitch Taylor. (2010). Multi-Organ Dysfunction Syndrome Available: http://acls4u.homestead.com/MultOrganDysfunctionSyndromeVoiceOver.pdf. Last accessed 01/06/2014 In Cardiogenic shock we have ascertained that it is down to pump failure and the bodies in ability to circulate adequate blood around the body to meet its metabolic needs. We have seen that it can be caused by a low cardiac output that is caused by, massive haemorrhage trough trauma or pathophysiological reason (dissected aortic aneurysm). It can also be caused by: a myocardial infarction (heart attack), dysrhythmias, and heart failure. A second cause is obstruction to the pump flow, that is to say conditions such as: valve dysfunction, pulmonary embolism, and tamponade (pericardial effusion that effects the normal action of the heart in pumping). Question 1 cont†¦. Hypovolaemic shock as the name suggests is â€Å"low volume†, causes range from massive haemorrhage through trauma or pathophysiological reasons (triple A). Burns victims are at particular risk as it affects these types of patients at a cellular level, the loss of fluid out of vascular spaces. Technically shock in burns victims a combination of distributive and hypovolaemic shock. In as much as it is seen as volume depletion within the intravascular system, lowered pulmonary artery pressure and an elevated systemic resistance, resulting in a low cardiac output. The low cardiac output is a direct result of an increased after load, a reduced contractility, and a lowered level of plasma volume. (3) Barbara A. Latenser, MD, FACS. (2009). Critical care of the burn patient: The first 48 hours Society of critical and medicine. 37 (10), p2819-p2826 Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome or MODS as it’s also known is a condition where two or more of the body’s systems have failed. MODS can be described as a â€Å"systemic activation of an adaptive host stress response to a catastrophic event†. (4) Sat Sharma and Gregg Eschun (2008) Hypotension and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome Journal of Organ Dysfunction 4 (1), p130-p144 Once a state of prolonged shock has been induced an over the top bodily response takes place. This is known as a â€Å"systemic inflammatory response†. Once this stage has started, the body releases inflammatory mediators that are intrinsic to the pathogenesis of SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Where sepsis is not a key trigger, hypotension through hypovolaemic will contribute to the onset of SIRS and eventually MODS. The combination of these three conditions, Sepsis, SIRS, and MODS, combine conditions that have a massive impact on haemodynamic abnormalities, coagulation problems, and systemic issues.(5) Sat Sharma and Gregg Eschun (2008) Hypotension and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome Journal of Organ Dysfunction 4 (1), p130-p144 Any insult to the body and normal function (haemostasis) will initiate a cycle of metabolic chaos that includes an increase for oxygen versus an inadequate supply at a molecular level. Question 1 cont Inadequate blood supply to the tissues and cells in hypovolaemic shock and associated hypotension is the key to MODS in this instance. (6) Mitch Taylor. (2010). Multi-Organ Dysfunction Syndrome Available: http://acls4u.homestead.com/MultOrganDysfunctionSyndromeVoiceOver.pdf. Last accessed 01/06/2014 What we can say about the timeline for MODS is: The event that starts the cascade off, infection, hypoxia, trauma, in our case hypovolaemic shock via traumatic infarct trauma. Increase in levels of cytokines (immune system signalling cells). Leads to a release of ELAM and ICAM that induce leukocyte adhesion. This in turn triggers a multiple release of chemicals and compounds resulting in endothelial damage Resulting oedema eventually leading to organ dysfunction. Word count 611 References Mitch Taylor. (2010). Multi-Organ Dysfunction Syndrome Available: http://acls4u.homestead.com/MultOrganDysfunctionSyndromeVoiceOver.pdf. Last accessed 01/06/2014 Mitch Taylor. (2010). Multi-Organ Dysfunction Syndrome Available: http://acls4u.homestead.com/MultOrganDysfunctionSyndromeVoiceOver.pdf. Last accessed 01/06/2014 Barbara A. Latenser, MD, FACS. (2009). Critical care of the burn patient: The first 48 hours Society of critical and medicine. 37 (10), p2819-p2826 Sat Sharma and Gregg Eschun (2008) Hypotension and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome Journal of Organ Dysfunction 4 (1), p130-p144 Sat Sharma and Gregg Eschun (2008) Hypotension and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome Journal of Organ Dysfunction 4 (1), p130-p144 Mitch Taylor. (2010). Multi-Organ Dysfunction Syndrome Available: http://acls4u.homestead.com/MultOrganDysfunctionSyndromeVoiceOver.pdf. Last accessed 01/06/2014 Reflection As far as a reflective piece of work goes, I find myself having to reflect on skills that I learnt 10 years ago and have been employing on a regular basis. Although reflection should take place on a regular basis, it is never too late to reflect on things. Even though the skills were learnt 10 years ago there is 10 years scope to develop bad habits if not identified and rectified. The four skills in question inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation form part of the primary and secondary surveys for healthcare professionals worldwide. The initial primary survey should take seconds. I can remember when I first started doing patient inspections/assessments, it would be very text book orientated, not a bad thing you would have thought. However when you’ve exhausted all the text book questions you suddenly come to stand still and there is a period of silence then between yourself and the patient and sometimes the relatives. What I started to do, on the advice of a colleague, was, as i approached the patient I would assess their â€Å"colour posture and behaviour†. These three things would give me an idea of the state of the patient. If the patient answered the door and looked well and was ambulatory (as happens) then I would be off to a fairly good start. The patient had spoken to me (airway was clear); they looked well perfused and were mobile, no obvious life threatening conditions. If for instance the patient answered the door and was pale, sweaty, breathless and complained of chest pain then that would put a completely different slant on the primary survey. The patient would then have to be sat down immediately and further cardiac assessment undertaken. So by employing this little method (colour, posture, and behaviour) I was able, at a glance to do a quick assessment of the patient. Other aspects, such as scene safety etc†¦. soon became second nature as was the ability to do rapid risk assessments at the scene’s of RTC’s and other scene’s where there may be hazardous. There is a lot to take into consideration when carrying out an assessment, it is however a rolling concept where you question as you asses or treat. For non life threatening conditions then there no need to rush and miss your history taking, if you stick to the AMPLE model of: Allergies Medicine Past medical history Last meal/oral intake Events that lead to calling 999. These questions are limited and can take 1-2 minutes to ask and be answered. This is where you can expand on the history take and delve further in to the patient’s medical, social, familial history. When I first qualified I was encouraged by work colleagues to use all my extended skills. The auscultation side of the assessment was a little difficult at first because I just didn’t know what I was listening for; it wasn’t long before we started getting quite a few patients with respiratory problems. This enabled me to match the condition with what I was listening to. I remember also listening to chest sounds on the internet, a useful exercise, but not like the real thing. One thing that stick s out, and is still relevant o this day, is that its well and good listening to chest sounds on the computer and in the back of a relatively quiet ambulance, that it is at the side of a road with traffic rushing by and the sound of the fire services generators going at full tilt. Auscultation is a tool that I use frequently in my patient assessment. The percussion side of my assessment, I have to be honest and say that I do it for respiratory cases and trauma cases, but not for every patient that I see. It’s probably an area where i could do with more practise if I’m being hypercritical. Would I know a hyper/hypo-resonant chest? I believe so, however if I were to do a SWOT analysis then this would probably be in my weak box. Palpation I tend to use a lot more, whether it is because I get far more abdominal calls than critical chest’s I don’t know. The fact remains that I use palpation far more than percussion. Palpation is an extremely useful tool in the ballpark when it comes to abdominal complaints. However what I have learnt about abdominal related problems over the years, is that, as well as not being in my scope of practise to diagnose and discharge (without referring to a gp first), more analytical tools are needed. Tools such a doctor, ultrasound and bloods to name (various other scans can be utilised at DGH). Looking back or reflecting over the past 10 years, I feel i took on board the training that I received both EMT and Paramedic, and have built on them to a point where I more than comfortable treating an 80 year old gentleman in his living room with chronic emphysema to a road traffic collision where it’s quite a challenging environment. I have however identified a possible weakness in my practise that I will be address at the soonest opportunity.

Rowing :: essays research papers

Rowing, the Best Team Sport   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rowing, the thrilling team sport that gets you physically/mentally fit and provides you a second family with many friends. In the sport of crew, teamwork is very crucial. With that teamwork comes new friends and wonderful coaches. Even though you might think this is a physical sport it is also considered to be a mental sport. Just think, baseball has nine innings, approximately two hours of play and a lot can change in that period of time for a loss or win. With crew you only have about seven minutes to get your eight man boat down a two thousand-meter racecourse to receive a medal or win. If you have the lead it is mentally hard to come back and win for the rowers behind the top three boats. Aside of the teamwork going on is the individual effort that you yourself is contributing to the boat. As you are out on the water in the eight man boat you always need to give it your all even if it means pain. In fact, our coach just tells us to eat pain. As you are giving 100% and in pain, your brain is working 100% too. Handle height, legs down quick and hands down and away quick along with the part of feathering the blade. Those are the things you focus on during a race. Oh yeah you also have a cool little person screaming at you to pull harder. They are known as the coxswain (Cox-in). When the coach isn’t there listen to them because they are the assistant coaches. All this is the first stride you take to get that gold medal. Come on you can do one more push up! When you’re in the gym you do not have the support of teammates. At crew you will not give up because of the support you have from your teammates behind you. In the gym you can just say, â€Å"Oh that set can be done another day,† and give up. We have in crew on Tuesday and Thursday a 2k-meter ergometer (erg) test to see who will be in an 8A boat, that is our eight fastest men of our crew. These are the days that you need your friends behind you pushing you so your time comes true that the couch gives you. I know this might seem harsh but when it is all over with you feel very great about the way you look and how you just pulled on the 2k test.

Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals. Compare and Contrast Essay

The theories put forward, by Kant and Mill deal with the moral qualities of choices or actions. Although they are very different, none of the two theories shows concern in the virtue ethics on what really constitutes a good human being. However, Kant’s theory is much deontological. This means that it locates the moral worth associated with an action within the action itself. Therefore, the main concern is not in the consequences associated with the specific action. On a more specific note, Kant’s point of view is that it is possible to have one duty or rule, which can be categorized/ characterized as being the categorical imperative. He arrived at three different formulations pertaining to this imperative (Kant & Gregory, 1998). The most fundamental formulation is that if it is impossible for all human beings to commit the same set or sets of actions, then concerned action is immoral. This means that if one is a liar, he is incapable of willing that every person lie because in this case the meaning of truth may end up becoming incomprehensible. As a result, any advantage, which obtained by use of lies, can end up getting lost. The second imperative is a different way of underlining the golden rule. It states that if one is unable to will (desire) that a different person commit the same action on one’s person, then the actual committing of the action or deciding mentally to do the same is an immoral endeavor. On the other hand, we can take Mill as being more of a consequentialist. According to Mill, the outcomes determine the goodness of any action (Kant & Gregory, 1998). Kant is of the opinion that the good action is one, which is in line with our duty. This becomes known depending on the fact, which it apportions with the categorical imperative Mill’s beliefs make him a utilitarian. In his theory, goodness is located according to the happiness which it gives rise to. It is worth noting, however, that both philosophers are very passionately interested in personal liberty for all the concerned individuals. Mill’s utilitarianism does not involve neither with the means nor with intentions. It is entirely with the results. Mill’s opinion was that all events’ outcomes could be measured by use of units, which he referred to as â€Å"utils.† The units can be used to determine the existent to which an action was utilitarian. Mill argued that the higher the number of â€Å"utils† associated with an action portrayed how good an action was. Critics have pointed out that utilitarianism is not concerned about coming with rules to set up some form of a â€Å"straw man.† On the part of Mill (1998), he argues that utilitarianism is some form of a crude caricature act. This is the version, which the philosophers appear to be acquainted with. Further, Daniel Dennett has argued that it is not possible to do the calculations, as required by the utilitarianism theory simply because the incidents do not sum up as a precise value in terms of utility. Mill’s utilitarianism does not involve neither with the means nor with intentions. It is entirely with the results. He wishes to sideline himself from Kant by expressing that actions can lead to an outcome, but taking no credibility of the actions. On the other hand, Kant takes responsibility of the action. Eventually, the two theories show similar concern in the virtue ethics on what really constitutes a good human being. References Kant, I., & Gregory, M. J. (1998). Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. Mill, J. S., & Crisp, R. (1998). Utilitarianism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Source document

Childhood Memory Essay

I would define childhood as a never ending vacation, a rollercoaster ride that never stops exciting and entertaining, making life worth living. But childhood also has its memories that a person would remember when they grow up or probably when they are sharing with their kids about what they cherish the most or what made them realize how beautiful childhood actually was compared to being grown up. The memory that still makes me rethink about my decision and makes me wish that I could go back in time and reverse it, during my childhood I had a craze for riding bicycles with my friends. During one sunny afternoon, I and my best friend George went for a ride in our neighborhood. Enjoying the lovely weather and scenery, we were following our usual routine for weekends which was to go around and just talk and enjoy the time together, but one day something different happened. It was 4 in the evening and it was getting a little cold outside so we decided to have a small race before we could head back home and watch some television. We decided our starting and finishing points and after a long debate we decided whoever wins would get an extra pack of chips during the television time. So after we got to the starting point we both were eager and ready to beat each other and finally we took off, George being the more fitter was in the lead from the start but I did not give up. Teasing away and making fun of me George was certain to win the race when something very shocking happened. Without knowing George accidently ran on top of a small puppy across the street and in doing so he fell down from his bicycle and looked badly injured. I could not help but to go for the finish because I wanted to win. As I got back to where George had fell and started laughing at him for loosing then suddenly I realized George was crying not because he was injured because the puppy badly wounded. I freaked out and had no idea what to do so we decided if we go and tell someone we might get in a problem so we decided to run away to get back home. After we got home I was so scared to even tell my mom what caused George to fall and lied that he fell because of a stone that was on the road and we were not racing. I could not sleep and I decided to tell my mother what had actually happened. My mother was upset and she told me that instead of wanting to win just for an extra pack of chips I should have tried to save the puppy and also take care of George earlier. That night I learned my lesson that winning is not everything, sometimes loosing makes you a better winner.

Difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Research Essay

The first question asked by any researcher with a new topic to study is: ‘What sort of research should I use?’ Reference to the literature can be confusing: so much research has been done, so many questions asked and sometimes answered, and so many conclusions have been drawn that it can be difficult to sort out one research technique from another. The decision most beginners to research find taxing is: ‘Should I use quantitative or qualitative methods?’At the most basic level, quantitative research methods are used when something needs to be measured, while qualitative methods are used when a question needs to be described and investigated in some depth. Often, the two methods are used in tandem to provide measurements for comparison and evaluation and to give an in-depth explanation of the meaning of an idea. Quantitative researchThe words themselves hold the clues. Quantitative research includes so-called benchtop science (where experimental tests are carried out), drug trials (where the effects of drugs are measured), epidemiology (where rates of illnesses in populations are calculated), intervention studies (where one technique is used and its effects compared with another), and so on. Quantitative research usually contains numbers, proportions and statistics, and is invaluable for measuring people’s attitudes, their emotional and behavioural states and their ways of thinking. In one section of a study on child care in hospitals, I asked a group of parents to give a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response to a range of questions on their attitudes to paediatric hospital care (Shields 1999). I then measured the number of ‘yes’ answers and compared them with responses from nurses and doctors to the same questions. The study showed differences in attitude between parents and staff that could have affected communication between them and influenced the delivery of care. In another example, a researcher in Iceland measured the most important needs of parents during their children’s admission to hospital and found that they rated emotional needs as more important than physical requirements, such as rest and food (Kristjansdà ¶ttir 1995). Qualitative researchQualitative methods are used when the meaning of  something needs to be found. Exploring the question: ‘Who owns a child in hospital?’ (Shields et al 2003), or examining the meaning of an experience, illness, or condition, for example, of what it means to be a mother whose child has died (Laakso and Paunonen-Ilmonen 2001), are all forms of qualitative research. Qualitative research usually has no measurements or statistics but uses words, descriptions and quotes to explore meaning. It can even use arts techniques, such as dance (Picard 2000). The question to ask when planning a research project, therefore, is: ‘Do I want to count or measure something, or do I want to find the meaning of something, and describe it?’ Which comes first? This is sometimes a chicken-and-egg question but if no one has investigated the topic before, qualitative research is used first to try to tease out ideas, which can then be turned into questions — that can be tested quantitatively REFERENCES Kristjansdà ¶ttir G (1995) Perceived importance of needs expressed by parents of hospitalized two-to-six-year-olds. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. 9, 2, 95-103. Laakso H, Paunonen-Ilmonen M (2001) Mothers’ grief following the death of a child. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 36, 1, 69-77. Picard C (2000) Pattern of expanding consciousness in midlife women: creative movement and the narrative as modes of expression. Nursing Science Quarterly. 13, 2, 150-157. Shields L (1999) A Comparative Study of the Care of Hospitalized Children in Developed and Developing Countries. Doctoral thesis. Brisbane, University of Queensland. Shields L et al (2003) Who owns the child in hospital? A preliminary discussion. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 41, 3, 1-9.

King Lear Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

King Lear - Essay Example King Lear is a person who has many fine inclinations, however, he became a victim of wrong development. The power he possessed as a master over life and death of his citizens, the flattery and general servility strongly developed his self-conceit and vanity. All his goals were directed not at great deeds and mutual benefit, but at the satisfaction of his own desires. But with all his despotism and self-love Lear, even at the beginning of the tragedy, doesnt belong to people for whom the power and wealth are the top priorities. Most of all he wanted to be human. However, his own understanding of dignity got the perverted expression, it developed into self-adoration that reached an extreme point. The division of the kingdom between the daughters and refusal of his property, the deed that seemed reckless at first sight, had the internal logic. Lear believed that all the people loved him as a person, he wasnt able to differentiate those who really fed for it love, from those who loved only a monarch in him. He decided to give the property to his daughters, to become free of royal greatness and to take pleasure in human greatness. He was sure that without the power and property he will have the same respect and love; moreover, he wanted to have moral satisfaction being appreciated as a human. Believing in his superiority, he fondly thought that he remained the king in moral sense even if he was not a king any more. Therefore, making the division of the kingdom, he demands from daughters the expression of love to him. But, in reality, he demands not love, but obedience to his will, because he didnt get used to take into account feelings and desires of other people. Therefore, he turns out Cordelia whose answer did not satisfy him: â€Å"And yet not so; since, I am sure, my loves More richer than my tongue.† (Act 1 Scene 1), and gives all the property to two older

Advantages and disadvantages of the options officers have regarding Essay - 1

Advantages and disadvantages of the options officers have regarding the use of force - Essay Example Their major goal is the protection and security of the citizens of the country. In order to attain this goal society, government and the law grants police officers authority in civil government. Police officers use this authority to for the control and the management of the behaviors of the citizens. One of the major advantages in their field is that they can take actions according to the circumstances. They are given permission by the authority to use the forces according to the current situations. While analyzing the challenges of being a Police officer Ashley comments that the greatest challenge for today’s officer is the question of when and how to use the force and how much to use the force. Officers are often considered as the mediators in their careers. They have to analyze the situations where they have to take actions when laws are violated. Their delay or haste in actions and orders can change the whole scenario for them and put the lives of the innocent citizens at risk. Their one wrong decision or wrong step can lead towards the situations where whole society can be put at a risk. New York City Police Department Internal Affairs Bureau points out the acts that a police officer is supposed to do when he is on and off duty, the report says that according to the New York law â€Å"officers also are held strictly accountable to safeguard their weapons at all times. They are not permitted to store or leave their firearms in an unattended motor vehicle and are not permitted to carry their firearms in briefcases, handbags, or other portable containers†. (New York City Police Department Internal Affairs Bureau, 1996) The police officers are considered as the life savers of the citizens in the life threatening situations. They are praised because of their strength, confidence and bravery. They have the permission to carry the gun almost anywhere and investigate any area where they suspect

Integrating Civics Educations into Liberal Studie Essay

Integrating Civics Educations into Liberal Studie - Essay Example In this subject are elements of humanities, science and liberal arts, which serves to help learners have a broad outlook after completing their senior secondary level studies. Some of the areas of study in this subject include self and personal development, personal identity, and preparing for adulthood, role of an individual and society, conflict resolution and interpersonal relationship, economic restructuring, the rule of law and participation in society and politics, and finally the general quality of life (Chan, and Sin, 2005). Likewise, the curriculum development council has proposed that civic education be also introduced in both elementary and secondary schools. In the past, civic education has never been made a complete and independent subject in Hong Kong. However, recently, civic education has been strengthened, and is embedded in other subjects such as history and Chinese among others. The major aim for this subject is to strengthen learners positive attitudes and values, develop good civic and personal qualities and also create an individual vision in committing and contributing to one’s country, family and the world. The general concepts, points and evaluation mode are very powerful and strict. It has been argued that integrating this subject to liberal studies will facilitate the achievement of the goal of a making a balanced and well-rounded person, rather than making it an independent subject (China Daily, Jun 1 2011 8:42). The purpose of introducing liberal studies in China’s New Secondary Curriculum is to broaden the student’s knowledge base as well as enhance their social awareness through studying a wide range of issues. The module in the curriculum focuses on the themes, which are of significance to the society, students and the world in general. These are designed in such a way that students are enabled to make connections across various fields of knowledge

Globalisation - Challenges and Opportunities in China Essay

Globalisation - Challenges and Opportunities in China - Essay Example It is under the prevailing circumstances that the behavior of Chinese market is studied in context with latest confidence building measures being taken up by the Chinese government, the trend of international investments, views of the international community and the ‘threat’ perception from the cheap Chinese manufacturing sector. Having inspired the marketers, with a vision of billion people consuming international brand in downtown, China is now recognized as a capable global competitor in its own right. And it has ambitious expansion plans - not only for Asia but also for the Europe, United States and elsewhere. Traditionally, the problems of doing business in China, in general, can be categorized into four main categories;It is under the prevailing circumstances that the behavior of Chinese market is studied in context with latest confidence building measures being taken up by the Chinese government, the trend of international investments, views of the international c ommunity and the ‘threat’ perception from the cheap Chinese manufacturing sector. Having inspired the marketers, with a vision of billion people consuming international brand in downtown, China is now recognized as a capable global competitor in its own right. And it has ambitious expansion plans - not only for Asia but also for the Europe, United States and elsewhere. Traditionally, the problems of doing business in China, in general, can be categorized into four main categories.

Women's Labor Project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women's Labor Project - Coursework Example I have secured a new job in an apparel factory, many of the women that I work with are also from Italy so we get the opportunity to swap stories in our mother language. It is difficult to communicate with some of the other women because they often speak different languages and it is sometimes difficult to communicate in English. Nevertheless I have become good friends with a German lady who speaks English quite well, and even some Italian. It was not always easy for Aronne and I in our new life. Upon our arrival we had to live in a settlement house in the city and it was difficult for us to find good jobs. There was a lot of crime, in this new apartment complex but we life next to some good Italian people and we look out for each other. In the market it is easy to find some of the foods that we are accustomed to but there are a lot of people from very exotic places and it is always exciting to explore new areas. Recently some of the people at work asked me to join a union. I am reluc tant to come on board simply because the management is so strongly anti-union that I would fear for my job security and possibly even for my health and safety.

Special Ed. Essay Example for Free

Special Ed. Essay With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001 and revisions of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools have implemented the pre-referral process encouraging individual based level of education for a particular student. Historically, before recent updates to state and federal special education guidelines, students typically received special attention to their specific needs through parent conferences, generic observations, a few general intervention techniques, psychological evaluation, or simply a review of report cards, social records. Since the implementation of IDEA, students are now receiving proactive approaches to match his or her level of need. Two such approaches of evaluating individual students are Positive Behavior Support (PBS) and Response to Intervention (RTI). Both PBS and RTI are structured on a different model, but both have the same goals. Each intervention approach takes into account components and accounts for critical universal factors that target a specific individual, group, or level. These two models offer a range of interventions that are scientifically applied to a student, based on the student’s level of needs through previous monitoring in the classroom. Response to Intervention (RTI) is defined as â€Å"the practice of providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to student need, monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about changes in instruction or goals, and applying child response data to important educational decisions† (Batsche et al. , 2006). RTI has emerged as the more popular of the two intervention model’s and has been accepted by most schools in the United States, as the new way of thinking about early intervention and identifying a child’s educational disability. The RTI approach considers the application of an individual student’s difficulties in schools by evaluating student’s environment and then provides intervention as soon as the student shows signs difficulty, lack of focus, or academic problems. The goal of RTI is to ensure all students receive the highest quality of education and instruction and reduce any possible false referrals to unnecessary classes, or programs. RTI has a three tier model for also eliminating unqualified teachers as a reason for a student’s lack of performance, or grades. For example in, tier I of the three modeled tier, teachers are required to implement different teaching techniques in order to gauge a student’s performance and focus toward learning. This form of teaching is a method only most qualified teachers can provide in the RTI process. Tier one is described as a universal assessment using formal and informal instructional techniques. Tier two targets students that have not made progress in a given amount of time and are monitored frequently. These students are considered as having some academic weakness. Tier three is more of an intensive intervention and for students that do not respond to instruction form tier two. Tier three students may be eligible for special education classes and programs. When a student is evaluated and qualifies for tier three, the students will be specially monitored and eventually reviewed for receiving an individual educational program (IEP). Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS), is based more on a model of how to solve inappropriate behavior and prevent that behavior through teaching and reinforcing appropriate behaviors. â€Å"Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) is a process for creating school environments that are more predictable and effective for achieving academic and social goals. For some schools, PBIS will enhance their current systems and practices, for others it will radically change the culture for the better† (www. cms. k12. nc. us). Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is a systemic approach to proactive, school-wide behavior based on a Response to Intervention (RTI) model. â€Å"The concept of PBIS has been researched in education for approximately 15 years† (www. cms. k12. nc. us) and has been implemented successfully in thousands of schools in over 40 states. PBIS applies evidence-based programs, practices and strategies for all students to increase academic performance, improve safety, decrease problem behavior, and establish a positive school culture. Schools implementing PBIS build on existing strengths, complementing and organizing current programming and strategies. The PBIS model had resulted in dramatic reductions in disciplinary interventions and increases in academic achievement. Data-based decision making is a hallmark of PBIS and is a scientific approach to the pre-referral process to special education. There are many ways to define, or explain the concepts of PBIS and RTI, but each provides a specific three tiered pre-referral process to special education that will enhance the quality of life for students participating in these interventions. Whichever intervention a student is placed, he, or she should receive a higher quality education and instruction. Elements common in these models indicate a system of intervention based on a student’s performance that will indicated whether there is a legitimate learning disability, not just the need for additional instruction for no reason. References RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION. (2006). In Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of the Handicapped and Other Exceptional Children and Adults. Retrieved May 23, 2012, from: http:library. gcu. edu:2048/login? qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. cred oreference. com/entry/ wileyse/response_to_intervention CPI Educate. Empower. Enrich. (2012). Retrieved May 23, 2012, from: http://www. crisisprevention. com/Resources/Knowledge-Base/Positive-Behavior-Support SEDL Advancing research, improving education (2012). Retrieved May 23, 2012, from : http://www. sedl. org/pubs/sedl-letter/v19n02/rti. html CMS Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. (2011). Retrieved May 23, 2012, from: http://www. cms. k12. nc. us/cmsdepartments/PBIS/Pages/default. aspx Response to Intervention (2012). Retrieved May 23, 2012, from: http://www. nasponline. org/resources/handouts/revisedPDFs/rtiprimer. pdf

British Conventional Defence Policy in NATO 1979-1989

British Conventional Defence Policy in NATO 1979-1989 Kenton White Methodological Approach21813746 British Defence Policy within NATO, 1979 – 1989 Did Britain’s conventional contribution match its obligation? My research is an analysis of British conventional defence policy within NATO between 1979 and 1989. This research will critically review the plans in place for mobilising, transporting, supplying and reinforcing units in Europe, as well as the plans for Home and Civil defence of the UK. The research will cover the crisis, transition to war and war plans of NATO and the British Government. The plans will be compared with the commitment Britain made to NATO, and the real-world ability of Britain’s Government to fulfil those commitments. Britain, through its defence policy and membership of NATO, committed to provide troops, weapons, equipment, supplies, services, transport/storage and infrastructure facilities in the event of war in Europe. The research will be conducted using material from NATO, the National Archives and other Governmental departments, as well as interviews with personnel who served during the period. Using case-studies (exercises [CRUSADER, WINTEX, etc.] as w ell as mobilisation for actual combat [Falklands War, Gulf War 1991]), this research will uncover any link between the aim of defence policy and the ability to implement that policy. These case-studies sometimes expose fundamental problems in the armed forces operations. This disparity in planning and execution has a direct implication for understanding current and future defence policy and planning. Amongst the methodologies considered for this PhD were Case Studies, Small-N, Critical Discourse Analysis and those drawn from historical understanding. There is also a strong case to be made for use of the economics-based Alliance Theory[1] to explain some of the policies adopted by Britain during the period. However, this research is not attempting to validate a theory; rather it is intended to answer the question set in the title of the PhD. The question is posed in this way because the nature of the investigation and research does not require the researcher to posit a theory. It would be possible to theorise that, â€Å"Britain was not capable of fulfilling its obligations to NATO between 1979 and 1989† but in the researcher’s opinion this angle of questioning is biased. It would be possible to frame an argument thus, â€Å"Why was Britain unable to fulfil its military obligation to NATO?† but the current research does not enable that question to be confirmed as plausible so far. The answer to the original question may indeed find that Britain was unable to fulfil some or all of its obligations. The purpose of this research is not only to establish if Britain could have fulfilled its obligations, but to look at the ways in which other pressures shaped the defence policy, changing the question of defence policy from, â€Å"What do we need?† to, â€Å"How little can we get away with?† This has direct, and possibly contentious, implications for modern defence planning in a political, economic and military environment which does not have the apparent stability and predictability of the Cold War. This research is not intended to be comparative; that is it does not compare Britain’s NATO commitment with that of other NATO members. This means that broad comparative methodologies such as Small-N comparison aren’t relevant. Small-N relies to a large extent on Mill’s methods of agreement and difference[2], but since the N in this research is 1, it is impossible to compare with another event. Also, the objective of the research is not to infer or disc over an overall causality, but to identify capability and intent. There will be instances of cause and effect within the research, such as NATO force proposals causing the stated requirement from the MOD, but these are individual instances within the overall scope of the research question. The objective is not specifically the research of these causal links. Small-N seeks to identify what are the causes of a particular event, whereas I seek to understand if a goal could have been or was fulfilled. It is extremely difficult in some circumstances to define whether a particular commitment could have been fulfilled, for example, â€Å"†¦the defence of the United Kingdom base and its immediate approaches †¦Ã¢â‚¬ [3], as this is ill-defined. The research seeks to identify aspects of the defence policy which are more clearly definable. As part of the above example, Britain promised to provide, in the event of war, a certain number of ships and aeroplanes equipped to search for and attack WTO[4] ships and aeroplanes in and around the British Isles. NATO produced â€Å"Force Proposals† on a regular basis which defines exactly what is required and by when. These documents, and the supporting British Government documents, define what the commitment was, in quantitative and qualitative terms. It is then possible, using Defence Ministry documents, to compare the capabilities and numbers of available ships and aeroplanes against the NATO Force Proposals. The research relies on several case studies; two of actual mobilisation for war[5], and several exercises that tested the plans put in place for war in Europe. With regard to the two actual mobilisations, there are no theories regarding the ability of a country to mobilise, nor are there any theories which deal with the reaction to unexpected conflicts breaking out. The intention is to investigate the case-study subjects and evaluate which of the NATO plans for activation and mobilisation had been used (if any) and which had not. An assessment is then to be made of why some had been used and others not, and, for those used, whether they were met. If there was a success or failure to meet a particular planned mobilisation time or supply level, the reason for that outcome will be investigated. For these plans the analysis will need to be carried out to see if there is a correlation between the type of service/equipment plan and its success or failure. For example, if it is found that Britain was unable to fulfil a substantial number of its NATO obligations, the intention is not then to theorise that the other NATO nations could not fulfil their obligations. The intention is to identify the aspects of NATO planning which establish the force levels, identify the political and military decisions that appear to respond to and satisfy those levels, and then to see what, if any, connection exists between the two. The research is not then intended to be used to criticise, support or demonise any particular political or military viewpoint. The intention is to establish a framework by which, with historical understanding, the ramifications of budget setting and political policy can be seen to act upon Britain’s military’s ability to work either alone or in alliance with other countries to achieve an objective. Selection of the case by the dependent variable is seen as poor methodology design. But this relates to case-studies when used in a comparative fashion, and when attempting to establish the validity of a theory[6]. As mentioned above, this research is attempting to answer a question, rather than establish a new paradigm, and so the selection of the case studies is dictated by the time period, rather than by any conscious decision by the researcher. During the period, NATO states were provided with a common opponent in the WTO, one which represented a power that individual states alone could not counter. A large amount of the research material investigated so far assumes this bi-polarity, but only a few documents seek to identify, and to confirm or deny, its existence. Discourse analysis seeks to define the body of language that the research material originates from, and to discover the rationale, patterns of usage and concepts at work[7]. â€Å" †¦ a discourse is more than the sum of the utterances composing it †¦Ã¢â‚¬ [8] This assumption of a discourse by the authors is expected, as they are professional military officers or politicians, and hence have an established set of references from which they need to work. But this common structure is broader than the focus of this research, being specific to the NATO obligations. It will be useful, as part of the research, to identify the assumptions and specific areas of discourse used in the documents. We must be careful, however, to clearly identify the aspects of ‘Cold War’ discourse that are in play. The Cold War of Europe was different in many aspects, including the language used to describe it, from that of Asia. This research seeks to limit the discourse to the ‘East-West European’ confrontation. Discourse analysis may well provide insights into the patterns of thinking and assumptions made by the participants. Foucault refers to discourses as systems of thoughts composed of concepts and attitudes, based on power relationships[9]. With a long view of history, the attitudes and beliefs develop together with the subjects and words, and they are interconnected, rather than one caused by the other. Defining the ‘horizon of meaning’[10] and ‘truths’ will necessitate a definition of these for several situations; one for the general public; another for politicians; another for the military; another for business and commerce; and probably most importantly, the perceived ‘enemy’. This may provide us with several inter-related and overlapping, but different, discourses. Carr proposed the idea that one’s own views are promoted by being veiled as in the interests of all.[11] He proposed a realist view of state and power, and the national self-interest represented.[12] This, given the time period of the research, may be a more accurate description of the ‘discourse’. Reading these documents as ‘performances’ can be useful in some cases, but generally the research so far has shown that the majority of documents seek to downplay ‘performance’. The authors tend to focus on, what are to them, the facts of a particular situation. A large number of these documents were never intended to be seen by the general public, and their content is sometimes disturbing. Had they been written with an eye to future publication, the likelihood is the content would be different, as can be seen in those few items which are â€Å"polished† for public consumption. With both the original and public versions, we can see that harsh details are left out, and more general conclusions adopted. In the raw originals, difficult decisions affecting millions of people are taken. It is these raw originals which make up the vast majority of the research material for the study. Although we can never completely ignore the fact that some writers will be less analytical than others, we can use the large number of documents in cross-referencing and evaluating any particular writer’s view of a situation. Alliance Theory is a comparative analysis of two or more countries within an alliance, but the structure of the analysis can be used to establish levels of defence spending in the alliance within a standardised framework. Although this research is not directly comparative, it is useful to understand, at least in outline, the spending patterns of other NATO members, and the research will provide specific isolated instances of comparison to establish baseline measures. NATO Alliance Theory tells us that in military alliances, larger countries will have a disproportionate share of the costs of defence to the smaller countries, and uses a methodology which measures such variables as GDP, defence spending and population size[13]. Benefits deriving from the common defence are also analysed in terms of â€Å"good† provided to the populations involved. This can be employment, national and local income from arms sales and foreign investment, or spin-offs from military production that f ind their way into consumer products. Included in the analysis is an evaluation of the convergence of purpose in an alliance, which is proposed to have direct effect on the sharing of burdens within the alliance (the stronger the convergence, the greater the disproportion of burden sharing.) There are several areas of investigation that must be included in this research to make it valid. Not only will the capability of the military be investigated, but the political will to make unpopular and financially costly decisions, and the overall effect of policy within collective defence. The methodology planned for this research is an amalgam. It will use a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research, dealing with a range of subjects from the number of NATO small-arms ammunition rounds kept in War reserve for the front line troops to use in case of war, to the ability of the British Government to mobilise sufficient transport to move 300,000 US and Canadian reinforcements and their associated equipment from ports and airports around the country to the European Continent. A large part of the analysis will involve the reviewing of financial and material contributions to NATO, set against the force proposals. This information will be obtained from British Government and MOD p apers. Financial data must be analysed with a solid baseline which takes into account inflation, foreign exchange and varying unit costs. The research will analyse particular aspects of defence policy that can be quantified directly, for example the provision of naval vessels committed to NATO’s Eastern Atlantic command in the event of a war, and compare the actual available naval vessels and their capabilities. Such comparisons can be applied to a variety of circumstances from tanks to hospital beds to ammunition reserves. The data will also analyse the cost of Home/Civil Defence as part of the Defence budget, and allow a conclusion to be drawn as to whether this fulfilled any NATO obligation, for example Key Point Defence[14], or whether it provided a positive benefit to Britain (as defined within Alliance Theory). The exercises mentioned as case studies will be analysed using counterfactual conditions taken directly from MOD exercises of the period which best reflect the p erceived threat. The military, political and social awareness of the demands of the BAOR and Home/Civil Defence will be assessed here. Using an historically informed appreciation of the broader events of the time, the qualitative and quantitative findings mentioned above can be brought together to comprehensively answer the research aims. It is axiomatic that research such as this cannot be undertaken without a long view of the history of British defence and foreign policy. Britain had, for the previous 200 or more years, focussed much of her foreign and military policy on maintaining a balance of power in continental Europe. This allowed her to focus on Imperial expansion, and latterly on securing trade-routes and supply. Membership of NATO, and the efforts put into that membership must be seen in context, otherwise certain events and policies will be misunderstood. King, Keohane and Verba state that, â€Å"All good research can be understood †¦ to derive from the same underlying logic of inference.† [15] There is no one methodology that fits the research being undertaken, as it does not aim to prove or support a theory. Rather it seeks to understand and answer a fundamental question that is still relevant today, namely can the defence policy fulfil its aims? Alliance theory can aid in an analysis of the quantitative data, providing an assessment of the benefits to Britain of its NATO role, and the costs associated with it. The fact that one methodology does not fit the research does not mean that aspects of that methodology cannot be used. A criticism that may be levelled at this research is that it doesn’t have a recognised methodology, in the way that Small-N or Discourse analysis is recognised. However, the final methodology must be designed with rigour in mind, such that it answers any criticisms of structure and coherence within the framework of the required research. Word Count:2866 1 of 5 [1] Mancur Olson and Richard Zeckhauser, ‘An Economic Theory of Alliances’ (RAND Corporation, 1966), RM-4297-ISA. [2] Stanley Lieberson, ‘Small Ns and Big Conclusions: An Examination of the Reasoning in Comparative Studies Based on a Small Number of Cases’, University of North Carolina Press, 1991. However, a different perspective on the use of Mill’s methods in Small-N analysis is proposed see Goldstone quoted in Mahoney, p388 [3] Statement on the Defence Estimate 1979 – The National Archives, CAB 129/205/3 [4] The Warsaw Treaty Organisation of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance was formed in 1955 [5] 1982 Falklands War and 1991 Gulf War. Although the Gulf War is outside the timescales adopted for this research, the plans in place will be those developed during the period under review. [6] Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth, From Old Thinking to New Thinking in Qualitative Research, International Security, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Spring, 2002), pp. 93-111 [7] John Tosh, The Pursuit of History: Aims, Methods, and New Directions in the Study of Modern History, 4th ed (New York: Longman, 2006), p. 195. [8] Professor Louis de Saussure, Pragmatic Issues In Discourse Analysis, Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis Across Disciplines 1 (1), 2007, p179 [9] Derek Hook, Discourse, knowledge, materiality, history : Foucault and discourse analysis, Theory and Psychology 11 (4), 2001, p521 – 547. [10] Powerpoint presentation, Dr Andreas Behnke, PIM56, Spring Term 2014 [11] Howard Williams, Moorhead Wright and Tony Evans, eds., A Reader in International Relations and Political Theory (Buckingham: Open University Press, 1993), pp. 179–180. [12] John Mearsheimer, E.H. Carr vs. Idealism: The Battle Rages On (Sage Publications, 2005) [13] Olson and Zeckhauser. [14] Key Points include ammunition stores, communication centres, Early Warning systems amongst a host of other locations which could be defended with deadly force, even before the outbreak of a war. [15] King, Keohane Verba, Designing Social Inquiry, Princeton University Press, 1996, p 4