Realist Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Realist Theories - Assignment Example China wants to resolve the issue with the countries involved and not with the international bodies. If this can be resolved, what could these small countries do if China will lose its military might on its claims on the disputed islands. China may be emboldened to bully its neighboring countries due to its $9240 billion GDP which is the second highest in the world. This GDP also allowed it to have a military superiority against its neighbors including Japan. Even if their total economies and population will be combined, it would still be no match against China. In addition, China is the only nuclear capable state in that region. China however must take into account that there are two countries (Philippines and Japan) among the claimants that has Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States, the largest economy in the world and strongest military in the world. If China attacks Philippines and Japan, this would make the Mutual Defense Treaty take into effect dragging United States in the war. In addition, the international community will also be against China because Philippines has brought the issue to the international court for arbitration and waging a war against other claimants will be trespass the case before international

Benefits of Activity Based Costing Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Activity Based Costing Essay In order to make a profit on production, the firm would have to charge a price that is greater than the cost of production. Generally, the cost of production is understood to be the cost of producing a good plus the cost of transportation to the consumer. In order to stay in business, and therefore, to avoid losses at all possible costs – the firm must cover all costs related to the production of the good and include all costs to deliver the same to the consumer at a price that is higher than the cost of production. The operating or overheard expenses of an enterprise are generated by its activities to perform its business and/or manufacturing processes successfully. As its name implies, activity based costing relates the costs facing the enterprise to its various activities. By so doing, this system of costing provides pretty accurate information about costs, allowing businesses to effectively manage their overhead expenses in order to increase their revenues (Cooper, 1988). It is but commonsensical that companies may work on cutting their costs once they know what is driving these costs. By improving their processes in order to cut costs, businesses may realize greater profits than before. What is more, by identifying high costing activities needed to produce certain goods or serve certain customers, companies may decide to focus instead on low costing products or customers by reducing their production of or service to high costing products or customers. In this way, they may shift their focus to products or customers that are more profitable to produce or to serve. Thus, management experts cite the following benefits of activity based costing as opposed to traditional methods of costing: Identifying the most and least profitable customers, products and channels. Determine the true contributors to— and detractors from—financial performance. Accurately predict costs, profits and resource requirements associated with changes in production volumes, organizational structure and resource costs. Easily identify the root causes of poor financial performance. Track costs of activities and work processes. Equip managers with cost intelligence to drive improvements. Facilitate better Marketing Mix. Enhance the bargaining power with the customer. Achieve better Positioning of products. (â€Å"Activity Based Costing,† 2008). Businesses that benefit the most from activity based costing are those with high manufacturing operating expenses or overhead costs. These costs may result from a diverse range or products, intensity of capital, or vertically integrated system of manufacturing. Activity based costing may help such businesses not only to understand but also to control their operating expenses so as to increase their revenues (O’Guin, 1991, p. 76). Organizations with large marketing, sales or distribution costs may also reap great benefits from activity based costing. As mentioned previously, this method of costing identifies those customers that are most profitable from those that are least profitable. This provides insight to management on how to improve operations. With activity based costing, such businesses may be able to answer questions such as: â€Å"What discounts are appropriate for large orders? What size accounts should salespersons no longer call on? How effective is advertising to different markets? † (O’Guin, p. 76). Firms that are experiencing sluggish or low profitability on increasing sales may be suffering from growth that is unmanaged. It may very well be that these businesses are selling products at losses to a number of customers. The accounting system of accurately measuring costs, that is, activity based costing, would allow these firms to determine which of their customers and products are generating revenues and which are not (O’Guin, p. 76). O’Guin describes another benefit of the activity based costing system thus: Even with a diverse product line or customer base and very high profitability, a company lacking an ABC system is surprisingly vulnerable. Product profitability probably varies widely across the company. Highly profitable products present an irresistible target to new market entrants. Management should know which products are reaping enormous margins, so they can erect barriers to entry. (p. 76). Also according to O’Guin, the activity based costing system provides not only strategic but also tactical benefits to businesses that implement it. Whereas benefits that are strategic in nature may be realized only once in a blue moon, for the simple reason that organizations cannot be expected to change their pricing, business operations, distribution or manufacturing processes each year – tactical benefits may be realized constantly. Indeed, activity based costing could help businesses not only with reduction of overhead costs, but also just-in-time support, improvement of quality, decisions about design, and investment in capital. Thus, businesses that implement the activity based costing system may improve their profitability on an ongoing basis (O’Guin, p. 76). In the twenty first century, companies that have a competitive edge are those that maintain flexibility, a trend that has been recognized as a critical factor for success since the 1990s. Life cycles of products have been shortened and focus on the customer has become increasingly important. As economies of scale virtually disappear, manufacturing plants that are successful are those that are able to quickly introduce innovative products and economically produce small quantities. Activity based costing system can help businesses tremendously to achieve these goals. What is more, this system of costing could assist businesses of the twenty first century to achieve their goal to increase employee motivation. With the activity based costing system in place, employees increase their understanding of business activities and therefore their involvement in business operations. So, for example, whenever they see a mound of papers they would see overhead costs, leading them to the following questions: Why do we have so many bills? Why are there so many process involved in our purchase orders (O’Guin, p. 76)? Thus, the activity based costing system encourages businesses to push their rates of cost drivers down. This helps in the reduction of time to setup, streamlines buying, in addition to time taken to development a product. When costs are attached to each of these processes or activities, management may not only measure but also plan improvement (O’Guin, p. 76). As mentioned before, some of these improvements may entail reducing production of goods or service to customers that cost more to produce or service than the others. Hence, the activity based costing system may also lead the business that implements it to improve upon its marketing mix or positioning of its products. If products and customers that cost more than the others are required by the company to produce or serve in the same quantity as before, however, activity based costing system helps the organization to improve its processes in order to decrease its costs without reducing the quantity to produce or serve. After all, it is only possible to improve inefficient processes. Because activity based costing allows the company to weigh the costs of activities against their benefits, firms that use it are in a great position to increase the efficiency of all of their processes so as to gain competitive advantages. References Activity Based Costing. (2008). Value Based Management. Retrieved Jan 27, 2009, from http://www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_abc. html. Cooper, R. (1988, Summer). The Rise of Activity-Based Costing – Part One: What is an Activity-Based Cost System? Journal of Cost Management, pp. 45-54. O’Guin, M. C. (1991). The Complete Guide to Activity-based Costing. Chicago, IL: CCH Tax and Accounting.

Quality Assessment System in Construction

Quality Assessment System in Construction 1.0 Introduction Quality assessment system in construction industry is a system or method to measure and evaluate the quality of workmanship of a construction work based on the relevant approved standard. This assessment sets out the standard on quality of workmanship for various construction elements of building and infrastructure construction work. The quality of workmanship of a construction work is assessed according to the requirement of the relevant standard, and marks are awarded if the workmanship complies with the standard, (CIDB, 2011). According to Wong, (2007), one of the hallmarks of a developed construction industry is in the output of quality buildings and structures. It is therefore critical to inculcate among professionals, contractors and end-users the awareness of quality products and good designs, not only to raise the standard of the industrys products, but also to reduce wastage arising from rework. The Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC) developed by CIDB is an independent method to measure and evaluate the quality of workmanship and finishes of construction works based on objective comparison through a sampling and statistical approach. The Malaysian construction industry stakeholders are looking forward to action plans by CIDB in implementing QLASSIC with incentives as has been the case for the Construction Quality Assessment System (CONQUAS) in Singapore. Mahmood. et al. (2010) stated the quality management system is being increasingly applied to the construction company to solve quality problem. The implementation of this system required a culture change and change in management behaviour. The organization need to shift from their current culture to a quality management system culture that focuses on quality as a key strategy. A review of literature identifies ten important culture elements that contribute to successful implementation of quality management system, which include leadership and top management commitment, customer management, training and education, teamwork, people management and empowerment, supplier partnership, quality planning and strategic, process management, rewards and recognition and effective communication. 2.0 Problem Statements Nowadays, the quality of the building becomes an issue when many accidents occurred related to the building failure such as building collapse. Many criticisms received from public about this quality of the building. This has proven when Mahmood et al. (2010) stated that construction industry in Malaysia has been viewed as one of the sectors that have a poor quality compared to other sectors such as agriculture or automotive sector. This is supported by Said et. al. (2009) when he claims that there were misunderstandings among the organization player on Quality Management System (QMS) concepts has become a stumbling block for its successful implementation. Said et. al (2010, c.f SIRIM 2005) also found that QMS could be implemented either at the organization level or at the project level itself. Looking at the construction industry scenario in Malaysia, there are approximately 4000 ISO 9001:2000 QMS certified organizations in the Malaysian construction related industry. However, the number is still relatively small when compared to the total number of 63,204 organizations in this industry. Looking at the current scenario in the Malaysian construction industry, QMS compliance is a required factor to improve the quality of the Malaysian Construction Industry. Keng and Hamzah (2011, c.f Haupt et al. 2004) also found several problems found in implementing the quality assessment system on construction site such as too much paperwork, transient nature of workforce, field employees regard quality management as irrelevant, difficulty in measuring results, and subcontractors and suppliers not interested in assessment 3.0 Aim and Objectives of the Study The aim of this research is to study the impacts of implementation of quality assessment system in construction projects. Objectives: To identify the advantages from implementation of Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC) system in construction project. To determine the challenges in implementing quality assessment system in construction project. 4.0 Scope and Limitation Among the parties involved in construction, the contractors are the one who know the real situation in the construction compared to others. Beside that, the contractors also know the whole process in construction starting site possession until the projects is completed. Therefore, this research will be conducted with focusing: Only to contractor G6 or G7 (CIDB) that already engaged with high cost construction project that focus on quality of the building and clients satisfaction as a main priority. The limitation of the research survey only focus on Klang Valley area because this area was highly developed with new buildings design. 5.0 Research Methodology Primary Data A set of questionnaire will distribute to collect valuable data for this research. This interview may conduct to the targeted group in construction projects or organization. Secondary Data The researcher found literature review as his secondary resources with aim to investigate the previous research and body of knowledge about the quality assessment system in Malaysian construction industry. Problem statement Objective 2 To determine the challenges in implementing quality assessment system in construction project. Objective 1 To identify the advantages from implementation of Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC) system in construction project. Literature review Questionnaire Case study Comments and conclusion Impacts of implementation of quality assessment system in construction projects. Figure 1.1: flow chart of research process CHAPTER II:Â  LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Quality Assessment in Construction (QLASSIC) 2.1.1 Introduction According to CIDB (2006), Quality Assessment System for Building Construction Work (QLASSIC) is an independent method to assess and evaluate the quality of workmanship of building projects based on the standard stated as a guideline. Yin (2012), added that Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC) is a system to measure and evaluate the quality of workmanship of a construction work based on the relevant approved standard. QLASSIC enables the quality of workmanship between construction projects to be objectively compared through a scoring system. The purpose of this scheme is to enable a construction project to be undergone in standard of procedure in order to ensure the quality of workmanship in the works The construction industry and the private sector plays an important role in creating wealth and improving the quality of life of Malaysians through interpretation of socio-economic policy of the governments social and economic infrastructure and buildings. In addition, the construction industry creates multiplier effects to other industries, including manufacturing, financial services, and professional services. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) (2006), has published a special guideline for measuring the quality of construction and become As a parameter for the level of quality achieved in a construction project in Malaysia. Rating of the workmanship will be made through site inspections. Assessments will be conducted by a qualified evaluator of QLASSIC registered, trained and have passed the training conducted by the CIDB 2.1.2 Objectives of QLASSIC Masters Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) (2006), stated that CIDB list down objectives of the QLASSIC system: To elevate the level of quality in the construction industry. To have a standard quality assessment system as a benchmark for quality of construction works. To assist contractors to achieve defect-free when carrying out construction work. To be used as criteria to evaluate the performance of contractors based on quality of workmanship. To be used for data compilation for statistical analysis in estimating the level of quality and productivity of the construction industry. 2.1.3 Scopes of QLASSIC CIDB (2006), stated that this assessment is set out for the quality of workmanship for the various aspects of the construction elements for the general building works. It will cover four main components which is, Structural works, Architectural works, Mechanical and Electrical (M E) works and External works. Assessments on the workmanship are carried out based on this standard and marks are awarded if the workmanship complies with the standards. These marks are then summed up to give a total quality score (%) for the building project. However, the assessment excludes works such as piling, foundation and sub-structure works which are heavily equipment-based and called under separate contracts or sub contracts. The building is assessed primarily on workmanship standards achieved through site inspection and field testing. The assessment is done throughout the construction process for structural and M E works. For completed building projects the assessment is done for architectural, M E fittings and external works. Apart from site inspection, the assessment also includes field tests, test results on the material and the functional performance of selected services and installations. These tests help to safeguard the interest of building occupants in relation to safety, comfort and aesthetic; these defects may surface only after sometime. In addition, MBAM (2006), stated that QLASSIC sets out the standards for various construction elements in building work and other infrastructure work. The quality assessment on the workmanship and finishes of the construction work is based on these standards and points are awarded if the workmanship and finishes comply with the standards. These points are then summed up to give a total quality score called the QLASSIC Score (%) for a project. The assessment is conducted at the construction site through inspection and field testing. The score will be done on construction works that are inspected for the first time. Construction works that are rectified and corrected after the assessment will not be rescored. The objective of this practice is to encourage contractors to do things right the first time and every time 2.1.4 Components to be assessed According to QLASSIC (2006), the quality standards for building construction work are divided into four main components:- a) Structural works The structural integrity of the building is of paramount importance as the cost of failure and repairs are very significant. The assessment of structural works comprises: Site inspection of formwork, steel reinforcement, prefabricated or pre-cast elements, etc. during construction. Laboratory testing of compressive strength of concrete and tensile strength of steel reinforcement. Non-destructive testing of the uniformity and the cover of hardened concrete. b) Architectural works Architectural works deal mainly with the finishes. This is the part where the quality and standards of workmanship are most visible. Architectural works are works such as floors, internal walls, ceiling, door and window, fixtures and fittings, external wall, roofs, driveway, porch and apron. c) Mechanical and Electrical (M E) works The quality of M E works is important in view of its increasingly high cost proportion and its impact on the performance of a building. The assessment covers electrical works, air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation works (ACMV), fire protection works, sanitary and plumbing works, lifts, escalator and other basic M E fittings. d) External works External works cover the general external work elements in building construction such as the linkways/ shelters, drains, road works, car parks, footpaths, turfings, playgrounds, gates and fences, swimming pools, hardscapes and electrical substation. 2.1.5 Assessment approach In general, the assessor determines the samples or elements to be assessed to each assessment. The samples are selected from drawings and plans. The selected samples shall be distributed as uniformly as possible throughout the project and construction stages. All locations are to be offered for the assessment. The scoring will be done on the works that are inspected for the first time. When an assessed item does not comply with the corresponding QLASSIC standards, it is considered failed and an X will be noted in the assessment form. Likewise a v is given for an item meeting the standards. A - will be given to indicate that the item is not applicable. The score is computed based on the number of v over the total number of items assessed. (CIDB, 2006) MBAM (2006) stated that, it is impractical to assess all elements in a construction project, QLASSIC assessment uses a sampling process to carry out the assessment. The samples are selected from drawings and plans of the relevant construction project. a) Structural Works The assessment is carried out throughout the various construction stages. The numbers of samples are determined based on the gross floor area (GFA) of the building with a minimum and maximum number of samples. b) Architectural works The assessment is carried out upon completion of the building project and before handing over of the project. The samples are determined based on the gross floor area (GFA) of the building with a minimum and maximum number of samples. c) Mechanical and Electrical (M E) works The samples are determined based on the gross floor area (GFA) of the building with a minimum and maximum number of samples. For completed projects the assessment is carried out upon completion of the building project and before handing over of the project. For projects in progress the assessment is carried out throughout the various construction stages. d) External works The assessment is carried out upon completion of the building and before handing over of the project. The numbers of samples are determined based on (10m length section/ location) with a minimum number of samples. 2.1.6 Evaluation process of QLASSIC START Architectural work Structural work ME work External work Developers / contractors shall made application APPLY TO CIDB SCOPE OF EVALUATION Numbers of sample is based on guideline in CIS7 Samples are identified before assessors make an evaluation SAMPLING FROM ASSESSOR Qualified assessors will assess the samples. The quality standard based on CIS7. SAMPLING ON SITE QLASSIC SCORE (%) Report from CIDB based on the evaluation by assessors. FINISH 2.1.7 QLASSIC assessor To be an assessor, the persons must attend the QLASSIC training course before being qualified to carry out the actual assessment at the construction sites. The QLASSIC assessors are continuously updated to ensure consistency and effective implementation of the assessment. Requirements of QLASSIC assessor; Malaysian citizen Age: 25-60 years Possesses an academic qualification in construction related fields such as architectural/civil/mechanical/electrical engineering/quantity surveyor or other fields Successfully completed the QLASSIC Assessor Certification Programme. Posses minimum working experience in the construction industry according to academic qualification as follows. 2.2 Quality philosophy 2.2.1 Quality concept Many definitions had been made in order to explain the terms of quality. Hoyle (1998), defined quality as a degree of excellence, conformance with requirements, the totally of characteristic of an entity that bear its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs, fitness for use. In addition, he also stated quality as freedom from defects, imperfections or contamination. In other words, quality is focus on satisfaction needs and costumers demand as a first priority. In construction industry, the offer from clients to contractor to do projects with a terms and conditions need to be followed by contractors and if the projects is completed according the requirements given is a quality products. According to Besterfield (1998), quality cannot be measured by with number or it intangible and it only can be measure by personnel perception. Quality only can be quantified as follows: Q = P/E Where, Q=Quality P=Performance E=Expectations According to the formula, if quality is greater, the costumer has a good feeling about the products deliver. 2.2.2 Quality parameter According to Hoyle (1998), difference in design can be classified or group into different class and the results can be good or poor. It is not enough to produce product only conform to the specification or supply services that meet managements requirement. Quality can be classified in three parameters which is: Quality of design is the extent to which the design reflects a product or services that satisfies costumer needs. All the necessary characteristics need to be designed into the product or service at the outset. Quality of conformance is the extent to which the product or service conform to the design standard. The design has faithfully translating the clients need and it depends on the processes to realize the design into an actual end products. Quality of use is the extent which the user able to secure continuity of use from the product or service. Products need to have a low cost of ownership be safe and reliable and maintainable in use. 2.2.3 Quality management According to Juran (1989), basic purpose of quality management is to eliminate failure in services or products. Failure not only that products, process or services but it would be fail in their function or their function not satisfy to customer demand. Hence, the quality management consist of planning, organizing, controlling and preventing the products or services from failure. All the methods and technique that use in quality management must be useful to improve and increase the quality of the products or services. This quality management include inspection process. Inspection is a process where quality is measured before deliver the products or services to the costumer. However, inspection alone is not enough to deliver quality products or services, it must adopt with the other practice to prevent failure. Quality management is both technical and behavioural subject. Therefore, the management of quality involves many aspects of an organization and the organization must make sure all its function inter-related and work efficiently and effectively because whenever any function fail to perform, they will effect to another. 2.2.4 Quality control Quality control is the operational activities or techniques used to fulfil the requirement for quality. In other words, it is a process to maintain standards and prevent from failure. Standard can be control by process of selection, measurement and correction of work. Quality control can be applied in the processes that produce products by measuring the overall quality performance of the organization.(Juran, 1989) There are steps to control the quality; Determine what elements need to be controlled. Determine whether it needs to be control before, during or after the result. Establish details for the parameter to be controlled. Establish plans for control which specify the means by which the characteristics will be achieved and variation detected and removed. Organize resource to implement the quality control. Install sensor at an appropriate point in the process. Collect the data. Analyze the results. Propose solutions and decide the technique to overcome the problems. Take the action and check again whether it has been corrected or not. 2.2.5 Quality improvement Quality improvement can be defined as an action taken by the organization to increase and improve the effectiveness of activities or processes to provide satisfaction to the costumer. (ISO,2000). In other words, process of changing the quality for the products or services that can improve the level of satisfaction to the costumer. This can be done by control or increase the standard. Control approach can be done by improving the rate at which an agreed standard is achieved. The second approach is by increase the standard and setting new level. New standard can be created by making research and development to a products and services. 2.2.6 Quality assurance ISO (2000), defined the quality assurance as a planned and systematic action necessary to provide adequate confidence that an entity will fulfil the requirements for quality. Costumers and managers need a quality assurance, as they cannot oversee the operation for themselves. The assurance of quality can be gained by testing a products or services against prescribed standards to establish in capability to meet them. This approach can give confidence only to the tested products. Quality assurance not controls the quality, it establish the extent to which quality will be, is being or has been controlled. 2.2.7 Quality system Hoyle (1998), stated that system is a set of function or activities that operate together to achieve the aim. A success quality system will lead the organization to achieve, sustain and improve the quality. It is a planning, well evaluates and organized to produce a required quality performance. A quality system is the approach to achieve all desire quality goals. Quality system focus on the quality of the organization produces, the factors which will cause the organization to achieve its goals, the factors influencing the customer satisfaction and identify nonconforming product. Quality system needs to possess certain characteristics for them to be fit for their purpose. Robustness ability to withstand variation in the way operation are carried out without failure Complexity the number of interconnections, routings, pathways, variations, options, etc, which give rise multiple procedure. Maintainability the ease and economy with which system changes can be made. Flexibility ability of the system can handle the changes in circumstances. Consistency the ability of the documented system unifies communication both within itself and the organizations. 2.3 Challenges faced by construction project team in implementation of QLASSIC 2.3.1 Introduction CIDB (2008) stated that like any other countries around the world, Malaysian construction industries face the problems that affect the development of construction sector. If these problems not managed and addressed effectively it become worst. The construction sector will continue play an important role as a main contributor to the Malaysia economy. To make sure the construction sector become stronger, Malaysia introduced many ways and one of the ways by introducing the QLASSIC system by CIDB. Although it was introduced several years ago, the implementations of this system still not achieve the target. Only few projects were applied this system. This because there are few problems and challenges regarding implementing this system faced by construction team. 2.3.2 Fragmentation and Disintegration of the Construction Industry The construction industry has remained a very fragmented industry where different activities in the entire value chain of the construction processes are being undertaken by different parties, often undertaken in isolation, thus resulting in inefficiencies. In particular, the segregation of design and construction activities which is widely practiced does not encourage consideration for factors like savings in labour utilisation, ease of maintenance, construction safety and the practicality of construction methods.(CIDB,2008) As a result of the lack of such integration considerations in the industry, the process to implement the QLASSIC system to the construction projects is difficult. The different players are also become conflict and the implementation of this system become unsuccessful. This because there are many parties involved in construction projects. Thus, some of the parties will implement the system and some are not. So, the systems are not applied on the overall parts or elements that need to be assess in the construction projects. 2.3.3 Foreign labour Labour-intensive conventional methods of construction that are still prevalent in Malaysia. The adoption of such methods are encouraged by the cheaper cost of employment of foreign workers with lower wages and the availability of such workers for short-term periods of work.. Another reason for the heavy dependency on foreign labour involves the fact that the local workforce is reluctant to be employed as construction workers in the wet trades, where the image of the construction industry has always been one that is Dirty, Dangerous and Difficult. (CIDB, 2008) As a result, the implementation of QLASSIC system in construction projects becomes a problem because foreign workers do not understand this system. They are not expose about this system by the authorities. Thus, it become challenges for construction team to make sure the construction projects meet the standard that need in the QLASSIC system. 2.3.4 Lack of RD CIDB (2008) mentioned, the local construction industry is characterised as one that is labour-intensive, which has resulted in numerous challenges as highlighted previously. There is a need for the construction industry to progress towards one that is more focused on innovation and automation. However, the pace of innovation through RD and automation through the adoption of new construction methods are relatively low due to the abundance of cheap foreign labour. Despite the lack of RD initiatives in the Malaysian construction industry, there has been progress on the local front to encourage and stimulate RD activities in the construction industry. As a result, one of the factor this system did not get attention from construction team is because lack of RD. Before this system introduced to the construction sector, the responsible authorities that doing this research must make sure that the information gather from the research is enough and the opinion from all the parties involved in construction project is taking into consideration. This is because the construction parties are the main target as they will use this system. So, opinion from construction parties is the first priority to suite with construction projects when implementation this system. 2.4 Effective strategies in implementing QLASSIC 2.4.1 Stepping up research and development Wong (2007), stated that Research and Development (RD) is critical to productivity and quality. Improvements in the construction industry such as better materials, more cost-effective design and construction methods and labour-saving equipment are often introduced by way of RD initiative. However, for RD to be useful there is a need to ensure that new technologies and capabilities are efficiently shared and adopted by players in the industry to enhance the quality of the building. At the present moment, the amount of Malaysian construction RD ranges from negligible to non-existent. On the other hand, RD conducted by local institution of higher learning is often perceived as not been able to meet industry needs. Hence, there is a need for stronger collaboration between academia and the industry in stimulating RD efforts in order to produce quality of the building. 2.4.2 Raising the Skills Level According to Wong (2007), the reality is that so long as the industry has a ready access to a large number of foreign workers, there is very little incentive for the industry to upgrade itself. While recognizing that the industry will continue to rely on foreign workers in the near and medium term, there is a need to reduce the number of unskilled foreign workers. CIDB, in collaboration with the National Vocational Training Council of Malaysia (MLVKM) ha s developed the National Occupational Skill Standards (NOSS) for the construction industry, for the purpose of developing skilled manpower in the industry by development of training module for the various trades as well as for skill accreditation for career development of construction personnel. The Malaysian construction industry at present is largely dependent on low skilled foreign workers. As introduce new technologies and push for higher quality the demand for manpower especially foreign workers should be reduced. 2.4.3 Enhancing professionalism Enhancing professionalism of the industry can be achieved at three levels, namely the individual, trade association or professional institution, and the industry. At the individual level, the curriculum of institution of higher learning should be enhanced to include common modules and soft skills. At trade association or professional institution level, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programme should be made mandatory for the renewal of professional membership as is currently practised by the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM), Board of Architect Malaysia (BAM) and Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia (BQSM). To synchronize professional practice and thinking, it is also necessary for each profession to draw up its own set of code of conduct. (Wong, 2007) This will help to lay the foundation for constructional skills needed for construction players. Hence it must constantly promote, recognise and reward creativity, quality work, and innovation to integrate the various processes in the industry, but also to project a more progressive image. 2.4.4 Training and Education Firms that establish workplace education programmes report noticeable improvements in their workers abilities and the quality of their products (Cebeci and Beskese, 2002). The importance of training is to ensure that the skills of the workforce do not become obsolete in an environment of change and an understanding and attitude of quality is developed and maintained. Training should be directed at all levels of the organization to understand the QLASSIC process. 2.4.5 Integrated approach to construction According to Wong (2007), the construction industry is highly fragmented due to the sequential nature of the construction process. One of the major causes of low productivity and quality is the lack of integration of activities across the construction value chain. Consequently, mistakes in the construction stage resulting low quality of the building. So, through integration focus on effective interpersonal relationships, jointly planned work, identifying and solving problems will produce better quality. QLASSIC is one of the methods that need the integration by all the construction players to implement it. 2.4.6 Rewards and recognition An important feature of any quality improvement programme is showing due recognition for improved performance by any individual, section, and department or division within the company considers recognition as one of the most important steps of the quality improvement proce

Symbolism :: essays research papers

Symbolism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In each of the three works Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, and â€Å"The Tragedy of Julius Caesar†, written by William Shakespeare all have a strong common characteristic. Keeping in mind each author came from different backgrounds and had very different motivations for writing each novel/play it’s ironic that in each story the main idea is redundant. Each of the three stories uses symbolism as a way to relate conflicts in the story to the conflicts in the real world. Symbolism in Lord of the Flies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbolism in three important areas: objects that have symbolic value as references to ideas, characters that symbolize important religious and historical people, and the setting which frames conflict on the island in comparison to the whole world. (Bernard Oldsley, pg. 215)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many objects in the Lord of the Flies have symbolic value. The conch shell represents power and authority, Ralph uses the shell to call for the boys to come to the meetings, whoever has the shell has the power to talk. â€Å"The conch shows how people use objects to give power in the world, like a crown, ribbon, or other things that show who has power. We also learn that objects don’t really give a lot of power when people choose not to obey it, like Ralph’s conch.† (Steven Magill, pg. 2059)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The pigs head of Lord of the Flies are both important objects, to Jack it’s a sacrifice for the beast. This object shows that people will make religions and rituals to control their world, even when what they think is not true. (Chris Dakins, pg. 123)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Lord of the Flies is also a symbol of Satan or the Devil. When Simon talked to the Lord of the Flies â€Å"he learned what the real evil was, which is in people’s hearts.† (Chelsea House, pg. 22). The Lord of the Flies is a symbol of the things we make up to be the cause for evil, when those things aren’t the real reason.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fire is a symbol of hope and rescue. When the fire was burning bright, it was because the boys were working very hard to get rescued. When the fire burned out it was because many boys, like Jack did not care anymore about being rescued. In the end, the fire that got them rescued was not meant for rescue it was there because Jack was burning down the island to kill Ralph.

Role of Young Minds in Shaping India’s Path Towards

Essay Title Role of Young Minds in shaping India’s path towards becoming a Superpower Name : Dhruv Tripathi College Name : University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun Course : B. A. LL. B. 3rd Semester E-mail : [email  protected] com Introduction Young generation now has a lot of responsibility in making  India  a Super Power. We have done well in certain aspects; however, we need to go a very long way still. The growth in GDP, growth in Exports, employment opportunities, increase in literacy, reduction in poverty etc. itself cannot make  India  a Super Power. Many would agree that  India  is rich, but, Indians are poor.We need to manage the growth properly and we need to ensure that all Indians prosper and Human Rights are protected. The increasing gap between rich and poor is not good for the country and it results in revolution one-day and system will get affected if people resort to extremism. It is very important to concentrate on infrastructure dev elopment in the Country in order to attract FDI and in order to support Industry which creates plenty of employment opportunities. But, there won’t be any meaning for the development unless we are able to provide certain basic things to the citizens of this country.In  India, with cast playing a big role and with lot of poverty and as every citizen has a right to vote, there is scope for muscle power and money power in politics rather ability and commitment to serve the people. The younger generation can not stay away from politics just because politics are corrupt and they should be mature enough to understand things and to serve the people. There are many issues we need to concentrate and it is the responsibility of younger generation to take the challenge and to act in a matured way rather resorting to extremism or pessimism.I would like to express my views on few challenging issues in this country : Youth into Politics: Many people criticize politicians so easily and we talk about political corruption very frequently rather thinking towards the solution. I do believe that great people in this country did think about the ways to reform our politics. We have brought some reforms to Peoples Representative Act, we are discussing about the tendency of buying votes, not allowing people with criminal background in contesting elections and also about State funding.I have heard a discussion on public funding of political parties, but, I know that it is very difficult to deal with this issue too and even drafting a regulation providing public funding will not be any easy issue and it will lead to so many other complications. Great people have concluded that the public funding will not solve the problem of election expenditure. Many also opine that spending lot of money in elections and buying votes may not guarantee success, however, not spending money in elections can guarantee defeat. This is a fact.As such, I we need not think too much about this issues and Election Commission is there to enforce its regulations and it will be doing its job. Media: Media is no more independent now and the people are not in a position to rely on media reports unless the issues is disused clearly. Media can do so many things really and it can reform this society. However, they are very busy with their issues and keeping their TRP ratings intact. They say that they need not have a responsibility and they can not do charity. There is a merit in the argument of media too, but, public interest is above all.However, it is very difficult to regulate media and there should be awareness among the people that what media says need not be correct. The issue is very important and we need to find ways as to how to prevent the media in damaging society and as to whether it is possible to regulate the media. Education & Health Care: Today many software engineers and other educated employed in good companies taking good remuneration. Many of these did study in  Go vernment  Schools  and colleges and they did struggle with poverty.Despite the poverty and other issues, they could grow and achieve positions in life now. However, now, these software engineers employed in good companies and taking good remuneration finding it difficult to get their children educated. If this is the situation for the educated and employed, then, what about people living below poverty line? Still, in this country, substantial number of people lives Below Poverty Line. I strongly believe that we can not get away with this Education and Health Care through Schemes and Privatization.State Governments have a big role to play in imparting education and in providing Health Care. Our Governments have lot of money in their hands now with industrial and overall growth, but, they spend all the money towards achieving their political agenda. If this country can not provide education to the people Below Poverty Line at free of cost, then, we may have to pay a very heavy pri ce for that and we will also see internal revolution. It is such a sensitive issue now and we can not ignore this. Agriculture Farmers do face lot of difficulties with the middlemen.The problems of our farmers to be understood and State Governments should give utmost priority as to how to protect our Agriculture. We can not ignore our Agriculture which provides livelihood to majority of Indians even now either directly or indirectly. Our State Government Agri Departments should function efficiently addressing the problems of the farmers from time to time. We need to maintain a modest Agri growth while focusing on the Industrial Growth. We need to concentrate on both. Legal System There is a lot of talk about our legal system.How come we claim that we are developed unless our rights are duly protected with due process of law? We need not look at the role of Police, the investigation, the corruption in Police Department and other issues while we talk about legal system. Yes, we need g ood police men, investigators and we need to have a mechanism where the orders of the Court are implemented effectively and speedily. The role of Police and connected issues need not necessarily be merged while talk about legal reforms. Because, the police reforms are directly connected to politics and political leadership.That’s a bigger issue. We need to have a serious look at our court infrastructure, the quality of judges, the work culture, and the quality of legal professionals, the procedural issues and other connected things. We can not ignore our legal system anymore. I know that there are complications in bringing reforms in our legal system. There can be resistance from the legal professionals when the Government or the authorities push forward certain reforms. But, we need not have a clear plan as to how to go ahead and we must be able to effectively deal with the resistance too.Youth of this country should not be scared at the problems and we need to find solution s in order make our country a Super Power. There is no problem without solution and we need to find the solutions. Industrial Growth and the ‘Sustainable Development’ Environment is most important for the society and that is why even the developed countries talk so much about protection of environment. Industrial growth will have a define impact on environment; however, we cannot ignore the industrial growth if  India  needs to compete with the rest of the world and if  India  needs to reduce the rate of poverty.It is also true that there can be people with vested interests who will always try to hamper the industrial growth. A careful balance is to be made in this regard. Youth of this Country should also be concerned at our environment and it’s the responsibility of any Government to protect the environment. There can be public pressure in the right direction and at the same time, people should be aware of the vested interest groups hampering the growth referring to environment. Transparency in all Government DepartmentsThere is some change when it comes to functioning of Government Departments now. With technological revolution and with e-governance, many departments are computerized and we do not know as to whether the effort is sincere or an ‘eye-wash’. But, there is a change and we can know about the government, rules and regulations etc. through Internet now. This is a welcome change and Right to Information Act forces the public servants now to be transparent and to maintain the records properly, as otherwise, they will be fixed one day.The corrupt officials in various Government Departments find various ways hampering the reform process. Many Government Departments are supposed to provide the vital information and information about complaining authority. However, we may not find this information and no one talks at the responsibility. The intention with which a provision is made to form Trade Unions is also bei ng misused often leading to blackmailing Governments. Governments should be in a position to deal with any contingency of this kind and every department should have a clear plan as to how to counter these kinds of problems.

Abortion †It Is More Than a Choice

Abortion – It Is More Than a Choice Free Online Research Papers Abortion is the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. This definition doesn’t sound to bad does it? But in all reality abortion is killing a human being and there is no way it can fight back. Most people would say that an embryo or a fetus isn’t a human being, but it is. People hind behind the facts and try and say that abortion is a procedure and that they aren’t killing a person because it isn’t fully grown yet. In all reality the fact is that it is a human and by having an abortion you are murdering your own flesh and blood. How does that sound, killing your own kid just because it may not have of been planned or that you were rapped. There are other ways to get rid of the child like giving it up for adoption but a lot of people don’t think about the child that they are killing they are only thinking about themselves. When you think of abortion what do you think? Are you wondering why the person is aborting there child or do you even think or care that they are at all. Well, let’s examine why a person would have to have an abortion in the first place. Is there really a good reason for having an abortion? Some people say that the kid was unexpected and that they will not be able to care for the child, the response to this is why don’t they just have the kid and then give it up for adoption? It isn’t the child’s fault that you aren’t ready to have kids so why punish them? Other people say that the child is a result of being rapped and that having the kid and seeing it will remind them to much of the horrible event. To this you could say the same response why not just give it up for adoption? When you look at abortion are you even caring about what the child has to offer or are you only thinking about how it is going to affect you? When you think about it abortion is a selfish way to just get out of having to deal with having a child or figure out what to do with the kid. Abortion isn’t a way to get out of having the responsibility of dealing with the pregnancy. It is just a cheap escape with dealing with it. Have some guts and think about what you are doing before you do something as drastic as killing your child. Abortion is also very emotional for a lot of the people who have to go through it or are forced to go through it. You shouldn’t make some one go through something as big as an abortion because if it isn’t your body then it isn’t for you to decide. Abortion is a big step for people but some people just use it as an escape. Like when parents make there kids get an abortion because they think it is for there best good. In all reality when that person grows up it can be a very emotional thing for them and it can actually make a big problem for them in there life. Abortion is a big problem in this time period with people thinking that it is a way to get out of dealing with your problems. When you think about how many problems that abortion can create it isn’t worth it to do. Abortion isn’t worth the entire heart ache because of something that you feel needs taken care of right now. People do drastic things, but if they would just take the time and actually examine what the heck you are doing then they might not have to go through with it. Research Papers on Abortion - It Is More Than a ChoicePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenGenetic EngineeringInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Relationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Spring and Autumn

Commercialism Americas Hidden Artform essays

Commercialism Americas Hidden Artform essays art n. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principals, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. The Random House Dictionary Josh, you just have to see the new GAP Khakis commercial! proclaimed my excited brother. I even went as far as watching the same channel until I finally saw the commercial. I sat in front of the television for over a half an hour, and turned my head at the sound of catchy swing music to see young men and women dancing to music on a stark white backdrop. Their energy and enthusiasm to dance was like nothing I had seen in reality. In all the twisting and tangling of arms, legs, and female hair, I froze in my seat as everyone on the dance floor froze in mid air. My heart stopped as I followed the camera around the frozen dancers. The new perception heightened the dancing energy. The GAP Khakis sign invaded the screen for a few seconds and the screen went blank. Was this the work of an evil genius trying to get my attention so that I could be brainwashed into buying a product? Could it perhaps be simply one artist communicating a new sense of beauty to the whole world, regardless of the product I was deeply affected by the strange time and space rendered in front of me in thirty seconds. Commercial film affects me more than fine art in a museum does. It has also proven to be much better at portraying subtleties to a mass audience in a clear and definite way. People are ashamed of this comparative strength. Many of my self-fabricated intellectual friends claim to enjoy gallery fine art more than they enjoy movies and television. When we are at the gallery, I watch my friends ooh and aah at the work as they interpret its meaning amongst themselves. After dragging them cynically into the movie theater, they exit two hours later wiping their eyes off not wanting to say anything to anyone. ...

Cane toads essays

Cane toads essays These toads were being used successfully in the Caribbean islands and in Hawaii to combat the cane beetle, a pest of sugar cane crops. After good reviews from overseas, Hawaii shipped a box of toads to Gordonvale, just south of Cairns. These were held in captivity for awhile and then they were released into the sugar cane fields of the tropic north. It was later discovered that the toads can't jump very high so they did not eat the cane beetles which stayed up on the upper stalks of the cane plants. At the time of year when the beetle's larvae were emerging from the ground, no toads were about. So the cane toad, as it came to be known, had no impact on the cane beetles at all and farmers had to go back to the use of chemicals to kill the beetle. Meanwhile, the 'cat was out of the bag' or, more accurately, the toads were out of the box! But there were only 102 of them so nobody gave any thought to catching them up again and disposing of them. The toads were on their own and they prove d to be very hardy survivors. They turned out to be a lot more than they bargained for and it didn't take long to find out how well the toads would do in their new Australian home. Firstly, they breed like flies, as the saying goes. Each pair of cane toads can lay 20,000 per breeding season. Their 'toadpoles' develop faster than many Australian frogs so they can out compete our frogs for food. Toads and toadpoles seem to be resistant to some herbicides and eutrophic water which would normally kill frogs and tadpoles. All stages of a toad's life are poisonous so they have no natural predators to keep their numbers in check. Finally, toads not only eat the food normally available to Australian frogs, there is growing anecdotal evidence that they eat frogs as well. Captive cane toads will eat everything from dog food to mice and they keep growing until they reach 25cm in length and over 2 kilos. In recent years, it has been noticed that toads in the Cairns are...

Health Education Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health Education Plan - Assignment Example Particularly, in Los Angeles, more than one in five students in Grades 5th, 7th and 9th were found to be obese (ibid.). This truth puts the youth at risk of obesity. This paper addresses the present problem by proposing a community health education plan for parents of at-risk and obese youth in Los Angeles. First, the paper tackles the present problem based on recent statistics and community health analysis. Second, it proposes a comprehensive education plan aimed at parents to guide them in child weight management. Third, it suggests relevant research to control the obesity situation in the Los Angeles community. The health education program shall run for six months, and a monthly assessment should be done to note down the improvements not only in the weight of the population but likewise in their eating habits and view of nutrition. The program shall include nutritional information, cooking sessions, exercise drills, activity planning, school and house-to-house visits, and follow u p sessions. The objectives of the program are as follows: To provide information on obesity, its causes and effects, and other related information To improve the eating and cooking habits of families by conducting cooking sessions, information campaign, and school/home visits To increase the physical activity and exercise habits of the community by conducting physical exercise, teaching them how to plan and monitor their children’s physical activities, and providing means for physical activity among the youth To inculcate the value of health and good nutrition among the youth by holding poster-making contests, rhythmic gymnastics, and other forms of exercise. The participants shall be composed of parents and children. Mothers and fathers are both welcome to attend the activities, which shall be held for two hours every Saturday morning and may extend in the afternoon, to give way for other activities such as contests, exercise, and other physical activities for children. The success of implementing a health education program depends on proper planning and assessment. Thus, in order to achieve success, an analysis of the target population and Los Angeles county based on Windshield Survey must be conducted first. A Windshield Survey of Los Angeles primarily shows that it is a well-populated county. It is home to different ethnicities including African-Americans, Latinos, Whites, and Asians. In a research conducted in 2001 (cited in County of Los Angeles Department of Health and Services, 2003), it was found out that 55 percent of the county’s population is either overweight or obese, and many others are at risk for becoming overweight. Similarly, more than 15 percent of the adolescent population is overweight. African-Americans were found to have the highest incidence of obesity, and the problem is mostly related to low economic status (OHAE, 2007). Thus, the highest prevalence of obesity was noted among families with the lowest incomes. The relati on between poverty and obesity suggests the poor nutrition that families can afford. Families with low income usually feed their children with starch and carbohydrates, which is opposite the daily nutritional recommendation of five servings of fruits and vegetables and little fat. In this regard, it is important to include in the health education seminar the proper nutrition or recommended foods that parents should provide their children. This topic should be included in Day 1. The first session should

Evaluating Technology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evaluating Technology - Assignment Example educate the community on how to protect their families and spread the stem of water borne diseases that are now becoming a common occurrence whenever an area happens to be hit by a hurricane. The proposed program will focus on areas that are generally perceived as being high risk areas in regards to the threat of being affected by hurricanes. With a few relatively easy modifications, the program will also be modified and expanded to other cities and areas outside the United States that happen to face the same threat. After going through the program, the nurses and various community health workers would be equipped with the necessary knowledge that would help them educate the affected communities and potentially prevent the loss of lives as a result of persons getting infected by some preventable water borne diseases. The health workers and nurses would be able to achieve this via encouraging the various communities to implement measures that would ensure that the whole community is safeguarded from any potential infections. The most suitable technology that can potentially be used in the proposed learning program would be, the use of web based resources such as data technology in distance education Data technology would mostly involve the use of some common technologies such as computers, internet connection, World Wide Web based computer applications such as computer learning systems, facsimile (fax) and electronic mail (e-mail) (Kidd & Chen 2009). Both SECTIONS and ACTIONS are acronyms. ACTIONS as an acronym can be seen to have letters that represent the words Access, Costs, Teaching and learning, Interactivity/ user-friendliness, Organizational issues, Novelty and Speed. SECTIONS can be seen to indicate Students, Ease of use and reliability, Costs, Teaching and learning, Interactivity and Organizational issues (Bates & Poole, 2003). Bates modified the SECTIONS framework model of media selection from the ACTIONS framework Bate (2003) that he had previously

John Brown Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

John Brown - Essay Example This essay takes a neutral view at the life and deeds of Brown and finds that John Brown was not a terrorist. If we look back in history we find that this title was given to him because of his revolt against slavery. In that period, slavery was an accepted norm of life and any movement against it was "anti-social". Today when slavery has been wiped out, he can be declared a hero for starting a war against an inhuman practice of slave trade. John Brown born on 9th May, 1800, became the first American to raise his voice against the practice of slavery. He has been one of the most controversial personalities of the 19th century. Even President Abraham Lincoln said that Brown was a "misguided fanatic".( Blue, 2006) Many other intellectuals also called him as terrorist. He had started a liberation movement of the black slaves in 1857-58 in Kansas. He collected some young men and gave them military training at Springdale Iowa. In 1958, he took this small army to Chatham in West Canada and on 8th of May, he called a convention where he declared a provisional constitution for the people of United States. If we read the wordings of this constitution, it goes like "slavery is none other than a most barbarous, unprovoked and unjustifiable war of one portion of its citizens upon another portion." Anyone who has not been influenced by the name "Father of Terrorists", can not say that these words are unjustified and anyone believing and promoting these words and thoughts should be executed. Brown formulated the constitution and also formed a committee. On 10th the committee was finalized and declared adjourned sine die. In July 1859, Brown came to Harper's Ferry under disguise and prepared grounds for his further attack. Finally on 16th October, 1859, he invaded Harper's Ferry with his army of 20 militants. Twelve of these were killed one was captured and executed and one was unaccounted for. Rest four of the them including Brown were turned over to the Sheriff. On 2nd December, 1859, Brown was executed. Historical Interpretations Most of the historians have Called John Brown a terrorist. Later some of them have come up with more cordial view. The friendliest biography of Brown is supposed to be the one written by Oswald Garrison Villard in 1910. Villard was himself the grandson of William Lloyd Garrison who was an abolitionist. While explaining John's arrival in Harpers Ferry he says that his intention was to "begin his revolution in a spectacular way, capturing a few slaveholders and release some slaves( Villard, 1910)". He has expressed admiration for Brown in many places but he has also called him a murderer. Some of the African American writers later presented a positive view about him.(DeCaro, 2005). Even in the middle of the 20th century, some Southern writers expressed strongly negative views about him. In the beginning of the 21st century, there has been a remarkable change in the attitude of the writers. Few of them are Toledo 2002, Decaro, 2002, Peterson 2002, Reynolds 2005 and Carton 2006. There have been some writers in this period also like Bruce Olds 1995, who has written a very negative work on Brown. At the same time Russel Banks has portrayed a fictional work on Brown putting him is the

The Ideas of Scott McClouds Understanding Comics Essay

The Ideas of Scott McClouds Understanding Comics - Essay Example McCloud makes the reader understand the relationship between words and images. He begins with the explanation, how the words develop from images and later become the communicating ideas. The message giving process may lay emphasis on words or picture. These are used in children’s study books and comics. The children love the play and jugglery of words and the picture-images, as they fulfill their hunger for fantasies. The relationship between words and images is quite exciting. McCloud argues, â€Å"Words — are the ultimate abstraction."(47)Carefully planned and placed headlines and similar inter-titles kindle curiosity of the reader about the contents of the article. McCloud is aware of the strength of the words and images in the print and electronic media, and how they can create ripples in the minds of the readers. Read this title on the front page of a newspaper relating to a financial scandal. â€Å"Millionaire Brown is in million dollar jam!† McCloud has r ightly pointed out that use of words and images are like dance partners who know their roles. They support and challenge each other to create the magical effect. For example, a caricature of corruption may convey more than what is stated in a full-length article on the subject. It has the capacity to strike hard at the societal ills in a satirical style. It gets to the point and gives the message, without hurting. McCloud asserts that we have only scratched the surface of the relationship between words and images. Their relationship is profound and it generates credence to the progression of action in the story. An artist sees art in most of the human activities, whether they are big or small, and extracts something special from them and provides meaningful interpretations either through words or pictures. Such interpretations are not part of his academic knowledge; they are the just spontaneous overflow of his ideas! Spectacular results are obtained and presented before the audienc e, the effect of which may last for generations, depending upon the latent potency of such combinations by the genius artist. The potential creativity of the comics beats the effectiveness of the painter and the writer; it depicts and says something without hurting which results in fountains of joy. The creator of the comics blends the aesthetic response in them and enjoys being in the role of a clown rather than a troubleshooter hero. This clown often reveals profound truths, often in a satirical form. His messages are the true reflections of the goings on in the society, and he pictures them without malice to anyone, without fear or favor. The criticism is often enjoyed by the one against whom it is directed and the societal response to his actions is light-hearted. The comic demands less space but the ‘built-up’ area within it is massive. McCloud writes, â€Å"Space does for comics what time does for a film!"(7) The word has a specific meaning, but a million viewers of the comic enjoy an equal number of interpretations.

Specialist Psychosocial Intreventions in Forensic Mental Heslth Essay

Specialist Psychosocial Intreventions in Forensic Mental Heslth - Essay Example It is important to go through the various aspects in the field in an effort to understand it even more. Forensic Psychology is understood as a mixture of both psychology of the brain and the legal psychology in any given location. The field is important in that it assists in the assessment and the understanding of people that may be diagnosed with a mental condition and involved in crimes (Ryan, 2007, 98). The field developed after the acknowledgement of the fact that many people had been sent to prison and were not in the proper state of mind. This has had scientists involved in finding means through which these sick people can be sent to mental institutions for the resolution of their issues other than send them to prison to suffer. This is from the fact that they do not deserve a sentence and their mental conditions should stand up in court. Diversion is a major part of Forensic Mental Health (Samuels, 2011, 167). This is a term that is used to refer to the change of custody of a patient with extreme mental conditions from the legal Justice System and straight to the health system for assistance. Psychosocial issues have been of great importance with relation to forensic mental health. Psychosocial issues are the ones that relate to the mind in a psychological manner and thus directly link to Forensic Mental Health. ... hosocial issue in that when these people do not feel at ease with the person, he begins having ideas that he is all alone and that nobody is interested with his company. This may put the person in a worse mental state and drive him to committing another crime of which the justice system does not act on as leniently as the first case. Another sector that has a big role to play in terms of psychosocial issues is the police department. This is from the fact that these officers are the ones endowed with the responsibility of ensuring that the patients are safe from many external and dangerous forces (Velvet, 2010, 11). It is common for people of the public to get mad at a person who committed a crime and instead of having a prison sentence is released from having mental problems. Police officers should ensure that they take care of this issue by assuring the patient of safety in an effort to ensure that they are comfortable. Police officers have been termed as the most important people w hen dealing with forensic mental health patients. This is from the fact that they have much power accorded to them and have the freedom to discipline any citizen that may be a danger to him and others. Forensic mental health patients have very many issues and it may occur to them that they carry out acts that may have them in compromising situations. When in transit headed to a mental institution or any other place that they may be taken to after committing a crime, they may decide to run away or otherwise resist the transportation. Police officers thus have the ability and power to discipline the patient in different ways (Francis, 2010, 197). This does not appear wrong in the eyes of the public seeing as the one beating the patient is a police officer. If the person disciplining the

For Poorer and For Poorer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For Poorer and For Poorer - Essay Example As an initial matter, it must be noted that changing economic conditions do seem to affect both work roles and family roles in relationships. As noted by Hansen, in general terms, the changed economic conditions have resulted in "more fighting, postponed weddings, and less sex" (2003: np). The most immediate effect is the postponement of weddings. Rather than pursuing traditional roles as husband and wife, because of the large expenses associated with formal weddings, couples are delaying marriage while awaiting better economic times. In addition, young couples are hesitant to have children when they are unable to take care of themselves adequately. The family roles are consequently replaced by a more permanent boyfriend-girlfriend role and the relationships assume a less secure status. There is less romance, less self-esteem, and less sex. In addition to the alteration of family roles, there have also been alterations of traditional work roles. Couples are confronted with periods of unemployment and underemployment. Some people have admitted to removing advanced academic degrees in an effort to find jobs for which they are overqualified. In sum, the recent economic instability has affected both family roles and work roles in negative ways. In addition, a comparison of the idealism of the 1990s with the current period of economic instability highlights the very real financial pressures that young couples are experiencing.

The Ideas of Scott McClouds Understanding Comics Essay

The Ideas of Scott McClouds Understanding Comics - Essay Example McCloud makes the reader understand the relationship between words and images. He begins with the explanation, how the words develop from images and later become the communicating ideas. The message giving process may lay emphasis on words or picture. These are used in children’s study books and comics. The children love the play and jugglery of words and the picture-images, as they fulfill their hunger for fantasies. The relationship between words and images is quite exciting. McCloud argues, â€Å"Words — are the ultimate abstraction."(47)Carefully planned and placed headlines and similar inter-titles kindle curiosity of the reader about the contents of the article. McCloud is aware of the strength of the words and images in the print and electronic media, and how they can create ripples in the minds of the readers. Read this title on the front page of a newspaper relating to a financial scandal. â€Å"Millionaire Brown is in million dollar jam!† McCloud has r ightly pointed out that use of words and images are like dance partners who know their roles. They support and challenge each other to create the magical effect. For example, a caricature of corruption may convey more than what is stated in a full-length article on the subject. It has the capacity to strike hard at the societal ills in a satirical style. It gets to the point and gives the message, without hurting. McCloud asserts that we have only scratched the surface of the relationship between words and images. Their relationship is profound and it generates credence to the progression of action in the story. An artist sees art in most of the human activities, whether they are big or small, and extracts something special from them and provides meaningful interpretations either through words or pictures. Such interpretations are not part of his academic knowledge; they are the just spontaneous overflow of his ideas! Spectacular results are obtained and presented before the audienc e, the effect of which may last for generations, depending upon the latent potency of such combinations by the genius artist. The potential creativity of the comics beats the effectiveness of the painter and the writer; it depicts and says something without hurting which results in fountains of joy. The creator of the comics blends the aesthetic response in them and enjoys being in the role of a clown rather than a troubleshooter hero. This clown often reveals profound truths, often in a satirical form. His messages are the true reflections of the goings on in the society, and he pictures them without malice to anyone, without fear or favor. The criticism is often enjoyed by the one against whom it is directed and the societal response to his actions is light-hearted. The comic demands less space but the ‘built-up’ area within it is massive. McCloud writes, â€Å"Space does for comics what time does for a film!"(7) The word has a specific meaning, but a million viewers of the comic enjoy an equal number of interpretations.

For Poorer and For Poorer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For Poorer and For Poorer - Essay Example As an initial matter, it must be noted that changing economic conditions do seem to affect both work roles and family roles in relationships. As noted by Hansen, in general terms, the changed economic conditions have resulted in "more fighting, postponed weddings, and less sex" (2003: np). The most immediate effect is the postponement of weddings. Rather than pursuing traditional roles as husband and wife, because of the large expenses associated with formal weddings, couples are delaying marriage while awaiting better economic times. In addition, young couples are hesitant to have children when they are unable to take care of themselves adequately. The family roles are consequently replaced by a more permanent boyfriend-girlfriend role and the relationships assume a less secure status. There is less romance, less self-esteem, and less sex. In addition to the alteration of family roles, there have also been alterations of traditional work roles. Couples are confronted with periods of unemployment and underemployment. Some people have admitted to removing advanced academic degrees in an effort to find jobs for which they are overqualified. In sum, the recent economic instability has affected both family roles and work roles in negative ways. In addition, a comparison of the idealism of the 1990s with the current period of economic instability highlights the very real financial pressures that young couples are experiencing.

Causes of World War Essay Example for Free

Causes of World War Essay World War 1 was the first war in history that had most of the world dragged into conflict against one another. There were many causes of WW1 the main one that actually started it was a short term cause, the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austria-Hungary Empire. But there were a lot of long term causes that were building up to war like the arms race with military sections such as navy being built up especially between Britain and Germany. Also Imperialism was a great cause because Germany had only just unified in comparison to the rest of the world they wanted to get themselves on the map in regards to some colies but there wasnt much free space rest in the world, also there was the alliance systems that actually pulled everyone into the war. Nationalism also played a role, basically its patriotism so it cone sides with the alliance system especially to do with Britain and all its colonies such as Australia and Canada, they join the war because of the alliance but also because Britain is basically there mother so even though they were independent they still were going to help out their oldest and greatest ally at that time. The only short term cause was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28 1914, this act committed by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo; Bosnia was the match that started the fuse that led to war. The reason for this assassination was mainly because he and his group wanted to break free of the Austria-Hungary Empire and have an independent Yugoslavia. This caused the spark of the war because Austria-Hungary found out that Serbia helped to provide some equipment and weapons. So they decided to teach Serbia a lesson by going to war with them and were planning on crushing them but they couldnt because Serbia was allied with Russia but they did anyway pulling there ally, Germany, in and causing the whole conflict to kick off. The death of one royal family member and the actions of one man to commit that murder ended up getting approximately 16 million people killed in the process. The arms race then ensued when Germany started to build its navy in compaction with Britain use 4,532,000 tonnes of iron and other materials and had 63 separate Dreadnoughts built. Those figures were just for the dreadnoughts that does not include other ships like destroyers and torpedo boats. That shows the pure magnitude of the want that Germany had to out-class and over power the amazing and massive British Navy that had been dominate in the oceans of the world for hundreds of years. There is a reason for the saying Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves. The whole arms race was because Germany wanted to become the world power over Britain and to do that they needed a navy but they couldnt really build massive ships in secret so the British found out and started to up there navy power as well, to stay ahead. One of the main ways they did that was by introducing the HMS Dreadnought; it was a new design that was faster and stronger than any other ship that had been built to date. It was launched on the 10th of February 1906 starting a new class of ships, the Dreadnought class. The whole naval arms race was a product of Germanys imperialism and want to become a major world power but because they had only unified in 1871 they didnt have much of a chance to get many colonies but they got a few and needed a navy to defend them but they had other plans on what to do next. There was also an arms race on land/ sky but it was no were near as large or cost as much because ships are a lot bigger and more expensive. But ever since wright brothers flew their first plane the military was interested in using them as weapons and they did, Biplanes made their combat debut during WW1 and it was the first time battles had taken to the skies and there was more than just ground forces to consider when planning out tactics. Also it was during but there was also the invention of the Tank or as it were first called Land ships. Imperialism was a major stir between the European powers as they were all trying to get more colonies and more land, but during this time Germany still wasnt Germany it was Prussia and because they unified late they didnt have a chance to colonies the world but they did do it in time to participate in the scramble for Africa and its resources. The reason for it being a part of the build up to WW1 was that Germany was envious of the rest of the European powers and how many colonies they possessed, especially Britain. This might not seem that important but to be a world power you needed influence around the world or a lot of land (like Russia) but Germany had neither but the wanted to be conceded a world power but they couldnt really because there was not much land left that the Germans could Colonise. Germany was also involved in the Morocco crisis because they wanted equal economic benefits from Morocco including Moroccos natural resources. This whole situation was a big problem between the European power and who would control Morocco. Nationalism is just patriotism on an extreme level, during the early 1900s all powers in Europe had their populations tricked because they all thought their ideologies were the best and their army could crush any opponent. Basically the major powers thought they were the biggest and the best. This was especially important between Russia and Germany the main reason Germany agree to support Austria-Hungary is because the tension between Russia and Germany was building. But because of nationalism was so strong in Germany they thought, well war is inevitable so we may as well crush them now. But Russian people had the same idea. On the outbreak of war Germanys mobilised with the strength of 3.8 million in there general army compared to Russias 5.25 million. You can see that Russias military was a lot bigger but Germany had it going through their minds that they could win anyway, even though on the outbreak they sent most of their troops towards France to destroy them quickly, that was the plan anyway. The whole reason most empires/ countries got involved was because they thought their armies were so amazing that their contribution would end the war in under a year, which was not true because of the stalemate that old tactics with new equipment caused, because as soon as machine guns were introduced trench warfare was outdated. The alliances were the main long term cause of WW1 they are what brought everyone into the war making it a world war, because it involved most of the world. The first treaty that was called upon was Serbia calling on Russia because of the treat from Austria-Hungary and Serbia could definitely not stand up on its own to such a large empire such as Austria-Hungary. There  was no signed treaty but Russia wanted to keep the peace in the Bucklands area and to do that they need to mobilise their military. And the mobilising of Russias military marked the start of many chain reactions of treaties/ alliances that would be called upon that cause one assassination to turn into the First World War. The Duel Alliance was the defence agreement between Austria-Hungary and Germany it was brought in, in case Russia attacked which was most likely at the point when the treaty was signed in 1879. Also ironically it was signed to limit war but it did the exacted opposite. But even though it was called upon for an offensive movement it was still defensive from Russia because Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia cause the Russians to move there army towards Austria-Hungary so they called for support from Germany and they got it. These were the first two alliances call upon and they started the First World War. The Franco-Russian Alliance was between Russia and France it was mainly to contain the threat of Germany because if Germany decaled war on either of them they would have to fight on two fronts because France and Russia were right next to Germany but on opposite geographical sides. It was signed in 1836 and its purpose was to dissuade Germany it worked for a while but ultimately it failed and Germany declared war on both of them. The Treaty of London was signed 1839 and its point was to recognise and guarantee Belgiums independence and Neutrality. Because it was so old Germany called it The Scrape of Paper and when Germany planned to disregard Belgiums neutrality by going through Belgiums boarders to invade France they expected no one to care or act upon it. Not only was this seen as war mongering but Britain stayed true to their word to Belgium and got involved in the war because of that. And with the entry of Britain brought all her allies from her colonies; Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa. With that most of the world was involved and it truly had become a World War. Then finally there was America. America was not obliged to join the war at any point by a military alliance but as soon as Germany announced unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917 trying to restrict shipping to Britain and force them to surrender by starving them American shipping was in danger because America shipped food and other goods to help them in the war effort indirectly. But with their shipping naval personnel in danger they didnt have much of a choice to declare war on Germany thus America entered the war. In conclusion there were many reasons for WW1 to start but most of them had been building up for years behind the scenes it just took the match of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand to light the fuse and the world exploded into chaos and destruction with roughly 16 million people dead, 20 million wounded, and 8 million missing it was one of the biggest wars in the worlds history. BIBLIOGRAPHY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5YREY33W24 Published on 4 Aug 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njINCi9iIrA Published on 25 Jun 2010 http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/gcselinks/wars/firstwwlinks/worksheets/causeswwi.pdf Published on (No date found) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_World_War_I Published on 29 Aug 2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduke_Franz_Ferdinand_of_Austria Published on 29 Aug 2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Archduke_Franz_Ferdinand_of_Austria Published on 27 Aug 2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavrilo_Princip Published on 5 Aug 2014 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/archduke-franz-ferdinand-assassinated Published on (No date found) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-German_naval_arms_race Published on 19 Jul 2014 http://alphahistory.com/worldwar1/imperialism/ Published on (No date found) http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/moroccan_crisis_1905.htm Published during May 2012 http://alphahistory.com/worldwar1/nationalism/ Published on (No date found) http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3415778 Published on 24 Sep 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia%E2%80%93Serbia_relations Published on 11 Jun 2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_Alliance_(1879) Published on 2 Aug 2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-Russian_Alliance Published on 23 Aug 2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_London_(1839) Published on 23 Aug 2014 http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/america_and_world_war_one.htm Published during 2006 The First World War, Robin Lobban, Oxford University Press Text book from school, page 91 (white)

Earthquake in Chile

Earthquake in Chile Earthquakes The movement of the earths tectonic plates causes earthquakes. Earthquakes occur where plates meet along plate boundaries. F.e when two plates move towards each other, one plate can be pushed down beneath the other plate, into the mantle: this is a subduction zone. If this plate gets stuck under the other one, it causes a lot of pressure on the surrounding rocks. When this pressure will be released it will produce shock waves. These shock waves are called seismic waves. This is what we call an earthquake. Plate boundaries The place where two or more plates meet, is known as a plate boundary. There are four types of plate boundaries: constructive, destructive, conservative and collision plate boundaries. Almost all earthquakes occur near to plate boundaries. Earthquake in Chile The earthquake in Chile was caused by subduction. At the west coast of Chile, three tectonic plates meet: Antarctic plate, South American plate and the Nazca plate. Chile is located at a convergent plate boundary (a destructive plate boundary). The Peru-Chile trench is caused by the subduction of the oceanic Nazca plate under the continental South American Plate. This movement causes seismicity and volcanism in Chile, producing amazing earthquakes. This is a typical example of a continental-oceanic subduction zone. This earthquake was the biggest one that hit Chile in over 50 years. Measuring earthquakes The magnitude of an earthquake is measured with a seismometer. This machine measures movements in the surface of the earth. The Richter scale measures earthquakes on a logarithmic scale. This means that an earthquake of 5 is ten times more powerful than one of 6 on the scale of Richter. Most people express the magnitude with this scale. The 2010 Haiti earthquake had a catastrophic magnitude of 7.0.The Chile earthquake was measured 8.8, this means there is almost a widespread destruction. It was one of the strongest earthquakes that were ever recorded. If we must believe Chilean authorities, over 300 people have been killed. Richter Scale: Magnitude Damage 4 This magnitude earthquake is widely felt and is strong enough to crack plaster. 5 A strong vibration shakes the earth, damaging chimneys and weak buildings. 6 This earthquake is strong enough to badly damage average buildings. 7 This earthquake is strong enough to destroy even well built structures. 8 Even special, earthquake-resistant buildings will be badly damaged. 9 There is widespread destruction. History of earthquakes Chile is a very active plate boundary, so its a perfect place for earthquakes. Chile is located in the so-called Ring of fire, an area in the Pacific where there are a lot of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The names of the plates are in white. You can see the Nazca plate is causing subduction (blue line with triangles), because it goes under the South American plate (Amà ©rique du Sud). Tsunami Yes, there is a chance on a tsunami The earthquake happened near a plate boundary. Because of plate tectonics, one plate can sink deeper, so there becomes a difference in sea level. Bibliography http://andrevandelft.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/earthquake_depth.png http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8540289.stm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Chile ttp://s.ngeo.com/wpf/media-live/photologue/photos/2010/03/02/cache/23047_600x450-cb1267561459.jpg http://www.stratfor.com/files/mmf/1/2/12b92bbe141fcccef515d7d9f927de8434bf3a50.jpg http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/03/02/4961912.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/chile/7331231/Chile-earthquake-tsunami-warnings-trigger-evacuations-across-Pacific.html

Stonehenge Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are few ancient structures in the world that captivate the imagination and the critical mind of both the scholarly and ordinary individual as Stonehenge. This intriguingly mysterious Neolithic monument is located near Amesbury in Wiltshire, England and draws thousands of spectators to its arena each year. The oldest part of Stonehenge, called Stonehenge I (constructed ca. 3100 BCE), consists of little more than a circular ditch dug in the soil of the Salisbury plain, with the excess soil piled up to make an embankment approximately six feet tall. This area is approximately three hundred thirty feet in diameter, and encompasses â€Å"Stonehenge proper† – the familiar circles of massive stones that once stood upright as well as the large horseshoe arrangement of standing stones near the center of Stonehenge. (Trefil 48) The outer ring of Stonehenge proper, also known as the â€Å"sarsen circle,† consists of several upright sarsen (gray sandstone) stones. According to the text of Art History, each stone in this circle weighs up to fifty tons and stands up to twenty feet tall, and was once â€Å"capped by a continuous lintel.† To accomplish this architectural structure, the builders used the technique of mortise-and-tendon joints to join and ensure the security of the lintel sections. With this technique, a projecting pin (tenon) located on a lintel fits tightly into a hole designed for it (mortise) on an upright stone. (Stokstad 59) Inside the sarsen circle was once a ring of bluestones. These special stones consisted of various grades of bluish dolerite, which (many individuals conclude) were only found one hundred fifty miles away in the mountains of southern Wales. The inner horseshoe arrangement of five paired lintel-topped uprights, or trilithons, dominates the center of Stonehenge. These sandstone trilithons range in height of up to twenty-four feet, weigh up to forty-five tons, and radiate the mysterious majesty of the megalithic structure. (Stokstad 59) Whatever the method by which the stones arrived on Salisbury Plain, they were apparently set up in about 2800-2700 BCE in either the unfinished circle or the incomplete horseshoe open to the south-west. A century or so later, (ca. 2500 BCE) the great sarsen circle was constructed, and the bluestones were dragged from their holes only to be returned some centuries later to form the i... ...few miles from Stonehenge where there was a convenient glacial deposit of the only stones used for Stonehenge. (Burl 22) However, the view remains that the massive stones of Stonehenge were, indeed, transported hundreds of miles to Salisbury Plain. Assuming that the bluestones were brought from Wales by hand and not transported by glaciers as Aubrey Burl has claimed (or moved by the magical hand of Merlin), various methods of moving them relying only on wood and rope have been suggested. During 2001, in an exercise of experimental archaeology, an attempt was made to transport a large stone along a land and sea route from Wales to Stonehenge. Volunteers successfully pulled the massive stone on a wooden sled over land, but it was ultimately lost in rough seas after being moved to a replica prehistoric boat for its journey across the Bristol Channel. (Burl 21) As we have observed, legends about the origin and purpose of Stonehenge are many in number. It is quite possible that we may never discover the truth behind the mysterious circles of stones on Salisbury Plain, yet it is also true that the intrigue and fascination that accompanies the existence of Stonehenge will surely remain.