Moral Philosophy Essays - Ethics, Social Philosophy, Axiology

Moral Philosophy Moral Philosophy 9 - 24 - 00 I. Sam was in trouble when the stock market slide turned into a steep slope. He not only lost most of his millions; he was also exposed as having been engaged in financial practices, which were shady and even dishonest. One evening he was found in his office, a victim of suicide. Those attending his funeral including his wife, children, and his business partners. B) The agent is this specific situation is Sam, due the fact that he acted on committing suicide because he lost millions in the stock market. In this situation the action that occurs is a suicide act by Sam. The patients are this case is everyone who is involved. Sam is affected because he is not alive any longer. His wife and children will be affected by many aspects, income and companionship and being a positive role model to their children. Even his business partners will feel the impact on their work for either their mourning or they will have to take over his work before a replacement resides. The judge in the case is Sam because he decides to take his own life due to financial problems. Define: Agent: Is a person that has, is, or will act on a specific situation. Act: Is basically defined as what is being done in the situation. Patient: Who or what is being affected by the situation. Condition: The state, whether good or bad, of the patient in a situation. Judge: To be put simply, a judge makes decisions. D) The relationship that exists between the agent, act, patient, condition and judge are as follows. In this specific case Sam is both the agent and patient, this is true for the reason that same did act and commit suicide while being a judge and deciding to take his own life. The relationship between the action, committing suicide, and the patient, who or what is affected, is crucial because without Sam taking his own life no one will be affected to the extent which they are suffering from now. Sam decision or judgment emphasis the action of suicide. II. When a person thinks of what to wear out, eat, what kind of work to be involved in, whether he gets up from the left or right side of the bed, the color of his car, types of music he likes, which all deal with personal situations. Self-interest deals with a situation as follows; Sal has not given up smoking but will get married. While raising children his health diminishes because of heavy smoking. But it can change from self-interest to a moral issue by thinking, if I smoke, I am not only hurting myself but my family as well. A social situation might deal with two candidates for Presidency, Bill and Bob. Bill is more qualified but Bill has more connections and money. Bill ends up winning the candidacy not because of what he knew but who he knows. Morals can be best illustrated as Divorces ought to be granted for reasons for adultery, cruelty, and non-support. Translating the quote is simply put that not all the conditions should be satisfied but any one of them could bring about this effect. X situation is illustrated as a group of friends finding a case of alcohol thinking that they are lucky, but in the mean while they are being arrested for underage drinking by the police. Define: Personal - one of gaining self-knowledge so as to act in a way to please oneself. Self-Interest - basically defined as something you like even if it is harmful to you or others. Moral - characteristics of priority over other situations because of their encompassing feature. Social - basically wants the claims of several patients so the person can act on that situation of Social judgment. X - is put in a situation such as a social or moral and is looking for good fortune but receives tragedy. C) Personal interest and social differ from social because of social dealing with several patients when personal is the gaining of one patient. Moral and self interest differ from each other due to the fact that self interest can be harmful yet pleasurable yet when

pKa Definition in Chemistry

pKa Definition in Chemistry If youre working with acids and bases, two familiar values are pH and pKa. Here is the definition of pKa and a look at how it relates to acid strength. pKa Definition pKa is the negative base-10 logarithm of the acid dissociation constant (Ka) of a solution.pKa -log10KaThe lower the pKa value, the stronger the acid. For example, the pKa of acetic acid is 4.8, while the pKa of lactic acid is 3.8. Using the pKa values, one can see lactic acid is a stronger acid than acetic acid. The reason pKa is used is because it describes acid dissociation using small decimal numbers. The same type of information may be obtained from Ka values, but they are typically extremely small numbers given in scientific notation that are hard for most people to understand. Key Takeaways: pKa Definition The pKa value is one method used to indicate the strength of an acid.pKa is the negative log of the acid dissociation constant or Ka value.A lower pKa value indicates a stronger acid. That is, the lower value indicates the acid more fully dissociates in water. pKa and Buffer Capacity In addition to using pKa to gauge the strength of an acid, it may be used to select buffers. This is possible because of the relationship between pKa and pH: pH pKa log10([A-]/[AH]) Where the square brackets are used to indicate the concentrations of the acid and its conjugate base. The equation may be rewritten as: Ka/[H] [A-]/[AH] This shows that pKa and pH are equal when half of the acid has dissociated. The buffering capacity of a species or its ability to maintain pH of a solution is highest when the pKa and pH values are close. So, when selecting a buffer, the best choice is the one that has a pKa value close to the target pH of the chemical solution.

A Review of the Pirates House and the History of the Restaurant

A Review of the Pirates' House and the History of the Restaurant The Pirates House is a notable eatery and bar built up in 1753. It’s situated in Savannah, Georgia. It is believed that Pirates House is the oldest building standing in Georgia. This restaurant stands out as one of the major tourist attractions in Georgia. This comprehensive narrative reviews the restaurant as a business as well as a historic entry together with the activities that were undertaken in the restaurant since it was established. Criteria 1 Pirates House was based on a plot of land that had been set aside to be a botanical research garden. The garden was assigned to Oglethorpes Trustees. Oglethorpe selected botanists from around the globe to procure plants for the venture, such plants include, cotton, therapeutic herbs, indigo and flavors. The garden was put up with the hope of boosting the wine and silk industries that were mushrooming by then, the garden later centered its operations to growing mulberry trees. The soil and climate states in however did not favor the mulberry trees. The wine and silk industries also crumbled as a result of those factors. The garden would later develop cotton farming that quickly became the staple for the residents of Georgia. The small building had therefore been built to house the gardeners who worked in the farm. The house was formerly known as the herb house due to its old age. By 1754, Savannah was rapidly growing as a port town thus the residents decided that it was no longer relevant to have a botanical garden. The herb house was therefore transformed to serve as a tavern and an inn where visiting seamen from abroad would be housed (McGrath and Pirates House). The pirate’s house started to constantly house seamen and pirates and with time, it started to earn a bad reputation and the general public started to avoid it. The pirate’s house did not earn its status by rumor; many sailors had been reported missing from this restaurant. Duisburg captains who needed slave men frequented the inn and took away vulnerable drunkards. The restaurant was initially owned by captain Flint. The savannah gas company would later buy Pirates house and the neighboring land in the 1900s. Mrs. Hansell Hilyer who was the wife to the president of Savannah Gas Company was attracted to the design of the building in the premises they had bought. She rehabilitated the museum house into a restaurant with 15 dining rooms with a capacity of 120 guests. It started operations and served several varieties of southern dishes. Frances McGrath’s book â€Å"The Pirates House Cook Book lists the recipes that the restaurant offered. Criteria 2 The pirate’s house is a notable restaurant most significantly because of the stories that it is founded on. The restaurant holds an annual competition known as the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgias where they different entries showcase their innovative recipes and at the same time have a time to celebrate the history of the restaurant (McGrath and Pirates House). The restaurant has earned several good reviews for their delicious food and their exclusive service and theme. The residents of historic Georgia view it as a source of their pride and it relatively sees a consistent flow of tourists who come to share the experience and learn the history. The pirate’s house has been used in a handful of contexts which includes Robert Stevenson’s book â€Å"Treasure Island† which was written in 1881. It is believed that the novelist was inspired by the house and the activities that were happening in the house. Some pages of the novel where the action was from the res taurant are displayed in one of the rooms in the restaurant. The pirate’s house serves several people each with a different goal. May people travel from far destinations to have an exclusive service in a restaurant that is believed to be haunted by the souls of the initial owners and those of the sailors that died in the restaurant in the 17s and 18s. Besides that, people like to see the restaurant for its old design from the 17s (McGrath and Pirates House). Criteria 3 One of the most fascinating parts of the hotel is the set of ancient staircases that lead into unseen tunnels that are underneath the restaurant. It is believed that the tunnels beneath the restaurant ran to the banks of Savannah River. The strong men drinking at the bar were dragged via the staircases, to the tunnels and drugged. They would then be dragged through the tunnel to a ship and forced to be part of the crew. The restaurant is a vibrant business that has employed a handful of employees. In the event that the restaurant is closed, several people would lose their jobs and a spring of pride for the Historic Georgia would have dried. People visiting the town often visit the restaurant for delicious foods and interesting ghost stories. Since the 18s, the structure of the restaurant has barely changed. This is most likely because the restaurant needs to preserve the original feel of the house since it was built. Many people who would like to see the building and attribute it to the story behind it will often visit the restaurant and that acts as the restaurant’s point of sale. Conclusion This restaurant has been a favorite spot for everyone who visits as it was the same case for the privateers and sailors for several years. The food and drinks were as terrific as they still are now. It is no surprise that the pirates would hang around the place that they enjoyed and loved when they were alive, like we do today.

Exam questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Exam questions - Essay Example The Discounted Cash Flow ("DCF") technique is the most commonly used valuation method that accounts for the "going-concern" value of the Company. The cash flow projections are derived from (a) assumed revenue generation on product sales, less (b) operating costs and debt repayment on capital investments (not including interest payments), plus (c) an estimate of the Company's residual value at the end of the 3 to 5 year period. These projections are then discounted back to the present by the risk-adjusted, weighted-average cost of capital. This cost of capital accounts for interest payments and/or equity returns expected by investors in the Company over the projection period. Venture Capital Valuation Techniques Sophisticated investors such as VCs, institutional investors and corporate investors generally begin the valuation analysis by examining management's cash flow projections to test the underlying assumptions and business model. Once the investor has developed a certain comfort level in the projections, a variety of techniques are used to determine the percentage ownership the investor will require. Each of these methods start with the management's projections under the DCF technique, but ignore management's application of its assumed discount rate to the present in order to value the Company. Instead, the VC investor imposes its own ROI, as indicated in each of the methods described below - to meet its own investment parameters irrespective of management's analysis of the cost of capital. By applying its own ROI, the investor can then determine the percentage ownership it will require to reach this ROI assuming a certain market valuation for the Company. Where these VC valuation methods differ from the DCF method is in (a) the difference...Once the investor has developed a certain comfort level in the projections, a variety of techniques are used to determine the percentage ownership the investor will require. Each of these methods start with the management's projections under the DCF technique, but ignore management's application of its assumed discount rate to the present in order to value the Company. Instead, the VC investor imposes its own ROI, as indicated in each of the methods described below - to meet its own investment parameters irrespective of management's analysis of the cost of capital. By applying its own ROI, the investor can then determine the percentage ownership it will require to reach this ROI assuming a certain market valuation for the Company. Where these VC valuation methods differ from the DCF method is in (a) the difference in the discount rate, or ROI applied by the Company and by the investor, and (b) the use all VC methods employ of P/E ratios to determine market valuation of the Company at the end of the projection period (equivalent to the methods used under the DCF technique

Nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Nursing - Research Paper Example The literature on oral care hygiene protocols encompasses techniques such as tooth brushing and use of chlorhexidine rinse (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2015). As argued by Green (2014), a methodology that involves two case studies is used in qualitative research to determine the research questions that guide discussions and interviews concentrating on the research. The aim of this proposed research is to find out the most effective intervention to reduce ventilator associated pneumonia in adult ICU patients applying the oral care hygiene protocols. The theoretical framework is utilized in this research to come up with the following questions that are used to direct the deliberations and interviews that are centered on the study. The questions state what is the most effective intervention to reduce ventilator associated pneumonia in adult ICU patients? Performing oral care (use of toothbrush)? Or the use of an antiseptic agent (chlorhexidine)? In the prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia, other theories that exist include the application of a ventilator bundle care. Ventilator bundle care stops bacterial translocation and aspiration to the lower respiratory tract in ICU adults undergoing mechanical ventilation (Broaddus et al., 2015). The common theme between application of oral care hygiene protocols and ventilator bundle care is that they both prevent or reduce the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU. Tooth brushing technique used in a patient undergoing mechanical ventilation three times a day has been shown to be operative in the prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia. In addition, the use of 0.12% solution chlorhexidine oral swab twice daily is assumed to have a significant change on the reduction of ventilator associated pneumonia. The oral care hygiene is critical

Logical and rational exchange Essay Example for Free

Logical and rational exchange Essay In the 1990’s police officers employed the â€Å"stop and frisk† technique (World Socialist Website) to apprehend possible and alleged street criminals or suspects. However, it is disconcerting that a new development has evolved. Police officers are now using unnecessary force on students, old people, children and almost any body. There are several incidents in 2007 where students were Tasered by police officers for very insignificant reasons. A student from UCLA was repeatedly stunned after having been caught studying in the library without his University ID. In Warren Ohio a University woman was harassed and Tasered by a police officer outside a bar without provocation. The stories go on and on. What is even more alarming is that these stories are increasingly becoming more common. This dysfunction in the United States today has ignited a fear among the public. Terrorism has a face and its face is of a police officer with a badge, a nightstick, mace and Taser (Roberts). The very people who promise to uphold the law are the very ones who abuse it. In many instances the public is fighting back. One such person is Larry Neill White who in 2007 shot and killed three police officers in his home in Odessa Texas (Johnson). The police officers responded to a domestic disturbance call and found themselves facing the barrel of White’s gun. Asked why he did not hesitate to shoot the police who were trying to apprehend him, his reply â€Å"You got these guys coming to your door, what would you do? (Johnson)† This is the most vicious attack on police officers of Odessa in 73 years. Sadly this event has been happening in other parts of the United States as well. In the first 10 months of 2007 at least 60 police officers have been shot and killed. Between the years of 2006 and 2007, there has been a 54% increase (Johnson) in recorded incidents of police officers’ killings. With criminality becoming more rampant, police officers are tasked to be more aggressive in apprehension. The public in response is becoming more mistrustful. The situation is steadily becoming more serious. The need to address this problem is becoming more urgent. Steps have been taken by the United States Government to address this problem. The Clinton Administration made the boldest effort to address the situation by increasing the training budget of law enforcement in ethics and integrity. An additional US$20 million budget (Amnesty International) was allotted to programs that would better equip police officers when interacting with their public. Michael Quinn, a 23-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department was interviewed by Lydia Howell in 2004 about his then newly released book, â€Å"Walking with the Devil: What Bad Cops Don’t Want You To Know and What Good Cops Won’t Tell You†, Mr. Quinn acknowledged that development of communication skills is of key importance in law enforcement. He said that acquiring proper communication skills is as vital as learning how to handle guns. It should be an integral part of law enforcement training. Many agree that the relationship between communication and nonviolence is fundamental (Martin). Furthermore, development of communication skills must be regarded with importance more so in police academies and rookie training. Young police officers who are not properly equipped in communication are more likely to commit misjudgments in the field. A great number of documented cases on police brutality and the use of unnecessary force involve racial and ethnic minorities. It is easy to assume that in these instances there is a huge break in communication. The Clinton Administration further addressed the issue by encouraging law enforcement agencies to increase their number of minorities’ employment. However experience would attest that even among people of the same racial background, communication may prove difficult, particularly in highly stressful situations. Arrests, â€Å"stop and frisk† situations, and even just the flagging down of vehicles by police officers in many cases are viewed as stressful events by the public. During this situations control is always with the police officers. They have the ability to dictate ensuing events. Therefore they need to be fully prepared to handle any eventuality. Most times, force and violence are not the answers to these situations. Most times, the logical and rational exchange of information is enough to achieve resolution of the matter at hand.

Essay --

Income inequality continues to increase in today’s world, especially in the United States. Income inequality means the unequal distribution between individuals’ assets, wealth, or income. In the Twilight of the Elites, Christopher Hayes, a liberal journalist, states the inequality gap between the rich and the poor are increasing widening, and there need to have things done - tax the rich, provide better education - in order to shortening the inequality gap. America is a meritocratic country, which means that everybody has equal opportunity to be successful regardless of their class privileges or wealth. However, equality of opportunity does not equal equality of outcomes. People are having more opportunities to find a better job, but their incomes are a lot less compared to the top ten percent rich people. In this way, the poor people will never climb up the ladder to high status and become millionaires. Therefore, the government needs to increase all the tax rates on rich people in order to reduce income inequality. 1. Tax Cuts Caused Income Inequality Income inequality is a big problem in the United States because the top, wealthiest American saw huge increases in their incomes, which the rest had their incomes go down. Bottom people do not have the same amount of money and the opportunity to move up the social ladder as the rich people do. In order to reduce income inequality, the government needs to tax the rich people more, and give poor people more money and more social services - education, food subsidies, health care. Tax cuts are only benefiting the richest people, and will widen the inequality gap between the rich and the poor. A recent report from the Congressional Research Service states, â€Å"as the top tax rates a... ...ot let this inequality gap continues to rise; therefore, the government needs to tax heavily onto the rich people, and redistribute their money to the poor. If income inequality continues to grow, the economy will break down. For example, if the housing price continues to rise because of the rich people, poor people will not have a place to live since they cannot afford to buy these expensive houses. When this happens, it will create another housing bubble because the houses are not worth buying, which means the market value of the house exceeds the house’s value; therefore, nobody will buy the house including the riches since they already have houses to live. Moreover, poor people do not believe they can get access to wealth because they cannot afford anything, and they cannot afford the tuition fees for a good education, which is the traditional route to success.

Benefits of Cost Accounting Information

Cost accounting offers benefits for manufacturing companies. A cost accounting information system offers benefits for many companies. Cost accounting is a type of accounting method concerned with the cost of goods manufactured and /or sold. Many factors are taken into consideration when cost accountants analyze business costs . The information determined by these accountants is used for inventory valuation , financial statements and decision making . Inventory Valuation Cost accounting offers the benefit of having an accurate inventory valuation of all inventories on hand . This includes all raw products used to make goods , all work-in -process inventories and all finished goods ready for sale. Cost accountants take all costs into consideration and are able to determine the value of all of these inventories on hand . This information is useful for financial statements and for management of the company . Managers use this information to determine selling goals and production needs . Maximum Efficiency Cost accounting is beneficial to determine the maximum efficiency production amounts . Cost accountants take all costs into consideration when calculating this amount . Manufacturing costs consist of direct labor , materials and manufacturing overhead. These costs are all calculated and added up to find a per- unit cost price for manufactured items. When the cost price is calculated, these accountants begin determining a hypothesis of production rates . Many times cost accountants determine that if production is increased slightly, overhead costs remain the same. If this is the case, increasing production actually results in a lower per -unit cost for production , and the end result is a higher profit . Decision Making The information determined by cost accountants is used for decision making for future company needs . Short -term goals and decisions are made as well as long-term strategic decisions. The analysis of cost information is used to compare projected costs to actual costs . This is useful for businesses when budgets are created . Often times, unforeseen costs occur with production , and they are determined in this way. Unforeseen costs are added into the future budgets at rates calculated by cost accountants . Cost accounting also helps companies establish approximate future cash flows . Short -term production goals and marketing decisions are set based on this information. Long -term production plans are also calculated.

How Are Mobile Phones Changing the Way People Maintain Relationships

CULTURAL AWARENESS How are mobile phones changing the way people maintain relationships? INTRODUCTION Mobile phones are increasingly taking a major role in the communication revolution and the use of the mobile phone is an immensely significant social and cultural phenomenon, hence over the years, the telephone has dramatically changed how people live their lives, see their world and communicate. As we read in Ferraro ( 2002: 29 ) â€Å"all cultures experience continual change†, however nowadays the process of a change is even more intensified, more dynamic and much quicker.A lot of that has to do with the development of mobile telephone technology. In referring to the drivers of change, we cannot forget about phenomenon of globalization which affects our modern lifestyle. In today’s world we live in a fast-pace, where maintaining relationships is made difficult by the fact we have less time for social bonding, and communication is often very limited. Here comes into im portance the technology of the mobile phone, as it gives the opportunity to talk to anyone, anywhere at any time.Since mobile phones have become an increasingly important tool in social interaction, the purpose of this research project is to gain insight into the mobile technology phenomenon and to understand better how it affects the way people maintain relationships by linking it to the theoretical background of social construction and selective perception. The report consists of four major sections. Firstly, theoretical background will be presented, followed up by the explanation of methodology used.Then the findings of the primary research will be presented, followed up by an overall analysis of information gathered. Finally, a conclusion will be given. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Before investigating the influence that mobile phones have had on the way the relationships are maintained, it is crucial to understand the connection between communication and culture. According to Hall (1 977) â€Å"Culture is communication and communication is culture†, from which we can deduce that the way we communicate expresses our culture.Therefore, any shift in the way we communicate has an influence on our culture, our perception , our behavior and the social construction. Let us take a look at the social construction. Why does this concept need to be mentioned? The answers is that we, as members of the society, are assembling ways of seeing things, while at the same time shaping our expectations and behavior. As culture is maintained by social construction, we learn culture every day. We learned to use mobile phones on a daily basis, letting them become inseparable part of our daily routine.Here another concept comes into importance, namely perception. Culture, and at the same time communication, performs an important role in how we perceive and understand reality. According to Gamble and Gamble (1996), (in Samovar et al, 2007: 128-130), we select, interpret and organ ize data in order to make sense of our world. And being exposed to similar experiences, culture creates similar meaning and behavior, which is called selective perception. It is truly incredible how fast mobile phones have caused a change in social construction and the way people perceive communication and social bonding.Sections below intend to explain how exactly mobile phones are changing the way people maintain relationships. METHODOLOGY In order to find out how the mobile technology is influencing the way the relationships are maintained in Britain , several methods were used to study the behavior of mobile phone users. Firstly, during a period of 4 weeks, in a variety of settings, using an observation, I observed the behavior of mobile phone users, by listening to their conversations and observing their approach to phone conversations, texting and using their mobile for various purposes.This was followed up by 2 individual and 2 focus group discussions. I found the in-depth in terviews and focus group discussions most appropriate for my research, as they gave a lot of qualitative information and let the people who were being interviewed express themselves and their opinions fully, which would not be the case if I decided to use questionnaires . FINDINGS As indicated before, for the research methods I have used an observation, two in-depth interviews and also two focus group discussions.During the period of observation I have noticed many different behaviors regarding mobile phone usage, however for the purpose of this report, only the ones which apply to the topic have been listed below: * On the bus: 10 out of 25 people were using their phone in some way * On the bus: 7 out of 25 people received or made a phone call within 45 min time frame * At the university: at least 1/3 of people gathered in a mutual area were talking or texting on their mobiles * In the cafe: All individuals sitting alone had a mobile phone either on the table or in usageIt can be a rgued that mobile phones are increasingly used by people, for they are new communication tools. Since mobile communication is an uprising issue, the above observations conducted me to bring forth questions for further investigation on how mobile phones are influencing the way people maintain relationships. The sample for the qualitative research method included 10 people [male and female] (for both interviews and focus group discussions). The answers were mostly collected from the age group 20-30 years old.All participants were believed to be in a peaceful state, important in concluding the honesty and quality of the answers given as they were unaffected by an unnatural sate of nervousness. To better understand how relationships are maintained in today’s society and to get a better view of the issue discussed, first the respondents were asked to describe how they communicate with their family and friends. Their instant response was via phone calls, text messages, facebook, sk ype, and instant messengers like WhatsApp .Only one person said that they maintain face to face contact with family. Since the respondents indicated mobile phones as means through which they often communicate with their contacts, this initiated a series of questions. Asked how the phones changed/are changing the way people maintain relationships, the respondents said that nowadays people maintain more contact, call more, send messages, and claim that it has made the communication very easy.However on the other hand the contact is possibly superficial as you may keep in touch with people you do not care for as much. A female respondent argued that â€Å"It has made people lazy in certain aspects, because all you have to do is pick up a phone and call someone instead of making an effort and meet that person. So it has made us lazy, but on the other hand it’s very efficient, especially if you have something to do, when you are in a rush. As for the time when people tend to call their contacts, many respondents indicated afternoon or evening, saying that they make phone calls or send texts when travelling (primarily walking or when on a bus), because that is when they have some free time between other activities. As one female respondent said â€Å" it’s all about time†. The majority of respondents argued that speaking on the phone influences the way we speak to one another and they also admitted they do it themselves. Primarily because when on the phone one can get interrupted easily, especially when multi-tasking.Also they argued that you usually make everything briefer on the phone, because when you talk you can be distracted by many things that are happening around you. In the case of new relationships, people tend to be more comfortable and open over the phone, especially considering text messages. Two female respondents said that it is easier to speak to another person differently if you do not really know her/him and also said that pho nes give means to hide certain things that you do not wish to reveal â€Å"because the other person cannot see my face so they do not know what I am feeling†.The change in non-verbal communication must also be mentioned here, as the majority of respondents admitted that they use their phone as an excuse to avoid speaking to someone. The statement of the male respondent confirmed that : â€Å"I have pretended I was on the phone when I did not want to talk to someone, you just want to pretend that you are doing something, it shuts you off, because it is not very socially acceptable to interrupt somebody who is having a conversation†.Furthermore, some respondents claimed they used their phone as a form of security and protection. One male respondent said : â€Å" My friend is always on the phone when she feels nervous†. A female respondent said that she feels safer knowing she can always call somebody to get help, or when in the bar waiting for some friends, she cl aimed she takes phone out to make people think she is busy, using phone as a bodyguard. Respondents were also asked to indicate positive and negative aspects of mobile phone usage in terms of aintaining relationships. As a positive they pointed out the fact that communication has become very efficient, easy, cheap, and also allows one to keep in touch more readily with family and friends, to arrange meetings and to develop new relationships. On the other hand respondents indicated that it has been made too easy, â€Å"because we do not even have to go out anymore to meet our friends†. They said the contact is not as real and might be taking away some value of a real friendship.As a male respondent said â€Å"You may have a long conversation over the phone with someone, then you meet up in real life and it is like you do not really know each other, you can find awkwardness sometimes. † Ultimately, the respondents mutually agreed on the statement that mobile phones help maintain relationships. As a female respondent said â€Å"it’s a constant reminder that you are thinking of someone and they are thinking of you, and that you want to stay in their lives, and that is maintaining relationships†.At the end the respondents were asked to express their view on how the social interaction looked like before the mobile phones became so popular. They said that people were sending more letters and cards, than nowadays. Also people used to interact with each other more, however they would meet with less people, only close family and friends that lived nearby. Now, as they confirmed, it is possible to keep in touch with friends that are on the other side of the world, because you are constantly available on the mobile. ANALYSIS OF FINDINGSThe importance of this research is that it explains behavior noticed during the observation and analyses the information gathered during the individual interviews and the focus group discussions . After investiga ting the subject area, I have found that mobile phones are influencing change of some of the underlying cultural values in Britain, for instance, bonds within close social circles, the meaning of time and communication patterns, which then influences the way people see their reality and perceive certain things and behaviors.As culture is maintained by social construction, we learn culture every day. We learned to use mobile phones on a daily basis, letting them become inseparable part of our daily routine, which created patterns and made them become something which we perceive as normal. Nowadays, we claim mobiles necessary to socialize, they became a tool for developing new contacts, maintaining a friendship network and arranging meetings. In the last 10-15 years we have been exposed to similar experiences of communication. Mobile phone communication has become as natural as going to the shop and buying bread each morning.Our behavior has been shaped by the regular use of mobile ph one, so that many people nowadays cannot imagine to spend a day without it, they even claim they would feel lost without it (Fox, 2001). As we read in â€Å"Towards a sociology of the mobile phone†( McGuigan, 2005), we perceive the mobile phone as an extension to the body, sometimes even feel naked without it. We tend to keep our phones nearby, in our pocket, in our hand, making us always contactable and available, for someone from our social network.We feel like there is always something to be said and when we get the message we tend to write or call back as soon as possible We did not even noticed that we are increasingly dependent on the mobile phone technology in terms of social interaction. Mobile phones, as proven by this research project and many others, have gained protection and security status. We increasingly depend on our phones in situations of distress, they give us reassurance and sensation of being secure, for instance walking late at night.Why do we feel secu re? Well, we can always call somebody, let them know where we are, gain a feeling of unreliable reassurance, as the person you have contacted may be miles away, not really being able to help us in certain situation. On the other hand, phones are used for protection in the situation when we want to avoid contact with someone, for instance in a bar or in a coffee shop. When one does not wish to be approached, it is enough to put a phone on the table and look it up from time to time.With the British â€Å"obsession† about privacy, it would be simply considered rude and socially unacceptable to interrupt someone who is busy. That lead me to consider one of the Hall’s dimensions (Hall, 1976). It may be that communication in Britain is becoming more high-context oriented. Mobiles can not only be used as mean of protection, but perhaps also as a barrier. When we do not want to talk to someone we know on the bus, it is enough to pretend we are busy with our mobile. We may ackn owledge the other person’s presence but we would immediately go back to looking at the phone.The message is clear to both sides – â€Å"I do not really want to talk right now†. Also , another example of high context approach is: when a person is not responding to our messages or phone calls, it may mean that he or she does not wish to speak to us, on the other hand, subtle signal, known as â€Å"giving the buzz†often means â€Å"I am thinking of you†. As we can see there are many examples of high-context communication within mobile phone influence on the way people maintain relationships, however it does not necessarily mean all communication in Britain is becoming high-context.Another change in terms of social construction is that via technology we are now able to keep in touch with more people than before, it is deemed normal to have a large net of social connections. Why is that? Perhaps, the distance seems shorter, because another person is jus t a phone call away. Before, we used to have more face-to- face interactions, but they were restricted to the close circle of friends and family that lived in the same geographic area. Therefore we maintain more contact, but it is possible it has become much more superficial.Considering the lack of openness in social interaction, mobile phones seem to facilitate interpersonal contacts and act like an ice-breaker. It is easy to send a message and it is nice to receive one in return, but the issue to consider is whether we can really count on that person. Mobile phones therefore might be depriving values of real friendship and in fact people may feel very alone, even though they have 300 contacts in their mobile device. There has been a behavioral shift in terms of social construction, for as a society, we have become more lazy and comfortable.As the other person is reachable on their mobile at all times, we have adapted the pattern of calling and not necessarily meeting with friends and family, which can sometimes be dangerous, because it deprives us of developing social skills. It has also been proven that we speak to each other differently on the phone than when talking face to face. Considering there is no visible contact, we cannot see expressions on our interlocutor’s face and his/her body language. People may be making faces and rolling their eyes and we would not know!Also if we do not want to say something, we can easily avoid doing that, because since there are no facial expressions, the interlocutor would not notice the difference. And nowadays, especially with text messages, you can almost pretend to be someone you are not! Speaking on the phone or texting gives some people the confidence they do not have in face-to-face interactions, especially in the reserved British culture. How did the use of the mobile change the way we perceive communication? We communicate when we have free time, as the respondents said, we are using â€Å"time in betw een†, when we are walking, when on the bus.Is it not all about time nowadays? As time is limited, which suggest monochromic orientation (Hall, 1983:42), and with the lack of time we have these days , we use every free moment we have to get in touch with people. But since these conversations are being conducted when we are on the go, it may deprive of the focus and dedication we would give this other person if we were talking to him/her face-to-face. Also, in terms of contact, we have a chance to keep in touch more often, but it is more about exchanging information than having real in-depth conversation with another person.People tend to divide time into little blocks in order to use it as efficiently as possible, tending to multi-task and combine many activities at a time. For instance, talking on the phone, checking emails, responding to messages, on the way to/from work, school, walking, sipping coffee – which again suggests a slight shift towards polychronic orientat ion. Time is considered limited, however nowadays we are trying to make the most of it, some would wish to even â€Å"save it† via multi-tasking.To conclude this section, we communicate more easily, more efficiently and more cheaply, but also we have created some needs and new obligations. Specialists claim that we are becoming addicted to technology, but the answer may be different. We are not as much addicted to technology, as to communicating with people. We are addicted to interacting with our social circle, and mobile phones facilitate the process of communication. CONCLUSION In conclusion, there is no doubt that the spread of mobile communication is affecting our lives and the way we maintain relationships.Since technologically advanced information systems tend to encourage and facilitate communication and at the same time cultural interaction, it is understandable that they play an important part in influencing the way the communication is conducted and change the way people are perceiving certain situations, at the same time creating new ways of seeing reality and different behavior patterns. In the modern world we live in, the patterns of communication in Britain are rapidly changing. Mobile phones are increasingly used to help us establish, develop and maintain relationships.We see it as means to help us to bond and interact with our colleagues, friends and family. We perceive this new technology as a new approach to build social networks, and as a tool that makes our busy life easier. Word count: 3220 REFERENCES * FERRARO, G. P. (2002). The cultural dimension of international business 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, pp. 29 * FOX, K. (2001) Evolution, alienation and gossip: the role of mobile telecommunications in the 21st century. Social Issues Research Centre. Available from http://www. sirc. org/publik/gossip. shtml [Accessed on 15/11/2011 ] * GAMBLE, T.K. , GAMBLE,M. (1996). Communication works 5th ed. New York:McGra w-Hill, pp. 77 * HALL, E. T. (1977) Beyond culture. Garden City, NY: Anchor Doubleday, pp. 14 * HALL, E. T. (1983) The Dance of Life: Other Dimensions of Time. New York: Anchor Press/Doubleday, pp. 42 * McGUIGAN, J. (2005) Towards a sociology of the mobile phone. An Interdisciplinary Journal on Humans in ICT Environments. Vol. 1 , pp. 45-57. Available from : www. humantechnology. jyu. fi [Accessed on 17/11/2011] * SAMOVAR, L. A. , et al (2007). Communication between cultures 6th ed. Belmont, Calif: Thomson/Wadsworth, pp. 128-130

Canada versus China economic system

Canada versus China economic system Introduction Canada and China each have their own unique traits when it comes to their economic systems since each country’s system was a product of their history and their needs in the past.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Canada versus China economic system specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Comparison Both countries are considered well to do nations. Canada belongs to the top ten wealthiest nations while China is one of the top three largest economies of the world (Barboza, 21). Furthermore, both these nations cannot be classified as either communist or capitalist system as they contain different elements. Canada is classified as a mixed market economy while China’s economy has been called many things including market socialism and state capitalism. Economic freedom in Canada differs substantially from that of China. The latter country has been identified as one of the most preferable when it comes to economic freedom as government interference is kept at a minimum and start up procedures are some of the easiest and most convenient in the world. Business costs in the G7 have been described as some of the lowest in Canada. Foreigners only need about three days to start up a business and may only have to go through a two step procedure when doing so. Even the issue of corporate governance is given a lot of precedence in this nation. On the other hand, while China may be having a high number of multinationals located in the country, it still has a long way to go in terms of economic freedom. Government corruption still prevents it from reaching its potential. Furthermore, the banking system in China is yet to be redefined in order to make it more feasible towards the creation of some of these other systems. Additionally, corporate governance is a serious issue in China because the rule of law is not as solid as it ought to be (Starr, 54). Both countries were affected by the global f inancial crisis that started in 2007. It can be argued that this was because they both depend on the largest economy of the world (the United States) for trade. However, it should be noted that the extent to which each country was affected differed. Canada is more dependent on the United States than China is. In fact, in 2008, about 280.8 billion US dollars worth of imports were from the US yet its total imports amount to 442.9 billion US dollars (Statistics Canada, 48).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is the reason why its trade deficit transformed from a surplus of 46.9 billion in 2008 to a deficit of about 4.8 billion Canadian dollars in 2009. Things have worsened in the subsequent years since it is predicted that their debt will amount to 49.2 billion Canadian dollars. The country has been trying to gain autonomy from its neighbor the United States but thi s has been rather difficult owing to years of codependency. China was also affected by the global crisis because of its inclination towards exports. However, because its biggest trading partners exclude the US which was the most affected by the global crisis, then China has not felt these effects as much as their neighbors. It has still had to roll out a stimulus plan to get back on track. Canada’s economy, much like most developed nations is service based. Financial institutions and other similar organizations drive this economy hence explaining why it was highly affected by the global recession. However, the latter country differs from other developed nations because it uses conservative lending practices. It has been shown that Canada will possibly be one of the strongest countries to rebound out of such a crisis because of those policies. However, agriculture and the industrial sectors surprisingly account for a huge portion of this country’s earnings. This is part ly because Canada is endowed with a number of resources in mining as well as in agriculture. On the other hand, China is one of those countries that depend on the industrial sector rather than the service based sector for growth. The injection of government investment into this country caused the heavy industrial sector to soar over the past three decades. However, the light industries are also forces to reckon with since the private sector, which was promoted by the Chinese government, has continued to cause increments in output in the latter country. In terms of the type of economic system, Canada is a mixed system that is more inclined towards a market economy. Its population is basically very affluent and their living standards can be compared to those of the United States. Furthermore, it has a very skilled labor force and therefore this gives an advantage over and above other nations. Although the economy of Canada has been steadily increasing over the past four decades, these rates can in no way be compared to growth rates of China. The country boasts of having the highest economic growth rates in the world since it has managed to sustain a rate of ten percent for over thirty years.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Canada versus China economic system specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is the reason why the country got to be one of the largest trading nations of the world. Rapid growth rates were achieved through government initiated reforms that started in the late nineteen seventies. Those interventions caused increased investment in the country and thus had a net effect on the consumption patterns or the standard of living within it (Alon McIntyre, 15). It should be noted that China differs from Canada in terms of its export dependence. China heavily depended on the presence of multinationals within its borders for growth much like other Asian tigers like Malaysia and Singapore. Th e Chinese economy which can be interpreted as state capitalism or market socialism was a serious product of interventions by its government. Currently, the government has been trying to open up its respective internal markets so as to increase its prospects but this is yet to fully produce an outcome. In fact, it may be said that China is still within the transition phase because it is now departing from government led reforms to market led reforms hence explaining why categorization of its economic system is a little tricky. The poverty situation in both countries differs substantially. Canada’s populace mostly consists of affluent individuals with unemployment levels reaching ten percent in 2009 (Sturgeon, 14). These people may be unemployed but most of them enjoy very strong social services and health care systems from the Canadian government so they are able to live comfortably. On the other hand, China has the same percent of people living and depending on less than one dollar a day. In fact the income disparity between the rural and urban population within this country is a cause for concern. This illustrates the one sided nature of the government interventions that were enacted by the Chinese government as it was trying to promote growth within its borders. China is currently in a position where it’s infrastructural and energy demands supersede its ability to supply them. The country’s big population is what is causing these problems because when a net analysis of the requirements to transport resources and to create products through the use of local energy supply is made, then China easily falls short. On the other hand, Canada has very solid infrastructures and is often seen as one of the most self sufficient in terms of its energy supplies. Conclusion Canada is an affluent nation while Chin is still grappling with income disparities between the rich and the poor. On the other hand, economic growth rates in China cannot rival thos e ones prevalent in Canada as they are very high. The business environment in China is more stable than that in Canada.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sturgeon, Jamie. Jobless rates to peak at 10 percent. National post, 13th March 2009, 14. Statistics Canada. Imports, exports and trade balance of payment. 16 November 2010. Web. Alon, Ilan McIntyre, John. The globalization of Chinese enterprises. NY: Palgrave, 2009. Starr, John. Understanding China: economic, political historic culture of China. Beijing: Hill and Wang, 2008. Barboza, David. China passes Japan as second largest economy. New York Times, 16 August 2010, 21.

My Thoughts on Pygmalion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Thoughts on Pygmalion - Essay Example In order to come to a proper personal conclusion on Shaw's Pygmalion, one must critically evaluate not only the seen plot and sequence of events in this play, but as well how the actual play was written, and in what context it was expected to be presented in. Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion is a play in which there are many different issues that take place, however most of them are actually incredibly subtle, and so they are often missed by some who view it. The main issue of the play however is one which is certainly not subtle, and that is in regards to the relationship that grows and becomes more imminent between Higgins and Doolittle; we see Higgins at the beginning as being a rather arrogant and cocky man, as he makes a bet regarding someone that did not even know they were involved; as well, we see that although at first Doolittle obviously does not purposely want to be interested in him, she does end up having feelings for him but then goes contrast to that and declares that she is going to marry someone else. Despite the intense central relationship that takes place between Higgins and Doolittle, the play ends up with her leaving t

The Past and Future of Energy Usage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Past and Future of Energy Usage - Essay Example Two works that have recently been published that attempt to replace this rhetorical sideshow with legitimate information is Vaclav Smil's Energy at the Crossroads and Alfred Crosby's Children of the Sun. Crosby's work offers a natural history of energy consumption from the development of fire and cooking all the way to third millennial technological possibilities such as the holy grail of nuclear fusion. Smil's presents a more detailed analysis of the economic and energy situation of the past century focusing specifically on the statistical utilization of hydrocarbon technologies in various countries. Their respective accounts and arguments give a good overall picture of the natural evolutionary, economic and environmental impact of the past, present and long-term future of energy. The primary thrust of Crosby's argument is that the story of technology in tandem with humanity has always been about finding novel ways of exploiting the same source of energy: the Sun. As humanity has expanded and become more socially and culturally sophisticated technology has responded by finding consistently more efficient ways to harness the sun's powers, indirectly through wood and biomass and in more recent times, directly through wind and solar power utilization. However, unlike other analyses Crosby places humanity within nature versus against nature, and thus his work is a "natural history" of energy consumption rather than a litany of environmental offenses we have committed against nature. Of course, Crosby is sympathetic to the Malthusian end game at stake. He reveals through historical examples that every crossroads or crisis point, humanity has found a way to transform technologically the way in which we utilize energy to avoid the collapse of civilization. One speci fic example of this was the dependence on whale oil in the 18th century. "Humanity's yearnings for the convenience of light at night, though implemented through a primitive technology, were endangering a whole species of Cetacea."1 The two options to resolving this yearning included conservation, unthinkable by all except for the most progressive of individuals, or finding a substitute, which turned out to be kerosene and "the history of human exploitation of sun energy took another violent turn."2 The situation is much the same, today's whale oil is petroleum, with two "minor" complications here in the 21st century 1) the global political and economic dynamic have interposed agendas on technological transformation, and 2) hesitancy in adopting conservationist practices has placed a significant stress on the planets resources locally and globally. The question of Oil is more than just a question of natural history; it has become the bellwether issue of our time. Many would assert that the current situation in the Middle East is directly related to this question, and the political catchphrase of the decade has been "reducing our dependence on foreign oil." Smil's statistical analysis of oil usage is thorough and he means to tackle the popular debate regarding the "Peak Oil" theory. Peak Oil offers that at some point in the near past or near future3 maximum oil production will be reached followed by terminal decline. The consequences of failing to find a viable alternative energy form or