Monday, September 30, 2019

Patchwork 3 †Analysis and Comparison of Both Pre-Existing

The Musee du Louvre and its Pyramid, and St Paul’s Cathedral with the nearby 30 St Mary Axe were the chosen topics by both members of our group. All of these buildings are iconic building within their cities, and all were designed and built with vastly different contexts and purposes in mind. In this essay we will compare and contrast the different buildings in a manner that will help us understand the juxtaposition of old and new buildings.We will also investigate what made the contemporary buildings in question switch status from controversial to widely accepted as unique and brilliant pieces of architecture. After considering the different context(s) and style(s) of the building we will present our informed personal opinions based upon our research, to reach a conclusion in accordance with the research question. Before we undertake an analysis we will quickly summarise what has been aforementioned in Patchworks 1 & 2. The two buildings that one of the members of the group r esearched were the Musee du Louvre and the Pyramide du Louvre.The Musee as it stands now, was designed by Pierre Lescot for the King of France (at the time Francis I), however the designed and context of the building was radical and completely out of context with the western European style of its time (THOMPSON, Renaissance Paris: Architecture & Growth 1475-1600, p183). The style of architecture that the Louvre is of Renaissance origin, the architect; Pierre Lescot was said to have never visited Italy, and studied Italian Renaissance architecture only from third parties.Meaning his point of reference was only that of textbooks, sketches and other architects (HANSER, Architecture of France, 2006, p116). However this does not mean he didn’t manage to create a Renaissance style building, the design and style of the Louvre is typical of the Renaissance, with the over-ornamentation and relief, and not plain surfaces. These are examples of typical French Renaissance over-decoration (MOORE, Character of Renaissance Architecture, 1905, p200). In patchwork 2 the focus was on the Pyramide du Louvre (a. k. a.The Louvre Pyramid), the design of which was done by I M Pei (as part of a commission by the president Francois Mitterrand). The need for a reception/ welcome area for the museum was urgent, but space was scarce. Pei constructed an idea to go underground, topped with a pyramid made of glass and steel. A somewhat radical idea when considering a high-tech architectural construction would be positioned next to the Renaissance era architecture of the Louvre Museum (PIMLOTT, Without and Within: Essays on Territory and the Interior, 2007, p255; HEYER.American Architecture: Ideas and Ideologies in the Late Twentieth Century, 1993, p275-278). Of course placing a pyramid (being a symbol of burial, and of an entirely different culture) in front of The Louvre did not go too smoothly with the public, and many criticised both Pei and Mitterrand’s intentions. However the pyramid was not a direct connotation to Ancient Egypt, but rather a fresh approach to a classical design.Mitterrand was also criticised for blocking the view of the historical buildings by putting the pyramid in the middle of the courtyard, but due to its semi-transparent nature the pyramid juxtaposes The Louvre perfectly with the contrast of transparency and opaqueness (RUSTOW, ‘Transparent Contradictions’: Pei’s Pyramid at The Louvre, 2006, p6). The two buildings that the other member of the group researched were St Paul’s Cathedral designed by Christopher Wren, (construction finished in 1677), and 30 St Mary’s Axe designed by Norman Foster and partners, (construction finished in 2003).Both these buildings were built to replace previously destroyed buildings. St Paul’s was built to replace old St Paul’s which was one of the biggest buildings in Europe at the time. Most of the building was destroyed by the Great Fire of London an d in 1668 a Royal Warrant was issued for the complete demolition of old St Paul’s (GERAGHTY bbc. co. uk). Also in the time period between 1540 and 1650 the population grew by five or six fold. (ALLISON – Architects and architecture of London page 48) Ken ALLINSON notes, â€Å"it is against this background that Wren set about creating St Pauls cathedral†.Wren chose white Portland stone which had been used to great success by architects before him, one example being Nicholas HAWKSMOOR’s St Mary’s Church (GLANCY- The story of architecture page 84-85). 30 St Mary Axe was designed by Norman Foster and Partners and AUP Engineers and was built for the insurance company Swiss RE. Swiss Re had been working out of a number of buildings in London and the company was looking to build one building that would replace all previous buildings to help unify the company.The purpose of this focusing on one building was â€Å"getting people to interact, exchange ideaà ¢â‚¬â„¢s, become a creative community† in the words of John COOMBER the then CEO of Swiss Re when they planned to build 30 St Mary Axe. Many locations were considered for the building but in 1992 a bomb with 100lbs of Semtex destroyed the Baltic Exchange (POWELL, 30 St Mary Axe A tower for London, 2006, page 14). This presented the ideal location for 30 St Mary Axe to be built. The initial plans for 30 St Mary Axe were for a much bigger building than the one finally constructed.To gain planning permission Norman Foster and partners had to scale down the design. The design was described by London advisory committee as being â€Å"unduly dominant and assertive by reason of its height, form, bulk, massing and relationship to nearby high buildings†. (POWELL, 30 St Mary Axe A tower for London, 2006, page 19) One comparison to be made between St Paul’s Cathedral and the 30 St Mary Axe, and The Louvre and its Pyramid; is that of context at the time of design and constru ction. The London buildings were both designed and created within the context of their era.St Paul’s was designed at the start of an English-Baroque movement (similar to that of other European movements, but much more conservative). (WHINNEY, Wren, 1971, p81; GLANCY, The Story of Architecture, 2000, p84), It follows very baroque traits, which would have appeared on other buildings built before it. The Cathedral was built in the context of its surroundings. The same could also be said about the 30 St Mary Axe. It was built in a very modern era where the style of high tech/modern architecture is very common. Therefore relating to the quote at hand, we believe that the London buildings are rooted in the context of their surroundings.On the other hand, this conclusion cannot be said for The Louvre, and especially not for The Pyramid. The Musee du Louvre, (at the time, Palais du Louvre) was built as a one of a kind building, it did not follow a style that was already prominent in Paris, or indeed most parts of France at time of design and construction. We did agree that following completion; The Louvre did fit the style more closely when the renaissance and baroque movement swept through France, therefore more buildings of a similar style/context appeared.Thus creating relevance to the Louvre’s style. As for the Pyramid, although it is an interesting juxtaposition with the older style Louvre; its context is not rooted with The Louvre. Had it been constructed near l’Arche de la Defense, in the more industrial part of Paris, then yes it would have context within it’s surrounding(s). This is probably the reason that it caused so much controversy upon completion, and seen as such an out of place building.Another comparison that we made is that the London buildings were used to replace buildings that had been pre-existent and consequently destroyed (Old St Paul’s by the Great Fire of 1666, and The Baltic Exchange by an IRA terrorist at tack). This means that the context of which the new buildings are built upon is relevant to their purpose now. Old St Paul’s and the previous buildings before it had always been that of a religious context: Roman temple, Saxon church and a Norman church (ALLINSON, Architects and Architecture of London, 2006, p49).The Baltic Exchange being the predecessor of the St Mary Axe means that the financial context of the building has remained, being in the heart of London’s financial district brings this truth home, along with the unison of all five ‘Swiss Re’ buildings into one, again follows the financial context of the building (Swiss Re is a major insurance company). The difference between them and The Louvre and The Pyramid is that both Louvre and Pyramid were built for purpose and not to replace older buildings.The Louvre, originally a fortress-turned-palace was stripped of its living necessities and turned into a museum, no building was required. The Pyramid was designed and built because of a lack of reception and link to all wings of the museum. Both are original builds and as a result have created their own context within their surroundings as opposed to relying on the context of its surroundings to determine the style. To conclude, as a group we believe that the context of a building is not simply rooted in the setting, and building can determine the context of a setting just as much as a setting can determine the context of a building.We were given two examples, one in London where the setting has driven the context, and the other in Paris where a new style had changed the context. So to relate to the original quote by Dalibor Vesely, the relationship between buildings and intervening spaces is formal, but where the context is rooted is a chicken-or-egg question; one will govern the other, but this is likely to change based of multiple factors including location and the purpose of the building. [Word count with references: 1619] W ord count without references: 1512] Bibliography †¢Renaissance Paris: Architecture and Growth 1475-1600, David THOMPSON, University of California Press, Los Angeles 1984 Extract paraphrased, page 183 †¢Architecture of France, David A. HANSER, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006 Extract paraphrased, page 116 †¢Character of Renaissance Architecture, Charles Herbert Moore, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1905 Extract paraphrased, page 200 †¢Without and Within: Essays on Territory and the Interior, Mark PIMLOTT, 2007, Episode Publishers.Extract paraphrased, page 255 †¢American Architecture: Ideas and Ideologies in the Late Twentieth Century, Paul HEYER, 1993, John Wiley and Sons. Extract paraphrased, page 275 – 278 †¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœTransparent Contradictions’: Pei’s Pyramid at The Louvre, Stephen L. RUSTOW, 2006 Paper given at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Architectural Historians Extract paraphrased, page 6 †¢30 St Mary Axe A tower f or London: Kenneth POWELL, published by Merrell 2006 Page 13 – 15 †¢2000+ London: Sam LUBELL, published by Maconcelli press 2008Page 164 -165 †¢Article published by Dr Anthony GERAGHTY 17-02-2011 http://www. bbc. co. uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/gallery_st_pauls_01. shtml(Referenced on the 19-11-2011) †¢Margret WHINNEY: Wren, Published by Hudson 1971 Page 81 – 84 †¢Christian NORBERG-SCHULZ: Baroque Architecture, published by Electra architecture, 2000 Page 194 – 195 †¢Jonathan GLANCY: The Story of Architecture, published by DK, 2000 Page 84 – 85 †¢Ken ALLINSON – Architects and Architecture of London, published by Architectural Press, 2008

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Homosexuality in School Essay

Of the many emotions a gay man or woman feel, perhaps the most powerful pervasive is fear. The fear of being found out ir real enough, but the worry does not end there. There are the fears of being bullied by your peers, being make fun of and even been killed. For a lesbian and gay teenager, who lack experience and life skills to cope with them, such fears can be overwhelming. Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth face many problems as they realize they are homosexual. And they have to face all this problems at school where many teenagers are judgmental. Many of these teens cant handle the bullying and abused so they turned to homeschooling, running away from home and even suicide. It is unacceptable for young gay men and lesbians to experience levels of prejudice and discrimination that mar their developing years and their school experiences. They, just as much as anyone, should be able to look back warmly on their school days, without rembering bully, name calling, and exclusion. It is common for young people to use words associated with homosexuality as insults or, more generally, as negative adjectives. The prejudice can cause great distress for gay or lesbian pupils, who, gradually becoming aware of their sexuality, come to realize that they are a member of a despised group. This can affect self-stem badly and be a very upsetting time. As they grow older, gay pupils are faced with they very difficult decision of whether to come out and be openly gay at school, or whether to try to hide their sexual identity form their peers. Many homosexual teenager don’t know how to deal with this problems, so they often recurred to drugs in search for some outlet. Many start developing mental problems like depression and anxiety. Because fo the prejudice and the bullying in school that homosexual teens received they don’t get help, they don’t want to tell their teachers as they are afraid they will judge them. By not getting help many of them feel they don’t have another option than ending their life. According to pflagphoenix.org over 30% of all reported teen suicides each year are committed by gay and lesbian youth. Various sexual health issues, specifically HIV, for young gay men are disproportionally affect the lack of information there. They need to receive the information that eill enable them to identify risks, and to take action to protect themselves before they reach an age when they will become sexually active. An education system that falls in this regard is one that puts live at risk. Schools do not always do enough to address these problems, and in some cases, can even add to them. All too often, even if sexual health education does exist, it doesn’t even mention gay people. According to statistics by yotuhprideri.org a website made to inform about the problems that young homosexual faced. According to them 84% of homosexual students report being verbally harassed (name calling, threats, etc.) because of their sexual orientation. And 80% of gay and bisexual youth report severe problems with cognitive, social or emotional isolation. What is needed to help improve their situation? The school system exists to educate and prepare young people for place in adult society. If foes not provide gay pupils with the information they need to have safe sexual relationship, and allows other pupils to leave school with prejudice and a lack of understanding of gay issues, then the school system has failed some education providers have taken s steps to ensure young people receive sexual health education that contains a component for gay pupils. There are also an increasing number of schools that have specific policies for tackling homophobic bullying and discrimination. In such an environment, gay and lesbian teachers are more able to come out to students and staff, acting as vital role models for young people There are still problem for homosexual students in school, but we have to look at the things that are changing. For example media is becoming more aware and open to the problem and represented homosexuality in teenagers as a good thing. In many of the big cities they are being more opened to homosexuality, many school are even bringing more information about sexuality. More school are hiring homosexual teachers to show there more open minded state. These are small steps to achieve more freedom for homosexual teenagers in school and in society, but still remember that they are many who are suffering and we can not stop until this problem is ended.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Analysis of the diaper market

Analysis of the diaper market Baby diaper market has been growing at a nominal rate for some time now. Declining birth rates in the developed world has adversely affected the diaper manufacturers’ ability to expand their businesses. As per data provided by Euromonitor International, birth rates among the developed nations have declined by almost 20% during the last 30 years and are now only half the global average. The global market for diapers was worth $22.2 billion, a 2.9% increase YOY. However, the major markets of Western Europe, the U.S. and Japan posted nominal decline. As a result, companies like Procter & Gamble and Kimberly Clark are relying more on innovation to their rescue. This has also been a major contributor of success for P&G in the past few years. The new found focus is the developing country markets, from which 40% of global diaper revenue is derived. Markets such as China and Russia are providing brands with excellent opportunities for longer term growth. It is also worthwhile to noti ce the trend in the developed markets towards greener products as shown in the chart below Diaper Market in Developing Country There is huge growth potential for these products in emerging markets such as China, Brazil and India, as these markets are still quite underdeveloped and new. For example, China is world’s most rapidly developing nation. While it has taken developed Western economies some time to realise the environmental price of their development this is not the case for today’s emerging nations. In this case even the global recession will enable China to have more time to better make arrangements for considering more sustainable and greener options for its growth. Middle-class consumers are at the forefront of environmental awareness as the environmental consequences of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation in countries such as China and India are becoming increasingly apparent Also in countries such as India, the Philippines and Malaysia, levels of cons umer awareness regarding hygiene products are very still very low. Indian Diaper Market In 2009, manufacturers have been now more focused on more categories such as disposable nappies/diapers. With the increasing buying power of Indian consumers, companies are looking for options which are more convenient and safe to use for the children. Increase in awareness about hygiene is a big factor for thus development. Some of the major development last year is as follows: Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Ltd introduced Pampers Magic Nickers Kimberly-Clark Lever Ltd introduced Huggies New Born, a product specifically targeting the mothers of new born babies. With increasing awareness regarding the advantages of using the use of disposable nappies/diapers over cloth substitutes, Indian parents are now spending more on purchasing such products which in turn led to an increase in sales value for the manufacturers. Convenience has been one of the driving factors in this change. Even in ti er 2 towns and cities, parents are willing to spend money on disposable nappies/diapers to use when the baby is taken out of the home, for added convenience. Also as babies get older, some young mothers look to go back to work. This encouraged the use of nappies/diapers, as they are more convenient, and they do not need to spend time washing cloth nappies. Also, as babies become more active, and nappies are a more comfortable and hygienic alternative to cloth nappies. However currently the majority of the sales is restricted to customers in urban India. So the penetration rate of disposable nappies/diapers has been increasing, as more young parents are finding it convenient to switch from cloth nappies to disposable nappies.

Friday, September 27, 2019

My vacation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My vacation - Essay Example The two lakes that we saw there were beautiful. The crystal clear water of those lakes and the wildlife sites were eye catching. The beauty of that place is unforgettable. A closer look to the trout that had enough meat attracted us towards them. Fishing was much like a hobby for me and having such a wonderful place around was an additional benefit to make it more exciting. I enjoyed fishing there but it is a fact that my father was always a better fisherman and always defeated me by catching a bigger fish. After getting done with fishing, we started moving between the mountains. The voice of the trees, as the wind blows, grabs the attention of every person. We started climbing a mountain and got to see many birds there. The sweet voice of those birds and the beauty of them is something to stay in the memories for a long time. I always had a fantasy of enjoying a camping trip which also came true during these vacations. We played, sang, cooked and enjoyed every single moment of that

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Government and nonprofit accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Government and nonprofit accounting - Essay Example The criteria should be used to determine the extent to which a transferor government either retains or relinquishes control over the receivables or future revenues through its continuing involvement with those receivables or future revenues. This Statement establishes that a transaction will be reported as a collateralized borrowing unless the criteria indicating that a sale has taken place are met. If it is determined that a transaction involving receivables should be reported as a sale, the difference between the carrying value of the receivables and the proceeds should be recognized in the period of the sale in the change statements. If it is determined that a transaction involving future revenues should be reported as a sale, the revenue should be deferred and amortized, except when specific criteria are met. This Statement also provides additional guidance for sales of receivables and future revenues within the same financial reporting entity (Government Accounting Standards Boa rd, 2006). This Statement includes a provision that stipulates that governments should not revalue assets that are transferred between financial reporting entity components.

Al-Khwarizmi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Al-Khwarizmi - Essay Example The early Arab mathematician and astronomer al-Khwarizmi has been considered by some to be the founder of algebra, a branch of mathematics dealing with equations containing unknown quantities and variables. While this has been disputed, it is certain that his publications on the subject were among the earliest available to the Arab world, and were highly influential among later audiences. (Sen, 2) One of the most well-known early Arab scientists, he wrote his famous treatise, "The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing," by the year 830. Later, this work had a great impact on Western mathematics and science; Latin translations of his work were quite important to scholars and businesspeople during the Middle Ages. Al-Khwarizmi is also known for bringing the Hindu system of fixed numerals to international attention. He wrote an Arab-language text that explained Hindu methods of calculation, which depended upon written numerals rather than the more primitive counting techniques that were widely used at the time. The 'publication' of the book of al-Khwarizmi at the beginning of the ninth century-between 813 and 833 -is an outstanding event in the history of mathematics. For the first time, one could see the term algebra appearing in a title to designate a distinct mathematical discipline, equipped with a proper technical vocabulary. Muhammad ibn Miss al-Khwarizmi, mathematician, astronomer and distinguished member of the 'House of Wisdom' of Baghdad, had compiled, he wrote, 'a book on algebra and al-muqbala, a concise book recording that which is subtle and important in calculation' (Gandz, 263-277). The event was crucial, and was recognized as such by both ancient and modern historians. Its importance did not escape the mathematical community of the epoch, nor that of the following centuries. This book of al-Khwarizmi did not cease being a source of inspiration and the subject of commentaries by mathematicians, not only in Arabic and Persian, but also in Latin and in the languages of Wester n Europe until the eighteenth century. But the event appeared paradoxical: to the novelty of the conception, of the vocabulary and of the organization of the book of al-Khwarizmi was contrasted the simplicity of the mathematical techniques described, if one compares them with the techniques in the celebrated mathematical compositions, of Euclid or Diophantus, for example. But this technical simplicity stems precisely from the new mathematical conception of al-Khwarizmi. Whilst one of the elements of his project was found twenty-five centuries before him with the Babylonians, another in the Elements of Euclid, a third in the Arithmetica of Diophantus, no earlier writer had recompiled these elements, and in this manner. But which are these elements, and what is this organization The goal of al-Khwarizmi is clear, never conceived of before: to elaborate a theory of equations solvable through radicals, which can be applied to whatever arithmetical and geometrical problems, and which can help in calculation, commercial transactions, inheritance, the surveying of land etc. Al-Khwarizmi begins by defining the basic terms of this theory which, because of the requirement of resolution by radicals and because of his know-how in this area, was only concerned with equations of the first

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Prospective corporate strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prospective corporate strategy - Essay Example This lust for new market has triggered a wave of competition which has necessitated the need for organization to differentiate themselves from its competitors in order to sustain themselves in the market (Brakman & Heijdra, 2004, p.413). Task 1: Strategic Positioning Central Arguments In order to take on the increased levels of competition firms have started adopting different strategies that tend to provide greater value to the consumers. Strategists and marketers are increasingly enhancing their focus on aspects like positioning and branding. Positioning is defined the image of a particular product or service in the minds of the consumer (Hiebing, Hiebing & Cooper, 2004, p.146). Value addition has become the prime aim of business organizations to sustain and differentiate themselves in the global market. Value proposition refers to the value addition that an organization provides to its customers by virtue of its business operations and product or service offering (Hax, 2009, p.42) . Michael Porter identified three basic generic strategies that could be used to create strategic positioning for a firm in the market. He stated that a firm can sustain itself in the business market by adopting one or a combination of the three generic strategies which are focus, cost leadership and differentiation. Strategic positioning involves selecting an optimum mix of the three generic strategies stated above to gain strategic and sustainable advantage while creating greater value for the stakeholders of an organization (Hansen, Mowen & Guan, 2007, p.377-378). The principles of strategic positioning as outlined by Thornton are stated below: 1. Concept based strategy formulation 2. Long term vision and planning 3. Diversification of thought 4. Strength based planning (Thornton, 2007, p.14). Adopting a strategic positioning would help a firm to pursue activities that would help them differentiate the product or service offering from the rest of its competitors in the business m arket. It would also act as a guideline towards new product development as well as enhancement of value addition to a product or service offering (Steinbock, 2007, p.273). Task 2: Internet and Strategic Positioning The twenty first century has also been described as the age of information technology. The backbone for this lies in the advancement in internet technology. Internet has reduced the distance between the individuals. This aspect has been largely used by business organizations to gain competitive advantage. The rise of dotcom sites and online web portals has been accredited with enhancing the business potential of business organizations. However, an article by Michael Porter strongly contradicts this view. The author in his article conveys his reservations about internet technology being used as medium to add value to a product or service offering. He states that internet has not generated a significant increase in the value offering of the products rather it has created a situation where value addition implies only cost based improvement. He further questions the business model of the dot.com companies as he believes that the present business model ignores the aspect of profitability and value. In this article it has been explicitly stated that the rise of internet in business organiza

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

About a moral issue in society that I consider right or wrong and how Research Paper

About a moral issue in society that I consider right or wrong and how it should be changed - Research Paper Example Indeed, while the American cultural landscape has made great strides in terms of ethnic diversity and women’s rights, the affirmative action policy still remains. This essay considers the background of the affirmative action policy and the arguments for its existence, then presents an analysis that demonstrates how affirmative action is an unfair and outdated policy that must be repealed for the benefit and progression of the United States. The United States has a history of discrimination throughout its history. As a slave nation a large element of the country’s economic structure was initially founded on extreme oppression. Even with the abolition slavery following the Civil War, large regions of the country were slow to respond to the changing social climate. Discrimination itself is understood as, "the act of making a difference in treatment on a basis other than individual merit" (Groton 1). While one can trace progressive social policies to post-Civil War efforts to encourage integration, what can be termed the contemporary approach has been linked with the 20th century Civil Rights movement. During this 1960s progressive effort, the government recognized and acknowledged the reality of discrimination levied against minorities. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was ultimately created making it â€Å"unlawful for an employer to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin" (Jones 35). As a direct response to this tenant of the act, affirmative action was instituted as a "temporary way to promote greater representation of blacks in the work force" (Jones 35). While it was understood that from a strict technical standpoint requiring individuals to hire one individual over another was a form of discrimination itself, it was generally accepted that it was a temporary condition that would allow for a

Monday, September 23, 2019

What has shaped and influenced the way I lead and manage Essay

What has shaped and influenced the way I lead and manage - Essay Example The change in family structure provided me with the most influential aspects from both my father and mother’s sides. On my father’s side, I was his only child and for the first 18 years of my life, we were very close to one another. I was the centre of his universe and being the only child, he had big plans for my future. I really admire him not only because of his brilliance in business, but also on his strong character. As I grew up, I could not help but marvel at his business acuity and creativity that made him successful in every undertaking he ventured in. He is a very resolute, bold, and passionate man in whatever he believes in and nothing can stop him from achieving his goals. His admirable character and close interaction with him formed the basis of my personality. The great importance he attached to our friendship made me feel secure and appreciated. As a result, I developed a strong sense of self-belief and confidence that characterize my professional life to date. In addition, his determination to succeed against all odds formed the foundation of my strong self-motivation, unwav ering focus, tenacity and courage to succeed in whatever I decide to do. My mother‘s side was equally influential in development of my leadership and management qualities. In contrast with my father’s side where I was his only child, my mother had three other children and living in such a large family exposed me on how to interact with people. My mother was open to us and she always emphasized on the importance of a united family. Wherever we had issues with one another, she encouraged us to speak out in order to solve the conflict amicably. I really admired this democratic leadership style especially when we used to hold family meetings to voice our concerns. In those family meetings, each one of us was given an

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Ethnographic Process †Homo Narrans Essay Example for Free

Ethnographic Process – Homo Narrans Essay With her assertion in Number Our Days that humankind is a species of homo-narrans, Barbara Myerhoff describes us as story-telling creatures. We identify, express, discover and categorize ourselves based on the legends and lore of our cultural heritage as well as the anecdotal accounts of our personal lives. The works we have read support Myerhoff’s assertion, demonstrating through the narratives that humans define their world through stories at the same time that their stories define them. Myerhoff, Cruikshank and Fabian all respond to humans as story-telling beings, employing ethnographic strategies based on a holistic combination of qualitative and quantitative research. In her Number Our Days, Myerhoff gathered exhaustive narratives from the senior Jewish population of Venice, California. Likewise, Cruikshank’s interviews with the Yukon elders in Life Lived Like a Story reveal how thoroughly she participates with the ethnographic study of man as homo-narrans. (I particularly liked Angela’s story of balancing old and new customs. Similarly, Fabian’s Power and Performance supports itself upon qualitative fieldwork, contributing a plethora of anecdotal information to African anthropological studies. All authors interacted with and affected the social environment in which they worked, their studies not only speaking to the lives of their research subjects but the research and researchers themselves. I support the ways these authors respond to the notion of mankind as homo-narrans. People tell stories in life as a way to communicate their identity and beliefs, their backgrounds and ambitions. The only challenges I foresee lie in the fact that personal accounts are not always representative of the group to which they belong. And while it is impossible not to affect the sample population from which researchers derive information, to feel personally moved even to advocate on its behalf, it seems best that researchers remain objective in their studies, at least for the duration of those studies. A mind clouded with passion is not a viable tool of rational inquiry or observation. Once the study is complete, I could not fault a researcher for advocating people s/he discovered to be in need of help in the course of the inquiry.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Glycosilation of Recombinant Protein in Hamster Ovary Cells

Glycosilation of Recombinant Protein in Hamster Ovary Cells GLYCOSILATION OF RECOMBINANT PROTEIN IN CHINESE HAMSTER OVARY CELLS MANISHA YADAV INTRODUCTION: GLYCOSYLATION OF PROTEINS The phenomenon of addition subsequent processing of carbohydrates in most of the plasma- membrane and secretory proteins is called glycosylation. This is the principle chemical modification or post- translational modification to most of such proteins. Glycosylation reactions occur in the lumen of Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) and can also occur in the Golgi cisternae [1]. There are two different forms of oligosaccharide chains: O-linked oligosaccharides and N-linked oligosaccharides. The O-linked oligosaccharides are short structures and contain 1-4 sugar residues whereas; the N-linked oligosaccharides always contain mannose along with N-acetyl glucosamine. The structures of N-linked oligosaccharides have various branches terminating with sialic acid residues which are negatively charged groups [1]. Approximately 50% of the proteins manufactured in the eukaryotic cells are glycosylated. Many glycoproteins are produced from different glycoforms with different glycan structure which are attached to a single peptide backbone [2]. These glycan structures affect the biological properties of various glycoproteins which include pharmacokinetics, secretion, solubility, bioactivity, in vivo clearance, antigenicity and receptor recognition [2]. CHINESE HAMSTER OVARY CELLS (CHO CELLS) For the production of biopharmaceuticals, animal cell cultures are used due to their abilities of post-translational modification of proteins involving glycosylation [2]. Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells were first used in the year 1919 as a laboratory specimen for typing pneumococci [3]. CHO cells are the most commonly used cell lines for studying gene expression (particularly to express recombinant proteins), toxicity screening, genetics and nutrition. They are frequently used mammalian hosts for production of recombinant protein therapeutics at an industrial level [3]. Due to their adaptability to several culture conditions, relatively fast generation time, easy to maintain and also due to their plasticity in the surroundings of genetic alterations, CHO cells are technologically more prominent and highly useful [2]. DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTS AND STUDIES ON GLYCOSYLATION OF RECOMBINANT PROTEIN IN CHO CELLS Alterations in the glycosylation of recombinant proteins depend on a range of parameters which include: metabolic flux, cellular metabolism and the efficiency of the glycosylation process [4]. CHO cell lines are used in identifying the biological roles of mammalian glycans and the pathways to synthesise them [5]. An analysis of N- glycans and major O- glycans in CHO mutants was performed using glycomic analysis by MALDI-TOF (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization- Time of Flight) and time of flight- Mass Spectroscopy (TOF-MS). To enhance the applications of CHO mutants and to obtain its insights, alterations in the glycosyltransferase activity was done. It was found that lectin resistant CHO cells make very large and various complex N-glycans. Also it was observed that terminal addition of sialic acid enhances polylactosamine extension whereas fucose addition reduces polyLacNAc extension [5]. To determine the structural characteristics of recombinant envelope glycoprotein (rgp120) present in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV- 1), the virus was produced by expression in CHO cells. To confirm the primary structure of rgp120 protein, enzymatic cleavage was done to assign intrachain disulphide bonds and the potential sites for N-glycosylation were determined. To carry out such technique reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography method was employed [6]. For tryptic peptide mapping studies, N-glycosylation of 24 potential sites were characterized by determining the susceptible carbohydrate structures attached to the peptides which include: endo-ÃŽ ²-N-acetyl glucosaminidase H and N- glycosidase F [6]. It was found that in all the 24 sites of gp120 protein, 13 consisted of complex-type oligosaccharide structures and the remaining 11 consisted of mannose-type oligosaccharide structures. It also contained certain hybrid-type oligosaccharide structures [6]. Analys is of the carboxyl terminal using carboxypeptidase digestions demonstrated that the glutamic acid residue 479 is the carboxylterminus molecule secreted by CHO cells [6]. The gp120 protein has a polypeptide core of approximately 60,000 Daltons, an extensive modification in this polypeptide by N-linked glycosylation results in an increase in its molecular weight to 120,000 Daltons [6]. Glycosylation is a cellular process in which achieving a precise glycan distribution is challenging, because it is a non-template driven process. Hence, it results in significantly uncontrolled variability in the glycan distributions [7]. Different cell types differ in their ability to carry out specific post-translational modifications; for example: glycosylation, which affects the different processes such as receptor binding, bioactivity, susceptibility to proteolysis, clearance rate of therapeutic recombinant protein in vivo and immunogenicity [8]. As a result of this difference, various forms of glycans are formed and their attachment to proteins increases variability and non-uniformity [7]. Hence, an experiment was conducted to study the heterogeneity of a recombinant protein in different animal systems including Chinese hamster ovary cells [8]. CHO cells have proven produce proteins with glycoforms which are both bioactive and compatible in humans [3]. CHO cells produce recombi nant IFN-ÃŽ ³ which has 3 sources of variation: site-specific N-glycan microheterogeneity, variable N-glycosylation site occupancy and C-terminal polypeptide truncations [8]. It has examined that for efficient secretion and dimerization of IFN-ÃŽ ³, glycosylation of Asn25 is necessary [8]. For optimal enzymatic activity, glycosylation is required. Neutrophils release granules such as Myeloperoxidase (MPO) into the phagosome during the process of phagocytosis of exogenous structures. Respiratory burst is initiated which reduces oxygen and releases superoxide radical anions. These superoxides upon dismutation produce Hà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Oà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ which mediates MPO-driven oxidation of chloride to antimicrobial HOCl [9]. To increase the production of MPO protein, recombinant human MPO (r-MPO) are produced by expression in CHO cell lines. However, the r-MPO in CHO cell lines consists of some missing proteolytic steps as compared to the dimeric leukocyte enzyme (h-MPO). As a result, the r-MPO protein differs in the glycan structure and is a monomeric protein [9]. Tryptic digestion of reduced carboxamido- methylated proteins was carried out to determine the glycan structures. A method like con A-immobilized affinity chromatography was used to enrich the glycopeptide s. These glycopeptides were fractionated and analyzed by HPLC. The N-deglycosylated forms along with their glycopeptides were then identified by MALDI-MS. The result indicated that both r-MPO and h-MPO consists of high-mannose structures. The r-MPO has high amount of complex-type glycans like di- trisialylated triantennary structures [9]. A glycoprotein hormone called human erythropoietin (EPO) regulates the level of circulating erythrocytes in humans. They play an important role in maturation of erythrocytes. In normal human, EPO is produced in the kidney. Various recombinant human erythropoietins are being produced in non-mammalian mammalian cells. There are two forms of EPO (erythropoietin), EPO-bi and EPO- tetra. Each one of them have different biological activities. These were isolated from culture medium of CHO cell line (B8-300) encoding human EPO [10]. The culture was purified by reverse-phase chromatography, anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The highly purified recombinant human erythropoietin from mast cells was used as a control and it is the standard EPO [10]. The results obtained showed that EPO-bi has only 1/7 in vivo activity and the invitro activity was 3 times higher than in vivo activity. Whereas EPO-tetra have similar in vivo and in vitro activities as the standard EPO. EPO-tetra, t he standard EPO and EPO-bi had same immunoreactivity and amino acid composition. The structural analysis of N-linked sugar chains showed that EPO-tetra and the standard EPO contain tetraantennary complex-type as their major sugar chain, whereas EPO-bi contains biantennary complex-type as their major sugar chain [10]. Heparin is most widely used in modern medicine to control blood coagulation and is in great demands. Therefore, CHO cells are used for producing heparin. CHO cells are capable of producing HS (Heparan Sulfate) naturally, which is a related polysaccharide as heparin [11]. Human N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase (NDST2) and mouse heparan sulfate 3-O-sulfotranferase 1 were sequentially transfected into CHO host cells. Screening of these transfectant cells was carried out using quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting technique. The heparan sulphate produced by CHO cells is a less sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG). This is due to the glycosylation process resulting in heterogeneity in glycan structures. This HS has similar disaccharide units as heparin, but HS has lower anticoagulant activity than heparin [11]. TREATMENT OF DISEASES: Glycosylation process has been proved efficient in treating various diseases. Few examples are as follows: Fabry disease: it is an X-linked genetic disease. It arises due to a deficiency in the lysosomal enzyme called ÃŽ ±-galactosidase A (GLA). This enzyme hydrolyzes the terminal ÃŽ ±-galactosyl moieties from glycoproteins and glycolipids. An enzyme replacement therapy is carried out to treat the disease. CHO cell lines are used to produce recombinant GLA with very high productivity. When the recombinant GLA was compared to an approved GLA (agalsidase beta), the charge and size of the recombinant GLA was found to be more neutral and smaller respectively. This difference was due the absence of terminal sialic acid. To increase the sialic acid content, combined reaction of sialyltransferase, galactosyltransferase and their sugar substrates was developed. This product generated had same isoelectric points, size and sialic acid content as in approved GLA (agalsidase beta) [12]. Gaucher disease: it is an inherited metabolic disorder and is caused due to impaired activity of glucocerebrosidase (GCR) enzyme. This is a lysosomal enzyme which is responsible for hydrolysis of glucocerebroside to ceramide and glucose. The treatment of this disease consists of enzyme replacement therapy in which exogenous GCR is administered in the patients. This protein was expressed in CHO-DXB11 (dhfr ) cells. The glycosylated GCR produced due to transfection and gene amplification with methotrexate is then detected by immunoblotting assay. CHO cells are the highest producer of glucocerebrosidase enzyme [13]. CULTURE PARAMETERS THAT CAN AFFECT GLYCOSYLATION: Culture conditions such as pH, nutrient content, temperature, ammonia and oxygen have an important effect on distribution of glycan structures in recombinant protein [2,4,10]. pH: any adverse change in the external pH conditions can change the internal pH of Golgi apparatus, resulting in reduction in the activity of glycosylating enzymes [2]. Oxygen: to maintain optimum growth and metabolism of producer cells in bioprocesses, the dissolved oxygen level should be under control. At high oxygen level there is an increase in sialyltransferase activity. By controlling dissolve oxygen (DO) set points, the galactosylation of IgG immunoglobulin was changed efficiently and a decrease in digalactosylated glycans was observed [2,4]. Effect of producer cell line on protein glycosylation: in the Golgi of the cell, the protein glycosylation pattern depends on the expression of several glycosyltransferase enzymes. Differences in the activities of these enzymes result in significant changes in the protein structure [2]. Fucosylation: the Fucosylation pathway synthesizes the fucose donor called GDP-fucose. ÃŽ ±-1,6-fucosyltransferase enzyme is a glycosyltransferase enzyme which catalyzes the transfer of fucose to Asn-linked GlcNAc residue from GDP-fucose [2,6]. This enzyme is found in the N-glycans of several glycoproteins. Few studies suggest that fucose residues play a vital role in defining the oligossacharide conformations which are required for specific protein- carbohydrate interactions [2]. CONCLUSION: The properties of a mature protein depend on the carbohydrate moiety of glycoproteins. These properties include protein stability, solubility, molecular recognition or immunogenicity [9,4]. CHO cells are being widely used in biopharmaceutical industry. By optimizing glycosylation, the therapeutic efficacy can be improved. The bioprocesses to produce monoclonal antibodies and fusion proteins have shown complex relationship between these variables and its protein quality [14]. Glycosylation can be controlled by understanding the cellular and metabolic alterations which results in the modification of protein structures [4]. It has been observed that by decreasing the concentration of glutamine to 0mM, there is reduction in fucosylation, sialylation and antennarity, but an increase in neutral N-linked glycans has been observed [4, 7]. Stable CHO cells wih functional recombinant proteins which are properly glycosylated and secreted can be easily generated. The screening strategies can be used to produce biopharmaceuticals and other biological products which are highly cost-effective and is used for public health value [12, 13]. REFERENCES: Lodish, H., Berk, A. and Zipursky, S. L. 2000. Molecular cell biology, New York: Freeman, 4th edition. Butler, M. 2006. Optimisation of the cellular metabolism of glycosylation for recombinant proteins produced by mammalian cell systems. Cytotechnology, 50 (1-3), pp. 57-76. Jayapal, K. P., Wlaschin, K. F., Hu, W., Yap, M. and GS, A. 2007. Recombinant protein therapeutics from CHO cells-20 years and counting. Chemical engineering Progress, 103(10), p. 40. Burleigh, S., Van De Laar, T., Stroop, C., Van Grunsven, W., Odonoghue, N., Rudd, P. and Davey, G. 2011. Synergizing metabolic flux analysis and nucleotide sugar metabolism to understand the control of glycosylation of recombinant protein in CHO cells. BMC biotechnology, 11 (1), p. 95. North, S. J., Huang, H., Sundaram, S., Jang-Lee, J., Etienne, A. T., Trollope, A., Chalabi, S., Dell, A., Stanley, P. and Haslam, S. M. 2010. Glycomics profiling of Chinese hamster ovary cell glycosylation mutants reveals N-glycans of a novel size and complexity. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 285(8), pp. 5759-5775. Leonard, C. K., Spellman, M. W., Riddle, L., Harris, R. J., Thomas, J. N. and Gregory, T. 1990. Assignment of intrachain disulfide bonds and characterization of potential glycosylation sites of the type 1 recombinant human immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein (gp120) expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells.Journal of Biological Chemistry, 265 (18), pp. 1037310382. Amand, M. M., Tran, K., Radhakrishnan, D., Robinson, A. S., Ogunnaike, B. A. 2014. Controllability Analysis of Protein Glycosylation in Cho Cells. Plos One, 9(2), p. 87973. James, D. C., Goldman, M. H., Hoare, M., Jenkins, N., Oliver, R. W. A., Green, B. N., Freedman, R. B. 1995. Posttranslational processing of recombinant human interferon-ÃŽ ³ in animal expression systems. Protein Science, pp. 331-340. Van Antwerpen, P., Slomianny, M., Boudjeltia, K. Z., Delporte, C., Faid, V., Calay, D., Rousseau, A., Moguilevsky, N., Raes, M., Vanhamme, L. and Others. 2010. Glycosylation Pattern of Mature Dimeric Leukocyte and Recombinant Monomeric Myeloperoxidase GLYCOSYLATION IS REQUIRED FOR OPTIMAL ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY.Journal of Biological Chemistry, 285 (21), pp. 1635116359. Takeuchi, M., Inoue, N., Strickl, Kubota, M., Wada, M., Shimizu, R., Hoshi, S., Kozutsumi, H., Takasaki, S. and Kobata, A. 1989. Relationship between sugar chain structure and biological activity of recombinant human erythropoietin produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 86 (20), pp. 78197822. Baik, J. Y., Gasimli, L., Yang, B., Datta, P., Zhang, F., Glass, C. A., Esko, J. D., Linhardt, R. J. and Sharfstein, S. T. 2012. Metabolic engineering of Chinese hamster ovary cells: towards a bioengineered heparin. Metabolic engineering, 14 (2), pp. 8190. Sohn, Y., Lee, J. M., Park, H., Jung, S., Park, T. H., Oh, D. and Others. 2013. Enhanced sialylation and in vivo efficacy of recombinant human ÃŽ ±-galactosidase through in vitroglycosylation.BMB reports, 46 (3), pp. 157162. Novo, J. B., Morganti, L., Moro, A. M., Paes Leme, A. F., Serrano, S. M. D. T., Raw, I. and Ho, P. L. 2012. Generation of a Chinese hamster ovary cell lineproducing recombinant human glucocerebrosidase.BioMed Research International, 2012. Hossler, P., Khattak, S. F. and Li, Z. J. 2009. Optimal and consistent protein glycosylation in mammalian cell culture.Glycobiology, 19 (9), pp. 936949.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Supremacy of European Union Law Over National Law: The Factotame Case E

The establishment of the European Union gave birth to various institutions, which bring order and reform to member states. One of these institutions which is extremely important the European Court of Justice as it interprets the laws of the European Union and makes sure that all the laws are applied in the same with in all of the European Union countries. Aside from interpreting laws it also settles legal disputes between the European Union government and the various institutions in the European Union. The jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice encompasses: solving disputes from country to country and within an institution, individuals, companies or organization, if the European institution threatens rights. One such case, which was brought forth by an individual to the court, is the Factotame case. Before we embark upon why the Factotame case was brought fort to the court it is extremely important for us to know about the composition of the European Court of Justice. The court is made up of twenty-seven judges, one from each member state. There are eight â€Å"advocates – general† whose job is to present opinions on cases, which are brought before the Court. The appointment of judge and advocate general is determined by each member state of the European Union and they are appointed for a six-year renewable term. Due to the large number of cases brought forth to the European Court of Justice, in an effort to better serve the constituents the General Court decides over certain cases. The General Court decides over cases that encompass private individuals, companies and organizations. The court has a President, which is elected by all the judges for a renewable term of three – years. The primary j... ...ate of discrimination of any sort and it will not tolerate any acts that are passed any government, which promotes discrimination of any sort. Works Cited "Clients." Thomas Cooper:Factortame The Background. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. . The Common Fisheries Policy. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. . "Court of Justice of the European Union." EUROPA -. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. . "European Court of Justice." European Court of Justice. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. . Ian Bache, Stephen George & Simon Bulmer, Politics in the European Union, Oxford University Press, 2011.

Ghost Story of Bloody Mary :: Ghost Stories Urban Legends

Bloody Mary I remember enacting an urban ritual with my friends back in middle school. Giggling and squealing, running in and out of the bathroom, not really believing but still terrified by the possibilities. It was less a story with a moral than it was just a sleepover prank. Needless to say I wasn’t surprised that when I asked a roommate to relate an urban legend to me over lunch one day that she chose that of â€Å"Bloody Mary." The storyteller is a 20 year old woman studying psychology at the University. She transferred to school after one semester at another college. She is of French descent and her parents speak French at home. She has conservative to moderate political beliefs and is Lutheran, although does not regularly attend religious services while she is at school. She is in a long distance relationship with her boyfriend of two years who is in the Navy and stationed at Virginia Beach. When prompted for a story she was initially hesitant but finally responded with, â€Å"‘Bloody Mary’, I guess.† You’re supposed to like, go into the bathroom in front of the mirror and turn around saying â€Å"Bloody Mary† three times. Then she’s supposed to come. I asked what happened after that and she replied with a mouthful of food, â€Å"She kills you.† This story was told; it seemed, with the assumption that I should know the story. As if it was more a matter of public knowledge than a personal story. This was an accurate assumption on her part as not only had I heard the story many times before, but I also found frequent references to it online. The narrative from my storyteller differed slightly from others I read online, be it the number of times â€Å"Bloody Mary† was chanted or supplementary actions that were or were not included, each story had slightly different elements. "Bloody Mary† is often confused with Mary I, the queen of England from 1553-1558 who restored Roman Catholicism to England, which resulted in many Protestants being burnt at the stake as heretics. While she was referred to as â€Å"Bloody Mary†, in very few variations is it the queen who appears in the bathroom mirror (Mikkelson & Mikkelson). Some stories identify Mary as a woman specific to the storyteller’s own community, such as a girl killed in a local car crash or other such tragic accident. In other cases Mary is just a woman of myth; an executed witch, a woman murdered on her wedding night, a mother who killed her children, some tragic or horrific figure that appears in a mirror upon being summoned (â€Å"Bloody Mary [person]†).

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Women and Obstetrics: The Loss of Childbirth to Male Physicians Essay

Women and Obstetrics: The Loss of Childbirth to Male Physicians "Woman" is often referred to as a diseased state of the male norm. Medical testing is done on men, with men as the norm. Women's bodies are diseased and dysfunctional. Female processes are not normal occurrences in the female body. They are deviant processes, needing male consultation and male solutions. This medicalization of women's bodies occurred during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as medicine became professionalized and men came to be in control of women's bodies and their processes. During the fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth and part of the eighteenth century, midwives oversaw women's medical needs. Childbirth and diseases of the reproductive organs were the domain of midwives. Books on midwifery taught midwives to diagnose problems, to suggest treatments, and to oversee birth. As men sought to professionalize medicine and to further their control they began to become involved in midwifery and developed obstetrics and gynecology. The shift from midwife to obstetrician and gynecologist occurred from the early eighteenth through the nineteenth centuries. Relinquishing control of their territory was not something midwives did voluntarily, rather it happened as a result of questions of women's place and innovations in technology. Men's access to education and to technology provided them with an advantage over female midwives. Female midwives and women in general were denied medical education. They were not exposed, nor allowed to use certain technologies. In order for midwives to keep their job, they were forbidden from practicing medicine. Using technology was practicing medicine; midwives could not use technology to ease labor or to diagnose... ...d (New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1986) Leavitt, Judith Walzer, ed., Women and Health in America (Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1984) Mitchinson, Wendy, "Hysteria and Insanity in Women: A Nineteenth Century Canadian Perspective" Journal of Canadian Studies 21 (1988): 1199-208 Morantz-Sanchez, Regina Markell, Sympathy and Science: Women Physicians in American Medicine (New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1985) Moscucci, Ornella, The Science of Woman: Gynecology and Gender in England 1800-1929 (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1990) Tatlock, Lynne, "Speculum Feminarum: Gendered Perspectives on Obstetrics and Gynecology in Early Modern Germany" Signs 17 (1992): 725-56 Wajcman, Judy, Feminism Confronts Technology (University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1991)

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Is Human Population Growth A Threat Environmental Sciences Essay

Even though population is frequently considered a sensitive subject, it is going progressively hard to disregard the construct that population growing threatens the environment. The rapid addition in population growing over the past few centuries has led to an increasing involvement in, and a turning concern for population growing as one of the cardinal menaces to the environment. A menace to the environment can be in many different signifiers, such as dirt eroding, clime alteration, deforestation, wastes, and pollution. The purpose of the undermentioned essay is to research how population growing is considered to lend to these issues and degrade the environment. In order to accomplish this purpose the essay will be split into two chief parts. The first subdivision will sketch theories that argue population growing is a menace to the environment. This will be supported by Malthus and Meadows et Al. In order to derive a compendious analysis this essay will concentrate on the natural e nvironment, in peculiar researching how deforestation is threatened by population growing. However, the 2nd portion of the essay will dispute this and intent that population growing does non jeopardize the environment. It will reason that an increasing population could better environmental quality. It besides will claim if resources are managed sustainable so population growing will non negatively affect the environment. This is supported by Tiffen and Mortimore and Fox. Local instance surveies are used as micro surveies show the relationship between population and deforestation more clearly, as macro surveies are affected by many other influences. Finally the decisions reached are population growing is non the root cause of environmental harm. If resources are managed sustainably and new engineerings are used, so population growing itself would non endanger the environment. A positive correlativity between population growing and environmental harm â€Å" Overpopulation [ is ] our figure one environmental job † ( Rodnguez-Tnias 1994:1379 ) . Since 1650 the rate of population growing has increased. This has resulted in a rapid addition of the universe population which â€Å" rose from 3.3 billion in 1965 to over 6 billion by the twelvemonth 2000 † . Thus universe population about doubled in merely 35 old ages and the rate of growing itself was besides lifting. Furthermore a billion people were added to the universe population from 1987 to 1999, an addition equivalent to the entire universe population in 1804 ( Panayotou 2000 ) . This comparatively recent addition in universe population has led to a climb concern for how population growing affects the natural environment and natural resources ( Meadows et al 2005:28 ) . There are many grounds as to why population growing is seen as a menace to the environment. For illustration, human populations use up natural resources, omit nursery gases lending to climate alteration, destroy home grounds ensuing in loss of biodiversity, and increase air and H2O pollution degrees. Hence, about all environmental issues are either straight or indirectly related to population. Furthermore, it is frequently reported in the media that a turning population is an environmental menace, farther increasing the concern. For illustration Andrew Woodcock studies in The Independent that a â€Å" flourishing population is a menace to climate alteration † ( 2006 online ) . There has been a coincident tendency of a growing in population and a steep lessening in environmental quality and an addition in resource depletion ( Panayotou 2000 ) .Consequently, population growing is frequently considered the greatest and cardinal menace to the environment. The argument on the correlativity between population and the environment began over 150 old ages ago when classical political economic experts such as Malthus ( 1798 ) identified a relationship between population and nutrient supply. He argued that population grew exponentially, whereas nutrient supply would merely turn arithmetically, ensuing in major nutrient deficits. He claimed that the force per unit area on agricultural land would ensue in a diminution in environmental quality, coercing cultivation of poorer quality land. He criticised the thought that agricultural betterments could be made and spread out with bounds and claimed that the power of population growing was greater than the Earth ‘s ability to back up adult male. Malthus concluded that population growing must limited to stay within environmental limitations, as the Earth ‘s resources are finite. Malthus ‘ theory that the size of population is dependent on nutrient supply and agricultural methods, This thought was resurrected in the twentieth century, by cardinal publications, most notably The Limits to Growth by Meadows et Al ( 1972 ) and The Population Bomb by Ehrlich ( 1968 ) . This new organic structure of work by modern-day writers is referred to as neo-Malthusianism. The argument nevertheless has shifted from agricultural land to concerns about the function of population growing in the depletion of other natural and renewable resources, and the consequence of population growing on clime alteration and on biodiversity loss. Meadows et Al ( 1972 ) argued that population growing can make jobs because of environmental bounds. They argued that population growing can non go on indefinitely and used by informations to foretell future tendencies in universe population, resource depletion, pollution and nutrient production. They claimed that the bounds of the planet will be reached within the following century and that population could therefore non transport on turning. In their 30 twelvemonth update in 2005 they argued their decisions were even more of import today. They claimed that there is now land scarceness and the bounds have been approached, which is particularly serious as population keeps lifting and resources are being depleted. Growth in the Earth ‘s population could take to the possibility for a possible ruinous wave-off ( Meadows et al 2005 ) . Livi-Bacci ( 2001 ) points out that in Bangladesh the bounds have already been reached, hence population can non transport on turning. This is similar to Ehrlich ( 1968 ) who argued that there should be action to cut down population growing otherwise there would be aggregate famishment. The growing of universe population increases the demands on natural resources, doing it hard to protect these resources, therefore worsening environmental quality ( Sitarz 1993 ) . Hence there are grounds to worry about the consequence population growing will hold on the environment in the long term ( Sen 1994 ) . Consequently the consensus is that there is a â€Å" population job † ( Neumann 2004:817 ) . Population growing causes jobs in the local environment. There is no individual usher to analyzing the province of the environment ; therefore the relationship between population and environment is normally evaluated in footings of single resources or measurings of environmental quality ( Panayotou 2000 ) . Environmental quality can be measured by the stock of woods or by the absence of air and H2O pollution. The affect population growing has on deforestation has received considerable attending as woods play a cardinal function in wildlife home grounds, the C rhythm, and a beginning of natural stuff. At the planetary graduated table deforestation contributes to planetary heating, and at a local graduated table leads to dirty debasement ( Fairhead and Leach 1995, Nyerges and Green 2000 ) . There is grounds which supports Malthusian statements that an increasing population has a negative consequence on environmental stocks. The function of population growing is peculiarly clear in delicate environments such as woods ( Livi-Bacci 2001 ) . The cause of deforestation is often seen as a consequence of population force per unit areas as population growing increases the demand for cultivable land, ensuing in a transition of forest land to other utilizations ( Cropper and Griffith 1994 ) . Malthus argued population growing would ensue in a higher demand for agricultural land and this consequences in a diminution of forest land peculiarly in Africa and Latin America ( Livi-Bacci 2001 ) . 60 % of the universe ‘s deforestation is a consequence of the demand for more agricultural land ( Pimentel and Pimentel 1999 ) . Each twelvemonth, â€Å" 70 million people are added to universe population, largely in developing states and 15 million square kilometers of woods disappear à ¢â‚¬  ( Panayotou 2000:25 ) . This research led to many people speculating that more people must ensue in fewer woods, as the higher the population growing, the faster this procedure will take topographic point ( Ehrlich and Ehrlich 1990, Rudel 1991 ) . This will do a steep lessening in forest size from twelvemonth to twelvemonth. Forests often owe their beginnings to depopulation, hence ensuing in the decision that population growing causes deforestation, particularly in hapless and developing states ( Fairhead and Leach 1994 ) . This affect is more ascertained at the local degree, for illustration Cropper and Griffith ( 1994 ) used panel informations for Asia, Africa and Latin America between 1961 and 1988 and found a positive relationship between deforestation and population growing. Additionally, Fairhead and Leach ( 1995 ) identified that there was an ascertained diminution in woods in The Ziama Forest Reserve in Guinea as a consequence of turning populations, which have moved off from â€Å" traditional † methods. IUCN study on Ziama states that â€Å" forest screen in this portion of Guinea is now merely 20 % of what it was ‘at beginning ‘ † and the study emphasizes that the wood is regressing quickly ( cited in Fairhead and Leach 1995:1029 ) . Therefore the diminution of woods reflects the populations who cleared it ( Fairhead and Leach 1994 ) . Furthermore Sambrook et Al ( 2004 ) did a survey of 450 traditional hillslope farms in the Dominican Republic, and found there was positive relationship between population force per unit area and deforestation. They found that for the full 1987 farm sample, â€Å" 52 % of the fluctuation in deforestation is explained by population force per unit areas † ( p36 ) . This consequence can besides been seen at the state degree, for illustration in Thailand deforestation was caused by demographic force per unit area from migration ( Livi-Bacci 2001 ) . Consequently, â€Å" population growing causes a disproportional negative impact on the environment † ( Ehrlich and Holdren 1971:1212 ) . There is a conventional wisdom that population growing is responsible for deforestation. This supports the neo-Malthusian position that population growing is the root cause of environmental debasement, and turning demands for finite resources. Therefore the solution is direct population control ( Panayotou 1996 ) . If population growing is a major menace to the environment so steps must be taken to cut down the rates of growing. Livi-Bacci ( 2001 ) argues that a diminution population addition will spread the issue of the environment. Therefore â€Å" there is an immediate demand to develop schemes aimed at commanding universe population growing † ( Sitarz 1993:44 ) . This means that there needs to be support for household planning throughout the universe particularly in developing states which have the highest rates of population growing, and less entree to household planning ( Barlett 1994 ) . Therefore, decelerating the addition in population, particularly in the face of lif ting demand for natural resources, can assist protect the environment. As population size ranges even higher degrees the environment is at hazard and the result is impossible to foretell, therefore policies to cut down population are needed ( Upadhyay and Robey 1999 ) . However, the following subdivision will counter this and argue population growing is non a menace and hence there is no demand for population controls. Population growing is non the cardinal issue for menaces to the environment There is agnosticism about whether population growing is the cardinal menace to the environment, as Monbiot ( 2008 online ) writes â€Å" is population truly our figure one environmental job? † Even though there is grounds of a correlativity between population growing and a lessening in environmental quality, a about perfect correlativity does non needfully connote causing. Otherwise, it would be expected that states with the highest population such as China and India would hold the highest usage of natural resources ( Panayotou 2000 ) . The world-wide mean per capita usage of forest resources is 0.75 hour angle, whereas in China, a state which about 20 % of the universe population uses less that mean forest resources with merely 0.11ha/capita ( Pimentel and Pimental1999 ) . Some jobs have been raised over the Malthusian position of population growing endangering the environment. The universe has coped with fast additions in population, even though Malthus predicted awful catastrophes. At the clip he wrote there were fewer than a billion people in universe but he felt the Earth ‘s bounds had past. The universe population has grown six times larger since 1798, but contrary to what Malthus predicted, nutrient production grew even higher ( Sen 1994 ) . Clearly, Malthus ( 1798, 1803 ) did non anticipate the technological progresss of the last two centuries as a consequence of the industrial and agricultural revolutions. Like other classical authors he assumed that land productiveness was fixed ( Panayotou 2000 ) . Boserup opposes Malthus ‘ theory reasoning that agricultural methods depend on population size ( Darity 1989 ) . Boserup ( 1965 ) theorised that population determined agricultural methods, hence the power of enterprise and new invention s would get the better of the power of demand. This means population growing would non go on to degrade the environment as communities would exchange to new and more intensive methods of the land. Thus population growing does non ensue in a debasement of the environment because populations will alter to another system with a higher carrying capacity. Therefore, â€Å" the issue is non the Numberss of people, but how those Numberss relate to available resources † ( Barlett 1994:9 ) . Technological alterations and better direction of resources would guarantee that a population can spread out the Earth ‘s capacity. It can be argued that population growing is in fact the drive force for efficiency and technological invention guaranting growing without damaging the environment ( Panayotou 1996 ) . For illustration an addition in agricultural outputs can countervail the consequence of population growing on deforestation as a 10 % addition in agricultural outputs from technolo gical alteration would ensue in a 1.1 % decrease in deforestation ( Panayotou 2000 ) . Therefore the effects of population growing can be reduced by modern engineering and increased efficiency ( Cropper and Griffiths 1994 ) . Consequently, an environmental crisis can be avoided if stairss are taken to conserve and pull off resources and demand sustainably ( Upadhyay and Robey 1999 ) . Therefore the natural environment and resources has ne'er been fixed but has expanded due to invention. The bounds to growing are non defined as they are connected to the effects of technological growing and cultural picks ( Livi-Bacci 2001 ) . This rejects Malthus ‘s statement as he assumed land productiveness was fixed, whereas Boserup ( 1965, 1976 ) argues that dearth is non possible as technological alterations would let nutrient production to maintain up with population growing. In add-on, more efficient and environmentally sound agricultural engineerings must be developed and put into patte rn to back up the continued productiveness of agribusiness ( Pimentel and Pimentel, 1996 ) . Meadows et Al ( 1972 ) and Ehrlich were incorrect to propose population growing would take to environmental debasement as it may ensue in preservation or an betterment of the natural environment. This position does non curtail the degrees of population but suggests it can actively better the environment. Tiffen and Mortimore ( 1994 ) argued against Malthusian positions and pointed out that population growing does non needfully endanger the environment as better direction and investing would guarantee the natural environment is protected. Agricultural labour demands increased non because of a larger sum of cropped land but because of larger labor demands, as Boserup suggests. They pointed out that an increasing population would increase entree to beginnings of cognition and utilizing engineerings. This enables outputs to lift faster than population growing. Like Tiffen and Mortimore, Murton ( 1999 ) besides argued against Malthusian statements. He used illustration in the Machakos ter ritory in Kenya which showed that environmental preservation occurred during periods of population addition. Therefore, population growing is an of import agencies of bettering environmental quality. Therefore, if resources are direction sustainably so population growing can protect the environment. He found population growing has a positive influence on woods as husbandmans became more dependent on non-agricultural beginnings of income. Therefore, Malthus is incorrect to propose there would be a calamity as population addition can hold a positive influence on woods. This is supported by Fox ( 1993 ) who did research on forest resources in a Nepali small town Bhogteni in 1980 and 1990 and found â€Å" despite an one-year population growing rate of 2.5 % , woods were found to be in much better status in 1990 than they were in 1980 † ( p89 ) . Thus population growing had a positive influence on forest resources. He found that Nepali husbandmans began to develop their ain method s for conserving the woods through community direction. This consequence in an addition of forest resources as in 1980 private woodlots had 179 trees/ha compared to 489 trees/ha in 1990. Therefore population growing does non needfully take to downward spiral of land debasement. Fairhead and Leach ( 1994 ) besides identified a counter-narrative for their grounds, as local occupants argued they had created the spots of forest around their small towns, non destroyed it. Oral history suggests that the small towns encouraged and managed the growing of forest islands around their small towns. Therefore, it is non needfully the instance that the country was originally forest prior to increase of the population. It is imaginable that direction of the local resources was partly responsible for the spread of forest countries, from earlier savanna-like conditions. They point out that more small towns really resulted in more forest islands. The Ziama part was originally au naturel stone non for est land. Therefore there is a broader narrative ( Fairhead and Leach 1995 ) . Therefore the incorrect readings were made based on stereotypes ( Fairhead and Leach 1994 ) . Conversely, unwritten history is non fact, or based on empirical grounds and ca n't use these local/village findings everyplace. Hence the cogency of these statements is questionable. While this rejects Malthusian statements, as population growing did non take to farther environmental debasement, it does non corroborate Boserup ‘s hypothesis that population growing would take to new inventions. Furthermore, population growing creates the inducement to protect the environment, as costs of bing resources addition and benefits from replacements are realised ( Panayotou 2000 ) . Therefore the rapid population growing in Bhogteni may hold resulted in an increased willingness of the small towns to seek better direction for forest lands. Thus woods would non hold been perceived as threatened if there was non a high population growing rate. Fox ( 1993 ) besides argues that other variables contributed to the direction of the forest in Bhogteni, such as an debut of a new route and alterations in forest term of office. Nevertheless, while population growing can trip land usage alterations it is non the root cause of environmental harm. The root cause consequences from market failures, particularly in developing states where belongings rights are neither defined nor implemented. Thus the private cost of deforestation is zero. Therefore, because they have no right of ownership to the la nd they have no inducement to protect it and do efficient land-use determinations ( Panayotou 2000 ) . We should acknowledge, nevertheless, that the immediate menace to these lands is non population growing but bad forest direction policies. Before population can be cited as the cause of forest debasement, forest policies must be implemented that provide inducements for local people to pull off forest resources ( Fox 1993 ) . It is frequently the decision that population thrusts deforestation, nevertheless, the context must be kept in head, such as unfastened entree forest resources, low degrees of instruction, insecurely held agricultural land. These all combined prevent response to population growing. Therefore a more complete analysis should look at all these factors. Furthermore, other issues besides affect the rate of deforestation. Holdren ( 1991 ) used a mathematical expression I = P x A x T to demo how population, richness and engineering have an impact on the environment. H e claimed that environmental policies should concentrate on ingestion instead than population growing. Population growing is a factor among other issues. While the Brundtland Report ( 1987 ) states that population growing is non the cardinal job. Furthermore, if a state has a higher income so the rate of deforestation is likely to be slower. As income rises, people use other energy beginnings and modern agricultural techniques which reduces the demand for agricultural land. Therefore cut downing the rates is population growing is non needfully the best method for diminishing the rate of deforestation ( Cropper and Griffiths 1994 ) . Therefore all of these factors are responsible for a impairment of the environment and all demand to be tackled. Therefore population is merely one factor among many, and the interactions of these factors are important for driving the deforestation procedure. Policies are needed to undertake poorness in developing states and high ingestion degrees in dev eloped states foremost ( Saxena and Nautiyal 1997 ) . However, it depends what degree is being surveies as micro surveies may happen important negative effects on resources from population force per unit areas on the local environment, while macro surveies identify no resource restraints at the national or planetary degree. This differentiation between ‘macro ‘ or aggregate, analysis and micro, or more disaggregated analysis is one that you could develop farther. One of the points that this leads to is inquiries of control of resources and the utilizations to which they are put. Macro-level and micro-level analysis may take to different penetrations and decisions in this respect. Micro studies-even though better analyse the consequence of population growing besides mask the wider socio-economic factors which may ensue in environmental debasement ( Murton 1997 ) . Therefore there are complications for following the consequence of universe population on the planetary environment ( Panayotou 2000 ) The engagement crises in population, resources, and environment ( Ehrlich and Holdren 1971 ) . â€Å" The Malthusian theory of population growing and resource debasement is clearly a myth that needs to be slain.p97 † ( Fox1993 ) . Decision From analyzing the grounds above it is clear that there is small understanding on the relationship between population and environment, there is a enormous fluctuation in findings and their reading. The selective usage of grounds gives rise to results that range from the most pessimistic to the most optimistic. The aim of this essay was to reexamine analytically and critically the statements on the population-environment interface. This essay has outlined Malthusian statements of population growing doing environmental debasement. This essay has besides explored counter-evidence to this, reasoning that invention and a better direction of resources can countervail the effects of population growing. This essay has besides argued that other factors affect are the cause of impairment in environmental quality. A more complete analysis should integrate these factors and their interaction with population growing. It is by and large agreed that population growing is an indirect menace to the environment. Therefore direct menaces need to be addressed. Issues such as poorness demand to be solved to better environmental quality, non cut downing population Numberss. However, whether grounds is used from macro or micro graduated tables can skew the consequences. To reason that much more empirical research, with more sophisticated theoretical accounts, is necessary before we can to the full understand the function of population kineticss ( denseness, growing, distribution and composing ) on deforestation. Java ‘s population quadrupled in the last 100years. However, environmental harm was due to economic grounds non population growing. Failure to better agricultural productiveness and to make non-agriculutral employment has intensified population force per unit areas. Panayotou ( 1996 ) .

Monday, September 16, 2019

Family Counsel Approach Essay

Within White’s therapy, the therapist adopts a position of consultant to those experiencing oppression at a personal level from their problems and at a political level from a mental-health discourse and set of practices which permeate western culture. Thus people with problems of living are viewed as requiring help in fighting back against these problems and practices which have invaded their lives. This positioning is described by White, drawing on ideas from the French philosopher Derrida (1981), as both deconstructionist and constitutionalist. A deconstructionist position entails empowering clients to subvert taken-for-granted mental-health definitions and practices. A constitutionalist position entails working from the premise that lives and identities are constituted and shaped by three sets of factors: †¢ The meaning people give to their experiences or the stories they tell themselves about themselves. †¢ The language practices that people are recruited into along with the type of words these use to story their lives. †¢ The situation people occupy in social structures in which they participate and the power relations entailed by these. The positioning of the clinician within narrative therapy involves addressing these three sets of factors by deconstructing the sense people make of their lives, the language practices they use, and the power relationships in which they find themselves. In deconstructing practices of power, White draws on the work of the French philosopher Foucault (1965, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1984). People are unconsciously recruited into the subjugation of their own lives by power practices that involve continual isolation, evaluation, and comparison. Eventually our clients internalize ludicrous societal standards, yet believe that in doing so they are justifiably aspiring to valued ideals of fulfillment and excellence. This leads, for example, to self starvation and anorexia, extreme self-criticism in depression, or a sense of powerlessness in the face of threat and anxiety. In turn, mental health professions have compounded this problem by developing global unitary accounts of these states that purport to be objective truths, such as the diagnostic categories contained in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) and the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (World Health Organization, 1992). Furthermore, these professions support practices that prevent clients from questioning the socio-political contexts within which these so-called objective diagnostic truths emerged. The collaborative co-authoring position central to narrative practice is neither a one-up expert position nor a one-down strategic position. At a 1997 workshop White showed a clip of videotape in which he used turn taking at questioning to help a young girl with a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to participate in an interview. Other professionals involved in the case had been unable to help the girl to do this and had labeled her as uncooperative. White made an agreement with her early in the meeting that for every question she answered, she could ask him a question. The girl stuck to this bargain because she was very curious about his perception of the world, since he told her at the outset of the meeting that he was color blind. This collaborative approach was highly effective in helping the girl tell her story about her difficulties in managing friendships and school work. Within White’s language in therapy there is an openness about the therapist’s working context, intentions, values, and biases. There is a privileging of the client’s language rather than the therapist’s language. There is a respect for working at the client’s pace that finds expression in regularly summarizing and checking that the client is comfortable with the pace. The therapist assumes that since social realities are constituted through language and organized through narratives, all therapeutic conversations aim to explore multiple constructions of reality rather than tracking down the facts which constitute a single truth. There is no room for questions like: †¢ From an objective viewpoint, what happened? All inquires are about individual viewpoints. †¢ How did you see the situation? †¢ How did your view differ from that of your mother/father/ brother/sister/etc? There is a constant vigilance for marginalized stories that might offer an opening for the person to engage in what White (1989, 1995) refers to as an â€Å"insurrection of subjugated knowledges.† That is, an opening that will allow the person to select to construct the story of their lives in terms other than those dictated by the dominant narrative which feeds their problem. This requires the therapist to privilege listening over questioning, and to question in a way that helps clients to see that the stories of their lives are actively constructed, rather than passively recounted and given. EXTERNALIZING THE PROBLEM Externalizing the problem is the central in counseling and supervision used by Michael White to help clients begin to define their problems as separate from their identities. A particular style of questioning is used to help clients begin to view their problems as separate from themselves. Central to this style of questioning is inquiring about how the problem has been affecting the person’s life and relationships. Of a young boy with persistent soiling problems Michael White asked the boy and his parents a series of questions about Mr. Mischief, an externalized personification of the soiling problem: †¢ Are you happy what Mr. Mischief is doing to your relationship? †¢ How is Mr. Mischief interfering with your friendships? Of a girl with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa he asked: †¢ How far has anorexia nervosa encroached on your life? †¢ How did anorexia nervosa come to oppress you in this way? With people diagnosed as psychotic and experiencing auditory hallucinations he asked: †¢ What are the voices trying to talk you into? †¢ How will their wishes affect your life? In a health education project which aimed to prevent the spread of aids, AIDS was personified and participants in the project were asked: Where will AIDS be found? †¢ How will AIDS be recognized? This procedure of asking questions in a way that assumes the problem and the person are quite separate helps clients to begin to externalize the problem and to internalize personal agency (Carr,1997). It may also interrupt the habitual enactment of the dominant problem-saturated story of the person’s identity. In relative influence questioning the client is invited to first map out the influence of the problem on their lives and relationships, and second to map out the influence that they exert on the problem. Relative influence questioning allows clients to think of themselves not as problem-people but as individuals who have a relationship with a problem. Here are some examples of relative influence questions: †¢ In that situation were you stronger than the problem or was the problem stronger than you? †¢ Who was in charge of your relationships then? Were you in charge or was the problem in charge? †¢ To what extent were you controlling your life at that point and to what extent was the problem controlling your life? This type of questioning also opens up the possibility that clients may report that on some occasions the problem influences them to the point of oppression, whereas on others, they can resist the problem. Thus relative influence questions allow clients to construct unique outcomes which are the seeds from which lives may be re-authored. When it is clear that in some situations problems have a greater influence than people, whereas in other instances people win out, questions may be asked about clients’ views of contextual influences on this. Here are some examples of such questions: †¢ What feeds the problem? †¢ What starves the problem? †¢ Who is for the problem? †¢ Who is against the problem?

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Computer Generations Essay

The IC (Integrated Circuits) technology was used in third-generation computers. In a small IC chip (5 mm square size) a circuit is designed having large number of electronic components like transistors, capacitors, diodes, resistors etc. Initially, an IC contained only about ten to twenty components. Thus the IC technology was named as Small Scale Integration (SSI). The third-generation was based on IC technology and the computers were designed using this technology. IBM 370, PDP 11 are among examples. Advantages The main advantages of third-generation as compared to previous generations of computers were: Smaller in size Production cost was low Many input/output devices were introduced such as mouse and keyboard etc. Very fast in computational power More reliable Low power consumption Maintenance cost was low because failure rate of hardware was very low. Easily portable Easy to operate Upgraded easily Totally general purpose. Widely used for various commercial applications all over the world Lower heat generated Magnetic disk used for external storage More storage capacity High-level languages were commonly used Disadvantages The main disadvantages of third-generation computers were: Air-conditioning required. Highly sophisticated technology required for the manufacturer chips. 4. Fourth Generation Computers (1971 to Present) Microprocessors The microchip technology was introduced in this generation of computers. With the advancement in IC technology, LSI (Large Scale Integration) chips were developed. It was possible to integrate over 30,000 or more components on to single LSI chip. After LSI, the VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) was developed and the development of microprocessor possible. It is expected that more than one million components will be integrated on a single chip of VLSI. Using VLSI technology, the entire CPU is designed on a single silicon chip. The use of microprocessor as CPU introduced another class of computers called the microcomputers. Thus fourth-generation may be called Microcomputer generation. The Intel 4004 chip was the first microprocessor. In 1981, IBM introduced the first computer for home use. In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh. Advantages The advantages of fourth-generation as compared to previous generation computers are: Smallest in size because of high component density. Production cost is very low Very reliable Hardware failure is negligible and hence minimal maintenance is required. Easily portable because of their small size Totally general purpose Air conditioning is not compulsory Very high processing speed Very large internal and external storage capacity Used advanced input & output devices such as optical readers, laser printers, CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drives etc. Heat generated is negligible Minimal labour and cost involved at assembly stage Disadvantages The main disadvantages of fourth-generation computers are: Highly sophisticated technology required for the manufacturer of microprocessor chips 5. Fifth Generation Computers (In process) Artificial Intelligence The main drawback of first to fourth generation computers is that the computers have not their own thinking power. These are totally depending upon the instructions given by the users. Computer devices with artificial intelligence are still in development, but some of these technologies are beginning to emerge and be used such as voice recognition. AIl is a reality made possible by using parallel processing and superconductors. Leaning to the future, computers will be radically transformed again by quantum computation, molecular and anon technology. Fifth generation computers are supposed to be the ideal computers, but do not exist. The scientists are working to design such computers that will have the following features: Having their own thinking power Making decisions themselves Having capabilities of learning Having capabilities of reasoning Having large capacity of internal storage Having extra high processing speed Having capabilities of parallel processing In these computers following technologies will be used: ULSIC (Ultra Large Scale Integrated Circuits) technology Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology also called the knowledge Processor. The AI means automatic programs that let the machines to think and decide themselves. The programming languages LISP (List Processor) and PROLOG (Programming with Logic) are used for artificial intelligence. The scientists at ICOT in Japan use the PROLOG to develop the Artificial Intelligence software.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Organizational Theory Essay

1. Develop your understanding of the nature of the key organisation perspectives and their related theories; 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the key perspectives and the meta-theoretical assumptions that underpin each; 3. Demonstrate an appreciation of the relationship between perspectives and their respective theories; 4. Develop research skills and the ability to assess the strengths and weaknesses of various debates and arguments; 5. Gain skills in the written presentation of an argument, including the ways in which scholars incorporate and acknowledge the ideas of other writers. Criteria for assessment For this assignment your essay will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates: 1. Your ability to present a clear, compelling, well-presented and properly referenced argument. 2. Your ability to respond directly to the key issues raised by the question. 3. Your ability to engage with the work of other authors and extract relevant detail and explanation. 4. Your ability to assess the arguments and debates of and between other authors and incorporate them into your response. QUESTION: What are the advantages and disadvantages of a multi-perspective approach to understanding organisations? In answering the question you will need to engage with the nature of the various perspectives and how they enable and limit our understanding of organisations. In answering the essay question you must focus explicitly on the key issues identified in the question. A failure to follow this and the following instructions will result in a significant loss of marks. Presenting your answer: Please use headings with care. It is better to avoid using them in an essay but if you must, please keep them to a minimum and ensure that they enhance rather than undermine your argument. In order to construct a logical response to the question the following structure is suggested. You do not need to use the provided headings (see above comment regarding ‘headings’) and the structure itself is not mandatory. But, if you are going to use an alternative structure please ensure that it enables you to present a clear and direct response to the question asked. In answering the essay question you must focus explicitly on the key issues identified in the question. Introduction: In this section you must provide an overview of your answer to the question; provide answers to the key what and why questions of your argument/answer. These should take the form of direct responses to the key issues raised by the question. Your argument should be informed by a critical analysis of the content of the key readings. Please keep in mind that in all sections of your response you must move past description to analysis, this means providing answers to the why questions that emerge from your key statements. Exploration of your argument: In this section of the essay you need to accomplish two tasks. First, you must explore the key perspectives showing how each is underpinned by different assumptions that determine the way organisations are interpreted and understood. You must also address the theoretical implications of these various ways of seeing and how they enable and limit our understanding of organisations. Second, having demonstrated an understanding of the perspectives and their theoretical implications you need to evaluate the different arguments for and against a multi-perspective approach to understanding organisations. This evaluation must draw on and relate to your discussion about the individual perspectives and how they enable and limit our understanding of organisations. The whole response must be informed by an engagement with relevant sources, especially the textbook and the readings provided on the Blackboard. You must draw upon and evaluate academic debates and arguments. This is not to be viewed as an exercise in which you make up a response off-the-top-of-your-head. Conclusion: You must conclude with your general answer to the question. It should reiterate the key argument and answer to the question provided in the introduction and indicate to what extent it has been supported or challenged by your analysis of the debates and arguments of other authors. ADDITIONAL GUIDENCE: – This essay question has been designed to encourage you to prepare your own individual essay. There is no single ‘right’ answer. Markers will be looking for evidence that you have read broadly, including the provided material, and have synthesised the material to develop your own answer/ argument. The markers will also expect you to answer the question in your own words. The following points are to help you to understand and complete your assignment: 1. The question asks you to compare and contrast perspectives with regards to how they enable and constrain our understanding of organisations. The focus for this comparison is on the perspectives’ meta-theoretical assumptions and how these shape their respective theories. This part of the essay allows you to demonstrate your understanding of the course material covered in weeks 1-4. 2. Do not try to cover every single detail; you only have 2000 words so concentrate on the major points rather than fine details. 3. The focus in this essay is on analysis rather than description. Any description of your chosen perspectives must form part of your analysis and must contribute to the argument that you are making in your essay. This means answering why questions and providing supporting evidence. 4. This is not an essay asking you to consider management practices or styles of management. It is asking you to focus on ‘ways of seeing’ and thinking about organisations (different perspectives) and ways of understanding and theorising about organisations. Think of yourself as a researcher (rather than manager) of an organisation and you have a range of devices you can use to study organisations. Each device provides you with the ability to learn something different about the organisation. Your job is to explain how each of the devices provides you with different ways of understanding organisations. Do not use actual organisations as examples because it is the theory that you are seeking to demonstrate an understanding of. 5. You must use the sources provided to develop your answer. They have been selected because they provide the essential material required to answer the question. You will lose marks if you fail to use them. 6. Before you begin to look for additional reading you should first acquire a good understanding of the basics from the textbook and the required readings. Once you acquire this understanding you can then look for other material. 7. You can make use of the Web sources but they need to be reliable sources- Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information. We encourage you to make use of journal articles which can be found via a range of library databases. I suggest you use Expanded Academic ASAP (Gale) database which is located through the Databases section of the library website because it allows you to search a range of journals using keywords. Some of the keywords you should consider are: organisational culture, power in organisations, organisational change, organisations and modernism, organisations and symbolic interpretivism, organisations and postmodernism, etc. You will find an enormous amount of relevant literature. You can also do author searches which can be helpful to locate recent articles by scholars mentioned in the textbook. We also encourage you to make use of the references and further reading suggested by the textbook at the end of each chapter. ‘Citation Linker’ found through the library website is a useful tool to locate some of the journal articles mentioned in the textbook. There is a lot of information out there regarding the topic. 8. Students are NOT allowed to use lecture notes as reference materials. 9. You should look at the assessment sheet found in the course guide. It will give you a feel for the sorts of things we will be assessing. 10. You should also look at the other part of the course guide which outlines the differences between the grades -i.e. what separates a ‘P’ from a ‘C’. A key point to remember in answering the questions is not to be overly descriptive. In answering the question you will need to develop an argument. An argument requires ‘expressing a point of view on a subject and supporting it with evidence’ (see http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/argument.html) The basic components of an argument include: * Making a claim (informed by relevant organisational theories) * Supporting your claim with evidence