The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Sixteen

Elena hurried toward Robert E. Lee, feeling as if she'd been away from it for years. Last night seemed like something from her distant childhood, barely remembered. But she knew that today there would be its consequences to face. Last night she'd had to face Aunt Judith. Her aunt had been terribly upset when neighbors had told her about the murder, and even more upset that no one seemed to know where Elena was. By the time Elena had arrived home at nearly two in the morning, she had been frantic with worry. Elena hadn't been able to explain. She could only say that she'd been with Stefan, and that she knew he had been accused, and that she knew was innocent. All the rest, everything else that had happened, she had had to keep to herself. Even if Aunt Judith had believed it, she would never have understood. And this morning Elena had slept in, and now she was late. The streets were deserted except for her, as she hurried on toward the school. Overhead,, the sky was gray and a wind was rising. She desperately wanted to see Stefan. All night, while she'd been sleeping so heavily, she'd had nightmares about him. One dream had been especially real. In it she saw Stefan's pale face and his angry, accusing eyes. He held up a book to her and said, â€Å"How could you, Elena? How could you?† Then he dropped the book at her feet and walked away. She called after him, pleading, but he went on walking until he disappeared in darkness. When she looked down at the book, she saw it was bound in dark blue velvet. Her diary. A quiver of anger went through her as she thought again of how her diary had been stolen. But what did the dream mean? What was in her diary to make Stefan look like that? She didn't know. All she knew was that she needed to see him, to hear his voice, to feel his arms around her. Being away from him was like being separated from her own flesh. She ran up the steps of the high school into the nearly empty corridors. She headed toward the foreign-language wing, because she knew that Stefan's first class was Latin. If she could just see him for a moment, she would be all right. But he wasn't in class. Through the little window in the door, she saw his empty seat. Matt was there, and the expression on his face made her feel more frightened than ever. He kept glancing at Stefan's desk with a look of sick apprehension. Elena turned away from the door mechanically. Like an automaton, she climbed the stairs and walked to her trigonometry classroom. As she opened the door, she saw every face turn toward her, and she slipped hastily into the empty desk beside Meredith. Ms. Halpern stopped the lesson for a moment and looked at her, then continued. When the teacher had turned back to the blackboard, Elena looked at Meredith. Meredith reached over to take her hand. â€Å"Are you all right?† she whispered. â€Å"I don't know,† said Elena stupidly. She felt as if the very air around her was smothering her, as if there were a crushing weight all around her. Meredith's fingers felt dry and hot. â€Å"Meredith, do you know what's happened to Stefan?† â€Å"You meanyou don't know?† Meredith's dark eyes widened, and Elena felt the weight grow even more crushing. It was like being deep, deep under water without a pressure suit. â€Å"They haven't†¦ arrested him, have they?† she said, forcing the words out. â€Å"Elena, it's worse than that. He's disappeared. The police went to the boarding house early this morning and he wasn't there. They came to school, too, but he never showed up today. They said they'd found his car abandoned out by Old Creek Road. Elena, they think he's left, skipped town, because he's guilty.† â€Å"That's not true,† said Elena through her teeth. She saw people turn around and look at her, but she was beyond caring. â€Å"He's innocent!† â€Å"I know you think so, Elena, but why else would he leave?† â€Å"He wouldn't. He didn't.† Something was burning inside Elena, a fire of anger that pushed back at the crushing fear. She was breathing raggedly. â€Å"He would never have left of his own free will.† â€Å"You mean someone forced him? But who? Tyler wouldn't dare-† â€Å"Forced him, or worse,† Elena interrupted. The entire class was staring at them now, and Ms. Halpern was opening her mouth. Elena stood up suddenly, looking at them without seeing. â€Å"God help him if he's hurt Stefan,† she said. â€Å"Godhelp him.† Then she whirled and made for the door. â€Å"Elena, come back! Elena!† She could hear shouts behind her, Meredith's and Ms. Halpern's. She walked on, faster and faster, seeing only what was straight ahead of her, her mind fixed on one thing. They thought she was going after Tyler Smallwood. Good. They could waste their time running in the wrong direction. She knew what she had to do. She left the school, plunging into the cold autumn air. She moved quickly, legs eating up the distance between the school and the Old Creek Road. From there she turned toward Wickery Bridge and the graveyard. An icy wind whipped her hair back and stung her face. Oak leaves were flying around her, swirling in the air. But the conflagration in her heart was searing hot and burned away the cold. She knew now what a towering rage meant. She strode past the purple beeches and the weeping willows into the center of the old graveyard and looked around her with feverish eyes. Above, the clouds were flowing along like a lead-gray river. The limbs of the oaks and beeches lashed together wildly. A gust threw handfuls of leaves into her face. It was as if the graveyard were trying to drive her out, as if it were showing her its power, gathering itself to do something awful to her. Elena ignored all of it. She spun around, her burning gaze searching between the headstones. Then she turned and shouted directly into the fury of the wind. Just one word, but the one she knew would bring him. â€Å"Damon!† [The End]

Economics Stock market Essay

Playing the stock market is like gambling. Such speculative investing has no social value, other than the pleasure people get from this form of gambling. On the surface, this seems true. Folks are just buying and selling and hoping the difference will end up in their checkbook. They are not improving the lives of others, encouraging certain business practices, buying and using goods, or hiring and training workers. In fact, the businesses that they buy and sell may never matter to them and never know about their activity. So, what social value was there? However, upon deeper reflection, there might be more. The buying and selling creates liquidity in a public market and permits business to obtain cheap funding for projects that produce jobs, feed communities, train workers and support charities. And, to the extent that playing the stock market educates the investor (no telling if it does or not), the investor might learn about company activities and get interested in particular firms and support their goals. This evolution from disinterested to interested/active may or may not occur but it is possible. Yes, they might be trying to beat the odds, as in a black jack game but this activity might be ultimately educational and provides the grease that lubricates the capital markets. Playing the stock market is like gambling. Such speculative investing has no social value, other than the pleasure people get from this form of gambling. On the surface, this seems true. Folks are just buying and selling and hoping the difference will end up in their checkbook. They are not improving the lives of others, encouraging certain business practices, buying and using goods, or hiring and training workers. In fact, the businesses that they buy and sell may never matter to them and never know about their activity. So, what social value was there? However, upon deeper reflection, there might be more. The buying and selling creates liquidity in a public market and permits business to obtain cheap funding for projects that produce jobs, feed communities, train workers and support charities. And, to the extent that playing the stock market educates the investor (no telling if it does or not), the investor might learn about company activities and get interested in particular firms and support their goals. This evolution from disinterested to interested/active may or may not occur but it is possible. Yes, they might be trying to beat the odds, as in a black jack game but this activity might be ultimately educational and provides the grease that lubricates the capital markets.

Impact of wireless communication devices and systems nowadays Essay

ABSTRACT Nowadays, wireless communication devices and systems have a huge impact on everyone. This project describes the performance of the 433MHz RF module for WSN applications. The system is built wirelessly where it can transmit and receive signals from DHT11 which is a temperature sensor and humidity. This 433MHz RF module is used to transmit and receive data from Arduino Pro, which is connected directly to the RF module and sensor modules. It also allows data packets to be moved remotely. There are other transmissions such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth and others but the 433MHz RF module creates more flexibility in dealing with such problems. Therefore, the 433MHz RF module is selected to achieve the goal of the project as the RF module can handle the problem. Additionally, the transferred data will also be sent and received without any loss of data in the barrier or in a line of sight. These projects should examine the distance and performance of the 433MHz RF module. ABSTRAK Pada masa kini, peranti dan sistem komunikasi tanpa wayar mempunyai impak yang sangat besar kepada semua orang. Projek ini menerangkan tentang prestasi modul RF 433MHz untuk aplikasi WSN. Sistem ini dibina secara wayarles dimana ianya boleh menghantar dan menerima isyarat dari DHT11 yang merupakan sensor suhu dan kelembapan. Modul RF 433MHz ini digunakan untuk menghantar dan menerima data dari Arduino Pro, yang disambungkan secara langsung dengan peranti modul RF dan sensor. Ia juga membenarkan paket data yang diperlukan untuk dipindahkan dengan jarak jauh. terdapat jugak penghantaran lain seperti Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth dan lain-lain lagi tetapi modul 433MHz RF mencipta lebih banyak fleksibiliti dalam menangani masalah seperti ini. Oleh sebab itu, 433MHz RF modul dipilih untuk mencapai matlamat projek ini kerana modul RF dapat menangani masalah tersebut. Selain itu, data yang telah dipindahkan juga akan dihantar dan diterima tanpa ada sebarang kehilangan data di dalam halangan mahu pun garis penglihatan. Projek-projek ini perlu mengkaji mengenai jarak dan prestasi modul RF 433MHz. DEDICATION To my beloved parents, thank you for the support, encouragement, and understanding from both of you, Mukhtar Bin Baharom and Rahmah Binti Yunus. This work is dedicated to them. Acknowledgment Thanks to Allah S.W.T for his blessing and mercy for giving me the strength to complete my task that given in Final Year Project. However, it is impossible for me to complete this project without help and support from anybody. So, I would like to thank you for all of them. I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor, Mr. Mohd Khanapiah Bin Nor for guiding me to complete this project. He was giving me necessary information regarding the project and a lot of inspiring ideas. My appreciation also gives to my beloved parents, family members, and friends who have been behind me throughout this project for the encouragement and supported from them. I really appreciate all their help and support while I’m completing this project. Lastly, I would like to sincerely thank Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) for providing the facilities and equipment for me to complete my project. In the previous era, the technology application mostly using wire but now a wireless device has become commonplace. The wireless sensor network can be defined as an application that having no wires connection on that devices. In addition, to make the system easy to monitor from a distant location, the RF 433MHz module was used. So, this project gives the idea for studying details about the RF 433MHz module performance for WSN application. 1.1 Project Background Nowadays, using the wireless sensor network (WSN) technology to monitor the environment helps someone to solve the problems of deployment difficulty, high cost, and realized unmanned monitoring which is mostly used in a factory, buildings, laboratory, and house. This project is to study the range and performance of the RF 433MHz module for WSN application. RF 433MHz module is popularly used in the remote control system. This range also available to use in this area. There are two types of the RF module which is transmitter and receiver. From research, using RF 433MHz module, the data can get more accurately without any data losses with the range that given than compared to another transmission for the wireless sensor network. The range that can reach by this RF module is different between outside and inside area. For inside area, it can work for 50 meters through multiple walls with an antenna, while for the outside area, it will be able for hundreds of meters. Besides that, a microcontroller such as Arduino also used in this project. Arduino that available for this project is Arduino PRO which is it has 3.3V port that will be easier to connect directly to the types of RF 433MHz module that used in this project. This project also will be studied the analysis of the data transmission by giving a few of distance between the transmitter and receiver of the RF 433MHz modules when located in the obstacles or line of sight area. Then, the data that are received will be displayed on the computer whether there are data losses or not. The problem that becoming as issues right now is there is a lot of ways to send data but the problem is about the range, cost, and data losses. So, for this situation, study the performance of RF 433MHz can overcome the problem for the WSN application. The objectives of this project are to understand the range and performance of RF 433MHz module. Moreover, exploration about the transmitting and receiving the data by using the RF 433MHz module. The main work scope of this project is to make sure this project will achieve the objectives. The main focus of this project:- i. To study and understanding the range of RF 433MHz module. ii. To transfer data by using RF 433MHz module. 1.5 Methodology In this project, there is three part that needs to follow. For the first part, it will be focused on the conducting the literature review and do some research more detail about the RF 433MHz module. Meanwhile, for the second part, after the software development process, the hardware development process will take over and include the testing of the project. Last part, when the hardware and software complete their part, it will be followed by testing the performance and the operation of the project to make an analysis. The methodology is the explanation of the procedures or steps when doing this project. The simulation, analysis, and evaluation of the project. A literature review is an important step before proceeding to the project. Collecting all the required information about the 433MHz RF module from the books, journals, and website. The literature review also can provide a useful information to complete the project. The idea for this project comes from the problem faced when the data that have been transmitted becomes losses with the range that provided. In this chapter, it will be explained more details about the project and also the components that will be used in this project. The frequency of 433MHz that used in the wireless sensor network can test the sending and receive the data for this range without any data losses. 433MHz RF modules required the 17cm of the antenna to support the range to send the data. The range is one of the most important parameters of any wireless system which is it defined how the transmitter and receiver can be apart from each other to send the data. A range of the outside with few obstacles the data can go through hundreds of meters. While for the indoor, the data can go over 50 meters through multiple walls. The external antenna will be soldering to the â€Å"ANT† on the transmitter to get more range which is 17cm of the length of the antenna that was used. Regarding the several research that I have done from a few of journals that can relate to my project. Wireless sensor networks are currently widely used in several of monitoring and control applications. Guohua Yang and Kui Zhang (2015) have conducted a project regarding the 433MHz radio for long-range communication. They present about the connectivity, range of the communication and packet loss ratio that have been performed in the indoor and outdoor environment. The Maarten Weyn and Glenn Ergeerts (2013) conducted the survey of the DASH7 Alliance Protocol for wireless sensor network (WSN). In this research, it stated that 433MHz is an unlicensed band. They said that, due to the frequency, it has a better propagation characteristic opposed to the higher frequency. The wavelength at the center of frequency is 69.14cm which is the bandwidth for the frequency is 1.84MHz. This limits the data rate of the communication at this frequency 433MHz is an ideal for low power of low data rate communication. Budi Setiyono, Sumardi, and Rafdito Harisuryo (2015) have conducted a project on measurement system of temperature, humidity and air pressure over 433MHz radio frequency for an application on a quadrotor. They using the telemetry system which is the measurement process of data at a certain distance. Then, they stated that data will be processed or analyzed by the receiving station. They stated on their result which is for successful transmission, the amount of data that received will be same as the amount of data that have been sent. This project is to improve the data transmission with 433MHz RF modules either in obstacles or line of sight condition. The 433MHz RF modules are categorized as the lower cost, lower power consumption and the most important is when the longer the distance for data that transmit remains accurate when it received by the receiver. In theoretical, the success of data transmission is the amount of data received will be same as the data that have been sent. That means there are no data losses when the transmission occurred. Radio Frequency (RF) is a rate in the range of around at 3 kHz to 300GHz which is corresponding to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating current that can carry the radio signals. ITU bandstand for International Telecommunication Union that defined for the electromagnetic frequencies that used for radar and radio. The best set of terms for frequencies used in communication. While the very lowest bands have no radar applications. The table below shows the frequency range and ITU band. The Arduino Pro is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328. This microcontroller is an open-source hardware and software. The version that used in this project is 3.3V/8MHz. This version can be powered by a battery or external power supply. It has 14 digital inputs and output pins which is 6 of it can be used as PWM output, another 6 pins for the analog input, battery power jack, an ICSP header and reset button. Arduino Pro needs to connect with FTDI cable through six pins header to provide the USB power and have a communication with the board. Arduino Pro has the port for 3.3V that can supply the voltage for the transceiver. Each of the 14 digital pins on the Arduino Pro can be used as an input and output which is operated at 3.3V. Each of the pins can provide or receive a maximum of 40mA and has internal pull-up resistor (disconnect by default) of 20 until 50 kohm. The ATmega328 has 32KB and running 8MHz of the external resonator. It also has 2KB of SRAM and 1KB of EEPROM that can read and written with the EEPROM library. The operation of the Arduino microcontroller is based on the connection made on the pins. The application can be done by using the Arduino software where Arduino function can be edited according to the applications in this software. This software can work on by using the C or C++ language. The program that has been creating the need to upload to the microcontroller by using the USB cable. If there is an error detected on the program, it will be adjusted by editing to make a correction on the process and then the program needs to reload again. Other than that, there is another option which is using the reset button to delete all the previous program that have been upload before this to make it clear then built again. MHz RF Module version that has been used. It is because can operates in the unlicensed ISM (Industry Science and Medicine) radio band. It’s available for use in the inexpensive area for short-range wireless networks of sensors. This types can operate on the 433MHz frequency and can capable of transmitting at up to 100mW and up to 300kbps. When increasing the transmit power and reducing the data rate it can maximize the range of the 433MHz. DHT11 is a digital temperature and humidity sensor. Its suitable for my project that only needs to read the data about the temperature and humidity only. Micro-B is the smallest USB connector type. This type also used for the android as a cable for charging while USB port A is that can connect to PC or laptop. This USB cable needs to connect the RF transceiver module with the Arduino Pro at the transmitter and receiver. Using this board because the standard FTDI board cannot supply the enough current to run the RFM69 433MHz RF Modules. The difference between standard FTDI and Beefy 3 FTDI is the current that can provide which is standard FTDI provide 50mA while Beefy 3 FTDI provides up to 500mA. This chapter will be discussed the procedures and steps that used in this project. Each of the methods that were used to achieve this project will be stated and explain briefly. The purpose of the methodology is used to achieve the objective that has been stated. 3.1 Software Design In this part, the software design is part to do the programming by using the Arduino software. The flow of the data transmission starting from the reading of the temperature and humidity by using the DHT11 sensor. Then, the data will be processed by a microcontroller. It will be sent through the transmission of data by using the 433MHz RF transmitter module. When the power supply is turned on, the 433MHz RF receiver module and the microcontroller ready to accept the data that have been transmitted. After that, the data is sent by the Arduino microcontroller via a serial port to the computer for displaying the data. Based on Figure 1 and Figure 2 it showed the flow how it works. Hardware design consists of two parts which are from here it will be explained how the flow of the project will be complete. For the first part as shown in Figure 3.3 is the data obtain from the DHT11 sensor reading, then the data will be transmitted by the 433MHz RF transmitter modules. While for the second part as shown in Figure 3.4 is the data received via 433MHz RF receiver modules then sent by the Arduino PRO that connected to a computer for display. The generated data for this project should be the same with the theoretical results. Besides that, the results of this project will be compared with the theoretical results, the journals or book that have been found.

Show Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Show - Essay Example how is to isolate the contestants and then observe their behavior and interactions with all the other participants as they are completely cut off from the outside world. The eligibility criteria is simple, the individual must be 21 years of age and must be willing to travel at his or her own expense. US citizenship is mandatory and the individual should be fit mentally and physically. The layout of the show requires complete informed consent from the contestants that allows the producers to conduct a full background check. These are some of the eligibility requirements that are set by the CBS Entertainment Corporation. If the requirements are fulfilled then the individual needs to fill out an application form and send in an introductory video, upon receipt of these materials subsequent interviews decides whether or not they get to appear on the show. Their survival in the house under heavy scrutiny takes them a step closer to the cash prize and turns them into a celebrity

Health Care Planning and Evaluation Research Paper

Health Care Planning and Evaluation - Research Paper Example cts and supports medical study to comprehend how a person’s body functions and achieve insights into numerous disorders and diseases, from uncommon to more recognizable ones such as the common cold. The NIH is mandated to conduct scientific research in search of basic knowledge on the behavior and nature of living styles and the utilization of that understanding to expand healthy life and decrease the burdens of disability and illness. NIH conducts high-quality, goal-oriented study and policy assessment of the organization, funding and health care delivery in America. The NIH operates to recognize major health care policy concerns, discover policy alternatives, and analyze benefits, and drawbacks of policy alternatives to assist advice policy formulators and various key decision-makes on how the increase in access to affordable, high-quality health care to the entire American population. Advance health care planning does not merely entail old age; at whatever age, a medical emergency could many people seriously ill to make their individual health care decisions. Thus, making future health care planning is an essential step toward improving the general health of people. Advanced healthcare planning entails learning about the forms of choices that may be made, regarding those choices in advance, and putting them in an advance directive. Medical research provides a vital function in the health status of all Americans. Because of the developments in medication and public health, the U.S. populations are living and staying healthier. The NIH promotes a lot of the research study countrywide that evaluates how individuals age and the means to advance their health during their later ages. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is a branch of NIH; where various NIA-promoted studies centers on advance healthcare planning, involving assessing why individuals might accomplish ad vance directions and the impact of these directions on end-of-life health care. The 27

How Oil and Gas Could Affect the Economy Research Paper

How Oil and Gas Could Affect the Economy - Research Paper Example This paper tells that the use of oil and gas may continue to change and affect the economy, dependent on how it is used within various regions of the world.   If this resource continues to fluctuate, it can lead to either a recession in the economy or growth and expansion of various regions. The use of oil and gas is no longer one that is based in different regions of the world. It has now become a dependent resource from every region, with most resources coming from regions such as the Middle East and being outsourced into different places of the globe. Each of the areas that produce oil and gas first has to find the natural resource through an oilfield that can continue to produce the right demands for various regions of the world. The current demand has led to most oilfields producing an average of 260 billion barrels a year, some which produce as much as 25 billion barrels a day. As the gas and oil continue to be produced, it leads to instant fluctuations with pricing. The equa tion that is used is based on the amount of oil and gas that are available for different regions of the world, specifically with estimates of how much oil and gas can be recovered from the selling prices of the oil and gas. For example, if not as much oil and gas can be produced from an oilfield, then the prices will begin to rise in the economy and will alter how much one spends on the amount of gas or oil for their needs. The main effect that the oil production has on the world economy is based on a rise and decline of pricing and production. As the rise of oil demands continue, there is the inability to continue with the amount of production that takes place through the oil that is available. The geological constraints and technological problems are making it so that there are limitations in the amount of production. The result is that political influences and other factors begin to affect the economy by raising prices and creating different ways to find oil.

Benjamin Franklin's Speech on the Constitution Essay

Benjamin Franklin's Speech on the Constitution - Essay Example The speech, more than a politician’s oratorical musing (he did not even delivered it, he was too frail to personally deliver the speech) served several purpose during the Constitutional Convention.†First, the delegates' signatin-es would function as a marketing device, highlighting important pro-Constitution selling points to the people who would ultimately determine its fate. Second, the signatures would function as a constraining device, preventing the Constitution's signatories —all of whom carried considerable local influence —from publicly opposing the document once the ratification battles began† (Coenen 971) . Obviously, the speech served its purpose because we are now a constitutional government. Without that speech, United States may not be the America that we know today. It may have been still fragmented and undemocratic. It must be understood that along with the speech, was Benjamin Franklin’s statemanship that brought the benefit of pragmatic compromise for America to unite. Franklin as can be reflected in his 1787 speech after the Constitutional Convention, was a great power broker because he made the representative’s to sign the proposed constitution. Corollary to the speech is its democratic implication. During the representation of individuals to the Constitutional Convention , representation was made not on the basis of landownership nor a prerequisite for the right to vote because Franklin was vehemently against it. He also sought for a simple government and government that is guarded from despotism by limiting the power of a president and recommended corrective measures such as impeachment to remove an erring president. Perhaps the byproducts of Benjamin Franklin efforts to have the Constitution signed by the representatives, from his speech, to the mode of representation, voting and governance set the backbone of American democracy. Benjamin Franklin made this possible because he saw the task of creating a government to be not an impossible endeavor. He believed that creating American government only required that people so what was â€Å"useful and right for themselves, and they could easily do that without interfering with what useful and right for others â€Å"(Morgan 148). Thus, with only few days of lobbying for the passage of the Constitution, had the lasting effect that influenced American government and way of life for the next 250 years. Imagine what America would be without the speech and efforts of Franklin. Considering Franklin’s contribution not only in framing the Constitution but also in lobbying to have it passed, we may be inclined to believe that Benajmin Franklin was a revolutionary and wanted a revolutionary government. His idea might be, in a way revolutionary during his time but Benjamin Franklin was never considered as a radical as a politician. He can be classified rather as a moderate and even a conservative by today’s standard. Smi th elaborated that â€Å"Benjamin Franklin should not, however, be classed with the revolutionary radicals who saw government as only a necessary evil that a society should minimze as much as possible. . . it would be accurate to say that government: government with strictly curtailed ends, powers fully adequate to meet those ends, and lines of responsibilities of maximum directness and clarity† (128). Examining the speech closely, we could also infer that later politicians cribbed some of Franklin’s idea. This only manifests that Benjamin Frankli

Therese of Lisieux Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Therese of Lisieux - Essay Example She almost shares this trait with another woman mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). As Carol L. Flinters point out â€Å"Over and over in the lives of these women, perhaps most explicitly in Teresa and Therese, we come to see the incredible strength that comes of starting with â€Å"the little things† (Enduring Grace, Introduction, PP12). These saints gave away their lives for the sake of God and for others. Saint Therese was born in France in 1873 with a strange background of parenthood. Her father wanted to be a monk and her mother a saint. Thus after marriage they decided to go for celibacy. It was a priest who convinced them otherwise and they had nine children. Five children who survived were all girls. Therese lost her mother when she was just four. Her sixteen year old elder sister, Pauline was her second mother. But she lost this mother too as Pauline joined the Carmelite convent with in five years. Later after a few months when she fell ill and when every one thought that she was dying, she prayed at the statue of Mary in her room and found that Mary was smiling at her. She got cured. Carole L. Flinters points out that, such periods of illness and solitary sufferings are seen in the lives of most of these women mystics including Saint Teresa of Avila.

A Challenged Personal Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Challenged Personal Decision - Essay Example l stages of work had been challenging yet fulfilling until one of my friends started taking unusual control of the group by seemingly imposing uneven delegation of assignments claiming that the majority of the pupils requested more of his service than those of others in our roster. This conflict eventually called me to respond to a personal challenge of deciding how to balance treatment between friendship and profession. I had thought all along that my own performance was capable of radiating motivation in such a way as to get everyone in the team to operate with interdependence. Then I figured that some people desired the same amount of recognition I was receiving so that the spirit of teamwork would be best acknowledged. Another cause that might have led to indifference and the urge to manipulate was my failure to interact properly, being accustomed to the individualistic approach toward personal growth at the expense of quality relations. Apparently, I occurred to have overlooked the equivalent significance of the contributions made by the rest of the members. By such failure to promote the welfare of others especially their worth in the collective effort, my friends and certain other members had narrowed to thinking that I was conceited. In effect, factions naturally emerged in our group and a friend of three years, as aforementioned, expressed straightforward disagreement on the current setup. T hough seeing that I had successfully proven remarkable skills at carrying out lectures on the subject I knew with mastery, the inability and unconscious reluctance of communicating good intentions with mentoring, however, rendered the other person to suppose that I was merely trying to get an edge over the rest rather than acting on my improved version of using knowledge and skills to meet the needs and satisfaction of the learners.  Ã‚  

Problem Solving Essay Example for Free

Problem Solving Essay How did you interpret the problem? The first time I read the problem, Ive interpreted it as a mental exercise to test how I can apply my problem-solving skills.   I saw the problem as something that needs a combination of strategy and logic to solve.   Ive met a problem of a similar nature sometime ago.   Although it was of a different kind, the idea is the same.   This problem will turn out to be confusing at first, but once Ill get a clearer picture of the sequence, then solving it will become possible. What strategy did you use and how did you evaluate your progress? At the start, Ive used the trial and error method.   By picking a random animal, I was able to find a step-by-step process that solved the problem.   I was able to evaluate my progress by constantly checking that I have followed the given conditions and the attempts at crossing have not produced negative results.   By successfully transferring one animal from one bank to another, while the remaining two were compatible told me that the steps I was following were correct. The first step I employed is to list down the given conditions in this problem.   These are: i) dog and cat cant be together; and ii) cat and mouse cant be together. Having those two sets of conditions, the next thing I did is to put the cat on the raft, leaving the dog and mouse on the riverbank.   That first attempt proved to be a failure because I dont know yet how to make the raft return to the other side without an animal on it.   The next thing I tried is to load the dog and the cat on the raft together to see if nothing will happen to the cat.   The condition only said that the cat will get eaten if left on the riverbank with the dog. But on reading the problem again, it says that only one animal can ride on the raft.   After discovering that the raft will cross the river without an animal, solving the problem became easy. River Problem 2 The problem can be solved by first leaving the cat on the other side while the man goes back to pick the dog.   On his way back, hell bring the cat with him.   Upon reaching the bank, hell bring the mouse and leave the cat.   He will then deposit the mouse with the dog while he goes back to fetch the cat. Did you encounter any obstacles while solving the problem? Yes. The first obstacle that Ive encountered is how to make one animal cross, leave it on the opposite bank, and bring the raft back to where the remaining animals are.   After Ive found out that the raft can travel across the river without an animal on it, the problem became easier to solve. Were you aware of this thought process as you worked through the problem? Yes, I was aware of how my mind was processing these thoughts as I was working through the problem.   This is basically a logic exercise, which suggests that in order to properly assess the problem, its necessary that youre aware of how your thought process is developing.

Reflections Ethical Issues On Abortion Philosophy Essay

Reflections Ethical Issues On Abortion Philosophy Essay Society has been up in arms over the issue of abortion for years, and will continue to be for years to come. There are those who defend the laws against abortion and those who believe that abortion is perfectly within a womans right to have the procedure performed. What then is hubbub about? It all boils down to what is morally and ethically right. There are those who argue that abortion is morally reprehensible and should be prohibited; and those who try to abstain or avoid casting any judgment on the morality of this practice. There are those who say the laws are just because they prohibit actions that are morally permissible; others oppose these laws without thought of the moral issue at all and argue that the individual have a right to choose for themselves whether or not to indulge in the practice. Abortion, as we all know, is the unnatural termination or an end to a pregnancy before birth that results in the death of a fetus. The question then becomes how is it determined how abortion can be morally right or wrong if it cannot be determined when the essence of personhood begins, and is abortion in fact murder (Warren)? Some abortions occur spontaneously or naturally because the fetus does not develop normally. Others occur because of a trauma or injury to the mother which prevents the pregnancy from developing full term. Also, there are those that are clinically induced because either the pregnancy presents a risk to the woman or is unwanted. An induced abortion is one of the most ethical and philosophical issues of the century. In the United States, the debate over abortion has brought about many legal court and state legislative battles. These battles have also been the source of violent confrontations at clinics and anti-abortion rallies. There are also several other methods used in the abortion process: the morning after pill that is taken within seventy-two hours of unprotected sexual intercourse and another pill taken twelve hours later. The purpose of this pill is to prohibit the fetus from further development at the early stages of conception, or at the point where the sperm fertilizes the egg (Schmidt). So, when does the fertilized egg become a fetus? Is it when the fetus can react to pain? Is it at conception, or, is it when the actual birth occurs? Evidence conflicts, with several physicians holding that the fetus is capable of feeling pain sometime in the first trimester (Schmidt, 1984), and medical researchers, notably from the American Medical Association, maintaining that the neuroanatomical requirements for such experience do not exist until the 29th week of gestation. Pain receptors begin to appear in the seventh week of gestation (Schmidt, 1984). The thalamus, the part of the brain which receives signals from the nervous system and then relays them to the cerebral cortex, starts to form in the fifth week. However, other anatomical structures involved in the nociceptive process are not present until much later in gestation. Links between the thalamus and cerebral cortex form around the 23rd week. There has been suggestion that a fetus cannot feel pain at all, under the premi se that it requires mental development that only occurs outside the uterus Some of the most common arguments abortion supporters use when confronting abortion opponents is when does a life begin? When does a fertilized egg become a fetus? When does a fetus become a baby? Since there is no scientifically provable answer, it boils down to religious beliefs and not scientific proof. Don Marquis argues that abortion is wrong and immoral. That the killing of a fetus is equivalent to the killing of any human being is morally wrong (Marquis). Marquis argues, is that abortion destroys ones possible future. It is for this very reason that it is morally wrong to take our lives. All our activities, enjoyments, etc., are suddenly non-realizable because someone has taken our lives. This is, he says, the natural property that explains why it is wrong to kill humans Singer states that arguments for or against abortion should be based on utilitarian calculation which weighs the preferences of a mother against the preferences of the fetus. In his view a preference is anything sought to be obtained or avoided; all forms of benefit or harm caused to a being correspond directly with the satisfaction or frustration of one or more of its preferences. Since a capacity to experience the sensations of suffering or satisfaction is a prerequisite to having any preferences at all, and a fetus, at least up to around eighteen weeks, says Singer, has no capacity to suffer or feel satisfaction, it is not possible for such a fetus to hold any preferences at all. In a utilitarian calculation, there is nothing to weigh against a mothers preferences to have an abortion. Therefore, abortion is morally permissible (Singer, 1993). An individuals position on the complex ethical, moral, philosophical, biological, and legal is-sues is often related to his or her value system. Opinions of abortion may be best described as being a combination of beliefs on its morality, and beliefs on the responsibility, ethical scope, and proper extent of governmental authorities in public policy. Religious ethics also has an influence upon both personal opinion and the greater debate over abortion. Let us, as an example of an ethical dilemma, consider Shauntay. Shauntay is a soon to be graduated senior at the New York School of the Arts. All of her young life has been struggle. Hungry, and sometimes near homeless, shes lived for eighteen years from one project to another. Shauntay knew the only way out of this situation was through hard work and dedication. Fortunately for her, there were those who believed in her as much as she in herself. Dance became her escape. Her hard work and determination finally paid off. Upon graduation, Shauntay was to receive a full ride scholarship to Julliard in the fall. All her life, it has been her dream to become a professional dancer and get away from the life of poverty to which she had been born. She has long had the desire to travel and see the world, an opportunity that her parents had never been able to give. However, just after her senior prom, and before graduation Shauntay received what to her was the most devastating news imaginable. You see, for several mornings she had experienced bouts of nausea and weakness. At first, not thinking much of it, she thought it was the flu or a stomach virus. Also, in reflecting she remembered she had not had a menstrual cycle this month. Concern that the virus would not go away, Shauntay went to the doctor. After her examination, the doctor returned and told her that she was going to be a mother. In the blink of an eye, all of her hopes and dreams seemed to fly out the window. What was she to do? How could she tell her parents? How would she tell those parents, whose dreams of her having a chance to grow were just as vivid as her own that, she was pregnant? How could she give up what she had worked so hard to achieve? How could she keep, love and care for this child that would have taken so much from her, and possibly condemned her to a life of further impoverishment? How would she take care of a baby? Where would she live? What could she do? What should she do? She had been taught that abortion was morally wrong. She had been taught that abortion was in the eyes of God, the same as murder. This was her dilemma. The idea of liberalizing abortion laws became culturally salient during the late 1960s, and several state legislatures passed relatively permissive abortion laws during this period. The trend toward gradual liberalization was interrupted by the Supreme Courts landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade, which held virtually all state abortion laws to be unconstitutional. Although public opinion generally moved in a more prochoice direction following Roe, the decision mobilized opposition from several, often religious, sources. Many cultural and religious conservatives opposed legal abortion because legal abortion was thought to encourage sexual promiscuity by reducing the risks of sexual activity outside of marriage. Another early source of opposition to legal abortion came from the African-American community. Several African-American leaders denounced legal abortion as genocide and suggested that easy access to abortion would ultimately be used by whites to limit societal responsibility to care for children born into poverty. When engaging in culturally and ethically controversial topics like abortion, it has been found that most people latch onto a specific idea and use it to counter every argument offered against their view. For example, one in favor of abortion might be unwilling to question the fact that a woman has a right to her own body, (which means that a fetus has no such rights). On the other hand, one who is against abortion might be unwilling to go beyond the claim that abortion is simply murder (Warren; 1973). It may well be that abortion is murder, but the debate will not be won by simply asserting that such is the case. The reason for so much of the confusion on the issue is our human tendency to accept or reject basic moral principles without adequate examination all boils down to agreeing to disagree. Failure to conduct such an examination means that we improperly accept or reject principles that ultimately determine the direction of life. One need only look at the radically different presentations regarding human nature found in Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Locke, Freud, Marx, Hegel, Hume, Sartre, Kierkegaard, and a host of others to see the importance of this issue. In the final analysis, who stands to judge what is morally right or ethically wrong? Is not killing by any other name still killing?

Gender-Based Household Divisions of Labour

Gender-Based Household Divisions of Labour THE DIVISION IN HOUSEHOLD LABOUR  BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN CONTENTS (JUMP TO) Abstract Introduction Literature Review Household Labour Defined The Gender Gap Research Methods Analysis Methods Historic Housework Gender Divisions   Global Housework Gender Divisions Reasons for Gender Gap Methodology Findings Recommendations Conclusion References ABSTRACT This study considers the gender gap in performance of household labour and its change over time, particularly in the last fifty years. Methods that others have used to research and analyse household labour, historic and multi-cultural gender divisions, reasons for the current and historic gender gap from a sociological perspective. This research then determines the most effective methods of data gathering and analysis and examines several studies over the last fifty years to conclude that the gender gap in household work is actually shrinking, albeit more slightly than some contend due to societal changes. Proposals for overcoming the disparity in household labour performance are assessed from a variety of published literature. Conclusions are drawn regarding the most likely factors affecting changes to the gender gap, namely changes in gender identities from a societal standpoint. Recommendations for further research and actions to further redu ce the housework disparity conclude th e study. INTRODUCTION Almost all research conducted in the past one hundred years has overwhelmingly and consistently supported a disparity between the household labour performed by women and men, with women typically outperforming men both in terms of more distasteful tasks and number of hours by significant margins. Since the beginning of the women’s movement in the 1960s, however, some inroads have been made regarding closing the gap between male and female performance. These must be weighed in light of overall changes in societal expectations and practise of household labour, but do show a trend towards greater egalitarianism in housework performance. This research begins with a thorough consideration of published literature regarding gender division of household labour and how such studies have been conducted and analysed, with reference to historic and multi-cultural gender divisions and sociological reasons for the persistent gender gap in housework performance. A survey of secondary research using the most accurate and informative data gathering methods is then conducted to determine whether the gender gap is indeed closing and if so, why, or whether broader societal and technological changes are merely affecting the performance of housework in general. The study concludes with recommendations for further research and suggestions from both others and the author regarding ways of moving towards a more egalitarian division of household labour performance. LITERATURE REVIEW As it applies directly or indirectly to almost everyone, much research and study has been performed regarding housework, the perceptions of those who perform it, and the assignment of household labour tasks within the home or family. This literature review provides a brief survey of some of these studies. An overview of the gender gap will be followed by six broad areas of consideration. First, the various methods by which housework study is conducted will be examined, as claims of inaccuracy are rampant for certain research methods. Similar consideration of different ways of analysing and interpreting this data follows. An overview of historic housework assignment, with particular focus on gender divisions and Britain, includes information stretching back several hundred years but concentrates on the previous century through the present, when statistical analysis and similar data began to be generated. Views of housework and gender division of tasks in other countries allow for a mo re holistic consideration of the topic. Finally, reasons for the gap between performance of household labour between men and women are from various studies are presented, with a number of researchers assertions of ways to overcome such disparity. Household Labour Defined In any study of household labour, also referred to as simply housework in this research, it is first beneficial to define what is meant by or included in the term. Some studies, for example, include only inside household tasks such as cleaning and cooking, excluding outside work such as gardening and exterior home repairs. Some studies include childcare as a household task; others place it in a separate category or do not include it. Lee and Waite (2005) note some research is based on a more restricted definition of housework, limited to physical tasks such as cleaning, cooking and laundry, whilst some include intangible components of household management, such as providing advice or encouragement, or planning and managing household tasks. For the purpose of this study all non-employment household tasks will be included, grouped broadly into inside and outside tasks, primarily because gender divisions often fall along these categorical divisions. Inside tasks are those performed inside the home, whilst tasks performed outside (yard work, taking out rubbish) fall in the latter category. In addition, based on the work of Coltrane (2000), tasks may be alternatively be considered from the standpoint of routine or occasional as another, and also typical, gender division. Coltrane (2000) defines routine tasks as the most time-consuming and most frequently performed, with little allowance for flexibility in task scheduling. Typical routine tasks include cooking, cleaning, shopping, and laundry. Occasional tasks, in comparison, are not as time-consuming on a daily basis and hence require less frequent performance, allowing more flexibility and discretion in when they are performed. Yard maintenance, home repairs (interior or e xterior), and paying bills are typical occasional tasks. Childcare will be considered in a separate category, although part of the overall household labour workload. This type of grouping is supported by many researchers such as Oakley (1981), Brines (1994), Press and Townsley (1998) and Alenezi and Walden (2004), who include childcare in household labour but place it in a separate category. Child rearing activities, such as bathing, disciplining, and the like may also be separated from recreational activities involving children, such as taking a child to the park or on an outing. In addition, Bianchi et al (2000) note that childcare is also an activity typically done in conjunction with other tasks, such as minding children whilst cooking or cleaning, or helping with homework whilst folding laundry. This is a further consideration when defining time spent and proportional contribution to household functioning. For the purposes of this study, therefore, all tasks involved in the establishment and maintenance of a household, including care for the persons of the household, are considered household labour or housework. Divisions within this household labour are made when specified, typically due to existing or to highlight gender differences between categories. The Gender Gap Current and recent historical culture in Britain and similar Western nations reveals a disparity in the performance of household tasks between women and men. Termed the ‘Gender Gap,’ this difference in housework reflects a much higher proportion of typical tasks performed by women than by men, even in dual-earner situations. Whilst there are other factors contributing to difference in allocation of household work, such as education, culture, and social class, Oakley (1974, 1981), Orbuch and Eyster (1997), Coltrane (2000), Lee (2002), Davis and Greenstein (2004), and Lee and Waite (2005) and many others have determined that gender plays a major role in task and work disparity, and this will be examined more fully under â€Å"Reasons for the Gender Gap† later in this literature review. General explanation of the gap itself is provided in this section of this study. Baxter (2001), after considering a number of studies regarding housework and gender, concludes â€Å"women do a much larger proportion of child care and routine indoor housework tasks than men, regardless of marital status† (19). This is supported by similar reviews of literature by Berk (1985), Ross (1987), Becker (1991), Ferree (1991), Brines (1993), Greenstein (1996), Orbuch and Eyster (1997), Coltrane (2000), Lee (2002), Davis and Greenstein (2004), and Lee and Waite (2005). The number of hours women spend has been declining over time, from over sixty hours per week prior to 1970, as reported by Oakley (1974) and others, to less than twenty in current reports such as Lee and Waite (2005), with men’s hours moving from less than three to nearly ten in some research. However, a substantial gap between men and women’s contributions to household labour still exists, as documented by Lee (2002), Rivià ¨res-pigeon, Saurel-Cubi zolles and Romito (2002), Alvarez and Miles (2003), Davis and Greenstein (2004), Alenezi and Walden (2004), Leonard (2004), Lee and Waite (2005). A gender gap between the types of household tasks performed also remains prevalent, with men performing more outdoor housework activities and fewer routine, inside tasks or childcare activities. Men are also more likely to describe their activities as enjoyable, such as playing with children or yard work, whilst women’s participation in activities they describe as enjoyable, such as baking and decorating, have decreased with fewer hours devoted to household work. Baxter (2001) concludes that in all reviewed studies â€Å"the differences are quite stark† (19). â€Å"Wives spend substantially more time than their husbands on family work, even though women do less and men do slightly more now than 20 years ago† (Bianchi, Milkie, Sayer Robinson 2000, 192). It was initially expected that with the growth of the women’s movement the gender gap would disappear. For example, Leonard (2004) reports â€Å"a number of UK studies optimistically predicted that womens entry to paid work outside the household would be accompanied by mens increased participation in unpaid work within the household† (73). Unfortunately, research in the UK and elsewhere continues to â€Å"demonstrate the resilience of traditional gender roles within the household irrespective of womens labour market status† (Leonard 2004, 73). This research will later examine the narrowing of this gender gap and the reasons behind both its continued existence and gradual lessening. Research Methods When comparing secondary data, it is important to consider the methods implemented in data collection. In direct relation to this study, for example, Lee and Waite (2005) amongst others found â€Å"conclusions about the size of the gender gap in housework depend substantially on who provides the information about time spent on housework, what information that person is asked to provide, and how housework is defined† (334). Shelton and John (1996) and Coltrane (2000) list typical methods of data collection regarding household labour distribution and performance include interviews, surveys, time-diaries, and most recently electronic recording methods. Lee and Waite (2005) explain that interviews and surveys typically ask respondents to estimate the number of hours and type of tasks they or their spouses spend performing housework tasks. Time-diary studies ask respondents to report all their daily activities, usually within the day be ing tracked or by the next day at the latest. It is not surprising, therefore, that differences in time of reporting lead to differences in accuracy. Becker (1991), Lee and Waite (2005) and others have all found that interviews and surveys, which require respondents to both recall and estimate contributions and tasks, are highly inaccurate. Time-diaries, which require respondents to document how they spend their time daily or throughout the day, are significantly more accurate, as supported by Becker (1991), Bianchi et al (2000), and Lee and Waite (2005). For example, Bianchi et al (2000) reports a typical difference of fifteen hours per week reported by men and women regarding women’s household labour, and a typical difference of nearly four hours in reporting of men’s contribution. Similarly, Press and Townsley (1998) report that, on average, husbands estimated spending approximately eighteen hours per week on household tasks, whilst wives estimated their husbands contribution at just under thirteen hours per wee k, a statistically significant difference. In comparing data from electronic data recording versus data from similar populations collected by survey, Lee and Waite (2005) concluded â€Å"wives make accurate estimates of husbands’ time on housework, whereas husbands overestimate their own time† (333). They additionally found some evidence that both wives and husbands may substantially overestimate the amount of time wives spend on housework. For example, Lee and Waite (2005) found wives’ responses to survey questions regarding hours spent on housework estimated twenty-six hours per week of household work, but measurement of the same individuals via an electronic data recording system (ESM) resulted in an average of only fifteen hours per week. In all, the differences between survey measures and ESM [electronic data recording] time-use measures are statistically significant and-for some estimates-quite substantial† (333). Further, broader consideration of types of tasks within household labour resulted in greater hours of contribution on the part of men, but made little difference in the weekly housework hours of women. For example, Lee (2004) found that whilst in one study both types of childcare activities were counted equally towards housework contribution, husbands’ time â€Å"tended to involve recreational activities rather than those tasks that constitute the daily grind of child rearing,† which were left to women (254). Baxter (2001) similarly found that men participated in housework primarily on weekends, and tended to perform occasional tasks such as yard work; women performed housework tasks throughout the week and weekend, being responsible for almost all routine tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Analysis Methods Research is equally divergent in the methods of analysis employed to interpret data regarding gender divisions in household labour. Some methods , such as commonly used empirical models, focus solely on time allocation and the variables contributing to allocation decisions. Bargaining models, time allocation models, and the household production model are three of the more common of these types of analysis methods. Mahoney (1995) describes various bargaining theories, which contend that since women earn less, they have less power in the household and are therefore relegated to performing the majority of housework tasks. For example, Alvarez and Miles (2003) found women with university degrees, and hence greater earning power, have reduced housework time. Alenezi Walden (2004) note, however, that the inverse is true for husbands. The more educated a man is, the more likely he is to contribute a greater number of hours to housework. Bargaining models in general, however, as summarized by Alenezi and Walden (2004) all present consumption and labour supply within the family based on some form of bargaining between family members based on each member’s earning potential and similar characteristics. This type of analysis generally categorises the various attributes, market wage, and similar for family members and uses such categorisation to evaluate gender divisio n of household labour. Time allocation models, in contrast, contend that individual contribution to household tasks is based on available time. Each family member individually determines contribution to the household based on market wages, leisure activities, and family consumption. Bittman et al (2001) notes that these analysis methods, however, do explain in part the differences in the effects of certain variables, such as education level, on men and women within a household. As Alenezi and Walden (2004) describe, time allocation theories are difficult to use as a basis of empirical research, as they depend on individual decision versus measurable inputs. This form of analysis typically begins with the labour division and works back into variables, rather than documenting variables and then considering activity, as is typical of bargaining theories. Becker (1991) presents the most often used method of analysis for time allocation of household labour, the household production model. This analysis method divides the household consumption of goods into those that are market-produced and those that are household-produced, and measures household utility and the gender division of household tasks, as described by Alenezi and Walden (2004) as â€Å"a function of the consumption of market-produced goods, household-produced goods, and leisure time of the husband and wife†(83). Bryant (1990) describes how households â€Å"spend† their two major resources, money and time. In certain circumstances, a household might spend more money to save time, such as by using outside cleaners or eating take out food. In other circumstances, the family may chose to spend time, painting a room themselves rather than hiring the painting out, for example. A lenezi and Walden (2004) conclude â€Å"households make decisions about using time wor king for pay, working on household tasks, like child-rearing and meal preparation, or for enjoyment (leisure)† (81). Berk (1985) criticises the household production model as making undocumented assumptions about joint production, preferences, and estimation of the shadow price of housework, but it remains one of the few empirical analysis methods that factors in a large number of variables and takes into consideration complexity and diversity within and between households. As Alenezi and Walden (2004) assert, the household production model â€Å"still remains the standard for analyzing household time allocation due to its ability to account for many complex relationships in household decision-making† (86). Some researchers such as Bittman et al (2001) and Alvarez and Miles (2003) contend, however, that empirical analysis methods such as those described above place too much emphasis on economic variables in general, and therefore explain only a limited share of the inequality in housework performance. As Oakley (1981) and Becker (1991) describe, gender division in household labour can also be considered from a more sociological approach. Becker (1991) affords that sociological theoretical models offer a wide and divergent variety of explanations for the unequal division of housework tasks along gender lines, but all provide relevant areas of consideration. For example, Alenezi Walden (2004) contend, â€Å"differences between husbands and wives housework time, spousal age, educational attainment, and number of children by age should be highlighted† (101). Given the difficulty in practise of considering the wide number of variables that could play into gender division of household labour, however, many studies choose to concentrate on the societal and sociological implications of one or two of what the individual researchers consider to be the most important or effectual inputs. As such, many studies have considered the impact of education levels, presence of children, age, social class, race, and value beliefs as determinants of household labour allocation. One of the most often considered variables is gender identity. As Oakley (1981) describes, men and women are instructed in what their particular society considers appropriate gender roles and actions from an early age. As such, women in Britain are typically raised to believe that housework is their responsibility, and therefore perform the bulk of household tasks. In this analysis, which will be described in greater detail later in this study in the section presenting reasons for the gender gap, researchers examine the development of gender identity, then its impact on household labour allocation, and further investigate impacts of changes in gender roles across society on household functioning. Historic Housework Gender Divisions Oakley (1974) provides a thorough and insightful study of historic gender divisions of household labour in Europe, concentrating on Britain. Prior to the nineteenth century, women were typically employed in the family business, as were the rest of family members. This business was housed within the home, and all members of the family might perform a given household task. Fathers were considerably more involved in child rearing, and tasks such as cleaning and cooking were not divided along gender lines. Women were often equal partners in business with their husbands, could be afforded guild membership on their own standing, inherited their husband’s trade privileges upon his death (versus them passing to a son), and â€Å"were not prevented from entering any occupation by reason of their sex† (31). As such, Oakley (1974) describes women as always occupying the role of productive worker, earning a market wage and enjoying ful l market employment participation. In the 1800s, Oakley (1974) describes the gradual displacement of vocation from the home to the factory. Women followed their traditional work out of the home and into the factories through the middle of the century. In fact, men, women, and children often worked side-by-side in various factory endeavours, just as they had in home-based vocational activity. However, this societal movement of employment from home to factory meant multiple family members were no longer physically present within the household to perform housework tasks or render childcare for small children. By the 1840s, societal pressure began on women to remain at home to render these services, and a simultaneous and not surprising belief became popular that women were naturally domestic and the appropriate carers for children. Male factory workers also began to ask for limits on child and female labour, ostensibly for the women and children’s own protection. By the end of the 1880s, the traditio nal role of w omen had shifted to the keeper of the home and rearer of children, whilst men had assumed sole provider role and worker outside the home. In the early 1900s through the Second World War, women were typically employed outside the home until marriage, at which time they left paid employment and assumed responsibility for housework tasks. Most women lived with their families until their marriage, and assisted their own mothers with work in that household but were not primarily responsible. After the war, women typically worked until their first child was expected, and often returned to paid work after their children left home. However, the notion of housework as a women’s responsibility was already culturally entrenched, and continued regardless of her employment status. This was supported by various legislative measures. For example, both Ireland and Britain had marriage bars, which legally excluded married women from working in public service or administration. Leonard (2004) notes that in Ireland, â€Å"up until 1973, women had to leave paid employment in the public sector upon getting mar ried† (74). This sole responsibility for household management was not a light one, either in terms of hours or tasks. Summarising a number of studies conducted in Britain, France, and the United States from the 1920s through the 1970s, Oakley (1974) reports that average hours of housework performed by women consistently ranks over sixty hours per week, with women in urban areas often averaging over seventy hours per week of labour. As of the early 1970s, Oakley (1974) reports a British study found eighty-five per cent of all women between the ages of sixteen and sixty-four were housewives, â€Å"they carried the responsibility for running the household in which they lived,† and â€Å"nine out of ten women who were not employed were housewives, so were seven out of ten of those with a job outside the home† (6). She concludes that housework is therefore clearly women’s major occupation. Important conclusions from historical data related to gender division of household tasks are that the notion of housewifery as a â€Å"natural† condition of women is a recent one, and not supported in previous centuries. Although various ethological, anthropological, and sociological â€Å"proofs† have been offered for a woman’s role as primarily wife and mother, Oakley (1981) demonstrates that these are not supported either historically or cross-culturally. She further contends that both housework allocation and â€Å"the impact of childbirth on the roles of parents in clearly a cultural construct,† and as such should be an area given consideration as needing change, rather than held as a biological absolute. Global Housework Gender Divisions Indeed, when considering gender division of housework cross-culturally, many assumptions regarding appropriate gender roles breakdown, particularly when considering cultures outside the capitalist Western model. Using data from the International Social Justice Project, Davis and Greenstein (2004) describe the division of housework tasks in married couple households across twelve nations: four Western nations (Great Britain, the United States, Germany, and The Netherlands), seven former Soviet nations (Russia, Slovenia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary), and one Asian nation (Japan). Of note, as some data is historic, it divided East and West Germany, which the researchers took into account in analysis. Oakley (1974) quotes Lenin as writing, â€Å"No nation can be free when half the population is enslaved in the kitchen† (222). Not surprisingly, some of the former Soviet countries in Davis and Greenstein’s (2004) research evidenced the smallest gender gap in household labour. In Russia, for example, sixty-seven per cent of men and sixty per cent of women feel that housework is equally divided, with less than ten per cent of women or men allocating such work always to the wife. Interestingly, research exampled by Davis and Greenstein (2004) in post-Soviet Russia stated that fewer Russians believed they had egalitarian marriages in 1995 than in 1989, a demonstration of perception and practise change accompanying dramatic societal reforms. Such results reinforce the concept of gender divisions in household labour being culturally rather than biologically based. In a similar example, whilst Estonian households had traditionally divided household labour along gender lines prior to Communism, at the close of the Soviet era Davis and Greenstein (2004) report they had moved significantly toward shared housework, with over forty per cent of households reporting equal contributions. â€Å"Estonian women’s attitudes reflected a desire for personal efficacy rather than a complete focus on their husbands’ demands† (Davis and Greenstein 2004, 1263). Considering gender patterns over time, Davis and Greenstein (2004) reported several other research studies found â€Å"Czech women’s and men’s time spent on household work is becoming more similar, mainly because of the changing employment patterns of Czech women,† and â€Å"Czech households were more egalitarian in their division of labour than were Hungarian and Polish households† (1262). Poland was typical of half the f ormer Soviet nations and all Wester n nations in the study, with Polish women performing the majority of the housework regardless of their education or employment status, men’s housework contributions increasing with their education levels, and the most egalitarian division of housework responsibly in couples where both spouses are employed and have high levels of education. British, Dutch, and German women all were substantially more responsible for household labour than their former-Soviet counterparts, with over sixty-five per cent of households reporting household labour as primarily or always a duty of the wife, and twenty-five per cent or less reporting an equal distribution of work. Davis and Greenstein (2004) found Dutch women experienced the greatest disparity, with over seventy per cent of men and eighty per cent of women reporting housework as primarily or always the responsibility of the wife. Gender allocation of housework in the Netherlands is most affected by the presence of young children and the husband’s economic resources, with education also being a relevant variable. For example, the higher the education level of the couple together, the greater the husbands’ contribution to household work; when the wife has slightly more education than her husband, the husband performs more housework; but when she h as a significantly more education than he, there is no increase in his household contributions. Similar studies in Spain, Ireland and Germany reinforce cultural differences, even amongst European nations. In a study of dual-earner couples in Spain, Alvarez and Miles (2003) found persistent gender inequality of similar per cents to the Davis and Greenstein overview. In addition, education levels of the man were found to effect division of household labour, whilst the woman’s education and earning power had little effect. The researchers concluded, â€Å"habitual patterns of gender-differentiated activity at home are mainly the result of gender identities† (240). Alvarez and Miles (2003) find opinion polls demonstrating a clear trend in Spanish attitudes towards egalitarian gender division of labor, more so amongst younger respondents. However, similar to their findings in most developed countries Alvarez and Miles (2003) report that behaviour has changed much less than attitude and as much as two thirds of the total housework is perfo rmed by women, particularly th e more repetitive or physically demanding work. Leonard (2004) reports that in the past two centuries, Irish society â€Å"has placed a great deal of emphasis on womens role as mothers, â€Å" with the 1937 Irish Constitution specifically referencing â€Å"the special contribution to Irish society of women within the home† (74). Cooke (2004) uses the German SocioEconomic Panel to explore the division of domestic labour in Germany, finding â€Å"East German men report that they contribute a significantly greater percentage of household time than West German men† (1251). Also of note in the German study, men’s increased share of housework also increases the likelihood of divorce in childless couples, leading Cooke (2004) to conclude that within German society â€Å"childless couples with fewer gendered family roles (given the absence of mother and father roles) are more stable when they have more traditional gendered displays in the remaining domestic areas. Using data from the International Social Justice Project previously mentioned, Davis and Greenstein (2004) found support for bargaining power models in the United States, which had the greatest equality of distribution of household labour of any of the Western nations studied. US households were much more influenced by the wife’s participation in the workforce, with husbands performing at least half the housework twice as often in dual-earner families than in families where only the husband was employed outside the home. The wife’s income level had little effect on divisio

Global Positioning Systems Essay -- Term Papers Research Essays

Global Positioning Systems The possibilities for the future afforded to the human race by the technology created today is endless. However, one technology has already and will continue to change the way people travel around the planet: Global Positioning Systems (GPS). For travelers throughout history, figuring out where they were and where they were going was one of the oldest problems. Even in recent years, navigation and positioning was crucial to many activities but extremely cumbersome. However, in its need for a precise form of global positioning, the Department of Defense (DoD) created the most useful navigation system in history. The creation and production of the GPS system by Rockwell Collins changed the way people travel today and will continue to change the way people travel in the future. Imagine driving to the grocery store while sitting in the back seat reading a book or landing a plane in zero visibility conditions and not worrying about where the runway is. The scenarios listed are possible du e to the creation of the GPS system, which consists of a series of 24 satellites, numerous ground stations, individual receivers, and radio signals to locate the exact position of an object. The process by which all these components interact to provide location information is simple in theory but complex in reality. The basis of the GPS system in locating a receiver is a technique called triangulation. In triangulation, a receiver measures the distance from itself anywhere on earth to each of three satellites in the GPS system. In order to triangulate, it first measures the distance to the first satellite and recognizes that it must be located on the surface of a sphere. The sphere’s center must therefore be located a... ...roaming receivers use the transmitted time differentials for the satellites they are measuring to perform the calculations and therefore have the ability to determine positions more accurately. As the accuracy of GPS systems continues to increase, the possible uses for GPS units will continue to increase. The possibilities for GPS uses are endless and GPS units in the future will aid in determining locations, help people navigate the seas and skies, help track people and vehicles, aid in mapping roads and seas, and provide atomic accuracy timing to the entire world. Once the accuracy of GPS systems reach to such small distances as centimeters, automatic construction equipment will build roads without needing time consuming manual measurements, cars will drive themselves to predetermined destinations, and planes will be able to land in zero visibility conditions.

Rattle Bone :: essays research papers

Pieces of a Novel Puzzle “A novel or a collection of short stories?'; may be a question that a critic asks about Rattlebone. Maxine Clair portrays both arguments with her energetic writing style. A blend of random comments and many unique phrases intermix with the intense plot. Writing like this gives the reader a more relaxed state and the book seems more alive and real. In answer to the critique question, Maxine Clair is writing a novel because of an abundant supply of foreshadowing, a collection of narrators, a recurrence of characters, and a process commonly known to man as aging. Suggesting that Rattlebone is in fact a novel, foreshadowing occurred in several places during the book. Clair uses this writing method by mentioning the name October Brown, partly because Brown is involved at the beginning and towards the end of the book. Ms. Brown became an important part of Irene’s life, not only by being one of the main reasons for her parents’ divorce, but also by helping Irene accomplish one of her goals. The time that occurred between these two events in the book connects Rattlebone and is a very good use of foreshadowing. Another example of Clair’s use of this writing method is the experience of the divorce between Irene’s parents. This long-term process displayed Irene’s parents as being unforgiving. At first his wife forgives James Wilson for the affair that he enjoyed with October Brown, but after a period of time, Pearl also had her share of the fall in their relationship. At this time, neither one of Irene’s parents wo uld forgive the other nor make up with the other. This example again shows the use of foreshadowing by Clair by evolving the event over several chapters with different narrators. Irene, the narrator in several different stages of the divorce between her parents, speaks her feelings of disgust and always tries to keep her parents’ relationship together. Another side of the story comes from October Brown’s landlord, Mrs. Pemberton. Mrs. Pemberton wants nothing to do with the affair and therefor tries to separate the two lovers. Irene takes the stage again and reveals to the reader subconsciously, that her father is the man having the affair. The use of two narrators, each having a different look at the situation, may seem confusing to the reader at first, but once the chapters are all read and the whole story gets across, it becomes apparent why the change in narration was necessary.

Bill Proposal Essay

A severe mental illness (SMI) is an assembly of mainly psychotic conditions that are, by description, extensive and related to compromised societal functioning. As stated by the surgeon general’s report of 2010, one out of five adults, or nearly 40 million Americans, suffer from some type of psychological disorder annually. In addition, about five percent of the U. S population suffers from chronic mental disorder for instance, bipolar, major depressive disorders, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders, (Surgeon General Report, 2010). Most individuals with severe mental ailments have a co-occurring substance abuse disorder. Valuations propose that up to 8 million grownups in the US have a mixture of at least one co-occurring psychological condition and substance-related illness in a yearly. In comparison to individuals with a primary mental or substance abuse disorder, individuals with co-occurring disorders tend to be more symptomatic, have multiple health and social problems, and require more costly care, including inpatient hospitalization (Center for Mental Health Services and Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2000). Many are at increased risk of homelessness and incarceration. Of the 10 million adults who enter US jails each year, about700, 000 of them have co-occurring disorders (United States Department of Justice Statistics, 1997). In 2000, the Centre for NHS Service Delivery and Organization’s research identified the need for a number of systematic improvements to the continuing care processes for vulnerable groups of patients, including those with co-occurring disorders (Fulop et al. , 2000). For example, there has been a lot of deinstitutionalization. Rather than hospitals attempting to meet the health and social needs of patients, this task is now carried out by a variety of primary and secondary health and social care providers. These agencies, often times driven by inadequate resources and limited well trained medical personnel have led to several concerns about untoward incidents involving people with SMI. Repeated official inquiries have linked such concerns to failures to coordinate patient care. (Fulop et al. , 2011). Continuity of care has therefore assumed particular significance in the US behavioral health system and as such, a bill mandating improve delivery and sustainability of care for people with co-occurring disorders will protect, promote and preserve better mental health for residents in Arizona. This bill will: Mandate primary and secondary health care providers to collaborate strongly with clinical institutions to ensure both coordination and sustainability of care to the severe mentally ill. Provide alternative activities of daily living to people with severe mental illness thereby redirecting them from forms of misconduct and eventual jail time. Ensure improve quality of care for people already diagnosed with co-occurring disorders which will lead to treatment and rehabilitation to normal life. Reduce homelessness as those properly treated will gain employable skills and find work. The passing of this bill will come at a time when many organizations and the general public have shown interest in working together to provide better services to the mentally ill in our community. The Arizonan Department of Health has a Division of Behavioral Health that collaborates with Regional Managed Care Providers: RBHAS (Regional Behavioral Health Agencies) to provide coordinated care for behavioral health recipients, the Center for Human Rights also partners with hospitals and health providers to protect and ensure fair treatment of people with mental illnesses as well as the US federal government through its increased  funding for mental health diagnosis and treatment. After the shooting in Tucson, and the recent mass shooting of children in Connecticut, the Colorado theater , and the recurrent shootings in Fort Hood, the public is more willing to support and advocate for improved coordination of care for the mentally ill, especially people with co-occurring disorders. Health and migration laws have been long standing in us politics,its an ongoing process and batlle. TheUnited States is in the midst of a heated debate on immigration policy, and a renewed debate on health care reformhas also begun in anticipation of the 2008 presidential election. Both of these debates present an important opportunity to revisit health policies affecting immigrants and to craft solutions that are grounded in evidence about the vulnerability of immigrant groups and the potential consequences of lack of access for their health and the health of the nation. To do so, however, will require serious consideration of how various provisions of the immigration and health reformproposalsmight interact to affect immigrants’ access to health care. On the immigration reform side, what will temporary work visas and time limits on stays mean for immigrants’ health care access and experiences? What are the implications for immigrants’ health and mental health of provisions barring families from immigrating with a worker? Provisions that expand opportunities for legal residency and citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the Assignment Grading Criteria Bill Proposal Research various modes of health care delivery systems and analyze how they promote and support the health care needs of vulnerable populations. Outline a bill intended for your local legislative representative describing your selected mode or modes of delivery and explain how it will promote and support vulnerable populations. Content 12 points possible Points available Points earned Explains needs of vulnerable populations in health care Describes the rationale for the proposed bill to include the selected mode of delivery 5 Contains an analysis of current health care delivery systems States the benefits of the proposed bill Identifies resources that support and promote the needs of vulnerable populations 5 Defines necessary terms and identifies any provisions of the proposed bill 2 Format 3 points possible Points available Points earned Follows rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation Has a structure that is clear, logical, and easy to follow.

Assignment Front Sheet Essay

Marketing is at the heart of every organisation’s activity. Its importance is also growing in the non-commercial, public and voluntary sectors. Also, at the heart of marketing is the customer. This unit will introduce learners to some of the tools and techniques all types of organisations use to achieve their objectives. Firstly, learners will explore how different types of organisations use marketing principles to meet the needs of their customers and achieve their objectives. The constraints under which organisations operate are important and learners will study the legal requirements and voluntary codes that affect marketing. Learners will then go on to investigate how organisations collect data through market research and turn it into useful information which can be analysed and used to plan their marketing activities. The segmentation and targeting of groups of customers is a key marketing technique and this is studied in detail. This includes the different bases for segmentation of both consumer and business markets. Next, learners will examine how a marketing mix is developed to meet the needs and aspirations of a targeted group of prospective customers, before going on to develop a marketing mix for a new product or service. Learning Outcomes: On completion of this unit you should: 1. Know the role of marketing in organisations 2. Be able to use marketing research and marketing planning 3. Understand how and why customer groups are targeted 4. Be able to develop a coherent marketing mix. 5.  Criteria reference Assignment brief Qualification BTEC L3 Extended Diploma In Business Unit number and title Unit 3: Introduction to Marketing Start date 24th March 2014 Deadline 22/04/14 Assessor name KAREN MASON Assignment title ‘A’ LISTED MARKETERS. Part 1 The purpose of this assignment is to: Work individually to complete the following tasks. Assignment Brief/Scenario You have just started working for a large marketing and design agency based in Teesside that consults for a variety of businesses on the marketing activities that they undertake in order to promote their products or services. The agency has a varied portfolio of ‘A’ Listed clients and you have been given the task of consulting for two new clients, one business that operates in the private sector and one in the public or voluntary sector. Choose your two businesses remembering that: One must be from the private sector, for example, Marks & Spencer One must be from the public or voluntary sector, for example, Oxfam. Task 1 Describe how marketing techniques are used to market products in two organisations. You task is to produce a presentation for your senior management team (SMT) to introduce your new clients. Your presentation must include the following: Part A a) Two different definitions of marketing (don’t forget to reference your source!) b) Identify the broad aims and objectives of organisations of the private, public and voluntary sectors c) Identify the aims specifically for each of your selected businesses d) e) Part B f) For each business, you will need to research and describe the marketing techniques it has used in order to market one product/service. These techniques might include: Growth strategies Survival strategies Branding Relationship marketing. Following unit content guidance sheet & week 1 PowerPoint; in support of this task (P1) Describe the limitations and constraints of marketing Your task is to create a factsheet that describes the limitations and constraints under which marketers operate; this should include legal requirements and the use of voluntary codes and constraints. Task 2: Select one of the businesses you researched for criterion P1, describe the limitations and constraints of marketing for the organisation. Include the following in your description: legal constraints, for example Sale of Goods Act 1979, The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, Consumer Credit Acts 1974 & 2006, Consumer Protection (Distance Selling)  Regulations, Date Protection Act 1998 Voluntary constraints, for example Code of Advertising Practice and Advertising Standards Authority. pressure groups and consumerism, for example CBI Acceptable language. Guidance note: you should give real life examples of each limitation and constraints identified and include suitable text and images into your factsheet. Following unit content guidance sheet & week 2 PowerPoint; in support of this task (P2) Task 3 Compare marketing techniques used in marketing products in two organisations M1 To complement the presentation you developed for criterion P1, you now need to produce a report where you will demonstrate higher-level skills through comparing or finding the similarities and differences between the marketing techniques used by the two organisations. Guidance note: your report should include an introduction and be separated into sub-sections including growth strategies, survival strategies, branding and relationship marketing. Follow tutor support; stretch & challenge activities to work towards this criteria (M1) Evaluate the effectiveness of the use of techniques in marketing products in one organisation. D1 This task is an extension to the report you have produced for criterion M1. You now need to select one of your two businesses and fully explain how effective you think it has been with the techniques used in marketing its  products? You should fully justify your answer and make suitable recommendations for improvement. Guidance note: you should back up your points with suitable, real life examples relating to that particular business. Evaluation requires more than stating an opinion and should demonstrate higher-level skills such as researching and interpreting data and using logical judgements about the validity and reliability of the data used to evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing techniques Follow tutor support; stretch & challenge activities to work towards this criteria (D1) Sources of information Indicative Reading  Bevan J, Dransfield R, Coupland-Smith H, Goymer J and Richards C – BTEC Level 3 National Business Student Book 1 (Pearson, 2009) ISBN 9781846906343. Tutor support Stretch & Challenge guidance sheets.

Grammar Translation Method Essay

Mostly known as ‘The Classical Method’, Grammar Translation Method is not based on the fact that of communication, but teaching. C. Orrieux refers that GTM is for Latin and Ancient Greek are known as â€Å"dead languages†. He adds that â€Å"it is for the kinds of grammar training that led to the â€Å"mental dexterity† considered so important in any higher education study stream. † The aim of teaching these languages is not make the learners speak communicatively. However, its fundamental goals are to make them gain logical thinking and an ability to read written texts in the languages. Having a passive way for the learners GTM teaches the target language by the mother tongue. Translate each language into the other is important for the learners. Students read and translate the literature texts from the target language into the native language. The primary skills are to be improved are reading and writing. Hence, speaking and listening has the least concerns in the courses. Vocabulary is learnt by heart and grammar is taught deductively. In this method, teacher is active and students are passive. This brings about the learners are being passive in society, too. Translation of a literary passage, antonyms/synonyms, fill-in-the-blanks using words in sentences and writing compositions are some of the typical techniques are used in GTM. The Grammar Translation Method may make the learning of language boring. It neither approaches nor encourages students’ in any area. Actually, it was developed for the study of â€Å"dead† languages and to facilitate access to those languages’ classical literature. On the second hand, English is certainly not a dead or dying language, so any teacher should take care of it and how to teach about it. REFERENCES 1) Howatt. The Empirical Evidence for the Influence of L1 in Interlanguage (1984: 98) 2) Orrieux, C. (1989: 79) History of Ancient Civilizations DIRECT METHOD.