Stanley Milgram Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stanley Milgram - Essay Example Milgram’s experiment of obedience has been ethically analyzed and there is a debate on the pros and cons of the ethics of the experiment. Some psychologists believe that it was not right to deceive the participants who took part in the experiment. Some also believed that the thought of causing deliberate pain to the â€Å"learner† could leave an indelible scar on the participant’s mind which the Stanford Prison Experiment is well known for, however, follow-on research showed that the participant’s in the Milgram experiment did not suffer from any long-term emotional problem.If I was on the review board which decided to allow or disallow Milgram’s experiment I would certainly allow it. My opinion is not concerned with the ethical questions and I see no harm in Milgram's experimental set-up. This experiment proved to be a very useful one in the field of psychology and when it comes to the question of deception, I think that psychological experiments c annot be conducted if one is not deceived. If Milgram had revealed his true experiment to the subjects the results would be much different and would be incorrect. In order to study the human mind correctly, it is necessary to hide details else the human mind would not respond normally. Secondly, I also object that the experiment would emotionally hamper the person for long since especially for people who administered 450 volts. This is because the experimenter had already made it clear that the shocks would not cause any damage.... However instances like the Abu Ghraib prison also reveals that certain percentage will obey commands of authorities defying their own morality (Bartone, pp 1) . Milgram’s experiment of obedience has been ethically analyzed and there is a debate on the pros and cons of the ethics of the experiment. Though the experiment was a very important one for the field of psychology, some psychologists believe that it was not right to deceive the participants who took part in the experiment. Some also believed that the thought of causing deliberate pain to the â€Å"learner† could leave an indelible scar on the participant’s mind which the Stanford prison Experiment is well known for however, follow-on research showed that the participant’s in the Milgram experiment did not suffer from any long term emotional problem. If I was on the review board which decided to allow or disallow Milgram’s experiment I would certainly allow it. My opinion is not concerned with the ethical questions and I see no harm in Milgrams experimental set-up. This experiment proved to be a very useful one in the field of psychology and when it comes to the question of deception, I think that psychological experiments cannot be conducted if one is not deceived. If Milgram had revealed his true experiment to the subjects the results would be much different and would be incorrect. In order to study the human mind correctly it is necessary to hide details else the human mind would not respond normally. Secondly, I also object that the experiment would emotionally hamper the person for long since especially for people who administered 450 volts. This is because the experimenter had already made it clear that the shocks

The Tourism Industry In Spain

The Tourism Industry In Spain Spain developed its tourism during the last years of dictators Franco governance, when the country became a popular place for summer holidays, especially for tourists from Northern Europe (UK, France, Germany and Scandinavia). It is said that mass tourism started that time because Francos government needed money and dedided to open up its coasts for tourism. . At that time, Mallorca, Costa del Sol and all multi-storey buildings on the coast were built. Murcia and Almeria were not built because there did not have a good network. This was what protected them. However, in the minds of the locals this was the cause of their poverty (Barke et al. 1996:120). Since then, Spain has become the second the most visited country in the world (the first one is France). 60 million foreign tourists arrived in Spain in 2007, according to the data provided by the World Tourism Organization (2007), that its offices are in Madrid. The cost of tourism in Spain is over $ 46 billion per year, the highest tourism expenditure worldwide except for U.S. that has tourism expenditure of $ 74 billion (Sinclair et al. 2008:75). Summer resorts and beaches This form of tourism was the first that was developed in Spain, and today is the one that has received more income grants and subsidies form the state economy. The nice and warm climate during the whole year and the long beaches on the Mediterranean and South Atlantic, as well as Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands have been visited by tourists from northern Europe for decades. These summer resorts are popular among Spaniards as well. The Spanish coasts that suitable for summer holidays include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Costa Dorada, Costa Brava and del Maresme, located in Catalonia, which are very popular for local and French tourists, including the popular resorts like Salou and the city of Barcelona which is also the largest port in Spain. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Costa del Azahar, whose main city is Valencia and Costa Blanca, (one of the most developed Spanish coastal regions, extremely popular for tourists from Great Britain and Germany, having Benidorm as the main summer city of Spain. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Costa Calida. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The side de Almerà ­a, the tropical side, Costa del Sol and Costa de la Luz, all of them are found in Andalucà ­a. Some of its summer resorts are famous all over the world, like Marbella, a tourist resort for tourists with important spending capacity. Finally, one of the largest Spanish ports, is Malaga (Fsadni and Selwyn 1997:66). The volcanic Canary Islands in the Atlantic, and the Balearic Islands are two famous Spanish archipelagos. Many Spaniards and foreigners visit them because they are very popular. Apart from the summer tourism, there are other forms of tourism such as cultural, sport or fun tourism. Two cities, Barcelona and Valencia (the two largest ports in the Mediterranean side of Spain) are among them. Tourism of the beaches (Beach Tourism) has also contributed to the development of nightlife, as well as to the Spanish excellent food culture. Important from the ecological and natural aspect are many places both coastal and island Theme and water-fun parks like Port Aventura are also popular among the local population and foreigners (Eden 1996:48). Long ago it became known in Europe Senior Tourism program that allows people over 55 to enjoy a holiday social tourism in Spain with low cost. The program subsidizes the EU holiday in the Balearic Islands and Andalusia in periods of low tourist traffic from October 2009 until April 2010. The indicative costs where the agency is about 400 euros for 8 days 4stars at selected hotels with full board, tickets, tours, and more. Tourist Packages in Spain are part of the program Calypso approved by Parliament with a budget of 1 million euros and refers to the promotion of social tourism with the participation of Member States. Cultural and business tourism Spain is a country full of culture and therefore, it is a popular destination for cultural tourism due to its historical importance, including cities like Seville, Granada, Cà ³rdoba and Toledo. UNESCO has declared the following Spanish cities as World Heritage Cities: Alcalà ¡ de Henares, à vila, Cà ¡ceres, Cà ³rdoba, Cuenca, Ibiza, Salamanca, La Laguna SAN Cristà ³bal de, Santiago de Compostela, Segovia, Tarragona and Toledo (Maiztegui-Onate 1996:84). Madrid and Barcelona (two big Spanish metropolis) are famous historical places and are also part of cultural tourism. In addition, there are other important places in Spain with cultural importance are: Coruà ±a and Vigo, in Galicia, Santander Cantabria, Oviedo and Gijà ³n Asturias, Bilbao and San Sebastià ¡n in the Basque country. North Spain has such a green landscape that resembles to the UKs and Ireland landscape and this is why it is Green Spain. They have many important folklore, nature and culinary aspects and they are even suitable for summer vacations despite the fact that the beaches of North Spain are colder than the Mediterranean ones. Spain is also an important place for religion, mainly Judaism and Christianity.The city of Santiago de Compostela Galicia (northwest Spain) are holly places. This city is the third holiest place in the christian world after the Vatican City of Rome and Jerusalem. The fourth holiest place is Camino de Santiago followed by the sanctuary Caravaca de la Cruz in the southeast area. These places attract tourism from all over the world (Robinson 1996:210). The many celebrations and festivals in Spain. A very famous one is the Holy Week in cities like Seville and Carthage. Very popular also is the Seville Exhibition or Feria de Abril in Spanish, the celebrations of Spring (Fiestas de Primavera) which include the famous Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the sardine) and La Huerta EL Bando de (the area of the orchard) This festival attracts crowds from both inside and outside Spain. There are also the festivals Carthaginians and Romans of Carthage, the festival of San Fermin of Pamplona famous worldwide, the Fiestas del Pilar in Zaragoza etc. The celebrations in small towns are also very popular. Spain has a lot of cultural festivals, including the Carnival all over Spain, but particularly the festivals of the Canary Islands and Cadiz. San Sebastian, Malaga and Sitges have famous film festivals. The Lorca Rock, FIB, Festimad, and Primavera sound are some indicative music festivals. Several cities have hosted international events:Catholic exhibition in 1888 and 1929 in Barcelona, the Olympics of 1992, also in Barcelona, the catholic exhibition of 1992 in Seville, the 2008 world exhibition in Zaragoza and the Americas Cup in Valencia (Selwyn 1997:93). The Europe Senior Tourism program is another tourist attraction source of Spain. This program allows people over 55 to enjoy low cost holidays of social tourism in Spain. It is an EU program that subsidizes vacations in the Balearic Islands and Andalusia in periods of low tourist traffic namely, from October 2009 until April 2010. The indicative cost depending on the tourist agency is about 400 euros for 8 days at selected 4stars hotels with full board, tickets, tours etc. Tourist Packages in Spain are part of the program Calypso which was approved by the European Parliament with a budget of 1 million euros and refers to the promotion of social tourism with the participation of Member States. Tourism in Spain and financial data The sightseeing visits and payments in 2008 (Sinclair et al. 2008:85)are the following: Greece Spain Italy France Turkey Visitors (in millions) 17 57,4 42.7 79.3 25 Revenue ($ billions) 17.1 61.6 41.7 55.6 22 . From the above numbers, it is easily concluded that Spain is a major tourist destination, but it also attracts high-level tourists who spend enough money, since it has the best revenue ratio per visitor among the major European destinations! The tourist development of the country is organized. Some areas are developed for very high level tourism as Marbella. Some areas are selected for mass tourism, as for example Benidorm which is a Spanish Miami with 4 million visitors every year or not Liouret de Mar and Rosas in Costa Brava. In addition, tourism is organized in large hotels, which have lower costs and higher bargaining power with the major tour operators. One example is the Sol Melia which has a revenue of 1.3 billion euros, 35,000 employees at 270 hotels from Brazil to China. Another example is Iberostar with 102 hotels in 15 countries and 1 billion revenue, 23,000 employees and around 70,000 beds. However, if financial data get more analyzed the following will be concluded: Spain in 2008 (Sinclair et al. 2008:94) welcomed 57.4 million visitors, representing 1.8 million fewer than last year, which means a fall of 3.1%. This fact has occurred since 1997, the year when, the statistical monitoring of the tourist industry began. This decline is mainly due to the decrease in arrivals from France and the United Kingdom which are two of the three main countries of foreign tourists in Spain. The ratio of reduced tourist traffic is attributed to a decline in the economies of these two countries. So, after the sectors of construction and industry, there was the turn of the tourism sector to cope with crisis. This sector represents 10.7% of Spanish GDP and employs 13.5% of the workforce of the country. The areas with the highest tourist traffic in 2008 were: Catalonia with 14,193,952 tourists (-6.7%), the Balearic Islands with 10,288,958 tourists (+1.4%), the Canary Islands with 9,363,219 tourists , (-1%), Andalusia with 8,147,688 tourists (-4%), the region of Valencia with 5,655,801 tourists (+0.2%) and Madrid with 4,564,345 tourists (+3.6% ). The tourists in the country in 2008 and the percentage change compared to 2007 is as follows: Table 1 Countries of origin Number of tourists % change compared to 2007 United Kingdom 15.749.000 -3.0 Germany 10.048.939 -0.2 France 8.151.449 -8.5 Scandinavian countries 3.574.398 +3.0 Italy 3.464.241 -5.8 Netherlands 2.502.060 +0.4 Portugal 2.291.146 -3.5 Ireland 1.659.327 +1.5 Belgium 1.626.983 -4.7 Switzerland 1.282.740 -6.7 Rest of Europe 3.262.834 +11.6 USA 1.133.801 -1.5 Rest of America 1.331.449 -6.1 Rest of the world 1.339.499 -12.2 TOTAL 57.417.871 -2.6 Source: Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce Table 2 Year Number of tourists (in millions) % change compared to 2007 1997 39.5 1998 41.8 5.9 1999 45.4 8.5 2000 46.4 2.1 2001 48.5 4.7 2002 50.3 3.6 2003 50.8 1.0 2004 52.4 3.1 2005 55.9 6.6 2006 58.1 4.1 2007 59.1 1.7 2008 57.4 -3.1 Source: Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce Criticism of the Spanish model of tourism The Spanish model has disappointed its original supporters. The promising North European market turns its back to Spain. The temporary economic gains in the housing market and in the construction market of vacation houses have already begun to subside. Unlike the most optimistic forecasts of the real estate lobby, these investments in 2005 showed a decrease of 16.7%. The decrease of 6% in 2004 was interpreted as a slight variation, and not as a big change (Casado Diaz 2006:78). Foreign investments in the real estate sector dropped by 0.9%. The property market in Spain has began to have a negative reputation among potential customers of northern Europe, while international organizations talk about the need to manage a soft landing of the specific market to avoid unpleasant and extended economic consequences. The rampant construction of holiday homes and hotels in coastal areas has begun to generate negative consequences. The freely accessible places on the beaches have been reduced overcrowding and disturbing activities are increasing, the water quality is deteriorating having as an effect the undermining of the overall tourism policy in Spain. The professional organizations of hoteliers call for an immediate discontinuation of coastal areas building programs. Lastly, there is the growing trend for creating golf courses at the new holiday home complexes and the subsequent environmental consequences (Wall 1997:105). Indeed, it is planned an increase in golf areas despite the saturation of these facilities. It is estimated that each year 10 new stadiums are built and in ten years, there will be 500 golf areas (Mc Laren 2002:187). The strengthening of trend of creating new golf areas is based on the fact that golfers spend on average much more money per person. The reaction to this new situation was an attempt to redefine tourism policy (Newton 1996: 150). The fall in profits encouraged the adoption of positions that until recently was criticized inthe tourism industry. The Mediterranean coasts of Spain gather 15,600,000 residents who represent 39% of the total population. The length of its coastline is 7268. and 68% of the population lives in an area of 100 km from the coast, where the corresponding figure for the entire world population is 39%. Urbanization is so widespread that 85% of the population the Mediterranean coast lives in cities with populations over 10,000 inhabitants (Kirkby 1996:240). In general, in recent years, there has been recorded a significant deterioration of the coastal areas of Spain despite the existence of relative specific legislation. The situation in some coastal areas is as follows (Casado Diaz 2001:77): In the region of Catalonia, nearly 50% of one kilometre lane from the coast is built. 59% of the coastline has already been built. It is estimated that 70% of the coast will be built within the next years. Specific parts of the coasts of Mà ¡laga have been built 100% and this trend is spreading to the shores of Granada, Almeria, Kadid and Huelva. 90% of the Andalusian coast faces already problems of environmental degradation. Even natural area parks, such as the Cabo de Gata-Nijar in Almeria, have become an area of housing development programs and projects. The rapid urbanization and population growth of the region of Murcia has led to an increase of population growth in two years (1999 2000) by 15% bringing a significant pressure for further residential development and reduction of free and public spaces. Many coastal regions of Valencia have been built. 33% of the total coastal area shows residential development. Specific areas such as Alicante have been built at a rate exceeding 40% of its coasts. The urban development plans of the region have occasionally been the subject of study and complaints from the European Commission (Bramwell 1996:453). Indeed, the latter has proposed the imposition of a moratorium on the urban development to address the related deficiencies in design and ensure the protection of the environmental conditions of the development process (Casado Diaz et al. 2004:363). Conclusion Spain remains a country of great beauty and high tourist interest. The model, however, of mass tourism that has followed does not seem to be as successful as it was in the past and the country should follow modern tourism practices that will help it remain competitive in the future. A basic prerequisite for a successful redefined tourism strategy should be the concern for the environment and the reduction of residential development (Hunter Jones et al.1997:291).

Critical Analysis Of Young Goodman Brown :: Free Essay Writer

Critical Analysis of Young Goodman Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story of Young Goodman Brown is a reflection of the Puritan faith as well as man’s conflict between good and evil. This analysis will emphasize on the theme of Young Goodman Brown as well Hawthorne’s usage of symbolism and allegories throughout the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Literary critic D.M. McKeithan says that the theme of the story is sin and the terrible effect sin has on mankind. McKeithan also believes that the theme to Hawthorne’s; Young Goodman Brown, is based on the ability that evil has to persuade man to do wrong and the falseness of man’s virtues. The protagonist in the story, Brown, journeyed in the woods where he discovered that his Puritan community is not virtuous. Brown discovered that the entire community including his wife, whom is portrayed as being pure, indulges in sin and therefore Brown’s life turns dark due to his loss of hope. Literary critic Mark Van Doren states: “Young Goodman Brown'; means exactly what it says, namely that its hero left his pretty young wife one evening … to walk by himself in a primitive New England woods, the Devil’s territory,…and either to dream or actually to experience (Hawthorne will not say) the discovery that evil exist in every human heart…Brown is changed. He thinks there is no good on earth…Brown, waking from his dream, if it was a dream,…sees evil even where it is not…He had stumbled upon that “mystery of sin'; which, rightly understood, provides the only sane and cheerful view of life there is. Understand in Brown’s fashion, if darkens and sours the world, withering hope and charity, and perverting whatever is truly good until it looks like evil at its worst: like blasphemy and hypocrisy. (Van Doren 234) McKeithan says that Hawthorne is saying that in every human heart there is sin, but the story does not emphasize on sin alone, it emphasizes on the effects of sin. McKeithan states that to interpret Young Goodman Brown, the reader must make the distinction between sin and the effects of sin. Literary critic David Levin says that Brown allows the Devil’s statements about the persecution of Indians and the Quakers allows him to accept the false statements of the Devil. Therefore Brown fails to distinguish the difference between a single person and actions of people as a whole. Levin says that Hawthorne’s way of writing Young Goodman Brown gives a clear interpretation of the meaning.

Defining Stress and Burnout

The relationship amongst Individuals and the organizations can be studied through the methods of Interaction between personnel and groups, as well as the strategies and factors affecting the behavior between each. For the purpose of this literature review, stress and Job burnout will be used to depict a major behavior of the relationship between the organization and its personnel (Ghana 2004). For example, Job burnout and its characteristics can have substantial effects on the organization and its personnel, which is why many researchers in recent decades have chosen to Investigate the phenomenon further.The term Job burnout' came Into play In the United States during the sass when It was identified more as a social problem, rather than a focus of systematic study by researchers (Mismatch 2001). However, the power of the term ‘burnout' made it possible to delve deeper into an Individual's experiences in the workplace and capture their realities, no matter what profession was u nder scrutiny. According to the Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, the phenomenon of Job burnout happens In different Jobs at various levels with major side effects to the organization, TTS personnel and their families (Freakish 2009).Due to the detrimental effects to job performance brought about by the phenomenon in question, defining job burnout, finding the indicators of where it occurs and discovering the preventative measures will be the focus of this paper. Defining Stress and Job Burnout Stress and job burnout have been considered occupational hazards for many people-oriented professions such as healthcare, human services and education. The practitioners In these professions began their Job with enthusiasm, positive expectations and a strong dedication to helping people.The demands of such Jobs are usually understated, but the norms are the same: to work long hours to do what you must to help the client, to put others' needs first and to ultimately be selfless . However these demands often come at a high price when one experiences the beginning stages of Job burnout. Brandenburg, Pines, Aaron's and Kathy define Job burnout as a syndrome consisting of emotional and physical tiredness caused by development of negative occupational tendencies, and missing one's Interest In one's own job (Brandenburg 1975).The key characteristics can be seen through feelings f frustration, exhaustion, anger and cynicism as well as a sense of failure and ineffectiveness. In addition, personnel and even management may suffer from sleep disorders, frequent headaches and anorexia (Freakish 2009). These experiences affect both social and personal functions of their Job performance. Naturally, this not only affects the Individual worker, but the people depending on him or her, and of course, the organization as a whole (Mismatch 1998).When organizational performance is effected negatively, this results in less work, absence from the job, arioso complaints, conflict in work environment, frequent delays, change of position and Job and even the quitting of the job. Ultimately, any manager who has suffered from Job burnout for whatever reason puts his psychological health at serious risk which could hinder the ability to communicate with others and solve personal oppositions Ana tendencies In an accepted, logical manner (Frankness 2 Mismatch and Letter, two of the leading scholars in the analysis and study of Job burnout, have done over 25 years of research on the subject.These experts claim that although there is no standard definition to Job burnout, they agree there are here prevailing dimensions which maintain a consistent structure throughout a variety of professions ( Mismatch 2001). These three components are: exhaustion, cynicism (a distant attitude toward the Job), and reduced professional efficacy. Of these three components, exhaustion is the most meticulously studied due to its predominance in the workplace. Some even argue that becaus e of this strong identification with burnout, the other two aspects of the syndrome are unnecessary to consider.Exhaustion reflects the stress dimension of burnout, yet it fails to encompass the relationship people have with their work. Mismatch and Letter say that exhaustion is not Just experienced – it instigates the motion to disconnect oneself cognitively and emotionally from one's work. This act has a specific name: diversification. This is an attempt to distance oneself and the ones receiving services (perhaps the client) by actively ignoring the qualities that make them engaging, unique people.People use this distancing method to develop an indifferent or a cynical attitude, so that they can manage the demands of their Job without having to view their counterparts as real people but as impersonal objects (Freakish 2009). Distancing is such an expected reaction to exhaustion that the strong correlation to cynicism (diversification) is always found when studying burnout (Mismatch 1996). The third component, lack of professional efficacy (reduced personal accomplishment) can be seen in a work situation with constant, overwhelming Job duties that add to the exhaustion or cynicism.This is because it is difficult to have a feeling of accomplishment when one feels exhausted or indifferent toward the people they are supposed to help. The main difference between the three components is that a lack of efficacy stems from the lack of elevate resources, whereas exhaustion and cynicism arise from social conflict and work overload (Mismatch 1998). Where Does Burnout Happen? According to the Annual Review of Psychology Journal, burnout is an individual experience that is specific to the work context.Therefore, the situational factors of Job burnout must be examined in order to fully understand the reasons behind its presence in many of our major industries. As mentioned above, research indicates that burnout is a response to work overload, time pressures and ot her quantitative job demands (such as too much work for available time). Studies of qualitative demands include role ambiguity and role conflict. Role conflict occurs as the conflicting demands of the Job must be met, whereas role ambiguity happens when there is not enough information given to do the Job well (Mismatch 1997).Another situational factor which is highly consistent with burnout rates is a lack of Job resources such as a lack of social support from management and fellow employees. Another set of Job resources has to do with control and information. If there is a lack of feedback from supervisors and no opportunity for decision making between management and employees, then the chances for burnout are much higher (Pulitzer and Mashers 2003). Based on the situational factors as seen in the quantitative and qualitative Job demands, it is easier to see where (I. . What Job Inaugurates) Joy Turnout occurs ten most. When telling Turnout earlier In tons paper, it was stated that in the professions of healthcare, education and human services, Job burnout has been prevalent due to the orientation toward emotion and people. Mismatch and Letter said there are actually five occupational sectors where the three emissions of burnout can be seen: teaching, social services, medicine, mental health and law enforcement.For example, in a study conducted by Stress and Health, it was found that physicians in South Africa have high levels of stress due to lack of organizational support, inadequate salaries, making critical on-the-spot decisions, dealing with crisis situations and working overtime. Apart from the inadequate salaries, American physicians were found to have similar sources of Job stress, especially female doctors due to a lack of support on Job stress severity (Pulitzer and Mashers 2003).Mismatch and Letter said there are mainly five occupational sectors which are prone to burnout; however, it would not be logical to limit the study to Just those five indus tries as it seems logical any individual in any Job could become victim to Job burnout, depending on their age, demands of the Job and the length of time worked. Thus, this brings up the issue of who experiences burnout? Who Experiences Burnout? There are three personal factors which have been found to be related to Job stress and burnout: demographics, personality characteristics and Job attitudes.Of all demographic factors, age is most consistently related to burnout (Mismatch 1996). Among younger employees, the level of burnout is reported to be higher than those over 30-40 years of age. Researchers suggest this is because age is confounded with work experience so burnout could occur earlier in one's career. Also sex is an indicator of burnout. Some studies show there is a higher burnout for women because they fall under the dimension of exhaustion, whereas other studies say men are more likely to have higher levels of burnout because they score higher on Hyannis.Some studies say those with a higher level of education report higher levels of burnout perhaps because highly educated people have higher expectations for their Jobs, and thus, are more stressed if these expectations are not met ( Mismatch 1996). Many personality traits have been analyzed in an effort to find which types of people may be at a greater risk for burnout. It has been suggested that low levels of hardiness (sense of control over events, openness to change, etc. , poor self-esteem, an external focus of control (give credit to others) and n avoidance coping style (passive to stressful events) all correlate to high levels of Job burnout. The exhaustion dimension of burnout has been linked to Type-A behavior (hostility, competition, excessive need for control). There has also been connections between individuals who are â€Å"feeling† types rather than â€Å"thinking† types who are more prone to burnout, especially on the dimension of cynicism (Freakish 2009). And lastly, the expectations and attitudes people bring to their Jobs is connected to levels of Job stress and burnout.According to Applied &Preventative Psychology Journal, those with high Job expectations are more likely to work too hard and do too much, which leads to exhaustion and eventually cynicism when the extended effort does not yield the expected results (Mismatch 1998). Prevention of Stress and Job Burnout In Mismatch and Goldberg article â€Å"Prevention of burnout: New perspectives,† they suggest two new approaches to ten prevention AT JODI Turnout. I en TLS approach Is based on the Mismatch multidimensional model and focuses on the opposite of burnout: increasing engagement with work by creating a better ‘fit' between the individual and the Job.The model provides a way to analyze more accurate connections between the Job situation and the personal experience. The advantage to this approach is that it allows for clarity and articulation of the source of the burnout which would aid in designing more effective prevention techniques. The second approach is based on decision-making and redefines burnout in relation to perception of the risk of burnout and how it may lead to choices that actually increase the likelihood of becoming â€Å"burnt† (Mismatch 1996). Both of these approaches can be simply put into two categories: person-centered approaches and taxation-centered approaches.With the person-centered approach, it is suggested that the individual plays a central role in the prevention of burnout. It is often presumed that it is the responsibility of the person, not the organization, to do something about their stress management. In order to do succeed with this approach, the individual must be able to develop preventative coping skills, utilize social resources, develop a relaxed lifestyle, improve health, and at the end of it, self- analyze in an objective, realistic manner that allows them to reevaluate their own arsenal standards and unc onscious expectations (Mismatch 1998).The situation- centered approaches have been given very little attention for strategies to preventing stress and burnout. However, at the situational level, the few strategies that have been suggested tend to focus on ways of enhancing the Job experience. According to â€Å"Then Handbook of Organizational Communication†, one of those ways to enhance job experience is through social support networks. A social support network focuses on the ways in which communication networks help organizational members cope tit stress. They do this by offering the members social support in the form of resources and sociability.Researchers have determined four main components of a social support network: emotional aid, material aid (goods, money and services), information and companionship Cabling and Putnam 2001). There is a significant amount of research which states that the role of networks in providing social support in varying organizational contexts , such as families, communities and neighborhoods, is highly correlated with lowered levels of stress Cabling and Putnam 2001). Conclusion Investigations by researchers and scholars for the past 25 years have shown that there are many sources and indicators causing stress and Job burnout.Many researchers such as Mismatch have devoted their lives to developing interactive models for Justifying and preventing this phenomenon. Many of these methods and strategies have been proposed by people with some type of direct, personal experience with burnout in their particular profession. This is because Job burnout can be seen in almost any industry, especially when it is broken down into its three dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism (diversification) and lack of personal accomplishment. In this literature review, there are sections outlining what Job burnout is, where it occurs, who it happens to and how it can be prevented.

Quality of Healthcare Essay

In today’s consumer market, people are not only looking for the best price for what want, but also the best quality for his or her dollar; health care is no different. The consumer is more educated and particular than ever when determining where they would entrust their health care needs. Word-of-mouth is no longer enough, so people are turning to research firms to help them make their final decision in finding quality care. Consumers are also looking for as many perks and additional services they can receive. Why go to a traditional hospital that only treats the immediate problem then sends a patient back home without aftercare information and support? Specialty, additional, and non-traditional services provided can set a facility apart from others, and provide a higher standard of quality care in specified areas that may appeal to a patients’ need. How do health care facilities and staff improve upon existing services? Patient satisfaction surveys conducted by external research firms such as from DSS research (www.dssresearch.com) can help improve quality of patient experience from the entire facility experience down to specifics such including costs and treatment by staff. Results from research firms help consumers determine what facilities would best suite them with their current and future needs or those of a loved one they are responsible for. Surveys are not only conducted by patients, but also physicians, and staff also. For example, 32.5% of the scoring for the top 10 ranking hospitals in the U.S.in 2009 is based on physician input (Comarow,  2009). Every patient or staff member who completes these quality surveys provides facility administrators the information they need to focus on the areas needing improvement. These results may lead to additional staff training, restructuring, or improvements to the esthetics of the facility. When a patient is in need of emergency care for a cardiac problem, the emergency medical technician (EMT) may ask the patient or a family member what hospital he or she would prefer to be transported to if there is an option. An expectant mother sometimes has several choices of hospital to delivery her baby at through her provider. A person with a chronic condition may want to choose a specific facility to be seen at for his or her condition. Because patients do need to make these decisions, looking into a facility’s availability of specialty, additional and non-traditional services becomes very important to the quality of that patients’ care. Staffing availability and qualifications along facility affiliations affect quality of care. Informed patients want to be seen by doctors and facilities that have the specialty training in their area of need. Peace of mind adds to the quality of care if the patient knows there are options open to him or her through the affiliations between his or her doctors and the hospitals they are contracted with through insurance companies. Cooperative care between affiliated personal physicians, specialty physicians, and health care facilities through the use of current technologies also increases the peace of mind of the patient and reduces risks to the parties involved. Catering to patients’ personal preferences also adds to quality of experience in facilities. In recent years, doctors and hospitals and insurance companies have changed to their approaches to prenatal care and birthing. A family has numerous options open to them as far as what type of provider they choose for prenatal care and the type of facility and birth experience they want to have. As at Baptist Memorial Hospital, quite a few hospitals’ maternity rooms are used for labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum care (U.S. Health Care System, Axia), and some go even beyond to  include water birthing rooms with special atmospheric conditions, such as, lighting, temperature, and sounds. Quality is a subjective term, one person may highly recommend a facility or doctor, and another may have a negative opinion. The most important thing to do is to research beforehand, and give feedback through surveys after the experience. Health care quality can only change and improve with the help of everyone. Resources Axia College (2010), The U.S. Health System, p194 Dss research, www.dssresearch.com Comarow, Avery (7-15-2009), America’s Best Hospitals: the 200-10 Honor Roll â€Å"They’re the best of the best-the 0.4 percent of all hospitals with high scores in 6 or more specialties† written for U.S. News & World Report

Free Essays on Evil

Evil: Kinds of evil in our lives Step outside. Now look around you. Do you see or hear anything evil out there today? I did this, and I didn’t find anything that I would consider evil. Then, I sat down on my porch while my dad went out to start his truck. After a bit, gasoline consumed the area around me. The smell of gasoline has now occupied my porch and moving about the atmosphere. I realized that pollution is evil. Evil is everywhere around us. Pollution is just one example. There are more examples like pollution that most people don’t think of as evil, such as smoking. Evil is a messy project, defying simplistic solutions, or so we think. There is no single, universally satisfying answer to this dark reality. Often the only evil we observe is the result of sinful choices. But we have to remember that some evil we cannot observe. Pollution is an evil that burns holes in the ozone layer. We know there is a hole in the atmosphere but we do not observe pollution as being evil, we observe it as a fact of life. Along with pollution comes smoking. Smoking is definitely an evil, a very bad evil that effects us greatly, and it pollutes the air. Smoking is the number one women’s cancer killer. The evil in smoking is killing you, and it also kills the nonsmokers around you. Often when tragedy strikes, when evil rears its ugly head, people are found complaining. To complain is to express frustration, to acknowledge ignorance, to announce hurt. Some of the question that arises are, â€Å"Why would God allow such and such to happen? How can this be fair?† Nobody has the right answers to these questions. Maybe God wanted to put obstacles in our lives, maybe he wanted to test us to see what our strengths and weaknesses were. Well, obviously, many Americans have failed the smoking test. But are these complaints wrong? It depends on the attitude of the person who makes them. In one sense, yes. If the person ma... Free Essays on Evil Free Essays on Evil Evil: Kinds of evil in our lives Step outside. Now look around you. Do you see or hear anything evil out there today? I did this, and I didn’t find anything that I would consider evil. Then, I sat down on my porch while my dad went out to start his truck. After a bit, gasoline consumed the area around me. The smell of gasoline has now occupied my porch and moving about the atmosphere. I realized that pollution is evil. Evil is everywhere around us. Pollution is just one example. There are more examples like pollution that most people don’t think of as evil, such as smoking. Evil is a messy project, defying simplistic solutions, or so we think. There is no single, universally satisfying answer to this dark reality. Often the only evil we observe is the result of sinful choices. But we have to remember that some evil we cannot observe. Pollution is an evil that burns holes in the ozone layer. We know there is a hole in the atmosphere but we do not observe pollution as being evil, we observe it as a fact of life. Along with pollution comes smoking. Smoking is definitely an evil, a very bad evil that effects us greatly, and it pollutes the air. Smoking is the number one women’s cancer killer. The evil in smoking is killing you, and it also kills the nonsmokers around you. Often when tragedy strikes, when evil rears its ugly head, people are found complaining. To complain is to express frustration, to acknowledge ignorance, to announce hurt. Some of the question that arises are, â€Å"Why would God allow such and such to happen? How can this be fair?† Nobody has the right answers to these questions. Maybe God wanted to put obstacles in our lives, maybe he wanted to test us to see what our strengths and weaknesses were. Well, obviously, many Americans have failed the smoking test. But are these complaints wrong? It depends on the attitude of the person who makes them. In one sense, yes. If the person ma...

Nkisi Nkondi Mangaaka Essays - Kingdom Of Kongo, African Witchcraft

Nkisi Nkondi Mangaaka Essays - Kingdom Of Kongo, African Witchcraft Nkisi Nkondi Mangaaka Out of all the terrible consequences of the African slave trade and the forcible colonization of Africa, one of the worst is the destruction of traditional African cultures and how little is now known about them. The subtleties that went along with vari ous African peoples' cultures have largely been lost, destroyed, replaced by Western practices, or forgotten. Many traditional African religious practices are looked down on as voodoo, or are construed as misinterpretations of the preachings of Christian m issionaries. The Kongo people of the Congo River Basin are no exception. A large amount of their art was taken to Europe in the 19th Century to be shown off as oddities from a foreign land. European collectors particularly loved carved statues that they c alled "power figures" or "nail fetishes" that were known to the Kongo people as minkisi . Europeans thought of these figures as big voodoo dolls, but minkisi are actually important and powerfully symbolic objects that played a key part in both the religion and the interpersonal relations of the Kongo people. This paper will explore how the purpose of minkisi is more than an art object, and a specific specimen, Nkisi Nkondi Mangaaka , will be examined. Nkisi Nkondi Mangaaka is a power figure that was created in the 19th century by a tribe from the Congo River Basin region. The exact date of creation and the creator are unknown. The figure is a man carved out of hardwood. He is stout with a large head, standing with his feet should width apart and knees slightl y bent, ready to spring at any aggressors. His feet are thin and block and each one rests on its own small block of wood. His arms are bent slightly so that he rests his small hands on his hips. Two arm bands are carved on each of his upper arms. On the fi gures back, the anatomy of the spine and shoulder blades in linearly defined. A gaping cavity is carved out of the belly. The face is characterized by linear features. The eyes are big semicircles that are painted on with white pigment. The ears are small and high up the skull. The nose and eyebrows are carefully carved with striking shapes. The mouth is open so that the figure can show off its viciously pointed teeth. A headdress or crown is carved on top of the head which shows that the figure is a perso n of status. The most striking thing about this figure is not its aggressive stance or even the hole in its torso. Hundred of nails and shards of metal are embedded in wood of the figure. Most of the nails are concentrated in the torso of the figure, but some are embedded in the shoulders, feet, the sides of the knees, and the jawline. Almost as striking as the hundreds of nails stuck in figure's stomach is the absolute lack of nails on the back of the figure. Not one nail is embedded in the figure's back, back of his head, back of his legs, or back of his arms. Hammering nails into a power figure is an important ritual in the religion of the Kongo people, and to better understand Nkisi Nkondi Mangaaka , one must understand the rituals surrounding minkisi in general. During the colonization of Africa by Europeans in the 19th Century, a large amount of African art was brought to Europe, but those "who collected and catalogued objects of art from Africa were not concerned with discovering the names of the art ists or even their ethnic identities" ( Bassani ). Not much is known about any specific power figure, Mangaaka included, but the general purpose of them is known. In the religion of the people of the Congo River Basin, power figures, or minkisi (singular n kisi ), are vessels of spirits, or objects that spirits reside in. A nkisi , due to the powerful spirit trapped inside of it, is thought to be able to heal illnesses, protect against black magic, and even communicate with the spiritual world. A nkisi can be any object, but it it is carefully selected by the spiritualists

Tearing, Ripping, and Rending

Tearing, Ripping, and Rending Tearing, Ripping, and Rending Tearing, Ripping, and Rending By Maeve Maddox English is rich in words to describe the act of cutting and pulling things apart, words like tear, rip, hack, slash, stab, and rend. Writers of violent fictionor journalists reporting the daily newscan choose just the right word to describe an injury: A taxi driver hacked an American to death after an argument over a $1.60 fare, Thai officials said late Sunday. [On a New York subway platform], a 24-year-old man was slashed with a Corona bottle in the neck, arms, and hands, and is recovering at Bellevue. Likewise, writers of romance are able to convey degrees of emotional pain by using the words figuratively. It’s the rejection that stabs you in the heart and crushes your soul. Here are six verbs to describe tearing, ripping, and rending: hack: This verb suggests heavy blows, possibly made in the heat of anger. tear: In modern usage, this is the verb we use with paper or another flimsy substance. If complete destruction is meant, we say â€Å"tear to pieces,† or â€Å"tear in pieces.† rip: This word can also be used of tearing paper, but carries a more forceful connotation. rend: A bit old-fashioned, rend has a Biblical ring to it. Mourners rend their garments; the Lord threatens to rend Solomon’s kingdom from him. The past tense is rent: â€Å"When the town of Sunnydale slid into the hellmouth on ‘Buffy,’ my fellow fans and I rent our hair and blubbered.† (OED example) NOTE: Rend is the verb in the expression â€Å"heart-rending†: â€Å"causing intense sorrow or emotional anguish.† Google Ngram Viewer indicates that the frequently heard eggcorn â€Å"heart-wrenching† first appeared in the 1950s. slash: This word suggests a sweeping blow with a sword, although in our day, a broken beer bottle will do. stab: This word implies the thrust of a short weapon, like a dagger. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a UK Business LetterPeople versus Persons5 Examples of Misplaced Modifiers

Fundamentals of Natural Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fundamentals of Natural Science - Essay Example Earlier, it was noted that scientific studies made the presence of gene and their transmission from one generation to another. But with the increased progress of scientific research allowed understanding regarding the mechanism in which genes would work (Bunch & Hellemans, 2004). The process of scientific research to renew the facts about mechanism of operation of gene in the body was greatly debated. Initially, researchers believed that it was impossible to find the particles and molecules making up several arrangements. Later on, it was observed that scientists made use of three-dimensional structure of DNA to evaluate the biochemical functioning (Treichel, 2008). By 1930s, scientists found out the correlation between the chromosomes and linkage of different molecules which ultimately led in the development of scientific study noting the mechanism in which genes work. This progress in the scientific study led in the correct knowledge of cytological information. During the experimentation for evaluating mechanism of genes, it was observed that new born babies had dominating features from the families of their parents. This made it evident that the mechanism of genes was greatly controlled by some other component of gene. It was for this reason that Walter Flemming studied the addition of another component in genes. Walter discovered that every cell had a nuclein which was also controlling the cell nucleus. But even then the relationship between both the components was not established with practical experimentation (Bunch & Hellemans, 2004). In order to understand as to why babies had exactly the same features as family side including eye color and other facial features, Oscar Hertwig conducted experimentation. It was noted in his experiment of observing sea urchins. The reason behind his consideration of sea urchins as the best experimental subject because its eggs are relatively bigger in size and are

Business Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Analysis - Research Paper Example As a well-established facility, W Hotel San Francisco has a total of 404 rooms. These are used to provide a variety of services including Wonderful Rooms, Spectacular Rooms, Cool Corner Rooms and Fantastic Rooms. Each of these is very important since they offer a distinct category of services to a diverse group of clients who frequent the facility for accommodation. For instance, Wonderful Room which is situated in the 12th floor contains a 300 square feet sitting room. On the other hand, the Fantastic Room which are found in the 23rd and 24th floors consist of 700 square feet fabulous one bed room suites that provide the customers with a spectacular bird’s eye view. Summarily, these rooms are made to cater for each of the clients in line with their income and preferences. They have bed and table spaces to suite both individuals and groups as well. On the other hand, the facility offers cuisine services. Just like the other hotels, W Hotel San Francisco provides a wide range of meals to its clients especially the residents. However, it offers special meals consisting of local and Asian cuisine. These are made to be more appealing especially being that they are more organic. This makes them quite enjoyable especially for those who are very much interested in the organic Chinese dishes. Moreover, the hotel has bars which provide different brands of local and organic wines, liquors and beers. These are opened from 11:30 am to 1:30 am. Indeed, W Hotel San Francisco should be considered as the best facility in the region. A part from offering a wide range of services, it has a team of professionals to manage it and offer day to day services required by its customers. Besides, it offers high quality services such as 100% organic coffee, wines and meals. At the same time, it has a well-equipped gym which remains accessible to all the clients at any time of the day (Gross, 2009). Finally, unlike its competitors, it provides on-site parking

Michle Bear and Mark D. Cannon Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Michle Bear and Mark D. Cannon - Article Example he article explains the assumption made to analyze each situation considering the authors find that there had been no research done to justify the decision process for PFP plans by the management. The article state that the managers found that the cost of the PFP plans was greater than its benefits. The managerial thought effective leadership, clear objective, coaching and training to be better investment. The authors have done a research on the implementation of PFP and the context in which the system was implemented. The article suggest that cost and benefit analysis has led to the elimination of PFP system. That authors state that the study allowed them to understand the reason why the managerial did not implement PFP programs. Their challenges in making decision regarding PFP system was studied through experiment. The study included organization of United States and workers were blue – collar employees. In study, Beer and Cannon understood that the PFP program of Hewlett Packard was eliminated in three years of its implementing. The article explains about the five case example of experiment project of HP at different sites in America as San Diego site, Boise printer formatter shop, PRCO Loveland, Colorado Memory System, The workstation group. The PFP programs included bonus packages on completing of project also stock awards were given to the employees for quality of product and customer service. The trial projected only lasted for 6 months and the employees felt there was no benefit out of this PFP program and some did thing it was a successful attempt. However the experimental projects were dropped as the HP management felt such a motivation was not necessary for a positive outcome. They found that the current pay system is sufficient to support the work team environment. The authors tell that HP management has gained information from this experiment and this has given an insight about the decision making process of the management. The management of the

Literal Comprehension - Reading Strategies Essay

Literal Comprehension - Reading Strategies - Essay Example Each page and chapter may encompass a tedious load for the student hence command in the subject of discussion is key and rivets a methodological loom involving a number of steps. There is a myriad of textbook reading systems, many of which have three stages in common: a pre-reading stage, a reading stage and a post reading stage. Exposing learners to these systems empowers them to culture a system of critiquing issues, strategic approach to reading and establishing a student centered textbook study system. A proper reading system should entail the learner combing through a given text to unearth its gist. Skimming through the titles and sub headings to decipher issues of uttermost interest, problems highlighted and queries posed. Desist from overemphasis on analysis of pieces. This is encouraged to jumpstart the learners’ innate prowess to overcome torpor and gain impetus for reading. The major discrepancy between an excellent student and poor students is the mode of study. Inadequate students highlight points in textbooks and hope that they will be able to comprehend it later while excellent students use a learning system. A study system enables the student to filter the key ideas under test, and provides a way of settling them through generation of solutions The main difference between good students and poor students is the way they study. Poor students read their textbooks, underline, and hope that the significant points stick in their memories. Good students use a study system. A study system helps you choose the key ideas that are likely to be on a test, and it gives you a way to memorize them. There are many study systems. Some students outline chapters and memorize their outlines. Some students make chapter summaries. But the most efficient study system of all is SQ3R, which stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. SQ3R was designed for textbook reading, and it is

E-cigaretee Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-cigaretee - Research Paper Example The smoking cessation industry is led by the USA in terms of the market size, which is the followed by UK, Germany and then Russia. However, almost in all the developed countries and even in many other countries globally, the smoke cessation industry has been growing rapidly. While the most known method for helping in smoking cessation traditionally has been nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), new methods products are now rising, which targets the smoking cessation industry (Wikinvest, n.p.). The market is segmented into two broad categories of the cessation therapy consumer segment and the smoking cessation products/pills consumers segment. The therapy market segment consumer segment constitutes the consumers who are seeking the services of medical professionals to assist them in the cessation of their smoking habits, with such consumers having access to 17 different smoking cessation therapies, but one of the therapies, the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), remains the most predominant therapy that many smokers are seeking (Wikinvest, n.p.). The smoking cessation products/pills consumers segment comprises of the consumer segment that is purchasing the products manufactured by the smoking cessation industry, such as the smoking cessation pills, which are widely applied towards helping the smokers quit their habits. The use of the smoking cessation pills is highly adopted in the UK markets, with the product generating  £720m in revenue in the year 2011 alone (Steele, n.p.). The smoking cessation industry is relatively small in size, considering that it is an industry that is relatively new in the market, and its products are yet to be known very well. However, the industry is poised to grow in the near future to a substantial market. While the current market share of the smoking cessation industry is estimated at between 3 and 4% of the overall, the growth rate of the industry is

Creativity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Creativity - Essay Example However, Csikszentmihalyi suggested that young students "cannot be creative, but all creative adults were once young students' (Csikszentmihalyi, 1966:156). The entire idea of this statement by Csikszentmihalyi is dependent on the fact that young students "can show tremendous talent, but they cannot be creative because creativity involves changing a way of doing things, a way of thinking, and that in turn requires having mastered the old ways of doing/ thinking. No matter how precocious a student is this he cannot do' (1996:155). In other words Csikszentmihalyi stated that it is education that makes an individual creative. In this context it would be relevant to mention that Amabile suggested that "...creativity by individuals and teams is a starting point for innovation; the first is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the second" (Amabile et al 1996). As it is Csikszentmihalyi viewed creativity as the highest achievement of human mind as he states that "Creativity is the central source of life for several reasons. Most of the things that are interesting, important and human are the result of creativity." (1997: 1) Csikszentmihalyi's views in this context suggested that there is an attempt of invoking creativity within young students but there can be no conviction that the method proved the usher of creativity within young students of 12-16 years. It s... knowledge that they wish to acquire but they stressed on the particulars of methods and neglected creativity by keeping it aside as they implied that it is a inheriting part of the young student's mechanism. In this regard we can enumerate the ideas put forward by Emerson who suggested that "by our tempering and thwarting and too much governing he may be hindered from his end and kept out on his own" (Emerson 251) In other words Emerson believed that the students should be given enough liberty to formulate their own approach towards education or they are creative enough to formulate one. This again is an alternative view of Csikszentmihalyi's views that suggested that even if there are no direct evidence of creativity there always remains an element of attempt to be creative all along. Literature review View of Csikszentmihalyi states that "creativity results from the interaction of a system composed of three elements: a culture that contains symbolic rules, a person who brings novelty into the symbolic domain, and a field of experts who recognize and validate the innovation." (1997: 6) but in the same context Freire suggests that it " emerges through invention and reinvention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful enquiry men peruse in the world, with the world, and with each other." (Freire 319) Thus it can be enumerated that this element according to Freire is more of a reflex action rather than a formulated procedure and it can be further mentioned that this process of learning is an instrument of survival that was incorporated within us from the prehistoric era and he expects every young student to be creative. Freire stressed that the education of young students must involve their senses. He presents guidelines for creating an educational

E-cigaretee Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-cigaretee - Research Paper Example The smoking cessation industry is led by the USA in terms of the market size, which is the followed by UK, Germany and then Russia. However, almost in all the developed countries and even in many other countries globally, the smoke cessation industry has been growing rapidly. While the most known method for helping in smoking cessation traditionally has been nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), new methods products are now rising, which targets the smoking cessation industry (Wikinvest, n.p.). The market is segmented into two broad categories of the cessation therapy consumer segment and the smoking cessation products/pills consumers segment. The therapy market segment consumer segment constitutes the consumers who are seeking the services of medical professionals to assist them in the cessation of their smoking habits, with such consumers having access to 17 different smoking cessation therapies, but one of the therapies, the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), remains the most predominant therapy that many smokers are seeking (Wikinvest, n.p.). The smoking cessation products/pills consumers segment comprises of the consumer segment that is purchasing the products manufactured by the smoking cessation industry, such as the smoking cessation pills, which are widely applied towards helping the smokers quit their habits. The use of the smoking cessation pills is highly adopted in the UK markets, with the product generating  £720m in revenue in the year 2011 alone (Steele, n.p.). The smoking cessation industry is relatively small in size, considering that it is an industry that is relatively new in the market, and its products are yet to be known very well. However, the industry is poised to grow in the near future to a substantial market. While the current market share of the smoking cessation industry is estimated at between 3 and 4% of the overall, the growth rate of the industry is

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Marketing - Essay Example New product development process Idea Generation Idea generates from different sources. It may be by the influence of the competitor or from the customer. Ideas can be either generated from the internal source like through research and development or from the outside sources like competitors or market research agencies. For example with technological development new types of DVD players are in idea generation process which will play high capacity Forward Versatile Disc or FVD of around 6 gigabyte capacity (Grewal, 2008, p. 308). Idea Screening Sometimes too many ideas are generated which needs to be evaluated and then screened which are not very promising one for the company. The Idea screening process of the foremost U.S motorcycle manufacturer, Harley-Davidson is known as â€Å"The Wall of Fire† who screens different ideas to choose the best out of the development opportunities called â€Å"The Swirl† (Karol, Nelson, 2007, p. 118). Concept Development and Testing The i deas which are screened in the idea screening process are forwarded for the concept development and testing of the screened idea. Ideas can be very beneficial for the company in many cases for which proper testing of the concept is required for its feasibility study. In automobile industry Tata Motors conducted a market research in order to find the gap in the market for its fall in the market share of truck during the year 1998 to 2000. It showed that consumers want a to have a car like vehicle but it can perform like a truck which can carry heavy weights for different purposes (Kumar, 2007, p.29). Marketing strategy development After concept testing the marketing strategies like the description of the target market, distribution channels, pricing policy, advertising, marketing mix strategies and profit in long run are evaluated and managed. For example Unisys identified the need of the customers then developed the project management process after analyzing the feasibility, develop ment qualification etc (Lambert, 2008, p. 151). Business Analysis In the business analysis process the proposal for the development of the product is made along with the cost of development, marketing, manpower resources, technical needs, replacement cycle and the estimated sales forecast. Harley-Davidson eliminated the suppliers who only provide them with prototypes and improved their sales with the direct design technique after analyzing the business process (Lambert, 2008, p. 156). Product Development With the acceptance of the business analysis the next stage is the actual product development which translates the idea into real world entity from drawing. Prototypes are often made for different products in order to understand the feasibility through thorough testing process. Like in case of Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s they alpha tests their new flavors range amongst the employees of the firm for their feedback (Grewal, 2008, p. 311). Market Testing With successful testin g process and feedback from the prototype the actual final product are made and research is done from the review of the customers. The disadvantage of market testing is that, the competitors came to know about the new product and they can act accordingly. As for example Coca-cola conducted a market testing by launching small eight ounce cans of soda for Coke, Sprite and various other products in Chicago regions. (Grewal, 2008, p. 313) Commercialization / Product launch Market testing process is very essential to decide whether to move for the product launch or commercialization. If any things need to be altered in the product it is done in this stage to suite the market demand (Boone & Kurtz,

Apple Financial Analysis Paper

Apple Financial Analysis Paper Apple Inc. is a unique company in the personal entertainment sector. It has been loyal to its design and marketing strategy over the past 33 years and has been able to position itself as a cult brand that is known worldwide for its innovative and market leading business operation. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Inc. once said: A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets (Warner, 2009). It is this attitude and the provocative but entertaining way the company introduces new products and presents itself to the public that made me want to have a look behind the scenes and into their finances. Background Apple Computer Inc. was founded in 1977 in the United States, in Cupertino, California and renamed to Apple Inc. in 2007 to display its comprehensive product portfolio (Datamonitor, 2010). Today Apple Inc. and its subsidiaries (from here referred to as Apple) operate in the wide field of personal entertainment. This includes designing, producing and promoting a variety of hardware products such as personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players (Apple Inc., 2010, p. 1) as well as software solutions and services around its products. Over the past 3 years the company has raised its resources for research and development leading to expenses of $1,109 million in 2008, $1,333 million in 2009 and $1,782 million in 2010, a total increase of 60% (2008 to 2010). As a result Apple launched several new and revolutionary products such as the iPhone in 2007, the time capsule software in 2008, a new edition of the iPhone in 2009 and the iPad in 2010 which have led to a sustained success that reflects in the financial statements of the recent years (Datamonitor, 2010, p. 9): In the fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010 ending in September of each year Apple increased its revenue by 14,4% to $42,905 million (2008 to 2009) and thereafter by 52% to $65,225 million (2009 to 2010). The companys net profit was $6,119 million, $8,235 million and $14,013 million in 2008, 2009 and 2010 which resembles an increase of 34,6% (2008 to 2009) and 59% (2009 to 2010). The introduction of the iPad, where 300,000 pieces have already been sold on its launch day, April 3rd 2010, and 7,458 million pieces since its launch (Apple Inc., 2010, p. 33) as well as the new release of the iPhone and the third-party offers in the iTunes Stores being music and electronic book downloads are mainly responsible Apples recent success (Dowling, Press Release, 2010). In order to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of the end of year financial results for Apple and its past and future development a critical analysis of its financial statements has been conducted and is presented hereafter. Analysis The critical analysis of the financial statement of Apple includes the general comparison of Apples main financial influencing factors and secondly a ratio analysis which will provide an in depth audit of the financial performance and its effects on the company. Main financial influencers The main influencing factors of Apples financial statements are the revenue, operating profit, net profit, cost of sales and earnings per share. These indicators show the overall financial performance of the company. The overview given in Table 1 (Refers to Appendix V) highlights the superior performance of the company from 2008 until 2010. Apple Inc. is an American based company, which is why the figures are expressed in USD and in the following table in $ million except for the earnings per share, which express the per share amount. Apples financial results are a good indicator for the economys progressing recovery from the financial crises of the recent years. The above-average rise of Apples revenue and profit are the result of its investments in product developments which have met the needs and wants of the target markets. The image of the company was strengthened by its very good sales performance which was influential for the rise of earnings per share. The great increase for Apples costs of goods sold result from the development and production of the iPad, which will also be visible in the result of the financial year ending September 2011, as well as the development and production of the new release of the iPhone. Ratio Analysis A ratio analysis is used to express how the figures in the financial statement relate to each other and by interpreting the ratios to explain how the figures affect each other and the companys development and performance (Dyson, 2010, p. 219). Comparisons of the figures are made within Apples own performance over the past financial years and where appropriate the figures are compared to two Apples competitors. For this critical analysis the competitive companies are Dell Inc. since they compete within the personal computer segment and Microsoft, who are one of Apples main competitors in the computer software sector (Datamonitor, 2010, p. 27). It shall be mentioned that currently there is no other company which provides a similar product portfolio as Apple. Therefore no absolutely satisfactory industry comparison can be made for the ratio analysis but indications on the positive or negative trend on the figures can be made. Liquidity ratios Liquidity ratios allow the assessment of the amount of cash which a company has access to from its own resources within the next twelve months. The two ratios which are put into one context are the current ratio and the quick ratio (Table 2 Refers to Appendix I). The norm result for the current ratio is 2:1 (Hendricks, 2010, p. 6). The higher the current ratio, the more liquid resources are available for the company to pay its short term debts. The current ratio for Apple was higher in 2009 but is still within the industry norm in 2010. By reducing the stock, the quick ratio is considered a more reliable statement of a companys liquidity. A ratio of 1:1 accounts as safe. This again has been greatly outperformed in 2009 and slightly decreased towards 2010 which indicates on Apples good ability to turn assets into cash quickly. The overall reduction of both ratios in the Financial Year 2010 (FY 2010) can be traced back to the fact that the companies liabilities have increased due to RD, production and retail store investments. Profitability Ratios Profitability ratios calculate the earnings a company generates in relation to the expenses and costs it has during the financial year. An increase of the value of a profitability ratio indicates that a business performing well. In order to interpret the companys performance a comparison to two competitors in Apples operating environments has been drawn. Apple has invested in its fixed assets by expanding its retail segment which explains the slight decrease in return on gross assets (ROA). As financial analysts state a ROA should not undergo 5%, Apple is in a very good position with an ROA of 24.66%. (Table 3 Refers to Appendix II,A,B). A high return on shareholder equity (ROE) expresses a companys effective employment of stakeholder investments and in return high earnings for the stakeholders. The figures show that Apple has been able to invest more effectively in FY2010. But the company comparison reveals that even with a great loss in ROE for Dell in 2010 it can compete with Apples performance. Where as Microsofts ROE with 40.6% is much higher. However since the ROE should be interpreted in relation to the debts, and Apple only has short term debts which the company covers quickly, the investment strategy of Apple can be considered as benefiting for both the company and the shareholders. Apples gross ratio decreased in FY2010. This is due to the less efficient use of its fixed assets in raw material and manufacturing. The company comparison shows that Apples gross ratio is at a high percentage a positive indication for profit that is confirmed in Apples overall results. The figures of Apples profitability ratios in relation to its competition display Apples ability to manage its investments and sales lucrative. Efficiency Ratios Efficiency Ratios express the ability of a company to use its resources profitably. An increase of the ratio figures over the years show an efficient management of resources. (Table 4 Refers to Appendix III). The rate of stock turnover (ROST) can be described as the number of times the stock is being replaced per year. A high ROST show the efficient investments and a low ROST can be an indicator stockpiling and poor sales. Since Apples sales have greatly increased in FY2010 the decrease in ROST of 33% from FY2009 to FY2010 most likely result from inefficient stockpiling. Speculations can be made that a too high prognosis on iPad sales in combination with a lower sales rate of iPods may have led to an increased inventory level. The fixed asset turnover (FAT) has decreased by 27% in FY2010 which means that Apple was less successful in using its fixed assets to generate sales. The reduction in FAT is the result if Apples investment in its retail branch and therefore an increase of fixed assets. While the ROST and FAT are decreasing naturally the cost of sales ratio (COS) will increase. Apples has more money tied up in its fixed assets and was not able to handle its stock as efficient as in recent years. The debt ratio expresses the percentage of assets which are financed by debts. Apple only has short term liabilities and no long term debts (Apple Inc., 2010, p. 27). Even though the short term debts have increased to 36.43% which Apples should reduce over the coming financial periods 63.57% of Apples assets are covered by equity. The risk for Apple therefore is low. Investment Ratios This part of the ratio analysis helps to judge how remunerative a potential or existing investment is or might be (Table 5 Refers to Appendix IV). Apple does not pay dividends per share to its shareholders explaining the dividend yield of $0.00. Therefore the company has more financial resources to reinvest in its business and the development of its products to maintain a peer position in the market. The earnings per share (EPS) allot the profit of a company to its number of shares and therefore indicating on the companys overall profitability. Apples EPS increased by 67% to $15.41 in FY2010 which relates to the nearly 60% higher net profit in 2010. It also reveals an increase in investment in the companys shares which most likely result from Apples positive consumer and investor awareness through the introduction of its new product developments. A high price/earnings ratio (P/E) describes the high demand of the shares and therefore the confidence of investors towards a positive future of the company. With the high increase in EPS the P/E has risen as well. Apples market price per share ($) tradedÂÂ  at 14.76x the EPS of $15.41. Over the past years Apple has proven to be a lucrative company to invest in and it is likely that this trend continues for the following financial year. Impact of current event since last balance sheet The publishing date of Apples recent annual financial report is the 25th September 2010. Since then Apple has introduced a new developments of its MacBook, the MacBook Air, a thinner and more powerful version of the Apple laptop (Dowling, Press Release 2, 2010). This will affect the sales of the iPad since it can be seen as a competitive product and it is likely to increase Apples stock turnover ratio because it is an additional product in the companys range. But at the same time Apple has made a move to stay competitive in the personal computer sector and it is likely that the company will increase its total revenue until the next financial report. Conclusion and recommendations Financially the fiscal year 2010 was a very successful year for Apple. The company has increased the investments in research and development of new products and its retail branch. This has led to the launches of the iPad and the new iPhone generation and has brought the focus of public attention to the company enhancing its image and increasing its desirability in the minds of shareholders and investors. Apple has increased its revenue by more than 50% and is taking a leasing position in the personal computer market despite the intense competition and price sensitivity of the consumers. The software and online services Apple is offering through third parties, such as the e-books have gained popularity. A negative affect has been recognized when analyzing Apples efficiency in using its resources. The stock turnover decreased compared to the previous year which affected the cost of sales and fixed asset turnover. It is recommended to continue the trend of high investments in research and development as this is a key success factor for Apple to be one step ahead of its competition. Additionally the service offers though third party suppliers in the range of music, e-books and applications for the mobile phones should be kept up, as they increase the popularity of Apples products. Furthermore Apple could compensate the negative effects of the decrease in stock turnover by introducing improvements in its marketing and promotion efforts to boost sales.

Government Regulation of Video Game Violence is Unconstitutional and Un

â€Å"Breaking news tonight at 11, three students dead, several wounded after manic depressed teen lashes out with a handgun†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Americans serve witness in recent decades to this scary yet familiar occurrence. The cause of this familiar scene is minors suffering from social disorders and aggression. The major focus of blame is the entertainment industry including television, movies, books, and recently video games. The state of California decided to address the concern of video game violence by passing a law banning minors from purchasing games that are considered â€Å"violent†. However, the law is unconstitutional and unnecessary. The law is simple: any game that humanoid characters are maimed, killed, or tortured is considered violent. Labels that clearly state 18 must be placed on all games falling under this definition. The law requires that any individual purchasing a game in this category must provide proof of age. Additionally, retailers must obtain proof of age before selling the game or face fines. The law’s purpose is to protect minors from games that contain violence. Unfortunately, the California law ignores the Constitution. The First Amendment covers minors’ rights to obtain video games, because the games enjoy the same protections granted to other forms of protected speech. Carmen Hoyme (2004), notes in the First Amendment Law Review that since video games share properties that other protected media forms have, the same protections are extended to video games and restrictions affecting minors' access are allowable due to incitement (pp. 318-385). Holning Lau (2007), writing in the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, explains that minors have the right to obtain expressions protected by the First A... ...Freedom of expression and interactive media: video games and the first amendment. University of North Carolina School of Law First Amendment Law Review, 2(377), 377-402. Retrieved September 22, 2014 www.lexis.com Lau, H. (2007). Pluralism: a principle for children’s rights. Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, 42(317), 317-372. Retrieved September 22, 2014 www.lexis.com O'Holleran, J. (2010). Student note: blood code: the history and future of video game censorship. Journal on Telecommunications & High Technology Law, 8, 571-612. Retrieved September 22, 2014 www.lexis.com Wood, R. (2009). Violent video games: more ink spilled than blood - an analysis of the 9th circuit decision in video software dealers association v. schwarzenegger. Texas Review of Entertainment and Sports Law, 10, 103-121. Retrieved September 22, 2014 www.lexis.com

Legalization of Marijuana :: Argumentative, Marijuana Legalization

The legalization of marijuana has been questionable for many many years now, but the government just seems to always decline. I feel that marijuana should be legalized. There are many reasons for and against legalization, but the arguments for it outweigh the arguments against it. I believe marijuana should be legalized for three main reasons. Legalization will bring in much needed tax dollars, it will free up prisons and their resources, and it will save the U.S tons of money. If marijuana is legalized, it can be taxed by the federal government, like alcohol and cigarettes are now. If this is done, not only will the government save millions of dollars on searching for marijuana, the government will make billions of dollars off the sale of marijuana which can be used for drug education programs to help educate the youth of America. In the United States, all levels of government (federal, state, and local authorities) participate in the "War on Drugs." We currently spend billions of dollars every year to chase peaceful people who happen to like to get high. These people get locked up in prison and the taxpayers have to foot the bill. We have to pay for food, housing, health care, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses to lock these people up. This is extremely expensive! If you must know, it costs taxpayers like you and me $42,000 a year to keep just one criminal in jail. That's more than twice the amount citizens spend on sending their children to school. Taxpayers only spend a dissapointing $13,000 a year for public schooling. We could save billions of dollars every year as a nation if we stop wasting money locking people up for having marijuana. In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes. According to The Report of the Task Force on Cannabis Regulation to the Center for the Study of Drug Policy, "marijuana is one of the largest tax-exempt industries in the country today." 10-15 billion dollars a year could be made simply by legalizing cannabis. Hemp, the nonpsychoactive version of the plant, has many, many uses but is outlawed by the U.S. government. Hemp is an incredibly strong fiber that can be used for ropes, clothes and

Nanotechnology Uses to Enhance Computer Performance Essay

Although the core concepts of nanotechnology were introduced in the early 1950’s, nanotechnology was not properly introduced to the world until 1974. That was the year a Japanese scientist, named Tanigushi, coined the word â€Å"nanotechnology†. Nanotechnology refers to the constructing and engineering of systems at the atomic level. â€Å"Nanotechnology will be the major technology in development of every machine in coming years. † (Wifinotes, n. d. ) Nanotechnology will greatly improve the functionality and performance of computers. Body  In everyday terms, â€Å"Nanotechnology is based on manipulations of individual atoms and molecules to build complex atomic structures. † (Tarasov, 2009, pg. 1) Working at the atomic level is a very new technology. The size of a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. For comparison purposes, â€Å"A very fine human hair is about 10,000 nanometers wide, which is the smallest dimension we can see with the naked eye. † (Cook, 2005) Before research could begin, researchers had to first invent a machine that could work with such small particles. Their goal was to manipulate atoms and molecules into a particular configuration – a configuration capable of performing functions similar to a microprocessor. The technology prior to nanotechnology started out rather primitive. It was a major advance in technology when vacuum tubes were invented. They came into existence about the same time Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. Vacuum tubes were first used in computers in 1946 until 1958. By then, vacuum tubes could not be made any smaller, so technology gave us transistors. Transistors were used in computers from 1959 to 1964. One transistor took the place of 40 vacuum tubes. When the limits of the transistor were reached, computer builders used integrated circuits from 1965 to 1970. In 1971, the microprocessor came into computer use. Faster and smaller than anything so far, the microprocessor led to the invention of personal computers. Now that the advancement of microprocessors has nearly reached its limits, it is now time for the next generation of processor, which some researchers say will be engineered on the nanometer scale. But, how will they manipulate particles on such a minute scale? Before manipulating atoms into the desired position, researchers had to see them first. Researchers had to invent a microscope that would allow them to see atoms. In 1981, IBM researchers invented the Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM). (University of Wisconsin, 2008) This microscope allowed researchers to â€Å"see† atoms. As it turns out, in 1989, researchers found they could actually manipulate atoms into the desired position with the SPM. †¦researchers have been able to manipulate and stabilize atomic-size structures in such a way that they can persistently maintain the qualities needed to be classified as viable, though still strictly experimental, computational devices. † (Goth, 2012) Atoms are constantly moving, so catching one to move around was very difficult. The atoms needed to be cooled down to near absolute zero, to -450 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature where most atoms hardly move. The Scanning Probe Microscope (Nanooze, 2005) After cooling the atoms, researchers were able to use the SPM to move individual atoms to a specific location. One at a time, they moved the atoms into position to spell â€Å"IBM†. It took them nearly an entire day to do it. See image below: Atoms arranged to spell IBM (Nanooze, 2005) Since the first manipulation of atoms had been demonstrated, researchers have continued to move atoms into complicated configurations, as shown in the figure below. Depiction of a nanotechnology produced gear set (Wifinotes, n. d. ) After all the groundwork had been laid, computer researchers turned their attention to using nanotechnology in the computer world. Their first target was the microchip. Current microchip technology limits have nearly been reached and the researchers went to work shrinking the size of the processors . â€Å"†¦ etching [lithography] techniques can only take features so far – anything below 22nm is just not feasible. † (European Nanotechnology Gateway, n. d. ) Right now, the newest chipsets using lithographic etching are being produced with 65nm features. Intel has realized a 10-15% improvement in drive current, which means greater performance, through the use of nanotechnology. Meanwhile, at IBM, to aid the shrinking of the processors, â€Å"researchers have developed transistors from carbon nanotubes. †( European Nanotechnology Gateway, n. d. ) Carbon nanotubes show great improvements compared to conventional silicon transistors. â€Å"The carbon nanotubes are long, thin strands of carbon molecules. In the lab, they delivered more than double the amount of electrical current compared to the top-performing transistors currently on the market. †( European Nanotechnology Gateway, n. . ) â€Å"A single strand of carbon atoms (red)†¦contained in a multi-walled carbon nanotube. † (American Institute of Physics, 2003) Lithographic etching is being replaced with a new process called â€Å"block co-polymer lithography†, or BCP. Scientists have found a process to create nano-scale patterns that is expected to be used in the manufacture of microprocessors. Using the new process, silicon wafer features have been developed between five and 20 nanometers thick – much smaller than the current 65 nanometers. In the figure below, you can see an image of a nano-scale microprocessor created by the BCP process: (Nanotechnology, 2011) According to Nanotechnology – Future Technology: †¦with the use [of] nanotechnology, it could be possible to transform desktop computers into computers that are the size of a watch but with more operating capacity and they will also last longer than current computers†¦Computers with the capabilities of current workstations will be the size of a grain of sand and will be able to operate for decades with the equivalent of a single wristwatch battery. This technology advancement will make computers more abundant, cheaper to manufacture, faster, and smaller. (Nanotechnology – Future Technology, 2012) When a processor’s feature size is reduced, it uses less electricity and produces less heat, thereby becoming more efficient and economical to operate. Being more efficient and economical also means faster, more reliable overall performance of the computer. Conclusion Nanotechnology will provide the world with advancements in electronics along with many other fields, such as biology, chemistry and medicine. In the future, nanotechnology will play a major role in the discovery of new components, such as nano-sized microprocessors, and will enhance many other existing technologies. â€Å"Nanotechnology will be the major technology in [the]development of every machine in coming years. † (Wifinotes, n. d. ) Nanotechnology will greatly improve the functionality and performance of computers.

Chemistry TAS Report Essay

1. Experiment Number : 10 2. Date : 18/01/2008 3. Title : Determination of the equilibrium constant for the reaction : Fe3+(aq) + SCN-(aq) FeSCN2+(aq) 4. Aims/Objective : To determine the equilibrium constant for the reaction : Fe3+(aq) + SCN-(aq) FeSCN2+(aq) 5. Introduction / Theory: In this experiment, the equilibrium constant for the formation of a complex ion, FeSCN2+(aq), is determined. Complex ions, thiocyanatoiron(III) ions, are formed from iron(III) ions and thiocyanate ions in aqueous solution : Fe3+(aq) + SCN-(aq) FeSCN2+(aq) (1). see more:chemistry matriculation notes semester 1 The equilibrium constant for this reaction is:Kc = [FeSCN2+(aq)] (2) [Fe3+(aq)][SCN-(aq)] The product complex ion is the only one of the three species which has an appreciable color (blood-red). 6. Relevant Equations/Chemical Reactions Involved : Fe3+(aq) + SCN-(aq) FeSCN2+(aq) 7. Chemicals : 0. 002 M KSCN(aq) 50 cm3 0. 2 M Fe(NO3)3(aq) 20 cm3 8. Apparatus and equipment : Boiling tube 5 Dropper 2 10 cm3 measuring cylinder 1 Lamp 1 25 cm3 measuring cylinder 1 Wash bottle 1 Safety spectacle 1 250 cm3 beaker 1 9. Procedure : 1. 0. 2 M Fe(NO3)3(aq) was used and 10 cm3 of 0. 08 M, 0. 032 M, 0. 0128 M, 0. 00512 M Fe(NO3)3(aq) were prepared respectively. The solutions were added by using 10 cm3 measuring cylinder to 5 clean boiling tubes in a rack as below. Tube No. 1 2 3 4 5 SCN-(aq) / cm3 10 10 10 10 10 Fe3+(aq) / cm3 10(0. 2 M) 10(0. 08 M) 10(0. 032 M) 10(0. 0128 M) 10(0. 00512 M) 3. Tubes 1 and 2 were wrapped around with a strip of paper so that light was excluded from the side. 4. The solutions towards the lamp were looked vertically down to compare the colour intensity. 5. Some of the solution from the standard tube 1 was removed with a dropper until the colour intensities of solutions in both tubes were the same. And the removed liquid was put into a clean and dry beaker. 6. The depth of the solution in tube 1 was then measured. 7. Steps 3 to 6 were repeated with tubes 1 and 3, 1and 4 and finally 1and 5. 10. Observations : The colour intensities of the solutions in the two tubes being observed were the same. 11. Data, Calculation and Results : Height of solution in original tube 1 = 59 mm Height of solution in tube 1 having the same colour intensity as tubes 2, 3, 4 and 5 are : Same colour intensity as 2 3 4 5 Height of solution in tube 1 (mm) 45 35 28 23 12. Conclusion : The equilibrium constant for the reaction : Fe3+(aq) + SCN-(aq) FeSCN2+(aq) was found to be 82. 1 M-1. 13. Discussion : 1. By M1V1 = M2V2, For tube 1, initial concentration of SCN-(aq) = 0. 001 M initial concentration of Fe3+(aq) = 0. 1 M For tube 2, initial concentration of SCN-(aq) = 0. 001 M initial concentration of Fe3+(aq) = 0. 04 M For tube 3, initial concentration of SCN-(aq) = 0. 001 M initial concentration of Fe3+(aq) = 0. 016 M For tube 4, initial concentration of SCN-(aq) = 0. 001 M initial concentration of Fe3+(aq) = 0. 0064 M For tube 5, initial concentration of SCN-(aq) = 0. 001 M initial concentration of Fe3+(aq) = 0. 00256 M 2. Concentration of FeSCN2+ in tube 1 = 0.001 M 3. Ratio of depth in the colour comparison with tube 2 = 45 /59 = 0. 763 Ratio of depth in the colour comparison with tube 3 = 35 /59 = 0. 593 Ratio of depth in the colour comparison with tube 4 = 28 /59 = 0. 475 Ratio of depth in the colour comparison with tube 5 = 23 /59 = 0. 390 Equilibrium concentration of thiocyanoiron(III) ions: In tube 2 = 0. 001 x (45 / 59) = 7. 63 x 10-4 M In tube 3 = 0. 001 x (35 / 59) = 5. 93 x 10-4 M In tube 4 = 0. 001 x (28 / 59) = 4. 75 x 10-4 M In tube 5 = 0. 001 x (23 / 59) = 3. 90 x 10-4 M 4. [Fe3+]equil = [Fe3+]initial – [FeSCN2+]equil = 0. 04 – 7. 63 x 10-4 = 0. 0392 M [SCN-]equil = [SCN-]initial – [FeSCN2+]equil = 0. 001 -7. 63 x 10-4 = 2. 37 x 10-4 M 5. Room temperature = 16 oC K = [FeSCN2+]equil / ([Fe3+]equil[SCN-]equil) = 7. 63 x 10-4 / [(0. 0392)(2. 37 x 10-4)] = 82. 1 M-1 6. There are few sources of error in this experiment. (1) Determination of colour intensity in the two tubes observed might not be accurate. (2) Taking reading when measuring the depth of liquid. Error estimation – When taking initial reading, error is + 0. 05 cm3. When taking final reading, error is also + 0. 05 cm3. Therefore, error is + 0. 1 cm3.

Is “Sredni Vashtar” a Horror Short Story? Essay

â€Å"Sredni Vashtar† Takes a close look into the life and interactions of and between Conradin; his cousin and mentor, Mrs. de Ropp and Conradin’s Ferret and God: Sredni Vashtar. It can be described as a horror story because of its character’s description, themes and setting. It shows the religious downfall of the protagonist, the death of the antagonist and the lack of coherence in society. Saki emphasises the horror in the main characters, including both the protagonists and antagonists. â€Å"Conradin† is described as a â€Å"ten years old† boy, skinny and sick who â€Å"will not live for another 5 years†. It is not a nice image for a boy, and it can either cause sympathy or apathy. However, the fact that he has a â€Å"rampant† imagination and he uses it to evade reality, intimidates the reader. The antagonist is Mrs. De Ropp, a high-class elder woman, which is Conradin’s â€Å"guardian and cousin†. Even if she does not admit it â€Å"she disliked Conradin†, which becomes obvious with some actions and details she has with Conradin, such as killing his hen and friend. Sredni Vashtar is a ferret, a God and a religion, all at the same time. It’s difficult for a reader, especially if we took into account the social and religious contex, to not feel uncomfortable or intimidated with/by this character. It symbolises Conradin’s religious fail, it kills Mrs. De Ropp and is described as a fierce beast. Also it has complete control over Conradin, even that it’s not a thinking individual. The maid is the other human character described. She is the contact point with society and ordinary lifestyles, in other words reality. She is described as a clumsy and â€Å"foolish† person, who lacked importance. This shows the author’s and protagonist’s opinion of society. Despite the fact that is not described in detail, the setting has a lot of impact on the reader. First of all, the story is set during fall, the horror season in most cultures. It’s also the time when nature begins to die. The Edwardian mansion is described to have â€Å"many windows†, which commonly in literature symbolise eyes. This creates a feeling of constant vigilance, as if Conradin and the reader could not do anything without Mrs. De Ropp knowing. The lack of detail pushes the reader to use his own imagination to recreate the old Edwardian mansion, which can either create more fear or reduce it, depending on the reader. The â€Å"cheerless† garden with â€Å"few trees† represents Mrs. De Ropp arid personality and decrepit physical appearance, which emphasises the regret and fear felt for the antagonist. The two main places Conradin spends most time on are his room and the toolshed. The first one is described as been â€Å"dark† and the second been at â€Å"dusk†. Light represents hope, so Sredni Vashtar, who lives in the tool shed, also represents hope. The main themes are the children role in the high class society, how the protagonists fails to fulfil them and the consecuences. The reader can easily see the closed social and religious views Saki is trying to criticise: The edwardian high class social standards, based on pride, severe rules and inhuman punishments and the lack of everyday devotion for religion, despite which one. The protagonist contrast and completely break these rules: Conradin hated his cousin, lost and changed his faith, did not had manners and rejected society. As we can observe â€Å"Sredni Vashta† represents divinity/God’s fail, in a social context where religion was extremely strong and important in everyday life; This obviously drags reader’s attention. Saki also explores the importance of a close family, which he lacked because, just as the protagonist, he was raised in Burma by hated relatives. In the story Conradin did not have a close and loving family so become into a troubled kid , with psychological, health and social problems. The language used to describe the protagonist includes a series of techniques Saki uses to emphasise specific characteristics or cause a certain effect on the reader. For example the religious downfall: Saki describes how Conradin thinks â€Å"church service was an alien rite† and instead his god was a ferret. Saki foreshadows Mrs, De Ropp’s death with Conradin’s hen death and with the prayers Conradin says to Sredni Vashtar: â€Å"Do one thing for me, Sredi Vashtar† This makes the readers pay attention to any details and do not loose interest, as well as creating a horror and suspense atmosphere. The contrast between the â€Å"cold afternoon† and the â€Å"warming daylight† is a pathetic fallacy which represents Mrs. De Ropp’s hope fading, anticipating her death. The toast is a symbolism for the pleasure death can cause. This is shown when Mrs. De Ropp tells Conradin about his friend’s death and she offers him a toast, and when Mrs. De Ropp is killed, Conradin prepares himself a toast. The fact that is his favourite meal shows the sick mentality of the character, who celebrates his freedom but also death. Humor, sarcasm and dramatic irony are commonly used by Saki in â€Å"Sredni Vashtar†, which develop a creepiness sensation on the reader. For example the maid says after Mrs. De Ropp’s death â€Å"Whoever will break it to the poor child?†, this dramatic irony is used to emphasise the fact that society did not understood Conradin, and it’s humorous because the maid was described as a stupid character.