How to communicate the gospel to the youth effectively Research Proposal

How to communicate the gospel to the youth effectively - Research Proposal Example The youth forms a critical group in the modern church and the contemporary society. Unlike in the past, the contemporary youth express their evident search for a purpose in life. With the increasing influence of the popular culture promoted by different media forms, the church has a critical responsibility in ensuring that the youth finds direction from God through the church. Modem day preachers need to adopt strategies that are appealing to the youth. Young people have varying needs from other groups in the church. Many of the young people face identity crises during their teenage years and early adulthood. Therefore, preachers need to ensure that they preach the gospel to the youth effectively. God’s word can shape the life of a human being and transform his or her perceptions. Therefore, modern youth can rely on the Gospel for a sense of direction and purpose in life. However, this is only possible if preachers can reach the youth effectively using the most appropriate app roaches. Problem Statement Many authors have given attention to the emerging needs of the youth in the modern society. The youth has been a focus group in many studies. However, none of the studies have defined the most effective studies of communicating the gospel to the youth. It is of critical importance to understand the effective strategies for communicating the gospel to the youth so that it can begin to transform their lives during their younger years. In accordance with biblical teachings, especially in the book of Proverbs, the youth have a better chance of participating fully in the service of God because they are full of energy.

Vietnamese Writing System Essay Example for Free

Vietnamese Writing System Essay A pgonemic system with borrowings from Chinese logographs, the modern Vietnamese writing system is a 17th century reformed Latin alphabet known as quoc ngu (â€Å"Conlang,† 2007). The present system was developed by the Portuguese missionaries in Vietnam (â€Å"The Vietnamese,† 2006). The system has penetrated all walks of life and today is the dominant writing system in the country without fear or favor (â€Å"Vietnamese Language,† 2007). Of course, Vietnam has very close ties with China. Not only is the Vietnamese writing system using some of the Chinese logographs; but the love of literacy in the golden (ancient) Chinese civilization has also been transferred unto the Vietnamese people. Before the 17th century the dominant writing system in Vietnam used â€Å"modified Chinese characters† (â€Å"The Vietnamese†). The system was called Chonum. That system was completely overruled at the time the French missionary by the name of Alexandre de Rhodes confirmed quoc ngu as the new system of Latin style writing in Vietnam. Life changed for the Vietnamese people forever as internationalization took hold. After all, the writing system of a peoples represents their very heart and soul in some way or another. Reforms made to writing systems do also reveal patterns of historical movements. The Vietnamese writing system has not undergone reforms after Rhodes. This stability in the use of language is supplemented by the fact that Latin is a multinational alphabet that has been adopted by the very ethnic, nationalist, and individualist Vietnamese peoples (â€Å"Writing,† 2007). As is obvious, the Vietnamese people have adopted internationalization wholeheartedly, even though colonialism might not have been a brilliant experience for everybody. The use of quoc ngu in modern-day Vietnam is a testament to the potency of long lasting changes. References Conlang/Intermediate/Writing. (2007). Wikibooks. Retrieved 15 June 2007, from http://en. wikibooks. org/wiki/Conlang/Intermediate/Writing. The Vietnamese Writing System. (2006). Globalization Partners International. Retrieved 15 June 2007, from http://www. globalisationpartners. com/Translation_Services/Vietnamese/HTML/The_Vie tnamese_Writing_System. html. Vietnamese Language. (2007). Wikipedia. Retrieved 15 June 2007, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Vietnamese_language. Writing: The history, development and evolution of the world’s writing systems. (2007). Kryss Tal. Retrieved 15 June 2007, from http://www. krysstal. com/writing. html.

Stop and Search Controversy

Stop and Search Controversy The power to stop and search has been a prominent policing tool since the Vagrancy Act of 1824. The briefing, Series 2, Edition 3 March 2012 , it has come under regular legal, political and societal scrutiny because of its broad and discretionary use by its police officers. However has also been praised as it has not only combated crime however prevented criminal acts happening as police can stop and search anyone who they have reasonable suspicion are carrying weapons, stolen goods or going equipped for stealing. Stop and search is extremely subjective in the view that we must trust the officers views are wholly unbiased and prejudice and there is no untoward intent of the officer when using stop and search legislation. Since the very onset of the enactment of legislation in this area of police discretion, there has been controversy because of the subjectiveness afforded to police officers; the controversy being this discretion may be abused. Also the broad term of reasonable suspicion and what is seen as reasonable. There are also fundamental human rights breaches that have been evident in much of the case law. Stop and Search is now governed by 2 statutes; stop and search with arrest situates under the police and criminal evidence act 1984 whilst a stop and search without an arrest comes under section 60 of the criminal justice and public order act. Section 60 of the 1994 criminal justice and public Order Act was introduced to originally tackle people going to illegal raves which were a major problem in the 1980s and early 90s. It gave police the power, if they feared violence or disorder, to stop and search suspects at a specific time and place. I will further be discussing the controversies surrounding Police stop and search and concluding with my own views on this subject. Before the introduction of the police and criminal evidence act in 1984, the police stopped and searched individuals under what was called the sus law. This being because the police only had to have suspicion on their part in order to stop and search an individual, it did not need to be reasonable. The only national stop and search legislation was for the pursuit of drugs and firearms, unlike now with the introduction of the Terrorism act and Sporting event act. Eventually the Brixton riots in 1981 brought a stop to the use of the sus provisions due to the negative relationship it caused between the police and the public, in particular, ethnic minorities. Lord Scarmans Inquiry into the Brixton riots acknowledged that stop and search was a necessary tool to combat street crime and petty crime but expressed genuine concerns over the extent to which the sus laws were used in regards to the police officers own prejudices and views. In 1999 Stop and search came under scrutiny yet again du ring the Steven Lawrence murder enquiry, when Lord Macpherson revealed the shocking disproportionate amount of stop and searches in ethnic minorities, which in turn led on to accusing the police of holding prejudices and being institutionally racist. Lord Macpherson called for stop and searches, whether or not they resulted in an arrest to be recorded so that officers could be monitored and held accountable for if any racially aggravated stop and searches were made. Police work and especially stop and search works on the provision of reasonable suspicion and discretion. Discretion, although many may disagree, is not doing as you please. Discretion is bound by norms, thus including; professional norms, correct community norms, legal norms, and moral norms. Philosophers such as Ronald Dworkin and H.L.A. Hart have cleverly referred to discretion in the police force as the hole in the doughnut ; doughnut theory of discretion, Dworkin described discretion as a donut because it is not free-standing but part of a process. Discretion, like the hole in the doughnut, does not exist except as an area left open by a surrounding belt of restriction. Discretion is not outside the law but internal to the law  [1]  and where the law runs out; natural law theory. Thus meaning unwritten law that is more or less the same for everyone everywhere, based on customary behaviour. In other words Unwritten law is the body of morals and principles everybody obeys and lives by. This idea refers to discretion as the empty area in the middle of a ring consisting of policies and procedures. It is an empty space inside of the law surrounded by statues and rules. Police discretion and the way it operates can be explained by 3 broad terms; individualistic cultural and structural. Individualistic explanation states that police work and the macho image of the police attracts people with authoritarian personalities, research however carried out by Waddington (1999a) does in fact not support this view and states that police recruits are not more authoritarian then normal civilians. Brown and Willis (1985) and Fielding (1988) explained how the training process for these new recruits has a temporary liberalizing effect however exposure to permanent practical police work leads to an authoritarian perspective and outlook. The work of Zimbardo may give some explanation as to the sudden behaviour change in these new police recruits. Zimbardo (1973) conducted the Stanford prison experiment as he wanted to study conformity and was interested in finding out whether the rough treatment reported among guards in American prisons was due to the authoritarian personalities of the guards or had more to do with the prison environment. He took a group of 75 volunteers whom he tested for psychological normalitys, and assigned them to either the role of the prisoner or prison guard. For every 9 prisoners they had 3 guards. They put them in a prison environment and watched as each volunteer began adapting to their roles. The findings were phenomenal, Within hours of starting the experiment the prison guards began to act in a sadistic manner, dehumanizing the prisoners and some even began tormenting and bullying them and alongside this the prisoners began conforming to their newly established roles by taking the rules very seriously and become depressed and telling tales on their fellow inmates. Perhaps this experiment and its findings can give an explanation on the alleged view that police recruits adopt an authoritarian perspective perhaps due to its macho nature and the control they have suddenly been ascribed. Zimbardo concluded after the experiment that people will readily conform to the roles they have been ascribed, especially when they are strongly stereotyped. Canteen Culture could also give an understanding of the individualistic explanation and racism. The police must work as a united front to not only protect the public however to also protect each other so therefore, therefore due to the close proximity of the officers in the police force it is only inevitable officers will begin to conform to certain beliefs and values held by their colleagues, especially if they are outspoken about these. Canteen Culture, Ike Eze-anyika, Faber and Faber (20 Mar 2000). Police sub-culture ( Canteen Culture) is often portrayed as a pervasive, malign and potent influence on the behavior of officers. The grounds for this portrayal are, however, insubstantial and appear to rely more upon the condemnatory potential of the concept than its explanatory power. The cultural explanation of police discretion as said by Skolnick talked about this in a different way by identifying 3 main aspects of police culture and discretion, there is a suspiciousness which they have against certain groups of potential criminals that they treat with prejudice, there is the internal solidarity and social isolation which I believe both internal and support each other; solidarity in which the police must remain a force which supports each other as police individuals against danger in the streets and also the social isolation in terms of because of this solidarity the police have it creates more of a rift in society between the protectors and the protected. This creates citizens feeling like they are just stereotypes viewed by the police and they cannot complain about the police because of this solidarity they have or that they are just merely subjects without autonomy.   New research from the official human rights body reveals racial disproportionality in the amount of Stop and searched being made. Police forces are still more likely to use stop-and-search powers against black people than white people, stopping black people up to 28 times more and therefore may be breaking the law due to breaching their powers and wasting police time. The police force has been accused of being predominantly occupied by white middle class males with old fashioned work practices and whos face fits. A report by the equality and human rights commission reviewed the police force 10 years after the Steven Lawrence inquiry, in which Lord Macpherson branded the Police and Its Officers as institutionally racist. The report found a huge amount of black men on the national DNA database as appose to other ethnicities. The power is used most by the Metropolitan police, which carried out three-quarters of the stops between 2008- 2011, almost 258,000 in total. Although they could hold the largest amount due to the population size in the metropolitan districts. The next heaviest user of these powers was Merseyside with 40,940 stops.   Due to these extortionate figures it was established that something must be done and also perhaps that many of the people they stop may not be educated in this subject and may not necessarily know their rights. A mobile application was introduced early 2012 to inform the users of their rights when being stop and searched. Many people may be unaware that The police have to follow the correct code of conduct when stop and searching an individual; An officer should tell you their name, the reason why you have been stopped and the power that you are being stopped under. They should also give you their badge number, the name of the police station and provide you with a receipt at the end. This app tells the user their rights when being stop and searched. This could be either a blessing or a curse. Perhaps if the user of the mobile application was aware of their rights they could stop any mistreatment or exploitation, However on the other hand if there is a large amount of clued up young p eople then when they do get stop and searched they may feel very confident and start telling the police how to do their jobs and maybe even state that the police did not follow one of the rules even when done so just to get out of an arrest or fine etc. h Although the police force have been branded institutionally racist It could be argued that the police get these racist perceptions from the media. If one crime has been reported, eg- a mugging, the media have been known to blow this story out of proportion and create a societal panic. Pearson was writing in the 1970s, during the time when muggings and the moral panic surrounding it was rife. The word mugging was an invented word to describe a theft against a person, the media stated that muggings were spiralling out of control and were a new dangerous crime.   The media were also highly racist and said the crime was committed most by young black males thus resulting in the police using their stop and search powers more and especially on young black males, which in turn led to the police recovering more illegal articles and led to more arrests. This only because the police stop and searched more people. With these new figures young black males were then labelled as thugs and deviant and therefore left people and also the police with a negative perception towards young black males. This has also been seen lately with the knife crime moral panic and also the London riots as the media stated that working class undeducated young males from broken families decided to revo The police force is stereotypically renown for being a macho profession, and there perception of their job role should be on the streets searching for true criminals; murderers, rapists etc, however they are on the streets stop and searching individuals for petty crimes in most cases. They therefore perhaps to gain some job satisfaction feel they have to find prohibited articles or make an arrest and fight crime therefore they want to find criminals instead of being satisfied that there are no criminals which could result in a high amount of stop and searches. They have work pressures that determine their career on the basis of how many arrest they make and illegal articles they find. They therefore obtain their job satisfaction by finding criminals, by stop and search, rather than being satisfied that they live in a society where there are no criminals. On the other hand with the higher volume of stop and searches results in a higher amount of arrests which shows that justice is bei ng done and therefore heightens the morale of the police officers who are fighting the more every day street level crime.   Along with lord Macpheresons statement he released during the enquiry into the steven Lawrence case and also Lord Scarmans statement during the Brixton riots in which he claimed that the police abuse their powers yet again Stop-and-search powers have come under criticism again when they were ruled illegal by the European court of Human rights in January 2010. The Strasbourg court has been recently hearing a case involving two civilians who were stopped near an arms fair in London in 2003. The court heard the case of Kevin Gillan and Pennie Quinton who had been stopped outside the Defence Systems and Equipment International exhibition at the Excel Centre in London Docklands in 2003, Both individuals were held for twenty to thirty minutes. The court stated that their right to respect for a private and family life was violated. The European Court of Human Rights also said their rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights had been violated. Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 gives power to the home secretary; Theresa May, to authorise the police force to make random searches in certain circumstances, but The court said the stop and search powers were not sufficiently circumscribed and there were not adequate legal safeguards against abuse. Subsequently both individuals were awarded 33,850 euros ( £30,400) to cover legal costs. Lord Carlile; the governments independent reviewer of anti- terrorist legislation stated, In my view, section 44 is being used far too often on a random basis without any reasoning behind its useThe fundamental point that the court is making is that it increases the possibility of random interference with the legitimate liberties of the citizenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦On the other hand, we have to be safe against terrorism. There is therefore a very difficult balancing exercise to be done and Im sure Section 44 will come under intelligent scrutiny in the coming months. Speaking to BBC Radio 4s The World At One, Ms Quinton said Its not about saying that theres no need for stop and search. What were really saying is people have a right to privacy and there needs to be a balance between police powers to ensure our safety but also our rights to a private life. To conclude; the police force and more specifically the stop and search powers they hold have come under regular scrutiny by many different proffessionals; Lord Scarman, Lord Macphereson and the European court of human rights, to name just a few. The Police force works mainly on discretion and they are trusted upon to make the right decisions, act subjectively and have reasonable suspicion however it is hard to define what is reasonable. This term is too broad and vague and a police officers perception of what is reasonable may differ from his colleagues. Another important point to remember is that each police officer has his own views and prejudices and even if they do not consciously work upon these prejudices they are still engrained into the officer and this may change or dim their view on certain individuals. I believe police should work with discretion to not only to protect the public however also themselves against any foreseeable danger. Police officers get into numerous situations daily and therefore too many laws would be needed to govern every situation in which discretion is used. On the other hand, the stop and search figures brought to the publics attention over the last two decade do indicate levels of racism in the police force however with more and more ethnic minorities and also women beginning to occupy the force there is no room for racism or sexism. Society is rapidly changing alongside peoples perceptions of other races. Finally, I strongly believe that stop and search over the past years has caused a lot of controversy. The concept of stop and search; stop anybody whom you believe to be reasonably suspicious, does seem to work on paper however in practice the officers deeply engrained morals and prejudices seem to subconsciously effect their work which is evident in past figures. Further along Stop and Search does also need reforming due to the very public way in which the individual is stopped which leads to labelling by passing people, even if the individual is completely innocent.

Missing - Charles Horman is Us :: Movie Film Essays

Missing - Charles Horman is Us [1] How I came to choose Missing as the focus of my project is as a result of the learning experience I have been engaged in during my college career. Having first seen the film for a class, I thought of it as nothing more than a movie about something monumental that happened in Chile more than two decades ago. I watched it, unhappily, thinking about all the other things I could be doing, and even falling asleep during some of it. In the time between my first viewing of Missing and embarking on this most recent project, I have learned a great deal about history, politics, and people. My views on all three of those subjects are constantly changing, with each new piece of information I receive further complicating my thoughts. Missing has gone from a movie, the title of which I had difficulty recalling, to being a thought provoking exposition that has forced me to examine, evaluate, and reevaluate almost everything that had once been certain in my own mind. [2] Missing is a rather confusing film to follow at first. Admittedly, I had to view it a few times to understand what was happening. Perhaps the initial feeling after seeing this film is confusion. However, after having watched it a second, fourth, eighth time, what I really felt was anger. Each time I watched the film, the anger and disgust would grow, so much so that it pained me to watch it again. However, in identifying the cause of my anger, I began to realize many things. [3] The United States government denied having knowledge of Charles Horman’s disappearance. It denied any accusations, especially those of U.S. complicity in the coup. U.S. government officials seemed accommodating and willing to help. But Charles was still nowhere to be found. Perhaps he was hiding from the government because of his political views. Perhaps he was scared that his activities would cause him harm of some sort. Impossible, his family said. Charlie had nothing to hide and no one to hide from. He was captured and no doubt in a great deal of trouble. The onus was then on the United States to find one of their missing, to come through and protect its citizens from mistreatment by foreign nations.

Odyssey and Goddess Calypso Circe

Maddy Evans 5 Paragraph Essay Brain-storming Part I: Separation 1. )Call to Adventure  ·Odysseus must go to Troy to fight in the Trojan War 2. )Refusal of the Call  ·At first he refuses and states that he IS NOT going to war. 3. )Answering the Call  ·Athena tells Odysseus that he should go fight. So he finally decided he was going to.  ·He packed up weapons/food and put together a crew and set sail for Troy. 4. )Supernatural Aid/Guide  ·Athena, throughout, The Odyssey , aids him in his every need. . )Companions  ·Athena (Godley aid)  ·Penelope (Odys' wife)  ·Telemachus (Odys' son) 6. )Crossing the Threshold  ·When Ody Leaves for the Trojan War. 7. )Threshold Guardians Poseidon`s Monster Polyphemus 8. )Entering the belly of the whale Odysseus is the sole survivor of a shipwreck and ends in Calypso's island. Part II: Initiation 1. )Road of Trials 1. Cicones (six men lost from each ship 2. Lotus-eaters (must by force drag the intoxicated men back to boats) 3.Cyclops (l oses 6 men – puts out Polyphemus's eye – taunts the blinded Cyclops) 4. Aeolus (gives sack of winds to Odysseus) Aeolus 2 (pronounces curse on Odysseus after winds let out) 5. Laestrygonians (loses all ships but his own) 6. Circe (men turned to pigs – moly helps him escape her curse – one year in Circe's home) 7. House [Kingdom] of the Dead (sees Tiresias and Achilles his mother [Anticleia], Agamemnon, et al. ) A. Circe 2 8. Sirens (Odysseus listens! ) 9. Scylla and Charybdis (loses six men to Scylla) 10.Cattle of the Sun (loses the rest of his men) 11. Calypso's Isle 2. )Meeting with the Goddess Calypso Circe 3. )Abduction/Night Sea Journey being Captured by Calypso The trip to Hades 4. )Dragon Battle Representing the many hurdles Ody must overcome on his journey home. 5. )Companions In order for Ody to be transformed, he must give up his old life. 6. ) Atonement to/Recognition of the father The end of Odys journey and is the stepping stone that helps hi m take his rightful place as leader in the society. 7. )Ultimate Boom

Charlemagne essays

Charlemagne essays During the Medieval period (600 A.D. to 830 AD) in Europe only a few leaders showed great glory and compassion. Mythical characters usually made up these leaders. Yet Charlemagne wasnt a figment of our imagination. He is one of the worlds finest leaders. Charlemagne established the traditions of European royalty and nobility. His prominence in medieval Europe was a big force of bringing together the people of Europe. His many contributions help shape European civilization. For his valiant conquests the French, Germans, and Italians not so much thought of themselves as French, German, or Italian but rather as Europeans. They shared a common culture, common religious liturgy, and a common language of Latin. The name Charlemagne was not use till after his death. His tombstone reads, Here lies Charles the Great, no historians would contradict this claim of greatness (Harold Lamb page 152). Historians use Charlemagne cautiously due to the fact, that it might imply the legendary figure rather than the historical one. Other names that he is known form is Charles the Great, the king of the Franks, and the founder of the Holy Roman Empire. The family line of royalty could have end before the reign of Charlemagne. After the death of Pepin II the line would have faded into history. If it wasnt for his bastard son Charles Martel. Charles Martel was the first to bear the name Charles was Charlemagnes grandfather. Though he never hold the title of king he controlled all three Frankish realms-Neustria, Austrasia, and Burgundy. With the death of Charles Martel the kingdom was divided between his sons, Carloman and Pepin III (Pepin the Short). Pepin III is the father of Charlemagne. Now the entire kingdom was in shambles and chaos. It took years before the kingdom was under control. When Pepin III took the throne he sent Fulrad, an appointed Bishop, to Rome to persuade Po...

Relevance of Philosophy Essays

Relevance of Philosophy Essays Relevance of Philosophy Essay Relevance of Philosophy Essay In this essay the challenge is to shown the relevance of philosophy to 21st century manufacturing. As philosophy is not a new concept there is a wide and defervesce range of ideas (on everything that existed and does not yet exist). The people who study philosophy and deal with such matters must have at one stage put forward some thoughts on manufacturing and even engineering in general. Philosophy comes from the Greek for love of wisdom, giving us two important starting points: love (or passion) and wisdom (knowledge, understanding). Philosophy sometimes seems to be pursued without passion as if it were a technical subject like mathematics. Philosophy must come from some passion for the ultimate goal to be achieved: a reliable, accurate understanding ourselves and our world. Many think philosophy an idle, academic pursuit, never amounting to anything of practical value. The works of ancient Greek philosophers, ask the same questions which philosophers ask today. Doesnt this mean that philosophy never gets anywhere and never accomplishes anything? Philosophy is relevant as it makes us think about where we have come from, where we are at present and where we are going to in the future. The study of philosophy is usually conducted in one of two different ways: the systematic/ topical method and the historical/ biographical method. Both of these have their strengths and weaknesses and it is often easier to avoid focusing on one to the exclusions of the other, at least whenever possible. There are many different areas of philosophy which have relevance to manufacturing and will have relevance in the future. Philosophy is the study of the fundamental  nature of existence, of man, and of mans relationship to existence. Some areas of study in philosophy are logic, ethics and epistemology (knowledge, ways of knowing) to name but a few important that are relevant to manufacturing. In this essay I hope to discover the link and the importance of philosophy in relation to manufacturing in the 21st century. Main body The main areas in which manufacturing are influenced by philosophy is ethics, logic and epistemology. Logic  is the study of  reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy,  mathematics engineering, and  computer science. Logic examines general forms which  arguments  may take which forms are valid, and which are fallacies. It is a type of  critical thinking. The field of ethics (or moral philosophy) involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behaviour. Philosophers today usually divide ethical theories into three general subject areas: met ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics Knowledge is about how things work and why they work and that’s what engineering and the sciences set out to do. Manufacturing is a by product of knowledge. These areas can be viewed from many philosophical points. And the different areas which have relevance to manufacturing can be put into three main branches and several sub branches. These main three are Epistemology, Logic and Ethics and some sub branches of the three main relevant branches to manufacturing, economic, technological mathematic, social and rational argument. The relevance of philosophy to manufacturing goes back long before the industrial revolution and even further back then the roman’s but to the first philosopher Pythagoras. These topics will be discussed in more detail later. Ethics or moral philosophy This is the branch of philosophy which seeks to address questions about morality that is, about concepts such as good and bad, right and wrong, justice and virtue. Anyone who has read Aristotle’s Ethics and has read modern moral philosophy must realise the great contrasts between them. The concepts which are prominent among the moderns seem to be lacking, far in the background, in Aristotle. Most noticeably, the term ‘moral’ itself, which we have by direct inheritance from Aristotle, just doesn’t seem to fit in its modern sense into an account of Aristotelian ethics. Aristotle distinguishes virtues as moral and intellectual. This area of philosophy is a broad area of study and is very relevant to everybody in normal day life. We take for granted the morals we live by and the morals of others, this too can be true for ethical practices that take place in manufacturing. Ethics are used by every company and business as bases for running their organisation such as fair trade, quality of product and quality of working environment. Some examples of ethics that show how important it is to consumers that companies have morals include: Fair Trade In the case of fair trade ethics has changed the way trade is done and the way people are treated in the process. In the past number of years important social changes have occurred with ethics an example of simple ethic in fair trade would be the production of coffee beans. Companies in recent years have begun to buy fairly bought produce where the producers benefit. As most of the producers are poor farmers. But because of the moral changes that have taken place in the past twenty years things have improved before the change in attitude the companies bought the product at low prices for big plantation owners and the poor suffered because of it. Quality of Product The role of ethics in quality of product we can take a very recent example and it is very much manufacturing example that of Toyota with the stricken of the accelerator pedal. The company is calling back thousands of cars for repair; this will cost a lot of money. And why its being done well the company has a moral obligation to produce a product fit for use. The ethics behind leaving defective products in us by consumers it could cause many incidences and maybe fatalities. The ethics that Toyota will abide by. Will cost the company a lot of money but may save the company on the long run. Companies who didn’t solve their problems. i. e. the car company Lancia who had a rust problem, which crippled the company in the end. And Toyota could fall a similar fate and begun bankrupt if not carful. It can be said that it is not ethics that is making Toyota recall all these cars but money. That unfortunately that is a pessimistic view and one would hope that Toyota is doing it for the right reasons over the value of reputation and money. Quality of Working Environment Quality of working environment is the final scenario. There have been many changes in the way people work and the place in which they work in as most working environment can be very dangerous places. Since the start of the industrial revolution high fatalities have occured due to machines with little or no safety aspects, have been recorded and it was due to companies disregarding safety of workers to make high profits. It may not be as big an issue today in the western world but to poorer more undeveloped countries where workers are still being neglected-ethics will play a role to improve he working environment and show manufacturing in a better light, now and in the future. Ethics is the bases of why good judgment is made so as to maintain and improve society. In a manufacturing sense morals can be a corner stone in changing work practices in industry. It can be a tool for progress in the future. The moral obligation to all is to be just and right, the phrase â€Å"Do no harm† can be an important to manufacturing and life in ge neral. Thomas Hobbes had stresses the importance of peace and security. With ethics in mind he said; there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society† And then follows the description of life under such conditions made so by repeated quotation that I refrain from quoting it still again. Where morals prevail peace can be seen. Peace and security, however, including secure property rights and the attendant opportunities to create and accumulate wealth, permit â€Å"commodious living†, which is Hobbes’s term for economic development. In the three examples it can be seen where ethics has played a part in changing the mind set of people and companies in the past few decades. It may not be ethics which was the catalyst for these changes but it is the way things are changing for the better. Hobbes had a point even if it was a bit extreme; there is room for good if people give it a chance and do the right thing. Logic Logic is the study of reasoning. And reasoning typically focuses on what makes reasoning efficient or inefficient, appropriate or inappropriate. Logic is the corner stone of science and mathematics which in turn play a vital role in engineering. It is one of the oldest areas of philosophy going back to Aristotle. Along with Aristotle some key figures in the study of logic were Bertrand Russell, Charles Sanders Peirce and Immanuel Kant. These men made many points on the area of logic As like ethics, logic is a wide area of study. This is important to us in our every day existence. Logic is what we use to solve from our most basic problems to the kind of problems that change the world socially, economically, technologically and mathematically to name but a few ways. Logic can be broken down into two parts inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is where a set of facts are given and from those facts a conclusion can be got from it an example of this in is a jigsaw puzzle all the parts are there but the pieces must be put together to see the full picture. On the other hand deductive reasoning is quiet different while inductive reasoning all the pieces are to be seen at once deductive reasoning gets it answer on a logical sequence of events, example of deductive reasoning is where a problem is set out but there is only one piece of information to work on and from that another piece of information is discovered until a logical sequence is established and an answer is reached like a detective solves a crime. Logic is the tool to solve any problem or argument which may arise by using the types of reasoning. And with this in mind logic will play a part in the future of manufacturing because without the use of logic the problems of the future won’t be solved and manufacturing will not progress. Epistemology Philosophy is largely based on known knowledge and epistemology is a study of knowledge. Descartes defines knowledge in terms of doubt. While distinguishing rigorous knowledge and lesser grades of conviction, Descartes writes: â€Å"I distinguish the two as follows: there is conviction when there remains some reason which might lead us to doubt, but knowledge is conviction based on a reason so strong that it can never be shaken by any stronger reason. † [Stanford, 2010] According to Bertrand Russell in regards to Epistemology, he says â€Å"we could be familiar with objects in two ways: knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description. He also thought that we could only be acquainted with our own sense data and that everything else we had to know through reasoning. It set out to answer â€Å"what distinguishes true (adequate)  knowledge  from false (inadequate) knowledge? This question translates into issues of scientific methodology: how can one develop theories or models that are better than competing theories. There is many areas which knowledge can be broken down into these main areas are Ratio nalism, Scepticism Rational Knowledge Rationalism Mathematics and geometry are examples of abstract truths which are known with certainty, even though the physical illustrations of these truths may vary. An early example was the Greek philosopher Plato who stated that ideas have an existence independent of human minds. These independently-existing ideas are the only reality in the universe since they are absolute and unchanging. Valid knowledge comes then when the mind grasps these ideas. Another famous philosopher was the Frenchman Rene Descartes who went through a period of scepticism in his life and then came to the conclusion that only ideas which were clear and distinct to the mind represented valid knowledge â€Å"Objections to Rationalism: . There is no agreement among philosophers or cultures about so-called self-evident ideas. Supposedly self-evident ideas have often been rejected at later times in history. 2. Self-evident ideas provide no knowledge about the world. Though sense experience may not be certain, it provides us with information which is as reliable as we need. The fact that a belief is not absolutely certain should not disqualify it for knowledge. Why not say t hat something is  known  as long as there is no good reason to doubt it? Of course, that might mean that occasionally we would have to admit that what we thought we knew was something that we really didnt know. So what? † [tamu, 2010] Scepticism This is the view that questions whether valid or reliable knowledge is ever attainable by a human being. Some sceptics stated that nothing can be known. Other sceptics stated that they did not know whether knowledge was possible; they suspended judgment on the issue. Some of the common examples used by sceptics are the illusions and deceptions of our senses. Others point to the complexity of any experience and ask how you can know what is the essence or real nature of the things you are experiencing. Empiricism This is the view that valid knowledge comes only through the five senses. Aristotle held the view that whatever was in the mind was first in the senses. Rene Descartes  (1596-1650) He claims, unless we know first whether our belief itself is justified. To determine whether our beliefs are justified, we have to be able to trace them back to a statement, belief, or proposition that cannot be doubted. Such a proposition could provide the firm foundation on which all subsequent beliefs could be grounded; it would guarantee that all subsequent claims based on it would be true. In order to identify an ultimate principle of truth on which all other knowledge can be based, Descartes develops a method that suspends our confidence in what we have been taught, what our senses tell us, what we think is obviousin short, in regard to everything we know. In order to determine whether there is anything we can know with certainty, he says that we first have to doubt everything we know. Such a radical doubt might not seem reasonable, and Descartes certainly does not mean that we  really  should doubt everything. What he suggests is that, in order to see if there is some belief that cannot be doubted, we should temporarily pretend that everything we know is questionable. Since sense experience is sometimes deceiving, it is obvious to Descartes that  a posteriori  claims (e. g. , that this milk tastes sour or that suit is dark blue) cannot be the basis for claims of knowledge. We do not know that what we experience through our senses is true; at least, we are not certain of it. So the best thing to do is to doubt our senses. Likewise, we cannot be sure that we really have bodies or that our experience of the world in general can be trusted; after all, we might be dreaming the whole thing. Next, we cannot even be sure that mathematical propositions such as 2+3=5 or that triangles always have three sides are true because some evil power might be deceiving us to think such things, when it is possible that even propositions that seem evident to us as true might themselves be really false. But even if an evil genie deceives us about all other beliefs, there is one belief that we cannot be mistaken about, and that is that we are thinking. Even to doubt this is to affirm it. Thinking proves that we exist (at least as minds or thinking things, regardless of whether we have bodies). The body is not an essential part of the self because we can doubt its existence in a way that we cannot doubt the existence of the mind. We have a great inclination to believe that there are physical objects that are external to the mind. But since only those objects known in terms of mathematical propertiesnot those imagined by use of the sensescan be known clearly and distinctly, the only knowledge we can have of such objects is in terms of mathematical, quantifiable physics. The only real knowledge we can have, then, is of things understood as functions of laws of physics. The objects we  see  are not the objects we  know, because what we know is intelligible only in terms of the clarity and precision of the formulae of physics. Information provided by the senses cannot therefore be the basis of knowledge. [tamu, 2010] Kant Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was a German philosopher who attempted to combine rationalism and empiricism. It is called the form and matter epistemology. A statue can have a form such as Abraham Lincoln and a matter such as marble; you need both a form and a matter to have a statue. So in knowledge you need a form, which are categories of the mind,  and matter which are the data of sensatio ns. You need both of these to have knowledge. It is similar to wearing rose-colored glasses. You have visual sensations and they are coloured by the glasses. Of course with the mind you cannot take of your glasses. Knowledge is an incredibility powerful tool which has created great nations and pushed the boundaries of science and technology to new areas. The quotation from Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) said that â€Å"knowledge is power† and that has always been the case since the dawn of civilisation, knowledge has been a part of every major advancement. Knowledge has a big part to play in manufacturing, it is an integral part of all advancement without the constant need for knowledge through research and other means it would be impossible to make major achievement. The different areas which have been discussed can be seen as different way we can go about solving difficult situation and problems. Manufacturing will need to conform to these different methods of thinking in the future. Conclusion Philosophy can be shown to have many areas some of which have been covered throughout this essay. The areas which have been covered are relevant to manufacturing in ways that show philosophy as a key component to running a lucrative and sustainable operating line. Philosophy has a lot of points to make; its relevance to manufacturing can be used as a tool for advancement in the future in areas such as Ethics * Companies treatment of small producers * Quality of products produced for consumers * The working environment Ethics has a role to play in changing these for the better and will have a maintaining a standard in future productions, especially in third world countries where companies have taken advantage of their workers yet do not pay a moral price. Logic The study of reasoning logic can be found at the core of engineering and manufacturing in general. It is a corner stone in which there are couple of ways of resolving a problem. The two main types are * Inductive * Deductive These two methods of solving apply to certain manufacturing dilemmas depending on the individual situation. A logical sequence of steps to gain the solution in which a process i. e. a production line is established by taking the correct logical sequence for the line to work effectively. Logic has a vital role in the way manufacturing process are carried out, without which there would be ciaos, void of efficiency, continuity and general order. Epistemology Epistemology is the study of knowledge and the ways of knowing. It schools of thought from which theories have sprung can be divided in the categories. * Rationalism The view of using absolute truth which is known with certainty is rationalism. Breaking knowledge down into its simplified core elements to revel the truth. * Scepticism This is seen where a theory is put forward and is then questioned. Many theorists maintain that some knowledge can never been known in its entirety or factually. It is questioning until a hypothesis or theory is validated to their satisfaction. * Empiricism Using the five senses to gain knowledge, most natural form of collection of information as we do it every day unknowingly. In the future the ideas and views of philosophy will have a significant part to play in manufacturing and engineering in general. As it has had an important role to play in the past. Manufacturing can be broken down into many different areas and this is due to philosophy and the thinking required by the different schools of thought in the related areas. As all area have a knock on effect on each other, i. e. logic can change the methodology significantly. We now realise the importance of philosophy in every day manufacturing although it might not appear obvious but under the surface of manufacturing processes is detrimental to efficient, cost effective, and ethic practices in the work place. References [Stanford, 2010] http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/descartes-epistemology/ [tamu, 2010] http://philosophy. tamu. edu/~sdaniel/Notes/96class15. html

Members of the LGBT Community

Members of the LGBT Community Social problems in relation to the LGBT population Several strategies have been embraced by supporters, sympathizes, and activists of gay sex marriage to win support of the public on the need to stop prejudicing gay and lesbianism marriages. For instance, the assimilation approach has resulted in positive results among the gays in America and reduced discrimination by a large percentage (Baker, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Members of the LGBT Community specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The proponents of this type of union are drawn from civil unions, domestic right groups, and registered informal societies who extend their hand in support for this highly criticized union (Hunter, 2012). The members of this group have managed to convince the society on the need to coexist by employing civil rights movements, public protests, and race riots as actualized by the sin city sisters of Las Vegas (Greenberg , 2010). This is because the social problems are defined by the society towards this group as ordinary to any society of minorities (Sherkat, Vries, Creek, 2009). How social issues are framed in relation to the LGBT population Over the years, LGBT population has attracted heated debate in the conservative American society. Specifically, the religious and conservative groups have been the most active in opposing homosexual couples getting married (Schultz Lavenda, 2011). Despite these divergent opinions, LGTB population has spread across several states of America and is now legal in all states (Sherkat, Vries, Creek, 2009). Through mixed research in social surveys carried in 2009, Sherkat, Vries, and Creek (2009) established that racial divide has direct influence on perception about homosexual couples. Through survey interviews involving 180 participants from the white and African American communities with equal representation, Sherkat, Vries, and Creek (2009) established that 70 % of the respondents from African American ethnicity opposed homosexual marriage unlike the 30% opposition by the white American ethnic groups. Specifically, within the African American respondents, the main reason for this opposition was cited as conservative family norms and Protestantism faith which cannot accommodate same sex marriage. On the other hand, the 30 percent of the respondents from the white race that opposed same sex marriage argued that homosexual couples’ behavior is against the social norms (Sherkat, Vries, Creek, 2009). Social workers working with the LGBT population How they assess needs, engage clients, design, and deliver interventions The needs of the LGBT community are assessed through the small organizations and associations that serve the interests of the members of this population. This achieved through engaging the members and their representative on social welfare concerns that are unique to this population (Hunter, 2012).Advertising Loo king for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through organizations dealing with the LGBT community, the social workers are in a position design different response strategies and deliver interventions through live meetings, social events, and LGBT camps (Sherkat, Vries, Creek, 2009). How they validate their processes and practices The social workers validate the intervention practices and processes in terms of response rate by the targeted members of the LGBT society. The responses from the targeted group are subjected to scrutiny in order to evaluate the success and failures through live feedback tracking and proactive engagement (Greenberg, 2010). How the social beliefs influence the way the LGBT population is viewed and supported by social work profession Individuals raised in loose religious foundation are more likely to support LGBT community than individuals raised in the normal tradition al religious family consisting of a father and a mother (Greenberg, 2010). The momentous variances in type of religious family upbringing and LGBT community are critical in reflecting on the underlying factors that promote the way social beliefs influence how this population is viewed (Hunter, 2012). Ethnicity also influences the perception on homosexual couples becoming legally married couples. It is possible that ethnic traditional societal norms on LGBT community and relationship may modify an individual’s views on this population (Hunter, 2012). Such an individual may struggle to conform to such values and avoid interaction with the LGBT community, irrespective of his or her role as a social worker (Schultz Lavenda, 2011). Appraisal of the relationship between the philosophical intentions of social work, the US mindset regarding this population, and society in general Generally, the US mindset regarding the LGBT community is more likely to oppose this population than the members of the LGBT society as was observed in the Californian ‘Proposition 8’ vote. The Christian antagonists of same sex marriage cited breakdown of societal norms as leading to emergent of destructive and traumatizing developments within the society, which may make young people to seek comfort in same sex relationships. In response, these individuals may resort to social tendencies of same sex relationships in rebellion leading to their categorization as same sex couples in adulthood. The treatment of the LGBT community in the Christian society as outcasts and their exclusion from societal activities in America may not end any time in the near future (Schultz Lavenda, 2011). As a result, the philosophical intentions of social work may not achieve the optimal results since the members of the LGBT community dwell among the rest of the population (Sherkat, Vries, Creek, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Members of the LGBT Comm unity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Baker, B. (2010). Same-Sex Marriage and Religion: An Inappropriate Relationship. e- Research, 1(3), 1-9. Greenberg, D. (2010). The construction of homosexuality. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. Hunter, N. (2012). The future impact of same-sex marriage: More questions than answers. The George Town Law Journal, 100(1), 1855-1879. Schultz, E, Lavenda, R. (2011). Cultural Anthropology: A Perspective on the Human Condition. New York: Oxford University Press. Sherkat, D., Vries, K., Creek, S. (2009). Race, religion, and opposition to same-sex marriage. OpenSIU Journal, 1(4), 1-35.

Analysis of the Effect of Problem-Based Learning on Critical Thinking Essay

Analysis of the Effect of Problem-Based Learning on Critical Thinking Skills in Undergraduate Nursing Students - Essay Example It is an adaptive measure to handle simple and complex scenarios in a nursing field. It is apparent that the problem based learning principles tries to develop a curriculum that is relevant and appropriate. This curriculum is based on the ability to provide students with a platform to grow their critical thinking capacity. Through the implementation, students develop skills to integrate knowledge acquired in problem solving. This study shows that PBL has a positive impact in critical thinking. It provides basic self-evaluation and the installation of personal effort in providing solutions. This helps in sailing through complex issues with ease through a distinctive reasoning. In a nursing field, the complex scenarios require prior knowledge and the ability to confidently face the situation. In the past few decades there have been great advances and transformations in health care. These are attributed in the rapid growth of technology and theory. Most of these changes in the nursing field are associated with incumbent moral and ethical dilemmas existing in their daily practice. Due to these changes, nurses must be more equipped to deal with the complex changes. They are required to be skilled in reasoning abilities and high level thinking. According to Fowler (2008), the complexity of current healthcare demands critical thinking. Daily, nurses are involved in decision making. They are required to navigate through different problems thus the need to have knowledge for problem solving. This makes the use critical thinking crucial in the examination of simple and complex scenarios in a nursing field. Critical thinking helps nurses and nursing students in quality improvement. There are clinical proficiencies that combine the analysis and synthesis of clinical information in patient care situations. They are designed to prepare future nurses think critically in a variety of their

1886 Earthquake of Charleston Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

1886 Earthquake of Charleston - Research Paper Example Even though the quake lasted less than one minute, its implications on Charleston were significantly damaging to property and life.1 It is estimated that the earthquake resulted in the destruction of more than 2,000 structures and buildings. The value of the damages which the earthquake caused is approximated to be over $145 million. The loss of human life is estimated to be about 108 people. Some of the negative implications of the 1886 Charleston earthquake are observed even up to the present days.2 This paper gives a critical analysis of the Charleston quake of 1886 with illustrations of its consequence for the region at the time and of what it means to the modern political, social and economic systems. The physical damages that the earthquake caused in the Charleston region include the displacement of large portions of tracks and curvy formations in addition to longitudinal land movements. In the region, more than 75 km of rail lines were also destroyed. Geographic malformations such as fissuring and craters were formed extensively in the region.3 These malformations indicate the powerful nature of the earthquake. Therefore, both economic and social implications were felt as a result of the earthquake, as revealed by the deaths of people, displacement and destruction of infrastructure which served to support the economy within this region. The regions surrounding Charleston also felt the impact of the earthquake which was experienced even more than 60 miles away. Other sources reported that structures were damaged as far as in Kentucky, Ohio and Alabama which are located hundreds of miles away for the region of Charleston. Toward the Northern Side, reports showed that the quake was experienced in Boston and New Orleans to the West.4 The extensive nature of the earthquake is illustrated by its reach and the geographical scale that it was measured to have reached. The measurement of the quake was estimated to have reached up to 7.3 as revealed in the Richter scale. The soil liquefaction which characterized this earthquake was recorded along the affected areas. It is said that there are minor quake activities in this region which have been recorded and measured by geologists in order to determine the possibility of a major quake happening again and the implications that would result from it. The minor activities of quakes experienced in the Charleston area have been attributed to the aftershocks of the 1886 quake. This implies that the major Charleston quake is being experienced up to the present days through in a smaller scale. The damaging Charleston earthquake has been explained by geologists as a consequence of the faults and malformations which occurred when the Pangaea was breaking. However, some scientists argue that there were less significant earthquakes which were experienced in the Charleston region and they would be attributed to the severity of the 1886 earthquake and the extensive damage which resulted out of it.5 The impli cations of geological studies and investigations of earthquakes in the present times are related to the fact that the faults of the Pangaea breaking may have future consequences in other parts of America such as the Northern coast. Because of the high magnitude of the Charleston Earthquake of 1886, it is an area of extensive study and investigation. As an example of an intra-plate earthquake, scientists and geologists study the Charleston quake with an aim of predicting the possibility of future experiences of such quakes. As a result of these studies, geographic and political implications of earthquakes have increasingly become significant in America.6 The severity of the Charleston quake was demonstrated by the widespread ejection of sand along the epicentral region. Geologists say

Ricardo and Marx both had theories of a falling tendency of the rate Essay - 1

Ricardo and Marx both had theories of a falling tendency of the rate of profit in the development of capitalism. What were the different theoretical bases for t - Essay Example The tendency of the rÐ °te of profit to fÐ °ll Ð °rose neither from increÐ °sed competition (Smith) nor lower productivity in Ð °griculture (RicÐ °rdo). It wÐ °s, rÐ °ther, the expression under cÐ °pitÐ °lism of the increÐ °sed productivity of lÐ °bour. Ð ccording to MÐ °rx, lÐ °w of the tendency of the rÐ °te of profit to fÐ °ll (LTRPF) is Ð ° theory developed by MÐ °rx in the third volume of CÐ °pitÐ °l to explÐ °in the occurrence of economic crises within cÐ °pitÐ °list economies. Ð ccording to the LTRPF, Ð °s cÐ °pitÐ °lists invest in ever more cÐ °pitÐ °l-intensive production, the rÐ °te of profit fÐ °lls, since profit cÐ °n only be generÐ °ted from the surplus vÐ °lue extrÐ °cted from living lÐ °bor, which is Ð ° declining proportion of the cÐ °pitÐ °lists outlÐ °y. However, securing Ð ° lÐ °rger shÐ °re of the mÐ °rket offsets the lower rÐ °te of profit for the individuÐ °l cÐ °pitÐ °list. EventuÐ °lly the fÐ °lling rÐ °te of profit weÐ °kens the incentive to Ð °ccumulÐ °te on the pÐ °rt of the cÐ °pitÐ °lists until eventuÐ °lly the mÐ °ss of profit begins to stÐ °gnÐ °te. Ð t thÐ °t point Ð °n economic crisis begins Ð °s cÐ °pitÐ °lists decline to invest. The LTRPF explÐ °ins long-term fluctuÐ °tions in cÐ °pitÐ °list economies. There mÐ °y be long periods of expÐ °nsion before the LTRPF Ð °ffects the mÐ °ss of profit, during which the effects of the LTRPF cÐ °n be offset by vÐ °rious counterÐ °cting tendencies, such Ð °s lower wÐ °ges Ð °nd increÐ °sed intensity of exploitÐ °tion in the lÐ °bor process. EventuÐ °lly, however, there will be Ð ° period of stÐ °gnÐ °tion Ð °nd crisis in which Ð ° lÐ °rge proportion of existing cÐ °pitÐ °l is destroyed before reinvestment Ð °nd renewÐ °l cÐ °n stÐ °rt over Ð °gÐ °in (see ShÐ °ikh 1991). The importÐ °nce of the LTRPF for MÐ °rxist politicÐ °l economy is thÐ °t it demonstrÐ °tes how the rÐ °te of profit fÐ °lls, Ð °nd crisis sets in, independently of Ð °ny impetus on the pÐ °rt of lÐ °bor. The LTRPF wÐ °s of pÐ °rticulÐ °r significÐ °nce in this regÐ °rd in the 1970s Ð °nd 1980s, when it wÐ °s widely Ð °rgued, Ð °nd

Judicial System of England and Wales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Judicial System of England and Wales - Essay Example The constitutional law of UK consists of statute law and case law where court of judges apply judicial precedent by interpreting the statute.(www.ilex.org) The judicial system of England and Wales comprises only of 24.9% and 6.9% are from the minority ethnic groups. It is also reported that 15.8% of judges are women whereas 3.4% are from ethnic minorities group. (Adrian Jack, 2004) According to the data retrieved from General Bar Council for the year 2008, it is reported that there were 3772 female barristers out of 12,136 self employed bar comprising 31.1% of the total employment. Among women barristers, White Britons, Irish and other white people accounted to 2750 while there were 108 from Indian origin, 63 from Caribbean, 44 of Pakistan, 43 of African origin and remaining others were from other Asian countries. Black Minority Ethnic in the self employment category comprised of 10.6%.(The Bar Council) According to same source, it is known that 89% of the self employed barristers were white whereas 11% constituted the BME group which included 14% women barrister. Under the employed barrister council, 85% of the employees were white in respect of 15% of BME group. Totally there were 46% of women in employed barrister category whereas BME women constituted only 19% and men 12%. And according to the statistics published in Judiciary of England and Wales, it is reported that there are 3820 magistrates out of which 727 were women accounting to only 19.03% and 156 were from ethnic minority groups which constituted for another 4.08%. Ethnic minorities were largely found in Deputy District Judges (MC) with 12 magistrates out of 167 wherein women were 40 only. (www.judiciary.gov.uk) It is also revealed from the reports that out of total 3820 posts, 2970 were occupied by Whites out of which only 525 were occupied by women. In regard to ethnic minority groups, out of 156 posts occupied, 51 were women and 105 were men which can further clarified as 3% ethnics in males and 7% in females, overall constituting only 4% which is very low. (www.judiciary.gov.uk) The data published in the Judicial and Courts Statistics 2007 shows that the Justices of Peace (JPs) in UK in 1990 was 28,667 out of which 16,090 were men and 12,577 were women which increased to 29,419 in the year 2008 comprising of 14, 672 males and 14,747 female JPs. The data further shows that the appointment of women in the JPs has been significantly more than men from 1990 itself which stood at 1063 as compared to 996 for men out of 2059 appointments. The present data of 2008 stands at 1899 appointments overall out of which 972 women were appointed and the remaining were men. The statistics does not reveal the number of ethnic minorities appointed during this period.( Judicial and Court Statistics 2007) Out of total magistrates in post, 92.7% were Whites whereas Black and Asian constituted only 3.8% and 2.4% respectively. (www.judiciary.gov.uk) The above data speaks volume about the gender discrimination as well as racial discrimination if not taken into consideration the data of Ministry of Justice in regard to appointment of JPs. Need for certain changes - Judicial System Adrian Jack

Marketing Analysis of HSBC Premier Services Case Study

Marketing Analysis of HSBC Premier Services - Case Study Example This is accompanied by an international debit card to help customers access their fund internationally. The customers have an unlimited access to a relationship manager to take care of all their concerns. On request, all customers are provided with an independent financial advisor (IFA) to advise on further accounts management, opening, borrowing and savings. Specific account holders have access to family travel insurance as they travel all over the world. (HSBC Bank UK, 2008, Online) The banking communication is also accessible through out the day with customer being able to call or use internet to make enquiries. Any overdrafts below 500 do not attract any interest. Any overdrafts above 500 and below 5000 will attract interests with the latter being the upper limit for overdrafts allowed. Customers are not required to pay for the set up of the account. However there is a 9.9% EAR surcharged. The overdrafts ceiling is subject to review on a case by case basis. (HSBC Bank UK, 2008, Online) The HSBC have acknowledged that the internet transaction technology came with its challenges. Thus they have put up robust measure to protect the customers against the vice of identity and transaction theft. Customer will therefore not be subjected to any charges of overdrafts occasioned by online theft. Finally customer's have the privilage of cashing a check of upto 2000 for a paid in cheque over the counter. (HSBC Bank UK, 2008, Online) How the product/company is performing (brand share, sales etc) In the UK, the HSBC has felt the impact of the bottom of the cycle. The HSBC Premier has been targeting the commercial properties segment which in the last quarter of 2007 was impacted by the pricing problem. This period saw the capital values go down 11.8% as an extension drop from the Q2 of 2007. (Investment Property Data Bank, 2007, Online)(HSBC Premier, 2008. p.1-7) But since the momentum of capital value reduction is going down, it can be justifiably noted that the HSBC Premier Property Market is moving to the bottom of the cycle. The share capital value declined by about 2% in January 2008 in comparison to the 4.2% in December 2007. Thus the capital share value is picking up positively towards a fair value. (HSBC Premier, 2008. p.7) This correction has had an impact on the market sales even with the prices declining further. The customers have therefore been overreacting to the sale buy buying more capital through HSBC Premier Services. These increased sale could be risky to the economy of UK as the retailers could be working on false values of property. If this outlook is exploited by the impending development plan at the central London, there could be a bleaker and more suppressed rental value for houses. Overall the market is suffering from weakened currency, slowed equity market, mixed performance of the mortgage loans, unstable interest rates and harsh economic conditions (HSBC Premier, 2008. p.7) The brands targets, segment appeals and available marketing competition in that banking sector HSBC Premier is targeting a range of middle to upper income class customer. This is evident in their setting of minimum overdrafts and maximum overdrafts. The second evidence is in the way the respective overdrafts will be subjected to interest rates and

Pre-Research ( Alhilal Saudi Football club ) Essay

Pre-Research ( Alhilal Saudi Football club ) - Essay Example Ever since its launch fifty-seven years ago, the club has excelled in Saudi Arabia and Asia to win fifty-five official championships. These include seven Arabian Gulf Championships, six Asian championships and forty national championships. As mentioned earlier, Al-Hilal has been very successful in Saudi Arabia and the Asian continent, therefore, earning the nickname Al-Zaeem, meaning ‘The Boss’ (FIFA, 2014). In recent years, its dominance in the Asian continent has dwindled down Al-Hilal club but it remains one of the most successful football club in the continent. The International Federation of Football History and Statistics named Al-Hilal FC as the Asian Football Club of the past century (Wikipedia, 2014). Al Hilal FC’s home games are played at the King Fahd International Stadium, which was built in 1987 and has a capacity of sixty seven thousand fans. Some of the key people in the management and coaching include Abdulrahman bin Musaad who is the chairperson, Sami Al-Jaber as the manager and Cosmin Olaroiu as the team coach (Al Hilal Saudi Club, 2014). The club has signed some of the best football players like Thiago Neves, Christian Wilhelmsson, and Osama Hawsawi among others. In the past, the club had signed some football legends such as Roberto Rivelino, Mohamed Al-Deayea, and Yousuf Al-Thunayan among others (Wikipedia, 2014). Throughout the years, the club has displayed great football and teamwork; therefore, receiving recognition through the numerous tournaments that it has won. Al-Hilal FC lifted its first trophy in in 1961 when it won the King’s Cup tournament. In 1964, the team was able to overpower its main rivals, Al-Ittihad through penalties to recapture the King’s cup. Many people had started to see the great potential in the team and this attracted a huge following. The club did not disappoint when the Saudi Premier League was started in 1976, as it emerged the first winners (FIFA, 2014). Up to

Judicial System of England and Wales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Judicial System of England and Wales - Essay Example The constitutional law of UK consists of statute law and case law where court of judges apply judicial precedent by interpreting the statute.(www.ilex.org) The judicial system of England and Wales comprises only of 24.9% and 6.9% are from the minority ethnic groups. It is also reported that 15.8% of judges are women whereas 3.4% are from ethnic minorities group. (Adrian Jack, 2004) According to the data retrieved from General Bar Council for the year 2008, it is reported that there were 3772 female barristers out of 12,136 self employed bar comprising 31.1% of the total employment. Among women barristers, White Britons, Irish and other white people accounted to 2750 while there were 108 from Indian origin, 63 from Caribbean, 44 of Pakistan, 43 of African origin and remaining others were from other Asian countries. Black Minority Ethnic in the self employment category comprised of 10.6%.(The Bar Council) According to same source, it is known that 89% of the self employed barristers were white whereas 11% constituted the BME group which included 14% women barrister. Under the employed barrister council, 85% of the employees were white in respect of 15% of BME group. Totally there were 46% of women in employed barrister category whereas BME women constituted only 19% and men 12%. And according to the statistics published in Judiciary of England and Wales, it is reported that there are 3820 magistrates out of which 727 were women accounting to only 19.03% and 156 were from ethnic minority groups which constituted for another 4.08%. Ethnic minorities were largely found in Deputy District Judges (MC) with 12 magistrates out of 167 wherein women were 40 only. (www.judiciary.gov.uk) It is also revealed from the reports that out of total 3820 posts, 2970 were occupied by Whites out of which only 525 were occupied by women. In regard to ethnic minority groups, out of 156 posts occupied, 51 were women and 105 were men which can further clarified as 3% ethnics in males and 7% in females, overall constituting only 4% which is very low. (www.judiciary.gov.uk) The data published in the Judicial and Courts Statistics 2007 shows that the Justices of Peace (JPs) in UK in 1990 was 28,667 out of which 16,090 were men and 12,577 were women which increased to 29,419 in the year 2008 comprising of 14, 672 males and 14,747 female JPs. The data further shows that the appointment of women in the JPs has been significantly more than men from 1990 itself which stood at 1063 as compared to 996 for men out of 2059 appointments. The present data of 2008 stands at 1899 appointments overall out of which 972 women were appointed and the remaining were men. The statistics does not reveal the number of ethnic minorities appointed during this period.( Judicial and Court Statistics 2007) Out of total magistrates in post, 92.7% were Whites whereas Black and Asian constituted only 3.8% and 2.4% respectively. (www.judiciary.gov.uk) The above data speaks volume about the gender discrimination as well as racial discrimination if not taken into consideration the data of Ministry of Justice in regard to appointment of JPs. Need for certain changes - Judicial System Adrian Jack

Pre-Research ( Alhilal Saudi Football club ) Essay

Pre-Research ( Alhilal Saudi Football club ) - Essay Example Ever since its launch fifty-seven years ago, the club has excelled in Saudi Arabia and Asia to win fifty-five official championships. These include seven Arabian Gulf Championships, six Asian championships and forty national championships. As mentioned earlier, Al-Hilal has been very successful in Saudi Arabia and the Asian continent, therefore, earning the nickname Al-Zaeem, meaning ‘The Boss’ (FIFA, 2014). In recent years, its dominance in the Asian continent has dwindled down Al-Hilal club but it remains one of the most successful football club in the continent. The International Federation of Football History and Statistics named Al-Hilal FC as the Asian Football Club of the past century (Wikipedia, 2014). Al Hilal FC’s home games are played at the King Fahd International Stadium, which was built in 1987 and has a capacity of sixty seven thousand fans. Some of the key people in the management and coaching include Abdulrahman bin Musaad who is the chairperson, Sami Al-Jaber as the manager and Cosmin Olaroiu as the team coach (Al Hilal Saudi Club, 2014). The club has signed some of the best football players like Thiago Neves, Christian Wilhelmsson, and Osama Hawsawi among others. In the past, the club had signed some football legends such as Roberto Rivelino, Mohamed Al-Deayea, and Yousuf Al-Thunayan among others (Wikipedia, 2014). Throughout the years, the club has displayed great football and teamwork; therefore, receiving recognition through the numerous tournaments that it has won. Al-Hilal FC lifted its first trophy in in 1961 when it won the King’s Cup tournament. In 1964, the team was able to overpower its main rivals, Al-Ittihad through penalties to recapture the King’s cup. Many people had started to see the great potential in the team and this attracted a huge following. The club did not disappoint when the Saudi Premier League was started in 1976, as it emerged the first winners (FIFA, 2014). Up to

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Essay Example for Free

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Essay Historical and scientific perspectives have molded homosexuality, and the way homosexuals are viewed by themselves and others. In past western society ancient Greece, homosexual teachings were performed by the Greek society, and were thought of as a societal norm Younger males were normally seen in a homosexual relationship with an older male, these types of relations were common in ancient Greece. The way Greek perceived life back in ancient times it is starting to ease up in our modern time, and homosexuality is beginning to be viewed as if we were in ancient times especially among western countries. In modern time homosexuals are learning to cope with their homosexuality, as it is beginning to be seen as something normal that has been here since ancient times for thousands of years. Homosexuality in the ancient Greek society shows that even back then people were aware of the different sexual behaviors and feelings certain people might have, and even back then they accepted people’s individual sexual choices. In modern day when a homosexual is first coming out and announcing his way of life he/she should be proud of what they are doing because it is something that has been going on for thousands of years, and is not something to be ashamed and secretive about. Homosexuals should not let judgmental people get to them by saying you were born that way or the environment influenced you to behave like that. The truth is the truth and you are who you are nothing can or will change that is if we stay true to our self. This means as long as we know where we came from and who we ar e why should we let peoples words bother us because we know the truth about our self. As we move along, back to ancient Greece and now also including the people of ancient Rome’s homosexuality. In both of the cities ancient Greece/Rome men would travel the streets of the city looking for someone to rock their world. On top of roaming the streets for some good quality male bonding they would dress and act as if they were not men, but female. This was look at in disapproval and unacceptable that is why when the religion of Christianity increased and started to grow the downfall of ancient Rome followed, and homosexual relations were banned. The new found law prohibited sexual behavior that was not found normal. Normal sexual behavior being male-female  and marriage any other acts of sex, and the people would be punished for their actions. This law continued for many years to follow, and people were committed and punished if they broke the law. Unfortunately this did not stop homosexuals from expressing their homosexuality they just became more discrete about it, so they would not see punishment from their actions. Today, most modern religions still do not approve of homosexuality seeing it as a sin. Some countries are very religious, and prohibit homosexual activity; those that are found guilty will be severely punished. The view that is seen on homosexuality in the modern day has been seen for thousands of years. That is why some homosexuals are afraid to accept their sexuality because of religious reasons (punishment from god) and society (disapproval). The hatred that is forced upon gay individuals has made it very difficult for them to be accepted among society. In our society it is normal when found to be gay to be criticized for it, and deal with harsh treatment that a straight person accepted in society would not have to deal with. When found to be a gay individual they even may have to change their church to one that accepts the view of a homosexuality. When growing up we learn that homosexuality is unnatural and not the right way of life that is not the case it is completely natural. Unfortunately many times in the beginning a homosexual might not know what they are experiencing wondering why they are different, and if it is alright they could grow to hate them self for it thinking that they are not normal. In modern time many countries still punish homosexuals, while others are more accepting they just deny homosexuals the right to marry due to religious reasons. That is all slowly changing and I think in the future will be seen differently. The scientific views on homosexuality are homosexuals inborn or is it caused due to environmental influences. That is a question that have been asked and wondered for many years, but in modern days there is evidence directing us towards homosexuality developing as an inborn characteristic. Research done on both identical and fraternal twins, show that there are higher concordance rates of gay monozygotic twins. Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, (2005) report that about â€Å"52% of identical (MZ) twin pairs were found to be â€Å"concordant† (in agreement) for a gay male sexual  orientation, compared with 22% of fraternal (DZ) twins and only 11% of adoptive brothers† (p. 312). Also, evidence has suggested that hormonal influences could be responsible for differences in sexual orientation. Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus (2005) explain that prenatal sex hormones be responsible for tissues in the brain to think sexually one way, but for genital development to be the other way. Also, structural examinations on the brains of heterosexual and homosexual males have provided speculative evidence that a part of the hypothalamus in gay males is smaller than that region of the hypothalamus in heterosexual males. Developing an understanding from the scientific view point on homosexuality has helped homosexuals understand why they are the way they are. Before scientific studies provided the information that homosexuality could be due to inborn, many individuals believed that people decided to be homosexuals. After the scientific studies though that thought is seen as false, and the reason why people become homosexuals is because they are born that way. Homosexuals do not choose their sexual path they are born having sexual arousals from the same sex. Homosexual people do not hate them self as much knowing the facts from the scientific studies that they were born that way, rather than choose to be that way now they feel it is how god wanted they to be and they can accept them self’s. Out The Closet and Accepting Who they are The biggest goal to overcome when being a homosexual is when the perfect time to come out the closet, and admit to our family and friends (hey I’m a homosexual). Not only is finding the perfect time hard to find, but also finding the right words to use when telling them you are not just going to say hey I’s a homosexual. Another difficult obstacle to overcome is accepting the different view we will see from society when coming out. Many homosexuals are afraid to tell friends and family because they have not completely grasped the concept of what they are. This is especially seen in someone who is transformed from heterosexual to homosexual. Another thing  that bobbles around their thoughts when coming out is that they will lose important people in their life or lose their job. Coming out or letting people into your homosexuality is a very challenging experience that is one of the most difficult task a homosexual will face. One of the most common deaths an early homosexual faces is suicide normally for one of two reasons understanding their new sexuality or the fear of coming out to other people about it. Once a homosexual takes control of their power and accepts the fact they are living a life of homosexuality they can adjust to what society expects from them. After they can accept what society thinks of them they can form a relationship with an intimate partner, and develop a perfect homosexual lifestyle. Historical and Scientific Views Reflected on Personal Sexuality One’s personal sexuality has been molded and determined by history and scientific views that are seen in one’s life culture or society. Historical and scientific views reflected the way people see their own personal sexuality for the better. It has helped homosexuals better understand why they are the way they are, and they are not different that throughout time there has been people of the same sexuality facing the same problems. In modern time the punishment might not be as harsh as back in ancient time, but it is still there and seen. Homosexuality is still frowned upon by many, and many also criticize and harass homosexuals because of their difference in behavior. In the future with homosexuality become more open and known about to the public I think that schools should teach about it at an earlier age to help the younger society better understand it. Homosexuality in most cases is misjudged and treated in the wrong way if people learned about it at an earlier age t hey could learn to have a kinder understanding, and be more accepted of homosexuals. Another benefit of teaching it at an earlier age is that it would give people the benefit of know why they are the way they are, and if they feel they are different.Homosexuality has been around for thousands of year before Christianity it was accepted freely, but after the religion started growing rules banned homosexuality from being free. Homosexuals had to live in the shadows hiding who they were afraid of society, and how they would be treated and the punishment they would receive  if found to be homosexuals. Throughout time the harsh treatment homosexuals faced has not ended it is becoming more in the open, and they are beginning to be accepted for who they are. Homosexuality is not always chosen it is sometimes something we are born being we cannot help they way we feel, but that does not make us different. Our sexuality might not be the same as everyone else’s, but neither are their sexuality to ours. Reference Rathus, S.A., Nevid, J.S., and Fichner-Rathus, L. (2005). Human sexuality in a world of diversity. (6th ed.) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

History And Fundamental Concept Of Acoustic Music Essay

History And Fundamental Concept Of Acoustic Music Essay Acoustics is the study of the physical characteristics of sounds. Its deal with things like the frequency, amplitude and complexity of sound waves and how sound waves interact with various environments. It can also be refer casually and generally to the over-all quality of sound in a given place. Someone might say in a non-technical conversation: I like to perform at Smith Hall; the acoustics are very brights.   From the everyday sounds of speech, the hum of appliances, to the sounds caused by wind and water, we are immersed in an ocean of sounds. Yet, what is sound, and how do we hear it? Why do two instruments playing the same note sound different? In this lab you will learn the basics of the answers to these questions. To answer the later question, we will analyze sound as an audio engineer would, through a technique called harmonic analysis. Harmonic analysis allows sound to be understood from a quantitative perspective. Also, we will come to an understanding of why the way a computer analyses sound is similar to how our ears analyse sound. I will start this genre presentation by introducing the genre acoustic music. It isnt really a genre, as music played with acoustic instruments can sound very different, but I chose to call the post this, as acoustic music have many similarities. If you like these songs, you should really check out  Bedtime Tunes, which is a site only with songs like these. So without further ado, here are 11 songs with acoustic guitars, pianos, strings and beautiful voices: First here is Antony Hearty with his band  Antony and the Johnsons. Antony Hegarty is a very special person, he is transgendrous, and his voice is absolutely amazing. Unfortunately I havent seen him live, but Ive heard that almost all of the audience comes out from the concert crying Or Acoustics (from Greek pronounced acoustics meaning of or for hearing, ready to hear) is the science that studies sound, in particular its production, transmission, and effects. Sound can often be considered as something pleasant; an example of this would be music. In that case a main application is room acoustics, since the purpose of room acoustical design and optimisation is to make a room sound as good as possible. But some noises can also be unpleasant and make people feel uncomfortable. In fact noise reduction is a major challenge, particularly within the transportation industry as people are becoming more and more demanding. Furthermore ultrasounds also have applications in detection, such as sonar systems or non-destructive material testing. 2. History of acoustic If he first mentioned the Acoustique Art in his  Advancement of Learning  (1605), Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was drawing a distinction between the physical acoustics he expanded in the  Sylva Sylva rum  (1627) and the harmonics of the Pythagorean mathematical tradition. The Pythagorean tradition still survived in Bacons time in the works of such diverse people as Gioseffo Zarlino (1517-1590), Renà © Descartes (1596-1650), and Johannes Kepler (1571-1630). In Bacons words: The nature of sounds, in some sort, [hath  been with some  diligence  inquired,] as far as concerneth music. But the nature of sounds in general hath been superficially observed. It is one of the subtlest pieces of nature. Bacons Acoustique Art was therefore concerned with the study of immusical sounds and with experiments in the migration in sounds so that the harnessing of sounds in buildings (architectural acoustics) by their enclosure in artificial channels inside the walls or in the environment (hydraulic acoustics). Aim of Baconian acoustics was to catalog,  quantify, and shape human space by means of sound. This stemmed from the  echometria,  an early modern tradition of literature on echo, as studied by the mathematicians Giuseppe Biancani (1566-1624), Marin Mersenne (1588-1648), and Daniello Bartoli (1608-1685), in which the model of optics was applied in acoustics to the behaviour of sound. It was in a sense a historical  antecedent  to Isaac Newtons (1642-1727) analogy between colours and musical tones in  Upticks  (1704). Athanasius Kirchers (1601-1680)  Phonurgia Nova  of 1673 was the outcome of this tradition. Attacking British acoustics traditions, Kirsches argued that the origin of the Acoustical Art lay in his own earlier experiments with sounding tubes at the Collegio Romano in 1649 and sketched the ideology of a Christian baroque science of acoustics designed to dominate the world by exploiting the boundless  powers of sound 17th-century empirical observations and mathematical explanations of the simultaneous vibrations of a string at different frequencies were important in the development of modern experimental acoustics. The earliest contribution in this branch of acoustics was made by Mersenne, who derived the mathematical law governing the physics of a vibrating string. Around 1673 Christian Huygens (1629-1695) estimated its absolute frequency, and in 1677 John Wallis (1616-1703) published a report of experiments on the overtones of a vibrating string. In 1692 Francis Roberts (1650-1718) followed with similar findings. These achievements paved the way for the 18th-century  acoustique  of Joseph Sauveur (1653-1716) and for the work of Brook Taylor (1685-1731), Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), Jean Le Rond d Alembert  (1717-1783), Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782), and Giordani Riccati (1709-1790), who all attempted to determine mathematically the fundamental tone and the overtones of a  sonorous  body. Modern experimental acoustics sought in nature, a physical law of the sounding body, the perfect harmony that in the Pythagorean tradition sprang from the mind of the geometrizing God. Experimental epistemology in acoustics also influenced the studies of the anatomy and physiology of hearing, especially the work of Joseph-Guichard Duverney (1648-1730) and Antonio Maria Valsalva (1666-1723), that in the 19th century gave rise to physiological and psychological acoustics. 3. Fundamental concepts of acoustics The study of acoustics revolves around the generation, propagation and reception of mechanical waves and vibrations. The steps shown in the above diagram can be found in any acoustical event or process. There are many kinds of cause, both natural and volitional. There are many kinds of transduction process that convert energy from some other form into acoustic energy, producing the acoustic wave. There is one fundamental equation that describes acoustic wave propagation, but the phenomena that emerge from it are varied and often complex. The wave carries energy throughout the propagating medium. Eventually this energy is transduced again into other forms, in ways that again may be natural and/or volitionally contrived. The final effect may be purely physical or it may reach far into the biological or volitional domains. The five basic steps are found equally well whether we are talking about an earthquake, a submarine using sonar to locate its foe, or a band playing in a rock concert. The central stage in the acoustical process is wave propagation. This falls within the domain of physical acoustics. In  fluids, sound propagates primarily as a pressure wave. In solids, mechanical waves can take many forms including  longitudinal waves,  transverse HYPERLINK http://www.answers.com/topic/transverse-wavewaves  and  surface waves. Acoustics looks first at the pressure levels and frequencies in the sound wave. Transduction processes are also of special importance. 4. Application of Acoustics The science of sound and hearing. This treats the sonic qualities of rooms and buildings, and the transmission of sound by the voice, musical instruments or electric means. Voice is caused by vibration, which is communicated by the sound source to the air as fluctuations in pressure and then to the listeners ear-drum. The faster the vibration (or the greater its frequency) the higher the pitch. The greater the amplitude of the vibration, the louder the sound. Mostly musical sound consist not only of regular vibration at one particular frequency but also vibration at various multiples of that frequency. The frequency of middle C is 256 cycles per second (or Hertz, abbreviated Hz) but when one hears middle C there are components of the sound vibrating at 512 Hz, 768 Hz etc (see  Harmonics). The presence and relative strength of these harmonics determine the quality of a sound. The difference in quality, for example. between a flute, an oboe and a clarinet playing the same note is tha t the flutes tone is relatively pure (i.e. has few and weak harmonics), the oboe is rich in higher harmonics and the clarinet has a preponderance of odd-numbered harmonics. Their different harmonic spectra are caused primarily by the way the sound vibration is actuated (by the blowing of air across an edge with the flute, by the oboes double reed and the clarinets single reed) and by the shape of the tube. Where the players lips are the vibrating agent, as with most brass instruments, the tube can be made to sound not its fundamental note but other harmonics by means of the players lip pressure. The vibrating air column is only one of the standard ways of creating musical sound. The longer the column the lower the pitch; the players can raise the pitch by uncovering hole in the tubes. With that human voice, air is set in motion by means of the vocal cords, folds in the throat which convert the air stream from the lungs into sound; pitch is controlled by the size and shape of the cavities in the pharynx and mouth. For a string instrument, such as the violin, the guitar or the piano, the string is set in vibration by (respectively) bowing, plucking or striking; the tighter and thinner the string, the fasters it will vibrate. By pressing the string against the fingerboard and thus making the operative string-length shorter, the player can raise the pitch. With a percussion instrument, such as the drum or the xylophone, a membrane or a piece of wood is set in vibration by striking; sometimes the vibration is regular and gives a definite pitch but sometimes the pitch is indefinit e. In the recording of sound, the vibration patterns set up by the instrument or instruments to be recorded are encode by analogue (or, in recent recordings. digitally) in terms of electrical impulse. This information can then be stored, in mechanical or electrical form; this can then be decoded, amplified and conveyed to loudspeakers which transmit the same vibration pattern to the airs. The study of the acoustics of buildings is immensely complicated because of the variety of ways in which sound is conveyed, reflected, diffused, absorbed etc. The design of buildings for performances has to take account of such matters as the smooth and even representation of sound at all pitches in all parts of the building, the balance of clarity and blend and the directions in which reflected sound may impinge upon the audiences. The use of particular material (especially wood and artificial acoustical substances) and the breaking-up of surfaces, to avoid certain types of reflection of sounds, play a part in the design of concert halls, which however remains an uncertain art in which experimentation and tuning (by shifting surface, by adding resonators etc.) is often necessary. The term acoustic is sometimes used, of a recording or an instrument, to mean not electric: an acoustic recording is one made before electric methods came into use, and an acoustic guitar is one not electri cally amplified. 4.1 Theory of acoustic The area of physics known as acoustics is devoted to the study of the production, transmission, and reception of sound. Thus, wherever sound is produced and transmitted, it will have an effect some whereas, even if there is no one present to hear it. The medium of sound transmissions is an all-important, key factor. Among the areas addressed within the realm of acoustics are the production of sounds by the human sounds and various instrument, as like the reception of sound waves by the human ear. 5. Working concept of acoustic Sound waves are an example of a larger phenomenon known as wave motion, and wave motion is, in turn, a subset of harmonic motion-that is, repeated movement of a particle about a position of equilibrium, or balance. In the case of sound, the particle is not an item of matter, but of energy, and wave motion is a type of harmonic movement that carries energy from one place to another without actually moving any matter. Particles in waves experience  oscillation, harmonic motion in one or more dimensions. Oscillation itself involves little movement, though some particles do move short distances as they interact with other particles. Primarily, however, it involves only movement in place. The waves themselves, on the other hand, move across space, ending up in a position different from the one in which they started. A  transverse  wave forms a regular up-and-down pattern in which the oscillation is  perpendicular  to the direction the wave is moving. This is a fairly easy type of wave to visualize: imagine a curve moving up and down along a straight line. Sound waves, on the other hand, are  longitudinal  waves, in which oscillation occurs in the same direction as the wave itself. These oscillations are really just fluctuations in pressure. As a sound wave moves through a medium such as air, these changes in pressure cause the medium to experience alternations of density and rarefaction  (a decrease in density). It , in turn, produces vibrations in the human ear or in any other object that receives the sound waves. 5.1 Properties of Sound Waves 5.1.1 Cycle and Period The term cycle has a definition that varies slightly, depending on whether the type of motion being discussed is oscillation, the movement of transverse waves, or the motion of a longitudinal sound wave. In the latter case, a cycle is defined as a single complete  vibration. A period (represented by the symbol  T) is the amount of time required to complete one full cycle. The period of a sound wave can be mathematically related to several other aspects of wave motion, including wave speed, frequency, and  wavelength. 5.1.2 The Speed of Sound in Various Medium People often refer to the speed of sound as though this were a fixed value like the speed of light, but, in fact, the speed of sound is a function of the medium through which it travels. What people ordinarily  mean by the speed of sound is the speed of sound through air at a specific temperature. For sound travelling at sea level, the speed at 32 °F (0 °C) is 740 MPH (331 m/s), and at 68 °F (20 °C), it is 767 MPH (343 m/s). In the essay on  aerodynamics, the speed of sound for aircraft was given at 660 MPH (451 m/s). This is much less than the figures given above for the speed of sound through air at sea level, because obviously, aircraft are not flying at sea level, but well above it, and the air through which they pass is well below freezing temperature. The speed of sound through a gas is proportional to the square root of the pressure divided by the density. According to Gay-Lussacs law, pressure is directly related to temperature, meaning that the lower the pressure, the lower the temperature-and vice versa. At high altitudes, the temperature is low, and, therefore, so is the pressure; and, due to the relatively small gravitational pull that Earth exerts on the air at that height, the density is also low. Hence, the speed of sound is also low. It follows that the higher the pressure of the material, and the greater the density, the faster sound travels through it: thus sound travels faster through a liquid than through a gas. This might seem a bit surprising: at first  glance, it would seem that sound travels fastest through air, but only because we are just more  accustomed  to hearing sounds that travel through that medium. The speed of sound in water varies from about 3,244 MPH (1,450 m/s) to about 3,355 MPH (1500 m/s). Sound travels even faster through a solid-typically about 11,185 MPH (5,000 m/s)-than it does through a liquid. 5.1.3 Frequency Frequency (abbreviated  f) is the number of waves passing through a given point during the interval of one second. It is measured in Hertz (Hz), named after nineteenth-century German physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (1857-1894) and a Hertz is equal to one cycle of oscillation per second. Higher frequencies are expressed in terms of  kilohertz  (kHz; 103  or 1,000 cycles per second) or  megahertz(MHz; 106  or 1 million cycles per second.) The human ear is capable of hearing sounds from 20 to approximately 20,000 Hz-a relatively small range for a mammal, considering that bats, whales, and dolphins can hear sounds at a frequency up to 150  kHz. Human speech is in the range of about 1 kHz, and the 88 keys on a piano vary in frequency from 27 Hz to 4,186 Hz. Each note has its own frequency, with middle C (the white key in the very middle of a piano keyboard) at 264 Hz. The quality of harmony or  dissonance  when two notes are played together is a function of the relationship between the frequencies of the two. Frequencies below the range of human  audibility  are called  infrasound, and those above it are referred to as  ultrasound. There are a number of practical applications for  ultrasonic  technology in medicine, navigation, and other fields. 5.1.4 Wavelength Wavelength (represented by the symbol ÃŽÂ », the Greek letter lambda) is the distance between a crest and the adjacent crest, or a trough and an adjacent trough, of a wave. The higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength, and vice versa. Thus, a frequency of 20 Hz, at the bottom end of human audibility, has a very large wavelength: 56 ft. (17 m). The top end frequency of 20,000 Hz is only 0.67 inches (17 mm). There is a special type of high-frequency sound wave beyond ultrasound: hyper sound, which has frequencies above 107  MHz, or 10 trillion Hz. It is almost impossible for hyper sound waves to travel through all but the densest media, because their wavelengths are so short. In order to be transmitted properly, hyper sound requires an extremely tight molecular structure; otherwise, the wave would get lost between molecules. Wavelengths of visible light, part of the electromagnetic spectrum, have a frequency much higher even than hyper sounds waves: about 109  MHz, 100 times greater than for hyper sound. This, in turn, means that these wavelengths are incredibly small, and this is why light waves can easily be blocked out by using ones hand or a  curtain. The same does not hold for sound waves, because the wavelengths of sounds in the range of human audibility are comparable to the size of ordinary objects. To block out a sound wave, one needs something of much greater dimensions-width, height, and depth-than a mere cloth curtain. A thick concrete wall, for instance, may be enough to block out the waves. Better still would be the use of materials that absorb sound, such as cork, or even the use of machines that produce sound waves which destructively interfere with the offending sounds. 5.1.5 Amplitude and Intensity Amplitude is critical to the understanding of sound, though it is mathematically independent from the parameters so far discussed. Defined as the maximum displacement of a vibrating material, amplitude  is the size of a wave. The greater the amplitude, the greater the energy the wave contains: amplitude indicates intensity, commonly known as volume, which is the rate at which a wave moves energy per unit of a cross-sectional area. Intensity can be measured in watts per square meter, or W/m2. A sound wave of minimum intensity for human audibility would have a value of 10à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢12, or 0.000000000001, W/m2. As a basis of comparison, a person speaking in an ordinary tone of voice generates about 10à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢4, or 0.0001, watts. On the other hand, a sound with an intensity of 1 W/m2  would be powerful enough to damage a persons ears. 5.2 Real-Life Applications 5.2.1 Decibel Levels For measuring the intensity of a sound as experienced by the human ear, we use a unit other than the watt per square meter, because ears do not respond to sounds in a linear, or straight-line, progression. If the intensity of a sound is doubled, a person perceives a greater intensity, but nothing approaching twice that of the original sound. Instead, a different system-known in mathematics as a logarithmic scale-is applied. In measuring the effect of sound intensity on the human ear, a unit called the  decibel  (abbreviated dB) is used. A sound of minimal audibility (10à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢12  W/m2) is assigned the value of 0 dB, and 10 dB is 10 times as great-10à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢11  W/m2. But 20 dB is not 20 times as intense as 0 dB; it is 100 times as intense, or 10à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢10  W/m2. Every increase of 10 dB thus indicates a  tenfold  increase in intensity. Therefore, 120 dB, the maximum decibel level that a human ear can endure without experiencing damage, is not 120 times as great as the minimal level for audibility, but 1012  (1  trillion) times as great-equal to 1 W/m2, referred to above as the highest safe intensity level. Of course, sounds can be much louder than 120 dB: a rock band, for instance, can generate sounds of 125 dB, which is 5 times the maximum safe decibel level. A gunshot,  firecracker, or a jet-if one is exposed to these sounds at a sufficiently close proximity-can be as high as 140 dB, or 20 times the maximum safe level. Nor is 120 dB safe for prolonged periods: hearing experts indicate that regular and repeated exposure to even 85 dB (5 less than a lawn  mower) can cause permanent damage to ones hearing. 5.3 Production of Sound Waves 5.3.1 Musical Instruments Sound waves are vibrations; thus, in order to produce sound, vibrations must be produced. For a stringed instrument, such as a guitar,  harp, or piano, the strings must be set into vibration, either by the musicians fingers or the mechanism that connects piano keys to the strings inside the case of the piano. In other woodwind instruments and horns, the musician causes vibrations by blowing into the mouthpiece. The exact process by which the vibrations emerge as sound differs between woodwind instruments, such as a  clarinet  or  saxophone  on the one hand, and brass instruments, such as a trumpet or  trombone  on the other. Then there is a drum or other percussion instrument, which produces vibrations, if not musical notes. 5.3.2 Electronic Amplification Sound is a form of energy: thus, when an automobile or other machine produces sound  incidental  to its operation, this actually represents energy that is lost. Energy itself is conserved, but not all of the energy put into the machine can ever be realized as useful energy; thus, the automobile loses some energy in the form of sound and heat. The fact that sound is energy, however, also means that it can be converted to other forms of energy, and this is precisely what a  microphone  does: it receives sound waves and converts them to electrical energy. These electrical signals are transmitted to an  amplifier, and next to a  loudspeaker, which turns electrical energy back into sound energy-only now, the intensity of the sound is much greater. Inside a loudspeaker is a  diaphragm, a thin, flexible disk that vibrates with the intensity of the sound it produces. When it pushes outward, the diaphragm forces nearby air molecules closer together, creating a high-pressure region around the loudspeaker. (Remember, as stated earlier, that sound is a matter of fluctuations in pressure.) The diaphragm is then pushed backward in response, freeing up an area of space for the air molecules. These, then, rush toward the diaphragm, creating a low-pressure region behind the high-pressure one. The loudspeaker thus sends out alternating waves of high and low pressure, vibrations on the same frequency of the original sound. 5.3.3 The Human Voice As impressive as the electronic means of sound production are (and of course the description just given is highly simplified), this technology pales in comparison to the greatest of all sound-producing mechanisms: the human voice. Speech itself is a highly complex physical process, much too involved to be discussed in any depth here. For our present purpose, it is important only to recognize that speech is essentially a matter of producing vibrations on the vocal cords, and then transmitting those vibrations. Before a person speaks, the brain sends signals to the vocal cords, causing them to  tighten. As speech begins, air is forced across the vocal cords, and this produces vibrations. The action of the vocal cords in producing these vibrations is, like everything about the miracle of speech,  exceedingly involved: at any given moment as a person is talking, parts of the vocal cords are opened, and parts are closed. The sound of a persons voice is affected by a number of factors: the size and shape of the sinuses and other cavities in the head, the shape of the mouth, and the placement of the teeth and tongue. These factors influence the production of specific frequencies of sound, and result in differing vocal qualities. Again, the mechanisms of speech are highly complicated, involving action of the diaphragm (a partition of muscle and tissue between the chest and  abdominal  cavities),  larynx, pharynx,  glottis, hard and soft palates, and so on. But, it all begins with the production of vibrations. 6. Propagation: Does It Make a Sound As stated in the introduction, acoustics is concerned with the production, transmission (sometimes called propagation), and reception of sound. Transmission has already been examined in terms of the speed at which sound travels through various media. One aspect of sound transmission needs to be reiterated, however: for sound to be propagated, there must be a medium. There is an age-old philosophical question that goes something like this: If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound? In fact, the question is not a matter of philosophy at all, but of physics, and the answer is, of course, yes. As the tree falls, it releases energy in a number of forms, and part of this energy is manifested as sound waves. Consider, on the other hand, this rephrased version of the question: If a tree falls in a vacuum-an area completely  devoid  of matter, including air-does it make a sound? The answer is now a qualified no: certainly, there is a release of energy, as before, but the sound waves cannot be transmitted. Without air or any other matter to carry the waves, there is literally no sound. Hence, there is a great deal of truth to the tagline associated with the 1979 science-fiction film  Alien  : In space, no one can hear you scream. Inside an astronauts suit, there is pressure and an oxygen supply; without either, the astronaut would  perish  quickly. The pressure and air inside the suit also allow the astronaut to hear sounds within the suit, including communications via microphone from other astronauts. But, if there were an explosion in the vacuum of deep space outside the spacecraft, no one inside would be able to hear it. 7. Reception of Sound 7.1 Recording Earlier the structure of electronic  amplification  was described in very simple terms. Some of the same processes-specifically, the conversion of sound to electrical energy-are used in the recording of sound. In sound recording, when a sound wave is emitted, it causes vibrations in a diaphragm attached to an electrical  condenser. This causes variations in the electrical current passed on by the condenser. These electrical pulses are processed and ultimately passed on to an electromagnetic recording head. The magnetic field of the recording head extends over the section of tape being recorded: what began as loud sounds now produce strong magnetic fields, and soft sounds produce weak fields. Yet, just as electronic means of sound production and transmission are still not as impressive as the mechanisms of the human voice, so electronic sound reception and recording technology is a less magnificent device than the human ear. 8. How the Ear Hears As almost everyone has noticed, a change in altitude (and, hence, of atmospheric pressure) leads to a strange popping sensation in the ears. Usually, this condition can be overcome by swallowing, or even better, by  yawning. This opens the  Eustachian tube, a  passageway  that maintains atmospheric pressure in the ear. Useful as it is, the Eustachian tube is just one of the human ears many parts. The funny shape of the ear helps it to capture and  amplify  sound waves, which  pass-through  the ear canal and cause the  eardrum  to vibrate. Though humans can hear sounds over a much wider range, the optimal range of audibility is from 3,000 to 4,000 Hz. This is because the structure of the ear canal is such that sounds in this frequency produce  magnified  pressure fluctuations. Thanks to this, as well as other specific properties, the ear acts as an amplifier of sounds. Beyond the eardrum is the middle ear, an  intricate  sound-reception device containing some of the smallest bones in the human body-bones commonly known, because of their shapes, as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup. Vibrations pass from the hammer to the anvil to the stirrup, through the membrane that covers the oval window, and into the inner ear. Filled with liquid, the inner ear contains the semi-circular canals responsible for providing a sense of balance or orientation: without these, a person literally would not know which way is up. Also, in the inner ear is the  cochlea, an organ shaped like a  snail. Waves of pressure from the fluids of the inner ear are passed through the cochlea to the  auditory  nerve, which then transmits these signals to the brain. The basilar membrane of the cochlea is a particularly  wondrous  instrument, responsible in large part for the ability to discriminate between sounds of different frequencies and intensities. The surface of the membrane is covered with thousands of fibres, which are highly sensitive to disturbances, and it transmits information concerning these disturbances to the auditory nerve. The brain, in turn, forms a relation between the position of the nerve ending and the frequency of the sound. It also equates the degree of disturbance in the  basilar membrane  with the intensity of the sound: the greater the disturbance, the louder the sounds.