Family System Theory Essay

Human Beings depend on each other to survive and thrive. Whether in family group, business or organizational networks, relationships have the potential to be the resources for accomplishing important goal. Our interactive process can become a hindrance or a source of a productive action. Families are considered systems because they are made up of interrelated elements or objectives, they exhibit coherent behaviours, they have regular interactions and they are interdependent on each other. This is apparent in the relationship between flowers and bees, where bees use the flowers as a source of food, and the flowers depend on the inter-flower traffic that the bees provide to spread their pollen and insure healthy genetic diversity within the flower community. These two species are interconnected and cannot be understood in isolation. If the bees become damaged, the flowers suffer, and vice versa. When any part of such a network is altered or damaged, it affects all the other parts of that network, for all are interconnected (Dombeck & Wells, 2006). The Family Systems insight is that what is true about flowers and bees is also true of human relationships. People live in families and social groupings, and depend upon one another for the means that insure their mutual survival, including (as Maslow has taught us) food clothing and shelter, but also safety, belonging and social support. Family members are interconnected: Every person within a family has a role to play within the life of the family as a whole. Alteration or damage to one family member affects the entire family, for all are interconnected. A change in one persons functioning can be followed by reciprocal changes in the functioning of others in the family. Family systems theory views the family as an emotional unit that implies a deep, multi-generational connection between family members that significantly influences behaviors of its members outside of their conscious awareness. Family Systems theory or Bowen theory is based on three main assumptions: clients problematic behavior may serve a function or purpose for the family clients problematic behavior may be a function of the families inability to operate productively the maladaptive behavior may be a symptom of dysfunctional patterns handed from generations I find the family systems theory to be the most practical and effective approach towards making positive changes within the family unit. Unlike other theories, Family Systems theory focuses on the entire family unit instead of a particular individual, family structure , a developmental stage, crisis or a behavior causing the dysfunction in the family. The theory provides a holistic and a realistic view of the problem and how best it can be treated by assisting the family members in realizing the problem and using the family as its own resource to solve the problem. Research has shown that incorporating Family System theory into therapeutic practice can enhance the recovery of the client and the family as a whole.

Significance of Social Status in the Great Gatsby

Significance of Social Status in The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby may appear to be a simple tragic romance; however, within the text, Fitzgerald identifies and defines social gaps and importance of wealth. He also presents women within a very separate space as the men. The Great Gatsby allows the reader to enter into the world of wealth and experience the joys and tragedies of being within this certain class.In the novel, Fitzgerald criticizes American society in the 1920's for its emphasis on money, superficial relationships, and obsession over class; as well as allowing the reader to interpret the position of gender inside the class. Society has, indeed, a great part to play in shaping the identities of individuals. â€Å"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,' he [my father] told me, â€Å"just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had† (1).This quote was probably the backbone of the narrator's a ctions and character. Throughout the novel, the characters that he came into contact with were immediately associated with their money and their association with their given level of wealth. Jay Gatsby is the center character in Fitzgerald's novel. Gatsby tells Nick that from his childhood in the Midwest and his youth, he got to know Cody from whom he learned how to struggle through life and get money.He is totally self-taught and tells Nick that he had been in the drug business and later in the oil business. Throughout the novel there is an overall absence of the lower class; however, ironically, the only character that lower wealth was associated with was Gatsby. He was the most prestigious when compared to all of the other characters, yet was the only to have the absence of money in his past. With this, Fitzgerald proves that the current existence of money justifies the acceptance of character, reiterating the idea of social levels of money.

Providing Safety Measures within Schools Essay

School violence is not just a recent tragedy. In fact, the earliest known United States (U. S. ) school shooting called â€Å"Pontiac’s Rebellion School Massacre† took place on July 26, 1764 in Pennsylvania (Wikipedia). These ill-fated events are products of many different factors such as bullying, revenge, and even mental issues. Unfortunately, school violence has become a more prevalent occurrence in society today. However, because of the unknown and rather unexpected motives of the perpetrators, an end to school violence cannot, in all actuality, happen. Certainly, there are procedures available to prevent occurring violence. Through the use of increased screening and safety measures, school violence can be greatly diminished, improve the quality of the nation’s education, and restore faith in administrators. School violence has plagued many areas of not only the U. S. , but also other parts of the world. However, a number of the worst attacks have occurred right here in the U. S. , Columbine High School, for example. April 20, 1999 marked the date of fifteen deaths at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Two teenage shooters took the lives of fourteen students and one teacher (Listverse). This school tragedy led to an increased emphasis on security at schools across the U. S. (SFGate). The April 16, 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech claimed the lives of thirty-three victims and was named the deadliest shooting by a single gunman in U. S. history. Bath School in Michigan fell victim to forty-five deaths and was given the title of the deadliest mass school murder in U. S. history (Listverse). In recent history, Connecticut unfortunately experienced a shooting of its own at Sandy Hook Elementary where twenty-eight young children and adults were victim to a deranged gunman on December 14, 2012 (The Inquisitr). But certainly, we cannot forget the February 27, 2012 shooting at Chardon High School that rocked Ohio (SFGate). More and more schools around the nation are stepping up school safety measures to ensure the security of students. Undoubtedly, the most commonly selected safety measure is limited or controlled access to the school in such ways as to lock and monitor school doors. Metal detectors, security cameras, and limited social networking access are more commonly being used to monitor and restrict student and visitor behaviors (U. S. Department of Education). Monitoring and supervising common areas such as the cafeteria, gym, hallways, and parking lot is a significant safety measure usually practiced by schools (NASPonline). School resource officers, guards, and unarmed law enforcement officers may not always need to be present, but should always be available. Staff members should monitor all guests by greeting each and every person who comes to the door. Counselors and psychologists should always be available to students so that they know they have someone to trust and be able to anonymously report suspicious activity (Gumbrecht; NASPonline). Crisis plans and preparedness training should be accessible for all staff members along with threat assessment procedures. The promotion of obedience of school rules and a safe school environment should be present at all times for the safety of the students (NASPonline). Schools should conduct regular drills such as intruder, weather, and fire for student awareness (Gumbrecht). A responsible and safe school always includes school-community partnerships and school safety incident data to keep the public informed about new procedures (NASPonline). There are a number of structural prevention suggestions available. The most frequently used structural methods are locked doors and security systems. However, more advanced structural preventions exist: single, prominent entryways for guests and students to enter; reduced landscaping to eliminate hiding spots; shifted restrooms away from entryways; moved major mechanical and electrical systems; keyless entry systems for staff and faculty; and elaborate announcement systems for drills and instructions (Gumbrecht). Panic buttons are available for $5,000 and operate on single police dispatch lines that send all available units to the school in case of an emergency. The buttons can be located in each individual classroom or in different regions of the schools. These structural suggestions come at a price but are well worth the investments (Scott). Because of the seemingly reoccurring school violence trend, many school districts have contemplated active shooter training and arming teachers. Even though this might seem like a good idea, there may very well be negative consequences. Instead, most school administrators opt for the more common school entry policies and emergency manuals for all staff. Newer safety ideas are being introduced into school districts such as Mohawk, Ellwood, and Shenango in Pennsylvania. These districts installed computerized systems that scan the driver’s licenses of all visitors to identify anyone convicted of crimes against children (New Castle News). Administrators have many accessible guidelines for communicating with students, their parents, and the public. Conversations with students should be developmentally appropriate and include guidelines for violence. Administrators should keep in mind the cultures, traditions, religion, and family values of students and keep the focus on normal routines and activities. Parents should be made aware of all violence conversations with students. The children must know that schools are safe places and there is a difference between reporting and tattling, they must be observant and report what they see. Students must also realize that every so often, people commit wrong acts, but violence is never a solution. Open communication between parents and their children is key; the students should know to stay away from weapons. Also, the school staff must stress the understanding of possibility versus probability; students should always know that they are safe in school. These guidelines are important for administrators to convey to their student body and public (NASPonline). Without a doubt, school violence has made national headlines. In December, the NRA announced the National School Shield Program. They have issued â€Å"a report on how they believe schools can prevent further gun violence† (Gumbrecht). The NRA will present policy proposals and resources to law enforcement, lawmakers, school officials, and the public. Because there is declining support for strict gun regulations, law enforcement officials will prepare armed guards that state and local officials will alter (Sperry and Wallace). A higher percent of high schools and middle schools require drug testing for athletes and extracurricular activities; badges and picture identifications for students and teachers; random dog sniffs and contraband sweeps; and security cameras for monitoring the school building and surrounding premises. 84 percent of high schools, 73 percent of middle schools, and 51 percent of elementary schools use security cameras for surveillance. A higher percent of high schools and middle schools have electronic emergency notification systems and structured, anonymous threat reporting systems. A lower percent of high schools control access to buildings during school hours, prohibit cell phone usage and text messaging, and require uniforms (U. S. Department of Education). Unfortunately, school violence is on the rise. Children should not have to be afraid to go to school in fear of experiencing a fateful attack. By no means can there ever be assumptions made that attacks cannot happen just anywhere; no area is completely immune to violence. The public cannot be naive. As much as the thought of an attack is hard to comprehend, the possibility must always be in the back of the mind. There are countless ways to be prepared; school administrators just need to take action. Through the use of increased screening and safety measures, school violence can be greatly diminished, improve the quality of the nation’s education, and restore faith in administrators

How upper classed brands in John Lewis are able to get lower classed Assignment

How upper classed brands in John Lewis are able to get lower classed individuals to buy their products also - Assignment Example John Lewis fashion department can be considered as a store within a departmental store. This is a new approach comprising of brands like Mint Velvet, Damsel, Coast, Miss Selfridge and Whistles. There is even a beauty department located in the store encompassing brands like Benefit, Tom Food and Jo Malone. Menswear section within the store also highlights some well-known brands such as Levi’s, Barbour and Polo Ralph Lauren. There are even some new brands included in this departmental store like Penfield and Eleven Paris. Upper class brands are usually purchased by customers who are brand conscious. There is a link between brand and culture. Societal cultural dimensions play a significant role when it comes to purchase decision. It can be stated that social class, gender and race are key elements during final purchase decision making. Lower class people often do not purchase such high valued items. The reason behind this is it is perceived that such upper class brands are purcha sed only by upper class market segment. This kind of perception influences all key factors that are involved in buyer decision making process. In this study it shall be analyzed how upper class brands within John Lewis are able to attract customer’s attention belonging to lower income class segment. According to Holt (2004), a brand can be defined as a term, name or a design that distinguishes product or service of one manufacturer from others. Brands are normally utilized in advertising, business and marketing. In accounting terms, brand is an intangible asset which is present within every organization. It is most valuable asset that is outlined in the balance sheet of a company. Brands owners need to effectively manage their brands in order to enhance shareholder value. Brand valuation is an important technique that associates money with a brand. Effective branding often results into high sales volumes of a particular

Evaluative argument Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluative argument - Assignment Example Hence, the two sides agree on one thing that video games should be played sparingly to enable an individual balance with work or assigned duties because of its addictive nature. This paper will focus on the effects of video games. Most video games have negative implications for children or adults because they shape the way individuals thinks and modifies their behaviors. For instance, some video games such as â€Å"Mortal Combat† contain violence, which affects the behavior of the player (Mullan 5). This makes the player develop aggressive thoughts, feelings, and actions towards the third party (Mullan 5). Similarly, it makes the players develop decreased pro-social of helping making it have a harmful effect. The violent nature of video games is because of its interactive nature since the players are rewarded for being violent (Mullan 7). In addition, the players become in control of the violence experience through killing, stabbing, shooting, among others depending on the programming of the game (Greitemeyer 500). Hence, the active participation makes the players learn the violent behaviors, which they might exercise after the end of the game (Mullan 7). Secondly, video games make the players become socially isolated since they spend most of their time playing games than interacting with other peers (Kim, Byungjoon and Robert 22). Those who become addicted to video games spend little or no time to do their homework, read, sports and interact with family members, hence contributing to their isolation. In many cases, a child who is used to interacting with the game finds pleasure in games than bonding with family members. This makes others lock themselves as they play the game. In other instances, gamers stay away from others whom they feel interferes with their gaming ability. For this reason, many children will abscond their duties assigned to create

Light in August Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Light in August - Essay Example Nicholas and Golay when critically analyzing William Fauklner’s novel â€Å"the light in august† gives a different point as a reason to why Joe hate women. Joe had an affair with Allen Bobbie, who’s a prostitute but after a short quarrel she ditched him and went away from town. This act leaved deep and life long affects on the way Joe stereotyped women for the rest of his life. Joe Christmas, main protagonist of the novel â€Å"the light in august† written by William Faulkner, serves as one of the novel’s most mysterious character. Portrayed as an angry man, he is the one stepping comfortably in neither black nor the white world. As Joe makes his first appearance in the novel, he arouses a strong amount of inquisitiveness on the mill workers, along with contempt for his greater lack of involvement and other appealing qualities. Though Faulkner has provided a number of statements to elucidate Christmas’s attitude, he still remains an isolated, enigmatic figure, indefinable. When working at the mill he is a non entity, an empty slate that is used by biased men who examines Joe according to their own minute level of understanding. Many of them believe that he is a native from an unknown foreign country. Joe Christmas is the central character for the theme projected by Faulkner. By his appearance and complexion he is a white man, but he suspects that he have some black ancestry. He is at times sickened by his blackness, like the time when he beats a prostitute for willing to sleep with a black man, and even loves to live in â€Å"black† neighborhood to absorb their norms and way of life. He perceives a mixed opinion, both ashamed and sometime proud of his blackness. He was always eager to inform everyone that he had a black heritage. He himself admits that his seek to come to terms with his racial uniqueness has entirely structured his life. Question 1: Why is Joe Christmas so violent towards women? The perception of feminine sexuality that Joe Christmas has is somehow similar to the characters of â€Å"Quentin Compson† and â€Å"Horace Benbow†, famous personalities of typical English literature. He is actually against the idea of menstruation, and equals hate the idea of naming a prostitute as an immoral woman. He adores the beauty and attractiveness of a virgin, declaring her a beautiful pot. Yet Christmas never loves the idea of women as a companion, which is why he favors prostitutes. Christmas links bodily blood with his outlook of women. He defines races and masculinity by the odor of their blood, and is responsible and ruined because of the color of his black blood. Faulkner intimately relates to Joe, in particular sexuality, race, and faith, is dyed by the metaphors of blood he belongs. His black blood is the most important element in Christmas's harsh view of women. He has a sick insight of women and her sexual position due to Christmas’s disturbing very first disc losure to sexuality, at the age little age of just five, where he supposed the mating act as aggressive and repulsive. Apart from the fact that he characterized sex as being a disgusted act, he developed the feeling that the male is predestined to provoke fear in his female co-worker. This idea remained in his mind for years and he acted brutally towards women in his own sexual encounters. Question 2: To what extent does his upbringing affect how he

EUROPEAN UNION LAW Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

EUROPEAN UNION LAW - Coursework Example If we see, there are different articles In European Law Union which states the provisions regarding the free movement of persons inside the member states. Below is the critical evaluation and advice to the plight of a polish family who moved to UK Critical Evaluation and Advise to the Family Members a) Josef’s case Jozef, you came to UK with your partner Karolina on visit and eventually planned to find a job and settle here. You demanded financial support which was not legally available to you as per UK law and also expected a fair treatment from UK as to the wage scale and employment opportunities. But the major mistake on your part is that you were not aware of the UK laws with regard to the benefits the country offers to non nationals According to European Union Treaty (2006) â€Å"The Council and the Commission shall ensure the consistency of activities undertaken on the basis of this title and the consistency of such activities with the policies of the Union and the Comm unity, and shall cooperate to that end† The thing to be noted here is that many people cross the national boundaries with less knowledge about the legal procedures of UK and end being corrupted and humiliated. Jozef , you resorted to manipulate the tax system in eagerness to make financial gains and ended up being disobedient to the legal system of the country and got imprisoned. What can be suggested here is that, while moving to a developed, wealthy and expensive nation you should have been ready to initiate hard work and thoughtfulness to follow the legal system of the country and target to achieve success in long term and not attempts short cuts and end up in trouble. Generally, the legal system of free movement of people has some reservation to the nationals as compared to the people moved from other member states.Craig & de Burca (2008,pg.743) suggests that â€Å"The meaning and the scope of the terms ‘worker’ and activity as an employed person’ shou ld be thus clarified in the light of the principles on the legal order of the community†It is important for you to know the regulation set by UK government as to the worker’s right and employment so that you do not end up in trouble due to ignorance. b)Karolina Case : Karolina you moved with Jozef to UK and planned to stay in the country with him and started looking for a job and were asked to comply with certain demands of the UK government to procure a job. You are a trained teaching professional in Poland but to attain a teaching status in UK you needed to pass the English language proficiency test. You got distressed on this demand of the government and became adamant as to not to follow the test, instead took a job of language translator. Here you are not ready to accept the reality that UK needs the proficiency in their mother tongue to qualify as the country’s teacher. This is a minimum requirement which any teacher needs to obtain to occupy a professional teaching status. You should understand that you are not in your native land but in a country where the mother tongue is English. In real sense, you have lost the opportunity to be a professional teacher just because you neglected the value of the test demanded by the country which would have helped you in building your career and life in the long run. The UK government has not created hindrance in the growth of your

Comparative legal system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Comparative legal system - Essay Example In a religious legal system all the religious laws converge to one ultimate concept and that is religion. However in a secular legal system, by contrast, changes and amendments forms a necessary part of the process as the concept of the system is to continuously improve formal law and practices, and their influence on the tradition of life. People and state-welfare is given due importance and the office of jurisdiction is reinforced by guarantees of judicial independence. There are few countries where the legal system is exclusively religious, though some (mainly Islamic countries) aspire to this. It is not only the State that upholds the responsibility of implementing laws in the religious system, even the people seem to share a common ground of 1understanding that no tolerance should be practiced while dealing with violation of the religious laws. On the other hand a large number of countries have secular legal system where the laws are made and enacted with a constant effort to develop the social and financial infrastructure, human rights and freedom. This is well illustrated in the very first words of the First Amendment to the Constitution 2of the United States, which came into force in 1789: â€Å"Congress shall make no laws respecting the establishment of religion†. The United States has many constitutional and statutory guarantees of religious liberty. Most important are two sentences in the Constitution of the United States. The first is the Test Oath Clause, in Article 6, clause 3, which provides: â€Å"[N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States†. England has historically required office holders to swear an oath that they believed in essential doctrines of the Church of England, or of Protestantism more generally. The Test Oath Clause prohibits

Ass 5.8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ass 5.8 - Essay Example In order to determine the official unemployment rate it is important to determine the total labor force. Total labor force = Unemployed work force + employed workers = 8.4 + 108.5 =116.9 Therefore, Unemployment rate= Number of unemployed workforce ?100 = 8.4 ? 100 = 7.2% Total Labor force 116.9 The official unemployment in the US in 1991 was = 7.2% 2. If bureau of statistics considered 1.2 million people as unemployed, the official unemployment rate will be as follows; Official Unemployment rate= Number of unemployed workforce ?100 Total Labor force Total labor force = 108.5 + 1.2= 109.7 Official Unemployment rate= (1.2?109.7)100 =1.1% There was a discrepancy of 6.1% obtained by finding the difference between the two rates of unemployment as follows 7.2%-1.1% =6.1%. The discrepancy may be attributed to an increase in recession and inflation rate leading to a decrease in unemployment rate by 1.6% in the second answer. 3. The Concept of natural rate of unemployment Natural rate of unem ployment refers to the rate of unemployment that occurs in a healthy economy when the labor market at equilibrium (Taylor, 2007). At this at this point full employment corresponds with the rate of unemployment. The concept can be presented diagrammatically as shown below. Real Wage ASL N= labor force ADL Natural rate of Unemployment We Q1 Q2 Source: Author Natural rate of unemployment include Frictional and structural unemployment (Mankiw, 2011). Frictional rate of unemployment occurs when people leave their current job and went to look for new better and satisfying jobs (Mankiw, 2011). During this period, people may remain unemployed and therefore, an economy may experience frictional rate of unemployment (Mankiw, 2011). On the other hand, Structural rate of unemployment occurs when new technological changes leads to unemployment because people do not have the required skills and knowledge to do the job and therefore, people need to be retrained in to make their skills correspond t o a job need (Woirol, 1996). Distinguishing between â€Å"good† inflation and â€Å"bad† inflation and why some economists see some inflation superior than others. Economist asserts that a good inflation refers to the one that creates caution to an economy of an impending deflation so that an economy can put in place necessary measures to curb impending deflation (Mceachern, 2012). Additionally, a good inflation can helps in real wage adjustment in case of disequilibrium. On the other hand, economist asserts that a bad inflation is the one that has a depressing impact to an economy making the cost of living to be extremely high and unbearable(Mceachern, 2012). A bad inflation tends to make an economy engage itself in borrowing leading to escalating debts. Additionally, wages and income tend to remain low as the cost of living continues to rise (Mceachern, 2012). This situation could lead to strikes and boycotts as workers pressures employers to increase their salaries and wages in order to cope with high cost of living (Mceachern, 2012).Some economist hold that hyper inflation as a superior as compared with double digit and moderate inflation. This is because hyper inflation makes the economy to become totally depressed as money in circulation losses value making the cost of living unbearable. Lesson 9: Managing the Economy: Fiscal Policy and Its Effects 1 (a).Effects of $20billion tax cut on

Catalonia's Parliament Abolish Bullfighting Essay

Catalonia's Parliament Abolish Bullfighting - Essay Example The ban which took effect in January 2012 caused a lot of controversy, criticism and debates within Catatonia. The activities which led to the acceleration of the ban include the national anti-bullfighting movements and the cries of the animal rights activists. There were also international influence from individuals and groups who considered this tradition and activity as a total violation of the rights of animals and unnecessary risk on the lives of the participants. A review of the bull fighting tradition in the region demonstrates that it contributed significantly to the tourism and hotel industry. This is attributed to the fact that the bullfighting activities attracted tourists within Spain and from abroad who came to witness and participate in the bullfighting activities. In this regard therefore I do not agree with the ban of the bullfighting tradition. This is because of its economic and social cultural significance of the tradition to the people of Catalonia and Spain in ge neral. It is therefore arguable that the legislators of the region should have considered the benefits that the bullfighting tradition had for Catalonia before they would make a historic decision of passing the ban on this tradition. The important considerations that would have been put in mind by the legislators are the number of people who lost their employment and source of income within the bullfighting industry in addition to the negative implication that this had on the economy. The anti cruelty campaigns within Spain and other parts of the world are attributed to the ban on the bullfighting tradition in Catalonia. These campaigns have been staged for a long time and therefore the decision of the parliament on the ban was caused by the pressure of these bans. It is therefore reasonable to argue that the parliamentarians were responding to the voices and pressures of the activists and the animal rights groups instead of the actual implications that the bullfighting tradition ha d on the social economic aspects of the region. It is therefore evident that without the external pressure, the legislatures would not have decided to ban the tradition. This is due to the economic benefits and the cultural significance that the bullfighting exercise had on Catalonia. Because of the ban, the unique cultural identity of this region which led to the attraction of tourists to this region was lost. This means that the government and the economy in general experienced a negative impact from the ban which forms a reason why I do not support it. The arguments that were put forward by the supporters of the ban include postulations that Catalonia should adopt modern culture instead of the bullfighting which was considered cruel (Igor 1). In line of this, it is arguable that the people of Catalonia should not have been mandated to abandon their culture because it is this same culture which made them unique from the rest of the world communities and societies. In addition, thi s culture had been passed to the people of Catalonia from their forefathers for centuries. Therefore it is evident that the basis of a modern culture as an argument for the ban is not justifiable. Therefore the legislatures should have considered the need for the Catalonia people to preserve their conserved culture rather than submitting to the pressures of people and groups from other cultures who had no comprehension of the local culture and what it meant to the people of Catalonia. Many individuals and groups were affected by the ban of the bullfighting tradition. These include fans within Catalonia, the larger Spain and the rest of the w

Study Guide for Green Lab Book Exam Essay Example for Free

Study Guide for Green Lab Book Exam Essay This study guide does not cover all of the material on your test. This review is meant to be a starting point to help you remember the major ideas that we covered in class. Be sure to also review the information in your notebook, lab book, and returned quizzes and tests. 1. What is ecology? The scientific study of how living things interact with each other and their environment. 2. What are the ABCs of Ecology? Abiotic, Biotic, and Cycles 3. What are the characteristics and needs of living things? Needs: Water, food, sunlight, shelter Characteristics: movement, respiration, nutrition, irritability, growth, excretion, reproduction, death 4. Arrange the following from smallest to largest: population, biome, organism, community, ecosystem. Organism, population, community, ecosystem, and biome. Ecosystems: 1. Define the following: a. niche- the role of an organism in an ecosystem. b. decomposer- an organism that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter. c. producer- an organism that captures energy from sunlight and transforms it into chemical energy cccccccc cthat’s stored in energy-rich carbon compounds. Producers are a source of food for other organisms. d. consumer- a living thing that gets its energy by eating other living things in a food chain. e. limiting factor- a factor or condition that prevents the continuing growth of a pop. in an ecosystem 2. What do the arrows in food chains or webs mean? Eaten by, gives energy to 3. The level of the energy pyramid with the most energy contains what type of organisms? How much energy is transferred each time you move up a level? The level that has most energy are the producers which are plants. 10% of the energy is transferred each time NJyou move up a level. 4. What is . . . a qualitative observation, a quantitative observation, and an inference? Qualitative- describing the appearance of something using words. Quality/look Quantitative- using numbers and words to describe something. Quantity/number Inference- a logical conclusion drawn from the available evidence and prior knowledge or observations. 5. Symbiosis – Define each term and give an example a) mutualism- an interaction between two species in which both benefit. (Flowers and bees) b) parasitism- a relationship between two species in which one species is harmed while the other benefits. Xxxxx(Tapeworms and host) c) commensalism- an interaction between two species in which one species benefits without harming the dffffffother. (Moss and trees) 6. Describe the process of succession. Primary: 1. Retreating glaciers expose bare rock where nothing lives. 2. Lichens appear and when they die, particles break down the rock and soil is made. 3. After a lot of years, there is a lot of soil. Other organisms appear like moss and insects. 4. When more soil is made, there are ferns, flowers, shrubs, and small trees 5. After many years there is enough soil to support a forest. Secondary: 1. A disturbance occurs in an area and the organisms no longer live there. Soon though, crabgrass grows. 2. Then more weeds begin to grow. 3. After about ten years, pine trees grow and after 100 years, a forest may form. 4. Pines may be replaces by hardwoods. Photosynthesis and Respiration: 1. What is photosynthesis? Where does it happen? In what type of organisms? When does it happen? Photosynthesis is the process by which green  plants and other producers use simple compounds and energy ddfrom light to make sugar, and energy-rich compound in the leaf of the plant. It happens during the day. 2. What is the formula for photosynthesis? Underline the reactants and circle the products. 6CO2 + 6H2O + SUN ENERGY C6H12O6 + 6O2 3. How do they enter and leave the plant? CO2: leavesstomaspongy layerpalisadechloroplastchlorophyll H2O: rootsstemleavesxylempalisadechloroplastchlorophyll 4. What is respiration? Where does it happen? In what type of organisms? When does it happen? Cellular Respiration is a process in which cells use oxygen to release energy stored in sugars. Takes place in the mitochondria. It happens all the time. 5. What is the formula for respiration? Underline the reactants and circle the products. C6H12O6 + 6O2 ATP + 6CO2 + 6H2O Biomes: 1. List the major characteristics of the six land biomes and 2 water biomes. In which biome do we live? We live in the Temperate Deciduous Forest. a. Desert- A region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse and widely spaced vegetation.| e. Taiga- A type of forest characterized by cone-bearing, needled- leaf trees. It is also known as Evergreen Forest.| b. Freshwater- Defined as having a low salt concentration usually less than 1%. Plants and animals in freshwater regions are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in areas of high salt concentration.| f. Temperature Deciduous Forest- Consists of trees that lose their leaves every year. Examples include oak, maple, beech, and elm. Has all four seasons. Plants become dormant in the winter.| c. Grassland- Characterized as lands dominated by grasses rather than large shrubs or trees.| g. Tropical Rainforest- Contains at least one-half of the worlds species of plants and animals and are dominated by tall, broad-leaved trees. Tropical rainforests are wet and hot year-round and have nutrient poor soil. Found @ the equator.| d. Marine- A biome consisting of waters containing 3.5% salt on average; includes the oceans and covers more than 70% of the Earths surface; divided  into benthic and pelagic zones.| h. Tundra- A vast, flat, treeless Arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen.| Chesapeake Bay/Watershed: 1. Which 6 states are part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed? 2743 km2 Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York. 2. Define the following: a. tributary- a stream or other body of water, surface or underground, which intermittently contributes its aaaaaaaaawater in small quantities to another larger stream or body of water. b. estuary- the lower end of a river where it meets the ocean and freshwater and saltwater mix. c. watershed- an area or region drained by a river, river system, or other body of water. 3. What are the 2 critical roles oysters play in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem? Oysters are filter feeders, consuming phytoplankton and improving water quality while filtering the water for food. As generations of oysters settle on top of each other and grow they form reefs that provide structured habitat for many fish species and crabs. Oysters also improve dissolved oxygen. 4. What are the roles of SAV? They provide underwater life with food and habitat, absorb nutrients, trap sediment, reduce erosion, and add oxygen to the water. They are an excellent measure of the Bay’s overall condition because their health is closely linked with the Bay’s health. 5. What are the roles of wetlands? Wetlands are transitional areas between land and water. While some wetlands are noticeably wet, others do not always have visible water. An area is defined as a wetland based on its soils and vegetation. All wetlands are dominated by hydrophytes, which are plants that are adapted for life in wet soils. Wetlands also have hydric soils, which are soils that are periodically saturated or flooded. Water Quality Factors: 1. What can affect the temperature of water? The shallowness of the water, the air, and the shade. 2. Draw a simple pH scale. What is neutral? _7_ the most basic? _14_the most acidic? _1_ Basic 3. Why is dissolved oxygen needed in water? How does the oxygen get into the water? Just as we need air to breathe, aquatic organisms need dissolved oxygen to respire. It is necessary for the survival of fish, invertebrates, bacteria, and underwater plants. DO is also needed for the decomposition of organic matter. There are three ways that oxygen gets dissolved into water. One is by diffusion, when oxygen diffuses into the water directly from the air above it. Next is aeration, this can be cased by wave action of water spilling over rocks and waterfalls or you aerator. And the third is by waste products of plants. Aquatic plants produce oxygen as a waste product of photosynthesis and this dissolves into the water. 4. What causes the uncontrolled growth of green algae in the Bay? What is the name for this process? Nitrites act as fertilizer for aquatic plants such as algae and contribute to the sequence of events called eutrophication. An excess of nitrates causes algae to grow and cover the entire surface of the water. The plants that grow underwater do not get enough sunlight so they die and begin to decompose. Eventually the algae will die and be decomposed by bacteria in the water. Decomposition and the lack of green plants resultfin a decreased amount of oxygen in the water. Without enough oxygen, fish and other organisms will die.

An essayist writing skills Essay Example for Free

An essayist writing skills Essay ‘Education matters’; the academic distinction as seen within the essayist is the peak of personal pride and the prime of the essayist. This is the backdrop of his imagery skill and panache as he seeks to make the issue figurative and argumentative and in his situation hypothetical. Within the context, he redefines the role of education with the general public. This is his onset to express his insight about what the general public thinks about situations that reflect on those it knows. BOY. Drop out of school and thats what theyll call you the rest of your life. ‘Drop out’ is figurative and intrinsically variable. It is an expression of discontent towards a situation and the person in the situation. It is a moral insight and one that the essayist seeks to use to make a case against his distinguished position as a disadvantaged worker in a workplace which is far much below his qualifications. ‘Drop out’ is what offsets his passion to describe, discuss and put forward his case. It is what could make you a scorn yet even without the valuable education you are the same match to the drop out. Today I saw them saying something else’ is a passionate and morose appeal to his pride gained from the value of education to make him recognizable. He is now a minnow and below the centre of social repute and distinctiveness of an individual. Within these profound contexts within the essayist situation analysis and his insights about the repercussions of manoeuvres to attain academic distinction yet plunge into a sea of misrecognition by being compared and working as one of those detested and referred as public scorns for their minimal academic capacity is insulting and confusing. To him, it is ailing his conscience. They were untrue in part; it turns out that youll get called boy if you do work that others dont respect even if you have a Ph. D. It isnt education that counts, but the job in which you land. This is his perspective, to expound on the uselessness of education comparatively to his situation analysis. Here we see a subtle cry and his way of comparing his fate. It is an emotional and socially perceptive ideology. Emotional, since he is worried that he learned and hoped to supersede social implications and join the league of the learned employed who influence and are the pride of the society. Yet he is now among the least recognized and looked down on. ‘It turns out that youll get called boy if you do work that others dont respect even if you have a PhD’ This is his point on this perspective, he is learned and qualified yet he works as a lemon cutter and he is not even recognized at the workplace let alone by the barmaid. This point showcases the writers wit and it’s within this context we decipher the judicious self- exposure of the writer’s own character. He is objective and determined a listener and an analytical person. â€Å"Are you the boy who cuts the lemons? This is where we discover he is frustrated and feels insulted by circumstances. He is grappling with reality. His point explains the discontentment of the protagonist about his career and the relevancy to his assertion about education being important and suddenly the realization that it is not on some circumstances† I’m the man who does’ It is his acceptance of his fate and an expression of conformity to the circumstances that he is now pitted in. He finds no discourse in segregating his position due to his education background hence accepts his fate and position as a social perceptiveness. He is no longer focussed on making his moral authority within the academic faculties to spell out his elite nature as farcified by the billboard impression. â€Å"Are you the boy who cuts the lemons? I’m the man who does’ is an expression of his seeking to make some points clear within the workplace. It is a coupled methodology of making a case clear, emotive and correlative to his perspective. This is imagery and metaphoric distinctiveness. His workmates don’t even recognize him as an integral part of the workplace. The name boy is contentious and he seeks to address the problem of misrecognition by creating a scenario that imparts his distinctiveness which within the workplace is not recognizable. The workmates are oblivious of his qualifications. Here he seeks to make us identify with his vast knowledge which so far he deems useless. In his two expressions which seek to vilify his potential, he mentions that the maid didn’t realize is reply that ‘he is the man who does it, not the boy who does it’ He is making it clear that he is qualified to be in a better and more professional position. Secondly his reflections ‘They assumed that some people just wont learn respect for others, so you should adapt yourself to them. Dont try to change them. Get the right job and they wont call you boy any more. Theyll save it for the next man. It isnt just people like this one waitress who learn slowly, if at all. We see lamentations here. He is metaphoric ‘that some people just wont learn respect for others, so you should adapt yourself to them’ and figurative in context Get the right job and they wont call you boy any more’. Auspiciously he is figurative in seeking to identify and correlate with the college scenario of the ‘wombats’ and metaphorical as he seeks to put in place the generalization of excellence and academic capacity as a triviality within workplace on a situation in which, the protagonist is doing the same thing with those without any distinctive capacity so as to make ends meet. He is emphatic, lamentative and perspective as he seeks to make his lingering acrimonious reservation to the degradation of his moral position though he has an invariable better and dignified capacity than what he seems to view as his detractor within the workplace. Certainly I wont forget being called a boy today’ The essayist is using word play to make clear a case of emotions he felt when he was undermined and that he made emphatic efforts to make the scenario change to his favour to no avail. On the basis of dialogue, the writer is seen to converse with the waitress who seems to be merely up to no positive perspectives in the conversation. It is in this conversation the writer denounces the waitress and makes the issue of recognition within workplace contentious. This is as seen in this conversation with the waitress and the cook Dana â€Å"Are you the boy who cuts the lemons? † I’m the man who does, â€Å"I replied. â€Å"Well, there are none cut. † There wasn’t even a hint that she heard my point. Dana, who has cooked here for twelve years or so, heard that exchange,. Its no use, Jack, he said when she was gone. If she doesnt know now, she never will. Imagery is the integral in his prose and his title ‘from man to boy’ is indicative of his perspective to use imagery. He has a varying penchant for long figurative and satirical sentences to make clear some of his sentiments. This is seen as he sums up his forlorn though deciphered from the waitress looking down on him situation. ‘It didnt take much persuasion to get the name dropped. Today there are few students who remember it at all. But I imagine the cleaning women remember it well. Certainly I wont forget being called a boy today. ’ He is coupling exposition and dialogue while at the same time making an inclusion of ethos to actualize his point.

Value Chain Of Unilever Management Essay

Value Chain Of Unilever Management Essay Any profit motive concern would like to keep the costs to the minimum and maximize profits that can be sustainable as well. Lean production and waste elimination is the product of years of innovation to reduce costs. (Karlsson and Ahlstrom, 1996) This has worked to the favor of external entities such as suppliers and customers, and to some extent, the employees. Companies have realized the importance to involve the community as a whole in the process to foster a sustainable infrastructure that can ensure growth for the company and other associated with it. Introduction Unilever is a large multinational company, having its sourcing, production and sales throughout the world. There are a large number of fast moving consumer goods including foods, beverages, home and personal care products, and cleaning agents. A single category of products sell under various brands, having different attributes and varieties within a single brand. Some brands are limited to certain regions while some brands are under partnerships or have been acquired from local companies. Production of many products has been outsourced to other companies, under strategic alliances, in order to cut on cost of production, like Lux. The company has been continuously engaged in implementing such strategic moves. To improve the value chain, the secondary activities are highly evident as well as the primary activities. Lean Production at Unilever Unilever has a focus toward eliminating waste and bringing lean production into practice, right from the sources through internal processes to the consumers. With its complex procurement network and production scattered in different places, the possibilities for further enhancement in the value chain are endless. Unilever aims to be a multi-local company, which can understand local needs, and produce new products tailored to local needs.(Jones and Decker, 2007) This localization takes into account the different strategies that have to be put into practice for the same product in different locations, which can be put into reducing costs. There have been various success stories from around the world in this regard. In Peru, Unilever does not has a production facility so it uses the cost effective strategic option of outsourcing to local companies including Alicorp S.A.A., which reduced labor requirements and more focus was given to marketing the products. (SOMO, 2006) The companies involved in these strategic alliances have been strong companies. Unilever has a policy to find a partner with a high innovation potential, that can be used to ensure efficient synchronization with Unilevers own supply chain. As Bonney, 2002 has said that the company practices have partners dedicating a team solely for joint development exercises, where knowledge is effectively shared and applied, and commercial agreements are reached on patents, which signified long term partnership approach. Garijo, 2002, adds that Unilever, before going for an alliance, analyzes its internal capability in a particular domain and asks a potential partner to do the same on its own end. Future agreements are based on such defined capabilities. The gradual shift from house of brands to branded house has involved better internal processes. One example is their investment in information technology, which is been superseded by knowledge management practices over the last decade. Knowledge workshops have led to the creation of the Community of Practice (CoP), which pertain to a certain domain such as supply chain or production RD, who are involved in Knowledge Management Groups (KMGs), which continually enrich the knowledge of the employees. Marketing is one domain where KMGs are becoming active, owing to the tacit nature of localized knowledge in this area, while there are already dozens in supply chain and production technology. (Pos et al, 2005) Unilever has used CoP effectively to deal with Agronomy issues in areas with scarce water. In Australia, innovative irrigation systems were developed while in Brazil, an improved system curbed over-irrigation and associated problems. The resulting agricultural products are low-cost, better quality and have lower disease rates. Through this way of sourcing of raw materials, Unilever has established long term control over its sourcing needs. Given the leverage of its size, Unilever can further and continuously leverage its size to strengthen the very entities that it interacts with; the customers, suppliers and strategic production partners. Waste Management Being a large and growing company, the company needs continuous innovation to manage its waste along the value chain. It has been observed that outsourcing looks convincing but it discounts the control factor. For example in Perus case, the outsourcing has caused considerable cost reduction however it has also made it difficult to impose the standards practiced by the company. The layoffs resulting from the outsourcing and further layoffs by the outsourced company, have spoken about the cost to the employees of such strategic moves. The company has reduced the waste of over-employment and has improved efficiency but created the waste in the form of tarnished labor relations, which shows the inability of the company to follow its own Business Partner Code. (SOMO, 2006) As already discussed, Unilever is effectively improving its inbound logistics. The case of Palm Oil controversy, is one of the reasons to do so, and has in fact made the company respond quickly to such issues. In the case, Unilever could not fully adhere to its Sustainable Development Report 2009 where the company aims to grow while improving the environment and recognizes that each stage of the value chain can affect the environment. Prior to this and earlier declarations, the company had been working hard to restore its reputation, damaged by Greenpeaces Cooking the Climate report, where the company was named as a largest buyer of palm oil made from non-sustainable sources. Further media revelation of the companys continued purchase compelled the company to order its Indonesian supplier to stop buying from a local rainforest. Despite the companys successful sourcing of 15% of its tea and palm oil from sustainable resources, the company has been inconsistent in fulfilling its pledge s. The company has to practically prove its 2015 plan to source all its raw material from sustainable sources. (Drnach and Dowding, 2010) Unilever has been able to nearly eliminate waste in its production facilities and in the outsourced production. This has been due to the implementation of latest technology in its mass production models. At the outbound logistics domain and marketing sales domain, more and more services are being outsourced. There are a large number of companies like advertising agencies, brand activation, event management, media planning, business process outsourcing, distributor networks and more which are specialists in their respective domains (McGovern, 2005). It has been beneficial for the company to outsource to these companies due to the nature of these tasks. However, a collaborative and strategic partnership is made with these companies which can ensure better quality of results. The waste that occurs in this stage is that of the work rejected or delayed, for example, an advertising agency comes up with an advertising idea which is rejected or the distributor mishandles distribution, resul ting in inventory losses. Another waste that occurs in this area is in the form of delays that result in stockpiles of inventory. The distributor can misunderstand the change in the product brand image and fails to distribute to the markets intended for in the new branding. Failing to distribute the product properly can cause the product to lose its repeat or prospective customer. (Spence, 1977) The dual company structure does not create any impediments in the value chain as an equalization agreement eliminated dual board and management. (Jones, 2002) Under an agreed structure, where beneath the two parent companies are many local subsidiaries, the degree of involvement with the subsidiaries is gradually increasing, like its strategic plans, and moving from house of brands to a branded house. (Daye and VanAuken, 2007) It is highly recommended that Unilever should be more proactive by enlisting support and collaboration with their distributors and outsourced companies for marketing sales. The company should avoid being heavily dependent on the outsourced companies by having a system to create its own plans while approaching these companies.(Lei and Hitt, 1995) As for the inbound logistics, I adhere to Drnach, 2010 recommendations that the sources of supply should be tracked and audited regularly. The company should take a step in the improving its value chain without waiting for competitors to do the same, where there might be short term losses. It is also recommended that the knowledge management groups and related programs should be taken to other domains in the value chain by making its use compulsory for maintaining employment. Instead of using community of practice as a tool, the company should consider community of interest in order to create an acceptance of the knowledge management among the employees. It is important, also, to assign enriched roles or provide them alternate roles along the value chain, once the outsourcing has been done, rather than to lay them off. Any addition to the value chain, despite the cost, will add value to the organization as long term. The waste generated from the production itself should be utilized as a raw material for other production processes. Idle time can be utilized in training especially for factory workers, if it cannot be reduced immediately or not at all. This time can also be used in recreation activities for the employees. Employees should be given the chance to take part in decision making exercises that can help the top managers understand the complexity of problems inside the organization. Before the recommendations can be implemented, there should be a comprehensive audit of the value chain of the entire organization that can refine the recommendations. Impact of Change The recommendations will increase the efficiency of the organization and fewer resources would be used in production process. If implemented in letter and spirit, and with greater efforts, the recommendations can provide benefits beyond the intended ones. For example, by enlisting the support of distributors, the company can gather more information about the customers, through the retailers. Such information can be more meaningful than a consumer research conducted by a research company. With technological collaboration (like RFID Tags) with the distributors, the company can track the movement of the products from the production to the consumer in real-time, thus identifying where and when the products reach first and where the product demand varies owing to different factors, like seasonal and occasional. Distributors can also provide the company with information about changing consumer needs in various parts of the same location, leading to a different variety to be researched and launched for that area only, with a limited marketing budget. Maintaining linkages with the outsourced companies can be beneficial while having its own plans before approaching the outsourced companies can be even more beneficial owing to reduced dependencies on those companies. For example, it the company wishes to reposition the brand of an ice-cream, it should do complete planning of the work that is to be outsourced to different companies. With a plan in hand, the company will have a benchmark to compare the results with, so that they will not have to approach the companies again and again for improvements. The company can send a dedicated team to work along with these companies to report back the updates regularly so that the concurrent adjustment and enhancements can be made, rather than making a second approach to adjust the changes. For the inbound logistics the recommendations of tracking and auditing of the sources of raw material will improve the raw material quality and ensure long term availability. This will be possible as the audits will provide information whether the source of the raw material is sustainable. Furthermore the audit will provide information about the supply chain origins. For instance, in a South Asian country, the company can sell packaged milk like Nestle has. The company can reach the dairy farmers, who can be provided vital information as to the time they should deposit the milk. Technology at the village can be enhanced by installing lactometers that can measure how pure the milk is and the farmers are then paid according to the freshness of the milk rather than large quantities of low quality milk. Farmers would be encouraged to take care of their livestock to improve milk quality. Meanwhile the company can educate the farmers on taking care of the livestock through modern technique s such as medication and veterinarian care facilities. The village itself would find incentive to acquire such facilities. Thus by improving the technology of the village i.e. by going on a focused corporate social responsibility initiative, the company has a considerably better raw material that saves processing time and cost. Short term losses for implementing a value chain initiative can be high where the industry structure is not compatible with the initiative. A large company such as Unilever can bear such losses, but the impact it will have on the existing environment and the industry structure will be large enough to influence other players in the industry to follow suit. In my recommendation, that the company should not be reluctant at implementing a value chain initiative even if the losses seem to be high. The enhancement in the value chain will thus be beneficial to the industry not just the organization. The first company to implement the change will be the first one to benefit from the change, while other companies will be forced to follow the new industrial standards to survive. The long term sustainability will be created in term of continuous supply of better quality raw material from a sustainable source. The recommendations on forming knowledge management groups for more employees to share knowledge in their area of practice and interest, will considerably improve the quality of human resources at the organization. Community of interest should be promoted over practice, as it can diversify the views of the employees so that they can become more occupationally mobile rather than restricted strictly to their area of specialization.(Curtis, 1959) Furthermore the strategic moves by the company are expected to result in shifting existing employees to different areas on the value chain. The more occupationally mobile the employees are, the more quicker they will be able to learn their new roles, reducing hiring and training costs as well as retaining the employees along with the company specific knowledge. New employees would have to be taught about the organization from scratch, and would require more training. Lastly the idle time and waste generated by the production process itself can be managed to provide training time to the employees. This will avoid wastage of time in activities unrelated to work. If it is possible, the idle time can be used as a reason to employ part time wage workers who can work between the idle time intervals, while being trained during the intervals. Technology can be used to allow workers to work from home, if they are well trained in their area of work, and use the free time to maintain a reasonable work/home life balance. Waste from the production process itself can be used in other production processes in another factory of the company. For example, certain waste material from the production of soaps can be utilized in producing more soaps. Improved value chain will provide benefits to the community and the company. If both of them grow well, the benefit is passed on to all other players in the market. Framework to Respond to Danger Signals Keeping the Porters value chain model as a tool, a new first-line manager at Unilever can use the framework to identify the waste that occurs at each stage of the value chain, find the danger signals of each waste and respond to it. Inbound Logistics The waste can be the lost production time owing to delay in arrival of raw material, or the low quality raw material. The danger signals can be the number of hours a production process has to be stopped or slowed down, and the number of hours factory workers may have to wait. For each progressive number of hours, the manager has take a certain action. For instance, initially the incoming logistics has to be contacted for verifications of delayed time schedule. Later the production manager has to be informed, while workers are to be informed of the expected time and compensation. If the logistics is too much delayed, the managers can send the workers back to reduce wage cost and inform the higher management through production manager. Production and Operation The waste can include the idle time inherent in various machines in factory due to cool-downs and maintenance. This can cause wasted labor hours, which are paid for the idle times as well. The number of hours elapsed since the shut down is the danger signals. Initially the manager has to inform the workers to wait while the maintenance is in progress. On further delay, the workers are paid and sent back, while the manager liaisons with the maintenance team to know the status and inform the same to production manager. Outbound Logistics The waste includes inventory losses on mishandling, the lost consumer due to delay, misdistribution or low stock at the retailers end and losses owing to miscommunication with the distributors. The danger signals can be the loss percentage. As the percentage increases, the danger signals increases, and so a more high level decision has to be taken. For instance, for a small loss, the distributor is sent the first warning, while both company and distributer assume loss and the manager process the proceeding and informs the production manager and accounts department. On a greater loss, the distributor assumes the loss, failing which the manager has to inform the same to the production manager, accounts manager as well as the Marketing department. Marketing and Sales The waste is the time involved in rejected work from an outsourced company, and lost customers owing to failed brand repositioning based on unreliable research. The line manager has little to do with this domain, however the danger signals is the accumulated inventory if the full or partial production has started concurrent to change in, for instance, product attribute takes place, but is not marketed as yet. The manager can stop the production and inform the concerned positions. Service The waste is the loss of consumer due to inability to attend to consumer complaint or suggestion. The danger signals can be the increase in unattended consumer complaints on which the production has not taken any action, as well as an increase in the inventory levels. The manager has to inform the production to check the complaints and improve the product quality, while coordinate the production with procurement in case a machine update in needed. Procurement The waste that can occur at this stage of the value chain is the negative publicity as well the long term depletion of a raw material from a non-sustainable source. The danger signals can be the increase in inventory as fewer orders are being taken. The manager has to inform the procurement and marketing department after a certain inventory level is reached. Technology Development The waste is the lost production time due to an outsourced production facility not being fully compliant with the technology standards set by Unilever. The danger sign can be the total number of accumulated idle time in a week. Considering that the line manager is employed by Unilever at the outsourced facility, the manager can first inform the outsourced company production department, then to his companys outsourcing manager and production manager. Later the technical team of Unilever can be informed to perform necessary adjustments. Human Resource Management The waste can be the lost production time caused by delays caused by training new personnel. The number of hours elapsed since shutdown are the danger signals. Line manager can inform the human resource and production department to quicken the training period Firm Infrastructure The waste can be the lost production time caused by delays due to unrealistic plans and lack of finance. The number of hours elapsed since shutdown are the danger signals. Line manager can only inform the management of the happenings and try in his capacity to facilitate solutions. Conclusion Operations management is now the key to achieve faster production rates and improve both the top line and the bottom line. (Mukherjee, 2009) This area of study is increasingly being merged with the domain of marketing based on indirect responsibility because of the realization of need to be agile in competition.(Pycraft, 2000) To make sure that consumers are reached in time, sourcing, production and distribution has to be achieved quickly and efficiently.

How to Write an Essay :: essays papers

How to Write an Essay Writing Resource Getting Started The Writing Resource Service provides you with help in getting started on your essay. has compiled this guide based on essays that we have edited. Often essays on excellent topics simply lack focus or fail to answer the essay question. Following basic plan can make a tremendous difference in the quality of your writing. Step 1: Think about an essay topic... Before you write anything be sure to know what you are writing about. Choose a topic which provides you with ample resources and information and which you understand well. Be sure to specify exactly what you want to write on. Often students fail to answer the entire essay question because they get sidetracked at this stage. The essay question provides clues about what you are expected to write on. Make sure your topic is relevant and answers all the main questions. Here is a sample essay topic: Describe the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) since its inception to the present. How has the IMF impacted the world economy? Step 2: Understand the essay topic... First understand the topic. Draw on notes and research to gain a good understanding of the topic you have been given or have chosen. Although the factual content of an essay topic may seem easy, read the material very carefully to be sure that you are not missing relevant points. It is crucial that you understand the topic material fully. Second, be sure you know what to do with the topic. The sample question presented above asks you to do two processes simultaneously. You must give a factual account of what the IMF has done and also provide an analysis of how those actions have effected the world economy. For the descriptive part you should first gather evidence and facts about what the IMF has accomplished. Only after you have presented the factual data can you effectively evaluate that information. Reserve your personal ideas about what impact the IMF has had until after you have presented the facts. You personal evaluation should come through in your analysis of those fac ts. It is often helpful to first generate a page of evidence and facts. This provides you with an overview of the topic and gives you a guide from which to draw inferences and information. How to Write an Essay :: essays papers How to Write an Essay Writing Resource Getting Started The Writing Resource Service provides you with help in getting started on your essay. has compiled this guide based on essays that we have edited. Often essays on excellent topics simply lack focus or fail to answer the essay question. Following basic plan can make a tremendous difference in the quality of your writing. Step 1: Think about an essay topic... Before you write anything be sure to know what you are writing about. Choose a topic which provides you with ample resources and information and which you understand well. Be sure to specify exactly what you want to write on. Often students fail to answer the entire essay question because they get sidetracked at this stage. The essay question provides clues about what you are expected to write on. Make sure your topic is relevant and answers all the main questions. Here is a sample essay topic: Describe the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) since its inception to the present. How has the IMF impacted the world economy? Step 2: Understand the essay topic... First understand the topic. Draw on notes and research to gain a good understanding of the topic you have been given or have chosen. Although the factual content of an essay topic may seem easy, read the material very carefully to be sure that you are not missing relevant points. It is crucial that you understand the topic material fully. Second, be sure you know what to do with the topic. The sample question presented above asks you to do two processes simultaneously. You must give a factual account of what the IMF has done and also provide an analysis of how those actions have effected the world economy. For the descriptive part you should first gather evidence and facts about what the IMF has accomplished. Only after you have presented the factual data can you effectively evaluate that information. Reserve your personal ideas about what impact the IMF has had until after you have presented the facts. You personal evaluation should come through in your analysis of those fac ts. It is often helpful to first generate a page of evidence and facts. This provides you with an overview of the topic and gives you a guide from which to draw inferences and information.

Consequences: the Cause and Effect of Drug Use Essay -- Health Drugs N

The use of drugs has become a very controversial topic in society today. As the problem of using drugs continues to grow daily, the understanding of the user must be made aware of. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Three common examples are marijuana, speed, and cocaine. Various reasons for using the substance can be for pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line in which after effects of using can be seen. Reasons for using drugs depend on the type of substance being taken. Marijuana, speed, and cocaine all fall under the same category, but show different causes for use. Symptoms of each example contrasts as well. Since each of these have different effects with use, the individual will take the drug that can best resolve his problems or needs. Marijuana is used for many reasons. Causes for use will either be used either illegally or medicinally. The motive for smoking marijuana unlawfully depends on the user. First of all, unlawful smoking of marijuana is done for several reasons. These include peer pressure inside and out of school, the desire to relax from stress, and to even identify themselves with popular media icons. The effects of the substance also cause symptoms that seem to be highly desirably. When smoking marijuana, a sense of mood lift is ... ...ne as users seek the high that was involved with the first use of cocaine. Drugs are used by people as a way out when feeling down about themselves. As effects may stay the same throughout, causes show that there are a large number of reasons for use. Being lonely, isolated, and frustrated in life help start off the drive to escape. In many cases, using drugs is a coping mechanism, especially in kids. Emotions become numb as people try to escape the pain of reality. This is seen in the youth generation of today as everyday pressures are placed on them. Drug abuse makes people thing that they are recreating their former negative self image. This rebellious action gives the attention that is desired. From trying to fit in to hiding from problems, people will always have a choice. In the end, reality of drug use is that it will cause addicts to lose everything.

Elder Berries: Analysis of Sambucas Nigra Essay -- analgesic, antip

There are many herbal treatments available to patients, but few have been used longer than sambucas nigra, otherwise known as elder berry. Well known for its analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, laxative immune boosting qualities, elder berry has been used for multiple health alterations (Ulbricht, Basch, Cheung, Goldberg, Hammerness, Isaac, &...Wortley, 2014). In this paper the background, pharmacology, contraindications, current research and recommendations for use regarding elder berries will be discussed. Elder berries are a versatile fruit that has multiple applications in the healthcare field, warranting an increased role in patient care. Background The sambucas genus contains many different plants, with the sambucas nigra shrub occurring in Europe and North America. Both the European variety (nigra) and the North American variety (canadensis) are often examined concurrently due to their similarities in use and pharmacology . Ulbricht et al. (2014) explain that the European variety grows up to 30 feet with the flowers and leaves used as flavouring, an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and diuretic and the bark is used as a laxative and emetic. They also state that traditionally, elder berries were used in England and Russia to ward off evil influences, witches, spirits and death. Fernandes, Marques, de Freitas, Mateus (2013) describe that dating as far back as ancient Egypt and the time of Hippocrates recipes for elder-berry based medications were found and extensively used to treat a multitude of ailments such as influenza, colds and sinusitis. Since it's early beginnings, elderberry has continued to be of use for the treatment of colds, flu, and fever in addition to burns, cuts and many other ailm... ...odchem.2013.05.033 Frank, T., Janssen, M., Netzet, G., Christian, B., Bitsch, I., & Netzel, M. (2007). Absorption and excretion of elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) anthocyanins in healthy humans. Methods And Findings In Experimental And Clinical Pharmacology, 29(8), 525-533. Sambucol (n.d.). Sambucol Products. Retrieved from http://www.sambucol.ca/sambucol- products/ Ulbricht, C., Basch, E., Cheung, L., Goldberg, H., Hammerness, P., Isaac, R., & ... Wortley, J. (2014). An Evidence-Based Systematic Review of Elderberry and Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration. Journal Of Dietary Supplements, 11(1), 80-120. doi:10.3109/19390211.2013.859852 Vlachojannis, J., Cameron, M., & Chrubasik, S. (2010). A systematic review on the sambuci fructus effect and efficacy profiles. Phytotherapy Research: PTR, 24(1), 1-8. doi:10.1002/ptr.2729

Recent Addition Essay

Childhood should be a time when children are carefree and without any responsibilities or worries. This however, is not the case in all children, particularly children who are shy, anxious or socially withdrawn from their new surroundings, people and new social situations. This therefore does not allow them to feel comfortable enough to interact and or make new friends easily. With the recent addition to my class of one such learner I felt compelled to try and assist with this new learners feeling of being isolated and alone in a new environment. To ensure this new learner did not feel singled out or further disadvantaged, I used the African philosophy concept of â€Å"Caring Communities† as a form of welcoming and embracing this shy and anxious learner into our group. Through the love and caring shown to all members of our group or class community, no one member need ever feel alone, left out of an activity or interacting without at least one friend at a time. This means we are all embracing our other community members, treating them equally and treating them as we want to be treated. This creates social security or a safe sense of community for all and ensures our new learner is feeling less socially awkward, isolated and alone. This sense of community is one of the fundamental corner stone’s of African philosophy and one of the greatest differences with the western philosophy. It is a spoken tradition where great emphasises is placed â€Å"for the good of the community† rather than one individual person and is marked by communalism and communal interdependence in many spheres of community life. African philosophy is a natural response to the strife, dilemmas and obstacles faced by Africa, together with the elimination and repudiation of colonisation and domination by the Western world. African philosophy has captivated the Western world, who incorporated the various facets into their own New Age Movement. Included in African philosophy is the extensive and all-embracing principle of Ubuntu. Ubuntu is the part of African philosophy that contributes and provides us with insight into understanding our own lives in relation to the world around us. Ubuntu is the capacity to express compassion, dignity,  harmony and humanity in the best interest of our community above self-interest. The community is therefore the core or essence of Ubuntu. There exists a common bond or interconnectedness between all humans and through shared synergy and intercommunication we are able to recognise, identify and discover our own human qualities of humanness, trustworthiness, goodness, respect and kindness and then attest to them in others around us. It gives human beings their humanity, and we are affirming our humanity when acknowledging that of others. Ubuntu embodies the concept of mutual understanding and the appreciation of differences in humans; respect others if you are to respect yourself. Ubuntu is therefore an important new concept introduced to my group or community of learners who need to ensure that they actively adopt these African philosophy principles within their everyday lives. By adopting these principles all members of our group or community, including the new learner, will enjoy a spirit of mutual support, understanding and caring for each other’s well-being. The learners will come to understand that we must treat each other with dignity, respect, compassion, humaneness, humbleness and share a brotherly/sisterly love within our community or group. That all members of our group or community need to be included and no person ever isolated, therefore we must ensure that our new community member, learner, is invited and accepted within our community or group thereby encapsulating and embracing the principle of Ubuntu and promoting the African identity and a participatory group or community. Through African philosophy we have come to teach our young grou p or young community about our African identity and promoting cultural unity through our diversity. By putting into practice the fundamentals of African philosophy we are ensuring all our learners come to know compassion, kindness, selflessness and respect at school, making it a place of effective learning and teaching within a safe environment with happy school community members. References 1.Higgs, P & Smith, J. 2000. Rethinking our world. Cape Town: Juta.

On Sale at Old Navy Summary

When Cave states â€Å"Their low prices and hip-but-wholesome branding strategy are supposed to present a healthy alternative to the conspicuous consumption of a Calvin Klein,† (68) the connotation of the statement is negative because of the fact that simple, cheap-but-stylish stores like Old Navy are selling clothes to the middle class so they are able to feel special and in coordination with the world's genre of clothing. Cave almost defends the critics like Thomas Frank that have a problem with people that aren’t financially stable enough to go out and nonchalantly spend $500 on designer clothes labeled with tags of flamboyancy; so instead, they use their resources to buy articles of value and style. But Joel Reichart's statement that â€Å"They provide remarkable value,† (69) and â€Å"They're truly satisfying people's needs,† (69) gives the defendant side that in the jungle of popular culture, there is still room to let people of lesser income to insert stylish and attractive possessions in their lives in order to present their selves in a way that doesn’t allow profiling to be strictly based on clothes. In the world, people were, and still are, being judged greatly or lightly by materialistic ideas like what type of jeans they wore on a normal weekday. For example: if someone were to display their income through a nicer shirt than the person standing beside them, the chances of social success was generally greater. The sad but twisted perception of what is â€Å"hot†, â€Å"popular†, or â€Å"cool† that today's popular culture has relies on two things — how to show off and boast and the immorally laced idea of sexiness regarding age. But now that there are stores like Old Navy and Ikea, the thought of how â€Å"cool† someone is based on their appearance has almost vanished. People are starting to step into the realization that every outfit worn or every cool shirt advertised by movie stars or their favorite basketball player in the league will not be an attribute to success or reflect them as a person they are not. In the media world, style is what the actors want people to see them as (or in simpler terms: a mask). But, in the real world, style is simply what a person wants to wear. It is a decision. Decisions by others are worth complete and total respect no matter what the choice is.

Plato and Moral Authority

Kathryn Kelsven Dr. David Sgarlatta Humanities 253 December 21, 2012 Comparing Two Readings After reading Plato’s Apology and Leviticus 17-27, I found several differences in the way people are judged for the crimes they have committed as well as, by what are actually considered crimes or sins. I want to explore these differences by asking two questions to each reading: What kind of behavior constitutes as a sin or a crime? What is the source of moral authority behind laws and legal judgments? In Plato’s Apology, what constitutes as a sin or a crime?Socrates was accused of being a â€Å"doer of evil, and a corrupter of the youth, and he does not believe in the gods of the state, and has other divinities of his own† (Apology 1). These are all things that Meletus has brought Socrates to court for. These are all these that are considered to be a crime to Meletus and the Athenians throughout Apology, as Socrates proves this by continuously taking each item he is accus ed of and asking Meletus and the Athenians if they believe it to be true. In Leviticus 17-27, what constitutes as a sin or a crime?Throughout the reading there are several different times where the LORD speaks to Moses and tells him to let the people know that if they do not follow his command then they are disobeying him. In Leviticus chapter 22:1-2, it states. † The LORD said to Moses, â€Å"Tell Aaron and his sons to respect the sacred offerings which the Israelites consecrate to me; else they will profane my holy name. I am the LORD. †(Leviticus 22). Here, disrespecting a sacred offering is considered a sin. There are also many other examples of what is considered a sin.In chapter 19:4, â€Å"†Do not turn aside to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I, the LORD, am your God. †(Leviticus 19). In this case, you should not worship idols or make idols because that would be going against the LORD who is your God. Also in Chapter 17:3-4 it says, †Å"Any Israelite who slaughters an ox or a sheep or a goat, whether in the camp or outside of it, without first bringing it to the entrance of the meeting tent to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of his Dwelling, shall be judged guilty of bloodshed; and for this, such a man shall be cut off from among his people. (Leviticus 17). In this section, anyone who does not first present his killing as an offering is automatically considered guilty for bloodshed and is cut off from the people. All of these examples show what are considered sins in Leviticus, and there are many more. In Plato’s Apology, what is the source of moral authority behind laws and legal judgments? Socrates is brought before judges. After asking Meletus what he means by calling him an Atheist, Meletus says, â€Å"I assure you, judges, that he does not believe in them; for he says that the sun is stone, and the moon earth. (Apology 3). Meletus is trying to prove to the judges, being the ones that w ill make the ultimate decision of what happens, that Socrates does not believe in any gods. In the very beginning of all of this, after Socrates makes his opening statement, he says, â€Å"Tell the judges, then, who is their improver; for you must know, as you have taken the pains to discover their corrupter, and are citing and accusing me before them† (Apology 1). Again the judges are to be told something in order to prove a point.This all shows that in Plato’s Apology the judges are the moral authority behind laws and legal judgments. In Leviticus 17-27, what is the source of moral authority behind laws and legal judgments? In each chapter we see that the very first statement is always â€Å"The LORD said to Moses† (Leviticus 17-27). This statement is not only at the beginning of every chapter but it is also throughout the chapters. Each time this statement is made it is followed by a law that the LORD is giving to the people. There will also follow some sort of punishment if that law is not followed. The LORD said to Moses,†Tell the Israelites: Anyone, whether an Israelite or an alien residing in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall be put to death† (Leviticus 20). This is a perfect example. The LORD tells Moses what the law is and then follows up with how the people will be punished if not to follow the law; in this case they will be put to death. The LORD is clearly the one and only one to be of any kind of authority when it comes to laws and legal judgments. Both of these readings have very different ideas as to what a sin or a crime is, as well as who is the authority on the laws that have been made.Leviticus is based on there being one authoritarian who decides the laws and decides your punishments if you disobey those laws. In Leviticus you have no way to argue against you convictions. What the LORD says, goes. Also, in Leviticus there are several different criteria for what is considered a sin as com pared to Apology, where there are just a few things brought up that are considered to be a sin or a crime. Apology is based off convincing the people or the judges of what is right or wrong and letting them decide your fate. You have a chance to fight for yourself and prove yourself to be innocent.

Skiing Essay

A Day On The Slopes It’s not just for the wealthy anymore! Skiing has been getting more popular recently. People have the free time and money to go skiing more than ever. This is a downfall for somebody who has never skied and wants to be a part of the fun. There is a series of simple steps to complete before one can achieve their best at skiing. From proper attire, to the way you carve down the mountain, it boils down to a few critical steps. If these steps are completed there is nothing holding anybody back from being a successful skier.Lets start off with the basics; I always start by packing pajamas so I have a warm base layer. Then a long T-shirt, followed by a warm pair of socks to keep those toes warm. Socks might be the most crucial part since they will be buckled into ski boots the entire day. Next comes a jacket, ski pants, goggles and a preferably a helmet. If it is windy out, or if you are sensitive to cold air then think about wearing a ski mask to keep the facial area warm. This should cover the basic attire for a day on the slopes. Once you have all your gear set, its time to pick a trail.Now, there are four main types of trails; green circle, blue square, black diamond and then double black diamond. The green circle is the easiest trail and is recommended for beginners, but if a skier is feeling confident they should take their skills onto the blue squares on the mountain. These blue square trails will challenge a first time skier and push them to their full potential. There are a few types of specialty trails that beginners might want to watch out for. Trails called â€Å"glades† are narrow paths in the woods.These trails are made for experienced skiers, and this is where you can find some of the best conditions on a mountain. The next kind of trail to watch for is a terrain park. These trails are made famous for their massive ski jumps and handrails for skiers to â€Å"grind† on. For skiers wanting that extra excitement ou t of their trip might want to consider the terrain park. Now that the trail has been chosen, the subsequent step is to get down the mountain. When descending, keep two things in mind at all times, pizza and French fries.One might find this out of context but it has substantial effect on your speed and safety going down the mountain. Pizza refers to the shape that skis make when in the â€Å"slowing down position. † The tips of the skis will configure to make a triangle, a pizza slice like shape. This position is the safest way for a new skier to slow down. French fry denotes when skis are parallel. This style can be used when on a straightaway or when in full control. Be carful when utilizing the â€Å"French fry,† because speed can get the best of a skier in this position.Skiing is a peaceful activity, and when done correctly can be the best time of somebody’s life. One must consider a basic checklist of supplies to bring on a ski trip so they can make the most out of their experience. Knowing the trails is also crucial; nothing is better than being prepared. It takes some time to get passed the French fry and pizza phase of skiing, but beginners will catch on quickly if practiced with discipline. If all of these steps are correctly completed a new skier will be having a very memorable understanding of the ski slopes.

Rationale – I have decided to study the gender-oriented issue of conjugal roles in the family

I have decided to study the gender-oriented issue of conjugal roles in the family. This area of sociological interest came about when we looked at family life and the symmetrical family. Another reason for my interest in this is it is still an issue despite all the changes such as sex discrimination, and even though feminists have raised the issue it seems that there is still not equality in the allocation of domestic tasks between husband and wife. The Lancaster Regionalism Group found an increase in men's participation but not in the unpopular chores, while Alan Warde suggests that the nature of household tasks varied between couples. From this evidence I derived my hypothesis â€Å"Men do help around the home but do not make an equal contribution†. Primary research will be used and will take the form of a diary. For my variables my sample size will be ten married / cohabiting couples. Both male and female will be in full time employment aged between 30 to 40, as I have access to these respondents. They will be chosen using a snowballing method. A quantitative method will be used to measure the time spent on tasks around the home, and the nature of tasks performed. CONTEXT. The issue of the domestic division of labour was raised by feminists like Ann Oakley in her study â€Å"The sociology of Housework† in which she argued that housework should be taken seriously as a type of â€Å"work†. Other feminists have developed this theme and looked at ways in which women experience inequality in the home. My first source is drawn from the Lancaster Regionalism Group's investigation into the household division of labour in Northwest England in 1988. This concept â€Å"domestic division of labour† is crucial because it relates to my aim. The â€Å"domestic division of labour† describes the way in which household tasks are allocated in the home. These researchers found that husbands tend to do a very much larger proportion of tasks concerned with the home such as car maintenance etc. However the women do the vast amount of domestic chores. The Lancaster researchers examined the popularity of different household chores. They wanted to test whether the male or female partner was likely to get the unpopular job. From their list of 20 tasks ironing, washing clothes and dishes were chosen as the most disliked chores. Although men had last washed the dishes in 23% of households, only 5% had done the ironing and 3% had last cleaned the dishes. The least pleasant of all tasks cleaning the toilet was last done in 81% of households by women. The Lancaster Regionalism Group concluded that there was some evidence that attitudes had changed but the actual pattern of behaviour remains much the same as it was in the earlier generation. The Lancaster Regionalism Groups work links in with my own hypothesis because the study found an increase in men's participation but not in the unpopular chores. Secondly there is the feminist approach to the domestic division of labour. The feminist Ann Oakley argued that the social scientists who claimed it was natural for women to take a caring role in the family e.g. perform household tasks had been tricked by their own prejudices into assuming what it meant to be a woman. Some contemporary sociologists have taken Stoller's argument and suggest that women take on more domestic responsibilities in any given household because it is seen as culturally appropriate feminine behaviour. Therefore it is difficult to discover whether the sharing (or not) of domestic tasks can be seen as a true measure of â€Å"equality†. My third source is drawn from Gershunys study on domestic division of labour. He measured changes in the domestic division of labour by looking at the use of time in the household. He investigated the dual burden hypothesis, which states that even when women take up professional work, they continue to carry on the domestic work. Gershuny found that over the period of 1974-5 to 1987 the husbands of working women continued to do less than half the total paid and unpaid work done by their spouses. However in some types of household's men did contribute equally and husbands share of work had risen. This source is relevant to my hypothesis because the source concludes there is evidence to show that men were taking on more mundane tasks as done by women, but such tasks continued to be the female's responsibility. My next source is the article † Domestic divisions of labour† by Alan Warde.The source concerns the aspect of women's two roles, their conventional responsibility for housework and paid work. According to the study where wives are involved in paid employment they spend fewer hours, on housework where men seem to be doing more. Nevertheless, women still do a greater share of domestic work. There is a strong gender division of tasks, with women doing routine household jobs. The article concludes that the traditional patterns remain very much in evidence and the rate at which men are learning to do female tasks may be slower than that at which women are learning to do male tasks like plastering etc. This source is relevant to my study because selected tasks between husband and wife remain much the same, women doing more housework and men doing painting etc. My final source is once again on the domestic division of labour by Madeleine Leonard. The article suggests that housework remains women's work. Research shows that there is a clear gender division of labour in housework tasks just like the Lancashire Regionalism group found in their study. This source is relevant to my study because it suggests that even though men are making a contribution when it comes to chores they are still not doing an equal share. These studies suggest that, despite much greater equality for women there is still an imbalance of responsibility when it comes to household chores. However my own research may suggest otherwise. Methodology Three main areas need to be covered for this research. Firstly, there needs to be a way of measuring the amount of domestic labour performed by females and males in the present day family groups. I have decided to measure who does what around the home. Secondly I will be measuring the tasks done with others and the time spent on chores. The principal research method I will use will be a diary, as I believe this is a more original method for this research. Not only will this method give me a greater validity but also an insight into the issue. I also hope it will identify trends within my sample group about the amount of housework performed. Using the diary method will also enable me to replicate Wilmott and Youngs approach, as they too used a diary method in their study of the â€Å"symmetrical family† where they asked respondents to keep a diary detailing the hours spent on paid and unpaid work. My sample will consist of 10 couple's aged between 30 to 40 who are all employed. They will be chosen using the snowballing method. Using this method offers a wide range of advantages for example it will enable me to obtain a relevant sample without having a sampling frame. The diary method will involve asking my respondents to keep a strict diary recording and detailing the amount of domestic labour they performed throughout the day, as well tasks done alone and the time spent on chores. When using these method respondents would need to keep this diary for up to a week. The diary will offer the opportunity to let the respondents record their account of the domestic labour performed without causing any bias, and so it will be a more reliable source. An example of sociological research that has used a diary method is Wilmott and Young's study of the symmetrical family where they asked respondents to keep a diary detailing the hours spent on paid and unpaid work. Another study example where a diary method has been used is Ann Oakley's study on the sociology of housework. Oakley asked respondents to keep a housework diary, revealing for the feminist debate the hard work and long hours housework demands. The advantage of using the diary method is qualitative data can discover peoples meaning and interpretations and can often also be examined systematically to identify patterns by using content analysis. This approach is favoured because it is free of values and scientific. Another advantage of using the diary method is it is a more reliable source when it comes to ethical issues, as respondents will not be influenced when recording the amount of work performed & will not reveal aspects of their lives they wish to remain hidden. One of the other reasons why I decided to use the diary method is it does not limit the resource-based area of time and money. The diary method will enable me to collect informative, relevant and original data whilst remaining within practical constraints. The diary method reflects two major methodological disadvantages selectivity and it is typical. The selectivity issue is a problem because the respondent will decide what is included not me the researcher. This could lead to irrelevance and inaccuracy & a difficulty in comparing data from different respondents. However to over come this disadvantage I will divide the diary into three categories to specify what sort of things to include. However this solution may too be a disadvantage as I am using a qualitative method this may lead to bias because I am imposing a framework on the respondent. The second disadvantage is typical because I do not know the amount of confidence I can have in the usualness of the day recorded. Most people's lives follow regular patterns but if my diary period of ten days is untypical then my picture as the researcher will be distorted. EVIDENCE. Despite the progress made by women in the twentieth century, which has brought about a substantial amount of change and has put an end to inequality and discrimination between sexes in many areas, women have still not won the battle of equality between men when it comes to domestic work in the home. When talking about work, it can be assumed that this refers to paid employment. However there is one job which is performed full time by women more than men, which is housework or domestic labour. My research concludes that domestic work done by women is hardly ever recognised. For instance respondent A had done more hours of domestic work in a week compared to her husband respondent k (refer to appendix). From my diary I can estimate women spend an average of fifty hours a week on housework which is far more than most people spend in paid employment. Men seemed to be doing less than this amount of domestic work compared to their wives, in some days doing less than half what they consider to be housework or related tasks. I have found from my diaries that housework is still seen as the main responsibility of women even though both partners are working in full time paid employment. It is still women who take on the main responsibility for housework from all the ten couples who took part in my experiment. My findings show that women still have an unequal role with men in the homestead. Much of this inequality arises because the central role of women is still seen by a male dominated society as that of housewife and mother. For instance a similarity I found in my study was that nearly all the female respondents who took part carried out similar tasks over one week such as cleaning the toilet, cooking and hovering etc. Whereas the male respondents tasks where also similar for instance gardening and painting etc. This may suggest that many jobs are still seen as men's job and women's job. This compares with the Lancaster Regionalism Group's study. This study showed that 80%of women were responsible for general domestic duties such as cleaning the toilet and only 31% of men took full responsibility for work to be done in the homestead. This tells me about my aims that many full time working women have two jobs in comparison to the men's one job. My own findings reveal that although a wide range of jobs and opportunities are available to women the main role of a woman's life is expected to be that of housewife. Although out of the 10 couples who took part in my experiment only 2% shared the responsibility of housework equally. This compares with Gershuney's study because he found that in some types of households men did contribute equally. The only difference, which was clear in my study, was that attitudes to domestic chores are changing. Respondents k and L(refer to appendix) were doing tasks such as cooking, making the tea etc all tasks done by women out of the other couples who took part in my experiment. This for instance compares to Gershuney's study because he found men were taking on more mundane tasks as done by women. The process of conducting my research went well although I would make a number of changes if I were to carry the experiment out again. For instance I decided that half an hour would be suitable and a long enough space of time for respondents to record the tasks done. I now think that this time period was not suitable, as this was too short. People may spend longer than half an hour on certain tasks such as hovering and so this may not have been recorded in the diary. I believe that forty-five minutes would have been a longer space of time. However if I had decided to choose to go with more than forty five minutes than respondents may not choose to record tasks that take them less than five minutes for example putting the rubbish out. After carrying out the experiment the ten couples who took part said they found it difficult recording what they thought was a task. Questions raised from the respondents included would walking the dog and taking the kids to school be considered a task?. To overcome this problem I could list about twenty tasks such as hovering, and other possible variations on a cover sheet and attach it to the diary and instruct respondents to record only the tasks on the cover sheet. I found that some respondents were recording gardening, and painting etc the problem with this is some people may choose to do gardening or painting as a hobby so these can not be recorded as chores. Again using a cover sheet could solve this problem. From my diaries I found that men were spending only half an hour on tasks when doing it on there own. However when they recorded tasks done with others they were spending more time on tasks of up to an hour. This shows that women obviously take more time on domestic chores whereas even though men are doing there bit the time taken is much shorter. By comparing all the diaries from males I could see that the tasks done by men were very similar such as changing a light bulb or fuse. This was also the case with women all the tasks done by them over the week was also very similar such as cooking, changing the linen etc. This shows me that there is a gender division when it comes to household tasks. The main role of a women's life is still to be that of a housewife, having dinner ready on the table, cleaning the house etc although men are doing there part in the domestic sphere but just not enough compared to men. This compares to the study of † Back to the future† by Madeline Leonard. She found that housework by large remains women's work, and this more than any other factor accounts for women's continued exploitation in the home. In her study she found that women are responsible for cooking, cleaning, washing and ironing, while men do jobs such as gardening and home maintenance. The key findings of all my primary research include that although it is true that women have made a huge progress, total equality in the home is still a myth. The battle of the sexes when it comes to domestic tasks has still not met its equilibrium although evidence from my research suggests that attitudes are changing slowly. EVALUATION & FINAL CONCLUSIONS. The sampling problems apparent in my research were that there were problems finding an equal number of working class and middle class couples. Consequently my sample was mainly working class. This problem simply reflected the facts of the type of domestic work that I the researcher was looking for. There may have been a need to adjust my hypothesis or the sample characteristics because it was too broad. My sample was reduced to ten couples because when I went round to respondent's homes they were not in. To overcome this problem I the researcher could have made the diary worth while for the respondents in order to motivate them to take part. I now believe that the sample I chose to use was not representative. This is because only ten couples took part. The couples in the survey were mainly working women and men and so may not be representative of professional men and women. There is no indication in the data that a range of different types of couples, e.g. working class, members of ethnic minorities, etc was sampled. The strengths of my research are that I focused on the comparative approach by using the snowballing method for example the way the couples were randomly sampled. The representatives of the sample, especially the equal sexes ratio. All diaries were handed out to respondents in their home because of the anonymity of the diaries. The weaknesses of my research were that the respondents might have thought the research was official and feel threatened by it, and so refuse to co-operate with it etc. Therefore the responses may not therefore reflect the truth, despite anonymity. The respondents were not supervised when they were filling in the diary and in reaction, some respondents may not have co-operated fully, experience of self reports tell us that people have a tendency to exaggerate, lie, not take surveys seriously. I did explore the issue in sufficient depth because my secondary data was appropriate to draw a suitable hypothesis. My secondary data was derived from a range of sources: social studies review, the Lancaster Regionalism Group etc. These all gave me an official picture of the domestic division of labour situation. The sources of data that I have collected are the most effective in relation to my aims. However other methods of data collection might have been possible for instance a large-scale survey of the population could be conducted of the workload shared between husband and wife in general. I could include questions on women's role as housewife which operationalise in various ways positive and negative attitudes towards them. Interviews could be conducted with husbands, which would measure their attitudes and their perception of social attitudes towards housewives. A content analysis could be carried out on newspaper coverage of the role of women in the home. My choice of method did affect my results for example by using the diary method I was able to control variables via using a snowballing sample. It is seen to have high reliability because it is easily repeated. Other sociologists can verify the data obtained by using the same standardised diary and similar samples. It is also seen as objective because the sample population is randomly rather than deliberately selected. During the diary schedule I did attempt to operationalise the concept domestic division of labour etc in such a way that it was not judgmental of the couples. I used my personal theoretical perspective and related this to my choice of method for instance the couples could have been interviewed together, although a more interesting variation that I chose was to use a diary method. This method was chosen so that they could record the amount of domestic tasks done separately. I was then able to compare data to get a gender version of the amount of tasks done. My experience of carrying out the research compares to the interpretivists. Firstly, the task of the researcher is to investigate how those taking part in the study interpret the world around them. In order to do this, the sociologist has to get inside their heads and see the world through their eyes. This is called â€Å"verstehen† and is an attempt to empathise with those being studied. Second, interpretivists emphasise validity seeing the world as it really is. Validity played a great importance in my chosen method because I was trying to find out how domestic tasks were shared so seeing the world as it really is. Third, cause and effect relationships are impossible to construct because people socially construct social situations and the interpretations people give to certain situations often vary. I found this to be the case in my research between couples. I do think my results are presented in the most effective way. As my chosen method was qualitative I was not able to produce any statistical data however my diaries were in columns with appropriate headings. To study this research further people could develop the idea of helping around the home by using Wilmot and young's assertion that the family is still symmetrical. Also people could research whether women actually want to be helped when it comes to household tasks even though feminists argue that the family is still an exploitative arrangement for women. CONCLUSION My hypothesis read†¦ † Men do help around the home but do not make an equal contribution† I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct because I found from my diaries that women are still doing more than there fair share of domestic work compared to men. This is the case because the extensions of traditional domestic roles of housewives and mothers are still in which women continue to be socialised these include serving and waiting on people, catering for them and cleaning and clearing up after others. These are all jobs women traditionally did and still do in the home. Such jobs include primary school teaching, low-grade catering work, working as shop assistants, supermarket shop fillers, secretaries' etc. For example secretaries often serve their (usually male bosses), organise the office in the workplace to make things easier for them, making tea and coffee and clearing up after their meetings. Primary school involves childminding, catering involves cooking etc. Women have limited career opportunities than males for a number of different reasons. There is the gender stereotyping at school and the wider gender role socialisation process in the home and in the work place. This is similar to the article † Back to the future† by Madeleine Leonard who found that this gender role socialisation process in the home made women continue to see housework as an important part of being a â€Å"good wife and mother† and are satisfied with the unequal domestic division of labour.