Political Science (U.S. foreign policy Afghanistan) Term Paper

Political Science (U.S. foreign policy Afghanistan) - Term Paper Example With these principles in place, the U.S would have long succeeded in its intervention in Afghanistan with regards to the establishment of a functioning government that provides essential services to its citizens. Several reasons have been cited to explain the difficulties and the challenges the U.S faces as it tries to establish a stable and functioning government in Afghanistan. First, many journalists and scholars cite rampant corruption in Afghanistan as a hindrance to the establishment of a functioning government in the country. Additionally, the U.S and its allies have consistently failed to deal with the Afghans that drive out and kill fellow Afghans that are committed to rebuilding their country. These criminals and corrupt Afghans and terror groups profit from the many opportunities and huge influx of money getting into the country. The U.S. had a chance and the resources to assist in rebuilding Afghanistan immediately after the invasion but let the chance slip away. However, there is still time and opportunities for the U.S to rebuild the country and empower its hardworking and patriotic citizens. The U.S, as well as the local Afghans, must, therefore, be more than ready and willing to expose and eliminate the non-patriotic groups and individuals that seek to profit at the local, regional, and national level at the expense of hardworking Afghans (Brown & Scales, 2012). This paper explores the best possible policy direction that the United States should adopt to realize most, if not all of its objectives in Afghanistan. The United States has had numerous opportunities to help rebuild and empower Afghanistan and its citizens after the invasion of the country by the NATO forces but has let the opportunities pass by. Through the adoption and the implementation of the most appropriate policy on Afghanistan, the U.S will play its leadership role of

Violence in the office Essay Example for Free

Violence in the office Essay Review This assignment required me to find an article on violence in the office and write a brief overview of the article using the university library. I will discuss different types of violence that lead to office violence. I will then discuss ways in which a company can control the influences that incite office violence. After reviewing a few different articles I have decided on an article from the university library called† Out of the Shadows,† by Dori Meinert. This article talks about 2 different stories that both deal with physical and mental violence. The stories were not actually based in an office setting, but were based in a home setting (Meinert, 2011). Though once the violence in the home setting was bad enough it spilled into the work place and eventually put the other employees in danger. The article also discussed the role human resources played and discusses how important this department is in any company. It goes into how human resources resolve problems such as domestic violence, and how they can be a great resource in these kinds situation. Human resources have the training, skill set, and ability to keep issue private that helps in instances where there is violence in the work place (Meinert, 2011). With avoidance programs, employee training sessions, and employee assistance programs these will help train and coach employees through and also help them avoid issues such as office violence. Forms of Bullying in the Workplace When it comes to offices violence that could result in bullying there are many different types. In an office setting violence might include a group or person against a peer or someone who reports to another. The violence can be continuous or just conduct that is unreasonable. The majority of the documented instances were management or the administration who perpetrated a number of offenses. The major types of violence include: nonverbal, verbal, embarrassment, physical, and psychological abuse. Examples of verbal abuse  would be name-calling which happens more often than not. A simple phrase calling someone out of there name and cursing are the quickest way to verbally abuse someone and not realize it (Meinert, 2011). In the second story told in the article a women who is abused in her home life seeks refuge at work and tells her co-workers. She felt like she needed to tell someone to get assistance, which in some cases can help. It can actually backfire in some cases. Telling someone your personal business can lead to peers discussing your personal business behind your back spreading rumors, criticizing, or gossiping about your business. Ways to avoid violence in the work place Training employees on office like conduct, creating avoidance plan, and having a zero tolerance policy in place are the main methods to control, avoid, and protect employees against violence in the work place. Keeping the workers trained on up to date procedures and processes is very important. Also making sure managers and human resources are trained on effective communication is also very important. An employee has to trust their manager and if not their manager, than human resources to feel comfortable to talk about issues like violence. Making sure the employees understand that there is an open door policy and that any kind of violence in the work place in not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Most importantly there needs to be an immediate response and rapid results to create a secure environment for all employees.

Effects Of Work Place Ionising Radiation Construction Essay

Effects Of Work Place Ionising Radiation Construction Essay There have been increased concerns about the effects of work place ionising radiation on the health and safety of workers over the years. As we go along, this paper will show and compare legislation pertaining to work place exposure to ionising radiation in Trinidad and Tobago and the European Union. 1.1 What is Radiation? Radiation is energy that is transmitted, absorbed or emitted in the form of particles or a wave. Emissions emanating from radiation are all around us and can be absorbed readily by the human body causing adverse health effects. Radiation can be used to cure diseases and diagnose aliments. It can be transmitted from a variety of sources, be they natural (sun, cosmic, terrestrial, internal radiation or radon) or man-made (power supply, nuclear power plants, industrial activities, light sources, etc.). Radiation can be in the form of Ionising or Non-Ionising. For the purpose of this assignment we shall be discussing Ionising Radiation. 1.2 What is Ionising Radiation? Ionising radiation is radiation that is energetic enough when interacting with an atom detaches the electrons causing the atom to become ionized or charged. Ionising radiation can be broken down into three (3) different types: Alpha particles contains two protons and two neutrons and is emitted from uranium or radium, it can be stopped by sheet of paper or skin. Beta particles contains essentially electrons and is emitted from radioactive elements, it can penetrate the skin. It can be stopped by aluminum foil or plastic. Gamma rays contain pure energy and are similar to x-rays and it is also emitted from isotopes. It can penetrate (pass through) the body and can only be stopped by water, thick concrete or lead. DISCUSSION 2.1 Literature review For the purpose of this assignment we will be looking at legislation dealing with work place exposure to Ionising Radiation in Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom. Trinidad and Tobago does not have a specific legislation dealing with ionising radiation. The Radiation Protection Working Group was formulated in 2006 at the request of the Ministry of Health of Trinidad and Tobago to draft such a legislation, but this have not yet become law. Taking this in mind we therefore look to the Occupational Safety and Health Act Amended 3 of 2006 which is not specific about regulations dealing with work place exposure to ionising radiation. On the other hand, when we look to the United Kingdom for legislation pertaining to ionising radiation, we find a vast source of information ranging from Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 and the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000. I have chosen to look at the United Kingdom Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 as it pertains to work place exposure to radiation. 2.2 Trinidad and Tobago Occupational Safety and Health Act Amended 3 of 2006 According to the Trinidad and Tobago Occupational Safety and Health Act Amended 3 of 2006 which states that every employer has a duty of care to his employees, he must then take all reasonable practicable steps to ensure the safety, health and welfare of said employees in his employ. In order to accomplish this, the employer must perform a suitable and sufficient risk assessment to identify all the hazards that an employee will be exposed to while performing a job or task in his employ. The employer is then required to reduce these risks associated with said hazards to as low as reasonably practicable. The Occupation Safety and Health Act Amended 3 of 2006 states that a code of practice can be adopted by the employer but does not specify, it is left solely to the discretion of the employer. When dealing with work place exposure to ionising radiation the employer can implement the best practice begin used in said field. One such best practice to manage ionising radiation in the workplace, is Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series for health and safety management systems (OHSAS 18001 certification). 2.3 United Kingdom Ionising Radiation Regulation 1999 The United Kingdom Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 came into full force in 2000 and replaced the 1995 Ionising Radiations Regulations. This Regulation pertains to ionizing radiation associated with the work place and not from natural sources. The Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 has forty one (41) regulations arranged in seven (7) parts and nine (9) Schedules, They are as follows; Part 1 Regulations 1 4 Interpretation of terms and General requirements Part 2 Regulations 5 12 General principles and procedures. Regulations 5 and 6 require employers to notify the HSE if and when working with ionizing radiation, a license must be acquired for working with x-rays, etc. Regulation 7, a risk assessment is required before any work involving radiation can begin. When all potential hazards have been identified, it is the duty of the employer to take all steps that are reasonably practicable to prevent accidents, limit the consequence if said accident occurs and provide employees with the equipment, training and information to prevent their exposure to ionising radiation. Regulation 8 deals with restriction of exposure, the dose employees or any other persons may be exposed to within any calendar year. It also deals with requirements for physical means and written procedures to protect employees. Regulation 9 deals with personal protective equipment; it must meet PPE Regulations 1992. And that said equipment must be stored and kept in good working condition. Regulation 10 deals with the maintenance and examination of engineering controls (warning devices, safety features) PPE, etc. Regulation 12 requires employers to prepare contingency plans and rehearsals of said plan. Part 3 Regulations 13 15 deals with the arrangements for the management of radiation protection. Regulation 13 controls the appointment of radiation protection advisers, which can be contracted by the employer. These advisers have the duty of making local laws for safe conduct of work and ensure proper supervision of work. Regulation 14 deals with general training and information. Regulation 15 requires co-operation between employers where by if one organization is at risk because of the operations of other, the exchange of information to ensure full compliance with the Regulation. Part 4 Regulations 16 19 covers designation of controlled and supervised areas and their monitoring. Regulation 17 deals with local rules (written procedures and contingency plans) and the appointment of radiation protection supervisors. Regulation 18 deals with additional requirements for designated areas (warning signs, restrictions on access, dose assessment, radioactive contamination, records for non-classified workers, etc). Regulation 19 requires the monitoring of designated areas (tests on instruments and keeping records). Part 5 Regulations 20 26 deals with the classification and monitoring of persons. Regulation 20 deals with the designated of classified persons, (those employees who are likely to receive more than the specified dose). Regulation 21 deals with dose assessment and recording for classified persons. Regulation 22 deals with the estimated dose and special entries. Regulation 23 deals with dosimetry (measuring the dose of radiation emitted by a radioactive source) for accidents, etc. Regulation 24 requires medical surveillance to employees (classified persons, non-classified persons and persons about to be classified). Regulation 25 deals with the investigation and notification of overexposure by employers who must keep the record for at least fifty (50) years. Regulation 26 deals with modified dose limitation for overexposed employees. Part 6 Regulations 27 33 makes arrangement for the control of radioactive substances, articles and equipment. Regulation 27 states that wherever practically possible all radioactive materials should be in the form of a sealed source. These sealed sources must be tested for leaks every two (2) years and records kept. Regulation 28 requires employers to account for all radioactive substances for two (2) years from date of origination or from the date of disposal. Regulation 29 deals with the keeping and moving of radioactive substances. Regulation 30 requires employers to notify the HSE of certain occurrences (i.e. accidental release, loss or theft) and the employer must undertake an investigation to confirm these occurrence or otherwise. This investigation record must be kept for fifty (50) years if such incident never occurred it must be kept for two (2) years. Regulation 31 imposes duties on manufactures, installers and employers in relation to equipment used for medical exposure. Regulation 32 requires employers to investigate any defective medical equipment and keep record of the results for fifty (50) years if overexposure has resulted from undergoing treatment. Regulation 33 deals with the misuse or interference with sources of ionising radiation, which is prohibited. Part 7 Regulations 34 41 deals with the duties of the employees and miscellaneous provisions. Regulation 34 deals with general duties of the employees (employee must not knowingly expose themselves, where PPE is provided employee must take full advantage of said equipment, must take annual medical examination). Regulation 35 deals with the approval of dosimetry services and issues of certificate by HSE. Regulation 36 deals with defence on contraventions i.e. (Regulation 6 advance notice to HSE of intent to commence work with radiation, 7 deals with prior risk assessment if not initially met can be complied with at a later date, 27 prevention of leakage suppliers written assurance that the Regulation is fully complied with. Regulation 37 deals with exemption certificates by HSE if the regulations are not appropriate. Regulation 38 deals with extensions outside Great Britain. Regulation 39 deals with the transition from Ionising Radiation Regulation 1985 to the Ionising Radiation Reg ulation 1999. Regulation 40 and 41 deals with the modification in relation to the Ministry of Defence and revocation and saving. 2.4 TT OSH ACT AMENDED 3 OF 2006 vs. UK IRR 99 When we look at the Occupational Safety and Health Act Amended 3 of 2006 compared to the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999, you have to understand and interpret the Osh Act when dealing with ionising radiation because you cannot say that it does not have legislation about it. It may not be specific but it is there, being ignorant of the law is not an excuse. On the other hand the IRR 99 spells out the law to you when dealing with work place ionising radiation. The Osh Act 2006 does not specify regulations to deal with work place exposure to ionising radiation, whereas the IRR 99 sets out specific regulations about handling, storing, specific dose limitations for employees (women of child bearing age, persons under 18, etc), procedures to follow (system of work, permit to work), accidental release, contingency plans, designated areas, training, monitoring, engineering controls and redesign features. The Osh Act 2006 requires employers to perform a suitable and sufficient risk assessment to identify all hazards associated with tasks undertaken by employees. The IRR 99 specifies that a suitable and sufficient risk assessment must be done before any work with radiation is to commence. The IRR 99 makes specific requirements for the employer to protect his employees from ionising radiation. The Osh Act 2006 is vague on this issue and the responsibility is left solely on the employer to ensure the safety of his employees against ionising radiation and the best practice in that industry is utilized. CONCLUSION The United Kingdom Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 contains certain requirements that must be met on: Risk assessments and notifications Dose limitation Control methods of radioactive substances Record-keeping Regulation of work with ionising radiation Safety of articles and equipment Dosimetry and medical surveillance Monitoring of ionizing radiation This Regulation makes reference to the employer, safety representatives, radiation protection advisers and supervisors and the health and safety officers of their roles and responsibilities. Whereas Trinidad and Tobago Occupational Health and Safety Act Amended 3 of 2006 does not specify requirements for work place ionizing radiation. The Act can be interpreted as the employer must take all reasonable practicable steps to ensure safety, health and the welfare of his employees. In accomplishing this, the employer must conduct a suitable and sufficient risk assessment identifying all the hazards that an employee will be exposed to while performing a job or task in his employ. The employer must then reduce these risks associated with said hazards to as low as reasonably practicable. The United Kingdom IRR 99 Legislation was used as a guide to draft an Ionising Radiation Regulation for Trinidad and Tobago, this, as stated before has not yet become Law. The draft Ionising Radiation Regulation will set out: Frame work for emergency preparedness Safety Standards for protection of workers and the general public Road Transport Regulations Use and disposal of radioactive materials Environmental Protection Contaminated land Regulations Measures for safe use of high activity sealed radioactive sources and orphaned sources Due to the increase in the use of radiation sources in the industrial and medical sectors, this Regulation is needed to govern the use of ionising radiation in Trinidad and Tobago. Word Count: 2100 words

Literacy in Song of Solomon, Life of Frederick Douglass, Push and Slave Narratives :: comparison compare contrast essays

Exploration of Language and Literacy in Song of Solomon, Life of Frederick Douglass, Push and Slave Narratives      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   African-Americans have been contributing to American literature for hundreds of years. From Gustavus Vassa, or Olaudah Equiano, in 1789 to Sapphire in 1996, writers have been telling their stories. The influence of minority writers and speakers on literature, literacy, and language is certainly notable.    First of all, black American literature helps "others" hear the minority voice and vicariously share the minority experience. The typical white reader cannot understand what the black race undergoes on a daily and generational basis; however, literature can bring the white reader into the minority's world by tapping into the reader's imagination and sympathies.    The main purpose of the slave narratives is to let readers share the slaves' experiences, and as a result elicit sympathies so that the reader will consider, and hopefully act upon, abolitionist ideals. In the preface to Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, William Lloyd Garrison writes about Douglass and the white northerners "whose sympathy and affection he has strongly secured by the many sufferings he has endured, ...whose minds he has enlightened on the subject of slavery, and who have been melted to tears by his pathos, or roused to virtuous indignation by his stirring eloquence against the enslavers of men" (ix). Douglass was certainly aware of his mission to agitate the public mind and win the hearts of others (xii). He achieved this purpose through his voice unwaveringly telling the pitiful story of his slave experiences. How could his audience turn a deaf ear to such eloquence and power?    Like Douglass, Sapphire shares the minority experience with the privileged population. She achieves this feat through the character Precious and her unique voice. The minority voice is distinct and unavoidable, for it is the voice that narrates the story. For example, Precious contrasts her life experiences with the dominant class's experiences: "What is a normal life? A life where you not 'shamed of your mother. Where your friends come over after school and watch TV and do homework. Where your mother is normal looking and don't hit you over the head wif iron skillet. I would wish for in my fantasy a second chance. Since my first chance go to Mama and Daddy" (Sapphire 114-115). These powerful statements from the voice of an eighteen year old African-American girl bring the white reader into the reality of the life of the minority.

List of Poetry Group

List of poetry groups and movements From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search | The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (November 2011) | Poetry groups and movements or schools may be self-identified by the poets that form them or defined by critics who see unifying characteristics of a body of work by more than one poet. To be a ‘school' a group of poets must share a common style or a common ethos.A commonality of form is not in itself sufficient to define a school; for example, Edward Lear, George du Maurier and Ogden Nash do not form a school simply because they all wrote limericks. There are many different ‘schools' of poetry. Some of them are described below in approximate chronological sequence. The subheadings indicate broadly the century in which a style arose. Contents * 1 Prehistoric * 2 Sixteenth century * 3 Sevente enth century * 4 Eighteenth century * 5 Nineteenth century * 6 Twentieth century * 7 Alphabetic list * 8 References| PrehistoricThe Oral tradition is too broad to be a strict school but it is a useful grouping of works whose origins either predate writing, or belong to cultures without writing. Sixteenth century The Castalian Band. Seventeenth century The Metaphysical poets The Cavalier poets The Danrin school Eighteenth century Classical poetry echoes the forms and values of classical antiquity. Favouring formal, restrained forms, it has recurred in various Neoclassical schools since the eighteenth century Augustan poets such as Alexander Pope.The most recent resurgence of Neoclassicism is religious and politically reactionary work of the likes of T. S. Eliot. Romanticism started in late 18th century Western Europe. Wordsworth's and Coleridge's 1798 publication of Lyrical Ballads is considered by some as the first important publication in the movement. Romanticism stressed strong e motion, imagination, freedom within or even from classical notions of form in art, and the rejection of established social conventions. It stressed the importance of â€Å"nature† in language and celebrated the achievements of those perceived as heroic individuals and artists.Romantic poets include William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats (those previous six sometimes referred to as the Big Six, or the Big Five without Blake); other Romantic poets include James Macpherson,Robert Southey, and Emily Bronte. Nineteenth century Pastoralism was originally a Hellenistic form, that romanticized rural subjects to the point of unreality. Later pastoral poets, such as Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe, and William Wordsworth, were inspired by the classical pastoral poets.The Parnassians were a group of late 19th-century French poets, named after their journal, the Parnasse contemporain. They included Charles Leconte de Lisle, Theodore de Banville, Sully-Prudhomme, Paul Verlaine, Francois Coppee, and Jose Maria de Heredia. In reaction to the looser forms of romantic poetry, they strove for exact and faultless workmanship, selecting exotic and classical subjects, which they treated with rigidity of form and emotional detachment. Symbolism started in the late nineteenth century in France and Belgium.It included Paul Verlaine, Tristan Corbiere, Arthur Rimbaud, and Stephane Mallarme. Symbolists believed that art should aim to capture more absolute truths which could be accessed only by indirect methods. They used extensive metaphor, endowing particular images or objects with symbolic meaning. They were hostile to â€Å"plain meanings, declamations, false sentimentality and matter-of-fact description†. Modernist poetry is a broad term for poetry written between 1890 and 1970 in the tradition of Modernism. Schools within it include Imagism and the British Poetry Revival.The Fireside Poets (also known as the Schoolroom or Household Poets) were a group of 19th-century American poets from New England. The group is usually described as comprising Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Cullen Bryant, John Greenleaf Whittier, James Russell Lowell, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.. Twentieth century The Imagists were (predominantly young) poets working in England and America in the early 20th century, including F. S. Flint, T. E. Hulme, and Hilda Doolittle (known primarily by her initials, H. D. ).They rejected Romantic and Victorian conventions, favoring precise imagery and clear, non-elevated language. Ezra Pound formulated and promoted many precepts and ideas of Imagism. His â€Å"In a Station of the Metro† (Roberts & Jacobs, 717), written in 1916, is often used as an example of Imagist poetry: The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough. The Objectivists were a loose-knit group of second-generation Modernists from the 1930s. They include Louis Zukofsky, Lorine Niedecker, Charles Reznikoff, George Oppen, Carl Rakosi, and Basil Bunting.Objectivists treated the poem as an object; they emphasised sincerity, intelligence, and the clarity of the poet's vision. The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement in the 1920s involving many African-American writers from the New York Neighbourhood of Harlem. The Beat generation poets met in New York in the 1940s. The core group were Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs, who were joined later by Gregory Corso. The Confessionalists were American poets that emerged in the 1950s. They drew on personal history for their artistic inspiration.Poets in this group include Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, John Berryman, and Robert Lowell. The New York School was an informal group of poets active in 1950s New York City whose work was said to be a reaction to the Confessionalists. Some major figures include John Ashbery, Frank O'Hara, James Schuyler, Kenneth Koch, Barbara Guest, Joe Br ainard, Ron Padgett, Ted Berrigan and Bill Berkson. The Black Mountain poets (also known as the Projectivists) were a group of mid 20th century postmodern poets associated with Black Mountain College in the United States.The San Francisco Renaissance was initiated by Kenneth Rexroth and Madeline Gleason in Berkeley in the late 1940s. It included Robert Duncan, Jack Spicer, and Robin Blaser. They were consciously experimental and had close links to the Black Mountain and Beat poets. The Movement was a group of English writers including Kingsley Amis, Philip Larkin, Donald Alfred Davie, D. J. Enright, John Wain, Elizabeth Jennings and Robert Conquest. Their tone is anti-romantic and rational. The connection between the poets was described as â€Å"little more than a negative determination to avoid bad principles. The British Poetry Revival was a loose movement during the 1960s and 1970s. It was a Modernist reaction to the conservative Movement. The Hungry generation was a group of ab out 40 poets in West Bengal, India during 1961–1965 who revolted against the colonial canons in Bengali poetry and wanted to go back to their roots. The movement was spearheaded by Shakti Chattopadhyay, Malay Roy Choudhury, Samir Roychoudhury, and Subimal Basak. The Martian poets were English poets of the 1970s and early 1980s, including Craig Raine and Christopher Reid.Through the heavy use of curious, exotic, and humorous metaphors, Martian poetry aimed to break the grip of â€Å"the familiar† in English poetry, by describing ordinary things as if through the eyes of a Martian. The Language poets were avant garde poets from the last quarter of the 20th century. Their approach started with the modernist emphasis on method. They were reacting to the poetry of the Black Mountain and Beat poets. The poets included: Leslie Scalapino, Bruce Andrews, Charles Bernstein, Ron Silliman, Barrett Watten, Lyn Hejinian, Bob Perelman, Rae Armantrout, Carla Harryman, Clark Coolidge, Hannah Weiner, Susan Howe, and Tina Darragh.The New Formalism is a late-twentieth and early twenty-first century movement in American poetry that promotes a return to metrical and rhymed verse. Rather than looking to the Confessionalists, they look to Robert Frost, Richard Wilbur, James Merrill, Anthony Hecht, and Donald Justice for poetic influence. These poets are associated with the West Chester University Poetry Conference, and with literary journals like The New Criterion and The Hudson Review. Associated poets include Dana Gioia, Timothy Steele, Mark Jarman, Rachel Hadas, R. S.Gwynn, Charles Martin, Phillis Levin, Kay Ryan, Brad Leithauser. Alphabetic list This is a list of poetry groups and movements. * Absurdism * Aestheticism * Black Arts Movement * Cairo poets * Chhayavaad * Classical Chinese poetry * Crescent Moon Society * Cyclic Poets * Dadaism * Danrin school * Deep image * Della Cruscans * Dymock poets * Fugitives (poets) * Generation of '27| * Georgian poets * Goliar d * Graveyard poets * The Group (literature) * Harlem Renaissance * Harvard Aesthetes * Heptanese School (literature) * LakePoets * La Pleiade * Los Contemporaneos * Misty Poets * Modern Chinese poetry * Negritude * Net-poetry * New Apocalyptics| * Nijo poetic school * Others (art group) * Oulipo * Poetic transrealism * Rhymers' Club * Rochester Poets * Scottish Renaissance * Sicilian School * Poetry Slam * Sons of Ben * Southern Agrarians * Spasmodic poets * Spectrism * Surrealist poets * The poets of Elan * Uranian poetry| References This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010) | [hide] * v * t * eSchools of poetry| | | Akhmatova's Orphans * Auden Group * The Beats * Black Arts Movement * Black Mountain poets * British Poetry Revival * Cairo poets * Castalian Band * Cavalier poets * Chhayavaad * Churchyard poets * Confessionalists * Creoli te * Cyclic poets * Dadaism * Deep image * Della Cruscans * Dolce Stil Novo * Dymock poets * Ecopoetry * The poets of Elan * Flarf * Fugitives * Garip * Gay Saber * Generation of '98 * Generation of '27 * Georgian poets * Goliard * The Group * Harlem Renaissance * Harvard Aesthetes * Hungry generation * Imagism * Informationist poetry * Jindyworobak * Lake Poets * Language poets * Martian poetry * Metaphysical poets * Misty Poets * Modernist poetry * The Movement * Negritude * New American Poetry * New Apocalyptics * New Formalism * New York School * Objectivists * Others group of artists * Parnassian poets * La Pleiade * Rhymers' Club * San Francisco Renaissance * Scottish Renaissance * Sicilian School * Sons of Ben * Southern Agrarians * Spasmodic poets * Sung poetry * Surrealism * Symbolism * Uranian poetry| | Categories: * Poetry movements Navigation menu * Create account * Log in * Article * Talk * Read * Edit * View history ——————†”————————— Top of Form Bottom of Form * Main page * Contents * Featured content * Current events * Random article * Donate to Wikipedia Interaction * Help * About Wikipedia * Community portal * Recent changes * Contact Wikipedia Toolbox Print/export Languages * Deutsch * Edit links * This page was last modified on 21 February 2013 at 05:54. * Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. , a non-profit organization. * Privacy policy * About Wikipedia * Disclaimers * Mobile view * *

Medical Anthropology

Medical Anthropology Introduction The increased participation by medical anthropologists in medical research and public health in the recent past has seen medical anthropology become an important area of study among anthropologists. It is therefore not surprising that the increasing number of medical research projects and public health interventions that involve medical anthropologists or that are closely related to social science disciplines.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Medical Anthropology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has also given rise to a powerful cooperation that now exists between anthropologists and health professionals. Despite their different ideologies, these two groups of people have been working hand in hand to lessen the effects of poverty (Pool Geissler, 2005). As a social science, medical anthropology addresses specific health issues and also seeks to build a broad, theoretical based understanding of what h ealth is, how it interacts with culture, the role of social relations in shaping disease, the importance of the health environment interface, and a range of other issues (Singer Baer, 2011). In spite of this, true relationship between the social sciences and medicine remains a challenge for a number of reasons. First, anthropology and biomedicine are based on different assumptions about fundamental issues such as the nature of social reality and how it should be studied. Second, medical research and public health are dominated by biomedicine and biomedical professionals often have a poor understanding of what anthropology is and what it has to offer. Third, anthropologists have always failed to communicate effectively with medical professionals and as a result they have been unable to make a convincing case for what anthropology has to offer. Consequently, there is often a need to mediate between these two groups of people with different disciplinary perspectives working towards th e same goal. This paper provides a discussion on the different theoretical perspectives in medical anthropology namely, ecological, interpretive, and critical perspectives. It also looks at how biomedicine relates to culture as well as medicalization of life in Brazil and its consequences.Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Theoretical Perspectives in Medical Anthropology As is typical in science generally, medical anthropologists understand the world in certain ways. One of the influences on how a medical anthropologist approaches issues of health or illness is the particular theoretical framework or school of understanding employed. Although there are several such frameworks in medical anthropology, many individuals do not see themselves as supporters of any single perspective. Instead, they take a more varied approach and allow the problems at hand to shape the perspectiv es that they use. Other medical anthropologists consider themselves advocates or even activists of particular points of view. Indisputably, however, the perspectives they bring to their research strongly influence the way a problem is approached, how questions are asked, and the kind of answers that are deemed sufficient and adequate. Among the primary perspectives found in medical anthropology are medical ecology, interpretive or meaning-centered anthropology, and critical medical anthropology. These are explained as follows: Medical Ecology Entrenched in both cultural ecology and evolutionary theory, this approach began with an emphasis on adaptation, defined as behavioral or biological changes at either the individual or group level that support survival in a given environment as the core concept in the field. From this perspective, health was seen as a measure of environmental adaptation. Initially, the central principle of medical ecology was that the type of relationships that existed within different social groups was closely associated with the health status of the members in the groups. While better health meant good relations, poor health meant the opposite. In general, beliefs and behaviors that improve health or protect societal members from disease or injury are adaptive. From the medical ecological perspective, behavioral complexes such as medical systems, including everything from soul loss healing to biomedicine treatment of heart disease can be viewed as social cultural adaptive strategies. As observed by Singer and Baer (2011), there is no single cause of death. Whilst the immediate cause may be a virus, vitamin deficiency, or psychological trauma, disease ultimately is the product of a chain of interacting factors related to ecosystem imbalances including physical and social vulnerability and resilience. Health and disease are deemed to develop within a context of interaction among physical, biological, and cultural systems.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Medical Anthropology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The environment that people inhabit includes not just the physical habitat where they live but also the culturally constructed or built environment such as a city or a village, an acknowledgement that, in health, people impact their environment as much as the environment impacts them. Interpretive or Meaning-centered Medical Anthropology According to Baer et al (2003), the cultural interpretive approach, resulted from the fact that the ecological perspective about health related issues was increasingly becoming popular. By and large, the fundamental claim of cultural interpretive model is that disease is not an entity but an explanatory model. From the interpretive perspective, illness tends to have a strong connection to the culture of medicine that is deeply rooted within societies. And culture is not only a means of representing disease, but is essential to its very constitution as a human reality (Baer et al, 2003). From a cultural point of view, it is only through interpretive undertakings that both therapists as well as their patients get to know the diseases. Generally, the actions or undertakings include a complex interaction of medicine and social behaviors. That different sub-specialties of biomedicine sometimes reach quite different conclusions about the same clinical episode affirms to the interpretive medical anthropologists’ fundamental role of cultural construction in the making of a disease. Historically, the primary shortcoming of the interpretive approach from the critical perspective has been its lack of attention to the role of asymmetrical power relations in the construction of the clinical reality and the social utility of such construction for maintaining social dominance (Baer et al, 20003). Critical Medical Anthropology In the study by Baer et al (2003), critical medical anthropology (CMA) see ks to understand who ultimately controls biomedicine and what the implications are of such control. An analysis of the power relations affecting biomedicine addresses questions such as who has the power over agencies of biomedicine, how and in what forms power is to be delegated, how the power is to be expressed in the social relations of the various groups and actors comprising the health care system, and the principle contradictions of biomedicine and associated arenas of struggling and resistance that affect the character and functioning of the medical system and people’s experience of it.Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ideally, any discussion of the impact of power relations in the delivery of health services needs to recognize the existence of several levels in the health care systems of developed capitalist, underdeveloped capitalist, and socialist oriented societies. At the macro-social level, critical medical anthropology recognizes that the development and expansion of a global economic system represents the most significant, transcending social process in the contemporary historic period. To a large extent, capitalism has progressively shaped and reshaped social life. As a discipline, anthropology has lagged behind in its attention to the nature and transforming influence of capitalism. As part of the larger effort of critical medical anthropology in general to correct this shortcoming, it attempts to root its study of health related issues within the context of the class and relations inherent in the capitalist world system. At the international level, the World Bank has become a key player in establishing health policies and making financial loans to health care undertakings. As a result of its practice of co-financing resources from international and bilateral agencies, the bank has a strong influence on health policies. The bank also conducts country specific health sector investigations and makes proposals for health care reforms that are compatible with market driven economies. Despite the fact that almost all Third World nations are supposed to be politically independent, their colonial inheritance and their neocolonial situations impose health care systems modeled after those found in the advanced capitalist nations (Baer et al, 2003). As a result of the clash and exchange between medical ecology theory, cultural perspective or meaning-centered theory, and critical medical theory, there have been developments in all three of the primary theoretical models within medical anthropology. While medical ecologists have begun to adopt a more political ecological orien tation, interpretive medical anthropologists acknowledge and are attempting, and in some cases, succeeding in producing work that is highly sensitive to political economic issues. Critical medical anthropologists on the other hand have also developed a significant level of interest in political ecology and the role of political economy in the production of meaning. Biomedicine and Culture While recognizing the fundamental importance of biology in health and illness, medical anthropologists generally go beyond seeing health as primarily a biological condition by seeking to understand the social origins of disease, the cultural construction of symptoms and treatments, and the nature of interactions between biology, society, and culture. Similarly, they tend not to accept any particular health care system, including Western biomedicine, as holding a monopoly on useful health knowledge or effective treatment. Instead, they see all health care systems from advanced nuclear medicine or la ser surgery to dream based healing or acupuncture as cultural products, whatever their level of healing value and however efficiency is defined within particular healing traditions. Medical anthropologists seek to understand and help others recognize that health is rooted in three key notions. First, there are cultural perceptions, such as culturally constituted ways of experiencing pain or exhibiting disease symptoms. Second, there are social connections, such as the type of relations that exist within the family or within society and the encompassing political and economic systems generally. Third, there is human biology, such as the threat of microscopic pathogens to bodily systems and the body’s immune responses to such threats. In pursuing these lines of inquiry, medical anthropologists are especially concerned with linking patterns of disease, configurations of health related beliefs and behaviors, and healing systems with cultural foundations, social hierarchies, and b io-social relationships. Consequently, medical anthropologists have tended to look at health as bio-cultural and bio-social phenomena, based on an understanding that as both physical and socio-cultural environments interact, they determine the health of populations under investigation (Singer Baer, 2011). Some medical anthropologists, particularly critical medical anthropologists stress what they call a critical bio-cultural model, one that is especially concerned with investigating the role of social inequality in shaping health, health related experience, behavior, and healing. Whatever their theoretical perspective, however, medical anthropologists tend to lean more towards a particular orientation. They are concerned with putting their work to good use in addressing real and pressing health related problems in diverse human communities and contexts. As noted by Singer and Baer (2011), illness is ordinarily perpetrated by the way a patient perceives his or her experienced sympto ms. Nevertheless, these interpretations are not solely personal but rather are witnessed by wider cultural understandings of illness and the comments and actions of the sufferer’s social network. Apparently, illness behavior is impacted by various factors that include both gender and socioeconomic status. In addition, illness behavior in a society is dynamic and not static. As a society changes, illness behaviors change as well, including patterns of use of health services. As noted by Hahn and Gaines (1984), earlier research studies demonstrated that biomedicine is a cultural system comprised of numerous variations. The studies also stressed on the importance of observation and reporting on actual practices and beliefs, rather than employing negative or positive idealized versions of medical practice, so that it is possible to understand that the healing encounter is a social and cultural event involving communication across cultural or sub-cultural boundaries (Hahn Gaines, 1984). Unlike its characterization by proponents and opponents, biomedicine may be seen to be a part of the wider culture. Theories of Supernatural Causation The most prevalent and important theories of illness found cross culturally in pre-modern societies involved theories of supernatural illness causation associated with personal assumption, meaning that some personal agent acted aggressively to cause the malady (Winkelman, 2008). Apparently, these notions are based on assumptions not recognized by modern medical science as being valid. Although framed in supernatural terms regarding the powers of unusual humans or evil spirits, these theories may nonetheless represent important social and physical processes relevant to health. The most prevalent and important supernatural theories of illness are related to concepts of animism where attacks or punishment from the spirit entities are reflected in a universal theory of illness. Animistic Causation Animistic causes of illness invol ve the actions of a supernatural entity such as a spirit or ghost. These universal beliefs include the attribution that some unseen entity is the cause of our problems. According to Winkelman (2008), there are two types of animistic causation. These are spirit aggression and soul loss. Spirit aggression is a universal belief that illness is caused by the aggressive action of the spirits, an attack that comprises the spirits putting something into a person or doing something to one’s body. On the other hand, soul loss involves a person having an aspect of his or her self, the soul or spirit, leave during a dream or as a result of the soul being frightened or captured by a spirit or act of sorcery. Magical Causation Theories of magical causation involve the linking of illness to malicious actions of other people. Seemingly, the wicked human, sorcerer or witch, has negative effects on other people’s health from overt actions or inadvertent emotions, particularly envy or j ealousy. A distinction between sorcery and witchcraft reflect important differences involving intentional and unintentional effects, respectively. Sorcery includes the impairment of health caused by the intentional aggressive use of magic, affected either by an individual’s power or through assistance provided by a specialized sorcerer or spirits. According to Winkelman (2008), sorcery as a cause of illness is found in most societies of the world. The other societies generally have beliefs in witchcraft, impairment of the health of persons, animals, or crops caused by involuntary actions by special types of persons with inherent powers to cause harm to others. A similar belief is associated with the evil eye. In this belief, someone can inadvertently cause harm by among other things, looking at another’s property. Evil eye power is frequently thought to emanate from the eyes or mouth of persons as a result of their envy. According to Burri and Dumit (2007), analyzing m edicine as culture opens up a fresh perspective on knowledge practices and epistemic features in biomedicine, namely, the construction and fashioning of knowledge objects within science or on the arrangements and mechanisms in biomedicine that shape what is known and how it is known. Biomedicine takes on responsibility for the release of its strange entities and facts into culturally diverse environments. Biomedical experts are, however, able to do so only in close collaboration with social science and the humanities. Medicalization of Life The concept of medicalization rests on the assumption that some occurrences belong in the domain of medicine while some do not. Typically, everything that we do or everything that happens to us affects or depends on the use of our bodies. In principle, we can treat what people do or what happens to them as belonging in the domain of medicine. We can also claim that nothing that we do or nothing that happens to us belongs in the domain of medicine because everything is ordained by God and belongs in the domain of religion. In some instances, medicalization has been used to reassure patients and relieve them of guilt, but at other times, medicalization has been held responsible of oppresses them, as when the complaints of poor and minority patients are dismissed due to bad or immoral behavior. Equally wicked are the understated ways in which bias is built into the very diagnostic categories used by biomedical practitioners that force them to make marked distinctions between normal and abnormal and to use assigned categories of ethnicity or race to mark out those people assumed to be at differential risk for various conditions. Generally, to understand medicalization primarily as enforced surveillance, as certain social scientists have done, is totally misleading and must be avoided. Individual citizens and even families frequently cooperate willingly with medical monitoring and management of bodily distress in the belief that they will also benefit. In Brazil, local doctors were able to transform despair, misery, and suffering into the language of sickness. The decisions of local doctors to treat social illnesses as bodily ills and to see hunger, widely experienced by poverty stricken shanty dwellers, as a nervous complaint rather than a symptom of politics of economic distribution were seen to represent an extreme case of what is commonly referred to as bad faith. Through medicalization of the ailments of their patients, local Brazilian doctors consciously deflected attention from the more fundamental incubators of affliction that lie in social, political, and economic oppression. Medicalization is regarded to be bad faith in that doctors and other health workers pretend to themselves and to others that they are not really involved in or responsible for what they are doing or the consequences of their actions. According to Scheper-Hughes (1988), medicine can play a very critical role in reorganizing pe ople’s needs. Although it has been argued that medicalization leads to the isolation of the experience of misery and domesticates people’s anger about the reality in which they are forced to live, it has a serious consequence of creating an over dependence on medicines. As an example of this negative repercussion of medicalization, consider a terrible illustration of the effect of drugs to isolated populations in Brazil. In September 1987, Goiania, a small town in central Brazil suffered a tough blow when several individuals were exposed to dangerous radioactive contamination. Due to ignorance and over reliance on medicine, more than 200 people were seriously affected. While some people applied the radioactive material on their bodies or faces with a hope of becoming more beautiful, others went on to swallow the poisonous substance in order to get healed from ailments (Scheper-Hughes, 1988). Clearly, this example demonstrates how these Brazilians had very high expectat ions of regaining their health status by depending on medicine regardless of the repercussions. Apparently, the local physicians could not be accused of such incidences and nor could they be held liable of the free circulation of restricted drugs across the Brazil. Nonetheless, they had to be blamed for not putting in place strict control measures to check against the importation of harmful pharmaceutical products into their country from places such as the United States, Germany, and Switzerland. Local physicians were also blamed for letting the citizens suffer due to their own selfishness and poor moral standings in the society (Scheper-Hughes, 1988). The so called bad faith thus operates among doctors and pharmacists, who let their knowledge and skills to be misused by the greedy in the society, and self-centered politicians who care less about the masses. Conclusion As has been discussed in this paper, turning to the use of medicine has completely changed the way the society view s illness. In the past, people simply lived based on their cultural settings and never depended so much on advice from local medical practitioners. When people got sick, traditional approaches would be followed while explaining the cause of the illness. Today, however, there is so much reliance on modern medicine and often times, people end up being treated by professional doctors. There is thus a medical explanation for any illness that a person may suffer from. Due to medicalization of life, most people have lost touched with their cultures and are now simply relying on doctors to guide them whenever they fall sick and are in need of treatment. However, it is imperative for people to know that there are negative effects that are linked to the idea of medicalization. As explained earlier, heavy dependency on medicine can lead to undesirable consequences. Unfortunately, undisciplined doctors may indulge in illegal practices to satisfy their own selfish interests at the expense of th e masses. References Baer, H. A., Singer, M., Susser, I. (2003). Medical Anthropology and the World System. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group. Burri, R. V., Dumit, J. (2007). Biomedicine as Culture: Instrumental Practices, Technoscientific Knowledge, and New Modes of Life. New York, NY: Routledge. Hahn, R. A., Gaines, A.D. (1984). Physicians of Western Medicine: Anthropological Approaches to Theory and Practice. Hingham, MA: Springer. Pool, R., Geissler, W. (2005). Medical Anthropology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill International. Scheper-Hughes, N. (1988). The Madness of Hunger: Sickness, Delirium, and Human Needs. Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 12, 429 – 458. Singer, M., Baer, H. (2011). Introducing Medical Anthropology: A Discipline in Action. Walnut Creek, California: Rowman Altamira. Winkelman, M. (2008). Culture and Health: Applying Medical Anthropology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons.

Financial Crises Essay

Financial Crises Essay Financial Crises Essay There have been many financial crises that have made significant damage to economies. Some of those crises still live on today as the consequences of some actions still are felt in many countries and economies. The three crises that will be examined will be the Dot-Com Bubble, the Great Recession in the United States and the Greek Crisis. A detailed analysis will be given of each crisis including a comparison of the different events. The first crisis to be examined will be the Dot-Com crisis. This crisis occurred from 1997 to 2000, with the effects of its aftermath being felt until 20021. The country that it affected was just the United States. This crisis was caused by the bubble growth of Dot-Com companies. Dot-Com companies were businesses that were experimenting in the wave of the internet world. During this period Dot-Com companies or companies that wanted to join this surge, would add an â€Å"e-â€Å"at the beginning of their business or a â€Å".com† to be a part of this movement1. This Dot-Com movement ended up having soaring stock prices for companies that joined this movement. Another cause was the free spending of these Dot-Com companies. Company’s believed that their survival was dependent on expanding its customer base slowly. In turn, companies disregarded annual losses that would soon hurt them significantly1. The resolution for this crisis was the stock market taking a substantial loss. A lot of these companies could not recover from this economic collapse so they had to file bankruptcy. A lot of these companies also were bought out. Although this crisis hurt the stock market, it was the businesses that suffered. No government intervention was needed luckily to solve this crisis. The second crisis was the Great Recession in the United States. Signs of the recession were evident in 2007, but the United States would not enter this recession until 20082. The United States is currently still recovering from this recession and will continue to recover for a while. The United States recession affected the United States the most. It has caused substantial economic impacts and losses. However, since the United States is such a powerful country, this crisis has affected many other countries around the world. To sum it up, any country that conducted business with the United States was affected by this crisis. There were many different causes for this crisis. The first was the Securization Food Chain of mortgages2. This means that financial conglomerates, investment banks and insurance firms were linked together in the trading of mortgage derivatives and other derivatives. With this monopoly of firms, loans were being sold and traded to make huge profits. This would i ncrease home prices tremendously. The second cause was that this monopoly of firms was letting people who could not afford homes, afford them. They would finance anyone with the implication that home prices would raise. They would also finance mortgages with adjustable interest rates which would cause homeowners not to be able to afford their homes in the long run. Another contributing cause was the offshoring of American jobs. Businesses were trying to save money by offshoring jobs which in the end contributed to a higher unemployment rate. The fourth contributing factor was the allotment of unemployment rate to control inflation. As the unemployment rate raised so did inflation causing economic failure. Lastly, mergers between large companies were allowed. These mergers reduced tax revenues for large companies and cut employment of employees thus contributing to unemployment as well2. All these causes produced the biggest economic collapse for the United States since the Great De pression. The resolution ended up with government intervention and regulation. This resulted in a bailout for all the companies affected by investing in the mortgage market. This bailout has helped push the United States economy to start recovering. However it is important to note that the

Quantify References to Elapsed Time

Quantify References to Elapsed Time Quantify References to Elapsed Time Quantify References to Elapsed Time By Mark Nichol A writer’s book-jacket bio mentions that she’s been a reporter for fifteen years. An online product review refers to a device having been launched last fall. Your blog relates that you attended a conference the previous month. What’s wrong with each of these descriptions? They all assume the reader is trapped in temporal stasis. By the time the book comes out, the bio’s reference to the writer’s tenure will be outdated. When someone checks it out from a library or picks it up at a used-book store five years later, it will be even more so. The solution? â€Å"Jane Doe has been a reporter since 1996.† Anyone researching the product online who comes across the review may miss the small, obscure dateline and assume the device came on the market the previous fall, when it may in fact be years old. The solution? â€Å"The Wacky Widget, launched in fall 2010, still tops the market in quality.† Visitors reading your blog’s archives will wonder why you misidentified the time of year when a well-known conference takes place. The solution? â€Å"I had an interesting experience at the July 2011 OMG conference.† None of these errors is serious, but they are all errors, and they are all easily avoided. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of Adjectives50 Idioms About Roads and PathsThe Difference Between "Phonics" and "Phonetics"

Significant detail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Significant detail - Essay Example The narrator describes her routine with Jorg, how he would order them food and watch television with her, and then â€Å"leave the house again,† and how she would be in bed by the time he gets back (page 22). From this we get the sense that the narrator has fallen into her familiar pattern of pretending nothing that happens is actually happening to her. She describes her life from a distance, as if she is a character in a movie. However, one day while doing this she sees some scissors on a desk and decides to act. The scissors are described in great detail, and in a very strange manner as well. Not only are they â€Å"long† and â€Å"narrow†, but there are â€Å"two angular little men† standing atop the blades (page 22). The narrator then becomes suddenly unsure of who she is sleeping with, describing him not as Jorg but as â€Å"a man whose name was probably Jorg† (page 22). She is starting to lose track of reality, and cannot be certain of anything any more. But this scene gets even stranger, as the narrator decides to kill Jorg. She holds the scissors on top of her â€Å"in the dark† so he cant see them, and he â€Å"flung himself on top of me and the scissors pierced his flesh† (page 23). The matter of fact way the mans death is described is very disturbing. And the details are quite graphic, as she describes feeling the scissors pop through his spine and out of the flesh on his back, and how â€Å"his eyes swelled and popped† (page 23). But probably the strongest part of this episode, and the thing which makes it so important in understanding the narrator and how she relates to the world around her, is how she describes her feelings after what is essentially a murder, even if it is an understandable murder because of how Jorg kidnapped her. As the mans corpse falls next to her in the bed, she felt â€Å"as if there might be peace in the room for a while† (page 23). While peace is a good thing, the narrator feels like the only way she can get

Innovating assesment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Innovating assesment - Assignment Example Innovation is the use of new knowledge to offer new products and services that are required by the customer in the market. To say that innovation has a complex nature is to refer to the process of innovation not only as a creation or invention of a novel idea, but to refer to innovation as to comprise of the activities involved in its implementation and development. According to Van de Ven, (1986, p. 591), innovation has been defined as the ‘’development and implementation of new ideas by people who over time engage in transactions with others within changing institutional and organizational context.’’ This thus makes it accentuate its context dependency and also its social, political, collective and temporal nature. It has been observed therefore that, scholars who aspire to understand the emergence and development of innovation have always recognized that innovation is a complex, iterative and a dynamic process which cannot be separated from its broader c oncept, (Barrett & Walsham, 1999). Over the years, researchers have observed innovation to move from less complex models which do not capture its complexity to more complex and in-depth inductive studies that show the development of innovation over time, (Edwards, 2000). ... fluid models which portray the innovative process is distinguished by Wolfe (1994) in a review of the organization innovation literature, and importantly noting that linear models of innovations were not followed by the innovations which develop within the organizations, but instead, the innovations originated through an ‘’iterative process with many feedback together with feed forward cycles (p. 411). Following the results of a very recent research that was published between 1997 and 2002, it was confirmed unequivocally that non-linearity of innovation in an organization is likened to a form of social structuring having attendant intricate and interactive effects, (Anderson, De Dreu, & Nijstad, 2004). Within the social system, theories of innovation are fundamentally considered as theories of change. Innovation can take two models; the linear and the non-linear models of innovation. The linear model is always considered to be a simpler model of innovation. This model ha s received recognition since the 1940s and claims that, ‘’innovation originates from the nursery of basic research.’’ It tries to compare innovation with a growing child, who goes through school and to the university to full time employment (Chia, 1996). Innovation on the other hand begins from the basic research to development, and finally to the marketplace. This linear model of innovation contains some elements of truth, but misses the fact that innovation may come from the other way round. This is to say, the linear model takes it that innovation may only come from researchers and neglects the fact that it might also result from consumers, users and efforts to solve certain practical problems (Czarniawska, 2005). The model also overstates the contribution the basic research makes to the

Cyclical Economic Development in The Economic History Essay

Cyclical Economic Development in The Economic History - Essay Example This paper analyses the process of economic growth, which emerges from and as a consequence of cyclical development. In the 19th century, business cycles were not thought of as cycles at all but rather as spells of crises interrupting the smooth development of the economy. In later years, economists and non- economists alike began believing in the regularity of such crises, analyzing how they were spaced apart and associated with changing economic structures. Schumpeter (1939) suggested that the economic development proceeds cyclically rather than evenly because innovations are not evenly distributed through time, but appear, if at all, discontinuously in groups or swarms. Schumpeter identified the "four-phases" of a cycle. Starting from the mean, a boom is a rise which lasts until the peak is reached; a recession is the drop from the peak back to the mean; a depression is the slide from the mean down to the trough; a recovery is the rise from the trough back up to the mean. From the mean, we then move up into another boom and thus the beginning of another four-phase cycle. In a sense, any cycle of whatever duration can be described as going through these four phases - otherwise the fluctuations cannot be described as "cycles". Empirical evidence shows that throughout the 19th Century, the price level moved backward and forward heavily while output was much less subject to fluctuations. The following four Kondratiev waves (ranging between 48-60 years) have been identified - going through four phases of boom-recession- depression-recovery : (1) The Industrial Revolution (1787-1842), (2) The Bourgeois Kondratiev (1898-1950), (3) The Neo-Mercantilist Kondratiev (1898-1950): and (4) The Fourth Kondratiev (1950- 2010).

Differentiating Instruction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Differentiating Instruction - Assignment Example clude simple and compound sentences, and improve transitions by adding, deleting, combining, and rearranging sentences or larger units of text after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed. Incorporating use of different tools like paper and pencil, the equipment like the computer, visuals, posters, oral demonstrations or digital photographs. Different apparatuses permit students to stage varied interests and talents such as photography, It is also crucial to get to know your students casually. This can be achieved through discerning their interests, conducting an interview, or requesting students to answer an open-ended questionnaire with main questions concerning their learning inclinations (contingent on the age group). This is core when scheming for activities requiring reduced structure. On the other hand, it is still crucial to establish styles of learning in addition to preferences for students who may perhaps have arduous time reining in their behaviors. Occasionally, distinguishing preferences can aid in motivating students to focus on any tasks that are rendered. It is the most commonly employed and most conventional teaching strategy. It is centered on the teacher and can be employed to encompass a large amount of material in the available time that the teachers are required what the students need to learn. It is centered on grouping of students corresponding to ability, background, difficulty etc. Nonetheless, one of the mainly crucial characteristics of cooperative learning is to single out the best strategy that will be employed to consign the task for students to complete. In a differentiated classroom, undertakings are customized to the needs of students concurring to the diverse ability levels, interests and backgrounds among others. Suitable activities compel the students to advance and apply knowledge in methods that make sense and that they find to appropriate and meaningful. Varying ways of

Critically evaluate, in relation to the common law duty of care, the Essay - 8

Critically evaluate, in relation to the common law duty of care, the liability of employers for references. How, if at all, does - Essay Example These include defamation, invasion of privacy, retaliation and negligent referral or breach of duty to warn (Flanders & Clegg, 2006 p.8). This paper critically evaluates the liability of employers for references, in relation to the common law duty of care. In addition, the paper examines how the liability of a university such as the University of Sussex deters regarding references given to potential employers in respect to current or former students. As mentioned earlier, there are four sources of liability arising from the provision of employment references to prospective employers. It is necessary to critically examine each one of them. Defamation arising from the common law In common law, defamation refer to any communication that tends to harm the reputation of another with the aim of lowering them in the estimation of the community or preventing third persons from associating with them. In determining whether a communication is defamatory or non-defamatory, the applicable test a t common law is how the subject of the communication interpreted the communication (Deakin & Morris, 2005 p. 56). There are compensatory and punitive damages available for a successful defamation claim. This depends on the level of malice towards the defamed party. Thus, punitive damages may be available in instances where the communication was made with express malice or actual malice. There are two major defenses to defamation claims: truth and privilege. Truth is an absolute defense to defamation claims. In order to establish truth defense, an employer must affirmatively prove that the information or statement given was truthful. In this case, the plaintiff is not necessarily required to prove that statement or information was false. The most commonly used defense is that of privilege. In this regard, it is argued that the employer has a particular privilege in making the defamatory statement. Thus, the defense of privilege provides that an employer is immune from liability from making defamatory communication. Further, there are two types of privilege: absolute privilege and conditional privilege. When an employer has an absolute privilege regarding their comment about former employees it implies that the employer has complete protection irrespective of the motive of communication. Thus, this privilege does not apply in employment reference situation (Wedderburn, 2002 p.19). More often than not, absolute privilege applies to communication made by judicial officers, legislators during legislative proceedings, as well as communication made by some government officials. On the other hand, conditional privilege provides protection based on the employer’s motivation. Thus, it applies to those people who have legitimate common interest with the recipient of the communication. For instance, a conditional privilege may be used to protect the employer when the information is given to business partners, fellow shareholders, fellow corporate officers and other professional interests. Based on this, employers have a duty of care to protect those they have legitimate common interest from risk that could be posed by employing such Privacy implication of employment information As a source of liability arising from the provision of employment references to prospective employers, privacy implication of employee information is meant to prevent the disclosure of information regarding their privacy. Through this, it is evident that employers have a duty of care to safeguard the private information regar

Marketing Spotlight HSBC Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Spotlight HSBC Case Study - Essay Example The essay "Marketing Spotlight – HSBC Case Study" presents a marketing spotlight on HSBC in the form of answers to the questions asked in the exercise and also some discussion points pertaining to HSBC global branding & marketing strategy. The primary success factor of HSBC has been their emphasis on localization of the HSBC brand.Their strategy of localization has helped them to build local competitive advantages in the regions of their operations such that they could compete effectively with the local players of the region. A deeper insight into this strategy reveals that the efforts are directed towards becoming the consumer’s expert on cultural knowledge of the nation thus getting deep visibility into financial opportunities in the country hidden in the personality & motivation of the end consumers that are normally invisible to other outsiders. The localization model of HSBC is supported strongly by their global technology system called Hexagon Infrastructure havin g foundations laid way back in 1983 and subsequently key enhancements implemented in 1987, 1989, and 1994. HSBC owns one of the most sophisticated & efficient banking transactions & customer service management systems of the world. Internet Banking is a powerful mean of enhancing competitive advantages that should be informative, communicative & transactional as per the local customer needs. HSBC is one of the few foreign banks that are able to compete effectively with the local banks in Malaysia & Thailand.

Differentiating Instruction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Differentiating Instruction - Assignment Example clude simple and compound sentences, and improve transitions by adding, deleting, combining, and rearranging sentences or larger units of text after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed. Incorporating use of different tools like paper and pencil, the equipment like the computer, visuals, posters, oral demonstrations or digital photographs. Different apparatuses permit students to stage varied interests and talents such as photography, It is also crucial to get to know your students casually. This can be achieved through discerning their interests, conducting an interview, or requesting students to answer an open-ended questionnaire with main questions concerning their learning inclinations (contingent on the age group). This is core when scheming for activities requiring reduced structure. On the other hand, it is still crucial to establish styles of learning in addition to preferences for students who may perhaps have arduous time reining in their behaviors. Occasionally, distinguishing preferences can aid in motivating students to focus on any tasks that are rendered. It is the most commonly employed and most conventional teaching strategy. It is centered on the teacher and can be employed to encompass a large amount of material in the available time that the teachers are required what the students need to learn. It is centered on grouping of students corresponding to ability, background, difficulty etc. Nonetheless, one of the mainly crucial characteristics of cooperative learning is to single out the best strategy that will be employed to consign the task for students to complete. In a differentiated classroom, undertakings are customized to the needs of students concurring to the diverse ability levels, interests and backgrounds among others. Suitable activities compel the students to advance and apply knowledge in methods that make sense and that they find to appropriate and meaningful. Varying ways of

Marketing Spotlight HSBC Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Spotlight HSBC Case Study - Essay Example The essay "Marketing Spotlight – HSBC Case Study" presents a marketing spotlight on HSBC in the form of answers to the questions asked in the exercise and also some discussion points pertaining to HSBC global branding & marketing strategy. The primary success factor of HSBC has been their emphasis on localization of the HSBC brand.Their strategy of localization has helped them to build local competitive advantages in the regions of their operations such that they could compete effectively with the local players of the region. A deeper insight into this strategy reveals that the efforts are directed towards becoming the consumer’s expert on cultural knowledge of the nation thus getting deep visibility into financial opportunities in the country hidden in the personality & motivation of the end consumers that are normally invisible to other outsiders. The localization model of HSBC is supported strongly by their global technology system called Hexagon Infrastructure havin g foundations laid way back in 1983 and subsequently key enhancements implemented in 1987, 1989, and 1994. HSBC owns one of the most sophisticated & efficient banking transactions & customer service management systems of the world. Internet Banking is a powerful mean of enhancing competitive advantages that should be informative, communicative & transactional as per the local customer needs. HSBC is one of the few foreign banks that are able to compete effectively with the local banks in Malaysia & Thailand.

Factors of Planning and Other Functions of Management Essay Example for Free

Factors of Planning and Other Functions of Management Essay With over 300,000 people world wide, ATT is truly a global Fortune 500 company with a significant presence in the communication industry. With impressive growth, executives and managers need to develop a strategy that allows ATT to connect with their customers and manage the contributing factors to their success. As stated in the ATT Annual Report (2007), ATT was able to increase their annual income by 98.3%. This amazing growth occurred in all sectors of their revenue stream and made 2007 a historic year financially for ATT. ATT Chairman, CEO and President, Mr. Randall Stephenson also states in the annual report (2007, p. 8) there is one word that best describes what ATT does and it is connected. A simple vision that clearly describes what ATT does for their customers to drive growth in their organization. In order for a company to succeed in todays market, the product appeal to a global audience is imperative. Although ATT did not begin as a business that offered products and services globally, ATTs network now includes 38 internet data centers on four continents across the globe (ATT, 2008). ATT offers a variety of communication products and services that appeal to individuals and companies. The demand for these types of products and services is on the rise, especially within major corporations. Given this demand, ATT has developed and maintained an advanced and powerful communications network. ATT is an industry leader of communication services, which serves millions of individuals and businesses on six continents (ATT, 2008). The economy is an external factor that influences how ATT manages rapid change. For example, with home foreclosures at a record high, the demand for landline telephone service is decreasing. Meanwhile the demand for wireless service is increasing. ATT continues to focus on advancing wireless products (ATT, Vonage, 2008). ATT has acquired many smaller wireless providers, which allows them to become the top provider of wireless services in the United States. Cingular wireless is one of the wireless companies that ATT bought out. After the purchase of Cingular wireless, ATT began, promoting the new ATT, the one-stop shop for all kinds of communications  and entertainment services (Goodbye Cingular, 2007). As early as 1885, ATT began providing telephone service in the United States. To see the vast growth in their technology over the past 100 years is amazing. The service initially started with one-line calls or the ability for only one person to make a telephone call at a time and it now services over 70 million customers. The costs have decreased significantly over the decades as well. In 1892, a long distance phone call from New York to Chicago would cost about $9 for the first five minutes; rather expensive for that period in time. Today, ATT has grown to be the worlds largest communications carrier and provides services for a broad spectrum of customers from residential to commercial, like the Fortune 1000 companies. Other than the typical local and long distance voice services for the residential customer, ATT also provides high speed internet access, home networking, Wi-Fi, and wireless voice and data services. According to ATTs website (2008), they provide businesses with access to one of the worlds most advanced IP networks. ATT provides the corporate community with technologies, such as, Voice over IP (VoIP), enterprise mobility solutions and Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections. To keep up with todays vastly growing field of technology, ATT (2008) †¦recently switched on the nations first coast-to-coast IP/MPLS network†¦ In the United States alone, ATTs wired network encompasses 61.6 million access lines and has 14.2 million high speed internet subscribers. In 2008, ATT plans to expand their current 64,000 Wi-Fi hot spots to more than 70,000 locations also launch more of their multi-screen services. ATT embraces technological innovation to convert ideas rapidly into useful products and services. ATTs management and planning functions focus on the company and its customers while applying principles of sound, responsible and forward-looking stewardship to the needs of society. Today, ATT is rethinking management functions and planning in terms of the Internet and new culture and capabilities. E-business (electronic business), derived from  such terms as e-mail and e-commerce, is the conduct of business on the Internet, not only buying and selling but also servicing customers and collaborating with business partners. E-business allows ATT and other companies to use the Web to buy parts and supplies from other companies, to collaborate on sales promotions, and to participate in joint research. ATTs involvement with technology innovation such as e-business influences a range of criteria, including customer relationship performance, sales-based outcomes, and a general measure of organizational performance. The moderating role of ATTs management teams involvement suggests that management championing the initiatives is crucial for successful results of the e-business market tendencies and new business development possibilities (ATT, 2008). Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call to Watson about 150 years ago. One century ago, there were 10,000 telephone companies battling for their share in the voice communication market. ATT battling in the communications market, realized in order to continue innovation, a sustained research and development component was needed. Early in 1925, ATT determined they could not do this alone and made a series of strategic acquisitions and uniform standards. In the late 20th century, ATT acquired Bell Labs that focused on computers, information and communications science. According to ATT (2008), Recognized as a pioneer in the IT revolution of the late 1990s, direction of innovation at ATT Labs influences not only the ways we live and work today but our lives and the workplace of the future. With these guiding principles, our work in development, creativity and innovation lead to improved social, economic and environmental opportunities for ATT communities. ( ¶13)ATT has made significant innovative contributions to the history of American business and global technology. Listed are a few of these accomplishments including:High-fidelity recording (1925), First TV transmission (1927), Trans-Atlantic radiotelephone (1929), Radio astronomy (1933), The transistor (1937), The first computer (1939), The laser (1960), Optical fiber communication (1977), Cellular technology (1983), Speech recognition and synthesis (1992), Voice over IP technology (1995), Quantum computing (1999), Internet Project predictive and proactive  network security (2005) (ATT, 2008) . ATT noted on their website (2008), Despite its pioneering efforts in other areas of the company, including diversity, customer service and human resources, ATTs reputation for innovation remains closely tethered to ATT Labs.( ¶ 4)ATT realizes that diverse, talented and dedicated people is key to the companys success. In fostering diversity and inclusion, ATT has created a better business environment, one that makes the company an employer of choice, a preferred business partner and important contributor to the community. The companys philosophy is to provide employees with continued opportunities to grow and develop their careers. Management is charged with successful implementation of various diversity initiatives as part of this philosophy. ATT leaders are expected to understand the importance of cultural competency. To support this principle, ATT provides career development initiatives. ATTs commitment to diversity remains a top priority for the company. ATTs diverse workforce is an asset to the company and a result of its commitment to recruit and hire the very best talent. ATT currently conducts business in more than 150 languages and advertises in top languages in selected states. ATT leaders and employees practice respect for differences in their daily interactions. By understanding the various regions served, ATT management is better positioned to plan for and meet the unique needs of customers wherever it does business (ATT, 2008). With over 300,000 working for ATT ensuring ethical behavior is very important. Ethics and Governance are the standards in which the company, including all employees, must adhere to in all aspects of conducting business internally and externally. ATT has adopted a simple statement Do what is right as their motto for ethical conduct by all employees and directors. (Governance, 2003-2008)ATT has four guiding principles stated in their Code of Ethics and Guiding Principles manual on how to treat customers, investors and employees. Those principles are; Talk straight and Follow Through, Lead by Example, Work Together, and Deliver our Future. These four statements are the fabric to ATTs principles and make it clear as to what is expected when working for or dealing with ATT. In todays  environment, ethics have become a serious issue. Directors and managers, as well as employees, are becoming more liable with respect to moral decisions they make at work. Enron is an example of how deceit by a few individuals caused such a ripple effect on the finances of many. Companies like ATT need to touch the moral being of each employee to ensure its customers, shareholders and all parties vested in them are not affected by ones poor judgment. In concluding, with this impressive growth, executives and managers needed to develop a strategy that allowed ATT to connect with their customers and manage the contributing factors to their success. Through innovation and diversity, ATT has grown from a company that started with one-line calling to a multi-million conglomerate, servicing millions of customers around the globe. In keeping up with technology and continuing to implement new corporate strategies, ATT will continue to grow both financially and globally. ATT will continue to be a leader in their field for many years to come. References ATT Inc., (2008), All about ATT Company, Retrieved April 8, 2008, from att.comATT Inc. (2007) Annual Report, p. 8, 29. ATT, Inc. (2008), retrieved April 8, 2008, from att.com/gen/investor-relationsATT. (2008). Enterprise Services. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from att.com/gen/general/ATT Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility (2003-2008). ATT Knowledge Venture, Retrieved April 10, 2008, from att.com/corporate/citizenship/htmlATT, Vonage, Comcast spool the economy. (2008, January). TelecomWeb News Break. Retrieved April 6, 2008, ProQuest database, University Library. Goodbye Cingular, hello again ATT; ATTs acquisition of Bell South began process. (2007, May 21). The New York Times, Grand Rapids Press, Grand Rapids, MI, Retrieved April 9, 2008, from ProQuest database, University Library,

What Are The Uses Of Nanotechnology Environmental Sciences Essay

What Are The Uses Of Nanotechnology Environmental Sciences Essay Nanoscience and nanotechnology congers up visions of making, imaging, manipulating and utilizing things really small and the defining feature of nanochemistry is the utilization of synthetic chemistry to make nanoscale building blocks of different size and shape, composition and surface structure, charge and functionality[1]. The initial concepts of nanotechnology were decribed by Richard Feynman in 1959 when he gave a talk describing a process involving individual atoms and molecules that could be manipulated. Professor Taniguchi later helped define nanotechnology as a process involving separation, consolidation and deformation of materials on particles the size of an atom or a molecule[2]. The national nanotechnology initiative describes nanotechnology as the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometres where unique phenomena enable novel applications[3]. The nanotechnology field is interdisciplinary and spans across physics, biology, chemistry, medicine, materials science and computing[4] and requires engineering at a nanoscale. A nanometre is equal to a billionth of a metre (10-9) and nanotechnology can be defined based on its scale being less than 100nm[5]. The science of nanoscale materials is said to fall between the extremes of 1nm and 1 Â µm lengths[1]. Nanotechnology incorporates science and technology to allow manipulation of atoms and molecules to create new systems, materials and devices with at least one feature of less than 100 nm in size. This provides the capacity to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, to create large structures with fundamentally new molecular organisation[6] which significantly contributes to enhanced material properties in physical, chemical and biological aspects as a result of their nanoscale caliber[6]. At the nanoscale materials have different properties; silver and gold nanoparticles hav e catalytic properties whilst pieces visual to the human eye are inert and unreactive. This is due to smaller particles having a much larger surface are to volume ratio and at sizes below 100 nm quantum effects become apparent. Fabrication on a nanoscale requires the use of molecules as building blocks. There are two approaches taken towards nanotechnology. The top-down approach uses conventional methods of micro fabrication extending them into the molecular size regime and includes electron beam and X-ray lithography. The bottom up approach incorporates the principles of self-assembly extending them from the molecular into the micrometer size regime which in a way mimics the way nature constructs biological systems and requires suitable building blocks. In 1959 hypothetical concepts and experimental results for nano-size materials and devices appeared, however the recent scientific developments have encouraged a revival of activity and created developments in the nanoscience field[1]. Nanotechnology has followed on from micro-engineering where tolerances of 10-6m have become common in the motor vehicle and aerospace industries allowing the manufacture of high quality and safer transportation. In the computing industry the miniaturization revolution has become most apparent. The worlds first stored-program electronic digital computer nicknamed the baby was built in Manchester in 1948 and had the processing power equivalent to that of a mobile phone yet the machine itself filled an entire room. Today the components of a computer have been de-scaled down to the size of a mobile phone and contain nano features, whilst they can process information much faster. Nanoscience is already a leading solution provider to many societal, health and environmental problems and due to its high potential for future developments it is attracting large amounts of funding. Nanotechnology has played a vital part in major revolutionary advances in medicine. Nanoparticles can be used to help faster detection of diseases. They are introduced into the body and bind to targeting antibodies which in turn will bind to the diseased cells and creates a fluorescent glow which can be detected by an imaging system which pinpoints the location of the disease from early onset. There are nano coatings that can repel dirt and prevent the spread of mrsa which has recently become a problem in hospitals. Nanotechnology is creating a path for faster diagnosis of disease and more accurate drug targeting using smaller quantities of drugs, hence reducing toxicity to the body. Looking from an environmental aspect nanotechnology is helping to develop cheaper and more efficient solar energy cells to be used in homes as a cleaner energy source. Nanotechnology is responsible for the production of environmentally friendly nanocoatings which are highly effective and not toxic to the environment, which can be used to replace toxic cadmium and chromium coatings that are currently used. There are nanocoatings which can protect materials making them more durable and resistant to scratches and graffiti. Nanoparticles can be used to invisibly tag things which make it easier for identification purposes and for crime prevention. Nanotechnology has allowed for tougher car tyres, improved sun creams, cheaper solar cells, stronger aeroplane wings, more sensitive and specific sensors, more efficient catalysts, hydrogen storage, tougher fabrics, new materials for sports equipment such as golf clubs and to reinforce the frames and strings on tennis racquets, intelligent glass for windows and glasses, flat screen TV screens among many other things. Carbon nanotubes are highly electrically and thermally conductive and have a tensile strength one hundred times stronger than steel whilst being a lot lighter. The highly desirable properties of carbon nanotubes allow tremendous future possibilities for aviation, military and medical applications. Carbon nanotubes and other materials such as plastics and textiles can be combined to produce lightweight bullet proof vests. Silver nanoparticles are present in socks and help combat bad odour by killing bacteria and this idea has been mimicked in dressing for wounds to keep them sterile. Nanotechnologies have enabled self-cleaning and dirt repellent clothes, which contributes to reducing the energy used to wash them. Nanotechnology developments in the pipeline include carbon nanotubes that can generate heat and may be ideal for electric blankets or as wall paper to heat cold walls and insulate homes. Research currently in process includes polymer based nanofibres that can be filled with nanoparticles, enzymes, catalysts, or an antibacterial. The nanofibres can be sprayed onto cut and wounds to activate the healing process or used to form temporary membranes or filters in the body. Nanoelectric devices have been embedded into textiles and can monitor internal temperature, chemical sensing and provide support for people that partake in extreme sports or for firefighters and other professions wherer this could be a vital piece of equipment. To support these nanoelectric devices research is being conducted on the viability of man made nanfibres which are used to present new properties such as shock absorbance, strength, heat stability and fire retardancy. Encapsulation is a process which increases th e performance or shelf like of a less stable substance and has been used in the nanoencapsulation of cancer drugs to increase their efficiency. It can help to deliver improved taste and protects food substances from harsh processing environments and in household cleaning products they can provide longer lasting scented household fragrances and also to help reduce energy and water use by slowly releasing enzymes in washing detergents. Nanoscale manufacture is already well established with food companies. Several foods and drinks comprise of natural nanoscale ingredients which can be manipulated which often happens in the manufacture of dairy produce[3]. Nanotechnology has been used to incorporate new tastes, flavours, physical effects and health benefits to foods as well improving food manufacture standards by being used to create antibacterial surfaces, packaging that is protected against contamination and special filters that can remove impurities and toxic chemicals[3]. Research in the motor industry is offering applications of nanotechnology to provide improved fuel cells for cleaner energy, more efficient catalysts, corrosion and scratch protection as well as stronger yet lighter engines and other motor parts. Nanoparticles are currently present as additives in fuels which enable lower fuel consumption and decrease any toxic emissions and research is being conducted to develop way in which nanotechnology coul d eradicate hazardous reactants and toxic emissions altogether. Cars are benefiting from nano-sensors which are reducing collisions and can detect part failures within the vehicles. The benefits surrounding the use of nanotechnology in our every day lives is endless, it is obvious that nanotechnology could shape the world of the future and contribute to developing a sustainable environment; maybe one day nanoscience could contribute to ending world hunger. Cancer could be eradicated as surgical procedures are carried out at the molecular level and eventually with nanosurgery everything could hopefully be repairable. However without the cycle of life and death the population on the world would increase to an unmanageable amount that would affect the sustainable environment we are supposedly aiming to achieve. Future developments of nanotechnology are totally unpredictable and the nanoscience phenomenon is still in its early stages. While the many benefits of nanotechnology are apparent, scientists are nervous about what the future may hold and concerns surrounding the ability to make materials come to life via means of reconstruction on the molecular level are most daunting. A particular concern is the development of nanorobotics that could potentially lead to nanorobots taking on human duties which would endanger and unbalance the world economy. However nanoscience is in the responsibility of the scientists and out of our hands for the time being, there are people who fear the future of nanotechnologies and there are those who are looking forward to their developments. Like with any new technology on the market, nanotechnologies also pose potential risks which need to be fully understood in order to optimize the advantages of using nanotechnology regularly. Once embedded in polymers nanoparticles are very safe, yet there is some uncertainty surrounding free nanoparticles and the health threats posed if inhaled. The government and the nanotechnology industry are extremely aware of the possible risks, it is not doubted that nanotechnology can bring profound benefits to society but these various applications of nanotechnology need to be supervised and maintained to safe and risk free level. Public concern surrounding nanotechnology is limited as a large population of the public have not yet heard of nanotechnology[7] and those who have dont fully understand what it actually entails[8-10]. A study in France confirmed that 81.5% of the participants had little or no knowledge about nanotechnology (table 1) [7]. Social scientists have researched what influences public perception of new up coming technologies like nanotechnology[11]. A recent study in March 2011, Comparing nanoparticle risk perceptions to other known EHS risks has concluded that the public are relatively unconcerned about nanotechnology risks and the risks of nanotechnology perceived by the public are relatively low compared to other health and environmental risks ( fig 1.)[9]. In this study the public have ranked street drugs as the highest posed risk followed by smoking, AIDS, nuclear waste and obesity. Nanoparticles have been ranked on the low end of the scale, 20th out of 24, along with X-rays, air trave l and mobile phone use[9]. Fig.1. Rankings by high health risk perceptions[9]. A survey of the public perceptions about the use of nanotechnology in foods and food packaging concluded that the public are ambiguous and pessimistic surrounding applications in the food industry[7]. However the study only surveyed 752 individuals, so this is not a true and fair representation of the views of the public world or UK wide. The study titled The public understanding of the food domain was carried out in France and revealed that the general consensus of the participants was that they were doubtful about nanotechnology in food and food packaging and hence viewed that the benefits equalled the risks[7]. However as the percentage of unfamiliarity surrounding nanotechnology of the participants was extremely high[7] it could be argued that with more understanding of the topic participants and also the rest of the public would be more swayed to support nanotechnology if they were more informed of the benefits and risks. The unknown causes people to be doubtful and cynical and view something they have no knowledge about in a negative light. Evidence suggests that the public however perceive nanotechnology to pose more of a risk than experts do but generally the public believe that the benefits associated with nanoscience outweigh the impact of risk[10, 12]. Table 1. Frequencies and percentages: nanotechnology food packaging (nano-outside), nanofood (nano-inside) and nanotech familiarity (N=752) [7]. After the public backlash against genetically modified foods the public perceptions of new and emerging technologies are highly valued and extremely important and need to considered fully[13]. Given the important and lucrative benefits of nanotechnology for the future the public need to be made fully aware of the advantages before they make negative judgements themselves based on their lack of knowledge surrounding the topic. Uninformed people will automatically have a negative biased opinion of new technology if they are not slowly introduced to the idea and made aware of the advantages before they hear about the minor risks and pass judgement themselves. People in industry fear that without more research and public awareness there may be an outcry against their use of nanomaterials[14]. It was reported that increased education on new technologies led to increased public anxiety of the subject[15]. Will giving the public more information, provide them with more ammunition for a repeat of the public out cries against genetically modified foods and gene technology. Communication between the public and decision makers in nanoscience and the government needs to be established sooner rather than later to gain the public approval and to ensure there isnt a repeat performance of the GM food backlash[13]. Already public protestors present at Nanotechnology debates held in France in 2010 chanted Nano, its not green, its totalitarian[16]. Public perception depends upon the type of utilization surrounding the new technology [17] and most of the time applications involving food and medicine are considered to cause the most controversy in the public eye[18, 19]. A Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in the UK found no evidence that nanomaterials have harmed people or the environment, but recommended further research and evidence to confirm this[14]. The public need to hear positive evidence surrounding the safety of nanotechnology maybe before they are introduced to current and future developments. Public concern includes whether manufacturers and industry will benefit more in terms of revenue from nanotechnology than the consumers[20]. The concern over nanotechnology in food is more of a worry to the public than its use in packaging which is deemed to be quite useful in fact [20]. Titanium-dioxide, one of the most commonly used nanoparticles used in consumer products such as sun creams [21] has recently been slated after finding that Titanium dioxide nanoparticles caused chromosomal damage, as well as inflammation, all of which increase the risk of cancer when tests were carried out on mice[22]. However a year later the same source of information, UCLAs NanoSystems Institute revealed how nanoparticles have been used in the delivery of cancer drug therapy in mice[23] which could have huge potential in the development of human anti-cancer drugs. As of yet the various warnings against nanotechnology can not be justified as there is a lack of concrete evidence to support such claims against nanotechnology. According to new laws from the European Parliament cosmetics containing nanomaterials will have to be duly labelled and the new regulation states Nanomaterials: labelling, definition and safety assessment needed[24]. After Germanys Federal Environment Agency revealed a report about nanotechnology[25] which consequently lead to media headlines reading The German Environment agency warns against nanotechnology and Nanotechnology can make you sick[26] the environment agency retaliated by declaring that we havent done any of our own research and as a result feel the report has been misinterpreted [27]. This is an example of fabrication of warnings against nanotechnology and without adequate evidence the public misconception with regards to new nanotechnology will continue. A report published in 2010, Report on the European Commissions Public Online Consultation towards a Strategic Nanotechnology Action Plan concluded a number of points related to public concerns with regards to nanotechnology amongst other cohorts[28]. The majority public opinion on nanotechnologies was reasonably optimistic and not a single person voted opposed towards nanotechnologies (fig). The public perceived food and healthcare to be most at risk with respect to nanotechnology (fig). Toxic nanomaterials and the nanomaterial workers health were both highlighted as being the most important major issues the public had concern over (fig). The general consensus across all areas questioned was that more action needed to be done with regards to the EU Policies in the new action plan. The areas highlighted the most included addressing safety concerns, developing better tools and adapting existing nanomaterial legislation (fig). Fig.[28] Fig. [28] Fig. Public concerns about the current state of development of nanotechnologies[29]. Fig. [28]