Safety in the Manufacturing Industry

Safety is the state of being free from harm or danger of any kind. Safety is usually achieved through careful planning and the removal of all vulnerable sources of danger or any other that are prone to arise. The first step in the management of any environment to ensure that safety is achieved involves the identification of the potential sources of danger. An array of all the panic triggers is usually made and each is tackled single-handedly. Failure to identify all the potential sources of danger may cause a lot of unforeseen harm (Stellman, 1998). In any workplace, there lie very many potential causes of harm and injury. The repercussions are likely to be very serious given that many places of work usually have hordes of people going about their business and most of the times many are oblivious of any form of lurking danger. In case of any accident that may occur, the number of casualties in many places of work is likely to be very high. The effects of such accidents can however mitigated by the careful consideration of all factors by the planners and the devising of ways to deal with the accidents prior to their occurrence. Many of the hazards that may occur in most working places and cause loss of lives and damage of property includes fire, floods, chemical explosions, release of poisonous gases and the risk of being shred by machines and being cut by very sharp objects (Moi, 1993). Manufacturing Industries: Manufacturing industries are the type of industries that are involved with the production of goods for the end user markets. Such industries produce these goods in large masses; mass production, and the raw materials are brought to these industries in bulk. A lot of machines and are used in various processes within these industries and a lot of manpower is also incorporated in order to increase the production by these industries. All the processes, right from the offloading of the raw materials to the packing of the finished products involve a lot of manpower and machines and many accidents that jeopardize the workers’ safety are likely to happen in any of these stages. Different manufacturing industries usually have different strategies of ensuring their employees’ safety and reducing the occurrence of accidents. Safety in the manufacturing industries: It is mandatory for all industries to ensure that their employees are safe and are free from any kind of harm in the course of duty at these industries. There exists a set of laws that govern how al industries ensure the safety of their employees while at work in the industries. The employees are also obligated to follow the policies, procedures and the directives that are set out in these laws, to the letter. They are also expected to be on protective gear provided by the industry at all times. They are expected to adhere to all the safety rules that are laid out by their employers. The employers are on the other hand expected to give directives to their employees that would be implemented in case of any tragedy and even put signs at strategic places within these industries. The signs must be brief and clear to the employees in order to avoid any confusion whenever there is an accident of any kind (Poltev, 1986). The Passing of the Safety Act: It is estimated that about six thousand workers in the USA die every year due to workplace injuries, another fifty thousand workers die because of exposure to workplace hazards and millions of others die because of non-fatal injuries sustained at their workplaces. This was estimated to be depriving American businesses about one hundred and twenty five billion dollars per year. The government is in all ways trying to curb the occurrence of such by ensuring the safety of every employee at his or her place of work. Safety at the workplace goes a long way to see the cultivation of a good and better job culture at the place of work. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), was passed by the congress in 1970. This act was passed in order to ensure that each and every worker in the nation of USA was working under conditions that are safe physically and even health wise. Some states, however, have enacted their own laws to protect the workers from any physical or health risks at their places of work though they also do ensure that these laws are as effective as those set in the federal law. The OSHA covers all employees except those who are self-employed and public employees in the state and local government. Responsibilities of the manufacturing industries (employer): According to the OSHA website – www. osha. gov, the Occupational Safety and Health Act stipulates that: The manufacturing industry should provide its employees with well-maintained tools and equipment. This serves to ensure that the probability of the occurrence of an accident due to the ineffectiveness of the equipment. The industry officials should ensure that faulty equipment is replaced or repaired immediately to avoid any casualties of any kind resulting from any accident. The industry should also offer the employees with appropriate protective equipment and clothing in order to protect these workers from bodily harm from the various things that they handle within a day. This facilitates the reduction of the occurrence of accidents and the effects of any hazardous substances that the employee may come in contact with. The manufacturing industries must also take their employees for medical examinations prior to and after any activity that may be involving any hazardous substances (Rabinowitz, 2002). In case of any signs of infection, the treatment and medication should be administered on the patient immediately in order to lower the chances of the employee becoming severely affected. The employees should also be granted access to their medical and exposure records. Such records should always be at their disposal so that they can be always updated about their health status and take any personal measures necessary. The industries must provide training to their employees prior to handling any equipment that may be hazardous. The training should be done as per the standards set by the OSHA. This serves to ensure that the employees are well acquainted with the type of equipment that they use for any particular task that the employer bestows upon them. This kind of training also ensures that there is a reduction in the number of accidents that occur in these industries. The standardized training also ensures that there is uniformity in the way accidents are dealt with and this avoids confusion in case of such accidents occurring abruptly. Accidents should be reported to OSHA within the first eight hours of their occurrence. Those accidents that cause lots of casualties should also be reported within this period. Accidents that leave more than three people hospitalized should also be reported to OSHA within this same period. This facilitates the investigation and evaluation into the cause of the accident and the necessary measures are taken in order to reduce such accidents in future and thus increase safety in the workplace. The employer is also obligated with the duty of posting the OSHA poster (OSHA 3165), which informs the employees of their rights and responsibilities. No discrimination is allowed upon an employee who goes forward to address some grievances to OSHA regarding the workplace. The industries are also obligated to keep records of work-related accidents, injuries, illnesses and their causes. They should also post OSHA citations and abatement verification notices to a worksite. They should also abate cited violations within the set prescribed period. The Responsibilities of the Employee: The employee should review the employer provided OSHA standards, regulations and requirements in order to be well conversant with them and follow them accordingly and report any flaws in order to avoid accidents and other mishaps. The employee should also request for information from the employer regarding emergency procedures so as to avoid confusion at the time of tragedy. The employee should observe each and every directive accordingly (Harms-Ringdahl, 2001). The employee should try and grasp the safety and health training provided by the employer as per OSHA standards. Such training should be administered in cases where some toxic substances are involved. All other procedures set for emergencies should also be carefully studied. If carefully observed and followed to the letter, these rules and regulations can spare many lives and save lots of others in the manufacturing industries (Taylor and Hegney, 2004).

Resolving The Pure Enantiomers Of Phenylethylamine Environmental Sciences Essay

The intent of this research lab was to decide the pure enantiomorphs of (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine ( racemic ) mixture, by dividing their diasteriomeric derived functions utilizing ( + ) -tartaric acid. The differing enantiomorphs form different salts with acids. Two molecules that are enantiomorphs have about indistinguishable physical and chemical belongingss although this may be true, the salts that are formed after the reaction with acid have distinguishable belongingss. Some salts are less soluble [ ( + ) ( – ) ] than others, and hence crystallize from the mixture in a about pure stereoisomeric signifier. When utilizing NaOH as a strong base to handle the salt, it allows for the isolation of the enantiomorph ( Lab Manual, 2007 ) . Polarimetry is a common method used to separate between enantiomorphs, based on their ability to revolve the plane of polarized visible radiation in opposite waies ( + and – ) . This allows the perceiver to find the enantiomeric purenes s, and hence the composing of the mixture ( Wade, 2007 Chemical Chemical reaction: ( – ) -amine ( + ) -amine less soluble salt [ ( – ) ( + ) ] : crystallizes more soluble salt [ ( + ) ( + ) ] remains in solution 2NaOH+ 2H2O( – ) -?-phenylethylamine ( Lab Manual, 2007 ) Procedure: Alternatively of utilizing a 50 milliliter beaker to boil the amine solution in, we used a 50 milliliter Erlenmyer flask For the remainder of the proceduce refer to pg. 18, 22-24 ( Lab Manual, 2007 ) Observations: The crystals were given a 4 hebdomad crystallisation period and afterward, the ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate salt was observed to be a white crystalline solid, and the methyl alcohol was a crystalline liquid. Two really distinguishable beds were seeable following the reaction with the NaOH ( strong base ) and add-on of the methylene chloride ( CH2Cl2 ) . The top bed was translucent in some topographic points and opaque in others, really cloudy, white liquid, while the bottom bed was crystalline and besides liquid. The attendant mixture following the three separate extractions was close to transparent Consequences: Table 1: Experimental Datas: Multitudes and Optical Rotations Mass Filter Paper 0.58 g Filter Paper + Initial Crystal Sample 8.25 g Recovered Crystal Sample 7.67 g 50 milliliters Erlenmeyer Flask with 2 boiling rocks 39.75 g 50 milliliters Erlenmeyer Flask with Amine merchandise and 2 boiling rocks 42.63 g Amine merchandise 2.88 g Optical Rotation Specific Rotation of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine -31.8o Table 2: Experimental Raw Given Data Volume of (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine 10.0 milliliter Density of (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine 0.9395 g/mL Molecular Weight of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine 121.8 g/mol Molecular Weight of ( + ) -tartaric acid 150.09 g/mol [ ? ] D ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine -40.4o  ± 0.2o Table 3: Multitudes, Moles, Optical Purity, and % Output Mass (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine 9.40 g Gram molecules (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine 0.0776 mol Gram molecules ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine 0.0388 mol Gram molecules of tartaric acid: 0.0388 mol Percentage Output of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate 73.1 % Percentage Output of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine 61.3 % Optical Purity 83.7 % Calculations: % Output of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate: Mass (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine Gram molecules (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine m (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine = denseness ten volume = 0.9395 g/mL X 10 milliliter = 9.40 g N (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine = mass/molecular weight = 9.40 g/ 121.18 g/mol = 0.0776 mol Gram molecules ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine and tartaric acid: N ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine = 0.0776 mol/ 2 = 0.0388 mol *Racemic mixture so divided by 2* ( half of entire moles ) N ( + ) -tartaric acerb = N ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine = 0.0388 mol Theoretical Output of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate: Actual Output of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate: m ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate = n x M = 0.0388 mol X ( 121.18 g/mol + 150.09 g/mol ) = 10.5 g m ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate = Mass filter paper + initial crystal sample – Mass filter paper = 8.25 g – 0.58 g = 7.67 g Percentage Output of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate: % Output = ( Actual Yield / Theoretical Yield ) X 100 % i? Actual ( what was obtained after experiment ) = ( 7.67 g / 10.5 g ) X 100 % i? Theoretical ( the mass that should hold been = 73.1 % obtained if all aminoalkane was extracted ) % Output of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine: Theoretical Output of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine Actual Output of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine Since the initial mixture was racemic: m ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine = m (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine / 2 = 9.40 g / 2 = 4.70 g m ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine = mflask w/ amine+ rocks -mflask w/ rocks = 39.75 g – 42. 63 g = 2.88 g Percentage Output of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine % Output = ( Actual Yield / Theoretical Yield ) X 100 % i? Actual ( what was obtained after experiment ) = ( 2.88 g / 4.70 g ) X 100 % i? Theoretical ( the mass that should hold been = 61.3 % obtained if all aminoalkane was extracted Optical Purity of Sample: Theoretical Optical Purity: Actual Optical Purity: Optical Purity = -40.4o  ± 0.2o Specific Rotation ( [ ? ] D ) : =Optical Rotation [ ? ( observed ) ] / c * 1 = -31.8o / ( 1.0 diabetes mellitus x 0.94 g/mL ) = -33.8o Optical Purity: = ( Actual optical pureness obtained/ theoretical optical pureness ) X 100 % = -33.8o / -40.4o x 100 % = 83.7 % Discussion: When the ( + ) -tartaric acid was added to the racemic mixture, (  ± ) -?-phenylethylamine, ( – ) -amine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate, and ( + ) -amine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate salts were formed. The ( – ) -amine- ( + ) -hydrogen tartrate was much less soluble in methyl alcohol, and hence crystallized out of the solution ( Lab Manual, 2007 ) . This method of separation was proven to be rather successful, as the per centum output of this crystallisation was 73.1 % , which is comparatively high. The presence of drosss, every bit good as the inability to wholly crystallise the salt from methyl alcohol most probably attributed to any disagreements. It is besides possible that although the ( – ) ( + ) salt is less soluble than the other salts, it still has some kind of solubility, and hence crystallizes instead easy ( hence the compulsory 2 hebdomad waiting period, in our instance it was 4 hebdomads ) . As good, the other salts, despite their high solubility in methyl alcohol, may hold still crystallized really somewhat over the long waiting period, adding to drosss Addition of NaOH resulted in the formation of two distinguishable beds: a white, cloudy aqueous bed ( top ) , and a clear aminoalkane bed ( underside ) , and allowed for the isolation of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine ( Lab Manual, 2007 ) . The add-on of 5 milliliter of H2O to the flask confirm that the top bed was the aqueous bed, since it increased comparative to the bottom bed and the H2O was absorbed here ( Lab Manual, 2007 ) . The aqueous bed consisted of the ( – ) -amine, along with Na tartrate, and H2O, while the aminoalkane bed included any drosss. The Na tartrate readily dissolved in H2O, while methylene chloride ( CH2Cl2 ) was added to fade out ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine ( boiling point ~ 186oC ) , since it had a lower boiling point ( 40oC ) , and could easy be removed through warming ( Synthesis and declaration of alpha-phenyethylamine. After a filtration procedure, including a series of extractions, there was per centum output of 61.3 % for the ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine, which is a lower output than the original 73.1 % , bespeaking that there was a loss of aminoalkane during the 2nd portion of the experimental process. The chief cause of this mistake was the inadvertent disposal of much of the aminoalkane bed, in which a little sum of ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine was still present. The presence of some drosss may hold besides affected consequences, nevertheless, they would hold alternatively increased the output and lead to deceptive consequences. Another possible cause of mistake is the little escape out of the glass stopper on the separatory funnel when the solution was shaken. There was a spot of solution that leaked out the underside or squirted out the top when let go ofing the force per unit area in the funnel. Subsequently, the mistake that well lowered the output of the merchandise greatly increa ses the optical pureness of the mixture. The ascertained rotary motion of the concluding sample was -31. 8o ( levorotatory, left manus rotary motion ) and the specific rotary motion was -33.8o compared with the empirical specific rotary motion of -40.4o  ± 0.2o ( Lab Manual, 2007 ) . The attendant optical pureness was 83.7 % , which is well high. Aside from the antecedently mentioned disposal of the organic bed, legion other mistakes, such as the presence of drosss may hold contributed to divergences in the optical pureness. The negative ( antagonistic clockwise ) rotary motion basically confirmed that the enantiomorph being isolated was the ( – ) -?-phenylethylamine, and the high optical pureness demonstrated that the extraction was accomplished with much success and considerable truth, since the concluding merchandise was chiefly ( – ) -amine, despite the comparatively low output.

Canadian history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Canadian history - Essay Example Canadian economy in general flourished during the period in question and even later on because it realized and responded positively to external opportunities and pressures; on the domestic front it improved inland transportation, allowed immigration developed an atmosphere for enterprise and imported technology from Europe leading to a steady growth of an economic infrastructure. One may argue that compared to Europe, the Canadian economic structure had peculiar characteristics comparable only with Australia. Canada has a small population living in an area which is endowed by the nature with plenty of raw material in high demand in Europe. Since there was no government emphasis on and efforts to developing the manufacturing sector, the Canadian entrepreneurs could focus on staples export to Europe and America. After the Confederation was announced in 1970, Canada found itself in the throes of breaking away from British political influence yet having to depend on it for the sale of its staples and import of manufactured goods. It had to set its own policies as a quasi-independent country even when it cannot shrug off the mainly European heritage. This was also a period when Europe itself was passing through the epochal period of industrialization and attendant socio-political change. The cultural difference between the people who ran Canada (such as British and French) and the changing geographical aspects impeded a uniform growth in economy. For instance, if the growth was propelled in some regions by the export of staples to Europe, in other regions domestic progress fueled the economic growth. Also, the progress at the national level varied from one period to the other. One aspect of Canada's economic growth is also stated to be a combination of dependent and independent progress workin g in coordination yet historians have been able to distinguish periods when economic growth was dependent and when it was independent. Therefore, studies of Canada's economic history revolve around H. A. Innis who proposed the development of staples export dependent on Europe and John Rae who was in favour of an independent model of growth. There are many versions of the staple theory proposed by Innis during the nineteenth century and of course many off-shoots of the independent John Rae's economic theory including the Nationalist School in the nineteenth century. But according to Neill, "the political fractionation and geographical expansion that constituted Confederation eventually tipped the balance, for Canada as a whole, in favour of growth dependent on primary product exportshowever, between 1866 and 1896, the central Canadian economy grew at a steady pace, unaided by any significant expansion of staple exports." (Neill, 1991) At a time when Canada enjoyed good relations with Europe especially in terms of trade, it was faced with a threat from the United States which viewed Canada as a weak British colony. Table 1: TRADE OF CANADA WITH VARIOUS COUNTRIES DURING 1886-1955 Year Total($ millions) U.S. U.K. 1886 96.0 44.6

Human genetic enhancement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Human genetic enhancement - Essay Example However, with the continued research and development (R&D) headed by scientists stationed mainly in Oregon and Newcastle, there were discoveries made that uncovered the biotechnology’s ability to facilitate more than just medical corrections. These ‘other’ application areas that human genetic enhancement promised are the center of ethical and scientific wars that form a significant battleground for the US policy makers in making decisions regarding human genetic enhancement. This synthesis paper shall scrutinize the readings provided to come up with the key issues US policy makers need to put into consideration in a task of installing laws regarding human genetic enhancement. The benefits of human genetic enhancement, if implemented along ethical and lawful limits, outweigh the disadvantages that the biotechnological advancement could come along with in improving human life. Merits of human genetic enhancement The key consideration that the US policy makers would have as the ultimate reason to allow human genetic enhancement would be the prevention of diseases. Stock (2003) elucidated this fact by analyzing a study that demonstrated the possibility of a strain in the genetic makeup of people with Down syndrome having the ability to reduce cancer incidences by 90%. This study was a clear indication that human genetic enhancement

Swift's A Modest Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Swift's A Modest Proposal - Essay Example The succeeding discourse thereby presented arguments that justified the veracity of the author’s contentions; including presenting advantages, the cost of a child (if sold in the market), the supply and demand factors, as well as any potential contrasting assertion or bias of the author to the proposal. Through well-structured logical arguments, including presentation of computations for the expected weight of a healthy child, the cost that a child could be sold, the relief that the selling could do to the poor parents, the benefits that the sale could allegedly provide to a greater number of people for the greater good, assisted in enhancing and accepting the validity of the surprise ending. Likewise, the author emphasized that the proposal would not, in any way, generate bias through potential self-interests; but in fact, was open to other alternative options. Overall, the surprise ending was indeed unexpected and one surmised that the proposal was not at all imaginable; nor morally, ethically and legally conceivable in the first

Research Methods Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Methods - Coursework Example There are many situations that would drive a researcher to want to conduct a historical research. One of those situations is the urge to understand a certain culture. The full length understanding of a culture (for examples its education or religion) requires that information about the past events of that culture be examined in order to understand its present and even predict what will happen to the future. This is possible and reliable since historical research focuses on patterns that happened in the past therefore making it easier to compare with the current patterns. Understanding of the past of a culture may is also necessary in order to compare it with the history of other cultures. Part 2 Explain the difference between external and internal evidence and give examples of each. Internal evidence in a research is determined by the absence of any confounds and it ensures that the results of the researcher are according to the procedures specified and no deviations have been made. Internal evidence is mostly used to determine causal effects and relationships in a research and this therefore means that it is bound to have many threats to it. External evidence on the other hand describes the amount of supportive information that can be acquired from other sources or other previous research to justify the current research. It can also be defined widely to include the extent the research results can be generalized to other settings other than the one currently the research is on. Part 3 Provide an explanation and an example of the following descriptive research designs: 1. Observation studies: These are done through the researcher just merely observing the subjects of the research and not manipulating them. The researcher then records the observations while they are taking place to avoid missing any details and the analysis will be carried out of the recorded information from the observation. The observation may take place for a long or short time depending on th e research objectives. This is common when dealing with research about animals where there are communication barriers. 2. Correlation research: This is a form of descriptive research design where a relationship is sought and established between the variables in a research. The relationships between the variables (if any) are used to further understand and justify the research design. An example of this type of research is in social research like poverty where there are several variables which seem interrelated. 3. Developmental designs: (there are three different types) These are research designs used to examine human relationships and interaction throughout their development and the time each developmental design takes varies. The first is the cross-sectional design where a researcher researches on different subjects with different characteristics but within a single time period that is usually specified for example researching about different age-related subjects who have the same characteristics. The other is the longitudinal design where the time period for the research is not specified and it involves studying the same subjects over and over again for a long period of time. This is true for example in medical research. Lastly, the third developmental design is the cross- sequential design. In this design, the research subjects are tested on a cross-sectional basis (ensuring the differences in traits) but repeatedly for long

Study the housing market bubble the US is currently experiencing. What Essay

Study the housing market bubble the US is currently experiencing. What happened because of the bubble and what is the current state of the housing market and ho - Essay Example However, financial derivatives itself are considered as detrimental if their use is made in more superficial way. Banks, in order to recoup the lost liquidity drained into the subprime mortgage loans have securitized them against the payments and real estate properties offered as securities in those mortgage loans. The process of securitization works in double way. Banks rely on the cash flows generated through the repayment of these subprime mortgage loans to pay off their obligations on those securitized instruments issued by the financial institutions. The problem arises when the subprime borrowers started to default on their obligations hence creating a mismatching in the liquidity positions of the financial institutions. Since most of the financials institutions have already securitized their mortgage portfolio therefore, in order to avoid being defaulted on their payments to the bond holders of those securitized loans, they divert their normal cash resources to the payments to be made to those bond holders. Since the normal and routine liquid resources of the financial institutions go to the repayments of those bonds therefore they find themselves short of liquidity hence a credit crunch in the economy emerges as a result of this. The credit crunch caused by this housing bubble borrowers also leads to the crowding out effect also as more and more funds are being diverted in paying off the liabilities of the financial institutions therefore the availability of the credit to the private sector shrinks thus halting the progress of the economy since most of the companies rely on bank credit at least for their short term working capital needs as well as making long term investments through a combination of borrowings either through banking channels or secondary markets. With the lowering interest rates, the demand for the homes increased which ultimately raised the prices

Is Google Making Us Stupid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Is Google Making Us Stupid - Essay Example I tend to differ with the notion of stupidity arising from Google. Although Google and the internet as a whole are changing us, we are headed for good things. Carr claimed the emergence of the search engine Google carries blame for his acquired inability to pay attention to whatever material he reads. Google provides information within a span of 0.003 seconds and internet users find no use in reading large volumes of books to get information that is already summarized elsewhere (Carr 56). The summaries and appealing presentation of information over the internet are Carrs argument on his reduced attention and inability to read long texts and passages. It is, therefore, apparent that for people who use the internet and its search engines such as Google, they cannot read articles and books with competency. They also cannot take much of their time trying to comprehend what they read (Carr 56-63). Contrary to that, optimistic people will always quote how Google has shaped and reshaped their minds and brains. Google has provided people with means, new tools and ways of accessing information and sharing it with the rest of the world. It, therefo re, sounds absurd to think of Google as having a stupid nature rather than enlightening tool. It is unacceptable to take Google as a tool for stupidity. People’s failure to pay attention for long texts has been depleting over time because of the corrupt cultures present in the world (Gitlin 5-7). James Bowman in his article "is stupid making us Google" expounds on the concept that Google takes no fault on the new state of poor attention people are paying to read hard copy materials. Instead, he shifts the blame to the junk culture blending all over the world. Education instructors and mentors, for example, have reduced their attention and value for their respective studies (Bowman 75-78). Bowman goes ahead to elaborate his claims by

Is abortion right or wrong Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Is abortion right or wrong - Coursework Example These statistics are a clear indicator of how abortion has affected a great deal of the world’s population either directly or indirectly. Due to the grey nature of life-related issues statements are left for individual interpretations and this paper will look into whether abortion is right or wrong. Scientists have come to the fore with mixed sentiments on the issue of abortion. Some point out that a human being exists right from conception. These further stress that the terms zygote, embryo and foetus among others, that are at the centre of debate as to which is a human form and which is not, are merely stages of development in a new baby. They stress that a baby also has various names like infant and toddler depending on their age after birth. These scientific arguments connote that a baby is formed right from the time it is conceived and the human argument needs no debate (Baumgardner 2008). In the same scientific front there are those that refrain from the above descriptio ns. Some extremist opponents of these views state that life begins are birth. The others state that an unborn child is a living person but they differ on which stage of development a human being is formed. It is important to note that within the general population there are divisions in opinion with people falling under the above three categories in relation to when a baby starts being human. In this regards it is important to look into the various specific arguments for and against abortion. Arguments for abortion Pro-choice activists state that many abortions are done during the first trimester. At this stage of pregnancy the foetus is not able to survive outside the womb by itself. As such the argument set forth is that the foetus is just but a part of the woman’s body and not a separate entity and abortion is just but elimination this part. Human life formation should be differentiated from personhood. Those who support this view state that human life begins at conception but argue that the vitro fertilisation eggs which do not get implanted are often discarded. They further ask the question as to whether this is murderous or not and therefore fail to understand why when a woman does the same it is termed as murderous. Adoption on the other hand cannot be an alternative to abortion as some argue. They support this by stating that only less than 3 percent of women opt to offer their babies for adoption after birth. As such they state that aborting is a decision best left for a woman to make as going for adoption is a rare route after birth. Abortion, contrary to the popular belief, is medically safe and only 0.5 percent of the cases report serious complications (Naden 2007). Furthermore, pro-choice activists claim that it is not true that after an abortion a woman reduces their chances of a healthy pregnancy in future. They also argue that women who have undergone traumatising ordeals like rape should not be forced to maintain the pregnancy stating t hat they undergo grave psychological stress in these circumstances. Others argue that women become pregnant even after using contraception methods. Statistics indicate that of all the women who undergo abortions, just 8 percent do not use contraceptives. A section of civil rights activists also challenge the arguments against abortion stating that it is a woman’

Understanding European history Essay Example for Free

Understanding European history Essay Although experiencing a period of expanding intellectual and geographical horizons, European history in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries witnessed, on the whole, a profoundly intolerant age. To clarify our opinion, we must first introduce European history under the literary history of this age. Here, we will display our understanding of European history in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, the one by Brecht or the one by Montaigne as two famous authors of the Renaissance age. Herr Bertolt Brecht in relation to European drama and theatre Anyone who was anyone in Germany and France wrote historical dramas. It is therefore understandable that the poets of inner conflicts, the prophets of the Byronic hero, also emerged as writers of historical drama and often released the two themes in the same play. The most important condition a historical drama should fulfill when it was to be performed was that should represent history as an all-embracing system and as a force which helps to define identity. Unlike ONeil and Pirandello, however, Brecht does not want the spectator to identify or feel empathy with his heroes. In 1922, he noted in his diary: I hope in Baal and Jungle Ive avoided one common artistic bloomer that of trying to carry people away. Instinctively, Ive kept my distance and ensured that the realization of my†¦. effects remains within bounds. The spectators splendid isolations is left intact; it is not sua res quae agitur. Consequently, Brecht draws quite different conclusions from the concept of the impossibility of individuality in Baal than do ONeil or Pirandello in their work. Brecht opposes the idea of the ever-constant – tragic or polyvalent – absurd being (Sein) of man with the theorem of mans changeability. He designed the comedy Mann IST Mann (Man equals Man) as a kind of experimental apparatus which would demonstrate the basic pre-conditions of re-assembling one personality into another. Herr Bertolt Brecht maintains man equals man- a view that has been around since time began. But then Herr Brecht points out how far one can maneuver and manipulate that man. All of Brechts re-writs began from the insight gained from Baal, that man is nothing without his social and economic relations (One is none) and that it is only through relationships that he becomes something; these relationships prove to be not primarily human ones but rather relationships based on commodity exchange. Such relationships of ownership turn man into an object which can be used in a negative or positive way, according to the situation, and this can be demonstrated experimentally. Brecht developed the form of Lehrstuck in response to a very specific problem which repeatedly confronted his theater in the course of 1920s. It concerns, on the one hand, the new type, and, on the other, the middle-class audience response to it. Brecht presumes that there can be no individuality in the way conceived by the former bourgeoisie, and that no definitive statements can be made on new trans-individual man since it can only rise as the result of a lasting process of development. Brecht felt supported in this view by Marxism, which defines man as a changeable and world-changing being, whose consciousness is determined through his social being. The new man, who will be formed as a product of situation where there is no bourgeoisie, in a classless society, thus cannot be defined and fixed in advance. The dramatic poet in my view is merely someone who records history. He stands above history, however, in that he creates history for a second time and places us directly in the life of a certain time, instead of providing a dry account; he provides characters instead of characteristics, and figures instead of descriptions. It is his greatest ask to come as close as he can to history as it really happened. Brecht constructed as antithesis, from similar points of departure he arrives at completely opposite conclusion: †¢ The absolute self-realization of the vital individual, liberated from all moral scruples is impossible in bourgeois society, since this form of society forces everyone to fit in and its conventions stand in total opposition to the individuals claim to happiness and eradicate individuality. †¢ The individual who sets himself up to be absolute, who lives out his insatiable sexual lust, his incontinent consumption of food and drink, is a monstrous social being who either falls into the realms of the mythic or becomes part of the circle of nature- from the white mothers womb to the dark womb of the earth- and dissolves his own individuality. Brecht turns his conclusion into a positive one- something only Hugo von Hofmannsthal had recognized at that time. Michel de Montaignes essays in the Renaissance age Mantaigne essentially invented the literary form of essay, a short subjective treatment of a given topic, of which the book contains a large number. Essay is French for trial or attempt. Montaigne wrote in a kind of crafted rhetoric designed to intrigue and involve the reader, sometimes appearing to move in a stream-of-thought from topic to topic and at other times employing a structured style which gives more emphasis to the didactic nature of his work. His arguments are often supported with quotes from classical Greek and Roman texts. Montaignes stated goal in his book is to describe man, and especially himself, with utter frankness. As an essayist, his great project centered on the sustained delineation of only one character, which was Montaignes character. He finds the great variety and volatility of human nature to be its most basic features. A typical quote is I have never seen a greater monster or miracle than myself, He describes his own poor memory, his ability to solve problems and mediate conflicts without truly getting emotionally involved, his disgust for mans pursuit of lasting fame, and his attempts to detach himself from worldly things to prepare for death. Montaigne is known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre. He became famous for his effortless ability to merge serious intellectual speculation with casual anecdotes and autobiography- and his massive volume essays (translated literally as Attempts) contains, to this day, some of the most widely influential essays ever written. Montaigne had a direct influence on writers the world over, from William Shakespeare to Rene Descartes, from Ralph Waldo Emerson to Stephan Zweig. Montaigne freely borrowed of others, and he has found men willing to borrow of him as freely. We need not wonder at the reputation which he with seeming facility achieved. He was, without being aware of it, the leader of a new school in letters and morals. His book was different from all others which were at that date in the world. It diverted the ancient currents of thought into new channels. It told its readers, with unexampled frankness, what its writers opinion was about men and things, and threw what must have been a strange kind of new light on many matters but darkly understood. Above all, the essayist uncased himself, and made his intellectual and physical organism public property. He took the world into his confidence on all subjects. His essays were a sort of literary anatomy, where we get a diagnosis of the writers mind, made by himself at different levels and under a large variety of operating influences. It was reasonable enough that Montaigne should expect for his work a certain share of celebrity in Gascony, and even, as time went on, through ¬out France; but it is scarcely probable that he foresaw how his renown was to become world-wide; how he was to occupy an almost unique position as a man of letters and a moralist; how the Essays would be read, in all the principal languages of Europe, by millions of intelligent human beings, who never heard of Perigord or the League, and who are in doubt, if they are questioned, whether the author lived in the sixteenth or the eighteenth century. This is true fame. A man of genius belongs to no period and no country. He speaks the language of nature, which is always everywhere the same. Evaluating the difference between Brecht and Montaigne Thus, if the Stream of things is a mixture of dying and regeneration, the thought problems confronting us are dialectical, in the identity of opposites, of negative and positive; and also linguistic, in the logical validity of sentences and the mutual exclusion of their meanings; and also aesthetic, in so far as one aspect of the dead moons continued life is its perception as strange [fremd] by even one last living being, its estrangement of itself and of that being. Finally, causality intervenes, and intersects the vast sublunary landscape of all that is: raising its own linguistic and dialectical questions. Brecht was willing to force the issue even more pointedly, as in his suggestion that although the purely biological death of the individual IS uninteresting to society, dying ought none the less to be taught. It is probably less a Montaigne-like aspiration than the expression of themes surrounding Die Massnahme from this same period. A social Tao, on the other hand, is surely bound up with the issues of technology and modernity raised above, to which we will return in conclusion. Bibliography References used in the current essay: 1. History of European drama and theatre, Erika Fischer-Lichte, Jo Riley. Pages 232-238-315-317-318 2. The Complete Essays of Michel de Montaigne, Vol. 1 of 2. Michel de Montaigne. Pages 1-2 3. Brecht and method, Fredric Jameson. Page 171

Abacus, Amadeus And OPERA Reservation Systems

Abacus, Amadeus And OPERA Reservation Systems Abacus, Amadeus, and OPERA Reservation Systems (ORS) are the three IT systems that will be discuss in this report. Abacus is the Asia Pacifics largest Global Distribution System (GDS) and Computerized Reservations System (CRS) that provides airline reservations, pricing and ticketing, hotel and car bookings, travel insurance and other travel information. One of the travel agency which is using Abacus is Eurotours Travel Pte Ltd in Singapore. Amadeus is a Central Reservations System (CRS) which created by Air France, Iberia Airlines, Lufthansa, and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in 1987. AirAsia is one of the airline partner which is using Amadeus as their IT system. The OPERA Reservation System (ORS) is the industrys first truly integrated, single image enterprise inventory system. ORS is owned by MICROS Systems, Inc. Loews Hotels has chosen ORS to be their IT systems in all their hotels. These three different IT systems have its different advantages and disadvantages. Last but not least, IT systems are very important in tourism and hospitality industry. They play a lot of roles in industry in order to provide more convenience for the companies as well as the customers. 2. Introduction Information Technology (IT) systems play an important role in tourism and hospitality industry. There are many IT systems appear in the market now for hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and airlines. Some of the IT systems are Abacus, Amadeus, Gabriel, Fidelio, OPERA Reservation System, Sabre, Worldspan, and many others. These IT systems are created to make reservations, check seat availabilities, food and beverage transactions and controls in hotels, restaurants, airlines, as well as travel agencies around the world. Abacus, Amadeus, and OPERA Reservation Systems are the three IT systems that will be discuss in this report. Abacus is the Asia Pacifics largest Global Distribution System (GDS) used in travel agencies. Amadeus is a Central Reservations System (CRS) which majority used in airlines while the OPERA Reservation System used in most hotels in the world. This report is written and compound to evaluate and analyze how Abacus, Amadeus, and OPERA Reservation System are implemented in three different companies. 3. Abacus logo_Abacus-red_large.gif Abacus International is the Asia Pacifics largest Global Distribution System (GDS) and Computerized Reservations System (CRS) that provides airline reservations, pricing and ticketing, hotel and car bookings, travel insurance and other travel information since 1988. The headquarter of Abacus International is located in Singapore. Abacus International is 65 percent owned by Abacus International Holdings and 35 percent owned by U.S. Based GDS, Sabre Holdings. Sabre is the global leader in the electronic distribution of travel and travel related services. Abacus International Holdings is jointly owned by several Asias leading airlines including All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Garuda Indonesia, EVA Airways, China Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Hong Kong Dragon Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Philippine Airlines, SilkAir and Singapore Airlines. Abacus is typically used in travel agencies and one of the travel agency which uses Abacus as their reservation system is: Eurotours Travel Pte Ltd Eurotours Travel Pte Ltd was established by Ms. Hedy Mok in 1974. Eurotours Travel is located at 190 Clemenceau Avenue #05-4/7, Singapore Shopping Centre, Singapore 239924. Eurotours Travel provides inbound and outbound travel management services. Currently, Corporate Travel bookings comprise 80 percent of Eurotours business volume and the remaining 20 percent is from Leisure Travel services. Every system must have the strengths and the weaknesses in different area. The strengths of Abacus are Abacus has direct link for travel agencies who want to apply Australia visa for their customers. It is more convenience for the travel agencies who use Abacus so they do not to go to Australia embassy to queue for applying visa for their customers who wish to travel to Australia. Abacus also provides a lot of information about all requirements that travel agencies need to know for their customers who want to travel to certain country. Some weaknesses of Abacus are the operation of Abacus and the update information in Abacus. The operation of Abacus is not user friendly. For travel agencies who operate Abacus system, they need to give advance training to their employees because Abacus uses a lot of codes in their system. The employees need to learn and memorize hundreds of code in order to make a reservation or check the room availability in a hotel. Abacus also a bit slow in update their new data or information so travel agencies always need to check their new information. logo_Abacus-red_large.gif 4. Amadeus Your Technology Partner 1009amadeuslogo.jpg Amadeus is a Central Reservations System (CRS) which created by Air France, Iberia Airlines, Lufthansa, and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in 1987. Amadeus is owned by Amadeus IT Group. The central headquarters of Amadeus are located in Madrid, Spain for its corporate headquarters and marketing, Nice for the development and Erding for the operation. Amadeus is also a member of International Air Transport Association (IATA), OpenTravel Alliance (OTA), and SITA, and its IATA designator code is 1A. One of the airline which applies Amadeus as their IT system is: Air Asia According to Press Release from Amadeus North America, Inc. (2010) stated: Madrid, Spain, September 10, 2009: Amadeus, a global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry today, announced that it hasformed a groundbreaking partnership with AirAsia, the Worlds Best Low Cost Airline, which for the first time will enable Amadeus-subscribing travel agencies worldwide to book AirAsia flights in the same way they would for a full-service carrier. AirAsia is a Malaysian low-cost airline. AirAsia was established in 1993 and commenced operations on 18 November 1996. AirAsia have five subsidiaries which are Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, VietJet AirAsia, AirAsia RedTix, and Khmer AirAsia (2012). AirAsia Group operates over 400 flights daily, both domestic and international routes, from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, India, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, South Korea, Laos, Philippines, and United Kingdom. Currently, AirAsia has total 96 fleets including Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, and AirAsia X. Amadeus provides Customer Service Management (CMS) for airlines, sales, reservations, and e-ticketing systems, and corporate self-booking tools for major world leading airlines and travel suppliers. Amadeus also offers services for trains, cars, cruises, and hotel reservations. There are many benefits for the airlines which using Amadeus. The system of Amadeus is quite fast and efficient. Amadeus also allows the airlines to change their existing bookings or request new time limits. Lastly, Amadeus also will send automatic recognition or acknowledgement to their partner airlines once all the updates are finished. 1009amadeuslogo.jpg 5. OPERA Reservation System (ORS) opera.jpg The OPERA Reservation System (ORS) is the industrys first truly integrated, single image enterprise inventory system. OPERA Reservation System is owned by MICROS Systems, Inc. The headquarter of MICROS Systems, Inc. is located in Columbia, Maryland. The ORS hotel reservation system is designed with the entire OPERA product family: OPERA Customer Information System (OCIS), OPERA Property Management System, OPERA Sales and Catering, and OPERA Sales Force Automation. ORS can be configured to suit any size hotel or Central Reservation Office (CRO) environment. ORS handles all types of reservations started from individual, group and party, company, travel agent, multi-legged, multi-rate, as well as waitlisted. ORS is typically used in the hotels especially front office and one of the hotel which uses ORS as their IT system is: Loews Hotels Loews Hotels headquartered in New York City, offer a comfortable, vibrant, and unique local experience for their guests. Loews Hotels is a wholly owned by Loews Corporation. Loews Hotels operates 19 distinctive luxury hotels and resorts across US and Canada started from: Annapolis, Los Angeles, Lake Las Vegas, Montreal, Quebec City, Miami Beach, Nashville, New York, New Orleans, Philadelphia, San Diego, Tucson, Washington DC, St. Pete Beach, Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel, and Royal Pacific Resort. The ORS availability display will help the front office officer to check the room rates, types of room, and packages that hotel offer to their guests. ORS also helps hotels to do the complex operations such as frequent flyer and loyalty program memberships, split charges, and rate discounts. ORS also handles group and block reservations in hotel easier than other systems, for example: room blocking, room sharing, rooming lists, tour series, and deposits. Last but not least, hotels and chains can also use the ORS to review their business volume and performance by either open or close channel. Open or close channel can be based on property rate or the room type. 6. Conclusion Nowadays, hotels, airlines, restaurants, and travel agencies use Information Technology (IT) systems in their companies to facilitate the companies as well as their customers in terms of making reservations, checking the seat availabilities, purchasing airline tickets, and many others. Abacus, Amadeus, and OPERA Reservation System (ORS) is the three IT systems which have discussed in this report. Abacus is the IT systems which used in majority travel agencies, while Amadeus and ORS used in majority airlines and hotels. These three different IT systems have its different advantages and disadvantages. Last but not least, IT systems are very important in tourism and hospitality industry. They play a lot of roles in industry in order to provide more convenience for the companies and their customers.

Language :: Communication, Māori Language

The three key ideas that I have explored during my on-line and discussions are: firstly the importance of maintaining of Te reo MÄ ori in New Zealand. Secondly, the role of teachers in maintaining Te Reo MÄ ori in centres and finally I realised the need to acquire second language. Fishman (1996) point out that to lose a language means to lose a culture. Base on this point, I strongly agree that regeneration and maintenance of MÄ ori language is the most imperative action that we should take. Te Kohanga Reo was developed in response to MÄ ori concern ensuring the continuing survival of the Maori language. The DVD expressed that "all kohanga's reflects kaupapa of MÄ ori regeneration" (Te Rere a Te Amokura, 2003). One particular kohanga reo is Te Kohanga Reo o Te Amokura, which provides the opportunities of regeneration and maintenance of the MÄ ori language to tamariki through daily routines Hence teachers have a hugely role in incorporating Te Reo into our centres as much as possible. Teachers can support MÄ ori language through prayer, greeting, storytelling and singing, exercises (Te Rere a Te Amokura, 2003). In order for it to be effective though, I think it needs to be carried on outside of the centres, like it mentioned in the DVD (Te Rere a Te Amokura, 2003). The children's whÄ nau needs to be on board and understand the importance of it to really make an impact. Moreover, Aneta in the lecture mentioned that revitalising language involves regenerating bonds between families and communities. Te WhÄ riki (1996) states children should experience an environment where: connecting links with the family and the wider world are affirmed and extended (p. 54). Furthermore I realize the need for children acquire a second language .New Zealand is a multicultural country. To put this into perspective we can also look at the proportion of people talking in some other second languages in New Zealand. May (2005) points out that the 2001 Census indicates that there are now over 100,000 speakers of Pasifika language. The vast majority of who are Samoan speakers (81,033). This means that Samoan is officially the third largest language group in New Zealand behind English (3,425,301) and MÄ ori (160,527) (p. 369). These ideas have shifted my thinking. As MÄ ori is the indigenous language of this country only. This is quite different to me as Indian because Fiji is a country where we could keep its language and culture, so if the new generations of Indian forgo their culture in New Zealand that does not mean Indian have lost their culture in the world.

No Child Left Behind Creates More Problems for Students than it does So

The No Child Left Behind Act was designed by President George W. Bush in 2001. Although this act seems to be cutting edge and has generated enormous amounts of both controversy and support, this is not the first time American Education has seen such an attempt to improve education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the purpose of No Child Left Behind is to improve student achievement and change the culture of America's schools. ?The NCLB Act of 2001, the revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is a potent blend of new requirements, incentives and resources and it poses significant challenges for states? (?Education Commission of the States,? 2003). No Child Left Behind laws require that every state must develop and implement an accountability system; ?Holding schools accountable for the performance of all students is the cornerstone of the NCLB Act? (2003). There are four main principles to the new plan; Greater accountability for student achievement, greate r flexibility for states, districts and schools in the use of federal funds (more specifically Title I funds) and more choices for parents of children from disadvantaged backgrounds and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been demonstrated and proven to work. However and even still, No Child Left Behind creates more problems for students than it does solutions because of accountability laws. More specifically, students in special education are held to the same standards that students in regular education are held to. Under the requirements for No Child Left Behind Act every school must have highly qualified teachers and must meet adequate yearly progress. Additionally, each school must report attendance, test scores and other statistics p... ... www.NoChildLeftBehind.com Pascopella, A. (2005) Technology cuts run deep. Retrieved 2005, March 11 Inside the Law.com: Analyzing, Explaining and Debating NCLB. Williams, Patrick (2004, 12 January). No Child Left Behind Legislation is a Bad Law. Independent Record. Retrieved February 28, 2005, from http://www.helenair. com/articles/2004/01/21/opinions/a04012104_03.txt Wright, Pamela, Wright Peter (2003). No Child Left Behind. Harbor House Law Press. Retrieved February 26, 2005, from http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1892320126/qid=1109887307/sr=8-2/ref=pd_ka_1/102-1349734-1050505 v=glance&s=books&n=507846 Wycliff, Donald (2003, 2 October) Skirting the No Child Left Behind. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2005 from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news /columnists/chi-0310020171oct02,0,6652365.column

The Definition of Private Essay example -- Definition Essays

The Definition of Private Anyone who has ever received one of those pesky telemarketer phone calls during dinner most likely understands the idea of a private phone number. No one likes to have their phone line invaded by paid phone operators who just want your money. Working long and hard on a group presentation regarding technology threatening/improving privacy, one can realize that the word private has several different connotations and meanings. Yet, when generally facing the word, it usually means the opposite of public. Looking at An American Dictionary of the English Language, private is noted as something unconnected with others, and even sequestered from company or observation. Therefore, this could be something that was taken away, or just something that stands unaccompanied. The word private is often linked to the word alone. A private beach house, for example, is located in an area on the beach where no one else resides. While these definitions further distinguish things which are private from those which are public, Dictionary.com explains private as something...

Louise Vuitton

Louis Vuitton — one of the oldest fashionable houses of Europe. Its history began in the middle of the XIX century, in 1854. Today, as well as 150 years ago, goods from Louis Vuitton are still made manually. With unmistakably recognizable monogram of â€Å"LV† on the logo, Louis Vuitton it is recognized as one of the most prestigious brands in the world. â€Å"Louis Vuitton is one of the world's leading international fashion houses; it sells its products through standalone boutiques, lease departments in high-end department stores, and through the e-commerce section of its website.Louis Vuitton commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton or shortened to LV, is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. † (louisvuitton, 2011). Environment can be defined as, the amalgamation of external physical circumstances that impinge and influence the augmentation, development and survival of creation. Therefore, the business environment would define as same, all the f actors internal and external that affects its profitability and growth. It is very important for the business leader to carry out business environmental analysis to understand their business topography at present time.To evaluate suitable context of the organisations operations in terms of the internal environment it is best to use SWOT analysis of Louis Vuitton. First of all let is start from strengths. Louise Vuitton is not only one of the oldest, but one of the most legendary houses of fashion in the world. The most valuable argument for the strength of this company is exclusivity. Since the 19th century, manufacture of Louis Vuitton goods has not changed. â€Å"Luggage is still made by hand, utilize the signature brown Damier and Monogan Canvas materials, both of which were first used in late 19th century.† (lvmh, 2012).Also, the company markets it is product though it is own stores located throughout the world, which allows it to control product quality and pricing. â₠¬Å"Louis Vuitton commands a strong brand identity and image in the world’s leading financial hubs such as China, Japan and Hong Kong, which incidentally also has the highest concentrations of high net worth individuals, with loyal customers in Europe and the United States. † (louisvuittonbrand, 2013). Secondly let is identify weaknesses of Louise Vuitton.Limited costumer base is the one of the weaknesses of this company. Only the elite and rich who want to make a statement and want to be distinctive from others can afford Louise Vuitton. Also, it does not have any discount sale on it is products, which means that the company reducing the chances of attracting customers who can afford more economical products. â€Å"LV has not had a sale in 154 years. Louis Vuitton prohibits bargain sales. A core of Louis Vuitton’s pricing strategy is to sell the products to all of its customers at the same price no matter the location.â€Å" (Kraemer, 2012).Thirdly, let is thin k about opportunities. To meet contemporary tastes and styles of it is elite consumers, Louise Vuitton revamping its image from time to time. â€Å"The fashion industry is a pretty dynamic one which changes rapidly over the seasons. Louis Vuitton has the ability to revamp its image from time to time to meet contemporary tastes, styles and preferences of its customers. † (louisvuittonbrand, 2013). Moreover, Louise Vuitton leverages its strong brand equity to product – fashion, accessories, shoes, timepieces, and architecture.And with its continuous innovation and support to different managerial, environmental, and more crucially societal and humanitarian issues and concerns (e. g. corporate sponsorship to support culture, youth and humanitarian action), Louis Vuitton can gain more customer loyalty, which will help give them a greater competitive advantage against rival brands. â€Å"While the brand is one of the leading names in the luxury industry, Louis Vuitton maint ains a strong desire to continue its innovation with high quality raw materials, tamper-proof locks, optimised production processes, and soon a dedicated leather goods hub in Angers, France.† (Quark, 2013).Now let is talk about threats of the company. Louise Vuitton is one of the most counterfeited brands in fashion world due to its image as a status symbol – imitation of quality, expertise and innovation – sued Britney Spears, Darfur Charity infringing LV’s intellectual property rights. Also it is has luxury and strong competitors such as Christian Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Prada etc. And one more thing is animal right group. Campaigners staged a noisy protest outside a Louise Vuitton store on Paris famed Champs Elysees avenue in 2006 for using real fur in decoration and  accessories.â€Å"With the advent of environmental protection and considerations in business, the number of groups protesting against the use of animal skins on fashion and leather goodsâ €  (louisvuittonbrand, 2011). External business environment represent the uncontrollable factors, the external factors can be analysed using PEST analysis. It will cover political, economical, social and technological factors. Political Louis Vuitton has slashed the rate of new store openings to two a year on average, down from 10-15.Its extensive network of 460 shops stretches to Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Higher sales going through fewer stores should boost the profitability of each store. Economical Economical situation, inflation, interest rate and strengths of consumer spending. It will directly affect the Louise Vuitton and its profit, if economical situation is bad consumer will spend less â€Å"Fewer new store openings will also free up cash, which could potentially be returned to shareholders† (Daneshkhu, 2013) SocialLouise Vuitton is wealthiest and renowned member of society Technological The new opportunities to expand on the Internet though online sales and now e ven sales by smartphones â€Å"Today, the Louis Vuitton app includes three document types: PDFs, interactive publications (with video, slideshows, Web sites, specific read modes) and videos. It consists of a kiosk, which is used to navi- gate through the Quark Publishing Platform tree structure to select and download the desired publications before viewing them on the iPad.The app also includes a library for previously downloaded documents (which can be read in off-line mode). † (Quark, 2013) Now this essay will give brief recommendations for Louise Vuitton for the next years. Let is start from short-term recommendations. First of all, to make Louise Vuitton more appealing to the consumer, some products of the brand can be made available only in small quantities, by limiting its production of certain products from time to time, or producing special  edition of the some handbag in different markets, Louise Vuitton could become even more premium.Hence, this can satisfy the co nsumer, who wants to differentiate themselves from other Louise Vuitton users. Louise Vuitton could even create a trend for collection of limited edition Louise Vuitton products. Also, Louise Vuitton can open to franchising with high end malls around the world. Long term recommendations are about to be more distinctive from the competition, Louise Vuitton may consider concentrating its business model to production of leather goods only.If Louise Vuitton could concentrate on leather goods production alone, it could become not just the leader, but also the specialist of producing different leather goods. Also, by offering more economic lines to the consumer, Sub brands will help to fight counterfeiting and broaden their consumer base In conculion, as Louis Vuitton continues to build on its strong history, add to its portfolio, and show continued growth, now is a strategic time to invest as stock and value continue to rise.â€Å"The company’s maturity and proven stability make it attractive and investors can rest assured that there would be a low level of volatility in their investment. †(Nebia, 2012) Investors can also be comfortable with the fact that this is not exactly a â€Å"widows and orphans† stock, Louise Vuitton has had continuous expansions by acquiring other well know luxury goods companies and continues to make substantial investments. This has helped to further differentiate sources of revenue and gain more consumers. The company’s innovation in the sector and well-established culture make it standout investment.

Issues Concerning Islam Essay

Muslims have been accused of mutilating women. This practice, however, is denied by the followers of Islam. According to them, â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation† (FGM), which is actually a surgical procedure performed on girls before they reach the age of puberty for the purpose of terminating or reducing their sexual feelings, is not an Islamic practice. They explain that FGM is a tradition of â€Å"Animists, Christians, and [some] Muslims in those countries where FGM is common. † Women are given equal rights under Islam. In fact, the Qur’an decreed that when it comes to public life, men and women should have equal rights and participation. During the time of Muhammad, women were allowed to participate actively in their baya which is the equivalent of today’s practice of political endorsements. Evidence of this Muslim women’s status is the voting rights granted to women in the predominantly Muslim countries like Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. The women in Kuwait followed suit by earning their right to vote and get elected sometime in 2005. In fact, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Prime Minister, divulged a plan to appoint a woman minister in Kuwait soon (Robinson, 2007). Muslims as terrorists and pro-violence Yusuf (n. d. ) said that majority of the Muslims are convinced that while the U. S. government has been blaming terrorism on Islam for years, it was the 9/11 incident which dealt the most telling blow on the credibility and reputation of their religion. This was because the international media was able to depict that many Muslims around the world rejoiced after that incident. The truth is, however, that majority of the Muslim world was saddened by that incident and the repercussions it caused. They would like to tell the world that terrorism is not an official policy of Islam and that, in fact, Muslims also consider terrorists as enemies of their religion. He laments the fact that When a crazy Christian does something terrible, everyone in the West knows it is the actions of a mad man because they have some knowledge of the core beliefs and ethics of Christianity. When a mad Muslim does something evil or foolish they assume it is from the religion of Islam, not because they hate us but because they have never been told by a Muslim what the teachings of Islam are all about. Yusuf blames this lack of Islamic knowledge among Christians to the fact that there is a dearth of credible spokespersons who could defend Islam from its attackers. As a matter of fact, Yusuf stressed that â€Å"Islam is the middle way between excess and neglect† and that terrorism is the preoccupation of zealots and extremists who are, in fact, a plaque of Islam. According to him, there are two types of Muslim extremists whose acts destroy Islam. The first he calls â€Å"reactionary extremists. † This group rejects any form of religious pluralism. According to these reactionary extremists, the world consists of good and evil with nothing in between. Good, according to them, means the reactionary extremists and all those who oppose their actions are evil. Yusuf further explains that these kind of extremists are in the habit of â€Å"excommunicating† other Muslims who reject the way they interpret the Qur’an. However, this kind does not usually resort to violent acts to achieve their goals. Instead, they employ character assassination or takfir to ward their critics (Yusuf, n. d. ). The second type is the â€Å"radical extremist. † These Muslims extremists, according to Yusuf, are the ones who resort to violent acts and tactics to further their objectives. Yusuf stressed that these Muslims act as if they belong to some secret, wicked society whose members believe in the dictum that â€Å"the end justifies the means. † In other words, any method, even the most violent method, is acceptable as long as their â€Å"cause† is advanced. According to Yusuf, this is destroying Islam because the methods employed by Islam should be reflecting the noble ends of the religion. Secondly, Islam is not a â€Å"secret society of conspirators† – rather, it is open with its objectives and traditions which have already been accepted and recognized by people from other religious denominations (Yusuf, n. d. ).

Sample Business Plan for Cafeteria

CHARMAINE (The Battle of Good and Bad Toys) Charmaine is a 10-year old girl grew up with the care of her grandparents. She spends most of her time in her room playing with her toys since her lola doesn’t allow her to go outside and play with other children. It became a norm to her not to speak and just to burst all her emotions alone†¦with the toys. ***Opening paragraph introduces the main character (very briefly,) and the situation or point of change that starts the story. Her wish was granted one Christmas eve; that all her toys could have their lives.While asleep, her toys came to life but is divided – the good toys and the bad toys. The bad toys get Charmaine’s body for they believe that in their world, Charmaine would be happier. The good toys stand with the reason that no matter how the child is taken for granted, she still belongs in the real world. ***Here is the conflict—the battle of the good and bad toys began because of different beliefs. As the battle continues to rise, as the bad toys tried their best in convincing that they can give the unconditional love and attention that Charmaine is always wanted.The little child was confused for at some point she realizes that in her life, all that she has is herself, and her toys that never left her, that never got tired of being with her, that accepts her and always ready to listen. But the good toys never stop making them realize the truth, that only her family can love Charmaine and give her the feeling of contentment. Because of her good heart despite the pain she has been through, Charmaine chose to think of all the things she has and appreciate the effort of her grandparents for raising her up.She stood by the good toys with the thought that somehow, the bad toys will understand her and hope that her grandparents will realize that every child needs undivided attention, unconditional love, company and freedom to let them live every minute of their lives in its fullest. ***This paragraph serves several functions: we learn  Good toy’s selflessness for no matter how they want to be with Charmaine in their world, they still chose to bring back the girl to the reality and Charmaine’s understanding and good heart for still appreciating life and love despite things she is longing for – love, attention, care and freedom.

Effects of Junk Food

Junk Food Sucks Eating  junk food  can have a significant impact on one's health. Though many people enjoy eating  junk  food  and think it tastes great. The term â€Å"junk  food†Ã‚  typically refers to foods that are relatively high in caloric content, but low in nutritional value. Junk  food  is often high in sugar, salt, white flour, and fat. A few examples of foods often considered to be  junk  food  include fast  food, sweets such as ice cream, candy, donuts, and prepackaged treats, soda, and  potato  chips, among many others.The effects of eating too much junk food are lower energy levels, can weight gain  and led to illness and diabetes. The first effect of  eating  junk  food  is its impact on energy levels. Many people skip breakfast or other meals throughout the day, choosing instead to grab a quick snack or a soft drink. The junk  food  causes energy levels to spike, which people like, but then energy levels will quickly dr op, sending one back into the kitchen for another quick snack.The high levels of sugar in junk food puts your metabolism under stress; when you eat refined sugar, your pancreas secretes high amounts of insulin to prevent a dangerous spike in blood sugar levels. In addition,  junk  food  can cause moodiness, and make it difficult to get enough sleep at night, so energy levels are never restored to normal. (Junk Food) Second effect from eating junk food is weight gain.People who eat a lot of  junk  food  tend to gain weight quickly, which can lead to obesity over time; this extra weight then has an impact on the health of the rest of the body. It can raise  cholesterol  and blood pressure, contributing to  heart disease. The high levels of fat and sodium in junk food can cause high blood pressure or hypertension. Excessive dietary sodium can also have a negative effect on renal function, even leading to kidney disease. High levels of dietary fat lead to poor cognitiv e performance.You'll feel tired and have trouble concentrating because your body might not be getting enough oxygen. (Nutrition) Third effect of eating too much junk food is Diabetes. Over time, the high levels of sugar and simple carbohydrates in junk food can lead to type 2 diabetes. This occurs because eating too much sugar puts your metabolism under stress; when you eat a lot of refined white sugar and simple carbohydrates, your body has to pump up insulin production to prevent a dangerous spike in blood sugar levels.Because junk food doesn't contain the protein or complex carbohydrates that your body needs to maintain consistent blood sugar levels, your blood sugar levels will drop suddenly soon after eating. You'll crave sugar and likely end up eating more junk food. Over time, this stress damages your body's ability to use the insulin secreted by your pancrease. A healthy diet can help maintain your body's insulin sensitivity. (Nutrition) When the body does not get proper nut rition, it can become difficult to concentrate.It can also cause depression. Keep all of these health  effects  of  junk  food  in mind before  eating anything; a healthy diet can lead to greater energy levels, improved mood and concentration ability, weight loss, and decreased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. Though  junk food  may be easy and fast, its health impacts are too great to ignore. Work cited â€Å"Fast Food Nutrition† Fitday. com Tuesday, January 22, 2013 B, Miller. â€Å"Effects of Junk Food† Wisegeek. com Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Article Analysis for Sony Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article Analysis for Sony - Research Paper Example This study, thus, digs into the affiliation’s prospects and summarizes various pertinent underpinnings to identify the diverse implications associated with the affiliation. Moreover, it critiques the various effects of restructuring on the case of Sony to enhance the rationale behind them choosing to constantly restructure when it appears to be detrimental to its business prospects. Statement of the problem Sony is apparently the most popular firm in the Japanese and global arena of electronics market. Its aptitude to ingeniously link administration capabilities with the general innovative design has been widely renowned. Additionally, most of its top management and administration personnel have been overtly powerful and influential to its past prospects and successes. Regardless of the truth that most of these personnel were overtly aware of market transformations that would implicate on their affiliations’ business, they could not bear the contemporary upsurge implica ting on the worldwide economy. Since, it is, particularly, not invulnerable to the waves of revolution in the international economy, Sony has been on the rough ride in its business ventures and prospects to the present, unless a rectification measure is duly take to curtail the down surge in profitability and unfavourable market transformation (Robert, 1999). ... This turned out to implicate negatively on the R and D operations, a prospect that elicit significant losses in the outcome. Thus, this critical study concentrates on the Sony Corporation, a communication and electronic multinational affiliation that has been under numerous business restructuring initiatives to enable it fit into the market. Research Questions and Hypothesis With regard to this critical study, it is pertinent to note that various hypothetical prospects have been in utilization, research queries that enhance the reader’s ability to comprehend the actual conceptual underpinnings that relate to the critical study of Sony, a multinational giant in the electronics market whose prospects to restructure have elicited various detrimental implications in the market and also within its intrinsic organizational model. These hypotheses and queries encompass the need to comprehend the rationale behind the restructuring prospects of immensely coveted multinational affiliati ons, Sony Corporation being the major case in this study. Furthermore, the critique includes theoretical applications that seek to evaluate the repercussions and cost effectiveness of the constant restructuring of large international affiliation, Sony being the major. Additionally, the study aims to find out the implication of frequent transformations in an affiliation structure in response to alterations in within the business environment. In such a query, we seek to expound on the changes that implicated on Sony prospects, in terms of profitability and resultant performance. Eventually, the last hypothetical concern surrounds a critical study of the initiatives by multinational corporations within the electronics business challenges and the respective response (Robert, 1999). Review of the

Colonization of Chile and Mapuche Peoples And Colonization of Peru And Essay

Colonization of Chile and Mapuche Peoples And Colonization of Peru And Incas - Essay Example This essay stresses that both Peru and Chile were colonized by the Spaniards although there are some significant differences. In Peru, they had the support of the natives which was not present in Chile. The Mapuche resisted but the Incas had infighting which weakened them and allowed the colonists to take advantage of the situation. The Spaniards arrived in Peru at the height of the civil war but there was no such disturbance in Chile. The elite Chileans tried to establish themselves as informal authority even before any struggle of independence began but the elite Incas were torn between emancipation and loyalty to the crown. In Peru, the colonists had the support of the local natives which was not present in Chile. This paper makes a conclusion that colonization anywhere in the world has always been confronted with resistance, struggles, and demonstration of power. The colonists always attempt to impose their own culture and laws. The purpose in every case is only to expand their territory and repress people by imposing forced labor. The struggle is reduced if the area to be colonized is internally weak as in the case of Peru. Because of these struggles and the consequent resistance no economic growth takes place in the region. Any development has to demonstrate improvement in the lives of the people and the communities. While the indigenous people have always tried to resist, the elite in every group has been able to muster some amount of support.

A psychological and sociological perspective to demonstrate an Essay

A psychological and sociological perspective to demonstrate an understanding of these perspectives and evaluate in what way there application enhances your unde - Essay Example e lives; nevertheless, it is a fact that society has to accept single parenting, because in future, with present stress on individuality, more and more children are likely to be brought up by single parents. Parents who find themselves abandoned by partners are supported by social care and children, who will learn to react to the circumstances and environments, will find difficulties in dealing with social and psychological problems. According to the case study, Michael and Kate were having problems during her third pregnancy because of Michael’s attitude towards his family. He has taken to drinking and was physically assaulting Kate, to the extent that she had to live with Social Care. Michael, in spite of recent behaviour, continues to be fond of their children, visits them often, buys presents, but does not want to shoulder day-today responsibilities bringing them up. Kate, being pregnant and financially dependent on Michael, was finding the situation difficult. Michael moved out of the family home and Kate moved into Grimesbar from Social Care, as it was easy to find accommodation in Grimesbar. She now lives in a four storey tenement with common entrance that is not particularly secure, and the building is scheduled for demolition. That being the case, many of the flats are empty, and Kate lives in an insecure and isolated building. Kate, being a non-practising Roman Catholic, considers other Church going single mothers as ‘holy.’ She does not particularly keep in touch with social workers and in the meantime, becomes friendly with local community activist Frances Kane, who helps Kate in looking after children. She has two teenage children of her own, a daughter training for a career and the boy in armed forces. Her husband Bill, a Lorry driver, stays away from home a lot due to his work schedule. Frances likes to look after Jade and Scott, and Kate leaves them more and more in her care, because Kate has started working and finds it almost impossible

Ethical Dlemma Invovling the Bombing of Hiroshima Essay

Ethical Dlemma Invovling the Bombing of Hiroshima - Essay Example This happened at a time when the intensity of air raids between the two countries had escalated thus leading to war strategies that had to be adopted to defeat the enemy. Although the Japanese had been militarily defeated by the United States army and were considering surrender the United States officials went ahead with the test of the atomic bomb at New Mexico and saw the deadly results. The officials’ in charge took charge and the then president Truman allowed the bomb to be released at Hiroshima. It became the among the world’s deadliest bomb attack that ruined lives and properties. The first ethical debate concerning the bombing of Hiroshima, and the subsequent bombing of Nagasaki, is the fact that the war could have been won without the bombing. From an analysis of the views of people n the era, it is evident that the bombing was not supported by the majority of people. Winnacker (26) states that Professor Albert Einstein remarked leading physicists in the era urg ed the American government not to drop the two bombs that effectively ended the world war. Einstein stated that the War Department was convinced that, with the casualties suffered by the Japanese, their ultimate surrender was not long in coming, therefore, the bombing was not necessary. ... Using the theory of consequentialism, America’s action in the bombing of Hiroshima can be condemned by stating that the government used the principle of personal egoism. The principle of personal egoism states that an individual should always act in his own long-term interests and disregard the interests of any other individuals. In this regard, the United States only considered the interests of its soldiers, in which case they decided to kill innocent civilians in order to end the war. An analysis of the statements of the Secretary of State when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima indicates that the government had taken into consideration the views of scientists and war analysts on the issue in Japan (Bruce 42). The government had been advised that the total surrender of Japan would be a matter of a few weeks, and the bomb did not need to be dropped. However, Secretary Simpson stated that the best way to totally end the war was through a ‘complete and utter’ destru ction of Japan’s military might. Secretary Simpson went on to state that despite the efforts of the Japanese government to surrender the war, the United States government still had to take its own interests before the interests of the Japanese government. The Secretary stated that the Japanese government had gone as far as to approach the Soviet government in a bid to start negotiations with the Allies on the end of the war. This fact can be analyzed using the utilitarianism argument, which states that the best act is the one that produces the highest ratio of good to evil in every action. Using the utilitarianism debate, the United States would be ethically justified for their actions in bombing Hiroshima and

Individual Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual Development - Essay Example Competence - Industry versus Inferiority - School-age / 6-11 years. Fidelity - Identity versus Role Confusion are adolescents / 12 years till they are 20. Questioning of identity. Who they are, how they do fit in? Where they are going in a life? Erikson believed, that if the parents were to allow their children to explore, they could conclude their own self. Conversely, if the parents incessantly push him/her to be conventional to their views, these teen will face personality confusion. This is the stage that relates to this paper’s topic of discussion. Others include; Intimacy versus isolation, generativity versus stagnation and the eight and last stage being Ego integrity versus despair (Erikson, 1982). As the authors have noted (Connell 1995; Frosh, Phoenix, and Pattman 2002; Svahn 1999), ideal masculinity and stereotypical is often connected with hardness and strength. It is true that events stem from the past, but still, nearly all girls and boys would likely not be pleased to speak about their weak spots so explicitly, but would rather try to turn them into assets, into unpleasant experiences that in the end prepared them to be more independent and stronger, that is, something putting them more in conformity with masculine standards or ideals. Their nests are normally permeated with political awareness in various ways, and according to them, there is nothing not to be viewed as political. This case is a clear example of how adolescents may reflect upon matters of gender roles and identity, and make personal decisions about what they desire be like, not necessarily as boys or girls, but as individuals. Conversely, there is always a cost to pay for those deviating from ideals and norms. Though no generalized claims may be made on the foundation of this matter, it is still a fact that adolescents, who contravene gender stereotypes, besides tells tales of bullying and/or social exclusion (C. Frosh, et al, 2002). The issue here concerns

Video Game Violence and Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Video Game Violence and Children - Essay Example This paper stresses that  as children grow up, they look to the authoritative role models in their life to determine what behavior is or is not appropriate. Their young minds are impressionable and they constantly absorb new knowledge from their surroundings. When children are subjected to certain actions or behaviors, and if they are not properly coached in the differences between right and wrong, they are likely to repeat the actions or behaviors. The more that they witness certain behaviors, the increased chances they have at mimicking them. Impressionability is similar to the teaching methods found in classrooms in the sense that teachers display concepts that children repeat until they can do them on their own; however, unlike classroom learning, impressionability involves children adapting behaviors of their own accord without being prompted by someone else.  As the discussion declares  the more time that children spend playing violent video games, the more they become fa miliar with the concepts being depicted. Furthermore, there are video games that allow the player to play as a first person and they can experience the game as if they were in it, committing the violent actions themselves instead of witnessing them as a bystander. Adults and teachers feel that these games are â€Å"training programs for children to commit crimes

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Accounting - Essay Example Even though, leased assets are not legally owned by lessee, he has the right over the leased assets to make use of and earn profits out of it and hence it should come under the asset side of the balance sheet. Understanding characteristics of leased assets and its accounting standards would be helpful to identify the best method of treating leased assets. Leasing is an agreement between two parties, namely lessor and lessee, for the hire of an asset. By the agreement, the lessor provides the lessee with the right to use and make profits for the agreed period and the lessee pays a lease rental to the lessor in return for the use of asset. The lessor is regarded to be the legal owner of the asset who rents out the asset to the lessee. Normally, at the end of the leasing period the asset is given back to the lessor. Being the owner of the leased property, the lessor in real meanings allows the lessee quiet enjoyments only if the lessee continues to fulfill the obligations. This simple accounting behavior itself outlines the best method of treating leased assets in the balance sheet. On the event of a default, the lessor has a right to repossess the property and a duty to remarket the leased property. For accounting treatment purposes, leases are classified in to two, ‘finance lease’ and ‘operating lease’. An operating lease is a very short term agreement for the temporary hiring of a particular asset. A finance lease is a long term agreement that represents a loan made by the lessor to the lessee to buy the asset. In this lease, risks and rewards of the ownership of an asset will be substantially transferred to the lessee. It is considered to be a rental agreement and legally the lessee has not bought the asset because the title remains with the lessor. However, it is highly important that the commercial reality of events and accounting transactions need to be reported in the financial statement. Simon Benninga emphasizes that accounting experts

The development of new reproductive technologies Essay Example for Free

The development of new reproductive technologies Essay Explain some of the religious and moral issues relevant to the development of new reproductive technologies. [35] The development of new reproductive technologies have revolutionised the way society views infertility. However, many object to methods such as IVF, cloning, ICSI and PGD for moral and religious reasons. In examining these issues, a good place to start is IVF. IVF – in vitro fertilisation – is one of the most commonly used reproductive technologies. This method bypasses the need for intercourse to conceive; embryos are instead created in a lab and implanted into a mother. It can either use gametes from two parents, or in the case of a homosexual couple some of the material will be donated. From a human-rights perspective everyone has the right to a family life, which some interpret to mean a right to IVF. However, even from a purely secular point of view there are moral problems with IVF. For example, the new ICSI method bypasses many of the bodys natural defences for weeding out unfit sperm and therefore the child is at a higher risk of genetic abnormalities. Additionally, some feminists view reproductive technology with suspicion. Feminists refer to a `pro-natalist ideology prevalent in Western society, whereby women are encouraged to believe that their fulfilment and happiness depends upon their being able to bear children. They fear women may be coerced into IVF. The main issue that Christians would have with IVF is that many embryos are created and then destroyed. More embryos are produced in order to increase the chances of successful implantation, but in the UK you cannot use more than two embryos per IVF cycle. This creates spare embryos that are discarded, experimented upon or frozen for later use. The majority of Christians believe that life and personhood are intertwined, and both begin at conception. Christians believe in the sanctity of life, meaning that all human life is created in God’s image and has intrinsic worth. The most important verse they turn to is part of the Decalogue: â€Å"do not kill.† Moreover, Psalm 139 says, â€Å"you knit me together in my mother’s womb.† Therefore the discarding of spare embryos is murder of an innocent life. As with any issue, denominational opinions differ. The Roman Catholic Church defends traditional family structures and view IVF as unnatural. They published a document in 1987called Respect for Human Life in its Origin and the Dignity of Procreation. This emphasised the principles concerning the sanctity of life laid down much earlier in the Papal Encyclical, Humanae Vitae of 1968. In summary it claimed that children were a gift from God and not a commodity, and the proper place for children is within marriage. The church has expressed fears that IVF trivialises intercourse. Protestant churches tend to take a more lenient view. For example, the Free Presbyterian Church accepts IVF provided that the couple are married, spare embryos are not created and no donors are used. Both the Methodist Church and the Church of England are quite positive about all forms of IVF and even permit research on spare embryos up to 14 days old because it can be of great help to doctors researching genetic diseases, although embryos should not be created solely for this purpose. Other more drastic forms of reproductive technology pose a bigger problem for the churches. The successful cloning of Dolly the Sheep opened up a debate on the potential of human cloning and saviour siblings. Reproductive cloning would devalue individuality and result in negative psychological effects in the cloned person. Cloned animals tend to have a shorter lifespan and there is a genuine fear that a sub-class of humans could be produced in order for their organs to be harvested. This commodification of life sounds like science fiction, but according to Paul Ramsey it is a real threat. Cloning also removes the need for a male. In the case of Dolly, she had three ‘mothers’: one provided the egg, another the DNA and a third carried the cloned embryo to term. The embryo was given an electric shock in order to begin the division process. For Christians this disrupts God’s design for reproduction and parenthood. The only form of cloning that some churches would permit is therapeutic cloning, when a person’s stem cells can be used to produce organs that are an exact match. Mary Seller, a member of the Church of Englands Board of Social Responsibility, states, Cloning, like all science, must be used responsibly. Cloning humans is not desirable.† Furthermore, another key form of reproductive technology is PGD pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. This process can eliminate genetic diseases by selection (negative therapy) and can also alter the genes to ‘improve’ an embryo (positive therapy). It can be used to prevent suffering for both the child and parents. Moral objects are raised because, just like IVF, negative therapy involves fertilising several embryos with the intent of destroying those with the disease. This is dehumanising to disabled people, because it suggests that society would be better off without them. Positive therapy takes it to another level, and could result in a class of humans that are genetically modified for maximum health, intelligence and appearance. This destroys individualism and Christians refer to it as, â€Å"playing God.† According to the Free Presbyterian Church, â€Å"remember that each time cells are harvested for the treatment of someone who is sick, a new and sacred lif e is callously ended.† Moving on, reproductive technology can be evaluated according to traditional ethical principles. Starting with Utilitarianism, Patrick Steptoe is quoted as stating that It is a fact that there is a biological desire to reproduce.† If this is the case, then the maximum amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people will be achieved if they are able to reproduce, even if they need IVF or other interventions. Since successful IVF treatment will bring an enormous amount of happiness utilitarians are in agreement with such treatments. In the case of an infertile couple the utilitarian will look at the options available and strive towards to goal of conception. Likewise, if PGD and cloning can help alleviate human suffering it will be supported by utilitarians. Situation ethics bases the morality of an action on the circumstances that surround it. The only underlying principle is that we should always choose the most loving course of action, and there is no absolute morality. Whether an infertile couple should have access to IVF is based entirely on their individual situation. Natural law, on the other hand, is not so accepting. It is similar to the view the Roman Catholic Church takes. IVF and other technologies are unnatural and therefore immoral. Some criticise this theory because they claim that it is no more unnatural then the countless other forms of human intervention such as when we have an operation. Ultimately, reproductive technology causes us to rethink our views on family, marriage, sex and what makes a mother. Regardless of their views, Christians should be compassionate towards those suffering from the effects of infertility. You cannot understand their situation unless you have experienced it personally.