Free Essays on The Unfinished 20th Century

The Unfinished Twentieth Century's synopsis of the treaties and conventions through which the development of nuclear arsenals has been channeled and contained is elegant, concise, and very informative. Certainly, the subject of this book, written by Jonathan Schell, is a timely one: the slow but sure leakage of nuclear weapons technology out of the exclusive club of nations which once contained it, into the rest of a restless world tired of being shut out in the cold. Schell's chilling analysis of the strategic predicament entailed by the post-Cold War situation is also apt, as is his characterization of the nuclear options now facing a world where technical knowledge flows along increasingly unpredictable lines. Sadly, The Unfinished Twentieth Century presents these basic insights on the diereses of the still-current nuclear threat powerfully and uninhibitedly. Using Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness as a key, and Hannah Arendt’s Reflections On the Nature of Evil a s a point of departure, Jonathan Schell suggests that the essential story of the twentieth century was the gigantic development of humankind’s capacity for self-destruction - with the rise in many forms of â€Å"policies of extermination.† Schell examines the legacy this leaves for the new millennium: the crisis of nuclear arms control that has arisen with the unraveling of the ABM treaty, the stalemate of the START talks, the proliferation of nuclear weapons in South Asia, and, perhaps, East Asia and the Middle-East. He suggests that the world now faces a stark choice between denuclearization, the abolition of all nuclear weapons, and full nuclearization, as the necessary technology and materials seep around the world. And as they do, history is being written. History, though, as it is crafted by humanity, does not quite follow the same principles of demarcation as when one century turns into another. Schell, identifies the 20th century as an unfinished perio... Free Essays on The Unfinished 20th Century Free Essays on The Unfinished 20th Century The Unfinished Twentieth Century's synopsis of the treaties and conventions through which the development of nuclear arsenals has been channeled and contained is elegant, concise, and very informative. Certainly, the subject of this book, written by Jonathan Schell, is a timely one: the slow but sure leakage of nuclear weapons technology out of the exclusive club of nations which once contained it, into the rest of a restless world tired of being shut out in the cold. Schell's chilling analysis of the strategic predicament entailed by the post-Cold War situation is also apt, as is his characterization of the nuclear options now facing a world where technical knowledge flows along increasingly unpredictable lines. Sadly, The Unfinished Twentieth Century presents these basic insights on the diereses of the still-current nuclear threat powerfully and uninhibitedly. Using Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness as a key, and Hannah Arendt’s Reflections On the Nature of Evil a s a point of departure, Jonathan Schell suggests that the essential story of the twentieth century was the gigantic development of humankind’s capacity for self-destruction - with the rise in many forms of â€Å"policies of extermination.† Schell examines the legacy this leaves for the new millennium: the crisis of nuclear arms control that has arisen with the unraveling of the ABM treaty, the stalemate of the START talks, the proliferation of nuclear weapons in South Asia, and, perhaps, East Asia and the Middle-East. He suggests that the world now faces a stark choice between denuclearization, the abolition of all nuclear weapons, and full nuclearization, as the necessary technology and materials seep around the world. And as they do, history is being written. History, though, as it is crafted by humanity, does not quite follow the same principles of demarcation as when one century turns into another. Schell, identifies the 20th century as an unfinished perio...

History Thesis

History Thesis History Thesis History ThesisYou are at your graduate school learning history and researching the topic you have been assigned in the course of your studying. If you have to write a history thesis, it means that you have already accomplished three or four years of your studying and the final step is to be done.History thesis is not easy, especially if you have to time and no desire to work on it. Nevertheless, if you are looking for successful graduation, you must complete a thesis writing project, despite of your desires, wants, and lack of time.History Thesis TopicsThere are many possible history thesis topics and they are not limited to current events or social movements, to elections of Barack Obama or gay rights. History thesis be wide enough to allow proper secondary research and yet leave some space for primary investigation, unless you are writing a history thesis about the Roman Empire and there are not witnesses of that time left.You may develop your history thesis topic by focusing on g eographical area (African history, American history, Asian history)You may focus your history thesis topic on certain period (Medieval History, Modern History, Renaissance History)You may write about difference civilizations (Western Civilization History, Indian Civilization, Aztec Civilization)You may explore the specific field of history (Art History, Oral History, Forgotten History)You may trace the relationship between history and other academic disciplines (History of Eastern Philosophy).Professional History Thesis WritingWe know that history thesis writing is not easy, especially if you have no time to write it. Well-written thesis must be based on sufficient research. It means that you should spend many hours in the library trying to find supporting information. Do you have enough time to devote to thesis writing?The majority of students are too busy to have enough time for all academic assignments. Consequently, many of students recall having a history thesis due on ly when the deadline is tomorrow morning. What should you do in such a situation? There is an effective solution: professional history thesis writing service from scratch!If you have written your history thesis partially and want someone to finish it, if you seek professional editing service online, you may also turn to us and get your history thesis written or edited by experts in academic assignments!

Evaluating the Use of E-Commerce in a 'Brick and Click' Organisation Essay

Evaluating the Use of E-Commerce in a 'Brick and Click' Organisation That Balances E-Commerce with a Continued High Street Rrese - Essay Example The business model of the Argos Company is built around three foundations. These include Argos strong information technology and communication systems, the company’s multi channel approach and finally the organization’s efficient supply chain management systems and alliance with UPS. The company has designed an integrated multi channel systems for consistent communication and distribution across traditional street stores, website, television, telephone, mobile devices etc. For this purpose, Argos has created click and collect online service, text and take home SMS service, ring and reserve telesales service, and Argos Direct home delivery service to ease consumer shopping experience. The E-business strategy of Argos is both businesses oriented and consumers focused. Both suppliers and consumers use the same web platform for transaction and trade. This is because Argos’ e-business supports and promotes the secure transaction through 128 bit SSL. This feature of Ar gos entails modifications for supply chain in e-commerce and it has surfaced as a channel of distribution for inbound and outbound logistics. This role has emerged in addition to the communication role of e-commerce between the company and customers; however, this also has further extended to interaction between suppliers. Moreover, the e-commerce is now deemed as a channel which contributions are surpassed from generating online sales to generating traffic to the street stores. Evaluating the Use of E-Commerce in a ‘Brick and Click’ Organization That Balances E-Commerce with a Continued High Street Presence Introduction This paper is an evaluation of e-commerce practice by a click and mortar company. The organization which is chosen for analysis is Argos, which is a UK based company. The paper studies and analyzes the business model and electronic business strategy of Argos, and determines how the company plans and executes its online business strategy to sustain balan ce between its online sales channel and offline counterparts. It also identifies how the organization, Argos, has designed and aligned its strategic business objectives in leveraging the broad commerce activity, i.e. assessing its business activity online and across the offline stores. Background of the company Argos is a UK based retail division of Home Retail Group, established in 1973. The group owns two separate divisions of Home Retail and Argos. Argos is a preeminent catalogue based retail chain which has both online and offline store presence of over 700 stores across UK and Ireland. The Argos catalogue comprises general merchandise products across a diverse assortment of categories such as furniture, sound & vision, photography, baby products, Do It Yourself goods (DIY), PC & games, personal care, garden & pets, household appliances, home wares, sports & leisure, toys & games, office, and jewelry & watches. The contemporary business orientation of the retail organization of Argo had historical foundations in traditional catalogue business which operates through telesales; however, today the customers’ base at Argo has provided a wide multi channel commerce facility for order placement through telephone, physical stores, electronic online stores, mobile phones, and social media. The organization Argo is a team of around thirty thousand people

Actions should police officer take when he stopper a deepression Essay

Actions should police officer take when he stopper a deepression person - Essay Example According to Cordner, people suffering from depression should be handled with care but not forced to follow the protocol involved (1). For example, being arrested, giving them orders and even giving them direction. Police officers should be well equipped with skills to be able to deal with people suffering from depression. This will enable them to analyze the incidence and find the underlying reason behind the action involved. If the officer finds the situation to be beyond his/her skills, there should involvement another police officer from the nearby jurisdiction who is specialized in this area of people with mental illnesses. Moreover, police should try to maintain the coolness of the depressed individual. After achieving the objective, the officer can contact emergency hospital dealing with depressed people. Police response to these incidences has been improved in recent years since training and substantial experience that contributes to better performance. They are not only trained to handle a crisis, but also to deliver treatment and other services to the person in the crisis of depression (Cordner 1). In conclusion, not all police officers are well equipped to handle depressed people. Hence, involvement of a medical practitioner is the only best choice or any other specialized police officer in the

Modern Drama Essay Example for Free

Modern Drama Essay Through Shakespeare, came the birth of four major tragedies Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth. Shakespeares Hamlet made tragedies problematic. The play was all about whether it was right to take vengeance into your own hands, or whether you should delegate justice into the organs of the state. Arthur Miller, who turned the ordinary man into a figure of tragic stature in Death of a Salesman, felt obliged to the axiomatic laws of tragedy, and so wrote two essays, which he used to develop his ideas on, Tragedy and the Common Man and The Nature of Tragedy. In these two essays, Miller talks about tragedies that are appropriate for a modern audience. Because we differ from the renaissance audience due to an increase in democracy, our sense of individualism has also been enhanced, alongside the principles of equalitarianism. We all feel very important, and every subject feels as significant as the next, so we will respond to tragedies that address our experience as a pose to that of a king or queen. Shakespearean tragedy was about the high born who were brought low by some flaw in the nature of their society. On the contrary, Miller thinks that in tragedy, the protagonist or hero should be a common man and should bear very little, if any resemblance to a man of high statute. In his essay, Tragedy and the Common Man, Miller suggests that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were. He goes on to discuss the sense of personal dignity, and of how tragedies deal with noble passions. He amply suggests that a tragic protagonist should be a character, ideally the common man, who does not remain passive in the face of their oppression or subjugation. This character should fight for his or hers immensivation. Miller, in first essay discusses, Tragedy and the Common Man. The renaissance conceptions of tragedy involve a tragic protagonist who is high born. It is through some character flaw, through concentrated hubris in his mind, which usually leads to a downfall. Miller says every one of us is a common person in a modern, democratic, individualised society. In this condition, every person is a hero in the drama of their own lives, whilst before, when the whole society was homogeneous, and everybody knew their place in cosmic order. Every person was subordinated into the larger design. Thus, important was the part they played in Gods design, and so individual pulses were passed with no significant meaning. Miller reflects upon how modern tragedy should be of a normal, common person. In addition to this, he also articulates his perspective, that in the modern world, because we have a heterogeneous society and do not all share the same beliefs, we do not believe in the same values, so we disagree on what is heroic. People feel it is more difficult to write tragedy because there are no widely shared ideas or values. In a tragedy, you have to have a protagonist who has the qualities that everybody believes in. He has to be one who fights against the corruption of certain aspects in the world. Every one of us fears, at the core of our being, our displacement from what we consider our position in society, our just. Therefore, what Miller does, is to say that his protagonists will not remain passive in the face of his oppression he would rather die than accept a compromised existence. Tragedy, to most, means death and sadness, but Miller feels this is not so. Millers perception of tragedy is that true tragedies are those works of literature that provide for us an optimistic view on human capability. We are inspired to ensure no person, whatever his or her nobility, oppresses us, and so look ubiquitously for sources of our subjugation. We begin to question things we would otherwise consider as customary or natural, and by so doing, we are helped in challenging the sources of oppression through these dichotomies. In his next essay, Miller discusses The Nature of Tragedy. There are many elements, which are highlighted, in this particular composition. However, the two dominating features, which are included, are of the discrepancies between melodrama and real drama within a novel or narrative based on the tragic mode. The concepts that these two conflicting drama types adopt are divulged in this essay, and so can be called upon as one of the centrepieces of this thesis. Melodrama is a specific means of writing, in the sense that it is very artificial. The melodrama type flourished in the Victorian period, and would often circulate around traumatic events. With this, a distinction between the two disparities can be accomplished. Melodrama deals objectively, with characters, which lack realism. These specifically chosen characters do not possess the complexity of real human beings, and good and bad, or white and black are clearly demarcated. When we see a melodramatic play, we see one-dimensional characters that have no moral turmoil in their minds; hence, the play is all about violence and action. With a melodrama, such scenes become almost obligatory. In a word, the work [here described as the play] is characterized by extravagant theatricality and by the predominance of plot and physical action over characterization. Conversely, the real drama approach falls far beyond the simplicity evoked in melodrama. Other than the current features of melodrama, a more assertive sense of human representation is applied to supplement real drama. In the same human breast, wickedness and goodness are converged, bringing a mandatory convention into the drama. Furthermore, there is conflict not only between characters, but also within certain internal impulses of the mind, and so a stalemate within the crest of the protagonist is averted without ambiguous contentment. What tragedies do is to provide us, the audience, with enlightenment. When we come away from the tragedy, we should have been transformed by the event and conformed to its consequences. On exiting the tragedy, we should feel very positive about the potential of the human animal for nobility, and the sacrifice of the protagonist it is often that which helps us to cleanse our selves of dire feelings. At the end of the tragedy, we achieve catharsis. The emanative thing that Miller involves in his own tragedies is to blend realism and expressionism together in a technique called subjective realism whenever the actual, chips into the past timeline. In addition to this, Miller orchestrates the music of the flute to connote pastoral harmony, amidst other devices. The characters are dressed in attire, used to express humour and the lighting has a gold, soft hue to it. This infiltration of his dramaturgy seems to release a realistic representation of life in the play throughout. By utilizing such devices, Miller wants to convey, more efficiently, the way people actually think. In doing so, he is able to take us into the past, in the same way Willy Loman moves back into this age in time. As humans, we are very fluid. In view of the fact that we have memory, we can look into the distant future. We tend to, in the most time, live in the past and anticipate the future whilst dragging the past burden with us. The past always remains, and so we are a part of it. Throughout his existence, Loman carries a strained guilt with him due to a very traumatic experience, which came about eighteen years ago. By so doing, he is barred from accepting certain activities, and so his operation is affected as a human being. Instead, Loman should put that memory to decent use, and by not doing so tragedy is once again insinuated as being the centrepiece of the play, as of course it proves to be in the closing scenes of the play. A brief synopsis of tragedy would be to use its cycle of events to change the world for the better, and the way human past interacts with the human present to build the future. In effect, we can travel to any time in the past within a second or two by one recessive sense. By using light and music, Miller achieves this, and shows us how the past, has never passed. To conclude, from his finely crafted essays, we become exposed to what a tragedy really is in its greatest being. We, as humans, thrive on accomplishing the memorabilia recognised as dreams, and when the path leading to it is barraged, we commit almost any feat in order to reach it. The tragedy, eternally undergoing evolution, is when we do commit, and do not face consequences for the deeds, in our lives or thereafter. As human beings, we are perverse, and try to distinguish ourselves from the animal kingdom, however due to our surreal nature, as with primates, our decree in society is what drives us to commit, indispensably, the things we would otherwise fear. Mohammed Lukman Ahmed 1111 11 SMO Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

Canadas Diverse History :: Canadian Canada History

Canada's Diverse History This essay analyzes the diversity of Canada's history, geography, climate, economy, cultures and government. Did you know it is the largest country in the world now that U.S.S.R broke up. Specifically, Canada is 9,922,330 square km. Did you know that Canada used to be named "Kanata"? Yes, Kanata is an Indian word meaning village. It was not until July 1,1867 that Kanata was renamed Canada. Canada was originally discovered by Jacques Cartier an explorer from France who sailed down the St.Lawrence in 1534. Cartier we believe was the first to set foot on Canadian soil. He marked his presence with a flag claiming it his land. Over the years, Canada has developed into the home of the largest free-standing structure in the world. Canada,(a great tourist attraction)is also home of the largest water fall in the world. Our farmland unlike a lot of others has a variety of climate. The warmer summer climate ranges from +10 - +30 and the cooler climate ranges from anywhere to -10 - -30. Despite the changes in temperature, Canada's precipitation is very light. Our home is enclosed by the United States of south, the Pacific ocean and Alaska on the west side, the Atlantic ocean on the east side and the Arctic up north. One of the dominant reasons Canada is so well populated is due to the fact of our financial status. At this present time, the economy is not doing too well, but who's is? Canada is highly industrialised by manufacturing Automobiles, food, liquor and tobacco. We as a Unified country accept other cultures and religions. Canada has about every nationality possible and together they form a great home. Despite the many cultures, Canada's main languages are english and french. Canada is a democracy. This means the government is elected by all t ople.

African Americans in the Civil War Essay

The role African Americans played in the outcome, and the road to the outcome of the Civil War was immense. The fact that the south had slaves and the north did not played an enormous role in the issues. The north wanted to abolish slavery, and the south did not and after the war started this became one of the main reasons for the Civil War. Since most African Americans could not read or write, this made them an easy target, for slavery, against the dominant white man. Once the slaves got to America they started to realize how much trouble they were actually in. The north and the south had a problem brewing, and that was due to the slave uprisings and the run a ways. African Americans played an enormous role in the outcome of the Civil War because of the part they took in it. The civil war, which took place from 1861 to the 1920s, the African American community made tremendous strides toward them becoming apart of America and equals in America. Since they had been controlled by the power of the whites for so long, their independence was extremely unfamiliar to them, with their new emancipation. Since they were so uncertain, they debated about the most effect way to go about actually receiving the rights they deserved. They did not just want to be inferior Negros. Some African Americans thought the actual approach would be to go along with the submissive status the whites held them to, so they could earn their respect until fairness pervaded. Others were more wishful with their thinking and thought the military would make whites surrender and give blacks their basic rights. Those who were still they are thought that no progress would ever come. These blacks decided that it was essential to escape the shackles and cruel attitudes toward blacks. The civil war initially began to save the Union. At the start of the war slave masters were terribly scared that the slaves would run to join the Union and help the war efforts. To subsidize the problem, most owner enforced harsh restrictions on their slaves. Some owners even moved their whole plantations inland to avoid any contact with the outside northerners. This did not stop the slaves one bit though, this just caused more slave to flee to the north. The slaves that did decide to stay just demanded more freedom from their masters. Some would say the ones that stayed even gained more power; this forced their masters to give them offerings in exchange for work. The issues of emancipation and military service were intertwined from almost the beginning of the war. News from Fort Sumter made African Americans rush to enlist in military units. They were all turned away since there was a law dating from 1792 that kept African Americans from joining the U. S. army. In Boston disappointed African Americans met and passed a resolution that requested the Government to modify its laws to permit them to enlist. Then Lincoln’s Second Confiscation Act was passed. The act stated that, Confederates who did not surrender with in sixty days of the acts passage were to be punished by having their slaves freed. The Militia Act was also passed. This act stated African Americans were allowed to fight in the war. These two acts together thoroughly punished rebel slaveholders. The African Americans that enlisted both fought in the front lines and worked behind the scenes labor jobs. All these rights that the African Americans were receiving inspired them to return home and free their families and friends. Some of them even started living in the plantations that they used to be slaves of. They took them over and began their own cropping. Some of the other plantations had been left to older disabled white woman, when the men had left for the Confederate army. All of this led to the separation of slave labor in the south After trying terribly hard to keep the issue of slavery out of the war, the North decided to start enlisting African Americans to help them fight in the war. The Fifty-Fourth regiment was created by the Union Army, and was the only all black unit. This Union in particular contributed to the war efforts of the North and showed a new found power among blacks. The regiment started when John Andrew sent a request to the secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, to create a volunteer regiment of African Americans (3). African Americans from all over the country joined. To help recruit even further they called for help from African American leaders like, Frederick Douglas and William Wells Brown. In just two months over one thousand African Americans, one from at least every state, had enlisted in the regiment. The leader of the regiment would not be black though, they wanted the superior officer to have some certain credentials. The job description posted read: â€Å"Young Man of Military Experience Of firm antislavery principles, ambitious, Superior to the vulgar contempt of color Having Faith in the capacity of colored men for military purpose† (2) The man picked for the job was Robert Shaw. The African American regiment and their captain set off for Beaufort, South Carolina on May 28, 1863 (1). They were to attack Fort Wagner, which was a vital key to Charleston. They only way to storm the fort was to go through loads and loads of Confederates. The sheer size of the Confederates to the Fifty- Fourth regiment was an obstacle in itself. The regiment knew the amount of obstacles they would have to overcome to achieve a victory and yet they kept marching. Shaw and a few men marched to the top of the parapet, and there Shaw was shot and killed. Though this was almost a complete disaster for the regiment they had set a path for future African American soldiers. Frederick Douglas said, â€Å"Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U. S. , let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship. † One thousand seventy-nine African Americans had served in the Civil War. They served in both the U. S. Army and about two thousand served in the Navy. By the time the war was over, forty thousand had died in battle and thirty thousand had died of disease and infection. African American soldiers performed all the jobs needed to run an army. They also served as carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters (4). There were nearly 80 black commissioned officers (4). Harriet Tubman was the most famous spy; she served for the 2nd South Carolina Volunteers. Tubman decided to help the Union Army because she wanted freedom for all of the people who were forced into slavery, not just the few she could help by herself. And she convinced many other brave African Americans to join her as spies, even at the risk of being hanged if they were caught (4). Among Harriet Tubman were many other African American women who served as nurses, spies and scouts. Although, no women were allowed to formally join the army. When black troops were captured by the confederate soldiers, they faced harsher punishments than the white troops. In 1863 the Confederate Congress threatened to punish officers of African American troops and enslave the African Americans, if they were captured. As a result of this, President Lincoln issued General Order 233, which threatened payback on Confederate prisoners of war, if they mistreated African American troops. This order did scare the Confederates a little, but African American soldiers were still treated harsher than whites. In one of the worst examples of this abuse, Confederate soldiers shot to death black Union soldiers, captures at Fort Pillow, TN, in 1864(). Confederate General Nathan B. Forrest witnessed it all and did nothing to stop it. The President, Abraham Lincoln, issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This proclamation eventually led to the freedom of all slaves. The document officially made free all bondsmen in the areas of the Confederacy that were still in rebellion. Slavery although was not abolished in the Border States, Tennessee, or the Union occupied areas of Louisiana and Virginia. The proclamation only affected the states in rebellion, so after the efforts it didn’t actually free any slaves. On the other hand, it did strengthen the Northern war efforts, because they knew they were fighting for a cause. Over five hundred thousand slaves had escaped to the North by the end of the civil war. Many of the escapees joined the Union Army, which tremendously increased its power. As a result of the Emancipation Proclamation, the thirteenth Amendment was created. The Amendment created on December 18, 1865, legally freed all slaves still in bondage. The final step the Emancipation Proclamation was to depress England and France from arriving to the war on the side of the South. England and France wanted to enter the war on the South side, because the South had supplied them both with cotton and tobacco. England and Frances stance changed when they heard that the war had changed to a fight over slavery. Both nations were opposed to slavery, so ended up giving their support to the Union. That led to the winning of the fight for freedom. Juneteenth was the day created to celebrate the emancipation, when the slaves heard about it that midsummer. The holiday is still celebrated today. Abraham Lincoln said, â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. â€Å"(3) African Americans along with the rest of the Union were fighting for this freedom and equality that Abraham Lincoln, was talking about. African American contributions were not limited to the role of working the fields in the south or supplying labor for industry in the north. Many African Americans in both south and north participated in either direct or supporting roles in the military. The War Between the States proved to be a war fought for democracy. The liberation that the slaves had been waiting for, recovered the ideas that founded the United States of America. All men were equal under the law. Since, the African Americans made such a persistent effort the changes were made more quickly. Africans pushed for their own emancipation by resisting their masters and other labor tasks. Although a formal Emancipation Proclamation and Thirteenth Amendment freed blacks in America, it would be a long time before they received all the rights they deserved. The minds of Americans had been so engrained with racism only decades of hard work would lessen this. Works Cited 1) Freeman, Elsie, Wynell Burroughs Schamel, and Jean West. â€Å"The Fight for Equal Rights: A Recruiting Poster for Black Soldiers in the Civil War. † Social Education 56, 2 (February 1992): 118-120. 2) â€Å"Blacks in the Civil War. †. Colorado College. Web. 3 Mar 2013.

Madeleine Leininger: Bridging the Cultural Divide Essay

Abstract This paper will outline Madeleine Leininger’s prominent theory, its origins, and its purpose. The discipline of transcultural nursing, its distinctive language, ethnonursing research method, and Sunrise Enabler tool will also be explored. These components equipped nurses to provide patients with individualized, appropriate care; this led to improved health outcomes. Finally, the effect of Madeleine Leininger’s contributions to nursing will be examined. Her idea of congruent care was the catalyst for a multitude of federal legislation making culture a requisite, legal consideration and convinced society of the benefits of cultural diversity. Madeleine Leininger: Bridging the Cultural Divide through Care The hallmark of a true profession is the ability to demonstrate its unique body of knowledge (Mensik, Martin, Scott, & Horton, 2011). Madeleine Leininger’s transcultural nursing discipline and its revolutionary companion theory meets this threshold. Counted as â€Å"the most significant breakthrough in nursing†¦in the 20th century,† she forever changed how nurses thought and spoke about healthcare (Leininger, 2002, p. 190). This paper will present a high-level overview of Madeleine Leininger’s contributions to nursing and their influence, as well as reveal the author’s connection to the theorist. Cultural Care Diversity and Universality: The Theory The Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality (hereinafter â€Å"Culture Care Theory†), Madeleine Leininger’s seminal work, was conceptualized in the mid-1950s and sought to describe, explain, and predict nursing similarities and differences in relation to care and its role in human culture (Leininger, 2001). To provide significant and effective care, the theorist reasonsed, a nurse had to know what various cultures valued about wellness, health, illness, etc. and use this understanding to guide their nursing tasks (Clarke, McFarland, Andrews & Leininger, 2009). Inspiration for the Theory The theory grew out of the theorist’s observations during her tenure as a staff nurse in the mid-1940s (Leininger, 2001). Numerous patients  emphasized the â€Å"nursing care† given and remarked how instrumental it was to their recovery from illness (Leininger, 2001, pp. 8, 13). This struck Leininger as curious, since the activities traditionally associated with providing care were just expected at this point in the development of nursing (Leininger, 2001). The concept of care was certainly never taught, critically explored, or given much credence (Leininger, 2001). Based on the encouraging patient feedback received, care became an integral component of the theorist’s nursing practice (Leininger, 2001). Her patients’ health flourished (Leininger, 2001). Leininger deduced that outstanding caregiving alone was not enough to facilitate positive health outcomes while working on an adolescent psychiatric ward in the mid-1950s (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Her clinical floor was a mini-United Nations, with patients from a variety of cultural backgrounds (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). The children responded differently to her care efforts and, after a period of time, she realized their behavior followed distinct cultural patterns (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). For example, the Russian, Lithuanian, German, and Slovenian children would never admit to being in pain, though they had very obvious injuries or signs of discomfort (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). The Jewish and Italian children, in contrast, always cried fervently, at even the slightest needle prick, without solace (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Her customary pain interventions were useless and obviously needed to be changed, but she was not sure how (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Conceptualizing the Theory. The theorist experienced â€Å"culture shock† (a concept she introduced into common vernacular) and was concerned at being ill-equipped to respond to her patients’ specific needs even though she had obtained her master’s in nursing (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). There was no research literature available to help make sense of the incidents witnessed, and her colleagues were of limited help (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). After discussing her concerns with the renowned cultural anthropologist and provocateur Margaret Mead, Leininger obtained a Ph.D. in anthropology (Clarke, et al., 2009); she was the first nurse to do so (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). The theorist performed field studies in non-Western cultures for several years afterwards to hone her new skill-set (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Having remedied her  cultural ignorance, Leininger formalized the Culture Care Theory, establishing the new discipline of transcultural nursing (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Her goal was to provide knowledgeable care in an increasingly multicultural world (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Purpose of the Theory The theory’s main purpose was to â€Å"discover and explain diverse and universal culturally based care factors influencing the health, well-being, illness, or death of individuals or groups† (Leininger, 2002, p. 190). It stressed the use of â€Å"research findings to provide culturally congruent, safe, and meaningful care to those of diverse or similar backgrounds† (Leininger, 2002, p. 190). Theory Application Tools. The theorist did not want to espouse platitudes; she wanted her discipline to empower nurses and promote their autonomy (Leininger, 2002). To this end, she outlined thirteen assumptive beliefs to explain the focus of the theory and guide nurses in their practice (Leininger, 2001). Several key beliefs are outlined below: 1. Care is the essence of nursing and a†¦ unifying focus 2. Care (caring) is essential for well being, health, healing, growth†¦or death 3. Culture care is the broadest holistic means to know, explain, interpret, and predict nursing care†¦ to guide nursing care practices 4. Nursing is a transcultural†¦care discipline and profession with the central purpose to serve human beings worldwide 5. Care (caring) is essential †¦ for there can be no curing without caring (Leininger, 2001, pp. 44-45). These assumptions formed the crux of transcultural nursing and what it was intended to do. Leininger also designed three theoretical modalities to guide culturally-based nursing decisions and actions (Leininger, 2001). The first modality, â€Å"cultural care preservation and/or maintenance,† referred to generic/folk behaviors and practices that encouraged wellness and did not need to be changed when planning nursing care (Leininger, 2001, p. 41; Literature review, n.d.). The next modality, â€Å"cultural care accomodation and/or negotiation,† involved nursing care activities which help patients of diverse cultures adapt or negotiate professional care activities (Leininger, 2001, p. 41). It encouraged the nurse to integrate generic/folk behaviors and practices when planning care to encourage healthy outcomes (Leininger,  2001). Under this modality, for example, a nurse would allow a patient to hang a healing amulet above their bed in the hospital because they believed in it and it calmed them (Literature review, n.d.). The final modality that nurses could utlize was â€Å"culture care repatterning and restructuring† (Leininger, 2001, pp. 41-42). This modality involved activities which assist with the extensive modification, change, or repattering of a patient’s unhealthy behavior while remaining aligned with their cultural values and beliefs (Literature review, n.d.). This was the most difficult of all the modalities to employ because the nurse must know a great deal about the patient’s culture to have an optimal outcome (Leininger, 2001). As with any plan of care, the nurse had to discuss their choices with the patient and obtain their agreement (Leininger, 2001). Metaparadigms of the Theory Since the introduction of Florence Nightengale’s Environmental Theory, nursing frameworks had traditionally focused on four metaparadigms: person, environment, health, and nursing (Dayer-Berenson, 2011). However, the Culture Care Theory broke with convention and selected care and culture as its foundational concepts (Leininger, 2001). Leininger found the standard four metaparadigms limited in scope and unsuitable for use in new discipline (Leininger, 2001). For instance, the theorist could not believe nursing’s pundits still refused to acknowledge the indispensible role of care, though they had obviously witnessed its successful impact on health (Leininger, 2001). She also considered the current trend of trying to explain nursing phenomenon with more nursing phenomenon a logical fallacy akin to answering a question with another question (Leininger, 2001). Further, Leininger pointed out that the Western concept of person would be problematic in transcultural nursing because many cultures focused on the family or an institution, rather than the individual (Leininger, 2001). While Leininger thought environment was important, she opted not to use it as a pillar of her theory because it was not unique to nursing or provocative enough to garner scarce research funding (Leininger, 2001). She discounted the use of health for a similar rationale, citing its commonness and the plethora of existing research (Leininger, 2001). Leininger apsired to enlighten, not emulate (Leininger, 2001). Key definitions Other nursing theorists and researchers tried to shoe horn themselves into existing medical models as a means of gaining legitimacy, prestige, and funding (Fawcett, 2002). Leininger, conversely, sought to distinguish her theory from the disease-focused philosophies of the period by not seeking input from other disciplines; it functioned independently (Leininger, 2001). Always seeking to demonstrate the skill and intellect of nurses, Leininger authored a series of definitions to provide clinicians with their own distinct language and, thus, avoid the incongruous use of medical terminology when practicing transcultural nursing (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Several of the theory’s key explanations are highlighted below: 1. Culture Care refers to†¦culturally†¦assistive, supportive, and facilitative caring acts†¦ 2. Culture Care Diversity refers to cultural†¦differences in care beliefs, meanings, patterns, values, symbols, and lifeways†¦between cultures and human beings 3. Transcultural Nursing refers to a formal area of humanistic and scientific knowledge and practices focused on holistic culture care†¦phenomena..to assist †¦ in culturally congruent†¦ways 4. Culturally Competent Nursing Care refers to†¦culturally based care and health knowledge in sensitive, creative, and meaningful ways †¦for beneficial†¦ health and well-being†¦ (Leininger & McFarland, 2002, pp. 83-84). â€Å"Cultural diversity† and â€Å"culturally competent care†, terms so common today, were penned by the theorist over 50 years ago (Leininger & McFarland, 2002, p. xvii). Influence of the Culture Care Theory Leininger’s theory generated little interest when it was introduced in the 1950s (Leininger, 2002). Nurses’ practices had begun to shift to include more administration of medication and assistance with complex medical treatments (Leininger, 2001). Additionally, they tried to emulate physicians by wearing stethoscopes, focusing on curative measures, and being very precise in their tasks (Leininger, 2001). Nurses, during this era, were medicine’s faithful â€Å"shot givers† (Leininger & McFarland, 2002, p. 76). Needless to say, this mindset was nurtured by physicians, who wanted nurses to remain on the periphery of healthcare, subservient to them (Fawcett, 2002). Nurses, in Leininger’s opinion, willingly relinquished their power and diminished their professional value by becoming so immersed in physicians’ procedures (Leininger, 2001). With nurses so intent on obtaining  medical validation, it was no surprise they found the Culture Care Theory â€Å"soft,† â€Å"fuzzy,† and â€Å"too feminine† (Fawcett, 2002, p. 133; Leininger, 2002, p. 75). The theorist jokingly recalled thinking, â€Å"Nurses have no time to learn about care and cultures, as they must keep to medical tasks!† (Fawcett, 2002, p. 113). Patient care was not a priority (Fawcett, 2002). Making the Theory Relevant Undeterred by the initial chilly reception, Leininger resolved to make the discipline more relevant to nurses (Leininger, 2001). She knew the situation would change gradually over time and utilized the lull to increase the number of transcultural nurses in practice and cultivated the harvest of more cultural data for use in the field (Fawcett, 2002). Transcultural Programs of Study. She developed and taught courses in transcultural nursing (Leininger, 2001). Building upon this momentum, the theorist then established several degree programs of study in transcultural nursing (Leininger, 2001). She steered nurses toward graduate-level courses in anthropology as well, and served as their advisor when several of them continued on to doctoral studies (Leininger, 2001; Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Soon, she had amassed a hardy band of transcultural devotees to assist in her tireless promulgation and support of the discipline (Leininger, 2001). Ethnonursing Research Method. As her followers began to utilze the theory, Leininger was compelled to develop a natural, inducive, and open research method to help â€Å"tease out† complex, covert, elusive cultural data (Leininger & McFarland, 2002, pp. 85, 89). It was called the ethnonursing research method (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). At the time, clinicians utilized research tools and methods borrowed haphazardly from other fields (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Enablers. The theorist worried that valuable cultural knowledge was lost, concealed, or rendered useless from the improper use of quantitative instruments to perform qualitative research (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). In response, Leininger invented five tools she called enablers to facilitate the mining of cultural data (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Each enabler was designed to collect a different type of qualitative information (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). The most popular enabler, The Sunrise Enabler to Disco ver Culture Care, was a conceptual model of the entire theory (Appendix A). Its purpose was to  systematically guide nurses through seven areas of influence to find relevant cultural knowledge and provide a holistic view during the health assessment process (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). Qualitative Criteria. To further support accurate interpretations and credible research findings, Leininger identified six criteria by which qualitative studies, like those performed with her ethnonursing method, could be evaluated (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). The criteria â€Å"credibility, confirmability, meaning-in-context, recurrent patterning, saturation, and transferability† received the endorsement of research experts, which led to qualitative data’s acceptance as valid scientific evidence. (Leininger & McFarland, 2002, p. 88) Dedicated Resources. Leininger also established the Transcultural Nursing Society in 1974 as a forum for intelligent discussion among nurses in the discipline, as well as to aid the dissemination of transcultural information (C larke, et al.). Finally, Leininger launched the Journal of Transcultural Nursing in 1988 to serve as a dedicated publishing source for transcultural nursing research, ensuring the entire nursing profession also had access to her protegà ©s’ useful findings (Clarke, et al.). Rise of the Theory After existing in near obscurity for several decades, the Culture Care Theory was thrust into the spotlight in the mid-1980s (Murphy, 2006). Several factors prompted its emergence from the shadows. First, just as Leininger predicted back in 1950, geographic borders shrank and the U.S. became the adopted country of choice for immigrants from all over the world (Leininger, 2002). The healthcare system became innudated with people clinicians did not understand and could not effectively assist (DeRosa & Kochurka, 2006). Desparate to address patients’ needs in a culturally respectful manner, they discovered Leininger’s blueprint for congruent care (DeRosa & Kochurka, 2006). The federal mandates of the 1990s further catapulted the Culture Care Theory into prominence (Murphy, 2006). The directives were designed to resolve disparities in healthcare and ensure equitable treatment for those from diverse backgrounds (Maier-Lorentz, 2008). This meant that academic programs, clinical settings, and healthcare agencies now had to promote, incorporate, and enforce Leininger’s ideas of cultural competence (Murphy, 2006). Impact of the Theory on the Author The Culture Care Theory, developed organically from one woman’s insightful observations, has left an indellible mark on not only nurisng, but education, medicine, law, social science, religion, and so forth (Leininger, 2002). It would be far easier to name the areas of society that the theory has not impacted, for that would be a much shorter list. Amazingly, the author also owes Madeleine Leininger a tremendous amount of personal gratitude. While conducting research, the author was stunned to learn that Leininger’s theory was the motivation for her academic scholarship. The theorist’s emphasis on congruent care and its positive influence led to the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) campaign to significantly increase the number of culturally competent healthcare professionals in critical shortage areas. The NURSE Corps Scholarship Program, which offers a full tuition grant, monthly stipend, and full-time employment to intellectually out standing nursing students, was founded to accomplish this objective. Because of the theorist’s tenacity and zeal, this future clinician’s ambition to serve the underrepresented was made a debt-free reality. Leininger passed away in August of last year (Ray, 2012). Ironically, the author was awarded her scholarship during this same month. Janet Jones wrote in Leininger’s obituary guest book entry, â€Å"She truly was a visionary and her work will continue to be of great significance to many more generations of nurses† (Madeleine M. Leininger, Ph.D., 2012). The author could not agree more with this statement and, in tribute, intends to contribute to Leininger’s legacy of nursing excellence by maintaining a culturally-informed practice, performing research that offers innovative knowledge to the profession, obtaining an advanced degree, and serving as a staunch advocate for the marginalized. Similar to the theorist, the author also pledges to refuse to accept limitations as to what a nurse can accomplish. The author bel ieves Madeleine Leininger would expect no less. References Clarke, P., McFarland, M., Andrews, M., & Leininger, M. (2009). Caring: some reflections on the impact of the culture care theory by McFarland & Andrews and a conversation with Leininger. Nursing Science Quarterly, 22(3), 233-239. doi:10.1177/0894318409337020 Dayer-Berenson, L. (2011). Cultural competencies for nurses: Impact on health and illness (pp. 9-39). Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. DeRosa, N., & Kochurka, K. (2006). Implement culturally competent healthcare in your workplace. Nursing Management, 37(10), 18-18, 20, 22 passim. Fawcett, J. (2002). Scholarly dialogue. The nurse theorists: 21st-century updates — Madeleine M. Leininger. Nursing Science Quarterly, 15(2), 131-136. Jeffreys, M. R. (2010). Teaching cultural competence in nursing and health care inquiry, action, and innovation (2nd ed.). (pp. 9-10). New York: Springer Publishing Company. Leininger, M. M. (Ed.). (2001). Culture care diversity and universality: A theory of nursing. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Leininger, M., & McFarland, M. (2002). Transcultural nursing in the new millennium: Concepts, theories, research & practice (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Leininger, M. (2002). Culture care theory: a major contribution to advance transcultural nursing and practices. Journ al Of Transcultural Nursing, 13(3), 189-192. Literature review. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/1555/02chapter2.pdf Madeleine M.Leininger, Ph.D. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.heafeyheafey.com/newobituary/display.asp?id=7022 McFarland, M., & Eipperle, M. (2008). Culture care theory: a proposed practice theory guide for nurse practitioners in primary care settings. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal For The Australian Nursing Profession, 28(1-2), 48-63. doi:10.5172/conu.673.28.1-2.48 Maier-Lorentz, M. (2008). Transcultural nursing: its importance in nursing practice. Journal Of Cultural Diversity,15(1), 37-43. Mensik, J. S., Martin, D., Scott, K. A., & Horton, K. (2011). Development of a Professional Nursing Framework: The Journey Toward Nursing Excellence. Journal Of Nursing Administration, 41(6), 259-264. doi:10.1097/NNA.0b013e31821c460a Murphy, S. (2006). Mapping the literature of transcultural nursing. Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA, 94(2 Suppl), E143-51. Ray, M. A. (2013). Madeleine M. Leininger, 1925–2012. Qualitative Health Research, 23(1), 142-144. doi:10.1177/1049732312464578 Sagar, P. (2011). Transcultural nursing theory and models: application in nursing education, practice, and administration. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Sitzman, K., & Eichelberger, L. W. (2011). Understanding the work of nurse theorists: a creative beginning (2nd ed.). (pp. 93-98). Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Transcultural Nursing Society. (n.d.). Theories and models. Retrieved from http://tcns.org/Theories.html Appendix A Figure. Adapted from Transcultural Nursing Society. (2013). Theories and models. http://tcns.org/Theories.html. Reprinted with permission.

Consumer vs Ewaste

Consumer vs Ewaste Free Online Research Papers CONSUMER VS E-WASTE : WHO’S GOING TO RUN THE SHOW This paper has been jointly authored by S SURESH KUMAR, a post graduate in computer science, and a research scholar employed with GoI alongwith Dr SP VICTOR Head of Department Director of Research Centre at St Xaviers College , Palayamkottai Tirunelveli both of whom instill great concern for nature. Keywords : WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipments, recycling technologies, MSW (Muncipal Solid Waste), BER (Beyond Economical Repairs) 1. ABSTRACT Recent growth in the electronics sector and rapid changes in technology mean that more and more consumers are generating growing volumes of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipments), much of which is still operational. Faced with a limited and fragmented recycling and reuse infrastructure, many consumers are storing old equipment in their homes or discarding it with their regular trash as it turns out to be an easy option for them. This report attempts to explore as to who will overtake the other in the race between ‘consumer’ and ‘e-waste’ and also suggests that more workable solutions regarding safe disposal of e-waste are available so that e-waste don’t overrun the consumer in the long run. 2. OVERVIEW Processes and policies governing the reuse and recycling of electronic products need to be standardized worldwide to stem and reverse the growing problem of illegal and harmful e-waste processing practices currently followed in developing countries. Making appropriate recycling technologies available worldwide and standardizing government policy approaches to reuse and recycling could dramatically extend the life of many computers, mobile phones, TVs and similar products and allow for more complete end-of-life harvesting of the highly valuable metals and other components they contain. WEEE has been characterized as one of the fastest growing categories of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Though the actual volume of electronic waste generated in India is not tracked or cannot be tracked in view of the growing nature of illegal trade in e-waste. M/s Toxic Links an NGO based at New Delhi has made a pioneering effort to assess the quantity of e-waste generated in India. In addition to the large demand for natural resources that product turnover generates, the resulting electronic waste also precipitates a growing volume of toxic inputs to the local waste stream. If not contained, these toxic chemicals can come back to consumers and the public as air, food, and water contaminants. Consumer and environmental impacts of the equipment that is returned for recycling and reuse extend to its fate in the lesser developed countries of the world or to those countries where there are no stringent laws governing the e-waste. A substantial quantity of the equipment returned for recycling, more than half by some estimates may actually be exported for disposal in other countries where environmental and occupational health protections are weak and landfills are not properly controlled. Solving this important consumer and environmental challenge requires a better understanding of the current factors that drive high product obsolescence and replacement rates and of the limitations of existing consumer options to reuse and recycle electronics equipment. Current product design features and changes in technology and wireless services often make it difficult, if not impossible for consumers to avoid frequent replacements of functional electronics equipment. The benefits of technol ogical innovations must be accessible in ways that generate less waste and maximize product life expectancy and interoperability across the family of digital products and services that most consumers are using. Changes in business practices and government policies must aim to do the following: (a) Remove obstacles to equipment upgrades and repairs and develop quality and safety standards for refurbished products. (b) Enable consumers with information, tools and technical support to encourage and facilitate product upgrades and repairs, and to secure privacy for equipment reuse; and (c) Eliminate artificial drivers of product turnover and barriers to reuse such as hand set locks on cell phones and product designs that prevent battery replacement. Though consumer alternatives to sending retired equipment to landfills and incinerators have been growing, consumer awareness of electronic waste recycling options is low, and the infrastructure for reuse and recycling is highly fragmented, inconsistent, inconvenient, and often costly for consumers. However, because electronics recycling programs rarely track the actual fate of products returned for recycling or track it in a transparent manner, firm data on their impact are not available. Some electronic products are refurbished for resale, raising questions about the safety and quality of these goods and their impact on the waste stream in countries where they are sold. 3. HISTORY OF E-WASTE The global technological revolution is fueling the rapidly increasing e-waste recycling problem. As seen from the chart at Appendix ‘A’, one has to remember that with the growth in technology, the amount of e-waste generated also increases. The demand to effectively and safely recycle the obsolete electronics is pushed by the same demands our society imposes to manufacture the new, smaller, faster and more efficient software. The environmentally safe disposal of e-waste has rampantly become a problematic issue over the past decade. Technological advances and legislation at all levels has vaulted e-waste recycling into an evolving multi-billion dollar a year industry. The environmental concerns regarding e-waste stem from the many compounds that are known to have adverse impacts on the health of the environment and all living beings. The following hazardous elements and compounds can be found in everyday e-waste: (a) Lead in cathode ray tubes and solder (b) Mercury in switches and housing (c) Arsenic in older cathode ray tubes (d) Antimony trioxide as flame retardant (e) Polybrominated flame retardants in plastic casings, cables, and circuit boards (f) Selenium in circuit boards as power to supply rectifier (g) Cadmium in circuit boards and semiconductors (h) Chromium in steel as corrosion protection (i) Cobalt in steel for structural strength and magnetivity 4. MORE DISPOSAL CONCERNS As the quantity of e-waste generated increases with the growth in electronic industry, one has also to be concerned with its safe disposal in an environmentally friendly manner. In addition to the potential environmental damage and resulting penalties, the disposal of electronic waste carries with it the liability related not to what the equipment is made of, but to what it contains. From the chart at Appendix ‘B’, the growth of electronic goods market in India is clearly seen. As seen from the chart, it can be inferred that in view of the growth of electronic goods in India presumed to increase exponentially, the safe disposal of the same also need to be catered to in order to prevent the e-waste from overrunning the end user / consumer. For example companies disposing of old computers leave themselves open to the risk of unwanted data exposure if private client data or proprietary information is not properly removed from hard drives. Another concern for organizations disposing of technology is software license infringement. If a hard drive is not properly erased prior disposal, any software found on the computer can be recovered and used or sold, violating the software companies’ licensing agreements. The same thus leads to the commonly found e-waste management system currently in India which is as potrayed at Appendix ‘C’. It is also learnt from available records that considerably more equipment is shipped to China and other Asian nations apart from African countries, where it is dismantled under unsafe conditions, poisoning the local people, land, air and water. Currently, India imports roughly 280,000+ tons of e-waste annually and this is expected to double by the year 2013. Most of the e-waste that enters this country is done under illegal circumstances and much of it comes from developed nations such as the US, UK and Europe. Though most of these countries have laws prohibiting the export of e-waste it is generally relabeled and redirected in the name of charity organizations as working/donated computers and other electronic devices in order to pass through Customs and shipped off to buyer who is eagerly awaiting for its arrival at an underdeveloped nation. 5. MANAGING THE RISK Considering the various liability risks involved with the disposal of electronic waste, it is important for one to choose an e-waste disposition option that not only is environmentally compliant but also protects the interests of the individuals therein. For example manufacturers like Hewlett-Packard try to limit the risk of unpredictable outsourcing by doing the bulk of their recycling in-house and closely monitoring any of their partners. With e-waste becoming a more prevalent problem, it is important for both manufacturers and end users of electronic equipment to develop effective end-of-life disposition strategies. Failure to do so could mean severe consequences to irreparable damage to one’s own environment. 6. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS The end user is always left wondering to the fate of his returned electronic products. The same is summated as under in a nutshell. In India, let’s say that a Government Organisation ‘A’, wants to get rid of an unusable/obsolete FAX machine. The FAX machine is declared BER (Beyond Economical Repair) by a board of personnel who without any technical wherewithal sentence the EEE equipment (herein FAX machine) to its final disposal. The same is generally disposed off by auctioning to the highest bidder. With this the FAX machine is ‘struck off’ the Govt ledger and is thus ‘accounted’ in Govt records. Upon arrival at its destined location, it is then trucked to an area that unloads and disassembles the electronics for its valuable components which contain small amounts of gold, silver, copper, etc. The most common method of extracting these metals is burning of the PCB board under a hot open forced flame (generally 870 °C) where the worker is exposed to the heavy black smoke. The worker then removes the non usable components by use of various hand tools such as a hammer and chisel. The PCB board is then bathed in corrosive acids such as cyanide (mostly used to recover the gold). These chemicals, once used, are generally dumped on the open ground as there exists no processing plants in India to take care of this hazardous waste. The gold is then recovered and melted into bars for easy sale and distributed to various buyers. This gold is generally not 99.9% pure due to the process that is used to extract and thus is unregistered as directed by local and international laws. This gold contains many impurities lessening its value. This gold is used to make jewelry for sale locally on the open and underground market. NOTE: One metric tone of e-waste from personal computers contains more gold than recovered from 17 tons of gold ore. In 1998, the amount of gold recovered from e-waste was the same as recovered from 2 million tons of gold ore. This will keep the fl ow of e-waste flowing for years to come. This is only part of what is recovered. Other metals such as copper, silver and platinum are also recovered. Most of the methods used to recover these metals use acids that cannot be broken down at a common level and thus is disposed of improperly. Another example is of the PCB Recycling Machine which is no different as all of the e-waste (herein PCB) material is merely ground up into a powdery substance and the same chemical process is used however, at a faster rate and is less handled by humans. Still the same problem exists in the disposal of the hazardous chemicals; where to dump them? They generally end up in the sewer systems and open ground once they are used. Plastic coated copper wire is extracted with the same process, it is simply soaked in a very corrosive acid until the plastic melts away and the copper is recovered (and silver in many cases). The invention of the PCB Recycling Machine does nothing but increase the amount of output of the PCB boards and its metals in the form of powder. You are still left with a nightmare to clean this up but only at a faster pace. Thus these and various other problems thus adds to human woes. 7. RECYCLING STEPS IN INDIA A large number of informal markets striving on e-waste trade have been found to flourish in India. However, it has been seen that the following are the recycling steps that are most commonly seen amongst the formal as well as the informal recyclers. (a) Manual Dismantling: The accrued electronic and electric waste in India is dismantled and sorted manually to fractions which contain printed wiring boards (PWB), cathode ray tubes (CRT), cables, plastics, metals, condensers and other invaluable materials like batteries, LCDs or wood using chisel, hammer and other such crude methods. (b) Refining and Conditioning : The different e-waste fractions are processed to directly reusable components and to secondary raw materials in a variety of refining and conditioning processes viz acid baths etc. (c) Final Disposal: This is the most sought after option. Herein, the e-waste is disposed off in a municipal landfill which leaches into the ground water which thereafter serves as feed to fishes and which are in turn consumed by humans. 8. WHAT IS THE GOVT DOING According to research conducted by Greenpeace, Mumbai tops the country with around 50,000 tonne of e-waste every year. The figure is projected to increase to 3 lakh tonne per annum by 2011. Apart from that, the manner in which e-waste is presently being recycled is highly harmful for the environment and human health as well. Currently, the total e-waste generation in Mumbai and Pune is around 5 lakh metric tonne per annum. The present e-waste recycling in India is carried out in two steps dismantling and segregating. Recovery of valuable metals and resource recovery are not taking place. The reason for this is that resource recovery facility is available only in Belgium. The Indian Govt is in an all out effort towards early setup of the project for resource recovery which is expected to take shape by this year end at Mumbai. Thus, it is felt that the Indian Govt is channelizing all its resources in the meaningful direction so as to achieve a workable solution towards safe disposal of e-waste in an environmentally sound manner. 9. WAY AHEAD In order to ensure a harmonious relationship between the consumer and e-waste, the following course of action is recommended so as to ensure that e-waste does not get ahead of the consumer in the long run which can turn out to be disastrous to mankind. Within the overall aim of implementing a clean and transparent e-waste channel in India, one of the actions suggested is to assist the informal e-waste recyclers in reaching a formal status and in improving their process in terms of workers health and safety and emission control to the environment. Numerous training methods needs to be formulated such as training of trainers (ToT), a training of enterprises (ToE) and a follow-up period for implementing improvement measures. (a) Training of Trainers (ToT) : As a first step, a training of trainers (ToT) needs to be held with consultants from different backgrounds (NGOs, Industry, Academics). The objective should be to teach them to analyse a company’s process and identify improvement potentials. (b) Training of Enterprises (ToE) The next step after ToT should be the ToE. The objective should be to have the companies analyse their process themselves, with the help of the freshly trained trainers, and to identify themselves where improvements are possible. As trivial it may seem, it is not such an easy exercise for the recyclers to analyse in a rational way with the help of process flow charts and activity they have been doing for generations. Such an approach guaranties a full participation of the recyclers, instead of having external people telling them what to do. (c) Action Plan and Follow-Up This part is certainly the most important of the entire training program, and also the most expensive. Indeed, there will be many expectations that would have arisen during the ToT and ToE, and it is necessary to closely follow the target group in order to make sure that they effectively improve and find some benefit in doing so. Basically the action plan needs to focus on the following actions: (i) Door opening The door opening activity describes all necessary tasks to put the informal sector in relation with the relevant regulatory bodies they will have to interact with in order to become formal. Indeed, such groups have always been kept out (voluntarily or not) of the formal system, so that they need to be accompanied by the trainers for entering the formal world. The final objective is to figure out how to comply with requirements for obtaining Certificates for Establishment and Operation (CFE and CFO). (ii) State-of-the art facility One of the major issues that is expected to come out of the ToE is that especially the precious metal recyclers cannot continue to handle hazardous chemicals in a densely populated area. Therefore, a proper facility must be found. This involves a place connected to municipal water supply and sewage, energy supply etc. Since the present target group is not only made of precious metal recyclers, but also of scrap dealers and dismantlers, it is relevant to include the latter in the facility. (iii) Technical input This is the key issue of the entire training, as the main improvements concerning health, safety and environmental impacts are technical. The technical inputs mainly need to focus on the following: (ai) Personal protective equipment (PPE): Every stage of the recycling processes require specific protective equipment. The trainers task is to teach the recyclers which PPE to use for which process stage, how to use the equipment, how to dispose of it when unusable, where to purchase it. (aii) Emission control: Emission control consists of two main outputs to environment, namely acid fumes and effluent. Fumes must be controlled through a proper equipment, avoiding exposure to workers on the one hand, and on the other hand neutralizing the fumes before emitting them to the atmosphere. A strategy must be defined for effluents, whether they can be treated on site and dumped in the sewage, or be sent to a proper treatment facility. (aiii) Process improvement: Especially the precious metal recovery may be improved in its chemical process. Two objectives must be aimed at, namely improving the recovery yield and replacing hazardous inputs (e.g. Mercury, Cyanide) by less dangerous products. (aiv) Structural organisation of workshops: In general, whatever the process, all stages take place at the same site without differentiation. A plan should be designed to clearly separate the different steps, such as storage of material, storage of chemicals, operation area, cleaning of material etc. Also, book keeping of inputs and outputs of material and money should be organised. (av) Association building : The target groups need to be organised into some kind of formal body, which is the gateway to training programs and expert input. 10. CONCLUSION With the growth of electronic industry at a rampant pace, the author has researched whether the consumer or the e-waste will overgrow the other. The various e-waste recycling technologies known to mankind are in a nascent stage and needs to be dwelled upon by mankind in order to come up with a safe and sound e-waste recycling technology which is environmentally friendly and also safe to mankind. References 1. American Plastics Council, â€Å"An industry full of potential: Ten facts to know about plastics from consumer electronics-2003 update†. 2. Basel Action Network, Instructions for Qualifying for the Electronics Recyclers’ Pledge of True Stewardship, ban.org/pledge/Instructions%20for%20Qualifying.pdf. 3. Batista, Elisa, â€Å"Recycling? It’s Really Reselling† Wired News July 8. 2003.November 29, 2004 . 4. â€Å"Computers Shining Apple†, Consumer Report Dec 2004, p.41 5. Consumers Union, â€Å"Consumers Union Letter to the FCC – Handset Portability, March 11, 2004 6. â€Å"Moving to a New Computer,† Consumer Reports, March 2004. 7. Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, â€Å"Recycling Used Electronics Report on Minnesota’s Demonstration Project,† July, 2001. moea.state.mn.us 8. Northbridge Environmental Management Consultants, Characteristics of Massachusetts’ CRT Recycling Program. (October 21, 2002) 3-5, 3-16. 9. Puckett, Jim et all , â€Å"Exporting Harm:The High Tech Trashing of Asia† (The Basel Action Network and Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, Feb 25, 2002) Appendix ‘A’ PROJECTED E-WASTE GENERATION Appendix ‘B’ GROWTH OF ELECTRONIC GOODS MARKET IN INDIA Appendix ‘C’ COMMONLY FOUND E-WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN INDIA Research Papers on Consumer vs EwasteOpen Architechture a white paperPETSTEL analysis of IndiaDefinition of Export QuotasMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductGenetic EngineeringBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Widow Spiders, Genus Latrodectus

Widow Spiders, Genus Latrodectus The famous black widow is just one of the venomous widow spiders living throughout the world. Bites from female widow spiders are medically significant, and may require treatment with an antivenin. Widow spiders do not attack humans unprovoked, but will bite when touched or threatened. What Do Widow Spiders Look Like? Most people will recognize widow spiders by the hourglass markings on the underside of their abdomens. The hourglass mark is not present in all Latrodectus species, however. Females take longer to reach maturity and molt more times than males, resulting in darker, shinier coloration. Males, by contrast, remain lighter and duller. Female widow spiders are larger than their male counterparts; the body of a mature female measures about one half inch in length. Female Latrodectus spiders have a spherical abdomen and long, thin legs. Widow spiders belong to the cobweb spider family. They spin irregular, sticky webs to catch insects. Like other cobweb spiders, widows possess a row of bristles on their hind legs. This comb-foot helps the widow spiders wrap her insect victims in silk. How Are Widow Spiders Classified? Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass - ArachnidaOrder - AraneaeFamily - TheridiidaeGenus - Latrodectus What Do Widow Spiders Eat? Widow spiders feed on insects, which they capture in their webs. When an insect touches the web, the widow spider senses the vibration and immediately rushes to capture the prey. The Widow Spider Life Cycle The widow spider life cycle begins with eggs. A female widow spider lays several hundred eggs, wraps them in a silken egg case, and suspends it from her web. She keeps watch over the eggs, and will defend them vigorously during the month of their development. During her lifetime, the female may produce up to 15 egg sacs, with as many as 900 eggs in each one. The newly hatched spiderlings are cannibals, and will quickly devour one another until only a dozen or so offspring remain. To disperse, the young spiders parachute down from the web on silken threads. They continue to molt and grow for two or three months, depending on their sex. Most females live about nine months, but the male lifespan is considerably shorter. Widow spiders, especially black widows, have earned a reputation for sexual cannibalism – the female eats the male after mating. While this does occasionally occur, it is more myth than fact. Not all males get eaten by their partners. Special Behaviors and Defenses of Widow Spiders Widow spiders do not have good eyesight. Instead, they rely on their sensitivity to vibrations to detect prey or potential threats. For this reason, its never a good idea to touch the web of a widow spider. A careless poke with a finger is likely to attract a speedy bite from the resident widow. Mature female Latrodectus spiders inject a neurotoxic venom when they bite. In prey, the venom takes affect fairly quickly; the spider holds the insect firmly until it stops moving. Once the prey is immobilized, the widow injects it with digestive enzymes that begin to liquefy the meal. Though widow spiders are not aggressive, they will bite defensively if touched. In humans, the venom causes latrodectism, a medical syndrome that requires treatment. Within a few minutes, a bite victim will feel localized pain at the site. Symptoms of a widow spider bite include sweating, rigid abdominal muscles, hypertension, and swelling of the lymph nodes. Where Do Widow Spiders Live? Widow spiders stay outdoors, for the most part. They live in crevices or recesses within rock piles, logs, embankments, or outbuildings like sheds or barns. Widow spiders live on all continents except Antarctica. Five species of Latrodectus spiders occur in the U.S.: southern black widow (L. mactans), western black widow (L. Hesperus), northern black widow (L. variolus), red widow (L. bishopi), and brown widow (L. geometricus). Worldwide, about 31 species belong to this genus. Other Names for Widow Spiders In some parts of the world, widow spiders are referred to as button spiders. Sources: Latrodectus, Tree of Life WebGenus Latrodectus, Bugguide.netBlack Widow Spider, Ohio State University Factsheet

Human Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Capital - Essay Example The qualification, skills and experience of an employee has an economic value for his employer as well as for the economy as a whole. Human Resource Practices are defined as those methods, processes, rules and procedures used in the field of HR. Examples include recruiting, hiring, firing, training, monitoring, reviewing performance, performance appraisals etc. Human Resource Behavior refers to interdependence of individuals in co-coordinating their activities in order to perform at a higher level. Firm Performance is usually measured in terms of financial health of a firm. There are numerous contributing factors which effect firm’s performance. Some of the prior mentioned variables are also leading factors which influence firm’s performance. Finally, Overlapping Tenure is the amount of time employees have worked together in order to achieve common performance outcomes. Relationship among prior mentioned variables Extensive researches have been performed in order to exa mine the relationship among these variables. Aldehayyat & Twaissi (2011) examined a strong positive relationship between Financial Performance and Strategic Planning. The empirical results of this research also supported the practice of firms’ strategic planning in small and medium sized business firms. Leana & Van Buren, (1999) studied the relationship between Overlapping Tenure and Firm’s Performance. In this study, Leana & Van Buren, (1999) focused on the overlapping tenure that is the amount of time employees have spent in working with each other as well as with their manager. The authors stated that it may take time for individuals to form relationships with their-co-workers and allows them to work for common goals. Leana & Van Buren, (1999) stated that some studies found positive long term relationship between the two while other found negative relation between overlapping tenure and firm’s performance. Research conducted by Carmeli & Schaubroeck, (2005), Takeuchi, Lepak, Wang, and Takeuchi, (2007) and Lopez-Cabrales, Valle & Herrero, (2006) found positive relationship between firm performance and human capital. These studies employed industry accepted measures of human capital in order to investigate the relationship between performance and human capital. Leana & Van Buren, (1999) conducted a study to determine overlapping tenure and its relation with firm’s performance. In this study, the main area of focus was the amount of time employees have worked with each other and the amount of time they have worked with their manager. Leana & Van Buren, (1999) concluded that human capital is influenced by stability of employees’ relations. By having flexibility and promoting stability among employees, organizations may enhance their social capital. Study of Huselid (1995) stated that firm performance and high performance work reduces employee turnover and increase employee performance. Also, high performance work by employees leads to greater organizational performance (financial and productivity) (Huselid, 1995). The behavioral perspective of human resource behavior facilitates relation between organization performance and human resource practices. Human resource practices are utilized to improve and control the behaviors and attitudes of human resource. Behavioral perspect