Virtual academy in fuction of Long Life Learning Thesis

Virtual academy in fuction of Long Life Learning - Thesis Example The research holds the concept that the time constraints and place are eliminated in virtual academies. Stacy & Riley, in  "Teaching in Virtual Worlds: Opportunities and Challenges", suggested that virtual worlds play an effective role in learning process as learning environment is generalized rather than contextual. A research by Travis & Price, â€Å"Instructional culture and distance learning†, stated that the use of virtual technologies to deliver courses in education has challenged faculty to examine their culture of teaching and faculty must examine the impact of these technologies on different aspects of coaching. An article by Russel, â€Å"Is Virtual Schooling a Virtual Reality?† identified three categories of virtual schools i.e.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"independent, collaborative  and  broadcast†Ã‚  models. It was also discussed in the study that virtual schools aim at expansion of education facilities to those who cannot go to proper schools and help them to ed ucate themselves while being at home. There are some models too that are used in virtual academies in order to better educate the users.

European EN and International ISO standards Essay Example for Free

European EN and International ISO standards Essay The abbreviations â€Å"EN† refers to European Norm while â€Å"ISO† refer to International Standards Organization. Endoscopy literally means â€Å"looking inside† and it is usually refers to look inside the body usually in relation to medical reasons using an instrument called an endoscope. It is used to examine the interior parts of a hollow organ or cavity of the body, and they are inserted directly into the organ. The endoscopes, especially flexible endoscopes are usually complex but can be reused but require very unique conditions for reuse in respect to their decontamination. It is not only their outer surfaces that are exposed, but also their air channels, water channels and even their accessories that enable them to function in the right manner. Their exposure to body fluids and other contaminants means that their reuse has to be very carefully looked into so as to avoid spread of diseases. It is also important to realize that most endoscopes are heat labile and cannot be autoclaved meaning they change under different heat conditions. European (EN) and International (ISO) standards that would be applicable to an endoscope decontamination unit (EDU) in the UK As abstracted from EN ISO 15883, information from the manufacturers should be given prior to purchasing the endoscope. This implies that the manufacturer provides information such the best disinfectants to use with that particular endoscope and what is expected when cleaning, for example the bacteria expected to be found there and also if the disinfectant in question is compatible with the automatic reprocessor in which it is being used. (Gurusamy Manivannan, 2008) As per BS EN ISO 15883-1, a temperature recorder having no fewer than ten sensors should be used, and the specifications are well indicated in the ISO standard. This is because the endoscopes are heat labile, and temperature may affect the chemical compositions of the accessories or other chemicals involved. The manufacturer should also establish the worst conditions under of the devices configuration. Such conditions encompass temperature, detergent concentration and surrogate device configuration. This also includes water flow pressure for use during testing. This may also be categorized in a similar manner as biocompatibility testing where limits such as residual limits are stipulated as per ISO 10993. (Denise Sheard, 20120 The calibrations should be checked in accordance with ISO 10012-1 for uniformity purposes. These are usually dictated by manufacturers using a validated method of applying a sensible reference. Each instrument should also be labeled with a unique reference number. This is important when measuring passage of fluids or drugs so as to get accurate and true results. The standard prEN ISO 15883-1-2004 has a clause that indicates that the manufacture shall all addition information associated with the use and decontamination of the particular endoscope. Information such as maximum flow and pressure of fluids within each channel in the device and the maximum possible permissible restriction of flow within each channel is deemed important and must be provided. (James Walker, 2014) There is also a standard similar to both that the manufacturers may be requested to give information concerning the device at any stage, and act as consultants. This is stipulated in prEN ISO 15883-1-2004. This is important when complications arise that personnel involved were not expecting References Gurusamy Manivannan, Disinfection and decontamination: principles, applications and related issues. Boca Raton : CRC Press/Taylor Francis Group, 2008 Denise Sheard , A practical guide to decontamination in healthcare . Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, 2012. James Walker, Decontamination in hospitals and healthcare. Oxford: Woodhead Publishing, 2014 Source document

Necessity of Soft Skills for Professionals

Necessity of Soft Skills for Professionals Soft Skills are Smart Skills: Necessity of Soft Skills for LIS Professionals in this Twenty First Century Abstract Changing the users awareness and the technology developed in this Twenty First Century, Library Professionals required to introduce new services, based upon user interest. Managing and running this current century library, professionals have a highly specialized job. So LIS professionals should be required multi-talented and multi-fold personalities. To reach the success and adding new variety of services in their libraries, this paper will helps to LIS professionals through Soft Skills.Various skills need to become a good leader. In Library concept, if you become a good Librarian you should have Library Professional Skills, Managerials Skills and Soft Skills. This paper describes the necessity of soft skill for library professionals. And it listed out the list of soft skills which are essential to survive effectively. Through this paper, we recommend all the library professionals must acquire and execute soft skills in order to better the outcome of their Library. Keyword: Library Science, LIS Professionals, Soft Skills, Twenty First Century Libraries, Librarianship. â€Å"Professional skills may help to get your Job, But Soft skills can make you a good Librarian†. Introduction LIS professionals need continuous grooming by new skills. Then only they become obsolete in this fast changing environment. Soft skills, becoming important at the middle level of library management. Library professionals have to be effective in oral, written an e-communication with their patrons, colleagues and managers, This soft skills will make them more effective to promote their library product and services through marketing. And thus this will help them to show their value to the parent organization. They also need good interpersonal and networking skill to interact with users and effectively collaborate with their colleagues. There is also a growing realization that libraries and information service play important social and community function. Thus, social and community building skills are useful for information professionals- both for community of colleagues (Abdus Sattar Chaudhry Christopher S.G. Khoo). Definition Technical professionals in various disciplines such as information technology, engineering, architecture, and research and development are increasingly required to broaden their skill sets to master the so-called soft skills. Soft skills, as defined by Wikipedia, are the cluster of personality traits, social graces, facility with language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that mark people to varying degrees. Soft skills complement hard skills, which are the technical requirements of a job. Set of Skills There are various types of skills that can be acquired. These skills are categorized under â€Å"Sets† based on their nature. There are five types of â€Å"Sets† of skills (Vidya V. Hanchinal. 2014) Hard Skills: certificates acquired through completing a formal education e.g.Certificates Technical Skills: abilities essential to perform a particular job e.g. employability skills Professional Skills: expertise in professional knowledge, e.g. teaching skills,corporate skills. Life Skills: enriching the innermost qualities like peace of mind, concentration,positive energy levels, etc. E.g. Yoga, Meditation, Mind Power. Soft Skills: a sociological term for a persons â€Å"EQ† (Emotional Intelligence Quotient) which refers to the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, ability with language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that mark each of us in varying degrees. Gupta Rajat(2012). To differentiate clearly between Hard skills, Soft skills and Life skills as; any type of job/work/profession/trade requires a set of tasks to be executed. These are hard skills or Core skills. So these skills are basics for success in professional life. Soft skills, prepare us to be acceptable by others, so that one can attain materialistic and psychometric success in his/her career. And Life skills, prepare us to attain psycho-somatic success (Inner Happiness) in life. Nishitesh and Reddi Bhaskara (2012). All these three skills finally elevate and refine our personality to greater heights, if one knows how to balance all these skills. The ever changing life style, hybrid cultures emerging management styles, technological revolutions essentially require refined sets of skills consisting of Hard Skills(Professional Skills), Soft Skills and Life Skills. Skills Required for the 21st Century Library Though various skills are required, but the skill needs depend on the role and context of the parent organization As all skills do not relate to everyone, a summarized set of skills under three broad categories of skills, i.e. generic, managerial and professional skills have been listed below. (Fisher 2004). S.P. Singh Pinki (2009) (Fouire 62-74) (Oldroyd 30:45-49:69:78:99; Sridhar 141-149); TFPL Skill Set) Generic skills Managerial skills Professional skills Communication skill Local and global thinking Information technology skills Flexibility Planning and organizational skills a. Hardware/ software and networking Skills Adaptability Financial management skills b. MS-Office suite Assertiveness a. Fundraising c. Power point etc. Self-confidence b. Skillful use of financial resources d. Library automation Creativity c. Accounting and auditing skills e. Database creation Innovation Managing change f. Internet Analytical skills Team building g. Intranet skill Problem solving Decision making h. Scanning techniques Decision making Leadership i. Networking skills Service attitude Negotiation skills * On-line search engines Customer relationship Consumer management skills * On-line databases search Improving one’s learning and experience a. User need analysis j. Desktop publishing Presentation skills b. Information seeking k. Content development Stress management c. Behavior analysis l. Digitization Time management Project management m. Web based services Interpersonal People management n. Virtual learning Group skills Stress management Information literacy Working with difficult people Time management Technical professional skills Resource management a. Information resource management b. E- serial management c. Metadata standards d. Standards e. System development Knowledge management5 Traditional skills Table No: 1 Required Skill for 21st Century Library Soft Skills Each one of us is endowed with two Kinds of Skills. Hard Skills and Soft Skills. Hard skills are human tangibles that often find a place in the individual.This soft skill are mostly of complementary nature representing human intangibles. Hard skills are nothing but academic skill that we have picked up in disciplines. Hard skills a can be obtained by reading books while soft skills cannot be acquired by merely reading books. Although it is difficult to give an exhaustive list of soft skills, let us look at the following list proposed by Goeran Nieragden under four heads: Interaction Self-Management Attitude Awareness Compensation strategies Conflict Handling Decision making Co-operation Learning willingness Diversity tolerance Self-assessment Etiquette Self-discipline Interlocutor orientation Self-marketing Teamwork willingness Stress resistance Communication Organization Delegating skills Problem solving Listening skills Systems thinking Presentation skills Troubleshooting List of Essential Soft Skills for Library Professionals Following are some of the significant soft skills that are required to become a successful library professional. Listening skills: The library professionals must have good listening skills a she/she has to interact with different types of users all the time. Communication skills: Command on language, especially English and also regional will improve the communication. A good communication skill also requires understanding people, self-confidence which enables to solve the problems with ease. Writing skills: The librarians are asked to help in writing research proposal/business proposal/project report, which requires good writing skills. Today there are many library professionals who are contributing to various publications, even in-house also or by sharing information and their experiences through library blogs and websites. Presentation skills: The presentation skills are required in report writing, library committee meetings and even in daily work which represents the overall library management. User service: To satisfy the information needs of the users is the utmost priority for any library. The library professionals provide various services such as CAS and SDI or other specialized services. Leadership skills Teamwork: Library management, especially in a bigger library set up is about team work/exercise. Hence, it is required to have leadership skills to manage and guide the team from time to time, as every subordinate is important for carrying out their work efficiently for smooth running of a library system. Teaching skills: Libraries spend huge amounts to procure resources, both print as well as electronic, therefore, it is essential to possess teaching skills, which helps to conduct the information literacy classes effectively. Conclusion Soft skills, becoming impartant of Library professionals in this 21st Century. A current century internet provides more exercise of this Softskills. The overlap in soft skill development and best practices across disciplines needs the Library Science course institutions have to think how to teach soft skills effectively. This paper presents and briefly mentioned variety of soft skills likely to be significant importance to LIS professionals. If we start to learn beginning from library science study itself, the huge difference will be there to execute their work environment. Of course, more and more innovative methods need to implement this soft skills to library studies. Through this paper, we request to add soft skill training to all library and information courses curriculams. References Abdus Sattar, Chaudhry., Christopher, S.G. Khoo.(2008). â€Å"Trend in LIS Education: Coverage of Soft skills in Curricula†. Journal of Librarianship and Information Studies, 66,1-13. Goeran Nieragden, (2000). ‘The Soft Skills of Business English’, The Weekly September 2000. http://www.eltnewsletter.com/back/September2000/art282000.htm Accessed on (Dec- 2014). Gupta Rajat (2012). â€Å"Soft Skills: Tools for Success†, Yking Books, Jaipur, P.4 Nishitesh and Reddi Bhaskara (2012).†Soft Skills and Life Skills : The Dynamics of Success†, BSC Publishers and Distributors, Hyderabad, P.16 Vidya V. Hanchinal (2014).†Developing Leadership Qualities in Librarians through Soft Skills†, Episteme: an online interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary multi-cultural journal,6 (4). Sridhar (2000), â€Å"Skill Requirements of LIS Professionals in the New E-World†, Library Science with a Slant to Documentation and Information Studies, 36.(3) Pp.141-149. TFPL Skills Set: Knowledge and Information Management Skills toolkit. http://skillstoolkit.tfpl.com Access on (Dec- 2014). Fisher (2004). â€Å"Workforce Skills Development: The Professional Imperative for Information Services in the United Kingdom.† Australian Library and Information Association 2004 Biennial Conference. Sydney, 19 June 2004. S.P. Singh Pinki (2009). â€Å"New Skills for LIS professionals in Technology-Intensive Environment†. ICAL 2009 – CHANGE MANAGEMENT, Pp.331 -336

Led Zeppelins Houses of the Holy :: Led Zeppelin Rock N Roll Bands Essays

Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy Led Zeppelin is arguably one of the best rock n’ roll bands of all time. They were collectively some of the best musicians ever to play rock n’ roll music, and were also great lyricists. Robert Plant (the lead vocalist) was quoted as saying that for some of the songs that he wrote, he felt that someone pushed the pen for him. Whether some mysterious force was moving his hand or not, one things for sure, Led Zeppelin wrote some timeless masterpieces of music. They were formed from the ashes of British blues-rockers the Yardbirds. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelins official founder) started off as the bassist for the Yardbirds, but eventually moved on to play electric guitar for the band. In 1968 the Yardbirds broke up leaving Jimmy Page the rights to the band. Jimmy went out looking to start a new group and found charismatic vocalist Robert Plant, Roberts close friend and explosive drummer John Bonham, and already famous bass guitar player John Paul Jones. The group hit it off and did a few shows in England before renaming the band Led Zeppelin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Somewhat a mysterious band, Led Zeppelin rarely did interviews and did not talk much to the press. For these reasons much of the press did not like them. However, their fans loved them. Led Zeppelin established a strong fan base by means of intense touring from the start of the group’s formation. With this intense touring came a lot of temptation. Led Zeppelin indulged in heavy drug and alcohol abuse as well as a lot of sex with groupies, especially American groupies. Their regimen of intense partying would eventually cause the band problems and inevitably lead to the bands undoing with the death of drummer John Bonham. I feel that Led Zeppelin could have been much more. To many Led Zeppelin fans that might sound crazy, but I truly feel that they had much more to offer the world than they ever got to give. The reason I say this is because they really didn’t have a long career and within a 5 or 6 years of forming the band they started having misfortun e and tragedy such as the death of Robert Plants son, Roberts car accident (which interfered with his touring and ability to perform for a few years), John Bonham’s excessive alcohol use, and Jimmy Pages’ heroin addiction that obviously interfered with their touring and songwriting.

Types of Lies People Tell

TYPES OF LIES PEOPLE TELL Lies are part of human life. Nobody can deny that he or she has never lied before. Everybody lies. People start lying at around age 4 to 5 when they gain an awareness the power of language. Sometimes they can get away with lying, sometimes they can not. But everone knows that lying is a bad habit. Yet many people have no clue how big of a problem it is. Sadly, lying can become a destructive habit whatever your purpose is. According to the purpose to tell lies, they can be divided into three types; beneficial lies, spiteful lies , neutral lies.The first type of lies I find it good are beneficial lies. These lies usually mean to help and they are harmless that are meant to be tactful or polite. People prefer to tell it to protect the other people or not to make them unhappy. They help avoid hurt and sadness. For example, a father lie to the children that their beloved mother is living happily in heaven. People may think that this is a cheating, but they ought to praise these people who tell beneficial lies instead of criticizing them. The second type of lies are spiteful lies.These lies always mean to gain benefit and hurt people. People tell spiteful lies to protect themselves, look good,, gain financially or socially and avoid punishment. For example, as we usually see in supermarkets sellers lie to their customers to talk them into buying the fake foods. Their aims are only their personal gains, they do not care the other people. The third type of lies are neutral lies. These lies are just meant nothing and are much simpler. People tell these lies to not to Show their private things.For example, you asked a person about her private life or private things, she may avoid answering the truth by telling a lie. One hand, she does not want to share it with you, on the other hand she feels that she has to answer it, so she tells lie. Have you ever told any one of these lies? You may be able to lie for a while, but in the end it will come bac k to haunt you. It’s important to know that there is freedom in living and telling the truth. It may be difficult at first, but as we know, â€Å"The truth shall set you free. †

Stress1 essays

Stress1 essays I have chosen the topic of stress and coping for my psychology reflection paper. This course provided in-depth information on stress, coping with stress, and the favorable or unfavorable aspects that stress has on our psychological makeup. It also clearly defines the psychological factors that create social dysfunctions, the methods of psychological research, and treatment theories that assist us with stress-related coping. I discovered that psychophysiological disorders are in fact physical disorders, in which our emotions are believed to play a central role. The stress factors that people routinely face lead to disorders on both a mental and physical basis. A common misconception, shared by me prior to completing this course, was that people who suffer from psychophysiological disorders are not really sick. I now realize that psychological disturbances such as stress can easily impact on the human anatomy in the same manner as any disease. A good example would be a peptic ulcer that has been caused by stress. This ulcer is indistinguishable from an ulcer that may have been caused by an overuse of medication. This course effectively discussed the effects that stress has on our health, productivity, budget, and lives. I learned that a degree of stress is necessary; even desirable. It excites or challenges us to achieve better results. Experiencing events such as the birth of a child, completion of a major project at work, or moving to a new city, can generate as much stress as any tragedy or disaster. But without it, life would be dull. Through this course I have found that stress reducers help individuals regain a sense of control and equilibrium. Some stress reducing strategies may relieve the immediate stress symptoms but others may require developing new behavior patterns to cope with the stresses of life. Some of these strategies include: 1. Relaxing - Close your eyes and brea...

A Countrys Shape Can Impact Its Fortunes and Destiny

A Country's Shape Can Impact Its Fortunes and Destiny A countrys boundaries, as well as the shape of the land it encompasses, can present problems or help to unify the nation. The morphology of most countries can be divided into five main categories: compact, fragmented, elongated, perforated, and protruded. Read on to learn how the configurations of nation-states have impacted their destinies. Compact A compact state with a circular shape is the easiest to manage.  Belgium  is an example because of the cultural division between Flanders and Wallonia. Belgiums population is divided into two distinct groups: The Flemings, the larger of the two, live in the northern region- called Flanders- and speak Flemish, a language closely related to Dutch. The second group lives in Wallonia, a region in the south, and consists of the Walloons who speak French.   The government long ago divided the country into these two regions, giving each control over its cultural, linguistic, and educational matters.  Despite this division, Belgiums compact form has helped to keep the country together despite numerous European wars and attacks by neighboring countries. Fragmented Nations such as Indonesia, which is composed of more than 13,000 islands, are known as fragmented or archipelagic states because they are composed of archipelagos. Governing such a country is difficult. Denmark  and  the Philippines  are also archipelagic countries separated by water. As you might expect, the Philippines has been attacked, invaded, and occupied numerous times over the centuries due to its fragmented shape, starting in 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan  claimed the islands for Spain.   Elongated An elongated or attenuated nation such as  Chile  makes for difficult governance of peripheral areas in the north and south, which are from the central capital of Santiago. Vietnam is also an elongated state, which has battled numerous attempts by other countries to divide it, such as the 20-year  Vietnam War, where first French and then U.S. forces tried unsuccessfully to keep the southern part of the nation separated from the north. Perforated South Africa  is a classic example of a perforated state, which surrounds  Lesotho. The surrounded nation of Lesotho can only be reached by going through South Africa. If the two nations are hostile, access to the surrounded nation can be difficult. Italy is also a perforated state. Vatican City  and  San Marino- both independent countries- are surrounded by Italy. Protruded A protruded, or panhandle country such as  Myanmar (Burma)  or Thailand has an extended arm of territory. Like an elongated state, the panhandle complicates management of the country. Myanmar has existed in one form or other for thousands of years, for example, but the countrys shape has made it an easy target for many other nations and people, dating to the  Nanzhao kingdom in the mid-800s  to the Khmer  and  Mongol  empires. Though its not a nation, you can get an idea of how hard it would be to defend a protruded country if you picture the state of Oklahoma, which has a prominent panhandle.

Assess the challenge of Post-development theory to mainstream development paradigms Essay Example

Assess the challenge of Post Assess the challenge of Post-development theory to mainstream development paradigms Essay Assess the challenge of Post-development theory to mainstream development paradigms Essay Essay Topic: All Quiet On the Western Front The rise of Post-development theory in the late 1980s through to the 1990s advocated by scholars across the globe (Sachs, Escobar, Esteva, Shiva and Illich to name but a few) brought to the fore more radical interpretations and critiques of mainstream development paradigms. The post-development theorists set about a brutal yet arguably necessary attack upon current development practices and theories claiming to uncover some of the hidden truths behind the Western development project, as Esteva states The time has come to unveil the secret of development and see it in all its conceptual starkness (1992:7). Post-development embarked on a complete rejection of current development practice naming it a failure in every sense. However, others were sceptical, many believing that such a position was unnecessary and indeed unhelpful in terms of suggesting development alternatives, as Nederveen-Pieterse writes Post-development is caught in a rhetorical gridlock. Using discourse analysis as an ideological platform invites political impasse and quietism. In the end post-development offers no politics besides the self-organising capacity of the poor, which actually lets the development responsibility of the states and international institutions off the hook (2000: 187). Under such stark criticism the question often posed is what real challenge does post-development theory have to offer to the wider debate and reality of the development situation, if all it appears to be is semantic hot air? This paper will discuss in detail this very point, arguing that despite its at times, extreme radical view points, post-development has much to offer in terms of challenging our neoclassical interpretations and understanding of mainstream development theory. An initial overview will be given of the progression of development over the last four decades, highlighting the rise of post-development theory in the 1980s through to the 1990s. Following this, an in-depth assessment of the challenges posed to mainstream development by post-development will be given stressing the complexities associated with such challenges. Case studies and critique will be apparent throughout. Post-development theory grew out of a huge sense of dissatisfaction and disillusion with the way mainstream development theory was both constructed and operated. Such mainstream development has been seen as intrinsically linked to Neoliberal policies of economic reform and a dominant western understanding of how countries should progress and grow along the same teleological path as Western societies, the end goal of which being modernization and industrialisation. Mainstream development appeared to be constructed of a single, monolithic and imperialist vision of progress and planning as Escobar notes the idea that poor countries could move more or less smoothly along the path of progress through planning has always been held as an indubitable truth (1992:64). Post-development thinkers date the beginning of mainstream development to 1949 when President Truman made his famous speech, during which as Esteva believes, two billion people became burdened with the label underdeveloped (1992:7). Since that date development theory and practice has moved hap-hazardly through the decades along various initiatives and practices led by Western International Financial Institutions, development professionals and agencies. Development aims and goals were headed up by a number of schools of thought including the structuralists and dependency theorists of the 1960s, the modernisation and basic needs approaches of the 70s, through to the Neoliberal structural adjustment programmes of the 1980s (the so-called lost decade of development). The 1990s and into the 21st century, against the backdrop of the growing Globalisation phenomena, have heralded what is being called a more alternative and participatory approach to development theory and practice, based on a more human development and rights based approach. Scholars such as Robert Chambers have brought to the fore the importance of participatory methods to the development field, advocating methods such as PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) which places a greater emphasis on the role of local people in defining and solving their development problems, a realisation that villagers have a greater capacity to map, model, observe, quantify, estimate, compare, rank, score and diagram than outsiders have generally supposed them capable of (1994:1255). Despite these efforts to give development a human face many argue that such forms of so-called alternative development remain undistinguishable from the mainstream and have arguably merged, The problem is that there is no clear line of demarcation between mainstream and alternative alternatives are co-opted and yesterdays alternatives are todays institutions (Nederveen Pieterse. 1998:349). As development has crawled through the 1990s and into 2000 the gusto and courage of the post-development thinkers has merely been fuelled. Not happy with mainstream development or the alternatives it offers, post-development poses the ultimate challenge, to find not an alternative development rather an alternative too development. With its provocative statements and voice of certitude post-development challenges every development workers mind. The following discussion will draw out some of the key challenges posed by post-development including case studies and examples of development failure. Critique of these challenges will be given throughout. The collapse of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit held in September 2003 in Cancun marked a significant moment in time and provided a stark reminder that mainstream development is not working. At the summit unfair trade rules were met with resistance from more than 71 developing nations who refused to accept the forced agenda set by the rich nations. The result : the collapse of the talks. The failure of the rich nations to accept and negotiate resistance and the subsequent abandonment of the summit, marks what so commonly occurs within such agreements, that of Our way, or the highway! . The very same global advocates of human and economic development as a good for all showed themselves to be the very same hypocritical powers keeping developing nations trapped in crippling poverty through unfair and exploitative global trade regulations, For the developing countries, membership has not brought protection from abuses by the powerful economies, mush less serve as a mechanism of development (Bello. 2003:2). The Cancun Development Round marks a prime example of the ever apparent reality which post-development thinkers so explicitly oppose the hegemonic global dominance of the Worlds super-powers dictating progress and development based only on their terms. It is this profits before people (Kernaghan. 2001:64) attitude based on Neoliberal economics and neoclassical development theory, to which post-development is so strongly against. Mainstream economic development policies touted the world over based on economic reform, lowering of tariffs and trade liberalization in the Southern nations has been heavily criticised for its failure. Such failure has been marked by growing resistance across developing nations who are increasingly dissatisfied with World Bank and IMF Neoliberal prescriptions, and who are calling for a different development. A recent example of this cited in The Guardian, in which Lula Da Silva the elected Brazilian President states that 76% of Brazilians had voted against the current free market economic policy and in favour of a new model of development (The Guardian. 2002:14). The above example of the Cancun talks marks an entry point into a discussion of the challenges posed by post-development. Nederveen-Pieterse describes post-development as a Radical reaction to the dilemmas of development (2000:175), however whether it really is a radical standpoint is debatable, rather is it a more realistic and common-sense view from which to approach the fai de of development of the last 40 years, as the title quote from Esteva remarks In Mexico, you must be either numb or very rich if you fail to notice that development stinks (1987:1351). Post-development critiques the core basics of mainstream development theory taking overt positions on the problematisation of poverty, the portrayal of development as weste rnisation and critique of modernism and science (Nederveen- Pieterse. 2000:175). Drawing on the work of Michel Foucault on power, truth and knowledge many of the post-development thinkers challenge the imperialist, western and dominant form which, they argue, development has taken, believing that the development project was merely a form of neo-colonialism used to maintain the rich nations dominance and the poorer nations subordination, Systematic, empirical investigation of historical, geographical, and demographic conditions engendered the modern human sciences. Their aim for Foucault, was not human emancipation, but the making of docile yet productive bodies (Dreyfus Rabinow. 1983) (In Peet Hartwick. 1999:130). One of the most significant challenges posed by post-development is towards the use of modernism and technology as a development good for all. The neoclassical understanding of development draws on the lure of modern society to encourage the systematic modernisation of developing nations along western developmental paths in which industrialization, technological advance and utmost modernity can be fully embraced. For post-development thinkers, such as Illich, modernization means mass commodification and the rise of global products, a type of modernization which is suited more to the market needs of rich nations. In advocating the rise to modernity, Illich believes that a state of mind is engendered within developing nations, a state of mind which convinces them they are underdeveloped, Underdevelopment is the result of rising levels of aspiration achieved through the intensive marketing of patent products (1997:97). Thus for Illich poverty becomes planned, a scam to force developing nations into an unfair globalized economy producing foreign products for the global market and to, as Illich provocatively puts it surrender social consciousness to pre-packaged solutions (1997:97). And what of the impact the presence of such foreign firms and products have on developing nations? The impacts according to post-development, are only too apparent from the high levels of industrial pollution and environmental degradation to the use of sweatshop labour in the manufacture of global goods. A recent example in the UK press highlights the adversity of these impacts only too well as the largest Coca Cola plant in India is accused of putting thousands of farmers out or work by draining the water that feeds their wells and poisoning the land with waste sludge that the company claims is fertiliser (The Guardian. 2003). The plant employing only 141 people has been condemned by the charity ActionAid as an example of the worst kind of inward investment by multinational companies in developing countries (The Guardian. 003). In the face of such modern catastrophe and technological disaster, such as that of the big D Development Dam projects of the last two decades (including the Indian Sardar Sarovar Project in which over 200,000 people have been displaced, 56% of whom are tribal people (Kurian. 2000:843)), the post-development thinkers call on tradition, self-sufficiency and locally based forms of appropriate technology to resist, challenge and provide alternatives to the domina nt ideologies of modernism touted by global technocrats. The well documented work of Norberg-Hodge writing on Ladakh in the trans-Himalayan region of Kashmir, highlights the importance post-development theory places on traditional ways of life as a means to provide alternatives to development and challenge modernity. Writing on Ladakh, Norberg-Hodge notes how life has changed since external development forces have become increasingly significant in Ladakhi life, When I first lived among Ladakhis in the early 1970s, they enjoyed Peace of mind. The pace of their lives was relaxed and easy. An important element in this stress-free lifestyle was the fact that they had control over their own lives. Over the last thirty years however I have watched as external forces have descended on the Ladakhis like an avalanche, causing massive and rapid disruption (2001:112). She writes of the self-sufficient life which was led before development intervention, and as Rahnema and Bawtree She feels that western society has much to learn from the traditional lifestyle of the Himalayan people of Ladakh (1997:22). However, this challenge to modernism and technology and its call to more traditional ways of life does not go un-criticised. The post-development school is indeed heavily criticised for its over-romanticisation of the past, which some argue serves to artefact people and cultures, as Corbridge writes Post-development romanticises the soil cultures of the social majorities and provides poor empirical documentation of its claims (1999:145). Post-development theory also falls weak in its challenge to modernism and technology in its failure to recognise the liberating effects they may have, for example the use of cyber-technology by the Mexican Zapatistas in gaining international support and recognition, or the Kyapos use of video cameras and planes to defend their culture and ancestral lands in the Brazillian rainforests (an example cited in Escobar, 1995, implying the somewhat contradictory nature of the scholars arguments). One of the key criticisms of the post-development challenge to modernism and technology is that many believe they do not suggest adequate alternatives and merely rely on a glorification of the local, as Nederveen-Pieterse comments on the work of Norberg-Hodge, What is the point of declaring development a hoax (Norberg-Hodge. 1995) without proposing alternatives (2000:188). A further significant challenge presented by post-development is that towards the all encompassing concepts of global good, an example of which is sustainability. Since the early introduction of the concept in the Brundtland Report and its increasing prominence through international summits such as the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, Sustainability and sustainable development have become key buzz words within the development field heralded as a more integrated development goal in terms of achieving long term social, economic and environmental goals for present and future generations. However, as with many initiatives it appears that as increasing numbers of development agencies and organisations jump on the sustainability band wagon, it is proving to be another development good based merely on rhetoric. Indeed misuse of the concept has resulted in it becoming seen as another hegemonic Western discourse. An example of this can be seen in the number of inappropriate environmental projects which have sprung up in developing nations as a result of western use of sustainable development as a powerful interventionist tool. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) in association with the World Bank has been guilty of this, using un-realistic Eco-development projects in India to conserve the environment and create National Parks for Tourist purposes. The projects, carried out with little consultation from local people have resulted in the displacement of indigenous peoples from forest lands. The projects are imposed on the local communities by foreign environmentalists whose initiatives go against the basic livelihoods of those who depend on the forest resources for survival. The use of grand theory and concepts such as sustainable development again become what the post-developmentalists are so against, the imposition of development from centralised, distant bureaucracy which make decisions for communities they have never consulted (Source:2). Esteva writes on sustainability, .. in its mainstream interpretation, sustainable development has been explicitly conceived as a strategy for sustaining development, not for supporting the flourishing and enduring of an infinitely diverse natural and social life (1992:16). As the above example of sustainability highlights, post-development thinkers challenge the use of grand meta-narratives which are so commonly used within mainstream development paradigm. One of the main critiques of post-development is that it offers no alternative, it merely rejects current practice. Schurrman (2000) comments on the loss of central paradigms in development and poses the questions as to whether post-modernism, post-development and globalisation are capable of offering new and exciting paradigms? What Schurrman fears is that perhaps they are not, and as old paradigms are lost, new ones remain absent (Schurrman. 2000) The post-developmentalists would challenge this significantly, as Escobar points out By now it should be clear that there are no grand alternatives that can be applied to all places or all situations (1995:222), reiterated by Foucault who believed that all global theories such as modernization theory, Marxist mode of production theory, or world systems theory, to be reductionist, universalistic, coercive and even totalitarian (Peet Hardwick. 999: 132). These concepts and theories constructed within a western world view are strongly rejected as they challenge the scale at which mainstream development theory and practice operates, calling for more localized, grassroots-specific, bottom-up approaches. The ultimate challenge posed by the post-developmentalists to mainstream development is that of its failure, as Sachs famously puts it, The idea of development stands like a ruin on the intellectual landscape. Delusion and disappointment, failures and crimes have been the steady companions of development and they tell a common story: it did not work (1992:1). From the widening of inequality to the increased spread of HIV/Aids post-development theorists condemn mainstream development to failure. Examples such as the work of Ferguson (1994) on development failure in Lesotho based on rural development called The Thaba-Theska Project funded by the World Bank and Canadian International Development Agency in 1974, or even recent pieces in the Press such as an interview with Michael Buerk in the January edition of the Radio Times, in which he comments on his visits to Ethiopia in 1984 compared to a recent visit in 2004 in which he states The fact is that there are twice as many people hungry in Ethiopia today as there were in 1984 (Michael Buerk. 004:153), all point to failure. Despite the stark truth of development failure in some cases, others argue that such a negative standpoint and utter rejection of development does not ring true across the whole of the developing world, where examples of success and progress have been made. Corbridge offers the following critique, Post-development gives no hint of the extraordinary accomplishments that have defined the age of development, or of the historically unprecedented increases in life expectancies for men and women that have been achieved since 1950 (In India, life expectancies at birth increased for men from 46-60 years between 1965 and 1990, and for women from 44 to 58 years (Corbridge. 1999:145). Criticised for their generalisation of development, overtly pessimistic view points, romanticisation, unproblematised view of social movements and a complete rejection of development, post-developmentalists have themselves not preceded unchallenged. Indeed their tendency to deconstruct rather than reconstruct and the absence of alternatives does make many wary of the fruitfulness of such a standpoint (see Nederveen-Pieterse 2000). However, the beauty of post-development lies not in its answers but in its lack of answers. Post-developmentalists challenge the global super powers and International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank and IMF; they challenge civil society to resist, in similar ways to those of the Mayan indigenous population who through the rise of the Zapatistas have appealed for an end to 500 years of oppression and 40 years of development (Esteva. 994:302) and who call for greater recognition of indigenous rights; they call on NGOs, development Agencies, charities and development practitioners to rethink the way they operate, to question and to challenge the work they are doing; they challenge not only Western scholars but also those of the Third World, in particular on what Peet and Hardwick call Intellectual Dependency Theory (1999:137) a challenge to Third World scholars to move away from the dominant ideologies of Western discourse towards more critical and creative thinking on th e issues facing developing countries; they also pose challenges to themselves, to their body of knowledge which indeed does not provide answers. However, ultimately post-development challenges us, both our mind set, ways of thinking and assumptions. To conclude it must be stated that despite its obvious drawbacks, post-development successfully provides a series of provocative challenges to mainstream development paradigms, indeed Corbridge sums up the power of post-development and the opportunity it provides for future change, Post-development keeps the raw nerve of outrage alive post-development thinkers force us to confront our own prejudices about the agendas of development and the shocking failure of some aspects of the development project. They also provide a human touch that is too often missing in development studies (1999:143).

IT PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IT PROJECT - Essay Example In order to insure that the tennis club runs in a smooth fashion, and to insure that the business owner has minimal difficulties in the beginning and onward, it is fitting to recommend to the owner of this newly found business the technology that will be the best fit and demonstrate why this is the case, which is the sole objective of this report. The primary piece of technology that is highly recommended is a top notch computer that contains optimal specifications. The reason that such a piece of technology is recommended is that if a computer is top notch and has outstanding specifications, it will not only run quickly, which is important in today’s fast paced society, this computer will be able to run many tasks and peripherals all at one time. In a world where multitasking is common, this is very important. One such Computer that fits these requirements is the HP Pro 3010 small form factor PC. With an Intel ® Pentium ® Dual-Core E5300 Processor that runs at an ultra fast speed of 2.60 GHz, 3GB DDR2 RAM, and a 320GB Hard Drive, this computer will enable the business professional to not only complete tasks at the speed of lightening, but they will also be able to store large amounts of data without having to run out of disk space. This particular desktop PC comes with Windows Professional; however, should the bus iness professional prefer XP Professional for the sake of familiarity, this is possible to obtain, as this business PC comes with downgrading rights (Misco.co.uk, 2010). For the full details on this business desktop PC, refer to Appendix 2. Along with a high quality computer, there needs to be a printer of the same caliber. This printer must possess the capability of printing off documents quickly, and the printer must also possess a number of functions that will enable staff to design fliers, posters, and business cards in an effective and efficient manner. One printer that

Housing Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Housing Finance - Essay Example The housing financial sectors can play very essential and important roles in this process. As a policy officer I had great chances to work with governmental homes, communities, agencies and council of members of that particular locality. With respect to my vast experience in this field I have some views regarding housing and regeneration, which I want to share with the people of Chesterfield Derbyshire. The proposal for housing and regeneration is on account of the great demand of people who cannot forward their housing demands to the open market. The local council members have got the authoritative power of local housing. They are responsible for conducting researches and analysis regarding housing matters and trends. They organize funding for special housing schemes according to social environments. Moreover the environmental factors are very much related to housing and health policies. The awareness regarding these matters will enable to manage the housing and regeneration policies so perfectly. The center for planning and housing research often conduct seminars to verify the currently prevailing situation of housing and housing finance. This enables the housing and planning authorities to adopt methods and schemes to be implemented for the uplifting of the project. These types of seminars are too much worth since they can provide certain views regarding housing schemes and mortgage market. Sometimes these seminars are helpful for designing houses at affordable prices according to market trend. The main disadvantage of this process is the instability of the global economic condition. If the economic instability is prevailing for a prolonged period that will effect the housing and housing financial sector so inversely. In such situations the central and local ministry can do something positive to countercheck the falling trend in housing sector. The authorities of housing, financing, planning and regeneration can do a great deal if the governmental agencies are ready to supp ort them. This associated event will enable them to find out fresh alternatives to deal such unfavorable situations so successfully in both social and private housing sectors. The very common alternative at this juncture is to develop plans to construct houses at affordable costs irrespective of the economic down fall taking place globally. While undertaking this task the government must simultaneously launch measures to reduce the price hike and cost of living among common men, so that the government can succeed in bringing the poverty under control. All these miraculous measures are capable to make the ordinary people feel anything unfavorable with respect to economic recession taking place globally. Role of housing and planning research centers Housing and planning research centers can be commissioned by governmental authorities and community personnel. This is a very suitable suggestion to estimate the improved housing schemes. These innovative housing schemes can be made popularized among people of any concerned locality by providing them suitable awareness and advice. This is very essential to eradicate any existing misunderstanding among the people regarding housing and regeneration process. The advices and awareness class are capable to familiarize people about affordable schemes such as low and medium housing projects. The community planning division can

Analysis of a Healthcare Lawsuit Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of a Healthcare Lawsuit - Case Study Example Eric H. Holder Jr., the defendant as the United States Attorney General is directly responsible for the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of the Health Care and Reconciliation amendment passed by the US President Barrack Obama on the 23rd of March 2010 (Mead v. Holder‎, 2011). According to section 1501, it requires every American to buy a health care policy from any private company or institution if he/she can afford to do so. This clause will force thousands of American citizens to forcefully buy an insurance policy from many banks and companies and if they fail to do so and do not pass the individual mandate, they will have to face a penalty and would have to pay the government with a penalty known as the Shared Responsibility payment. This penalty may also be applicable over the individual’s spouse or dependent family members. The payment for the Health Care insurance Policy and the Shared responsibility are excluding taxes. The Shared Responsibility payment, if continued would also continue to increase every year. This law will also be forcefully applied on the 62-year old American Citizen, Miss Margaret Peggy Lee Mead, who is a self-employed Single American citizen living in the State of North Carolina. She also works part time and is not eligible for Medicare. However, Miss Mead is also not under any exemption of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and is also not exempted from the Shared Responsibility payment she would have to pay over the years to the government consequently. The Plaintiff would have to pay a Shared Responsibility Payment of around $3,895 to the government by 2020 in different installments per year if she does not opt for a Health Care and Insurance policy from any private entity as per the individual mandate enforced by the act. Miss Mead is under direct enforcement of the act and is under no exemption. This enforcement would

The Strengths, Weaknesses and Uses of the Economic Value Added (EVA) Essay

The Strengths, Weaknesses and Uses of the Economic Value Added (EVA) Mode - Essay Example Economic Value Added (EVA) EVA is a relatively new technique of measuring financial performance of companies. This tool relies on three basic elements which are Net Operating Income adjusted after taxes (NOPAT), the investment amount and the weighted average cost of capital (Hansen & Mowen, 1997). EVA can be calculated as: EVA = After tax operating income – (investment in assets x weighted average cost of capital) The amount calculated under EVA is an absolute dollar amount. The amount calculated can be either have a positive value or can have negative value. The positive value shows that the organization has remained successful in generating more Net Operating Income After Tax (NOPAT), well covering the cost of investments that were employed. On the other hand, negative values shows organization’s failure in recovering the costs of investment as its cost of investments exceeded the Net Operating Income After Tax (NOPAT). Obtaining the positive value of EVA is the core objective of any organization. Strengths of EVA EVA has significant strengths which have increased its popularity tremendously. In the following discussion, more attention will paid on different aspects of EVA. 1. Better Measure EVA has turned out to be a better measure in terms of performance measurement of different stakeholders in organizations. ... In order to achieve personal and individual goals, the broad objectives and goals of organization are put aside courtesy this technique. However, EVA is the technique which measures the performance of financial managers in an absolute dollar amount. This technique explains the absolute value added by the financial managers to their divisions and the organization as a whole. So the financial managers try to increase the EVA in comparison with other financial mangers to exceed the amount of EVA as much as they can, this effort causes benefits to financial managers, their divisions and the overall organization. 2. Absolute Measure of Performance One of the most promising strengths of EVA is that is explains the amount of value added by the financial managers in an absolute dollar amount. Other techniques such ROI measures performance in relative percentage terms which is not a true reflection of the performance of financial managers. The reason behind the failure of relative measures is that they do not take into account the size of amounts on which they are based. There are likelihoods that a financial manager earning too much with a huge amount of investments behind him/her, yet he/she end with lower ROI as compared to that financial manager who is responsible for lower magnitude of amounts. As a result, the true performance cannot be reflected if relative measures are used. On the other hand, EVA exactly explains the specific dollar amount that is added to the organization as a whole. 3. Similar to NPV This technique is very much similar to that of Net Present Value technique. In finance, the NPV technique has the importance of

Considering Definitions of Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Considering Definitions of Community - Essay Example In my experience, the need to be identified as part of a community because of where you are is at best aimed at preservation of the status quo, and at worst a means for people to tie you into controlling relationships, in which they can be sure that they remain in charge. The sharing of a common cultural or ethnic identity may not necessarily mean that people gravitate to the same places anymore, but the combination of these common characteristics and a closed, inescapable location, even if it is just in the mind, can be deadly. Little villages across the world force their inhabitants to think, to look like, to feel, even to believe the same as everyone else in the village. Cities are often identifiable by the apparently common behaviors of their inhabitants – New Yorkers are businesslike, driven, and high achievers, for example. And we go even further – the Italians are romantic and stylish, or the Canadians are parochial and eco-conscious. On the face of it, this idea of being in the same place seems to lend us a sense of security, and a way to identify with others. Just, for a moment, however, consider the full implications of thinking this way. â€Å"In this neighborhood, we take care of each other† – just another way to indicate that we are all similar here, hold the same values, and are very likely to persecute and eventually get rid of you if you are not exactly like we are. â€Å"Our community is a caring one and we will always reach out to others, to make their lives easier and better† – so, we are better than others morally, our lives are superior to those of others, and we will emphasize the fact that we have more materially than anyone around us. Someone cynical would argue that living in the same place exposes you to the danger of becoming the same as everyone else in that place: and that means taking on the good and the bad, the prejudices and the preconceptions; the loves and the hates. Perhaps this is wh at happened when Nazism engulfed Germany, or genocide destroyed Rwanda. So, I think that we are losing the idea that a common location is needed to define community, and not a moment too soon. Not that we have rid ourselves of the dangers of strictly identifying ourselves as part of a community, however. The community of right-wing white supremacists is now connected across the world, through the Internet. But so is the community of â€Å"green activists† focusing on the planet’s continued healthy existence. â€Å"Place† has been replaced by common ethics, points of view and, of course, prejudices, in forming a sense of community, thanks to globalization and the spread of communications technology. Communities now identify themselves in the same ways as they have throughout history. Individuals who share religious points of view define themselves by that religion no matter where they are in the world. A community of women, opposed to oppression by men exists int ernationally. A community of human rights activists is able to exert pressure in every corner of the globe, with support for causes independent of location. A central European, aware of human rights abuses in Tibet can make his or her voice heard to the government of China, even if it is just by signing one Internet petition. I can form my own community – and the OED supports this definition – by starting a blog, and finding that the people who read my blog in effect from a

Management of Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Management of Technology - Essay Example Retail industry, because of its optimum development has been incorporating technologies in various facets of its functioning. One of the key technologies that is being sizably used is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID for short), which tracks and locates products through organisation’s supply chain using some hardware. Organisations are ‘structures’ with number of individuals doing their allocated work to accomplish set goals. Thus, the implementation of RFID in an organisation will mostly not be an individual’s decision and inputs, instead various parts of the organisation has to work in cohesion, with organisations and its management taking decisions to make the RFID function effectively. On these lines, many retail companies are implementing RFID in their operations. So, this paper will first focus on Rogers’ and other experts’ perspectives or ideas of technology diffusion. Then will discuss the origins and functioning of the RFID Techno logy and how diffusion process is applicable to this technology. Finally, the paper focusing on the retail sector and retail companies will critically evaluate RFID’s diffusion process using the literature review, and concluding with recommendations for further improvement to the literature and the development of future technologies. The technological and the innovation perspectives of diffusion got established in 1960’s, in the aftermath of Everett Rogers’ book, Diffusion of Innovations. Rogers focused on how innovation or technology got diffused or infiltrated into the society through various channels. Rogers defined diffusion as â€Å"the process in which an innovation is communicated thorough certain channels over time among the members of a social system† (Rogers 1983, p.5). It was Everett Rogers and its diffusion model which was widely accepted in various fields. The process of

The Strengths, Weaknesses and Uses of the Economic Value Added (EVA) Essay

The Strengths, Weaknesses and Uses of the Economic Value Added (EVA) Mode - Essay Example Economic Value Added (EVA) EVA is a relatively new technique of measuring financial performance of companies. This tool relies on three basic elements which are Net Operating Income adjusted after taxes (NOPAT), the investment amount and the weighted average cost of capital (Hansen & Mowen, 1997). EVA can be calculated as: EVA = After tax operating income – (investment in assets x weighted average cost of capital) The amount calculated under EVA is an absolute dollar amount. The amount calculated can be either have a positive value or can have negative value. The positive value shows that the organization has remained successful in generating more Net Operating Income After Tax (NOPAT), well covering the cost of investments that were employed. On the other hand, negative values shows organization’s failure in recovering the costs of investment as its cost of investments exceeded the Net Operating Income After Tax (NOPAT). Obtaining the positive value of EVA is the core objective of any organization. Strengths of EVA EVA has significant strengths which have increased its popularity tremendously. In the following discussion, more attention will paid on different aspects of EVA. 1. Better Measure EVA has turned out to be a better measure in terms of performance measurement of different stakeholders in organizations. ... In order to achieve personal and individual goals, the broad objectives and goals of organization are put aside courtesy this technique. However, EVA is the technique which measures the performance of financial managers in an absolute dollar amount. This technique explains the absolute value added by the financial managers to their divisions and the organization as a whole. So the financial managers try to increase the EVA in comparison with other financial mangers to exceed the amount of EVA as much as they can, this effort causes benefits to financial managers, their divisions and the overall organization. 2. Absolute Measure of Performance One of the most promising strengths of EVA is that is explains the amount of value added by the financial managers in an absolute dollar amount. Other techniques such ROI measures performance in relative percentage terms which is not a true reflection of the performance of financial managers. The reason behind the failure of relative measures is that they do not take into account the size of amounts on which they are based. There are likelihoods that a financial manager earning too much with a huge amount of investments behind him/her, yet he/she end with lower ROI as compared to that financial manager who is responsible for lower magnitude of amounts. As a result, the true performance cannot be reflected if relative measures are used. On the other hand, EVA exactly explains the specific dollar amount that is added to the organization as a whole. 3. Similar to NPV This technique is very much similar to that of Net Present Value technique. In finance, the NPV technique has the importance of

Management of Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Management of Technology - Essay Example Retail industry, because of its optimum development has been incorporating technologies in various facets of its functioning. One of the key technologies that is being sizably used is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID for short), which tracks and locates products through organisation’s supply chain using some hardware. Organisations are ‘structures’ with number of individuals doing their allocated work to accomplish set goals. Thus, the implementation of RFID in an organisation will mostly not be an individual’s decision and inputs, instead various parts of the organisation has to work in cohesion, with organisations and its management taking decisions to make the RFID function effectively. On these lines, many retail companies are implementing RFID in their operations. So, this paper will first focus on Rogers’ and other experts’ perspectives or ideas of technology diffusion. Then will discuss the origins and functioning of the RFID Techno logy and how diffusion process is applicable to this technology. Finally, the paper focusing on the retail sector and retail companies will critically evaluate RFID’s diffusion process using the literature review, and concluding with recommendations for further improvement to the literature and the development of future technologies. The technological and the innovation perspectives of diffusion got established in 1960’s, in the aftermath of Everett Rogers’ book, Diffusion of Innovations. Rogers focused on how innovation or technology got diffused or infiltrated into the society through various channels. Rogers defined diffusion as â€Å"the process in which an innovation is communicated thorough certain channels over time among the members of a social system† (Rogers 1983, p.5). It was Everett Rogers and its diffusion model which was widely accepted in various fields. The process of

Don Quixote Essay Example for Free

Don Quixote Essay Fiction and Metafiction in Borges Ficciones and Cervantes Don Quixote dela Mancha Unbelievable and amazing may perhaps best describe the literature that the world has as of the moment. It is unbelievable because who would have thought that the wide spectrum of literary works would be so great in number? At the same time, it is amazing as the progress and history which literature has gone through are truly marvelous. The literary works which are within humanitys reach are incomparable to what people back then had. The literary works of the moment which are within humanitys reach is a compilation of history, art, language, the sciences, and politics of every generation, culture, and nation. Truly, literature has such a monumental scope within its pages that sometimes, a person may be lost with so many things literature has to offer. Literature is both fact and fiction and is inspired both by history and creative imagination. The elements within literature are all reflections of the realities of society, but these things can still be considered as fictional—after all, fact is fact and pure truth—nothing more. But what if something fictional seems so real that it seems to be factual and true? What if a person or a character which is just imagined seems to be a real person of this world? What if the line between reality and imagined is confusing and seems to be separated by nothing at all? Two authors by the name of Jorge Luis Borges and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra are the answers to such questions. Saavedra who wrote (or â€Å"supposedly re-wrote) the famous adventure of Don Quixote dela Mancha and Jorge Luis Borges who wrote the seventeen literary pieces contained within Ficciones are fictional writers. When a person talks about fiction, it usually pertains to one thing—created by the imagination. Thus, it means that any work of fiction is merely invented by any person and that any fictional work is not true, is false, and can never be a fact. Yet, Saavedra and Borges have created literary works which are fictional but they seem so real and true that a person is left to believe that they are indeed the truth—metafiction. Metafiction, according to Patricia Waugh, is â€Å"a term given to fictional writing which self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an artifact in order to pose questions about the relationship between fiction and reality† (qtd. in Liu). Thus, metafiction is indeed fictional and from the imagination, and it aims to confuse readers about what is real and what is merely created by a person. How does a person achieve this? Again, according to Patricia Waugh, â€Å"such writings not only examine the fundamental structures of narrative fiction, they also explore the possible fictionality of the world outside the literary fictional text† (qtd. in Liu). Thus, an author creates a fictional world and creates another fictional world within the already imagined world—creating a metafictional world. In Borges Ficciones and Saavedras Don Quixote dela Mancha—this metafictional world is truly what they have conjured up. Ficciones is a book which contains seventeen fictional literary pieces that seem to be real. Each piece has its own world, own elements of characters, settings, and even at some point, its own mind and language. There are pieces such as the Library of Babel that appears to be real and true that a reader also wants to believe that such place is true. In that particular piece (from Part One of the book), Borges describes a library in length and in awe. The whole thing seems to be an introduction to a novel of some sort, and yet at the same time, it also seems to come from a real book full of factual evidences that such a library exists. In the following excerpt, Borges describes the library and the people who are fascinated with it: â€Å"When it was proclaimed that the Library comprised all books, the first impression was one of extravagant joy. All men felt themselves of a secret, intact treasure. The universe was justified, the universe suddenly expanded to the limitless dimensions of hope† (83). However, further in the Library of Babel, Borges even talks of mystical books such as the Vindications which are â€Å"books of apology and prophesy which vindicated for all time the actions of every man in the world and established a store of prodigious arcana for the future† (83). What Borges has created is a fictional world, but a reader may find that world to be so palpable and genuine that it appears to be impossible that it is just imagined. The same conclusion can be given to Saavedra and his work on Don Quixote dela Mancha. In Saavedras work, the book is divided into two parts—one is the tale or adventure itself of Don Quixote and the second part is the metafictional work wherein the author talks directly to the readers and even to the characters that they all seem to be real people when clearly, they are all imagined. The ridiculous adventure of Don Quixote and his â€Å"squire† Sancho Panza is so preposterous (as with the example of the enchanted peasant girl or the basin turned into a knights helmet), far-fetched, and humorous that a person will not for a second think that the entire tale is true. However, when Saavedra writes the second part of the book, doubts and hesitations replace the earlier convictions. For example, in the first part, Saavedra writes about a Dulcinea who was believed by Don Quixote to be a princess in disguise of a peasant girl when in fact, she really is a peasant girl. Later on though, Saavedra explains this turn of events in Don Quixotes life: â€Å"I have reason to think that Sanchos artifice to deceive his mater, and make him believe the peasant girl to be Dulcinea enchanted, was in fact, all a contrivance of some one of the magicians who persecute Don Quixote † (369). Therefore, Saavedra has created two worlds—one that is entirely fictional wherein the character of Don Quixote resides, and the other is metaficitonal wherein the character of Don Quixote does reside still but which it is explained why he has such ridiculous notions of chivalry and enchantments. In conclusion, though metafiction may seem to be such a complex and wondrous thing, it cannot exist without a person knowing first what is fictional. Metafiction exists in the world of fiction—a person cannot write or create a metafictional world without going into a fictional one. That is like a person wanting to break the rules without knowing what were the rules in the first place. Literature is truly complex but at the same time unbelievable and amazing—Saavedra and Borges can attest to that. Works Cited Borges, Jorge Luis. Ficciones. New York: Grove Press, 1962. Saavedra, Miguel de Cervantes. Don Quixote dela Mancha. New York: Penguin Group Incorporated, 1957. Lui, Kate. â€Å"Theories of Metafiction. † Postmodern Theories and Texts. 1998. Department of English Language and Literature, Fu Jen University. 4 Aug. 2009.

Analysing Rationality And Objectivity

Analysing Rationality And Objectivity Central to critical thinking and education espoused by Israel Scheffler are the concepts of rationality, objectivity, and pragmatic realism. Schefflers conception of rationality is normative; he views rationality as a mode of thought and action which all strive for (Sheffler, 1973) as opposed to a conception of rationality as descriptive which would suppose that rationality is a daily manifestation in our lives. Another interpretation that Scheffler provides to rationality is that it underscores both the ends of actions as well as the values embedded within them (Scheffler, 1973). Scheffler recognizes that rationality is sometimes categorized and separated into the theoretical and practical domains: theoretical rationality deals with beliefs whereas practical rationality emphasizes on actions. Scheffler favors a hybrid concept of rationality wherein both theoretical and practical aspects are considered. In Reason and Teaching, Scheffler defined rationality as the ability to participate in critical and open evaluation of rules and principles in any area of life and the free and critical quest for reasons (Scheffler, 1973, p. 62). The fundamental characteristics of reason then are consistency and experience; these constitute rationality in the judgment of specific issues (Scheffler, 1973). The requirement of formal consistency purports that our evaluation and elaboration cannot be considered rational if there are no operative principles or criteria to guide us in forming judgment. However, these rules and principles are not implanted in the mind but are products of the evolution of human knowledge. Scheffler (1973) explained: The fundamental point is that rationality cannot be taken simply as an abstract and general ideal. It is embodied in multiple evolving traditions, in which the basic condition holds that issues are resolved by reference to reasons, themselves defined by principles purporting to be impartial and universal. (p. 79) Scheffler views that rationality should be considered a fundamental aim in education. As a broad concept, rationality has the tendency to bridge the different fields of education rather than pull them apart (Siegel, 1996, p. 649). Rationality and all the ideas attached to it are pivotal to discussion, consideration, reflection, and deliberation. Scheffler provides the example of a dancer. Dance incorporates rationality as the student performs; dance is not merely emoting and simply flailing of arms and legs. It requires thinking, questioning, and talking by way of gestures. Objectivity Schefflers conception of rationality is tied to objectivity which is defined as the process where judgments are put to the test of independence and impartial criteria (Scheffler, 1967, p. 1, 3). Neiman and Siegel (1993) elucidate on the connection of rationality and objectivity in the Schefflerian context: If my belief that p is rational, then that belief is based upon relevant evidence which is impartially and objectively weighed and assessed. Objectivity, in the sense specified, is thus a necessary condition for science and for rational deliberation and belief more generally. But rationality is equally required for objective judgment, since such judgment requires that claims and assertions be evaluated independently, on the basis of relevant evidence, and that the judgment reached be determined by the strength of that evidence. (p. 61) Responding to the claims of the positivist school that beliefs are ultimately subjective, Scheffler argued the issue of objectivity as a way by which we can examine our belief systems and choose from other competing paradigms which is best, based on good reasons (Scheffler, 1982). Scheffler cautions against the excesses of the Cartesian method where truth is held as miserly caution where the scientist gathers the facts and guards the hoard (Scheffler, 2009, p. 131). Theoretical imagination is considered a distraction and an obstacle to pure objective science. According to Scheffler, so long as people have access to methods and opportunities to deliberate, they manifest to varying degrees, their level of objectivity. To him, objectivity concerns the manner of justification; it requires only the responsible commitment to fair canons of control over ones theoretical claims (Scheffler, 1982, p. 67). In response to demands of certainty and uniformity in scientific inquiry, Scheffler (2009 ) provides this critique: This doctrine is, in fact, the death of theory. Theory is not reducible to mere fact gathering, and theoretical creation is beyond the reach of any mechanical routine. Science controls theory by credibility, logic, and simplicity; it does not provide rules for the creation of theoretical ideas. Scientific objectivity demands allegiance to fair controls over theory, but fair controls cannot substitute for ideas. (p. 131). Moreover, a crucial element of Schefflers conception of objectivity is the absence of certainty, a reflection to his commitment on the epistemological doctrine of fallibility (Scheffler, 1982). Accordingly, the criteria made for justification are also fallible (Siegel, 1982). The norms and criteria should be universal if only to media conflicts between belief systems of particular groups or cultures. However universal we would want these norms to be, we cannot prove the validity of how these criteria serve as justification for objectivity. Hence, justification should not be misconstrued as truth (Siegel, 1982). In the context of education, the inevitable facts of human fallibility and cumulative nature of scientific knowledge preclude absolute certainty. Scientific principles or scientific doctrines should not be considered as absolutes; rather, education must be organized in such a manner which leaves some room for the possibility of intelligible debate over the comparative merits o f rival paradigms (Scheffler, 1982, p. 130). In this regard, educational content should not be presented as eternal truths but rather as the best truths that we have come up with for the time being. Scheffler conceptualizes rationality and objectivity in relation to a reality that exists independently. This reality partially evaluates which assertions are based on good reasons. In his response to Nelson Goodman, Scheffler makes an inference on truth as a human construction: Surely we made the words by which we describe stars; that these words are discourse dependent is trivially [trueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.It] doesnt imply that stars are themselves discourse dependent. (p. 200) Schefflers interpretation of rationality and objectivity figures into what he considers a minimal version of realism. He approaches the entire concept of reality as an educational aim with suspicion. In lieu of reality, Scheffler argues that educators need to emphasize the constrained nature of our inquiry. In the context of educational practice, educators must acknowledge that there are theories more credible over others; our deliberation and evaluation on what these theories are should be depend on reasoned judgment and sound criteria (Scheffler, 1973). Realism presupposes an ideal of expanding our conception of reality. In this case, teachers must encourage and help children keep in touch with reality and provide them with skills in order to manage within it and learn from it. Hence, realism also emphasizes how the development of critical abilities is indispensable in the evaluation and improvement of systems of description to make them more attuned to reality. Scheffler does not subscribe to radical constructivism which proposes that students should be left alone to construe their own knowledge or belief systems without guidance. Without such guidance, students are left with inappropriate or inadequate conceptual tools to learn and manage within reality. Like many supporters of the realist school, Scheffler believes that people who know and understand independent reality will have a greater probability of living a more rewarding life and making more reasonable choices. Accepting the plurality of theoretical and practical domains is one that must be embraced, based on good reason and evidence. Opposite radical constructivism is reductionism which narrows, delimits, and relativizes human understanding so that educational practice is tailor-made to fit into oversimplified conceptual constructs and absolute ideas of right and wrong answers. The idea of scientific and technical human being is one example. To Scheffler, the ideal educator uses Objectivity without certainty, relativity but not subjectivism, truth consistent with pluralism these are the pragmatic emphases I admire (Scheffler, 2009, p. 3). Schefflers views on rationality and objectivity emphasize the importance of reason and observation in our pursuit of understanding and truth. However, these pursuits do not preclude the use of non-cognitive emotions or morality. Based on Schefflers pragmatic realist point of view, the non-cognitive aspects of our belief systems do not automatically make them succumb to reason. In fact, in Schefflers (2009) view: The ideal theorist, loyal to the demands of rational character and the institutions of scientific objectivity, is not therefore passionless and prim. Theoretical inventiveness requires not caution but boldness, verve, speculative daring. Imagination is no hindrance but the very life of theory, without which there is no science. (p. 131) In summary, Scheffler assets that a degree of objectivity is required to pursue rationality. Rationalitys function is to help us weigh, assess, and evaluate our beliefs and actions based on good reasons and evidence. Objectivity ensures that our deliberations or judgments are impartial and not biased.

tragoed Oedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King (Oedipus

Oedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King In the introduction to Sophocles' Oedipus the King, Sophocles defines a tragic hero as one who "[behaves] admirably as a man, [but who] is nevertheless tripped up by forces beyond his control and understanding..." (Sophocles 76).   In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the tragic hero. The force that "trips up" the hero is fate, or, moira. It is Oedipus's actions that set the events into motion,   but it is ultimately his fate, and his attempted aversion to it, that brings about his downfall. This downfall, and elements such as plot, character, diction and spectacle (Aristotle 175), that cause Oedipus the King to be a tragedy. In order to describe Oedipus as a tragic hero, one must begin by describing a tragedy. A tragedy must consist of a variety of elements in order to truly fulfill its purpose. According to Aristotle, the most important element is plot (175). Without the events that unify all aspects, the story would not be held together. It is the actions of the tragic hero that lead to his downfall, and that define his characteristics and set into motion all other aspects of the work. In Oedipus the King, it is Oedipus's attempt to avoid his destiny, an overt act of hubris, that leads to his rise in power and ultimate fall. In this aspect, he completely fulfills the job of a tragic hero. Another aspect of a tragedy is character. These are the qualities that are imbued in each character in the story. There have to be admirable traits in the characters, or the readers would not care what happened to them. Some of these characteristics can include honor, bravery, and intelligence, as with Oedipus. If readers did not care, there would be no catharsis... ...hat it was his father whom he killed. He was also acting out of love for his parents when he tried to avoid his fate by leaving town. Due to these circumstances, it can be seen that Oedipus's punishment far exceeded the crime; but this is just one more reason   why he is a tragic hero. Bibliography Bloom, Harold, ed. Sophocles. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2003. 54-57. The Complete Plays of Sophocles. "Introduction." Ed. Moses Hadas. New York: Bantam Books, 1967. p.vii-xvi The Complete Plays of Sophocles. "Introduction to Oedipus the King." Ed. Moses Hadas. New York: Bantam Books, 1967. p.75-76 The Complete Plays of Sophocles. "Introduction." Ed. Moses Hadas. New York: Bantam Books, 1967. p.77-114 Aristotle. "Poetics". Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art. Ed. Butcher, S.H. New York. Dover Publications, Inc. 1951.

Sigmund Freud :: essays research papers

Sigmund Freud When I was 10th grade in Korea, I took a psychology lecture for the first time in the academy. That time, I was come into some psychologists and lots of theories about psychology. At the beginning, it was very strange and difficult to learn. But as time passed by, I had more interests about the psychology especially Sigmund Freud, who was a very intelligent psychoanalyst. Sigmund Freud has many theories on how people develop. His most influential theory to the development of the human mind was his five psychosexual stages. Freud's belief was that children were done developing after they finished going through puberty. The stages started with infants describing this as the oral stage, or the sucking stage. The anal stage deals with the one and two year olds. This age group is starting to potty train. After this stage the three through five year olds go through the phallic stage. The child focuses on the genitals, as they discover it is enjoyable. Freud's fourth stage is the latency stage, including children six to twelve years. This is when their sexual interests are put on the back burn. The last stage is the genital stage. Children going through puberty have a time of sexual reawakening. Other theorists criticized him by saying that there was more to development than sex. They also said a person does not stop developing after they turn eighteen. Freud did develop another theory that many author's have described in their literary works which included the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id, Ego, and Superego dealt with how the mind worked conscientiously and unconsciensously. It also described the behavior of the human body and why we do the things we do. Freud's behavior theory begins with the subject of the Id. The Id part of your brain is what you are born with. All babies are influenced by the Id. They live in an all unconscious world. Little do they know what it right or wrong. In an adult this is the pleasure seeker of the person's behavior. Your instincts are what you act on and sometimes this may show the bad side of the person. The next part of Sigmund Freud's behavior theory is the Ego. The ego is the balance between the Id and the Superego. This part of the brain is the reality check. The Ego helps you deal with the outside

Women(KAFA)

In the Ad they are showing the effects of verbal abuse on women. They are trying to do something about it and raise awareness to all form of abuse, which is not always physical. They are showing a place where women can go to, someone who would help and do something about it. Most of the women don't talk about being abused because they are afraid of the disgrace. The women are being abused because of the Idea that men have that once they are married to them they became their property; they get to do whatever they want to do to them.KAFA are trying to enlighten the people and let them getting a little bit wiser about women's rights and they are now going to help abused women. All what women have to do Is to call them and tell what she is suffering from. The tone they are using here serious, because this situation is becoming all over the place and no one seems to bat an eye about, shocking; because this abuse will live for many years with the woman and hunt her down and spoils every mo ment of happiness that she ever dreamt of having and that could to lead hem to commit suicide.With KAFA they don't have to suffer in silence they will give them help. KAFA Is looking for a better society where all Its citizens live free of violence and where they have equality. In general KAFA started to make these Ads to spot the light on certain behaviors in our culture. They are trying to get us on track to recognize women's rights. One factor Is that women are considered some kind of slave for the men desires. Another factor is that the women role is shortened as an indoor role only. However, woman is an ffective fgure in society she could do any thing as better as men.The biggest factor that led to this campaign Is the Arab Spring; after what happened In the region has opened the eyes wide open to see that we are In the phase of changing. Therefore; women became part of the Arab Spring and now they have central role in that transition. In KSA women now have the right tovote In Saudi parliament that only means one thing, which is we are at the doorstep of new era of a democratic world. All of these factors helped to create this organization to increase awareness of Women's rights.The main thing KAFA Is trying to advocacy and builds awareness of women's status and issues in our region, for a better tomorrow with equality. This organization is all about having a better society with no violence and women slavery. This civil society organization Is looking to mitigate the causes and results of violence and exploitation of women through advocacy and lobbying. The message for women in this Ad is you dont have to suffer from verbal abuse or any other kind; we are here to get you out of the gutter.Dont stay In the shade come to the bright side. I nls AO was a consequence 0T wnat Is nappenlng lately In tne region, wnlcn Is tne Arab Spring. All of the Arab countries that suffered from dictatorship are now up against their regimes. It is started from Tunisia all the way to Yemen. The people are claiming their rights, democracy and fair elections etc. Several countries from the region are undergoing fundamental transitions, including holding elections, making new Constitutions, new laws and establishing mechanisms for transitional Justice.The outcome and the results of these processes are critical and very sensitive for the rights of women and their status in the new era of democracy. The Arab uprising has empowering women to claim a wider and larger presence and role in the public, and that is a revolutionary thing, and that is a good thing to exclude the decades of gender stereotyping. The position of the women has been difficult. In 2002 the first Arab Human Development Report cited the lack of women's rights is caused of, lack of political freedoms and poor education, that hampered the region's progress.Nowadays, Women and men are seeking human rights, Justice and equality after decades of dictatorship. That thing yielded of making companies who afraid of excluding women from the revolution because the revolution impact on women still unclear. Most of the people in the revolution are hoping this revolution will boosts women's rights, but the outcome still didn't match up their expectations. Some Islamic-extremes parties that have been raised to the authorities are considered as a threat to women's rights. In these rough days women is playing a very important role n the revolution.In Libya women smuggled medicine, weapon all of that Just to help the rebels and prove that they are helpful and could be an important part in their revolution. Even now while the situation still raging some people start a revolution inside of revolution all that Just to keep women's rights within the aims of the main revolution. KAFA made these Ads to spot the light on women abusing. It is not same any more the abusing is not physical it took another shapes nowadays; it became verbal, insulting women with hurtful words.Therefore; they are try ing show what they are fighting for and it's a thing people should be up against the same as the dictatorship regime. A lot of doubt that the women case will remain the same as it was before because men are looking for their own sake. Consequently; organizations all around the region including KAFA are making people aware to not forget women in our revolution and that we are standing for the same case and it is a chance to write a new chapter in our history of freedom and equality with no sexism and gender stereotyping. Eventually stop women abusing.

Mysterious Death of Dimmesdale Essay

One could say that Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is poisoned, or that he merely died of guilty conscience. In the Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Reverend Dimmesdale commits adultery with Hester Prynne, and so she bears a child. Dimmesdale does not admit his sin to the people in the community. Keeping the sin a secret for as long as he does creates guilt and suffering which manifests in him until his death. Chillingworth is Hester’s husband who is symbolic of a leech because he lives off of Dimmesdale for a â€Å"host† making Dimmesdale’s life miserable in order to retaliate. Dr. Kahn suggests that Chillingworth poisoned Dimmesdale over a long period of time; there were references to Deadly Nightshade, and shows symptoms of the use of Atropine. Atropine is a drug that comes from a plant called Deadly Nightshade, or Belladonna (Fair-weather). Poisonous plants and symptoms are arguable reasons for Dimmesdale’s death by Dr. Kahn. However, Dr. Kahnâ€℠¢s theory that Dimmesdale is poisoned by atropine is false, and Dimmesdale’s death is caused by a prolonged depression brought on by guilt. Dr. Kahn suggests that Reverend Dimmesdale’s death is because Chillingworth has been poisoning him with Atropine in small amounts for a very long time. â€Å"Dimmesdale’s symptoms developed over a prolonged period, indicating that they are probably the result of chronic poisoning† (Kahn). Although Dr. Kahn argues that Chillingworth poisons Dimmesdale with atropine, and or deadly herbs, there is not enough evidence to prove this idea true. â€Å"You wrong yourself in this†¦you have deeply and sorely repented† (Hawthorne 173). Hester is telling Dimmesdale that he has been punishing himself for his sin even though it has long past. The sin and guilt that has been festering in Dimmesdale is too much for him to handle. â€Å"Continual presence of Roger Chillingworth, — the secret poison of malignity, infecting all the air about him†¦these bad opportunities had been turned to a cruel purpose† (Hawthorne 174). Although it may seem as though Hawthorne is describing Dimmesdale being poisoned by Chillingworth, Hawthorne is simply describing the mental  torture that Chillingworth puts Dimmesdale through. It shows the effects of Chillingworth living with Dimmesdale. Hester knows that this is a bad environment for Dimmesdale because Chillingworth is making Dimmesdale feel even worse about himself, and he is also depressed. Dimmesdale does not even realize his motives. Instead of Kahn’s theory of how Chillingworth poisoned him for a long period of time, it is more likely that Dimmesdale died of a prolonged period of stress and torture that came with the guilt of his sin. Dr. Kahn also makes references to poisonous plants throughout the Scarlet Letter. However, the references to poisonous plants may very well just be added description, or an interest the author might have. â€Å"in due course of time, would be seen deadly nightshade, dogwood, henbane, and whatever else of vegetable wickedness the climate could produce† (Hawthorne 158). Hawthorne does mention the poisonous plants, and also relates the plants to Chillingworth. Hawthorne is not trying to point out that Chillingworth uses these deadly plants and herbs to poison Dimmesdale, but it is symbolic of evil in him because it is saying that Chillingworth is so evil that poisonous plants will grow out of his burial site. Chillingworth is picking herbs at the beginning of chapter fifteen, and she[Hester] wondered what sort of herbs they were, which the old man was so sedulous to gather (Hawthorne 158). The author is simply describing Chillingworth as an evil person, and uses the herbs as a symbol of evil in order for the reader to further make him out to be a bad person. According to an interview with Helen Fairweather, deadly nightshade plants are, â€Å"scattered around Southern Europe, some of Asia and Algeria, and it is planted in England, and North America† (Fairweather). This suggests that nightshade plants were around at the time, and were a common interest to doctors like Chillingworth then. Hawthorne has to set the scene for the reader to develop an understanding of the plot, so poisonous plants may just be a description of the setting in the story. Hawthorne had an interest in deadly plants like nightshade. â€Å"the writer was deeply engaged in reading everything he could lay his hands on. It was said†¦he read every book in the Athenaeum† (Kahn). Dr. Kahn says that Hawthorne had an interest in reading and especially the books on nightshade. The author of the Scarlet Letter liked to read about poisonous plants, so he  included references from his knowledge of the plants in his story. Dr. Kahn suggests that Dimmesdale showed many symptoms of atropine poisoning, but the symptoms which he showed could have been signs of depression, stress, heartbreak, disease, or guilt. â€Å"even this, his own red stigma, is no more than the type of what has seared his inmost heart† (Hawthorne 228). According to Dr. Kahn, the red stigma on Dimmesdale’s chest is â€Å"the rash, that is, of atropine poisoning† (Kahn). However, throughout the book, there is mention to the red letter â€Å"A†. Hester wears an â€Å"A† on her clothing for adulteress as a punishment and constant reminder of her sin. The red stigma on Dimmesdale’s chest may be an â€Å"A† he inflicted upon himself during repent. This would make sense because Dimmesdale feels guilty for keeping his sin a secret while Hester was punished for hers, so he punished himself. Many symptoms Kahn describes like un-coordination, rapid weak pulse, convulsions, hallucinations, speech difficulties, and paleness could easily be signs of other problems besides atropine poisoning. Dimmesdale feels guilty and sad for not telling the townspeople the truth about what he did so he finds it hard to talk, let alone punish Hester. â€Å"The trying nature of his position drove the blood from his cheek and made his lips tremulous† (Hawthorne 63). Dimmesdale is nervous in front of the townspeople having to make the decision on punishment for Hester, while Hester is standing on the scaffold by herself, and he becomes pale from the position he is in. When Dimmesdale has heart problems it may have been because of his heartache and depression from the unavailability to be there for Hester and Pearl. As Hester was begging him to let her keep Pearl, he showed these signs of pity and heartache. â€Å"the young minister at once came forward, pale, and holding his hand over his heart, as was his custom whenever his peculiar nervous temperament was thrown into agitation† (Hawthorne 103). Also being a pastor for a community of very critical people is hard work, the townspeople had high expectations. â€Å"†¦whose health had severely suffered, of late, by his too unreserved self-sacrifice to the labors and duties of the pastoral relation† (Hawthorne 99). Dimmesdale’s job as a minister was wearing down his health. Depression and heartache were the cause of Dimmesdale’s death. Dr. Kahn had many arguable reasons for the death of Dimmesdale, but  Dimmesdale may not have been poisoned by atropine. Dimmesdale could have been poisoned over a prolonged period of time, but it is more likely that he died out of torture and guilt. Although Dr. Kahn tries to argue that the references to plants in the story are proof of the availability of atropine, he fails at pointing out that the author may have merely used the plants like nightshade symbolically or descriptively. Dr. Kahn also gives many symptoms that Dimmesdale is showing throughout the story however Dimmesdale is showing signs of depression, stress, guilt, and heartbreak. In conclusion, there is evidence to support the death of Dimmesdale being caused by a prolonged period of depression caused by guilt. Works Cited Fairweather, Helen. Interview. 17 September 2011 Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam, 1986. Print. Khan Dr., Jemshed A. â€Å"Atropine Poisoning in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.† The New England Journal of Medicine (1984): 414-16. Web.