Near death experience Essay

Life is a great surprise I do not see why death should not be an even greater one â€Å"Everyone knows they’re going to die†¦ but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently†¦. There’s a better approach. To know you’re going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time. That’s better. That way you can actually be more involved in your life while you’re living. † (Albom 82). Morrie feels that people refuse to believe that they will come one day die, and therefore, do not lives there lives as fully as they would have liked and also have many regrets as they become older and their death becomes closer. He feels that once we learn and accept that we are one day going to die, we learn to live our fully and without any regrets. Morrie repeats this quote frequently throughout the chapter to emphasize how important and helpful it is to accept death, and what a benefit it would be to living the remainder of our lives. Morrie wants Mitch to see how he able appreciates the smaller, more genuine things in life, knowing that his death is appropriate. Day by Day remind yourself that you are going to die later in life. So live a good a healthy life. Tuesdays with Morrie, author Mitch Albom allows the reader to experience that teaching of his dying professor, Morrie Schwartz. In the novel, Mitch is taught by Morrie once you learn how to die you learned how to live. Dying is a way of life, we was put on this earth for three reasons born, live, and die. The first aspect once life is known to be coming to an end, and the inevitable is accepted life is live moment to moment. No times is wasted on less important things because times become precious. Life is finally given its full value at the sight of death. Another aspect importance of relationships as well, in order to deal with life and death, family is key to providing the care and love needed to pass peacefully and securely. Learning how to live and cope with death also involved knowing how much to grieve for your own demise. The purpose of life is not to live but to die because life is a test where you going to go in the after life. The feeling to living life to the fullest is immediately thrown out knowing that some day an end to these experiences and lessons will inevitably come. Stress can be greatly decreased if a death is accepted; however, coping with death by refusing to believe one will die is psychologically natural. All combined Cancers rank as some of the highest causes of death, with cancer of the lungs as one of the largest. Strokes are also one of the highest in the world, accounting for 100,000+ deaths in the United States. â€Å"We want our lives to have meaning death suggest life adds up to nothing. †(Qtd Mchugh) This quote means we have to live to the fullest never know when your day can come to die. Life is too short to be playing around cant live forever. If you believe in the Bible, the meaning of life is Jesus Christ, because He is the only one that defeated death. To be hard working and serve God. To help out in fixing communities, you should not live only for fun but to help others and enjoy life too. â€Å"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. †(Albom 43) Mitch recalls this quote, that Morrie had once told him, at the beginning of the novel when he was describing his job and his lifestyle. Mitch was a very busy, career and success oriented sports reporter. He chased money, success, and materialistic things. He recalled that Morrie had once told him how so many people get caught leading a meaningless life; they become too involved in their job, money, and fall under the popular culture dictatorship. Morrie feels that so many people are mislead thinking all of these things are important and they are too busy chasing these things that their life passes right by them. Morrie says that to create meaning in our life, we must love and show compassion for others. This way we create our own meaning of life and do not waste our life chasing false and superficial dreams. Ironically, Mitch lives this exact life of â€Å"chasing the wrong things. Culture allows us to feel us if death is not approaching and distance ourselves from the inevitable to the point that we feel as if we cannot die. Similarities seen with many who have undergone â€Å"near death† experiences due mainly to advanced technology in which a person can be lost but still survive. Despite the recent founding of the term, it has been ascertained that near-death experiences are not at all contemporary occurrences. Neither are they exclusive to certain age, gender, occupation, ethnicity, or religious group. Such spiritual episodes have been in existence from the time of the ancient philosopher Plato who, in his republic, wrote about a B. C. Greek soldier’s brush with death. Portions of near-death elements are scattered in various medieval Christian writing. Mostly â€Å"revitalizing† event as stated by those that undergo it begins to take life with the value it truly possesses. â€Å"With a changed perspective about the importance of relationships compared to mere material gain. † (Qtd Inquiry) This quote explains that relationships is incredibly important, and not material gains, although this quote is stated that material gain is still existent and part of life. Today, with the influx of modern near-death experience accounts in books, journals, television shows, motion pictures and the internet, more and more people are familiar with the phrase â€Å"light at the end of the tunnel,† as the near death experiences of various individuals give humanity a deeper understanding of death and the afterlife. The near-death experience is an inspirational glimpse of a positive spiritual life after physical death. â€Å"Once you learn how to live you learn how to die. †(Albom 82) Throughout this quote, Morrie feels that people refuse to believe that they will one day die, and therefore, do not live there lives as fully as they would have liked and also have many regrets as they become older and their death becomes closer. He feels that once we learn and accept that we are one day going to die, we learn to live our lives fully and without any regrets. Morrie repeats this quotes frequently throughout the chapter to emphasize how important and helpful it is to accept death, and what a benefit it would be to living the remainder of our lives. Morrie also wants Mitch to see how he is able to appreciate the smaller, more genuine things in life, knowing that his death is approaching. Life is finally given its full value at the sight of death. Morrie stressed the importance of relationships as well, stating they are necessary in aiding one’s passage. In order to deal with life and death, family is the key to providing the care and love needed to pass peacefully and securely. Learning how to live and cope with death also involved knowing how much to grieve for your own demise. Death is biologically inevitable, however when it does finally come, it is seen to do so abruptly, even if it involves a terminal illness. Birth and Death are similar in a way because they are greatly important both emotionally and in the continued existence of humanity. They are opposites in a way too cause birth is anticipated and death is avoided. Immediate shock and disbelief followed by full impact of the death and last, the integration of the loss into daily loss. â€Å"Birth meant an invitation to a life of suffering and never ending work, and of the inevitable sickness and death of which there was no escape. † (Qtd Roman) this quote means birth is gift to life and death is like a surprise party and everybody invited because nobody knows when they going to die. People stress the true importance of family with many objects that are not important in their lives. Material possessions, mainly due to our cultural aspects on life, have ruled our notion on how life should be lived. The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it. †(Albom 42) This quote illustrates one of the themes in the novel: popular culture vs. self-created values. Morrie feels that we should reject pop-culture values and develop our own sense of values and culture. Morrie feels that the media creates a culture of greed, violence, and lacking satisfaction. Morrie developed his own culture long before he got sick. He appreciated such things like holding discussion groups, walks with friends and dancing. He read books, founded community projects and kept in touch with old colleagues and students. He never wasted time watching TV; instead he took more time enjoying nature, food, and human activities. Morrie also feels that if we are successful at rejecting pop-culture we will lead more meaningful lives, embrace aging, and live without regret. Many Americans put this aside to the point that the actual realization is far more stressful than it should be. People should stressed the importance of begin involved in day to day life and aiding in one’s community. This can be seen as living life to the fullest and taking in the positive aspects while we still have a chance. People should appreciate the natural surroundings. Simple things more than anything else, suggesting that true importance is left in the smallest of things. The purpose of life is not to live but to die. â€Å"Everyone knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes it. †(Albom 70) Morries’s words on this subject are very in depth in that he had to live the last months of his life with this fact looming over his head. He further revitalizes the sense that in our culture do not understand that death is truly inevitable to all of us. The purpose of life is to choose whom you will be loyal to. Either you will show yourself willing to live under the rule of God of the universe or you will choose to live as a slave to self and to sin. Life is a test we have to pass the right way for a reward in life hereafter. Works Cited Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays with Morrie. New York: Doubleday Publishing Group,Inc. , 1997 â€Å"Death: An Inquiry into Man’s Most Mortal Weakness. † (Online) Available http://library. thinkquest. org/16665/cgi-bin/index. cgi April 22, 2007 Mchugh, Paul R. â€Å"Dying made easy. † Commentary. February 1999:13-17 â€Å"When the rains falls. † Publishers Weekly 29 October 2012.

Globalization and the Digital Divide Essay

The globalization era has been developing in recent years. The use of technology has an important role in running the business. Any information about companies can be known in a second. This condition pushes the people in business to provide the accurate, detail and trusted information which is related to the company. It also makes the company compete to improve the performance of their operational activities. To help understand how modern business development, every company definitely has an orientation to make a high profit, therefore the company tries to build a good image in public. Companies will compete to increase their success both in industry and trade field. At first, the company will be profit-oriented, but as it progresses, it is not only focused on profit-making but also focused on social responsibility to keep the company alive. Companies must think about the impact on their environment. Rapid business development drives industry growth, especially in Indonesia. An industrial activity must be related to the utilization of resources and produce valuable products. This will have a direct and indirect impact on the environment. The natural resource management industry, especially the management of non-renewable resources (petroleum, natural gas, coal industries, etc.) is a short-term industry, but it has a long-term impact on the environment. Despite having a positive impact on the economy of a country, an industrial activity also has a negative impact on the surrounding environment. Negative impacts due to activities that cause environmental damage, should be minimized first for the good of the company and the community. At the same time, governments, stock exchanges, markets, investors and the public require companies to be transparent about the goals, performance, and impacts of their sustainability. Then came the practice of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in the business world. CSR is the company’s contribution to the stakeholders towards sustainable development by minimizing the negative impact of operational activities. Now CSR is widely known and in Indonesia has many companies that apply it. In addition, the policy has been made regarding the disclosure of CSR as stipulated in Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 40 of 2007 and mentioned that a company that carries out its business activities in relation to natural resources, is obliged to carry out social and environmental responsibility. CSR is expressed in a report called Sustainability Report. As reported in www.globalreporting.org (2017), Sustainability Report is a report published by the company about the economic, environmental, and social impacts caused by daily operational activities of the company. One of the guidelines that can be used by companies in carrying out CSR activities is the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative). GRI is an international non-profit organization with network-based structure. GRI encourages the implementation of reporting with Sustainability Report as a way for companies and organizations to become more sustainable and contribute to a sustainable global economy. Companies report their activities based on principles and disclosures of standards in accordance with GRI Generation 4 (G4 Guidelines). In that way, the companies will feel the importance of CSR reporting that can improve their image, bring profit and ensure the survival of the company. However, if a company does not report CSR, it will create a conflict with stakeholders. Manufacturing is an industry whose main activity is processing or converting raw materials into finished or semi-finished goods so that goods have added value. Each processing of raw materials from manufacturers would produce waste, causes the environment to feel its impact. The large number of manufacturing companies operating in Java Island, making Java is the largest contributor of waste in Indonesia (National Geographic Indonesia, 2011). That is why covering the issue of environmental damage must be with a high skepticism. Because, besides a large number of output produced by the manufacturing company for its operational activities, it is still more output to be spent to repair environmental damage. Cases of thousands of liters of oil owned by PT Central Georgette Nusantara Printing (CGNP) that spill out pollutes Cibingbin River in Bandung, West Java makes people uneasy because the waste has been polluting the river that empties into the Sanguling Reservoir. The company’s operational activities in this area cause environmental damage and harm the people around. It also causes two hectares of paddy fields managed by local people, threatened crops failing. This condition makes people consider the environmental issues are the main ones. After getting pressure from both the government and the people around the factory, the company is ultimately responsible for the environmental pollution issue. The case above pushes the role of CSR as a business-enhancing success for a company. This research is using firm size, profitability, leverage, public ownership and industry sensitivity as independent variables and CSR disclosure which uses G4 guidelines as the dependent variable. Firm size is an indicator that can indicate a condition or characteristic (large or small) of a company. Large companies are more in demand by analysts and brokers because they tend to be easy to publish financial reports and tend to be in stable performance positions (Astuti & Nugrahanti, 2015). Profitability measures the overall effectiveness of management in generating profits with its assets (Smart & Graham, 2010, p. 66). It means to measure the activity of the company in earned net profit. Leverage provides a description of the company’s capital structure, thus it can use to see the level of risk of uncollectible debt (Fahrizqi, 2010). Public ownership is the proportion of share ownership owned by the public of the company’s shares (Arthana, 2012). Industry sensitivity ca n be interpreted as how big the influence of industrial activity that is directly related to the environment (Winarsih, 2015). The research about the determinant of CSR has been done by some researchers such as Arthana (2012) showed that public ownership and firm size have no significant effect on CSR disclosure. Meanwhile, leverage and profitability have a significant effect on CSR disclosure. However, it was a different research by Kusuma (2012). It showed that that firm size and public ownership have a significant effect on CSR disclosure and leverage does not affect the CSR disclosure. The research by Kusuma (2012) was support by Wijaya (2012), Zanirah (2012) and M. Nur & D. Priantinah (2012) showed that firm size significantly influences, but to leverage and profitability does not affect the disclosure of social responsibility. Zanirah (2012) showed that the firm size has a positive significant effect and leverage has a negative effect, while profitability has no significant effect on CSR disclosure. M. Nur & D. Priantinah (2012) showed that profitability and public ownership have no significant effect on CSR disclosure. Firm size has a positive significant effect and leverage has a negative significant effect. C. Putra (2012) has a different result compared with M. Nur & D. Priantinah (2012) and Zanirah (2012). It showed that firm size has a significant effect on CSR disclosure in manufacture companies while leverage, profitability, and public ownership have no significant effect. From earlier studies that show the different effects on CSR disclosure exhibit the research gap with different variable and different object push the researcher to retest research by C. Putra (2012) by adding a variable to improve the results about â€Å"THE EFFECT OF FIRM SIZE, PROFITABILITY, LEVERAGE, PUBLIC OWNERSHIP AND INDUSTRY SENSITIVITY ON CSR DISCLOSURE (A CASE STUDY OF MANUFACTURING COMPANIES LISTED IN INDONESIA STOCK EXCHANGE YEAR 2013-2017)† Research Questions Based on the background, the research questions that are discussed in this research are: Does firm size have a partial effect to CSR disclosure on manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017? Does profitability have a partial effect to CSR disclosure on manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017? Does leverage have a partial effect to CSR disclosure on manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017? Does public ownership have a partial effect to CSR disclosure on manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017? Does industry sensitivity have a partial effect to CSR disclosure on manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017? Do firm size, profitability, leverage, public ownership and industry sensitivity have a simultaneous effect to CSR disclosure on manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017? Research Limitation The discussion of the problem is limited to affecting some variable to CSR disclosure, which consists of firm size, profitability, leverage, public ownership and industry sensitivity. The company which is observed is manufacturing companies listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017. Research Purpose To analyze whether firm size has a partial effect to CSR disclosure to manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017. To analyze whether profitability has a partial effect to CSR disclosure to manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017. To analyze whether leverage has a partial effect to CSR disclosure to manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017. To analyze whether public ownership has a partial effect to CSR disclosure to manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017. To analyze whether industry sensitivity has a partial effect to CSR disclosure to manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017. To analyze whether firm size, profitability, leverage, public ownership and industry sensitivity have a simultaneous effect to CSR disclosure to manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange at 2013-2017. Benefit For Company This study is expected to give information for manufacturing companies in preparing meaningful sustainability reports and making steady sustainability reporting and directed to standard practice. It contributes to the understanding of determinants of CSR disclosure to improve the implementation of disclosure guidelines. This study is expected to be an input for companies in doing consideration and decision making which will be useful in providing an additional value of the company. For investor As an overview of CSR disclosure that serves as a reference for investment decision making. For accounting department As a meaningful contribution to the accounting department to develop a study of financial management especially for CSR disclosure. For student This study helps extends the scope of previous studies by introducing independent and dependent variables engage with CSR. The results of this study are expected to be a reference and comparison for further research, which is a concern with the CSR disclosure. Glossary Firm Size Firm size is the number of assets owned by the company. Thus, the large and small of a company can be seen by its assets ADDIN CSL_CITATION { â€Å"citationItems† : [ { â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"itemData† : { â€Å"DOI† : â€Å"10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004†, â€Å"ISBN† : â€Å"9788578110796†, â€Å"ISSN† : â€Å"1098-6596†, â€Å"PMID† : â€Å"25246403†, â€Å"author† : [ { â€Å"dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"family† : â€Å"Rahman†, â€Å"given† : â€Å"Arif†, â€Å"non-dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"parse-names† : false, â€Å"suffix† : â€Å"† }, { â€Å"dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"family† : â€Å"Widyasari†, â€Å"given† : â€Å"Kurnia Nur†, â€Å"non-dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"parse-names† : false, â€Å"suffix† : â€Å"† } ], â€Å"container-title† : â€Å"Jurnal Akuntansi & Auditing Indonesia†, â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"issue† : â€Å"1†, â€Å"issued† : { â€Å"date-parts† : [ [ â€Å"2008† ] ] }, â€Å"page† : â€Å"25-35†, â€Å"title† : â€Å"The analysis of company characteristic influence towards CSR disclosure: Empirical evidence of manufacturing companies listed in JSX†, â€Å"type† : â€Å"article-journal†, â€Å"volume† : â€Å"12† }, â€Å"uris† : [ â€Å"http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=ad81e84f-e72e-4aeb-998f-b3df3f96da8f† ] } ], â€Å"mendeley† : { â€Å"formattedCitation† : â€Å"(Rahman & Widyasari, 2008)†, â€Å"plainTextFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Rahman & Widyasari, 2008)†, â€Å"previouslyFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Rahman & Widyasari, 2008)† }, â€Å"propertiesâ₠¬  : { â€Å"noteIndex† : 9 }, â€Å"schema† : â€Å"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json† }(Rahman & Widyasari, 2008). Profitability Profitability measure the focus on company profits ADDIN CSL_CITATION { â€Å"citationItems† : [ { â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"itemData† : { â€Å"author† : [ { â€Å"dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"family† : â€Å"Marcus†, â€Å"given† : â€Å"Brealey Myers†, â€Å"non-dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"parse-names† : false, â€Å"suffix† : â€Å"† } ], â€Å"edition† : â€Å"Lima†, â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"issued† : { â€Å"date-parts† : [ [ â€Å"2006† ] ] }, â€Å"number-of-pages† : â€Å"372†, â€Å"publisher† : â€Å"Erlangga†, â€Å"title† : â€Å"Dasar-Dasar Manajemen Keuangan Perusahaan Jilid 2†, â€Å"type† : â€Å"book† }, â€Å"uris† : [ â€Å"http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=eaa4ed05-0031-4fc6-9f14-1d31d7503a15† ] } ], â€Å"mendeley† : { â€Å"formattedCitation† : â€Å"(Marcus, 2006)†, â€Å"manualFormatting† : â€Å"(Marcus, 2006, p. 80)†, â€Å"plainTextFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Marcus, 2006)†, â€Å"previouslyFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Marcus, 2006)† }, â€Å"properties† : { â€Å"noteIndex† : 9 }, â€Å"schema† : â€Å"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json† }(Marcus, 2006, p. 80). Big companies are expected to earn more profit than small companies. It also measures the using of the efficiency of company assets ADDIN CSL_CITATION { â€Å"citationItems† : [ { â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"itemData† : { â€Å"author† : [ { â€Å"dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"family† : â€Å"Husnan†, â€Å"given† : â€Å"Suad†, â€Å"non-dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"parse-n ames† : false, â€Å"suffix† : â€Å"† }, { â€Å"dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"family† : â€Å"Enny Pudjiastuti†, â€Å"given† : â€Å"†, â€Å"non-dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"parse-names† : false, â€Å"suffix† : â€Å"† } ], â€Å"edition† : â€Å"Pertama†, â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"issued† : { â€Å"date-parts† : [ [ â€Å"1996† ] ] }, â€Å"publisher† : â€Å"Unit Penerbit dan Percetakan (UPP) – AMP YKPN†, â€Å"publisher-place† : â€Å"Yogyakarta†, â€Å"title† : â€Å"Dasar-Dasar Manajemen Keuangan†, â€Å"type† : â€Å"book† }, â€Å"uris† : [ â€Å"http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=561254b1-8c37-4dae-9f07-9552249e0f60† ] } ], â€Å"mendeley† : { â€Å"formattedCitation† : â€Å"(Husnan & Enny Pudjiastuti, 1996)â⠂¬ , â€Å"manualFormatting† : â€Å"(Husnan & Enny Pudjiastuti, 1996, p. 73)†, â€Å"plainTextFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Husnan & Enny Pudjiastuti, 1996)†, â€Å"previouslyFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Husnan & Enny Pudjiastuti, 1996)† }, â€Å"properties† : { â€Å"noteIndex† : 9 }, â€Å"schema† : â€Å"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json† }(Husnan & Enny Pudjiastuti, 1996, p. 73). Leverage Leverage means measuring the company’s ability to fulfill its financial obligations. It can be that leverage is measure how far the company uses debt ADDIN CSL_CITATION { â€Å"citationItems† : [ { â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"itemData† : { â€Å"author† : [ { â€Å"dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"family† : â€Å"Husnan†, â€Å"given† : â€Å"Suad†, â€Å"non-dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"parse-names† : false, â€Å"suffix† : â€Å"† }, { â€Å"dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"family† : â€Å"Enny Pudjiastuti†, â€Å"given† : â€Å"†, â€Å"non-dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"parse-names† : false, â€Å"suffix† : â€Å"† } ], â€Å"edition† : â€Å"Pertama†, â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"issued† : { â€Å"date-parts† : [ [ â⠂¬Å"1996† ] ] }, â€Å"publisher† : â€Å"Unit Penerbit dan Percetakan (UPP) – AMP YKPN†, â€Å"publisher-place† : â€Å"Yogyakarta†, â€Å"title† : â€Å"Dasar-Dasar Manajemen Keuangan†, â€Å"type† : â€Å"book† }, â€Å"uris† : [ â€Å"http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=561254b1-8c37-4dae-9f07-9552249e0f60† ] } ], â€Å"mendeley† : { â€Å"formattedCitation† : â€Å"(Husnan & Enny Pudjiastuti, 1996)†, â€Å"manualFormatting† : â€Å"(Husnan & Enny Pudjiastuti, 1996, p. 70)†, â€Å"plainTextFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Husnan & Enny Pudjiastuti, 1996)†, â€Å"previouslyFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Husnan & Enny Pudjiastuti, 1996)† }, â€Å"properties† : { â€Å"noteIndex† : 9 }, â€Å"schema† : â€Å"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json† }(Husnan & Enny Pudjiastuti, 1996, p. 70). Public Ownership Public ownership is the proportion of share ownership owned by the public of the company’s shares ADDIN CSL_CITATION { â€Å"citationItems† : [ { â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"itemData† : { â€Å"author† : [ { â€Å"dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"family† : â€Å"Arthana†, â€Å"given† : â€Å"Ronny†, â€Å"non-dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"parse-names† : false, â€Å"suffix† : â€Å"† } ], â€Å"container-title† : â€Å"Jurnal Ilmiah Mahasiswa FEB UB†, â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"issue† : â€Å"2†, â€Å"issued† : { â€Å"date-parts† : [ [ â€Å"2012† ] ] }, â€Å"page† : â€Å"1-14†, â€Å"title† : â€Å"Pengaruh Karakteristik Perusahaan Terhadap Pengungkapan Tanggung Jawab Sosial Perusahaan (CSR) Pada Perusahaan Yang Terdaftar Di Indeks LQ45 Bursa Saham Indonesia (BEI)†, â€Å"type† : â€Å"article-journal†, â€Å"volume† : â€Å"1† }, â€Å"uris† : [ â€Å"http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=848daaaf-51e9-409e-b044-80ae139493e6† ] } ], â€Å"mendeley† : { â€Å"formattedCitation† : â€Å"(Arthana, 2012)†, â€Å"plainTextFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Arthana, 2012)†, â€Å"previouslyFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Arthana, 2012)† }, â€Å"properties† : { â€Å"noteIndex† : 9 }, â€Å"schema† : â€Å"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json† }(Arthana, 2012). The bigger the share which is owned by the public, the more information will be explained, the investors want to get more information about its investment and make sure that it is safely managing then the obligation will be fulfilled. Industry Sensitivity Industry sensitivity can be interpreted as how big the influence of industrial activity that is directly related to the environment ADDIN CSL_CITATION { â€Å"citationItems† : [ { â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"itemData† : { â€Å"author† : [ { â€Å"dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"family† : â€Å"Winarsih†, â€Å"given† : â€Å"Arga Mustika†, â€Å"non-dropping-particle† : â€Å"†, â€Å"parse-names† : false, â€Å"suffix† : â€Å"† } ], â€Å"id† : â€Å"ITEM-1†, â€Å"issued† : { â€Å"date-parts† : [ [ â€Å"2015† ] ] }, â€Å"title† : â€Å"Pengaruh Media Online , Sensitivitas Industri Dan Struktur Corporate Governance Terhadap Kualitas Environmental Disclosure Governance (Studi Pada Perusahaan High Profile di BEI)†, â€Å"type† : â€Å"report† }, â€Å"uris† : [ â€Å"http://www.mendeley.com/ documents/?uuid=d495d810-1aa1-41f2-8dc4-6690588eae85† ] } ], â€Å"mendeley† : { â€Å"formattedCitation† : â€Å"(Winarsih, 2015)†, â€Å"plainTextFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Winarsih, 2015)†, â€Å"previouslyFormattedCitation† : â€Å"(Winarsih, 2015)† }, â€Å"properties† : { â€Å"noteIndex† : 10 }, â€Å"schema† : â€Å"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json† }(Winarsih, 2015).

Aspects of ICT

Aspects of ICT Introduction Development of computers in the modern society and associated with it computerization of education is characterized by a massive proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs). ICT can be used for information exchange and interaction between a teacher and a pupil in the modern education system. As such, not only the teacher must master the ICT technology, but also to be an expert in applying it in his or her professional activities. â€Å"It is a technological world in which children are often more comfortable than their parents and teachers†.[1] Computerization of educational achieves two strategic objectives. First, it improves the efficiency of all types of educational activities through the use of ICT tools and technologies. Second, it improves the quality of training enhancing it with a new type of thinking which is relevant to the requirements of the information society. Using methods and means of information, future professionals must b e able to get answers as to what information resources are available, where they are, how they can be accessed and how they can be used to improve their professional activities. In our research paper we will cover the following aspects of ICT Positive and negative aspects of using information and communication technologies in general education Review the role and place of ICT in the building of the information society Review the areas of effective application of ICT tools Review methods of ICT application to address appropriate needs of the educational process, monitoring and measurement of learning outcomes, extracurricular activities and research, in primary school educational institutions Review requirements for ICT facilities Review the market of available ICT tools and products. What is ICT? Information and communication technologies (ICT) are a combination of the hardware and software designed to implement information processes through the utilization of the comp uters and network technologies. â€Å"The purpose of ICT in education is generally to familiarise students with the use and workings of computers, and related social and ethical issues†.[2] The main focus of the research however will be dedicated to the electronic means of educational purpose, which are a subset of software tools of ICT. These include application software and electronic media, specifically designed for the educational use: a system supporting the process of learning (electronic textbooks and encyclopaedias (including network), electronic laboratory etc.). There are several venues of ICT tools utilization in the education system: In general educational institutions (primary schools, high schools, etc.) In the supplementary education (instructor-led language schools, etc.) In home-based learning (extracurricular activities, etc.) To further narrow down the topic of the research the main accent will be applied to the area of general Primary school educat ion with emphasis on the general education of the primary education processes. According to Andrew A. Zucker who writes in his ‘Transforming Schools with Technology: How Smart Use of Digital Tools Helps Achieve Six Key Education Goals’ 2008, the ICT will be successful if technology is aligned with six major education goals. Those goals are to: increase student achievement make schools more engaging and relevant provide a high-quality education for all students attract, prepare, and retain high-quality teachers increase parental and community support for students outside of school require accountability for results ICT methods and techniques

Relationship between Organizational Culture, Leadership Behaviour and Essay

Relationship between Organizational Culture, Leadership Behaviour and Job Satisfaction - Essay Example Approaches to Research In my career as a student, I have had a little scope to perform researches and therefore had limited knowledge in the field. From this particular module, emphasising on the various approaches used in a research purpose, especially those regarding cultural issues, I was able to come across multiple facts which will surely help me in my future endeavours in the field of academic researches. Research is defined as the expansion of knowledge and/or the use of existing information as a resourceful way in generating new concepts. From my learning, I understood that the collected data are implemented or used in the research process through certain approaches which are often regarded to be the strategies or steps through which the collected data are used systematically. In my study to this particular module, I learnt that the approaches to research, especially those concerning cultural differences, are categorised into four different phases such as separation, encultur ation, assimilation and integration or pluralism while elaborating on the issue. With regards to my module learning, I was able to define the separation approach as a process to identify the individualistic behaviour of restraining own cultures and desires from being influenced by others. Through enculturation approach, I have been able to notice those groups’ practices in which the members keep hold of their primary rules and behaviours, without incorporating other sets of value system from differing ethnic rudiments (Kim & et. al., 2009). Similarly, with the help of assimilation approach, I gained knowledge regarding certain measures to cooperate with the superior culture in order to gain confidence from them for future career developments. From the discussion with regards to integration or pluralism approach, I learnt that it reveals the strategies of managing the cultural diversification and therefore I would categorise the approach as a more practical and objective-orien ted one (Berry, 2011). After gaining an in-depth knowledge regarding the approaches, I can state that the integration, often regarded as pluralism approach, is the most realistic research method which motivated me to work in a group with different cultured members. I also learnt that research focusing on the identification and evaluation of cultural differences are often based on theoretical pursuits, such as those inscribed by Trompenaar and Hall. The theoretical explanation presented by Hall upon the cultural differences helped me to understand the levels or dimensions present within the culture. The theory focuses on the cultural differences in terms of social level, personal freedom and time management as well. From the lecture class, I was also able to gather adequate information that along with the levels of culture, the personal attitude related to liberty and time management also leads to diversification of culture within the environment (Nardon & Steers, 2004). I further le arnt that from a similar perspective, Trompenaar presented the theoretical concept stating the differences of culture with the help of seven dimensions. From the Trompenaar’s theory, I learnt that five of the factors deal with the people’s relationship amid the society and the remaining two factors helped me to indicate the time management

Behaviourism - BF Skinner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Behaviourism - BF Skinner - Essay Example So as a subject-matter of psychology this theory presents not the subjective world of an individual, but objectively fixated characteristics of an individual' behavior, caused by some external impacts. The followers of behaviorism have stated that the analysis of behavior must be strictly objective and content itself with observation of reactions on the surface. All that is happening inside of an individual cannot be studied as an individual's thoughts and conscience cannot be properly measured or recorded. Therefore nothing but responses and outward actions of a human being, and those stimuli and situations, which determine these reactions, can be researched objectively. According to behaviorists the main task of psychology is to spot the probable stimulus by response, and prognosticate some certain response by stimulus. From the point of view of behaviorism, personality is neither more nor less than a summation of behavioral responses inherent to a given person. Any behavioral response is originated by definite stimulus or situation. The formula 'stimulus - response' has been principal in behaviorism. The law of effect described by Edward Thorndike3 specifies that the connection between S and R becomes stronger if there is some reinforcement.

Buiness Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Buiness Marketing Plan - Essay Example Game fit will work on a plan to extend its supplier base and a backward integration after gaining a strong foothold in the market. Fewer supplier choices and heavy dependence on suppliers will drive the cost of the product. The product does not have a self-manufacturing plant, which is a serious threat, and this raises the hand of the supplier (Porter 2004) 3.2.1.2 The Bargaining Power of Buyers: The product has a large segment that includes Video gamers, people in search if fitness and health (obese children and adults) and regular gym goers. This huge target segment will prove to favor the product. The large buyer base will put the company on the upper hand. The initial monopoly and buyer base will prove profitable enabling a speedy break even. The bargaining power of buyers is determined by the cost of switching from one product to another in this case the additional cost a consumer will have to bear to buy this interface and the value he will see for this cost. (Porter 2004) 3.2.1.3 The Threat of Substitutes: A factor which needs attention Game fit is only an interface for two existing products. It will not take long for fitness machine manufacturers to substitute this by providing wholesome solution i.e. a fitness bike that is compatible with any video game that could do away with the interface.

Production and operations Management Assignment

Production and operations Management - Assignment Example In addition, crude oil is also used for wide varieties of other purposes. The fractional distillation of gasoline produces an output known as gasoline. Gasoline is mainly used as fuel in internal combustion engines. Gasoline is traded in regional market; whereas, crude oil is the part of global market. Generally, the price of a commodity increases as demand increases (there are some exceptions to this rule) (Oxford). Since crude oil is a non-renewable energy source, its demand will not fall regardless of its price variation. Hence, when the demand for crude oil increases, its price also increases. Crude oil prices have a direct impact on the gasoline prices as crude is the major raw material used in the production of gasoline and other petroleum products. â€Å"Crude oil accounts for 55% of the price of gasoline while distribution and taxes influence the remaining 45 %† (Mazeel, 2010, pp.106-107). To illustrate, one barrel of crude oil contains 42 gallons of oil. If the price for one barrel of crude oil is $75, raw material worth $1.78 is required to produce a gallon of gasoline. This figure does not include transportation and other process charges. In total, when the global demand for crude oil increases, there will be a proportional increase in the retail price of gasoline also. When the global crude oil production is decreased by 10%, the crude oil supply might fall and this situation would probably result in a rise in crude oil price. Under such circumstances, domestic oil retailers may be forced to raise their prices in order to avoid loss. If Marathon adopts effective business strategies, the company may keep the price at the pump the same without losing profits even in times of a decline in global crude oil production. In order to achieve this goal, the Marathon has to acquire materials at reduced rate by researching different markets because a decrease in cost of production is

Article Critique_Shoe Selection in Safe Light-Industrial Jobs Essay

Article Critique_Shoe Selection in Safe Light-Industrial Jobs - Essay Example It is a requirement for every worker to use necessary protective equipment properly and at all times in the work place. A light industry that involves numerous workers to attain the high number of products should stress the employer’s responsibility to avoid potential injuries in the workplace. Employers should follow the necessary guidelines and standards provided by certain agency such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Hazard assessment is done by identifying the physical and health hazards in every workplace which stand as the first critical step in developing a comprehensive safety and health program. Another factor is choosing the appropriate personal protective equipment for the workers who are the main concern in the industrial job. Right selection of shoe will help to minimize workplace injuries thus, increasing their work productivity. The need for the right shoes is essential for individual’s safety and proper support and comfort. Foot and leg injuries were often due to improper shoe selection and poor knowledge on how to select shoes according to the nature of work. Important outline were made to assist workers in light-industrial job in choosing the right shoe particularly in using a heavy-duty leather shoes. The primary idea to consider is to always measure feet before selecting new shoes because feet may change in size over time due to activities that stretches feet and also due to aging. Next, measure feet while standing because standing for long period of time can stretch feet thus, selecting slightly larger shoes can help minimize foot pain later on. Always measure both feet also then select shoes that fit the larger foot if there is slight discrepancy on both size of feet. It is significant as well to buy shoes late in the afternoon for the reason that feet stretch regularly during the course of the day. Upon purchasing, it is a must to spend a few minutes walking while wearing both shoes to make a

Language and global climate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Language and global climate - Essay Example The essay seeks to answer the question whether and how language can influence global climate change. Ideally, this essay details how language can affect global climate change in the modern society. By showing how a shift in our language use can influence global climate change, the essay will confirm that language plays a significant role in addressing global climate change. Language is one of the controversial aspects that address affect global climate change. Indeed, language forms an important part of our culture and perceptions about specific natural factors. As such, an effective change in how we use our language would have a direct impact on our views about global climate change. Notably, a shift in language use towards a more animistic sensibility would enhance our awareness of and connection to nature. This would have a direct effect on global climate since increased awareness would encourage us to value the global climate and adopt mechanisms that would control global climate change. Moreover, the awareness and connection to nature would help us to understand various aspects that may foster global climate change and hence derives fundamental knowledge on how to prevent global climate change. As such, global societies can influence global climate change by shifting their language to sensibility that is more animistic. Moreover, it is evident that by writing our language down, we can encourage the society to think about various aspects like global climate (Snyder 95-97). It is through talking and reading that the society gets an opportunity to think about various societal aspects like global climate. For example, writing articles about global climate change using a clear, understandable, and effective language motivates the audience to read and think about the subject, which derives subtle knowledge on the effects and measures of curbing global climate change. However, it is true that different

Material Selction Essay Example for Free

Material Selction Essay Park bench A park bench isn’t just for parks. It is an essential component of any public outdoor (or indoor) area. The 3 material I chosen ( wood concrete steel) These park benches provide strength and durability with a strong steel skeleton and high quality UV and weather resistant thermoplastic coating. One of the most popular bench styles, the thermoplastic coated steel park bench comes in a range of styles and colors. The thermoplastic coating protects the steel for years to come, and is maintenance and corrosive free. Made for the widest range of applications, these benches can be portable as well and permanent installs. Commercial park benches made with wood are always a top seller. Made usually of cedar, or pine, wood park benches offer strength and durability, reinforced with a welded metal frame construction for a long life. Wood is the popular choice also for its classic styling. When people think park bench, they will more than likely visualize a wood slat park bench with back and arms in an unfinished cedar nestled in a shady spot under an oak tree. This is obviously a great solution for a park, or outside of a mall but I would not recommend it for any city transit area. Other materials, like powder coated steel are better performers for high traffic. Concrete Park Benches are an inexpensive solution to a high traffic area. Dense and strong, anything concrete will last a long time and is ideal for parks, schools, bus stops, corporate break areas and rest stops, and other various street scapes or public areas. It is also resistant to vandalism and thievery due to its inherent density and bulk. It would be strenuous to attempt to move or damage one of these, making a concrete park bench the perfect solution for a permanent install. Hip joint The human hip is a ball and socket joint. This means that the top of the leg bone, the femur, is rounded and fits into the socket of the hip. This joint may need to be replaced if it has worn away, broken, or become chronically painful in some way. The process involves replacing the hip joint with 3 artificial parts, cup, ball, stem: Cup The cup is the most vital part of the hip joint process as the other 2 parts is dependable on the cup being good thus the material must not only be tough and strong but resistant to corrosion, degradation, and wear-.I chose the material ultra-high density polyethylene for the cup component in because of its outstanding toughness cut and wear resistance and its excellent chemical resistance. Fermoral ball – I chose the ceremaric material Zirconia for the head (ball) component in because of its Strength and Longevity, Zirconia is virtually indestructible ans should last a life ti. itcan be polished to give a very smooth surface and have a much lower wear rate than metal on polyethylene. Also using ceramics over metals for hip replacement parts are to do with the inherent biocompatibility of ceramic materials. Being highly oxidised, they are very inert and so the risk of any reactions with the host is negligible. However As with everything in life, all these benefits come with a price. Zirconia is very tough, which is good until you consider the abrasive effect of the material against the other compnenets. Fermoral stem – I chose the alloy material titanium for the stem component because not only does it have the combined properties of being light and strong it also allow for movement of the artificial hip joint with a minimal amount of friction. In addition, titanium are long lasting, strong and resistant to corrosion, degradation, and wear. Therefore, they will retain their strength and shape for a long time. Resistance to wear is particularly significant in maintaining proper joint function and preventing the further destruction of bone caused by particulate debris generated as the implant parts move against each other. However titanium is quite expensive.

Movie Analysis Of Slumdog Millionaire Film Studies Essay

Movie Analysis Of Slumdog Millionaire Film Studies Essay The object that I have chosen is a film called Slumdog Millionaire (2008). The movie, directed by Danny Boyle, received 8 Oscar awards for excellence in the fields like Direction, Cinematography, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, Original Score and Original Song. The movie is an adaption of a novel Q A written by the proclaimed Indian author and diplomat, Vikas Swarup. The movie is set in an Indian backdrop and the story revolves around an uneducated Muslim boy named Jamaal, and about his journey from the slums in a typical rags to riches background. The story begins with Jamaal and his brothers life in slums, and how they were left homeless after a Hindu Muslim riot which kills their mother. It continues with their journey to other cities and finally ends at Kaun Banega Crorepati (Indian adaption of Who Wants to be a Millionaire) where he wins the contest using the knowledge he had picked up during his impoverished life. Other than the several accolades, the film also faced criticism for the ugly potrayal of India and the abusive language that was used. In the following paragraphs, I would be analyzing the movie in terms of genres that it potrayed. Genre is a French term used for type. It is a term that has existed since very early times in cinema. Some frequently used genres are romance, crime, comedy , fantasy or actuality, drama, thriller, horror, suspense, cowboy, art/ independent(class note). Basically it is a repetition of certain features while making a film, that later act as a genesis for its identification under a specific genre. But gradually, it was realized that such a narrowed down approach of filmmaking and categorization lead to productions that were repetitive and predictable. Thus arose the need for genre films to be not just more of the same but also something different. This lead to an interesting phenomenon of categorizing the same movie in various genres like drama, action, mystery etc. Such movies are called multi genre films. It has been claimed that the more recent movies target consciously for genre cross-over. This concept of cross-over results in multi genre films that can be described as postmodern in terms of cinema. The amalgamation of genres leads to mixing of the already existing genres and thus generates new possibilities. The mixing together of genres is often referred to as bricolage, and such films are called hybrids. In bricolage, one can often observe elements of various different films that are grouped together. Why? Why limit a film to one set of emotions when it has the potential to explore so much more? Danny Boyle The concept of multi genres can be clearly seen in the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The genres identified are romance, drama and crime. The story told in the film seems to be a retold from the movie Salaam Bombay, which is story of a young boy Chaipu who is left homeless and lives on the streets of Bombay. The story is about how he survives by doing odd jobs at a very young age and struggles to overcome the harsh reality of the metropolitan that is Bombay. One can easily draw a parallel between Chaipu in Salaaam Bombay and Jamaals character in Slumdog Millionaire (Infact the first reaction of Indian audience to Slumdog Millionaire was its comparison to Salaam Bombay). The other elements of the movie such as the underworld, crime and Hindu-Muslim riots in the city of Mumbai have been portrayed in a far more realistic way in movies Satya [INSERT YEAR] , Sadak[] and Bombay[]. The ending of the movie is rather happy where Jamaal finally reunites with his ladylove and also miraculously wins the show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. These joyful endings have been prevalent in cinema for a long time. The theme of the movie is formulaic and seems to be a repetition of the previous movies based on the same lines. Genres can also be discussed in relation to industry, market and the audience. The industry makes film as long as there is a demand from the audience. The categorization of films into genres basically enables the industry to divide the range of movies that be made and thus sets a clear demarcation. The study of movies of different genres in the market gives a good idea of the response of the audience and thus on the basis of this study of most profitable response, movie of the same genre are made. A particular type of genre movie tries to specialize at the majority of the levels so as to maximize the possibility of profits. Analyzing Slumdog Millionaire in this light we can notice that the use of locations, props, actors has been carefully chosen according to the genre and script of the movie. As the movie is about a young, homeless, uneducated Indian boy and all the hardships he goes through, it was very crucial for the movie to use the appropriate locations and props. The location chosen for the shooting was the city of Mumbai itself. The young star cast of the are the in fact children of the slums which lends a very original effect to the movie. The director very cleverly chose the other actors as well keeping in mind the International and the Indian audience. The actors are mostly debutants and fit completely in the non-glamorous portrayals of the roles. The international audiences have a stereo typical image of the Asian cinema and the director has kept this in mind while choosing the various aspects of the movie Genre films have a deep impact on the social and cultural contexts. These films act as cultural products; which might carry the dominant and prevalent ideologies of the society in which they are produced. Though more than often films are not a reflection of the real society but instead are based on common perception of the society. The following two texts relate to the genre in movies. I have tried to analyze Slumdog Millionaire in the light of these two texts: Moral issues are raised, questions are asked and answers given. We are invited to evaluate a characters actions and imaginary solutions are offered to real problems within the society If we look at the movie Slumdog Millionaire, it has showcased many problems like poverty, crime, trickery and deception in a rather exaggerated way and in the end the solution offered an imaginary solution would make sense only in a fantasy land. An instance of the imaginary solution in the movie is that the boy who grew up without any education whatsoever starts tricking non hindi speaking tourists with impeccable English and later in the movie locates his brother using a computer. This is just something fantastical which fills people with hope and optimism, and makes them believe that there is a solution all problems. This is something that definitely does not happen in the real world, but the movie came out at a time when the world was witnessing one of the greatest recessions of all time, and almost everybody faces a bleak future. At this time, the movie gave the solution to the society that it so much wanted to believe. It could be claimed that such films (genre movies) are not reflections of society but are particular perceptions of a society. How we see such films might ultimately be determined by whether or not recurring patterns and themes can be identified In Slumdog Millionaire, the director has made use of the emotions of audience. It is made in way that it draws sympathy from the Western world and re-affirms their age old opinion about India. The plot in the movie doesnt speak about anything that a modern developing economy boasts of (a common example of this is the fact that many foreigners still think of India as a land of snake charmers in US, whereas I am yet to see a single snake charmer in my 24 years of stay in India). Genre films sometimes challenge dominant ideas, question cultural values and this just leaves a more positive and optimistic effect on people as they do not find themselves helplessly tied to a societys belief system. In this context the film Slumdog Millionaire challenges the fact that an uneducated and lowly placed person in society can get as big a success as winning the mega jackpot. This theme subtly re-assures the audience that despite their short comings, they could also be the next Jamaal. Also, in an u nderlying theme of the Good overcoming the evil makes the movie adjust to the perception of the audience. The fact that Jamaal even after being embroiled in so many nasty incidents and pot holes of crime and vulgarity, remains good, and ultimately wins the jackpot. This plays on the audiences wish to see the ending that they sub-consciously believe in, and want to see on screen, even if that doesnt make much sense in reality. To conclude, we can say that Slumdog Millionaire is a movie that was packaged very deftly into the genres that were decided for it by the movie-makers. From the point of view of culture, audience and industry, the movie weaves itself perfectly into the landscape it aspires to project itself into. The movie was hit on a global scale, and after analyzing the intelligent inter-play of genres, the underlying rags to riches theme, satisfying the audiences sub-conscious desires irrespective of location and releasing at a time when the world was in recession, seems but a powerful potion for a massive on on-screen success.

change in art/expressive cultures Essay -- essays research papers

Through globalization western culture has changed in art/expressive cultures. Expressive culture/art has played a part in the helping professions since ancient times. As early as 500 BC, the Egyptians utilized concerts and dance in the treatment of the mentally ill. Likewise, the Greeks used drama as a way of assisting the disturbed in purging their repressed emotions. The Hebrews relied on music, and other arts, in restoring and promoting mental health too, the most famous example being David who played his harp to soothe a distraught King Saul. Literature was seen by the Romans as a specific way of helping too. Lucretius, Roman poet and the author of the philosophical epic De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of the Universe), a comprehensive exposition of the Epicurean world-view, thought poetry could disperse the "terrors of the soul". In recent times, the expressive arts consist of verbal and nonverbal ways of representing feelings, there has been renewed interest in the use of the arts especially art forms that are considered "expressive." Through concrete and abstract verbal and nonverbal art forms that inspire, direct, and heal. For example the guerrilla girls, allowing individuals options in conveying their emotions their arts are used in helping and enabling themselves in a humorous way to make informed decisions and versatility in what they believe in, Feminism. And what about, Andres Serrano, of Piss Christ, his fame which according to web site, â€Å"e...

The Racism in Othello Essays -- Othello essays Shakespeare

The Racism in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the duration of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Othello, there is a steady stream of racism. It is originating from not one, but rather several characters in the play. In the opening scene, while Iago is expressing his dislike, rather hatred, for the general Othello for his having chosen Michael Cassio for the lieutenancy, he contrives a plan to partially avenge himself (â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him†), with Roderigo’s assistance, by alerting Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, to the fact of his daughter’s elopement with Othello. Roderigo shares Iago’s prejudiced attitude toward Othello: â€Å"What a full fortune does the thicklips owe / If he can carry't thus!† The word thicklips is a disparaging reference to a facial characteristic of many members of the black race. When, by loud shouting, Brabantio is awakened, Iago commences with a series of racial epithets:    Zounds, sir, you're robb'd; for shame, put on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   your gown;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even now, now, very now, an old black ram   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is topping your white ewe. Arise, arise;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arise, I say. (1.1)    The phrase old black ram and the word devil both make reference in an offensive manner to dark skin color. The allusion to white ewe has the effect of putting Othello’s darkness into sharp contrast. A few lines later Iago once again turns his invective fully on Othello with three stinging racial epithets:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   'Zounds, sir, you are one of those that will not   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   do you service ... ... the blacker devil!      OTHELLO. She turn'd to folly, and she was a whore.      EMILIA. Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil! (5.2)    Following Iago’s murder of Emilia, he is captured; Lodovico addresses Othello, who is so dejected at having been deceived by his ancient:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   O thou Othello, thou wert once so good,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fall'n in the practise of a damned slave,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What shall be said to thee? (5.2)    Needless to say, damned slave has racial overtones. Shortly thereafter, the hero, in remorse for the tragic mistake he has made, stabs himself and dies on the bed next to his wife, his sorrow being as deep as his love.    WORKS CITED    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.   

Mr. Luther Kings Letter From Birmingham Jail :: Letter From Birmingham Jail King Essays

"Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail, which was written in April 16, 1963, is a passionate letter that addresses and responds to the issue and criticism that a group of white clergymen had thrown at him and his pro- black American organization about his and his organization's non- violent demonstrative actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black Americans in Birmingham. King writes the letter to defend his organization's actions and the letter is also an appeal to the people, both the white and black American society, the social, political, and religious community, and the whole of American society to encourage desegregation and encourage solidarity and equality among all Americans, with no stratifications according to racial differences. King's letter from Birmingham Jail addresses the American society, particularly the political and religious community of the American society. Specifically, King's letter addresses three important groups in the American society: the white American political community, white American religious community, and the black American society. King addressed these communities as the primary groups wherein racial segregation is continuously proliferated (the white American political and religious community) and points much of his arguments to and for his fellow black Americans in the society. King's main thesis in writing the Birmingham letter is that, racial segregation, or injustice to the black American society, is due to the continuous encouragement of the white American society, particularly the powerful communities in politics and religions. King defends his primary thesis all throughout the length of his letter, and the arguments that he has made to prove that his thesis is true and valid will be the focus of this rhetorical analysis. In addressing and confronting the problem of injustices among the black Americans in the American society, particularly the violence that had happened in Birmingham, and generally, the inequality and racial prejudice happening in his American society, King argues his position by using both moral, social, and political references and logic for his arguments to be considered valid and agreeable. Mr. Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail :: Letter From Birmingham Jail King Essays "Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail, which was written in April 16, 1963, is a passionate letter that addresses and responds to the issue and criticism that a group of white clergymen had thrown at him and his pro- black American organization about his and his organization's non- violent demonstrative actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black Americans in Birmingham. King writes the letter to defend his organization's actions and the letter is also an appeal to the people, both the white and black American society, the social, political, and religious community, and the whole of American society to encourage desegregation and encourage solidarity and equality among all Americans, with no stratifications according to racial differences. King's letter from Birmingham Jail addresses the American society, particularly the political and religious community of the American society. Specifically, King's letter addresses three important groups in the American society: the white American political community, white American religious community, and the black American society. King addressed these communities as the primary groups wherein racial segregation is continuously proliferated (the white American political and religious community) and points much of his arguments to and for his fellow black Americans in the society. King's main thesis in writing the Birmingham letter is that, racial segregation, or injustice to the black American society, is due to the continuous encouragement of the white American society, particularly the powerful communities in politics and religions. King defends his primary thesis all throughout the length of his letter, and the arguments that he has made to prove that his thesis is true and valid will be the focus of this rhetorical analysis. In addressing and confronting the problem of injustices among the black Americans in the American society, particularly the violence that had happened in Birmingham, and generally, the inequality and racial prejudice happening in his American society, King argues his position by using both moral, social, and political references and logic for his arguments to be considered valid and agreeable.

Life without mobile phones Essay

Microeconomics is generally the study of individuals and business decisions, macroeconomics looks at higher up country and government decisions. Macroeconomics and microeconomics, and their wide array of underlying concepts, have been the subject of a great deal of writings. The field of study is vast; here is a brief summary of what each covers: Microeconomics is the study of decisions that people and businesses make regarding the allocation of resources and prices of goods and services. This means also taking into account taxes and regulations created by governments. Microeconomics focuses on supply and demand and other forces that determine the price levels seen in the economy. For example, microeconomics would look at how a specific company could maximize it’s production and capacity so it could lower prices and better compete in its industry. (Find out more about microeconomics in Understanding Microeconomics.) Macroeconomics, on the other hand, is the field of economics that studies the behavior of the economy as a whole and not just on specific companies, but entire industries and economies. This looks at economy-wide phenomena, such as Gross National Product (GDP) and how it is affected by changes in unemployment, national income, rate of growth, and price levels. For example, macroeconomics would look at how an increase/decrease in net exports would affect a nation’s capital account or how GDP would be affected by unemployment rate. (To keep reading on this subject, see Macroeconomic Analysis.) While these two studies of economics appear to be different, they are actually interdependent and complement one another since there are many overlapping issues between the two fields. For example, increased inflation (macro effect) would cause the price of raw materials to increase for companies and in turn affect the end product’s price charged to the public. The bottom line is that microeconomics takes a bottoms-up approach to analyzing the economy while macroeconomics takes a top-down approach. Regardless, both micro- and macroeconomics provide fundamental tools for any finance professional and should be studied together in order to fully  understand how companies operate and earn revenues and thus, how an entire economy is managed and sustained.

The development of self-awareness and shifts of Locus of self Knowledge

This study examines the theoretical framework of developmental sequences and self descriptions and its proposed idea that children’s sense of self change as they become older and more able to take into account the information about themselves available from other sources such as their social environment. A small-scale investigation into the ways children give self-descriptions and how the characteristics of these change with age was conducted by comparison of short interviews with two participants aged 8 and 16 years following a similar methodology to Rosenberg’s (1979) study of self description. Analysis of the material show that indeed there is evidence that older children tend to give accounts of themselves by using more inner characteristics and emotional traits then younger children providing support to existing research in the subject. Introduction The subject of development of identity has been a topic of intense debate amongst scholars in the field of child development. The multidimensionality of identity imposes that many external aspects are involved in its development like religious, cultural, social ethnic, therefore in order to develop and identity children must be able to take into account such aspects. Maccoby (as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 p. 131) proposes that for that reason, as sense of self happens by degrees. William James (1892 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pp 131) introduced the idea that a sense of self is divided in two stages: the self as a subject of experience and the self as an object of knowledge (Miel and Ding, 2005 pg. 131). This means that as children get older, they become more competent at self-awareness and more realistically involved in perception and responses of others in their lives. According to James, this development occurs during childhood by means of interactions between cognitive aspects and Social experiences where children actively use their incoming knowledge about themselves to make a difference in their environment. Subsequently, as children gain increasing levels of self awareness, a second stage emerges defined as the self as an object or categorical self (James 1961 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pg. 133) where children begin to be categorized by others and themselves in defining roles in society. Cooley and Mead (1935) further underpinned the importance of social influences upon the development of an identity by coining the term â€Å"looking glass self† and the development of the theory of â€Å"symbolic interactionism† where they stress that a sense of identity emerges from reactions of others in the environment to us and the impressions we make internalize of these judgments (Mead 1934, as cited in: Miell and Ding, 2005, pp. 134-136. More recently, developmental Psychologists such as Harter (1983) and Rosenberg (1979) have used methods of semi-structured interviews and self report measures to investigate children’s developmental sequences in the formation of the self. In Her analysis of interviews with children of various ages, Harter (1983, as cited in Miell and Ding, 2005, pp.128-129) framed a developmental sequence where younger children show tendency to describe behavior and objective facts gradually shifting from traits of physical aspects and ultimately to interpersonal traits. Rosenberg’s findings suggest that younger children tend to rely on physical aspects and character traits observable by others to describe their sense of self whereas older children make more use of inner qualities and emotions only known to them. Rosenberg was interested beyond simple aspects of self description and added to his questions, topics that explored the children’s categorical self and what he defines as Locus of self knowledge. This study aims to investigate children’s accounts in their self concept by using pre recorded semi-structured interviews with two participants aged 8 and 16 years and applying Rosenberg’s categories of self description, self evaluation, self and others, Ideal self and Locus of self knowledge in slightly altered forms. With view on the relevant theories to the context of this study, the research question in focus is â€Å"Do children acquire a progressive sense of self as they grow older and interact with their social environment?† Method Design The design of this study consists in a comparison of the self-descriptions given by two young people, during semi-structured interviews. Participants The participants that took place in this study were selected from two schools (one primary and one secondary) in the surrounding areas of Milton Keynes. Anne aged 8 yeas and Adam ages 16 years were randomly selected and given informed consent as well as their parents to participate in this research. Materias and procedure The material for this study was collected by the course team of ED209 Child Development at Open University and every step has been taken to ensure its compliance with the British Psychological Society’s ethical guidelines for research with human participants. In order to record the interviews, a microphone was strategically placed in a non intrusive location near the participant. An A4 sheet of paper was used for the participants to complete their self description (â€Å"I statements†) and a recorder was used to record the interviews. The interviews took place during the day in May 2005. The locations of the interviews were in places familiar to the children. The younger participant (Annie) was interviewed by a member of the module team Kieron Sheehy and Peter Barnes conducted the interview with the older participant (Adam). Both children were informed prior to the start of their right to withdraw from the interview at any time as well as to have any data deleted should they feel something was said that they do not want in recording. None of them did so. Care was taken to ensure the best possible quality to the recordings which required such to be stopped at times when background noise was too inconvenient. Near the beginning of the interview the participants were asked to write down a description of themselves on a sheet of A4 paper. At the top were the words ‘Who am I’ and below that were ten numbered lines, each beginning ‘I†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The recording was paused while the children completed these descriptions. Subsequently, the participants were asked questions based on Rosenberg’s questions of self evaluation, self and others and ideal self as well as on the concept of Locus of self knowledge. Results Self descriptions The research question proposed by this study is that younger children rely on physical and character traits when giving accounts of themselves and this should progressively shift with age as they make more use of inner traits for self description. The categories proposed by Rosenberg and used in this study and the results in percentage of the accounts of the two participants are as seen in table 1 bellow. Percentages were rounded to the nearest null The results above clearly show that the younger participant (Annie) relies solely on physical and character traits to describe herself whereas the older participant (Adam) makes much more use of inner characteristics and relationship connections supporting the hypothesis proposed by this study. Locus of Self Knowledge Annie shows internal and external locus when she suggests that both her and her mother would know better about her Maths, acknowledging that her mother might not know that she is â€Å"getting better every day†. Nevertheless in the question of behavior she placed the locus externally saying that her mom would be correct. Adam, the older participant was clear saying that his mother would be correct if asked what subjects he is better at school and about his behavior at home. Self evaluation When describing her weak and strong points Annie pointed out solely to physical traits of herself â€Å"my ears and legs (11:06)† and observable characteristics â€Å"I’ve got lots of friends (9:13)†. Adam equally relied heavily on character traits to describe his strong and weak points, however with a difference that his accounts were mostly related to internal (not necessarily observable) traits â€Å"I think im approachable b anyone†¦I suppose that my personality like just being a relaxed person (20:02)† Ideal self The older participant (Annie) relied on external factors to describe her ideal self like jobs â€Å"for my job I would like to be an actress (13:42)† making no account of any inner characteristic. Adam (16 years) on the other hand showed a capability to project his future in terms of interpersonal traits â€Å"I’d be like a leader, like a leader or something with power, because I like to think that I’d been really strong as a leader† Self and others Annie made comparisons of herself to others in terms of similar or different she is regarding her physical characteristics â€Å"I’m the same as Naomi as we both like Maths†¦(11:24)†. Nevertheless, she shows an ability to reflect on internal aspects of herself and the importance of her uniqueness as a person â€Å"Because if all the people are the same as me then I wouldn’t feel special (13:23).† Most of Adam’s comparisons to others were described in terms of the quality of inner similarities that enables relationships to form and be maintained â€Å"we’ve more or less got the same viewpoints (23:21)† and his inner drives that differentiates him from others â€Å"I like to think that I’m not going to spend the rest of my life working in a shop like some of my friends (25:00)† Discussion The purpose of this study was to investigate by means of comparison of interviews with two young participants (Annie aged 8 and Adam aged 16), the idea outlined in current research that development of identity occurs progressively from an existential self to a categorical self and children’s self descriptions shift gradually from predominantly physical traits in younger children to more interpersonal characteristics in older ones. Equally it aimed to analyze Rosenberg’s suggestion that a transfer in the locus of self knowledge from external to internal occurs as age progresses. In the self description task, Annie made use exclusively of physical and character traits to provide a description of herself where Adam showed a fluent ability to understand himself as an abstract being and use interpersonal and emotional traits when talking about himself. This is consistent with the idea of James (1892 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pp 131) that a sense of self emerges gradually. In detailed analysis of the questions related to the locus of self knowledge, Both Annie and Adam place emphasis on the other rather than the self contradicting Rosenberg’s findings that a shift occurs to the self as children grow older (Rosenberg 1979 as cited in the Open University 2012 assessment guide). However this could be so for reasons related to the methodology of research itself. For instance both participants did not seem to grasp the meaning of the questions initially, or perhaps confounding variables like power imbalance between researcher and participant could have played a role. On this topic it is therefore impossible to draw a positive or negative conclusion based only on this sample size. Cooley (1902 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pg 134) suggests the idea of the self as a looking glass where the person develops a sense of self by gradually undertaking other’s views and reactions of them. This theory can be supported by the findings of this study regarding the locus of self-knowledge where both children seem to see their own selves through the â€Å"looking glass† of others. The responses given in the other themes (ideal self, self and others and self evaluation) provide a strong support to Harter (1983 as cited in Open University 2012 assessment guide) and Rosenberg’s theory of a reliance on physical activities and aspects by younger children and a shift to more inner traits and relation to others in older participants. It is important to note that this study relies on a sample size too small to allow its results to be universalized. Also the context of the interviews and the participants were selected in a Western society where emphasis is strong on individuality and independence (Tobin et al 1989 as cited in Miell and Ding 2005 pp130). Therefore this study should only be interpreted within the limits of its settings; however it gives interest to the possibility of further research with a broader cross-cultural selection of participants. Briefly, some methodological issues came up in the formulation of questions that could perhaps have had an impact however small on the results of this study; At times, both participants showed confusion regarding the questions asked. Perhaps a different wording would have been more appropriate. Conclusion This study supports ongoing theories of a gradual development of self awareness proving the initial research question suggested and the idea that identity is shaped by an interaction of cognitive factors with various external aspects like social, peer, religion etc†¦ Due to methodological issues and small sample size it is impossible to offer conclusive support to the theory of Locus-of-self –knowledge. In future, the field of developmental psychology could benefit from further research involving larger sample sizes of varied cultures as this study can only account for children based in the scope of western society

Geography Prelim Notes

Geography Preliminary Exam Outline 20 multiple choice – skills Short Answer Questions – Biophysical Interactions (some or all or how they integrate), population and culture integration. Extended response – Natural resources – one or a combination of the four points Geography Preliminary Notes The Biophysical Environment * The Biophysical Environment is the interaction of all abiotic and biotic elements found on the planet. * Expressed another way the BPE is made up of all the features of the physical and the built environment and how these features interrelate. The BPE is then the interactions, which occur between the Atmosphere, Lithosphere, Biosphere and Hydrosphere. ATMOSPHERE * Atmosphere, mixture of gases surrounding any celestial object that has a gravitational field strong enough to prevent the gases from escaping; especially the gaseous envelope of the earth. The principal constituents of the atmosphere of the earth are nitrogen (78 percent) and ox ygen (21 percent). The atmospheric gases in the remaining 1 percent are argon (0. 9 percent), carbon dioxide (0. 3 percent), varying amounts of water vapour, and trace amounts of hydrogen, ozone, methane, carbon monoxide, helium, neon, krypton, and xenon. * The water-vapour content of the air varies considerably, depending on the temperature and relative humidity. With 100 percent relative humidity the water-vapour content of air varies from 190 parts per million (ppm) at -40Â ° C to 42,000 ppm at 30Â ° C. Minute quantities of other gases, such as ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, and oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, are temporary constituents of the atmosphere in the vicinity of volcanoes and are washed out of the air by rain or snow.Divisions of the Atmosphere: Without our atmosphere, there would be no life on earth. A relatively thin envelope, the atmosphere consists of layers of gases that support life can provide protection from harmful radiation. Issues related to the Atmosphere * Daily weather conditions, climatic conditions (seasonal/short-term/long-term/cyclical) * Global warming, Greenhouse Effect (GHE) * Ozone depletion * Acid rain * Smog, photochemical smog, brown haze * Radioactive fallout Atmosphere Impacts Oxides and other pollutants added to the atmosphere by factories and automobiles have become a major concern, however, because of their damaging effects in the form of acid rain. In addition, the strong possibility exists that the steady increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, mainly as the result of fossil-fuel combustion over the past century, may affect the earth's climate (for example enhanced Greenhouse Effect). * Similar concerns are posed by the sharp increase in atmospheric methane.Methane levels have risen 11 per cent since 1978. About 80 per cent of the gas is produced by decomposition in rice paddies, swamps, and the intestines of grazing animals, and by tropical termites. Human activities that tend to accelerate these processes include raising more livestock and growing more rice. Besides adding to the greenhouse effect, methane reduces the volume of atmospheric hydroxyl ions, thereby curtailing the atmosphere's ability to cleanse itself of pollutants. (for example photochemical smog) Atmosphere – Ozone DepletionThe ozone layer became a subject of concern in the early 1970s when it was found that chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), were rising into the atmosphere in large quantities because of their use as refrigerants and as propellants in aerosol dispensers. The concern centred on the possibility that these compounds, through the action of sunlight, could chemically attack and destroy stratospheric ozone, which protects the earth's surface from excessive ultraviolet radiation. HYDROSPHERE * The hydrosphere refers to all liquid and frozen surface waters, groundwater held in soil and rock, and atmospheric water vapour. Water is the most abundant substance at the surface of the Earth. About 1. 4 b illion cubic kilometres of water in liquid and frozen form make up the oceans, lakes, streams, glaciers, and groundwater. * Central to any discussion of the hydrosphere is the concept of the hydrologic cycle. This cycle consists of a group of reservoirs containing water, the processes by which water is transferred from one reservoir to another (or transformed from one state to another), and the rates of transfer associated with such processes.These transfer paths penetrate the entire hydrosphere, extending upward to about 15 kilometres in the Earth's atmosphere and downward to depths in the order of five kilometres into the crust. * Although water storage in rivers, lakes, and the atmosphere is small, the rate of water circulation through the rain–river–ocean–atmosphere system is relatively rapid. The amount of water discharged each year into the oceans from the land is approximately equal to the total mass of water stored at any instant in rivers and lakes. The biosphere, though primarily H2O in composition, contains very little of the total water at the terrestrial surface, only about 0. 00004 per cent. Yet, the biosphere plays a major role in the transport of water vapour back into the atmosphere by the process of transpiration. Impact of Human Activities on the Hydrosphere * The activities of modern society are having a severe impact on the hydrologic cycle. * Humans alter the natural functioning of the water cycle through quantitative or qualitative changes to the cycle. For example the dynamic steady state is being disturbed by the discharge of toxic chemicals, radioactive substances, and other industrial wastes and by the seepage of mineral fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides into surface and subsurface aquatic systems. Inadvertent and deliberate discharge of petroleum, improper sewage disposal, and thermal pollution also are seriously affecting the quality of the hydrosphere. * Humans alter the quantity of water available throu gh by a range of activities such as the construction of Dams.Weirs, irrigation schemes, aqueducts, reservoirs, dyke & levee schemes and land reclamation projects. * In more subtle ways humans through enhancing the Greenhouse Effect may be changing regional climates and therefore rainfall patterns within regions. * While large scale dams can mitigate flood damage, provide Hydro-electric energy and reliable water supply they also present significant environmental and ecological costs. * People alter the quality of water in many ways such as through domestic, agricultural, commercial and industrial pollution. The pollution of waterways is classified according to point or non-point pollution. * Pollution in waterways can mean the quality of water is unfit for human consumption (toxic to humans) or of a low enough quality to seriously impact on the ecology of the water system. LITHOSPHERE * The Earth's outermost rigid, rocky layer is called the lithosphere. It is broken, like a slightly cracked eggshell, into about a dozen separate rigid blocks, or plates. There are two types of plates, oceanic and continental.An example of an oceanic plate is the Pacific Plate, which extends from the East Pacific Rise to the deep-ocean trenches bordering the western part of the Pacific basin. The North American Plate exemplifies a continental plate. * The upper layer of the lithosphere is termed the crust. * The earth’s crust is comprised of bedrock material in various situ * Rocks are commonly divided into three major classes according to the processes that resulted in their formation.These classes are (1) igneous rocks, which have solidified from molten material called magma; (2) sedimentary rocks, those consisting of fragments derived from pre-existing rocks or of materials precipitated from solutions; and (3) metamorphic rocks, which have been derived from either igneous or sedimentary rocks under conditions that caused changes in mineralogical composition, texture, and internal structure. * Elements of weathering, erosion and gradational forces over time then shape these rock components into landform.This is known as the geomorphological process. * Such forces as tectonic plate movement, fluvial action, gradational forces and the action of the wind and sun shape landform features. * Tectonic plates move in three main ways relative to each other. Translation, seduction and convergence (Spreading). The results of this plate movement is often seen as volcanic activity (eruptions, geysers, hot springs) as earthquakes or tremors and in subsidence, land slips and slumping. * Fluvial action is the process of water eroding, transporting and depositing rock material. Wind can erode rock material by blasting, while the sun heating up rock and the rock cooling can break it down in a process call exfoliation. The top three soil issues confronting Australia are; 1. Loss of valuable topsoil due to over-clearing and subsequent erosion 2. Soils salinity – as result of over-clearing and or irrigation rasing the water table and bringing salt to the surface. 3. Acid Sulfate soil exposure – as a result of construction and mining exposing acid sulfates locked up in soil and these sulfates leaching into local waterways. BIOSPHERE The Biosphere is defined as the relatively thin life-supporting stratum of the Earth's surface, extending from a few kilometres into the atmosphere to the deep-sea vents of the oceans. * The biosphere is a global ecosystem composed of living organisms (biota) and the abiotic (nonliving) factors from which they derive energy and nutrients. * The biosphere can be broken down into segments of abiotic and biotic components, called ecosystems. Oceans, lakes, and wetlands are examples of aquatic ecosystems, while forests, deserts, and tundra are examples of terrestrial ecosystems.Through these systems, energy flows and chemicals essential to life are cycled in what is known as biogeochemical cycles. * The biosph ere itself can be studied as a worldwide ecosystem through which the interconnectedness of all life and life-supporting systems on the Earth can be understood. * The earth’s biodiversity (total known stock of varying species of fauna and flora on the planet) is classified into several major Biomes. Each Biome is made up of a multitude of interconnected and interrelating ecosystems. An ecosystem is defined as the complex of living organisms, their physical environment, and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space. * An ecosystem can be categorized into its abiotic constituents, including minerals, climate, soil, water, sunlight, and all other nonliving elements, and its biotic constituents, consisting of all its living members. Linking these constituents together are two major forces: the flow of energy through the ecosystem, and the cycling of nutrients within the ecosystem. Cycles within ecosystems which transfer / transform energy and matter are known as t he Biogeochemical cycles (eg. Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorous etc.. ) * The biosphere supports between 3 and 30 million species of plants, animals, fungi, single-celled prokaryotes such as bacteria, and single-celled eukaryotes such as protozoans. Of this total, only about 1. 4 million species have been named so far, and fewer than 1 percent have been studied for their ecological relationships and their role in ecosystems. * A little more than half the named species are insects, which dominate errestrial and freshwater communities worldwide; the laboratories of systematises are filled with insect species yet to be named and described. Hence, the relationships of organisms to their environments and the roles that species play in the biosphere are only beginning to be understood. BIOPYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Impacts of Humans on the Biophysical Environment * The biosphere supports between 3 and 30 million species of plants, animals, fungi, single-celled prokaryotes such as bacteria, a nd single-celled eukaryotes such as protozoans. Of this total, only about 1. million species have been named so far, and fewer than 1 percent have been studied for their ecological relationships and their role in ecosystems. * A little more than half the named species are insects, which dominate terrestrial and freshwater communities worldwide; the laboratories of systematises are filled with insect species yet to be named and described. Hence, the relationships of organisms to their environments and the roles that species play in the biosphere are only beginning to be understood. Management Strategies for human impacts on BPE Management strategies can be based on a number of approaches such as reactionary, precautionary or proactive management. * As many issues have multiple causal factors at a variety of scales any successful management strategies must be designed with this in mind. Often the real measure of success of a management strategy is a direct reflection of effectiveness or otherwise of a co-ordinating authority. * An example of this need for a co-ordinated response to management can be seen through reviewing the Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC).This authority must oversee management strategies in literally hundreds of sub-catchments of the Murray Darling river and across local, state and federal levels of jurisdiction. Natural Resources Definition of a Natural Resource A natural resource is any part of the biophysical environment that can be used in some way to satisfy human needs. For example; air, water, forests, minerals. They can either be either RENEWABLE or NON-RENEWABLE. RENEWABLE RESOURCES Renewable resources are those that are naturally renewed within a sufficiently short time span to be useful to human beings.There are two categories of renewable resources: * Non-critical zone resources * Critical zone resources Non-critical zone renewable resources: * These types of natural resources remain renewable irrespective of how much and ho w often humans use them * Some examples include solar energy, tides, wing, waves, water and air. Critical zone renewable resources: * These are resources that naturally renew within short periods of time but can be affected by how much and how often humans use them, That is humans use them before they can be renewed. * Examples include fish, forests, animals, soil, underground water (aquifers)NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES * These are resources that have taken millions of years to form’ * These are resources that are deemed to be in fixed supply that is once they are used they can never be replaced. There are two categories of non renewable resources; * CONSUMED BY USE and * RECYCLABLE OR THEORETICALLY RECOVERABLE Consumed by use Non-renewable * These are resources that once used they can not be replaced. These are basically the fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal. There are called fossil fuels because they were once living organisms million years ago. * Because of the ra te of use in recent times these resources could ace exhaustion. It is predicted that after 2008 that oil will reduce as we have used it up. Recyclable or Theoretically Recoverable Non-renewable * These are the metallic minerals that are mined such as iron ore, aluminum copper, gold, silver etc. These also take millions of years to be created and once used they too cannot be replaced; the significant difference is that these resources can be reused or recycled. Think of aluminum cans or metal scrap yards. What constitutes a resource? For these resources defined earlier several conditions must exist before it can actually become a resource. 1.It must be recognized as being a resource indirectly or directly. 2. There must be the skills, equipment and social organization present to transform the resource into something useful. 3. The transformation must be achieved at a cost and convenience that make it more appropriate than an alternative. 4. The adverse impacts generated by the activi ty must be acceptable to society. What a natural resource is, depends on a number of factors; 1. Economic – what is the cost of extraction e. g. , extracting petroleum out of deep-sea deposits is expensive and risky – the deep sea well in the golf of Mexico. 2.Cultural – What is a resource for one culture might not be for another e. g. Kangaroo meat. 3. Technology – the resource might not be technologically possible at the moment e. g. fusion power 4. Political – governments might promote exploitation of natural resources for strategic, economic & political reasons e. g. the cotton industry in Australia is a result of government policy in the 1960s that wanted to reduce our reliance on imported cotton. 5. Environment and health factors – concerns about the impact on the environment and the health of people and ecosystems may effect the nature and rater if resources exploitation.Environment + Impact Statements (EIS) are often used to assess t he impact on ecosystems of the exploitation of a resource. Economic & political issues related to the use of natural resource, their ownership and management 1. Rate of use: Supply and Demand * Economically, natural resources will be used at a higher rate while that resource is in demand. * If demand is reduced over time it could have economic repercussions for the country that relied on its sale – relevant to the economic well being of many developing countries. They take out large loans to help develop their country based on the performance of selling their natural resources * Once demand decreases their ability to pay back the loan is reduced which then makes the country more in debt. * Money made from selling the resources is used to pay off interest on the loans and little is put back into the country to make it better off. 2. Continued demand for a resource * Can jeopardise economic prosperity due to economically unsustainable practices * Uncontrolled exploitation may j eopardise long term production levels.A good example of this is fishing. * May cause stocks to be reduced * Threat to the preservation of the fish species * Industry and jobs would be lost * Boat owners would incur increasing debts * Food supplies would be threatened by high prices and limited availability Political Issues 1. Opposing views * Political issues of resource use can arise when competing groups wish to use the same resources. * Countries who dispute ownership of a major resource e. g. the waters of a river that flows through more than one country. * Subgroups within a society