Eu Directive And Waste Management Strategy Environmental Sciences Essay

This chapter asks the inquiry: â€Å" If there is a green engineering undertaking to undertake a local issue: What would the issue be? Which green engineering? Where to implement? What graduated table? † This inquiry is answered in the undermentioned six subdivisions: The first subdivision reviews the relevant statute law refering to the biodegradable organic waste and elucidates the of import function of AD in run intoing the rigorous marks ; the 2nd portion of this chapter references about the issue of municipal solid waste ( MSW ) ; the 3rd portion is sing the direction of family organic waste, it intends to convey that the MSW, peculiarly the organic waste fraction is conquerable through AD procedure ; while the 4th subdivision compares composting and AD, the 5th subdivision focuses on the AD engineering, viz. the historical background, the AD development worldwide and in the UK. Finally, the 6th subdivision is the nucleus of this chapter which presents the principle to th e research aims by informing the AD applications and benefits, the ideal feedstock for AD every bit good as the graduated table of AD engineering.2.1 EU Directive and Waste Management StrategyIn the last decennary, there has been an inflow of European statute law necessitating schemes to be introduced to pull off waste and to run into recycling and recovery marks ( Price, 2001 ; Morrissey & A ; Phillips 2007 ) . Harmonizing to European Union Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC, the member provinces are obliged to set up national schemes that helps to diminish the biodegradable municipal solid waste ( MSW ) being landfilled. Biodegradable waste is defined as â€Å" waste that is capable of undergoing anaerobiotic or aerophilic decomposition, such as nutrient and garden waste and paper and composition board † ( European Union, 1999 ; Price, 2001 ) . The member states aim to cut down the biodegradable fraction by 25 % , 50 % and 65 % by 2006, 2009 and 2016 severally ( Stegmann, 2005 ; Slack et al. , 2009 ; Trois & A ; Simelane 2010 ) . The Landfill Directive had a important impact on the waste direction in the UK, ensuing a dramatic reform of the system and besides doing great force per unit area on the local governments and homeowners. Since the execution of the Directive, the authorities has been urged to tackle its recycling strategies and broaden its incineration capacity ( Price, 2001 ) . Whilst direct charging to the homeowner was deemed to be a factor which could promote public engagement in the waste direction schemes ( Burnley, 2001 ) . Defra ( 2010 ) stated that nutrient waste was one of the paramount issues to be tackled in order to carry through the duties under the Directive. In England, the Landfill Allowances & A ; Trading Scheme ( England ) Regulations 2004 ( LATS Regulations ) presumed that â€Å" the sum of biodegradable municipal waste in an sum of collected municipal waste is 68 % by weight † ( Hogg at al. , 2007 ) . The strategy was designed to cipher the biodegradable fraction of landfilled waste and to apportion the â€Å" landfill allowance † to single governments ( Hogg et al. , 2007 ; Knipe, 2005 ) . Hence, the governments were apt to a punishment of ?150 per extra metric ton of biodegradable waste being landfilled ( Knipe, 2005 ) . The strategy aimed to promote intervention of biodegradable waste and hoped to finally deviate the waste from landfill. In order to run into the marks, waste schemes for England and Wales ( Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 2000 ) , Scotland ( SEPA, 1999 ) and Northern Ireland ( Department of the Environment, 2000 ) were published ( Burnley 2001 ) . The EU ‘s Sixth Environment Action Programme ( 2002-2012 ) built the environmental pillar of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy that emphasized waste bar and direction ( Morrissey & A ; Phillips 2007 ) . The programme set cardinal aims to advance reuse, cut down, recycle and to guarantee waste being disposed closest possible to its beginning ( EEA, 2009 ; Knipe, 2005 ) . The new Waste Framework Directive ( 2008/98/EC ) besides required the European Commission to advance waste bar programmes, for case place composting and AD ( Hogg at al. , 2007 ; EEA, 2009 ) . â€Å" Household waste bar † was defined as â€Å" understating the measure and perilousness of household-derived waste generated in a defined community for aggregation by any party † by National Resource and Waste Forum in their â€Å" Waste Prevention Framework † ( NRWF, 2003 ; Knipe, 2005 ) . A study on â€Å" International pattern to forestall and cut down MSW † published by Defra besides defined household waste bar likewise ( Defra, 2004 ) . The accent on â€Å" Household waste bar † implies that the decrease and the intervention of family nutrient waste were being prioritised in the waste hierarchy. Harmonizing to â€Å" Waste scheme one-year advancement study † ( WS2007/8 – Defra, 2007/8 ) , the execution of assorted and unintegrated aggregation has successfully diverted a consistent sum of waste being landfilled. The former was either sorted or treated while the latter was either recycled or composted before landfilling ( Trois & A ; Simelane, 2010 ) . Waste Strategy for England 2007 highlighted the benefits of utilizing AD to handle separated gathered nutrient waste. The benefits included bring forthing energy and bring forthing good quality fertilizer ( WS 2007 ; Defra, 2010 ) . Other than the Landfill Directive, there is besides Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive 96/61/EC which requires the Best Available Techniques ( BAT ) to be taken into history. It is to cut down the emanations from peculiar installing and to relieve impact on environment ( Knipe, 2005 ) . Furthermore, when covering with family nutrient waste, Animal By-products Regulation ( ABPR ) needed to be considered. It set out regulations to command the processing and to stop the usage of the biodegradable stuff so that the hazard to animal and public wellness can be minimised ( Knipe, 2005 ) . ABPR inhibited unfastened windrows composting of kitchen waste ( Hogg et al, 2007 ) . On the other manus, EU Renewable Energy Directive ( 2001/77/EC ) encouraged electricity coevals from renewable energy beginnings ( EEA, 2009 ) . In order to follow with the Directive, the UK has to beginning 15 % of its energy from renewable beginnings by 2020 ( Defra, 2010 ) . Presently, AD is regarded as a possible engineering for the UK to accomplish this mark. It is due to its capableness to bring forth biogas to bring forth heat and electricity and biomethane to be injected into the gas grid ( Defra, 2010 ) . To give greater drift, UK Energy Act has implemented the Energy White Paper ‘Meeting the Energy Challenge ‘ which promotes renewable energy. The statute law permitted the debut of Feed-In-Tariffs ( FITs ) for small-scale low C electricity coevals from April 2010 ( Defra, 2010 ) . In add-on, renewable heat undertakings will be able to have fiscal inducements from the Renewable Heat Incentive ( RHI ) being introduced in April 2011 ( Redman, 2010 ) . Apparently, the UK ‘s AD fiscal inducements are being broaden to heat coevals as good. The renewable heat undertakings include injection of biomethane into the National Gas Grid, production of heat and power through AD and coevals of heat for territory warming. In the ‘AD-Shared Goals ‘ study by Defra ( 2009 ) , it was stated that by 2020, â€Å" AD will be an established engineering in UK † .2.2 Municipal solid waste directionMunicipal solid waste ( MSW ) direction is going a important issue in many sta tes because the landfill of MSW contributes a important sum of methane which requires a complex emanation control and intervention ( Calabro 2009 ; Fricke et Al. 2005 ) . Presently in England, 50 % of MSW generated is landfilled, 12 % incinerated and 37 % recycled or composted ( DEFRA, 2009 ; ( Muhle et al. 2010 ) ) . Assorted interventions and aggregation strategies are being introduced and optimized in order to cut down the impact of nursery gases ( GHG ) and the sum of MSW being landfilled ( Knipe, 2005 ; ( Calabro 2009 ) . The uninterrupted addition of waste measures is seting force per unit area on many European states to run into recycle and recovery marks. In add-on, alterations to the waste direction were deemed to enforce economic and environmental costs. For case the execution of waste aggregation strategies like separate nutrient waste aggregation every bit good as the acceptance of higher engineering in waste recycling and recovery. aˆÂ ¦ The survey carried out by Slater and Frederickson ( 2001 ) concluded that the UK should better its kerbside aggregation and the composting of both kitchen and green waste instead than depending entirely on green waste composting. The findings were consistent with a figure of surveies ( Eunomia, 2007 ; AFOR, 2009 ) which stated that aerophilic composting was a good manner to pull off biodegradable waste. Whilst Calabro ( 2009 ) reported that separate aggregation played an of import function in pull offing the MSW and cut downing GHG. Separate aggregation followed with family nutrient wastes intervention provide greater net benefits in footings of increasing waste gaining control and understating the processing costs ( Gibbs A. and Hogg D. , 2008 ) . It is the writers ‘ purpose to clear up that separate waste aggregation and aerophilic composting were the ideal manner to pull off MSW. Despite of that, Muhle at Al. ( 2010 ) proved that accent on energy from waste ( EfW ) was the key to sustainable waste direction whereby maximal recycling and recovery could be achieved. In their survey, the MSW direction in Germany and the UK were compared from the facet of their C emanations. The comparing revealed that Germany with great publicity of recycle and recovery through energy from waste ( EfW ) installations emits five times less C compared with the UK ( Muhle et al. 2010 ) . As highlighted in another survey by Jamasb & A ; Nepal 2010 ) , EfW played an indispensable function as a feasible option to pull off waste efficaciously and as a stable beginning of renewable energy. They therefore proposed that the UK can better its MSW direction through the addition of EfW installations ( Muhle et al. 2010 ; Jamash & A ; Nepal 2010 ) .2.3 Pull offing organic waste at a family degreeKnipe ( 2005 ) reported that from the 30 million metric tons of MSW generated in the UK, family wa ste accounted a big proportion of 90 % . He added that the nutrient waste was the fraction which needs great attending due to its decayable nature every bit good the related environmental and public wellness concerns. Whilst Papadopiulos et Al. ( 2009 ) claimed that biodegradable organic waste was the major waste composing generated by family. Food waste digesters ( FWDs ) , a composter situated in the garden were deemed to play a portion in diminishing the biodegradable fraction of family waste at beginning ( Price, 2001 ) . While Knipe ‘s ( 2005 ) work supports Price ‘s ( 2001 ) findings to some extend, he stated that â€Å" aggregation and centralized intervention every bit good as place composters and Food Waste Digesters ( FWDs ) are two ways to pull off garden and nutrient waste † . His research revealed that nutrient waste intervention based in family appeared to be more cost effectual compared with the centralized intervention ( Knipe, 2005 ) . Likewise, the public presentation of a paradigm family composter was proposed and tested by Papadopiulos et Al. ( 2009 ) . Their probe showed that the system was able to bring forth high quality compost hence it was likely to promote public engagement in the waste direction. The aforesaid surveies by Price ( 2001 ) , Knipe ( 2005 ) and Papadopiulos et Al. ( 2009 ) emphasised the rule of ‘proximity to waste ‘ when pull offing biodegradable fraction of family waste.Composting and ADEunomia ( 2007 ) investigated the direction of biowastes from the facet of life rhythm analysis ( LCA ) . In their survey, they defined biowaste as garden and nutrient waste. Their probe has revealed place composting as the cheapest manner to deviate biowastes from landfill. However, they have besides concluded that AD and in-vessel composting are two effectual ways for biowaste direction, with AD holding more environmental benefits in footings of bring forthing renewable energy ( Eunomia, 2007 ) . Munster & A ; Lund ( 2010 ) applauded the findings in their comparing survey of eight different Waste-To-Energy ( WtE ) engineerings urging the AD of manure and organic waste for biogas production. A study undertaken by Association for Organics Recycling ( AFOR ) in 2006/07 reported that the UK composting and biological intervention industry has a promising advancement. Therefore more in-vessel composting ( IVC ) and AD installation are anticipated to be constructed to pull off the nutrient waste collected ( AFOR, 2008 ) . Aerobic and anaerobiotic interventions of MSW were compared by Fricke et Al ( 2005 ) . They revealed that AD appeared to be a more promising intervention due to its minimum exhaust emanations and maximum coevals of biogas unlike aerophilic intervention which has higher exhaust emanations and requires higher energy demand ( Fricke et al. 2005 ) . As reported by Braber ( 1995 ) , the procedure of composting consumes around 30 – 35 kWh per metric ton of waste input whist in contrast, AD procedure generates 100 – 150 kWh per metric ton of input waste input. Verma ( 2002 ) and Knipe ( 2005 ) besides supported that AD was likely to be a more believable alternate biological intervention compared to composting. Hence, the literatures concluded that AD was a feasible option to pull off family organic waste.2.4 Anaerobic digestion engineering2.4.1 Historical backgroundDuring the tenth century BC, biogas was ab initio used to heat bath H2O in Assyria and in Persia during the sixte enth century ( www.biogasworks.com ; Cruazon, 2007 ) . In 1808, Sir Humprhrey Davy proved that methane was present in the gases produced by cattle manure ( Cruazon, 2007 ) . Therefore, the AD procedure was claimed to beA one of the oldest engineerings ( Verma, 2002 ) . The industrialisation of AD commenced in Bombay, India when the first AD works was being built in 1859. Subsequently in 1895, the AD engineering shifted to England. A well-designed sewerage intervention system was used to bring forth biogas to fuel the street lamps in Exeter ( Verma, 2002 ; Cruazon, 2007 ) . In bend, with more development on AD procedure, anaerobiotic bacteriums that facilitate the production of methane were identified. Henceforth in 1930s, more manure and agribusiness waste were utilized to bring forth methane ( Humanik, F.A et al. , 2007 ) . Notably, the dominant application of AD engineering had been in farm-based installations ( Verma, 2002 ) . Prior to 1920, most of the AD was applied in anaerobiotic pools. However, as there were more understanding on the AD procedure and its advantages, more operational equipment and techniques were developed ( Verma, 2002 ) . The enterprise to stabilise waste has led to the debut of municipal sludge digester which spread worldwide. Nevertheless as the low-priced coal and crude oil became ebullient, AD systems were disregarded. In add-on, the increased involvement in aerophilic digestion systems had besides cause the reverses of AD. Although AD was being neglected by developed states, developing states like India and China in favour of the engineering ( Verma, 2002 ) . In early 1921, an ablong 8-m3 hydraulic biogas armored combat vehicle was built by Guorui Luo to digest family refuse to bring forth energy for cooking and illuming ( He 2010 ) . Later in 1970s, the energy crisis had stimulated the development of simple AD systems for methane production as an energy beginning ( Verma, 2002 ) . In China, the run â€Å" biogas usage in every rural household † was being promoted. However, due to proficient barriers, many of the family biogas systems were abandoned ( He, 2010 ) . Despite the barriers, India, China and Southeast Asia overcome the crisis with development of AD ( Verma, 2002 ) . Most of the AD systems were equipped with little digesters which used mixture of homo, animate being and kitchen waste as feedstock ( Verma, 2002 ) . Many AD undertakings emerged due to the urgency for deployment of AD systems to run into energy demands. The AD undertakings were chiefly farm-based AD installations ( Verma, 2002 ) . However, the shallow apprehension on AD had caused many undertaking failures ( Lusk, 1997 ) . Aboard with the research on AD, the AD systems became more complex and non restrained to simply agribusiness or carnal manure intervention but expanded to the direction of municipal waste intervention every bit good as family organic waste ( HOW ) ( Hessami et al. , 1996 ) . HOW comprised the nutrient garbages and garden waste which most homeowners dispose of in landfills or, compost. The AD of HOW was expected to turn peculiarly due to the GHG emanation decrease end set at Kyoto Summit ( Mata-Alvarez et al. 2000 ) .2.4.2 Development of AD worldwideIn Europe, AD installations were installed to handle a broad spectrum of waste watercourse like farm, industrial, and municipal waste ( Verma, 2002 ) . Currently, Germany is open uping in the deployment of AD engineering ( Poeschl et al. , 2010 ) . In Germany and Austria, there are 1000s of on-farm digesters which digest manure, nutrient waste and energy harvests to bring forth biogas for electricity coevals ( FOE, 2007 ) . Whilst in Denma rk, they have well-established AD engineering for manure and organic waste intervention ( Raven & A ; Gregersen 2007 ) . Their farm-scale workss provide territory warming and electricity for local communities ( Marsh, 2008 ; FOE, 2007 ) . A noteworthy illustration of upgrading biogas can be seen in Sweden where biogas is being used to bring forth fuel for fleets of town coachs ( Marsh, 2008 ; Holm-Nielsen et Al. 2009 ) . There were more than 600 farm-based digesters runing in Europe which emphasised on design simpleness ( Verma, 2002 ) . In Germany, around 250 farm-based digesters have been installed. In add-on to these systems, Europe is taking the lead in big centralized AD systems. There are 30 big centralised digesters of which 15 are in Denmark and 30 more are under building ( Verma, 2002 ) . These digesters co-digest manure, organic industrial wastes and source-separated MSW. Denmark is well-recognised for its centralized biogas works construct every bit good as co-operative farm-based Ad workss ( Raven & A ; Gregersen 2007 ) .Current AD Industry in the UKIn 2002, the UK ‘s first centralized AD installation was constructed in Holsworthy, Devon ( Figure 2.1 ) . The installation co-digested 75,000 metric tons of nutrient waste and carnal manure per twelvemonth ( World pumps, 2008 ; Marsh, 2008 ) . The biogas gas derived was sufficient to bring forth electricity for 3,600 places and to suppl y heat for local community ( Marsh, 2008 ) . There has been a considerable growing in the UK AD industry with the inflow of assorted fiscal inducements viz. Renewables Obligation Certificates ( ROC ) , Feed in Tariffs ( FITs ) , Renewable Heat Incentives ( RHI ) and others. In add-on, the relevant AD and renewable energy undertakings are besides underpinned through the AD Task Group, AD execution program ( Defra, 2010 ) and the AD Portal set up ( NNFCC, 2010 ) . Hence, the figure of AD workss in operation is predicted to increase quickly. Figure 2.1: The UK ‘s first centralized AD installation is constructed in Holsworthy, Devon. ( Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.google.co.uk ) Ad has been used for many old ages in the UK peculiarly in the waste industry ( NNFCC, 2010 ) . Currently, 68 % of the UK ‘s sewerage sludge is being treated by AD. In comparing with Germany and Denmark, the UK ‘s AD industry is little and still in a newcomer position ( Defra, 2010 ) . However, by citing German and other states ‘ experience and engineerings, the AD industry in the UK is likely to germinate rapidly. Hitherto, there are 38 runing Ad workss in the UK, as shown on the biogas-map available from the web-based AD advice portal ( Figure 2.2 ) . The UK is aiming to develop more AD workss of different graduated tables. The execution program to increase the consumption of AD in England was clarified in the study by Defra ( 2009 ) . The programs aimed to ease the growing of AD industry including set abouting more research on small-scale and on-farm AD ( Defra, 2010 ) . Recommendations were made in order to accomplish the ambitious end as stated in Anaerobic Digestion – Shared Goals ( Defra, 2007 ) . The end is: â€Å" By 2020 anaerobiotic digestion will be an established engineering in this state, doing a important and mensurable part to our clime alteration and wider environmental aims. It will bring forth renewable energy in the signifier of biogas that will be used locally or injected into the grid for heat and power and for conveyance fuel. At the same clip, it will capture methane emanations from agribusiness. It will besides deviate organic waste, particularly nutrient waste, from landfill. The digestate will supply organic fertilizer and dirt conditioner for agribusiness and land usage. Anaerobic digestion and its merchandises will be used in a manner that is both good to the environment and cost effectual for that peculiar location. â€Å" This state will be recognised as a universe leader in the cost effectual, advanced and good usage of anaerobiotic digestion and in anaerobiotic digestion engineering and expertness. The Task Group will larn from experience both in this state and worldwide, doing usage of and constructing upon best pattern, and will portion our experience with others. † Eunomia ( 2006 ) reported that AD of source-separated family waste was able to lend about 0.36 per centum of UK electricity. In add-on, harmonizing to a study by Defra under the sub-section ‘Economics and Infrastructure ‘ , the separate aggregation of nutrient waste by the local governments was recommended to be proceeded ( Defra, 2009 ) . It is to guarantee that there are consistent feedstock supplies for the AD workss. Deployment of AD workss is believed to be important for the UK to achieve the renewable energy ends required by the EU Renewable Energy Directive ( Defra, 2010 ) . The UK produces over 100 million metric tons of organic stuff which is ideal as the feedstock for AD intervention ( NNFCC, 2010 ) . These organic stuffs include 12 – 20 million metric tons of family and industry nutrient waste, 90 million metric tons of agribusiness byproducts, every bit good as 1.73 million metric tons of sewerage sludge ( Defra, 2009 ; Eppel, 2010 ) . AD of different feedstock will give different sum of energy. For case, the digestion of 1 metric ton nutrient waste is able to give about 300 kWh energy. Harmonizing to the Renewable Energy Association ( REA ) , provided that all the UK ‘s family nutrient waste was treated by AD, there will be ample electricity for 350,000 families On FarmA |A Off FarmA |A Unknown Figure 2.2: The Biogas map demoing 38 active Ad workss in the UK ( Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //biogas-info.co.uk/maps/index2.htm ) Table 2.1: The AD workss and type in the UK ( Source: hypertext transfer protocol: //biogas-info.co.uk/maps/index2.htm )NoAD SiteTypeAFBI On farm Bank Farm On farm Comhairle nan Eilean Siar On farm Compact Power Off farm Copys Green Farm On farm Corsock Farm On farm Crouchland Farm On farm Davyhulme Wastewater Treatment Works Off farm Deerdykes Composting and Organics Recycling Facility Off farm Dimmer AD On farm Green Tye On farm Holsworthy Off farm Honiton Off farm Jepson Brothers, Ltd On farm John Rennie & A ; Son ( Farmers ) On farm Kemble Farms On farm Knockrivoch Farm On farm Lochside Farm Spynie On farm Lowbrook Farm On farm Lower Reule Bioenergy On farm Mauri Products Ltd Off farm Miekle Laught Farm On farm New Farm On farm Organic Power Unknown Selby Renewable Energy Park Off farm Sorbie Farm On farm South Shropshire Biodigester Off farm The Ryes On farm Tuquoy, Westray On farm Twinwoods On farm Twyford Power Station Off farm Walford & A ; North Shropshire College Farm On farm Wanlip Off farm Waterbeach Off farm Westwoods Plant On farm Wilbert Farms On farm Windover Farm On farm Woodhouse Nurseries Field Famrs On farmRationale to research purpose3.1 AD application and benefitsOrganic Power Ltd. stated that AD is the lone solution that â€Å" ticks all the boxes † ( Marsh, 2008 ) . Currently AD appears to be the favoured waste intervention option as it empowers itself, supplying entire energy recovery ( Braber 1995 ; FOE, 2007 ; Marsh, 2008 ) . In add-on to the capableness of handling organic waste ( sewage waste, agribusiness waste and nutrient waste ) , AD provides few accessory advantages. The added value includes production of clean and high quality digestates which can be used at farming area as fertilizers or dirt humanitarian ( Marsh, 2008 ; Wheadon, 2010 ) . The bi-product from AD can assist cut down the trust on mineral fertilizer which requires great energy input during production ( FOE, 2007 ) . Research into the use and benefits of biogas has been carried out by few research workers ( Marsh, 2008 ; Holm-Nielsen et Al. 2009 ; ) . The methane rich biogas can be produced when needed and can be easy captured ( Holm-Nielsen et al. 2009 ) . It can be utilised in a combined heat and power ( CHP ) works to bring forth renewable electricity and heat ( FOE, 2007 ) . It can besides be distributed to bing natural gas substructure ( Holm-Nielsen et al. 2009 ) . More singular, the biogas can be upgraded and be utilised as vehicle fuels as being applied in Sweden ( Marsh, 2008 ) . AD proves to be a dependable waste intervention alternate which can tackle the waste direction every bit good as the renewable energy coevals. The AD of organic wastes helps to cut down C emanations ( FOE, 2007 ; Hoffmann et Al. 2010 ) . Furthermore, the use of biogas as vehicle fuel replacement dodo fuels in the conveyance sector ( Holm-Nielsen et al. 2009 ) . Compared with other waste direction options like incinerators, landfill and gasification, deployment of AD installations produce minimum air and solid emanations every bit good as reduced odours jobs ( Braber, 1995 ; FOE, 2007 ) . Therefore, AD is the salient option which can do the EU ‘s stringent demands and ends come-at-able.3.2 Food waste as the suited feedstockIn an AD procedure, feedstock plays a needed function in maximizing biogas production ( Defra, 2009 ) . A considerable sum of literature has been published on different feedstock being used for biogas production. For case surveies on co-digestion of sewerage s ludge and OFMSW ( Sosnowski et al. 2003 ) , dairy manure and nutrient waste ( , every bit good as more digestion of nutrient waste ( Dearman & A ; Bentham 2007 ) . In comparing with cowss and hog slurry, Greenfinch Ltd. indicates that nutrient waste is a better feedstock ( Marsh, 2008 ) . Biodegradable organic fraction viz. nutrient waste was deemed as an ideal stuff for AD due to its built-in feature of readily and extremely digestible ( Bouallagui et al. 2004 ; Dearman & A ; Bentham 2007 ) . Whilst harmonizing to R.W.Beack ( 2004 ) , the biodegradable organic fraction collected at beginning suited as an AD feedstock due to its low taint. In add-on, nutrient waste has been identified as a extremely desirable feedstock which can bring forth high sum of methane ( Lay et al. , 1997 ; Dearman & A ; Bentham 2007 ; Zhang et Al. 2007 ) . A recent survey conducted by Lai et Al. ( 2009 ) determined that nutrient waste is possible for power coevals and besides energy preservation. Their findings were applauded by ) . Biogas derived from the separated organic family waste was claimed to be a sensible method of salvaging biomass ( Munster & A ; Lund 2010 ) . Therefore, the investing in development of AD was inferred to be good ( Munster & A ; Lund 2010 ) . The literatures imply that the family nutrient waste is an ideal feedstock for AD and is surmountable through AD intervention.3.3 The graduated table of an AD worksAd has evolved quickly around the universe in assorted graduated tables, from little individual vass for families, up to big industrial procedure size installations ( Wheadon, 2010 ) . In the UK, there are different graduated tables of AD in operation handling assortment of feedstocks. The assorted AD interventions include on farms AD works for manure and slurry, centralised AD works for biodegradable wastes ( Dearmen & A ; Bentham, 2007 ) every bit good as for sewerage sludges and industrial wastes ( Wheadon, 2010 ) . Harmonizing to the England ‘s Official Information Portal, at present there are about 38 on farm and off-farm centralized AD workss runing in the UK utilizing nutrient and farm waste. There is yet any small-scale AD installation installed for a residential country. In order to speed up the development of AD in the UK, the Centre for Process Innovation ( CPI ) is join forcesing with DECC to develop a small-scale AD development unit ( Defra, 2010 ) . The unit aims to supply chance for companies to afoot probes related with the AD feedstock and the engineering itself ( Defra, 2010 ) . The Government is aiming to spread out the small-scale and on-farm Ad workss in the UK. For case, the new feed-in-tariff ( FIT ) was introduced to supply fiscal inducements for small-scale renewable electricity coevals ( Defra, 2009 ) . Therefore, a high growing potency is envisaged for the small-scale Ad workss. Few surveies have attempted to explicate the benefits of holding small-scale or family AD installation. In 2007, the micro-treatment of organic fraction of MSW was studied and the writers concluded that AD in plug-flow digesters is ideal for small-scale AD intervention ( Chanakya et al, 2007 ) . Subsequently, in a survey by Yu et Al. ( 2008 ) , the writer indicated that family biogas use has significantly reduced GHG emanations in rural China. Small-scale biomethnation is once more claimed to be a feasible pick due to the decreased draw costs associated with waste disposal and attendant decreases in traffic pollutions. They revealed that it is practical to hold little and simple decentralized biogas workss to handle OFMSW ( Chanakya et al. , 2009 ) . In another survey, Hessami et Al. ( 1996 ) found that the combination of a vas and low-tech design digestion processes is able to bring forth a digester suited to small-scale applications. The writer proposed the simple digester due to its low building and care cost, every bit good as its high efficiency for small-scale applications ( Hessami et al. , 1996 ) . The benefits of small-scale AD installations were agreed by FOE ( 2007 ) as stated in the ‘Briefing AD ‘ study. It was claimed that small-scale AD workss is executable as it reduces the transit distance and related air pollutions. Furthermore, FOE ( 2007 ) besides pointed out that employment of small-scale AD works is more likely to be acceptable to the local communities compared to larger waste direction installations.3.4 Research purposePlethora of literatures covering with anaerobiotic digestion of assorted solid wastes reflected the broad subject within this country. The broad scope of subjects encompass the car dinal facets of AD viz. dynamicss and mold every bit good as co-digestion with other organic wastes ( Sosnowski et al. 2003 ; El-Mashad & A ; Zhang 2010 ; Panichnumsin et Al. 2010 ) to the feasibleness of large-scale application of the engineering. From the literature reappraisal above, surveies have shown that AD is the preferable waste intervention options presently. Several research workers have reported that nutrient waste is an ideal feedstock for an AD intervention. However therefore far, there is a dearth of feasibleness research on small-scale AD works in residential country. Therefore, in visible radiation of this, the feasibleness of small-scale AD installation in residential country will be investigated in this research.

Smith S Home Food

Solution for case: Smith’s Home Foods. Question One Smith’s Country Ham has been operating for 25 years in North Carolina in the wholesale food division, targeting restaurants and fast food chains. In order to increase turnover and therefore revenue, Smith’s decides to introduce a new product line: Smith’s Home Food. A product line containing 11 packages sold to households and including all kinds of foods: meat, vegetables, fruits etc. lasting for a period of 4 months. The prices of these packages range from $655 to $1532 ($1000 on average).These packages require a freezer and thus Smith provided the sale of freezers for customers that didn’t own any. Also, it is highly important to mention that Smith gave all its customers the possibility of financing all of its goods; packages and freezers. Through this new division, Smith is not only selling food and freezers; it is actually providing its customers with high convenience! Buyers no longer have to run to the market to get any kind of foods, as Smith includes everything in the packages.Also, since they will be buying in large quantities they will be benefiting from lower prices, and will escape any rise in market prices during this 4 months duration. Question Two As for problems for this strategy, I think Smith’s should reconsider its sources for advertising in order to acquire higher profile customers that are more eligible for its financing options. It should also extend its product mix to include other packages with different duration (more and less than 4 months). Question Three P=$1000 COGS= 48%= $480 Delivery Charge= $30 Commission Cost= $125AVC= CPGS + Delivery + Commission= 480+30+125= $635 UCM= 1000-635= $365 Break even: Revenue= Total Cost Revenue= 1000 x Q Total Cost= TFC + TVC= (57,000/3) + AVC x Q (we divide 57,000 by 3 to get fixed cost for 4 months) 1000xQ= 19,000 + 635 x Q 365Q=19000 Q= 19000/365 Q=52 To break even, Smith’s must sell 52 packages e ach 4 month. Executive Summary; Smith’s Country Hams, a 25-year-old family business that focuses on wholesale meat products such a ham, bocon, and other pork products, sell to restaurants and fast-food operations in eastern North Carolina.Smith’s family business has a service that provides home-delivered meats, vegetables, and fruits should be in considerable demand and providing new sales for its business. Smith’s Home Foods is going to be the way of the dogs. The current marketing environment would allude to this company has the potential to be market nicher and local geographic market leader with a high share of the market and high growth. Meanwhile, his business is getting an excessive minimal share and less than minimal growth. The company is supposed to bring a new vision for its marketing mix.Company should spend much performance in dynamic marketing communication strategy and an effective advertising budget to protect further loss of revenue. Purchasing food through a home food service saves consumers money. Because consumers buy in large quantities, they receive lower prices, and they escape any price increase that occur during the four month period covered by their food package. Making fewer trips to the store also helps customers avoid expensive impulse purchases. Current Marketing Situation;Smith Home foods has employed a product concept approach to business that would suggest that company believes consumers will favor products that offer the most quality, performance and that the company ought to engage its energy to making continuous improvements in the product. Smith Home Foods uses two important marketing techniques. a) Mass marketing techniques-mass producing, mass distributing, and mass promoting about the same product in about the same way to all consumers. b) Personal techniques by the Smith’s family business force the purpose of making sales and building customer relationship.The company location’s makes it the geographic market leader in the business with virtually no competition. The psychographics segmentation of target market would suggest that customers seeking this product a busy in their careers or social activities and interested in all types of time saving opportunities. Strengths, Weaknesses Threats and Opportunity Analyses; The company is the corporation’s question mark performer and has the potential of becoming a star performer given the limited competition in the market.The company has the advantage of the parent corporation’s 25-year-old positive reputation as a local family owned business known for the quality of their products. The strategy of the company’s in the market involving a poor marketing mix strategy, a poor integrated marketing communication strategic plan and service strategy with no experience. There is no evidence of feedback mechanism to insure customer satisfaction or to encourage company loyalty through sustained company-custome r relationships.Company has no local competition and the company has an opportunity to establish itself as the market leader nicher for the product that is offering. Threats to company are also numerous. Business can damage the reputation of the parent corp. The company has too much financial liability for contrasts that are not honored by customers. Objectives and Issues; The company does not have a sure mission and is engaged in the wrong type of marketing philosophy. The company need develop a mission. The company does not have a power evidence information system. This is virtually taking shots n the dark and hoping to hits something. The company has to create developing a research plan as soon as possible. In the light of target market, The Company has a poor knowledge. The company is supposed to engage in effective market targeting by selecting market segments and to insure a competitive advantage. Sales management is not well developed. The company should develop a system for recruiting, selecting, training, supervising and evaluating the sales team. Questions and Answers; 1-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Outline Smith’s Home Foods` marketing strategy. What is Smith’s Home Food really selling?The company’s cash cow product is pork that are produced and sold wholesale to restaurants and fast food operations throughout eastern North Carolina. The company has a small sales force that is engaged in apparently one time, face to face selling of product and services written agreements but limited activity regarding customer relationship building. The company engaged in product bundle pricing by including products form external sources to make their service more appealing and convenient the potential new market segment. The additional products include other brand-name food products as well as freezers in which to store the frozen goods. –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What problems, if any, do you see with each element of the strategy? Firs of all, The C ompany have not a power sure mission or any information that would suggest there was a formal setting of goals and objectives by the company. Second, there is no indication that any marketing research was conducted to either identify the need or the target segment of population. 3-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to diagram and the amount of package number, to buy 11 Food, 13 pounds per week, 4-5 minimum freezer size , 4-5 Family size is the price of 958.These amounts are more convenient that the others for the company foods packages. 4-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based your analysis, what steps would you recommend that Christy take improve her marketing strategy and Smith’s performance? First, Christy is supposed to re-evaluate the needs, wants and demands of those members with buying power in the company’s geographic area of service delivery. This contribute the company with more a factual evaluation of whether or not the product she is making has a true growth potential. The company should modify and develop and advertising strategy to using the right

Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday Essay Example for Free

Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday Essay Bill Crow’s Jazz Anecdotes is a thought-provoking, often amusing collection of stories from within jazz’s inner circles, told by and about some of the genre’s leading figures. While not a history of jazz, it gives readers some insights to how jazz artists worked, lived, bonded, and coped with an America in which many were still outsiders. The book’s forty-three chapters (expanded from the original 1990 edition) describe the life jazz musicians shared, offering insights into a rather exclusive, unconventional circle of performing artists. The numerous anecdotes are categorized by chapters, gathering related tales and moving from a general overview of jazz life to anecdotes about individuals, like Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Benny Goodman. Essentially, Crow creates a context in which jazz musicians lived, and then places individual musicians within it, giving readers a better understanding of how they functioned in this rarified climate. For example, the volume opens with â€Å"Wild Scenes,† which Crow says describes how â€Å"the individuality of jazz musicians combines with the capricious world in which they try to make a living† (Crow 3). The brief chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book, giving glimpses of the unconventional world jazz musicians inhabited (which explains to some degree their relationship to society at large). â€Å"The Word ‘Jazz’† contains attempts to explain the origins of the genre’s name, and â€Å"Inventions† offers accounts of how certain innovations occurred (such as Dizzy Gillespie’s distinctive bent trumpet), giving the reader a sense of history though the work is not an orthodox history per se. Many of the stories contained in Jazz Anecdotes convey the musicians’ camaraderie and warmth toward each other, as well as each other’s idiosyncrasies. Others convey how difficult and often arbitrary the jazz lifestyle often was. â€Å"Hiring and Firing† demonstrates how unstable many musicians’ careers were, rife with disputes over money or dismissals for their personal quirks. (For example, Count Basie fired Lester Young for refusing to participate in recording sessions occurring on the 13th of any month. ) â€Å"Managers, Agents, and Bosses† offers a glimpse into the seamier underside of jazz, where dishonest managers and mobsters often trapped jazz performers in unfair contracts or worse. Though jazz musicians appear to inhabit a special world, Crow does not discuss jazz in a social vacuum, tying it to social phenomena like race relations. In â€Å"Prejudice,† the tales take a more serious tone by showing how black jazz artists faced abundant racism, particularly in the South. However, Crow notes that â€Å"Jazz helped to start the erosion of racial prejudice in America . . . [because] it drew whites and blacks together into a common experience† (Crow 148). Jazz artists dealt with racism in various ways – Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday stood up to it while Zutty Singleton accepted it. Meanwhile, even white musicians like Stan Smith angered both races – whites for performing with blacks, and blacks for â€Å"intruding on their music† (Crow 152). The final chapters focus on individual artists, illustrating the greats’ personalities. Louis Armstrong emerges as earthy and good-hearted; Bessie Smith as strong and willful but ultimately self-destructive; Fats Waller is an impish pleasure-seeker given to excellent music but poor business decisions; and Benny Goodman as gifted but tight-fisted and controlling. Taken as a whole, Jazz Anecdotes offers a look at jazz’s human side, including its foibles, genius, camaraderie, crookedness, and connection to an American society from which it sometimes stood apart. Its legendary figures are depicted as gifted, devoted artists who enjoyed hedonism, companionship, and particularly independence. If any single thing stands out in this book, it is the latter; for the figures in this work, jazz meant creativity and freedom, which they pursued with equal vigor and vitality. Crow, Bill. Jazz Anecdotes. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday. (2016, Aug 28).

The Nurses Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors Essay

The Nurses Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors - Essay Example Thus, this area needs careful administration in order to avoid unhappy accidents caused by the medication error. When a student studies in medical higher institution, he/she is told that a healthcare professional should not make any mistakes at all, as they are not excusable in the area of medicine. Everybody makes mistakes but a doctor must not as he/she simply does not have a right to do that. â€Å"Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer† is defined by the newest legislation as a medication error (cited in Preventing Medication Errors). Moreover, medication errors usually lead to court cases. Unfortunately, the number of medication errors in the modern society is very high and tend to increase. The main reasons are the following: Ignorance of drug management rights; The absence of regular drug check. Healthcare workers are obliged to check medications before giving them to patients; The absence of appropriate patient administration. The state of patient’s health may vary so only recent tests should be taken into account when prescribing medicines; Giving drugs to patient being unsure about the dosage and medication appropriateness. Nurses should remember that in the modern world medicine develops fast. New illnesses people die from make pharmacists work hard to invent new medicines. Thus, new drugs appear every day and it makes it necessary for nurses to trace the development of new drugs, to study them carefully in order not to appear in a situation when the prescribed drugs are unfamiliar to them. A nurse should not give a drug to patient if she does not know its characteristics and what it is used for. It may be the cause of medical error. It is also very important to remember that a drug that is used for adults, not always can be used for children or its dosage should be corrected. Unluckily, last time many medication errors reported are connected with children, who should be safe first of all. â€Å"Drugs approved for adults are often used for children under the age of 12, although they aren't formulated for pediatric use† (Hospital medication errors frequent with children). Reporting medical errors is also a big problem. Unfortunately, if a medical error occurs, medical personnel prefer to conceal it rather than to report. Such behavior is caused by the fear of humiliation, of shame, of loosing job etc. However a fear can’t be considered as an excuse as timely reported error can save somebody’s life. Unluckily, nurses often forget about that (Tackling medication errors: European Medicines Agency workshop calls for coordinated EU approach). There are several measures that should be necessarily taken by the nurse to prevent medical errors. The first is the appropriate evaluation. A nurse should find out if a patient has any contra-indications to this or that medicine, make necessary tests to define the state of his/her health. Secondly, it is necessary to create a plan of medicines taking, define the right dose and warn the patient about possible side effects. The third important step is to advise the patients to apply to nurse in case he has any doubts about the drug prescribed (dose, size, color etc.). The final important prevention measure is the assessment of outcomes. It is very essential to check the state of the patient in order to trace the

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example The theory profoundly affects the international students or the students who study abroad. The students tend to acquire a different identity and personality when they go to foreign countries. They acquire personalities and identities similar to those of the destination country as they spend most of their time with the native students. In conceptualizing psychology defines the social identity theory as the self-construct and self-referential, the concept of who someone is. The social identity theory explains the observable differences in behavior of an individual as a person and the same individual as a member of a group. Karkouti (2014) explores the psychological social identity theory and its effects on the behavior of an individual. The link between the group and the individual starts with the concept of self-bounded cognitive schema that is a form of implicit identity. The cognitive schema as stated by Karakouti (2004) consists of several issues about self. The cognitive concepts are of two types namely the core concepts and the peripheral concepts. The core concepts are those that allow individuals to maintain their enduring personality while the peripheral concepts are those that allow an individual to be in a position to adapt to various situations. The core concepts of self-cognition helps in constraining the individual and promote selective processing and interpretation of information thus preserving a stable and a more enduring personal identity (Karakouti, 2004). Imamura, M., & Zhang, Y. B. (2014). Functions of the common ingroup identity model and acculturation strategies in intercultural communication: American host nationals’ communication with Chinese international students. International Journal Of Intercultural Relations, 43(Part B), 227-238. Imamura & Zhang (2014) describes the relevance and the effects of social identity theory on the foreign students. The social identity affects the culture,

Organization and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Organization and Management - Essay Example On the other hand, there are companies that were able to successfully adopt empowerment strategies, such as the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company was based on the ideals of innovative customer service and is widely known for pleasure-seeking comfort and luxury. The Ritz-Carlton is a pioneer in employee training. It has transformed the service industry by achieving the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. It was the only hotel company to receive the prestigious award. Currently, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is supervised by Marriott International, Inc., a top international hospitality company. Mr. Marriott has created an approach that places emphasis on their human resources and provide greater satisfaction and value for the company and its employees: â€Å"1. Get it right the first time, 2. Money isn’t the only thing, 3. Create a caring workplace, 4. Promote from within, and 5. Build your brand†. Empowering employees and improving customer service were the thrusts underlying the self-motivated and autonomous work teams at the Ritz-Carlton Company. After receiving the Malcolm Bardrige Award, the Ritz-Carlton Company realised that empowering their employees, especially their front-line staff, would further motivate the staff and create an excellent customer service. With these objectives in mind, the company’s executive group embarked on an empowerment programme. After a thorough assessment of existing processes in each department, the executive group discovered several management duties for potential reassignment to hourly staff. These involved projecting budgets, interviewing and choosing members of the team, collecting payroll accounts, and creating work schedules. The company created a mission statement that was approved by the entire staff. The front-line staff began the trial with self-directed activities by acquiring the duties of the

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Leadership - Essay Example Regarding educational qualification, Mulally pursued his graduation from University of Kansas. He also possesses educational certificates of Master of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. He also pursued Master’s degree in Management and Fellowship from MITs Sloan School of Management (Hoffman, 2012). Alan Mulally began his professional career as an engineer in Boeing. He was also the President of commercial Airplane Development in Boeing. One of the major contributions of Mulally is with regard to Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ (BCA) renaissance against the major competitor Airbus. The renaissance of BCA in 2000 has signified the effective leadership skill of Mulally. Moreover, the effective leadership of Mulally is evident from his contribution to Ford Motor Company. Mulally joining Ford Motor Company has transformed the organisation into one of the leading automakers in the world. He has provided a compelling vision to the organisation as an effective leader. He has also incorporated several strategies in the business process of the organisation that signifies his effective leadership skill (Hoffman, 2012). Alan Mulally started his professional career as an engineer in Boeing. In addition, effectiveness and efficiency he has as an engineering professional in the organisation has led him to achieve several milestones in the professional world. In this regard, one of his assets that greatly assisted him in several milestones is his effective leadership skill. His leadership is also notable as the CEO of Ford Motor Company. Mulally became an effective leader through his collaborative approach of work. Mulally at the beginning of his career at Boeing had shown effective collaborative approach. This has influenced him to be an effective team-man. Moreover, another attribute of Mulally that has influenced him in becoming an effective leader is the accountability in his work process. From the beginning of

Humanities 17th-20th Centuries within Art, Music, Literature, and Essay

Humanities 17th-20th Centuries within Art, Music, Literature, and Philosophy - Essay Example As time progressed other philosophical views entered into society as well, some of the main ones being focused on romantic realism or otherwise "the return to nature" through Rousseau's philosophy. There were an extensive number of philosophical thoughts, and even Darwin had a profound place in them and these time periods. The varying social contracts of these periods had not only an impact on people in public but also in private as well as they were ideally relative to politics and focused in on politicians, bureaucrats, and even on private spousal relationships/family life in some ways (Ramia 2002). Furthermore, classical liberalism evolved during this period and with it; within the context of the social contract there were ideas adamantly affected such as, independent choices, and individual consents on specific societal issues. One could say that the contract brought about many individual freedoms but also led to there being a need for a larger and stronger legal body present in society in order to uphold the rights of citizens in squares and marketplaces. The cause of these changes as well as the ideal of the social contract stemmed from the rapid rising of industrialization and the various markets economies (Ramia 2002). Due to this form of individualism and freedom each individual had rights to o; and it was found that the contract freed individuals from any form of positive obligation to one another. Furthermore, it was this social contract that was used to implement distributive justice in society to ensure that law was upheld and all individuals had their rights and freedoms kept intact, which provided a form of social protection (Ramia 2002).Due to these social contracts and how they affected the general public, Locke devised a philosophical framework through his own thoughts concerning this which was titled, "Natural Law" (Grant 2000). History finds that it was Locke's theory in itself that moved those of Western thought into a new direction, as his philosophy emphasized a civic duty to obey the laws of society rather than from the body of authority alone. Locke's philosophy proposed that since the social contract developed laws that were consented to by the bodies of the people in mutual agreement, then of course they were powers that should be naturally followed, su ch as a natural duty or as he termed it, "natural law" (Grant 2000). Because Locke defined people as being reasonable then his philosophy showed that if there were indeed reasonable people in the body of the society defined by the social contract then they would accordingly devise natural laws that would become redefined into natural duties due to the binds of the social contract. In other words, Locke was proposing that the social contract was indeed a universal duty that required citizens to act a certain way among one another because it was the logical way to ensure human rights on an individual basis and of which made and kept a rational society. Again, Locke's philosophical reasoning was the key in shifting many societies'

Crystal Violate activation of energy Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crystal Violate activation of energy - Lab Report Example This reaction is as below in a simplified form by abbreviating the crystal violets chemical formula as CV. The violet-colored CV+ reactant slowly faded to a colorless product as the reaction proceeded, following the typical behavior of any indicator. The colour change were be measured by a Vernier Colorimeter set at 565 nm of wavelength in assumption that absorbance is directly proportional to the concentration of crystal violet according to Beer’s law. The molar concentration of the sodium hydroxide, NaOH, solution was much greater than that of crystal violet. This ensured that the reaction, which is first order with respect to crystal violet, was first order overall throughout the practical experiment. The reactions were monitored at different temperatures, while maintaining the initial concentrations of the reactants the same for each of the trial. The effects of temperature change on the rate of reaction were observed and measured. Finally, the activation energy, Ea, for the reaction was calculated. In this lab Experiment the apparatus and materials used included Lab Quest , Lab Quest App Temperature Probe, Vernier Colorimeter, Temperature Probe, 5 plastic cuvettes, 0.10 M sodium hydroxide, NaOH, solution, 2.5 Ãâ€" 10–5 M crystal violet solution, 1 liter beaker, ice, watch with a second hand, two 10 mL graduated cylinders, two 100 mL beakers and 50 mL beaker. In this experiment, the procedure was as follow. The initial step involved obtaining and wearing goggles. This was followed by connecting the Colorimeter to Channel 1 of LabQuest and the Temperature Probe to Channel 2 of LabQuest and choosing New from the File menu. The next step involved changing the data-collection rate to 1 samples /second and the length to 200 seconds. The colorimeter was the calibrated and the calibration used for all the four trials in the done in the experiment. In calibrating the colorimeter, a blank was prepared by filling an

The Maintenance of Stereotypes Essay Example for Free

The Maintenance of Stereotypes Essay Although the nature of stereotypes are not essentially negative it has been found that stereotypes of out-group members are more likely to be negative than those of in-group members (Castelli et al. 2005; Perdue, Dovidio, Gurtman Tyler, 1990). Despite this fact, engaging in stereotyping still occurs. In order to adequately understand why we continue to use stereotypes, when we know of the negativity that can be attached to them, several areas need to be considered. Firstly, in the context of this essay stereotypes need to be defined. Lippman (1922) can be credited for having coined the term as being a set of socially shared representations and beliefs about the characteristics, features and behaviours of members of a group (Lyons Kashima, 2001). The Social Identity Theory also seeks to define stereotypes (Brown, 2000). Secondly, there are various mechanisms which occur that support the ongoing use and maintenance of stereotypes. In relation to this is priming, which has been found to be an active influence (Rudman Borgida, 1995; Lepore Brown, 1997; Blair Banaji, 1996). More recent research illustrates that stereotyping emerges as a way of simplifying the demands on an individual, a type of cognitive shortcut (Macrae et al. , 1994; Clark Kashima, 2007). Furthermore, stereotypes can be seen as a function of social connectivity and are thus maintained through communication (Lyons Kashima, 2006; Lyons and Kashima, 2003; Karasawa, Asai Tanabe, 2007). This essay will attempt to look at the most recent research in the past two decades and investigate the various methods that have been found to support the preservation of stereotypes. One of the key points with Social Identity Theory is that in the very act of categorisation, regardless of group contact, in-group preference is produced (Brown, 2000). This then defines a differentiation from out-group members (2000). This group differentiation can lead to the formation of stereotypes. Individuals seek also to perceive themselves in as optimistic light as possible, in an attempt to establish a positive distinctiveness between the self and other in-group members and between the in-group in comparison with the out-group. This is known as the self-esteem hypothesis (2000). From understanding how stereotypes are formed through the social identity theory, we can see how they are maintained. As found by Perdue, Dovidio, Gurtman, Tyler (1990), priming plays an intricate role in influencing the opinions and judgments of individuals on out-group members. A study conducted by Rudman Borgida (1995) primed male subjects to sexist female stereotypes through a television commercial in which women were portrayed as sexual objects. It was found that the primed males were more likely to engender women in a sexual fashion, paying more attention to her appearance than to what she was saying. They also responded faster to sexist words pertaining to women (babe and bimbo) than to non-sexist (mother and nurture). In this way, language plays a role in unconsciously priming people to stereotypes. It helps create an in-group versus out-group bias (1990). Impressions of people are also moulded by the names and labels which are applied to them (1990). As found by Perdue et al. (1990) ‘we’, ’us’, ‘ours’ are collective pro-nouns and are thus powerful priming influences in social cognition and perception, subtly characterising evaluative responses towards others and upholding the maintenance of stereotypes. However, in a study carried out by Blair and Banaji (1996) it was found that, although priming in stereotypes is automatically activated, an individual can control and even eliminate the automatic response, such as in gender stereotyping. In fact, it is also the individual’s intentions and cognitive resources that determine the extent to which an individual avoids the influence of such automatic processes. For example, in their study (1996) participants were asked to judge whether a name was male or female, when primed with a gender paired word, such as caring, sensitive, weak (for females) strong, arrogant or decisive (for males) or a neutral word like autumn, jelly, sleep. When sufficient cognitive resources were available and the participants intended to process counter-stereotypic information (the gender neutral words) there was a complete reversal of stereotype priming (1996). So although priming is a powerful method in maintaining stereotypes it does not fully account for the continuation of stereotyping in the face of its negativity. As reported by Bodenhausen (1990) instead of processing incoming or new information, stereotypes rely on previously stored knowledge and as a result information processing becomes easier. Thus the maintenance of stereotypes could be partially due to a type of cognitive laziness. Instead of flexing the grey matter muscle and using cognitive energy to process the new information, people effectively ‘rest on their laurels’, without motivation to change them they are reinforced to continue using stereotypes (Blair Banaji, 1996). However, as Macrae, Milne Bodenhausen (1994) established, stereotyping can also occur as a way to free up resources which can then be used in other tasks. Either way stereotypes are a type of judgmental heuristic, a short cut we take when demands are high and resources low. For example, it was found that morning people, whose peak function was early on in the day, fell back on stereotypic responses in the afternoon and for afternoon people, whose peak function was later on in the day, it was the reverse (1990). In this case, the amount of cognitive energy was the motivation to either reject or maintain a stereotype. In terms of the continuation of stereotypes, the motivation to reject them and process new information is thus a strong mechanism. It appears from the research (Clark Kashima, 2007; Lyons and Kashima, 2003; Lyons and Kashima, 2006; Lyons and Kashima, 2001) that stereotype-consistent information is more likely to be communicated than stereotype-inconsistent information, called the stereotype consistency bias. To test this, Lyons and Kashima (2001) investigated communication through a chain of people. The experiment involved one participant reading a story with stereotype-consistent and inconsistent information relevant to the stereotypes of footballers then reproducing it from memory to another person. The second person then read it to a third, and the third to a forth and so on and so forth (2001). As the story was communicated down the chain it became devoid of all stereotype-inconsistent information, effectively illustrating how communication is key in maintaining stereotypes. Clark and Kashima (2007) also found that the stereotype consistency bias would occur due to the social connectivity function found in stereotypes. In other words; when a stereotype was perceived as being socially shared it was more likely to be used. Thus, the social connectivity aspect of communication is a strong mechanism in the continuation of them. Subtyping occurs when any information from an individual, that undermines a group’s stereotype, is functionally placed outside of the group and thus not calculated when forming a stereotype (Park, Wolsko Judd, 2001). This leaves the overall stereotype unchanged even though aspects of it have been disproved. Kunda and Oleson (2001) have also found that members of one group do not generalize the neutral information of an individual in the out-group to members of that same group. In other words, it is the negative aspects of out-group members that are projected, while the neutral as well as the positive features are ignored. Subtyping provides us with another mechanism in the maintenance of stereotypes, as we can see through this model that stereotypes are able to effectively shed aspects which are proven to be inaccurate whilst still maintaining the overall stereotypical view. Stereotypes are a persistent and persuasive method of social categorisation. Socially we are primed towards engaging in stereotypes (Perdue, Dovidio, Gurtman, Tyler, 1990). In terms of communication we use stereotypes when we perceive that the people we are communicating with hold the same stereotypes and so stereotypes become a type of social lubrication, assisting communication (Karasawa, Asai, Tanabe, 2007). In this way, communication is also a motivation to not reject the stereotype and process new information. However, if we consciously allocated more cognitive resources we would reject the stereotype and process new information (Macrae, Milne Bodenhausen, 1994). Although the mechanisms that underlie the maintenance of stereotypes are intricate and complex, if the puzzle of these mechanisms were to be explained then, although we know that we should avoid stereotypes, we would understand how to. Blair, V. I. , Banaji, M. (1996). Automatic and controlled processors in stereotype priming. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 1142-1163. Bodenhausen, G.V. (1990). Stereotypes as judgmental heuristics: Evidence of circadian variations in discrimination. Psychological Science, 1, 319-322. Brown, R. (2000) Social identity theory: Past problems, current achievements and future challenges. European Journal of Social Psychology, 30, 745-778 Castelli, L. , Zecchini, A. , De Amicis, L. , Sherman, S. J. (2005). The impact of implicit prejudice about the elderly on the reaction to stereotype confirmation and disconfirmation. Current Psychology: Developmental, Learning, Personality, Social, 24, 134-146. Clark, E.A. , Kashima, Y. (2007). Stereotypes help people connect with others in the community: A situated functional analysis of the stereotype consistency bias in communication. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 1028-1039. Karasawa, M. , Asai, N. , Tanabe, Y. (2007). Stereotypes as shared beliefs: Effects of group identity on dyadic conversations. Group Processes Intergroup Relations, 10, 515-532. Kunda, Z. , Oleson, K. C. (1995). Maintaining stereotypes in the face of disconfirmation: Constructing grounds for subtyping deviants. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 565-579. Lepore, L, Brown, R. (1997) Category and stereotype activation: Is prejudice inevitable? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 275-287. Lipman (1922) as cited in Lyons, A. , Kashima, Y. (2001). The reproduction of culture: Communication processes tend to maintain cultural stereotypes. Social Cognition, 19, 372-391. Lyons, A. , Kashima, Y. (2006). Maintaining stereotypes in communication: Investigating memory bias and coherence-seeking storytelling. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 9, 59-71. Lyons, A. , Kashima, Y. (2003). How are stereotypes maintained through communication? The influence of stereotype sharedness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 989-1005. Lyons, A. , Kashima, Y. (2001). The reproduction of culture: Communication processes tend to maintain cultural stereotypes. Social Cognition, 19, 372-391. Macrae, C. N. , Milne, A. B. , Bodenhausen, G. V. (1994). Stereotypes as energy-saving devices: A peek inside the cognitive toolbox. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 37-47. Park, B., Wolsko, C. , Judd, C. M. (2001). Measurement of subtyping in stereotype change. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 37, 325 – 332. Perdue, C. W. , Dovidio, J. F. , Gurtman, M. B. , Tyler, R. B. (1990). Us and them: Social catergorization and the process of intergroup bias. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 475-186. Rudman, L. A. , Borgida, E. (1995). The afterglow of construct accessibility: The behavioural consequences of priming men to view women as sexual objects. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 31, 493 – 517.

How Hearing Impairment Can Impact Psychology Essay

How Hearing Impairment Can Impact Psychology Essay For this assignment I aim to focus on the importance of lifespan development theory when appreciating the effects of hearing impairment on an individual. I aim to concentrate on the lifespan development of a child in its infancy stage (0-2 years). Human development or also known as the developmental psychology is the study of systematic emotional changes, psychological changes and social changes that occur throughout an individuals life span. The study analyses the individuals physical development, cognitive development which involves learning, interaction and problem solving and emotional and intellectual development. By evaluating human development it is effortless to understand the changing or arrangement of beliefs, worry, desires and skills that occur at different periods of the life cycle (Mussen et al., 1974). Hearing is now clearly identified as being crucial to early communication, speech and language development and active learning. Children with hearing impairment may therefore lag behind in communication skills, intellectual achievement and social performance. Therefore as a healthcare professional it is valuable to appreciate the different stages of lifespan development when trying to understand the individuals awareness and behaviour. The earlier the hearing impairment is recognized and treated the smaller the severity of the impact on the development of the child (ASHA, 2012). Case scenario In order to respect patient confidentiality I will use the name Ellie for my case scenario. Ellie is a 1 and a half year old girl who attended the appointment for a hearing test with her mum and her four siblings. Ellie is part of a big family of seven and Ellies mother is a very heavy smoker and smoked all through her pregnancy with Ellie. Her mother reports that Ellie is quite an aggressive girl and doesnt attempt to socialise with her siblings and other children her age. In addition, she reports that Ellie doesnt pay attention to her when given requests or instructions. Ellie passed her new-born hearing screening, however after great encouragement from us Audiologist VRA (visual reinforcement audiometry) and tympanometry was performed revealing that Ellie has a moderate flat conductive hearing loss. Due to concerns of Ellies lack of speech and language development and behaviour problems, valuable information about grommets or a hearing aid was supplied to the mother. However, Elli es mother was in disagreement about any of these options. Therefore Ellie was given a follow up appointment to see how she is getting on. I have chosen this case I will be able to truly see how hearing impairment affects the physical, social and cognitive development of an infant. Discussions In order to assess an infants condition immediately after birth it has now become essential to perform a quick test such as an APGAR test devised by Virginia Apgar in 1953 (MedlinePlus, 2009). This assessment is taken place instantly on the new-born to detect how well the heart is beating, their colour, respiratory rate, general response to stimulation and their muscle tone. The new-borns are then given an Apgar score which is rated out of 10, with a score above 7 meaning the new-born is in no danger, and a score of 4-6 meaning the new-born has some difficulty breathing and may have possible long term risks. However with an Apgar score of less than 3 the new-born is said to be in a critical condition and requires immediate special support or treatment (Bee and Boyd, 2007). From the gathered history taken from Ellies mother, Ellie underwent a normal birth with no significant abnormalities occurring therefore Ellie must have been given an Apgar score of above seven. According to Arnold Gesell children develop at different rates, however their patterns of development are all constant (Mussen et al.,1974). The development of an infant can be analysed in three different ways- their physical development, social and cognitive development. Physical development is at its greatest between the ages of 0-2 years and is essential for children providing them with the abilities to seek the world around them. For the first year of a childs life the main apparent physical development is the immense growth changes that occur to the body. By the age of one the body length would have increased over a third of the original length (20 inches) and the weight would have gained approximately triple the original weight (7.5pounds). These physical developmental changes proceeds from the head downwards (Cephalocaudal) to the trunk outwards (Proximodistal) (Fitxgerald et al.,1977). Therefore by having these normative values we can tell if a childs physical development is lacking. Ellie was born as a low birth weight baby possibly as a result of the mother smoking throughout the pregnancy. Low birth weight babies like Ellie generally progress slower through the developmental stages but generally catch up in the first two years (Vasta et al., 1999). However Ellie is now one and a half and has no apparent physical developmental abnormalities. The bones of an infant are much softer than adults bones as a result of higher water content. These bones then harden through the developmental stages of an individual up to adolescence in a process called ossification. A new-born babys skull has the ability to compress without damage during birth as it is separated by spaces named fontanels. By Ellies age the fontanels would have been replete with bone developing into a singular combined skull bone (Bee and Boyd, 2004). In the first few years of an infants life there is an accelerated growth in the human brain with the greatest development occurring in the midbrain. The cerebral cortex and the cerebrum enclose the midbrain and control the construction of language, consciousness, problem solving, thinking and learning. Thus an infants life commences with a set of beneficial natural responses called reflexes. A reflex is an involuntary movement in response to any stimuli. According to the psychologist Jean Piaget the beginning of an i nfants life is all to do with movement and so most of the infants actions are reflexive (Davenport, 1994). Most of these reflexes may be adaptive reflexes or also known as survival reflexes in which assists the infant to swallow, breath, grasp or suck involuntary. Whilst the primitive reflexes are not essential for their survival, it only gives a good suggestion of the status of the infants neurological system. Examples may be of the Babisnki reflex (as the sole of an infants foot is stroked the big toe enhances with the other toes spreading outwards) ; and the Moro reflex (startle reflex extending arms and legs after loud noises). With Ellies case these reflexes have disappeared which is normal for her age and demonstrates that there is no damage to her nervous system (Mussen et al., 1974). Infants are born with surprisingly good set of perceptual skills and so are fully equipped to follow objects that are 12 inches away, distinguish pitch and level of sound and recognize parents faces from others. By one month old the infants posture and large movements should be fully developed. The infants arms would be more active than the legs, the infant will turn head away as you rub its ear, their head will descent loosely unless supported however the neck muscles will start to develop at this stage (Sheridan, 1975). During the VRA testing it is apparent that Ellies small and large motor skills such as handling of small objects, hand-eye coordination, grasping, sitting upright and walking seem to be fully developed. However her language development was lacking which may be due to her hearing loss. Ellies mother raised a slight concern on Ellies ability to talk. During the appointment Ellies speech was very difficult to understand and her sentence structures were as to be expecte d from a child with a hearing loss. Infants with a hearing loss often cannot hear speech sounds and therefore misinterpret and misuse their vocabulary. Developmental problems such as speech and language may also contribute to a reduced academic achievement and social isolation from the children which can be remarkably distressing for the parents (ASHA, 2012). Erik Erikson was the first psychologist to develop the psychosocial model of personality, which is the foremost known model of development and personality. He believed that development is constant throughout ones life. Eriksons model expresses how a childs social experiences influence an individuals value of self and their personality (Mcleod, 2008). Like Erik, John Bowlby (1907-1990) was another theorist concerned with child development which created the attachment theory. Bowlby suggested that an infants personality is influenced by their childhood relationships. According to Bowlby: children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments with others, because this will help them to survive (Cited from Mcleod, 2007). Children who fail to form this real attachment by around 6 months of age tend to be less sociable, less emotionally mature and more aggressive. Therefore for a positive and healthy development of a child like Ellie it is essential for a strong attac hment between the infant and the primary caregiver (usually the mother). However Ellies positive behaviour and social skills seemed to be lacking. A child similar to Ellie with a significant hearing loss may often feel isolated as they cannot communicate therefore it is vital at this stage for the mother to understand this and meet their childs needs (Shaffer, 1993). From informally assessing Ellie behaviour and her mother it is clear that this initial bonding may be absent between the two. Vygotsky the theorist believed that a childs development associates mostly to mental development, being language, interpretation processes and thought (Cattan and Tilford, 2006). However Jean Piaget (1896-1980) concluded that a childs cognitive development is formed from a distinct series of stages. He believed that a childs cognitive development skills take place due to advancement of the brain and the childs abilities to interact with their surroundings. Piaget characterizes the development of children into four set stages with each stage symbolizing the childs appreciation of the reality and its surroundings at that stage. The first two years of an infants development is regarded to as the sensorimotor stage. During this stage the child learns and experiences the world around them through their senses and movement. The child accomplishes an activity and by repeating this activity they are able to advance on their new knowledge and awareness (Bee and Boyd, 2004). Piaget termed the cognitive structures as schemes (set of activity, anticipations and memories that allow the child to understand their surroundings). Therefore for Ellie to keep up with her cognitive development she must have good coordination between her sensory (hearing) and motor actions (movement). Ellies cognitive development might be underdeveloped as she receives less sensory information due to her hearing loss and therefore has less motor actions. The effect of a hearing loss on the cognitive development of a child like Ellie is rather intricate due to the different ways cultures, families and human kind respond to children whom attempts or fails to talk and communicate due to their hearing loss (Mayberry, 2002). There are also learning theories involved in cognitive development. Ivan Pavlov devised the classically conditioned model, which is described as a learning process that takes place when an unfamiliar stimulus is presented into the system. As the new-born is repeatedly conditioned to the same stimuli (brush cheek before feeding), this stimuli will become a conditioned stimuli in the course of time. Operant conditioning is also classed as a learning process as the new-born learns and interacts through the use of reinforcement such as a toy, smile, attention or food (Bee and Boyd, 2007). During the VRA testing, Ellie was conditioned to move her eyes in the direction of the sound source and rewarded visually by a lighted up toy (BATOD, 2012). After great encouragement Ellie performed a positive VRA test and therefore show no signs of abnormal learning process. Starting at the age of 1 and increasing until the age of 5, repetitive and exploratory play is very common in children. At around Ellies age it is expected of children to be able to push and pull large toys, carry a toy, grasp crayon, enjoy coloured books and perform VRA testing. However in Ellies case and for any child with a hearing loss these normal behaviours might be deficient or absent as hearing and speech are the vital implements to learning process, play and development of social skills (Sheridan, 1975). Hearing is essential to a childs development, yet children with hearing problems continue to be an under identified and undeserved population (Cited from ASHA, 2012). Not only does a childs hearing loss affect the childs development it also affects the parents/primary caregivers involved inflicting feelings of anxiety on their new responsibilities for their child. Therefore it is essential to provide the parents or the primary caregivers the vital information and advice on t heir childs hearing loss for the childs positive development. Ellies mum needed great encouragement on this in order to improve Ellies self-esteem and help her to positively develop (ASHA, 2012). Conclusion Hearing impairment has a great effect on the childs social life, cognitive and learning development. Ellie has proven to have normal physical development; however her cognitive and social development and speech and language capabilities are evidently hindered by her hearing impairment. It is therefore essential to supply the family of the child with any valuable information that will benefit the childs development and stress the importance of early intervention. The earlier the hearing impairment is recognized and intervened the greater the developmental outcome. Without knowing the normative of a childs developmental process it is hard to analyse the exact cause of the childs behaviour. Â  Ellies hearing loss has evidently delayed her revealing and acceptant communication skills (speech and language) leading to her social seclusion and low self-esteem. Â  Her aggressive behaviour and her lack of interest in others can be explained by her lack of auditory input and therefore lack of her ability to effectively communicate. Â  It is important for Ellies mum to appreciate the challenges that Ellie is faced before managing them properly herself. Â  However it is also crucial to support the entire family through Ellies developmental progress and early family concentrated intervention is advised to advance Ellies language and cognitive development (ASHA, 2012). An additional appointment was made for Ellie to see if they have changed their mind regarding to trying a hearing aid, however Ellie will continue to receive advice and care from us Audiologist, a specialised paediatrician and speech and language therapist throughout. Â  From this case study I am able to fully appreciate the effect that a hearing impairment has on the developmental process of a child. Â  However I am also very aware for the future of the importance to support the entire family when attempting to provide the best care for a child similar to Ellie. Why is ellie aggressive and dont socialise..can categorize them into being naughty straight away. Important that ellie gets enough attention she needs to help her develop, but important that this doesnt overurule the development of other kids. Vital to give all info need to parents and stress on the importance of early implementation better outcome. http://www.asha.org/About/news/Press-Releases/2011/Do-You-Understand-The-Effects-Of-Hearing-Loss-On-Your-Child-s-Development.htm http://unitron.com/unitron/global/en/consumer/children-c/supporting.html http://asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/effects.htm http://entcentre.com/FAQs/impact_of_hearing_loss_in_childr.htm http://unitron.com/unitron/global/en/consumer/children-c/supporting.html http://www.asha.org/About/news/Press-Releases/2011/Do-You-Understand-The-Effects-Of-Hearing-Loss-On-Your-Child-s-Development.htm conclusion?

The Flower Problem - Original Writing :: Papers

The Flower Problem - Original Writing Carwood Creek was sleeping at his desk when there was a knock at his door. He woke suddenly and beckoned the person in. In came Dr. Foster, Creek's long time detective partner and another man, whom Creek had never laid eyes on. The other man was short and plump, he wore emerald overalls and had bags under his eyes. Creek pointed to the chair and the man sat down. 'This man, Henry Lipton, has a mystery for you to solve,' Foster told Creek. Creek nodded his head and asked for the man to proceed. 'I have come here to ask you to solve a crime and mystery that is happening at my shop,' Lipton explained, 'I chose you to try and solve it because I have heard you have a very good record at solving crimes. The story starts off like this, I work at a florist and every time I get a delivery of flowers I find the heads cut off before I arrive to open the shop. After this had happened five times I decided to have them delivered inside the shop. I couldn't believe it when I came in next day to find the heads cut off still and half of my batch gone. This act is losing me customers and I am losing lots of money fast.' 'Are there any others florists near by.' 'Only one, and their business is booming due to the failure of mine.' 'Does anyone else apart from you work in your shop. 'Yes, only occasionally. His name is Richard Spears and he works just Saturdays.' 'When are the flowers delivered?' 'On Friday and there are double orders as it is the run up to Christmas.' 'So tell me about this other business. Who is the other owner? Do you get along well with him?' 'He is Ronald Philips. He hates me and always finds a way to humiliating me. I hate him in return. He has an assistant Andrew Christenson, who works there all the time and is like a brother to

Plato and The Renaissance Essay -- Philosophy

Plato (428-347 B.C.E.) is considered to be one of the greatest philosophers the world has ever known. Though concerned with specific problems of his own era, Plato's ideas transcend all time. Throughout the ages his works have been translated into many languages and studied by great thinkers of every region of the world. A revival of Platonic thought occurred during the Renaissance. Though Plato's ideas have survived in their original forms, translators and commentators during Renaissance times often understood them in a very different way than intended. Plato's ideas were ahead of their time, but he was nevertheless clearly a product of Classical Greek culture. Many of his dialogues question beliefs of and praise the Greek gods. Political concerns revolved around political systems common in his day, and the distaste for democracy present in his Republic focuses specifically on the form of democracy present in Athens during that time.1 For his time, Plato's work depicts women in a very positive light, but it is still evident that the opinion of women as second class citizens in ancient Greece influenced his opinion. Plato's Republic allows for and expects woman to participate in his ideal ruling class of philosopher kings, but the language used to describe women's roles is nevertheless demeaning.2 In Plato's Socratic dialogues, a plethora of examples representative of the age are used to explain and defend claims, referencing recent wars, politicians in recent history, and Homeric poetry. Plato may have never become the world renowned philosopher that he is considered to be today if it had not been for Socrates (469-399 B.C.E.). Plato was Socrates' most famous pupil, and Socrates was such an inspiration to him that... ...): 406- 439. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1353/ren.2008.0331 Kellermann, Frederick. "Montaigne, Reader of Plato." Comparative Literature, Vol. 8, No. 4 (Autumn, 1956): 307-322. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1768763 Lee, Desmond, trans. The Republic, 2nd ed. New York: Penguin Books, 1987. Oliver, Revilo P.. "Plato and Salutati." Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 71, (1940): 315-334. http://www.jstor.org/stable/283132 Schachter, Marc. "Louis Le Roy’s Sympose de Platon and Three Other Renaissance Adaptions of Platonic Eros." Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 59, No. 2 (Summer 2006): 406-439. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1353/ren.2008.0331 Somfai, Anna. "The Eleventh-Century Shift in the Reception of Plato's "Timaeus" and Calcidius's "Commentary"." Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 65, (2002): 1-21

The End of Innocence in Lord of the Flies Essay examples -- Lord Flies

The End of Innocence in Lord of the Flies    William Golding wrote the novel Lord of the Flies "to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature."(Golding) He wanted to show that humans naturally live in savagery and ignorance with little knowledge on how to live together peacefully. To accomplish his premise Golding strands a group of boys on an island who then must set up government in an attempt to survive.   The story uses heavy symbolism to compare the life on the island to the entire civilization of the world.    Each character on the island represents one aspect of civilized society; those who represent uninhibited man survive and those who represent intellectual or spiritual man die.   One of the more terrifying deaths is that of Simon who symbolizes the spiritual side of humanity. Simon is a prophet. He alone saw what the others were becoming and he alone knew that the beast, feared by all the children, was in fact humanities own inner savagery. Fear was the driving force on the island, it was this fear that kept Simon from telling the others of the "true beast", he knew that if he told them they would turn against him.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All through the book Simon is one of the few boys who works for the good of the group and never runs off during a job to go have fun. Simon sincerely cares about the other boys. He often helps the "littluns" retrieve the quality fruit from high in the trees, yet "Simon turned away from them and went where the jest perceptible path led him."(61) Simon loves his solitude, he often wonders off into the jungle to be alone. "The assembly grinned at the thought of going out into the darkness. Then Simon stood up and Ralph looked at him in astonishment."(93) Sim... ...arked in a ritual and primitive dance. When the barely visible Simon came down from the mountain to tell the others of his discovery, he was thought to be the beast. As Simon emerged from the trees a mob of wild boys attacked and killed him. When the other boys learn what they had done they deny fault: " 'It was an accident,' said Piggy suddenly ... 'He hadn't no business crawling like that out of the dark.'"(173)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Simon dies so does the truth, he is unable to tell the others about the true identity of the beast. The boys on the island foolishly destroy any attempts to be saved and unknowingly destroy the one person that could bring them salvation. Simons death shows evil is often victorious over the dwindling fight for order. With order lost the thin veneer, which is civilization, erodes and mankind revert back to his ancient primitiveness.

Company G’s Three Year Marketing Plan Marketing plan Essay

Company G’s develops electronic appliances based on current technology. The marketing plans exemplify the strategies employed and market segment to assign new consumers and create solid financial benefits while retaining the existing customers. G’s Company is a unique electronic appliance developer which gives an advantage over the competitors by exposing he customers to a new outlet of electronic appliances. This fulfills the real need of the competent electronic appliance developer and expands the company’s reach to populations who have no yet subscribed for our products. The company will fund the development of the electronic appliances by provision of consultation services for retailers willing to use products for promotional services. The consultations will come up with advertisement sponsorship for the company. In the initial 3 years of the business, we expect consultation services to form part of our revenue stream. Mission We enable consumers to improve the quality and convenience of their lives by providing innovative electronics solutions.† Product Description The first product of microwaves will come in three different sizes; compact, medium and large capacity microwaves. The new line microwaves will help the power designers and low noise amplifiers to shorten the design cycles as well as becoming consumer friendly with minimal environmental impact and energy saving. Furthermore, the demands of our customers in microwaves are based on quality products and convenience. Besides, the company will employ effective distribution channels intertwined with online purchasing. We hope this will make the company derive its mission home. Convenience products: Compact Microwave This will be a small, portable microwave available for the customers. Compacts are the dominant microwaves in the market today. Ours will measure 18 inches wide and 14 inches long and 12 inches tall. Compact ovens will be rated as 700 watts of power and capacitate 27 liters. The compact ovens will primarily be used for reheating food and preparing microwave popcorn and food. They are not made to cook large meals. Compact products will be price convenient hence the consumers will spend minimal time to compare due to our brand prestige. Shopping Products: Medium Capacity Microwave These microwave products a larger than compact microwaves. They will measure 20 inches wide, with the same length and height to the compact microwaves. They will carry 45 liters and run-up to 1000 watts. They will be the standard family microwaves with added grills and a few features. These microwaves will target those who want to do home cooking, essential, a growing family. The company market analysis reveals that capacity microwaves are less purchased and are bound to stay in the warehouse for a long time. Specialty Products: Large Capacity Microwave They will be the large cooking microwaves for preparing large meals. Their capacity will handle (9 by 13 inch) cooking tall items like roasts and casserole dishes. They will have an auto look with precise temperature control measures. The large capacity ovens will be powered by 2000 watts and contain 60 liters of capacity. With the uniqueness, the buyers are expected to expend ample time balancing the effort of purchase. However, the company brand prestige will enable the consumers to choose our products. Target Markets Direct consumer markets with arrangements of successful licensing of products and services. The company learned that the number of direct consumers have increased in the market. We hope for higher sales in the direct consumer markets with increased demand. The number of families has grown and the demand of the microwave has aloso grown in the market. Therefore, the compact and medium microwaves targets the increased number of families and singles. Nonmanufacturing and nonindustrial segments of the business to business market with customer networks such as hotels, family homes and institutions. The large capacity and medium capacity microwaves have brand prestige and that fits the personality and lifestyle of the customers. With the new line of microwave products, the consumers will make purchases due to the technological advances of the products. Large company and stand-alone retail companies with extensive dealer, broker or distribution network. Company G’s marketing brand will enable other like-minded microwave companies to purchase our products for re-sale. The brand prestige fulfills their needs from the feedback of the consumers. Competition Analysis Risk of Entry by Potential Competitors The market forecasts predict that the products of the company are likely to diffuse in the market faster than imagined. With many people buying the electronic appliances, the market may experience new entrants given the prevailing opportunity. This will increase the capacity of the industry and lead to stiff market competition hence lower the current costs. Given that the existent economic, governmental, cost advantage and brand loyalty barriers, the company is optimistic of controlling the market share even if new companies join the business. Rivalry among Current Competitors The electronic business has attracted many companies which have led for the struggle of the market share between G’s and the competitors. The cut-throat competition in the market leads to low-profit margins as the low-income consumers opt for a cheaper product in the market. Based on the presence of global customers, growth rate of the industry and demand conditions of the product, the company operates optimistically compared to other competitors with undefined establishment factors of brand. Bargaining Power of the Buyers The power of the consumers or distributors to bargain down the prices of the products poses a higher competition for the company. The company has established the target consumers to be high and middle-income earners. This population is usually driven by the quality of the products the company offers as opposed to the high prices charged. The high-income earners do not exhibit a high bargaining power as compared to their lower income earner counterparts. The industry will maintain the prices and try reducing the cost of production to maximize on their profit margins. The high-income and middle-income earners have the required information on our products and will emphasize on the quality of the products. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The suppliers of the company are on alert of increasing their bargaining power. Provided the high-quality of the products, the raw materials also come at a high price. The supplies, therefore, finds it unreasonable to increase their prices due to fixed prices. The only threat is the uniqueness of the products of the suppliers. They have a high cost of switching because of the basic need of their products. Threat of Substitute Products The company identified high-income and middle- income earners as their competent consumers. Provided the high-quality products, it is the pride of the company since customer satisfaction is guaranteed. The substitutes such as the saucepan, stoves and other microwaves such as Flavor microwave are technology unconscious hence the company maintains its prices for greater profits. SWOT Analysis Strengths Value pricing high quality, market orientation and support services and product customization Long-term relationships with primary suppliers High percentage of reorder business Weaknesses little room for expansion lack of employee talent management scarce human resource opportunities Strategic alliances Technological advances Easy distribution Threats Slow diffusion rate of appliance Alteration of traditional channel relationships Competition Strengths Core Competency Strengths The high percentage of reorder business implies customer satisfaction and promising word of mouth advertisement High quality innovative product- brand prestige. Other Strengths The long-term relationships with the primary suppliers have led to the knowledge share of product adherence to quality standards, requirement and a common mission through-out the production and development process. The differentiation strategy as a result of commitment to, value pricing, high quality, market orientation and support services and product customization Weaknesses Human resource management of the company predicaments in the near future. This is because, with the brand prestige, the company is likely to expand, however, there are limited qualified employees such as engineers in the job market. Company G’s current facilities are crowded; there is little room for additional employees or new equipment for expansion of the business. Lack of management of the employee talent that requires the company to create a department for nurturing the talents, this requires additional financial muscles the company may not afford any soon. Opportunities Strategic alliances that enhance the products of the company that will allow production of a myriad of new products, sharing of resources and increase the customer base. Technological advances have freed up time for consumers as well as bringing efficiency in product promotion and all product enquiries The medium and compact microwaves are easily distributed locally, nationally and globally. Business globalization creates an opportunity for new customer relationship establishment in foreign markets. Threats Slow diffusion rate of appliance may affect the sales return of the new products leading to low profits and low growth rate. Reengineering, outsourcing and resizing trends in product development may alter traditional channel relationships with dealers, brokers and distributors of eliminate them completely. Theft of brand piracy and trade secrets through unauthorized copying are difficult to control leading to unsecured branding. Competition from traditional microwave producers and other promotional items is strong. This poses a challenge to meeting the cost demands of production. Marketing Objectives Product Objective To commit to service and quality products to effectively implement the niche differentiation strategy in the diverse marketplace. The objective is a distinct and realistic to the company mission that will assist company G’s satisfy the customers. To improve the standard of the products the company offers now by incorporating the knowledge of the needs of customers and specific opportunities for offering the new products. To create new products that will use its new technology, equipment and knowledge base. Price Objective To verify the price of the new products and services to the customers. The objective is a distinct and realistic to the company mission that will assist company G’s satisfy the customers. To check the pricing of the competitors manufacturing microwaves To use the pricing of the competitor’s research to meet price marketing objectives Place Objective To define the most secured place of the new products To make a new product easily available to the consumers within 24 hours of manufacture using elaborate distribution channels for easy access by the customers hence focusing on the mission. To evaluate the degree of customer interaction with the new products Promotion Objective To conduct simple research and analyze substitute products with the aim of developing specialty advertising products that are technologically conscious, but not just calendar related. To better understand the satisfaction and needs of current customers through benchmarking on marketing research and company G’s marketing information system. The company will create a website page immediately where customers will post their feedback on the products. To use the product calendar as a promotional tool that will provide a microwave to the customers as advertisement premium. Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy of G’s company is focused on satisfaction of the prospect market and current consumers by providing the best microwave appliances in the market. The target market share based on projected demand and supply is also of our interest. With over 10 years of experience in the market, the workforce will provide the support needed by the customers to enable us meet our objectives. The knowledge and expertise from the employees from marketing and sales will provide the company with feedback for harmonizing the strategies based on the marketing objectives the company adopted. Distinct strategies Company G’s high quality products specialty product advertisement is customized to the needs of the consumers. The service and product value is reflected in the company’s premium price. The company will be sensitive to the elasticity of price of the products and overall demands of customers. G’s company will be sensitive to account for the place of new product distribution, product availability and the level of the consumer interaction with the microwaves. The company already had a brand that was well known by the customers. The brand prestige that focuses on the middle and high-income earners will be improved by producing the new satisfactory products. Product Strategy G’s company is committed to supplying affordable and quality wise products to the customers. Company G’s intangible attributes is its ability to meet or exceed the consistency of customers’ expectations, its anticipation of new customer needs and its responding speed to the demands of customers. Such intangible attributes are difficult for the competitors to copy, hence giving the company a competitive advantage. Boosting the consumer confidence. Some consumers are often hesitant to buy the product they have little knowledge about. The marketing campaign will emphasis on the quality and value of the products which will result to additional cash register Price Strategy Company G’s high quality products specialty product advertisement is customized to the needs of the consumers. The service and product value is reflected in the company’s premium price. The company will be sensitive to the elasticity of price of the products and overall demands of customers. The company’s new products have a prestige of high quality. The prices offered will account for warranties, endorsements and testimonials that will make the buying decision easier for the customer. The company will employ the trial and error method to fix the market prices, but remain flexible. The results of the new pricing initiative will be closely monitored to enable us expand the customer base. Place Strategy G’s company will be sensitive to account for the place of new product distribution, product availability and the level of the consumer interaction with the microwaves. The company intends to be flexible on the supplies, distribution and customer interactions. Such practices will promote planning and meet the deadlines of product sales. The company already had a brand that was well known by the customers. The brand prestige that focuses on the middle and high-income earners will be improved by producing the new satisfactory products. Promotion Strategy Approximately 80 percent of the company reorders every year, so the bulk of promotional expenditures will focus on new product offerings through publications, journals and direct-email advertising. The remaining promotional resources will be directed to personal selling of new products. This will enable the company cut on the costs and reduce wastage of financial and human resources. The company will conduct a campaign aimed at promoting a new product. To achieve this, the company will create logos and names of products while remaining within the advertising budget. Tactics and Action Plan G’s company and the new products require extensive customization to not only meet but exceed the needs of the customers. It is, therefore, necessary to reorganize the customer groups and market function. The new marketing strategies intend permit the company to invest their effort on marketing exclusively on specifications and the needs of the customer segments. Product action plan Tactic Due Date Responsible Party Develop marketing information system to monitor customer satisfaction by year two November 15th , 2014 Business Analysis Team Implement any changes implemented by the business analysis team November 15th , 2014 Business Analysis Team Develop new product offering with their potential customers November 15th , 2014 Production Manager Price action plan Tactic Due Date Responsible Party Create three sales manager positions November 1, 2014 President Develop marketing information system to monitor price feedback January 15, 2015 Marketing Director Evaluate the profitability of the new product February 15, 2015 Business Analysis Team Place Action Plan tactic Due Date Responsible Party Distribute free samples or discounted microwaves to orphanage institutions November 15th ,2014 Sales Manager Increase direct sales through sales representatives September 1, 2014 Sales Manager Increase sales of the products to individuals and re-sellers September 1, 2014 Sales Manager Promotion action plan Tactic Due Date Responsible Party Assign 3 research team on potential new products offering and client October 1, 2014 Marketing Director Analyze the current billing practices and cycles September 1, 2014 Marketing Director Design customer survey project September 1, 2014 Business Analysis Team Monitoring Procedures To evaluate the marketing plan effectiveness, the company will compare its actual performance with the objectives of the plans. The procedures include, however, not limited to the following; Monitoring Activity Due Date Responsible Party The use of project management concept procedure to evaluate marketing plan implementation through establishment of human resource needs, time, and budgetary expenditures November 15th, 2014 – December 15th, 20114 yearly Business Analysis Team Each project team will be responsible for determining the changes to be made in product focus from the result of studies from its area. The company will conduct internal audit to evaluate the activities. September 1, 2014 – October 15th, 20114 every year President A perceptual comparison of planned and actual activities will be conducted monthly through self assessment by the company business analysis team. Monthly Business Analysis Team Reference Luther, W. M. (2001). The marketing plan: How to prepare and implement it. New York: AMACOM. Source document