Social Change Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Social Change - Term Paper Example er, in modern life and through almost all cultures is now subject to the ability of a cultural group to either create monetary value from their resources, or to hunt and gather from local resources, a type of survival that is all but lost as governments have taken over almost all lands across the world. In environments that are inhospitable to agricultural growth, the problem of hunger is frightening. However, hunger exists in urban environments in well developed countries just as readily as it does in undeveloped lands. Through repositioning the philosophical framework on human rights, charity, and food, the problem of global hunger could be ended through cooperation and sharing of resources. The ideal world would be one in which every person was given access to those aspects of existence that best supports their overall health, which would be food, health care, water, and housing. If those problems were eliminated, the minds that are stifled through a fight for survival that includes hunger and poor health would have the potential to develop and contribute to the world through innovation and intellectual pursuits. In a world where no one struggled for the basic survival problems, great creativity and innovation could come from unexpected resources which are now lost because the difficulty of life suppresses creative thought. The greatest losses to humanity are being realized by the number of people who are being lost because they are never given the tools with which to reach their full potential. As an example, imagine what might have happened if Steven Hawking had grown up in another time period where his illness had prevented his survival or in another place where lac k of health care had shortened his remarkably long life, considering the nature of his ALS which has a much shorter life expectancy. The same mind in a body that exists in a place with less quality food and health care may never have had the opportunity to contribute so significantly to the

Illustrate and discuss with examples the law of diminishing returns Essay

Illustrate and discuss with examples the law of diminishing returns - Essay Example Cannan (1981) says that while the great British economist Malthus has been given a large part of the credit for discovering this law, it was Turgot who actually considered it in its application to the field of agriculture. Turgot writes that: â€Å"Where ordinary good cultivation prevails, the annual advances bring in 250 to the hundred, it is more than probable that if the advances were increased by degrees from this point up to that at which they would bring in nothing, each increment would be less and less fruitful (Cannan, 1981, Pg. 74)†. The law of diminishing returns was likened by Turgot to a spring which is forced to stretch due to the load of weights on it. As more and more weights are added to the spring, the relative extension starts decreasing until there comes a point where no further extension can be made to the spring (Cannan, 1981). The ideas given by Turgot can be simplified by using his own agricultural example but giving it a more modern complexion. For instance, given that we know that x amount of seed in one hectare of land would produce 3y of crop, we could assume that doubling the amount of seed would produce 2(3y) of crop i.e. 6y, if everything else remains the same. However, once the amount of seed is doubled, the output crop may not be exactly double and we could end up with a crop which is equal to 4y or 5y. If the amount of seed was further increased to 3x the returning crop amount could be 4.5 y or even less. In this manner, the marginal return from each additional unit of seed would become lesser and lesser until the marginal result would become close to zero. Even though it was Turgot who suggested the ideas behind this law of economics, Malthus popularized the concept with his Essay on the Principle of Population which was published in 1798 and discussed many different economic concepts (Cannan,

The characterisation of Lady Macbeth Essay Example for Free

The characterisation of Lady Macbeth Essay Compare and contrast the way in which the characterisation of Lady Macbeth and the setting and atmosphere are developed in three productions of act 1 scene 5 Macbeth was performed for James I in August 1606 at Hampton court. He was asked to be King of England by Queen Elizabeth I when she was dying, because she didnt have any children to become her successor and he was the closest heir. James VI of Scotland became James I of England in 1603 after Queen Elizabeths death. Shakespeare based the story Macbeth on a book called, The History of Scotland written by Raphael Holinshed. In this true story Banquo helped Macbeth kill Duncan but because James was a descendant of Banquo, Shakespeare thought it would be indiscreet to suggest that one of Jamess ancestors had committed regicide. Duncans son Malcolm killed Macbeth in real life where as Macduff killed him in the play. The witches were added more into the play because James wrote a book about witches. The Elizabethans were also very interested in witchcraft and the supernatural. Macbeth is a story about regicide. In Shakespeares time the people thought that regicide was the greatest crime anyone could commit. They thought that God appointed kings to rule over the kingdom and any attack towards them meant that they were attacking God. In Macbeths letter he tells Lady Macbeth everything they do not have any secrets from each other. In the play Lady Macbeth thinks that Macbeth is too kind to murder Duncan and become king rather than waiting until he dies normally. Yet I fear thy nature; it is too full o the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. She is thinking that she has to control Macbeth to murder Duncan. Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear. She wants to drive away all the things that would stop him being king. And chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round. She wants to take away all her feminine values and replace them with pure evil to become a sexless, pitiless fiend so she can be able to commit such a great crime. Unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty. She makes him ignore the fear of no afterlife in order to become king. As soon as she hears that Duncan is coming, she talks about killing him. O never shall sun that morrow see! she is telling him to hide the fact that they are going to kill Duncan from him but still be thinking it. Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent undert. She is trying to control Macbeth to kill Duncan just after she has heard that he is coming. And you shall put this nights great business into my dispatch. In the Royal Shakespeare Production Lady Macbeth is powerful, she can control what Macbeth does, she manipulates him with sexual persuasion to do what she wants him to do. She turns away from him and makes him move to her, this shows that she has power over Macbeth and can manipulate his actions. She is wearing a black flowing robe that covers up her shape and a black hat that covers up her hair. She is not very feminine, this portrays her as evil and capable of killing Duncan to become queen. When she is thinking about killing Duncan, she shows intense concentration. They embrace each other when Macbeth comes in; this shows that theyve got a very close relationship. In the BBC Production Lady Macbeth has not got much power over Macbeth. She runs up to him when he enters and he turns away from her when shes talking. She is wearing a long beige dress with a rope belt and has long hair, she is more feminine than the Lady Macbeth in the Royal Shakespeare Production because her clothes show more of the shape of her body. She does not seem as evil, but when she changes her voice she transforms the way she portrays the character. She moves around when shes thinking of how to kill Duncan and doesnt concentrate that much. She does stop and look through a window theres a long dramatical pause while she is thinking. this adds to the effect and shows that she is thinking about something important like murdering Duncan. She uses sexual movements and gestures in the unsex me scene; I dont think this is how Shakespeare intended this scene to come across. In the film by Polanski, Lady Macbeth is stroking some dogs when she is reading the letter from Macbeth, this shows her as sensitive and loving and not a devious, evil woman which I think is what Shakespeare wanted her to come across as. When shes talking about what Macbeth could become, she does not seem very exited. The unsex me scene is moved to when shes standing outside on her own, she is portrayed as evil when she changes her voice. When Macbeth comes in she runs up to him, he picks her up and carries her up the stairs, this portrays her as weak and childlike. She has little power over Macbeth, she has a little sexual persuasion but she doesnt seem to be able to manipulate him very much. When she says that they will kill Duncan, O never shall sun that morrow see. She comes across as playful and childish. She does not seem to be able to commit regicide, and too innocent to be filled with direst cruelty I think that the Royal Shakespeare production was the closest to the representation that Shakespeare portrayed in this play. The clothes she wore showed what Lady Macbeth was like. The actress played Lady Macbeth well because she showed that she is evil and manipulative using her movements and voice, she has power over Macbeth and influences what he does. In the BBC production she has not got as much power over Macbeth as in the Royal Shakespeare Production. She does not show that she is evil until she changes her voice. Her clothes show that she is more feminine and less capable of committing regicide. She uses sexual persuasion more than mental persuasion, this shows that she is not as calculating. In the Polanski film she is childlike and does not seem to be able to kill someone or even think about killing someone. She is very feminine because she is wearing a light blue dress, which shows the shape of her body. In my opinion Polanski got the character of Lady Macbeth completely w rong.

Target location technology, tracking systems Essay Example for Free

Target location technology, tracking systems Essay Today there are many differing forms of tracking systems that can be used to locate targets accurately very much different to the simple procedures used on aircraft in world war two. One of these technologies is symbology. These are imaged laid over the real world images. The images give target position and other relevant information such as the planes heading. The images change as quickly as the real world view change, there is no visible delay as this could have fatal consequences. The target is clear and weapons can easily be directed to the correct point. The guidance images are displayed in the pilots head-mounted display. These are developed at BAE systems, and their design is critical due to the setting they are used in. The headsets are linked to a powerful and accurate computer that works very quickly to update the view almost instantly and to give warnings about dangerous situations. The Kiowa helicopter from the US Army used a symbology system that included night vision. The system recorded the mission allowing the pilot to play it back. The US Army also uses a laser as a target locator. It has been developed into a hand held laser targeting technology that doesnt damage eyes. Currently they are largely ground based but they allow targets to be located and intensified even in the dark. This technology has been transferred onto a military fighter aircraft for range finding in light and dark environments. The system also gives a range finder which can vary between the direct view and an intensified view. The system can digitally provide a magnetic compass that gives range and elevation. They are already used across the world. Another possible technology is the use of intelligent radar systems that lock onto targets allowing missile to be guided. This technology can be found on the patriot missile, which is aimed at incoming missiles. The system depends on ground-based radar that locates and tracks targets however this technology could be developed to fit on an aircraft like the sidewinder missile. This is a very long ranging and variable system. It can run automatically or an operator can intervene if necessary but these need to be very accurate due the speed the missiles travel at. The radar antenna can scan the sky, identify targets, determines aim and positioning of target, gives information and can help direct the missile to the target even when missile has been launched. Two operators watch the progress of the missiles, they can then change things if necessary such as deselecting targets. One form of missile has its own in-built guidance computer and radar transmitter allowing it to guide itself. The technology allows targets to be located very accurately. Especially if the technology is watched over by operators such as the patriot missile radar system. The accuracy could save many lives, as civilian positions are less likely to be hit with the accuracy of the technology. Therefore military targets can be located successfully allowing for a less morbid military operation. The technology often needs much equipment that is highly developed and costly. As resources such as missiles with their built in computer are expended during war, much money is lost. In less developed countries this money would be needed for other vital materials, so the technology may not be used. The wastage of materials would not be environmentally friendly. The new technology would need people to be trained to be able to operate the systems. If a person puts on a headset and does not know what the lines and boxes mean they be useless at controlling it. However the training takes time to be done safely this will cost money but is necessary for the technology to be used

The Performance Of The Foxconn Business Commerce Essay

The Performance Of The Foxconn Business Commerce Essay Foxconn Technology Group, a subsidiary of the Hon Hai Precision Industries Ltd. and is one of the worlds largest electronics manufacturers. It ranks 112th among Global Fortune 500 Companies. Currently, Foxconn has a workforce of 900,000 workers all over China. The company plans to expand its workforce to 1.3 million people by the end of 2011 (Culpan, 2010). It manufactures hardware for a prominent list of clients, including Apple, HP, Dell, Nokia and Nintendo. Despite the fall of profit margins over past few years, Foxconns business has been growing. This implies that Foxconn will keep lowering labor costs to maintain its dominance in the industry. The recent uproar in media about Foxconn has not been because of its huge workforce or its profits. Rather, it is the 17 young Foxconn employees who committed suicides between January and August 2010 that has brought into light the dilemma of frontline employees at Foxconn and other such factories. The suicide rate for China stands at 12 for every 100,000 people per year. With a workforce of 420,000 and 13 suicides this year, the suicide rate at Foxconn is approximately one-quarter the national average (Mimi, 2009). This paper will elaborate on what the media have reported and relate the data to employment relations. Wages and Working Hours Foxconn claims that it is compliant with local laws. But, research studies conducted by SACOM (Students Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior) have found that Foxconn has been a regular violator of labor laws. Many hidden facts relating to employment relations are discussed below. Workers were kept uninformed about wage increase plan When the suicide cases reached a climax in May, Foxconn apparently increased wages twice, but there was no formal announcement. Also, details about the conditions under which workers can benefit from this pay rise, like seniority or type of contract were not discussed. Basic wage is just slightly more than minimum wage and far below living wage The basic wage of frontline workers at Foxconn is only CNY 100 more than the minimum wage (SACOM, 2010). According to Foxconn management, the purpose of the wage increase plan was to stabilize the workforce. But the fact is that the basic wage was insufficient for workers to maintain decent living standards in Shenzhen. Also, basic wages in Tianjin, Wuhan and Kunshan lag far behind the standard wage, which makes it extremely difficult for workers to live in such expensive cities on such small incomes. Excessive overtime Marxism came into existence through Marxs observation a known writer and theorist who opposed capitalism while capitalism was in its infancy, his theory was named the Marxist theory. To Marx employment relation was a major way of understanding capitalism. He was like an opposition force for the employers, he disputed the divisions that were created in the industrial society through competition between the two classes (employers and the employees). He was of the idea that since employees had to do meaningless jobs it created low esteem, morale and low motivation amongst the employees. His approach created the thought that conflict will persist in the employment relations and no solution will be able to resolve it completely, and the only basic changes in the economy, such as overthrowing capitalism, will help in creating a socialist economy, however, China is already a socialist economy and state. One could argue that because China is a communist state, it operates on socialist values and employs Marxist philosophies in order to improve the wellbeing of the Chinese people. However, from the Foxconn example, we can see that this was not the case and this raises the question of if the Marxist theory really has any relevance in improving self esteem, when Foxconn has violated several Labor Laws . In any working environment, overtime work should not be more than 36 hours per month (article 41) (SACOM, 2010). For example, engineers at Integrated Digital Product Business Group (IDPBG) of Foxconn in Shenzhen, who were involved in production of the first generation iPad, worked whole weeks, including Sundays and had only one rest day every 13 days plus they did not even receive any overtime premium for weekends. There are other departments where workers work overtime for about 140 hours a month and have no day off at all. Deduction of overtime premium According to workers at Foxconn, calculation of working hours is incorrect. Foxconn uses Comprehensive Calculation of Working Hours System, which does not recognize monthly overtime beyond 80 hours (quote) and hence, workers are not paid for those hours.  Also, workers complained that the newly introduced overtime control is actually misleading in the sense that overtime does take place, but it is not recorded or paid as such. Apart from all this Foxconn employees are made to attend morning assemblies, end-of-work-shift assemblies and weekly meetings during which the management talks about expected deliverables, work targets and discipline, but they do not receive compensation for the time spent in these compulsory meetings that may consume up to one hour a day. Time spent in training is not fully paid either. As a result, workers do not earn more than before the June 2010 wage increase. Management A close analysis of the management practices and workers criticisms about the management at Foxconn is indicative of the fact that a military-style, punishment focused working management followed at the company for its workers is another factor that might have contributed to suicides at Foxconn. A culture of obedience is forced on workers from the first day of their employment. They are badly treated during recruitment procedures; they are not allowed to questions during their orientation trainings; they are punished for all kinds of misconduct, ranging from as big as not meeting their daily deliverables to as minute as taking too much time in bathroom. Reward system Workers are deprived of production bonus, which is given twice a year, if they have declined overtime work or taken sick leave. It seems that there are no set terms for a bonus; it is exclusively at the discretion of the management. All these factors reflect the authoritative nature of Foxconns management. Foxconns military-style corporate philosophy is also reflected in one of the sayings of Foxconns billionaire CEO Terry Guo democracy is the most inefficient thing in the world (Chang, 2010). This explains why Foxconn regime excludes any say by workers and why it is so anti-democratic. Trade Unions Theories kept evolving as the size and scope of businesses expanded, taking into consideration technology and the nature of work of the employees. One of the theories that came about was the pluralist theory, which acknowledged the complex situations such as conflict of interest between the management and the employees. It suggested that these kinds of complex situations could only be resolved through the involvement of government. However, because China is a communist state, trade unions struggle to exist and therefore pluralism cannot and wont be adopted. Investigations at Foxconn reveal that workers have no confidence that the state-run trade unions will defend their rights for very obvious reasons. First, these unions are usually silent on working conditions of the company. Instead, at the companys morale-boosting rallies, the union officials glorify Guos image and Foxconns corporate image by displaying portraits of Guo and singing his praises. Second, these trade unions consist of few young members and majorly of senior management officers. Apparently, the union members tend to please the management in order to secure their jobs. Last, the trade union committee is not democratically elected. This is indicative of the political power exercised by Foxconn and its higher management. Health and Safety Most of the workers are not aware of the damaging effects of chemicals they use and of the precautionary measures they must follow before working with dangerous materials on the factory floor. Many of them suffer from threat of occupational diseases. Under the increased pressure, 12.7 percent of workers experienced fainting spells, 24.1 percent of female workers had irregularities in their menstrual cycle and 47.9 percent of workers complained of mental stress. This clearly shows the lack of training for workers on occupational health and safety. Moreover, denying protective equipments and health examinations to workers shows managements informed negligence in following safety standards for workers. Relocation Plans Currently, Foxconn has a huge workforce of around 420,000 in Shenzhen plant alone. In the result of series of suicides, Foxconn announced its plan of relocating its production to central, western, and northern China, where labor is plentiful and official minimum wages are lower than in other areas. Workers were again uninformed of the details but anyway, they had no choice but either relocate or resign. A serious implication of this move is that the announced wage increase for the Longhua workers in Shenzhen will become irrelevant. Social Factors Though Foxconn offers accommodation for workers, but it is more like a prison to them. As a result of their low pay, most workers are forced to live in crowded factory halls. On average, each worker has a space of about two square metres. There is no social interaction among roommates because of their different backgrounds and shift timings. Social isolation in Foxconn is regarded as one of the chief causes of the suicides. A prison-like safety mesh is installed in every hall building in many facilities to prevent workers from jumping. This indicates that management is aware of the potential intentions of the workers. All the factors discussed above help us realize the physical, social and psychological agony workers at Foxconn go through each day. These factors highlight the underlying causes of the dilemma of workers at Foxconn and at other such companies. Illegal and unethical labor practices followed by Foxconn, lack of basic democratic rights for workers, monopolistic capitalist mode of production by translational corporations in global supply chains, lack of auditing by the government of the employment terms and practices followed by companies, discriminatory characteristic of Chinas urban household system, lack of government support are some of them. Conclusion The essence of all these traditional theories of management styles is that there exists a single, best approach to management, and the research was aimed at finding this best approach. One of the recognized theorists was Fredrick W. Taylor. His purpose and idea was to maximise efficiency, he believed that the principal object of management should be to ensure maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity for each employee. He considered that the best approach was for the employee to fulfil optimum goals, which would result in higher wages for them, and managements gain will be higher productivity. Therefore the employee himself will work harder and try his level best to produce more since he is getting financial benefits for doing so, this was his differential piece-rate system. This clearly was not the case with Foxconn, as demonstrated by the evidence highlighted throughout the body of the paper. In the past few years, manufacturing facilities or so called sweatshops have started following labor laws but at the same time to make up for the loss, they have developed strategies to speed up the production in factories. As a result, production targets keep soaring and labor exploitation does not stop. Thus far Foxconn and its high-profile customers including Apple, HP, and Dell have failed to effectively address underlying labor issues at the Foxconn production facilities. But, Foxconn is not the only one to be responsible; these other big electronic brands, which place orders with Foxconn, are equally responsible for the tragedies. By threatening to shift their orders, they force their suppliers in China to lower wages, prolong working hours and intensify workloads and thus directly pressure the workers. Clearly, all these brands are making huge profit at the cost of the workers miserable lives. It is apparent that the grievances of the workers cannot be addressed by Chinese labor laws alone. It is required to reveal the actual working and living conditions of workers at Foxconn to gather public support for their struggle against their plight. Pleading companies to abstain themselves from violating labor laws is futile; instead, people must urge concerned organizations, consumers, investors, and the government to join the workers to pressure electronic factories to improve working conditions and employment relations in the electronics industry. Also, to fight for workers rights, effective trade unions must be formed by holding democratic elections in accordance with the Trade Union Law in China. Foxconn needs to reform its structure. There is a need to meet the political requirements, which calls for better wages, recognition of workers rights and the development of hi-tech industries that will create better living standards for workers. Foxconn must address communication gap between management and the labor and focus on employee satisfaction, rather than solely company profits. Workers must be kept informed about their rights, about the relocation plans well in advance, about any wage increase plans and be provided with the details of the terms and conditions followed for giving bonuses. These are just basics principles of employment relations, which Foxconn have not come close to meeting.

Hoop Dreams :: Hoop Dreams

Hoop Dreams  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Hoop Dreams is a story about two young men who want to become basketball players in the NBA. The author Ben Joravsky wrote the book. The idea for the book came from the documentary movie, Hoop Dreams, which is a true story. Arthur Agee and William Gates are the names of the two boys who were followed from eighth grade to twelve grade to do the movie. Arthur Agee was a 5'6 125 pound guard from the playgrounds of Chicago when St Joseph recruiters saw him. Arthur was playing against guy's three years older than he was and he was still the best in the neighborhood. Arthur's parents Bo and Sheila Agee were very poor people who were on cocaine and could not support their family. Big Earl, the guy who recruited Arthur told his family that St. Joe's would be able to pay Arthur's tuition if he played basketball for them. Arthur went to St. Joe's and met William Gates. They had become friends in grade school but had never really done anything together. Eventually William turned out to be the b etter player and all the attention and money was focused on him. Therefore, Arthur was booted out of St. Joe's in the middle of the school year. He was forced to enroll at Marshall, the area public school. As a result, Arthur could see his dreams of the NBA were slipping away. Along with that, he couldn't keep his grades up enough to attend a Division I school. He and the Marshall Commandos ended up going downstate Arthur's senior year. They finished third in the state overall. Arthur ended up going to a junior college named Mineral Area in Flat River Mississippi. After his two years in Mississippi, Arthur received a scholarship to Arkansas State. He finished his degree in communications and he graduated. Arthur never did reach his dream of going to the NBA, at least yet. As you can see, it takes a lot for an inner city boy to try and reach his dream, but most of the time it never happens. William Gates was also 14 when he was recruited to go to St. Joseph. He and Arthur both had to wake up around 5:30 every morning so they could get on the subway to make it to school in time.

My Goal of Teaching Essay -- College Admissions Essays

To state that my goal is to become a teacher in the primary grades of elementary school is somewhat like writing a one-sentence synopsis of an intricate and wonderful dream. In Webster's Dictionary the word "goal" is defined as: "A point towards which effort or movement is directed; the objective point or terminus that one is striving to reach; the end aimed at." In each of the definitions the aim of the goal is stagnant. My goal of teaching feels much more like a living thing. I would define it more as a journey than a goal. I do not remember a time when I was not interested in becoming a teacher. Although I followed a different career path when I was young, I never let go of my dream to teach. For various reasons it was pushed to the back of my consciousness and seemingly forgotten. But for the past seventeen years, since the birth of my first child, my life has been intertwined with children and my desire to teach has been rekindled. I started out working with my own children. As they grew so did I. My interaction with kids progressed to include their new friends and ult...