A Hypothetical New School

In the post-modern knowledge society, the role of the school in the education of the youth is paramount.   Education should develop the holistic person through the implementation of an educational program in the school.Among the auxiliary services of school, the library is directly related to the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes, which are important to developing the youth’s potentials for a functional membership in his society.   This paper proposes a library design in terms of its basic features contained in the educational philosophy of a hypothetical school.New School Library PhilosophyIn the holistic education of a student, a school endeavors to develop the whole person composed of mind, heart, body, and spirit.   The school library herein proposed shall be devoted to the attainment of the basic vision of educating the youth to be a holistic person predominated by his spiritual intelligence with an ethical conscience that is able to guide his in living as a functional member of society—local and international.With a superior spiritual intelligence, a holistic person is able to develop and utilize all the other aspects of his personality, mind, body, and heart since the spirit influences all these aspects.   Spiritual intelligence is â€Å"the guidance of all three other intelligences,† (Latumahina, 2007.)   Spiritual intelligence can be developed â€Å"through making and keeping promises, educating and obeying your conscience, and asking questions yourself and living the answers.†Spiritual Intelligence and the Library. The school library herein proposed will provide great opportunities for developing the spiritual intelligence of its clients.   The working and learning environment is of great emphasis.The library staff shall be imbued with compassionate and caring attitudes towards the school and the outside community.   Moreover, the library staff will be composed of highly trained professionals in t he delivery of services to the students, teachers, school employees and outside clients.They shall work for and with those clients, thus, making the school library a service center of the school.   Working closely with the clientele also develops and utilizes their spiritual intelligence, which they pass on to the students.   The staff will therefore be not only â€Å"servicing workers† but also â€Å"instructing librarians.†Beyond the physical domain of the library, the staff will be rendering community service with the students, teachers and administrators, thus, making them an integral part of the school and community.The school library emphasizes service to its clientele and the community.   It will focus on service learning. It will promote ethical, civic, and academic growth through learning projects. These projects shall bring the school to the community.   Students, teachers, and parent volunteers will participate in reading projects where teachers, adm inistrators, librarians, parents and students read out loud to the community.Projects like these will help school community members, students, teachers, parents, and other citizens discover core values they have in common, and they will learn teamwork, decision-making skills, and strategies for implementing effective service learning projects. These projects will enable students to acquire teamwork and decision-making skills as well as strategies for action.The library materials shall be composed of books, journals, magazines, electronic media and others that will be useful for developing knowledge, skills and attitudes which are important to life and career.   They shall be influencing the development of mind, body, heart, and spirit.The library collections shall evenly address the needs of the students in learning the basic sciences, social studies, humanities, arts, languages and technology.   Interactive electronic materials will be especially devoted to the development of s ocial grace, ethics, values and morality.   Multicultural education will be given emphasis in the selection of reading materials and interactive materials in the social studies.Ethics and the New School.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In realizing the vision of educating the holistic person, the mission of the new school, therefore, puts emphasis on the development of the ethical conscience of the students, thereby unfolding their spiritual intelligence.This will be realized by incorporating ethics and morality as an integrated aspect of the school curriculum.   Ethics and morality guide the individual in being and becoming a functional member of society.   Foremost, the individual sets his goals in life in consideration of the overarching goals of society, which is peaceful co-existence and living with the rest of mankind — a main ingredient of multicultural education.Goal-achievement is guided by an ethical conscience toward to tolerance for other cultures and societies as well as c are for the environment.   The new school fosters tolerance through the compassionate and caring values and attitudes of its administrators, teachers and employees.The school library shall be at the forefront of the service-oriented school staff.   The librarians and other library workers will set examples in the development of spiritual intelligence.   Every staff member will be an instructional model of ethics and morality.A tender, loving, and caring attitude shall be radiated by every worker rendering services to the clients.   It is by fostering a library environment which serves and cares that the ethics of tolerance and co-existence will be taught to the students.   It will be teaching by example.Primary Purpose of Education at the New School.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Self-enhancement, therefore, shall be the main purpose for which the school’s educational program will be designed and implemented.   It is assumed that every human being is undergoing the educative pr ocess as she lives in society with all relevant social institutions nurturing and nourishing his.But the new school will be enhancing that education through transformation.   Transformative education will, thus, be the hallmark of the new school.   It shall endeavor to provide every possible opportunity for the unfolding of the potentials of the individual for a fruitful and rewarding life spent with the rest of the community of mankind.

Analysis of “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke

â€Å"The Soldier† by Rupert Brooke Analysis â€Å"The Soldier†, is a British patriotic sonnet written by Rupert Brooke in 1914. It expresses love for the mother country which in this case is Great Britain. This poem describes the physical aspects of death and the writer’s opinion of it. Although death is the main point in this poem, it not depicted in a twisted and gruesome manner. Rather, death in this poem is a sacrifice. â€Å"The Soldier† is a patriotic poem. The purpose of patriotic poems during WWI was to motivate people to enlist for the armed forces.It is quite similar to a piece of propaganda, asking in a way for people to join the armed forces; to take his place should he be killed –â€Å"If I should die, think only this of me†. We know that this poem is patriotic because of the last three lines of the first stanza, in particular –â€Å"A body of England’s, breathing English air,† We also know this poem is patr iotic because it was written in 1914, when the war just started and spirits were high. After a while though, the enthusiasm dropped as people began to discover the nasty and cruel conditions of the trenches.By the end of war, famine and constant bomb raids had completely obliterated all signs of patriotism. In the first stanza, Brooke mentions his belief of the physical aspects of death for one’s country. The â€Å"foreign field† is where his body will lay forever. The soil contains the soul of a glorious man who died for his country. Brooke believes that if he dies there, the soil around his body will become a part of England as a result of the purity of his soul –â€Å"That is forever England,† The soldier was brought up by England and as a result, his thoughts and beliefs are both influenced by England.When he dies, all of his evil deeds and sins have been forgiven because he gave the ultimate sacrifice; to die for one’s country. Brooke also bel ieves that, because the motherland was so nice to him, he must give back what she has given to him; that he must lay down his life to ensure that the motherland stays a free country. It is the only thing that he can give back to the motherland to say thanks. Throughout this poem, England is personified as a mother. It demonstrates how important the soldiers of England really are to the country itself.Brooke writes this poem in a patriotic and joyful manner. He does not believe that dying for your country is a traumatic experience. This in contrast to another famously acclaimed poem by Wilfred Owen –â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† Brooke believes that dying for one’s country is a brave and honourable thing to do, especially during war. It states that should the person die, he should not be mourned, instead he should be looked upon as a selfless sacrifice to England.Although the poem itself is referring to one person; himself, the title suggests that this poem is repr esenting all soldiers, as when soldiers fight in wars, they lose their identity and become cogs in a big machine. To conclude, Rupert Brooke’s â€Å"The Soldier† is a patriotic poem about a soldier who had great love for his country. Brooke presents this sonnet as a piece of propaganda and encourages people to enlist for the armed forces. This poem describes the ideas of death in a mind of a patriotic person and gives us an insight into Brooke’s style of writing. Overall, this is a poem about honour and glory, about life and death.

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

Personal Statement - Essay Example I also became aware of their impact on environment as well as the need for regeneration process in my country. Thus, I became motivated to involve myself with this mission that would be crucial to my nation’s long term sustainable growth and development by acquiring appropriate academic and professional knowledge. I pursued B. Sc Economics in LSE, which allowed me to build up strong quantitative and policy analytical skills that would qualify me to pursue an M. Phil in Planning, Growth and Regeneration. The diverse modules that this course offers have evoked a keen interest in me and I am confident that these will help me attain my aspirations both in professional and academic contexts. Besides, The mentoring from University of Cambridge, will allow me to further hone my skills and train me for a career in housing and urban development in future. I specifically want to exploit the potentials learning that this esteemed university offers in urban planning, spatial policies applied in different countries, and real estate development. Studies in Urban and Environmental Planning will also help me understand the intricacies of relationships between economic growth and environmental sustainability. I desire to specialize in Quantitative Research Methods based on my knowledge in econometrics and sta tistics to learn research techniques for evaluating development opportunities in urban and rural areas. Besides, I have keen interests in environmental issues, real estate as well as regulation and ownership control in vogue in different countries. 2. You may write here your non-academic activities or any special circumstances not evident from other answers in this application that you wish to draw to the attention of the assessors of your application (Max 140 words). I have worked as an intern in Housing and Urban Rural Development Bureau in my city, where I received an opportunity to understand how housing policies and economics have a symbiotic relationship that

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Research - Essay Example The study also evaluated the effects of oral healthcare on intracranial pressure. Data was collected from 45 intubated patients who were admitted in ICU for 1 year. The data was collected using oral assessment guide and oral cultures during intubation and then 2 days after extubation. Occurrence of intracranial pressures linked to oral care and ventilator-associated pneumonia were then recorded. According to the findings, oral health of critically ill neuroscience patients deteriorates during intubation and then improves to baseline levels in two days after extubation. This is because intubation leads to an increase in yeast and oral gram-negative bacteria. Among the patients checked in, around 24% of them had cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia (Prendergast et al., 2009). Among those examined, overall intracranial pressure decreased significantly after oral healthcare. Oral health among NICU patients deteriorates in the course of intubation and improves after extubation. The level of oral health deterioration depends on time taken during intubation. The longer the intubation time, the more the oral health deteriorates. In addition to this, when patients are subjected to intubation, their health seems to deteriorates regardless of the nature of their sickness (Prendergast et al., 2009). Intubation contributes to aggravation of oral health among neuroscience patients in intensive care units. However, implementation of oral healthcare does not seem to influence intracranial pressure negatively. Oral care needs to be explored in order to promote systemic and oral health of neuroscience patients in intensive care units and determine its impact on ventilator-associated pneumonia. Nurses should examine the oral cavity of patients every eight hours followed up by suctioning to remove secretions. The nurse should then brush the patient teeth using an antiseptic like chlorhexidine. The mouth should then be rinsed using sterile water. It is important to

Efficacy of institutions in the global system Research Paper

Efficacy of institutions in the global system - Research Paper Example This denotes the significance of international institutions, such as International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), and World Bank in helping countries respond more to the challenges of globalization (Milner 836). This paper attempts to demonstrate the significance of international institutions to enhance the economy of various countries. It also provides evidence that these multilateral institutions have a valuable impact on the economy of developing nations. Role of International Institutions The primary goal of International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to help improve the economy of less developed countries by providing them with short and long term loans at low interest rates. The institution has been active in delivering this role which is evident in the various programs that it has successfully implemented in over sixty developing countries in 2000 alone. Moreover, the mission of World Bank was also to support the growth of less developed nations and to help them overcome the financial crisis. This goal was efficiently carried out through the provision of grants and loans at zero interest to poor nations especially in Africa. In fact, over 50% of the fund of World Bank for 2003 went to projects in the nearby countries of Sahara. On the other hand, the mission of World Trade Organization (WTO) was to enhance bilateral partnerships among countries and to encourage them to adopt trade liberalization as an effective strategy for enhancing their economy (Milner 836). The WTO has successfully performed this mission which is evident in the emergence of various multinational companies in developing countries. These giant companies significantly contribute to the economy of emerging countries through the creation of jobs. This was revealed in the study of Greenaway and Wright on the effects of trade liberalization in the economy of developing countries. The findings showed that liberalization of trade policies and entry barriers has a significant po sitive impact to the economic growth of less developed countries (229). Impact of International Institutions on Economic Growth The WTO plays a significant role in enhancing the value international trade of its member countries. For instance, Rose conducted a study on whether or not WTO together with its previous counterpart (Generalised Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) has been effective in promoting the value of international trade among its 175 member countries for 50 years. Through the analysis of the gravity model, the study revealed that WTO has a direct contribution for doubling the value of trade among member nations (98). In addition, Subramanian and Wei also conducted a study on whether or not WTO has a significant impact on the trading condition of its member countries. Their findings revealed that WTO provides a significant positive impact on trade which translates to 120% marginal increase for 2000. However, the study revealed that the positive impact of WTO is not evenly achieved by its member countries. In addition, increase in bilateral trade is high when each partner nation adopt liberalization while countries without trade liberalizations did not acquire trade increase. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) plays a significant role in creating and enforcing relevant trading rules across different countries. This has been supported by various research showing the relevance of WTO in

Irish economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Irish economy - Essay Example This fall in GDP growth rate had been a second to a similar dip during the fourth quarter of 2009, which is why the nation feared the possibility of a â€Å"double-dip recession† (Breadun, O’Brien & O’Brien, 2010). â€Å"Keynesian style stimulus package† Keynes had mainly emphasized upon the implementation of demand triggering policies for an economic boost. However, a positive shift in aggregate demand is least possible when an economy follows a stringent budget regime as the case had been for the Irish economy. In fact, a stringent budget policy is one of the reasons why the economy could not surpass over its recessionary phase successfully that tended a come-back within a short span. This is one of the reasons, why â€Å"Irish trade unions have stated that the previous austerity budgets have failed† and hence, have proposed that a â€Å"Keynesian style stimulus package† be followed. The Keynesian model of equilibrium proposed the following identity to equate aggregate national income, Y, with components of aggregate demand as follow – Y ? C (Y – T) + I + G + (X – M(Y)) Where, Y = National Income, T = Aggregate tax being paid. Hence, (Y – T) = Disposable Income C = Consumption Expenditure, I = Investment Expenditure, G = Government Expenditure, X = Aggregate Export Revenues M = Aggregate Imports Thus, four ways through which a stimulus package could be constructed to ensure an economic boost are as follows – Firstly, Keynes had advised a stimulus to be provided to the investors of the economy so that they should come forward and venture investment projects which could help in creating employment opportunities and thus, boost consumption demand through positively affecting the production of...†¢ Firstly, Keynes had advised a stimulus to be provided to the investors of the economy so that they should come forward and venture investment projects which could help in creating employm ent opportunities and thus, boost consumption demand through positively affecting the production of output. †¢ Secondly, the government could actually make tax relaxations to motivate people to consume more as they will be left with larger disposable income volumes. Greater the disposable income is, higher will be the consumption expenditure of the people and thus, higher will be the income generation in the economy. †¢ Thirdly, the national government must not make deductions in its own expenses and rather boost them which could actually result to increases in the aggregate demand of the economy and thus, its income level. This is starkly in contrast to the measures adopted by the Irish government which is that of restricting its budget expenditures or rather constraining it more. †¢ Lastly, the national government could also make adjustments in its rate of exchange so as to positively influence the demand for exports and negatively affect import demands. For instance, an economy amidst a recession could choose to depreciate its domestic currency so that the foreigners find it more and more lucrative to increase their purchases from the country in question, while the domestic people are back off from importing from nations which have a dearer currency.

DB 3 - Biology Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

DB 3 - Biology - Coursework Example Medical practitioners should change the drug where minimal or no improvement is evident in a patient. This help to kill the bacteria resistant to the previous antibiotic. Improper use of a given antibiotics also contribute to resistance. Patients who stop medication after observing a slight improvement expose themselves to resistance from the diagnosed bacteria. Therefore, doctors must ensure their patients complete the dosage of a given antibiotic. In instances where the uses of antibiotics are widespread, the pathogen in question is likely to develop resistance as they mutate (CDC, 2014). Violation of antibiotic use in the above ways triggers the bacteria to develop resistance in different ways. The one sure way to tackle antibiotic resistance is to use antibiotics smartly. Smart use of antibiotic entails avoiding compromise in the use of antibiotic for treatment. There are personal interventions that one can take to avoid the spread of antibiotic resistant pathogens, key being avoiding exposure. The sign found in restrooms is important as far as antibiotic resistance is concerned. It contributes to the fight against antibiotic resistance. It significantly creates awareness. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2015. Antibiotic Resistance Questions & Answers. Web. January 30, 2015. Retrieved from

Pricing strategies of Amazon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Pricing strategies of Amazon - Essay Example 231). The most important factor to consider is the pricing of a product, as it is from this that the company will be viewed by the other entities in the industry and also potential customers. In achieving this, companies in general consider three main factors in coming up with viable pricing strategies that ensure their overall success. These are in terms of their basis of laying emphasis. There are the cost-based pricing strategies, which focus on a means of determining prices through incorporation of profit essentials in the product (Cryns 2002, p. 120). Moreover, there is the pricing based on customer observation whereby a business entity considers the best price that could fit accordingly to the customer base of that product. In addition, there is the pricing based on competitor substitutes, which considers competitor pricing to come up with prices that would most likely put a business at a better position for proper and advantageous competition. While these are the main pricing criteria that most companies consider prior to formulating a viable strategy, other entities such as Amazon maximize on their potential in regards to formulating their pricing strategies (Wuebker 2008, p. 111). ... Later on, it diversified into the sale of media such as CDs, DVDs and such other forms as MP3 based media files. After some years of relatively moderate growth, Amazon later on increased in terms of revenue and overall growth to become the largest online store (Smith 2011, p. 167). In addition, the store has diversified its products range to include most basic home appliances, extending further to even foodstuff. In order to achieve this status, and maintain these growth standards, Amazon has strategized effectively, successfully implementing a variety of pricing tactics that have ultimately exalted the entity forward. In light of the above, the first strategies that Amazon employs in attaining its status is the use of dynamic pricing mechanisms in order to spread their market base. In this form of pricing strategy, a company distinguishes between its customers, analyzing the various features that set apart the various categories of customers (Burton & Holden 2010, p. 145). Through t his research, a company focuses on such aspects as the frequency and trend of shopping that a faction of consumers adapts to in the course of carrying out their transaction. Through this kind of critical analysis, a company comes up with prices for its goods in relation to the trends that customers have adopted while purchasing products. As such, the ‘peak’ periods that most customers are carrying out their transactions are often characterized by higher prices than the other periods that customer density is relatively low. In its practices, Amazon extensively uses dynamic pricing strategy to delimit the prices of its products in relation to the cycle of demand as occasioned by the

To His Coy Mistress Essay Example for Free

To His Coy Mistress Essay â€Å"To his coy Mistress† is poem written by Andrew Marvell, and this is one of his best poems ever. Author used Carpe Diem, very interesting style of writing poetry. In this poem he describes his life and how he wanted a more time with special woman. â€Å"To his importunate Mistress† is poem which is written by Peter de Vries. He also in his poem used many things that are like in Marvell’s poem â€Å"To his coy Mistress. The first sentence is same in both poem, so many writers considered that his story is copy of the Marvell’s â€Å"To his coy Mistress†. The first poem has three stanzas, and we can see that author in this poem want tell us that all he wants is more time to him and his love. The major role in this poem has woman, who is more or less young, and an old man. In the first stanza the old man describes how he would love her, but it is not enough time for everything he wants. He also talks about how he could spend much time with her so that he can watch and admire each part of her body. His love is so big, so he says that her refusal would not affect on him because he is diligent in what he wants. In the second stanza he recalls how short human life is, and that we don’t have much time to do all things which we want. He thinks that everyone should enjoy in life, and do everything what they want. If we have opportunity for something we mustn’t miss it, because we could regret later. The last stanza talked about how he urges her to comply, claiming that in loving each other with passion they will make the most of the time they have to live. The second poem â€Å"To his importunate Mistress† is written by Peter de Vries. Peter de Vries was an American editor and novelist known for his satiric wit. His poem â€Å"To his importunate Mistress† has two stanzas. On the beginning of the first stanza we can see that the first sentence is the same like in Marvell’s â€Å"To his Coy Mistress†. So we can say that Peter de Vries poem is meant to mock Andrew Marvells To Coy His Mistress. Peter’s poem talked about having a mistress. The author describes a man who has a wife but also he has a mistress. His wife accepts him as it is, because she loved him. The material things are the most important thing in his life and he doesn’t see anything except that. All his time he devoted her mistress and forgets about his wife. He bought her many expensive things, and thoughts that he can with that things attract any woman. But on the end he realized that his wife is the only who was loved him all that time. On the end of this poem we can conclude that his wife beat his mistress and she was able to return to her husband. â€Å"To his coy Mistress† is a metaphysical poem, which is written in iambic tetrameter. He also used metaphors, irony and in the first part of the poem the speaker appeals to the character, in the second part he expresses his emotions, and in the third part the speaker uses reason. The setting for this story is very important because in this poem we have two layers of setting, the setting which we imagine and setting which speaker imagines. In the second poem the speaker also used symbols, irony and metaphors. Both stories tell about mistress, and the first sentences are same in both poems. So we can say that the Peter’s poem is a parody of Marvell’s â€Å"To his Coy Mistress†. De Vries’s used the same structure and metaphors like Marvell in his poem. There are a many similarities, but there are also differences. â€Å"To his importunate Mistress† shows stereotypical characteristics, the most important thing in life is money, while â€Å"To his coy Mistress† speaks of love and praise. In the first poem the author used carpe diem, which describes the passion of society.

Teen Pregnancy in The Media Essay Example for Free

Teen Pregnancy in The Media Essay Understanding the theories of persuasion, motivation, and influence will put you in life’s driver’s seat. Why? Because everything you want, or will want, in life comes from these three simple concepts. The power of persuasion is of extraordinary and critical importance in today’s world. Nearly every human encounter includes an attempt to gain influence or to persuade others to our way of thinking. Regardless of age, profession, religion, or philosophical beliefs, people are always trying to persuade each other. One’s ability to persuade meant great social prestige in the ancient Greek world. It was Aristotle who first introduced persuasion as a skill that could be learned. The first book ever written on persuasion was his The Art of Rhetoric. Aristotle taught that rhetoric was an art form that could be approached systematically by a formula for all persuasive attempts. Aristotle’s most famous contribution to persuasion was his three means of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos. He argued that the most effective persuasive attempts contain all three concepts. I apply these three concepts daily, whether I am communicating with someone or if I am watching TV or listening to the radio. The media is notorious for using ethos, pathos, and logos when trying to persuade viewers to either buy something or to simply watch a new show. One show in particular that I was persuaded to watch is MTV’s 16 and Pregnant. In this project I will talk about how shows like 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom apply Aristotle’s concepts of ethos, pathos, and logos in an attempt to decrease teen pregnancy in America. I remember when I was in high school and Jamie Lynn Spears’ pregnancy was a lead story in the news. Her pregnancy was such a big deal because she was only 16 at the time and on top of that her sister was a pop star. I remember hearing so many negative comments about her, which I found dramatic because where I come from I saw pregnant teens often. In fact, I’m the product of a teenage pregnancy. Ever since Jamie Lynn Spears’ pregnancy went public I have always been interested in the teen pregnancy debate on whether or not teen pregnancy should be made public. With that being said, MTV’s shows 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom have been called one of the best public service campaigns to prevent teen pregnancy. I decided to write about the influence of 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom on societal views and trends, particularly because there’s an important ongoing public debate over whether or not these shows are glamorizing young motherhood. The cast members, as well as many high school girls in America, reject the idea that any peer would or should be envious of a teen mom’s daily struggles, but there are those parents and teachers who worry that the girls’ presence in tabloids will encourage copycatting. MTV uses the art of persuasion to reach out to their audience. The show tries to emphasize that there is nothing glamorous about missing the prom to stay home with a newborn baby or sacrificing a high school education to raise a child. Research by the National Campaign found that among teens that watch 16 and Pregnant, 82 percent believe that show helps teens better understand the challenges of teen pregnancy and parenthood and how to avoid it. Although the National Campaign seems to be a reliable source, I still question whether or not this show is effectively persuading our nation. The main research questions for this project are â€Å"How do shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant use ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade viewers not to get pregnant as teens? † I also want to research if these strategies effective at persuading teens and young adults, or do these shows glamorize teen pregnancy. I will analyze the show from a rhetorical perspective. I want to know if MTV producers are in fact glamorizing teen pregnancy or are they using their credibility to create awareness. MTV has a long history taking sexual health issues head-on through campaigns such as documentary shows. These shows are well put together, logical, and they use authentic footage to engage pathos in campaigns. I plan on answering the questions I have about this national topic by conducting a survey and researching other national surveys that have been done. I would like to conduct a survey amongst my peers on campus to collect data to see if I have similar results as the National Campaign. I also plan on looking at scholarly journals written by high school teachers and college professors. High school teachers are in contact with these students every day and I feel that their opinions and critiques are credible. I know that conducting my own survey and reviewing scholarly journals will help guide me to answering the research questions that I have. Many of us wonder why we behave in the way we do, or why we say the things we do. Although many of us attribute our beliefs and ideas to parental or peer influence, the most significant models and mentors for most adolescents as they develop may, in fact, be characters or â€Å"celebreality† depicted through popular television programs. Throughout our youth, we are frequently exposed to television. We watch it for entertainment, education, or simply to alleviate boredom. As we watch, we internalize many of its messages and images and learn from what we see. Many young children dress up and act out roles of their favorite Disney characters. However, there are young children now who want to play the roles of teen moms from MTV’s Teen Mom show. I recently witnessed my two younger cousins, ages nine and eleven, â€Å"act† like they were teen moms by putting to small pillows in their shirts and proceeded to call each other â€Å"Maci† and â€Å"Farrah†. When They initially put the pillows in their shirts, I had no idea what they were doing, however, when they called each other those names, I immediately knew what they were doing. It was so unexpected and caught me off guard, and made me question: first, why the heck are these babies watching Teen Mom; And secondly, is this how young girls are â€Å"playing† now? Although some may see this as simple playtime, how much of the messages from television remain with children as they grow? Television shows such as Teen Mom or 16 and Pregnant depict the â€Å"real† life, sometimes concluding with the all too familiar, â€Å"happily ever after. † Do these shows set unattainable real life expectations for the viewer? Such television shows highlight moments of interest, leaving out intricate details regarding emotions and relationships between the teen moms and their situation. MTV edits theses shows to depict what they want the audience to see and believe what is going on, but everything is not shown. The episodes are 30 minutes long, and life is much more complex and elaborate. Media representations of life are confusing for many viewers. When we observe television stars behaving in a particular way, we assume that comparable actions in our lives will result in similar consequences. The Neilson Company reported that television consumption in the United States in the 2008- 2009 season reached an all time high. Americans spend approximately four hours and 49 minutes watching television every day (Media Literacy Clearinghouse, 2009). Spending this much time watching television is bound to affect us. When television programs begin to impact our behaviors more deeply does the influence of our parents or teachers, it is time to take a deeper look into this phenomenon and discover its real implications. Throughout this study, I will discuss the use of persuasion in television shows such as Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant. This study will focus on the effects of ethos, pathos, and logos used by MTV, and how their persuasion is affecting today’s youth by airing these programs. In this section I am going to outline the theories guiding my questions. y. Cultivation Analysis Theory examines the relationship between extent of television viewing and conception of reality. The theory is based on work developed by George Gerbner which began in the 1970’s. The more people see false representations of life and relationships on television, the more they accept it as reality. Viewers will consequently believe in a greater incidence of the overrepresented portrayals, which will subsequently affect their behavior (Eisend, 2006). Cultivation theory explains the importance of viewers’ thoughtful examination of media messages before accepting them as truth. The influence of media representations of reality is powerful in the development of self image and world understanding. In relation to the growing number of teen pregnancy, recent studies show that the amount of sexual content on television has been considerable and increasing over the years (Eyal Finnerty, 2009). Television and media messages contribute significantly to individuals’ thoughts and behaviors. It comes as no surprise to see that, â€Å"research has established that exposure to sexual content in entertainment programming can contribute to a young person’s sexual socialization and that adolescents turn to magazines and television as central sources of information about sex and contraception† (Eyal Finnerty, 2009). These studies have discovered that sexual behavior depicted on television typically occurs between unmarried individuals and that many of the risks related to this behavior ( like unplanned pregnancy) are rarely seen as consequences (Eyal Finnerty, 2009). As stated previously, when these actions are rewarded or justified (on shows such as Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant), individuals, specifically teens, will be more likely to engage in the behavior themselves. One of the most generally accepted theories used to explain the influence of media on individuals is social cognitive theory. Although there is some debate regarding the full influence of the media on viewers, it is known that humans learn from observation. According to Albert Bandura, things people experience in their environments affect their behavior and values. When they see behavior that is rewarded or praised, they are likely to exhibit the behavior themselves through operant learning (Bandura, 1994). It has been questioned repeatedly if MTV’s shows Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant glamorize teen pregnancy or are they using persuasive techniques to influence young viewers to make safe sex decisions. However, Bandura suggests that if we witness a particular behavior on television, we are likely to imitate that behavior in our own lives. When teens watch these television shows, they are influenced to either imitate the behavior or learn from it. MTV’s purpose of 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom is to persuade young viewers that teen pregnancy is not a fairytale life, but yet MTV shows an edited version of these pregnant teens’ daily life. After the teens’ stories are told on 16 and Pregnant, their lives are followed on Teen Mom where they usually have a house, a car, and what teens want the most: freedom. When teenagers watch this show, yes they are seeing some hardships of being a parent at a young age, but they are also seeing that the teens on the show are â€Å"grown† and are making it with a child more than struggling. However, the younger viewers are oblivious to fact that these teens are getting paid from being on the show, and that is the money that they are using to live more comfortable on Teen Mom than they were on 16 and Pregnant. Older teens realize that these girls on television are being paid, so they can perceive getting pregnant as a teen and being on one of these shows as an outlet to get money, disregarding the fact that they will have a child. Television has the ability to model the beliefs of individuals due to the situations and characters’ believed similarities to real life. Through the imitation of and identification with people on television, viewers exhibit behavior similar to the characters in their own lives. While watching television programs, viewers learn about through social cognition. Another theory that aims to describe the effect of media on young viewers is the early window theory. This theory examines how children are allowed to see the world and its various aspects before they possess the skill set to adequately understand and act in it. According to this theory, children learn at early ages about gender roles and their function within society. Not only are children exposed to various portrayals of reality, but these portrayals can â€Å"encourage expectations of others Portrayals in television and other media of highly attractive persons may encourage dissatisfaction [with] or lowered evaluations of attractiveness of those of the pertinent sex in real life† (Comstock, 1991). These portrayals can influence the behavior of children regarding personal body image and the image of others’ bodies as well. The early window seeks to explain the implications of television on the lives of youthful viewers. In relation to the narrative I shared about my two younger cousins, children may not normally be exposed to certain experiences or emotions, but because of television during the time of growth, children are shown elements of reality meant for their later years. My cousins know what it means to be pregnant, a baby is inside of a woman’s stomach. How the baby got there is still questionable to them. However, they are blind to the controversy about to teen pregnancy. In their eyes, an seventeen or eighteen year old is grown, which why they did not understand why I told them to stop mocking Maci and Farrah. During their youth, they are exposed to television shows like Teen Mom and 16 and pregnant, and they are exposed to adult situations and emotions that no child or teenager should have to witness, or better yet understand, at an early age. Little research has been conducted to better understand how media might also have positive effects by, for example, decreasing risky sexual behavior and promoting healthier decisions among teens. Given that teens’ use of media has increased over the past decade, and that the amount of sexual content in the media has also increased, it is reasonable to explore whether Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant might be used to help prevent teen pregnancy. My research question asks, how do shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant use ethos, pathos and logos to persuade viewers not to get pregnant as teens? I conducted a survey to evaluate if these strategies, like MTV shows, are effective at persuading teens and young adults. My survey was composed of 10 questions. Five out of the 10 questions were context questions, and five questions were demographic questions. A total of 10 teens participated and completed the survey. The average age of the participants was 15. 6 years, ranging from 13 to 18 years old. All of the participants were female (100%). Five of the participants were Caucasian and five were African American. Six out of the ten of the participants reported having had sex. Two of the participants are teenage mothers. My survey was designed to learn more about how watching and discussing episodes of Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant influences teens’ perceptions of getting pregnant and becoming a parent at a young age. My results also shed light on teens’ perceptions of the shows Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant, in particular, and their views about how media might influence teens’ decisions about sex more generally. Television and other media alone do not cause, and cannot prevent, teen pregnancy. However, entertainment media can reach millions of teens with important messages about teen pregnancy. It is necessary to consider that there is a distinction between this survey I conducted, which attempts to understand teens’ views about teen pregnancy as a result of watching MTV’s Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant—versus an impact evaluation of a prevention program whose sole purpose is to reduce teen pregnancy. While evidence based teen pregnancy prevention programs are guided by specific theories and have the explicit goal of changing behavior to reduce risk of teen pregnancy, television shows such as Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant are created for entertainment with the goal of attracting viewers and keeping them engaged. The teens in this study enjoyed watching and discussing the 16 and Pregnant episodes and thought that the show was realistic. Neither the boys nor girls who watched the episodes wanted to imitate the teens in the episodes they watched. In fact, nearly all of my teen participants (93%) that watched the show agreed (53% strongly agreed) with the statement: â€Å"I learned that teen parenthood is harder than I imagined from these episodes. † When asked if these shows glamorized teen pregnancy five (50%) of my participants strongly disagreed, two (20%) disagreed, and three (30%) selected neutral. As I stated before, some of society believe that these shows â€Å"glamorizes† teen pregnancy, the findings from this survey show my teen participants do not share that view. In addition, teens that saw and discussed the episodes reported that they enjoyed watching and talking about the show and that they learned something new from doing so. The more they liked it, the more likely they were to have negative views about teen pregnancy. Teens were eager to recommend the show to others; 90% of participants agreed (60% of those strongly agreed) with the statement: â€Å"I think all teenagers should watch a show like this. † Many (80%) said they would recommend that friends participate in the discussion, too. The results of this survey support the idea that teens are interested in watching and discussing reality television shows about teen pregnancy, and that messages about the realities of teen pregnancy and parenting in these shows can influence teens’ attitudes about the challenges of teen parenthood. Given the popularity of these shows, their messages clearly reach a large number of teens. Although I collected plenty of useful data, there were some limitations to my survey. First, I only surveyed female participants. It would have been interesting to have male opinions with this survey to analyze if they shared the same attitudes about these shows as my female participants did. MTV is a universal television station that has a female and male demographic. Unlike Lifetime and Oxygen, channels that have a majority of female viewers, MTV targets male and female viewers and it could be likely that many males watch this show because they enjoy watching MTV in general. Second, my survey only consisted of teenage participants. Initially, I wanted to survey teenagers and high school teachers. High school teachers are in contact with teens everyday and would have a credible opinion. However, I decided to just ask teenagers because I wanted to keep the focus on them. This topic as a whole is about teenage pregnancy so I wanted to know how teenagers felt about these shows and if they thought these shows glamorized teen pregnancy. The last limitation is that my survey questions did not really discuss what teens learned and could have been better. My survey asked questions that produced answers about their attitudes toward the show, but it did not ask questions in regards to what they specifically learned. I asked my participants if they felt the show glamorized teen pregnancy, however my survey was constructed on a Likert-Type Scale so they only had the option of on selecting one of the following: â€Å"Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree. † It would have been a good idea to leave that question open and ask them to explain their answer that way I could have collected data about what they learned specifically and why exactly they thought that these shows did or did not glamorize teen pregnancy. Initially I hypothesized that these shows glamorize teen pregnancy, and the shows would increase teens’ desire to want to become pregnant because these shows edit out some of the struggles. However, I seem to be wrong based on my survey results. Nearly all of my participants either have watched these shows, and a little over half of them said they learned that parenthood is harder than they thought after watching these shows. When presented with the statement that the shows glamorize teen pregnancy seven out of my ten participants disagreed, and the other three participants selected the neutral choice. That concludes that more than half of my participants have opposing views from what I hypothesized. Although three of the participants chose â€Å"neutral† as their answer they did not fully agree or disagree with the statement. Therefore, a majority of the participants proved my hypothesis to be wrong. My hypothesis may have been incorrect, but my research question about how do shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant uses ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade viewers still remains. Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant, allow teens to see what the responsibility of having a baby is. It shows the lives of four girls who got pregnant at age 16. Many of them struggle not only with their pregnancy, but also with the acceptance of the parents or even their own boyfriend. The style and the language they use are very realistic making the series even more interesting to teens these days. The show gets its point of view out by making the viewers, mostly teen girls, feel what the girls in the show are feeling, using ethos, pathos and logos very well. Ethos means to convince an audience of the speaker’s credibility or character. Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant use ethos to show the young audience that the show is a credible source and is worth listening too. For example, the show often takes place in a hospital, obviously, and doctors are shown giving the teen parents medical advice and expertise. This establishes credibility to the viewers because doctors are associated with being smart which would make them credible, theoretically. I noticed from watching the shows that they will introduce the doctors and what hospital the doctors practice at. I feel like they present where the doctor practices to make the situations even more credible. Ethos can be developed by choosing language that is appropriate for the audience and topic (also means choosing proper level of vocabulary), sounding fair or unbiased, introducing expertise, and by using correct grammar. The doctors use simple language for the teen moms and viewers to understand, they also tell it â€Å"straight like it is† to the young parents about any risks or complications (sounding unbiased and fair), and they also speak articulately and use correct grammar, all to contribute credibility and appeal to the audience. Once these shows prove their credibility, the audience is more likely to develop an emotional connection to the girls on these shows. Pathos means to persuade an audience by appealing to their emotions. Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant use pathos to evoke sympathy from an audience; to get them to feel what the girls on the show feel. A common use of pathos would be to draw pity from an audience. For example, one of the teens on this show, Farrah, lost her boyfriend in a crash while she was pregnant. Farrah is portrayed on the show as the girl struggling emotionally because her baby’s father is not there to support her during her pregnancy like the other girls on the show. Farrah has her family that supports her, but she doesn’t have her boyfriend. The death of her boyfriend is the emotional appeal to connect with the young audience. Teens value their boyfriends, sometimes a little more than their families at that age. So when young viewers see that she doesn’t have her boyfriend around anymore, they feel sad and pity her because dealing with a boyfriend’s death as a teen is just as eye opening as dealing with pregnancy at an early age. The show edits Farrah’s episodes to really emphasize the fact that she has to raise her daughter on her own, but receives a lot of support from her family. Another use of pathos would be to inspire anger from an audience, perhaps in order to prompt action. Pathos is the Greek word for both â€Å"suffering† and â€Å"experience. † I saw a lot of this use of pathos in Caitlyn’s episodes. Caitlyn and her boyfriend decided to place their daughter up for adoption. They are the only couple on the show to do this. The show edits Caitlyn’s episodes to depict her experience of carrying her baby, selecting an adopted family, giving birth, and the emotional suffering she has after she gives her baby away. Although Caitlyn’s experience and suffering would appeal to the audience’s emotions to feel pity, I can also see how it could inspire anger from the audience. There is no doubt in my mind that there are some teens that have negative views about adoption because many teens don’t understand adoption and only think of it as â€Å"giving your baby away to strangers. † However, there may be some teens that have morals and religious beliefs that make them negatively view adoption. Needless to say, Caitlyn giving her baby away could spark questions amongst some young viewers like, â€Å"Why would she give her baby away I would never do that! † Many of times, an ill-educated mind would ask questions like this because they are unaware of statistics and logical reasoning to certain actions. Logos means to convince an audience by use of logic or reason. To use logos would be to cite facts and statistics, historical and literal analogies, and citing certain authorities on a subject. In Caitlyn’s case, MTV allows her to share on the show why she decided to give her daughter up for adoption. She explains that she is living in an unstable household that she does not want her daughter to grow up in. After each episode, MTV also provides statistics on teenage pregnancy in the United States, and how many teens follow through with the adoption option. I also observed while watching 16 and Pregnant that MTV makes a conscious effort to define terminology on the screen for the viewers. Some of the teens on the show will have an epidural during their delivery or their child would be born with jaundice, and terms like â€Å"epidural† and â€Å"jaundice† would appear on the screen with short, easy to read definitions. I’m not sure if MTV does this to scare teens or if they do this to inform them so they will have a better understanding of what is going on. Logos can be developed by using advanced and abstract language, citing facts (which is very important in my opinion), and by constructing logical arguments. According to Aristotle, rhetoric is the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion. He described three types of rhetorical appeal: ethos, pathos, and logos. In order for shows like 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom to be effective strategies to decrease teen pregnancy, MTV producers needed to understand these three terms. Judging by my survey results, these producers are knowledgeable and understand that the proper use of ethos, pathos and logos is necessary. The media is notorious for using ethos, pathos, and logos when trying to persuade viewers to either buy something or to simply watch a new show. I was persuaded to watch MTV’s Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant when I was in high school. I simply wanted to know more about the persuasive appeals these shows used and if these shows glamorized teen pregnancy. This project allowed me to research Aristotle’s concept of ethos, pathos, and logos, and how these shows are effective strategies to persuade young viewers not to become pregnant. My main research questions for this research project was â€Å"How do shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant use ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade viewers not to get pregnant? † And â€Å"Are these shows effective strategies for persuading teens and young adults? † I hypothesized that these shows glamorize teen pregnancy, and I wanted to further my research to learn more about this controversial topic. I initially planned on constructing a survey and reviewing scholarly journals regarding theories to help guide me to answering my research questions. I began my research by identifying theories that would help me approach this topic. I created my theoretical framework using three theories that I selected based on their ideologies of the media’s influence on behaviors. Media representations of life are confusing for many viewers. When we observe television stars behaving in a particular way, we assume that comparable actions in our lives will result in similar consequences. With that being said, my theoretical framework focused on Cultivation Analysis, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Early Window Theory. Cultivation Analysis Theory examines the relationship between extent of television viewing and conception of reality. In relation to the growing number of teen pregnancies, recent studies show that the amount of sexual content on television has been considerable and increasing over the years (Eyal Finnerty, 2009). Television and media messages contribute significantly to individuals’ thoughts and behaviors. I was able to apply this theory to my research because I wanted to make a logical argument that when teens see these young moms on TV living a fancy life (owning a house, owning a car, partying, dating, etc. ) that they would believe that they could have a similar life. This theory allowed me to show that teens could easily misinterpret the scripted situations happening on Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant as a reality. I also learned that one of the most generally accepted theories used to explain the influence of media on individuals is Social Cognitive Theory. According to Albert Bandura, when people see behavior that is rewarded or praised, they are likely to exhibit the behavior themselves through operant learning. I selected this theory to prove my hypothesis that if young viewers of these shows watched these girls develop a fancy life from 16 and Pregnant to Teen Mom then they would view this as the girls being praised and would be more likely to imitate behaviors to receive these rewards, which in this case would require pregnancy in order to receive the same â€Å"praise†. Although there is some debate regarding the full influence of the media on viewers, it is known that humans learn from observation. This theory also provided insight to the possible results of my research question that asks how these shows use ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade young viewers. As stated, humans learn through observation, so being able to witness these teen parents’ experience on the show and to hear their stories has more potential to persuade them to get pregnant or not depending on how they observe the show. The last theory that I used for my theoretical framework was the Early Window Theory. According to this theory, children are allowed to see the world and its various aspects before they possess the skill set to adequately understand and act in it. I decided to use this theory as part of my framework because I wanted to analyze the effects these shows have in regards to exposing teenagers to â€Å"adult situations† (like pregnancy). Teenagers get to a certain point where they are curious about sex and have questions. That is normal. However, these shows are documentaries about young parents who are experiencing having a child out of wedlock and in some cases have complications with their birth or have to worry about going to court for child support. These documentaries are shown on MTV, which is a television channel geared towards a young audience. This young audience is exposed to these documentaries about pregnancy, and if they watch them then they are given the opportunity to learn about an aspect of life that they should not be exposed to or worried about until they are older and are able to adequately understand it all. After developing my theoretical framework, I began to apply my methods for collecting data. I constructed a survey of ten questions. I surveyed ten female participants ranging in age from 13-18. I experienced limitations with my survey, like I only surveyed females and I only surveyed teenagers. The biggest limitation of my survey was that my questions were not the best. Based on my questions and the responses that I received I was unable to find out what exactly teens learned from the show. However, I did find out my teen participants’ attitudes towards these shows and how these shows influence their attitudes. My survey results also proved my hypothesis that these shows glamorize teen pregnancy to be wrong. More than half of my survey participants disagreed that these shows glamorize teen pregnancy. I was initially surprised by the data I received from the survey. However, after giving my results deep thought, I have concluded that my results make sense. Why would teens feel that the show glamorizes teen pregnancy? When I consider the ideas from my theoretical framework about how the media influences people’s conception of reality and that people learn through observation, I can safely assume that teens might believe that these girls on the show are living a normal life. Again, one of the downfalls of my survey is that I only surveyed teenage girls and my results reflected that. MTV shows the teen moms struggling sometimes, and other times they are living what seems to be a normal life. However, the struggle doesn’t out shine the normality. Although I did not receive the results I wanted, the results I did analyze made sense considering my theoretical research and the age and gender demographics of my survey participants. In conclusion, this project as a whole helped me understand the art of persuasion in relation to the media. Shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant effectively use ethos, paths and logos to influence teens’ attitudes about pregnancy. My survey results reflect this effectiveness, and my teenage participants said they learned that parenthood is harder than they thought from watching these shows; and I agree. The girls on these shows are not ready to have babies. They go through a lot of pain and also they get to miss out on high school memories. Being a mom is not an easy job for anyone. Many teens have at risk pregnancies because the body is not developed to carry a baby. MTV produces persuasive appeals on Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant to address certain facts and discuss how important it is for teens to understand the consequences of teen pregnancy. References Cosmstock, G. (1991). Television and the American Child. San Diego Academic. Bandura, A. (1994). Social Cognitive Theory of Mass Communication. Hillside: In J. Bryant and D. Zillman Gerbner, G. (1998). Cultivation Analysis: An Overview. Mass Communication Society, 175-194. Eisend, M. (2006). The influence of TV viewing on consumers’ body images and related consumption behavior. Springer Science + Business Media, 101-116 Eyal, K. , Finnerty, K. (2009). The Portrayal of Sexual Intercourse on Television: How, Who, and With What Consequence? Mass Communication and Society, 143-170. Media Literacy Clearinghouse. (2009). Media Use Statistics. Retrieved November 2009, from the Media Literacy Clearinghouse: http://www. frankwbaker. com/mediause. htm

Concept of Risk in Construction Industry

Concept of Risk in Construction Industry 3.1 General risks The meaning of risk changes when time goes on and the meanings differ when they are at the specific socio-cultural and historical contexts which we are located in. (Deborah Lupton, 1999) Risk is exposure to the possibility of economic or financial loss or gain, physical damage or injury, or delay, as a consequence of the uncertainty associated with pursuing a particular course of action (Cooper, Chapman, 1987). According to Cornelius Keating, risk is not the present problem which should be immediately addressed, but it is considered as future issues that can be avoided or mitigated. Risk is considered as a situation which may lead to negative consequences. Generally, six major categories of risk can be identified as the most important concerns for the majority. They are: Environmental risks, including pollution, radiation, chemicals, floods, fires, dangerous road conditions and so on; Lifestyle risks, which related to the consumption of such commodities as food and drugs, engagement in sexual activities, driving practices, stress, leisure and so on; Medical risks, which related to experiencing medical care or treatment. Such as drug therapy, surgery, childbirth, reproductive technologies and diagnostic tests; Interpersonal risks, related to intimate relationships, social interactions, love sexuality, gender roles, friendship, marriage and parenting; Economic risks implicated in unemployment or under-employment, borrowing money, investment bankruptcy, destruction of property, failure of a business and so on; and Criminal risks are those risks emerging from being a participant in or potential victim of illegal activities.(Deborah Lupton, 1999) 3.2 Risks in Construction Industry 3.2.1 The Concept of Risk in Construction Industry The construction industry experienced a wide variety of risks which may occur in financing, designing, constructing and managing facilities of a project. There are different definitions of risk in construction industry. In order to understand the process of risk management, it is important to understand the basic concept of risk in all aspects. The international standard à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Project risk management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Application guidelinesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? holds the theory of probability and consequence and defines risk as a combination of probability of an event which is occurring and its consequences to project objectives (IEC 2001). Ward and Chapman (2003) have made a broader definition of risk and suggest using a more general concept of uncertainty. They argue that risk is considered as threats but not opportunities and when it occurs it affects the project performance. Edwards (1995) points out that risks have a negative impact on the projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cost, qual ity or time in most situations. These definitions have a common feature: they define risk in terms of uncertain events and may have positive or negative impact on a projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s objectives. According to An (2010), risk interpretations can be considered as the following: The same as the word hazard The consequence of an unwelcome outcome or failure Chances of achieving a given outcome Signifies danger Taking a chance in an activity An (2010) argues the term risk can be defined in the two components: the probability of occurrence of the risk and the magnitude of the consequences if the risk happened. And the relationship is written in the formula: Risk = consequences x probability. The general trend of risks is shown in the figure 3.1 below. When the probability of occurrence is high, the consequences of risks seem to be low and vice versa. Risks with major or severity consequences rarely happen, but risks which are or have low consequences tend to happen frequently. Figure 3.1: Consequences versus probability trend (An, 2010) As mentioned above, the equation seems to be simple, however, the most important thing is to understand and calculate the probability of occurrence and the severity of consequences and express those using numbers. 3.2.2 Risk Classification Project risks can be categorized in a number of ways by considering the level of detail or a selected viewpoint. (Anna Klemetti, 2006) Categorizing risks will do help in identifying risks. According to the study of National Economic Development Office, construction risks can be broadly grouped in the following categories: Technical Risks include poor design, inadequate site investigation, and uncertainty over the source and availability of materials and appropriateness of specifications. Logistical Risks include availability of resources such as construction equipments, spare parts, fuel and labour and availability of sufficient transportation facilities. Construction Risks include uncertain productivity of resources, weather or seasonal implications and industrial relations problems. Financial Risks include inflation, availability and fluctuation of foreign exchange, delay in payment, repatriation of funds and local taxes. Political Risks include constraints on the availability and employment of expatriate staff, customs and import restrictions and procedures, difficulties in disposing of plant and equipment and insistence on using of local firms and agents. Both Smith (2006) and An (2010) argue that all project risks can be divided into three main categories: known risks, known unknowns and unknown unknowns. The difference between the categories is the decreasing ability to predict or foresee the risks. Table 3.1 presents a brief explanation about these three categories of risks. Table 3.1 Categories of risks (An, 2010) Known risks Including minor variations in productivity and swings in material costs. These occur frequently and are an inevitable feature of all construction projects. Known unknowns Including the risk events whose occurrence is predictable. Either their probability of occurrence or their likely effect is known. Unknown unknowns Those events whose probability of occurrence or their likely effect is unknown. Risk resources can also be divided into four elements: trivial, expected, hazard and risk management. Events with a low impact are not serious and can be divided into the elements of trivial and expected. For the high impact and low probability, these events are hazards which might occur but are too remote to be considered. (An, 2010)Taking into consideration of the probability of the occurrence and the consequence for project objectives, those events that have high probability and high impact are subjected to risk management. Figure 3.2 shows the classification of risk resources. Figure 3.2 Classification of risk sources (Smith, 2006) The causes of risk are various and depending on the size, complexity, novelty, location of the project as well as on the speed of construction and political or commercial plan. Long-term projects are thought to be more risky because the possibility of something going wrong is bigger to appear and the need for immediate plans of action that allow change is fundamental. The sources of risk are presented in Table 3.2. Table 3.2: Sources of risk (Thompson, Perry, 1992) Source Example Client, Government, regulatory agencies Bureaucratic delays, changes in local regulations Funding, fiscal Changes in government funding policy, liaison between several funders Definition of project Change in project scope Project organisation Authority of project manager, involvement of outside bodies Design Adequacy to meet need, realism of design programme Local conditions Local customs, weather windows Permanent plant supply Degree of novelty, damage or loss during transportation Construction contractors Experience, financial stability Construction materials Excessive wastage, quality, delivery Construction labour Industrial relations, multi-racial labour force Construction plant Resale value, spares availability Logistics Remoteness, access to site Estimating data Relevance to specific project availability Inflation Exchange rates Force majeure It is important to use the table as the first step in risk assessment process in order to identify all the relevant risks of the construction project. By identifying all the construction risks in the early stage of risk assessment process, successful risk management can be achieved. Failing to identify risks in the risk identification stage is a hazard to the risk management process. (Perry and Thompson, 1992) Moreover, risks can be classified based on the ability of the project to control them. A separation of risk as a local, global and extreme is based on the controlling ability of project parties on risks. As a result, this method helps to identify 80% of the risk, the last may not be worthwhile looking for, and a few of these risks could not be reasonably foreseen. (Smith, 2006) Figure 3.3 shows the hierarchy of identified risks. Figure3.3: Hierarchy of identified risks (Smith, 2006) Project parties have to manage the manageable risks by the settled frame and prepare to accept the challenges of the unmanageable risks. The preparation can reduce the losses caused by the unmanageable risks. Besides, some global risks can be reduced for sure. Categorization of risks would definitely help to identify risks. No matter what method is used to identify the risks, it is important that risks should be identified and assessed carefully, which is even more important in the early stages of the project since it will affect the decision making of the project participants. 3.2.3 Importance of Risk Management in the Construction Industry Change is inherent in construction work. When an uncertain event occurs, it will impact some of objectives such as the cost, schedule, and quality of the project. Construction projects often have a poor performance due to a lack of reasonable risk management process. (Liu Renhu, 2005) Many projects fail to meet deadline or cost and quality targets. As a result, risk management becomes an important part of construction management. Risk management intends to identify and manage those potential and unforeseen problems that might probably occur during the project implementation. And also, it tries to identify as many risk event as possible minimize their impact on the project, manage the responses to those events that are probably to materialize, and provide contingence funds to cover risk event that actually materialize. The essential purpose of risk management is to improve project performance via systematic identification, appraisal and management of project related risks. The focus o n reducing threats or adverse outcomes, which we might call downside risk, misses a key part of the overall picture. (Chapman, Ward, 2003) Changes cannot be eliminated, however, by applying risk management in project construction participates are able to improve the construction management. The benefit of risk management can be concluded as follows: Project issues are clarified, understood and considered from start; Decisions are supported by thorough analysis; The definition and structure of the project are continually monitored; Clear understanding of specific risks associated with a project; Build-up of historical data to assist future risk management procedures. (An, 2010) 3.2.4 Project Planning The control of time cannot be affected insulation from resources and costs. Project planning methods should consider the communication with all the parties in a project in order to identify sequences of activates and draw attention to potential problem areas. Careful and continuous planning contributes to successful construction project. Sequences of activities will be defined and linked to a time-scale to ensure that priorities are identified and efficient use of expensive or scare resources. However, since the uncertainty occurs during construction, the plan will always change and it must be updated quickly and regularly in order to maintain the most efficient way of completing the project. In developing a controlling plan, it is vital to distinguish between different categories of change and to fully instigate the formal aspect of the project. (An, 2010) All the parties and resources involved in construction have influences on project plan. However, project plan will change when uncertainty occurs. The purpose of planning is to persuade people to perform tasks before they delay. A framework of decision making in case of change occurs should be included in project planning. (Smith, 2006) 3.3 Risk Management in the Construction Industry 3.3.1 Risk Management strategy Both client and contractor are concerned about the projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s risk allocation. Generally, the client or the project owner has an overall risk management strategy and policy included in the strategic documents and quality management system. Risk management strategy is shown in figure 3.4. Management of project risk Figure 3.4 Risk Management Strategy (Smith, 2006) The most important issues which the project owner concerned in risk strategy are risk ownership and risk financing. Risk ownership is explained as which party owns the risks and risks expose and transfer. Risk financing can be explained as how to include and use budget of risk allowance or contingency. The participants make decisions, which affect the responsibilities of the parties, to define the organization and procedures of a project. (An, 2010) It influences the construction, commissioning, change and risk of a project and this is how it affects the construction processes. (Smith, 2006) 3.3.2 Process of Risk Management 3.3.2.1 Introduction Risk management is one of the most critical project management practices to ensure a project is successfully completed. (Chapman, 1997) The goal of risk management in construction industry can be stated as following: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“To be competitive in meeting the clients specifications with solutions that are cost-effective at an acceptable level of riskà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (An, 2010). To successfully achieve the goals in any projects, the following four aspects need to be met: Competitiveness Specification Cost-effective Risks It is important to consider the four criteria as a whole. There are two major objectives managing risk: one is to avoid the downside risks and the other is to exploit opportunities. Risk management is a process of defining the need for identifying, estimating and evaluating risks in order to control them at an acceptable level. (An, 2010) The risk management system is shown is figure 3.5. Figure 3.5 risk management frame work (An, 2010) Four aspects are involved in risk management, which are hazard identification, risk assessment, risk reduce or risk response and emergency preparedness. These will be introduced in the following paragraphs. 3.3.4.2 Hazard Identification Hazard identification is the first step of the risk management process. It is aimed at determining potential risks which may affect the project. Ideally, all the potential risks and hazards should be identified when the decision is being made so that the participants can deal with before they occur. However, although prevention is better than cure, no risk management system can identify all the risks and hazards in advance. (Martin Loosemore, 2006) In this way, hazard identification needs to be carried out carefully in order to reduce the potential risks in the project. As the first step of risk analysis, hazard identification is the most important one as it helps to identify the potential risks whose effects act as an impediment to the project, and this process will also help with risk mitigation and control. A general definition of hazard is stated as following: A hazard is an undesirable outcome in the process of meeting ant objective, performing a task or engaging in an activity (An, 2010). The undesirable outcome of a hazard could involve: Injury to personnel Damage to property Pollution to the environment and A combination of all the above (An, 2010) Risk identification is one of the most important steps of risk management because it makes the risks clearer. As a result, Chapman (2001) points out that the success of later risk management phases is directly affected by the quality of the identification phase. Risk identification procedure identifies and categorizes risks that could affect the project. This procedure includes discovering, defining, describing, documenting and communicating risks before they become problems and affect a project. (Barati, S.,  Mohammadi, S., 2008) Risk identification is a tool for identifying all the significant sources and causes of risk and hazards in a project. Numbers of methods and techniques are used in identifying the project risks (IEC 2001), including brainstorming, expert opinion, structured interviews, questionnaires, checklists, historical data, previous experience, testing and modelling and evaluating other projects. Perry (1992) points out the most popular methods of hazard identification. They are: Checklists prepared by experienced people that are involved in the project. Brainstorming sessions where groups of people are trying to come up with potential risks through conversation and exchange of ideas. Historical data of previous similar projects that can assist in the portraying of risks. Interviews of key participants of the project or experts involved with it. These techniques are to provide a systematic approach for identifying potential hazards in construction industry. (An, 2010) Empirical studies of risk management practice (Lyons, Skitmoreà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’2004) show that the checklists and brainstorming are the most useful techniques in risk identification. And they also point out that risk identification often rely on individual judgments of the project participants. Another method applied for the identifying risk events is the HAZOP study (Hazard and Operability). This is a technique using à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“guide-wordsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? in order to study deviation from the design objective of a project and its elements. (An, 2010) A helpful action would be to group the risks and separate them into specific categories after the first stage of risk identification. This would benefit the risk assessment process by applying a suitable technique to each category and furthermore in the selection of a risk management response for each type. (An, 2010) in construction industry three main types of hazards which need to be taken into account are the followings: Management Hazards: Associated with management and organizational issues, such as policy, commitment of funds for training, and the project of specific equipment and schedules to be met. Commercial Hazards: Arise from commercial considerations, and particularly associated with decisions on spending. A typical example is the selection of a less expensive material that just meets the minimum standard required instead of opting for the more expensive item with huge specification and a track record of high quality. Sometimes a contract is accepted as a cost below the desired level, and savings have to be made in order to complete the work. This in turn may lead to potential hazards due to commercial factors. Time Hazards: Many projects need to be completed by an agreed date. Delays due to the factors such as late delivery of materials, unforeseen production difficulties or failure to meet specification would affect the ability to meet deadline. As a consequence of failure to meet the deadline, it could affect future contracts and disrupt the schedules. All these events can be considered as hazards or time hazards. Each project has different associated hazards, which differ from various technology or organizations or anything else applied in the projects. A checklist of construction hazard drivers is shown: Financial Hazards Legal Hazards Political Hazards Social Hazards Environmental Hazards Communications Hazards Geographical Hazards Geotechnical Hazards Construction Hazards Technological Hazards Demand/product Hazards (An, 2010) After hazard identification, the potential hazards can be listed and grouped. Then, risk assessment method can be applied to build the risk level. 3.3.4.3 Risk Assessment Once risks have been identified, they must then be accessed. The sources of risks should be identified first, and then the effects of the risks should be assessed or analyzed. Risks can be assessed either using a quantitative or qualitative analysis. (Thompson, Perry, 1992) Qualitative Methods: The first step of the qualitative analysis is also the first step of risk assessment risk identification, which is described above as the first step of risk management. Then, an assessment of the probability of occurrence and impact of the risks should be taken out. Qualitative risk assessment usually includes the following issues: A brief description of the risk The stage of the project when it may occur The elements of the project that could be affected The factors that influence its occurrence The relationship with other risks The likelihood of its occurrence How it could affect the project (Smith, 2006) Using qualitative methods is the first step of risk assessment. Then, a quantitative assessment is only for the risks whose further information is required. These risks are usually serious and can jeopardise the project. Quantitative Methods: According to Barrow (2007), there are four reasons why risk should be managed: to minimize delays, to reduce cost, to improve return on investment, to increase the number of opportunity. Possible consequences of risk occurring are defined and qualified in terms of: Increased cost such as additional cost above the estimate of the final cost of the project Increased time such as additional time beyond the completion data of the project through delays in construction Reduced quality and performance such as the extent to which the project would fail to meet the user performance based on quality, standards and specification. (Smith, 2006) Several methods can be used in risk assessment and risk metrics method is going to be introduced. Risk metric is a two-dimensional presentation of likelihood and consequences using qualitative for both dimensions, event modelling is a systematic way to identify accident scenarios and quantify risk. (Ayyub, 2005) Estimating the probability and impact of risk in simple scales, such as from 1 to 5 or from high to low, is the most common way, and boundaries can also be numerically defined. Risk can be characterized by probability and consequence, and examples are given in table 3.3 and table 3.4. Probability of Occurrence Scale Descriptor 1 Rare 2 Unlikely 3 Possible 4 Likely 5 Almost Certain Table 3.3 Probability of Occurrence (An, 2010) Rating of consequences Scale Descriptor 1 Insignificant 2 Minor 3 Moderate 4 Major 5 Severe Table 3.4 Rating of consequences (An, 2010) As mentioned in pervious paragraph, Table 3.5 shows that risks can be allocated in three regions. Table 3.5 Risk Matrix (An, 2010) Consequence Probability 1 2 3 4 5 5 Tolerable Tolerable Intolerable Intolerable Intolerable 4 Negligible Tolerable Tolerable Intolerable Intolerable 3 Negligible Tolerable Tolerable Tolerable Intolerable 2 Negligible Negligible Tolerable Tolerable Intolerable 1 Negligible Negligible Negligible Tolerable Tolerable And this can also be replaced by two curves, as its shown in figure 3.6. Figure 3.6 Graphical presentation of risk regions (An, 2010) During risk assessment, identified risks are evaluated and ranked. The goal is to prioritise risks for management. The assessment of the risks leads the hazards to be classified in a region, which would determine the importance (risk level) of each hazard, and the possible regions are the intolerable, tolerable or the negligible region. Figure 3.7 shows the risks listed in the appropriate regions. Figure 3.7 Output of risk assessment element (An, 2010) The risks are allocated in three regions, after that, the risks should be selected the risk response to them. 3.3.4.4 Risk Response Once the risks are identified and assessed, the next step of the risk management procedure is to response to these risks. The nature of the response depends on the decisions made by the management team. In order to respond correctly, the team has to process the information available for the risk. There are two types of responses to risks: immediate response and contingency response. The immediate response mitigates or eliminates the risks through alterations of the project plan. The nature of contingency response is preparing a plan for an alternative course of action and implementing it when the risk arises. (An, 2010) There are four basic ways of responding to risk and they are risk retention, risk transfer, risk reduction and risk avoidance. In order to effectively manage a risk, it is necessary to adopt a combination of strategies to treat it. The selection process can be iterative until the most effective treatment strategy is developed. (Smith, 2006) Avoidance: Risk avoidance deals with the risks by eliminating the risks through changing the project plan or certain features. Another way of risk avoidance or reduction is re-design or changing the method of construction. (Perry, Hayes, 1985) However, there are only a few situations this response can be used. Reduce: Risk reduction aims at reducing the probability and consequences of a risk event. The measures should be taken with consideration of the value for money. Reducing the level of risks could raise the cost. Only when the value of the reduced risk is beyond the cost it caused, this method can be taken. Risks can be reduced by: Obtaining additional information Performing additional tests/simulations Allocating additional resources Improving communication and managing organisational interfaces(An, 2010) After risk assessment, hazards are allocated in the intolerable, tolerable and negligible regions. There are some guidelines for risk reducing. Hazard in the intolerable region: risks in this level should be eliminated or cost-effective cannot be achieved. As a result, the project should be considered for abandoning. Hazard in the tolerable region: to reduce risks in this region, two aspects should be considered. One is whether the risk is close to the intolerable region, the other one is whether it is a cost-effective reduction process. It is better to reduce the risk no matter how expensive it might cost in dealing with the first situation. For the second consideration, it is better to reduce the risk and checking carefully of its allocation. Hazard in the negligible region: it is recommended that these hazards should be left alone, since they are not worth to reduce. (An, 2010) Transfer: Risk transfer is to transfer risks from one party to another. This would happen between parties in a project or between one party in the project and one outside. (An, 2010) Some contractual obligation can also be used as risk transfer method, because no one is willing to accept a risk without any form of compensation. Generally, it is better to transfer the risks to the parties who can best control them. Acceptance or Retention: If the other methods fail to adequately or fully treat the risk, the project has to be prepared to accept the risk or any residual risk remaining after some initial treatment. The party which is holding a risk may be the only one that can manage the risk or accept the consequences. If the risk is under control of this party, the likelihood of happening or minimise the impact of the risk could be reduced. It is possible for a risk to have a number of potential treatment equally suitable but varying in cost. The selection of a final treatment must be made as cost-effective. The cost of managing the risk should be commensurate with the benefits obtained. The risk response process is directed at identifying a way of dealing with the identified and assessed project risks. Risk reduction is the most frequently used technique within the construction industry. Managing the risks of a project is a rather difficult task. Choosing any form of treatment may itself expose the project to additional risks. In this way, attention should be paid to ensure that the treatment strategy does not expose the project to greater risk than what the original risk was designed to treat. 3.3.4.5 Emergency Preparedness Even when the pervious risk management processes have been well applied, accidents happen occasionally. The goal of emergency preparedness can be concluded as the following: To be prepared to take the most appropriate action in the event that hazard becomes a reality so as to minimise its effects and, if necessary, to transfer personal from a location with a higher level to one with a lower risk level. (An, 2010) Regarding the management of risk, an emergency preparedness is the preparation of contingency plans and courses of action in case the risk arises during construction. The emergency preparedness could also be an alternative course of action prepared as a contingency plan. 3.4 Conclusion Risk management intends to identify and manage those potential and unforeseen problems that might probably occur during the project implementation. And it could identify as many risk event as possible, minimize their impact to the project, manage the responses to those events that are probably to materialize, and provide contingence funds to cover risk event that actually materialize. Precaution is better than cure. The same principle can be applied to risk management which should be a proactive approach rather than a reactive one. Risk management is a preventive process to ensure that negative impacts are reduced and that harmful consequences associated with undesirable events are minimized. Generally, the risk management process should include: risk identification, risk assessments, risk response and emergency preparedness. Once risk has been identified, they must then be accessed on their potential severity of loss and the probability of occurrence. Then through the following stag es such as risk avoidance, reduction, retention or risk transfer, the risks can be dealt with and its impact can be decreased to a certain extent.

Comparing Tension and Conflict in Things Fall Apart and Clear Light of

Tension and Conflict in Things Fall Apart and Clear Light of Day      Ã‚  Ã‚   How does the tension between traditional and modern views of the world play itself out in Achebe's "Things Fall Apart", and Desai's "Clear Light of Day"?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     In both Achebe's and Desai's novels, tension and conflict between the new and the old, traditional and modern are the strong undercurrents that move the story and the reader into an unconscious emotional uneasiness.    In both novels, the backdrop and the story are engrossed in a struggle between two worlds, the new and the old fighting out its battles in the characters portrayed within.  Ã‚   Achebe makes his stand in eastern Nigeria while Desai illustrates her point in Old Delhi.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the first part of "Things Fall Apart", Achebe, portrays a traditional African culture, but one on the verge of change.  Ã‚   Early in the novel you can see change is already taking place.   "...in the past a man who broke the peace was dragged on the ground throughout the village until he died.   But after a while this custom was stopped because it spoiled the peace which it was meant to preserve."  Ã‚  Ã‚   But traditions continued on, including ritual killing and banishment of one of the village leaders.   But then things begin to change more rapidly with the coming of the missionaries.   When they gave them the "evil forest" to build their churches on there was no turning back.   Many of the abused and outcast were converted when they saw that these new people prospered in the evil lands. The people started to revolt against their traditional gods.   "Three converts had gone into the village and boasted openly that... ...k after...  Ã‚   But even this simple act has its overtones, "...she has always liked to rule others..."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In both of these novels the main characters have to be strong to deal with the tides between tradition and modern culture.   Their lives are not easy, but while reading about them, maybe we can make it easier for others to live in our world and understand those who do not wish to make the journey of "progress".   Failing that, maybe we can at least understand our own journey through this jumble we call life.    Works Cited and Consulted    Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1986.    Desai, Anita. The Clear Light of Day London: Penguin, 1990    Taiwo, Oladele. Culture and the Nigerian Novel. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1976.

A Cold Day In Seattle :: essays research papers

(this is a paper i wrote for english the grade was an A)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Cold Day In Seattle It was a cold winter day on that dreadful morning. School was closed because of a holiday. Justen’s friends Jeremy and Billy came over to see if he could go to Capitol Hill with them. He agreed and their friend Ryan drove them. It was about 1:00pm when we they there, but the three boys would of never have gone if they only knew. Ryan dropped the trio of and said he would be back at 8:00pm in the same spot, because he had band practice at 3:00. They started our journey on 5TH Avenue going north. While they were walking Billy noticed something strange about the stores; they were closed the boys forgot that holidays applied to stores too. That’s when it happened, Jeremy got a headache. He started to scream and use profanity. As they were trying to find at least one store that was open, some drunk cowboy eating pudding started following the boys. What was some drunk cowboy eating pudding going to do to three teen-age boys? Then he jumped in front of them and screamed, †Billy!† that’s when Billy remembered him. It was the drunk guy that Billy had met a year ago, when he took the bus to Seattle. They were a little shocked, but they let him join in. Jeremy thought he had gone mad considering he thought he was in the war and kept saying, â€Å"don’t worry I got your back soldier,† to Billy. There the boys were walking down the street. Jeremy was raging about his headache, Justen was wondering what was going on, Billy was a little confused, and the drunk cowboy obsessed with pudding was walking behind Billy with his hands together making a gun whispering, â€Å"when the race starts run really fast,† and, â€Å"I got your back soldier. It was very cold, so Billy, Jeremy, and Justen had their trench coats on, but the drunk cowboy was wearing a tie-die shirt and bell-bottoms. They walked for an hour when it started to snow. Good thing they were wearing trench coats. â€Å"I bet I could fix ya up nice soldier,† w hispered the cowboy. The boys were all a little confused. â€Å"I got a special pill you could take for that vice on your head there soldier,† he exclaimed. Jeremy was a little nervous considering Advil usually isn’t red and comes in a little black film canister.