Semiotic and Semantic Information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Semiotic and Semantic Information - Essay Example This curiosity makes it possible for us to achieve such knowledge and understanding through which the form of communication would no longer be misinterpreted. In the absence of any solid and objective criteria to analyze a communicative effort, we can only ask the sender what the meaning is. This is where the study of communication rests on theories and embraces the theories and ideas of philosophy and psychology. I wish to quote Murungi (2003) who expresses the similar view on the importance of studying communication in the words as follows: In semiotics we have [a lot] of work which examines the processes of communication by way of determining, at least theoretically, how and why symbols convey meaning. On the other hand, in visual communication we have a professional and academic area which develops and puts into use the media of visual communication, i.e., the products, in the form of icons, signs, graphical symbols, illustrations, pictorial sequences and other interfaces by which information is represented and communicated visually (Murungi 2003, p. 15). But, this communication cannot be efficient and reliable unless we understand exactly what is the true information and how this information can be passed to its receivers in order to make a systematic communication. Stamper (1987) highlights this very problem in the following words: If you want to communicate then you must stand on a technical platform with the appropriate physical, empiric and syntactic properties (roughly speaking, the right hardware, communications, and software in the most general sense). Improving them can have profound effects on society. For example, science as we know it today could not be practiced on the platform of a script technology; monks copying manuscripts in penny numbers multiplied the errors because in most cases they did not really understand the text, and even less so the accompanying diagrams; so the critical examination of theories and methods, on which scientific progress depends, had no chance to proceed until printing made possible the rapid dissemination of exact multiple copies under the control of the author, for discussion and constructive criticism. Technology reduced the costs and so improved aspects of quality from which the pay-off appeared on the social level in the form of modern science. (Stamper, 1995, p. 27 3) Semantic and Semiotic Information Information is an important factor of gaining knowledge abuts things and objects in our daily life. According to Luciand Floridi (2005) "[t]he concept of information has become central in most contemporary philosophy. However, recent surveys have shown no consensus on a single, unified definition of semantic information." Information is understood and interpreted differently by every branch of knowledge. Semantics is the branch of linguistics that deals with the study of meaning. Semantics is the study of the relationships between signs and symbols and the meaning that they represent Semantics is used differently in different fields of knowledge like psychology, philosophy and more recently, in information systems. However, the main concern of semantic studies is to understand the exact meaning of an information being conveyed or received. Likewise, semiotics can

Impact of citizenship of the organisation behaviour Essay

Impact of citizenship of the organisation behaviour - Essay Example tatus in the organization, even at the lowermost levels these issues might make a difference, mainly in the presentation of individual teams in the organization (Stephen & Timothy 44). The approach of the individual can influence organizational behavior, mainly in individuals that clench responsibility for creating corporate culture, like the top management. For instance, it became discovered that money - oriented personal attitude in a worker have a negative effect on the organizational citizenship behavior (Stephen & Timothy 54). Nevertheless, it is not only the worker’s own organizational citizenship that may agonize; bad attitudes shows to affect organizational citizenship of the other employees too (Stephen & Timothy 77). Organizational behavior has often been likened to contextual performance. Correspondingly to organizational behavior, this concept emerged in reaction to the realization that looks at job precise work behaviors ignored a substantial portion of the job sphere (Don & John 67). Originally, experts in these fields focused only on activities that in a straight line supported the production of the organization. While the job market gets more aggressive, it became essential for employees to go beyond and beyond that gets formally required by the given job description in order to remain competitive (Don & John 67). Contextual performance often becomes defined as non- task connected activities and work behaviors that add to the psychological and social aspects of the organization (Jeff & Sandra 63). Contextual performance comprises of four dimensions: assistance to others, persistence of enthusiasm, rule and proscribed process following, and openly shielding the organizations objectives. Organizational behavior and contextual performance stake their defining qualities as they both contain of behaviors other than the ones needed to perform the repetitive functions of the job (Jeff & Sandra 13). All also require that the behaviors contribute to the

Is Australia Multicultural?

Is Australia Multicultural? Australia is often seen as a successful multicultural nation. Since 1945, around 7 million immigrants from over 150 countries have settled in Australia. Also, different religions and cultures are accepted, for example, Judaism and Islam. The governments that have ruled this country since the first white settlement in 1788, has passed legislations and policies that support multiculturalism. However, Australia hasn’t always been successful in multiculturalism. Not all people have had equal rights, for example, the right to vote and some governments have not placed a large emphasis on multiculturalism. Australia is one of the most multi-faith, multi-lingual and multi-cultural countries in the world. It is a diverse country that accepts people of different cultures and religions. With the increasing unrest in the world, more and more innocent citizens are fleeing from their war-torn countries, to countries where they will be accepted. People risk their lives and sometimes pay large amounts of money to come to a free and peaceful country that they can call home. Migrants come to countries that have the capabilities of helping other countries in times of distress or need and know that they will most likely be respected and received. According to the 2011 Census, approximately one quarter of Australia’s population is born overseas with 43.1% of people having at least one overseas parent. This shows diversity and outlook of Australia. The 2011 Census Executive Director, Andrew Henderson, said: These results highlight the cultural diversity of Australia’s population. Multiculturalism plays a big part in who we are as a nation, helping to create a brighter future for all Australians.[1] A survey conducted in 2012, revealed a high support for immigration by Australians; a majority displaying a positive or neutral attitude towards people from different backgrounds. 38% of those surveyed believed that the immigration intake was too high against 56% saying it was about right or too low. Australians accept different cultures, religions and beliefs and very few criticise those that have different backgrounds, beliefs and practices. There are approximately 260 different languages spoken in Australia and 21 different religions practiced. Each religion has different underlying principles and values and all are respected. Australia has ties with countries such New Zealand and China, helping Australians to broaden their outlook and understand different cultures and religions and how they influence lives in many ways. The past governments of this country and other non-government organisations have created many policies to give those from different backgrounds better lives. In 1989, the Hawke Labour Government continued to support multiculturalism, releasing the National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia. This policy contained the underlying values and principles of multiculturalism including â€Å"quote†. Australia’s Labour Government of 2007 led by Kevin Rudd, reversed the trend of the previous government led by John Howard (1996 – 2007), from a negative attitude to a positive attitude. Like the Hawke Government, Kevin Rudd showed its support for multiculturalism by creating ties with neighbouring countries and established a National Multicultural Advisory Council (NMAC) which was asked to give advice on â€Å"quote†. During April 2010, the NMAC released a report named ‘The people of Australia’. The council appreciated Australia’s multicultural a ttitude and made ten recommendations which included â€Å"quote†. The Australian government are not the only supporters of multiculturalism in Australia. There are also non-government organisations. Two examples of these non-government organisations are the Australian Multicultural Foundation (AMF) and the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations (APRO). The AMF seeks to promote awareness and the importance and respect in relation to peoples’ cultures and how they help the diversity of our country. The organisation also conducts research about Australia’s diversity. The APRO is made of people from different ethnic communities and have different faiths, which work together to promote multiculturalism, social justice and democracy. However, Australia is not as multicultural as it may seem. Asylum seekers are sometimes viewed as outcasts and people who do not deserve to live freely because of the trouble they cause. Migrants come from many places, risking their lives on boats that are hardly sea-worthy, to arrive in a free country, where there is democracy and peace. For many of these war-torn countries, Australia is their closest free country, with there only being approximately 93 miles between the most southern point of Papua New Guinea and the most northern point of Australia. The boats are usually intercepted by Australian Navy, Customs or Border Protection vessels on border security operations. The immigrants on these boats are taken to detention centres, for example, Christmas Island or Pontville (now closed), or are sent back to where the boat departed. Since December 8, 2013, the Australian Navy and Australian Border Protection vessels have turned back six boats, returning 249 people. Returning asylum s eekers gives them a limited chance to live a good life and create a living. A survey conducted in 2012 by The Scanlon Foundation found that only 23% of those surveyed agreed that asylum seekers who arrived on boats should be eligible for permanent residence. Australia has not always been a successful multicultural nation. When Australia was first discovered by Captain Cook, he declared it belonged to Britain, despite the fact that the Aboriginals already lived on the land. He stated that the land was terra nullius (a land belonging to no-one.) This view has been carried down by a majority of the population ever since the first settlement of White people. The Aboriginals have always been the true owners of the land; their position as the fathers of this land has not always been recognised. They have been ignored and discriminated. Their views of the land and how to use it have disregarded and have not always had the same social rights as the rest of Australia. An example of this is the right to vote. Aboriginals had the right to vote for the state elections in all states apart from Queensland and Western Australia. However, very few Aboriginals knew their rights, and therefore, very few voted. In 1902, the Aboriginals’ rights chang ed under the 1902 Franchise Act, excluding Aboriginals and any other coloured people from voting. It wasn’t until 1962, when the Menzies Liberal and Country Party Government changed the law to allow the Aboriginals to vote in the federal elections. In the same year, Western Australia allowed the Aboriginals of that state to vote in state elections, which was followed by Queensland in 1965. The 1996 – 2007 Liberal Government, led by John Howard, did not place such great emphasis on multiculturalism as the previous governments. The government focused more on â€Å"Cultural unity, assimilation and integration.†[2] A NMAC council was set up in 1997 and in its report titled Australian Multiculturalism for a New Century: Towards Inclusiveness released in 1999, it mentioned diversity and acknowledged that those involved in making a multicultural nation. However, it was more focused on â€Å"The heritage of Great Britain and Ireland from which our democracy has evolved and the special social values of mateship and a fair go.† In conclusion, Australia is successful as a multicultural nation, accepting different cultures and making life as free as possible for those from different backgrounds. However, it cannot be said that Australia has always been multicultural. People are given limited chance to improve their life and the rights of those from different cultures are not always accepted. Overall, Australia is a successful multicultural nation despite the negatives. [1] [2] Three Types of Amphibians: An Introduction Three Types of Amphibians: An Introduction Additional comments: There are three types of amphibians; Urodele (tailed with limited metamorphosis) Anuran (tailless and no scales) Apoda (limbless) Additional comments: The main orders at the Animalrium; Testudines (turtles, chelonioa and tortoises) Squamata (snakes and lizards) Crocodilia (crocodiles) Additional comments: They have a double circulatory system and maintain a high body temperature. Additional comments: Additional comments: Bibliography Lecture notes Visit to Borth Animalrium: supplementary notes Books Reece, J., Urry, L., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. R., Minorsky, P. V. and Jackson, R. (2010) Campbell biology / Jane B. Reece [et al.]. 9th edn. United States: Benjamin-Cummings Publishing Company, Subs of Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.

Comparison Between the Sunnis and Shiites Essay -- Religion Religious

A Comparison Between the Sunnis and Shiites Have you ever wondered about other religions that are out there and why they are out there? I have and that is why I chose to write my paper on the Sunnis and Shiites. Read on to learn more about a brief history and then I will break each of them into separate religions. In books written on Islam the word "hadith" usually refers to the sayings or "traditions" which have been given from the Prophet. Muslims hold these to be the most important source of Islamic teachings after the Qur’an. A lot of books have been written in English about what the hadith means in Islam and a number of important translations have been made. Almost all the studies have been limited to the point of view of Sunni Islam and based on Sunni sources and collections. Practically no one has ever paid any attention to the different nature of the hadith literature in Shiism and the different sources from which the hadiths are recieved. The main difference to be made between Shiite and Sunni hadiths is that in Shiism the traditions are not limited to those of the Prophet, but include those of the Imams as well. I will explain more of the distinctions later on. The difference between the two religions is still hard to distinguish even with easy to understand books like the Encyclopedia of World Faiths. There, the author of the article is aware that there is some difference between Shiism and Sunnism on the question of which hadiths are included, but he thinks that it lies in the fact that the Shiite collections accept "only traditions traced through 'Ali's family." But this is incorrect, since a lot of traditions are also gotten through other sources. What the author fails to mention is that the hadith literature as understood by Shiites is not limited to the sayings of the Prophet, but includes those of the Imams as well. The most famous and reliable collections of Shiite hadiths are four books. These books relate to the Six Correct Collections in Sunni Islam. These are al-Kafi fi 'ilm al-din (The Sufficient in the Knowledge of Religion) by Thiqat al-Islam Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni (d. 329/940), Man la yahduruhu al-faqih (For him not in the Presence of Jurisprudent) of Shaykh al-Saduq Muhammad ibn Babuyah al-Qummi (d. 381/991), Tahdhib al-ahkam (Rectification of the Statutes) by Shaykh al-Ta'ifah Muhammad al-Tusi (d. 460/ 1068) a... ...egarding the holding of spiritual and political authority remained strong even after the end of the Caliphate itself in the 13th century. The Sunnites’ strongest belief has an emphasis on the views and customs of the majority of the community, as distinguished from the views of other groups. The Sunnites compromised by allowing the other groups to bring their beliefs and customs that had nothing to do with the Qur’an. The Sunnites recognize the six "authentic" books of the Hadith, which contain the spoken tradition attributed to Muhammad. In the 20th century the Sunnites constituted the majority of Muslims in all nations except Iran, Iraq, and perhaps Yemen. They numbered about 900 million in the late 20th century and made up nine-tenths of all the followers of Islam. In conclusion I would like to comment on a couple of things. First of all the Shiism makes up 10 percent and Sunnism makes up the other 90 percent of the Muslim religion. Second of all the Shiites and Sunnis both are closely related, but have many differences. The two religions are both very complicated and difficult to understand. I hope after reading this paper you have learned a little more about both.

Millennium Development Goal and Bangladesh

Report on 2012 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and Bangladesh The Progress of Bangladesh on MDG A report submitted to the Department of Economics, AIUB, as a course requirement of Economic Geography, Fall semester 2012| | Prepared & Submitted byTeam : HISTORYNazmun,MdIstiakAlam, NusratKhan,Jahirul Islam Akhter, Sheikh TurashaShuvo,Shariar Al AminAshraf, Taskia| | Course teacherRAFIQ, FARHANAFaculty Department of Economics| | Date of submission| 28 November 2012| | | American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB)| 28 November 2012 RAFIQ, FARHANA Faculty Economics DepartmentAmerican International University – Bangladesh. Subject: Submission of Report Dear Madam, We have the pleasure to submit this report entitled â€Å"Mdg and progress of bangladesh† which has been prepared in part-fulfillment of the requirements of the Final Examination Economic Geography. We have discussed on our report about MDG’s and its progress in Bangladesh. We also have shown the wor ldwide progress of MDG. Finally, we are truly grateful to you for giving us this pleasant opportunity to work on this report. The entire group contribution has led to the successful completion of this report.Despite our all possible attempts, certain deficiencies may reside and we sincerely regret this. Best Regards, 1. Nazmun,MdIstiak ID:11-19119-22. Alam, Nusrat ID: 11-19192-23. Khan,Jahirul Islam ID: 11-18219-14. Akhter, Sheikh Turasha ID: 11-19261-25. Shuvo,Shariar Al Amin ID: 11-18231-15. Ashraf, Taskia ID:11-19115-2 | ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, we would like to thank to our course instructor of this Economic Geography course RAFIQ, FARHANA for the valuable guidance and advice. She inspired us greatly to work in this report. Her willingness to motivate us contributed tremendously to our work.We also would like to thank her for her valuable time by helping us for this report. This research report would not have been possible without the support of many people. Our thank s and appreciations go to our classmates for making the semester period truly enjoyable. And we would also like to thank our almighty for helping me carry through this massive task. Summary The main objective of this report is to discuss about Millennium Development Goals and its Progress in Bangladesh. For making this report we have collected data from internet, books, teacher’s references.Our finding shows Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals lies at the core of UNDP’s mandate, and is the focus of much of our work. Accordingly, UNDP and our partners' results in the areas of governance, poverty reduction, environment, energy and climate change, disaster management, all contribute in different ways to the acceleration of MDG achievement. In particular, the â€Å"Support to Monitoring PRS and MDGs in Bangladesh† project supported MDG acceleration in Bangladesh between 2006 and 2011. This project will shortly be renewed.It is expected that the report wi ll help to know about the MDGs as well as the situation of our country of achievement. Contents SectionPage Number * Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 06 * Discussion (a) MDG †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 07 (b) Goals and Targets †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 07 (c) MDG and Bangladesh †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 (d) Progress of Bangladesh †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 * Conclusions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 29 * Bibliography †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 30 List of Figures Bar Chart (1) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 * Bar Chart(2) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 12 * Bar Chart (3) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 Introduction The MDGs reflect a set of actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 193 nations in 2002 based on the Millennium Declaration agreed in September 2000. Bangladesh has recorded impressive feats in pullin g people out of poverty, ensuring that more children, girls and boys, attend school, and have access to clean water. Considerable progress has been made in child survival rate. Bangladesh is among the 16 countries who have received UN recognition for being on track to achieve MDG4.There have been some improvements to address the country’s massive environmental challenges over the past decade as well. Out of the 52 MDG targets, Bangladesh is on track on 19 of them; and 14 of them need attention (2011 data). Although Bangladesh is on track to achieve the Net Enrolment target, the drop-out rates remain to high; Enrolling the last 10% of the children, ensuring quality of education for children who are already enrolled in schools, and promoting gender equity in tertiary education, remain as major challenges. The maternal mortality ratio of Bangladesh at 194 has shown a major turnaround.Performance on this goal which was lagging is a major achievement. The threat of climate change can also diminish the hard earned beneficial impacts of years of growth and development not just for the people in impoverished settlements along coastal belts and river banks, but for the entire nation. Achieving full and productive employment for all, including women and young people remains behind target. The labor force participation rate is low at about 51. 7% and women's participation although improving, is much lower at 23%. It is highly unlikely that Bangladesh will be able to ensure employment for all by 2015.Yet another challenge that Bangladesh faces is in addressing certain pockets of poverty that are lagging far behind with respect to the national averages and where the benefits of MDGs attainment need to be specifically reached. These areas include the urban slums, the hill tracts, coastal belts and other ecologically vulnerable areas. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international developmentgoals that were officially established following the Millenn ium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration.All 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve these goals by the year 2015. The MDGs were developed out of the eight chapters of the Millennium Declaration, signed in September 2000. There are eight goals with 21 targets, and a series of measurable indicators for each target. Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger * Target 1A: Halve the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day * Target 1B: Achieve Decent Employment for Women, Men, and Young People * Target 1C: Halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Target 2A: By 2015, all children can complete a full course of primary schooling, girls and boys Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women * Target 3A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at al l levels by 2015 Goal 4: Reduce child mortality rates * Target 4A: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate Goal 5: Improve maternal health Target 5A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio * Target 5B: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases * Target 6A: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS * Target 6B: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it * Target 6C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Target 7A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs; reverse loss of environmental resources * Target 7B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss * Target 7C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation (for more information see the entry on water supply) * Target 7D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development Target 8A: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system * Target 8B: Address the Special Needs of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) * Target 8C: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing States * Target 8D: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term * Target 8E: In co-operation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable, essential drugs in developing countries * Target 8F: In co-operation with the private sector, make available the benefits o f new technologies, especially information and communications Progress towards reaching the goals has been uneven. Some countries have achieved many of the goals, while others are not on track to realize any.A UN conference in September 2010 reviewed progress to date and concluded with the adoption of a global action plan to achieve the eight anti-poverty goals by their 2015 target date. There were also new commitments on women's and children's health, and new initiatives in the worldwide battle against poverty, hunger and disease. From next page, we have shown some statistics about progress of MDG all over the world. Description Here is the percentage of adjusted net enrolment ratio in primary education: In case of the developing countries Enrolment ratio in primary education in 1990s was 82% while in 2008 it was 89%. In case of the developed countries Enrolment ratio in primary education in 1990s was 97% while in 2008 it was 96%.In case of the world Enrolment ratio in primary educ ation in 1990s was 84% while in 2008 it was 90%. Bar Chart (1) Description This is the percentage of people earning less than $1. 25 a day. In the year 1990 58% sub Sahara African are earning less than $1. 25 a day. & In year 2005 the percentage was only reduce by 7% Which show that the progress is not good. On the other hand, In the year 1990 60% of eastern Asian is earning less than $1. 25 a day. While in the year 2005 the percentage was reduce by 44%, which is very high. Bar Chart (2) Description This is the percentage of mortality under five years old per 1000: In case of the developed countries in 1990s the number was 12 & In 2008 it was 6In case of the developing countries in 1990s the number was 100 & In 2008 it was 72 Here we found huge deference between the developed & developing countries. Bar Chart (3) MDG and Bangladesh The Government of Bangladesh is committed to achieve the MDGs within the given timeframe. The recently approved Sixth Five Year Plan (2011-2015) titledâ €  Accelerating Growth and Reducing Poverty† has laid out the operational details on the country’s endeavor to move forward with a view to achieving the â€Å"Vision 2021† of the Government. The Plan has integrated the Millennium Development Goals within the broader agenda of the economic and social targets.The Sixth Plan has adopted a holistic approach to reduce poverty and improve other social indicators, with special attention provided to remove the regional disparities in development. The beauty of implementing the 6th Plan is that in pursuit of achieving national development goals, the MDG will also be achieved as the terminal year of both the milestone goals coincides. The recent progress report of MDGs in Bangladesh 2011, shows that Bangladesh has achieved remarkable progress in the areas of primary schooling, gender parity in primary and secondary level education, lowering the infant and under-five mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio, improving immunization coverage and reducing the incidence of communicable diseases. The recent data reveal that incidence of poverty has been declining at an annual rate of 2. 6 percent in Bangladesh during 1991-1992 to 2010. If this trend continues, the target of halving the population living under the poverty line would be achieved well before 2015. However, achievement of the hunger target might be difficult to attain due to volatility of the commodity prices and the challenges of underemployment. Progress of MDGs in Bangladesh * Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger Bangladesh is well on track to achieving Goal 1 with poverty coming down to 31. 5 percent in 2010. Also, the average annual rate of poverty reduction has been above rate required to meet the 2015 target. The poverty gap ratio has also decreased dramatically. Current StatusTarget 1.A: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income isless than $1 a day. 1. 1: Proportion of population below national upper poverty line, percent (38. 7 in 2008 bylinear extrapolation; 41. 2 in 2009 by household self-assessment)Status: on track1. 2: Poverty Gap Ratio, percent (9 in 2005)Status: on track1. 3: Share of poorest quintile in national consumption (NA)Target 1. B: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, includingwomen and young people. 1. 5: Employment to population ratio, percent (58. 5 in 2006 and 59. 3 economically activein 2009)Status: needs attentionTarget 1. C: Halve between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer fromhunger. 1. : Prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age (6-59 months), (45% asof 2009)Status: needs attention1. 9: Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption, (40%as of 2005)Status: needs attention * Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education While a significant 95 percent has been achieved in terms of primary school enrollment, dropout rates remain high and therefore primary school com pletion rate low. Progress has been made in adult literacy 58 percent in 2010 but additional effort is needed to reach the target. Current StatusTarget 2. A: Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be ableto complete a full course of primary schooling2. : Net Enrollment Ratio in Primary EducationBenchmark: 60. 5 in 1991Current status: 91. 9 (2008)Target : 100Status : on track2. 2: Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach grade 5Benchmark: 43. 0 in 1991Current status: 54. 9 (2008)5Target : 100Status : needs attention2. 3: Literacy rate of 15+yrs olds, women and men (%)Benchmark: 36. 9 in 1991Current status: 58. 3 (2007)Target : 100Status : needs attention * Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality & Empower Women Bangladesh has achieved gender parity in primary and secondary education together with being on track with respect to percentage of women employed in agriculture sector. Current StatusTarget 3.A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by2005 and to all levels of education no later than 20153. 1a: Ratio of girls to boys in primary education:Benchmark: 0. 83 in 1991Current status: 1. 01 (2008)Target : 1Status : Achieved before 20153. 1b: Ratio of girls to boys in secondary educationBenchmark: 0. 52 in 1991Current status: 1. 2 (2008)Target: 1Status: Achieved before 201573. 1c: Ratio of women to men in tertiary educationBenchmark: 0. 37 in 1991Current status: 0. 32 (2006)Target: 1Status: needs attention3. 2: Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sectorBenchmark: 19. 1 in 1991Current status: 24. 6 (2008)Target: 50%Status: needs attention3. 3: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliamentBenchmark: 12. in 1991Current status: 19 (2009)Target: 33%Status: needs attention * Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality The country is on track with regard to achieving this goal. Significant strides have been made in all three indicators and if the trend sustains, the country will meet t he 2015 target well ahead of schedule. Current StatusTarget 4A: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate. 4. 1: Under five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)Benchmark: 146 in 1991Current status: 53. 8Target: 48Status : on track4. 2: Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)Benchmark: 92 in 1991Current status: 41. 3Target : 31Status : on track4. 3: Proportion of 1 year-old children immunized against measlesBenchmark: 54 in 1991Current status: 82. Target : 100Status : on track * Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health This goal has been a major turnaround and is now truly a track to be achieved by 2015. Current StatusTarget 5. A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortalityratio. 5. 1: Maternal mortality ratio (per 1,000 live births):Base year 1991: 574Current status: 348Target : 143Status : needs attention5. 2: Proportion of births attended by Skilled Health Personnel (percent):Base year 1991: 5Current status: 24Target : 50 Status : needs attentionTarget 5. B: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health. 5. 3: Contraceptive prevalence rate (%)Base year 1991: 40Current status: 60Target : 100Status : needs attention5. : Adolescent birth rate (per 1,000 women)Base year 1991: 77Current status: 60Target : -Status : needs attention5. 5A: Antenatal care coverage (at least 1 visit) (%)Base year 1991: 28Current status: 60Target : 100Status : needs attention115. 5B: Antenatal care coverage (4 or more visits) (%)Base year 1991: 6Current status: 21Target : 100Status : needs attention5. 6: Unmet need for family planning (%)Base year 1991: 19Current status: 17Target : 7. 60Status : needs attention * Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases Bangladesh has made some progress in combating the spread of malaria with the number of prevalence dropping from 776. 9 cases per 100,000 in 2008 to 512. 6 in 2010. Current StatusTarget 6.A Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS6. 1: HIV prevalence among population aged 15-24 yearsBase year: 0. 005Current status: 0. 319 (2007)Target: HaltingStatus: on track6. 2: Condom use at last high-risk sexBase year:Current status: 44-67%Target:Status: need attention6. 3: Proportion of population aged 15-24 years with comprehensive correct knowledgeof HIV/AIDSBase year:Current status: 15. 8 (2006)Target:Status: need attentionTarget 6. C Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and othermajor diseases6. 6A: Incidence of malaria per 100 000 populationBase year: 776. 9 (2008)Current status: 586. 0 (2009)Target: 310. Status: on track6. 6B: Death rate associated with malaria per 100,000 populationBase year: 1. 4 (2008)Current status: 0. 4 (2009)Target: 0. 6Status: on track6. 7: Proportion of children under-5 sleeping under insecticide-treated bed netsBase year: 81% (2008)Current status: 81% (2009)Target: 90%Status: on track136. 8: Proportion of children under-5 with fever who are treated with appropria te antimalarialdrugsBase year: 60% (2008)Current status: 80% (2009)Target: 90% (By 2015)Status: on track6. 9A: Prevalence of tuberculosis per 100,000 populationBase year: 639 (1990)Current status: 412Target: 320 (50% reduction)/HaltingStatus: 36% reduction/on track6. B: Death rate associated with tuberculosis per 100,000 populationBase year: 76 (1990)Current status: 50 (2008)Target: 50% reductionStatus: 35% reduction/on track6. 10a: Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected under DOTSBase year: 21% (1994)Current status: 70% (2009)Target: 70%Status: achieved/on track6. 10b: Proportion of tuberculosis cases cured under DOTS:Base year: 71% (1995)Current status: 92%Target : >85%Status: achieved/on track * Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability While significant progress has been made in terms of access to safe drinking water and sanitary latrines in urban areas, the same remains a challenge in rural areas.Also maintaining wet-lands and bio-diversity is still a challenge. Current St atus7. 1: Proportion of land area covered by forestCurrent status: 19. 2% (Tree density > 10%),Target: 20% (Tree density> 70%)Status: needs attention7. 2: CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita)Current status: 0. 30Status: on track7. 3: Consumption of ozone-depleting substances (metric tons per capita)Current status: 127. 88Target: 0,15Status: on track7. 4: Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limitsCurrent status: 54 inland fish species & 16 marine species are threatenedStatus: need attention7. 5: Proportion of total water resources usedCurrent status: 6. 6% in 2000,Status: needs attention7. : Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protectedCurrent status: 1. 78% terrestrial & 0. 47% marine areas protected (2010),Target: 5%,Status: needs attention7. 7: Proportion of species threatened with extinctionCurrent status: 201 inland, 18 marine & 106 vascular plants are threatened,Target: improvement of ecosystems for protection of species compareto 2000 situation,Status: ne eds attention7. 8: Proportion of population using an improved drinking water sourceCurrent status: 86%Target: 100%,Status: needs attention7. 9: Proportion of population using an improved sanitation facilityCurrent status: 89%Target: 100%,Status: needs attention7. 0: Proportion of urban population living in slumsCurrent status: 7. 8 %,Status: needs attention * Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development Penetration of telephone lines and internet, particularly cell phone usage, has increased to a great extent but youth employment rate is still low. | | As clearly identified during the recent MDGs needs assessment and costing exercise, Bangladesh needs more resources to achieve MDGs. Immediate efforts need to be undertaken by development partners to examine the gaps and renew efforts to support critical MDG-oriented sectors. At the same time, the imbalance between loans and grants should be addressed by increasing the share of grants in ODA.In Bangladesh there have been numbe rs of policies, strategies, and implementation programmers, activities and interactions and debates surrounding the MDGs. In fact MDGs have emerged a way we are travelling through to the one goal of peace, prosperity and humanity. Conclusion Theatre for Humans believes the Millennium Development Goals are at the very heart of the stories to be portrayed in its’ inaugural production and will strive to bring these goals to the attention of as wide an audience as possible in order to further the dialogue needed for change. Adopted by world leaders in the year 2000 and set to be achieved by 2015, the MDGs are both global and local, tailored by each country to suit specific development needs.They provide a framework for the entire international community to work together towards a common end – making sure that human development reaches everyone, everywhere. If these goals are achieved, world poverty will be cut in half, tens of millions of lives will be saved, and billions more people will have the opportunity to benefit from the global economy. The MDGs are evident in the national planning framework. The revised National Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper has adopted a holistic approach to reduce poverty and improve other social indicators to achieve the MDGs, with special attention to the lagging regions. Overall Bangladesh’s progress might be slow, but in some sector like child mortality, improvement of maternity health, primary education etc has the fast progress.So it is a positive sign that we can achieve the goals, might not in 2015 but in near future definitely. Bibliography * https://www. google. com/search? num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=593&q=mdg&oq=mdg&gs_l=img. 3†¦ 1994. 2403. 0. 2934. 3. 3. 0. 0. 0. 0. 205. 276. 1j0j1. 2. 0†¦ 0. 0†¦ 1ac. 1. DQ5fVJymYv8 * https://www. google. com/search? num=10&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=593&q=mdg&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw&ei=SlGzUPjhNsTQrQfh5YCYCg * http://en. wikipedia. o rg/wiki/Millennium_Development_Goals * http://www. undp. org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview. html * https://www. google. com/#hl=en&tbo=d&output=search&scl

Buddhist website

The future exploratory study will identify how the multimedia factors contributing to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) – graphic usage, audio/video usage, merchandise section, etc. – affect Thai user’s attitude toward Buddhist website. The dissertation also seeks to determine whether the abovementioned factors make user to have either positive or negative or indifferent attitude toward the site. The study will employ a two-part qualitative methodology, and the results, it is hoped, will lead to more informed policies for the assessment of Thai user’s attitude toward Buddhist websites.This dissertation will employ heuristic and field research methodology to perform a high-level cultural analysis on Website design for the purposes of future research. The analysis of socio-economical and cultural issues (religion, Human-Computer Interaction, e-commerce, ethnography) relating to Website design is especially valuable from the perspective of the Thai-speaking Bu ddhist audience. Future research on the matters stated above is expected to clarify what kind of information people from the particular cultural region expect and how it should be designed.Literature Review Mayhew once compared a website to a book which anyone can display on The World Wide Web (WWW) which is â€Å"a repository of public information and transactions created by the public and accessible to the public via the Internet† (Mayhew, 2003, p. 3). The characteristics of the WWW are tensely linked to the ones of the website. Any website incorporates multimedia data such as text, static graphics, sound, animation, movie clips and virtual spaces arranged as hypermedia documents.These are the â€Å"documents that contain links to other pages of information† (Dodge & Kitchin, 2001, p. 3). The key issue about a website is its interactive, multimedia and hypermedia nature. The present research should be inevitably wrapped around the principles of Human-Computer Interac tion (HCI), user interface (UI) design, website usability engineering, and their influences on the website users. Alty defined the goal of HCI as â€Å"the efficient transfer of information between persons and computers† (2003a, p.100). According to Alty, HCI is [†¦] a generic term that describes all the activities concerned with the research, design, analysis, development, implementation and evaluation of the interactions across the interface between computer applications and human beings (often called users or operators) who are interacting with the application. (Alty, 2003b, p. 228) An authentic website should be constructed according to the principle of user-centered design.It means that â€Å"the needs, capabilities and limitations of the intended users [should be] properly taken into account during the design process† (Alty, 2003a, p. 100). Among the Internet user interface capabilities and constraints affecting users’ perceptions Mayhew listed modem speed, browser capabilities, browser controls and interpreters, installed â€Å"helper applications† or â€Å"plug-ins,† windowing, direct manipulation, and color (2003, p. 11).Within the context of HCI, a website utilizes output (text, graphics, sound, music, speech, color, animation, still pictures, moving video) and input (text [keyboard, handwriting], gesture [mouse, pen, dataglove, eye-movement], audio [voice or sound]) media to produce an effect on the user. Most literature investigates the tokens of user-friendliness in regard to a website (Mayhew, 2003; Mayhew & Bias, 2003; Opaluch, 2003; Boardman, 2004). Acknowledging the importance of this concept, Kurosu (2003) relied on cultural aspects of web usability such as â€Å"cultural variety† and â€Å"depth of culture† (p.48). The researcher utilized Suzuki's (1997) definition of the culture as â€Å"the response pattern shared by some specific group of people that is shaped through interaction with the environment† (Kurosu, 2003, p. 48) holding â€Å"the response pattern† as â€Å"how people will interact with the Website,† and â€Å"interaction with the environment† as â€Å"the interaction with the Website through the PC environment, including the browser. † Laney (1998) in his investigation of religious Christian Web sites relied on the Media System Dependency as well as uses and gratifications perspectives.Some researchers (Weeks & Goodman, 2003; Proctor & Vu, 2003) investigated HIC within the context of human information processing and perceptual-motor behavior, whereas the other group of scholars (van der Veer & del Carmen, 2003; Yoshikawa, 2003) emphasized the mental modeling as the core of HCI. Finally, Brave & Nass (2003) researched emotional implications of human-computer interaction. There is also a considerable body of research (Mayhew & Bias, 2003; Carey, 2001; Steinbock, 2000; Varey, 2001) dedicated to the issues of e-commerce a nd marketing relating to websites.Taken into account the field of the present research, reaction of Thai users towards Buddhist websites, the abovestated mechanisms and structures of HCI with a stress of user-friendliness should be analyzed within the religious and cultural context. The relation to culture in terms of geographical location is distorted and made complex within the WWW context (Couldry & McCarthy, 2004; Miller, 2004; Dodge & Kitchin, 2001; Kurosu, 2003). Geographical boundaries (the areas where people confess Buddhism, Thailand as a state unity) do not coincide with cultural zones (Thai cultural identity) and virtual areas (the WWW).On the one hand, Thailand is ready to enter the global community with its rather developed media network (Hamilton, 2002; Mccargo, 2002). On the other hand, the Thai national cultural identity is of introvert type with its â€Å"assertion of distinctiveness in relation to a powerful external world of ‘others’† (Hamilton , 2002, p. 153). One should also take into consideration the cultural elements constituting the religion of Buddhism. Haynes (2003) stated that over 90 per cent of the Thais are Buddhists.In Thailand Buddhism is â€Å"the sasana pracham chat, that is, the ‘inherent’ national religion† and constitutes â€Å"an ideological basis and political legitimacy† for the state (Haynes, 2003, p. 365). However, Haynes (2003) noted that the role of the state religion is flexible and â€Å"open to debate† (ibid. ). Swearer emphasized the unusual orientation of Thai Buddhism towards â€Å"[t]he cult of relics, images, icons, and amulets† (2003, p. 10). The religion in Thailand became more â€Å"secular and commercial† (ibid. ).The discussion seems especially interesting when religious issues are projected onto the virtual reality in the form of a religious website. Miller & Slater acknowledged â€Å"the coming together of a widespread interest in the spiritual implications of the technology, found in some of the cyberutopian literature, together with an interest in the use of the Internet on the part of established religions† (2000, p. 173). Laney (1998) noted that the simplification of web technologies and, thus, their cheapening contributed to the proliferation of religious websites.Unfortunately, the accessible literature concentrated on Christian websites with no comparison to other confessions. Last (2005) provided an interesting statistics on the Christian websites in regard to the goal of the website users in their accessing the religious websites. According to the source, 32 percent of the web-surfers are interested in religious news, 17 percent search for places to worship, 14 percent plan religious group meetings via the Internet, and 7 percent donate to charity with the help of the WWW.Besides, 11 percent of Internet users download spiritual music, 35 percent send online greeting cards, and 38 percent email spi ritual messages. Unfortunately, the statistics is rather modest in regard to Buddhist websites. Within the Thailand context, Hachigian & Wu observed such HCI problems as â€Å"the lack of IT access in rural areas where most of the population lives, lack of literacy in English/lack of Thai content, incompatible systems in different parts of the government, and inadequate training of officials† (2003, p. 88). Most of the Buddhist websites found by a plain search via search engines (Yahoo, Google, etc.) are written in English. Therefore, the present investigation is associated with difficulties in locating authentic sites for analysis. Problem definition It is true that literature about the WWW and general principles of website user interface (UI) design has grown lately. However, religious usage of websites is significantly underexplored. It is especially evident in regard to non-Christian religious websites. Religious website usage may contribute positively to the body of scho larly research on the motivations for religious Web use. The media being studied are Buddhist religious sites on the World Wide Web.Large investments are being made into the construction and development of religious websites on the Internet. A great proportion of Buddhist websites are written in English and seeks to meet cultural expectations of the Westerners. Laney (1998) once defined the problem for his investigation of Christian websites as the poorly researched motivations of the English-speaking visitors. The American scholar would be astonished at the â€Å"black hole† in regard to the motivations of Thai-speaking web-surfers whose driving desires and emotions relating to Buddhist websites are unexplored even to a greater extent.The present project seeks specifically to provide an exploratory study of Buddhist Thai-speaking website users and their motivations for using the religious Buddhist websites. Cultural theory as well as Mental Models theory and HCI theory const ruct a complex framework important for the present analysis. In order to investigate Thai users’ attitudes toward Buddhist websites the following theoretical framework was constructed. Three issues taken as independent variables are taken: graphics usage, audio/video usage, and e-marketing strategies in regard to Buddhist religious items.The first two issues are the types of output media whose effect on the user has been empirically proved. The issue of e-marketing is still being explored mainly from the perspective of user-centered design. A lot of elements may enter this concept including technical (e. g. , modem speed), user-oriented input (text, gesture, audio media), cultural (language, religion, country/nation) and other issues. The aforestated independent variables are supposed to affect (either positively, or negatively, or neutrally) the variable of website user’s perceptions.It is supposed here that graphics and multimedia elements do correlate with web-surfe rs’ emotions and attitudes. The second hypothesis is that religious background of a user (Buddhism) reinforces his/her positive/negative attitude toward Buddhist websites. In an effort to determine the presence/absence of correlation between website user design elements and Thai Buddhist users a revisit of previous implications of HCI and cultural paradigms is necessary. This research will attempt to provide a description of Thai Buddhism website usage.An additional purpose of this study is to identify the website design elements which positively/negatively affect the users of Buddhist religious websites. This study is an exploratory step in growing research on religious websites usage and the motivations for its use. Numerous studies will be required to obtain sufficient knowledge to fully understand this audience’s motivations and preferences for utilizing the most modern form of mediated religion. It is hoped that the present project will provide a starting point an d contribute to the growing body of knowledge in regard to the Internet and its cultural and social significance.Bibliography 1. Dodge, M. & Kitchin, R. (2001) Mapping cyberspace. London, Routledge. 2. Mccargo, D. (2002) Media and politics in Pacific Asia. London, Routledge. 3. Boardman, M. (2004) The language of websites. New York, Routledge. 4. Dennis, C. , Fenech, T. & Merrilees, B. (2004) E-Retailing. New York, Routledge. 5. Steinbock, D. (2000) The birth of Internet marketing communications. Westport, CT, Quorum Books. 6. Varey, R. J. (2001) Marketing communication: An introduction to contemporary issues. New York, Routledge. 7. Miller, D. & Slater, D.(2000) The Internet: An ethnographic approach. Oxford, Berg. 8. Hachigian, N. & Wu, L. (2003) The Information Revolution in Asia. Santa Monica, CA, Rand. 9. Mayhew, D. J. (2003) The web as software. In: Ratner, J. ed. Human factors and web development. Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 3-19. 10. Kurosu, M. (2003) A cult ural comparison of website design from a usability engineering perspective. In: Ratner, J. ed. Human factors and web development. Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 47-59. 11. Mayhew, D. J. & Bias, R. G. (2003) Cost-justifying web usability.In: Ratner, J. ed. Human factors and web development. Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 63-87. 12. Opaluch, R. (2003) Usability metrics. In: Ratner, J. ed. Human factors and web development. Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 101-122. 13. Hamilton, A. (2002) The national picture: Thai media and cultural identity. In: Abu-Lughod, L. , Ginsburg, F. D. & Larkin, B. ed. Media worlds: Anthropology on new terrain. Berkeley, CA, University of California Press, pp. 152-170. 14. Swearer, D. K. (2003) Aniconism versus iconism in Thai Buddhism.In: Heine, S. & Prebish, C. S. ed. Buddhism in the modern world: Adaptations of an ancient tradition. New York, Oxford University Press, pp. 9-25. 15. Alty, J. L. (2003a) Databases, know ledge management and information retrieval. In: Feather, J. & Sturges, P. ed. International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science. New York, Routledge, pp. 100-101. 16. Alty, J. L. (2003b) Human-computer interaction. In: Feather, J. & Sturges, P. ed. International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science. New York, Routledge, pp. 228-230.

Using Data to Intensify Behavioral Interventions for Individual Students

Using Data to Intensify Behavioral Interventions for Individual Students A tiered intervention is one of the most powerful techniques used to both prevent and overcome students behavioral problems. While a Tier 1 intervention presents only basic instructions, the following ones address a certain person and certain problems. Such kind of individualization allows to determine the core of a problem and succeed in solving it.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Using Data to Intensify Behavioral Interventions for Individual Students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A Brief Summary of the Article Kern and Wehby (2014) describe a tiered intervention aimed to improve a behavior of one of the students of Highland Middle School, named Isaac. Firstly, teachers try a Tier 1 approach, which is school-wide (Kern Wehby, 2014, p. 45). Since the students behavior does not improve, they supplement Tier 1 with new instructions and proceed to Tier 2. Finally, the last one, a Tier 3 intervention is presented an d proved successful.  According to Kern and Wehby (2014), Isaac has both academic problems, (refuses to do his homework, appears unprepared for lessons, etc.), and difficulties getting along with his peers, which usually lead to aggression and even fistfights (p. 45). The first phase of intervention was based on Highland High Five Expectations, which were Be Ready, Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Safe and Be Kind (Kern Wehby, 2014, p. 46). The students were encouraged to meet those demands, as well as aware of the consequences of not meeting them. However, Isaacs behavior remained the same, so a Tier 2 intervention was developed. As Kelley and Goldstein (2014) claim, a Tier 2 intervention is not a replacement of Tier 1, but a supplement. At this stage, personal information is also investigated. So, firstly, all students every day and after each period had to get points (from 0 to 2) for their adherence to each of Highland High Five Expectations. Secondly, the support team studi ed which of these expectations were the most difficult for Isaac and expanded the list for him. Nevertheless, he still managed to gain only the half of the possible points.  Finally, during a Tier 3 intervention, all of Isaacs problems were examined in details. He had to train his organizational skills, solve math problems and attend the homework club. He also got a specific schedule and was taught how to solve conflicts with his peers without any aggression. Finally, the support team members even managed to encourage Isaac to do all of these by letting him attend the sports team. As a result, Isaacs behavior improved, he showed better results in education and stopped having fights with his peers.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Article Analysis The student Isaac, whose story is described in the article, is fictional. However, his behavior model and the problems he faces ( both academic and social ones) are very common. Kern and Wehby (2014) explain how these problems can be solved even in the most difficult cases. As it is stated in Ephesians 6:4, Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. In other words, discipline is everything. Students should always be led by right teachers in order to develop their best qualities.  The approach presented by Kern and Wehby (2014) is supported by more than ten sources, including previous studies made in this area, what makes the information reliable. Article material is presented clearly and understandably and also sustained by several tables. I assume, an idea to show how intervention plans work on a particular example is very well-turned because it helps to understand the concept better. Finally, the information presented in this article is valuable since it can be applied to many other cases. As it was already mentioned before, a tiered int ervention is one of the most efficient methods of solving behavioral problems. References Kelley, E., Goldstein, H. (2014). Building a Tier 2 Intervention: A Glimpse Behind the Data. Journal of Early Intervention, 36(4), 292-312. Kern, L., Wehby, J. H. (2014). Using Data to Intensify Behavioral Interventions for Individual Students. Teaching Exceptional Children, 46(4), 45-53.

Women in the French Revolution essays

Women in the French Revolution essays The French Revolution of 1789 was a time of change for many people of France. In particular, the women of the revolutionary period participated in diverse activities which included protesting high food prices and joining women's societies and clubs. Women were deemed dependent upon the men in their lives because they were passive citizens and the harsh economic conditions of the time period resulted in a multitude of suffering for them. The women of the French Revolution agreed with the basic universal goals of the French Revolution. After the Revolution, women sought to achieve economic as well as familial equality. Yet, basic principles spawned by the revolution continually crushed any attempts made by women to attain their goals. As seen in Susan Voilquins memoir, A Daughter of the People, and Jeanne Bouviers, My Memoirs, both post-revolutionary writers valued the change in society, but were unable to overcome the hardships placed upon them early on and improve the quality of thei r lives. The economic conditions in post revolutionary years helped fuel women to seek to change their living status. The women wanted to be able to seek opportunities to improve their lives and their sense of self worth. The heightened demand placed on their families increased the strain their families were already experiencing as a result of the food shortages. For example, Voilquin describes the poverty that struck her family after her father lost his business as a, longtime acquaintance, [that] came once again to knock at our door. She goes on to describe poverty as a woeful visitor [that] weighed above all on my mother, who shouldered the greater part of the burden. (Voilquin, 101) In order to feed their families, women were pushed into the workforce. Bouvier began work at the age of eleven in order to help her mother provide for her family. She describes the actions taken in her situation as though it were the...

Disparate vs Desperate

Disparate vs Desperate Disparate vs Desperate Disparate vs Desperate By Ali Hale Two words that sometimes get confused are â€Å"disparate† and â€Å"desperate†. They have quite different meanings, but they can sound very similar in some accents, and if you’re using autocorrect, you might find that you get the wrong one. What Does â€Å"Disparate† Mean? Disparate is an adjective that refers to things that are separated in some way – and perhaps even incompatible with one another. Dictionary.com defines it as meaning â€Å"distinct  in  kind;  essentially  different;  dissimilar.† It comes from the Latin â€Å"disparatus†, meaning â€Å"separate.† Here are a couple of examples of â€Å"disparate† in use: Perhaps Labour’s most significant  proposal in its manifesto was for a national education service (NES), a scheme to join up the disparate elements of education, providing free lifelong learning from nurseries through schools to universities and adult education. (From The Guardian) To understand patriotisms uneasy place in Nigeria, you have to go back to 1914 when the Southern and Northern protectorates and Lagos Colony were brought together to form a single country. In the process about 250 disparate groups including the three major ones of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba were welded together in a Tower of Babel of sorts. (From the BBC.) While â€Å"disparately† is also a valid word (it’s an adverb), it’s rare to come across it being used. What Does â€Å"Desperate† Mean? The word â€Å"desperate† is, like â€Å"disparate†, an adjective. â€Å"Desperate† has the same route as the word â€Å"despair†, and it is used for several different purposes: Wanting something very badly (e.g. â€Å"I’m desperate for a cup of tea.†) Indicating that something is very serious or bad (e.g. â€Å"Our situation is desperate. We are completely out of supplies.†) Being willing to do something risky or extreme (e.g. â€Å"The rescuers took desperate measures to reach the stranded children.†) As an adverb, â€Å"desperately† can be used to modify a verb (e.g. â€Å"She desperately needed to sleep.†) Here are three examples of â€Å"desperate† in use: In a study of 872  acquisitions  made by 401 firms, the authors found that managers who were desperate to show growth- as measured by their firm’s weak growth as compared to that of comparable companieswere more likely to overpay for an acquisition. (From Inc.com) If you approach your job search with the mindset I dont care what kind of job I get  -   I just need a job!, that desperate energy will radiate from you in waves and everyone around you will feel it. (From Forbes.com) Period poverty  is pushing women in  Zimbabwe  to desperate measures  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ and the  homeless are bearing the brunt of the crisis, according to campaigners. (From The Independent) If you’re struggling to know which you should use at any given time, remember: Disparate can usually be replaced in a sentence with the word â€Å"separate†. Desperate can usually be replaced in a sentence with the word â€Å"wanting† or the word â€Å"extreme†, depending on how it’s being used. In most situations, especially in informal writing such as social media posts, the word you want is likely to be â€Å"desperate†. Don’t trust your autocorrect if you end up with â€Å"disparate† instead. Desperate vs Disparate Quiz For each of the following sentences, select the word that makes the most sense: 1. When I finally finished the run, I was [desperate/disparate] for a drink of water. desperate disparate 2. This program of study combines several [desperate/disparate] elements. desperate disparate 3. In these terrible times, we must take [desperate/disparate] measures. disparate desperate 4. I am [disparately/desperately] keen to work in the tourism industry. desperately disparately Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should Know35 Genres and Other Varieties of FictionCareful with Words Used as Noun and Verb

The study of motivation in consumers which stimulates them to purchase Literature review

The study of motivation in consumers which stimulates them to purchase luxury goods despite the steep and increasing price - Literature review Example Again during 2004-2007, when the luxury industry was expanding and emerging into other markets, the CAGR was 8 percent (Amatulli and Guido, 2011). The growth of luxury goods market was caused by two important factors. Firstly the economic growth all throughout the world has lead to the creation of new class of rich people (Vigneron and Johnson, 2004) and secondly, the increase in the demand and range of products of luxury goods (Silverstein and Fiske, 2003). However, the sales of luxury goods were predicted to ease in 2013 due to the lower growth rate in China and subdued spending in Europe (Reuters, 2013; Wendlandt and Binnie, 2013). The sales are expected to hover around 4 to 5 percent as compared to the 5 percent sales in the year 2012 (Bain & Company, 2013). It is also expected that the revenue generated from the luxury market will rise 50 percent faster than the global GDP and the annual average growth rate will be around 5 to 6 percent in the year 2015 (Bain & Company, 2013). T he four main categories that come under luxury goods are Jewellery and watches Spirits and wines Cosmetics and perfume Fashion that includes accessories, ready-to-wear and couture (Jackson, 2004). Recently some other categories were also added like airlines, home furnishing, private banking, tourism, hotels and luxury automobiles (Chevalier and Mazzalovo, 2008). Fashion luxury goods include perfume, jewellery, watches, shoes, handbags, accessories and apparels, the display or use of which only brings prestige for the owner and functional utility takes a back seat (Vigneron and Johnson, 2004). Some of the research scholars have previously tried to highlight on the profile of the buyer and understand the reason behind the consumption of luxury goods (Dubois, Czellar and Laurent, 2005; Husic and Cicic, 2009; Summers, Belleau and Xu 2006; Wiedmann, Hennigs and Siebels, 2007). Some others have focused on the role of brand in the consumption of luxury products (Fionda and Moore, 2009; Kap ferer and Bastien, 2009; O’Cass and Frost, 2002; Phau and Prendergast, 2000; Tsai, 2005). More specifically Vigneron and Johnson (1999, cited by Amatulli and Guido, 2011) has focused on the presence of interpersonal and personal motives behind the consumption of luxury goods. In this section the focus is on luxury branding, pricing and issues that influences buying behaviour. 2.2 Meaning of luxury The word luxury has been derived from the Latin word â€Å"luxus†, which signifies the pleasure of senses irrespective of cost. Vigneron and Johnson (2004) have created a framework that consists of five components, which provides the meaning of luxury. High quality is associated with luxury goods, which is perceived as a fundamental attribute. Quality signifies craftsmanship, utility, sophistication, technology, design and material etc. Origin and tradition of the product along with the perceived superiority and excellence of the products acts as the reassuring factors which is a motivating factor for the customers who are buying any luxury goods. Semiotics of luxury has identified hedonistic value, which signifies the emotional responses linked to the consumption of luxury goods like excitement, sensory gratification and aesthetic beauty. Consumption is about the experience and feeling of pleasure that the consumer gets from the ownership of the goods like self-indulgence, fulfilment and personal reward. Conspicuous is another value attached with the consumption o

German 1000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

German 1000 - Essay Example It is a good idea to have different monuments for the different groups. Although all the groups were victims of the Nazi, they were murdered for different reasons. As such, it was a good idea to have the monuments of the different groups separate. It is a good idea to have an underground place of information on the holocaust memorial. This information centre lists the names of the Jews who were killed in the holocaust. It is a good idea to have the names of the victims for commemoration purposes, educational and research purposes (Blumer 67). The name â€Å"memorial of the murdered Jews† singles out the Jews that were killed by the Nazi. It does not include the Jews who died of old age and diseases in the concentration camps. I think a better name for the memorial would be â€Å"a memorial for the holocaust victims†. We have a holocaust museum in the United States, but we do not have a single museum fir slavery or genocide in the country. I think this is because while the Americans did not perpetuate the killing of the Jews, they helped end it and that is why we have a holocaust museum. However, in the case of slavery, the United States perpetuated slave trade and does not have a slavery museum. I think Americans want to wash away this part of their history. There have also been numerous arguments that Africans were both the perpetrators and victims of slave

Two articles summary ( one page for each) Article

Two articles summary ( one page for each) - Article Example He gives the example of the episode, â€Å"A Streetcar Named Marge.† The episode uses allusions to A Streetcar Named Desire, Ayn Rand, The Great Escape, and Hitchcock’s The Birds. Matheson argues that these allusions are not for satire, but to capture deep meanings and to connect them to the story and the characters. These allusions are successful in keeping the humor tight and meaningful in The Simpsons. Apart from quotationalism, hyper-ironism shows the bleak humor of the show. Matheson asserts that modern society has â€Å"a pervasive crisis of authority,† which the show also describes through its undercutting of moral positions, including its own cynicism. He says that hyper-ironism is present in how The Simpsons attacks itself for its lack of strong and clear moral values and direction. Matheson argues that The Simpsons is funny because of its combination of quotationalism and hyper-ironism that see the society as it is, filled with cold and lost people tryi ng to hang on to traditional values while adapting new ones. Walter Benjamin provides a general history of the evolution of art. He asserts that changes in the economic structure have created changes in art. Like the economic structure, art is losing its essence, or â€Å"aura,† the inner force that comes from art’s uniqueness. He argues that mechanical reproduction has destroyed art by reinforcing oppressive socioeconomic systems. Benjamin explores the loss of art in the modern mechanical age. His first main point is that technology removes the purity of art. Technology makes art reproducible or mass-produced, which destroys art’s aura. Aura is lost in mass production because authenticity cannot be reproduced as it leads to the lost authority of the original maker. His second point is that art is as oppressive as the economic structure. Art is oppressive because it puts the masses in their controlled position, as they consume symbols and images that protect

Small Business Planning and Entrepreneurship Essay

Small Business Planning and Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Thus, the entrepreneurial mindset add value in the business environment through turning problems into opportunities where the common mindset may not perceive any solution to such problems, considering that if the solutions to the problem were obvious, then, the problems would already have been resolved (Gerber, 2012:n.p.). The GET results indicate that an individual scoring highly in the need for achievement criteria as forward thinking, optimistic, self sufficient and results oriented. In this respect, this entrepreneurial mindset is essential to add value to the business environment, through establishing and sustaining a positive attitude regardless of the challenges that might be faced by the business (Whiteman, 2003:77). The concept of optimism means that the entrepreneur still keeps a positive attitude even when there are numerous negative voices that say it cannot be done. While a common mindset will yield to pessimism and give up on trying, the entrepreneurial mindset is unrelenting and keeps forging ahead with seeking solutions for the existing problems (Anders & Lois 2005:33). Therefore, as opposed to a business owner or a manager, creating a business for an entrepreneur is like writing a book, considering that for an entrepreneur, the business created is not merely a business, but something that has a meaning, and which drives the entrepreneur to continue pursuing the vision, even when it is apparent that there are high risks for the business failure (Gerber, 2012:n.p.). According to the Schumpeter’s innovation theory of entrepreneurship, an entrepreneur is that individual who perceives the opportunity to innovate, thus taking a different path from the normal path trodden by the society, in meeting the same societal need (McCraw, 2007:72). The entrepreneur will chart entirely new paths through which the problems within the

Influence of Nostalgia on the Concept of Ideal World Essay

Influence of Nostalgia on the Concept of Ideal World - Essay Example To present an influence of Nostalgia on the concept of Ideal World it is very important to have a comprehensive understanding of the word Nostalgia. Nostalgia refers to the sweet memories which an individual would want to relive all over again. The Nostalgic concept in Paradise lost is based around the lives of Adam and Eve.. Eve was the first to eat the forbidden fruit and Adam committed a bigger sin by following in the footsteps of Eve. When they quarreled over small things they realized that things had changed after the consumption of the forbidden fruit. God decides to expel Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Adam then goes on an expedition with an angel to know how the world is like. He finds suffering in the world and becomes nostalgic to the moments he spent with Eve in the Garden of Eden. "To satisfy the sharp desire I had Of tasting those fair apples, I resolv'd Not to defer; hunger and thirst at once Powerful persuaders, quicken'd at the scent Of that alluring fruit, urg ed me so keen." (Browse Authors, 21 October 2008). The quote goes to show the implications of the actions taken by Adam, in spite of the warning he chose to taste the forbidden fruit. As a result of the same, he was expelled from the Garden of Eden where he experienced all the comforts and luxuries.

Inheritance Taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Inheritance Taxes - Essay Example â€Å"Death tax† label came about during the debate in the first years of George W. Bush’s presidency when those who saw the inheritance tax as a tax on wealth—their wealth—wanted it repealed. Using terms such as â€Å"death tax,† and framing the inheritance tax as a â€Å"double tax,† the small minority, approximately 2% of Americans, won the repeal. It did not hurt having a president set not only to inherit but who also has heirs to a sizeable fortune, and who wanted to please his â€Å"base,† deep-pocketed conservatives. In all actuality, the inheritance tax is a wealth tax: it taxes estates willed to heirs that net worth exceeds $5 million, so only the wealthy are affected by it. Even David Joulfaian of the U.S. Department of the Treasury admits that it is a wealth tax. â€Å"The estate and gift tax is the only wealth tax levied by the federal government. The estate tax was first enacted in 1916 and applied to the wealth of decede nts with estates in excess of $50,000. It has undergone numerous changes, especially in 1976, 1981, and 1997. Significant temporary changes were introduced in 2001 and are set to expire in 2011†. Yet even many poor people oppose it because they believe it will somehow affect them, and that has to do with the way those who the tax will affect marketed the idea to the masses. Conservatives succeeded in their efforts to have the estate tax temporarily repealed mainly because of the way they presented their argument. They framed the argument against the estate tax as though it would affect everybody who would inherit any sum of money or property upon a relative’s death including the heirs of small business owners and farmers. These people fear that, should they die, their business or farmland would be worth more than the $5 million dollars where the estate tax kicks in, and then their heirs would not be able to keep the business or land, which would affect the future income of the heirs. Small business owners and farmers, who subscribe to the conservative view, fear that if they die suddenly their families would be left in poverty because the government would tax them out of their source of income. But, conservatives not only emphasize the fact that heirs would not inherit the full worth of a business or farm they include the presumption that small business owners are so concerned over the estate tax that it affects their hiring practices. The website, Nodeathtax.org, says, â€Å"The United States economy has endured a severe recession and is currently growing too slowly. Accordingly, it is imperative that policy be focused on generating the maximum possible pace of economic growth. The estate tax is an important element of pro-growth tax policy. Recent research indicates that the estate tax has significant impacts on asset accumulation (and, thus, balance sheet repair), as well as the payroll and

Influence of Nostalgia on the Concept of Ideal World Essay

Influence of Nostalgia on the Concept of Ideal World - Essay Example To present an influence of Nostalgia on the concept of Ideal World it is very important to have a comprehensive understanding of the word Nostalgia. Nostalgia refers to the sweet memories which an individual would want to relive all over again. The Nostalgic concept in Paradise lost is based around the lives of Adam and Eve.. Eve was the first to eat the forbidden fruit and Adam committed a bigger sin by following in the footsteps of Eve. When they quarreled over small things they realized that things had changed after the consumption of the forbidden fruit. God decides to expel Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Adam then goes on an expedition with an angel to know how the world is like. He finds suffering in the world and becomes nostalgic to the moments he spent with Eve in the Garden of Eden. "To satisfy the sharp desire I had Of tasting those fair apples, I resolv'd Not to defer; hunger and thirst at once Powerful persuaders, quicken'd at the scent Of that alluring fruit, urg ed me so keen." (Browse Authors, 21 October 2008). The quote goes to show the implications of the actions taken by Adam, in spite of the warning he chose to taste the forbidden fruit. As a result of the same, he was expelled from the Garden of Eden where he experienced all the comforts and luxuries.

How Were Workhouses Run so That Only Those in Need of Genuine Help Would Apply Essay Example for Free

How Were Workhouses Run so That Only Those in Need of Genuine Help Would Apply Essay Workhouses, tried many things to stop those in need of help applying for help; this was because they soon became to expensive to run which is why the owners of the workhouse began to try to put the public off applying for help. I am going to cover all of the main reasons that tell you why the poor were ‘put off’. To begin, the workhouses soon introduced separation, they had different classifications. These were: Infirm men, able-bodied men and youths above fifteen, boys above the age of seven and under fifteen, infirm women, able-bodied women and girls above fifteen, girls above the age of seven and under fifteen and children under seven (however they were allowed in the same workhouse as either their mother or father). This would mean that if you were classified to a different class than someone else in your family, for instance; you would be separated and not allowed to communicate. This encourage those in need of slightly less help not to apply, as they may have believed that scraping a living with their family and friends would be better than getting separated in a work house. Next, the living conditions may be considered to have been better outside the workhouse, scraping a living, the living conditions were horrific! Firstly, all the women and babies were all living in the same room; this meant that when one baby awakened, apart from a heavy sleeper, everyone woke up. They also slept in square, coffin-like beds, which will have been hardly comfortable to sleep in. For me, if workhouses wanted their employees to perform to their full potential they would have given them good living conditions, however they didn’t want people coming in on demand. Because the workhouses mad the living conditions so horrific, would have encouraged many to not apply for help. This is because they may have believed they would get a longer, more comfortable sleep outside the workhouse. To continue, the food provided was terrible, the food was cooked terribly for a few reasons, two examples would be because the workhouses wanted to save money and buy the cheapest food, for the cheapest possible price and they may have purposely cooked the food badly. They also gave each of the same food for each food break causing people to have a bad diet. Again, people in poverty would not apply for help. People wouldn’t apply because word would spread about the terrible food and people wouldn’t apply because again they could think that they could get better food elsewhere. The workhouse owners probably knew that word of this would spread and less people would apply for help, like they wanted. Next, punishments were very harsh and barely taken into consideration, for instance the workhouse owners would judge whether someone was ill or not ill, for instance, if they judged someone to be well and fit when they were ill the would punish the ill person, for no reason when they should be treating their employee well so that as soon as they had recovered, they would be able to perform at a high standard again. This would have put people off because they would be scared of the owners and if they were a parent, they may feel that they were the person to hand out punishments to child not the owners. The owners most possibly knew again that word would spread and would be ruthless to any parent try who tried to have authority. Working conditions, like living conditions were poor. Some people may have applied sot they may get a more enjoyable job with good earnings, instead they were allocated with jobs such as rope picking, this was where a worker had to get old, battered rope, and individually take each thread off the rope and then put it back together to make good rope. This would have put the poor off because they may feel that the jobs they were doing were more enjoyable plus they may feel that they should be doing better jobs if they were to apply for help because workhouses had been advertised to be the ‘way out’ of problems. My final point is on the fact that the workers had no individuality. The workhouse owners had some rules which were strict and if broken would show no tolerance. An example of this is in a picture, it shows how each of the women in the workhouse are having their meal, everyone’s food is exactly the same food, which for lunch was commonly beef and vegetable soup, so vegetarians would be forced to eat the food, not necessarily by the workhouse owners but by their own hunger because they were served such a small amount, they would be extremely hungry. They were also sat in rows, they were not allowed to socialise and they all had to wear uniforms. This would make employees feel worthless and as if they were in prison and ultimately they would feel demoralised and wouldn’t feel excited for the job they would do after their lunch, for example. Word would have spread about this (Like the owners would have wanted) and the poor would feel that the joy of socialising was worth m ore than living a poor lifestyle. To conclude this essay, I feel the most important factor that people would have taken into consideration would be the fact that families were split; the workhouse owners would have found that this was the biggest blow to a family thinking of applying because they would have wanted to be together.

Vegetable Oils Determining Degree Of Unsaturation And Viscosity Biology Essay

Vegetable Oils Determining Degree Of Unsaturation And Viscosity Biology Essay Oil is an integral part of everyones life. Life without oil is not possible, especially in cooking. But there is a limit to which how much oil can be used for the purpose of cooking. The health factors have to be considered. There are different types of oil that are used for cooking and eating purposes. But how many of them are actually safe for health? How many of them do not cause any health problems like high cholesterol etc which in turn leads to diseases like heart attacks? This topic is definitely worthy for investigation because a lot can be found out by determining the iodine number of different oils. For example, the degree of unsaturation is the main thing that can be found out by performing the experiment of Iodine Value. From the degree of unsaturation, we can determine the boiling points of the oils and their effect on the human body. Though my experiment is only for four oils, namely, mustard oil, olive oil, coconut oil and canola oil, there is great scope for investigation even in these oils. The main purpose of this investigation is to establish the relationship between the degree of unsaturation in the oil and the viscosity of the oil Vegetable or Cooking oil is used on an everyday basis. Vegetable oil is purified fat of plant origin which is liquid at room temperature.There are many different kinds of vegetable oils, some of them are: Olive oil, Sunflower oil, Soybean oil, Sesame oil, Coconut oil, Peanut oil, Corn oil etc. Fats and oils are esters of triglycerols and fatty acids. When an oil is unsaturated, it means that the fatty acids consist of a long chain hydrocarbon that have carbon-carbon double bonds. The degree of unsaturation can be determined by finding out the amount of mass that is used to overcome the carbon-carbon double bonds.The amount of iodine that reacts is used to find the iodine number of the oil and this is used to indicate the degree of unsaturation in the oil. The higher the iodine number the greater the unsaturation. Unsaturated oils are less stable than saturated oils. They keep less well than the saturated oils. This is because the carbon carbon double bond in the unsaturated oils react with the oxygen in the air. This may lead to discolouration to the surface of the oil, decrease in the nutrient oil and they also lead to rancidity. They are more prone to hydrogenation and to hydrolysis. Oils are very important to our body, they provide energy because they contain proportionately less oxygen than carbohydrates and they release more energy when they are oxidised.They also provide the structural components of the cell membrane. They also help in the production of steroid hormones like progesterone and testosterone. Unsaturated oils are very harmful to health. They damage the immune system, cause hormonal imbalances and many other problems. They pose a major health risk. Unsaturated oils get rancid when exposed to air; that is called oxidation, Free radicals are produced in the process. This process is accelerated at higher temperatures. The free radicals produced in this method react with parts of cells, such as molecules of DNA and protein and may become attached to those molecules, causing abnormalities of structure and function. The greater the degree of unsaturation of the oil, the better it is for the body. This is because, as mentioned above, the greater the degree of unsaturation the lower the melting point. The average body temperature of the human body is around 98.8.F. Any oil below this temperature is extremely good for the body. This is because the oil wont linger in the stomach for a very long time, because if it stays in the stomach for a very long time, then it can make the body sick. Also, oils below this temperature helps in dissolving the fat that is already present in the body instead of further accumulating the amount of fat in the body. These oils do not clog up the arteries and they do not become hostile plaques. If the oil has less degree of unsaturation or is saturated, then it has a higher melting point, this is because the Vander Waal forces are stronger when compared to the oils that have a greater degree of unsaturation. This would require more energy to overcome the intermolecular forces causing a higher melting point. Now, since the oil will have to burn at a higher temperature, the body temperature has to rise to above the average body temperature to that specific temperature. If it does not reach to that particular temperature for the oil to burn, it can cause indigestion and clogged arteries. They help raise a persons high density lipoproteins (HDL). HDL carries cholesterol from the blood back to the liver. The liver then breaks down the cholesterol so that it can be eliminated from the body. This helps the excess cholesterol from being deposited in the arteries. Word Count: 572 EXPERIMENT A- DETERMINING THE IODINE VALUE OF THE OILS Design 2.1.1 Aim: Finding the iodine number to determine the degree of unsaturation of various different vegetable oils Iodine Number: it is the measure of the degree of the unsaturation in oils and fats. It is expressed in terms of centigrams of iodine absorbed per gram of sample( percentage by weight of iodine absorbed) 2.1.2 Apparatus: Iodine Flasks, 250 ml Micro Beaker, I ml Burette, 50 ml Beakers, 250 ml 2.1.3 Chemicals Required: De ionized Water Carbon Tetrachloride Iodine monochloride(Wijs solution) Potassium Iodide solution Starch Solution Aqueous Thiosulphate standard solution 2.1.4 Oils required: Olive Oil Mustard Oil Coconut Oil Canola Oil 2.1.5 Procedure: One 250 ml iodine flask was labeled BLANK and the other iodine flask was labeled SAMPLE A sample of oil was collected in a 50 ml beaker of known weight and was weighed in an analytical weighing balance in order to obtain the weight of the oil to 4 decimal places Subsequently, 20 ml of Carbon Tetrachloride was added to the beaker, stirred and this solution was transferred to an Iodine Flask. 5 ml of Wijs Solution was transferred to the iodine flask using a microbeaker The Iodine flask was covered with an airtight lid and was kept away in the dark for 45 minutes After 45 minutes, 10 ml of Potassium Iodide solution was poured into the lid of the Iodine Flask The lid was slowly raised allowing a minimum air gap to prevent any iodine vapours formed as a result of the previous reactions, thus allowing the Potassium Iodide to drip slowly into the iodine flask 100 ml of water was added to the flask in a similar way and stirred so that the excess iodine was dissolved The solution was then titrated with Na2 ­S2O3 solution and when it turned to a straw color, approximately 5ml of starch solution was added which made the solution turn into a blue-black solution The titration was resumed drop by drop until the solution turned colorless. The volume of Na2 ­S2O3 was noted( both in the beginning of the titration and at the end of the titration) The above procedure was carried out without the oil to obtain the BLANK value The experiment was repeated thrice with the same oil The same procedure was carried out with another sample of oil Calculations Formula for the calculation for the Iodine Value of any oil Where: B Volume of Na2 ­S2O3 required for the BLANK sample S Volume of Na2 ­S2O3 required by the SAMPLE sample S Normality of the Thiosulphate Solution (N) W Mass of the oil taken (g) 2.2 DATA COLLECTION DATA COLLECTION OLIVE OIL Initial Volume (ml) ±0.05 ml Final Volume (ml) ±0.05 ml Reading 1 0 13.9 Reading 2 0 14.3 Reading 3 0 14.1 Volume of the BLANK sample = 28.6 ml Mass of the oil = 0.2407 gm MUSTARD OIL Initial Volume (ml)  ±0.05 ml Final Volume (ml)  ±0.05 ml Reading 1 0 9.4 Reading 2 0 9.1 Reading 3 0 8.9 Volume of the BLANK sample = 28.6 ml Mass of the oil: 0.2527 gm COCONUT OIL Initial Volume (ml)  ±0.05 ml Final Volume (ml)  ±0.05 ml Reading 1 0 26.5 Reading 2 0 27.3 Reading 3 0 26.8 Volume of the BLANK sample = 28.6 ml Mass of the oil: 0.2808 gm CANOLA OIL Initial Volume (ml)  ±0.05 ml Final Volume (ml)  ±0.05 ml Reading 1 0 6.0 Reading 2 0 5.2 Reading 3 0 5.5 Volume of the BLANKsample = 28.6 ml Mass of the oil = 0.2771 gm 2.3 DATA PROCESSING OLIVE OIL Average Values Initial Volume= = 0 ml Final Volume = = 14.1 ml Calculation of the Iodine Value =78.98 MUSTARD OIL Average Values Initial Volume = = 0ml Final Volume = = 9.1 Calculation of the Iodine Value: = 101.2 COCONUT OIL Average Values Initial Volume = = 0ml Final Volume = = 26.9ml Calculation of the Iodine Value: = 9.937 CANOLA OIL Average Values Initial Volume = = 0ml Final Volume = = 5.6ml Calculation of the Iodine Value: = 108.8 Error Propagation Blank Value= 28.6 ml Error in the BLANK:  ±0.05 ml OLIVE OIL: Value of the SAMPLE: 14.1ml Error in SAMPLE :  ±0.05 ml (BLANIK-SAMPLE) = (28.6-14.1) = 14.5 ml Error in (BLANK- SAMPLE) =  ±(0.05+0.05)=  ±0.1 ml Percentage error in (BLANK SAMPLE) = 0.69% Percentage error in mass = 0.02% Therefore % error in Iodine Value: 0.02+0.69 = 0.71 % Value of Iodine Number = 78.98 Error in Iodine Number =  ±0.56 Iodine Number of Olive Oil = 78.98 ±0.56 MUSTARD OIL Value of the SAMPLE: 9.1ml Error in SAMPLE :  ±0.05 ml (BLANK-SAMPLE) = (28.6-9.1) = 19.5 ml Error in (BLANK- SAMPLE) =  ±(0.05+0.05)=  ±0.1 ml Percentage error in (BLANK SAMPLE) = 0.51% Percentage error in mass = 0.02% Therefore % error in Iodine Value: 0.02+0.51 = 0.53 % Value of Iodine Number = 101.2 Error in Iodine Number =  ±0.54 Iodine Number of Mustard Oil = 101.2 ±0.54 COCONUT OIL Value of the SAMPLE: 26.9 Error in SAMPLE :  ±0.05 ml (Blank-Sample) = (28.6-26.9) = 1.7 ml Error in (Blank- Sample) =  ±(0.05+0.05)=  ±0.1 ml Percentage error in (Blank Sample) = 5.8% Percentage error in mass = 0.02% Therefore % error in Iodine Value: 0.02+5.8 = 5.82 % Value of Iodine Number = 9.937 Error in Iodine Number =  ±0.59 Iodine Number of Olive Oil = 9.937 ±0.59 CANOLA OIL Value of the SAMPLE: 5.6ml Error in SAMPLE :  ±0.05 ml (Blank-Sample) = (28.6-5.6) = 23 ml Error in (Blank- Sample) =  ±(0.05+0.05)=  ±0.1 ml Percentage error in (Blank Sample) = 0.43% Percentage error in mass = 0.02% Therefore % error in Iodine Value: 0.02+0.43 = 0.45 % Value of Iodine Number = 108.8 Error in Iodine Number =  ±0.49 Iodine Number of Olive Oil = 108.8 ±0.49 EXPERIMENT B- DETERMINING -THE VISCOSITY OF THE VEGETABLE OILS 3.1 Design 3.1.1 Hypothesis: To determine the viscosity of the following oils: Olive Oil Canola Oil Mustard Oil Coconut oil 3.1.2 Apparatus required: Viscometer 25ml density bottle Weighing balance Pipette 3.1.3 Chemicals Required: Olive Oil- 25 ml Mustard Oil- 25 ml Canola Oil- 25 ml Coconut oil- 25ml Distilled water- 25 ml 3.2 Procedure: Part A: Determination of the Density The oils were added up to the brim of a 25 ml density bottle of a known weight. The bottle was covered using a lid. And the excess oil was dipped off from the side of the lids. The density bottle was then cleaned. The bottle and the oil together were weighed in order to get the mass of the oil that is going to be used in the process of the experiment With the help of this calculated weight and a predetermined volume of 25 ml , the density of the oil could be calculated. The above process was carried out for all the oils and the water as well Part B: Determination of time taken in order to flow down a viscometer A Viscometer consists of a U-Tube with 2 reservoirs. 100 ml of the oil was added to the opening as indicated The oil was then pipetted up on the other side until the lower meniscus reached the level marked as A. It was held at this point by using a finger which covered the opening. As soon as the finger was released the oil flowed down and the at the same time a timer was started. The oil flowed through the reservoir and as soon as the lower meniscus reached the level marked at B, the timer was stopped and the time was noted. The above procedure was carried out for all the other oils and was carried out for water as well With the help of the above data, the viscosity of the oil , relative to the viscosity of the water could be calculated. 3.3 Data Collection and Processing Density of the Samples: Name of Sample Mass of 25ml gravity bottle( ± 0.00005 g) Mass of 25 ml density bottle + sample ( ± 0.00005g) Mass of the Sample ( ±0.0005 g) Density of the sample( Mass of the sample/25) Olive Oil 17.2358 g 40.2675 23.0317 0.9213 Canola Oil 17.2358 g 40.2872 23.0514 0.9221 Mustard Oil 17.2358 g 40.0860 22.8502 0.9140 Coconut Oil 17.2358 g 40.2733 23.0375 0.9215 Water 17.2358 g 42.3569 25.1211 1.0048 Time Taken Name of the Sample Time Taken( ± 0.5 sec) Olive Oil 8659 Canola Oil 6144 Mustard Oil 7628 Coconut Oil 9952 Water 151 Calculations Formula for the calculation of the relative velocity Ã…Å  1 = D1 ÃÆ'- t1 Ã…Å  2 D2 ÃÆ'- t2 Where, Where: Ã…Å  1 = Viscosity of Oil Ã…Å  2 = Viscosity of water Clearly, Ã…Å  1 = Relative Viscosity of Oil with respect to water Ã…Å  2 D1 = Density of oil D2 = Density of water t1 = Time required for the oil to flow between 2 marked points on the viscometer t2 = Time required for water to flow between 2 marked points on the viscometer 3.4 CALCULATIONS From the above observations we can find the viscosity of the oils. Olive Oil = [0.9213  ± (2 ÃÆ'- 10-6)] ÃÆ'- (8659  ± 0.5) = 52.27  ± 0.2 - [1.0048  ± (2 ÃÆ'- 10-6)] ÃÆ'- (151  ± 0.5) Canola Oil = [0.9221  ± (2 ÃÆ'- 10-6)] ÃÆ'- (6144  ± 0.5) = 37.33  ± 0.2 [1.0048  ± (2 ÃÆ'- 10-6)] ÃÆ'- (151  ± 0.5) Mustard Oil = [0.9140  ± (2 ÃÆ'- 10-6)] ÃÆ'- (7628  ± 0.5) = 45.95  ± 0.2 [1.0048  ± (2 ÃÆ'- 10-6)] ÃÆ'- (151  ± 0.5) Coconut Oil = [0.9215  ± (2 ÃÆ'- 10-6)] ÃÆ'- (9952  ± 0.5) = 60.44  ± 0.2 - [1.0048  ± (2 ÃÆ'- 10-6)] ÃÆ'- (151  ± 0.5) ANALYSIS From the above graphs, we see that there is an inverse relationship shared between the degree of unsaturation and the value of the viscosity Unsaturated oils are those that have carbon carbon double bonds because it lacks hydrogen atoms. Poly unsaturated oils are those that contain more than one carbon double bond. They are also called the polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAs and sometimes, they are also known as Essential fatty acids The degree of unsaturation can be found out by finding out the amount of mass that is used to overcome the carbon-carbon double bonds.The amount of iodine that reacts is used to find the iodine number of the oil and this is used to indicate the degree of unsaturation in the oil. A carbon double bond consists of one à Ã†â€™ bond and one à Ã¢â€š ¬ bond. à Ã†â€™ bonds are formed by the end on interaction of the electrons in a s-orbital. When they react they produce a bond in which the electron density is at its greatest on the internuclear axis ( imaginary line joining the nuclei) and is symmetric about it. à Ã¢â€š ¬ bond is formed by the side on interaction of the electrons of the p-orbitals at right angles to the internuclear axis. This bond has low electron density on the inter nuclear axis . The electron density for this type of bond is at the highest on the sides opposite to the internuclear axis. The presence of the double bond in the hydrocarbon chain makes the short. And hence there is greater number of electrons causing greater amount of repulsive forces. This is called the Bayers strain. The more the number of double bonds the greater the strain and shorter the length of the hydrocarbon. These types of hydrocarbon chain undergo addition reactions faster when compared to those that are longer with less number of double bonds. When they undergo addition reaction they get relived of the stress and the strain causing the length of the hydrocarbon to expand. Hence, the greater mass of Iodine use, the greater the number of carbon double bonds and greater the Iodine number and greater the degree of unsaturation. Therefore, greater the iodine number greater the degree of unsaturation The carbon in the double bond is sp2 hybridized. Hence the shape is trigonal planar and the molecule comes into one plane. Therefore, the molecules in a double bonded carbon are spaced out. When the carbon bond is saturated, that is, having only single bonds, the bonds are sp3 hybridized. The shape therefore is tetrahedral and hence molecules become spread in two planes. As a result, the molecules become more tightly packed, thus becoming denser. Therefore, lesser the amount of double bonds, the more tightly it will be packed when it becomes saturated and hence it will become more denser. This brings out a relationship between the iodine value, the degree of unsaturation and the viscosity. Greater the iodine value, greater the degree of unsaturation and lower the value of the viscosity. Greater the degree of unsaturation, lower the melting point. This is because in unsaturated oils there are carbon-carbon double bonds. The presence of these double bonds makes the hydrocarbon chain less straight. This weakens the strength of the Van Der Waals forces because there is less contact between the chains. Therefore, greater the degree of unsaturation, lower the melting point. Also, unsaturated oils are less stable than those that are saturated. Therefore, greater the degree of unsaturation, the less stable it is. CONCLUSION From the above experiment and analysis, we observe various number of things. Greater the Iodine value of the oil, greater the degree of unsaturation and lower the viscosity. Using this analysis, we can say that Canola Oil has the highest iodine value, that is, and the least Viscosity value, that is . This means that Canola Oil is the safest to cook and use because it provides a lot of health benefits when compared to the sample of the other oils. Mustard oil, which has an iodine value of and Viscosity value of is the comes second in the four oils that have been used for the experiment. Olive oil, that has an iodine value of and a viscosity value of is not recommended to use because out of the four oils that are were used for the experiment this falls under the third category. Coconut oil is very hazardous for the health because its iodine value is and the viscosity value is. It is recommended not to use coconut oil for cooking purposes. Sources of Error Error might have occurred when transferring the oil from one beaker to another. This might have lead to minor errors occurring in the process of the experiment The analytical balance did measure the mass of the oil to an accuracy of four significant figures, but there were few disturbance like noise and the shaking of the table around the analytical balance that made the digit in the balance to waver between one number to another. There might be some ICl (Iodine Monochloride) left behind when it was transferred from the beaker to the Iodine Flask. After the one hour in the dark, KI was to be added to the iodine flask by opening the lid slowly and making the KI to drip slowly into the flask. During this short period where the lid of the flask was opened, there might have been chances where the iodine vapors could have escaped from the reaction in the Iodine Flask causing errors in the experiment. During the process of titration, there are chances that there was excess amount of Sodium Thiosulphate was added for the color to turn colorless. This might have caused the wrong reading being taken which in turn can lead to the wrong calculation that can increase the difference between the original Iodine value and experimentally calculated Iodine Value While measuring the amount of starch solutions, Wijs solution etc, to be added in the process of the experiment, there are chances of parallax errors that could have caused errors in the process of the experiment There are chances that the apparatus had some tiny unwanted particles that might have been mixed with the other chemicals causing errors in the experiment While measuring the volume of the sodium thiosulphate used for the experiment from the burette, there are chances that there was a tiny difference between the reading that was recorded and the actual reading. The solution f Potassium Iodide was prepared in the lab by diluting the KI powder into water. Therefore, there might have been an error in the diluting the Potassium Iodide like for example, adding extra Potassium Iodide powder or adding extra amount of water. In some of the apparatus, there were readings that were not very clear. This might have caused errors in the experiment. For the experiment to determine the Viscosity of the oils, the experiment had to be carried out in similar atmospheric conditions. There could have been variations in the chemistry lab hence leading to errors in the experiment. Evaluation: To reduce the weighing error, the sample should be weighed repeatedly. This will reduce the random errors caused because of the weighing. This will also give an accurate mass that will reduce the errors in the experiment. While transferring chemicals, care should be taken so as to avoid the chemicals from spilling Repeated measurements could have been conducted while measuring the BLANK value and the SAMPLE value. This would have reduced the random as well as systematic errors that are caused by incorrect readings and unclear readings in the apparatus. The apparatus used in the lab for the process of experimentation should be of good quality so as to minimize the errors and increase the accuracy in the experiment.