Chinese civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinese civilization - Essay Example Outlaws of the Marsh, Monkey (Journey to the West) and Golden Lotus (Jin Ping Mei) educate readers what honor meant to the Chinese. Water Margin (In Chinese it is more commonly known as Shuihu Zhuan) or Outlaws of the Marsh was written in the 14th century and is part of the four greatest (classical) books on Chinese literature. Shi Nai’an is the creator of this marvelous text and is originally written in Chinese language. The events in the book take place during Song dynasty. One hundred eight outlaws huddle together at Mount Liang (also referred to as Liangshan Marsh). Their intentions are to build a strong and brave army and they succeed in gathering men for this job. Later they are given amnesty by the Chinese emperor. In fact they now serve the government by going on various quests to resist rebellion upsurges in the country and to fight off foreign invaders. Wu Song, Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen are some of the major characters that stamp their bravery honor and courage on the pages of the novel. The book is divided into 100 chapters and the plot is woven around many fictional characters. For instance chapters 7-12 are based on a fierce warrior by the name of Lin Chong. Chong (also goes by the name of Panther Head) and holds the 6th rank out of 36 heavenly spirits of 108 Liangshan heroes. Lin’s heroics are based on honor. For instance, Lin protects his wife many times from sexual advances of Gao Yanei, but later falls victim to a plot against him. Gao asks his father to help him frame Lin so that he could get his hands on his wife. He takes a special liking to his wife. Gao’s father Gao Qiu sells a valuable sword to Lin through a weapon trader. And later invites Lin to show him his new weapon. Through trickery Lin enters White Tiger Hall carrying a weapon which used to be a punishable crime. He gets arrested and exiled. This is where the Chinese honor manifests as when he is escorted by guards, they try to kill him (on orders from

Integrated Marketing Communications in Apple Inc Essay

Integrated Marketing Communications in Apple Inc - Essay Example Upon mentioning Apple, what come into people’s mind are their simplified campaigns of advertising that portray their products as exceptional. They apply their advertising in many mediums such as email, the web, television, billboards, and print ads that when combined have been highly successful in both marketing the new version of their new product but above all the new â€Å"smart cover† as an essential accessory. Apple’s public relations department is doing an excellent job at creating positive image for their newest product as both a business product and a family friendly product. The company integrates diverse mediums of communicating with their prospects by targeting appealing marketing concepts. Most of its advertisements involve children using the product, family members connecting via Face time, or a possible kid-friendly application. Agreeably, all these integrated marketing communication methods are creating a positive image for Apple.Because Apple†™s products are appealing, their newest product is receiving tremendous public attention due to its frequent media use. In addition, people are using it on television on news broadcasts and even by some prominent people as a display tool. In the world of promotions, Apple rarely partakes in any but, recent news has it that Best Buy is reserving Apple’s newest product for an upcoming promotion. This means that when a company increase the number of marketing channels in its strategy, it is more likely to reach more and new people. Hence, using a number of combined efforts to reach and communicate with your audience is the most effective in the current marketplace (Pride and Freel, 2006:316-17). However, it is worth noting that, it is crucial to use a technique like this especially during economic recovery. With reference to a research carried out

The Horrors of U.X.Os

The Horrors of U.X.Os Hannah Chartier The Vietnam War is the second longest war in United States history. It began on August 7, 1964 when the U.S. congress passed a joint resolution to go to war against the Communist North Vietnamese. It ended on April 30, 1975 with the fall of Saigon. The Vietnamese government estimates that around 14m tonnes of ordnance, nearly three times that used by the Allies in the second world war, was dropped on Vietnam between 1959 and 1975. Between 10% and 30% of it failed to detonate (Cordall). No one really knows for sure how many undetonated bombs are still there because everyday more are discovered. Unfortunately, these undetonated bombs continue to maim and kill the inhabitants of North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Unexploded Munitions pose a continuing obstacle to agriculture and a threat to children (Black). On September 6, 2016, President Barack Obama pledged $90 million to help with the removal of unexploded ordnances dropped during the Vietnam War. For almost fifty yea rs the U.S. ignored this problem. The United States military bombing tactics during the Vietnam War were unjust because these bombs continue to kill and injure ordinary people everyday. Clearing the undetonated ordinances left behind from the Vietnam War has never been a priority of the United States government. The U.S. government evacuated its last citizens and allies as quickly as possible to avoid the risk of casualties. It was the largest helicopter evacuation in history. The U.S. had lost the war, so it was not responsible for rebuilding the nations involved. No fewer than 119 countries have banned the use of cluster bombs, but the U.S. government still utilizes them to this day. Unexploded ordnances affect farmers the most in these post-war countries. The fields they farm are contaminated with cluster bomblets that were buried and forgotten. It is not unusual for a farmer to accidentally hit an unexploded ordnance with his/her shovel or hoe. The Guardian recently published a story about a Vietnamese farmer. Nguyen Dinh Thu was hoeing the small piece of land his parents had given him [when] he struck the unexploded U.S. military bomb that had lain undisturbed there for fifteen years (Cordall). When he awoke, he came round to find both his hands had been blown off and his face and legs were riddled with shrapnel which will stay inside him permanently (Cordall). His story is not unique Channapha Khamvongsa, the executive director of Legacies of War, has seen the horrors of the undetonated bombs in Laos. She was just a toddler when her parents left Laos for the United States. She has made it her mission to educate the world about the unexploded bombs in her home country of Laos. Eighty percent of people rely on their land to grow food in Laos. So they still use their land even at the risk of their own lives (Khamvongsa). Laos is one of the poorest countries in Eastern Asia. While most of the victims used to be farmers working their fields, these days, with more of the countryside cleared, those most at risk are scrap-metal scavengers, who cut up rusted bombs and shells in the hope of earning a few dollars (Black). About 40 percent of the accidents result in death and 60 percent of the victims are children. Also, (the bombies) are tennis ball sized weapons. The children often mistake the bombs for toys, and pick them up and throw them around. This is often the cause of an explosion (Khamvongsa). A typical example is A 13-year-old boy was killed in An My by an unexploded bomb four years ago as he played in his garden, and the shock waves still reverberate through this tiny community (Cordall). During the Vietnam War, the United States used bombs as a way of attacking the Vietnamese people and villages. It was a very poor decision because now, after the war, there are still bombs that continue to detonate every day, destroying the villages more and more. According to The New Yorker article written by George Black, Since the end of the war in 1975, more than forty thousand Vietnamese have been killed by U.X.O.

Remember Me, by Charles Joyner Essays -- history, unskilled and skilled

Remember me is a description of unskilled and skilled work on plantations, how rice was grown and harvested, and the customs of the slaves on the Georgia Coast. Joyner depicts the life of slavery from the Masters, slave, and outside parities to a view seldom seen in the education system today. In His book, Remember Me, Charles Joyner relates the slave owner and slave to each other because each needed one another for survival on a daily basis. Joyner explains how some masters particularly cared for their slaves with one example being from Reverend Colcok Jones, â€Å"Tell all the howdye for me, (19)† and other forms of greetings when away from the plantation. However, Joyner also goes into great detail of how some masters mistreated their slaves along with their mistresses. Joyner explains that the Butler’s mistress beat the slaves routinely, and as Fanny Kemble â€Å"On the first morning of her arrival amongst us, by beating severely, with a raw cow-hide, the b lack girl who nursed the infant, because the child cried. (20)† Many historians believe the reason lying behind this was because the plantation owners were having explicit affairs with other slaves, and the wives of Plantation owners were not oblivious to this fact. On one hand, most mistresses felt that the slaves were inferior to the white race, so therefore, beat the slaves without a cause. It was common practice, during the slave period in Georgia, that slave owners beat their slaves. On the Contrary, one might also see that some plantation owners, very few, actually cared for their slaves with great compassion and loved their slaves as their own family. As the punitive treatment of slavery carried on, the life of the slave on the Georgia Coast was demanding and extremely... ...mselves. Slaves told stories of how their masters cared for them and made sure they were taking care of, had all the food they needed, and also how some of them had time where they could escape and get away from the reality that they were held against their will. However, slaves also left behind horrific stories of beatings, lynching’s, and of rape their owners did to them. What Remember Me attempts to bring out is the good and the bad of slavery, the cruel harshness one had to endure, and the love and compassion few owners gave to their slaves. In doing this Charles Joyner received a lot of criticism against his statements, but what he is credited with is bringing out a new light in slavery alongside the Georgia Coast few had ever seen. Works Cited Joyner, C. (2011). Remember me: Slave life in costal Georgia. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press. Remember Me, by Charles Joyner Essays -- history, unskilled and skilled Remember me is a description of unskilled and skilled work on plantations, how rice was grown and harvested, and the customs of the slaves on the Georgia Coast. Joyner depicts the life of slavery from the Masters, slave, and outside parities to a view seldom seen in the education system today. In His book, Remember Me, Charles Joyner relates the slave owner and slave to each other because each needed one another for survival on a daily basis. Joyner explains how some masters particularly cared for their slaves with one example being from Reverend Colcok Jones, â€Å"Tell all the howdye for me, (19)† and other forms of greetings when away from the plantation. However, Joyner also goes into great detail of how some masters mistreated their slaves along with their mistresses. Joyner explains that the Butler’s mistress beat the slaves routinely, and as Fanny Kemble â€Å"On the first morning of her arrival amongst us, by beating severely, with a raw cow-hide, the b lack girl who nursed the infant, because the child cried. (20)† Many historians believe the reason lying behind this was because the plantation owners were having explicit affairs with other slaves, and the wives of Plantation owners were not oblivious to this fact. On one hand, most mistresses felt that the slaves were inferior to the white race, so therefore, beat the slaves without a cause. It was common practice, during the slave period in Georgia, that slave owners beat their slaves. On the Contrary, one might also see that some plantation owners, very few, actually cared for their slaves with great compassion and loved their slaves as their own family. As the punitive treatment of slavery carried on, the life of the slave on the Georgia Coast was demanding and extremely... ...mselves. Slaves told stories of how their masters cared for them and made sure they were taking care of, had all the food they needed, and also how some of them had time where they could escape and get away from the reality that they were held against their will. However, slaves also left behind horrific stories of beatings, lynching’s, and of rape their owners did to them. What Remember Me attempts to bring out is the good and the bad of slavery, the cruel harshness one had to endure, and the love and compassion few owners gave to their slaves. In doing this Charles Joyner received a lot of criticism against his statements, but what he is credited with is bringing out a new light in slavery alongside the Georgia Coast few had ever seen. Works Cited Joyner, C. (2011). Remember me: Slave life in costal Georgia. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press.

Definition of Drama Essay

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. [1] The term comes from a Greek word â€Å"dran† meaning â€Å"action† which is derived from â€Å"to do† or â€Å"to act†. Drama is an art form that explores human conflict and tension. It generally takes the form of a story presented to an audience through dialogue and action. The story is conveyed using the elements of the theatre: acting, costumes, props, scenery, lighting, music, and sound. Drama has an emotional and intellectual impact on both the participants and audience members. It holds up a mirror for us to examine ourselves, deepening our understanding of human motivation and behavior. It broadens our perspective through stories that portray life from different points of view, cultures, and time periods. Types of Drama There are many forms of Drama. Here is a non-exhaustive list with a simple explanation of each: Improvisation / Let’s Pretend A scene is set, either by the teacher or the children, and then with little or no time to prepare a script the students perform before the class. Role Plays Students are given a particular role in a scripted play. After rehearsal the play is performed for the class, school or parents. Mime Children use only facial expressions and body language to pass on a message tcript to the rest of the class. Masked Drama The main props are masks. Children then feel less inhibited to perform and overact while participating in this form of drama. Children are given specific parts to play with a formal script. Using only their voices they must create the full picture for the rest of the class. Interpreting content and expressing it using only the voice. Puppet Plays Children use puppets to say and do things that they may feel too inhibited to say or do themselves. Performance Poetry While reciting a poem the children are encourage to act out the story from the poem. Radio Drama ————————————————- Similar to script reading with the addition of other sound affects, The painting of the mental picture is important * Plot: This is what happens in the play. Plot refers to the action; the basic storyline of the play. * Theme: While plot refers to the action of the play, theme refers to the meaning of the play. Theme is the main idea or lesson to be learned from the play. In some cases, the theme of a play is obvious; other times it is quite subtle. * Characters: Characters are the people (sometimes animals or ideas) portrayed by the actors in the play. It is the characters who move the action, or plot, of the play forward. * Dialogue: This refers to the words written by the playwright and spoken by the characters in the play. The dialogue helps move the action of the play along. * Music/Rhythm: While music is often featured in drama, in this case Aristotle was referring to the rhythm of the actors’ voices as they speak. * Spectacle: This refers to the visual elements of a play: sets, costumes, special effects, etc. Spectacle is everything that the audience sees as they watch the play. In modern theater, this list has changed slightly, although you will notice that many of the elements remain the same. The list of essential elements in modern theater are: * Character * Plot * Theme * Dialogue * Convention * Genre * Audience The first four, character, plot, theme and dialogue remain the same, but the following additions are now also considered essential elements of drama. * Convention: These are the techniques and methods used by the playwright and director to create the desired stylistic effect. * Genre: Genre refers to the type of play. Some examples of different genres include, comedy, tragedy, mystery and historical play. * Audience: This is the group of people who watch the play. Many playwrights and actors consider the audience to be the most important element of drama, as all of the effort put in to writing and producing a play is for the enjoyment of the audience http://newtestamentyouths. org/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=84:drama-classification-and-descriptions&catid=39:congress-talent-showcase&Itemid=58

Zach Galifianakis

I chose Zach Galifianakis because he is my favorite actor, why? Dear reader that’s what you are about to know. I think he is exstremely funny and when he acts in movies or tv shows he acts like a child, that’s why I like him, he reminds me of me. He has a magnificent humour and a nice looking curly hair. He is called Zach but his real name is Zacharius Knight Galifianakis. He was born in Wilkesboro, North Carolina in 1969 October the first. He had a mother named Mary Franecs who ran a community center for arts, and a father named Harry Galifianakis who was a heating oil vendor. He had two siblings a younger sister named Merrit and a older brother Greg. Zach went to college, but he failed class with by one point and moved to New York. He started his career in the back of a hamburger joint in Times Square as a comedian. But his career in television began i 1996 when he played the recurring role of a stoner named Bobby in the short lived sitcom Boston Common. He had his own comedy show called Comedy Central Presents that first came out in September 2001. He acted some small roles like in the films Corky Romano, Below, Bubble Boy, Heartbreakers, Into the Wild, Super High Me, Little Fish Strange Pond, and Largo. He is most known for playing in the â€Å"Hangover† movies as Alan an annoying brother, â€Å"Due Date† as Ethan an annoying and stupid stalker and â€Å"It’s a kind of a funny story† as Bobby and depressed old man. Today he is forty years old and famous actor that has his future in front of him. First I thought he was 20-30 years old because of how he acts and his looks. It’s like he is always the same character in movies. I have much faith in him and I hope he becomes even more famous and better in the future.

IR - Midterm Essays - Production Economics, Business Law

IR - Midterm Essays - Production Economics, Business Law The ongoing negotiations between The Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA), the government and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) have once again broken down. While most of the issues having tentatively been resolved the main sticking point are sick leave and benefits. Craig presented the input-output model of industrial relations system in the late 1960s. In his model, the actors and the context are similar to those of Dunlops model. The main component of Craigs model are: (a) the inputs or the goals, and the values and power of the actors; (b) mechanism for the conversion of inputs into outputs; (c) the outputs of the system are the financial, psychological and social rewards for the workers. The output is in the form of the rules, which govern matters such as pay, working conditions, and hours of work. One of the major objectives of theorising industrial relations is to help the practitioners to understand what is taking place and causes for the same. Industrial relations theory might be useful to practitioners if it could help them in three respects: first, to understand the present industrial relations situation; second, to forecast trends and to predict what will happen under specific given conditions; and third, to help the practitioners to bring about certain desired changes and to avoid certain other changes in the present or in the future state of industrial relations. One of the most difficult attempts in industrial relations is to build up a theory and to generalise on its activity, which is highly dynamic. A host of factors, both internal and external, and conflict generating as well as conflict resolving factors, influence the shape of industrial relations activity. The industrial relations system in an organisation works in the context of pressures, tensions and conflicts, and is mainly related to power politics, economic, cultural and other differences. An inter-mix of such dynamic factors, and key institutional variables, is necessary in theorising industrial relations. - See more at: http://ilrexpert.blogspot.ca/2009/03/approaches-to-study-of-industrial.html#sthash.lsDhrDrB.dpuf

Fredrick Douglass essays

Fredrick Douglass essays He devoted his life to the abolition of slavery; this man was Frederick Douglass. Douglass was born in 1818 in Tuckahoe, Maryland. He was born into slavery and named Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. Fredericks mother, Harriet Bailey, was also a slave, who worked in the cotton fields all day long. His old grandmother mainly raised him. Lets take a closer look into a great mans life in the 1800s. Frederick Douglass was best known for his non-violent struggle for blacks freedom and rights. Douglass was a brilliant speaker. He spoke all over northern America about the abolition of slavery. After escaping slavery and moving to Rochester, New York he started the first of his two newspapers: The North Star. This was a very popular antislavery newspaper. He also had many conferences about slavery. Some conferences included talks with President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln and Douglass shared many of the same views on slavery and black rights. During the Civil War, Douglass served as an adviser to President Lincoln. He also fought for the adoption of constitutional amendments such as the guaranteed civil liberties, and voting rights for blacks. During the Civil War, Douglass served as a major stationmaster for the Underground Railroad. He helped hundreds of runaway slaves escape to upstate New York and Quebec Canada. In Douglass later years he was involved in many governme nt services throughout the United States. In 1872, Douglass moved to the District of Columbia where he served as publisher of the New National Era. This was intended to carry out the work of elevating the position of black African Americans. Later he served briefly as U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia and held diplomatic positions in Haiti and Dominican Republic. Douglass unfortunately had many negative influences in his life about slavery. As a slave for his first twenty years of life he saw how p...

Biography of Dido Elizabeth Belle, English Aristocrat

Biography of Dido Elizabeth Belle, English Aristocrat Dido Elizabeth Belle (c. 1761–July 1804) was a British aristocrat of mixed heritage. She was born into slavery in the British West Indies, the daughter of an African slave and British military officer Sir John Lindsay. In 1765, Lindsay moved with Belle to England, where she lived with royals and eventually became a wealthy heiress; her life was the subject of the 2013 film Belle. Fast Facts: Dido Elizabeth Belle Known For: Belle was a mixed-race English aristocrat who was born into slavery and died a wealthy heiress.Born: c. 1761 in the British West IndiesParents: Sir John Lindsay and Maria BelleDied: July 1804 in London, EnglandSpouse: John Davinier (m.  1793)Children: John, Charles, William Early Life Dido Elizabeth Belle was born in the British West Indies around 1761. Her father Sir John Lindsay was a British nobleman and navy captain, and her mother Maria Belle was an African woman that Lindsay is thought to have found on a Spanish ship in the Caribbean (little else is known about her). Her parents were not married. Dido was named after her mother, her great-uncle’s first wife, Elizabeth, and for Dido the Queen of Carthage. â€Å"Dido† was the name of a popular 18th-century play, William Murray, a descendant of Dido’s great-uncle, later said. â€Å"It was probably chosen to suggest her elevated status,† he said. â€Å"It says: ‘This girl is precious, treat her with respect.’† A New Beginning At about the age of 6, Dido parted ways with her mother and was sent to live with her great-uncle William Murray, Earl of Mansfield, and his wife in England. The couple was childless and already raising another great-niece, Lady Elizabeth Murray, whose mother had died. It’s unknown how Dido felt about the separation from her mother, but the split resulted in the mixed-race child being raised as an aristocrat rather than a  slave (she did, however, remain the property of Lord Mansfield). Dido grew up at Kenwood, a royal estate outside of London, and was allowed to receive a royal education. She even served as the earl’s legal secretary, assisting him with his correspondence (an unusual responsibility for a woman at the time). Misan Sagay, who wrote the screenplay for the film â€Å"Belle,† said that the earl appeared to treat Dido nearly equally to her completely European cousin. The family purchased the same luxurious items for Dido that they did for Elizabeth. Quite often if they were buying, say, silk bed hangings, they were buying for two, Sagay said. She believes that the earl and Dido were very close, as he wrote about her with affection in his diaries. Friends of the family- including Thomas Hutchinson, the governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay- also noted the close relationship between Dido and the earl. Scottish philosopher James Beattie noted her intelligence, describing Dido as a negro girl about 10 years old, who had been six years in England, and not only spoke with the articulation and accent of a native, but repeated some pieces of poetry, with a degree of elegance, which would have been admired in any English child of her years. Life at Kenwood A 1779 painting of Dido and her cousin Elizabeth- which now hangs in Scotland’s Scone Palace- shows that Dido’s skin color did not give her inferior status at Kenwood. In the painting, both she and her cousin are dressed in finery. Also, Dido is not positioned in a submissive pose, as blacks typically were in paintings during that time period. This portrait- the work of Scottish painter David Martin- is largely responsible for generating public interest in Dido over the years, as is the notion, which remains in dispute, that she influenced her uncle, who served as Lord Chief Justice, to make legal decisions that led to slavery in England being abolished. The one indication that Dido’s skin color did result in her being treated differently at Kenwood is that she was forbidden to take part in formal dinners with her family members. Instead, she had to join them after such meals concluded. Francis Hutchinson, an American visitor to Kenwood, described this phenomenon in a letter. A black came in after dinner and sat with the ladies and, after coffee, walked with the company in the gardens, one of the young ladies having her arm within the other,† Hutchinson wrote. â€Å"He [the earl] calls her Dido, which I suppose is all the name she has.† Inheritance Although Dido was slighted during meals, William Murray cared enough about her to want her to live autonomously after his death. He left her a large inheritance and granted Dido her freedom when he died at the age of 88 in 1793. Death After her great-uncle’s death, Dido married Frenchman John Davinier  and bore him three sons. She died in July 1804 at age 43. Dido was buried in the cemetery at St. Georges Fields, Westminster. Legacy Much of Didos unusual life remains a mystery. It was David Martins portrait of her and her cousin Elizabeth that initially stirred so much interest in her. The painting inspired the 2013 film Belle, a speculative work about the aristocrats unique life. Other works about Dido include the plays Let Justice Be Done and An African Cargo; the musical Fern Meets Dido; and the novels Family Likeness and Belle: The True Story of Dido Belle. The absence of recorded information about Didos life has made her an enigmatic figure and the source of endless speculation. Some historians believe she may have influenced her uncle in making his historic anti-slavery rulings as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. Sources Bindman, David, et al. The Image of the Black in Western Art. Belknap Press, 2014.Jeffries, Stuart. â€Å"Dido Belle: the Artworld Enigma Who Inspired a Movie.† The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 27 May 2014.Poser, Norman S. Lord Mansfield: Justice in the Age of Reason. McGill-Queens University Press, 2015.

How the World might change in the next 25 years Assignment

How the World might change in the next 25 years - Assignment Example Deforestation is increasing the global warming problem and is diminishing the capacity of earth to generate oxygen through its plants. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and predict how advances in the management of natural resources are going to change the reality of humanity by the year 2037. The two social problems correlated to natural resources that are going to be emphasized in this discussion are food and air. The changes that are going to occur will come from exploitation of existing technologies and the creation of new innovations. There are a lot of people suffering from hunger today. Approximately 13% of the world’s population suffers from hunger which represents about 925 million people (http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm). A lot of experts believe that the world’s current agricultural capacity has the ability to feed everyone on the planet, but hunger is still occurring. One of the problems with the spread of hunger is that certain regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa do not have the arable land and the basic infrastructure such as water and electricity to create food. In the future this constraint will be eliminated as new technologies will enable the planet to turn salt water into drinkable water. About 20 % of the world land is covered by the five major oceans (http://www.gdrc.org/oceans/world-oceans.htm). The second innovation that will revolutionized agriculture worldwide is the creation on synthetic terrain. This new form of land can be transported anywhere and by used to regenerate the soil in places that lack arable land such as Haiti. A second major problem that is going to be resolved is the elimination of deforestation. This will occur prior to 2037 due to the fact that the paper wood milling industry will seize to exist. The world will not longer accept humanity cutting down trees to create books, magazines, or any form of wood pulp paper. Luckily this transition

Talk about four ways in which sound is connected or disconnected from Essay

Talk about four ways in which sound is connected or disconnected from image in The Conversation. For example, do they jar, comp - Essay Example The article will discuss several ways in which sound disconnects or connected from the image in â€Å"The Conversation† by Francis Ford Coppola. Introduction According to Cowie in his text â€Å"Picking up The Conversation,† Francis’ career in film making involves more than twenty-five films all through a forty-year career his acclaims as a film director attribute to his participation with â€Å"The Godfather† movies. Such a positive affiliation, indeed, has served Francis well all through the challenges in his career and diminished the effects of his essential work. In 1974, Coppola wrote and was a director of â€Å"The Conversation,† which is a scene that went immensely unnoticed because of the immediate release of The Godfather Part 2. Even though, both of the scenes contributed to the nomination of Oscar for Coppola, the triumph of The Godfather contributed to the fading of The Conversation into a level of under appreciation (Cowie, Picking up T he Conversation). Nevertheless, in Dec. 2000 Paramount Home Video produced a new DVD of The Conversation. This digital video will enhance the film lovers to praise and see it as it provides the right format for a scene. This is because the film producer invested in attracting not only the visual sense of the viewers, but also their attention. Francis Coppola hardly limited channeling his creative traits towards the scene because he reinvented the utilization of sound. Just the same as Robert Altman did four years ago with MASH, Coppola accomplished his story because of sound application. The utilization of sound by Coppola in the film The Conversation is an aspect that makes the scene a unique and provides the audience with a cinematic experience. The Conversation, although released initially in 1974, it was perfect timing because it was when people had little faith towards the political institutions. The scene addresses, in broad, the increasing sense of people’s mistrust to wards the political institutions. Through a creative and masterful sound use, Francis takes a significant advantage of suspicion and apprehension of the audience. Even though, the occupation of Coppola puts him in a high position, his technology use is a cause of skewed perception in relation to reality. While looking for truth in the midst of the conversation in the film, Coppola utilizes self-engineering modern technologies. The technologies aim at eradicating every intrusive noise that might affect the quality of the recording. However, the use of self-engineering technology did harm to the film because it eliminated the realness aspect of the film’s conversation. Harry directs his assistant to pay extra attention towards the recording and little attention to what the characters are talking about. This is similar to the distinction that people draw between listening and hearing. As Harry hears the words from the conversation, he hardly listens to what the words mean. It is not because of Harry’s personality or his achievements that made him a mark; rather it is the sophistication of sound that made his opponents. More so, through the audio maneuvering, â€Å"The Conversation† does not only narrate Harry Cauls’ story, but also the American story. â€Å"The Conversation† by Francis Ford Coppola The producer of â€Å"The Conversation† created sound track separately from images and was inclusive of three elements:

The Trauma of Divorce Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Trauma of Divorce - Research Paper Example There are different events in life which can cause trauma. For example, death of close ones, accidents, loss of social status, separation etc., can cause trauma in human life. It has been found that â€Å"people who experience major threats to psychological integrity can suffer as much as those traumatized by physical injury or life threat† (Briere & Scott, 2006, p. 4). One of the most traumatic experiences in life is divorce. Divorce causes pain not only to the individuals getting divorce, but also to people who are related to them. This multiplies the pain and makes it one of the most traumatic experiences in life. During recent decades, divorce has become more common in North America (Matlin, 2008, p. 266). It has been found that even in modern age of today, experience of divorce is still traumatic (Matlin, 2008, p. 266). Hence, if the experience of trauma is to be reduced in individuals undergoing divorce, then people related to them should make it their responsibility to provide them with complete emotional and psychological support so as to help them cope better with the trauma and come out stronger and healthier from it. Divorce has various psychological effects on a person. According to Baca Zinn and Eitzen (2002), apart from separation from spouse, as divorce brings different kinds of transitions and separations, it is especially painful for a person (Matlin, 2008, p. 267). According to Etaugh and Hochn (1995), as people have a tendency to judge a woman who is divorced with negative attitude, it causes immense distress and stress to her (Matlin, 2008, p. 267). Moreover, as women are more likely to get separated from friends and relatives previously shared by the couple, and from the home and children with whom they are emotionally attached, there are more chances of them feeling hurt, lonely and helpless inside (Matlin, 2008, p. 267). Divorce brings dramatic

Solve case studies Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Solve studies - Case Study Example The qualities Google possesses; creativity, passion, taking risks, self-motivation, and self-management successfully attract the best talent around. This culture of controlled chaos is maintainable, although it may suffer if Google’s management begins to prioritize profits in the long term over innovation by being too rigid. Without a hierarchy, Google maintains teamwork and coordination across its engineering, marketing, product management, operations, and sales divisions (Marion, 2013). However, with increasing employee numbers and the hiring of mid-level managers, it is possible that they could suffer from international inconsistency, lack of visibility, delayed decision-making and increased bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is one threat to the maintenance of the organized chaos culture. As Google continues to grow and expand, they may have to come up with new guidelines and policies for the management of their employees, which could hurt innovation (Marion, 2013). Bureaucracy may increase if the diverse employee base does not comply with the vision and mission at Google. For this reason, they may have to control these elements via new policies and procedures, which could impact on other groups’ agility. Internal tools and meetings could become impossible to carry out as the geographical locations become more diverse and unfeasible. Decision-making may also be affected as the employee base increases, especially given the unfeasibility of consensus and open discussion. They could also lose the ability to oppose decisions, take risks, and critique the decisions (Marion, 2013). Achieving cross-functional decisions may prove harder, while they may also stall the mechanism of innovation. The culture of organized chaos may also lead to decreased visibility as workers spending a fifth of their working hours on project ideas may lead to role duplication. Reinvention of the wheel, productive time loss, and replication of effort may lead to decreased visibility due to the difficulty of maintaining an employee base that is multi-cultural (Marion, 2013). A growing and expanding employee base makes it more difficult to establish visibility. Finally, Google could suffer from decreasing international consistency as it becomes harder to attract and retain talent at locations across the world. Exporting their culture to other locations and implanting it may clash with local perceptions, tastes, and cultures. In the international context, it will become more difficult for Google to balance cultural homogeneity and diversity (Marion, 2013). These aspects are the threats to the maintenance of Google’s culture of organized chaos. However, their current organized chaos culture suits their innovative nature with the generation of ideas. Google’s founders are still committed to the fostering of an innovative culture in the company. However, while their culture works well in the attraction of talent, they may find it harder to pursue with r egards to demand and supply market dynamics (Marion, 2013). As long as Google is able to maintain collaboration, competence, control, and cultivation of values for customer enrichment, business diversification may not hurt their organized chaos culture and the innovation it breeds. They also need to diffuse their current structure of governance, organizational processes, and culture of innovation to new areas of acquisition, while also adapting to change in

Same-sex marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Same-sex marriage - Essay Example As the debate escalates over same sex marriage, the religious community of America remains with divided opinion on homosexuals entering marriage bond. When one idealizes of marriage, it is the image of a man and woman come in the minds. A marriage is an institution where a man and women take vow to love and care each other and procreate to keep the family lineage alive. It is revealed that, seventy percent of people in US oppose gay marriage and same proportion of people favor the same. It means the same people who opposed this issue are also favoring it on the other side. However, same sex marriages are not natural phenomena to talk about, as it does not result in an offspring which is a main objective of the union between man and woman. To accept same sex marriage is equal to being unnatural and provokes evil and immoral thoughts in the mind of people and creates a society which will eliminate the expanse of humanity. Genuinely speaking, homosexuals and gays have same right to live happily like any other person, and if they will to enter a marriage it not a very deniable act. Thinking from the point of view of human and civil rights, it can be argued that there is nothing wrong in giving them a platform to live joyfully. Considering the rights of homosexuals, five states of US have made legal the domestic partnership or civil unions of these groups.

Innovation is the HVAC field - Thermoelectric cooling components Research Paper

Innovation is the HVAC field - Thermoelectric cooling components - Research Paper Example The technology has since been used to cool temperatures of devices by creating heat sinks for different electronic materials. The most recent applications of this type of technology are the â€Å"wristify† cooling system invented by four MIT students. The â€Å"wristify† is used for maintaining the body temperature at a personal level. This they managed through the use of two different conductors and a very small battery. In order for the cooling to take place, the then a DC current is applied so as to initiate the movement of electrons. The efficiency in thermo-electric cooling, depends on materials be selected keenly. Many thermo-electric coolers made today are from an alloy of Bismuth Telluride (Bi2Te3). Thermo-electric cooling poses very advantages like lack of mechanical maintenance and ability to be used in very small places. The technology has a place in the future since there is a possible use of the technology in marine engineering of submarines, night vision a nd many more others. Prototype wearable 'air-conditioning' device According to fox news, In the MIT, four engineering students have been able to develop a wrist worn body cooling device that is based upon the Peltier Effect and theory. The device code named wristify employs a series of two different conductors that are referred to as the Peltier cooler. The device is powered a very small battery and then attached to a wrist wrap so as to hold it in place. For the device to reduce the body temperature, it starts by reducing the wrist temperature in degree fractions every second for a specified time period. However, the students have not arrived at the correct time calculations, but they say that a reasonable cooling effect is achieved when the wrist is cooled by 0.4 degrees Celsius for five seconds. After this session, the device goes off for 10 seconds and maintains the interval. However, the four students are still on the process of calculating for optimal timings so as to perfect the device. The Wristify is one of the major breakthrough in human attempt to thermo-electric cooling (Balmer, 2011). With this device, a different person will be able to customize their own temperature ranges without affecting others. This is an aspect that many will appreciate. This rate of success is a sign that with the rise in advance technology and availability of resources, thermo-electric cooling can be utilized in areas that people had never imagined before. Thermo-electric cooling Definition Thermo-electric cooling refers to an application of the Peltier Effect to create a difference in temperature between two materials of different type. A thermo-electric cooler is usually a solid stated active that is able to transfer heat from one side of a device to the other. This is possible based on the following physical theories. First, when two different conductors are under electric contact, there is an electron flow out of the conductor that is less bound into the other conductor in which electrons are more. This is possible because of the dif ference in Fermi level between the two devices used as conductors. The Fermi level shows the difference in energy levels that are contained in different conductors occupied by electrons, and those that are not occupied. Therefore, when two conductors of different Fermi levels. This can be easily compared to diffusion in which molecules move from an area of high concentration to that of low concentration. How it works In order for the cooling to take

Same-sex marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Same-sex marriage - Essay Example As the debate escalates over same sex marriage, the religious community of America remains with divided opinion on homosexuals entering marriage bond. When one idealizes of marriage, it is the image of a man and woman come in the minds. A marriage is an institution where a man and women take vow to love and care each other and procreate to keep the family lineage alive. It is revealed that, seventy percent of people in US oppose gay marriage and same proportion of people favor the same. It means the same people who opposed this issue are also favoring it on the other side. However, same sex marriages are not natural phenomena to talk about, as it does not result in an offspring which is a main objective of the union between man and woman. To accept same sex marriage is equal to being unnatural and provokes evil and immoral thoughts in the mind of people and creates a society which will eliminate the expanse of humanity. Genuinely speaking, homosexuals and gays have same right to live happily like any other person, and if they will to enter a marriage it not a very deniable act. Thinking from the point of view of human and civil rights, it can be argued that there is nothing wrong in giving them a platform to live joyfully. Considering the rights of homosexuals, five states of US have made legal the domestic partnership or civil unions of these groups.

Transformational Leadership Essay Example for Free

Transformational Leadership Essay In any endeavor, a leader is necessary for it to be successful. One would ask why? Is something doomed to failure if it’s instigated, implemented without a leader? Sun Tzu said: â€Å"The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected (Giles).† I would like to make a comparison here. Any action is a war – a war between success and failure. Even the simplest task of reading is a war – understanding vs. misunderstanding or enjoyable vs. boring. Let me just add that Sun Tzu further stated that: â€Å"The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. These are: The Moral Law; Heaven; Earth; The Commander; Method and discipline. The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness.† (Giles). So how important Sun Tzu’s Commander is in the way of things? Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, was reported to have issued a three-word dictum–â€Å"Don’t manage! Lead!† So when does one be classified as a manager? As a leader? What’s the difference? Whereas a manager is someone who works with and through other people by coordinating their work activities in order to accomplish organizational goals, leadership is somehow more complex. It is â€Å"the process wherein an individual member of a group or organization influences the interpretation of events, the choice of objectives, the maintenance of cooperative relationships, the development of skills and confidence by members, and the enlistment of support and cooperation from people outside the group or organization† (Yukl 2002, p. 5). Henceforth, leadership is influencing other people to realize or actualize the vision an organization must take in order to stay ahead and the leader is the one who is ahead of the pact. In the years of studying leadership, several leadership styles emerged. Literatures discussed and analyzed situational leadership, participative leadership, charismatic leadership, and transformational leadership among others. Transformational Leadership: Review of Related Literature Nigel Nicholson talked about the transformational leadership in one of his articles. In the beginning of one of his article, How to Motivate Your Problem People, he said that â€Å"[everyone] knows that good managers motivate with the power of their vision, the passion of their delivery, and the compelling logic of their reasoning† (2003, p. 57). However, he did say that this is a great image and that only remains as main fare of â€Å"idealistic leadership books† (Nicholson, p. 57). Tracey and Hinkin undertook a research on whether transformational leadership exists or it is just effective managerial practices (1998). To test their hypothesis, Tracey and Hinkin conducted the study by comparing the transformational leadership scales from Bass and Avolios Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire with four scales from Yukls Managerial Practices Survey (1998). The results provided mixed support for the distinctiveness of the MLQ. Does this mean then that there is no such thing as a transformational leader? I don’t think so. I believe that Gandhi was one, Mother Theresa was one, and even Hitler was one. So what is this transformational leadership theory? Furthermore, Sosik and Megerian found out that the transformational leadership behavior and managerial performance are correlated in several circumstances (1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Transformational leadership was first formulated by Burns from his descriptive research on political leaders (Yukl 2002, p. 324). It is defined in terms of the transformational leader’s effect on followers: â€Å"they feel trust, admiration, loyalty, and respect toward the leader, and they are motivated to do more than they originally expected to do† (Yukl 2002, p. 325). The transformational leadership theory assumes that people will follow a person who inspires them. It also assumes that a person with vision and passion can achieve great things; and that the way to get things done is by injecting enthusiasm and energy. Given that a transformational leader seeks overtly to transform the organization, there is also a tacit promise to followers that they also will be transformed in some way, perhaps to be more like this amazing leader. In some respects, then, the followers are the product of the transformation. But then as Nicholson implied, one of the traps of Transformational Leadership is that passion and confidence can easily be mistaken for truth and reality. While it is true that great things have been achieved through enthusiastic leadership, it is also true that many passionate people have led the charge right over the cliff and into a bottomless chasm. Paradoxically, the energy that gets people going can also cause them to give up. Transformational Leaders often have large amounts of enthusiasm which, if relentlessly applied, can wear out their followers. Chen studied the impact of gender on transformational leadership (2001). His research study supported his hypothesis that gender truly affects transformational leadership due to the differing qualities possessed by each gender (Chen 2001). Because â€Å"women leaders possess qualities more in line with transformational leadership and are thus more transformational than their male counterparts† (Chen 2001). A similar study was made by Schyns and Sanders. The study was focused on the gender differences in the relationship between transformational leadership and leaders occupational self-efficacy, and aimed to explain how female and male leaders develop their self-efficacy (Schyns Sanders 2005). Unlike the Chen study, Schyns and Sanders’ study â€Å"found no significant relationship between self-rated transformational leadership and occupational self-efficacy for women, although [they] did find a positive relationship for men. No interaction effect with respect to leaders occupational self-efficacy could be found between leaders gender and follower-rated transformational leadership† (2005). The effectiveness of the transformational leadership had been studied not only in the business sector, but also in the arts. Boerner and von Streit investigated the degree to which the conductors transformational leadership style and a cooperative climate in the orchestra favorably affect the orchestras artistic quality by surveying several musicians from 22 professional German symphony orchestras (2005). Specifically, the authors studied the assertion that the conductors transformational leadership style promotes the orchestras artistic quality only if there is a cooperative climate in the orchestra (Boerner von Streit 2005). Whereas Krishnan studied the effects of leader-member exchange, transformational leadership, and perceived value system congruence between leader and follower on followers six upward influence strategies assertiveness, bargaining, coalition, friendliness, higher authority, and reasoning by using a sample of 281 managers working in various organizations in India (2004). Majority of the researches done on transformational leadership focused on the effectiveness of transformational leadership, but Felfe ad Schyns pointed out that â€Å"a little is known about similarity in the leadership behavior of leader and supervisor, and how this affects the outcomes of leadership† (2004), and both collaborated to correct this oversight. In their study, 213 supervisors from two public administration offices were asked to rate their own leadership behavior as well as their leaders behavior. Felfe and Schyns then examined the relationship between own self-rated transformational leadership and perceived transformational leadership of the direct superior, and analyzed the relationship between perceived similarity between subordinate and supervisor in transformational leadership and leadership specific outcomes (extra effort, efficiency, and satisfaction with the leader), as well as organizational outcomes (commitment, overall satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, achievement orientation, stress, and irritability) (2004). The researches on transformational leadership were conducted in several ways: review of existing literatures, interviews, and surveys. Sosik, however, conducted a laboratory experiment to evaluate the effects of high and low level of transformational leadership style and anonymity (1997). He included 36 undergraduate student work groups, and used a Group Decision Support System to perform an idea generation task (Sosik 1997). Sosik found out â€Å"that groups working under high transformational leadership generated more original solutions, supportive remarks, solution clarifications and questions about solutions and reported higher levels of perceived performance, extra effort and satisfaction with the leader than groups working under low transformational leadership† (1997). Undoubtedly, the effectiveness of a transformational leader doesn’t depend solely on that leader: no matter how good a leader is that leader’s success will always depend, in part, on the followers. Walumbwa, Lawler, Avolio, Wang and Shi studied how a transformational leader’s effectiveness is affected by followers’ work-related attitude (2005). What is interesting with this study is Walumbwa, Lawler, Avolio, Wang and Shi collected their data from three countries: China, India and United States. But, then, what makes up a transformational leadership exactly? Hoffman and Frost examine the impact of emotional, social, and cognitive intelligences on the dimensions of transformational leadership using both paper-and-pencil measures and assessment center dimensions (2006). The study found out that there are significant relationships between cognitive intelligence components and intellectual stimulation, social intelligence components and charisma, and emotional intelligence components and individualized consideration (Hoffman Frost 2006). Finally, Transformational Leaders, by definition, seek to transform. When the organization does not need transforming and people are happy as they are, then such a leader will be frustrated. Like wartime leaders, however, given the right situation they come into their own and can be personally responsible for saving entire wars. References Chen, C. (2001). Androgyny and transformational leadership: Effects of gender and sex-role identity in the collectivistic context of Taiwan, R.O.C. University of Southern California. Felfe, J. Schyns, B. (2004). Is Similarity in Leadership Related to Organizational Outcomes? The Case of Transformational Leadership. Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies, 10 (4), 92-103. Giles, L. (translator). Sun Tzu The Art of War. Hoffman, B. Frost, B. (2006). Multiple intelligences of transformational leaders: an empirical examination. International Journal of Manpower, 27 (1), 37. Krishnan, V. (2004). Impact of transformational leadership on followers influence strategies. Leadership Organizational development Journal, 25 (1/2), 58. Nicholson, N. (2003). How to Motivate Your Problem People. Harvard Business Review, January 2003, 57-65. Boerner, S. von Streit, C. (2005). Transformational Leadership and Group Climate-Empirical Results from Symphony Orchestras. Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies, 12 (2), 31-41. Schyns, B. Sanders, K. (2005). Exploring gender differences in leaders occupational self-efficacy. Women in Management Review, 20 (7/8), 513-523. Sosik, J. (1997). Effect of transformational leadership and anonymity on idea generation in computer-mediated groups. Group Organization Management, 22 (4), 460-487. Sosik, J. Megerian, L. (1991). Understanding leader emotional intelligence and performance: The role of self-other agreement on transformational leadership perceptions. T Group Organization Management, 24 (3), 367-390. Tracey, J. Hinkin, T. (1998). Transformational leadership or effective managerial practices? Group Organization Management, 23 (2), 220-236. Walumbwa, F., Lawler, J., Avolio, B., Wang, P. Shi, K. (2005). Transformational Leadership and Work-Related Attitudes: The Moderating Effects of Collective and Self-Efficacy Across Cultures. Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies, 11 (3), 2-16. Yukl, G. (2002). Leadership in Organizations (5th ed). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

An Overview Of Life Satisfaction Literatures Social Work Essay

An Overview Of Life Satisfaction Literatures Social Work Essay This chapter begins with literatures about life satisfaction and important personal and situational predictors of life satisfaction in older persons, then in order to provide a theoretical background for this study attempt to define the most important components of structural and functional support. The next portion will focus on the ways in which significant personal and situational characteristics might affect on structural and functional components. The focus will then shift to the effect of structural and functional components specifically on life satisfaction. And finally specific theories and models that have been proposed to explain the role of structural and functional components in the life satisfaction of older adults will be addressed. Over the past few years, the worlds population has continued on its remarkable transition from a state of high birth and death rates to one characterized by low birth and death rates. At the heart of this transition has been the growth in the number and proportion of older persons. Such a rapid, large, and ubiquitous growth has never been seen in the history of civilization (Norman Henderson, 2003). when the older population will be nearly 2 billion, surpassing the population of children for the first time in human history (United Nations, 2006). For the first time in history, Asian populations and their governments are faced with increasing numbers of older adults, and this raise various social and economic issues, (Chan, 2005) specially issues concerning the life satisfaction (Wu Rudkin, 2000). 2.1 Life Satisfaction The use of different terms such as â€Å"psychological well-being†, â€Å"subjective well-being†, â€Å"life satisfaction†, â€Å"happiness† and â€Å"morale† for the same underlying construct has led to considerable confusion in the literature over exactly what is being measured, however, these concepts and their definitions are not identical, â€Å"all of them involve a psychological response by the individual to socio-environmental situation encountered in life and demonstrate no significant difference in meaning.†(Cloutterbuck, 1987). Stock, Okun, and Benin (1988) defined subjective well-being as combining concepts together; mood, happiness, life satisfaction, and morale. Factors such as morale, life satisfaction and happiness are considered to be important in determining subjective well-being in the elderly (Kim, Hisata, Kai, Lee, 2000). Subjective well-being is composed of two elements: cognitive and affective. Life satisfaction, the cognitive component of subjective well-being, refers to a global judgment of a life as a whole (Jin, 2001).Life satisfaction has also been defined in various ways, including happiness, adjustment, morale, physical health, subjective well-being, and the balance between aspirations and achievements (Nutt, 2001). Life satisfaction has been defined two major ways in the literature: first as an objective entity, usually the quantity of social interactions; and second as an internal and subjective perception, the individuals evaluation of their lives, the second approach is now more widely used (Miller, 1997). Life satisfaction is a very personal assessment, one must decide ones own life satisfaction criteria. Two individuals may share very similar lives, and one may find life satisfactory and the other may not (Quadhamer, 1999). Havighurst proposed that measuring life satisfaction as an â€Å"inner† assessment was a better measure of successful aging. Such a measure would accommodate individual differences in conceptions and values of growing older. Specifically, the individual whose personality most values an active life style could be as satisfied with his life as one who is more passive (Havighurst, 1961). Distinction between life satisfaction and quality of life is not clear and the concepts are sometimes used interchangeably (Borg, Hallberg, Blomqvist, 2006). Jeffres and Dobos (1995) proposed that quality of life consists of two distinct global concepts with underlying domains. The first concept, perceived quality of life or life satisfaction, is a consequence of satisfaction with the personal domains of life. These domains include satisfaction with family life, friends, health, partner and oneself. The second concept refers to quality of life in the broader social environment, environmental quality of life (Jeffres Dobos, 1995). Environmental quality of life domains include satisfaction with housing, schools, health services, safety and security, roads and transport (Evans, 1994) . Personal quality of life is associated with quality of life in the broader social environment (Jeffres Dobos, 1995), but the two domains are not identical (Fadda JiroÃ'‘n, 1999). For example, some i ndividuals rate their quality of life as very good whilst living under extremely difficult environmental conditions, whereas others rate their quality of life as poor even though their environmental conditions are excellent (Westaway, 2006). 2.1.1 Life Satisfaction in elderly Among elders the predictors of life satisfaction were found to be perceived   level of activity (Osberg McGinnis, 1987), age, gender (Fadda JiroÃ'‘n, 1999; Kudo, Izumo, Kodama, Watanabe, Hatakeyama, Fukuoka, Kudo, Yaegashi, Sasaki, 2007), satisfaction with family life (Medley, 1976), the availability of confidants (Strain Chappell, 1982), subjective health rating (Downe-Wamboldt Tamlyn, 1986; Gfellner, 1989; Spreitzer Snyder, 1974) ,   physical health status (Joia, Ruiz, Donalisio, 2007; Kudo et al., 2007; Bowling, 1990) , satisfaction with financial status and socio-economic status (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007; Borg et al., 2006; Spreitzer Snyder, 1974; Welsch, 2007), religious affiliation and private prayer (Korff, 2006; Markides, Levin, Ray, 1987; Sagaza, 2004), marital status, and educational level (Subasi Hayran, 2005), living environment (Subasi Hayran, 2005; Rehdanz Maddison, 2008), personal factors (Borg, FagerstrÃ'†m, Balducci, Burholt, Ferring, Weber, Wenge r, GÃ'†ran Holst, Hallberg, 2008; Sanchez, Jr., 2006) , social support (Abu Bader, Rogers, Barusch, 2003) and   sociopolitical capital (Abdallah, Thompson, Marks, 2008). Based on the International Study   in 1994 and 1999, indicates that the level of satisfaction of the elderly is generally lower in large cities, and lower for those who are in the first half of their 60s, who constitute single-person households, who are not in good health condition, who live in rented housing (Sagaza, 2004) another study showed that good health, high self-esteem, and the absence of worry were associated with life satisfaction (Borg et al., 2008). Analyses of associations with life satisfaction in the study of elderly persons in Hong Kong showed significant associations between life satisfaction and a number of variables including age, education, marital status, self-rated financial situation, religious belief, living arrangement, social support, social network, self-rated health status, functional capacity, number of chronic illnesses and activity level. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the strongest predictors of life satisfaction were self-rated financial situation, activity level and social support (Chou Chi, 1999). Borg et al., (2006) identified several factors of importance for life satisfaction among older people with reduced ability to perform daily activities: social contacts, health, activities, family, negatively losing family members (Borg et al., 2006). Recent work has identified a relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction (Thakral, 2006; Fogle, Huebner, Laughlin, 2002). Among people with reduced ADL capacity in 6 European countries, it was found that personal factors, rather than environmental factors such as social or financial resources, influence life satisfaction (Borg et al., 2008). Life satisfaction and Gender Up to age 65, women tended to report higher rates of life satisfaction than men; however, after age 65 men were more likely than women to report a high degree of life satisfaction (Spreitzer Snyder, 1974).   Significant predictors of life satisfaction were found in female respondents: age, financial strain and depression. In male respondents, the significant predictors of life satisfaction were education and financial strain (Chou Chi, 1999). Medley found standard of living to be a more important predictor of life satisfaction in women, whereas satisfaction with health was more important to men (Medley, 1976). Life satisfaction and Age As age increases there is a slow decrease in life satisfaction (Melendez, Tomas, Oliver, Navarro, 2005) Indeed, survey researchers have noted that older people show consistent increases in life satisfaction with age but a leveling off of more affective characteristics such as happiness (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). Life satisfaction and Income Previous studies have indicated that financial strain was consistently and negatively associated with life satisfaction and financial situation was a significant predictor of satisfaction (Chou Chi, 1999; Chou Chi, 1999) and satisfaction with financial status was a stronger predictor of life satisfaction than objective financial state (Spreitzer Snyder, 1974). Life satisfaction and Educational level Education is found to have a significant effect on life satisfaction. Higher education attainment is associated with improved socioeconomic status, higher wage rates, and better health, all of which lead to better living standards (Bukenya, Gebremedin, Schaeffeaer, 2003). Life satisfaction and Ethnic Barger, Donoho, Wayment., (2009) evaluated racial/ethnic disparities in life satisfaction, and explored the relative contributions of SES, health status, and social relationships to life satisfaction among two very large, diverse probability samples of U.S. adults. That was the first major evaluation of Hispanic life satisfaction in the U.S. and is the largest U.S. population based life satisfaction study to date. They found that Blacks and Hispanics have lower life satisfaction than Whites, but controlling for SES and health status weakened these differences for Blacks and eliminated them for Hispanics. They also found a modest Hispanic benefit for being very satisfied in multivariable models. The consistently higher explained life satisfaction variance among Whites could represent substantive cultural variation in the types of support relevant to well-being judgments (Barger, Donoho, Wayment, 2009). Life satisfaction and marital status Marital status was found to be positively related to life satisfaction by some investigators (Markides et al., 1987; Strain Chappell, 1982) whereas others failed to show this relationship (Osberg McGinnis, 1987). Marital status significantly affects satisfaction, with being single having a negative effect on both health and quality of life satisfaction. Proponents of social role explanations suggest that men derive greater benefits from marriage than women do because mens roles are less stressful and more gratifying compared to women (Bukenya et al., 2003). Hansen et al., (2004) in a study with title: â€Å"Age, marital status and life satisfaction† found, having a partner (in the household) was strongly associated with higher levels of life satisfaction for both genders. The results showed no differential effect of having a partner by gender. However, for both genders, older cohorts without a partner had higher life satisfaction than their younger counterparts. No age-differential effect of having a partner was found. Interestingly, the effect of having a partner decreased with age for both genders, and significantly more so amongst women (Hansen, 2004). Life satisfaction and Employment Researchers examining employment status and life satisfaction have found a positive relation between these variables. Results of several studies have further suggested that persons 65 years of age and older who remain active in the labor force have higher levels of life satisfaction and morale than do retired persons in the same age cohort (Aquino, Russellc, Cutrona, Altimaier, 1996). Life satisfaction and Strata (rural/urban) Evans., (2005) studied differences in the social supports of rural and urban elders to determine what those differences meant in terms of three markers of successful aging: activity level, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms. Results showed that urban older adults reported more depressive symptoms as compared to rural older adults. Furthermore, subjective level of social support (perceived satisfaction with support) was positively correlated with life satisfaction and negatively correlated with depressive symptoms for both rural and urban older adults, however, there were no mediating effects of social support in the relationship between residence and levels of activity, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms (Evans, 2005). 2.2 Functional and Structural components of support In this section a broad overview of structural and functional components of support will be provide and each of these concept consider separately, because each has different properties that can potentially influence the life satisfaction. 2.2.1 Definitions: The concept of social support has been a popular subject of research since the late 1970 and publications on social support increased almost geometrically from 1976 to 1981 (Phillips, Siu, Yeh, Cheng, 2008).The concept of social support has been variously addressed in terms of social bonds, social contacts, and availability of confidants (Johnson, 1996; Seeman, Bruce, McAvay, 1996) and early research frequently unclear the distinctions between four concepts: social relations, social network, social support, and social integration (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). social support and social support resources such as: social network, social interactions or social contacts, reported as related but distinct concepts (Seeman, Lusignolo, Albert, Berkman, 2001). Social support includes interpersonal communication and interaction, love and understanding, caring and concern, affection and companionship, financial assistance, and respect and acceptance (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007; Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Definitions of social support range from the actual supportive acts that are exchanged between individuals to a personality-like factor based in early interpersonal experiences that then influences how an individual views the likelihood that someone is supportive. The concept of social support has been investigated by researchers in anthropology, epidemiology, medicine, nursing, psychology, and sociology. Given the different backgrounds of researchers in these fields one can appreciate why reaching consensus for a definition of social support has been difficult (Rudkin, 2006). There is a lack of general consensus on how social support should be specifically defined. One useful way to conceptualize social support is that it has both structural and functional aspects, qualitative (subjective) and quantitative (objective) aspects, and social network-based and support-based aspects (Phillips et al., 2008). 2.2.2Functional Component of Support More recent studies of social support conceptualize it as the functions that are provided by social relationships. Although the question of what exactly is provided by supportive individuals varies between researchers, many agree that supportive individuals provide or make available what can be termed emotional support, informational support, tangible support, and belonging support .These functional aspects of social support are often highly related to each other and not easily separated in everyday life. Emotional support, provides individuals with the belief that they are loved and cared for, emotional support involved such things   as giving advice, expressing affection, and providing morale support (Johnson, 1996). Emotional support is probably what most of us imagine when we think about a supportive individual. Emotional support is thought to be beneficial because it provides the recipient with a sense of acceptance and may strengthen ones self-esteem during life challenges (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Informational support can be a very powerful form of support to the extent that it provides useful direction. Such advice and guidance may also carry an emotional message, it is often the case that useful guidance from close friends can be seen as emotionally supportive in that the person cares enough to speak with you about important decisions (Cohen , Underwood , Gottlieb , 2000). Appraisal supportincludes feedback given to individuals to help them in self-evaluation or in apprais ing situations. The intangible forms of support; emotional, informational, and appraisal support, can be difficult to disentangle (Rudkin, 2006). Tangible support, is conceptualized as the assistance from others in one‘s daily functioning. Emotional social support contributed to positive affect, while tangible social support contributed to life satisfaction as well as reducing psychosomatic and emotional distress (Seeman et al., 2001). For older people tangible support may be as simple as providing a ride to the grocery store or mowing the lawn (Loue Sajatovic, 2008), involves being able to help with everyday jobs around the house, providing financial assistance, and helping in the process of taking care of children (Johnson, 1996). Research findings regarding instrumental support are more mixed. Receipt of higher levels of instrumental support, specifically help with various tasks, has been associated with greater declines in physical functioning. More moderate levels of instrumental support appear to promote recovery and slow decline in functioning. In many studies, however, the direction of causation has not been cle arly established (Rudkin, 2006). Belonging support is defined as the presence of others with whom to engage in social activities. An example of it would be a friend with whom to go shopping or to watch a basketball game. Belonging support may be beneficial because such positive social and leisure activities may enhance ones mood and sense of acceptance by others (Cohen   et al., 2000). Social support functions are often intertwined those who provide tangible support may also be providing reassurance and emotional support. Furthermore, different network members provide different types of support. People tend to turn to their families for instrumental support, friends for emotional support, and during times of illness, health care workers for advice and aid (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Higher levels of emotional support, both perceived and received, improve outcomes, whereas the effects of instrumental support have been questionable. Older individuals who have more interaction with others and who report more available emotional support, experience fewer and slower declines in cognitive and physical functioning (Rudkin, 2006). The effectiveness of any form of support will depend on the extent to which it meets the demands of the particular stressful event. For controllable stressful events, support such as informational or tangible is predicted to be more important. However, if the event is less controllable, then emotional or belonging support may serve to facilitate adjustment (Uchino, Cacioppo, Kiecolt-Glaser, 1996). 2.2.2.1 Functional component: perceived or received Function components of support are usually organized along two dimensions: what support is perceived to be available (available support) and what support is actually received or provided (received support) by others (Cohen, 2004; Kafetsios   Sideridis, 2006). These measures are not highly related and are often associated with different effects on well-being. What is perceived as available may or may not correspond to what is actually provided (Kahna, Hesslingb, Russellc, 2003). Studies suggest that received support is not related to the perceived availability of support in a straightforward manner, one reason is that measures of available support are related to ones cognitive representation of social support, a person might perceive a high availability of support but decide not to utilize it because of concerns about network members perception of their competence (Cohen   et al., 2000). when elderly individuals indicated that others were available to provide social support, the y were more likely to report greater use of proactive coping (Greengalss, Fliksenbaum, Eaton, 2006). However, the benefits of social support are most strongly related to the perception that support is available. In other words, the highest levels of well-being are found among people who believe that they have a high level of social support, regardless of how much support they receive or how many people they know (Karademas, 2006; Kim et al., 2000; Phillips et al., 2008).National study of economically stressed older adults shows that those who believed that no one would come to their aid in the future had the greatest number of depressive symptoms (Loue Sajatovic, 2008) and a higher level of support was reported in those who perceived the provider as supportive (Pierce et al., 1992). 2.2.2.2 Buffer against stressful life events Social support may act as a buffer against stressful life events and, thus, reduce exposure to the resultant cumulative pathological effects of stress. Alternatively, social support may be a constant, more generally available resource, across time and situations (Alan, Alison, Martha, Lawrence, Ian, 2007; Antonucci Akiyama, 2007).The two type of support are not mutually exclusive and may be viewed as complementary, there is evidence to support both types of effects. It should also be emphasized that the particular pathways or mechanisms by which social relationships affect well being likely depend upon the characteristics of the individual, his or her socioeconomic situation, the health outcome of interest, and the measure of social relationships (Rudkin, 2006). Murrell and Norris (1984) postulated that social support may not only buffer individuals from stressful life events, but may actually be important for the general maintenance of psychological well-being and life satisfaction in old age, independent of adversity or stress (Tho , 2001). Social support can act as a buffer to soften the effects of negative life occurrences, this might explain why some people maintain good health when exposed to stressful life events which would be expected to have a negative effect on health (Bowung , Farquha , Browne , 1991) and those older adults who are going through the loss of a loved one and have a strong social support system report a higher sense of life satisfaction and well-being (Gray , 2007). Coleman suggests that social relationships can act as a form of social insurance, provide communication and information networks, and create norms and sanctions that facilitate social action (Celia Lenore, 2004). 2.2.3 Structural Component of Support Support Network refers to objective characteristics of the network such as total network size (Janevic, Ajrouch, Merline, Akiyama, Antonucci, 2000; Antonucci, Lansford, Akiyama, Smith, Baltes, Takahashi, Fuhrer, Dartigues, 2002), the number of family members, age, sex, proximity, or frequency of contact with network members and living arrangements (Yoshida, Sauer, Tidwell, Skager, Sorenson, 1997). Social networks define as webs of relationships that link the individual directly and indirectly to other people. Social networks include friends and family, as well as familiarity. The size of a social network depends on the person , some people have large families and numerous friends, whereas others may have smaller families and smaller friendship networks (Phillips, 1986; Phillips et al., 2008; Quadhamer, 1999). The Properties of the person and situation significantly influence the structure of the individuals network. Since one occupies a large number of roles, such as child, spouse, and parent, it is natural that this is a time when there are numerous members of the support network, and that they differ widely in age and gender (Antonucci, Akiyama, Merline, 2001; Berke, 1991; Fiori, 2006). 2.2.3.1 Formal social support Formal social support is in many cases essential to an older adults well-being because it provides practical support that becomes increasingly dependent as a person ages. Formal support comes from those individuals and institutions one depends upon for services and assistance such as health care providers, social workers, case managers, shopkeepers, delivery persons, and others in institutional settings (Loue Sajatovic, 2008; Quadhamer, 1999). 2.2.3.2Informal social support There are several aspects of the structure of social networks that have received much attention in the literature on social relations and aging. Including family versus friend relationships, under the umbrella term of structural component is somewhat arbitrary, as this issue also touches on functional component. 2.2.3.3 Family versus Friends Informal Social Support systems are typically those supports such as family and friends and developed over a period of time through interactions with others (Nutt, 2001; Quadhamer, 1999). Informal support members are generally the primary caregivers to the older adult who needs assistance. Psychologically, social interactions with family and friends provide feedback to the individual regarding his/her social role and behavior (Rosenhand, 1999) and both of family and friends social support increase life satisfaction (Miller, 1997). The study of social relations must take into account that convoys of close friends and family members may be both pleasant and unpleasant, supportive and unsupportive (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). Findings showed that, reliable alliance, or instrumental assistance, was more strongly related to well-being when provided by kin than by nonkin (Felton Berry, 1992). Surveys of elderly people have documented that the most frequently mentioned helpers are wives followed by daughters, particularly in the case of widowed parents (Bowung   et al., 1991). Couples who do not have children may intentionally develop strong relationships with relatives such as nephews and nieces because these relatives serve as informal support to them when children would otherwise assume support (Loue Sajatovic, 2008).   Social support, especially from children and family members, had a significant positive effect on the life satisfaction of older adults when support was provided at a low level. However, excessive support was found to diminish the sense of well-being in the elderly as well as wear away their autonomy and independence (Silverstein Bengtson, 1994). In fact, increasing contact with family members could be viewed by older adults as a sign of lost independence (Fiori, 2006). Older people who are married are much less likely to need formal supports, such as home nurse care or Meals on Wheels, than unmarried people. Family relationships, under normal circumstances, make an important contribution to well-being (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007) however, if the relationship is not supportive and positive, the opposite is true. In fact, intimate relationships that are not supportive, trusting, and loving have negative influences on the physical and mental health and overall well-being of the elderly. Additionally, the very old tend to have smaller circles of social support as many people have outlived spouses, other family members, friends, and sometimes even children (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Although it is clear that families play important roles in the lives of older adults, providing sometimes extraordinary care giving efforts and instrumental help, friends are also invaluable resources. Indeed, research initially designed to examine the impact of family members alone often finds that the friends are mentioned as a significant support source (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007).The need for friendships among the elderly is self-evident (Hanafy, 1992).When confronting loneliness or needing assistance with social issues, older adults prefer friendships to family Social Support ( specifically spouses and children). The reasons that older adults prefer friendships to family in cases of emotional support are primarily due to sense of continuity with the past that friends can provide (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). Older people obtained a sense of emotional support from having intimate friendships with neighbors and friends and at least one child living close by with whom they have frequent contact (Loue Sajatovic, 2008).Friendships have significant positive effects on the mental health of the elderly (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007) and tend to be a matter of choice rather than birth. People choose friends because of shared interests and desire for contact and friendships share a form of reciprocity that may be absent in family relationships and reciprocity has a strong effect on the satisfaction level of seniors and their friendships (Loue Sajatovic, 2008). In one study of friendships among people over 60 year, 68% reported long-term friendship ties throughout their lives. There were some gender differences, with more than half the women reporting that they remained friends with a close friend from childhood or adolescence, whereas men showed high levels of continuity with close friendships developed at midlife. In one sample of people over 85 years old, it was found that more than half still had at least one close friend, and three-fourths were in weekly contact with people they considered their friends. Furthermore, almost half reported that they had made new friends after age 85, although the criteria for those friends tended to involve less expectation for intimacy or shared history than was common among younger people (Antonucci Akiyama, 2007). 2.3 Functional and Structural Support in elderly The findings from several studies suggest that the social network of elderly adultsmay differ from those of younger persons on a number of dimensions. In modem societies the networks of the aged are generally smaller than those of younger people. There is some controversy in the literature as to whether social networks of the aging decrease in size, frequency of contact with persons in the network, and degree of given and received support (Dorman, 2001). Gender It has been widely recognized that social networks among men and women differ in complex ways, particularly in relation to life stage (Antonucci et al., 2001). In terms of gender, women report providing more support, having more frequent contact with network members, being more satisfied with their friends, and having larger and more multifaceted social networks than do men (Fiori, Antonucci, Cortina, 2006). Male got more support from fa

The Importance of Grading in Education Essay -- Education Tests

Students entering college for the first time look forward to the numerous tests that they are required to take least of all. Test taking and college are in tandem for many, but some debate that using testing as a grading system should be discontinued in universities. In theory it sounds like a great idea. It would cut back on stress and, more than likely, class time as well. However, stopping testing as a form of grading in universities would be soon regretted. Grading systems are an essential part of any education. Tests insure that that the student is learning what the teaching is teaching and identify areas that may need improving. The results from grading systems also show future employers or schools a glimpse of the kind of worker that a student will be. The numerous lists of positive effects on not only the students but the teachers, and even the university as a whole, outweigh the cons of using testing as a grading system. One of the reasons that grading systems should be required is to ensure that each student has retained the information that is being taught. Diane Ravitch agrees with this statement in her essay â€Å"In Defense of Testing.† Ravitch says, â€Å"They [test] protect us†¦from inept drivers, hazardous products and shoddy professionals.† (139). Ravitch is saying that test as a form of grading help to ensure that each person is knowledgeable in the field that they are in and give people a sense of security when they must put their trust in such professionals. There are many basic classes that are required for each major depending on the university that one attends. It is essential that the information obtained during these courses is kept in case a need arises for it in a future career. If the grading system is taken ... ...o focus solely on that which they are aware of misunderstanding. This saves valuable time for both teacher and student. It also helps employers save money by only hiring those who they know have a history of good work ethics. The arguments against grading systems are bountiful despite the obvious flaws. Test as a grading system in universities should be continued because, although the opposing view brings to light many valid points, discontinuing the current grading system would cause more problem than it would solve. Works Cited Goodman, Paul. â€Å"A Proposal to Abolish Testing.† Forming a Critical Perspective, Ed, Ann Spurlock. 1st. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2010. 191-193. Print. Ravitch, Diane â€Å"In Defense of Testing.† Forming a Critical Perspective, Ed, Ann Spurlock. 1st. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2010. 194-195. Print.

The Leadville 100 Mile Trail Race :: Sports Running Geography Papers

The Leadville 100 Mile Trail Race Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Leadville, Colorado is a historical monument. In the mid 1800s, Leadville was a booming mining city known for its lead and zinc. People fled there looking to build their fortunes, and at one point the population rose to nearly 30,000. Today, Leadville attracts many tourists because of its frontier mentality, beauty, and historical district. Although the population has drastically dropped to 2,800, Leadville is a charming town that truly represents the spirit of Colorado. One might ask what Leadville is well known for today? A popular event that puts the small town on the map for many people throughout the country is the Leadville Trail 100 mile race. This ultra running race which originated in 1982, is well known throughout the running community. The 100 mile race which must be completed in thirty hours or less, covers many trails and passes in Colorado. The main difficulty of the race is the challenge of the altitude. The climb and the decent of the trail totals 15,600 feet, with the lowest point being 9,200 feet and the highest point being 12,620 feet. Together, the altitude, incorporation of water crossings, changes in temperature, and steep inclines and descents, make the Leadville race one of the most difficult 100 mile races in the running world. The $160.00 entry fee that is required to run in "The Race Across the Sky" is money well spent. Not only do individuals get to run in one of the most beautiful states in the country, but they get to experience the friendly atmosphere of Colorado. The locals from Leadville volunteer to work at the aid stations which line the course, and there is truly a spirit for running. It is not only a challenging and competitive race, but a guaranteed good time. Throughout the 30 hour race which begins at 4:00 A.M. and ends at 10:00 A.M. the following day, there are fans and volunteers to make the experience more enjoyable. There is definitely a "personal" feeling which the Leadville 100 brings to running. The course is basically made up of a one hundred mile loop that can be broken up into ten different stages. Dana Roueche who is from Boulder, Colorado, has run the Leadville Trail 100 three times. In an effort to increase the percentage of finishers, he posted a journal which discusses the strategies he follows in completing the race.

Frequent Shopper Program

Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) is a local upscale specialty food store that is committed to providing customers with the finest selection of specialty foods. In addition, KFF would like to reward their customers for their loyalty by incorporating a frequent shopper program. KFF is planning on developing a system that tracks customer purchases and awards loyalty points for redemption. The system will assist KFF in satisfying their most valued customers.Smith Systems Consulting Firm has been contracted for the development of the system. Smith Systems Consulting has been serving clients since 1994 with high value web and business application services. In this proposal, Smith Systems consulting will propose two alternative methods for completing the frequent shopper application. The advantages and disadvantages for each method and how the firm would conduct testing for each development method will be discussed.Regardless of which method is used, most software process models, follow a similar se t of phases and activities. The difference between models is the order and frequency of the phases. The specific parts of the software process are presented below: 1. Inception – Software product is created and defined.2. Planning – Resources, schedule, and cost are determined. 3. Requirements Analysis – Specify what the application must do. 4. Design – Specify the parts and how they fit 5. Implementation – Write the code 6. Testing – Execute the application with input test data 7. Maintenance – Repair defects and add capability (TechTarget, 2014)The first model that will be proposed is the â€Å"waterfall† process. The â€Å"waterfall† process is the oldest software process model and despite its weaknesses, it is still in widespread use today. The waterfall process requires following the phases in a sequential order where the output for one phase is used as the input for the next. The next phase in the process is not st arted until the previous one has been completed, although a small overlap between phases is accepted. Two advantages and disadvantages of using this model relative to the frequent shopper program will be discussed.The first advantage is the practicality of the process. We have been using this process for many years and have a great deal of experience with it. All individuals involved have and understanding of the process and its execution. The second advantage is the process is simple and easy to use. The criteria of each phase are set and completed sequentially. The order of execution is easy for everyone to comprehend. There is no question on what needs to be completed before the next phase can begin.The first disadvantage is that requirements need to be known up front. KFF currently has a broad range of requirements and every detail is not known. As the project progresses, more details may become known; which could cause the project to be stopped and re-imagined. The second disad vantage is that there is no feedback of the system by stakeholders until after the testing phase. KFF has no way of knowing if the program meets their requirements because the â€Å"waterfall† process does not facilitate intermediate versions.The second method that will be proposed is the agile methodology. The agile methodology proposes alternatives to traditional project management. Agile development focuses on keeping code simple, testing often, and delivering functional bits of the application as soon as they are ready (TechTarget, 2014). One goal of agile development is to build upon small-client-approved parts as the project progresses, as opposed to delivering one large application at the end of the project.One advantage to using agile methodology for the frequent shopper application is the ability to respond to changing requirements. KFF may decide to change the requirements of the project, which can easily be handled using the flexibility of the agile methodology. A second advantage is the face-to-face communication and continues input from customer representatives making sure that there is no guesswork (Buzzle, 2013). The result is exactly what the customer has required.The first disadvantage of the agile methodology is the possibility that the project can be taken off track. KFF is not one hundred percent clear on the final outcome that they want; therefore, the project has the potential to get off track because requirements are constantly changing. Another disadvantage is that it is difficult to assess the effort needed to complete this project at the beginning of the software development life cycle. Since KFF is not specific on the requirements for the project, we cannot plan how much time or the amount of resources we will need to complete the project.Regardless of the method that is used for the frequent shopper application, testing is a necessary component of the process. Testing is conducted differently depending on which software model is used. Since the waterfall method follows a sequential approach, the testing is done so also. The flexibility of the agile method also allows flexibility for the testing process.Using the waterfall method testing would begin during the implementation stage. The work would be divided into modules and the coding would begin after receiving the system design documents. The frequent shopper program would be developed into small programs called units. As an example, there would be a program that handles the input from the customer and another program that would track the employee’s reward points. Each unit is developed and then tested for functionality. Unit testing verifies if the units meet the specifications.The units are then integrated into a complete system during the integration phase and tested to see if all units coordinate between each other and the system functions as a whole per the specification (Onestoptesting, 2014). After testing of the frequent shopper program is successful, the software is delivered to the customer. If problems are found after deployment they are solved immediately. This is referred to be maintenance and sometimes that process is virtually never ending.Agile testing focuses on testing being an integral part of software development rather than a separate phase. (â€Å"Agile Testing†, n.d.) Testing from the beginning of the project and continually testing throughout the project lifecycle is the foundation in which agile testing is built. Agile testing is software testing based on the principles of agile software development.The combined team, including the testing team will take responsibility of analyzing the business requirements of the frequent shopper program. Together the team will define a sprint goal. The testing team will then begin work on the test plan that is validated by the entire team and KFF. As the development team starts the implementation, the test team will begin working on the test case design.Wh en the code is ready to test, the test team will do a quick test on the development environment, in order to identify the early stage defects. Developers will fix the defects on a priority basis. This iteration will continue until the end of the code implementation. In addition after approval from KFF, automated test cases will be run on a daily basis. Because of the frequency of testing using the agile method, automated tests are needed.Smith Systems Consulting needs to choose the methodology that works for them and the client. Since each project is unique, there is not a one-size fit all methodology. Two alternative methods for completing this project were presented and Smith Systems Consulting can make a decision on which to choose.