What Ethical Consumerism means for Starbucks Essay

What Ethical Consumerism means for Starbucks - Essay Example The conclusion will include a critical assessment of ethical consumerism in lieu of the evidence collected from primary and secondary research. The assessment will be limited to Starbucks. Finally, the paper will present recommendations as to how Starbucks can become more ethical. Consumers always want to be associated with products or services that are â€Å"clean,† meaning they do not bear any mark of malpractice. This orientation is influenced by many things, but it forms part of consumers’ personal philosophy. With natural resources becoming increasingly limited, and the degradation of human principles becoming increasingly blatant, governments and consumers have shifted attention to sustainable business practices. The sustainability message has been spread widely since the advent of the 21st century, and its core lies ethical consumerism. Globalisation has made society more interconnected, so much so that negative situations at one end of the globe are felt another end. A century ago, consumers did not care much about the methods used to deliver products and services provided they satisfied their needs. However, globalisation has ensured that unethical and immoral business practices affect consumers around the world in one way or the other. This explains the increasing popularity of ethical consumerism. This paper will discuss the various dynamics surrounding the concept. Ethical consumerism, also known as positive buying, can be defined, first, as a variant of consumer activism. Its basis lies in the belief that consumers should have a say in the products and services they pay for, and that they should be recognized and respected as valuable members of the supply chain. Ethical consumerism is guided by the notion that all purchases are motivated by moral choices.

Chinese philosophy Essay Example for Free

Chinese philosophy Essay Although the interpretation might be negative and positive, it is not how we actually depict these two aspects. They represent a balance and are interdependent (cannot exist without each other). These two are like a cause and effect. 3. How could the hexagrams of the I Ching (The Book of Changes) be viewed as means of divination? How could they be seen as having personality and wisdom of their own? Note the editorial work of the Confucianism. Chinese sought the future in the patterns of the shell of the tortoise or in stalks of grains. The shell of the tortoise was sought to be especially in tune with the rhythms of the universe because of the long life of its inhabitant. With the casting of coins or stalks of a plant, certain patterns emerge. By identifying these patterns, a prediction is made. When casting the coins, they each represented a trigram that when put together you would compare it to your hexagram number. Each hexagram number had a different reading (they were kind of their own version of a fortune cookie). The readings were a form of divination in the way that they each had separate readings about actions to take in the future. They had a personality and wisdom of their own in a sense that each hexagram had a different reading and action to follow. They each had a different fortune. 4. Why did the decline of the feudal system in ancient China set the stage for both Taoism and Confucianism? When the feudal system began to breakdown, each school chose a different belief to kind of explain what was happening at that time with the  government. Within these schools Taoism and Confucianism developed each with different beliefs on how the government should run and how the people should be run. 5. Contrast the view of the best government as it is revealed in the Tao Te Ching and in the teachings of Confucius. Confucianism: feudal system was wanted. They seem to have believed that although the gods existed and worship and rituals were of value in bringing people together, these things were of secondary importance to an equitable social order. They strongly believed in government and that society needed an elaborate structure, reinforced by etiquette in order to be effective. Tao Te Ching: This book was written as a polemic against the Confucians and Legalist who wished for either an idealized form of feudalism or some strong central government. They wanted little to do with government, none if possible. The theme of the book was that all human achievements were folly, especially elaborate government. This book was written by Lao-Tzu in 6th century B. C. E because the gate keeper tried to persuade him to turn back (Hankao Pass) and not leave China. When the gate keeper failed to persuade him he asked him to at least write a book about his teachings (the book took him about 3 days and was made up of 5000 characters). 8. What political difficulties do religions face in China today? The government only tolerates religious organizations that are willing to accept strict regulations. They have to be free of foreign influence and they must accept government censorship of religious writings and guidance in the selections of clergy, and limit religious activities and approved locations.

Social Phobia and Perfectionism: Theories, Types and Models

Social Phobia and Perfectionism: Theories, Types and Models Contents (Jump to) Abstract Chapter 2 – Epidemiology of Generalized and Specific Social Phobia Chapter 3 Etiological Hypotheses and Findings Chapter 4 The Behavioral Models of Social Phobia Abstract Derived from the Greek word for ‘fear’, a phobia represents a ‘fight or flight’ response that is described by the American Psychiatric Association as â€Å"†¦ an uncontrollable, irrational and persistent fear of a specific object †¦ situation †¦activity† (Phobia King, 2006). Social phobia, which is known as ‘phobia des situations socials’, was first termed by Pierre Janet (1903) whereby he described patients that demonstrated and or had a fear of being observed as they were either speaking, writing or performing other functions. Hurka (1993, p. 3) tells us that perfectionism is a â€Å"†¦ moral theory (that) starts from an account of the good life † Hurka (1993, p. 3) goes on to add that the ‘good life’ develops humanity properties to a high degree and or thus realizes what is important as well as central to human nature. The history of perfectionism can be traced back to Aristotle’s conception of eudaimonia, the good life, and his belief that political structures and politics should thus promote this in its individuals (Aristotle and Irwin, translator, 1999, pp. 1-4). Other notable individuals throughout history noted for their devotion to perfectionism in varied forms are Thomas Aquinas, Francis of Assisi, Clement of Alexandria as well as Jesus who stated in his Sermon on the Mount said â€Å"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect† (MainBelieve.com, 2006). The dictionary defines ‘perfectionism’ as â€Å"a tendency to set rigid high standards of personal performance† (free dictionary.com, 2006). In psychology, perfectionism represents the belief that this is something which should be strived for and in its pathological sense it represents the unhealthy belief anything that is not perfect is unacceptable (coping.org, 2006). It also represents not making mistakes and striving to be the best, as well as the attitude that what one attempts needs to be done perfectly and a habit that is developed in one’s youth keeping one consistently alert to imperfections as well as weaknesses and failings in one’s self as well as others (coping.org., 2006). This paper shall examine these two areas, delving into their individual specificities as well as linkages and commonalities, revealing opposing views concerning the diagnosis and causes of these afflictions and the views which seemingly share many similar aspects. The term, phobia, is generally classified by psychiatrists and psychologists into three basic categories (Bourne, 2005, pp. 33-42) (Kessler et al, 2005, pp. 629-640): Social Phobias Specific Phobias Agoraphobia Isaac Marks (1969, p. 362) advises that the syndromes representing shyness, social anxiety along with social avoidance had been described as early as Hippocrates. Marks (1969, p. 362) reported that individuals with this affliction â€Å"†¦ through bashfulness, suspicion, and timorousness, will not be seen abroad, †¦ he dare not come in company, for fear he should be misused, disgraced, overshoot himself in gestures of speeches †¦ he thinks every man observed him †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mark’s (1969) views and analysis is amplified by Heimberg et al (1995, p. 96) who state that individuals having this affliction â€Å"†¦ experience excessive fear of being humiliated or judged negatively in social or performance situations.† Juster et al (1996, pp. 403-410) state that perfectionism is linked to social phobia and is also related to anxiety as well as depression. Frost et al (1990, pp. 449-468) ‘Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale assesses perfectionism in terms of it being a phenomenon that consists of three segments: Self oriented, is described as the tendency for a person to seek as well as set high self standards concerning performance, Other oriented, is the tendency for a person to expect others to be perfect in their performance(s), Socially prescribed represents the tendency that a person expects others to think and or believe others expects them to be perfect in their performance. Frost et al (1990, pp. 449-468) define perfectionism as a malady that entails excessive self criticism that is associated with the setting or belief in higher personal standards and the allied concern of meeting expectations on a social level. The preceding also includes the tendency for excessive self criticism that is associated with their higher personal standards as well as their concerns for meeting what is, in their internal view, social expectations, along with the excessive focus concerning organization as well as neatness and doubts with regard to their effectiveness in their actions (Frost et al, 1990, pp. 449-468). The preceding describes the inter relatedness between social phobia and perfectionism that will be explored herein which shall examine each aspect and their links. Perfectionism has roots in aspects of social phobia, as well as the reverse being true. These two afflictions sometimes are present in individuals having social anxiety and are generally conditions that have their roots in early childhood. In examining these two areas, attention shall be paid to their individual diagnosis areas, signs, conditions and foundations, as well as the linkages between the varied forms of social phobia and perfectionism. This examination has been organized to set forth the preceding via segmenting the foregoing into areas that identify and explain the aspects of social phobia as well as perfectionism revealing the foregoing linkages and commonalities. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000, pp. 154-156) defines social phobia as a persistent and marked fear of one or more performance and or social situations whereby an individual is exposed to people that are unfamiliar and thus subject to scrutiny by others whereby the person in question thus feels (fears) that they might or will act in such a manner, and or exhibit anxiety, which will either be embarrassing and or humiliating. The preceding concurs with Heimberg et al (1995, p. 96) who stated that individuals having this affliction â€Å"†¦ experience excessive fear of being humiliated or judged negatively in social or performance situations.† Social Anxiety Disorder represents the third highest mental health care problem globally and afflicts an estimated seven percent of the world’s population at any given point in time, with a thirteen percent chance that it will affect any one of us during our lives (Social Phobia / Social Anxiety A ssociation, 2005). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Social Anxiety Institute, 2006) defines social phobia as: A persistent fear of either one or more performance and or social situations whereby an individual is exposed to potential scrutiny by unfamiliar people and that they, the person in question, will act in a manner, and or show anxiety symptoms, which will be either humiliating and or embarrassing. That the exposure to the situation in almost all situations results in anxiety that can and usually does take the form of what is termed as being based upon situations and thus pre-disposed or bound Panic Attack. The individual experiencing the symptoms of social anxiety recognizes that they have a fear that is excessive and or unreasonable. The feared situations are thus avoided by this type of individual or are endured under intense distress and anxiety. The individual’s avoidance, distress and or anticipation of the feared situation thus significantly interferes with this person’s normal routine, functioning and an occupational and or academic manner, their social activities /relationships, and or they experience a marked distress concerning having the phobia. In those persons 18 years of age or less the general period of the duration of such an experience is generally six months. That the fear and or avoidance of the aforementioned is not due to the direct physiological effects of either drugs or medications, and or a general medical condition which could be accounted for by virtue of another mental disorder. The preceding diagnostic criteria provide a guideline, however they do not substitute an analysis and or visit to a mental health practitioner (Ohio State University, 2005). Examples of diagnostic criteria historical facets are described as (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000) : patients having a hypersensivity to criticism, along with a difficulty in being assertive, and or low self esteem as well as potentially inadequate social skills. They avoid speaking in front of groups of people, with the preceding potentially leading to difficulties in either work or education. In order to reach a diagnosis concerning social phobia in children the situation calls for observing their interactions with peers as opposed to observing them with adults, which represents a different context. In reaching and or considering a diagnosis, clinicians should seek to consider what is termed the co-morbid diagnosis represented by avoidant personality disorder when an individual exhibits generalized social phobia. It has been determined that a high percentage of individuals with social phobia have or have developed alcohol and or sedative abuse that aids them in tolerating social situations, however the preceding is not universally true. Symptoms and characteristics of social phobia consist of one, some or all of the following (Helpguide.org, 2006): Avoidance, Whereby an individual will go to great lengths to avoid the prospect of socializing based upon the fear that they will by either perceived in an adverse manner or be humiliated. If left untreated this condition can accelerate or develop into the condition known as agoraphobia. Low Self Esteem, Represents a condition which most individuals who are afflicted with social phobia experience and it is marked by the fact that the longer one remains in this condition the more it affects one’s sense of self worth. Depression, A common outgrowth of having a social anxiety disorder is that the feelings of extreme anxiety as well as the sense of the lack of control over one’s life can very well lead to depression. Alcohol and or Drug Abuse, It has been estimated that one fourth of the individuals with this condition abuse either alcohol and or drugs usually starting to alleviate the pain and then accelerating into wholesale abuse. Academic and Occupational Difficulties, The condition has been known to interfere with one’s ability to function at work as well as academically and can as well as has presented obstacles in these regards. Interpersonal Difficulties, Statistics and studies have determined that as a result of this condition, individuals are prone to be less likely to marry and also have fewer friends as well as social support. The symptoms represented by social phobia defer in respect to children and adults as generally represented by the fact that in the earlier stages children tend to fail to achieve their levels, and adults show declines from prior functioning levels (Biederman et al, 2001, pp. 49-57) (Stein, 2001, pp. 28-39). The symptoms as manifested by children frequently are observed as temper tantrums, clinging to parents, crying and interactive aspects such as the refusal to talk to others (Biederman et al, 2001, pp. 49-57). In adults, the symptoms include a number of physical anxiety signs along with behavior and attitude manifestations (Bruce and Saeed, 1999, pp. 2311-2322): blushing, nausea, dry mouth, sweating, tremors and other similar types of anxiety indicators, difficulty as represented with self assertion, an extreme sensitivity concerning criticism, negative evaluations and or rejection, an intense preoccupation and concern regarding the responses as well as reactions of other individuals, increased fears regarding the prospect of being either humiliated and or embarrassed, and the avoidance of situations that cause or create fear and or anxiety Olfson et al (2001, pp. 521-527) advise that the diagnosis of social phobia is generally based upon the history of the patient, along with reported symptoms. In keeping with an accurate diagnosis the physician may also utilize what is termed a diagnostic questionnaire which aids in ruling our other possible phobias, anxiety orders as well as major depression (Olfson et al, 2001, pp. 521-527). Screening and testing procedures for adults suspected of suffering from social phobia represents a problematic assessment as some general screeners, for example the Structured Clinical Interview does not include questions that are related to social phobia and such a test can take upwards of twenty-five minutes (Bruce and Saeed, 1999, pp. 2311-2322). In addition to the foregoing there are instruments such as the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale as well as the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale which are long and in general are useful more in the measurement of therapy progress (Bruce and Saeed, 1999, pp. 2311-2322). Interestingly, physicians have found that the utilization of a selected group of questions added to a general screening questionnaire has proved helpful in their detection of this condition; examples of the preceding are as follows (Olfson et al, 2001, pp. 521-527): Are feeling embarrassed or feeling as if you look stupid among your worst fears? Does the fear of embarrassment cause you to avoid doing certain things and or speaking to people? Do you avoid situations where you could be or are the center of attention? The diagnosis of children takes into account additional factors as a result of their age. Such includes the fact that they do not have the options of avoiding most situations which frighten them (Bogels and Zigterman, 2000). The preceding provides an explanation as to why children are less likely to be able to provide why they are thus anxious. Bogels and Zigterman (2000) advise that thus it is important for physicians to therefore evaluate their capacity concerning social relationships with individuals the child knows, as well as assess their interactions with those in their peer group for signs of social phobia indications in addition to their behavior with and around adults. Examples of the procedural aspects for the preceding entail the utilization of what are termed the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and Children, the parent completed Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher’s Report Form (Bogels and Z igterman, 2000). Social phobia differs from shyness in that the former condition causes individuals to avoid the anxiety producing situations by all means, whereas shyness can be attributed to a number of broad classifications as it represents different things to differing individuals. Crozier (1990, p. 2) states that â€Å"†¦ shyness is not a precise term. It refers to feeling awkward or uncertain in social situations.† Crozier (1990, p. 2) continues that shyness is associated with being and or feeling self conscious, the â€Å"†¦ excessive monitoring of one’s behaviors and over rehearsal of potential utterances† â€Å"The shy person feels anxious and often †¦ appears anxious to others† (Crozier, 1990, p. 2). Berent and Lemley (1994, p. 9) state that the word itself is â€Å"†¦ too general to be of much help in identifying a problem and solving it† and that shyness has varied degrees of complexity and intensity from extremely mild and applicable in a few situations, to more perverse whereby it can thus be termed as a social phobia. Berent and Lemley (1994, p. 10-11) advise us that shyness and social anxiety are closely related and in both instances as they represent a â€Å"†¦ learned response to social interaction†. They go on to explain that shy and or socially anxious individuals â€Å"†¦ may hesitate to pursue the things he or she is interested in, or even begin to avoid situations that cause nervousness or anxiety†. Thus, the spectrum entailing shyness ranges from relatively few instances to actual social phobia. Shyness is not necessarily a criterion for social phobia in that individuals having a social anxiety disorder can be comfortable with certain types and or many differing people; however, they feel intense regarding certain specific situations (CNN.com, 2006). Social anxiety disorder is termed as a social phobia, and or as a psychiatric anxiety disorder which entails overwhelming anxiety as well as excessive self consciousness concerning everyday situations (Crozier and Lynn, 2001, pp. 18-24). Individuals with this affliction often exhibit an intense, chronic as well as persistent fear that they are being watched along with being judged by others, thinking that they might be either humiliated and or embarrassed as a result of their own actions (Crozier and Lynn, 2001, pp. 18-24). The distinction between generalized and specific social anxiety is indicated as those having the generalized type have significant distress with most, if not all social type situations, whereas specific, as the word implies, refers to such situations with specific connotations. Examples of the preceding are evidenced by glossophobia, which is the fear of speaking or performing in public, scriptophobia, which is the fear of writing in public, or paruresis, the fear of utilizing public restrooms (Bruch, 1989, pp. 37-47). Sometimes referred to as anxious personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder is recognizable as a result of a pattern of social inhibition that is pervasive (Mental Health Matters.com, (2006). The foregoing description includes feelings of inadequacy as well as an extreme sensitivity regarding negative evaluation, and people with this affliction very often consider that they are socially inept and or unappealing on a personal level, thus they avoid situations entailing social interaction due to a fear of either being humiliated and or ridiculed. In general, avoidant personality disorder is usually first noticed in one’s early childhood and is usually associated with either a real or perceived rejection by one’s parents and or peers in that period (Dayhoff, 2000. pp. 29-38). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000) is widely utilized in diagnosing avoidant personality disorder and is identifiable by four or more of the following (Rettew, 2 006): Avoidance of occupational activities which involve degrees of significant interpersonal contact as a result of fears regarding criticism, rejection and or disapproval. Being unwilling to get or be involved with someone unless being certain that one will be liked. Through showing restraint in intimate relationships as a result of fearing shame or ridicule. Being preoccupied in social situations with being criticized and or rejected. By being inhibited in new situations entailing interpersonal relationships due to feelings of being inadequate. Viewing one’s self as inept socially, being unappealing and or inferior to other people. Being reluctant to take on personal risks and or to engage in new activities as such could or might thus prove embarrassing. Comorbidity is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary (2006) as â€Å"A concomitant but unrelated pathological or disease process† with in the context of social phobia means the presence of either one or more such disorders as well as the primary disorder. Schuckit et al (1990, pp. 34-41) state that it represents the disorder that occurred first or the one representing the symptoms that are most dominant, which Klerman (1990, pp. 13-17) refers to as the primary disorder. The critical issues in dealing with comorbidity represents the proper and correct analysis of the varied disorders and understanding which one is the prevalent or primary one as well as the order, and impact of the associated disorders in which there are combination and their influences on the patient. Biederman et al (1991, pp. 565-577) indicates that there are several hypotheses which may be utilized to account for the true patterns of comorbidity and critical issues: that comorbid disorders are not distinct entities, they represent expressions termed phenotypic variability in the same disorder, that each comorbid disorder is a distinct as well as separate entity, that these disorders share vulnerabilities that are common, represented by genetic and or psychosocial, that these disorders have a distinct subtype, or genetic variant, and a heterogeneous disorder, that one syndrome represents what is termed an early manifestation, and that the development as represented by one syndrome can increase the risk of comorbid disorder. Caron and Rutter (1991, pp. 1063-1080) advise that the failure in understanding and attending to comorbidity patterns can thus cause researchers and physicians to come to misleading conclusions thereby creating negative intervention results. Achenbach (1990. pp. 271-278) warns us that the appearance of comorbidity might develop as a result of varied conceptual and or diagnostic models which can result in boundaries between disorders that are inappropriate and can potentially lead to the tendency for comparison of one diagnosis against normal individuals as opposed to other diagnosis. He warns that there is a need for well defined diagnosis in the instance of this occurrence, comorbidity (Achenbach, 1990. pp. 271-278). Chapter 2 – Epidemiology of Generalized and Specific Social Phobia Termed the study of the scientific factors which affect the illness and health of populations, epidemiology serves as the logic and foundational basis for interventions that are made in the interests serving public health, along with preventive medicine (Rothman and Greenland, 1998, p. 29). The field is regarded as a cornerstone in the methodology of health research for the public sector and has the reputation of being highly regarded in the field of what is termed evidenced based medicine for the identification of disease risk factors and the determination of optimal treatment in the approaches representing clinical practice (Rothman and Greenland, 1998, p. 29). Morabia (2006, p. 3) explains that epidemiology, in terms of the public, represents a medical discipline dealing with the â€Å"†¦ large scale outbreaks of infectious diseases†. Chronicled in â€Å"Epidemiologia Espanola† spanning a period of thirteen centuries, Villalba, a Spanish physician, complied a li sting of epidemics as well as outbreaks which helped to define the term (Morabia, 2006, p. 3). Even though the practice extends back to the 16th century, as a scientific discipline it is relatively recent. The mission of epidemiology has â€Å"†¦ historically been to identify determinants of human diseases †¦ mostly at the population level† (Morabia, 2006, p. 3), and this holds true today. Epidemiology is prevalent in today’s communities under the term ‘Community-oriented primary care’, or COPC) and represents a systematic health care approach that is based upon principles of epidemiology (Rhyne et al, 1998). Usage has demonstrated that COPC, representing primary care, health promotion and preventive medicine has positive community benefits on a global basis (Rhyne et al, 1998). The methodology, ‘Community-oriented primary care’, entails the process of seeking to improve the health of a community utilizing the aforementioned principles, public health, primary care and epidemiology, which traditionally has been used to describe the health care system whereby a community and or targeted population is thus the focus (Wright, 1993). The American Public Health Association description of Community-oriented primary care states that it represents a â€Å"†¦ systematic process †¦ identifying and addressing †¦ health problems of a defined population† and that it thus can be implemented via the resources which are already available within most communities (Rhyne et al, 1998). It, COPC, represents a team comprised of health professionals, along with community members, who work in partnership over a long duration in treating and diagnosing patients in a community in a similar manner as does a primary care doctor, and while primary care physicians are not needed for or in every project, they nevertheless need to be involved in the process (Rhyne et al, 1998). The availability of epidemiologic studies from Europe, Asia and the United States over the past twenty years has permitted a clearer and sharper picture of social phobia with respect to its incidence, severity, prevalence and other correlations (Zucchi et al, 2000, pp. 17-24). The preceding historical base of epidemiologic information helps to provide a comprehensive reference point concerning the age of onset and incidence of social phobia from a broad population cross section. Studies conducted indicate that social phobia is the most prevalent of anxiety disorder (Carta et al, 2004), as shown by the following: Table 1- Lifetime Prevalence of Social Phobia in the General Populations of Europe and the United States (Carta et al, 2004) The preceding show the lifetime prevalence of Social Phobia of 2.2% across the board, representing 1.5% for males and 2.8% for females. Table 2 – Lifetime Prevalence of Social Phobia According to Age and Sex (Carta et al, 2004) The preceding Table represents studies conducted in Europe and the United States for the countries indicated with OR representing the degree of associated disorders that were observed regarding frequency in the populations that were not affected by social phobia. Table 3 – Lifetime Comorbidity of Social Phobia (Carta et al, 2004) * Where p is less than 0.001 The preceding Table represents the rate of comorbidity concerning major psychiatric disorders which were observed in the overall general populations of Europe and the United States, along with the degree of associated disorders (OR) in the reported populations which were not affected by social phobia. The mean age representing the onset of comorbid DE represented 6.5 plus or minus 6.6 years, whereas GAD represented a mean of 4.3 plus or minus 7.8 years later (Carta et al, 2004). In a study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, they found six regions in the human genome that very well could play a role with regard to the susceptibility of obsessive compulsive disorder (Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, 2006). The study added to the growing evidence of a genetic basis for obsessive compulsive disorder and thus its inheritability through the finding of genetic markers, or what are termed similarities, in the genomes of individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder as represented by six significance regions within the genome that are on five differing chromosomes which appeared to be linked to obsessive compulsive disorder (Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, 2006). Dorak (2006) advises us that genetic epidemiology is related to and overlaps molecular epidemiology and that the epidemiological evaluation aims to seek the detection of the inheritance pattern regarding a disease, localize it and find the marker that is associated with its susceptibility. D orak (2006) states that the steps in genetic epidemiologic research are: the establishment of the fact that there is a genetic component concerning the diso

Voice Recognition Technologies :: Essays Papers

Voice Recognition Technologies The 20th century has been a technological marvel. We have advanced more in the 20th century than we have during any other one-hundred year term in recorded history. This is due to a number of reasons. One of which is the early conflicts of the century. World War I and World War II changed the world forever. During these global conflicts, countries developed advanced weapons. They also developed advanced communications and other technologies. The Internet came as a result of the military’s efforts in World War II, and the fear of a nuclear conflict. Then, during the last decade of the 20th century, the Internet and computers exploded to take control of much of our society. Computers are now everywhere. This is evident in another rapidly advancing industry, and that is the automotive industry. Cars, trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles are rapidly becoming more and more computer driven. The most advanced safety features in a car, such as Anti-lock brakes, Traction Control, Active Stability, and even the air bags are control by shock sensors sent to a computer for analysis. If the computer determines that the impact is severe, it’ll deploy the airbag. Another advancing technology appearing in cars is voice and speech recognition. Many new cars feature a system called OnStar, which allows voice activated dialing of a cellular phone service. Most new after-market compact disc players that are installed in cars can feature voice control. Systems from Kenwood and others allow you to change tracks, adjust the volume, change the radio station, and eject the CD without having to remove your hands from the steering wheel. Each of these compact disc units feature a small microprocessor in them and memory to process the driver’s voice that is input into a microphone. After the system has been sufficiently trained, which is when the computer attempts to learn and understand the person’s speech patterns, it will recognize the driver’s voice and commands, and then perform them. Other voice advancements inside the car besides the ability to control the stereo is also a computerized location system. The global positioning satellite locates vehicles, then directions and other commands are given by voice from the computer center to the driver of the automobile.

Surrealism Research Task

Artists: Andre Breton (1896-1966): A French writer and poet, best known as the â€Å"Founder of Surrealism†. Rene © Emigrate (1898-1967): A Belgian Surrealist artist who became well known for his witty and thought-provoking images that challenges observers' preconditioned perceptions of reality. Marcel Decamp (1887-1968): A French- American painter, sculptor and writer who challenged conventional thought about artistic processes and art marketing through subversive actions.He famously dubbed a urinal art and named it Fountain. Max Ernst (1891- 1976): A German painter and sculptor who was a primary pioneer of the Dada movement and Surrealism, and famous for his declaiming works. Man Ray (1890-1976): an American modernist artist best known for his experimental photography and as creator of the Ray-O- Graph. Joan Mirror (1893-1983): Catalan Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist known for his childlike, colorful paintings and as the inventor of automatic drawing.Giorgio De C horizo (1888-1978): A Greek-born Italian artist who founded the Metaphysical art movement, characterized by his dreamlike works with sharp entrants of light and shadow which often had a vaguely threatening, mysterious quality. Yves Tangy (1900-1955): A French surrealist painter known for his nonrepresentational surrealist paintings which of vast, abstract landscapes, mostly in a tightly limited palette of colors. Salvador Dali (1904-1989): A Spanish surrealist painter best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work.Friday Kohl (1907-1954): A Mexican painter, not strictly part of the surrealist movement, best known for her self-portraits which offer an uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form. M ©ret Oppenheim (1913-1985): a German-born Swiss, Surrealist artist, and photographer, best known for her sculpture series of a teacup, saucer and spoon covered with fur from a Chinese gazelle. James Gleeson (191 5 -2008): An Australian artist best kno wn for his works that delved into the subconscious using literary, mythological or religious subject matter. 2.Andre Breton surrounded himself with a group of artists with similar interests and together they formed the concept of surrealism. The social relationships between these prominent surrealist artists were important to their art making as hey collaborated with each other and received feedback and ideas from each other. Breton was especially important as he was the leader of the surrealists, and it was under his guidance and charisma that they created their art, and developed the idea of surrealism. It has also been said that at times the group was only held together by the personality of Breton. . The initial response to surrealism was that the wider public did not understand it, or were shocked and offended by it. Art critics made fun of it and saw it as very poor. Despite this the movement soon gained a devoted following and audience. . Surrealism can be defined as a 20th-c entury literary and artistic movement, developed from Dadaism that attempts to express the workings of the subconscious and is characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous Juxtaposition of subject matter. Two Surrealist Manifestos were issued by the Surrealist movement, in 1924 and 1929.They were both written by And © Breton. The First Manifesto defined Surrealism as: â€Å"Psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express verbally, by meaner of the written word, or in any other manner the actual functioning of thought. Dictated by the thought, in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern. † Group of 20th century surrealists The Surrealists wished to create art that was completely free of rational thought or censorship.They promoted freedom of expression and art that was not limited or altered by personal or societal morals or decorum. They were attempting to spark a revolution in consciousness that would â€Å"change life† and society. 5. Surrealism started in Paris, with the first Manifesto being released in 1924. Although principally literary to begin with, the movement quickly expanded into the usual arts (Breton courted Picasso assiduously, to no avail), and its first painting show – La Painter Surrealists – was staged at Galleries Pierre in 1925. The movement continued to thrive in Paris during the late sass.The movement was introduced to the international stage during the sass with major shows in Brussels, Copenhagen, London, New York and Paris. It rapidly became a worldwide popular phenomenon with branches in England, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Egypt, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania and Hungary. Between 1930 and 1935, Salvador Dali and Rene Margarita produced some of their most memorable works and helped establish the usual style of Surrealism. By 1939, many of the major surrealists, including Andre Breton, Max Ernst and Andre Manson, had re located to the United States so as to avoid the impact of World War II in France.After World War II, Andre Breton returned to Paris, though society mood of post-war depression was not receptive to the whimsical style of Surrealism. Despite this, major surrealist exhibitions were held in Paris in 1947 and 1959, and surrealist ideas and techniques made their mark on many of the post-war art movements. There is no clear agreement about the end of Surrealism. Some art experts consider that it dissolved after the war; others mark the death of And © Breton in 1966 or Salvador Dali in 1989 as the end of Surrealism as an organized movement. 6.Surrealism started in Paris by Andre Breton, and quickly grew as a movement to accommodate many different artists in Paris. Just prior to World War II, a number of significant Surrealist artists moved together to New York to avoid the impacts of war, and Surrealism became a popular movement in the U. S. A. Also, while there was no organized surrealis t movement in Australia, many Australian artists adopted the style ruing the sass's. 7. Surrealism came about as a movement due to many factors and surrealist artists were influenced by many different sources.The surrealist movement grew from Dadaism, but had a more positive take on Dadaism fundamentally negative message. The most prominent intellectual influence on the idea of Surrealism was the theories of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis. Andre Breton and other surrealists were very impressed with Fraud's insights into the unconscious, which they thought would be a major source of untapped pictures and imagery. They used his theories to get past the boundaries between fantasy and reality.Surrealist artists were also rebelling against bourgeois society acceptance of the horrors of war and their general complacency towards social, cultural, and political issues. The Surrealists wished to shock, offend or provoke a reaction in society in an at tempt to make them think more about their conforming to society expectations and acceptance of their nation's governance without question. They were attempting to spark a revolution in consciousness that would â€Å"change life† and society. A section of The Garden of Earthly Delights, by Hieronymus Busch A section of The Garden of Earthly Delights, by Hieronymus Busch 8.Surrealist artists got their inspiration from various prior movements and artists. The Surrealists wanted to create art that was marvelous and mystical. The detailed fantasies of Hieronymus Busch (1453-1516) and the menacing engravings of prisons by Giovanni Battista Praises (1720-1778) were significant sources of inspiration. In terms of nineteenth century styles, surrealists thought Impressionism too naturalistic, and preferred Pre-Raphael and Symbolist works, such as the astigmatism etchings and strange paintings by Max Clinger (1857-1920), and the vivid Oceanic primitivism of Paul Gauguin.Aside from Dada, two other significant painting style influences on Surrealism were the 19th century Symbolism movement, and the Italian school of Metaphysical Painting, originated by Giorgio De Chorizo. Surrealists also got inspiration from several different writers. One such writer the surrealists claimed they owed much inspiration from was Gallinule Billionaire, who compose hallucinated, luminescent poetry and also who provided the name for the surrealist movement. Other writers included the Gothic 18th century English authors, whose novels depicted mysterious happenings, cruelty, madness and eroticism. . Surrealist artists use numerous techniques to provide inspiration for their imaginative artworks. Many of these are said to free imagination by producing a creative process free of conscious control. The importance of the unconscious as a source of inspiration is central to the nature of surrealism. Popular techniques include: Frontage: a method of creation in which one takes a pencil or other drawing tool and makes a â€Å"rubbing† over a textured surface. The drawing can either be left as is or used as the basis for further refinement. Invented by Max Ernst in 1925.Declaiming: A process of spreading thick paint upon a canvas then?while it is still wet?covering it with further material such as paper or aluminum foil. This covering is then removed (again before the paint dries), and the resultant paint pattern becomes the basis of the finished painting. Involuntary Sculpture: Surrealism describes as â€Å"involuntary sculpture† those made by absent-minded manipulating something, such as rolling and unrolling a movie ticket, bending a paper clip etc. Photometer: The making of a composite picture by cutting and Joining a number of photographs.Automatic Drawing: Invented by Andre Manson, Joan Mirror, and Paul Sleek, the technique of automatic drawing involved using a pen or other drawing instrument and letting it wander over the page without any conscious plann ing. Exquisite corpse: a method by which a collection of words or images are collectively assembled. It is played like a game in which players wrote or drew on a section of paper, folded it to conceal part of the writing or drawing, and then passed it to the next player for them to continue it on.Paranoiac-critical method: a technique invented by Salvador Dali in which the artist invokes a paranoid state (fear that the self is being manipulated, targeted or controlled by others). The result is a deconstruction of the psychological concept of identity, so that subjectivity becomes the main aspect of the artwork. Found Object: art created from undisguised, but often modified, objects or products that are not normally considered art, often because they already have a non-art function. 10. Many experiences and events from their culture or era influenced the surrealist artist's art practice.Salvador Dalais artworks often included symbols of war and violence, in reference to the war brewi ng in his home country of Spain. He also often included soft objects such as the clocks in The Persistence of Memory' or his self portraits, which were most likely influenced by Dalais feelings towards his own impotence. Max Ernst is well known for his absurd illustrations cut out of books of grotesque hybrids of humans and birds, an ongoing theme in Errant's work throughout his life due to the childhood trauma of his pet cockatoo dying night his sister was born.Rene Margarita's works featuring people with cloths covering their faces is said to have been influenced by the state Margarita's mother was found in after committing suicide by drowning-with her dress covering her face. Marcel Duchess's Futurism inspired piece The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass) was inspired by a performance of the stage adaptation of Recourse's novel Impressions diffuser which Decamp attended in 1912. 1 1 .The surrealists were rebelling against what its members saw as the destr uction brought on by the â€Å"rationalism† of European culture and politics in the past and had deed to the horrors of World War l. They were also rebelling against many conditions of their culture, such the complacency of bourgeois society, sexual repression, as well as current political theories or figures such as capitalism, Fascism, and fascist leaders such as Doll Hitler and Franco. Margarita's Treachery of Images (This is not a pipe) 12.Surrealist artists intended to revolutionize the human experience, by freeing people from what they viewed as false rationality, and restrictive customs and social structures. As Andre Breton claimed, the true aim of Surrealism is â€Å"long live the social evolution, and it alone! â€Å". For example, Margarita's â€Å"The Treachery of images [This is not a pipe)† aimed to challenge the linguistic convention of identifying an image of something as the thing itself, and was a reaction to the â€Å"Rationalism† that surre alists believed led Europe into World War l.Margarita intentions in creating his work â€Å"The Rape†, which depicts a woman's head with breasts and genitals on the face instead of facial features, was to comment on the common view of women at this time as simply compromised objects that exist only for male satisfaction. Duchess's intentions in reading his artwork â€Å"fountain† which was a urinal laid flat on its back rather than it usual upright position, was to challenge society and the art world's idea of what was or what could be art.He wanted to bring about the idea that art did not have to be created by the artist, it could simply be an everyday object selected by the artist and altered so it no longer had a practical use. 13. Many of the Surrealist artists developed a trademark style, technique or motif that appeared throughout their works. Joan Mirror has become well known for his colorful, biomorphic forms, roughly metric shapes, and barely recognizable obje cts expressed in multiple media, from ceramics and engravings to large bronze installations.Yves Tansy's artworks usually feature vast, abstract landscapes, mostly in a limited palette of colors, only occasionally showing flashes of contrasting colors. Typically, in these alien landscapes are various abstract shapes, sometimes like shards of glass, sometimes like giant amoebae. Man Rays trademark was that of rich photographs depicting nude women who exuded a sense of subtle eroticism as well as strength and strangeness. His nudes were also often in interesting positions or posed with objects to add to the sinister tone.De Chorizo was known for his use of motifs?empty arcades, towers, elongated shadows, mannequins, and trains among others?that he arranged to create â€Å"images of forlornness and emptiness† that also convey a feeling of â€Å"power and freedom†. Salvador Dali used many symbols in his works. The motif of the â€Å"burning giraffe† in many of his p aintings represented a premonition of war, his roaring Siberian tigers symbolized Dalais wife Gala when angered, the wooden crutch homebodies death and resurrection as well as possibly impotence, and grasshoppers were symbols of decay. 14. Art Practice refers to the way in which an artist creates their artworks.The two predominant styles of practice in surrealism was the technique of abstract surrealism, often with the use of automatism, or the realistic, dream-like form of surrealism. Joan Mirror became well-known for his use of automatism, while Salvador Dali gained worldwide success for his realistic, dreamboats paintings. Salvador DALi Soft self-portrait with grilled bacon 1941 oil on canvas 1. Xx. 0 CM Salvador DALi Salvador Dali was born May 1 1, 1904 in Figures, Spain. From an early age Dali was encouraged to create art and later went on to study art at an academy in Madrid.During his studies, he was influenced by several different artistic styles, including Metaphysics and C ubism. In the sass's Dali went to Paris and began interacting with Picasso, Emigrate, and Mirror. During his time in Paris, Dali painted a number of works that displayed Picasso influence, and did much experimentation with his art, leading to his first Surrealist phase in 1929. He created oil paintings which were small collages of his dream images. His work employed a meticulous classical technique, influenced by Renaissance artists, which contradicted the â€Å"unreal dream† setting he created with strange hallucinatory figures.Even before this period of his art, Dali was an avid reader of Sigmund Fraud's psychoanalytic theories. As his style matured, Dalais works became more and more affected by Freud and were increasingly shaped into dreamlike illustrations. In 1929, Dali met the Russian Gala, who would become his wife and muse. By 1930, Salvador Dali had become a tortuous figure in the Surrealist movement, with his painting The Persistence of Memory (1931) being produced to much acclaim. The painting shows melting pocket watches in a landscape setting.As war approached in Europe, specifically in Spain with the rise of the fascist leader Franco, Dali clashed with members of the Surrealist movement. In a â€Å"trial† held in 1934, he was expelled from the group, but that did not prevent him from continuing his painting, which took on a technical brilliance combining meticulous detail with fantastic and limitless imagination. Joan Mirror The Nightingale's Song at Midnight and the Morning Rain 1940 Joan Mirror (1893-1983) was a world renowned Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor and ceramist who was born in Barcelona.Mirror moved to Paris at an early age, where he began to develop his unconventional style of art making. He soon became known in the art world as a Surrealist because of his love for automatism and the use of sexual symbols in much of his work. Joan Mirror was against the established painting methods of the time, and is often said to ha ve been the founder of automatic drawing. During his career, Joan Mirror experimented with many different types of art arm, refusing to commit to one artistic movement, even experimenting with tapestry.Joan Mirror also began to delve into other aspects of media, including ceramics and window paintings. At the time of his death, Joan Mirror was bedridden from heart disease and respiratory complications. He died at his home in Palm, Mallory on December 25th, 1983. He is buried in his home town of Barcelona, near a museum that is dedicated entirely to his work. Today, his works are displayed in museums and galleries all over the world, and sell for anywhere between $250,000 and $17 million. By Lucy McKnight

Definition of School Essay

Definition of School Essay Definition of School Essay Children have been going to school for years and years now. The school that people think of and what it really is today has changed completely. When school comes to mind you think of kids going to school and getting an education. The safety of your children and knowing that they could go to school and you would be able to see them again when they return home. I am sure that every parent dreams of there child going to school and someday graduating and going onto college to make a better life for themselves. Another is drugs, I bet those were not big in schools twenty years ago. Well now the definiton of school has completely changed and nothing is the same. Now in schools there is a high rate of crime and drugs. Kids are doing drugs in school at such a young age now. I graduated in 2009 and I remember kids getting busted for some of the most stuipd things that you could ever think of. Kids were â€Å"snorting† house hold chemicals or even super glue to get a high, then they wou ld bring it into school and get other students to try it in the bathrooms on breaks or at lunch. You also have the typical drugs like marijua and perscription pain killers are being brought to school by student who are even as young as the seventh grade. Kids are also bringing alcohol to school and trying to drink it throughout the day and sharing with other children. The drugs and drinking in the public school systems has changed so much. Now schools are having to do random lock downs and bringing in police dogs and having the school searched for all of the substances in the school. I tell my parents about what I saw in school and they never ever thought of that happening and said how much school has changed in the twenty years they have been out of school. Bullying has always happened in school but now it has come to an all time high. Kids are getting bullied so bad that children are now taking matters into there own hands, not being able to get the help that they need and taking there own lives because of kids at school. Also they would take matters into their own hands in a different way and bring weapons to school and try and kill the other student or students who are bullying them. I know that when I went to school students always just wanted to fight and coming from a good quite community I still could not believe that this was happening. The family of a Flour Bluff teen who killed himself after being bullied will never be able to see their son graduate. They say its only brought more painful memories of what Teddy Molina experienced before his death. Teddy shot and killed himself April 1, 2012, just one month after he withdrew from the Flour Bluff School District because of bullying . Since then, his family has been advocating awareness on bullying (Reyes). They found some letters written by Teddy talking about the bullying they blame on their son's death. Kids are mean and now with all of the stigmas you have out in society today it is making kids crazy. If you come to school and you are not up to date on the latest trends and what is cool you are profiled by all the other students. In school you have many different groups like cool kids, jocks, nerds, band geeks, theatre group and all sorts of other groups and if you don’t fit into that group they just completely ignore everyone outside of the groups. I know that these types of groups have always been in high schoo,l but the attitudes have changed and the actions. Now they are bullying other people who are not part of there group and a life ends up having to be taken, something that people would never think would happen. Schools now are trying to educate students and staff on bullying and what to be able to do if you see bullying or the one being bullied. Some of the activies now to show students about this issue is internet research to look up the different types of bullying, how to prevent it, and show kids how to be able to respond. Presentations are now given in school such as role

The opening scene of The Crucible Essays

The opening scene of The Crucible Essays The opening scene of The Crucible Paper The opening scene of The Crucible Paper As Act two progresses, Her back is turned to him. He turns and watches her, a sense of their separation arises. Miller wants the audience to see that Elizabeth and Johns relationship is not as usual as they were trying to convince one another. This is the turning point in Act two. John becomes more and more frustrated over Elizabeths false emotions which she was portraying to John previously, however, John remains calm when Elizabeth turns her back, with a gentle reply, I think youre sad again. Are you? . A Puritan wife should have been at her husbands side doing her duties without question, but Elizabeth turning her back is showing disregard to Johns presence in the room. John follows up Elizabeths turn of her back by asking gently, I think youre sad again. Are you? John is wanting to confirm that Elizabeth is still sad about his affair with Abigail and that he is not mistaken by her actions, but he is hesitant to say it straight up. John asks gently because he either does not want to release all of the anger that they have both built up by arguing, or that he really does care for Elizabeths wellbeing and therefore asks gently. Elizabeths reply is brief, You come so late, I thought youd gone to Salem this afternoon. Miller wants the audience to see that Elizabeth does not want to start an argument with John, but she must tell him how she feels because if their relationship is going to be fixed, she must be truthful with him and tell him how she feels. The stage direction, she doesnt want friction, and yet she must. supports the idea that she doesnt want to tell John about what she is thinking, but she must. Once John tells Elizabeth, She [Abigail] told it to me in a room alone I have no proof for it. Elizabeth begins to question whether John and Abigail were in the room alone. When John confirms it, Elizabeth says, Do as you wish then. and the stage direction is, quietly she has suddenly lost all faith in him Miller wants the audience to realise that Elizabeth does not believe that nothing happened while John and Abigail were in the room alone. Elizabeth believes that John lied to her before about having an affair, and he has lied again now. All that John has been doing to make Elizabeth happy has been ruined and John and Elizabeth are back to how they would have been just after Elizabeth found out about the affair. Elizabeth has no trust in John at all, so although John defends himself by saying, For a moment, I say. The others came in soon after. Elizabeth does not even begin to believe that what John is telling her is true. Elizabeths lack of trust in John frustrates John to the point that he loses his calmness which he has been speaking with all night. John says, Woman. Ill not have your suspicion anymore. and then interrupts her reply by shouting, Ill not have it! All of the tension that was building up between the two has finally exploded into anger and the friction that was avoided by both John and Elizabeth has started. The reason John is so angry with Elizabeths lack of trust is because a Puritan wife should have never question anything that their husband said to them and should accept it as the truth. As the scene progresses, John begins to tell Elizabeth exactly how he feels about how she has been behaving with him. John says, Spare me! You forgive nothin and forget nothin. Learn charity, woman. This line has been included by Miller because it tells the audience Johns exact feelings about how Elizabeth is behaving around John. It also tells the audience some extra details about Elizabeths personality. You forgive nothin and you forget nothin. This line tells the audience the nature of Elizabeth and one of the reasons that John is so frustrated with her. Elizabeth is not a very forgiving character and this is made more obvious as she also does not have any trust in John since the affair. John is telling Elizabeth to show him some consideration by having some trust in him when he says spare me. As the Act progresses, John and Elizabeths argument is stopped as Mary enters with a poppet for Elizabeth. John lets some of this anger out on Mary as she walks in. When John gets mad at Mary, she tells him how she saved Elizabeths life, as her name was mentioned in court. Towards the end of Act four, John decides that he will confess himself, however, refuses to sign the confession that Hale produces as he does not want to tarnish his good name for his children. Danforth rejects Johns confession without him signing it, and orders for John to be hanged. Hale begs Elizabeth to change Johns mind and sign the confession, but Elizabeth claims that John wants to keep his good name, and nobody should take that.

Creative Writing Essays (693 words) - Electricity, Free Essays

Creative Writing Essays (693 words) - Electricity, Free Essays Creative Writing It was a Saturday afternoon, and I was sitting in the living room recliner watching my normal morning cartoons while eating my bowl of Lucky Charms. All of a sudden, a newsflash appeared on my screen. A newscaster appeared and stated in a serious voice, "We interrupt this program for an important announcement. It has been discovered that a large meteor is traveling at a fast pace towards the Earth and has been calculated to hit the Earth at approximately 12:00pm, Tuesday. We urge everyone to move in a calm manner to a storm shelter or any other form of security." The Lucky Charms I had been chewing fall out of my mouth while the TV converts from the fear-inducing newscaster to Scooby Doo. I jump up in fear, and then embarrassingly realize that I had been dreaming. I sit down and wonder to myself, "What if that had really happened? What would I take with me?" In my opinion, medicine and electricity would be the most beneficial because of the advances and demands for the two ingenious discoveries. One hundred fifty years ago, in the operating theater on the top floor of the MGH's Bulfinch Building, one of the greatest moments in medicine occurred. On Oct. 16, 1846, William T.G. Morton, a Boston dentist, demonstrated the use of ether during surgery, ending the indescribable pain that had been associated with the surgeon's knife. Using a specially designed glass inhaler containing an ether-soaked sponge, Morton administered the anesthetic to Gilbert Abbott, a printer who had come to the MGH for treatment of a vascular tumor on his jaw. After several minutes, Abbott was rendered unconscious. John Collins Warren, MD, one of the most widely recognized surgeons of that time, then surgically removed the tumor. Upon wakening, Abbott informed the curious and skeptical physicians and medical students in the theater that he had experienced no pain. If it wasn't for a medical discovery like ether and other medicines, many would be experiencing the indescribably pain of the surgeon's knife and some would own a gravestone. Through the Renaissance, both men and women practiced medicine. For most of history, the human heart has been regarded as a forbidden organ, too delicate to tamper with. It might have remained so, if not for World War II. Military doctors, facing injury and suffering on a massive scale, pioneered advances in antibiotics, anesthesia and blood transfusions advances that would usher in the age of modern surgery. In addition to medicine, I would include electricity. Electricity, like light, travels extremely fast at 300,000 kilometers per second. It flows easily through metal wires. In particular, copper and silver are very good conductors of electricity. Electricity also generates heat as it flows through most objects. It can be controlled and utilized easily using many different technologies. Electricity is very useful because it can be converted into many kinds of energy. Electricity can be converted in to light using light bulbs, and even heat by using heating coils. It can also be converted into motion or even stored chemical energy. Electricity is used everywhere; to produce goods, provide services, and transport materials and people. Electricity also is used in commerce, agriculture, medicine, communications, entertainment, and a variety of other areas. Expanded uses for electricity are constantly being developed. Not only does electricity provide energy, it also provides jobs. A total of 510,595 workers were employed by electric utilities at the end of 1990 in a wide variety of jobs. From repairing power lines, to providing information to electricity customers, to constructing new power plants. These developments are driven by technological advances that both improve traditional uses of electricity and create entirely new ones. Because of the advances and demands for medicine and electricity, the great necessities would be beneficial to my survival. If it weren't for people like Benjamin Franklin or William T.G. Morton, we would not have such luxuries as heat or light, or some would not be enjoying the breath of life. If you take medications and electricity out of this world, you take out our culture and way of life.

Tourism Operations Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tourism Operations Management - Assignment Example Improvement in environmental planning and management in the destination including provision of environmental control measures and services such as monitoring and 'improving air and water quality, litter clearance, provision of waste recycling schemes, etc.'; Tourism is a key industry for UK with an annual turnover accounting for over 4% of GDP and with over 7% of the working population working in the sector. As per Department for Culture, Media and Sport (2004), UK is one amongst the top ten world tourism earners. More than 86% of England's tourism income comes from domestic visitors and the sectors that have contributed to the attractiveness of England for domestic tourists, and of Britain for overseas visitors include, transport, galleries, museums, theatres, heritage sites in public and private ownership, conference and exhibition venues, shops, pubs, clubs and restaurants. Positioning of UK as a important destinations rests on meeting and exceeding customers expectations. The priority areas identified by the Government are marketing and e-tourism, product quality, workforce skills, data and advocacy of the case for supporting the tourism industry. Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837, is a prime tourist attraction. Although many of the official events and receptions are held by The Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are open to visitors on a regular basis. ... Sustaining tourism enterprises; Prioritising markets that strengthen economic returns; Promoting the use of local products and integration with other sectors; Spreading tourism benefits and opportunities throughout the communities and Strengthening communication with visitors and local residents. The report cites the case of Buckingham Palace, efforts in place and those desired to improve the quality of tourism. Tourism in UK Tourism is a key industry for UK with an annual turnover accounting for over 4% of GDP and with over 7% of the working population working in the sector. As per Department for Culture, Media and Sport (2004), UK is one amongst the top ten world tourism earners. More than 86% of England's tourism income comes from domestic visitors and the sectors that have contributed to the attractiveness of England for domestic tourists, and of Britain for overseas visitors include, transport, galleries, museums, theatres, heritage sites in public and private ownership, conference and exhibition venues, shops, pubs, clubs and restaurants. Positioning of UK as a important destinations rests on meeting and exceeding customers expectations. The priority areas identified by the Government are marketing and e-tourism, product quality, workforce skills, data and advocacy of the case for supporting the tourism industry. Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837, is a prime tourist attraction. Although many of the official events and receptions are held by The Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are open to visitors on a regular basis. These include the State Rooms, open during the Annual Summer Opening in August and September, which during the 58 days of operation from 31 July to 26

Will significant peace wver prevail between Palestine and Israel Essay

Will significant peace wver prevail between Palestine and Israel - Essay Example The peace process is usually used to describe various paths taken in order to secure lasting peace to the conflict. Indeed, over the years, various attempts have been made in securing lasting peace and these include the Rogers peace plan and the Saddat initiative (1970 – 1972), Madrid Conference (1991), Oslo Accords (1993), Hebron Agreement (1997), Wye River Memorandum (1998), Camp David 2000 Summit (2000), Clinton’s â€Å"Parameters† and the Taba talks (2000 – 2001), Beirut Summit (2002), the â€Å"Road Map† for Peace (2002 – 2003), Israel-Hamas ceasefire of 2008 (2008), the 2010 direct talks (2010) and other alternative peace proposals. Despite these efforts, the prospect of everlasting peace is still far from realization. The major obstacle in achieving significant peace in the Israelis-Palestinian conflict is the lack of good will among leaders of both sides. Most often, promises to carry out peace deal were not kept by the Israeli as wel l as the Palestinian leaders. Furthermore, peace negotiations have been interrupted by outbreaks of hostilities between both sides. Other issues that stand against lasting peace in the conflict are related to borders and division of the land, Palestinians’ concern over Israelis settlements in the West Bank, the status of Jerusalem, Israelis’ concern over security, terrorism, safety and violence, right of return of Palestinian refugees living in the Palestinian Diaspora and the emotional bitterness among Israelis and Palestinians. The key issue on the Israelis side that hampers lasting peace is security concern.

Forensic Engineering Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Forensic Engineering - Coursework Example However, little information has been offered on the engineering side and it is thus imperative to go through several of the speculations regarding the collapse of the building looking at the structural side of the matter. Engineers have stated that the major cause of the collapse for the building was due to the failure of certain components critical to the structure of the building. The engineers state that after the initial attack, there was the beginning of huge fires in the inside of the building. These fires were so hot that they made the joists of the building weak and consequently they failed to support the weight of the building leading to the immediate collapse (Bjorkman, 2013). The engineers of the building had carried out an appropriate job by making sure that they backed up the joists with concrete slabs. These slabs were important in that they assisted to ensure in case of tragedy such as the one that happened, the joists would have received assistance from the concrete. However, in this particular case, there was failure of the concrete to assist because they had already been demolished by the high impact caused by the crash of the airplanes that hit the building when the attack began (Eagar, 2013). The System of building used by the engineers that constructed the World Trade Centre used a method of building commonly referred to as tubular framing. The perimeter frames that were used to consteruct the building were embedded internally so as to prevent forces that may be caused by issues or rather natural calamities such as earthquakes. Earthquakes unlike the attack that took place are rather subtle on the top part of the building as opposed to the force that hit the building directly. Every floor of the building was made of tubular pipes that were meant to support it in the case of forces. However, they did not succeed in the case of the September attack that saw the building losing foundation from every floor and falling drastically. It

Planning and Management of Public Relations Campaigns Essay

Planning and Management of Public Relations Campaigns - Essay Example This essay presents some of the definitions of public relations. First, a public relations, as a practice, refers to the â€Å"development and management of ethical strategies using communication to build relationships with stakeholders or publics† The definition ensures that PR follows ethical principles in managing organization-stakeholders/public relationships. Second, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) defined â€Å"public relations [as] about reputation† and â€Å"the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics†. This definition is essential in emphasizing the essence of protecting the organization’s reputation in attaining inter-stakeholder interests. These definitions promote the philosophy that PR seeks for win-win solutions when designing PR campaigns so that organizations can maximize gains from the latter. The roles of public relations practition ers1 are diverse, depending on the size, nature, and aims of their organizations. Larger organizations that deal with services, for instance, can have a PR department that has numerous PR functions and that is separate from advertising and marketing, while smaller organizations may integrate PR and other marketing and communications functions. PR roles can include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) cause or relationship marketing- create and preserve relationships to build customer loyalty; (2) communication- share ideas, messages, or opinions through verbal/nonverbal/symbolic expressions; (3) community relations- build relationships between/among organizations that impact one another; (4) crisis management- respond to different kinds of crises and maximize potentially positive outcomes; (5) integrated marketing communication (IMC)- merge PR, marketing, and advertising to attain a uniform marketing approach; (6) issues management- identify organizational issues and appropri ately and strategically respond to them; and (7) media relations- create relationships between the media and the organization. Some of these roles overlap or can be described as marketing roles, which is why some organizations use their marketers as PR staff personnel too.   With diverse roles and responsibilities, public relations practitioners can use different approaches to designing PR campaigns.

Enterprise systems coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enterprise systems coursework - Essay Example Open source enterprise resource planning (ERP) software systems are important for small and medium enterprises in that it allows the business enterprise to an access the code hosted by the system and make it conform by the enterprise’s own information technology instead of making them pay extra costs to vendors for the customization and licensing. In the selection of ERP systems, it is important for the business enterprise to measure its success in terms of the savings made through the streamlining of the operations of a company through the increase in revenues and the increase of the share of the market. Small and medium enterprises have several possibilities in the implementation of electronic planning packages as they wish. They have an option of either selecting an ERP package that it desires and compare its capabilities with others. They can also develop the ERP system individually or integrate the best choices offered by the particular software provider that the business enterprise is dealing with. The selection of a viable ERP system involves several stages in the operation of a company or a business enterprise. This includes the concise analysis in the processes that pertain to the processes of the company and analysis of the concepts contained in the ERP packages. The pre-selection process involves selecting only companies that are in support of the company process, and thereafter the selection of the ERP package that will involve the use of workshops and evaluation of factors that affect the ERP selection process. This is followed by re-engineering and customization of the process that means the avoidance of resistance by staff of any changes in the ERP selection process and adapting the ERP process to the unique nature of a particular business process (Nah 221). The selection of a viable ERP system involves the involvement of employees in the organizational structure of the company. It is important for the company to recognize the knowledge th e employees possess in the running of the company and their input is important in the achievement of this, the company should assign an integral person in the running of its financial system known as the internal champion. This person is allocated the most difficult projects in the company who gets the job done irrespective of the difficulty of the task. This should be done at the beginning of the selection of the system so that the company knows whether the person is fully committed and agreeable to the project. It is important for the business enterprises to evaluate the risks that are likely to be met and if they may reoccur. This can be used by all interested parties to mitigate risks. Persons who are likely to make the company suffer many risks are also included in the risk management process thus avoiding the loss that could be suffered by the company in question. There is need to ensure management buy-in in the selection of an ERP system by communicating the scope of the proj ect and be updated of sign-offs at every step along the way in the financial management. It is also important for companies to select vendors who have sold more ERP systems as such vendors usually have more customers thus easier access to support and have the best practices for a specific industry and its practices. They also have the ability to come up with products according to the

Single Person Decision Theory and Efficient Market Theory Essay

Single Person Decision Theory and Efficient Market Theory - Essay Example The theory trusts the decision making capability of an individual and holds the belief that the decision maker is equipped with extreme computational expertise. According to the single person decision theory, investors should be completely made aware of the potential threats of investment along with the benefits that are frequently advertised. Not just this, the investor should also be made aware of the possible strategies that can be implemented to combat the threat. This requires the experts to be experienced enough to identify the potential threats that can be encountered as a result of the investment, and propose the solutions accordingly. Some of the key features of the single person decision theory are as follows: 1. It is essentially a model that formally explains the best way important decisions can be made and information can be considered. 2. It takes investing parties as risk averse. 3. It considers new information important enough to bring change in the decisions. 4. When new information is found, it may alter the original beliefs of the individuals responsible for decision making. 5. It explains the way an individual can make rational decisions while being in the state of uncertainty (Scott 60). 6. The decision maker selects the most appropriate choice from a whole range of alternatives.

Planning and Management of Public Relations Campaigns Essay

Planning and Management of Public Relations Campaigns - Essay Example This essay presents some of the definitions of public relations. First, a public relations, as a practice, refers to the â€Å"development and management of ethical strategies using communication to build relationships with stakeholders or publics† The definition ensures that PR follows ethical principles in managing organization-stakeholders/public relationships. Second, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) defined â€Å"public relations [as] about reputation† and â€Å"the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics†. This definition is essential in emphasizing the essence of protecting the organization’s reputation in attaining inter-stakeholder interests. These definitions promote the philosophy that PR seeks for win-win solutions when designing PR campaigns so that organizations can maximize gains from the latter. The roles of public relations practition ers1 are diverse, depending on the size, nature, and aims of their organizations. Larger organizations that deal with services, for instance, can have a PR department that has numerous PR functions and that is separate from advertising and marketing, while smaller organizations may integrate PR and other marketing and communications functions. PR roles can include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) cause or relationship marketing- create and preserve relationships to build customer loyalty; (2) communication- share ideas, messages, or opinions through verbal/nonverbal/symbolic expressions; (3) community relations- build relationships between/among organizations that impact one another; (4) crisis management- respond to different kinds of crises and maximize potentially positive outcomes; (5) integrated marketing communication (IMC)- merge PR, marketing, and advertising to attain a uniform marketing approach; (6) issues management- identify organizational issues and appropri ately and strategically respond to them; and (7) media relations- create relationships between the media and the organization. Some of these roles overlap or can be described as marketing roles, which is why some organizations use their marketers as PR staff personnel too.   With diverse roles and responsibilities, public relations practitioners can use different approaches to designing PR campaigns.

Single Person Decision Theory and Efficient Market Theory Essay

Single Person Decision Theory and Efficient Market Theory - Essay Example The theory trusts the decision making capability of an individual and holds the belief that the decision maker is equipped with extreme computational expertise. According to the single person decision theory, investors should be completely made aware of the potential threats of investment along with the benefits that are frequently advertised. Not just this, the investor should also be made aware of the possible strategies that can be implemented to combat the threat. This requires the experts to be experienced enough to identify the potential threats that can be encountered as a result of the investment, and propose the solutions accordingly. Some of the key features of the single person decision theory are as follows: 1. It is essentially a model that formally explains the best way important decisions can be made and information can be considered. 2. It takes investing parties as risk averse. 3. It considers new information important enough to bring change in the decisions. 4. When new information is found, it may alter the original beliefs of the individuals responsible for decision making. 5. It explains the way an individual can make rational decisions while being in the state of uncertainty (Scott 60). 6. The decision maker selects the most appropriate choice from a whole range of alternatives.

The European Enlightenment Essay Example for Free

The European Enlightenment Essay The scientific revolution is more of a new or modern way of thinking about nature. While science already had a presence prior to the 16th century, the teachings were based more on practical applications, rational thought and magic. s of science, 3elements permeated it – empirical practice, magic and rational thought which continued for thousands of years until the 16th and 17th century. With the scientific revolution, rational thought was enhanced through methods which can be the sole explanation for any phenomena of nature. Refute with reason but overwhelm by experiment. (Hall xvi). We think of Galileo as the first of the moderns because he broke the strangling hold of the traditional authorities – Aristotle, Ptolemy and Galen – upon scientific thought. He supported the Copernican hypothesis. He boldly countered errors of traditionally accepted beliefs and appealed to something new through the evidence of experiments. His system was enhanced by philosophers such as Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes who called their subject natural philosophy in an attempt to give a systematic explanation to the natural. With the entry of Sir Isaac Newton and the â€Å"invisible colleges†, discoveries and inventions came one after the other. Whereas religion used deductive reasoning in the arrival of its conclusions, the revolution brought on inductive reasoning which begins with a hypothesis that were tested using quantifiable data and methodical experimentation. By 1690, science had developed a philosophy – experimental and a method – mathematical and a goal – the improvement of the lot of mankind. (Baker ix, x). There came a paradigm shift in how the physical world was investigated. Reason slowly robbed magic of its power as it is an element of the irrational. Reason is initially used but compounded by experiment. The widely-believed Ptolemy system was anthropocentric based with an immobile earth is the center of the universe. While it was being discarded through deductive reasoning, i. e. , the world is vile and corrupt and therefore not worthy to be the center, the rational thinkers using the Copernicus hypothesis as reference and with observed facts and physical using reason, terrestrial mechanical phenomena, qualitative observation and quantitative observation by recalculating orbits went on to prove their heliocentric theory that the earth is only one of several planets that revolve around the sun. It also killed the Greek animism of appetites, natural tendencies, sympathies and attractions. Instead, explanation must be in terms of description of processes, mechanisms, interconnection of parts (Hall xvi, xviii). For Aristotle and his followers, bodies continually move so as to fulfill their natures. All matter is goal-oriented. They are of a teleological nature, which makes them animistic as they attributed soul-like properties. Modern natural philosophy used the machine metaphor, i. . the inner workings of a being are like the mechanism of a clock. They refer to their practice as mechanical philosophy. The development of mechanism gave rise to the view of matter-as-passive and is central to mechanical natural philosophy (Shapin 24-44). Traditional philosophies had been integrated into the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church which was the only Christian religion at that time. The Copernican theory was said to be contrary to the Holy Scripture and utterly heretical. It ran contrary to a decree in 1616 which was issued after the burning of Giordano Bruno for teaching the plurality of worlds or universes outside our own. As well, the present academe were slow in accepting that they have given their lives blindly to the defense of errors. The attitude in the middle ages was that where reason was incompetent to decide, faith should pronounce and that in many instances faith must prevail over reason. (Hall 74-75, 103-105). The medieval church had originally set its feet against and systematic scientific enquiry on the grounds that man was not intended to know the mind of God as interpreted by himself. Even Protestants stressed that all knowledge must come form the Bible. Bacon popularized that God actually intended man to recover its mastery over nature. In his text Instauratio Maga (The Great Instauration), the Book of Daniel was quoted in its cover, â€Å"Many shall pass to and fro and science shall be increased† (Shapiro 120). Thus, scientific enquiry became legitimate and prepared the way for scientific revolution. Later, there came about a new religious fervor in Deism, a name for the rationalized faith leading to the worship of the â€Å"divine clockmaker† which distrust anything mystical. It is based on the reasoning that if the universe was created by God, and the universe is a rational place then God was rational. (Baker x). Sir Isaac Newton in 1687 presented fundamental arguments of the mechanical universe in his book Principia Mathematia which basically summarizes the conceptual change brought about by the scientific revolution and the path it would take: mathematical models are accurate descriptions of the universe the universe moves rationally and predictably one need not appeal to revealed religion or theology to explain any aspect of physical phenomena\all planets and other objects move due to a physical attraction called gravity The universe concept is based on Inertia: every object remains at rest until moved by another object and stays in motion unless stopped or redirected by another object (Hooker).

Relationship Between Naxalism and Psychology

Relationship Between Naxalism and Psychology General Psychological operation is as old as war. It has formed a part of the conflict resolution process since the ancient times. CH Brewitt Taylor in his translation of a Chines text as San Kuo or Romance of the three kingdom, observes that, as early as in AD 2000 a group of pro Han loyalists combined basic elements of psychological instrument, in conflict resolution. Kautalya and Sun Tzu also enumerated the importance of psychology as an instrument of war. One could also postulate that the institution of reward and punishments, in amongst other things, as being a psychological motivator. Naxalism on the other hand is basically about convincing people by psychological means using violence or threat of violence as a tool. It belongs in the realms of psychological and mental attitude of all the people involved. Thus, when naxals perpetuate violence they expect reactions of all concerned. If reactions are not forthcoming, naxalism will collapse for want of effect. This is an oversimplification of a solution for naxalism. Actions, violent or otherwise, are bound to elicit reactions from the victims, the onlookers or the sate apparatus. The question than is what should be the reaction to naxal acts? While no single method is likely to yield results, psychological operations would have a major impact. The fact that naxalism is a problem in the psychological plane, the solution should also lie in the same plane. The naxals uses violence for propaganda and in turn the government seeks to control naxalism through repressive means. The collateral consequence is the public displeasure. What needs to be considered is that the very nature of naxal violence often seems counterproductive in that it tends to strengthen resistance, provide public outrage and dislike, generate strong public perception of naxals to be inhuman, which undermines the naxals claims to legitimacy. Therefore, understanding the naxals, the victims, the onlookers and the counter terrorist force from the psychological point of view becomes important. Consequently, counter propaganda campaign and other psychological operations assume primacy to maintain or extend support to the regime and diminish that for the naxals. Statement of the Problem Naxalism has wide spread in last five years in a big way posing a major  challenge to our national security. In addition to relentless anti Naxal  operations being undertaken and development of affected areas there is a need  for perception management of all key players involved by employing suitable  psychological operation themes so as to cut off local support to the Naxalites  there by forcing them to give up arms and join the national mainstream.   This dissertation will seek to establish the linkages between naxalism and psychology with a view to analyse impact of psychological operations on dealing with naxalism Justification for the Study Naxalism today has gained universality. This social plague while physical in most of its manifestations is actually firmly entrenched in the mental plane. Responses to naxalism, particularly in the Indian context, have been unstructured without a long-term design. The issue has been viewed either as a law and order problem or in the other end of the spectrum, as a political problem. Added to the complexity of naxalism, we have today in our country, on going war like low intensity conflict in J K, insurgency in the Northeast and political groups of Naxalites and fundamental organisations like SIMI. However, our response to each of these groups has been identical repressive measures. No effort is made to understand the ideology of the groups. A clear understanding of the cause of the groups and characteristics of each would enable application of distinct strategy to combat them. Scope The dissertation will lay emphasis on naxalism and its field of influence. It is presumed that the dictates of psychological operations, with minor modifications would find application in all other forms of terrorism. HYPOTHESIS Employment of suitable Psychological Operation Themes for perception management of all key players in addition to relentless use of force and development activities is the key to solving the problem of Naxalism in India. Preview The dissertation will endeavour to establish the correlation of naxalism and psychological dimensions of naxals. Having done so, the impact and importance of psychological operations on combating naxalites will be crystallised. The study will encompass: (a) Analyses of reasons for spread of Naxalism. (b) Current strategy of Government in dealing with Naxalism. (c) Identification of Targets for conduct of Psychological operations . (d) Suggested Themes. Sources of Data The data used in this dissertation has been obtained from books and magazines available in the College library and personal experiences of operating in Counter Insurgency environment. The bibliography is at appendix. CHAPTER 2 Step by Step, almost imperceptibly, mankind has descended into the age of terror. Paul Johnson GENESIS OF NAXALISM Naxalism derives its name from a small village Naxalbari in Siliguri District of West Bengal, where the oppressed landless farmers rose against the exploitation by the wealthy landlords. The Naxalites, despite their  ideology, have over the years become  just another terrorist outfit, extorting money from landowners. There are concerns that there is a plan to set up a Red Corridor or a Compact Revolutionary Zone extending from Nepal , Bihar , Jharkhand , through the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh to Andhra Pradesh. Apathetic Government Policy; Consolidation and Spread of the Movement The Government, however, classified these as socio-economic and law and order problems and not as possible internal security threats. Thus, a myopic view of the issue was taken and long term effects or intentions of the movement were ignored. The formation of The Communist Party of India (Maoist), an underground outfit on September 21, 2004, through the merger of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) and the Maoist Communist Centre(MCC) was the biggest breakthrough in recent times. The map below, displays the spread of Naxal activity in India from 55 districts in the middle of the year 2003.   In addition to the 131 districts currently under the influence of the Naxalites, and the additional 34 districts that are being targeted by them, there are at least another 63 districts in the country variously afflicted by different patterns of ethnic or communal terrorism and insurgency. This takes the number of districts afflicted by terrorism and insurgency to 228, out a total of 602 districts in the country. More than a third of the country is, consequently, suffering from high degrees of present or potential disorder. CURRENT STATUS Expansion and Consolidation A total of 39 left wg extremist gps are known to exist, of which the PWG and MCC are the two main gps. These two gps have maj ideological differences, yet in order to have greater influence and bargaining power they announced the merger on 21 Sep 04 to form the Communist Party of India CPI (Maoist). Naxalism has spread to 170 dists of 15 states in varying deg. It is esmt that CPI (Maoist) has approx 7000 cadres of which 3000 are hardcore and well trained in GW. Dandakaryna and Abhujmadh Naxalites op in the very heartland of India, known as the Dandakaryna region which spreads over Chhattisgarh, Orissa, AP, Maharastra and MP. The heart of this region is the thickly forested area of Abhujmadh which is approx 10,000 sq kms. This area till date has not been surveyed by the Svy of India. Nearly 20,000 tribal families live in this area in 237 vills in the most primitive manner. There are no rds or electricity in this area. The Naxalites treat it as a totally liberated area and a large No. of trg and lgs camps are loc inside. It is the nerve centre of all Naxalite activities to incl Central Committee and Politburo mtgs. Compact Revolutionary Zone (CRZ) The Maoist of Nepal, PWG and MCC are determined to carve out what they call as the CRZ extending from Nepal through Bihar and then to Dandakaryna region upto Tamil Nadu to give them access to Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. This Red corridor is characterized by thick jungles, tribal belts and under devp region spread over nearly 13 states of the country and Nepal. The Naxalites and Maoists of Nepal use this corridor for mov of arms and est of trg and rest camps. FACTORS SUSTAINING THE MOV In order to find a response to the problem of Naxalism, it is essential to understand the fundamental causes and the factors which are sustaining the mov. Land Reforms. Majority of the people emp in agriculture are landless and poor, they aspire to possess land and this has resulted in a struggle against the rich and powerful landlords. Naxalites exploit this sentiment and have found favour among the tribals. Ideology. The ideology works at two levels :- (a) The Informed and Knowledgeable. The well educated and knowledgeable join the mov attracted by the Marxist, Leninist and Maoist philosophy. They provide the ldrship. (b) The Instinctive Revolutionaries. Majority of the Naxals join the mov to find an escape from the oppression and expl at the hands of landlords, govt officials and police forces. These people constitute bulk of the cadre and are normally ignorant about ideology. Tribal Policies. British adopted the policy of Isolation of Tribals in order to preserve their uniqueness and cultures but we continue to follow their policy in the name of preservation. This has led to neglect, under devp and expl of the tribals. New Forest Policy. The forest areas have been notified under Forest Regulatory Act thus denying the tribals their traditional means of livelihood. Lack of Infrastructure Devp. The areas affected by the naxal mov are very rich in forest and mineral resources and yet has not seen any infrastructure devp. The lack of rds, brs, power, industry etc has left the area under devp and poor. Inadequate Governance. In many of these areas there is no governance at all. The civ adm just do not exist. The govt officials do not vis these areas and hence the grants, funds and schemes announced by the govt are never implemented. This has allowed the Naxalites to run a parallel govt in these areas. The prac of holding Jan Adalats, land distr, constr of irrigation facilities, tax collection by the Naxals is very common. Favourable Trn Jungles and Hills. The area selected by the Naxalites spreading from Nepal to Tamil Nadu is a thickly forested. This makes the task of the police forces that much difficult. Financial Sp. The CPI (Maoist) genr approx Rs 500 to Rs 700 crores annually. This money is spent on payment to its cadres, purchase of arms and amn, running of frontal org and institutions. The main source of funds is through extortion of wealthy industrialists, contractors, govt agencies and officials, looting of banks and by collecting taxes. RAMIFICATIONS OF NAXALITE PROBLEM Naxalism has the potential to become a major IS threat to India in the next four years, say by 2014, if serious efforts are not undertaken to challenge and eliminate it. The main reasons are:- (a) Effects of Merger Fmn of CPI (Maoist). The merger will have following implications :- (i) Larger Foot Print. CPI (Maoists) has now emerged as the dominant LWE gp. It is forcing the other 37 LWE gps to either join CPI (Maoist) or be prepared to be eliminated. (ii) Enhanced Bargaining Power. As a dominant gp, it will have a far greater bargaining power with the govts in states and centre and try to legitimize its existence, policies and representation. (iii) Credible Mil Wg. It is estimated that the merger would increase the cadre str from 7,000 to approx 12 to 14,000. (iv) Financial Str. The merger would have great impact on finances of the org taking it from 150 to 200 crores to nearly 700 crores annually. (b) Recognition and World Wide Visibility. The Naxals are trying desperately to find a voice in international forums so as to get world wide recognition and acceptance. (c) North South and East West Corridor. A disturbing, pattern emerges if one were to look at the districts currently under the influence of the Naxalites. They might soon gain a continuous presence along the length and breadth of the country and thus carve out a north-south and east-west corridor.   naxalitPART 3 : se Current strategy of Government in dealing with Naxalism. To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence, supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemys resistance without fighting SunTzuezpolicy comprise the following the Government will deal sternly with the naxalites n(ii) Keeping in view that naxalism is not merely a law order problem, the  policy of the Govt., is to address this menace simultaneously on  strategy STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH NAXALISM The Government has a clearly defined policy to combat the challenge  posed by the naxalite menace. This policy comprises the following  components: (i) The Government will deal sternly with the naxalites indulging in  violence. (ii) Keeping in view that naxalism is not merely a law order problem, the  policy of the Govt., is to address this menace simultaneously on  political, security, development and public perception management  fronts in a holistic manner. (iii) Naxalism being an inter-state problem, the states will adopt a collective  approach and pursue a coordinated response to counter it. (iv) The states will need to further improve police response and pursue  effective and sustained police action against naxalites and their  infrastructure individually and jointly. (v) There will be no peace dialogue by the affected states with the naxal  groups unless the latter agree to give up violence and arms. (vi) Political parties must strengthen their cadre base in naxal affected areas  so that the potential youth there can be weaned away from the path of  naxal ideology. (vii) The states from where naxal activity/influence, and not naxal violence,  is reported should have a different approach with special focus on  accelerated socio-economic development of the backward areas and  regular interaction with NGOs, intelligentia, civil liberties groups etc.  to minimize overground support for the naxalite ideology and activity. (viii) Efforts will continue to be made to promote voluntary local resistance  groups against naxalites but in a manner that the villagers are provided  adequate security cover and the area is effectively dominated by the  security forces. (ix) Mass media should be extensively used to highlight the futility of naxal  ideology and violence and loss of life and property caused by it and  developmental schemes of the Government in the affected areas so as  to restore peoples faith and confidence in the Government machinery. (x) The states should announce a suitable transfer policy for the naxal  affected districts. Willing, committed and competent officers will need  to be posted with a stable tenure in the naxal affected districts. These  officers will also need to be given greater delegation and flexibility to  deliver better and step up Government presence and above all improve  governance in these areas. (xi) The Government of Andhra Pradesh has an effective surrender and  rehabilitation policy for naxalites and has produced good results over  the years. The other states should adopt a similar policy. (xii) The State Governments will need to accord a higher priority in their  annual plans to ensure faster socio-economic development of the naxal  affected areas. The focus areas should be to distribute land to the  landless poor as part of the speedy implementation of land reforms,  ensure development of physical infrastructure like roads,  communication, power etc. and provide employment opportunities to  the youth in these areas. (xiii) Another related issue is that development activities are not undertaken  in some of the naxalite affected areas mainly due to extortion, threat or  fear from the naxalite cadres. In these areas, even contractors are not  coming forward to take up developmental work. Adequate security and  other measures would need to be taken to facilitate uninterrupted  developmental activities in the naxal affected areas. (xiv) The Central Government will continue to supplement the efforts and  resources of the affected states on both security and development fronts  and brings about greater coordination between the states to successfully  tackle the problem. 5. COUNTER MEASURES While the overall counter action by the affected states in terms of naxalites killed, arrested, surrendered and arms recovered from them has shown much better results in 2005, there is an urgent need to further improve and strengthen police response particularly by the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Maharashtra by improving actionable intelligence collection and sharing mechanisms and strengthening their police forces on the pattern of Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh. Even as the states of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to some extent, need to sustain their present momentum of effective counter action against the naxalites and their infrastructure. The Government has taken the following measures to control the naxal problem. Modernization of State Police Funds are given to the States under the Police Modernization Scheme to modernize their police forces in terms of modern weaponry, latest communication equipment, mobility and other infrastructure. The naxal affected States have also been asked to identify vulnerable police stations and outposts in the naxal areas and take up their fortification under the Scheme. However, some of the States need to improve the level of utilization of funds under the Scheme. Revision of Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme in February, 2005. The level of reimbursement under the Scheme has been raised from 50% to 100% and new items like insurance scheme for police personnel, community policing, rehabilitation of surrendered naxalites, expenditure incurred on publicity to counter propaganda of naxalites, other security related items not covered under the Police Modernization Scheme etc., have been covered. The Scheme also allows release of funds to the naxal affected States as advance. It is hoped that the revised scheme will enable higher level of utilization of funds under this Scheme. Supply of Mine Protected Vehicles Keeping in view the increased casualties of police personnel due to IED/land mine blasts, the naxal affected States have been provided Mine Protected Vehicles (MPVs) under the Police Modernization Scheme. Their supply has been streamlined by taking up the matter with the Chairman, Ordinance Factory Board. Long-term deployment of Central Para Military Forces In order to supplement the efforts of the States in providing an effective response to the naxal violence, Central Para Military Forces have been deployed on a long-term basis as requested by the affected States. The Central Government has also exempted the states from the payment of cost of deployment of these forces for a period of three years from 1-7-2004 involving an amount of nearly Rs. 1,100 crores. India Reserve Battalions The naxal affected States have been sanctioned India Reserve (IR) battalions mainly to strengthen security apparatus at their level as also to enable the States to provide gainful employment to the youth, particularly in the naxal areas. Recently, additional IR battalions have also been approved for the naxal affected States. The Central Government will now provide Rs. 20.75 crores per IR battalion as against the earlier amount of Rs. 13 crores per battalion. The States have been asked to expedite raising of these battalions. Deployment of SSB along Indo-Nepal Border In order to ensure that there is no spillover effect of the activities of Nepalese Maoists to our territory, SSB has been given the responsibility to guard Indo-Nepal Border. The Government has also recently sanctioned new raisings for the SSB to further improve management of borders in these areas. A modernization plan involving an outlay of Rs.444 crores has also been sanctioned for the SSB. Recruitment in Central Para Military Forces In order to wean away the potential youth from the path to militancy or naxalism, recruitment guidelines have been revised to permit 40% recruitment in Central Para Military Forces from the border areas and areas affected by militancy or naxalism. Backward Districts Initiative (BDI) Since the naxalite menace has to be addressed on the developmental front also, the Central Government has provided financial assistance of Rs. 2,475 crores for 55 naxal affected districts in the 9 States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh West Bengal under the Backward Districts Initiative (BDI) component of the Rsahtriya Sam Vikas Yojana (RSVY). Under this Scheme, an amount of Rs. 15 crores per year has been given to each of the districts for three years so as to fill in the critical gaps in physical and social development in the naxal affected areas. The Planning Commission has been requested to include other naxal affected areas under their proposed Scheme of Backward Regions Grant Funds (BRGF) for which an outlay of Rs. 5,000 crores has been set apart from this fiscal year (2005-06) onwards. Tribal and Forest elated issues In order to address the areas of disaffection among the tribals, the Government has introduced the Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005, in Parliament on 13.12.2005. Further, to facilitate social and physical infrastructure in the forest areas, Ministry of Environment and Forests has, as requested by the MHA, issued general approval to allow such infrastructure by utilising upto 1 hectare of forest land for non-forest purposes. That Ministry has also permitted upgradation of kutcha roads constructed prior to 01.09.1980 into pucca roads. Effective implementation of land reforms and creation of employment opportunities in the naxal areas Naxal groups have been raising mainly land and livelihood related issues. If land reforms are taken up on priority and the landless and the poor in the naxal areas are allotted surplus land, this would go a long way in tackling the developmental aspects of the naxal problem. The States have been requested to focus greater attention on this area as also accelerate developmental activities and create employment opportunities in the naxal affected areas with special focus on creation of physical infrastructure in terms of roads, communication, power as also social infrastructure such as schools, hospitals etc. 6. MONITORING MECHANISMS The Central Government accords a very high priority to review and monitor the naxal situation and the measures being taken by the states on both security and development fronts to control it. Several monitoring mechanisms have been set up at the Center to do so. These include a periodical review by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) Of the naxal situation, Standing Committee of the Chief Ministers of the naxal affected states chaired by the Union Home Minister, Quarterly Coordination Center meetings chaired by the Union Home Secretary with the Chief Secretaries and the Directors General of Police of the affected states and the monthly Task Force meetings of Nodal Officers of naxal affected states/Central agencies chaired by Special Secretary (IS), MHA. The states have also been asked to hold a monthly review by the DGP and the naxal situation and the measures and strategies to contain the naxal problem . 7. CONCLUSION The Central Government views the naxalite menace as an area of serious concern. The Government remains firmly committed and determined to address the problem. The current strategy is (i) to strengthen intelligence set-up at the state level; (ii) pursue effective and sustained intelligence driven police action against naxalites and their infrastructure individually and jointly by the states and (iii) accelerate development in the naxal affected areas. The Central Government will continue to coordinate and supplement the efforts to the state governments on both security and development fronts to meet the challenge posed by the naxal problem. PART IV: CONCEPT AND APPLICATION OF  PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS The essential function of psychological operation is to insure peace and avoidance of human suffering due to war. Raj Narain General Liuebarger states that Psychological Warfare is waged before, during and after war, it is not waged against the opposing psychological warfare operators, it is not controlled by the laws, usage and customs of war and it cannot be defined in terms of terrain, order of battle, or named engagements. It is a continuous process. Success or failure is often known only months or years after the execution of the operation. Yet, success, though incalculable can be overwhelming and failure, though undetectable can be mortal. Statecraft instruments of economic and military interventions are physical and measurable. The instrument of diplomacy and psychology are obstructs which dwell in the realm of intellectual and emotional state of mankind. These instruments are used to win the hearts and mind. History of Psychological Operations One of the earliest know application of the art of psychological warfare was Gideons use of the lamp and pitchers in the battle against Midianites in 1245 BC. This type of use of unfamiliar instruments to incite panic in the enemy is common in the  history of warfare. In China, Empire usurper Wsng Mang tried to destroy the Hunnish  tribes. Han military emperor used animals to scare away the enemy. In about the same time, AD 2000, a group of loyalist pro Han rebels issued a proclamation on the eve of a military operation, which is even today the essence of psychological operation. The proclamation included: Naming the specific enemy. Appeal to the better people. Sympathy for the common people. Claim of support for the legitimate government. Affirmation of ones own strength and high morale. Invocation of unity. Appeal to religion. Probably, this was the first authentic structured psychological operations dictum. These forms a part of a text in Chinese, titled Chung, San Kuo Chih Yen-I by Lo Kuan translated as San Kuo or Romance of the three kingdom, by Brewitt Taylor. The concepts of psychological warfare are found in the writings of Herodotus the Greek historian. Ghenghis Khan during his campaign into South Eastern Europe used agents to propagate stories of the size of the army to magnify his strength in the minds of the enemy. In the Byzantine Empire, whole battalions were made to change uniforms and appear in front of select audiences in an attempt to exaggerate numbers. Closer home, the Ramayan and Mahabharat have vivid example of Psychological Warfare in the form of misinformation and guile, the killing of Abhimanyu and Drona being two such examples. The publication of Hebertss The Psychology of the Battlefield (1897) though still born, was the forerunner of modern psychological warfare. It was in World War I, to incite the challenge of soldiers leaving the battlefield, that psychological warfare saw  its true advent in the modern battlefield. During the inter war period the study in this field continued. Particularly, the Germans effort in establishing a Psychological Genera Staff Group which worked on themes such as leadership, selection, indoctrination, relation between officer and soldiers, homesickness, suicide, sex, the treatment of eccentrics, cowardice, desertion etc. The psychology of combat included work on aggression, morale, fear isolation and panic. During World War II military psychology was in centre stage. It saw application in the battlefield, on own troops as also on the warring nations civilian population. All this time, application of psychological operation in terrorism and other forms of low intensity conf lict have been unstructured. While a lot of work in this field is being carried out, no formalised stratagem has evolved. Definition of Psychological Operations Liuebarger defines psychological warfare as the use of propaganda against an army, together with such other operational measures of military, economic or political nature as may be required to supplement propaganda. Indian Army glossary is more apt in defining psychological operations It is the planned use of propaganda and other measures, designed to influence the opinions, emotions, attitude and behaviour of enemy, neutrals or friendly groups, in support of current policy and aims, or of a military plan. Need for Psychological Operations Even in territorial states the menace of terrorism cannot be wiped out by state muscle power alone, but reconciling with the political, cultural, economic aspirations of minorities. It would only than be feasible to isolate the misguided terrorist from public sympathy and social mainstream. West German GSG 9 strategy to hunt down Boader Mainboff group was kill the killer and it failed. The lack of success of GSG 9 was mainly due to the fact that Boader-Mainboff Group was small with little or no mass support, however, GSG 9 also did not find public acceptance of the strategy adopted. Terrorism uses the plank of psychology to gain acceptance of their cause. Therefore, countering the psychological impact of terrorism and strengthening the fortitude of the people to resist and fight terrorism are the most significant aspects of overall operations against terrorism. In the grand strategy of a campaign against terrorism, success in this sphere is more vital than even the police operations. The very nature of anti terrorist operations results in a number of counter productive consequences: Disproportionate use of force levels. Repressive methods leading to loss of civil liberties and in some cases fundamental rights. Injury and even loss of life of innocents. Extensive physical damage and more harmfully damage to the very socio-economic fabric of a society. The alternative strategy is the use of psychological operation as a compliment to reduce the virulence of military operations. Psychological operations have some distinct advantages in combating terrorism. As enumerated by Liuebarger, these are:- (a) Bring to attention of the soldier those elements of the human mind, which are usually kept out of sight. Convert lust to resentment, friction to distrust, prejudice to fury. (b) Set up techniques for finding out how the enemy really feel. Some of the worst blunders of history have arisen from miscalculation of the enemies state of mind. Help in maintaining sense of mission and of proportion. Examine the best media, timing and tone. Psychological operations are non-aggressive and non-lethal in nature. Unlike p