Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Health Information Exchange - Answer both questions Essay

Health Information Exchange - Answer both questions - Essay Example involved, who is leading the initiative, whether it is a consolidated of federal model, whether personal health records play a role, and a description of how records are transferred between providers. NY State "Has made adoption of HIT and HIE a top priority through the Healthcare Efficiency and Affordable Law for New Yorkers (HEAL NY) Capital Grant Program" (Kern and Kaushul, 2007, p.S18). This program is mandated to implore funding to finance implementation of EHRs, electronic prescribing, and formulation and execution of pervasive clinical data exchanges within NY State (Kern and Kaushul, 2007). In facilitating implementation of HIE, Kern and Kaushul (2007) asserts that it is a prerequisite for the initiative to engage all stakeholders in the healthcare sector. In this regard, other parties involved other than the NY State government and grantees include hospitals, physicians, and payers (Kern and Kaushul, 2007). As further outlined by Kern and Kaushul, (2007), there are also efforts to ensure that grantees contribute funds equivalent to the funds donated by the State government to support HIE, and other efforts require subsequent evaluations of the initiative in an effort to assess the impact of the initiative on the quality, cost, and safety of health care. Assessing the impact of HIE on quality, cost, and safety of care validates the fact that personal health records play a fundamental role in the initiative. In essence, health records serves as a source of evaluation data. In facilitating the implementation of HIE, HITEC (Health Information Technology Evaluation Collaborative) was also established as an effort to bring together researchers and experts in all science related fields (Kern and Kaushul, 2007). Implementation of the HIE in NY State is a consolidated effort as it involves the NY State government, grantees and stakeholders. When a patient presents himself to a physician in need of a specialized care or assessment, the physician is obligated to

Monday, October 28, 2019

PharmaCARE Essay Example for Free

PharmaCARE Essay PharmaCARE (We CARE about YOUR health ®) is one of the world’s most successful pharmaceutical companies, enjoying a reputation as a caring, ethical and well-run company that produced high-quality products that saved millions of lives and enhanced the quality of life for millions of others. The company offers free and discounted drugs to low-income consumers, has a foundation that sponsors healthcare educational programs and scholarships, and its CEO serves on the PhRMA board. PharmaCARE recently launched a new initiative, We CARE about YOUR world ®, pledging its commitment to the environment through recycling, packaging changes and other green initiatives, despite the fact that the company’s lobbying efforts and PAC have successfully defeated environmental laws and regulations, including extension of the Superfund tax, which was created by Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Based in New Jersey, PharmaCARE maintains a large manufacturing facility in the African nation of Colberia, where the company has found several â€Å"healers† eager to freely share information about indigenous cures and an abundance of Colberians willing to work for $1.00 a day, harvesting plants by walking five (5) miles into and out of the jungle carrying baskets that, when full, weigh up to fifty (50) pounds. Due to the low standard of living in Colberia, much of the population lives in primitive huts with no electricity or running water. PharmaCARE’s executives, however, live in a luxury compound, complete with a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a golf course. PharmaCARE’s extensive activities in Colberia have destroyed habitat and endangered native species. Two (2) years ago, after PharmaCARE’s research indicated that one of its top-selling diabetes drugs might slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, its pharmacists began reformulating th at drug to maximize the effect. In order to avoid FDA scrutiny, PharmaCARE established a wholly-owned subsidiary, CompCARE, to operate as a compounding pharmacy to sell the new formulation to individuals on a prescription basis. CompCARE set up shop in a suburban office park near its parent’s headquarters, and to conserve money and time, did a quick, low-cost renovation and designated Allen Jones to run the operation’s â€Å"clean room.† CompCARE benefited from PharmaCARE’s reputation, databases, networks, and sales and marketing expertise, and within six (6) months had the medical community buzzing about AD23. Demand soared, particularly among Medicare,  Medicaid, and VA patients. Seeing the opportunity to realize even more profit, CompCARE began advertising its services and the availability of AD23 to consumers and marketing the drug directly to hospitals, clinics, and physician offices, even though compounding pharmacies are not supposed to sell drugs in bulk for general use. To get around this technicality, CompCARE encouraged doctors to fax in lists of bogus patient names. As production increased and hours were extended, one of Allen’s techs pointed out what appeared to be mold around the air vents. Allen immediately contacted the facilities’ supervisor, who came over to inspect the lab. As time went on, workers began coughing, sneezing, and getting headaches at work, and one employee, Donna, who had a perfect attendance record, got so sick she could no longer come to work due to chronic bronchial problems. Eventually, she filed for worker’s compensation. Allen’s best supervisor, Tom, threatened to complain to OSHA about the air quality in the lab, and one of the techs, Ayesha, filed an EEOC complaint alleging she had not been promoted to supervisor because she was a Muslim; in fact, although Ayesha was a very good worker, Allen did not believe she had the management or people skills necessary to be a good supervisor. Allen discussed these issues with his boss, the Director of Operations, who told Allen that if he wants to keep his job and receive his promised bonus, he needs to fire Donna, Tom, and Ayesha, and keep his own mouth shut about the mold and the bogus prescriptions. As CompCARE and its parent company enjoyed record profits and PharmaCARE’s stock price approached $300 per share, reports started filtering in that people who received AD23 seemed to be suffering heart attacks at an alarming rate. The company ignored this data and continued filling large orders and paid huge bonuses to all the executives and managers, including Allen, who, after being named â€Å"Employee of the Year,† was beginning to miss production schedules due not only to his staff’s increasing use of sick leave, but also his own health issues. PharmaCARE sold CompCARE to WellCo, a large drugstore chain, just weeks before AD23 was publicly linked to over 200 cardiac deaths. Both PharmaCARE and WellCo saw their stock price plummet.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Plays of Tennessee Williams Essay -- Authors

Tennessee Williams was known as one of the greatest and most controversial playwrights in American history. He once said â€Å"I believe that writing or any form of creative work was never meant by nature to be a man’s way of making a living, that when it becomes one it almost certainly loses a measure of purity† (Lewis 54). This statement shows that Williams was a genuine writer who used his plays and poems to express his own thoughts. Williams was known for his Southern Gothic writing style. This is â€Å"a style of writing practiced by many writers of the American South whose stories set in that region are characterized by grotesque, macabre, or fantastic incidents† (â€Å"Southern gothic†). Some critics believe that Williams had sacrificed his talent for fame and fortune; however, other critics believe his writings were original works of art. When Williams’ lover, Frank Merlo, died he went into a deep depression and his writing began to suffer. His plays were becoming less and less desirable and the amount of time each was on Broadway was slimming down little by little. Williams’ beginning writings were works of art, but they became predictable as time went on. Although he did use a lot of recurring themes and symbols, each individual piece had a life and moral value of its’ own. Williams was born March 26, 1911. His mother and father were Edwina and Cornelius Williams respectively. His mother was the divine essence of a southern belle whose main focus was being of the social elite. His father was a drunken shoe salesman who would later be claimed as the reason for Williams’ homosexuality. Williams’ siblings include Rose and Dakin Williams. It is said that his only real company growing up was his sister and their Negro nursemaid, Ozzie. ... ..., Gilbert. Tennessee Williams and Friends. Cleveland: World Pub., 1965. Print. "One Arm and Other Stories." Goodreads. Goodreads Inc, 2007. Web. 31 Mar. 2012. . Smith, Nicole. "The Tragic Figure of Laura in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams." Article Myriad. Article Myriad, 6 Dec. 2011. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. . "Southern gothic." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. . Print. "Tennessee Williams." - Quotes, Biography, Quote, Works, Festival, Poetry, Poems, Bio, Writing Style, Autobiography, Bibliography. N. p. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. .

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Case Study On NOL Essay examples -- Business Analysis Strategy

Introduction In November 1997, the acquisition of APL by NOL was successful. As compared to the larger US based APL; NOL was a small Singapore firm. Through this acquisition, it appeared that NOL was ready to become an industry leader in the shipping industry. Thus this acquisition is a strategy through which NOL buys a controlling, 100 per cent, interest in APL with the intent of making the acquired firm a subsidiary business within its portfolio. Thus APL became a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore based NOL, a global transportation and logistics company engaged in shipping and related businesses. Below is the study of the problems and strategies that NOL faced or is facing during the acquisition and integration of APL. Issues/Challenges facing NOL/APL 1) Agency Relationships There were separate management structures maintained in the group with the CEO of NOL in Singapore and CEO in the United States reporting to the group CEO. This separation between owners and manager creates an agency relationship. This exist when one or more persons (the principal or principals) hire another person or persons) as decision making specialist to perform a service. In the modern corporation, managers must understand the links between these relationship and the firms effectiveness. The agency relationship between managers and their employees is important as this is related directly to how the firm’s strategies are implemented. This separation between ownership and managerial control in this instance can be problematic as the principal and the agents have different interests and goals. In a large publicly traded corporation such as NOL/APL, shareholders (principals) lack direct control when the CEOs (agents) make decisions t... ...el – with its focus on yield, value-added services, high asset utilization and cost management In Terminals, we are focused on boosting productivity and capacity in areas targeted by our Container Shipping business. Our Logistics unit is driving for synergistic growth, developing and securing its links to Container Shipping Core competency Best in the world at moving and managing containerized trade, providing a lifeline for the global economy. APL Resources Tangible Technological State of the art information technology Intangible Reputational 150 years of shipping tradition Capabilities Provide worldwide coverage across all the major trade lanes. Industry-leading schedule reliability Human Resources Excellent customer service Core competency Seamless global connectivity

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Social Issues in China

The social issues in China are in point of fact varied and wide ranging. There are some problems that have affected the nation for quite long and a permanent solution has never been obtained. However, some have been affecting the nation, yet they do not hinder the citizens from growing economically. Because of the vast number of these social problems, the government has faced considerable difficulties in trying to come up with solution to them. Most of these issues are addressed by the media. In so doing, some that are sensitive to the political issues may be considered. Some professionals hold that the China's fragile social balance when combined with the bubble economy, contributes to instability of the country. On the same plinth, others argue that the societal trends in China have actually created a balance to sustain it. For this reason, the paper will examine some of the social problems affecting the nation. By and large, it will majorly delve on employment and elitism and discrimination majorly affect the country socially. Moreover, it will examine on the causes of the problems, the effort made by the government to help solve the problems, the outcomes from the manner in which the problem is solved. Most importantly, some possible ways that can help reduce or solve the problems so that they do not inflict emotional and psychological pain to the recipients.Causes of UnemploymentBecause there is difficulty in the state enterprise development, there is a reason for the laid off-off workers within most cities in China. Old state owned enterprises are facing serious losses and liquidating sine they do not have the capability to sustain a wide range of masquerading unemployment. On the other hand, the newly owned states leaders in most cases tend to unload themselves from the burden of outmoded workers. They do this so that they can expand their profit margin. Moreover, there are some significant changes that have taken place in the industrial structure, and this has caused a lot of joblessness too many people. On the same regard, a number of large old and huge enterprises of the capital of goods produced are found to be increasingly difficult to bid for more orders because there is massive change for the demands of goods on the customers' side, because of the new facilities. Another major cause of unemployment worth pointing out is continued increasing of the surplus work force. The population growth of the country is increasing at an alarming rate and this makes the level of employment to go down. There are new entrants into the labor market hence makes the job opportunity to go down. As the population increases, the firms to absorb them reduce in number hence making the majority to become idle, because they do not have anything to keep them busy. Another cause of is inadequate skills at workplace and lack of education. This has affected the great percentage of the China's population. In an ideal world, there are quantities of people who cannot get jobs because of their little knowledge. Most of the companies in the country need enhancing, and must therefore get quality employees lest they stop operating. Furthermore, another data shows that educational backgrounds of many people are directly intertwined to unemployment. Most of the unemployed people are those with little knowledge as far as the job they want is concerned. From the analysis it is inherent that the three are some of the major causes, and it is not only in the private sectors, but also a national problem which needs proper solution from both the labors and the government at large.Government Effort to Solve the ProblemDespite the fact that these problems have affected the country both economically and socially, the government has tried at all cost to device methodologies to help curb the problems. First, the government has come up with the enrollment expansion plan. For the past twenty years, China's college enrollment rate has stood to about three percent, which is much lower than most of the developed countries. On the same pedigree, the education department also sensed the need expand the enrolment rate in the college s. Also, the central government tried all ways out to deploy many measures in a bid to expand the rate of enrolment in school. This has been achieved through building of schools, hiring more professors from and outside the nation to help in impacting knowledge to the learners. Above all, offering scholarship to the poor students. By and large, the processes have greatly improved the illiteracy level in most of the people within the country and today, majorities are employed. There has been increase in the demand and supply of the goods produced. In real essence, supplies do not only outweigh demand, but many of the employers have questioned the education that the college students have received. Because many learning institutions have been started, most young people are able to access, education in their line of specialization, and this has helped them a lot in their line of specialization as far as job market is concerned. On the same line, students are made aware of the unemployment issues as early as they get into schools. Through this they are encouraged to work extra hard so that they evade the problem when they come out of school. In point of fact, one who does not have outstanding papers finds it difficult to secure job because of the competition in the job market. The local government has made plans with the enterprises to help those in colleges and universities by enhancing a plan which gives graduates work and training experience. The local government does the contact work and convinces most of the enterprises so that they can provide job opportunities and internship programs for the graduates for a period of one year. During this period, the government supports the interns by providing for them a small allowance on a monthly basis. After the end of the internship, the enterprise can either decide to absorb the interns depending on the effort made during the period of placement. Also, the government suggests that the graduates can stay in colleges and do research as co workers, and they get paid by the research funds. Through this, they ultimately get good pay that sustains their economic wellbeing so that they become responsible people in the society. Most importantly, during the training sessions, the students are made aware that there employment market is flooded and they should try as much as possible to get self employed. Because of this, most of the graduates have started their own businesses to help them generate income for themselves without necessarily depending on the employment from the government.Outcome of UnemploymentGenerally, unemployment crisis is social, economic and political problem that affect every society. When the society is not empowered economically, it fails in all aspects. For example, unemployment creates social disparity between the rich and the poor. The rich, in most cases, does not find it comfortable associating themselves with the low class earners, which should not be the case. Because of the problem, most of the many people who are employed in China do not have time to spend with the unemployed citizens because they actually do not merge at any aspect. The poor has their own shopping centers, lanes, rentals, slums, as opposed to the high class. The economic and social aspect unemployment is that it leads to high dependency ratio. When most of the youth are not employed, they will entirely depend on their parents to provide for them everything including basic needs. On the other hand, the parents may feel overburdened, hence loosing the good social relationship and bond between themselves. On the same line, the families that are well of economically find it difficult to interact with the families that are not stable hence causing discrimination. For example, those from rich families take their children to good schools where they can attain proper education and eventually succeed in life. On the other hand, the poor takes their children to slum school where the children cannot attain good education. This scenario widens the gap between the rich and the poor because there is no point where they meet social, hence widening their social inconsistency. Unemployment leads to unethical stay in the society. When the citizens are not working, they become idle along the streets. They do not think positively in most cases. The fact that they have to eat shelter and socialize and the money factor to support them is a problem, they end up in ethical practices that can make them get money to support themselves. Theft cases have been reported in most cases from young and old people who are not employed. It is not due their likeness, but the fact that they do not have what to generate for them income, they end up in such acts. On the same plinth, the government finds it difficult to manage the poor youths. This comes in the sense that that high number of them engages in malpractices which is against the government law, which eventually subjects them to physical torture. When the government is not in good terms with the youths, it is very difficult for the political stability to be in the nation.Possible ways to Solve the ProblemsIn the real essence, the problem should be addressed amicable so that it does not affect both parties. The government should understand that they need the young people who are jobless for the peaceful movement in the nation. On the other hand, the young unemployed should understand that they require the government to help them in most of the problems they face. Both p arties should be beneficial to one another for peaceful coexistence in the society. First, the government should device various modalities to improve the employment issue. There should improved infrastructure to enhance people to move to every part of the nation to solicit for job opportunities. On the same note, the government should improve the housing system so that it can accommodate all the citizens without barrier. For example, those living in slums should be considered and be constructed for building that accommodates them peacefully. On the same pedigree, the charges of the rent should be accommodating to all so that many do not suffer when it comes shelter coverage. Similarly, the government should encourage e-commercial business and logistics to help in boosting then youths who are economically down. Most importantly, the government should provide funds to the young people who are jobless so that they can start their own business operation. In so doing, they will be dependant to themselves because they will be doing their own businesses and will not seek for employment. On the same dictum, it will be an advantage to the government too because there will revenue generated back to the government and peaceful coexistence will be maintained because the youths will no longer engage in the malpractices activities that can dent their image in the society. On the other hand, it is important for the youths to understand that they are the leaders of tomorrow and whatever thing they do today, affect their life to come. In so doing, they should be focused minded in everything they do. They should work hand in hand with the government so that they realize their goals by the end of the day. People should also live in harmony with one another without discrimination of age, sex, race or social class. When God created us, He was never discriminative and so we should emulate. The rich should embrace the poor and take care of them in most situations. They should be helped to get out of their poverty situations and make them stable. Most importantly, there should be peaceful coexistence between everyone living in the society, because when there is peace, there is love and harmony and it makes people to love and care for each other both socially, economically and even politically.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How to work hard without being a pushover

How to work hard without being a pushover If you’re like most of us, you’re dedicated to doing your absolute best at work- day in and day out- in order to prove to yourself, your colleagues, and to anyone else who’s paying attention that you not only deserve the position you’re in but that you have every intention of moving as high up your career ladder as possible. After all, who doesn’t like a hard worker? This often means that you not only give 100% effort on all of your work tasks and responsibilities, you also make every effort to help those around you- after all, smart employees know that a rising tide lifts all boats. It never hurts to gain a little good sentiment among coworkers, who hopefully see you as a strong link on the team chain and are more than willing to return the favor when needed. However, the truth is that this sort of good-natured and well-intentioned approach to work often comes at a price, and you may have to contend with an onerous species of colleague- the sort wh o will take advantage of your hard-working nature and use it to their self-centered advantage.Does this sound familiar? After spending countless hours toiling away on a long and involved project a scheming colleague swoops in out of nowhere and takes all the credit for your hard work. Does this sort of thing happen often to you? If so, don’t feel too defeated- the truth is, hard workers are often vulnerable to this bad behavior, as unscrupulous and infinitely lazier coworkers seek to capitalize on every opportunity to take advantage of the efforts of others. But that doesn’t mean you should sit idly by and let them take advantage of you.If you’d like to figure out some effective strategies for showing the world that you’re a hard worker who will routinely go above and beyond- but who will not be taken advantage of- consider taking advantage of the following steps.Step 1- DiagnoseThe first step to making positive change, if and when you feel as if you†™re hard work is being taken advantage of, is to recognize that there’s a problem. This often means realizing that there’s a pattern of poor behavior on the part of a colleague- after all, a one-time thing where someone received a little more credit on a work project than they deserved might just be a miscommunication or harmless mistake. But if it continues to occur repeatedly, then it’s a real problem. Once you recognize that there’s an issue, you can begin to mobilize a strategy for dealing with it head on.Step 2- ConfirmThe truth is, sometimes we’re our own worst witnesses to a situation that directly involves us. Why? Because we often simply lack the distance needed to have a completely rational perspective. As a result, it’s helpful in situations like these to either get a second opinion from a trusted colleague or, if not feasible, to try our best and take a step back from the situation in an effort to objectively confirm that what we think is happening actually is. After all, the last thing you want to do is accuse a colleague of taking advantage of your hard work when it isn’t really happening (talk about awkward!).Step 3- Confront (Carefully)For most people, this is the trickiest step, and for good reason. Once you’ve diagnosed and confirmed the problem, the only way to effect positive and lasting change is to confront the situation- but be sure to proceed with caution. There is a broad spectrum of approaches you can take, depending on how pervasive the situation is, as well as your relationship with the person in question and your position and standing at work- as well as theirs. After all, how you handle this situation if it was a subordinate taking advantage of your hard work vs. your boss behaving this way will likely be vastly different.This is why proceeding with caution is so essential. If feasible, try tactfully communicating your feelings regarding the situation to the person in quest ion. Best case scenario, with minimal effort you nimbly eradicate the bad behavior. If this approach fails, then it may be time to step up your efforts, but don’t jump from a 1 to a 10 on the assertiveness scale out of frustration- try incrementally more assertive approaches (we’re NOT endorsing doing anything that will put you or your job in jeopardy here) to send a clear signal that you will not sit by and idly accept your colleague taking advantage of your hard work. It may entail talking to your boss or the other person’s boss about the situation if all else fails, or trying to avoid working directly with them whenever possible.If it’s your boss or a superior who’s taking advantage of you, then the situation is even trickier. Simply put, you’re going to have tread lightly here. If your relationship with the superior in question is strong, you may stand a good chance of fixing the problem; if this isn’t the case, weigh your options and determine the approach that makes the most sense given your situation, always erring on the side of caution.Step 4- ChangeHow you behave moving forward will send a clear indication of how much others can treat you at work. Simply put, people are far less likely to try and take advantage of a colleague who radiates strength and confidence than someone who’s more meek and reserved. Continue your hard work and eagerness to be a team player, but start sending clear signals that you’re not a person to be underestimated or mistreated. Whenever possible, try and protect your work from the involvement of others, and claim fair credit for your work when you can. Trust us, if handled properly people will start to get the message and will think twice before trying to take advantage of you- you may even garner some newfound respect from others in your work orbit.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Ladys life Essay

Ladys life Essay Ladys life Essay Quiz one Fremount Culture- Haunted and farmed in western Colorado between A.D. 650 and 1200. Fremont people left distinct rock art on cliff walls. They also made a unique kind of basket, and they made gray-coiled pottery. Like other groups, they left behind grinding stones, arrow points, and other stone tools. Anasazi- Lived in Colorado for more then a 1000 years in southwestern Colorado. They were gardening and gather. They Made Mesa Verde’s cliff Palace, which housed 400 people. Arapahoe- Ute- Paleo-Indians- Clovis Culture- Cheyenne Atl-Atl- Comanche- Arachaic Indians- Quiz 2 Zebulon Pike- Juan Ulibarri- El Cuaratelejo- Juan Baustista de Anza- Dominquez and Escalant- San Luis- Pedro de Villasur- San Carlos- Cuerno Verde- Stephan Long- Quiz 3 Bent’s Fort- Fort Vasquez- Ceran St. Vrain Lancaster Lupton- John C. Fremont- William Becknell- Santa Fe Trail- Jim Beckwourth- Kit Carson- American Fur Company- Chapter 4 William Gilpin- William Larimer- Placer mining- George Jackson- Swansea Smelting Process- John Gregory- William Green Russell- Lode Mining- Elizabeth Byers- Aunt Clara Brown- QUIZ 5 John Evans- Fort El Pueblo Massacre- Sand Creek Massacre- Battle of Beecher Island- Cheyenne Dog Soldiers- Black Kettle- John Chivington- Battle of Summit Springs Meeker Massacre- Ouray- Quiz 6 Colorado Central Railroad- Kansas Pacific Railroad- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe R.R.- Denver & Rio Grande Railroad- Otto

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Contributions of functionalist approaches Essay Example

Contributions of functionalist approaches Essay Example Contributions of functionalist approaches Essay Contributions of functionalist approaches Essay Introduction The 1980s saw the birth of a figure of attacks to Translation Studies ( TS henceforth ) jointly termed functionalist, which brought about a paradigm displacement in the system. This essay examines the strengths and failings every bit good as the parts of these functionalist attacks to the field of TS. Structurally, the essay starts with a brief historical overview of the attacks to interlingual rendition before the coming of functionalist attacks. Then it discusses the major functionalist attacks, foregrounding their major predications and the unfavorable judgments against them, which will so be followed by a general sum-up of the assorted parts of the assorted strands of functionalism. TRANSLATION STUDIES BEFORE FUNCTIONALISM Over the old ages, bookmans have approached the subject of Translation Studies from assorted angles mostly depending on the dominant doctrine of the clip and/or implicit in constructs of the nature of interlingual rendition and how the translated text will be used ( Schaeffner 2001: c5 ) . However, one quandary that has prevailed over the centuries is the determination on the best method of interpreting a text. This quandary of the best method of translating is an antique 1. Jerome ( 395/2004: 24 ) expresses this quandary therefore: It is hard, when following the lines of another, non to overshoot someplace and backbreaking, when something is good put in another linguistic communication, to continue this same beauty in interlingual rendition if I translate word by word, it sounds absurd ; it out of necessity I alter something in the order or enunciation, I will look to hold abandoned the undertaking of a transcriber. However, Jerome and so many other transcriber of his clip stop up non interpreting word by word. He quotes Cicero as detecting that in his interlingual rendition of Plato s Protagoras and Xenophone s Oeconomicus, that he kept their meanings but with their signifiers their figures, so to talk in words adapted to our parlance ( 395/2004: 23 ) . He adds that except for the instance of Sacred Scriptures, where the really order of the words is a enigma I render non word for word, but sense for sense ( 395/2004: 25 ) so as non to sound absurd in the mark linguistic communication. These bookmans, including others like Nicolas Perrot DAblancourt ( 1640/2004 ) , Martin Luther ( 1530 ) and John Dryden ( 1680/2004 ) , may non be seen as interlingual renditions bookmans per Se since they all had their several careers and interlingual rendition was what they did in the passing. However, their positions and remarks formed the bedrock on which the field of interlingual rendition surveies was to be built. Linguistic-based attacks The statement over word by word or sense for sense interlingual rendition prevailed over the centuries up till the twentieth century when Jakobson ( 1959/2004 ) introduced the term equivalence in the literature and Nida ( 1964/2004 ) expands it by separating between formal and dynamic equality. While formal equality purposes at fiting the message in the receptor linguistic communication every bit closely as possible to the different elements in the beginning linguistic communication, including the signifier and content, dynamic equality aims at complete naturalness of look, and attempts to associate the receptor to manners of behavior relevant within the context of his ain civilization ( Nida 1964/2004: 156 ) . Harmonizing to Nida, the intents of the transcriber to a big extent determine whether the transcriber should take at formal equality or dynamic equality. One observes that these bookmans are concerned with the correspondence between the mark linguistic communication and the beginning linguistic communication and these attacks were therefore jointly called linguistic attacks to interlingual rendition. Harmonizing to Saldanha ( 2009: 148 ) , the term lingual attacks to interlingual rendition surveies is used to mention to theoretical theoretical accounts that represent interlingual rendition and/ or interpretation as a ( chiefly ) lingual procedure and are hence informed chiefly by lingual theory . Translation surveies was subsumed under applied linguistics and therefore studied with methods developed in linguistics ( Schaeffner 2001: 6 ) . Other bookmans that contributed to research in this country are Catford ( 1965 ) and House ( 1977/1981 ) . Translation was seen as a transportation of information from one linguistic communication to another, as an activity that affects merely the two linguistic communications involved. Thus bookma ns were concerned with ordering methods of interpreting from one linguistic communication to the other in order to reproduce in the mark linguistic communication a message that is tantamount to that of the beginning text. One such prescription was Vinay and Dabelnet s ( 1958/2994 ) seven methods or processs for interlingual rendition: adoption, loan translation, actual interlingual rendition, heterotaxy, transition, equality and version. The first three they call direct interlingual renditions as they involve permuting the beginning linguistic communication message component by component, while the last four they call oblique because they involve an upsetting of the syntactic order of the beginning linguistic communication. One major defect of lingual attacks is that they do non take awareness of the part of the context in which an look is used to the apprehension of the whole message or text. Schaeffner ( 2001: 8 9 ) observes that Surveies conducted within a linguistic-based attack to interlingual rendition concentrated on the systematic dealingss between units of the linguistic communication systems, but frequently abstracted from facets of their contextual usage. A chosen TL-form may good be right harmonizing to the regulations of the linguistic communication system, but this does non needfully intend that the text as a whole suitably fulfils its communicative map in the TL state of affairs and civilization. Working on the interlingual rendition of the Bible, Nida s differentiation between formal and dynamic equality introduced facets of sociolinguistics and civilization into interlingual rendition surveies. He says that any treatment of equality, whether formal or dynamic, must see types of relatedness determined by the lingual and cultural distance between the codifications used to convey the message ( 1964/2004: 157 ) . He declares that a natural interlingual rendition or dynamic equality involves two chief countries of version, viz. , grammar and vocabulary ( 2004: 163 ) . However, his theory has been criticised for being restricted in application and range as it appears to be meant chiefly for Bible interlingual renditions and to concentrate on merely lexical and syntactic correspondence. A few old ages subsequently, Koller ( 1979: 215f ) proposes five classification of the construct of equality viz. : textralinguistic facts/state of personal businesss ( denotive equality ) ; sign ifier of verbalization, including intensions, manner and ( connotative equality ) ; text norms and linguistic communication norms ( text-normative equality ) ; TL-text audience ( matter-of-fact equality ) ; and specific aesthetic, formal, characteristic characteristics of text ( formal-aesthetic equality ) ( quoted in Schaeffner 2001: 9 ) This excessively receives a batch of unfavorable judgments which seemingly inform its reappraisal by the writer over the old ages. Pym ( 1997: 1 ) observes that four editions of Koller s book Einfuhrung in dice Ubersetzungswissenschaft ( Introduction to Translation Studies/Science ) has been published as at 1995, with an article summarizing the chief points looking in English in Target. Indeed the construct of equality was ( and still is ) extremely controversial even to this twenty-four hours. Textlinguistic attacks In reaction to the evident instead restricted lingual range of these attacks, some bookmans so argue for a text-linguistic or matter-of-fact attack to interlingual rendition, whereby the whole text is seen as the unit of significance and interlingual rendition, as against the vocabulary and grammar which was the focal point of lingual attacks. Katharina Reiss s ( 1971/2004 ) text-typology is seminal in this regard, being about the first to present into TS a consideration of the communicative intent of interlingual rendition ( Munday 2008: 74 ) . Harmonizing to Reiss, the communicative map of a text in its beginning civilization determines its map in the mark civilization and how it will be translated. She classifies text-type into enlightening ( communicates content ) , expressive ( communicates artistically organised content ) and operative ( communicates content with a persuasive character ) ( Reiss 1971/2004: 171 ) . In her position, a text that is adjudged informative should be translated in such a manner that the same content in the beginning text is transferred into the mark text ; an expressive text should retain the artistic and originative characteristics of the beginning text in the mark text ; while an operative beginning text should inform a mark text with a similar or correspondent consequence on the mark audience. In state of affairss where a text exhibits characteristics of more than one text-type, the transcriber should concern themselves with highlighting the overruling text-type and back-grounding the remainder if the demand so arises. Reiss does a batch to emphasize the importance of text-variety or genre in interlingual rendition surveies. She observes that genre conventions are civilization specific and the transcriber should see the differentiations in genre conventions across civilization so as non to jeopardize the functional equality of the TL text by naively following SL conventions ( 1971/2004: 173 ) . Neubert ( 1985 ) and its sub sequence co-authored with Gregory Shreve ( 1992 ) have done a batch to underscore the importance of genre analysis in interlingual rendition surveies. In the foreword to Translation as Text, they observe the diminution in influence of linguistics in interlingual rendition surveies and the motion towards interdisciplinarity: Translation surveies has abandoned its resolved concern with purely lingual issues. It has been invigorated by new thoughts from other subjects. Translation scholars no longer waver to follow new thoughts from information scientific discipline, cognitive scientific discipline, and psychological science. ( Neubert and Shreve 1992: seven ) Scholars that favour this attack focus a batch on puting up paradigms of genres, or as Corbett ( 2009: 291 ) puts it, these bookmans focused on the descriptions of extremely predictable, ritual, transactional texts, many of which seem commonplace in nature like Swales ( 1990 ) on reissue petitions and Eggins ( 1994 ) on formulas. Therefore bookmans tried to place parallel texts across linguistic communications and civilizations by making a systematic comparing of genre examples in both the beginning civilization and the mark civilization ( Schaeffner 2001: 11 ) . Schaeffner besides notes elsewhere that [ g [ enre conventions are determined by civilization and, therefore, prone to changeless alteration ( 2000: 222 ) . This enables the transcriber to accommodate the text to the conventions of the receptor or mark civilization. Thus bookmans runing within a text-linguistic attack to translation believe that a interlingual rendition goes beyond linguistic communication to cultural con siderations. FUNCTIONALIST APPROACHES The 2nd half of the twentieth century witnessed some paradigm displacement in interlingual rendition surveies, particularly with the publication in German of Katharina Reiss and Hans Vermeer s Foundation for a General Theory of Translation and Justa Holz-Manttari s Translatorial Action: Theory and Method, both in 1984. These set the gait for what is subsequently known as functionalist attacks to interlingual rendition, approaches that see interlingual rendition as a communicative action carried out by an expert in intercultural communicating ( the transcriber ) , playing the function of a text manufacturer and aiming at some communicative intent ( Nord 2001: 151 ) . Functionalist attacks by and large believe that the map of a text in the mark civilization determines the method of interlingual rendition. They are said to hold developed in resistance to the equality paradigm of the linguistic-based attacks which see the beginning text as what determines the nature of the mark text. Us ing the communicating strategy of SOURCE-PATH-GOAL, they accentuate the importance of the mark text as the end of the translational procedure. One of the major advocates, Vermeer ( 1987: 29 ) declares that linguistics entirely is non effectual because interlingual rendition itself is non simply nor chiefly a lingual procedure, and that linguistics has non yet formulated the right inquiries to undertake our jobs ( cited in Nord 1997: 10 ) . Quite a good figure of interlingual rendition bookmans subscribe to functionalism like Vermeer ( 1978, 1989, 1996 ; Reiss and Vermeer 1984, 1991 ; Nord 1997, 2005 ; Holz-Manttari 1984, 1993 ; Honig 1997 ; Honig and Kussmaul 1982, 1996 ; among many others. Following are some of the major strands of functionalism. Skopostheorie The most popular among the functionalist attacks, skopos theory was developed in Germany by Hans Vermeer in 1978 in dissatisfaction with the linguistic-based attacks to interlingual rendition. He sees interlingual rendition as an action governed by a skopos from Grecian intending intent or purpose. This intent now determines how the interlingual rendition is done. Vermeer argues that the beginning text is produced for a state of affairs in the beginning civilization which may non be the same in the mark civilization. It so follows that the interlingual rendition should be produced to accommodate the intent for which it is needed in the mark civilization: the beginning text is oriented towards, and is in any instance edge to, the beginning civilization. The mark text is oriented towards the mark civilization, and it is this which finally defines its adequateness ( Vermeer 1989/2004: 229 ) . Reiss and Vermeer jointly published Translatorial Action: Theory and Method in 1984 to give wh at has been described as the general interlingual rendition theory, sufficiently general , and sufficiently complex, to cover a battalion of single instances ( Schaeffner 1998: 236 ) . They see a text as an offer of information and interlingual rendition as an offer of information bing in a peculiar linguistic communication and civilization to members of another civilization in their linguistic communication. They hold that the demands of the mark text receiving systems determine the specification of the skopos and the choice made from information offered in the beginning text ( Schaeffner 1998: 236 ) . Thus interlingual rendition goes beyond lingual considerations to besides embrace cultural issues. The inquiry so arises: Who determines the skopos? Harmonizing to Vermeer ( 1989/2004: 236 ) , the skopos is defined by the committee and if necessary adjusted by the transcriber . Nord ( 1997:30 ) adds that the skopos is embedded in the interlingual rendition brief, which means that the individual originating the interlingual rendition constantly decides what the skopos is. She agrees with Vermeer that the skopos is frequently negotiated between the client and the transcriber. The skopos of a text in the beginning civilization might be the same as the skopos of the interlingual rendition in the mark civilization, but that is merely one of the different intents for which a text might be needed in a different civilization as the intent in the mark civilization might be different. Reiss and Vermeer ( 1984 ) name the state of affairs where the beginning text map is the same as the mark text map functional stability, while for the other state of affairs where both texts have different maps they say the text has undergone a alteration of map. Vermeer besides gives two farther regulations: coherency regulation and fidelity regulation. Coherence regulation stipulates that the mark text must be sufficiently consistent for the mark audience to understand given their assumed background cognition and situational fortunes while the fidelity regulation focuses on the intertextual relationship between the beginning text and the mark text ( Schaeffner 1998: 236 ) . The nature of this intertextual coherency between the beginning text and mark is nevertheless determined by the skopos. The theory of translatorial action This theory, proposed by Holz-Manttari, draws a batch from action theory and communicating theory. An action is by and large seen as making something deliberately, and communicating fundamentally means reassigning information from one entity to another. Holz-Mantarri s theory so sees interlingual rendition as reassigning information embedded in one civilization to receiving systems in another civilization, and the transcriber is the expert saddled with the duty of this information transportation. Using constructs from communicating theory, Holz-Mantarri identifies the participants in the translatorial procedure: the instigator, the individual in demand of the interlingual rendition ; the commissioner, the individual that contacts the transcriber ; the beginning text manufacturer or writer ; the mark text manufacturer, the transcriber or interlingual rendition bureau ; the mark text user, instructors for illustration ; and the mark text receiver, for illustration pupils in a mark user s category. She does a batch to underscore the function played by these participants in the translational procedure. The demand for a interlingual rendition arises in state of affairss where there is information in a peculiar civilization that members of another civilization do non hold entree to as a consequence of the cultural differences among the communities, or as Nord ( 1997: 17 ) puts it, state of affairss where differences in verbal and non-verbal behavior, outlooks, cognition and positions are such that there is non adequate common land for the transmitter and receiving system to pass on efficaciously by themselves. Translation so is a procedure of intercultural communicating aimed at bring forthing a text capable of working suitably in specific state of affairss and contexts of usage ( Schaeffner 1998: 3 ) . And since the focal point is on bring forthing functionally equal texts, the mark text should so conform to the genre conventions of the mark civilization. This makes the transcriber the expert in translatorial action, who determines what is suited for the translatorial text operation and ensures the information is transmitted satisfactorily. One interesting facet of this theory is the debut of new nomenclatures into the literature. For illustration, alternatively of text, Holz-Mantarri prefers Botschaftstrager, message bearer, a construct that broadens the traditional construct of text to include non-verbal facets of communicating thereby doing justness to the complexness of communicative procedures ( Martin de Leon 2008: 7 ) . Other alterations include Botschaftstragerproduktion for text production and translatorisches Handeln for translate or interlingual rendition. The rule of the necessary grade of preciseness This rule was developed by Honig and Kusmaul to supply a more elaborate history of interlingual rendition relevant decision-making procedures as against the framework theory of interlingual rendition ( Honig 1997: 10 ) . One of the results of functionalist attacks is that the transcriber can give more information in the interlingual rendition if the skopos requires that. An case is doing clear in a mark text what is non so clear in the beginning text. However, it is non clear to what extent the transcriber can exert this autonomy. To this terminal, the rule stipulates that what is necessary depends on the map of the interlingual rendition ( Honig 1997: 10 ) . Honig illustrates this in this instead long quotation mark: the term public school implies such a big sum of culture-specific cognition that it is impossible to render its intending completely in a interlingual rendition. Within a functionalist attack, nevertheless, the map of a word in its specific context determines to what degree the cultural significance should be made explicit. In a sentence such as ( my accent ) : ( 2a ) In Parliament he fought for equality, but he sent his boy to Eton. the interlingual rendition will hold to be different from interpreting the indistinguishable term Eton in the sentence: ( 3a ) When his male parent died his female parent could non afford to direct him to Eton any more. The undermentioned interlingual renditions would be sufficiently detailed: ( 2b ) Im Parlament kampfte er fur Chancengleichheit, aber seinen eigenen Sohn schickte Er auf eine der englischen Eliteschulen. ( one of the English elite schools ) ( 3b ) Als sein Vater starb, konnte seine Mutter Es sich nicht mehr leisten, ihn auf eine der teuren Privatschulen zu schicken ( one of the expensive private schools ) . Of class, there is more factual cognition implied in the footings Eton or public school than expressed in the interlingual rendition, but the interlingual rendition references everything that is of import within the context of the sentence, in other words, the interlingual rendition is semantically precise plenty. ( 1997: 11 ) Here the transcriber does non take at an exact or perfect mark text, but a text that is sufficiently good plenty for the state of affairs. The transcriber provides every bit much ( or less ) information as the readers need as determined by the skopos. Christiane Nord Christiane Nord is one of the major advocates of functionalism. She agrees with Vermeer that the state of affairs under which a mark text is produced is different from that of the beginning text in footings of clip, topographic point ( except for coincident interpretation ) , and sometimes medium. Thus the significance of a text is found beyond the lingual codification, in the extratextual state of affairs. In fact, she even stresses that intending reading depends a batch on the personal experience of the text user: A text is made meaningful by its receiving system for its receiving system. Different receiving systems ( or even the same receiving system at different times ) find different significances in the same lingual stuff offered by the text. We might even state that a text is every bit many texts as there are receiving systems of it. ( 2001: 152 ) Nord nevertheless has some reserves for the unrestricted freedom Reiss and Vermeer, and Holz-Manttari have given the transcriber to bring forth a mark text of whatever signifier so long as it conforms to the skopos as directed by the client. To look into this, she introduces the construct of trueness which she defines as the duty transcribers have towards their spouses: transcribers, in their function as go-betweens between two civilizations, have a particular duty with respect to their spouses, i.e. the beginning text writer, the client or commissioner of the interlingual rendition, and the mark text receiving systems, and towards themselves, exactly in those instances where there are differing positions as to what a good interlingual rendition is or should be. ( Nord 2006: 33 ) . Nord therefore contends that the skopos is non the lone finding factor in interlingual rendition, that trueness is necessary. Loyalty commits the transcriber bilaterally to the beginning text and mark text state of affairss: non to distort the beginning text writer s purposes ( Nord 2005:32 ) and carry throughing the outlooks of the mark audience or explicating in a footer or precede how they arrived at a peculiar significance. Loyalty is different from fidelity or equality in that the latter refer to the lingual or stylistic similarity between the beginning and the mark texts, irrespective of the communicative purposes involved while the former refers to an interpersonal relationship between the transcriber and their spouses ( 2001: 185 ) . Christiane Nord besides elaborates on the possible scope of maps a mark text may hold, different from that or those of the beginning text. She first distinguishes between documental interlingual rendition and instrumental interlingual rendition. Documentary interlingual rendition is such that aims at bring forthing in the mark linguistic communication a sort of papers of ( certain facets of ) a communicative interaction in which a source-culture transmitter communicates with a source-culture audience via the beginning text under source-culture conditions ( 1997: 138 ) ; instrumental interlingual rendition, on the other manus, purposes at bring forthing in the mark linguistic communication an instrument for a new communicative interaction between the source-culture transmitter and the target-culture audience. A documental interlingual rendition normally consequences in a mark text with a meta-textual map or secondary degree map harmonizing to House ( 1977 ) . An instrumental interli ngual rendition may hold the same scope of maps as the beginning text, whereby it is said to be equifunctional ; but if there are differences in the maps of both texts, the instance is said to be heterofunctional. Nord besides talks about homologous interlingual rendition, besides called creative heterotaxy ( Bassnet 2002: 24 ) , where the mark text represent the same grade of originality as the original in relation to the several culture-specific principal of texts. One other seminal input of Nord s into functionalism is her call for an luxuriant analysis of the beginning text before interlingual rendition proper. Unlike Vermeer and Holz-Manttari who about make the beginning text so unseeable, Nord instead gives some attending to it since it is the supplier of the offer of information that forms the footing for the offer of information formulated in the mark text. She argues that the pre-translation analysis of the beginning text helps in make up ones minding on whether the interlingual rendition undertaking is executable in the first topographic point, which beginning text units are relevant to a functional interlingual rendition, and which scheme will outdo bring forth a mark text that meets the demands of the brief ( Nord 1997: 62 ) . Nord goes farther to place and categorize the sort of jobs a transcriber might meet matter-of-fact, convention-related, interlingual and text-specific and besides stairss to follow in the translational procedu re. Schaeffner ( 2001 ) has done a critical reappraisal of Nord s predications ( and so other functionalist attacks ) and their pertinence in practical interlingual rendition. CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING FUNCTIONALIST APPROACHES TO TRANSLATION Expectedly, functionalist attacks have received a batch of unfavorable judgment, particularly from bookmans of the linguistic-based attacks, one of which is the definition of interlingual rendition. Critics of skopos theory argue that non all mark texts based on a beginning text can be called interlingual renditions, that skopos theory makes no differentiation between a existent interlingual rendition and version or what Koller ( 1995 ) calls nontranslation. They argue that the supposed deposition of the beginning text and concentrate on the mark text ( Newmark 1991 ; Schreitmuller 1994 ) subverts the intrinsic significance of the interlingual rendition. Pym ( 1997 ) argues in this visible radiation and supports Koller ( 1995 ) in continuing equality and naming on functionalists to separate between interlingual rendition and nontranslation. However, functionalists view interlingual rendition from a broader position, as any translational action where a beginning text is transferred in to a mark civilization and linguistic communication Nord 1997: 141 ) . They see the linguistic-based definition as being restrictive and in demand of enlargement. Linked to this is the supposed deposition of the beginning text and accent on the skopos as the finding factor of how the interlingual rendition is done. It is so argued that functionalism gives transcribers the freedom to bring forth any sort of mark text and name it a interlingual rendition. Pym ( 1991 ) , for case, accuses functionalists of bring forthing mercenary experts able to contend under the flag of any purpose able to pay them ( 1991: 2 ) . Nord responds to this by presenting the construct of trueness, which restricts the autonomy of the transcriber as they are now expected to be loyal to the beginning text writer every bit good as other spouses in the translational procedure. She besides insists on an luxuriant beginning text analysis before interlingual rendition for a better apprehension of both the beginning text and beginning civilization which will so breed some high degree coherency between the beginning text and the mark text. One other contention environing functionalism is the myriad of nomenclatures introduced and used otherwise, particularly those by Holz-Manttarri. Indeed many of these unfavorable judgments still go on to this twenty-four hours. However, despite the assorted contentions environing the development and push of functionalist attacks, their parts to the survey of interlingual rendition are singular. CONTRIBUTIONS OF FUNCTIONALIST APPROACHES TO TRANSALTION STUDIES One major part of this attack is that, harmonizing to Nord ( 1997: 29 ) , it addresses the eternal quandary of free V faithful interlingual renditions, dynamic V formal equality, good translators vs slavish transcribers, and so on . Thus a interlingual rendition may be free of faithful or anything between these two extremes depending on its skopos or the intent for which it is needed. The transcriber no longer has to ever travel back to the beginning text to work out translational jobs, instead they base their interlingual rendition on the map of the text in the mark civilization. Functionalist attacks liberate interlingual rendition from theories that impose lingual regulations upon every determination ( Pym 2010: 56 ) . They recognise that the interlingual rendition procedure involves more than linguistic communications involved and requires the consideration of these extra-textual and extra-linguistic factors for its realization. Therefore they introduce the cultural dimension to interlingual rendition surveies and interrupt the unneeded resort to the authority of the beginning text. While linguistics-based attacks may be said to be retrospective in that they look back at the beginning text as the theoretical account for the mark text, functionalist attacks are seen as prospective in that they look frontward to the map of the text in the mark civilization as the major finding factor for how the interlingual rendition will be done. A retrospective interlingual rendition operates a bottom-up procedure, works from beginning linguistic communication elements a nd transportations the text sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase. But a prospective interlingual rendition operates a top-down procedure, get downing on the matter-of-fact degree by make up ones minding on the intended map of the interlingual rendition and inquiring for specific text-typological conventions, and for addressees background cognition and their communicative demands ( Ouyang 2009: 104 ) . Functionalist attacks are flexible and general plenty to account for a broad scope of translational state of affairss. Talking about the theory of skopos theory for illustration, Schaeffner ( 2001: 15 ) observes that [ T ] his theory is presented as being sufficiently general to cover a battalion of single instances, i.e. to be independent of single linguistic communications, civilizations, capable spheres, text types and genres . Interestingly, the consideration of extra-textual factors in the translational procedure accentuates the multidisciplinary nature of interlingual rendition surveies. The debut of text-typology and considerations of genre-conventions introduces elements of pragmatics, text-ling

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Deforestation In the amazon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Deforestation In the amazon - Essay Example Agriculture is major factor influencing deforestation in the Amazon as individuals consider it a necessity for life to prosper on the planet. Before, age the Amazon rainforest was protected because individuals were hunters and gatherers hence did not venture into farming. However, changing times has forced individuals and the government to make unwise concession to allow the food growth into the region is a main source of rainfall. Allowing food growth to sustain life does not mean that major sites like the Amazon rain forest should be destroyed. Unfortunately that has been reason behind the deforestation activities going on around the Amazon. The rainforest is slowly being lost as the land in which it is based is being cleared by individuals to enable them practice agriculture in the region. Different land clearing techniques which care harmful to the environment and to the rainforest like slush and burn have been adopted by individuals and are used in clearing the Amazon forest (Ca mpari 2). The slash and burn technique is a cheap way of clearing land in preparation for agricultural activities. Individuals living around the Amazon use it to cut down trees and clear bushes before setting fire on the area to get rid of the cut and cleared trees and bushes. It is also an efficient way which has been proved to be cause of the deforestation in the Amazon as very little costs is associated with accomplishing the tasks. In addition, the situation is further aggravated by the lack proper techniques for farming leading to a speedy desert formation in the Amazon area which for centuries has been considered to be full of fauna and flora life (Campari 83). Moreover, over the last year, the Amazon rainforest experienced an increased rate of forest fires caused by the slush and burn used by the locals in the region. Additionally, individuals keeping cattle have also

Friday, October 18, 2019

Article review form Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article review form - Essay Example Pressure could be another source of conflict. Employees felt they were pressured so much by the stewards who were not ready to negotiate. Workers did not want to do extra work at their free time any more. The stewards and the company showed a neglect attitude towards the worker’s principles, which the author compares to â€Å"Thatcherism†. The introduction of the new initiatives was supposedly to provide benefits to everyone. It stated that it would help strengthen negotiations and mutual understanding between the two sides. The workers however, did not believe in this argument. They thought that the initiative would separate the employees instead of uniting them. The employees were ready to have endless negotiations with the managers, and were not ready to accept the new rules. Northern Plant wanted the employees to start using the U shaped structure which the company considered time saving. He managers called it the â€Å"multi-skilled process†. According to the workers however, the process just looked like the normal routine they always did when manufacturing under the traditional manufacturing process, but in different amounts. It is clear that change is a source of conflict and managers should ensure they have good strategies of managing change to deal with resistance. It is also clear that workers’ values should be recognized in making decisions and change in a company. The managers neglected the workers’ negotiation process. Conflict resolution also requires good management skills. The managers in the end, used the strategy of special consideration to deal with the resistance. The article has shown that the structures based on JIT and TQM management control are very powerful and are not easy to

A Personal Analysis of Two images from UCL collections (Cultural and Essay

A Personal Analysis of Two images from UCL collections (Cultural and Historical Geography) - Essay Example This phenomenon is not a feature of photography, because a photo reflects exactly what a camera captures. For this reason photographs may even serve as evidence of certain historical events – they reflect the reality of the moment. On this matter James Curtis outlines that â€Å"Public and scholarly faith in the realism of the photographic image is grounded in a belief that a photograph is a mechanical reproduction of reality† (Curtis 2003, pp.1-2). Therefore, it is possible to assume that in most cases a photograph can give rather precise information about the people, places and events of a particular moment in time. For this reason it is interesting to investigate the social, cultural and historical context of photographs from different time periods to find out how these geographical aspects change through time, and how they are reflected by photography. Just like the ‘Group photograph of visit to Russia’, ‘Research into Heredity’ can be called a documentary photograph because it also tells a story of what was taking place around the moment of taking a picture. In particular, ‘Research into Heredity’ is a photo of a boating party. What is known is that the party took place sometime between 1880 and 1889, and the photograph of its participants was used by Sir Francis Galton as a part of his research into heredity and genetics. Most likely Sir Galton kept this photograph for scientific purposes. It is seen that some faces were cut out of the photo. So, it might be assumed that those cut out faces were then used by the photographer as an aid in his research of heredity. It can be seen that both, men and women, as well as some children, were present at the party. Most men are accompanied by a woman, so it is possible that men came to the party together with their families. Considering that many people in the photograph are relatives, the assumption

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Agency Protest to a General Accounting Office (GAO) Research Paper

Agency Protest to a General Accounting Office (GAO) - Research Paper Example One of the major initiatives that have been put in place by developed countries is procurement reform. This included the establishment of mechanisms through which offerors can question the officials in charge of the procurement procedures in the government departments. In case the procuring agencies are not compliant with the law and regulations governing the procurement process, the aggrieved parties undertake the bid protest. The major forms of federal bid protest include an agency-level protest, protest through the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the jurisdiction through United States Court of Federal Claims (COFC) (GAO-03-673G Government Auditing Standards, 2012).   Important aspects of Agency Protests Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 33.103 gives the guidelines that must be followed by the agencies in addressing of the protests generated by the offerors. Having being established by the Executive Order 12979, agency protest stipulates that all the concerned part ies must take all the necessary steps to ensure that the conflict is solved in an amicable way. Even though the government has clearly outlined the regulations that control the agency protests, most of the agencies complement the FAR provisions by initiating their own regulations that are not favorable to the offerors. A protest is initiated by an interested party. An interested party is an individual whose economic interest would be adversely affected by the failure to win a contractor through the award of the contact (Robert, 2012). This is one of the major aspects that are common both to agency and GAO protests. There is no jurisdiction on the protests that an agency can handle since it has the authority to deal with all the protests that are related to its contracts. However, according to Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, a protest that is related to delivery order contracts or issuance of the task that can be given to various contractors when an agency is in need of particu lar services or goods cannot be considered by an agency. In such cases, the aggrieved individuals institute a complaint to the delivery order ombudsman as provided by the FAR 16.505 (Federal Acquisition Regulations).  Ã‚  

What do you think will be issues that will influence the key sill Essay

What do you think will be issues that will influence the key sill requirements for next 5 to 10 years - Essay Example These specifically include the issues that can affect the operations of the company. In relation to the above statement, the thrust of this paper is to discuss the issues that can affect the company and can further influence the key skill requirements of the firm in the next 5 to 10 years. For a huge corporation like Sinopec, it is a basic requirement for the firm to have highly competent managers who are experts and knowledgeable in the field of energy and chemical industry. It is also important to the managerial department of the firm to know how to deal with different types of employees. The role of the managers is very important in keeping the daily operations of the company in order. It is also a great challenge for Sinopec to enhance the understanding and practices of their managers on the importance of responsible leadership. The specifically include the enhancement of the competencies of the managers to integrate social and environmental considerations in creating business decisions (Wilson & Hind, 2006). A business organisation can hardly perform its daily operations without the presence of its workforce. Skillful and hardworking workforce is one of the significant factors towards achieving the goals and objectives of business organisations. Their role in the company is very important in achieving the company’s economic triumph. Hence, it is very much important to put into great consideration the satisfaction of the workers, their health, and wellness, and their safety at work considering the kind of industry Sinopec has. The safety of the employees especially those in their plants are of high risks due to the possibility that anytime the plant might explode due to some technical problems or leakage of petroleum same as what happened to Sinopec’s oil terminal in Qingdao China (Moody’s: Sinopec Corp’s , 2013). As above mentioned, the safety of the employees of Sinopec is of high risk due to the kind of industry the firm has.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Agency Protest to a General Accounting Office (GAO) Research Paper

Agency Protest to a General Accounting Office (GAO) - Research Paper Example One of the major initiatives that have been put in place by developed countries is procurement reform. This included the establishment of mechanisms through which offerors can question the officials in charge of the procurement procedures in the government departments. In case the procuring agencies are not compliant with the law and regulations governing the procurement process, the aggrieved parties undertake the bid protest. The major forms of federal bid protest include an agency-level protest, protest through the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the jurisdiction through United States Court of Federal Claims (COFC) (GAO-03-673G Government Auditing Standards, 2012).   Important aspects of Agency Protests Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 33.103 gives the guidelines that must be followed by the agencies in addressing of the protests generated by the offerors. Having being established by the Executive Order 12979, agency protest stipulates that all the concerned part ies must take all the necessary steps to ensure that the conflict is solved in an amicable way. Even though the government has clearly outlined the regulations that control the agency protests, most of the agencies complement the FAR provisions by initiating their own regulations that are not favorable to the offerors. A protest is initiated by an interested party. An interested party is an individual whose economic interest would be adversely affected by the failure to win a contractor through the award of the contact (Robert, 2012). This is one of the major aspects that are common both to agency and GAO protests. There is no jurisdiction on the protests that an agency can handle since it has the authority to deal with all the protests that are related to its contracts. However, according to Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, a protest that is related to delivery order contracts or issuance of the task that can be given to various contractors when an agency is in need of particu lar services or goods cannot be considered by an agency. In such cases, the aggrieved individuals institute a complaint to the delivery order ombudsman as provided by the FAR 16.505 (Federal Acquisition Regulations).  Ã‚  

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Corporate social responsibility and business Essay

Corporate social responsibility and business - Essay Example To answer the research question, there is consideration of the actual meaning of corporate social responsibility which relates to understanding the impact of business on the wider world, and considering the positive impact of the business. Corporate social responsibility is a bottom line determiner of the operation of the business. This is because a business that demonstrates enviable traits receives more customers since the business has a social obligation to its customer, implying that if the business demonstrates appropriate social responsibilities to the community which is also the customers, then they will feel much welcome to purchase from the business. In the study work of Boeger, Murray and Villiers (2008), there is evidence that taking a responsible attitude and going beyond minimum legal requirement without considering the size of the business are vital for the success of the business. The study further demonstrates that following straightforward principles that apply to an y business without considering the size is crucial for the welfare of the business. The research proposal takes into consideration the various forms of social responsibility and the bottom line impact on its success. ... The interview would entail recording of the information on questionnaires consisting of two sections. One section comprises information from the community where most are customers of the business, while the other section would be the information from the business. Most of the information in the reading is sourced as evidenced in the research work of Farquhar (2011). Literature Review Information and Data Analysis From the interview, it is evident that working with the local community comes with its benefits. From the information and previous study work of Heald (2005), many businesses find host in local customers since they are vital sources of sales. To be able to recruit employees, there is a need by the business to improve its reputation since a good relationship with the authorities and the community as a whole makes the operations of the business easy. According to Horrigan (2010), most local authorities award contracts to businesses which have a record of involvement in the com munity. Some of information from the interview explains that getting involved with the community would be in terms of supporting local charity or sponsoring a local event. This helps to prove the expertise of the business and demonstrate the face of the business. The information received explains that many businesses involve their employees while working with the community. This is in support to the research conducted by Jackson, Ones and Dilchert (2012), which explains that some businesses will let the employees choose and do voluntary activities for the community and avail pay off time for their efforts. Information received from the interviews indicates that corporate

Political Disputes In Early Nineteenth Century Essay Example for Free

Political Disputes In Early Nineteenth Century Essay The North and South in the nineteenth century were different in lifestyle and morale as well as economy. The north had a booming industrial economy while in the South, cotton was king. Because of this, congress was continuously addressing controversial matters and providing answers that did not satisfy either one side or both. The early 1800s were full of the North and the South making many attempts at reconciliation that just fell short. Among those were the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and the Great Compromise of 1850. Other tempestuous attempts led to the Tariff/Nullification Controversy, anti slavery debates in congress, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Whether it was one side or the other, there was always someone to oppose and in some cases, defy the laws put in place, which eventually led to the succession of the southern states and the Civil War. The issue of slavery became an even greater concern when the Louisiana Purchase territories were to enter the Union as states. The question was, would new territories enter the Union as slave or free states? The South wanted a balance of power. They knew that if the North were to have more free states, then slavery in the south could be facing extinction through congress. In an attempt to conciliate with the South, the North agreed upon the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Through this, slavery was banned above the 36 degrees 30 minute line and Missouri entered as a slave state, Maine a free state. For a while, it retained the balance of power. However, tempers in the south rose again later in the 1820s over high tariffs. The tariffs benefitted the north but threatened southern cotton exports. In 1828, the tariff was around 50%. President Jackson modified it to around 33% in 1832 only to have South Carolina nullify it in the state. It raised the question of whether or not the federal government could legally impose protective tariffs and whether it was constitutional for a state to nullify a federal law. South Carolinaby a course of legislationcan defeat the execution of certain laws of the United States.it is utterly impracticable [Document A] Henry Clay believed it impractical for South Carolina to oppose the federal law and also believed that South Carolina had no intention of leaving the Union, which depicts just how blind people were to just how great the rift really was. In 1833, the Compromise Tariff was put into place and would reduce rates to 20% by 1842. At this time, most people considered compromise to still be possible. As time goes on, slavery becomes as much of a moral  issue as a political one. The American Anti-Slavery Society believed that the practice of slavery was against Gods teaching and that those who kept slaves were man stealers. [Document B] Slaves should be set free and slaveholders shouldnt be compensated a dime. we concede the Congresshas no right to interfere with any of the slave statesBut we maintain that Congress has a rightto suppress the domestic slave trade [Document B] As abolitionists started to make an even greater fuss over slavery, congress was backed into a corner. To release the slaves and prevent slavery in the new territories would incite the wrath of the South, however to allow more slave states to enter the Union would anger the abolitionists. Eventually, the gag rule was put into place. All petitions, memorials, [etc.]to the subject of slavery or the abolition of slavery, shallbe laid on the table and that no further action whatever shall be had thereon. [Document C] However, each time a territory wanted to become a state, whether slavery would be permitted or not was a forefront issue starting with the lands gained from the Mexican War. The Compromise of 1850 was put into place here. California was admitted as a free state and New Mexico and Utah entered under popular sovereignty (the citizens would decide whether they wanted slavery or not.) From this compromise also came a stronger Fugitive Slave Law (all escaped slaves were to be tu rned in and returned.) Northerners blatantly ignored this federal law which angered the Southerners, for when they had tried not to comply to a federal law, they had been punished. [Document D] The Southerners felt wronged, and rightly so. Compromise seemed less and less possible. In 1854, there were questions on whether there should be slavery in the Kansas-Nebraska territories, even though it was prohibited by the Missouri Compromise. The South was unhappy about this however because the shaky balance of power would then decisively shift to the North. The South needed more slave states. Because of this, the Missouri Compromise was then repealed. Popular sovereignty was then ruled in the territories. At the sound of that, abolitionists and pro-slavery citizens began to rush Kansas in spades. Fighting broke out so horrifically it was given the name Bleeding Kansas. During this, a new political party arose: the Free-Soilers. They were against slavery and fought state constitutions such as the Lecompton Constitution. After this, slavery issues began to spin out of control. Things like the Dred Scott Decision and John  Browns Raid and other slave revolts kept slavery at the forefront of everyones minds. The Free-Soilers then turned into the Republicans who firmly believed in the end slavery. Compromise was now nearly impossible. The possibility of compromise was then nailed shut when a Republican, Abraham Lincoln, won the election of 1860. North Carolina then seceded from the Union and other southern states soon followed suit. Its possible that if the South had only picked one candidate, they could have won the election. [Document H] But because they hadnt, the South then felt threatened. And because they felt threatened, they seceded. The reasons and events stated led to the eventual conclusion of the impossibility of compromise by 1860.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Impact of Globalisation on International Business

Impact of Globalisation on International Business Globalisation refers to the process of interconnection among firms, people and governments of different countries (Lechner, 2009); economies from every country will become closer and interrelated through globalisation as foreign countries are a source of both production and sales for domestic companies. It is obvious that the globalisation has linked with international business as international business consists of all commercial transactions that take place between two or more countries such as sales, investments and transportation. Globalisation is very common in today’s world. It enables people to travel around the world by improving the transportation and it also helps people to do business in terms of purchase or sell products and services as well as pursuit of business leads. Moreover, globalisation also allows the international communication by improving the technology and it helps businessman to communicate easier with their business partner from other countries. Globalisation brings both positive and negative impacts on international business. There are rise in competition and rise in investment levels; whereas, the negative impacts on international business are the culture effect and also create more social problems child labour and slavery as well as environmental issues. Firstly, globalisation leads to rise in competition. This is because when companies expand their business to different countries this creates competition for domestic businesses in terms of the price, cost and quality of goods and services. This type of competition act as an opportunity for domestic companies to manufacture good quality of products and services and work effectively and efficiently in order to conduct business on a global scale. This will not only benefit the international business by increasing its market share but will also benefit the host country (foreign country where the company invests) as now people will have variety of products and services of good quality and affordable price due to rising competition. The domestic market of the country will become strong due to foreign company establishing in the country and contribute to economies GDP rate and growth. One of the examples of company that establishes and contributes to economies GDP rate and growth is General Motors (GM). GM is a multinational company which produces vehicles in United States. They had expanded their business in more than 120 countries including China (General Motors, 2015). When GM expanded its business to China in 2010 and its sales had grown approximately 50 percent in China and 15 percent in United States (Ketchen Short, 2012). Secondly, globalisation also affects the investment level in both host countries and home countries. Foreign Direct Investment which is also known as FDI refers to the long term investment owned by investors which can show the flow of capital between countries (Economic Online Ltd, 2015). According to Graham Spaulding (2005), the definition of FDI refers to physical investment that made by a firm to another country for building factory purpose. FDI of both host countries and home countries will increase by expanding businesses to other country through globalisation. FDI gives positive effects to host countries in several ways such as technological effect, employment effect and income effect. With FDI, people able to conduct business with new technologies and management skills; this is because FDI enables technology to transfer from developed countries to developing countries. Besides, training will be provided to the domestic workers for operating business with the new technology which will improve their management skills. Moreover, FDI also contribute in the income of host country as earning of FDI will be counted in the corporate tax (Loungani Razin, 2001). On the other hand, FDI will benefit the home countries by increasing capital in the balance of payment account. Expanding business from one country to other countries, the revenue from the foreign direct investment of the firm will increase the capital of the home country (Hill, 2001). For example, Toyota expands their business to Malaysia and the profit that Toyota gains from the foreign direct investment in Malaysia will send back to Japan as a capital in balance of payment. However, globalisation also views as threats for international business. One of the reasons is because globalisation enables people to share their culture. It is crucial for international business to understand the culture of other countries so that they can increase the productivity of their business. However, it is very difficult for international business to understand every culture of different countries as it is too broad; for instance, in Malaysia, besides of Malaysian culture, there are also other sub–cultures as Malaysia have many ethics. Usually, people are used to their own cultures yet some of them not able to accept others’ culture. One of the examples is when a Swedish company dealing with suppliers in Brazil, the Swedish company is unsatisfied with the attitude of suppliers in Brazil as they always delay the delivery which is urgent for the company; at the end, the Swedish company had no choice, they have to give penalty to the supplier in Brazil so that they can be more punctual (Daeri, et al., 2008). Another difficulty that faced by global business is the communication style. Every country has different style of communication either direct or indirect (Salacuse, 2005). Scandinavia and United Kingdom is one of the examples that show different communication style. The communication style in Scandinavia is direct which means they talk openly and straight to the point in the business whereas the communication style in United Kingdom is indirect where they respect their business partners and they don’t reject obviously. Therefore, it is difficult for businessman to identify the disagreement among British partners. Moreover, globalisation also causes an increase in social problems such as child labour and environment issues. The main purpose of doing business is to gain high profit, some of the businessman doesn’t care whether it is ethical or not. In order to save costs, some of the international businesses will recruit young children as labour and slaves (Pillai, 2011). Child labour often occurs in countries with high poverty rates due to the bad implementation of child labour laws (Hunt, 2013). For example, there are many cases of children trafficking to work in the cocoa farms in order to help support family in the chocolate industry of Western Africa. Some of them even sell to the farm owners or traffickers to work in a bad environment which may causes disease among the children (Mills, 2014). Furthermore, international businesses also cause the environmental issues in the globe such as air pollution and water pollution. International businesses increase the world carbon dioxide emission. The demand for car industry around the globe increased as people want vehicles for transportation purposes (Lacey, 2011). When demand for car industry is high, international business will manufacture vehicles in order to fulfill the customer needs; the more vehicles being used in the road, the higher the level of carbon dioxide emission. Rise of the world carbon dioxide emissions will lead to the air pollution. Other than that, extracting the rare-earth by international business also causes serious environmental issue. The process of extracting the rare-earth will cause water pollution and also radioactive in that area as the water will contain all types of toxic chemicals which may cause cancers. For example, the town in Inner Mongolia named Baotou, used to have crops and plantation but when the producer of rare-earth Baotou Iron and Steel Company starts to produce rare-earth at that place, plants unable to grow due to the radioactive and water pollution (Guardian News and Media Limited, 2012). In conclusion, globalisation can be seen as opportunities as well as threats for the international business. International business able to expand their business in other countries around the world meantime they are helping foreign countries to improve their living standard by providing variety choices and enhancing the quality of goods and services. Moreover, international business also able contributes to home country by increasing the profit of inflow of foreign direct investment through globalisation. On the other hand, globalisation also causes the international business to face cultures issues in term of attitudes, personal styles and communications. Besides that, social problems are also one of the threats for international business. In order to gain higher profit, some of the international businesses will conduct illegal activities such as recruiting child labour or slavery to minimize costs. Not only that, international business also pollute the environment badly especially rare-earth company.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Problems Caused by Mercantilism for the American Colonists :: American America History

Problems Caused by Mercantilism for the American Colonists According to the theory of mercantilism, the colonies only existed to serve the interests of Britain. But it seemed as if Britain was abusing their right over the colonies. They enforced many policies such as the Stamp Act, the Townshed Duties, and the Tea Act which caused many problems for the colonists. One problem that the colonists faced was the Stamp Act of 1765. This act imposed a new tax on legal documents, newspapers, playing cards and dice. The Americans did not agree with it. It was not the cost of the stamp that angered them, it was the principle. They had no say in what the British Parliament did. The tax provoked a fire storm of protests, and the boycotting of British goods began. Some colonists did not limit their protests to words. In several cities, groups of people attacked officials who defended British policy. The Stamp Act was not a good idea, and one year later it was repealed. But that wasn't the end. The Townshed Duties posed as another difficulty. These duties required the colonists to pay minor import duties on tea, lead, oil, papers and painter's colors. Since Britain had imposed unnecessary taxes on the colonies before, this was not new. John Dickinson encouraged protesters to join in the battle by writing the first twelve "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania". Protests began once again and cut British trade in half. Britain sent troops to be stationed in Boston to enforce the Townshed Duties, and the colonists refused to quarter the troops. The Townshed Duties were repealed in 1770, three years after it began. And three years after that, a new act arose. Parliament passed the Tea Act in an attempt to save the East India Company from bankruptcy and reassert its right to tax. A group of Boston patriots destroyed a shipment of tea in a protest known as the

Friday, October 11, 2019

Audience Appeal in Romeo and Juliet Essays -- Romeo and Juliet Shakesp

Audience Appeal in Romeo and Juliet Despite the fact that the play Romeo and Juliet was written several hundred years ago, explain how it continues to appeal to an audience today. Despite the fact that the play "Romeo and Juliet" was written several hundred years ago, explain how it continues to appeal to an audience today. Referring to the play how does Shakespeare creates tension for the audience? Explain the use of language and the way the actors convey suspense and excitement. Refer specifically to Act 3 Scenes 4 and 5, to illustrate your views. The story of "Romeo and Juliet" appeals to people because it contains so many things, which they can relate to. The story contains emotions such as love (between Romeo and Juliet), hate (between the two families), Sadness (there are five deaths during the play) and humour (Mercutio (innuendos), the Nurse and Peter). Contrasts of ideas and the opposition between the characters make a play interesting. There are many such conflicts within the story of "Romeo and Juliet" The central of these conflicts been the feud between the two families, the Montagues and the Capulets. There is no apparent cause of this "ancient grudge" despite this many people die because of it. The members of each family seem to have an instinct to hate or even kill members of the other. There is also the contrast between life and death. This contrast can be connected with fate, which in Shakespeares' time was believed in a lot more than today. In the prologue we are told that Romeo and Juliet are "star-crossed lovers", "From forth the fatal lions of these two foes, A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;" you could say that this means that they are ill fated, or t... ...ne shows the extent of Romeos' love for Juliet. His final speech is full of love and it shows that his suicide is not a reckless act. He loves Juliet more than life itself and believes that the only way in which the can be together is in death. He does not kill him self out of spite or the feeling of despair, but out of his love for Juliet and his unwillingness to carry on living without her. In conclusion the play "Romeo and Juliet" still appeals to an audience today as it did when it was written for many reasons. These include the use of tension to keep to audience on edge and the interesting use of language such as innuendoes and puns. Also the content of emotions and contrasts. Alough I did not enjoy the play "Romeo and Juliet" as much as some of Shakespeares' other plays, I still think that the way in which Shakespeare wrote it was very effective.

McNeill, P (1990) Research Methods, Routledge, and Bryman, A (2001) Social Research Methods, Oxford – Reviewed

Social inquiry is the act of ‘inquiring' into human society. The method of ‘inquiring' varies. The factors which are taken in to account of which method to adopt to ‘inquire' can be influenced by a number of factors. A certain type of inquiry could be used due to the inquirer's past experiences of a certain method, his/hers preferences, cost, availability of sources are to name but a few. I intend to examine Social Research Methods written by Alan Bryman and Research Methods written by Patrick McNeill. Both refer to the various methods available to one in order to inquire about human society. The two books are similar in that they both put forward ideas and theories related to the selected methods they want to discuss. McNeill's book is broken down into six short chapters, which has an informative introductory chapter into why we have research methods in sociology. At the beginning he provides the reader with a brief history of social research which is helpful as it explains why the ‘inquiry' stage is very important. The 1960's began to saw changes in sociology which was to â€Å"encourage survey style of social research and move towards participant observation.† There is a clear, logical progression through the chapters. They begin at a basic level and then slowly build upon points. Therefore, it caters for anyone new to the subject who can follow it through with little difficulty. For example, in chapter one, it is rudimentary for McNeill's to ask in the first sentence, â€Å"What is Sociology?† This illustrates that McNeill has written the book, trying to accommodate for individuals without the presumption that the reader has prior knowledge of the subject of sociology. The book is laid out so that it has a number of sub-headings which breaks down the text making it easier to read and allow time for the reader to ‘digest' the information. This is a good quality because it makes sure the reader is feeling they are understanding what is being written and also feeling comfortable and confident enough to carry on. It is liked that McNeill has made reading the book interactive by giving the reader a number of ‘activities' to complete at the end of each chapter. This is a very good idea as it consolidates what the reader has read so far. McNeill states that there are three important concepts that are used throughout the book: reliability, validity and representativeness. This allows the reader to remain focused as McNeill has pointed out what is essential. The book discusses a range of processes including Ethnography also known as Participant Observation in chapter four. The use of examples such Taylor (1984) and his infamous a covert study of the London Underworld makes what the author say believable. Too much fiction can make readers reject the book. The book is organised so that any difficult or complex topics/issues featured are provided with relevant â€Å"Furthering reading†. For example, â€Å"The next best thing is to read about a community study. I recommend Stacey's books (1960 and 1975), and those by Grans (1962 and 1967). The latter have more humour.† This allows the reader to further their knowledge. This is what differentiates this book from other books. This type of book is helpful to students in circumstances where they need to do research. McNeill uses diagrams to explain key points which are vital to aid the readers understanding. For example, Fig 7, explains the relationship between choice of topic and the research method. McNeill goes into further detail by breaking down the stages of research. This is helpful to anybody i.e. students studying sociology. ‘A' Level sociology students even to members if the public who want to learn about social research. McNeill uses a number of references to support the various pros and cons for each research method. For example, McNeill questions â€Å"How can sociologists use official statistics?† McNeill states that â€Å"†¦sociologists take these statistics at their face value and use them as ready-made source of data for their research. They are cheap, readily available, cover a long time-span, and are comprehensive in their coverage of social life. They maybe the only source of data on the topic in question.† He also provides a balanced and objective argument – â€Å"However, there are many problems. Since the statistics are collected for administrative rather than sociological purposes definitions and classifications made are often unsuitable†. This gives the reader a better appreciation for each method. McNeill helps the reader assess which method of inquiry is good. The aim of Brymans book is to bridge the gap between theory and methods in social research. He states that it is the â€Å"introduction to the study and implementation of social research methods.† When writing the book, Bryman had two readers in mind – (i) Undergraduates. The research methods, the use of British examples whenever possible and appropriate. (ii)-Undergraduates who are wanting to conduct research projects. Bryman wanted to write a book that would be â€Å"helping students make informal decisions about doing their research†. He would explore the uses and limitations in order to help with students any hesitations. We can appraise Bryman's structure of the book because it is clear, accessible style with an in-depth understanding of the subject. This is clearly demonstrated through the initial layout of the book as it has two parts; Part one: Issues and Part Two: Methods used in social research. The book is divided into four parts. The first part has two chapters introducing the natural science approach as an appropriate framework for the study of society. This would comprise social surveys, case studies and experimental research. These first two chapters would apply the building blocks for the rest of the book The second part has ten chapters based on quantitative research methods including sampling, design of questionnaire, structured observations. The third part has eight chapters with a strong overview of the nature of qualitative research, including ethnography/participant observation and the analysis of this method. Finally, the fourth part has five chapters which take the reader beyond quantitative and qualitative. The physical characteristics of the book are one of the concerns some readers have when deciding on choosing a book to read. McNeill's book is of ‘reasonable' size as it does not look overwhelming which would put off potential readers. In comparison, Bryman's book is literally twice as large and as heavy and because it is considerably larger, this may come across as a daunting read. I believe it is not designed for a reader who is new to the subject, although it doesn't expect students to have any prior knowledge of the subject. The written text is clear, using a standard type and font size twelve, making it easier on the eye. The language is claimed to be â€Å"well written, comprehensive and authoritative†. Contrary to this view, the language has been described to be severely convoluted. Throughout the book, it is laid out so that on each page, the text is broken into two columns. This gives the allusion that there is less to read. In contrast, Brymans book is very colourful using red, blue and green which grab the potential reader's attention. This is intelligently done as it makes the book look aesthetically pleasing and attractive. Though, it is believed the book is that multifaceted it requires ‘colour' to attract a reader to it! A weakness that proves to be a problem throughout the book is that Bryman reiterates and labours his points further than needed. For example, trying to explain Interpretivism in the main text. However, Bryman then reviews this in his ‘summary key points' in â€Å"Box 1.9 What is Interpretivism†. This is too much for students because it is time consuming. In contrast, McNeill's book is more succinct. The book has a number of ‘Special Features', including Boxes, a Readers Guide which is a route map of what is to follow. Key Points mentioning any significant points to make a note of. Similarly, McNeill's book, there are revision questions which test the readers understanding and finally a glossary which has the definitions of central terms. The abbreviations page was very supportive because it enabled the reader to familiarise themselves with the subject matter. At the beginning of each chapter there is a contents of page, thus making it very easy to refer to. The books adhere to all the commonalities of a ‘normal' book. Bryman strongly advocates the use of example; â€Å"examples, examples, examples†. Though it can be argued that this goes onto much more detail than is required. Hence, the reader begins to lose focus on the content. Bryman clearly states the advantages and disadvantages of research methods. For example, â€Å"Open Questions†, the advantages mean â€Å"respondents can answer in their own terms. They are not forced to answer in the same terms as those foisted on them by the closed answers†. However, the drawbacks mean â€Å"they are time consuming for interviewers to administer. Interviewees are likely to talk for longer than is usually the case with a comparable closed question† Brymans book would be useful for someone who is seriously interested in obtaining a full and detailed analysis of methods. This is excellent if you like illustrative books. Bryman is targeting the type of reader which enjoys detail. A positive point about the book is that it has questions at the end of chapters allowing the reader to engage in empirical work. I don't like Brymans book because it is focused for 2nd year and 3rd year students and even for them it is sometimes hard to grasp what the author is trying to say. In contrast, McNeill's book is very helpful because you are able to find something out, quite quickly and also understand it with little difficulty. I believe that both books are very helpful and do fill a gap in the literature. Overall, I found both books to be very helpful as they successfully enabled students to learn how to do social inquiry. They outline the advantages and disadvantages to various methods. Although this is a good point but sometimes this can overwhelm the reader. On the other hand, a reader should be well informed. Though, each book is tailored to the potential readers as discussed earlier.