New Age Constructions Essay Example for Free

New Age Constructions Essay New Age is a building construction organisation based in Bangalore. The organisation, which was established in the year 2005, is relatively new in this sector. The activities of the organisation are limited to Bangalore. There are a number of well-established builders in Bangalore. Therefore, initially New Age found it difficult to obtain large projects and undertook only small building projects. However, recently, New Age has got a lucrative contract for building a large shopping mall. The organisation finds the contract to be a stepping stone of its future success. Therefore, it is striving to deliver the project on time and within the planned budget. The organisation has hired Mr. Sinha as the project manager. To carry out the assigned project, Mr. Sinha has emphasised on three principles of project management including the principle of project strategy, the principle of team building, and the principle of satisfaction. During the project, Mr. Sinha communicated the relevant project information to all the team members. However, he did not prioritise maintaining a thorough documentation of the entire project. Seven months into the project, Mr. Sinha faced some major issues. He was asked by the management of the organisation to provide a complete project report on a day-to-day basis. Moreover, it was also noticed that he used some extra human resource, which affected the project’s cost management as well. Mr. Sinha did not even consider the triple constraints of the project Questions: a. As a project manager of New Age, which knowledge areas and principles would you like to follow the most? b. Do you think considering the triple constraints would have helped Mr. Sinha? Justify your answer. a. Summarise the various knowledge areas and principles in brief you would follow as a project manager of New Age b. Give your opinion if triple constraints would have helped Mr. Sinha Provide justification for the opinion 2. Describe the five phases of a generic project lifecycle. (unit 1) [Describe each phase of a project lifecycle] 3. Write short notes on: Work breakdown structure Product line analysis Capital rationing Challenges in Social Cost Benefit Analysis (SCBA) [Work breakdown structure Product line analysis Capital rationing Challenges in Social Cost Benefit Analysis (SCBA)] 4. How would you classify the sources of financing infrastructure projects?[State the meaning of source of finance, Explain the external and  Domestic sources of finance available in the infrastructure financing List financing sources available for infrastructure projects in India in tabular format] 5. Discuss the different types of project termination. 6. How is a monitoring system designed? [Explain what is done in each step of the process of designing a monitoring system] PM0011 – PROJECT PLANNING AND SCHEDULING 1. Write short note on: Controlling PMO (Project Management Office ) Bottom-up approach for estimating project planning Consequences of project delays Partnering [Controlling PMO (Project Management Office ) Bottom-up approach for estimating project planning Consequences of project delays Partnering] 2. Explain various stages of project scope management. [Briefly describe each stage of scope management] 3. Write short notes on : Scope change Porter model used by organisations to identify investment opportunities Tools for Project Scheduling Operating Feasibility [Scope change Porter model used by organisations to identify investment opportunities Tools for Project Scheduling Operating Feasibility] 4. Explain the various tools of project planning. [Briefly mention the role of project planning tools in an organisation Explain various tools that are used in project Planning] 5. Explain the meaning of CPM. Mention various steps involved in CPM. [Write the meaning of CPM Explain various steps associated with CPM] 6. What do you understand by cost of quality? Elaborate on various types of quality costs associated with a project. PM 0012 – PROJECT FINANCE AND BUDGETING 1. Write short notes on: Lump sum contract Project Cost Profile Trade credit Types of project resources [Lump sum contract Project Cost Profile Trade credit Types of project resources 2. Discuss the financing of telecommunication projects. [Explain the financing of telecommunication projects and Discuss the factors needs to be considered while financing a telecommunication project.] 3. Do lenders, sponsors, EPC contractors, and the government require project insurance? Explain [Give your opinion is project insurance required by lenders, sponsors, EPC contractors, and the government Provide justification to your answer from perspective of lenders, sponsors, EPC contractors, and the government] 4. Write short notes on: Expected Monetary Value (EMV) Earned Value Analysis (EVA) Optimal capital structure Net Present Value(NPV method of capital budgeting [Expected Monetary Value (EMV) Earned Value Analysis (EVA) Optimal capital structure Net Present Value(NPV method of capital budgeting] 5. Explain the role played by engineering advisors in project finance. [Explanation of the nature of the role played by engineering advisors in project finance Summarization of the role played by engineering advisors according four phases of activities] 6. Define PPP (Public Private Partnership) and list the advantages and disadvantages of PPP . [Define PPP List advantages of PPP List disadvantages of PPP] PM 0013 – MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES IN PROJECTS 1. Write short notes on: Human Resource Cycle Role of a project manager Productivity measurement method of manpower estimation Managing Conflicts in a project [Human Resource Cycle Role of a project manager Productivity measurement method of manpower estimation Managing Conflicts in a project] 2. What is the need for building a team during any project? [Define team building and its significance Discuss the various reasons for building a project team 3 Write short notes on Qualities of a project leader Dealing with Poor Performers in a Project Team Minority groups Health issues of project team members [Qualities of a project leader Dealing with Poor Performers in a Project Team Minority groups Health issues of project team members] 4. What are the major roles that motivation plays in handling project environment? [Explain how motivation plays a considerable role in the success and failure of a project Discuss the major roles of motivation in a project environment] 5. Explain various types of collective bargaining. [Explanation of four types of collective bargaining] 6. What is a Human Resource Information System(HRIS). [Define HRIS Very briefly Functions of HRIS List any two advantages of HRIS List any two disadvantages of HRIS]

A Critical Evaluation Of Aquaponics

A Critical Evaluation Of Aquaponics Aquaponics can be defined as a semi closed system in which requirements for the cultivation of fish and plants are continuously cycled. The process can best be described as a combination of hydroponics, and recycling aquaculture in that its a system that combines the growth of plants solely in nutrient rich water (removing the need for soils), with the cultivation of fish in a water cycle (Oxford Dictionaries, 2012). The concept behind the process is that a source of food is fed to the fish in the tank; effluents build up including ammonia which is pumped into a bed of stones containing bacterium which converts ammonia from the fish effluents into nitrates via nitrification, these nitrates aid plant growth on a medium such as gravel or clay pebbles, the water then filters back sans ammonia into the fish tank where the cycle begins again. This effectively means that the only two continuous inputs are energy to power the pump, and food to feed the fish. It removes the need to use nutrients from soil, including the need to fertilise intensively farmed soils, and reduces water use in the long run. The idea is to cultivate plant produce such as lettuce and to (on larger scale aquaponic set ups) cultivate fish for consumption such as Tilapia. The theory behind aquaponics and its application are relatively new, although there is evidence behind ancient implementation of similar practices such as the cultivation of rice in South East Asia in addition to fish such as Oriental Loach (Kaori, et al, 2009). Therefore, the science behind aquaponics, including academic research into the topic is relatively thin on the ground, although with modern demand from an increasing global population, this is set to increase exponentially. There is substantial promise and benefits to be gained from the aquaponics theory. As mentioned, a rising population, particularly in urbanised areas with limited space means that the versatility of the process is extremely valuable. However the practise does have criticisms to do with the sustainability of raising fish on such an intensive scale, and the complexity of the process when compared to traditional farming and gardening. Aquaponics has a clear relationship with fisheries and agriculture, as can be seen by the aquaculture and crop yield components, however evidence also suggest that aquaponics also relates to conservation and restoration ecology, in that this form of agriculture and aquacultures are both less demanding in terms of space. The aquaponics process relies on a series of initial investments to start it initially a holding tank for the livestock, a pump, grow beds, and a growth medium. Alongside this, there needs to be a continuous input of water (on a small scale after the initial fill up), electricity, and fish food in whatever form such as traditional feed or black fly larvae. It is argued that this means aquaponics is a much more sustainable system than traditional agriculture. (Sikawa, 2010) It can also be argued that the system is more efficient than hydroponics (which also removes the need for soils the most unsustainable part of intensive agriculture) since theres no need to add nitrates into it. Therefore it can be argued that aquaponics is a vastly superior form of agriculture in terms of sustainability. However, it can be argued that despite clear improvement on unsustainable practises in other forms of agriculture (soil use and fertilisers); aquaponics is not as sustainable as initially suggested. The main evidence to support this is the use of fish food to feed the fish livestock; in larger and commercial aquaponics set ups the feed (fish food pellets rather than flakes) is typically made up from smaller bait fish which have been grown especially to be ground up into fish food, or from by catch not fit for human consumption (IFFO, 2006) (although, it is possible to harvest black fly larvae or duckweed to support fish stocks). This practise means that fish food, more so on larger scales, is an unsustainable form of feed, thus making intensive aquaponics systems an unsustainable practise. Despite this, in comparison to traditional cash crop agriculture, and greenhouse culture it removes the intensive pressure upon soils, and removes the need for fertilisers. Compared to agriculture with rotational crops (e.g. one year wheat, one year potatoes, one year left to recover) it can still be argued to better reduce the unsustainable pressure on soils. Compared to hydroponics, it can be argued to be more sustainable since it doesnt rely upon nutrients being added via fertilisers. Aquaculture too, can be argued to have the same unsustainable flaw as aquaponics, in that they both require fish food to be added to the cycle. Therefore, aquaponics can be argued to be more sustainable than many forms of agriculture and aquaculture, but it cannot (in its intensive form) be argued as entirely sustainable. Evidence also shows water conservation, with one scientist (Lennard, 2005) suggesting that water use may be less than 10% of the water required for a standard yield via traditional intensive agriculture being evidence to support the claims of improved sustainability versus other forms of agriculture. Alongside this, aquaponics is easily compatible with other sustainable practices. For example, vermiculture can be practised by using the organic waste from harvested yields to feed worm growth, which in turn can be used as fish feed. And the inclusion of a compost module inside a greenhouse containing an aquaponics set up (also by utilising organic waste such as the discarded fish parts) can be used as a free heat source; this will increase growth and the growing season thus increasing the yield. Further evidence shows that the reduced need for land and water (Robertson, 2005) space compared to typical intensive agriculture (since yields are higher in smaller spaces) means that less erosion occurs, since if aquaponics reaches the popularity where it reduces the amount of intensive outdoor agriculture that occurs, less ploughing of fields will occur, and a reduced amount of land will lay bare over winter when the most weathering occurs. Evidence suggests that a reduction in land used for agriculture means that more land will/ can be used for other forms of land use. For example, if agricultural land is returned to a more natural state, this can mean greater biodiversity occurring something that has a lot of resources contributed to. Evidence suggests that aquaponics has the potential to be a large scale and viable food source in a vast range of environments. Since the system relies primarily on sunlight, shelter/ warmth, electricity and a variable amount of water, it can be implemented wherever these conditions are met, i.e. in buildings worldwide, and many outdoor tropical locations. This makes it an incredible versatile form of agriculture, for many variations are possible, e.g. a saltwater paradigm. One example of this is the implementation of urban agriculture and aquaculture in the form of aquaponics, this is especially important in modern agriculture since food and space demands are at their highest ever levels, and with urban populations now being higher than rural population, maximising productivity is becoming ever more essential. To add to this, creating artificial conditions for agriculture and urban populations being far from areas of typical agriculture means that food miles and carbon release can b e reduced by growing crops locally, especially ones that wont survive in that environment outdoors, e.g. chillis can be grown indoors in the UK. To add to this, evidence shows that agriculture conducted indoors such as hydroponics, and of course aquaponics suffers significantly less yield loss when compared to outdoor normal agriculture, especially pesticide free organic crop yields that are becoming increasingly popular. This is because of a combination of having a more controlled environment which minimises the risk from flooding and drought, as well as reducing pathogens and pests that feed upon the crop yield, as well as affect the fish stocks with fish diseases being a significant problem that affects the high density aquaculture systems, compared to the very low density wild fish stocks which are effected much less (Tidwell, 2012). Theres also evidence to suggest that the quality of produce grown in an aquaponic system is very high, for example theres a lack of both artificial pesticides and fertilisers used in the entire system, since the system is heavily regulated, in an artificial environment, and apart from fish feed its a closed system. Further evidence to support this is the quality of the nutrients from the nutrient cycle, in that its clearly (as can be seen by the rates of growth) comparable to a good quality soil (Rakocy, et al., 2004). Speed of the growth of crop yield and fish stocks are variable, the variables being; pH levels, heat in terms of both the water and the air temperature, whether the set up is indoor (most common) or outdoor, the fish to plant ratio, the age of the set up, and the growth medium. The fish stocks in an aquaponics system are vulnerable since they are high density to fish disease if an infected individual is added. The inclusion of an infected individual is very unlikely and much more manageable than infection control in an aquaculture system, due to the scale and often because they are in the ocean. The increase protection was having a more controlled environment also means that no pesticides have to be used (unless an infection is identified from an outside source), and the nutrient cycle system means that fertilisers also dont need to be used. Therefore, evidence suggests that aquaculture has significantly higher yields due to a combination of an increased survival rate, and greater protection from the elements, as well as the protection of the nutrient sources. However, there is evidence supporting criticism of the viability of aquaponics as a large scale food source. Primarily, theres an issue regarding the acceptance of a food source that is considerably different from traditional agriculture, especially given the modern day demand for organic produce. Consumers may be put off by the thought of food grown without soils, or being fertilised by fish effluent, regardless of how organic or intensive agriculture have their nutrients provided. Another issue is related to this is acceptance of the fish crop, Tilapia can be argued as most suitable for aquaponics (since they are hardy, freshwater fish) this is not a widely eaten fish in the UK, although other foreign populations may be more accepting, and the British may take to it soon (BBC, 2009), and theres difficulty in the suitability of other fish that would be eaten by a British population, e.g. trout their size and space demands being an issue. Although the requirements in terms of labour are relatively low, they do still have a significant financial cost, and a financial commitment for its maintenance, this may be an issue for many potential aquaponics farmers. To add to this, it is arguably much more complicated than normal small scale agriculture where planting your crops and occasional pruning is most of whats necessary, whilst aquaponics requires a correct set up, monitoring and maintenance. In regards to the variables that affect the rate of growth; pH is important since it slows the nitrification capacity of the bacterium, which in turn slows down growth rates of the plants. Heat is explanatory, since lower temperatures mean less growth, this includes fish stocks, also to be noted is that many fish require certain and different temperatures to realise their growth potential. General build quality and design have large impacts too. (Storey, 2012) The growth medium also affects the rate of nitrification since more bacterium means more nitrification, different types of growth mediums have different surface areas and suitability. The fish to plant ration also matters because if theres an imbalance, there can be ammonia build up causing deaths amongst the fish (if theres too many fish), and poor growth rates can occur if theres too little fish, or too many plants (Rakocy, et al. 2006) As the evidence suggests, theres many complications that affect productivity. Despite this, aquaponics can be argued to be far less complex and cheaper than hydroponics and aquaculture are, and require less initial investment. Because of these requirements, it can be argued that aquaponics would be unlikely to overtake modern agriculture as the main food source for a very long time. As the above evidence suggests, aquaponics does have a large potential as a widespread and viable food source mostly due to its versatility and low resource requirements, however it can be seen that there are several factors which set major limitations that affect this potential. Regardless, it can be concluded that there is a significant avenue for potential in food production and adoption via aquaponics, once the major limitations such as standardising the information (see later) have been overcome, as well as the need for adapting current systems to suit different markets, and addressing the lack of information altogether have been overcome. Whats more though, aquaponics has the potential to be implemented alongside alternative sources of energy. For example, because of the energy requirements and the need for sunlight for the crop, solar energy is often a viable form of energy to supplement the pump this will in turn drive forward investment in solar energy, which regardless of other factors, reduces energy reliance on fossil fuels. This means that hydroponics has a slight capacity to increase renewable energies although this is relatively unproven, the evidence to support this is that many participants goal in aquaponics is to create a renewable food source, or in commercial farms, the/ a goal is to maximise profit. Aquaponics is a very new science, with its beginnings starting in the 1960s via the New Alchemy Institutes creation of an ark a bio shelter using sustainable cycles to support a family of four (Todd, Todd and MacLarney, 1969). Because of this, research conducted and information about the process is particularly scarce. Evidence suggests that the process has a huge potential, and potential for research. This is also backed up by commercial potential which can become a significant driver behind advancement as evidence shows such as the massive investment in organic farming occurred once it became apparent there was a market for it. To add to this, evidence suggests that educational and financial investment will occur, this means that aquaponics is a strong contender for scientific research, and to make money. Despite the scientific and financial interest, there is the potential that the relative newness and how unknown the topic is currently has negative effects on its viability and potential. There is the possibility of market contenders hindering investment and progress of competitors in order to reduce competition as evidence suggests occur (as can be seen in patent battles in research technology in general). The little research conducted may prove too daunting for amateurs and beginners to invest their time into if they are unsure of exact details and results. This hindrance of grassroots organisation and investments of time and energy can result in a slowdown of contributing to the science. To continue this avenue of criticism, system failure and the massive variability of results can both be detrimental for the viability of aquaponics. For example, the system entwines electronics and water containing fish stocks incidents can and does occur where system failure has resulted in the loss of an entire yield (e.g. from electrocution); another example is the inclusions of ammonia sometimes used to kick start the cultivation of the bacterium that converts ammonia into nitrates, too much of which can kill livestock. And, since aquaponics relies on a cycle, it can have detrimental effects on the other half of the yield grown it can also mean the whole cycle will have to be reset and started again. Therefore, the evidence suggests that aquaponics has significant issues that are detrimental to the continuation and progress conducted in the field of aquaponics such as it being relatively unknown, and having little research conducted, as well as the variable and volatile results . Evidence also shows the viability and usage of aquaponics for scientific research. Hydroponics has long been used to scientific research; this is because of several benefits over traditional soil based agriculture: namely the increased stability allowing more standardised results, e.g. reduced water, less disease potential, easier harvesting and yield stabilisation. Aquaponics, alongside hydroponics and other variation of ponic agriculture (ponic meaning labour or grown in an artificial manner) such as aeroponics (an environment with a fine mist) and bubbleponics (highly oxygenated and nutrient rich bubbles) has an established and establishing scientific use, as can be seen by NASAs Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) research and its funding of aquaponic research, this is to identify uses for terraforming and for long term (i.e. for several years long) space exploration for use in the future. (AG Horticulture, n.d.) Conversely, evidence does suggest that for the scientific community, hydroponics may be the preferred and most suitable form of agriculture, and that aquaponics has factors that inhibit its usefulness and potential for scientific research; mainly that the inclusive of an aquaculture element is an unnecessary inclusion that complicates and increases any workload that only requires the crop yield rather than the fish stock element. For example, research in biology that requires a yield of quickly grown crops such as lettuce would not require a yield of Tilapia which would be unnecessary, as well as an unneeded expense when research funds are often already limited. Therefore, evidence suggests that as a scientific tool, aquaponics is viable for some forms of research, and naturally can be the subject of massive amounts of research; however for a large part of the scientific community, hydroponics or aquaculture may prove to be far more suitable for meeting the requirements of the resea rch. Commercial viability is typically one of the main driving forces behind the advancements in scientific research. There are many, many examples of this ranging from the oil industries drilling technology being well advanced due to the massive market for fossil fuels (e.g. deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico that became economically viable with rising oil prices, meaning that investment into the technology began) to the investment in the Panda breeding program, which was partly fuelled by the tourism money it brought into China (Chengdu Panda Base, 2007). Therefore, if aquaponics is commercially viable to be a competitor to aquaculture, and agriculture it can be argued that financial investment in the system will increase, speeding up development. Due to the versatility of the system, it can be adapted to grow a wide variety of crops such as herbs, spices, vegetables, and fruits, with root vegetables typically being the major group that is unable to be grown. On the livestock side, many types of fish can be grown (although typically freshwater) including trout, perch and catfish the most common fish is Tilapia. Due to the vast variety of plants and fish that can be grown, and other factors such as climate, nutrient balance and construction quality, it is very difficult to determine is a profit can be made on that particular set up and that aquaponics in general has the potential for economic investment and return. Looking at prior evidence does suggest that yields from an aquaponics system are typically higher than those of a field based production in terms of agricultural yield. For example, research by Nick Savidov, 2002 in Alberta, Canada (a prime market location in that its too northerly to grow their own hot weather crops such as bell peppers, and with a large enough population so there is a demand) with technical assistance from Dr. James Rakocy showed that tomato crop yields in an aquaponics system were 10-15% higher than field yields, as well as 100 cucumbers per meter-2 a year far exceeding organic greenhouse yields in the region, Savidov suggests. Research conducted by Rakocy, et al (2004) the University of the Virgin Islands (one of the world leaders in aquaponic research, as well as where Rakocy is based) shows that basil production yields far exceeded those that could be grown in the field. His research showed that the aquaponic set up in the Virgin Islands produced 7.8 kg of basil m2 a year in field production using a staggered technique where a yield of a certain size was planted in order to mature at different dates ensuring a continuous harvest. This is compared to aquaponic production of 23.4 kg m2 of basil was produced in a staggered set up, whilst a batch production (i.e. all crops were grown to capacity at the same time and repeated for the year) resulted in 25 kg m2 of basil in a single year, it should be noted however that Rakocys research concluded that the batch production was unsustainable because of the stresses it put upon the fish stock for nutrients. Regardless, income provided by batch, staggered and field production were: $117700, $110210 and $36808 respectively across the 214m2 production area (USD in 2004 values). This is not including the Tilapia harvest, which was staggered to harvest every six weeks; Nile tilapia were stock at 77 fish m3 and Red tilapia were stocked at 154 fish m3 with a total capacity of 31.2m3 divided into four 7.8m3 tanks. Projected annual production was 4.16 mt and 4.78 mt (metric tonnes) for Nile and Red tilapia respectively, the report didnt value the Tilapia, although Globefish, 2011 (Food and Agriculture Organisation funded, represented by the UN) reported a 2011 USD price of 1.30-2 per kg of fresh tilapia with 0.95 USD being a good price for farmers, meaning that the University of the Virgin Islands has an annual yield potential value for the four year experiment of 8940 kg of $8493 to $17880 per year. Therefore, this evidence shows that under these conditions (water stressed Virgin Islands, US e conomy, local climate, professional guidance) that a substantial income can be made after initial investments in a large scale production facility; this means that evidence shows there is significant potential for economic return once initial investments has been made, which Rakocy(n.d.) agrees to. In conclusion, evidence shows that aquaponics has significant value in terms of food production, commercial viability, scientific value for research, and sustainability for long term use, throughout the world. It also has massive potential for these factors, and evidence suggests that aquaponics will expand in terms of popularity, food production as well as commercial and scientific interest. As a result, it can be concluded that aquaponics has its faults, but in general it is a valuable and worthwhile system with great potential.

Joseph Conrads Background and Heart of Darkness Plot Summary Essay

Joseph Conrad was an author whose life was as equally amazing as the stories he wrote. In many cases, he derived the situations he wrote about from his many experiences as a seaman and adventurer. Born Teodor Jozef Konrad Korzeniowski on December 3, 1857, of a patriotic Polish couple living in the Polish Ukraine, he did not have the average childhood of the time ("Bibliography" 1). When Conrad was five years old, his father was arrested for alleged actions in revolutionary plots against Russia and was exiled to northern Russia with the young Conrad and his mother. Due to her already weak health, his mother did not last the imprisonment and died at the age of thirty-four. His father sent the young Conrad back to his uncle for an education. Orphaned at twelve years old due to his father's untimely death, Conrad entered a state of deep emotional stress ("Conrad, Joseph"). With the break of the strong bond shared by Conrad and his father, his writings as an adult would later convey a melancholic attitude. After receiving a good education in Cracow, Poland, and spending time traveling, Conrad decided to leave Poland. At the age of sixteen, he left the grip of Russian-occupied Poland and set out for Marseilles, France to pursue the unlikely career choice of a life at sea. For the next four years he worked on French ships, smuggled guns to Spain, and was allegedly involved in a duel that wounded him. He continued to work at sea, which became an integral part of most of his works, and in 1878 at the age of twenty-one, Conrad left France for England ("Conrad, Joseph"). When he arrived in England, Conrad knew no English, but signed onto an English ship anyway. On this ship, he began to learn E... ...incensed that he lied to the woman, but did nothing and left her. Finally, the scene returns to the present deck of the Nellie where silence ensues with the end of Marlow's story. The men share no feelings of the emotional story they have just heard and are more or less indifferent. They just sit afloat on the Thames, which seems to flow into the endless "darkness" of the horizon. Works Cited "Bibliography of Joseph Conrad." Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1983. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1910. "Conrad, Joseph." Microsoft Encarta. Microsoft Corporation; Funk & Wagnallis Corporation, 1994. Guerard, Albert J. "Introduction." Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer. New York: Penguin Books, 1978.

The Power of Individualism Revealed in The Fountainhead Essay -- Fount

The Power of Individualism Revealed in The Fountainhead      Ã‚  Ã‚   Imagine power as a form of free flowing energy, a source found within every one and for each individual. Assume that to gain power, one has to tap this resevoir of immense proportions and relish upon the rich harvest to their hearts desires. Consequently, when there is such a dealing of concentrated materials, nature takes charge and similarly to other physical abstracts, rendering this package lethal, with the potential for untold destruction. In other words, power in the wrong hands or power without responsibility is the most harzardous weapon mankind can possess. To say that power is a medium out of control and pertaining to something with incredible destruction, is rather quite true. Assuming that every one and anyone has the potential to be entitle to a share of this universal medium. Then it would be justifiable to claim that like any other unmoderated activities, raging amibition for power uncontroled could wreak havoc and acts as a catalyst in the breakdown of a society. Similar to politics which deals with the static physical component of society, there must be a more formidable source of pervailance over the mystical realm of power. There fore, this form of guidance can only exist from the mind, and as product of thought, thus the ideas within a philosophy. The Ideals warp between the covers of, The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand’s philosophical revolution of Individualistic power, is her solution to society’s request for a cure. She believe that the highest order of power stands above all alternatives as the power belonging to an individual and her mission is to prove the greatness of individualist power within the hero she christain the name Roark. ... ... in life. The true heroes will know which he is to take and reamain above all others. Those who fail, will end up in the melting pot of society, their flame of freedom extinguished. Works Cited and Consulted Berliner, Michael S., ed. Letters of Ayn Rand. By Ayn Rand. New York: Dutton, 1995. Branden, Barbara. The Passion of Ayn Rand: A biography. New York: Doubleday, 1986a Branden, Nathaniel. My Years with Ayn Rand. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999. Garmong, Dina. Personal interview. 2 Nov. 1999. Peikoff, Leonard. The Philosophy of Objectivism, A Brief Summary. Stein and Day, 1982. Rand, Ayn. The Fountainhead. New York: Plume, 1994. The Ayn Rand Institute. "A Brief Biography of Ayn Rand" [Online] available www.aynrand.org/aynrand/biography.html, 1995 Walker, Jeff. The Ayn Rand Cult. Carus Publishing Company, 1999   

Gender and Society :: Gender Society Sexism Essays Papers

Society has stamped an image into the minds of people of how the role of each gender should be played out. There are two recognized types of gender, a man and a woman, however there are many types of gender roles a man or a woman may assume or be placed into by society. The ideas of how one should act and behave are often times ascribed by their gender by society, but these ascribed statuses and roles are sometimes un-welcomed, and people will assume who they want to be as individuals by going against the stereotypes set forth by society. This paper will examine these roles in terms of how society sees men and women stereotypically, and how men and women view themselves and each other in terms of stereotypes that are typically ascribed, as well as their own opinions with a survey administered to ten individuals. What I hope to prove is that despite stereotypes playing a predominant role within our society, and thus influencing what people believe about each other in terms of their same and opposite genders, people within our society are able to go against these ascribed stereotypes and be who they want and it be okay. Through use of the survey and my own personal history dealing with gender stereotyping I think I can give a clear idea as to how stereotypes envelope our society, and how people and breaking free from those stereotypes to be more individualistic. The differences between women and men are not solely biological. Our society’s culture has established a set of unwritten cultural laws of how each gender should act, or in other words society has ascribed a stereotype. Men’s gender identity has been one of masculinity, and masculinity is defined as referring to a man or things described as manly. What does manly mean though? Is a male manly if he is â€Å"Mr. Fix-it†, or the jock, or if he sits on the couch on Sunday watching football? This latter statement is a stereotype of men, that has been around for decades, and is current as well, but starting with the 1960’s a man’s role started to change, despite the stereotype not changing to accommodate it. For the past 40 years one can see how men have taken on roles stereotypically ascribed to women, such roles including being the â€Å"stay-at-home mom†, which we can find an excellent example of in the 1980’s film â€Å"Mr.

Aging & psychosocial

There are several challenges that are often associated with the process of aging. As enumerated by DeLaune and Ladner (2002), the most prominent of which is those which are classified under the broad categories of developmental, mental, physiological, and psychosocial challenges.First, developmental challenges include those which are related to several capabilities and skills that are developed through time (DeLaune & Ladner, 2002). Second, mental challenges include those which are related to their intellectual capacities where there are associations of mental disabilities for aged people (DeLaune & Ladner, 2002).Third, physiological changes include those which affect the physical and bodily functions of the aged where there are oftentimes aging people who have limited capabilities and due to their illnesses, can not do so much as they do before (DeLaune & Ladner, 2002).Within the realms of the challenges stated above, aging people also experience particular problems and this could l ikewise be classified under the categories mentioned above. Among the greatest difficulties of the elderly people include that of physical inability, psychological isolations, and discriminations.As for physical inability, this is sometimes caused by how their physical environments are built (Frank, Engelke, & Schmid, 2003). There are special needs that the elderly require to make their living easier and comfortable and the generic designs that are being placed nowadays including that of the public areas do not address all of these.Thus, they are further limited with regard to the physical activities that they could engage into. With regard to psychological isolations, there is a side of the picture that points towards the elderly people feeling a sense of isolation especially for those who are not living with their kin (Abbot & Payne, 1990).This is likewise true for those who are asked to live in homes for the aged where they are not able to interact with a lot of people. Lastly, t hat of discrimination stems from the perceptions of people that the elderly are â€Å"rigid, unhealthy, unhappy, and unemployable† (Newman & Grauerholz, 2002, p. 501).To a certain extent, it has been considered by Estes (1979) that the major difficulties that are faced by the elderly, for that of the geographical area of the United States are those which are brought about by the perceptions that are formed of them (as cited in Estes, 2001).It is considered by the author that what is known about the aged from the perceptions that are formed of them has affected them in such a way that problems have stemmed from these perceptions.The knowledge that is gathered about the elderly has created a box that has limited their potentials and has formed a particular web of conceptions that direct the image of the elderly people towards a particular direction (Estes, 2001). It is mentioned by the author that â€Å"in an important sense, then, the major problems faced by the elderly are t he ones we create for them† (as cited in Estes, 2001, p. 29).The clear emphasis of the author with regard to the relevance of the Likewise, it can be seen that the, indeed, the physical process of aging also affects the way elderly people interact for their everyday living.For example, it has been mentioned by Edelstein, Goodie, and Martin (2001) that the cardiovascular and respiratory system and the changes associated with it may have a considerable impact on the behavior of the adults together with their moral relationships.Likewise, there are also problems associated with the physical process that occurs especially so that their vision and hearing may be affected such that they have lower levels of capabilities as compared before when they are younger (Edelstein, Goodie, & Martin, 2001).It is not the process itself nor the outcomes for them but the experience that they associate with their external environment that leads them to consider these as their difficulties in life. Ageism, or age discrimination, is a concept which â€Å"is defined as a process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old, just as racism and sexism accomplish[es] this for skin color and gender† (E. Margolis, H. Margolis, Braun, 1995).As mentioned before, it also affects the way elderly go about their everyday living because there are certain perceptions and notions created of them that may be considered as stereotypes for them to live with. This means that the society has created an image which they have to live with.Likewise, the social institutions accept this as they are without prior consideration to the greater impact that it has over the elderly population. This particular set of stereotypes is evident in the age limit that is given for certain occupations.Where some are considered to be valid, some are purely stereotypes and should not be applied to all of the members of the elderly population.It can not be considered that the difficulties and challenges that are faced by the elderly population may be applied in a universal setting. The characteristic of universality is not applicable to a certain extent because there are still vulnerable groups that may be considered within the group of aging individuals.For example, it has been mentioned by Lustig (2000) that the â€Å"elderly poor women† are among those which experience vulnerability among the aged population (p. 119). This concern gives rise to the special needs that each of the vulnerable groups hold.Likewise, the differences in terms of culture also provide for the variations among the impact that they feel as a result of the challenges and problems drawn from those mentioned above, especially with that of access to social services such as health care (Breitung, 2002). There are differences with regard to the settings to which they have to live with and this produces a source of inequality where some cultures experience better access to socia l services than the rest.ReferencesAbbott, P. & Payne, G. (1990). New directions in the sociology of health. London: Routledge.Breitung, J. (2002). The eldercare sourcebook. NY: McGraw-Hill Professional.DeLaune, S. & Ladner, P. (2002). Fundamentals of nursing: standards and practice. NY: Thomson Delmar.Edelstein, B., Goodie, J. & Martin, R. (2001). Aging: Physiological and behavioral concomitants. In W. E. Craighead & C. Nemeroff, The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Estes, C. (2001). Social policy and aging: A critical perspective. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.Frank, L., Engelke, P., & Schmid, T. (2003). Health and community design: The impact of the built environment on physical activity. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.Lustig, N. (2000). Social protection for equity and growth. Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank.

Analysis Essay of Aria by Richard Rodriguez

NOUR BAHRI EN1111 Academic Writing M. Antoniadou 29th October2012 Analysis essay of â€Å"Aria† by Richard Rodriguez (2nd draft) This essay, titled â€Å"Aria†, originally published in 2008, is an autobiographic essay of the author’s childhood, Richard Rodriguez’. In his essay, Richard is against bilingual educators, who think that children in their first years of school should be educated in their native language. According to him this education system is wrong, won’t be beneficial, therefore children should be educated in the same language as the public one.Rodriguez’s main point is to strongly encourage children of immigrant parents to adopt English, the â€Å"public language† as their main language in order to become assimilated in the â€Å"public society† and have a better future. Ricardo describes his childhood as a child of Mexican immigrant parents studying in an English school in America, where he had problems in commu nicating at school because he did not know the â€Å"public language†, English.At first, he was shy and timid at school because he was feeling uncomfortable with English, but with his parents’ and teacher’s help he â€Å"raised his hand to volunteer an answer†, from that day he â€Å"moved very far from the disadvantaged child†(288). He then started feeling as an American citizen. Although Rodriguez admits that he lost the strong intimacy at home with his parents, he emphasizes that the â€Å"loss implies the gain†(291). Rodriguez supports his argument against bilingual education by using mainly the contrast technique in order for the readers to become more sensitive to his topic and argumentRichard’s entire essay is based on the contrast between â€Å"the loss† in private and â€Å"the gain† in public. By presenting those two opposed extremes, readers become more sensitive to his argument as his essay becomes more reali stic. In the part of the private loss, Ricardo faces problems at home, since he came to believe that he was an American citizen, â€Å"at least†(288). So the past refers to before Richard believes that he was an American citizen at the age of 7. Ricardo uses frequently the negation arks in order to support that they remained a loving family, but one greatly changed, â€Å"No longer so close: no longer bound†, â€Å"neither my older brother nor sister†, â€Å"Nor did I† this last in a separate sentence to accentuate his position and the negation (288). He contrasts this new situation with the one they had in the past where â€Å"after dinner each night, the family gathered†(287). Readers feel that in the past family bonds and ties were stronger and the house was full of joy and laughs, â€Å"everyone laughed†(287).Thereby, Richard used â€Å"we† (â€Å"we played†) as for him and his family that has a stronger meaning and connota tion since they where feeling closer, as a whole. But also, in the past Richard was impatient to go back home, where he could actually speak the language, now he says, â€Å"gone was the desperate, urgent, intense feeling of being at home† (288). Furthermore, after this feeling of closeness diminished, â€Å"silence† started taking place in the house as Richard explains that â€Å"as we children learned more and more English, we shared fewer and fewer words with our parents† (288).So in the past, children were more comfortable in speaking Spanish with their parents and spoke a language, which the parents actually understand and respond with ease, the house was full of â€Å"language of home†(286). By speaking English so much, a gap between Richard and his parents grew. After this process of Americanization, â€Å"the silence at home, however, was finally more than a literal silence†(289). He uses a lot words in relation to the ear and hearing as â €Å"sounds† â€Å"listen†, â€Å"listening†, â€Å"heard† and â€Å"speaking†(289).Furthermore, Spanish started becoming unfamiliar to him and English, which is the â€Å"public language† became his â€Å"primary language†. In the past he used to call his parents â€Å"mama and papa†, and now that English is his primary language he calls them â€Å"mother† and â€Å"father† (289). At the end of his essay Richard said that his â€Å"childhood started to end† the day he took the decision that his wants to feel like an American citizen.Richard, most probably, associates the word childhood with his past, before he came to believe that he was an American citizen; a past where he had strong bonds with his parents, the feeling of security and other that they are his parents, Spanish united them. However, as he became less confident with his private identity, he started becoming increasingly confident of his new pu blic identity because the belief that he belonged in public had taken hold. Richard presents in his essay the other side of the â€Å"game†, of learning English and feeling as an American citizen because as he said â€Å"the loss implies the gain†(291).By the gain he means the gain in public, public identity. An important dramatic event occurred, it is the one that resulted in a big change in Richard’s life. And this was the day Richard raised his hand in class to volunteer an answer. This event brought him a lot forward, as he was no longer feeling as a disadvantaged child. Moreover, as Richard began to hear more and more English, â€Å"the high, troubling sounds of los gringos† became unnoticeable to him; he was â€Å"no longer an alien in gringo society†(288). Whereas before he came to believe he was an American citizen, â€Å"los gringos† had a bad connotation, full of â€Å"bitterness or distrust† (288).Rodriguez became more conf ident of himself in speaking English, and he finally heard words, not just sounds. Richard insists in the difference between â€Å"sound and words† (which in the past sounds were helping him in understanding the situation) (288). He came to realize that â€Å"sound and word were tightly wedded† after his Americanization (288). He has also contrasting feelings; he was often â€Å"bemused† and always â€Å"relieved† to realize how â€Å"silent, though crowded with words† his day in public had been (288). Richard means that, since he was feeling more comfortable with English, the words were more powerful and meaningful.Before the dramatic event, English was a â€Å"foreign language† to him, he felt like a â€Å"stranger† to it (287). Becoming more familiar with English helped Richard to achieve many things. He began doing well in school, he made friends and he was feeling more comfortable talking to people in public. Assimilating to the American culture helped Richard feel more at ease among the other American students. So we understand that the â€Å"public identity† he achieved was a great success to him (288). Finally Richard at the end of his essay, make things more clear, and the contrast is still visible.He responds to bilingual educators, who have to distinguish between â€Å"private individuality† and â€Å"public individuality†. While â€Å"becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality†(290). Richard points out that â€Å"in public, by contrast, full individuality is achieved†(290). So according to him, the public gain is really important and that is why in his essay the â€Å"gain† is stressed more than the â€Å"loss†. To conclude, in his autobiographic essay, Richard successfully used the contrast technique in order to give a full image of his argument and be more convincing.There was a deep intimacy with his family and the painful feeling of public alienation. However, as he grew up and with his Americanization, this became only the past; meaning that there were no longer good bonds in the family and in public he gained an identity and individuality. Rodriguez offers a contrasting truth: while our heritage and culture may remain forever tied to our native language, the only way we can truly become a part of our community and fit in is to dominate the current spoken language. Word count: 1280 Work Citation: Rodriguez, Richard. The Norton Reader;2008, ww Norton Company,