High-Tech Workers in the Silicon Valley Essay examples -- Essays Paper

Brief History of the Valley The Silicon Valley area became a major manufacturing power after World War II. The Cold War furthered this development, as industries involved in defense, aerospace, steel, oil, automobiles, and so on prospered (Hossfeld 405-406). The high-technology industry began in the laboratories of corporations such as Bell Laboratories, American Telephone and Telegraph, Fairchild Camera and Instrument, and General Electric during this Cold War era (Bacon, â€Å"Organizing†). Employment in California, especially Silicon Valley, grew rapidly between 1950 and 1980 due to technical innovation that characterized the postwar prosperity. Furthermore, federal spending expanded California’s economy, placing it in the front of a high-technology revolution (Hossfeld 405). Politicians such as the former President Clinton and Vice President Gore consider the Silicon Valley the model for the United States industrial growth in the new millennium. While this â€Å"model† has had remarkable products and performance, it also employs underpaid workers in unsafe environments (Siegel 91). Moreover, unlike most manufacturing industries in the United States, the high-tech workers are not organized into unions. Microelectronics and Cell Phones Santa Clara Valley, California, better known as Silicon Valley, is the birthplace and reigning capital of the largest and fastest growing manufacturing industry in the world, microelectronics (Hossfeld 405). Microelectronics is defined as a branch of electronics that deals with the miniaturization of electric circuits and components. This involves computers, processor, cell phones, and many other electronic devices. Cell phones are becoming a part of the microelec... ...ersity of California Press, 1995. - â€Å"Organizing the Valley.† Silicon Valley biz ink. 2003. Silicon Valley Business Ink. 14 Oct. 2003 . - Orr, Andrea. â€Å"Ex-IBM Worker Says He Lost His Sense of Smell.† Yahoo! News. 2003 - Yahoo! Inc. 13 Nov. 2003 . - Siegel, Lenny. â€Å"New Chips in Old Skins: Work and Labor in Silicon Valley.† Global Productions—Labor in the Making of the â€Å"Information Society†. Ed. Gerald Sussman & John A. Lent. New Jersey: Hampton Press Inc., 1998. - â€Å"Silicon Valley Companies.† San Jose/Silicon Valley Websites. 2002 San Jose/Silicon Valley Websites. 13 Nov. 2003 .

Positive Psychology Essay

Positive psychology is defined as a â€Å"science of positive subjective experiences, positive traits, and positive institutions† and it focuses on such topics as â€Å"hope, wisdom, creativity †¦ courage, spirituality† (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Although this definition seems to be broad enough, the current research on positive psychology consists of primarily quantitative studies of cognitive and affective variables within a particular experimental paradigm. It has not paid much attention to topics of humanistic concerns; such as meaning, values, courage, and spirituality. Research is beginning to accumulate around the concept of positive psychology, or moving away from a focus on psychopathology to one of building positive qualities. The popular song â€Å"Don’t Worry, Be Happy, † expressed in a nutshell a key concept in positive psychology, to develop a sense of optimism. Optimism and other human strengths, such as courage, interpersonal skill, future mindedness, faith, hope, work ethic, perseverance, honesty, and the capacity to achieve flow and insight, can act as buffers against malaise, dysfunction, and mental illness. Human strengths such as optimism are not enough, of course. A positive psychology seems to depend also on cultivating positive experiences that are associated with happiness and subjective well-being, on the capacity to adapt and organize to successfully meet changing conditions, and to interactions that occur within positive social contexts (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000).Positive psychology is understood as â€Å"the scientific study of ordinary human strengths and virtues† (Sheldon & King, 2001, p. 216). Resilience, a very important skill, illustrates (among other things) the importance of the ordinary. For instance, Masten (2001), in discussing resilience in children, emphasized â€Å"the power of the ordinary† (p. 235). Based on a review of resilience studies involving children, Masten observed: â€Å"Resilience does not come from rare and special qualities, but from the everyday magic of ordinary, normative human resources in the minds, brains, and bodies of children, in their families and relationships, and in their communities.† (Masten, 2001, p. 235) In another look at resilience in terms of its ordinary nature, the American Psychological Association’s Practice Directorate developed a public education campaign following the September 11, 2001, attacks. Called the Road to Resilience, the campaign set out the following principles: (a) resilience is a set of learned behaviors that are not automatic, (b) it is a personal journey that is involved with others, (c) it is an ordinary, not an extraordinary, experience, and (d) it demands that improvement be accomplished through small, persistent steps (Murray, 2003). This perspective of positive psychology that focuses on ordinary and everyday circumstances leads us to think in terms of a kind of â€Å"everyday prevention† that is within the reach of people and that counselors and other practitioners can intentionally bring to their work with clients and client systems. Everyday prevention should infuse and guide the work of all preventionists. The American population has moved beyond being passive recipients of expert-provided care to assume a much more personal responsibility for their own health and mental healthcare needs. People, including children, are viewed as active decision makers, selecting from available choices and preferences and shaping their environment, with the possibility of masterful and efficacious living. Many have begun to assume greater initiative and responsibility for the direction of education and schools; the rise in home schooling, the spread of e-educational programs, and the charter school movement are just three examples. This active involvement in health care and education will become a dominant theme for the twentyfirst century. Professionals and professional training programs are beginning to respond to this significant change in personal orientation and responsibility. For instance, training programs in integrative medicine are developing (e.g., at Duke University and University of Arizona), where the primary goal is to assist people to experience optimal vitality and wellness, integrating mind, body, and spirit as well as allopathic, alternative, and complementary medical approaches. Counseling and counseling psychology programs are beginning to address prevention more directly through coursework and training experiences. Healthcare plans are being created that are comprehensive and dynamic, geared to promoting optimal well-being. But, of course, millions of Americans are not waiting for the healthcare and education establishments to alter themselves in the direction of increased integration and variety. Instead, many are experimenting with their own choices. They research, read, surf the Internet, learn from one another, and test out various combinations of exercise, diet, herbs and vitamins, spiritual practice, social support, and alternative treatments to find what works for them. Much of this experimentation is proceeding without external expert monitoring and may be risky to health, in some degree. Conversely, countless millions are organizing for themselves what they view as healthy practices that seem to be yielding improved vitality and more satisfying lifestyles. All of this activity is a virtual wellspring of prevention, occurring at all ecological levels in our society. Our â€Å"cultural blueprint† is being rewritten at the macro level and is being put into practice by individuals and groups to say, in effect: â€Å"We are empowered.† Organizations are slower to adapt because they have traditions, regulations, policies, revenue streams, and other forces and elements that require longer to turn around-sort of like turning around the Titanic. But organizations are beginning to revise and reinvent themselves, too; witness the increasing number of programs and initiatives that take a health-promoting orientation. Where does the professional practice of prevention by counselors and other helpers fit with this paradigm shift toward a more autonomous and experiencing style of health care and education? Right now a gap exists, as prevention is still tied closely to disorder-reduction, population-based models under the control of â€Å"preventionists† who work conscientiously, and often effectively, to help avert dysfunction. Within the context of positive psychology, Seligman (1999) and others wonder about the following question: â€Å"What is the ‘good life’?† He is quick to indicate that what he means by the good life is not a â€Å"Porsche, champagne, and a suntan.† Seligman suggests that what positive psychology needs is a taxonomy for the good life, the main purpose of which would be to guide the formulation and building of the â€Å"good life.† He observes that psychological science has been able to produce an exhaustive (and exhausting) compendium to describe and diagnose human dysfunction and psychopathology (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) and its editions), but that there is no companion product to describe and prescribe human health and positive functioning. There is a concerted effort under way to develop a taxonomy of the â€Å"good life.† The positive psychology perspective is based on a particular assumption of what is the best way to promote mental health, a way that is 180 degrees different from that which has been in effect within psychology and psychiatry (Maddux, Snyder, & Feldman, 2003). This previous way is to correct dysfunction and to prevent any of the hundreds of clinical syndromes contained in the DSM. Instead, positive psychology alters the focus from the reduction and prevention of human psychological disabilities and disturbances to the enhancement of human strengths and abilities. This focus centers on authentic happiness (Seligman, 2002) from the eudaemonic approach-that is, happiness that is centered on meaning and self-realization (Ryan & Deci, 2001), as well as the choices people make about their lives and how they construe what occurs (Maddux et al. 2003). For example, authentic happiness (Seligman, 2002) is an area within positive psychology that is being intensely studied and that is addressing issues surrounding the â€Å"good life.† Interestingly, with regard to the concept of â€Å"everyday prevention, † the work related to positive psychology-and authentic happiness-appears frequently in the popular press as well as in professional/scientific outlets; â€Å"The Happiest Guy† (McCafferty, 2003), an article on Seligman’s authentic happiness, in the USA Weekend Sunday newspaper insert, is a case in point. This work is becoming part of mainstream America, increasingly available to people on an everyday basis. Of course, authentic happiness is not the same as â€Å"A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants†, although it could be said that both glee and fun are relevant. In his book on authentic happiness (Seligman, 2002), Seligman presents a â€Å"happiness formula:† H = S + C + V. That is, an enduring level of Happiness (H) is a function of one’s biological Set (S) range, plus Circumstances (C) to which people are subjected (both generally positive in relation to enduring happiness, such as marriage and sociability, and those that are generally negatively related, such as money and race), plus Voluntary control (V), the choices one makes in life, such as a range of positive emotions like optimism, hope, faith, trust, and confidence. Although a large component of authentic, enduring happiness seems to be set by biology, it is the voluntary choices over which people can exert control that serves as the bellwether test of positive psychology. People can learn how to enhance their capacity to make positive choices on a daily basis. The VIA (Values in Action) Signature Strengths seeks to assess twenty-four â€Å"signature strengths† that are associated with authentic happiness. The VIA Questionnaire was developed by the Values-In-Action (VIA) Institute, which is directed by Peterson and Seligman, and funded by the Mayerson Foundation (http://www.authentichappiness.org/)The twenty-four signature strengths are organized within the broader categories of: Wisdom and Knowledge-five cognitive strengths involving the acquisition and use of knowledge. These strengths include creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, and perspective taking. Courage-four emotional strengths involving the will toward goal accomplishment even when there is internal or external opposition. These strengths include bravery, industry/perseverance, authenticity, and zest. Love-three interpersonal strengths that include supporting and caring for others. These strengths include intimacy, kindness, and social intelligence Justice-three strengths that undergird healthy communities. These strengths include citizenship/teamwork, fairness, and leadership. Temperance-four strengths that moderate and protect against excessiveness. These strengths include forgiveness/mercy, modesty/ humility, prudence, and self-control/self-regulation. Transcendence-five strengths that help to connect with the universe and provide meaning. These strengths include awe/appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, playfulness, and spirituality. Seligman (2002) indicates that everyone possesses many signature strengths. He suggests that individuals complete and score the VIA, examine their top strengths, and apply a set of nine criteria to each one of the top strengths. As examples, three of these nine criteria are as follows: a strength engenders a sense of ownership and authenticity, a feeling of excitement while displaying it, and a rapid learning curve as it is first practiced. If a strength is matched by one or more of these criteria, he suggests that it is a signature strength and should be used frequently and across many settings and situations. Seligman provides examples in the areas of work, love, raising children, and finding general meaning and purpose in life. In sum, he (2002) holds the following with regard to the good life: Use your signature strengths every day in the main realms of your life to bring about abundant gratification and authentic happiness. (p. 161) Long before work began in positive psychology to examine the good life, Socrates (born 470 B.C.E.) had given it some thought! Gross (2002) reviewed Socrates’ seven principles, which are often thought to be associated with the good life, and how they can be used on a daily basis. These are: Know Thyself. This one, we hear most frequently. To know thyself means to be self-aware, to review and reflect on actions, and to develop and revise plans to fit personal values within the community context. Ask Great Questions. Be inquisitive. Seek to actively learn all the time, everywhere, from everyone. Think for Yourself. Monitor what you say and what you do. Ask if these actions are reflective of you and your values and thoughts. Make up your own mind after weighing evidence. Challenge Conventional Wisdom. Resist getting caught up in the currents running around you. Don’t blindly do what everyone else does. Develop the capacity to act consistent with personal conviction. Grow with Friends. Connect with others and seek appropriately to interact at genuine and deep levels. Speak the Truth. Avoid lying, shading the truth, or faking it. Spot these behaviors around you, and those where truthful behaviors occur, and allow both to guide you. Strengthen Your Soul. Build into each day opportunities and experiences that are restful, bring joy, and are kind. Socrates provided a good start on defining the good life. Subjective Well-Being (SWB) is a condition that reflects a â€Å"preponderance of positive thoughts and feelings about one’s life† (Myers & Diener, 1995, p. 11). It is defined by three distinct factors that are also correlated: (a) relative presence of positive affect, (b) absence of negative affect, and (c) life satisfaction. Associating happiness with SWB, Myers and Diener have pondered the question:Who is happy? They and others (e.g., Little, 2000; Willi, 1999) have found that happy and effective people (i.e., those with high SWB) tend to: Possess particular inner fixed or natural traits: self-esteem and acceptance, personal control/autonomy, optimism, and extraversion Exhibit free, or adaptive, traits that are culturally scripted patterns enacted within one’s goals and projects, and are independent of fixed traits Have warm, positive, trusting, and satisfying interpersonal relationships Find â€Å"flow† in work and in leisure (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990), where engagement in mindful challenge, with adequate support, is realizable Possess a religious or spiritual faith Adapt positively to change and show environmental mastery Find or create personal niches that enrich their lives Live within a cultural worldview that is generally positive Have a purpose and find meaning in life Have personal goals that guide personal growth Thus, happiness can be thought of as a side effect of other main effects and their interaction. Happiness can also be viewed as the dessert and not the main course. Positive Youth Development (PYD) is an approach to prevention that emphasizes the development of youth in context rather than attempting to prevent separate problems faced by youths (Pittman & Fleming, 1991). Many youth outcomes are affected by the same protective and risk factors, making interventions that address several personal-social and setting domains important. A set of PYD constructs has been developed in an effort to operationally define positive youth development. These constructs are relevant to our discussion of everyday prevention. Positive Youth Development programs and strategies seek generally to achieve one or more of the following objectives (Catalano, Berglund, Ryan, Lonczak, & Hawkins, 2002): Promote bonding: developing a child’s relationship with a healthy adult, positive peers, school, community, or culture Foster resilience: developing adaptive coping strategies to stress and change, and enhancing flexibility and overall capacity Promote social competence: developing appropriate interpersonal skills in such areas as communication and conflict resolution Promote emotional competence: developing skills in identifying and managing feelings and emotional reactions, such as in empathy and frustration tolerance Promote cognitive competence: developing ability to use logic, analytic thinking, abstract reasoning, problem solving, goal setting, and related skills Promote behavioral competence: developing skills in nonverbal and verbal communication and in taking prosocial action Promote moral competence: developing empathy, a sense of right and wrong, what is moral and just, and a respect for rules and standards Foster self-determination: developing the ability to think for oneself, to take action that matches the thought, to be autonomous, and to be able to chart one’s own course Foster spirituality: developing a belief in a higher power, a belief system, or a sense of spiritual identity/meaning/practice Foster self-efficacy: developing a sense that one can accomplish goals through one’s own action, involving personal goal setting, mastery skills, and ways to reverse self-defeating thoughts Foster clear and positive identity: developing a coherent sense of self, including positive identification with a supportive social or cultural subgroup Foster belief in the future: developing a belief about the future that is based on optimism about possibilities Provide recognition for positive behavior: developing ways to reward positive behaviors Provide opportunities for pro-social involvement: developing strategies for becoming actively involved in pro-social activities, making a contribution, and experiencing healthy interactions with others Foster pro-social norms: developing understanding of accurate normative behavior (e.g., the number of contemporaries who actually use drugs), mentoring to assist others (and oneself) with forward movement, creating clear expectations for minimizing health risks, and enhancing social support (pp. 15-22) These 15 PYD objectives provide a robust direction not only for professionals to pursue but also for everyday prevention efforts. Relatedly, Lopez and McKnight (2002) discussed what they termed â€Å"light-handed interventions† in PYD. Light-handed interventions are everyday occurrences that can make a difference in peoples’ lives (also known as experiences that enhance competency). These authors proposed that an efficient approach to PYD might be facilitated by what they termed â€Å"everyday luxuries† in which all youth do not have opportunities to indulge, such as attending a sporting event or a musical, relaxing, playing, and writing about life events.

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in Everyday Life

GIS According to Canalys there were approximately 41 million GPS units sold in 2008, and in 2009 the number of GPS enabled cell phones in use had exceeded 27 million. Without even thinking, tens of millions of people access directions and look-up local businesses from these hand-held devices every day. Lets tie this back to our big picture here, GIS. The 24 GPS satellites orbiting earth are constantly broadcasting data about their location and exact time. Your GPS device or phone receives and process the signals from three to four of these satellites to figure out where it is located. Points of interest, addresses (lines or points), and aerial or road data is all stored in a database that is accessed by your device. When you submit data, such as posting a geo-Tweet (a location-based Tweet on Twitter), checking in on Foursquare, or rating a restaurant you are adding data to one or more GIS data sources. Popular GIS Applications Traditionally desktop GIS has dominated the GIS mindset. People think of ArcMap, MicroStation, or other enterprise-level GIS applications when they think desktop GIS. But the most prevalent desktop GIS application is free, and quiet powerful. With over 400 million total downloads (according to GeoWeb 2008 keynote speech by Michael Jones) Google Earth is by far the most used GIS application in the world. While many people use Google Earth to look for fun things such as a friends house, crop circles, and other oddities, Google Earth also allows you to add georeferenced images, view parcel data, and find routes. Georeferencing Photos Even before the average computer user was using GIS on a near daily basis, everyone has benefited from it. The government uses GIS to decide voting districts, analyze demographics, and even time street lights. The real power of GIS is that it is more than a map, it is a map that can show us exactly what we want to see. How has GIS become such an integral part of society almost seamlessly? Google, Garmin, and others were not creating products with Hey, the mass public needs GIS in mind, no, they were meeting needs. Humans think geographically. Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How those are the five Ws right? Place is extremely important to people. When studying how human populations have acted over the past millennia it is easy to see how geography dictated culture. Today, place still dictates much of our lives: property values, crime rates, education standards, these can all be classified by place. It is interesting to see when a technology has become so ingrained in a society that people dont consider it when they use it, they just use it; like with cell phones, cars, microwaves, etc. (that list could be very long). Personally, as someone who loves maps and loves computers and works in the GIS field I think it is great that an eight-year-old has the ability to look-up their friends address and sho w their parents exactly where they are going, or for family members to be able to see pictures of those they love where they were taken, and so many more cool things that GIS allows us to do without thinking. Kyle Souza is a GIS professional from Texas. He operates TractBuilder and can be reached at kyle.souzatractbuilder.com.

Fast Food, Cause Effect Essay - 702 Words

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF THE POPULARITY OF FAST FOOD Nowadays, most people -especially kids and young people- prefer to eat fast food, such as hamburgers, pizza, fried food, etc. Why it has become so popular? It tastes better than homemade food? We do not believe it is only the taste the reason of the popularity of fast food. There are several reasons why fast food had become popular over the years. It is popular because it is cheap, quick and convenient to those who have a busy modern life. We consider one of the top reasons of eating fast food the modern, busy life that a big percent of families workers have. People who have a busy schedule usually do not have time to cook at home,†¦show more content†¦A study of The Annals of Internal Medicine indicates that more than 70% of men and more than 60% of women have extra pounds because of the consumption of fast food in large amounts. In kids the problem gets more extreme. If kids consume too much fast food they could have high c holesterol and obesity, then they would have higher risks of cardiovascular issues, diabetes and heart diseases. Parents should prevent those kinds of health issues in their kids because it will be reflected in them as adults. Food is not as simple as it seems. Once Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote â€Å"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are†. We, as human been should pay attention to what we eat because it will be reflected in the future. A lot of times we know if someone eats healthy by just seeing them, because physically they do not have a good body, healthy skin, or something like that. As we already said more than 50% of USA’s population eats fast food for many reasons: economy, quick service, etc., but the real problem come when we consider health. If People should care more about what they eat and try to avoid fast food, then they will have less possibility of diseases like high cholesterol, obesity, or cardiovascular issues and heart diseases. BIBLIOGRAPHY * Top Reasons for fast food. 2010.Show MoreRelatedFast Food1145 Words   |  5 PagesRamandeep Singh Mrs. Vinson October 23, 2012 English 1001 Essay 2 Draft 3 Fast food Obesity is an epidemic that is sweeping over the United States today. It’s affecting both adults and children. With the increase in fast food availability and a decrease in the time most Americans have to prepare nutritious meals at home, it’s obvious why more people are eating at fast food restaurants. Obesity is a growing problem in the United States and more and more children are being affected. But do uneducatedRead MoreIs Classical Sociology Still Relevant Today? Essay1219 Words   |  5 PagesThis essay looks at the argument taken from a classical sociologist called Weber, throughout this essay it explains rationalization and how it has become modernized using Ritzer to explain this by demonstrating his McDonaldization theory. The theory will be clarified by contemporary sociologists by looking at their strengths and weaknesses and how rationalization relates to a current social issue such as globalisation becoming such a problem in today’s society due to a wide population of fast foodRead MoreThe Effects of Popular Culture: A Look at Three Examples Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesPopular culture has an effect on everyone’s life in this world. If we don’t look like the pretty faces our television and movies advertise to us, than our life tends to be more difficult growing up. Our country provides fast food chains that are deleterious to our health, but since corporations made them popular, the average American thinks nothing of it. Even though a lot of American popular culture isn’t the best choice in our lives, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Nora Ephron, and Eric Schlosser use thisRead MoreWhat You Eat Is Your Business Essay1140 Words   |  5 Pages In Radley Balko’s essay â€Å"What You Eat Is Your Business,† Balko argues that what we put into our bodies is our business, not the government’s, and that personal responsibility should be primary in our nutrition choices. I agree wholeheartedly. However, while I do agree that personal responsibility is paramount, in the new age of the Affordable Care Act (which had not been implemented prior to Balko’s writing), it is becoming hard to say that the government should stay out of my business, when healthcareRead MoreCauses, Effects And Solutions Of Overweight918 Words   |  4 PagesCauses, Effects and Solutions of Overweight Nowadays, overweight is a serious condition associated with body fat accumulates in people’s body and as a result it leads to obesity. Being overweight referred to a crucial issue for its victims have increased significantly for the past two decades. The occurrence of overweight has increased in all persons including children, old aged, and educated persons. Loss of weight is one of the challenges for many people in life. The causes of overweight includeRead MoreCause And Effect Of Obesity1477 Words   |  6 Pages Cause and effect essay Ahmad Elham ENG 111/FH21 Sunithi Gnanadoss May 2, 2017 After World War II, when the baby Boomer generation emerged, USA economy increased and people started utilizing fast food without a diet plan, without caring about nutrition in their food and the calories they were consuming caused obesity. At the same time, transportation and technology revolutions which meant to bring ease in nation’s lives, brought laziness and obesity. Ultimately, many others callRead MoreArgumentative Essays About Obesity1560 Words   |  7 Pagesthemselves to get that far into bad health(obesity)? (might be more of a Psychology question though..) A good one for looking at arguments relating to the fast food industry is Super-Size me that documentary, that might give you some more ideas about arguments, to look into some of the issues that Morgan Spurlock touches on, (size of food portions, advertising, health related problems of obesity, etc..) Obesity in AmericaWhen people think about health what usually comes up is cancer, or some kindRead MoreCause and Effect Essay on Obesity962 Words   |  4 Pages Cause and Effect Essay on Obesity Obesity is one of the main topics in America including one of the main reasons of death.-(begin with a subject) Detecting obesity is easy, but treating it can be very hard to do. Never have there have been so many teens and children not only overweight but obese. In some ways, it could be called the plague of the twenty- first century due to adolescents and teenagers indulging themselves in a plethora of food for every meal they haveRead MoreFood Is A Necessity And Without Food We Wouldn’T Be Able1345 Words   |  6 PagesFood is a necessity and without food we wouldn’t be able to survive. But what happens when that very essential thing we need to survive is not good for us? According to the website Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of Americans have obesity (Adult Obesity Facts). One of the major reasons causing obesity is a poor diet, what some call, the Western Diet. In Michael Pollan’s article â€Å"Escape from the Wester n Diet†, he argues that people should give up the western dietRead MoreArgumentative Essay : Argumentative Synthesis1734 Words   |  7 PagesNordmeyer Ms. Allen 11/20/15 Essay #4: Argumentative Synthesis As we begin the 21st century, the preservation and concern with our world environment becomes more of a highlighted issue. Authors such as Michael Pollan in his article â€Å"Escape from the Western Diet†, and Jonathan Safran Foer who wrote â€Å"Against Meat† both mention in their essays the negative impact fast food has created on our environment due to the method of factory farming. Foer quotes using reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization

Bringing Electricity to the Masses Essay - 961 Words

It was not very long ago that as night descended the cities, towns, and homes of the world fell into darkness as well. Lit by candles, oil lamps, gas lamps, and open flame, the light put off by these flames was not very bright and also had the down fall of producing fumes, smoke, and ash. â€Å"The electric light was little more than a novelty for the wealthy and only had small scale applications where only a few bulbs would be needed.† (Flatow 11) If we think about how dependent on electricity we are today, it becomes difficult to imagine the world as we know it without it. Our cars, computers, cell phones, almost every facet of our modern life involves electricity. It wasn’t till a young scientist; Thomas Alva Edison had the idea to create a†¦show more content†¦He was able to study the trial and errors of his colleagues and succeed where they had failed. â€Å"Another advantage for Edison was that he decided to build his light bulb around an entire electric al system of his own design. He would design and produce generators to supply electricity with integrated fuses to regulate and control it.† (Flatow 11) Once the system which would power his bulb was designed he began work on designing the bulb itself. The young inventor began to experiment with different filament materials and shapes. He soon discovered that no matter what he tried the filament would melt shortly after a current was run through it. To resolve this Edison had developed â€Å"a thermal regulator to prevent the incandescing element of his lamp from melting† says biographer and Edison scholar Paul Israel (Jones 55-56) What this meant was as the filament heated up, the regulator would turn the light off briefly to allow it to cool. This gave Edison the confidence to announce that he had made a breakthrough, though he had not perfected the type of material used to make the filament. He invited the press to witness his triumph. Disregarding that his bulbs did not last very long even after his thermal regulator was in place; Edison was still able to convince investors to back him. Edison had been working to design and build his electrical system at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Menlo Park was quiet,Show MoreRelatedEssay On Power Consumption770 Words   |  4 Pagesindicator of demand for electric utilities, declined 1.2% during 2016 compared to 2015. Retail electricity rates fell by 2.1% in October 2016 from the same month the year before. The decline in power consumption was led by a 4.3% drop in use by industrial customers. Residential and commercial sales were relatively unchanged, according to the Energy Information Administrations Short-Term Energy Outlook. US electricity consumption in 2017 is expected to remain flat in the residential and commercial sectors;Read Moreâ€Å"Stalin Transformed Russia from a Backward Country Into a Great World Power†¦ but the Cost Was Certainly Exorbitant.Discuss.1059 Words   |  5 Pagescost. Firstly, Stalin realized that despite the fact there were 25 million farms in Soviet Russia, they were ‘p rimitive and undeveloped.’(Stalin, 1928) He saw the need to use the masses to not only feed themselves, but the rest of his growing nation, and to this end decided in 1928 to collectivize the farms of Russia, bringing many positive impacts. In 1930, already 50% of the country’s farms had been collectivized, and at this time, ‘even enemies are forced to admit that the successes are substantialRead MoreClose Reading: Culture Is Ordinary by Raymond Williams Essay1240 Words   |  5 Pagesconceptions of culture that he came across, both examples which he rejects. The common illusion of ‘high culture’ present in both of these examples is seen by Williams as a way of maintaining class divisions between the ‘highbrow’ and working class, bringing the idea of culture back to the notion of power. The language used in this essay is very personal, and can be seen quite clearly in this argument, as you can see his deep rooted working class sensibili ty in his attack on these two perceptions ofRead MoreExploring Religious Education Essay746 Words   |  3 PagesMass is often a very long process and working parents cannot spare what precious time they have to spend upwards of an hour in Church. Some Parishes in Canberra have taken this into account and provide different times, days and lengths of Masses to provide for all those out there that often cannot find the time to attend a congregation. Teenagers are renowned for their lack of ability to concentrate for large amounts of time. A long Mass will bore teens and this will pushRead MoreEssay on Hydrogen Cars: Helping the Earth One Car at a Time1571 Words   |  7 Pagesan anode that is also submerged. The current passes through the water and as it does, a chemical reaction takes place. Everyday water turns into its natural elements: hydrogen and oxygen. The beauty of electrolysis is that any form of electricity can be used, including renewable energy like wind and solar. Through this process we can extract hydrogen gas from water only to be reunited with oxygen and form water once more. With the use of renewable energy and the process of electrolysis,Read MoreBritish Isles Storms1742 Words   |  7 Pagesthe edge of a continent, between two seas and subject to the influences of five major air masses; north-westerly, south-westerly, northerly, easterly and southerly. British climate is classified as temperate as it rarely features the extremes of heat or cold, rain, drought or wind that are common in other climates. Basic characteristics of this climate include temperature, precipitation, wind and air masses. The mean summer temperatures in the UK are lower than the average for its latitude whichRead MoreProgressive Era Essay889 Words   |  4 PagesU.S. citizen from being denied the right to vote based on sex. During the Progressive Era, social reform and cultural changes also occurred. Consumerism was at an all time high. It became a time of economic prosperity. With the introduction of electricity came household appliances. Movies, automobiles, radios, telephones, magazines, and advertising were in the forefront. While consumption prompted the economy in a forward direction, other economic issues arose throughout the country. AgricultureRead MoreImmigration : The Ongoing Question1419 Words   |  6 Pagessatirists poke fun of illegal immigration through the satirical devices of parody, irony, and exaggeration in order to bring light to this very important issue facing the United States of America. One example of the use of Juvenalian satire and parody bringing light to illegal immigration can be seen in Daniel L.’s satirical work. In this work, Daniel L. states that the way to end the detrimental effects of illegal immigration would be to take over Mexico and enslave the native people (Daniel L.). He alsoRead MoreWhich Wooden s Pyramid Of Success Fits Today s Business Environment1400 Words   |  6 Pagesof social contract where I expect that by bringing in employees through giving them jobs and building them up through training and all, I do that and expect that they will hold dear the objectives and goals of the organization and deliver on what I have entrusted on them. It is closely related to Wooden’s respect but it is not an equivalent of that. I am also the kind that values cooperation and team spirit as exemplified by Wooden. I believe in masses where I believe it is better to provide goodsRead MoreWhich Wooden s Pyramid Of Success Fits Today s Business Environment1400 Words   |  6 Pagesof social contract where I expect that by bringing in employees through giving them jobs and building them up through training and all, I do that and expect that they will hold dear the objectives and goals of the organization and deliver on what I have entrusted on them. It is closely related to Wooden’s respect but it is not an equivalent of that. I am also the kind that values cooperation and team spirit as exemplified by Wooden. I believe in masses where I believe it is better to provide goods

Work With Parents to Meet their Children’s Needs Free Essays

Work with parents to meet their children’s needs Explain changes which parenthood makes to the lives of parents. Before a child is even born the parents are adapting theirs lives getting ready for it to change into something they can only imagine what it will be like. A process of bonding is their when the child is born, imagining what it would be like to hitting reality of what parenthood is like. We will write a custom essay sample on Work With Parents to Meet their Children’s Needs or any similar topic only for you Order Now Parents have to care for a child in so many ways, teaching them different things and being that role model to live their life good like they have. When a child is able to talk then the parenthood changes again and adapts in other ways from what they have when the child was born. They are faced with questions about their priorities, about how much time they should give to the baby, and how much time to devote to other aspects of life. Parents face all kinds of authority and rules what should be sett for children and learning to make that decision if it is broken. Parents can imagine how they could be towards their child, not getting angry or annoyed during different times, setting boundaries and making an image of what they be like when in fact it changes at each stage of child development. As they grow older parents may start to evaluate how they have been in the past, especially due to a child’s behaviour. Changing and figuring out how they want to interpret and answer their children’s questions. Showing what type of knowledge and skills they may have. They compare themselves to other parents, teachers and child care staff to see if they are doing right or wrong or agreeing weather they do it right. The older the child gets the more they realise their child is not them. Parents have to decide when to say yes and when to say no, pressurised into buying them things this happens throughout the ages especially when they are younger. Parents are pressurised into buying children almost anything because they think if they do not do so and make them fit in like everyone else they then label themselves as bad parents which is not the case. They are the decision maker of the child up until their old enough to make them there selves which is another point of pressure for them as the child gets older. Parents lead by example, they can change as much as a child will change but they will only change because their leader has. A child grows all the time and throughout parenthood it changes each day, feeding out of a bottle to eating adult’s meals or nappies to pants. Parenthood is a learning curve to each parent and they are changing all the time to meet the needs of a child. Children enjoy being like everyone else, if someone has a toy they like they automatically need that toy or if someone has a new gadget they have to try then want want want. Some children see it as an offence not to get what they want there and then and this cause’s arguments, crying, behaviour problems, and friction in the relationship. Social networks are a point of call where the parent makes a big decision on letting them use it or not, if they don’t will they go ahead anyway and get into trouble if they don’t know about it or if they let them what happens if bulling happens. Social networking is a rather dangerous place to go and for a parent it’s even scarier because it’s letting the protection of them go a little when they are using the internet of social network sites. Children need their independence and will take pleasure in having this authority but the parent needs to trust their children and loose control a little but also watch them on what they are doing and visualising. Children change through the years of being a child but parents also get older and things start to change depending on the ages of parents some get a lot older and not as clued up as others as to what children get up to in the new generation and some do not let any of them out of their site but as children grow older they become more independent and form new relationships, friendships and move to higher education. From a young age children are left under the care of another adult other than the parent such as play days, nurseries, parties and so many more places, trusting those in their care to look after their child safely and properly is a huge issue parents face every day, as they grow older they are left at primary school, secondary school, college and university then they are left in there own care when they are old enough just because a child has grown into an adult does not mean a parent will change there way of thinking or caring for them if anything it will grow stronger after the years of creating the relationship you have with a child. As children grow older and mix more with other aged children it becomes a worry for parents to know if their child is being bullied at school or college, handling and dealing with the issue is a stressful time because they have to be adult about it and deal with it in a responsible manor. How to cite Work With Parents to Meet their Children’s Needs, Papers

Changing Market Environment free essay sample

Changes in the Marketing Environment and its Implications The word â€Å"Marketing† refers to an activity that is strategically concerned with the management of relationship among an organization and environment. Environment could be described as an internal and external condition to an organization. Internal Environment consists of situational factors that are present within the organizational boundaries whereas external environment consists of any factors or conditions that are not under the control of an organization.Internal Environment creates strengths or weaknesses for a firm, however external environment may create opportunities or threats. Over the past some years, a significant change in external environment has been happened. In response to the change in external environment, companies have to change themselves and plan accordingly. Successful companies do not treat environment as a constraint, rather they view it as an opportunity. Some time the change in the environment becomes a competitive advantage for a firm who exploits the change at a right time. Changes in the Marketing Environment: Since a last decade or two, significant changes in the marketing environment have been observed in the marketplace. These significant changes could be categorized as, supply versus demand environment, rising expectations, innovation in technologies, globalization, increasing focus on service, fashionisation of markets, erosion of brands, micro markets, commoditization and other constraints. Previously, many companies do not bother to even think about customer needs and wants. They only concentrated on their production and specialization side.However, over time marketing managers realized the fact that understanding customer needs, behaviors and wants are crucial for customer satisfaction which ensures the continuity of an organization in the market. Now every other business is trying to achieve customer satisfaction, meet customer expectations and increase their customer average life. These things have forced the companies now to focus on demand side rather than supply side. Innovation in products and technologies is another source of change in the marketing environment.As pointed out earlier, that companies are now more focused on customer needs and wants. This thing has induced companies to bring innovation in their product features and processes. Competition has increased disastrously, which is forcing the firms to squeeze their profit margins and bring more efficiency in their production and processes. In order to accomplish this, companies demands more efficient technologies. This is something that every company in a particular industry has to follow. In order to remain competitive, all the companies have to adapt the new technology.Adapting the new technology or process means quitting the older ones, this brings change into the environment. In today’s world, the concept of Globalization is becoming more and more common. Globalization is progressing at a very fast speed. In fact, now many countries are supporting the phenomenon of free trade which is uplifting the globalization. Another factor that underlies the globalization trend is the dramatic developments in information processing and transportation technologies. Now many firms have global presence which pushes them to think about marketing and environment in a global context.In this regard, an organization has not only to take care about domestic market environment, in fact international market environment as well. Companies are now shifting their focus more on service side which cannot be standardized. Uniqueness and complexity of a service determines the extent of relationship between a business and the customer. Service is more customized than product. This customized nature of service is one of the sources of changing marketing environment. Customers’ trends are changing rapidly. As a result their purchase intentions are also changing.Behaviors of customers have significantly changed from the past. In 1970’s – 1990’s customers do not want to experience new things; rather they like to use same products and services. They were more rigid. However, today consumers want change, they want to experience new things, and much more flexible. These are some of the reasons of fashionisatin and erosion of brands. All these things are demanding more change in the marketing environment. Earlier, all businesses produce goods and then market them broadly to the general public without considering the needs of specific consumers in the market.However, in the current situation companies are adopting more targeted approach. In this regard, they advertise and market their product primarily to their target market. Companies now are increasing their reliance on niche marketing and specialization which is also refers to micro market. This phenomenon of micro market is creating change in the marketing environment and possessing challenge to the marketer. Change in the marketing environment also comes from the product life cycle. As product moves from one stage to another, a change occurs.In the earlier and middle stages of the product, companies try to differentiate their products which help them to charge premiums from the customers. However, in the later stages of the product, commoditization happens. Commoditization is a concept which reduces the differentiation. Reduction in the differentiation would results in the shrinkage of profit margins. Generally, companies do not want to commoditize and strives to prolong the middle stage of the product. The main point here is this that market environment would change with the change in the life cycle stage of product.Usually, commoditization also poses challenge to the marketer. Expectations of consumers are increasing from the companies. In the past, consumers did not expect much from the companies but now their expectations have increased with the increase in production technologies and competition. They expect more in terms of product quality and service. In order to meet the changing expectation and increasing demands of the consumers, companies need to change in their culture also. Therefore, rising expectations of consumers are also posing a change in the marketing environment. Apart from the above stated factors, companies also have to face number of other constraints as well which would create a change in the environment. These constraints could be related to economic, political or cultural constraints. Not always, but sometimes these constraints could bring a disastrous change in the marketing environment. Therefore, organizations have to be keep ready all the time to deal with any of the constraints. Changing Marketing Strategies: In this changing environment, companies have to be prepared for changing in their marketing strategies.