Views of Voltaire and Molière on the Role of Women in...

The role of women in society has been a controversial one. Most religions see women as being inferior to men and are of the view that women were created as a companion for men. A lot of our social morale stems from religion; hence this help to shape the view that woman is inferior and is to be submissive to their male counterpart. Society has set roles which each sex is expected to play. Gender role is a theoretical construct in the social sciences and humanities that refers to a set of social and behavioral norms that, within a specific culture, are widely considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex (Princeston.edu). Women are expected to be docile and agreeable, while men are expected to be head strong and†¦show more content†¦However Armande was of the view that male were not necessary in her life, education was of utmost importance she was appall when her sister (Henriette) told her she wanted to marry Clitandre. Armande stated â€Å"Ah! Heav ens! What a groveling disposition! What a poor part you act in the world, to confine yourself to family affairs, and to think of no more soul-stirring pleasures than those offered by an idol of a husband and by brats of children! Leave these base pleasures to the low and vulgar. Raise your thoughts to more exalted objects; endeavor to cultivate a taste for nobler pursuits; and treating sense and matter with contempt, give yourself, as we do, wholly to the cultivation of your mind.†So Armande general view was that the only way to uplift you was through education. Henriette though she was among learned women she aspired to be nothing like them Moliere also showed a balance with Henriette she was not illiterate but she was not obsessed with being educated. She believed in being a â€Å"traditional women† she was happy with everyday life routine and she didn’t want to ignore the needs of her body, she was fascinated with the idea of being a wife and having children. Henriette stated â€Å"I only have offered to my thoughts a husband, children, and a home; and I see nothing in all this to defile the imagination, or to make one shudder.† Armande can’t understand why her sister rejoices in marrying Clitandre. She thinks sheShow MoreRelatedTo Know About France, and Its History, Culture, French People and Democracy in France5199 Words   |  21 Pagesknow about France and its history, culture, French people and democracy in France ? Introduction France is a powerful democratic country in the world. Every French citizen in France over 18 years old has the right to vote. Freedom of expression is enshrined in law, people are free to gather for any reasons. the French people do strikes very often for their rights and freedom, the strikes in France are common and popular among the world, and French people are free to join any political party

Identity in the Workplace Creates Gender Inequality

As the nation’s gender inequality continues to diminish, things like sports stereotypes, and labour force conflict cannot be understood without understanding the term of identity. Identity work is explained by Schwalbe and Mason-Schrock in 1996 as â€Å"anything people do, individually or collectively, to give meaning to themselves or others† (as cited in Ezzell, 2009, p. 1). I propose to examine inequality based on gender identity and in depth the process of stereotype issues, - how people construct stereotypes in gender inequality in the context of sport- among women Rugby. The academic literatures are based on gender identity/ inequality, where it provides many examples of individuals deflecting the norms â€Å"by ... creat[ing] a unique identity as heterosexy-fit— simultaneously tough, heterosexual, and conventionally attractive† (Ezzell, 2009, p. 14). By deflecting/ creating an exception to these norms, it only creates greater issues as not only does society view them in a certain way, but also the player themselves. The overarching goal of the proposal is to address the social issue and understand why society to this date gives harsh views towards women’s rugby with a common stereotypical view. These views were described by Ezzell (2009) who conducted a personal communication with some female rugby players who stated that other views them as: â€Å"scary, butch lesbians,† â€Å"she-males,† â€Å"he-shes,† â€Å"lesbian man-beasts,† and â€Å"butch, big— definitely gay† (p. 8). This study will aid inShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie s The Night As Hope Essay1690 Words   |  7 Pagesintertwined in her presentation through personal narratives. The first however was the most impactful on Adichie’s feminist identity. She discusses a childhood friend, Okoloma, and how he had called her a feminist. However, Adichie knew that this was not meant as a complimen t, but instead as, â€Å"a supporter of terrorism.† This inspired her to investigate her own feminist identity. However, she quickly found she was many things that were not stereotypically feminist. Many told her it was un-African becauseRead MoreIntersectionality And Social Interequality1578 Words   |  7 PagesIntersectionality is defined as the idea that social identities are created based on the manner in which our multiple group identities intersect. Intersectionality as a theory asserts that each element of identity is linked together to form one individual’s identification. The term intersectionality was created by feminist legal scholar Kimberlà © Williams Crenshaw. Her discovery of the term led her to find that through these elements of identity we can uncover social standing and also recognize systemicRead MoreGender Inequality And The Social Construction Of Gender1562 Words   |  7 Pagesof gender, race, class, and sexuality have led to discrimination a nd inequality of those classified under a variety of these categories. Through understanding the significance of these social constructs on society it becomes apparent the intersectionality they have when it comes to understanding why certain groups may face discrimination or inequality. This paper examines gender inequality and how the social construction of gender makes it difficult for the pursuit of equality amongst genders. GenderRead MoreThe Gender Discrimination And Inequality Essay1611 Words   |  7 PagesAim To illustrate the gender discrimination and inequality issues at work and in leadership, consider the reaction to solve these questions. 1.2 Parameters This report discusses some key issues that occur at work and in the leadership of gender discrimination and inequality and current their improved programs in Australia and the United States. It illustrates background context, analysis and future direct, as well, there is 2000 words limit. 1.3 Definitions Gender discrimination is a situationRead MoreSocial Construction Of The Labor Market1169 Words   |  5 Pagesresults and learn to challenge these norms (gender norms). That is why unions are being created, to fix these problems of inequality people face in the labour market. It may never be the intention of the labour force to propagate gender inequality, or perhaps not out rightly so. Unfortunately, the social construction of society has created norms that individuals unconsciously follow and pass on from one generation to another. With these norms intact, inequality exists in the labour market; it exists inRead MoreGender Equity Issues1157 Words   |  5 PagesGender Equity Issues Case study Gather Information Gathering information to validate gender issues in the workplace is a better approach than merely assuming the validity of information provided. Gender discrimination is a problem across different countries, organizations, and cultures. It is rooted in traditional patriarchal norms, which put women as minor people in their respective workplaces and homes. Gender discrimination negatively affects women because it harms their social health,Read MoreTechnology And Its Impact On Society915 Words   |  4 Pagesefficiently maintain a state of protection and security. Society values divides among groups to create superfluities that enabled mankind to live on and grow. Although neutral by itself, the manner in which technology is structured reflects the ideals of society which is self-preservation through the division of labour. By observing the work structures based on a global scale, discrete scale and gender, it can be shown how the coevolution of society and technology reflects the p ast ideals of basedRead MoreGender Segregation in the Worplace Separated by Vertical and Horizontal Hierarchy1035 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to the Dictionary of Sociology (1998) gender segregation refers to the unequal distribution between men and women in the work place, sometimes also (and more accurately) called ‘occupational segregation by sex’. There are two forms: ‘vertical segregation’ describes the clustering of men at the top of occupational hierarchies and of women at the bottom; ‘horizontal segregation’ describes the fact that at the same occupational level (that is within occupational classes or even occupationsRead MoreGender Pay Gap Essay1537 Words   |  7 Pagesever since. In 2005, 58% of women received all bachelor’s degrees (Snyder Dillow, 2007, p. 325). Yet once graduation occurs, there is a different form of gender inequality found at the workplace. Although disparity between the number of men and women in the workforce is explainable, there is nothing to justify the pay inequality between genders. Even currently, the difference between the wages of a male and female worker of the same standard is vast, favouring the male workers. Despite women statisticallyRead MoreThe 1964 Civil Rights Act1173 Words   |  5 Pagessegregation is so rampant in the workplace still? Segregation is defined as the characteristic on which groups are sorted symbolized dominant or subordinate status and become the bases for differential treatment. It provides rewards for the dominating group in society and makes the minority group stay below. This process provides an illusion of equal but separate treatment for the people of the workplace. Making great strides since the 1960’s, woman to male inequality in the workforce has gone down

Hurrican Katrina free essay sample

My disaster paper will focus mainly on the direct and indirect effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans were made by the community and the state, which also affected New Orleans and surrounding areas. My initial research on this topic of Hurricane Katrina was that, although there was a slew of different aids and reliefs sent to New Orleans and other surrounding areas, there were periods where there wasn’t enough or too much time was taken so that the community and pretty much the federal government could have made a timely contribution. This makes my initial response to Hurricane Katrina and its effect on New Orleans and the things that were done to help them a negative response. This is why I am choosing to write about this touching topic, I want to inform readers and people who may not know some approaches taken (and not taken) to help New Orleans and the surrounding areas that were affected. We will write a custom essay sample on Hurrican Katrina or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page * The purpose of me writing this argument will be to inform readers, of the direct and indirect effect of Hurricane Katrina. The tone will be informative, this strategy will suit me best for this paper because of the type of incident Hurricane Katrina was. Thesis will definitely be in the first paragraph. Most likely in the middle of the opening paragraph. There possibly will be a refutation, although, where I am going to put one at this point has not be determined. * My research question will be: What were the direct and indirect effects of Katrina on New Orleans, and what actions were made by the communities and government to effectively help Hurricane Katrina victims. The intended audience for my informative paper will be teens and young adults, these seem to be the people who were involved and knew the most about Hurricane Katrina and the updates. Plus it is just an easier group of people to write to. My audience is most likely between the ages of 15-30, because high school students were watching the news and getting updates by school and home, and because 30 year olds are still concerned with news. They most likely are middle class, being that most of the people effected by Hurricane Katrina were middle classed, so naturally other middle class people were tuned in. Gender probably wouldn’t matter, but education might play a big role. Being that people who were not as educated as others may not be so affected or concerned with what was going on in another state, because they themselves were not being affected. The major points that will be addressed in my analysis paper will be the indirect and direct effects of this natural disaster and the relief efforts and other helps that were made to help Katrina Victims. They will most likely find out how much Katrina victims were affected and what happened to them. Although, these will be things they have heard in the news there will also be other facts such as the economic effect this natural disaster had on New Orleans and surrounding areas. Not everything is for news, and although some people were concerned with this catastrophe, most people did not go and do their own research so they have been misinformed or left out of some things that actually did happen during this time. Some general beliefs that may be involved in his mishap, would be that when people need help, for example not being able to help themselves somebody of higher authority such as government should be able to step in and effectively take care of the situation. That is one example of personal beliefs.

The History and Significance of Recitative Quran

Reciting the Quran in part or whole (Recitative Quran), forms an integral part of the Muslim culture. The author argues that the oral character of the Quran is perceptible in every aspect of the Muslim culture, today as in any previous age of the Islamic history.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The History and Significance of Recitative Quran specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The author points out that the recitative function of the Quran has been paramount especially in public ritual and private devotional lives of Muslims over the centuries. This chapter examines the importance of recitative Quran in Muslim communal and personal life. The discussion begins by exploring how Muslims have sustained recitative tradition: namely, the cultivation amongst Muslims of Quranic recitation as an art and a science in traditional Islamic scholarship and education. The chapter further illustrates the personal and communal circ umstances under which the application of recitative Quran plays a significant role. The chapter gives a comprehensive illustration of the history, application and significance of recitative Quran. Graham notes that â€Å"Anyone who has lived in a Muslim society will appreciate the degree to which the lilting refrain of Quranic recitation occupies a prominent place in the public sphere, forming a significant part of the auditory background of everyday life† (p. 106). Most Muslims cling to traditional piety and strive to preserve the lilting strains of the chanted Quran as a prominent element in the foreground of their lives. Muslims usually recite Quran during public gatherings like worship (Salat) and during the holy month of Ramadhan. Muslims also chant the Quran during ‘tilawah and dhikr’ sessions. The above statement emphasizes the strict adherence to recitative Quran by Muslims. From birth to death, every action that a Muslim makes in life including festiviti es tends to be accompanied by spoken words of the sacred Quran in the form of lengthy Quranic passages or unsophisticated Quranic words.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More An example of a Quranic word can be as easy as ‘basmalah’ (in the name of God, the merciful, the Compassionate). Longer recitations include phrases like Fatihah, S. 1, which every Muslim knows by heart. Some scholars hold the opinion that these are not mere words or letters. They are twigs of the burning bush; a flame with God (Graham 109). An Islamic scholar, Ghazali, declared that much repetition prevents Quranic recitation from appearing old and worn out to those reciting it. The powerful presence of rhythmic cadence of the Quran tends to be evidenced everywhere in traditional and modern Muslim society. Memorizing of the Quran begins early during the upbringing of children in schools known as m aktab. The learning of at least some part of the divine word is the single most common early learning experience shared in some degree by all Muslims. Maktab forms a significant stage known as the Islamization process of Muslims. A maktab teacher once argued that when children chant the Quran loudly, they learn it by heart. The teacher indicated that sons of the prophet (children) need the word in their memory so that they can repeat it often. Moreover, the teacher further affirmed that the word should not be translated; this would alter its meaning leading to sacrilege. Some scholars view Muslims as â€Å"those whose gospels are in their hearts while others read them from sacred volumes† (Graham 102). Indeed, the significance of recitative Quran can never be underestimated in any Islamic culture. Muslims regard recitative Quran as a sacred endeavor which is descendent from the holy prophet Mohammed. The practice forms part of sacred doctrines strictly observed by Muslims gl obally.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The History and Significance of Recitative Quran specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Work Cited Graham, William. Beyond the Written Word: Oral Aspects of Scripture in the History of Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987. Print. This essay on The History and Significance of Recitative Quran was written and submitted by user Katie Conley to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Equivalence and Equivalent Effect in Translation Theory essayEssay Writing Service

Equivalence and Equivalent Effect in Translation Theory essayEssay Writing Service Equivalence and Equivalent Effect in Translation Theory essay Equivalence and Equivalent Effect in Translation Theory essayTranslation equivalence is an important concept of translation theory. It is one of the main principles of Western theory of translation. Finding translation equivalents is one of the core problems of the translation process. As Catford states, the central problem of translation-practice is that of finding TL equivalents. A central task of translation theory is that of defining the nature and conditions of translation equivalence. (Catford, 1965, p. 21). Starting from the middle of the twentieth century a lot of prominent theorists who work in the field of translation theory include the concept of equivalence in their theorizing and research. The concept of equivalence was used to distinguish the difference between free and literal translation. Roman Jacobson became the first who used this term in his work published in 1959. Later a lot of specialists used this term in their works and made a lot of attempts to distinguish t he concept of equivalence. Such prominent specialists as Vinay and Darbelet Jakobson, Nida, Catford, House and Baker used the concept of equivalence in their studies. All of them regarded this concept in relation to the translation theory. Translation is a complex process which can be regarded from several perspectives. Some specialists view translation as a merely linguistic process where notions from one language are translation into another one. This group of specialists regards equivalence as literal translating each word and notion. At the same time other specialists state that cultural context is very important for the translation because only the use of the context can help to pass real meaning of the text. In their opinion, equivalence in translation should deal with passing the meaning of the text. These scholars present semantic or functional approach to translation. The third group of specialists take   middle position and state that equivalence is used for the convenie nce of translators. Bakers who shares this approach states that equivalence is used â€Å"for the sake of convenience- because most translators are used to it rather than because it has any theoretical status† (Kenny, 1998, p.77).  Despite different attitudes to the concept of equivalence, most of the specialists pay much attention to its meaning in the theory of translation. Importance of Equivalence in Translation Theory:It is important to understand the meaning of the term equivalence.   In English language it may be used as a technical term, which describes scientific notions. For example, term equivalence is used in mathematics, At the same time term equality may be used in common sense   in everyday language. In the theory of translation the term equivalence is used in its general meaning because it is hard to find absolutely identical words and notions in different languages. Different languages have different phonetic, grammar, syntax and vocabulary structures. That is why we can speak only about certain degree of equivalence when we make translation. So, in our case we use term equivalence in the meaning of similarity or approximation and it shows the level of likeness between the source and the target text. This likeness may be achieved on different levels.Translation is a form of communication and that is the reason it is so important to establish equivalence between the source text and the target text. Nida defines translation as reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source-language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style. (Nida, 1982, p. 12). It is evident that equivalence is one of basic concepts of translation which can not be neglected.The View of Different Specialists of Equivalence in Translation:Roman Jacobson made a valuable contribution to the development of translation theory. He introduced the concept of   â€Å"equivalence in difference† which had an im portant meaning for the further development of the translation theory. Roman Jacobson distinguished three kinds of translation, which included: intralingual (dealing with one language) interlingual (dealing with two languages)-intersemiotic (dealing with sign systems).According to Jacobson, translator searches for synonyms when making intralingual translation in order to pass the message. This means that intralingual translation does not imply full equivalence between language units. According to Jakobson: â€Å"translation involves two equivalent messages in two different codes† (Jakobson, 1959, p. 233). This means that the task of translator becomes to reach equality in messages despite different grammatical, lexical and semantic structures of ST and TT. Despite difference in grammar and lexical structures translation becomes possible through finding necessary equivalents. As he states: â€Å"whenever there is deficiency, terminology may be qualified and amplified by loanw ords or loan-translations, neologisms or semantic shifts, and finally, by circumlocutions† (ibid. p.234). Jakobson uses different examples to illustrate his concept. He compares different language structures from English and Russian languages and illustrates cases where it is not possible to find a literal equivalent to the ST unite. In these cases translator should choose the most suitable way to translate the text trying to reach the most possible equivalence.Same as Vinay and Darbelnet, Jakobson states that linguistic approach does not suit for the need of the translation theory. He stresses on the limitations of linguistic theory and point out different methods which help to make the equivalence in translation the same. Jakobson counts on semiotic approach where translator should extract the message from the source language and then choose the most appropriate means to pass it to the target language.Later scholars continued the study of translation theory and developed the ir own understanding of equivalence. Nida and Tiber distinguished two types of equivalence – formal equivalence (correspondence ) and dynamic equivalence.   Dynamic equivalence is based on the equivalent effect, while formal equivalence is focused on the message itself. As they state â€Å"Typically, formal correspondence distorts the grammatical and stylistic patterns of the receptor language, and hence distorts the message, so as to cause the receptor to misunderstand or to labor unduly hard† (Nida and Taber, 1982, p. 201).  Despite the detailed study of both types of equivalence, Nida gives preference to the dynamic equivalence, because it gives more opportunities for the translators and proves to be more effective during the translation procedure. Nida showed other specialists the way and let them distance from the word-to-word translation and make a translation process more dynamic and more reader-oriented.Catford is another scholar who dedicated much effort t o the study of translation theory. His concept of translation equivalence differs from the concept presented by Nida and Taber. Catford’s approach is based on the linguistic approach. Catford expanded translation theory and added new criteria, such as the extent of translation, the grammatical rank and the levels of language involved in the translation. According to Catford, grammatical rank establishes translation equivalence.  Catford’s theory of translation was criticized by many scholars. Snell-Hornby became one of the most active critics of Catford’s ideas. She called equivalence in translation to be an illusion and didn’t believe that translation could be regarded as a merely linguistic process. The notion of equivalence was changed and developed with the flow of time. Baker’s ideas gave new vision of the problem. She explores the notion of equivalence on different levels and applies it to the translation process. She combines linguistic an d communicative approaches in order to make translation process more effective. Baker distinguishes equivalence at the level of the word, at the   grammatical level, and at the level of the text . Pragmatic equivalence deals with the purpose of communication and also makes an important contribution to the translation process. All these levels are important for the translator and should be taken into consideration during the translation process because only their combination can result in the qualified translation.Peter Newmark   is another specialist whose ideas had   great impact on the development of translation theory. He steps away from Nida’s ideas of recipient-oriented translation and changes the vision of equivalence in translation. Newmark   develops ideas of communicative and semantic translation in contrast to literal translation.   Not leaving ideas of equivalence and literal translation, Newmark gives preference to semantic and communicative translation. According to Newmark,   translation is rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text. (Newmark, 1988,   p. 5). His views had great influence on many other specialists who studied his works and used his approach.Equivalence in Translation: Pros and Contras:Translation is a complex phenomenon which is hard to define. It helps to pass the meaning and form from one language to another and very often equivalence becomes that measure which helps to define the success of this process. A lot of specialists stress on the important role of the equivalence for the translation. Marry Snell-Hornby even states that different definitions of translation process may be regarded as different variants of equivalence description. It is hard to overestimate the role of equivalence in translation. Translation is a bridge which helps to link people who do not understand each other. Translation enables communication between people.   This way equi valence becomes the measure of success of translation process. The more equivalent the source and the target text are, the better communication goals will be achieved.Many scholars and researchers stress on the important role of equivalence in the translation process. At the same time some specialists stress that desire to achieve maximum equivalence may create certain limitations and restrictions. Thus, equivalence may result in extreme concentration on form and structure and thus may cause the loss of sense and message of the text. Specialists who share this opinion center rather on the message of the text and do everything possible to pass it to the recipient even if it may cause the reduction to equivalence level. Equivalence is often used by the specialists who count on linguistic approach to the process of translation. These specialists try to achieve maximum linguistic, grammar and structural equivalence. Their opponents center on the sense and meaning rather than on the form and, thus, do not give too important role to the equivalence or value the equivalence in meaning rather than in its form.ConclusionsEquivalence is a complex term which describes phenomena from different spheres of human knowledge. In the field of translation it first appeared in the middle of the last century and since then has become an important indicator of the translation process. Most translation theorists and researchers pay attention to the equivalence in translation, despite the fact that their opinions on this phenomenon may differ. Some specialists believe that the equivalence may be regarded as a synonym of the translation process, others believe that the equivalence should not cause the loss of main message of the text. Despite different approaches, the equivalence is an important notion in the translation process and it helps to approach the meaning and value of the translation process in general.

Free sample - Anthropology. translation missing

Anthropology. AnthropologyAnthropology   refers   to   the   study of   human   beings   and   their   cultures.   This   study   cuts   across   the   natural   sciences,   humanities   as   well   as   the   social   sciences.   The main   focus   of   the   study   is   to   investigate   the   origin   of   man (Willigen, 1993).   It   deals   with   the   origins   of   homo   sapiens,   homo   sapiens   characteristics,   behavior,   how   evolutionary   past  Ã‚  Ã‚   of   homo   sapiens  Ã‚   affects   its   social   organization   as   well   as   culture   and   the   reason   for   differences   among   different   groups   of   people.   Anthropology   basically   has   four   subfields:   archaeology,   cultural/ social   anthropology,   linguistic   anthropology   and   physical/ biological   anthropology   (Strauss, 1963). Archaeology   is   a   subfield   that   is   concerned   with   the   study   of  Ã‚   the   material   remains   of   various   artifacts  Ã‚   such   as   buildings,   tools, and   pottery   of   different   communities.   This   study   aims   at   establishing   the   cultures   as well   as   the   cultural   evolution   of these   societies (Willigen, 1993).   The   professionals   involved   in   this   study   are   referred to   as   anthropological   archaeologists.   They   mostly   focus   on   the   prehistoric   cultures   since   they   have   not   been   documented   as   well   as   early   animal   domestication   and   metal   use (Willigen, 1993).  Ã‚   Anthropological   archaeologists  Ã‚   mainly   attempt   to   establish   several   things   from   the   artifacts   they   collect. They   at tempt   to   establish   the social   dispensation   of   the   culture,   the   relationship   of   this   culture   with   others   in   the   area,   the   nature   of   the   physical   environment   of   that particular   area   as   well   as   the   animal   and   plant   resources   of   the   area,   if   the   culture   under study   engaged   in   domestication   of   animals   and   plants,   the   people’s  Ã‚   religion,   population   size,   health,   and   technology ,  Ã‚   causes   for   cultural collapse   and   finally   the   reasons   for   cultural   evolution/change(Willigen, 1993) .   Biological/   physical   evolution   on   the   other   hand   is   concerned   with   the   biological   aspect   of   people.  Ã‚   It   further   attempts   to   establish   how   the   biological   nature   of   human   beings   relates   to their   cultural   practices,   evolution   as   well   as   their   environment (Willigen, 1993).   This   subfield   is   further   divided   into   three   main   branches   which   are:  Ã‚   paleoanthropology,  Ã‚   primatology,   and   the   study   of   modern   variation   as   well as   adaptation of   human   beings (Strauss, 1963).   Paleoanthropology  Ã‚   is   basically   concerned   with   the   study   of   human   fossils   as   well   as   their   close   relatives   while   primatology   focuses   on the   study   of   primates   such   as   humans,   ap es,   monkeys   and prosimians (Willigen, 1993).   References Strauss, C. (1963). Structural   Anthropology.   London: Oxford   University   Press Willigen, J. (1993)   Applied   Anthropology.   London:   Oxford   University   Press

Quality Assessment Plan for Teachers Coursework

Quality Assessment Plan for Teachers - Coursework Example This assessment plan has been designed to give relevant, measurable and consistent results under any circumstances. We take as a point of departure the requirement for each teacher who attends this training course to then, when teaching students him- or herself, to positively influence the chances of each student to gain employment. Employers of these students may be companies providing this IT services to other customers, or companies requiring this kind of competence for their own internal needs. As such, employers will typically look for practical ability and knowledge in this domain, motivation to use and apply that ability and related work experience where possible. The trainee teachers will therefore be assessed on their demonstrable ability to teach students to this level and to provide a motivating environment for the student to succeed. The assessment plan that is applied to the teachers measures what is measurable: the practical teaching ability and the assimilation of teac hing knowledge.For their students to succeed both in the IT curriculum and in the process of gaining employment, teachers will need to instill in them demonstrable competence. This in turn means that the teacher will need to show practical competence in the teaching methods. Theoretical knowledge of teaching methods will not be enough. Therefore a significant part of the training and consequently the assessment is competency-based. However, assimilated knowledge must also be taken into account when it demonstrates the teacher's aptitude.... he practical assessments will take place individually in the classroom itself as well as in rooms adjacent to the classroom to allow sufficient privacy for each trainee teacher and avoid the risk of collusion. Each teacher will answer the questions in the assessment on his or her own, and the grades will be calculated for each individual from the answers given. The correctness of the answers will be measured by the accuracy of the written result or by the demonstration of appropriate teaching behavior when doing the practical exercises. Course objectives: demonstrate broad understanding of teaching principles demo understanding of class dynamics demo understanding of learning motivation particularly in unemployment context demo understanding of continual assessment / orientation of students demo understanding of linking student learning to improved job prospects demo understanding of identifying learning problems and solving them demo workshop leadership for students to apply their learning demo ability to grade and assess students final performance Appendix 1 shows the relationship between the course objectives and the assessment Appendix 2 gives a representative sample of the assessment methods to be used. It may be noted as well that these assessment methods are available for immediate use by any person teaching the teachers on this course. Their application is specified in each case: for example, how to use the multiple choice questionnaires, which steps to accomplish in the practical exercise and what results are to be noted by the trainee teacher. Instructions have also been produced to allow any assessor or official examiner to apply these assessment methods. They require no specific knowledge on the part of the examiner (for the case where the person

Summarise 2 Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summarise 2 Theories - Essay Example Social Control Theory circulates around certain principles (Siegel, 2008). These principles are peoples relationships, values, commitments, norms, and values. These principles encourage people not to break the laws of the land. Major contributors and their contributions to the Social Control theory follow assertions by a couple of ideologists. Albert J. Reiss defined personal control as the ability of a person to cease from meeting needs in ways which clash with the rules and norms of the society. Social control, he stated, refers to the skill of social groups to create rules or norms that bring full success. The second main contributor was Jackson Toby. He quarreled that the casual adolescent is an entrant for group socialization. He recognized group socialization as a piece of social control that connects, motivates, and that leads to wrongdoing. He put out the idea of stakes in conformity to make clear the candidacy for studying such experiences (Siegel, 2008). This theory does not reflect on motivational issues. It argues that individuals may decide to engage in a variety of activities, unless the varieties are restricted to the processes of social learning and socialization. This is taken from the Hobbesian analysis of human nature that is stated in the Leviathan; that all options are controlled by implicit agreements, social contracts and understanding among citizens. Thus, ethics will be set in the building of social orders, consequences and assigning costs to assured choices and terming some of the choices as immoral, evil or unlawful (Siegel, 2008). Labeling theory closely relates to symbolic interaction and social construction analysis theory. Labeling theory maintains that disobedience is not inherent in wrong doers, but instead looks at the possibilities of majorities to negatively tag minorities or those seen as weak from normal cultural norms. The theory circulates around certain principles.

Oxford Don and Half Caste Essay Example for Free

Oxford Don and Half Caste Essay The poems, Listen Mr. Oxford Don and Half Caste were both written by John Agard, and in both of these poems, Agard challenges the status quo. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, he challenges the use of language and in Half Caste, he challenges views of ethnicity. In the poem Listen Mr. Oxford Don, Agard characterizes Mr. Oxford Don as the Guardian of English, and the idea of a person who uses the correct form of English. In this poem, Agard challenges the view that Standard English is the correct form of English, and other forms of English are of a lesser status. In the poem Half Caste, Agard challenges the reader prejudices towards people of mixed ethnicity. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, Agard uses repetition of particular words and imagery to help him convey his ideas. He uses the phrase, is a dangerous one twice in the poem. He also uses sentence like, I ent have no gun to create the image of violence. Words such as, bashing and slashing are also used by Agard which suggest him being very threatening. The reason that Agard creates all these violent images is because he wants us to know that hes a peaceful man, but he can be very dangerous if people think that English has to be spoken in a particular way. Unlike Listen Mr. Oxford Don, in Half Caste Agard concentrates more on using imagery to make his point. An example of imagery used by Agard, when yu say half-caste yu mean tchaikovsky mix a black key wid a white key? Here, Agard is saying to the reader that Tchaikovsky uses both white and black notes, but no one calls him half caste because hes respected by others. Agard is asking the reader that if you can mix a black and white key, then why cant you be of mixed race? As the poem goes on, Agard carries on using examples to make his point, but this time it relates to his body. He says, why I offer yu half-a-hand an when I sleep at night I close half-a-eye. Hes saying this in a way that he can only have half a hand and half an eye because hes half caste or half made. When people call him half caste, hes offended because its like saying that hes not a complete human being, hes only half made. He wants these people to review the term half caste, and think about it before using as its the wrong term to use. Agard uses non-standard English in Listen Mr. Oxford Don. He uses a lot of double negatives for example, Me not no Oxford Don. Many of his spellings also comes from the Caribbean dialect: de, dont, ent, etc. Both double negatives and Caribbean dialect spellings are informal and non-standard. The purpose of him using these words is to show that hes against the academics because he knows that the academics would never write in a non-standard way like this. Agard also uses colloquial language, Im not a violent man Mr. Oxford Don. This type of language is used to speak not to write so its informal and non-standard. Agard uses non-standard English throughout the poem; this shows that hes unashamed to use it, and shows that hes challenging Standard English which is the accepted form of English. Alternatively, in Half Caste, non-standard English is used for different reasons. In this poem, Agard also uses words from the Caribbean dialect, for example, dem, yu, etc, but the effect of this is to show that hes not fully English and hes of a mixed race. Agard also uses the direct address; he refers to himself as I and refers to the reader as you as shown in this quotation, but yu must come back tomorrow wid de whole of yu eye an I will tell yu de other half of my story. Agard makes the reader feel as though the point is being made directly to them, and makes them feel more challenged that if they want to hear another half of his story, they need to be more open minded. Most importantly, they must not judge people because of their race. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, theres no clear structure to the poem. There is not the same number of lines in each stanza, and theres no fixed number of syllables in each line like there would be in a Standard English poem. He also doesnt use any form of punctuation, and he even adds a slash in the middle of the line: to split/ up yu syntax. This makes it even more non-standard because slash breaks the rhythm of the poem. All of these things shows the fact that he doesnt believe Standard English is the only form of English; there are other forms of English which are equally legitimate. In Half Caste, the lines throughout the poem are generally quite short, the effect of this is to make the poem go faster, and make us receive short quick messages. Agard also uses many commands, for example, Explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say half-caste. The effect of this is to grab peoples attention, but its also asking the reader what do we mean when we say half caste. Do we say it because we feel prejudiced towards people of mixed ethnicity? In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, the tone starts off lightly; this is when hes talking about who he is and where hes from. As the poem goes on, he begins to talk about violence, I ent have no gun, I ent have no knife. This is when his tone starts to become quite aggressive and threatening. After this he says, I dont need no hammer to mash up your grammar, his tone becomes even more threatening because he says that he will speak whatever he wants. The word mash up implies violence, Agard is threatening to destroy the English language. Unlike Listen Mr. Oxford Don, the tone of Half Caste is lighthearted, only towards the end of the poem that the tone starts to get serious. This is when he says that we need to give people full respect if we want to understand them completely as human beings. If were categorizing them into groups, were not giving them respect. In both of the poems, Agard uses clever humor to grab our attention, but at the same to provoke our preconceptions. Both of these poems are very political, and have a social impact. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, Agard is challenging the traditional institutions to say that theres no such thing as the correct form of English anymore. Society has moved on, and now we need to embrace other forms of English language as well because we all have different dialects, but each dialect is as valid as the other. The traditional form of English doesnt mean its more superior or more acceptable in society. In Half Caste, Agard not only wants to address the reader, hes challenging the reader into questioning their own preconceptions and prejudices. Hes also getting them to think about the implications of the words they use, because most people do not know the full meaning of it, and do not realize the weight of what theyre saying. For example, the word half caste can seriously offend the people who are of mixed ethnicity.

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ Essay -- Movie Film Essays

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ Despite the rebuke of Jewish and Christian communities in our culture today, Jews and Christians have faced a thickening wall of inter-faith tension for quite a while; it is an issue our society does not often bring to the forefront among popular current events.   However, the release of Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ, not only drew out the results of this tension among Jewish and Christian communities, but also reinforced those age-old tensions in our society.   Various Christian denominations have responded by bringing attention to their respective condemnations of anti-Semitism, and stressing the importance of inter-faith tranquility between Jews and Christians, bringing to light the common elements of the two faiths while respectfully acknowledging the differences.   These concerns, addressed hitherto, do not just come from biased faith communities 4, but from objective sources as well, concerned merely with the preservation of peaceful relations among several groups, such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).   While the ADL has admitted it cannot and will likely never have any evidence by which to accuse Mr. Gibson of being an anti-Semite, it does fear effects of the film on strengthening current waves of anti-Semitism, as well as creating an inaccurate image among impressionable observers unfamiliar with Jewish or Christian theological teachings 1.   Mr. Gibson has, wittingly or unwittingly, reinforced these tensions by following the film up with a harsh branding of all non-Christians as followers of Satan, a message that Jewish and Christian leaders alike fear could become the demise of inter-faith relations among Jews and Christians around the globe, as Dr. David Elco... ... 12 Feb. 2004.   Obtained from http://www.ajc.org/InTheMedia/OpinionsDetail.asp?did=202&pid=2091.   7) Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.   ?Declaration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to the Jewish Community.?   18 Apr. 1994.   Obtained from http://www.elca.org/ecumenical/interfaithrelations/jewish/declaration.html.   8) Fisher, Eugene.   ?National Workshop on Christian-Jewish Relations.?   23 Sep. 1996.   Obtained from http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/archives/96-08/1004.html.   9) The Pontifical Biblical Commission.   ?The Jewish People and their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible.?   Vatican Press; 2002.   Obtained at http://www.bigbrother.net/~mugwump/jcrelations/. 10) Sandmel, David Fox.   ?The Passion of the Christ ? Jewish Reaction and Commentary.?   Obtained from http://www.elca.org/ecumenical/interfaithrelations/thepassion/jewish_reaction.html.  

Life Styles Inventory Survey Life Style Inv Essay

Life Style Inventory Survey measures what motivates a person behavior, their thoughts and self-concept. The inventory is for self-discovery; it enables a person to take a revealing look at them and what makes them unique. The LSI enabled me to examine my own unique way of thinking and how it influenced my behaviors. Once I created a profile, I was able to determine what styles were working to my advantage and which ones where undermining my effectiveness. The LSI forced me to initiate positive changes in how I think and act; changes that can increase my personal and professional effectiveness. Life Styles Inventory Results The LSI heightened my self-awareness, and helped me to determine where I needed to direct my self-improvement efforts. The process of self-improvement involves certain steps. These steps include; knowing ones strengths and weaknesses, accepting yourself as you are now, understanding how ones thinking and behavior affect oneself and others, deciding to improve oneself, and committing to a plan of action to change ones behavior. When I took the LSI I was it recognized two strong personal thinking styles. My primary (highest percentile score) and back-up (second highest percentile score) personal thinking styles are oppositional and dependent. The oppositional scale measures ones tendency to use the defensive and aggressive strategy of disagreeing with others, and to seek attention by being critical and cynical. Oppositional people typically love to argue and have a fear of getting close to people. In general, this style is characterized by: the ability to ask tough, probing questions, a tendency to make others feel uncomfortable, a tendency to seem aloof and detached from people, and a need to look for flaws in everything. The dependent scale measures the degree to which one feels he/she efforts do not count. Dependent behaviors originate in a need for security and self-protection and often feel he/she has very little control over their lives. This type of behavior can be long-standing, or due to temporary life changes such as a new job, promotion, an illness, or the break-up of a close relationship. In general, this style is characterized by: a passive attitude, feelings of helplessness, difficulty making decision, the presence of rapid change or traumatic set-backs in one’s life and an over-concern with pleasing people. When I first read the results and definitions of each personal thinking style I was initially shocked. I said to myself, â€Å"Is this really who I am?† But I had to take a step back from the situation and allowed myself to really learn how to improve myself. By accepting who I am now; will allow me to change and improve my way of thinking and ultimately my way of life for the future. Recently I have moved away from family and friends and started a new job. It is very stressful and I am constantly critiqued and question about the process or procedures I do. I believe this is where that dependent style plays its part in my life. As for the oppositional style, I have had to fight and claw my way in everything I do. Some life changing personal events and poor relationships make me to question future relationships, both personal and work related, but I never saw myself as cynical or sarcastic. Oppositional reminded me of that negative person no one wants to be around and I was a little off put because that is not how I thought of myself. I have always thought of myself as a positive person, always encouraging others, a hard-worker who just wants to be a good example. However, deep down inside I question myself and others abilities. I seldom say what I really think and can be stubborn and slow to forgive. I believe the results of the Life Style Inventory survey opened my eyes and proved that I need to change my way of thinking. By changing my thought process I will be a better employee and leader, as well as a better sister, auntie, an all-around better person. Personal Thinking Styles The first step in self-improvement is understanding your strengths and weaknesses. This is one question that is typical in a job interview and also qualities people look at when developing relationships. Once you have truly examined your areas of weakness and strength you can then develop a plan to improve and enhance them. One style that I believe that isworking against me and reducing my overall effectiveness is my oppositional way of thinking. Oppositional scores in the high range like mine, indicates that I am skeptical towards others, extremely critical, and keep others away. I believe this style limiting my professional effectiveness because I am unable to effectively communicate with my co-workers or superiors. I am skeptical of others intentions which make me more detached and distant at first. I also have tendency to hold back and not say what I am thinking. Working within an organization you have to be able to effectively communicate and if you are deliberately withholding your thoughts then you cannot be effective and an employee or a leader. A great example of this is recently during an observation by my supervisor, I was being critiqued on how I communicate with potential students. She stated that, â€Å"Nina, you seem unable to relate to certain demographics of students, those being middle age white women.† She asked me why and what she could do to help me overcome this obstacle. Right there was a perfect time to give her a little background about myself but because I am skeptical of her intentions, I resisted and gave a half-hearted answer. I say on a daily basis that I have to improve on my communication skills. In order to do so I have to place more trust with the individual that will receive my conversation. A big part of being oppositional is lack of personal relationship and stubbornness that pushes people away. I want to be a leader one day in the community and within an organization. I understand that in order to do so, I must develop my communication skills and improve my mental attitude. The Impact on Management Style When it comes to the planning and organizing aspects of management I am confident in this area. I am somewhat of a perfectionist, so making sure everything is in order and everyone is doing their job is important. My personal styles play apart because my lack of trust will prevent me from trusting my coworkers to complete their tasks. This means I sometimes feel obligated to double work. However when it comes to leading and controlling this is where my personal thinking styles play a huge role. Oppositional managers are viewed more as a â€Å"watch dog† rather than a leader. Well I am not that extreme, I do watch over my employees making sure they are doing things correctly instead of trusting that my training has given them the skills needed to do the job accurately. I tend to be well-liked by co-workers and my subordinates. I demonstrate concern for staff members and their needs and emphasize teamwork. Genesis of Personal Style The LSI survey forced me to reflect on my past relationships, my culture, my family, and my life events that shaped me into these personal styles. It amazed me how the journey of my life shaped me into this person, some qualities I was aware of and others that I was in denial of. My parents have always placed a lot of pressure on me to be successful. I was the first in my family to graduate and my driving force was to be better than my parents. I played basketball in college and lost my scholarship after two years. It was during this time that all my trust for human beings was lost. I have always been a hard worker, never questioned myself or my abilities, but when that event to place it started a spiral effect of events in my life. I bounced back from that incident and graduated school but kept quiet in class and never developed relationships. Before that incident I knew exactly what I wanted to be and after I have been lost. I know I want to start my own non-profit organization but lack the confidence to do so. I felt I was critiqued on things I had no control over and that could explain why I am so critical of people, because I believe people are critical of me. But it also taught me to be grateful. I never want anyone to feel the frustrations and confusion I did, so I can be very compassionate and understanding at times. Conclusion and Reflection I am thankful for this assignment, it taught me about who I am and not in a judgmental or offensive way. It made me aware of problems and behaviors that I need to correct and develop so I can be that woman that I have envisioned in my head. That strong positive leader, who everyone appreciates her critiques because they know it will make them better, that woman that despite life’s hiccups she bounced back, stronger, braver, and more successful than one could imagine. As I continue on this journey in MGMT 591, I pray that I continue this transition into this woman I dreamed of and become a better person, a better employee and a better leader. I believe this class will allow me that freedom to do so and give me the knowledge and skills I need to communicate effectively.

Global video games market Essay

?Introduction The global video game market, or the so called interactive entertainment industry, is the economic sector which focuses on the development, marketing and sales of video games. The worldwide video game sector includes video game console hardware and software, online, mobile and PC games and has reached $ 93 billion in 2013, up from $ 79 billion in 2012. Currently, the video game industry is a massive source of development; profit still stimulates technological advancement which is then applied by other industry sectors. Though not the main driving force, casual and independent games proceed having a considerable incidence on the industry, with sales of some of these titles such as Minecraft exceeding millions of dollars and over a million users. While outgrowth for consoles and PCs is not inert, development of mobile games is still active. As of 2014, newer game companies arose that vertically incorporate live procedures and publishing, rather than relying on a traditional publishers, and some of these have increased to significant size. The computer and video game industries have expand from small-scale markets to mainstream. They took in about US$9. 5 billion in the US in 2007, 11. 7 billion in 2008, and 25. 1 billion in 2010 (ESA annual report). The video game industry settled in 1971 with the launching of the arcade game. The insertion of video games to the domestic market with the release of the early video game console was effective the following year. Nevertheless, the video game crash of 1977 was the result of a one game domination and a market’s saturation, sparking a renascence for the video game industry and paving the way for the golden age of video arcade games. The game’s success influenced arcade machines to become widespread in mainstream locations such as shopping malls, traditional storefronts, restaurants and convenience stores†¦ By the end of the 1970s, the personal computer game industry initiated designing from a hobby culture, when personal computers just set out to become broadly available. The industry augmented along with the headway of computing technology, and often drove that progress. Modern personal computers owe many advancements and innovations to the game industry: sound cards, graphics cards and 3D graphic accelerators, faster CPUs, and dedicated co-processors like Physx are a few of the more notable improvements. Sound cards were promoted in addition of digital-quality sound to games and only later mended for music and audiophiles. Since the beginning, graphics cards were displayed for more colors. Subsequently, graphics cards were valorized for graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and games; GUIs drove the necessity for high resolution, and games led off using 3D acceleration. They also are one of the only pieces of hardware to enable numerous hookups (such as with SLI or CrossFire graphics cards). CD- and DVD-ROMs were instituted overall for mass distribution of media, notwithstanding the capability to store more data on inexpensive readily distributable media was instrumental in driving their ever higher speeds. Modern games are amongst the most demanding of applications on PC resources. Many of the high-powered personal computers are purchased by gamers who seek the rapidest equipment to power the latest cutting-edge games. Thereby, the inertness of CPU improvement is due partially to this industry whose games require faster processors than business or personal applications. The first part of the decade acknowledged the lift of home computing, and home-made games, particularly in Europe and Asia. This time also saw the uprise of video game journalism, which was later expanded to include covermounted cassettes and CDs. In 1983, the North American sector crashed due to the output of too many gravely marketed games (quantity over quality), resulting in the drop of the North American industry. The industry would ultimately be regenerated by the launching of the Nintendo Entertainment System, which resulted in the home console market being overpowered by Japanese companies whereas a professional European computer game industry also began materializing with great sized companies. Segmentation The global video games’ market can be divided into several parts according to several criteria. Technical factor-different platforms: Table 1: global video game sector revenue (Data source: GLOBAL GAMES INVESTMENT REVIEW 2014). The platform refers to the specific combination of electronic components or computer hardware which, in conjunction with software, allows a video game to operate. 1 Based on this technical factor, we can separate the whole market specifically. The global video game has 4 types. It follows console games, online games, mobile games and PC games. Currently, the console games is prominent in the market because of higher revenue. In every subset market, the competition is very fierce among international and domestic corporations. Geographic factor: Table 2 : regional video game market revenue. (Data source: GLOBAL GAMES INVESTMENT REVIEW 2014) Regarding the geographic location, generally in business and administration, lots of global corporations tend to segment the market into four parts: North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America. From the view of market revenue, we can see that video game market in Asia Pacific has increased significantly. It is also a huge potential market to develop. World video game market Key Success Factors The video game industry is balanced with an important growth, but many sectors have already matured. Video games are a vast and expanding market. Our goal is to highlight the major sectors, which are interesting for reasons including significant technological evolution, high growth rates, new products’ development. The core hardware and game software markets are quite mature. The best markets for investment are those that supply valuable goods and services to game developers, publishers and gamers themselves. These are the areas that will build out the industry as it undergoes significant growth. Key success factors of Console games: Brand: It’s a tautology, but the brand is important. 10 years ago, before the advent of the Playstation, we can say that Nintendo and SEGA were synonyms of â€Å"console videogames†. When Sony decided to â€Å"attack† the console market, they pushed on marketing, on brand valorization, on advertising. They made a lot of investments to become popular in this market too. And they were successful. The same did Microsoft 5 years ago, with their first XBOX. Nintendo strategy was different and the result was that both the XBOX and the Playstation brand became really popular. Nintendo lost some of their popularity, but thanks to the portable console segment they were able to â€Å"survive†. Now, these 3 competitors can count on greats and strong brands, which make really unlikely the arrival of new comers. Costs: Costs are critical. Even if we are talking about big companies, this aspect should be taken into consideration not to transform a well-done strategy into a failure. Nintendo kept the productive costs low, so to make revenues from each console sold and at the same time being aggressive on the price. Microsoft did a long-time strategy. Their console cost more, but they took advantage from being the first in the market. Unfortunately their hardware is not reliable, obliging the company to spend a lot in free assistance. Sony did the worst: they produced an expensive console, with expensive components. Exclusive games: Each company has its own game and it makes difference to the other. For example, Nintendo can benefit from their own games (maybe the best in terms of gameplay). Plus a set of exclusives like the RE: Umbrella Chronicles and Monster Hunter 3 by Capcom, Microsoft worked hard on exclusives. Apart from halo3 or Mass Effect or Bioshock, Microsoft was able to steal a lot of titles to Sony: Devil May Cry 3, Ace Combat 6. Sony is losing advantage, and this is mainly due to Microsoft efforts. But the game is not over: Little Big planet, Gran Turismo 5, Metal Gear Solid 4 are titles that no real gamer should miss. Innovation: There are a lot of ways to innovate: game play, graphic, audio, online†¦ Microsoft and Sony focused on the last 3 aspects, while Nintendo made the game play the basis of their strategy (and the result was Wii and its incredible Wii remote). Online features: No console can be considered successful without an online platform. Even Nintendo had to admit it. Microsoft has the lead, with its Xbox live service. Sony is trying to reach Microsoft, with a free service (Playstation Network) but still to be improved. Nintendo is only tasting the market, with a light. Price: Value for money or Premium price? Nintendo chose to sell hardware less powerful, but at low cost. Sony did the opposite. And Microsoft positioned their product in the middle, thanks to the modularity of the Core and Pro versions of their console (†¦WI-FI only optional†¦). Technology: It’s clear: games must be more and more beautiful to see. However, with the Wii, Nintendo demonstrated that this is â€Å"only one key success factor†, not â€Å"the only one†. And everything depends on the market segment to be covered. For example, Sony and Microsoft focused on hardcore gamers. Timing: Timing is fundamental. Microsoft was the first this time, and they benefited from that. Imagine what could have happened if Sony had been able to be in the market during the same time, with a console more expensive, ok, but reliable. We can say that Microsoft were both good and lucky. There would be a lot to say about â€Å"timing†. Key success factors of mobile games : Compatibility: Playing a mobile game as an activity might meet the needs of a specific consumer group, including commuters with time to spare. Facilitating conditions: Payment options impact adoption, billing conditions and support options might impact on users’ willingness to adopt. Trialability: Mobile gaming has a level of â€Å"addictiveness†. Free trial might lead to addiction and subsequent adoption. Self-efficacy: Due to device limitations, a large group of potential â€Å"aged† gamers might not be able to play and also, technical serviced need to match the requirements need of different customer segments. Complexity: The ease of use of an entertainment application is of utmost importance as it is expected to be an enjoyable experience. In mobile game playing clear navigation influences response time and might have implications for the decision to play. Trust: Perceived fear of privacy invasion and/or lack of security might influence consumer choice. Relative advantage: The ubiquity and accessibility of mobile entertainment may satisfy the demand for a â€Å"killing time† and relaxing â€Å"fun† service. A technology based advantage is the offer of interactive multi-player games. Observability/ communicability: Refers to the ability to communicate with a peer group; to be observed playing which might be of social importance. Image: The personalized use of a mobile phone might lend its owner status-related features. Normative beliefs: Playing the same game as one? s friends might facilitate social acceptance; social pressures influence customer perceptions and decision making and facilitate building a critical mass. High-speed networks conjugated with the technological capabilities of smartphones (delivery of data). Key success factors of PC games: Sociable: The PC games enable to socialize with some friends for cybernetics with a combination of fun. Accessible: It is more common for people to have a pc at home that a console and almost everyone has at least one computer in their home. Low cost: Only need to buy the game to play, however, to play with console the cost increases because you have to buy the console and games separately. PC games make it so real that people feel they belong to play to that reality, for example, when playing car race people also feel that adrenaline you feel when driving a real car. Key success factors of online games: Ability to quickly adopt new technology: Being online can make any changes or updates directly Aggressive marketing/franchising: Now everyone remain constantly connected which is easier and faster to get to them to publicize products or services. Also, when you are playing you can go to receive more information or upgrade without having to resort to a place Accessible and cheaper: You can buy and purchase the game wherever you are, because you only need to be logged in and you don’t have to go to a specific place to buy the game and the machine. Safe time: Since you only need to be logged in, you save time to find a store where they sell and then go there to buy it. Massively Multiplayer Onlie Games (MMOGs) allow players to participate in all worlds’ areas. The derivatives’ sales (â€Å"advergaming†) represent a vast part of the market through advertising that encourage primary gamers to buy products related to the reality of each game. Geographic factors: Key success factor of video game in Asia: IP, part one: Major licenses may be easier but be aware of the localization and culturalization challenges. Major brands do carry significant weight in Asia, but not all western brands will succeed there. IP, part two: Original IP needs great design and technology. Using proven engines and middleware would be an option worth considering. Experienced development teams: If you’re not from Asia, then allow Asian companies and players to be involved in early testing. Listen and understand their comments. Funding: You must allow enough money for changes to the game later on. Incorporating Asian MMO traits will make the game ultimately better for the western markets too. Great Asian contacts: Look for contacts across multiple markets. There are different elements and requirements to be learned from each major market. Partnering in Asia: Find companies you can have shared goals with and trust. The ongoing support of the market partner for beta testing, updates and specific changes is absolutely critical. Support and listen to them. Openness and local help: The ability to communicate across different languages and cultures is critical. Unlike single player games, you do not walk away from them after launch. The development and support needs to be market focused and ongoing. Time: Unfortunately funding can direct launch timing. As with most games there is no second chance. Developers use various technologies to ensure faster and cheaper conception of online games: there is real opportunity to explore new kinds and methods of gameplay. Key success factor of video game in Latin America and North America: In the mid 1990s when Latin America privatized its telecommunications industry and saw the return of important flows of investment into the region for that specific area (Inter-American Development Bank Annual Report 2000). Significant amounts of capital were allocated to telecommunications, media and computing sectors, especially in Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Argentina. Latin America is today one of the fastest growing regions in the world, even though is still a marginal market in comparison to the US, Europe and Asia. Latin America is interested in developing manufacturing lines and infrastructures to satisfy the local market, since US high-tech companies are interested in both the current potential of the local market and the future use of Latin America as a platform to export to the US and Canada. Latin America not only lies with the market itself, but also with the unrealistic perception of the region as a possible platform for exporting and improving global sales. Latin America could respond more to its potential as a low-cost producer and exporter rather than to its potential as a consumer-market like North America. Latin America has important social disparities of income from one social stratum to the other, â€Å"the patterns of consumption are very similar to the developed world. † (Euromonitor International, 1999) Latin America has knowledge, technology and a manufacturing capability to develop hardware. The model of the Maquila has been operating since the 1970s and takes advantage of the potential of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which not only facilitates access to cheap labour, but also provides exporting facilities based on a substantial reduction of tariffs to the US market. Evidence suggests that companies such as Microsoft and Nintendo are investing in Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil in order to develop low-cost production centers capable of exporting to the US market using the opportunities that NAFTA and other inter-regional agreements provide. Key success factors of video games in EMEA: The production costs of video games are growing, as is increasingly required greater technical and visual quality. Despite this, note that the cost of sequel is significantly lower due to the reuse of components and technological developments of the previous versions. Merger of companies: For example, buying video game developer Activision by the French company Vivendi to merge with its subsidiary video game Blizzard, becoming the largest game development company in the world or the merger of Parmenion and solutions group. Low cost: Its production is technically simpler and therefore cheaper, also can be produced in large quantities allowing entry into this sector to smaller companies. Have casual games that are simple, both in game play and developing and easy to learn. Launched innovative product, targeting new demographics (adult female audience†¦). French Foreign Ministry created an internet portal called FRANCE GAME which aims to promote French videogame industry abroad. Competitive System Matrix Console games Mobile games PC games Online games Brand Compatibility Sociable Quickly adopt new technology Cost Facilitating conditions Accessible Aggressive marketing/franchising Exclusive games Trialability Low cost Accessible and cheaper Innovation Self-efficacy Real effects Safe time Online features Complexity Price Trust Technology Relative advantage Timing Observability/ Communicability Image Normative beliefs Competitive system analysis: †¢ Console games: – Relatively strong differentiation(Brand,Cost,Exclusive games,Innovation,Technology) – Strong advantage †¢ Mobile games: – Strong differentiation (Compatibility, Facilitating conditions,Complexity, Device advantage, Observability/ Communicability) – Relatively strong competitive advantage (As mobile devices continue to grow, mobile game category will show the biggest growth) †¢ PC games: – Relatively weak differentiation (sociable and accessible, technology) – Relatively weak competitive advantage (more common for people to have a PC than console at home) †¢ Online games: – Relatively strong differentiation (quickly adopt new technology and Aggressive marketing/franchising) – Relatively strong differentiation (â€Å"online revenues set to reach US$30bn in 2017, consumers are merely shifting from pay to own to pay to play†). Conclusion Nowadays, the video game industry has a considerable incidence on the economy through the sales of significant and complex systems and games. Over the next five years, video games will extend at a CAGR of 6. 5% to attain US$86. 9bn in 2017, up from US$63. 4bn in 2012. Consumers’ spending on console games will increase by a CAGR of 5% from US$24.9bn in 2012 to US$31. 2bn in 2017 as Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s rumored new Xbox console revive appeal in console gaming. That development will lead to North America surpassing Western Europe to regain in 2014 its number one position in console sales. â€Å"In many entertainment and media segments, China will overtake Japan in terms of size by 2017; in some cases, it has already. This is not the case in video gaming, however, because Japan will retain its position as the world’s second-largest market, at US$13. 7bn in 2017, behind the US at US$18. 2bn but ahead of China at US$11. 4bn. Although PC revenues remain stagnant, consumers are not abandoning the platform. With online revenues set to reach US$30bn in 2017, consumers are merely shifting from pay to own to pay to play. Online spending will increase by an average of 8% per year over the next five years. By 2017, the online platform will have almost reached parity with consoles; and US$97 will be spent on online games for every US$100 spent on console games. Driven by strong mobile gaming and video game consoles and software sales, the market is forecast to reach $ 111 billion by 2015, it added. The research firm said mobile games are the fastest growing segment of the (gaming) market, with revenue set to nearly double between 2013 and 2015 from $ 13. 2 billion to $ 22 billion. As mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) continue to grow, mobile game category will show the biggest growth due to the entertainment value provided by games compared with other app categories. This growth is fuelled by healthy sales of premium mobile devices globally and consumers’ desire to play games on these multi-function devices that are capable of displaying increasingly sophisticated game content, he added. 2013 was an important year for the game industry as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are releasing their next generation video game consoles to a market that may be moving in another direction due to the popularity of mobile devices†(quotation, see the bibliography). Sony and Microsoft have released their game consoles in November 2013 and a repressed demand for them has caused a temporary reduction in console hardware sales during the last year. But, the augmentation will restart in 2014 and sales of existing console hardware are foreseen to increase from $ 15. 9 billion today to $ 22. 7 billion in 2015. Video game industry customs are comparable to those of other entertainment sectors (e. g. , the music recording industry), but the video game industry in particular has been charged of handling its development predisposition poorly. This promotes independent development, as developers leave to establish new companies and projects. In some notable cases, these ingoing companies grow extensive and impersonal, having endorsed the business habits of their forebears, and ultimately perpetuate the cycle. However, unlike the music industry, where modern technology has permitted a wholly professional yield to be scheduled exceedingly inexpensively by an independent musician, modern games necessitate crescent amounts of manpower and equipment. This dynamic makes publishers, who fund the developers, much more important than in the music industry. The industry insists on software piracy being a proper issue, and implement repressive measures to struggle against this widespread phenomenon. Nonetheless, digital rights management and other restraints have proved to be obviously unpopular among gamesters. Bibliography http://www. pwc. com/gx/en/global-entertainment-media-outlook/segment-insights/video-games. jhtml http://www. gartner. com/newsroom/id/2614915 http://www. wikinvest. com/industry/Video_Games http://www. theesa. com/games-improving-what-matters/families. asp http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Video_game_industry Gretz, R. T. 2010. Hardware quality vs. network size in the home video game industry, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization Palmer, R. a. and Millier, Segmentation: Identification, intuition, and implementation, Industrial Marketing Management T. N. S.and Project, M. B. A. F. The Video Game Industry: an Industry Analysis, from a VC Perspective, Online Smith, Product differentiation and market segmentation as alternative marketing strategies, Journal Of Marketing http://www. wepromite. com/2007/10/14/strategy-analysis-of-the-console-market-%E2%80%93-part-1-key-success-factors/ http://www. irma-international. org/viewtitle/32750/ http://www. gamasutra. com/view/feature/132098/a_path_to_western_online_games_. php? print=1 http://www. gamestudies. org/0202/lugo/ http://www. pymesonline. com/uploads/tx_icticontent/R02403_lbvideojuegos. pdf.

16 Manuscript Format Guidelines

16 Manuscript Format Guidelines 16 Manuscript Format Guidelines 16 Manuscript Format Guidelines By Simon Kewin If you submit manuscripts to publishers or agents, you’ve probably come across the demand that you use â€Å"standard manuscript format† (or â€Å"SMF†) for your submissions. However, it isn’t always spelled out what this actually means. Generally speaking, the term indicates that you should format your document with the following guidelines in mind: Type your document, don’t write it. Use a single, clear font, 12 point size. The best to use is Courier or Courier New. At the very least, ensure you use a 12 point, serif font and not something like Arial. Use clear black text on a white background. If you are printing out your submission (rather than submitting it electronically), use good quality plain white paper and print on only one side of each sheet. Include your name and contact information at the top left of the first page. Put an accurate word count at the top right. Put the title half-way down the page, centred, with â€Å"by Your Name† underneath. Start the story beneath that. If you write under a pseudonym, put that beneath the title but your real name in the top left of the first page. Put your name, story title and the page number as a right-justified header on every subsequent page, in the format Name/Title/Page Number. Generally, you can also just use a key word from your title and not repeat the whole thing on each page. Left-justify your paragraphs. Right margins should be â€Å"ragged†. Ensure there is at least a 1 inch (2 centimetre) margin all the way around your text. This is to allow annotation to be written onto a printed copy. Use double spacing for all your text. Don’t insert extra lines between your paragraphs. Indent the first line of each paragraph by about 1/2 inch (1 centimetre). If you want to indicate a blank line, place a blank line, then a line with the # character in the middle of it, then another blank line. Don’t use bold or italic fonts or any other unusual formatting. To emphasise a piece of text you should underline it. Put the word â€Å"End† after your text, centred on its own line. If you are submitting on paper, don’t staple your pages together. Package them up well so that they won’t get damaged and send them off. It’s always worth checking the exact requirements of any market you submit to, but if they don’t specify any formatting requirements, or just say â€Å"standard manuscript format†, follow these guidelines. This will make a good impression and help mark you out as a serious, professional writer. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant NamesEnglish Grammar 101: Verb MoodPractice or Practise?

Calvin Taylors Model of Critical and Creative Thinking

Calvin Taylor's Model of Critical and Creative Thinking The Calvin Taylor creative thinking model describes the talent areas as productive thinking, communication, planning, decision making, and forecasting. This model is best known as Talents Unlimited, a program of the National Diffusion Network of the U.S. Department of Education. The Taylor model incorporates both the critical and creative elements of thinking. Rather than a taxonomy, this is a thinking skills model that describes the essential elements of thinking, beginning with the academic talent and then incorporating the other talent areas, as described in more detail below. Productive Thinking Productivity promotes creative thinking in the Calvin Taylor model. It suggests critical and creative thinking of many ideas, varied ideas, unusual ideas, and adding to those ideas. Communication Communication has six elements which include: Give many, varied, single words to describe something.Give many, varied, single words to describe feelings.Think of many, varied things that are like another thing in a special way.Let others know that you understand how they feel.Make a network of ideas using many, varied and complete thoughts.Tell your feelings and needs without using words. Planning Planning requires that students learn to tell what they are going to plan: The materials that they will need.The steps that they will need to accomplish the task.The problems that might occur. Decision Making Decision making teaches the student to: Think of the many, varied things that could be done.Think more carefully about each alternative.Choose one alternative that they think is best.Give many, varied reasons for the choice. Forecasting Forecasting is the last of the five talents and requires students to make many, varied predictions about a situation, examining cause and effect relationships. Every element of the Calvin Taylor model is used when a child invents.

Marketing Channels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Channels - Essay Example The factory gate is the point at which the product is fully assembled and ready to be sent to the retailer's distribution center (Factory Gate Pricing 2004). Under FGP, the retailer takes over the primary distribution from the supplier which means the retailer no longer has to pay the cost of transportation that was previously included in the price the supplier charged for product. The retailer buys the product "at the factory gate" and arranges transport. Instead of several separate vehicles making delivery to a central point, one vehicle can make several stops to pick up goods from suppliers in a specific geographical area. Also, goods can be collected at port of entry into the UK which will cost less, and collecting goods at a manufacturing site located outside the UK could create additional savings. FGP has been in use in the UK by a number of grocery retailers and, as stated earlier, offers component costs of product with transportation costs separated. According to Scottish Food and Drink, there is a lack of knowledge about FGP among suppliers, but the majority of those suppliers using FGP have had a positive experience and believe it is here to stay (How Do I 2004). According to them, certain areas need exploration in deciding whether FGP is the right solution. According to Potter (2003), FGP was first introduc... Understanding supply chain costs Having thorough understanding of logistics operations Putting cross-functional teams in place Making top-level commitments between organisations, for instance, CEOs Once these factors have been considered and FGP is put in place, it becomes obvious that transportation costs are a key area of concern. Effect on Supply Chain Partners and Customers According to Potter (2003), FGP was first introduced in the UK by the fashion and automotive sectors in order to establish organisation and optimisation of transport by purchaser to point of delivery. Applying FGP in the UK grocery sector, however, is probably its most complex application. Tesco was the first to implement it, then Sainsbury's, Asda and Carrefour. A Tesco case study realized the following FGP benefits: 1. Reduction in transport miles 2. Reduction in transport costs 3. Supply chain visibility Aware of orders being placed on suppliers Analyses of the extra costs of demand amplification on transport Better use of transport through backloading Higher service levels The more consolidation, the more savings on wider scale Potter, p. 20 Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment: What Is It According to the Grocery Manufacturers association, collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) is a revolutionary business process wherein trading partners use technology and a standard set of business processes for Internet-based collaboration on forecasts and plans for replenishing product (Collaborative Planning 2002, par. 1). Because it is a new process within the industry, intended to develop a collaboration strategy among trading partners, a study was undertaken by GMA outlining basic tenets

Risk and value management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Risk and value management - Essay Example Based on the primary objective of value management to develop project objectives with uttermost clarity, the process facilitates quest for background information on the project as well as the project’s needs. These initiatives facilitate an extensive development of knowledge on the project towards management competency of business knowledge. As a result, value management provides an opportunity for developing insights into a project for proper management of the strategic management stage and the entire project. Value management also creates time resource between the initiation stage of a project and the project’s implementation stage. With an outlined budget for value management’s time, an organization is able to identify and evaluate outlined objectives in a project for improvement. This therefore means that apart from the benefits of the value management, its incorporation in the project’s budget adds value to the briefing process as well as the entire p roject (Turner, p. 307). Value management also facilitates identification of client’s needs and expectations from a project. The analytical approach of the management that aims at identification of the objectives of the project particularly leads to an understanding of what the customer wants out of the project. This further facilitates development of objective and establishment of ground for customer utility at the completion of the project. Establishing customers’ needs is also important in the strategic briefing stage because the success and feasibility of a project is measured against expectations of the stakeholders. With all needs of the client identified by the value management process, the strategic briefing process develops the capacity to evaluate feasibility of the needs as well as incorporating the need into the project’s objectives. There is also an induced benefit of empowerment and development of team members in value management. The interactive approach in

Self Recommendation Letter Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Self Recommendation Letter - Personal Statement Example I am a graduate of San Francisco State University where I undertook Hospitality and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Event Planning as a major and Business Administration as a minor. Professionally, I have been a teacher assistant at the San Francisco State University in the Department of Hospitality Management since August 2011. My responsibilities include engaging with supervisors to discuss and moderate the grades of students. I would also complete the grade related paperwork as required in addition to preparing and proctoring examinations. In addition, I monitor to ensure that all the materials needed in classes are available. This has opened me to an academic aspect of my professional specialization following experience from varied hotels in different capacities. WLC Corporation provided me with adequate experience in managerial skills, having served as a beverage manager in the fast food restaurant since August 2005. My duties included handling of customer relations matte rs and providing effective training to new employees. The management skills acquired were furthered when I joined Furama Hotels and Resorts International in Shanghai, China in May 2011 as an intern in hospitality consultancy. For the period spanning to September 2011, I assisted the Vice President, and indeed the whole team at large in maintaining and updating the restaurant’s database and providing administrative support in general. The demands of consultants’ projects saw me collecting appropriate data, analyzing and interpreting the data to give meaningful feedback in line with the objectives of the research. These tasks were sufficiently accomplished due to my proficiency in Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems. More so, I have skills in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. I have also grown in this career from basic responsibilities like the role of food delivery driver at Waiters on Wheels from January to April 2006. Here, I had to process customer orders accurately and timely, adhering to sanitation and safety principles applicable in food handling, which included maintaining the delivery vehicle clean. As a waiter at Xiao Loong Restaurant between October 2007 and January 2008 and waffle artist at WLC Corporation, I not only assisted in food preparation but also in serving customers while maintaining utmost customer service rules. These duties critically depended on my oral and written proficiency in languages including English, Mandarin and Cantonese. I also had to apply strong problem-solving and organizational skills for desired results. Being a proficient student, I was accorded the Abraham Lincoln High School Japanese Award in 2005 and the University of San Francisco, School of Law Certificate in Street Law in the same year. I am also involved in the youth ministry at the Lutheran Church of Holy Spirit and voluntarily served at the youth council as the resource person for youth activ ities. I have demonstrated my leadership traits as a basketball coach where my responsibilities included the preparation of registration materials needed for basketball camps and developing self esteem by teaching new skills and techniques and encouraging team work during practice and actual games. Career aspirations I have been engaged in restaurant operations from bottom up, serving as a driver, waiter up to management roles. I have also had adequate experience in hospitality academics as an assistant teacher. I look forward to nurturing event management responsibilities as I look forward to managing hospitality businesses at a senior level either at a permanent status or on a consultancy basis. In the hospitality industry, being an international worker would be a

Providing Affordable Housing: Modern methods of construction

Providing Affordable Housing: Modern methods of construction So called Modern Methods of construction have been put forward as a solution for solving the problem of providing affordable housing in sustainable communities for the UK. In a report for senior managers of a major housing development company propose and justify modern methods of construction to replace traditional construction production techniques. There is growing concern in UK that housing is becoming more and more expensive. There are a number of concerns among experts that the construction industry as a whole is underperforming. This has been particularly emphasised in the Egan report (Egan, 1998), where it is also mentioned that the initial opportunities for improvements in house building exists in the social housing sector. Another concern that is very much in the lime light recently is sustainability issues. The European community and UK have agreed of environmental and energy targets that are very ambitious. Houses in UK have traditionally been built in traditional materials such as brick and concrete. The construction material and construction techniques have not changed much in centuries, despite the high level of construction know-how that exists in UK. Most of the modern construction techniques are use for high-profile prestige buildings and commercial buildings. The housing sector does not seem to have benefited from the modern methods available. This report aims at fanning-out the various modern methods of construction that can benefit the housing sector in many ways. Most of these modern methods are already used quite successfully in areas other than housing. The target will be to prove how, by means of modern construction techniques, affordable and sustainable housing can be developed. Sustainable Construction Sustainability generally means sustained ability. It means being able for longer. It means being able to benefit from resources for longer, without endangering the depletion of the resources. Sustainable construction is an approach to construction that makes optimal use of resources throughout the lifespan of a building. This includes the resources utilised for the construction of the building, its operation and maintenance, and its eventual disposal. Resources here relate to sources of material, energy, space and money. Those are the basic requirements for a building. It also makes economic sense to use as less resources as possible. So, achieving sustainability should not cost extra to the client, although it may cost extra initially to build the building. A typical building uses many times more resources during its lifespan than during its construction. So globally, it will be in the clients interest to go for sustainable methods. Sustainable construction (Stern and Knapp, 1993) could also be distinct as those buildings that have minimum adverse impacts on the built and natural environment, in terms of the buildings themselves, their immediate surroundings and the broader regional and global setting. The rational use of natural resources and appropriate management of the building stock will contribute to saving scarce resources, reducing energy consumption (energy conservation), and improving environmental quality. Environmental Approach A general strategy for environmental conscious design (Boontra, 1997) consists of three main steps: Reduce the material demand Any client, investor or governmental body should thoroughly evaluate the need for a new building activity by investigating the possibilities of reuse and renovating existing buildings. Designers should design a building as efficiently as possible by minimising the amount of resources needed. This can be done by optimising both the floor plan and construction. Application of renewable and recycled sources By application of renewable and recycled sources the life cycle of building materials can be closed. Designers should also allow for future recycling. Designing a building for dismantling and not for demolition is one approach. Select materials with the lowest environmental impact The environmental impact of materials is caused during a buildings complete lifetime. Typical environmental issues are raw materials, embodied energy, emissions, hindrance, waste, recycling, repair, lifetime. Throughout the report, it will be demonstrated that the modern methods proposed will respond positively to the above environmental criteria. Energy Approach Buildings account for the largest proportion of energy consumption in most western societies. In UK for example, (Nicholls, 2002) energy consumption in buildings account for 45% of the total UK energy consumption. Energy is widely produced by burning fossil fuel such as petrol and coal. It is also used by nuclear fission of Uranium. Both processes are very harmful to the environment. Why are Modern Methods Important for a Major Housing Developer? Sustainability Previously, sustainability was associated with environmental issues. However, in recent years it has been recognised that one cannot preserve environment at the expense of socio-economic progress. Sustainability is now being redefined in many circles as a balance of: Economic stable economic growth and employment Environment protection of environment and prudent use of natural resources Social social progress for everyone For these reasons, it is not only important that construction is clean and energy efficient, but it is also important to consider other factors such as the impact of the construction on its immediate neighbourhood and the society in general. The cost of construction has a direct impact on the cost of the housing. It is important to make housing economically viable and affordable without cutting down on our margin. Legal Developments in Sustainability There have been several recent legal developments in the area of sustainability that will have a definite future impact on our operations on the UK housing market. Most of these legal developments follow the 1997 Kyoto Earth Summit and are in line with the current governments emission and energy targets. The main developments are: UK Sustainable Construction Strategy 2000 UK Energy White Paper 2003 Sustainable Building Task Group 2003 Some of the impacts of these legal developments are already being felt. For instance, Part E and Part L of Building Regulations are already being revised and will be more demanding in terms of thermal and acoustic performance of buildings. There are several assessment methods being developed to measure quantify and rate the performance of a building in terms of how sustainable it is, and many of these measure will be taken into account for planning permission purposes. One of them is the BREEAM rating, developed by the Building Research Establishment. The BREEAM is an environmental assessment for offices, industrial and retail buildings. It consists of a checklist with scores for energy use, transport, water use, pollution, materials, land use etc. It has four ratings: pass, good, very good and excellent. Another such assessment method is the Eco-Homes, which is applied to housing sector only and therefore more relevant to us. The Sustainable Building Task Group 2003 has put forward a recommendation for a Code of Sustainable Building, which is based on the BREEAM rating but is simpler. The Code has the full backing of the government and is currently compulsory for social housing sector. Although it is not compulsory for our market yet, it is more than likely that it will become so in a near future. Another assessment method that may become important in the future is the WRAP, which measures the recycle content of a building. As for now, any building must have a minimum of 10% of recycle content. Most buildings will easily meet that requirement, even those built by the traditional methods. However, it is the intention of the authorities to steadily increase that 10% requirement in the coming years and it will become increasingly difficult to meet by traditional builds. WRAP is critical for planning permission and it is in the long term interest of the company that we start using methods that will introduce higher recycle contents in our housing developments. Health and Safety Health and Safety is becoming more and more important for the government and also for private clients. The upcoming CDM regulations 2006 will have major changes that put a lot more responsibility on the clients. Consequently, it can be expected that client will be putting health and safety high in their agenda and will chose their developers and contractors with that in mind. Also the HSE is being more and more demanding about the standard of health and safety and work and checks are done on a regular basis on sites across UK. It is therefore important to be proactive and take a holistic approach towards health and safety. Instead of simply supplying more boots and helmets to site, it will be wiser to adopt methods that are inherently safer. Traditional Methods Typically, a housing development will either consist of some blocks of flats with parking space or a series of 2 to 3 storey houses, depending on the locality and the client. In both cases, the construction process is the same, although some differences in scale of operations may occur. Substructure After the planning and survey stages, the first step in the construction process is the substructure. The substructure is that part of the building that is below the ground level. Its purpose is to safely transmit all forces to the ground. Traditionally, the substructure will consist of a series of pad foundations, strip footings, basements or even piles. Most of the old houses have basements whereas newer houses tend to have strip footings. Taller buildings such as apartments or where the building is on weaker grounds, piles may be required. All those foundations are generally formed by digging a hole in the ground and filling it with concrete. The shape, size and depth of the hole depend on the type of foundation being built. Foundations are labour-intensive and time-consuming work. All of the work has to be done on site, exposed to weather conditions. It also produces significant amount of noise and dust during the digging of the ground. Once the trenches or holes are filled with concrete, the site ends up with an excess of soil from the hole. Superstructure The superstructure is the visible part of the building, built on the foundation. The structure for houses will consist of building up brick walls from the ground, brick by brick. Each wall will consist of two leaves of brick with a gap in-between for insulation. The internal floors are generally made of heavy timber joists supporting secondary timber members and finally a plank topping, all nailed together and supported off the brick walls. The brick wall construction will continue until the roof level is reached. At the roof level, a timber roof is built in a way similar to the floor. Recently, concrete columns and beams have been used along with the brick walls. Floors and roofs in newer construction tend to be on concrete, cast in-situ on formwork, supported off the concrete frame members. These methods are very time-consuming and labour intensive and almost all the work has to be done on site. Partitions and Finishes The internal partitions are either timber frames with ply-wood on each side, or single-leaf brick walls built in the same way as the external walls. Stairs are generally of wood. Services The space heating, electricity, air-conditioning and ventilation are all built to suit the building in place. Modern Approach to Construction As opposed to the traditional method where each step of the construction is done independent of each other, the modern methods of construction differ right from the approach to the construction process. The thinking process behind the site works is done well in advance, to allow much better coordination between the various trades involved. The planning stage will think of the proposed and future uses of the building. The design stage is the most important stage of construction as decisions taken at the design stage have the highest impact of performance, economy and many other factors. The approach to modern construction is one that takes sustainability and life-cycle cost of a building right from the onset of the design stage. Many factors can be influenced if thought is given at design stage. The following chapters will now introduce modern techniques used in construction that will result in more economic and sustainable construction in the housing sector. Steel Framed Buildings The use of steel is not new in construction. It has been used for over a century now. However, its full potential has only recently been understood. Steel has the potential to radically change the building and running cost of a building as well as having a major impact on issues such as sustainability, material demand, health and safety and so much more. Developments made over the past decade in steel construction have made it the most exciting material for construction. Steels Role in Sustainable Development Steel is a completely different material from concrete and masonry. It is first of all homogeneous as opposed to a mix and is much stronger. The UK steel construction industry in a very efficient industry and steel can be used to our advantage as a modern construction material for several reasons that will be unveiled below (SCI, 2004). More sustainable Design Good design is fundamental to sustainable construction (SCI, 2004). Decisions made at the initial design stage have the greatest effect on the overall sustainability impact of projects. Steels high strength-to-weight ratio is exploited in light structures which have low overall environmental impact and often require fewer and lighter foundations than alternative methods of construction. Its long-span capabilities create flexible spaces that facilitate changes in use during the life of the building, maximising letting potential and reducing refit costs. The energy associated with the occupation of buildings (operations energy) dominates that used in their manufacture and construction (embodied energy) typically by a factor of between 4 and 10 over a 60 year design life. Reducing operational energy consumption reduces environment impact as well as saving money. Steel frames and associated composite or other type of floor slab achieve high levels of fabric energy storage, which can significantly reduce the energy bill for cooling. Steel-based cladding systems for industrial buildings and light steel-framed residential construction provide well-insulated and airtight solutions. More sustainable manufacture and erection Construction can have significant social and environmental impacts such as noise, dust, ground and surface water pollution and traffic congestions (SCI, 2004).Steel provides the opportunity to maximise off-site construction techniques. Working in a factory under controlled conditions will definitely result in more accurate products and less waste. It also provides a safer and better working environment for the workers. Computer-sided design and manufacture can be put to best use in steel construction to eliminate defects and reworks and to minimise waste. Any steel waste is generally recovered and recycled. Cost, and therefore time, remain key drivers in construction. Steel construction allows us to build fast and reliably, with minimal time spent on site. The small amount of time spent on site has many impacts such as lower noise, less time for the workers to work as height, less noise and dust, less traffic and the whole community benefits. Less time spent on site also has the advantage of fewer interruptions due to weather, which is a very important factor in the UK, because our weather is world famous! As an example of what can be done (SCI, 2004), the 1600 tonnes of steelwork in the TNT Fastract distribution centre was erected in only 21 days! Sustainability in Use Designing a building for long life maximises the payback over the initial investment and is also a key aspect of sustainable construction. In that respect, refurbishment of a building to extend its life is very important. The versatility and flexibility of steel permits the owner of the building to easily modify and adapt to changing time without having to demolish and rebuild, thus extending the life of the building and getting the most value out of it. Steel is a stable product and if protected from the environment with paint, will require little maintenance and will not deteriorate at all with time. Cladding systems associated with steel construction are also easily modified and allow easy access for maintenance. With changing times, the requirements of a building change and therefore modifications may be necessary. Steel is easy to modify and to extend to suite new needs. Sustainability at end-of-life A concrete building only has a market value as a built-entity. The material itself can hardly be reused because it is cast-in. and cannot be dismantled. The best use of demolished concrete is land-fill. However, steel buildings have a material value even after construction. Because steel buildings consist of independently prepared members joined together by bolts, these members can be dismantled and re-used if the building is no longer required. For example, when the various Paris market halls built by Baltard in 1854 could no longer satisfy the needs of the city (ECCS, 2002), their function was transferred to Rungis, and the buildings replaced by the Centre Pompidou and the Forum. Recognising the need to preserve important architectural examples from the past one of the market halls was demounted and transferred to Nogent-sur-Marne, where it was simply reconstructed. It now accommodates cultural activities. The fact that a steel building can be demolished and rebuilt using the same structural members has far-reaching advantages. The immediate advantage that comes to mind is the market value of the building. Of course, a building has a value when it is in use. But with the use of steel, the building will have a value even after its life-span. The steel members can be sold as separate entities or the whole building can be sold to be built on a different site. This contributes enormously to the cost of redevelopment and therefore can be used to reduce the cost of housing. Looking at the bigger picture, re-using the same material for a new building implies that the natural resources that would have been required for the new building have been spared. Finally, even if the steel is not re-used directly as a construction material, it can always be recycled for new steel members. Steel is 100% recyclable material. Energy in Buildings In buildings, energy is required for: Space heating Domestic hot water heating Lighting Mechanical ventilation Air conditioning General electrical services such as lifts and escalators The quantities of each of the above required vary from place to place and from building to building. Space Heating In UK as in the rest of Europe, space heating is traditionally achieved by gas-powered or electric powered hot water boilers that distribute the hot water to radiators. The envelope of the building is designed to retain as much of that heat as possible to save on energy. However, there are several innovative techniques now available that are very efficient. New Glazing Technology There are new types of glazing that allow the solar heat to go into the building, but not out. Double glazing systems have been used for many years, but now the double-glazing makes use of special glasses. The gap in-between the glasses can be filled with special gases that promote the greenhouse effect. In some cases, simply evacuating the air from the gap works marvellously in acting as a smart glazing system. There are glasses that can be switched from clear to opaque by the action of current, heat, or naturally like sunglasses. New cladding materials used on the walls are translucent. They transmit light and solar energy but act as insulants.Interactive windows and shading system are computer-controlled to change the level of shading and ventilation at different times of the day to optimise energy use. Solar Heating Direct sunlight is used to warm buildings. But solar energy can be used indirectly as well. Solar water heaters are very popular in the Southern Hemisphere. In Europe and especially in Western Europe, people have the misconception that because of the cold climate, solar water heaters will not be effective. In fact, solar water heaters are very efficient even in cold regions. It is also very cheap to build or buy one. It can be used on large scale for schools and hospitals with large roof plans. So instead of boiling water in a gas or electric boiler, solar water heaters can be used. Even if in winter the solar water heater cannot produce sufficiently hot water, it can still be used to preheat the water supplied to the boilers. Thermal Mass In many countries, space heating is required at night more than during the day. In such cases, the mass of the building can be made to heat up during the day by the solar energy methods described above. This mass will absorb this energy during the day but will only start dissipating it after several hours. Concrete floors for example will have a typical time lag of nine hours. Proper use of this thermal mass can lead to very significant saving in energy. The orientation of the building can play a crucial part as well. For example, if the south face is the one that is most exposed to direct sunlight, having more massive walls on the south will improve on the use of thermal mass. Domestic Water Heating Domestic hot water is used in almost all buildings. Solar water heaters as described previously are generally very effective for domestic hot water. Other methods can also been used, depending on the location. If a village is situated not very far from a volcano, they can usually dig deep boreholes and pump the water to the bottom of the hole where the earth temperature is quite high. They can pump back the water and use it as domestic hot water. The concept is not a new one. Thermal spa and natural hot water baths have been used for centuries. Lighting The orientation of a building can be very important to make use of as much natural light as possible. Smart glazing systems discussed before are also very useful and are used more and more now. Lightwells and atria are also more and more used both for its help in natural lighting and ventilation, but also for its aesthetic contributions. When artificial lighting is required, special low-energy bulbs can be used that give the same amount of light but consume smaller amount of energy. Ventilation Natural ventilation has always been used in houses by simply opening and closing windows as required. Commercial buildings have however opted for more high-tech methods such as fans. These can be replaced by careful planning of the openings, of the way the floors are compartmented, and by the use of features such as atria. Also, computer-controlled openings are the high-tech version of manually opening and closing windows as required. Air Conditioning Cooling is always more expensive than heating. Not only does air conditioning consume a lot of energy; it also releases CFCs, which are harmful to the ozone layer. The use of these can be minimised as well. The use of ventilation can be used to improve the comfort level of occupants. The use of the thermal mass concept can also be used in the same way. The floors are cooled at night using natural ventilation, and during the day, they are used to cool the air inside the building. Conclusion The aim of the report was to propose and justify modern methods of construction. The report has exposed the necessity to shift to modern methods of construction. It is not just an option worth considering. It will soon be the only option and unless we as a company start the shift now, we will loose a competitive advantage. Among the modern methods mentioned, steel construction comes out to be the flagship of modern, economic and sustainable construction methods. Added to that, other means such as using thermal mass, natural ventilation and natural heating and cooling can be used in combination to wonderful effect. However, the most important point to remember is not the material or any particular technique. It is the approach and the thinking process required to meet the economic needs of the company, satisfy requirements from the government and other authorities and yet be able to produce affordable and high quality and high performance housing for the future. References Egan, Sir John, Rethinking Construction, Department of Trade and Industry, 1998 David Stern and Daniel Knapp, Reuse, Recycling, Refuse and the Local Economy: A Case Study of the Berkeley Serial MRF (documented by Urban Ore, Inc., and The Centre for Neighbourhood Technology: October, 1993). Boontra Chiel, Sun at Work in Europe, Vol. 12, No.1, March 1997, p3. Nicholls, Richard, Low Energy Design, Interface Publishing, 2002 European Commission for Constructional Steelwork, Merits of Steel, 2002 http://www.szs.ch/merits/vorwort_e.html Achieving Sustainable Construction: Guidance for clients and their professional Advisers, Steel Construction Institute, 2004