American domestic life after World War II Essay

Assess some of the important changes to take place in American domestic life after World War II. This essay will deal with the following changes which took place in American domestic life after World War II; the growth in population and mobility, suburbanization, the consequences of suburbanization in the cities, the role of women in the post-war years and the status of African Americans. The Second World War brought suffering, destruction and devastation in Europe and to the rest of the world. Ironically, America, for her relatively less sacrifices, gained an unprecedented growth in the economy which manifested in booming industries in all spheres of America. In the first two decades after the war, America was transformed on such a scale that the rest of the economic powers could not match her in many decades to come. The American economy had grown during World War II, but it grew even stronger after the War. The American Gross National Product (GNP) increased from $200 billion in 1940 to $300 billion in 1950 but it reached$ 500 billion in 19601. The advances in technological development during the war have been transferred to manufacturing cars, televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and several other domestic gadgets. As the economy was growing, so the wages increased which meant that new products were made and sold constantly. Television became a major part of America’s daily life, which not only provided the entertainment but it also exposed the people to advertisements and commercials. The unsuspecting public was buying all kind of devices available whether they were necessary or not. Advertising managers realised the power of commercials and huge financial gains therefore concentrated on improving their art of enticing the public. Computer technology had replaced the large and slow machines so the economy prospered rapidly. The result was the American middle class moved up the ladder and became upper middle class and some of the working class stepped up towards middle class. In contrast, African Americans and the poor white population stayed at the bottom of the pile and were not given the same opportunities to share the fruit of the prosperity. The birth-rate increased during the war but it peaked after the war. The population increased by 19 million in the 1940s, which was over twice the rise in the 1930s and later jumped up to 29 million in the 1950s. Although the rising birth rate was the main reason for the population growth, so the advancement in curing the illnesses meant that the death rate decreased. Therefore the average life expectancy for whites was 70 years and for blacks 642. As the population grew the people started moving towards the Pacific states more quickly than the other parts of America. The cities in Southwest grew more rapidly, for example Houston, Albuquerque, Tucson, and Phoenix. Los Angeles replaced Philadelphia as the third largest city, and California took over New York as America’s most populous state. In the 1950s the white middle class population moved out of crowded cities to the suburban areas. They moved to suburban areas to buy their own homes with gardens and garages. The building industry met the growing demand of new and better housing at faster rate than ever. The houses were built by developers such as William Levitt on a massive scale which were cheap, simple but comfortable. However, many American did not like the new housing developments and labelled them,’ugly boxes arranged in circles’ especially the architect profession. Architectural critic Lewis Mumford described such suburbs as: ‘a multitude of uniform, unidentifiable houses, lined up inflexibly, at uniform distances, on uniform roads, in treeless communal wasteland, inhabited by people of the same class, the same income, the same wage group’.3 The ownership of these houses was helped along through Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Administration (VA) who provided the loans on easy terms. The other factor was the availability of cars; people no longer depended on public transport. Car production increased from 2 million in 1946 to 8 million in 1955. The government began to build the highways on a large scale and linked them with different parts of the country. In June 1956, Congress authorised $32 billion to build new highways. By creating 56,000 miles of highways, federal government helped industry and commerce to move outside the cities4. The justification was that it would not only make people’s journeys easier it would also make the evacuation quicker in the event of nuclear war. Whatever the motivation was businesses began to realise where their future lay, so they began to move their businesses to suburbs. New shopping centres were built all over the country with entertainment, leisure and sports facilities. As a result, employment was brought to the door step and so people no longer travelled to cities to spend their money. Instead people from cities came to suburban areas to spend their dollars. The black people, the other minorities, and the poor section of the white population shopped in their localities where quality was decreasing and prices were increasing. For these ever growing mobile customers the franchise system was established. The first franchise right was bought from a fast-food establishment by a young entrepreneur Ray Kroc, and then gradually the franchise system became a prominent pattern in the country. While the Levitt development was satisfying one section of the community, the rest of the building industry started to cater for a wider range of income groups. These housing developments included shopping centres, schools, and churches. The private builders were proving to be successful in providing housing for American’s suburban families. Soon, all over the country the pattern was repeated as moderate-income families settled for inexpensive prefabricated dwellings in the fringes of the cities. These were in part for the war veterans helped by FHA and VA, but these facilities were not available to black war veterans. The wealthier population chose architect-designed houses in suburbia. However, again this development was mainly for the white population and was not available to blacks. This meant that segregation and discrimination was systematically continued and deepened the division between two races. The white population was moving out of crowded cities to better housing and a cleaner environment, and blacks were moving into the cities where the living standard was low, but factory work and other manual jobs were available to them. The result was that as the white population declined in the cities the black population increased. Other minorities such as Hispanics and Native Americans did not share in the benefits of the American Dream and like black people were treated as second-class citizens. On the surface, cities were losing out to suburban areas as the races shifted. Indeed, some fundamental changes were taking place underneath; the American social fabric was changing with equal speed. The gap was not only widening between the living standards of white people, it was becoming more prominent between cultures but it was ignored in the daze of prosperity. The building industry was helped by several Congressional laws to build the new houses in suburban areas. By 1972 some 11 million families owned their own houses with the help of the FHA. 22 million people had improved their properties with the aid of the VA in owner-occupied units. Some people were paying fewer for their mortgages on their new houses than they would have paid in rent for their rooms in the city. The FHA reinforced the racial segregation policy by refusing to assist the racially mixed cities to build new houses or improve the old ones. According to an administrator, ‘[it is] a conservative business operation rather than a programme of providing housing for all social groups on an equal bases’5. Consequently, the black population was not only deprived from better housing they were losing out from all the other facilities; good healthcare, recreational facilities, and better shopping facilities. The impact of the firms and white population moving out from the cities to suburban areas was that jobs and tax revenue were no longer available to improve the urban areas. In addition, the older and larger manufacturing firms were making losses and declining while tailor-made factories in suburban areas were growing and extending and creating new jobs. The blacks were expecting that their sacrifices during the war would be recognised and acknowledged by sharing in the economic boom, but instead they were overlooked once again. After the war women were expected to return to their traditional roles, whereas during the war they took over the jobs of servicemen and adjusted to their new roles comfortably. However, on their return from the War, men were given their jobs back and the women reluctantly retreated to their homes. Some women carried on working and others got married, stayed at home and looked after their children. Although women adjusted to their shifting roles, doubts and questions were beginning to surface. Women were again pulled back into the job market during the Korean and Vietnam wars. The labour saving devices in the home gave women freedom to work outside the home. Women also found it necessary to work in order to secure their newly defined identity. The number of working women doubled between 1940 and 1960. Prior to the Second World War, the majority of employed married woman came from a lower income family, but in the post-war women from middle class joined in as the first group tailored off. During the 1950s and 1960s, the women contributed 15 to 25 percent to their household income6. Women increased their white-collar jobs at a faster rate than men during the 1970s, but by the end of the decade they were still at the bottom of wage scale. It is a fact that after World War II, in the first two decades the United States economy grew at such a scale that it has changed American society and its standing in the world as a superpower. The wealth generated in those post-war years had been used in the development of the country’s infrastructure. The advances in living standards, schools, research, training for engineers and scientists and improved farming techniques as well as the network of highways meant that America was transformed. The technological advances were not limited to provide consumer goods; they also made the American military machine the most advanced force in the world. America won the space race, but it failed to include its black race in their astronomical and earthly achievements. However, the scale of its economic and technological achievements was matched by the disruption in the social fabric of the nation as its inequalities and injustices were magnified. The implications of the divisions created by this skewed economic growth will have its effects in the centuries to come, in racial tension, in domestic crime and social trends, and internationally as American culture is adopted as an aspiration for a globalise and consumer-centric world. Bibliography Books Chafe, W.H. The Unfinished Journey: America since World War II. Fourth Edition (Oxford University Press 1999). Issel, W. The Contemporary United States: Social Change in the United States 1945-1983 (London Macmillan Publishers LTD1985). Winkler, A.M. Modern America: United States from World War II to the Present. (New York Harper & Row Publishers 1985). Boyer, P.at al. The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People. Concise 4th edition (Boston, 2002). Brogan, H. The Penguin History of the USA. New edition (London Penguin 2001) 1 A.M.Winkler, Modern America: United States from World War 11 to present.p.82. 2 Ibid.,p.84 3 W. H. Chafe. The Unfinished Journey: America since World War II. p.117. 4W. Issel. The Contemporary United States: Social change in the United States. p. 92. 5 W. Issel. The Contemporary United States: Social change in the United States. P. 90. 6 A.M. Winkler. Modern America: United States from World War 11 to the Present. p.78.

Disadvantages of Texting

Texting on the phone while driving can be a very dangerous thing to do. As someone looks at the phone and concentrates on the text messages, they will become distracted from driving. Distracted drivers can cause car accidents and injuries or death to themselves or others. Texting causes delayed reactions, which increase the chance of getting into an accident. According to Cary Aspinwall, when texting while driving, drivers take their eyes off the road for 4. 6 of 6 seconds. A National Safety Council fact sheet states drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be in a crash. The Harvard center for Risk Analysis reports the annual cost of crashes caused by cell phone use was estimated at $43 billion in 2003. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the Orthopedic Trauma Association are also urging drivers to never text message while behind the wheel, due to the frequent treatment of injuries resulting from car accidents of drivers that have been texting. Texting while driving should be avoided, making the roads a safer place for driving. Texting is changing the importance of grammar and proper spelling, causing many problems because people do not know how to write formally and accurately. With the language of texting; grammar, spelling, syntax and abbreviation do not matter anymore. Dixon and Kaminska currently researched using a paradigm, showing that exposure to phonetically plausible misspellings negatively affected subsequent spelling performance with adults. Texting in the in school can result in distractions to the person texting and the surrounding classmates. Sending and receiving text messages during exams is a way one can cheat and get the answers, taking away from the learning process. The Florida Time-Union stated out of 269 students from all classes, 10 percent admitted to transmitting text messaging during exams. Texting in school can also pose a safety issue in text messages being sent and received on threats and rumors. According to Deborah Lee and Maureen McMahon, in April 2008, the Manhatten court of appeals, noted that cell phone bans in public schools are constitutional.

The Life of Alfred Binet

On July 8, 1857, Alfred Binet was born in Nice, France. He took a different tack than most psychologists of his day: he was interested in the workings of the normal mind rather than the pathology of mental illness. He wanted to find a way to measure the ability to think and reason, apart from education in any particular field (PBS, 1998). Over time, Binet became one of the most prominent psychologists in French history. After receiving his formal education in Nice and Paris, Binet became a lawyer. However, this profession did not please him. He became fascinated with the work of French neurologist Jean Martin Charcot, who was studying hypnosis. In 1878, he abandoned his law career and devoted himself to medical and scientific studies at the Salpà ªtriere Hospital in Paris, where Charcot was working. In 1884, Alfred married Laure Balbiani. Her father, E.G. Balbiani, was an embryologist at the College de France. Alfred was given the opportunity to work in his lab where his interest changed from comparative psychology to natural science. Research for his doctorate focused on the behavior, physiology, histology and anatomy of insects (Wolfe, 1973). While working in Dr. Balbiani†s lab, Binet wrote Animal Magnetism. Binet†s next area of interest was in the field of child psychology. He developed and tried a wide range of tests and puzzles on his own daughters Madeleine and Alice. It was through this study of his daughters that he began to discover the importance of attention span on the development of adult intelligence. It was at this point that he came to realize that individual differences had to be systematically explored before one could determine laws which would apply to all people (Pollack, 1995). Binet went on to became director of the Laboratory of Physiological Psychology at the Sorbonne in Paris. While at the Sorbonne, he founded the first French journal devoted to psychology, L†Annee Psychologique. Binet used the journal to publish the results of his research studies. The journal is still in circulation. In 1900, Binet and Ferdinand Buisson established, La Societe Libre Pour L†Etude Psychologique de L†Enfant (The Free Society for the Psychological Study of Children), a Paris laboratory for child study and experimental teaching. It was later renamed La Societe Alfred Binet et Thedore Simon. The laboratory†s concerns dealt with practical problems in the school setting. Parisian school authorities asked Binet to develop a method to identify children who were unable to learn at a normal rate. He went on to develop a method that could measure the intelligence of every child as dull, bright, or normal (Newland, 1998). Binet determined that complex problems, especially those involving abstract thinking, were best for separating the bright and dull students. Since problem-solving ability grows rapidly during childhood, Binet decided to make an age scale of intelligence. He chose tasks for each age level that could be performed by most youngsters of that age but that could not be done by the majority of children a year younger. In 1905, Binet and Theodore Simon published a scale of intelligence for children from 3 to 13. Binet hoped his test would be used to improve children†s education, but he also feared it would be used to label children and limit their opportunities (Myers, 1981). Since 1905, several adaptations and revisions of the Binet-Simon scales have been published all around the world. On October 18, 1911, while revising intelligence scales, he died. Despite his great achievements, he was never fully appreciated, especially by the French. His work was diverse, showing interest in the person as a whole. While Binet never provided any firm theories, his work was often the precursor of more detailed and profound research.

US Policy toward the Kazakhstan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

US Policy toward the Kazakhstan - Term Paper Example From the very beginning United States had brought down some set of objectives in Central Asia, and had stuck these ideas to Kazakhstan, for this reason Kazakhstan remained the heart of Central Asia forever (Legvold, 82). The first country to recognize Kazakhstan was United States and this recognition took place on December 25, 1991. Since then a very strong bond had developed between these two countries (Kazakhstan). The administrations of United States starting from George H.W Bush to Clinton had made strategic decisions to achieve their goals (Legvold, 67). U.S. Policy According to President Obama main motive of Kazakhstan is to make sure that the country is well developed and stabilization is maintained in political sphere of the nation. According to the administration, Kazakhstan has made remarkable progress, and this was possible as U.S. had supported them throughout and finally the country gained independence in the year 1991 and could achieve their goals. For FY2012, U.S. government had helped to strengthen Kazakhstan as a strategic partner. The Obama administration had helped in launching annual bilateral consultations on various financial and political issues with Kazakhstan. The first meeting took place in Washington, DC, in the month of March 2010 and the second meeting took place in Astana which is Kazakhstan’s capital. ... The two leaders also decided various other ways by which Kazakhstan would help Afghanistan expand their transportation network in the northern region. President Obama also decided to continuously support the efforts of the government of Kazakhstan and helped in liberalizing its media and smoothen its political system with the help of legal reforms. Furthermore keeping in mind Obama’s interest in Kazakhstan, a consulate general named Almaty was opened (Nichol, 12-13). Economic Development of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is one of the most financially developed nations of the Central Asian Republics. A major portion of the GDP is generated by two sectors that are Oil and Gas. Kazakhstan has been ranked sixth in the field of producing wheat, and it is also known to be the major exporter of wheat in the world. Around 33% of the population lies below the poverty line. President Nazarbayev had launched a plan to create a financially well developed, educated and self-sufficient country with in 2030.Again in 2005 he proposed to bring Afghanistan within the top 50 developed countries of the world in the next ten years. He emphasized on restoring tax and budgetary policies and paid more attention to developing the manufacturing sector so that the GDP growth not solely depends on the Oil and Gas sectors. In the year 2010, President Nazarbayev proposed a five year plan to give a big push to the industrial sector, in order to reach their goal as planned for 2030 (Nichol, 7-8). The Kazakhstan Massacre December 16, 2011 could have been one of the most memorable days for the people of Afghanistan as the nation became independent on that very day. But inspite of being a day of celebration, it was transformed into a doom’s day. Due to the Kazakhstan Massacre,

(not deciding) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

(not deciding) - Essay Example These paintings all belong to high Renaissance style because they demonstrate unity in pictorial representation. These paintings represent religious characters and themes in naturalistic landscapes, vibrant colors, strong contour lines, contrapposto posing, realistic figures in stable composition with an implicit triangular format, and combined linear and aerial perspectives, although Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels and Madonna and Child with St. Jerome look flatter due to the use of tempera, Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels is less realistic with the addition of angels and halos, and The Flight into Egypt has a stronger three-dimensional form, with soft, glowing colors and shadows that create chiaroscuro effect. These paintings represent religious characters and themes, although Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels is less realistic with the addition of angels and halos. In Madonna and Child with St. Jerome, the three religious characters are Mary, the child Jesus, and St. Jerome. It appears that St. Jerome has visited the mother and child with some solemn or sad news because of the serious, somewhat sad, mood of the latter. In Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels, the religious characters are more numerous, which include Mary, child Jesus, Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist, Jerome, Francis, and Christopher, and two angels. The scene is naturalistic in how the main front characters are doing realistic actions, although the religious theme is apparent in how they all show adoration to the child Jesus, while Francis is experiencing stigmata at the back. The Flight into Egypt features Mary, Joseph, and the child Jesus. The biblical event is their travel to Egypt. These paintings employ religious characters and themes that were prominent subjects of the painters’ times. Apart from the portrayal of religious characters and themes, these paintings are all set in naturalistic landscapes. None of the

Brand management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Brand management - Assignment Example A mixture of various marketing media is called branding. Branding tends to give an identity and captures the mind of the customers with the name of the brand. Depending on the brand value and the intended target segment, companies of all sizes are increasingly weighing their options whether to promote their marketing campaigns through the social networking sites, since there are high chances of possible dilution of the brand value as well as backlash coming from negative feedback and comments from disgruntled and unhappy consumers (Smith and Zook, 2011, p. 14). So, companies are increasingly taking a much more conscious step in their effort to promote the brands in the minds of today’s tech savvy consumers by the usage of promotion techniques such as website promotion, email marketing and mobile promotions. Brand Image The current outlook of the customers regarding a brand is called brand image. Brand image can be looked upon as the set of beliefs the target customers hold I r espect of a certain brand. Brand image is constructed in the minds of the customers from all sources. Brand image has the potential to convey emotional value. The basis of an image in the mind of customers depends upon the subjective perceptions that the consumers have in respect of some brands. When a consumer decides to purchase a product, he is not purchasing only the product itself but also the brand. It is the image that drives the consumers to buy that brand. The brand communications can help to strengthen the images. There are four steps by which a certain product can create its brand image. Creating a brand image is essential to sustain in the long run. The product must be uniquely valuable and present itself in front of the customers in such a fashion that customer can have a clear idea of the benefits that the product provides. The product should communicate with the customer in such a manner that is easily understandable and easy to remember. Another important step in ord er to create brand image is to differentiate itself from the already existing competitors. The new brand must analyze the key selling points of the competitors. The brand will have to set a new structure of promises to the customer, which it will be able to deliver. In fact, the promises offered by the new brand may become the selling point for the brand. The marketing strategies of the brand should revolve with a central theme. The theme may consist of a single idea, and this will act as the focus in all external communications. The brand that is willing to penetrate into the market must live up to the promises made. So the first and foremost step to penetrate into the market is not to make fake promises which the brand cannot live up to. If the brand fails to fulfill the expectations, then in spite of many attempts, it will not be able to enter the market according to its desires. Brand image is created only when the brand creates and meets the expectations. Brand Salience The pro pensity of the brand to come into the mind of the customers in the situations of buying is regarded as brand salience. It differs from the concept of awareness. It reflects the quality as well as the quantity of the network that buyers hold in their minds. The ability of an item to stand out from its competitors and create its own identity is regarded as the concept of salience. The concept of brand salience has achieved much prominence in the brand

Armenian Genocide - The Extintction Of ANation Research Paper

Armenian Genocide - The Extintction Of ANation - Research Paper Example Another noteworthy reason behind elaborating the topic selected for this research includes the strong denial tenaciously witnessed by the Turks with regards to the happening of such a gruesome incident at such a massive scale, claimed by the Armenians (Mikaberidze 233). Despite the very fact that the Turks persistently repudiate the number and ratio of the Armenian masses killed by the Turks, they emphatically endorse the catastrophe of the Armenian persecution and killing during the First Great War. Somehow, the recent offer of seeking the apology from the people of Armenia, on the part of the incumbent Turkish prime minister, on the eve of the completion of ninety-nine years of the mishap ratify the claims made by the generations of the Armenian about the tyrannies and cruelties exercised by the Turks on the Armenians partly because of their ethno-racial and religious differences on the one side, and the financial and moral support rendered by the Armenians to the enemies of the Ot toman Empire on the other (Russian Times 2014). By critically investigating into the history of the world at large, it becomes evident that the humans have always been involved into clashes, conflicts, bloodshed and war against the fellow-beings since the primitive eras of Paleolithic and Neolithic civilizations (Durkheim 33). The origin of religion also reflects the lust of the humans to obtain a dominant position against their rival clans, tribes, groups, communities, societies and nations, where the individuals sought support from the metaphysical and supernatural forces to win their favours and earn financial, physical, political and social gains to employ the same against the rival forces (Freud 21). In other terms, spiritual belief system has always been one of the most noteworthy bones of contention among the individuals adhering to and emulating the diverse religious code and

Claude Monet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Claude Monet - Essay Example I find three main ideas behind this painting. And at the same time I find a unifying element behind those ideas. The three ideas are Life, Harmony and Infinite. The unifying element is Light. First, let's take a look at the three main ideas. Life is represented by the presence of the green color of Nature in most of the surface of the canvas. Indeed, green is almost everywhere. The freehand drawing of Monet gives life to this painting in its thick texture. Green is the main color in different shades. This picture is full of life. There is no way to escape life when we look at this canvas. Life is energy, movement, invigorating power. We find life in the powerful presence of the green color. Nature is synonym of Life. Life becomes Nature, and Nature gives new meanings to this canvas full of vibrating energy. The fresh greens of the foliage take our mind to a journey of summer at its very beginning. But this is a glorious summer. Nature is thus joyous bursting out its greens in great abundance. Green is exuberant in this painting, and it undeniably gives the idea of Life. Harmony gives coherence to the entire picture before our eyes. The shades of green, violet and yellow are intertwined in a harmonious spectrum of light. The arc of the Japanese bridge seems to be floating on top of the trees in a harmonious way. We only see the arc of the bridge, but it seems to be in the right place among the surrounding trees. The waterfalls and the banks of the pond full of lilies give the idea of unity among them. There is also harmony in the musical sense as the whole picture seems to be a real symphony of colors, lines, texture and shapes. It is a symphony in green, but it is also a symphony in which the presence of Nature itself is singing a song of joy, a song of glorious exuberance. We feel a sense of Infinite when we quietly take a look at this painting by Claude Monet. Even though he was losing his sight, it seems that he painted by memory. His quick, sudden strokes invade the entire painting, and the final product is a picture where we feel the immensity of space in a limited surface. It feels to be immense from the spatial point of view. From the symbolic point of view, we can decode the meaning of the arc of the bridge. A bridge represents a transition. A transition from one form of life to another. So we can see that the transition is from this limited life to an infinite life. The symbol of the bridge is related to time, not space. But looking straight at the painting the spectator feels like he is looking at the Infinite. This is due to the mastery of Monet's brushstroke regarding the representation of space in the painting. The common thread in these three ideas is Light. Monet treats light in a distinct way. Rather than painting the objects the way he sees them, Monet paints the light that those objects actually reflect. This is an impressionist position that Monet takes advantage of in this canvas. Life, Harmony and Infinite are represented by Monet with his personal touch. The thick texture and the sudden stroke are accomplished through a scrawling drawing. The final product seems to be a little blurred, and this effect is also due to the fact that Monet doesn't paint the shadows of the objects. So there is light all over the canvas. It is a luminous approach to the objects on the

TE Lawrence Fundamentals Of An Insurgency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TE Lawrence Fundamentals Of An Insurgency - Essay Example Those who went against the orders were either beaten or shot to death. The Taliban rule gained global condemnation for its laws or policies. Only Pakistan, United Arabs Emirates, and Saudi Arabia recognized it as legitimate. However, after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attack in the U.S, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia cut friendly and diplomatic ties with the group claiming that it was dangerous and a threat to regional and international security. In response, the U.S urged the Taliban to turn over Al-qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden but they refused. This prompted the U.S and other Western nations to start bombing Afghanistan and endorsing the Northern Alliance (Rashid, 2011). In the end, Hamid Karzai was declared as a temporary leader of the Afghan government. This signaled the end of the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan but the group seems to be reorganizing despite most of its radical and lethal leaders being killed or imprisoned. In order to understand the activities and nature of the Taliban guerilla movement, it is vital to analyze it based on T.E Lawrence six’s fundamentals of insurgency. T.E Lawrence asserts that few words can be used to describe insurgents in context with legal armies. T.E Lawrence described six fundamental principles of insurgency. With regard to the Taliban group that operates in Afghanistan, one of the principles of insurgency described is that the group is an intricate and sophisticated enemy, which makes it hard for conventional armies of the Afghanistan government to handle. Secondly, the Taliban guerilla movement has unassailable base in that it is difficult to understand how they operate and organize themselves. Thirdly, Lawrence states that the movement must have less number of fighters, which makes it unable to occupy the disputed territory, as it is the case with the Taliban group. Fourthly, the group in this case, the Taliban has a passive support of the afghan population who does not

Project Management Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Management Challenges - Essay Example A project manager may have to perform extra hard in case of chains being spread across different parts of the world where different cultural values are in place. In a broadly segmented and international enterprises where the employees are appointed from different domains and locations, the factor of cultural context and other variables also becomes important with regard to the project manger’s tasks and duties. Cultural consideration is a subsequent challenge that comes along with the international Human Resource Management handling. Ensuring that the responsibilities are assigned to the people in the due manner without giving any one in the organization any compensation and leverage is also a core function of a project manager. The work so divided must be based on equal consideration and proportion and it must not put on employee under great stress in contrast to other enjoying relaxation from the decision making and responsibilities and duties fulfillment. The second most prevalent challenge that is faced by the software project managers in modern times is that of creating an actual relationship between the virtual world activities and the real world scenarios. Often the software project mangers suffer issues merging the two facets of the digital virtual world of software related projects. Too much virtual environment makes it easy to appear but in actual it gets further difficult to handle, co relating between the different variables and bringing them onto one table. In the real world businesses the tasks so performed are done so through the actual interactions and meetings. In the case of online multiple units spread out software enterprises that are connected online, it at times becomes a challenge taking them on board and gathering in a collective meeting. Hence the virtual nature of the applications, the softwares, the clients and stakeholders,

The personal growth i hope to gain from a college education at Monroe Essay

The personal growth i hope to gain from a college education at Monroe College - Essay Example Currently, I am connected with Delta Airlines as part of the Aviation Operation Department. Although my education was delayed by my job, the working experience taught me discipline and commitment; besides, the jobs were only a means to a higher end- education. These two values are important to me since I can apply them also in my studies here in Monroe College when I get accepted. I learned about Monroe College when they came to the island where my job was located. The school had some seminar and I immediately got interested. Apparently, the school is welcoming even to non U.S. citizens like me which is very comfortable to know. The field of interest that I would like to pursue is Information Technology. I chose this field since I am really interested in how computers work as evident in my first job as a computer technician. Moreover, I believe that knowledge in Information Technology can bring an impact to humanity by discovering more systems that will enhance people’s work productivity. Aside from the interest and some set of skills that would help me in pursuing this field, I believe that Monroe Colleges 75 years of teaching excellence would give me the expertise that I am seeking. The certification examinations that the college of Information Technology can give me a head start once I pass them. Good education involves three players: my parents ( w ho are very supportive), myself ( well-motivated), and the school ( Monroe College). Given these three factors that will probably work together, I am sure that when I become a student of Monroe college, I will seek academic

Treat the Earth Well Essay Example for Free

Treat the Earth Well Essay Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children is an ancient Indian proverb that is reverberating in my ears. It was articulated by Craig Wing recently at a Global Shapers Johannesburg hub meeting. Its pure simplicity is quite piercing because it shows the effect of our ancestors’ actions on our current situation and it also serves as a warning on our current actions’ impact on our children. The architects of Apartheid effectively created a problem for everyone by creating artificial boundaries that were inherently going to be brought down. Anything that is artificial does not have staying power. The social, political and economic separation that was created took the country towards the extreme right swing of the pendulum. This ensured that the minority population enjoyed the majority of the social, political and economic benefits. When the pendulum swung back in the democratic era, it reversed the exclusivity of the social and political benefits from the minority while the economic ones are still lagging far behind. The constitution of the country has guiding principles that help the pendulum to swing to a neutral position at the centre and not to the extreme left because that is also dangerous. Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment policies are meant to accelerate the swing to the middle point which makes them temporal policies that cannot be allowed to stay on forever because they will swing the country to the extreme left. The greatest blind spot suffered by the architects of apartheid was that they disregarded the circular nature of life where things swing back. The result is their children became adversely affected when their policy of separation unravels. This is also a warning to the architects of transformation policies in South Africa to make sure that they understand the circular nature of life and factor it into the design of the policies. There is currently a lot of resistance in moving the economic pendulum from the status quo where only the minority benefits because of fear of an uncertain future. The problem is that the greater the resistance to economic transformation a greater amount of energy is going to be invested and extreme measures taken to make sure that the economic pendulum swings back but to the other extreme which could have unintended consequences. The reality is that the pendulum will swing back but at what cost to the country and its economic prospects? A variation of the proverb â€Å"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children† can be applied to the issue of land so brazenly dealt with by Pieter Mulder. Infrastructure is another recent example. The youth today are effectively going to be paying for the infrastructure based on decisions by people who are likely not going to be there when the full impact of the cost will be felt. So the issue of e-tolls provided a victory to the litigants who successfully argued for the interdict to stop the e-tolling system temporarily. It is an important political victory of making sure that people concerns are heard and for the separation of powers between the Executive, Judiciary and the Parliament. It also raised important questions about who benefited from the R20 billion tenders and also questioned the fairness of the tariff structure and who will benefit from these fees. So transparency was the winner principle at the end of the day. However it is a Pyrrhic victory because the ultimate solution sought by the litigants is the shifting of the burden of paying for the roads from the road users to all taxpayers. So the bottom line is that the young people will be bearing the burden of the long term cost of this e-toll through increased taxes or less support from the government while the older people will be enjoying the retirement funds returns generated from this through the bonds they bought. Furthermore this places the user-pays-principle which is much more equitable for future generations at risk which in turn scares away the investors especially in areas where we are suffering from an infrastructure deficit. So we might be solving the infrastructure development problem by borrowing from our children to fight power politics of old people who have no enduring interest in intergenerational equity. Young people are the ones who should be shaping the decisions that affect their future represented by their informed and decisive leaders while making sure that they don’t inherit the unhelpful habits of their ancestors.

Determination of Vitamin C Content in Foods

Determination of Vitamin C Content in Foods Zheng Xiao Introduction Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is an essential component of our diets. It is a good antioxidant, a key component that helps to prevent damage to proteins and deoxyribonucleic acids. In the food industry, vitamin C is added to increase the nutritional content of food products and also for preservative purposes. As the human body is unable to synthesise vitamin C, it would have to be consumed as part of our diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables for instance are common sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a labile compound and is easily degraded by enzymes and atmospheric oxygen. Its oxidation can be accelerated by excessive heat, light, and heavy metal cations (Pisoschi, Danet, Kalinowski, 2008). During the manufacturing process, some vitamin C would be lost. Thus, in fruit juice products, vitamin C level is commonly used as a gauge for quality. This prompts manufacturers to fortify their products with high levels of vitamin C to ensure that sufficient vitamin C is present in the product throughout the storage process. Due to the wide use of ascorbic acid in both food products and in the pharmaceutical industry, many analytical methods exist for the determination of ascorbic acid, including titrimetric, spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods, each with their advantages and disadvantages. An example of a titrant used is 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP), which will oxidise the ascorbic acid that is present in the sample. While titrimetric methods are simple to use, they are also known to overestimate the amount of ascorbic acid present due to the presence of oxidisable species other than ascorbic acid (Hernà ¡ndez, Lobo, Gonzà ¡lez, 2006). In addition, many interferences often occur with coloured samples (Arya, Mahajan, Jain, 2000). An example would be the masking of colour change at the end point of titration by highly coloured extracts from fruits and vegetables (Eitenmiller, Landen, Ye, 2007). Spectrophotometric methods work by determining the absorbance of vitamin C which is compared against standard concentrations. However, such methods are susceptible to possible interference due to absorbance exhibited by other components that is present in the sample matrix. Lastly, chromatographic methods are commonly used because of their simplicity, short analysis time and sensitivity (de Quirà ³s, Fernà ¡ndez-Arias, Là ³pez-Hernà ¡ndez, 2009). The sample is separated into its components based on their relative affinity with the mobile and stationary phase. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) for instance is a very efficient method that is used in ascorbic acid analysis of fruits, vegetables and beverages. Ascorbic acid is relatively hydrophilic due to the presence of several hydroxyl groups. Thus, it has a higher affinity to the polar mobile phase than the non-polar stationary phase, allowing it to be separated from the other components in a sample. The retention time gives a qualitative analysis of the sample while the area under the peak allows for the quantitative determination of ascorbic acid content present. However, a major disadvantage of this method is its high cost compared to other conventional methods. The objective of this experiment is to determine the ascorbic acid content in commercial guava juice by RP-HPLC. Materials and Methods The product analysed was commercial guava juice. The experimental procedure was as stated in the laboratory manual, with the slight amendments as follows. The filtrate (2mL) from the centrifuged sample was diluted (1 part sample: 4 part acetic acid) with 2% acetic acid. Five sets of standard ascorbic acid solutions were prepared (40ppm, 80ppm, 120ppm, 160ppm and 200ppm for each set) using a stock solution (1000ppm ascorbic acid) and 2% acetic acid for dilution. The standard solutions were filtered using the 0.45 micron cellulose acetate syringe filter, beginning with the lowest concentration. The column used was a Phenomenex Ultrasphere 5u C18 column (1504.6mm) and the wavelength used was 254nm. Results and Discussion A calibration graph was plotted (Figure 1) using average peak area (Table A1 in appendix) for standard solutions versus their respective concentrations. For each standard solution, four duplicates were prepared. This was done to increase the accuracy of the calibration curve. The r2 value obtained (0.9984) was close to the ideal value 1, indicating a good linear correlation between the area under peak of interest and ascorbic acid concentration. This allows good estimates of ascorbic acid content to be made given the area under peak of interest for each sample. Table 1. Ascorbic acid concentration in samples prepared by Groups 10 to 18 Sample calculation for Group 11: Ascorbic acid concentration in diluted sample = = 116ppm Ascorbic acid concentration in original sample = 116ppm 5 = 581ppm = 58.1 mg / 100mL of juice Average ascorbic acid concentration in original sample = =58.0 mg / 100mL of juice The average retention time of the samples prepared by different groups was 2.557min (Table A3 in Appendix), which is highly similar to that of the ascorbic acid standard solutions was 2.559min (Table A2 in Appendix). This verifies that ascorbic acid was the component analysed. The average ascorbic acid concentration in the guava juice product determined experimentally was 58.0mg/100mL of juice. This was approximately 3.9 times higher than the amount indicated on the packaging (15mg/100mL). As mentioned earlier, As the expiration date is approached, ascorbic acid would be lost to different extents depending on the storage conditions (Kabasakalis, Siopidou, Moshatou, 2000). Manufacturers are known to add ascorbic acid to their products to improve their nutritional value and also to account for the ascorbic acid lost during the manufacturing and storage process (Ottaway, 2008). Since the experiment was conducted before the expiration date of the product (March 14, 2014), a higher ascorbic acid content would be expected. The original ascorbic acid concentration for group 14 was excluded from the calculation as it was almost double of other results and thus likely to be an outlier. A possible reason might be an error in dilution during the preparation of the sample. The other results were found to be precise with a low standard deviation (1.4) and a low coefficient of variation (2.5%). Conclusion The ascorbic acid content of commercial guava juice determined using RP-HPLC was 58.0mg/100mL of juice. References Arya, S. P., Mahajan, M., Jain, P. (2000). Non-spectrophotometric methods for the determination of Vitamin C. Analytica Chimica Acta, 417(1), 1-14. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(00)00909-0 de Quirà ³s, A. R.-B., Fernà ¡ndez-Arias, M., Là ³pez-Hernà ¡ndez, J. (2009). A screening method for the determination of ascorbic acid in fruit juices and soft drinks. Food Chemistry, 116(2), 509-512. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.03.013 Eitenmiller, R. R., Landen, W. O., Ye, L. (2007). Vitamin Analysis for the Health and Food Sciences, Second Edition: Taylor Francis. Hernà ¡ndez, Y., Lobo, M. G., Gonzà ¡lez, M. (2006). Determination of vitamin C in tropical fruits: A comparative evaluation of methods. Food Chemistry, 96(4), 654-664. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.04.012 Kabasakalis, V., Siopidou, D., Moshatou, E. (2000). Ascorbic acid content of commercial fruit juices and its rate of loss upon storage. Food Chemistry, 70(3), 325-328. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0308-8146(00)00093-5 Ottaway, P. B. (2008). Food Fortification and Supplementation: Technological, Safety and Regulatory Aspects: Elsevier Science. Pisoschi, A. M., Danet, A. F., Kalinowski, S. (2008). Ascorbic Acid Determination in Commercial Fruit Juice Samples by Cyclic Voltammetry. Journal of Automated Methods and Management in Chemistry, 2008. doi: 10.1155/2008/937651 Appendix Table A1. Area under peak of interest for standard solutions Average area under peak for 40ppm = = 2197282 Table A2. Retention Times for standard solutions Table A3. Retention Times for samples prepared by Groups 10 to 18

Research skills and techniques education essay

Research skills and techniques education essay This report highlights and evaluates my personal, academic and professional reflections throughout this course and applies the learning to consideration of my professional practice and ongoing future development. It explores opportunities for career paths within and outside of the prison service and how my range of skills can advance my aspirations as well as enhance the environment in which I work. To this end, I have critically evaluated my transferable skills and their development through this learning journey together with opportunities to enhance these further. In looking to the future, a revised Professional Development Plan (PDP) for ongoing future development has been compiled and included in Appendix I. Many of the learning outcomes have been already been covered in some depth within my PPD5 assignment and I have sought to elaborate on key areas of these within this paper. Background When first offered the opportunity to undertake further education through a Foundation Degree, I was initially excited at the prospect. However, this soon gave way to dismissive thoughts of successful completion as unattainable and self doubt about my ability to pursue such a venture which resulted in me not collecting the application form. It was only when a colleague, who had done so but decided not to take this forward, passed it to me, that I took the plunge. A lot of self talk was required to consider how valuable this opportunity was for me. I considered that several of my peers would have similar experiences and feelings which would make a natural and powerful support network meaning that I would not be learning in isolation. Later, I was able to reflect and realise that procrastination is a particular trait and pattern of behaviour for me, deep rooted in negative schema (Beck 1967:233) which I have been able to reflect on and write about at some length throughout my further e ducation. Even coming towards the end of the Honours Degree (which I undertook with greater enthusiasm), it is still evident and something to guard against. This has been particularly important in considering what has held me back from pursuing advanced career development until recently. Reflective Practice: Applying a range of reflective models throughout my further education studies, I now appreciate how analysis of my skills can help towards the goal of professional advancement and, importantly that of job satisfaction. I apply Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle readily to areas of my personal and professional life developing skills of evaluation and analysis, both of self and situations which has led to effective problem solving and informed conclusions as will be illustrated below. Doing this effectively, I have found, can widen the scope for a more in-depth and wider encompassing plan for ongoing development which hitherto, has been somewhat narrow in its view. In other words, from being resigned to thinking this is my lot, Ill just get on with it, to an active desire to apply new learning, seek more and become motivated for career progression. Straker (2008:172) whose work builds on the research of Gardner (1983 and 2006) summed up the importance of purposeful reflection for me Knowing yourself includes knowing that there are parts of yourself that you do not know and being ready to listen and explore these. It also means considering what parts of yourself you should expose or hide, based on how it will help your purpose rather than simply based on personal preference. The danger of reflection is that, for a procrastinator such as myself, one can get stuck in self analysis without doing anything about it or use the results of ones analysis to stay within a comfort zone. Kolb (1984) helped to evaluate my experiences and test hypotheses about myself, values and work ethics but it did not spur me on to action whereas Gibbs sets out the plan for ongoing development which is crucial for me so as not to remain procrastinating. In PPD5, I considered how Moon (2004) has been a useful resource on reflective practice, in particular reminding me that reflection is important but it must always lead to action and the making of positive changes. She stresses the importance of experiential learning which includes reflection but qualifies this to incorporate active learning, ensuring intent to learn and mechanisms of feedback to ensure the whole process is effective and meaningful for development (p.122). SchÃÆ'-n (1983) explains how, as one becomes more experienced, it becomes increasingly possible to reflect in action rather than simply after action. This is something I am becoming more accomplished at and is particularly evident in critical incident situations in my role as a hostage negotiator where this has immediate and practical as well as personal value. Interestingly the Cycle of Change by Prochatska and Diclemente (1982), illustrated in Appendix II, highlights the phases which I can identify with through my learning, professional and personal journey. I can often remain in contemplation and need to find the drivers and motivators to avoid lapses but, I am encouraged that these now exist more in abundance which are sourced from many areas and the Honours Degree has been one of these. I am mindful that the grades and feedback I have received throughout my further education have been of a consistently good standard and this has served as a source of encouragement and measurement of progress and achievement. I must maintain measurements and goals for my future development and there are means in place such as the Staff Personal Development Record (SPDR), in Appendix III and Professional Development Plan (PDP) which I can use as signposts and yardsticks. It is important that, as the current period of study draws to an end, this motivation to achieve continues and I now feel best placed to ensure this happens. . As mentioned in my PPD5 essay, in the past I have questioned the decision making processes of management though this is being reshaped into a desire to gain a holistic overview of the work environment. Overcoming objections to understanding others, for fear that this might disprove our own theories about ourselves and the world, are key hurdles for which I must continually be mindful. (Elliott, 2011) This has also enabled me to evaluate what I can offer to roles to enhance the establishments performance. In my first Reflective Essay from January 2007 (Appendix IV) I described schema theory and the work of Beck (1967). From this I have developed an interest, not only in interpretation of situations which influence our beliefs but, particularly, how to develop the stimuli and positive emotional and cognitive drivers for professional and personal well-being. In observing what gets in the way, rather than being stuck in analysis, to move beyond and set goals for positive development has been essential learning for me and reading this first essay shows how far I have come. The focus of this paper is skills evaluation but moreover, the action phase of my development, identifying opportunities and the practical steps required for ongoing development. Employability Skills and Development Needs A range of self analysis tools have proved helpful in ascertaining and evidencing personal skills which pave the way for ongoing professional satisfaction. This has involved being critical as to what is and may realistically be attainable as well as widening the scope for a range of career advancement opportunities. Using a range of self analysis tools I have been able to evaluate my employability skills and an example is in Appendix V. Examining these proved personally gratifying and formed the basis for an in-depth critique in a personal SWOT analysis (Appendix VI) which I had only ever previously applied to businesses within the scope of the Honours Degree. On completion of this, it seemed logical to me that the values which businesses ascribe to should find their roots in the personnel employed by the organisation as, ideally, they should embody the same corporate beliefs, ethics and work practices. As I will highlight later, this has brought me into conflict with my own work establishment where, using newly honed skills of assertiveness and corporate awareness, I am more readily able to challenge what I may perceive to be unsafe practices. This has been possible through balancing my potential weakness of being mission-focussed and developing this alongside effective and robust empathy towards management decisions At the time of writing my Performance and Development record for this year has not been recorded but as my SPDR for last year (Appendix III) illustrates, I can remain pleased that I continue to meet targets set and work collaboratively with others to ensure that the benefits of development are felt personally and by the organisation. I have expanded this further with creation of a new Development Plan (Appendix I) in order to maintain continuity and ongoing development. In order to consider the range of skills necessary to achieve my goals and aspirations, I completed a Career Values Tool and the report can be found in Appendix VII. To help with this I referred back to a Personality Type Questionnaire competed for the PPD5 assignment. This was an important analysis as it accurately highlighted the potential careers which fitted my profile. The role of Counsellor featured prominently which is something I have long been interested in (incidentally, Musician and Actor which are personal interests and also featured high in the analysis). My roles in offending behaviour treatment over the years have been the source of immense personal satisfaction as they met the values and skills which I have enjoyed developing the most. Using the Career Values Tool, I input Counsellor as an alternative career choice and it was interesting to note how this featured against the profile which had me as balanced between intuitive and logical in my approach to work. Feature d highly were communication skills and my ability to work alongside people and knowing that my work benefits others. When seen alongside my white knight mission schema of wanting to help others, which can potentially be unhelpful, the balance of taking a logical, measured approach to problem solving is something I now know I possess and is to be worked on continually. The development of analytical skills in my reflections and projects throughout this last year have helped to redress this balance whereas before, if I had taken the Career Values Tool, I might have been much further along the intuition side of the continuum which, is not healthy or helpful for one seeking to develop a managerial role. As well as reflective and study skills, it is important to develop the practical skills required for current and potential roles. At my SPDR review later this month I can explore the options for this with my line manager. The need to develop business awareness, in order to understand corporate strategy in the workplace and enable promotion prospects, is ongoing and the last few months have proved to be a testing time in that regard. This has largely been due to having to take a grievance procedure against the Programmes and Psychology management for what I perceive to be discriminatory and unethical behaviour against myself. Having weighed up the options over the last 12 months or so, this action was the only possible course and has required a measure of focus, assertiveness and an analytical overview of the situation to make this decision and take this forward. Without this, I would have reverted back to how I was prior to undertaking further education and left the situation unresolved and dwell in unhelpful rumination which would have affected my work and well being. The grievance is proceeding at the time of writing this report and, whatever the outcome, I can be satisfied that I have taken appropr iate steps to ensure best ethical practice and well being for the workforce and organisation as a whole. This has not been without an emotional response (acknowledging this is a strength identified in Gibbs Reflective Cycle, 1998) as I dont like conflict or rocking the boat but then, appropriate levels of assertive management and effective analysis are crucial management skills which I have developed over recent years and is ongoing. This is particularly important as I consider options for my future and it is gratifying that I can take the positive skills development learning from even the most testing of circumstances. The best measure of how appropriate ones actions are in the workplace, I have found, is ones own values of decency, ethics and responsibility and, in the above situation, to have these confirmed and used as my yardstick for decision making and professional integrity, has proved rewarding and strangely comforting. No one should ever consider themselves to be the finished article and being confident in pursuing continued development is a positive trait. In my case, this helps to overcome the schema driven low self-esteem and has certainly enhanced a more positive belief for the future. Among the key learning experiences for me, alongside the above, are a recognition of the roles of others, networking and effective communication. My career path has involved working closely with and taking an interest in people, both clients and colleagues alike. In Appendix X I have conducted my own skills self appraisal which covers a range of academic and professional areas. This was motivated by a definition of entrepreneurship by Rothstein and Burke (2010) as one who is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦skilled in recognizing opportunities, exploiting those opportunities and creating value (p.217). Whilst I will never be an Alan Sugar or Duncan Bannatyne, I can be just as entrepreneurial in my skills base so as to add value to the organisation. The fact that funding was made available to allow this period of study serves as a reminder that, to some degree, this has already been recognised and how I choose to utilise this for mutual benefit is now being considered. Career Appraisal and Development During the Foundation Degree I was able to undertake and pass the selection examination for Senior Officer though I was unsuccessful in role play assessment. I was, however, able to take that experience and, rather than berate or chastise myself and dwell in self-doubt as I previously would have, I have decided to take the step of applying for and undertaking the assessment again later this year. For this, I will seek to use my Line Manager as mentor together with the training department as immediate point of reference and begin to research prison policy, security and management skills. I am now feeling positive and motivated to succeed in this not only from a practical, self-development perspective, but also the pride and sense of achievement this will bring. Following the disappointment of having to step down from Sex Offender Treatment work last year, I have reappraised my personal development and, using reflective skills developed on the degree studies, particularly Kolb (1984) to help evaluate the experiences and Beck (1967) to understand how I was interpreting them. Having specialised in Drug offender rehabilitation for the last twelve months I can take the benefits of new learning and role experience forward as I return to Sex Offender therapy later this year. Drawing together the range of experience and interests I have enjoyed over successive years keeps me, first and foremost, actively engaged in working for and alongside others. This is encouraging and, in this period of change, I have come to realise the importance of job satisfaction as a key motivator for me. Pursuing a Counselling qualification would serve as a path to an alternative career should personal circumstances change for me in the future. This could be due to cutbacks in the public sector or an establishment transition to the private sector. This could also potentially be utilised in my current role should a counselling or mediation function become available which I can argue would value to the establishment. A significant area of personal development has been in key skills of assertiveness and negotiation. These were identified early on in my reflective practice as things I needed to work on. I was able to negotiate a role within drugs support having originally offered an office based assessment position which I would have found unfulfilling. Alongside this, within my current grievance procedure, I have assertively requested a clear professional development path from senior management which also ensures that all officer grades in the Programmes team are offered the same which has, hitherto, been lacking. Learning and Continuing Professional Development The Honours Degree has been immensely challenging and rewarding and, despite early fears, has worked in with my social and work life and has encouraged me to ongoing learning and consideration of developing career prospects. There has been useful overlap of the various modules of this course in which the learning and reflections from each have been transferable. An example is in studying Effective Management Decisions has been important for my dissertation which evaluates Crew Resource Management. Learning to examine the former, in an objective way, has enabled a critical approach for the dissertation ensuring the focus remains on the advantages to business performance and not just to areas of personnel safety which I might otherwise have concentrated. It has been gratifying that I have been able to use the modules of this course to look at areas which I find personally interesting and challenging which included designing projects to create best practice in offender management. Also, I have long been interested in the commercial aviation industry and to explore competitive advantage of an airline was good fun, whilst also rewarding in the study skills that were required. Similarly, the dissertation which looks at human factors in critical incidents arising from aviation accidents takes that same personal interest but analyses the learning points from that sector and explores what the prison service can benefit from this within its own operations. This seamless learning extends to the previous Foundation Degree which I frequently refer to including the module on ethics, cultural awareness and diversity where the strong principles I ascribe and have documented, are continually evaluated and applied to my work practice. It forms the basis of my mission statement for development as recommended by Covey (2004) where focussing who you want to be and what you want to do should be on the values you ascribe to each (p.106). I am currently exploring options for Higher Education such as a Masters Degree as well as qualifications in counselling. At this stage, I am unsure as to whether I should these at the earliest opportunity and continue the momentum of learning or have a year break in order to spend time focussing on my personal life which does need some attention. Whether I choose immediate and specific training at this time or not, I can develop and enhance the skills required for possible future roles in my current position utilising the training department, mentors and line management. All of these are part of my ongoing Professional Development Plan so I can maintain the motivation to keep personal and professional aspirations at the forefront of my future work. I am now certain that my further education will continue as will the depth and breadth of my career development. With the ongoing role in Drugs Support, a move back to Sex Offender Treatment later this year, together with the Senior Officer assessment in October and exploring accelerated promotion prospects in the prison service, I have much to keep me motivated and stimulated. These are key drivers for me as I have learnt in my four year journey and I can now realistically consider a managerial position and explore such options. The Honours Degree is regarded as a valuable qualification both for its relevant content to the Criminal Justice System and Business and Management but also symbolises the desire and commitment I have and have shown for continued self development. For me, this highlights how seamless the transition has been through the learning journey and that it will continue to be so. This awareness has made further education and career progression options less of a mountain to climb but a gentle path to enlightenment as some learned and revered man of faith probably once said. A helpful resource has proved to be www.CIPD.co.uk which I have accessed throughout my studies. This organisations definition of learning is a self-directed, work-based process leading to increased adaptive capacity. http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/learning-talent-development-overview.aspx [Accessed 18 February 2011]. This highlights the importance of personal responsibility in using employer resources to develop an ever-widening scope for career development. Appendix VIII shows an extract which proved helpful in critically evaluating my development plan and ensured it was appropriate to my needs and abilities as well as offering value to the workplace. Conclusion: I regard my new Curriculum Vitae (Appendix IX) as a valid working document whereas I had considered my old one, prior to commencing Further Education, to be somewhat archaic, irrelevant and out of date. The core skills I have developed over the years and significant achievements are included which serve as a reminder that, just as I have now added the Honours Degree (final result permitting), more is to come. As I look over it now, the transition and learning process which has brought me to this point in my life now is clearly evident. I can see the journey of learning and experience I have been on and, with a renewed and positive view of myself and professional development potential, I will enjoy and apply myself to the opportunities that lie ahead. Appendices: I. Personal and Professional Development Plan II. Cycle of Change (Prochaska and Diclemente, 1982) III. Staff Performance and Development Record (SPDR) IV. Reflective Essay (Jan 2007) V. Study Skills Self Assessment VI. SWOT Analysis VII. Career Values Tool VIII. Extract from CIPD website IX. Curriculum Vitae X. Research and Employability Skills Appendix I Personal and Professional Development Plan Appendix II Cycle of Change (Prochaska and Diclemente, 1982) Appendix II The Cycle of Change: Prochatska and Diclamente (1982) This example is taken from the internet and the source is in the bibliography. The cycle of change has 6 phases and, for me, this diagram highlights well the areas at which I can lapse, particularly contemplation and, therefore am encouraged to maintain motivation. In pre-contemplation, the person does not see any problem in their current behaviours and has not considered there might be some better alternatives. In contemplation the person is ambivalent they are in two minds about what they want to do should they stay with their existing behaviours and attitudes or should they try changing to something new? It is this area which I need to be particularly on my guard to as not to lapse. In preparation, the person is taking steps to change usually in the next month or so. In action, they have made the change and living the new set of behaviours is an all-consuming activity. In maintenance, the change has been integrated into the persons life they are now more enterprising. Relapse is a full return to the old behaviour. This is not inevitable but is likely and should not be seen as failure. Often people will Relapse several times before they finally succeed in making a (more or less) permanent to a new set of behaviours. Appendix III. Staff Performance and Development Record (SPDR) Appendix IV. Extract From My First Reflective Essay (Jan 2007) Extract From My First Reflective Essay (Jan 2007) My earliest employment from leaving school was within the travel industry. From the outset, I sought to improve my practical skills base and enjoyed the challenge of meeting the needs of customers, budgetary targets, training of staff, problem solving, through to the opening and management of a travel agency branch several years later. Apart from the GCSE qualifications gained at school, any further academic or professional learning has been gained whilst in employment. Copies of certificates attained, both school and work based can be found in the appendix. The skills and achievements I have attained in my personal life are equally transferrable to my work life. For example, as Chairman of a genealogical society for several years and public speaking engagements both serve as reminders that I have organisational, research and presentation abilities which I can and should be utilising and developing along my career path. I have had no formal management training, yet gained significant supervisory experience through showing aptitude and dedication to task, client base and personnel. It is important for me to demonstrate, through the Foundation Degree and subsequent training that I can learn management and personal development skills, but also show I am able to apply this learning in my work and personal life. At the same time, I need to focus on a specific career path which includes, in the first instance, promotion to Senior Officer. The next logical progression will, therefore, be to apply for and undertake the senior Promotion Examination later this year. For this, I need to obtain details of the main job requirements for this role and, using my Line Manager as mentor and the training department as immediate point of reference, begin to research prison policy, security, management skills and training opportunities. Whilst I have considered undertaking this before, I am now feeling positive and motivated to succeed in this not only from a practical, self-development perspective but also the pride and sense of achievement this will bring. On successful completion of this examination, I can seek to specialise in either offender rehabilitation or staff training which I would relish. This draws together the range of experience and interests I have enjoyed over successive years and keeps me, first and foremost, actively engaged in working for and alongside others. It is important for me to develop assertiveness skills and, whilst these have been improved upon over recent years, I am aware there is a continued need for development in this area. I need to be pro-active in my own learning, seeking opportunities and not over-relying on others to simply recognise my needs or opportunities and make recommendations. Part of this includes my need to develop and seek out management training and practice/demonstrate the skills I have. It is equally important for me to enlist the help of others in my development. My personal statement highlights how I can become too self-reliant when I perceive no one understands my needs or are genuinely interested in my development. Seeking a more collaborative approach to my learning will not only engender positive belief in myself and others, it will make the next stage of my career more rewarding, satisfying, creative and productive as well as opening up a wider range of opportunities in all areas of my life. The Study Skills Self-Assessment which I completed on 23 October 2007 (Appendix) highlighted three main employability skills I need to develop as: Improving own learning and performance Application of number (data collection and interpretation) Information and technology proficiency Alongside these, to develop, are my personal attributes of Self confidence Flexibility and adaptability Judgement In this self assessment I also reflected on my own specific weaknesses which include being too self-critical and not praising my own achievements enough which can affect my ability to be objective about my performance. I have a strong underpinning need to defend others and leap to their rescue which I have come to see as a hindrance to my own development and of those I seek to help. This is a particularly important area for me to address as future management roles will require me to allow others to take their own personal responsibility and only offer guidance as appropriate. This rescuer style I have is schema-related and I will write a piece for my portfolio on schema theory and how this applies to me. Beck, 1967 described a schema as ..a cognitive structure for screening, coding, and evaluating the stimuli that impinge  on the organism. In short, schemas are the filters or core beliefs we have about ourselves or the world around us and, thereby, how we interpret different situat ions in our lives. The nature of the work I do in offender rehabilitation requires me to undertake regular de-briefing, supervision, yearly health reviews and bi-monthly counselling. This, together with schema theory and other therapy models I use with prisoners, which I have also applied to myself, means I spend a lot of time being introspective and sharing this with colleagues. Add to this, the personal development elements of the Foundation Degree, means I need to be mindful of balancing this wealth of introspection with practical steps for a successful future. One of the handouts for self-appraisal from this course has helped me consider what can get in the way of things I want to do. These include poor time management and a lack of structure and balance in and between my work, study and private life. This is important as I can become frustrated by unnecessary last minute attempts to meet deadlines. By having a clear coherent plan I can plan my work and life more effectively and, this alone gives me a sense of excitement and motivation. Appendix V. Study Skills Self Assessment Dowson, Paul., (2004) Study Skills Self Assessment, Leeds Metropolitan University Appendix VI. SWOT Analysis Appendix VII Career Values Tool Report Appendix VIII. Extract from www.CIPD.co.uk {Accessed 18 February 2011) Possible benefits of development planning Relevant learning and development is more likely to happen in practice when you are goal directed. Learning that is planned is more efficient. Unanticipated learning opportunities are more likely to come to your attention when you are prepared for them. The choices of learning methods are more likely to be appropriate following completion of a development plan and their use can be designed and managed to provide a tailored fit with your needs and interests. Motivation and confidence in taking responsibility for ones own learning can be enhanced. Possible limitations of development planning The quality of a completed development plan can suffer without timely and relevant diagnostic information from others. The creation of a valid and useable plan is particularly difficult to achieve without the active support and agreement of others who are relevant to you in your current role. The successful implementation of even a well-crafted plan is not guaranteed without continuing support and challenge from others. Operating hints Ensure that there is ready access to relevant and valid diagnostic data in the identification of learning needs. Ensure t

Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale Essay -- Atwood Handmaids Tale

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale The Historical Notes are important in the way we perceive the novel as they answer many important questions raised by the novel and also enhance some of the novels main themes. The first question it answers is the one raised at the end of the novel; that is whether Offred is stepping up into the,'darkness,' or the, 'light.' The reader finds out that Offred escaped Gilead, presumably into Canada, with the help of the,'Underground Femaleroad.' The reader also learns that it was Nick who orchestrated her escape, using his position as a member of the Eyes. This is important to the novel as it means that the novel can feasibly be a transcript of her story, a story she could not have told if she was dead. It is also important in a much more simple sense, that it satisfies the readers curiosity over what happens to the main character and brings the novel to a more satisfactory close. Over the course of the novel the reader has built up a close relationship with Offred through her telling her story completely in the first person. This has the effect of making the reader feel a close connection with Offred, and care what happens to her. The Historical Notes also place the novel in its historical context. The notes tell the reader the story of why Gilead implemented the Handmaids in the first place, with the widespread reproduction problems caused by the,' AIDS epidemic,' and leakages from, 'chemical warfare stocks.' This is important to the novel as a whole as it outlines the reasons Gilead has for implementing the Handmaids and shows that there was an actual reason behind the methods of Gilead. This has the effect of making the society seem more realistic, which adds... ... The fact that Piexto criticizes Offred for her account, 'she does not see fit to supply us with her original name,' demonstrates his misunderstanding of the account, that Piexto sees it purely in the context of what he can learn from it about Gilead, and does not seem to care for Offred's, 'whiff of emotion,' or what Offred seems to have suffered through. The fact that Piexto's lecture is based on ,' Problems of Authentication,' again shows a complete disregard for what Offred went through, and again demonstrates his misunderstanding of the entire Tale. Atwood uses Piexto's misunderstanding to again make a warning to society; again that what happens in the novel could happen again. This could again be a comment on society and university education by Atwood; that everyone is so concerned with facts, figures and dates, they often forget, 'the human heart.'

The Cherry Orchard - The Struggle :: Anton Chekhov Cherry Orchard Essays

The Cherry Orchard - The Struggle Anton Chekhov’s play The Cherry Orchard introduces readers to a pre-Revolution Russian family faced with the impending sale of their estate, the Cherry Orchard. The main character in the play is the owner of the Cherry Orchard, Lyubov Andreyevna. It is in the play that Lyubov must ultimately decide whether to allow her Cherry Orchard to be cut down to make room for villas or to sell the entire estate to pay off her debts. It is her unconditional love for both the Cherry Orchard and what it symbolizes to her that allows her to put the estate up for sale rather than have the Cherry Orchard cut down.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although she is a member of the Russian upper class, Lyubov is hopelessly out of touch with reality and very irresponsible when in comes to finances. She often throws money around as though there are no consequences to her actions. After her husband died and her boy was tragically drowned at the Cherry Orchard, she fled to Paris and bought a villa, which she soon had to sell to pay off her debts. Lyubov dines lavishly and tips handsomely when in all actuality she hasn’t a dime to spare. She throws parties and hires orchestras she knows she can not pay for. It is this type of behavior that put Lyubov deep enough into debt to where her beloved estate has been put at risk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To Lyubov the Cherry Orchard means so much more than the acres and acres of beautiful cherry trees and rivers; so much more than the piece of land that was featured in the encyclopedia. To her it represents her sense of nostalgia, a longing for the past. It is the place where her grandparents lived. Her mother and father lived there as well. It reminds Lyubov of her youth. When she looks at the cherry trees she does not just see branches and blossoms, she sees a time when she walked through the orchard with her mother as a young girl. She says â€Å"I used to sleep here when I was little†¦and here I am like a child again.† Lyubov’s innocence also remains a part of the Cherry Orchard, for as a child she did not own serfs or squander her family’s money. Even though the Cherry Orchard invokes thoughts of her lost husband and son, she still treasures it.

Healthcare Organization SWOT Analysis Essay

I currently work for a local home care company, Angels Care Home Health. Currently, I am working on a project in which we are creating a new department that is responsible for the development and implementation of the electronic health record (EHR). Due to the size of the organization and the number of clients, the development of the EHR is a daunting and time consuming task. For these reasons, the EHR project runs like a strategic business unit (SBU). As an SBU, the project runs almost completely separate from the company drawing on three goals as its driving force: 1. Create a unified and cohesive system that incorporates EHRs into all aspects of the organization. 2. Create a system of EHRs that are secure and compliant with regulations such as HIPAA and other relevant laws. 3. Improve organizational efficiency and customer service through the use of EHRs. The EHR is basically an electronic version of the paper history of a patient. The EHR is an easily transferrable form of the patient chart and history (Borycki, Kushniruk, Keay, Nicoll, Anderson, & Anderson, 2009). The government views EHRs as an effective means for reducing healthcare cost and EHRs are considered mandatory for health care compliance (Ficery, 2011). HITECH Act (part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009), which dictates that US hospitals must implement and demonstrate what is called â€Å"meaningful use† of electronic medical records (EMR)†¦roughly half of US hospitals are at risk of incurring penalties when enforcement begins in 2015 (Ficery, 2011). While the use of EHRs does promise lower cost and better access, the problem that many institutions are having is that in order to become compliant, health care organizations must overhaul their IT infrastructures (Ficery,  2011). Currently, 50% of US hospitals are at risk of incurring penalties due to none compliance (Ficery, 2011). The restructuring of IT systems to meet the regulations may not be possible by 2015, for most organizations. For Angels Care Home Health, the challenge will mean finding new methods for restructuring system that is less time consuming and staying within budget. The following SWOT analysis details these opportunities as well as some risks based on the goals of the project. The SWOT analysis is used to identify the various factors involved in the EHR system design and implementation. Using the SWOT, threats such as the regulatory issues and competitors can be realized. One of the major aspects discovered in this process was that there are large opportunities to expand the organization in different ways. For example, by creating an EHR system, the organization is also able to expand its ability to be patient-centered by increasing user applications. Imagine a system that utilized patient-records to create diet and nutritional information concerning the patient. Users could access this information without actually placing the data in jeopardy through downloading. While this concept is only a suggested idea and is not part of the current project, it realization was made during the analysis of the project and it provided value for the undertaking of this project. Another area of importance that was realized during analysis was that the records were going to need an extreme level of redundancy and authority. These attributes were needed in order to solve the issue of one individual accidently deleting vital information from the record. This problem was realized in the weaknesses of the project and allowed planners to adjust software planning in order to accommodate this issue. Software development was also realized as a large weakness due to the fact that it would need to be designed with many stakeholders in mind along with the current operations processes of the organization. This would mean a large amount of research into stakeholder needs. Because the organization is on a timetable to meet regulatory compliance,  the project is going to move forward. The SWOT is still a valuable tool in the planning because it highlights the issues that will need to be dealt with in order to develop and fully integrate an EHR system. Without the SWOT the organization would not be able to focus this project properly from the beginning. References Borycki, E. M., Kushniruk, A., Keay, E., Nicoll, J., Anderson, J., & Anderson, M. (2009). Toward an integrated simulation approach for predicting and preventing technology-induced errors in healthcare: implications for healthcare decision-makers. Healthcare Quarterly Toronto Ont., 90-96. Ficery, K. (2011, March). Electronic Medical Records: Meeting the Compliance Challenge. Retrieved from Accenture: http://www.accenture.com/us-en/outlook/Pages/outlook-online-2011-electronic-medical-records.aspx

Business Law I Case Study Arthur Andersen Llp V. United States

Arthur Andersen LLP v. United States The parties: In Arthur Andersen LLP v. United States, the plaintiff was the United States. The United States was also the Appellee. Arthur Andersen is the defendant as well as the appellant. The history: Arthur Andersen was found guilty at the jury trial. The U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit also affirmed him guilty. The U. S. Supreme Court reversed Andersen’s convictions due to â€Å"flawed jury instructions. † The facts: Arthur Anderson formed a crisis-response team shortly after the Wall Street Journal had suggested the issues at Enron.The company kept encouraging the employees to follow Andersen’s document retention policy and Odom stated that â€Å"If [documents are] destroyed in the course of [the] normal policy and litigation is filed the next day, that’s great†¦ We’ve followed our own policy, and whatever there was that might have been of interest to somebody is gone and irretrievable. à ¢â‚¬  As Enron went under the heat of informal to formal investigation with requests for documentation, the company kept encouraging its employees to follow the â€Å"policy. It wasn’t until the SEC served Enron and Andersen with subpoenas for records that they told their employees to stop shredding and the game was over. The plaintiff’s theory: The jury and Court of Appeals found that the above actions made the petitioner guilty of violating Title 18 of the United States Code that provides criminal sanctions for those who obstruct justice. They believed he intentionally had the knowledge of what was going on and intentionally destroyed the documents that proved the scandal to be true.The defendant’s theory: Arthur Anderson believed that he was only following his company’s policy by ensuring it was being followed. He did not violate a law because once he was served the subpoena, the document shredding halted immediately. The legal issue: Did Arthur Ande rson violate Title 18 of the United States Code by knowingly persuading his employees to shred documents with intent to impair the availability of those documents for use in an official proceeding?The holding of the court: No. Andersen’s conviction could not stand due to the flawed jury instructions. Therefore, the conviction was reversed by the U. S. Supreme Court. Personal opinion: I do not believe this case was correctly decided. However, there was not enough evidence to convict him. The Supreme Court ruled the right decision based on the books. It is obviously clear that the Arthur Andersen was a smart man. Once he got tick in his ear that there might be trouble, he quickly found a way to legally protect himself and the company. I find it interesting how persistent they were with the document policy. However, regardless of the perception it gives off, Andersen technically did not violate any laws according to the court. If he was guilty, no one would ever know. I’m sure if the subpoena would have been served sooner, there would have been a different outcome. But, this is only my opinion and it would not stand in the court system.

The Hill Reaction and Light Wattage

Wabash College| The Effects of Light Wattage on the Rate of the Hill Reaction| | | Mark Stoops| 11/29/2012| | Introduction: In the Hill Reaction lab we will be measuring the rate of photosynthesis in light dependent reactions. The goal is to measure the change of absorbance of 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) and examine the rate of the photosynthetic reactions using this data. The Hill Reaction can be used to study photosynthesis because we can directly measure the rate of the reaction of photosynthesis using DCIP.The Hill Reaction is defined as the photo reduction of an electron acceptor by the hydrogen ions from water, which then produce oxygen. In naturally occurring reactions NADP+ is the final electron acceptor. In the Hill Reaction we will be using 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) as an electron acceptor instead of NADP+. DCIP is blue in its oxidized state and is colorless in its reduced form. This change in color can be utilized. As the photosynthetic reaction proceeds the DCIP will become increasing transparent. This reduction in blue color leads to change in absorbance and can be measured by the spectrophotometer in lab.Using the Hill Reaction, we hypothesized that the amount of light,(change in wattage) affects the rate of change of absorbance of DCIP in solution. In order to test our hypothesis we set up the experiment with three different strengths of light (15W, 60W, 120W), as well as a light free, negative control. Each run was conducted for ten minutes under similar conditions with a difference in wattage being the only variable. The negative control was conducted with no light to see how the reaction would proceed with no external influences. Having a control allows us to have a baseline of comparison for our three lighted runs.Due to the fact that light dependent reactions use light, we can predict that an increase in the amount of light will increase the rate of reaction of photosynthesis, thus lowering the absorbance. We can also predi ct that our control will have no change in absorption after a ten minute period without light. Method: To begin the Hill Reaction we first isolated the chloroplasts. This was done by placing the pieces of leaves into a mortar with 15ml of ice cold NaCl-buffer. The mixture was then ground for two minutes. After grinding the leaves we filtered the solution through 8 layers of cheesecloth.The juice was rung out and the solution put into a 15ml centrifuge tube. The solution was than centrifuged for one minute at 400xg. Then we decanted the supernatant into another clean, chilled centrifuge tube and spun it at 1000xg for 5 minutes. After the centrifuge process, we decanted the supernatant and suspended the pellet in 7ml of ice cold Nacl. This solution was kept on ice the entire time of experiment. To begin our runs we made a warm water bath for our solutions, then prepared the solutions shown in Figure 1 below. | NaCl buffer| DCIP| DI H2O| Chloroplats (on ice)| Blank| 3. 5 ml| -| 1. 0ml| 0. 5 ml|Control | 3. 5 ml| 0. 5ml| 0. 5ml| 0. 5 ml| Reaction 15W| 3. 5 ml| 0. 5ml| 0. 5ml| 0. 5 ml| Reaction 60W| 3. 5 ml| 0. 5ml| 0. 5ml| 0. 5 ml| Reaction 120W| 3. 5 ml| 0. 5ml| 0. 5ml| 0. 5 ml| Figure 1. Experimental solutions to be prepared in lab. The blank solution was used to zero our spectrophotometer. To zero our spectrophotometer, we used the instructions provided at the spectrophotometer. To prepare the control, we added all solutions shown above and then wrapped it in two layers of aluminum foil to completely block any sources of light. After 10 minutes the control absorbance was tested to provide a negative control.We prepared the 15W, 60W, and 120W reaction tubes immediately before each respective run to avoid light pollution. The procedure we used to test each solution was to prepare the tube and place it 25cm from the source of light. Then, turn on the light and leave it on for a minute. Then at the minute mark the light was turned off and the clock stopped. The tub e was placed in the spectrophotometer and a reading was taken. Then the tube was returned to the water bath, the light turned on, and the clock started. We followed this procedure for ten times for a total of 10 minutes for each solution.The only difference between runs was the changing of bulb wattage. Results: How does the amount of light affect the rate of reaction of photosynthesis and therefore absorbance of the DCIP solution? The data shown in Figure 2 is the results of three reaction runs and a negative control run. The time in minutes is shown on the left and the percent absorbance of the 15W, 60W, 120W, and negative control run are provided in the subsequent columns. Time (minutes)| 15W %A| 60W %A| 120W %A| Negative control| 0| 1. 1| 0. 99| 0. 89| | 1| 1. 09| 0. 945| 0. 716| | 2| 1. 08| 0. 9| 0. 55| | 3| 1. 8| 0. 815| 0. 422| | 4| 1. 07| 0. 772| 0. 322| | 5| 1. 06| 0. 702| 0. 237| | 6| 1. 07| 0. 638| 0. 176| | 7| 1. 055| 0. 578| 0. 125| | 8| 1. 05| 0. 53| 0. 088| | 9| 1. 03 5| 0. 464| 0. 064| | 10| 1. 025| 0. 408| 0. 032| 1. 11| Figure 2. Data values for absorbance of DCIP solutions on a one minute basis. Also shown is the negative control with absorbance taken at 10 minutes. Figure 3 shows us a visual of the data in Figure 2. Figure 3. Time in minutes versus % absorbance of 15W, 60W, 120W, and negative control runs. Figure 4. The effect of bulb wattage on rate of absorbance. Discussion:Our results for our data runs show a common theme which is, the amount of light does have an effect on the rate of photosynthetic reaction. We can see by looking at the data in Figure 2 and depicted in Figure 3 that the amount of light has a direct influence on the rate of absorbance. The 15W run has a very small decline ending with a change in absorbance of only 7. 5%. The 60W bulb shows a change in absorbance of 58. 2%, and the 120W shows a change of 85. 8%, with a final absorption of almost 0. As shown in Figure 4, the rates of change of the 15W, 60W, and 120W runs a re 0. 75%, 5. 8%, and 13. 06 % absorbance/minute respectively.These results show that the higher the wattage, the faster DCIP turns clear, and the faster photosynthesis proceeds. Although the total change and rate of change of the 120W bulb are greatest, the reaction slows down towards the end of the run, as shown in Figure 3. This slowing of the reaction means that the amount of DCIP in its reduced state is very high, and can no longer accept electrons. This corresponds to Figure 3 because the absorbance is 3. 2% at the end. Which show a very low level of DCIP in the oxidized state. If the DCIP is no longer oxidized it can’t accept electrons which is a vital step in the light dependent reaction.Therefore we expect to observe a slowing of the reaction, and this is seen in Figure 3. The positive and negative controls give us a reference to compare our results to. In our case the 60W run is our positive control and is used in our data runs as a part of our data. It shows a line ar decline in absorbance providing a solid point of reference for a normally functioning system. The negative control provides a reference to a non-functioning Hill Reaction. The negative control shows a system without light and shows that the system will not react without sunlight. It also provides a base for 100% absorbance for each run.In conclusion our data does support our hypothesis and our prediction. As shown in the results, a change in the amount of light will produce a change in rate of the photosynthetic reaction. We predicted that a higher wattage will increase the rate. This was indeed shown in figure 2, with the 120W bulb showing the highest rate of reaction, and the 15W bulb with the slowest rate of synthetic reaction. Also we predicted that the negative control would show no reaction without light. This was supported as shown in Figure 2 with no change in absorption over the 10 min period.To test if the slowing of the reaction is due to a shortage of oxidized DCIP in solution, and not from high wattage, I would run each experiment again for a longer period of time. By doing this it would allow each run to reach a lower absorption. At this low absorption we would expect the rate to slow down due to the lack of oxidized DCIP. If this were true, each wattage would show the same slowing effect at low absorption. If the slowing of the reaction is not observed, the change would be due to a different reason such as a high wattage reducing DCIP’s functionality over time. References: Biology 111 Lab Manual. 2012