Literature of War and Peace Essay Example for Free

Literature of War and Peace Essay Sir Winston Churchill British statesman, orator, and author who was elected prime minister twice in 1940s and 1950s. He is regarded as one of the finest military leaders in history and is credited to rallying the moral of the British people during world war two and leading them from the brink of defeat to victory against the axis powers. How he did this was not only though his leadership but arguably through his speeches as well, one of Churchill’s greatest assets was his words and how he used them to inspire and motivate his people. Despite having a lisp throughout his career He was known for his excellent speaking, the speeches he made throughout his life in particularly dark times for the British were always inspiring, while presented in a way that made them understandable to any person no matter whom they were. Now this was seen particularly in Churchill’s speech â€Å"the defence of freedom and peace† which he presented in October 16th 1938 near the start of world war two in an appeal to British and Americna public to prepare for the strong possibility of war against Nazi Germany. In the speech the defence of freedom and peace Churchill uses a variety of persuasive yet simple literary devices such as allusion, rhetorical questions, imagery and Tricolon and wording to arouse, influence and encourage American and British listeners to ready themselves for a possible war against Germany. Now prior to this speech Britain’s foreign policy regarding Nazi expansion was one of appeasement. British Prime minister Neville Chamberlain believed that Germany had been unfairly treated by the allies after its defeat in the 1st world war. His view was that Germany had sincere grievances that needed to be resolved; he also thought that by agreeing to some of the propositions being made by fascist powers Germany and Italy such as the Munich agreement than Europe could potentially avoid the outbreak of another world war. Meanwhile in the United States a combination of events such as the great depression and the losses suffered in world war one had pushed the American opinion and policy towards isolationism. Many Americans argued that the United States shouldn’t intervene in European conflicts or politics that did not concern them. Churchill however believed that not only did Nazi Germany and Facist Italy pose a threat but that the rights, traditions and fundamental beliefs of western civilization were in jeopardy and so he made it his mission to ready the British people for war and appeal to the US for aide against this threat. Now in his speech the defence of freedom and peace Churchill utilizes a number of literary devices the first of which is Allusion. Allusion is a figure of speech that makes reference to a place, person or event real or imaginary and can refer to anything which includes artist paintings, opera, mythical figures and bible passages. Churchill uses this to grab his audience’s attention and engage them into the subject while also getting his message across to them without having to go through tedious details. The first example of allusion is when he states â€Å"he (meaning Hitler) must blood his hounds and show them sport or else like Actaeon of old, be devoured by them†. Here he is referring to an ancient tale in Greek mythology Actaeon was a man who was punished by the goddess Artemis for boasting that he was a better hunter than she as a consequence she turned him into a stag, and his hounds turned on him and killed him. What Churchill is trying to get across to his audience is that if Hitler does not constantly lead his allies and soldiers to victory, they will eventually turn against him, taking his power for themselves. Allusion was further demonstrated when Churchill states to his audience that the American people wash their hands of the whole buissness.

From Cinematic Space To Mental Space

From Cinematic Space To Mental Space Space is an the unlimited three dimensional expanse in which all objects exist or it is the interval of distance and time between two points, objects or events.  [1]   The concept of the term space evolved with time. Initially this term strictly had a geometrical meaning evoking the idea of an empty space which is Euclidean, isotropic, or infinite, basically a mathematical concept.  [2]   Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicist usually consider it with time to be a part of the boundless four dimensional continuum known as Space-time.  [3]   According to the Wikipedia information, the concept of space has been discussed throughout history. Plato has discussed about this concept of space in one of his treatise Timaeus, where he reflects on what the Greek called: Chora/ Khora (that is space). Aristotle has dealt with space in Book IV, Delta, in the definition of topos which means place. In a discourse on place (Qawl fi al makan) by the eleventh century Arab Polymath Ibn al _Heythum (Alhazan) discusses geometrical conceptions of place as space qua extension. Aristotelian tradition had held that space and time were those categories which facilitated the naming and the classing of the evidence of the senses. On the other hand, the thinker, Descartes was taken to be important in shaping the concept of space and the key to its matured form. According to most historians of the Western thoughts, he has brought an end to the Aristotelian tradition. As the Cartesian logic evolved, space was considered to be absolute. It became dominant containing both the subject and the object. Science and mathematics has defined this concept of space in their own way respectively and later even the philosophers. Some scholars has studied and analyzed the relationship of time and space. The metaphysicist Immanuel Kant defined space and time as elements of systematic framework that humans use to structure their experience. In his Critique of Pure Reason, he said that space is a subjective pure a priori form of intuition. Therefore its existence depends on the human faculties.  [4]   The Kantian space has revived and revised the old notion of space. Here space is relative, a tool of knowledge, and a means of classifying phenomenon, separated from the empirical sphere. It has a transcendental and ungraspable structure.  [5]   According to Henri Lefebvre, the mathematicians, quite contrary to philosophy, has identified space as Non-Euclidean spaces, curved spaces, x-dimensional spaces( even spaces with an infinity of dimensions), spaces of configuration, abstract spaces , spaces defined by deformations or transformation, by the topology and so on.  [6]   Though the mathematicians has defined and constructed the term spaces, classifying in various ways and measured them, what philosophy did as Leonardo da Vinci had said, is that it helped in the formation of the mental thing that is the mental space. According to Isaac Newton space exists independently and permanently even without the presence of any object in it and therefore it is absolute. On the other hand naturalist philosophers thought that space was a collection of relations between objects given by their distance and direction from one another. The 18th century philosopher and theologian George Berkely attempted to refute the visibility of spatial depth in his essay Towards a new theory of vision. Initially time and space was viewed as independent dimensions. Einsteins discoveries showed that due to relativity of motion, our space and time can be mathematically combined into one object space-time. One can freely move in space but not time. In the middle of the 19th century, psychology first began to study the way space is perceived. Psychologists analyzed the perception of space and were concerned about how the recognition of an objects physical appearance or its interactions is perceived. The philosophy of space and time are inspirations to and central aspect of early analytic philosophy. There are questions related to whether time and space exist independently of the mind and each other. From the theory of logic, space has transcended to nature, practice and theories of social life which unfolds in space.  [7]   The modern field of enquiry has the notion that space has acquired the view of mental thing or mental space. This concept of mental space has no generalization and even no clear account. We hear of different spaces like literary space, ideological spaces, the space of the dream, psychoanalytic topologies etc. Michel Foucault said that knowledge (savoir) is also the space in which the subject may take up a position and speak of the object with which he deals with in his discourse.  [8]   But he neither explained the spaces nor defined their distinctions. The linguist Naom Chomsky has given the idea that a mental space has certain specific properties with orientations and symmetries but completely ignores the gap between linguistic mental space and social space. Lefebvre believed that the modern thinkers had fetishized the philosophico-epistemological notion of space and that the mental realm envelopes the social and physical ones. The quasi-logical presupposition of an identity between mental space (the space of the philosopher and epistemologists) and the real space creates a gulf between the mental sphere on one side and the physical and social spheres on the other. He said that there cannot be a fixed knowledge of space and without it we transfer to a level of discourse-the level of mental space a large portion of the attributes and properties of what is actually social space. Between the sixteenth and nineteenth century, he said that space was not only read but there existed a code which is architectural, urbanistic and political, with a specific language which is common to all strata of people. He said that anything like leisure, work, play, transportation etc., can be spoken of in the spatial terms in an artists or writers world. Therefore there is an indefinite multitude of space around us. He questions whether space can be nothing more than the passive locus of social relations. In general he talks about three kinds of spaces: 1. The physical space nature, the cosmos. 2. The mental space with its logical and formal abstractions. 3. The social space. What he is concerned with is the logico-epistemological space, the space of social practice, the space occupied by sensory phenomenon, including products of imagination such as projects and projections, symbols and utopias.  [9]   There are certain specializations of space. When we think of a space, we are immediately concerned with what occupies the space and how it does so along with the energy present within the space. Without energy, the physical space has no reality. This space is always associated with time. space considered in isolation is an empty abstraction.  [10]   According to Fred Hoyles theory, space is a product of energy. Henri says that multiplicity of particular spaces, yet diverse are offered by this universe. Apart from the concept of physical space, mental space and social space, he dealt with the minute elements in space like ideal space related to mental space and real space associated with social space These two spaces are in a way related to each other. He said that philosophy has played an important role in the development of the abstract (metaphysical) representations of space, where the Cartesian notion of space became significant due to its homogeneous, isotropic character which helped it to become absolute and infinite and divine. But space is even beyond this. Plato talks about the cosmic space, where the space of the city is a reflection of the Cosmos. Literature too reveals different spaces to us. But the problem is that the space here is enclosed, described, projected, dreamt off and speculated about. When we talk of a particular space, we distinguish it and not isolate it. Various kinds of space comes together to produce a space. In relation of language, Henri questions whether a language follows or accompanies a social space. Many people have explored space in different ways. In his work, George Bastille has played with the space on inner experience on one hand and the space of physical nature on the other and social space. Through Hegelian viewpoint, space is considered to be a product and residue of historical time. Though Hegel had the idea of a concrete universe. Social space is a social product and when produced serves as a tool for thought and action. As said by many thinkers, it is difficult to distinguish social space as distinct from mental space and even physical space. Every society produces a space of its own. The Asiatic mode of production of space is different from the Western mode. There are multitudes of intersection in space. The way certain spaces are represented by the society, lead to the representations of space. Representational spaces on the other hand deals with spaces associated with its images and symbols. These spaces represent something of their own. It overlay the physical space, making symbolic use of its objects. Even though they are abstract, the representations of space, has a role in social and political practice. They have a role to play in the established relations between objects and people, following certain rules. This is not the case of representational spaces. It is filled with symbolic and imaginary elements. According to Henri Lefebvre, a psychoanalyst or anthropologists are students of representational spaces. Childhood memories, dreams are all part of this representational space. The gap between representations of space and representational spaces is culture. Therefore what can be concluded is that the producers of space are related to the representations of space while the users of a space are related to their representational space. Here I conclude that space with its original and represented identity occupies a part of our physical and mental self and even helps in the identification of these self. Each physical space creates a mental space, a space with certain intimate values. A house can be used for the phenomenological study of the intimate values of space.  [11]  All inhabited space bears the essence of the notion of home. Thoughts and experience is not the only thing that sanctions human values. We will deal more with this later in the thesis. After dealing with the basic idea of space with the help of the views and ideas of Henri Lefebvre, I want to connect this idea of the concept of space in dealing with the cinematic space. Cinematic space is the represented space, selected, manipulated and projected as a finite field of vision.  [12]  As Henri Lefebvre has said that it depends on the producers of space. This space is what we see on the screen. This screen space is marked by a frame which acts like the borders in a painting. It is geometric and represents the space that we see on the screen. In this way it divides the screen space into onscreen and off-screen spaces. The frame acts as a window connecting u to the film space and on the other hand separating the space we inhabit from the film space.  [13]  We the spectators look through the frame. According to Gilles Deleuse, the cinematic frame is a relatively closed system Which includes everything which is present in the image ­- sets characters and props framing  [14]  . The frame acts as a system providing us with all the information regarding the image and all these information acts like a data which are known as the elements in the frame. Therefore the frame is inseparable from two tendencies towards saturation or towards rarefaction.  [15]   This image that the frame provides is not just to be seen, it is a message, and it gives us certain information, which are produced by the elements present in the frame (these elements are also some information}. This is how the space produces its own language. He said that the frame is a spatial composition of parallels and diagonals, helping to form equilibrium. the frame is conceived as a dynamic construction in act, which is closely linked to the scene, the image, the characters and the objects which fill it.  [16]   The frame cannot be separated from its rigid geometrical boundaries. It has certain limitations. Like many Western painters this has been explored by many film makers like Griffith, Eisenstein. Deleuze said that light too is a subject of geometrical optic, when it is divided into two parts forming light and shadow.  [17]   They help in the making of this space. The presence of objects inside the frame creates secondary and tertiary frames like for example the house, doors, windows, mirror and even a fence. Therefore a frame is never fixed. A gradual progression takes place which is physical and affects the viewers psychologically. Each object inside the frame has something to say, something to express and therefore have a meaning. Here geometrical divisions in the frame becomes insignificant. The framing angle is also an important characteristic of the frame. Deleuze said the frame is related to an angle of framing. This is because the closed set is itself an optical system which refers to a point of view on the set of parts. Of course the point of view can be or appear to be bizarre or paradoxical: the cinema shows extraordinary points of view at ground level or from high or low, from low to high, etc. but they seem to be subject to a pragmatic rule which is not just valid for the narrative cinema: to avoid falling into an empty aestheticism they must be explained ,they must be revealed as normal and regular either from the point of view of a more comprehensive set which includes the first, or from the point of view of an initially unseen, not given element of the first set. give an example if It is here that the frame becomes an optical system, logically justified. But this justification does not always work. In the conclusion of his essay, Deleuze says that the frame finally determines an out-of-field, in the outline of a larger set which extends it or in the figure of the whole into which it is incorporated.  [18]   In the book Republic, Plato talks about two modes of representation which are distinct and opposed to each other. These two modes are mimesis (imitation) and diegesis (narration). Theatre is related to imitation which shows us something whereas novel tells us a story. Cinema on the other hand incorporates both these characteristics.  [19]   In its early years, cinema followed the theatrical mode of representation. Here the frame is tableaux form, static and faces the audience. Therefore the cinema much influenced by the theatrical stage. The camera is static. The character enters the stage, performs and walks out. The camera does not follow the movement of the characters. Hence just fixed in the centre. Traditional theatrical space is an architectural product, where beyond the proscenium it does not exist for the viewers. Classical narrative cinema has transformed this space into an illusorily continuous cinematic space. The cinematic film space is a figurative construction, resulting from medium specific techniques such as framing, camera movement and editing.  [20]  This space is linked to the codes of renaissance perspective, where the property of centering addresses to the subject whose position the space determines. Classical Hollywood cinema gave lot of importance to the use of space. This graphic space of the image, that we see on-screen acts as the vehicle for the narrative development.  [21]  These films created an illusion of reality where the screen became just a transparent object and the frame became invisible. A powerful three dimensional space is represented through the use of lens, lighting, camera movement and angles and other techniques. The space became as important as the narrative structure. So, what is the basic function of the frame? The frame shows us the image and creates an illusion of reality. We already know that the Classical Hollywood films were highly inspired by visual art and as art has evolved, cinema has also evolved gradually taking inspiration from it. Film studio developed, taking inspiration from the workroom of artists and painters. There is a lot of similarity between classical Hollywood cinema and classical novels. Their style is influenced by the post Renaissance painting. Along with centering, the main aspect of this style is balancing, frontality and depth. Here, in the composition of the image, the subject or the character is always in the centre, with all the attentions, in focus. With the coming of the Renaissance period, human thoughts became anthropocentric. It is no more centered on the religion, god. The importance of man as an individual identity instead turned out to be the thought of the period. There was a highlight on the facial expressions and the human body became the centre of attraction other than the narrative. Like in the paintings, a balance is always maintained in the visual composition of the film. The characters are evenly distributed in the film space. Both these technique helps in the progress of the narration. The use of frontality is an influence of the Greek and Roman theatre. Through this technique the narrative action is addressed to the viewers. The depth is established through the use of lighting mainly 3 point lighting (the key, fill back lighting and etc.) and costumes. Sometimes the set is painted in different colour to create the various depths. I think the use of sound to produce an illusion of depth came much later. By the establishment of depth, the film s tries to portray a perspective which is more or less linear, influenced by the ancient Greek Perspective, where the vision is organized around the static monocular observer, and in his vision all the parallel lines recede in the vanishing point. In this way, a personalized space is achieved, trying to conceal the flatness of the film space. The emergence of this classical narrative logic gives rise to cinematic subjectivity and the isolation of the spectator.  [22]   Classical Hollywood cinema places the spectator in an ideal position of intelligibility.  [23]   A film uses onscreen and off screen space to produce the diegetic world. Cinematic off screen space is different from the theatrical off stage space. The off screen film space has a pro filmic reference. The early films of Lumiere a Melies, had camera pointed at the action and remained static for the duration of the action. The early films acknowledged the space outside the frame, for example the workers leaving the Lumiere factory 1895, showed the people moving through the frame and off the edge. The most important element of the film frame is mise-en-scene, a theatrical term. Both are depended on each other. It means everything which is put into the scene, or what we find in the film space. The frame along with the set design, camera and character movement, lighting and even sound, everything combined together form the mise-en-scene. And this mise-en-scene helps in the formation of the composition. Mise-en-scene can be defined as the articulation of the cinematic space, and it is only concerned about the space.  [24]   On the film set it creates an illusion of the reality or fantasy. The setting of the film is an important aspect of the mise-e-scene. It includes the shapes, designs and color of the film set. Colour also helps in the development of the narrative. It is used as a symbol. A set can be artificially constructed for an indoor shot or manipulated in the outdoor shot. Apart from the design and colour, props play an important role, in the development of the narrative. In the absence of the actors, they even tell a story and which are not possible in a theatre. They express certain mood, and say what is unsaid by the film narrative. the elements of the setting turns into motifs  [25]   Along with the props and costumes, the make up of the actors also furnishes the setting of the narrative. The props and costumes are also used for the film publicity, and they even help to turn certain characters into cult figures. Lighting is another aspect of the mise-en-scene, other than creating the illusion of reality, artificially producing light for an indoor shoot or day for night shoot, light along with colour and sometimes the prop creates the mood of his film. In the shot composition light and shadow works together. It helps in the development of the film space, sometimes maintaining continuity when camera movement takes place within a space. And at other times, different lighting helps to distinguish various spaces used in the film. I must say here that along with lighting sound also plays the same role. Light, colour and sound combined or individually can create suspense, horror, happiness and even loneliness. Light creates texture.Four major features of film lighting can be isolated are: its quality, direction source and colour. Light quality depending on its intensity creates a sharp or a soft image by diffusion. With the use of hard light the shadow becomes bold creating definite contours. Light along with the lens and camera angle can be used to manipulate the shape of an object to enhance a mood. the proper use of light can embellish and dramatize every object -Josef von Sternberg. As earlier film makers used the frontality of the characters to highlight their presence, to give them a central position, similarly light is used to keep certain character at the centre of attention. This technique is also used in theatre. The direction of light in the film space, creates the presence of an off screen space. This idea also developed from the influence of paintings from the Renaissance period. Every light has a point where it is brightest and a point towards which it wanders to lose itself completely.The journey of rays from that central core to the outposts of blackness is the adventure and drama of light.   [26]   Depending on the narrative, the film space is generally lit up by top lighting, backlighting, side lighting, and frontal lighting and under lighting. Backlighting creates a dreamy; fantasy image similarly under lighting is used to create a horror image. Different sources of light works together in the cinematic space to create the mental space of the spectators. Generally during a shoot three point lighting is used with key light (primary), fill light (secondary, softens the shadow) and backlight which highlights the character and separates it from the background thus creating depth. We have already discussed earlier how this method of lighting is use in Classical Hollywood cinema. Along with the direction, the source of the light on the film space creates an impact. For out door shoot during the day, we get the sun light, the sky light and the reflected light from the objects around. The lighting is natural and therefore the look is also natural. This light can be manipulated to give a bluish tone with the use of 85 filter and the light can be further controlled with the use of neutral density filters to avoid over or under exposure of the film. In the case of indoor shooting, it is obvious that artificial light is to be used even to give the reference of a natural source of light. Light is continuously measured and blended to create the ci nematic space. Here I want to say that though the basic reason for the use of lighting in a cinematic space is similar to theatrical space but the technique is different. This is because lighting in the theatrical space is more loud and dramatic whereas in the film space it is subtle. From all the information that I have acquired and the knowledge that I have gained, I therefore say that light is a language through which we can also tell a story. Its use is dynamic and is very important in the cinematic space. Only through light, we can see the film space. Mise-en-scene helps the character to express feelings and thoughts. The movement of the actors, their action, everything gets enhanced by the presence of the mise-en scene. Even acting in the cinematic space is different from the theatre. Cinematic space creates an illusion, where the screen frame acts as the window but the actors never stairs at the window; they do not stare back at the audience, unless and until it is required by the film narrative. So through the presence of the actors, the way they move, talk, behave provides the film with an illusory realistic space. When we take a shot, the space in front of the camera is two dimensional when we take the shot, it remains the same but when the film is projected, and we see it on the screen, we see a three dimensional space and this space is enhanced through certain aspects of the mise-en-scene like colour, balance, size and movement. In a static set the movement of certain objects draws the attention. Colour can enhance certain mood. We know that it is used as a symbol. It can refer to different time space or change of space. The balance in placing the figure is also important. It determines the attention of the viewers. Size work in relation to the movement, colour and balance. The size of the objects creates the illusion of depth, where the objects in the foreground are generally larger in size and the objects in the background are small. The closer the object, it is more in focus. The depth creates a volume in the space. A different plane of the shot gets established due to the use of depth wh ich creates the illusion of space. A film suggests volume by the use of movement, shape and shading.  [27]   Mise-en-scene can control not only what we look at also when we look at it.  [28]   It creates a sense of movement in time. Mise-en-scene helps to compose the film shot in space and time. Inside the film space, therefore it is the mise-en-scene which creates the cinematic space using both the onscreen and off-screen space and it is this cinematic space which creates the illusion of a real world or a fantasy world. The film narrative does not work with space alone but space and time. Time is ever changing and space also keeps evolving. Leaving aside, all the scientific reasons for the evolution of space, what I think that a space evolves with time only with the intervention of a man. It evolves in the imagination of the man. The cinematic space is an example of this space. Other than cinema this space can also be created through literature, music, dance, painting and even food. We prefer more of this cinematic space other than where we belong to, because it incorporates our likes and dislikes, keeping in mind that it is our own creation. In dealing with the space and time in a film, it is necessary to study their unity within a shot and between two shots. It is not possible to visualize time on a screen without any action or movement in the space. Movement in reality is continuous but movement on the screen is discontinuous and is achieved very quickly by a series of still photographs.  [29]   In a film the dimensions of space and time cam be manipulated and this has become easier with the digital techniques. Slow or fast motion is used by changing the film speed. This manipulated space is artificial. From the early years of human civilization, paintings, sculptures have evolved as a language. A visual language, which can preserve itself. It creates its own memory. With the coming of industrialization and modernity, photography became more popular. Its basic function or utility is to freeze a moment, capture it and create a memory. Cinema moves a step ahead. It not only captures a specific a moment, but a period of time  [30]   It is som

The significance of preventing accidents In a construction industry

The significance of preventing accidents In a construction industry Today, most of the top managers, contractors and workers, who work in construction industry, are aware about the significance of preventing accident.( In fact they know that ignoring safety and health can impose a high penalty on a company -large or small. Also individual accident or injury can mean compensation, time off and lost production and what have seemed to be a minor risk becomes a major liability)(safety at work/compiled by Badrie Abdullah/p.iii). Therefore they know the valuable of occupational safety and health management (OSH), although most of the managers havent enough knowledge about OSH. It means that they dont know what the OSH is and how they must use it. In this report I try to investigate different part of OSH management in addition the need for it. Introduction In current years, construction accident rates have decreased as a result of substantial effort by many parties. Increased pressures from OSHA and owners, and increased cost of accidents raised the contractors awareness. In turn, contractors increased safety training and enforcement. These efforts have decline the injury and illness rate from 12.2 in 1993 to 7.9 in 2001. The recent approach to accident prevention is based on OSHAs violations approach and focuses on prescribing and enforcing defenses that is, physical and procedural barriers that reduce the workers exposure to hazards. The violations of the defenses are called unsafe conditions and unsafe behaviors. (Systems Model of Construction Accident Causation /Panagiotis Mitropoulos1; Tariq S. Abdelhamid2; and Gregory A. Howell3.p.12) Only knowing about the benefits of OSH management isnt enough, we must be act and apply it. So at first its important to understand the necessity of OSH management then definition of OSH management and finally how we can follow its rules to make our workplace safe. Who are included in the safety value chain? Maybe, it `s better to ask this question who should be interested in accident causation and safety system? In fact the safety value chain includes students, researchers, technicians, system designers, operators, managers, shareholders, accident investigators and safety inspectors. (Fig.1), all these groups affect to system safety in different time-scale. Educators and researchers play important role in this safety value chain, because educators by teaching safety culture can help students to have awareness before they enter to workplace and they impact on accident prevention in long term. Safety levels Short- term Medium-term Long-term Regulatory Accident investigators, safety inspectors, and regulators (Penalties) Economic (Incentives) Insurers shareholders Organizational/ Managers and company executives Managerial Operational/ Technicians and system designers Maintenance Technical/ Engineers and system designers Design Research researchers and academics Education students Fig 1.safety levers and shareholders in the safety value chain Accident theories based on year: NO Models year 1 Domino Theory Heinrich 1931 2 Multi casual Model Gordon 1941 3 Critical Incident Technique Flanagan 1954 4 Combination of Factors Model Schulzinger 1956 5 Goals Freedom Alertness Theory Kerr 1957 6 Energy Exchange Model Haddon et al 1964 7 Decision Model Surry In Viner 1969 1991a 8 Behavioral Methods Hale Hale Anderson et al 1970 1978 9 Fault Tree Analysis II Meister Hoys Zimolong 1971 1988 10 Error Model Wigglesworth 1972 11 Life Change Unit Model Alkov 1972 12 Hazard Carrier Model Skiba Hoys Zimolong 1973 1988 13 Task-Demand Model Waller Klein 1973 14 Multilinear Events Sequencing Model Banner 1975 15 Systems Safety Analysis Smillie Ayoub 1976 16 Risk Estimation Model Rowe 1977 17 Danger response Model Hale Prusse 1977 18 Incidental Factor Analysis Model Leplat 1978 19 Accident Sequence Model Ramsey Quoted in Sanders McCormick Ramsey 1978 1987 1985 20 Psychological Model Corlett Gilbank 1987 21 Domino/Energy Release Zabetakis, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 22 Stair Step Model Douglas, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 23 Motivation Reward Satisfaction Model Petersen, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 24 Energy Model Ball, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 25 Systems Model Firenze, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 26 Epidemiological Model Suchman, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 27 Updated Domino Model Bird Jr, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 28 Updated Domino Model Adams, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 29 Updated Domino Model II Weaver, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 30 Task Ability Model Drury Brill 1980 31 OARU Model Kjellen Hovden Kjellen Larsson 1981 32 Traffic Conflicts Technique Zimolong 1982 33 Signals Passed at Danger Decision Tree Model Taylor, R. K. and Lucas, D.A in ch.8 of Van Der Schaaf , Lucas Hale 1991 34 Ergonomic Behavioral Methods Kjellen 1984 35 Human Causation Model Mager Pipe 1984 36 Near Accidents Incidents Swain 1985 37 Behavior Model Rasmussen 1986 38 Contributing Factors Model Sanders Shaw 1987 39 Hazard Carrier Model Hayos Zimolong 1988 40 Comet Model Boylston 1990 41 Comprehensive Human Factors Model Dejoy 1990 42 View of Workers on Safety Decisions Model Saari 1990 43 Epidemiological Model Kriebel, quoted in Cone et al 1990 44 Universal Model McClay 1990 45 Federation of Accident Insurance Institution(Finland)Model Seppanen 1997 46 Question Tree Model Hale et al.in Van Der Schaaf, Lucas Hale 1991 47 Occurrence Consequence Process Model Viner 1991b 48 Onward Mappings Model based on Resident Pathogens Metaphor Reason 1991 49 Functional Levels Model Hurst et al 1992 50 Tripod Tree Wheelahan 1994 51 Attribution Theory Model Dejoy 1994 52 Cindynic Hyperspace Kervern 1995 53 Fig.2 Accident theories (Enhancing Occupational Safety and Health, Geofry Taylor, Kellie Easter, Roy Hegney)2004 What is occupational safety and control? The Occupational Safety and Health management is a management which provides the legislative framework to secure the safety, health and welfare among all workforces and to protect others against risks to safety or health in connection with the activities of persons at work.( Job Seeker Handbook/alaysian Labour Law : Regulation of Employment) Occupational health and safety is a discipline with a broad scope involving many specialized fields. In its broadest sense, it should aim at: the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; the prevention among workers of adverse effects on health caused by their working conditions; The protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; The placing and maintenance of workers in an occupational environment adapted to physical and mental needs; The adaptation of work to humans. In other words, occupational health and safety encompasses the  social, mental and physical well-being of workers that is the whole person. (Website of International Labor organization) What is an accident? It is necessary to define what we mean by the word accident, because before anyone can begin to put up any sort of a flight, he must know his enemy. So we must do the same. An accident is an unplanned event, which could result in injury to persons or in damage to plant and equipment or both. Also accidents are consequent of unplanned (unsafe) acts or unplanned (unsafe) conditions performed or created by people. In fact people cause accidents, by what they do or what they neglect to do and the activity of people, in a factory or any other place of work, are controlled by management. (a safe place of work/D.WB James/p.56) From the linguistic point of view, the word accident is the present participle of the Latin verb accident which means to happen, which in turn is derived from ad- + cadere, meaning to fall. The literal meaning of accident is therefore that of a fall or stumble. The derivation from to fall is significant, since falling is not something one dose on purpose. If someone falls while walking or while climbing, it is decidedly an unexpected and unwanted event. It is, in other words, what we call an accident: an unforeseen and unplanned event, which leads to some sort of loss or injury. Other definitions of accident , such as they can be found in various dictionaries, concur that an accident is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance that (1) happens unpredictably without discernible human intention or observable cause and (2) leads to loss or injury. Used as an adverb, to say that something happens accidently or happens by accident means that it happens by chance. (Barriers and Accident Prevention/Erik Hollnagel p.34/2005) The need for accident models It is a truism that we cannot think about something without having the words and concepts to describe it, or without having some frame of reference. The advantage of having a common frame of reference is that communication and understanding become more efficient, because a number of things can be taken for granted. The frame of reference is particularly important in thinking about accidents, because it determines how we view the role of humans. (Barriers and Accident Prevention/Erik Hollnagel p.4445/2005) Accident causation models: Figure 2.  Diagram showing the dominate five perceptions of accident causation (Benner 1975).   The single event concept SINGLE EVENT CONCEPT What the first opinion of accident causation is the Single Event Concept. This idea concentrates that a single event caused accident. It means that this simple model is the widest The first perception of accident causation is the single event concept. This concept focuses on the premise that accidents are caused by a single event. This simple model exemplifies the quest for the cause of what occurred. The search for a scapegoat and taking care of the scapegoat would solve the problem. This concept is the most widely perceived and least complex. The public and media typically utilize this concept when they ask what caused the accident?   Limitations The single events concept is limited in its ability to see the accident as a process or sequence of events in time. The factors that may contribute to the accident are not identified or pursued due to the fact that the real cause is obvious and visible. Causes that may underline human behavior are rarely determined.   Application Current applications are primarily apparent in how the public and media view accidents. This viewpoint is reinforced by findings such as when an airline accident was caused by pilot error. Police citations are another example of the perception.   CHAIN OF EVENTS CONCEPT History The chain of events concept or domino theory was originally developed by Heinrich (1941). The basic concept implied that accidents resulted from a sequence of events that led to an accident. Like a row of dominos, once the sequence began each event led to the next until an accident occurred. Intervention at any point along the events sequence could halt the accident process and eliminate the unwanted results. An unsafe act starts the chain of events that began with an unsafe condition.   Limitations This concept is limited by the linear progression characteristic of the model. Interactions among events, contributing causes, and the duration and timing of each event limit the identification of all causal factors.   Applications The current use of this concept is prevalent in the legal field that attempts to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the accident.   2.the determinat variable concept 3.the domino theory 4.the fault tree analytical methodology FAULT TREE ANALYSIS Heinrich (1941) developed the methodology that preceded and formed the basis for Fault Tree Analysis. He illustrated the linear sequence of factors in accident causation by using a domino theory. The theory stated that a disturbance that caused any one of the five identified components of the sequence to fail would set off a chain-of-events that led to an accident. The five in the sequence were 1) ancestry and social environment, 2) conditions and fault of person, 3) unsafe act, 4) unsafe condition and 5) injury. He showed that by intervention at any point along the sequence an accident/injury could be prevented. This theory has been modified and updated (Baker 1953, Marcum 1978, Heinrich et al 1980), and has wide applicability in current automobile accident and law enforcement investigations.   Similar linear sequence models such as Critical Path Analysis (CPA), Gantt Charts, and Program Evaluation Research Task (PERT), were initially used in the 1950s and 60s as planning tools (Lockyer 1964). Though many names were given to their process they were very similar in their goals and methods. They provided a graphical display of activities linked to events by arrows in order to plan complex projects. The process illustrated a flow (path) from one task sequence to the next and incorporated time frames and interrelationships between tasks. Projects could then be analyzed by task, the amount of time needed for each segment and the relationship a task may have with another task. These methods offered an effective means of project planning, costs analysis, and time frame considerations by visually outlining the task process (Lockyer 1964). These processes also provided the means to better understand the interrelationships between and among tasks. This logical depiction of process fl ow related directly to analyzing an accident sequence and the precursor events.   In the 1960s Bell Laboratories expanded upon the linear chain of events concept through missile system safety. They arranged events in a flow chart that used a proceed/follow logic pattern. Their concept, Fault Tree Analysis (Figure 11), is generally credited to Watson (1971). Figure 12 illustrates the fault tree concept as applied to a hypothetical accident where a wildland firefighter was burned. This analysis concept helped provide a sense of management by objectives by identifying unwanted events (the top event) and then systematically and sequentially determining the precursor events. The objective is the top event and the identification of the preceding causal factors aid in the management achievement of that objective. Watsons Fault Tree Analysis investigation methodology provided a visible, easily understood and defendable format (1971). The methodology extended the linear chain of events into a branched events chains concept through the use of and/or logic gates. It uses bas ic Boolean logic in a hierarchical tree format. Other Boolean terms such as not are not used in Fault Tree Analysis. For example, C can only occur when both A  and  B occur. If two or more events are required for a cause to happen then an and symbol is used. Another possibility is when only one of the factors need be present. For C to occur, then A  or  B occurred. If only one event of two or more are necessary then an or gate is used. The top event is the unwanted result of the accident and causal factors branch out below leading to it. The downward sequence is continued until the root causes are found or the tree cannot be further developed. This technique, according to Benner (1975), contributed a powerful tool for the investigation of accidents both historical and postulated. Accidents could be investigated or reinvestigated in the search for causal factors utilizing this method. It assisted in illuminating areas that may have previously been overlooked by other means. Numerous approaches to determining accident causal factor using branched events chains reflected the discipline of the investigations employing it; thus medical doctors   used an epidemiological approach (agent/host/environment), while psychologists focused on human factors.   Figure 11. Fault Tree diagram illustrating a typical failure process, symbols used,   and the logic sequence leading to an undesired event, a dark room (in Ferry 1988). Figure 12. Fault Tree diagram illustrating the deductive process using an example of a sequence of events in which a firefighter receives burns.   One key limitation of Fault Tree Analysis is the inability to model time sequences that are concurrent and interactive (Hendrick and Benner 1987). Brown (1993) added that only one event could be analyzed at a time and thus primarily applicable to catastrophic events. Benner (1975) cited similar deficiencies, most notably that charting analysis methods focus on a single undesired event and provided no means to indicate the chronological relationships (and the subsequent concurrent interrelationships) of events. Another limitation is the restriction inherent in the method whereby causes must be either successes or failures and degrees of each are not accounted for (Tulsiani and others 1990).   5.the energy-barriers-targets model Barriers Analysis Barriers Analysis is an accident investigation method that is an additional component of the MORT process. The method identifies barriers/controls that are in place to prevent accidents. These barriers may be physical and/or administrative and must be absent, inadequate, or bypassed in order for the accident to occur. A more detailed account of this approach will be undertaken in the methods section as this method is one of the USDA proposed investigative tools (USDA 1998).   6.the management oversight and risk tree History Traditional accident investigations focused on the active response to a mishap and the identification of procedures to prevent future occurrences. The degree and intensity of the accident dictated the intensity of the investigation response and subsequent preventative action (Brown 1993). But as technology advanced and systems became more complex, the consequences of accidents became increasingly unacceptable to society and industry, particularly in the nuclear power industry. The nuclear industry and similar high-risk technologies have determined that learning from accidents and even near misses was not an option. The consequences of accidents precluded the traditional trial by error approach where as accidents occurred the problem was fixed subsequent to the next mishap (termed the fly-fix-fly approach). A new approach was undertaken to become proactive as well as reactive in accident analysis techniques to determine possible failure points prior to occurrence. Johnson (1973a) work ing for the National Safety Council and under a contract from the US Atomic Energy Commission focused on a systems approach to accident analysis. This approach focused on the entire system in which accidents occurred and the interaction of events within that system. Johnson merged two basic views to focus on management responsibility in planning the context in which accidents occur. These views, understanding the energy release process and focusing management of that hazard on the route of its release, led Johnson to develop the concept of less than adequate management decisions. This progressed to the Management Oversight and Risk Tree (MORT) accident analysis tool. He said MORT was an analytical procedure that provides a disciplined approach for finding the causes and contributing factors of mishaps. It entailed a very broad and detailed checklist that facilitated the search for safety problems. It incorporated 1500 possible causes and 98 generic problems and was the initial metho dology to embody management oversight into accident causation. The Department of Energy currently employs this method as one of its most comprehensive analytical techniques (DOE 1992). It is more generally used as a proactive method in safety system evaluations than as an accident investigation method. This is primarily due to the fact that it can be time consuming and intensive and due to the nature of the nuclear industry, identifying possible loopholes in the safety system to eliminate hazards is more cost effective and publicly expedient than after the accident occurs.   This concept was highly visible, easily reviewed and updated as new relevant facts warrant, and provided structure to help reduce overlooked factors and bias. Within the MORT system incidents were defined as inadequate barrier/controls or as failures without consequence. Accidents resulted in adverse consequences. The MORT system incorporated the concept of the unwanted transfer of energy that can cause mishaps due to inadequate barriers/controls. These barriers and controls may be physical (protective clothing, concrete walls, etc) or administrative (codes, standards and regulations). The MORT system is based on two main sources of accidental losses: 1) specific job oversights and omissions and 2) the management system factors that control the job (Johnson 1973a). A third source he mentioned was assumed risk. Johnson noted that once this source was properly evaluated it could not be considered accidental in nature since we have consciously decided to accept the risk. Integral aspect s of the MORT process are Fault Tree Analysis, Barriers Analysis and Event and Causal Factors Charting. Each of these approaches will be subsequently explained.   Limitations Limitations of MORT are that it can be insufficient in finding specific causes as it designed to identify general causal areas (Gertman and Blackman 1994). These authors do recognize its strengths in identifying more specific control and managerial factors. Moreover, this systematic process is advantageous when system experts are not available.   Application Its current use as a proactive safety system analysis tool for the Department of Energy has long standing (Briscoe 1990). It has been used exclusively as both a proactive technique and an accident investigation method for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.   7.petersen`s multiple causation model 8.reason`s swiss chess model of human error 1990 Reasons Swiss Cheese Model of Human Error One particularly appealing approach to the genesis of human error is the one proposed by James Reason (1990). Generally referred to as the Swiss cheese model of human error, Reason describes four levels of human failure, each influencing the next (Figure 1). Working backwards in time from the accident, the first level depicts those  Unsafe Acts  of Operators that ultimately led to the accident[1]. More commonly referred to in aviation as aircrew/pilot error, this level is where most accident investigations have focused their efforts and consequently, where most causal factors are uncovered. After all, it is typically the actions or inactions of aircrew that are directly linked to the accident. For instance, failing to properly scan the aircrafts instruments while in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) or penetrating IMC when authorized only for visual meteorological conditions (VMC) may yield relatively immediate, and potentially grave, consequences. Represented as holes i n the cheese, these active failures are typically the last unsafe acts committed by aircrew. [1]  Reasons original work involved operators of a nuclear power plant. However, for the purposes of this manuscript, the operators here refer to aircrew, maintainers, supervisors and other humans involved in aviation. However, what makes the Swiss cheese model particularly useful in accident investigation, is that it forces investigators to address latent failures within the causal sequence of events as well. As their name suggests, latent failures, unlike their active counterparts, may lie dormant or undetected for hours, days, weeks, or even longer, until one day they adversely affect the unsuspecting aircrew. Consequently, they may be overlooked by investigators with even the best intentions. Within this concept of latent failures, Reason described three more levels of human failure. The first involves the condition of the aircrew as it affects performance. Referred to asPreconditions for Unsafe Acts, this level involves conditions such as mental fatigue and poor communication and coordination practices, often referred to as crew resource management (CRM). Not surprising, if fatigued aircrew fail to communicate and coordinate their activities with others in the cockpit or individuals external to the aircraft (e.g., air traffic control, maintenance, etc.), poor decisions are made and errors often result. Figure 1. The Swiss cheese model of human error causation (adapted from Reason, 1990). But exactly why did communication and coordination break down in the first place? This is perhaps where Reasons work departed from more traditional approaches to human error. In many instances, the breakdown in good CRM practices can be traced back to instances of  Unsafe Supervision, the third level of human failure. If, for example, two inexperienced (and perhaps even below average pilots) are paired with each other and sent on a flight into known adverse weather at night, is anyone really surprised by a tragic outcome? To make matters worse, if this questionable manning practice is coupled with the lack of quality CRM training, the potential for miscommunication and ultimately, aircrew errors, is magnified. In a sense then, the crew was set up for failure as crew coordination and ultimately performance would be compromised. This is not to lessen the role played by the aircrew, only that intervention and mitigation strategies might lie higher within the system. Reasons model didnt stop at the supervisory level either; the organization itself can impact performance at all levels. For instance, in times of fiscal austerity, funding is often cut, and as a result, training and flight time are curtailed. Consequently, supervisors are often left with no alternative but to task non-proficient aviators with complex tasks. Not surprisingly then, in the absence of good CRM training, communication and coordination failures will begin to appear as will a myriad of other preconditions, all of which will affect performance and elicit aircrew errors. Therefore, it makes sense that, if the accident rate is going to be reduced beyond current levels, investigators and analysts alike must examine the accident sequence in its entirety and expand it beyond the cockpit. Ultimately, causal factors at all levels within the organization must be addressed if any accident investigation and prevention system is going to succeed. In many ways, Reasons Swiss cheese model of accident causation has revolutionized common views of accident causation. Unfortunately, however, it is simply a theory with few details on how to apply it in a real-world setting. In other words, the theory never defines what the holes in the cheese really are, at least within the context of everyday operations. Ultimately, one needs to know what these system failures or holes are, so that they can be identified during accident investigations or better yet, detected and corrected before an accident occurs. The balance of this paper will attempt to describe the holes in the cheese. However, rather than attempt to define the holes using esoteric theories with little or no practical applicability, the original framework (called the  Taxonomy of Unsafe Operations) was developed using over 300 Naval aviation accidents obtained from the U.S. Naval Safety Center (Shappell Wiegmann, 1997a). The original taxonomy has since been refined using input and data from other military (U.S. Army Safety Center and the U.S. Air Force Safety Center) and civilian organizations (National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration). The result was the development of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). 1.2. Accident investigation methods During the last decades, a number of methods for accident investigation have been developed and described in the literature.The selection of methods for the needs of our study was made on the basis that they are described in the literature, they show the evolution of accident investigation over time and they are either widely used or recently developed. Based on these criteria, the following methods were selected: 1.2.1. Fault tree analysis (FTA) FTA was developed in the early 1960s by the Bell Laboratories (Ferry, 1988). In FTA, an undesired event (an accident) is selected and all the possible things that can contribute to the event are diagrammed as a tree in order to show logical connections and causes leading to a specified accident. FTA is more an analytical tool for establishing relations; it does not give the i

Government Intervention in the Memphis City School System Essay

Government Intervention in the Memphis City School System There are many factors that contribute to how teachers will teach their students. The student’s background knowledge, learning style, and interest levels are all very important to take into consideration when constructing a lesson. But teachers have to answer to parents, principles, administrators, school boards, state standards committees, and governmental agencies in addition to their students when it comes fulfilling their job description. One of the most well know government intervention plans that teachers have to adapt to is No Child Left Behind, implemented by the Bush administration in 2002 to help close the gap between under-performing and exemplary schools. The over arching idea is commendable; provide children with a quality education regardless of where they go to school. Schools have to make the grade in order to receive additional government funding and those that consistently fail to hit its goal will completely overhauled in order to achieve improvement. One school system that has been a consistent poor performer is the Memphis City School System. In their desperation to close the achievement gap the Memphis City School Board has surrendered its charter and proposed a vote to merge with its successful counterpart, the Shelby County school system. The surrender of the charter puts the responsibility of providing education for the districts previously run by the city on the shoulders of the Shelby County government, because according to Tennessee state law 49-1-102: â€Å"There shall be a local public school system operated in each county or combination of counties. There may be a local public school system operated in a municipality or special school distri... ...How do you get the community at large to get behind the merge? What will happen to any funds left over from the Gates Foundation donation to the city? Will the consolidation of systems affect the amount of Federal funding provided to the new system through Race to the Top? Personally I think this is a short sighted solution to a problem city school administration and School Board Members cannot seem to find a solution to, which is breaking through the poverty and racial barriers to AYP achievement. Yes, the demographic is unfortunate but forcing this solution on the city and county will not help race relations it will only increase the tension. This merger is another poorly planned government intervention that is bound to fail unless it gains community support and implements a carefully constructed plan for success. We’ll just have to wait and hope for the best.

Independent Media and the Internet Essay -- Newspapers Journals News P

Independent Media and the Internet Independent Media has long existed across the globe. As the voice of dissent it is often repressed by governments and corporations that look the hide the truth. Indy Media began as print newspapers that often faced high production cost and difficult means of expanding beyond local circulation. They did not have the established means and financial backing that major news corporations had. Indy newspapers were often hard to obtain, quite expensive, and unable to cover all major topics due to resources. Journals such as The Nation and The Progressive managed to obtain nationwide circulation, but were often unknown outside of politically left leaning groups. Sources such as The Nation actually began as a way to promote leftist ideals and views. Most mainstream media was fairly well balanced due to government restrictions on ownership and responsibility. The population of the United States was receiving fairly unbiased information. Then came the Clinton Administration and the decision to deregulate the Broadcast Industry. Almost all major media outlets were swallowed up by a few large corporations. In several years following the deregulation the whole industry would be controlled by seven enormous corporate conglomerates. They would come to favor profits over journalistic integrity. As advocates of big business the unspoken policy has been that the news should also be portrayed with conservative slants. In 1995 only 7.5% of quotes on television programming were from progressives (Myths). At approximately the same time that media was being engulfed in corporatism came the internet boom. The first organization to really take initiative with this new medium was th... ...85684604&dyn=8!xrn_7_0_A85684604?sw_aep=viva_jmu>. â€Å"Zimbabwe: Journalist describes his "illegal" detention.† BBC Monitoring International Reports. 6 February 2002. 1 April 2003 <http://web1.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/268/613/35524752w1/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A85327330&dyn=8!xrn_13_0_A85327330?sw_aep=viva_jmu>. â€Å"Zimbabwe journalist Mark Chavunduka, 1965-2002.† Ed. Bill Krueger. Winter 2002. Nieman Reports, Harvard University. 2 April 2003. 3 April 2003 <http://web1.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/268/613/35524752w1/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A97175093&dyn=8!xrn_1_0_A97175093?sw_aep=viva_jmu>. â€Å"Zimbabwe: Some 500 opposition supporters reportedly detained, tortured.† BBC Monitoring International Reports. 11 April 2003. <http://web1.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/268/613/35524752w1/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A99943264&dyn=6!xrn_24_0_A99943264?sw_aep=viva_jmu>.

Is it ethical to expel children carrying drugs or alcohol to school

Last year, over â€Å"1000 schoolchildren were suspended, excluded or expelled from New Zealand schools last year for drugs or alcohol-related offences, with the youngest aged 8† (Stuff, 2013). The Ministry of Education released figures showing that one In ten children who had action taken against them in relation to substances in the year 2012, was under 12 years of age (Stuff, 2013). The Education Amendment Act has come under scrutiny as It priorities the right to privacy of students.Effectively It means that schools would lose their authority to search and seize narcotics and conduct random drug tests. This, many educationalists argue, would worsen the problem. The ethical Issue that arises In this case amongst others Is whether schools should continue to retain their search and seizure powers or should the privacy of the students be given priority as per the Education Amendment Bill. Another key issue that is begging resolution is the dilemma of whether or not, children fo und in possession of drugs and alcohol, should be expelled or excluded.Is expulsion of a child found In possession of narcotics in the best Interests of society and the child In question? It is important to also mention that since most of the children procured the absences from a knowing or unknowing adult, should the adult be vicariously responsible for the child take responsibility and face the consequences Instead of letting the child take the fall? Is It not the responsibility of the parent to ensure that children stay away from vices until they are old enough to judge for themselves?Due 1 OFF expulsion and attempt to provide some insight into whether or not it is the best course of action to employ. Thomas Hobbes (1651) proposed the idea that â€Å"in order to flourish, we need a peaceful, cooperative social order† (Reaches & Reaches, 2010, p. 0). Hobbes goes on to say that if there were no institutions to enforce order, we would be free to do whatever we wanted. This wo uld eventually lead to a state of perpetual chaos. He has called this state of chaos â€Å"the state of nature† and it's opposite â€Å"civil state† (Reaches & Reaches, 2010).This means that in order to live harmoniously, we must abide by a set of rules that are accepted by everyone and applies to everyone equally. Hobbes was of the opinion that the four basic facts about human life were the reason for the existence of this social contract. He theorized firstly, that each of us requires the same basic things in order to survive, secondly, scarcity is omnipresent and we need to work hard to produce the things we need. Third on the list is the equality of human power (united we stand, divided we fall).Finally, there is limited altruism, which implies that we cannot assume that others will stand down when their interests conflict with ours. Since we do not learn the accepted rules of society on our own, we have schoolteachers and parents who amongst other things teach us how to behave in a socially acceptable manner. School helps us learn to build and maintain relationships. Most importantly attending school empowers us with knowledge to survive in the real world. Take school out of the equation and that leaves Just parents.Now consider the case of a young child who has gotten himself expelled for being curious about his parent's secret drug stash. Unable to attend school, he might not realize the difference between a Joke and a crime because he is unaware of right and wrong, socially acceptable and unacceptable. He may develop an insecurity employ as he probably feels helpless and is shunned by his parents. These factors might lead him to become a criminal or worse, a drug addict. It is quite obvious that criminals and drug addicts are anti-social elements that need to be removed from the setting.It is safe to say that not all criminals are school dropouts however, most addicted to drugs haven't been educated about the consequences of substance abu se and are helplessly addicted. The Social Contract Theory maintains that we need a social order in order to flourish. The only way to eliminate most of anti-social elements is to ensure that kids found in possession of drugs or alcohol remain in school to learn how to behave appropriately, and eventually grow up to become conscientious and responsible adults.The theory of Utilitarianism as stated by Reaches & Reaches (2010) encompasses three categories. Firstly, actions can be Judged to be right or wrong depending on the consequences it brings about. Secondly, in terms of examining consequences, all that matters is the amount of happiness or unhappiness the action in question creates; person is more important than the other. This means that actions should be Judged as right or wrong depending on the amount of happiness or unhappiness everyone experiences as a consequence.Thus a deduction can be made that Utilitarian are essentially consequentialness, as they determine the ethical v alue based on an answer to the question â€Å"what would happen as a result of doing it? † (Reaches & Reaches, 2010, p. 111). Utilitarianism is divided into two categories namely, Act and Rule Utilitarianism. Act Utilitarian believe that an action must be Judged by the consequences it causes (Reaches & Reaches, 2010, p. 22). Rule Utilitarian believe that an action must be Judged on the consequence of the action becoming the norm that everyone lived by (Reaches & Reaches, 2010, p. 18-119). Therefore it can be said that Utilitarianism Judges actions based on whether they yield the best consequences and happiness for everyone or not. Upon application of the Utilitarian approach to the issue of expulsion, the action of excluding children who are found in possession of narcotics or alcohol would produce two possible consequences. Firstly, because the child has been expelled, he ay lose interest in studying altogether. It is a proven fact that schools provide a protective environme nt that shields people from drug abuse (Bell, 2013).If they are unable to stay in that protected environment before entering the proverbial ‘real world' there is a chance that they may be negatively influenced and resort to a life of crime, drug abuse and other anti-social behavior. The second consequence of one child caught in possession of drugs being expelled could serve as an example to the other children. This might cause them to refrain from coming in contact with drugs earning punishment.Although the second consequence appears to be feasible, as many children would benefit from one child being expelled and being made an example of, it is not guaranteed that other children will not indulge in drugs and alcohol outside school. Also, going by Rule Utilitarianism, if expelling children became the norm, crime, unemployment and illiteracy rates would rise and this in turn would affect the entire nation negatively. Therefore, Act and Rule Utilitarian would agree that expelling children found in possession of narcotics would be very unethical, as it loud cause much more unhappiness than happiness.Also, since Utilitarian believe that everyone's happiness is equal, and that motives and intentions don't matter, causing unhappiness to one child and to the general population in the long run by expelling him from school is something they would advocate against. In conclusion, I have explored the idea of a Social Contract and the Utilitarian approach in terms of the case to determine whether or not expelling children found to be in possession of narcotics or alcohol is ethical. Taking into consideration theSocial Contract, and the possible consequences of Act and Rule based Utilitarianism I have deduced that expulsion or exclusion from school is not the best course of action. In order to suit everyone's interests, it is crucial that the kids remain in school where they have the opportunity to learn about narcotics and socially acceptable behavior in a controlled and protected environment. After all, they are children, unable to distinguish between right and wrong, and in this case, it is imperative that Children are the future of any country and it is our moral duty to ensure that all sections we take have their best interests at heart.

Effective Memorization Strategies

EFFECTIVE MEMORIZATION STRATEGIES Memorization, as defined by Wikipedia, is the process of committing something to memory. It is a process that everyone undertakes to store in memory for recalling later. Memorization is an ongoing, lifelong process. Examples of some of the items that we strive to memorize on a daily basis are telephone numbers, addresses, music, lists and maps. The memory demands for students in college are much greater than they are for adults due to the amount of information they are bombarded with on a daily basis. Being able to memorize information efficiently and accurately is very important to all college students. Adults generally have acquired much of the skills and knowledge that are required on a daily basis. It can be very challenging in a college setting to study whether it be in a dormitory or apartment. Constant commotion of people coming and going is not very conducive to memorizing text. It is recommended that students find a work-space where they are able to concentrate. The ideal location is one free of distractions such as a library. In 1996 Brown and Miller categorized memorization techniques. Their categories were: memorizing through repetition (rote), memorizing through mnemonic techniques, memorization through grouping, memorizing through association, and memorizing through visual, auditory and konesthetic systems. * There are several different techniques that can be used to improve memorization. Rote memorization is a technique that focuses on remembering facts by a means of repetitition. Everyone can remember back in grade school when we were introduced to the times tables. Multiplication facts such as two times two equals four are examples of learning by using rote memorization. Other examples are learning the states and their capitals and sight words which are taught in elementary school. An article written by Grace Fleming states â€Å"Rote learning is often viewed as bad practice, although some would argue that rote memorization is a necessary first step in learning basics. † Opponents of Rote memorization use the argument that this process involves learning facts without developing a deep understanding. In earlier days rote memorization was sometimes referred to as â€Å"drilling† E. D. Hirsch Jr. , a education reformer, does feel that drilling is essential. In circumstances where recall of information must be automatic such as mulitplication tables, â€Å"you need something like drilling. † He warns though that teachers need to strive to make sure the drilling isn't boring. Mnemonics is another memorization strategy. It is a very powerful tool that works extremely well for memorizing lists. The word Mnemonics is derived from the name of the Greek goddess of memory who was called Mnemosyne. It is based on the fact that it is much more easier for the human mind to remember personal, humorous or otherwise meaningful information than arbitrary sequences In Biology class students are required to learn to learn the biological classification system which is kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. A student might commit to memory the phrase â€Å"Keep Pond Clean Or Frogs Get Sick. † Using the first letter of each word in this phrase would prompt a student into remembering the list. This is known as the sentence technique. An example of the word technique would be using the word HOMES to memorize the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario Michigan, Erie, Superior. This can be referred to as word play. Mnemonics works best when there are strong association between the mnemonic and the what they stand for. Mnemonics link strategy is a system of remembering items by creating an association with these unrelated items. For example, a person might have to go to the grocery store to buy potatoes, chicken and a broom. In their mind they could picture a chicken sweeping up potatoes with a broom. When they reached the store and visualized this it would be easy to complete their shopping. This method is sometimes referred to as imaging. Some people find it easier to memorize using associations. Memorizing a new subject by associating it with a process you are very familiar with can help some students. Using Biology again as an example, you can relate cell structure to a factory. The cell body could be the boss in a factory. You could think of the ribosomes asmessengers in this factory. Grouping is another effective memorization technique. Students can be required to learn hundreds of facts. Trying to memorize a list this long would be impossible. To simplify memorization of this list the student can divide the subject into groups. Memorizing through visual, auditory and kinesthetic systems can be a very useful tool for some students. Research has shown that each sense is processed in a different part of your brain. Using these systems can enhance learning by using more of your brain. Some students have very good retention when they make flashcards to study for a test.