Author: chris

Religion on Earth

On my visit to earth, I found that people define religion differently based on their profession, personality, and beliefs. However, some of the definitions seemed to prevail over others (Diener, 1997). Many people identify with various religions, and they define it as a way of life with a common set of beliefs. Religious communities share the same beliefs. They tend to have the same opinions regarding most issues, and they will therefore tend to handle issues the same way. To determine whether people are religious, I will observe their characteristics and beliefs. Religious people have certain characteristics that define them. They have various rituals, practices, and beliefs. They have codified set of beliefs that direct them in the way they should act, worship and live. Religious people are passionate about their beliefs. Many religious people tend to believe in supernatural elements or forces. Religion has a sacred element, which in most cases is a powerful and full of life force (Ibrahim, 2008). This distinguishes it from the ordinary beliefs of people. I found that most people on earth were religious based on these characters. It was however hard to determine whether some of the people were religious because they did not seem to have a firm stand on anything. This only represented a small percentage of all the people I saw.

Religion involves a belief in a supernatural being. Most of the religious people believe in a supernatural being. I observed that some religions were more popular and prevalent than others. I also observed that some countries had dominant religions. Of all the religions I encountered, I discovered that there were four dominant forms of religions, and each of these had different practices. The main forms were Christianity, Islam, Jewish and Buddhism. The Christians believe in a supreme being who they refer to as God. They also have other beliefs that indicate that there are three persons in one God. However, this view varies among the many different groups. The Muslims believe in Allah, who they pray to several times in a day. The Jews believe in God, who sometimes they call Jehovah. In the three religions, the followers believe, follow, and revere their respective supreme beings. The followers believe that the Supreme Being guides their conduct and behavior. They also believe that they should worship the Supreme Being and respect him.

All the religions have different practices of worship, which enhance their religion. Some of the religious practices include prayer and various forms of worship. In all the religions, the followers pray to their supreme being, using different methods. Some of them chant, while others personalize their prayer. For some, they seem to have prescribed set of prayers which they use at appointed times. Some of the religions seem strict on prayer, and the followers ensure that they say their prayers once the appointed time reaches, regardless of where they are. For the Muslims, they pray various times during the day, starting from early in the morning to late in the evening. For the Christians, most of them do not have a set time for prayer. I however found out that most of them have the habit of praying in the morning and at night. Most Jews pray three times a day. They pray in the morning, afternoon and evening.

All the religions have a code of beliefs, which they follow. This is a written set of instructions, which they learn when they are young, and which they refer to when they are older. The Christians use the Bible, which is a collection of different books. They believe that the Bible is the word of God. They believe that it gives them the instruction for daily living, and it teaches them about God. The Muslims use the Koran, which they believe is God’s message passed through Mohammed who they consider their prophet. They also use the Hadith, which are a collection of Islamic laws and traditions. The Hadith contains the teachings of Mohammed and other Islamic sages. The Jews use the Tenakh, which consists of three sets of books, namely the Torah, the Prophets, and the writings. All the three sets contain different information about God, Jewish traditional law, Jewish history, and the way of life. It guides the Jews on how they should live their life. Other religions on earth such as Hinduism and Buddhism have sacred texts that they consult.

Religion serves different functions on earth. Religion gives answers to life’s questions, which otherwise seem challenging to answer. It enhances people’s understanding of difficult questions. It gives people direction and guidance in the way they should lead their lives. Religion seems to give people a sense of purpose. Most people are able to know what they should do with their lives. It educates people on the right and wrong, and good and evil. By reading the sacred texts, people are able to know the practices they should keep, and the ones they should avoid. They are able to know how to treat themselves and others. Religion defines moral and acceptable behavior, and it teaches people how they should relate with others (Haviland et al., 2010).

I think that one can define religion in a better way, other than using the functional definition. Many people tend to look at the functional definition of religion at the expense of the Supreme Being. The raw substantive definition refers to religion as belief in supernatural being. This definition covers the whole aspect of prayer, worship, and sacrifice. It brings back the traditional elements of reverence, wonder, and fear that people once used in defining religion (Swatos, n. d.). I think that these elements are important in the definition of religion, but people no longer use them. Most people no longer see the need of having any of these elements. This has changed the definition of religion over the years. It has incorporated other elements, which people did not consider religious. Religion should not just be another artificial or human made science, but should incorporate a supernatural ideal.

 

References:

Diener, W. P. (1997). Religion and morality: An introduction. Louiseville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press

Haviland, A. W., Prins, E. H., McBride, B., & Walrath, D. (2010). Cultural anthropology: The human challenge. New York, NY: Cengage Learning

Ibrahim, M. M. (2008). Sociology of religions: Perspectives of Ali Shariati. New Delhi, India: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd

Swatos, H. W. (n. d.). Definition of Religion. Retrieved from http://hirr.hartsem.edu/ency/defreligion.htm

 

 

Multicultural Considerations in Testing

People use standardized tests in school and at the workplace. They use standardized tests when determining whether a person is qualified for a certain position. This has often resulted to many problems and challenges. For a long time, standardized tests did not consider the culture and ethnicities of the person taking the tests. This affected the results, as it tended to favor people from a certain group, and discriminate towards other people. This is especially more prevalent in schools, where the standardized tests measure a student’s performance. Research indicates that African American students do not perform well on these tests, especially in reading achievements (Flowers & Flowers, 2008). Standardized tests do not reveal much about a person’s academic potential.

When administering tests, it is important to consider that the people taking the test do not come from the same background. Family and community background, language use, literary experience, and socioeconomic background affects learning (Flowers & Flowers, 2008). People from different cultures have different social and cultural experiences. They do not gauge things in the same manner. Some of the seemingly relevant things in one culture may be of lower importance and value in another culture. This affects the students’ perception about the world, and it ultimately affects the way people make their choices. The socioeconomic background of the people taking the test matters, and it influences the results of the test. Wealthy people have the ability to get better learning resources. On the other hand, people from poor and low-income families do not have that chance. They learn in ill-equipped schools, and they do not get any support outside the school system. It therefore follows that the two groups have different learning experiences and learning outcomes. Families determine the outcome of the tests. Family participation and belief on the importance of education determines how the students perform on the standard tests.

Perhaps one of the most challenging factors when determining a test is the language that the person uses. Early language development is important, and it affects learning at later stages (Flowers & Flowers, 2008). Although many people in the United States speak and use the English language, they all have different dialects. Other than being social constructs, dialects also reflect the people’s culture and history. Many educators recognize the different dialects among people. However, they do not understand the dialects, and some of them take it as a phonological or articulation disorder. Many African Americans speak have a different English dialect. They speak African American English, which is different from the standard American English. As Wilson points out, for many African Americans, speaking standard American English in schools is like learning a second language (Wilson, 2012). Many of them find it challenging to speak or comprehend the standard American English. Educators do not consider this factor when they are planning and setting the standardized tests. This then reduces the chances of African American students passing the tests.

Students face stereotype threat, when they conform to the negative stereotypes concerning their culture. For instance, African American students are aware of the statistics and data referring to their performance on standardized scores. Some of them may conform to this mentality by believing that they cannot perform better. This affects their attitude, as some students end up believing that they cannot perform better because of their ethnicity. This attitude determines how they will perform on the tests.

Standardized tests focus on scores at the expense of learning. Test scores do not necessarily reflect a student’s knowledge on the subjects that he or she takes. The teaching methods affect these scores. More educators are concerned with ensuring that they have high to average scores, and they end up using learning methods, which only encourage the students to pass their exams. The situation has become worse since the introduction of statewide exams, because they use the standardized tests. Some people blame low scores from African American students to bias. They claim that standardized tests are biased in many ways. They are set by a person from a certain culture, and they are done by people from different cultures. It has become increasingly hard to ensure that the tests are neutrally cultured. One of the ways of ensuring that this does not happen is by using non-cognitive variables when testing individuals. This includes variables such as self-concept, long-term goals, non-traditional leadership, handling racism, and developing community.

The main intention and objective of administering tests in schools is to provide a basis and a means of helping the students in their weak areas. It enables the educators to know the learning strengths and weaknesses of the students. It is therefore important to find a fair test that will enable the assessors to know how the students are fairing. Educators need to identify their needs when they are assessing the students, and they should not just concentrate on finding better ways to improve the scores. Non-cognitive variables measure the students’ levels of motivation, perception and adjustments. When measuring the self-concept variables of the students, the assessors aim to find out whether the students are confident, determined, independent, and whether they have the strength of character. They are used to determine how the students will adjust in college, and whether they will succeed. Assessors measure the students’ strengths and deficiencies and check whether the student puts any effort in self-development, and whether the students find the need to broaden his or her individuality. This ensures that students do well in their areas of interest.

Assessors measure the students’ knowledge of handling racism. This incorporates the race system, which not only includes color, but also incorporates sex, age and other like factors. They assess whether the students have a realistic view of racism, and whether they are committed to improving the system. They check whether the student is able to handle racism, and whether the student is hostile to the society. The main aim is to ensure that students to deal with the policies, procedures and barriers associated with all forms of racism. This variable is especially important for students who face the stereotype threat. The assessors measure the students’ long-term goals by checking whether the students know how to plan ahead and set goals. They assess whether the student knows the importance and value of having a strong support system by taking advantage of the available support network (Sedlacek, 2003).

They also assess a student’s leadership experience. They check whether the student shows any signs of strong leadership in any area of his life such as sports, social groups, and non-educational groups. By using non-traditional groups to check for the students’ leadership ability, assessors ensure that they recognize more people, who would not be considered leaders in the traditional setting. African Americans students show different leadership abilities and roles than their white counterparts. The check whether the students are involved in their communities by participating in community services. African American students participate in their communities in different ways. They identify different race, cultural and gender related areas, where they can participate. These groups give them a platform and a base to develop their self-concept, and they develop a positive self-concept. The assessors examine the students’ knowledge in any field of interest (Sedlacek, 2003). These variables do not discriminate the students in any way. The variables ensure that the students do not feel intimidated in any way, since they are not about school performance, and competition with others.

References:

Flowers, A. T. & Flowers, A. L. (2008). Factors affecting urban African American high scholl students’ achievement in reading. Urban Education 43, (2), 154-171

Rushton, P., & Jensen, R. A. (2005). Thirty years of research on race differences in cognitive ability. Psychology, Public Policy and Law 11, (2), 235-294

Sedlacek, E. W. (2003). Alternative admissions and scholarship selection measures in higher education. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development 35, (4), 263-272.

Whaley, L. A., & Noel, L. (2011). Sociocultural theories, academic achievement, and African American adolescents in a multicultural context: a review of the cultural incompatibility perspective. Social Psychology of Education, 14 (2), 149-168

Wilson, S. (2012). African American English: Dialect mistaken as an articulation disorder. McNair Scholars Research Journal 4, (1), 1-12

 

Literature Review

Introduction

Conveyors are large complex motorized objects, which are useful in many industries. They are common and they are present in every industry. They move different materials from one location to the other. They are important in every industry, and are especially useful in the production process. There are different types of conveyors, including overhead conveyors, belt, roller, and floor conveyors. People use conveyors in almost all the processes of production. Some people use them all the time, for many hours on end. They are therefore at risk of different health hazards. In most cases, people who use conveyors use a lot of physical exertion, and they normally use them while standing. They are therefore at risk of getting physical body problems such as back and leg problems. Another major health risk that may result is hearing loss or damage. Conveyors are often noisy machines. People who are used to working with them often say that they are used to the noise, and it does not affect them. This is a risky assumption, and there is always the chance that most people will develop hearing problems later. The noise levels increase because there are other machines working in the background, and products and materials flow through the systems. It is important to understand different sources of conveyor noise generation, as this will help in finding ways to reduce the noise levels.

Discussion

Generally, people do not understand the mechanisms of conveyor noise generation, and this is clear from the little published information regarding the subject. The roller, chains and bearings are some of the main sources of noise. There are different ways of reducing the noise levels of the conveyors. Improving the idler roll surface and implementing the damping treatments helps to reduce some of the noise. However, researchers do not agree on these proposals of noise reduction, with those opposing arguing that they do not help to reduce the levels of noise. Others propose the idea of using idler rolls, which have low indicator run-out values because they produce quiet conveyors. There are several advantages of using conveyors. People prefer them because they operate continually, handle a variety of materials, are easy to configure, saves labor cost, eases workload, and transports materials quickly. However, they have several limitations and drawbacks. For instance, they occupy considerable space, and they require heavy maintenance. They are a heavy investment and they pose several health risks. The noise levels can be dangerous to people’s heath. It is more dangerous than water and air pollution, as it is a slow and insidious killer (Bhatia, 2007). It is therefore important to understand the mechanisms behind conveyor noise generation.

Noise Pollution and Control

In order to control noise, it is important to understand how it occurs. Some of the main contributors of noise include compressors and gas turbines, airplanes and motor vehicles, and high-speed machine tools. Noise sources are categorized into motor, drive train, cutting head and conveyor. Conveyor and cutting head are the dominant sources of noise. Conveyor noise occurs as the top and bottom decks, chain and tail roller, sidewalls under the horizontal pivot and the flex plates collide. With the increase in urbanization and industrialization, noise levels have continued to increase (Bhatia, 2007). Most of the machines, devices and gadgets are noisy to some extent. A lot of research done on engineering controls for noise reduction focused on the mining industry in the US. The government took the issue of noise pollution in the mining industry seriously, and it awarded contracts to determine what equipment produced more noise than the allowed federal regulation levels. The federal regulations permit noise levels of not more than 90 dBA for eight hours (Durr et al, n. d.). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets the standards for noise levels. It has identified that workers who are exposed to a time weighted average level of 85 dBA for an eight-hour period are within the cautionary noise zones. The government intended to develop the engineering noise controls for all the equipments, and evaluate them to establish that they attained the quality required. Some people enjoy loud machinery noises, and this exposes them to various health risks such as hearing damage or hearing loss. They also determined the dominant noise sources in all the equipment. Employees working in noisy environments need audiograms to check whether there is any damage to their hearing. They also need to use hearing protectors to minimize any risks (Timmerman, 2011).

Controlling noise levels does not have to be a complicated and costly investment. However, some people go to the extreme when they are trying to reduce noise levels, and they end up using a lot of money by conducting unsuccessful experiments and coming up with solutions which are practical, or which are expensive to implement. Some of the methods proposed for reduction and control of noise include using silencers, mufflers, shields, barriers, improvement in the design of the machinery, and the reduction of noise at source (Bhatia, 2007). Different industries use different control measures because they have different processes. The control measures used in the paper, metal, rubber, plastic, and food processing industries vary in some ways because these industries produce different noise levels. Educating people about noise pollution through different media channels such as television and newspapers can help to reduce noise pollution, as people will become more aware of the dangers of noise. Industry players need to coordinate with the planners and the concerned environmental authorities so that they can come up with practical ways of dealing with noise pollution. Some of the treatments for noise control include retrofitting the chain conveyor with a urethane coating or a urethane sleeve on the tail roller, constrained layer damping, and using a modified take up plate (Durr et al., n. d.). The different methods of controlling noise will depend on the conveyor system. The materials used to make the conveyors determine the levels and the kind of noise they produce. Using the conveyors in unintended manner might result to noise increase.

Classification of conveyors depends on the type of the materials or products transported the location of the conveyors, or the accumulation of loads on the conveyor. Some types of conveyors include belt, roller, chain, screw, vibrating, overhead, pneumatic, and gravity conveyors among others. The choice of the conveyor depends on the capacity, distance, and configuration. The peripherals surrounding the conveyors are a source of noise generation. An effective method of ensuring that the noise levels reduce is to deal with the noise production at different peripherals. Rollers, bearing, chains and shafts are possible noise generators. Drives such as belts, power trains, sprockets, motors, whines, mounts, gearboxes, and guards also produce noise (Timmerman, 2011). The materials used to manufacture the drives and other components matter, because they can influence the noise levels. Conveyor frames generate a lot of noise because they are made of steel. Another possible source of noise generation is the building used to place the conveyors. It is important to check the conveyors regularly, and to ensure that they are in good working conditions. Lubricating the conveyors, isolating the vibration, dampening and using acoustic energy are some of the ways to ensure noise control and noise reduction.

Conveyor Bearings

The bearing construction and design is a comprehensive subject. One of the major concerns in the design, application, implementation and usage of the bearing is the noise generation. Bearings produce a lot of noise, although some seem to produce more noise. Using high noise bearings in a particular application can have disastrous effects. When some parts in a bearing are misaligned, the bearing produces excessive noise. The periodic deformation of a bearing rotation result to noise generation. Bearing imbalances, which occur because of imperfections and inaccuracies are a source of noise. Clearance is one of the most important factors, which influence the level of noise in bearings. Applications with more clearance generate a lot of noise. Manufacturers can use angular ball bearings, which make clearance adjustment possible, and this makes it possible for a person to control the level of noise (It’s All Ball Bearings, 2011). Using lubricants can help to reduce or eliminate bearing noise. Some of the most effective lubricants contain lithium or calcium, although the most effective ones for ball bearings are sodium based.

Industries need to implement a bearing fault-detection technique that will be reliable. This will help to prevent malfunction, performance degradation, and catastrophic failures. It is challenging to develop such techniques because most of the bearing fault related signatures are non-stationary. Some researchers have proposed the use of detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) of vibration signals to deal with this challenge. Unlike the traditional spectral analysis method, the DFA deals with non-stationary signals. Most people prefer the DFA because it does not rely on the mother functions as the wavelet transform does. The DFA is able to detect the faulty conditions of bearings by analyzing its power-law characteristics. It is important to understand the different bearings, and know how they relate to the vibration system. An Anderson meter is one of the commonly used instruments for testing vibrations because it only picks information from the bearing, and not from the surroundings.

Chain Conveyors

There are different chain designs, depending on their application. Chain designs can be vertical, sliding, pusher, or rolling. The most common ones are the sliding chains, although they cannot transport heavy goods for long distances. They are noisier because the person using them has to drag them on the surface. Conveyor chains can be a source of noise, especially when using high-speed conveyors. They are especially useful when lifting and transporting materials continuously, and in all directions. The chain conveyors can transport materials vertically or horizontally. They can transport materials in inclined, curved, or straight paths. Either the materials are transported openly, or they are enclosed in toughs or troughs. Some of the chains are detachable, while others are hooked. Most of the conveyor chains are made of malleable cast iron, and they are not smooth. They generate a lot of noise, and they require lubrication. Lubricating the chains will not only help to reduce the noise, but it will also help to reduce corrosion, resistance, and minimize the power used. Lubricating is therefore an important process because it helps to maintain the chains, and they last longer.

Chains can also be made of other materials such as different varieties of steel including cast, manganese and welded steel, or chilled and usable iron. The type of material used determines the level of noise generated. The block chains produce noise when the teeth and the links rub against each other. They produce a squeaking noise when the links pivot horizontally and vertically in a concurrent manner because of the differences of the link and the bearing surface materials. People use chain conveyors with other types of conveyors and other material-holding equipment. When considering the different ways to reduce noise, it is important to consider the details of all the other interfaces (Gunal et al., 1996).  The assembly system reduces determines the level of noise. For instance, designers have discovered that chains with plastic bolt on flights have significant low noise levels compared to the ones joined by welding.

Roller Conveyors

Roller conveyors are popular because of their flexibility. Roller conveyors transport materials and products of different shapes and sizes. Rollers move materials in horizontal and vertical directions. Rollers move every type of load. They can move smooth as well as rigid loads. Some roller conveyors use power, while others use gravity. Gravity rollers can be stationary or mobile. All roller conveyors have rollers, stands, and a supporting frame. Some rollers are cylindrical while others have a disc shape. There are different types of powered rollers. Some are gear driven and others are chain or belt driven.

Powered rollers are especially noisy. Noise generation can occur because of the conveyor roller surfaces. Most of the noise generated by conveyor rollers occurs when the conveyor belt contact the surface of the rollers. Changing one of the materials will therefore reduce the noise. The rollers can be aluminum, steel, or galvanized steel. It is possible to reduce the noise levels by ensuring that the Maximum Indicator Slope and the Total Indicator Reading attain the specified limits. The rate of change over the diameter has an influence on the roll noise. The noise levels increase if the total indicator readings occur within a short distance. The speed of the rollers can also increase the noise levels by increasing the vibration. Ensuring the correct balance of the rotational speed will reduce the vibration, and this will in turn reduce the noise levels (Sandvik, 2008).

Mechanical Vibration Analysis       

In some cases, vibration is a desirable effect, as it indicates that an instrument is working. In other cases, vibration often has undesirable consequences as it results to noise production, and energy wastage. Some of the reasons for the noise might include uneven friction and meshing of gear teeth among others. Many scientists and researchers have studied the subject of vibration for a long time. Many people do not view acoustics and vibration as part of the same subject although they overlap considerably. Mathematicians and physicians have conducted most of the studies and research on vibration over the past four centuries. However, many academic and industrial researchers have intensified their research on the subject (Benaroya, 2004).

Design and Analysis of Experiments (DOE)

The Design of Experiments Techniques makes it possible for designers to determine how different factors affect the results of any design. People use different methods and techniques, when they are designing and analyzing experiments. They emphasize the connection between the experiment and the model that the person conducting the experiment can develop from the results of the experiment. Researchers have to understand how they can achieve optimal industrial experimentation in the best way. Factorial and fractional factorial design and the presentation of new analysis techniques, such as the generalized linear model, are some of the factors to consider in the design, conduct and analysis of experiments. Researchers are now able to use computers when designing and analyzing experiments. One of the most effective ways of reducing the noise levels is by ensuring that the design does not encourage noise production.

Some of the most powerful software tools that the researchers can incorporate in experimental design are the Design-Expert (r) and Minitab (r). Design of Experiments (DOE) techniques enables designers to determine simultaneously the individual and interactive effects of many factors that could affect the output results in any design. DOE also provides a full insight of interaction between design elements; therefore, it helps turn any standard design into a robust one. DOE helps designers to identify the sensitive parts and areas in designs that affect the results in a negative way. By identifying these areas, the designers are able to fix the problems and thus realize higher yields. It eliminates wastage because designers are able to fix these problems before production (Agilent, n. d.).

 

References:

Agilent (n. d.). design of experiment (DOE) tutorial. Retrieved from http://www.home.agilent.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/DesignOfExperimentsTutorial.pdf?&cc=US&lc=eng

Benaroya, H. (2004). Mechanical vibration: Analysis, uncertainties, and control, volume 1. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker

Bhatia, S.C. (2007). Textbook of noise pollution and its control. New Delhi, India: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd.

Brown, S. C. (2004). Conveyor noise specification and control. Proceedings of ACOUSTICS. Retrieved from http://www.acoustics.asn.au/conference_proceedings/AAS2004/ACOUSTIC/PDF/AUTHOR/AC040002.PDF

Bruun, E. B. (1996). Noise properties of CMOS current conveyors. Proceedings of the 1996 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems, 144-147

Durr, M. T., Kovalchik, P., & Kwait, E. (n. d.). evaluation of engineering noise controls for a continuous miner conveyor system. retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/pubs/pdfs/eoenc.pdf

Gunal, A.K., Williams, E.J., and Sadakane, S. (1996). Modeling of chain conveyors and their equipment interfaces. Proceedings of the IEEE  Simulation Conference, 1107 – 1114

Huang, H. M. (2010). Vibration measurement and structural optimization simulation of a boom type tunneller.  IEEE ICCA 2010, 1120-1123 

It’s All Ball Bearings (2011). The impact of bearing noise on project applications. Retrieved from http://www.its-all-ball-bearings.com/the-impact-of-bearing-noise-on-project-applications

Liu, J. L. (2011). Detrended fluctuation analysis of vibration signals for bearing fault detection. Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Prognostics and Health Management (PHM), 1-5

Montgomery, D. C. (1996).Mechanical vibration design and analysis of experiments, (4th ed.).  New Jersey, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc

Rao, S. S. (2010). Mechanical vibration, (5th ed.). New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Sandvik. (2008). Conveyor components: HA100 Roller. Retrieved from http://www.construction.sandvik.com/sandvik/0120/Internet/Global/S003713.nsf/Alldocs/Products*5CConveyors*and*conveyor*components*5CRollers*2AImperial*Heavy*duty/$FILE/DataBrochureLowNoiseRollersV1.pdf

Tempest, W., and Bryan, M.E. (1976). Noise measurement and evaluation. Proceedings of the Institution of IEEE Electrical Engineers, 1113 – 1137

Timmerman, P. (2011). Convetor noise: Dampening distraction. Retrieved from http://www.plastics.com/content/articles/44660/1/Conveyor-Noise—Dampening-Distraction/Page1.html

Wahren, E. M. (1990). Conveyor belt chain. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/patents?hl=en&lr=&vid=USPAT4895248&id=VDMBAAAAEBAJ&oi=fnd&dq=conveyor+belt+noise+issues&printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q=conveyor%20belt%20noise%20issues&f=false

Incident 14-1: No Extra Efforts

Q.1

The employees lack motivation because there is nothing to motivate them. Contrary to the traditional theory of motivation, employees are not only motivated by monetary rewards. These nurses are never given any promotions, they are not given any motivational talks in order to encourage cooperation and participation, and they are not recognized as individuals. Additionally, the supervisor does not acquire feedback from the nurses as much as he receives from the patients. Since most of the activities in nursing are routine, they also lack motivation due to lack of challenges. Challenging medical cases have been known to motivate some professionals in the healthcare field to do more than the routine. Failing to involve the nurses into such cases, as much as possible pulls back their critical thinking. In other cases, the nurses might lack motivation if their leader (supervisor) lacks the motivation needed. There are employees who follow the leader.

Q2

The situation can be improved through various ways. I would ask the organization to focus on other non-monetary motivational factors. The nurses should be offered promotions in order to show them that they are as competent for such positions as other people in other organizations are. Supervising, head nursing and other higher positions should be accommodated by nurses who have worked diligently from within. I would give motivational talks or ask other individuals of higher positions to do so as they are also significant. These talks encourage the nurses to work together in corporation and to participate in other duties that are outside their scope of work. I would be ready to receive feedback from the nurses as I receive it from the patients. This enables a supervisor to counteract the feedbacks. For example, a patient might complain of a certain area where a nurse is challenged in. Recognizing individual nurses is significant as it enables a nurse to identify their strengths, weaknesses and their efforts and thus act accordingly.

Comparison to English literature with Biblical writings

Comparison of Jesus and Joseph

The lives of Joseph and Jesus have similarities but they lived at different times. Joseph was the son of Jacob. He was second from the last son and very significant to his father. Jesus was born many decades after Joseph and he had his mission on earth. These two characters acted as leaders in their societies. Joseph seconded the Pharaoh in command. God had chosen him for this position because he wanted to save his family from drought. When the brothers went to buy food, he recognized them and gave them a fertile land to settle (Tyndale).

Jesus acted as a religious leader to all the people who believed in Him and God. He had disciples who helped him to spread the gospel. His main responsibility was to die for humankind’s sins and save him from eternal judgment. The fathers of these two people loved them very much. Joseph was the favorite of his father and God loved Jesus so much. After baptism, a dove descended on Jesus’ and God declared his love for Jesus. Joseph’s father made a beautiful coat for his son Joseph. It is believed his love for Joseph was derived from Jacob’s love for Rachael. Jacob loved Rachael more than he loved Leah and this could be the reason why he loved their first son Joseph (Tyndale).

Jesus and Joseph experienced resistance and hatred from their surroundings. Joseph was hated by his brothers because he was his father’s favorite. The hatred became more when he dreamt and shared with the family. His brothers sold him to Egyptians and told his father he had been killed by a wild animal. Jesus faced resistance from the authority. They did not believe he was the son of God. The king felt threatened when he heard Jesus would be king of the world. The authority thought Jesus was being blasphemous when he said he was king of kings. He was arrested, tried and found guilty. People knew he was innocent but they chose Barnabas release and Jesus to be crucified (Tyndale).

The two people differ in several ways. For instance, Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born by a virgin and was a first born. Joseph was born among many brothers and he was second from the last born. Joseph is wholly a human being who was conceived normally. Jesus is a supernatural being who was born in a special way. Joseph’s parents were human beings but Jesus’ father is God, who is also a supreme being (Tyndale).

Paradise lost poem and Bible version

John Milton has written a poem, which is similar to the Bible version of fall of man. Both versions agree on the reason why human beings were sent away to settle on other places. They disobeyed God’s command about eating the forbidden fruit. Another similarity is the cause of this sin. Satan deceived them and conceived Eve on the benefits of eating the forbidden fruit. Both versions state when they ate the fruit, they realized they had done something wrong and they felt ashamed (Milton).

The poem mentions Adam and Eve were living in a paradise before they sinned. The Bible mentions they were living in the Garden of Eden. These two places share a similarity of being a wonderful place. Milton calls the Garden of Eden paradise because it resembled the characteristics of a paradise. This is depicted by the fact that he agrees Adam and Eve ate the fruit. Milton’s version and the Bible’s version both state Adam and Eve were sent away from paradise and they became further from God. Initially, He they had a close relationship but after the sin, hey grew apart.

Both versions correspond about the relationship between Adam and Eve. The Bible says God created Adam in his own image and used his ribs to form the Eve. She was created to be a companion to Adam and eliminate all his loneliness. In the poem, Milton says Adam agreed to eat the fruit because he considered Eve a part of him in flesh and blood. He was ready to die or face the consequences with her. This relationship depicts they were very intimate with each other (Sidney).

Milton’s poem and the Bible version differ in various ways. The Bible states Eve took the fruit to Adam and assured him there would be no problem eating it. Adam ate and they realized they had made a mistake. This is what made them feel ashamed and they hid. They also realized they were naked and they concealed it with leaves. Milton’s poem says Adam voluntarily ate the fruit because Eve had eaten as well. He said he was ready even to die because she was part of his flesh. It continues to say for sometime, Adam agreed Eve was right about eating the fruit (Milton).

The poem says when the two ate the forbidden fruit; there had a wonderful moment of intimacy. Adam felt they had done the right thing when they ate the fruit. After some time they fell asleep and got nightmares. They woke up and realized the mistake they had done. It made them feel guilty and ashamed. The Bible does not state some of these actions. It only says immediately after they ate the fruit, they learnt their mistake and felt ashamed (Milton).

The Bible version says the two of them were ashamed of themselves because they were guilty and they noticed they were naked. Eating the fruit of knowledge made them aware of some things they did not understand before, like nakedness. In the poem, Milton says Eve requested Adam to beseech God for forgiveness. Adam agrees to plead with God for mercy and he kneels to beg for it. According to Bible version, Adam and Eve were too embarrassed to face God when he came to see them. They hid from him and felt they were not worthy before him. God sent them away and they had to settle in other places on earth (Milton).

Paradise lost poem mentions about two angel called Michael and Raphael. Michael was sent by God to chase Adam and Eve from the paradise. Before doing it, he showed Adam a vision of what awaits him when he is the world. He was shown the floods during Noah time and everything expected to happen in the world. Michael also mentioned about the Savior Jesus who would come to redeem humankind from sin. This is supposed to make this couple realize God still loves people and has already planned about their salvation. The Bible mentions God personally went to chase them away. Before He did it, He cursed them since He had been angered by their actions. God made the garden inaccessible to keep anyone away (Milton).

Hamlet

Renaissance culture is about reviving the art of literature. It mostly happened during the fourteenth and seventeenth century. This era also included improving other forms of arts like paintings, printing and carving. Since this period, artists have been advancing the art of literature until what it is currently. Hamlet is a play by Shakespeare and part of literature art. During this era, people began to understand the importance of literature and appreciate it. More people engaged in the creation of literature work, which was used for various purposes (Marlowe).

Shakespeare contributed significantly to renaissance through his play of Hamlet. It follows an organized pattern, which contributes to its quality. It portrays Shakespeare’s motive of writing the play. The artist wanted to address some issues in the society using his play. This was an important step in the development of literature. It could be used for education purposes and addressing important issues in the community. People realized they could express themselves using literature and other types of art. Hamlet play displays several themes, which Shakespeare wanted to address. The major one is greed for power. Claudius killed the former king Hamlet because he wanted power. This is a vice existing even in the modern world. Selfish people are ready to do anything for power and money (Shakespeare).

The play depicts leaders like Prince Hamlet who are ready to fight corruption and make reforms. Although the prince seeks revenge instead of justice, it could be understood as a form of responding to impunity. Today, response to corruption and impunity is done by use of rule of law. Hamlet may have used vengeance because there was no law during that era. The play uses literally devices to make the play more captivating to the target audience. Literally, devices were introduced to literature to add value or quality. Literature in plays and poetry is known to conceal the message. It makes the reader or audience to think critically and understand (Shakespeare).

Hamlet impact on religion

Some scenes of this play show impact on religion. Prince Hamlet finds Claudius praying and he hesitates to kill him. He concludes killing him when he is praying will take him to heaven. He believes Claudius does not deserve heaven because he is evil and selfish. This shows people in this Kingdom were religion and they believed in eternal life or eternal judgment. Hamlet finds himself respecting his religious beliefs and refraining from killing his uncle. The ghost of his father also portrays an aspect of religion. Ghosts are associated with spiritual beings who appear to people for various reasons. For example, the ghost of the deceased king Hamlet instructed Prince Hamlet to seek revenge (Marlowe).

According to Hamlet play, certain acts can make a deceased person go to hell or heaven. When a person dies when he is praying, it is believed to go to heaven. Regardless of his evil character on earth, his prayer will make him go to heaven. It depicts their prayer will petition for forgiveness and be accepted in heaven. Cause of king Hamlet’s death could also take him to heaven. He died for no reason and he is portrayed as a hero. This could be the reason his ghost appears because he has joined the spiritual beings. Claudius’ actions were supposed to send him to hell. He plotted deaths of innocent people for his selfish gains. Some religious doctrines cannot be proved since no one has seen them. For example, there is no assurance of existence of heaven and earth (Sidney).

Fairre Queene

This book discusses about the existence of evil and good deeds in the world. The author uses personification to convey this message. He uses names to portray both types of characters. For example, the knight is referred to as Red Cross because he has hospitable character. Lucifero is a character of evil nature and associates with people of similar traits. For instance, Lucifero lives with other wizards like idleness, wrath and gluttony among others. The author intends to criticize evil character and impunity and uphold good deeds. He shows how bad character uses hypocrisy and contaminates people with good character. For instance, he says the evil Archimago disguises himself as Red Cross knight and evil enchanter hides her real identity from the Red Cross Knight (Raleigh).

The essence of God is his mercy and justice. When the Red Cross is tempted to commit suicide Una reminds him of the final reward. The reward will come from God because He is full of grace. The healing of the Red Cross Knight is by the help of God. The house where it happens is holy and all the good deeds live there. For example, faith, zeal, hope and charity among others, helped the knight to get well. This book is an encouragement to people who have good character. They should maintain their personality because it is always rewarding to have good attributes. They should evade negative influence since they might harm themselves like Red Cross Knight (Raleigh).

Works cited

William Tyndale the English Bible, Calvin, John. Introduction to the Renaissance,
The Fairie Queene; Queen Elizabeth, Sir Raleigh, Walter
Sir Sidney, Philip, Marlowe,Christopher
Shakespeare,William (including Hamlet).
Donne, John, Johnson, Ben, Marvell, Andrew Herrick, Robert and Lovelace, Richard
Milton, John (emphasis on Paradise Lost). Comparison of Milton to Biblical text.
 

 

 

 

Community-Oriented Policing and Problem-Oriented Policing

Community oriented policing is a process where the police officers collaborate with the citizens using agreed problem-solving techniques to reduce fear and maintain order in the community. The main objective of community policing is to ensure that the police and the community work together in fighting crime, identifying the community concerns, and providing solutions. The community is involved not only in fighting crime but also in providing the solutions to these problems. It is a way for the police and the community to work together and understand each other. Community oriented policing runs through all the levels of the police department. Officers have found more ways of showing community policing, especially with the advent of information communications and technology. Many police departments have websites where they list their activities and operations. Members of the public can visit such websites and check the progress of the police. They also have a chance to ask questions and report information on the websites (Dempsey & Forst, 2011)

There are several benefits of implementing the approach of community oriented policing. Community oriented policing addresses the real problems facing the community. When the police interact with the community, they are able to understand their concerns better, since these problems also affect them. In most cases, people have various misconceptions concerning police officers. In other cases, the police can have stereotypes, or they can be prejudiced towards a group of people. When the people work together with the police, it gives them a chance to interact, and they are able to understand each other better. Another benefit of community policing is that the community feels that the police are more accessible, and this enhances the relationship between them. The police officers feel that they are a part of the community

Many people have often complained of police behavior. Community policing intends to provide the police with the guidance and direction they need to ensure that their actions and is in line with people’s expectations. It increases police discretion at all levels. It also increases the effectiveness of the police force. The leaders no longer need to tell the police officers what to do at all time. This approach encourages the officers to think critically about the situations they are facing (Dempsey & Forst, 2011). This kind of policing promotes a sense of empowerment in the people and in the police force. Empowerment is one of the key factors for effective law enforcement.

One of the weaknesses of community oriented policing is reluctance of community to engage in the decision making problems. This approach encourages the community to participate in finding solutions to deal with crime. Another weakness is that the police and the community may end up using a lot of time in solving some of the crimes. They may not agree on the proposed solution, and this can be a major problem for the two groups. The community may feel that the police are enforcing a decision in them, thus although they are involved in the process, they are mostly passive and their decisions are not implemented (Dempsey & Forst, 2011). Some police officers do not support the ideal community oriented policing. They may feel that they are not doing real police work by involving the community in their decisions.

Problem oriented policing refers to a policing approach that encourages every member in a police agency to become active in solving problems (Palmiotto, 2011). This approach encourages the police to not only deal with incidents, but also to focus more on the problems causing these incidents. It asserts the importance of breaking down the broad police roles and applying specific strategies to the new roles (Dempsey & Forst, 2011). It enhances police accountability to the community, and it focuses on dealing with the issues and concerns affecting the community. The officers have to identify and examine the problems, and find ways of addressing these problems by developing a response. It involves four processes, which are scanning, analysis, response, and assessment, often identified as SARA. The scanning process involves identifying the problems that often recur, and identifying the consequences of these problems to the community and the police, prioritizing the problems, developing goals, and selecting the problems require closer examination. The analysis process involves understanding the conditions that accompany the problem, identifying the relevant data, researching information concerning the problem, and taking note of how the relevant authorities are addressing the problem. The response process includes coming up with new interventions, looking at how the communities faced with similar problems solved them, choosing the interventions to implement, determining the response plan to use, and the responsible parties, and carrying out the planned activities. the assessment process includes conducting a process evaluation, collecting the qualitative and quantitative data before and after the response process, verifying the attainment of the goals identified in the scanning process, determining the necessity of new strategies, and conducting assessment to ensure that the policy is effective (Samaha, 2005).

There are several benefits of using problem oriented policing. The police officers can use this approach to solve most of the problems they encounter. It helps them to identify the essential cause of the problem, and the best strategies to deal with these problems (Dempsey & Forst, 2011). This approach recognizes that each problem requires a different response though they may be similar in nature. This approach helps the law enforcers to deal with recurring problems. By identifying the real problems, the police are able to avoid recurring incidences. The approach encourages the police to use new initiatives to deal with the problems. The approach recognizes different ways of solving problems. The police can solve problems by eliminating them, such that there are no more incidents occurring because of this problem. The police can solve some of the problems by reducing the number of incidents that the problem creates. They can also solve a problem by reducing the seriousness of the incidents, thus ensuring that the incidents are less harmful. Officers can solve a problem by designing better methods for handling the incidents once they occur. They can solve a problem by removing it from police considerations (Palmiotto, 2011)

Problem oriented policing encourages, and often depends on the use of innovative methods to solve the existing problems. This can be challenging to the police officers involved, since they may not be able to develop new effective methods. The police can take a long time before coming up with a solution for the problems. The police need to determine how the incidents relate to each other, before identifying the real cause of these incidences. This can often take a long time, and the community might feel that the officers are not doing their job well. a police agency might not have the right personnel to deal with cases, using the problem oriented approach. This approach often requires officers with analytical and problem solving skills, and finding enough officers can be a challenge.

Community oriented policing and problem oriented policing have some similarities. They both involve the communities in identifying and solving problems. They are both a shift from the traditional approach of policing, where the officers from the highest levels made all the major decisions (Samaha, 2005). The main difference between community oriented and problem oriented community policing is that community oriented policing involves the full involvement of the community in fighting crime and ensuring security (Palmiotto, 2011). Officers using problem oriented policing collaborate with the community depending on the problem they are trying to solve. Developing a relationship with the community is important, and geographic decentralization is therefore important. Although community collaboration is important in problem oriented policing, it is not usually a necessity, and police officers can change communities. The two approaches focus on different things. Community oriented policing focuses on developing a working relationship with the community, whereas problem oriented policing focuses on identifying and solving community problems. In problem oriented policing, the officers maintain their authority in the decision making process although they may share the problems with the community. In community oriented policing, the officers often share the decision-making authority with the community. The two approaches differ in the type of skills required. Problem oriented policing puts more emphasis on intellectual and analytical skills, whereas community oriented policing places more emphasis on interpersonal skills (Samaha, 2005)

Although community and problem oriented policies offer several benefits to the community, the police often face several challenges when trying to implement these approaches. Community oriented policing requires heavy involvement from member of the community. As some police officers find out, the community may be reluctant to participate in the meetings and forums, and this affects the decision making process. Both approaches require the cooperation of police officers and the community. Some police officers do not support these approaches, and they prefer the professional model. Some claim that the management style used in these do not emphasize problem solving. Some officers believe that the community will appreciate and will have a positive image of a police force that is more rigid. Some people oppose policing because they are confused about it, and they do not understand the type of service they should receive from the police. Some police officers oppose the two approaches of policing because they do not offer quick rewards. They find that they get more rewards when they are able to alleviate the problem by meeting the immediate needs more quickly, other than trying to solve them by examining the problems.

 

References:

Dempsey, S. J., & Forst, S. L. (2011). An introduction to policing. New York, NY: Cengage Learning

Palmiotto, M. (2011). Community policing: A police citizen partnership. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis

Samaha, J. (2005). Criminal justice. New York, NY: Cengage Learning

 

 

 

Higher Education

Apotex attempted to silence the controversy that it anticipated would be generated when Olivieri’s findings became public knowledge by asking Olivieri to delay publication until there was further research confirmed. She refused; Apotex then threatened to sue Olivieri for breach of her research contract; the clinical trial agreement she had signed concerning the Deferiprone study ostensibly gave Apotex the right to block publication of study results and data (Thomson, 2002: 34). In the course of the now bitter dispute, Olivieri approached her affiliated medical research faculty at the nearby University of Toronto, where in an effort to secure advantage over the Hospital for Sick Children against Apotex, Olivieri sought to have the University of Toronto to end its clinical training / scientific research relationship with the Hospital.

Had the University acceded to the Olivieri request, such termination would have potentially compromised the careers of numerous physicians in training and graduate students who depended on their placement at the Hospital or upon the research opportunities for their own career advancement. This is a classic example of how inevitably research objectives will have to bring into harmony with organizations that provide funding for conducting research. Here is an example of research gone rogue from the vantage point of the funding organization. What we infer from this example is that globalization although may seem to proliferate greater freedom, in practical terms, it has made the higher education system more subservient to corporate ambitions and regulations.

The ultimate result of the corporate domination (as feared by numerous commentators) of Canadian universities is stated this way: If business dominates the university educational agenda, “the knowledge revolution” will be the acknowledged victor that will influence the future of all such institutions. Instead of pursuing knowledge for its own sake in the traditional construct of higher education in Canada and throughout the world, universities now play a crucial role in the production of new knowledge that nations need. The new parameters that have emerged can be explained with reference to the ‘old’ view of the pursuit of knowledge against its modern globalized counterpart.

In 1950, American liberalism icon Adlai Stevenson expressed the matter this way: “If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us. The free mind is not a barking dog, to be tethered on a ten-foot chain” (Johnson, 2006: 267). On the other hand, the globalized era attitude is summarized differently by Schmidt (2009), as cited in Thornton (2009:5)

It is this contemporary appreciation of knowledge as power, and the logical and highly desired commodification of knowledge and knowledge transfer that raises this troubling converse question – “…what space is there within the new paradigm (of the Canadian university structure) for the pursuit of feminist, critical and theoretical knowledge that lacks market value?”

When the time line from 1970 to 2011 is carefully examined in the present context, three themes have emerged as critical of the way in which the neoliberal and performativity imperatives have started to dominate the area of Higher Education in Canada:

First, is the growing importance of research to the reputation of institutions for higher education. Second, this focus on research can negatively affect students especially undergraduate students. Third, the demand for practical results limits the directions that academics can explore.

Research is perceived within the university communities more far more important to their future existence and credibility than teaching, especially the teaching required to advance the interests of the undergraduate student cohort – “…reflective enquiry is badly undervalued at Canadian universities…” (Pilkington and Tupper, 6; Thornton, 7);

It is impossible to distill the divergent viewpoints that are extracted from the sources cited in this Review into a single coherent message. However, the scholarship does lend itself to a reasonable set of conclusions as supported on the available evidence. It is clear that the contemporary Canadian university environment is influenced by and sensitive to the forces of globalization that have wrought such profound changes in global higher education. Governments are disinclined to contribute greater revenues to the institutions; the institutions are not fully accountable to the public that funds them; it is unclear that universities have accepted a mandate to educate their undergraduate cohort, yet in the pursuit of revenue sources Canadian universities are increasingly inclined to function as the adjunct of the capitalist business community. Globalization has embedded itself in higher education; but the power of ideas as product, and the inability of mere national borders to stop them, is as evident in Canada as it appears to be internationally. The demographics of students enrolling at university every year may become more vibrant as more and more developing countries participate in the pursuit of quality higher education, the hard fact remains that the student experience in terms of his/her freedom to choose exactly what to pursue as education continue to be increasingly restricted.

What has transformed the face of Canadian universities are these forces of the globalized economy, performativity and standardization, that show no signs of retreat or diminution in a neoliberal model. The relative rank of the university on a global measure and the ability of the institutions to mesh with globalized standards are now the most important yardsticks against which success is determined. Knowledge is no longer a component of learning, so much as it is the currency in which the institutions can trade, as the inducement to attract the ‘best and the brightest’, globally.
3.4 The Experiences of Higher Education Students in Canada

Guo and Chase (2011) explain that there are actually important roles played by international students within the Canadian universities; these roles relate to producing and disseminating knowledge. This study reports that the international student participants, who come from 36 countries and 54 academic disciplines, report positive learning experiences within the Canadian higher education system. The authors state that higher education students “learned from each other about the history, geography, culture, education and economic systems of the country they represented, as well as social issues such as war, poverty, illiteracy and HIV/AIDS pandemic… More importantly, students educated each other about global issues and global responsibilities in moving towards the goal of global citizenship.” (p. 314).

Freedom of speech as an important subset of the general intellectual freedoms that are generally recognized as an integral part of the campus life of the institutions has also been critically evaluated, particularly in the wake of local university conflicts that have arisen concerning wider global political issues such as the Arab / Israel question (Thomson, 2011; 12). This is certainly seen as a positive development in that it promotes the transfusion of different cultures and ethnicities. From a student experience point of view, it encourages religious, ethnic, and cultural toleration among peers and lecturers alike.

The experience of the international student in Canada has not been given a great deal of attention by researchers. Grayson (2008) compared the academic experience of international students in Canada with that of domestic students, found that international students committed more time to studying, and made more trips to the library than domestic students do. On the other hand, domestic students were found to attend classes more often than international students. Among the conclusions made by this study was the fact that “international students have less social, and particularly academic, support than their domestic peers” (p. 228).

Gou and Chase (2011) suggests that programs geared towards assisting international students with their integration into a Canadian learning community by creating a “transnational learning space where international students developed a sense of belonging, increased cross-cultural understanding and raised awareness about global issues” (p.305) can be very useful to international students, given that such programs can provide the appropriate level of support for international students.

“Internationalization has been viewed by many as a positive educational strategy for promoting global citizenship. In its current approach to internationalizing Canadian

higher education, however, several problems persist. One pertains to the neoliberal approach driven by economic motives that treat internationalization and global citizenship as business opportunities and marketing strategies. Second, in internationalizing the curriculum, the current practice privileges an add-on approach with a focus on the undergraduate curriculum and ignores the needs of graduate students, particularly those of international background. Third, despite the claim that internationalization is now an integral part of institutional strategies at Canadian universities, there has been a gap between the rhetoric and the reality. Although there is an interest in bringing in international students to internationalize Canadian campuses, in reality there has been a lack of support to help international students successfully integrate into Canadian academic environments” (p. 315-316). What does this mean for Canadian higher education?

3.5 Conclusion

“Higher education is valued international commodity and the idea that the higher education is  a commercial product, to be bought and sold like bananas or airplanes, has reached the global market” (Foskett, Maringe, and Foskett, 2010, p. 246. This paper has set out the view of neo-liberal and globalized world views, and the effects this has on higher education in Canada.  The influences of a market economy and international relationship have changed higher education all over the world, and Canada has seen the effects for researchers, for teachers and for students – in Canada and internationally.

In the future universities and colleges will … (I just started off for a conclusion – what do you think?)

Higher Education (new work)

Neoliberalism has been an effect of globalization. Hence, entities around the world including institutions and government agencies have been forced to adopt an approach, which place them in better positions of competing with institutions in their localities or nationalities as well as other entities or an international level. Despite the definition of globalization lacking in clarity , it can be summed as the transformation of entities and nations form localized perspectives to global perspectives which have a better hold of communicating and interacting with others on a global ;level for business, pleasure and education (Zheng, 2010).

Globalization has had diverse effects on all aspects of conduct of business. No segment has remained untouched by globalization. Neoliberalism hence can be described as the mere adaptation of institutions and other entities to meet globalization trends and needs, which have become a necessity in the modern world. Liberalism gives public entities the option of exploring their full potentials. Institutions in Canada have not been left behind in the quest for liberalism to exist without form authorities in order to seek limits of their potentials. The presence of numerous individuals from various countries around the globe is a sure sign that globalization is inevitable to any institution which seeks to stay relevant in the modern world. Different individuals from institutions have various abilities bringing in with them various talents and knowledge, which is important for the economic growth of a country (Zheng, 2010).

Student mobility has been a driving force in the quest for neoliberalism in public universities. Students are able to move from one institution to another to increase their levels of education as it has become easy to move from one universities in a distant land to another provided one has met the required education threshold. Large numbers of international students cross borders of Canada in pursuit of high quality education offered by Canadian universities. Canada has great institution with high standards of learning, hence this universities act out of independent choice in choosing those students who meet the required educational qualifications.

Neoliberalism has positive effects on foreign students as well as native students because of the cultural exposure that is accrued from co-existence between people from various ethnicities and cultures who possess different values and ideals. Students are able to learn new ways of doing things from such co-existence between themselves despite the presence of differences attributed to race or cultural ideals. In a globalized market, economies need competent individuals with adequate social skills to compete in employment scenes, which are already flooded with people with ample skills. It is a necessity for individuals to seek employment in a world, which has become a global village. In Canada, more students are flowing into institutions in pursuit of education and successful careers (Zajda, J2005).

However, some attribute the presence of ‘brain drain’ in other countries from where students come from due to the presence of neoliberal approach, which is an effect of globalization. The options availed to international students to join institutions in Canada has led to mass migration of intelligent individual in search of both education and opportunities provided by Canadian institutions as well as the Canadian economy. Neoliberal approach in universities has enabled foreign students to access opportunities in life, which they regarded as mere dreams. Despite claims of ‘brain drain’, the individuals who find the opportunity to study in these institutions in some instances are able to take back the knowledge acquired from institutions in Canada. Such knowledge is used for developmental purposes such new approaches to managing resources in their individual countries, or strategies for establishing new companies which eventually provide employment to their fellow countrymen and women (Kennelly, 2011).

Neoliberalism has also led to an increased sense of value in Canadian institutions because people associate these institutions with success both from an educational perspective and from a career perspective. The drive behind the large numbers of individuals especially foreign students choosing Canadian universities is the opportunities that studying in these institutions provides to people. Studying under institutions, which have adopted a neoliberal approach, has become part of a necessity in these institutions. Some students who are not natives of the English language find it difficult conversing in English. This proves to be a challenge to these individuals. Language is a basic skill as it influences the mode of study and relations of foreign students and native students with each other. The lack of a language for proper communication is sufficient in creating alienation between student and teachers as well  students also find it difficult to communicate and relate with their peers as language acts as barrier  to effective communication. Communication is basic in all aspects of life whether business, commerce or pleasure. Universities should provide an avenue for learning communication skills for students from all nationalities, which accept study places. Communication is usually in form of language; new languages, which are usually used in Canada such as, french which is a common language in Canada should be enhanced. In addition, due to the presence of limited resources and time universities could adopt an approach, which requires proficiency in the languages of instruction in the lecture rooms in Canadian universities.

Neoliberalism has however led to negative effects on these students in the universities. It has become a competitive affair to gain entry into Canadian universities, as there is competition between the foreign students who are willing to part with large amounts of money and the natives who are in need of education at considerable costs. Hence, education has become more of a business than an activity if imparting knowledge to the knowledge hungry students (Kapoor, & Jordan, 2009).

Exposure of students to foreign land creates a sense of patriotism for their motherland, as they are willing to share experiences, cultural ways of doing things, and more so ideas, which might be new to the country of study. This is usually different from students who are natives of the same country because they feel comfortable. However, for the foreign students the distance from their native homeland creates a sense of separation or feeling of homesickness due to the separation from longtime friends and family (Gannan, 2006).

In conclusion, unquestioned economic rationalization is one of the solid reasons for the movement of people from their native countries to other ‘greener pastures’ in search of academic degrees. Moreover, such degrees have the promise of providing these individuals with good grades due to the perceptions of high quality education (Boudreau, Keil & Young, 2009). Neoliberalism has reduced individuals in search of education in education to beings in pursuit of only economic benefits accrued from knowledge. it has created social classes and statuses which are merely defined by ones attendance to a higher institutions. Thus, it has acted as a reductionism approach, which reduces the efforts of individual as merely in pursuit of individual freedom. Neoliberalism however has been a force of integration between people of different nationalities hence the actual integration of countries (Choudry, 2011).

Reference

Choudry, C.C., Seiler, G. & Bhardwaj, P. (2011). Neoliberalism and education: A case study on Quebec. McGill University.

Boudreau, J.-A., Keil, R., & Young, D. (2009). Changing Toronto: Governing urban neoliberalism. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Gannan, A. B. (2006). The discourse of neoliberalism in policy documents of British Columbia’s Year 2000 education reform. Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada Bibliothèque et Archives Canada.

Kapoor, D., & Jordan, S. (2009). Education, participatory action research and social change: International perspectives. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Kennelly, J. (2011). Citizen youth: Culture, activism, and agency in a neoliberal era. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Zajda, J. I. (2005). International handbook on globalization, education and policy research: Global pedagogies and policies. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer.

Zheng, J. (2010). Neoliberal Globalization, Higher Education Policies and International Student Flow: An Exploratory Case Study of Chinese Graduate Student Flows To Canada. Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences, Vol 2 (1)

 

Sonny’s Blues

Assignment Option One

Analysis of short stories indicates that there is a lot that pertains to the title of story. Most of the times the reader ends up missing out or not being able to comprehend the underlying meaning of the title. This is mainly because each of the words used in the story constitute a significant part of the story, with the title included. There are instances where the title of a story plays a larger role in the constitution of a story. The story, “Sonny’s Blues,” by James Baldwin is in no way an exception to this.

“Sonny’s Blues” also refers to the music that is common with misguided youth. Just like the case of Sunny and his elder brother, these youths travel from light to darkness and through unfathomable experiences that lurk in the darkness of coping and the light that is associated with their suffering. When the title to the story is read aloud, a nuance of contradiction is realized in the sense that Sunny is a character who is endeared with positive connotations while blues on the other hand are associated with being sad and miserable.

This is indicative of the contrasting events and instances that comprise the story. Sonny describes heroin, by saying, “it is usually both warm and cool… giving you a sense of control” (551). This description in itself is contradictory in that the two aspects of temperature are complete opposites. There is also a contrast in the description that heroine provides one with a sense of control while in essence heroine actually renders one with the inability to have self control.

Sonny, who is the ostensible character in this story, seems to play a larger role in the naming of this story. However, on further analysis, there alludes to a deeper meaning to the title itself. The most obvious meaning of the title is that of the character Sonny and the genre of music he plays during the final passages of the story. Sonny is the focal character’s younger brother thus giving him the childhood innocence coupled by a sense of immaturity and idealism that is often characterized by children. In addition, he gets to be treated paternalistically by his much older sibling over the entire story. For instance, the narrator sarcastically refers to Sonny as a “big boy” when he is frantically trying to convince him, that music is not a very successful career for anyone to undertake (545).

The older sibling seems to be very realistic unlike Sonny whose ambitions are considered as idealistic and a vanity affair. The older brother is tend to adopt a very realistic lifestyle in that he is a teacher, which is a very noble profession, married and whose success in life is founded on his mediocrity. The older brother seems to have lack of ambition since he is not chasing after his own dream but the popular “American dream”. Sonny on the other hand is very ambitious in life and has the perception that life is more meaningful that this. He believes that people should harbor personal aspirations in which they should believe in and pursue until fulfillment for this is their sole purpose in life (545).

The title of the story is two parts, with the second part being the “blues”. This superficially refers to the genre of music that is characterized with a melancholic feeling and ballads of suffering and anguish. This music genre is imbued with an outstanding rhythm and a real human soul. The “Blues” mentioned in the title belong to the character Sonny. During the instance where Sonny and his older brother reach the nightclub, the narrator vividly describes that the rest perceived Sonny as the merely the brother to Sonny, while in the real sense, he had entered Sonny’s world. In that place, even his veins could attest to the fact that he had royal blood in him (554).

When the time for Sonny to perform came, the music group’s leader together with the rest of the musicians expressed that those being performed were indeed Sonny’s blues. Sonny adds to this by filling the air with Blues music, his music. From this, it becomes more evident that the music is in his veins. The narrator is ebbed out of his element as his soul is taken over by the performance. Creole goes to the limits of referring to the older brother as “son”. This reference creates another possible inference or meaning to the title, “Sonny’s Blues”. From the plot, Sonny may fail in being the titular character. In essence, the narrator seems to be the immature one of the two. The narrator undergoes a series of changes over the story as opposed to Sonny in relation to his share of “blues” as well.

The narrator undergoes various changes as the story proceeds. He develops his character as the story continues. In this concept, his “Blues”, do not refer to a genre of music but a feeling of depression that engulfs him as opposed to the coping mechanism to come to terms with them. A cloud of grief engulfs him resulting from the sudden demise of his daughter, Gracie. He is also endowed with the responsibility left to him by his ailing mother, in relation with the story concerning the death of his uncle. The mother to the narrator leaves him with the uphill responsibility of taking care of his younger brother (543).

The heroin abuse that Sonny falls into adds onto his grief and suffering. This is primarily because of having the feeling of letting his mother down in taking care of his younger sibling. He also feels that his younger sibling is suffering from heroin abuse and distribution. The latter suffering is in part unfair to him because apparently, Sonny has already developed a coping mechanism for his anguish, with it being music as opposed to the narrator. This continues to a point where the narrator asks Sonny whether it is a better idea “just to—take it.” Further reading reveals that he indeed “takes it,” albeit through mediocrity and misery.

In the instance where he attends the revival meeting, he ends up being a spectator as opposed to taking part in the revival. He even witnesses the music soothe the poison out the womenfolk who were singing at the meeting but does not derive anything from the valuable experience. However, the narrator develops as the story continues until the end where he gets to undergo exponential development. He witnesses the deep sorrow and suffering that Sonny is engulfed in and at this instance stops suffering and starts living life. From this point, the narrator comprehends that no individual is able to “just take it”. Sonny further attests to this. At this point, the younger sibling, Sonny, is depicted as the wiser with the narrator being depicted as the younger of the two who is in deep need of personal development.

Another meaning for the title “Sonny’s Blues,” could be derived, this time by means of contrast as opposed to taking the superficial meaning of the phrase. Sonny is considered a colloquial term referring to someone who is very young and spry with cheeky characteristics. Another allusion to the term sunny in terms of weather refers to a day characterized by the blue and cloudless sky and the shinning sun. The term sunny can also refer to a personal trait of being cheery, bright, or warm-hearted.

The interesting aspect to this is that the introduction of the heroin problems plaguing the Sonny character whereby it is described, “…in the swinging lights of the subway car,” and he sees it in “[his] own face, trapped in the darkness which roared outside” (534). When making a comparison between the Sonny and the term sunny, there is the allusion to a light-darkness motif that is evidenced in the reading of the entire story. The helm of the darkness is experienced during the death of the brother that occurs in the darkness of a drunken night. There is also the instance where the family is gripped with grief during the memorial for the narrator’s mother. At this instance, the members are engulfed in grief on a Sunday afternoon that is characterized by the encroachment of the darkness of the night. The members are also depicted as having darkness in their faces that works to the effect of frightening the child in attendance.

Superficially, the title could allude to the music genre that the Sonny character engages in. From the story, Sonny dedicates his passion into music. This activity evokes contrasting feelings in him in that playing the piano motivates him, keeps him going while at the same time torturing him. “Sonny’s Blues” refers to the music that is common with misguided youth. Just like the case of Sunny and his elder brother, these youths travel from light to darkness and through unfathomable experiences that lurk in the darkness of coping and the light that is associated with their suffering. When the title to the story is read aloud, a nuance of contradiction is realized in the sense that Sunny is a character who is endeared with positive connotations while blues on the other hand are associated with being sad and miserable.

This is indicative of the contrasting events and instances that comprise the story. Sonny describes heroin, by saying, “it is usually both warm and cool… giving you a sense of control” (551). This description in itself is contradictory in that the two aspects of temperature are complete opposites. There is also a contrast in the description that heroine provides one with a sense of control while in essence heroine actually renders one with the inability to have self control.

In conclusion, it is evident that the title, “Sonny’s Blues,” bears several meanings and nuances. The first is that it refers to a pivotal character in the story who is the main character’s little brother. Blues on the other hand refers to a genre of music, which the character Sonny engages in. Sonny also alludes to sunny that is mainly used to represent a hopeful day, happiness and joy. Blues on the other hand refers to a genre of music that is characterized by melancholy and grief. This represents various contrasts that are comprised in the play. The genre of the music, Blues, also alludes to the grief and suffering that is highly evidenced in the story.

 

Works cited

Baldwin, James. Early Novels and Stories: Go Tell It on the Mountain ; Giovanni’s Room ; Another Country ; Going to Meet the Man. New York: Literary Classics of the United States, 1998. Print.

 

A Perfect Day for Bananafish

In the story, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” by J. D. Salinger, we find Seymour narrating to Sybil a story about a fictional creatures he calls Bananafish. These fictional creatures are indeed metaphorical as they allude to a much deeper meaning. Bananafish are considered as imaginary creatures they indulge themselves in bananas until they suffer from banana fever and consequently die. This is metaphorical of Seyamor and his efforts in attempting to realign with current society after serving for his country, a society that is full of materialism, greed, and pettiness.

The war was made a psychological damage on the war veteran who is serving an early release form the military hospital. He fails to find a real outlet to vent off his complicated emotions that he has derived from the war and continues to carry on with them. Muriel and the family cannot understand his needs as they seem distanced from his needs and thus his behavior ends up being considered as inappropriate, disturbing, and dangerous. This leads him to find solace in Sybil and other children who end up revealing his unfortunate hanker for innocence and clarity, emotional dispositions that have no means of expression in the adult world. In just the same way that bananafish end up being too fat to leave their holes, Seymor is full of emotional pain that he cannot relieve. In eth end, just like the bananafish, he ends up dying from this.

The bananafish are also metaphorical for the materialistic consumer mentality of post-WWII American society. This society has adopted a consumerist behavior whereby it indulges and consumes almost anything and everything that is available in the market. In the end, just like the bananafish, the consumerist culture will end up killing the human civilization, as it will lead to a depletion of the finite resources that support humankind’s survival and the entire ecosystem.

Barbie’s Effect on Body Image

The ‘Barbie Effect’ affects many children with specific reference to girls and women alike. The Barbie effect is described as the need by women to become like dolls as the image depicted by the Barbie doll. The image exhibits a young woman who is a model because she has flawless features such as astounding beauty, lean body, and a great height than the average woman. The message clearly sent out to women by this doll is without the presence of such body features one is bound to fail. In addition, she is always in the presence of a man who is masculine because of his tough body features, which women consider as irresistible. Hence, a woman cannot get love from a man without her having lean features such as those exhibited by models in fashion design and in magazines (Anschutz, Doeschka, & Rutger, 27).

The Barbie doll was created in an image, which reflects a body that is impossible to possess. It has clear discrimination for the average woman because it favors features that are only present in an imaginable perspective. The ideals communicated to us show that only women with features similar to Barbie’s, have the ability to succeed in society and in pursuit of happiness. The effects of this reductionism approach brought about by the Barbie doll are both psychological as well as physiological. This can be explained as the degradation of self-value for the average sized woman as they view themselves as inadequate in both shape and intellect. Hence, it cultivates low self-esteem and the need for women to strive to become perfects like the Barbie doll.

The body version of the Barbie doll is regarded as unattainable hence such as body is unhealthy and impossible possess. The ideal brought forth is to avoid eating healthily to attain a small body, which is unattainable in real sense because she possesses a less proportional body size and weight. The use of dolls and other toys is vital in play as they emulate these characters. They form decisions in relation to the message brought abut by these dolls. Hence, the Barbie doll is a toy, which forms a vital part in the formations of character of the girls who play with these toys (Daniel, 41). Boys are also affected, but in an indirect way because they find the doll as the ideal woman to have relations with. This is because of the message spread by these dolls is the emphasis of lean body features and incredible beauty instead of focus or morals and ideals possessed by an individual. Hence, it is a trend, which has become part of society that beauty is necessary for any healthy relationship or for the achievement of success in life.

Health is a major part of development, without consumptions of food with adequate nutrition; an individual is bound to suffer from health issues such as anorexia, which is mainly an effect of lack of proper diet. Diet has become an issue especially for women because of the image cultivated by the lean body of Barbie dolls. The ultra lean bodies exhibited by these Barbie dolls which are present in almost each and very home have aided in lowering the self esteem of the young girls. The girls view themselves as lesser than human due to the social view of a perfect body. This brings into question as to whether there is a perfect body for any man or more so for women. Self-consciousness comes into play because they view themselves as inferior to the body image depicted by the doll (Abramson, 27). The girls eventually grow out into women who are dissatisfied with their body images. Dissatisfaction with one’s body image has many effects such as inconsistent and unhealthy eating patterns. Unhealthy eating patterns lead to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, which many women who are self-conscious about their body images while in pursuit of the ideal body images exhibited by the Barbie dolls. Anorexia is a disease, which is caused by food restriction due to the excessive compulsive view of one’s body image. Young girls who are exposed to views of possessing an ideal body as exhibited by Barbie dolls usually develop anorexia due to their distortion of their self-images and psychological development. The aspirations of these young girls are to become women like the Barbie dolls as they have a view that the Barbie doll represents what they considers as a successful women with the perfect body. Anorexia usually sets in puberty because teens are usually self-conscious about their self-images. They mainly think about what their peers think of them. Hence, it becomes more of a necessity for these teens to achieve the perceived perfect body. This is a clear illustration of the total disregard for oneself as public opinion becomes more important to the girls to gains acceptance from their peers and more so from boys.

It is evident that exposure of young girls and boys alike to these dolls has devastating psychological effects on the development of these individuals because they grow up with the view of an ideal body as one depicted by having ample makeup, fashionable and expensive attire and the ultimate thin body. In society, the Barbie doll effect can be seen from all events carried out by people. In advertising there is great emphasis on women who are ultra thin by the clothes sold, modeling agencies, which insist on women who are extra thin in comparison to the average woman. In addition, the advertising of basic products without specific reference to one advertisement is done by use of women who have adopted a thin body ideal. Hence, it has become apparent that a thin ideal is the best ideal for any woman as it ensures social success and more so achievement of personal dreams in either careers or relationships.

The Barbie doll is depicted as an older woman with a lean body. Hence the young girls long for a body in future or when they grow up which is identical to the body by Barbie doll. They do not want to achieve the lean or thin body immediately but look forward to having such bodies in their future (Verplanken, & Tangelder, 44). This has been cultivated more by the media who insist on women with ideals, which are identical to those exhibited by Barbie. Fashion has taken the Barbie approach as most of the women in the modeling and fashion industry if not all, lay emphasis to ideals such as expensive and fashionable attire, lean body, beauty products.

In addition, it has also led to materialism, because Barbie exists in a world, which is full of all material possessions, a big house, nice car, expensive clothes and a macho man to take care of her. She has the ability to attain all that she needs through her lean body and her astounding beauty. The Barbie doll can be described as sexist as it seems to castigate the body shape and size of the average woman. In addition to has also led to erosion of moral values as people go any lengths to attain the perfect body shape and size. The physical looks possessed by Barbie have helped attain the materialistic lifestyle which any woman or girl would long for in life. The Barbie doll is overly sexualized, because in German the word Barbie refers to stunningly beautiful woman without morals who will go to any lengths to attain what she needs or wants. The diminutive reference given in the German meaning is a clear indication of the feminine chauvinism. Women have taken the Barbie approach in the modern world in pursuit of the ever-elusive ‘perfect beauty’ exhibited by Barbie (Dittmar, Emma, & Ive, 28). Plastic surgery, botox treatments for women to look young, breast and hip enlargement to attain the figures exhibited by Barbie has become a common feature in our modern society.

In conclusion is difficult to measure the negative effects of using Barbie dolls as different children respond differently when they have outgrown their playing with dolls. Some get negative views of the dolls and others want to emulate the doll as they find her successful in her achievement of both social status, good relationship with the male doll and more so material possessions. However the psychological effects are however present from inculcation of the belief that for success in life one must possess the attributes exhibited by Barbie, exceptional beauty and a thin body. The boys have also been affected as they have a view of the perfect woman as identical to Barbie with astonishing beauty and a lean body. This has eroded the need for good morals when looking for any partner by the boys (Abramson, 37).

 

Work cited

Abramson, Ellie. “Barbie Brains: The Effects of Barbie Dolls on Girls Perception of Male and Female Jobs”. Oregon State University. 2009. Print.

Anschutz, Doeschka J, & Rutger C. M. E. Engels. “The Effects of Playing with Thin Dolls on Body Image and Food Intake in Young Girls.” Sex Roles. 63 (2010): 9-10. Print.

Daniel, Thomas C. “The Disempowering Empowerment of Children’s Consumer “choice”: Cultural Discourses of the Child Consumer in North America.” Society and Business Review. 2.1 (2007): 37-52. Print.

Dittmar, Helga, Emma Halliwell, & Suzanne Ive. “Does Barbie Make Girls Want to Be Thin? The Effect of Experimental Exposure to Images of Dolls on the Body Image of 5 to 8-Year-Old Girls.” Developmental Psychology. 42. (2).2006: 283-292. Print.

Verplanken, Bas, & Yonne Tangelder. “No Body Is Perfect: the Significance of Habitual Negative Thinking About Appearance for Body Dissatisfaction, Eating Disorder Propensity, Self-Esteem and Snacking.” Psychology & Health. 26. (6) 2011: 685-701. Print.