Identify the defining features of Realist perspective and assess their Essay

Identify the defining features of Realist perspective and assess their relevance to the analysis of contemporary world politics - Essay Example This easy explores the defining features of realist perspective such as state actors, egoism, anarchy, power, security, and morality with the aim of presenting an assessment of their relevance to the analysis of contemporary world politics. In their analysis of international politics, realists assert the central role played by the state in dictating international relations as opposed to other theories of international relations like liberalism that accepts international institutions as being part of the actors day (Kegley, 2013). Realists saw the state as triumphant over other forms of political authority like feudal principalities, city-states, and empires such as the Soviet Union. According to the views of realists such as Hobbes, the state enjoys a distinctive monopoly of legitimate violence given that in the global arena, all the people regardless of nationality, language, culture, ethnic background or religion have accepted or have a state that force them to resolve their confli cts. Such a people also look for the state to protect their interests against aggressions from other states and international actors (Kolodziej, 2005). The assertion of the state as the main player in international relations means that actors in the international politics will put the importance of state interest the centre of any interactions with other players in the global area. Realist conception of the state as the central actor in international relations through its exercise of power in certain ways has far-reaching significances on the relationship between states and other actors on the international arena (Kaarbo & Ray, 2011). Such assumptions are essential in the contemporary world politics where such bodies as multinational corporations have no legal or political right to act as independent or autonomous actors in the international economy since they are only part of state power or instrument of foreign policy. Multinational corporations are not in themselves, substantial economic and political force, in their exercise of power and influence, they are only an extension and reflection of the power and might of specific states under which they act (Steans, Pettiford, & El-Anis, 2013). The main concern for realist is the state of anarchy, which stands for a situation where there is no international government to intercede on interstate conflicts. Realist believes that the main concern in international relations is the condition of anarchy, which is based on their view that the world lacks a central sovereign power to regulate relations between states. The absence of international body with the authority to create and enforce regulatory measures on interstate relationships, realists argue, means the states as main players put in place their own scheme for survival and are free to define their own interests and pursuit of power day (Kegley, 2013). Anarchy in the international politics therefore, leads to a circumstance where power has the superseding role of dictating interstate relations (Steans, Pettiford, Diez & El-Anis, 2013). Realists point out the failure of international institutions like the Permanent Court of International Justice and the League of Nation is because such international organizations exert minimal pressure on behaviour of states. This realist assumption is clear in the way contemporary states peruse their interests by choosing to overlook international

Egyptian Mummies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Egyptian Mummies - Essay Example The demand for this product led to the need to for an alternative. This led to the use of the Egyptian mummies, which also had a black appearance. This appearance created a belief that they had â€Å"similar properties to munia.†2 This led to the use of these Egyptians historical materials during the mediaeval and the following times as a medicine ingredient. Since, mummy has been used to refer to these bodies. Even though the mummies were initially used for medicinal purposes, the Egyptian used them because they had a belief that one lives after death. Mummies were the results of the mummification process. This is a process by which Egyptians preserved their bodies in preparation for afterlife. The process began by the priest removing the brain through a process of embalming through the nose. This was by the use of a hook. The brain was seen as insignificant and, therefore, it was disposed. Next, an incision was developed inside a corpse to remove other internal organs. Significant organs were cleaned and treated with the use of palm water, myrrh and frankincense. These organs include the liver, intestines, stomach and lungs. It is the heart in which they believed that spirit that they referred to as â€Å"ka† lived. This made them to leave thus organ in the body. These significant organs and the body were loaded in Natron to draw moisture and prevent bacteria. The drying process was made possible by the hot climate. The natron was removed at the end of 40 days and the body covered with ointments to prevent the smell. The c avity was filled with linen to maintain its shape and then covered with strips of linen. This then resulted into a mummy. Mummifying the body was significant in ensuring that a person’s wandering spirit, which was referred to as â€Å"Ba†, would determine its respective body when it returns. To them Ba could be referred to as a person’s personality. Conversely,

Meaning And Definition Of Business Process Reengineering Information Technology Essay

Meaning And Definition Of Business Process Reengineering Information Technology Essay The main of preparing and presenting this report is to understand about the concept what business process engineering is, and how it benefited the companies in reduction on process time and costs. Another objective is to evaluate how business process reengineering enhances the capabilities and working capacities of companies. This Research will also involve the Research of those factors that companies use to develop business process reengineering a more profitable one. Meaning and definition of Business Process Reengineering-BPR: In business processes reengineering all the outdated processes of the business are redesigned along with the connected systems and entitys structures with an aim to reach at a remarkable performance level along with business improvements. The corporate basis for creating these changes possibly will comprise deprived performance in terms of competition, financial aspects and reduction of market share of emerging market opportunities. Business process reengineering just not mean to introduction of new technology, automation, reorganization, and downsizing of business process etc but also involve change assessment various business components such as culture, entity, technology, processes and strategies. According to M. Hammer (2003) in his book reengineering corporation defines BPR as: Fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to bring about dramatic improvements in performance. Whereas, according to Davenport and short (1990), business process reengineering is Analysis and design of workflows and processes within and between entities And according to Teng et al. (1994), business process reengineering is: Critical analysis and radical redesign of existing business processes to achieve breakthrough improvements in performance measures. M. Hammer (2003), spotlight is on radical and fundamental of business process reengineering. Similarly according to him another process improvement technique is Continuous process Improvement (CPI), that mainly gives importance to measurable and small type of modifications in an entitys existing systems and processes. Continuous process improvement includes its foundations in following six sigma and total quality management (TQM) solutions similar to those of Motorola Inc. VARIOUS MYTHS OF BPR: The most accepted management theory has produced supplementary myths than realistic tactics of business process reengineering. Business process reengineering-BPR is in the industry from 1990s, but still BPR is generally get the wrong idea and always associated with ABC, quality, client/server computing, downsizing, and numerous other management change processes in the past decades. On the basis of having conversations through interviews with higher than 20 companies, and 35 reengineering initiatives, etc Davenport Studded (1990) identify seven reengineering myths: Reengineering novelty myth: in spite of having familiar concept reengineering, but is now merged with the latest concepts and brings a synthesis in business. However these combinations of components were not seen ever before. Clean slate myth: Clean slate change is hardly ever found in reality, despite of Davenport and Stoddards (1994) black sheet of paper and M. hammers (1990) catchphrase Dont automate, obliterate!. These phrases were used in design more often than not needs a blank check for execution is completed over some phased projects. Furthermore, it is assisted by groundwork conclusions of Jarvenpaa and Stoddard (1995) that gone opposing to Michael Hammer (1990). According to Michael Hammer reengineering be capable of bringing radical besides, a innovative process of change that may not be viable under specified cost and risks of those innovative processes Information systems Leadership myth: with contrary to greatly hyped leadership role, Information system is usually seen as a co-worker inside a cross-functional group i.e. commonly leaded by a non information system plan leader and a non information system business supporter that got good command over various processes which are to be redesigned. Top-Down Design myth: project implementation and putting it to start the newly redesigned processes extremely depend on working partners. Therefore, involvement of members and further critically approval and possession, the lowland roots stage is crucial for thriving business process reengineering-BPR. Reengineering VS transformation: According to Adams (1984), Entitys transformation system or process is defined as, Profound, fundamental changes in thought and action, which create an irreversible discontinuity in experience of a system whereas, business process reengineering is a process of contributing to entitys transformation system. But any how BPR not means the same as transformation. Engineerings Permanence myth: according to the researchers Davenport and Stoddard (1994), they hypothesize that reengineering has gone high in United States during1994 and may possibly turn into integrated process with greatly broader entitys experience such as another combination of thoughts that comprise awareness of reengineering. Relationship between companies and its customers and importance of business process engineering: The relationship between a company and its customers is not limited to just the buying and selling of a product or service. It has gained new dimensions and expanded from the buying and selling of products and services to a whole range of business practices form customer service, consulting and pricing to production and distribution. Customers have become increasingly selective due to the availability of a wide range of products and services. These changes in the market place have forced companies to rethink about their business processes. Business process reengineering (BPR) makes companies more customers focused and responsive to changes in the market place. These results are achieved by reshaping the corporate structure around the business processes. Business process reengineering (BPR) achieves this transformation, not by automation of the business processes, but by rethinking the companys tasks in a holistic and process oriented manner. Figure: Business as a system Money People Facilities Material Information Information Workflow Output Input Raw materials, Operations, Finished goods, Components, Processes Services Source: Vinod Kumar Garg and N.K Venkitakrishnan, (2002), Enterprise resource planning: concepts and practice, prentice hall, p.28 Business process reengineering and information technology: The increasing use of information technology in businesses has compelled organizations to go for business process reengineering because the implementation of information technology necessitates significant changes in business processes. These changes allow organizations to take full advantage of the benefits offered by information technology. The relationship between business process reengineering (BPR) and information technology cannot be underestimated. For instance, Wal-Mart would not have been able to reengineer its processes for procurement and distribution of its mass-market retail goods without information technology. Michael Hammer (1990), think information technology as main support to business process reengineering-BPR that he thinks as radical change. According to Hammer (1990) the use of Information technology to face hypothesis inborn in project processes which have been present ever since earlier than arrival of present supercomputers and telecommunications technology. Michael hammer also criticize that at the central processing unit of reengineering is idea of Discontinuous thinking or recognizing and breaking away from outdated rules and fundamental assumptions underlying operationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ se rules of work design are based on assumptions about technology, people, and entitys goals that no longer hold, Michael Hammer (1990) Michael Hammer (1990) recommended the following reengineering principles. They are: Organization may not be around tasks but it should be around outcomes Those should involve in implementation process who actually rely on the perform output of the process Consider processing of information task addicted to actual tasks which responsible for information production Take care of geographically detached resources as despite the fact that they will be centralized as they are Connect the activities that are parallel rather than integrating their outcomes Keep judgment point at actual place of work, and create control up on the process; and Gather and collect information once and at the starting place. BPR Implementation methodology: The various stages that a typical BPR implementation program goes through are: Identify the needs for the BPR package: The first stage involves the identification of the needs to be satisfied by adopting the BPR package. Once these needs are identified, organizations can evaluate how ERP implementation can help satisfy these needs. Transforming the labor and machinery based productivity into knowledge and information based productivity can be the examples of the needs that a BPR can satisfy. Evaluating the as-is situation of the business: The next stage involves the identification of various processes involved in the working of the organization. Then, the detailed processes in business activities should be listed. Process mapping can be helpful in detailing the processes. It provides information about the time taken to complete a process, the number of decision points, the number of reporting points and flow of information, etc. Decisions about the desired would-Be situations for the business: once the structure of the current processes is identified, the next stage involves the identification of the desired attributes for each of the processes. Performance standards are set for each process by using benchmarking techniques. Benchmarking ensures that the desired organizational attributes are comparable with the best business practices in the industry. Reengineering of business processes to achieve the desired results: in order to achieve these desired standards in business processes, organizations need to reengineer their current processes. The objectives of business process reengineering including reducing the process cycle time, reducing the number of decision points, optimizing the information flow between different functions and departments, etc. CASE STUDY: A Study on business process reengineering by Prosci The following are the details of a study conducted by Prosci on BPR: The areas of chosen for conducting the research? What should be reengineered, what is going to be reengineered and why? Which alternative advancements/approaches are working? Vital do and dont activities Choosing a best team from alternatives Necessities required for approval of a project PARTICIPANTS OF RESEARCH What processes are targets for Reengineering? Client service was the major commonly reengineered process during the 1997 and 1999, except by fewer of a percentage. Services related to computers and telecommunication almost two times in rate, stirring it from 5th to 2nd mainly embattled business taken for processes reengineering. Are business process reengineering-BPR projects successful? Research members confirm to a large extent in general projected improvements as of their business process reengineering-BPR projects in 1997 or 1999 and now in 2002. More than 50% i.e. (54%) of members likely improvements of over 30% achieved. Furthermore to the anticipated greater improvements, Research members also got success in their projects after implementation of BPR. With reference to the study, 113 Research members are accomplished to compare project in opposition to preliminary set objectives. More than 73% meet up or go beyond their goals, among them almost i.e. 47% approximately of Research members got their project inside 10 percent. Why are certain teams successful? According to the Members of research there were various factors that are responsible for success of their team. Among those the above 3 factors are given below: Dedication and strong commitment towards completion of the project with 100% success Maximum support from top level management and conversion of support into actions Everyone shared a common and clear vision towards the goals and objectives. The team got a single understanding and focus point for success of the project. What did Top management do to encourage project success? Showing outcomes from report of the year 1999, those teams got heavy success which was highly supported by top management. The projects were greatly possible to end with the over and above the organizations success expectations. The failure companies senior managers failed to give sufficient visible involvement in their organizational reengineering project. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ not staying involved enough after the initial phase, assuming that everyone in the entity understood their vision and strategy. An irresistible greater part of the teams had support to their teams from the senior and sponsor managers or executives in the project implementation and the majority rated that the involvement of their seniors use as excellent. What were the problems faced while implementing BPR? Poorly defined business process Rushed deadlines Many complex tasks Only one major milestone Silence from the upper management The wrong team members Unmotivated teams Communication breakdown BUSINESS PROCESS REENGINEERING AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: To gain competitive advantage, organizations should understand the scope of a particular market and identify the various inherent differences between various markets. They need to understand what is required to become qualifiers and order-winners. Qualifiers are the most basic attributes that an organization must possess before any customers will decide to deal with them. For instance, ISO standards have become on e of the key qualifiers for any organization with global markets. Qualifiers provide the initial impetus to customers to deal with an organization but, in order to close a deal, organizations must have order-winners. The order-winners could be price advantage, quality, etc. BPR enables the organizations to optimize and organize different qualifiers and order-winners by redesigning the complete processes so as to gain competitive advantage in the market. Some of the order-winners and qualifiers, which apply to most companies, are discussed below: Price: As price is one of the key order-winners in most markets, the BPR package can help identify the cost centers and assist in redesigning processes to reduce production costs. Setting up tough cost targets and putting in place a rigorous monitoring system can help a company become cost-efficient. Therefore, BPR implementation should focus on the areas in which significant costs are involved so that appropriate resource allocations can be made and management attention can be focused on them. When a company uses price reduction as an order-winner, it should also change its corporate strategy accordingly. It needs to assess changes in lead-times, investment implications and cost-reduction potential in several areas. Without assessing these factors, the changes in the strategy will be inappropriate. Delivery reliability and speed: Delivery reliability has also become one of the criteria on which customers judge an organizations competitiveness. BPR can make more efficient the procurement and distribution activities and reduce the process lead time involved in purchasing the raw materials and distribution of finished products. BPR helps to reduce the time in coordinating activities among all the entities of the supply chain through the smooth flow of information between them. With the help of BPR, the lead time required to process an order is reduced significantly. The need to provide information to customers and suppliers has forced BPR vendors to implement their applications with e-commerce also. Quality: The concept of quality no longer denotes just a state of being free from defects. Today, quality encapsulates many dimensions like performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability and aesthetics. BPR by its redesigning capabilities can bridge the gap between the existing process and the implementation of the best process can help an organization achieve its quality objectives. Product range: In todays competitive world, organizations need to provide products in different shapes and sizes that satisfy the requirements of the different segments of the markets. They need a variety of products in their product line. But as the product range increase, the cost and time of production increases due to the modification of production process to accommodate the changes required for each product range. BPR, through reducing the process defects and be making the old labor and machinery system to knowledge and information systems, help in integrating the functionalities and a common database, enhances the capabilities that assists organizations in this direction. KEY GUIDE LINES TO BE FOLLOWED: Important guidelines that an organization must follow in Business Process Reengineering to make it more efficient and profitable: Business process reengineering is different from other IT systems/models in that its implementation is not restricted to a single functional domain. In order to take full advantage of the profitable benefits of the BPR package, organizations may/need to follow the guidelines given below: Define corporate needs and culture: In order to implement a BPR system successfully, a complete overhaul of the business organization is needed. Organizations should assess their readiness for change and the possibility of the implementing change in the organization. The level of difficulty in bringing about change depends on the amount of change involved. Project leaders should assess the level of difficulty they are likely to face. The top management should provide complete support for the implementation of the BPR package. Implementing a BPR package may also involves the redefinition of the roles of different functional departments, and the authority and responsibility of individuals throughout the organization. Complete business process change: The organization should be aware of the required changes in business process and skills and attitudes for BPR implementation. It may have the willingness to adopt changes but may not be able to assess the implications of the changes. Therefore, the organization should undergo a brief business process redesigns exercise before the actual implementation. The redesigning exercise should be carried out on the basis of the structure of the BPR package, so that there is no mismatch between the required functionalities and the functionalities provided by the BPR package. Communicate across the organization: Communication allows different entities involved or affected by BPR implementation to be aware of its effects on their jobs. Proper communication optimizes the implementation process, as the employees are aware of what is required of them. Besides, feedback provides the management with information needed to allay the concerns of the employees. Communication should not overstate or understate the functionalities of the new system. Overstating the functionalities would raise employees expectations unrealistically, while understating them may leave employees unprepared for the changes required for BPR implementation. Provide strong leadership: Strong leadership is an important success factor in implementing a BPR package. The difference between and informal support and active leadership can be the difference between the success and the failure. Therefore, the members of the steering committee members should be able to understand the business redesign and integration. Though these may be complicated processes, the right modeling tools can help them make simpler to follow. The steering team should be trained in process mapping and reengineering methodology and it should be fully involved in the process redesign so that it can guide the team members (implementation team) properly. Select a balanced team: The size and complexity of BPR implementation and maintenance necessitates a balanced team of professionals. In general, the BPR implementation team consists of personnel from IT, finance, marketing, sales and production. Most companies hire external BPR consultants who provide information about the operational aspects of the new BPR system and assist the internal team. Select a good method of implementation: As the implementation of a BPR package involves the participation of all the departments, a proper sequence of steps should be identified to define the implementation process. Project leader should set the milestones to be achieved in the various phases of the implementation and review progress continuously against the milestones. They should define clearly the scope of the project and develop the work breakdown structure (WBS), and estimate the time required to complete each activity identified in the WBS. This will help them reach a realistic project plan. They need to ensure that there is no compromise with the quality of the new process/system. Organization-wide training: BPR is a complex and organization wide system that requires some amount of training so that full advantage of the capabilities of the new process can be taken. The steering team should be trained in process analysis and redesign. The staff in the information technology department should be made aware of the package architecture, design and configuration. Functional managers should learn how the new process performs and how it can be useful in the decision-making process. The training varies across the different levels, and is based on the requirements of the persons using the new system or process. CONCLUSIONS: The term Business process reengineering-BPR, has an imperfect records in the past. But became popular in 1990s beginning, conversely, tactics and advancements was not completely be aware or nor valued. A lot of time, upgrading projects tagged with the name Business Process Reengineering-BPR be inadequately designed and implemented. Organizations and their employees get embarrassed at consideration of an additional Business process reengineering-BPR familiarity. The concept BPR is less utilized, and modified lot of times from the actual business process reengineering-BPR that was earlier exists. An organization operating in a competitive environment needs to have competitive advantage over others to attract and retain business. This can happen when different organizational functions develop strategies that complement the corporate strategy. An organizations competitive advantage can be defined by service quality, responsiveness and ability to satisfy customers needs and wants. In spite of this mistreatment of put into practice and imperfect name, applications of business process redesigning, connected technology and entitys structure is further accepted these days than past. Organizations go on with to reconsider and basically transform system they conduct operations. Cutthroat competitive force and a slow-moving market offer efficient techniques for entities motivated to work as efficiently and professionally as feasible.

Steroids in Sports Essay -- Athletics Steroid Performance Enhancing Dr

Professional sports are very special in the United States. One reason for this is the spirit of competition. However, steroid use taints this competition. If steroids were to be completely eliminated from sports, the competition would be much more special because athletes would compete with their hearts and will, without an extra boost. Also, since not everybody can be a professional athlete, the elimination of steroid use, in my opinion, would make the fans appreciate the game more and make them feel more relatable. Hopefully someday, fans will be able to watch their favorite sports in such a fashion. Steroid use by professional athletes is bad because doing so can damage an image of an athlete (if the offense is made public), create hazardous health issues for an athlete, and hurt the crediblity of sports. Why Take Steroids? â€Å"Athletes and others abuse anabolic steroids to enhance performance and also to improve physical appearance† (NIDA). The level of speed and intensity of sports at the professional level is extremely high. Therefore, many athletes choose to take steroids in order to improve their body and skills, and to try and match that intensity. Baseball players may choose to take steroids in order to hit the ball harder, which would attribute to more homeruns. Football players may take steroids in order to increase their muscle mass which would in turn improve their blocking and tackling skills, and to also improve their speed. Steroid use by professional athletes constitutes cheating. I believe that athletes should be athletes for one reason, their God-given talent, and not with the help of steroids. The population of professional athletes in the United States is very small, and I find it a shame that many ... ...et back to working hard using the energy and will that they naturally possess, and the credibility of the athletes and their sports would be revived. An issue with this idea is that some athletes have been known to unknowingly take steroids that were banned from their respective sport (i.e. Rafael Palmiero). However, if an athlete were to be put in that position, it would need to be proven that he/she in fact unknowingly took illegal steroids. Otherwise, that athlete should follow the same penalty as those who knowingly and blatantly take steroids. Works Cited ESPN.com news services. "'96 MVP admitted steroid use, fought drug problem." ESPN . 4 May 2006 from . National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Steroids (Anabolic)" NIDA. 15 Apr. 2006 from

Neurological-Based Behavior Essay

For my reflection paper, I chose to give my opinion on the NBB’s, short for â€Å"Neurological-Based Atypical Behaviors†. NBB is defined as a collection of deeds or the behavior of children that happen outside the usual boundaries of self control. According to Dr. Paula Cook, specialist in teaching students with NBB, about 10 percent of students cannot control what they say or do reliably. They are found in almost all schools but they do not all have the same disorder or disease. There are a number of different disorders all under the same title: NBB. In my reflection I will briefly explain the most common NBB diagnoses along with their symptoms and how they should be dealt with in class. While I was reading this chapter, I came across different scenarios where the students would misbehave but I could not tell why. As I continued to read I noticed that if I did not have the correct training I could not explain how to deal with these children or even recognize that their behavior pointed to a type of NBB. There are 3 indicators that can help identify if a student has NBB and those are: behavior, language and academic difficulties; in decreasing order of importance. Behavior difficulties are compulsive, atypical and inconsistent behavior. Language difficulty is when the student has trouble understanding and expressing learnt information verbally. Last of all is the academic difficulty where the student has difficulty in motor comprehension and mathematical skills as well as the learning memory gap. There are 8 common disorders and most can be diagnosed in the classroom. I will briefly mention each one with its given symptoms. First and most common disorder is SID or Sensory Integration Dysfunction. Students with this disorder have trouble taking in information through their senses. This is the major reason for: hyperactivity, inattention, movement in class, learning and behavioral difficulties, etc.. The way to deal with this disorder in class is to keep the class tidy and clean as well as remove loud noises and bright lights. Also you can lessen the colors and distracting objects found in the classroom. ADHD is our second disorder in this list. It is commonly misdiagnosed as Bipolar disorder or OCD because the symptoms are very similar. These symptoms include: Short attention span, weak impulse control, hyperactivity. This disorder is found in males more than in females and the cause is neuro-developmental. There are many ways a teacher can deal with ADHD students. These children tend to find difficulty in being organized and they are extremely fidgety. Some ways to deal with the disorganization is to prepare a checklist for all students to use. They can tick off all their objectives when they’ve completed them thus staying organized and making it a habit. The next disorder is ODD or Oppositional Defiant Disorder where the child is extremely uncooperative and hostile. He/she will tend to throw tantrums when asked to do something they do not wish to do. This type of disorder is easy to deal with. Recognition and earshot or indirect praise will help boost the self esteem of a child and condition them to behave well. As mentioned before, bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed as ADHD or depression or even OCD since the symptoms of these disorders are very similar but with minor variations that lead to major difference in diagnosis. Getting to know â€Å"Student X† on a personal basis is the biggest step toward helping this child fit in to the class and dealing with this disorder as simply as possible. Getting to know the child forms a certain bond of trust allowing the teacher to control the mood swing and abrupt behavior as much as possible. Learning disabilities (LD) are a wide range of disorders that affect the learning process of a student. The most widespread of all LDs is dyslexia which is where the student has difficulty processing language. Other examples of LD are dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and dysgraphia. These students are usually visual learners meaning they are better taught when using objects and graphic diagrams etc†¦ The last 2 disorders I will be discussing are ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) and FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder). The first refers to the disorder where children show delay in communication and socialization skills, impaired social development, and repetitive behavior. One of the most famous autistic adults is Dr. Temple Grandin. He has been on television on shows such as the Today Show and Larry King Live as well as The New York Times and Forbes magazines. Children with autism no matter what the severity respond well to decrease in sensory load. FASD is a disorder that can very simply be avoided. Cause: Alcohol consumption or smoking during pregnancy. Solution: No alcohol or smoking during pregnancy. Symptoms are widely ranged and each person behaves differently. Two people diagnosed with the same disorder may react in two very different ways depending on their personality. After having discussed all the above, I have been asked to give my input on the matter. Of everything stated in this presentation I had a vague idea of almost all the common disorders related to NBB but now I have learned how to recognize them while in a classroom as well as earned how to deal with students in such cases. The thing that caught my attention most was how to deal with such students while teaching an inclusive class. Methods may vary but the most important of all methods is the sensory balance and the â€Å"talk less† routine. I, myself, have encountered students with mild ADHD and moderate to extreme OCD both of which are common disorders that tend to hinder leaning experience. Both of these students were my friends. Student 1(ADHD) could not focus on an exam if a typo was found. In addition to his mild color blindness which amplified his ADHD because it would distract him from the main purpose of a question. Student 2: (OCD) This person had a severe case of OCD. He was admitted into therapy and started on anti-anxiety pills because of this disorder. He has the tendency to fidget and cannot stay in one place for too long which can explain on its own how it can stand in the way of his learning experience. In my opinion, teachers should be trained in recognizing and dealing with these students and their atypical behavior in ways that will least disturb the process of learning. Also, students diagnosed later on with SEVERE cases of NBB should be separated from the class and given the just attention needed. In other cases, the right amount of training could help a teacher successfully lead an inclusive class, or a shadow teacher could be assigned to students who need it.

Three Gorges Dam: Its Background and Relevance

This report examines the Three Gorge dam project and its impacts on the environment, the people it will effect and measures that can be taken as an alternative to the dam. I will discuss the Chinese government's reasoning for constructing the dam and the negative aspects of such a construction. Then I will explain the more environmentally friendly and logical alternatives. The concept of the Three Gorge dam is over 75 years old, dating back to when it was first proposed by the nationalist leader Sun Yat-Sen, in 1919. The dam was a dream of communist leader Mao Zedong, who felt it would be a potent symbol of China's self-sufficiency and ability to develop without western aid. The state media has reported only the rosy side of the Three Gorges project, presenting it as a powerful symbol of a new, prosperous China. Outgoing Premier Li Peng said the Three Gorges Dam would †demonstrate to the world that the Chinese people have the ability to build the biggest and most beneficial irrigation and hydro-electric project in the world†. The Three Gorges refers to a 120-mile stretch of limestone cliffs along the upper reaches of the Yangzi River where the water drops precipitously through the Qutang, Wu, and Xiling gorges. The region is linked to folklore and important historical events, and its beauty has inspired Chinese painters and classical poets such as Li Bai for centuries. The dam, which will be 1. 3 miles long and 610 feet high, is expected to be completed by 2009. It will create a 385 mile-long reservoir stretching back up the river that will totally engulf the Three Gorges, as well as 115,000 acres of rich farmland, thirteen cities, hundreds of villages, and countless historic temples and archaeological sites. Between 1. 4 and 1. 9 million people will need to be resettled. The proponents of the dam claim that the introduction of such a large amount of clean hydroelectric power into China's rapidly expanding economy will mean a significant reduction in the emission of fossil fuel pollution. First, it will generate 18000 megawatts of electricity, which would reduce the country's reliance on coal by one tenth. Hence reducing China's overall greenhouse gases. Second, it will prevent the periodical flooding of the Yangzi, which has already claimed the lives of half a million this century alone. The dam is expected to cut incidents of serious flood from once in 10 years to once in 100 years. At present 15 million lives are at stake as the river rises higher above the surrounding land because of sediment deposits on the riverbed, while dikes can no longer be raised safely. Third, it will make the upper part of the Yangzi more navigable, â€Å"raising the river's navigable tonnage by a big margin†. Improved navigability would allow ocean-going freighters to penetrate the depths of China's remote Southwest, bringing much needed economic development and prosperity to the region. The project is also expected to develop reservoir fisheries, stimulate tourism in and around the reservoir, improve water quality downstream, protect the lake areas downstream, and enable south-to-north water transfer sometime in the next century. 4. 0 Dilemmas surrounding dam construction There are many problems entangled with the construction of such a dam, two of which stand out. First, the fact that so many civilians have to be moved against their will. 13 cities, 140 towns, more than 1600 villages, and 300 factories will be submerged, and nearly 1. 5 million people relocated. Second, the effects that the rise in level of river will have on the environment. This includes the destruction of habitats for at least four indigenous species in the area. According to official figures, 10. 2 million people have been relocated for the construction of dams in the past in China. In each case, there have been economic or political problems that has often led to intimidation and sometimes violence to force the people to resettle. This is due to people's reluctance to leave their homes, which can be attributed to poor planning on the government's part. The number of people to be resettled in the Three Gorges dam project has been estimated to range between 700,000 to 1. 98 million. Such variation in figures is due to the fact that it depends on whether the information was gathered by the dam's supporters or critics. There has been a large amount of local opposition to the dam. Their opposition is mainly based on the poor record of China's Ministry of Water Resources, which includes the collapse of 62 dams in the past due to poor design. However, since the Chinese government never acknowledged such disasters in the past, it could not be brought up in hearings on the Three Gorge project. People in the effected area who have in the past organised against the dam were arrested and sentenced to prison for â€Å"counter-revolution† and the police presence in the area has since been increased. The local officials are not quite helping ease the situation. The distribution of compensation money by local authorities (US$1300 per person) offered to people displaced by the dam has been tainted by corruption. 105 local party officials involved in the project have been arrested already. Almost half of the project's resettlers are farmers. But since there is an inadequate amount of farmland left to be shared, the officials have planned for moving the resettlers into industrial jobs. This is quite an impossible task considering that the farmers have been farming in their area for generations and have absolutely no expertise in industrial work. It is a great concern that the construction of the dam will result in the destruction of the natural habitats of many of China's indigenous wildlife species. This includes the Chinese alligator, the white crane, the river dolphin and the prehistoric Chinese sturgeon, a fish unique to Yangzi waters. Experts warn that, by forever changing the hydrology of the river for thousands of miles, the dam will destroy commercial fish stocks and deprive the complex floodplain agricultural systems of the water and silt they need. Hence threatening the livelihoods of 75 million people who live on fishing or farming along the Yangzi's bank. Even if the 75 million people find another source to live on, there is yet another problem to be solved; toxic pollution. The factories along the Yangzi river are so polluting that over 200 paper mills and tanneries have already been closed down around the Three Gorges dam site to boost environmental protection. The contamination of the river by the toxic chemicals may increase due to the 1600 factories in the area that are not cleaned up and moved before the waters begin to rise. China is the world's second leading producer of greenhouse gases. If China's current growth rates continue, it will need to develop an additional 17,000 megawatts of energy per year for the next decade. And if coal is used to generate this energy, the environmental impacts could be disastrous. Whether or not the dam is constructed, hydropower will only account for no more than 20% of China's electricity generated by year 2010. This shows that coal will be used even more widely than it is now, to meet energy needs. Hence the dam will not have much impact on helping meet energy needs. China needs to find a cleaner, more efficient way of creating power. The Three Gorge reservoir is currently designed to hold 20 billion cubic meters at the flood level. But this capacity is only equivalent to 4% of the total run off water in the region. â€Å"It is obvious from common sense that this capacity could not hold back flood waters enough to reduce significantly the flood risk at the lower reaches. † Another problem is the fact that the Yangzi carries a large amount of silt. This silt can be carried all the way to the dam and a big ‘mud pond' could result. There is no such technology available to divert or collect the silt at the dam. From an ecological point of view, the dam will be clogged by the large silt deposits, in the Yangzi, and will also trap much of the pollutants that normally would be washed out to the ocean. Along the Yangzi, about 80 percent of the cities do not have sewage systems, and it is cheaper to dump the waste in the river instead of a sewage treatment plant. Burial grounds in both Wushan and Fengjie counties, Sichuan are known to have been dynamited to make way for scientific excavations in advance of the dam project. One thousand tombs dating between the Han and Ming periods (206 BC to AD 1644) were also blasted away. The problem lies with lack of funding. The initial budget (US$250 million) for excavation and preservation was reduced to US$37. 5 million. Only a small amount of this sum has been distributed to local authorities because government officials have been unable to decide which agency should administer the funds. The Three Gorges dam will be the most expensive single construction project in history. The Chinese leaders are so determined to build the dam, that they haven't considered whether it is economically viable. In 1992 the official cost of the dam was set to US$11 billion. Estimates now exceed US$75 billion. This could slow down China's recent economic boom. The dam project is heavily funded by foreign export agencies. If people in foreign countries were to stop foreign investors and government organisations which support the project, the Chinese officials would have no choice but to reconsider their plans. But since it is not in the foreign investors' best interest monetarily, they have kept supporting the Chinese government. Hydrological experts have argued that effective flood management includes dyking, flood proofing, flood warning systems, diversion areas, and development restrictions in floodplain and designated diversion areas and that dams are not always the answer. The Chinese officials' mentality is that the â€Å"biggest structure† is the best structure, but what they must realize is that it does not mean the best structure. That Chinese hydropower could be produced on a number of tributaries that flow into the Yangzi. This procedure has been proven by scientific examples that prove that separate dams will produce more power and last longer then one main dam. Sedimentation of separate dams would be less and these dams would be able to preserve China's cultural history. The greater amount of smaller dams would cause less soil erosion and more power for a much lower cost. It would be able to compete with China's booming industrial sectors and preserve the aquatic life. The construction of these smaller dams could also mean that it would lesson the amount of people to be resettled, and would save the Chinese government billions of dollars. However, the smaller dams would not allow large transportation of cargo down the river. Based on a recent study by United States and Chinese energy research institutes, which compared conventional sources with advanced generating technologies, cleaner alternatives, such as smaller gas turbines or cogeneration plants were found to be more economical for power generation than big hydro dams. Combined cycle gas turbines could provide power with lower capital costs and greater reliability than the Three Gorges dam and with far fewer emissions than conventional coal plants. Combined cycle plants are commonly fuelled with natural gas, which burns more thoroughly than solid or liquid fuels. And unlike coal, it contains no heavy metals or sulfur emissions that cause acid rain. Combined cycle plants can be installed and generating power reliably within nine months to two or three years for larger units. Three Gorges dam is scheduled to take 17 years. In addition energy specialists argue, that switching from coal to gas, and using new technology of combined cycle gas turbines or cogeneration, would create greater environmental benefits than the Three Gorges dam by a 60% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Whereas the Three Gorges dam would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by only 5%.

Free Essays on What Is Philosophy,my View

â€Å"What is Philosophy?† -My View- This semester I have learned that philosophy is many things to many people. From a means of influencing thought and behavior, to a looking glass into the soul, philosophy is a discipline of critical thinking, human interaction, and speculation. Philosophers attempt to answer age old human questions such as, â€Å"Where did we come from?† and â€Å"Where are we going?† However, a thinking mankind yearns for more than just history explained and reliable predictions of future, we want to know what makes a â€Å"good† life, what is beauty, what is justice, and how might we live our lives in a most satisfying way. And since the answers to such questions are based in perspective, one must be willing to examine the foundations of perspective in order to reach an unbiased, true answer. This is where the field of philosophy comes in to its own. Most would agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what differentiates one eye from another? Simply put, we see things as we know them to be, whether we just think we know them innately, as the young man Socrates met outside the courthouse knew piety, or we have devoted considerable thought to, such as Descartes’ â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† philosophy helps us to legitimize the knowing of all things, and by knowing all things we know the one thing we have true power over, our way of life. Our way of life always seems to come down to the decisions we make, and the decisions we make always seem to come down to our perspective. Where do we get our perspectives? Our perspectives are our philosophy, we have learned experiences that shape our outlook, and in turn how we look at and deal with life itself. The eyes we behold with can only see things we focus on, how and why we focus on things is the fod der for the ! philosopher’s cannon. This semester we have studied many different philosophers, with as many different philosophies, but one common th... Free Essays on What Is Philosophy,my View Free Essays on What Is Philosophy,my View â€Å"What is Philosophy?† -My View- This semester I have learned that philosophy is many things to many people. From a means of influencing thought and behavior, to a looking glass into the soul, philosophy is a discipline of critical thinking, human interaction, and speculation. Philosophers attempt to answer age old human questions such as, â€Å"Where did we come from?† and â€Å"Where are we going?† However, a thinking mankind yearns for more than just history explained and reliable predictions of future, we want to know what makes a â€Å"good† life, what is beauty, what is justice, and how might we live our lives in a most satisfying way. And since the answers to such questions are based in perspective, one must be willing to examine the foundations of perspective in order to reach an unbiased, true answer. This is where the field of philosophy comes in to its own. Most would agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what differentiates one eye from another? Simply put, we see things as we know them to be, whether we just think we know them innately, as the young man Socrates met outside the courthouse knew piety, or we have devoted considerable thought to, such as Descartes’ â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† philosophy helps us to legitimize the knowing of all things, and by knowing all things we know the one thing we have true power over, our way of life. Our way of life always seems to come down to the decisions we make, and the decisions we make always seem to come down to our perspective. Where do we get our perspectives? Our perspectives are our philosophy, we have learned experiences that shape our outlook, and in turn how we look at and deal with life itself. The eyes we behold with can only see things we focus on, how and why we focus on things is the fod der for the ! philosopher’s cannon. This semester we have studied many different philosophers, with as many different philosophies, but one common th...