Trading Route Implications of Widening Panama Canal

ABSRACT The Panama Canal Authority is responding to the necessity to accommodate larger ships through the canal; a 5. 2 billion dollars investment to deepening and widening the canal is in place and expected to conclude on August 2014. The new infrastructure will affect today shipping dynamics and only a few ports on the East Coast of the United States will be ready to receive the post-Panamax vessels; in this document we will discuss what the Miami (FL), Jacksonville (FL) and Freeport TX) are doing to get ready. Trade Route Implications of Widening the Panama CanalThe Panama Canal is about to celebrate its 100 years operations with a 5. 2 billion expansion that will allow a more efficient transit from the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean; the expansion includes deepening and widening the entrances & navigation channels to allow 12,000 TEUs ships to pass; plus and an additional set of locks. Global changes are expected including higher volume of goods from Asia to US and Canada; new market s opportunity for raw materials sourcing; cost-effective routes options and shorter times to mention some of them. Accenture, 2011,page 3 & 4). The US East Coast will be definitely impacted; different ports are already working on its expansions but we cannot tell by certain how, where and what type of impact will land for sure; the fact that larger ships will pass through the canal does not mean that they will stop on all ports or that the trade volume will increase and maintain. During a Seminar organized by the U. S.Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration; Rodolfo Sabonge, Vice President of Market Research and Analysis of the Panama Canal Authority explained that the principle east coast ports to be call for this larger ships are New York, New Jersey, or Norfolk. New York, New Jersey but they would have to work on the bridges issues; in the southeast ports of Charleston, Savannah and Houston where distribution centers are located; the West Coast of Flo rida is expected to be touch too to serve South Florida.All this port will face general challenges such as distributions center; connectivity infrastructure to concentrate, load and move the cargo inland; logistics where truck companies will be highly involved, equipment; railroads, inspection and security processes (Sabonge, October, 2009) In the same conference, Richard Wainio, Port director and CEO of the Tampa Port Authority mentioned that Florida, have 14 ports; four of them share the states’ trade: Tampa, Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville.The port of Tampa manages nearly 40% of the trade by tonnage in Florida and serves local markets; the Port is already planning to build and integrated a logistic center. Everglades & Miami are the largest container ports; while Jacksonville is a key and major player for the Canal Expansion. (Winio, October, 2009) The Port of Miami is already in process of expansion; and the following information is published in their website: â€Å"G overnor Rick Scott asked the Department of Transportation to allocate $77 million to the Port of Miami to deepen the channel to minus 50 feet so larger ships can gain access to the port.The Port’s Deep Dredge project is timed to coincide with the opening of an expanded Panama Canal in 2014, which will allow a new generation of larger cargo vessels to pass through the Canal† The dredge in the Port of Miami is expected to generate 30,000 new jobs and become the first port of call for post-Panamax vessels. â€Å"The deep dredge is critical to our future growth,† Port of Miami Director Bill Johnson said. â€Å"Port of Miami will be one of only three U. S. Atlantic ports to be at [minus] 50 feet when the expanded Panama Canal opens. (Dredging Today, 2012). Additionally, the construction of a tunnel to connect the Port and the I-395 is already in place to support trucks direct access and double port capacity. The US Department of Transportation granted 22. 7M to resto re and put in function the Coast Rail Yard in Hialeah which will provide direct access to the national rail system. â€Å"This is the type of infrastructure project that will pay permanent, long-term dividends, and provide a solid return on investment for Florida’s taxpayers,† said Mayor Alvarez. (Miami Port, 2012).On the other hand Freeport, Texas that has served the Gulf Coast for 100 years and its tanked 16th in the U. S for foreign tonnage; as describe in their website a well-built infrastructure for transportation via highway, railroad and intercostal will support the transit for post-Panamax vessels. (Port Freeport, 2012). The Marine Link online magazine published on September 13, 2011 that â€Å"the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and Port Freeport in Texas established a strategic alliance today with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)† that will promote and increase the trade between Asia and Gulf of Mexico of the U.S. ; the MOU has been sign ed for one year but renewable upon request. The MOU will play a key piece by allowing both parties to share information to promote market research, modernization and technological improvements in general. â€Å"This partnership was perfect for each of us because we are both interested in investing in infrastructure and growth. We each are building new facilities at a time when others are standing on the sidelines so it is only natural that we assist each other in the promotion of international trade in this hemisphere. This partnership is a win, win, for each of us. † said Pete Reixach CEO of Port Freeport† (para. 4). The Port of Jacksonville employs 23,000 people and impacts an additional 43,000 employees related to the port’s activity. The cargo activity generates 19 billion USD and as mentioned in their website its physical facilities include docks â€Å"docks and wharfs, cranes, a passenger cruise terminal, warehouses, paved open storage areas and road conne ctions to the public highway system† (Jacksonville Port Authority, 2012).On September 27, 2011 Paul Anderson, Jacksonville Port Authority CEO addressed his concerns in a communication â€Å"I have no doubt that US East Coast ports will soon be called upon to handle increased volumes but I harbor great doubt as to whether we — any of us — will be ready† (para. 2). Anderson mentions that Congress must act fast and focus on critical investment, prioritization and infrastructure for ports to continue its contribution. The TraPac Container Terminal has been affected in doubling its capacity due to the nations slow down; authorizations and processes.Also, Korean shipping company Hanjin has put in hold 200 million investments until they understand what the Government is planning to do and invest to be prepared for the post-Panamax ships. As Anderson said â€Å"these are our choices: get ready or lose† (para 10). Several considerations must be raised to und erstand the impact that the Panama Canal expansion will produce, how many deep water ports will be needed to serve post-Panamax ships? Which of those ports will be touched by the ships? How the trade patterns will change?How much are the investments require to serve the post-Panamax ships and what is the specific infrastructure require at each port and in land? How much is the Government willing to invest in infrastructure? Yes, we should accommodate to globalization; the cost and outcome are unknown yet. On the other hand; infrastructure such ports capacity, extra labor to improve productivity, facilities, equipment; technology and a good connectivity network for in land transportation and railroad are key to the success of these investments.To conclude, it looks that competition among the Florida coast ports will be hard; Tampa and Miami are getting ready and making its expansion; Jacksonville understand the needs of expansion but is raising very fair questions not only on the pro jects but to the Government capacity to respond and maintain infrastructure. Are taxpayer’s dollars’ worth the effort? I believe yes if we take quick action to the new requirements and get a clear understanding that we can afford the expansions. I believe the main question is; which port(s) in South Florida will have the final benefits? It will be interesting to find out in some years.References Accenture. (2011). A global operation game changer. The 2014 expansion of the Panama Canal. Retrieved from http://www. accenture. com/us-en/Pages/insight-2014-expansion-panama-canal. aspx Dredging Today (2012). USA: Miami Port dredging plan gets final environmental ok. Retrieved from http://www. dredgingtoday. com/2012/05/25/usa-miami-port-dredging-plan-gets-final-environmental-ok/ Jacksonville Port Authority. (2011). Anderson addresses Panama Canal expansion concerns. http://www. jaxport. com/about-jaxport/newsroom/news/anderson-addresses-panama-canal-expansion-concerns Marine Link. 2011). Panama Canal and Port Freeport (TX) sign MOU. Retrieved from http://www. marinelink. com/news/freeport-panama-canal340393. aspx Port Freeport (2012) Retrieved from http://www. portfreeport. com/about. htm Port of Miami. (2012). Deep Dredge Project. Retrieved from http://www. miamidade. gov/portofmiami/deep_dredge. asp Sabonge, R. , Wainio, R. , (2009) Proceedings from Talking Freight Seminar Series: The Panama Canal widening and implications for Gulf and Atlantic Coast ports. Retrieved from http://www. fhwa. dot. gov/planning/freight_planning/talking_freight/oct2109transcript. cfm

Sociology and Family Members

Family SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology Instructor: Sheila Farr November, 12th 2012 The sociological institutions I have chosen for this paper is family. â€Å"The family is the first group of people with whom the child has contact, and they are the most important, especially in the early years. They provide food, shelter, care, education, and support. They describe and define the world to the developing child. They teach values, morals, and beliefs. † (Vissing, 2011) A person is defined by the family and they are taught how to live a certain way, but as they grow up society start to influence their decisions.In this paper I will evaluate the impact Sociological theories: Functionalism, Conflict, and Interactionism, will have on a family. How does each theory apply to the selected sociological institution? â€Å"The family is regarded as the most basic institution for all individuals because it is directly responsible for the care and protection of its members. The family co nsists of people who are biologically related but may also contain people with whom we live and people with whom we have close emotional bonds. (Vissing, 2011) The way Functionalism applies to a family is functionalist sociologists developed an analysis which showed that the family had evolved into a superior form. Studies by Murdock, Goode, and others were able to show that the family, in changing its form, had been left free to concentrate on the most important functions. Parsons (1956) saw the two most important functions to be the socialization of the young and the stabilization of the adult personality. â€Å"The functionalist view of the family is the notion of ‘fit’.The isolated nuclear family was seen to be a good ‘fit’ for post-war American society. The family had been left free to make a good job of rearing the children, with more ‘professional’ parents working alongside teachers and childcare experts. The family was also able to con centrate on the demanding relationship between husband and wife. The family provided both the child and the adult with the physical and emotional support needed for their roles in society. It also provided the motivation to be successful in an industrial world which laid stress on achievement by individual effort.The functionalist account of the positive role of the family in society coincided with a period of strong public support for the American family. Berger and Berger (1983) argue that this was a period when the American family was seen as a success, particularly in the way it placed the needs of the individual at the heart of family life. † (Wilson, A, (1985) pg. 21) The way Conflict applies to a family is the conflict role can be intense and uncomfortable, as people feel forced to make choices between work and family.Relatives may be upset when major conflicts occurs such as â€Å"financial pressures and money management; trying to balance home, work, community, and p ersonal responsibilities; infidelity; decision making and conflict resolution; dealing with health problems; addressing personal, educational, and occupational needs of family members; maintaining a home and household; dealing with substance abuse, crime, or domestic violence problems; co-parenting; divorce and stepfamilies; and dealing with aging parents. A family shoulders a tremendous responsibility and usually requires assistance from others as a result. For some people work may come first and may be seen as a violation of the role of being a dedicated family member. Individuals may feel a sense of being â€Å"damned if I do, damned if I don't,† no matter what they end up doing. Often work comes first because responsible adults feel that they cannot care for their family if they lose their job.When people feel important at work and home, they have a greater sense of generatively; when they do not feel valued or do work that isn't inherently meaningful, the feelings of sta gnation and alienation occur. When people feel competent and happy, the systems perspective holds that they may transfer those feelings to other areas of life, whereas when people feel stagnant and hopeless, those feelings likewise impact other aspects of their personal world. The way Interactionism applies to a family, Symbolic interaction theory analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on behaviors.A close emotional bond exists with them, what they think of us really matters, especially in the early years when children are being socialized to understand both themselves and their place in the world. † (Vissing, 2011) What are the similarities? What are the differences? The similarities between the theories are how they affect a family as a whole. Functionalism impact the functionality of family when everyone doing their part and there are no problems and, Conflict affects the family relationship as a whole, and Interactionism affects how the f amily interact with one another and other people.The differences between the theories are, functionalism is about the morals and values that are taught to a family to help them thrive in society, Conflict is based on outside influence that impact the family, and interactionism focuses on the behaviors family members pick up from socializing with different groups of people. How does each theory affect the views of the individual who is part of a family? Functionalism affects the views of the as a whole family, each individual person plays a role in how the family functions in society.Conflict affects the views of the individual because that person will struggle for to be heard, they will disagree and their actions will cause stress in the family. Interactionism affects the views of individual because they are learning new things as they socialize with others. They may start to act and dress differently and do things they never done before. How does each theory affect the approach to social change within the selected institution? Functionalism, see social changes as undesirable because of the various parts of society will compensate naturally for any problems that may arise.The way they approach social change is by not taking an active role in changes in their social environment, if things are going good they like for it to stay that way. Even if the family can benefit from the changes, they don’t won’t to run the risk of causing problems for themselves or their family. The family prefers to let the changes happen naturally without interfering. Conflict, approach to social change is by putting the changes into perspective. The social conflict can have a positive impact, when properly understood, in promoting groups to find common ground, form alliances, define core values, and identify the differences.Interactionism, approach to social change in family is people can chose to embrace the morals and values they were taught or reject them. Every indiv idual has their own set of beliefs in a family and these beliefs are exercised depending on the individual. Family unit does not operate as a collective, even though it is believed to do so. Each individual in the family has different values that are attributed to age, associations, values, etc. A child could have complete different view on a particular subject than their parents.Within the Sociological institution selected, how does each theory affect the views of society? Functionalism, view society as functioning best when there is agreement about the social values and norms. â€Å"Conflict can have a positive impact on society views, when properly understood, in promoting groups to find common ground, form alliances, define core values, and identify the differences. † (Harper, N) Interactionism, society imposes a different set of values that can influence family member to do things different from the norm. To conclude, each theory has a different impact on a family.They e ach give insight into how society impacts a family and individual members. As person venture in the world they start to see things in different way. Functionalism is believed to focus on the family being close and being in agreement on thing. They appear to have no problem cause of the agreement to not interact with any changes and just to let them happen and go with the flow. â€Å"From a functionalist point of view, the family may change form and be quite diverse in its composition, but families have always existed and will continue to exist because what they do is so important.Children are born to people who will love and care for them, and are socialized about how to care for themselves and be a productive member of society. Families are the link to most of the other institutions. † Conflict, causes a family to weight the pros and cons of different situations because the child is now older and they are influenced by what they see from other social institutions. â€Å"Fro m a conflict approach, families may not receive the support or assistance they need to adequately do all the things that are required of them.Some families function well, many need help, and other families are fragile or dysfunctional. The ability of the family to function depends on how the rest of the institutions interface with them. Conflict theorists acknowledge that the family cannot adequately do its job without contributions from the other social institutions. † Interactionism, is about the habits family members pick up from socializing and being apart and around different groups of people. â€Å"Symbolic interactionists focus on the messages that family members receive and impart to each other.Since the family is in the position of having the most intense interactions when children's identities and bodies are being formed, what they say and do will have a significant impact on them (Cherlin, 2009; Benokratis, 2010; Lamanna & Riedmann, 2011). † (Vissing, 2011) R eference: Harper, N. Journeys into Justice Retrieved from: http://www. journeysintojustice. com/author. htm Vissing, Y. (2011) Introduction to Sociology. Salem State University. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Wilson, Adrian. Family. Routledge, 1985. p 21. Retrieved from: http://site. ebrary. com/lib/ashford/Doc? id=5003764&ppg=31

A Case Analysis On Arik Air Nigeria Commerce Essay

A Case Analysis On Arik Air Nigeria Commerce Essay This essay is a case analysis on Arik air Nigeria and will therefore seek to identify the major threats and opportunity in the environment, analyse the strength and weakness of the company, identify the strategic position of Arik air, and suggest a strategy to be adopted by the airline in an effort to sustain its competitive advantage. BACKGROUND Arik Air is Nigeria’s biggest indigenous commercial airline offering domestic flights to major cities in Nigeria and with an expanding network of regional and international flight operations to major cities in the world (Eze, 2010). Presently, Arik Air flies to 17 Domestic destinations in Nigeria and 8 International destinations (Arik air, 2010: Online). Arik Air Nigeria The company’s corporate mission is: ‘To be a safe and reliable airline by selecting and operating new, modern aircraft and by employing the most experienced and efficient staff.’ (Airkair, 2010: Online) Vision: ‘To make Nigeria proud of its aviation industry’ (Arikair, 2010: Online) Strategic Intent: Arik’s strategic intent is to be the preferred airline carrier of choice in West Africa. (Airk Air, 2010: Online) EXTERNAL ANALYSIS: The external analysis was conducted using PESTEL Framework and Porter’s five forces as the basic tools (Thompson, 1997; Luffman et al, 1996; Welsh, 2005; Johnson et al, 2009) in an effort to understand the effect of changing environment on Arik Air’s operation. The findings based on pestel framework (See Appendix 1) and Poster’s five forces (See Appendix 2) are as follows: An analysis of the political environment revealed that governments around the world are tightening immigration regulations due to the surge in terrorism the implication of which is a reduction in the number of global traveller thus posing a threat to airline including Arik Air. (Stevermen, 2009; Cartar, 2010). However liberalization and Deregulation efforts are being made in several regions of the world with Asia setting a target for the full liberalization of its skies by the year 2015. This is projected to boost aviation industry performance by creating avenue for fair competition platform between more established airlines and the growing competitors like Arik Air(Bailey, 1986; Smith Ting, 2008). The rising fuel price is a matter of economic concern in the world, with Aviation fuel price estimated at $85 per barrel (IATA, 2010: online) the implication of which is an increase in running cost for airlines and this poses a high threat to Airlines. However, there is optimism that a global economic recovery is on the way with the world economy expected to grow 2.7% in 2010 (World Bank, 2010: Online) and the aviation industry is forecasted to reduce its loss from $5.8 Billion in 2009 to $2.8 Billion in 2010. (Financial Times, 2010). The World travel & tourism council (2010) projects an increase in the number of holiday travellers in 2010 with further growth expec ted in 2011. The 2010 world cup is expected to boost travel to Africa in 2010 (Eberl, 2010). Â   Percentage change vs. 05-Mar-10 Index* $/b cts/gal $/mt 1 week ago 1 month ago 1 year ago Jet Fuel Price 243.3 89.0 211.9 701.4 3.4% 4.1% 80.3% Source: IATA (2010: Online) source from Platts * 100 in 2000 (87 cts/gal) Â   Impact on this year’s fuel bill of the global airline industry: New fuel price average for 2010 Impact on 2010 fuel bill $85.5/b +$13 billion Estimated by IATA Source: IATA (2010: Online)

IS theories, are they emerged in IS disciplines or adopted from other Article

IS theories, are they emerged in IS disciplines or adopted from other disciplines - Article Example The field of Information System is dependent on knowledge and information concerning a world made up of physical systems, designed artifacts and human behavior (Gregory and Dennis, 2005, p.3). However, it is essential to ensure that only relevant knowledge is theorized, and in an integrated manner. Ideas may be retrieved from diverse disciplines; however this has to be done with an aim of focusing on the nature of information system and its uniqueness. A theory, according to Merriam-Webster (2004), can be said to be a hypothesis that is developed for the sake of an investigation. A discipline, on the other hand, may be referred to as a branch of learning or institution. This, however, does not mean that the disciplines are confined to only their areas of study. This supposition therefore means that Information Systems is by nature â€Å"single†. This, however, is not the case as Information System is regarded as â€Å"pluralistic† field. This is because it draws its kno wledge from other, different and more reputable disciplines. Some form of control should be established in each field to avoid cases where there’s no agreed upon area of teaching, practice or research. Such a case would result in incoherence and, low status for the discipline. A balance should be established to avoid total control or general incoherence of the discipline. Scoping Information System Applications in IT are now revolutionizing the way in which firms conduct their daily operations. Such changes have allowed researchers to contribute significantly towards helping the organizations to embrace thes changes. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) states that, the advances and changes in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are revolutionizing economic activities just like electricity, steam engine or the railways in the past (OECD, 2001). The progress made in computer technologies has today led to the rise of diverse areas of appli cation. This has, therefore, contributed to an increase in the role of IS while expanding its scope. This makes ICT technologies present in numerous and diverse areas such as governments, health sector, etc. According to Avison and Fitzgerald (2003, p. xi), information systems are â€Å"†¦ the effective design, delivery, use and impact of information technology in the organizations and society†. This definition touches on one of the significant aspects of IS, that is the creation of IT applications. It also identifies the fact that a broader attention rather than just technology applies in ICT applications. IS discipline has moved from it technology centered focus to other areas that include management, technology, social and organization. Information System is not entirely about technology nor is it a management field like put by Webster and Watson (2002). Information system is distinguishable from these disciplines due to the incorporation of artifacts in machine-human systems. According to Lee: â€Å"Research in the information systems field examines more than just the technological system, or just the social system, or even the two side by side; in addition, it investigates the phenomena that emerge when the two interact.† (2001, p. iii) This, therefore, goes to show that information system is the discipline that combines the knowledge of humans with that of physical objects. One can draw relations between Information System

Research paper on the death of ivan illyich by tolstoy Essay

Research paper on the death of ivan illyich by tolstoy - Essay Example The inevitability of death is a realization which comes to most of us very late in life if at all. While the characters in the story understand that death is a reality and an event which will occur sooner or later, like Ivan, they choose to ignore it and give thoughts to other more pressing considerations which take up their time (Hustis, 2000). Strangely enough, it takes a writer like Tolstoy to show us that without considering death while we have the time to actively change our lives, our final days may be spent like Ivan who examines his life and finds it lacking. The introspective nature which Ivan develops before his death could have served him well had he thought about life and living before he had to struggle with thoughts of death and dying. At times the reader can associate with Ivan since death is never a pleasant topic to consider, especially one’s own death which is seldom given thought in our daily lives (Danaher, 2003). As the novella progresses, the intense inte rnal struggle that Ivan has with his own thoughts magnifies his dread of the approaching eventual end and so overwhelms his thoughts that it becomes impossible to live the life he still has left with him. The plot of the book shows how Ivan is a government official serving in the capacity of a high court judge who lives a carefree, happy and more or less content life with his wife and family members. He begins to suffer from a mysterious pain in his stomach once he falls while hanging curtains in his house. With time, the pain becomes worse and he runs from pillar to post while trying to find a cure for his ailment. We find out that his condition is a terminal one and he will be dead soon. Yet at the same time, he does not accept his death. He certainly knows that he will not live for ever since he understands the philosophical concepts of morality and the idea that all

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Virtual and Social Media Report 2-4-3 - Essay Example One of the main aims behind using this software is for people to create synergistic websites that promote discussion on the subject matter at hand. Hosted by third parties, Wikis are very popular amongst browsers who prefer to leave their input on various issues and/or who like to simply share information they have on the topic. Generally, web users who like to interact with others regarding any particular topic use wikis. Thus, wikis enable an increased virtual and social media communication. However, the main purpose of wikis is to augment people’s knowledge about any given topic – though they do give the netizens a chance to remove off-topic material from the page or website. Wikis enable interaction via information sharing, as well as input of comments and suggestions. Not only do they increase knowledge of netizens, but, as stated earlier, they enable them to enhance their interactional skills, thereby increasing an exchange of ideas and interaction on an individual level. On a corporate level, wikis help companies in forming networks that augment efficiency by simplifying tasks. Not only do companies get their message across to targeted groups, but they also receive input from them at the same time, thus, enabling them to promote their merchandise, services and/or proposals more ably. Wikis also aid companies in working together with their clients as well as managing various projects. The strengths of wikis include its appealing nature, whereby whatever the target audience of the wikis is, participation is always obtained. Since wikis are not daunting or controlled strictly, the users find them easy to use, thereby enhancing communication. Moreover, wikis help promote the idea of data exchange or information sharing. Another strength lies in the flexibility of the wikis; they can be altered to meet the needs of the users. The weaknesses of the wikis lie in their strengths as well. As

Reading report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reading report - Essay Example It is important to understand that human beings are responsible for building and assembling of computers. For this reason, it is important to distinguish between a strong artificial intelligence and a weak intelligence. One of such critics is John Searle who describes strong artificial intelligence with regard to the computer is that it is able to formulate and test hypothesis in a more rigorous and precise fashion with very minimal errors. However, Searle points out that the basis of the strength and precision of computer is not the brain but the programs, which have been installed in the computer. This means that computers have cognitive states, which are much stronger and accurate compared to that of a human being. A Turing test is the ability of the computer or a machine to give and express intelligent behavior, which is almost equivalent and is indistinguishable from human beings. Allan Turing who aimed at determining if computers can think developed this concept in 1950 (John R . Searle 54). In his test, he was not refereeing to the ability of the machines offering the right answers to the question but how the answers are closely linked to human response. The test therefore did not consider audio receptions but relied on text only channels. The test relies on artificial intelligence since it involves machines in testing if the computer is able to give accurate and precise answers. As expected Allan Turing test did not go without criticism. From a philosophical point of view Descartes agrees with the Turing test on the basis of automation but he was quick to denounce the test on the basis that it human beings can think and give answers and that machines can give the right answers and cannot think. It therefore means that even though machines can interpret information and give the right answers that do not qualify them to be superior to human on the basis of thinking. In addition to this, Searle disagrees with the Turing test on the subject that even though computers can respond to different languages and give the correct answers, they only provided the right answers but without understanding and this is what distinguishes artificial intelligence with human intelligence. A human being can only respond to a language if he/she has an understanding of the language. However, machines can do this better with the help of coded programs does not mean that the computer understands the language. To support his concept, Searle performed a Chinese room test where an English native speaker man is placed in room and shown Chinese symbols. The man fails to understand the Chinese symbol and language through writings since he is not a Chinese speaker. In the second test, the same man is given the same symbols but this time with interpreted English codes, which gives the meaning of the words and the man, begins to relate the English words with the Chinese symbols. Searle calls this the question and answer technique. If a Chinese native speaker is taken through the same test, similar results will be produced and it will be difficult to distinguish between answers from the English and Chinese speakers. We therefore conclude that the English native speaker has been able to answer Chinese questions even though he does not understand them. This does not make the human being intelligent since he has been able to answer questions that he does not understand. It is the coding of the English and C

Critical Design Issues in the Contemporary World Essay

Critical Design Issues in the Contemporary World - Essay Example Research has demarcated means to market products not merely as solutions to actual problems but as panaceas to human desire. Consumers are â€Å"convinced† through sizable marketing efforts to acquire certain products to enhance their lifestyles. In this scenario the designer must produce objects that seem aesthetically either appealing or appalling to grab the consumer’s attention. (Dorst and Dijkhuis 1995) Functionality in design is fast receding. In comparison various designers from the past balanced both form and functionality. Architecture, film making, literature, performing arts all reflected an intertwined state of balance between form and functionality that was often hard to decipher. Form has been encouraged in recent years in preference to functionality. A designer ought to be truly independent of commercial influences to exploit their true creative potential. The dominance of the commercial influence on design has rendered design incapable of displaying more subtle tones of thought and reflection. Most products today are designed with a consideration to use and throw away as desired. This in turn encourages the commercial design of products that are more or less disposable. It is debateable is consumer’s demands push such behaviour or if business tendencies to spur consumption spur such tendencies. However what is apparent is that design has been tainted largely with commercial influences that have modified its original precepts. Another competing influence on design strategies is economics. Economical design strategies have shot to the fore front following the eighties and the nineties when advances in manufacturing strategies meant that designs could be optimised further to save material and machine costs. (Simon 1996) Large scale manufacturing operations encourage designers to optimise both the use of material as well as to optimise the manufacturing techniques in use. Such a strategy ensures that the produced design is provi ding desired functionality at low costs to the manufacturer. This aids the business operation to maximise profitability by reducing base costs while keeping profit margins higher. Economic considerations have clearly impacted the length and breadth of the design industry whether the automobile industry is considered or whether fashion design is considered. The base contention is nearly always the same to cut base costs through the optimised use of materials and processes. Often designers produce designs that are then optimised by engineers or other manufacturing experts to remove what could be considered essential design features such as curves, tricky surfaces and the like. This ensures that the design is simplified for manufacturing. (Faste 2001) Similarly clothing designs are modified too such as using different pigments for achieving dimmer or otherwise different colours etc. Overall, economics serve as a major influence on design methods and the affected design domain includes all forms and manners of designs. Large influences on design in the contemporary world stems from globalisation of cultures, societies, ideas and ultimately design influences. The fusion of various cultural influences has produced individuals that are well aware of local values and traditions just as they are well aware of design influences in another part of the world. For example, Japanese designs were known the world over for their subtle and precise character. The

Current Event Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Current Event Article - Essay Example The Baluchis continue to observe their indigenous and local traditions that were observed. The traditions of the Baluchis to some extend control some social behavior (Ferraro, Gary, 2009). Culture as holistic system is evident from the article of the Baluchis. Culture is a system of interconnected parts. Anthropological approach, involves biological and social culture aspects of humanity (Barrett, 2004). This is the people’s genetic bequest as well as what they acquire from the environment after birth. A custom that the Baluchi refer to as Beggari is a social culture aspect is practiced. This is when a youth reaches the age of marriage but unfortunately he can’t meet the marriage expenses due to a tough economic condition that he might be facing. Such a condition allows the youth to go to his relatives and friends to discuss about the marriage decision, he therefore asks for their â€Å"Beggari,† which means, their contribution. This tradition is so much respected by the Baluchi community that even the poorest member cannot refuse to contribute to such an offer (Pirmohamad 2014). Another aspect of anthropology that makes it holistic is the fact that it studies all varieties of people wherever they may be found. As it is depicted from the article is the diversification of Baluchi language (Ferraro, Gary, 2009). The language is spoken in various countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan India, the Persian, gulf Arab-States, Turkmenistan and East Africa. It is classified as a member of the Iranian group of the Indo-European language family which includes Kurdish, Persian, Pashto, Dari, Tajik, and Ossetia. This can evidently show that the Baluchi language is integrated in various countries. It has also two main dialects: Eastern and Western, the western dialect comprises of Rakhshani in the north and Makrani in the south. It is interesting to note that areas where the eastern

Stress in Nursing Essay Example for Free

Stress in Nursing Essay One of the definitions of stress offered in literature is: Stress is the psychological and physical state that results when perceived demands exceed an individuals ability to cope with them. The profession of nursing has thrived over the past century into a respected and necessary member of the health care arena. However, the future of the profession, and more imminently, patient care and the health of nurses, may be significantly impacted by repeated challenges in the contemporary era where current levels of STRESS and burnout are contributing to organizational problems, burnout, and attrition. According to the article The effect of stress on health and its implications for nursing, stress is seen as a negative feeling affecting peoples health either physically and/or psychologically. However, stress is a normal part of life and considered necessary to increase functional capacity. This article identifies and discusses the effect of stress on health and its relationship to nursing. First, according to the authors of the article, the effects of stress on health and its implications for nursing, stress affects people in different ways and is recognized as a cause of physical and _PSYCHOLOGICAL_ ill health. For example, Psychological reactions to stress produce emotional responses ranging from exhilaration, when an event is stressful but manageable, to anxiety, anger, discouragement and depression when an event appears to be unmanageable. In addition, _PHYSIOLOGICAL_ responses refer to the internal responses within the body that regulate physiological processes in an optimal way to adapt to the demands of the work environment. Therefore, physiological response to stress causes the bodys metabolism to increase in preparation for expending energy on physical action, thereby curtailing unessential activities such as digestion, saliva and mucus production which over a long period can be harmful. The short-term symptoms of stress include headache, muscular tension, chest pains, indigestion, palpitations; disturbed sleep and increased susceptibility to respiratory  infections. Second point in this article discusses stress relationship to nursing. The most important resource in any organization is the employee; therefore maintaining and supporting their health is vital to ensure their ability to work, to keep standards and continuously improve standards of care. According to the article the effects of stress on health and its implications for nursing, stress may also affect the wellbeing of the nurse with a positive correlation between stress and mood disturbance with common effects including: anxiety and irritability, depression and mood swings. Also, this article states that nurses express dissatisfaction regarding lack of autonomy, and practice a coping mechanism to reduce stress termed avoidance behaviors. This avoidance behavior may result in a loss of the caring element of nursing by giving only a clinical response to those in their care. Stress can have a significant impact on individual nurses and their ability to accomplish tasks. More specifically, poor decision making, lack of concentration, apathy, decreased motivation and anxiety may impair job performance, creating uncharacteristic errors. All of which can directly contribute towards absenteeism, decreased work performance, and ultimately, burnout. The information given in the article was found to be factual. The facts that the author used to support the argument are issued guidance from National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2009), Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (2007), and The American Nurses Association (2005). However, I found that the information given in the article is faulty because the information that the author is giving is a generalization from the literature and other author findings. There isnt any bias, propaganda or stereotyping. The author is not backing up his/her information with any studies. After I read this article, I think the effect on the general public specially nurses and other healthcare professionals will be very positive. This article inform about the effects of stress in health; therefore the general public, nurses and other healthcare professionals are going to be more  perceptive about their health and the impact that stress could cause when they delivering care to others. Furthermore, some recommendations the author suggests in this article are that shift nurses who have family care-giving responsibilities at home should be encouraged to avoid working consecutive 12-hour shifts and a special focus is required to concentrate on limiting the physical and psychological workloads that may significantly increase physiological strain on ageing nurses. Also, the author suggests to promote wellbeing among older staff nurses, nurse managers may consider providing flexible shift hours, ergonomic modifications, wellness programmers, and transferring older nurses fro m bedside nursing to mentoring younger nurses. Finally, my reaction about this article isnt surprising. Today, the number of medical lawsuit for negligence and malpractice is increasing, and it has to do a lot with stress management among health care professionals. For example, nurses are in constant tension. A splash of contaminated body fluid, a needle stick incident, lifting patients heaviest than them, etc., could jeopardize their life; therefore nurses not only have mental fatigue but also physical. As a consequence, errors and poor delivery of care can occur.

Red Mud and Pet Coke Physical Properties

Red Mud and Pet Coke Physical Properties 1.1 INTRODUCTION: India is witnessing construction of very interesting projects in all sectors of Infrastructure. Most of the structures are in structural concrete. In Present condition India is the second largest producer of cement in the world behind china. The construction practices are rapidly innovating throughout the world. The pace of infrastructure developments in India requires adoption of new technologies. The country consumed around 238 million metric tons of concrete in previous years. Indias concrete production is calculated to amount to just over 400 million metric tons by 2017. Concrete is the most widely used man-made construction material in the world. The popularity of concrete is due to the fact that from the common ingredients, the properties of concrete are tailored to meet the demand of any particular application. Now-a-days massive construction leads to scarcity of natural resources. It is a big problem emerging in field of construction because of their wide use shortage is happening. Due to this good sand is not available easily. Natural resources are also exhausting very rapidly because of its limited supply, the cost of Natural River sand has sky rocketed and its consistent supply cannot be guaranteed. So, now it is time to find some substitute to natural river sand. Hence, it is mandatory either to quest for another material or partly replace it by some other material. The expense of development moreover gets heightened further more leaving the waste materials to the environment straight forwardly can bring about natural issue. Henceforth the reuse of waste material has been emphasized. There is a growing awareness regarding extensive damage being caused to the environment due to accumulation of waste materials from power houses, industrial plants, colliery pits, demolition sites and it has become one of the major environmental and social issues. Waste materials coming out of industry nowadays is posing a great environmental problem in disposing them into the water, air and on the land. These waste materials can partly be used to produce materials suitable as fine aggregates or fillers in concrete. Use of waste products is not only a partial solution to environmental. Some wastes can significantly improve the properties, matrix and microstructure of concrete. The output of these waste materials in India is more than the production of cement and other construction materials used in all the civil engineering activities. So, the use of waste materials is not only to make the cement concrete less expensive, but to provide a blend of tailored properties of waste material s and OPC suitable for specified purpose. The waste materials which can be found in bulk are commonly known as blast furnace slag, fly ash, silica fumes, solid waste, plastic wastes, Red mud, Pet coke, etc. Partial replacement of Portland cement and sand with waste materials like blast furnace slag, fly ash, silica fumes, Red mud, pet coke, etc. will be a great help in reducing environmental pollution and also in reduction in manufacturing of cement and also minimize the use of natural materials that required for the construction activities. This research work outlines the optimum utilization of waste materials in some construction activities using as a green concept, which ultimately reduces the environmental pollution and suits the economy of project. This study involves Industrial wastes which have major production throughout the world and have negative effect on environment because of their chemical properties. Industrial wastes in this study are Red mud, Petroleum coke and Recron with accelerating admixture. Red mud is a waste material generated by the Bayer Process widely used to produce alumina from bauxite throughout the world. In India more than 20 million tons of red mud is generated annually. The Indian aluminium sector is characterized by large integrated players like Hindalco and National Aluminium Company (Nalco, Alumina plant at Damanjodi, Orissa). However, its high alkalinity is a potential pollution to threat water, land and air. While high costs are associated with the large area of land required for storage of the residue. Currently, it is dumped on land or in the oceans near alumina refineries which creates a great environmental pollution. Red mud is highly caustic due to which it is a good binder material and can be used in concrete technology for construction practices with partial replacement with cement. Among the uses utilization of red mud for building materials production such as cement, bricks, roofing tiles and glass-ceramic is in practice. Fig.1 Red mud Yard Petroleum coke (abbreviated as Pet coke) is a solid by product from oil refineries. It is a carbonaceous solid delivered from Coker units or other cracking processes. It has over 90% carbon. As it has a higher energy content, it emits 30% to 80% more CO2 than coal per unit of weight, it also emits sulphur and vanadium contents during combustion which can be problematic. The annual consumption of pet coke in India is around 14.44 million tons, according to the latest statistics of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. Pet coke can be used in concrete as a replacement of sand for acoustic application. The low density and high porosity properties of pet coke particles suggest that it may also have potential to improve the thermal insulating properties of concrete when added as fine aggregate. It can also be used as plastering, roof concreting, etc for light weight concreting. Fig. 2 Petroleum coke yard Recron is also called Polyester fiber. It acts as secondary reinforcement in concrete which increases resistance to impact and abrasion. It arrests cracks improves quality of construction in tanks, foundations, walls, roads, pre-cast products like pipes, blocks, tiles, manhole covers, asbestos sheets, cement based pre-cast products, etc. Role of Recron 3s is preventive in field of construction; it also controls reduction in water permeability, increase in flexibility, reduction in rebound loss, etc. Admixtures are the additive in concrete other than basic ingredients of concrete; they are added to the mix immediately before or during mixing. These admixtures are used primarily to reduce the cost of concrete construction, to achieve the strength, modify the properties of hardened concrete, to ensure good quality of concrete during transporting, placing, mixing curing and to overcome certain emergencies emerges during concrete operations. These can be added to concrete mix to produce high slump flowing concrete. High range super plasticizer was used in all the concrete mixes to achieve good workability. Super plasticizers are added to reduce the water requirement by 15 to 20% without affecting the workability leading to a high strength and dense concrete. To achieve the uniform workability, the admixture dosage was adjusted without changing the unit water content. By utilizing these wastes other researches has concluded that Red mud and pet coke are good replacement of cement and sand additives like Recron and Admixture helps in improving the properties of concrete. By using optimum amount of Industrial wastes in concrete we can reduce the construction cost and it is very much environmental friendly acheived made the previous researches are done on Red mud, pet coke, Recron and admixture separately by calculating physical tests like compressive strength and tensile strength test. 1.2 importance of study: In this study use of Red mud, Petroleum coke Recron with admixture has been used as a partial replacement of cement and sand in concrete. As Red mud and Petroleum coke both are the waste materials generated in large quantities from Industries they damaging environment from their chemical properties utilization of these materials are done. 1.3 Delimitation: In this study the use of Red mud and Petroleum coke (abbreviated as Pet coke) as a partial replacement of cement and sand is evaluated. Concrete used in the study is M25 with 2.4% of constant admixture in all the mix proportions used in study. 1.4 Objective of the study: To evaluate physical properties like Compressive strength, Tensile strength and Slump value of concrete prepared by partial replacement of Red mud and Pet coke in conjunction with Recron admixture. To find out an optimum percentage of replacement of Red mud and Pet coke along with addition of optimum percentage of Recron and fix % of admixture in M25 grade concrete. To estimate cost reduction by adopting Industrial wastes in designed mix concrete.

Jeffersonian Republicans Essay -- American History USA Government Essa

Jeffersonian Republicans With respect to the federal constitution, the Jeffersonian Republicans are usually characterized as strict constructionists who were opposed to the broad constructionism of the Federalists. To what extent was this characterization of the two parties accurate during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison. Before 1801, the Jeffersonian Republicans were usually strict constructionists of the constitution. However during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison they had to adopt some Federalist ideas. In many instances, the two parties completely interchanged their views on the construction of the constitution. During that period of time it was difficult to characterize anyone as a member of either the Federalist or Republican party based on how they interpreted the constitution. The best example of Jefferson adopting Federalist ideas is the Louisiana Purchase. From the beginning Jefferson only wanted New Orleans and as much land east if the Florida as possible. However instead he was offered the New Orleans and a huge portion of land to the west, which almost doubled the size of the United States. However the was nothing in the constitution which allowed the president to purchase of additional land. In a letter he said "It is the case of a guardian, investing the money of his ward in purchasing an important adjacent territory; and saying to him when of age, I did this for your good"(Jefferson). Jefferson knew that American farmers needed... Jeffersonian Republicans Essay -- American History USA Government Essa Jeffersonian Republicans With respect to the federal constitution, the Jeffersonian Republicans are usually characterized as strict constructionists who were opposed to the broad constructionism of the Federalists. To what extent was this characterization of the two parties accurate during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison. Before 1801, the Jeffersonian Republicans were usually strict constructionists of the constitution. However during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison they had to adopt some Federalist ideas. In many instances, the two parties completely interchanged their views on the construction of the constitution. During that period of time it was difficult to characterize anyone as a member of either the Federalist or Republican party based on how they interpreted the constitution. The best example of Jefferson adopting Federalist ideas is the Louisiana Purchase. From the beginning Jefferson only wanted New Orleans and as much land east if the Florida as possible. However instead he was offered the New Orleans and a huge portion of land to the west, which almost doubled the size of the United States. However the was nothing in the constitution which allowed the president to purchase of additional land. In a letter he said "It is the case of a guardian, investing the money of his ward in purchasing an important adjacent territory; and saying to him when of age, I did this for your good"(Jefferson). Jefferson knew that American farmers needed...

The Importance of Ghosts In Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights Essay

The Importance of Ghosts In Emily Bronte's ‘Wuthering Heights’ ‘My fingers closed on the fingers of a little, ice-cold hand! The intense horror of nightmare came over me: I tried to draw back my arm, but the hand clung to it’ (Page 20) In this extract Lockwood thought he had a dream, he remembers that he ‘turned and dozed’ and dreamt again, but the above extract shows that this was different from any other dream, it is much more realistic and increasingly frightening. This leads the reader to believe that this really is not a dream and that a supernatural being is causing this entire disturbance. The importance that this has to the novel is that it adds an element of excitement and mystery, rather than Lockwood just having a dream about a ghost by the end of the extract, they believe that there really was one there. What makes this part of the novel all the more stirring is the fact that there is evidence that this really was a ghost at Lockwood’s window. For instance Lockwood says that that name of the ghost was ‘Catherine Linton’: ‘(Why did I think of Linton? I had read Earnshaw twenty times for Linton)’ (Page20) This is to say that in any dream one would not expect to dream about someone they had never met before, and they would expect for their dreams to be a collaged combination of all the things that had happened to them. In this particular extract Lockwood is saying that he had read the name Earnshaw, all he saw ‘was nothing but a name repeated in all kinds of characters, large and small-Catherine Earnshaw,’ Lockwood is saying that if this really was a dream then why did it say Linton? The theme of the afterlife is repeated all throughout the novel, and is especially reiterated by the fact that Heathc... ... ‘There’s Heathcliff and a woman, yonder, under t’ nab,’ he blubbered, ‘un’ I dare not pass ‘em.’ (Page 288) The primary importance of this sighting of the ghost is that it could actually be real. The evidence for this was that the moors were very much a favourite place for Heathcliff and Catherine to go walking. This is important because it shows that their love for each other has lasted until after their death. The most important piece of evidence for these ghosts being real is that ‘neither the sheep would go on’ with the boy. As human kind we always say that animals do have a sixth sense and that they can detect the ghosts and other spirits which new cannot. Brontà « has used ideas like the sheep so that the reader can gain a real perspective of what was on the moors, and of course how strong the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff really was.

Essay --

Sexual Abuse according to the Mississippi Department of Human services (Services, 2009)is any inappropriate touching by a friend, family member, anyone having on-going contact and/or a stranger. Inappropriate touching could include touching a child in their genital area. Penetrating a child vaginal or orally. Allowing a child to view pornography or perform it. An adult selling a child into prostitution for money, drugs. Have a child engage in oral sex acts. Having an adult masturbating and/or having sexual intercourse in front of a child. Older youth or adults may force a middle childhood child into participating in these acts by threatening them, or people they care about such as their parents (Services, 2009). According to Gateway, Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect,( 2009) not all children that are victims of sexual assault will have behavior problems or difficulties. The victims that do have difficulties coping with the sexual assault are often are emotionally and traumatized by the person who has abused them. There can be both short and long-term effects, which may result from such abuse, including intense shame, low self-esteem, grief, anger, depression, anxiety. They could show signs of mistrust of adults, feelings of anger and hostility, and difficulties in getting along with peers. Younger children may have sleep difficulties, loss of appetite, and generalized fearfulness and anxiety. Abused girls often enter into unhealthy relationships and many become promiscuous. Additionally, if the abuse occurred in middle childhood, ages 6-12, the victim may develop false memories that the abuse ever occurred; be in denial; or be unaware that the type of experience was determin ed to be sexual abuse. According to Mc... ...munities are less than in the larger communities so it is best when in practice to have a list of available resources ready for the needs of the clients. Clients are going to have trust issues and some of the family members could have trust issues especially if the abuser is a trusted family member. When in practice is important to remember this is a traumatic event in their family. Some clients may need more help from the worker than others may. When in practice, if working with a child in the middle childhood, it is essential of the patience and working with that client on their cognitive development. Remember their developmental stages to work on even with this if the victim is developmentally delayed make sure to work on the developmental stage there are cognitively not numerically. Always when preparing to work with clients to work with them on their level.

Fatherhood Essay

Homer Simpson from The Simpsons, Peter Griffin from Family Guy, and Jerry from Wizards of Waverly Place, are just a few of the many youth television shows that present a dangerously distorted male figure. Or The Sweet Life of Zack and Cody, who run rampant throughout the hotel that they live in with their mother who was left to raise her children due to a dead beat father who left the family when the kids were young. Whether there is a Dad or there is not a Dad; they are presented as weak, childish, and brainless. These men are, at best, the whipping post for the strong-willed mothers who apparently have the real power and are the ones that essentially keep the home and the children from falling apart. It is clear that the role of Fatherhood has been distorted and watered down in the current century. Because of this, many modern day fathers fail to accomplish their duties towards their family, duties defined in Scripture, not because they do not want to but because they do not understand how crucial they are to their family, because society tells them that they are not really needed, and simply that they do not even know where to start. The task of being a father is of critical importance, and it has never been more so than in this day and age. A child’s relationship with Dad is a decisive factor in that young man or woman’s health, development and happiness. Stephen K. Baskerville, an American scholar of political science as well as a leading authority on divorce, child custody and the family court system, wrote, â€Å"A generation of fatherhood advocates has emerged who insist that fatherlessness is the most critical social issue of our time. In Fatherless America, David Blankenhorn calls the crisis of fatherless children â€Å"the most destructive trend of our generation† (1995, 1). Their case is powerful. Virtually every major social pathology issue has been linked to fatherless children: violent crime, drug and alcohol abuse, truancy, unwed pregnancy, suicide, and psychological disorders—all correlating more strongly with fatherlessness than with any other single factor, surpassing even race and poverty. The majority of prisoners, juvenile detention inmates, high school dropouts, pregnant teenagers, adolescent murderers, and rapists come from fatherless homes (Daniels 1998, passim). Children from affluent but broken families are much more likely to get into trouble than children from poor but intact ones, and white children from separated families are at higher risk than black children in intact families (McLanahan 1998, 88). The connection between single-parent households and crime is so strong that controlling for this factor erases the relationship between race and crime as well as between low income and crime (Kamarck and Galston 1990, 14)† (Baskerville, independent. org). These statistics bring forth something vastly different than what is seen in pop culture’s most-watched TV shows. Despite these staggering statistics, no attempt is being made to change this very prominent issue that American society faces every day. Instead of the government focusing on getting rid of poverty through public school systems, go to the true source of the issue which would involve eliminating one-parent families and teaching every young man the importance of fatherhood and should be preparing them to step up when that day comes. History also plays a key role in the downfall of Male leaders in the home. The Industrial Revolution came upon the world with great force. Women began entering the workforce and started becoming more and more independent. Feminists rose from this age and helped fuel the beginnings of what we see today: that being, more and more single family homes, often being run by the mother and not the father. Women think they can do it on their own but this is not always the case. There are some women out there who have been able to raise successful children but this is not the case for many other single family homes. The bible is very vocal when it comes to fatherhood. The concept of fatherhood begins with the one who created the universe. Derek Prince, an international Bible teacher, says that â€Å"The fact behind all other facts is that God created the universe as father. He left his imprint on every aspect of creation† (Prince, 57). God is indeed, the perfect father whom every earthly father should model themselves after and give their all to be the best father they can be. Proverbs 22:6-11 reads, â€Å"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it† (English Standard Version). The father is the initial instructor of his children and therefore sets the path for how they are going to live their lives. Ephesians 6:4 is a summary of instruction to parents, represented by the father, in a negative and positive way which states, â€Å"and now a word to you fathers, don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord† (English Standard Version). This is where the issue of discipline comes into play. The father should not discipline with the intention of frustrating their child or making their child feel less of themselves. Wanda L. Ball, an author, speaker, and teacher, writes, â€Å"A wise parent wants to make obedience desirable through love and gentleness. Christian discipline is needed to prevent children from growing up without reverence for God, respect for their parent’s authority, knowledge of Christian standards and self-control. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, ‘All scripture is given of God and is profitable for teaching, reproving, correcting and instruction in righteousness; that the man (or woman) of God may be completely equipped for all good works. ’ This is what the Bible says about being a father† (Ball-publications. com). With this being said, a solid framework for how a father should be is established. The tricky part is how to carry this all out. God is indeed the model father. As Josh McDowell writes in his book, The Father Connection, â€Å"He is a tender Father who invites us to address Him as ‘Abba’†¦He is a listening Father who bids us to approach him boldly as ‘our father in heaven’†¦ He is a loving Father who freely and forcefully demonstrated his Father-love at the baptism of his Son, Jesus with a voice like thunder that said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. ’ He is a giving Father who gives good gifts to his children. He is the Father of all, the very definition of father-hood, the fount of everything that is good, moral, and worthy of imitation† (McDowell, 18). If this is not how a father would want to be then something is very wrong. Every man should be humble enough to model themselves to be like their Heavenly father who gave them the opportunity to even be a father. God is a wondrous God who is more to us than just a Creator. What follows will lay out all that a father should be towards his son, his daughter, as well as his wife. These will all be discussed separately and then related back to each-other in the end. For his son, a father must create an early bond with him, must be able to discipline his son, and lastly, must be a consistent example for his son in every aspect of life. For his daughter, a father must recognize that he is the first man in her life, must constantly encourage her, must exercise leadership and display perseverance, and needs to be there for his daughter by comforting her, being compassionate, and by supporting her. Lastly for a father, is his relationship with his wife, who is the source of his father-hood. How a husband treats his wife is crucial in raising children. A husband must be able to take input from his wife and be able to make decisions from that input, must love and cherish his wife at all time, and must also be able to give praise to his wife. A father’s children watch him constantly and one of the main ways children learn from their father is by observing how he treats their mother. The modern day man fails to accomplish his duties towards his son: to teach and guide him towards manhood. Fatherhood is not something to fool around with and take lightly. A father has the responsibility of properly raising members of the future generations. The job of a father is not just doing well in business but rather raising their son. A father’s main goal in raising his son should be to train the young boy throughout his early life how to be a man and to teach him what it means to be a man. Fatherhood is complex and requires hard work and commitment, as well as love. To start, manhood needs to be defined. Rick Johnson, a best-selling Christian author and speaker focusing on parenting, marriage, fathering, personal growth, character development, and masculinity, says that â€Å"authentic manhood is living for a cause bigger than yourself† (Johnson, 18-19). This means that one should not simply live for themselves but live for the benefit of others. A man needs to be a servant to others which includes, first and foremost, his wife and children; to be the protector and leader. When it comes to the son, he needs to be able to look at his father in a similar way to the way he looks at superheroes like superman and spider-man. In other words, his father needs to be able to look at his father and say, â€Å"I want to be like my dad when I grow up. † For a father, this type of respect must be earned. Relationships are hard work and take effort and care. As it says in Proverbs, â€Å"train a child in the way he should go, and when he is older he will not turn from it† (English Standard Version, Proverbs 22:6). A father needs to focus on his character because that is the best way to gain a young boys respect. A father could be courageous, compassionate, loving, strong, understanding, and so on. A son will notice this and seek to emulate it. To start out, a father must begin to bond with his son in his sons early years. This is much harder to do now than it did in the past. Before the Industrial Revolution, the father and son were with each other almost every moment of every day. The father would work the land at home and would train his son at an early age to do the same. Fathers did not have to take time out of there day to have â€Å"bonding time† with their son. It just happened because that’s how the times were (Johnson). Unfortunately, after the Industrial revolution, the men started to work outside of the home for hours and hours on end and were not home nearly as much. In current culture it becomes more and more difficult for fathers to bond with their sons in the early stages of life. Cheryl Erwin, a licensed marriage and family therapist who provides parent coaching, parent education, and professional training to help you develop both wisdom and skill wrote, â€Å"A father’s role in the raising of his children has changed dramatically over the past century or two. In generations past, sons expected to follow in their fathers’ footsteps, apprenticing in their work and in their approach to life. During the nineteenth century, however, fathers began to go out to work, and the measure of a man’s success slowly changed. Rather than the closeness of his family and the strength of his family business, a man’s worth could be measured in his income, the value of his house, and the size of his car. Parenting became â€Å"women’s work†; fathers were just too busy earning a living. And generations of boys grew up hungering for closeness with a father they barely knew, someone who came home only to eat dinner, look over omework, hear about the day’s misbehavior, and watch a little television† (Erwin, life. familyeducation. com) Sons yearn for their fathers. In Proverbs it says, â€Å"The glory of sons is their fathers† (English Standard Version, Proverbs 17:6). Just as God’s people seek to worship him, a son seeks to worship his father. It’s clear that young boys seek to be like their father. They try to walk the same way, talk the same way, dress the same way. It is a part of our genetic makeup. Rick Johnson writes, â€Å"Our sons’ eyes are watching us constantly. They observe how we react to the many justices and injustices of the world† (Johnson, 20). They need to see a man’s ability to recover from mistakes and stay strong in tough times. A boy relies on his father to be there through all of what life brings forth. Next, a father needs to be able to discipline his son. Many men misunderstand the concept of discipline. They think that discipline should be used to instill fear in their children for what he might do to punish them for their wrongful actions. This however, is exactly the opposite of what disciplining is. Discipline is to be done in love and not anger. One does not discipline because he is angry that his child has overstepped his bounds. Instead, he should be committed to teaching the child what to do and what not to do; to know what is right and what is wrong. Dr. Lawrence Balter, a child psychologist and parenting expert wrote that â€Å"discipline is not just punishing, forcing compliance or stamping out bad behavior. Rather, discipline has to do with teaching proper deportment, caring about others, controlling oneself and putting someone else’ wishes before one’s own when the occasion calls for it. When disciplining, the focus needs to be on teaching and not on punishing. Over time, as a father bonds with his son and develops a deeper relationship with him, the son should not have to fear the wrath that is about to come but should instead fear disappointing him due to the deep respect the son has for the father. Lastly, possibly the most difficult of all, is the father being a constant example to his son. In order for the son to accept things that he is corrected about, he must see that the Father does those things that he is constantly instilling in his son. The most important of which is being respectful to everyone. In order for one’s son to respect him, they must see that the father respects everyone in all situations including his son. In order to get respect you must first give it . Respect is earned. In relation to having respect for others, the father must display self-respect. A boy must see confidence in his father. The father must know that no matter what people think of him his son will always think highly of him. This goes a long with the fact that boys yearn for their fathers love. Included in being an example is having respect for women. Chivalry, something that has been around for hundreds of years is becoming less and less implemented in young men by their fathers. One of the simplest ways a father can do this is by opening doors for women. This shows a young boy that we are willing servants of women in that we do the â€Å"dirty work. † A woman is delicate and should be treated as such. Chivalry is only the half of it. A father needs to be an example for his son by how he treats his wife. The bible calls men to be considerate of their wives and to treat them with respect. If a son sees his father disrespecting his wife he will more than likely treat women in a similar fashion and vice versa. In the end, the father plays the most crucial role in the development of a young man. It is easy for a man to become distracted with all of the things life throws at him and forget about how important he is to his son. A man needs to set his priorities straight from the moment he gets married and has children. In all things, God is first, family is second, and work is third. A man needs to, above all else, instill biblical principles in the family life. He needs to be the anchor of the family in Christ. He is the natural leader and needs to act as such. His job is to raise a son with the same values. Moving on to daughters, Meg Meeker, a Pediatrician, wrote, â€Å"Fathers, more than anyone else, set the course for a daughter’s life† (Meeker 1). Whether a father wants to believe it, he is the most important person in a young girl’s life, not the mother. The problem today is that fathers assume they do not have much of an influence on their daughters. A father automatically thinks that the mother has the bigger responsibility over the daughter because she can better relate to a girl’s problems. In media, it is very common for the father to cause their daughter to cry over an unimportant issue and then would send the mother after her to comfort her. Unfortunately, this is how it is in many homes. Fathers are becoming more and more distant from their daughters and are unaware of how detrimental this can be as they become more and more uninvolved in their daughter’s life. The modern day father fails to accomplish his duties towards his daughter and to realize how important he is to his daughter, not because he does not want to but because he does not know what to do or even where to start. A father needs to recognize that he is the first man in his daughter’s life, needs to be encouraging of his daughter, must display leadership and perseverance, and must be able to be compassionate and understanding towards his daughter’s emotions and problems.

Academic Criticism Graphic Organizer Essay

Lady Macbeth was being haunted in her dreams because of the actions her and her husband had carried out. Characterizations was also revealed because it showed Lady Macbeth was not cold hearted and that she had a conscience. Lady Macbeth is wearing a white dress to show her true innocence but her hair is black to show the darkness within. The people were in the corner because they wanted to listen what she was saying while she was sleep walking The doctor and lady Macbeth are in this scene. There is also another woman is wearing old clothing. The doctor is a woman in this stage adaptation but is described as a male in Shakespeare’s writing. Again, Lady Macbeth is wearing a white dress and has black hair implying her guilt ridden conscience. Step 2: Question Why was it chosen for Lady Macbeth’s character to experience such guilt when she was such a cold hearted character in the beginning? How did this  contribute to the outcome of the play? Why was Lady Macbeth in all white? Why was the doctor remaining in the corner instead of helping Lady Macbeth back to her bed? Why in this adaptation did Lynch have the doctor as a woman and not as a male like the play had portrayed? Step 3: Analyze Lady Macbeth starts to feel guilty because it shows the darkness that is slowly going to start taking over Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s relationship and not in a good way. The doctor stayed in the corner with the woman to show their interest in what Lady Macbeth was saying and how they were whispering to each other. Lady Macbeth was put in all white to show she still had a sense of innocence to her Lynch possibly made a woman play as the doctor because earlier in the play the doctor states that all men are born of women. Step 4: Evaluate The author accomplishes the theme that Darkness is Dangerous because showing how the evil actions that Lady Macbeth had did left a darkness in her that she could not handle. Therefore, haunting her through many nights and eventually leading to her own downfall. The painter accomplished the portrayal they wanted the viewer to see of the guilt ridden soul that Lady Macbeth had obtained and how she in fact was remorseful for the things she did, showing her pure innocence that she has  always, shown just by simply wearing a white dress and the people in the corner whispering showing how her thoughts that were being spoken must have been of high importance and depth. The director accomplished a portrayal of the doctor in his own words. â€Å"All men are born of women.† I also feel that a male doctor might not have been more likely to stay ease drop on Lady Macbeths sleepwalking like a woman would. Critique: Shakespeare’s original text of Lady Macbeths sleepwalking scene which had shown the toll that was taken on Lady Macbeth after the murder she had taken part in, was and inspiration not only for painters but for other directors to remake the play in their interpretations. Both the painting and the Theater production captured the sole purpose of the scene that Shakespeare originally had wrote and they were both similar in character with only a slight difference. The painting by Artus Scheiner, had captured Lady Macbeth’s innocence but also accomplished making the scene seem a bit â€Å"spooky† with the lighting. In similarity to the theater production it was also dark and Lady Macbeth walked in lighting. Lady Macbeths true mentality was shown in the production when she sat on the floor and started to rub her hands together vigorously to wash off the imaginary blood she sees on her hands. The painting shows Lady Macbeth walking calmly but in the production she screams with frustration unable to let anyone what she has done, so she is left with having to keep the secret forever. However, Scheiner’s painting captured the main purpose of this scene in one picture, all by contrasting the lighting and choosing the clothes that she wore to represent her personality with no words. Lynch’s adaptation of the play also took advantage of the white dress and black hair appearance to vaguely brush on Lady Macbeth’s true inner self being taken over by evil deeds.

How Social Media is Transforming Events Marketing Management Essay

It is believed that social media began prior to the evolution of the internet. The telephone was the first tool of social media that gave people the chance to socialize and gather information. However, at the turn of twentieth century, online communication became popular among various groups of society. People began to get into virtual communication with the use of cellular phones and computers. Social networking became popular because it was a venue to draw people towards one another. This was also very universal and its popularity was not limited to a certain age group. Amazingly, social networking and social media â€Å"become part of mainstream culture and the business world† (â€Å"History†). It was observed that social media became very valuable not only in socializing and information gathering but also in business where there has been greater dependence on the use of internet in promoting and marketing of products and/or services. Social media has provided the modern world with easy access to information, socialization and entertainment in the fastest way possible through the advancement of technology. Interestingly, the networks have become highly interactive and user-friendly that even a neophyte could easily learn to operate it in a short period of time. Social media has transformed into a powerful means of communication using numerous gadgets which have caught the interest of a larger number of people, the business practitioners take advantage of it to broaden the scope of their marketing. Truly, with the emergence of social media where people can communicate interactively with one another regardless of distance, business has been given a special place and opportunity to advertise or promote their business to a much bigger populace. Most authors have recognized the definition of social media provided by Wikipedia as the initial source of information about it. Gradually, different definitions have been formulated to increase people’s awareness of its definition. Safko and Brake mentioned that social media â€Å"refers to activities, practices, and behaviors among communities of people who gather online to share information, knowledge, and opinions using conversational media† (2009: 6). On the other hand, Evans has an expanded definition of social media. He stated that â€Å"Social media is the democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into content publishers. It is a â€Å"shift from a broadcast mechanism to a many-to-many model, rooted in conversations between authors, people, and peers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2008: 33). The author acknowledged various forms of communication utilized in social media such as â€Å"internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, picture and video† (2008: 33). Later on, it expanded to include â€Å"blogs, picture-sharing, blogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, group creation and voice over IP. † Social media has a vast potential as a channel through which promotional activities will be forwarded to its users. Social media’s unique features make it very usable and functional in marketing events. Evans stated that it is â€Å"fundamentally different from traditional media† (2008: 33) known as newspaper, television, books, and radio. Social media is interactive media. This is one advantage of social media over traditional media. Other advantages include: (1) it has different social online channels, (2) it changes over time, and (3) it is participative. The power to influence the audience is what makes social media appealing to business practitioners. Social media is real. Existing right in front of the computer communicating genuinely in a personal way to the customer about a product is very advantageous for those who are using social media in marketing or in public relation campaign. Given the real nature of social media, event marketing has come to its new shape. At the same time, event marketing has begun to utilize the services of social media in marketing and promotion. Though at some point, they cater to similar interests; that is, individual interaction and the participation of people with the company’s representatives. Pomer, on the issue of integrating event marketing and social media, described event marketing as a strategy â€Å"which focuses on face-to-face interaction by attending, sponsoring and speaking at trade shows, industry meet-ups, etc† (par. ). Bowdin, Allen and O’Toole described strategic event marketing as â€Å"the process by which an event organization aligns business and marketing objectives and the environments in which they occur, with marketing activities that fulfill the needs of event consumers† (2006:184). Event marketing has come to its new shape through social media influence No one could deny how soci al media, being a vehicle of information and communication, has transformed event marketing into a more meaningful and highly strategic promotional activity. In Bulmer’s article on the impact of social media on business, he stated that the trend today is to â€Å"build a network or use social media to deepen customer intimacy† (par. 1). Social media has been used these days without acknowledging this fact as Bulmer put it. He emphasized that, the ability of social media to â€Å"change behavior †¦ and †¦ to impact a professional’s decision-making processes† is the real essence of success in using this in business. Practically, social media’s approach in dealing with the audience in a genuine and an interactive manner somehow influences the approaches of event management to its customers. Event marketing management therefore becomes livelier, customer-oriented, interactive, personal, and dependent on audience feedback. There are several reasons for this. First, admittedly, as Shone and Parry pointed out that â€Å"human society is complex and interactive† (2004: 50). It means that regardless of culture, different societies celebrate in diverse ways, from the ancient period to the modern times, from a traditional way to a technological way; it makes no difference as long as events involve people and celebration or activities. Shaping event management following the principles behind social media will help draw a lot of people to the message because there is interaction and exchange of communication. Secondly, various events such as festivities, wedding, etc. serve to â€Å"strengthen social bonds as well as to spread enjoyment around† (Shone & Parry, 2004: 51). People’s primary intention for celebrating events publicly is to satisfy their longing for socialization and enjoyment. Thus, involving the community in events in such a way that they express inner satisfaction for socialization and enjoyment can make events management very successful. Shone and Parry stressed that without the â€Å"social contact that event often give, the feeling of isolation in society†¦ can be great† (2004: 51). Hence, event management must be in the context of the community’s perception of event celebration which is socialization and enjoyment. Given this, certain changes have been observed in conducting event marketing. Borges noted how businesses nowadays acknowledge social media as an â€Å"effective mechanism for reaching a target market† (2009: 57). He even emphasized that â€Å"myopic attitude† that a business executive has on social media will eventually lead him to lose the business. Moreover, a business executive having event marketing founded on social media will ultimately be â€Å"transparent, forthcoming, honest, sincere, and also to contribute something of worth† (Borges, 2009: 63). Since the events for the purpose of marketing require a group of community participation, the activities involved have had considerable improvement in terms of acceptable approaches in dealing with the community. The company’s marketing arm learns to be transparent, forthcoming, honest and sincere in everything they present before their audience. It is different from traditional marketing wherein its objective is purely making people buy or patronize a product using various ways to manipulate their decision-making. Hence, marketing an event for a product, presents live and active interaction and participation from the community online or offline. Event marketing management facilitates Social Media Marketing The great global financial crisis has brought to the mind of marketing managers the idea of utilizing social media in their promotional activities. The Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Youtube, and many other social networking channels have been utilized for the purpose of marketing. The good news for marketing managers is that it is free. From the research findings presented by Bulmer in his article, he mentioned several impacts that social media has on business which helped transform event marketing to social media marketing. With such, he recognized the following findings: (1) decision making in the business world today is more social; (2) many professionals are using social networking sites particularly Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter; (3) many decisions have been drawn from information gathered through active users of social media; (4) many professionals trust the information they gather from the sites; (5) social media users have significantly increased in three years; and (6) many professionals collaborate well outside preferably using social media sites than within the organizational intranet (Bulmer). Hence, there is widespread recognition of the impact of social networking in business from the business world’s perspective. The growing business community participation in the online world proves the fact that â€Å"When you join a group online, you are joining a community† (Borges, 2009: 63). Social media started to become popular among groups of people for personal use primarily for communication purposes. Eventually, this became a good tool to interact, send greetings, and share information to friends. Most importantly, it had become a powerful instrument recognized to support the marketing arm of any business. Through social media, the way people do the business has transformed into ‘social sales’ because people believe in the power of online communication in mobilizing sales teams by building good relationship with customers. Shih recognized that social network marketing talks about the â€Å"breakthrough new marketing techniques made possible by online social networks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2009: 6). Some of these that she mentioned are: hypertargeting, enhanced ability to capture passive interest and conduct rapid testing and iteration on campaigns, social community engagement, and automated word-of-mouth marketing (Shih, 2009: 6). Furthermore, Tobin and Braziel emphasized that social media marketing plan is â€Å"based on engagement not traffic† (2008: 79) which means that this type of marketing focuses on â€Å"web events† or the interactions users have with features which could be in form of blogs, comments, post, video views, and many others. Importance of social media in marketing event Availing the use of social media for marketing purposes has a lot to offer to a business. Borges mentioned several benefits of social media aside from the fact that larger potential buyers who are receptive to new information and trend can be met through social network sites. Some of the benefits named are: low cost, brand building, staffing advantages, loyalty, level playing field, building trust, convergence of PR and social media for viral marketing, positive SEO benefits, quantifiable metrics, and educational (2008: 131-140). In terms of costs, social media requires a low budget which is almost free, for a service that values relationships. Brands are being built through a good content using the internet platform. Thus, it is simpler and appealing to consumers. Few, yet highly talented staff, who can work in an enjoyable work environment are needed when using social media because content is more important here. Using social media builds loyalty among internet users because of its being user-friendly. This is impossible to establish using advertisements and other promotional activities. Besides, all types of people can make use of it like anyone else regardless of economic or social status. Likewise, through a sincere voice in the content, the company can easily acquire trust from the people. In effect, social media as a PR tool can be an integral part of marketing activities. Furthermore, links attached to marketing in social media creates a bridge connecting to the company’s website thus increasing the chance of the customer browsing of the webpage. Learning is considered as one of the benefits of social media. Not only do the internet users learn but companies also learn. Armed with this information, social media has evolved from purely socialization and enjoyment to something highly beneficial to businesses. For this reason, there is no doubt for business executives to resort to using social media in one of the tools in marketing an event. Conclusion  Social media has begun existing without clear importance rather than for socialization and personal or group enjoyment. However, with the increasing popularity of social networking when the internet was introduced to the public in 1990, this form of social interaction gained remarkable importance not only among the general public but also among business groups locally and internationally. Indeed, the ability of the social media to satisfy the users with its personalized features, has led to the discovery that it could be a potential instrument in shaping the mind of the audience. Social media has unique characteristics. It can change perception, it is very appealing, and it is effective in marketing an event. However, any business executive who wants to use its service must understand how it serves the public. Its special features that draw people together from all walks of life are derived from an honest, transparent, forthcoming and sincere way of dealing with one another. This same way is expected among event marketers in order that marketing of events will be appropriate to users’ expectations.

Biographical Approach to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” Essay

Literature is always said to be the echo of life. It reflects the time, the mind’s state, and author’s life. Whenever one looks into any literature piece, they do not only read what is on the text but also try to understand the context that matters. These contexts include the life of the author, the era it was written, the social condition during the time it was set, and others. There are many ways in which a literary piece can be read and interpreted. The act of interpreting a literary text is called literary criticism. As said by Lamb (2003), literary criticism is an attempt to assess and comprehend the creative writing, the literature of an author. In this paper, the researcher uses a type of literary criticism to institute the meaning of the text. The researcher uses biographical approach to literary criticism. Eagleton (1996) describes this approach as a strategy of relating the author’s life and thoughts to his/her works. This allows the reader to understand elements employed in the work, plus to relate works to authorial meaning and readers. MHS Composition Guide states that there are central biographical questions needed to reflect on in taking this approach. These questions are: †¢ What biographical facts has the author used in the text? †¢ What biographical facts has the author changed? †¢ What insights do we acquire about the author’s life by reading the text? †¢ How do these facts and insights increase (or diminish) our understanding of the text? These questions wil used in the development of the body of this paper. In this paper, the researcher also attempts to give assessment in life to her short story, and to the main character of the short story â€Å"The Story of an Hour†. Horward (2005) states that Katherine O’Flaherty, also known as Kate Chopin, was one of the most renowned female writers of her time. Her universal themes are what made her extraordinary. She wrote several short stories including â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, â€Å"Euphrase†, â€Å"Mrs. Mobry’s Reason†, â€Å"A Shameful Affair† and many others. Kate Chopin was raised into a home of women in St. Louis. This had been a very big influence to her writings, mainly on her views about feminism – views about women. Chopin was later widowed at 32, and there she started writing for herself and for her six children. Chopin was an extensive reader that is why she was able to write stories of herself into creative ones. In the early 1970’s, it was the resurrection of women’s rights movements, and Kate Chopin was one of those contributors to the occurrence. She contributed a lot with her writings about women, daytime dramas, the feminine mystique, women’s liberation, Mars vs. Venus, self-help and open marriages. Definitely, Kate Chopin’s early experiences had a great influence on her writings. One of her celebrated short stories is â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and it is entirely famous not only in American Literature – but also in the world. While reading the short story, the reader finds connection between the life of the author and the life of the main character of the short story. These connections are the similarities that the reader had taken into consideration: Chopin and Her Father’s Loss One of the main events in the story is a loss of someone very important, more particularly, Mrs. Mallard’s husband’s loss. Josephine, Mrs. Mallard’s sister, had brought the sad message that there was a railroad disaster and of those listed as ‘killed’ was Brently Mallard, who was Mrs. Mallard’s husband. In Kate’s life, she had lost someone too, in a railroad accident in 1855 to a train accident. A Widow Mrs. Mallard is sooner or later, assumed to be a widow, but readers will soon find out that Mr. Mallard is alive. In Kate’s life, his father had widowed her mother. Both experienced having lost someone very special and as well as being widowed but definitely, their responses to the loss may entirely be different. In the end, before she would have learned about Brently’s return from the accident, Louise died of heart disease – of joy that kills. This suggests that she had a monstrous joy, because it killed and consumed her to death. Perhaps, Chopin would just let Louise die instead of seeing Brently again, wherein she will be living like a prison again. Freedom for Women In â€Å"The Story of An Hour†, Chopin has made no suggestion to the readers that Mrs. Mallard was sorry for her husband’s loss. Instead, she has uttered ‘over under her breath’: â€Å"free, free, and free! †, which suggests how happy Mrs. Mallard is to have lost her husband, because she has now freedom of herself. The joy she senses in possessing her freedom is something which consumes her. In Kate’s life, she was used to write about resurgence of women’s rights. She experience a period when there was this declined and confinement of women’s public needs like education, the vote, rights to her own property and her own children. Those events drove her to write this kind of feminist text instead of choosing other universal themes. Briefly, the title of this novel, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is a image of the feelings provoked by the main character, Louise Mallard. In connection to this, it can be confirmed that this novel is a reference to Kate Chopin’s life since most of the events in Louise’s life are similar, or at least made a great influence to that of the story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour†. The biographical approach made by the researcher accomplishes its purpose because an understanding able of the issues behind the book went through by tracing the history and life of Kate Chopin. Literature can bring us to the world of the author. Therefore, this research established that literature reflects the time, state of mind, and the life of the author through understanding the connection between Kate Chopin and Mrs. Mallard in the short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour. † References: Original Text: References Chopin, K. (1976). The Awakening and Selected Stories of Kate Chopin. New York: Signet Classic. Eagleton, T. (1996). Biographical Approach. An introduction to Literary Theories (2 ed. ) University of Minnesota Press. Horward, A. ( 2005). A Woman Ahead of Her Time. Retrieved 28 April 2010 from: http://www. angelfire. com/nv/English243/Chopin. html Lamb, A. (2003). The topic: literary criticism. Retrieved 24 April 2010 from: