Monday, September 30, 2019
Learning Disabilities in Society Today Essay
The modern society has advanced very much compared to the earlier society, for example of the mid twentieth century. This advancement can be attributed to various technological innovations and inventions that have taken place in the society. The various spheres of change have impacted both positively and negatively on the welfare of the people. This is together with the welfare of those with disabilities. Disability has been and remains to be a major aspect of social inquiries and studies that has been conducted in the society. This is given that the disabled persons are part and parcel of the society. In this regard, the issue of disability as an area of study encompasses various aspects. This is for instance the kind of relationships between disability and work, disability and oppression, disability and education and disability and discrimination among others. In addition, studies on disability have centered on the measures that have been taken or ought to be taken to address the issue. The measures taken range from medical interventions and efforts to change the attitude of the members of the society towards the disabled people. Disability and the Society Today: Overview There are several definitions that have been proposed for the term disability. The definitions depend on the orientation and experiences of the scholar. For example, in law, the term disability can be used to connote a physical or mental impairment of an individual (Shah & Priestly, 2009). For the impairment to qualify as a disability, the law requires that it must have a substantial and long term negative effect on the individual’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities (Valentino & Skeletonk, 2009). However, not all such conditions qualify as disabilities. For example, individuals with ailments such as cancer, HIV/AIDS and those who are blind or partially sighted are not considered as been disabled. According to the legal definition given above, impairments considered to make an individual disabled include sensory impairments, such as sight and hearing, or mental impairments such as learning disabilities, dyslexia and mental illness (Bradley, Danielson & Hallahan, 2002). Some severe disfigurements, for example those affecting limbs and other physical organs, are regarded as a disability. Some conditions that can worsen over time such as multiple scleroses are also regarded as a disability as soon as they are diagnosed, even before they start to affect the individual’s day to day activities (Lerner, 2000). There are criteria that have been put in place to determine whether a disability is long term or not. For example, for a disability to de regarded as long term, it must have lasted for at least one year (Bradley et al, 2002). Disabilities that have lasted for less than one year can also be classified as long term. This is when there are sufficient grounds to expect the disability to last for at least one year after its onset (Barnes, Fletcher & Fuchs, 2007). For example, a loss of both limbs can be considered as a long term disability even if the loss is barely one month old. Also, for a disability to be regarded as long term, it must be expected to last for the rest of the individual’s life (Barnes et al, 2007). As earlier alluded to in this paper, there are several types of disabilities affecting people in the society. These range from physical disability, mental disability among others. Another type of disability that affects people in the society, albeit not so visible, is learning disability. This paper is going to look at learning disabilities within the context of the modern society. A general overview of disability has already been provided to create a context within which learning disability will be located.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
My Relationship
Brittany English 101-B35 9/28/2012 A relationship between two people can have very different meanings. In some relationships such as two lovers, they can also be best friends because they share good communication. A relationship between a parent and child has a special bond because they share love, and affection for each other. However, there are times when a relationship can go bad because there is no understanding, lack of communication, and a feeling of distance in the relationship.Relationships in all parts of our lives contribute to our well-being. Through our relationships, we are sustained in our personal growth and development. Our relationships provide us with the support we need to grow and to handle challenges we can face. In relationships, people like, respect, and trust each other. These are paramount foundations to a healthy relationship. We can accept each other for who we are, including the ways people grow and change over time.For an example I’ve been with my boyfriend Michael for almost three years now and although we’ve gone a lot of problems he has always been there for me. I’ve been able to over a lot of things in my life with him by my side, he’s helped me build confidence and made me realize that everyone as an opinion that doesn’t mean I have to take to heart. I really have no idea what I would without him by my side.The toughest thing that we’ve had to overcome in our relationship is when I was pregnant earlier this year and my dad wasn’t very happy about it so he kicked me out. I moved in with Michael and things got really tough that we decided to part ways, so I moved in with my mother but he said he was going to do all that he could to make things right even if we weren’t together he was going to be there for our child and be the dad he never had, three months down the road we lost our child.After our loss I moved back in with my father and things went back to normal. Since then Michael and I got back together and so many things have changed with our relationship all the problems have seemed to disappear and we’ve become closer despite my parents not wanting me with him. He truly is the perfect guy for me. As for his looks go he’s crazy tall, 6’5†which makes me happy because I love a guy much taller than me being that I’m 5’6†myself. He has big brown eyes that when the light hits them they like look a dark green.He’s a little over weight but it something he’s working on. He has four tattoos, two on right shoulder and one on his left and on the left side of his chest my favorite out of them all would be the tree that has he has on his right shoulder, I don’t know why I just have a fascination with nature and trees. As for his personality He’s Kind, compassionate, and sympathetic. Has a great sense of humor and is loyal. He’s Strong enough to lean on when I need to but comfor table enough to cry if things get bad.He has an easy going temperament and not afraid to say sorry when he is wrong. He even goes out of his way to cheer me up when I am blue. He is completely trust worthy and I can’t talk to him about everything, he’s truly are amazing. He truly has showed me what love really is and I wouldn’t want it any other way For as long as I have been with him people have asked me â€Å"why are you with him†? During our difficult times I seriously had to sit and think about the reasons why I was with him, for the longest time I didn’t really see what we had in common.I mean we don’t have the same taste in music; I am rather organized where he is rather sloppy, we don’t like the same types of food, our childhood upbringing and family could not be any dis similar. So as I reviewed these different aspects of what I expect most people to have in common I started to realize that we didn’t have anything in co mmon, It wasn’t until I got so frustrated and angry that I actually confronted him telling him we had nothing in common, that he showed me a different way to look at it.He said with a smile on his face â€Å" of course we don’t have any of those things in common, but that’s not why I love you†after he said those words I realized I didn’t love him for any of those reasons either , but it was all the intangible things about him that I loved some much, and after I saw that, I realized we did in fact have some things in common that I never even thought about, like each of us has an appreciation for art, beauty, and nature.We both love animals and the ocean, but I don’t think I would have ever actually seen all the things we do have in common until I stretched my brain a little to look outside the normal view of what most of my peers have in common with their significant others, and it made me smile to think that even though we both together mig ht act like silly little children and laugh about the stupidest things most times, we really have a loving and mature relationship (most of the time).I would say the song that describes our relationship the best would be the perfect to by auburn. The song displays the true love between these two people and how they go hand and hand, that they wouldn’t be anything without one another. To me a romantic relationship is a commitment, compromise, acceptance, and love.You must commit yourself to work on improving the relationship, you must often compromise to come to an agreement on many issues, and you must accept the other person for who they are and not try to change them, as change can only come from within. You must love yourself before you can love someone else, and you must love the other person enough to put their needs before your own. Auburn. â€Å"Where the Perfect Two. †Perfect Two. Beluga Heights , 2011.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Global Warming Essay
Introduction            Speaking in simple terms, the environment basically means the immediate surroundings that human beings and other living things live in. Naturally speaking, the environment comprises animate and the inanimate, the flora and fauna, water bodies, land, vegetation, air and the composition thereof, and the atmosphere. This means that the need to conserve the environment is an issue very sacrosanct since, all the forces of nature that support both animal (human), and plant life exist and function under the aegis of the environment.            The importance of thereof is testified of by the fact that the world in its entirety has come together in one accord to ensure environmental safety. To this effect, sundry and almost all countries have come together to institute polices and frameworks that will ensure that matters touching on environmental safety are upheld. This means that there are stipulations that have also been placed so that any member state that breaches these policies can be punished. This international confederation of nation states makes up the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) as an umbrella body of the United Nations (UN). The UNEP organ has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. General concepts of the environment  The importance of the environment is reiterated by the fact that there are several underpinnings that the environment has on general life. This principle is referred to as environmental interrelationships. The principle has it that the manner in which the environment is managed and its subsequent quality is directly proportional to the quality of life of the organisms that live in and on it. The corollary to the above principle is that man, as the highest order of organisms in the environment, has seen not only the importance of conserving his environment, but has also come up with rules and policies to safeguard it, both at the national and international level. These rules are known and referred to by Cunningham and Cunningham (2008) as environmental ethics. The expedience of conserving the environment is supported by the fact that all lives are totally dependable on the environment. This means that the destruction of the environment is tantamount to the detriment of all sorts of life in the planet. The principle of interrelatedness of species and environmental ethics            Within the environment, there are two sets of relationships that living things have. The first relationship is that all living things are mutually and incorrigibly dependent on one another. It is because of this concept that elements such as food web and food chain are a reality. For this, relationships can be symbiotic or parasitic.            The second relationship has it that all species share from one central pool of environmental resources. This means that the destruction of one component in the environment even if there is no correct nexus between the destroyer and the victim, the former will be adversely affected also. For instance, the continual cutting away of trees and vegetation cover immediately exposes the lives of wild animals. In the long run, man is bound to loose in a double way as he is deprived of rain, and as such is in danger of becoming ensnared by famine due to drought. Secondly, because the habitat of the wild will have been destroyed, the animals will have to come out in the open to contend with man over the remaining resources. Environmental interactions and organisms            According to Weart (2004), ever since the appearance of man 200,000 years ago, man has tried to manipulate the environment so that it benefits him whereas other species have merely tried to rely on it. It is against this backdrop that technological development is quantified pegged on man’s capacity to harness forces of nature and nature itself so that the quality and longevity of life can be enhanced. Unfortunately, with the desire to make ameliorations on the longevity and quality of life, man has interrupted the course of the environment. These facts will be dealt on at length in the essay. Global warming            With the increase of technology and technological skills, there has sprung up machines and industries that are completely dependent on fuel. This means that these machines and industries have to release gaseous wastes which are normally toxic. Global warming occurs when there is the continual emission of carbon dioxide. In turn, the build up in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere causes the depletion of the ozone layer (O3) so that it is punctured. This leaves (tiny) gaps through which the ultraviolet rays of the sun can now penetrate to reach the earth.            Because of the above condition, there is the resultant rise in temperature on the earth. This rise in temperature leads to overheating of the earth, causing drought. At the same time, one of the rippling effects of this overheating is that it leads to the melting of the ice caps. The melting of the ice caps in the other end leads to the disappearance in the landmass.            From the above juncture, it can be easily and rightly surmised that a myriad of problems will kick in. For instance, the economic implications that man will face just because of the attenuated land mass, will be staggering. This will mean less space for economic production (industrial premises), domicile, among others. Again, the thought of man missing on enough space for agrarian activities is sobering, as this means that the concept of realizing food security is a matter that will be a mere mirage. Besides, the erratic weather patterns are bound to compromise crop farming. Species extinction            Among the issues that climatologists, geographers and biological scientists are worried about in relation to environmental degradation, is that the resultant global warming is responsible for the demise of different species. This happens as the resultant change in climate in the other end, having led to the disappearance of landmass, leaves other species with their habitats compromised.            For instance, in June 30th 2008, a study of species reveals that penguins that live in the arctic have having their numbers diminished because of their gradually disappearing habitat. This is because, on top of their vast numbers, these animals have to contend with the limited resources for the survival. The UN Climate Scientists Association pointed out that at the moment, the population of penguins has depreciated by 7.9 % from 2005 to 2007 alone. It is not surprising that this body accredited the above condition to the melting of the ice caps Overpopulation            It is estimated by the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP) that at the moment, the earth hosts 6.7 billion people. This UN umbrella body points out that the ideal number of world population should not exceed 6 billion meaning that the earth and her resources are inundated. The UNDP, in conjunction with the UNEP posits that there is no way in which the earth is able to replenish her resources that are being dispensed at a very high rate. It is on this premise that virtually all governments, together with UNEP are overtly concerned with diminishing forest reserves and natural resources. At the heart of the matter is that there lies an anthropocentric question and that of the environmental welfare. If it is proscribed of human beings by the UNEP to encroach on forest reserves, how shall he live? This question is going to be grappled with hard, in the near future, as melting ice caps is going to deprive man of an ideal land mass. Water and Air Pollution            Water and air pollution are concepts that Houghton (2004) touches in a comprehensive scope. This is because the two are highly concomitant and highly dictatorial on the quality of human life. Houghton (Ibid) postulates that the prevention of these forms of pollution is the starting point of the extirpation of global warming. Houghton elucidates his opinion, saying that the most tenable recourse will be to place international standards that will regulate the maximal volume of carbon dioxide that will have been released in the atmosphere. At the same time, this UN Climate Scientists continues that the UNEP should have more powers vested on it so that it can be able to sanction the countries that compromise these stipulations.            Houghton (2004) continues that the same principle should be ratified in all countries so that all UNEP member states must ensure that all their industries or factories are totally compliant with the UNEP Drainage of Industrial Wastes Act. To this effect, no UNEP member should at all tolerate factories that empty their wastes in water bodies. Similarly, Cunningham and Cunningham (Op ct) continues that it is an opportune time all countries followed the example of the US that has its Industrial Hazard Act totally in force. This means that all the factories in the US have pipes that transport wastes labeled. By reading the labeling, the reader is able to know the nature of the wastes whether liquid, solid, gaseous, flammable or toxic. At the same time, the manner and the place of disposal of the wastes will be predictable. This makes it easier to detect culprits who do not adhere to environmental ethics.            More light seems to be flickering at the end, due to the fact that the UNEP, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNDP now requires that all its member states hand over, after every five years, their water and air management policies. The deployment of inspectors from these three UN bodies for the sake of carrying out impromptu inspections on factories and other corporate entities is also a measure that seems to be propelling international policies of water management and air quality issues into safe directions. Sustainable Development and Energy Sources            Gore (2006) says that while there is no problem with technological development, there is need for clear cut policies that regulate the sources of energy that are to be used in a country’s industrial base. To this effect, it is taken as important, the fact that there is to be the limitation set for the amount of carbon dioxide wastes that are to be released into the atmosphere. It is because of the above situation that developing economies are being encouraged to work towards speeding up of the electrification process.            This is because, it has been found that the ratio of atmospheric pollution to that of the industrial output in developing countries is not favorable compared to the developed economies. This situation is so since developed countries have comprehensive electric connections and tend therefore to use electric power that is environment friendly. Solid Waste Management The UNEP and WHO also continues to push its member states into ensuring that there are fine tuned policies on the solid wastes disposal regulations. In a very positive and encouraging move, the UNEP unearthed a program in which it was to release funds out of its financial gallery to ensure that the developing economies are all serviced with waste baskets. Since, 2003, the UNEP, WHO and other developed countries have been contributing funds to the developing economies so that the latter can realize decent toilets that have well drained sewage systems. Conclusion: If society is to act so as to forestall Global Warming            In order to catalyze the process of extirpating cases of global warming, it is incumbent that the rank and file of each society be involved in the war against environmental degradation. This may portend, apart from taking some of the above measures to forestall global warming, informing and educating the entire human society of the importance and the ways of taking care of the environment.            At the same time, it is needed that developing countries totally subject their activities and status to the UN member bodies, despite the fact that they settle over 90% of the UN budget. It is because of the above situation for instance that the US always blackmails the UN, by threatening to pull out of the UN, whenever policies that are anti-American are recalled. The US and Canada on April 1st 1965 refused to suspend heavy use of industrial coal. US threatened to pull out of the UN, since she knew clearly that the UN could not afford to loose her as she settles over 75% of the UN budget. This sets up a bad precedence for other member states in reneging UNEP environmental policies. Work Cited Cunningham, W. and Cunningham, M. (2008). The Principles of Environmental Science:         Their Inquiry and Applications (4th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Gore, A. (2006). Global Warming: Planetary Emergencies and Proposals. Colorado:    Bloomsbury. Houghton, T. (2004). A Complete Briefing on Global Warming. Cambridge: Cambridge            University Press. Weart, S. (2004). Global Warming. Harvard: Harvard University Press.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Operation Iraqi Freedom Logistics, Strategy and Support Essay
Operation Iraqi Freedom Logistics, Strategy and Support - Essay Example The distribution based logistics did not function smoothly, as it was expected when the US group went to Iraqi for the first time (Peltz, Halliday, and Girardini, 2005). Variety of problems needed to be addressed and they included insufficient logistics employees, reduced asset visibility, lack of proper communication, and inadequate provision of transportation materials. Although, with time the Army has persistently continued to change the supply process and has advanced the materials used so that the distribution based logistics system can become more successful. It was evident that when operation Iraqi freedom begun, the department of defense did not have the supply capability to set up and manage the majority of distribution and tools in theater. The principal factor that led to the issues of distribution in the operation Iraqi freedom was insufficient war service maintaining staff in the theater. Most of the units in the war service sustenance are reserved and, therefore, need almost 90 to 120 days to activate and deploy the operation Iraqi freedom. To prevent the training division over the December 2002 festive season, the conclusion was decided so that there is a delay in some of the recruitment of operation Iraqi freedom (Amaal and Judi, 2007). Because of this reason, majority of the army and the aquatic service logistics staff, did not prepare to the theater till the time when the warfare troops entered and the significant warfareà ‚ operations were in progress. At the time, when the warfare service maintaining staffs were in the theater, defense supply of food and extra parts in various units were exhausted and meals that were ready for consumption stocks in the maintaining storehouse were not as much for the day in the operation Iraqi freedom. This led to the crippling beginning of the distribution based logistics system
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Disscusion and analusis on Rimskii korsakov golden cockerel Research Paper
Disscusion and analusis on Rimskii korsakov golden cockerel - Research Paper Example The story centers on making the audience happily laugh after seeing the entire opera. One such satiric scene is the small fragile powerless Golden Cockerel easily killing of the strongly overpowering king. Another satiric scene is king’s being late to save his sons from the deadly onslaught of the enemy army. A third satiric opera scene is disloyal astrologer’s forcing his superior king to turn over the Shemakha queen to the astrologer. The king was right to kill the astrologer. Viewing the Youtube Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gva90C_7NeQ, Olga Trifonova played the important musical parts of the play, as the lead singer. Olga is the soprano of the Rimksy-Korsakov tragedy. Music, text, etc. of Nationalism and Exoticism. The opera musical score is excellently orchestrated. The characters are assigned different singing voice levels. King Dodon sings the bass tone. Prince Guidon sings using the tenor tone. Prince Afron sings using the barito ne tone. General Polkan sings using the bass tone. Armelfa, the royal housekeeper sings using the contralto tone. The Astroloer sings using the tenor tone. The queen of Shemakha sings using the soprano tone. Lastly, the Golden Cockeral sings using the soprano tone (Osborne 2007, 362). ... Vocal ranges. In addition, the opera includes singers who surpass the required vocal ranges. Further, different singers were hired to add color to the exciting orchestra play (www.youtube.com) Nationalism Satire (Nationalism and Exoticism). Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel (Le Coq D’ Or) musical masterpieces centers on the fairy tale satire of Alexander Puskin (http://www.youtube.com). The opera piece combines several themes that include the themes of nationalism and exoticism. The themes include brutality, romance, and mild fantasy scenes. The story also includes romance scenes in the violence-tainted operatic masterpiece. The story revolves around King Dodon. As in other fairy tale stories, the king is old and tired from the daily grind of one’s kingly duties. The fantasy includes the astrologer’s offering the King a golden cockerel. The cockerel is trained to crow whenever danger approaches (Ackart 1992, 88). Nationalistic mockery theme: Untimely d eath of the King’s sons.vThe musical play shows a nationalistic statement that the Russian King Czar’s children are weak and cannot defend themselves. In the Golden Cockerel Opera, King Dodon’s sons are not successful in their desire to defend the kingdom from the approaching enemy’s army (Goodman, 1992, 101). The king did not arrive in time to save his sons from the marauding enemy army. The king failed to fulfill his duty to ensure his children are not killed in battle. Likewise, the astrologer is not successful in persuading the king to give the Queen as payment for the golden cockerel bird. The king represents the theme of mistrust. The astrologer should not have trusted the king. The king broke his promise to grant the astrologer anything the astrologer
Main Tenets of the Theory in Criminal Justice Essay
Main Tenets of the Theory in Criminal Justice - Essay Example Social learning theories explain that people learn new behavior through overt reinforcement, punishment or observation. People learn through others’ behavior. If people observe positive, desired outcomes in the observed behavior, they are more likely to model, imitate, and adopt the behavior themselves. It also suggests that the environment can have an effect on the way people behave. This theory believes that criminality is a function of individual socialization, how an individual has been influenced by his experiences or relationships with his family, peer groups, teachers, church, authority figures, and others. Various theorists have attempted to develop concepts on how an individual within the social order learns. This has been an important topic because of the manner in which different people function within society. For example, the habitual criminal may not always learn from a jail sentence because of behavioral patterns learned in childhood. Yet, if this is the case, criminal justice entities, as well as psychological therapists have a method of understanding the behavior and treating it.  Learning is defined as the habits and knowledge that develop as a result of experiences with the environment, as opposed to instincts, drives, reflexes, and genetic predispositions. Associationism is the oldest learning theory. It is based on the idea that the mind organizes sensory experiences in some way, and is called cognitive psychology today. Behaviorism is the second oldest learning theory. It is based on the idea that the mind requires a physical response by the body in order to organize sensory associations. There are two types of learning in behavioral psychology: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Most social behavior is of an operant nature.Â
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Victorian Equity Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Victorian Equity Law - Essay Example This position arises in case of relationships between solicitor and client, parent and child, wife and husband which is known as fiduciary relationship, where trust and confidence exists. In this case, undue influence is presumed by law unless until it is proved contrary2. The presumption of undue influence is recognised by court of law basically where fiduciary relationship exists believing that in fiduciary relationship one party succeeds in exerting unfair influence or undue influence over the other. The court of law recognises relationship between employer and junior employee, doctor and patient also to bring into the ambit of presumption of undue influence3. In fiduciary relationship between wife and husband the creditor has a bounden duty before obtaining guarantee from the wife where wife is not a benficiary, is that a) to take reasonable steps to establish that her consent had been properly obtained, b) to discuss the facts with her c) to warn her of the consequences d) to suggest to take independent legal advise. Failing which, the transaction could be set aside by court of law4. Equity law protects innocent persons from undue influence by giving an opportunity to rescind the contract executed under undue influence. Defence available to opposite party if the fact of non existance of undue influence is rebutted with evidence5. Undue influence: Undue influence is classified into three types, a) actual undue influence, b) presumptive undue influence and c) proven undue influence. Actual undue influence is to be proved. Presumptive undue influence exists where trust and confidence is placed upon a strong party, especially in fiduciary relationships such as solicitor and client, religious adviser and disciple, physicians and patients, and parent and child. Proven Undue influence is similar to presumed undue influence except that in proven undue influence the trust and confidence is to be proved unlike in case of presumptive undue influence. Special Wives Equity: The law provides special equity for wives to protect their interest from the undue influence of their husbands, who take advantage of the weaker position of their wives. Under this equity if the transaction is clouded by actual undue influence and the creditor has the knowledge of existence of marriage between the surety and the borrower the transaction will be set aside. The law further provides that even there is no actual undue influence the transaction is subject to be set aside at the option of the surety unless the creditor has taken sufficient measures to bring to her notice and inform her suitably the effect of the transaction. The law says in special wives equity constructive notice of undue influence or relationship of influence is immaterial, mere knowledge of existence of marriage is sufficient. In Garcia case, which is relied on Yerkey v Jones8 the High Court has discussed elaborately on the principles based on the doctrine of Special Wives Equity. Clear and thorough study of the judgment in Garcia case shows how the different principle adopted in case of Wives in setting aside of security of wife is justified when compared to the non-wives security to third party, duly following the law of equity6. Garcia vNnational Australia Bank ltd7: National Australian Bank
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
An Artwork of Ai Weiwei Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
An Artwork of Ai Weiwei - Essay Example I have observed that art pieces of Ai Weiwei seem to be confusing many viewers. Ai Weiwei artistic are challenging because the artist uses nearly every object to represent unique features. Evidently, a number of his work tends to leave the viewers grappling to identify the meaning. For example, in one of his art piece, he has used an ordinary bicycle to produce a sterling art piece. Attempts towards interpreting the meaning of this piece often leaves the viewer thinking about the meaning of the ordinary piece of object used in artwork. As noted by a number of art critics, the use of ordinary objects to produce unique art pieces sometimes creates difficulty in interpretation (Laar and Diepeveen 94). Largely, placing the artwork in any context tends to be very difficult. I believe that this situation is evident with most art pieces of Ai Weiwei. The common nagging question that people find difficult is what the art piece represents when the meaning of the ordinary object has changed. W hile the viewers often struggle to find the meaning of art pieces, many fail to think in terms of placing the artwork in a given context. Laar and Diepeveen have observed that some artwork that the audiences regard as difficult tends to incline towards certain cultures (112). Arguably, interpreting art pieces designed to address a concern in the western countries might not have the same meaning in the Asian countries. Thus, in interpreting artwork, the viewer needs to understand the culture of the people where the artwork has emanated from. For instance, Ai Weiwei art pieces often confuse many viewers because they seem to address aspects of the Asian culture as well as western cultures. Arguably, a mixture of cultural aspects from different backgrounds may be difficult to interpret. First, by putting the artwork in a different cultural background, the viewer shall have lost the real meaning. Secondly, failure to recognize the background of the artwork will also make the interpretati on difficult. In my view, interpreting the art pieces of Ai Weiwei requires understanding the context of his work. The difficulty in interpretation often arises when the situation that led to the creation of the artwork is unclear. In such cases, the viewer needs to know circumstances that surround the creation of the artwork. I think the vagueness in the presentation is the failure of the viewer to identify the situations or circumstances that artists want to display. For example, artistic works which address political issues may confuse a viewer who does not place the work in the right political situation. I have realized that Ai Weiwei’s work which addresses the sorry state of the society tends to create controversy in interpretation. For example, Ai Weiwei’s painting, â€Å"Ai Weiwei is missing in Taipei†illustrates stools clamped together. The painting may be disturbing to interpret because it tends to project varied meaning. While in Ai’s view the painting illustrates his absence during the Taipei event, a viewer who does not have the right information might not think in that line.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Individual Critical Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Individual Critical Reflection - Essay Example To the best of our abilities, members of the group adhered to Saunder's (2007) advice regarding primary data collection and sampling procedures. In retrospect, however, and having read much more on data collection, I would have approach the procedure differently. In the first place, in order to ensure the reliability and validity of the primary data, I would have requested permission to audio-record the interviews from the respondents. Not only would this have preserved the respondents' answers as given, rather than their subsequent, possibly biased, reinterpretation from interview notes drawn up by the researchers, but would have evidenced the validity of the data. Further to that, I would also followed Miles and Huberman's (2005) advice concerning the establishment of construct validity. Insofar as the aforementioned necessitates the establishment of a chain of evidence throughout the data collection process, audio-taping the interviews would have been important. It would also have necessitated presenting the respondents with a copy of the study for their review and the verification of information through several sources of information. This process is, needless to say, infinitely more time-consuming than that which we adopted for the purposes of this study and, definitely more complex. Nevertheless, given the extent to which it would have contributed to the validation of the study and allowed for the generalisation of its findings, I would have chosen to adhere to this strategy. Individual Contribution Working as part of a team is complicated and, more often than not, a source of extreme tension. It entails trusting a part of one's grade, one's future, to others and, by no means, is this easy to do. Therefore, even though all the team members did their part and none were left holding the slack of others, I personally prefer doing my work myself. For this reason, I had no objections whatsoever to the workload assigned to me by the group leader, despite the fact that it somewhat exceeded the work load assigned to other team members. As a matter of fact, considering that I wanted to achieve the highest grade possible on the team project, I actively welcomed any work assigned to me, knowing that I will do my best to ensure that it meets with the highest standards possible, at least to the best of my ability. It is, thus, that I took responsibility for critical sections in the literature review; more specifically, I researched and wrote the parts ob coffee shops and Fairtrade products. I also was responsible for designing and completing the time-table, writing the interview permission letters required for the purposes of gaining permission to conduct interviews with employees of fair-trade companies, processing the primary data using SPSS, answering all the objective questions and finalising the work of other team members. As I noted at the outset, I often did more than my share but I did it on a voluntary basis as, quite honestly, the more work I did for the project, the more reassured I was regarding quality. Given that, from my perspective at least, the work submitted by other group members displayed substantial effort and high quality, I have to admit that the problem lies with me. I have not yet learnt to
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Power point use in work envirnoment Essay Example for Free
Power point use in work envirnoment Essay Cynthia Computer Application-205 Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Microsoft Word-Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 lead global in the development and production of software and software-related services and solutions. Initially known for home computers, Microsoft, headquartered in Washington, now offers various operating systems and software for desktop computers. This multinational company strives to help the worldwide business community improve efficiency and productivity. In recent years, this company has battled criticism concerning what some consider monopolistic, anti-competitive business practices. Despite legal setbacks including antitrust violations sanctioned by the US Department of Justice, Microsoft remains a major player in its field. In today’s business environment demands the sharing of data, mobile technology and speedy communication. Microsoft provides tools enabling business to be productive and communicate effectively regardless of location. Outlook serves as the portal for e-mail, tasks, calendar and contacts. Microsoft office line workspace, boasting online storage space, enables users to save access and share documents throughout the world. Mobile Technology like smartphones, which supply the user with advanced computing options allow you to stay connected to businesses. Microsoft office Accounting Express 2008 offers small start-up or at home businesses a resource for accounting processing and procedures. The software includes invoices, budget and finance template and profit and loss statements. Office Excel surpasses manual, paper-based spreadsheets in terms of ease of use and accuracy. Businesses confront an ever-growing number of security threats. Many businesses elect to use Microsoft Vista operating system as a measure to protect their data. Vista boasts account control, troubleshooting and diagnostic features and spyware blocker. Microsoft Security Essentials, introduce in 2009, offers antimalware solutions at no cost to consumers who use Genuine Windows-based PCs. Large business may choose Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate; Ultimate offers Bit Lockers Drive Encryption for maximum data protection. Microsoft lost its standing as the leading global software company in May 2010. Apple, once on the verge of extinction focused on innovative, new consumer products to generate growth; a popular line of hand-held devices contributed to the company’s surge in profitability. In contrast, Microsoft, despite sporadic new systems releases, primarily lies mainly on preserving the existing business. Although Microsoft remains a strong player in the market, the company continues to face stiff competition. PowerPoint is an excellent tool for employee training and online learning. Business owners and company managers can use the programs to create compelling and interactive slide shows to demonstrate new products, train new workers and help existing customers get the most out of the products they buy. In fact there are a great many advantages to using PowerPoint as an online learning tool. One of the most powerful things about PowerPoint is the fact that it can corporate animation features and clip art. Its ability to incorporate sound is another powerful benefit of PowerPoint as an online learning tool. The sound functions of this program can make the slide show more interactive and less boring, and too can encourage visitors to stay with the training. Companies can use this interactive feature of PowerPoint to overcome problems and make their training sessions compelling. PowerPoint contains a number of powerful interactivity tools that makes it easy for users to engage the attention of the entire online audience. The improvement done to Excel 2007 and Excel 2010 is the ability to group the dates in the dropdown list into years and months. That means you don’t have to create a new column to identify the years and months of each row using Excel formulas. In Excel 2010, you can customize your own Ribbon tab. It can be used as commands in one place. In this way you do not have to click from one tab to another to find your commonly used command. In the earlier years of Excel (2003 and below), sorting can only be done based on the color coding in the cell, Not only that, you can also sort the records by the font color. That’s new in Excel 2002 and 2010. Multiple conditional is not made easy Excel 2007 and 2010. In the older Excel version 2003 and below, we are to count based on one single condition. When using Excel 2003, multiple conditions sum has to be done using the formula SUMPRODUCT or combining all the conditions into one before applying the formula SUMIF to data. With the new Excel 2007, you can now easily sum up the values based on more than one condition by using the SUMIF’s fomula.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Diffusion Coefficient of 2m NACL in Water
Diffusion Coefficient of 2m NACL in Water This experiment aims to determine the diffusion coefficient of a liquid mixture, sodium chloride solution, in de-ionized water. This is done through the use of a honeycomb diffusion cell which consists of 121 vertical capillaries which are 5mm long and 1mm in diameter. Ficks Law of Diffusion is used in this experiment to calculate the diffusion coefficient of sodium chloride solution in de-ionized water. The change in concentration of the sodium chloride in the de-ionized water is measured by using the conductivity meter, since sodium chloride dissociates in water. The calculated value of diffusion coefficient was compared with the literature value derived from Eletrochemistry textbook, and the difference in values will be discussed. Some assumptions are being made to make the calculations much simpler. The concentration at the lower end of the diffusion cell is assumed to be equal to 2M, which is the molarity of the sodium chloride solution. The concentration at the upper end of the diffusion cell is taken to be effectively zero. Certain factors that affect diffusion and the calculation of the diffusion coefficient are also discussed to understand more about their effects on diffusion. However, this experiment did not place emphasis on these factors, and these factors are assumed to be negligible in the experiment as steps have been taken to minimise their presence in this experiment. Objective The objective of this experiment is to determine the diffusion coefficient of 2M Sodium Chloride solution in de-ionised water. Principles 1. Diffusion Molecular diffusion, or simply known as diffusion, is a spontaneous process that results in the net transport of molecules from a region of higher concentration to another region of lower concentration. This net transport is a result of the intrinsic thermal energy present in all molecules at temperatures above absolute zero. The phenomenon of diffusion can be mathematically described using Ficks Law (or Ficks 1st Law), which states that for a two component system consisting of A and B, the molar flux, Ni , of the individual component (i = A, B) is defined as: (1) where D is the diffusion coefficient , Ci is the concentration of component i, and is the concentration gradient in the z-direction. The negative sign indicates the flow of transport is from region of higher concentration to region of lower concentration. In the context of this experiment, Ficks law in one-dimension is considered, and there is no mean flow of mixture in the experimental set-up. Therefore, Equation (1) for the molar flux is valid for this experiment. 2. Experimental Set-up A diffusion cell is an instrument that is used to study the diffusion of liquid or gaseous mixtures. The diffusion cell used in this experiment consists of a honeycomb of 121 accurately dimensioned vertical capillaries that are 5mm long and 1mm wide in diameter. This is to restrict the diffusion to a one -dimensional diffusion. To prepare the diffusion cell for use, a small volume of concentrated solution is first placed on one side of the honeycomb, whilst the other side consists of a large volume of pure solvent (de-ionized water). The concentration within the larger volume will increase gradually as diffusion of the solute occurs. This change in concentration is monitored closely with a conductivity sensor and meter. To ensure a uniform concentration within the larger volume, the mixture is continuously stirred with a magnetic stirrer. (Figure 1) The concentration at the lower end of the tube is in fact constant and is equal to the molarity of the solution. The concentration at the upper end of the tube is effectively zero (Figure 2). Honeycomb structure with capillaries Concentration of solution outside tube is zero Concentration of solution inside tube is 2M NaCl Therefore it can be said that: (2) where M is the molarity of the solution and L is the length of the tube. The amount of sodium chloride diffusing per unit time from the capillary is approximately: (3) where d is the diameter of the capillary, n is the number of capillaries and L is the length of the capillary. Outside the tube, since sodium chloride is able to dissociate in water into sodium and chloride ions, the accumulation of the sodium chloride salt in the de-ionized water can be easily calculated by the measurement of change in the conductivity k of the solution with respect to time t. The amount of sodium chloride accumulating per unit time outside the vessel is approximately: (4) where V is the volume of water in outer vessel and CM is the conductivity change for unit molarity change and has the value of 0.41ÃŽÂ ©-1M-1 for the solution used in this experiment. Mass balance requires that the amount of sodium chloride going out of the capillaries must be equals to the amount of sodium chloride accumulated in the de-ionized water. (5) Therefore, (6) By rearranging Equation (6), (7) All the terms in equation (7) are constants and known, except for . However, to determine, we can plot a graph of conductivity as a function of time and find the gradient, which is equals to. Thus, by plotting conductivity as a function of time, the value of the diffusion coefficient D for the sodium chloride solution can be determined. Equipment and Materials One litre vessel with cell holder (Figure 3) Magnetic stirrer with variable speed (Figure 3) Magnetic stir bar (Figure 3) Diffusion cell (Figure 4) Conductivity meter (Figure 5) Conductivity leads Stopwatch (Figure 6) A bottle of de-ionized water (Figure 7) 50 ml beaker (Figure 8) 2M sodium chloride solution in a 100ml glass bottle (Figure 9) Experimental Procedure The one litre vessel was filled with de-ionized water up to 1cm below the graduation (black) mark. The magnetic stirrer was set to the lowest setting. The conductivity meter was connected to the electrodes and then switched on. The reading on the conductivity meter was noted to be less than 10-4ÃŽÂ ©-1 (1 ÃŽÂ ©-1 = 1 Siemens). The diffusion cell was completely filled with 2M (molarity) sodium chloride solution (116.9g NaCl/litre). Excess solution on top of the capillaries and on the sides was wiped off gently with a soft tissue. The diffusion cell was clamped in its position with the top of the capillaries lying parallel with the graduation mark on the vessel. The vessel was carefully filled to the graduaton mark with the provided de-ionized water bottle. The nozzle of the bottle was aimed away from the capillaries and towards the wall of the vessel, so as to minimise the turbulence caused. The timer was started immediately when the vessel was filled to the graduation mark. The reading on the conductivity was noted down at the same time. The conductivity readings were noted down every 200 seconds till 3600s. After the end of Run 1, the solution in the vessel and diffusion cell was disposed. Both the vessel and the diffusion were washed thoroughly with de-ionized water. Steps (1) to (10) were repeated to get another set of readings for Run 2. Results The results are tabulated in Table 1. Questions Plot conductivity (k) versus time (t) and determine the slope of the best fit straight line through the points. From the plot, the gradient of slope of the best fit straight line for Run 1 and Run 2 are 4 x 10-8 and 3 x 10-8 respectively. Determine the diffusion coefficient of 2M NaCl using equation (6). To use equation (6), we need the value for . The value for is determined from the graph. We will take the average of the gradient of the 2 slopes we get from the graph. = = 3.5 x 10 -8 Where, V = 1 Litre = 0.001 m3 L = 5mm = 0.005 m CM = 0.41ÃŽÂ ©-1M-1 n = 121 M = 2M d = 1mm = 0.001 m (gradient of slope) = 3.5 x 10^-8 (ÃŽÂ ©s)-1 For = 3.5 x 10^-8 (ÃŽÂ ©s)-1, How does your value(s) compare with literature values? Comment on sources of error. Table 2 is obtained from the literature of an Electrochemistry textbook. The data in the table are obtained by various experimental techniques, such as tracer diffusion determination. The diffusion coefficient of Na+ and Cl- ions in water, extracted from relevant data in Table 2, are found to be 1.33 x 10-5 cm2/s and 2.03 x 10-5 cm2/s respectively. These ionic diffusion coefficients do not take into consideration the effect of solvation of the water molecules on the ionic species. From Table 2, both the sodium ion and chloride ion have different diffusion coefficient from each other. However sodium chloride diffuses with only one coefficient, therefore we need to compute the average diffusion coefficient, DNaCl. From the equation: (8) j1 = j2 = Dc1 = [] c1 The average diffusion coefficient of the electrolyte NaCl , DNaCl = 2 (9) (1/DNa+ + 1/DCl- ) = 2 (1/1.33 + 1/2.03) x 105 = 1.607 x 10-5 cm2/s = 1.607 x 10-9 m2/s Percentage difference between experimental and literature values of diffusion coefficient = (2.246 1.607)/(1.607) x 100% = + 39.8% The experimental diffusion coefficient values of 2.246 x 10-9 m2/s is slightly higher than the literature value of 1.607 x 10-9 m2/s, and this could be due to some possible sources of error (Will be further discussed in the next section). The calculated value (DNaCl) based on Table 2, equation (8) and (9) does not take into consideration the effect of hydration of the water molecules on the ionic species. The phenomenon of solute-solvent interaction between sodium chloride and water is called hydration. The solute and the solvent both interact to form a new species, which is the actual species diffusing in the solvent Hence, it should be expected that our experiment value will be different from the literature value (DNaCl), as hydration do play a part in the experiment. In addition, the high concentration of the sodium chloride solution (2M) may result in convection, which will also affect the rate of diffusion. (Will be further under Discussions) Possible Sources of Error S/N Possible Sources of Error Solution 1. If thewalls of the capillary tubes arewet, or if the diffusion tube is filled up too slowly or wrongly, air bubbles may form underthe capillariesin the honeycomb structure. The bubbles can significantly impede diffusion through the capillaries, affecting the rate of diffusion. Ensure that no air bubbles are formed in or under the honeycomb structure. This can be achieved by filling the diffusion cell slowly. 2. Evaporation of water from the 1 litre vessel during the experiment could affect thevolume present in the vessel and hence diffusion coefficient would be affected, since the calculation of the diffusion coefficient involves the volume of water present in the vessel. The vessel could be covered with a cover or lid to minimise evaporation of water. 3. The stopwatch should be startedas close as possible to the instant when the water covers the surface of the capillaries. This is because significant changes in concentration can occur at this pointintime due to the steep concentration gradient between the 2 solutions. However, human reaction time will result in some delay. Have one person to fill up the vessel until the honeycomb structure is fully submerged in water, while another person looks from the side and starts the stopwatch once the honeycomb structure is fully submerged. This will minimise the human reaction time. 4. The solution may not be well-stirred enough, thus resulting in a higher concentration at the diffusion surface than the rest of the solution. Have more than one conductivity sensor at various locations or depth along the vessel enables us to get more accurate conductivity readings by averaging the values obtained. 5. The needle was fluctuating at some of the instant when readings were supposed to be taken, making it hard to determine the value to be recorded. By the time the needle stabilised, it has already exceeded the stipulated time (e.g. 1000s), and the reading obtained from the meter would not reflect the conductivity of the solution at that particular time but instead for another timing. A data logging system should be used where signals from the conductivity meter used for the diffusion cell can be recorded into a computer at fixed regular time interval. This helps to eliminate human error from poor judgment in the reading of results as well as allows for a more accurate reading of the conductivity. 6. The vessel may not be thoroughly cleaned from previous experiment by other students, therefore leaving sodium chloride residue at the wall of the vessel. This may add to the conductivity of the solution during the diffusion experiment when the vessel is filled with de-ionised water and therefore lead to an error when calculating the diffusion coefficient of sodium chloride. Clean the equipments thoroughly once more with de-ionised water to ensure that no residues are present on the equipment. 7. Small air bubbles could have been trapped at the opening of the capillaries of the diffusion cell before the start of the experiment. This would affect the diffusion rate of the sodium chloride solution. A porous plate can be used. It enables the solute and solvent to pass through freely, minimizing the chance where the molecules are stuck at the pores or in the capillaries. 8. Convection occurred in the experiment is a major factor that will affect the accuracy of our experiment. Effort has been made to minimized convection. However, the extent in which convection has affected our experiment values is unknown. The rotation of the magnetic stirrer could introduce convection currents in the water. The addition of dye to the vessel containing watercan be used to determine whether the magnetic stirrer is causing too much convection. This should be done before the commencement of the actual experiment to ensure minimal or no convection are present. The dye should never be used during the commencement of the experiment as it might interfere with the diffusion rate of sodium chloride solution. 9. The changes in the conductivity may be so small such that the analog meter is not able to detect the changes. The use of an analog meter also depends on how the person judges the values of the readings when the needle is in between the markings on the meter. This might result in random errors. A digital conductivity meter or data logger should be used to minimise the random errors that might be introduced if an analog meter is used. A digital conductivity meter or data logger would be more able to reflect the small changes in conductivity of the solution, giving us readings that are more accurate and more precise. 10. The temperature of the sodium chloride solution in the diffusion cell and the water in the vessel is assumed to be the same and constant throughout the experiment. However, this may not be true due to the fact that the experimental setup is exposed to the surroundings, thus it is very difficult to ensure constant temperature within the system, unlike the case of a water bath. Temperature, however, does affect the diffusion coefficient. Conduct the experiment in an enclosed environment to minimise contact with the surroundings. Measure the temperature of the water and sodium chloride solution constantly to ensure constant and identical temperature throughout the experiment. Discussions Solute-Solvent interaction (hydration) In the experiment, the species that are diffusing are not just pure sodium and chloride ions. In fact, sodium chloride and water interact to give a new species which is the actual species diffusing in the solvent. The effect of hydration can be studied by using the following flux equation: (10) j1 = D0 (1 + ) c1 (11) j1 = (1 + ) c1 where D0 is the new diffusion coefficient, ÃŽÂ ¼ is the solvent viscosity, R0 is the solute radius, and Ɔ1 is the activity coefficient. Equation (10) and (11) can be affected by hydration in two ways. These two factors are the hydrated species radius R0, and the concentration dependence of diffusion. From equation (11), the solute radius R0 is that of the hydrated species. This can be related to the true solute radius R0 by the following equation: à ₠¬ R03 = à ₠¬ (R0)3 + n() (12) Where VH2O is the molar volume of water and n is the hydration number. The third column of Table 3 shows the values obtained from equation (12). If we were to take the values of Na+ (0.5) and Cl- (-0.7) and compute the average radius R0, the radius obtained will be a smaller value as compared to the case when no hydration is considered. Therefore, we will obtain a larger D0 if we substitute a smaller R0 into equation (11). This explains why we get a larger D0 from experimental results as compared to literature values. Convection In our experiment, the sodium chloride solution has a molarity of 2M, which is a concentrated solution. Such concentrated solution may cause convection in our experiment, thus affecting the rate of diffusion. Total mass transported = Mass transported by diffusion + Mass transported by convection (13) The total mass flux n1, (mass transported per unit area per unit time): n1 = j1a + c1va where j1a is the diffusion flux and c1va represents the convection. From equation (7): (7) D = If we add in the convection term, it becomes (7.1) D = + (convection) From equation (7.1), we can see that the presence of convection in the experiment will mean a bigger value for diffusion coefficient since the total mass transported is now dependent not solely on diffusion only. Convection does play a part in the transporting of mass. In order to examine whether the effect of convection is significant in our experiment, we can carry the experiment with sodium chloride solution at lower concentrations. The diffusion coefficient obtained will then be compared against literature values. If the degree of difference between experimental results and literature values is similar to that of using 2M sodium chloride solution, then we can say that the effect of convection is negligible in our experiment, and vice versa. Temperature dependence of diffusion coefficient In our experiment, the temperature of the water in the vessel and the sodium chloride solution is assumed to be the same and constant throughout the experiment. The dependence of diffusion coefficient on temperature in liquids can be determined using the Stokes- Einstein equation: (14) where T1 and T2 denote temperature 1 and 2 respectively D is the diffusion coefficient is the dynamic viscosity of the solvent From the equation, we can see that temperature does affect the diffusivity of the sodium chloride ions. In order to ensure that this problem does not affect our experiment, we should continuously measure the temperature of the water in the vessel and the sodium chloride solution to ensure identical and constant temperature throughout the experiment. Conclusions The aim of the experiment was to determine the diffusion coefficient of 2M Sodium Chloride solution in de-ionised water. The purpose of the experiment is achieved through the use of diffusion cell and the conductivity meter to study the change in concentration along the vessel at regular intervals. The value of our experimental result is of the order of 10-9 m2/s, which is common for liquid mixtures. This implies that the method of using honeycomb diffusion cell and measuring the change in conductivity to calculate the accumulation of the sodium chloride in the de-ionized water is appropriate for the determination of diffusion in a liquid mixture in this experiment. However, one should be aware that the conductivity method is only applicable for solute which fully dissociates in water. Solutes which do not dissociate in water will not give any changes in conductivity of the de-ionized water. It was found that the diffusion coefficient determined in the experiment is 39.8% larger than the literature values. This is most likely due to the fact that the literature values did not consider the effect of hydration on the sodium and chloride ions. The effect of hydration tends to increase the rate of diffusion, and this was the case for sodium chloride solution. Therefore, if we were to take into consideration the effect of hydration on the ions in our calculation of the literature values, the diffusion coefficient calculated will be close to our experimental value. We have discussed that convection is an important factor that might affect the reliability and accuracy of the experimental results. Due to the limitations of the experiment procedure, we were unable to determine the extent in which convection affects the experiment. Dyes could have been used to detect the presence of any significant convection currents due to the rotation of the magnetic stirrer. This experiment has showed that it is very difficult to calculate the actual diffusion coefficient very accurately using mathematical models and scientific concepts that we currently have. Due to the fact that the values of diffusion coefficients for liquid mixtures are very small, of the order of 10-9 m2/s, any slight error during the experiment will result in a big difference from the actual value. This difference might be small in magnitude, but the application of this value may have large implications in actual situations, such as in chemical plants. Therefore, much effort should be utilised for future research works to accurately determine the actual diffusion coefficients under different situations and conditions.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Challenging Logistics And Supply Chain Management Commerce Essay
Challenging Logistics And Supply Chain Management Commerce Essay The supply chain can be defined as being a group of partners who collectively convert a basic commodity into a finished product that is of value to the end user. In the supply chain each partner must perform a task which adds value to the final product/service (Harrison, Van Hoek, 2008). The supply chain is viewed as a single entity rather than a series of fragmented elements such as procurement, manufacturing and distribution. Logistics management could be seen to include the long-term decisions and plans needed for reform, whereas the supply chain includes the more operational elements. In a supply chain, every partner ought to add value to the finished productservice through some process or procedure (Harrison and Van Hoek, 2008). Elements of Logistics Management: Storage, warehousing, material handling. Packaging and utilization. Inventory. Transport. Information and control. Source: Lecture Slide 1, Logistics strategy M32 SOR. Aim Research the strategic position of Diageo Plc from a logistics context in order to develop a suitable logistics strategy. Objectives: Research analyse a UK based brewerys current strategic position from a logistics perspective. Evaluate the key strategic approaches to logistics management that could be used by a UK based brewery. Identify the management issues caused by implementing a new logistics strategy with consideration for available capital, technical and human resources Outline the strategic significance of new technology developments and business trends on future logistic strategies for a retailer. Prepare and submit the report Diageo Plc- Background Diageo Plc is the leading beer, spirits, and wine company in the world. The company has a well diversified portfolio of alcoholic beverages and stock brands such as Josà © Cuervo, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, JB, Tanqueray, Bushmills Irish, Beaulieu Vineyard, Sterling Vineyards wines and Guinness (www.diageo.com). Diageo is listed both on the London Stock Exchange (DGE) as well as the New York stock Exchange (DEO). Diageo has a wide brand portfolio. The company strives to maintain its leadership position and provide value to the customer. Diageo has manufacturing plants spread across countries and continents including United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, India, Africa, Caribbean, United States of America and Australia. The company had worldwide sales worth  £8.09 billion in the year 2008. It operates in 180 markets in five continents across the globe (www.diageo.com). Diageo Plc was created when two of the most established breweries- Guiness Plc and Grand Metropolitan Plc- merged to form the present company in 1997. The company was then reorganised in 2004 into three distinct strategic business divisions, namely, Diageo Europe, Diageo North America and Diageo International. In 2005, Diageo acquired the oldest distillery in Ireland called Bushmills Distillery. In 2006, the company expanded into Russia and got a majority stake in Smirnov vodka business (www.diageo.com). Logistics strategy: A logistics strategic framework is aimed at aligning the different partners of a supply chain in a manner so as to meet and match the customers evolving demands. The objectives of such a logistics strategic framework are: Capital reduction: It implies increasing the returns on investments made in logistics assets. Cost reduction: It is to minimiseoptimise the costs associated with storage and movement of goods and supplies. Improvement in Service: it involves processes so as to achieve customer satisfaction. Competitive Structure and Competitors The international drinks and beverages market has players, such as Pernod Ricard, Bacardi, Brown Forman Co-operation, Moet-Hennessey (LVMH), and Fortune Brands (Beam Global). Pernod Ricard is a Paris-based multinational company which in 2008, acquired a Swedish company, V S Group, the makers of Absolut vodka. Brown-Forman Co-operation is one of the largest USA-based manufacturers of alcoholic beverages. In 2007, it acquired a Mexican company, Tequila Herradura, to add tequila drinks to its portfolio (Business Insights, 2009) Bacardi, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda is well known for its brand of rums. It is a family-owned multinational company operating in over 100 countries. Moet-Hennessey is manufacturer of spirits under the Paris-based parent company, LVMH (the largest retailer of luxury goods in the world). Fortune Brands are America-based manufacturers of wines and spirits and acquired many brands from UK-based Allied Domecq in 2005 (Business Insights, 2009). Diageo: Strategic Positioning An understanding of Diageos overall strategic positioning can help us in designing a logistics management strategy. Evaluation of the overall strategy is a precursor to develop a concurrent logistics strategy aligned with the companys long term vision. Generic Strategies for Diageo using Ansoff Analysis C:UsersuserDesktoprohit gulatibreweryansoff.jpg As is evident from the Ansoff matrix, Diageo has the following strategies: Consolidation of its position and market penetration in mature markets such as USA and Europe where it is well established. It is doing so both by organic as well as inorganic growth strategies. It is looking at newer territories and emerging markets such as Africa and Asia for market development of its existing products. It is developing products in mature markets so as to increase the share of wallet of the consumer. An example is RTD or ready-to-drink beverages, such as Smirnoff Ready-to-Drink beverage. Porters Five Forces Model Michael Porter developed his Five Forces model in 1979 to help businesses understand competition in a more comprehensive manner. Diagrammatically, it can be represented as follows: Source: Johnson Scholes 6th ed, exhibit 3.4 The model, when applied to Diageo Plc, helps understand the company environment and competition as follows: Bargaining Power of Suppliers: this is low as Diageo is an established company with a large market share and strong brand name. To gain advantage over its suppliers, it enters into long term contracts. Bargaining Power of Buyers: this is low as Diageo now positions itself as a manufacturer of premium and super-premium spirits and other alcoholic beverages. The market share of premium and super-premium brands of Diageo increased by 4.5% and 11% respectively. Threat of Competitors: it is high as it has a few international competitors in the form of Pernod Ricard, Brown-Forman and Bacardi. Major mergers and acquisitions have occurred in the alcoholic beverage industry leading to fewer players with extended brand portfolios and cross-border capabilities. Threat of Substitutes: This is low as alcoholic beverages are a socially acceptable form of intoxication that is not acceptable with any other substance. Threat of New Entrants: it is low as entry barriers are high in the form of increased regulation, increasing need of marketing by beverage companies to inform customers and increasing competitive nature of the industry. Please refer to Appendix A for further reading on competitiveness. Development of Existing Logistics Capabilities The environment under which Diageo functions is dynamic and changing rapidly. The characteristics that define its environment that one needs to understand to develop the logistics strategy are as follows: Expectations of service levels are increasing Consumers are becoming more sophisticated. Government regulations are becoming more stringent Commodity price pressures and intense competition cause opposite effects on price, affecting margins. Logistics can be of immense value to a company if approached in a correct and definitive manner. Its importance for various businesses has now increased from merely a cost incurring but necessary function to: An activity to generate significant cost savings. An activity with the potential to increase sales and customer satisfaction. A marketing tool to gain sustainable competitive advantage. The costs incurred by Diageo can be broadly understood as follows: C:UsersuserDesktoprohit gulatibrewerycogs.jpg Source: Gosnell, Investor Relations Conference, 2005 The global supply and logistics strategy also includes people and processes which Diageo classifies as Partners for growth (Gosnell, Investro Relations Conference, 2005). These can be classified as follows: Key Enablers: These are associated with people, processes and attitudes such as collaboration, teamwork, responsiveness and capability development. Qualifiers: These include protecting brand as well as Diageo reputation through maintaining brand quality, brand integrity, corporate citizenship and other such means. It may also include the resolve of the company to deliver competitive service to the customer at the right value. Winners: these include processes to reduce end-to-end supply chain costs, overall costs, driving technology and research and ability to execute the strategy as expected. The various features of this strategy implemented by Diageo in inbound as well as outbound logistics and value creation are as follows: Reducing the overall cost of goods sold: Diageo has set a target of 2% real cost reduction each year. The philosophy here is that savings can come from all components of the supply chain such as procurement, logistics, manufacturing and brand value, each of which will be subsequently looked into. The large scale operations of Diageo provide it with an advantage in all these areas. Procurement: Glass and energy are two largest components of Diageos cost of goods. To control energy costs, it uses forward purchasing; spot purchasing as well as short term tactical purchasing. For glass supply assurance and price control, it entered a strategic relationship with Owens-Illinois and gave it the preferred supplier status. At the same time, it developed alternate supplier relations as well such as with Altajir, based in Europe, with which it entered a 3 to 5 year deal. Also, Diageo also leveraged newer supply sources from Asia and Eastern Europe as these emerging economies are reliable on quality, pricing, service and innovation. As an example, this has led to 40%-50% cost saving on cartons, 20% on crowns and 15%-20% on casings. Manufacturing: Diageo tries to maximise the benefits of economies of scale. It has larger but fewer manufacturing facilities, thus having high fixed costs but low variable costs. It has sold or closed 11 facilities in Europe, 5 in North America and 3 in Asia/Africa. In the rest of the manufacturing plants, it has tried to fully optimise the advantages of the Diageo scale; e.g.: Shieldhall, Scotland is the largest volume spirits packaging plant but still has only 7 lines. Logistics: Diageo uses the pilot principles involving a central hub warehouse that can supply to the surrounding markets. These warehouses are strategically located and use cross-border shipments to meet demand. This model also minimises costs by maximising throughput. This has led to 20% reduction in manpower requirements, 25% reduction in stock and enhanced service performance. An example of the pilot principles model in Europe for Diageo is as follows: C:UsersuserDesktoprohit gulatidIAGEO_brewery_3250warehouse.jpg Source: Gosnell, Investor Relations Conference, 2005 Brand Value and Value Engineering: An example of value engineering would be the Guinness can size that was reduced by 7%, weight reduced by 1% without loss of volume held. JW bottles glass weight was reduced by 22% as another example. This has led to reduction in packaging, hauling and shipping costs. Also, Diageo intends to create value for its customers while preserving its brand image. It intends to do so through Improving existing quality standards Implementing environmental management systems Crisis management simulations for business resilience Optimise supply flexibility Strategic Approaches to Logistics Management There are two motivations suggested for designing a logistics strategy (Whittington 1993). These included the goals of setting the logistics strategy and how deliberate the processes were of setting the logistics strategy. A matrix was hence developed and helped firms evaluate the logistics strategy. Benchmarking Diageo can utilise benchmarking to evaluate its logistics performance in comparison to its competitors or companies from different industries altogether. Benchmarking can be defined as a process of continuously measuring and comparing ones business performance against comparable processes in leading organizations to obtain information that will help the organization identify and implement improvements (Benson 1998). Benchmarking can also be understood as a process for identification of best practices by comparing key performance indicators for a specific activity across organisations and using these performance levels as inputs for corporate goal setting (Gourdin, 2001) Diageo can utilise this to compare its practices with respect to other companies, industries or markets. Benchmarking can be used in a variety of logistic processes such as warehouse operations, mode and carrier selection, order processing, forecasting and packaging. However, certain steps need to be ensured before em barking on benchmarking (Gourdin, 2001). These are as follows: Defining the present performance level of the benchmarked activity. Determining the level of performance desired in this activity to be benchmarked. Determining what improvements can be made and to be made Determining how to make the desired improvements to achieve desired performance levels. Estimate and set a time frame for the completion of the process. Collaboration/Co-operation Collaboration is the most sophisticated form of electronic integration. If electronic integration occurs at all levels, namely strategic, tactical and operational, it is called as collaboration. It helps the supply chain members to come together so as to better forecast future demand and to design plans and implement them to meet these demands. The members can collaborate on new product planning, demand forecasting and replenishment planning. Collaboration allows information to be rapidly exchanged and hence, all participants of the collaboration have access to updated and latest information. It can also help to reduce costs and the data fed into the system can be used for monitoring and feedback activities. The co-operative approach simply refers to the degree of external and internal collaboration among the supply chain members. Partnerships/Alliances Companies now realise the concept of strategic long term relationship with suppliers. The underlying reason for this realisation is the need to improve customer service or add value to the finished product. An alliance is said to be strategic when it is strategic in focus and also directly supports one of the partners distinctive core competencies (Grant et al, 2006). Partnerships not only help the members in sharing information, knowledge and experience but also aid in lowering the risks for any one player. Diageo, as motioned previously, has a long term partnership with Owen-Illinois, a USA-based glass manufacturing company. It has been accorded special supplier status and given a contract for 3 years. It has also increased the scale of Owen-Illinois. Diageo can forge similar partnerships with various other members of its supply chain. Just in time (JIT) A JIT-based program aims at ensuring that the right quantities are produced at the right time and reach the consumer at the right moment of need so that there is no waste. Waste has been defined in JIT programs as anything that does not add value to the end product. One unit more or less than needed is considered as waste. Total Quality Management is a concept whose principle is concurrent with those of JIT and both may need to be implemented simultaneously so as to add value to companys operations. A successful and functional JIT program, however, needs the following to be achieved by the company: Steady production Flexible resources No machine breakdowns Reliable suppliers High quality product/service Rapid machine set-ups Discipline to maintain every of the above functions running over a continuum Implementation of JIT For JIT to be successful in Diageo, adaptation of the JIT concepts in its environmental set up is essential. The main concepts of eliminating waste, quick changeovers, flexibility in resources and partnering with suppliers have to be realised and has been described as a two-stage process (Gourdin, 2001). Establish foundations (this refers to quality, low cost, minimum lead times, flexibility: these can be achieved through Total Quality Management, flexible and trained workforce, reduction in setup time and focus on design). Core Techniques (pull scheduling, multi-functional workforce, JIT purchasing). JIT is a volume and demand driven program. It requires a certain level of stable demand for it to be successful. It cannot be implemented in a business that has unique orders or low volumes of operation. Moreover, companies should strive to improve JIT systems as technology advances. Lean Management First introduced by Toyota Production Systems, lean management is a concept of reducing waste and non-value adding activities from the value chain. The main elements of lean management are small batch size production, pull creation and reduction in variability. It says that a pull is created when a customer demands a product and only that should lead to production, thus reducing stock wastes and large inventories or batch sizes. Two very important principles associated with lean management are kaizen (continuous improvement) and kaikaku (radical improvement). This encourages improvement in the processes on incremental as well as radical levels. Lean management helps in reducing lead times and reduce variability in demand, supply and manufacturing by standardisation of procedures. Value Chain Analysis: Source: Johnson et al, 2008 The concept of a value chain was developed by Michael Porter. He suggested that the functions in an organisation can be split into primary activities concerned with creation and delivery of product and service and supporting activities (Johnson et al, 2008). The value chain analysis helps the company identify its various components of the value chain and what are the activities at which value added can be increased. A fundamental value chain for Diageo can look like this: C:UsersuserDesktoprohit gulatibreweryvaluechain.jpg Issues relevant to the development of strategies Integration of logistics strategy with corporate and business level strategies is essential for success of all these strategic outlooks. Diageo has integrated logistics strategy with the overall corporate strategy to streamline procurement, manufacturing and delivery operations (Gosnell, 2005). It has helped Diageo become the largest player in the international alcohol beverage market. However, scope for further improvement always exists. A Step Model can be used by Diageo to develop and assess its logistics strategy and identify its strengths and loopholes. What Diageo must realise is that there are certain factors in the supply chain that are beyond the control of the company. Trying to manage such factors by the management can lead to waste creation and loss of value. These can include increased competitive pricing and product pressures, unanticipated actions by competitors that can dent Diageos market share or size, legal and regulatory changes and many others. Management Issues Caused by Implementing Newer Strategies New strategy implementation can directly affect the capital, technical and human resources of a company. Good leadership during change as well as effective communication can help implement the change in an efficient manner. During implementation and modification of logistics strategy, due importance should be given to HR management and other organisational issues. Ignorance of HR issues is the most common, yet often ignored cause of failure to implement changes in strategy, even when they denote improvement over previous processes. These issues such as recruitment, training and appraisal, autonomy, flexibility and reward systems are important factors to be taken into consideration to enable smoother transitions. Specific to logistics, the management should review the current staffing and skills, allocation and training of staff, as well as current recruitment criteria and procedures. It should also consider the impact of market pull and technological push on the strategy design and p lan. Likewise, operational issues have to be monitored and requirements in terms of people, capital and equipment resources have to be met. These are necessary for any new tactically significant operations the company plans to undertake. Force field analysis can also be used to help stakeholders accept the change and understand the requirements, implications and resistances to the change in strategy. The model also suggests that there are two forces primarily in the business field, namely, driving force and resistance force. The management should strive to increase the strength of the former and reduce that of the latter while implementing change. Collaboration can play a significant role in the implementation of change. This is so because the companys suppliers and customers are also stakeholders in the company and can resist change. Internal collaboration, intercompany collaboration and electronic collaboration should be implemented while keeping in mind the ECR (efficient consumer response). New Technology Implementation and Future Trends in Logistics Strategy Diageo, due to its international and cross border supply chain should now focus on localised supply chains and distribution systems. This can help reduce haulage and shipping costs. Employment of low cost communications and cost computing technologies can aid in this endeavour and also help in increasing capability to extend product variety. Diageo has to be agile and flexible to incorporate these and any such positive technological advances. This can lead to increased pressure on cost-efficient, strategically beneficial logistics management due to increasing competition. As a result, increased pressures may be felt on supply chain networks viz. replenishment ordering, continuous ordering and supply flows, cross docking and stockless warehousing with product tracking (Harrison, Van Hoek, 2008). Scenario planning is a simulation attempt to generate realistic and plausible situations of the industry. Diageo can use it to simulate various market conditions, future situations and competitor capabilities. Such an uncertainty-based scenario matrix is highle effective in evaluation-based planning over the medium and long term. RFID Radio frequency Identification is used by Diageo wherever plausible. However, Diageo should try and implement the technology in all markets for more efficient product tracking, demand tracking and supply chain flexibility. It also helps in rapidly collecting data about demand levels and consumption patterns in various markets. RFID is a wireless technology that uses radio signalling for electronic identification and object labelling (Harrison, Von Hoek, 2008). This system works in alignment to the organisations information systems. This helps in improving business processes such as supply chain management while relaying significant market data. RFID systems primarily consist of three components: Transponders: These are also called as contactless data carriers or Tags. They can carry information data feeded into them and identify objects to which they are attached. Readers: These devices communicate with the RFID tags and read the information stored in them. Software Applications: These are the applications that feed and retrieve the data from a tag via the readers. RFID vs. Barcodes RFID are a technological advancement over barcode. The RFID tags can store as much information as a barcode can and sometimes more. Information carried by barcodes cannot be edited. In case of RFID tags information can be edited or updated. Moreover, this function can be repeatedly performed without any loss of data or damage to tags memory. The security systems inbuilt in the RFID systems are also better as it uses tags uses authentication and encrypted data transfer methods. ERP Baheshti, 2006 defined an ERP system as a collection of business applications, which links various business units of an organisation such as financial, accounting, manufacturing, sales and marketing and human resources into a tightly integrated single system with a common platform for streamlined flow of information across the entire business. Reengineering of companies is facilitated through ERP systems so that they are in a better position to empower employees, satisfy needs and demands of the customers and create better business value (Willis and Willis-Brown, 2002) ERP systems helps create reenergized companies that are in a position to better serve customers, empower employees, and drive greater business value (Willis and Willis-Brown, 2002). Since Diageo has three separate business units catering to different geographical regions, the task of collecting and analysing data is a daunting one at Diageo. ERP system can integrate these data flows across all the business units and their various divisions so as to better understand the industry events and design and/or modify strategy accordingly. It can thus act as a competitive advantage to the company in the long run by better understanding of the international market place and varied needs and requirements of the consumers across borders. This can thus help in driving Diageos overall operational efficiency and functional effectiveness. References: Presentation by David Gosnell, Managing Director, Diageo Global Supply, Investor Relations Conference, November 2005 Business Insights, The Top 10 Spirits Companies: Industry Trends and Growth Strategies of Leading Players, April 2009 Presentation by Stuart Fletcher, President, Diageo International, April 2009 Baheshti, H. M. (2006) What Managers Should Know About ERP/ERPII: Management Research News. Vol. 29(4) [online] available from Fenn, D. (2005) 10 edn. Key Note. Hampton: Key Note Ltd Gourdin, k. (2001) Global Logistics Management. Oxford: Blackwell Grant, D., Lambert, D., Stock, J., Ellram, L. (2006) Fundamentals of logistics Management. Berkshire: McGraw Hill Education Harrison, A., Van Hoek, A. (2008) 3 edn. Logistics Management and Strategy. Essex: Pearson Education Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2008) 8th edn. Exploring Corporate Strategy. England: Pearson Education Rushton, A., Croucher, P., Baker, P. (2006) 3 edn. The Handbook of Logistics and Distribution Management. London: Kogan Willis, H. Willis-Brown, H. A. (2002) Extending the value of ERP: Journal of Industrial Management Data Systems, [online] Available from www.diageo.com.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Petrus Christus and Raphael from the Age of the Renaissance Essay
Petrus Christus and Raphael from the Age of the Renaissance The 15th century was the beginning of the age of the Renaissance. In Western Europe it gave rise to new ideas, inventions, a new way of life, and most important a new way that people expressed themselves. It was an age of new techniques in painting, sculpting, and creating a visual aspect of the Western European culture. Among many great artists of this period, two very important people to the artistic world and their works spun out -- Petrus Christus with The Lamentation and Raphael with The Agony in the Garden. The Lamentation was painted in 1450 and its one of Christus’ most beautiful works. It displays the strength of his work along with the simplicity of the design and the clarity of depiction in the painting. The painting was done on plaster in oil beckoning by a wood panel. The overall painting is 10 1/8 x 14 inches, and painted surface covers 10 x 13 3/4 inches. The painting was later used as an inspirational peice of work to inspire a sculpted relief in Sicily. The Lamentation was done in one point linear perspective. Also developed during the Renaissance, its a mathematical system at which all lines meet at one vanishing point to make the painting look three dimensional. The texture of the painting is smooth. Since it was done in oil the colors are vibrant. Doing this painting in oil gave Christus the ability to change his mind at will. Unlike with fresco painting, wher...
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Okalahoma critical analysis Essay -- Drama
Okalahoma critical analysis The original production of Oklahoma opened at the St. James Theatre, New York, on Wednesday March 31, 1943. The top ticket price was $4.80. It ran on Broadway for over five years, besting the previous record holder Hellzapoppin by more than two years. For fifteen years, from 1946 until 1961, Oklahoma held the record as the longest running show in Broadway history. When Okalahoma closed on Broadway May 29, 1948 after 2,212 performances, more than four and a half million people had seen it there. In our expressive arts lesson we watched a section of Okalahoma. As our topic is dreams and nightmares, we watched the section where Laurey has her dream. In a swirl of dream images, Laurey sees herself marrying Curly when Jud invades the wedding; he carries her off, thwarts Curly's attempts to rescue her, and, after a horrific struggle, kills Curly. Laurey awakes from her nightmare with a start...and finds Jud ready to escort her to the Dance. In the beginning of this section we can see Laurey falling to sleep. Then the lights suddenly dim, this shows the audience that we have travelled from reality to her dream. The lighting plays an important part in this musical, as it communicates to the audience Laurey’s mood and feelings. When Laurey is dreaming the light dims to a blue. Then hands appear from the cornfields; they are being lighted up with gold spotlights. She then follows them to a large stage, which is filled up with blur light. In her dream they lighting is calm and cool, and the mood is happy but when it changes into a nightmare the lights suddenly switch red, and makes the atmosphere alarming and unsettling. A spot light is also used on Curley when he enters to dance with Laurey. This can symbolise that he is the one for her, and that he stands out from everyone else. By using a white spotlight shows the audience that he is pure and good. But the spotlights also build a feeling of confusion and distress. This is in her nightmare where the lighting is red and the white spotlights are darting around the stage. This shows the audience Laurey’s feelings towards her nightmare. Music is crucial in her dream as there is no speaking involved, so they music is the only thing that can be heard. In her dream they are playing the song â€Å"oh, what a beautiful morning†. This is played in maj... ...girls they dance in unison, to show they are together and under control. They use lots of turns, and leaps. They also use a lot of ballet movements. This shows the audience a calm, flowing and graceful dream. In the dance with the showgirls, they are all dancing separately with separate movements. They use lots of flexible movements, and balances. This can show the audience that they are separated and unorganised. When she dances the waltz with curly they use lots of lifts, turns and graceful movements, on the other hand when dancing with Judd she is being thrown around and manipulated like a rag doll. This also shows another contrast, which may relate to the contrasts in dreams and nightmares. The musical communicated to the audience her feeling and emotions through other means than verbal communication. They show it mainly through lighting, movement, and music. It relates to dreams and nightmares as is seems rather peculiar. The music seems out of tune and distraught. And strange things and people appear throughout to make the dream seem realistic. This critical analysis will help me to relate to dreams and nightmares throughout my performance without talking.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Atomic bomb Essay
Did the USA need to drop bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945? On the 6th of August 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima,1ushering in the nuclear age. The bomb caused the deaths of over 100,000 people,2with the bulk of the destruction pertaining to innocent civilians. Three days later, the Americans repeated their action at Nagasaki. The aim of the US was not, however, to cause complete annihilation of the Japanese, but to seize the fierce nationalism within Japan, ending world war two. Arguably, this was achieved, with the Emperor Hirohito broadcasting their surrender on the 15th of August.3However, was the Americans use of nuclear warfare justified in their bid for world peace? President of the time Harry Truman stated, â€Å"I never lost any sleep over my decision (to drop the Atomic bomb)†, yet, Americans have since been subject to fierce revisionist denialism that there was not an over riding need to employ such a controversial tactic. By 1945 Japan was in ruins. America had continuously bombed strategic Japanese locations, and implemented a blockade that had dramatic effects on the nations civilians, suggesting that the Japanese were close to surrender without the implantation of the A bomb. Conversely, the US had witnessed the Japanese’s determination to fight to the bitter end , rather than surrender, and their failure to respond to the Potsdam declaration clearly illustrated this. Through analyzing the historical context in which this dramatic act of war occurred it is difficult to come to a sound judgment on the necessity of America’s actions. Due to the consequences that would have triggered if the war had continued, i believe that the US did need to drop the bomb on Hiroshima, however, it was not necessary to drop the following bomb on Nagasaki. With the break out of World War two, Hitlers initial victories captured the imagination of the Japanese militarists, showing what could be achieved through a program of territorial expansionism. Due to the war, changes occurred in Europe’s colonial powers, which created a power vacuum in South East Asia, and a perfect stage for Japan to expand their influence; as Edwin P Hoyt stated â€Å"Japans ambition at the lowest level was to replace the Europeans and the Americans as the colonial powers†¦establishing an Asian Federation†. This shift in power however was not supported by the US , creating a poisonous relationship between the two nations that would end in catosptrophy. The US implemented harsh economic sanctions, resulting in an ultimatum for Japan. Japan could either give into the pressure from the US and retreat from South East Asia, or , they could advance to take over the resources of Malaya and the oil fields of the Netherlands East Indies, which would indefinitely lead to war with the US. Historian Hugh brogan affirms Roosevelt was â€Å" convinced US would enter the war†¦yet refused to fire the first shot†. The Japanese planned to adopt a dual approach were upon they would enter into negotiations with the US and prepare for war at the same time. The Japanese believed that war might be avoided if the 1 L.Morton, Decision to use the Atomic bomb, Foreign Affairs, 1956. US dropped the sanctions in return for their withdrawal from Indochina; however, on the 26th of November Cordell Hull made an unacceptable demand, claiming that the Japanese were required to withdraw from not just Indo China, but also China. Japan deemed this unacceptable, and at the Imperial Conference 1st December 1941 a final decision was made to go to war with the US, and orders were made to carry out a surprise attack on the US naval base of Pearl Harbour. On the 7th of December 1941 the Japanese attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbour, killing 2388 soldiers 9, in the hopes of knocking the United States out of a Pacific war, allowing them to pursue their strategic and imperialistic goals. However, Japans failure to achieve total victory meant that the Japanese unified a nation against them, which then mobilised its mighty economy into a war machine that eventually defeated Japan. The importance in understanding the context which resulted in Japan and US warfare is vital in evaluating whether the US needed to drop the Atomic bomb. This being as it is evident that since the emergence of Japan as world power, the US have been present, and determined to minimise the Japanese’s influence. This relationship of dominance , whereby the US hands Japan harsh ultimatums is arguably one of the reasons why Japan refused to surrender in 1945, and will be discussed in depth as the essay progresses. As the conflict between the US and Japan developed the Japanese initially stunned the United States with their success, ending the period of European colonial rule in Asia within just 6 months, bringing to fruition the Japanese dream of a Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere. The Japanese demolished the creed of European and white superiority that had been the bastion of European colonialism in Asia, completely reshaping the political dynamics of Asia. However, intoxicated by their success, rather than consolidating their gains, they still searched for new opportunities. The Allies began their counter attack, however, became aware of the determination that defined Japanese militarism, whereby their soldiers were willing to fight to death, rather than surrender. During December and January 1944 and 1945 the Americans regularly bombed the islands of Iwo Jima, launched 334 B’29s on the capital Tokyo killing 83000 people in March, and attacked Okinawa, the site of a major military base10. Thus by July 1945, Japan had few ships and planes to defend itself, and was met with leaflets from the US announcing in advance where the next attack would take place, urging people to surrender. Furthermore, the blockade implemented by the allies was severely impacting the Japanese, solidifying that defeat was inevitable, yet the Allies heard no news of surrender from the Emperor. Consequently the US began to evaluate the implementation of the A bomb as a necessary method in order to bring the war to a conclusion. President Truman described the Atomic project as the ‘greatest scientific gamble in history’ and believes his decision to drop it was unquestionably the right decision, bringing the war to a quick. end, and saving the lives of thousands of Allies. Prior to its use, the Potsdam Declaration was released, informing the Japanese that they must surrender unconditionally or face ‘prompt and utter destruction’. (Unknown to the Japanese this was a reference to the A-Bomb). The allies hoped that an invasion of Japan could be avoided if the declaration was accepted, however, with the Japanese’ failure to reply, the count down to the first use of an atomic bomb moved onward. On the 6th of August 1945, the Enola Gay was released over the city of Hiroshima12, an unprecedented attack resulting in mass scale destruction. President Truman announced following that ‘If Japan does not now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth’. 13However, despite, the destruction of Hiroshima, the American Government received no communications from the Japanese government in Tokyo, resulting in a secon d bomb launched on Nagasaki. Consequently, on the 14th of August, after failed attempts of safeguarding his position, the Emperor accepted the Allied terms. Hirohito made an official radio broadcast to the nation, stating ‘should we continue to fight†¦it would lead to the total extinction of human civilisation’, 14and on the 2nd of September, aboard the Missouri, the main surrender occurred, ending the conflict in the pacific. The atomic bomb, although causing mass scale disaster, finished the cruel and drawn out conflict, however, does that mean that it was necessary, and can be justified? Perhaps the biggest debate which argues that the bomb was not needed was that fact Japan was in fact already defeated. Dennis Wainstock, author of ‘The decision to drop the bomb’ believes that the blockade, in conjunction with the B’29s attack destroyed Japan, broadening the realisation of defeat. Rear Admiral Tochitane Takata said ‘The b29’s were the greatest single factor in forcing the Japanese to surrender’ with Lieutenant General Kawabe believing ‘it is my opinion our loss in the air lost us the war’.16 Furthermore, Japan was economically dependant on foreign sources, thus the blockade favoured the conviction that defeat was inevitable as the Japanese population was starving to death. Additionally, there is significant evidence to support the argument that Japan would have surrended without use of the Atomic bomb, had the US been willing to safe guard the position of the Emperor. The Soviet Union received world from high-level Japanese sources confirming this, which, although many deny American knew about, Secretary of War Henry Stimson wrote ‘It was known to us that she had gone so far as to make tentative proposals to the soviet Government†¦not considered seriously’. However despite the aforementioned evidence suggesting that the Japanese were already defeated, it is arguable that that did not mean that they would surrender. throughout the war that, despite severe loss, they would rather die, than surrender. The invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa resulted in severe casualties, yet the Allies heard no talk of negotiations. Joseph C.Grew, who was the former Ambassador to Japan believed, through ‘intimate experience with the Japanese thinking and psychology over an extensive period’18 that regardless of military defeat, it would be highly unlikely that Japan would of their own initiative surrender. Additionally, Historian Barton Bernstein wrote ‘ no one who looks at intransigence of the Japanese militarists should have full confidence in any other strategy (apart from the A bomb), 19which affirms Truman’s decision that it was necessary in order to bring the war to a quick end. Furthermore, The American public was overwhelmingly behind the atomic bombing of Japan, with the bomb receiving an 85% approval 20rating, proving that within the context of the disaster, it was not considered to be as controversial as it is with the power of hindsight. From analysing the arguments for and against the US decision to drop the A bomb on Hiroshima it is clear that this controversial act of war is not easily declared right or wrong. However, arguably it is harder to argue on the side of the Allies when it comes to determining the necessity of the second bomb on Nagasaki. After the dropping of the first bomb, the Soviets declared war on Japan, which many historians believe would have been more than enough to convince the Japanese to surrender. As John W. Downer affirms in ‘Unconditional surrender at the Smithsonian’, ‘most Japanese accounts then and since weigh the soviet declaration of war as being at least as shocking as the Hiroshima bombing’. Further supported by Historian Gar Alperovitz, who believes that the shock of a soviet declaration of war would force Japan to realise defeat was inevitable and then clarification of surrender terms (assurance of the Emperor) would produce the surrender before an invasion took place. However, the US failed to hear a response in the delegated amount of time, and thusly, launched a second bomb on Nagasaki, resulting in the eventual surrender of Ja pan. When the US made their decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, initiating the nuclear arms race, it was inevitable that Truman’s decision would be analysed, causing controversy for years to come. There is a plethora of published work that strongly believes that the US decision to employ the A bomb was a mistake, and was blatantly not necessary as Japan was so weak indicating that surrender was not far off. Additionally, it cannot be forgotten that the victims of the bomb were primarily innocent civilians, thus from a moral point of view, the action cannot be justified. However, Japans militaristic attitude throughout the war consistently affirmed the US belief that Japan would never surrender of their own accord, and the A bomb was a necessary action in order to conclude the war. From analysing both sides of the argument i believe that the US did need to drop the first bomb in order to display to Japan that they did not have any other option but to surrender, however, the dropping of the second bomb was definitely not needed. The bombing of Hiroshima, in conjunction with the entry of the Soviet Union was more than enough to force Japan to surrender, and thusly, the bombing of Nagasaki cannot be justified. Bibliography Books 1. A.Pollock, D.McKinlay, J.Cantwell, Conflict in the Pacific 1937-195, McGraw Hill Publications, Australia 2003. 2. H.Truman, Memoir: Year of Decisions, Garden City 1955 3. H.L.Stimson, M.Bundy, On Active Service in peace and War, Harper and Brothers, New York 1948 4. D.Eisenhower, The white house years: Mandate for change 1953-1956, Garden City 1963 5. W.D.Leahy, I was there, Whittlesey House, New York 1950 6. J.C.Grew, Turbulent Era: A diplomatic Record of forty years 1904-1945, Hougton Mifflin Company 1952 7. H.L.Stimson, The decision to use the Atomic Bomb, week 13 reading 8. K.Doak, Nationalism in Modern Japan, Koninklike 2007, 9. E.Cannizzaro, The Law of Treaties beyond the Vienna Convention, Oxford 10. E.P.Hoyt, University Press 2011,Japans war: The Great Pacific Conflic, Random House 1971 11. D.D.Wainstock, The Decision to drop the Atomic Bomb, Prager Publishers, 1996 12. G. Alperovitz, The Decision to drop the Bomb, Vintage Books 1996 Articles 1. Barton J. Bernstein, A post war myth, 50000 U.S lives saved, Bulliten of Atomic Scientists, vol 3 no.9 2. John W. Dower, Unconditional Surrender at the Smithsonian, Week 13 Reading 3. L.Morton, Decision to use the Atomic bomb, Foreign Affairs, 1956 Website 1.The project of the Nuclear Age Peace foundation.org http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/library/ correspondence/stimson-henry/corr_stimson_1945-07-31.htm
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