Learning experience paper acrophobia Essay

Have you ever been on top of a large building and were too afraid to look over the side? Have you ever climbed a really tall tree and were too afraid to climb down? I have, when I was younger I climbed a really tall tree and when I got to the top I looked down, I was too afraid to climb back down. What I was experiencing was a fear of heights know as acrophobia. Acrophobia (n.d.) according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is an abnormal dread of being in a high place: fear of heights. I believe that most people become a little scared when it comes to heights. There is nothing wrong with having acrophobia to an extent. It is a defense mechanism our bodies use to stop us from walking off cliffs. The problem is when a natural instinct becomes paranoia. For example, someone who has acrophobia would be scared, nervous, and or panic inside a safe environment like a skyscraper. Symptoms There are many symptoms of the fear of heights (acrophobia) that may occur when up on a tall building or high place. Many people with acrophobia can become dizzy, excessive sweating, nausea, sick to their stomachs, shaking, dry mouth, and unable to speak. One of the main symptoms of acrophobia is fear of dying. Some of these symptoms can then turn into a full blown anxiety attack. â€Å"Discomfort anxiety tends to be specific to certain uncomfortable or dangerous situations- and consequently shows up in such phobias as fear of heights† (Ellis, 2003, p.83). It is only believed that between 2 and 5 percent of the world’s population actually suffers from acrophobia, and that twice as many woman are affected by acrophobia then men. A common misconception with the fear of heights is people calling it vertigo. Vertigo happens to people when they are on a tall building and look down from the top. Vertigo is a sensation that causes a person to feel like  they are spinning eve n though they are not. So even though vertigo occurs to a lot of people when they high in the air, it does not mean they are afraid of heights. Some Causes What causes people to become afraid of heights? Some psychologist believe that the fear of heights enters your life from something that happened in your past. Psychologist believe that it is caused by some emotional trauma that has to do with heights. For example a person who is suffering from acrophobia may have fallen out of a tall tree when they were little. It is also believed that this condition can be triggered by trauma seen in a movie, television, or a real life event involving another person that has to do with heights. Research and Studies There has been some research done on the fear of heights. Psychologists by the name of Gibson and Walk did an experiment in 1960 called â€Å"Visual Cliff†. The â€Å"Visual Cliff† experiment was an experiment to see if babies who were still crawling would cross a thick piece of glass that covered a steep drop off. They then put the mother on the other side of the drop off to call the baby over to the other side. Even with the mother calling the crawling babies to come to them, the babies still did not cross over the glass. This experiment shows that most humans if not all humans have acrophobia at least partially ingrained in our genetics. I believe this is part of our survival instincts. The Cure Many people who are suffering from acrophobia are often prescribed medications to help them out with their fear of heights. Medications will not actually cure someone of their fears it only masks them. In some cases the side effects of the drugs may be worse than a fear of heights. One of the best treatments for acrophobia is cognitive behavior therapy. Cognitive behavior therapy involves exposing a person to heights and helping them develop coping skills that will help them increase their confidence and change their thought process towards heights. How I would go about my fear of heights is by actually facing my fears. I would take baby steps when facing this fear. I would find a tall building, I would go to the top of it,  and I would then would walk as close to the edge as I could before the fear overcomes me. I would then mark that spot on the ground, I would then come back the next day and take 1 step closer. I would keep that up each day until I get to the edge, and each day I would tell myself to trust my body and building there is nothing to be afraid of. I believe this would be the best approach for me to overcome my fear of heights. Conclusion Suffering from acrophobia can be something that is hard for a person to deal with. I do believe that we all have a fear of heights, it may be very minute but I do believe we all have it. I think the only way to cure a phobia or fear is to face them. I personally know facing fears is very hard to do but once I overcome the fear it was an incredible feeling. References Ellis, A. (2003). Discomfort anxiety: A new cognitive-behavioral construct (part I). Journal of Rational – Emotive & Cognitive – Behavior Therapy, 21(3-4), 183. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220282433?accountid=458 Acrophobia. In Merriam-Webster Dictionary online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acrophobia

Bill Miller and Value Trust

? Bill Miller and Value Trust Background Information Bill Miller is one of the most renowned professional fund managers. This can be proven by the outperformance of the Value Trust, which is managed by him, compared to its benchmark index, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500), for an astonishing 14 years in a row; and this marked the longest streak of success for any manager in the mutual-fund industry. By the middle of 2005, Value Trust is worth $11. 2-billion. Bill Miller’s approach to investment management was research-intensive and highly concentrated. For instance, nearly 50 percent of Value Trust’s assets were invested in just 10 large-capitalization companies. While most of Bill Miller’s investments were value stocks, he was not averse to taking large positions in the stocks of growth companies. In other words, Bill Miller’s investing style is iconoclastic: â€Å"You simply can’t do what he’s done in the supremely competitive, ultra-efficient world of stock picking by following the pack†¦The fact is that Miller has spent decades studying freethinking overachievers, and along the way he’s become one himself. † Mutual Funds Definition A mutual fund is an investment vehicle that pooled the funds of individual investors to buy a portfolio of securities, stocks, bonds, and money-market instruments to meet specific investment objectives; investors owned a pro rata share of the overall investment portfolio (Bruner, 2007). The various investments included in a fund’s portfolio are handled by professional money managers in line with the stated investment policy of the fund. All mutual funds have a portfolio manager, or investment advisor, who directs the fund’s investments according to explicit investment objectives. Mutual Fund Types Investors have different objectives, so various types of mutual funds are needed to help them achieve their goals. Most mutual funds fit into one of three basic categories: money market mutual funds, bond funds, and stock funds. Money market mutual funds hold cash reserves, or short-term debt investments issued by the government, corporations, or financial institutions (i. e. , U. S. Treasury bills and bank certificates of deposit). Bond funds invest in debt instruments issued by corporations or government agencies. Stock funds are one of the most popular types of mutual funds, ranging from relatively conservative equity income funds to value funds, growth funds, aggressive growth funds, small-company funds, and international funds (Hirschey and Nofsinger, 2008). Advantages of Mutual Funds Diversification Using mutual funds can help an investor diversify their portfolio with a minimum investment. When investing in a single mutual fund, an investor is actually investing in numerous securities and spreading investment across a range of securities can help to reduce risk but will never completely eliminate it. If a few securities in the mutual fund lose value or become worthless, the loss maybe offset by other securities that appreciate in value. Professional Management Mutual funds are managed and supervised by investment professionals. As per the stated objectives set forth in the prospectus, along with prevailing market conditions and other factors, the mutual fund manager will decide when to buy or sell securities. This eliminates the investor of the difficult task of trying to time the market. Furthermore, mutual funds can eliminate the cost an investor would incur when proper due diligence is given to researching securities. Convenience With most mutual funds, buying and selling shares, changing distribution options, and obtaining information can be accomplished conveniently by telephone, by mail, or online. Minimum Initial Investment Most mutual funds have a minimum initial purchase of $2,500 but some are as low as $1,000. Disadvantages of Mutual Funds Risks and Costs Changing market conditions can create fluctuations in the value of a mutual fund investment. There are fees and expenses associated with investing in mutual funds that do not usually occur when purchasing individual securities directly. There are drawbacks associated with mutual funds: No Guarantees. The value of mutual fund investment could fall and be worth less than the principle initially invested. The Diversification â€Å"Penalty†. Diversification can help to reduce your risk of loss from holding a single security, but it limits your potential for a â€Å"home run† if a single security increases dramatically in value. Costs. In some cases, the efficiencies of fund ownership are offset by a combination of sales commissions, redemption fees, and operating expenses. If the fund is purchased in a taxable account, taxes may have to be paid on capital gains. Expenses Because mutual funds are professionally managed investments, there are management fees and operating expenses associated with investing in a fund, which is called expense ratios ranging from 0. 2% to 2. 0%. These fees and expenses charged by the fund are passed onto shareholders and deducted from the fund’s return. Taxes As a fund shareholder, you can be taxed on distributions of dividends and/or capital gains made by the fund and profits you make when you sell the fund shares. Research Hypothesis 1. There is a possibility that his overall performance may be affected because of Bill Miller’s choice of concentrating heavily in certain sectors such as financials, health, consumer goods, and telecommunications. 2. By examining and analyzing various theoretical explanations, we will be able to determine whether Bill Miller’s success is dependent on luck and/or skill and whether it is sustainable or not. Evaluation of Bill Miller’s Performance Bill Miller’s results seemed to contradict conventional theories, which suggested that, in markets characterized by high competition, easy entry, and information efficiency, it would be extremely difficult to beat the market on sustained basis. Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) There are three levels of market efficiency which were distinguished by the degree of information believed to be reflected in current securities’ prices. The weak form of efficiency maintained that all past prices for a tock were impounded into today’s price. The semistrong form of efficiency held that today’s prices reflected not only all past prices, but also all publicly available information. The strong form of efficiency held that today’s stock price reflected all the information that could be acquired through a close analysis of the company and the economy. Many scholars argued that the sock market followed a â€Å"random walk†, where the price movements of tomorrow were essentially uncorrelated with the price movements of today. They argued that capital markets’ information was efficient, and that the insights available to any one fundamental analyst were bound to be impounded quickly into share prices. If EMH were correct and all current prices reflected the true value of the underlying securities, then arguably it would be impossible to beat the market with superior skill or intellect. â€Å"In such a market,† as one economist said, â€Å"We would observe lucky and unlucky investors, but we wouldn’t find any superior investment managers who can consistently beat the market. Yet, Bill Miller, who over long periods, greatly outperformed the market. In reply, Malkiel suggested that beating the market was much like participating in a coin-tossing contest where those who consistently flip heads are the winners. Malkiel suggested that the success of a few superstar portfolio managers could be explained as luck. Similarly, the stock-market crash on October 1987 had also seemed to undermine t he strength of the EMH. Academic research exposed other inconsistencies with the EMH, for example, January effect, blue Monday effect, etc. Those results were inconsistent with a random walk of prices and returns. Bill Miller was an adherent of fundamental analysis; his approach was research-intensive and highly concentrated. Nearly 50% of Value Trust’s asserts were invested in just 10 large-capitalization companies. Analysis of Bill Miller’s Key Strategies Bill Miller, portfolio manager for Legg Mason Value Trust, had a great track record for an astonishing fourteen years in a row. He was the only active mutual fund manager to have consistently beaten the S&P 500 over the last fourteen years. Bill Miller pointed out that his streak was due to luck; 95 percent luck. This section will evaluate Bill Miller’s investment philosophies and whether he is just plain lucky or it is based on luck and sustainability. The figure below lists the categories in which Bill Miller has invested in and the annual returns each category receives: As can be seen in the figure above, Value Trust has a portfolio that is highly volatile. Although highly volatile, the concentrated portfolio still showed outperformance when judged by calendar years, thus giving an ominous sign that the outperformance is not the result of good stock picking, but merely the result of taking on greater risk than the market as a whole. Bill Miller’s investment philosophy to build up Value Trust is to consistently buy cheap stocks, and focused on established companies suffering through periods of poor performance. These judgments resulted in Value Trust’s outperformance for fourteen years. However, taking risks (i. . having a highly concentrated volatile portfolio) and underperforming the value style (i. e. buying cheap stocks from companies suffering through periods of poor performance) is not a good combination and could hurt him later on. One might think that Bill Miller’s investment philosophy could be a â€Å"value trap†, mistaking a more or less permanent change in value or industry conditions for a tempora ry one. The bulk of Bill Miller’s portfolio is from consumer (i. e. homebuilding) and financial categories. These stocks tend to trade at cheap prices. Furthermore, the housing bubble began inflating in mid 1990’s, thus making it an easy way for investors like Bill Miller to make money. This event led to further success of Value Trust despite the high level of volatility. Investment Philosophies Buy low-price, high intrinsic-value stocks Bill Miller tends to invest in stocks that are undervalued by the market. People believe that a business is broken, scandal, but the company is still able to generate positive future cash flows. He buys low and sell high. The market price in long run still imitates the value of the firm. Take heart in pessimistic markets Bill Miller tends to invest in stocks that have the least promising outlook and sell those stocks that have the greatest opportunity for near-term gain. In other words, Bill Miller is investing in stocks that have the greatest opportunity for long-term gain instead of near-term gain. Remember that the lowest average cost wins The lower the shares go, the higher the future rate of return and the more money you should invest in them. When a stock drops and he believes in the fundamentals, the case for future retunes goes up. Again, market price in long run still imitates the value of the firm. Buy low-expectation stocks When the market’s been down for a while, and it looks bad, then you should be more aggressive, and when it’s been up for a while, then you should be less aggressive. Bill Miller thinks buying low-expectation stocks, buying higher dividend-yielding stocks, staying away from things with high expense ratios. Take the long view Bill Miller tends to hold onto stocks he invested in for a long period of time which results in a low portfolio turnover. According to him, the biggest opportunity for investors is really thinking out longer term. Look for cyclical and secular underpricing Bill Miller tends to invest in stocks that are undervalued or mispriced. He believes that most growth people own stocks that are secularly underpriced; things that can grow for long periods of time. Behavioural Finance Bill Miller’s educational background in Philosophy and Economics and his active involvement in the study of Behavioural Finance reflect his investment strategy. During Bill Miller’s Investment Conference in 2004, he remarked that â€Å"I believe that every exploitable anomaly in the market is behaviourally based. This is the only way that sustainable anomalies can be created. These are the anomalies that are not easily arbitraged away. One of the most remarkable behavioural anomalies that we see is that people take today’s data (e. g. , the GDP report, the unemployment report) and concludes that the market is getting ahead of itself. The market does not look at today’s data. It is looking at the data down the road. † This statement demonstrates that his belief that the market reflects the available information fairly accurately in the short term. In addition, he remarked that â€Å"Because the market looks forward, because the market discounts, and because the market prices reflect, in essence, the data refracted through the decision procedures and emotions of investors, then the market will change as the world changes because it is incorporating new information. † With this statement, it appears that Bill Miller expresses a partial belief in the EMH, unlike Warren Buffet. Value Investing As what was stated in the case, Bill Miller has been following an approach to equity investing and followed a number of strategies, specifically Ben Graham’s. Bill Miller analyzes and evaluates the stocks performance in the long run which explains his strategy of buying low, with high intrinsic value. In addition, he has been holding onto stocks for a longer period than an average fund manager, hence a low turn-over rate which explains his strategy of taking the long view. Conclusion By comparing Miller’s investment philosophy with Warren Buffett’s, there is one thing that makes Buffett’s investment philosophy more applicable and Miller’s philosophy a â€Å"swing-for-the-fences† approach. Miller should look at a company’s financials before making an investment. His view of welcoming negative sentiment about companies and buying stocks as their prices fall failed to look at the company’s liquidity. The company could have issues with high levels of debt and poor financials. Even though if for instance, some of his stocks (due to volatility) have failed to meet his expectations (a â€Å"stinker†), the inflated housing bubble that grew during the 1990s caused high levels of annual return could still make the overall performance of Value Trust successful compared to the others. Thus, given the nature of his concentrated portfolio, his long outperformance can be seen as a random variable, or â€Å"luck†. There are approximately 8,044 mutual funds out there; and 4,600 of these were U. S. equity mutual funds. Thus, there is a 50 percent chance of beating the market. Since Bill Miller has outperformed its competitors over fourteen consecutive years, how come no one has followed in his footsteps?

What is Peak Oil and what are the implications for the main transport Essay - 2

What is Peak Oil and what are the implications for the main transport modes (cars; trucks; trains; ships; aircraft) - Essay Example Geologist, M. King Hubbert had first developed the concept of â€Å"Peak oil† while he was working for Shell Ltd., an oil company. The main hypothesis of Hubbert is that production of petroleum products can only increase up to a certain point, the maximum production. After that, production will surely decline. Hubert had originally predicted in 1956 that oil production of the United States will begin to fall from the period of 70s (Nà ¤f, 2010). Though initially rejected, validity of this hypothesis had begun to gain momentum when this possibility showed signs of reality. Since then, various analysts had used the background of Hubbert to predict the peak year for world oil decline. The expected time frame for the decline is 2004 to 2008 (National Research Council, 2006). The following graph shows the initial hypothesis of Hubbert. According to current estimates, the peak year of production depends heavily on the future demand. The exact time frame has not been commonly agreed upon, but estimates claim that it is likely to happen before 2020 (Mobbs, 2005). The current estimates have suggested that assuming the world economy to grow at 3-3.5% per annum, the consumption of oil in developing countries will rise from 84 bbl/day in 2005 to 120 bbl/day in 2025. Additionally, assuming depletion of oil at 3-3.5% per annum, the current demand can only be met if 98 bbl/day is produced from sources other than the existing ones, which are almost impossible (Graefe, 2011). The peak oil debate has continued for too long and no concrete results have been reached. The ones for the notion debate that the production will always lag behind discovery and the decline is terminal (Kaufmann, n.d.). Over the last few decades, newer sites that had been discovered had shown that reserves in them are not too high and cannot be sustained for a long-term. The Kuwait oil company has also decided on using multi-cyclic models to overcome

Supply chain management - Bose Corporation case study Essay

Supply chain management - Bose Corporation case study - Essay Example Being a customer driven company, Bose has adopted a refined transport system which is deemed to be among best systems in the country. The EDI system always operates close to the real time. In addition, it supports two-way communication between every party of freight handlers in 230 terminals. Bose, therefore, performs analysis on shipping and distribution easily since information in the system is updated automatically several times in a day. Thus, with this system, the company is in a position to lower the total costs in various scenarios. Bose Corporation has an effective supply chain management system that has come a long way to lower the operational costs in the organization. The company uses the latest or rather the modern technology to develop and update these systems. Thus, it has control and can instantly monitor all the shipping of its supplies to over 200 terminals due to the effectiveness in communication between the terminals and the head office. In addition, these systems applies to all the transactions that take place between the organization and its suppliers; JIT system is functional for such transactions since the individual who can be perfect in managing inventories is the supplier himself. Strategy development process at Bose Corporation can be effectively implemented due to the company’s functional systems. Implementation of any strategy in any organization involves all the stakeholders; customers, suppliers and the organization itself. The EDI system at Bose Corporation supports a two-way communication which makes communication effective. Thus, implementation of a strategy or any changes in the organization can take effect with ease as all the company’s stakeholders can easily be reached at once. Bose Corporation’s priority is the purchased quality. Being a customer-driven company, the organization’s key goal is to deliver

Management Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management Assessment - Essay Example From my personal Jungian personality type, I am a loyal, amiable, and willing to make sacrifices for the greatest good. This means that I am a dedicated person to the god of my job, especially in the struggle to achieve results. Management style thus is a dedicated type of management that does not offer room for laxity. As a manager with these qualities, I expect my team to be team players in their work, show dedication and willingness to work. However, this type of management style is suitable for careers such as a masseur, vet, painter, mechanic or clerical supervisor. This means that I have few people to manage in my daily operations. This helps in avoiding overworking others, as I would expect them to show equal dedication to work just like their manager. In most cases, this type of management leads to coercion and pushing other people, some times to the extreme limits. Although this type of management achieves results and targets at an early stage, employees feel more used and e xploited, leaving them demotivated. It could lead to a high employee turnover in a large organization. Five traits, described as The Big Five Personality Model determine the personality traits of a manager. They determine the strengths and weaknesses of a of the leadership qualities as a manager. Extroversion means that an individual is gregarious, assertive and sociable. This contradicts with introversion, which holds that people are reserved, timid and quiet. Managers who portray extroversion qualities are good managers, as they do not limit themselves to their own individual perceptions. Introverts are weak managers who are unsocial, reserved and timid. Agreeableness refers to an individual’s propensity to differ with others. People who possess a high level of agreeableness tend to be cooperative, warm and trusting. This defines the characteristics of a strong manager as they can cooperate with others easily, show high levels of warmth and trusting enough. However, weak ma nagers’ forms the group of people who score low on the agreeableness scale tend to be cold, disagreeable and antagonistic. This type of managers thus cannot compare with high levels of agreeableness. Conscientiousness measures the level of reliably of a person by others. Characteristics of a manager with a high level of conscientiousness include responsibility, organization, dependability, and persistent. Such managers are strong and highly reliable. On the other hand, weak managers score lowly on the conscientiousness scale. This is because they are easily distracted, disorganized and unreliable, qualities defining poor managers. Emotional stability described with its converse neuroticism taps into a person’s stability, the tendency of calmness, self-confident and secure. Strong managers are those possessing high emotional stability, and are calm, self-confident and secure. Openness to experience addresses an array of interests and fascination with novelty. Thus, mana gers with extreme openness are highly creative, curious and artistically sensitive. On the other hand, weak managers have weak emotional stability. Personality determines the management style people prefer applied to them. People scoring high on emotional stability are happier than those scoring low. Compared to other big five, the association of this trait to the job satisfaction is high. Thus, people lows on emotional stability are hyper-vigilant and are more prone to physical and psychological effects of stress. Extroverts tend to be happier in their jobs as well as their lives than the introverts are. They tend to perform better than the introverts and require strong interpersonal interaction. Since they have a high level of social dominance, they show exhibit a high level of assertion than the introverts. Thus, they are more likely to engage in more risky behaviour and miss from work more than the introverts. Managers who score high on openness to experience are more creative i n science rather than in art. Since creativity

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Performance Management - Essay Example Moreover, assessment of standards of such places can play a vital role in the identification of status of performance management system. The test identified 13 common rater errors. What are five of them? How would you use knowledge of those five to decide what is being done well and what is being done poorly in an organization’s behavioral assessment process? Some of the rate errors identified by the text are primacy, severity, leniency, attribution, contrast, and negativity errors. It is observed that all such rate errors facilitate in better carrying out of behavioral assessment process that are key to understand the status of performance in an organization. In specific, some of the rate errors help in carrying out effective decision-making processes. For instance, ratings for the entire period can be influenced by the performance in the beginning of such period through identification of primacy rate error. Secondly, actual performance of employees are not considered, and consistent rating of employees can be done by severity rate error that does the rating based on lower justification from the actual recording. On the other hand, leniency rate error is a diverse version of severity rate error that rates employees higher than allocated by their performance. In this regard, information gathered from common rate errors can play a vital r ole in assessing the performance in an organization. It is observed that managers and human resource department keeps on endeavoring to maintain and improve the quality performance in an organization, and a number of steps are taken to ensure the stability in the performance management system. In specific, on-job training and courses, on-job education, conferencing, assignments, and mentoring are some of the significant development activities that are organized for improving the effective performance in the organization. Statistics have indicated that every organization

Motivation and Its Impact on Employees Commitment and Work Performance Essay

Motivation and Its Impact on Employees Commitment and Work Performance - Essay Example According to Gallup Organization research, â€Å"only 29 percent of employees are motivated and energized† (Daft 2007: 248). A similar Towers Perrin global survey reveals even lower results with only 14 percent of employees across the world showing high engagement levels in their jobs. Empowering employees promotes motivation which in turn increases their engagement and commitment to their jobs, these factors raise their performance levels, and ultimately increase the company’s competitive advantage. Employee motivation is inducement or incentive which may be self-generated or produced by external forces, that promotes satisfaction and an urge towards improvement in performance. Employee commitment is defined as the attachment, loyalty, and the â€Å"strength of the individual’s identification with, and involvement in a particular organization† (Armstrong 2006: 271), and includes the employee’s extent of engagement in his job. Productivity is define d as â€Å"the efficient as well as the effective use of resources to achieve outcomes† (Berman, Bowman, West & Van Wart 2005: 309). Productivity is related to the quality of human resources and their performance. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to examine the significance of empowering employees to increase their motivation levels, and with the help of relevant theories and examples explain how motivation can affect employees’ commitment and performance at work. The Empowerment of Employees to Motivate Them Empowerment is the process of increasing employees’ responsibilities while holding them accountable for outcomes. The purpose of empowerment is to get employees to take responsibility for producing results rather than merely â€Å"following rules and regulations without producing tangible results† (Berman et al, 2005: 316). It includes various factors such as re-engineering and re-designing existing delivery processes to make them less error-prone, more efficient, effective, and timely. Re-organization of the company’s operations to eliminate wastage of resources and personnel, and replacement of earlier methods of working with information technology are also reforms that empower the workforce. Replacement of old tasks with high technology equipment or new approaches would require staff training for new responsibilities. Any anxiety on the part of workers should be addressed by human resources personnel to help employees increase their skill sets, and when any jobs become obsolete the employees should be helped to find comparable jobs within the organization. An example of addressing employees’ concerns regarding management’s disinterest in their welfare, is the Scotland-based insurance intermediary Kwik-Fit Financial Services.

Challenges Faced By Healthcare Leaders In Terms Of Decision Making Assignment

Challenges Faced By Healthcare Leaders In Terms Of Decision Making Within the Team Environment - Assignment Example According to the research findings, leadership is the ability to influence other individuals through one’s actions and behavior. It should be noted that an organization may have different objectives and goals. It is the duty of the organizational leaders to organize oneself and others effectively to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. In other words, leadership is all about the effective management of organizational resources in order to satisfy the needs of different stakeholders. In the context of the healthcare industry, the role of leadership is to address the needs of the healthcare staff and patients. In order to become a successful leader in the healthcare industry, a person should be able to improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients, develop and implement strategies to motivate healthcare staff, and ensure the healthcare organizations they run are managed well and demonstrate accountability for their use of resources. Healthcare industry consists of many segments such as aged care and disability health services. The needs of the aged and disabled may not be the same as that of other types of patients. For example, aged and disabled people may have lack of mobility and they require the support of others for completing their routine activities. It is necessary for a leader to formulate strategies based on the needs of the patients in order to make sure that all patients are able to receive quality healthcare services. Moreover, the expectations of the people about the health care services are more in the present era because of the rapid developments in medical science. At the same time, many of the modern patients, especially the aged and disabled patients are concerned about the growing hospital expenses even though they like to receive quality healthcare. Since healthcare industry is a profit-making industry, it is the duty of the leaders to make sure that the hospital management receives adequate returns on their i nvestments.

Record Keeping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Record Keeping - Essay Example may require the students to display a number of skills that may include but are not limited to the skills of understanding and learning the lessons; operating upon the customers like cutting their hair, fixing their eyebrows, and plucking excess hair off the forehead; and also their knowledge and expertise in such functional skills as English, Math, and ICT. When the records of assessment of students of a health and beauty course needs to be kept, the teacher should maintain the records of their assignments, tests, quizzes, projects, viva, and exams. When the records of assessment of workers of a health and beauty salon are to be maintained by the salon owner, the records of the workers’ attendance; worker’s record of sick leave, emergency leaves, and other leaves; and customer reviews for and against the worker need to be maintained. All of these records need to be maintained in order to keep track of the progress and quality of work of each worker. Also, the salaries of the individual workers are established based on a variety of factors including these. The teacher needs to maintain these records of assessment in order to distinguish between students that are exceptional from the average students and also from the students that are low achievers in the class. â€Å"Teachers make judgments about student progress based on information gathered through a variety of assessment strategies† (k12.gov.sk.ca, n.d.). Maintaining these records is essential in order to keep the students motivated to work hard and invest time, effort, and resources in gaining the knowledge and developing the skills. The teacher needs these records of assessment because in the final result, each of these factors including assignments, tests, quizzes, viva, and exams are graded according to a certain percentage. The final result reflects the students’ achievement in each of these areas rather than just the final exam. Likewise, an employer of a health and beauty salon needs to maintain

Philosophy - Human Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy - Human Freedom - Essay Example The essay "Philosophy - Human Freedom" states the human freedom. However, this formal agreement known as the law or the legal system and it is steadily and constantly developing and changing as the new circumstances and situations arise. (Sections of this law, normally those that deal with human rights, are actually less changeable and some times are referred to as constitutions.) Therefore, our constitution is defined and supported by the legal systems. A general fallacy the regard freedom is to automatically believe that it is a by-product of the modern democracy. The only freedom practically bestowed by democracy on its members is that they have the right, that is, every few years to cast their votes for one of a set of the representatives who will administer or run the nation on their behalf. Whereas modern democracy is an essential basis for free societies, it necessarily doesn’t guarantee freedom. The fact that job falls to the legal system, which isn’t greatly in fluenced by the periodic voting, is the reason why freedom campaigns always involve legal challenges. According to Wolf, nevertheless, democracy can only be considered an agent of freedom if grants the people meaningful voting choices, that is, not just a choice of two or three political parties which only have cosmetic differences, but if it ensure that the citizens have the undistorted and evenhanded information that is necessary in making a choice that is in their interest (similarly, a mass media and educational system. that is free from undue corporate and government influence. Sometimes, people may want to use their democratic rights in restricting freedom (for instance, in the places of gun ownership, GM foods, stem cell research, fox hunting or war against terror and pedophilia. This is due to the fact that freedoms normally conflict with each other: what freedom means for an individual or group of individuals is always a restriction for another. For instance, the freedom to breathe fresh air depends on the restriction of freedom for the factories to generate or produce as much pollution as the wish. Thus, the freedom support is usually a balancing act between the combined long-term interests and the short-term interests of individual or group people. Under law, we find that corporations are considered individual people and hence are afforded many of the same rights. Today, we are living in democracies that are greatly hostile to long-term and common freedom. The choice of political party during election time is rather restrictive, though still essential, and the mass media is nearly wholly corporately owned and thus influenced, which consequently opens up to influence by the government, recompense for political favors to those organizations. This implies that the people’s mind is strongly being manipulated in making voting choices that aren’t really in their best interest, but in the short-term interest of the corporations and politician s. Moreover, the other thing that tends to manipulate the people’s mind into undervaluating freedom is the fact that the adults much of their working hours working in the corporate environment. I don’t really think corporations are democratic organizations, but instead, they are dictatorial

Business Communications Essay Example for Free

Business Communications Essay * Interim deadlines may be set by individual tutors * You must choose at least one of the two presentations referred to below in Tasks 2 and 6. It is expected that the presentations will take place the week beginning 21st January. A summary of the Assessment and Grading Criteria In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit. The assessment criteria for a pass grade describe the level of achievement required to pass this unit. Summary of the Edexcel Assessment and Grading Criteria| To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:| To achieve a merit the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to:| To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to:| P1 Explain different types of business information their sources and purpose.| M1 Analyse the content of P1| D1 Evaluate the appropriateness of business information used to make strategic decisions.| P2 Present complex internal business information using three different methods| M2 Expand on P5 and offer an analysis of the legal and ethical issues| D2 Evaluate the effectiveness of business information and its communication as key contributors to the success of an organisation, using examples to illustrate your points. Unit 4: Business Communications learning outcomes:- 1. Understand different types of business information 2. Be able to present business information effectively 3. Understand the issues and constraints in relation to the use of business information in organisations 4. Know how to communicate business information using appropriate methods. Assignment Task 1 Scenario You have applied for a job in marketing communications working for Next plc (or another organisation of your choice). Prepare a paper entitled, â€Å"An explanation, analysis and evaluation of different types of information sources and purpose.† (P1, M1, D1). Please note that if you are aiming for a pass, you only need to write an explanation. If you are aiming for the merit you need to offer a detailed analysis and for a distinction you will need to demonstrate that you have evaluated your analysis e.g. look at the advantages and disadvantages of using various types of information sources. Task 2 Scenario You have been successful in your interview and you have been offered the job of assistant marketing communications advisor. Working with another member of the team, your first job is to prepare and deliver a 10 minute presentation on the subject of marketing research. This is to take place the week beginning the 21st January. Continuing to work with your partner, prepare a memorandum report for your supervisor, Jayne Koweleski, explaining the importance of competitor analysis, and design a press release for the general public, informing them of the benefits of on-line shopping with Next. (P2) Task 3 In a memorandum report to your supervisor write up an evaluation examining advantages and disadvantages of various types of business communications, in helping an organisation to improve its performance and be successful. Use a variety of examples to support your evaluation (D2). Task 4 Working with someone else in your marketing communications team, produce two different examples of corporate communications. One must be an advertisement for the press and the other a story board for a TV advertisement. This could be for NEXT plc or an organisation of your choice (P3). Task 5 Prepare an evaluation of two different types of external business communication. One could be a TV advert and another could be a press release. Examine the communication methods and assess their strengths and weaknesses. In the conclusion of your evaluation suggest ways in which the different forms of communication could be improved (P4). Task 6 Working with another member of the team, prepare and deliver a 10 minute presentation, the week beginning 21st January, entitled, â€Å"Understanding the legal, ethical and operational aspects of using business information†. In your presentation include reference to the Data Protection Act 1998, Freedom of Information Act 2000, The Computer Misuse Act 1990, backing up stored information, security of information, health and safety and organisational policies. (P5, P6). Task 7 Write an essay entitled, â€Å"An analysis of legal and ethical issues facing modern business.† (M2) Task 8 Prepare a training session for your colleagues on how to effectively communicate business information. Include in the session: understanding the audience (e.g. gender, expected attentiveness), the use of body language, verbal communication, listening, formal and informal communications (e.g. Meetings) written communication (memorandum), visual (e.g. the use of flow charts, graphs and pictures) electronic communications (e.g. e-mail) (P7).

Pinkie and Evil Essay Example for Free

Pinkie and Evil Essay Graham Greene, a devote Catholic and author of Brighton Rock, centers his novel on the religious, metaphysical concepts of good verses evil. We, as readers, are overwhelmed with the presence of evil and its power to manipulate the good, as shown especially through the protagonist, Pinkie. It is ironic that Pinkie is Catholic, for he embodies everything that is evil, sinister, and hellish. Pinkie, a gang leader, a sociopath, and a teenage devil, exemplifies evil within the novel. The physical appearance of Pinkie shows how evilness is imbedded within his being. When we are first introduced to him, he is physically described as having a â€Å"face of starved intensity, a kind of hideous and unnatural pride† (Greene 5). This description is reminiscent of the lack of emotions Pinkie holds and his sociopathical intentions. It shows how he is hungry for something and holds an abnormally strong feeling of personal worth with a strong sense of arrogance. Greene continues on in saying that â€Å"his grey eyes had an effect of the heartlessness like an old man’s in which human feeling [have] died† (6). Grey is a bland, emotionless color often associated with mourning and mystery. Many believe that the eyes are, in fact, the windows to the soul. With Pinkie’s grey eyes, we gain an extension of his lack of feeling and are left wondering if there is a true soul buried in him. This lack of emotion aids to his inner evilness. Lastly, Greene characterizes Pinkie as a snake: â€Å"The Boy retorted with sudden venom† (53). The snake is the animal most associated with the Devil. They represent all that is evil, dangerous, and deceitful, characteristics reminiscent of Pinkie himself. Pinkie’s strong dislike of women shows his intolerance for other humans, therefore adding to his inner wickedness. The presence of a woman triggers a build up of anger within Pinkie, emphasizing his bigotry of others. For example, when he first hears Ida singing, he watches her with â€Å"an expression of furious distaste† (6). Although she is a beautiful, busty woman, Pinkie feels nothing but dissatisfaction and anger towards Ida. He eventually drops and shatters his glass in reaction to his irritation at Ida. Along with the mere presence of a female, Pinkie is disgusted by the idea of sexual contact and abhors sex itself. Upon looking at Rose and her skin, he can only react with â€Å"a prick of sexual desire [that] disturbed him like a sickness† (130). Observing a woman’s body only causes him to cringe and feel ill. Other than simply his distaste for a woman, this is partly triggered by the fact he saw his parents engaging in sexual activities as a child. Regardless, he is born of unloving circumstances, unable to feel or give love. Lacking the ability to engage in sexual activities or to love another sparks a nerve in the evilness that embodies Pinkie. He is often dominating and threatening towards female characters as a sort of defense mechanism. Just as his hatred for others adds to his evil nature, Pinkie’s fascination with pain and death does as well. In the beginning of the novel, Pinkie, himself, brutally murders Hale in revenge for Kite’s death. Being the leader of gang, Pinkie is constantly surrounded by death. In one instance, Pinkie inflicts pain on and kill an insect: â€Å"He pulled off the legs and wings one by one† (134). The drawn out description of picking off each leg one at a time emphasizes his ruthlessness. While he picks off the legs, he does so while saying â€Å"she loves me, she loves me not† (134). Most people would use flowers for this chant, thus emphasizing his diabolicalness and highlighting his evil nature. He only gains satisfaction out of things that cause pain, such as vitriol, a deadly acid. On the contrary to his indifference to sexual satisfaction, he even gains pleasure while alone with a bottle of vitriol: â€Å"†¦just as the faint sensual pleasure he felt, touching the bottle of vitriol with his fingers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (63). It is as if Pinkie is stroking an animal or pet. Pinkie gains pleasure in painful and deadly things, thus increasing his evil demeanor. Pinkie, a Roman-Catholic, believes hell is inevitable, and because of this knowledge, he chooses to befriend evil. Despite his religious upbringing, Pinkie radically changed into a more Atheist-prone attitude, stating â€Å"God couldn’t escape the evil mouth which chose to eat its own damnation† (259). He simply believed that the presence of a force like the devil could never be touched, even by God himself. Because he grew up in such unfathomable conditions, he has grown to view life as a living Hell; he has never experienced a slight sense of Heaven. He regards Hell as a â€Å"familiar room† (264), suggesting his familiarity to such dreadful, diabolical conditions. Succeeding Kite in the life of a gangster, he has come to be a more sadistic being, certain of his own damnation. â€Å"He spoke like a devil – he tempted her to virtue like a sin† (350). We see that Pinkie, embodying the Devil, chooses sin rather than virtue, tempting his peers with the same attitude. He influences Rose as far as suggesting she should kill herself, even offering her a gun to do so. Greene is effective in his use of characterization and imagery to create a character reminiscent of such evil. Pinkie epitomizes the evil in the novel. Greene epitomizes Pinkie’s evil nature like â€Å"poison twist[ing] in [his] veins† (121). Thus we see the evil instilled in him, yet he continuously allows it to contaminate himself like a disease. What Pinkie did not comprehend, and Greene’s main theme, was that no matter how evil or how seemingly damned one may be, you have the opportunity to redeem yourself.

Flash Floods In Jeddah Saudi Arabia Environmental Sciences Essay

Flash Floods In Jeddah Saudi Arabia Environmental Sciences Essay Jeddah is one of the most important cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Located on the shore of the Red Sea, the city has a population of more than 3.5 million, and after Riyadh, is the second largest urban settlement of the country (CIA Factbook, 2010, p1). Containing the largest port on the Red Sea, it is the principal entry point for Mecca, the holiest city of the Islamic religion (CIA Factbook, 2010, p1). It acts as a conduit for millions of worshipers on their way to Mecca and is otherwise a very busy commercial centre (CIA Factbook, 2010, p1). Jeddah is also known to be among the more cosmopolitan of Saudi Arabian destinations and is home to many people from western countries, because of its sea facing location, commercial importance and international connectedness (CIA Factbook, 2010, p1). The city experienced flash floods in the last week of November in 2009 (Al-Bargi, A., 2009, p 1). The floods resulted in a veritable catastrophe as much of the city was submerged in 3 feet of water and cars were swept away and piled on top of each other (Al-Bargi, A., 2009, p 1). Appendix 1 provides some pictures of the flash floods, which illustrate the extent and enormity of damage caused. The floods, which lasted for barely a couple of days, resulted in the loss of more than a 100 lives and damaged 2 billions of dollars of property (Abumansour, W., 2009, p 1). The next few days saw the residents of the city facing the dangers of a possible epidemic because of (a) overflowing sewage from the nearby Musk Lake, which threatened to enter the city, and (b) obvious difficulties in burying the men, women, children, and animals, who had died during the floods (Abumansour, W., 2009, p 1). Western citizens were bemused by the intensity of the havoc and destruction caused by just three inches of rain in a very short span of time on November 25. A resident of Florida writes as follows: On Wednesday, my part of west-central Florida received three-to-five inches of rain. No one died, even as the result of a traffic accident. Other than a few puddles an inch or two deep, the water was gone within hours of the rains passing. My city has a population of about 52,000 people and nowhere near the financial assets of Jeddah. (Crossroads Arabia, 2010, p1) The days that followed the floods witnessed an unprecedented wave of outrage in Saudi Arabia over the incompetence of the government in preventing the floods, which assumed the overtones of a catastrophe of great magnitude in terms of loss of lives and damage to property (Alice King, 2009, p 1). The episode also resulted in severe and all round condemnation of the inefficiency of town planning in Jeddah (Alice King, 2009, p 1). Numerous accusations of corruption against government officials and members of the bureaucracy led to the suspension of numerous responsible officials and the institution of a public enquiry (Al-Sulami, 2010, p 1). Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has ordered the cases of all those accused of complicity in the November floods in Jeddah referred to the watchdog for government employees and the national prosecution body The king made it clear that crimes involving financial and administrative corruption would not be included in the list of crimes he may choose to pardon later. (Al-Sulami, 2010, p1) 1.2. Definition of Problem Recent decades have witnessed a spate of natural flood related disasters of different dimensions with varying degrees of consequential damage. Pakistan has very recently, in early August 2010, experienced floods of immense severity, which have resulted in more than 1500 deaths. The impact of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, where more than 100,000 lives were lost, will not be forgotten soon (National Geographic News, 2005, p 1). A number of cyclones damaged American cities in the recent past and caused significant damage to life and property (Borland, 2010, p 1). Environmental and ecological experts attribute the greater occurrence of such natural disasters in recent years to global warming and consequential climatic change (Castonguay, 2007, p 820). With the impact of such climatic change not expected to abate in future, national and international policy makers are working on various stratagems to protect life and property from the consequences of such environmental turbulences (Castonguay, 2007, p 820). 1.3. Purpose Governments across the world are formulating and implementing customised plans and solutions for the protection of their citizens from the wrath of nature. Such plans obviously have to essentially be bespoke in character and designed to protect against specific environmental threats (Carter, 2007, p 330). Cities in hilly areas need to be protected from the consequences of earthquakes and landslides, even as residents of habitations near rivers, dams, reservoirs and seas need to be protected from the onslaught of water (Carter, 2007, p 330). Plans to protect citizens from disasters must also essentially incorporate disaster preparation and disaster management activities before, during and after the occurrence of disasters (Carter, 2007, p 330). The Saudi Government has evidenced high levels of concern about the implementation of flood and disaster management plans in the kingdom and the overcoming of associated difficulties and restrictions (A1SaudiArabia.com, 2010, p 1). This dissertation aims to investigate the various risks that can emerge from floods in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is also proposed to study the effect of various factors that can challenge or obstruct flood management plans at Jeddah and the various plans and measures that can be implemented to overcome such challenges. 1.4. Aims and Objectives The aims and objectives of this dissertation, framed in accordance with the defined problem and the purpose of this study, are now elaborated as under. To examine the various reasons that led to the enormous havoc and destruction after the occurrence of the flash floods in Jeddah on November 25, 2009. To examine and assess the various risks that can arise for life and property in the KSA because of unsuitable and inadequate flood management practices. To study the different issues concerned with flood management as also the implications of such issues on risk management for concerned public and private agencies and for members of the population. To study and understand the various implications of planning on ecosystems with specific reference to Saudi Arabia. To recommend specific strategies, plans and measures to protect the human population, animal and plant life, and individual and organisational property, in KSA, from such challenges. 1.5. Structure This dissertation has been structured to ensure sequential progress of research findings, right from the introductory section through the literature review, the choice of appropriate research methodology, and the obtaining and analysis of data to appropriate recommendations and conclusions. The bibliography and various appendices used during the study have been placed at the end of the dissertation. 2. Literature Review This review of extant literature involves a detailed study of various aspects of floods, their reasons, their effects, and the various ways in which communities and societies are (a) trying to prevent their occurrence, (b) minimise their impact on the ecosystem, human and animal life, and individual and organisational property, and (c) deal with their aftermath. Information sources have been chosen carefully for their relevance to the Jeddah floods of 2009, and to the broader issue of flood prevention and management in Saudi Arabia. 2.1. Risks from Floods Flooding is widely accepted to be the foremost causal factor for loss of life and damage to property from natural events in numerous regions of the world (Kron, 2005, p 58-68). It is to elaborate further considered to be far more damaging than other types of natural disasters or hazards like earthquakes and fires (Kron, 2005, p 58-68). The Munich Reinsurance Company, in a study conducted in 2000, found that practically 50% of loss of life and one third of economic losses that took place due to natural disasters, occurred because of flooding (Briguglio, 2008, p 1-15). Damages from floods have been particularly severe in contemporary times (Briguglio, 2008, p 1-15). The last decade in particular has witnessed a number of flood related disasters across the world, which has resulted in widespread loss of life and damages, amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars, to property (Kron, 2005, p 58-68). Whilst countries like China and Bangladesh experience flooding with associated loss to lives and property very frequently, other countries, like Saudi Arabia, for example, rarely face floods (Kron, 2005, p 58-68). However when floods do occur in such areas, their force, impact and consequential inundation is no less severe than in flood prone regions (Briguglio, 2008, p 1-15). It is evident that all populated areas across the world face risks from flooding, even as some societies are far more vulnerable than others to flood hazards (Alexander, 2006, p 1). Again whilst some societies have come to understand the damage that can be caused by floods and have adopted suitable measures to minimise associated damage, many others continue to be caught off guard and are found to be unprepared, to a great extent, when floods occur; such inadequacies exist both in minimising the damage from such floods and in taking appropriate post disaster action (Alexander, 2006, p 1). The members of such under protected societies thus often experience far more loss to life and property than those of better prepared communities (Alexander, 2006, p 1). The rapid and progressive increase in global population has led to the need for people to settle in new and hitherto unpopulated areas, some of which are known to be prone to natural hazards (Boruff Cutter, 2007, p 24). Saudi Arabia for instance is experiencing continuous increase in its population, much of which is fuelled by the inflow of people from other nations, who come in search of employment in the oil rich and fast growing Saudi economy (Boruff Cutter, 2007, p 24). The movement of people on account of political, social and economic reasons often leads to the development of habitation in areas that could be prone to flooding events (Boruff Cutter, 2007, p 24). Floods are defined in insurance contracts as a temporary covering of land by water as a result of surface waters escaping from their normal confines or as a result of heavy precipitation. (Kron, 2005 p 58) They can be categorised into three distinct classes, namely (a) storm surges, (b) river floods and (c) flash floods (Kron, 2005, p 58-68). Apart from these three types of floods, flooding can also occur because of specific reasons like the occurrence of tsunamis, breaks in dams, rising of ground water, and glacial lake outbursts (Kron, 2005, p 58-68). Storm surges occur mainly on the coasts of big lakes, seas, and oceans (Castonguay, 2007, p 820). They have in the past been the reason for the greatest losses to life and property that have occurred because of natural water related disasters (Castonguay, 2007, p 820). Whilst developed countries are fortifying their coasts in order to minimise the damage from such occurrences, storm surges continue to be a major threat in coastal areas across the world (Castonguay, 2007, p 820). River floods occur after heavy and continuous rainfall for many days, and even weeks, over substantially large geographical regions (Changnon, 1996, p 14-32). Saturation of soil in such cases results in the inability of the ground surface to absorb water indefinitely and further rainfall results in water running directly into streams and rivers (Changnon, 1996, p 14-32). Such floods generally grow gradually, even though they can sometimes occur within short periods, and can affect very large areas, especially where land topography is flat (Changnon, 1996, p 14-32). Whilst river floods in narrow valleys lead to inundation of small strips of land alongside rivers, the depths of such inundation and velocity of water can be excessively high and lead to enormous destruction of life and property in affected areas (Changnon, 1996, p 14-32). Whilst river floods occur from river based water sources and not from seas or oceans, their effect is often greater than that of flooding caused by seas (Changnon, 1996, p 14-32). Flash floods are predominantly local events, which occur in a scattered manner at different times across the world (Briguglio, 2008, p 1-15). Such floods come about after the occurrence of intense rainfall in a short geographical area (Briguglio, 2008, p 1-15). The rate of infiltration of water into the ground in such cases is much slower than the rate of precipitation, even though the ground may not be fully saturated (Briguglio, 2008, p 1-15). Flash floods often occur very suddenly and flood waves can rush to distant but contiguous locations in very short periods (Briguglio, 2008, p 1-15). Whilst the forecasting of flash floods is very difficult because of the extremely small period between its first indication and actual occurrence and the actual period of occurrence of rainfall is short, their potential for destruction is immense (Briguglio, 2008, p 1-15). Such floods occur not just in steep terrains, where water can flow swiftly, but also in flat areas where ground slopes are to o less for the occurrence of swift storm water runoffs (Briguglio, 2008, p 1-15). Water in such situations collects on the surface in hardly noticeable depressions and in other areas like underground parking lots, basements and subways (Briguglio, 2008, p 1-15). Flooding also occurs because of water logging when widespread and continuous rains inundate large traps of land (Castonguay, 2007, p 820). 2.2. Impact of Eco Systems on Floods Environmental experts state that whilst climate change is possibly influencing the excessive rainfall that has been ravaging Asia in the last few years, the purposeful and progressive destruction of eco systems by humans is playing a greater role in the intensification of the severity of floods (Guenni, et al, 2005, p 1). Extensive deforestation, along with the conversion of wet lands to sprawling urban development and the blocking of natural drainage systems are intensifying the impact of floods (Guenni, et al, 2005, p 1). A number of environmental experts agree that whilst much of the modern day problems associated with environmental issues are being attributed to climate change, the severity of natural disasters is actually intensifying because of human destruction of natural infrastructure (Kron, 2005, p 58-68). Millions of people are building homes along flood plains and increasing garbage is blocking natural water ways (Kron, 2005, p 58-68). All across Asia, cities are experiencing unplanned growth of urban sprawls, along with poor land and waste management (Kron, 2005, p 58-68). Such developments are reducing natural protective phenomena and exposing human life and property to chances of extensive damage (Kron, 2005, p 58-68). Obtaining a true understanding of eco system services in the safeguarding of human well being is difficult because of the range of factors that can both protect and harm humans during natural disasters (Castonguay, 2007, p 820). The following table illustrates the various ways in which eco systems play important roles in flood regulation (Castonguay, 2007, p 820). Key Role of Ecosystems in Regulating Extreme Events Ecosystem Role in Flood Regulation Cultivated Crop cover provides flood protection, conditioned on good management Dry land Protection through vegetation cover; recharge of aquifers Forest Protection from floods providing flood attenuation and soil loss prevention Urban Move people away from flood-prone areas, conditioned on good urban planning Inland Waters Provide mechanisms for flood attenuation potential (wetlands, lakes, etc.) Coastal Benefits from sediment transport to the coastal zone; flood protection provided by coastal ecosystems (barrier beaches, mangroves, etc.) Marine Benefits from nutrient transport to the oceans Polar Discharge regulation to oceans in the Arctic system (freshwater provision to Arctic oceans) Mountains Regulating flood-related events (slope stability) Islands Benefits from sediment transport to oceans through floods from the mainland; aquifer recharge as main source of fresh water (Source: Guenni, et al, 2005, p 444) 2.3. Role of Spatial Planning in Flood Prevention and Control Increased vulnerability to flooding of different types is occurring across the world because of destruction of protective eco systems like mangroves, coral reefs and flood plains (Alterman, 2001, p 7-19). Disasters have been found to be higher in regions that have suffered from greater environmental degradation (Alterman, 2001, p 7-19). Many countries experience severe problems from floods at irregular but frequent intervals (Chan Parker, 1996, p 313). The traditional approach taken by such nations for reduction of flood control consists mainly of (a) measures like construction of dykes and dams, and (b) improvements to canals, channels, and drainage systems (Chan Parker, 1996, p 313). Many of such programmes have been adopted specifically for cities and demarcated agricultural areas and have involved the deployment of a limited range of engineering activities for the overcoming of flooding problems (Chan Parker, 1996, p 313). Whilst some of these solutions have proven to be useful, others have ended up in aggravating flood damage (De Cola, 2002, p 363). Many western countries are now recognising the inadequacy of flood management programmes that are solely dependent upon structural measures (De Cola, 2002, p 363). Western countries are increasingly engaging in deployment of non-structural methods for flood prevention (Comfort, 1988, p 78- 82). Such measures aim to minimise losses through controlling urban and collateral development in areas at risk from floods (Comfort, 1988, p 78- 82). Non-structural measures are by and large utilised along with a range of structural measures in order to create comprehensive systems for dealing with flood problems (Comfort, 1988, p 78- 82). Many such programmes with non-structural components have however met with partial success because of problems associated with zoning of land and relocation of people (Comfort, 1988, p 78- 82). Comprehensive flood hazard management is the most effective way to address flood control issues. It incorporates a variety of engineering, environmental protection and planning measures. It includes flood plain management, flood control maintenance activities, storm water management, shoreline management, protection of frequently flooded areas under Growth Management, watershed management, other flood hazard mitigation activities, and preparation for flood disasters where mitigation activities cannot prevent flooding. (MRSC, 2010, p1) Experts agree that spatial management, which includes both structural and non-structural measures, can significantly help in preventing and reducing the impact of natural disasters (Comfort, 1988, p 78- 82). Such planning essentially contains the following elements: Early warning system: Spatial planning will succeed only if it is based upon sound information on the region under consideration. This calls for the introduction and implementation of suitable methods for acquisition and measurement of data about environmental hazards. Risk Assessment and Mapping: The formulation of effective systems for prevention of flood related disasters depends upon the availability of comprehensive information on the causes and impact of flooding. Such systems require the creation of appropriate frameworks for assessment and evaluation of floods. Hydrological and geological information like thematic hazard maps can help significantly in reducing loss of life and property because of floods. Prevention and Reduction: Spatial planning efforts require the analysis of various inter-relationships between spatial planning and the occurrence of floods. Appropriate spatial models can be discussed and established only on the basis of results of such analysis. Risk management: Spatial planning, to be effective, needs to carefully look at various elements of infrastructure like evacuation routes and safety spaces, which can help safeguard and secure individuals during the occurrence of floods. Reconstruction: Spatial planning is of extreme importance during reconstruction after disasters, when rebuilding has to be appropriately executed in order to eliminate past inadequacies and prepare for future developments. (Comfort, 1988, p 78- 82) 2.4. Prevention, Management and Control of Flood Disasters Spatial planning, whilst extremely important for mitigation of the impact of floods is only one of a number of dimensions that have to be considered, when planning for prevention, management, and control of flood disasters. Some extremely important aspects of flood control are detailed in the following sub-sections (Haeuber Michener, 1998, p 74). 2.4.1. Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping A vulnerability analysis aims to assess the risks faced by structures and populations within flood prone areas (Guenni, et al, 2005, p 1). Such analysis assesses the potential impact of flooding by way of damage to roads, bridges, buildings and critical utilities (Guenni, et al, 2005, p 1). Vulnerability analysis is executed for different probability levels of floods and leads to the development of an elevation-damage curve (Guenni, et al, 2005, p 1). Such an analysis, by identifying high risk populations, is useful for formulation of required emergency responses in terms of evacuation and temporary shelters (Guenni, et al, 2005, p 1). A vulnerability analysis also helps in deciding acceptable risk levels and the level for which protection is essential (Guenni, et al, 2005, p 1). Mapping is closely associated with vulnerability analysis and represents a detailed definition of risk prone areas (Kaschube, 2006, p 50). Mapping is an important fundamental activity for all types of flood preparation programmes (Kaschube, 2006, p 50). With such maps often having legal implications with regard to zoning and the execution of structural and non-structural flood control actions, they must be credible and accurate (Kaschube, 2006, p 50). Such mapping by and large takes place on the frequency of flood events and along with vulnerability analysis provides a basis for all flood control measures (Kaschube, 2006, p 50). 2.4.2. Protection of Flood Prone Lands Vulnerability analysis and mapping provide vital inputs for the formulation of policies and programmes for controlling the incidence and impact of areas that are susceptible to floods (Johnson, et al, 2007, p 374). Policies and programmes for effective flood control often envisage carefully thought out controls over fresh development in flood prone areas, along with programmes for reduction of damage to existing development (Johnson, et al, 2007, p 374). Such policies are needed to limit the increasing economic and social losses that come about from floods (Johnson, et al, 2007, p 374). Flood control programmes should in the first place focus on alternate utilisation of lands facing flood risks (Krischenbaum, 2004, p 57-60). It is often better to zone such lands and use them for parks or other nature areas, rather than to think of measures to protect future development from floods (Krischenbaum, 2004, p 57-60). Zoning along with appropriate measures for flood proofing can help significantly in mitigation of damages from future floods (Lerner, 1998, p 35). However the final utility of such measures depends upon maintenance and enforcement (Lerner, 1998, p 35). Many local authorities, who are under developmental pressure, have shown tendencies to relax their stand on flood control as years pass by without the occurrence of floods (Lerner, 1998, p 35). 2.4.3. Climatological Forecasting and Geographic Information Systems Significant advances in techniques and methods for climatological forecasting have now made it a very useful tool for mitigation of flooding risks (Kotter, 2003, p 78-86). Such forecasting entails the correlation of extreme events to major alterations in ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns (Kotter, 2003, p 78-86). The identification of such patterns helps in forecasting storm activity with substantially greater accuracy than what could be done in the past (Kron, 2000, p 570-581). Climatological forecasting provides important information for improvement of emergency response readiness (Kron, 2000, p 570-581). Such forecasts are also helpful for increasing availability of reservoir storage and for building awareness of flooding potential (Kron, 2000, p 570-581). Such measures can lessen flooding severity, as and when floods occur (Kotter, 2003, p 78-86). Forecasting of extreme flooding can help local authorities in taking preventive actions such as piling up of sand bags, arrang ing for supplies of food and water, and removing high value goods (Kotter, 2003, p 78-86). Climatological forecasting helps in building public awareness of the potential impact of floods, highlighting expected public responses, and carrying out drills to assess degree of preparedness (Kron, 2000, p 570-581). Geographic Information Systems (GIS) represent software driven information and management systems that help in forecasting of water flows and in development of emergency responses (Penning-Rowsell Tapsell, 2004, p 6-38). Such systems use data from various sources, combine them suitably, and thereafter provide information for specific locations (Penning-Rowsell Tapsell, 2004, p 6-38). Data on vegetative cover is for example combined with information on soil and slope of land to assess infiltration rates for purposes of forecasting (Penning-Rowsell Tapsell, 2004, p 6-38). Climatological forecasting and geographical information systems, when used in combination, can be helpful in providing information for the taking of a range of precautionary measures for the mitigation of the impact of floods (Penning-Rowsell Tapsell, 2004, p 6-38). 2.4.4. Structural Measures Structural measures represent the undertaking of a wide range of infrastructural activities that aim to protect regions from the devastation that can be caused by floods (Munich Re, 2000, p 1-5). Such structural measures largely consist of protective infrastructural development like reservoirs for flood storage, the diversion of flood water for storage in side channels or to other water sheds, and the building of storm channels that can carry water around risk prone areas (Munich Re, 2000, p 1-5). These structural measures can be built to ensure various protection levels and can help significantly in reduction of flood damage (MRSC, 2010, p1). The construction of structural work is influenced by (a) determined standards for protection against floods, (b) costs and benefits of planned structures, and (c) the need to satisfy determined risk levels (MRSC, 2010, p1). The undertaking of protective infrastructure is important when (a) substantial infrastructure is already in place, and (b) the costs of protecting such development is expected to be substantially less than what can be expected to arise out of relocation of such infrastructure, lost economic activity, reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, or disaster relief and assistance (Pelling, 2003, p 8-23). The example of Winnipeg in Canada underlines the importance of engagement in appropriate structural measures (Pelling, 2003, p 8-23). Structural flood protection measures amounting to USD 92 million were completed for the city in the 1960s (Pelling, 2003, p 8-23). It is estimated that these structures minimised the impact of five floods that occurred since then and prevented damages that would have cost approximately USD 2 billion to repair (Pelling, 2003, p 8-23). The erection of protective infrastructure often leads to increase in developmental activities in areas that are at risk from floods, because of assumptions that such areas become safe from floods after the execution of structural measure (Hultman Bozmoski, 2006, p 25). Such assumptions can however prove to be misplaced and lead to over development with consequent increase in the vulnerability of such areas to floods. Storage dams can prove to be extremely dangerous when development in surrounding areas exceeds specified thresholds, because unanticipated levels of rainfall can lead to swift increase in water levels, thereby making emergency and evacuation responses very challenging (Hultman Bozmoski, 2006, p 25). Structural work, to be successful against flood protection, must be accompanied by systematic and established programmes for assessment, repair and maintenance, in order to maintain originally specified design capabilities. Canals, channels, and dikes, may, for example, be weakened by progressive erosion, movement of animals or erection of utility facilities. Such infrastructural work need to be subjected to carefully thought out safety programmes, in accordance with established guidelines and standards. All new construction allowed in flood prone areas should incorporate flood protection measures in order to reduce the potential for future damage (Kahn, 2005, p 271-284). Building codes should incorporate measures for reducing flood damage by ensuring that important utilities are located above expected floor levels (Kahn, 2005, p 271-284). Items that cannot be moved away easily should not be allowed to be stored in basements or ground floors (Kahn, 2005, p 271-284). Whilst allowing new development, care must be taken to ensure that such development will not lead to significant increase of flood waters and thereby increase risks to the complete area (Kahn, 2005, p 271-284). Protection of existing structures from floods is often a challenging and expensive process (Handmer, 1987, p 51-58). Some governments have related post flood disaster help to the commitment of reconstruction methods that will reduce future damages from floods (Handmer, 1987, p 51-58). Such a strategy becomes specifically useful where flooding takes place often and monetary help for disaster assistance is an integral component of disaster policies (Pielke Jr., 2000, p 5-12). Flood protection of existing structures and buildings can incorporate measures like raising the level of structures to prevent future harm, movement of utilities, alteration in use of buildings, setting up of protective walls, building of waterproof enclosures, and utilisation of materials that are resistant to water and can be restored easily after flood events (Pielke Jr., 2000, p 5-12). The relocation of existing structures to other areas that are at lesser risks from floods is also a possible, though difficult option (Newson, 1997, p 22-36). Relocation for particularly vulnerable structures may however be imperative in certain cases, despite the associated difficulties and expenses (Newson, 1997, p 22-36). Particular buildings may be at such great risk that no amount of flood proofing measures may be sufficient to ensure desired levels of safety (Newson, 1997, p 22-36). Local authorities need to be firm in such situations and ensure relocation in order to prevent extensive loss to property and life in future flood events (Newson, 1997, p 22-

digital divide :: essays research papers fc

In this new era of booming technology and endless possibilities of what cyber space brings to our fingertips, leads us to question whether it depresses our economic and social stature. Over half the United States is now enjoying the online capabilities , while millions of people all over the world join the online community every year. With many businesses and schools relying on the Internet, it is important as basic phone service. Cell phones, computers, and plasma televisions are all taking us forward. But is this not a wellness for our society?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, we must look at the importance the Internet means for the industrializing and developing society. Technology is definitely a boost to an economy in any nation. In a society that lacks the skills of technological advances, might leap the country economically. With the Internet, nations who weren’t well educated or behind in knowledge will greatly improve with the added IT. Whether it is medical, political, or social countries will profit from the technology. The Internet Age is growing; I believe you will see more unity between nations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In many ways we are tying to break the digital divide in our own nation. In February 2000, President Clinton proposed a new plan to help bridge the digital divide. Offering two billion dollar tax break to private companies, new teacher IT training programs, and Community Technology Centers in low-income neighborhoods . I believe the digital divide will fade over time. Technology will adapt to society not the other way around. The Internet is going the same route that telephones and television went. The Westernized cultures are breaking the digital divide every day. Nevertheless in countries not well educated the bridge will be harder to break driven issues such as poverty. Technology is propelling us into a new age of information.

Wuthering Heights ch 1-3 analysis Essay -- Emily Bronte

In Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, what first appears to be an overabundance of descriptions about a mansion in nineteenth century England easily turns into a myriad of sentiment, hatred, and love among the protagonists. The work can be classified as an unprecedented satire, using indirect actions of its characters to convey a forthright message regarding human misdeeds. The first few pages of the book presents two main characters, Mr. Heathcliff and Mr. Lockwood, where both serve an important role in intensifying the plot. They have nearly opposite personalities, as Heathcliff is a humble, reserved landlord while Lockwood is an arrogant, agitated fellow. It can also be inferred that through some of the actions Lockwood engages in that he represents an immoral figure that mankind should grow to despise, in a time where benevolent behavior and personality is highly valued. Consequently, this kind of behavior serves to condemn him in an irreverent way, as a plethora of contempt eag erly follows him nearly every place he travels to. The first three chapters of the novel mainly serves to romanticize the setting in which an atmosphere of imagination can be achieved amongst readers. It is important that such an effect be established, so that one can effortlessly picture the scenario in his or her mind, thus developing a greater appreciation for the novel. However, it is not simplicity that defines Wuthering Heights, but rather the incessant barrage of personal beliefs and prejudice scattered throughout the chapters. Evidently, expression is a ubiquitous language that the novel is written in, as nearly every page is arduously filled with emotion so palpable that it transports the reader to a state of actualization, where fiction ... ...sified as a satire, for some of the complex arguments presented within regarding human atrocities are too resounding to absorb. Yet all of this is accomplished via a clever combination of indirect characterization and vivid imagery, as both serve to tell its part of the story in an unprecedented way. Through dialogue alone, Bronte achieves the fact that Lockwood is an impudent person, only capable of making matters worse when a solution is critical. The picturesque imagery used throughout the first chapters is no less important. Only through vivid descriptions can the mood, plot, setting, and tone be conveyed effectively bringing readers ever more closer to the characters. In Wuthering Heights, Bronte uses a style of writing focused intensely on detail and indirect descriptions, creating a unique and dynamic atmosphere where the possibilities are simply limitless.

Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart - Womens Role in the Ibo Society Ess

Women's Role in the Ibo Society In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, women of the Ibo tribe are terribly mistreated, and viewed as weak and receive little or no respect outside of their role as a mother. Tradition dictates their role in life. These women are courageous and obedient. These women are nurturers above all and they are everything but weak.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A main character in the novel, Okonkwo has several wives. He orders them around like dogs. They are never to question what they are instructed to do; they are expected to be obedient. We see this early in the story, when Okonkwo brings Ikemefuna into his home. Okonkwo tells his senior wife that Ikemefuna belongs to the tribe and that she is expected to look after him. She in turn asks him if he will be staying with them for a long period of time. This sends Okonkwo into a fury. He snaps at her in a very degrading manner, "Do what you are told woman. When did you become one of the ndichie (meaning elders) of Umuofia?"(pg.12) Clearly she receives no respect. Later in the story we see this woman try to comfort Ikemefuna. She "mothers" him as if he is one of her own children. She tries to put him at ease and can almost instinctively feel how much he misses his own mother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In keeping with the Ibo view of female nature, the tribe allows wife beating. Okonkwo beats his youngest wife one-day because she was visiting with a friend and did not get home in time to prepare a meal for him. Another one of his wives tries to cover for her, when she is questioned as to whether or not the youngest wife has fed the children, before she left. Certainly she does this in effort to protect the youngest wife, knowing full well what she WOULD ... ...is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you. And that is why we say that Mother is Supreme"(pg.116).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The only glory and satisfaction enjoyed by the women portrayed in Things Fall Apart was being a mother. They receive respect and love from their children. They are strong for their children. The women are viewed as very gentle and caring. They are expected to take care of their children with the best of their ability and are trusted totally by their children. This honorable presentation of women is used by Achebe to identify women's role in the Ibo society. This presentation is necessary to show that women indeed play an important role in society. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York, New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1994.

Women and Enlightenment within the Jain Religion

Jain religion is of Indian orientation and involves rediscovering the Dharma, which is a person's virtuous path or righteous duty. Dharma is a concept used when explaining ultimate reality or higher truth in the universe. Jains are people who follow Tirthankaras' teachings, and there are twenty four special Jinas. The Jain religion inspires people to be spiritually developed through enhancing their self control and personal wisdom. The main goal of this religion is to realize the true nature of the soul. There are three gems to Jainism, and they are the conduct, knowledge as well as the right and true perception. Jainism aims at liberating the followers from universal cycles of birth and death. The liberated followers are called siddha, and the ones struggling to be liberated are called samsarin. The samsarins have to follow teachings of Jinas in order to become siddha, through attaining Moksha, which is the liberation from karma. Jainism teaches that Dharma and the Universe have no ending and beginning but encounters cyclical changes. The worldly soul (samsarin) is seen to take various forms that include plant and animal form, human being, hell being and deity. It is different from most religions due to the fact that it does not believe in God or a divine creator, destroyer or preserver. It believes that every soul has potential to be divine and that Siddhas who eliminate karmic bonding completely, are seen to either be close to or have achieved consciousness of God . History. The earliest documented leader of Jainism is Parshvanatha, who is said by scholars to have lived during the 9th Century. During the 6th Century, Vardhamana was regarded as a very influential Jainism teacher . He had followers who followed his teachings and doctrines. They also interacted with him so that they could achieve enlightenment. His followers called him Jina, which refers to conqueror. Kalinga, which in the modern day is Osiaji and Orissa, had many Jains who lived there. This faith was briefly disrupted by Mahapadma, who conquered the place and took Rishabhanatha's statue. However, Kharvela who was an emperor, conquered Magatha, taking the statue of Rishabhanatha. Udaygiri and Khandagiri caves are the only remnants of Jain monuments since the wood buildings were destroyed. Jainism is a dominant philosophical, cultural, political and social force in Asia since civilization. It has influence in Hinduism and Buddhism since the ancient history. There is a close association between Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The connection between Buddhism and Jainism traces its roots to the origins of Buddhism, since Jainism was prevailing at the time . Hinduism on the other hand shares certain common philosophies with some Jain sects. Laity in Jainism performed roles that were very similar to those performed by monks including religious privileges and duties, which served to unite the two religions. This ensured that they did not change for many centuries, though the fact that Buddhism had lesser demands for laymen, made it change several times. Jainism is one of smallest religions in the world since it has slightly over 10 million followers. However, the fact that these followers are distributed all over India, makes the religion significant. Other Jain communities are concentrated in United kingdom, the United States, East Africa and Canada. Digambara and Svetambara traditions. The Jain sangha, which encompasses monks, laymen and women, and nuns, is split between two major sects called the Digambara and the Svetambara sects. It is believed by historians that the split occurred in 5th Century after the chief monk Bhadrabahu led over 10,000 Digambara followers into South India after foreseeing famine. After a decade of being away, they returned and broke away from the Svetambara sect . However, there are minimal differences between the sects. Digambara monks believe that clothing leads to dependence on material possessions and therefore they do not wear them. On the other hand, Svetambara monks wear seamless white clothes, since Jain scripture does not forbid the use of clothing . Jain organization. One of the factors that led to the existence of this community from the ancient to the modern times is its organization. Initially, there were four classes in society which were said to have originated from the arms, feet, thighs and mouth of Brahman, their creator. They were the Rajanya, Sudra, Vaisya and Brahman. The Brahman was the superior class of all the classes. These classes had different rules that governed each of them. The Brahmin class was given unusual importance and other classes were neglected, which made the classes develop rivalry. There was also prevalent social discrimination and inequality due to the presence of these classes. This made Mahavira oppose the groupings and later Jaina Archaryas also joined in the opposition. Soon the society was divided into four groups, but based on activities that the people carried out. The four groups were; the male ascetics or Sadhus, the female ascetics or Sadhvis, the male laity or Shravakas and the female laity or Shravikas. These groups have close relations and have similar religious vows that are applicable to them. They made everyone have equal opportunities regardless of their birth or class and they were free to change classes with choice, unlike before. The people who wished to follow the religion while still living in households were referred to as sravikas and sravakas, if they were females and males respectively. Those who chose to leave the households and become ascetics were referred to as sadhvis and sadhus if they were females and males respectively. The classes emphasized on behavior modes and individual character and no one was degraded or neglected as they could do professions of their choice. Women's religious emancipation. Before the introduction of Jainism, women were regarded as Sudras, the lowest social class. Women were barred from undertaking investment and initiation in religious passages. They were also seen to be irrelevant to religious threads which were sacred. According to passages of the past, people were discouraged from seeing women, dead bodies and Sudras among other things. This shows that they were taken to be a curse, which could be equated to a dead body. They were degraded and neglected by the society and they had no religious role to play in society. Tirthankra Mahavira changed all this by treating females and males equally. Regarding religion, he made sure that the rules that regulated the conduct of both sexes were the same, and both had equal opportunities to practise religious duties, read sacred texts, practice penance, vratas among other practices. Women were also given equal chances with men regarding the entrance to the ascetic order. He ensured that females were free to join the ascetic order regardless of whether candidates who were being admitted were aristocracy members, societal common run or royal consorts. This led to many women joining the ascetic order. For instance, in Tirthankara the figures for sadhus and sadhvis were 14,000 and 36,000 respectively and those for Sravaks and Sravikas were 100,000 and 300,000 respectively. This shows that the number of women was more than that of men in cases of both ascetics and householders. This reflects the eagerness that women had in using the opportunity to learn about religion. In fact, Jydesta and Chandana both of who were queen Trisaladevi's younger sisters, Mahavira's mother and their uncle's wife, Yasasvati entered the Mahavira's ascetic order. In the long run, Chandana became the female ascetic leader, which showed that women had an equal opportunity to make high achievements. Most of them became preachers and teachers due to these opportunities. Jain ascetism. Ascetism in Jainism involves renouncing possessions and materials. Jain ascetics do not also participate in any violence whatsoever. They do not hurt any insect or human and carry special brooms that brush off any insects that they encounter. Some even wear protection over their mouths so that they can avoid hurting insects or germs accidentally. They do not also use devices, machines or electricity since they perceive it to be violence. Jain ascetics always travel barefoot, sleep on floors without coverings, and use certain platforms for sitting. These ascetics only eat vegetarian diet that does not include roots. Some ascetics meditate on hill tops or around rivers according to the mental and physical limits of the ascetics. Jain ascetics are celibate and they do not share platforms or touch. They also move from place to place to prevent becoming attached to a particular place. When ascetics feel that death is imminent, such as when having terminal illness or advanced ages, most of them prefer a detached and peaceful death where water, food and medicine are abandoned. Shvetambara and Digambara ascetics. The monks in Schetambara sect solicit for alms from people in households and do not cook food. It is however important to note that they do not beg for it; they accept food only from people whose mind is pure and when such food is offered willingly and in the right manner. In such circumstances, the monks eats a measly amount while standing. Monks and nuns in this cult only own a bowl used for collecting alms and eating, and white robes. Meanwhile, those in the Digambara sect eat one meal each day. The male monks in this sect walk nude and only carry soft brooms (pinchi), which are made from feathers of peacocks and a water jug. Nuns however dress in white robes. They also do not use utensils when eating, and they use their hands. Their belief teaches them that Mahavir was unmarried, unlike the Shvetambars. Women enlightenment. Jainism to a large extent treated women using similar ethical codes as men. The ethical codes used involve five virtues that speak against various vices. These codes are SATYA, which advocates for truth, AHIMSA which advocates for non-violence, ACHAURYA which advocates for non-stealing, APARIGRAH which advocates for non-possessiveness and BRAHMACHARYA which advocates for the purity of the mind and body. These ethical codes are equally applicable for both men and women. Jainism taught both women and men to help each other and perform common roles. These roles were geared towards preserving the environment and improving welfare of mankind. Both women and men were also responsible for their moral conduct. Due to the biological differences between women and men, together with society's gender stereotyping, roles for women and men differed in the cultural and social setup. This was not meant to be discriminatory, since Jainism viewed women and men equally in terms of concern for welfare of their families and children, and also in terms of playing of their roles. The inherent change in the patriarchal society does not undermine Jainism's view of equality between the sexes. Jainism even had some nuns who were included in the religious practice, since the inception of this religion. However, some questions have been raised about equality between women and men regarding the issue of spirituality in Jainism. Some people of the view that there is inequality when it comes to spirituality, since women are hindered from growing spiritually and religiously due to the fact that they are female. Some people even went to the extent of perceiving women to be impure due to their femininity. Further evidence of this perception is given by the culture of the Digambara sect. This sect does not believe that a woman can achieve Moksha, or liberation from Karma, during the same birth. This is explained by the fact that in the Digambara sect, asceticism requires one to be nude, which is impractical in the real world as it would expose them to rape and attacks by men. This is also due to the fact that Jainism does not allow women to appear naked. There is also the belief that a woman cannot attain the level of siddha. This is because they are perceived to be unable to lead a true ascetic lifestyle since they are prohibited from being nude, yet Digambaras perceive clothing as worldly possessions. The fact that women could not free themselves from the ‘bondage' of clothing was perceived to mean that they could not be free of fear and shame that arose from their nakedness. Some women, in their quest to achieve enlightenment, are of the view that they should first move out of the female form. Thereafter, they should move towards the form of God after which they can take the male form. After attaining the male form, they can now be able to attain kaivalya. Inequality between male and female enlightenment. Some scholars, are of the view that the real reason why women cannot achieve the highest level of enlightenment is not limited to their clothing. He says that in most religions, including the Digambaras sect, women are perceived to represent the transient and illusory material world (maya), that the religion seeks to renounce. This perception can be attributed to the fact that society has a form of gynophobia. The perception is also rooted to bodily processes and sexuality that that women experience, such as reproduction and menstruation. In fact, Yuktiprabodha summarized the Digambar sect's view on the issue by saying that the female species have impure bodies, which is shown by menstruation, each month. They view menstruation as a form of destroying organisms which goes against their belief . The union of males and females is seen to also destroy organisms in female reproductive parts. Sexual intercourse is compared with insertion of a hot iron rod to a hollow tube which has sesame seeds, thereby destroying them. Another Jain ascetic, Rajcandra also said that everything that resides in the body of a woman is contemptuous. He continued to say that pleasure derived from them is momentary and causes repeated excitement and exhaustion. Women are also viewed as temptations and snares for men who are in pursuit of spirituality. Another reason that women were not given the opportunity in the Digambarans sect lies with the fact that they viewed the role of women as restricted to household duties. This was viewed as the religious and moral duty of women. Actions of women are viewed as primarily to take care of the welfare of the household, husband, kin and assist him in performing duties to deities and ancestors. For instance, the smtiris and Dharmashastras believe that women attain salvation through performance of motherly and wifely duties. There is a further view that renunciation of these roles by women seeking to achieve Moksha would mean that the capacity of women to reproduce would be altered. This would disrupt sansara's normative order. These are reasons that made women nuns be given subordinate roles when compared with the monks. These practices are shared not only in Jainism but also in other religions like Buddhism. Buddha was also reluctant to allow women to enter the samgha, and Buddhist literature portrayed nuns in negative light, in comparison to lay women. Generally, it is difficult for women to become enlightened since their bodies are perceived to be a focus of sexual desire and violence. Asceticism is thus taken to be masculine and defines retention of semen as one of its components. This is achieved through rigorous training and self control. In women, it is achieved through abstinence and fasting. Svembatara sect. Svetambara sect on the other hand believes that it is possible for women to achieve the level of Moksha. This is supported by the fact that sadhus are allowed to wear clothing, which means that women are not discriminated against . Though some Svetambaras view women as inferior to them, most of them do not. In fact, Mallinath who was a Tirthankar was actually female, according to Svetambara, though Digambara perceive Mallinath as male. Other influential female religious leaders were Rishabha's mother Marudevi and Mahavira's mother Trishala. There have also been allegations that monks in both sects have lesser restrictions than nuns. The role of women is however still significant, since evidence shows that the number of female ascetics is greater than that of males. There is also additional evidence that shows of other roles that they played, especially for lay-women. The lay-women for instance had important roles of transmitting values to their families. They also had the responsibility of preparation of food and offering it as alms to ascetics. They had a role to play in religion with evidence showing that they chanted and sung religious hymns. Finally, they used to narrate Jain stories to children. Conclusion. Jain religion has been seen to aim for spiritual growth through detachment from earthly possessions and living a life that helps mankind and protects the environment. Jain been seen to provide freedom to its followers to either leave their households and dedicate their lives to serving the religion or to undertake the same while doing their daily day to day activities. It has been seen to avoid violence to any being, both humans, animals or insects. Jainism has also been seen to be fair to all sexes, providing them with an equal opportunity to participate in religion regardless of their class in society. However, the level of enlightenment for women in the two sects is slightly different. The main reason for this difference originates from material possessions and clothing. Digambarans have been seen to be particularly restrictive of women's participation in religion and their reach of the level of Moksha, since they perceive that the fact that they wear clothing is a hindrance to their attaining purity. This has also been seen to be an excuse for other underlying issues relating to the female bodies. Menstruation and reproduction have been seen to be a form of violence and desire that Jainism faith is against . The perception that violence originates from bodies of women makes them unfit for achieving moksha. On the other hand, Svetambaras are seen to be more accommodating to women in religion, since they recognize that Jain teachings do not hinder anyone from wearing clothing. Other differences between the sects are seen to be minor, except the fact that they differ in the assertion that Mahavir was married and also the origins of his mother. The two sects are seen to be similar in their detachment from earthly possessions and their commitment in the Jain teachings. In my opinion, Jain faith as much as possible to be fair to women, and accord them equal chances to be ascetics, as men. However, the Digambarans are quite unfair to women, since the nature of their bodies is beyond their control. In menstruation makes women impure, questions can be raised on the body processes of removing waste, from both sexes. The Digambarans should be more accommodative to women and allow them too have a chance of attaining moksha, since every human being came from a woman's womb.