Problem of the Elderly Driving in the US

Introduction As individuals get progressively older their mental capacities, response times, and physical abilities tend to deteriorate yet despite such limitations people aged 60 and above still continue to drive on America’s roads and highways (Cobb, 411).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Problem of the Elderly Driving in the US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Based on data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a total of 3,981 individuals age 70 and above died as a direct result of motor vehicle crashes in 2009, this number does not include other drivers and pedestrians affected by the subsequent loss of vehicular control and as such the total number of fatalities as a direct result of such incidences could potentially be double the current number given by the IIHS. Various studies examining the impact of older drivers on America’s roads today state that as America’s ba by boomer generation gets progressively older the amount of individuals aged 70 above on America’s roads has escalated dramatically (Reisman, 356 – 357). Unfortunately, as shown by data from the IIHS, this has resulted in an actual increase in the number of car accidents in which the elderly have been involved. What must be understood is that driving a motor vehicle requires a certain degree of spatial awareness, responsiveness and the ability to accurately and succinctly gauge the speed and distance of the car that is being driven relative to other vehicles on the road (Reisman, 356 – 357) (Fox and Fama, 31). When an individual lacks the ability to express such aspects of regular driving behavior the potential for accidents to occur increases exponentially as the overall lack of spatial awareness, speed and distance results in a driver often misinterpreting the relative distance of their vehicle from either another car, obstacle or exit point which usually resu lts in an accident occurring. Studies examining elderly drivers all unanimously conclude that physical deterioration in the form of vision problems, depleted mental acuity, and a lack of physical responsiveness result in a reduced capacity to drive properly (Ratner, 23).Advertising Looking for research paper on land transport? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They go on further to state that since physical deterioration becomes progressive over the time the same can be said for their ability to drive (McKinnell, 67). In other words as individuals get older their ability to mentally and physically embody the necessary behaviors needed to drive safely diminish up to a point that not only do they become a danger to the themselves but to other drivers and pedestrians as well (Ratner, 23). It must be noted though that surveys examining drivers aged 55 and above show that when the respondents were questioned as to their ability to dr ive nearly all of them stated that they drove â€Å"rather well† or had â€Å"no problems† on the road when driving (McLeod et al., 613 – 618). When comparing the survey results to accumulated scientific data as well as statistics on the number of vehicular accidents involving the elderly it can be seen that the respondents were unaware of the potential danger they represented both to themselves and other motorists due to an apparent inability to discern that their progressive physical and mental deterioration has had a detrimental effect on their ability to drive (McLeod et al., 613 – 618). Further examination of the research results also showed that when asked whether they planned to stop driving in the immediate future nearly all the respondents answered that they had no plans to and that they would continue driving for several more years (McLeod et al., 613 – 618). Based on these responses as well as data from the IIHS and other studies examini ng elderly drivers and their impact on America’s roads it can be seen that the attitudes as well as the physical and mental deterioration of elderly drivers presents a distinct problem due to their potentially adverse impact on both themselves and other drivers. As such it can be stated that, the government needs to limit the maximum age for driving because elderly drivers have caused many deaths and severe injuries each year. Similarity in Being Drunk and Being Old Driving under the influence of alcohol is considered a punishable offense in many states within the U.S. due to the potential dangers an inebriated driver possess to other drivers on the road. What must be understood though is that the reason why this action is considered illegal is due to the reduced physical and mental capacity of the driver, such a condition has been proven through literally millions of cases within the past several decades that a driver operating a motor vehicle under a diminished capacity due to the presence of alcohol in his system is more liable to cause accidents on the road and as such should be prevented.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Problem of the Elderly Driving in the US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taking the concept of â€Å"diminished capacity† into consideration elderly drivers should also be restricted from being allowed to drive since they also possess a diminished capacity similar to people that are drunk. While there are certain differences such as an elderly individual having a deteriorated physical and mental condition as a direct result of natural causes while an inebriated driver has a diminished capacity as a direct result of the consumption of alcoholic beverages the fact remains that both individuals display behaviors which place them at risk of not only harming themselves but other drivers as well. For example, one of the main reasons why drunk driving is considered a punishable offense is due to the diminished mental capacity that a drunk driver is under which results in their inability to effectively drive their vehicle. Studies examining drunk driving show that the diminished mental capacity takes the form of being unable to gauge distance and speed, the inability to formulate fast enough decisions while on the road and finally the propensity to overcompensate resulting in wider turns and faster speeds. While such symptoms are not present in drivers 55 and below studies examining drivers 70 and above show an almost similar degree of deteriorated mental capacity in the elderly comparable to drunk drivers which makes them just as likely to cause the same type of accidents as the average drunk driver (Branaghan and Gray, 580 – 581). Another factor that should be taken into consideration is the concept of perception and how drunk and elderly drivers tend to perceive things almost similarly. Studies examining the effect of al cohol on the average person’s ability to perceive objects reveal that a person’s ability to accurately distinguish numbers, colors, warning signs and other similar forms of road safety measures tends to decrease the more alcohol an individual consumes. This is another reason why driving under the influence of alcohol is considered a punishable offense since the inability to distinguish proper road safety signs makes the driver of the car more liable to cause accidents despite the precautions put into effect in order to prevent them. In the case of the elderly, physical deterioration once more comes into play however in this case the focus of attention is on their vision.Advertising Looking for research paper on land transport? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More What must be understood is the fact that as a person gets older their vision tends to deteriorate over time, while there are measures available to correct this such as glasses or corrective surgery in some cases elderly individuals suffering from eye deficiencies such as cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration are unable to get the necessary corrective surgery (Branaghan and Gray, 580 – 587). This results in elderly drivers having to contend with either blurred or hazy vision, a distinct reduction in their peripheral vision and even loss of their central portion of vision which can not only cause them to misinterpret road signs but could lead them into not realizing they are approaching and obstacle, car or pedestrian (Friedman et al., 1846). Such cases are similar to what happens to drunk drivers and as such is further evidence of the necessity to place elderly drivers in the same category of â€Å"diminished capacity† as drunk drivers. The last piece of evidence showing the similarity between drunk and elderly drivers is once more connected to the concept of diminished physical and mental capacity but in this case it involves the ability to take in information and react immediately. In most situations when driving motorists need to take into account other cars in their lane as well as cars from the front and the rear. By taking into account their relative distance, speed and their proximity to the car a driver is able to make decisions within seconds as to how to properly handle their car given the situation at hand. In the case of drunk drivers their ability to discern information from their general environment and take subsequent action as need be is heavily impaired by the fact that both their physical and mental reaction times are greatly slowed down by the presence of alcohol. This makes them more likely to be slower in taking into account outside information which delays their ability to physically respond to the situation. The same c an be said of elderly drivers wherein their diminished mental capacity combined with their frail physical capabilities makes them less likely to be able to sufficiently take in information from their surroundings when driving and take appropriate actions (Marszalek et al., 1097 – 1103). In both cases this results in delayed actions in stopping, turning or going resulting in accidents occurring as a direct result. Based on this information it can be seen that when comparing both drunk and elderly drivers, both operate under a state of diminished capacity that not only endangers their own safety but that of others as well. As such, elderly drivers should be categorized under the same category as drunk drivers and be prevented from operating motor vehicles due to the potential threat to public safety that they represent. Physical Capability This paper has so far argued that the physical and mental deterioration of elderly drivers places makes them a danger to themselves and othe rs, what hasn’t been mentioned yet is the fact that elderly drivers are more likely to die from car accidents as compared to the average driver. What must be understood is the fact that traffic accidents can occur at any given time due to a plethora of causes, most of them not limited to the elderly. In such cases though when accidents do occur the elderly are just as likely to be involved in an accident as any other driver however their ability to actually survive such accidents is questionable at best. Once a person reaches the age of 60 and above a notable decrease in the amount of calcium in their bones is seen as well as muscle lethargy, decreased physical stamina as well as an overall level of deteriorated health (Brock et al., 1284). While this is a natural process for all individuals what must be understood is the fact that people with deteriorated levels of health are not as likely to survive a car accident as compared to an individual who is in the prime of their li fe (Ehrenfeld, 62). An examination of data relating to the ability to survive car accidents has shown that as an individual increases in age the less likely they are able to survive a major car accident (Brock et al., 1284). Even minor accidents can cause severe damage on most elderly individuals due to their relatively fragile physical states. While it may be true that barring an individual from driving on the basis of their fragility has little legal basis, the fact remains that when taking into consideration the inherent physical fragility of elderly drivers aged 70 and up and combining it with the fact that they are more likely to enter into traffic accidents due to their diminished physical and mental capacities, as established by this paper, then it becomes a question of whether the government needs to act on the basis of protecting the elderly from themselves since clearly they are likely to kill themselves (along with others) if they are allowed to continue driving at advanc ed ages (Brock et al., 1284) (Mitchell and Suen, 17). Opinion of the Elderly While this paper has been quick to point out the negative implications of elderly driving an examination of the responses of the elderly towards the concept of limiting the age limit on driving has brought about several compelling arguments. The first argument presented is the fact that since most elderly individuals live with their spouse or are alone if they are prevented from driving this limits them towards the use of public transportation which is arduous at best which may result in increased stress, a worrisome factor given their advanced ages (USA Today, n.d). It must also be noted that in most cases within the U.S. the elderly do not live with their children and as such have come to rely on their own ability to get things done. Studies examining the responses of various elderly respondents have shown that most are reluctant to take on the use of caregivers and as such continue to try to remain activ e. By preventing the elderly from driving this may in turn place either undue financial stress as a direct result of them needing to hire a caregiver since their children would not be around to drive them as they please (Modern Medicine, 5). Other arguments presented state their inherent legal right as citizens to be able to drive so long as they prove they are capable of doing so. In such cases it has been shown that the elderly can be retrained to drive at advanced ages in order to take into account their physical and mental deficiencies and act accordingly in order to become better drivers. Based on these following arguments it can be seen that there are alternative methods to outright banning the elderly from driving. On the other hand all the arguments presented neglect to take into account the fact that the elderly account for a large percentage of all automobile based accidents within the U.S. with the number gradually rising by 5 percent each year as a direct result of aging sectors in the U.S. population (Tips, 9). Conclusion Despite the counterarguments presented it can clearly be seen that allowing the elderly to drive poses too much of a risk to both themselves and the general public to allow the practice to continue. What must be taken into account is the fact that their continued physical and mental deteriorated coupled with the necessities of being a proficient driver simply do not mesh. As such, the government should take measures in setting up an appropriate age limit that allows elderly people to drive. By doing so, not only does the government prevent the elderly from potentially harming themselves but also other drivers and pedestrians. Works Cited Branaghan, Russell J., and Rob Gray. â€Å"NONCONSCIOUS ACTIVATION OF AN ELDERLY STEREOTYPE AND SPEED OF DRIVING.† Perceptual Motor Skills  110.2 (2010): 580-592. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Cobb, Roger W. â€Å"Are elderly drivers a road hazard?: Problem definition and politi cal impact.† Journal of Aging Studies 12.4 (1998): 411. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. David S. Friedman, et al. â€Å"Driving Cessation and Driving Limitation in Glaucoma: The Salisbury Eye Evaluation Project.† Ophthalmology 116.10 (2009): 1846-1853.  Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Dwight B. Brock, et al. â€Å"Driving Life Expectancy of Persons Aged 70 Years and Older in the United States.† American Journal of Public Health 92.8 (2002): 1284.  MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. Ehrenfeld, Temma. â€Å"Time to Hang Up the Keys.† Newsweek 152.7 (2008): 62.  Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Fox, Peter D., and Teresa Fama. â€Å"Managed care and the elderly: Performance and potential.† Generations 20.2 (1996): 31. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. McKinnell, Julia. â€Å"Should Dad really still be driving?.† Maclean’s 119.48 (2006): 67. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Mitchell, C.G.B., and S. Ling Suen. â€Å"Urban Travel, Intelligent Transportation Systems, and the Safety of Elderly and Disabled Travelers.† Journal of Urban Technology  5.1 (1998): 17-43. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Modern Medicine.†Gloom lasts in elders who turn over car keys.† Modern Medicine 65.4 (1997): 5. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Ralph Marszalek, et al. â€Å"Hearing Impairment Affects Older People’s Ability to Drive in the Presence of Distracters.† Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 58.6 (2010): 1097-1103. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Ratner, Todd C. â€Å"Elderly Drivers: an Age-old Problem.† Business West 26.20 (2010): 23. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. Rebecca McLeod, et al. â€Å"Self-rated driving performance among elderly drivers referred for driving evaluation.† Accident Analysis Prevention 37.4 (2005): 613-618. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Reisman, Anna. â€Å"Surrendering The Keys: A Doctor Tries To Get An Impaired E lderly Patient To Stop Driving.† Health Affairs 30.2 (2011): 356-359. Academic Search  Premier. EBSCO. Web. Tips.†Getting parents to give up their car keys — tips for adult children.† Enterprise/Salt  Lake City 40.27 (2011): 9. Regional Business News. EBSCO. Web. USA Today. â€Å"Focus driving tests on safety, not age.† USA Today n.d.: MasterFILE  Premier. EBSCO. Web. This research paper on Problem of the Elderly Driving in the US was written and submitted by user Hallie Martinez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Dragon essays

The Dragon essays In Raffels translation of Beowulf the dragon protects the men from what can deceive them, but takes away the one thing they have been deceived by. The Dragon plays a very important role in the epic. He is not like other dragons from the medieval time and protects a virgin up in a tower. What was the motive for a dragon supposedly protecting a virgin from getting rescued? The dragon that is depicted in this novel does not protect a virgin, but he protects a whole hoard of gold. In the end of this epic a slave steals a cup, and the dragon takes revenge on the Geat land. Beowulf, although young, still has the obligation to protect his people from the Dragon. Beowulf fights the dragon and is slain, some may view the dragon as destroyer, others as a protector. In reality, which one does the dragon truly seem to be? The dragon is a destroyer but a protector as well. In Beowulfs time gold is a very valuable commodity to have. Gold was used for money, trading, and to just show signs of pure wealth. The dragon protected this gold not only to have use for himself, but also to protect men from their own greedy souls. The dragon does not consciously protect this gold, but in doing so he protects not only the power of the king, but the certain civil unrest of the community in which the gold could have been found. A slave comes to the dragons lair and steals a cup from the dragon to take back to his master to be excepted back to the community for his wrongdoing. Upon, the dragon noticing this he suddenly becomes enraged that someone dares to steal from the lair of the dragon. And evening came and wild with anger; It could fly burning across the land, killing and destroying everything with its breath. The sun was gone, and its heart was glad: glowing with rage; It left the tower, impatient to repay his enemies. From this passage in the book a reader can see that the dragon is no longer a protec ...

Business munication And Peroformance Free Sample

Reflecting on the individual’s growth is very important for learning, understanding, visualizing person identity and also individual research.   In the present group study, prising of five members I have learnt and experienced a number of munication traits and also an in-depth understanding on resolving the conflicts while being in a group of individuals sharing their ideas and beliefs on different articles and the references. While contributing to the group project I had experience of developing my own skills to learning through online tools, materials from textbooks and utilizing the library resources productively. Participating in the team work, contributing and analyzing to innovative ideas and the quantum of knowledge involved in the group enlightened me on how to resolve any issue or disagreement and appear with an appropriate resolution (Danks, 2012). Likewise, such writing assignment also enhanced my writing skills along with others group members ideas as an added ad vantage. Group project has obliged me with a fresh insight to work in a group. The group work has provided me an opportunity to learn various activities as a part of project. It b es easier to work in teams which exhibits involving and derive satisfying participation for the students. I input my maximum involvement while engaging in this project which made me more task oriented and I achieved better satisfaction. Although the group project demand a set of skills and prove to be challenging too (DuPont, 2013). This project helped me to understand how to tackle plex situation and what kind of plexities are involved in such kind of task oriented groups. Earlier, it turned out to be quite a difficult task for me to get acquainted with the teamwork process and utilization of munication skills but eventually this project helped me to develop good judgment with stronger intellect pushing me towards the achievement of the task. Undoubtedly group working enhances one’s skills and brings attention to one’s personality. It gives an idea of opening up to the variety of people, experiencing good as well bad traits, learning new definitions towards achieving goals and ensures an overall growth of the personality (Johnson and Wiggs, 2011).   The best trait I learned with this project is to interact with new kind of people and improve over my munication skills. It helped me develop a skill which I wasn’t sure of. Most importantly it helped me to get organized, meet the deadlines or sometimes even before that, work in union and raise concerned matters if any. Collective working makes the project bigger as pared as working individually (Ellis, 2012). Group activity has developed a sense of helping in me, and I achieved more in less time simultaneously keeping a check on group members and helping them out if anyone is in need. Precisely, the work distribution done fairly and evenly has been of great praise and work done in efficient and on time has proved to be a boon for the group project. The trait which took my attention was passing of ill ments over other members back or over the members being non-participant during the project work. I am a strong believer of putting hundred percent in any project and be sincere towards the group activity. Another thing which hindered was the availability of all the members at one time (Peterson, 2012). It happens that one will be busy when other is free and vice versa. It’s not the same as when an individual can work at its own convenience. Dependency on other group members for their work has also been one of the issues pondered over during the project study. That’s unfair on the part of a person doing its work on time and meets the deadlines and is focused on pleting the task (Atkins and Lowe, 2011). Group projects involve a variety of people which makes it difficult as pared to working individually. It’s like a river-rafting where all members flow in one direction and make efforts in one direction then journey proves to be smooth and easy-going. Similarly in the reverse condition, it b es inconclusive to mence the journey. To ove e such barriers and to have less obstruction in the working of the project, we decided to elect a team leader that would supervise the progress of the project, conclude team meets and resolve the arguments to maintain the consistency among the members. Initially, it seemed to be like a funny decision, but soon its worth was recognized (Iksan, 2012). Being in a group it became evident that all individuals will try to impose their thinking and this would lead to chaos in pleting the activities. I observed that distributing the tasks among the members became a headache and it ultimately lead to over-lapping of the tasks. The difference of opinion resulted in understanding different perspectives. I also acknowledged that at times some members felt left-out and disconnected. Nevertheless, encouragements from the fellow members kept all of us in unison which enabled the coherence in the group. But overall, whenever the conflicts or any such concerned issues arose we collectively made attempts to resolve and also deliver best ou es which we can. During the course of the project we encountered various difficulties, right from finding the appropriate articles to support our task to quote the references for the same. Numerous researches and methods were made applicable to spot the correct articles and the related online sites were also thorough been looked over to get the suitable material. With the help of such available material I concluded my work assigned task and understood the important notes of prising anecdotes. Another major barrier I faced was the time limit. In exploring the various resources of knowledge, and while going through my research, I always felt short of time and this happen to sharpen my speed in meeting the deadlines (Nixon, 2014). Prominently I excelled in pleting the task that summarized and analyzed the context and topic effectively. I managed to deliver better results for the topic and it didn’t majorly exhibit any plexities in pleting the task. Working in a closely related group of individuals benefitted me the most in a fruitful manner. It gave me satisfaction of discovering the new aspects of the relevant articles with the quantum of knowledge shared by every individual. The best thing I learnt from this group activity was to manage the individuals, work with different mindsets, share the ideas and discover innovations through group members and also sincerely dealing with the conflicts that arose during the term (Largo and Johns, 2008). This project enabled the writing, deriving, piling, organizing and publicizing skills in me to critically review on the subject matter. It made me realize that the project explained negative as well positive attributes. Other than organizing and piling of the related information, I also went through scanning, revising and arranging the important points with supportive examples and keynotes. All this pains in understanding the importance of this project developed the writing skills which has left me also in amaze. Concluding part lead to sense of improvisation in the basic skills I required and enhanced my overall personality. Moreover, not only I shoved off my fear of interacting strangers but also made new subordinates to whom I municated broadly, discussed all the matters which tend to be difficult to ove e and conducted all the tasks as a team. I regard this project as a stepping stone towards the understanding of a better knowledge attributes and incorporating some set of skills which I wasn’t aware of. It had been a useful and a learning experience. This assignment delivered various benefits to me which will be helpful to me for the future assignments. This project again refreshed my research skills from which I had been detached recently. Examining the team attributes, experiencing new challenges every day, developing a sense of critical analysis will definitely help me in future projects. Being a part of a group it ignited the skills of leadership, managing people and groomed myself as a part of team. I am sure all the group members also must have experienced the same as I have experienced. With the available resources it has proved to an easy path to contribute maximum in the pletion of the task and also enhance our knowledge with such improvisation. However, there have been areas where certain changes are needed which would help the group to perform better. Availing the related material onsite on time and make sure that the information is passed on to all the group members together. In the future, the group will perform better with such enhanced skills and deliver with more mitment and sincerity. The project has created a new set of understanding and knowledge which has engraved learning in me and confront me with in-depth obligation to deliver more the next time. I would conclude saying that such reflective learning experience not only groomed my writing skills and enhanced my team work experience but it also immersed me in developing a self-discipline behavior as well a spirit of working in a group. Such group projects enabled to accentuate my hidden personality traits and develop those which I could barely think of.    Atkins, S. and Lowe, S. (2011), Agents of change – a call for effective leadership, University of Boston Press, Boston, Mass Danks, W. (2012), ‘The dynamic boardroom municator’, munication Performance Management, vol. 3, no. 3/4, pp. 82-90. DuPont, A. (2013). munication in action – a review, McGraw-Hill, New York. Ellis, S. (2012). ‘Intellectual teamwork: social and technological foundations of cooperation’, Journal of Sociology, vol. 32, no. 6. Iksan, ZH, Zakaria, E, Meerah, TSM, Osman, K, Lian, DKC, Mahmud, SND and Krish, P (2012), munication skills among university students’, Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 59, pp. 71–6, Johnson, R. and Wiggs, P. (2011), ‘Change management--or change leadership?’, Journal of Change Management, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 311-17. Largo, E. and Johns, M. (2008). Sensing of change management – rulemaking for the 21st Century, Swan Page, London. Nixon, D. (2014). munication traits, Manchester, UK, viewed 16 November 2014, . Peterson, H. (2012), Teamwork dynamics, Smithfield Press, New York. Wu, Z. and Xiao, L. 2011, ‘Team builder: a CSR tool for identifying expertise and team strengths’, Allied munications, vol. 12, no. 10, pp. 32-47..

Manufacturing process Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Manufacturing process - Lab Report Example Stroke is the length of travel of rod or piston. Combustion chamber volume is the total of each combustion chamber expressed in cubic centimeters. Deck height volume is obtained from getting the area between the top of the piston and the top of the block when the piston is at the top of the stroke. Head gasket volume is part of the overall cylinder volume. Sweep volume is the displacement of one cylinder. Constant volume is considered the volume into which the swept volume is compressed on each compression stroke. The existing layout consists of a water pump, an alternator and a vibration of damper or there is sometimes the use of crank shaft pulleys. This is done along with the belt tensioner and idler pulley. The design which was used in the manufacture is that which was from the benchmark helping in communication of the components that are in the structure. In proposal that was made on the structure, there exist five numbers of pulleys and a 4PK belt. Auto tensioner that is used in the system is removed and the tensioning that occurs is provided by the alternator and its mounting bracket which functions as the manual tensioning device. The alternator that is used is that which is reduced capacity alternator suiting the requirement of the application motorcycle. The system contains a slot in the upper part and can be supported in its bottom to the alternator mounting bracket. The motion in the support provides the tensioning of the belt. There is an alternative process that can be used in the manufacturing of the system. In the alternative manufacture, there is reduction in the number of pulleys to three with only the water pump, the vibration damper and alternator. In the alternative process, there is use of the same arrangements for tension of the belt. The difference that occurs in the two models is the direction of rotation of the water pumps to clockwise from anticlockwise. Analysis that was carried out in camshaft was mainly on the

The Role of Information Systems to Support an Organization Essay

The Role of Information Systems to Support an Organization - Essay Example These management systems are also termed as collaboration systems. In the days of the past, collaboration among peers or colleagues was not as easy as it has been made by the aid of collaboration systems. The well-known quote â€Å"Two heads are better than one† can be used to define the concept of collaboration systems. It is a common practice in organizations for people to work together and this collaboration usually achieves better results than working in isolation. Pinnadyne (2009) stated that collaboration might involve the activity of generation of an idea, creation of a new concept or implementation of a common goal. Therefore it can be defined as the joint venture to achieve a common goal with a shared direction. Collaboration Systems have the following tools: Content management involves the process of storing information for retrieval by users whenever the need arises. Hartland (2009) explained that it facilitates the workflow of a group of peers or colleagues that would be involved in accessing or adding content in the repository. It can be considered as a collection of processes that provide management of the workflows involved in the system. There might be many users involved in the process of adding data to the repositories therefore there needs to be a mechanism to handle such activities. The data in the content management systems might be of different types for example, documents, video clips, images, personal information etc. Content management system in an enterprise is considered to be their vital asset nowadays as it gives a structured look to their unstructured data, while catering to all the diversity of formats that might exist in the data. Another critical aspect of content management is the ability to keep versions of data as it evolves. The version number is a well-known mechanism to keep track of old and new data. Some organizations do not value older versions of data but it also has a

Climate change Essay Example for Free

Climate change Essay In this era of industrialization there is no doubt that countries are developing in terms of resources and technology but there are repercussions as well. Scientists are of the view that human activities are contributing to not only a rise in world temperatures but also to the extreme climatic occurrences. Such climatic induced natural disasters have displaced many people from the shelter of their homes, have turned fertile lands into barren parts and have caused a depletion of fresh water resources (China tells rich nations to pay up on climate change, 2008). â€Å"It is predicted that the average global temperature will rise from between 1. 5 and 5 degrees Celsius over the next 100 years leading to a rise in sea level by one meter or more along with other disastrous climatic changes† (Climate Change: Economic Sense and Non-sense of Carbon Mitigation Policies, 2002). But the world today is so engrossed in reaching the top most position amongst industrialized countries that there is absolute ignorance about the causes of climatic disasters. Although there are people who believe that the drastic temperature increase over the last 100 years is a natural phenomenon, but the wide majority of the scientists argue that human activities are the root cause. â€Å"When it was realized that the radical climatic changes are an important issue and need to be tackled, the first milestone was launched in 2005, termed as the Kyoto protocol which aimed at reducing the gas emissions from industrialized countries† (Pettifor, 2008). But the main problem regarding this protocol is that some of the world’s biggest current and future polluters are not a signatory to this agreement as a result of which this protocol is unlikely to have any impact on the climatic changes (Climate Change, 2008). Population growth in such countries is allowing for the set up of more industries which will eventually accelerate the problem on hand. If technologies which cause less pollution and are comparatively cheaper are created and adopted then even countries which are not committed to the climatic change improvement will adopt them for their own economic self interest. Such technologies can be implemented in electricity production and transportation because these are the two factors which contribute to environmental pollution in all developing countries. In many countries carbon free alternatives have already been implemented for energy production and transport purposes and the added costs have been considered to be meager when compared to the benefits. Emission trading is a phenomenon that allows for the achievement of pollution reduction at reduced costs whereby a country which is able to meet its target of reducing emissions sells its pollution permit to another country which is unable to meet the target set (Howden, 2007). Policies are required both in developing and the developed countries to finance the regime of saving the planet. These policies include certain incentives and subsidies for the innovator who adopts the carbon free technologies in his production plant , taxes and charges enforced on those who fail to follow the reduced emission target and also government regulations that allow remove the barrier to entry for new entrants willing to adopt the lower carbon alternatives. In January 2007 the EU set out proposals for a global agreement on saving the planet from further climatic deterioration (Climate Change: Economic Sense and Non-sense of Carbon Mitigation Policies, 2002). Two key targets to be met by 2020 were set which included a 20% reduction in energy consumption and use of renewable energy resources to be increased by 20%. The EU countries also committed to cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions by 30% given that other developed countries also commit to reductions in gas emissions under a global agreement (Climate Change, 2008). It is the rich countries that need to be pressurized to take steps in the mitigation of climatic changes and provide finance for the poorer countries that may be reluctant to cut down on emissions since it would have adverse affects on their economy (Climate Change, 2008). In spite of the current economic turmoil which the entire world is facing, the U. S has promised to provide subsidies to the car industry to help them develop green cars which will help in creating a cleaner and less polluted environment. This step taken by the U. S motivated the EU member states to do the same. Similarly the German government is thinking of offering tax incentives to the general public to install energy efficient heating systems in their homes and to purchase the carbon free, environmentally friendly green cars. And the list goes not stop here, governments of different countries are thinking of providing subsidies to industries to produce green appliances, green airplanes, efficient lighting equipment, and better insulation and so on (Howden, 2007). To implement all this money is required which is expected to come from private investors. In the future years it is predicted that a vast portion of government spending will be directed towards saving the environment from climatic changes (Pettifor, 2008). China, one of the most enthusiastic country in dealing with the climatic change crisis has emphasized on the need for rich nations to contribute 1% of their GDP to help poorer nations counter the effects of the drastic climatic changes, to enable them to adopt the ‘green technologies’ and to simply assist them in tackling disasters like earthquakes, floods, heat waves and droughts (China tells rich nations to pay up on climate change, 2008). A main human activity which is adding to global warming is deforestation which has been occurring worldwide at a large scale. Carbon emissions caused by deforestation cause far more damage then either factories or cars do. Countries are implementing strict regulations regarding deforestation and have imposed penalties on those indulging in this act on lands where it is prohibited. No new technology is required it is just the enforcement policies, political will and incentives that need to be provided to government and individuals alike to make them realize the importance of forests to the environment. But poorer nations are unwilling to cut down on deforestation since it means compromising on their source of income and ultimately compromising on their economy. Forestry experts and policy makers have held meetings in Germany to try and put deforestation on top of the agenda of UN for dealing with climatic changes but Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s poorest nations refused to co-operate when it declared that it can’t cut down on deforestation unless it was offered financial incentives to do so. Natural forestation acts as a thermostat for the earth generating much needed rainfall and stabilizing the amount of harmful gases in the environment yet governments are ignorant or rather choose to stay unaware of this fact and are focusing more on implementing economic policies , encouraging bio-fuel subsidies and carbon capture schemes to tackle the problem of climatic changes (Summary for Policy Makers, 2007). For domestic users of energy, education and training programs need to be implemented to break down the reluctance of adopting environmentally friendly products and to help in creating a carbon free environment. For industries as well staff training, rewards system, awareness programs can reduce energy consumption considerably and reduce the green house gases emissions (Pettifor, 2008). There are certain economic policies which can be implemented to achieve the desired effects like taxes and charges on industries emitting carbon toxicants above a certain given level can be imposed which will induce them to eventually cut down on polluting the environment. Voluntary agreements between the governments and industries as well as between developing countries like the Kyoto protocol can accelerate the adoption of technological advances and cause considerable emission reductions (Climate Change: Economic Sense and Non-sense of Carbon Mitigation Policies, 2002). But on the other hand it needs to be kept in mind that although harsh regulations and standards and tax impositions may have the desired effect in the industrial sector but when it comes to domestic households, who are also a major contributor to environment emissions due to car usage and domestic heating, we need to think out of the box and come up with more feasible and practical solutions Individuals need to be convinced of the need to adopt technology and embrace ‘green appliances’ and for that the main motivation is the monetary incentive. Majority of the global population is not an early adopter of technology and for their sake it needs to be kept in mind that they will look for reduced costs rather than being termed the most techno-savvy person of the year (Pettifor, 2008). People need to be educated rather than forced into adopting renewable energy resources. Same goes for the industrial sector of the rich nations though harsher methods to cut down on their emissions can be applied as well by the government. It is the poorer nations that show the maximum reluctance and are unwilling to co-operate in the regime to save the earth from further climatic destruction. These nations are more concerned about their economy since already they are far behind the rich nations and on top of that the international bodies impose restrictions on them to cut down on emissions which eventually mean a restraint on their business operations (Summary for Policy Makers, 2007). The short term efforts that are being done to save the world from global warming and ozone depletion are basically a waste of resources and money since they tend to have little effect. It would be wiser to spend more yet come up with long term viable solutions which promise an improvement in the climatic conditions. Those who are worried that the cost of saving the world from climatic changes need to realize that the atmosphere cannot determine if the reduced carbon emission has come from an expensive decision or a cheap choice because it can only feel if the emissions have reduced or not. Works Cited 1. China tells rich nations to pay up on climate change. (2008, November). Retrieved November 9, 2008, from NewScientist. com: http://environment. newscientist. com/article/dn15148-china-tells-rich-nations-to-pay-up-on-climate-change. html? DCMP=ILC-hmtsnsref=news1_head_dn15148 2. Climate Change. (2008). Retrieved November 6, 2008, from EUROPA Commission: http://ec. europa. eu/environment/climat/home_en. htm 3. Climate Change: Economic Sense and Non-sense of Carbon Mitigation Policies. (2002). Centre for Economic Performance , 2. 4. Howden, D. (2007, May 14). Deforestation: The hidden cause of global warming. Retrieved November 8, 2008, from The Independent: http://www. independent. co. uk/environment/climate-change/deforestation-the-hidden-cause-of-global-warming-448734. html 5. Pettifor, A. (2008, October 28). Beyond the triple crisis: a green new deal. Retrieved November 7, 2008, from http://www. opendemocracy. net/article/beyond-the-triple-crisis-a-green-new-deal 6. Summary for Policy Makers. (2007, May 5). Retrieved November 5, 2008, from http://www. globalpolicy. org/socecon/envronmt/climate/2007/0504ipccthree. pdf

Kant vs Descartes

Thing in ItselfRene Descartes’ method of doubt provides the argument for the existence of the mind, which is, perhaps, the cornerstone of his philosophy. Immanuel Kant, on the other hand, treats ‘reason’ or rationality as a crucial factor in his philosophical accounts. With regard to Descartes, the concept of the ‘thing in itself’ can be analyzed in terms of his method of hyperbolic doubt, such that he cannot doubt that he exists. As for Kant, the concept of the ‘thing in itself’ can best be understood in terms of his treatment on the distinction between the noumenal or rational world and the spatiotemporal world.Descartes method of doubt tells us that the only thing that an individual can be sure of is his existence, such that the fact that one can begin to doubt one’s existence is proof that there must be that something which ‘doubts’. Given that there is a looming ‘doubt’, it cannot be questioned that t here is indeed something that doubts, and that ‘doubting’ thing is a thinking thing. At the least, the attribute of being able to doubt makes Descartes to believe that he exists for if he did not then he would not have doubted his existence in the first place (Garber, p. 226).As a result, Descartes gives primary emphasis to the mind such that our sensory perceptions cannot wholly provide us with real knowledge. For instance, Descartes provides his classic example of the wax. A wax has a certain size, shape, texture and odor among many others. After the wax is melted, Descartes tells us that many of the physical properties of the wax as observed by our sensory perceptions have changed. Thus, our senses cannot give us the assurance of the essence of the wax, or of things in general. It is at that point that Descartes believes that the deductive mind should be the basis for our inquiries on the essence of objects.Hence, it can be said that the concept of the ‘thing i n itself’ in terms of Descartes’ philosophy stands as something which claims that there is a material, external world outside of the mind. Things by themselves, then, would be as they are whether or not the mind is able to grasp these external entities. Descartes is also known for his belief in the mind and body dualism, such that the mind is a separate entity from the corporeal or physical body. In its entirety, it can be said that Descartes is espousing the idea that the thing in itself is one which is in the external world, although it can also be the thinking thing, or the mind. As for the objects external from the mind, these objects are things in themselves for the reason that the mind is able to acquire knowledge through them, specifically through a deductive inquiry into their nature and essence.Immanuel Kant, on the other hand, espouses the idea of noumenon as synonymous with the ‘thing in itself’, which is that the noumenal realm is the realm whi ch is not accessible precisely because of the limits of the rationality. From here, it can be said that Kant acknowledges that there are indeed ‘things in themselves’ only that human reason is unable to completely grasp these ‘things in themselves’ in the noumenal realm. Kant’s noumenon is to be distinguished with his concept of the phenomenon. On one hand, the phenomenon is that which is grasped by our sensory perceptions or that which is perceived. On the other hand, the noumenon is the actual object which gives the perceived phenomenon (Clarke, p. 55).In order to make the distinction clearer, one can resort to the example of, say, the object ‘pencil’. In terms of Kant’s philosophy, the actual ‘pencil’ is the actual object and the essence of the actual ‘pencil’ cannot be grasped even through our reason and sensory perceptions. On the contrary, what we can only be able to grasp is the phenomenon that ema nates from the actual pencil. That is, our senses are only able to acquire the various attributes of the actual pencil such as size, color, shape and texture among many others. We are never able to grasp the essence of the actual pencil, only the ‘properties’ or the phenomenon that come from it.The contrast between Kant and Descartes’ treatment of the thing in itself resides on their basis for which upon the ‘thing in itself’ can be accessed. Apparently, both Kant and Descartes give a substantial consideration for the mind or reason in trying to understand the material world and the rest of the objects as ‘things in themselves’. Thus, once the mind or reason is deprived of its role in discerning the objects around it, or if the mind or reason is removed from the task of contemplating the ‘thing in itself’, there is strong reason to believe, as far as Kant and Descartes are concerned, that any effort to philosophize about the se things would be futile.More importantly, the distinction between Kant and Descartes resides on the fact that Kant is inclined to believe that we cannot entirely comprehend the essence of any ‘thing in itself’ and that only the phenomenon can be accessed by reason and our sensory perceptions. On the other hand, Descartes does not explicitly make a claim denying the reason of the ability to comprehend the essence of objects. On the contrary, Descartes tells us that we should rely on the deductive process through the minds in our quest for understanding the world of objects and less on the sensory perceptions for they may simply give us a limited account of the world.In conclusion, it can be said that the distinction between Kant and Descartes in terms of their take on the concept of the ‘thing in itself’ differs solely on whether or not the noumenon or the actual objects are accessible. Both Kant and Descartes agree on the substantial function and purpose of reason in discerning the world or at least the ‘thinking thing’ in the words of Descartes. Without the mind, one can hardly arrive at a substantial thought on the world, or that there can be no ‘hyperbolic doubting’ to begin with. The use of the mind is significant in both the philosophies of Kant and Descartes, especially in their analysis of the concept of the ‘thing in itself’.Works CitedGarber, Daniel. â€Å"Descartes and Method in 1637.† PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 2 (1988): 226.Clarke, Michael. â€Å"Kant's Rhetoric of Enlightenmentkant's Rhetoric of Enlightenment.† The Review of Politics 59.1 (1997): 55.

Media’s Negative Effect on Women Body Image

I. Images in the media are having a negative impact on female body image and has given society a blurred meaning as to â€Å"beautiful† A. Models 1. Models give an unrealistic view of the ideal woman; they give the idea that you cannot be beautiful unless you are thin. 2. â€Å"The average model is taller and weighs 23 per cent, or almost a quarter, less than the average woman who is 5'4†³ and weighs 148 lbs. † (Canadian Women’s Health) 3. Model’s bodies have been getting thinner by the years, and as the bodys keep slimming down women and girls in society are becoming more unhappy with their selves. B. Economic goals . â€Å"There are no official statistics for spending on diet products, but estimates vary from $40bn to $100bn in the US alone – more than the combined value of the government's budget for health, education and welfare. † (Cummings) 2. By the media presenting an almost impossible ideal to get and maintain, the cosmetic and diet industry becomes profitable. 3. Ads are directed mostly to younger girls purposely. C. Health issues 1. Exposure to images of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies is linked to depression, loss of self-esteem and the development of unhealthy eating habits in women and girls. . The American research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc. says that one out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight control (bulimia, anorexia, excess exercising, laxatives, skipping meals. ) 3. This has even affected younger girls, as low as 5-6 years old. 4. Nearly half of all preadolescent girls wish to be thinner, and as a result have engaged in a diet or are aware of the concept of dieting. (Tiggeman) 5. Researchers generating a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions, for example, found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and her body would be too narrow to contain more than half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel. A  real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea and eventually die from malnutrition. II. Although the damage has been well done, by eliminating the fake women pictures and providing the society with a healthier view of themselves, women’s views about themselves would be a lot healthier and they would feel uch happier. A. Although these campaigns have just started with their healthy ideas, many companies have tried to help with this problem and have received much positive feedback. 1. In 2004, Dove launched the very successful Campaign for Real Beauty which features real women, not models, advertising Dove's firming cream. (Dove) 2. Dove has also recently launched a new campaign, 3. In Septem ber 2006, a news and media furor erupted when Spain banned overly thin models from its fashion runways. 4. Dove produced this video in response to the negative comments of the changes of the company’s models called Evolution which shows the transformation from a regular women to a model and how unrealistic perceptions of beauty are. 5. In 2010, Dove ® set out a bold new vision for the brand with the Dove ® Movement for Self-Esteem. ( Dove) III. Not everyone agrees, however, that this is something wrong. A. The people that prosper from these ideas say 1. Women need to have more self control. a. It’s not like women can just avoid these ads, they are everywhere and have come to dominate our society. Depression and low self-esteem is not something that women want to have. Not everyone is born the same. 2. Obesity is a problem, thinner is healthier. a. Thinner can be healthier because obesity has become a growing issue but the media has taken it to their advantage. b. The thinness shown in magazines and models is not healthy, the models are always underweight which leads to fainting and serious health conditions including malnutrition. Works Cited â€Å"Beauty and Body Image in Media. † Media Awareness Network. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Nov 2011. . Cummings, Laura. â€Å"The diet business: Banking on Failure. † BBC news. N. p. , 05/02/2003. Web. 20 Nov 2011. . â€Å"Body Image and the Media. † Canadian's Women's Health Network. N. p. , 2005. Web. 20 Nov 2011. . â€Å"The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. † Dove. Dove, n. d. Web. 20 Nov 2011. .

social trends in art essays

social trends in art essays Art is something which can be analyzed to give deeper insight as to the common values and beliefs shared by the members of a certain society. Regardless of the place of origin or the time period of a form of art, it will always be a reflection of the social structure in which it's creator/s lived. However, the way the artist perceives the culture common to his time period is very relative. People pertaining to a higher social class had different values and ideologies than members of a lower class. This different view of life can be seen very clearly in individual forms of art such as painting and music. These specific forms of artistic expression required very little money, thus could be exercised by anyone including members of a lower class. Other forms of art such as architecture and sculpture required more money and in most cases wealthy patrons such as kings or queens. Architecture also required large numbers of workers which often made it hard to see any individual influe nce in the design, however showed the collective ideology of all of the people involved. The cost of labor and materials was also so great that very affluent members of society were needed to financially support the whole process. Sculpture was also an artistry that required great amounts of material and labor. This resulted in a more normative form of art which portrayed societal aspects in a way that was of interest to the financial backers. By studying both popular and normative art together it is possible to obtain a greater perspective on a specific culture. Outside influences from other countries can also affect the art and the artists of a certain society. As a country sees more and more immigrants from a certain area, the art will begin to reflect the ideologies these outsiders bring in with them. This same change can be seen more drastically in the case of an invasion. The architecture would change drastically, since it is normative art a...

Observation #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Observation #3 - Essay Example After observing them for a few minutes, I figured out that they were neighbors living in a close neighborhood. One of them had a little baby in a pram, and the other one was telling her about her children who had gone to school. She was giving the other one tip upon handling a cranky baby. So, I figured out that the main topic of discussion was child care. They had not yet started doing grocery. After that, the same night, I again went out on a venture to observe a male-female interaction. I entered an ice cream parlor. I witnessed a couple. I took the table next to theirs so that I could hear their conversation. I could sense some romanticism, and it took me no time in concluding that they were dating. They were in their mid-twenties. They were looking very happy and excited over something. When I heard closely, the man was talking about how he had got the job, and what his plans about marriage were. The woman looked

Monogamous Sexual Inercourse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Monogamous Sexual Inercourse - Essay Example She also asked if they ever thought about marrying a virgin and they all said no. This writer thinks we have a new era where commitments are temporary, which is a bit of an oxymoron. If you marry and a relationship does not work you change to a new commitment. Some do it in through marriages some do not bother to marry. This is creating multiple problems in our society. Nine out of ten people polled by UNICEF believe the social fabric of our culture is under threat because of family breakdown. This article says much of the break down is to be blamed on the high numbers of single parent homes and step families. Since monogamy is not longer expected children do not have the same support base in the family that they had in the past. We see a rise in crime at younger and younger ages. We see more and more children treated for depression an anxiety. Our children no longer know where they belong. It appears that when there is an abandonment of long term commitment sexually there is also no long term commitment to parenting and we see a change in the behavior of children (Daily Mail, 2007). This is of course not good for the children it is also very expensive for our society. The second problem that comes with having multiple sexual partners is the number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) reported today. The more partners an individual has the more likely they are to contract and STD. The cost of STD treatment including HIV rises every year. In 2006, if all STD numbers were combined it reaches epidemic levels in the United States (Update to CDC’s Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines). It appears to this writer that multiple sexual partner is not wise from a wellness perspective. We stop smoking because it can cause illness why would we not advocate remaining monogamous to prevent illness? This writer sees the switch to multiple sexual partners and its generally