Solving the Water Problem with the Help of LifeStraws

The risk of drinking contaminated or unsafe water is high for people who do not have the means of providing themselves and their families the privilege of safe and clean water. Water-borne diseases that affect these vulnerable groups include cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, and Brainerd diarrhea (Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, 2005). Vulnerable groups have not been clearly identified as even those with the money and those with access to safe water are being affected by these diseases but, it is rational to point out that those without proper systems or access to safe drinking water such as the poor in the developing countries are at higher risk for the abovementioned diseases. It is the desire and advocacy of the governments all over the world and the United Nations to pursue their efforts of â€Å"halving the number of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015† (UN Department of Public Information, 2005). It is with these great hopes that the said actors have launched the â€Å"Water for Life† decade last March 22, 2005 in sync with the World Water Day (UN Department of Public Information, 2005). In line with all these abovementioned problem and advocacy, it is but timely that the concept of LifeStraw ® has been developed and are now in being utilized for use in places where access to safe water remains to be a big problem. LifeStraw ® is a â€Å"complimentary point-of-use water filters†¦ that will help people obtain safe drinking water at home and outside† (â€Å"LifeStraw ® at a glance†). Its main purpose is to be a tool that will act as a filter for unsafe drinking water making it fit for consumption and reduces the risk of water-borne diseases for the people. However, a piece of LifeStraw ® comes with a price as there are materials and labor which has to be compensated for its production. It is a cost that is needed to continue the production of such and would have to be considered by people using it and those who are advocating for clean water. It would be confiscatory in nature to require the maker of LifeStraw ® to continuously produce the said product without being paid. The cost for the production of such was pegged at $3—a cost that would be way below the benefits it could bring. Being equipped with the knowledge of business ethics and being socially-aware and socially-responsible students and individuals, we would like to personally make our contributions in the purchase and distribution of such LifeStraw ® for the poor and the vulnerable. The life of a LifeStraw ® would last up to three years and this would already make a big difference in the lives of those who would be given the chance to own one. We plan to purchase 200 pieces of LifeStraw ® to be distributed to individuals and families. The organizations and agencies concerned would first have to be identified so as to organize the solicitation that would have to be released by our group. Groups would be identified in consideration of their financial capability and the interest they would have to express on this charity work they would be involved in. After the groups have been identified, their contact numbers would have to be obtained through websites and public dictionaries and this would be used to ask them to receive the letter we have for them as well as the contact person. Letter would be sent out after confirmation from the agencies that they are interested in such endeavor. A formal letter is ready for mailing and the interested agencies would be briefed about the advantages the LifeStraw ® will bring to the families and the good intention that our group has in engaging in such endeavor. Further information dissemination or information drive through the use of media or the least costly means would have to be employed such as website postings. It is expected that with the information campaign, the organizations would be able to access the necessary information for the intentions of our group and further linkages be established. Trust should also be established by providing personal networks and contact persons in each organization and would be highly appreciated by the group. With the money collected, the group will purchase 200 pieces of LifeStraw ® for distribution to the most vulnerable groups. This will be identified in cooperation with certain groups. It is also the plan of the group, as feasible, to ask for a thank you note from the families who have been blessed with the opportunity of owning a LifeStraw ® that will be sent to the organizations who have helped us and to acknowledge the effort they have exerted on giving these families and individuals a better living condition. Otherwise, a simple thank you note would have to be given from the group stating our utmost gratitude for the given assistance. The problem of unsafe drinking water would be ameliorated by the abovementioned steps that our group would like to take. However, it is still with much concern that someone or other individuals and groups would continuously exert the initiative to make the advocacy a continuous one until the targets of the governments and the UN would be reached. Further collaboration with other organizations would have to be considered as the State is a good vehicle for continuing and providing social welfare services in cooperation with private entities and the civil society. References Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases. (2005). Preventing bacterial waterborne diseases. Retrieved April 15, 2008, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/waterbornediseases_t.htm. LifeStraw ® at a glance. Retrieved April 15, 2008, from http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw.htm. UN Department of Public Information. (2005). Access to safe water priority as UN marks beginning of international decade. Retrieved April 15, 2008, from http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2005/envdev829.doc.htm.

Anatomy and Physiology Essay

Define/Describe the following terms as completely and detailed as you can: 1. Inflammation- Inflammation is the bulging of skin, organs, or other body parts due to fluid buildup caused an injury. The fluid rushes to the injured area and that is what makes the puffiness. 2. High Fructose Corn Syrup- (HFCS) Composed of corn and lab chemicals. HFCS is found in processed foods such as salad dressing and soda. Your body does not recognize it as food so it shunts the HFCS to a fat cell and that is what causes weight gain. 3. The 4 parts of the vertebral column plus 1 â€Å"special† part- The four parts of the vertebral column are made up of twenty nine vertebrae each separated by an intravertebral disc which absorbs shock to the vertebrae. The first part is called cervical vertebrae, there are seven of them, they are the smallest vertebrae and they are at the top of your neck. The first of the cervical vertebrae is called the atlas and the second is called axis and it allows your head to turn side to side. Next are the thoracic vertebrae. The thoracic vertebrae are the next twelve under your cervical vertebrae. These vertebrae are larger and thicker than the cervical vertebrae. The next sets of vertebrae are your lumbar vertebrae which are the last five vertebrae in your lower back. Lumbar vertebrae are your biggest, strongest and thickest vertebrae. They need to be big and strong because they support the weight of your body. The sacrum is at the very end of your vertebral column. The sacrum is composed of five fused vertebrae. *Fun Fact: giraffes and humans have the same number of vertebrae.* The â€Å"special† part of your vertebral column is called the coccyx. The coccyx is located at the very end of your vertebral column. The coccyx has no real function. 4. Bone marrow and hemoglobin- Hemoglobin plays a big role in cellular respiration and oxygen supply. Hemoglobin carries oxygen. Bone marrow is a soft, netlike mass of connective tissue that is in the medullary cavities of bones classified as long bones. The marrow is housed in the spaces of the spongy bones. Spongy bone is most abundant in the proximal and distal epiphysis’s of a long bone.  There are two types of bone marrow, red and yellow. Yellow bone marrow stores fat and red marrow functions in the formation of red and white blood cells. Red bone marrow receives its color from hemoglobin because it stores oxygen which turns blood red. 5. The 3 layers of the skin- The integumentary has three parts; the epidermis is the outer layer and it lack blood, the second layer of skin is the dermis and it carries nutrients, the third and final layer of skin is called the subcutaneous layer and it is located under the dermis. The subcutaneous layer sits right Next to fat and it the most inside layer. 6. The 3 types of muscle tissue- Muscle tissue is broken down into three layers and a covering called fascia that covers everything. The first and most outside layer it called epimysium and it surrounds the muscle as a whole. The second layer of muscle tissue is known as the perimysium and it surrounds the bundles of muscle fibers. The final and most inner layer of muscle tissue is the endomysium and it surrounds each individual muscle fiber. 7. Type I and II muscle fibers- Smooth muscle in particular has two types of muscle fiber, multiunit and visceral. Multiunit muscle fibers are separated unlike visceral tissue that is made up of sheets and spindle shaped cells. Multiunit muscle fibers can be found in the irises of your eyeball and visceral tissue is common in hollow organ like the stomach. Cellular Metabolism 1. Explain the function of metabolism- Metabolism builds and breaks down particles. The main function of the metabolism is to synthesize, use and store energy. 2. Compare and contrast anabolism and catabolism- anabolism is the buildup of larger molecules from smaller ones which requires energy and catabolism is the opposite it breaks down large particles to produce energy. 3. Describe how energy in the form of ATP becomes available for cellular activities- Energy in the form of ATP is used for many cellular activities. To produce ATP, ADP has to combine with a third phosphate and that creates ATP for cellular activities such as glycolysis which is the first step in cellular respiration. 4. Describe the steps of protein synthesis- Information from DNA is transcribed into mRNA, which is messenger RNA, and then the mRNA is translated into a series of amino acids. The two steps are transcription and then translation. Integumentary System 1. Describe the structure of the layers of the skin- The epidermis is the top layer that you can touch and it lacks blood. Next is the dermis, the dermis carries nutrients and contains the hair follicles, it also contain your sweat gland ducts. The most inner layer of the skin is called the subcutaneous layer, it is not a true layer of skin but it helps to conserve body heat and it helps keep out unwanted heat from the outside. 2. Summarize the factors that determine skin color- Skin color is determined largely by melanin. Everyone has approximately the same number of melanocytes but genetics determine how fast and how much melanin the melanocytes produce. The more melanin you have the darker your skin is. 3. Describe wound healing- The wound and the area around it become swollen or inflamed due to fluid that leaked into the injured area. This is not a bad thing because it provides the area with more nutrients and oxygen which aids healing. If a break on the skin is shallow then the epithelial cells divide faster and the new cells fill the broken area. If the cut is deep into the dermis or subcutaneous layer to blood vessels form a blood clot and the dried tissue fluids help to form a scab. Cells work continuously to clear away dead cells and other remains and eventually it is all replaced with new cells under the scab and they scab will in time come off. If the wound is deep then extensive construction of collagenous fibers may create a raised portion of skin called a scar. 4. How can a person avoid developing skin cancer during their lifetime?- In order to avoid developing skin cancer a person should avoid exposing their skin to high-intensity sunlight, use sunscreens, examine skin regularly. 5. List two examples of modified sweat glands in the body and what they secrete- The two types of sweat glands are eccrine glands and apocrine glands. Eccrine glands secrete sweat that is carries through a tube called a duct and released at the surface of a pore. (Ex: Eccrine glands release the sweat that you feel on your palms when you get nervous.) The apocrine glands, become active when you hit puberty, secrete sweat as well but they release it when a person is emotionally upset, sexually aroused, scared or in pain. Sweat develops a scent when it interacts with bacteria. 6. What two specific properties of skin allow it to regulate body temperature?- In order to regulate body temperature the  skin needs to release heat as needed or conserve heat as needed. When the body becomes too hot it sends a message to your blood vessels to dilate and that allows blood to come in and heat to escape. When your body becomes too cold it sends a message to your blood vessels to constrict which does not allow heat to escape your body. Skeletal System 1. Explain how calcium levels are maintained in the blood and bone- Homeostasis of the calcium levels in bone is controlled by resorption and deposition of calcium into the bones. Also 3-5% of calcium in bones is exchanged each year. If you have less than 3-5% you would be a midget but if you have more than 3-5% then you would be a giant. Osteoclasts break down bone and osteoblasts build bone. 2. Explain why the shoulder joint and hip joints are more mobile than the finger joints- The shoulder and hips joints are ball-and-socket joints and are more mobile than your finger joints, which are condylar joints, because ball-and-socket joints are literally a ball like shaped bone that sits in a cup shaped cavity in anther bone. The placement and shape of these bones allows for rotation and movement on all planes. Condylar joints like the fingers are like puzzles everything fits together. But just like a puzzle you can bend them it but they don’t rotate. 3. List the active tissues in a bone- Bone tissue Cartilage Dense connective tissue Blood Nervous tissue 4. Distinguish between the axial and appendicular skeletons, and name the major parts of each- The axial skeleton consists of your thoracic cage which is your ribs, vertebral column, and sternum, and xiphoid process. The axial skeleton consist of your limbs(arms and legs), pectoral girdle(scapula and clavicles), and your pelvic girdle(coccyx, sacrum, ilium, ischium, pubis anterior and medial) 5. List six types of synovial joints, and describe the actions of each- Ball-and-socket- Movement in all planes and enables rotation. Condylar- Variety of movement in different planes but no rotation. Plane- Sliding or twisting. Hinge- Flexion or extension. Pivot- Rotation around a central axis. Saddle- Variety of movements, mainly in two planes. 6. List all 6 types of synovial joints and describe/explain each one. List one example for each- Ball-and-socket-Ball shaped head of a bone articulates with the cavity of another bone. (Ex: hip) Condylar-oval-shaped condyle f one bone articulates with egg-shaped cavity of another bone. (Ex: Phalanges. Excluding the thumb) Plane-articulating surfaces are almost flat or slightly curved. (Ex: carpals) Hinge-Convex surface of one bone articulates with a concave surface of another. (Ex: elbow) Pivot-Cylindrical surface of one bone articulates with the ring of bone and ligament. (Ex: vertebrae) Saddle-the surface of one bone fits the surfaces of another. (Ex: thumb) Muscular System 1. What happens to muscles when a weight lifter becomes sedentary? – when a weight lifter becomes sedentary his muscle mass is going to begin to decrease because he isn’t using them. His muscles are just going to keep shrinking and shrinking. This happens as quickly as two weeks. 2. Describe the sliding filament theory and steps of muscular contraction- Muscle fiber releases ACh. Protein receptors sense Ach being released. Green light (stimulus) is received by the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Signal to release Ca+. Ca+ is given to sarcoplasm. Ca+ interacts with your tropomyosin and triponin. Actin will â€Å"cross-bridge† (contraction) Ca+ returns to the sarcoplasmic reticulum so link is broken and muscle relaxes. 3. Describe the differences between slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers- slow twitch muscle give you the ability to do exercise for a  longer period of time because they fatigue slower and are efficient in the use of oxygen to produce more fuel or ATP. Fast twitch muscle fibers are good for fast bursts of exercise because they fatigue quickly and they can fire more rapidly than slow twitch fibers. 4. Identify the major parts of a skeletal muscle fiber, and the function of each- Myofibrils- they consist of actin and myosin and aid in the act of contraction. Myosin- Thick protein Actin- thin protein Sarcomere- units for muscle contraction -I bands- composed of actin -Z lines- 5. Explain how muscular contractions move body parts and help maintain posture-Muscle tone is a form of sustained contractions, which are contractions that occur even when we appear to be standing still. They keep our body upright a.k.a. posture. These contractions are responses to nerve impulses that come from the spinal cord and stimulate the muscle fibers to move. If our body loses muscle tone then we would collapse. Which is what happens when a person is unconscious. Nervous System 1. Describe the general functions of the brain stem- the brainstem is nervous tissue that connects the cerebrum to the spinal cord. The brainstem has three separate parts. Midbrain- reflex centers associated with the eyes and head movement. Pons- transmits impulses between the cerebrum and other parts of the nervous system. Also helps regulate breathing Medulla Oblongata- transmits all ascending (to the brain) and descending (away from the brain) impulses and contains several vital and non-vital reflex centers. 2. Why can a person still be alive even though they are â€Å"brain dead?†- You can still be alive and be brain dead it just means that your brain stem doesn’t work. When you are brain dead its like being in a coma. You can’t move anything or understand anything but you are still there. You would live in a hospital or have 24/7 monitoring and you would be living off tubes and wires. 3. Describe the coverings of the brain and spinal cord- the first layer of covering over the brain and spinal cord is dura matter. Dura matter is the outermost layer. It made up of tough, white, fibrous connective  tissue and contains many blood vessels and also nerves. The second layer is arachnoid matter. This matter is thin and does not contain many blood vessels and it lies right below the dura matter. The innermost layer and final layer is the pia matter. This matter is very thin and does contain many blood vessels and nerves to nourish underlying cells in the brain and spinal cord. 4. Name the cranial nerves and list their major functions- Olfactory- sense of smell Optic- vision Oculomotor- eye movement Trigeminal- controls facial expressions Vestibular- controls hearing and vestibular Glassopharengeal- controls tongue Vagus- longest nerve in the body Accessory- shoulders and neck movement Hypoglossal- tongue in speaking movement, swallowing, and chewing. Trochlear- eye movement Abducens- eye movement Facial- facial expressions Vestibulochlear- house hearing receptors 5. Distinguish between the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system- The sympathetic division are your fight or flight responses. If you are getting cornered in an ally you a have a set of responses that you may put forward. This division acts under stressful situations. The parasympathetic division is your responses for normal situations. This division activates under normal situations. The Senses 1. Describe how the sense of pain is produced- free nerve endings on your skin pick up stimulating from sensations of pain and send them to the brain. There are two different types, touch and pressure is contact to the surface of the body and deep pressure senses are impulses from pain in the internal tissues. 2. Explain the mechanism for smell- the olfactory nerve is the nerve in your body that controls the sense of smell. Your sense of smell is a chemoreceptor so it picks up and reacts with the chemicals that you smell. 3. Explain the mechanism for taste- Taste is also a chemoreceptor. The organs of taste are located in the papillae, which are otherwise known as your taste buds. You have 5 different taste cells, sweet, umami, bitter, sour, and salty. In order to taste the chemicals in food your saliva has to break down the chemicals and release them before your papillae picks up on the taste. 4. Name the parts and explain the functions of the outer, middle, and inner part of the ear-The outer ear is made up of our auricle and the external acoustic meatus. It simply picks up sound and funnels sound into the next part of the ear, which is the middle ear. The middle ear is made up of the tympanic cavity otherwise known as the eardrum. The ear drum is made up of three auditory bones in which the vibration pass through and create the sound that is sent to the inner ear where the auditory cortex interprets the sensory impulses. 5. Distinguish between static and dynamic equilibrium- static equilibrium senses when the head is still and maintains balance throughout and dynamic equilibrium senses when the body and head are moving and tries to maintain balance. Endocrine System 1. Explain how insulin and glucagon work together to regulate blood levels of glucose- Glucagon and insulin work against each other in the regulating of blood sugar. Glucagon stimulates the liver to break down glycogen and convert some noncarbohydrates, for example amino acids, into glucose to raise the blood sugar. Insulin on the other hand does the exact opposite. Insulin stimulates the liver to form glycogen from glucose. Also, the secretion of insulin encourages transport of amino acids into cells, increases the rate and time of protein synthesis, and stimulates adipose cells to synthesize and store fat. 2. Distinguish between endocrine and exocrine glands- the exocrine glands secret hormones into ducts and the endocrine system secretes hormones into body fluids. The Endocrine system has 5 parts, the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, and pancreas. 3. Name and describe the major endocrine glands and list the hormones they secrete- Pituitary- hormones: pituitary gland which is at the base of the brain and it controls all hormones, the growth hormone uses carbohydrates at a faster rate in order to make your body grow, next is the thyroid-stimulating hormone which controls the secretion of hormones from  the thyroid but the hypothalamus controls the release of TSH, last is the anti diaretic hormone which forces the kidneys to conserve water. Thyroid- the thyroid gland is made up of follicles that store hormones and it is located in the neck. The thyroid gland releases Thyroxine and triiodothyronine, which increase the metabolic rate of cells, enhance protein synthesis and stimulate lipid operation. Parathyroid- secretory cells that contain capillaries. The parathyroid gland secretes the parathyroid hormone, which increases blood calcium and decreases blood phosphate ion levels. Adrenal- made up of the adrenal medulla, which secretes epinephrine and nonrepinephrine. The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system controls the secretion of these hormones. The adrenal cortex also makes up the adrenal gland and it produces a number of steroid hormones such as aldosterone, and cortisol, and adrenal sex hormones. Pancreas- the pancreas secretes digestive juices and hormones. The pancreas is attached to the small intestine and it secretes glucagon and insulin. (See number 1) 4. Describe how the body responds to stress- Stress is caused by a threat to the maintenance of homeostasis. The hypothalamus controls the stress responses. These responses include your fight or flight responses such as raise in blood sugar, glycerol and fatty acids. Increased heart rate, blood pressure and an increase in the breathing rate, increase in epinephrine from the adrenal medulla (See answer 3). Digestive System and Nutrition 1. Identify each of the organs/structures of the digestive system and discuss how the function of each one contributes to the digestive process- Mouth- aids in the mechanical break down of food. This process begins digestion. Salivary glands- release an enzyme called saliva which begins the chemical digestion of food and produces the taste also. Pharynx- pushes food to the esophagus. Esophagus- pushes food the stomach Stomach- when the stomach receives the food from the esophagus it mixes it with juices and begins the protein digestion then to is sent to the small intestine. Small intestine- takes out the nutrients from the food and moves the waste to the large intestine. Large intestine- reabsorbs water to form feces. 2. Name and describe the many negative health effects and diseases associated with corn syrup/high fructose corn syrup consumption- Obesity- excessive weight gain is a result of the increase in consumption of HFCS. Your body cannot recognize HFCS as a food so it shunts it to a fat cell and you eat more because you don’t know your full. Liver- fructose can only break down in liver so it makes your liver fatty which can lead to diabetes Diabetes- high or low blood sugar in this case high because you consume so much FAKE sugar that your body secretes it into your blood because it doesn’t know what else to do with it. 3. In class, I used ketchup and processed-peanut butters as an example that not many people know contain corn syrup and high fructose corn sugar (among other sugars). List 4 products that contain corn syrup/high fructose corn syrup that would ‘trick’ a consumer- Bread Barbecue sauce Good (supposedly) cereals even ‘Special K’ Crackers Hamburgers

World Hunger and Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World Hunger and Poverty - Essay Example Despite the wealth of that exists in the developed countries there are many parts of the world in which people live in poverty and often suffer from hunger and malnutrition due to a lack of food. There are approximately 156 emerging economies in the world. An emerging economy is a country that has a gross domestic product per capita below $9,000. The majority of the poverty in the world is located in these nations. It is estimated that over 3 billion people across the world are living on $2.50 or less a day of income (Globalissues). Extreme poverty is directly correlated with hunger. When people lack the economic resources or income necessary to cover for living expenses families often suffer from hunger. Hunger can be defined as the uneasy or painful sensation caused by want of food; craving appetite (Worldhunger). A related health problem associated with hunger is malnutrition. Malnutrition refers to a lack of the proper diet in which the person does not receive the nutrients necessary for human health. In 2010 there were 925 million people that suffered from hunger. The majority of those people were located in Asia & Pacific and in the Sub-Sahara African region. The increase in world hunger is due to three factors: 1. Neglect of agriculture relevant in areas where very poor people live by government and international agencies 2. The current worldwide economic crisis which started in 2008 3. Food price inflation (Worldhunger). The rise in food prices is a major problem that is hurting the quality of life of po or people in America and billions of humans living in poverty in the world. The total inflation in the United States since 2000 is 31.5% (Usinflationcalculator). Inflation lowers the purchasing power of a person. Inflation has a greater detrimental effect in people that have very low income since it lowers their purchasing power. The amount of hungry people in the world represents over 13% of the world’s population. The problem cannot be ignored any longer and solutions must be found soon. The innocent victims of poverty and hunger are the children. There are over one billion children living in poverty in the world. Children due to their weaker immune system are not able to survive with insufficient food as many days as adults. â€Å"Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year† (Worldhunger). Many of these children simply cannot survive these inhumane conditions and as a consequence millions of kids are dying every year. Over 5 million children died last year of malnutrition. There are non-profit organizations such as Feed The Children

Withdrawal reflex and habituation in the garden snail Essay

Withdrawal reflex and habituation in the garden snail - Essay Example There is many types of learning, the most basic form of which is non-associative learning. Surprisingly noticed even in primitive life forms, such as the protozoan Stentor coeruleus, it represents a type of learning where the organism becomes aware that some events are unrelated and irrelevant. The most common example of such learning is habituation. According to Thompson and Spencer, it is defined simply as "the gradual waning of an evoked behavioral response with repeated stimulation."3. In essence if an animal first responds to a stimulus that is neither rewarding nor harmful the animal reduces subsequent responses. There are two basic characteristics that separate habituation from the other types of learning. One is that it does not require conscious motivation or awareness to occur, and that it is stimulus specific and that does not cause a cause a general decline in responsiveness.The garden snail (Helix aspersa) is no exception when the process of habituation is concerned. Hab ituation in the Helix aspersa is well documented and easily observable, particularly in the withdrawal reflex of both the entire body of the garden snail, as well as the eye stalk. When the body or the eye stalk of the garden snail is stimulated, the Helix aspresa instinctively withdraws the entire body towards its shell or the eye stalk towards the body, respectively. This very simple and instinctive action, with the purpose of maintaining the structural integrity of the body of the garden snail, represents the withdrawal reflex in the Helix aspresa. ... When the garden snail is presented with a novel stimulus, the sensory neurons generate large excitatory postsynaptic potentials in the interneurons and motor cells. These potentials cause the motor cells to discharge strongly, leading to the rapid withdrawal of the body or eye stalk. As the stimulus is repeatedly presented, the synaptic potentials produced by the sensory neurons in the interneurons and in the motor cells become progressively smaller. In time, fewer action potentials are generated in the motor cells, and the behavior is reduced. Finally, the postsynaptic potentials become very small and fail to produce action potentials in the motor neurons, and therefore no behavior is produced. The reduction in the effectiveness of the synaptic connections between the sensory and motor neurons is what maintains the state of habituation that the garden snail has acquired. - Background Although the effects of the withdrawal reflex and the subsequent habituation are easily observable, the underlying principles have been scrutinized by the scientific eye. There are many scientific papers that deal with this issue. One of them, written by Steven Prescott and Ronald Chase explains the sites of plasticity in the neural circuit mediating tentacle withdrawal in the garden snail. With their research, they have managed to show that the different parts of the nervous system in the snail mediate different reactions when the withdrawal reflex is concerned. In an another paper, the same others try to explore the matter even further, with analyzing the neural circuit mediating tentacle withdrawal in garden snail, with specific reference to the competence of the

To what degree are these representation positive,negative, or Essay

To what degree are these representation positive,negative, or politically mixed - Essay Example Television is embedded into culture and therefore significantly explains the observed gradual transformation of the social order through centuries. In respect of the Sex and The City (2003), â€Å"A Woman’s Right To Shoes† (season 6, episode 9) it is evident that the television technology is one of the greatest players when it comes to social reorganization that has been experienced over the years. It is imperative that some of the terms in this topic of gender under television media analysis are defined to give an insight into the underlying supportive ideas over the subject. Cultural forum is one of the concepts that need clear definition in respect of the existing relationship between television and media. In respect of television technology, the contemporary cultural system of the world undergoes continuous examination by the work of art. Television coverage explores various issues around the world and the aggregate role of this media therefore sums up as either inf ormative or entertaining. The outstanding function of television is its exemplary recognition of the female gender, the minority group and children in the social framework. By transmitting various scenes of socio-political issues across the world, television has significantly opened up the society and is almost initiating a gradual convergence in culture which promotes awareness of women rights and affirmative action. Television discussions are also giving men consideration in terms of fair treatment from the fairer sex as cast by this episode. Sex is represented as a biological concept that distinguishes anatomy of humanity in the society while gender is derived from the social definition. The television has been instrumental in exploring the gender biasness that exists between women and men. In respect of the program line up in the television channels, it is common to find that the timing and planning is strategically formulated in a way that it befits the various audiences. The e merging reorganization of the television content including the soaps, live shows, talks are targeting a given audience with a hint on the work and leisure relationship. The widespread cases of housewives that were common gave the television program managers incentive to come up with family chores related discussions. The concepts highlighted in the episode above gives an extensive family issues twists and the contemporary change of events as far as the gender roles are concerned. Television has been one of the political tools for helping women get their voice heard in the cycle of politics in the society. This is achieved through debates that expose women as the equals of men in terms of political leadership. Social constructionism has played a vital role in helping research remold the grounded theory in social research. The social constructionists have been on the view that knowledge is not created by constructed. The media have the in-depth psychological concepts of its audience a nd this has been an advantage at their disposal in constructing various issues which when passed to the people they perceive as true. Television causes a lot of illusion that cannot be avoided by any person due to the uncensored explanations they provide to support their findings. This has been the force behind the outcry on the unfair gender disparity in terms of various decision making institutions. Political scene around the world has greatly been influenced by

Political Corruption in Africa Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Political Corruption in Africa - Dissertation Example TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 - Features of Qualitative and Quantitative Methods 7 Table 2 - Most Corrupt Nations 20 Table 3 - Index of Economic Freedom 25 FIGURE Figure 1 - World's Most and Least Corrupt Nations 18 Abstract Political corruption is a malaise that has infected governments since the Roman Empire as power corrupts. The damage inflicted by corrupt officials reflects on the believability of government, and impacts the populace, with the degree of the foregoing dependent upon the extent of corruption ingrained in its leadership and institutions. This study shall examine corruption, focusing on Africa, to determine if there are ways in which to stem the increasing wave of malpractice that has and is gripping our moral fiber. Through an investigation of political corruption, this examination shall seek to uncover its variations, forms, used and abuses, equating the conditions that foster its use, and th mechanisms to stem corruption in government. 1.0 Introduction In equating the subject matter of this study, political corruption lies at the core of this examination. The subject, political corruption, as described by Harris (2003, p. 1)" is a multifaceted and mutable concept, defiant of precise or comprehensive definition". In delving into the context, Lasswell (1958, p. 6) starts off the process by defining "politics as the art of who gets what, when, and how". When one considers the definition of corruption as "The act of the process of corrupting The state of being corrupt" (Houghton... According to the research findings the bounds of political corruption skirt bribery, certain forms of patronage, conflict of interest, extortion, nepotism, graft, embezzlement, and cronyism for their individual and or collective illegitimate gain. The preceding can and does give rise to a broad number of actions that facilitates the preceding as represented by the encouragement and or turning a blind eye to drug trafficking as well as money laundering and human trafficking. As the paper stresses corruption in some countries and regions of the world is so rampant that it is an expected by product of interaction, that is sometimes referred to a ‘kleptocracy’, which means, ‘rule by thieves’. The foregoing has been delved into in order to provide the understanding of the wide range of ramifications that encompass political corruption as an examination. As such, the Aim of this study is to examine the issues of political corruption from an international comparative perspective, focusing on Africa a region where the preceding is rife. The foregoing multiple Objectives are closely intertwined. The argument of this study seeks to examine the existing measures that are in sub-Saharan Africa to combat political corruption, and the extent to which these are effective and or ineffective and why such measures seem unlikely to become utilised as a result of the fact that the instruments for combating political corruption do not have correspo nding governance systems that have the abilities and or capabilities to monitor as well as implement such provisions.

H.W Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

H.W - Assignment Example If the appropriate discount rate is 7% annually, what is present value of the girl’s fortune? Suppose you are going to buy a car. The cost of car is $20,000. You have $8,000 for down payment. You can borrow the balance of $12,000 from dealership’s finance company at 2% APR, with monthly payment for 36 months or you can borrow from a bank with 8% APR monthly payment for 3 years, and receive a $2,000 rebate on the purchase price. Assume that if you take the rebate, you will apply it toward the purchase. Which alternative is better deal? You are preparing a vacation to Europe in the future. You plan to save $400 a month beginning today, and estimate you earn 0.5% per month on your savings. Your goal is to save $6,000. How long it take to save this amount? Bank of Land has student loan program starting today but requires no payments for 4 years. However, during this interest deferred period the loan accumulated interest at 6% rate, compounded quarterly. The bank amortizes the loan over ten year period, requiring quarterly payments and continuing charge 6% annual interest rate, compounded quarterly. What will be the quarterly payment will be on today’s loan of $30,000? Green Co. just paid dividend of $1 per share. The company predicts that the dividend will increase 5% for next 5 years and 3% thereafter forever. If your required rate of return is 8%, what price you should pay for the

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion - Assignment Example It was conducted in a very harsh and cruel way not caring on the way it would influence the operations of the firm (Ivancevich, John M., Robert Konopaske, and Michael T. Matteson 2011). Operations in the military air force are not so political since they are rational and geared towards meeting the objectives of the organization since the operations of the firms are largely partially independent. Commandants and supervisors employ the evaluation in a way that the employees are not aware of any negativity. Managers and supervisors in the verge of making efforts to improve on productivity to improve performance and productivity in terms of productivity and growth are advised to always embrace the use of the tools such as rewarding jobs well done. A reward motivates and allows employees to improve on their effectiveness and efficiency. They as well make external employees to want to join the organization in which such measure are employed making the organization have access to a large pool of labor force. Rewards both intrinsic and extrinsic well applied has effected a realization of job satisfaction, which is supportive to welfare of the general employee fraternity (Ivancevich, John M., Robert Konopaske, and Michael T. Matteson 2011). When a country is faced with external attacks and the military is engaged in defending the country. Collective and individual rewards to the officer, who ranges from appreciation from the citizen, monetary rewards by the employer. Others such as leave after hard work and finally promotion of the officers engaged depending on the performance of each would realize rejuvenated efforts after the reward are implemented

To what extent can growing poverty be blamed on the advance of Essay

To what extent can growing poverty be blamed on the advance of globalization - Essay Example Globalisation is defined by Pugel (2004:5) as the â€Å"process of an increased relationship between national economies through international trade, foreign direct investments by multinational firms, and international financial investments†. Increased inter-nation trade results in the increased need for the redistribution of pricing and goods in a way that will ensure market place equilibrium is arrived at. As a result, nations may undergo periods of unemployment, reduced prices of their nations’ natural resources, as well as poor standards of life. On the other hand, Pugel (2004) argues that some countries undergo periods of inflation, increased employment demand, as well as increased living standards; thus there will be both gains and losses as a result of wealth redistribution. In order to establish comparisons between poor and rich nations, definition and measurement of inequality is vital. Once determined, it is possible to evaluate and measure the effects of globa lisation on the nation’s status. According to Birdsall (2002), inequality is the disparity of people’s living standards and their income in different countries. In addition, the World Bank categorises those in developing nations living under a dollar per day and those in medium economies living under two dollars a day as poor (Eswar, Rajan and Arvind, 2007). In contrast, the trio posits that a person in the more developed economies of the US, Japan, and Europe trying to live on under a thousand dollars is relatively poor as the cost of life is these economies is far greater than this amount. There is a rising increase in the income gap between the rich and the poor with many regions worldwide recording figures of 25% or more people living on less than a dollar a day (Ikubolajeh, 2002). According to Pranab (2007), poor people with less income have limited and or less access to the global wealth. A 2003 research revealed that the richest fifth of the global population ga rnered 85% of the globe’s income whereas the poorest fifth managed only 1.4% of the globe’s income (Eswar, Rajan and Arvind, 2007). Comparing the GDP between poorest and richest nations across the globe over the past century results in a constantly increasing and or widening income gap; an indicator that the gap of income has augmented and has continued with the same trend. Apart from income, the standards of living can also be used to measure a country’s level of poverty. Sri Lanka shares impressive social indicators as those of developed nations, for instance, life expectancy, literacy rates, mortality rates and population growth rate in the country is same as that of developed nations. Despite this, the country has a low income. Poverty of a country can be measured by fourteen major indicators that have been further subdivided into four sections namely infrastructure for development, growth and poverty reduction, human development, and governance and investme nt climate (Pugel, 2004). A number of factors can be used to drive economic growth and development, for instance increased educational standards and economic policies such as openness to international trade. Inequality exists in terms of living conditions and standards of livin

How Diversity and Multicutralism Affects My Daily Life Assignment

How Diversity and Multicutralism Affects My Daily Life - Assignment Example The rehabilitation has expectations, attitudes, and values and beliefs that must be implemented under my capacity as a nurse manager. The implementation requires a platform that embraces diversity and multiculturalism. There are issues within the limits of diversity and multiculturalism that I confront every day as a nurse manager. I contend with emotional conflict with my patients and subordinate workers due differential cultural perceptions. I handle mental, drug and substance that may elicit conflict if the individual is not from the same culture or language as me. Letting cultural or gender-norm context cloud, my judgment n my capacity as a nurse and it results in bias. However, at the back of mind I have guiding principles that I should respect. The principle applies to psychiatric cases where practitioners are supposed to accept, understand and expansive cultures when offering services and to relate to the cultures of others. I must have cultural competency at all times for efficient use of rehabilitation awareness and knowledge. The move enhances cross-cultural interventions (Wong-Hernandez & Wong, 2002). Diversity and multiculturalism enhance work performance at the rehabilitation facility. My management style features utmost teamwork in order to share ideas on how to deal with varied rehabilitation needs of the patients The understanding that there are different cultures and languages elicits the need to work with different people in order to work from different perspectives (Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2015). The perspectives inspire innovation where I administer rehabilitation procedures that do not cross or violate cultural, language, race or ethnic principles. It is my job to ensure that the patients feel comfortable irrespective of their origin or skin color and at the same time receiving the same level of service from nurses based on moral or professional obligation. I cultivate my management role by

CU1513 & Food Essay Example for Free

CU1513 Food Essay Children need to be in a positive environment because if the child spends their day in an effective designed environment, the child will be physically, socially, emotionally, and aesthetically nurtured. The environment can maximise their intellectual potential and provide a foundation for the development of their emotional security. A positive environment for children and young people must be a safe place to work in, so a number of legal health and safety requirements should be in place. Whatever the setting, policies and procedures guide the workplace. 2) In my work setting, we work within the care standards regulations by making sure the setting is a safe place to be in, and being hygienic, we have a sterilising unit which is used everyday, and also sterilise the plastic toys and make sure everything is cleaned well. We wear aprons and gloves whilst changing babies nappies, and to go around every morning and evening checking that nothings broken. We also give out daily sheets to give to the parent/carer at the end of the day, to tell them what theyve had and what theyve done during the day. The Special Needs Code of Practice is designed to help make effective decisions regarding children and young people with special educational needs, but this does not mean you can tell them exactly what to do in each individual case. A positive environment and routine teaches children how to behave with people in general, in my work setting the ages are 3-18 months, so the older babies might get an early understanding on how to be around people and how to be around one another. If the staff are positive and approachable, it could also help children to talk to staff more about any concerns they may have. Also it allows parents to talk to the staff more easily, and feel included and equal. 3) This is part of children’s learning about self care and personal hygiene. We can help them do this by encouraging them to wash their hands before and after eating, and also giving them a mirror which can help them too. In my work setting, ages 3-18 months, it is very different, as theyd need their nappies changed regularly to prevent infections and sores, and to also talk to the parent/carer about any allergies or skin conditions their child might have. We also talk to parents/carers about their child’s hair in case they have any allergies or conditions as they may require special products. And we will ask them to bring in hats, especially during Summer. Teeth are important too, as well as having healthy milk teeth, it encourages the healthy adult teeth. With older children, workers can encourage children to brush their own teeth in the morning and before bedtime with the guidance of the parent/carer. 4) Rest and exercise both play a crucial part in health and well being of children. Learning and memory are at there best in well rested children. Exercise is equally important, playing a vital role in physical health, which promotes muscle and bone strength. In my work setting we promote exercise by doing activities with them which can include dancing, going out to the outside play area or going for a walk to the park, and then when they get out of their prams, they explore and identify new things too. We encourage rest by doing certain activities which includes sitting down and reading books and putting them to bed after lunch time and if they are tired at any time throughout the day we will put them in a cot/pram. 5) The basic nutritional requirements include plenty of fruit and veg, which we should be having at least five portions of a variety everyday. In my work setting we encourage the children to eat fruit and veg everyday by giving a different variety at both snack times. Bread, rice, potatoes and pasta and other starchy foods, milk and dairy foods, and also some meat, fish and alternatives, also to have a small amounts of foods and drink which is high in fat or sugar, although this should be kept restricted to special occasion foods only. 6) When children come together at meal/snack time, they should be all eating the same food, however there can be special requirements. For example, children with chewing or digestive difficulties may need their food chopped or liquidized. Specific food additives may cause allergic reactions. And even cultural/religious preferences may restrict specific foods, as either a general rule, or certain times and holidays. Whoever cant eat meat for any reason, we give alternatives to the foods given. 7) Food is a common way for illness to spread, workers who are ill or have recently been ill can unknowingly contaminate foods which are prepared and served to the children. In childcare settings, food safety is everyones responsibility, any member of staff that comes in contact with the food should be familiar with safe food handling practices and all work places should have a food safety book. The National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) provides national guidelines for childcare which covers all areas of care, which includes information on all aspects of quality childcare, including hygiene, communications, discipline, food and nutrition. Research time journal. 40 minutes on questions 1-4 30 minutes on questions 5-7

Reading Adornos Thoughts On Brave New World Philosophy Essay

Reading Adornos Thoughts On Brave New World Philosophy Essay Theodore W. Adorno, sociologist, philosopher and musicologist collected the most fundamental problems of the 20th century in his writings, which serve as a useful guide to understand and decipher not only the historical events of the last century, but modern literature as well. Adorno was a prominent member of the Frankfurt School, a school of Neo-Marxist interdisciplinary social theory. Other well-known thinkers of the age as Marx Horkheimer, Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcuse and Jà ¼rgen Habermas were and are also widely read members of this group. Adornos collection of essays, Prisms, published in 1967, includes studies in contemporary German social thought, besides, it touches upon Huxleys Brave New World, works by Walter Benjamin, Proust and Kafka. Although his essay, Aldous Huxley and Utopia shows a strong sociological approach, I find that he highlights several aspects of the novel hidden or not fully fleshed for scholars of literature. The essay sets out from a diagnosis claiming a shock of the individual. The promise of the New Land (Americas) turns out to be a sugar-coated slogan, where opposingly one does not prevail but perish with some exaggeration. Immigrants no longer seek prosperity, but only wish to pull through. They have to adjust to the new system, where has arisen a civilization which absorbs all of life in its system, without allowing the unregimented mind even those loopholes which European laxness left open into the epoch of the great business concerns( Adorno, p97). The intellectual needs to eradicate himself to integrate into the new world of commercialism to survive. This realization results in panic, which according to Adorno, manifests itself in Huxleys novel. The act of dehumanization is obvious in Brave New World, but Adorno proceeds claiming that the individuals literally cease to exist. Men are no longer merely purchasers of the concerns mass-produced consumption goods but rather appear themselves to be the deindividualized products of the corporations absolute power (Adorno, p98). The Fordian world succeeds in the fusion of the self into the system itself. The satirical alteration of the motto of the French Revolution: Community, Identity, and Stability magnifies the fundamental principles of the system. Everyone is unconditionally subordinate to the functioning of the whole (Adorno, p99). One particularly shivering example of this is the recycling of the dead. Identity is a witty choice, since it implies two absolutely conflicting meanings. The first association can be the identity of an individual, referring to ones possession of a set of unique traits; meanwhile identity also signifies the state of being identical with the surround ings. The Fordian system has precisely done the latter by not only manipulating the psyche of the individuals, but pre-conditioning them biologically. Stability indicates the achieved harmony by the aforementioned; however, it also results in a lack of progress. It is unspoken still indicated that the ultimate goal of the system lies within itself, that is, merely to uphold the system. This coincides with Adornos observation as well, since he later states that the blame rests with the substitution of means for all ends( Adorno, p100). The lack of purpose is hidden behind the fancy celebration; the hollow cult of the devices. This is a result of the objectification of the modern era. Adorno explains in The Dialects of the Enlightenment that the Age of Enlightenment declared knowledge as the ultimate goal banishing God in order for man to reach a god-like, omniscient position. With the gained knowledge man subordinated his surroundings. Things are present or re-formed in the world to suit and serve humans. As a result of this desire, things are represented by their mere functions. They no longer possess an aura as Walter Benjamin put it in his essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. In the capitalistic settings of the modern era, everything is looked at as a piece of merchandise. Civilians are defined by what they purchase. Huxley extends this line of thought, objectifying the individual itself into a product. Due to the several stages of conditioning, Adorno says that the Fordian people surrender to the system; abandon their desires, without even being aware of their sacrifice. This reveals the systems strike of genius. Adorno raises a lot of thought provoking questions concerning Huxleys utopia, but I wish to concentrate rather on his critical judgements regarding the shortcomings of the book. He claims that the orgy-porgy sessions, the prescribed short-term change of sexual partners give witness to the interchangeability of the individuals. Its highest moral principle, supposedly, is that everyone belongs to everyone, an absolute interchangeability that extinguishes man as an individual being, liquidates as mythology his claim to exist for his own sake, and defines him as existing merely for the sake of others and thus in Huxleys mind, worthless (Adorno, p104-105). I agree with his remark on people being created in order to serve others as one of the main reasons of the loss of identity. However, Adorno also argues that if the people are as exchangeable, then the totalitarian authority of the Fordian world has no stable grounding to gain support from. Domination may be defined as the disposition of one over others but not as the complete disposition all over all, which cannot be reconciled with the totalitarian order (Adorno, p105). I am rather certain Adorno was more acquainted with the philosophy of totalitarianism; nevertheless, I find the interchangeability of the people an efficient tool to control the masses. Although the civilians often have sexual intercourses, they lack any personal relationships as their simplistic and shallow dialogues also reflect. Still, the archaic desire of man, namely, to belong and to love is present in the Fordian people, only they are given the mystified concept of Ford and society, both designed to be incomp rehensible to love and serve. Their cramped insistence on the system is due to their conditioning, and the impossibility of belonging to anyone else. No wonder the Fordian system banished the concept of family to the realm of the uncivilized. Adorno is correct on the one hand that there is a disposition of all over all, but this will the civilians possess is ironically vague and meaningless since they dont get true joy out of personal intercourses. They are a herd of sheep waiting for the shepherds orders. With the abolition of the self, the Fordian Controllers achieved creating a mass wishing to actually belong to and melt into the greater being that is society. The Controllers do not have to manipulate the minds of the individuals but one unconscious mind of billions. Another one of Adornos curious instances is Huxleys use of rigid opposites. The erotic collision of Lenina and John is for some reason seen as the scene à ¡ faire by Adorno mirroring the clash between the two worlds. He regards Johns surrender to Leninas preconditioned charm to ease the tension between the world of the conventional and the natural. With John, who is associated with Shakespeare, evoking the values of the lost world Huxley had banished culture to barbarianism. Johns falling for Lenina does not symbolise conventions conquering nature, but Johns natural inability to overcome the new world. John is rather the already mentioned modern intellectual who realizes his possibilities and panics without reaching an alternative solution. Adorno, however, claims that the opposing extremes are in accordance with the utopian tradition. Huxley cannot understand the humane promise of civilization because he forgets that humanity includes reification as well as its oppositeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦subjective are realized, but only by being objectified. All the categories examined by the novel, family, parents, the individual and his property, are already products of reification (Adorno, p106). The objectification of such concepts is indisputable still they evoke personal experiences and derive from subjective perceptions. Such archaic notions possess a past of their own; they carry their own myths and how they evolved. What Huxley wishes to do is to highlight the fundamental human values represented by these concepts. Adorno criticises the depiction of the Savage as neurotic and states that the novel ceases to be a social criticism with the fall of John. Adorno rather enhances the importance of Bernard Marx. He claims Bernards organic inferiority and inevitable inferiority complexà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [and] moral cowardice (Adorno, p106) to be his most dominant traits due to the Jewish pattern; however, he sees Bernards character as the voice of social critic. The rebellious behaviour of Bernard expires with the satisfaction of his sexual needs by the desired women. He abandons his opposing views when he ceases to be an outcast. Bernards character turns rather into the emblem of arrogance. The same happens when innocent leaders become intoxicated with power. The depiction of the Savage to say the least of it is imperfect. Still his reactions are in a cause and effect relation. His actions do result in a comical end due to his self-sacrifice was in vain. Another interesting point in Adornos essay is the objectification of happiness. In the Fordian world happiness derives from the satisfaction of peoples artificial needs. Adorno recalls a scene from the novel in which Lenina and the Savage watch a Fordian circumscribed movie. This episode shows the retarded perception of happiness. He [Huxley] believes that by demonstrating the worthlessness of subjective happiness according to the criteria of traditional culture he has shown that happiness as such is worthless. Its place is to be taken by ontology distilled from traditional religion and philosophy, according to which happiness and the objective good are irreconcilable (Adorno, p111) Considering subjective happiness, it can only exist when there is subjectivity, namely, individuals and their own personal desires. However, in the case of the Fordian world we cannot speak about true individuals, or subjective happiness. Therefore, what we encounter is broadly speaking objective happiness with its preconditioned uniformity however retarded it is. Although they achieve objective happiness it does not coincide with the objective good from the past ideologies. It rather draws a retarded good with it, that is, a constant satisfaction transforms into an animal status quo. The aforementioned film amplifies uselessness and pointlessness of this retarded happiness which is subjectively perfect though objectively meaningless. Adorno quotes what Mond answers to Johns accusation regarding the degradation of man. Mond claims that a set of postulates always have to be chosen, in order for a community to function. Huxley contrasts Johns conscious choice of suffering and Monds som aic problem solving technique. The reader is given two choices according to Adorno: the choice is between the barbarism of happiness and culture as the objectively higher condition that entails unhappiness (Adorno, p112). Adorno makes another thought provoking observation concerning the extreme ideology of individualism in the modern era as the counterpoint of totalitarian rule. He notes this ideology in Huxleys novel as an unreflective individualism asserts itself as though the horror which transfixes the novel were not itself the monstrous offspring of individualist society (Adorno, p115). In my research so far, no other author has stressed this aspect of the book. The Fordian system is so dehumanized that the reader does not linger on the thought of who has actually thought up this world of utter control. The Controllers seem only the executives of power as if the main authority lied elsewhere. The power of the system and this does not come as a surprise by now, lies within the system itself. The mystification of Fords person, the conditioned minds of the people and the fragmented knowledge scattered around the Alphas, Betas and Epsilons create a world of blurry water, in which the strong current o f the system keeps the particles in motion. There is a constant circulation without any individual development. This is the reason why Fordian people are never left in peace to meditate; they are conditioned to remain active, so their awakening of consciousness is prohibited in more than one way. But let us return to Adornos line of thought, For Huxley, in the authentic bourgeois spirit, the individual is both everything because once upon a time he was the basis of a system of property rights and nothing, because, as a mere property owner, he is replaceable (Adorno, p115). Once again, Adorno draws a strong parallel between the capitalistic world of commerce and the social world, due to which the individuals and their relations to the outside world are dramatically transformed. Adorno finds the vanity aspect of the book, on one hand appropriate, but on the other, a bit too reactionary. He claims this approach to root from the impotence of presumption (Adorno, p116). Futility does dominate Huxleys novels regarding all characters. Bernard is paralysed by his own inferiority, and criticises the system until he is no longer an outcast. But at the moment of recognition from his cast, he willingly gives up his views, since all his conditioned desires are met to. Johns character dissolves into a meaningless figure, since his actions lack any result. Even Mustapha Mond, a superior figure compared to the two above mentioned symbolizes vanity. His private collection of books and all the knowledge he had gained from them have little importance. He has made the sacrifice of banning his own interests for the sake of humanity (according to the Fords dictionary). Although he values them fascinating, he holds them to be a memorial of the old civilization. Adorno most strongly criticizes Huxley for giving humanity simply two alternatives. Humanity must not only choose between totalitarian world state and extreme individualism (Adorno, p107). In excuse of Huxley, the author himself stated in Brave New World Revisited that he repented proposing only two alternatives in his novel. Maybe this book simply serves as a mirror to the sinister transformations of the modern age, although I doubt it has no other thought provoking ideas. Still Adorno is right, although his own essay lacks any momentum of this sort. What would be a possible solution to tear ourselves out of these tendencies, have remained unsaid by both authors. In Adornos essay, scholars can benefit from his ideas concerning the death of the individual; the interchangeability of subjects; Huxleys rigid opposites; objectification of self and happiness; individualism taken to extremes; vanity and reduced alternatives. Some may find my interpretation of his ideas too simplistic, but my aim was to transpose his ideas into the interpretation of Brave New World as a piece of literary work. My objections concerning a few of his observations are game-like, in order for other readers to feel free to take the field against famous scholars. But with all my respect, I find Adornos writings brilliant, well argued texts, which should be quoted a lot more often in literature studies.

Creating Shared Value From Corporate Social Responsibility Commerce Essay

Creating Shared Value From Corporate Social Responsibility Commerce Essay This research is an investigation into Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and what it means to the companies that practice it. The subject remains an intriguing one because it raises questions about a companys responsibility towards society and whether it is good or bad for businesses (Crane et al, 2008). There is a need to understand why a company should be concerned about what is happening to the communities they are operating in, the impact of its operation and whether it can assist without compromising its bottom-line. The concept of CSR came in to focus in the early 1950 (Crane et al, 2008), it is now generally accepted by most companies and is expected by communities (Porter and Kramer 2006, Savitz and Weber 2006, Blowfield 2008). This has come about because of several events that started in the USA, causing negative impact on communities for example the Vietnam War 1960, the Watergate scandal during the Nixon era, the oil embargo 1973, later Enron collapse, Exxon Valdez oil spill (Argenti 2003) and recently the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Another factor has been globalisation by large companies in less developed countries whereby there has been human and environmental consequences (Blowfield et al 2008: 92). These events have propelled the rise of pressure groups, public and media scrutiny and government legislations on social and environmental issues and so encouraging companies to be ethical, accountable and transparent at all levels of management and not just at operational level. However CSR has been generally voluntary with philanthropic and charitable activities (Crane et al, 2008) aimed towards the environment and the immediate community because of these practices, CSR has been perceived by many to be a marketing tool and for enhancing the image and reputation of the company (Savitz and Weber, 2006). Therefore companies need to avoid public suspicion by finding ways to satisfying the stakeholders, make a profit and be competitive in a sustainable approach such as building on material resources, cultural advantages and, stakeholder connection (Savitz and Weber 2006 145). As a result there is a need to understand how companies can secure long-term economic performance by avoiding short-term behaviour that is socially detrimental or environmentally wasteful (Porter and Kramer 2006: 6). This can be achieved by making CSR part of core company strategies and integrated into the value chain to create shared value and gain competitive advantage over rivals (Porter and Kramer 2006: 13). However, Blowfield (2008) states that the social responsibilities of multinationals varies from small or medium businesses. Overall aim and objectives Following what has been mentioned above the overall aim of this research is to provide an understanding on how CSR can add value to the company in the course of meeting stakeholders expectations, be profitable and competitive in a socially acceptable manner. There is a lot of literature on CSR, however not a lot has been written on how CSR in the value chain can create a shared value for the stakeholders and the business simultaneously. With regards to the value chain most literature on it is related to gaining competitive advantages and profits making but little impact on societal needs. Therefore this research shall investigate CSR in the context of the value chain. However the investigation extends to the supply chain which, if sustainable creates the value chain. To realise the overall research aim, the following objectives have first to be realized. Critical examine the concepts CSR shared value in relation Critically evaluate the integration of CSR into the supply and value chain. Analyse how practices of CSR can create shared values. Draw conclusion on the findings of CSR practices in the supply and value chain. This allows further questions to be raised: Why is it, that CSR means different things to different people? What is the relationship of CSR practices, within in the supply chain and the value chain? How can value gained from CSR be measured? It is hoped that this research will make a contribution to the current literature of CSR practices. Consequently offer an understanding of CSR in the supply and value chain and the benefit of value creation it can offer. This study is suitable for other business management students or academic researchers that may wish to study more on the subject of CSR and its purpose in the supply and value chain. Overview of literature The first aim of this literature review is to identify the most important concepts in the field of CSR, identify definitions and key issues that arise. Secondly the background and similarities and differences between the supply and value chains will be considered. The final discussion shall be on the relationship of the value chains and CSR. The research within this literature review focuses on objectives 1 and 2 as set out above. 3.1 CSR Concept CSR not a relatively new concept it can be traced back centuries, the mid 1800s the industrial revolution brought about the first steps of CSR as businesses where concerned with their employees welfare and increasing their productivity (Crane et al, 2008). However CSR really gained importance in the 1950s it was known as the philanthropic era (Crane et al, 2008). One of the first CSR definitions came from Howard Bowen who made the link between business responsibilities and communities expectations. It (SR) refers to the obligations of businessmen to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action which are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society (Crane et al 2008: 25). Bowens definition places a social obligation on businesses when making decisions to consider their impact on the communities. However in contrast to Bowen, Milton Friedman sees management as having only one responsibility to maximize profits of its shareholders (Friedman, 1970). This leads to the shareholder theory, which suggests that companys managers, are supposed to spend corporate funds only in ways authorized by the shareholders (Smith, 2003). Therefore managers are not to spend this fund on non-profitable activities that does not increase shareholders value. Friedman does state that while it is true that managers should increase profit for the shareholder they need to play by the basic rules of the society (Carroll, 1991). However individuals and groups are affected by negative business activities and operation. These are the stakeholders internal and external of the company to whom they have obligation and responsibilities (Galbreath, 2009). In contrast to shareholder theory Freeman citied in Crane et al 2008: 69 states that managers have a moral duty to protect all stakeholders. To merge the stakeholder and the shareholder theory Carroll introduced the Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility. Figure 1: Source: (Carroll, 1991) The pyramid, attempt to summaries and classify the numerous definitions of what constitute CSR within four categories economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic (Carroll, 1991). However it gives the impression that economic responsibility is the first step toward CSR and once achieved the next levels can be attempted and that philanthropic responsibility can only be achieved when all the levels are completed. Secondly ethical and legal responsibilities are pursued concurrently with any activity gear towards for profit maximisation and cannot be practise separately as it frequently required by the law. Philanthropic responsibility can be said to be voluntary and companies does not have to contribute to the communities that should the responsibility for governments. To address the confusion, the four tiers can be further broken down. The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) may better represent the pyramid with the three Ps (Savitz and Weber, 2006). TBL like Carrolls Pyramid suggest that companies should take care not only of their bottom line but also their social/ethical and environment bottom lines (Meijer Schuyt, 2005) commonly identified as People, Planet and Profit. The diagram above illustrate that companies can pursue any of the three Ps in any particular order depending on what is priority for the company With these three social responsibilities to focus on companies should look at, how it can be integrated into the business. 3.2 The Supply Chain and the value chain This chapter shall look at the concept of the supply and value chain along with how economical, social and environmental responsibilities are managed to gain benefits for the stakeholders and the company. The supply chain is defined as The supply chain is defined by Supply Chain Council (1997) as a term increasingly used by logistics professionals it encompasses every effort involved in producing and delivering a final product, from the suppliers supplier to the customers customer (Lummus Vokurka, 1999) (Lummus Vokurka 1999: 11). It is a flow of goods (raw material) and services from a number of suppliers linking together to meet the needs of the customer at the end of the supply chain. From the researchers understanding the supply chain is a business process that forms part of the value chain. This understanding comes from the supply chain definition given by Cox citied Lummus Vokurka 1999 :11 the function within and outside a company that enable the value chain to make products and provide services to customers. The value chain of a company is a collection of activities that are performed to design, produce, market, deliver and support its product (Porter, 1998). It is a combination of two types of value adding activities primary and support (Porter, 1998) within the company that creates economic and social value (Porter and Kramer 2006: 13). Both the supply and value chains are vital for the integration and practice of CSR. The supply chain is more about effective and efficient processes from supplier/ producer to costumer, whilst the value chain activities links together to provide value to the stakeholders. Companies must use their supply and value chain to convert social needs and social issues into opportunities with the aim of meet the expectation of their stakeholders and achieve a unique strategic position. 3.3 From CSR to creating shared valued Traditionally companies carried out CSR through cash donation, charitable and philanthropic activities but these social initiative according to Michael Porter are however not effective as its often not carefully planned and not part of company strategies hence in the long term it is not effective (Porter Kramer, 2006). However, companies are increasingly aware that they can have long-term success only if they can create the same value for shareholders and the community in which they operate (Brabeck-Letmathe 2010). According to Nestlà © Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, for CSR to be a success for the company it needs to be part of the business function of creating value for shareholders and communities. Companies need to be able to integrate unmet social needs of employees and communities into the core business strategy and so unite all stakeholders values. Nestlà © employs the approach of Creating Shared Value (CSV) as a CSR practice. It involves addressing social causes that can in the long term provide added value for the shareholders and community. Research Design and Methodology A research is something that is undertaken by the people to find out things in a systematic way to increase knowledge (Saunders et al 2003:3). These involve finding a research methodology that can explain how the research is designed, how data will be collected, how the findings will be analysed and presented and also account for any limitations. In order to find the best research approach and the research strategy the researcher will follow the research process onion developed by (Saunders et al 2003: 83). This process allow for a systematic approach to answer the research questions and consequently meet the objectives set out above. The research methodology has five sub headings starting with the research philosophy and ending with data collection method at the centre of the onion. Figure 2: The Research Process Onion Source: Saunders et al 2003: 83 4.1 Research Philosophy This is about the way knowledge is gain and how it is developed. There are three recognised research philosophies positivism, interpretivism and realism. Positivism research process attempt to copy the method of the natural science and takes the role of an objective analyst, collecting data from the social external world in a value free manner (Saunders et al, 2003). Knowledge by this method is developed by reducing phenomena to simple elements representing general laws (Blumberg et al 2005: 23). While, the philosophy of interpretivism is motivated by subjective meaning of human interest (Saunders et al, 2003). Realism shares the philosophies of both positivism and interpretivism but at the same time stressing the error of studying people as objects in the style of natural science (Saunders et al, 2003). The philosophy framework adopted shall be the interpretivism, for the reason that corporate social responsibilities in the supply and value chain are complex and unique phenomenon wh ich cannot be generalised in a value free manner (Saunders et al, 2003). Furthermore, social phenomenon cannot be understood from just facts but from the exploration of people different experiences and why these differences result in the different construction and meanings people give to the social world (Blumberg et al 2005:21). 4.2 Research approach This involves the use of theory and the design of the research (Saunders et al, 2003). The theory approach includes inductive and deductive whilst the latter involves qualitative and quantitative approach. 4.2.1 Deductive This approached is adopted for scientific researchers were by a hypothesis is deducted and tested rigorously from a theory by the use of the appropriate research strategy (Saunders et al, 2003). For the deduction to be correct it must be both true and valid (Blumberg et al, 2005). 4.2.2 Inductive This involves building theory and defining the hypothesis by observation of empirical data (Saunders et al 2003:479). This study will have an inductive approach with the aims to understand why something is occurring and to build the theory by investigating CSR in the supply and ask why it influences the value chain and so infer a hypothesis that will answer the research questions. 4.2.3 Qualitative vs. quantitative These two approaches are generally used to gather data for unique phenomenon. Quantitative approach relies on gathering of numerical data and figures only. The objective of this approach to seek answers by measuring, analysis and interpretation of data with the aid of computer programmes (Saunders et al, 2003) (Zikmund, 2003). Such quantitative data gathered from large scale surveys or from electronic database are suitable for descriptive and causal studies (Hair et al, 2003). Qualitative approach involves the gathering of non numerical data (sentences or narratives) (Blumberg et al, 2005). The researcher has more control over the type of information gathered though leading or probing questions (Blumberg et al, 2005) or if collecting primary data through observation method, decisions can be taken on how and where the study will take place (Blumberg et al, 2005). Typically this study requires smaller samples or case studies and it is best suited for exploratory studies (Hair et al, 2003). 4.3 Research strategy Research strategy can be described as tool(s) utilised to answer the research questions. Saunders et al (2003) identify six main strategies experiments, Survey, case study, grounded theory, ethnography and action research that can be used, depending on the research approach selected. A case study is defined as a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence (Saunders et al 2003:93) In this research a case study strategy will be used because of its ability to provide answers to the why and how questions. Saunders et al, states that a simple and well constructed case study can be used to challenge existing theory and provide source to hypothesis (Saunders et al, 2003). 4.4 Time horizons This involves deciding whether the research will be a snap shot taken a point in time (cross-sectional) or be a representation of event over a long period of time (longitudinal studies) (Saunders et al 2003:95). This research will utilise a snapshot approach or cross sectional studies because the research is not interested in change or development (Saunders et al, 2003) but at a point in time where the supply chain and value chain are influence by CSR practices. 4.4.1 Research purpose Saunders et al states that research enquires can be classified in terms of their purpose. These classifications include exploratory, descriptive or explanatory studies (Saunders et al, 2003). The purpose of this study is classified as an exploratory, whose objective is to find what is happening to seek new insight; to ask questions and to assess phenomena in a new light (Saunders et al, 2003).The exploratory study may be achieved by the use of both qualitative and quantitative tools but is most dependent on qualitative approach (Blumberg et al, 2005). 4.5 Data collection methods Data is collected depending on the nature of the research (Hair et al, 2003). As mentioned above this study is exploratory with the aim of exploring relevant literature and interviewing specialist on the subject (Saunders et al, 2003). Exploratory research provides the secondary data and primary data needed for analysis. The research aims to make use of both secondary and primary data. The former relates to data previously collected for other purposes and these are classified as documentary data, survey- based data and those complied from multiple sources (Saunders et al, 2003). For this research, secondary data regarding CSR practices shall be collected from relevant companies websites. In contrast primary data are collected for specific purposes through observation of peoples behaviour or utilizing semi and in-depth interviews (Saunders et al, 2003). Primary data can be collected by two methods, observation and survey which are further sub-divided into human and electronic observation as well as self completion and interviewer administered surveys (Hair et al, 2003). In this study primary data will be collected via interviewer administered surveys of individuals (Hair et al: 125). This approach is particularly helpful in collecting valid and reliable data (Saunders et al 2003: 245). 4.5.1 Interviews The primary data can collected from structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews. This study shall employ a semi structured approach which is often used in exploratory research. This type of interview usually starts with specific questions but the respondents are permitted to follow his or her own thoughts subsequently (Blumberg et al, 2005). The interviewer has the flexibility to omit or raise new questions depending on the organisation or change the order of the questions to suit the flow of the conversation (Saunders et al, 2003). This type of interview being qualitative in nature requires that data are collected by note taking or by tape- recording (Saunders et al, 2003). 4.5.2 Sampling Sampling is the technique that enables the reduction of data by selecting only part of the population rather than all possible cases or elements (Saunders et al, 2003) due to time constraint. There are two approaches to choosing the appropriate sample probability or non-probability sampling. In probability sampling each case or element of the population has known and none zero probability of being selected randomly (Saunders et al, 2003: 486). While, for non-probability sampling the probability of each case or element being selected is not known (Saunders et al, 2003). Non probability methods include quota, purposive, snowball, self- selection and convenience sampling. Non probability will be best suited for this study as it allow for the selection of participants that can help answer the research questions and meet set objectives. This type of sampling is used when the researcher wishes to select cases that are particularly informative (Saunders et al, 2003). Data Analysis and interpretation Data analysis involves managing large amount of data collected by summarising and arranging it in a meaningful format (Zikmund, 2003). Saunders et al put forward two strategies for analysis of qualitative data these are theoretical or descriptive frameworks (Saunders et al, 2003). The first strategy of theoretical framework relies on the analysis of data according to a deductive position where the use of existing theory is needed to formulate research questions. The second strategy entail an inductive position whereby the descriptive framework is used to start and direct the analysis of your data (Saunders et al: 389) by transforming data in a form easy to interpret (Zikmund, 2003). This research will make use of the second strategy descriptive framework, in order to organise the case study on the basis of description of the general characteristics and relations to the research questions (Yin, 1994). Research Limitation Limitations should to be taken into consideration while conducting a research. This research will be investigating multiple case studies as oppose to just a single case study. This is because with multiple case studies their results are considered more robust (Blumberg et al 2005: 376). However, it demands a lot of thinking on how to best select the appropriate case studies for the required evidence (ibid). The research also utilise a range of academic literatures and reputable publications. However, the literature listed in the reference may not include all of the best up-to-date sources. Many other sources that could have been used but decision was taken to focus on particular literature mainly due to having access to them albeit some dated from the year 1991 and 2003. So the research structure depends on the type of sources found. Validity and reliability According to Saunders et al reducing the possibility of getting the answer wrong means that attention has to be paid to two particular emphases on research design reliability and validity (Saunders et al 2003:100). Reliability This means that the research can only be characterised as reliable, firstly if it can yield the same results consistently free from error (Saunders et al, 2003) (Zikmund, 2003). Secondly, the same observation ought to be observed by others and thirdly raw data has to be interpreted in a transparent way (Saunders et al 2003:101). Reliability of a research can be tested by repeatability and internal consistency. The former involves, similar scale or measure to the same respondents at different times to concur the same result (Zikmund, 2003). If the results gathered at the different times are dissimilar this indicates a low degree of reliability (Zikmund, 2003). However this test is more suitable for longitudinal studies where there is little time constraint. Internal consistency involve the measure of homogeneity where by all similar questions are grouped together in a questionnaire to measure the same concept (Zikmund, 2003). Validity On the other hand, this is about how data collection methods accurately measure what is intended to be measured and whether the findings are really about what they appear to be about (Saunders et al 2003:101, 492). There are three tests to be used when testing quality of case studies these are construct validity, internal validity and external validity (Yin 1994: 33). Table 1, summaries the three tests for validating of research. Test Description Case study Tactic Construct Validity Establishing correct operational measures for the concept being studied Use of multiple sources of evidence Establish chain of evidence Have key information review draft case study report Internal Validity Establishing a casual relationship, whereby certain conditions are shown to lead to other conditions, as distinguished from spurious relationship Do pattern matching Do explanation- building Do time- series analysis External Validity Establishing the domain to which a study findings can be generalised Use replication logic in multiple- case studies. Table 1 Quality Test Description and case study tactic (Yin 1994: 33) In this research, certain measures will be employed to increase the validity. To increases the construct validity it is import prior to the interview the questionnaire is pilot tested so as to ensure that respondents will have no problem to understand and answer questions (Saunders et al 2003: 308). A tape recorder will be verified to ensure that data can be recorded proficiently and this should allow focus on the interview and not note taking. The benefit with a tape recorder is that it can be replayed whenever required. Internal validity concerns with explanatory studies, where the research try to determine casual relationship between variables (Saunders et al, 2003). This research is exploratory and the internal validity of this study is not relevant. External validity is concerned with knowing that the results of the case studies are generalise or not (Saunders et al, 2003) and retested through replication (Yin, 1994) to other research settings. Timescale

Philosophy of Education :: Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Philosophy of Education Webster defines philosophy as a critical study of fundamental beliefs and the grounds for them. In this philosophy, I will be talking about the three great philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. These three philosophers represent the birthplace of Western philosophy. Socrates, which is synonymous with wisdom and the philosophical life, was a teacher without a school. His goal was to help others find the truths that lie within their own minds. He helped his students reach deeper, clearer ideas by questioning, disproving, and testing the thoughts of his pupils. His teachings offended many of the powerful people of his time. They believed he was corrupting the youth in Athens. Since he believed and taught in this way, he was executed. Plato, a student of Socrates, followed in his teachings. After returning to Athens, he founded The Academy, considered by some to be the world’s first university. In Plato’s philosophy the human soul has three parts: intellect, spirit, and appetite. He felt that these three aspects interacted to determine human behavior. He urged that intellect be trained to control spirit and appetite. Aristotle was the student under Plato. He came to Plato’s Academy at the age of 18 and stayed for 20 years until the death of Plato. He went to northern Greece and taught Alexander the Great. After educating Alexander, he returned to Athens and set up his own school, the Lyceum. Aristotle placed more emphasis on the physical world than did Plato. He wrote works on biology, physics, astronomy, just to name a few. But, he is also renowned for his ethical and political theories. He thought the highest good for people was a virtuous life. By thinking this, he promoted the doctrine of the Golden Mean.

imbedded journalists Essay -- essays research papers

The embedding of journalists in Iraq has opened up many doors for the profession of journalism and for the United States military. Not only could the general public view the war from inside the battle, they witnessed the dirt raining on the troops as a rocket propelled grenade hits close to a battalions position and the soldiers wince as they are stung by a violent sandstorm. During the conflict, the United States military permitted news organizations to have a reporter travel with the ground troops in Iraq. This not only allowed reporters to record the battles from an up close and personal persepective, but it also allowed the public to see a the human side of the troops. Theoritically, this practice is an incredible opportunity for the military and the news organizations to mend their historically troubled relationship; however, in application it undermines everything that a journalist must do in order to accurately report the news, subjecting themselves to censorship and getting involved with a conflict. It is an ethics nightmare to think of all of the codes of the journalistic profession that are violated with this practice. Although it is better then the relationship between the press and the military has been for many years, it is still flawed and in desperate need of refinement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Vietnam War, censorship was at a minimum. War correspondants traveled freely through Vietnam, often with a military transport. The government was very...

How Can We Be Sure That What We Are Taught About Jesus Is True And Not :: essays research papers

There are several ways in which we can be assured that what we are taught about Jesus is true and not just made up. These are called our faith sources. These sources, like the Bible and other sources of information about Jesus have accounts of Jesus’ life. The most important part of these faith sources is the Christian Scriptures. Although the Christian Scriptures are one of the most valuable tools we have to learn about Jesus there are also the Gospels, and also other non-biblical, and non-Christian accounts of Jesus’ life that we can consider when trying to answer the question How can we be sure that what we are taught about Jesus is true and not just made up? The Christian Scriptures is the entire Christian Bible. It is composed of both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Testament. The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) is composed of several books all containing stories about Jesus, and the Christian Testament (New Testament) which contains the stories of Jesus and the earliest Christian Communities. Although these stories cannot confidently prove to us that they are true there are several distinct similarities, which are contained in nearly all of the books. These similarities are so frequent that their constant occurrence seems more than coincidence. Although these similarities occur often in the books of the Hebrew Scriptures, there are four short books included in the Christian Testament, which we must rely on to understand Jesus’ ministry and life. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the origin of nearly everything the Christian Church teaches about Jesus. The Gospels, in turn, serve as the scale or test of truth and authenticity of everything the church teaches about Jesus. It is said that the Gospels are the link between Jesus of Nazareth and the people of every age throughout history who have claimed to be his followers. Although the Gospels teach us about Jesus’ life they may not provide concrete evidence that what they speak of is true there are several other sources. Several non-biblical and non-Christian sources are available to help bear out the fact that Jesus actually did exist as a historical person. These sources are of an array of backgrounds: Josephus, a Jewish historian; Tacitus, a Roman writer; Pliny the Younger, a Roman writer; and Suetonius, also a Roman writer, all spoke of Jesus of Nazareth in their records.