Monday, September 30, 2019

A Review on Alex Cross’s Trial Essay

Good morning everyone! Recently, I had the honour to read the book—written by Mr. James Patterson—Alex Cross’s Trial. I was awestruck by the epic struggle of the hero against the racial discrimination between the white and the coloured, as well as the absorbing plot. Therefore, I irresistibly wondered: Is Singapore a racial-harmony country? How can we make it better? Firstly, Singapore is not a standard racial-harmony country, as there are still sedition acts detected. In 2008, a middle-aged Christian couple was charged under both the Sedition Act and the Undesirable Publications Act with distributing seditious publications to two Muslim women. Does the story help y’all to reflect your daily words and deeds? Have you been a racist when people from a different race come to ask for help? Are you disgusted with their certain action or tradition, which belong to their own race? What I usually notice on the streets is- groups of one race people-walking and talking together. Keeping to their circles, many people hardly expose to other racial people. Are these scenes included in racial harmony? Secondly, Singapore is trying to create a better air of racial equality and harmony, an example of which is Racial Harmony Day. To build a democratic society, peace is indispensible. Thus, if you observe any other race people need help, you should do them a favour; If you work with other race people, you should offer to talk to them sincerely and fervently. Regardless of races, people will overcome the embarrassment, and the real racial harmony comes some day. Last but not least, Abraham J once said: â€Å"Racism is man’s gravest threat to man – the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.† Hence, giving up racism is another word for relieving from anxiety of worrying about threat. As harmony requires a mutual respect, doing good to other race people is much better than do nothing. Remember, racism is not born, instead, it is taught. Racial harmony is nether born nor taught, it is to be realized.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Distillation Experiment

SUMMARY The aim is to observe distillation process of ethanol-water solution and to measure the alcohol content after process in this experiment. 500 ml of solution with an alcohol content of 32% (v/v) is used for this experiment. Temperature values are recorded for every 10 ml alcohol obtained in the flask. The process is repeated in our experiment and for the first process, the data collection process continues until the distillate reaches to 200 ml. The concentration of alcohol is measured for first process by hydrometer.For the second process, approximately 200 ml of distillate containing 70% alcohol is used and data collection continues until the distillate reaches 150 ml. Finally, the concentration of alcohol is also measured after 2nd process as 82%. INTRODUCTION The objective of this experiment is to distillate the alcohol-water solution into ethanol and water. Distillation is a process of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liq uid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction.The basic requirement of distillation is that the components of the liquid solution must have different boiling points. There are some types of distillation methods which are flash distillation, simple batch distillation, simple steam distillation, continuous distillation, vacuum distillation, etc. : Flash distillation It is a single stage process which liquid mixture is vaporized. The vapor and the liquid are come to equilibrium, and these phases are separated. Simple steam distillation This is a separation process at lower temperatures.This process is often used to separate a high boiling component from small amounts of nonvolatile impurities. Continuous distillation This is a process in which a liquid mixture is continuously fed into the process and separated fractions are removed continuously. Vacuum distillation It is used for some compounds having very high boiling poin ts. Instead of the increasing the temperature too much, lowering the pressure is preferred in this distillation type. In this experiment we used simple batch distillation in order to distillate alcohol-water mixture.Simple batch distillation This is a separation process which the liquid charge is boiled slowly and the vapors are withdrawn as quickly as vapors form to condenser, where the distillate, condensed vapor, is collected. The first portion of vapor condensed will be the richest in the more volatile component. Vapor-liquid equilibria take an important role in distillation process. Vapor-Liquid-Equilibria (VLE) Constant pressure VLE data is obtained from boiling point diagrams. VLE data of binary mixtures is often presented as a plot, as shown in the figure below.The curved line is called the equilibrium line and describes the compositions of the liquid and vapour in equilibrium at some fixed pressure. Distillation experiment is applied to two miscible liquids which are ethano l-water, soluble in each other in all ratios. Mixtures of ethanol and water form an azeotrope. Azeotropic mixture: Azeotropic mixture is a solution that forms a vapor with the same concentration as the solution, distilling without a change in concentration. The composition of the liquid phase at the boiling point is identical to hat of the vapor in equilibrium with it, and azeotropes form constant-boiling solutions. The exact composition of the azeotrope changes if the boiling point is altered by a change in the external pressure. Ethyl alcohol and water form an azeotrope of 95. 6% at 78. 1 Â °C. Azeotropic systems give rise to VLE plots where the equilibrium curves crosses the diagonals. METHODS AND MATERIALS -Distillation apparatus -Alcoholmeter -Graduated cylinder -500 ml of 30% (v/v) water-ethanol mixture Source: Retrieved from http://www. baruch. cuny. edu/wsas/academics/natural_science/chm_1000/6_wine. df The distillation apparatus is for the separation of two miscible liquid s by taking advantage of their boiling point differences. The mixture is put in the distillation flask, and a thermometer is located in there. The heater has a knob that is used to adjust the heating. Cold tap water is circulated in the condenser to condense the vapor. First, the ethanol – water mixture was poured into the distillation flask, and boiling chips were used to prevent over bubbling. Then the heater was turned on at a moderate level to prevent fast heating and better separation of the liquids.After the first drop of the distillate was obtained, the temperature was recorded. Every 10 milliliters, the temperature in the flask was recorded. At the end of the distillation, an alcoholmeter was used to measure the alcohol content of the distillate. 200 milliliters of distillate was distillated again in the same manner to obtain a higher alcohol percentage in the final product. DATA & CALCULATION Notations used: A: Ethanol B: Water XA ? Mole fraction of ethanol in liquid YA ? Mole fraction of ethanol in vapor XB? Mole fraction of water in liquid YB ?Mole fraction of water in vapor Assumptions: – Pressure is 101,32kPa – Constant physical properties – Condensed fluid drops on the wall of still are neglected Initial data: – 500 mL of ethanol-water mixture is used for the first distillation. – 200 mL of ethanol-water mixture is used for the second distillation. Calculation: XA & YA values can be calculated from the Raoult’s law equation; ? A + ? B = P PA* XA + PB* XB = P ? Since XA + XB = 1 PA* XA + PB* (1- XA)= P XA = (P – PB)/( PA – PB) The PA & PB values were obtained according to the temperature data. (Acland,T. 2011) 1st DISTILLATION: T(? C)PBPAXAYAXBYB 7843,5100,11,0015551,0032540,000,00 78,544,4102,10,9864820,9940760,0135180,005924 7945,3104,10,9527210,9788620,0472790,021138 79,245,7104,90,9395270,9727240,0604730,027276 79,345,9105,30,9329970,9696460,0670030,030354 79,546,3106,20,9185310,96 27710,0814690,037229 8047,2108,30,8857610,9467820,1142390,053218 80,548,2110,40,8540190,9305540,1459810,069446 8149,2112,60,8220820,9136050,1779180,086395 81,550,2114,80,7913310,8966130,2086690,103387 8251,21170,7617020,8795810,2382980,120419 82,552,2119,30,7320420,8619480,2679580,138052 353,3121,60,7030750,8438010,2969250,156199 8455,4126,30,6476730,8073540,3523270,192646 8557,7131,20,5934690,7684880,4065310,231512 85,558,8133,70,567690,7491140,432310,250886 8762,4141,50,4920350,687160,5079650,31284 8864,8146,90,4448230,6449320,5551770,355068 88,566,1149,60,4217960,6227870,5782040,377213 9070158,10,3555050,5547310,6444950,445269 The average composition of total material distilled, Yav was measured by using hydrometer as 70%. So the final composition of remaining liquid,X2, can be obtained by material balance using Rayleigh equation: L1X1 = L2X2+ (L1 – L2)Yav 00(0,32) = 300 X2 + 200(0,7) ? X2 = 0,067 That means, 6,7 % of ethanol remained in the distillation still. 2nd DISTILL ATION: T(? C)PBPAXAYAXBYB 78,544,4102,10,9864820,9940760,0135180,005924 79,546,3106,20,9185310,9627710,0814690,037229 8047,2108,30,8857610,9467820,1142390,053218 8149,2112,60,8220820,9136050,1779180,086395 8251,21170,7617020,8795810,2382980,120419 8455,4126,30,6476730,8073540,3523270,192646 8864,8146,90,4448230,6449320,5551770,355068 9070158,10,3555050,5547310,6444950,445269 The average composition of total material distilled, Yav was measured by using hydrometer as 82%.So the final composition of remaining liquid,X2, can be obtained by material balance using Rayleigh equation: L1X1 = L2X2+ (L1 – L2)Yav 200(0,7) = 50 X2 + 150(0,82) ? X2 = 0,34 That means, 34 % of ethanol remained in the distillation still. DISCUSSION In first distillation, according to data obtained boiling point diagram is drawn. This graph can be seen as incomplete because some data is missing in order to complete graph since high temperature is not reached. Moreover, azeotropic point cannot be seen because we are not able to change pressure, so we cannot see that point and forward.In boiling point diagram graph for second distillation, we omit some of data because fraction is found negative, which is not possible. There may be error due to experimental condition or reflux. CONCLUSION In this experiment, our aim is to learn basic distillation concept and how to take and evaluate our data. We also learnt how to put data into boiling point diagram. In first distillation it is obtained 70% alcohol water solution and in the second distillation it is obtained 78% alcohol water solution.However, because of negative fraction values, we are not able to put all the data into boiling point diagram. REFERENCES Ackland, T. (2011). Home distillation of alcohol. Retrieved from http://homedistiller. org/ Geankoplis, C. J. (2003). Transport processes and separation process principles. Prentice Hall. Seperation Process. Distillation. Retrieved from http://www. separationprocesses. com/ Distillation/DT _Chp05. htm Wikipedia. Distillation. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Distillation Wikipedia. Azeotropic Distillation. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/

Saturday, September 28, 2019

I dont know a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

I dont know a topic - Essay Example â€Å"Zephry† tells about a romance that the protagonist dreams of, though is not yet real. He dwells upon what would happen if heaven should deny him this love. As the poem starts off, this wanted love is beautiful, and the protagonist wants nothing more than to be loved by this being. He imagines how perfect it all would be. Then he realizes what life would be like if the other person did not love him back. At the end of the poem, he makes it clear that if he does not get the love that he wants, he will be nothing more than a slave to his heart and his need for love. â€Å"A Mad Heart† discusses the author’s need to obtain a certain cup, one that holds within it spiritual and religious truth and understanding. However, this need is felt more out of envy and lust, rather a need to simply have such a marvelous thing. The author, though, understands what it would be like if someone else had gotten the cup, and begins to realize that it is probably best that he not be the one to receive it. If he felt differently about the reason that he wanted the cup, it would make more sense that he would be the one to be given it. Without it, though, he learns that he needs to restrain such irrational feelings. â€Å"Last Night I Dreamed† is about the author being taken to heaven in the place of Adam, who is missing. In short, the author died, replacing the original man in heaven. The author was found amongst sin, claiming that he and God have an agreement that must be met. The poem contains on in a way that suggests the essence of life flashes before the eyes of the author, comparing a human life to that of a moth who has gotten too close to the light and now has scorched wings that no longer function as they should. After the author awakes, he realizes the importance of living a life worthy of getting into heaven. â€Å"All My Pleasure† tells about the author’s love for the woman he is with, and how he wishes it to not be taken. When he

Friday, September 27, 2019

Grand Hotels Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Grand Hotels - Case Study Example For this, a major instrument required is personal handy phones or PHPs through which the hotel staff members are constantly connected. Grand purchases its PHPs from its regular supplier Four Star. However, a sudden strike in the Four Star’s factory has stopped the production leading to crisis of PHPs on time. Also, the supplier is nearly bankrupt. The company needs to find out a supplier that can provide the required number of PHPs on time and without any quality issues. The major objective of the meeting is to find out the suitability and capability of the supplier in terms of timely delivery, quality and affordability as well as negotiating with the suppliers in terms of pricing so as to get the optimal value from the negotiation. The bigger objective of the meeting is to evaluate the benefits and risks of long-term relationship with the supplier. Grand is one of the well known hotels in the city. The hotel is famous for its luxury, quality and service. The brand has also be en maintaining its service stature for a long time and has expanded many regions across Europe. Its latest expansion has been in Prague through a luxury convention and tourist hotel with 5000 rooms.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Information System Security of a Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Information System Security of a Company - Essay Example The essay "Information System Security of a Company" talks about the measures companies should take against ‘social engineers’. Phones are the most dangerous tools that hackers use in stealing out information from an organization. Because of their skills in deceiving naà ¯ve people into revealing proprietary information, these hackers are termed as social engineers. They attempt to gain information by enticing people into simple gimmicks and taking advantage of the people’s trusting nature. Quoting an example of a real life case where a hacker manages to get a spyware installed on a Vice President’s PC, the author points out about the vulnerability of human beings and the ease at which any clever hacker can succeed. The hacker or social engineer first manages to get the contact number of a new employee from the HR department and then, pretending to be one of the vice presidents, he calls the employee and fools him into downloading a file on the actual VP’s computer. This does require technical skills to create the malware files and a sufficient amount of information about the organization and its employees, but the core essence is the ability to sound genuine on the phone and trick the other person into believing you. This method is very dangerous and using such techniques, social engineers can easily gain control of company’s computers and telephone systems and pretending to be company’s employees, they can even access company’s confidential information such as customer lists and financial data.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Cross-cultural management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cross-cultural management - Research Paper Example The data collected, findings and reports from this representative sample are then subjected to a series of data analyses based on which deductions are made. From the findings, viable recommendations are made with reference to scholarly work and reviews from social experts and academicians.Introduction Culture connotes peoples’ way of life. It is essentially a reflection of the attributes and characters of defined group of people within a population and includes aspects such as dressing, language, food, practices and beliefs, economic activities, and general aspects of life- characteristic of a particular group. Cultures tend to differ from one community to another; however, neighboring communities have a tendency to borrow various aspects of culture from one another and hence the disparities are few but continue to differ gradually as one drifts away to other regions (Charles, 2010). This explains why people from different continents tend to greatly differ from one another in their language, dressing, religious affiliation and beliefs among other social aspects of life; due to their different backgrounds and upbringing. This research was conducted from Iowa State University. This university is situated in the State of Iowa and admits students from all over the world. Each year, the University enrolls over 33,000 students; half of whom are international students. This provides a good platform to analyze aspects of academic acculturation and social diversity and their implications on students’ lives while undertaking their career studies

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Employee Turnover Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employee Turnover - Research Paper Example Normally, the major reasons for a job change have to do with better benefits or satisfaction. The employees have a tendency to move towards an industry with better motivation in terms of benefits as well as satisfaction. They also assume a lifetime perspective as they make choices about job change. Employees therefore make such choices to change their jobs while considering the future changes in job satisfaction and enrichment as well as maximized benefits. Luxury hotels are among the categories of hotels in the hospitality industry. These kind of hotels are specifically built in strategic areas where there is targeted market of high class people in the society as well as foreign and domestic tourists. They are normally positioned in the big cities of a country where the GDP of that country is high and center for the business district where politicians, renowned businessmen, diplomats and other dignitaries can access them. They are also situated at tourist attraction centers where th e tourists can get access to them whenever they visit the centers. These hotels are normally very expensive to board considering the kind of architecture they employ as well as the high standard of service that they offer. According to their positions or where they are situated, some of these hotels operate only on a seasonal basis. This is so because tourism makes the largest of their clients and when the tourists are not around, the hotels remain closed for a better part of their operation yearly. There are different categories of employees that do exist in the luxury hotels and these are together with; management as well as non-management. Management employees consist of those employees involved in the major decision making about the hotels which forms the basis for running the hotels. These might be together with the Chief Executive officer, Managing Director, Chief of Staff as well as Departmental Heads. They are involved in the major decision making about the hotel. The other category of employees is the non-management employees. This category consists of workers of lower rank like the casual laborers as well as the departmental employees apart from their heads that fall in the management category. Reasons for High Turnover in Luxury Hotels There are various reasons why employee turnover rate is very high in the luxury hotels. Some of these reasons are together with the seasonality of the hotel customers, low compensation level as well as low job satisfaction and enrichment that reduces the employees’ self esteem due to low employee motivation. (a) Seasonality of the Industry The major clients of the luxury hotels are the tourists apart from those built in the city centers which do not necessarily have to depend on tourists. Tourism as well known is a seasonal industry where the tourists may come to a country to visit different sites just during a particular season after which they go back to their country and attend to their other duties for the rest of their time until the season returns.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Humanity beliefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Humanity beliefs - Essay Example Is selflessness the most important aspect of humanity beliefs? This paper will have a deep insight into selflessness as an attribute of humanity and how it comes about. First, the paper will define selflessness and then explore into the causes of selflessness and the ultimate impact of this attribute on humanity. Selflessness is the attribute of acting with less interest for yourself than for the success of mutual activity where one is more concerned with the well-being of others than his/her own welfare. It is the nature of people who are genuinely benevolent individuals by putting the needs of others first. A selflessness being is where one gives to anyone, often capitulating or sacrificing something of their own knowing that nothing in their life is truly of their own. Selflessness is offering help, kindness, material things and always be ready to assist to the best of their ability inherently knowing that that is the right thing to do. It is this act of selflessness that distingu ish human from all the other animals since every man has a wild beast within him and selflessness makes us different from anything else thus humanity . Selflessness is established in evolutionary biology and also as a concept in psychology is a mansion that tries to explain the traits of human ethics because individuals who help others benefit in return by promoting their genetic self-interest. This shows that selfless behavior is as a matter of fact a prominent feature of both biological and human nature. Selflessness as a humanity aspect is brought about as a product of selfish desire and one may think this is an emphasis of selfishness but it sets apart for altruism which is an aspect of unselfish devotion to others. The main idea is based on which level in the hierarchy of living organism will turn out to be the certainly selfish and use the real life examples that surround the human nature. The growth of civilization is used to give an incrementally honorable status of the term selflessness because we will realize that this civilization power results naturally as selfishness .since civilization is an aid to growth and originates in selfishness then selfishness may be the reason for growth of civilization thus the meaning of saving the vague supposition of selflessness (Freud 74). This can also be proven by an example of fear as a natural means of self-protection where our a small nation like Kenya will always want to be in the UN organization and give help to others not because they homer the international union or have a greater passion in helping other nation but it is a fear-linked desire for survival when they need help from the UN organization. Tradition can also be a cause of selflessness act as a trait of humanity that is triggered by inner power of selfishness because one might be fully submitted to a given tradition by taking consideration on the community and avoid trouble with the society but in real sense the act is triggered by the selfishnes s power of praise from the community leaders, fame and be given titles of good morals. These examples clearly show that selflessness as a humanity aspect is brought about by fear, greed and tradition but without selfishness the act of selflessness may not be clearly expressed. It is natural to claim that you love someone and you will always do many things to them unconditionally and with passion basically because you want to see them

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Russian Mafia. Russian organised crime. Is the Russian Mafia is dead Essay

Russian Mafia. Russian organised crime. Is the Russian Mafia is dead or not - Essay Example The Russian Mafia can be linked with the imperial period of Russia, which started in the 1700s. Most of the Russian populations at that time were very poor people. During that time, the criminals who stole from the government resources and shared the profits with the poor were regarded as heroes and were seen as protectors of the community (Gleason, 2009). The term Russia Mafia is a phrase used by most people to refer to a collection of various criminals that are organized and are originate in the previous Soviet Union. Most of these groups share a similar organization structure and goals that identify them as part of the association. They have also been given names like Bratva, Organizatsiya, or the Red Mafia. In the world of today, more than 6,000 different groups that are existing, and more than 200 of these groups are operating globally (Niklaus, 2014). For an organized crime syndicate that is powerful, there was the integration of two USSR characteristic. There was present of a bureaucratic power that was excessive and an illegal market that was present. The bureaucratic excessive power encouraged organized crime by availing an environment for bribery, corruption, extortion and shakedown. According to the Soviet Ministry of Interior All- Union Research Institution in 1991 (Ruth, n.d), bribes were part of the salary of almost half the population of the entire government employees. However, the existence of a market that was illegal was the basis of the presence of the Mafia in the Soviet Union. Most people know that a market that is illegal, like alcohol during the period of prohibition or elicit organized crime of drugs today, yet this connection was distinctive in the Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union, any business form that was not approved by the government was associated with a market that was illegal. This strengthened the cr iminal growth in the USSR. Also, the government was not able to provide the basic products to the citizens hence making a

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Curriculum Development Essay Example for Free

Curriculum Development Essay 1. What is K-12 curriculum? What is the rationale of K-12 curriculum? K- 12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Philippines and Australia. It means kindergarten and the twelve years of elementary and secondary education. The kindergarten refers to the 5-year old unit that takes a standardized kinder curriculum. The elementary education refers to primary schooling that involves six or seven years of education and the secondary education refers to high school. The main purpose of K-12 Program is to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship. The outcome goals of the K-12 Basic Education Program is to make Philippine education standards to be at balance with international standards, to create more emotionally mature graduates equipped with technical and vocational skills who are better prepared for work, middle level skills development and higher education, to make the educational inputs significantly addressed shortages or gaps, to make the improvement of basic education outcomes broadened and strengthened the stakeholder support, to improve internal efficiency, system of governance in the department and quality of teachers. 2. Essentialists point of view of curriculum development? The curriculum is a crucial component of any educational process. It addresses questions such as what students should learn and be able to do, why, how, and how well. In the past, the curriculum was designed merely from the perspective of its cultural transmission functions with its structure consequently reflecting discrete areas of knowledge. According to Kern it is possible to use a six-step approach to curriculum development for Medical Education: 1. Problem identification and general needs assessment The most important step is the first one, the general needs assessment (GNA). The goal of step 1 is to focus the curriculum, by defining the deficits in knowledge, attitude, or skills that currently exist in practitioners and the ideal approach to teaching and learning these objectives. When completed, the GNA makes a strong argument for the need for the curriculum and identifies potential educational research questions. 2. Needs assessment of targeted learners The general needs assessment is applied to targeted learners. What kind of doctor do we want to educate it depends mostly on social needs but it can reflect job opportunities, financial rewards and attitudes acquired during process of studding. Sometimes it is very difficult to make balance between these several needs. Needs can be obtained on different ways. It can be done through study of errors in practice. It is very difficult to design curriculum which will fully meet the needs of society and students 3. Goals and objectives Institution should define overall goals and aims for the curriculum. Specific measurable knowledge, skill/ performance, attitude, and process objectives should be stated for the curriculum. 4. Educational strategies It is necessary to make a plan how to maximize the impact of the curriculum, which content should be included, how content should be organized and with which educational methods, how elements of curriculum should communicate, what kind of educational environment and climate should be developed. Content which is included must provide to student critical thinking. It must be selected and organized on the way to initiate critical approach to facts and development skill of information retrieval. 5. Implementation A plan for implementation, including timelines and resources required, should be created. A plan for faculty development is made to assure consistent implementation. 6. Evaluation and feedback Evaluation of curriculum presents the final stage inside cyclic process of improvement and development of curriculum. 3. Why develop a curriculum? Ever since the term curriculum was added to educators vocabularies, it has seemed to convey many things to many people. To some, curriculum has denoted a specific course, while to others it has meant the entire educational environment. Whereas perceptions of the term may vary, it must be recognized that curriculum encompasses more than a simple definition. Curriculum is a key element in the educational process; its scope is extremely broad, and it touches virtually everyone who is involved with teaching and learning. In no other area has greater emphasis been placed upon the development of curricula that are relevant in terms of student and community needs and substantive outcomes. The career and technical and technical curriculum focuses not only on the educational process but also on the tangible results of that process. This is only one of many reasons why the career and technical and technical curriculum is distinctive in relation to other curricular areas and why career and technical education curriculum planners must have a sound understanding of the curriculum development process. 4. What to consider in curriculum development? In planning and developing a curriculum, you should consider the following: 1. Convening a Curriculum Development Committee Such a committee, consisting primarily of teachers who represent the various schools and grade levels in a district, administrators, members of the public and perhaps students, becomes the driving force for curriculum change and the long-term process of implementing the curriculum. It is critical that an effective, knowledgeable and respected chairperson lead such a committee and it includes knowledgeable and committed members who gradually become the districts de facto experts during the development phases of the process as well as the implementation phases. 2. Identifying Key Issues and Trends in the Specific Content Area The first step in any curriculum development process involves research that reviews recent issues and trends of the discipline, both within the district and across the nation. This research allows a curriculum committee to identify key issues and trends that will support the needs assessment that should be conducted and the philosophy that should be developed. 3. Assessing Needs and Issues Curriculum development should be viewed as a process by which meeting student needs leads to improvement of student learning. Regardless of the theory or model followed, curriculum developers should gather as much information as possible. This information should include the desired outcomes or expectations of a high quality program, the role of assessment, the current status of student achievement and actual program content. The information should also consider the concerns and attitudes of teachers, administrators, parents and students. The data should include samples of assessments, lessons from teachers, assignments, scores on state standardized tests, textbooks currently used, student perception and feedback from parents.

Friday, September 20, 2019

American And Philippine Electoral Systems

American And Philippine Electoral Systems Election is the bedrock of republicanism. It is the heart that pumps blood in order to sustain our democratic life. Election serves as a crevice in the democratic field where voters, for themselves and the public good, plant the seeds of their ideals and freedoms. In a republic undergirded by a social contract, the threshold consent of equal people to form a government that will rule them is renewed in every election where people exercise their fundamental right to vote to the end that their chosen representatives will protect their natural rights to life, liberty and property. It is this sacred contract which makes legitimate the governments exercise of its powers and the chosen representatives performance of their duties and functions.  [1]   Primarily, the study aims to discuss the election system of the United States of America coupled with the examination and review of the Automated Election System in the Philippines. An election system is a concept imbued with several vantage points; hence, the study will explore only those points of American election system which has a bearing on the Philippines first-ever poll automated election. In particular, the first part of the study will present a brief overview of the American system focusing on the national levels substantiated by way of registration and participation in the electoral process, the Electoral College, the role of the media and the system which they adopted in casting their votes, which is electronic. The second part will make a review and examination of the 2010 Philippine Automated Election and make comments or recommendations for its improvement. The American Election System: An Overview Election is a fundamental part of the American system of government founded on the principle that the power to govern resides in the people. Elections provide the means by which the people delegate this power to elected representatives. The chance to elect a particular candidate serves as an opportunity for the public to make choices about the policies and programs while promoting accountability at the same time.  [2]   Election in the United States is held at regular intervals. Presidential elections take place every four years while congressional elections occur every two years. Elections for state and local office usually coincide with national elections. In most nations, political party leaders select candidates for office in a general election. The United States is one of the few nations to hold primary elections prior to the general election campaign. In these elections, voters select the partys candidates for office. Electoral College is the institution through which Americans elect the president and vice president. Many American voters are not aware of the role of the Electoral College because they thought they elect the president and vice directly. In fact, when they cast their votes, they are voting for officials called electors who are assigned to each presidential candidate. Each state is allotted a number of electors equal to the number of its representatives and senators in the U.S. Congress. Through its power of apportioning representatives among the states, Congress determines the number of presidential electors to which each state is entitled. The electors primary responsibility is to elect the president and the vice. Each presidential candidate has a slate of electors assigned to that candidate. When the candidate wins the popular vote in a particular estate, the electors assigned to that candidate are the ones who shall vote in the Electoral College. The electors vote for the presidential candidate who received the greatest number of votes in their state. In turn, the Electoral College only ratifies the results of the popular vote. In most instances, the candidate who wins the popular vote also wins the Electoral College vote. If the election is close, however, as was the election of 2000, the Electoral College may end up picking a candidate who did not receive most of the popular vote. The candidate who wins the presidency is the one who wins a majority of the Electoral College votes, rather than a majority of the popular vote. On four occasions in U.S. history-in 1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000-the candidate with the most popular votes did not win the presidency because he did not win the most Electoral College votes. This is because Americans do not directly elect their president and vice president. If Americans directly elected their president, then the candidate with the most votes would automatically win  [3]  . Voter Participation The participation of citizen in U.S election is relatively low. According to my readings, slightly more than 50 percent of those eligible participate in national presidential elections. Only 30 percent of eligible voters take part in congressional elections during nonpresidential election years. Turnout plummets even further in state and local races that do not coincide with national contests. In 19th century, machineries of political party boosted participation rates by employing thousands of workers to organize and mobilize voters and influence them to participate in the polls. Political machines began to weaken and then disappeared in the early 20th century. Voters will not participate without the presence of party workers who will encourage them to go to polls. In the absence of strong and stable parties, participation rates have dropped dramatically among less-educated individuals. Voter Registration Aside from political party strength, the national differences in voter participation result from variance in the registration rules. Voters must register with election boards of each state before they can vote. Towards the end of 19th century with the aim of reducing fraud and other election abuses, requirements of registration was made even more difficult. In urban areas, registration rules discouraged immigrant and working class voters from going to the polls. Registration requirements have eased in most states since the 1960s. An eligible individual may now register to vote by simply mailing a postcard to the state election board. The 1993 federal Motor-Voter Act required states to make such postcards available in motor vehicle, public assistance, and military recruitment offices. Legislators hoped that easing burdens on voters might reverse trends in voting participation.  [4]   Role of Media in the Electoral Process The media, especially television, have played a role in the increase of cost in political advertisements in order to promote ones candidacy and the defeat of the opponent. Individual candidates spend more money on media advertising than any other else. To quote from my source, in 1860 the Republicans spent only $100,000 on Abraham Lincolns presidential campaign and on those of all Republican House and Senate candidates. In 1988 Republican candidate George H. W. Bush spent $70 million, just on the presidential race. During the 1998 elections, a 60-second spot on prime-time television cost as much as $100,000 every time it ran. In effect, candidates ponder more on fund-raising rather than debating and discussing issues towards the constituents. The media have also made its impact in the dilapidating importance of political parties because it allows candidates to portray themselves to the electorate without any aid from their political parties. They use the media to gain popularity. These candidates erode the authoritative influence of political parties by appealing to the general public through the media.  [5]  National party conventions, which officially nominate candidates for president and vice president, used to be stirring meetings where leaders decide who would receive the nomination. Recently, presidentiables have become independent political entrepreneurs who appeal to the people rather than to party leaders. This has made personal campaign organizations more efficient moneymaking tools than the national parties. This dilemma tends to destabilize loyalty to the powerful institution of political parties. Electronic Voting United States has been using a system since the middle of 70s that allows votes to be entered electronically, otherwise known as electronic voting. According to my source, this balloting system is also referred to as e-voting or direct-recording electronic systems (DREs). The voter uses an entry device to register vote selections, and the entries are transferred to electronic recording media, such as hard drive or a memory card. The direct entry device may be electronic, as with a touch-screen, or electromechanical, such as pushbuttons. The earliest electronic system is the Video Voter, an electromechanical device. This is intended to make voting more accessible and comfortable especially to the disabled. The   [6]  selection made by the voter comprises a ballot. After the polls close, the contents of the ballots are tabulated and reported by the voting system as vote totals. These totals are typically provided in a printed paper format that can be read by the workers at the individual precinct locations. There was a slow reaction of e-voting systems in the United States. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 provided billions of federal funds for cities and towns to replace the existing punch-card systems. Many of these systems were replaced with DRE systems. From E-voting of the West to Philippines The lack of an independent proof or audit trail for the vote data collected by DREs led experts to consider the requirement that all electronic equipment should provide a printed version of the ballot that the voter could examine and review for accuracy and authenticity. DRE-printed ballots are known as voter verified paper ballots or voter verified paper audit trails, VVPB or VVPAT for brevity respectively. VVPBs or VVPATs can also be produced by equipment that does not electronically record the ballot image or vote data such as devices used by disabled citizens that print or prepare a ballot to be optically scanned. Recently, computer expert David Dill posted a petition about e-voting at Stanford University stating that operation of new voting machines that do not provide a voter-verifiable audit trail should be stopped and existing machines should be modified to produce ballots that can be checked separately by the voter before being submitted and cannot be changed after submission. The ballots thus submitted shall be regarded as actual votes taking  [7]  primacy over any electronic counts. As one of the forerunners of e-voting, Philippines adopted with what has been practiced by modern democracies worldwide. Automation was supposed to address the problem of too much human intervention which made the system vulnerable to human error or fraud. The Comelec decided that the antidote was automation because it assured more accuracy than manual count and was faster which would unburden the people especially the teachers, from the drudgery of a manualized system. Philippine Automated Election System Pursuant to Poll Modernization Law as amended by Republic Act 9369, the counting, tallying, transmission and consolidation of votes under automated election system-AES will be done by computers. According to the Philippine Star, the Comelec has purchased 82,200 voting machines from the foreign company Smartmatic, which the Comelec calls Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines. The excruciating and tedious counting process under the manual system which takes days, weeks or even months before the results are finally known will no longer be adopted. All votes cast at every precinct will automatically be counted by the PCOS machine at the closing of polls and the results will be transmitted electronically to the appropriate canvassing/consolidation centers. Paper-Based System and Pre-Election Procedures Paper ballots are still used during the voting process since voting is done through optical mark reader-type machine, in accordance with the mandate of the law. The ballot contains the names of candidates for every position from national down to local aspirants and the parties under the party-list system as well. There are ovals opposite each name and party. The ballot will be used front and back. Three days before the day of election, the Comelec conducted a dry run of the PCOS machines by inviting members of the public to accomplish test ballots. These ballots were counted manually and election returns showing the results will be prepared. Then the same set of ballots will be counted by the PCOS machines and the results will be compared with that of the manual counting. If the results are the same, the participants will certify the truthfulness of the results by signing on the printed elections returns. According further to my source, the PCOS machines was delivered to the 80,136 clustered precincts around the country albeit with some delays where they will be stored and sealed until Election Day. During this time, the machines are not allowed yet to be connected to any transmission lines to prevent hackers from having access to them. The public can secure the area where the machines will be stored. The Voting Process and Transmission of Results The machine can still read a marking even if the voter fails to fully shade the ovals opposite the candidates of his choice. The PCOS machine has an LCD screen which will signify if the ballot is accepted or rejected to prevent spoiled votes.  [8]   9In contrast with manual voting, the voter has to write the names of candidates and parties which he or she will vote. This is system is prone to errors and confusion such as when a name is misspelled, there are similar names or the names are confusingly similar. Under the automated system, these problems are immediately resolved because the voter has to mark only the names of the candidates of his choice whose names have already been printed on the ballot. The transmission cable is connected to the PCOS machine for the transmission of results from a particular precinct after the printing of the election returns. The results are transmitted electronically to the City or Municipal Board of Canvassers (BOC) via canvassing or consolidation machines which will consolidate the results from all precincts within the city or municipality. From then, it is to be transmitted electronically to the Comelec central office. Two-faced media The effect of broadcast media varies accordingly with respect to the candidates political advancement prior to election and towards the credibility of the poll automation. Firstly, with the advent of Penera 2 Supreme Court Decision, premature campaigning has lost its relevance in the modern world. In effect, even before the start of the campaign period, infomercials are rampant in TV screens, radio, Internet and others anywhere. These infomercials or ads, which may last from fifteen to sixty seconds, emphasize issues and personal qualities that appear important in the poll data. They attempt to establish candidate name identification, create a favorable image of the candidate and negative image of the opponent. These ads often make use of sound bites, short and punchy statements from the candidate designed for voters to remember otherwise known as the last song syndrome. In effect, there is a radical shifting of the equilibrium which tends to favor those candidates with deep pockets despite the presence of limitations prescribed by law. Secondly, media exposes those controversies and anomalies surrounding the poll automation e.g. overpricing of election paraphernalia, the validity of the contract between Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM, the authenticity of the source code, the possibility of machine failure and hacking and the likes. This scenario triggers the relentless minds of Filipinos, but not all, to question and to doubt the result of the automated election. Pessimism regarding the automations credibility is widespread as we have been hypnotized by the evil spells of past elections. In some way or another, media has succeeded in negativizing the legitimate image of what was supposed to be a giant leap from primitivism of manual count to modernity via electronic count. The role of media is controversial considering that journalists, after all, are not elected by the people. They are not even appointed or conformed by elected officials. One might ask if what gives these private citizens, working mostly for private corporations, the right to an influential role on how the country is governed. This study aims not to criticize the media because on the other side of the spectrum, they play a vital role in maintaining the governments integrity because media act as a disinfectant in exposing flaws in the government on the premise that it helps to correct those flaws if it is exposed. But unfortunately, this is not an issue covered by this academic paper. Pros and Cons of the System Several days prior to the day of the election, several personalities made a conclusion that there is likelihood that the automated election in 2010 can lead to cheating or failure of election. There are legitimate fears about the authenticity and reliability of the source code for the Precinct Counting Optical Scanners (PCOS), a tightly-guarded human readable set of rules or commands that will enable the machine to function. The chaotic manner by which the Comelec tested and finally awarded the contract was becoming apparent from a strange failure to maintain adequate time-and-motion studies, a terrible ratio of two customized pens per voting precinct and including the lapses and mishaps during the Election Day. Experts opined as well that machines are susceptible to jamming or hacking. Even the printing of these official ballots is loaded with security concerns. The fears raised by several sectors emulate a general distrust and suspicion not only in the Comelec as sentinel of the democratic vote, more so when the process lacks precision or transparency and the implementers lack of enough competence and possess little credibility not to speak of the inherent weaknesses such as vote-buying or harassing the Board of Election Inspectors to pay voters so they can fill up ballots themselves and the like. But on the brighter side, the automated election is the path to modernizing the Philippine electoral process. To quote from my source the technology might just be the equalizing factor against fraud that has bugged the system for years. It may not be perfect but it can lessen the impact of cheating against the results. Speedy counting is urgently needed in order to alleviate, if not totally removed, the chances of fraud. Christian Monsod, a well known political figure is of the opinion that there was no failure of elections, no catastrophic failure of technology or logistics and no outrage over its conduct or results. President Aquino won by the largest margin in history which was accurately tracked by the surveys and exit polls. There was a peaceful transfer of power on June 30, 2010. The scenario of a vast and elaborate conspiracy to make the elections fail so that Madam Arroyo could stay forever did not make sense.  [10]   The Comelecs plan to use the PCOS to speed-up the counting, transmission and canvassing of votes is aimed at preventing cheating, specifically dagdag-bawas or vote padding during the canvassing of election results. Printed names on ballots will prevent misappreciation of votes as compared to ballots written individually by the voters. Electronic transmission of results will help reduce physical intervention or obstruction and there would be faster counting and consolidation of results. In effect, winners could be declared without further delays. Contrary to what many believe, hacking the machines or tampering with the results while they are being transmitted are not the most controversial issues in poll automation because these would be expensive and difficult due to the security features that are carefully and analytically encrypted therein. Recommendations Voters education is the primary key to prevent fraud in the new electoral process because election operators would depend on them to introduce cheating and fraud in the results. Likewise, poll watchers should know which parts of the process are critical so they can guard against cheating. The print, broadcast and online media will play a vital role in helping to educate voters and all stakeholders regarding the new automated poll system. Everybody must be vigilant in protecting their rights so as not to be disenfranchised. Due to the consolidation of polling precincts and to avoid disenfranchisement of votes, there is also a need for an additional PCOS machines to prevent voters from rushing and then congesting within the precinct as if there is Wowowee, on the verge of stampede, prompting others to wait and eventually got discouraged from casting their votes. There After conducting an information campaign, there has to be a nationwide dry-run of the poll automated election to be conducted within the last month prior to the Election Day. This is intended in order to minimize, if not prevent, unwanted and unnecessary delays and mishaps during the actual voting. The Comelec must share as well the factual information about the automation and testing processes to accurately inform the public, including groups most critical of the automation project and to de-bunk misinformation and rumors. To summarize and to quote from what Monsod had said in his opinion regarding the 2010 automated election, a lot of governance problem was encountered by Comelec during the poll automation. These includes the late promulgation of rules, regulations and guidelines, disenfranchisement from defective voters lists, delays in delivery or non-deliveries of election paraphernalia, inadequate training of teachers and Comelec field personnel, inadequate voter education, irregularities of procedures. Most of these involve procedures but since election is a process, procedures partake of the substance of suffrage. These problems can all be solved with better management. Conclusion The study presented the brief overview of the American election system coupled with the in-depth analysis, examination and review of the 2010 Philippine Automated Election System. Election lies at the heart of every democratic government. Guarding the ballot of every individual against fraud is the primordial concern of the government per se. The people are the source of every power and authority that the government exercised. It is just but right to assure them the best protection and security the government can offer so that free, unwarranted and unhampered choice is achieved. Despite the problems encountered during the Election Day and despite all the suspicions and doubts regarding the machines vulnerability to hacking, failure, bug down and many more, the PCOS machines were able to heed the mandate of the electorate. The use of the automated system did not result in failure of elections as predicted by many overly critical personalities but that much still needs to be done to make the system perfect. We plant seeds in order to grow. There is no harm in trying anyway; there is always a room for improvement. In other words, the automation of the elections in May was not perfect but the system itself remains a viable option. The system need only be improved.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Primary Dysmenorrhea Essay examples -- Health, Gynecological Problems

Primary dysmenorrhea refers to the occurrence of painful menstrual cramps of uterine origin by a hyper secretion of endometrial prostaglandins and is a gynecological complaint.Common treatment for this problem is medical therapy such as mefenamic acid (NSAIDs drugs) or oral contraceptive pills which both work by reducing myometrial activity. One of useful herbal agents to reducing potential dysmenorrhea is fennel. In this randomized clinical trial (RCT) study was compared fennel drop with mefenamic acid for reducing pain of primary dysmenorrhea. Sixty college students with moderate dysmenorrhea were randomly selected and flowed up two cycle.29 Of 30 students continue the study in study group and 30 students reminded in control group. In first month no extra medications used, but in second month in study group was taken fennel drop (25 drop every 6 hour) and they can use mefenamic acid if necessary. According to this study, it seems that fennel oil can be effective in reducing the severity of dysmenorrhea bur malodor and bad taste were not acceptable for most of the volunteers. Key word: fennel, primary dysmenorrhea, herbal drug. Introduction: Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the most common gynecological problems in Women(Marjoribanks, Proctor et al. 2003; Lefebvre, Pinsonneault et al. 2005(Harel 2006)). More than 70% of Iranian females experience painful menstruation (PANAHANDEH, Pakzad et al. 2008) .Between 50% till 80% of females reported some levels of discomfort associated with mens , and 20% report sever dysmenorrhea.(Proctor and Farquhar 2007).Primary dysmenorrhea a condition associated with ovulatory cycles, is due to myometrium contractions induced by prostaglandins in the second half of menstrual cycle. Many women e... ...romi study one of thirty case had more bleeding. Akhavan Amjadi in her investigation showed there is no significance difference between severity bleeding in fennel user ( Akhavan amjadi ).she showedThe essence of fennel can be used as a safe and effective herbal drug for primary dysmenorrhea, however, it may have a lower potency than mefenamic acid in the dosages used for this study. in our cases they can use mefenamic acid when fennel drops were not effective enough and support Akhavan amjadi finding. Smith reported in one trial acupuncture reduced mestural symptom compared with Chinese herbs.(Smith, Zhu et al. 2011) Khodakrami showed both mefenamic acid and herbal drugs effectively relieved dysmenorrhea as compared with the placebo. She suggested more clinical trials are needed to establish the efficacy of fennel (Khodakrami Nahid, Fariborz et al. 2008).

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Homework :: Teaching Education

Homework Is it not amazing that in today’s society students must not only spend seven hours in school doing work, but then they must go home to spend another five or six hours doing homework? Their grades are not improving enough to make a difference, and they are becoming extremely unhealthy. Not only does the average student suffer from sleep deprivation but many times malnutrition and emotional breakdowns. These are all caused by the over assigning of homework outside of school. How much homework is there really? Some say that for every hour spent in class a high school student should spend at least and hour doing homework and studying for that particular class. Well considering that a student would have to wake up by 6 a.m. and does not get home until around 2:30 p.m. there just are not enough hours in a day. Seven hours of school would be seven more hours out of school this would mean that if the students came home from school, they would have to works non stop from 2:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. every day. This may not seem bad until a person realizes that in today’s world, the average student has at least one or two activities a week. The students may not be home until 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening, if not later and then would be required to stay up until 1:00 a.m. doing homework. This is ridiculous. This homework causes sleep deprivation; without sleep it is almost impossible for the body to function. A student could easily become ill. With only five hours of sleep, a student is less likely to wake up in the morning, causing many tardies in school. If the students become sick they will miss even more school and the makeup homework will begin to pile up. This makeup work adds hours to the regular work. Eventually the student will become so tired and ill that the stress will become unbearable. The average teenager in the year 2000 is already subject to extreme stress. This stress exemplifies with sleep deprivation and illness. Stress is an amazingly powerful thing. Any student can become stressed but with more and more homework begin added into everyday schedules, the stress factor can increase severely, causing students to become tired, irritable, ill, depressed, and even to have emotional breakdowns.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person Essay

† On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person† tells a story of the importance in identifying your own speech and how there is nothing more personal than your own speech. Many people change their attitude, personality and in some cases the way they speak based on their environment and surroundings. The meaning of what the author wants to get across to the reader is exemplified in lines 52-70. In those lines she says how we shouldn’t care how any one speaks no matter what race, color, or where the individual is from. She realizes this in her own experience because her mother, father, and her all speak differently and she asks one of her friends â€Å"does everyone in your family speak alike† they responded â€Å"don’t take this the wrong way, nothing personal†. I believe it is then that the author realizes how personal ones language is and that no person should have to defend the way they speak or what language he/she speaks. I also, found it interesting how Allison, a black woman questioned why black people just drop syllables, and sound lazy, instead of just speaking clear, clean English. She brings this up because her college acquaintances noticed how she spoke like a â€Å"white† person instead of like a black American. The speaker also mentions that her acquaintances seemed sure they knew what a black person is supposed to sound like. The speaker is talking about how her acquaintances have a preconceived notion and stereotype on how black people should sound. There are a lot of cultural assumptions in this belief. There is a stereotype that black people are not as educated as white people. In my opinion, this is simply not true. Also, they may expect her to speak in Ebonics or improper English. The matter of the fact is that you should not be ashamed of where you come from and the way you speak, that is all part of your identity. Finally, people will one day perceive who you really are and respect your heritage.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Hydrostatic Lab Report

ABSTRACT On the past two weeks, I have done an experiment on hydrostatics, or is also known as fluid statics (fluid at rest) within the fluid mechanics field of study. This condition explains that in a stable condition, the fluid is at rest. The use of fluid in doing work is known as hydraulics, and the science of fluid in motion is known as fluid dynamics. INTRODUCTION The natural nature of fluids are they cannot remain stationary under the application of shear stress. However, fluid can apply force normal to any surface contacting it.If the fluid is considered as a solid object such as a cylinder, the pressure acting on a surface is the same as the pressure on the opposite side of the object, but in a different direction. This condition can be applied to any surface on the imaginary fluid shape. This thus defines that the pressure on a fluid is isotropic, meaning that the force/pressure in any direction applied on the liquid is the same in all directions. Hydrostatic Pressure Hydro static pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid at equilibrium due to the gravitational pull. The fluid is known as hydrostatic fluid.The pressure can be calculated from the control volume analysis of a small cube of fluid. It is known that pressure is force applied per unit area P = F/A, and the onlyforce acting on any such small cube of fluid is the weight of column above it, we can calculate the hydrostatic pressure by: The sumary of the theory is the force on any flat surface is the average pressure acting on the submerged surface multiplied by the area of the submerged surface. F = ? gXA Where: ? = water density g = acceleration due to gravity X = vertical distance from free surface to centroid of AWe know that the magnitude of the distributes force F, which may be considered as a small series of small forces spread over the submerged surface. The sum of the moments of all these small forces about any point must be equivalent to the moment about the same point of the resulta nt force Fr acting through the point of application, also known as the center of pressure. Taking the moments about O : Force on strip ? F=x? g ? A Moment of force an strip ? M=x2? g ? A But we know that : Sum of [x2 ? A] = 2nd moment of area (I? ) Therefore total moment = ? gI?Therefore Frz = ? gI? and since Fr = F = ? g A X z= ? gI gAX= I? AX= 2nd moment of area about ‘oo'1st moment of area about ‘oo' z= I? AX from parallel axis theorem I? =Igg+ AX2 Therefore, substituting z= Igg+ AX2AX z= IggAX+ X Xc=z+q For a partially submerged plate, the same equations apply except that the area of the plate varies. (A = br) Since Igg = br312 And substituting A = br and X = r2 in the equation for z: z= 23r It can be clearly seen that the centre of pressure is always two-third down the section of the submerged part of the plate. Xc= 23r+q Procedure: – The quadrant is placed on the two dowel pins and the clamping screw is fastened to the balance arm using the clamping screw. L , a, depth d, and width b, of the quadrant end face are measured. 2- With the Perspex tank on the bench, the balance arm is balanced on the knife edges (pivot). The balance pan is hung from the end of the balance arm. 3- A length of hose is connected from the drain cock to the sump and a length from the bench feed to the triangular aperture on the top of Perspex tank 4- The tank is then levelled using the adjustable feet and spirit level.The counter balance weight is moved until the balance arm is horizontal. 5- The drain cock is closed and water is admitted until the level reaches the bottom edge of the quadrant. A weight is placed on the balance pan, and water is slowly added into the tank until the balance arm is horizontal. The water level on the quadrant and the weight on the balance pan is recorded. 6- Fine adjustment of the water level can be achieved by overfilling and then slowly draining using the stop cock. 7- The above are repeated for each increment of weight until the water level reached the top of the quadrant end face.Then each increment of weight is removed, noting the weights and water levels until the weights have been removed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION a= 0. 099m b= 0. 075 m d= 0. 100m l= 0. 274 m ?= 1000 kg/m Weight of load, m(kg ms-2)| Filling tank height of water(m)| Draining tank height of water (m)| Average height of water,y (m)| Wetted surface area, yb (m )| Hydrostatic pressure, m/yb (Pa)| 0. 3924| 0. 040| 0. 041| 0. 041| 0. 003075| 127. 6098| 0. 5886| 0. 050| 0. 050| 0. 050| 0. 003750| 156. 9600| 0. 7848| 0. 058| 0. 058| 0. 058| 0. 004350| 180. 4138| 0. 9810| 0. 065| 0. 065| 0. 065| 0. 004875| 201. 308| 1. 1772| 0. 072| 0. 073| 0. 073| 0. 005475| 215. 0137| 1. 3734| 0. 078| 0. 077| 0. 078| 0. 005850| 234. 7692| 1. 5696| 0. 084| 0. 083| 0. 084| 0. 006300| 249. 1429| 1. 7658| 0. 089| 0. 088| 0. 088| 0. 006600| 267. 5455| 1. 9620| 0. 094| 0. 094| 0. 094| 0. 007050| 278. 2979| Graph of my2 against y Where the slope is -? b2L and the interc ept should be ? b2L(a+d) Therefore ?b2L = -93. 9097 ?b2L(a+d) = 101. 7810 CONCLUSION REFERENCE 1- www. wikipedia. org on hydrostatic pressure 2- www. scribd. com on hydrostatic pressure lab report 3- Experiment manual 4- Lab demonstrator’s explanation

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Child Labour Essay Essay

In the 1800’s children were forced to go to work in factories for little pay. The factories were in very bad conditions for children to work in. Most of the kids got asthma because the factories were so dusty. The children had to get into small gaps in the machines to fix them which was very dangerous and some of the children died because of it. A lot of the children didn’t get any sleep so they fell asleep in the factories. The children had to bend over for long periods of time, if they fell asleep which made most of them cripple. Many factory owners were against reforming working conditions for children. This was because they thought they provided education, fair pay and helped them by giving them a job. They also said â€Å"without working in factories the children’s family wouldn’t be able to survive. Some factory owners called for reform because they thought they worked too long hours and they didn’t get enough education. Some campaigners thought that reforms should be introduced because the factories were in bad conditions and most of the children have deformed bones and bad lungs. Other campaigners thought they should not because at least they are off the streets and not causing crime and the children are happy and there is no violence there. Doctors too, thought it was important to improve working conditions for children. For example Dr Samuel Smith thought that they should reform because children suffered loss of limbs like fingers and thumbs etc. Other doctors though thought differently because it wasn’t unhealthy to stand for long hours and they wanted to get more money from children visiting. Many children themselves wanted to keep working because otherwise they would live on the streets and if they lived on the streets they may possibly die of starvation. However, they still wanted to reform such as no harsh punishment, less working hours, more education, more sleep, and 3 meals a day. In conclusion, the result of the debate was for the Government to pass the 1833 Factory Act to improve conditions for children. The basic act was as follows: No children under the age of 9 are allowed to work, which was fair to the factory owners and the children Children between 9 and 13 are not allowed to work more than 9 hours a day and children between 13 and 18 are not allowed to work more than 12 hours, as the older children are stronger so they can work more hours Children are not allowed to work at night, this was good because the children could get more sleep which would make them more healthy The working days would start at 5:30am ~ 8:30pm and the other 9 hours are for resting Kids must have 2 hours of schooling each day so when they grow up they can read and write. Children allowed 1  ½ hours for meals Children must have 3 meals a day so they can keep healthy The factory owners would have been disappointed, but the doctors and the children would have been very pleased and some of the campaigners would be happy but some wouldn’t.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Reaction Paper 1

Kaily Purtle 09-10-2012 Study of the Family Reaction Paper 1 In class we discussed Reading #4. This reading was about the â€Å"Super Mom†. We discussed our personally experiences along with readings. We talked about how stay at home mothers and working mothers get looked at by society and by their husbands. I will be writing my reaction paper on this topic because it is very interesting to me. The â€Å"Super Mom† is described in the White and Klein text as a â€Å"stroller in one hand, brief case in the other. † This means that the mother is doing all she can to provide for her family while still catering to her children.On the other end of the spectrum, a â€Å"Stay at Home Mom† is just a mother that stays home with the children. She takes care of every need that the children have while taking care of the home at the same time. The husbands of a â€Å"Stay at Home Mom† believe that it is easy. In the reading, the author says that mothers are face d with intensive mothering where they need to be mothers first before anything. To society, this â€Å"Stay at Home Mom† needs to justify whey she is unable to work outside of the home. There are single moms out there that work everyday so, they need to justify why they live at home.I personally believe that whether or no the mother stays at home just depends on the family situation. The children may needs extra attention that the mother needs to attend to or maybe the husband believes that his wife should stay at home and he makes enough money to take care of his family alone. It just depends I think. We also discussed what mothers should do if they work early till late. We all discussed our own experiences but mine was that my grandfather helped us out. He still does. My father works everyday almost and my mother is a teacher so they are not available during the day.My grandmother works and my grandfather is retired, so it is very easy for us to get ahold of him if we need anything especially since he lives across the street from me. I think we were just blessed to have my family so close to us that way we can help each other out. They are always there for us. Like I said, every family is different. They need to be able tot have someone there for their children when they need to be taken care of no matter if that contains extended family, a brother or sister and maybe the parents if they are available.

Participative Leadership

Question Participative leadership style is always more effective than autocratic/directive leadership styles. Discuss. Executive Summary To say there has been an immense amount of research undertaken on the topic of leadership would be an understatement. The theoretical and empirical research on leadership in the workplace covers a diverse range of theory and there has been much critique and discussion of the theories to date. This paper review will discuss the path-goal leadership theory and it’s application in an organisational setting. The first part of the report will look at the evolution of this theory and the underpinning elements of each leadership style. The second part will compare participative and directive leadership styles using examples to illustrate the relevant use of each style and necessity for leaders to be able to use both or a combination of the two. Table of Contents Introduction p. 4 Path-Goal Leadership Theoryp. 4 Participative vs. Directive Leadershipp. 6 Practical Implicationsp. 8 Conclusion p. 9 Reference Listp. 10 Introduction For decades the study of leadership has been a focus in management, psychology and organisational behaviour with â€Å"over 35,000 research papers, articles and books written† on the topic in an attempt to define leadership and understand which style best drives effective leadership (Killian 2007). In 1974 Stogdill said, â€Å"there are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have tried to define the concept† (Yukl 1989, p. 251). A statement that is relatively true even 37 years on with many approaches to leadership still emerging and continued debate and discussion around the existing theories. A modern and fairly recent definition of leadership explains it as â€Å"influencing, motivating and enabling others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organisations of which they are members† – a definition agreed upon by fifty four leadership experts from thirty eight countries (McShane, Olekalns & Travaglione 2010). With so much research dedicated to the subject of leadership there are a vast array of theories and associated leadership styles including but not limited to: * Trait Theories * Contingency Theories * Situational Theories Behavioural Theories * Transformational Theories Each has their own unique approach and perspectives on what constitutes an effective leader however for the purpose of this report the focus will be on the path-goal theory and the leadership styles it encompasses. Path-Goal Leadership Theory The path-goal approach to leadership is one of several contingency theories. The contingency perspective is built upon the not ion that leaders choose their style to suit the situation and this contemporary model has had much noteworthy critique and testing over the years. Defined as an â€Å"expectancy theory of motivation that relates several leadership styles to specific employee and situational contingencies† ((McShane, Olekalns & Travaglione 2010, p461), the theory suggests that a leader can have an influence on the performance, satisfaction and motivation of their subordinates which can be applied through all levels of an organisation. Evans and House first initiated support for the path-goal theory of leadership in the early 1970s following inconsistencies in the results of earlier research. A study by Evans (1970) of two organisations demonstrated a link between the behavior of leaders and the impact on the behavior and goal attainment of subordinates. In 1971 House presented a path-goal theory of leadership effectiveness derived from a path-goal theory of motivation, which posed a theory on the effects of leader behavior on subordinate satisfaction, motivation and performance. The study reconciled conflicting research that had previously been conducted on the topic and support of the hypothesis tested lead to further research and development of this theory. As illustrated below ((McShane, Olekalns & Travaglione 2010, p463) the performance and satisfaction outcome of subordinates is a result of three components – leader behavior, environmental factors and subordinate contingencies. According to the theory are there four clearly defined styles of leader behaviour (House & Mitchell 1974, House 1996): 1. Directive – the leader gives instructions about what, how & when tasks need to be completed and how performance will be measured. Ideal for ambiguous or non-routine tasks. 2. Supportive – leaders provide psychological and social support and go out of their way to make work pleasant for employees. Used in stressful situations that may be unsatisfying or frustrating. 3. Participative – the leader shares decision making with the team and encourages and takes their opinions and suggestions into account when making a decision. When team members are autonomous, need control and clarity and are heavily involved in their work this style can be used. 4. Achievement Oriented – behavior that is directed towards encouraging employees to achieve their peak performance through challenging goals. Ideal in situations where employees are highly motivated and driven to succeed. The path-goal model is based on the assumption that each leadership style will be effective in different situations depending on the two variables outlined above – employee contingencies and environmental contingencies. A leader needs to be able to adapt to different situations by selecting the style that suits employee needs or using a combination. Not all leaders will naturally exhibit all four leadership styles above or be comfortable using them but under this model a leader would need to have the ability to demonstrate all posing a potential development needs in some situations. Participative vs. Directive Leadership The question posed of whether participative leadership is always more effective than participative leadership cannot be completely justified under the path-goal leadership model as the premise of this approach is that the leadership style applied is dependent upon the environmental and employee variables. While there is a widely shared belief amongst a lot of the literature that participative leadership has greater advantages over a directive approach, there are arguments for both and each has its potential strengths and weaknesses. In this next section the role and outcomes of a participative leader will be compared to that of a directive (or autocratic) leader using organisational examples to illustrate their uses. Participative leadership will not work if subordinates do not have the necessary skills and experience to enable them to contribute to decision-making or make effective decisions themselves and the systems and procedures do not exist within the organisational environment as in the case of the Allied Machinery Company (Muczyk and Reimann 1987). In this example the General Manager’s approach of using a participative or democratic leadership style, which had worked for him, previously was not appropriate in his new role as the subordinates were not used to operating this way and expected guidance and follow-up from their leader. If more of a directive approach had of been taken and subordinates given specific guidelines, had expectations setout and rules or procedures explained then one would expect the outcome to have been significantly different. The key points illustrated here are how important it is for a leader to assess the situational variables (employee and environmental) before choosing their leadership style and secondly the necessity for a leader to be able to flex between styles rather than relying only on their natural or preferred style. A potential challenge to this could be how comfortable managers are with using an alternate style. For example, one study reported that Australian managers dislike using a directive style and some would go to considerable lengths to avoid doing so (Avery & Ryan 2002). The path-goal theory suggests that at times a leader may need to use a combination of leadership styles. In an interesting study on directive versus participative leadership in schools (Somech 2005) explores the effect of each style on school staff and makes several conclusions. A directive style can assist staff to challenge themselves and achieve high performance while a participative approach challenges through the sharing of knowledge however used together by leaders rather than as mutually exclusive styles they achieved a complementary result in terms of school effectiveness. Greiner (1973) also illustrates this point with an example of executives incorporating a few directive actions into their participative style to keep high performance goals in front of their teams. These are both great examples of using a combined approach of participative and directive leadership to maximise the result. Another area worthy of consideration in discussion of these two styles is the influence that demographics such as age, status, length of employment, gender and culture can have on choosing the most appropriate style. Sauer (2011) notes that for a new leader this is no correct style of leadership. In terms of leader status, the study suggests that when low status leaders use directive leadership or high status leaders use participative? leadership, the leaders are perceived as more self-confident and more effective. When comparing leadership across cultures it is also noted that participative leadership works better in some cultures rather then others (Den Hartog et al. , 2000). These examples highlights some other situational factors, potentially outside of the norm, that come into play when assessing the most effective style of leadership to pursue. Practical Implications The continued research into path-goal leadership theory and its application in the workplace highlights some reasonable considerations for leaders in engaging and motivating their subordinates. The literature suggests that participative and directive are the dominant styles and a great deal of the research highlights the benefits of a participative approach. What a lot of the research fails to look at is the negative outcomes if a participative approach is used in a situation that requires a directive approach as in the case of Allied Machinery used above. For practical application of the path-goal theory more focus needs to be placed on comparing the variance in outcomes of participative vs. directive leadership in a range of situations with varying employee and environmental. More importantly a combined approach should also be examined in this research. Conclusion There are many definitions of leadership in existence and varying opinions on the most effective theory and subsequent leadership style. The path-goal leadership theory has evolved over time since it was first proposed in the early 1970s and there has been ongoing critique and analysis of its validity, which in comparison to other contingency theories has held relatively strong. The path-goal theory highlights the key components that will impact the outcome – employee contingencies, environmental contingencies and leadership style. A leader needs to adapt their style to the situation and be able to flex between the four styles rather than relying on just one. The question as to whether participative leadership is always more effective than democratic leadership is not validated as this model illustrates the need for both either in isolation or as a combined approach. A participative or democratic approach relies on the team being engaged and motivated and is only effective if followers are willing and able to participate actively in the decision-making process, which is not always the case. There are so many variables that comes into play that neither of these styles can simply be labeled as the right choice for all situations. Reference List Dicksona, M. , Hartog, D. & Mitchelsona, J. 2003, Research on leadership in a cross-cultural context: Making progress, and raising new questions, The Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 14, pp. 729-768. Evans, M. G. 1970, The effects of supervisory behavior on the path-goal relationship, Organisational Behavior and Human Performance Vol. 5, pp. 277-298. Gayle C. & Avery, J. 2002, Applying situational leadership in Australia, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 21 pp. 242–262. Greiner, L. 1973, What managers think of participative leadership, Harvard Business Review, Vol. pp. 111-117. House, R. J. 971, A path-goal theory of leader effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 16, pp. 321-338. House, R. J. & Mitchell, T. R. 1974, Path-goal theory of leadership, Journal of Contemporary Business, Vol. 3, pp. 81-97. House, R. J. 1996, Path-goal theory of leadership: Lessons, legacy, and a reformulated theory, The Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 7, pp. 323-352. Huang, X. , Iun, J. , L iu, A. & Gong, Y. 2010, Does participative leadership enhance work performance by inducing empowerment or trust? The differential effects on managerial and non-managerial subordinates, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 1, pp. 122-143. Killian, S. 2007, The ABC of Effective Leadership A Practical Overview of Evidence Based Leadership Theory, Australian Leadership Development Centre, viewed 7 September 2011 http://www. leadershipdevelopment. edu. au/SiteMedia/w3svc674/Uploads/Documents/Effective%20Leadership%20An%20Overview%20of%20Leadership%20Theory. pdf Lewin, K. Liippit, R. and White, R. K. 1939, Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created social climates, Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 10, pp. 271-301. Muczyk, J. & Reimann, B. 987, The Case for Directive Leadership, The Academy of Management Executive. Vol. 1, pp. 301-311. Sauer, S. J. 2011, Taking the Reins: The Effects of New Leader Status and Leadership Style on? Team Performance, Journal of Applied Psy chology, Vol. 96, pp. 574-87. Smech, A. 2005, Directive Versus Participative Leadership: Two Complementary Approaches to Managing School Effectiveness. Educational Administration Quarterly 2005, Vol. 41, pp. 777-800. Yukl, G. 1989, Managerial Leadership: A Review of Theory and Research, Journal of Management, Vol. 15, pp. 251-289.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Article Annotations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Annotations - Essay Example The public who are the major focus of the study are the major participants. They are further sub grouped basing on their age, race se occupation and knowledge on the importance of physical activity. In addition, the center for disease prevention and behavioral risk factor surveillance system. These two groups in the study play a pivotal role in reaching out to the people while administering the questioners. They are likely to reach a large number of people for the fact they are already established with a program in place that involves annually data collection. Thus, they just needed to add into their questionnaire a section that focus on physical activity and the level of happiness. The researchers utilizes the qualitative method of study. This was achieved by use of questioners and interaction with the people in the community. A number of variables were used in the study to determine the effect of activity on one’s happiness in different people. Some of the variables involved included sex, age, marital status, occupation, race, and physical wellbeing. Either observation or subjective reporting measures the effect of variables on one’s involvement in physical activity. The study is a qualitative study that utilizes the use of questionnaires to obtain information from the participants. There is also a retrogressive study of the participants to establish the relationship of the variables with their involvement in physical activity and the outcome of the involvement. From the study, it is evident that physical activities plays a great role in promoting ones wellbeing. Apart from keeping the lifestyle diseases at bay, it increases the general happiness in one’s life. This is achieved through mood elevation after a sporting activity and elevated self-esteem from the achievements in the activity. A number of factors

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Manufacturing and Urbanization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Manufacturing and Urbanization - Essay Example Because of the rise of industrialism in the nineteenth century, United States became an industrialized society. This change was sped up by transportation revolution as well as immigration. Urbanization, along with the need for a market economy, also contributed America’s industrialization. Industrialization changed the lives of everyone. The farmers had become workers in factories and mills. Agriculture became mechanized, and with technology, the food production increased. Coupled with fast production and mechanization, the farmers worked faster. Since the transportation network was also quite effective, goods were also transported throughout America, boosting commerce and industry throughout the regions. Urbanization also went hand in hand with industrialization as with the expansion of farming. The mechanization of the textile industry was not until mid-nineteenth century when the likes of Lowell Mills (in Massachusetts) sprouted. In fact, Lowell Mills was the most profitabl e mill in Massachusetts. In 1814, the Boston Manufacturing Company was established and it built a mill near the Charles River. It became the first integrated mill in the United States: it was the first mill to have had carding, spinning and weaving. For several years, the town of Lowell in Massachusetts became the default place for putting up mills in America as ten textile corporations opened more than thirty mills in Lowell. The city became world famous as the â€Å"center of efficient industry†. These mills had eight thousand workers, women between ages 16 to 35 as their workers and they were promised high wages by men who told them that these jobs were available to all social classes, since being a mill girl is considered being degrading. The Lowell Mills had a large-scale mechanization with the goal of improving the stature the women in the workforce. The mills usually hired employees for a year and they were renewed every year (the average employee lasts for four years) . The new ones had a fixed wage while the older employees were paid by the piece. The workers usually worked for fourteen hours each day and their work averages for seventy three hours each week. The workers were overseen by two male managers. The rooms are hot with eighty workers to a room, and the windows are closed to maintain thread count and thread work. The workers were also housed in boarding houses that were provided by the company, with six workers in a bedroom. Because of the economic depression of the 1830s, the board of directors of the mills proposed a reduction in the women’s wages and the employees had strikes. The women lost and the employees left town, and this was seen as a â€Å"betrayal of femininity†. In 1845, the Lowell women started the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association. It demanded a ten hour work for the women of Lowell Mills. The movement became unsuccessful then but in 1847, their work hours were reduced by 30 minutes. In New Hampshire, however, the State Board passed a law for a ten hour workday. This development in the industrialization of America brought forth inequality in the working class, particularly in the lives of female white workers as exemplified by the working women of Lowell Mills. The inequality was not only sexist as it only affected women. Then inequality stretched to the point where the capitalists have used the term â€Å"more wages† as they hired women, on the premise of them providing better lives, with these women not knowing that they will be in for more

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Utilitarian Theories of Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Utilitarian Theories of Punishment - Essay Example This theory relies on some intrinsic value being installed within a person initially in order for these decisions and distinction to be made. The tern utilitarianism was established or became from philosopher Bentham’s test question; ‘What is the use of it,’. Bentham’s’ theory suggests that all pleasures are qualitatively alike; grading them based on values such as intensity, certainty, purity, fruitfulness, length and temporal closeness. While Bentham and Mills were philosophers they were also known as economists and Mills theory expanded on utilitarianism. Mills suggested that pleasure is something that can be quantified and qualified and that those who are aquatinted with both prefer that pleasures are quantified. Explaining this preference involves assuming that humans have a sense of decency within their higher faculties and that this dignity is necessary for happiness and those pleasures which conflict with maintaining this dignity is rejected. Theory’s regarding punishment is usually either retributive or utilitarian (Rawls). Those that are retributive emphasize past actions in consideration of the consequence that much must be paid. Theories that are utilitarian are frequently seen as the opposing position and are often used in consideration of the future. Utilitarian theories of punishment will serve as the focus of this discussion.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The government of Costa Rica Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The government of Costa Rica - Research Paper Example The paper tells that having gained its independence from Spain as part of the broader Central American independence movement in the former Kingdom of Guatemala, Costa Rica became a constituent province of the short-lived Federal Republic of Central America, or Central American Union. Following the Union dissolution in 1838, Costa Rica proclaimed itself as a sovereign nation under Braulio Carrillo, who was ultimately removed from power in 1842; in 1847, Jose Maria Castro Madriz was appointed President of Costa Rica, who, during his first term of office, formally declared Costa Rica an independent republic. The constitutional reform of 1848 attempted to establish basic civil rights and might be thought to have laid the foundations for a tradition of political moderation and civilian government despite having had some interludes of military rule. Two significant periods of political turmoil had taken place since the late 19th century, the first of which started with the 1917 military co up against Gonza Flores administration, led by General Tinoco Granados, whose rule failed to gain recognition from the United States and had eventually ended in 1919 under both external and internal pressure. The second one is considered the bloodiest event in the 20th-century Costa Rican history – the civil war following a highly contentious presidential election in 1948, which lasted 44 days and caused some two thousand fatalities. The Costa Rican civil conflict led to several far-reaching effects, including the abolition of the regularly army, the foundation of one of the first welfare states in the region and the creation of a new constitution. (Meyer 1). The latter prohibited the maintenance of standing army except in case of external invasion, outlawed the communist and fascist parties, and provided for the creation of a Supreme Electoral Tribunal that would oversee the electoral process and have police power during elections; the duty to guarantee the nation’s s ecurity was assigned to a national police force called the Civil Guard (Watkins). Population and Society As of July 2011 estimates, Costa Rica’s population totals 4Â  576Â  562 people, being comprised of four major ethnic groups as follows – whites, primarily of European (Spanish) descent, which, along with the mestizos, account for 94 % of the total population; 3 % blacks, which are, for the most part, of Jamaican origin; and the remainder – 1 % Chinese and 1 % Amerindians respectively (CIA; Encyclopedia of the Nations). Some 69 % of the Costa Ricans are in the 15 to 64 age group, 6.4 % are over 65 year-old and another 24.6 % are under 15 year-old (CIA). Those living in urban areas, according to 2010 data, account for 64 % of the total population (CIA), as compared to 48 % in 2001(Population Reference Bureau, cited in Encyclopedia of the Nations). The capital city, San Jose, has 1. 416 million inhabitants as of 2009 (CIA); other large cities with population o ver 100Â  000 are Alajuela, Cartago and Puntarenas, as well as Limon and Heredia, with over 50Â  000 inhabitants each (Encyclopedia of the Nations). The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish while English is mainly spoken among the middle class in some urban areas, and among descendants of Jamaican origin as well (Encyclopedia of the Nations). The major religions are Roman Catholic, which is the predominant one embracing over 76 % of the population, and Evangelical – shared by 13.7% of the Costa Ricans; along with 1.3% Jehovah’s Witnesses, 0.7% other Protestants, and other religious cults (CIA). In as much as the vast majority of Costa Rica’s people belong to one and same ethnic group, namely the ‘white’ one, which also includes people of mixed ancestry, the so-called ‘whiteness’ would appear the factor that defines the Costa Rica’s population as homogeneous; this homogeneity, however, is further reinforced by the overwhel mingly common origin, hence