Imprisonment became widespread in the United States Essay

The United States has a big prison population because laws were designed to stop drug traffickers caught small-time dealers. Crime is defined as an act that the law makes punishable and it’s often called an offense. A form of punishment would be incarceration. Incarceration action is the act of placing someone in prison. It serves as a form of punishment for criminals due to their actions towards the law. They take their freedom. As the United States incarceration rate continues to increase more people are locked behind bars. They are constantly being watched over with no privacy. Imprisonment as a form of criminal punishment only became widespread in the United States just before the American Revolution. America has around 5% of the world’s population and 25% are prisoners. Since 1980, the number of increased citizens in the United States has more than quadrupled. More than out of a 100 citizens are locked behind bars and because of This America is known for having the largest prison population in the world. The first prisons in the independent United States were established as †penitentiaries† to represent their prisoners as religious † penitents,† serving time for their sins. Early penitentiaries gained national and international attention for their high goals of perfecting society through incarceration. However, they soon became as overcrowded. This past July in the speech to the NAACP, President Obama stated that the real reason why the U.S prison population is so high is that over the last decade they have locked up more no nviolent drug offenders than ever before. Guns, violent crimes, and punishments are pressing issues in the United States. The relationship between these three issues is that they are all debatable and provoke the proper role of guns in American society. In state courts in the mid-1990’s the average year’s sentence to a gun, offenders average up to four years. They are punished in many different ways once they are initially arrested. By the late 19th Century, outrage over prison conditions led to the †reformatory† movement, which attempted to redefine prison’s role as that of † reforming† inmates into model citizens, by providing education, work, and counseling. Rehabilitation is the act of restoring something to its original state. The goal of rehabilitation is to help people learn how to care for a body that How works differently, maintain a high level of health and restore oneself. The rehabilitation of offenders is a key feature of the modern UK system. Rehab is the only place where patients receive the proper treatment for their mental illness that causes or contributes to their addiction. Some people may feel that if you commit a crime you must be punished but rehabilitates might disagree. The rehabilitation conveys a message that the state has an obligation to help those who fall short of the standards. Psychologically we don’t know what individuals may be going through. Not giving them a free pass and saying their right but different actions can be taken into consideration. For example, rehab is a way to help individuals to not go back and do the same thing. Depending on the type of crime committed, the convicted may get the c hoice to have a plea bargain. Retribution is a punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act. The purpose of retribution is active to injure criminal offenders. Retribution is at the heart of just about all judicial systems that deal with law and order. One example of retribution would be if you kill someone you will get a death penalty for it. Some people may feel that is should not be helpful and that it should treat the offending conduct as wrong. They also feel that punishing them is the best way to deal with them. Crime is the result of choices made by the individual. Retributivism recognizes the offender status by asking that they take responsibility for what they have done rather than making excuses for it. Retributivism also pushes that more serious crimes should be punished more seriously. Many people would look at retributivism as â€Å" an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth† situation. However, they just strongly believe that if you commit a crime or do wrong you must pay the consequences. Regardless if one situation is more serious than the other. In my opinion, I feel that if someone violated the law they should be dealt with accordingly. The first thing someone would think of when they do something wrong is that they are going to jail. However, that is not the only problem. I feel that race has a lot to do with it as well. This is why crime and incarceration are so big in the united states.

Describe Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Participation Essay

Diversity refers to our differences such as culture, beliefs, values, views and life experiences. The concept of diversity is to accept, respect and embrace our differences. When people with these differences unite and share the same group or organization we see a diverse environment. Working in a childcare setting, we have the potential to work with an abundance of diversity. This can be very rewarding but can also pose challenges. Positively, we have the opportunity to promote the sense of individuality, sense of pride and belonging by providing a safe and nurturing environment. Discussing each other’s differences is a great way to learn and become aware of the differences in the world. One example of promoting diversity is to display the word â€Å"welcome† on the door in all first languages spoken in that classroom or even learning how to say hello in each language. The challenges are learning how ensure equality and eliminate discrimination. Introducing children at an early age to diversity will have an impact on their acceptance of others who are different from them. Diversity can also come in the form of race, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities and political beliefs. Equality Equality is the term for equal opportunities. Whilst supporting diversity and respecting differences everyone is offered the same services and programs. All children and families have an equal chance and equal right to participate or not to participate regardless of any differences such as physical disabilities or cultural beliefs. Practitioners have a duty to ensure that there is equality in their classroom. A child who has a learning disability should not be stereotyped with assumptions that he or she is not capable and therefor does not receive equal opportunity in classroom activities. Discrimination is the result of not practicing equality, for example, a child cannot be left out of a school outing because they don’t have transport to accommodate his wheel chair. Discrimination due to inequality can be very detrimental to a child’s emotional well being. A child can develop low-self esteem, low confidence, feel unwanted and loose sense of belonging. The equality act of 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in organizations and society. Some provisions relating to disability include extending protection against indirect discrimination to disability and harmonizing the thresholds for the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. This act will help to protect the children in school settings and into adulthood. Reference: Equality Act 2010: guidance, publishes 27 February 2013, https://www. gov. uk/equality-act-2010-guidance Inclusion Inclusion is the practice that every need is met for every student in their learning setting. Inclusive education allows children with disabilities to learn along side children without disabilities. This type of educational practice differs from having children with special needs secluded to special schools and classrooms. It allows children with disabilities to feel as an equal member of the classroom, which will build self-confidence and teach social skills. Schools need to ensure that they meet all needs by having resources and equipment to aid the students and help them to join as many activities as possible. For example braille books for children who are blind, providing wide doors, ramps and disabled toilets, speech therapist and physical therapist. When children have the opportunity to use these services they will more likely achieve their educational goals and feel less different from their peers. Practitioners could aid children in their classrooms by learning as much as possible about any disability a child in their care has, for example if a child in their classroom is hearing impaired, learning a few basic sign language words such as â€Å"lunch† â€Å"outside† â€Å"toilet† could help the child feel more part of the classroom’s daily flow. Reference: Wikipedia, Inclusion (education), 22 October 2013, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Inclusion_(education) Participation Participation is the act of participating and being involved in activities, decisions, planning and sharing. Participation is important for the children as well as the parents in school settings. When parents and children are involved in decision-making it allows them to feel connected to the school and feel like their voice is being heard and wishes met. Children feel that their opinions and feelings matter, this is important to social skill development, as they will feel apart of the school community. Children who participate in school activities such as sports gain self-confidence and team building skills. Communication skills improve, stress is relieved and friendships build as children learn to trust and depend on their peers. Supporting participation could be to invite parents into the class to share their child’s favorite storybook from home and be a part of that day’s circle time. The child will gain a sense of pride as they sit beside their parent as they contribute to circle time. Another example is the children could take turns bringing home a â€Å"letter bag† where they find objects from around their home that begin with the â€Å"letter of the week†. The child and parent can work together finding the objects and the child can share it in class the following day. Reference: Participation works partnership, http://www. participationworks. org. uk/topics/education

Marketing Week 2 Journal

The components of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are the basic major forces driving the economy. This is because an increase in the amount of these components also means an increase in the GDP of a certain country. A high GDP means a high income of a country. These are: personal consumption, investments, government spending and net exports (the value of exports minus the value of imports) (Costales, 2000). Personal consumption is the expenditures of households on basic necessities in which receipts are being issued. A no-receipt purchase or something that is not registered to the government as a business is not included, as it is a part of the black market. Investments, on the other hand are capitals that are being used in businesses. These are non-financial product purchases. Government spending is the expenditures of the government in providing goods for the public, wages for the public workers and purchases of sectors of the government. However, it does not encompass social security or benefits. And last, is the net exports, the difference of the exports, goods produced for out of the country consumption, and imports, goods that come from other countries for consumption. There are also new forces driving the economy. These are breakthroughs that were discovered as time passed by and prove true to improve economic performance. Specifically, these are: technology and entrepreneurship. Technology has now been a great help in the development of the economy because of its benefits (Henry and Cooke, n.d.). Development of new technology makes costs lower for the producers and provides means for businesses to transact among others. On the other hand, entrepreneurship is the one who thinks of innovations that may be pursued. This is because introduction of new things prove useful to both consumers and producers. They also initiate job growth as they employ employees. References Costales, A. C., A. E. Bello, M. A. O. Catelo, A. C. Cuevas, G. I. Galinato and U-P. E. Rodriguez. Economics: Principles and Applications. Quezon City: JMC Press, Inc. â€Å"Information Technology Industries – of Growing Importance to the Economy and Jobs†. Retrieved October 25, 2007 Tesreau, K. and Gielazauskas, V. Entrepreneurship: A Driving Force in the New Economy. Retrieved October 25, 2007

Planetarium summary out of class Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Planetarium summary out of class - Assignment Example During the night we were able to witness yellow star – Weero – which is truly a bright star. I only knew it was yellow from class but today I saw it live! We also witnessed a show about a fascinating staff called space mirrors. Many people perceive stars as points of light that are far from the planet Earth. This is not true since stars are actually the reflections of the Sun off space mirrors in universe. Some mirrors are very close while others are far away; some are blue while others are red and so that is the reason why stars have dissimilar colours. The show revealed that some galaxies and stars look older since their light penetrated through the time cube. Later on, after the show, it was now the time to look, through a solar telescope, at the sun. I realized that the Sun appeared like some green ball since the telescope just allow a little of green light rays through it. Other stars also appeared green just as the

Adequacy vc. Equity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Adequacy vc. Equity - Research Paper Example re sufficient to achieve such envisaged goals, and which agencies and institutions could be and should be attributed the responsibility to furnish resources for these purposes (Marzano & Kendall, 1999). School funding is a topic that has achieved the immense attention of parents, tax payers and policy makers across the length and breadth of the United States (Marzano & Kendall, 1999). Since the 70s, there has been a deluge of the law suits filed in the law courts of almost all the states of America. Therefore, equity versus adequacy debate is of apt relevance in this context. The equity issue in the sphere of school funding came into light with the filing of Serrano vs. Priest case in California in 1971 (Odden & Picus, 1999, p. 129). In 1976, the California State Supreme Court extended the judgment that California school funding arrangements violated the guarantee to equal protection under law enshrined in the United States Constitution. The equity concept highlighted by this case professed that all the school districts in a state should have access to same and equal resources to extend education to their students (Odden & Picus, 1999, p. 131). In the domain of educational finance, equity means the placement of provisions to assure equality in the distribution of educational resources by a state across districts, and to put in place a system for fairness, so far as the allocation of available resources for funding school education are concerned. The equity principle has its advantages in the sense that it allows for the placement of uniformly enforceable educational standards across a state. However, the big problem with the equity principle is that it does not take into consideration the variegated nature of American demography. There are some sections of the American society that have been traditionally marginalized and sidelined, and hence need access to more than average resources for educational purposes. Equity principle simply ignores the different costs

A holistic health approach Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

A holistic health approach - Assignment Example Throughout the world, the incidence and prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing. The phenomenon to childhood overweight and obesity is a growingly serious public health concern, and despite advancement in knowledge about these conditions, definite biomedical interventions have failed to achieve any success in controlling these potentially morbid conditions which have proven serious health consequences in the adult health profiles. This has been reflected in trebling of the prevalence of these conditions in the last 20 years, and many children are affected with the negative health consequences of obesity. The prevention of childhood obesity is an active research area. It is now clear that management and prevention of childhood obesity is a problem that would need a strategic focus. Intervention through community programs have been suggested as important means. The childhood obesity research summit indicates the need to investigate the ways obesity intersects with the health care system. It has also been suggested that there is a need for focus on ongoing research and public health policy initiatives. The intervention at the family life course approach is an option; however, the exact interventions are not known, since the theoretical backgrounds of the etiology of childhood obesity are not distinctly and specifically known. Research investigating the pathophysiological parameters may serve as information to design interventions. They indicate that there may be three perspectives, the epidemiological, pathological, or homeostatic or energy balance perspectives. All interventions thus should be directed to control these factors. Control of current overweight in children at a behavioral level and sustained behavioral changes and their promotions would lead to reduction of excess fat and would thus reduce the risks of future disease. Need to Pursue the Research The most successful approaches to weight management in childhood have been indicated to be comprehensive interventions involving behavior management in relation to diet and physical activity, which have implications in long-term weight control and overall health status. The clinical trials that have investigated these approaches and interventions are limited in their abilities to determine the relative efficacies of individual strategies. The basic fact is that there exists an imbalance between intake of energy and expenditure. For example dietary pattern, addiction to television, tendency to have sedentary lifestyles, and an overall paucity of physical activities play key roles in creating these imbalances and thus represent an opportunity for intervention in a holistic fashion. If such interventions are applicable in the home environment, it would be most ideal. Therefore, a research is indicated and due which is being proposed here which would investigate the role of holistic fami ly-oriented treatment in reducing pediatric obesity. The Research Question What is the role of holis

Public Relations - Media coverage of a crisis Research Paper

Public Relations - Media coverage of a crisis - Research Paper Example This gave the crisis a wide reach due to the variety of media used. The internet was one of the most widely used mediums in reporting the crisis. Most media outlets have websites that display news and the use of instant messaging may have also played a great role in covering the oil spill. Most websites have subscription plans which they use to send news to members in their databases. The internet, judging from its accessibility and cost of access, was the preferred medium of coverage of the crisis. The numbers of avenues that are available for the information to be passed on the internet are vast. Ranging from blogs to email subscriptions, the coverage of the oil spill was widespread. The company, BP, also employed internet services in dispensing information with regard to the oil spill (BP). Coverage of the crisis on the televisions was also widespread. The exact duration of coverage of the crisis cannot be ascertained given that new information became available to media houses by the day. However, some television stations had live coverage of the events for several days since the start of the crisis. The number of stakeholders involved in the oil spill increased the time of coverage of the crisis. Environmentalists still get media coverage today with regard to the oil spill. This is because the impact of the crisis could not be ascertained immediately. Since it took a long time for the crisis to be brought under control, media coverage of the event continued with an analysis of the cause of the spill following the arrest of the crisis (Jennings 365). The event has been revisited several times by the media houses due to emerging details. After the crisis erupted, there was widespread coverage of the events in the Gulf of Mexico. After the situation was brought under control, its coverage also subsided. However, a report about the cause of the oil spill was later released, generating media

Ted.com Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ted.com - Essay Example This led Maskowitz to eventually determine that rather than developing a singular product, companies must develop a series of variations on this product to appeal to a broad range of people. The video goes into relay when Prego asked Maskowitz to help them develop a sounder product. Maskowitz responded by developing a multi-differentiated product line. Rather than attempting to determine the most popular spaghetti sauces among this group, Maskowitz worked to determine the groupings for form that would be the most popular. It was ultimately determined that extra-chunky was one of the popular types of spaghetti sauce that had not been developed yet had considerable public demand. Prego would release this brand and go on to net over $600 million dollars over the next decade. The main point Gladwell is making is that rather looking for universal answers, companies must consider human variability when designing products. Seth Godin on standing out As my major is finance and marketing, I c hose a video on marketing referred to as Seth Godin on standing out. Seth Godin is a recognized entrepreneur and blogger, and is greatly concerned with marketing in the digital age. This particular video considers ways that individuals can stand out in the contemporary marketing world.

Can U.K. be Described as a Homogeneous Society Essay

Can U.K. be Described as a Homogeneous Society - Essay Example The rise of industrialization, with its drawing of people into slums in large towns and cities contributed to a new set of cultural distinctions based on class, and in turn on politics, with the emergence of Labour and Tory ideologies with their focus on the interests of working and middle classes respectively. These distinctions have been eroded, somewhat, with the rise of New Labour, and the dilemmas that all advanced capitalists states face when expansion no longer seems achievable or even appropriate. Class distinctions have shifted from the defining domain of work, to that of popular culture. The media feed multiple new sub-cultures, based on tastes in clothes, music, lifestyle, entertainment etc. The influence on the media on culture is, however , not without its problems. One effect is to cater for a highly commercialised product which is targeted at maximum coverage. This is so much commercial output is commodified to the point where it appears unoriginal. Recent empirical in vestigations of the actual perceptions of people in all regions of the UK, as opposed to popular myths suggest, however, that ancient assumptions about such distinctions as race and class may no longer hold in quite the way that people imagine. The idea, much vaunted by some, that the political culture in Scotland is fundamentally different than in England, for example, has turned out not to be well founded in fact: â€Å"despite all the very plausible reasons why Scots should be different, our comprehensive comparisons suggested far more similarity than difference between those who live in Scotland and those who live in the rest of Britain.† (Miller et al., 1996, p. 369) The strands of culture that divide people are no longer based so much upon indigenous peoples, but along grounds of class, politics, gender, religion and any number of other features. In his interesting analysis of the way government and politics have developed in Britain, John Kingdom traces the countryâ₠¬â„¢s journey in the last hundred years or so from being a force of world capitalism, governing an empire consisting of many colonies in far corners of the world, to its present position as a former colonial master, still dealing with the aftermath of empire, and failing to find a comfortable position in relation to the emerging consellation of powers on the European mainland. Concepts such as the once splendid â€Å"sceptered isle† (Kingdom, 2004, p. 87) and the â€Å"Rule Britannia† complacency of previous ages no longer apply in a world which is increasingly inter-connected. The process of globalisation changes the way that people relate to both space and time, bringing distant matters close, and speeding up all the communication and trading processes that underpin the world economy. John Kingdom points out that the United Kingdom can no longer take for granted a privileged position as driver of these changes, and is now entering into a period of decline. The geogra phical island situation which was once interpreted as a distinctive and ennobling feature, becomes something much more akin to isolation or even exclusion, as the British Prime minister recently discovered during European finance negotiations. In an entirely different domain, the transition from a position of dealing with

Research Design and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research Design and Analysis - Essay Example The essay "Research Design and Analysis" talks about the research methods that have become part of every organization around the globe. With an increase in the global competition for few resources, people have to find new means through which they can survive and have an upper hand. Agassi discussed the major lines that differentiate scientific inquiry from the non-scientific inquiry. In his statement, scientific inquiry is a research method that relies on rigorous and independent procedures in its quest to prove logic and objectivity in research. Scientific inquiry bases its arguments on observations and verifiable experiments while nonscientific inquiry relies on theory or pure logic. Scientific inquiry provides independent, adequate and accurate information about a target population. On the contrary, a nonscientific inquiry is termed as biased because it relies on information obtained from individual imaginations, which may lack proof. Inductive model is used in situations where a researcher first collects all data necessary and relevant to the subject of research. Thereafter, the researcher analyzes the collected data and looks for patterns. With all the data at hand, a researcher narrows down the observations and formulates a theory. Inductive approach is applicable in qualitative research. On the contrary, in deductive approach, a researcher does the exact opposite of the inductive approach. With an existing theory, a researcher tests for its implication with data.

Tort Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tort Law - Case Study Example ‘ACE sports’, as the organisation, was responsible for building the brand new backboard and rim in the school playground where the accident took place. It can be ascertained as one of the potentially liable entities in this scenario as depicted a significant extent of negligence in preparing the backboard and especially rim. The rim had small loose metal prices which can be a result of a lack of focus on product quality by the company. It should have given top priority towards ensuring and building a safe and a secure sporting arena. Also, the topmost priority should have been given to the fact that all those athletes (mainly school students) who were involved in this activity were needed to be assured of proper first aid facilities in the arena itself. Moreover, the surgeon and the nurse had made contributions in Bobby’s surgery but they could have assisted Booby in a better manner. Based on the provided instance, it seemed that the surgery was completed in such a hurry that it got declared that by mistake Bobby’s left wrist got amputated instead of his right. Consequently, it is found that in order to address the scenario an additional corrective surgery took place which resulted in Bobby losing his both wrists. This scenario refers to severe negligence from the part of doctors as in such a critical medical exigency the concerned authorities depicted a lack of focus towards their work which became fatal for an innocent individual Bobby. Also, the nurse who assisted Bobby seemed to perform those activities that did not make much of a sense. The nurse told Bobby to put pressure on his wounds that do not seem appropriate at all. Moreover, there was huge gap that seemed to exist from the part of City General hospital as it did not seem to comply with basic medical standards. The hospital did not provide medical services to Bobby as he was running out of finance and during the time of emergency, Bobby’s mother did not receive any kind of response from the insurance agencies as well (Smith, 2009). Occurrences of these events ended up in Bobby getting refused in terms of receiving proper treatment at the City General hospital and he had to be shifted to a local country facility for undergoing treatment in an urgent basis (Lafferty, 2008; Statsky, 2011). Elements of Negligence There are essentially four elements of negligence that seem to reflect from the part of the healthcare professionals: Duty: The first and foremost aspect in a healthcare unit is to perform one’s duty in an orderly and appropriate manner. If anyone is found to be not complying with the medical standards in performing his/her basic duties then it can result in negligence (Okrent, 2009; Statsky, 2011). Breach: These aspects are considered to take place when one does not seem to obey the medical or industrial standards and comply with the basic rules (Statsky, 2011). Causation: It is an act which generally reflects inappropriate behavi or from the part of the medial care unit that results in causing harm to the patients who undergo treatment (Statsky, 2011). Damage: Damage is a very serious element of negligence which brings about harm to a patient in the matters associated with health and safety (Statsky, 2011). All the elements of negligence apply to ACE Sports, the nurse, the surgeon and City General as all of them were found to be involved in activities that greatly

IB Chemistry Lab Design - compare the effect of temperature on the concentrations of Vitamin C and Vitamin A in solution Essay Example for Free

IB Chemistry Lab Design compare the effect of temperature on the concentrations of Vitamin C and Vitamin A in solution Essay Research Question: To compare the effect of temperature on the concentrations of Vitamin C and Vitamin A in solution. Background Information: Many researchers claim that the vitamin content in the food we eat decreases as we cook the food, since it is being exposed to high temperatures. This really intrigued me since cooking is one of my hobbies, and I always try and check the nutritional value of meals that I cook. With this in mind, it was quintessential for me to see for myself if these claims hold true. To narrow the scope of the investigation, I chose Vitamins A and C to do this study upon. The claims state that the enzyme in whose form Vitamin C is found, gets denatured (or oxidised) at temperatures over 70Â °C as well as at low temperatures, in the freezer. Also, studies claim that Vitamin A (in the form of retinol) gets oxidised at high temperatures, during cooking. Once these vitamins get oxidised, they are lost to us. This investigation will compare the effects of high temperature on Vitamin A and Vitamin C solutions. http://chemmovies.unl.edu/chemistry/smallscale/SSGifs/SS054Ascorbic.gif The ascorbic acid enzyme gets denatured at high temperatures because the tertiary structure of the protein, which the enzyme is made up of, unravels, causing the active site of the enzyme to change in shape. This leads to the substrate being unable to fit into the active site, and we say that the enzyme is denatured. This denaturing can take place at extremes of pH too.The Vitamin A (retinol) gets oxidised because, at high temperatures, it reacts with oxygen in the air to form a carboxylic acid (retinoic acid). In the laboratory, ascorbic acid found in fruits and vegetables can be simulated by adding ascorbic acid crystals to water, to form a mildly acidic solution. This solution can also be used as the standard solution during titration to find concentration of ascorbic acid. To simulate Vitamin A, we can simply add retinol to water to form a standard solution. Hypothesis: At higher temperatures, both the concentration of Vitamin C and Vitamin A can be expected to decrease. However, I expect the decrease to be greater in the case of the Vitamin C solution since (having protein-like properties) it is more sensitive to extremes of temperature. Also, the alcohol retinol has a high boiling point, so I believe that it will be more resistant to oxidation too. Variables: Independent Variable Why and How it is Changed Temperature to which the Vitamin C/A solution is heated The factor whose effect is being studied on the concentration of Vitamin C/A in a solution is the temperature the solution is heated to. Therefore, the temperature is the independent variable. In order to change the temperature, equal quantities of the same Vitamin C/A solution are heated to different temperatures. The different temperatures taken are – 30Â °C, 50Â °C, 70Â °C and 90Â °C. As a control, one solution is placed at room temperature. A thermometer is used to measure the temperature of the solution. Investigation at each temperature will be repeated 3 times, to ensure reliability. Dependent Variable Why and How it is Recorded Concentration of Vitamin C/A in solution (in mol dm-3), after exposure to temperature The effect of temperature on the concentration of Vitamin C/A in a solution is being studied, thus the concentration is the dependent variable. As the temperature moves further away from room temperature (above or below) the concentration of Vitamin C/A in the solution should decrease due to denaturing or oxidation. The concentration of Vitamin C is calculated by doing an iodine titration. A starch solution is added to a standard Vitamin C solution which is the titrant. Into this, a solution of potassium iodide and potassium iodate is titrated till a blue colour is obtained (end point). This is repeated thrice. The average volume of iodine solution used is calculated, and divided by the concentration of Vitamin C. Then, the solutions of unknown concentrations are titrated and unitary method is used to calculate their concentrations. The concentration of Vitamin A is calculated using a redox titration. This is done by making a solution of acid dichromate, potassium iodide and starch. This is titrated against a solution of sodium thiosulfate of known concentration. The volume of thiosulfate used is noted. Then, the Vitamin A solutions are added to a similar solution of dichromate, KI and starch, and titration is carried out with thiosulfate. For every 1 less mole of thiosulfate used there is 0.25 mole of alcohol in the sample (according to the chemical equations) which was tested. Controlled Variable Why and How it is Maintained pH of Vitamin solution Extremes of pH can also lead to the denaturing of enzymes, so if pH changes it will interfere with the results, potentially giving inaccurate results. Thus, the pH needs to be kept a constant. This can be done by adding a few drops of acidic buffer to the initial solution. Presence of Antioxidants Antioxidants including salts such as sodium chloride tend to ‘protect’ ascorbic acid from being oxidised, and thus their presence may lead to inaccurate results. Thus, they need to be eliminated. This can be done by using distilled water (without any salts) while preparing the solution of ascorbic acid. Head Space Present in System The ascorbic acid gets denatured because of oxidation by air. Thus, if the volume of air present in the system changes, the results will also change invariably. To prevent this, the amount of head space present in the system must be kept constant. This can be done by placing a lid on top of the beaker in which the acid solution is heated. Initial Concentration of Ascorbic Acid solution If the initial concentration of ascorbic acid in the solution is different, then the final concentration will also be affected. This can be avoided by adding the same mass of ascorbic acid to the same volume of water while preparing all the sample solutions. Volume of Ascorbic Acid solution The volume of acid solution used for each temperature and each trial should be the same since otherwise it will affect the volume of iodine solution used. Therefore, the volume has to be measured accurately using a pipette for each temperature and trial (each titration). Concentration of starch, potassium iodide and potassium iodate solutions The concentration of any of these solutions will affect the volume of solution titrated during each trial. Thus, it needs to be kept a constant. This can be done by ensuring that equal masses of these reagents are added to equal volumes of water, for all the trials. Final temperature of solution The final temperature of the solution may affect the concentration of the acid in the solution, as rapid heating and cooling can encourage oxidation. Thus, to avoid errors, the solutions will be allowed to rest till they reach room temperature, and only then will they be titrated to calculate concentration. Chemicals 1. L-ascorbic acid – 3.52 g to make 1 dm3 of 0.002 M solution of acid 1. Glucose – 50 g to add to acid solution, to simulate fruit juice 1. Potassium Iodide – 10.0 g to make 1 dm3 iodine solution 1. Potassium Iodate – 0.536 g to make 1 dm3 iodine solution 1. Starch (soluble) – 0.25 g to make 50 ml of 0.5% starch solution 1. 3.00 M Sulphuric Acid – 60 ml to add to iodine solution 1. Distilled Water – To make all the solutions and washing Other Materials 1. Weighing Scale 1. Bunsen Burner 1. Tripod Stand 1. Wire Gauze 1. Mortar and Pestle 1. Pipette Filler 1. Lid (for beaker) – 4 1. Thermometer Procedure: Preparing Ascorbic Acid Solution of concentration 0.002 M 1. Measure 3.52 g of L-ascorbic acid using the weighing scale and the weighing boat (which has to be completely dry). 1. Place the weighed crystals in the mortar and use the pestle to crush the crystals into a fine powder, to aid with dissolving it in water. 1. Place the powdered acid into a 500 ml beaker and add a little distilled water to dissolve the acid. Use the glass rod to stir. 1. Once it seems that the acid has fully dissolved, add some more water to the solution, to ensure that all the acid has actually dissolved. Then, transfer the solution into the 1000 ml standard flask using a washed funnel and the glass rod. 1. Wash the beaker with water and pour into standard flask, to remove any remaining solution. Repeat this process 3 times. 1. Wash the funnel and the glass rod, letting the water run into the standard flask. 1. Make up the solution to the 1000 ml mark. Place the stopper and mix the solution thoroughly. Transfer approximately 500 ml of this solution to the 500 ml beaker, for ease of use. Preparing the 0.5 % starch solution 1. Measure 0.25 g of starch using the weighing scale and weighing boat. 1. Bring 50 ml of distilled water nearly to a boil, and then add the measured quantity of starch powder to it. Allow to cool. Preparing the Iodine Solution 1. Measure 10.0 g of potassium iodide and 0.536 g of potassium iodate using the weighing scale and weighing boat. Transfer this to a 500 ml beaker. 1. Dissolve the solids in approximately 400 ml of distilled water. Stir using the glass rod, to aid in dissolving. Add the 60 ml of 3.00 M sulphuric acid to the solution at this point. 1. Once it seems that the solids have fully dissolved, add some more water to the solution, to ensure that all of it has actually dissolved. Then, transfer the solution into a 1000 ml standard flask, using a washed funnel and the glass rod. 1. Wash the beaker with water and pour into standard flask, to remove any remaining solution. Repeat this process 3 times. 1. Wash the funnel and the glass rod, letting the water run into the standard flask. 1. Make up the solution to the 1000 ml mark. Place the stopper and mix the solution thoroughly. Transfer approximately 500 ml of this solution to a 500 ml beaker, for ease of use. Titration Set-up and Final Steps 1. Transfer 65 ml of Vitamin C solution each into 5, 250 ml beakers. 1. Keep one of the containers in a trough containing melting ice (0Â °C). Keep one at room temperature (as a control + standard solution). Heat the other three to 30Â °C, 60Â °C and 90Â °C respectively. Ensure that all the beakers are covered with a lid during heating or cooling. 1. Wash the pipette, first using tap water and then distilled water. Rinse the pipette thoroughly with the Vitamin C solution at room temperature. 1. Use a pipette to transfer 20 ml of the Vitamin C solution, at room temperature, into a conical flask. This is the standard solution (and the control) since its concentration is known (0.002 M). 1. Add 10 drops of the starch solution to the conical flask. Swirl the contents to mix properly. 1. Wash the burette with tap water followed by distilled water. Then, rinse the burette with the iodine solution. 1. Fill the burette with iodine solution till the 0.0 ml mark. 1. Titrate the iodine solution into the conical flask, swirling the conical flask at all times. The end point is reached when a blue colour is obtained that persists even after 20 seconds of swirling. Note down the volume of iodine solution used. 1. Re-fill the burette to the 0.0 ml mark. Repeat the titration process 2 more times. Note down these two values for volume of iodine solution used as well. Calculate the average volume used. 1. Check that all the solutions that were heated (or cooled) have reached room temperature, with the help of a thermometer. 1. If they have reached room temperature, repeat the entire titration process (steps 18 – 24) with the other 4 solution (0Â °C, 30Â °C, 60Â °C and 90Â °C). Ensure that the burette is re-filled to the 0.0 ml mark after each and every titration, and that the pipette is first washed, and then rinsed with the solution that is going to be placed in the conical flask. 1. Use unitary method, to calculate the concentration of Vitamin C in each solution, after heating or cooling, using the concentration of the solution at room temperature (0.002 M) as the known value.

Liberation tigers of tamil eelam

Liberation tigers of tamil eelam The opposition group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) recruited and used child soldiers throughout the 25-year armed conflict with Sri Lankan government forces. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was accused of recruiting and using the child soldiers as front-line troops. The recruiters of children under the age of 18 are mainly rebels of LTTE and the Karuna group, a break-away faction of LTTE working with Sri Lanka Forces. Forced recruitment of children under 18 escalated in the final months of hostilities during the conflict in 2008. Child-soldiers.org (2009) noted that children were used to perform a range of duties such as digging bunkers at the front line and to collect weapons from killed cadres and Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers. Children were also among the tens of thousands of civilians forced to flee fighting since mid-2008 and were sent to military-run Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps deprived of liberty and freedom in the north of the country. In the east of the country, even in IDP camps, children were still at risk of recruitment and abduction. Child-soldiers.org (2009) stated that LTTE obtained lists of IDPs from a village officer and they used it to identify families with children for recruitment. Families attempted to conceal the children for the fear of their children being recruited as child soldiers but the LTTE cadres would return at night to search the houses for children. In the past, some families paid off the LTTE to protect their children against recruitment but LTTE no longer provided this option in the last months of conflicts. In March 2009, LTTE was said to have introduced a quota system whereby teams of six cadres needed to return with 30 conscripts or they will be subjected to severe punishment. Recruited children received minimal training as they were used as front-line troops to protect the senior leadership and because of that many children have been among the casualties during fighting. According to Tamil Centre for Human Rights (2006), the Sri Lanka government is responsible for the grave and systematic violations against the children as they sought to cover it up with misinformation and propaganda. They also benefited from the collusion of the unwitting international community, the people concerned about issues regarding child rights, which supported the government with neutrality since 1983. It was found that under aged soldiers were recruited with the help of bogus birth certificates that were manipulated by the government, showing them as over 18 years old. When the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflicts (OP/AC) was being drawn up, Sri Lankan government tried to reduce the recruiting age to 16 for states as there were more than 100,000 army deserters. Furthermore, recruits aged 18 and above did not come forward, forcing the government to recruit under aged children. The International human rights law protecting childrens rights had been selectively used by the government thus suppressing the people rather than protecting the rights of the children. The optional protocol was never tested for any child soldiers to find their real age, thus not helping and preventing the children from being recruited. Tamil Centre for Human Rights (2006) noted that even with the support of the international community, the Sri Lankan government could not suppress the Tamil resistance movement that garnered the support of the people. Therefore the government started raising the child soldier issue, with small groups which did not have popular support and with the so-called human rights organisations, with the intention of discrediting the resistance movement. After the ceasefire agreement between the Government of the Democratic Socialist Repuclic of Sri Lanka and LTTE in 2002, there was a significant decrease in recruitment of child soldiers. United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) was working with LTTE to develop an action plan to reintegrate the children, providing them with assistance to school. They also agreed to monitor and prevent child recruitment in the future. Under international pressure, the LTTE announced that it would stop conscripting child soldier in the 2003, but the UNICEF and Human Rights watch (HRW) have accused it of going against its promises, conscripting Tamil children orphaned by the tsunami. UNICEF claimed that LTTE recruited at least 40 children orphaned by the Tsunami. However, from the start of 2007 LTTE agreed to release all of the recruits under the age of 18. Up to 25% of the children have either one or both parents dead or displaced due to war. Victims of war in Northeast region were sent to â€Å"welfare centres† and around 175 000 Tamils were at the centres in 2000. 50% of the victims were children. A survey held in 2000 revealed that they were deeply traumatised. The suicide rate in these centres is threefold of the national average, hitting 103%. (Refer to Fig. 1) It has been proven by a survey done by The Butterfly Peace Garden in 2000 that children in Sri Lanka are exposed to too much war contents. (Refer to Fig. 2) Besides that, study has shown that 95% of the children attending The Butterfly Peace Garden suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For 92% of these children, the cause of PTSD is due to the conflict within Sri Lanka.

Preventing Accidents on Construction Sites

Preventing Accidents on Construction Sites This chapter investigates the health and safety measures that are currently in place to reduce accidents and injuries on construction sites. In order to prevent accidents in construction it is not just a matter of setting up a list of rules and making safety inspections, although both of these have their place (Holt, 2001). Holt (2001) suggests that a system for managing health and safety is required that meets the needs of the business and complies with the law. This chapter intends to identify these strategies used and highlight the benefits to the industry in implementing them. The most important overall method is to implement the CDM regulations 2007 successfully, however within these regulations there are specific measures that can provide better results. The HSE concluded in ‘Blackspot Construction’ that 70% of the deaths on construction sites could have been prevented by positive action by managers within the industry (Joyce, 2001). The general principles of prevention as stated in regulation 7 of the CDM regulations 2007 are as follows: i. Every person on whom a duty is placed by these Regulations in relation to the design, planning and preparation of a project shall take account of the general principles of prevention in the performance of those duties during all stages of the project. ii. Every person on whom a duty is placed by these Regulations in relation to the construction phase of a project shall ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that the general principles of prevention are applied in the carrying out of the construction work. Welfare Facilities The provision for health, safety and welfare of workers involved on construction sites was not included in the CDM Regulations 1994 as it was the responsibility of the CHSW 1996; however these regulations have now been revoked by the CDM regulations 2007. These regulations set out the requirements for the provision of welfare facilities to be provided by the contractors as it has recently been recognized that the health and safety of workers is directly affected by their personal welfare (Joyce, 2007). The provision of high welfare facilities is likely to reduce the number of accidents and injuries on construction sites as it promotes recruitment, good morale and employee retention. These reasons alone should be sufficient justification for the investment in welfare facilities which should encourage the client and contractors to ensure that they are provided on construction sites from the outset to an acceptable level. Without the provision of welfare facilities workers are likely to be cold, overheated, dirty, dehydrated and uncomfortable (Joyce, 2007), this in turn will have an effect on the efficiency and effectiveness of their work undertaken creating an unsafe environment to themselves and their fellow workers. The provision of welfare facilities can be seen as an important measure to reduce accidents on construction sites; however the contractors must ensure that they are cleaned and maintained throughout the entire duration of the construction work in order to achieve their full benefit to the industry. Education and Training Education and training plays a very important part in the reduction of accidents on construction sites which is a legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations 1999 as well as more recently the CDM regulations 2007. It is the responsibility of the employer to provide such training during recruitment, at inductions or when being exposed to new or increased risks (Hughes Ferret 2007). The levels of education and training required covers a wide range of information such as specific company health and safety policies, risk assessments, method statements, safety procedures, good practice and legal requirements (Hughes Ferret 2005). It is evident that providing essential information through a high level of education and training will enable employees to carry out tasks with limited supervision, this in turn should reduce the likelihood of health and safety risks and therefore help reduce the number of accidents and injuries within the construction industry. Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) The Construction Skills Certification scheme has been set up to help improve the general quality of workmanship as well as to reduce accidents and injuries occurring on construction sites. This CSCS scheme helps to ensure that competent workers are registered within the construction industry, which is currently the largest scheme within the construction industry which covers over 220 different occupations. As a result of this these cards are becoming increasingly demanded throughout, in particular by clients and contractors in order for workers to provide proof of their occupational competence and therefore gain access onto construction sites throughout the UK. This scheme has been supported by construction authorities such as the Major Contractors Group (MCG), National Contractors Federation (NCF) and the Major Home Builders Group (MHG) as it shows they have passed the CITB – Construction Skills Health and Safety Test. If these cards are made mandatory as a standard requirement within the construction industry then it will ensure that the general health and safety awareness of construction workers on construction sites with regards to health and safety risks will significantly improve, therefore more than likely reduce the number of accidents and fatalities within the industry. http://www.citb.org.uk/cardschemes/whatcardschemesareavailable/certificationschemes/cscs.asp Competence Assessments The CDM regulations 2007 have highlighted the increased awareness that the employment of competent workers is likely to reduce the number of accidents within the construction industry. This is evident from the increased vigour of worker competence assessments that are required before a work operative can start work. Competence assessments are carried out in order to assess whether a person is suited to carry out a job which is a method used to reduce accident on construction sites. It is the author’s opinion that competent people are more aware of health and safety risks surrounding them which they can therefore deal with before an accident occurs. The level of competence required is proportionate to the risks arising from the construction work (Joyce, 2007) which is stated in the ACoP so no work undertaken should be carried out by an unable worker. The term competence is not defined in the CDM regulations however a definition made during a civil court case in 1962 sates that a competent person is: A person with practical and theoretical knowledge as well as sufficient experience of the particular machinery, plant or procedure involved to enable them to identify defects or weaknesses during plant and machinery examinations, and to assess their importance in relation to the strength and function of that plant and machinery. The concept of confidence underpins the CDM regulations 2007 because no duty holder can be appointed unless they are competent themselves, this is required by regulation 4(1)(a): No person on whom these Regulations place a duty shall appoint or engage a CDM co-coordinator, designer, principal contractor or contractor unless he has taken steps to ensure that the person to be appointed or engaged is competent. In order to prevent incompetent people assessing the competence of others, the CDM regulations set out a statement in regulation 4(1)(b): No person on whom these Regulations place a duty shall accept an appointment or engagement unless he is competent. The introduction of the CDM Regulations 2007 clearly shows that competence assessment is an important measure to prevent accident on construction sites and must be implemented further if these measures are to be highly successful. Designing to reduce risks The introduction of the CDM regulations 2007 has provided a bigger emphasis on designing out risks in the planning stage of construction projects. Increased responsibility has been placed on designers as a result of the introduction of the CDM regulations 2007 to eliminate hazards before they have chance to occur. Holt (2001) suggests that the method of prevention to remove the risk of a hazard at the design stage is likely to be more effective than to establish a control strategy, especially as it would rely on people to work in the correct way which is not always likely to happen. An example of this may be for a designer to prevent from specifying fragile roofing materials which could present the opportunity for people to fall through. In the event of a designer unable to completely eliminate health and safety risks at the design stage, then the design and specification can still make a significant difference to actions carried out on site. It should emphasize ways in which work should be carried out in order to provide minimal health and safety risks to workers. The extra time spent that may result from a more detailed design process should be repaid through savings of time and money, and possibly lives throughout the construction process (Holt, 2001). Communication The variety of measures in place in order to reduce accidents and fatalities on construction sites which are evident from the ongoing literature review throughout this chapter. The successfulness of these measures however is dependant on effective communication, particularly when implementing training and education as it will dramatically improve work operatives understanding of health and safety risks. Hughes and Ferret (2007) suggest that many problems regarding health and safety on construction sites is a result of poor communication between management and the workforce within an organization, this often arises from ambiguities or possible accidental distortion. There are 3 basic methods of communicating health and safety information within the construction industry identified by Hughes Ferret (2007) as verbal, written and graphic. The most common of these methods is verbal communication via speech or word of mouth, this type of communication should only be used when providing simple instructions or information generally during meetings or training sessions, these are generally known as ‘tool box’ talks. In order for the implementation of verbal communication to be successful, the spokesperson needs to ensure that the messages they are trying to relay are clear and prevent confusion, the receiver should then demonstrate some form of understanding in order to prove they clear on what is expected of them before undertaking any work. This method of accident prevention can have its drawbacks and be a regular cause of accidents on construction sites if a verbal instruction has not been understood. Hughes and Ferret (2007) suggest that this may be as a result of a number of factors such as language and dialect barriers, use of technical language and abbreviations, background noise and distractions, hearing problems, ambiguities in the message, mental weaknesses and learning disabilities, lack of interest and attention. Despite the potential limitations that exist with verbal communications, there are also a number of benefits that it brings to construction sites if carried out successfully. Communication in this manner is less formal, enables the exchange of information to take place quickly and can be carried out close to the workplace (Hughes Ferret, 2007). Written communication involves the use of emails, reports, notice boards etc. in order to communicate information regarding health and safety. Potential problems involved with this form of communication are that the language used may be difficult to understand and affect the level of comprehension. Detailed reports may not be read properly due to time constraints and notice boards may be positioned in the wrong places with out of date and irrelevant information. The main benefit of using written communication, in particular emails, is that it provides a quicker method to ensure that messages get to all the people that may be concerned which is an important measure which could be implemented further to reduce accidents on construction sites (Hughes Ferret, 2007). Graphical communication is carried out through the use of photographs, drawings, posters and videos. This type of communication is often used to inform workers of health and safety information such as fire exits and HS propaganda. This is regarded as being a relatively effective method of communication as it has no barriers with regards to language or dialect and displays a simple message that can be remembered. The potential limitations regarding this procedure is that the graphics may very quickly become out of date or in the case of posters, be ignored (Hughes Ferret). Improvements in Technology A key measure in which to reduce accidents on construction sites is through the use of up to date technologies. This view is supported by (reference) who suggests that new technologies in construction sites are not only likely to help prevent accidents and injuries on construction sites but also improve the overall efficiency of construction projects. This view is also supported by Holt (2001) who suggests that keeping up to date with new technology can bring an added benefit to the industry and generally improve site conditions. The introduction of new technology may be in the form of improved software, software often gets up-graded quickly with new and improved packages that should be installed to benefit the industry. It may also involve improvements in technology such as the new Blackberry; this can incorporate cell phone capability and email connectivity into a single device that will benefit employers relaying safety messages quickly and directly to employees on site, therefore improving coordination between site operatives. New technology may also be in the form of site equipment and plant, for instance the use of mechanical systems such as hoists and lifts should be replaced instead of manual operations, this is not only likely to increase productivity on site but also prevent the likelihood of injuries such as back problems. The introduction of improved technologies into construction sites in an attempt to reduce accidents and injures is largely dependant on the level of training that accompanies it. Employers must be aware that productivity on site may not be at its peak during the period of change as new software and equipment requires training and adjustments to that of old technologies. However, if sufficient training is provided to accompany the new technology and software then employees will be able to harness the power of new technologies and provide numerous benefits to the construction industry. Risks Assessments Risk assessments are an important measure used to reduce HS risks on construction sites, they are a legal requirement of many HS legislations during the planning stage of a project so that plans can be put in place to control potential risks as assessed in Chapter 2 of this study. A risk assessment involves an examination of the potential risks that may cause harm to people which cannot be avoided through the design process of a project, the risk assessments should only identify the significant risks that apply to the construction project and ignore the trivial risks that are not likely to result in an accident or fatality. They are carried out in order for organisations to establish whether they have taken enough precautions or to identify if they could do more to prevent the likelihood of an accident or fatality on the construction site (HSE, 2006a). Risk assessments are used to decide on priorities and set objectives for eliminating hazards and reducing risks, if this is possible it is usually through selection and design of facilities, equipment and processes. However if they cannot be eliminated they are minimised by the use of physical controls or, as a last resort, through systems of work and personal protective equipment (Hughes Ferrett, 2007). ‘A hazard is something with potential to cause harm. The harm will vary in severity some hazards may cause death, some serious illness or disability, others only cuts and bruises. A Risk is the combination of the severity of harm with the likelihood of it happening.’ http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg275.pdf Hughes and Ferrett (2007) identifies two basic forms of risk assessments, these are ‘quantitative’, which involves risks given a numerical value and ‘qualitative’ which is the most common form of risk assessment in the construction industry which is based purely on personal judgement and then quantified as being either high, medium or low risk in terms of its severity. The HSE (2006a) identified the following 5 key steps in order to asses the risk in a workplace: Step 1: Identify the hazards Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions Step 4: Record your findings and implement them Step 5: Review your assessment and update if necessary If these steps are followed by every construction organisation throughout the UK then it will make a big difference to reducing the number of accidents and fatalities on construction sites which is regarded as being the principal aim of risk assessments, this aim however is also dependant on the competence of people carrying out the risk assessment and also the communication of their findings. An example of a risk assessment form can be seen in Appendix 2. Health and Safety Culture HSE publication HSG 65, Successful Health and Safety Management Health and Safety Inductions Health and Safety Policies Health and Safety Policies are an important measure that are required by law for every organisation to produce. The can play a key role in reducing accidents and fatalities on construction sites. They have been assessed in greater detail in chapter 2, section 8.4. Managing Risks during construction The introduction of the CDM regulations have also placed more emphasis on managing risks during construction in order to target the high level of accidents and fatalities on construction sites. This measure involves creating a well established management system that controls the potential risks faced during a construction project and deciding what should be done about them. This may involve giving collective protective measures priority over individual measures to provide the biggest benefit to the health and safety of everyone involved. This may involve removing hazardous dust by exhaust ventilation rather than providing a filtering respirator to an individual worker (Rowlinson, 2004). It is therefore the role of a manager, such as the principal contractor to assess the most appropriate protective measures to use during the construction process and ensure that people under his command abide by these management decisions. Managing risks during construction may also be in the form of giving appropriate instructions to employees. This may involve making sure that all employees are fully aware of specific company policies, risk assessments, method statements, safety procedures, good practice, official guidance, and any legal requirements that they must follow (Holt, 2001). Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) It is the opinion of (make up a reference) that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should only be used as a control measure as a last resort to try to reduce accidents and fatalities on construction sites. This is due to the fact that it does not eliminate the hazard and will present the wearer with the maximum health and safety risk if the equipment fails. Hughes and Ferrett (2007) identify a number of limitations as to why PPE should only be used as a last resort such as the equipment only protects the person wearing it and doesn’t take into account the effects the risk may have on others working nearby; it relies on people wearing the equipment at all times which people do not often do; it must be used properly which requires training, this could result in a loss of time and productivity and it must be replaced when it no longer offers the appropriate levels of protection. Aside from these limitations the use of PPE still provides certain benefits to the industry and is an important measure to reduce, or at least prevent the level of accidents on construction sites. PPE enables workers to have immediate protection to allow a job to continue; in an emergency it can be the only practicable way of effecting rescue or shutting down plant; and it can be used to carry out work in confined spaces where alternatives are impracticable (Hughes Ferrett, 2007). The Construction Phase Plan The Health and Safety File The Construction Phase Plan and The Health and Safety File which were introduced by the CDM regulations both help to reduce accidents and injuries on construction sites. They have been discussed previously in Chapter 1, Section 7.2 in greater detail on the positive impacts they have on the construction industry. It is the opinion of the author that these measures to reduce accidents on construction sites should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they are still effective and to introduce new improvements to these measures. In the event of a serious accident or incident occurring on a construction site, then an immediate review of the risk control measures in place should be carried out to identify the problem and why it occurred. Cost of implementation of the CDM regulations 2007 The HSC has claimed that the CDM regulations are likely to save the construction industry  £2.7 billion, through reduced bureaucracy and a further benefit to the construction industry by up to  £3.2 billion by reduced loss of working time (Joyce, 2007), this however is likely to be the best case scenario, the HSC concluded that in the worst case scenario the introduction of the CDM regulations 2007 could cost the construction industry  £660 million (Joyce, 2007). The financial cost of implementing these measures of prevention through the CDM regulations may be regarded as costly to the industry; however it is the authors opinion the benefit of implementing theses regulations successfully and reducing the number of fatalities and accidents on construction sites is a small price to pay as it benefits the industry as a whole by the factors outlined below. This view is supported by Robert E McKee who commented that â€Å"Safety is, without doubt, the most crucial investment we can make, And the question is not what it costs us, but what it saves†. 4.6 Benefits of accident prevention The measures identified in section 4.1 above highlight the main factors that can assist in preventing accidents and fatalities on construction sites. The implementations of measures to prevent accidents are extremely worthwhile as they provide a number of benefits to the construction industry which are discussed below. 6.6.1 Cost in human suffering The cost in human suffering, physical pain and hardship resulting from death and disability is impossible to quantify (Holt, 2001). The accident and fatality statistics analyzed in chapter 3 provide the author with background knowledge that there are an alarming amount of accidents and fatalities within the construction industry each year. This is likely to have had a significant impact on the lives of workers and their families causing a considerable amount of disruption. This is one of the major reasons why these statistics need to be reduced and try to achieve a safer construction industry. 6.6.2 Moral Moral reasons stem from a developing public awareness that something needs to be done to raise the quality of life within the construction industry (Holt, 2001). It is becoming increasingly evident that the safety of workers within the construction industry is being put at risks for reasons such as potential increased profits. It is of the author’s opinion that this is morally wrong and should be prevented which in turn will benefit the construction industry as a result of fewer accidents. In order to increase workers moral within the industry (Holt, 2001) workers should be actively involved in accident prevention programmes, this is likely to increase the productivity of work and prevent weakened worker moral through a reduction in accidents on site. 6.6.3 Legal Legal reasons are contained in state law, which details steps to be taken and objectives to be met, and which carries the threat of prosecution or other enforcement action as a consequence of failure to comply (Holt, 2001). The prevention of fatalities is likely to reduce legal action faced by organizations which in turn is likely to reduce cost in terms of money and adverse publicity as there will be a reduction in the number of workers able to gain compensation. 6.6.4 Financial The benefit of accident prevention is likely to have a significant impact on financial reasons which will ensure the continuing financial health of a business and avoid the costs associated with accidents (Holt, 2001). These costs can be both direct cost such as production delays which include the cost of compensation as well as indirect costs such as management time spent on investigations and fines. Conclusion of chapter The analysis of measures to reduce accident and fatalities on construction sites along with the benefits that these measures bring, highlight the fact that a good safety record and document safety management systems can more than repay the time spent of achieving it. A reduction in accidents and fatalities through increased measures to prevent them will significantly reduce the problems identified in section 6.6 and therefore significantly benefit the construction industry as a whole. This chapter highlights many control systems and mechanisms that are in place to decrease the chances of accident and injuries within the construction industry, however Chapter Four: Methodology This chapter discusses the different methodological approaches for this study and expands on the outline methodology highlighted in chapter 1. Detailed accounts of the specific research strategies are also examined, highlighting the methods used to analyze and interpret the data collected. Each question chosen for the questionnaire will be examined stating why it was chosen, what it hoped to achieve, and how it relates to the research aim and objectives. Finally, the location of the study and methodological restrictions are also considered. Approach Several methodologies to assess the effectiveness, success and problems of CDM regulations have been used in the past, notably sample groups, influence network models, case studies and statistical analysis (reference). The case study approach analyses a very small number of duty holders using semi-structured surveys, and over a number of periods (e.g. quote people and times). Although this methodology can be detailed, results can be extremely unrepresentative. Resultantly, the sample group methodology was chosen for this study, which follows the same layout, but with a much larger number of duty holders. Academics such as (reference) and (reference) have used this type of methodology in the past. The sample group methodology was most appropriate for this study, as data was needed from multiple different duty holders in order to make comparisons and generalizations. Using influence network models was deemed less appropriate than a sample technique as this tended to concentrate on influences for poor health and safety rather than the effectiveness of the CDM Regulations 2007. Criteria for evaluating effectiveness In order to gain useful information it was important to understand what the outcome would be compared to (Moore, 2000), therefore, at this stage the ultimate outcome for measuring the effectiveness of the revised CDM regulations would be to measure the impact they have had on accident statistics on construction sites. This measure however takes a long period of time for changes to manifest themselves and enable a comparison to that of the CDM regulations 1994. As the introduction of the CDM regulations 2007 only came into force in April 2007, a number of different measures have been implemented throughout this study in order to measure the early effectiveness of the new CDM regulations. Table 7.1 below shows the steps taken with the required source of evidence to indicate that an early impact has been made. Effectiveness means the capability of producing an effect (www.wikepidia.org) and in this case, it can be assumed that with reference to this study the intended effect of the CDM regulations is to reduce accident statistics on construction sites. Table 7.1 Impact outcome of the revised CDM Regulations Step Outcome measure Indicative evidence of outcome 1 Duty holder awareness that CDM regulations have been revised Events and articles to launch the revised CDM Regulations 2 Duty holder obtains information about revised CDM Regulations Sales and downloads of the revised CDM regulations and guidance material 3 Duty holder acts internally on contents of revised CDM regulations Duty holder acknowledges clarity in the regulations and better known what is expected of them 4 Improvements in management and design practice appear Positive duty holder views on the improved flexibility in the fit of the revised CDM regulations to a wide range of contractual arrangements. Improved information flow including from the clients. Improved competence assessments. Improved communication, cooperation and coordination between duty holders. Improved health and safety files. Reduced bureaucracy and paperwork. Clients committed to ensuring the safe management of projects. Coordinators are perceived as adding value. 5 Improvements in risk management through good design apparent in specifications and drawings. More on-site hazards are eliminated and thus appear less frequently on drawings / specifications. More resid

Greek Gods and Myths :: Greece Mythology Gods Goddesses Essays

Greek Gods and Myths Andromeda is a herm pillar St. George defeats a dragon = paganism is replaced by Christianity Perseus travels to the axis mundi (which is always a narrow passageway) He attends Hippodameias marriage where he uses the gorgon head (transmutation of Athena) and changes the dinner guests into stone (herm pillars) He changes the whole nature of Mycenae of the Old Minoan tradition into the age of Zeus The meaning of Mycenae is changed to mushroom, from what it had once been named after the sisterhood The liminal hero has moved forward to Zeus role Another story of Perseus (backwards version) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- His dads name is Proitos, and moms name is Strong Cow (Queen) Proitoss daughters are named as the sisterhood of Proitides The Proitides start itching because of the oestral cycle and they become cows They encounter Perseus and tear him to pieces Another Perseus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- His name is Bellerophon, which means killer of Belleros He also rides on Pegasus just like Perseus He comes to Strong Cows city Strong cow gets the oestral itch and falls madly in love with Bellerophon He keeps away from her The queen lies to her husband Proitus and says that Bellerophon had raped her Proitus gives Bellerophon a letter that tells him to go to Africa=underworld Bellerophon goes to Africa and then is sent on a mission to find a deadly beast named Chimaera that is composed of a lion with a tail of a serpent. He is successful in finding the Chimaera. And during his mission he sleeps with many women from the underworld. While riding on Pegasus, Pegasus smells the mares on heat on Mt. Olympus and rushes to get there. Bellerophon falls from Pegasus and is maimed. He wanders in the midst of Asia. Hercules (in Greek= Herakles) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If one is moving towards and Olympian identity, they should leave behind their physicality. Herakles gets his name from Hera, sinister name named after the goddess. The false atamology of the name means killer of Hera, or the great queens finger guy. He leans on a pillar and is the pillar guy of the goddess. He is associated with the entheogen of the club=the trunk of the olive tree; lion skin; archery =toxins; and cup of wine Antias -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He is the one who greets you when you come to the underworld. He is an African who has a close association with mother earth, and is chthonic.

Character Personality Types in Pride and Prejudice Essay example -- Li

â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† was written by Jane Austin and published in 1813. Since its publication, Pride and Prejudice has remained a hugely popular book with multiple film adaptations. The success of â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† can be attributed to many factors such as its idyllic setting, the strained romance between the two main characters and the witty dialog. However, the relatability of the characters and the abundance of personality types reflected in modern society have made Pride and Prejudice one of the most loved books of all time. We can use the Jung theory on personality types to classify each character. Jung states: â€Å" †¦my first concern must be with the two general types I have termed introverted and extraverted. But, in addition, I shall also try to give a certain characterization of those special types whose particularity is due to the fact that his most differentiated function plays the principal role in an individual's adaptation or orientation to life.† (Jung) Just and introvert and extrovert are opposites of each other, the other types that make up a person personality are also opposite each other. This is best explained on the Meyer-Briggs Foundations website which describes four â€Å"dichotomies.† Introvert and extrovert are the first set of dichotomies, followed by sensing and intuition, thinking and feeling, and judging and perceiving. The combination of these characteristics make up one’s personality type. (Myers and Briggs Foundation) By using Jung’s theories we can analyze each character and identify what it is that makes the character relatable. Elizabeth is strong willed and knows what she wants. â€Å"A stile-jumper by conviction as well as instinct, she not only flouts convention, she holds it up for deliberate mock... ...xperienced an abundance of success and will continue to delight readers for years to come because of it relatable characters. Works Cited Austin, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. London: Egerton, 1813. Print. Deresiewicz, William. "Community and Cognition in "Pride and Prejudice"." ELH (1997): 503-535. Web. Ewin, R. E. "Pride, Prejudice and Shyness." Philosophy (1990): 137-154. Jung, C. G. Psycological Types. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976. Web. 11 December 2011. . Morgan, Susan. "Intelligence in "Pride and Prejudice"." Modern Philology (1975): 54-68. Myers and Briggs Foundation. MBTI Basics. 2003. Web. 11 December 2011. . Sherry, James. "Pride and Prejudice: The Limits of Society." Studies in English Literature (1979): 609-622. Web.

Perfume †Grenouille Analysis Essay

Throughout the story â€Å"Perfume† by Patrick Suskind, Grenouille is presented as an outsider who is a product of both social and moral decay shown through his birth, description of the setting and description of Grenouille’s characteristics. Grenouille was born in the malodorous fish market of Paris in the â€Å"18th century†, where the 18th century was a period of tragedy and chaos where foul smells were everywhere. Moreover, Grenouille being born in a â€Å"fish market† indicates the evil and unnatural nature of Grenouille as he is born in the worst smelling, filthiest and unnatural place in Paris. Even more, being born in a fish market in a â€Å"pile of fish guts† shows Grenouille as a victim of social decay where society and degraded so far to the point where babies mattered just as much as fish guts. Obviously, Grenouille’s future is seen to be full of sin and filthiness as seen from his birth place. Furthermore, from the moment Grenouille was born, he was endowed with a powerful sense of smell which he â€Å"used as a language† further suggesting his filthy and malicious future as the first smell he smelt was the disgusting stench of the fish market foreshadowing his disgusting future intentions. Using smell â€Å"as a language†, shows the difference between him and all other people in society making him an outsider. Similarly, like an animal, Grenouille uses sense of smell to communicate and judge his surroundings portraying his animalistic characteristics inside as well as the predator within him using scent to track prey as animals do. Clearly, Grenouille’s powerful sense of smell foreshadows his violent, animalistic future intentions. Conversely, through free indirect discourse, Suskind develops sympathy for Grenouille and portrays him as an outsider and a product of social decay. There is described to be a â€Å"stench barely conceivable† showing Grenouilles abundance of a smell setting him aside and different to â€Å"the people, the stairwells, the parlours and the bedrooms.. † making him different to anything normal making him an outsider. However, sympathy is developed for him when he describes everything in society to have a stench showing that he felt everything in society and all the people in it stank thus causing him to become a victim of social decay. Grenouille is further conveyed as a victim of social decay when upper class supposedly high ranked and highly respected people are portrayed as fools and almost idiots. Through Comic Irony Father Terrier is seen as an uneducated fool and childish when using the phrase â€Å"poohpeedooh†. The repetition of this phrase further illustrates the foolish nature of a highly respected person showing social decay. Moreover, presenting the upper class in France as silly and foolish shows the decay of society and how even foolish people such as Father Terrier are respected and looked up to making Grenouille a victim to this social decay as well as an outsider as he does not respect these foolish upper class people and does not follow the demands of society. Similarly, Grenouille is again seen as an outsider when society refuses to accept him. His mother leaves him to die in a pile of fish guts and many others refuse to take him in, leaving him as an unwanted outsider. Again this foreshadows his future actions of violence and murder when society rejects him and many people act on their basic instincts and leave him to die suggesting a sense of evil in him. Grenouille is further shown as an outsider when he is described to have a â€Å"lack of scent†. This lack of scent clearly shows he is unnatural and he is not a normal being as well as further suggests his evil nature as he is able to move around unnoticed by anything allowing him to be able to do things unnoticed. Clearly, Grenouille has an unnatural, evil feel to him as seen through his characteristics and the way he is rejected purely but instincts by society. As seen from his birthplace, the setting and his characteristics Grenouille is clearly an outsider in society and this will ultimately lead to the murder of several women as well as chaos.

A Critique on the Blank Slate Essay

There are three doctrines which have attained sacred status in modern intellectual life. The Blank Slate, a loose translation of the medieval Latin term tabula rasa, scraped tablet, commonly attributed to John Locke which delves into the opposing of political status quos and social arrangements, stating mainly that the mind is like a sheet of white paper void of all characters and ideas, furnished with words through experience; it denounced the differences seen among races, including the institution of slavery as slaves could no longer be thought of as innately inferior, ethnic groups, sexes and individuals for the differences come not from the innate constitution but from the differences in the experiences. It is indeed fitting to think of the mind that way as the mind is like a blank sheet of paper filled only through experience. Yet it is safe to say that not only experience that can fill it but also preconceptions and expectations of the society. Another doctrine is The Noble Savage, commonly attributed to philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, inspired by the European colonists’ discovery of the indigenous in the New World; it stated the belief that savages were solitary, without ties of love or loyalty and without any industry or art. It also captures the belief that humans in their natural state are selfless, peaceable and untroubled and that negative emotions such as greed and jealousy are products of civilization, a concept which debased Thomas Hobbes’ belief that man is naturally cruel and requires a regular system of police to be resolved. Looking at it from a personal angle, I would say that I quite agree with Hobbes only on one aspect: man is naturally cruel; if he isn’t, then how is it that our history has been tainted with the blood of millions of people who have died because of a single man who could not rein his malice, i.e. Hitler. Even in our everyday life, we manage to impress upon other peopl e our evil nature, even if in a simple way. But that does not mean that we need to surrender our lives to leviathan control for I believe that we can change our nature, no matter how far back we may seem. As the last doctrine states, we are not merely machines with gears and springs, we are our minds and thus we have the ability to think and choose our own decisions. The last doctrine, attributed to Rene Descartes, is perhaps the most ingenious of all: The Ghost in the Machine. Our mind exists because we know how to think and the very act of doing so proves it. Our bodies’ existence however may be doubted for we may simply be immaterial spirits who merely daydream that we are incarnate. Add to that a moral bonus: the belief that the mind is a different kind of thing from the body. And what makes it truly intriguing is the fact that philosophers argue as to when the ghost enters the body, during the start of the fertilization when the sperm cell fertilizes the egg cell and creates the zygote or when it has become a fetus ready to be borne into the world. Certainly it is an argument comparable to the question, â€Å"Which came first, the chicken or the egg?† Philosophically answering the question would pertain to another question, â€Å"what is meant by ‘came first’?† as all philosophical questions go. These doctrines have so shaped the world that it has left fingerprints, from Walt Disney to the former president of the United States, George W. Bush. And even for a simple student like me who has recently come across the subject, I can say that I have already thought of such concepts even without reading it before, or at least I have thought about the idea of the Noble Savage and the Blank Slate. Yet as I read the concept of the Ghost in the Machine, I was very much in awe for I have never, in my whole sixteen years of existence, thought of such a thing. And what really appeals to me is the fact that Descartes claims that we are our minds and that our body may merely be an image we have formed as immaterial b eings. Even Buddha thought so, stating that â€Å"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I have long doubted the ideas of ghosts and reading of such a concept, especially in a subject such as this, makes me wonder how the philosopher conceived such an idea. Thinking of it gives me shivers as it implies that we are beings far greater than we imagined. And as good as it may sound, I think it appeals to man’s egotistic nature; we as humans who have done things, good and evil, try to look for a sound explanation to ease our consciences. I cannot say that the idea does not appeal to me yet I cannot also say that I do agree with it; on the other hand, of the three doctrines, I agree the most with the doctrine of The Noble Savage. I do believe that in our true nature, we are savages but that does not mean that we did not know how to control ourselves; indeed it would seem that the Native Americans, the specific race of people that the Europeans based the doctrine of The Noble Savage on, had a better society than we did: they were less barbaric, no employment problems and substance abuse, even crime was nearly nonexistent. And even if there were hard times, life was definitely stable and predictable. And yet that in itself was the reason why man chose to come out of his â€Å"savage† nature; he wanted adventure, twist and turns in his life; he wanted to feel the thrill of living. There is nothing wrong with that but for every choice there is a price to pay and the price we paid was high even if it remains to be seen whether it was worth it or not. However that is not enough reason to turn over our free will to an autonomous control; doing so would merely undermine the choices we have made for our civilization. Besides, our lives are meant to be lived fully and whatever choices we make, we must stand by it and see it to the end. Our mind, no matter how it started or whatever way it really is, is a tool for us to live our lives as we see fit. We must learn to harness our true potential to make sure that whatever choices we make would produce positive ripples that would be felt in the distant future to help the coming generations. As Plutarch said, â€Å"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.†

Billy Mitchell: A Critical Analysis of His Leadership Essay

Billy Mitchell was a visionary airpower pioneer who demonstrated very effective leadership in field operations, but his inability to develop a guiding coalition limited his effectiveness in leading the major organizational change he so desperately desired. General Mitchell was a famous, some would say infamous, airpower thinker who some regard as the father of the United States Air Force.1 Born into a wealthy family and the son of a Wisconsin Senator, Mitchell could have chosen a life of luxury. But Billy sought great adventure and chose the military life instead. He joined the Army at the age of eighteen, six years before the Wright brothers made their first historic flight at Kitty Hawk. Once powered flight was proven, it wouldn’t take long for men to make it a weapon of war. For the U.S. Army, Mitchell found himself leading this effort in World War I and, by all accounts, he did so superbly. In this experience, he gained a vision for airpower so firmly embraced that he beca me America’s most outspoken supporter of air forces and the need for an independent Air Service. See more: how to write an analysis As he pursued this challenge, Mitchell’s leadership was both stirring and divisive – leading to heroic displays of airpower technology and also to courts martial for insubordination. Despite his efforts, General Mitchell was not able to drive the Army and the nation to the strategic change he desired for airpower. In the years, however, following his downfall, many of his concepts eventually won the day. Denied his dream in life, his contributions were rewarded six years after his death when he was posthumously promoted to Major General and awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. How could a man succeed so greatly in one phase of his life, but fail to achieve the same level of success in another, given the fact that history has proven his airpower tenants correct? To answer this, one must examine Mitchell’s leadership and explore how it affected his successes and failures. The Air War College leadership curriculum provides an environment to examine the underpinning s of leadership and how it may be defined and improved. As a core analytical framework, it utilizes the Right to Lead (RTL) Model. 2 This model allows one, given certain authority, obligations, and requirements, to assess leadership against the factors of competence, character, personality, and relevance. I use these factors to assess Mitchell’s field leadership and provide rationale for his operational successes. Mitchell possessed high levels of leadership competence, especially with regard to his knowledge and skills. He was very intelligent and dedicated himself to mastering the technical aspects of every military duty, which crossed a wide gamut from reading Morse code to flying aircraft. His assignments, from the jungles of the Philippines to the barren tundra of Alaska, provided him with great breadth of experience from which he polished the personal skills needed to lead his men. He leveraged this talent in the first world war, when he brought the power of his knowledge and experience to combat the ignorance of those who failed to understand how to employ airpower in the fight. 3 The one limiting factor in Mitchell’s competence related to his behavior, specifically in the wear of the uniform, where he was known to take â€Å"free reign in everything that adds a touch of picturesque to his personality.4 He would have been wise to remedy his behavior in this regard, as some of his actions drew outrage from his men, including the wear of more gold chevrons on his sleeve than he was authorized.5 Luckily for Mitchell, due to his strength of character, his men were mostly willing to overlook his behavioral faults. He was known as a man of integrity and was fiercely devoted to the well being of his men. Given that an honest effort was put forward, he was surprisingly tolerant of mistakes. Most importantly in the eyes of his troops, before ordering a subordinate to undertake a tough assignment, Mitchell would experiment with the task himself.6 Consider the following: Mitchell enlisted into the Army at eighteen despite his option of an easier life; he was th e first airmen to volunteer for assignment to France in World War I; and he was the first American officer to fly over the German front lines. 7 I argue that these examples all support the fine character of General Mitchell. Mitchell’s personality was well suited for leadership in a field environment. He was able to effectively utilize the coercive, authoritative, and pacesetting leadership styles that, according to leadership research, were well suited for executing his vision in stressful environments with highly motivated men.8 He engendered high levels of trust from those who worked under him and gained the respect of those who worked by his side, including the British, French, and Italian allied leadership.9 Relevance, the apex of the RTL model, is a direct result of a leader’s influence and occurs at the organizational, environmental, and personal levels.10 Mitchell showed relevance in all of these areas. First, from an environmental perspective, he brought together multiple organizations, air forces from Britain, Italy, and the United States, and integrated their personnel and equipment into a viable fi ghting force, which culminated in â€Å"the greatest concentration of air power that had ever taken place.† 11 He had high organizational relevance, changing the persona of his combined force from one solely focused on strategic attack, to one comfortable executing the additional tactics and techniques of air superiority, close air support, and interdiction.12 Finally, General Mitchell had tremendous personal relevance to the airmen fighting under his command. As America rushed to get into the European air fight, they suffered from long delays in producing aircraft and training pilots, so much so that the vast majority of Army airmen shipped to Mitchell had never seen an airplane.13 He took this force and trained them to fly, fight, and win – culminating in a decisive victory at the Battle of St. Mihiel. The RTL model proves a valuable tool to help understand why Mitchell was an effective leader in field operations, which culminated in his effective planning and execution of the European air campaign of World War I. His experiences there convinced him that airpower would be the domi nate force in future warfare and to effectively organize, train, equip, and employ it required the creation of an independent Air Service Department. 14 Enacting such a vision required strategic organizational change, which Mitchell attempted to lead. He proved less successful in this regard and I’ll look to experts on leading change in an effort to understand why. In his book Leading Change, John Kotter spells out the eight steps to create major change within an organization.15 The change process can be summarized in three phases: break the status quo; introduce many new practices; and ground the changes into the organizational culture.16 To break the status quo, post-war budget cutbacks provided the required sense of urgency to produce military change and Mitchell had a clear and articulate vision, but he failed to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition to support the change. Though he was able to create a large cadre of airpower advocates in the military, the congress, and in the public, Mitchell was never able to get Army and Navy leadership to buy into his vision. When the head of an organization is not an active supporter, major change can be impossible.17 Unable to break the status quo, Mitchell targeted the second phase of the change process by introducing new practices and empowering those under his command to take broad action in the development of new aircraft and more capable munitions. Mitchell hoped public demonstrations of these capabilities would force his leadership to buy into his vision. In an attempt to make this happen, he turned to dissent. Mitchell utilized the national press to campaign for support, publicly denouncing the policies and positions of his leadership.18 In more recent times, other famous leaders, including Generals Douglas McArthur and Stanley McChrystal, have been relieved for publicly espousing opinion in conflict with national leadership. But I believe Mitchell felt national security was at stake and that, as the Army’s top airpower strategist, his expertise was being overlooked. When these conditions are met, some argue that dissent is appropriate.19 Right or wrong, Mitchell’s public campaign won him a very public showing of airpower capabilities, where his men famously sunk the battleship Ostfriesland.20 His public success did garner support for aviation – Navy aviation. The public nature of his dissent offended leadership and made it impossible for him to build the guiding coalition required for his vision. Without this key ingredient, he was unable to drive the organizational change desired. General Richard Myers argues that successful strategic leaders must manage cognitive dissonance.21 Thus, successful management means maintaining relationships despite disagreement. Mitchell failed here when he went public. Remarkably, he wasn’t fired, probably because his views aligned with the public mood of the day. 22 However, he again enacted this approach three years later with even stronger criticism of national policy and leadership. This time, he’d experience the impacts of dissent as he was tried and convicted at court martial. Although this ended his military career, Mitchell regarded his trial as a necessary cog in the wheel of progress.23 Billy Mitchell was an extremely effective leader in field operations. He was also a visionary airpower pioneer who attempted, but failed, to lead organizational change due to his inability to build the requisite coalition. His ideas were valid and later implemented after his death. It took men with different leadership competencies, however, to eventually enact the changes Mitchell so deeply advocated. 1. Lt Col William Ott, â€Å"Maj Gen William â€Å"Billy† Mitchell: A Pyrrhic Promotion,† Air and Space Power Journal, Winter 2006, 27. 2. Gene Kamena, Col Mark Danigole, and CAPT Scott Askins, â€Å"The Right to Lead,† (working paper, Air War College, Maxwell, AL, 2012), 1. 3. Roger Burlingame, General Billy Mitchell (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, Inc., 1978), 78. 4. Ibid., 103. 5. Ibid., 79. 6. Ibid., 78-79. 7. Dr. Michael L. Grumelli, â€Å"Billy Mitchell’s Air War: Practice, Promise, and Controversy,† (lecture, National Museum of the United States Air Force Lecture Series, Dayton, OH, 16 Jan 2000), NPN. 8. Daniel Goleman, â€Å"Leadership That Gets Results,† On Point: Harvard Business Review, March-April, 2002, 11. 9. Burlingame, General Billy Mitchell, 103. 10. Kamena, Danigole, and Askins, â€Å"The Right to Lead,† 1-5. 11. Burlingame, General Billy Mitchell, 94. 12. Grumelli, â€Å"Billy Mitchell’s Air War,† NPN. 13. Burlingame, General Billy Mitchell, 73-74. 14. Alfred F. Hurley, Billy Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1975), 40. 15. John P. Kotter, Leading Change (Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press, 1996), 20-22. 16. Ibid., 23. 17. Ibid., 6. 18. Hurley, Billy Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power, 62. 19. Don M. Snyder, Dissent and Strategic Leadership in the Military Professions, ASSI Publication 849 (Carlisle, PA: Army Strategic Studies Institute, February 2008), 6-7. 20. Hurley, Billy Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power, 64-69. 21. GEN Richard B. Myers, Ret. and Albert C. Pierce, â€Å"On Strategic Leadership,† Joint Force Quarterly, No. 54, 3rd quarter 2009, 13. 22. Hurley, Billy Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power, 90. 23. Hurley, Billy Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power, 105. Bibliography 1. Roger Burlingame, General Billy Mitchell (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, Inc., 1978), 1-94. 2. Daniel Goleman, â€Å"Leadership That Gets Results,† On Point: Harvard Business Review, March-April, 2002,1-15. 3. Dr. Michael L. Grumelli, â€Å"Billy Mitchell’s Air War: Practice, Promise, and Controversy,† (lecture, National Museum of the United States Air Force Lecture Series, Dayton, OH, 16 Jan 2000) 4. Alfred F. Hurley, Billy Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1975), 1-105. 5. Gene Kamena, Col Mark Danigole, and CAPT Scott Askins, â€Å"The Right to Lead,† (working paper, Air War College, Maxwell, AL, 2012), 1-14. 6. John P. Kotter, Leading Change (Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press, 1996), 3-31. 7. GEN Richard B. Myers, Ret. and Albert C. Pierce, â€Å"On Strategic Leadership,† Joint Force Quarterly, No. 54, 3rd quarter 2009, 12-13. 8. Lt Col William Ott, â€Å"Maj Gen William â€Å"Billy† M itchell: A Pyrrhic Promotion,† Air and Space Power Journal, Winter 2006, 27-33. 9. Don M. Snyder, Dissent and Strategic Leadership in the Military Professions, ASSI Publication 849 (Carlisle, PA: Army Strategic Studies Institute, February 2008), 1-46. 10. Marybeth P. Ulrich, â€Å"The General Stanley McChrystal Affair: A Case Study in Civil-Military Relations,† Parameters, US Army War College Quarterly, Vol. XLI No. 1, Spring 2011, pp. 86-100.