Interpret Everyday Use by Alice Walker according to guidlines Essay

Interpret Everyday Use by Alice Walker according to guidlines - Essay Example Moreover, when she mentions the burning down of their previous house, she mentions Dee’s response to the mishap, â€Å"Why don't you do a dance around the ashes? I'd wanted to ask her. She had hated the house that much.† Thus, Dee comes across as rather reckless and selfish while Mama bears the consequences of her daughter’s nature. On the other hand, certain situations mentioned in the story tilt the scale in favor of Dee/Wangero. Mama, while thinking of Dee’s hatred for their house, remembers her response, â€Å"She wrote me once that no matter where we "choose" to live, she will manage to come see us.† Thus, although haughty and tweaked with vanity, Dee cared about her mother, understood her condition and in a way supported her by reassuring her of her support. Another instance shows that Dee, although has grown apart from her mother and sister, missed them and cherished their memories. This is proved by the following lines in the story in which Dee clicks their pictures to take with her. â€Å"She turns, showing white heels through her sandals, and goes back to the car. Out she peeks next with a Polaroid.† However, viewing both sides, the character of Mama is undoubtedly more ‘sympathetic’, and the one which I consider the ‘right one’. The reason for this is that, she comes across as a sad, unfulfilled woman whose dreams remained just that – dreams. ... Maggie and Dee were as far apart as two individuals sharing the same blood line can be. Dee was confident, successful and a vivacious extrovert leading an urban lifestyle. In contrast, Maggie was shy, unsure of her appearance, and didn’t know life outside the realms of her home. In spite of the contrasting nature of their lives, the two girls did care for each other. This is evident in the way Maggie, although angry at first, agrees to give Dee the quilts that were saved for her, â€Å"She can have them, Mama.† Moreover, Dee while going away gives Maggie some heartfelt ‘sisterly’ advice, â€Å"she turned to Maggie, kissed her, and said, you ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie.† Both girls were similar in the way they cared for their mother, in the ways they found suitable in accordance with their demeanor. Also, both had similar choices as both of them found the ancient quilts attractive. Although both saw their value differently, they shared the desire to own the quilts. A first person narrator refers to a person who is himself a character in the story. Such narration can be biased at times because the person is closely involved in the story and thus certain situations can alter his view, thereby altering the overall view of the narration. In this story, Mama is the first person narrator and although she lays down the facts and the events as they occurred, we cannot completely rely on her observance and conclusions, as, at some point of time, her narration is sure to be colored with her personal views, thus altering the course of realization of the reader. As she is the one who narrates, we get to see her side of story the best. Also, we get to know Maggie and Dee through her perspective and her judgment of good or bad is passed

Thompson v. Oklahoma Essay Example for Free

Thompson v. Oklahoma Essay The case Thompson v. Oklahoma took place in 1988. William Thompson (15 year-old boy) killed his brother-in-law, who had been abusing his sister. The murder was not committed in state of temporary insanity, so the court considered it as first-degree murder and sentenced William Thompson to death. As far as the 8th and 14th Amendments ban death sentence for a person, who is under 16 years old at the moment of committing crime, the Court considered execution of 15-year old boy as cruel and unusual. The case was reversed and remanded and the Supreme Court granted William Thompson certiorari. The crime was committed by four persons. William Thompson took part in murder. The killed had a lot of bruises, his leg was broken; his chest, abdomen and throat had been cut, and he had been shot two times. Then after they fettered him to a concrete block and threw him to the river. All four people, who took part in crime, were sentenced to death. As far as Thompson was under 16 at the moment of committing crime, he couldn’t be executed because of prohibition. The justices thoroughly examined circumstances of crime, and concluded that the child was quite aware of consequences at the moment of committing crime and as far as he had mental capacity to realize all the consequences of crime. They stated that there was no chance to rehabilitate William Thompson with help of juvenile system and that he should be treated as adult. At the first stage of trial, the prosecutor presented three photographs, showing the dead body after it was taken out from the river. The photos were introduced to convince guilt of William Thompson. Later the prosecutor asked to find two circumstances, which prove that crime was cruel and heinous. The Court complied with request. In such a way the Court of Criminal Appeals gave its approval to the fact of death sentence. They stated that as far as a person, who was under 16 years old at the moment of committing crime, is certified as an adult for trial procedures, he can be also punished as adult. At the same time, as far as the Supreme Court granted William Thompson certiorari, they had to consider, whether a death sentence was â€Å"cruel and unusual punishment† for a minor and violates his constitutional rights. First of all, there should be a certain degree of culpability, which allows accepting death sentence for a minor. The problem was that authors of the 8th Amendment introduced prohibition against â€Å"cruel and unusual punishments†, although they didn’t give any specifications for that. Judges, who were responsible for trial, should examine, whether the punishment could be considered as violating the â€Å"evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society† Trop v. Dulles, 356 U.S. 86, 101 (1958) (plurality opinion) (Warren, C. J.). Justice Powell compared rights of adults and children, and came to conclusion, that there are certain differences between them. For example, children are not eligible to vote, to purchase alcohol and cigarettes, to mention a few. Justice Powell stated that according to laws of Oklahoma, a person under 16 years old can be treated as a child only. Taking into considerations all prohibitions and limitations in rights for minors (as well as driving with parental consent, marrying with parental consent only, etc), the child cannot be treated as adult during the trial and to be fully responsible for his actions before attaining his maturity. Further the Supreme Court examined minimum age for death penalty. For example, there are 14 States in America, which don’t recognize death penalty at all; from the other side, there are 19 States, which authorize to impose death penalty, but don’t state minimum age of a person (this is an obstacle to find consensus). Although, the judges accepted supposition, that in those States, where death penalty is accepted, minimum age of criminal should be at least 16 years. The American Law Institute and the American Bar Association also are against the death sentence for minors. Judges also presented the fact, that there are plenty of countries, where death penalty is prohibited at all (such countries as Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, Spain, New Zealand, the Netherlands, etc) Further, the Supreme Court examined quantity of people, sentenced to death during the XX century, and came to conclusion that majority of cases were held in the first half of century. The average age of young people, committed crimes and sentenced to death, was approximately 18-20 years old. There were only five minors (under 16 years old), sentenced to death for participation in cruel murders. The Court also considered age as a mitigating circumstance, stating that young people at the age under 16 are not able to control their behavior to that extent, the adults can. Young people are more impulsive and cannot think in long-rank terms, as the adults can, so they shouldn’t be treated as adults during trials. So, taking into consideration all afore said, the Court Criminal Judgment’s decision was vacated and the case Thompson v. Oklahoma was remanded, getting instructions to prohibit death sentence for a youth under 16 years old.

The Complex Character of Amanda in The Glass Menagerie Essay example --

The Complex Character of Amanda in The Glass Menagerie    Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie furnishes an excellent example of a carefully crafted, complex character whose speech and action arise from the "psychological" being created by the playwright. In his character description, Tennessee Williams starts his reader on the road to discovering Amanda's complexity. AMANDA WINGFIELD the mother. A little woman of great but confused vitality clinging frantically to another time and place. Her characterization must be carefully created, not copied from type. She is not paranoiac, but her life is paranoia. There is much to admire in Amanda, and as much to love and pity as there is to laugh at. Certainly she has endurance and a kind of heroism, and though her foolishness makes her unwittingly cruel at times, there is tenderness in her slight person. (Williams 781) â€Å"Before the first lines are spoken Amanda's complexity is established†(Falk 126) by the nuances and contrasts given here. This basic description must be laid over all dialogue and action throughout the play so as to preserve the fullness of Amanda's character at times when only portions of her nature are being exhibited.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The complexity of Amanda's character directly affects her action and dialogue with her children. In her role as mother she exhibits an overwhelming desire to see her children succeed in life. In trying to... ...ding Plays. Boston: Allyn, 1990. 307-314. Bigsby, C.W.E. A Critical Introduction to Twentieth-Century American Drama. Vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1984. Falk, Signi. "The Southern Gentlewoman." Modern Critical Interpretations Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie. ed. Harold Bloom. NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Jackson, Esther Merle. The Broken World of Tennessee Williams. Madison: & of Wisconsin P, 1965. Parker, R.B., ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Glass Menagerie. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1983. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. Masterpieces of the Drama. Ed. Alexander W. Allison, Arthus J. Carr, Arthur M. Eastman. 5th ed. NY: Macmillan, 1986. 779- 814.

Critical Analysis of an Incident in a Clinical Setting :: Reflection Upon Nursing Skills

The purpose of this essay is to reflect and critically study an incident from a clinical setting whilst using a model of reflection. This will allow me to analyse and make sense of the incident and draw conclusions relating to personal learning outcomes. The significance of critical analysis and critical incidents will briefly be discussed followed by the process of reflection using the chosen model. The incident will then be described and analysed and the people involved introduced. (The names of the people involved have been changed to protect their privacy) and then I will examine issues raised in light of the recent literature relating to the incident. My essay will include a discussion of communication, interpersonal skills used in the incident, and finally evidence based practice. I will conclude with explaining what I have learned from the experience and how it will change my future actions. In accordance with the 2002 Nursing and Midwifery Council, the clients' details and placement setting has not been disclosed in order to maintain confidentiality. Critical incidents are snapshots of something that happens to a patient, their family or nurse. It may be something positive, or it could be a situation where someone has suffered in some way (Rich & Parker 2001). Reflection and analysis of critical incidents is widely regarded as a valuable learning tool for nurses. The practice requires us to explore our actions and feelings and examine evidence-based literature, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice (Bailey 1995). It also affords us the opportunity of changing our way of thinking or practicing, for when we reflect on an incident we can learn valuable lessons from what did and did not work. In this way we develop self-awareness and skills in critical thinking and problem solving (Rich & Parker 2001). Critical incidents ??? "To be self aware is to be conscious of one's character, including beliefs, values, qualities, strengths and limitation. It is about knowing oneself" (Burnard 1992). I am going to use Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle. This because Gibbs is clear and precise allowing for description, analysis and evaluation of the experience helping the reflective practitioner to make sense of experiences and examine their practice. Taking action is the key; Gibbs prompts to formulate an action plan. This enables the reflective practitioner to look at their practice and see what they would change in the future, how they would develop/improve their practice. Gibbs (1988) consists of six stages to complete one cycle which is able to improve my nursing practice continuously and learning from the experience for better practice in the future.

Family’s Influence on a Child’s Educational Success Essay

The family is a key element in every person’s life; they have the greatest impact on a child’s socialization (Macionis 70). Socialization is a learned behavior that remains with a person his entire life. Family influences nearly every aspect of children’s life, including their education. Increasing evidence indicates that â€Å"schools are not solely responsible for promoting our young people’s academic success; rather, families must be engaged in helping youths develop the knowledge and skills they need to function in tomorrow’s workplace† (Israel 43). Therefore, the question is not whether parents influence education, but rather how and to what extent they do. A variety of explanations exist, including the size of the family, the parenting techniques, and the family’s economic status. Read more:  Factors that influence child development essay Why do some parents become involved in their children’s elementary and secondary education? Three major constructs are believed to be central to parents’ basic involvement decisions. First, a parents’ role construction defines parents’ beliefs about what they are supposed to do in their children’s education and appears to establish the basic range of activities that parents construe as important, necessary, and permissible for their own actions with and on behalf of children. Second, parents’ sense of efficacy for helping their children succeed in school focuses on the extent to which parents believe that through their involvement they can exert positive influence on their children’s educational outcomes. Third, general invitations, demands, and opportunities for involvement refer to parents’ perceptions that the child and school want them to be involved. However, even well-designed school programs inviting involvement will meet with only limited success if they do not address issues of parental role construction and parental sense of efficacy for helping children succeed in school. One theory suggests that the chief reason why a student’s family life affects his/her education is based on the size of the family. More specifically, it suggests that those coming from a family with fewer children perform better academically than those coming from a family with many children. One main reason for this is attributed to the â€Å"dilution of familial resources  available to children in large families and a concentration of such resources in small ones† (Blake 11). For example, in families with many children the parents have less time, less emotional and physical energy, less attention to give, and less ability to interact with children as individuals (Blake 11). Another reason that attention may be diluted is because of the many siblings. Often the mother is pregnant or recovering from pregnancy, which lessens her ability to care for the children. In addition, money is also often diluted. Blake says of that: This type of dilution involves not only the parents’ treatment of individual children–the ability to provide personal living space, cultural advantages such as travel, specialized instruction such as music lessons, specialized medical or dental care, as well as continuous and advanced schooling–but, as well, to provide settings the advantages of which are not divisible: living in a desirable neighborhood, or having a wide range of excellent reading material or recorded music in the house. (11) This suggests that children coming from a poor background are already at an educational disadvantage, possibly even before any formal schooling occurs. Travel enables a child to become a more cosmopolitan person and teaches children about the different cultures of the world. Music teaches dedication and helps with memorization skills. Other problems are associated with large families as well. A study by Lori Heise and Jane Roberts showed that children from large families don’t interact with others outside the family group as much as those in a smaller family, which can limit their understanding of certain social roles (Blake 11). It also places them at a disadvantage in school, where they make not have many friends or feel â€Å"left out.† This can lead to poor grades. This is so because the child may become depressed and find it hard to focus on schoolwork. Without friends to greet them, many times the child chooses not to even go to school. In addition, in families where lots of children are around, the intellectual level may be more â€Å"childlike,† so kids aren’t exposed to adult conversation,  vocabulary, and interests (Blake 11). The children spend most of their time playing with other children. In a family with one or few children, the child often has no other choice than to play with their parent/s. Similarly, the older siblings may often baby-sit or be treated as the â€Å"adult figure,† meaning that the parents are not as involved. The older children are often expected to help take care of his or her brothers or sisters. The parents are not home as often when a babysitter is available. Having a large family can also lead to financial burden and in turn a burden on the child’s academic success. It is often thought that income does not affect one’s education until college; after all, education until that point is free. Studies have shown otherwise. It was found that only-child boys were twice as likely to graduate from high school as boys from families of seven or more, and the same holds true for girls (Blake 41). Of the graduates, there is again a large gap between the two groups for college attendance (meaning that children without siblings are much more likely to attend college than those from large families). However, the distinction is not as large as in high school graduation rates. Once in college, family size has a relatively small effect on the number of years of college schooling a student receives (Blake 45). This indicates that the higher the level of schooling, the less family size is influential. Blake suggests that this is due to the many from large families who drop out of school and who are retained multiple times (Blake 45). One study shows that students coming from a small family do better on achievement test. Twenty-seven percent of boys in grades 1-5 with five siblings or more scored below average on these tests. Compare that number to the twenty percent of boys in the same grade level who were only children (Blake 262). As the number of siblings in the family increased, his or her score on the test decreased. Having many brothers and sisters could also be seen as beneficial to students, especially if a child is the youngest. Parents have often graduated twenty years prior to when their children are attending school.  Therefore, they may not remember the material in order to help their children. Older brothers and sisters, on the other hand, would be more familiar with the subjects and could tutor their siblings. Therefore, students could improve by having a large family. While this theory of family size affecting one’s education is valid and holds true in many cases, it is not solid enough to be the sole explanation. A second explanation as to why family plays such a large role in education is parenting techniques. Problems of school adjustment such as academic failure, underachievement, and disciplinary problems often arise from a combination of information-processing difficulties, attention-deficit disorders, school or performance anxiety, and low motivation. These problems in turn have been linked to specific domains of family life (e.g., family conflict, communication, and organization). (Medway and Cafferty 137) Studies have shown that many of the problems that children have in schools are associated with different parenting styles. Learning disabilities, poor task orientation, attention deficits, and low academic achievement can be caused by an unstable family life, where conflicts are handled through threats, counter-threats, and poor communication (Medway and Cafferty 138). Parents of children with disabilities are found to be more authoritarian and controlling than parents of â€Å"normal† children. Problems of underachievement in schooling can be attributed to parent-child conflicts, low levels of parental availability, and lack of openness between the parent and child. Studies have shown that students with performance anxiety, procrastination, and passive aggressive behavior in school are likely to come from over organized families, where parents are overprotective, restrictive, intrusive, controlling, and dominating (Medway and Cafferty 138). According to psychologist Glenn Israel, a more recent study produced similar results, stressing that parents should help their children with their homework, discuss important school activities with them, and hold high educational aspirations for them (48). They should also limit television  viewing, provide adult supervision when their children come home from school, and monitor homework. Doing so was proven to result in better academic performance and staying in school (Israel 48). Other causes for students to perform better in school involves the child’s social behavior, which are a reflection of the family, particularly the parents. For example, children who move frequently are generally unable to feel integrated in the community’s social structure. On the other hand, the more groups a student is involved in (scouts, religious affiliations, etc), the greater his/ her socialization skills. Better socialization skills can in turn be linked to better school performance (Israel 49). Parenting techniques contribute largely to a child’s academic performance, though this theory is probably the least credible of the three. It is obvious that a parent’s behavior affects his/her child, and their education, but the evidence was too stereotypical. It is outrageous to assume that because a child has a learning disability he/ she comes from an unstable home life. There are many other reasons that influence that, including biology and genetics. However, I strongly agree with the socialization aspects of this argument. Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner says, â€Å"Children are most significantly influenced by their parents; therefore, if parents have few friends and are uninvolved in community activities, children are likely to be the same way† (40). Socialization definitely plays a role in academic performance, especially at the age of adolescence, when â€Å"fitting in† is so important to students (Bronfenbrenner 40). It is also obvious that parents playing a role in their child’s education is beneficial. Students need the motivation to perform well. If they don’t receive it, they will not be as successful. True as this may be, parenting technique is not the sole answer to this question of how parenting styles affect a child’s academic success. The third reason often used to explain the connection between family life and a student’s education is the economic position of the student’s family. Children often base their goals on their parents’ achievements. A study showed that while all parents would like their children to receive  high levels of education and a prestigious career, low-income parents seem to set lower standards. They are satisfied with lower levels of education and less prestigious jobs Students from lower-income families suffer other disadvantages as well. Economic hardship and stress have been known to affect the relationship between the parent and child. In addition, if the socioeconomic status of the student is low, the amount of parental support, control, and consistency is often low as well. A study by Saucier and Ambert revealed, â€Å"Adolescents from intact families have been found to be more optimistic about the future than those from homes in which there has been a separation, divorce, or parental death† (Brantlinger 154). The amount of parental involvement with education was also found to vary with income. Most students studied claim that their parents attended conferences and activities in elementary school, but there became a gap during junior high and high school. High-income students say their parents still attended, while low-income students’ parents did not. Additionally, high-income adolescents’ parents were much more likely to receive help with schoolwork, such as editing written assignments, than were low-income parents. This could be a result of the education the parents had received. After all, low-income parents had often dropped out of school prior to graduation, while high-income parents had high-levels of educational attainment (Brantlinger 156). A study by Carlos Torres and Theodore Mitchell showed that powerful more affluent parents played a significant role in maintaining a â€Å"†¦hierarchical track structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  for their child. These parents ensured that their children did well in school. This was made achievable possibly through extra help, tutoring, and increasing the pressure placed on the child to do well (163). Family size and parenting techniques can be related to wealth differences. For example, the smaller the family, the higher the proportion of the income can be spent on the child(ren). Those with better parenting techniques also have a higher economic standing than other parents. Better parenting methods can be linked to the parents having received a higher education. In turn,  they often have more money. While it was found that family size and parenting techniques affect one’s education, it is merely because of wealth. For example, it is not the actual number of people in the family, but the amount of money the family has because of the number of members. Economics are the key factor as to why one’s family life affects one’s education, and it’s a cycle. Children often grow up to be in the same economic class as the family he came from. Therefore, if a parent didn’t attend college, the student is less likely to (Shumow 37). So why does one’s family life affect his education. The answer can be summed up in one word: money. So what can we do about this problem? How can we give economically disadvantaged children a good education? There are several options: For one state funding for poorer schools could be increased. Also, if poor communities applied for grants, they could use them to fund their schools. There are also programs out there to help poor schools. The SETA Head Start Program and the Equity in Education Project were developed for the purpose of improving the lives of low-income children by providing â€Å"quality, comprehensive, child development services that are family focused, including education, health, nutrition, and mental health† (Head Start Home Page Screen 1.) By getting communities involved and educated about programs such as these it is very possible to prevent educational disadvantages like coming from a low-income household or neighborhood. No matter how many elected school officials declare that â€Å"poverty is not an excuse† for poor school performance, the fact remains that children in poverty do not achieve well in school. In a study by Abt Associates, researchers examined the performance of children in high- and low-poverty schools. High-poverty schools were defined as those with 76% or more of the student body eligible for free or reduced-price lunches; low-poverty schools had 20% or less of the student body eligible for federally subsidized lunches. The researchers first divided the students into categories A, B, C,  or D–depending on what grade they commonly took home on their report cards. Then they looked at performance on achievement tests. Students in low-poverty schools who got A’s on their report cards scored as one would expect: 87th percentile in math, 81st in reading. Students in high-poverty schools who got A’s scored higher than their classmates who got lower grades, but they attained only the 36th percentile in reading and the 35th in math (Cirasulo 44). One can only imagine the sledgehammer that will hit these students when they have to compete with students from more affluent schools. What is so depressing about this is the fact that education is the only way to get out of poverty. Education is the only intervention that can help children from poor families escape the cycle. In addition to giving young people basic skills, education can make them aware of opportunities beyond the ghetto. The few who escape the problems of crime, drugs, prostitution, and unwed motherhood are those who have received help from committed teachers and social workers. Schools cannot create jobs or carry all the burdens of a community, but they can make a vital contribution if they are allowed to focus on their primary mission of education. Teachers do not create jobs for poor people, and they cannot erase the damage done by drugs. Granted, schools cannot take on all the burdens of the communities they serve; they should be allowed to focus on what they insist is their reason for existence — the education of children. When it comes to the educational success of a child, money should never be a factor. Unfortunately money is a factor and there is never enough to fulfill the needs of a child.

The Student’s Guide to Writing an Essay on Shakespeare

The Student’s Guide to Writing an Essay on Shakespeare Shakespeare is one of the best-known names when it comes to English literature. Even though he wrote his literature hundreds of years ago, his name still comes up in popular culture. Every few years, there seems to be a new movie based upon one of his plays. In fact, Shakespeare is credited with having the most movies based on his work. In fact, there are over a dozen movies currently in production based on his work. Even though his name is famous, it can sometimes be difficult to know how to write an essay on Shakespeare or his works. Let’s look into some of the best ways in which a student, either in high school or college, can write a great essay on Shakespeare. What is a Shakespeare Essay? According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, an essay is defined as an analytic or interpretive literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view. Using this definition, it is safe to assume that you are allowed to write about your opinion of Shakespeare or his works. Of course, with any high school or college essay, you are also going to want to back up your opinion with fact. If you have any questions about specific ways to compose your essay (some of these ways will be discussed later in this article) make sure to ask your teacher or consult the assignment rubric. Assignment rubrics will usually have the guidelines for the essay written out in an easy-to-understand way. It is also in the rubric that you will likely find the length your paper needs to be and the general topic of your paper. How to Choose Your Topic: Secrets of Our Academic Writers Sometimes, topics are assigned to students in the rubric or directly by their teacher or professor. Sometimes the topics may be specific, other times there may only be a general topic. Some general topics that students may need to use in Shakespeare essays include Shakespeare biographical essays, essays on his plays, or essays on his sonnets. Many essays are likely to focus on the character relationships, dialogue, and symbolism of elements in Shakespeare’s plays. This is because people are more likely to have a debatable opinion on these features of the play. There is little room for opinion in biographical essays or essays based on the themes of the play. However, when it comes to how characters interact with each other, there can be speculation between why the characters act a certain way of what the dialogue might be translated to if the play was performed in today’s time. Since it can become difficult to pick a topic for writing a Shakespeare essay (since there are so many to pick from) we have provided a list of topics with examples of how they might be used. Feel free to use any of these topics in your own essay. Comparison and Contrast between the Leading Men in Romeo And Juliet: Romeo and Paris. Romeo and Paris are much different in age, with Romeo being much closer to Juliet’s age. Paris is a friend of the family, and Capulet approves of his seeking a relationship with Juliet. Romeo is a Montague, a member of the Capulet’s rival family. However, with all of their differences, they both want Juliet to love them. Many Older Versions of Othello Used Blackface, as African Actors Did Not Act on Stage. Would it be Good or Bad to Continue This Practice? When the plays were originally produced, blackface (a practice in which white actors cover their faces in brown paint to pretend to be African) was commonly used. However, blackface is frowned upon today for being racist. Would it be better to keep using blackface to keep with tradition or would it be better to hire African actors to act as African characters, like in Othello? Was the Fool In King Lear Actually Foolish or Was He Intelligent? How Would This Impact the Play? The fool in King Lear often talks to the king. The king likely assumes the fool is an idiot. However, is he actually an idiot? Who is more foolish: the king or the fool? Thinking about the play in this way, how does it affect its interpretation? The Original Hamlet Play Was Set in Denmark. However, in Recent Movies, the Story is not Always Set in Denmark. So, Does the Setting Matter to the Context of the Play? Hamlet is set in Denmark in the original play. New adaptations of the play aren’t always set in the same place. Does this make any real difference in the play’s impact? Why or why not? Who is More Influential in Macbeth: Macbeth or Lady Macbeth? Why? In MacBeth, Lady MacBeth is the mastermind behind everything, while MacBeth is more likely to take action. Because of this, who had more influence over the actions of the play? Why? Pre-Writing Tips You Can’t Skip Once you have a topic picked out, it is time to plan out your paper. There are a few steps that you should take before writing your paper. These steps will make you spend more time in planning, but if you do them correctly, they are sure to help you to save time when you are actually writing your paper. Let’s take a look at some tips that can help. Find Sources While parts of the essay will rely on the author’s opinion, these opinions need to be backed up with facts if they are to be reliable and believable. One of the first sources you should use if you are writing about Shakespeare’s life are Shakespeare biographies. If you are writing about the plays of sonnets, then using those writings (written in the original English) is best. To find a complete list (with links) of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, you can use this link. Shakespeare’s actual works would be primary sources for your paper. Primary sources, in the case of writing a Shakespeare essay, would be anything that Shakespeare wrote himself. Other sources you might want to consider for your essay are secondary sources. These are sources that in some way discuss or interpret a primary source. Examples of secondary sources you could use for your paper include a biography written about Shakespeare, commentary made on his plays, or an interpretation of what certain words could mean in today’s English. Take Notes This tip is helpful whether you are writing an essay or a larger paper. Whenever you find something that you want to remember, make sure to write it down. Students tend to remember things more easily when they write on paper, rather than typing. You will also want to write down vital information, like the books or websites you used to find the notes, the page number of the information, and who wrote the information. This will be useful in finding the source again later. When you take your notes, you do not need to write a complete first draft. Simply, write down the important interpretations and commentary you find in secondary sources and interesting quotes you find in your primary source. You may even want to add notes on your own opinion to these pages so you remember them when you begin writing your paper. Outline While this step is not necessary to writing a paper, some students may find it useful to begin their paper by writing an outline. Even this article was written beginning with an outline! This shows that knowing how to use an outline can be practical, not only in school but in a career. There are several online outline makers that you can use to start you off with. One great outline maker is the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School Outline. Click on the link to go to their website. To use this tool, you can simply fill in the text boxes as labeled. Once you are done, click â€Å"Create Outline.†Ã‚   Below is a sample outline we made with the website that could be used for a Shakespeare essay. Romeo and Juliet: More Tragic than Romantic Jane Doe I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Background B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Romeo and Juliet was originally written, it was meant to be portrayed as a tragedy. Over the years, viewers have begun to see the play as more romantic. This essay will discuss what moments makes the play a tragedy. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Young Love Gone Wrong A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Juliet was supposed to be with Paris, a much older man. However, she could not talk to her father about this, which may have prompted her to seek a relationship with the much younger Romeo. Essay Formatting Most essays are formatted in the same way. Below is a short list of the components usually included in an essay. Keep this list in mind as you are writing your paper. Once you have looked them over, skip down to the next paragraph to learn more about each section. Title Thesis statement/introduction Body paragraphs Conclusion Reference Page Title Writing the title can be a daunting task. Some students get so caught up on writing a title that they don’t get started on their paper. To avoid having this happen to you, simply wait until you are finished writing your paper to make up a title. Once you have everything written, it should be much easier to think of a title. If all else fails, simply make the title the name of the play you are looking over, or even a quote from the play. Thesis Statement/Introduction Like the title, an introduction can also be hard to write at first. After all, how are you supposed to write a paragraph on what your essay is about when you haven’t even written your essay yet? Like the title, you can wait until you have finished the rest of your paper to write the introduction. Just go back and write it in. It’s as simple as that. The thesis statement is always a part of the introduction. It is usually one of the last sentences in the introductory paragraph. Dictionary.com says it best when they write that a thesis statement is, â€Å"a short statement, usually one sentence, that summarizes the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, etc† So, try to state the main point of your essay. It doesn’t need to be too long, just so long as the reader knows what the essay is about by reading your thesis statement. Body Paragraphs Body paragraphs will make up the bulk of your paper. This is where you will state your opinions, or main points, and back up your claims using either lines from the plays/sonnets or with information from a secondary source. The first sentence of each body paragraph (most essays have three) should contain the main point of the paragraph; the middle sentences should back up your main point with information; and the final sentence should summarize the paragraph. Conclusion Conclusions are usually easy enough to write. As the name implies, you will conclude your essay in this paragraph. In a way, it’s almost like your introductory paragraph. Restate the main point of your whole paper, as well as the main points of your body paragraphs, and that’s it! Reference Pages Depending on your teacher’s requirements, you are likely to need to have a reference page at the end of your paper. Most English classes will require you format your paper with the MLA (Modern Language Association) formatting. However, other teachers or classes may require you to use another style guide. For a list of all style guides, with links on how to use them, click here. Post-Writing Tips Once you are done writing your paper, there are a couple of things you can do to make sure your essay is great. The first thing to do is to go over a general edit of your paper. There are a few ways to do this. You may want to begin by reading over your essay or having someone else look over your essay, to see what mistakes you can catch. After that, you can use a grammar/spelling checker, like Grammarly, to catch and fix those kinds of mistakes. The next thing you will want to do before you turn in your paper is to make sure that you have put in all of your references. Some classes may only require you to have a references page, while others will require you to also use internal citations. You can use this link to find the requirements for doing either of these tasks with whatever style guide your teacher requires you to use. We hope that this guide on how to write a Shakespeare essay helps you to write your paper, whether it be for a college or high school class. Using our   Shakespeare essay tips and topic ideas above, you are sure to have a great start on your paper already. Good luck!

Causes for Germanies entry to WW1 essays

Causes for Germanies entry to WW1 essays World War One was caused solely by the aggression of one country and its allies. It was made possible by the political, military and economical environments inside the aggressor country. These all contributed to the initiation of the First World War by the then mayor European power, Germany. To the credit of the Prussians, Germany had the largest (except for Russia), best equipped and best-trained army of Europe. With their innovative use of the heavy machine gun (the Maxim gun) in protected pillboxes the German quickly had an edge in over the other European armies. To use this military might in an effective way the Chief of the Imperial General Staff Alfred Von Schlieffen devised an attack plan appropriately named the Schlieffen plan. According to this plan the bulk of the German army had to march through Belgium and Luxembourg attack France out flanking its armies in the process and after a six-week campaign France would be defeated and the whole German Army could then attack Russia. The Schlieffen Plan rested on two critical assumptions. The first was the preservation of overwhelming German numerical superiority against France. The second was the inability of the Russian Empire, with its primitive system of land transportation, to deploy its numerically superior a long the German before the Knockout blow to the west(Kelroy pg.48). This plan should have been very effective when it was conceived. However during 1913 two events happened; one, French male citizen were now required to serve three years not two of military service this change would have brought the French army to the same size of the German army by 1915, 1916; secondly, with the help of France, Russia had created a large and relatively modern railroad system connecting it to the center of Europe. ... the undeniable fact that the German Empire was loosing its margin of strategic superiority in Europe over the combined armed forces of France and Rus...

Beginners Guide to the Maya Civilization

Beginners Guide to the Maya Civilization The Maya Civilization- also called the Mayan civilization- is the general name archaeologists have given to several independent, loosely affiliated city states who shared a cultural heritage in terms of language, customs, dress, artistic style and material culture. They occupied the central American continent, including the southern parts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, an area of about 150,000 square miles. In general, researchers tend to split the Maya into the Highland and Lowland Maya. By the way, archaeologists prefer to use the term Maya civilization rather than the more common Mayan civilization, leaving Mayan to refer to the language. Highland and Lowland Maya The Maya civilization covered an enormous area with a large variation of environments, economies, and growth of the civilization. Scholars address some of the Maya cultural variation by studying separate issues related to the climate and environment of the region. The Maya Highlands are the southern part of the Maya civilization, included the mountainous region in Mexico (particularly Chiapas state), Guatemala and Honduras. The Maya Lowlands make up the northern segment of the Maya region, including Mexicos Yucatan peninsula, and adjacent parts of Guatemala and Belize. A Pacific coastal piedmont range north of the Soconusco had fertile soils, dense forests and mangrove swamps. See Maya Lowlands and Maya Highlands for in-depth information. The Maya civilization was certainly never an empire, inasmuch as one person never ruled the entire region. During the Classic period, there were several strong kings at Tikal, Calakmul, Caracol and Dos Pilas, but none of them ever conquered the others. Its probably best to think of the Maya as a collection of independent city-states, who shared some ritual and ceremonial practices, some architecture, some cultural objects. The city-states traded with one another, and with the Olmec and Teotihuacan polities (at different times), and they also warred with one another from time to time. Timeline Mesoamerican archaeology is broken up into general sections. The Maya are in general thought to have maintained a cultural continuity between about 500 BC and AD 900, with the Classic Maya  beween  AD 250-900. Archaic  before 2500 BCHunting and gathering  lifestyle prevails.Early Formative  2500-1000 BCFirst  beans  and  maize agriculture, people live in isolated farmsteads and hamletsMiddle Formative  1000-400 BCFirst  monumental architecture, first villages; people switch to full-time agriculture,  Olmec  contacts, and, at  Nakbe, the first evidence of  social ranking, beginning about 600-400 BCImportant sites:  Nakbe,  Chalchuapa,  KaminaljuyuLate Formative  400 BC-AD 250First  massive palaces are built at urban Nakbe and El Mirador, first writing, constructed road systems and water control, organized trade and widespread warfareImportant sites: El Mirador,  Nakbe, Cerros, Komchen, Tikal,  KaminaljuyuClassic  AD 250-900Widespread literacy including calendars and lists of royal lineages at Copn and Tikal, first dynastic kingdoms, changing political alliances, large palaces and mortuary pyramids constructed, intensification of agriculture. Populatio ns peak at about 100 per square kilometers. Paramount kings and polities installed at  Tikal,  Calakmul,  Caracol, and Dos  PilosImportant sites:  Copn,  Palenque,  Tikal,  Calakmul,  Caracol, Dos Pilas,  Uxmal,  Coba, Dzibilchaltun, Kabah, Labna, Sayil Postclassic  AD 900-1500Some centers abandoned, written records stop. Puuc hill country flourishes and small rural towns prosper near rivers and lakes until the Spanish arrive in 1517Important sites:  Chichà ©n Itz,  Mayapan, Iximche, Utatlan) Known Kings and Leaders Each independent Maya city had its own set of institutionalized rulers  beginning in the Classic period (AD 250-900). Documentary evidence for the kings and queens has been found on stele and temple wall inscriptions and a few sarcophagi. During the Classic period, kings were generally in charge of a particular city and its supporting region. The area controlled by a specific king might be hundreds or even thousands of square kilometers. The rulers court included palaces, temples and ball courts, and  great plazas, open areas where festivals and other public events were held. Kings were hereditary positions, and, at least after they were dead, the kings were sometimes considered gods. As an example, below are linked what is known of the dynastic records of  Palenque,  Copn  and  Tikal.   Rulers of Palenque Rulers of Copn Rulers of Tikal Important Facts about the Maya Civilization Population:  There is no complete population estimate, but it must have been in the millions. In the 1600s, the Spanish reported that there were between 600,000-1 million people living in the Yucatan peninsula alone. Each of the larger cities probably had populations in excess of 100,000, but that doesnt count the rural sectors that supported the larger cities. Environment:  The Maya Lowland region below 800 meters is tropical with rainy and dry seasons. There is little-exposed water except in lakes in limestone faults, swamps, and  cenotes-natural sinkholes in the limestone that are geologically a result of the  Chicxulub crater  impact. Originally, the area was blanketed with multiple canopied forests  and mixed vegetation. The Highland Maya regions include a string of volcanically active mountains. Eruptions have dumped rich volcanic ash throughout the region, leading to deep rich soils and  obsidian  deposits. Climate in the highland is temperate, with rare frost. Upland forests originally were mixed pine and deciduous trees. Writing, Language, and Calendars of the Maya Civilization Mayan language:  The various groups spoke nearly 30 closely related languages and dialects, including the Mayan and Huastec Writing:  The Maya had 800 distinct  hieroglyphs, with the first evidence of language written on stela and walls of buildings beginning ca 300 BC. Bark cloth paper  codexes  were being used no later than the 1500s, but all but a handful were destroyed by Spanish Calendar:  The so-called long count calendar was invented by Mixe-Zoquean speakers, based on the extant  Mesoamerican Calendar. It was adapted by the classic period Maya ca 200 AD. The earliest inscription in long count among the Maya was made dated AD 292. Earliest date listed on the long count calendar is about August 11, 3114 BC, what the Maya said was the founding date of their civilization. The first dynastic calendars were being used by about 400 BC Extant written records of the Maya:  Popul Vuh, extant Paris, Madrid, and Dresden  codices, and the papers of  Fray Diego de Landa  called Relacion. Astronomy The Dresden Codex dated to the Late Post Classic/Colonial period (1250-1520) includes astronomical tables on Venus and Mars, on eclipses, on seasons and the movement of the tides. These tables chart the seasons with respect to their civic year, predict solar and lunar eclipses and tracked the motion of the planets. Maya Civilization Ritual Intoxicants:  Chocolate  (Theobroma), blache (fermented honey and an extract from the balche tree; morning glory seeds, pulque (from agave plants),  tobacco, intoxicating enemas,  Maya Blue Sweat baths:  Piedras Negras, San Antonio,  Cerà ©n Astronomy:  The Maya tracked the sun, moon, and Venus. Calendars include eclipse warnings and safe periods, and almanacs for tracking Venus. Observatories:  built at  Chichà ©n Itz Maya Gods:  What we know of Maya religion is based on writings and drawings on codices or temples. A few of the gods include: God A or Cimi or Cisin (god of death or flatulent one), God B or  Chac, (rain and lightning), God C (sacredness), God D or Itzamna (creator or scribe or learned one), God E (maize), God G (sun), God L (trade or merchant), God K or Kauil, Ixchel or Ix Chel (goddess of fertility), Goddess O or Chac Chel. There are others; and in the Maya pantheon, there are sometimes combined gods, glyphs for two different gods appearing as one glyph. Death and Afterlife:  Ideas about death and the afterlife are little known, but the entry to the underworld was called Xibalba or Place of Fright Mayan Economics See the  Maya Economics  page for information about trade, currency, agriculture, and other economic issues. Maya Politics Warfare:  The Maya had  fortified sites, and military themes and battles events are illustrated in Maya art by the Early Classic period. Warrior classes, including some professional warriors, were part of the Maya society. Wars were fought over territory, slaves, to avenge insults, and to establish succession. Weaponry:  axes, clubs, maces, throwing spears, shields, and helmets, bladed spears Ritual sacrifice:  offerings thrown into  cenotes, and placed in tombs; the Maya pierced their tongues, earlobes, genitals or other body parts for  blood sacrifice. animals (mostly jaguars) were sacrificed, and there were human victims, including  high-ranking  enemy warriors who were captured, tortured and sacrificed Mayan Architecture The first steles are associated with the Classic period, and the earliest is from Tikal, where a stele is dated AD 292. Emblem glyphs signified specific rulers and a specific sign called ahaw is today interpreted as lord. Distinctive architectural styles of the Maya include (but arent limited to) Rio Bec (7th-9th centuries AD, block masonry palaces with towers and central doorways at sites such as Rio Bec, Hormiguero, Chicanna, and Becan); Chenes (7th-9th centuries AD, related to the Rio Bec but without the towers at Hochob Santa rosa Xtampack, Dzibilnocac);  Puuc  (AD 700-950, intricately designed facades and doorjambs at Chichà ©n Itz,  Uxmal, Sayil, Labna, Kabah); and Toltec (or Maya Toltec AD 950-1250, at  Chichà ©n Itz. Archaeological Sites of the Maya Really the best way to learn about the Maya is to go and visit the archaeological ruins. Many of them are open to the public and have museums and even gift shops on the sites. You can find Maya archaeological sites in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and in several Mexican states. Major Maya Cities Belize:  Batsub  Cave,  Colha,  Minanha,  Altun Ha,  Caracol,  Lamanai,  Cahal Pech,  Xunantunich El Salvador:  Chalchuapa,  Quelepa Mexico:  El Tajin,  Mayapan,  Cacaxtla,  Bonampak,  Chichà ©n Itz,  Cob  ,  Uxmal,  Palenque Honduras:  Copan,  Puerto Escondido Guatemala:  Kaminaljuyu,  La Corona (Site Q),  Nakbe,  Tikal  ,  Ceibal,  Nakum More on the Maya Books on the Maya  A collection of reviews of a handful of the recent books on the Maya. Finding Maya Site Q. Mysterious Site Q was one of the sites referred to on glyphs and temple inscriptions and researchers believe they have finally located it as the site of La Corona. Spectacles and Spectators: Walking Tour of Maya Plazas. Although when you visit archaeological ruins of the Maya, you generally look at the tall buildingsbut a lot  of interesting things are to be learned about the plazas, the big open spaces between the temples and palaces at the major Maya cities.

Obligations of Managers and Executives in I.T Essay

Obligations of Managers and Executives in I.T - Essay Example Considerably, cyber security has been an issue concerning the IT department. However, there has been a considerable growth of the information security to constitute a legal obligation and responsibility for the management. In this regard, all the shareholders need inclusion to address the matters of cyber security. For instance, according to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley security regulations, the Board of Directors has the mandate to ensure the safety of finances regarding their corporations. In addition, the evolving case laws suggest that corporate directors have a duty of care for the company’s information systems. They add that the obligation extends to safeguarding the integrity of the stored data from a mere responsibility of guarding corporate financials. Further, the Business Roundtable notes that the board of directors should consider information security as an element of corporate governance. Data confidentiality, integrity, and storage In this context, it is eminent for the organizations to observe the procedure incorporated to protect their company information from access by unauthorized persons. The data must be stored in forms that are not easy to interpret when opened as flat plain text files, accessed in inaccessible locations, and or protected by the firewall (Smedinghoff, 2005). Use of technical access controls in protecting the corporate information In this context, policies and procedures should remain implemented to ensure appropriate access to information by authorized persons (Kshetri, 2010).

Measurements of Unemployment and Inflation Essay

Measurements of Unemployment and Inflation - Essay Example The output and the productivity of a business organization are significantly dependent on the employment as well as unemployment rates. This is because of Productivity = Output/Employment and therefore, Employment = Output/Productivity. Hence, it can be stated that the productivity of a business organization is directly proportional to employment. Therefore, it is quite important for the organizations to measure the unemployment rates in order to determine their productivity. These measurements further facilitate the organizations to prepare for the fluctuations that generally take place in the economy (Blanchard, Solow, & Wilson, 2012). Apart from unemployment, the business organizations need to measure the inflation as well. This is because of the reason that consumers’ spending and investment activities are chiefly dependent upon the rate of inflation. A high inflation rate discourages the investors and consequently reduces the amount of investment in the economy. Moreover, high inflation rates are likely to reduce the return on investment and further can result in a downfall in terms of demand in the economy. These reasons make it quite imperative for the management of an organization to carry out timely measurements of the inflation rates (National Grid for Learning, 2009). Furthermore, it is quite essential for business organizations to manipulate the price of their goods which is likely to be valuable when there is a high inflation rate in the economy. Re-pricing is a quite expensive process and in order to avoid frequent re-pricing of the products, the management of the organizations needs to measure the inflation rates. In addition, inflation causes the prices of the raw materials to grow high as well as the prices of other components to rise. These factors compel the business organizations to explore for contemptible raw materials and subsequently increase the cost for the organization. Owing to this, the management of the business needs to mea sure the inflation rate to minimize these costs. Moreover, with an increase in inflation rates, the business organizations face the demands for increasing the wage rates. This further leads to negotiation activities with the employees as well as the labor unions causing chaos in the management system. Therefore, in order to mitigate these threats, the management of the organizations are required to measure the inflation rates (National Grid for Learning, 2009). 2. What Analyses Might A Manager Do To Learn More About A Specific Company Or Industry? In order to learn more about a specific company or industry, a manager can carry out various analysis strategies such as the value chain analysis, Porter’s five forces’ model analysis, and SWOT analysis among others.

Honolulu Light Rail System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Honolulu Light Rail System - Essay Example This is because a train can carry passengers who could have boarded several buses. As a result, the number of buses on the streets will decrease significantly as the members of the public will shift towards the rail system which is free from traffic jams (Downs, 2004). The increase in population growth in West and Central Oahu calls for a more efficient public transport that will be able to move a lot of people at the same time. Currently, the roads are being overwhelmed by the surging number of people. As a result, the rail system will go a notch higher in addressing this problem. The rail system will push more people towards the outskirts of the city. This is because more people will prefer to live in areas where rent is more affordable and away from the pressures of the city, as they can be able to move faster to their places of residence (Downs, 2004). This will play a significant role in reducing the traffic levels in the

Process Improvement Application and Quality Improvements Assignment

Process Improvement Application and Quality Improvements - Assignment Example Most organizations use the quality improvement story, mostly the quality improvement tools to improve service delivery and systems. For example, most hospitals and clinics often collect and use data about the health services being delivered, and statistically analyze the data to report to health authorities. Quality improvement methods are designed to study processes and help in improvement of systems. For instance in health care, students will be familiar with the goal of scientific research, but this only helps in discovering new knowledge but they are less familiar with the quality improvement which is aimed at changing performance. Recently medical students are always encouraged to join teams undertaking improvement activities. Quality improvement activities require managers’ to collect and analyze data generated by processes used in the activities involved and measure improvements. For example, a student cannot study changes in his study habits and the environment he lives in affects him. He will need to data to analyze his study habits problems, and decide the information he needs to measure improvements made by him. Measurement is an important component of quality improvement because it forces managers to look at what they do and how they do it. They commonly use the total quality management tools such as; flowcharts, cause and effect diagrams, Pareto charts and run charts. In the past years, quality improvement methods have been emphasized. This includes the identification of a process that has less than ideal outcomes, attaching measures to key performance attributes, analyzing devise approaches, integrating redesigned approaches the process and having checks to determine if the process was successful. Apart from total quality management, other quality improvement strategies are; international organization for standardization ISO 9000, Zero defects, Six Sigma and Toyota production system.

Issues in child development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Issues in child development - Essay Example Every childs development is judged by their intellectual function, their inventiveness, their ego strength, their relatedness to their peers and adults, and capacity to deal with new events that come across their like each day in their social life. Depression may be simply defined as a state of sadness. Many may feel depressed for a short time when things do not go their way, but when this feeling persists and interferes with daily activity a doctor may diagnose an individual with clinical depression and order medication. Genetic predisposition, personal problems, and seasonal hormonal changes are some of the many things that may trigger depression. A depressed individual may encounter feelings of despair and sadness, constant fatigue, constant headaches, among other things. If left untreated, depression may lead to suicide. (Mood Disorders, 2003) Most mothers aspire to provide a nurturing environment for their children. Depressed mothers generally want the best for their children, but their illness prevents them from achieving this goal. Depressed mothers have a much different opinion of themselves as mothers and of their childrens behaviour. They may see themselves as inadequate and think that they have little control over their childs development and they may perceive many aspects of their childs normal behaviour in a negative light. (Gurian, 2003) Many report feeling overwhelmed at the responsibilities of raising a child. Under so much stress, depressed mothers will face the normal frustrations of raising children much differently than normal mothers would. In many cases, the mother may criticize the child to the point of insulting him. Verbal abuse has been linked to lack of self esteem in children, especially when done at a young age. Some depressed mother will go even further and react violently to her childs petty

Process Improvement Application and Quality Improvements Assignment

Process Improvement Application and Quality Improvements - Assignment Example Most organizations use the quality improvement story, mostly the quality improvement tools to improve service delivery and systems. For example, most hospitals and clinics often collect and use data about the health services being delivered, and statistically analyze the data to report to health authorities. Quality improvement methods are designed to study processes and help in improvement of systems. For instance in health care, students will be familiar with the goal of scientific research, but this only helps in discovering new knowledge but they are less familiar with the quality improvement which is aimed at changing performance. Recently medical students are always encouraged to join teams undertaking improvement activities. Quality improvement activities require managers’ to collect and analyze data generated by processes used in the activities involved and measure improvements. For example, a student cannot study changes in his study habits and the environment he lives in affects him. He will need to data to analyze his study habits problems, and decide the information he needs to measure improvements made by him. Measurement is an important component of quality improvement because it forces managers to look at what they do and how they do it. They commonly use the total quality management tools such as; flowcharts, cause and effect diagrams, Pareto charts and run charts. In the past years, quality improvement methods have been emphasized. This includes the identification of a process that has less than ideal outcomes, attaching measures to key performance attributes, analyzing devise approaches, integrating redesigned approaches the process and having checks to determine if the process was successful. Apart from total quality management, other quality improvement strategies are; international organization for standardization ISO 9000, Zero defects, Six Sigma and Toyota production system.

History of Theatre Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Theatre - Research Paper Example The spectacle is the inclusion of effects such as costumes, scenery and everything else to do with the fact that a player has a visual element and is watched and not just heard. (Bryson) Aristotle quells such questions and explains that music creates and enhances the mood that compliments the emotion being depicted by the characters in the play. Music’s major function in a play is to reinforce the emotional content (Aaron). Music has been forever championed as an effective mode of communication. (Lipscomb and Tolchinsky)Even when played in the background when at many times one doesn’t even notice that a melody is being played, music is still effective in setting the mood and creating an environment that compliments the theme of the play. Music at times has also been called the ‘fourth dimension’ that magnifies the impact of a particular scene or setting within the play (Drama Music). The famous novelist Victor Hugo stated that music can be used to put across thoughts and emotions which need to be expressed but there are no words to describe them. Also mentionable is the fact that audiences, once they leave the theatre, do not remember the dialogues but can definitely recall the songs and re-live the entire play through the songs and melody recollection in their minds (Mackintosh). All evidence supp orts Aristotle views that ‘music is a form of imitation’ and that different types and tones of music can easily help and elicit different types of responses from individuals. It has been suggested that theatre and drama fell into total crumble during the early 17th century. In the late 16th century, renaissance drama evolved during the period of Queen Elizabeth 1. During this time, neoclassicism was almost completely ignored. The  drama focused more on forms that were popular with the audiences.

Price Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Price Discrimination Essay A seller charging competing buyers different prices for the same commodity or discriminating in the provision of allowances — compensation for advertising and other services — may be violating the Robinson-Patman Act. This kind of price discrimination may give favored customers an edge in the market that has nothing to do with their superior efficiency. Price discriminations are generally lawful, particularly if they reflect the different costs of dealing with different buyers or are the result of a sellers attempts to meet a competitors offering. The Supreme Court has ruled that price discrimination claims under the Robinson-Patman Act should be evaluated consistent with broader antitrust policies. In practice, Robinson-Patman claims must meet several specific legal tests: 1.The Act applies to commodities, but not to services, and to purchases, but not to leases. 2.The goods must be of like grade and quality. 3.There must be likely injury to competition (that is, a private plaintiff must also show actual harm to his or her business). 4.Normally, the sales must be in interstate commerce (that is, the sale must be across a state line). Competitive injury may occur in one of two ways. Primary line injury occurs when one manufacturer reduces its prices in a specific geographic market and causes injury to its competitors in the same market. For example, it may be illegal for a manufacturer to sell below cost in a local market over a sustained period. Businesses may also be concerned about secondary line violations, which occur when favored customers of a supplier are given a price advantage over competing customers. Here, the injury is at the buyers level. The necessary harm to competition at the buyer level can be inferred from the existence of significant price discrimination over time. Courts may be starting to limit this inference to situations in which either the buyer or the seller has m arket power, on the theory that, for example, lasting competitive harm is unlikely if alternative sources of supply are available. There are two legal defenses to these types of alleged Robinson-Patman violations: (1) the price difference is justified by different costs in manufacture, sale, or delivery (e.g., volume discounts), or (2) the price concession was given in good faith to meet a competitors price. The Robinson-Patman Act also forbids certain discriminatory allowances or services furnished or paid to customers. In  general, it requires that a seller treat all competing customers in a proportionately equal manner. Services or facilities covered include payment for or furnishing advertising or promotional allowances, handbills, catalogues, signs, demonstrations, display and storage cabinets, special packaging, warehousing facilities, credit returns, and prizes or free merchandise for promotional contests. The cost justification does not apply if the discrimination is in allowances or services furnished. The seller must inform all of its competing customers if any services or allowances are available. The seller must allow all types of competing customers to receive the services and allowances involved in a particular plan or provide some other reasonable means of participation for those who cannot use the basic plan. A more detailed discussion of these promotional issues can be found in the FTCs Fred Meyer Guides. Under certain circumstances, a buyer who benefits from the discrimination may also be found to have violated the Act, along with the seller who grants the discrimination, if the buyer forced, or induced, the seller to grant a discriminatory price. Although proof of a violation of the Robinson-Patman Act often involves complex legal questions, businesses should keep in mind some of the basic practices that may be illegal under the Act. These include: †¢below-cost sales by a firm that charges higher prices in different localities, and that has a plan of recoupment; †¢price differences in the sale of identical goods that cannot be justified on the basis of cost s avings or meeting a competitors prices; or †¢promotional allowances or services that are not practically available to all customers on proportionately equal terms. Under the Nonprofit Institutions Act, eligible nonprofit entities may purchase — and vendors may sell to them — supplies at reduced prices for the nonprofits own use, without violating the Robinson-Patman Act. The Health Care Services Products Division issued a recent advisory opinion discussing the application of this exemption to pharmaceutical purchases by a nonprofit health maintenance organization. Q: I operate two stores that sell compact discs. My business is being ruined by giant discount chains that sell their products for less than my wholesale cost. What can I do? A: Discount chains may be able to buy compact discs at a lower wholesale price because it costs the manufacturer less, on a per-unit basis, to deal with large-volume customers. If so, the manufacturer may have a cost justification defense  to the differential pricing and the policy would not violate the Robinson-Patman Act. Q: One of my suppliers is selling parts at its company-owned store at retail prices that are below the wholesale price that it charges me for the parts. Isnt this illegal? A: The transfer of parts from a parent to its subsidiary generally is not considered a sale under the Robinson-Patman Act. Thus, this situation would not have the required element of sales to two or more purchasers at different prices. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Definition of Price Discrimination A pricing strategy that charges customers different prices for the same product or service. In pure price discrimination, the seller will charge each customer the maximum price that he or she is willing to pay. In more common forms of price discrimination, the seller places customers in groups based on certain attributes and charges each group a different price. Investopedia explains Price Discrimination Price discrimination allows a company to earn higher profits than standard pricing because it allows firms to capture every last dollar of revenue available from each of its customers. While perfect price discrimination is illegal, when the optimal price is set for every customer, imperfect price discrimination exists. For example, movie theaters usually charge three different prices for a show. The prices target various age groups, including youth, adults and seniors. The prices fluctuate with the expected income of each age bracket, with the highest charge going to the adult population. Price Discrimination When you were young, did you ever order from the childrens menu in a restaurant? When a family with small children goes to a restaurant, they are often given a childrens menu in addition to the regular menu. If they order two similar items, one from each menu, they will find that the item ordered from the childrens menu will be a bit smaller, but its price will be much smaller. In fact, it would often be worthwhile for the entire family to order from the childrens menu, but they cannot. Restaurants usually only allow children to order from it.1 Why do restaurants use childrens menus?  Economists doubt that restaurant owners have a special love for children; they suspect that the owners find offering childrens menus to be profitable. It can be profitable if adults who come to restaurants with children are, on the average, more sensitive to prices on menus than adults who come to restaurants without children. Children often do not appreciate restaurant food and service, and often waste a large part of their food. Parents know this and do not want to pay a lot for their childs meal. If restaurants treat children like adults, the restaurants may lose customers as families switch to fast-food restaurants. If this explanation is correct, then restaurants price discriminate.2 A seller price discriminates when it charges different prices to different buyers. The ideal form of price discrimination, from the sellers point of view, is to charge each buyer the maximum that the buyer is willing to pay. If the seller in our monopoly example could do this, it could charge the first buyer $7.01, the second buyer $6.51, etc. In this case the marginal revenue curve becomes identical with the demand curve. The seller will sell the economically efficient amount, it would capture the entire consumers surplus, and it would substantially increase profits. The Simple Analytics of Monopoly-Repeated OutputMarginal CostMarginal Benefit Every seller would price discriminate if there were not two major obstacles standing in the way. First, the seller must be able to distinguish between those buyers who are willing to pay a high price from those who are not. Second, there must be substantial difficulty for a low-price buyer to resell to those willing to buy at a high price.3 Because price discrimination is potentially profitable, businesses have found many ways to do it. Theaters often charge younger customers less than adults. Doctors sometimes charge  the rich or insured patient more for services than they charge the poor or uninsured. Grocery stores have a lower price for people who bother to check the newspaper and clip coupons. Some companies, such as firms selling alcoholic beverages, produce similar products but try to promote one as a prestige brand with a much higher price. Electric utilities usually charge lower rates to people who use a lot of electricity (and thus probably have electric stoves and water heaters) than they do to those who use only a little electricity (and who probably have gas stoves and water heaters). Banks offer special interest rates on Certificates of Deposit (CDs) that will not be obtained when one lets a CD roll over. People who are more sensitive to interest rates will take the time and effort to personally renew each maturing CD. To the extent that businesses find ways to price discriminate, they eliminate the triangle of welfare loss and approach the economically efficient amount of production. Thus, the mere existence of monopoly does not prove there is economic inefficiency.

Project report on construction

Project report on construction CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION The performance of the construction industry has a major influence on the economic, infrastructure, agricultural and technological development of a country (R. Chudley, 1995). Construction is increasingly becoming highly technical and sophisticated with high standard of quality and specification. These coupled with clients demand for value-for-money requires the efficient employment of equipment which can largely improve productivity in the construction industry. The general aim of every construction is to produce a structure that can provide the required functions at the most reasonable cost, within a given time frame and at the required level of quality. Mechanization is one of the ways by which these could be achieved. The fast developing construction industry now heavily depends on equipment to achieve the high demands of quality project delivery. Equipment implies the machinery, tools (other than craftsmens personal tools) used in the contractors yard, workshop or site. Generally, equipment are introduced to contracts to increase the rate of output, reduce overall building cost, achieve high output standards often required by present day designs and specifications, eliminate heavy manual work thus reducing fatigue and carry out activities which cannot be done manually or do them more economically ( R. Chudley, 1995). The introduction of equipment to a contract does not however necessarily result in economic savings unless the contract work is so organized that machines are fully utilized or operate for continuous periods at full capacity that is about 85% of its on-site time, their use will not be economical. To be economic, equipment must be fully utilized and not left standing idle since equipment, whether hired or owned, will have to be paid for even if it is non-productive (R. Chudley, 1995). Heavy equipment will be needed for excavation, haulage, lifting and transportation of materials and people during the construction of a project in order to meet all the clients specifications. Contractors stand to gain from the use of equipment in the form of increased output per employee, increased productivity from equipment leading to overall profits. Unfortunately, performance of construction firms in the industry has been affected by several constraints with lack of access to finance arguably the most critical of these constraints. At least, it prevents contractors from procuring all necessary resources for their construction works including equipment (Eyiah A and Cook P, 2003). It is against this background that this investigation has been conducted to find the equipment acquisition methods being used by Ghanaian contractors as well as the problems the contractors encounter when acquiring equipment for their construction. 1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The highly technical and standardized nature of current construction designs and high demands in terms of quality coupled with often short contract durations undeniably demands the use of equipment. They play an increasingly important role in building as well as civil engineering operations and both time and a lot of money can be saved by acquiring and using them. Heavy equipment are needed for excavation, haulage, lifting and transportation of materials and people during the construction of a project thus performing an operation faster, more economically, safely and with a better quality and finish. Notwithstanding such great achievable benefits, it requires substantial capital to procure equipment, set up plant management departments and even use the equipment. It often requires very large bank guarantees, collaterals, high interest rates on bank loans, sometimes cumbersome bureaucratic procedures to acquire funds to purchase plant or equipment. This is probably why most Ghanaian contractors still depend heavily on manual labour to execute their projects. On large and complex projects of long durations, it may be practical to purchase plant or equipment for a specific job and resell at the end of the contract. The problem here is that fluctuations in prices on our current market may make it difficult to forecast costs with certainty. Equipment holding firms often do not offer favorable and attractive conditions for the acquisition of equipment to encourage contractors to use equipment on the projects. Very few of the contractors can meet the required conditions before procuring most needed equipment. Again, equipment holding firms are usually found in the urban areas of our country which are almost always far away from most of the construction sites warranting high haulage costs from the plant depot. Purchasing a plant or equipment could also tell greatly on the finances of the firm as a very large sum of money may be locked up in purchasing the plant which then has to be worked at a good utilization level to recoup investments made into it. Finally, purchasing equipment is sound investment if there is enough work ahead to keep it fully employed. Some estimates suggest the equipment must be working regularly for three to five years to recover the capital outlay. However the situation in Ghana is that of many contractors competing for very few projects. Construction firms cannot be assured of regular projects to fully utilize their investment in equipment therefore they rather do not invest in it all or when they do, it is very minimal. All the aforementioned problems collectively contribute to the reason why most of the contractors are unable to acquire the necessary equipment for construction works and thus leaving construction in Ghana still very labour intensive. 1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The main aim of this study is to investigate the existing equipment acquisition methods in use in the Ghanaian construction industry as well as the problems that the contractors encounter when acquiring equipment with the view to recommending better and more effective practices in the construction industry. Specific objectives of the investigation are to: * Find out existing equipment acquisition options used by the Ghanaian contractor. * Identify problems faced by the Ghanaian contractor in acquiring equipment for construction works. * Examine existing arrangements (if any) made between equipment hire and manufacturing companies and the construction companies. * Recommending better acquisition options as well as solutions to some of the major problems the contractors face when they try to acquire equipment. 1.3 SCOPE OF WORK A number of firms within the D1 and D2 of contractors by the Ministry of Water, Works and Housing and the Ministry of Roads and Transport in the Kumasi Metropolis will be identified, selected and studied. The equipment items that will be covered under the study will include general equipments, earth moving, lifting, transporting and excavation equipments. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION: CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT Equipment plays an increasingly important role in building as well as civil engineering operations, and both time and money can be saved by the efficient use of mechanical aids. Equipment implies the machinery, tools (other than craftsmens personal tools) and other equipment used in the contractors yard, workshop or site. These may range from small hand held power tools to larger and more expensive equipment such as mechanical excavators and cranes. The aim of any construction activity or project is to produce a structure of the right quality and standard at an optimum cost within an acceptable time frame. The use of equipment for construction becomes necessary where using manual labour will not help achieve the projects objectives. Generally, equipment are introduced to contracts for one of the following reasons: * Increased production. * Reduction in overall construction costs. * Carry out activities which cannot be carried out by the traditional manual methods in the context of economics. * Eliminate heavy manual work thus reducing fatigue and as a consequence increasing productivity. * Replacing labour where there is a shortage of personnel with the necessary skills. * Maintain the high standards required particularly in the context of structural engineering works (R. Chudley, 1997). 2.1.2 SOME COMMON CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT USED DURING CONSTRUCTION. Presented here is a brief description of some of the important construction equipment that may be used during the construction of a building project. 2.1.2.1 EARTH MOVING MACHINES The equipment described here include the bulldozers, graders, scrappers etc that are used to move massive volumes of excavated materials during construction. BULLDOZER The primary earth-moving machine is the heavy-duty tractor, which when fitted with tracks to grip the ground and with a large movable blade attached in front, is called a bulldozer. The bulldozer as shown in fig 2.1 below may be used to clear brush, small trees, debris, remove boulders, and level ground. They may even be used as towing tractor or a pusher to a scrapper. They consist essentially of a track or wheel mounted power unit with a mould blade at the front. Many bulldozers have the capacity to adjust the mould blade to form an angledozer which can tilt the mould blade about a central swivel point. They become even very useful especially in civil engineering projects, which often require the moving of millions of cubic meters of earth. These bulldozers are however not appropriate for final leveling and cannot be used for loading thus requiring other equipment to load. TRACTOR SHOVEL These are sometimes called loaders or loader shovels and primary function is to scoop up loose materials in the front mounted bucket, elevate the bucket and deposit the material into an attendant transport vehicle. Tractor shovels are driven towards the pile of loose material with the lowered bucket. The speed and the power of the machine will then enable the bucket to be filled. To increase their versatility, the tractor shovels can be fitted with a 4 in 1 bucket enabling them to carry out bulldozing, excavating, lifting and loading activities. Like the scrapper, the tractor shovel is not suitable for work in rocks and waterlogged areas and will require a crawler tractor to work in the latter condition. GRADERS Somewhat similar to scrapers are graders which are self-propelled, wheeled machines with a long, inclined or vertically adjustable steel blade. Graders are primarily finishing equipment; they level earth already moved into position by bulldozers and scrapers. They are similar to the bulldozers in that they have a long slender adjustable mould blade, which is usually slung under the centre of the machine. The mould blade can be suitably adjusted in both the horizontal and vertical planes through an angle of 300 the latter enabling it to be used for grading sloping banks. This John Deere grader seen in Fig 2.2a below has a laser leveling unit mounted on its blade which constantly adjusts the height of the blade to ensure that the ground is made precisely flat. The low motive power of a grader does not generally allow for use in excavations. A grader cannot load nor move spoils of significant quantity over a long distance. It is bulky in size and therefore not suitable for work in small and/or confined areas and corners. SCRAPERS A scraper is a machine that may be pulled by a tractor or may be self-powered and consists of a blade and a bowl or container. The bowl is lowered to cut and collect soil where site stripping and leveling operations are required involving large volume of earth. The soil may then be released so as to form an even layer of a predetermined thickness or be carried off for disposal elsewhere. To obtain maximum efficiency, scrappers should operate downhill and as much as possible have smooth haul roads and hard surfaces broken up before scraping. Scrappers are not suitable for use in waterlogged areas and in rocky grounds. They cannot be used in loading and also would need transportation between sites. [Microsoft Encarta 2006; R. Chudley, 1997] 2.1.2.2 EXCAVATORS These form part of the main equipment items that are often used in construction. They are primarily used to excavate as well as load different types of soil. Each different type of excavator has specific soil conditions where it works best. Below is a brief description of some of the common excavating equipment found in construction. All of them can easily be classified under one of the following categories: Multipurpose, General or Universal and Purpose Made excavators. MULTI-PURPOSE EXCAVATOR Multi-purpose excavators like the one shown if fig. 2.4 are fitted with a loading and excavating front bucket and a rear backactor bucket. When in operation using the backactor bucket, the machine is raised off its axels by rear mounted hydraulic outriggers or jacks and in some models by placing the front bucket on the ground. TRENCHER A trencher is designed to excavate trenches at constant width with a high degree of accuracy and speed. It can cut trenches of widths between 250 and 450mm and up to 4.00m deep. It consists of a number of excavating buckets mounted on a continuous mechanism on a vertical boom. The boom is lowered into the ground to the required depth to be excavated. The spoil is then transferred along a cross conveyor to deposit the spoil along the side of the trench. A trencher as shown in fig 2.5 is most suitable for long and deep trench excavation and it also gives a fairly accurate and clean trench width and would therefore not require further trimmings to sides of trenches it excavates. A trencher cannot load materials it excavates and also unable to work in rock. SKIMMER Skimmers are used for surface stripping and shallow excavation work up to 300mm deep where a high degree of accuracy is required. They usually requires attendant haulage vehicles to remove the spoil and they also have to be transported between sites on a low-loader. The restricted nature of the bucket movement does not allow high output rates as compared with other over site excavating equipment. A skimmer requires a large operational area and is therefore not recommended for work in small and restricted areas. BACKACTOR Backactors are about the most common excavating equipment used in construction. They are suitable for trench, foundation and basement excavations especially in restricted areas. They can be used with or without attendant haulage vehicles since the spoil can be placed alongside the excavation for use in backfilling. Unlike the face shovel, they excavate by moving the bucket towards the chassis of the machine. It then raises the bucket in a tucked position to discharge the excavated material through the front open bucket. They can also be used to load hard but broken down materials. They require a low-loader transportation between sites and trenches excavated using the backactor may need other equipment for trimming to obtain desired smooth edges. Shown below in fig 2.6a and b are pictures of a John Deere and CAT backactors respectively. FACE SHOVEL The primary function of this machine is to excavate against a face or a bank above its own track or wheel level. It is suitable for clay and can be used in excavating and even rock which needs to be loosened, usually by blasting prior to the excavation. A face shovel has the added advantage of loading materials excavated into dump trucks. It can also be used extensively for relocating spoils within a given radius or short distance and for heaping spoils for future use. Face shovels like the one shown in fig. 2.7 above usually require attendant haulage vehicles for the removal of the spoil and a low-loader transportation between sites most especially in developed areas. They are also not suitable for deep excavations. 2.1.2.3 TRANSPORTING EQUIPMENT These are mainly used for the transportation of personnel, materials, machines and equipment from one site to the other or from one location to the other within a relatively large site. They range from conventional saloon car to the large low loader lorries designed to transport other items of builders equipment between construction sites and the equipment yard or depot. VANS These transport vehicles range from the small two person plus a limited amount of materials to the large vans with purpose designed bodies such as those designed to carry sheets of glass. The vans can be supplied with an uncovered tipping or non-tipping container mounted behind the passenger cab for use as a pick-up truck. LORRIES Lorries which are usually referred to as haul vehicles are available as road or site only vehicles. The road haulage vehicles have to comply with all the requirements of the concerning vehicle usage which among other requirements limits size and axle loads. The site only vehicles are not so restricted and can be designed to carry two to three times the axle load allowed on the public highways. They are also designed to withstand the rough terrain encountered on many construction sites. Lorries specifically designed for the transportation of large items of equipment are called low loaders and are usually fitted with integral or removal ramps to facilitate loading equipment onto the carrier platform. PASSENGER VEHICLES These can range from a simple framed cabin which can be placed in the container of a small lorry or pick-up truck to a conventional bus or coach. These vans can also be designed to carry a limited number of seated passengers by having fixed or removable seating together with windows fitted in the van sides thus giving the vehicle a dual function. DUMPERS Dumpers are used for horizontal transportation of materials ranging from aggregates to wet concrete on and off construction sites generally by means of an integral tipping skip. Highways dumpers or dumper trucks are similar but larger design and can be used to carry materials such as excavated spoil along the roads. A wide range of dumpers are available with variuos carrying capacities with hydraulic control for either a side, front or elevted tipping. They are designed to traverse rough terrain but they are not desinged to carry passengers. Shown above in fig. 2.8a and 2.8b are shown a standard site dumper and a dumper truck respectively. FORK LIFTS These are used for horizontal and limited vertical transportation of mterials positioned on pallets or banded together such as brick packs. They are generally suitable for construction sites where the building height does not exceed three storeys. They are available in three basic forms namely staright mast, overhead and telescopic boom (shown in fig. 2.9a-c) with various height, reach and lifting capacities. HOISTS Hoists are designed for vertical transportation of materials, passengers or both. Material hoists are usually mobile and they can be dismantled, folded onto the chassis and moved to another position or site under their own power or towed by a haulage vehicle. Passenger hoists are designed to carry passenger passengers although they most can be capable of carrying the load of passengers as well as materials. 2.1.2.4 CRANES Cranes are lifting devices designed to raise materials by means of rope operation and move the load horizontally. Crane types can range from simple rope and pulley to complex tower cranes but most can be placed within one of three groups namely: static (operate from a fixed position), mobile (operating position can be changed by cran under its own power) and tower (can be operated from a fixed position or rail mounted to become mobile) cranes. Several forms of cranes can be identified. Some of these are listed below: * Self propelled cranes * Lorry Mounted cranes * Track mounted cranes * Gantry/Portal cranes * Tower cranes Below in fig. 2.10 is shown the different types of cranes used in the construction industry. 2.1.2.5 Concreting equipment these equipment perhaps fall among the group of equipment that may be readily found on most constrction sites since concrete usually forms a large propotion of the materials used in construction.Concreting equipment can simply as classified under the following headings: mixing, transportation and placing. CONCRETE MIXERS These are used in mixing concrete especially in large volumes. Apart from the very large output mixers most concrete mixers in general use have a rotating drum designed to produce concrete without segregation of the mix. Most small batch mixers are of tilting drum type with outputs up to 200 lit/batch. They are generally hand loaded which makes the quality control of successive mixes difficult to regulate.Medium batch mixers can achieve outputs up to about 750lit/batch and may be designed with a tilting drum mixer or as a non-tilting drum mixer with a reversable drum. These mixers usually have integral weight bacthing loading hoppers, scrapper shovels and water tank thus giving better qualtity control than the small batch mixers. The pictures shown in fig. 2.11 and 2.12 are the very common 10/7 concrete mixer and 6m3 capacity ready mix concrete machine. EQUIPMENT FOR TRANSPORTING CONCRETE. Wheel barrows are the most common form of transporting concrete in small volumes. However for large volumes of up to about 600 litres, dumpers are more appropriate. Ready mixed concrete trucks are used to transport mixed concrete of volumes between 4-6m3 from a mixing equipment or depot to the site. Discharge can be direct into placing position via a chute or into some form of site dumper such as a dumper, crane skip or dumper. VIBRATOR After placing concrete in its formwork, excavated area or mould, the concrete must be properly worked around any insets or reinforcement and finally compacting the concrete to the required consolidation. This can be done to some degree satisfaction using tamping boards or rods but most appropritely using vibrators. Poker vibrators consist of a hollow steel tube casing in which is a rotating impellar which generates vibrations as its heard comes into contact with the casing. [Microsoft Encarta 2006; R. Chudley, 1997] 2.2 EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION Generally, a construction company has two options in acquiring equipment: it may either own machinery and equipment or hire it. Management must decide early on whether the equipment needed on site is to be hired or purchased outright, if it is not already available within the company. Purchasing equipment is sound investment if there is enough work ahead to keep it fully employed. Some estimates suggest the equipment must be working regularly for three to five years to recover the capital outlay [J.E. Johnston, 1981]. The decision to purchase will invariably have important financial consequences for the firm, since considerable capital sums will be locked up in plant, which must then be operated at an economic utilization level to produce a profitable rate of return on the investment .In recent years however, the growth of the independent equipment hire sector of the construction industry has greatly facilitated this latter option and approximately 50-60% of equipment presently used on projects is hired. Many firms however prefer to hire only those items of equipment which are required to meet peak demand or specialized duties [F. Harris and R. McCaffer, 2001]. 2.2.1 ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS The introduction of equipment to a project does not necessarily result in economic savings since extra temporary site works such as road works, foundations, hard standings and anchorages may have to be provided at a cost which may be in excess of the savings made by using the equipment. The site layout and circulation may have to be planned around equipment positions and accommodation. The full advantage of employing the equipment can only be realized if the equipment is well managed, both on and off the site, and this requires a thorough understanding of the economic aspects of using equipment and vehicles. For example, a crane will become expensive if the design does not allow a fairly continuous programme of work whilst it is on the site. To be economic, plant must be fully utilized and not left standing idle since equipment, whether hired or owned, will have to be paid for even if it is non-productive. Full utilisation of equipment is usually considered to be in the region of 85% of on site time, thus making an allowance for routine daily and planned maintenance which needs to be carried out to avoid as far as practicable equipment breakdowns which could disrupt the construction programme. Many pieces of equipment work in conjunction with other items of equipment such as excavators and their attendant haulage vehicles therefore a correct balance of such equipment items must be obtained to achieve an economic result (R. Chudley, 1995; R.E Calvert et al, 1996). 2.2.3 EQUIPMENT POLICY 2.2.3.1 OWN ALL EQUIPMENT The policy practiced by many enterprises is to purchase, or lease long term, most of the equipment needs and thereby provide availability at all times, with the added advantage of the prestige attached to demonstrating the use of owned equipment. However, much capital will be locked up in the equipment, which must become capable of generating a sufficient rate of return. A major disadvantage of this strategy is the problem of maintaining adequate levels of utilisation. Equipment holdings are usually built up to service a growing demand, and will become a heavy liability in the case of an economic recession. Any available work may then subsequently need to be undertaken to sustain the fleet, since equipment cannot easily be sold in a declining market. 2.2.3.2 HIRE ALL EQUIPMENT Many specialist hire/rental firms offer the supply of equipment now on the open market. To take advantage of this facility avoids both the responsibility of maintenance and the tying up of capital. The equipment may be hired for a specified period and often times the equipment operator also is provided by the equipment supplier. The main disadvantage of hiring is that the hire rate depends on market forces and suppliers are largely beyond the control of the hire, except for limited negotiation between competing firms. 2.2.3.3 A COMBINATION OF HIRE AND OWN A mixed policy of owning and hiring equipment may be the preferred option. For example, regularly required items might be purchased and hiring adopted only to smooth out demand (Edwards D.J, 2003). F.T. Edum-Fotwe (1990) writes that serious consideration should also be given to the extent to which the equipment is to be operated before an acquisition decision is made. He outlines the following factors concerning the level of operation of a equipment: 1. Acquire equipment new and operate to a down value and sell it. 2. Acquire second-hand equipment and operate to scrap value. 3. Acquire equipment new and operate to scrap value. 4. Acquire a second-hand equipment and operate to a down value and resell. 2.2.4 FINANCING OF EQUIPMENT A firm, having decided to buy a equipment instead of hiring, has the following methods of paying for the equipment. 1. Cash or outright purchase 2. Hire Purchase 3. Credit Sales 4. Leasing 5. Hiring 2.2.4.1 CASH OR OUTRIGHT PURCHASE When using this option, the buyer pays cash or immediately at the time of purchase, thereby providing tangible asset on the balance sheet. Obviously, this option is only possible if cash is available and therefore presupposes that profits have been built up from investors such as shareholder, bank loans, etc. Also, some large or technically unusual contracts sometimes include monies to permit the contractor to purchase the necessary equipment at the start of the project [F. Harris and R. McCaffer, 2001]. R. Chudley, 1997 simply identifies some of the advantages of outright purchase as: 1. Equipment availability is totally within the control of the contractor. 2. Hourly cost of equipment is generally less than hired equipment. 3. Owner has choice of costing method used. J.E. Johnston, 1981 however advices that besides the purchase price of a equipment, consideration should be given to the following points: 1. Capital outlay and interest charges 2. The cost of maintenance and repairs 3. The cost of transporting equipment between sites 4. Insurance premium and 5. Standing time on site. When examining the need to own equipment, the following points must be considered: 1. Will the item of equipment generate sufficient turnover to provide an adequate rate of return on the capital employed? 2. Is ownership of the equipment, rather than obtaining it by some other method, absolutely necessary for the business? 3. Is outright purchase the only way of acquiring the equipment? [F. Harris and R. McCaffer, 2001] 2.2.4.1.1 COST OF OWNING AN EQUIPMENT The cost of owning and operating construction equipment is affected by factors such as the cost of the equipment delivered to the owner, the severity of the conditions under which it is used, the cares with which the owner maintains and repairs it and the demand for used equipment when it is sold which will affect the salvage value. In his report, Effects of equipment breakdown on civil and building construction works, Markus S. Clarke (2001) identified the costs involved in owning and operating equipment as: i. Depreciation When a unit of equipment is placed in operation, it begins to wear out. Regardless of the care in maintaining and repairing it, the equipment will wear out or become obsolete and has to be replaced. The owner of the equipment has to provide a reserve fund to replace it when it is worn out. Where the contractor fails to include an appropriate allowance for depreciation of his equipment in his estimate, there will be no funds available to replace the equipment when they become aged or obsolete. ii. Maintenance and repairs The cost of maintenance and repairs varies considerably with the type of equipment, the service to which it is assigned and the care it receives. The annual costs of maintenance and repairs is expressed as a percentage of the annual cost of depreciation or independent of depreciation and it must also be sufficient to cover the cost of keeping the equipment operating.