Shooting an Elephant A critical appreciation Essay Example

Shooting an Elephant: A critical appreciation Essay George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant is one of the best short stories to have appeared during the last days of British colonialism. Partly autobiographical in its content, the short story narrates the difficulties encountered by a colonial officer in Burma, as is sent on a mission to shoot down a rampaging Elephant which has already killed an Indian coolie. The story is portraiture on the effects of imperialism on those who perpetrate the system. This essay will argue how the story shows this role reversal, that the oppressor becomes the oppressed in the functioning of imperialism. As Orwell notes very poignantly in the story, when the imperialists use force and authority to suppress the locals, it is the imperialists who suffer more. This is so due to two reasons. First, the imperial officer is forced to carry out acts which were to merely prove his bravado and power. Second, the unrelenting hatred directed against him by the locals takes away mental peace and equity. In the story, there is an insightful passage toward the end, where the author describes the climactic scene in the open fields. Having come near shooting range of the wild beast, the officer suddenly finds himself followed by a few thousand Burmese natives. They all wait in eager anticipation of the impending finality – indeed the only possible outcome in the circumstance. It is at this moment that he officer realizes how powerless he is. The all powerful, rifle wielding member of the ruling clan is faced with the compulsion of expectation from the Burmese locals following his pursuit. In an observation that is applicable universally to the entire institution of colonialism, the author can see not only the irony of power but also its reversal. As the author admits after having killed the Elephant, he merely completed the act to not appear a fool to the imposing audience. There were no other weighty considerations behind this. Indeed, neither the death of the innocent Indian co olie, nor the slow, painful murder of the majestic Elephant had struck the officer as unfortunate or unfair. Sadly, for a colonialist, the foremost thought is his display of power, even when it often manifests at the cost of justice, prudence or poise in judgment. The biggest of ironies in the story is how the institution of imperialism, based on express display of military might for the purpose of economic and geo-political gain, crushes the agents along with the subjects. We will write a custom essay sample on Shooting an Elephant: A critical appreciation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Shooting an Elephant: A critical appreciation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Shooting an Elephant: A critical appreciation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One of the trademark features of Orwell’s works (either biographical or fictional) is his admission and respect for hard facts. In Shooting an Elephant, the central fact is that of the inherent evilness and immorality of the imperialist project. The narrator of the story could not have been less discreet when he says that his job as a police officer allowed him to witness â€Å"the dirty work of Empire at close quarters†. There is another insight offered by the story, namely, that the servants of the empire, who are on deputation to various colonies, are themselves victims. They are subject to long journeys across the seas and spend a lot of time in alien lands, away from their home and family. In this sense, the condition of colonial officers is far more pitiable than those of their subjects. Reference: Orwell, George (1968) [1958]. Selected Writings. Heinemann Educational Books. ISBN 0-435-13675-5. George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant is one of the best short stories to have appeared during the last days of British colonialism. Partly autobiographical in its content, the short story narrates the difficulties encountered by a colonial officer in Burma, as is sent on a mission to shoot down a rampaging Elephant which has already killed an Indian coolie. The story is portraiture on the effects of imperialism on those who perpetrate the system. This essay will argue how the story shows this role reversal, that the oppressor becomes the oppressed in the functioning of imperialism. As Orwell notes very poignantly in the story, when the imperialists use force and authority to suppress the locals, it is the imperialists who suffer more. This is so due to two reasons. First, the imperial officer is forced to carry out acts which were to merely prove his bravado and power. Second, the unrelenting hatred directed against him by the locals takes away mental peace and .

Corporate Social Responsibilit Essay Example

Corporate Social Responsibilit Essay Example Corporate Social Responsibilit Essay Corporate Social Responsibilit Essay Yes, companies do have cultures of their own. This is because companies have a set of beliefs and behaviors as they involve groups of people with relationships, perceptions, and behaviors.   However, a company’s culture is more critically considered compared to the freer culture that an individual chooses for himself. Being a business, they are often expected to justify their actions and beliefs that support these actions.   Because of this, companies need to carefully choose and structure their norms such that it would be reasonable to its employees, gain approval from their market, and beneficial to their business. Although it has been argued that businesses are not expected to behave as society does, I still believe that a business is a member of society.   A company has most of the rights and obligations as each individual and is therefore bound to the legal and moral codes specific to the society.   This status of being a member of the community is what motivates a company to be socially responsible.   A company participates in both social issues and legal matters of the state, as in cases where a company leads in setting standards of living that could, through their lobbyists, influence new laws.   Moreover, a company plays an important role in advocating social issues when the government alone is unable to provide for the community.   A company, therefore, is concerned for the society because of the underlying notion that, even if it exists for profit, it is part of- if not one with- the community. CSR is very important to society as it plays a major part in its economic and social growth. A company that is socially responsible could help cultivate a society with the presence of its business, but it could also affect them negatively. We note that a company is, internally, also a society. It defines its principles upon following what may be a legal code, but also with profit returns as their goal.   The actions that a company does basing on these principles would determine their level of responsibility.   As an outcome, the society’s people and economy could either be well-developed or stagnant. How a company handles its social responsibility creates a profound effect on the community, and so it is imperative that a society is actively concerned in its programs. There are both advantages and disadvantages to each of these behaviors, and it is important that whichever a company adopts, extremity should be avoided as it may not be beneficial to both the company and society.   However, being a strict constructionist could prove better for a company, as CSR and philanthropy, albeit controlled and used as strategy, are still embedded in their goals. Being a strict constructionist, a company is specific in following not only legal standards but also moral codes. Since profit is the primary concern, it is important for a company to earn its market’s trust by delivering good standards, and loyalty by investing profit back into society.   These non-profit programs that a constructionist company initiates following a moral code are often the reasons why it is viewed as an ethical purist.   Overall, being a strict constructionist still allows a company to help the society but in a more practical strategy, needed for expansion- which create s more business opportunities and plenty of room to help. Yes, it is possible for a company to address both profit concerns and social responsibility at the same time, or â€Å"do well by doing good†.   By repackaging their products and services to fit a specific community, a company is able to expand their market to majority of the world’s population. Since they are provided with affordable commodities, technology, healthcare and education as well as employment, consumers patronize a company’s products and services and provide profit returns. Microfinance that turn profits and pooling of financial resources for a loan are some of the trends used to help people improve their standard of living- especially the poor and working poor- in financial terms. By providing affordable rates and lending money even to the low-income class, people become motivated to pay for their loans, and profit is ensured.   Another example of â€Å"doing good† but with a different kind of approach to ensure a more long-term â€Å"do ing well† is the collaboration of toy company Lego and scientific equipment company National Instruments (NI) where they sponsor a Science and Technology competition attended by 9- to 16-year-old students. By exposing the young to their products, they not only promote Science and Technology but also guarantee brand recognition and future market, when the kids grow to become buyers themselves. A company must adhere to the rules and standards specific to their marketed society in order to be able to, in the first place, stay in business. For this reason, the type- even presence- of CSR depends largely on the culture of a society as well as its social concerns.   A society that is particular to the rights of its individuals warrants the company to pay attention to the treatment of its employees and to have strategically impacting CSR activities. On the other hand, a society that is, say, well-supported by its government may not set a very high expectation in the company’s CSR involvement. With the society’s norms and present social concerns in mind, a company must adjust to these factors and design a CSR strategy that would create a positive effect to the society, or at least not hurt its image.   As a result, the quality and density of a company’s CSR activities vary from state to state. The presence of a company do not always benefit a society, and this conflict come in different situations. Multinational companies often involve a long chain of production, which could be rigged in the process and cause harm to consumers at the end of that chain. These result to news of food and chemical scares that have been known around the world or counterfeiting problems. Also, for-profit lending firms who view microfinance as money-well place higher costs for their loans and mortgages, even up to twice the amount of the loan, and end up hurting consumers’ credit instead of helping them to alleviate their standard of living. However, businesses sometimes hurt the society in the process of trying to help its members.   In order to effectively deliver or affordable products and services and offer employment to a community, another group of people is displaced.   These adverse effects could either be intentionally or unavoidable brought by the company but sadly, there is no universal standard that would prevent companies from falling into harmful ventures. IT systems are used in order to manage and report on a company’s CSR. Through information technology, a company is able to quantify their toxic emissions and determine whether they need to manage or reduce amounts of input.   With the results, the company is presented with the opportunity to help reduce the amount of pollution towards the environment.   However, IT systems themselves- especially the hardware- contain a great amount of toxic. Aside from that, these data-gathering technologies consume a lot of electricity and air conditioning, which would produce harmful greenhouse gases.   In the end, the employment of IT as part of CSR could enable a company to help the planet but also raise environmental problems in the process. For me, tool regulation and strategic usage determines the balance between the two opposite effects. Some societies do not have a strong stance on transparency between company and consumer, but it should be a requirement for a more trusted business.   Patronizing a business involves trust on the part of the customers. It is then their right to be well-informed about the products that they use and services that they employ.   As customers place their trust on a company by availing their products, it is the company’s responsibility to make sure that the customers understand the process to which they engage in.   Failure in this part results to issues that could be harmful for the customer.   Aside from that, nondisclosure of certain characteristics and aspects of a product or service would make the customer distrust a company and the company loses business. Corporate Social Responsibility, 8 Nonprofit programs, like any investment, should be cultivated with a strategy.   I agree that these programs should be run like business in order to make CSR work out for the company as well as the society. Handling nonprofits as one handles any business requires a well-defined procedure and guarantees a positive outcome. Furthermore, the program is evaluated to determine whether it has been successful, or needs further detailing.   Giving without a goal may contribute to the company’s visibility but it still tends to be irrelevant to the society and therefore ineffective. This is why â€Å"smart philanthropy† is a significant principle in most companies as it enables them to be active in philanthropic activities and also promote their company’s reputation: do well by doing good. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion We hope for a better community once businesses, especially large-scale ones, enter the society but at some point adverse effects and behaviors happen, and the community is affected. Once a business goes wrong, the society’s economy, people, and even environment would suffer.   Businesses, on the other hand, are affected by the beliefs and behaviors of the society.   A company that has no regard for the norms are criticized and since the society is its market and reason for existence, its policies need to be adjusted accordingly. Therefore, the relationship between company and society is inter-dependent: the company relies on the society for revenue, and the society looks up to the company for economic leadership. Because of this relationship, a company makes it a point to be socially responsible and invests profit back into the community so to gather loyalty and be able to expand at the same time. These programs that show responsibility, in turn, would encourage customers to patronize products and services.   In totality, corporate social responsibility is what keeps this relationship balanced and intact.

Roberto del Rosario, Inventor of a Karaoke Machine

Roberto del Rosario, Inventor of a Karaoke Machine Roberto del Rosario (1936–2007) was the president of the now-defunct Trebel Music Corporation, a founding member of the Filipino amateur jazz band The Executives Band Combo, and, in 1975, the inventor of the Karaoke Sing Along System. Known as Bert, del Rosario patented more than 20 inventions during his lifetime, making him one of the most prolific of Filipino inventors. Fast Facts: Roberto del Rosario Known For: Holds the 1975 patent for the Karaoke Sing-Along SystemBorn: 1936 in Pasay City, PhilippinesParents: Teofilo del Rosario and Consolacion LegaspiDied: August 2003Education: No formal musical educationSpouse: Eloisa Vistan (d. 1979)Children: 5 Early Life Roberto del Rosario was born in Pasay City, Philippines, in 1936, the son of Teofilo del Rosario and Consolacion Legaspi. He never received formal music education but learned to play the piano, drums, marimba, and xylophone by ear. He was a founding member of The Executive Combo Band, a well-known amateur jazz band headed by post-World War II Filipino politician Raà ºl Sevilla Manglapus and architect Francisco Bobby Maà ±osa. The band started in 1957 and played in gigs all over the world, jamming with the likes of Duke Ellington and Bill Clinton.  Roberto del Rosario married Eloisa Vistan and together they had five children; Eloisa died in 1979. In Taytay, Rizal- under the business name Trebel (Treb is Bert spelled backwards and El is for his wife)- del Rosario manufactured harpsichords and the OMB, or One-Man-Band, a piano with a built-in synthesizer, rhythm box, and bass pedals that can all be played at the same time. He also developed and patented a singalong machine using minus one technology (originally on cassette tapes) in which vocals are subtracted from extant instrumental tracks. Del Rosario is one of several people who are associated with the invention of a karaoke machine. Karaoke is a compound Japanese word from karappo meaning empty and o-kestura meaning orchestra. Sometimes translated as empty orchestra, the phrase means something closer to the orchestra is void of vocals. Music Minus One Minus one technology has its roots in classical music recording. The Music Minus One company was founded in 1950 in Westchester, New York by classical music student Irv Kratka: Their products are professional musical recordings with one track, vocal or instrumental, removed, for the purpose of allowing a musician to practice along with the professionals at home. Multi-track recording was developed in 1955, and the technology to remove one track became available to professional musicians and publishers afterward, primarily to allow them to adjust the track balance or rerecord them to get a better sound. By the 1960s, Minus one technology was used by migrant Filipino musical personnel, who used the technology at the request of their promoters and record labels, who wanted to save costs by hiring fewer musicians. In 1971, Daisuke Inoue was a keyboard and vibraphone backup player in a high-end Kobe, Japan, bar, and his abilities were in great demand at customer parties. A customer wanted him to perform at a party but he was too busy, and he recorded the backup music on tape and gave it to the customer. After that, Inoue assembled a team of an electronics specialist, a woodworker, and a furniture finisher, and together they built the first karaoke machine using 8-track tapes, complete with microphone and echo effect, called the 8-Juke. Inoue leased his 8-Juke machines to working-class bars lacking the budget to hire live, in-house musicians in the nightlife hub of Kobe. His coin-operated 8-Juke machines featured Japanese standards and popular tracks recorded by backing musicians without vocals in 1971–1972. He clearly created the first karaoke machine, but didnt he patent or profit from it- and later he denied he was an inventor at all, claiming he simply combined a car stereo, a coin box, and a small amp. The Sing Along System Roberto del Rosario invented his version of a karaoke machine between 1975 and 1977, and in his patents (UM-5269 on June 2, 1983 and UM-6237 on November 14, 1986) he described his sing-along system as a handy, multi-purpose, compact machine that incorporates an amplifier speaker, one or two tape mechanisms, an optional tuner or radio, and a microphone mixer with features to enhance ones voice, such as the echo or reverb to simulate an opera hall or a studio sound. The whole system was enclosed in one cabinet casing. The main reason we know of del Rosarios contribution is because he sued Japanese companies for patent infringement in the 1990s. In the court case, the Philippine Supreme Court decided in del Rosarios favor. He won the legal recognition and some of the money, but in the end, the Japanese manufacturers reaped most of the benefits by later innovations. Other Inventions Besides his famous Karaoke Sing Along System Roberto del Rosario has also invented: Trebel Voice Color Code (VCC)Piano tuners guidePiano keyboard stressing deviceVoice color tape Sources Music Minus One. Music Dispatch, 2019.Roberto Bert del Rosario (Mr. Trebel) Facebook.The Joaquins. Bert del Rosario is Karaoke inventor! My Family and More, June 5, 2007.  Roberto L. Del Rosario, Petitioner, Vs. Court Of Appeals And Janito Corporation, Respondents [G.R. No. 115106]. Supreme Court of the Philippines, March 15, 1996.Soliman Michelle, Anne P. National Artist for Architecture Francisco Bobby Maà ±osa, 88. Business World, February 22, 2019.Tongson, Karen. Empty Orchestra: The Karaoke Standard and Pop Celebrity. Public Culture 27.1 (75) (2015): 85-108. Print.Xun, Zhou and Fancesca Tarocco. Karaoke: the Global Phenomenon. London: Reaktion Books, 2007.

Exercises from pan text Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exercises from pan text - Essay Example This is because the necessity of the qualitative research needs to be presented and analyzed, thus providing for more than just a basic study of the literature. At this point, I am actually thinking of using both qualitative and quantative literature reviews. I feel that a combination of the two will provide for a very successful literature review, rather than just simply covering one concept only. If my audience is my professor or my committee, typically they do not give set expectations regarding topic selection. Rather, this is the responsibility of the researcher. At this point, I do not have any questions, as I am still brainstorming and gathering my research. Since there are no ideas to analyze present in question 1, the scale is not necessary. However, to provide something to answer the question, I would ask about the best way to make a topic not too specific or not too general for this type of research discussion. I rate this as a 5, simply because it is one of the most important things to consider prior to researching—if a topic is too large or too small, the research will not go well. Professional journals have assisted me with topic ideas. They also have helped me to identify possible topics. Because I am able to see the types of research previously presented, I have been able to decide if I would want to analyze a different aspect of various studies and thus provide something new to the research community. At this point, I am interested in reviewing some of the study instruments provided in some of the other research studies in order to get ideas on how I may approach my own. So far, I think surveys are one of the best tools for gathering research, because they are quick, effective, and allow for the gathering of appropriate information. I have not brainstormed topic ideas with other students yet, but I do think that if I did, this could be quite helpful simply because my peers may provide

Self Portrait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self Portrait - Essay Example What is more, I had my own future ambitions, which were focused on living a well learned lifestyle that made me financially independent and free from most of the common worries of life. In effect when the opportunity came, I felt the luckiest person in the word for the amazing future ahead in USA and the awful future I escaped for leaving Cuba. There’s millions of Cubans or other countries’ citizens willing the same opportunity and I was one of the chosen one. The second episode was related to a social event in my life, when as part of my long time ambition to attend a world class concert, I attended the concert of none other than Celine Dion. Not only did I attend Celine Dion’s concert but I had the opportunity to sit at a VIP stand that was very close to the stage where I could see the artist clearly and have a full feel of the concert. The show was colorful for everyone who was there but to me, it is more than awesome. Before the time, I had an iPod full of Celine Dion’s songs, which tells how much I love the diva. But from my background, hardly did I think a day was coming when I would sit at her feet and watch her perform. Here was I, the poor, country girl in front of that amazing and divine voice – it was very emotional. It is so pleasant to feel as a social event can complete aspects of a person’s life. The last episode is on my academic life and related to the day of my graduation as a Registered Nurse. Caring for others and being of help to them has been my childhood ambition. When in May 2009 I graduated with BSN from Barry University on May 2009, I was more than joyous. . When I think about my graduation as a nurse, it makes me think everything is possible. This episode gives me so many lessons on the need to be consistent, dedicated and responsible. I always worked (full time job as a waiter) and studied (full time too), had a husband and did house duties as a wife at the same time when I was studying. These factors however

Time and the Clocks Essay Example for Free

Time and the Clocks Essay Introduction It is well known that technology is very important aspect in human life and Critical Engagement with Technology class held lot of concepts and theories with regard to how to look at and understand technology that helped in changing some of the previous understandings. The class helped in developing the skills to be able to evaluate different approaches and ways of thinking in regards to understanding technology. Also to know the issues that impact the management of technology and how the technology influenced managers’ abilities to provide better management of both resources and people. The class also examined the drivers and factors that impacted technology implementation such as social, political, economic, among others. The new way of thinking about the technology and how it is driven was presented in class through several topics that was introduced such as: â€Å"Nothing New Under the Sun†, Historical Perspective on Technology The Industrial Revolution Technology as the Context for and Product of Human Endeavour Technological Determinism Social Shaping of Technology Management, Power and Technology The course further gave us the opportunity to pick a technology and ably what we learned in the class. Our case study that we picked talked about the clocks and how the society shaped the way of measuring time throughout history. The clock nowadays are technology that has been taken for granted. The focus of this case study is to show the importance of time measurement and how our life nowadays revolves around it. By going through history all the way from using the sun and stars to the development of clocks that neither lose nor gain one second in 200 million years to show how humanity searches for more accuracy by developing the tools to measure the time. Literature Review As mentioned earlier, the course provided us with lot of concepts and theories with regards to technology that in turns helped in understanding and facilitating of our case study. Concepts such as Technological Determinism and Social Shaping of Technology helped in carrying out our research and that is why it is important to define them. The idea of that technology development affect and shape the society is called Technological Determinism and it implies that the technology changes by following its own logic and come from outside society. Hard technological determinism which lays on simple cause-and-effect and not considering other factors such as economic, political, cultural, among others is considered as an oversimplified theory for the technological change. This was the common way of thinking that encourage the passive attitude toward technology change. It is worth mentioning that new technology are developed from an existing technology or a combinations of several existing technologies through a gradual change. Therefore, the social shaping of technology theory critique the technological determinism theory and suggests that society has more active attitude toward technology development in the since that society decides what and how to use it. Also the social shaping of technology theory consider other factors mentioned previously that affect the technology wheel of development (Mackenzie and Wajcman, 1999). Having said that, the distinguish between the two theories among the other topics learned in this course open our minds as well as provided us with better understanding of technology development. The Beginnings of the Clocks The movement of earth and its moon gave the indications for the year, month, and day. Human invented the hours, minutes and seconds as smaller units for the time. Middle East ancient civilization divided the day into 24 hours with 60 minutes an hour and 60 seconds a minutes. At the beginning there were the sundials and the water clocks that didn’t give exact time but rather represent the flow of time (Franz, 1978) (Dale, 1992). Before the mechanical clocks, people had many attempts to find a tool to measure time more accurately. The candle clock which was basically a candle with the hours marked on it was one device. Another device was the hourglass or sandglass that was used at sea and it required someone to stay next to it to flip it because each flip was counted as half an hour or an hour. Although both devices were used at night and that helped in solving the problem of the sundial that depends on the sun, another problem came to realization which was that these devices didn’t give the time of the day rather they only measured periods of time (Dale, 1992). People of ancient China, Babylon, and Egypt discovered the link between timekeeping and the positions of stars due to the fact that stars changes position in a regular pattern. This link motivated people to find new ways to measure time more accurately especially at sea (Dale, 1992). Pope Sylvester II invented the first mechanical clock in year 1000 and they spread among European cathedrals by 1300. They were used to inform people about the time they should go to church and that was the early use for them. Some of these clocks gave astronomical information and others had bells to call people (Sherman, 2005). It is interesting that an old mechanical clock that was built in 1386 is still working in England in Salisbury Cathedral. The small clocks didn’t come along until after the invention of mainspring and those clocks were built for wealthy people where they were considered as valuable possessions that they show off with. Marine Navigation When the magnetic compass were invented, it was used by sailors to steer the ships in an accurate direction, but compasses weren’t steady enough in rough weather and hence deciding the direction based on them was difficult. The Sextant was the next invention and it was the instrument used to measure the heights of the sun in order to calculate the ship’s latitude (May, 1973) (Cotter, 1977). All these instruments solve part of the problem because there were no means to measure the longitude and the position of the ships on the latitude was purely based on the sailors’ guess (Cotter, 1977). The speed of ships is measured by knots and it is based on an old method called the ‘Dead Reckoning’. After plotting the course using the compass, a rope with several knots on it with a log at the end of that rope were thrown overboard. Then a sandglass was used to measure the period. When it was time the rope was pulled and the knots were counted. Using this method sailors were able to calculate the distance they sailed (May, 1973) (Gould and Dyson, 1976). The compass, astrolabe and the dead reckoning were the only methods used by the great explorers like Ferdinand Magellan and Christopher Columbus and what is more interesting is that they didn’t have a particular destination when they discovered the new lands. These discoveries provided the opportunity of trading but another problem of navigation came up. No one was able to know how long the trip going to take or how much food they should take with them to feed the crew of the ship. Fresh food rotted before they reach their destination along with other problems caused by the poor navigation at that time. Knowing the longitude and better timekeeping was the answer. Cotter (1977) stated that the difference between the time readings in two different places will help in calculating the longitude. For this calculation to be possible a standard time was needed. Since Britain was the leading seafaring nation in the 17th century it decided to take the Royal Observatory at Greenwich as the standard time and the longitude passing through Greenwich became 0 degrees. At that time other countries took different places as mark 0 degrees. When the radio were used as the mean of communication between ships, Greenwich system was used internationally in 1884. Mechanical clocks provided more accurate measurement of time than candles or sandglasses, but still they were not accurate enough because the swinging of the pendulum was upset by the motion of the ships. The early mechanical clocks needed to be checked against other clocks or against the sun on a frequent bases. Sailors knew that they needed a clock that keep the accurate standard time even under that challenging conditions of the sea. According to Gould and Dyson (1976) the British government was alarmed by the fact that lots of ships both merchant and naval were lost due to the hazardous conditions of the Atlantic Ocean. And that is why the government announced a competition in 1714 with a prize of ? 20,000 for a chronometer with specific criteria. The British government wanted an accurate chronometer that gives the correct longitude reading within 55 kilometres after six weeks of sailing. In order to be that precise, the new chronometer must not loss nor gain more than three seconds per day also it should be able to cope with the conditions of the sea such as the salty sea air and the temperature and humidity changes. At that time no clock was able to achieve that accuracy and it was a big technical challenge. In 1759, John Harrison, who was a clockmaker, succeeded after three previous attempts in inventing the perfect chronometer. The chronometer was tested by Harrison’s son William when he sailed to Jamaica two years after the invention came to light. Harrison’s chronometer passed the test. It only lost an average of 2. 7 second a day and it was able to give an accurate longitude reading within 30 kilometres. It is worth mentioning that chronometers were not used generally until 1800 and this is because it was very expensive to build one. Navigation problems were solved by using the clocks and the seas became busy highways at that time (Gould and Dyson, 1976). Railways Time The industrial revolution was powered by the steam power as well as the revolution in transport where the railways spread quickly at that time. The main purpose of the railways was to transport coal although it was used to transport passengers too. By making the transport easier people’s lives has changed. In the early days of railways public clocks weren’t synchronized and there wasn’t a single standard time. The trains were separated and spread along the tracks using time intervals system and that caused problems for travellers as well as posed a safety hazard. With the introduction of railways time that used Greenwich Mean Time the public timekeeping has changed and that solved the problems of railways. Moreover, the demand for more accuracy in daily tasks were influenced by railway time. It is worth mentioning that it took the government 40 years since the introduction of railways time to legislate the standard time for Great Britain and that was in 1880 (Schivelbusch, 1986). The Industrial Revolution Commodities and industries were made in a different way in Europe after 1780 and that is why historians gave the name the industrial revolution. In this revolution, cheaper and faster machines replaced the costly and slow manual crafts. For example, cotton industry changed a lot, at first cotton was woven manually and it was considered as luxury but with the industrial revolution and the introduction of the new cotton mills, the production become faster and that caused the price to drop drastically for the product. Moreover, this movement puts lot of people out of work and the only thing that they could do at that time is to work in the mills. This movement also introduced many people to the important of time. Factories’ machines were kept running for long time during the day for the investors to gain the best return and it was important that workers arrive on time. Workers who came late were usually punished with a fine deducted from their weekly payments. At that time only few people had clocks to tell them the time other used the ‘knocker-up’ who was someone walking around and waking people to go to work (Cardwell and Cardwell, 2001). The method of workers payments changed due to this movement too. Before works used to earn fixed payments for a day of work but when the factories started to use the shift system workers started to be paid using hourly rate. This was possible with the invention of a machine that kept record of how many hours the worker actually worked. The worker had to stamp a card using that machine that showed the time of start and end. That process was called ‘clocking on-clocking off’ (Cardwell and Cardwell, 2001). Time Control Reeves and Duncan et al. (2001), Webster and Davies et al. (2011), and Borst (1993) agreed upon that ‘Time and motion study’ which was developed by Frederick Taylor in 1880 helped in studying different factories operations to speed them up by identifying what is really needed and that in return helped manufacturers to use their workers and machinery more efficiently. The concept of saving the time became an important one when the awareness of time increased. That concept pushed lot of technologies to be invented especially after the invention of electricity to replace the boring and routine tasks such as cleaning, washing clothes, among others. Another form of time control was the use of time switches which were basically a clock combined with a switch that enabled automatic turning on and off for the devices. More accurate clocks Wagner (2008) said that the work of most specialists such as engineers, physicists, among others depends heavily on precise time measurements. Nowadays, 300 atomic clocks at different laboratories are used to calculate global time. But researchers are pursuing more accuracy in time measurement and the results will replace the process of averaging the data from the atomic clocks. Researchers developed optical clocks that capture and measure the frequencies of strontium atoms (a chemical element with atomic number 38) by using the lasers. With the ability of the new clocks to measure the oscillation at higher frequency ranges, the results are clocks that measure time more accurately. Also these new clocks are expected to measure time in intervals much smaller than what the atomic clock that will help in giving the clock that ability to neither lose nor gain one second in a period of 200 million years (Wagner, 2008). Methodology Before us as a group decided on the topic in hand we had lot of discussions with lot of topics to talk about. After we reached an agreement we distributed the work and each of the members had to research a specific period in time to find out more about time and clocks. It was an interesting task that expanded my knowledge about the subject. After each member focused on the topic assigned our group met to share the findings. Comments were exchanged to further address the subject from different angles. The researches were done using books, online articles, and journals. The group met for the second time with the new findings and slides for the presentation. The presentation was put together and rehearsed. We didn’t have to meet as much because we used methods such as blogs and dropbox to share our work and discuss further. I was assigned with the topic regarding the marine navigation and the early problems and I found out that different resources agreed and have the same facts about the subject. Also I was able to dig deeper and find interesting facts with regards to other topics in this document that in turn helped me gain immense knowledge about the theories proposed as well as provided me with the comprehensive understanding I was seeking. Findings and Discussion I was able to carry out this case study and research with most open mind and with referring to the theories and topics learned in class. I found out that the clocks is considered as one of the oldest inventions in history and also how humanity is continuously seeking for more accuracy in regards to time measurement even nowadays. Also I found out how the concept of time measurement affect and pushed other technologies to emerge and how it was used in the industrial revolution era. It is clear that throughout history human had the same idea which was the important of measuring time. What differs was the development of the devices that measure the time in a more accurate manner. It is also observed that the development of the device depends on the same concepts of the previous ones but with better ways of doing it. Early sailors used land marks and stayed close to the land in order to find their way and to know their position. Then sailors become more adventurist over time and started to find new ways to help them navigate in the open sea. Methods such as astronomy observation helped in calculating the ships’ locations to work out the directions and set the course of the ship by using an instrument called the astrolabe. The astrolabe was the tool used by the ancient Greeks, but the biggest default was it needed a clear sky and it was only used at night. With the invention of the chronometer that solved the marine problems I felt that it was one of the breakthroughs in the world of clocks that help in measuring the time more precisely. It showed that the need of the accuracy in the time measurement was a social need to solve the problems rather than resulting from technological determinism. It is hard nowadays to find someone who doesn’t care about time. This is showed by the fact that everything in the modern life had something to do with time and clocks. For example, the personal computers where the clock is installed as a ship in the heart of the device to regulate the electrical signals (Borst, 1993), the use of the timer in the microwave, setting the alarm to go to work or school, transportation timetable, among other examples. Clocks is everywhere but as mentioned before, it is a technology taken for granted. Conclusion. The clocks development throughout history showed a true evident of the society shaping the technology changes with the need of finding ways to measure time more accurately. Also the history showed that the clocks came a long way and the development and researches for more accurate clocks is still going on. The clocks began with using the sun and the stars. Then they were used to count periods using water clocks, candle clocks, and sandglass clocks. After that mechanical clocks came to light with the use of gears and motion. And with the need for a clock to per the sea conditions and to give accurate longitude readings, the chronometer came about. Finally, reaching to the atomic clocks that we use nowadays to measure time and for the future the use of optical clocks that measure time with smaller intervals than ever. With the development of the clocks we can observe how people lives changed. Not forgetting about the disadvantages where some people suffer from something called ‘time stress’ and this is because we want to do lots of things and the clashes among them caused by the time constrains lead to stress. References Borst, A. 1993. The ordering of time. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Cardwell, D. and Cardwell, D. 2001. Wheels, clocks, and rockets. New York: W. W. Norton. Cotter, C. 1977. The elements of navigation and nautical astronomy. Glasgow: Brown and Ferguson. Dale, R. 1992. Timekeeping. New York: Oxford University Press. Franz, M. 1978. Time. New York: Thames and Hudson. Gould, R. and Dyson, F. 1976. The marine chronometer. London: The Holland Press. Mackenzie, D. and Wajcman, J. 1999. Introductory essay: the social shaping of technology. The social shaping of technology, pp. 327. May, W. 1973. A history of marine navigation. New York: Norton. Reeves, T. C. , Duncan, W. J. Ginter, P.M. 2001, Motion study in management and the arts: A historical example, Journal of Management Inquiry, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 137-149. Schivelbusch, W. 1986. Railway journey. Berkeley: University presses of California. Top of Form Bottom of Form Sherman, J. 2005. How do we know the nature of time. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. Wagner, C. G. 2008, New Clocks: Its About Time, The Futurist, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 10. Webster, J. , Davies, H. , Stankiewicz, M. Fleming, L. C. 2011, Estimating the Time Involved in Managing the Unoccupied Bed: A Time and Motion Study, Nursing Economics, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 317-22.

Functionalist View on Same-Sex Families Essay -- Papers

Functionalist View on Same-Sex Families What is Functionalism? Functionalism is the belief that members of society form relationships with each other through rules and regulations i.e. the law. They also believe society is based on a consensus and there is no time for conflict, although it is acknowledged but is seen as only a temporary disturbance, which can be resolved. They believe it is the basis of social life without it there would be conflict and disorder. Society is seen like the human body, institutions within society playing a significant role to ensure its upkeep like schools. These institutions are what influence societies members on social behaviour. They see the family as how it functions and contributes towards society as a whole. They believe the function of a family is to educate and prepare children before they become adult workers. What is the New Right? The New Right believes the family is the cornerstone of society. They see the ideal family is that of the nuclear unit, a heterosexual relationship based on love and commitment with the reproduction of children. They believe the cause of decline in the nuclear family is due to the change in society, which is threatening the norms of marriage. They believe it shall all be resolved with the return of the traditional family norms. How is society structured from a traditionalist or functionalist point of view? As I said earlier functionalists believe rules and regulations guide society, they believe it forms the basis of consensus. They see society structured like the human body; every part has an important role to play and a significant contribut... ...rica 50% of young Americans think gay people shouldn't have the same rights as everyone else, but they also said they didn't know enough to form a sound opinion. Most Americans said they think gay teachers should be fired, not only is that unfair dismissal, and discrimination. But what is it teaching the children? Functionalists say the main function of a family is to help educate children in social behaviour required by society. If they believe society is based on consensus then why are they encouraging conflict? Bibliography www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scotts/domestic-partners/family.html www.familydiscussions.com/books/gillis.htm www.puclicagenda.org Family, Functionalism, and New Right Donnellan C, Sexuality Volume 23 Silva, E The New Family SAGE Publications Sociology Text Book