Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say Essay

Question 1. Describe how the story is structured to influence your response to the text. Question 2. Describe one of the story’s major settings. How is it constructed and what is its significance to the story and its ideas? North America is the major setting in this book. North America holds a lot of new technology and everything is new and spectacular to him, the trains, the enormous rock sculptures and an endless farming field are examples of this. There is also a bad side to this place; there are huge cities of factories and tall buildings with thick smoke coming out of each building. But above all, best place was California, where there were a strong sunlight, the Sierra Mountains and the seacoast. Along the way he had met and shook hands new people, which had different cultural backgrounds to him. This setting is constructed in a way that the more the grandfather travels the more he liked it and wanted to make the ‘New World’ his home. This setting shows that the cultural barrier can be broken and people should go out and see the world and meet new people to develop more familiarity of the world they live in. Question 3. How are you positioned to respond to the major character/s of the story? What values are represented through them? Question 4. Describe the extent to which language and graphics are successfully used together to shape your response. Discuss with close reference to at lease two examples. In the Grandfather’s Journey, there are a few pages where the graphics and the text connect together to give the reader a better understanding of situation. At the beginning (on page 4) the text was ‘My grandfather was a young man when he left his home in Japan and went to see the world†. On this page it shows the grandfather in Japanese clothes and the background had very dull colours because he is still in the ‘Old World’. On the next page it shows the transition to the ‘New World’. The background colours have changed from dull to bright and he had changed into European clothes. The wave that looks very unsteady shows the ‘New World’. All this happens when you want to ‘see the world. On page 17, there is a picture of the grandfather’s daughter holding a pram with a European doll sitting in it. The text that goes with the page was ‘As his daughter grew, my grandfather began to think about his own childhood. He thought about his old friends’. In the picture the author shows the contrast between the Asian girl and the European girl using different clothing and the cultural difference (seen through the colours of the hairs). When compared, the grandfather began to remember how his old friends in Japan were when they were little. This illustrates ‘†¦think about his own childhood. He thought about his old friends.’ Question 5. Discuss the attitudes and values of the text and your personal response to these. Question 6. Describe at least one link you can make between this book and another/other texts you have read or viewed. How do the texts compare in terms of the ideas presented and how do you respond to these ideas? One of the pages in this book makes us realise that we often label Japan as the enemy in World War II, whilst they were also the victim and had also suffered a large amount of devastation. In the film Pearl Harbour, one of the scenes was Japan bombing Pearl Harbour. This only shows the negative side of Japan, where they were attackers, but it did not show them as the victims suffering from the disaster. This movie is persuading the audience to blame Japan for the damages of the war, where Japan had to go through the emotional breakdowns and physical injuries. Even though the book tells us not to blame Japan for the damages and the movie shows us that Japan was the enemy in World War II, there is still a link between the two texts and that is after a war majority of the participating countries will have, no matter large or small, havocs. I think, because of this, we should not blame a certain country for the occurrence of the war, and should not blame any country since the countries that participated are both enemies and victims of the war.

Social commentary on The Kite runner

We are impacted by things that we read, see or hear on a daily basis, and whether we know it or not they change the way we perceive certain topics. Social commentary Is often used by authors and/or artists to draw attention to ineffective elements of a society. This is present in the novels â€Å"Animal Farm† by George Orwell and The Kite Runner† by Khlaed Hosselnl.The â€Å"Animal Farm† Is an allegory about a farm in which the animals revolt against the irresponsible farmer Jones after the Old Major dies and name it â€Å"Animal animals establish seven rules to live by, f which the most Important Is â€Å"All animals are Farm 47). As the years pass by. though, the dynamics of the farm change and the pigs establish themselves ds the ruling class. Orwell ridicules the way Russia tried to rebuild itself after the Bolshevick Revolution with this book. The Kite Runner† is a novel written by Khaled Hosselnl, In which he talks about the drastic difference betwee n lite In Afghanistan before and after the Taliban take over through the point of view of an Afghan boy named Amir. The main themes in the book are love, forgiveness, betrayal, edemption, and ethnic pressure In Afghanistan, but he also focuses In abundance on the Taliban by using the characters' life to show how much damage the Taliban cause to the country and population. The Taliban come Into power after Russian troops invade Afghanistan, and they make the citizens believe that they are the salvation of the country.Both novels deal with a group of people/animals that start a revolution against the ones in control, then gain power and impose even more severe rules which they corrupt, and end up forming a government more oppressive than the one they revolted against. nce the groups take over they give themselves higher authority than the rest of the population/animals, for example when Napoleon takes over he Is called â€Å"the emperor† and the rest of the animals are called à ¢â‚¬Å"comrade†(Anlmal Farm 47-8).The Taliban does something very similar; they demand the population to treat them with respect. Amir finds that out when he comes back to Kabul to take sohrab (given the fact that he lived In U. S. while the Taliban took over Afghanistan, he doesnt know much about them, besides what he heard in San Francisco) and he stares at the Taliban when they drive by. His triend Farid informs him that when the Taliban move past he Is supposed to look at the ground and not directly in their eyes, for the reason that they wanted people to almost bow down to them.Both dictators Impose unreasonable rules when they are in position of power. In â€Å"Animal Farm† Napoleon demonstrates that when he says that anyone who followed snowball, the leader thrown out by Napoleon, would be executed. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† there are many scenes where the Talibs execute the opposition, for example Hassan refuses to leave Baba's house and as a result he ets shot In the back of the head. Another Intense case of unreasonable punishment takes place at the stadium where one of the Taliban Generals makes a speech about the Taliban's duty.He claims that the Taliban bring Justice and carry out the shrl'a law, and they believe that if adultery is committed, the adulterers â€Å"throw stones at the windows of God's house†: although the Shri'a law does not literally say that the Taliban Imply that adulterers should be punished by being stoned to death, tnereTore Its only rlgnt tnat tney stone to aeatn a woman ana a man accused 0T dultery(Cleric 270). However, in both books the dictators corrupt the rules they impose, for example in the â€Å"Animal Farm† the animals have seven commandments they must live by but three of them get changed to suit what Napoleon does or decides. No animal shall drink alcohol†is changed to â€Å"No animal shall drink to excess† when Napoleon gets drunk and almost dies; â€Å"No animal sha ll sleep in a bed† was changed to â€Å"No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets† and lastly â€Å"No animal shall kill other animal† was changed to â€Å"No animal shall kill other nimal without cause†(Animal Farm 21-24). In â€Å"The Kite Runner† Assef is a sociopath who grows up to become a Taliban official, so the readers would expect him to carry out the Shri'a law and live by it , which he doesn't because he stones a woman to death for being accused of adultery and sins even more by raping the kids of the orphanage.There is another contradiction in the Taliban's beliefs, because music was part of the entertainment banned by the Taliban, but when Amir goes to General Assef to take Sohrab, Assef plays music for Sohrab to dance to. The eginning of dictatorship in both books is caused by a presumed revolution. In â€Å"Animal Farm† the animals revolt against man, take over the farm, and expect to live at peace among themselves. In â€Å" The Kite Runner† the Taliban are supposed to get the Russians out of Afghanistan and bring back harmony in the country.In both cases the leaders fail because the ambitions get the best of them and instead of living happy, they use the opportunity to dictate the others below. In the â€Å"Animal Farm† eventually the Seven Commandments are changed to one that read† All animals are qual but some are more equal than others†,which shows that the revolution is a failure in the farm because it makes the animals exactly what they were protesting against(Animal Farm 112).The Taliban first become known for their ambition to free Afghanistan from the Russians, but once they come into power they impose insane rules against the population and outlaw every type of entertainment, even kite running. In the end the pigs and the Taliban turn into their enemies. Napoleon changes the name of the farm back to Manor Farm and in the final scene Napoleon and Pilkington (a neighbori ng farmer) are playing cards, although they act friendly, each is trying to cheat by playing ace of spades .The other animals watch the scene and cannot tell the pigs from the humans. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† when the Taliban take over Afghanistan they change everything, Amir points it out when he comes back from America and he sees Kabul, he says â€Å"l feel like a tourist in my own country' which means after the Taliban had taken over, the country couldVe been easily ruled by strangers because there was nothing left of the Afghanistan he grew p in (Amir 231). Social commentary has a powerful impact in todays society.Khlaed Hosseini and George Orwell convey a strong message with â€Å"The Kite Runner† and â€Å"Animal Farm†; they show that when people strive for a goal but get no satisfaction when they reach it, they can turn revolutions in a government more oppressive and totalitarian. Social Commentary on The Kite Runner We are impacted by things that we read, see or hear on a daily basis, and whether we know it or not they change the way we perceive certain topics. Social commentary is often used by authors and/or artists to draw attention to ineffective elements of a society. This is present in the novels â€Å"Animal Farm† by George Orwell and â€Å"The Kite Runner† by Khlaed Hosseini. The â€Å"Animal Farm† is an allegory about a farm in which the animals revolt against the irresponsible farmer Jones after the Old Major dies and name it â€Å"Animal farm†.The animals establish seven rules to live by, of which the most important is â€Å"All animals are equal†(Animal Farm 47). As the years pass by, though, the dynamics of the farm change and the pigs establish themselves as the ruling class. Orwell ridicules the way Russia tried to rebuild itself after the Bolshevick Revolution with this book. â€Å"The Kite Runner† is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini, i n which he talks about the drastic difference between life in Afghanistan before and after the Taliban take over through the point of view of an Afghan boy named Amir.The main themes in the book are love, forgiveness, betrayal, redemption, and ethnic pressure in Afghanistan, but he also focuses in abundance on the Taliban by using the characters’ life to show how much damage the Taliban cause to the country and population. The Taliban come into power after Russian troops invade Afghanistan, and they make the citizens believe that they are the salvation of the country.Both novels deal with a group of people/animals that start a revolution against the ones in control, then gain power and impose even more severe rules which they corrupt, and end up forming a government more oppressive than the one they revolted against. Once the groups take over they give themselves higher authority than the rest of the population/animals, for example when Napoleon takes over he is called  "the emperor† and the rest of the animals are called â€Å"comrade†(Animal Farm 47-8).The Taliban does something very similar; they demand the population to treat them with respect. Amir finds that out when he comes back to Kabul to take Sohrab (given the fact that he lived in U. S. while the Taliban took over Afghanistan, he doesn’t know much about them, besides what he heard in San Francisco) and he stares at the Taliban when they drive by. His friend Farid informs him that when the Taliban move past he is supposed to look at the ground and not directly in their eyes, for the reason that they wanted people to almost bow down to them.Both dictators impose unreasonable rules when they are in position of power. In â€Å"Animal Farm† Napoleon demonstrates that when he says that anyone who followed Snowball, the leader thrown out by Napoleon, would be executed. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† there are many scenes where the Talibs execute the opposition, for example Hassan refuses to leave Baba’s house and as a result he gets shot in the back of the head. Another intense case of unreasonable punishment takes place at the stadium where one of the Taliban Generals makes a speech about the Taliban’s duty.He claims that the Taliban bring justice and carry out the Shri’a law, and they believe that if adultery is committed, the adulterers â€Å"throw stones at the windows of God’s house†; although the Shri’a law does not literally say that the Taliban imply that adulterers should be punished by being stoned to death, therefore it’s only right that they stone to death a woman and a man accused of adultery(Cleric 270). However, in both books the dictators corrupt the rules they impose, for example in the â€Å"Animal Farm† the animals have seven commandments they must live by but three of them get changed to suit what Napoleon does or decides.â€Å"No animal shall drink alcohol†is changed to â€Å"No animal shall drink to excess† when Napoleon gets drunk and almost dies; â€Å"No animal shall sleep in a bed† was changed to â€Å"No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets† and lastly â€Å"No animal shall kill other animal† was changed to â€Å"No animal shall kill other animal without cause†(Animal Farm 21-24). In â€Å"The Kite Runner† Assef is a sociopath who grows up to become a Taliban official, so the readers would expect him to carry out the Shri’a law and live by it , which he doesn’t because he stones a woman to death for being accused of adultery and sins even more by raping the kids of the orphanage.There is another contradiction in the Taliban’s beliefs, because music was part of the entertainment banned by the Taliban, but when Amir goes to General Assef to take Sohrab, Assef plays music for Sohrab to dance to. The beginning of dictatorship in both books is caused by a presumed revolut ion. In â€Å"Animal Farm† the animals revolt against man, take over the farm, and expect to live at peace among themselves. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† the Taliban are supposed to get the Russians out of Afghanistan and bring back harmony in the country.In both cases the leaders fail because the ambitions get the best of them and instead of living happy, they use the opportunity to dictate the others below. In the â€Å"Animal Farm† eventually the Seven Commandments are changed to one that read† All animals are equal but some are more equal than others†,which shows that the revolution is a failure in the farm because it makes the animals exactly what they were protesting against(Animal Farm 112).The Taliban first become known for their ambition to free Afghanistan from the Russians, but once they come into power they impose insane rules against the population and outlaw every type of entertainment, even kite running. In the end the pigs and the Taliba n turn into their enemies. Napoleon changes the name of the farm back to Manor Farm and in the final scene Napoleon and Pilkington (a neighboring farmer) are playing cards, although they act friendly, each is trying to cheat by playing ace of spades .The other animals watch the scene and cannot tell the pigs from the humans. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† when the Taliban take over Afghanistan they change everything, Amir points it out when he comes back from America and he sees Kabul, he says â€Å"I feel like a tourist in my own country† which means after the Taliban had taken over, the country could’ve been easily ruled by strangers because there was nothing left of the Afghanistan he grew up in (Amir 231).Social commentary has a powerful impact in today’s society. Khlaed Hosseini and George Orwell convey a strong message with â€Å"The Kite Runner† and â€Å"Animal Farm†; they show that when people strive for a goal but get no satisfaction wh en they reach it, they can turn revolutions in a government more oppressive and totalitarian.

Tourism and Hospitality Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tourism and Hospitality Research - Essay Example Research help players in the hospitality industry to understand the best ways provide services for customers. Primary research aids in gathering of information used in books and the respective fields across the globe. While the benefits of research are obvious, it is still debatable if there is such a thing as perfect research. Because of the value laden nature of research, subjectivity of facts, and bias of researchers, I agree with Griffith’s assertion â€Å"there is no hope of doing perfect research† (Griffiths, 1998, p97). I argue that despite the absence of perfect research, researchers should be objective, and provide information that is helpful for the tourism industry. Coherent and functional research is achievable through objectivity, respect of rules and ethics and emphasis on validity. 2. My Research Approach: Positive Paradigm For my research, I chose Positivism as my paradigm. The positive paradigm accrues from the ideas of French Philosopher August Comte. Comte observed that observation and reasons are essential to understanding human behavior. He emphasized the role of experience of senses accrued after repeated observation and experiments. Positivist thinkers resonate with Comte’s views because they enhance knowledge acquisition by embodying science as an instrumental tool of research. Determinism, empiricism, parsimony, and generality are key facets of the positive paradigm. Determinism argues that human events are caused by circumstances. Understanding circumstances is, therefore, critical for a substantial research work. Empiricism premises on the use of evidence to support theories. Parsimony implies that explanations for research should be brief and concise (Dash, 2012). Even though positive paradigm has been influential in shaping research, it has been criticized for its lack of acknowledgement for side issues such as subjective state of individuals, the assumption that human nature is passive, and it is under the prer ogative of the external environment (Hossard, 1993). 3. Why Positive Paradigm? Positive paradigm emphasizes objective approach while carrying out research. It also encourages the use of experiments and analysis subject to quantitative and qualitative data. Despite its limitation such as the emphasis on the environment as a key player of occurrences, and the assumption that human nature is passive, positive paradigm provides the best platform upon which a study on tourism and hospitality can be undertaken (Anderson, 1998). I considered the following questions before I chose the positive paradigm as my preferred research method. What are my social phenomena? Is my opinion on tourism and hospitality subjective or objective What are the sources of knowledge for this study? Can more sources be created? What is the relationship between tourism and hospitality and the environment? I realized that positive paradigm provided the best strategy for undertaking this research. First, because the positive paradigm encourages the discovery of new facts dues its objectivity, it creates room for me to inject my personal discoveries. Second, because of tourism and hospitality’s a direct correlation with the environment, I figured that the environment would be an influential player in the research. I also realized that in this industry, key sources of information

You Decide Week 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

You Decide Week 3 - Assignment Example According to the integrated patrol strategy, the patrol officers are provided the opportunity of identifying the solutions to the problems. For instance, it has been mentioned in the case that case-to-fruition mentality is developed in which the lieutenants and sergeants continuously reviewed the crime data and then worked with the patrol officers to work out the problems. All those cases that required follow-up were returned to the patrol officers who responded to the cases before they were sent to the investigators; each officer was given the responsibility of doing the necessary investigation and ensuring that the crimes within the specific patrol area were resolved. Since every organization has to make some changes in its operations to enhance the productivity and efficiency of its employees, it is important for it to ensure that resistance to change is kept to a minimal level. In this case, the high resistance is expected from the patrol officers as they will have to increase their efforts to implement the new strategy in their working behavior. The biggest challenge will be to train the officers to develop an understanding about the process of using data in resolving a crime. Since they have been trained in solving cases on the basis of their expertise and own judgments; the new system will mandate them to seek help from the sergeants and lieutenants for solving a case. Besides that there is already an excessive burden on the patrol offices, giving them an additional responsibility that can develop a de-motivating feeling in them. In order to handle the resistance when implementing the new strategy, the Chief will have to first arrange a meeting with the entire team of patrol officers so that he can brief them about the need of implementation of this new strategy and he should also ask them to give their recommendation on dividing the work so that everyone can work smoothly and flexibly. When patrol

Water Pollution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Water Pollution - Assignment Example This essay declares that the problem of water shortage is not due to global warming but is more due to the increase in population and the wastage of water by a large number of people throughout the world. More 20% of the world population does not have access to clean drinking water. The United Nations water program has set a target, in Millennium Development Goals, of supplying 85% of world population with safe drinking water by the end of 2020. But with the increasing population and increased wastage and pollution of water this target cannot be achieved before 2030. This paper stresses that a large quantity of water is used for household washing purposes. This water which can be reused after proper treatment is normally wasted and thus contributes to the problem of water shortage particularly in the arid regions of the world. Qatar being one such region can also utilize its wastewater for fulfilling the increasing demand of water in the country. Wastewater does not only fulfill the increasing water demand but it is also very effective in controlling water pollution and various water-borne diseases particularly in countries like Qatar where people are unaware of the hygienic procedures through which they can stop water pollution. Wastewater reuse has is being practiced in various countries for providing fresh water resources. Desalination is the removal of the salt and minerals from sea water by the application of various processes.

Respond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Respond - Essay Example an interesting way of internal organizational communication, do you think it could have an impact on customer satisfaction if used while serving them? 2. Delegation of duties and tasks is an important aspect of managers. Although managers should delegate duties and responsibilities, they should not delegate their accountability. As leaders and managers cannot accomplish all tasks by themselves, it is their duty to identify competent people from among them to handle these duties on their behalf. The fear of being accountable for the mistakes of those handling the tasks in most cases prevents leaders from delegating. Subsequently, they avoid delegating as much as they can, if they have little trust on their subordinates. At personal level, could the lack of trust on quality be a major contributing factor why you avoid getting things done through others? 3. Despite the belief that you can be self-sufficient, there are possibilities that you will find some tasks difficult to handle in various instances. Sometimes, you will find that another person’s ideas and creativity go a long way in helping you solve certain problems or handle complicated situations. This is the essence of teamwork. Every successful leader should possess these qualities. Therefore, whenever you seek the assistance of another person, this is an indication that you rely on the person to get things done, an element of delegation. Further, what are the ways in which companies can show recognition and appreciation of their employees’

History of golf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History of golf - Essay Example Scotsmen like to reflect upon the robust popular heritage of golf, disparaging the effete and à ©litist tendencies of their English counterparts. But such enclaves of City money as Wentworth or Sunningdale have more than a little in common with the early merchants' clubs of central Scotland in terms of social composition. It's pleasant parkland setting and moderate physical demands made golf the perfect sport for the middle-aged and middle class of both sexes. From a handful of courses outside Scotland, there were around a thousand in Britain by 1914. Even in quiet rural areas golf began to spread. Five new clubs were formed in Somerset in the 1890s and there were twelve by 1910. The collapse of agricultural prices had made it possible to acquire the hundred or more acres of farmland required for a course without too much difficulty in the late nineteenth century but competition from inter-war housing estates changed the picture. Initially, the cost had been easily within the reach of the committees of middle-class men, who had normally financed the purchase through the issue of debenture stock, i.e. capital loaned to a company (the club) upon which only interest was paid for a fixed period. Club subscriptions would cover interest payments while a larger sum was accumulated to pay off the long-term l oans. Debentures provided an excellent financial means for those with small capital surpluses to acquire a share in a large piece of real estate, access to which would have been beyond their means as individuals. Builders began to see the potential for combining superior residential property with recreation. The golf club became the preferred embellishment of the high-class housing estate, where the 'nine-to-five' commuters could meet at the weekend. St George's Hill, Chipstead, and Edgware were among those founded in this way. Stanmore on the wealthy fringe of north London was originally part of the Gordon estate and the golfcourse was designed for the enjoyment of friends of the family. But the restrictive aristocratic ethic quickly gave way to the selfgoverning and incorporated private club based upon the principle of shareholding and providing collective access to a landed

Give 1 or 2 examples of how evaluation of a theory can help you Article

Give 1 or 2 examples of how evaluation of a theory can help you understand the importance of theory in nursing - Article Example As an example, when a nurse wants to understand how to better work with patients, there are many theories that provide a model of how this work can be done. As an example, Brant, Beck and Miaskowski (2010) evaluated the Theory of Symptom Management (TSM) and provided insight on why this evaluation was important. The authors state that understanding more about the interventions that are used in TSM provide a better way for nurses to develop other interventions. In this case, understanding a few ways that symptoms of some diseases are managed, can bring about other ways of managing these diseases. Another reason that theories are important to understand is because it can lead nurses to the discovery of other diseases and how to handle them. As an example, Boggatz and Dassen (2011) provide information on a conceptual model for understanding why older people use nursing care. Their study is important because it showed what to look for when working with older people. They point out that seeking care is a self-care process in some respects, so it becomes more important to understand older people’s motivation for seeking care. This information can also provide reasons that older people do not seek treatment. Brant, J., Beck, S., & Miaskowski, C. (2010). Building dynamic models and theories to advance the science of symptom management research. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 66(1), 228-240. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.05179.x Marlaine, C. S. (2001). Analysis and evaluation of contemporary nursing knowledge: Nursing models and theories. Nursing and Health Care Perspectives, 22(2), 92-92. Retrieved from

Life of Pi Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Life of Pi - Research Paper Example Life of Pi is a 2012 American -Indian- British live action and computer-animated adventure drama film based on Yann Martel’s 2001 novel of the same name. Ang Lee directs the film. Life of Pi did succeed in depicting the story of a young Indian man who survives the tragic shipwreck but later entered a 227 days journey on the Pacific Ocean with a ferocious Belgian tiger. Besides the troubles and tribulation, the film also depicts meaningful lessons on the religious aspects. Pi Patel whose role was played by Gautam Belur at five, Ayush at twelve, Suraj Sharma at 16 and Irran Khan at middle age had to move together with his family to Canada on a Japanese cargo ship. Unfortunately, the ship in which they were travelling in is struck by a deadly storm and only some people survive. However, an unexpected incident happens, separating Pi from the group. Pi is left alone in the boat together with his family’s zoo animals, including in the zoo animals is a ferocious tiger named Ri chard parker. In order to survive Pi has to find ways to deal with the unexpected and dangerous company. (John, 186). Throughout the 127 minutes of the film, the audience would be fascinated with pi thoughts and actions through the transformations, the beliefs he holds as well as his solutions for the fearsome, aggressive company- Richard Parker. From a somehow weak, flaccid person, Pi is seen letting parker take over the lifeboat, but Pi gradually becomes stronger and tries to gain dominance of the situation that he is in now. Finally, Pi achieves the control and sustains a neutral relationship with the Belgian tiger. This is not only a fight for survival but also a metaphor, which implies the battle for good and evil. The film Pi tries to make the reader want to believe in God, the film give then reader the democratic choice that is the desired to believe rather than the belief itself. The two survive for 272 days at sea with one stop on an island overflowing with vegetation and m eerkats. In the evenings when the tide rises on the island, it contains a deadly acidic level and kills anything in the tide pool or the now flooded ground. Therefore, everyone seeks shelter on top of the trees at night. After gathering food from the island, Pi and the tiger get back to the lifeboat and head back in the sea (Susan, 23). By analyzing the conflicts, characters, dream sequence, and symbols a psychoanalytic theory emerges. There are strong Oedipal connotations in this theory, the son’s desire for his mother, the father’s envy of the son and rivalry for the mothers attention, the daughters desire for the father’s attention. Of cource these all operate on a subconscious level of the characters of the film, this is to avoid the serious social more. There is also an emphasis on the meaning of dreams. This is because psychoanalytic theory asserts that it is in dreams that a person’s subconscious desires are revealed. What a person cannot express o r do because of social rules will be expressed and accomplished in dreams, where there are no social rules. Most of the time, people are not even aware that it is they secretly desire until their subconscious goes unchecked in sleep. Life of Pi might not make you believe in god, as a character in the film suggests. It does however; make you

The use of Cocaine and how it affects our society Research Paper

The use of Cocaine and how it affects our society - Research Paper Example Inside the brain, it makes highly addictive and an intense form of euphoria that only lasts for hardly any instants. After only some seconds when this euphoria swiftly wears off, the individual experiences depression and the craving for more crack is intensified (GEO, 1991). The distribution of cocaine was started in the United States’ major cities from the time period of 1984. In the early years the cocaine was shipped to the USA through Miami from the coast of Dominican Republic and Bahamas. As the supplying quantity of the product increased on the islands, its rate started decreasing at the same time. After looking at the decreasing rate the dealers started making the product in solid form. Its benefit was it could be sold in small quantity to more number of people and it was ready to use (GEO, 1991). In the early years the ratio of purity in the cocaine was as high as 55% per gram in the major cities of USA including Detroit. Since the cocaine was of high purity and it had a very cheap price, it resulted in the addiction of people in a very short time. The first large scale use of crack began in Los Angeles in 1984 and within few years it had its availability in 28 states of USA, in which Detroit was also included (GEO, 1991). The effects of cocaine can be for individual as well as for the society. If the individual is effecting by the abuse of cocaine, this can in turn produce devastating effect on the society at the same time. An effected individual can affect the family, and the community, and thus the whole world is affected by the use of cocaine. The problems can include struggles with work, crime, law enforcement, financial problems, as well as a break down in the communities as well. The use of cocaine not only affects the users but also affects their families. The family suffers along with the drug addict through their ups and downs. This could be very critical for those who care

Deat Adam Smith and the Wealth of Nations Essay Example for Free

Deat Adam Smith and the Wealth of Nations Essay They would do this not as a means of benefiting society, but in an effort to outperform their competitors and gain the greatest profit. But all this self-interest would benefit society as a whole by providing it with more and better goods and services, at the lowest prices. To explain why all society benefits when the economy is free of regulation, Smith used the metaphor of the â€Å"invisible hand†: â€Å"Every individual is continually exerting himself to find the most advantageous employment for whatever capital he can command. It this own advantage, and not that of society, which he has in mind, but he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote and end which was no part of his intention, for the persuade of his own advantage necessarily leads him to prefer that employment which is most advantageous to society. † The â€Å"invisible hand† was Smith’s name for the economic forces that we today would call supply and demand, or the marketplace. He sharply disagreed with mercantilists who, in theft quest for a â€Å"favorable balance of trade,† called for regulation of the economy. Instead, Smith agreed with the physiocrats and their policy of â€Å"laissez faire† letting individual and businesses function without interference from government regulation of private monopolies. In that way, the â€Å"invisible hand† would be free to guide the economy and maximize production. The Wealth of Nations goes on to describe the principal elements of the economic system. In a famous section, Smith turned to the pin industry to demonstrate how the division of labour and the use of machinery increased output. One man draws out the wire, another straights it, a third cuts it, a fourth points it, a fifth grinds it at the top for receiving the head; to make the head requires two or three distinct operations. † Also modern technology has improved the methods by which pins are produced; the principles pertaining to the division of labour remain unchanged. Similarly, other section dealing with the factors of production, money and international trade are as mea ningful today as when they were first written. You can see, therefore, hat Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations have more in common that a birthday. More importantly, both contain some of the best descriptions of the principles upon which our political and economic systems are based. 2. Comprehension 2. 1. Fill in the gaps with the necessary prepositions. 1. The year of 1776 associates †¦ the signing †¦ The Declaration †¦ Independence. 2. It earned the author the title â€Å"the father †¦ economics,† Smith objected †¦ the principal economic believes †¦ his day. 3. He disagreed †¦ the mercantilists who measured the wealth of a nation †¦ its money supply, and who called †¦ government regulation of the economy †¦ order †¦ promote a â€Å"favorable balance †¦ trade. † 4. It this own advantage, and not that †¦ society, which he has †¦ mind, but he is in this, as †¦ many other cases, led †¦ an invisible hand to promote and end which was no part of his intention, †¦ the persuade †¦ his own advantage necessarily leads him to prefer that employment which is most advantageous to society. 5. †¦ that way, the â€Å"invisible hand† would be free †¦ guide the economy and maximize production. . Also modern technology has improved the methods †¦ which pins are produced; the principles pertaining †¦ the division †¦ labour remain unchanged. 7. Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration †¦ Independence and Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations have more †¦ common that a birthday. 8. Both contain some †¦ the best descriptions †¦ the principles †¦ which our political and economic systems are based. 2. 2. Answer the questions to the text. 1. When and where was The Wealth of Nations by A. Smith published? 2. What is a famous nickname of Adam Smith and why? 3. What economic issues did Adam Smith deny? 4. What does a nation’s wealth depend upon according to A. Smith? 5. What was the heart of his economic philosophy? 6. In what way did he explain why society benefits when the economy is free of regulation? 7. What is â€Å"invisible hand† in the text? How do we call it today? 8. What physiocrats’ policy did Smith agree with? 9. What is described in Adam Smith’s â€Å"The Wealth of Nations†? 10. How can the division of labour and the use of machinery increase output according to Smith? 11. Is there anything common in Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations? 2. 3. Find in the text English equivalents for: , 3. Lexico-grammatical exercises 3. 1. Find out the correspondent definition to the given English business colloquialisms. Give the Ukrainian variants. Make up a dialogue about your business using 5 of the given English business colloquialisms. ColloquialismDefinition All in everything included in the price Big notesa very important person Book of wordsgenerally

The expert system

The expert system Abstract The title for this report is Expert System. Statistically, the percentage of current organizations implementing expert systems for their usage is very minimal. This is due to the restraining forces of implementing expert system outweigh its driving force. Yet, as the technologies are frequently being upgraded, the constraints of implementing expert systems are getting easier to overcome. Hence, the reason I chose this title for my report is due to my strong interest in the future of expert system where it may potentially be used domestically for providing the best solutions for complex problems. Also, the knowledge gained from this research will contribute a lot for my final year project which will include in a simple expert system. This report will be explaining what an expert system is, the components of expert system, what a knowledge-based expert system is, the features of expert system, the advantages of using expert system, the drawbacks of using expert system and finally suggestions of implementing expert system into e-commerce systems. In the appendix part, the pictures which I have found from the Internet will be included in for providing better understanding regarding the details of expert system. What is Expert System? According to Wikipedia, an expert system is an advanced computer application that is implemented for the purpose of providing solutions to complex problems, or to clarify uncertainties through the use of non-algorithmic programs where normally human expertise will be needed. Expert systems are most common in complex problem domain and are considered as widely used alternatives in searching for solutions that requires the existence of specific human expertise. The expert system is also able to justify its provided solutions based on the knowledge and data from past users. Normally expert systems are used in making business marketing strategic decisions, analyzing the performance of real time systems, configuring computers and perform many other functions which normally would require the existence of human expertise. The difference between an expert system with a normal problem-solving system is that the latter is a system where both programs and data structures are encoded, while for expert system only the data structures are hard-coded and no problem-specific information is encoded in the program structure. Instead, the knowledge of a human expertise is captured and codified in a process known as knowledge engineering. Hence, whenever a particular problem requires the assistance of a certain human expertise to provide a solution, the human expertise which has been codified will be used and processed in order to provide a rational and logical solution. This knowledge-based expert system enables the system to be frequently added with new knowledge and adapt accordingly to meet new requirements from the ever-changing and unpredictable environment. Components of Expert System An expert system has many core system components to function and interfaces with individuals of various roles. In the appendix area, there will be a diagram (Figure 1.1) displaying expert system components and human interfaces. The major components are: Knowledge base a set of rules as representation of the expertise, mostly in IF THEN statements. Working storage the data which is specific to a problem being solved. Inference engine the code at the core of the system which derives recommendations from the knowledge base and problem-specific data in working storage. User interface the code that controls the dialog between the user and the system. There are certain major roles of individuals who interact with the expert system to fully exploit its functionality and capability. They are the: Domain expert the individual or individuals whose expertises are solving the problems the system is intended to solve; Knowledge engineer the individual who encodes the experts knowledge in a form that can be used by the expert system; User the individual who will be consulting with the system to get advice which would have been provided by the expert. Majority of the expert systems are built with expert system shells which contains an inference engine and user interface. The shell will be used by a knowledge engineer to build a system catered for specific problem domain. Sometimes expert systems are also built with custom developed shells for certain applications. In this scenario, there will be another additional individual System engineer the individual who builds the user interface, designs the declarative format of the knowledge base, and implements the inference engine. Depending on the size of the project, the knowledge engineer and the system engineer might be the same person. For a custom built system, the design of the format of the knowledge base and the coding of the domain knowledge are closely related. The format has a significant effect on the coding of the knowledge. One of the major hurdles to overcome in building expert systems is the knowledge engineering process. The process of the codifying the expertise into a required rule format can be a challenging and tedious task. One major advantage of a customized shell is that the format of the knowledge base can be designed to facilitate the knowledge engineering process. Since the major challenge in expert system development is the building of the knowledge base, it is encouraged that gap and difference between the experts representation of the knowledge and the representation in the knowledge base should be minimized. With a customized system, the system engineer can implement a knowledge base whose structures are as close as possible to those used by the domain expert. Knowledge-based Expert Systems Not all expert systems have learning components to adapt in new environments or to meet new requirements. But a common element each expert system possesses is that once the system is fully developed it will be tested and be proven by being placed in the same real world problem solving situation, typically as an aid to human workers or a supplement to some information system. Although reference books are able to provide a tremendous amount of knowledge, users have to read, comprehend and interpret the knowledge for it to be used. Conventional computer programs are built to perform functions using conventional decision-making logic having only little knowledge along with the basic algorithm for performing the specific functions and fulfill the necessary boundary conditions. The so-called knowledgebase was created in purpose of utilizing some knowledge representation formalism to capture and store the Subject Matter Experts (SME) knowledge. The process includes gathering that knowledge from the SME and codifying it according to a standardized format. Knowledge-based expert systems collect the small segments of human knowledge and combined into a set of knowledge-base which is used to aid in solving a complex problem. Any other problem that is within the range and domain of the knowledge-base can also be solved using the same program without reprogramming. Knowledge-based expert systems solve problems which normally require human intelligence. These said expert systems represent the expertise knowledge as data or rules within a system. These rules and data can be used and called upon for reference when needed to solve complex problems. When compared to conventional programming, the system has the ability to reason the process with explanations by back-traces and calculate the levels of confidence and deal with uncertainty. The knowledge has to be codified into programming code, hence as the knowledge changes, the program has to be changed accordingly as well and then rebuilt. Expert System Features There are a number of features which are commonly used in expert systems. These features allows the users to fully utilize the expert systems capability conveniently in providing the most logical and reasonable decision in a problematic situation. Backward chaining an inference technique which continuously break a goal into smaller sub-goals which are easier to prove via IF THEN rules Dealing with uncertainties the system has the capability to handle and reason with conditions that are uncertain and data which are not precisely known Forward chaining an inference technique which deduce a problem solution from initial data via IF THEN rules Data representation the method where the specific problem data is stored and accessed in the system User interface that portion of the code which creates an easy to use system; Explanations the ability of the system to explain the reasoning process that it used to reach a recommendation. Inference rule An inference rule is a statement that has two parts, antecedent which is an if clause and consequent which is a then clause. This rule is what the expert systems rely on and provides the capability to find solutions to diagnose and prescribe problems. An example of an inference rule is: If the song choice is in Latin, and the singers are in a group, Then the song choice is definitely from Il Divo. An expert systems rule base stores many inference rules such as this. They are stored in as separate rules and the inference engine will draw conclusions by going through all of them. Rules can be removed and added without affecting others since they are non-connected, yet it will subsequently affect which conclusions are to be reached. Inference rules has the better upper hand compared with traditional programming due to the fact that inference rules are able to imitate human reasoning and justify the solutions given. Thus, when a conclusion is drawn, the system is able to justify its course of solution and convince the user. Furthermore, since the expert system uses knowledge in a form identical to a certain expert, the solution provided will be not so different from an actual experts advice. Chaining When using inference rules, two main methods of reasoning used are backward chaining and forward chaining. Forward Chaining Forward chaining begins under the condition that the data is available and inference rules are used to conclude more data until a desired goal is reached. An inference engine using forward chaining searches the inference rules until it finds one in which the if clause is known to be true. It then concludes the then clause and adds this information to its data. It would continue to do this until a goal is reached. Due to the reason that the data available determines which inference rules are used, this method is also called data driven. A large number of expert systems require the use of forward chaining. The data driven approach is practical when combinatorial explosion creates a seemingly infinite number of possible right answers where no definite answer is specified. Forward chaining starts with the available data and uses inference rules to extract more data until a goal is reached. An inference engine using forward chaining searches the inference rules until it finds one where the antecedent (If clause) is known to be true. When found it can conclude, the consequent (Then clause), resulting in the addition of new information to its data. Inference engines will iterate through this process until a goal is reached. For example, suppose that the goal is to conclude the color of a pet named Fritz, given that he croaks and eats flies, and that the rule base contains the following four rules: If X croaks and eats flies Then X is a frog If X chirps and sings Then X is a canary If X is a frog Then X is green If X is a canary Then X is yellow This rule base would be searched and the first rule would be selected, because its antecedent (If Fritz croaks and eats flies) matches our data. Now the consequents (Then X is a frog) is added to the data. The rule base is again searched and this time the third rule is selected, because its antecedent (If Fritz is a frog) matches our data that was just confirmed. Now the new consequent (Then Fritz is green) is added to our data. Nothing more can be inferred from this information, but we have now accomplished our goal of determining the color of Fritz. Due to the fact that the data determines which rules are selected and used, this method is called data-driven, in contrast to goal-driven backward chaining inference. One of the advantages of forward-chaining over backward-chaining is that the reception of new data can trigger new inferences, which makes the engine better suited to dynamic situations in which conditions are likely to change. Backward Chaining Backward chaining starts with a list of goals or hypothesis and works backwards from the consequent (Then clause) to the antecedent (If clause) to see if there is data available that will support any of these consequents. An inference engine using backward chaining would search the inference rules until it finds one which has a consequent that matches a desired goal. If the antecedent of that rule is not known to be true, then it is added to the list of goals. In order for ones goal to be confirmed one must also provide data that confirms this new rule. An example of a system that uses backward chaining will be Google search engine. The aim of the system is to pick the best choice from many enumerated possibilities. For example, an identification problem falls in this category. Diagnostic systems also fit this model, since the aim of the system is to pick the correct diagnosis. The knowledge is structured in rules which describe how each of the possibilities might be selected. The rule breaks the problem into sub-problems. For example, the following top level rules are in a system which identifies birds. IF family is albatross and color is white THEN bird is laysan albatross. IF family is albatross and color is dark THEN bird is black footed albatross. The system would try all of the rules which gave information satisfying the goal of identifying the bird. Each would trigger sub-goals. In the case of these two rules, the sub-goals of determining the family and the color would be pursued. The following rule is one that satisfies the family sub-goal: IF order is tubenose and size large and wings long narrow THEN family is albatross. The sub-goals of determining color, size, and wings would be satisfied by asking the user. By having the lowest level sub-goal satisfied or denied by the user, the system effectively carries on a dialog with the user. The user sees the system asking questions and responding to answers as it attempts to find the rule which correctly identifies the bird. Note that the goals always match the affirmed versions of the consequents of implications and even then, their antecedents are then considered as the new goals which ultimately must match known facts which are usually defined as consequents whose antecedents are always true. Due to the reason that the list of goals determines which rules are selected and used, this method is called goal-driven, in contrast to data-driven forward-chaining inference. The backward chaining approach is often employed by expert systems. For a data driven system, the system must be initially populated with data, in contrast to the goal driven system which gathers data as it needs it. Figure 1.2 illustrates the difference between forward and backward chaining systems for two simplified rules. The forward chaining system starts with the data of a=1 and b=2 and uses the rules to derive d=4. The backward chaining system starts with the goal of finding a value for d and uses the two rules to reduce that to the problem of finding values for a and b. Uncertainty Often times in structured selection problems the final answer is not known with complete certainty. The experts rules might be vague, and the user might be unsure of answers to questions. This can be easily seen in medical diagnostic systems where the expert is not able to be definite about the relationship between symptoms and diseases. In fact, the doctor might offer multiple possible diagnoses. For expert systems to work in the real world they must also be able to deal with uncertainty. One of the simplest schemes is to associate a numeric value with each piece of information in the system. The numeric value represents the certainty with which the information is known. There are numerous ways in which these numbers can be defined, and how they are combined during the inference process. Data Representation For all rule based systems, the rules refer to data. The data representation can be simple or complex, depending on the problem. The most fundamental scheme uses attribute-value pairs. Examples are color-white, and size-large. When a system is reasoning about multiple objects, it is necessary to include the object as well as the attribute-value. For example the furniture placement system might be dealing with multiple chairs with different attributes, such as size. The data representation in this case must include the object. Once there are objects in the system, they each might have multiple attributes. This leads to a record-based structure where a single data item in working storage contains an object name and all of its associated attribute-value pairs. Frames are a more complex way of storing objects and their attribute-values. Frames add intelligence to the data representation, and allow objects to inherit values from other objects. Furthermore, each of the attributes can have associated with it procedures (called demons) which are executed when the attribute is asked for, or updated. In a furniture placement system each piece of furniture can inherit default values for length. When the piece is placed, demons are activated which automatically adjust the available space where the item was placed. User Interface The acceptability of an expert system depends to a great extent on the quality of the user interface. The easiest to implement interfaces communicate with the user through a scrolling dialog as illustrated in figure 1.4. The user can enter commands, and respond to questions. The system responds to commands, and asks questions during the inferencing process. More advanced interfaces make heavy use of pop-up menus, windows, mice, and similar techniques as shown in figure 1.5. If the machine supports it, graphics can also be a powerful tool for communicating with the user. This is especially true for the development interface which is used by the knowledge engineer in building the system. Providing Explanations One of the more interesting features of expert systems is their ability to explain themselves. Given that the system knows which rules were used during the inference process, it is possible for the system to provide those rules to the user as a means for explaining the results. This type of explanation can be very dramatic for some systems such as the bird identification system. It could report that it knew the bird was a black footed albatross because it knew it was dark colored and an albatross. It could similarly justify how it knew it was an albatross. At other times, however, the explanations are relatively useless to the user. This is because the rules of an expert system typically represent empirical knowledge, and not a deep understanding of the problem domain. For example a car diagnostic system has rules which relate symptoms to problems, but no rules which describe why those symptoms are related to those problems. Explanations are always of extreme value to the knowledge engineer. They are the program traces for knowledge bases. By looking at explanations the knowledge engineer can see how the system is behaving, and how the rules and data are interacting. This is an invaluable diagnostic tool during development. Why Use Expert System? In this section, the advantages and disadvantages of implementing the expert systems are provided. Then, the pros and cons will be reviewed according to my viewpoint and I will conclude as to why expert system SHOULD be implemented as a wiser alternative in obtaining the best solutions in overcoming complex problems. The Advantages of Using Expert System Expert system has been reliably used in the business world to gain tactical advantages and forecast the markets condition. In this globalization era where every decision made in the business world is critical for success, the assistance provided from an expert system is undoubtedly essential and highly reliable for an organization to succeed. Examples given below will be the advantages for the implementation of an expert system: Providing consistent solutions It can provide consistent answers for repetitive decisions, processes and tasks. As long as the rule base in the system remains the same, regardless of how many times similar problems are being tested, the final conclusions drawn will remain the same. Provides reasonable explanations It has the ability to clarify the reasons why the conclusion was drawn and be why it is considered as the most logical choice among other alternatives. If there are any doubts in concluding a certain problem, it will prompt some questions for users to answer in order to process the logical conclusion. Overcome human limitations It does not have human limitations and can work around the clock continuously. Users will be able to frequently use it in seeking solutions. The knowledge of experts is an invaluable asset for the company. It can store the knowledge and use it as long as the organization needs. Easy to adapt to new conditions Unlike humans who often have troubles in adapting in new environments, an expert system has high adaptability and can meet new requirements in a short period of time. It also can capture new knowledge from an expert and use it as inference rules to solve new problems. The Disadvantages of Using Expert System Although the expert system does provide many significant advantages, it does have its drawbacks as well. Examples given below will be the disadvantages for the implementation of an expert system: Lacks common sense It lacks common sense needed in some decision making since all the decisions made are based on the inference rules set in the system. It also cannot make creative and innovative responses as human experts would in unusual circumstances. High implementation and maintenance cost The implementation of an expert system will be a financial burden for smaller organizations since it has high development cost as well as the subsequent recurring costs to upgrade the system to adapt in new environment. Difficulty in creating inference rules Domain experts will not be able to always explain their logic and reasoning needed for the knowledge engineering process. Hence, the task of codifying out the knowledge is highly complex and may require high May provide wrong solutions It is not error-free. There may be errors occurred in the processing due to some logic mistakes made in the knowledge base, which it will then provide the wrong solutions. Summary It is entirely subjective as to whether the advantages of expert system overweigh the disadvantages of implementing it. It depends on the organizations viewpoint as to which objectives have the higher priority, whether in cutting cost or in producing a higher quality decision-making. However, in my opinion, the implementation of expert system is critical in providing the better service towards customers as well as possessing the competitive advantages over strong competitors. Cutting Cost VS Better Quality of Services If an organization is financially stable, the expert system is worth spending money and resources on, based on its fame and history of delivering many positive results. Though some organizations may have the cost-cutting objective as the top priority, if a wrong decision is made, it could lead to heavier financial loss. Adding insult to injury, the organizations reputation will be tarnished and customers may lose confidence towards the services of the organization. Expert System VS Human Experts Another main constraint of implementing the expert system would be the process of capturing the knowledge and codifying it into the system. However, an expert will not be available to provide his expertise around the clock. Hence, the importance of having the knowledge available all the time for critical decision-making far overweighs the difficulty that the organization will face in capturing the said knowledge. Humans also have limitations as to how much knowledge a human is able to digest and comprehend. As for expert system, it is able to store as much knowledge as possible base on its storage space. Hence, in terms of performance, expert system is capable to perform as good if not better then human. Implementing Expert System into e-Commerce System It has yet to be common for e-commerce systems to be implementing expert system to enhance its capability and experience for web users. There are still not many web developers willing to embed an expert system into their e-commerce system, mainly due to its difficulty in the knowledge engineering process to codify the human expertise. Yet, it is plausible to have a less complex expert system embedded in an e-commerce system to aid customers make decisions. The appropriate inference technique to be used in an e-commerce system will be forward chaining method, since customers will be providing part by part of data which will then be compared with the rule base to finally draw a conclusion. Providing questionnaires Through forward chaining method, the properly organized questionnaires will be able to obtain parts of small information from customers who couldnt make their decision upon which item to be bought. Every single question will have its purpose in determining the condition of the customers thoughts and liking, and then the answer provided will be compared with the rule base in the expert system to draw a final conclusion. This data-driven method is simple and productive since the process of codifying the human expertise of recommending an item that suits the customers liking isnt that complex. Example of Questionnaire The questionnaire below is used for the purpose of attaining small parts of information from the customer and the answers provided will be compared to the rule base in order to generate a decision for him Question 1 What is your budget range? (Determining the range of performance from the desktop) A. < RM 2000 B. lt RM 3000 C. > RM 5000 Inference Rules If X budget is less than RM2000 Then X needs no NVIDIA graphic card If X budget is less than RM3000 Then X needs NVIDIA graphic card(s) If X budget is more than RM5000 Then X needs NVIDIA graphic card(s) with better computer accessories Note: If user chose < RM 2000 Question 2 will be skipped. Question 2 What are the games you mostly play? (Determining the graphic card requirements) A. Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) B. First-Person-Shooting (FPS) C. All Inference Rules If X needs NVIDIA graphic card(s) AND X plays MMORPG Then X needs NVIDIA GTX 260 If X needs NVIDIA graphic card(s) with better computer accessories AND X plays MMORPG Then X needs NVIDIA GTX 260 and High Resolution Monitor If X needs NVIDIA graphic card(s) AND X plays FPS Then X needs NVIDIA GT 9600 If X needs NVIDIA graphic card(s) with better computer accessories AND X plays FPS Then X needs NVIDIA GT 9600 and Gaming Laser Mouse Question 3 How frequent do you download files such as songs and movies from the internet? (Determining the needed storage space) A. Seldom B. Often Inference Rules If X seldom download files Then X needs 320GB storage space If X often download files Then X needs 500GB storage space Providing Explanations Based on the questionnaire above, if a customer selects C, B, and B, the explanation will be given: The user selects NVIDIA GT 9600, Gaming Laser Mouse and 500 GB storage space. User plays First-Person-Shooting games which require middle-performance of graphic card and a gaming laser mouse to increase precision of mouse-controlling. User often downloads files and requires large storage space. If a customer selects C, A, and A, the explanation will be given: The user selects NVIDIA GTX 260, High Resolution Monitor and 320GB storage space. User plays MMORPG which require high-performance of graphic card and a high resolution monitor to enhance the gaming experience. User seldom downloads files and requires moderate storage space. Conclusion To conclude this report, expert system is undeniably reliable in terms of providing reasonable and highly valuable decisions. Knowledge and experiences from a human expert can lead to the critical decision-making in achieving success. Yet, as humans have limitations in terms of how much of knowledge is comprehendible by a person and the possible fatigue of dealing with too much work, the expert system doesnt have any. As knowledge is a valuable asset to an organization, retaining the experts knowledge is critical for the future of the organization. The expert system can play a vital role in storing and retaining the knowledge from a human expert. This saves the trouble of having the need to hire experts within the same domain for years. The rapid change and improvement of technologies will gradually decrease the cost for implementing an expert system. This will significantly reduce the financial burden for small companies in deciding the implementation of expert system. In the business world, organizations often faced trouble in making tough decisions and overcome complex problems. Customers often require computerized systems to support their decision-making. All these criteria can be met with the implementation of the expert system.

Causes of the Financial Crisis in the US

Causes of the Financial Crisis in the US INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS During the later half of the 20th century U.S economy was the most powerful economy in the world, they set the rules for rest of the world. They established multinational corporations all over the world which was indeed the heart of world economy. (Davis, 2009). When the U.S economy was rising, all the other countries economy were also growing, at the same time when their economy went down it affected almost all the other importing and exporting countries in the world because of the recent crises which was named as â€Å"GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS†. This was meant to be the biggest crises after â€Å"THE GREAT DEPRESSION 1930† (Cambridge Journal of Economics, 2009). The crises have already recorded loss of over $150 billion and large number of banking institutions have declared bankruptcy or being sold.(Kregel, 2008) One among the banks filed for bankruptcy was Lehman Brothers, which was Fourth largest investment bank in U.S. (BBC, 2009). Therefore it is important to ident ify causes of current financial crises and resolution measures. Secondly, UK government should take effective steps in order to reduce danger of further crises (Turner, 2009) During later part of the 19th century that is 1973 Daniel bell published a book titled â€Å"THE COMING OF POST INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY†. The book was about forecasting to find the changes in economy and society in united state. One of the most visible changes according to him was the work force shifting from manufacturing and agriculture to service based industry which he named as â€Å"POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY†. The author was right in his prediction because today only 10% of the total labour force is employed in agriculture and manufacturing industry. Between the period December 2000 and May 2009 US lost more than 5.25 million employees in manufacturing sector. There were many problems in durable goods industry, particularly in auto manufacturing industry. Two or more companies in that sector declared bankruptcy which stated that there was lot more bad news to come. Comparatively, manufacturing jobs were long lasting on an average of 8 years compared to an average of 3 yea rs in service industry. The shift was driven by Wal-Mart. The firm employed about 1.4 million employees in 2009 which was more than that of 20 largest American manufacturing companies together. This caused changes to occur in pension financing and people started investing in mutual funds. This happened through change in pension financial that took over small amount to mutual fund from large amount of investment savings. This created pressure for high returns and also takes away the option of staying with a single firm. This enabled growth of institutional investors. Huge amount of portable pension funds were managed by banks, mutual funds and insurance firms. Nearly 1000 corporation shares were owned by institutional investors in 2005, with mutual fund taking maximum of 10% or more in hundreds of corporations. For manufacturers the main focus was on share value which spread OME model (Original equipment manufacturer) which means the production is out sourced to other external organizations. Other than manufacturers, functions such as HR and IT etc were also outsourced. This slowly made drastic changes in traditional corporation where it became empty. They were concerned mai nly about turning the out-sourced products into branded commodities. This shows that the stock market existed only for intangible assets. (Davis, 2009) Now we shall discuss about the causes of the Global financial crisis: One of the main reasons for the crises was the housing bubble. A housing bubble is an economies bubble that occurs in local or international market. The recent financial crises started eventually in 2001 with the busting of U.S housing bubble and reached its peak in 2005.Basically it is said when there is a rapid increase in real estate prises until it touches its peak and reaches unsustainable level. The bubble in the houses was identified in 2006 after the market correction. Former chairman of Federal Reserve Board, Alan Greenspan said in 2007 that they had bubble in housing but it was very late until they realized in 2005 and 2006 (Bianco, 2008) Many economists believe that the main reason behind housing bubble was caused by low interest rate set up by the Federal bank. The interest rates were reduced to 1% from 6.5%, this made people to mortgage their property against the loan. The banks in return encouraged everyone to obtain loan against their mortgages because real estate prices were at its peak. [business.cch.com] When inflation began in 2004, US federal withdrew monetary accommodation, they started increasing the interest rate and mortgages payment also started rising apparently. Tight money policy came into play and there was a great demand of money and therefore house prices fell. Banks and other financial institutions financed at very low rate, and when interest rates started raising there were heavy chance of default by the subprime borrowers thus default by such borrowers led to losses. Though the loans were secured and were sold to special institutional vehicles (SIVs) the losses were still bourn by banks and oth er institutions (Mohan, 2009) Deregulation of financial system gave rise to tradable instruments through securitization. Securitization means turning an asset or credit card debt into tradable instrument. This system made household to become both investors and issuers of securities. Thus trading in different form of capital emerged which was unstable and did not last for long which caused the financial crises (Davis, 2009). Apparently US government failed to manage their trade deficit. The housing bubble was mainly caused by cheap credit and low interest rate rates. The main reason for cheap credit was there was a lot Chinese capital in U.S. And that is because US imports most of the products from china and sells it at a cheap rate to its consumers (Weismann, 2008) Global Macro Economy Imbalance: According to Portes (2009) global macro economy was one of the major underlying reasons of the financial crises. This is because of saving investments and huge cross border capital flow made a lot of pressure on financial intermediation process, these imbalances with flaw in the financial market and instrument together became one of the specific features of crises (Mohan, 2009). In view of the current crisis, the UK Government can initiate the following actions to prevent another crisis: Looking at the long term , we think of what should be done in order to avoid danger of future crises, it is clear that macro economy imbalance was one of the major underlying reason, so it is better UK government try to find the problems which lie at the interface between macro economy policy and financial system regulation. Few more things that government should consider are they should make sure that they protect the needs of ordinary people when the information is costly to acquire. Next measure is the government should make sure that internalises significant externalities. This is in contrast to the currency regulatory frame work which does not focus on externalities and it also provides incentives for the institutions to become very large to fail or too interconnected to fail, because the larger the institution the more interconnected and higher the risk of escaping during crises.( Brunnermeier, 2009) The government should also focus on systematic risk contribution because during the financial crises losses tend to spread over other financial institutions also. The government should try to form a regulation that reduces the risk of spreading over the losses to financial institutions. A financial contribution to systematic risk can be large because of its correlation with financial difficulties among the other institutes or causes financial difficulties at other institutes. Therefore new measures should be taken to reduce the risk of both the channels. (Brunnermeier, 2009) According to Turner (2009), liquidity management and new regulations help to minimize liquidity risk. The future rules and regulations should be monitored effectively (Turner, 2009). Asset price booms can be regulated by implementing strict fiscal and monetary policies. These policies should take into consideration price stabilization and macro-financial stability. There has to be effective co-ordination between domestic and international policies. The UK Government should try to stabilize all the financial institutions that hold illiquid assets. The regulators have to combine macro-prudential and macro economic analysis by using sectoral analysis (Turner 2009). REFERENCES: Brunnermeier, M.K., (2009) Financial Crisis: Mechanisms, Prevention and Management [Online] Princeton University. Available at: http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:2lGCaBp37xYJ:fmg.lse.ac.uk/upload_file/1197_BrunnermeierPaper.pdf+http://fmg.lse.ac.uk/upload_file/1197_BrunnermeierPaper.pdfcd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=uk [accessed 28 February 2010] BBC., (2009) Timeline: Credit Crunch to Downturn [Online] Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7521250.stm [accessed 28 February 2010] Bianco, K.M., (2008) The Subprime Lending Crisis: Causes and Effects of the Mortgage Meltdown [Online] CCH Mortgage Compliance Guide and Bank Digest. Available at: http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:Vf9c_0SfRl4J:business.cch.com/bankingfinance/focus/news/Subprime_WP_rev.pdf+http://business.cch.com/bankingfinance/focus/news/Subprime_WP_rev.pdfhl=engl=ukpid=blsrcid=ADGEESj5j4t_00aCZcSuhO6_qF6EZO99uP_P34gAGd2f_A7I_C2MVjlkbSVcFqc6FpAPGyYECW5sPQG6k_k4ja-tXrsL2EsZd8alQZk0U9n7Esqh31V1F9pwowYc1IeTo-U3I5vHAR9Ksig=AHIEtbT1hFiNcXHdS3Y4lgV7AYIRF1xY4g [accessed 28 February 2010] Crotty, J., (2008) Structural Causes of the Global Financial Crisis: A Critical Assessmentof the ‘New Financial Architecture [Online] PERI Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Available at: http://cje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/33/4/563 [accessed 28 February 2010] Davis, G.F., (2009) The Rise and Fall of Finance and the End of the Society of Organizations [Online] Available at: http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:ZorkG-ZL1xoJ:webuser.bus.umich.edu/gfdavis/davis_09_AMP.pdf+http://webuser.bus.umich.edu/gfdavis/davis_09_AMP.pdfhl=engl=ukpid=blsrcid=ADGEESjziDXUPSnMjim8GZyAz8aK9YRHi-xpS8SYDDv3l4gtQ9hV0ahiOz8oXWhb9zGr-HAAkRmaRdH34zQJuaoZpLyEv_QopXWxlCvjM7CuFPsiWbmUdqY-b-hZ1KQL4The1skEpDsig=AHIEtbSoJoJuRiAosw1OGQqy3G2BrQEutg [accessed 28 February 2010] Mohan, R., (2009) Global Financial Crisis- Causes, Impact, Policy responses and Lessons[Online] Annual India Business Forum Conference, London Business School. Available at: http://www.bis.org/review/r090506d.pdf [accessed 28 February 2010] Turner, A., (2009) The Financial Crisis and the Future of Financial Regulation [Online] The Economists Inaugural City Lecture, Financial Services Authority. Available at: http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/Speeches/2009/0121_at.shtml [accessed 28 February 2010] Weissman, R., (2008) Deregulation and Financial Crisis [Online] The Huffington Post. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-weissman/deregulation-and-the-fina_b_82639.html [accessed 28 February 2010]

Sense of identity and unity as Americans Essay -- essays research pape

AP AM HISTORY DBQ 2- (An A+ Essays Original Paper, written by Zoo Patrol) To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution? Most of the first settlers in America came from England and considered themselves to be Englishmen. At first they relied on their mother country for money, supplies and protection. As the colony became larger and more populous, people gradually started feeling as if they were a separate nation. By the eve of the Revolution the patriotism has built up to such an extent, that the colonists believed America was self-sufficient enough to exist as independent unit from England. At first, America existed just as any of the other English colonies. England provided financial and military assistance, and in turn America shipped goods that were to be sold in England. This mercantilist system worked out at first, but soon, as the population increased people began to feel that many of England's trade policies and laws were unfair. They also expected to be represented in the English Parliament. Edmund Burke said, "Govern America? As you govern an English town which happens not to be represented in Parliament?" (Notes for Speech in Parliament). However, England declined the colonist's requests, and only made the situation worse by declaring harsher laws. Some laws prevented the colonists from trading with other countries, and others placed larger taxes on goods. Soon people felt that "there ...

The Contributions of Adam Smith and John M Keynes to the Study of Economics :: Adam Smith, John M Keynes

Adam Smith was the founder of economics, as we know it today. His thoughts have shaped modern ideas about the market economy and the role of the state in relation to it. Smith laid the intellectual framework that explained the free market (which still holds true today) and laissez-faire. Both are connected with the underlying theme of economic growth. Smith's analysis is not confined to showing the interrelation between the different elements of a continually maintained system. It also explains how the system can generate the continual accumulation of wealth. And since, according to Smith, this process is most successful when left to the play of natural forces, his analysis leads him to urge governments to let well alone. Laissez-faire government believes commerce and trade should be permitted to operate free of controls of any kind; there should be no tariffs or other barriers. The direct translation from the French language is â€Å"leave alone to do†, which is self-explanatory. He is most often recognized for the expression "the invisible hand," which he used to demonstrate how self-interest guides the most efficient use of resources in a nation's economy, with public welfare coming as a by-product. It simply encourages businesses to provide what consumers want and at the same time it discourages government involvement. He believed that the only responsibilities of the government should be to define property rights, set up honest courts, impose minor taxes and subsides to compensate for well defined and narrowly specified â€Å"market failures†. To underscore his laissez-faire convictions, Smith argued that state and personal efforts, to promote social good are ineffectual compared to unbridled market forces. Adam Smith explained that a monopoly charges any price that it chooses, robs consumers and makes countries less efficient and poorer. Competition, he said, means that businesses try to charge the lowest price possible, so consumers get maximum value for money. If they can buy more, they support more jobs in the economy and the country grows richer. Without the police stopping competition, he said, monopolies cannot survive for long. Around the world today, government monopolies and other bad practices are under major assault from Adam Smith's ideas. Adam Smith believed that strong government was a great necessity, particularly to create and enforce laws and to ensure justice. He believed in a democratic partnership between government and the people, but knew that each should do what it does best - businessmen should not control the justice system, nor should government try to run businesses.

The History of Computers :: Technology Essays

The History of Computers In 1964, no one, with the exception of those with-in the field of study, had ever heard of a computer. Now, only forty years later, almost every home in America is equipped with at least one computer. A computer is defined as a device that accepts information, in the form of digital data, and manipulates it for some result based on a program on how data is to be processed. The first computer was not as fast or efficient as the computers used today, however they are all based on the first model. â€Å"Since the invention of numbers, humanity has tried to make instruments to help in performing calculations† (Moreau 4). Before 3000 B.C. there were tablets used for calculating. The Ancient Chinese used a bead frame for counting. Although rather innovative, neither of these calculating devices was automatic. In the early 19th century, a British astronomer and mathematician had an idea that would change the history of computing forever. His name was Charles Babbage and he described a machine that would have the ability to do a variety of calculations. Because the mechanical-engineering technology of that time period was not reliable or fast enough, he was unable to produce his dream. Babbage’s idea was based on the mathematical insights of George Boole, who first stated the principles of logic used in today’s digital computers (Computer 1). Also, Ada Lovelace, Babbage’s assistant, is known as the first programmer because she introduc ed program loops and subroutines. The development of electronics led to the first computers. Once electromechanical technology entered the world, calculators began being produced. The first electronic calculator was built by IBM. This is known as the IBM 603, which was created by Byron E. Phelps. Building upon this model, steps were taken towards the first computer. â€Å"The IBM Selective Sequence-Controlled Electronic Calculator (SSEC) was created between the years 1945 and 1948 by a group led by Frank Hamilton, one of the engineers who worked on the building of the Harvard-IBM machine† (Moreau 39). Disregarding calculators, the first real useable computer began with the vacuum tube.

I Had a Job I Liked Once by Guy Vanderhaeghe Essay

Guy Vanderhaegh takes us back a few decades in the retelling of a court case in small town, Saskatchewan in the play, â€Å"I Had a Job I liked. Once. † Using elements of style, staging and developing characters throughout the play Vanderhaegh portrays to the audience the theme of the biases and prejudices that come with living in a small town. The story is set in small town Saskatchewan in a police station office, on the night of August of 1957. Corporal Heasman has brought in Les Grant on the account of accused rape Tracy Tolbertson, and the play follows the questioning of Sergeant Finestad to Les, who retells his involvement with Tracy, the daughter of Mr. Tolbertson, the local crown attorney. The story has many sub conflicts; the tension between Finestad and Tolbertson being a main one. Tolbertson wants his daughter’s accused rapist behind bars, but Finestad wants to get the whole story instead of just listening to Tolbertson. Then there is the conflict of Finestad with himself; for years he has followed the law and stuck to the book, but in this case he is having a hard time sticking to the black and white because he feels that there is more to the story. All these sub conflicts underlie to the main conflict of the prejudices and biases that come from living in a small town, and the difficulties that come with dealing with that. These conflicts all lead up to the climax where Finestand goes against Tolbertson and against the prejudices of the town and lets Les Grant go, without charging him. Vanderhaegh does a very good job of developing the characters in this play. We are first introduced to Sergeant Finestad who has a very strong character-he likes being charged and doesn’t do well with being told what to do. Finestad undergoes a very big character change through the course of this play. At the beginning, Finestad is very strict to the law, strict to the rules. As he says to Heasman before Les is brought in to be questioned, â€Å"Nothing about police work is personal. We follow the law, Tom. We’re the keepers of the rules. If we don’t keep them, what right do we have to enforce them? † This comes after he writes on the chalk board in big bold letters â€Å"NOT PERSONAL†. Through questioning Les Grant and learning his story, we see him change at the end where he lets Les go, not charging him and saying, â€Å"something broke down tonight, Tom. Either the book, or me. † He realized that he couldn’t charge Les just based on what it says in the book. The other character who undergoes change in the story is Les. Les comes from a very rough family, and has had some challenges throughout his life, but he has stayed a good, hardworking kid. He now works at the town swimming pool in the pump room, which is where he is changed. At the pool Les is bullied very badly- every day when he gets to work there is something new written about him or his mother on the bathroom walls, which he has to clean up. He puts up with this for so long until he finally can’t do it anymore and snaps, which is when he allegedly raped Tracy. Les is then judged because of his family background, and almost found guilty just based on the prejudices against him. There are other characters that help to contribute to the conflict as well. Corporal Heasman who works with Finestad is constantly against him, wanting Les to be charged to make Mr. Tolbertson happy. Mr. Tolbertson, as Finestad describes him, â€Å"likes to win, so the rules get ignored or ben. The law’s a game. † He doesn’t bother with protocol, but is just used to getting what he wants, in this case being Les being charged. He is a hard nut who always gets his way and orders everyone around, especially his wife and Tracy. Because of this, Tracy rebels and brings out her anger making other people feel bad, such as Les Grant. All these characters come together into forming the main conflict. Guy Vanderhaeghe broaches a theme that can be very relatable to people growing up in small towns. After Finestad releases Les Grant, he explains to Heasman the reason. He recalls a poem from his grade three teacher that has the lines â€Å"Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright/In the forests of the night. † He always asks himself, â€Å"Who made the tiger? Who made the tiger? † He then goes on to say, â€Å"Who made Les Grant? They did. And who made that girl? More of the same. Poor, sorry, fucked up tigers. And you and me-we’re supposed to play tiger tamer. After they’ve used their teeth. I might have been up to the game-once, but all of a sudden it seems too complicated for rules-for me. † This is where the main theme of small town prejudices is revealed, and how there’s more to people that what meets the eye. Society judges people based on their first impressions of what they see and what they’ve heard about them. The question â€Å"Who made the tiger? † refers to the events and families in people’s past that shape who that young person becomes. Tracy’s dad was very strict and hard on her, which makes her rebel, leading her to writing the cruel things about Les on the wall. Les has had to deal with his rough family life growing up which automatically causes people to judge him. Heasman describes them as a â€Å"Bad bunch, the Grants. † Les has also been bullied for such a long time that it causes him to act out. He is good kid, but all these outside influences came into making him make a bad decision. As he explained to Finestad, â€Å"Taking it from them for as long as I remember, that gave me the right. † He believed that he had the right to do that to Tracy because he has had so many things happen to him in the past. This play deals with the prejudices society has against people and how that shapes them into who they are. Guy Vanderhaegh’s use of styling really emphasizes many things in the play, whether it be through the use of different language, symbolism or repetition. Finestad’s injured back is one symbol of his relationship with Les. When Finestad hurts his back, he asks for Les to help him and says, â€Å"Don’t let them see me like this. Please don’t give me away. † He is humiliated and Les helps him, keeping his promise. At the end of the story, the tables are turned and Les is now the one who needs help. Les is asking Finestad to not lay a charge. He says, â€Å"Don’t’ give me away to them. That’s what you asked when your back went out. That’s what you asked me. † His back symbolizes the debt he owed to Les. The Tiger in Finestad’s poem also symbolizes Les Grant and Tracy Tolbertson, who had many things contributing into making who they are and resulting in the actions they did. Vanderhaegh also uses Tolbertson’s appearances as a way to contribute to the rising action of the play, leading right up to the climax. At first Tolbertson is just mentioned when Heasman and Finestad are talking about them, then he calls and Finestad ignores him, and finally he shows up trying to threaten Finestad. In all three â€Å"appearances†, Finestad put Mr. Tolbertson down leading right up to the climax where he completely opposes Mr. Tolbertson and does not charge Les. The repetition of acknowledging the statute book also emphasizes Finestad’s character change. He went from following it’s  every word to forgetting about it and going against it at the end. The staging also helps in contributing to creating the mood of the play. The whole play takes place in the one office at the police station with no scene change. This set is very basic, which makes you focus on the characters and their actions instead of their surroundings. The lighting used helps to create the atmosphere for the memories Les has, such as it creating a â€Å"lattice-work effect to suggest a grill† at the pool, or the dimming of the lights suggesting a soft summer night on the day Les picks up Tracy. Instead of scene changes, characters enter and exit the scene giving the impression of a new location. Even in memories, Tracy actually enters the office as Les is describing the memory so as to give the audience a better understanding of what happened. The use of different sounds, such as splashing at a swimming pool or music in a car helps create the atmosphere as well. At the end of scenes, the characters do not leave, rather the lights blackout. The scene is different, but they are still in the same place. This gives you a sense of mood change to the scene. Finestad never leaves the office until the very end of the play, where he turns the office light off, walks out and the curtain comes down, giving you the sense of finality. Many things have to come together in a play to get the main message across. With Guy Vanderhaegh’s effective use of styling, staging and character building he efficiently gets across to the audience the idea that with small towns come prejudices and biases, and that before making judgments you need to understand a person’s background and circumstances to get the whole story. â€Å"I Had a Job I Liked. Once. † is an interesting play with a good message to take home.

A Story of Three Progressives

A Story of Three Progressives Three classic theorists, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber have discussed and analyzed the complexity of modernization. Modernization is a broad concept that refers to major social changes which occur when a pre-industrial society develops economically and the workplace shifts from the home to the factory (industrialization), people move from farms into cities where jobs are available (urbanization), and large-scale formal organizations emerge (bureaucratization). Each of these sociologists have developed major theoretical and methodological statements on the topic of modernization and many of their theories that were made a century or two ago still hold true today. Beginning with Karl Marx, an extreme revolutionary of the 19th century, he argued that modernization is an ascendancy of industrial capitalism. His idea of modernity was shaped by three developments in history: the French revolutions of 1789 and 1848, the industrial and agricultural revolutions in Britain, and the collapse of the church's intellectual credibility. Despite living his life when most of Europe was still agricultural and artisanal; most European states were still dominated by monarchical power; and most Europeans still went to church, Marx understood industrial labor and some of its future effects. Marx depicts modernization as a capitalist society working as a system, in which each group or individual works to fulfill the need of another. As soon as an individual enters a capitalist society, he is socialized into a certain role or behavior which fulfills the needs of that society (role meaning either a proletariat or a capitalist). For instance, if an individual is a proletariat he must work for a capitalist to satisfy the needs of the society. (cite communist manifesto somewhere). This division between the proletarians and the capitalists are enforced for the benefit of the owners so that they can exploit the working class for their own means, but the working class does not resist because this system has become normalized. The two classes work as a â€Å"team† and through a hierarchy create a productive society. Overall, Marx thinks of modernization as a world where individuals rely on each other to function, and each individual is assigned a role. Next, Emile Durkheim stressed that modernization involves an increased division of labor (specialized economic activity), and a shift from mechanical to organic solidarity. This academic discusses division of labor as a necessary tool for a productive society, but it is also a natural occurrence. Durkheim proceeds from the concept that the division is an organic outgrowth of a society in which different people have different interests and skills. Therefore, a society in which individuals specialize in producing a good or service will be more efficient than a society that is generalized. Durkheim’s view of modernization explains that iindividuals no longer perform the same tasks, have the same interests, nor necessarily share the same perspectives on life. But, Durkheim makes it clear that this does not cause a society to fail or disintegrate, instead organic solidarity is formed. Similar to the organs within a body, individuals perform certain specific functions, but rely on the well-being and successful performance of other individuals. If one organ fails, the rest of them fail as well. A body, or in this case a society, cannot function at all if one part crumbles. This reliance upon each other for social (and even physical) survival is the source of organic solidarity and the modern world’s interdependency in a society. Lastly, Max Weber analyzed modernization as the replacement of tradition with rationality. He felt that society will become more complicated, specialized, professionalized, and stratified in the modern world. Prayer and religion will no longer be aspects that fix and/or help solve problems. Science will be the rational way of thought and will be the dominate way of finding a solution. Specialization will result in professionalism, which in turn will bring more order to the modern world as every segment of every job will have a â€Å"specialist†. In general, modernization to Weber meant society will be controlled by managers and experts, and rationality will dictate the way of life. Each of these theorists have strong opinions on modernization and developed what they believe will be the effects of it in the future. Between Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, various theoretical arguments have been made, each being extremely progressive thoughts for the time period they lived in. Karl Marx thinks modernization leads to both good and bad outcomes. One outcome modernization leads to is alienation. Marx believed that alienation is a systematic result of capitalism, in which both the capitalist and proletariat become isolated. This theory is based upon his observation that, in emerging industrial production, under capitalism, workers inevitably lose control of their lives and selves in not having any control of their work. Thus, workers never become autonomous, self-realized human beings in any significant sense. Karl Marx attributes four types of alienation in labor under capitalism. The first type is when the worker becomes alienated from his own human potential. The workplace is no longer a place of fulfillment, but instead where the worker feels the least human and the least like himself. Ultimately, the worker becomes a machine that is controlled. The next type of alienation occurs between workers. This happens because capitalism reduces labor to a commodity to be traded on the market, rather than a true social relationship. Even if a worker is side by side another worker, he is unlikely to communicate with him due to the nature of capitalism (e. . an assembly line using technology does not allow one to speak with a fellow worker). Thirdly, the worker becomes alienated from the product itself. This occurs because the capitalist class controls the worker and in turn owns the product. In fact, a worker must buy the product he makes for the same price as anyone else. Lastly, a worker becomes alienated from the entire production process. This means that the actua l work becomes mindless, meaningless, and more than likely offers little or no intrinsic satisfactions. Similarly, a worker who performs a very specialized task may not even know what the final product will be. Another outcome Marx believes modernization leads to is social stratification. Social stratification means that working class people are not likely to advance socioeconomically, while the wealthy people may continue to exploit the proletariat generation after generation. Marx identified that the social classes are stratified based on their connection to the means of production and therefore the ruling class, bourgeoisie, and proletarians, maintain their social positions by maintaining their elationship with the means of production. This maintenance of status quo is achieved by various methods of social control employed by the bourgeoisie within many aspects of social life (e. g. religion). Marx also strongly believed modernization would cause products and/or commodities to have exchange value. This meant that instead of products being used immediately, they would be exchanged in the market for money or other objects. This use value is connected to the relationship between human needs and tangible objects that can satisfy those needs. For instance, shoes have the purpose of protecting ones feet and bread has the use value of satisfying hunger. If an individual chooses to trade one of these objects for the other than he has given each an exchange value. According to Marx, the various exchange values of commodities reflect the various amounts of labor, measured in time, that their production requires. Commodities and their use value lead to Marx’s idea on the â€Å"fetishism of commodities. † This is when the commodity takes on its own form. This can be something an individual produces or even one’s own labor. One’s own labor can even become a commodity, as it bought and sold and therefore requires an exchange value. This idea also relates to alienation mentioned above. A workers labor is used by the capitalist to make the objects that ultimately come to dominate the workers. Hence, commodities are the source of alienation because workers produce for the sake of others instead of for their own purposes and needs. Similarly, the fetishism of commodities can be interpreted into the concept of reification. Reification is the process of coming to believe that humanly created social forms are natural, universal, and absolute things. This implies that people believe that social structures are beyond their control and unchangeable. Marx believed capitalism would cause reification to occur and create a self-fulfilling prophecy in which structures actually do become the character others believe they are. This concept demonstrates that capitalism will not only lead to objects given value, but people as well. Marx also feels that modernization leads to wants becoming needs, and needs reating more needs. In other words, the satisfaction of one’s needs can lead to the creation of new needs. Ritzers example for this is how the production of cars satisfied the need for long-distance travel, but led to a new need for highways. Also, at one time people did not feel they needed cars when the car was first invented, but nowadays most people feel they need them. Therefore, Marx concluded that la bor occurs in response to needs, but the labor itself transforms needs, which can lead to new forms of productive activity. One final thought Karl Marx thought capitalism would create was a proletariat revolution. Because the capitalist exploit the workers, Marx believed that sooner or later the proletarians would fight back. As capitalism progresses more and more people become workers, and less people become capitalists. Marx thought that with increasing numbers of workers, more resistance to exploitation and oppression would occur, ultimately leading to a confrontation and revolution. Despite these thoughts, Marx felt that capitalism was a step in the right direction. The birth of capitalism opened up new possibilities for freedom of workers and provides possibility for freedom from the traditions from previous societies (pre capitalism). Though, Marx was an advocate of Communism and believed this was the answer to a change in mode of production. Next, Emile Durkheim has theories on the effects of modernization as well. First, Durkheim believes modernization leads to dynamic density. Over time, societies go through a transition from being more primitive/mechanical, to being more modern/organic; the difference lying in the source of their solidarity, or what holds them together (Ritzer, 2007). The cause of this transition is an increase in dynamic density. One may think the solution to this problem is to have a growing or increasing population, but this is not sufficient enough to create change in the division of labor. The reason for this is that individuals and small groups of people can live in relative isolation from one another and still perform most of the tasks necessary for survival themselves, no matter how big the overall population gets (Ritzer, 2007). Therefore, a growing population must also increase the frequency with which people interact within and between social groups. This increase in dynamic density is likely to cause a division of labor and the transformation of social solidarity. As mentioned above, Durkheim developed two terms: mechanical and organic solidarity. A society characterized by mechanical solidarity means a unified one in which every person is a generalist. This society is held together because each individual is engaged in a similar activity as the another, and can therefore relate with each other. Contrasting, organic solidarity is held together by the differences among people and the fact that each individual has a different job or task. Durkheim believed that modern society was one in which there are a narrow range of tasks and many people must work in order to survive. Therefore, modern society is held together by the specialization of people and their need for the services of many others. Unfortunately, according to Durkheim, this means that modern societies have weaker shared understandings, norms, and beliefs than primitive ones, but are more likely to be cohesive from the division of labor. Along with dynamic density, Durkheim was concerned about the moral â€Å"health†of modern society. He felt that morality was connected with society and therefore society could not be immoral, but it could possibly lose its moral force if the collective interest of society became nothing but self-interests of individuals. Durkheim also felt that people were in risk of a â€Å"pathological† loosening of moral bonds (Ritzer, 2007). Without this, people would be in search of more and more gratification, leading to more and more needs. Every human being will want more and society will start to not limit these needs. Durkheim called this the â€Å"insatiable desire† that modernization would endure. In summary, Durkheim debates in The Division of Labor that moral solidarity has changed in modern society and that modern society allows for more interdependence and closer, less competitive relations. Lastly, Max Weber thinks modernization leads to a variety of outcomes. The first outcome of modernization is bureaucracy.