A Modern Family Essays

A Modern Family Essays A Modern Family Essay A Modern Family Essay A Modern Family The situation comedy on television that I choose to study, which I believe highlights family values and functions, is ABC’s â€Å"Modern Family†. As the title suggests this is based on what we might perceive as the current, everyday family. I have watched this show with mixed emotions since its inception but these are only my observations about the show, no one can know what the writer’s background is and from what mindset they are coming from. The show is about the â€Å"New† version of your basic family tree, but being a modern version there are several differences from an â€Å"Ossie Harriett† family show. They give us as many of the different types of family dynamics as possible in a thirty minute program. We have the patriarch of the family as a divorced older man with a second marriage to a younger woman. It doesn’t hurt that the younger women is a Latin bombshell with a young son. This shows to me the almost typical family with divorce being common place in our society. Then you have the patriarch’s married daughter with an adolescent acting husband and several children living at home. Last but not least, we have the patriarch’s gay son and life partner with their adopted Asian daughter. Sadly this just shows to me that society accepts this behavior as normal, not the abomination it is according to the Bible, adoption is a beautiful thing but why do they ruin it by having a to portray a gay couple. Just as an example, one episode reflects on the family’s reaction to the children of the married daughter walking in on their parents having sex. Of course the kids freak out and claim they are scared for life and the parents freak out because they remember being scared by seeing the same thing with their own parents but the kids come to the realization that at least their parents are together and still â€Å"doing it†, unlike many of their friends whose parents are no longer together. The married daughter talks with her father about the reasons why he never spoke with her about the same situation when she was young. He admits that they just didn’t communicate with their kids like parents do today. This sitcom does try to deliver the concept of togetherness in family, support for one another and the tightness that family bonds can bring. A unique use of confessional interviews gives us an insight into what the individuals are really thinking. They talk to an unknown cameraperson about what they were really thinking or doing instead of what we actually saw on camera. The â€Å"mockumentary† style gives the viewer the real skinny on what’s happening. This mocking part of the show does give a little negativity to the program, because it shows how the family member might not actually like what just happened or was said but they truly did not confront the other family member. â€Å"Modern Family† seems to focus more on how the families interact with one another, more so then how they interact with the outside world. They do cover some if not all your typical family values but unfortunately they are worldly based not Godly based values, so we have all the worldly negative influences. They have â€Å"good† messages each program but not â€Å"Godly† messages. I wouldn’t say that this program has had a positive or negative influence on my personal view of what a family is, it’s just shown me more so how callous we as a society have become to many of the Biblical teachings, in the name of entertainment.

Gallipoli essays

Gallipoli essays Gallipoli (Feb 19 1915 Jan 9 1916) was an Allied campaign to capture the Turkish capital Constantinople and wrest control of the strategically invaluable Dardanelles straits, thus allowing supply lines to run through the the cut-off Russians. The first planned attack was a British/French naval assault on February 19 1915. It bombarded Turkish artillery along the coast but had very little effect. A new attack was launched on March 18 targeting a bottleneck in the Dardanelles. It suceesfully destroyed many Turkish artillery targets, but the fleet ran into an uncharted minefield and lost three battleships, prompting the allies to withdraw their naval force. After the deemed failure of the naval campaign, the allies decided to attempt a land invasion. Australian and New Zealand soldiers stationed in Egypt formed the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, and were sent to land on a point approximately one mile north of Gaba Tepe. However, poor planning caused them to land a mile and a half further north than planned, in a cove today known as Anzac Cove. The Anzacs were faced with a difficult battle from the onset cliffs and ravines forming the terrain made it difficult to progress. They were beaten to the high ground by Mustafa Kemals reinforcements, who launched a counter-attack. The Anzacs were pinned on the beaches and lost a third of their forces, but maintained their position. Soon enough, trenches were established and both sides quickly began to reach a stalemate. The soldiers daily routine included breakfast, rifle and ammo cleaning, patrol and trench maintenance, and then a midday meal. Afterwards, the soldiers concentrated on sanitation, and then an evening meal. During the night when soldiers patrolled enemy positions, repaired or extended barbed wire, or dug new trenches, Turkish snipers were most active. During the day, it was risky for soldiers to raise their heads above the parapet line ...

Customer Data and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Customer Data and Analysis - Essay Example Indeed it is often referred to as a categorical scale. It is a system of classification and does not place the entity along a continuum. The hardest of the four levels to explain is interval level data. Let's imagine a very real example - teacher evaluations. On a five-point scale, a teacher getting a four is not twice as good as a teacher getting a two, and yet the numbers involved here can be treated differently than the numbers used in the rankings of the ordinal-level examples. Temperature, measured in degrees Fahrenheit, can also be effectively used as an example because forty degrees F is not twice as hot as twenty degrees F. Ratio data. Given the fact that this presentation of the idea of levels of measurement has been progressive, the simplest example to use, especially to highlight the idea of an absolute or meaningful zero, is money. Taking one's wallet out and removing from it a ten-dollar bill, then a second ten reinforces the concept that twenty is twice ten. Following that with showing an empty wallet highlights the real meaning of an absolute zero in a way you will not forget. While you sleep competitors are compiling information on your potential customers. They know their names, addresses, and telephone numbers. They know their professions, birthdays, the goods and stuffs they may be looking to buy in the near future. How do your competitors find out this information They ask, and more importantly they use the information they gather to learn more about these customers - and to establish an individual 'relationship' with them. The marketplace is now demanding this "mass customization" approach. Carol Krol (1999, p.2) claimed that the relationship marketing process has picked up steam because of the fragmentation of media, increasing channels of communication, and consumer choice availability. The sales analysis and reporting system provides the ability to report and analyze sales, rejections, up traffic, staff close-rates, average tickets, and overall performance contributions to the store. Let's take an example of a really national Britain hypermarket Tesco. This company sails one third of all foodstuffs in the country substantially thanks to marketing to individuals! Tesco set close cooperation with University College London. The scientists offered new methods of gathering, checking, collating, review, storage, access, retrieval and update of statistics information of retail sells. Fed every second by Tesco's 12 million Clubcard holders, the Crucible database could in theory generate about 12 billion pieces of data a year if each cardholder bought just 20 items a week. This information is analyzed very attentively. Tesco's customer relationship management system (CRMS) helps managers to

Smoking Ban Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Smoking Ban - Case Study Example If these laws are in acted, the majority of the society or the 80% of the adults who do not smoke will benefit as their exposure to cigarette smoke and its harmful effects will be reduced. 2. A state should have the moral as well as the legal right to decide about the areas where smokers can smoke. This is because the state has a duty of care towards its citizens. According to the ethical theory of care an individual should make decisions while taking into consideration the people they are supposed to care about (Iep.utm.edu, 2014). The state and its representative have taken oath to make rules and regulations in order to protect its citizens and thus they have a duty of care to protect the citizens. Based on these principles, the state should implement such laws in order to protect its citizens from the harmful effects of cigarette smoking. 3. One alternative to a total smoking ban as discussed in the case is the allocation of a separate area to the smokers so they can smoke without disturbing or risking the health of others. Organizations such as restaurants and bars can develop a separate area for those smokers who want to smoke and for those who do not smoke. Secondly, a total ban on smoking in enclosed areas and allowance of smoking in open areas can even be a useful option. 4. There are various steps that the law has dictated that can be taken by an organization to demotivate employees from smoking within the premises of the organization. These steps include the exhibition of signs on the entrance of the organization that state that on premises smoking is not allowed. Secondly, signs should even be placed on the door of the areas where smoking is permitted. These guidelines have been clearly stipulated in the laws of the California Indoor Clean Air Act that was enacted during the period of 1976 (Smoking.uslegal.com, 2014). 5. Cigarette smoking should not be banned completely or cigarette smoking should not be considered as an illegal act.

Imagination & Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Imagination & Identity - Essay Example From the time that one is young, there is a perception and specific reality that is created in terms of identity. Imaginary worlds and friends are some of the main concepts that are applied to this and which create a specific sense of what it means to belong to a specific identity or group. â€Å"Most under – sevens have an invisible friend, and children create their imaginary playmates not out of trauma but out of a serene sense of the possibilities of fiction – sometimes as figures of pure fantasy, sometimes, as observations of grownup manners† (Gopnik, 253). The ability to create an identity and sense of reality through imagination and by mimicking the identity of others is one which can then be expected to stay with children while growing older. This reality and vision is one which is combined not only with ideas of fiction but also with expectations of what one is to become. â€Å"We were always about becoming, not being, about the prospects for the future, not about the inheritance of the past† (Lapham, 45). Both of these articles agree that there is the need to create something from the imagination and to keep depicting that specific reality. The fiction then becomes a sense of identity that one grows into, either by imagining something, mimicking adult behaviors or by believing what one should be. The concept of building a reality out of imagination then leads into the capacity of creating identity. The creation of identity moves beyond the labels in which one holds, such as being a New Yorker or a scientist. More important, are behaviors and mannerisms that are associated with the identity and labels which one believes they have. For instance, when defining New Yorkers, the identity becomes: â€Å"New Yorkers are busy for obvious reasons: they have husbands and wives and careers and children they have the Gauguin show to see and their personal trainers and

Coincidence Counting With NAI Scintillation Detectors

Coincidence Counting With NAI Scintillation Detectors ABSTRACT Coincidence counting is a technique employed in nuclear medicine for PET imaging. This technique utilizes a positron emitting radionuclide that is injected into patients to track biochemical and physiological processes. The positron annihilates with an electron and emit two 0.511MeV gamma rays which are detected simultaneously by two scintillation detectors. In the experiment, two gamma ray sources, 60Co and 22Na were used with a NaI scintillation counter. A single channel analyzer (SCA) was used to count the number of voltage pulses whose height fell within the gate width. The absolute efficiency and intrinsic efficiency was obtained as a function of distance. Real and random coincidences were determined from the spectrum obtained with varying gate width and gate delay for each source. The optimum gate width obtained was 5 µsec for both sources with gate delays of 1.2 µsec and 0.2 µsec for 22Na and 60Co respectively. The real coincidences for 22Na and 60Co were found to be 200 .1  ± 2.3 and 76.5  ± 1.7 respectively. The random coincidences obtained were 25.1  ± 3.4 and 13.4  ± 2.6 for 22Na and 60Co respectively. This was determined by using the LINEST function. The percentage thus of random to real coincidences obtained in this experiment was 12.54  ± 1.85 % and 17.52  ± 3.81 % for 22Na and 60Co respectively. It was deduced that the uncertainty in determining a random coincidence was higher in 60Co than in 22Na. the magnitude of the uncertainty is as a result of fluctuations in the instrumentation. Hence the Na system is more efficient for coincidence counting and so it is useful in the PET system. INTRODUCTION Coincident counting is a radiological measuring technique that is utilised in the nuclear medicine in the PET scan whereby two photons emitted from an event are detected simultaneously by a ring of detectors. Sodium Fluoride (F18-NaF) is the positron-emitting radionuclide employed in PET for bone imaging [1]. Upon decay, the positron are emitted which travels for a short distance and under Compton’s scattering thereby loosing most of its energy. It then undergoes annihilation with an electron and emit two high energy 0.511MeV photons. The 0.511MeV photons are emitted 180 degrees apart and interact with the PET detector rings at opposite sites. [2] The detectors are made up of scintillation crystals coupled with photomultiplier tubes powered by a high voltage which produces a pulse with a height proportional to the gamma-ray energy. A SCA counts the number of voltage pulses whose height falls within a predetermined window of photon energies. Coincidence measurement is utilised when a single detector cannot produce all the information expected, as gamma rays are randomly produced, hence the need to set several detectors. Real coincidences occur when two photons are emitted in coincidence from the same annihilation event and are detected simultaneously within a certain time frame set by the gate width. Random coincidences occur when two photons emitted from different events are detected simultaneously within the time frame of the gate width. [3] The gate width determines the time window within which the simultaneous emission of the gammas are detected. The optimum gate width therefore will ensure that the maximum number of real coincidences are detected to minimise the events of random coincidences. In the ideal situation when the gate width is zero the real coincidences can be observed, and with an increase in gate width the random coincidences can be observed. In the PET scan, this will ensure efficiency of the coincidence system. The need for the gate delay is to enable the second pulse to be detected within the time frame of the gate width and this is usually a minute time frame. It takes into account the minute fluctuations that occur at time of pulses. By alternating the gate delay and gate width, the rate of coincidence can be determined. In this experiment the two sources used were 60Co and 22Na. 60Co emit two gamma rays upon beta decay at energies 1.3325Mev and 1.1732MeV with 60Ni daughter nuclide. The 22Na undergoes a beta decay and electron capture decay with the emission of a 1.275MeV gamma photons and two 0.511Mev upon interactions with the detector material. The positron from the beta decay of 22Na annihilates an electron of the detector and emit the two gammas at 0.511Mev energies at 1800. The coincidence counting system records just a certain portion of events depending on the solid angle as a function of distance. Coincidence counting as a function of distance is maximum in the middle and zero at the edge [4]. The photons can undergo several interactions in the detector before they are detected and that render the detector inefficient and so there is the need for its efficiency to be determined. The efficiency can be classed into two as absolute and intrinsic efficiencies and they are defined as Absolute efficiency ÃŽ µabs = Number of pulses recorded [3] Number of radiation quanta emitted by source Intrinsic efficiency ÃŽ µint = Number of pulses recorded [3] Number of radiation quanta incident on detector These efficiencies are related by ÃŽ µint = ÃŽ µabs * (4à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  /à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦) [3] where à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ is the solid angle of the between source and detector. The solid angle is dependent on the distance between source and detector (d) and the radius of the detector (r) and it is determined by the this equation, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ = 2à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬   1 d [3] √d2 + r2 To determine the efficiency of the coincidence system, the absolute efficiency for real and random coincidences were also determined for both sources based on the equations below. ÃŽ µabs for real coincidences for 22Na = ÃŽ µabs * ÃŽ µint ÃŽ µabs for random coincidences for 22Na = (ÃŽ µabs)2 * Activity * Intensity * Time ÃŽ µabs for real coincidences for 60Co = ÃŽ µabs * ÃŽ µabs ÃŽ µabs for random coincidences for 60Co = (ÃŽ µabs)2 * Activity * Intensity * Time METHOD Two NaI detectors coupled with photomultipliers with high voltages and preamplifiers were used for this experiment. The inputs were connected to spectroscopic and SCA amplifiers. Detector 1 was first corrected for background by counting for 5 minutes. The 22Na gamma ray source was varied with distance and the absolute efficiency of the detector was determined as a result. Detector 2 was introduced and set at a distance of 10cm apart from Detector 1. 22Na was positioned in the middle and the counting was set to 5 minutes. The gate width and gate delay were varied and their spectrum observed. The experiment was repeated for the second gamma ray source, 60Co. The optimum gate delay was determined and varied with the gate width to obtain the optimum gate width. A linear graph of count rate against gate width was obtained that showed the real and random coincidences based on the slope gradient obtained. The percentage ratio of the random to real coincidences were determined and the uncertainty associated with the experiment was also determined. RESULTS/DISCUSSION The background spectrum was corrected in the count reading for both sources. The background radiation is as a result of scattered radiation associated with the experiment. The absolute efficiency of the detector was determined for both sources as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 and Table 1a 1b and Table 2a 2b for 22Na and 60Co respectively. The absolute efficiency was obtained using the formula Absolute efficiency = Sum of count Intensity x Activity Figure 1: Absolute efficiency as a function of the distance between the 22Na source and detector Figure 2: Absolute efficiency as a function of distance between the 60Co source and detector The 22Na revealed a gradual decrease in efficiency with increasing distance, whereas 60Co revealed a rapid drop in efficiency as a function of distance. 60Co revealed lower absolute efficiencies since the measure of the number of pulses obtained by the 60Co was less than the number of photons emitted by the gamma ray source. This could have been due to Compton scattering reducing the number of photons actually detected as a pulse. The 22Na however revealed quite high absolute efficiencies and so can be confirmed that the detector was efficient in detecting the 22Na than the 60Co. The intrinsic efficiency was determined using the equation below. ÃŽ µint = ÃŽ µabs * (4à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  /à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦) The solid angle was determined for the detector when the distance between both detectors was varied between 5cm to 20cm and the radius of the detector was measured as 10cm. This is shown in Tables 3 and 4 and Figures 3 and 4 for 22Na and 60Co respectively. Figure 3: Intrinsic efficiency as a function of distance between the 22Na source and detector Figure 4: Intrinsic efficiency as a function of distance between the 60Co source and detector The intrinsic efficiency for 60Co was lower than 22Na. It can be deduced that the number of 60Co photons incident on the detector was more than the number of pulses recorded. Hence signifying that the detector was not efficient in detecting the 60Co. The 22Na however displayed high intrinsic efficiency almost approximating the maximum value for intrinsic efficiency. The intrinsic efficiency were found to be fluctuating with the highest being 0.9898 and 0.3872 with a solid angle of 1.3029 at 13cm distance from detector for 22Na and 60Co respectively. This is as result of the detector’s geometry detecting the photons at different solid angles. The solid angle determines how much of the photons can be detected as a function of distance. The overlap of the error bars signifies the uniformity of the errors. The probability of a 0.511MeV gamma travelling in the direction of the detector and being absorbed by it, will imply that the second 0.511MeV will also travel in the correct direction. Both detectors detecting the two 0.511MeV gammas can be determined to yield the absolute efficiency for real coincidences. This can be deduced from the notion that photons travelling in the right direction will be absorbed in the right direction by both detectors. The results of absolute efficiencies for real and random coincidences for 22Na and 60Co is shown in Table 5 6 and Figure 5, 6, 7 8. The efficiencies for both sources decreased with distance and it was lower for 60Co. The absolute efficiency for random coincidences was however for both sources than the absolute efficiency for real coincidences. It can thus be inferred that the absolute efficiencies for real coincidences for both 22Na and 60Co yields less probability of detection of real coincidence with 60Co as compared to the 22Na. The abso lute efficiencies for random coincidences was however comparable for both sources as the probability of detecting the second event within the gate width is possible for both sources. Figure 5: Absolute efficiency for real coincidences as a function of distance for 22Na Figure 6: Absolute efficiency for random coincidences as a function of distance for 22Na Figure 7: Absolute efficiency for real coincidences as a function of distance for 60Co Figure 8: Absolute efficiency for random coincidences as a function of distance for 60Co The gate delay was varied with gate width to obtain the optimum values of delay and width. The optimum gate delay was obtained as 1.2 µsec and 0.2 µsec for both 22Na and 60Co respectively and was used for the experiment. A linear graph of count rate as a function of gate width was obtained and a fixed gate width was obtained as shown in Figure 5 and 6 and table 7 and 8 Figure 5: A linear graph of count rate as a function of gate width applying a 1.2 µsec gate delay for 22Na Figure 6: A linear graph of count rate as a function of gate width by applying a 0.2 µsec gate delay for 60Co Real coincidences occur on the intercept of the linear slope gradient, whereas random coincidences can be found with the slope. For 22Na the optimum gate width obtained was 5 µsec. The graph of count rate as a function of gate width yielded a slope gradient of y = 5.019x + 200.15. By applying the optimum gate width and correcting for the gate delay, the real and random coincidences were determined using the LINEST function. The real coincidences was found to be 200  ± 2.3 whereas the random coincidences was found to be 25.1  ± 3.4. The percentage thus of random to real coincidences obtained in this experiment was 12.54  ± 1.85 %. This gives the value of pure coincidences that are not dependent on gate width. For 60Co, the optimum gate width was 5 µsec. The graph of count rate as a function of gate width yielded a slope gradient of y = 2.6801x + 76.483. When the optimum gate width was applied whilst correcting for the minute gate delay, the real and random coincidences were determined using the LINEST function. The real coincidences was found to be 76.5  ± 1.7 whereas the random coincidences was found to be 13.4  ± 2.6. The percentage of random to real coincidences obtained in this experiment was 17.52  ± 3.81 %. The above results was compared with the measured values obtained from the graph. The intercept gave the real coincidences as 200.15 and 76.48 for 22Na and 60Co respectively. The point of data convergence on the straight line gave the optimum gate width and the count equivalent was found as 225.28 and 90.02 for 22Na and 60Co respectively. The difference between this value and the real coincidences yielded the random coincidences as 25.13 and 13.56 in 22Na and 60Co respectively. Hence the percentage ratio of the random and real coincidences was obtained as 12.49% and 17.73%. This is equivalent to the values obtained from the calculated coincidences with the differences being due to uncertainties. The uncertainties with this experiment were with the NaI detector which contributed to scatter around the cover. The count rates resulted in some uncertainties as well and has been sown in table 8 for both detectors. The solid angle presented an uncertainty as the measurements for the detector could incur a large margin of errors. From all the results synthesized for both sources it could be gathered that the 22Na was an efficient source for coincidence counting compared to the 60Co. This is as a result of the geometry of the detectors as the Co system does not show a coincidence system and so there is more likelihood of a random coincidence than a real coincidence as compared to the Na system. This concludes that the 22Na will be efficient in a PET system, hence the reason for positron emitting radioisotopes being used in the PET system to ensure the maximum number of coincidences are being detected CONCLUSION The experiment was performed to examine the coincidence counting in two gamma ray sources and to determine the real and random coincidences as a function of gate width. The optimum gate width obtained was 5 µsec for both sources with gate delays of 1.2 µsec and 0.2 µsec for 22Na and 60Co respectively. The real coincidences for 22Na and 60Co were found to be 200.1  ± 2.3 and 76.5  ± 1.7 respectively. The random coincidences obtained were 25.1  ± 3.4 and 13.4  ± 2.6 for 22Na and 60Co respectively. This was determined by using the LINEST function. The measured count rates was also determined from the graph and resulted in real coincidences for 22Na and 60Co respectively as 200.15 and 76. 48 and random coincidences of 25.13 and 13.56. The percentage thus of random to real coincidences obtained in this experiment was 12.54  ± 1.85 % and 17.52  ± 3.81 % for 22Na and 60Co respectively. This gave the quality of the uncertainty in the coincidence system. It was deduced that the uncertainties in determining a random was higher in 60Co than in 22Na hence the Na system is more efficient for coincidence counting and very useful in the PET system. REFERENCES [1] The detection of bone metastases in patients with high-risk prostate cancer:99mTc-MDP planar bone scintigraphy, single- and multi-field-of-view SPECT,18F-fluoride PET, and18F-fluoride PET/CT.Even-Sapir et al, J Nucl Med(2006)47:287–97 [2] The Physics of Medical Imaging, ed. S. Webb. IoP publishing [3] Radiation and Detection Measurement, Glen N Knoll, 3rd Edition [4] Coincidence Counting, E. K. A. Advanced Physics Laboratory, Physics 3081, 4051 APPENDIXES Table 1a: Counts rate as a function of distance between source and detector for 22Na Table 1b: Absolute efficiency as a function of distance between source and detector for 22Na Table 2a: Counts rate as a function of distance between source and detector for 60Co Table 2b: Absolute efficiency as a function of distance between source and detector for 60Co Table 3: Intrinsic efficiency as a function of distance between source and detector of 22Na Table 4: Intrinsic efficiency as a function of distance between source and detector for 60Co Table 5: ÃŽ µabs for real and random coincidences as a function of distance for 22Na Distance(cm) ÃŽ µabs à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ 4à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬   ÃŽ µint ÃŽ µabs for real coincidences ÃŽ µabs for random coincidences 5 0.09940 3.473 12.57 0.35967 0.0994 48.7255 10 0.05091 1.8403 12.57 0.347637 0.0509 12.8015 13 0.04015 1.3029

J Sainsbury PLC :: Business and Management Studies

J Sainsbury PLC INTRODUCTION J Sainsbury PLC is one of the leading food retailers in the UK and also has interests in financial services. It comprises of Sainsbury's Supermarkets, Bells Stores, Jackson's Stores and Sainsbury's Bank. There are currently 583 Sainsbury’s supermarkets throughout the UK employing over 145,000 people, offering over 34,000 products and serving over 11 million customers a week. It is for these reasons that careful management of operations within each of the stores is vital to ensure that all processes are kept running smoothly so that customers can be served and products can be replenished. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES Customers want a quality service when they shop. A quality service is defined as ‘a service that consistently meets or exceeds a customers expectations’. The supermarket needs to look at the current value of a customer – how can they make this person spend as much money as possible in the store. They also need to look at the future value of the customer – how can they make sure that this person will return, when they will spend more. The objectives of the supermarket need to be looked at and worked towards very carefully. The diagram below shows the main performance objectives that are worked towards in the supermarket. Things operations should do†¦ Objective Provide error free goods and services Quality Minimise lead time Speed Keep delivery promises Dependability Adapt to change in circumstances Flexibility Minimise cost Cost Dr Andi Smart, University of Exeter For the customer to have a hassle free shopping experience then most, if not all, of these objectives need to be met. The first, and arguably the most important, objective in the store is quality. It is important because it is the most visible part of what operations do and therefore customers are easily able to make judgements on quality. In real terms inside the supermarket this means ensuring that products are in good condition, that the store is clean, that the interior decorations are appropriate and of a good standard and ensuring that staff are polite and friendly. Quality is managed very carefully within the store. The floor manager is responsible for overseeing the operation as a whole and controls the managers from each section of the store. These managers in-turn oversee staff in their own section and control stock rotation, cleanliness of the isles and goods and ensure that all fixtures are maintained. This top-down approach to the operation ensures that quality is maintained successfully within the store. The next objective is speed – ensuring a short transaction time at the checkout and making products readily available is the only way that speed can be managed within the supermarket. A checkout manager controls the checkouts, increasing and reducing the number of staff on

The Stolen Generation

The stolen generation †¦. The degradation and the sheer brutality of the act of physically separating a mother from her children is a deep assault on our senses and on our most elemental humanity†¦. The stolen generation is the name given to the generation of aboriginal and Torres strait islander children that were removed from their families and placed into institutions where they were forced to forget their aboriginality. These children were then given a poor education and were sent into the homes of white Australians to be servants or labourers. The government and churches around Australia had an ignorant and uneducated view about the native aboriginals and how they chose to live. They thought that aboriginal families lived poor and unrewarding lives; they believed they were doing the right thing and were helping the children by removing them from their homes and families. They believed that aboriginal people were bad parents and that the women did not look after their children. No records were kept of the children that were taken and siblings were deliberately separated, today many people do not know where or if they have brothers or sisters out there. This had destroyed families and torn them apart. They were forced to go through the unimaginable and were treated as slaves. You and me, we were not direct causes of this. This was our ancestors. A generation before we were born. We had not yet even existed when this was happening all over Australian yet it took all these years for an apology to be given to the people of the stolen generation On the 13th of February 2008 the prime minister Kevin Rudd apologised on behalf of all of Australia for the way that the people of the stolen generation were treated. This is what he said: â€Å"We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country. â€Å"For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry. â€Å"To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. â€Å"And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry. â€Å" The Stolen Generation Explain the Stolen Generation (when did it occur/who was responsible and why government officials believed they were justified in taking these actions). The Stolen Generation was a very lonely and depressing time for the indigenous people of Australia. It lasted an overwhelming 60 years in which an estimated 100 000 aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families and land to be raised in homes or adopted by white families. This Policy was designed to ‘breed out’ Indigenous people until there was none left. These children became known as the ‘Stolen Generations’.The forced removal of these Indigenous children became an official government policy from 1909 to 1969. However these acts of removing Indigenous children from their homes occurred before and after these dates. The Aborigines Protection Board (APB) managed this removal policy; Governments, Churches and welfare bodies all took part in this operation. The Governm ent gave the APB the power to forcibly remove Indigenous children without parental consent and without a court order in 1909. Children were to be fixated to an institution or mission dormitory, fostered or adopted.The Government under the White Australia and Assimilation Policies tried to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were not of pure blood to become incorporated into the broader community of white Australian’s so that eventually there would be no Indigenous people left. At the current time the white Australians thought they were superior to the Indigenous people and that they were doing them a favour by giving them an education and clothing them, even though they only educated them to a certain extent so that they could work as labourers or servants.Children were extracted from their Indigenous culture so they could be brought up white and ‘taught’ to reject their Aboriginality. These children were distributed to institutions and fro m roughly the 1950’s were also allocated to white families. The APB only educated the Aboriginal children so that they could become labourers or servants, so their education was very poor. They did not educate them to a satisfactory ‘white’ standard because the white people could stay in power and hold the higher positions in society.The Aboriginal girls that were forcibly removed from their families were sent to homes and facilities authorized by the Board to be trained in domestic service. The white people did not understand or respect the Aboriginal people or their way of life, this also meant that the people who supported the policy thought they were doing the ‘right thing’. Some of these people also believed the aboriginal people lived impecunious and unrewarding lives and that the institutions they were placed in would be a more appropriate environment in which the Aboriginal people could better themselves.The white people thought the Aborigina ls were stupid and had no tools or houses and could not provide for themselves. When in-fact they were just so blind to the fact that the Aboriginal culture was based off living as one with the earth and the white people couldn’t perceive and accept their way of life. The dominant, bigoted racist views that were part of the white society and government at the time also meant that people believed that Aboriginal people were bad parents and that the Aboriginal women did not feed or look after their children accordingly.They didn’t realize that the Indigenous people lived of the land and used the nuts and plants for medicine, they only took what they needed from the land. They were not greedy, unlike white people who harvested massive crops and wore fancy clothing. So the white people took it upon themselves to try and exterminate the aborigines by breeding them with white people until there was none left. No one really knows how many Indigenous people were taken from the ir homes and lands, because most records of this tragic time have been lost or destroyed.Countless parents never saw their children who were stolen from them, siblings were prepensely separated from each other and most never saw each other again. To this day many Aboriginal people do not know who their relatives are or have been unable to track them down due to this appalling and shameful policy Australia enforced in an attempt to assimilate the Aboriginal population during 1909-1996, meaning that even today there are Aboriginal people as young as their late 40’s and 50’s who are members of the Stolen Generation. ) Discuss the varying experiences members of the stolen generation had; including where they were taken and the conditions in which they lived. Experiences throughout the stolen generation vary quite allot, especially gender wise, generally the men found it difficult and tried to escape from where they were sent. On the other hand the women generally had lots of fond memories although it was very difficult at the time because they were separated from their parents at a very young age.Depending on wether you were female or male, you would be taken to different locations, the women were often taken to farms as servants and waiters, the men were normally taken to institutions where they would be trained to become labourers. Both genders were at first taken to missions that were usually religious based. At these missions they would be taught how to speak and dress like a white person. Once they were of a satisfactory standard, they would be placed in different locations, women as maids, servants and cooks and the men as stockmen, labourers or other tedious jobs.Even though they had jobs, the Aboriginal workers would not get paid. If they were lucky they would be left in their country ( their land/are they called home), this was very important to them because their country was part of their life. In the Aboriginal community they believe that being on country is a nurturing experience for them, in other words if they look after their country, the country will look after them. Its their duty to look after the land, and when they are separated from it, they cannot do this, which brings them great suffering and pain.From the point in which they were taken and separated from their family, friends and country, they were not permitted to speak their own language and could only speak English, if they did speak their own language they were severely punished. They had to dress and behave like white people. They were displaced, their whole culture was stripped from them, they were put into a situation on a cultural level to survive, and were totally at the mercy of the white people.My Grandfather is an Anthropologist (Gary Watson) and has spent the last 8 years in Western Australia working with the Wadjarri Yamatji tribe. In the Wadjarri language Yamatji roughly translates to Aboriginal. One of his friends from the tribe is a memb er of the stolen generation and gave my grandfather some examples of the cultural displacement he went through; when he was first taken from his land and family he had a girlfriend, and he would constantly escape from the institution to go and see her.They would always come and take him back, he could not understand why they would want to keep him from her. He was severely punished every time he escaped but he continued to escape to go and see her. Another experience he told my grandfather was when they told him to sleep inside the house, for him this was absurd. why would he sleep inside, he had never slept inside his whole life. To this day he hates sleeping inside, even in a little tin shed when they’re out in the bush.Allot of the Aboriginals couldn’t and still cant understand why the white people would want to take them away and confine them and tell them not to be themselves. All these experiences have left a lasting impression, to this day these experiences affe ct the members of the stolen generation. Lots of the men get very angry when u bring the topic up, more so because they were done wrongly just because they were black. Bibliography Reference Material My Grandfather is an Anthropologist (Gary Watson)Spent last 8 years in Western Australia working with the Wadjarri Yamatji tribe.Horton, David, The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia, Aboriginal Studies Press, Volume 1, 1994 The World Book Encyclopaedia, World Book, North Michigan, Volume 1, 2005 The Australian Encyclopaedia, Australian Geographic Society, Sydney, Volume 1, 1988 History Books Barwick, John and Jennifer, Aboriginal Australia, Heinemann, Melbourne, 2009 Bird, Carmel (ed), The Stolen Generation, Random House, Sydney, 1998 Internet Source http://reconciliaction. org. au The Stolen Generation The stolen generation †¦. The degradation and the sheer brutality of the act of physically separating a mother from her children is a deep assault on our senses and on our most elemental humanity†¦. The stolen generation is the name given to the generation of aboriginal and Torres strait islander children that were removed from their families and placed into institutions where they were forced to forget their aboriginality. These children were then given a poor education and were sent into the homes of white Australians to be servants or labourers. The government and churches around Australia had an ignorant and uneducated view about the native aboriginals and how they chose to live. They thought that aboriginal families lived poor and unrewarding lives; they believed they were doing the right thing and were helping the children by removing them from their homes and families. They believed that aboriginal people were bad parents and that the women did not look after their children. No records were kept of the children that were taken and siblings were deliberately separated, today many people do not know where or if they have brothers or sisters out there. This had destroyed families and torn them apart. They were forced to go through the unimaginable and were treated as slaves. You and me, we were not direct causes of this. This was our ancestors. A generation before we were born. We had not yet even existed when this was happening all over Australian yet it took all these years for an apology to be given to the people of the stolen generation On the 13th of February 2008 the prime minister Kevin Rudd apologised on behalf of all of Australia for the way that the people of the stolen generation were treated. This is what he said: â€Å"We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country. â€Å"For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry. â€Å"To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. â€Å"And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry. â€Å"

Women of Islam Essays

Women of Islam Essays Women of Islam Essay Women of Islam Essay Religion has its way of imposing things on people. Most religions usually impose a contrast between the rights and roles of men and women with regard. Since most religions are also patriarchal, and these rights and roles usually are more favorable to the men.Islam is probably one of those seemingly patriarchal religions. Having to live in an Islamic therefore patriarchal society, Islam Women are usually undermined, or at least it seems that way for outsiders to the religions who do not fully understand their teachings. Islamic Women are probably some of the most misunderstood people in the world.II. Rights, Roles and MisconceptionsThe Stereotypical image of an Islam Woman is that of a veiled Woman who is all covered up save for their hands and eyes in what they call the Hijab (the scarf) and Niqab (the face veil), who has no choice but to be completely submissive to the whims of her husband, and is married along with a few more women to just one man. Let us fi rst be clear about these misconceptions about Islam Women and understand the true essence of being a Woman in Islam.Islam, in reality, has a high regard for its women. Islam Women may even have more rights and privileges, and are respected more as compared to those from other religions. This is probably one reason why many women today from all sorts of societies convert to the Islamic faithClothingRegarding their fashion, They have to follow strict rules of modesty. There are seven conditions regarding how an Islam Woman should dress: ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clothing must cover the entire body, only the hands and face may remain visible. ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The material must not be so thin that one can see through it. ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The clothing must hang loose so that the shape or form of the body is not apparent. ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The female clothing must not resemble the mans clothing. ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚   The design of the clothing must not resemble the clothing of the non believing women. ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The design must not consist of bold designs which attract attention. ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clothing should not be worn for the sole purpose of gaining reputation or increasing ones status in society. (islamfortoday.com)Apparent from these conditions is how Islam emphasizes modesty and the need to cover up a Woman’s body. This is in order to protect themselves from the lustful eyes and immodest thoughts of men. They should not attract attention to themselves. Islam probably considers all of its women to be beautiful enough to attract the desires of their men. Men are actually allowed to look at a woman’s eyes, but only once. To gaze at a woman’s eyes twice may encourage lustful thoughts.Islam does not want its women to be objectified as mere objects of lust and desire. In contrast with other societies, women are used as o bjects or tools of desire used to attract men. Advertising is one example in so-called free societies on how women are used to attract and to sell products.There is also the emphasis on being unique. They strive to not be like others from other societies and culture. In contrast to other societies where women are supposedly encouraged to be unique and are allowed to dress however they want, their notions what to wear are actually dictated by the mass media. To the Islam’s, it is better to dress according to God rather than according to man.Individual and Marital RightsIslam Women do not unquestioningly submit to their husbands or would-be husbands. Fixed marriages are allowed in the Islamic traditions. However, it is the decision upon who to marry that is sometimes fixed. But the decision whether or not to marry that man is that of the Woman alone. They have the right to accept or reject a marriage proposal.Islam Women also have the right to a divorce if they she deems their marriage to have failed or if the man fails to live up to the responsibilities that are expected of him especially regarding those that are specified in their marriage contract. The right to a divorce usually has to be specified in the marriage contract with the mutual agreement of both parties. Otherwise, however, the Woman may still pursue a divorce if her marriage has truly failed beyond the couple’s capability to mend it with the help of a court of law.Though Divorce is allowed in Islam, it is somewhat discouraged. They recognize the sanctity of marriage. Their divorce process is not of an instant separation of severing of the marriage but is rather a process of reconciliation. After filing for a divorce, the Woman is first required to stay and not go out of her husband’s house for three months. During this process, the husband will still be responsible for his wife. Its first purpose is to check whether the woman may be expecting a child and the second purpose is to give the couple a chance for reconciliation. Their family and relatives are allowed to help fix the marriage of the couple. Once the couple are reconciled, the divorce is automatically cancelled. But when further problems in their relationship arise, the couple can go through the same divorce process again. When it happens again for a third time, this is the only instance when the divorce can no longer be revoked. They want to prevent separation as much as possible.Men and Women in Islam have equal rights to ask for a divorce. It is a part of the Islam teachings that men and women are equals.   Some grounds for divorce could be as simple as the fact that the woman does not like her husband anymore or if she does not get any sexual satisfaction from him. If some people from other societies would think that it is only men who has the urge and need for sexual satisfaction, this is not the case for Islam. Women have the right to call for a divorce is she does not get sexual satisfa ction from her husband.For a society and religion that can openly express the necessity and importance of sexual intercourse, Islam people still has a high regard for chastity. The idea of chastity can usually be mistaken for the idea of celibacy. Chastity in the context of sex and intercourse means to avoid any unlawful sexual relations while to celibacy is to avoid any kind of sexual relations be it legal or not. One can be chaste without being celibate. Chastity is a matter of great importance to Islam. They impose severe punishments for whoever accuses an Islam woman of unchaste behavior. Just imagine how much more severe the punishment could be if the woman was proven to be unchaste.There have been allegations that Islamic traditions in punishments include female genital cutting particularly for cases of being unchaste. This allegation has been disputed. It has been proven that such practices only exist in only in Africa.In the case of a complete divorce, the woman has the righ t to gain custody of their children for as long as she can provide for them.With regard to what they consider a marrying age, children who are nine years old and younger are not yet allowed to formally marry. They are allowed though to be promised for marriage. And even when they are formally married, young women are still not allowed to live with her husband until she reaches sexual maturity.Islam Women also have the optional privilege of retaining their maiden names even after marriage, something that we would never see in other societies.With regard to Islamic polygamy, the decision of the man to have multiple wives usually needs the consent of the first wife. This is also not a matter of caprice or is a privilege for the men; it is a matter of duty. Polygamy in Islam has a very noble cause. It is the duty of a man to support and sustain the livelihood of his wife, or wives for that matter. A man cannot marry unless he has the means and capacity to do that. He can have as many wi ves as he can as long as he can maintain all their well-being and give them all a good life. Particularly in times of war and poverty when many women are suffering or are widowed, it is the man’s duty to alleviate them from all those hardships by marrying them. Therefore, polygamy for the men of Islam is a matter of heroic altruism and not of sexual selfishness as others might think. This again reflects the high regard of Islam for its Women; they are to be cared for.Since marriage for the Islam is a matter of support and sustenance from the men to the women, this does not entail that women are completely dependent on men. Though she has the right to receive provisions of her needs and more from her husband, she is still also an independent being that can move and interact with her world on her own.An Islam Woman has the right to an education. She can learn what she deems necessary in order for her to contribute to her society and to earn money and a living for herself becaus e she also has the right to earn her own money. She can use that money to purchase whatever she thinks that she needs or wants because she also has the right to have her own property. Moreover, since she has an education, she has the right to work and receive equal rewards for her deeds and services. She also has the right to voice her own opinions and be heard for it.Islam women also have the right to receive an inheritance. In dividing the inheritance to be received however, the men usually receives a larger percent of it. This should not be mistaken as a matter of inequality due to gender. This is again, a matter of duty for the men. It is the responsibility of a man to support his wife (if he has at least one) and his family. He has a bigger financial burden, which is why he is allowed to receive more. Women on the other hand have no duty or responsibility to the financial support of anyone. She is entitles to her own money.Islam declared Men and Women to be equals. Women are ju st as important in their society as men. A proof of this equality is their traditions are the sharing of inheritance. Men and women have equal but not necessarily the same rights and privileges. â€Å"If she is deprived of one thing in some aspect, she is fully compensated for it with more things in many other aspects† (Abdul-Ati).Roles of an Islam WomanIt has been well established how Men and Women in Islam are equals. However, they still vary in terms of their roles in the society. The variation is mainly in a public and private sphere. The husband’s main role is to work in the public sphere and earn a living to support his family. For the wife on the other hand, her biggest and most important role would have to be in the private sphere with her family. She has the most important role in an Islamic society as being a wife to her husband and more importantly, as a mother to he children. She may not be the head of the family, but she is considered as the most important part of the family.In terms of Politics and leadership, Islam has no clear statement that would accept of reject women’s role in this. There is one story however; the story of Belquees. She is the queen of Sheba, and is a Muslim. This is probably the only account of a Islam woman being a leader. This story has been some Muslim scholars. One Muslim scholar named Abu Bakra even stated â€Å"a community ruled by a woman will never succeed† (submission,org). Some have argued however that his views may be corrupted due to his chauvinistic influences. Nevertheless, the fact that Islam woman are allowed to have an education could indicate that they could learn and should be given the chance to become good leaders.III. According to Mohammed†¦Just how did Islam come to regard women at such a high esteem? Here are some quotes from the Qur’an by Mohammed that state why:Fear Allah in respect of women.The best of you are they who behave best to their wives.A Muslim mus t not hate his wife, and if he be displeased with one bad quality in her, let him be pleased with one that is good.The more civil and kind a Muslim is to his wife, the more perfect in faith he is.A man asked the Prophet: Whom should I honor most? The Prophet replied: Your mother. And who comes next? asked the man. The Prophet replied: Your mother. And who comes next? asked the man. The Prophet replied: Your mother!. And who comes next? asked the man. The Prophet replied: Your father'I asked the Prophet who has the greatest right over a man, and he said, His mother†VI. CriticismsSome might argue that the Islamic traditions are still quite chauvinistic or patriarchal. They still acknowledge that women are weaker than men and that women need men to support them.Yes, women might be considered to be weaker, but not necessarily lesser. Their high regard for women might actually root from this notion.VII. ConclusionMost religions are patriarchal, religion has a big influence in socie ty, and therefore the society can become patriarchal. Islam may seem to be patriarchal for those who do not know better. But in reality, to have an Islamic faith in an Islamic society can probably be the best thing that could happen to a woman, especially a mother.

Siege of Acre in the Crusades

Siege of Acre in the Crusades Siege of Acre - Dates Conflict: The Siege of Acre took place August 28, 1189 to July 12, 1191, during the Third Crusade (1189-1192). Commanders Crusaders Guy of LusignanRobert de SableGerard de RidefortRichard the LionheartPhilip Augustus Ayyubids Saladin Siege of Acre - Background: In the wake of his stunning victory at the Battle of Hattin in 1187, Saladin swept through the Holy Land capturing Crusader garrisons. This culminated with the successful Siege of Jerusalem that October. One of the few Crusader cities to withstand Saladins efforts was Tyre which was administered by Conrad of Montferrat. Unable to take Tyre by force, Saladin attempted to obtain it through negotiation and treaties. Among the items he offered was the King of Jerusalem, Guy of Lusignan, who had been captured at Hattin. Conrad resisted these entreaties, though Guy was ultimately released. Approaching Tyre, Guy was refused admission by Conrad as the two had argued over the formers ascension to the throne. Returning with his wife, Queen Sibylla, who held legal title to the kingdom, Guy again was refused entry. Lacking options, Guy established a camp outside of Tyre to await reinforcements from Europe who were responding to the call for a Third Crusade. These arrived in 1188 and 1189 in the form of troops from Sicily and Pisa. Though Guy was able to sway these two groups into his camp, he was unable to come to an accord with Conrad. Requiring a base from which to attack Saladin, he moved south to Acre. Opening Stages: One of the most heavily fortified cities in the region, Acre was located on the Gulf of Haifa and was protected by large double walls and towers. Arriving on August 28, 1189, Guy immediately moved to assault the city despite the fact that the garrison was twice the size of his army while Sicilian ships began a blockade offshore. This attack was easily defeated by the Muslim troops and Guy began a siege of the city. He was soon reinforced by a variety of soldiers arriving from Europe as well as by a Danish and Frisian fleet which relieved the Sicilians. The Battle of Acre: Among the arrivals was Louis of Thuringia who convinced Conrad to provide military aid. This development concerned Saladin and he moved to strike Guys camp on September 15. This attack was repulsed though the Muslim army remained in the area. On October 4, Saladin again approached the city and began the Battle of Acre. In a day of bloody fighting, the strategic situation changed little as he was unable to dislodge the Crusaders from in front of the city. As the autumn passed, word reached Acre that Frederick I Barbarossa was marching to the Holy Land with a large army. The Siege Continues: Seeking to end the standoff, Saladin increased the size of his army and laid siege to the Crusaders. As the double siege ensued, the two sides contested control of the waters off Acre. This saw both sides exert control for period which allowed additional supplies to reach the city and the Crusader camp. On May 5, 1190, the Crusaders attacked the city but achieved little. Responding, Saladin launched a massive eight-day attack on the Crusaders two weeks later. This was thrown back and through the summer additional reinforcements arrived to bolster the Crusader ranks. Though their numbers were increasing, conditions in the Crusader camp were deteriorating as food and clean water were limited. Through 1190, disease ran rampant killing both soldiers and nobles. Among those who died was Queen Sibylla. Her death reignited the succession debate between Guy and Conrad leading to increased dissention in the Crusader ranks. Sealed in on land by Saladins army, the Crusaders suffered through the winter of 1190-1191 as the weather prevented receiving reinforcements and supplies by sea. Attacking the city on December 31 and again on January 6, the Crusaders were again turned back. The Tide Turns: On February 13, Saladin attacked and succeeded in fighting his way through to the city. Though the Crusaders ultimately sealed the breach, the Muslim leader was able to replenish the garrison. As the weather improved, supply ships began reaching the Crusaders at Acre. Along with fresh provisions, they brought additional troops under the command of Duke Leopold V of Austria. They also brought word that King Richard I the Lionheart of England and King Philip II Augustus were en route with two armies. Arriving with a Genoese fleet on April 20, Philip began constructing siege engines for assaulting Acres walls. He was joined on June 8 by Richard who landed with 8,000 men. Richard initially sought a meeting with Saladin, though this was cancelled when the English leader fell ill. Effectively taking control of the siege, Richard pounded away at Acres walls, but attempts to exploit the damage were thwarted by diversionary attacks by Saladin. These allowed the citys defenders to make needed repairs while the Crusaders were otherwise occupied. On July 3, a major breach was created in Acres walls, but the subsequent assault was repulsed. Seeing little alternative, the garrison offered to surrender on July 4. This offer was refused by Richard who rejected the terms offered by the garrison. Additional efforts on Saladins part to relieve the city failed and following a major battle on July 11, the garrison again offered to surrender. This was accepted and the Crusaders entered the city. In victory, Conrad had the banners of Jerusalem, England, France, and Austria raised over the city. Aftermath of the Siege of Acre: In the wake of the citys capture, the Crusaders began quarreling amongst themselves. This saw Leopold return to Austria after Richard and Philip, both kings, refused to treat him as an equal. On July 31, Philip also departed to settle pressing issues in France. As a result, Richard was left in sole command of the Crusader army. Crushed by the citys surrender, Saladin began gathering resources to ransom the garrison and conduct a prisoner exchange. Displeased by the exclusion of certain Christian nobles, Richard refused Saladins first payment on August 11. Further talks were broken off and on August 20, feeling that Saladin was delaying, Richard ordered 2,700 prisoners executed. Saladin retaliated in kind, killing those Christian prisoners in his possession. Departing Acre on August 22 with the army, Richard moved south with the intention of capturing Jaffa. Pursued by Saladin, the two fought the Battle of Arsuf on September 7 with Richard achieving a victory. Selected Sources History of War: Siege of AcreHistoryNet: Siege of Acre Medieval Sourcebook: Siege and Capture of Acre

Human Resource Issues Facing HOME CARE HOUSING Assignment

Human Resource Issues Facing HOME CARE HOUSING - Assignment Example The inability of the organization to develop a HR policy that would regulate all HR issues in all organizational units has led to severe conflicts at all organizational levels and to failures in regard to the development of various organizational activities. The literature related to the particular sector, the HRM sector, has been reviewed so that appropriate explanations are retrieved in regard to the HR problems appeared across the organization. It is proved that the elimination of conflicts in the workplace and the resolution of the firm’s HRM problems are possible only if an appropriate plan of action, that would address all the needs of the organization in terms of its HR, would be introduced. Part A Summary of all HR issues currently faced by Homecare Housing – Links between these issues The HR issues that Homecare Housing currently faces seem to be related with the rapid development of the organization. As noted in the case study, the transformation of the organi zation during the last 12 years has been rapid, leading to the increase of the staff at high levels; today, the workforce of the organization reaches the 600 employees. ... Inequality has become a key organizational problem not only in regard to the level of payment but also in regard to ‘working hours, swift payments and holidays’ (case study, p.2). According to the case study the difference, in percentage, in the amount paid to employees for swifts ‘can vary from ‘0% to 60%’ (case study, p.2), a fact that cannot be accepted. The elimination of inequality and unfairness in the workplace should be the key priority for the firm’s HR managers so that employee morale is increased positively affected the employee performance. Indeed, as noted in the third page of the case study, HR managers in Homecare Housing have understood the need for eliminating inequality in the workplace, especially in regard to the level of payment. Still, inequality across the organization should be addressed in all its aspects and not only in regard to the employees’ remuneration. The introduction of an appropriately customized reward system, as announced by the firm’s managers (case study, p.3) could benefit the organization leading to the increase of employee satisfaction and employee morale (West and Markiewicz 2008, White and Druker 2012); however, such plan could not help for eliminating conflicts in the workplace unless it would be combined with other measures targeting inequality and unfairness (Searle and Skinner 2011). Another problem that the organization has to face in regard to the management of its HR is the development across the organization of union support. Participating in unions can help employees to promote their interests in the workplace (Kirton and Greene 2012); however, if the relevant initiatives are not carefully organized it is quite possible for the involvement of union in the

Emerging Disciplines in Analyzing The University Workplace Research Paper

Emerging Disciplines in Analyzing The University Workplace - Research Paper Example The researcher states that industrial engineering and economics play to the nitty-gritty, the practical, the numbers, the devils in the details. They help to quantify how organizations work, what transactions are at play, and what hierarchies are formalized and how that operates. Yet there are emerging disciplines that have begun to change the analysis of organizations irrevocably. Women's studies reminds researchers and analysts of the role of kinship, gender and sexual relations in determining how institutions work: They submit that, without understanding gender roles and inequalities, it is impossible to understand everything from the glass ceiling in corporate America to the mommy track to the second shift. Communications as a discipline informs researchers and analysts that the way that organizations communicate internally and externally, with individuals and with organizations, formally and informally, all are vital to determine how the organization behaves and fares in terms o f survival and managing change. It is impossible, for example, to understand a media institution without knowing how information is communicated up the ladder to the top then disseminated to other institutions like households and businesses. Information systems try to analyze both the usage of computers within institutions and institutions themselves as computational arrangements. And marketing looks at how institutions market their culture internally and externally. Understanding all these disciplines is essential to understanding the operation of the University of Pittsburgh. Psychology of organizations focus on factors like threat rigidity. Threat-rigidity is the tendency of institutions and people like to respond to threats or changes by falling back on established habits that worked in the past. The problem is, like the famous Chinese joke of the farmer who saw a rabbit break its neck on a stump and thereafter waited for another rabbit to do so in order to get a meal again, tha t patterns change and past practice is not always applicable. Sometimes, weathering the storm by sticking to one's guns and using prior effective practices is the right strategy. But other times, rigidity is a problem, and dynamic and creative responses are necessary. Staw et al analyzed, using both sociological and psychological mechanisms, the tendency of institutions to behave like people and freeze up in the face of danger, sticking to the most rigid and subconscious patterns until disaster struck. â€Å"The Penn Central Railroad, for example, continued paying dividends until cash flow dried up completely ...Chrysler Corporation, when faced with the oil crisis and rising gasoline prices, continued large (but efficient) production runs on its largest and most fuel-inefficient cars until inventories overflowed†. Universities like my workplace, the University of Pittsburgh, seem to be particularly vulnerable to this, and the reasons why are helpful to the rigidity hypothesis in general. The university is faced with a major change, say the increasing obsolescence of a particular academic department. It is hard to tell prima facie if this will be a temporary or a permanent phenomenon. Tenure prevents the department from being easily cut or repurposed. In any respect, it makes no sense to remove a vital discipline from the field.