Final Exam Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Exam - Article Example This implies that the approach offers a more holistic outlook of the presidency, noting that it takes different variables into account. The third advantage is that it explicates the historical changes in the boundaries of presidential power. The fourth advantage is that it explicates what the president is mandated to do – according to customs and law. The disadvantage of this approach is that the approach does not explain the activities and the roles that the president engages in, irrespective of the fact that it defines the roles that the president does not take. Secondly, this approach has little explanation of the reasons behind the roles of the president and the importance of the roles he takes – within the specified boundaries. This implies that the rationales underlying presidential duties are not explored under the model; therefore it limits the understanding of its audience. The psychological approach focuses on the psychological qualities of a president and the relationship between these qualities to his responsibilities. The advantages of this approach include that it explains what presidents do and the reasons behind these actions; it explains presidential conduct, decision-making; organization of staffs and outcomes, which expresses the importance of certain psychological qualities (Bowles, 1999). The second advantage is that it compels the audience to evaluate presidential candidates and office holders, on the basis of many areas, including their personal and personality attributes; this outlook offers a micro-perspective conception to the study of the presidency (Robert & Zeckhauser, 2011). The disadvantages of this approach include that it emphasizes the personality traits of presidents and does not offer attention to any other factors. The second disadvantage is that the approach does not pay any attention to the laws, the constitution, the customs and other significant sets of values and provisions, which are instrumental in the

Human Error In Maintenance Computer Science Essay

Human Error In Maintenance Computer Science Essay Human errors maybe categorized under six groups with respect to engineering: design errors, assembly errors, installation errors, inspection errors, operating errors and maintenance errors. Maintenance error is the result of the wrong preventive or repair actions carried out by the craft or assigned personnel. Base on the frequency of maintenance being performed the probability of human error increases. To reduce some human errors maintainability is important in the design phase of a component or system. Maintainability according to Ebleing is defined as the probability that a failed system or component will be restored or repaired to a specified condition within a period of time when maintenance is performed in accordance with prescribed procedures. Dhillon describes maintainability as the measure taken during the development, design and installation of a manufactured product that reduces the required maintenance, man hours, tools, logistic cost, skill levels and facilities and ensures that the product meets required intended use. The interactions with humans during the design, installation, production and maintenance phases are extremely important. In some phases these interactions may vary depending on the product, but are subject to deterioration due to human error. With respect to engineering products, Meister describes human error as the failure to carry out a specified task or forbidden action that could result in disruption of scheduled operations or damage to property and equipment. This paper looks at the human errors in maintenance practises. 2.0 General Human Factors in Maintenance Frederick Taylor was one of the earlier people to studied human factors attempting to improve design and increase productivity. In maintenance, systems may fail for numerous reasons, one key element being human factors and errors during the design phase. According to Nertney Et al, the following are a list of different human behaviours: People have a tendency to use their hands for examining and testing People get easily confused with unfamiliar things People are too impatient to take the appropriate amount of time for observing precautions People become accustom to certain colours having certain meanings People sometimes overestimate short distances and underestimate horizontal or large distances People may become complacent and less careful after successfully handling hazardous items over a lengthy period People tend to estimate speed or clearances poorly People responds irrationally in emergencies Instructions and labels are read incorrectly or overlooked Attention is drawn to loudness, flashing lights, bright and vivid colours People have little knowledge of their physical limitations People fail to recheck work for errors after performing a procedure They are reluctant to admit errors or mistakes and they do not see objects clearly People get distracted by certain aspects of a product feature People usually expect valve handles and faucets to rotate counter-clockwise for increasing flow of a liquid steam or gas People carry out task (maintenance) while thinking about other things http://www.iru.org/pix/irupolicies/graph-etac-en_1.gif Figure 2.1 Human Senses and Capabilities The five human senses are touch, smell, taste, visual and hearing. In maintenance, visual, smell, touching and hearing are the more common of the human senses being utilized. 2.1.1 Hearing The ability of human to hear is an important factor in maintenance work. When designing for maintainability, excessive noise may lead to problems such as the need for intense concentration, a reduction in workers efficiencies, lost of hearing, unwanted effects on the tasks being performed. 2.1.2 Sight Sight is stimulated by electromagnetic radiation of certain wavelengths. This is measured on the electromagnetic spectrum for visible light. The human eye is sensitive to greenish-yellow light and it sees it differently from different angles. The following are some facts about the human eye: Normally, the eye can perceive all colours when looking straight ahead. As the viewing angle increases, colour perception decreases significantly. When there is poor lighting it may be impossible to determine the colour of a small point of light source. The source usually appears white. When designing components, designers should consider colours such that weak colour people do not get confused. An example is to use red filter with a wavelength greater than 6,500 Ã…, and try to avoid placing too emphasis on colour when critical tasks are to be performed by tired personnel. 2.1.3 Touch Touch complements a human ability to interpret visual and audio. Touch maybe used to relieve the eyes and ears of the load. The sense of touch has been used for centuries in technical work. For example, touch has been used for detecting surface irregularities and roughness. 2.2 Ergonomic Principles The subject addresses human to system interface issues also called human engineering or engineering psychology. In addition to considering the human to system interface, ergonomics is also concerned with: Human dimension The working environment and its effect on humans Effects of systems on humans http://www.omron-ap.com/technical_guide/safety_component/safety_component_12.gif Figure 3.0 Maintenance Errors Human errors in maintenance occur for a number of reasons. In figure 3, a list of different reasons is shown for errors with respect to maintenance. Studies have shown a positive correlation between task performance and amount of time in a career field, ability to handle responsibility, morale and years or experience. Workers who possess these skills are ranked higher and works are generally done faster and with fewer errors. Figure Reason for Human Errors 3.1 Inadequate training and Experience Workers who are inadequately trained and lack the experience on a machine or component will most likely make errors when performing maintenance tasks. They will spend additional time trying to understand what to do rather than effective execution of the task. Errors such as correct shut down procedures, tightening of bolts, correct alignment of components may be done wrong and adversely affecting production, increasing maintenance cost as maintenance work may need to be repeated and can be a safety risk to the maintenance personnel, operator, or the equipment. 3.2 Poorly Written Maintenance Procedures Due to poorly written procedures, there could be cases of components going in wrong place or new components being incorrectly installed. This as with the previous reason can cause harm to craft personnel, operator or the machine. Tasks will take longer because the craft personnel following the procedure will have to spend more time figuring out what to do rather than carrying out the task in a timely and effective manner. 3.3 Fatigued Maintenance Personnel A fatigued maintenance personnel is a receipt for disaster. The personnel will lack concentration and will miss minor details of the work. There will be general tendency to rush the job in attempt to finish fast increasing the probability of errors. This may be influenced by the time of the day, stresses (physical, drug, social, personal) http://elsmar.com/Error_Proofing/img014.jpg Figure 3.4 Complex Maintenance Task Complex and tedious maintenance task may be subject to human errors because of the high levels of concentration required. Humans usually have a low attention span and works requiring excessive hours of concentration may have errors induced. Such jobs should be done in teams so that if one personnel makes an error it can be corrected by other members on the job. 3.5 Improper Work Tools A job requiring a specific tool should not be substituted with an inferior one. An example of this is when a specified torque may be required on a bolt or nut requiring a torque wrench or spanner to achieve a level of precision and accuracy and a regular wrench or spanner is used. This may cause misalignment, et cetera. 3.6 Poor Work Layout Poor work layout is inefficient and can cause errors to be made by the maintenance personnel. 3.7 Poor Work Environment A poor work environment will cause discomfort to the maintenance personnel such as humidity, lighting and heat. Concentration levels will be low and there will be a rush to complete the task. 3.8 Poor Equipment Design In some equipment, components may be difficult to reach to perform the necessary works. Errors may be caused in the process as the tasks may not be carried out completely. 3.9 Outdated Maintenance Manuals It will be extremely difficult for maintenance personnel to follow out-dated maintenance manuals. In such an instance, the procedure will most times be incorrect inducing a number of errors in the job. 3.10 Factors Contributing to Human Error Reason and Hobbs have studied and researched the psychological and physiological factors that contribute to inevitable human error. These will include: Differences between the capabilities of our long term memory and our conscious workspace. Attention span is limited if it is focused on one thing. Also we can only attend to a very small proportion of the total available sensory data we receive Unrelated matters tend to capture our attention Concentration is hard to maintain for lengthy periods of time The ability to concentrate depends strongly on intrinsic capability of the current object attention Habitual actions are done will less attention than normal The right balance of attention is required to correctly perform a task The vigilance decrement- inspectors miss fault because it may become redundant after doing it for a long period The level of arousal- too much or too little impairs work output Biases in thinking and decision making Confirmation bias where we seek information that confirms initial diagnosis of a problem Emotional decision making is when a situation is frustrating then an aggressive approach is induced http://www.lifetime-reliability.com/images/wrongs-humans-do-to-machines.gif Figure Human Maintenance Errors Base on the aforementioned factors contributing to maintenance errors, the following are the most common types of errors: Recognition Failures These include misidentification of objects, signal and messages and non detection of problem states. Memory failures Input failures- Insufficient attention is to the to-be-remembered item. Storage failures- remembered material suffers interference Output failures- things that we know cannot be recalled at the required time Omissions following interruptions Premature Exists- End a job before all tasks are complete Skilled-based Slips Usually associated with routines and they can include: Branching errors- an error made based on a custom and not knowing when to deviate. Over shoot Errors- having an intention but forgetting to do it Rule base Mistakes Misapplying a Good Rule- using a right rule in a wrong situation Applying a bad rule- unwanted consequences in using a rule even though the job will be done. Knowledge Based Errors It is common when someone is doing a task for the first time but not always the case. Violations Purposeful acts which violates procedures. These may be: Routine violations- done to avoid unnecessary effort, gets the task done quickly, to demonstrate skill or avoid what is seen as an unnecessary laborious procedure. Thrill seeking violations- often committed in order to avoid boredom or win peer praise Situational violations- these exist because it is not possible to get the job done if procedures are strictly adhered to. Figure Summary of main error types 4.0 Mitigation/Reduction of Hum Errors in Maintenance It is impossible to total alleviate all human errors when it comes to maintenance, but Engineers and designers have worked together and is continuing to find ways to reduce some human errors. However a lot of the responsibility is on the maintenance personnel to ensure that maintenance tasks are carried out effectively. This chapter looks at ways to reduce human errors in maintenance. 4.1 Avoid Unnecessary Preventive Maintenance Over maintaining equipment, not only wastes time and money but it also increases the risks of environmental incidents but also causes expensive and unnecessary failures. Reliability Centred Techniques such as Failure Mode and Cause Analysis, Fault Tree Analysis and others can be useful eliminating unnecessary maintenance works and optimizes and streamlines the equipment preventive maintenance. 4.2 Standardization Ankenbrandt et al noted that standardization is the attainment of practical uniformity in product design. Non-standard equipment or component lessens the reliability and increases maintenance. Standardization restricts the number of components equipment will require. The advantages of standardization according to Dhillon are: Reduction of using the incorrect parts Reduction in wiring and installation errors due to the fact of variations in characteristics of similar items Elimination for the need for special parts Reduction of incidents because of the use of wrong or unclear procedures Reduction in design time, manufacturing cost, and maintenance cost Reduction of procurement, stocking and training Figure 7 shows the goals of standardization. Figure Goals for reducing errors 4.3 Modularization Modularization deals with a production into physically and functionally distinct units to allow removal and replacement. The following are guidelines for the usefulness associated with modular units: Aim to make modules and parts as uniform as possible with respect to size and shape Divide the equipment or item under consideration into many modular units Aim to make each module of being inspected independently Design the equipment so that a single person can replace a failed part with ease and also parts should be small for mobility Module should be designed for maximum ease of operational testing when it is removed from the actual equipment or system. Consider design, modularization and material problems simultaneously For ease of disconnection, design components with control levers and linkages to allow easier replacement. 4.4 Simplification and Accessibility Design engineers should consider simplification in the design phase and it should be constant. Consideration should also be taken with the important functions of a system or a product into the design itself. Accessibility is the ease with which an item can be reached for repair, replacement or servicing. Poor accessibility will result in sub-standard maintenance. Accessibility is affected by: The visual needs of personnel performing maintenance task, The location of an item and its environment. Distance to be reached to access the component or part The types of maintenance to be performed through an access point or opening The danger associated with use of an access opening The clothing worn my maintenance personnel The task required time for execution The types of tools and accessories required to perform task Mounting of items behind the access point Work clearance to carry out task 4.5 Interchangeability and Identification Interchangeability refers to as an intentional aspect of design, that any component can be replaced with a similar item. This is achieved through standardization. There are three basic principles for interchangeability according to the Department of Defence (DOD): In items, components and products requiring frequent servicing, replacement of parts, each part must be interchangeable with another similar part Liberal tolerance must exist Strict interchangeability could become uneconomical in items that are expected to operate without replacement. The following considerations are taken to achieve maximum interchangeability of parts: Existence of functional interchangeability when physical interchangeability is a design characteristic Sufficient information in task instruction and number plate identification should be available for allowing users to decide confidently whether two similar parts are interchangeable No change in method of connecting and mounting when there are part or unit modifications Avoid or stay away from differences in size, mounting and shape Availability of adapters for making physical interchangeability possible when total interchangeability is not practical There should be and identification system for total interchangeability of identical parts 4.5.1 Identification Identification is concerned with labelling or making of parts, controls and test points to facilitate tasks such as repair and replacement. Maintenance task becomes more difficult when parts and components are no properly identified. It usually takes longer and increases the risk of human induced errors. Identification could be for parts or component or equipment identification. 4.6 Task Analysis The task analysis is a formal methodology derived from systems analysis which describes and analyse performance demands made upon humans within a system. The aim is to achieve integration of humans and machine system components. 5.0 Assessing the Risk in Maintenance Risk assessments of all human activities have great importance for the prevention of major accidents. The risk with respect to human errors when dealing with maintenance needs to be assessed and rank based on the overall impact the risk can have on the operation of the organization. The Risk Management Framework used is shown in Figure 8.0 This program was utilized to conduct a risk assessment and evaluation before and after the risk control measures have been put in place. The main aspects of the Risk Analysis procedure are: i. Identify Potential Hazards and existing risk control or safeguards. ii. Estimate the consequences of the potential Hazard. iii. Estimate the frequency of each of the impact/consequence of the potential hazard. iv. Determine the Risk without considering any new risk control or safeguards v. Determine the Risk with proposed new safeguard vi. Evaluate Economic impact of proposed new safeguard vii. Optimize and propose additional modification. Figure Risk Management Framework As indicate in the previous chapter (3), each human error identified will have to be ranked via a metric scoring system to determine the hierarchy of the error. The impact of these errors will have to be taken into consideration with respect to the employees (operators and maintenance staff), the equipment and the environment. Figure Diagram Showing Contributors of Risk 6.0 Human Errors in Maintenance in Industry Human error in maintenance exists in some form or the other in all industries. However, in some industries the consequences of human error from maintenance task can be catastrophic. Industries such as nuclear plants and civil aviation cannot afford errors. 6.1 Human Maintenance Errors in Power Generation Human factors play an important role in power plant maintenance because improving the maintainability design of power plant facilities, systems and equipment assists to improve direct and indirect plant productivity, availability and safety. According to Seminara power lost can cost between US $500,000 to 750,000 dollars a day. The following are human related deficiencies in maintenance of a power plant: Limited access or inadequate clearance to perform maintenance Equipment poorly designed to facilitate maintenance activity effectively Equipment Inherently unreliable Personnel safety hazard Impaired mobility for equipment and personnel Miscellaneous- lack of standardization, high temperature environment and poor air conditioning While maintenance activities of nuclear power plants are essential for sustaining the safety of a power plant and maintaining the reliability of plant systems and components, they also have potential of human errors leading to unplanned reactor trips or power derate (Dhillon 2006). J. Reason classifies in chapter 3 the different characteristics of human errors that will be applicable to Power Plants. According to Kim et al, incidents reports in Korea stated that most of the human related unplanned reactor trip events during the normal power operation are associated with test and maintenance activities (63%). Plant maintenance included preventive maintenance, planned maintenance and corrective maintenance. 6.2 Human Error in Aviation Due to the increase in air travels, airlines spend billions of dollars in maintenance annually. A study done in the United Kingdom has shown that between 1990 to 2000 maintenance errors per million flights has doubled (ICAO) According to the ICAO there are over 300 factors and influences that can impact the performance of maintenance personnel. Some of the human errors that are impacted by maintenance are listed in chapter 3 and range from time pressure, inadequate training to outdated maintenance manuals. There are many categories of human errors with respect to aviation maintenance and inspection. Some of the major ones encountered according to Latorella et al are: Incorrect assembly sequence Procedural defects Wrong part Incorrect configuration Missing part Defective part Functional defects and tactical defects Figure List of Errors in Aircraft Maintenance Figure 10 shows the guideline covered in aviation. Two important guidelines concerning design are: Seek relevant information on human error occurrence during the maintenance phase as inputs in the design phase Ensure that manufacturers give attention to maintenance related human factors during design phase According to James Reason based on a Boeing study which indicated the top seven causes for in-flight engine shut downs on the Boeing aircraft were as followed: Incomplete Installation (33%) Damaged on installation (14.5%) Improper Installation (11%) Equipment not installed or missing (11%) Foreign Object Damage (6.5%) Improper fault isolation, inspection and test (6%) Equipment not activated or deactivated (4%) From the statistics presented only one cause was unrelated to maintenance activities. Maintenance activities were responsible for approximately 80% of in-flight engine shut downs. 7.0 Prediction Models for Human Errors Human error can be analysed by several methods developed over the years. Some of the following methods are relied on heavily in the aviation industry. 7.1 Cause and Effect Diagrams This is a useful tool to determine root causes of specified problem in relation to maintenance errors. Related and relevant ideas are generated. The extreme right of the diagram represent effect and to the right are all the possible causes. The cause and effect can be generated in the following steps: Develop problem statement Brainstorm to identify possible causes Establish major causes categories by stratifying into natural and process steps Connect diagram to all the causes by following the appropriate process steps and filled in the effects Refine cause categories by asking What cause this and Why does this condition exists? 7.2 Error Cause Removal Program (ECRP) This was developed to reduce the occurrence of human error to a tolerable level in production operation. It focuses on preventive measures rather than remedial ones. It is composed of a team of workers with each team having its own coordinator with the necessary skills. Each team member presents a report and the coordinator discusses these reports in a periodic meeting and recommendations are made to management. 7.3 Fault Tree Analysis The fault tree analysis (FTA) is used to perform reliability and safety analyses of engineering system and can be use to perform analysis of human error in maintenance. 7.4 Markov Analysis This method is used to perform reliability analysis of engineering systems and can be used to predict the probability of occurrence of human error in maintenance. This is done through mathematical modelling. 7.4.1 Model 1 This mathematical model indicates a system that can fail due to maintenance error or other failures. See figure 11. Numerals in box, circle and diamonds represents system states. The following assumptions are made for this model. The system can fail due to maintenance error or failure other than maintenance error The failed system is repaired and maintenance is performed periodically Fail system repair rates are constant The repaired system is as good as new Figure Markov Model 1 Diagram 7.4.2 Model II This mathematical model represent a system that can only fail due to non maintenance related failures but its performance is degraded by the occurrence of maintenance error. See figure 12. The numeral in circle, box and diamonds represents system states. The following assumptions are made for this model: The total or partially failed system is repaired and preventive maintenance is performed regularly The occurrence of maintenance error can only lead to system degradation but not failure The system can fail from its degradation mode due to failures other than maintenance errors The system is repaired at constant rates from its failed and degradation states Maintenance error and non maintenance error failure rates are constant The repaired system is good as new Figure Markov Model 2 8.0 Conclusion This report gives a comprehensive analysis of human errors in maintenance. Human errors are inevitable and there are numerous factors that can influence these errors. The first step is to identify the different human errors that may be encountered in an industry, conduct an assessment on the errors and take necessary steps to reduce these errors. The traditional approach of dealing with human error, that is counselling and or re writing procedures may not be effective in dealing with the errors identified in this report. A more holistic approach for managing maintenance error and assuring maintenance quality techniques is the application of reliability centred maintenance and also designing for maintainability.

Video Games Are Not Destroying Our Children Essay -- Parents Are The P

Many parents today say that video games are dangerous to their children because they increase the risk of childhood obesity and exposure to violence. I believe that this statement is both viable and completely ludicrous at the same time. Out of the many topics that I can argue on, I believe that I can argue this one the best. I am going to reveal the deeper meaning that lies buried underneath the controversy that presents itself in this subject. I have witnessed many outcomes that are associated with this beloved form of entertainment. I have personal experience with video games and what impact they might have on children who play them without proper constraints. Everyone either agrees or disagrees with this topic one way or another. For me, this topic does not just hold a black or white side. For me, this topic is a shade of grey with a tint of underlying red that no one arguing this subject takes the time to look deep enough to see. What we have here are two valid arguments, which stretch out like the branches of a tree, with the trunk of this tree being the children, but the most important part of this tree are the parents, which are the roots: the reason, the cause for everything. We are going to take a closer look at these two points of view and analyze the deeper meaning, and then we can decide where we stand. Adults say that video games are expanding children’s waistlines and subjecting them to an increased amount of violence because kids spend most of their time nowadays playing said games. However, this one fact remains overlooked that may possibly be the most important for adults everywhere; parents have the ability and the right to choose what is best for their children. This conclusion is so mundane and disregarde... ..., richer, more productive lives. Bibliography: 1-3 Video Games Boost Visual Skills, Study Finds By John Roach for National Geographic News: May 28, 2003 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0528_030528_videogames.html 1 John Roach (writer for Discover magazine) 2 Daphne Bavelier (an associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester) 3 National Geo. Paragraph 8 excerpt 4-5 Surgeons May Error Less by Playing Video Games: Three hours a week decreases mistakes by 37 percent By Verena Dobnik for Associated Press April 7, 2004 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4685909/ns/technology_and_science-games/ 4 Dr. James â€Å"Butch† Rosser (study subject in the Beth Israel Medical Center experiment) 5 Kurt Squire (University of Wisconsin researcher of video game effects on learning)

Vitasoy †Sparkling Soy Milk

VITASOY – Sparkling soy milk †¢ Executive summary †¢ Background of Studies †¢ Environmental scanning †¢ Advertising and Promotion strategies/ tactics †¢ Conclusion †¢ Reference †¢ Appendices †¢ Executive summary †¢ Background of Studies In 1940, Vitasoy was established by Dr K. S. Lo in Hong Kong. Soya bean is the main source of protein for Chinese people for 4,000 years. Mr. Lo brought this big idea to Hong Kong market, he began to sell his Soya bean milk from delivery in fresh to customers’ homes on bicycle, expanded his business to retail outlets after the World War. Nowadays, VITASOY group’s products sell in over 40 markets around the world and become the international organization which is standards in quality and innovative products. Vitasoy’s key product is soybean drink and tofu, which is nutritious and high-protein healthy for people. Vitasoy was built-up nearly 70 years, it is still the one of the most famous local trademark beyond Hong Kong, through the high quality, the great tasting, healthy and sold at affordable price, those are the factors why Vitasoy is successful its unique selling proposition. The industry uniqueness: 1. Brand loyalty Through nearly 70 years, Vitasoy is still a leader in the industry in Hong Kong 2. 3 main competitors HI-C Ribena Yeo’s 3. Affordable price For wide customer segment (e. g. student, adult, elders) †¢ Environmental scanning 1. Conduct Situation Analysis Vitasoy is the biggest supplier of the soymilk market in Hong Kong. According to Mingpao Finance (2008/08/04), she has 75% of the market share of the soymilk in HK, 50% of Shenzhen & Guangzhou, 35% of Australia & New Zealand. The most traditional & strong brand the soymilk product in Hong Kong which is Vitasoy, because she is carrying out her business 69 years in Hong Kong, so everyone knows as her. Although she is much advantage for business in HK, she still needs to care a few points, quality of the soymilk. In 1996, after the incident of soymilk taste deterioration, Vitasoy had a bad reputation for her branding and lost HKD 60,000,000 profit. Nowadays, customers advocate the health food, soy bean of soymilk is an organic food without artificial preservatives, genetically-modified (GM) foods. This is the biggest business opportunity for Vitasoy, so she begins the overseas business, like Australia and New Zealand, that she has a good return. On the other through, when the similar product like milk occur problems, soymilk will get the extra profit. It’s a fact, when last year, the main land China happen the poison milk, at the same time, the soymilk get the great sales, it increase 56% for the total sales. However, the opportunity brought a threat of competitors, like Yeo’s and Coca Cola. The largest competitor, Coca Cola has much capital to attack the soymilk market. Vitasoy cannot bear this risk, so she needs to be a pioneer for the overseas and the Mainland China market, to make the strong subtraction for the future expansion 2. ) Conduct a customer analysis Up to 31 March 2009, the major sales market of Vitasoy is Hong Kong and Macau, which carries 53% of total sale amount. The second market is Mainland China, which is 20%. Other markets are Australia, Zealand, North America and Singapore. All these markets are growing gradually. In the recent years, Vitasoy is keen on launching different varieties and promoting benefits of soy to customers who concern their health. Such strategies widen the customer groups to all ages as well as both genders. It raised Vitasoy’s sales growth and market share. Besides, the Group’s tuck shop business and catering business also recorded a healthy contribution growth. From the Vitasoy products, most of our customers (44%) choose soymilk while 20% select Lemon tea products. In September 2008, mass alertness to the safety of dairy milk was awakened by the outbreak of the melamine issue. Because of similarity between dairy milk and soymilk, soymilk of Vitasoy became a popular alternative for customers. Vitasoy is enjoying good reputation and good quality image among Hong Kong people. Apart from Vitasoy’s existing customer, we have to explore more potient customers to increase the market share. Further to the information from the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong 2008, there are more females (52. 7%) than males (47. 3%). In the demographic characteristics, the largest age group is 35-64 year old (64. 6%) The second large age group is 0-14 year old (12. 2%). We will base on these statistics for product development. 3. ) Conduct a product analysis Vitasoy is a kind of well-known soymilk in Hong Kong. Despite it is a traditional product among people, new product is required to release in order to sustain the market share. The new product is called â€Å"Sparkling soy milk† which will be one of the beverages in line with Vitasoy series that will be released in mid-November 2009. This exclusive product is limited to be sold during this Christmas season. Overview the product: ? Using soymilk as basis ? Nutrient healthy product that is featured with the most low saturated fat and abundant protein ? Using a plastic bottle as a container ? Selling it for both cool and hot option ? Adding â€Å"Konjac† inside the soymilk Shake it at least 10 times before drinking ? Not only can drink it, even can chew it ? Printed with dark in glow snow pattern that will glow white at night ? A heat sensitive feature. After holding it for a while, it will then change into other color. It is created by using thermal color ink This product is especially suitable for children, teenager. Tradit ionally, adult and elder has been chronically drinking soymilk that they are treated as basic advantage. 4. Conduct a competitor analysis Even Vitasoy is the one of the largest soymilk companies, but there are many companies intend to replace its position. After our observation, we can divide their competitors in three parts: Direct competitor, indirect competitor and Potential competitor. HI-C is the main direct competitor. HI-C has developed several soymilk products to against Vitasoy, HI-C is the second line of Coca-Cola in Hong Kong, which enjoys a huge resource backup against Vitasoy. Melon Flavored Soymilk is the most favorable product of HI-C. As Vitasoy has already existed in this market for 50 years, and became a household brand, so HI-C is still hard to replace Vitasoy’s position in Hong Kong. Ribena is one of the indirect competitors for Vitasoy. Nowadays, Hong Kong people always care their health as the first priority and Ribena provided a high quality drink which offers delicious blackcurrant taste and it provides with a rich Vitamin C, it is very powerful for the customer to choose their product according to the healthiness. Although Vitasoy’s soymilk also provides a health drink to people, but as customers haven’t the brand loyalty for every product, so Ribena should be the big challenge for Vitasoy. Yeo’s should be the potential competitor for Vitasoy. Although their sales amount still cannot threaten in the market, but Yeo’s always develop new product like black soymilk, green bean soymilk etc. And their main product is organic soymilk, this can attract more and more people to buy their products, so we list them to the potential competitor with Vitasoy. 5. ) Justify the customer segment, targeting and positioning strategies In accordance with the data of customer analysis, we target the group of children, teenagers and family for our new product as they are in the large popluation. Our new product is named as â€Å"sparkling soy milk†. It is Vitasoy soybean milk with Konjac, which increases the elements of nutrient. And will shake it before consumption. Customers can make fun with such drink into the boring life. As we know, in Hong Kong, females are in the majority. The product appearance will increase their purchasing interest. In order to catch the attention of female customers, the drink will be dressed up with glow-in-dark snow pattern and heat sensitive feature on the packaging, which will have festival atmosphere and romantic feeling. In fact, the drink packaging is also giving the warm and cheerful outlook to attract family group for purchase. The drink consists of two sizes, 330ml and 500ml in volumes, which provide options to different consumers. During the promotion, we will use both â€Å"above the line† and â€Å"below the line† strategies. For the â€Å"above the line† strategies, Road Show and MTR advertisement are our first launch. We will also introduce the drink to customers via internet, for instance, Facebook and Yahoo website, together with advertisements on teenagers’ magazine. For the â€Å"below the line† strategies, we will put the promotional materials such as store banner and promotional corner on the store to draw the ustomers’ attention. Besides, we will distribute the free sample at the density of crowd districts, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, to let the popular taste our product. We will contact primary and secondary schools to offer the promotional purchase of our new product with special discount. Compared with our other products and other similar drinks in the m arket, we will suggest selling the new drink at HKD 4. 50 per bottle (for small one) and HKD 6. 50 per bottle (for large one). Consumers can get the drinks from supermarkets, 7-Eleven, Circle K and other self consumption machine. These places can let our products to get reach of consumers at anytime and anywhere. It is much suitable for busy people in Hong Kong. †¢ Advertising and Promotion strategies/ tactics 1. Identify the overall branding strategies Base on the result of the environmental scanning, we find that our target customers will be children and teenagers. And our product is a funny health drink. For the overall branding strategies, we will keep the original and add a little factor for the brand, Creative and Funny. Vitasoy the brand is very strong in HK, so we don’t need promo the brand with great exertion. On the other hand, the other factor make Vitasoy success is creative, but we haven’t used the promo before. So this time, we will use a great exertion for the creative and remind the customers the soymilk is the health drinks. Our new product will show how funny of the brand. Therefore, there are three main points for current branding strategies, Health, Funny and Creative. First, Health – we will through the about the line thematic to remind customers, when you drink Vitasoy soymilk, the how many advantages for you health that you will get. Second, Funny – we will through the about the line tactical (dispatch sample) and below the line thematic (POS display) to education the consumer how to use and how to have fun from the product. Third, Creative – we will through the new product to stick out Vitasoy always is a creative brand. It will bring a message to the consumers, that’s soymilk not only for health, it’s can be fun, an ornament and the order usage when you make more creative. 2. The system approach of communication strategies The concept of marketing communication planning which recognizes the value of an all-inclusive plan that measures the strategic roles of variety of communication disciplines (general advertising, direct response, sales promotion, and public relations) and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communication impact. Clarity means clearness of appearance. Our product has a clear message to all customer which is â€Å"Health†, â€Å"Warm† & â€Å"Have Fun†. In all advertising, we will base on these three messages to promote to the customer how the drink is healthy, why you will feel warm and how you can have fun in this. Consistency means being in conformity with a set of rules, guidelines or policies. Since Vitasoy was born, their name, logo, mission was keep for 50 years. Because of these consistency factors, Vitasoy can keep their name in every people mind. On the other hand, the drink will promote to a limited period product in the last season, but we will still promote this drink which without the dressed up with glow-in-dark snow pattern and heat sensitive feature on the packaging after this period. We will promote this drink which base on the healthy when the soymilk plus Konjac. Therefore, the package will different, very normal. Maximum communication impact which gives the customer a profound impact by the products or advertising. As our product will be dressed up with glow-in-dark snow pattern and heat sensitive feature on the packaging, which does not have any other similar product in the market and it is a limited product in the last season, so we think this is most impactful to the customer. Through the advertising, we can achieve to attract the consumer to buy our product. â€Å"Pull† & â€Å"Push† are the two promotional strategies in our advertising. Pull is the promotional strategy which a new product is heavily advertised before its retail and boost up the demand which draws customers attention into the retail stores. As one of our target groups is teenagers, we will hire some model and send them to Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Causeway Bay etc which the teenagers always go shopping and dining in these places. The models will present them a present which include a sample of our new product and a leaflet to introduce. In addition, we also promote our product in Road Show and MTR advertisements are our first launch. The advertising agency can always broadcasts the advertising in the golden hour which the most audience watch the television or listening the radio. We will make a 20 second advertising and play it in Roadshow and posters in every MTR station because there are more than million people travel bus and MTR every day. We will also introduce the drink to customers via internet such as Facebook and Yahoo website, together with advertisements on teenagers’ magazine. Because there are over million people watch these media every day, so the message can always recall. On the other hand, we will setup promotional counters in the mainly supermarket, because many housewives go to the supermarket everyday and they always go with their children, so they can taste and feel our product together. Also, we will promote the drink in primary school and give free samples to the students. This strategy calls â€Å"Point of Sell†. According to these promotions, we can also call this as â€Å"Above the line† which is a promotional method, included all media, and is under controlled by the client. This can have a long term effective to boost up the customers’ attention. Push strategy which is through the difference channels with a product that customer will be attracted by the advertising and other factors such as rebates. Push strategy also like â€Å"Below the line† strategy which is through the media like sales promotion, banner etc. We will setup some banner and promotional corner in the stores to attract the customers’ attention. 3. The advertising and promotion program elements It divides into 3 major communication objectives to customers: – Health – Warm – Have fun Health It is aimed to present a health image to customers that it is more benefit than they are expecting. Obviously, soy product has been widely introducing into Asian market that can bring health to the customers. In the western, Soymilk is the top soy products by awareness in the United State. It benefits people to prevent Heart Disease, Cancer, Osteoporosis and Menopausal symptoms (Consumer Attitudes About Nutrition (2008) Online PDF). Macronutrient Composition of Soybeans (% Kcal) [pic] Complete protein, providing all 9 essential amino acids As Soymilk is mainly made from soybean, so it has abundant nutrient drink for children, teenager and elder. Thus, it is regarded as healthy and emphasize on low saturated fat (not Trans fats) and high protein. Since more and more people have concerned about their food whether it is harm to their health, and received a knowledge of trans fats product were being used from Macdonald and KFC widely in the market. Recently, such components are going to be removed and refused. In other words, Market is seeking a product who is selling along with health features. All in all, Vitasoy, sparkling soybean milk which is high protein and low saturated fat that can prevent heart disease. Protein can be supplying children’s need of their growing. By releasing this new product, additionally it is added with â€Å"Konjac† which is including a high proportion of fiber to help the digestive system. It is what the parent are looking for. Warm Sparkling soybean milk is positioning at giving delighting and warm to people, such as children, teenager and couple. Children could drink it whenever they have a breakfast, lunch time in daily lives. It accompanies with their childhood. For teenager, it is also appropriate for a party beverage when holding a party. People can keep in connection with their community with drinking together. Couple feels harmony and romantic by drinking hot soymilk with glow in dark plastic bottle during winter and Christmas season. Have Fun It can be playful. First of all, sparkling soymilk with adding â€Å"Konjac† inside. So, it is not only a drink but also can be masticable. Before drinking it, people have to shake it at least 10 times to make sure â€Å"Konjac† are well mixed. Second, it can glow. The container is printed by dark in glow ink to let the bottle glowing in darkness. It is awesome when drinking it at party, birthday celebration and dating. Apart from that, the bottle can be changing its color when holding it by hands. Yet, Couple holds the bottle each other to feel warm and make it colour changing. All above gimmicks can bring people to have a romantic, fantasy and the warmest Christmas festival that they have not experienced ever. By the above 3 objectives, customer should get a feeling and perspective of the new product featured in healthy, warm & harmony and even funny thing. Our key message is â€Å"Warmest Christmas, Sparkling Health† Marcom Tactics: Advertising Creative strategies Story Board: 1. [pic] 2. [pic] . [pic] 4. [pic] 5. [pic] 6. [pic] Media planning For the new product â€Å"Sparkling soy milk†, we design to make above the line & below the line promotion. Above the line active: |Roadshow Advertising – it will be a two parts advertising. First a whole shelter poster in the |[pic] | |densely populated districts, Causeway Bay, Admiralty, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok. The promotion wil l| | |contain the high level of the line of vision. The poster will show 3 images of our communication | | |objectives. Second, it will be a 30 sec advertising for Warm, Have fun and Health. | | |MTR Station Promotion – it will be a 4-Sheet Panel poster in all line of the MTR. The promotion will|[pic] | |be watch by 3,500,000 passengers for every day. The poster will as same as the bus stop promotion. | | |Radio Advertising – it will be a 3 part of 5 sec advertising. The voice will be record form a famous| | |DJ Sammy. It will produce the audience three images of our communication objectives. | |Print Advertising – it will be advertising on the Eat & Travel Weekly. It’s a page of the new |[pic] | |product usage and key message. | | |Online Web Site – it will be advertising on our main homepage to describe the new product feature. |[pic] | |And open an account on the Facebook to promotion the whole brand and communicate with the consumers. | | |Also we will advertising on yahoo too. | |Dispatch Sample – it will be make people keep an eye on the new product. We will engage some models |[pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] | |to dispatch the sample in densely populated districts, Causeway Bay, Admiralty, Tsim Sha Tsui and |[pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] | |Mong Kok. | | |Cooperative Advertising – it will be advertising with supermarket, Welcome & Parkn shop. We will | | |make a discount for the new product and the cost will be share with each other. It will also affect | | |the consumer buy more. | | Below the line active: |POS Display – it will be me people attention for the new products in the shop. It will carry out on |[pic][pic][pic] [pic] | |Mannings, Watson’s, 7-Eleven and Circle K. | | Sale Promotions activities Beyond the advertising, we will carry out some promotions activities: Coupons – we will provide coupons in the newspaper, Apple daily, The sun. Consumer can use the coupons to buy our new product for save 1. 5 dollars. Premiums – we will provide a small key chain (a small soymilk finger) for buying two of soymilk, it will produce two types. †¢ Conclusions †¢ Appendices †¢ Reference 1. Consumer Attitudes About Nutrition (2008) [Online PDF] Available from: http://www. soyconnection. com/health_nutrition/pdf/ConsumerAttitudes2008. pdf [Accessed 9/11/2009] 2. Product Vitasoy http://www. vitasoy. com. hk/eng/product/soya001. html 3. Annual report of Vitasoy http://www. vitasoy. com/download. php? id=105&lang=en 4. Mingpaonews, Finance http://finance. sina. com. hk/cgi-bin/nw/show. cgi/2880/2/1/1642787/1. html ———————– [pic]

Arendt-Theory of Totalitarianism Essay

Hannah Arendt is widely regarded as one of the most important, unique and influential thinkers of political philosophy in the Twentieth century. Arendt was greatly influenced by her mentor and one time lover, Martin Heidegger, whose phenomenological method would help to greatly shape and frame Arendt’s own thinking. Like Heidegger, Arendt was sceptical of the metaphysical tradition which tended towards abstract conceptual reasoning; ultimately at odds with the reality of human lived experience. Consequently, Arendt was highly dubious of being referred to as a philosopher, as she felt philosophy was, by its own essence, confined to the proverbial ivory tower. She believed political life was at the apex of human experience and so she identified as a political thinker/actor. Her emphasis on the phenomenological nature of the lived political experience permeates her life’s works and perhaps can be said to constitute her own distinct brand of political philosophy. Arendt’s early publication, Ideology & Terror: A Novel Form of Government, is a profound elucidation of the nature of the theretofore unprecedented (she argues) phenomenon of Totalitarianism and its â€Å"origins†¦ elements†¦ and functioning†¦ † A Novel Form of Government: Arendt posited that the totalitarian forms of â€Å"government and domination† (Arendt. 03) which characterised the Nationalist Socialist party in Germany and Stalin’s oppressive regime in Soviet Russia, which saw systematic genocide and terror visited upon literally millions of innocent people, were unprecedented in the history of political systems, and were not mere modern manifestations of ancient forms of violent government such as despotism or tyranny. She went further even, to suggest that totalitarian systems had destroyed the very foundations upon which traditional ideas and presuppositions of government rested. Although totalitarianism seemed to contain elements of tyrannical or despotic forms of government i. e. terror, violence, absolute power etc Arendt contended that totalitarian regimes differed in important ways which rendered them qualitatively distinct. Tyranny and dictatorships, she argues are marked by â€Å"Arbitrary power, unrestricted by law, yielded in the interest of the ruler and hostile to the interests of the governed, on one hand, fear as the principle of action, namely fear of the people by the ruler and fear of the ruler by the eople†¦ †(Arendt. 306) Terror, according to Arendt, has traditionally been used as a means to an end, or tool for tyrannical regimes, namely the end of maintaining and sustaining a position of power over its subjects. Totalitarian systems however, do not function in this way, ideologically at least, According to Arendt. â€Å"total terror leaves no arbitrary lawlessness behind it and does not rage for the sake of some arbitrary will or for the sake of despotic power of one man against all. † (Arendt. 311) Context and Content: In order to understand the nature (if there is one) of Totalitarianism forms of government, it is important first to understand both their historical contexts and the Ideologies which underpin them, as Totalitarian regimes, are by their nature ideological, as Arendt shows. Take for example National Socialism, the political ideology which took root in Germany during the 1930’s, characterised by militant nationalism and overtly inherent racism. The context in which the Nazi party rose to prominence was the extreme devastation, debt and resulting poverty and hunger left in Germany in the wake of the First World War. It can indeed be argued that Adolph Hitler’s demagoguery and flair for rousing public sympathy with his intense speeches, was also crucial to the widespread proliferation, acceptance and support for Nazi ideology, at a time when people yearned for a clear solution to their plight and poverty. Hitler’s bellicose rhetoric displayed a typical trait of ideologies; a final solution, the idea that the answer to all of life’s problems can be understood and solved by following a particular stringent course of action determined by a single unambiguous worldview. Ideologies-isms, which to the satisfaction of their adherents can explain everything and every occurrence by deducing it from a single premise† (Arendt. 315) Nazi Ideology had at its core, a politically and indeed racially motivated perversion of the Darwinian concept of a natural hierarchy of species, in which the stronger/more successful species would inevitably replace the weaker ones. Darwin’s profound insight into the ways in which organisms evolve was warped and misrepresented by the Nazis, who filtered it through their racist and nationalist worldview, justifying the extermination of Jews and other supposed degenerate races by claiming they were following and indeed implementing a Law of Nature. In Darwin, Arendt explains, the Nazi party had found what they saw as an unbending Natural Law, the very source from which positive (manmade) laws had been traditionally derived. far from being â€Å"lawless,† it goes to the sources of authority from which positive laws received their ultimate legitimation† (Arendt. 307) Arendt argues that this Law of Nature was taken to be a suprahuman edict which was used justify their campaign of terror and genocide, and furthermore usurp any positive laws which were counter-productive to their cause. Nature itself mandated the extermination of lesser â€Å"degenerate† races according to Nazi ideology. And so the carrying out and indeed hastening of the process of this â€Å"Natural† decree was the end which the Totalitarian regimes sough to effect. In fact, Totalitarian ideology sought for the actual societal embodiment of these supposed Laws of history and nature, and asserted that by the strict implantation and of these laws, a utopia on Earth would be realised. â€Å"the Law of Nature or the law of History, if properly executed, is expected to produce mankind as its end product† (Arendt. 307) Arendt is highly critical of this thinking which she describes as particular to Totalitarian government. One of the most obvious critiques which she makes is the complete disregard in this line of thinking for basic anthropological concerns i. e. ow humans actually tend to behave and function. â€Å"It applies the law directly to mankind without bothering with the behaviour of men†¦ Totalitarian policy claims to transform the human species into an active unfailing carrier of a law to which human beings otherwise would only passively and reluctantly be subjected† (Arendt. 307) Terror as the essence of Totalitarian rule: Built into the notion of executing the Laws of nature and history is an inherent eschewing of the legitimacy, importance and even relevance of manmade or positive laws, which are intended to govern and ease the functioning of societies in which people participate. The denial of positive laws and their replacement with the bringing into effect, a Law of Nature or indeed a Law of History as per Totalitarian ideology, is, Arendt argues largely what separates Totalitarian regimes from despotism and tyranny. Because they drew their justification from the very source of all positive laws i. e. Natural law, Totalitarian regimes were able to substantiate this denial of the legitimacy of positive laws by claiming that in aiming to produce the perfect rule of Natural Law on earth, that mankind itself would become the very â€Å"embodiment of the law† (Arendt. 08) By claiming to actualise and bring into effect fundamental laws which determine the inevitable course of history by establishing the perfect rule of Natural law on earth through use of terror, Totalitarian regimes subvert at the same time traditional notions of government and also notions of the utility of terror. Terror was no longer merely an arbitrary tool of oppression, (although it was of course the methodology with which the terrible ideology of Totalitarianism was realised) Terror was itself the embodied form which submission to the supposed Law of Nature took, or as Arendt puts it â€Å"Terror as the execution of a law of movement†¦ Arendt. 311)† Terror was in fact now the end goal itself; as such Terror is indeed Totalitarianism’s essence. Arendt uses a good analogy to illustrate this point. â€Å"the absence of crimes in any society does not render laws superfluous but, on the contrary, signifies their most perfect rule-so terror in totalitarian government has ceased to be a mere means for the suppression of opposition, though it is also used for such purposes. Terror becomes total when it becomes independent of all opposition; it rules supreme when nobody any longer stands in its way. If lawfulness is the essence of non-tyrannical government and lawlessness is the essence of tyranny, then terror is the essence totalitarian domination† Dangerous Ideology: What made Nazism and Stalinism so dangerous, according to Arendt, were not merely the ideas which characterised their respective ideologies i. e. racism and dialectical materialism, but the logic which one could arguably follow from these types of thinking. If Ideologies are the logic of ideas, (which they are! ) then it is the seemingly logical implications of these ideas, which made them dangerous. To put it simply, if one concludes that there are suprahuman forces which determine the very course of history, as espoused by Nazism and Stalinism, then one must be bound to follow the logical steps which lead from this idea. â€Å"Whoever agreed that there are such things as â€Å"dying classes† and did not draw the consequence of killing their members, or that the right to live had something to do with race and did not draw the consequence of killing â€Å"unfit races,† was plainly either stupid or a coward†. (Arendt. 318) The dangers of commitment to the logic of ideas bviously are determined by the extremity of the ideas themselves, however as Arendt rightly points out, it is this ice cold reasoning which both Hitler and Stalin were very fond of which gave their ideologies a trajectory of power and an pseudo-scientific guise which legitimated them. Rather than a principle of action aimed at some common good or societal benefit such as the prevention of crime, this â€Å"logicality of ideological thinking† (Arendt. 321) is what makes Totalitarian government tick. Isolation, The Phenomenology of Terror: As we have seen, terror is the essence of Totalitarianism. But it is important to realise exactly what this means for the experiencing subject of Totalitarian rule. Terror, Arendt explains, destroys the ability to engage in any public life. Isolation is the most salient feature of terror. Terror wrought isolation has been used throughout the centuries by tyrannical rulers to inhibit political agency and thus destroy the possibility of revoltâ€Å"†¦ terror can rule absolutely only over men who are isolated against each other and that, therefore, one of the primary concerns of all tyrannical government is to bring isolation about†¦ Isolation and impotence, that is the fundamental inability to act at all, have always been characteristic of tyrannies. † (Arendt. 321-322) The final way in which Totalitarian governments differ from those regimes of tyranny, which have also employed terror as a tactic, is for Arendt, the destruction by terror of the private sphere of human life. Total terror, as it were, is not content with merely destroying the public life of people and their ability to interact. Total terror permeates the mind and destroys the faculties of creativity and mental autonomy. Totalitarianism seeks to destroy the entire ability for people to create something new and bring it into the world. While it obviously needs to destroy the ability of political life, it also enforces utter personal isolation (loneliness) on the mind of the individual, so that he or she has no outlet vent and indeed no ability to form ideas of their own. â€Å"In isolation, man remains in contact with the world as the human artifice; only when the most elementary forms of human creativity, which is the capacity to add something of one’s own to the common world, are destroyed, isolation becomes altogether unbearable†¦ Totalitarian government, like all tyrannies, certainly could not exist without destroying the public realm of life, that is, without destroying, by isolating men, their political capacities but totalitarian domination as a form of government is new in that it is not content with this isolation and destroys private life as well. It bases itself on loneliness, on the experience of not belonging to the world at all, which is among the most radical and desperate experiences of man. † (Arendt. 24) The phenomenological and anthropological implications of this total terror are for Arendt the complete breakdown of the human actor. She argues that humans are essentially social beings who need social interaction to function and live as we are hardwired to do so; our complete sense of who we are and what our world means ultimately derives from our experience of interacting with others. â€Å"For the confirmation of my identity I depend entirely upon other people† (Arendt. 324) In conclusion I think it may be prudent to summarise the central elucidations which Arendt makes in Ideology and Terror. . Totalitarian governments were unprecedented governmental forms before the early 20th century. 2. Totalitarian governments are ideological in nature and functioning, and derive their justifications from suprahuman â€Å"Laws of Nature and History† and implement the logic of these ideas through use of terror. 3. Terror is the primary tool and also the essence of Totalitarian governments, i. e. Total terror becomes the actual embodied form of the Laws of History and nature made manifest 4.  Totalitarian governments destroy the ability to act politically as all tyrannies do, but also they destroy the realm of private life as well, rendering human existence a miserable one in attempting to make each person the actual embodiment of Natural and Historical Laws Arendt’s masterful work has shed light on one of the darkest periods in human history and it al so lends insight into the nature of government, society and the human subject more broadly speaking. She remains a seminal figure in the discipline of political philosophy and continues to inspire thought and debate to this day.

The Clash Of Two Cultures essays

The Clash Of Two Cultures essays In the early 1600's, different cultures came to "The New World", in search of many different things, freedom of religion, to look for the Indies,in search of treasure and many more.When these "white men" came to the America's change for the Native Americans did not happen all at once, but over time the traditional way of everyday life changed for the Native Americans.Wonder, and curiosity rather than bitterness were some of the first expressions when these different cultures came into first contact. The great barriers of religion, ethics, language and values are some of the biggest factors that divided the Indians and Explorers from eachother. According to the puritan's beliefs, God has already chose which people will have salvation. Native American's however, believe that everyone is the same and that no single person is better than another. The belief's of these two groups were also carried out differently, the Puritan's relied on their bible, and the Native americans relied on oral transmission of their theolgy. The Native Americans worshipped their own "great spirit", that took refrence for all living and once living things.The Puritan's however hold their bible literal and sacred, they saw the worship of other living things or than God as sinly, and therefore held the Native American society as a society drowning in sin. Moral And ethical values also differed greatly between the two societys, explorers didn't understand the barbaric ways of the Indians, and the Indian's didn't understand why the explorers viewed their lack of clothing, and organized worship as "savage". Language, a huge barrier always made it hard for the society's to communicate with eachother. Soon, the "invaders" found a way to somewhat communicate with Native American sign language, but this did not always mean they understood eachother. No matter how hard these two cultures tried there was always the language barrier holdin ...

The eNotes Blog Your New Textbook, Brought to You by BillGates

Your New Textbook, Brought to You by BillGates Bill Gates and Nathan Myhrvold have filed a new patent that could change the way we read textbooks, and possibly the way we learn, forever. Bored of reading the same textbooks, the same old way? Well, Bill Gates and Nathan Myhrvold, the duo behind an invention that can actually slow hurricanes, are looking to change that. In 2012 they filed a patent for a device that will have the capability to automatically create a customized video snippet from any random selection of text, according to GeekWire. That means that as you read a textbook on, say, a tablet or your phone, that device could generate a video based on the content of the textbookturning a boring old piece of text into essentially a short film. This new patent, titled Autogenerating Video from Text, would certainly be a game changer in the educational community. While interactive instruction has been on the scene for some time, never before has any technology been able to show a human sort of understanding of the text at hand, let alone an understanding of how best to teach it to a student. In one of the scenarios the patent poses, a student could theoretically snap a picture of a textbook page and watch a video rendering of the facts therein; as opposed to (or perhaps we should say in addition to) reading paragraphs of names and dates, the student could watch a video of soldiers running across a battlefield. In yet another possible application outlined by the patent, the app/devices personalization features could really make the information hit home: Someone reading Shakespeare could scan a section of text to create a video depicting one of the scenes - and the system could be set to â€Å"insert family members into the video clip instead of the typical characters.† Because it wouldnt be at all creepy to see your family members tragic roles. My advice: stay away from Oedipus Rex, kids. If the idea does indeed come to fruition, the capability to generate video and images from texts could greatly aid the visual learners among us, or maybe just better engage students with shorter attention spans. Its likely that this technology is a long way off, but with the rapid changes technology constantly brings to the field of education, I wouldnt discount it as a possibility. The question is, what do you think of this new way to read texts? Foul or fair? For their part, the geeks seem none too impressed:

Two Party System - Why Democrats and Republicans Win

Two Party System - Why Democrats and Republicans Win The two party system is firmly rooted in American politics and has been since the first organized political movements  emerged in the late 1700s. The two party system in the United States is now dominated by the Republicans and the Democrats. But through history the  Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, then the Democrats and the Whigs, have represented opposing political ideologies and campaigned against each other for seats at the local, state and federal levels. No third-party candidate has ever been elected to the White House, and very few have won seats in either the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate. The most notable modern exception to the two party system is U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a socialist whose campaign for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination invigorated liberal members of the party. The closest any independent presidential candidate has come to being elected to the White House was  billionaire Texan Ross Perot, who won 19 percent of the popular vote in the 1992 election. So why is the two party system unbreakable in the United States? Why do Republicans and Democrats hold a lock on elected offices at all levels of government? Is there any hope for a third party to emerge or independent candidates to gain traction despite election laws that make it difficult for them to get on the ballot, organize and raise money?   Here are four  reasons the two party system is here to stay for a long, long time. 1. Most Americans Are Affiliated With a Major Party Yes, this is the most obvious explanation for why the two party system remains solidly intact: Voters want it that way. A majority of Americans is registered with  the Republican and the Democratic parties, and thats been true throughout modern history, according to public-opinion surveys conducted by the Gallup organization. It is true that the portion of voters who now consider themselves independent of either major party is larger than either the Republican and Democratic blocs alone. But those independent voters are disorganized and rarely reach a consensus on the many third-party candidates; instead, most independents tend to lean toward one of the major parties come election time, leaving only a small portion of truly independent, third-party voters. 2. Our Election System Favors a Two Party System The American system of electing representatives at all levels of government makes it almost impossible for a third party to take root. We have what are known as single-member districts in which there is only one victor. The winner of the popular vote in all 435 congressional districts, U.S. Senate races and state legislative contests  takes office, and the electoral losers get nothing. This winner-take-all method fosters a two-party system and differs dramatically from proportional representation elections in European democracies.   Duverger’s Law, named for the French sociologist Maurice Duverger, states that a majority vote on one ballot is conducive to a two-party system ...  Elections determined by a majority vote on one ballot literally pulverize third parties (and would do worse to fourth or fifth parties, if there were any; but none exist for this very reason). Even when a single ballot system operates with only two parties, the one that wins is favored, and the other suffers. In other words, voters tend to choose candidates who actually have a shot at winning instead of throwing their votes away on someone who will only get a small portion of the popular vote. By contrast, proportional representation elections held elsewhere in the world allow for more than one candidate to be chosen from each district, or for the selection of at-large candidates. For example, if the Republican candidates win 35 percent of the vote, they would control 35 percent of the seats in the delegation; if Democrats won 40 percent, they would represent 40 percent of the delegation; and if a third party such as the Libertarians or Greens won 10 percent of the vote, they would get to hold one in 10 seats. The basic principles underlying proportional representation elections are that all voters deserve representation and that all political groups in society deserve to be represented in our legislatures in proportion to their strength in the electorate. In other words, everyone should have the right to fair representation, the advocacy group FairVote states. 3. Its Tough for Third Parties to Get on the Ballot Third-party candidates have to clear greater hurdles to get on the ballot in many states, and its difficult to raise money and organize a campaign when youre busy gathering tens of thousands of signatures. Many states have closed primaries instead of open primaries, meaning only registered Republicans and Democrats can nominate candidates for the general election. That leaves third-party candidates at a significant disadvantage. Third party candidates have less time to file paperwork and must collect a greater number of signatures than do major party candidates in some states. 4. There Are Just Too Many Third Party Candidates There are third parties out there. And fourth parties. And fifth parties. There are, in fact, hundreds of small, obscure political parties and candidates who appear on ballots across the union in their names. But they represent a broad spectrum of political beliefs outside of the mainstream, and placing them all in a big tent would be impossible. In the 2016 presidential election alone, voters had dozens of third-party candidates to choose from if they were dissatisfied with Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. They could have voted instead for libertarian Gary Johnson; Jill Stein of the Green Party;  Darrell Castle of the Constitution Party; or Better for Americas Evan McMullin. There were socialist candidates, pro-marijuana candidates, prohibition candidates, reform candidates. The list goes on. But these obscure candidates suffer from a lack of  consensus, no common ideological  thread running through all of them. Simply put, theyre too splintered and disorganized to be credible alternatives to the major-party candidates.

The Impact of Divorce Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Impact of Divorce - Research Paper Example The status of marriage and the cohabitation of couples, in general, has changed substantially over the past 80 years or so (Saluter & Lugaila, 1996). In 1920, the divorce rate stood at about 12 percent. In 1960, about a quarter of marriages failed and by 1974, the number jumped to a full third of all marriages ending in divorce (Gutierrez, 1988). In 1996, it was reported that almost half (43 percent) of first marriages ended in either divorce or separation by the15th year of the relationship, according to a study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (Saluter & Lugaila, 1996). Men responded that inattentiveness of the children and home, mental cruelty, sexual incompatibility, and infidelity were the main reasons for filing divorce papers. Women cited mental and physical cruelty, alcohol abuse and financial difficulties. In general, persons in the economic middle class are concerned with emotional and psychological satisfaction. Lower-class couples are concerned more with physical actions of their husbands and financial difficulties within the relationship. Numerous background elements are associated with higher rates of divorce. For instance, couples who are better educated have a lower risk of divorce than do those who are less well educated. Accordingly, â€Å"divorce is more common among lower socioeconomic groups than among professional groups† (Gutierrez, 1988). A divorce encompasses many variables, all or some may play a role in contributing to difficulties for children. The loss of daily contact with one parent from the family situation, usually the father, results in the children losing the amount of affection they were receiving when both parents were in the same house. The life-skills, knowledge, and financial resources formerly supplied by the missing parent, whether they are out of their lives on a part or full-time basis is forever lost to the children. Divorce usually means that the children are living with one parent now earning just one salary which creates hardships beyond the emotional crisis of the divorce itself. The stress involved in divorce goes beyond the emotions involved as well. Many children are forced to move to a new, usually less desirable neighborhood, possibly put into a daycare for the first time and must make new friends in an unfamiliar environment. Some are moved father away from the familiarity of the extende d family, uncles, aunts, grandmothers, etc. One, some or all of these life-changing events can cause great and lasting amounts of stress for children of all ages. Whether or not the divorce is amicable and the general stability of the parents plays a role in how the children will adjust to the divorce. â€Å"Much of what happens to children in general is related to the skill of parents in helping them develop. The competence of parents following divorce is likely to have considerable influence on how the children are doing† (Kelly and Emery, 2003) Unfortunately for all concerned, conflict between divorcing parents is frequently the rule rather than the exception. The extent to which parents expose their children to

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment Example For Wright, globalization brings some order in the world while for Kaplan it is a source of chaos but both agree that it is not a new phenomenon as traces of it can be found in history. Kaplan and Wright view globalization as a growth in interdependence among nations enhanced by commerce and improved technology. The expansion of commerce began in the prehistoric period driven by improvements in transport, roads, wheels and boats. These improvements were meant for facilitating wars but when there was no fighting, they were used to do deals (Wright). Even today, trade is enhanced by improved transport and communication making it accessible to cross boarders and trade with other nations. The building of ships, planes, trucks, and railway has connected many countries to the rest of world thereby enhancing globalization. According to Kaplan, the geographical location of a country is vital in determining its success in commerce. America has been able to rise in the global scene due to adva ncement in transport and its strategic position where it can connect to the rest of the world. It can connect to Europe through the Atlantic Ocean, Asia through Pacific Ocean and other countries through the Indian Ocean. It is thus able to exchange with those countries through its shipping lines. Information technology has also been attributed to the spread of Globalization. According to Wright it started in early days when writing was discovered in Mesopotamia as a way of keeping records. It was later used in the form of contracts that enhanced international trade. The discovery of print also accelerated globalization. In Wright’s words, it makes it cheap to transmit information thus giving power to the powerless groups. He gives an example of the rise of Protestantism from the Roman Catholic Church that was facilitated by the emergence of print media in the 15th century. People like Martin Luther used the print to their advantage to spread ideas and attract masses. Today, i nformation technology also helps to advance the terrorism ideals as people from all over the world watch news of terrorism activities through televisions, internet and other social media. The events of 9/11 attacks were broadcast all over the world and Osama bin Laden became a local name thus globalizing the world through media. Technology advancement has also resulted in development of nuclear weapons necessiting the governments to unite against such activities by forming a global security watch bodies. Globalization over time has led to both positive and negative consequences. According to Wright, globalization has led to expansion of governments thereby forming global governance. This is due to increasing interdependence among nations; what happens in one country affects other countries thus creating the need for a world body such as World Trade Organization to regulate commerce and trade. The United Nations is also a world body that ensures security among nations. America being a pertinent player in the global scene therefore has a duty to protect its interests and this makes it necessary for it to intervene in the affairs of other nations to ensure they are stable. This is due to the fact that if trading nations are unstable, then America will be affected due to interdependence. This explains America’s interest in ending Iraq war. Globalization also leads to growth of morality. According to Wri

Marketing practices in Kuwait vs. the USA Assignment

Marketing practices in Kuwait vs. the USA - Assignment Example consumers have developed favorable attitudes towards the United States and the Kuwaiti firms have many marketing ideologies that are prevalent in the United States. The United States takes marketing segmentation as a critical marketing element to determine the consumers who are likely to seek for their products and services. Segmentations exist in various aspects such as geographically, demographically, by culture, or in relation to the benefits, which are demanded by customers. Kuwait also has segmented its market to reach the most desirable consumers. These segmentation strategies ensure that future promotions and integrated communication are available between the two countries. Kuwait simplifies the process of determining how to effectively promote a product while taking into consideration the consumers values, attitude and lifestyle. Psychographics seem to be of high relevance in the United States market as evident in the fast food chain. Positioning of a product is an important aspect for Kuwait and USA marketing strategies in order to gain competitive advantages and ensure higher revenue growth in sales of products and services. Both Kuwait and USA have taken advantage of the digital marketing activities in order to effectively promote their products and services particularly brand promotion. The advantage of doing this is that fact that it reduces dependency on external agents and allow the firms to market directly to the consumers of their goods and services at much less market based expenditures. The USA and Kuwait have formed platforms for common marketing practices in order to seek ways of justifying the quality of products as a means of expressing the benefits of the products to the consumers and the ethical stance associated with the brand and the businesses. The marketers from both the nations realize the importance of adding certification to their products and services as an illustration of compliance to the social expectations and inspections

Buyer Behaviour Analysis - The Psychology of Buying Coursework

Buyer Behaviour Analysis - The Psychology of Buying - Coursework Example It is therefore important to understand how they arrive at a decision to purchase in order for a marketer to build an offering that would attract them. This paper focuses on how psychological factors; motivation, perception, learning and attitude could influence purchasing decision of luxury cars. A motive can be defined as the internal energizing force that directs individual’s activities towards achieving a goal or satisfying a need. Actions are however affected by several motives thus marketers’ ability to identify these motives forms the basis of developing a successful marketing mix. Motivation is the internal force that reorients our behaviour towards the decision making process and purchasing behaviour. According toYalch& Brand (1996, p.406), once an individual recognizes that they have a need, there is normal a state of tension existing that drives the consumer to achieving the goal by eliminating the need and reducing the tension. In this regard, it is important to note that only unmet needs motivates an individual and once they are eliminated there could only be another motivation emanating from another need. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs identifies five levels of needs that are likely to determine the level of hierarchy the consumers are and determine what motivates their purchases. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, purchasing behaviour is mainly driven by the lowest need that has not been met by a buyer. The five primary areas of needs identified by Maslow model are physiological, safety and security, love and belongingness, self esteem and finally self actualization. This model postulates that as the needs of consumers are met in the first level say physiological, they move towards the next and so on (Lester, 2013 p.15). In this model, consumer buyer decisions are motivated by one of the 5 needs level in their hierarchy. In this regard, ability of a marketer to appeal to one of five motivational

Business entity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business entity - Essay Example The limited partnership is not subject to federal income tax. The limited partnership allows the acceptance of two partners who contribute a different fund amount and a third partner who only contributes his or her services in lieu of capital, considering each of the owners has a spouse and adult children. Normally, the limited partner’s contribution to the partnership is lower than the general partners’ contributions. The limited partners are prohibited from participating in the management decisions of the partnership. Only general partners are allowed to make management decisions (Clifford, 2008). In terms of limited partnership’s liability, the creditors can get the general partner’s family assets to pay for the liabilities of the limited partnership. On the other hand, the creditors cannot get the limited partner’s family assets to pay for the liabilities of the limited partnership’s liabilities (Clifford, 2008). The best form of business for a small business is limited partnership. For a limited partnership, a small business can easily grow to become a big business when the most opportune moment comes. As the business profits continue, all the limited partnership’s partners can increase the store size, sell more product types, or up a new branch in another locality (Clifford, 2008). Analyzing the above information, many persons want to form a limited partnership. The limited partnership is tax exempt. The creditors can only get the general partners’ assets. Only the general partners can make partnership decisions. Convincingly, the limited partnership works best in the above business

Language development& early literacy in multilingual context Essay

Language development& early literacy in multilingual context - Essay Example In multilingual contexts, the learning experience and process of the first language significantly affects the acquisition of the second and other additional languages (Robertson and Nunn 2006). Basing on this, this essay tries to highlight the role of an early childhood practitioner in the learning process. It highlights the appropriate planning and implementation of the learning process in such contexts. This essay explains the childhood language learning process, together with the factors affecting language development. It also discusses the current approaches in childhood language learning and gives ways that can be used to improve the process. Before writing this essay, a number of ethical issues and confidentiality have been taken into account. The first thing that has been taken into account is to provide information that has no bias. This essay tries to provide practices and theories that can be used all over the world to better the learning process in early childhood learning centers. In addition to this, this essay cites all the sources from which the information used has been obtained. This will help readers to read more about the topic in case they need more inf ormation (Wang 2011). Language development at an early age is an important process and needs keen concern and support. It forms the foundation on which future language learning and literacy acquisition is build. The degree and ease with which children learn a language can also be a great predictor of future academic success and has many long-term implications in the social and economic sectors. This affects the development and interactivity of individuals in a family and in the society. Many things in the society affect language learning at an early age. This is because, during the learning process, a child always interprets information from the environment and forms his or her own perceptions of what language is and of how to

Business entity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business entity - Essay Example The limited partnership is not subject to federal income tax. The limited partnership allows the acceptance of two partners who contribute a different fund amount and a third partner who only contributes his or her services in lieu of capital, considering each of the owners has a spouse and adult children. Normally, the limited partner’s contribution to the partnership is lower than the general partners’ contributions. The limited partners are prohibited from participating in the management decisions of the partnership. Only general partners are allowed to make management decisions (Clifford, 2008). In terms of limited partnership’s liability, the creditors can get the general partner’s family assets to pay for the liabilities of the limited partnership. On the other hand, the creditors cannot get the limited partner’s family assets to pay for the liabilities of the limited partnership’s liabilities (Clifford, 2008). The best form of business for a small business is limited partnership. For a limited partnership, a small business can easily grow to become a big business when the most opportune moment comes. As the business profits continue, all the limited partnership’s partners can increase the store size, sell more product types, or up a new branch in another locality (Clifford, 2008). Analyzing the above information, many persons want to form a limited partnership. The limited partnership is tax exempt. The creditors can only get the general partners’ assets. Only the general partners can make partnership decisions. Convincingly, the limited partnership works best in the above business

Fasting in hinduism and islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Fasting in hinduism and islam - Research Paper Example Fasting is mostly used as a religious term to describe an act of willingly abstaining (Adlakha, 2005) from some or all types of drink, food or both of them for a given period. Some people or religions fast for 24 hours while others for many days. Some types of fasting are only partial merely restricting some types of food, sub substances or drinks (Desika, 1997). Some people’s fasting culture or practice prohibits sexual intercourse alongside other activities that are not food or drink related (Kittler and Sucher, 2007). Particularly, both Hinduism and Islam embrace fasting to certain limits as part of their religion practices. Fasting in Hinduism is embraced as quite an integral component of the Hindu’s religious practices. However, local customs and personal beliefs determine the different kinds of fasts individuals undertake. This is to say that fasting in Hindu is done differently based on individual factors. On the other hand, fasting in Islam is also viewed as one of the most (Adlakha, 2005) valuable parts of the religious practices. Five pillars of religion to which fasting are observed as the fourth one among these pillars guides Islam. In Islam, unlike Hinduism, there are specific periods in which every Muslim is expected to first. For instance, during the month of Ramadan; notably the period in which most Muslims fast (Desika, 1997). Comparing Fasting in Hinduism and Islam Both religions might share a number of similarities in the way they undertake their fasting. However, there are significant differences. These differences emanate from the way it has practiced, the days and the purpose that make every religion to fast. In Hindu, fasting is done differently in that some sections of the Hindus fast on a number of days of the month such as the Ekadasi, pradosha, and Purnima. Some people fast on certain weekdays as dependent on the favorite deity or personal beliefs. For instance, there are those who fast on Monday. These are known as the Shiva devotees (Kittler and Sucher, 2007). Those who fast on Thursdays are known to devote to Vishnu while those who fast on Saturdays are known to be devotees of Ayyappa. Fasting is also done differently in different regions. For example, the southern Indians who fast on Tuesday are said to be the devotees of the goddess Mariamman, in which those who fast eat before sunrise and are only allowed to drink liquids from sunrise to sunset. The northern Indians fast on Tuesday to honor lord Hanuman, in which the devotees can only take fruits and milk between sunrise and sunset. They are also known to fast majorly on Thursday during which they worship Vrihaspati Mahadeva  while they are dressed in yellow clothes (Kittler and Sucher, 2007). The meals they eat are also colored in yellow. It is also dedicated to guru, which makes the followers of guru to fast on Thursday. On the other hand fasting in Islam can also be done in a number of days. Despite the fact that Ramadan is the most notable fasting period, there are also days referred to as non-obligatory days in which members can voluntarily fast. These days include every Monday and Thursday of a week, the 13th, 14th and 15th of each lunar month. In the month, that follows Ramadan; known as Shawwal, there are also non-obligatory six days of fasting. The fast of Prophet David, among the calendar of Islam, is sup posed to be done each other. The tenth day of Muharram; also referred to as Day of Ashura is also a non-obligatory fasting day. It can also be done a day after or before the tenth day (Desika, 1997). Despite this large fasting calendar, Islam forbids fasting on a number of days. First, no one is to fast during Eid Fitr and Eid Adha, which are the 1st Shawwal and 10th Dhulhijjah respectively. Suni Islam prohibits fasting on Tashriq that is on 11th, 12th, and 13th Dhulhijjah. There is also no fasting during Eid Al Adha, the 10th day of Dhu Al-Hijjah in the calendar of I

Effect of Smoking on Division of Attention

Effect of Smoking on Division of Attention ABSTRACT The basic objective of this study is to see whether smoking significantly affects the division of attention of an individual. Smoking can be defined as the process in which any substance, usually tobacco is rolled and burnt and the smoke that is released is inhaled. There is evidence that smoking is harmful to the brain at the functional and morphological level (Swan Lessov-Schlaggar, 2007). Division of attention can be defined as the person’s ability to attend to two or more tasks at a single time. Snowball Sampling was used to select 60 participants, 30 Smokers (N=30) and 30 Non-Smokers (N=30). A screener developed by Fagerstrom called the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (1978) was used to screen the participants after which the Division of Attention Experiment by Shailaja Bhagwat was administered. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in the division of attention between smokers and non-smokers (t=0.27, t=0.38, t=0.009, t=0.22). They both had n early the same divisions of attention between physical and mental tasks. INTRODUCTION Smoking: There are approximately about 2 billion smokers all over the world. (WHO, 2013) Smoking can be defined as the process in which any substance, usually tobacco is rolled and burnt, and the smoke that is released is inhaled. This practice was started as a recreational one in which an active substance like for example nicotine is made available to the blood stream through the lungs (Gatley Wilbert). The most common method of this practice of smoking is through cigarettes. There are other methods of this practice too like the use of bidis, bongs, cigars, hookah, pipes and vaporizers to name a few. A 2007 report states that, each year, about 4.9 million people worldwide die as a result of smoking. (West, Robert Shiffman, 2007.) Among the many substances used for smoking, tobacco is by far the most widely used substance which is addictive because of the nicotine content. The history of smoking can date back to as early as 5000 BC when it was used for religious ceremonies. The use of tobacco products is increasing globally, though in some higher and middle income countries its use is decreasing. The global prevalence is 48% for adult males and 12% for adult females. There are about 1/3 of the adults worldwide, who smoke, that is an approximate of about 2.0 billion smokers around the world including child smokers. (WHO 2013) A few reasons as to why people start smoking can be: having parents who smoke, siblings who smoke, friends who smoke, the freedom that they have to do what they want, peer pressure, low academic achievements, their daily surrounding, that is, having co-workers or people they are usually surrounded with being chain smokers, economic background or even life in the urban environment to an extent. An individual might just start smoking as a result of a social gathering or a party which becomes an addiction later on. Smoking is most prevalent in the age group of 18-25. It is stated that there are about 1000 smokers at the age of 18 and below who start smoking (WHO 2013). There are various reasons and causes for such a trend. This age group is the most prone to getting addicted to smoking as individuals in this age bracket are most easily swayed in their decisions and get addicted most easily. Once addicted to the use of any substance, tobacco generally, it gets very difficult for individuals to leave this habit. According to statistics by the World Health Organization we have more male smokers (35% developed 50% developing) than female smokers (22% developed 9% developing). These statistics show a rather large number of women smoking, especially in the developed countries we see that a lot of women smoking. Division of Attention: Division of attention (Multi-Tasking) is the process in which an individual’s attention is divided between two tasks. The talent of multitasking is when an individual knows how to juggle the time and attention spent between the two tasks well so as to give equal amount of attention to both so that it doesn’t look like there is any amount of partiality or preference given to a specific task on hand. One is said to be good at multi-tasking when one is able to perform both the tasks at the best of their abilities without being overworked or stressed. Since the 1990s experimental psychologists have tried to understand the nature and limits of human multitasking. In dichotic listening, subjects are apparently unable to attend simultaneously to two concurrent, auditory speech messages. However, in two experiments reported here, it is shown that people can attend to and repeat back continuous speech at the same time as taking in complex, unrelated visual scenes, or even while sight-readingpiano music. In both cases performance with dividedattentionwas very good, and in the case of sight-reading was as good as with undivided attention. There was little or no effect of the dual task on the accuracy of speech shadowing. (Allport, Antonis Reynold, 1971) Attention, it can be described as the process of focusing in ones field of awareness. Our attention can be commanded by a number of factors. Two of the main factors that can do so are: Objective factors such as intensity, size, movement, distinctiveness etc. Subjective factors such as, an individual’s needs, motives, interests, past experiences etc. The intensity of attention given to a specific stimulus is affected by the presence of another stimulus that is competing for one’s attention. This is known as shifting of attention. Shifting of attention is necessary for perception as it prevents negative adaptation. Another phenomenon which is related to attention is known as the distraction of attention. As we already know what is shifting of attention, distraction of attention is when the attention wavers and gets back to the previous stimuli. There are maximum numbers of stimuli that can be responded to in a particular period of attention. This maximum amount of attention that can be referred to in this particular period is called the span of attention. How a person can divide their attention has to do with that person’s intelligence (Sternberg Sternberg, 2012). Researchers Navon and Gopher (1979) theorized a modality model which explains the basics of attention mainly divided between various simple tasks and not between various complex tasks. There are various variables that play a role in our ability to pay attention or to concentrate on the many tasks that are to be performed at once. A few of those variables are anxiety, arousal, the difficulty of the tasks to be performed and the skills that an individual possesses. Relation between Smoking and Division of Attention: When we look back to studies done in the past on these two topics, we have many, but when it comes to a study involving both these topics we have hardly any studies. We have many researches on smoking and its effect on health, cognition, effect of nicotine on the brain activity during the performance of a task, impact of smoking on the performance of an individual, as well as studies on the effect of smoking during pregnancy on the performance of a child after its birth. An accumulation of evidence suggests that smoking may be reinforcing, in part, due to nicotines capacity to enhance the process of attention, but correspondingly, the stimulus-filter model of nicotine reinforcement asserts that nicotine increases cognitive performance by acting as a stimulus-barrier, thereby screening and preventing the irrelevant and annoying stimuli from the smokers awareness. (Kassel, 1997) Some studies that have been performed on smoking and the performance of an individual, either cognitive or social both say that smoking usually has a negative impact or rather they say that smoking reduces the cognitive and physical performance of an individual.It was found that while cigarette smoking had no negative effect upon performance for simple perceptual tasks, smoking was found to exert measurable negative effects upon performance for more complex information processing tasks (Spilich, June Renner, 1992). There is a scientific background for the decrease in the physical performance of an individual who smokes. Smoking reduces the capacity of an individual to do work as the oxygen available to the body is reduced. When we inhale smoke from a cigarette, we introduce the carbon monoxide into the blood. The carbon monoxide combines with the hemoglobin in the blood to form carboxy-hemoglobin which reduces the amount of oxygen that is carried in the blood. The lesser the available oxygen, the lesser the physical endurance, the lesser the endurance, the weaker the individual. Prolonged smoking causes irreversible lung damage. A study recently done in Kings College London tells us that smoking spoils the brain by damaging memory, learning and reasoning as well (Smoking Rots the Brain Lowers Cognitive Performance, November 2012). Smoking just a single cigarette can immediately affect physical capability in exercise when the inhaled carbon monoxide binds to red blood cells, displacing oxygen and preventing its delivery to muscle cells. In fact, a study at UCLA found that young adults experience a four percent decrease in oxygen uptake right after smoking. It has long been known that smokers tend to be less physically active than nonsmokers, and vice versa. For instance, a study in Public Health Reports found smokers are more likely to quit supervised exercise programs. Another study found that male high school students who were less physically active than their peers were twice as likely to smoke. There hasn’t been a specific study on the effect that smoking has on the division of attention. Generally the division of attention is usually different for different individuals. Smokers perform one physical and one mental task at a time. They are hence â€Å"multitasking† or rather dividing their attention in such a way that they are spending enough time performing both the tasks but to what level of their ability? Smokers are better at Division of Attention. The above mentioned hypothesis is one study or rather one topic that has not been widely studied under the vast topic of smoking especially in the Indian contest. There have been various studies on the effect of smoking on performance as well as the capacity of an individual to divide their attention between two tasks. Will the division of attention among non-smokers be greater than the division of attention among smokers? OBJECTIVE To determine whether there is a significant difference in the division of attention between smokers and non-smokers while performing two tasks simultaneously. HYPOTHESIS There is a significant difference between the division of attention of smokers and non-smokers while performing two tasks simultaneously. METHOD Participants: A sample size of 60 students (n=60) within the age group of 18-22 with all of them from a middle class background, studying in college and from the city of Hyderabad were selected on the basis of Random Sampling. They were divided into two groups of 30 each i.e. smoker and non-smokers. These two groups were further divided into 15 girls and 15 boys each. Before giving them the screener itself, the purpose of the study was explained and a signed informed consent was taken from the students. Participation inclusion criteria: Students between the ages of 18-22 Pursuing bachelor’s degree from any college Students who were smokers Participation exclusion criteria: Students above the age of 22 or below 18 Students working part time or full time Instruments: The Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Scale (FTND) was used as a screener for the smokers. It is a 6 question scale which shows the levels of dependence on nicotine. Anybody who has moderate to high dependency (score of 5 or above) on this scale is considered a smoker. This scale was developed by Fagerstrom in 1978 titled Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire which was later called the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND: Heatherton et al., 1991). After this the Division of Attention (different variables) by Dr. (Smt.) Shailaja Bhagwat was given to the participants, which involved the performance of 4 tasks. Each task was to be performed only for two minutes, that too each task had 3 sub tasks. The students were explained what each and every task was very carefully and if they had any doubts, those doubts were cleared too. The 4 tasks in brief were: one Physical and one Mental Simple Tasks (separately as well as simultaneously) one Physical Simple Task and one Mental Complex Task (separately as well as simultaneously) one Physical Complex and one Mental Complex Task (separately as well as simultaneously) one Physical and Mental Complex Task (separately as well as simultaneously) ANALYSIS The statistics that were used on the raw data were: Mean Standard Deviation T-Test RESULTS The hypothesis states that there is a significant difference between the division of attention between smokers and non-smokers. The Statistics used were: Mean: The Mathematical Average of a set of numbers. Standard Deviation: Measures how spread out the data is. T-Test: Measures if there is a significant difference between two variables. The results got do not support the hypothesis which states that there is a significant difference in the division of attention between smokers and non-smokers. Table 1 shows the Mean (M) Standard Deviation (SD) and T-Value (t) between smokers and non-smokers. *N.S = Not Significant Table 1 shows that the t-values were not found to be significant. DISCUSSION When we attend two or more tasks at one time, it is mainly because of the division of attention of that person. The first scientist to study in the field of division of attention was Paulhan (1887) who found out that if the nature of both the jobs is simple, the outcome would be the least affected. A few other scientists who got the same results were Binet (1890), Jastraw and Cairnes (1892) and Fitts and Simon (1949). According to the table shown above, the hypothesis mentioned above has been proved right. There is no significant difference between the: Division of attention between smokers and non-smokers in performing two tasks simultaneously. These results could be due to various reasons. The lifestyle of both smokers and non-smokers is the same. Their surroundings, their routines everything is very similar. Although minor differences will be present in the results due to differing mental abilities, everything else is the same. Hence their results or rather the levels of division of attention between ideally should not differ to a great extent. When we look at the tables closely we observe that the performance of two simple tasks (one physical and one mental) the loss of efficiency in the performance of tasks in non-smokers is lesser than that of smokers, whereas in the performance of two difficult tasks (one mental and one physical) the opposite case happens. The loss of efficiency is lesser for smokers when compared to non-smokers. When we look at the results of the tasks of difficult physical- easy mental or difficult mental and easy physical, they depended completely on the mental abilities of that person. There was no pattern that was followed. The hypothesis may not have been proved right as the all the students have not been smoking regularly for long. The effects might be seen more clearly if they had been smoking for longer. The brain functioning might be something that would be impaired only after a while. The impairment is not going to be sudden. There could have also been many intervening variables such as the weather, the students mood the surroundings, the situations and even the noise levels. All these affect the performance of the subject while performing a task. This particular research in this field gives the psychologists a base to build up future researches and ones which can be conducted in more depth. The same study can be conducted on an older population and the results can be matched and seen. Then it can be proven if age plays a major role in this research. As the subjects are older it is but natural that they have smoked for longer in their life which has been proved to reduce brain functioning. This study shows that there is no significant difference between smokers and non-smokers as well as girls and boys when it comes to the division of attention. REFERENCE Anstyl, O’Kearney, Salim, Sanden. Smoking as a Risk Factor for Dementia and Cognitive Decline: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies (2007) West, Robert and Shiffman, Saul (2007).Fast Facts: Smoking Cessation. Health Press Ltd. p.28 Hirsch, GL, et al., â€Å"Immediate effects of smoking on cardiorespiratory response to exercise,† Journal of Applied Physiology 58:1975-81, June 1985 Blair, SN, et al., â€Å"Relationship Between Exercise or Physical Activity and Other Health Behaviors,† Public Health Reports 100(2):172-180, March-April 1985; Faulkner, RA, et al., â€Å"The Relationship of Physical Activity to Smoking Characteristics in Canadian Men and Women,† Canadian Journal of Public Health 78(3):155-60, May-June 1987; Lazarus, NB, et al., â€Å"Smoking and Body Mass in the Natural History of Physical Activity: Prospective Evidence from the Alameda County Study, 1965-1974,† American Journal of Preventive Medicine 5(3):127-35, May-June 1989 Dishman, RK, et al., â€Å"The Determinants of Physical Activity and Exercise,† Public Health Reports 100(2):158-71, March-April 1985 Winnail, SD, et al., â€Å"Relationship Between Physical Activity Level and Cigarette, Smokeless Tobacco, and Marijuana Use Among Public High School Adolescents,† Journal of School Health 65(10):438-442, December 1995 http://www.holah.karoo.net/sampling.htm The Effects of Tobacco Smoke and Nicotine on Cognition and the Brain, Gary E. Swan, Christina N. Lessov-Schlaggar On thedivisionofattention: A disproof of the single channel hypothesis, D. Alan Allporta,Barbara AntonisaPatricia Reynolds Smoking and attention: A review and reformulation of the stimulus-filter hypothesis, Jon D. Kassel Cigarette smoking and cognitive performance, George J. Spilich, Lorraine June, Judith Renner. Smoking Rots the Brain Lowers Cognitive Performance November 29, 2012 http://scitechdaily.com/smoking-rots-the-brain-lowers-cognitive-performance/ 1