The Acceptance of a Multinational Philosophy of Business Research Paper

The Acceptance of a Multinational Philosophy of Business - Research Paper Example Disney should use advertising research and brand equity research, demand estimation and buyer decision research. As a basis of gaining intelligence, marketing research can be wasteful as well as useful. Besides limiting risk, marketing research is itself a genuine business risk, but one that must be undertaken. To have the best chance of success, it must be conducted by people who have a solid understanding of company needs as well as the needs of customers. It requires effective communication between top management and the research staff, and a management willing to overcome biases and predispositions in order to institute programs based on research findings (Hollensen, 2007). The utilization of computer technology, coupled with better research techniques, has greatly increased the facts available. But large masses of data can also prove to be disruptive. Managers can be inundated with facts. Marketing management is thus challenged to develop an integrated marketing information syst em to provide the intelligence and knowledge required for both short-term marketing goals and longer-range company needs, in order to eliminate unnecessary data. In addition to marketing research in any company, related manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, marketing research agencies, advertising agencies, trade associations, governmental agencies, universities, financial institutions (including banks), and chambers of commerce all provide useful research data and information for solving marketing problems. For instance, research agencies buy the data from supermarket chains and in turn sell data on the movement of food items through chain stores and their warehouses.

(Choose one question) which you are interesting and I get good marks Essay

(Choose one question) which you are interesting and I get good marks. 1.How might the type of good exported affect the growth - Essay Example A country may be in a better position to export a certain product or services for various reasons. A country can export products and services if it is the single supplier of a certain product, particularly when it has access to natural resources that other are not endowed with. Some countries are also in a better position to make a certain product at a fairly lower cost than other countries .The reason is that a country may have the absolute advantage in producing a certain product over others. Absolute advantage in international trade implies that a country can produce a product at a cheaper price than others. The concept of balance of trade results from the import export business. Balance of trade is the difference between the quantity of exports and the quantity of imports. When exports exceed imports, trade surplus results while a trade deficit results when the quantity of imports exceeds that of exports. There exist two types of final products for export. Traditional products, w hich are produced using labour intensive skills, and high-tech products which are made using differentiated intermediate goods (Andersen & Babula, 2008, p. 10). When a country engages in international trade, it registers economic growth especially when its products are in high demand. Factors determining export led growth include demand, competitiveness and the rate of exchange. Growth is initiated by an increase in demand for exports. If the spread effects are potent as the export sector grows so the domestic sectors will too. Spread effects refer to prosperity flowing from exporting products and services in international trade. The competitiveness of a country’s product increases the demand for exports. This implies that the demand for what a country sells increases. Depreciation in the rate of exchange makes exports more competitive, thereby increasing demand. Depreciation of the exchange depends on the elasticity of demand for exports (Felipe, 2010, p. 260). The depreciat ion of a country’s currency in international trade depends with the changes in demand of a country’s exports. Opening up trade can improve the allocation of resources, eventually changing the production function upwards and increasing the per capita income level. Production function relates the output of a country to the amount of inputs. Input in this case refers to capital and labor as factors of production. Production function also refers to the relationship in which output increases as more units of input are employed in production. There is a relationship between international competitiveness if a country’s export and economic growth. Keynesian perspective explains this kind of growth as being demand-driven and that exports make up the exogenous component of collective demand that propels income growth. Exogenous component in this context refers to external/foreign/international components that drive internal growth of a company. Additionally, a fast growth of exports and output tends to set up a virtuous circle of growth through the connection between output growth and production growth. From a neoclassical endogenous growth point of view, a connection between exports and growth may be vindicated since the opening up of trade may be an incentive to a higher rate of endogenous technological change. A study conducted by Maizels in 1963 established a noteworthy relationship between the relative growth of the prime industrial nations and their share of the global export market in manufactures (Meliciani, 2001, p.

Safe Guarding Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Safe Guarding Children - Essay Example Sometimes, issues of safety of the child arise, and thus they cannot be raised by their natural parents. In such cases, the children’s Act also made provision for children to be cared for by the local authorities (Great Britain: Department of Health, 2003). The Act goes as far as spelling out the various responsibilities that the local authorities will then have towards the children in their care. A revision of the Children’s Act, 1994, enhanced the Act by giving a legal basis for the program known as ‘Every Child Matters’, which is a government initiative (Baginsky, 2008). This review of the Children’s Act totally changed how the children’s services were formed and organised in the United Kingdom, and affected the formation of Children's Trusts. The basic policy guidance of the Children’s Act involves the non-statutory and statutory directions enclosed in the ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ program. This agenda, w hich was launched in 1999, and reviewed in the years 2006 and 2010, clarifies how individuals as well as children’s organisations should work jointly to protect children’s welfare according to the stipulations of the relevant legislation (Barlow and Scott, 2010). The new draft of the Children’s Act has three different documents which address: Working in concert to protect the rights of children: This is a draft that explains what actions children’s organisations are expected to take whether working alone or mutually with each other, in advancing the rights of children and protecting them Overseeing individual cases: This gives the outline for the evaluation of the cases of children in need as well as their families Statutory leadership in learning and development: This addresses the suggested arrangements for the review of Serious Cases of suspected child abuse (Corby, 2006). It also handles examinations of child deaths and other learning procedures that are directed by the Local Safeguarding Children Organisations. Emerging Theories on Child Abuse Many researchers have carried out numerous studies on the problem of child abuse in the past. These numerous researches have produced theories that seek to address the reason why child abuse takes place. The most recent of these theories are: The Social Learning Theory: This concept stresses the notion of the 'cycle of violence'. According to this premise, behaviour or human conduct is learned in two ways:Â   Either by a person being rewarded for his or her actions, which is also known as instrumental learning Or by a person watching and copying the behaviour of people around him or her A number of researchers presume that mistreated children learn to mistreat others through these two ways, and exhibit the same violent characteristics in adulthood. This sequence of learned aggression is usually identified as the intergenerational spread of violence or the ‘cycle of violence’ . The extensive function of the theory of the cycle of violence, however, has been challenged. This is due to the fact that approximately 20-30% of victims of child abuse become abusers who regularly exhibit criminal behaviour in adulthood (Howe, 2005). Staged interventions that are carried out on the basis of the social learning theory usually have the aim of putting an end to all existing forms of abuse, as well as checking any child abuse in the

(Choose one question) which you are interesting and I get good marks Essay

(Choose one question) which you are interesting and I get good marks. 1.How might the type of good exported affect the growth - Essay Example A country may be in a better position to export a certain product or services for various reasons. A country can export products and services if it is the single supplier of a certain product, particularly when it has access to natural resources that other are not endowed with. Some countries are also in a better position to make a certain product at a fairly lower cost than other countries .The reason is that a country may have the absolute advantage in producing a certain product over others. Absolute advantage in international trade implies that a country can produce a product at a cheaper price than others. The concept of balance of trade results from the import export business. Balance of trade is the difference between the quantity of exports and the quantity of imports. When exports exceed imports, trade surplus results while a trade deficit results when the quantity of imports exceeds that of exports. There exist two types of final products for export. Traditional products, w hich are produced using labour intensive skills, and high-tech products which are made using differentiated intermediate goods (Andersen & Babula, 2008, p. 10). When a country engages in international trade, it registers economic growth especially when its products are in high demand. Factors determining export led growth include demand, competitiveness and the rate of exchange. Growth is initiated by an increase in demand for exports. If the spread effects are potent as the export sector grows so the domestic sectors will too. Spread effects refer to prosperity flowing from exporting products and services in international trade. The competitiveness of a country’s product increases the demand for exports. This implies that the demand for what a country sells increases. Depreciation in the rate of exchange makes exports more competitive, thereby increasing demand. Depreciation of the exchange depends on the elasticity of demand for exports (Felipe, 2010, p. 260). The depreciat ion of a country’s currency in international trade depends with the changes in demand of a country’s exports. Opening up trade can improve the allocation of resources, eventually changing the production function upwards and increasing the per capita income level. Production function relates the output of a country to the amount of inputs. Input in this case refers to capital and labor as factors of production. Production function also refers to the relationship in which output increases as more units of input are employed in production. There is a relationship between international competitiveness if a country’s export and economic growth. Keynesian perspective explains this kind of growth as being demand-driven and that exports make up the exogenous component of collective demand that propels income growth. Exogenous component in this context refers to external/foreign/international components that drive internal growth of a company. Additionally, a fast growth of exports and output tends to set up a virtuous circle of growth through the connection between output growth and production growth. From a neoclassical endogenous growth point of view, a connection between exports and growth may be vindicated since the opening up of trade may be an incentive to a higher rate of endogenous technological change. A study conducted by Maizels in 1963 established a noteworthy relationship between the relative growth of the prime industrial nations and their share of the global export market in manufactures (Meliciani, 2001, p.

The Role of Geology in Influencing Water Chemistry Essay Example for Free

The Role of Geology in Influencing Water Chemistry Essay Water is and remains one of the important wants of the people, animals and the nature at large. Without water, they would be no life. Water is an unusual compound which has unique physical properties, and this makes it the compound of life, yet it’s the most abundant compound in the earth’s biosphere. The chemistry of  water  deals with the fundamental chemical property and information about water. Water chemistry can elaborate in terms of the following subtitles: composition of water, Structure, and bonding, Molecular Vibration, as well as geological composition and properties of water among many other aspects of water chemistry (Krauskopf and Bird, 1994). Geology  is often responsible for how much water  filters below the zone of saturation, making the water table easy to measure. Light,  porous  rocks can hold more water than heavy,  dense  rocks. An area underlain with  pumice, a very light and porous rock, is more likely to hold a fuller aquifer and provide a clearer measurement for a water table. The water table of an area underlain with hard  granite  or  marble may be much more difficult to  assess (Krauskopf and Bird, 1994). Hypothesis: surficial geology controls the chemistry of surface waters Introduction Water quality has become one of the essential aspects in life, and it’s defined in terms of the chemical, biological and physical composition of the geological factor. The water quality of rivers, lakes and many other water source changes from one geographical location to another. This is due to difference in the geological composition of the places, i.e., the rocks beneath the earths surface are different and in turn different quality in water quality. However, various factors influence water chemistry in the world (Drever, 1982). One of such vital elements is ‘geology’. This is the science deals with the dynamics and physical history of the earths’, the rock that makes the earths crust, and the physical, chemical, and biological changes that the earth undergoes or has undergone. In other words, geology is the science entails the study of rock-solid Earth, the  rocks  of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change. This branch of scien ce is one of vital and major contributing factor in the water chemistry. In order to understand the impact of geology on the water chemistry, this paper will look into the ground water (Drever, 1982). Clear understanding of the nature of the bedrock layers of the region is essential as geology is in determining the quality and quantity of ground water that can be obtained from the underground at any given location. For example, in some parts of the earth, the bedrock consists of sedimentary layers of rocks that have profuse pore spaces between mineral grains. The rock layers can form creatively wide aquifers, or conduits for groundwater movement, that are of predictable depths, and from which apparently indefinite quantities of high-quality groundwater can be obtained. In such areas, groundwater is the clear way out for public water needs (Frape et al, 1984). Bedrock geology helps in determining the distribution and density of underground water-bearing fissures, as well as the nature  of the soils that are obtained from the rock weathering. Different types of rocks contain more or less fractures that may or may not be interconnected with each other. The degree of interconnection among fractures, and their overall ability to move water, has a great deal to do with how productive a water well will be that intersects the fractures. Different rocks also make different soils when they weather, and the type of soil influences its ability to absorb rainwater that falls on the surface, and transmit the water to bedrock fractures beneath (Cooke et al, 2012). The composition of the underground water as well as the surface water is dependent on natural factors, (geological, topographical, meteorological, hydrological, and biological) in the drainage basin and varies with seasonal differences in runoff volumes, weather conditions, and water levels. The quality is, however, affected by both natural and human influences. The most vital or importance of the natural influences is geological, hydrological and climatic, since this affects both quality and quantity of the water available. Underground water is held in the pore space of sediments such as sands or gravels or in the fissures of fractured rock such as crystalline rock and limestone. The rocky body containing the water is termed an aquifer and the upper water level in the saturated body is termed the water table. Typically, groundwater’s have a steady flow pattern. Velocity is governed mainly by the porosity and permeability of the material through which the water flows, and is often up to several orders of magnitude less than that of surface water, as a result mixing is poor (Cooke et al, 2012). The rock or sediment in an aquifer is denoted by the permeability and porosity, whereby permeability is the measure of the ease with which fluids passes through the rocks. On the other hand, porosity is the ratio of pores and fissure volume to the total volume of the rock. The chemical composition of the rocks greatly influences the chemical composition of water. The different types of aquifers explain this difference in water chemistry all over the places (John, 1990). Underground formations are three types, hard crystalline rocks, and consolidated sedimentary and unconsolidated sediments. The example of hard crystalline rocks includes granites, gneisses, quartzite’s, schist’s, and a few rocks from volcanic rocks. These rocks have little or no porosity but it is further enhanced by weathering. For example, ground water in volcanic formations in regions of recent volcanic activity is mostly inhibited with fluoride, and boron elements, which makes it unsuitable uses. Chemical properties of the bedrock greatly influence the chemical properties and water chemistry. For example, water acidity is highly determined by the drift of the bedrock geology. The following example examines the influence of bedrock and soils on water acidity. When the bedrock constitutes of carbonates, the solution of the minerals assimilates H+ ions and hence acidifying water as water percolates through the rocks. CaCO3 + H+ = Ca2+ +HCO3 this results to acidified wa ter (John, 1990). Effect of Total Dissolved Solids in Groundwater A body of saturated rocks through where water can easily move is known as an aquifer. Aquifers contain rocks such as sandstone, conglomerate, fractured limestone and unconsolidated sand and gravel which are both permeable and porous. In addition, fractured volcanic rocks, i.e. columnar basalts also make good aquifers (John, 1990). Underground water tastes dissimilar from one place to the other or else at different times of the year for several reasons. In exploring those reasons, the paper looks first consider why water from one well might be different from another well, even one that is close by. What dictates groundwater taste is the quantity and type of dissolved minerals in it. In other words, this isn’t pure water as pure water has no dissolved minerals and hence does not occur naturally. The amount and type of minerals that are dissolved in water is what gives waters their initial taste. There are different factors that control the dissolved minerals in the ground water. (I) The type of minerals, making up the aquifer, (II) the chemical state of the ground water, (III), the duration or length of time which water makes contact with the minerals and the rocks (Frape et al, 1984). As the rain water passes through different types aquifers, it results in a different chemical composition of water. Almost all groundwater comes from precipitation that soaks into the soil and passes down to the aquifers. Within the aquifer, the groundwater moves not as an underground stream, but rather seeping between and around individual soil and rock particles. Rainwater has a slightly acidic pH; therefore it tends to dissolve solid minerals in the soil and in the aquifers. Sandstone, limestone and basalt all have different minerals. Therefore it is rational to expect groundwater in contact with these different geologic materials to have different chemical compositions {factor (1) above} and therefore different tastes. In addition, the length the groundwater is in contact with the minerals, the greater the extent of its reaction with those minerals and the higher will be the content of dissolved minerals (John, 1990). The table below can be used to illustrate the effect of mineral in water hence determining water chemistry. The table illustrates typical natural water compositions, from rainwater to seawater, groundwater in different aquifers, to groundwater that has been in contact with the aquifer for different periods of time. Table 1.0 A B C D E F G H Ca 0.7 0.65 240 399 145 6.6 3.10 4530 Mg 1.1 0.14 7200 1340 54 1.1 0.7 162 Na 9.5 0.56 83500 10400 ~27 ~37 3.02 2730 K 0.11 4060 370 ~2 ~3 1.08 32.0 Bicarbonate 4 250 27 620 75 20 56 Sulfate 7.5 2.2 16400 186 60 15 1.0 1.0 Chloride 17 0.57 140000 19020 52 17 0.5 12600 Silica 0.3 48 3 21 103 16.4 8.5 TDS 38 4.7 254000 35000 665 221 35 20330 PH 5.4 7.5 6.6 6.2 6.5 Table 1; key Examples of the composition of natural water from a variety of locations and environments (all concentrations given in milligrams/liter). TDS = total dissolved solids. A dash (-) indicates that the component was not detected or the water was not analyzed for this constituent. A tilde (~) indicates that the analysis is approximate only (John, 1990). Key to the Analyses: (A) Rainwater from Menlo Park, California; (B) Average rainwater from sites in North Carolina and Virginia; (C) Great Salt Lake, Utah; (D) Average seawater; (E) Groundwater from limestone of the Supai Formation, Grand Canyon; (F) Groundwater from volcanic rocks, New Mexico; (G) Groundwater from a spring, Sierra Nevada Mountains: short residence time; (H) Groundwater from metamorphic rocks in Canada: long-residence time. Chemical State of Ground Water A large amount of the seasonal and natural water quality disparities we observe are the result of small but considerable alterations in the chemical state of groundwater. The chemical state of groundwater is generally defined in terms of parameters such as, the temperature, oxidation-reduction potential, and PH. These three factors are greatly influenced by chemical reactions between the aquifer materials and the ground water, hence changing the water chemistry in the common water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, etc. the chemical composition of the aquifer greatly controls the physical properties of water such as color, hardness, taste, odor and appearance (John, 1990). Table 1.1 Water Characteristics and Its Causes (John, 1990) Characteristics or Symptoms Cause(s) Hardness: Low suds production with soap, mineral scale developed in water heater and plumbing High concentrations of calcium and magnesium Color: Water has a color other than clear Red/Brown: iron Black: manganese or organic matter Yellow: dissolved organic matter such as tannins Taste: Metallic or mineral taste Metallic: dissolved metals such as iron and manganese Mineral taste: high concentration of common minerals such as sodium, Chloride, sulfate, calcium, etc. Odor: Musty or rotten egg smell Musty: algae or bacterial growth pipes or well Rotten egg: hydrogen sulfide Appearance: cloudy with or without color Suspended mineral matter or microorganisms Control the chemical composition of groundwater. For example, the total dissolved solids (TDS) in groundwater, largely derived from aquifer minerals that dissolve in groundwater, will change significantly as a function of temperature and PH. Temperature. At any given temperature, there is a specific concentration of a dissolved mineral constituent in the groundwater that is in contact with that mineral. The actual concentration is temperature dependent, e.g., at higher temperatures, groundwater can dissolve more of the mineral. Even changes in groundwater temperature of only 5 to 10 C can cause detectable changes in TDS (John, 1990). The Natural pH of Groundwater, The pH is a determination of the acidity of groundwater: the lower the pH value, the more acidic the water is and vice versa (a measure of the hydrogen ion (H+) availability). At a pH of 7, water is said to be neutral. Natural rainwater is slightly acidic because it combines with carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, forming carbonic acid (H2CO3) according to the reaction (1) H2O + CO2 = H2CO3. Some of the carbonic acid in the rainwater disassociates or breaks down according to the reaction (2), H2CO3 = HCO- + H+ producing bicarbonate (HCO-) and H+. This in turn reduces the PH of the rain water. In addition, the acidic water that is formed is able to dissolve more of the minerals in the aquifers hence greatly contributing to the change of water chemistry. The more amount of CO2 in the atmosphere the more acidic the water becomes (Verdonschot, 2013). Composition of the Earth’s Crust, The relative abundance of elements in the crustal material of the Earth has been a subject of much interest to chemists for many years. Although the subject of natural-water chemistry is only indirectly concerned with these averages, a knowledge of rock composition is essential to understanding the chemical composition of natural water, and it is therefore desirable to discuss the subject briefly. The Earth is generally considered to be made up of an iron-rich core surrounded by a thick mantle made up of magnesium- and iron-rich silicates and a thin outer crust made up of rather extensively reworked silicates and other minerals. Reversible and Irreversible Reactions in Water Chemistry, Many kinds of chemical reactions can be important in establishing and maintaining the composition of natural water. Concepts that are appropriate for evaluating these processes differ somewhat depending on the nature of the reactions involved. Therefore, some at tention needs to be given to reaction types here, although this cannot be a rigorous classification scheme (Verdonschot, 2013). Different types of rocks and the impact to the water chemistry There are three major types or classes of rocks, namely, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. The three are different from each other as they also have varying differences in terms of impact to the water chemistry. To start with, sedimentary rocks are rocks formed from particles of pebbles, shells, sand and other fragments. The different particles are brought together and hence called sediment, whereby they accumulate for a long time and in layers over a long time forming a rock (Verdonschot, 2013). Generally, sedimentary rocks are fairly soft and may in turn break or crumble easily. You can often see sand, pebbles, or stones in the rock and it are usually the only type that contains fossils. Examples of this rock type include conglomerate and limestone among many other rocks. These rocks contain a lot of minerals much of which are soluble in water. As the rain water passes through the rocks, the minerals are absorbed and in turn contributing to the changing or different water chemi stry from one region to the other. For example, carbonate-cemented sandstone that is composed largely of silica in the form of quartz might yield water containing mostly calcium and bicarbonate ions (Geology.com, 2014). One type of rocks under the class sedimentary is the chemical sedimentary rocks. This is formed when minerals dissolved in the water starts to precipitate forming a rock of minerals. However, not all minerals do precipitate and in turn become part of the water in the lakes and rivers. Many resistant sedimentary rocks are permeable and may, therefore, easily receive and transmit solutes acquired by water from some other type of rock. In the course of moving through the sedimentary formations, several kinds of alteration processes may occur that may influence the composition of the transmitted water (Verdonschot, 2013). Fig 1.0 sedimentary rock image (Geology.com, 2014) The 2nd type of rocks is the Metamorphic, these are rocks formed under the surface of the earth from the changes which are caused by intense heat and pressure. Rocks formed through this process are mostly denoted by ribbon like layers and may also have shiny crystals that grow slowly over time. A good example of this rock type includes gneiss and marble. Fig 1.1 an image of a metamorphic rock (Geology.com, 2014) Lastly, there is the ‘Igneous’. These are rocks formed when molten rock deep within the earth (magma) cools and hardens. This cooling and hardening may occur either inside the earth’s crust or else it blows up onto the earth’s surface from volcanoes (in this case, it is called lava). When the lava cools very quickly, there are no crystals form and the rock looks shiny and glasslike. Occasionally gas bubbles are ensnared in the rock all through the cooling process, leaving tiny holes and spaces in the rock (Buynevich, 2011). Examples of these rocks include basalt and obsidian. Igneous rocks consist predominantly of silicate minerals. As the solutions move through the soil and the underlying rock, the composition of the water should be expected to change. Rocks of igneous origin may be classified as extrusive or intrusive. Both the extrusive and intrusive rocks are further classified by geologists on the basis of chemical and mineral composition, texture, and other characteristics. Rocks of the same chemical and mineral composition have different names, but tend to yield similar weathering products to the water. Fig 1.2 images of an igneous rock (granite) (Geology.com, 2014) Many of the rocks in the three classes contain numerous chemicals which contribute to the defining of water chemistry in one way or another. In ground water composition, seven solutes are the most commonly found salts in metals. These seven solutes make up nearly 95 percent of all water solutes (Buynevich, 2011). These salts include calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), sulfate (SO4), and bicarbonate (HCO3). Sodium is derived from the dissolution of silicate minerals, such as plagioclase feldspars, which make up some of the sand and gravel that fill the water basin. Potassium is derived from the dissolution of some silicate minerals in granitic rocks and from reactions with some clay minerals. Few reactions remove these seven solutes from ground water. However, some minerals, such as calcite CaCO3, can precipitate from solution to form a solid phase (Buynevich, 2011). Conclusion The interpretation of the water chemistry data has become vital and most reliably made within the conceptual framework on the ground water system that has been derived from several additional types of hydrologic and geologic data, such as water levels, that indicate general directions of ground-water flow. One of the major aspects of the geology of the human is the fact that it helps in maintaining the quality of water supplies. This helps understand the sources of water and in turn protect them from pollution. In addition, it helps in determining the suitability for various uses such as drinking, farming among many other uses (Dissanayake Chandrajith, 2009). The chemistry of lakes, rivers, oceans, and stream water in many regions is strongly associated with the character and circulation of geologic materials in the watershed. For example, the dominance of glacial till and granitic gneiss rock in the North and East of Big Moose Lake region results in a geologically sensitive terrain distinguished by low alkalinity and chemical compositions of the surface water with only slightly modified from ambient precipitation. On the contrary, widespread deposits of substantial glacial till in the lower part of the system (e.g. Moss-Cascade Valley) allow for much infiltration of precipitation into the groundwater system where weathering reactions increase alkalinity and extensively alters water chemistry. In references to the hypothesis, ‘surficial geology controls the chemistry of surface waters’ holds true as seen in the water composition of different regions as the water chemistry and watershed being determined by the geological facto rs (Dissanayake Chandrajith, 2009). References Drever, J.I., 2000. The Geochemistry of Natural Waters. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 388p. Frape, S.K., Fritz, P., and McNutt, R.H., 1984. Water-rock interaction and chemistry of Groundwater from the Canadian Shield. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 48, pp. 1617-1627. Heath, R.C., 1990. Basic Ground-Water Hydrology. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2220, 84p. Hem, J.D., 1992. Study and Interpretation of the Chemical Characteristics of Natural Water. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2254. Krauskopf, K.B., with Bird, D.K., 1994. Introduction to Geochemistry, 3 ed. McGraw-Hill, rd New York, 640p. Dissanayake, C. B., Chandrajith, R. (2009).  Introduction to medical geology: Focus on tropical environment. Berlin: Springer. Buynevich, I. V. (2011).  Geology and geoarchaeology of the Black Sea Region: Beyond the flood hypothesis. Boulder, Colo: Geological Society of America. Allanson, B. R. (1990).  Inland waters of southern Africa: An ecological perspective. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Gunn, A. M., Babbitt, B. (2001).  The impact of geology on the United States: A reference guide to benefits and hazards. Westport, Conn. [u.a.: Greenwood Press. Rost, A. L., Fritsen, C. H., Davis, C. J. (2011). Distribution of freshwater diatom Didymosphenia geminata in streams in the Sierra Nevada, USA, in relation to water chemistry and bedrock geology.  Hydrobiologia,  665(1), 157-167. Verdonschot, P. P., Spears, B. B., Feld, C. C., Brucet, S. S., Keizer-Vlek, H. H., Borja, A. A., Johnson, R. R. (2013). A comparative review of recovery processes in rivers, lakes, estuarine and coastal waters.  Hydrobiology,  704(1), 453-474. Cooke, G. M., Chao, N. L., Beheregaray, L. B. (2012). Natural selection in the water: freshwater invasion and adaptation by water colour in the Amazonian pufferfish.  Journal Of Evolutionary Biology,  25(7), 1305-1320. Dittman, J., Driscoll, C. (2009). Factors influencing changes in mercury concentrations in lake water and yellow perch ( Perca flavescens) in Adirondack lakes.  Biogeochemistry,  93(3), 179-196. Geology.com. News and Information about Geology and Earth Science. Retrieved from: http://geology.com/ John D. Hem. (1990) Study and Interpretation of the Chemical Characteristics of Natural Water. Third Edition. Department Of The Interior William P. Clark, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Dallas L. Peck, Director Source document

Relationship Between Information Rich in Information Poor

Relationship Between Information Rich in Information Poor 1. Introduction In order to discuss Feathers chapter 5 â€Å"information rich and information poor† conclusion of his book â€Å"The information Society, a study of continuity and change†, we need to understand what actually is information rich and information poor in relation to information society. We need to analyze what the political dilemma is; is it only a political dimension related issue within the information society? Is it a choice? And if there is, which way should be chosen and consider as politically correct? And finally we need to find what other real opportunities or options are given to us. This certainly is a discussion full of perplexity on which I will argue that despite the geo-political discrepancies between developing countries and developed countries the â€Å"digital divide† is not sine qua non to socio-economic political decisions anymore but has evolved in the past years into an Auto-Democratisation and Liberalisation and should be bridged by a more eff icient and targeted educational plan, internationally applied beyond any economical barriers. 2. Defining what information society is The Internet is the only mass medium that is newly created in the second half of last century and as Mehra (2004) says, the internet has tremendous potential to achieve greater social equity and empowerment and improve everyday life for those on the margins of society. The acceleration of development in information and communication technology over the last decade has a major impact on social, political, cultural or economical issues. What is the role being played by the Internet in the information society? The Internet is nowadays seen as the pivotal point of view of the â€Å"information society† and can be regarded as a reflection of our daily reality with its multiple opportunities and danger. The â€Å"information society† produces a â€Å"class division†, a clash between people who havent access to the majority of knowledge and those who are â€Å"information rich†, contributing to the economic wealth. This gap between â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have-nots†, between â€Å"information rich† and â€Å"information poor† keeps increasing and has radical effects of changing or at least substantially affecting our society. A more critical definition of â€Å"information society† given at BusinessDictionary.com combines both: Post-industrial society in which information technology (IT) is transforming every aspect of cultural, political, and social life and which is based on the production and distribution of information. It is characterized by the pervasive influence of IT on home, work, and recreational aspects of the individuals daily routine, stratification into new classes those who are information-rich and those who are information-poor It is generally referred to as the â€Å"digital divide† terminology: â€Å"the gap between those people who have Internet access and those who do not† Collins English Dictionary (2003). With a slightly differentiation Mehra (2004) uses adjectives and add the technical aspect of computers to this definition. Looking at the multiple and almost identical definitions of â€Å"information society† and its inextricable â€Å"digital divide† we can conclude that by â€Å"digital divide† it is meant the splitting of those who use or not use Internet resources. the â€Å"have-nots† cannot access computers and Internet resources and therefore are disadvantaged, falling into a an unequal position compared to the †haves†, the one who gains access to information throughout new technologies and therefore participate actively to the social, political, cultural and economical life. This concept comes from â€Å"information society† theorists, which predicts an exceptional social impact on the product society, Webster (2006). Herbert Schillers corporate capitalism (p. 128), Jà ¼rgen Habermass public sphere (p. 163), Anthony Giddenss surveillance and reflexive modernisation (p.206), post-modernist Jean Baudrillards signs signification (p. 244) or Zygmunt Baumans liquid life (p. 260), not to forget Daniel Bells post-industrial society, techniques and technologies of production, change from Primary Industries such as agriculture and industrialism to post-industrialism, are the basis for evidence that technology is central for the productivity increase and resulting economic wealth, referred as Technological determinism. (p. 120). Manuel Castells on the other hand with his network society is focusing on social plurality; leaving the old working class concepts and stratification structures behind, bringing to it new Parameters like flexibility and adaptabilit y and herewith become informational Labour, referred as informational Capitalism. (p. 100) 3. Are â€Å"Haves† and â€Å"Have-nots† always â€Å"information-rich† and â€Å"information poor†? Looking at the given definitions it would almost imply that people having a computer and Internet access would automatically be seen as haves, but sometimes in developing countries and certainly in developed countries were consumers widely have access to these technologies we meet situations where they are not considered as information rich. We should look at a different approach and formalise the differentiation within our daily reality. The â€Å"Information poor† are consumers who use traditional mass media information such as television, DVDs, radios and magazines. They possess a wide range of electronic devices, MP3 players, PDAs, game consoles and other computing machines. They are considered as passive consumers of information and nowadays as passive users of new technologies, downloading digital e-books, listening to their favourite music, playing computer games, reading the last international news. But they do not interact nor create any of this provided Information and are certainly not involved in decision taking. On the opposite â€Å"information rich† stands for a new elite within the information society. They are involved into acquiring and processing information, using web 2.0 online applications, producing personalised journals on community platforms, elaborating group discussions in forums with a certain level of knowledgeable competence. They are acting at manager levels thanks to their acquired knowledge and overall literacy. They are the protagonists of this ever-growing information and technology society who possesses the knowhow of Selective processing, generating and distributing information. This selective process of evaluating provided information is determined by the consumers rather than the producers. Consumers pull out the information that fits their needs to increase the value of the already acquired information. They allocates their own criteria of values to the chosen information, they can absorb in its totality, the Values could also reach a certain level of accumulation where the effective processing of it becomes then ineffective, considered as â€Å"information overload†, but the average â€Å"information rich† does know how to handle this, as I will deepen later. Do it now â€Å"The limit is the sky† would be a perfect slogan on planet Utopia where every active user would have become â€Å"information rich†, information access would have been made unlimited, where the knowledge boundaries would be bridged on an information rainbow but on planet Earth our economical reality becomes a barrier where the consumers are blocked by the depth of that availability made in the acquisition of the needed information. Some are available for free supplied by institutions and governmental authorities, some are partially available for publicity purposes (book retailers, information providers) and others specifically recognised to be accessible only with subscriptions or tuition fees. This brings us to the undeniable fact that information consumers are forced to accept the concept of economical value attributed to information by its producer or provider and herewith underline the political dilemma the â€Å"information society† is confronted with. Information itself contributes to extend the already existing gap between developing countries and developed ones. We could not agree more on Feathers statementthat the comparative success of the information-rich economies, and the relative weakness of those that are comparatively information poor, is in itself an argument for the importance of information. The attributed values to information are considered by information society theorists to be one aspect of the evolution of social economic societies; social, political and cultural wealth have always been mirrors of strong economic powers where it could flourish and participate to its economical success. Following Feathers analysis on developing countries, development and exploitation of information technology has become indispensable and value of information fundamental, as shown with Japan, Singapore and Korea, were scientific and economic information are largely accessible and beneficially contribute to primordial economic changes. But unlike these three economically successful Asian countries, major differentiation could also be seen within industrialized countries; between the northern highly agriculturized countries and the Southern ones, accessibility ofinformation resources on comparative basis, the consumer gains from information evaluation but also could suffer in detriment of its productivity. To what extent information becomes one of the tools and enhances already existing knowledge to improve long used agricultural and industrial processes. Information does not become the centre of its economical wealth while contributes to it. The awareness based on analysis of acquired information and its resulting decisions to an enhancement or changes in primer sectors economy corroborates the views information helps â€Å"economic societies† but does not evolve to an â€Å"information society† as such. 4. The digital divide as political dimension The question if Internet opens emancipatory possibilities or whether further enlarges the gap that already exists between the â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have-nots† remains controversial. You will not achieve equality by providing each Third World villagers, ethnic minorities or other â€Å"have-nots† with a computer and Internet access. Access to information communication technology cannot be seen as a standalone solution. The origins of this disparity are far deepening within their educational, socio-cultural and socio-economical problems as Berude (2005) explains. Early Finding by the Orbicom initiative, Sciadas (2003) in collaboration with the Canadian International Development Agency, the InfoDev Programme of the World Bank and UNESCO, shows definitively the enormity of digital divide, separating the â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have-nots† countries by many decades of development, mainly concentrated in Africa but some of them also in the Asian area. Desp ite the fact that the digital divide is generally speaking closing, this report shows that the progress made between the poorest and the â€Å"in-between† countries was not sufficient to close this disparity, while â€Å"upper-middle† countries made distinctive progress to the top and herewith widen the overall gap between the very rich and very poor, and this regardless of the acquisition of ICT and installing new fibreglass high debit telephone lines. There is an undeniable necessity to acquire research skills, literacy skills or generally related computer skills before a user can be called an internaut, a protagonist: The use of Internet requires a much higher literacy skill than traditional media like television, radio or magazines in order to find analyse and process the requested information. There is no title page with table of contents (publications) and no fixed schedule (television, radio) on the Internet. The Internet is basically a â€Å"pull medium† where targeting specific information, articles, research strategies and selective thinking are necessary. Media literacy can therefore be considered as a barrier to Internet access, and this in any type of consumer groups, not only in developing countries but also in our Western countries. Unless there are strong political wills were ICT is recognized by governments as a development tool, were significant efforts are made in education, introduction to ICT in schools, were teaching programs are developed, these countries will not have any significant economical growth. In developed countries the Internet was mainly of layers with higher incomes and educational levels. ENLARGE VIEW while the population in many developing countries are totally excluded from access to the Internet. ENLARGE VIEW 5. Other opportunities and options The danger of such a gap within the society cannot be minimized that easily and solutions offered by public institutions like â€Å"Internet access for all† in public libraries, set up of information communication technologies within public schools or private funded projects like Microsoft founder Bill Gates â€Å"one computer for each children†, were the first stones set to cross the gap between information rich and information poor. But it unfortunately is not taking all citizens and generation groups into account. ENUMERE It is necessary to illuminate the different social perspectives which would integrate this socio-economical as well at it socio-cultural aspects in order to create an awareness of the complicity of this dilemma. Bourdieu already suggested and identified this perspective as overall capital. DESCRIBE According to Bourdieu (1993), the overall capital of different fractions of the social classes is composed of differing proportions of the various kinds of capital. It is mainly in relation to the middle and upper classes that Bourdieu elaborates this variation in volume and composition of the four types of capital These differences are a consequence of complex relationships between individual and class trajectories. Moreover, the values attached to the different forms of capital are stakes in the struggle between different class fractions Meritocratic teaching Particular attention should be thrown on the field of media education. The Internet, as an above medium influenced the perception of the users, the Media literacy is seen against the background of Info-Poor-/Info-Rich-effects. Thus, an Internet literacy can lead because of lack of cultural assimilation, for example when many senior citizens to information-poor effects. But even in children and adolescents in turn, the media education challenged when it comes to issues such as the ability, credibility with the media, particularly via the Internet to assess common information. 6. Conclusion By redefining socio-economic gaps between â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have-nots† and whether it is part of the political dilemma, the information society is on its way to become a powerful tool that could eradicate worlds poverty. Yet it the remaining problems are not only to be seen as a sociological struggle, but rather are perceived as a pedagogical challenge. 7. References Beasley-Murray, J. (2000, June 15). Value and Capital in Bourdieu and Marx. InI one-stop shopping for the real news. Retrieved December 30, 2009, from http://www.williambowles.info/sa/cultural_capital.html Berude, L. (2006). The Digital Divide, or Who Gets to Be Part of the Information Society? Multimedia Information and Technology Digital, 32(3), 26-33. Families, cultural resources and the digital divide: ICTs and educational advantage. (2003, April 1). Australian Journal of Education, 47, 18-39. Retrieved December 30, 2009, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6475/is_1_47/ai_n29004669 Feather, J. (2008). The Information Society: A Study of Continuity and Change (5 ed.). London: Facet Publishing. Sciadas, G. (2003). Monitoring the Digital Divideand Beyond. Montreal, Canada: Orbicom. Webster, F. (2006). Theories of the Information Society: Third Edition (International Library of Sociology). New York: Routledge. information society definition. (n.d.). BusinessDictionary.com Online Business Dictionary. Retrieved January 2, 2010, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/information-society.html

The Media Influence on Society Essay -- Media, social reform, class hi

The Media influence on society According to Noam Chomsky, â€Å"What lies behind us and before us are very small matters compare to what lies right to the face.† The issue of the media influence on society’s cultural structure has frequently been debated. The impact on the audience by the media influences the interpretations of social order. Also, the media goes hand in hand with American politics. The information provided by the media is controlled by business cooperates and their economic interest that is shared by political elites. The media is responsible for creating different classes with respect to appearance, color, economic status, religion, and with the help of politics, advertisement because of the media’s powerful influence on public perception, which directly or indirectly affects the consciousness of a human being. The media can be very biased about a story, advertisements, coverage on different social issues. The media Pundits and talk heads talk about thinks which will make a story interesting, outrageous and as incredible as possible just to make profit out of it. For example, the media reporting of the Iraqi war, also known as â€Å"War on Terrorism†, influenced Americans to unleash a sentiment of patriotism which lead to a feeling of intolerance against the Middle Eastern. On the other hand, the media ignored people smashing the stores of the Middle Eastern looking ethnicity people in America. The Middle Eastern looking human being is looked upon as terrorist and the media help this influence of apprehension to spread. Entertainment and public information seen to be two key roles of the media and it is the mirror of the society. The media claims that it shows what audiences want to see. In reality the media is a dus... ...often heard, â€Å"oh, Oakland is dangerous place to live because it is mostly black neighborhood and crime rate is very high.† Why black and crime is related to each other? The media labels certain group of society but providing false or incomplete information about them. The black people are labeled by the media as criminals and drug addicts. Therefore, one will not see a white family living in a black neighborhood. The most effective way to change public opinion is the media. But information provided by the media is illogical. In the media, the image tends to float around stereotypes that spot of a person in society is mostly a function of their own hard work and achievement or, in case of the poor, lack of efforts and attainments. Labeling different social groups of society is on the outcomes of the media and it simply describes America as a class biased nation.