Economic Factors That Influence Manager Decision Essay

Economic Factors That Influence Manager Decision - Essay Example As the paper explores it is important to understand that economic factors refer to the changes that take place in cost and prices of commodities, the exchange rates, inflation rate, and interest rates among others. In simple terms, they hamper the ability of an organization to generate profits thus often require to be monitored closely. According to the report findings organizations look at their budgets before setting out to start a project. This is because it will be able to give them an overview of the finances they have to carry out the project. However, there have been instances where organizations did not look at the resources they have due to myopic vision. Most of these leaders were driven by the interests that had been forecast if the project succeeds but did not want to look on the other side of what happens to the organization when the project fails. Take the case of Apple Inc in the 1990s when it was on the brink of bankruptcy because of the decisions that were being made by the management. It forced the board of members to employ back Steve Jobs who had parted ways with the organization. Therefore, this is just but an illustration of the importance of an organization working within its budgets in relation to the resources available. The aim of any business entity is to make profits, and if this does not take place, then there is no need of operating because it will mean that losses will be frequently incurred. This does not mean that the organization forgets there is a need to have a balance between maximization of profits and minimization of costs

Developing Shop Online in China Essay Example for Free

Developing Shop Online in China Essay I. The development of new technology A. The Internet communication skills B. Computer program systems 1. The feedback-based reputation system 2. The E-payment system II. The characteristics of shopping online A. Low-price strategy B. Diversity of products III. Some changes in people’s lifestyle A. Logistics development makes life more convenient B. People prefer to stay at home because of the Internet Developing Shopping Online in China Have you had a good experience of shopping online? It might have been common in the US; however, the only approach for Chinese to buy clothes or food was to go to the mall or supermarket ten years ago. Shopping online has become more and more popular in China and has been adopted as a common way to shop. A report, conducted by iResearch, an online market research company, said that the first year’s trade volume of Chinese online market soared 95.8% (as cited in Ding, 2009,  ¶2). People in China now prefer to click to the website, select products and make sure to purchase. There are two common types of e-commerce websites in China: B2C and C2C. B2C presents business-to-consumer, and C2C stands for consumer-to-consumer. A few e-commerce websites, such as Dangdang (www.dangdang.com.cn, the largest and most popular B2C website in China), and Taobao (www.taobao.com, the largest C2C website in China, owned by Alibaba.com), â€Å"have won great success and established good reputation among online consumers†(Lu, Zhou Bin, 2007,  ¶1). The reasons that shopping online has been developed and improved in such a high speed in China are the development of technology, the characteristics of shopping, and the improvement of people’s lifestyle. The first reason why shopping online has become a significant role in China is the development of the technology, such as network communication skills, e-payment system and the feedback-based reputation system. The Internet has had widespread effects on Chinese since it was first introduced into China in 1995. The Internet, a recent innovation, has become a significant intermediary for not only communication but also commerce. Compared with traditional shopping approaches, the features of the Internet will be considered by buyers, and people will think whether the characteristics of the Internet are preferred when shopping online (Joseph Dong, 2006,  ¶6). The three steps when consumers are shopping in the Internet are to click their mouse, search for what they want to buy, and make sure to purchase, while they even don’t have to talk to sellers. The convenience of the Internet leads shopping online to be the first choice. Moreover, most consumers are concerned with computer program systems related to payment safety or product reputation when shopping online. Such computer program systems have been set up to ensure consumers’ profits. A lot of online shopping websites, such as eBay.com and Taobao.com use feedback-based reputation system, in which the sellers’ and buyers’ reputation and credit will be recorded and marked based on transaction in the past. It means a lot in online C2C market, and the seller will be trusted if s/he has a good reputation, which brings about good sales (Bo, Zhangxi, Bingjia, 2010,  ¶20). Nelson (1970) sorted products into experience and search goods. People want to try the quality of experience products right before they buy the products, while people have to see search products through some information provided online. In other words, the products bought online are search goods. People have to decide whether to buy only after reading a few lines of words (as cited in Bo, Zhangxi, Bingjia, 2010,  ¶22). Without feedback-based reputation system, potential consumers would not have accepted the new approach of shopping. Also, the former comments and scores from buyers and the scores which buyers get from sellers, depending on whether the buyers pay in time or not make feedback-based reputation system become a special credit system for not only vendors but also consumers. Another important system researched and developed for shopping online is payment system which protects consumers’ money from being taken away by sellers without receiving products or not being satisfied with the products. â€Å"Alipayment†, which belongs to Taobao.com, is the typical payment system known among online buyers. Even though there are still some shortcomings needed to be improved in these systems, technology makes it possible and promotes the development of shopping online in China. Secondly, the characteristics of shopping online are considered to be another important reason that promotes the development of shopping online in China. Low-price strategy, diversity of products and convenience of shopping style are three of the most obvious features of shopping online, which attracts more and more people in China involved in shopping online, and not only young people but also old people are interested in online shopping. Price and type are two of the most significant features of product, which influence buyers’ choice when they are shopping online (Bo, Zhangxi, Bingjia, 2010,  ¶21). Because sellers can reduce operation and storage cost, products online are usually less expens ive than products bought in a traditional way. Lower price has been one of the most important factors, which makes shopping online the best choice in China. There are 10,000 shops which were opened everyday in 2008, while more than 140 million Chinese became loyal customers of shops online (Lan, 2009,  ¶4). Nevertheless, product price is sometimes connected with cheating and fraud, and buyers can’t recognize whether or not the sellers online are cheating on product price. That will be an important issue in online shopping (Bo, Zhangxi, Bingjia, 2010,  ¶21). Had sellers online had the same price as traditional sellers or higher price, the online market would not have bloomed. Another characteristics of shopping online, diversity of products, promotes the development of shopping online. Imagine that there are two choices for consumers when shopping: buying goods in different shops or buying all stuff in one big shop. Obviously, people prefer to shop in one place and purchase all the stuff they list. Like shopping in a b ig shopping mall, people buy all they need online on one website without driving out or walking a long distance, crowding in the crowd and sweating in different shops. All consumers need is to search what they want, and compare the prices and comments. Liu claims, â€Å"Best selling online items include clothing, cosmetics, home furnishing, outdoor sports equipment, personal computer, jewelry, laptops and small home appliance†(Liu, 2009,  ¶27). The characteristics of shopping online, low-price strategy, diversity of products and convenience of shopping style, attract more and more people and lead to the promotion of shopping online. Thirdly, the development of people’s lifestyle contributes to the emergence and development of shopping online in China. With the rapid growth of Chinese economy, not only has per capita income improved significantly, but also people are getting accustomed to the faster pace of life. That involved in the development of shopping online as an important factor. Due to the faster pace of life, a kind of new industry—express delivery industry—has arisen. The convenience of shopping online is considered to be a significant reason for consumers. Because of the development of express delivery industry, which belongs to modern logistics, the buyers don’t have to go out to take stuff back home, and just sit in front of the monitor to wait for delivering. Express delivery industry is developing in a rapid pace because of the boom of online shopping. In China, people now are interested in sitting in front of a computer, clicking the mouse, and shopping online (Liu, 2012,  ¶1). The development of express delivery industry has been outstanding in recent years, which has been proven by a year-on-year increase of 20% from 2009. There are 542,000 people working for express delivery industry, and express delivery companies have been set up everywhere around China. Because of the appearance of online shopping, the express delivery industry developed better and faster (Liu, 2011,  ¶3, 4, 5, 6). At the same time, express delivery industry promotes the development of shopping online. The promotion of express delivery industry makes more and more people trust in shopping online.What consumers need to do after making sure to purchase is to wait for stuff being delivered in a few days. Such convenience really helps people who suffer from the faster pace of life: they don’t have to go out to shop, and just stay at home to get everything they want. Another change in people’s lifestyle is that people prefer to stay at home rather than go out for fun. Because of the Internet, online entertainment has become the most popular way to spend time. Not only chatting online or playing online games but also shopping online has been a significant role in people’s daily life. Evidences are that not only can people buy concrete goods online, but also a lot of abstract goods, such as game cards and mobile phone recharge cards, can be found in online shops. The changes of people’s lifestyle and the emergence and development of express delivery industry make contribution to the development of shopping online in China, which makes life more convenient. In conclusion, the development of technology, the characteristics of shopping and the improvement of people’s lifestyle are three main reasons why shopping online has become an important role in China. Due to the developing of shopping online, a new approach of shopping has appeared which makes shopping more convenient for consumers; moreover, it promotes the development of tertiary industry and economic development in China. Shopping online offers many jobs in China; for example, Taobao.com, the biggest shopping online website, provided 570,000 jobs in 2008. Moreover, shopping online offers much more chances for young persons between 23 and 32 years old to run their online shops with government’s support (Lan, 2009,  ¶16, 17, 18). Because of the development of Chinese shopping online, many overseas shopping websites have noticed the future of this market flourish. Alipay, third party payment tool, has enrolled 300 overseas online shops to get access to Chinese online shopping market (Lan, 2009,  ¶9). In other words, the local online shoppers will face more opportunities in the future. References Bo, X., Zhangxi, L., Bingjia, S. (2010). Factors affecting consumer behaviors in online buy-it-now auctions. Internet Research, 20(5), 509-526. doi:10.1108/10662241011084086 Ding, W. (2009). Cheaper prices or better services?. Beijing Review, 52(37), 28-29. Lan, X. (2009). Online shopping spree (cover story). Beijing Review, 52(37), 26-27. Liu, X. (2009). You want it, the web has it. Beijing Review, 52(37), 30-31. Liu, X. (2011). Express reform for speedy deliveries. Beijing Review, 54(30), 36-37. Liu, X. (2012). Delivering satisfaction. Beijing Review, 55(2), 34-35. Lu, Y., Zhou, T., Bin, W. (2007). A comparison of prices in electronic markets and traditional markets of China. Chinese Economy, 40(5), 67-83. doi:10.2753/CES1097-1475400504 Joseph, R., Dong, S. (2006). E-commerce adoption among Chinese consumers: an exploratory study. Journal Of International Consumer Marketing, 18(3), 33-55. doi:10.1300/J046v18n03-03

The Effects Of Divorce Children And Young People Essay

The Effects Of Divorce Children And Young People Essay Divorce is always a dreadful experience in a persons life, especially a childs. When parents divorce, children are not always acknowledged during the termination and settlement process. This oversight can lead to problems with the childs perception of day to day life. The impact divorce has on a family is far more noticeable to the children of the family than to the parents. As a child, there are many circumstances or situations that affect a view, opinion, attitude, and/or memory. Children have many daily struggles of their own to cope with, such as peer pressure and learning exactly who they are. Adults and parents sometimes forget what it is like to be a child dealing with some of the childhood pressures that children face, especially in todays society. Many parents do not realize how something like divorce could possibly affect their children as much as it does them. In any case, most children are strongly affected by divorce. Some react and handle the situation differently than others, but all experience some kind of emotional change. Divorce can cause many different emotions to arise that children may be unfamiliar with, and those behaviors may cause some behavioral changes. Feeling angry and sad are some common feelings of children dealing with divorce (Schor, 2004). Children have a hard time comprehending why their mother and father are arguing and cannot figure out why they are deciding to separate. The family needs to try their best to explain to the child why they are separating, while comforting the child as much as possible (Schor, 2004). Much research has been conducted to study the effects of divorce on children. While there are some basic truths these studies reveal, the fact is that each child is unique and may react differently from other children (Sember, p. 9). A child may have certain emotional reactions to separation and divorce, including sadness, embarrassment, concerns about being cared for, regression, maturity, and physical symptoms. It is believed that reactions to a divorce can be similar to the reactions of losing a loved one. According to Pickhardt, There is a fear of rejection: If my parents can stop loving each other, can they stop loving me? There is fear of the future: What will happen to me now? There is fear of abandonment: If my parents can leave each other, they can also leave me. In the face of these uncertainties, a child may regress by acting more immature and dependent in order to receive more attention and caretaking support. The fighting that occurs between parents can cause children to react negatively and they can begin to show aggression towards others. Children can also begin to act up in class and become defiant towards authority, which usually results in their grades dropping. Often children have difficulties learning to cope with their feelings and feel like they are on an emotional rollercoaster (Ford, 2005). Theyre also often stuck between a battle zone and as result can suffer psychological problems. Feelings of hopelessness may take over for many kids because they have no control or input to what is going on in their lives (Ford, 2004). Divorce itself is inevitably an unpleasant situation, but it has been seen that children with siblings tend to cope better than any single child household in most instances, especially in cases where thoughtless parents take the unpleasant route of trying to split up the children in an effort to hurt the other party. Effectively, children with siblings develop best with the divorce, single children trailing behind, with split siblings ultimately taking the worst mental beating out of the lot. The reasons for this may not at first be obvious, but let us take a moment to review the family dynamic itself and just what divorce does to the relationship of siblings. A once intact family is effectively torn in two with the legal action of divorce, children are torn in their views in loving both mother and father, and ultimately they mourn for what is almost literally the death of the family dynamic itself. It is no longer the normal life of mother, father, and children, but now a complicated life split between the children and their parents, possibly further complicated by a step family or the constant tension between mother and father. In this situation a sibling becomes a sort of buffer zone, an emotional barrier between the pain and loss of the divorce and a happy family life. The sibling represents something concrete, a brother or sister that will (or should) remain. An individual who shares in the same pain and can be used as a more than viable coping mechanism, perhaps one of the only truly healthy coping outlets available to a child going through the divorce process. Starkly in the opposite direction one can see the further damage caused when divorcing parents choose to split their off springs like they have their various possessions. Here, the child(ren) need not only cope with the loss of mom or dad, but must also wrestle with the torment of being removed from someone who has been a lifelong companion. Instead of being given a viable outlet in the shape of a brother or sister this child(ren) is removed from most everything he or she has known in one solid legal swoop. Divorce brings about a lot of legal issues, which include child custody, visitation, holiday issues, and child support. There are a few different types of custody arrangements. There is joint custody with visitation, which means that you share custody with the other parent. You are supposed to make all decisions together that may affect the child, and both parents must agree to the visitation schedule. Second, there is sole custody with visitation which is where one parent makes most of the decisions and does not need the other parents approval. Lastly, shared custody is where the childs time is split evenly between both parents. Both parents are responsible for all decisions and neither parent is considered residential. But regardless as to what type of custody agreement is decided, the child(ren) are the one(s) who will be the most affected by this decision. Once a custody agreement is made then the non-custodial parent is granted visitation. Visitation is important so that the child can spend time equally with both parents. This sometimes requires splitting holidays. Holidays are probably the worst part about visitations because children are use to spending the holidays together as a family, but as children age the visitation schedules change to accommodate both the child and the parents. This is simply because an infant shouldnt be expected to adhere to the same schedule as an older child. For example, infants may have a harder time adjusting because it is more important for them to stick to a schedule; frequent and short visits from the other parent is best. Also, sticking to feeding and nap times is important, otherwise, the baby can be extremely cranky. Toddlers have difficulty with separation anxiety from either parent. Transitions should be made gradually as toddlers often display aggression by biting or hitting. Preschool aged children begin to realize that their parents dont live together anymore and start to ask questions and they can also begin another type of visitation schedule, such as weekend visits. Elementary aged children need more time for homework after school and it is important for both parents to help the child stay organized so that they are able to turn in their assignments on time to their teacher. Children from 8-12 are considered tweens and may start to take sides or try to act perfect in hopes that their parents will get back together. It is ok to let them know that nobody is perfect and that nothing can bring you and the other parent back t ogether. You child will have more homework and more friends so it is important to fit this into the schedule as it continues to change through that childs life. Teenagers may experience the worst symptoms from the divorce. They often discredit marriage and refuse to get close to another person in that way or they blame themselves for the separation. In some cases they feel that they had to grow up quickly because they felt the need to assume the role of the other parent. It may also be difficult for teens to stick to a schedule because friends are more important now and they may also have jobs of their own that they are scheduled for. Dating also begins to become a factor in the scheduling conflict. The teen should be able to go out on dates as long as both parents agree, but there also needs to be a restriction on the number of outings so that both parents are able to spend the appropriate amount of time with their son/daughter. You shouldnt expect this to go perfectly, but do offe r the teen to give their input on the situation and try to all come to a compromise. Most days you experience with your child may be good days, so you should enjoy these days while they last because there may come a time when something happens and your child tells you that they hate you and would rather live with the other parent. This is just another part of trying to adjust. If most times are bad then it may be time to readjust your position. You may need to try to change some things including the visitation schedule. Divorce not only affects the child(ren) emotionally but it also plays a major role in many other aspects of their lives. Two of the strongest and most widely held beliefs about the family life today are that marriage should be a lifelong commitment and that parental divorce has serious negative effects on children. These convictions are held with such value that many people are alarmed by the high divorce rate in the United States.   The divorce rate is very high in the United States, where about 50% of all first marriages formed in the early 1990s ended in divorce (U.S. Bureau of the Census 1998).   According to the Heritage Foundation, Each year, over 1 million American children suffer the divorce of their parents and most children will see their parents divorce before they turn 18 (Fagan and Rector, 2000). What are the major impacts being seen in these children? What are the effects on these children?   One area where divorce has a major impact on children is in their academic progress.   In 2002, USA Today did a study that used a government-sponsored database that examined 10,000 adolescents (Crouch. 2002).   This study found that the psychological damage to the child builds before the divorce but dissipated afterwards, but academic progress continues to weaken.   It speculates that these children fall behind academically and then are not able to catch up once this happens.   They lose self-esteem and motivation.   There have been many studies done and the conclusion is the same.   One study found that students from intact families outperform those students from divorced families and have higher grade point averages.   Another one found that teens from single-parent homes are twice as likely to drop out of high school.   I found it interesting that one study found that parental divorce affected female high school students more that it affected male high school stude nts. A second area where divorce has a major impact on children is their housing arrangement.   The level of home ownership among people who have divorced is much lower than those who have married and never divorced.   According to the Census Brief published by the U.S. Department of Commerce in September of 1997, more than a quarter of Americas children now live with one parent.   They did a study with divorced and never-married mothers and found that divorced parents are more educated and less likely to live in rental homes, and are less likely to be poor in comparison to the never-married mothers.   It appears from this study that being a single parent divorcee has a slight advantage over a never-married mother.   This study also showed that four million children live in the homes of their grandparents. The third area where divorce has a major impact on children is the income level of the custodial parent.   Following divorce, custodial parents, mostly mothers, generally have less income than most two-parent families.   One of the ways that lower income may impact children is through disruptions that may result from less money.   Many divorced families change residence, which may result in changing schools, childcare, friends, and other supportive relationships.   In short, less money due to these disruptions may lead to more problems for children because of the stress that change creates. The fourth area where divorce has a major impact on children is the economic losses that it creates.   Studies have shown that custodial mothers often face dramatic economic losses following divorce, leading to feelings of stress that adversely affects parenting. Researchers believe that divorce is disruptive for children largely because the custodial parent faces a significant amount of economic stress in the time period immediately following the divorce (Furstenberg 1990). These economic losses may produce major transition periods for the child like moving, changing schools or living with other household members, which can adversely affects the childs well being. It is important to remember that not all of the effects mentioned in the studies above will be experienced by all children of divorce and those problems that do emerge can be made less intense with further education, nurturing, good communication, and lots of love.   Divorce not only affects the child(ren) emotionally but it takes a toll on the parent- child relationship. In the wake of a divorce, most custodial parents expresses differing degrees of anger, disorder, decreased expectations from their child(ren), and a decline in the aptitude to separate the child(ren)s needs and actions from those of the adults involved. Studies have shown that approximately 15% of children interviewed at the 10 year follow-up point in a 15 year study showed significant effects from taking on the role of holding a custodial parent together psychologically (Eloeff, 2008). Children dealing with divorce are often left with a lot of questions because they are going through something they have never experienced before. It is important to answer every question that might arise in order for the child to better understand what is going on. Change is hard and the fear of the unknown can be difficult for children to handle on their own. Both parents need to try to make this new adjustment period as comfortable for the children as possible (Schor, 2004). Everyones life is impacted by divorce and children often have a hard time adjusting to change. For all too many kids, nonresidential parents eventually will come to play a greatly diminished role in their lives. It doesnt have to be this way, and with sensitivity, planning, and common sense, parents can sidestep many common visitation problems (Neuman, p.272). So therefore, it is up to the parents to help their child(ren) to cope with the divorce and try to prevent this from happening. There are two general cha nnels that can be taken to help the child(ren) deal with the divorce experience. They are parental effort and outside help. During parental effort, it is important to communicate with your child(ren) that you love them and that you dont hate them even if you dont normally do those things, but it is important for your child(ren) to feel reassured. Avoid talking to your child(ren) about the divorce situation or any financial woes that you may be experiencing. It is best for your child(ren) to continue to be neutral to both parents. You should also not use your child(ren) as a messenger to see what the other parent is up to. This can make your child feel stressed and feel like they are betraying their other parent. Also, dont make promises you cant keep. It only disappoints them and causes them not to trust you. Children need to be reassured; just because the marriage is over doesnt mean that they arent a family anymore. Children must be told and told again: Divorce means your parents have lost love for each other and do not want to live together anymore. However, divorce in no way changes our love for you ( Pickhardt, p. 84). Both parents need to try to avoid bad mouthing the other parent in front of the child(ren). This may prevent the child from feeling stressed out about double loyalties. You need to keep a sense of normalcy for your child so that they can feel that their lives have some stability after such a drastic change in their living situations. One of the best ways to help a child feel rooted, protected, and loved, is to have rules (Pickhardt, p. 25). It is important to create the rules together so that the child has the same boundaries at either home and that the other parent doesnt appear to be better because the child has no responsibilities when they stay with them. The parents should keep the lines of communication open with their child(ren) and never stop attempting to make contact with their child(ren). They should also maintain an interest in what is going on with the child(ren); know who theyre hanging out with and how theyre doing in school and extracurricular acti vities. Most children want to make both parents happy, and it is up to the parents to make this an easy task. As for the outside help avenue, this is a route to take when the parental effort is not helping. Counseling and/or an intervention program can help improve matters by being a neutral third party. They help in accomplishing things like, helping children to express their anger, as well as helping the parents to better understand how to appropriately respond to the concerns that the child(ren) may have. Parents should consider seeking professional help when their child is having problems accepting reality about the divorce or seem to be going through some serious behavioral changes. Meeting with a psychiatrist or a counselor who specializes in divorce can be very beneficial for everyone involved. It doesnt matter which route is used to help them get through the divorce process as long as the child(ren)s best interest is kept as the top priority during and after the divorce. All in all, children can be severely traumatized by divorce. Many of the effects felt can be long lasting or some may go away within a few weeks. If the divorce is nasty or is prolonged due to a custody battle, then the effects can last a lifetime. Children face many issues when going through a divorce. There are issues with self-esteem, loss of sense of security, the sleeper effect, and it even has an effect on birthdays and holidays. These problems can last forever in a child, even into adulthood. When children have to go through a divorce, they deal with issues regarding their self-esteem. They may feel like they caused the divorce themselves. The child(ren) may also feel like they did something wrong to where mommy or daddy doesnt want to be with them anymore. If these issues are not addressed early on, they can be long lasting and when developing, the older child will have low self-esteem. This can lead to poor grades in school, little to no friends, using drugs, and trouble in the streets. Another issue children deal with when going through a divorce is in the area of security. The child(ren) may develop fears that both parents will abandon him or her. There may also be fears about what is to come. What will happen from here? Where does the child(ren) end up? These are thoughts about security that may come during a divorce. In addition, the absence of one of their parents can make the child(ren) feel extremely lonely. This can also last a lifetime if not dealt with early on. It can lead to the child(ren) growing up feeling scared and worried. He or she may have relationship problems and may not be able to trust anyone and can also lead to depression. Some studies suggest that there is a sleeper effect. This is the idea that a child that goes through a divorce and recovers rather quickly. Then, because of denied feelings at the subconscious level, they will have a resurgence of fear, anger, guilt, and anxiety which doesnt kick in until well into adulthood. These feelings tend to arise when a young adult is attempting to make important life decisions, such as marriage. Another effect divorce has on children is dealing with holidays and birthdays. This will last a lifetime, because birthdays and holidays will have to be split, if this is the agreement. If there is time-sharing in place, or an agreement has been made, the child may have to spend every other birthday with the mother and father. With holidays, there may be time-sharing involved, where the child spends half the holidays with the father, and the other half with the mother. This can certainly last into adulthood, because the family will not be together, and there may have to be time split between the two parents homes. Some children are affected more by divorce than others. However, all children will be affected by a divorce no matter what. The things that parents do and dont do will greatly impact exactly how much a child is affected by the divorce. In addition, the childs gender, age, psychological health, and maturity will also all affect how a divorce impacts a child. Dealing with the divorce as best as possible will help lessen the effects on a child and make it easier to get through. Only time will tell how much it has actually affected the particular child in a particular circumstance. Of course, as we all know, divorce is a painful process for everyone involved; the legal act of breaking apart a family is taxing on both the heart and mind, but we see this most in children. Divorce rates are high and our children are suffering. Everyone should take their childrens feelings into consideration when going through a divorce because the childs life is impacted as well. It is very important that parents help their children adjust to all the changes going on in their life and address any behavioral or psychological problems the moment they arise.

Water Management in Jordan Essay -- Environmental Management Science

Water shortage is a global problem and the consequences of water deficit can be a future crisis. According to Hasan Ali (2002, 1-3) the world large water deficient region is the Middle East. Jordan is one of the water-scarce countries in this area, Jordan is similarly in the top of ten water-deficient countries. The reasons of this problem are the features of nature such as semi-arid climate, few water sources and low precipitation. Because of that, the country has the lowest per head basis of water in the world. The other reasons are social effects namely rising population, resulting from a high degree of urbanization, gain of engineering systems and economic development (Akawwic et al. 2009, 197-198). The aim of this essay is to suggest the most effective solutions to avoid the future crisis in Jordan. Four solutions will be analysed in this essay: firstly, adoption of irrigation systems; secondly, water harvesting; thirdly, desalination; fourthly, water management. Initially, the largest customer of water resources is the agriculture sector. It is a really danger for Jordan because the statistics show that water consumption of agriculture is about 80 % of all water. Therefore, firstly, the suitable solution is to reduce water consumption of agriculture (Akawwic et al 2010, 201). It could be realized with using effective irrigation methods such as drip or micro irrigation (ibid.,202). The irrigation methods, in particular, â€Å"furrow and basin irrigation†, which were often used in past, required large quantities of water. Therefore, these approaches were substituted by micro irrigation, in order to economize water resources (Abbasi et al 2010, 337). Generally, micro irrigation is the favourable and effective method, but there is in... ...October 24, 2010 ) Beithou. N. 2006. Proposed water management and control device for water losses problem in Jordan. J.Environ. Eng. Sci. 5:443-446. EBSCOhost http://www.search.ebscohost.com / (accessed November 5, 2010) Hasan Ali, B. 2002. Modern and Traditional Irrigation Technologies in the Eastern Mediterranean: Water-demand management in the Mediterranean. 2nd ed. Ottawa, ON, CAN: IDRC Books. Ebrary http://site.ebrary.com/lib/astana/ (accessed ) Hassan,Y, F. Molle and J-P. Venot. 2008. Irrigation in the Jordan Valley: Are water pricing overly optimistic? Agricultural Water Management. 95:427-438. Science Direct http://www.sciencedirect.com/ (accessed October 24, 2010 ) Mohsen. S. 2007. Water strtegies and potential of desalination in Jordan. Desalination. 203: 27-46. Science Direct http://www.sciencedirect.com/ (accessed November 5, 2010 )

Things Fall Apart :: essays research papers

After the stock market crash of 1929, hundreds of people ended their lives because they just couldn't cope with the fact that they had lost such a great deal of money. Some had lost their life savings - but most hadn't. In fact, most of them still had enough to live better than a lot of lower-class families. But why had they committed suicide? Many prisoners who have been institutionalized for thirty or forty years have been known to commit suicide not long after they are released. Why? Isn't freedom a better alternative than imprisonment? The answer to both these questions is the same: CHANGE. Even if the change is for the better, a good number of people can't handle it. In the novel Things fall Apart, the main character Okonkwo is driven to suicide by change he can't handle. The book is written by Cinua Achebe, a twentieth century author. Born in Nigeria, Achebe grew up in a transitional culture much like the one described in the book. He is currently a professor of literature at the University of Nigeria. Many factors can be attributed to the cause of Okonkwo's demise, But the three most drastic ones are: hisson's conversion to Christianity, the change in daily life the new religion brings, and his frustration caused by his apathetic clansmen. Nwoye's conversion to Christianity was a sharp blow to Okonkwo because the Christians are looked down upon as being insane. The missionary tells them that all of the Ibo's gods are false images of wood and stone, and can do them no harm. Upon hearing this, the men of Mbanta decide that 'these men must be mad [for] how else could they saythat Ani and Amadiora were harmless? And Idemili and Ogwugwo too?';(146) The missionary goes on to tell them about the Holy Trinity. 'At the end of it Okonkwo [is] fully convinced that the man [is] mad.';(147) Also, the first members of the new church were the clan's rejects, like Nnka who '[has] had four previous pregnancies and childbirths. but each time she [bears] twins, and they had been immediately thrown away. Her husband and his family were already becoming highly critical of such a woman and [are] not unduly perturbed when they [find that she has] fled to join the Christians. It [is] a good riddance.';(151) The other group of people that join are the osu, or outcasts. The changes the new religion brings almost pushes Okonkwo to the edge.

Algae is the Bio Fuel of the Future Essays -- Biofuel Fuel Energy Powe

Algae: Bio Fuel of the Future Bio Fuels are clearly the most suitable alternative energy of the future as oil and coal are both rapidly vanishing and increasingly out of interest for nations wishing to avoid terrorist nations. Recently, algae has been discovered as an extremely suitable bio fuel because of its surprisingly high ratio of yield to area required for growth. In 1960 Oswald and Golweke proposed the use of large†scale ponds for cultivating algae on wastewater nutrients and anaerobically fermenting the biomass into methane fuel. Algae, like all bio fuels, harvests the energy from water and sunlight to produce oil which can be converted into biodiesel as well as the carbohydrate content to be fermented into ethanol (Benemann, Olst, et al. 1). The concept of using vegetal oil as an engine fuel likely dates back to when Rudolf Diesel (1858†1913) developed the first engine to run on peanut oil, as he demonstrated at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 (Biodiesel 1). Using algae, however, is only a very recent concept as the first algae biodiesel plant only opened this year on April 1, 2008. The company, PetroSun, is expected to produce ≈4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million lbs of biomass per year in their 1,000 acres. Fuel will not be produced immediately, but they will be building or acquiring ethanol and biodie sel production plants in the near future (Cornell 1). With the ever†rising prices of fossil fuels and the realization that our supply is severely limited, the need for an alternative energy source is rising steadily. Clearly the most efficient of the alternative options lies in bio fuels because they are naturally grown and thus have an unlimited supply, have virtually zero emissions, and can be us... ...n, Olst, et al. â€Å"The Controlled Eutrophication Process: Using Microalgae for CO2 Utilization & Agricultural Fertilizer Recycling†. June 2004. Accessed July 28, 2008. â€Å"Biodiesel†. Accessed July 27, 2008 Briggs, Michael. UNH Biodiesel Group. â€Å"Wide scale Biodiesel Production from Algae†. August 2004. Accessed July 28, 2008 Cornell, Clayton B. March 29, 2008. â€Å"First Algae Biodiesel Plant Goes Online: April 1st 2008†. Accessed July 28, 2008 Haag, Amanda Leigh. March 29, 2007. â€Å"Pond†Powered Bio fuels: Turning Algae into America’s New Energy†. Accessed July 22, 2008. Algae is the Bio Fuel of the Future Essays -- Biofuel Fuel Energy Powe Algae: Bio Fuel of the Future Bio Fuels are clearly the most suitable alternative energy of the future as oil and coal are both rapidly vanishing and increasingly out of interest for nations wishing to avoid terrorist nations. Recently, algae has been discovered as an extremely suitable bio fuel because of its surprisingly high ratio of yield to area required for growth. In 1960 Oswald and Golweke proposed the use of large†scale ponds for cultivating algae on wastewater nutrients and anaerobically fermenting the biomass into methane fuel. Algae, like all bio fuels, harvests the energy from water and sunlight to produce oil which can be converted into biodiesel as well as the carbohydrate content to be fermented into ethanol (Benemann, Olst, et al. 1). The concept of using vegetal oil as an engine fuel likely dates back to when Rudolf Diesel (1858†1913) developed the first engine to run on peanut oil, as he demonstrated at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 (Biodiesel 1). Using algae, however, is only a very recent concept as the first algae biodiesel plant only opened this year on April 1, 2008. The company, PetroSun, is expected to produce ≈4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million lbs of biomass per year in their 1,000 acres. Fuel will not be produced immediately, but they will be building or acquiring ethanol and biodie sel production plants in the near future (Cornell 1). With the ever†rising prices of fossil fuels and the realization that our supply is severely limited, the need for an alternative energy source is rising steadily. Clearly the most efficient of the alternative options lies in bio fuels because they are naturally grown and thus have an unlimited supply, have virtually zero emissions, and can be us... ...n, Olst, et al. â€Å"The Controlled Eutrophication Process: Using Microalgae for CO2 Utilization & Agricultural Fertilizer Recycling†. June 2004. Accessed July 28, 2008. â€Å"Biodiesel†. Accessed July 27, 2008 Briggs, Michael. UNH Biodiesel Group. â€Å"Wide scale Biodiesel Production from Algae†. August 2004. Accessed July 28, 2008 Cornell, Clayton B. March 29, 2008. â€Å"First Algae Biodiesel Plant Goes Online: April 1st 2008†. Accessed July 28, 2008 Haag, Amanda Leigh. March 29, 2007. â€Å"Pond†Powered Bio fuels: Turning Algae into America’s New Energy†. Accessed July 22, 2008.

The Political Effects of the Vietnam War on 1960’s Pop Culture

Tie Die, JFK, The Beatles, Drugs, Peace, Love, Dr. Martin Luther King, Woodstock, Go-Go Boots, Civil Rights, and Vietnam. When we say any of these words we think of the 1960's. The 1960's were a landmark in history remembered for effecting pop culture. What lead to such a dramatic change? In the 1950's the style was scarves, poodle skirts, and letter sweaters. The popular music was about teenage boyfriends and girlfriends. Then there was the 1960's. Could we have foreseen that people would wear mini skirts? Could we have foreseen that women would burn their bras in protest? Could we have foreseen that music would take a huge turn toward lyrics of peace, drugs, and mainly rock and roll? Probably not. What could have happened that would change American pop culture so much? There were many events that took place in the 1960's that had an affect on American citizens. The death of John F. Kennedy surprised and upset many Americans. However, the Vietnam War had the most profound effect on American pop culture. The Vietnam War changed music, fashion, and overall attitudes. Because of the Vietnam War and the undertones of the civil rights movement, 1960's pop culture significantly impacted our nation in a way that will be remembered for many years to come. 2Szymanski The Vietnam War still effects many people. Today, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is commonly associated with veterans of the Vietnam War. (Berk 346) During the 1960's there was an Anti-War movement that evolved from the Freedom of Speech Movement. This movement began on college campuses and spread cross-country. (Radical Times) The Antiwar Movement took place because people didn't understand why American soldiers were in Vietnam. People wanted the soldiers brought home. The Freedom of Speech Movement easily converted to the Antiwar Movement because of the similarity. People felt that this was not right and the issue was of such great importance that it needed to be addressed. I feel that the Antiwar Movement was successful and important because it did bring a lot of change to the nation. This change was both political and pop cultural. The Freedom of Speech Movement had limited success. In fact, the Antiwar Movement as well as the protests had a large effect on the ending of the Viet nam war. (Radical Times) In conjunction with the Antiwar Movement was the Civil Rights Movement. This event is commonly associated with Dr. Martin Luther King. However, the movement initially began with Rosa Parks and her ability to stand up for what she wanted, a seat toward the front of the bus. (Radical Times) At the time of the Black Civil Rights Movement a group called the Black Panthers evolved. This group arose as a militant group of young black men led by H. Rap Brown who risked his life to register blacks to vote in 1966. (USA Today) The difference between these civil rights groups is that Martin Luther advocated power through non-violence, whereas the Black Panthers promoted violence as a means to gain political footholds. (USA Today) For the African 3Szymanski American race there was a lot of momentum gained in the 1960's and there was a lot of ground made politically. The impact of these movements was phenomenal. The Antiwar Movement changed the dress, the music, and the style of nearly all college campuses in the United States. When a person would walk past a college dormitory there would be peace signs hung in windows. (Radical Times) The statement made was seen across America. A wonderful example of the effects of the Antiwar Movement on society is shown in Forrest Gump. There is a scene in which the audience sees an anti protest. The people there epitomize the effect that this had on pop culture. The clothes they wore and the music they listened to exemplifies the profound influence this had on the nation. The Civil Rights Movement is one that also made a lot of headway during the 1960's. The assassination of Martin Luther King had a profound effect on the American Society. This event impacted all races. Martin Luther King stood for the feeling of that time. His emphasis on peace was one that effected the entire nation. (Carroll 173) Martin Luther King Jr. is a symbol of harmony, human understanding, tolerance, unity, justice and brotherhood-for every generation. (Albright) Now that we have explored some of the political events that took place in the 1960's, we will explore some major changes in pop culture and how those relate to the political events in depth.The Antiwar Movement had a significant influence on the pop culture of the 1960's. This effect was shown through both music and fashion. The term â€Å"flower children† emerged from the anti war protesters. (Radical Times) They stood for peace love and harmony. They were the first to make tie die and hip huggers extremely 4Szymanski popular. They also had a large influence on the â€Å"natural look†. Women without bras or makeup and men with long hair and grown out facial hair. Prior to the antiwar movement, appearance was valued when one was neat and cleanly. (Walley) The pop culture of the 1960's was changed through the antiwar movement and one of the facets of pop culture changed was music. The following lyrics are from a popular song about the antiwar movement. â€Å"Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now.† (Forrest Gump) Popular artists such as the Beatles, Cat Stevens, and even the Righteous Brothers wrote music that inspired antiwar protesters and became associated with them. Further in this paper there will be information on Woodstock, a musical and historical event associated with the Anti War movement. The Antiwar Movement was not the only political event to have an effect on pop culture. Although the impact from the Antiwar Movement is seen the most the civil rights movement did have an important role in the evolution of the 1960's pop culture. The Black Civil Rights Movement did have an effect on American Society. The effect of this was not seen as much on pop culture, but it was there. The true effect is shown in the dramatic increase of popularity in rhythm and blues. Prior to rhythm and blues, jazz music was associated as â€Å"black music.† It wasn't played very much on the radio. However, in the 1960's more black artists emerged. The Black Civil Rights Movement heavily effected music. Toward the end of the 1960's African American 5Szymanski styles emerged as popular. â€Å"Afros† were a common and popular hairstyle. (NetFirst) The music styles of Jimmy Hendrix as well as many other African American artists became known as legendary. (SixtiesMusic.com) Albeit, the civil rights movement and the political ground it gained, put African American styles of fashion and of music in the American pop culture arena. As touched on before, the effect of politics (namely the Vietnam War ) had a significant influence on the fashion of that time. A feeling of the need for freedom†¦of expression and speech swept over the nation. Because of this feeling, people expressed themselves not only through words of protest and actions of protest, but through their clothing. This was the countries way of expressing themselves without saying a word, but through what they wore. As shown in an analytic pop culture web site, â€Å"Fashion is never just about clothes, but attitude and expression as well. Up until about 1967, fashion had reflected a period of discover for youth; fun-loving, outrageous and colorful.†(Sixtiespopdiary. -fashion) So, what were these fashions that were about â€Å"attitude and expression?† Miniskirts (and even later micro skirts), caused moral outrage and were one of the first dramatic styles to come out in the 1960's. Later, a sloppy look became popular with T-shirts and sandals. Skintight pants also became popular, even so as a unisex article. (Sixtiespopdiary-fashion) The world was changing as fast as the fashions. In a personal opinion, looking back on this time of a political whirlwind, fashion was just as confusing as the world was. In this subject having to with politics and society, Woodstock is able to show the political influence on pop culture in one single event. In a mere 3 days, 6Szymanski thousands of people and influential artists were able to almost spontaneously put on one of the most historically significant pop culture events ever. The hippie look was dominant. Rock and roll and music of expression were the dominant sounds. A feeling of freedom was dominant. In one event, the world expressed the feeling of an era. (Interview) Today, the world of pop culture hails this event by trying to repeat it. Much to the dismay of many, the event cannot be repeated. The later generation looks at the event and realizes that this event was one of expression without even knowing the political events of that time. The Woodstock Music and Art Fair in August of 1969 remain a legend even today. The spontaneous event captured a generation's good feelings. Ironically, there were nearly as many Americans at Woodstock as there were in Vietnam. (Interview) Woodstock took place for 3 short days and there was a lot of rain. People didn't care about the rain, food, or bathrooms. â€Å"No one wanted to let the essence or the aura go. Halfway through an era of bad news, in the middle of a horrible war, barely a year after the wrenching, terrifying assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy, an entire, desperately wished -for era of good feeling was compressed into a single place and time. That compression produced a corresponding intensity of wonder and delight.† (Interview) The reason for Woodstock is well understood. However, it amazes me that such a spontaneous event could have such an unbelievable turnout. 7Szymanski Jimi Hendrix was one of the most influential musicians associated with Woodstock. It was there that he played his rendition of the â€Å"Star Spangled Banner.† Jimi's rendition was considered a brutal insult in its time. It was said that it sounded like a â€Å"blasted seizure of the national anthem.† (Interview) However, today Hendrix's national anthem is popular. When Hendrix performed this there were approximately 30,000 people left at Woodstock. His performance was spontaneous. It was described as â€Å"†¦his great No to the war, to racism, to whatever you or he might think of and want gone. But then that discord shattered, and for more than four and half long, complex minutes Hendrix pursued each invisible crack in a vessel that had one been whole, feeling out and exploring and testing himself and the music against anguish, rage, fear, hate, love offered, and love refused. When he finished he had created an anthem that could never be summed up and that would never come to rest.† (Interview) In summary, because of the Vietnam War and the undertones of the civil rights movement, 1960's pop culture significantly impacted our nation in a way that will be remembered for many years to come. Throughout the nineties, the hippie look became a popular style as a way of expressing ourselves. Popular artists have redone music from the sixties. For example, Natalie Merchant has recently redone the popular sixties hit â€Å"Peace Train.† The movie Forrest Gump, which is a summary of both the political and pop culture America in the sixties, won best picture in 1994. Even today, the sixties are a political and pop cultural landmark for the nation. Does this say that the sixties were a period of more turmoil and more change than other decades? Does this say that the fashion change more dramatically and rapidly than 8Szymanski other decades? Personally, I feel this decade did. From an outlook of a person who did not live during that time or during the time of many other decades, that decade stands out far above many others. Many political and pop culture figures are remembered and recognized by all ages today. In this era, the politics and pop culture overlap. To think that politics affected Americans so much that politics changed people's perspectives is remarkable, even profound. The death of Kennedy and Martin Luther King had a devastating influence over an entire nation. Yet, everyone soon focused on that feeling of freedom and love. This roller coaster of emotions had a roller coaster of an affect. Has any other decade changed a nation so much and so fast?