Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Promoting autonomy of oneself and others Essay

Introduction                     Autonomy is the ability to have the capacity for self-governance or have self- determination. This is a concept which comes out through various arenas. For example, the moral autonomy is usually governed by the moral laws ( Deci, 2010). Therefore, personal autonomy can be said to be the capacity of a person to pursue actions based on moral content. This paper will compare the philosophical work by Nietzsche and MacIntyre and determine who offers the best tool of promoting autonomy. Over the past centuries, the teachings of Friedrich Nietzsche have transformed and penetrated every realm of social culture in the Western world. In his essays, he examines the significance of people’s ability to make promises. He states that to hold to the promises made requires both confidence about the future and very powerful memory that will ensure that certain issues are not forgotten. According to Nietzsche confidence requires one to be predictable or calculable and, therefore, he or she must share common sets of customs and laws that govern his or her behaviour (Risse, 2001). The society and morality play an important part of making a person predictable, therefore, giving the person ability to make promises. This process according to Nietzsche is complicated as it ends up in the ‘sovereign person’ who can make decisions, not only because the person in question is bounded by social mores but because he or she is the master of his or her own free will. The sovereign of an individual is characterised by tremendous responsibilities of one being free to make claims in regard to his or her future. This sense of responsibility according to Nietzsche is called conscience (Risse, 2001). Nietzsche defines the concept of ‘bad conscience and guiltiness using German words for ‘debt’ and ‘guilt.’ He suggested that, originally, there were no relationship between guilt and accountability or immorality. Punishments were meted on the basis of reprisal and not on the basis of guilt. If a person failed to honour promises, then they were considered to be in debt the person they failed. The debt could then be balanced by punishing or torturing the person. This happened to a person say the creditor who had no interest of getting his money back from the debtor. Thus, the memory of making promises during this time was burdened and the punishments and cruelty ensured that the debtor does not forget his promises next time (Risse, 2001). Macintyre’s in his book, ‘After Virtue (1981)’ explains his long ethical project. The book diagnoses the rising issues in the society such as ‘culture of emotivism’ where the moral language pragmatically manipulates decisions, attitude and decision. According to the book, those moral cultures are said to be a theatre of illusion where the objectives of moral rhetoric masks the decisions. The books examine the part of the community in making the judgments about the truth or falsity. The work by MacIntyre also examines the reasons why human beings need virtues through investigating the social debts and needs of human agents and the part which they were playing in the formation of an independent practical person who can reason (Borden, 2007). The philosophy by Maclntyre’s is very important especially to the fields of communitarian politics and the virtues of ethics. He points out the insignificance of conventional business ethic as an application of the modern moral concepts in decision making. His work in philosophy has lead tremendous renewal of values over the last decades. For example, in his works his discusses the moral condemnation of Stalinism. His presentation of this concept draws two important conclusions related to morality, one is the fact of the people’s solidarity in discovering what people want in their moral life (Borden, 2007).. According to MacIntyre morality organises life of the community. As he concludes his book, he says that the concepts of morality are neither historical nor timeless and, therefore, the understanding the developments of historical, ethical concepts can liberate people from any falsity claims (Borden, 2007). MacIntyre’s Aristotelian offers the best tool of promoting autonomy of one self and others compared to Nietzsche because he examines the habits that humans should develop in order to make judgement and act efficiently in the pursuit of the true choices which have a worthy end. His examination has a very rich account on the deliberate activities by human that encompass moral formation and society life. He also accounts why humans have practical wisdom to do what is right based on the freedom of morality. References Borden, S. L. (2007). Journalism as practice: MacIntyre, virtue ethics and the press. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2010). The support of autonomy and the control of behavior. Journal of personality and social psychology, 53(6), 1024.Risse, M. (2001). The Second Treatise in In the Genealogy of Morality: Nietzsche on the Origin of the Bad Conscience. European Journal of Philosophy, 9(1), 55-81. Source document

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Marketing Myopia Essay

Industries growth has stopped due to the failure of management the top executives, railroad business because they focus on sciences not on the customers. To keep growing industries must focus on customers’ needs and wants then solely on their products. Many companies are endangering their business due to improper defining of their purposes. DuPont, corning and aluminum industry flourished because they were customer oriented. Taking example of Dry cleaning; has reduced in a remarkable way and may sooner be diminished. Grocery stores have been replaced by super markets. There is nothing like a growth industry but there is an expansion that is because the companies organize themselves to create growth opportunities. Self-deceiving cycle has four conditions. 1. Growth is due to increase in population. 2. Believing that there will be no substituent for any major product. 3. Mass production and declining unit cost for output increase. 4. Preoccupation with a product. The belief that increasing customers will increase your business have a negative impact as you will yourself not bother to expand your business. The petroleum industry thinks that there is no competitor as there is no substitute of oil but many refineries have such huge stock of oil that they can be a threat. Firstly the crude oil was greatly demanded as kerosene was used for lamps until the bulb was invented and the heaters were started with coal burns. If the company would have been product oriented the business would be ended but they started refining the crude oil and made uses out of each product of crude oil. Oil has proved to be the strongest growth and millions of barrels is consumed daily. Production pressure to some companies such as advertisement and commercials are sometimes this much great that they try to get aid of it. But in all this we forget marketing and focus on the needs of seller and marketing fulfill the customer need. Industries now spend billions of rupees in consumer preference and fulfilling their ideas out of Chevrolet’s 7000 dealers only 57 provide night maintenance service. Ford invented the assembly line and reduced the cost of production and sold millions of $500 cars. Survival needs a change. Consumer needs change and if a company does not provide it they lose. With the wider perspective the CEOs have to recheck on their vision and the selection of the proper targeted market. This was seems to be successful as the organization was able to find out some opportunities that were initially unseen. This is also helpful in predicting the future progress with the help of business prediction techniques that are currently available. To rise above the myopia one should have his main focus on the strategies and predictive techniques that are used to gain hold on the opportunities. And mainly focus on the customer’s lifetime value. This will maintain the long term profit objectives.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Dormitory rooms Essay

As students move on in their lives after high school to college, many think that their lives will become paradise. With many house rules abandoned and without a curfew, students get the first taste of adulthood. Many think everything will be easy; however, from the dining halls to having no money students learn that being an adult is harder than parents display. Campus life shows students what they perceive is very different than the reality of life. In my opinion, living on campus in a dorm, supplies a student the full experience of the college life. When I imagined living in a dorm room, I imagined a very small room and hardly having any space to walk around. However, the rooms are actually quite big. There is plenty of room to walk around and even play some crazy, goofy games with a roommate. I thought the most exciting part of living on campus was going to be able to meet new people and live in a new environment. Because I am so far from home, my biggest hope was having a roommate who was easy to get along with and could have fun, and I definitely got that. The bathroom situation, I thought, was going to be the worst part of living on campus. However, in reality, it is not as bad as I had thought. As a student-athlete living in a dorm where the entire floor houses athletes, the bathroom has a maximum of five people using the facilities at a time. This works because of each athlete on a different schedule. In actuality, living on campus is very exciting and there should be no worry considering the problem with space, meeting new people, or the bathroom being very full to the point of not being able to use it. As an athlete living on campus at Western Nebraska Community College the athlete receives a dorm family. A dorm family is a family around town that â€Å"adopts† the student for the two years while attending the school. The family opens up their hearts and lets the athlete come into the family. The family attends sports events that the athlete plays and supports the athlete. I have a dorm family, and I love them. When I first thought of having a family that would open up their home and family to me I thought it was going to be awkward. However, having a family in town that has opened up their home and hearts has been great. It helped me know that there are people here in town who are willing to help and support me. Additionally, living in the dorms and living on their own, without parents, helps students find many new found freedoms that they did not have before. With living in the dormitories many students stay out late on all nights of the week, because they had a curfew at home and now they do not. The first week of school I stayed out late when I could. However, this staying out late situation did not last long, because I had been slammed with homework and after I was done with my homework all I wanted to do was sleep. With these newfound freedoms I learned very quickly how I was going to manage my time and make sure I got my sleep. When first living on campus I learned how easy I had it while living under my parents’ roof and the responsibilities that I didn’t have that I have now. When thinking that I was moving out of my parents’ house I thought it was going to be great. The freedoms I would have were going to be tremendous compared to what I had back home. However, when thinking of the freedoms I never thought of the responsibilities that I was going to have. When at home, laundry was done and living on campus causes me to do my own laundry and pay a dollar fifty for it. At home I always had someone harping on me to do my homework, make my bed, and clean my room, but on campus there is no one around to do that except myself. I had to learn to manage my time wisely and make sure I stayed up in my schoolwork. As a new freshman in college, like myself, sees his or her schedule and thinks, â€Å"man this is going to be a tough year. † This was my reaction when I saw mine at least. As a new student at any school I thought classes were going to be hard, one, because I didn’t know anyone; two, because I want to accomplish a difficult degree; three, because I didn’t know how I was going to manage the homework load and basketball at the same time. Although, when I got to the campus and started the school year I found out that staying caught up with school really was not as hard as many people make college seem. College classes are a lot like high school classes, just a lot more homework. Once I figured out how I could manage my time with basketball, study time, and have somewhat of a social life, my days became easier. Furthermore, expecting high quality food when entering into a college is putting a lot of confidence into the cooks that have to cook for hundreds of people everyday, three times a day. As a freshmen student entering into the college experience, I expected the food to be very good. I understood that the cooks had to cook for many people each day, but I expected that the food was going to have a lot of taste. When I first came to the campus and had my first meal the food was very good. The food on campus did not necessarily get any worse; it had gotten old. When I say old, I do not mean spoiled or rotten, I mean boring. The food all ends up tasting the same each and everyday. By the third week of living and eating on campus at the dining hall I began to realize how much I loved my mother’s home cooked meals. Lastly, money is a big problem for many college students. When I thought I was going to save all my graduation money for college, I thought that I was going to have a lot of money, but as reality turns out I have no money. Living on campus and living on my own made me realize the things I need to buy and the things I just want. The difference between what I needed and what I wanted was crucial for me to determine what I should spend my money on and what I should not. As a student-athlete I go to my parents a lot for money still, because I do have not time for a job considering homework, school, and practice time. In conclusion, campus life shows students that what they perceive is very different than the reality of life. Students living on campus have to share a dorm room with someone, the room is big, and there is not a lot of girls in the bathroom at once. Athletes have a dorm family who â€Å"adopts† them and welcomes them into their home. Students have a lot of freedom and can stay out late, but might have a lot of homework so it would be smart to not stay out. Many students also have a schedule with classes that may seem tough, but if they manage their time they will be just fine. The food is not high quality food, and it gets old. Students living on campus begin to miss the home cooked meals. Finally the money problem, I thought I was going to have a lot of money but turns out, I do not have a lot of money, I will buy what I need and not what I want.

Roaccutane Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Roaccutane - Essay Example The purposes of these studies and their problems were ascertained, noting down their findings. A reflective summary is included on clinical implications in the literature portion. The general finding of these studies on the dangerous side effects of isotretinoin use regarding psychiatric side effects including depression is inconclusive. The main issue raised is on the required number of subjects tested. As large as 8000 subjects would needed for a tenable methodology in research as suggested by the British Association of Dermatologists. Connected with this problem is the number of volunteers willing to be tested, considering that the drug is risky. Nevertheless, based on adverse reports, it is still recommended that prescribers follow precautions sent out by the Food and Drug Administration on this drug. The concern for knowing about whether isotretinoin and depression are linked rise from several adverse drug reaction reports (ADRs) received by health authorities, no less than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the manufacturer of the drug involved. The highly published accounts of suicides committed by young people add to the ever growing need for looking into this problem. Literatures abound regarding these supposition and researches have been conducted to this end. To this day, there is much to be confirmed by way of collating these reports and coming up with a converged position. Acne, for which isotretinoin is usually taken is commonly associated with shame, embarrassment, social assertiveness, and self-confidence. Acne to an adolescent is associated with socialization, appearances in public, interaction with strangers, and even reduced employment opportunities (Tan 2004). As such, seeking treatment involves having access to the best there is. However, what is being bruited about as an excellent drug for the purpose of healing is equally, if not more, being blamed for the demise of some. It is necessary that what should heal should not also put one's health at risk. Isotretinoin has been serving a lot of good to those with acne, but has also been receiving several ADRs in the recent years (Schulte 2005). This study looks into possible links between Isotretinoin and depression. Acne Acne is a disorder of the sebaceous follicles or ducts located on the face, chest and back. They consist of sebaceous (secreting oil) glands associated with small hair follicles. (Cunliffe 1994). It is important to ensure that patients know that their acne is taken seriously and to reassure them that acne is treatable. The fact that it is a slow responding disorder should be stressed to patients (Ibid). Healey and Simpson (1994) identify three aims of treatment as to prevent scarring, limit the duration of the disease and reduce the impact of psychological stress. They emphasise that early treatment and regular review are necessary to prevent scarring. Treatment options are targeted at one or more of the four pathophysiological changes which occur in acne, blockage of the skin ducts, increased sebum

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Apple Company Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Apple Company Business Environment - Essay Example It is expected that the continuance of this trend will encourage more consumer spending and pave the way for more investment by Apple in developing new products. However, weak economic conditions have continued to exist especially within the education sector in the United States. Many states are experiencing huge deficits in budget, which may hamper Apple’s sales initiatives within the educational sector. Most of Apple’s products and components are manufactured in factories across China through partnerships with suppliers and electronic parts manufacturers like Foxconn and Inventec (Housden, 2008). The fixed exchange rate regime adopted by the Chinese government is adversely affecting any effort by Apple to cut production costs, adding to the problems faced from tariffs and anti-dumping penalties (International trade regulations). Social The use of computers, laptops, Smartphones and music players is growing worldwide, especially in the emerging economies. This presents a good opportunity for Apple to widen its market reach especially within these new and relatively unexplored markets. Customers are more adept at using these electronic devices and the use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter has only enhanced the importance of computers and Smartphones for daily use (Aasend, 2001). Further, today’s generation places high value on education wherein strategies like offering discounts on products to students are helping Apple capture consumers from an early age and ensure their long-term commitment and preference for its products. Traditionally, Apple has always competed with Microsoft especially within the Operating Systems (OS) segment.... This paper approves that the preceding sections discuss the far, near and internal business environment of Apple Inc. Apple currently faces several issues that it must focus upon in order to ensure sustainable growth in the future. The firm must engage in its current strategy of licensing and strive to improve the economies of scope between personal computers and electronic media. Thus, the need for Apple over the coming years is to evolve into a learning organization. Besides licensing and partnerships, Apple can also consider the possibilities of joint ventures with other companies, which will allow it to develop various additional competencies. This report makes a conclusion that Apple’s primary strategy should be directed towards developing media-centric technologies and products. Nevertheless, the company should also work towards improving its computing products. In fact, Computer sales accounted for over 40% of Apple’s revenues in 2008. Apple continues to rely on the leadership and vision of its CEO, Steve Jobs. Mr. Jobs holds a considerable equity stake in the company and is one of the main reasons behind Apple’s resurgence from virtual oblivion. The reaction from the markets and consumers if he were to ever step down is rather uncertain. Therefore, the dependence on Mr. Jobs should not be a limiting factor for Apple and the firm must devise ways to operate as an organization. Such an initiative will allow Apple to strengthen its position and act through collective decision-making.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

The Validity of Recovered Memories Research Paper

The Validity of Recovered Memories - Research Paper Example However, the validity of such memories is often called into question. The argument over such memories is one of the most contested positions in psychology, sometimes even referred to as the â€Å"memory wars† (Campbell, 2003). Many researchers claim that these memories are false, even implanted by incompetent therapists, while therapists most often stand behind the claims of their patients. Looking into the controversy surrounding recovered memories versus false memories, the process of memory repression, and some of the implications brings us to a realization of just how widespread and important this debate can be. Recovered Memories vs False Memories Individuals who recovered memories in therapy and with the help of a therapist were often unsurprised to recover memories of childhood sexual abuse. However, spontaneously recovered memories often surprised those who gained these memories. More tellingly, spontaneously recovered memories and continuous memories, those that were never repressed and therefore never had to be recovered, were much more likely to be corroborated by physical evidence than memories recovered in therapy (Geraerts et al., 2007). This could indicate that the presence of the therapist pushed people into â€Å"recalling† situations of sexual abuse that never occurred because the therapist expected to find such memories. In opposition to the situation of coaxed-out memory under the control of a therapist for the first time since the event occurred, people who report such spontaneous memory recovery may actually have â€Å"recovered† and then forgotten the same memory numerous time. This does not invalidate the correctness of the memory; however, such repeated incidences of forgetting and remembering does indicate the possibility that the memory was never truly repressed under the same system that would be used for completely repressed memories that require a therapist's assistance to recover (Geraerts et al., 2009). Resea rch shows that memories of terrible events, including being the one to commit terrible crimes, can be created in the subject's mind from nothing, and researchers tend to believe that recovered memories are generally of this type. Therapists, however, are more inclined to believe that such vivid memories cannot be created wholesale and instead that recovered memories are memories of true events; they may understand the existence of false recovered memories but believe that the incidence is much lower than a researcher may believe (Davis & Loftus, 2009). Memories of events can also be altered or distorted by such experiences as leading questions, suggestions, and incorrect conversations with other witnesses of the same scene. Especially telling for the possibility of recovered memories involving childhood sexual abuse in research results is the possibility of remembering accomplices who weren't present during the original scenes. An additional research study on recovered memories resu lted in up to one-quarter of the subjects believing that they had been lost in the mall as small children, when that event was presented as part of a series of actual events. This was only done on subjects whose parents stated that such an event had never occurred, so there was little possibility of confusing an actual childhood memory with the memory created as part of the research (Laney &

Friday, July 26, 2019

My Preferred Learning Style Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Preferred Learning Style - Personal Statement Example Learning styles are more concerned with one’s preferred learning style rather than what learners learn. A student shows consistency in learning style by reacting to and employing stimuli in relation to learning. Keefe (1979) defines learning styles as the â€Å"composite of characteristic cognitive, affective, and physiological factors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how a learner perceives interacts with, and responds to the learning environment† (as cited in NW Link, 2011). Stewart and Felicetti (1992) define learning styles as those â€Å"educational conditions under which a student is most likely to learn,† thus, stressing on the role of preferred learning styles (as cited in NW Link, 2011). According to the principles of the Dunn and Dunn learning styles system, students always prefer to learn in their learning style and perform better. From the teaching point of view, if teachers follow students’ processing styles out of the global-analytical continuum or any of their preferred styles from kinesthetic, tactile, auditory, and visual, the learning process can be made faster among students (Dybvig and Church, 2010). Generally, it is noticed that students cannot learn faster because they are not taught in their preferred and distinct learning style. Ideally, students need to inculcate the various leaning methods so that learning does not become an arduous task for them by depending solely on their preferred learning style only, although they may excel in talent and intelligence possessing above average sharpness in comprehending the learning process (Dybvig and Church, 2010). Students need to strengthen various learning ways where they are not competent enough.  

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Self-organization in complex systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Self-organization in complex systems - Essay Example The changes in the business environment have constantly altered the ways companies do businesses nowadays. Because of the advancement of technology, environmental factors such as political, economic and the social landscape have been altered, which has caused a drastic shift in terms of the rules of the marketplace. Information Technology plays a huge role in this shift of trends in the market, especially the Internet. The Internet has created numerous possibilities in terms of interactions between many stakeholders of the company, most notably, the consumers. The Internet has enabled the consumers to interact with the company in many ways, making them the most important co-creator of value in the process. Gone are the days when consumers are just a passive group in the past to whom a company offers its products. With the interactivity of the Internet, consumers have been given ways to affect the value-creation in terms of the products that a company offers. Consumers also participat e actively in many areas of the value chain such as marketing, with the creation of online communities and greater networking being made possible by the Internet. This creates a shift in terms of the balance of power, where consumers are active determinants of value.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

What Makes an Effective Team Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What Makes an Effective Team Work - Essay Example In some situations, one type offers the most benefits, and in some other circumstances, other type of team can be fruitful in achieving the expected outcomes. However, in order to understand the effectiveness of teamwork, the paper will now discuss some of the different types of teams that will allow an efficient understanding of teamwork. Analysis of the material related to teams has indicated that different experts and researchers have identified and categorized teams into different types that will take more than this paper. For this reason, this paper will discuss some of the most common and effective types of teams that will be worthy of a discussion. As the name says itself, peer means someone that is almost of the same characteristics of the other. In this regard, peer workgroups usually involves individuals that possess the same attributes; however, such attributes can vary and depend on setting of the workgroup. For instance, an evident example of peer-to-peer workgroup is an educational class in the school that involves children or students of the same age group (DuBrin, pp. 77-81). The basic notion of peer-to-peer workgroup is an informal platform that provides an opportunity to the team members to achieve the objectives while learning and complementing each other. One of the significant characteristics of peer-to-peer workgroup that it although caters individuals of the same age group or same class or same interest, such as music, art, etc. However, it always consists of various diverse attributes of the team members, such as different socio-economic status, different race, etc that makes peer-to-peer group an efficient an d natural way of interacting with each other. Until now, the paper discussed an informal type of workgroup that involves peer-to-peer learning; however, additive and conjunctive are both formal types of teams that enable the team members to work formally to achieve the

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Karachaganak Petroleum Operating Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Karachaganak Petroleum Operating - Case Study Example The agreement was signed for a period of 40 years. The key business area with respect to KPO B.V., Kazakhstan is it Information Technology equipment. The company is strong in its IT equipment which it uses to run its daily operations. The unit holds around 1.2 billion tones of oil and condensate and also 1.35 trillion cubic meters of gas. The major advantage with the plant is that there is a good amount of income being generated to both the national and local economies. Additionally, the plant is also providing long-term employment to almost 80% people of Kazakhstan. The field covers an area of almost 280 square kilometers. The Mission Statement of the Procurement Department at KPO B.V. is - to provide cost effective and efficient service to all Company User groups for the procurement of goods and services. In providing this service the Department maximizes the practical use of commercial competitions to achieve the best overall economic solution consistent with the User Departments requirements. The structure of the Procurement Department at KPO B.V. is as follows: -Vendor Development and Qualification (VNDQ) - The main objective for the existence of this department is to handle all sorts of issues related to the qualification of vendors and contractors whom it feels are potential for the Approved Vendors List and at the same time contribute in developing the local supply sources. -Procurement - The major responsibility of the Procurement department is to manage the activities of procurement that are associated with the field operations. The department is also needed to supervise the wide range of procurement right from goods to the corporate services. -Contracts - Contracts planning, audit, supervision and all sorts of coordination and administration activities of the major contracts are taken care by this department. -Planning & Reports - This department takes care of all the planning activities like the budget planning, cost control, the formulation of the Standard Term & Conditions of Contract, business methods and systems and the formulation of Departmental procedures. The main focus of the Vendor Development with respect to the operations of KPO B.V. is to make the local companies involve in the provision of the required goods and services of the company. The requirement may be related to all the departments like Production and Maintenance, Engineering and Projects, Infrastructure and Services, Well Operations in which the company wishes to develop local supplier capability for a long-term relationship. Supply Chain Management - An Overview The supply chain can be described as the network, covering the various stages in the provision of products or services to customers. It includes not only manufacturers and suppliers, but also transporters, warehouses, distributors, retailers, etc.

Absorption and Marginal Costing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Absorption and Marginal Costing - Assignment Example This technique of costing is also known as the full-cost technique (Sikdar, 2008). In reality, the technique of marginal costing takes into consideration the behavioral features of costs by segregating the costs into fixed and variable elements. The segregation is done because per unit variable cost is fixed and total costs are variable in nature but actually total fixed costs are fixed and per unit fixed cost is variable in nature. In addition, variable costs are handy in nature, whereas total fixed costs are unmanageable in nature. Short term planning makes use of the Marginal costing technique. Control and decision making in particular reference to the production of multi-products also uses marginal costing (Sikdar, 2008). The contribution in marginal costing technique is computed after taking away variable costs from sales value. This is the way in which the total share of all products/services incurred towards the total fixed costs by the business is also taken into account. Since the fixed costs are dealt with as period costs they are subtracted from total share to compute net profit (Sikdar, 2008). From the perspective of cost for a product/service, an absorption costing regards a share of all costs incurred by a business with regard to each of its products/services. Costs are segregated based on their functions under absorption costing technique. Apart from this costs which are incurred with reference to other business functions are subtracted to compute the net profit. Thus we can infer that absorption costing is a better info give to price products since it takes into account both variable and fixed costs (Sikdar, 2008). The costs that fluctuate with a resolution should only be included in decision analysis. For many decisions that engage comparatively small fluctuations from accessible practice and/or are for comparatively restricted periods of time, fixed costs are not applicable to the decision.  

Monday, July 22, 2019

Post War Europe Essay Example for Free

Post War Europe Essay The World War II refers to the global conflict that took place between 1939 to 1945. Also referred to as the Second World War, the conflict involved many nations, especially the great powers. The conflict had two opposing military alliances, the Axis and the Allies (Hakim, p 8). This war has been considered as one of the most spread war in the world history since it involved the mobilization of more than 100 million military personnel. The Allies alliance during the war was made up of countries that opposed the Axis powers. The Big Three† or the three major nations that led the Allied Alliance were the United States of America, Britain, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic. Other nations that were part of the Allied Alliance included China, France, Poland, Australia, Canada, and South Africa. The Axis Alliance opposed the Allies, and it was led by three major Axis powers. These powers were; Germany, Italy and Japan. These three countries in September 1940 had signed a Tripartite Pact upon which the Axis Alliance was founded. Other nations that were part of the Axis Alliance included; Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia. Some the Axis co- belligerents included; Finland, India, Vietnam, and Iraq. The state of total war as a result of this conflict had the major nations that were involved use their scientific, industrial, and economic capabilities in order to develop weapons or plan military strategies that would maximize their probability of winning the war (Russell, p 15). It is estimated that over 70 million people were killed, with the majority being civilians. This made the war one of the deadliest human conflict to ever occur. The war began in 1939, and was triggered by the Germany’s invasion of Poland. This later led to the France, United Kingdom, and the United States declaration of war on Germany. Some of the well known events that occurred during the Second World War include; the Operation Barbararossa, Pearl Harbour attack and the Marco Polo Bridge incident. The war ended in 1945 and had the United States and the Soviet Union turn out to be the superpowers. The World War II broke out in Europe after Hitler led the Axis Alliance by first invading Poland. There were several major effects of Second World II on Germany and Europe.  In this paper, these effects will be discussed. Major effects of World War II in Germany Germany was one of the leading nations in the Axis Alliance against the Allies during the Second World War. Germany is considered to have developed some of the most sophisticated and most destructive weapons during the war. Together with the cost of military operations, Germany used a great amount of its finances to develop weapons for use during the war. The Nazi Germany which was led by Adolf Hitler invested great amounts of financial resources to cater for the costs of the war. In 1936, Adolph Hitler in his efforts to purchase war materials at low prices imposed price controls on the Germany people. Rationing later followed in 1939. Price controls that were put on food led to food shortages during the war. This led to the people growing their food and doing barter trade with their personal belongings for food. Compensation trade was born during the war; as a result of the wide spread barter trade. Due to the business to business transactions, many business firms hired a person who could barter a firms’ output. The barter trade was inefficient compared to the direct purchase of commodities and services using money. According to a Germany economist Walter Eucken self- sufficiency and barter trade were incompatible. Due to an extensive labor division, Germans’ economic system had been â€Å"reduced to a primitive condition† (Harlett 1978, p. 34). The Germany economy after the war was in shambles. In the housing sector, Adolph- Hitler scorched – earth policy together with the war had affected about 20 per cent of the housing. Germanys’ economic hardship had the food production per capita from 1938 to 1947 reduce by 51 per cent. In addition, the occupying powers had set the food ration between 1040 and 1550 calories per day. As compared to the industrial out put in 1938, Germanys’ out put in 1947 was only a third of the 1938 industrial output. Due to the death of a large number of working -age men during the war, Germany had inadequate labor. The economic hardship had triggered the Germany government to put in place measures that would rejuvenate the country’s’ economy. The government eliminated the price controls that were initially there, while the currency was reformed. This occurred in 1948. Later in 1948 and1949, there was reduction of the marginal tax rates. These measures saw the Germanys’ economy grow rapidly 20 years after the World War II. Germany’s economic problems can also be attributed to the World War I effects. Before the World War I, the German Empire had a prosperous economy. However,after the war,Germany’s economic prosperity was considered to have been ruined by treaties such as the 1919 Treaty of Versallies. The signing of the treaties by Germany together with the World War I effects led to great inflation in the early 1920s. Though Germany’s economy improved after the First World War, the economic problems that characterized this period to some extent came to affect Germany’s economy after the World War II. The first several years in Germany after the World War II were of great economic problems. This resulted from the destruction of property, land, and homes during the war (Klopstock, p 285). Furthermore, many Germans fled from their homes during the war, a situation that made working almost impossible. This reduced the economic productivity of the nation, whose negative effects after the war became evident. In addition to this, the industrial and agricultural production had drastically reduced in Germany. Many millions of people lacked food and clothing as the inflation raged in Germany. Food shortage had become severe and â€Å"each day, and particularly on weekends, vast hordes of people trekked out to the country to barter food from the farmers†(Wallich, p 65). Despite the economic problems that the Germans were experiencing, the political leaders were able to exploit the situation in order to build a very strong economy in future. The economic problems encouraged the German political leaders to focus on the future plans of reviving Germany’s economy. The leaders saw a new beginning in the ruined economy, where the economy was viewed as an instrument of prosperity. The need to have a prosperous economy would then assist the Germans to have a stable society, as well as to safeguard democracy. The leaders sought both the economic prosperity and social peace. A prosperous economy would also make sure that there was equal opportunity for all the German citizens so that eruption of a revolution would be prevented when bitter frustration of the underprivileged social groups was avoided. The reviving of the German economy and â€Å"economic system that had been reduced to a primitive condition† (Hazlett, p 34) due to the economic problems experienced as a result of the World War II became important. The economy was revived through the efforts of some Germans’ post war leaders such as Ludwig Erhard. The currency reforms that were introduced through the efforts of Erhard led to the abolition of the Reichmark and the Deutsche mark introduction. The installation of the new currency began in 1948 led to economic success. Furthermore, Erhard abolished the Nazi and the occupation regulations and rules. This was the beginning of a prosperous and free economy in Germany, which in turn established the foundation of a growing West Germany economy. Apart from the economic problems experienced in Germany, another major effect of the World War II(WWII) in Germany was the division of Germany into two (East and West Germany) for about 40 years. The division occurred in 1949 and ended on October 1990 to reunite the two sides. The three Allied Zones of Occupation were brought together to form West Germany. These three zones were those that were held by France, United Kingdom, and the United States. The two special territories in German’s two states were Berlin and the Saarland. Since the West was democratically organized, it considered itself to have exclusive mandate for all of Germany. The Yalta Conference that was held by the Soviet Union, United States, and the United Kingdom leaders aimed as paving the way forward for future arrangements with the Europe after the World War II. It was during the conference that the leaders decided to split Germany into four occupation Zones. These Zones included; the French Zone, American Zone, British Zone, and the Soviet Zone. West Germany was formed in 1949 and comprised of the Western Allied Zones. The Soviet Zones formed the East Germany, which was also referred to as the Germany Democratic Republic. The West Germany economy grew so rapidly due to the economic aid from the United States and also the Marshall Plan. But more importantly, the currency reforms that were introduced in West Germany strengthened the economy. Both the East and West Germany had mutual recognition of each other and the relation between the two was normalized by treaties such as the Treaty of Warsaw(1970),Basic Treaty(1972) and the Treaty of Moscow(1970). West Germany became cosmopolitan due to the western culture influences while East Germany was conservative. The East Germany adhered to the socialist ideologies, where there was less freedom as compared to West Germany. In addition, the West Germany government was more decentralized and East Germany had a government based on the Communist ideaologies. The reunification of the East and West Germany occurred on 3 October 1990 to form the Federal Republic of Germany, which is the current Germany. The Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961 to separate the two regions, but it was destroyed in 1989 after the reunification of East and West Germany. The third major effect of the World War II on Germany was the great advancement in technology. This resulted from German’s great technological ability to develop and use highly sophisticated and powerful weapons and industrial technology. Germany is considered to have developed and used some of the most powerful and sophisticated weapons during the World War II. For instance, Germany managed to develop powerful anti-aircraft weaponry, aircraft bombers, bombs, guns, rifles, and chemical weapons. The jet aircrafts which had been developed late during the war were advanced after the World War II. The Navy advancements during the World War II paved way for more technological development in the naval field. The German designs such as the Type VII submarine were used during the World War II, and the technology was later used after the war for greater advancement. For instance, after the division of Germany into West and East Germany, some of the German’s intellectual privileges that were of industrial advantage. The Allies who had control over West Germany confiscated Germans’ intellectual privileges and used them for their own companies. This led to rapid growth in industrialization due to the technology that had been developed by the Germans. Major Effects of World War II on Europe The World War II had so many countries involved, with the majority being from Europe. Examples of European countries that took part in the war included the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, and Poland. These countries and Europe as a continent experienced some major effects of the World War II. One major effect of the World War II on Europe was economic problems. The World War II had demanded that nations that were involved in the conflict invest their scientific, industrial, and economic capabilities. This required huge amounts of financial resources. Before the war, many European nations had very strong economic abilities. The nations’ economic and population advantage was very essential for success in the war. In addition, the European nations that had major industrial and financial developments included Germany, United Kingdom, and France. Industrial development that had spread across Europe before the war had contributed to great economic development in the European nations. The Industrial Revolution had led to rapid economic growth, which put the European nations at a good position to compete with the United States of America which was then an economic might. The World War II led to the destruction of Europe’s industrial centers and this affected negatively the high production of products or commodities that would be sold to increase economic growth in Europe (Tucker, p 771). The European infrastructure that was greatly destroyed made it hard for the citizens to undertake activities that would contribute to the economic growth. The European countries during the war had continued to increase their spending on developing and producing military weapons. There was construction of strategic road network by some European nations with the aim of increasing their probability of winning the war. The need for synthetic rubber and oil from coal to use during the war promoted great financial investments by the European nations. For instance, Britain’s’ economy was harnessed to the World War II efforts. The destruction of Europe’s infrastructure led to economic problems. The damage of the road and rail networks during the war made it very difficult for the European nations after to move the essential goods from one place to another. The economy was exhausted, a good example being Britain’s economy. For the European countries that were involved in the World War, their economies experienced severe inflation. Though rationing and luxury goods absence in Europe before the war had encouraged people to save, the people were unable to spend their savings since there were no commodities to purchase as would be preferred. The economic hardships in Europe made some European countries to borrow heavily from other nations with a strong economy such as the United States. The economic hiccups in Europe were later followed by economic recovery, where the currency reforms â€Å"quickly reestablished money as the preferred medium of exchange and monetary incentives as the prime mover of economic activity† (Heller, p 215). Another major effect of the World War II on Europe was environmental destruction. The World War II resulted to great environmental destruction. In many cases, any warfare or military conflict has very devastating effects on Europe’s natural environment. Improvements in technology during the war led to the invention of military weapons that were very destructive to the human life as well as the natural ecosystems. For example, the use of powerful and sophisticated bombs in the war destroyed animal and plant life. Furthermore, new chemical components that made up the weapons were released into the environment. This affected the soil fertility and composition, and this made it impossible for land to regain its fertility. The chemical components released from the explosives used in the war made it impossible for some arable land to be productive again. Many parts of Europe that acted as military grounds experienced great environmental degradation. The technological advancements during the World War II were incompatible with environmental preservation. War can never be compatible with the preservation and conservation of the natural environment. The environmental degradation that was occurring during the war was not a bother to the parties that were involved in the war. The military operations, destruction of natural vegetation to build communication lines and roads, and artillery shelling destroyed the environment. The new and effective ways military strategies that were used by the different nations’ forces to attack the enemies or defending themselves from the enemies increased environmental destruction. Long after the war ended, Europe’s natural environment has not yet recovered from the destruction it experienced during the war. In the era of technological advancement and industrialization, environmental issues seemed to cause very little concern in Europe, hence the effects of the war have proved that the war through technological advancement had become a great environmental threat. The increased use of chemical weapons resulted to long-lived negative effects on the environment. The waste disposal practices during and after the war in Europe resulted to â€Å"significant contamination of soils and ground water with high explosives† (Pennington et al, p 163). For example, the use of high explosives has made the recovery of the environment from destruction in Europe almost impossible. Consequently, the environment has become a health hazard to the people with the land mines that are still trapped in the soil/lands making some parts of the Europe land inhabitable. The areas were turned into waste land. Great technological advancements were another major effect of the World War II was witnessed in Europe. These changes that were witnessed were as a result of the nations that took part in the war struggle to invent and use better and powerful military weapons than their rivals. The technological development during and after the First World War promoted more advancements after the World War I . This is because, the improvements made after the World War II were an improvement on those that had earlier been invented. The inventions were considered as very critical when it came to winning the war, and this promoted technological inventions that were very instrumental to the economic development of many European nations after the war. The use of radio’s and electricity became possible due to the technological development witnessed during the wars. Research that had been intensively done by the Allies and the Axis with the aim of outdoing each other’s weapons became very important to more inventions after the war. The technological innovations of the war paved way for the naval technological development witnessed up to date. For instance, the introduction of aircraft receivers and radio communication systems during the war led to more development in naval industry long after the war. The technological advancement became a very vital requirement for survival during the war no doubt led to greater inventions after the war in Europe. Conclusion The World War II has been considered as one of the most devastating conflict to ever occur. This is due to the high number of people who were killed during the war. The various nations that were involved in the conflict invested greatly to the war efforts through finances and scientific inventions. Germany was one of the major players in the conflict and it proved to have great ability to develop and use powerful weapons against its enemies. The major effects of the war were both positive and negative. While some effects have been devastating to the people and the natural environment, others have brought about development in various fields of economic growth

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Psychological Profile of Albert Fish

Psychological Profile of Albert Fish Criminal profiling has always been a crucial way of solving crime in law enforcement. This type of mechanism narrows the field of investigation by indicating what kind of person is most likely to have committed a crime by focusing on certain behavioral and personality traits. It is a collection of leads, and has been described as a skilled attempt to provide specific information about a certain type of suspect. A disorganized asocial offender tends to have an unusual personality. As a child, their childhood had often consisted of physical or emotional abuse. Even in school, disorganized offenders struggled to make friends and also with academics. Usually, these offenders are described as strange, socially awkward, and unintelligent. Many are reasons why these offenders are overlooked. For example, in a homicide; the disorganized offender attacks the victims abruptly and uses un-planned or barely planned violence. Disorganized asocial offenders are only comfortable within their famili ar surroundings because of the absence of social norms and values. (Holmes, 1996, p.49) The organized nonsocial offender however, is the exact opposite. These offenders have organized characteristics that match to their own personal lifestyle (Holmes, 1996 p.50). Most of organized offenders are not often recognized because of their ability to â€Å"blend in.† Their charismatic personalities also play a role in their behavior. Even under suspicion, the offender could have the possibilities of preparing responses to benefit his own situation. When committing a crime, they try to leave and little evidence as possible (Holmes, 1996 p. In the case of a murder, the offender would not leave the murder weapon at the crime scene. Alternatively, they would take the weapon and move the body to a different location. An organized nonsocial offender is most likely inclined to use a weapon that belongs to them. Not all serial killers are the same. Although they tend to have a similar motivations, their behaviors are different from one another. Each serial killer can be identified in different sub-categories. The most recognized sub-categories are the visionary, mission, hedonistic, and control serial killers. Visionary killers are propelled to kill because of the voices he hears or visions he sees. God or the devil can be an influence to a visionary killer (Holmes, 1996, p.64). These killers would usually be out of touch with reality. With mission killers, they are the exact opposite of visionary killers. Instead of being out of touch with reality, mission killers are very active in the real world (Holmes, 1996, p.64). They are likely to gravitate to a certain group of people and are prone to target a minority. A hedonistic killer or thrill killer sexual gratification through the murder. These killers use time consuming techniques to murder their victims; this includes dismemberment, necrop hilia, mutilation, and many more. The hedonistic killer is more fixated on the killing compared to the visionary and mission killer. However, there is an extension to the hedonistic subcategory. One that does not kill for sexual gratification for a prime motive is called a hedonistic comfort-oriented killer. The hedonistic comfort-oriented killer preferably kills for personal gain. At last, the power or control serial killer, gains pleasure from the complete domination of his victim. Much like the hedonistic serial killer, a control serial killer gains sexual gratification from the murder; the only difference is having power over the victim (Holmes, 1996, p. 66). The subcategory of â€Å"hedonistic serial killer† best suits Albert Fish because he had lured children inside his home and would torture them multiple ways. Some of the acts of torture would include a paddle laced with sharp nails; he would later sexually assault them. As he continued to do these acts, he eventually murdered and cannibalized his victims, primarily children. Albert Fish is an organized nonsocial, hedonistic serial killer who is a psychopath. Methods Hamilton Howard Fish, also known as Albert Fish, was born in Washington D.C. on May 19, 1870. His father, Randall Fish, was 75 at the time of his birth making him 43 years older than his mother. The youngest of three living siblings, Fish adopted the name Albert after a deceased sibling. Many members of his family had mental illness, and one suffered from religious mania. One of Fish’s brothers was issued into a state mental institution. His sister was identified with a â€Å"mental affliction† Also, his mother experienced aural and visual hallucinations. Three other relatives were diagnosed with mental illnesses (Murderpedia). As a child, Fish suffered several traumatic events such as dealing with the death of his father and also being sent to an orphanage by his mother. At the time, Albert was five years old, the youngest in the entire boy in the entire institution. (Doidge) While at the orphanage, he was exposed to numerous acts of perversion and physical abuse which benefited his obsession with sadomasochism. Over the years, he was introduced to practices such as urolagnia and coprophagia from a telegraph boy. This led Fish to visit public bathhouses to watch boys undress. As he grew older, Fish moved to New York to become a male prostitute. In that time, he began sexually assaulting young boys (Doidge). Fish claimed to have â€Å"had children in every state† although it is not known whether his statement was true (Murderpedia). He mainly targeted African American or mentally challenged children because he believed that they would not be missed. Fish later married a 19 year old woman and had 6 children with her; she eventually abandoned him and their children for another man (Castleden). Although Fish had never abused his children, he encouraged them to participate in his sado-masochism games. This included his children using a nailed studded paddle on Fish’s buttocks. He was also known for writing a letter to Mrs. Budd explainin g in great detail the torture he put their children through, and also how he cannibalized her. He only confessed to the murders of Francis McDonnell, Grace Budd, and Billy Gaffney. Results Fish is indeed an organized nonsocial, hedonistic serial killer. Albert Fish falls into the category of an organized nonsocial offender. Although he is categorized as an organized nonsocial offender, he illustrates traits of a disorganized asocial as well. For this reason, Fish suffered from having an absent father-figure in his life since his father had died when he was only five years old. This caused his mother to send him to an orphanage in which he had became socially awkward. Another characteristic was that Fish claimed that God was persuading him to murder and torture children. His main traits are mostly found within an organized nonsocial offender. For example, Fish had used his charm on Mr. and Mrs. Budd that had gained their trust in order to lure Grace out of their home; this shows that he is able to manipulate others because he gives a good impression of himself. Fish also plans out his attacks before committing them. Albert Fish has a very high likelihood of being a psyc hopath because of the characteristics found in his behavior. His family history may have played a factor in his actions however, he had been examined several times by psychiatrists at Bellevue but was Fish was always released and declared â€Å"disturbed but sane.† This signifies that Fish is capable of manipulating and harming others around him. He has been known to be a master in disguise because of his weak and fragile old man appearance. He Fish uses this as an advantage to try and prey on his victims. References Albert Fish | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2015, from http://murderpedia.org/male.F/f/fish-albert.htm Albert Fishs Childhood | Twisted Minds a website about serial killers. (2007, January 1). Retrieved January 28, 2015, from http://twistedminds.creativescapism.com/mostnotorious/albert-fish/ Cannibal Albert Fish Documentary. (2012, February 24). Retrieved January 29, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orJiXNQeScs Castleden, C. (2011). Albert Fish the Lying Cannibal. New York: Constable Robinson. Doidge, C. (2002). The Life of Albert Fish. In Profile of Serial Killers. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. Forensic Document Examination. (n.d.). Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://www.forensicsciencesimplified.org/docs/how.html Handwriting Expert, Forensic Document Examiner, Forgery Exam. (2006, January 1). Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://www.documentlab.com/ Hare, R. (1999). Without conscience: The disturbing world of the psychopaths among us. New York: Guilford Press. Holmes, R., Holmes, S. (2002). Profiling violent crimes: An investigative tool (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage. Montaldo, C. (2014, December 16). Profile of Serial Killer Albert Fish. Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://crime.about.com/od/serial/p/albertfish.htm Rawlins, H. (2003, January 1). Serial Killers. Retrieved January 30, 2015, from http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring03/rawlins/fishtrial.htm Taylor, T. (n.d.). ALBERT FISH. Retrieved January 30, 2015, from http://www.prairieghosts.com/fish.html

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Development of the Quantity Surveying Role

Development of the Quantity Surveying Role The report within analyses and documents the historical development of the Quantity Surveying role from inception to modern day practice, the roles and responsibilities of the Professional Quantity Surveyor and Contractors Quantity Surveyor, along with the importance and relevance of key skills to the role of the QS. The Quantity Surveyor role was born in the United Kingdom, shortly after the birth of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1834, due to the fact that Architects wanted to distance themselves from the surveying profession. The report goes on to talk about the many reports published by The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which identify the Quantity Surveying roles and how the future QS role will adapt to change. Both the Professional and Contractors QS have roles and responsibilities in the Pre-construction, Construction and Post-construction phases on any given construction project. Both sides have similar responsibilities during the pre-construction phase for example, each side will have a duty to carry out a form of estimation regarding the price of the works, which will require measurement/quantification. During Construction, the Contractors QS will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the project, including procuring subcontractors and submitting valuations to the client, whilst the Professional QS will be working with the client to ensure the Contractors QS valuations are factual and that they are certified in line with the contract terms. Post-construction activities on both sides would include activities such as Final Account procedures. Finally, the last section of the report details the six key skills required by a Quantity Surveyor in order for a successful career; Numeracy, Verbal Communication, Written Communication, ICT Skills, Problem Solving and Self-management. It is important that an aspiring Quantity Surveyor/Project Manager is continually developing these skills, as they will play a large part of their working careers for the rest of their lives. The purpose of this report is to write about the functions of the Quantity Surveyors and the roles each has within the Construction Industry. The team intends to accomplish the roles and responsibilities of the Quantity Surveyors (QS), Professional Quantity Surveyors (PQS), and Contractors Quantity Surveyors (CQS). The content of the report will consider the importance of key skills such as, Problem Solving, Numeracy, Self-Management, Written, and Verbal Communication and IT Skills. To accomplish this the team will meet up and communicate with each other, plus research the subjects for the report. All three team members will be involved with the evaluation of the report, once the report has a structure the team should meet-up to go over the order that each member will completing, after each of the members have finished the sections there should be another meet-up to check the work each as done and update the contents, once this is finished the report should be edited and completed. The resources for the report will come from the research in secondary published literature, and from sources based on the internet. 1.1 Introduction This qualitative team research report will analyse and make use of secondary published literature to discuss the fundamental roles and responsibilities of a Quantity Surveyor. The report will highlight the key skills required to conduct the roles and responsibilities of a Quantity Surveyor. Quantity Surveying is an occupation that dates back as far as the 17th Century in Britain, when construction enterprises were measured and valued after they were designed and built. The definition of a Quantity Surveyor according to the renowned author Seeley (1997, p. 40), whose work is well documented in many books that cover all aspects of Quantity Surveying, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦A quantity surveyor is a professionally trained, qualified and experienced in dealing with these problems on behalf of the employer. He is essentially a cost expert whose prime task is to ensure that the project is kept within the agreed budget and that the employer obtains value for money. 1.2 Constraints or limitations on the work There have been several limitations on this report, the most important limitations being that the word count of the report has a maximum limit of 3000 words. Another was that group members did not always all come to the same conclusions, with differing opinions on subjects which could have led to opposing or contradicting views. Another constraint was that with it being a group task, on occasions there were individuals that were not able to meet due to busy lifestyles and other plans. Other instances of this was when work schedules clashed with meetings, or that long distances meant the meeting was unviable, or the venue for the meeting was too small for everyone to sit and engage. 1.3 Any assumptions made No assumptions have been made for the basis of this report. 2.1 Introduction This section will document and cover a brief history of the Construction industry, the inception of the QS role in the industry, the historical development of the QS, along with the roles and responsibilities of the QS on both the private and contractors side. 2.2 Historical development of the QS role The Construction Industry within the UK in the past was very different to the modern industry we know of today. The industry back then saw a Project Manager individually tender, procure and co-ordinate each discipline on site himself. However, the Napoleonic Wars of 1803 to 1815 would see the revolution of the Construction Industry in the United Kingdom. Cartlidge (2013) indicated that the government in power during the war were required to construct barracks to house the large amounts of soldiers that were to be crossing the English Channel. Due to time being of the essence, contracts were required to be let on settlement by fair valuation based on measurement after completion of the works. The many years that followed on from this saw the amount of projects in similar scenarios magnify, leading to the inception of the general contractor in the United Kingdom. The year of 1834 saw the birth of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). This professional association exclusively for architects, was formed on the basis that architects wished to distance themselves from surveyors and their perceived obnoxious commercvial interest in construction' (Cartlidge, 2013, p. 7). This in turn led to the inauguration of the Quantity Surveyor in the UK. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) report published in 1971 clearly defines the role of the Quantity Surveyor (RICS, 1971). The report seeks to acclaim the profession as specialists in the measurement and valuation of construction works (Perera, Pearson and Dodds, n.d.). The trio go on to state that the follow-up report also produced by the RICS, The Future Role of the Chartered Quantity Surveyor (RICS, 1983), identifies the skills and knowledge base of the QS while identifying the scope for expansion and diversification of services (Perera, Pearson and Dodds, n.d., p. 2). 2.3 The duties of the QS According to Willmott Dixon (2016), the duties of Quantity Surveyors are to carry out a feasibility study, advise on potential sites and working out what a client can afford to build. They will present detailed valuations on information of costs for elements of work on an intermittent basis to aid payment for those works carried out to date. They will be responsible for organising the division of a project into component work packages, and awarding these work packages to smaller, more specialised construction companies such as the subcontractors and, in that process, finding the best deals. They are also responsible for dealing with contracts and legal matters. Managing costs to ensure the initial budget is not surpassed. Arranging the staff payments and, settling the final accounts. Plus, act as the financial advisors while monitoring progress for the client. 2.3.1 The roles of the Professional Quantity Surveyor The Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS), which is a quantity surveyor employed in private practice, has been prevalent in the Construction industry since the 1960s where cost planning services were introduced into their repertoire of duties in order to avoid tenders being returned over budget (Ashworth, Hogg and Higgs, 2013, p. 8). It is the PQS responsibility to give advice on all financial and contractual issues to all relevant parties, from pre-tender to completion of the project. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (1998) published a set of competencies, titled Table 1, in which the assessment of professional competence would be measured against. The competencies are split into three different categories; basic, core and optional. PQS would need to fundamentally prove that they meet these competencies in order to reach chartered status. 2.3.1.1 Pre-Construction The pre-construction roles and responsibilities would include functions such as initial budget setting with the client, quantification/measurement and possibly preparation of bills of quantities, dependant on the contract. The PQS would also have an input into the design stage of the project, and would work with the Project Manager (PM), architects/structural engineers and public authorities, as he/she would be involved from a very early stage. Following this, they would then work with the PM directly to give sound commercial advice to ensure the contract is awarded to the most favourable and most cost effective contractor. 2.3.1.2 Construction Phase During the Construction phase, the PQS would still be expected to analyse and provide cost/commercial advice to the PM where needed, but he would mainly be working with the Contractors QS now to ensure that monthly valuations are submitted and valued correctly. Not only this, he/she would be responsible for attending site to review the applications submitted to confirm the values applied for. The term for this generally is Cost Control. 2.3.1.3 Post-Construction After the Construction phase, has been completed, the PQS would endeavour to complete and settle the Final Account with the Contractor to ensure all monies, where due, are paid and all disputes settled. If its necessary, the PQS will also conduct and participate in arbitration or court proceedings to settle disputes that couldnt be resolved previously. Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (CIQS, 2016) 2.3.2 The roles of the Contractors Quantity Surveyor The Contractors QS is responsible for the performance of operations similar to those of the PQS, i.e., the measurement and pricing of construction work, utilising certain mechanisms for pricing such as Bill of Quantities. The Contractors QS handles the day to day running of the building/construction project. The construction programme is handled in three distinct sections. These are Pre-Construction, Construction Phase and Post-Construction. Within these phases the Contractors QS plays a major role. 2.3.2.1 Pre- Construction The Contractors QS will be required to carry out a Feasibility study for the project. They will also estimate the cost and whats involved in the project based on measurements of the designer or clients sketches. The Contractors QS can compare the project with historical projects that his/her company has completed, and potentially gain an insight into how much the build may cost. The final part of the phase will lead to the final detailed estimate which is prepared by the QS and the Architect of the project which will lead to the evaluating tenders. 2.3.2.2 Construction Phase The role of the Contractors QS will be to provide cash flow data so the client can start to arrange the finances needed to execute each stages of the project. They will also provide assessments on the cost effect so they can be ready for any changes that will appear during the Construction phase. During this time they can provide a project report. They can also manage disputes within the organisation (Clients, Designers and Building Contractors). 2.3.2.3 Post-Construction The Contractors QS will be preparing and carrying out Final Accounts with subcontractors that have worked on site, as well as preparing their Final Account submission to submit to the client. The QS will liaise with the site team to ensure that all snags/defects are carried out in a timely manner. Once the defects liability period has expired within the Main Contract, generally 12 months after practical completion, the QS will be responsible for releasing any retention monies owed to the subcontractors. 3.1 Numeracy Numeracy skills are one of the largest of the key skills within the QSs repertoire, as they assist with the majority of the tasks a Quantity Surveyor carries out. For example, a Quantity Surveyor would be required to carry out numerous calculations for tasks, such as when he/she is required to produce tender documentation, i.e., Bills of Quantities etc. Measurement, or Quantification, would also require extensive numerical knowledge, as the task of producing a Bill of Quantities would require the QS to measure quantities from a drawing and implement the measurements into a suitable method of measurement, such as SMM7 or NRM2. The QS would also require handy numeracy skills when producing a valuation, or application for payment, as he/she will need to devise a document that can be used to apply for monies against particular activities, which would generally be against an Activity Schedule. 3.2 Verbal communication Verbal communication is a very important skill for the Quantity Surveyor to have because they have to interact with the internal and external employees which are working on the project. For example, the QS has to have a formal relationship with the client and the architect whilst managing affairs on site. It is imperative that a positive rapport is built up using verbal communication with suppliers, as this will help to ensure materials are delivered on time, which in turn will assist in the overall project completion. Communication with all parties involved in a contract will be required, as the different parties involved all have the same end-goal; to complete the project. Verbal communication is essential in the day to day life of the QS, speaking face to face with clients, Project Managers and other key figures involved in the project. The QS will also be required to demonstrate his/her verbal communication skills in meetings, interviews and conferences. 3.3 Written communication The written communication will be important from the beginning to the end of any work that need to be carried out and can be either: Email Letter Proposals Contracts Brochures This will begin when a team has been assembled when minutes of the meetings will be taken. Once these notes have been written up into a report they will allow the team to get the relevant information. By having these written down will allow anyone who needs to see the information they will be able to request them. They will also become a permanent record to reference information from. 3.4 IT Skills ICT skills are quickly becoming the foreground of a Quantity Surveyors key skill inventory. The need for computer literacy and a high level of ICT skills has stemmed from the fact that computers are now a large part of how a QS operates. Generally, a QS will produce Bills of Quantities, send emails, write letters and even now, gain measurements from drawings using a computer. Most of these tasks require a satisfactory level of capability regarding ICT, and more of the complex tasks require further extensive knowledge. Ashworth, Hogg and Higgs (2013, p. 14-15) identify and backup the idea for the need of strong ICT skills, by stating that process skills include computer literacy. 3.5 Problem Solving Problem solving is a very important skill required in the role of the QS. Due to the unpredictability of the Construction industry and the works that are carried out on site, the QS will be required to use his knowledge and devise an innovative solution to a problem which arises on site. The QS would be required to sufficiently and effectively identify and examine the problem to find a possible resolution to overcome the situation in order for works on the site to continue to progress towards completion. Demonstrating this skill will help the QS to achieve productivity and targets, as well as meeting key dates within a contract, i.e., Practical Completion, otherwise known as PC. 3.6 Self-management To be successful in the management of yourself, Valchev (2016) states you should be self-confident. The best way to achieve self-confidence is being positive by getting rid of negativity, and be happy with every achievement whether they are big or small, State that you are smart and intelligent and finally talk with other positive people. Valchev (2016) also states that you should be able to manage stress. To achieve your stress levels, you should relax, enjoy yourself, take holidays with people you love, take long walks and have hobbies or do activities you like. You should have excellent organisational skills and can manage your time, which can be achieved by writing lists, make a schedule, prioritize and setting goals, break down large tasks into smaller tasks and balance work and rest and recreation. You should be self-motivated, to achieve this you should make a list of your needs and desires listen to music when working on them and look at different books for inspiration this can expand your thoughts, and you should also have big dreams, live in the present moment, have dreams often and remember everything can be achieved. Lastly you should also have a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet. With all of this will help productivity which will make the work go easily.   4.1 On roles and responsibilities of the QS To conclude, Quantity Surveyors, have a vital part to producing efficient work in construction to reduce conflict by securing the most suitable procurement technique is selected, providing effective cost control procedure and ensuring value for money constantly. They minimise the potential lapse by distribution of risk and identifying the value-adding activities in the project. Quantity Surveyors run an extensive choice of skills outside the traditional quantity surveying actions. The extended skills of quantity surveyors will help clients to achieve their needs and expectations. In the current financial predicament, where cash flow and credit are paramount for clients, thus completion of project on specified time and within budget is important especially in the public sector which deal with the large projects and intensive capital. Quantity Surveyors can secure success for projects by the current technical and financial information and hence have vital influence in economic recovery. 4.2 On the importance of key skills development as aspirant quantity surveyors or project managers and future specific recommendations you have for your key skills acquisition and development The key skills that have been identified above; numeracy, verbal communication, written communication, IT skills, problem solving skills and self-management skills are all critical to an aspiring Quantity Surveyor/Project Manager. They are the necessary foundations to a successful career in the Construction industry, as without these crucial skills, a Quantity Surveyor/Project Manager would struggle to perform his or her day-to-day tasks. The development of these key skills is necessary in order to progress and enhance the opportunities available to you throughout your working career. Without the development of these skills, you will not be able to achieve your life goals, which will decrease your confidence and will lead to you having a poorer quality of life. However, if these skills are developed and maintained, your confidence would be boosted and you would live a far more comfortable, fulfilled and higher quality life. References   Ashworth, A., Hogg, K., Higgs, C. (2013) Williss Practice and Procedure for the Quantity Surveyor. 13th edn. Chichester: John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Brandon, P. (1990) Quantity Surveying Techniques: New Directions. Oxford. Blackwell Scientific Publications Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (2016) Professional Quantity Surveyor. Available at: http://www.ciqs.org/english/designations-defined-professional-quantity-surveyor (Accessed 16 November 2016). Cartlidge, D. (2013) Quantity Surveyors Pocket Book. 2nd edn. Oxfordshire: Routledge. Manker, A. D. (2016) What Is Written Communication in Business? Definition, Types Examples. Available at: http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-written-communication-in-business-definition-types-examples.html (Accessed 19 November 2016). Perera, S., Pearson, J., Dodds, L. (n.d.) Alignment of Professional, Academic and Industrial Development Needs for Quantity Surveyors. Northumbria: Northumbria University. Rahmani, F. (n.d.) Importance of Quantity Surveyors for public sector organisations in the prevaling recession. Available at: http://www.academia.edu/466357/Importance_of_Quantity_Surveyors_for_public_sector_organisations_in_the_prevaling_recession (Accessed 19 November 2016). Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (1998) The APC Requirements and Competencies. London: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Seeley, I. H. (1997) Quantity Surveying Practice. 2nd edn. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Valchev, M. (n.d.) Self-Management Skills | List, Definition, Tips Techniques. Available at: http://www.businessphrases.net/self-management-skills/ (Accessed 19 November 2016). Willmott Dixon (2016) The role of a Quantity Surveyor | Willmott Dixon. Available at: http://www.willmottdixon.co.uk/careers/working-for-us/the-role-of-a-quantity-surveyor (Accessed 16 November 2016). Ashworth, A., Hogg, K., Higgs, C. (2013) Williss Practice and Procedure for the Quantity Surveyor. 13th edn. Chichester: John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Brandon, P. (1990) Quantity Surveying Techniques: New Directions. Oxford. Blackwell Scientific Publications Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (2016) Professional Quantity Surveyor. Available at: http://www.ciqs.org/english/designations-defined-professional-quantity-surveyor (Accessed 16 November 2016). Cartlidge, D. (2013) Quantity Surveyors Pocket Book. 2nd edn. Oxfordshire: Routledge. Manker, A. D. (2016) What Is Written Communication in Business? Definition, Types Examples. Available at: http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-written-communication-in-business-definition-types-examples.html (Accessed 19 November 2016). Perera, S., Pearson, J., Dodds, L. (n.d.) Alignment of Professional, Academic and Industrial Development Needs for Quantity Surveyors. Northumbria: Northumbria University. Rahmani, F. (n.d.) Importance of Quantity Surveyors for public sector organisations in the prevaling recession. Available at: http://www.academia.edu/466357/Importance_of_Quantity_Surveyors_for_public_sector_organisations_in_the_prevaling_recession (Accessed 19 November 2016). Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (1998) The APC Requirements and Competencies. London: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Seeley, I. H. (1997) Quantity Surveying Practice. 2nd edn. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Valchev, M. (n.d.) Self-Management Skills | List, Definition, Tips Techniques. Available at: http://www.businessphrases.net/self-management-skills/ (Accessed 19 November 2016). Willmott Dixon (2016) The role of a Quantity Surveyor | Willmott Dixon. Available at: http://www.willmottdixon.co.uk/careers/working-for-us/the-role-of-a-quantity-surveyor (Accessed 16 November 2016). List of appendices Group Diary Evidence Group Diary Date Activity Actions agreed Type of evidence 21 Oct 2016 Message from Matt Meeting Message print-out (see Figure 1 in Appendix 2) 27 Oct 2016 Email to the two members Template of the report Screenshot (see Figure 2 in Appendix 2) 01 Nov 2016 Email to Jeannette from Matt Revised template Screenshot (see Figure 3 in Appendix 2) 15 Nov 2016 Message from Matt Rearranging some of the report and organise a meet-up for the next day Screenshot (see Figure 4 in Appendix 2) 24 Nov 2016 Message to Mo Requesting work Screenshot (see Figure 5 in Appendix 2) 30 Nov 2016 Email to Matt Dropbox invite with the assignment Screenshot (see Figure 6 in Appendix 2) Evidence Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 (snippet of conversation from WhatsApp) Figure 5 Figure 6 (emails to Matt)

Declaration of Independence Essay -- U.S. History

Children’s voice shouting in parades, spinning noise-makers, giant flags of red, white, and blue waving in every corner of the street, fireworks light up the night sky, friends and family gathering around with big smile on their faces; it is not somebody’s birthday nor it is an ordinary day. It is a true festival, a country’s birthday. The Fourth of July marks the anniversary of the glorious day in 1776 when America, as a new nation declared to the world its independence from monarchs. Because of the importance of this day, thus, the Declaration of Independence can be considered as one of the most influential documents in American History. Not only that, other organizations and countries have also adopted its manner and tones for their own documents or declarations, such as â€Å"Declaration of the Rights of Man† from France or the â€Å"Declaration of Sentiments† from the Women’s Right movement. After the Congress ratified the text on July Fourth, the Declaration of Independence had been issued in several forms. It was originally published as a printed broadside that was generally distributed and read to the public. Nevertheless, although the wording was approved on the Fourth of July, most historians have concluded that â€Å"it was signed almost a month later after its adoption, not on July Fourth as is commonly believed† . The Declaration not only justified the independence of the United States of America by listing colonial complaints against King George III, but it also asserted certain and legal rights, including the right of evolution. Nonetheless, after the American Revolution, the original purpose of the text was ignored. Since then, the Declaration of Independence can only be viewed as a major statement on human rights. Yet, the ques... ...lic (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 123–24 John H. Hazelton, The Declaration of independence: its history (New York, Dodd, Mead and Company, 1906), 13 George William Frederick, His Majesty's most gracious speech to both Houses of Parliament, on Friday, October 27 [i.e. Thursday, October 26], 1775 (Philadelphia, Printed by Hall and Sellers, 1776) Jack N. Rakove, The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretative History of the Continental Congress (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1979), 89 Herbert Friedenwald, The Declaration of Independence: an interpretation and an analysis (New York, The Macmillan Company, 1904), 67 Pauline Maier, American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence (New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1998), 41 Brian Boyd, Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition and Fiction (Massachusetts, Belknap of Harvard UP, 2010), 21 Declaration of Independence Essay -- U.S. History Children’s voice shouting in parades, spinning noise-makers, giant flags of red, white, and blue waving in every corner of the street, fireworks light up the night sky, friends and family gathering around with big smile on their faces; it is not somebody’s birthday nor it is an ordinary day. It is a true festival, a country’s birthday. The Fourth of July marks the anniversary of the glorious day in 1776 when America, as a new nation declared to the world its independence from monarchs. Because of the importance of this day, thus, the Declaration of Independence can be considered as one of the most influential documents in American History. Not only that, other organizations and countries have also adopted its manner and tones for their own documents or declarations, such as â€Å"Declaration of the Rights of Man† from France or the â€Å"Declaration of Sentiments† from the Women’s Right movement. After the Congress ratified the text on July Fourth, the Declaration of Independence had been issued in several forms. It was originally published as a printed broadside that was generally distributed and read to the public. Nevertheless, although the wording was approved on the Fourth of July, most historians have concluded that â€Å"it was signed almost a month later after its adoption, not on July Fourth as is commonly believed† . The Declaration not only justified the independence of the United States of America by listing colonial complaints against King George III, but it also asserted certain and legal rights, including the right of evolution. Nonetheless, after the American Revolution, the original purpose of the text was ignored. Since then, the Declaration of Independence can only be viewed as a major statement on human rights. Yet, the ques... ...lic (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 123–24 John H. Hazelton, The Declaration of independence: its history (New York, Dodd, Mead and Company, 1906), 13 George William Frederick, His Majesty's most gracious speech to both Houses of Parliament, on Friday, October 27 [i.e. Thursday, October 26], 1775 (Philadelphia, Printed by Hall and Sellers, 1776) Jack N. Rakove, The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretative History of the Continental Congress (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1979), 89 Herbert Friedenwald, The Declaration of Independence: an interpretation and an analysis (New York, The Macmillan Company, 1904), 67 Pauline Maier, American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence (New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1998), 41 Brian Boyd, Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition and Fiction (Massachusetts, Belknap of Harvard UP, 2010), 21

Friday, July 19, 2019

Emilia’s Perspective on Betrayal in Relationships in Shakespeare’s Othe

Emilia’s Perspective on Betrayal in Relationships in Shakespeare’s Othello In Othello, Act IV, scene ii and iii, Emilia, Iago’s wife, reveals her opinion about relationships to the reader as she attempts to comfort Desdemona. She indefinitely believes that many men, as well as women, are frequently guilty of deception and betrayal of their partner. By this part of the play, Othello’s suspicions of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness have greatly increased, and he begins to accuse her of cheating on him. When Desdemona persistently denies his accusations, Othello becomes enraged. He sarcastically asks for her pardon and claims that he took her to be the â€Å"cunning whore of Venice† (Act IV, scene ii, line 88). Desdemona is heartbroken by her husband’s mockery and seeks Emilia’s kind words. Emilia insists that female innocence and chastity is overrated when Desdemona scolds herself for her unworthiness of Othello. Emilia subtly suggests that Desdemona should leave Othello and seek happiness elsewhere. Emilia states in Act IV, scene iii, lines 83-85, â€Å"...’tis a wrong in your own world, and ...

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Whether the Realism School Still Works Today with the Iraq War

| Analysis on Whether the Realism School Still Works Today with the Iraq War as the Example| Word count : 4056 MB240672 Zhao Tiantian (Daisy)| | ProfileAdmin [Pick the date] | 1. Introduction After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it seems that the Realism school of international relations has been at an embarrassing position. The scholars of realism had not predicted the result of the confrontation of the United States and Russia.At the same time, with the further development of other schools of the international relations, such as the Liberalism, Constructivism and English school, the realism school is regarded to undergoing a weakening trend, for its inability to give a satisfactory explanation of so much cooperation, negotiation and other situation in the ever-changing political environment. While does that really mean the realism school of international relations lose its significance to study? The answer is definitely no.As one of the most classical school, flourishing for suc h a long time, it is bound to have its reasonability on some specific issues. Then does it can still be persuasive in this century and explain some specific events in the world nowadays? Is the realism school still practical in analyzing some situation and worthwhile to keep further study on it? The author thinks it is appropriate to study it with an example of war happened recently to see is there any changed expression of the school.In that way, we can understand the school and the world better to promote the development and keep the relatively stable situation of the globe. Even though after the World War Two, there is rare large scale of wars like that, involving so many states or covering so broad area. The disputes, conflicts and wars happened in different regions and among different states, absolutely cannot be compared with the world war. One of the examples of such kind is the Iraq War. On March 20 2003, the United American firstly started an invasion of Ba’athist Ir aq with its coalition, the United Kingdom.Before the war, the governments of two states claimed that Iraq’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) posed a threat to their security and that of coalition or regional allies. 1 As we all know, after 9. 11, anti-terrorism has become a top agenda to America, so the US government also condemned Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq provides the protection and support of Al-Qaeda as well as financial support for the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. On top of this, the human rights abuses of Iraqi government also could be seen as the reason for the US to start the war.While are these reasons really true without other purpose? The investigators of WMD in Iraq did not find any evidence to prove, on the contrary, they got the conclusion that Iraq had already ended its nuclear, biological and chemical program in 1991 and had no active program at the time of the invasion. 2 Even without the permit from the UN, not conforming to the specific rules of international law, the US started a militarily attack to Iraq surprisingly. So is it really a justice war like that announced by the US government, is there any other reason for the start of the war related to the self-interest of the US?This war could embody what kind of information and be relevant to the realism school of international relations? The author would provide a further analysis on it. First, the introduction of the realism school of international relations would be given, which includes the main principles and several branches of the realism school related to the case studied here. Then the author would also present information of the international law and international organizations to show how the US, as the most powerful state today won its purpose and self-interest and protect its security in the â€Å"anarchy† world.And analysis would start from the reason announced by the US government, how they really embody the real in tention of the US. Then try to find is there any other potential reason hided the event in order to prove how the US behaved in line with the realism school. 2. Literature review Realism school of international relations is a kind of theory and practice, focusing on the balance of power among states more than ideality and mortality. There are several fundamental principles of the school.Firstly, the international system is under the state of anarchy which means there is not an authoritarian actor to manage the international society and address the disputes or conflicts among different states. Secondly, the sovereign states are the most significant actors in the international system instead of international organizations, non-government organizations or multi-national enterprises, and sometimes the more attention is given to the great powers which have much more saying in the international interactions.Thirdly, all states within the system are unitary and rational actors. 3Considerin g the other states response to their own behavior, those states would also pay attention to the outside environment and choose the strategic measures to try their best to survive. Because that states always tend to pursue self-interest and groups strive to attain as many resources as possible. 4Fourthly, the most principle goal of a state is survival and security. â€Å"States seek to maintain their territorial integrity and the autonomy of their domestic political order.Survival dominates other motives because, once a state is conquered, it is unlikely to be in a position to pursue other aims. †5 While for this reason, it is possible to lead to a kind of troublesome situation, called â€Å"security dilemma†. It means one state tries to strengthen its military power by increasing its army or other means which could cause the insecurity of another state. Due to the uncertainty of the other’s real intention, lack of information, incentive to misrepresent and some private information, it is very likely for this state to take the same measures to protect itself.Therefore, these two states would be trapped in the â€Å"security dilemma† and that would easily cause the war. Fifthly, power is given the priority by every state, seeking power especially the military power sometimes is regarded as the top agenda for each state. Only with the power, can a state guarantee its security to further pursue other development and stability. Of course, realism is a complex school which could be divided into several specific branches with each distinguished characteristic. First of all, the Classical Realism holds that in the real world, the weak is always falling to the strong.The anarchy to the world means the law of the jungle, so states pursue the maximization of power. Second, Neorealism also called Structural Realism claims that even though the major actor is state, there is not difference in the function of states. What impact the foreign polici es are the various positions of states in the international system structure. Third, Offensive Realism, with the representative of John Mearsheirmer insists on the idea that self-help is the only way to survive without help from the trusted others under the anarchy.Seeking self-interest and establishing its own power are of great importance. What is more, there are Defensive Realism and Neoclassical Realism which the author would not explain too much about them. Then international law should be mentioned here. International law is the set of rules generally regarded and accepted as binding in relations between states and nations. 6It serves as the indispensable framework for the practice of stable and organized international relations. 7Meanwhile, international law is consent-based governance.This means that a state member of the international community is not obliged to abide by international law unless it has expressly consented to a particular course of conduct. 8 Although many k inds of cooperation and negotiation can be seen in the world, it is still reasonable to consider the inherent reason for them. Does that mean a state could learn to become benevolent, doing good things and thinking of others more than of itself? Under such kind of background, because of the only reliable method of self-help in the anarchical world, international law is so weak as well as the international cooperation.With the spread of Fascism and the explosion of the World War Two, classical realism rose rapidly and dominated the theory and practice of international relations during the period of Cold War. Under the great influence of classical realism, not only the study of international law war greatly affected, but also the practices of international organizations were affected negatively. Some scholars of early realism hold that the international law could play part of role in stipulating and constraining the states’ behavior during the fight for power in the internation al relations.But still many scholars keep doubt to the real function of international law, because of the lack of some important properties like domestic law, such as institutions of legislation, jurisdiction and enforcement. In the book of Edward H Carr, The Twenty Years’ Crisis he points out the nature of international law that â€Å"international law differs from the municipal law of modern states in being the law of an undeveloped and not fully integrated community. It lacks three institutions which are essential parts of any developed system of municipal law: a judicature, an executive and a legislature. 9To sum up, they tend to regard the international law as a kind of original law with serious flaw. On the other hand, due to the short of compelling force, the international law is considered as soft. 10 On top of the mentioned shortcomings of it, the limitation from willingness of states whether to accept the rules, ambiguity of the law’s provision and other fac tors decide that there is no room to ply for international law to seek power and secure international relations.Especially in the conflict between the states interests and the use of international law which are strong and weak respectively, law has to submit to the reality, for its pursuit of a kind of â€Å"morality†. If a state’s survival is not a focus of a law, namely, if the existing international system causes the successive problems of survival, it is possible for us to get a pessimistic conclusion that states are still trampling the international law. 1 As for the international organizations, with the increasingly more frequent international interaction and the deeper independence among states, they have also showed new changes, such as the larger scale of the organizations and better network of different states compared with the past. The United Nations is one of the largest and also the most important organizations in the world now with the most members. It i s undoubtedly that in the term of controlling the regional conflicts and relieving the expansion of that.But it still faces with lots of challenges, particularly faced with the powerful states holding the superb position, and then its role shows some degree of being weakened which would embody in the following parts of the thesis. 3. Case study After September 11 attack happened in America, Bush, the president of the US announced the war to the â€Å"terrorism† recognized by the US government and put Iraq into the list of â€Å"Axis of Evil†. While on July the 8th 2002, Bush said that changing the Iraq’s regime is one of the American state policies on a press conference, â€Å"taking every measure to realize this goal†.On September the 12th the US government listed the examples of Iraq’s break of its promise to the international community since the Gulf War and urged the UN to take actions to force Iraq to destroy the weapons of mass Destruction. S o in 2002, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1441 which called for Iraq to completely cooperate with UN weapon inspectors to verify that Iraq was not in possession of WMD and cruise missile. 2 It is easy to get a conclusion that since 2001, there has already been the tight atmosphere or also can be said that the crisis escalated between the US, the only one superpower in the world and Iraq, an important state in the Middle East with great amount of oil reserve. The reason for starting the war as mentioned at the beginning of the paper, firstly, the WMD problem. The US claimed to search and eliminate the weapons of mass destruction. Regardless of the fact that whether Iraq really held the WMD, it is easy to understand the situation that it is the possibility that makes the US really worried.It can be considered as a kind of â€Å"security dilemma†. Iraq may develop the nuclear energy for their own purpose instead of hurting any other states. But due to the preconceived idea of Iraq, regarding it as the â€Å"Axis of Evil† and worry of the potential terrorists of the state to make use of the WMD to continue their destruction, it is understandable for the US to take measures to try to get rid of this crisis in order to protect itself. Why the US does not say too much about the same situation happened in other countries, such as China or Japan?It depends on the real interest relationship between two. The Iraq war also related to the principle of the realism school in which guaranteeing the survival is the most significant goal for a state. The US thought the possession of WMD had become a huge threat to its survival and security. The action that Iraq might have WMD led to the insecurity of the US or the fear for that kind of insecurity. Therefore, two states were trapped into the â€Å"security dilemma†. While as the much more powerful one, the US adopted actions firstly.As to the second reason, to end the human rights abus es in Iraq and to establish an autonomous government for the Iraqi seems really weak. There is no permission for attacking a state for such kind of excuses. Even though such situation existed once, it does not mean that is right. Just from this reason, it is can be seen that the US really regards itself as an indispensable mediator with its strong political and economic strength and superb position in the globe. The author claims that many policies and measures taken by the US stand the emergence of a new kind of hegemony which conforms to the realism school.Why is it said as new? Compared with the traditional hegemony of European countries in different historical periods, like Portugal, Spain, Holland and the UK, the US does not seek the marine hegemony, colonial hegemony or military hegemony, and it has a distinguished theory, purpose and process. In the regard of theory, the US preaches its responsibility of maintaining the international order, emphasizing the moral foundation an d legality of its behavior. In the regard of process, the US is focus on diplomacy, negotiation, economic sanctions and military intervention.The purpose of the military method is to punish those states which violate the international order and human rights instead of conquering the land through military force. And eventually, through the promotion of political and economic system, the influence on lifestyle as well as the spread of ideology, the US would like to maximize the security and interests of itself and lead the world. Before the Iraq war began on 20 March 2003, France, Germany rejected to join the military attack to Iraq with the US.The US only won the support of its old coalition, the United Kingdom. Even on 20 January 2003, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin declared â€Å"we believe that military intervention would be the worst solution†13 Meanwhile, in March 2003, Hans Bilx, the chief UN weapons inspector reported that â€Å"No evidence of proscribed activities have so far been found† in Iraq, saying that progress was made in inspections which would continue. He estimated the time remaining for disarmament being verified through inspections to be month†. 4 However the US announced that â€Å"diplomacy has failed† and that it would proceed with a coalition of allied countries, called the â€Å"coalition of the willing† to rid Iraq of its alleged WMD. The US government abruptly advised the UN weapons inspectors to leave Baghdad immediately. 15 Under the general circumstances, when the US had not found the evidence of development of WMD and terrorist attack in Iraq, realizing the reason for the war is not sufficient, it should stop its plan invade and turn the follow-up work to the UN and other international organizations.It is regret that America did not do that. What is more, in October 2002 former US President Bill Clinton warned about possible dangers of preemptive military action against Iraq. Speaki ng in the UK on a Labor Party conference he said: â€Å"As a preemptive action today, however well-justified, may come back with unwelcome consequences in the future†¦. I don't care how precise your bombs and your weapons are, when you set them off, innocent people will die. 16 Then what is preemptive war? It means that a war is imminent and appears to be unable to avoid, then one of the states would starts the war, considering the first one would enjoy some kind of advantage. And there is also another kind of theory similar with it, called the â€Å"preventive† self-defense sharing the similar connotation. The Iraq war actually happened in this way. Since September 11 2001, the US had already made preparations for this preventive self-defense.It classified the North Korea, Iraq and Iran as the â€Å"Axis of Evil† and delivered a speech in West Point, saying the victory of anti-terrorism cannot be won by self-defense, we have to launch attack to destroy their pla ns and eliminate the most severe threat in advance. And three months later, Bush’s government issued a document named National Security of the United States explained that even though the US would insist on pursuing support from the international community, it would take measures to practice its right of self-defense and crack down the terrorists preemptively.Therefore, according to the words of President Bush, it is not difficult to find that there are several characteristics of the so-called preventive self-defense. First, only when the US thinks its security is under threat, it has the right to take measures or attack enemies preemptively regardless of the opposition from the international community and objection from the UN. Second, it does not require that the threat is extremely urgent.Maybe a conclusion can be got that the Iraq war is a unilateral military attack taken by the US and the UK, but not being attacked by Iraq or even without solid evidence that the threat i s really serious as well as ignoring the undergoing inspection in Iraq conducted by the Security Council. Moreover, the Article 2 of charter of the United Nations â€Å"All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. 17 should be applied as a basic principle of today’s international law and followed by all states. And different from the self-defense in the Article 51 of Charter of the United Nations in which â€Å"Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defense shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and hall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security†18 However without getting the authorization from the Security Council to take military sanction on Iraq, enough proof to be at the dangerous position, the US chose to fight. In line of the existing international law, the Iraq War is an illegal use of military force to a sovereign state.In July 2010, Deputy Prime Minister of the UK Nick Clegg, in an official PMQs session in Parliament, condemned the invasion of Iraq as illegal. 19 So return to the realism reflected relevant to the war, it is the strong power of the US that makes it behave in a disorderly manner without fear, making a detour of the UN and violating the international law to realize its own purpose. Even in the 21st century, the international institutions or orga nizations are still very weak in some situation, especially faced with a superpower.Because this world is still a law of the jungle to a certain degree, the reality of anarchy does not change, even there are some organizations or institutions in the world, what the extent of the role it can play is another story. On the other hand, since the World War One and Two, crisis of oil in 1973 and the Persian Gulf War, states’ leaders have noticed that crude oil is the most important fundamental raw material of the greatest strategic significance. However the major reserve and production area gather in the Middle East where the political situation is always unstable with frequent disputes or conflicts.Therefore, that brings the risks of the provision of the crude oil in the global market. And for that reason, it is likely for us to think the fight for crude oil is or will still be the center of the tense situation of international politics and economy now and future. While the US as one of the greatest consumers of crude oil in the world, conducted fierce competition with other states in this area with conflicts of interests. Particularly after September 11, the US launched the global strategic deployment with anti-terrorism in which also implies the strategic deployment of crude oil.That is why some people analyze we cannot rule out the possibility that the eruption of Iraq war also embodies the pursuit of self-interests in energy of the US. The superpower always places the self-interests on the first place, even chooses a war which is illegal, pretending that justice prevails. 4. Conclusion The realism school seeks the elaboration for the reality of the world instead of the ideal situation. One point of view goes like that since the establishment of the formal international study in 1919, the realism once dominated the realm of it, because it could give an arguable explanation of wars in the world.So the author takes the example of a war happened relatively i n recent years to elaborate the role of realism school. As to the Iraq war, firstly attention goes to the reason for the start, even though the excuse is not enough the US still conducted its attack. Secondly, the process of the war, from not getting the permit from the United Nations to violate the international law, becoming an illegal war, proves that the US depends on its own strong national power and the leading role in the whole world without the fear for the sanctions and condemnation from other states or the international organizations.Just like in the argument of realism school, in the law of the jungle, â€Å"power† is a core factor for deciding a state how to behave in the international interaction. Due to the uncertainty to Iraq’s intention, not knowing whether it really holds the nuclear weapons, whether Iraq would use it to do things related to the terrorism, harming the interests and security of the US, the US government decided to take a preemptive war in advance as a rational actor in order to eliminate the potential risks and protect itself.Meanwhile, The US gives the self-interests a priority and tries to affect other states with its great political and economic influence. Therefore, it is natural for us to get a conclusion that even a war happen today could be conformed to the realism school of the international school. Even after the split of the Soviet Union, it is still taking the significant position in the international relations study and can explain much situation in the globe, especially for the war.And of course, even there are more and more international organizations nowadays, but how to ensure they could play the better role in the international community is an urgent problem to deal with the disputes, conflicts and even wars, only by commitment? It still needs to be done more study on that. Bibliography 1. Center for American Progress (January 29, 2004) â€Å"In Their Own Words: Iraq's ‘Imminent' Threatâ₠¬  Senator Bill Nelson (January 28, 2004) â€Å"New Information on Iraq's Possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction Blair, A. (March 5, 2002) â€Å"PM statement on Iraq following UN Security Council resolution† 2.Shrader, K. (22 June 2006) â€Å"New Intel Report Reignites Iraq Arms Fight† Associated Press 3. 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