Affirmative Action A Right And A Theory - 2415 Words

Affirmative action has faced much scrutiny in its 53 year history. There has been plenty of praise, and even disapproval from some for this term created by President John F. Kennedy when he enacted Executive Order 10925. He created it in order to address discrimination that had remained prevalent despite the recent civil rights movements, and the promises, made in the constitution. It was not fully in order until President Lyndon B. Johnson brought it into maturity by signing the Civil Rights Act and requiring its laws be obeyed. Johnson declared, â€Å"We seek†¦not just equality as a right and a theory, but as a fact and as a result† (Brunner and Rowen). One of the primary focuses of this new affirmative action policy was on education. The†¦show more content†¦Another reason for its creation was to remedy decades of slavery, segregation and the denial of rights that occurred over one hundred years ago. However, it is important to remember that this type of actio n does not establish equal results, but instead creates equality in that everyone involved will be fairly represented and given the same chance to succeed (The Leadership Conference of Civil and Human Rights). Today, affirmative action still holds the main values it held half a century ago. Affirmative action is necessary in the college admission process for several reasons. Over the past several years this issue has become more prevalent. Often times the people who oppose affirmative action do so based on misconceptions. Whites generally believe that African Americans are as well off as whites when it comes to jobs, incomes, and education among other things (Americans for a Fair Chance). There have been many issues brought to light by several court cases. Some popular cases that have been made popular are the Fisher vs. University of Texas and the Grutter vs. Bollinger case. These cases involved controversy over discrimination and reverse discrimination in the college admissions process. In the 2003 Grutter vs. Bollinger case, the United States’ Supreme Court stated that, â€Å"student body diversity is a compelling interest in affirmative action programs at colleges and universities, given that

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy Free Essays

War, by its very nature, is an act that is a display of horror, violence, terror, suffering and most of all death (William Einwechter, 2004). But the question is, can the engagement of a nation in a war be considered just? What exactly is a just war? By definition, a just war is a conflict that is engaged by two nations with a fixed set of rules for combat (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2006). But this exception applies if the two combatants possess similar traits (Philiosophy, 2006). We will write a custom essay sample on Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the Christian perspective, war, or the engagement in it, is bound by certain qualifications to make the war devoid of sin (Einwechter, 2004). God Himself has depicted Himself as a warrior, waging wars on the unrighteous (Einwechter, 2004). It would be understood that if warfare is inherently evil, then warfare would not be a correct and accurate depiction of God’s character (Einwechter, 2004). And second, God directly ordered his people to engage in war, to annihilate threats to their country and people (Einwechter, 2004). But to better get a grasp of war, we must include in the two views that are inherent in the decision to see if a war is right or wrong. The pacifist belief holds that all war or the engagement in war is inherently wrong, while the realist belief states that in war, all is fair and right (John Buell, 2002). But the concept of engaging in war cannot be deduced to the superiority of one party over the other in terms of military might (Paul Ramsey, 2002). To Christians, what is made as the case for declaring a war unjust is when the commandment against killing is viewed in a legalistic manner, precluding all other interpretations (Ramsey, 2002). The war on terrorism cannot be viewed therefore as a just and correct conflict (Dale Snauwaert, 2002). Terrorism is not an identifiable enemy, just as what God commanded in the ordering of wars against certain and specific people (Einwechter, 2004). As President Bush’s statement attests, the war is on terrorism, not on a single threat of a nation or alliance (Snauwaert, 2002). The President’s â€Å"war† is not with a terrorist nation, but an ideology, a strategy (Snauwaert, 2002). Secondly, in the Bush war, the threat is not imminent (Snauwaert, 2002). It is what the government calls â€Å"pre-emptive action†, an attack against a perceived, not an actual, threat (Snauwaert, 2002). The mandate for the use of violence, such as in engaging in war, is the prevention of violence, not the spread of it (David Nils Gyllenhaal). Citing from law enforcement, if a criminal will do more harm if he is not killed, then the actions in war is to stop the incidence of a nation’s actions in spreading its violence, and that will take force to accomplish (Gyllenhaal). References Buell, J. (2002). Just war theory and the wars of the 20th century. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from http://www. yale. edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2002/3/02. 03. 01. x. html Einwechter, W. (2004). A Christain Perspective on just war. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from http://www. visionforumministries. org/issues/ballot_ box/a_christian_perspective_on_jus. aspx Gyllenhaal, D. (n. d. ). Just war theory: a new church perspective. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from http://www. newphilosophyonline. org/journal/data/111a/Gyllenhaal_Article– New_Philosophy_January-June_2008. pdf. Ramsey, P. (2002). The Just War: Force and Political Responsibilty. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield 2002 Snauwaert, D. T. (2002). The Bush doctrine and just war theory. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from http://www. trinstitute. org/ojpcr/6_1snau. pdf. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2006). Just war theory. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from http://www. iep. utm. edu/j/justwar. htm How to cite Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Papers

Analytical Essay on the Story of Tom Brennan free essay sample

Does literature accurately reflect the experiences and concerns of modern youth? â€Å"The Story of Tom Brennan†, reflects modern youth, by relating to situations such as teenagers experiencing loss from accidents whilst one is drunk driving, it is an excellent book for young teenagers to read, they get to understand the authors view on how drunk driving accidents effect families and loved ones so very much. â€Å"Go Ask Alice† is also another fantastic book, written straight from the diary of a young girl that got caught in the drug scene, and unfortunately got caught up in the bad side of it all. The stories we read may be based on real life, true stories, or complete fiction, but they all miss out such vital details to help teenagers be aware of what’s laying ahead of them. Literature of this century does not make teenagers aware of upcoming situations, many of which will be a struggle for them all, but they all need to know they are not alone, and that someone out there, no matter how far across the world has gone through the exact same thing they have, maybe just with different people. We will write a custom essay sample on Analytical Essay on the Story of Tom Brennan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Story of Tom Brennan† accurately covers the emotions that are experienced during the loss and injure of close friends during a drunk driving accident, and as a remorseful thing to say, there are hundreds of thousands of people that would be able to relate to this novel. No one prepares them for the worst 8+ years of their life to come. Sure there’s sex education so you know how everything works, and you get those talks about not to do drugs, drink or smoke, and half of the time everyone just ignores them, but what they really need to be aware of is how horrible life will be for them. They’re going to be happy one day, then everything they’ve worked for will just be destroyed in front of them, they’ll cry for no reason, and they’ll think the world is against them. A teenagers life is always full of dramas, for example: heartbreaks, eating disorders, and the constant five-day a week hell many people know as high school, and unfortunately the literature that is produced today does not cover the vital points that teenagers need to know and understand in order to prepare hemselves with what lays ahead of them, saying this many teenage-directed novels do allow them to understand the pain, heartbreak, and loss that comes along with drink driving and drugs. In some what, todays literature somewhat reflects issues in modern society, just not in the way teenagers need it most in order for them to understand that everything really will be okay for them in the future, but what is covered is still very, very important.

Learning Like This Could Help You Get Way Better Grades

Until recently, many of the resources available to help students boost their grades were difficult to access. Barriers like cost, time, and distance prevented high school and college students from learning efficiently outside of classroom hours. But now, personalized learning is gaining steam - and quickly. Ed-tech organizations are investing heavily in new ways to approach personalized learning, and the amount of money funding these projects is increasing every year. Even Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is donating a portion of his $45 billion contribution to education to developing personalized learning. Let’s take a look at why personalized learning works and what type of ed-tech you can use to access personalized learning. Why personalized learning works Studies have shown that students who access one-on-one mentoring and use mastery learning perform at an average of 98% betterthan their peers who don’t. In fact, we’ve known this for a long time; Benjamin Bloom produced research outlining the benefits of one-on-one education back in 1984. One-on-one mentoring is key in helping students improve their grades. In this model of learning, students are able to learn more because they can learn at their own pace, use the VARK learning styles that best suit them (visual, auditory, read/written, kinaesthetic), focus on areas of particular difficulty and interest, and form a relationship with their mentor (who could be an accessible teaching assistant on campus or an online tutor). It’s quite difficult for students to completely master a subject while engaged only in traditional high school, or college classroom models. ‘Mastery learning’ refers to spending the time it takes with a mentor, tutor, teacher, or other subject expert in order to fully understand a subject. Students are able to carry on to new course chapters or topics only when they have a perfect, or ‘mastered’, understanding of all preceding material. How to get better grades with online tutoring Online tutoringis one way to access personalized learning that has emerged as a popular go-to for many students across North America over the past few years. Simply put, online tutoring is allowing students to access the best tutors for one-on-one mentorship without barriers of distance and using the most advanced online tools for education. Connecting with a qualified and reputable online tutor on a regular basis provides one-on-one mentorship and mastery learning. In turn, you can expect far better grades than your classmates and more importantly, than your own grades prior to learning one-on-one in a digital classroom.Try online tutoring with Skooli today and get 60 minutes free!

Environment Cleaning Potential of Microorganisms Essays

Environment Cleaning Potential of Microorganisms Essays Environment Cleaning Potential of Microorganisms Paper Environment Cleaning Potential of Microorganisms Paper Bioremediation, a form of biotechnology, involves the use of the actions of microorganisms to aid in the removal of oil spills in oceans throughout the world. In essence, the process of bioremediation takes advantages of the biodegradation capabilities of microorganisms, which pertains to the capacity to break down and utilize various compounds, one of which is petroleum (Congress of the United States [CUS], 1991). Although by definition it is rather simple, bioremediation is not as easy as placing certain microorganism at oil spills. There are three different approaches used in bioremediation depending upon the conditions. The three methods are nutrient enrichment, indigenous microorganism seeding, and genetically altered microorganism seeding (CUS, 1991). In relation to this, the best known microorganisms that degrade oil are from strains of Bacteroides, Cytophaga, and Flexibacter, which are all gram negative bacteria (MacNaughton et al., 1999). The fact that bioremediation is considered as biotechnology is easily proven. Given that the term biotechnology is a generalization of the use and application of organisms and related processes for the benefit of humans, in this case, microorganisms are used to improve the condition of the environment which evidently improves the environment and eventually benefits humans. Due to biotechnology being associated with alterations in known organisms, the public has often been concerned about the negative impacts which biotechnology may bring. In this case, however, the main concern is the possibility that the added microorganisms might alter ecological balance. This is easily refuted as studies have shown that upon clearing the spill, the oil degrading microorganisms become significantly minute in terms of number, hence allowing the natural balance during normal conditions to persist. The only question whether bioremediation may be used is regarding the capacity of the government to provide such solutions. Therefore, in a purely environmental and biological sense, bioremediation is the best and safest possible way of eliminating oil spills in the ocean. References MacNaughton, S. J., Stephen, J. R., Venosa, A. D., Davis, G. A., Chang, Y., White, D. C. (1999, August). Microbial population changes during bioremediation of an experimental oil spill. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 65 (8), 3566 – 3574. United States Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. (1991, May). Bioremediation for Marine Oil Spills- Background Paper, OTA-BP-O-70. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved May 14, 2009, from fas.org/ota/reports/9109.pdf.

Causes and Effects of Water Pollution Essay cause and effect paper, e

reason for that is that plastics take four hundred and fifty years to decompose in the water. Also many companies use plastic and people throw it in the waterways. Because water can float and be carried by the wind, it can cause harm to unsuspecting creatures hundreds of feet from where it was originally dumped. Such waste includes bags, bottles, cups, straws, cup lids, utensils, six pack holders, cling wrap, fishing line, bait bags, and floats. The second highest cause of water pollution is ship waste. Ships used to take much garbage with them on their ships and dump them. This was very common until the government took action. They were giving sailors up to one million dollars fines for disposing waste. Because of that, ships now carry less garbage with them. Animals are not the only thing being harmed by water wastes. Fishing lines, rope, and plastic nets are being caught in the rutter and the engine, but the ships are not exactly perfect. The other main cause of water pollu...

Does the implimentation of the national health insurance program in Research Proposal

Does the implimentation of the national health insurance program in Ghana help reduce HIV AIDS which is prevlant in rural Ghana - Research Proposal Example The government marginalizes sex workers as not of interest, therefore the disease is not given the due consideration in the newly democratized stated (Howley, 2010, p. 367). The prevention of HIV/AIDS through behavior modification has been a primary resource for addressing the disease (Howley 2010, p. 186). According to the International Monetary Fund (2006), HIV/AIDS issues are recognized as a threat to the â€Å"socioeconomic development of the country through its potential impact on human capital development, productivity, and social services deliveryâ€Å"(p. 109). In 2006 the following measures were taken in working towards prevention of the disease within the nation of Ghana: The following table shows the number of people who were benefiting from ART as of December of 2006. At that time, there were 50,942 people in need of services with only 7,338 benefiting from art which represents only 14.4% of those in need(International Monetary Fund, 2006, p. 109). Ghana has seen a decline in poverty from 39.5% in the 1998 to 1999 years to 28.5% in 2006 (African Development Bank., & OECD, 2008). In addition, there has been a concerted effort on the part pf the government to address the needs of their citizens in regard to health care. According to former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, Ghana suffers from a poor system of health care that is lead by a staff of insensitive and unprofessional medical personal and complicated by poor infrastructure and a lack of equipment. The staffs of hospitals are burdened by a lack of everything, thus leaving them jaded and without motivation (Modernghana.com 2010). In addition, the National Health Insurance Scheme that has been put into place is beleaguered by problems and is not providing the much needed services that the people need in order to have adequate health care. The National Health Insurance Scheme is the product of the administration led by John Kufuor. However, one of the exceptions to

Acquisition Strategy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Acquisition Strategy Analysis - Essay Example This paper will mention two organizations that are under a different industry operation but make use of acquisition strategies in order to make their positions stronger in today’s competitive business world (Chan, 2003). Advantage presented by a merger or acquisition to either two or even more organizations is an option of strategic positions that are attractive for the ability to achieve operating economies, thus strengthening the effects of the organization’s competitiveness and competencies, resulting to new avenues that allow more innovative market opportunities. An acquisition can be referred to as a combination between two or even more organizations or companies whereby, one of them thoroughly buys and assumes all the operations or processes of the other one. These strategies, if properly researched and handled, can result to generation of an enormous amount of profit to the organization; however, not every single company that makes use of mergers or acquisitions can be termed as successful. Most companies are yet to meet their goals or expectations as a result of acquisitions performance. In fact, a handful of the organizations have epically failed (Gamble & Thompson, 2011). ... Sixteen years ago after its publicity, its market capitalization was approximately 120 billion dollars, which is vastly larger than that of Xerox, Apple, and Dell combined. Cisco has managed to sail through whereas several because of its expertise in professionalizing processes which most firms occasionally embark on when they need them or when they are greedy to make more profits. The Airspace former CEO once said that most of the companies he had interacted with rarely use acquisition strategies and in fact, integration is their job at night. He went ahead to say that, unlike the others, Cisco consists of individuals whose initiative is to strategize both during the day and night. Acquisition therefore, to him, is the company’s core function (Gamble, 2011). According to experts, Cisco is a highly successful company in terms of identification of new technologies in the market and taking calculated corporate risks mainly in markets that are new. However, the main point to note is that the firm’s acquisition and merger operation strength lies elsewhere. The firm noticed that technology acquisition cannot only lie on technology but the people as well. Hooper, the CEO, said that the firm’s most strategic and useful asset is the people. The people in this case mean the firm’s expertise. He says that once the firm loses product managers and technologists who may have created, say, a router to a link after an acquisition, then it may be said to have lost an immense deal of products which might have only existed in the heads of those employees. The core nucleus to the firm’s acquisition machine may be said to be its development group. It comprises of 40 individuals securely tucked to a cubicle firm that is

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Essay Example for Free

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Essay SARS is a highly contagious ailment, whose indications closely resemble those of influenza. Some of the symptoms of SARS are chills, headaches, muscle pains, sore throat and high fever. As the disease continues, there is an onset of pneumonia, which can prove to be fatal. In this context, the World Health Organization had estimated that fifteen percent of the cases of SARS infection proved to be fatal. This disease has defied all attempts at a cure; moreover, there is no vaccine for this disease. The SARS virus underwent a mutation, which enabled to cross the species barrier from animals to people. SARS is a respiratory illness and the symptoms of this illness are fever when the virus infects the human body. Normally the temperature of the human body of an infected person would be in excess of 100. 40F. The infected person develops chills and symptoms like headache, discomfort and body pains. In addition, there could be mild symptoms of respiratory distress in the beginning. Within two to seven days the patient develops a dry and nonproductive cough. The nonproductive cough would result in insufficient supply of oxygen to the blood. Some patients could even require the administering of clinical ventilation. SARS is a contagious disease and it spreads through the droplets that issue forth from a person who is coughing or sneezing into the air, if that person has been infected by the SARS virus. The primary manner of transmission of the virus is through the air or from objects that are contaminated with the virus (TARGET SARS Target II SARS/CoV 3CL-PRO). In 2003, an outbreak occurred of a previously unrecognized illness – termed SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. It was caused by infection with a newly identified coronavirus, SARS-COV. Infection produced an illness with Pneumonia as the main disease; however, some patients developed other complications like the loss of appetite, diarrhea and bleeding in the abdomen or stomach. Many of those who developed this disease were health-care workers and the infection rate among them was very high (SARS. Blacks Medical Dictionary, 41st Edition. CredoReference ). Extraordinary and exceptional isolation procedures had to be necessarily adopted because the Epidemic threatened to spread all over the world from its origin in Hong Kong. Some of the measures adopted, in order to reduce the risk of the spread of this infection was the concentration of patients in individual hospitals, which were converted into isolation units. Visitors were not allowed into such hospitals. Staff and other patients who had been exposed to persons suffering from this disease were segregated in such special units. Further, routine care for in patients in the hospital was discontinued and screening of likely contacts was conducted. In addition, a number of restrictions were imposed on travel. Due to this strategy, which had been performed in coordination with the World Health Organization, the SARS pandemic was finally controlled (SARS. Blacks Medical Dictionary, 41st Edition. CredoReference ). The virus genome on careful analysis revealed that this virus was a recombinant of virus relating to bird bronchitis and a virus relating to mouse hepatitis. It takes between two to ten days for the symptoms caused by the SARS virus to become noticeable after the infection takes place. With the increasing age of the patients there is a corresponding increase in mortality rate and proves to be fatal in approximately half of the patients whose age is above sixty years of age (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). In the month of November 2002, the first incidence of SARS infection was discovered. This was in a place that was close to Foshan in the Guangdong province of southern China. However, this disease caught the attention of the people in the month of February 2003, when it spread globally due to air travel by infected persons. In the month of February 2003, Carlo Urbani, who worked for the World Health Organization in Bangkok, was asked to go to Hanoi in Vietnam, in order to treat an industrialist, from the US, who showed symptoms of an unknown disease. In this manner, Carlo Urbani became the first person to identify this disease as a new disease (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). Several scientists, especially those from Canada, were successful in establishing that this new SARS virus belonged to the family of the coronavirus. This disease spreads to other persons, if the victim is located very close to an infected person who spreads this disease by coughing. Further, this disease spreads to people who enter a place in which infected people have deposited exhaled droplets of phlegm or other fluids in their body. Moreover, infection with this disease occurs if contact is made with door handles and similar objects that have contaminated droplets on their surface. Furthermore, it is possible to get infected with this disease if a person enters an enclosed place like a lift in which contaminated droplets are present. Eight thousand victims of SARS were identified by the end of is outbreak in the year 2003. Out of these SARS victims, seven hundred lost their life. The maximum damage due to this virus took place in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In Toronto, Canada there were one hundred and forty cases of such infection and twenty five of such infected persons died. In Singapore, there were around three hundred instances of this infection and out of these thirty persons lost their life (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). In the year 2003 scientists were successful in discovering the gene that made the human body prone to infection by the SARS virus. While studying the human leukocyte antigen or HLA proteins, they realized that the variation in a gene that produces the HLA-B*4601 protein was common in the South China population. This was the area of origin of the SARS virus and people with this gene variation displayed a reaction to the SARS virus that was greater in severity in comparison to those who did not have this particular gene variation. Moreover, SARS infections are very rare in people who do not possess this HLA-B*4601 gene variation. Most of the people who belong to Taiwan and Europe do not have this gene variation (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). At the time of the rapid spread of SARS, the World Health Organization sent out a global alert in which it asked the people to mask their face in public places, to avoid air travel, to thoroughly check airplane passengers for increase in body temperature and to quarantine infected persons. A number of scientists are engaged in developing a vaccine for this disease. However, this disease was controlled by the beginning of the year 2005 and does not exist anywhere in the world, except in the laboratories (SARS. The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia CredoReference). SARS has defied all attempts at a cure and there is no specific vaccine for it. This has restricted the treatment to reducing the severity of the symptoms shown by the patient and treating any side effects of this infection (SARS in full severe acute respiratory syndrome. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia CredoReference ). It is now common knowledge that in the year 2003, in Guangdong province of China, the first occurrence of this severe atypical pneumonia was observed. The epidemic was suspected to be associated with a new virus and subsequently, researchers isolated an avian influenza A (H5N1) virus from a patient in Hong Kong. Researchers focused on members of the Paramyxoviridae family since some particles were detected by the process of electron microscopy of respiratory samples from patients in Hong Kong and Frankfurt (Peiris, Chu and Cheng). Subsequent investigations revealed that the human metapneumovirus or hMPV existed in SARS patients. Researchers in China had detected the Chlamydia organism in patients who had died due to atypical pneumonia during the outbreak of SARS in Guangdong. However, these organisms were not present in patients outside China. In the month of March 2003, researchers in the United States, Hong Kong and Germany found traces of a previously unknown coronavirus in SARS patients. This discovery was in different ways and some of these methods included isolation on cell culture, demonstration by electron microscopy, demonstration of specific genomic sequence by polymerase chain reaction or PSR and by the use of microarray techniques and the indirect immunofluorescent antibody tests (Peiris, Chu and Cheng). In this context, the World Health Organization announced on the 16th of April, 2003, that the coronavirus had not been discovered in humans and animals till that date and that it was a new virus, which was the cause of SARS. Before announcing the discovery of this new virus, thirteen laboratories in ten countries tested this new coronavirus in accordance with the postulates of Koch, which is essential to prove that this new virus causes SARS. This virus causes interstitial pneumonia that shows symptoms that are similar to SARS, and the virus was isolated from the nose and throat of infected monkeys. The corona viruses belong to the family of Coronaviridae. This family consists of very large, positive – sense single – stranded RNA viruses, which replicate themselves in the cytoplasm of the animal host cells (Siddell, Wege and Meulen). The gene factors of corona viruses range in length from 27 to 32 kb, and are the largest of the RNA viruses. The diameter of the virions ranges vary from 100 to 140 nanometers. Most of the viral particles bear the distinct appearance of surface projections and these spikes extend to twenty nanometers from their base. In animals, corona viruses cause extremely virulent respiratory, enteric and neurological diseases. They also cause hepatitis, respiratory diseases that are temporarily prevalent and widespread in animals and gastroenteritis having short incubation periods between two to seven days. The symptoms revealed in SARS are the same (Holmes). Corona viruses are species – specific and when they attack immunocompetent hosts, their infection extracts neutralizing antibodies and cell – mediated immune responses, which in turn kill the infected cells (Holmes). Most of the corona viruses cause terminal diseases in animals such as feline infectious peritonitis virus or FIPV, hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis or HEV of swine and some strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus or IBV and mouse hepatitis virus or MHV. They replicate themselves in the liver, lungs, kidneys, gut, spleen, brain, spinal cord and other tissues (Holmes). Human corona viruses HCoVs were found to cause minor diseases. They are found in group 1 known as HCoV – 229E and group 2 known as HCoV – O43, and they cause minor respiratory problems (Makela). Sometimes they cause severe infections of the lower respiratory tract in children and adults and a condition termed as necrotizing enterocolitis in newborn babies. They can survive on normal environmental surfaces for three hours and they are transmitted among humans by droplets, hand contamination, fomites and small particle aerosols (Ijaz). The Coronaviruses produce Coronavirus Main Protease protein or 3CL – PRO. This protein helps the virus to replicate itself and thereby spread the infection. In order to stop the infection, it is essential to bring about a disabling of the protein from working and this would consequently, contain the virus production and the attendant infection. Therefore, researchers had concentrated on producing a drug that would hinder the functioning of the 3CL PRO protein. With the achievement of this breakthrough, pharmaceutical companies started to prepare drugs that would hinder the functions of the 3CL – PRO protein, which is responsible for the multiplication of the virus and the resultant SARS infection. Ritonavir and Indinavir are the major ingredients of the anti – HIV drugs. The Coronavirus Main Proteinase is the principal drug that is used in the treatment of SARS (TARGET SARS Target II SARS/CoV 3CL-PRO). The HIV virus and other viruses that cause influenza on infecting people have been described as wily because of their characteristic of mutating rapidly. This trait helps them to obtain immunity from antiviral drugs or from the human immune system. However, the SARS virus has not been undergoing mutation. Clinical examinations of the genome sequences of fourteen isolates from patients in Singapore, Toronto, China and Hong Kong did not establish any mutations of the original sequence and it can be concluded that the SARS virus is invariant. However, this notion that SARS virus does not mutate or fails to mutate cannot be taken for granted since the virus did not face significant resistance from human hosts (Knight). Coronaviruses are not so active in the replication of their genetic material and as a result they make one error for every ten thousand nucleotides that they replicate. This is similar to what the HIV virus does. Coronaviruses have a significant characteristic that helps them to reject mutations as and when they occur. These viruses have an enzyme that enables them to replicate their genetic material and spreads among several copies of the viral genome instead of being restricted to a single template of the genome. The result of this is that each genome is copied from multiple templates. This procedure reduces the chances of mutations in the populations of the coronavirus (Knight). The enzyme that brings about the copying of the virus functions in such a manner that instead of using just one template genome it accesses several such templates and this results in a drastic reduction in the possibility that any particular mutation will dominate in a viral population. Moreover, such haphazard template access can entail an inaccurate access by the enzyme (Knight). The consequence of such access by the enzyme would be the deletion of some portion of an essential gene, which could produce results that would be drastic, particularly, if the mutation affects the protein spikes that are bound to the surface of the viruses’ cellular victims. In 1984, there was an outbreak of a new ailment on European farms that were rearing pigs. It was determined to be a mutant of the coronavirus, in which the altered spike protein had effected changes in respect of the type of cells that could be invaded by the virus. Although, this mutant did not prove to be fatal, all the same it has spread globally and made the diagnosis of gut disease more difficult (Knight). It is assumed that genetic deletion was responsible for the SARS virus to find a new target, namely, the human body, from its previous animal hosts. In that case the mutation could be of a totally different type due to the fact that the spike protein has remained unaltered. While comparing with the viral strains present in the animals sold in the Chinese markets, it became evident that the SARS virus does not have twenty nine nucleotides in the gene for a protein whose function could not be determined. This protein was found to be appended to the inside of the protective layer of the virus (Knight). The WHO spearheaded the battle against SARS and was extremely successful in uniting the global community in combating this menace. Dr Carlo Urbani became a martyr in the battle against SARS. This disease demonstrated that there are several dangers that could surface when least expected to do with terrifying results (SARS: how a global epidemic was stopped). Within a short period of seven months, around eight thousand people were infected by this disease in twenty nine countries. 1755 persons were infected in Hong Kong and of these 299 succumbed to the disease. This disease had a serious psychological effect on its victims and it was established that such effects persisted for long periods after the disease had been cured. Several studies conducted a month after patients had been discharged revealed that thirteen to thirty two percent of them were suffering from moderate to severe anxiety and that eighteen to twenty six percent had moderate to severe depression. Another four percent were found to be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD (Lee). The spread of SARS had a number of economic, political and sociological ramifications, due to extreme demands made on the countries, in which this disease was prevalent, by the WHO. Some of these demands were related to a curtailment if not the rescission of economic activities like trade, tourism, and investment. Despite SARS occurring mainly in Asia, its effects were experienced in almost every major market across the world. This epidemic brought about a tremendous increase in medical expenditure and travel. In addition consumer confidence and investment reached their nadir (Political Influences on the Response to SARS and Economic Impacts of the Disease).

Use of Imagery in Chopin’s The Awakening Essay -- Chopin Awakening

Use of Imagery in Chopin’s The Awakening Several passages in The Awakening struck me because of their similar imagery—a bird, wings, and nudity. The first passage I looked at is in Chapter 9 where Edna Pontellier has a vision of a naked man â€Å"standing beside a desolate rock† (47) on a beach who is watching a bird fly away. This image was evoked by a one particular piece that Mme Ratignolle plays which Edna significantly calls â€Å"Solitude. † Apparently Edna frequently envisions certain images while listening to music: â€Å"Musical strains, well rendered, had a way of evoking pictures in her mind† (47). Listening to this piece Edna envisions a solitary, naked man with an â€Å"attitude [†¦] of hopeless resignation† (47). This scene presents solitude in many different ways. The figure standing alone and naked near the â€Å"desolate rock† illustrates the mood of solitude and resignation. I was reminded of that scene at the end of the novel in chapter 39 where we find a description of a very similar situation. Now it is Edna Pontellier herself standing alone on the beach at Grand Isle. She takes ...

Caribbean Business Environment

Firstly, here are some of the consequences of regional trade arrangements: Accumulation or growth effects. If closer integration improves the efficiency with which factors are combined it is also likely to induce rater investment. While this additional investment is taking place, countries may experience a medium-term growth effect. If such investment is associated with faster technical progress or accumulation of human capital as identified in the long-run growth rates may also be improved.Investment effects. More emphasis is now given to the impact of regional Integration on production via the effect on foreign direct investment and investment creation and diversion. Transactions costs and regulatory barriers. The traditional theory of customs unions was developed in the context of riff reductions but, as noticed above, the welfare effects of Integration can be quite different If the barriers removed are cost-increasing barriers.Following the SUE experience with Implementing its Si ngle Market program, there Is now greater awareness of the importance of barriers which raise transactions costs in inhibiting trade, and of the value of removing them. Importance of credibility. Many of the effects identified in the modern theory, especially those related to or requiring investment, assume that the integration effort is credible and will not be reversed. If credibility is lacking, and there is uncertainty among investors, their behavior is unlikely to be influenced.The emphasis on credibility assumes the existence of enforcement mechanisms which will ensure the implementation of commitments entered Into when a country Joins a regional Integration scheme. Regional trade agreements reduce the tariffs between the countries which are part of the trade agreement. Regional trade agreements reduce tariffs between countries, but does not allow these countries to Increase tariffs on countries which do not participate. Tariff reductions allow people to purchase goods from ot her countries at lower prices.The gains from learning valuable skills from foreign markets that can subsequently be transferred back to the home country. Integration also has many benefits such as: gains in trade, economies of scale, limited fiscal capabilities and cultural centralization. With deeper levels of integration foreign investment will increase. The lack of resources in the Caribbean will increased more integration and also the people will get to learn other trades from the different countries. Also will adopt and enhance strategies which will help the efficiency and improve competition in the region and the US.

Scientific Inventions

ASSEMBLY LINE: Primitive assembly line production was first used in 1901 by Ran some Eli Olds (1864-1950), an early car-maker (he manufactured the Oldsmobile, the first commercially successful American car). Henry Ford (1863-1947) used the first conveyor belt-based assembly-line in his car factory in 1913-14 in Ford's Highland Park, Michigan plant. This type of production greatly reduced the amount of time taken to put each car together (93 minutes for a Model T) from its parts, reducing production costs. Assembly lines are now used in most manufacturing processes. BAEKELAND, L. H. : Leo Hendrik Baekeland (November 14, 1863 – February 23, 1944) was a Belgian-born American chemist who invented Velox photographic paper (1893) and Bakelite (1907), an inexpensive, nonflammable, versatile, and very popular plastic. BAKELITE: Bakelite (also called catalin) is a plastic, a dense synthetic polymer (a phenolic resin) that was used to make jewelry, game pieces, engine parts, radio boxes, switches, and many, many other objects. Bakelite was the first industrial thermoset plastic (a material that does not change its shape after being mixed and heated). Bakelite plastic is made from carbolic acid (phenol) and formaldehyde, which are mixed, heated, and then either molded or extruded into the desired shape. Bakelite was patented in 1907 by the Belgian-born American chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland (November 14, 1863 – February 23, 1944). The Nobel Prize winning German chemist Adolf von Baeyer had experimented with this material in 1872, but did not complete its development or see its potential. Baekeland operated the General Bakelite Company from 1911 to 1939 (in Perth Amboy, N. J. , USA), and produced up to about 200,000 tons of Bakelite annually. Bakelite replaced the very flammable celluloid plastic that had been so popular. The bracelet above is made of â€Å"butterscotch† Bakelite. BAROMETER: A barometer is a device that measures air (barometric) pressure. It measures the weight of the column of air that extends from the instrument to the top of the atmosphere. There are two types of barometers commonly used today, mercury and aneroid (meaning â€Å"fluid less†). Earlier water barometers (also known as â€Å"storm glasses†) date from the 17th century. The mercury barometer was invented by the Italian physicist Evangelista Torricelli (1608 – 1647), a pupil of Galileo, in 1643. Torricelli inverted a glass tube filled with mercury into another container of mercury; the mercury in the tube â€Å"weighs† the air in the atmosphere above the tube. The aneroid barometer (using a spring balance instead of a liquid) was invented by the French scientist Lucien Vidie in 1843. BATTERY: A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Each battery has two electrodes, an anode (the positive end) and a cathode (the negative end). An electrical circuit runs between these two electrodes, going through a chemical called an electrolyte (which can be either liquid or solid). This unit consisting of two electrodes is called a cell (often called a voltaic cell or pile). Batteries are used to power many devices and make the spark that starts a gasoline engine. Alessandro Volta was an Italian physicist invented the first chemical battery in 1800. Storage batteries : are lead-based batteries that can be recharged. In 1859, the French physicist Gaston Plante (1834-1889) invented a battery made from two lead plates joined by a wire and immersed in a sulfuric acid electrolyte; this was the first storage battery. BUNSEN BURNER: The laboratory Bunsen burner was invented by Robert Wilhelm Bunsen in 1855. Bunsen (1811-1899) was a German chemist and teacher. He invented the Bunsen burner for his research in isolating chemical substances – it has a high-intensity, non-luminous flame that does not interfere with the colored flame emitted by chemicals being tested. CASSEGRAIN TELESCOPE: A Cassegrain telescope is a wide-angle reflecting telescope with a concave mirror that receives light and focuses an image. A second mirror reflects the light through a gap in the primary mirror, allowing the eyepiece or camera to be mounted at the back end of the tube. The Cassegrain reflecting telescope was developed in 1672 by the French sculptor Sieur Guillaume Cassegrain. A correcting plate (a lens) was added in 1930 by the Estonian astronomer and lens-maker Bernard Schmidt (1879-1935), creating the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope which minimized the spherical aberration of the Cassegrain telescope. CELLOPHANE: Cellophane is a thin, transparent, waterproof, protective film that is used in many types of packaging. It was invented in 1908 by Jacques Edwin Brandenberger, a Swiss chemist. He had originally intended cellophane to be bonded onto fabric to make a waterproof textile, but the new cloth was brittle and not useful. Cellophane proved very useful all alone as a packaging material. Chemists at the Dupont Company (who later bought the rights to cellophane) made cellophane waterproof in 1927. CELSIUS, ANDERS: Anders Celsius (1701-1744) was a Swedish professor of astronomy who devised the Celsius thermometer. He also ventured to the far north of Sweden with an expedition in order to measure the length of a degree along a meridian, close to the pole, later comparing it with similar measurements made in the Southern Hemisphere. This confirmed that that the shape of the earth is an ellipsoid which is flattened at the poles. He also cataloged 300 stars. With his assistant Olof Hiorter, Celsius discovered the magnetic basis for auroras. COMPOUND MICROSCOPE: Zacharias Janssen was a Dutch lens-maker who invented the first compound microscope in 1595 (a compound microscope is one which has more than one lens). His microscope consisted of two tudes that slid within one another, and had a lens at each end. The microscope was focused by sliding the tubes. The lens in the eyepiece was bi-convex (bulging outwards on both sides), and the lens of the far end (the objective lens) was Plano-convex (flat on one side and bulging outwards on the other side). This advanced microscope had a 3 to 9 times power of magnification. Zacharias Janssen's father Hans may have helped him build the microscope. DA VINCI, LEONARDO: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian inventor, artist, architect, and scientist. Da Vinci had an interest in engineering and made detailed sketches of the airplane, the helicopter (and other flying machines), the parachute, the submarine, the armored car, the ballista (a giant crossbow), rapid-fire guns, the centrifugal pump (designed to drain wet areas, like marshes), ball bearings, the worm gear (a set of gears in which many teeth make contact at once, reducing the strain on the teeth, allowing more pressure to be put on the mechanism), and many other incredible ideas that were centuries ahead of da Vinci's time. DAVY, HUMPHRY: Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829) was an English scientist who invented the first electric light in 1800. He experimented with electricity and invented an electric battery. When he connected wires from his battery to two pieces of carbon, electricity arced between the carbon pieces, producing an intense, hot, and short-lived light. This is called an electric arc. Davy also invented a miner's safety helmet and a process to desalinate sea water. Davy discovered the elements boron, sodium, aluminum (whose name he later changed to aluminum), and potassium. EDISON, THOMAS ALVA: Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) was an American inventor (also known as the Wizard of Menlo Park) whose many inventions revolutionized the world. His work includes improving the incandescent electric light bulb and inventing the phonograph, the phonograph record, the carbon telephone transmitter, and the motion-picture projector. Edison’s first job was as a telegraph operator, and in the course of his duties, he redesigned the stock-ticker machine. The Edison Universal Stock Printer gave him the capital ($40,000) to set up a laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, to invent full-time (with many employees). Edison experimented with thousands of different light bulb filaments to find just the right materials to glow well, be long-lasting, and be inexpensive. In 1879, Edison discovered that a carbon filament in an oxygen-free bulb glowed but did not burn up for quite a while. This incandescent bulb revolutionized the world. ELION, GERTRUDE: Gertrude Belle Elion (January 23, 1918 – February 21, 1999) was a Nobel Prize winning biochemist who invented many life-saving drugs, including 6-mercaptopurine (Purinethol) and 6-thioguanine (which fight leukemia), Imuran, Zovirax, and many others. Elion worked at Burroughs- Glaxo Wellcome for decades (beginning in 1944) with George Hitchings and Sir James Black, with whom she shared the Nobel Prize. She is named on 45 patents for drugs and her work has saved the lives of thousands of people. ENIAC: ENIAC stands for â€Å"Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. † It was one of the first all-purpose, all-electronic digital computers. This room-sized computer was built by the physicist John William Mauchly (Aug. 30, 1907 – Jan. 8, 1980) and the electrical engineer John Presper Eckert, Jr. (April 9, 1919 – June 3, 1995) at the University of Pennsylvania. They completed the machine in November, 1945. FARNSWORTH, PHILO T. : Philo Taylor Farnsworth (1906-1971) was an American inventor. Farnsworth invented many major major components of the television, including power, focusing systems, synchronizing the signal, contrast, controls, and scanning. He also invented the radar systems, cold cathode ray tube, the first baby incubator and the first electronic microscope. Farnsworth held over 300 patents. FOUCAULT, JEAN: Jean Bernard Leon Foucault (1819-1868) was a French physicist who invented the gyroscope (1852) and the Foucault pendulum (1851). A gyroscope is essentially a spinning wheel set in a movable frame. When the wheel spins, it retains its spatial orientation, and it resists external forces applied to it. Gyroscopes are used in navigation instruments (for ships, planes, and rockets). Foucault was the first person to demonstrate how a pendulum could track the rotation of the Earth (the Foucault pendulum) in 1851. He also showed that light travels more slowly in water than in air (1850) and improved the mirrors of reflecting telescopes (1858). FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN: Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706-April 17, 1790) was an American statesman, writer, printer, and inventor. Franklin experimented extensively with electricity. In 1752, his experiments with a kite in a thunderstorm (never do this, many people have died trying it! ) led to the development of the lightning rod. Franklin started the first circulating library in the colonies in 1731. He also invented bifocal glasses and the Franklin stove. The idea of daylight savings time was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784. GALILEI, GALILEO: Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian mathematician, astronomer, and physicist. Galileo found that the speed at which bodies fall does not depend on their weight and did extensive experimentation with pendulums. In 1593 Galileo invented the thermometer. In 1609, Galileo was the first person to use a telescope to observe the skies (after hearing about Hans Lippershey's newly-invented telescope). Galileo discovered the rings of Saturn (1610), was the first person to see the four major moons of Jupiter (1610), observed the phases of Venus, studied sunspots, and discovered many other important phenomena.

Free Essays on Egocentric America

The American school setting is the perfect environment for the egocentric self to be learned by children and is clearly opposed to the development of a sociocentric self. From the first day of nursery or even before that, children are all considered special, in their own way, which sets each one apart from everyone else. Schools particularly reinforce the belief of individualism and competitiveness in almost every aspect of the American school day. This is key to American society due to the fact that success here is based on standing out from everyone else and incorporating the aspects of assertiveness, intelligence, uniqueness, and common sense. In the early elementary school years of childhood development in America, children as â€Å"individuals† get focused on by the teacher. This is established by one on one interaction between the student and teacher relationship, that is children need personalized attention and not only focusing on the â€Å"whole† mentality. Demand for smaller class sizes emphasizes this. Another example that could be provided for the egocentric self is the rewards a student will receive if they strive for the best, in the giving out of gold stars. Many American school teachers reward a child’s successful homework, project, participation, friendliness, etc. with the â€Å"gold star.† Either in the teacher’s book or better yet, on a chart displayed for everyone to view, are how many stars each child has. Some children will receive more stars than others, thus receiving more praise, rewards, and self fulfillment from both teachers and parents who reestablish their chi ld’s individuality. This conditioning process clearly promotes each child to strive for more stars, to be the best, to stand out from the crowd and proclaim his or her own uniqueness. Upon later years of schooling, the egocentric teachings in America become more prevalently displayed, accepted, and incorporated in each individual student. Gold... Free Essays on Egocentric America Free Essays on Egocentric America The American school setting is the perfect environment for the egocentric self to be learned by children and is clearly opposed to the development of a sociocentric self. From the first day of nursery or even before that, children are all considered special, in their own way, which sets each one apart from everyone else. Schools particularly reinforce the belief of individualism and competitiveness in almost every aspect of the American school day. This is key to American society due to the fact that success here is based on standing out from everyone else and incorporating the aspects of assertiveness, intelligence, uniqueness, and common sense. In the early elementary school years of childhood development in America, children as â€Å"individuals† get focused on by the teacher. This is established by one on one interaction between the student and teacher relationship, that is children need personalized attention and not only focusing on the â€Å"whole† mentality. Demand for smaller class sizes emphasizes this. Another example that could be provided for the egocentric self is the rewards a student will receive if they strive for the best, in the giving out of gold stars. Many American school teachers reward a child’s successful homework, project, participation, friendliness, etc. with the â€Å"gold star.† Either in the teacher’s book or better yet, on a chart displayed for everyone to view, are how many stars each child has. Some children will receive more stars than others, thus receiving more praise, rewards, and self fulfillment from both teachers and parents who reestablish their chi ld’s individuality. This conditioning process clearly promotes each child to strive for more stars, to be the best, to stand out from the crowd and proclaim his or her own uniqueness. Upon later years of schooling, the egocentric teachings in America become more prevalently displayed, accepted, and incorporated in each individual student. Gold...

Apple Incorporation. Overview of the Company and its Major Operations Research Paper

Apple Incorporation. Overview of the Company and its Major Operations - Research Paper Example The influence of Steve Jobs in the company and the development of â€Å"i† series products etc are explained in detail in this article. Kim R (2010) Apple Passes Microsoft As Top Tech Company, Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/26/BUDJ1DL0IU.DTL This article provides details about the achievements of Apple company in the recent past. It compares Apple’s performances against the performances of the competitors. Moreover it provides more details about Apple’s strengths and business strategies which helped it to become the number one technological company in the world. Krazit, T (2008). Apple's Mac Strength Could Keep Tech Industry on a Rol. Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9926068-37.html This article mainly focusses on Apple’s financial performances in the recent past. It says that apple is one among the few American companies which escaped from the recent recession. It analyses the performances of appleà ¢â‚¬â„¢s different business units individually to get more comprehensive picture about apple’s performances as a whole. Apple and Environment (2011), Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/environment/ This article is taken from Apple’s own website. It says many things about the commitments of Apple in maintaining sustainable business practices. It says that apple has better knowledge about the environmental impacts caused by their activities and they are taking every possible step to reduce environmental problems as much as possible. Steve Jobs Issues Statement on Apple’s Environmental Commitments (2007), Retrieved from http://www.texasenvironment.org/pr_story.cfm?IID=342 This article analyses the reliability of Apple’s claims as an environmentally friendly company with the help of some statistical analysis. It compares Apple’s environmental protection activities against similar activities of other companies. Overview of the company and its major ope rations and challenges it faces â€Å"Apple was founded in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne to sell the Apple I personal computer kit† (Apple Inc. History, 2008). It is currently the second largest company in the world in market capitalization and also the most valuable technological company in the world (Kim 2010). Apple faced many challenges in the past mainly because of the stiff competition from Microsoft. However, they were able to bounce back with the introduction of its â€Å"i† series produces such as iMac, iPhone, iPad, iPod iTune etc at the begging of the twenty first century. Apple is the number technological company in the world now and consumers all over the world rates apple products above its competitor’s products. Krazit (2008) has pointed out that the Wall Street is expecting Apple to report â€Å"earnings per share of $1.07 on revenue of $6.9 billion in 2008†. In his opinion â€Å"App le is a company which is under-promising and over-delivering† (Krazit, 2008).   Its founder and charismatic leader Steve Jobs passed away recently and many people have the belief that the loss of Steve may affect Apple immensely in future. It should be noted that Apple was one the verge of closing down during the latter part of twentieth century when Steve stayed away from the company for a while. A suitable replacement for Steve is the major challenge facing by Apple at present. Analysis of Apple’s efforts to improve/promote environmental sustainability   Apple follows sustainable business practices which helped them to become one of the topmost companies in the world. Apple has comprehensive knowledge about the environmental impacts caused by their activities. According to Apple’s claims Apple products are â€Å"

Obesity Epidemic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Obesity Epidemic - Essay Example now been declared a worldwide epidemic by the World Health Organization, after research indicated that it parallels to around 265 million adults and children around 15 million, simply meaning that there must be something we ought to do in order to regulate this situation and work towards an obese free world (Debasis & Preuss 30). According to Debasis and Preuss (38), for the last thirty years, there has been a drastic increase especially in childhood obesity. People should be asking themselves why there must be such a situation today. Take into consideration the situation of Barry Austin; he believed in eating so much that at one point he was heard saying that food was his god! Just at a mere age of 29, he was having a weight close to 320kg! From his close study, it was revealed that Barry’s breakfast consisted of four packets of crisps and almost three quarters a box of biscuits of which he consumed all. During lunch, which was from the chip shop, he would add several plates of beans on toast, additional Crips, and fruit cakes. If he was taking tea, he would have 12 roast potatoes, pie, custard, vegetables and gravy and 5 lamb chops. All these would then be cleared down the threat by 11 liters of soda every day. With respect to Hatfield and Stanton, they explain that studies have shown that Americans are consuming their foods well but not wisely. They further explain that the food habits have been growing for Americans every now and then. This is due to their ignorance in consuming a balanced diet. Some biological factors such as genes and the history of the family tend to increase the chances of developing obesity. Emotional factors could also be a contributing factor to this world catastrophe. One unique thing with obesity is that it doesn’t discriminate age nor gender. It affects the young and the old, the women and the men, blacks and whites, meaning that every kind of person is affected (Stern & Kazaks, 108). Obesity has symptoms that most people

Macroeconomic Outlook for Oil Prices Owing to Unrest in the Middle Essay

Macroeconomic Outlook for Oil Prices Owing to Unrest in the Middle East - Essay Example So if for example, we choose to use oil as source of energy instead of thermal or wind, we are trading off thermal or wind for oil as source of energy. Economics is also about cost and benefit analysis. This is because when we try to solve our economic problems and make choices, we look at it through economic perspective by comparing the costs and benefits of our choices. By using oil for energy source means that its costs and benefits are favorable over the other alternatives, thermal and wind sources. B. Market, Demand and Supply Just like any good in the market, oil demand and supply are affected by several factors in the market. Any change in its demand and supply will affect its price and its impact will be felt by the whole economy as well. 1. Market Market is simply a mechanism or arrangement which brings buyers or demanders and sellers or suppliers of a good or service into contact with one another (McConnell and Brue 2002, 49). In this article, we will be analyzing the oil m arket, meaning the mechanism or arrangement where the exchange happens between the buyers and sellers of oil. Buyers or demanders are the ones who are willing and able to exchange their money for oil. On the other hand, sellers or suppliers are those who are willing and able to exchange their product which is oil for money. 2.Demand The report cited that the EIA forecasted demand for oil is usually in the middle of OPEC and EIA demand outlooks. Demand refers to the quantities of a specific good or service that people are willing to purchase at any given price during a specified time period, given other things being constant (Miller 2004, 99). When taken singly, it is referred to as the... This essay presents a comprehensive analysis of the factors, determining the oil price and its volumes of deliveries against the background of worsening political situation in the Middle East. Market is simply a mechanism or arrangement which brings buyers or demanders and sellers or suppliers of a good or service into contact with one another. Demand refers to the quantities of a specific good or service that people are willing to purchase at any given price during a specified time period, given other things being constant. Supply is the amount of a particular good or service a seller or supplier is willing and able to produce and make available for sale at specific price and time. The total of all the supply available in a market will be the market supply Prices affect market demand and supply but there are other factors present in the market that can cause changes and can determine market demand and supply. The surplus in oil stocks was forecasted because the demand is at slower rate than the production. So, if the oil suppliers will continue producing oil at the same rate as before, they will be producing more than what the oil demanders are willing to buy from them. This situation will result to a surplus of oil in the market. To at least decrease the amount of surplus and bring the production near to equilibrium, OPEC members agreed to cut their supply by setting output quotas. The expectations about the future economic condition cause consumers to cut their spendings.

How does the school X break down the language barriers for EAL Literature review

How does the school X break down the language barriers for EAL students in science lessons - Literature review Example ntially, due to the diverse population, teachers face a difficult challenge of teaching science to students with limited knowledge of the English language. It is important for teachers to identify ways of combating the language barrier so effectively facilitate students’ simultaneous acquisition of academic content. The use of instructional interventions facilitates learning of EAL students. Cummins observes that effective language interventions for ESL students are built on 3-pillars, that is, activating prior knowledge, access content and extending language (Cummins 1). Accessing prior knowledge involves utilising the student’s prior knowledge so as to facilitate learning. The author hypothesises that students tend to construct meaning to a scientific text by â€Å"bringing their prior knowledge of language, science, and of the world in general to the text† (Cummins 1). Therefore, by activating the students’ prior knowledge, teachers are able to validate ESL students’ background experiences and affirm their cultural knowledge. Moreover, through the use of methods such as visuals, dramatisation or other language-oriented activities, teachers can clarify the meanings of concepts and words thereby making the content accessible (Cummins 2). The students’ visualisation can be enhanced through the use of models and analogies in the curriculum (EMA 2002:5). Arguably, models provide a scientific representation of abstract ideas and complex relationships that enable the EAL students unlock their potential in science while at the same time developing their scientific literacy (EMA 2002:5). According to EMA teachers, by actively engaging students in the use of models and analogies, EAL students can communicate their ideas confidently using scientific terminology. Moreover, teachers can encourage students to devise their models so as to facilitate understanding of the curriculum. Teachers play a detrimental role in assisting EAL students. In a research carried

Innovative Practices For The Coworking Movement Sociology Essay

Innovative Practices For The Coworking Movement Sociology Essay One of the grimmest predictions about the future was described by Robert Putnam in his work on social capital. He envisaged low likelihood of participation in community life, smaller groups of friends, even less happiness, and lower perceived quality of life (Putnam, 1995). Furthermore, the enthusiasts of globalization and internet predicted that since people do not have to be together in order to work together, so simply they will not be (Florida, 2003). Both of these statements are deemed fallacious when recent innovative developments like coworking spaces are considered. Instead of dividing people and further rupturing community life, they reintroduce collaboration and community building through establishing an innovative office design that is being implemented worldwide. This paper will be based on theoretical definition of social movement by Mario Diani (2000). The reasoning why this definition is the most useful will be presented in following sections. Then, Dianis (2000) defining attributes will be applied to coworking as a movement, and from this analysis, the conclusion will naturally flow that the following thesis is supported: coworking can be seen as a social movement because it satisfies its definitional elements i.e. networks of informal integration, shared beliefs and solidarity, and collective action. For the analysis of coworking, mixed methodology will be used: informal observation and interviews at three coworking spaces: betahaus Berlin, Hub Amsterdam, Coworking Cologne, and one emerging coworking space Hub Berlin. Additionally, available secondary sources will be analyzed: research and case studies present in literature, internet network data, websites, and forums. The focus will be, however, on the internet sources due to the novel ty and continuous transformations of the movement. Coworking has been present for centuries, but the first forms of collaboration appeared in the beginning of the 20th century. Artists from around the world gathered in Paris to live and work. One of the establishments, La Ruche, was created by Alfred Boucher to accommodate live/work space for artists. The place became a community and was centred on work of its residents (Jones, Sundsted, Bacigalupo, 2009). Bizzarri (2010) mentions associated offices that appeared in United States of America during the crisis of 1929. These offices gathered workers from the same or various professions working in one office as a cost-cutting strategy. She links the crisis of 1929 to the recession of 2008 as a catalyst of bourgeoning coworking spaces around the world (Bizzarri, 2010). The term coworking was first used by Bernie DeKoven in 1999 to describe virtual connectivity i.e. online tools of collaboration (DeKoven, 2000). In a context of a physical space, it was used by Brad Neuberg in 2005 (Alas, 2010) even though coworking spaces, in fact, already existed before that time. The vigorous spread of coworking did not start until the already mentioned crisis of 2008. Nowadays, it is extremely hard to assess the size of the movement with different incarnations of coworking emerging. For example, Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto was launched in 2004 and merges both coworking philosophy and multi-tenant nonprofit centre principles (Centre for Social Innovation, 2010). What exactly is coworking? It can be used in three different ways as Jones, Sundsted, and Bacigalupo (2009) state: [As] a proper noun to describe a movement the core values of coworking are A verb to describe an activity Im coworking with my friends at local cafe. An adjective to describe a space Souk is a coworking space in Portland' (p. 8). Movement Coworking movement has many principles that are shared between its members. The main value is that coworking spaces are about social connectedness, gathering, sharing, and collaborating. There are, however, a number of conditions that must be satisfied, in order for a viable coworking space to operate. Jones, Sundsted, and Bacigalupo (2009) describe it as a coworking recipe: Start with community. Blend like-minded people of different backgrounds together thoroughly. Add openness. Share ideas, thoughts, knowledge and problems in equal parts. Sprinkle collaboration on top. Ingredients will meld together to create new flavour. Add healthy amounts of sustainability. This will help maintain the recipes structure and prevent it from falling apart. Wrap in accessibility. Make sure all ingredients are given proper opportunity to interact. Enjoy! (p. 15) The movement build on such principles also is directed against isolation that streams from the type of work the coworkers are performing. Usually, it is some form of knowledge creation, data transformation, or a creative industry-related work. Sometimes, the members of the movement express unacceptability of corporate culture and its work structure (typical 9-5 jobs in artificially separated cubicles). Coworking as a movement has either outspoken or implied social change as a value. First of all, it is changing work/live relationship, and leads to sustainability in many ways. Second, the coworking members work often on projects related to social innovation and change. The honourable mention of social change-related coworking spaces is network of the Hubs (Centre for Social Innovation, 2010)Â  [2]Â  . Bizzarri (2010) underlines that one of the innovative factors of coworking is the sociality of the work and the value of relations face to face (p. 204). This aspect is crucial in coworking movement, because its enthusiasts aim at creating a thriving community rather than simply a workplace. Activity As previously mentioned, coworking incorporates individuals with mostly knowledge creation type of work and designers or artists. In most cases, they are not employed by the same organization, but sometimes small businesses are a part of a coworking space. Additionally, there is a high degree of independent work involved, but there is also a collaboration factor. People from different professions and types of work engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, and add an interesting perspective to problems defined by others, in order to create innovative ideas and become more productive. Coworking space becomes a place where unlimited intellectual resources are stored, and it multiplies ones network of professional and informal connections which is beneficial to individual work life and mental health. Various individuals have different patterns of use of coworking spaces. Freelancers sometimes need only a desk with internet connection and a telephone. Artists might need bigger space and flexibility. Some might use coworking spaces on a full-time or part-time basis, and some only for once in a while drop-in sessions. These offices also target people (so called nomad workers) who travel and frequently change their place of living so they cannot maintain an office. This initiative has also a myriad of occupations, and they include professionals from diverse sectors. Additionally, they come from different organizational structures: start-ups that cannot afford and office yet, small businesses that choose not to have own office, non-profits, freelancers, sometimes individuals that work for large companies as consultants, etc. Space The organization of the shared working environment is very important for a proper operation of a coworking office. Hibbert, Kimble, and White (2010) from the School of Architecture and Design at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee wrote an engaging manual on designing a coworking space with a number of technical pointers. In general, it should be flexible and have an open design, so it can accommodate many different events and activities through moving furniture, and separators that play a role of walls. Additionally, coworkers should have access to it at any time of day or night which sometimes is not possible due to security concerns. Coworking spaces usually have following amenities: internet, photocopy and printing, fax machines, mailbox, kitchen facilities, meeting rooms, coffee/tea machines, storage, and sometimes audio-visual equipment. Spaces at different stages of development might not have all of mentioned amenities or have more advance office equipment. Coworking spaces can accommodate members by offering them private storage place, or sometimes offer them separate office depending on the characteristics of the space. Different patterns of use mean different level of financial contribution for the maintenance of the office. Coworking spaces have a tiered system depending on the amount of time spent at the office, and sometimes the area needed for operations. Usually, coworking spaces do not make a profit, and at times they can run only with the help of grants and subsidies. Social Movement Definition A lot of social and political phenomena have been called social movements in the past, many of them not rightfully. There are so many theories that it is very difficult to pinpoint the exact definition of a social movement. Theoretical frameworks like collective behaviour, relative deprivation, resource mobilization, rational choice, political opportunity structure, new social movement, political process, and framing, all of them define social movements in diverse ways and focus on their different facets (Pickvance, 2003). Many buzz words surround the term social movement: collective action, social change, status quo, and social conflict among others. These terms are themselves difficult to define. Therefore, the plethora of ambiguities allows for calling numerous phenomena social movements, when they are really not. Mario Diani (2000) in his paper The concept of social movement analyzes four different theories in order to find a common thread between them and to arrive at all-encompassing, but yet detailed definition of the notion. The author bases his definition of collective behaviour perspective (Ralph Turner and Lewis Killian), resource mobilization theory (John McCarthy and Mayer Zald), political process approach (Charles Tilly), and new social movements theory (Alain Tourraine and Alberto Melucci). Some of these theories are contradictory in their assumptions and definitional elements. For example, Charles Tillys definition is very constrictive while it focuses on the excluded as the ones trying to get access to established polity and political process (Tilly, 1978 cited in Diani, 2000) which would be only one type of social movement according to other theories. Melluci (1977, cited in Diani, 2000), conversely, sees them as not always concurrent with political conflict, but that they might be dormant and engaged in cultural production. Diani (2000) posits that all of these theories focus on different aspects of social movements; resource mobilization theory and the political process approach look at their development rather than the causes of their emergence. New social movement theory tries to place social movements within larger structural and cultural changes (Diani, 2000). Even though these four theories might be different in certain aspects, Diani finds four common threads that all of the theories emphasize: Networks of informal interaction Shared beliefs and solidarity Collective action on conflictual issues Action which displays largely outside the institutional sphere and the routine procedures of social life (p.162) The last factor, lack of institutionalization, is disputed by Diani, who believes that some degree of institutionalism might play a role in social movements development while some movement begin in institutionalized organization or maintain the movement in a dormant stage under auspices of an institution still exerting social change and cultural production. Therefore, it is not included in the final definition. Diani presents a caveat that the institutionalization is a factor that should be closely observed because it might overpower the influence of a social movement. Additionally, an important distinction is made: while Sierra Club might be a part of an environmental social movement, itself it is not social movement and should not be regarded as such. Furthermore, political parties fulfill the requirements of Dianis definition, but he underlines that they act at the level of interest representation, and this functional level does not let them to be regarded as social movements. Fro m the discussion on these aspects and other implications of theoretical boundaries, Diani (2000) arrives at following definition: Social movements consist in networks of informal interaction between a plurality of individuals, groups and organizations, engaged in a political and/or cultural conflict, on the basis of a shared collective identity (p. 168). Diani (2000) disregards a number of characteristics in his definition that are usually associated with social movements i.e. extra-institutional tactics, civil unrest, disruptive political protests, use of power, etc. He claims that these aspects are simply characteristics of the varieties of social movements, and should not be included in the main and all-encompassing definition. Similar to Diani, definition of Goodwin and Jasper (2009) sees longevity of a movement more important than protests or riots: Social movements are conscious, concerted, and sustained efforts by ordinary people to change some aspect of their society by using extra-institutional means. They are more conscious and organized than fads and fashions. They last longer than a single protest or riot. There is more to them than formal organizations, although such organizations usually play a part. They are composed mainly of ordinary people as opposed to army officers, politicians, or economic elites. They are protesting against something. (Goodwin Jasper, 2009, p. 3) Therefore, the definitions are comparable and do not invalidate other theorists claims. In some degree, Goodwin and Jasper (2009) put more importance on extra-institutional means, protests, and riots; however, this does not make Dianis claims (2000) unsound, but further strengthens its validity and all-encompassing nature; in effect, this theoretical basis will be used to analyze coworking as a social movement. Urban Social Movements Urban social movements are a type of social movements that focus on structural transformation of the urban system and space (Castells, 1977 cited in Pickvance, 2003). Interest in this type of movements has been quite strong, but partially separated from the main discourse on social movements. As Pickvance (2003) discusses, urban social movements theories place emphasis on the effects rather than mobilization factors or the interaction between social movement and political systems. The intrinsic focus of urban social movements theories is the effects of various events, protests, and exposure to given principles and values. Castells (1977, cited in Pickvance, 2003) elaborates that the effects are rather seen in their potential rather than real outcomes. In other words, immediate consequences might be limited and not identifiable; however, changes in consciousness among participants and potential future support may be favourable to the viability of a social movement and the actual long term social changes. For this reason, writing on urban social movements was developing separately from the mainstream discussion on social movements, even though the main influence that contributed to its development was the rise of interest in new social movements. Pickvance (2003) elaborates: Although some writers have classed urban movements as new social movements, more usually urban movements have been categorized as an old social movement like the labour movement, because of the allegedly material character of their demands (p. 106) This typological distinction is quite important for the theoretical basis against which social movement might be tested against. It shows that social movements theories are diverse and that they describe approaches that result in dissimilar definitions. This predicament is important when discussing a given social movement that might fulfill the definitional elements of one theory and not the other. It also demonstrates that some social movement theories are developing outside the mainstream theoretical discussion, and a collective attempt at deriving a uniform definition is simply not present or still in very preliminary stages. Using Dianis definition (2000) presents a number of dangerous predicaments. It might seem too broad and all-encompassing. It puts emphasis on the common threads of the four main theories and presents relatively detailed boundaries of its definitional elements, however, there is still a degree of uncertainty and vulnerability in its possible use. Additionally, there is a tendency to use certain theories for movements with which we agree and different ones with which we disagree. In case of Diani, his definition is general, and different nuances are not accounted for in it, therefore, it might be quite unproblematic to recognize any movement or trend that resembles social movement as one of them. Application of the theoretical framework Common elements found by Dianis (2000) in the four main theories of social movements are to be examined in this section and applied to coworking as a potential social movement. Definitional nuances and evidence how coworking serves these elements are to be presented in an organized manner. First, coworking is recognized as built on the basis of networks of informal interaction. Second, shared beliefs of coworking as a movement are discussed: what they are and how they are implemented. Third, it will be shown to that extent social movements partake in collective action on conflictual issues and potential conflicts and adversaries will be identified. Finally, the relationship of the movement with institutional aspect and routine procedures of social life will be examined. Even though this last theme is not included in the final definition presented by Diani (2000), its evaluation is essential while it helps assessing coworking as a social movement against the theories that value lack o f institutionalization as an important feature of the definition. Networks of informal interaction First element of the definition concerns the relationship between its members: [it] is a network of informal interactions between a plurality of individuals, groups, and/or organizations (Diani, 2000, p. 8). All thinkers in Dianis analysis realize the importance of networks. Also Goodwin and Jasper (2009) and Castells (1977, cited in Pickvance, 2003) recognize informal interaction between people as an important requirement for a social movement. Especially, McCarthy and Zald (1977, cited in Diani, 2000) talk about different categories that characterize the organization of social movements: they mention social movement organizations, constituents, adherents, and bystander publics, all of them important members adding to the social movement. Diani (2000) characterizes this element as: Tightly clustered networks which promote the circulation of essential resources for an action (information, expertise, material resources) as well as of broader systems of meaning. Thus, networks contribute both to creating the preconditions for mobilisation and to providing the proper setting for the elaboration of specific world-views and life-styles (p. 163). Theorists in the recent time were discussing a lot about information flows in a network society. Castells (2001, cited in Bizzarri, 2010) pointed to the information and communication technologies as changing the relation between discretion and control in the organization of working. The most focus is placed on the value of knowledge, the role of knowledge as capacity of action, the openness, the mobility, the collaboration, the accumulation of social and cultural capital, the flexibility of workers to adapt their skills to different situations and jobs (Bizzarri, 2010, p. 198). Many pointed this innovativeness and its importance in workplaces. This notion is recently present everywhere, governments switch to network governance, participatory decision making, and horizontal collaboration. In this organizational setup, people from different sectors, organizations, occupations, and departments work together (citation needed somewhere here). A lot of these collaboration methods are cente red on the abilities of information and communication technologies. Coworking is based on this idea. It brings people with different experiences to a common space to work and socialize, but the technology is only a tool not a mean in coworking space. Centre for Social Innovation (2010) in the booklet Emergence stresses the importance of relying on a network as a strategy of well operating coworking space. The organizational design is structured on production, distribution, and access of information, all of the members of the space are supposed to learn from each other. It resembles a bit wikipidia model, or open-source software, where all of the interested individual contribute to create and accomplish bigger projects. Coworkers work on individual work assignments, and such an open structure of their work is simply not possible, however, there exists possibility to constantly consult with other and collaborate on each others project. People coexist in a physical space and that aspect is very important. Similarly to government-made horizontal collaboration, coworking spaces have usually flat organizational structure (Bizzarri, 2010), therefore there is no decision makers, all of the decisions are made communally. In some spaces, the governance structure might be rather heterarchycal, and it will have some members overseeing certain aspects of a coworking space, so, for example, there will be a person dealing with administrative side of coworking space operations, there might be a communications person, technical maintenance, cleanliness, etc. However, these positions are not introduced in order to create a hierarchy with some people in power or not, but is done to ensure adequate operations of a space. Many of the changes that are happening in organization theory come from a bigger movement of industrial changes that call for a networked interaction. Wilson (1995) underlines that the geography of a new competitive model is more flexible than mass production and involes creation of netoworks which is so important to innovation diffusion (p. 646). In fact, industrial districts that aggregate small and medium sizes enterprises are perfectly able to compete with large commercial firms (Wilson, 1995). This is due to their network character and sharing resources. Even though those firms might be centred in a given geographical region, they are still open for the global influences. Wilson (1995) mentions endogenous development approach which emphasizes the unique factors of the spatial milieu in which the activity occurs, while at the same time recognising the embeddedness in the larger structures (p. 649). Coworking is a space that does not enclose the members because their work focuses on external environments: clients, companies they work for, families, and friends. It is a system that brings them together and creates a community that shares many things. Coworking is not only about working in a shared space; it has also a social element to it. Endogenous development must include non-economic values a behavioural and socio-psychological change from homo economicus to homo sociales. John Friedman (1988) reflects the same idea when he calls for a transcendence of the division between life space and economic space (Wilson, 1995, p. 650). This is very important for people at coworking spaces. Coworking space is not only a place to work at and collaborate, it is also a place where people become socially involved with each other on a higher level than usual work places. Many coworking spaces have once or twice a week common meals, some of them even introduce that custom daily. This has profound effect on their relations. Addionally, coworking spaces introduce workshops and events that are not targeted at professional development only. They are also open to the community; so for example, they will invite a yoga instructor, or will have workshops on mental health, leadership, good food and living. In some degree, this agrees with Wilson (1995) discussion of regulationist writing that shows that the wage and strength of the union will decrease and more pressure will be focused on human development and less tangible factors than productivity: behaviour, cultural and social changes. In short, it is the beginning of change fr om the mechanistic and deterministic to holistic and interconnected (Wilson, 1995, pp. 653-654). Coworking spaces have this idea embedded in them. They are not workspaces anymore; they are a way of life. Shared beliefs and solidarity Social movements are characterized by the fact that its members share beliefs and a sense of belongingness which is definitely visible in coworking spaces. The boundaries of coworking spaces are not defined by the physical borders of the office, but by the collective identity shared by people who are members, visitors or simply supporters of a coworking space. Diani (2000) describes this aspect as: Collective identity is both a matter of self- and external definition. Actors must define themselves as part of a broader movement and, at the same time, be perceived as such, by those within the same movement, and by opponents and/or external observers. (p. 164) Collective identity helps to define the boundaries of the movement, but does not mean that the movement is homogenous. There is still a plethora of ideas, orientation, opinions, and perspectives in the coworking movement that can come from the shear fact that coworkers come from different occupations and are exposed to different theories, experiences, and perspectives. Citizen Space is one of the first coworking spaces. It was created in San Franscisco by the movement leaders Tara Hunt, Chris Messina and Brad Neuberg. Its website has a section entitled Our Philosophy and it contains Collaboration: One of the great benefits of working in a coworking space is that you will meet all sorts of people with all sorts of knowledge. Openness: We believe in transparency and openness. In a world where people are free, but ideas are not, only a few benefit. When ideas are free, everyone benefits. Therefore, we encourage open spaces and discussions. Sorry, no NDAs allowed.Community: We thrive on connections and mutual support here. It is important that everyone give into as well as benefit from the strong (international) community coworking has become. Accessibility: In order to be fully open, we must make the effort to be accessible to all. This means that we endeavor to create both a financially and a physically accessible space. We are committed to this prin ciple and welcome feedback on how we can make it even more accessible. All of those values are shared between other members of the coworking movement. These are basic principles that spring from the model work that is present in the coworking spaces. Collaboration cannot be closed; it always has an open model. As Wilson (1995) named future innovations as a new sense of purpose and process on a local level (p. 645), this is in fact what joins those people together in a relatively uniform and with minimum conflict. The people that surround the movement are mostly creative workers that are new leaders in todays economy. They are mostly self-employed people, nonprofits, innovation searching individuals who in turn advance urban movements and economies (Schreck, 2006). This class of people, knowledge creators, Florida (2003) calls the creative class. They drive innovation and current global economic growth trends (Hibbert, Kimble, White, 2010). They are employed in many professions, but their main purpose is to create new ideas, technology and creative cont ent. In addition to changing the landscape of the economy, knowledge creators seek new ways to configure their work environment to promote individuality and allow for more flexibility. They demand the autonomy of working anywhere and the social interaction of a traditional office. (Hibbert, Kimble, White, 2010, p. 43) In general, it is the members of creative class who are the most prone to join the coworking movement. Additionally there is a degree of entrepreneurship present in coworking spaces. A lot of members are entrepreneurs, some of them focus on social change. It was the most visible in Hub Amsterdam where the wall of members highlighted the social change focus of its members. Coworking itself is entrepreneurial initiative, and therefore it characterizes its members. Diani (2000) puts a pressure on the entrepreneurial aspects of social movements by citing Gusfield (1981): Social movements condition and help constitute new orientations on existing issues, in so far as they contribute to the existence of a vocabulary and an opening of ideas and actions which in the past was either unknown of unthinkable (Gusfield, 1981, p. 325 cited in Diani, 2000, p. 9) Conclusion Paragraph of this section Collective action on conflitual issues Diani (2000) finds that all four theories share also an aspect of collective action on conflictual issues. He writes: Social movement actors are engaged in political and /or cultural conflicts, meant to promote or propose social change either at the systemic or non-systemic level (Diani, 2000, p. 166) This factor consists of two parts: collective action and conflictual issues and theorists differ in what exactly this means. Some theorists put a specific emphasis on conflict situation as a fundamental element of the concept (Turaine, Melucci, Tilly). Other look at the social movement as leading to social change and that is, according to them, the main aspect of the concept (Turner and Killian, McCarthy and Zald, Pickvance and Castells). There is a number of ways we can understand conflict. It can be a conflict on political, social, or cultural sphere, but it does not necessarily have to engage in an open conflict, protests, and active dispute at the systemic level. It might be also conflict with political decision makers, civil rights dispute, etc., but Diani (2000) also mentions: Several authors maintain that the true bulk of social movement experience has to be found in the cultural sphere; what is challenged is not only the uneven distribution of power and/or economic goods, but socially shared meaning s as well, that is the ways of defining and interpreting reality. Social movements tend to focus more and more on self-transformation. (p. 165) Therefore, social movements focus as well on conflicts that arise in a private sphere, on the individual level. It attacks the way we think about ourselves, our self-definition, and lifestyle choices. The second part of the actor is collective action which can be understood as some sort of activity that leads to achievement of a goal or a set of goals by more than one person, in this case, a social movement. Diani (2000) does not address the issue whether the activity should be overt and proclaimed. Dormant social movements might not actively engage in open collective action, but might affect individuals in a more covert way, similarly to how Pickvance (2003) describes the effects of urban social movements. This might not be an issue for Diani (2000) however; some caution will be taken when a favourable judgement is granted in the absence of full evidence. In regards to conflict and collective action, coworking as a social movement has not, in some degree, openly proc