Advantages and disadvantages of franchising Essay

Franchising has exhibited dramatic growth since it offers some significant advantages when compared to other distribution methods. When starting a business or venturing into entrepreneurship, it is imperative for one to consider all options. One of the most suitable ways of achieving such an objective is to buy into a franchise. Business are able to expand by franchising in order to gain access to external capital that can fund growth of new outlets or stores that are run by committed and profit driven franchisees CITATION Fra12 l 1033 (Frazer, Merrilees, & Wright, 2012). These franchisees are more likely to be focused and diligent than employed staff. Therefore, Franchising allows individuals to become their own boss. For people who want to apply franchising in the Chinese market, they may wish weight all options. Franchising is one the best solution for transitioning from employment to a business owner. There are several businessmen and businesswomen who have thrived and successfully transformed their financial lives through franchising. Venturing into franchising has its benefits and also some drawbacks. Besides the startup capital required to become a franchisee, there is little planning and thought that is required when setting up the new business. The new store or outlet has to conform to the image that the franchisor has already set up. Small details such as the color scheme, to the inventory items to be placed on the menu or on the shelves, are all determined by the franchisor. This arrangement makes is easier for the franchisee to set up the business and increases the chances of success CITATION Hun11 l 1033 (Hunter, 2011). Most franchisors give the franchisee detailed training in order to ensure that they develop the required level of expertise to achieve profitability. This allows the franchisee to have a piece of minds knowing that the company is steering the business in the right direction. One does not have to develop an advertising strategy or solid branding as this is done by the franchisor. Although franchising might be perceived as an ideal solution by some individuals, others cite throwbacks of the business model. Therefore, they prefer multi-level marketing or network marketing, which allows one to become a distributor of a product of and established and a reputable company. This allows one to leverage on the advantages of being a franchisee whilst overcoming some of the disadvantages associated with it CITATION Hun11 l 1033 (Hunter, 2011). Firstly, multilevel marketing or network marketing products usually have a good level of branding in that, consumers are able to recognize the product that is offered to them. Although franchisees also have this advantage, they do not have the freedom to come up with unique structures when it comes to the distribution business. Network marking will, therefore, allow one to have free reign to market their business in whichever way they like CITATION Fra12 l 1033 (Frazer, Merrilees, & Wright, 2012). Another advantage that network marketing has over franchising is that little startup capital is required to become a distributor. One is only required to pay a little amount of money to join a network, while some networks require annual fees CITATION Hun11 l 1033 (Hunter, 2011). Additionally, one may be required to purchase the product in advance so that it can be delivered to the customers as the sales are made. All in all, the total amount of money required to run a profitable network is far less than what is required when one is a franchise. References BIBLIOGRAPHY Frazer, L., Merrilees, B., & Wright, O. (2012). Power and control in the franchise network: An investigation of ex-franchisees and brand piracy. Journal of Marketing Management, 11-29. Hunter, R. (2011). MASTER FRANCHISING AS AN ENTRY STRATEGY: MARKETING AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS. The Coastal Business Journal, 16-27. Source document

Machiavelli: Fear

According to Nicolo Machiavelli, fear should play a very significant role when it comes to the world of politics because it is the central driving vehicle to success as well as power, control, and reliability; it is because of fear that societies agree to justice and security. He believed that fear was an essential aspect to politics because of its relation to love, control, and hatred. When taking in Machiavelli’s perceptions of both the concepts of fear and love, it is clear that fear takes precedence over love in his opinion. This is shown in his book, The Prince, when he wrote â€Å"since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved† (The Prince, 1994). Essentially Machiavelli is stating that although it is desired by many to be both feared and loved, it is very difficult to be both feared and loved by everyone, and that fear is more reliable since one of them must be lacking in some aspect (The Prince, 1994). In addition, Machiavelli argued that a Prince himself should not show fear, since it would weaken his appearance and/or his reputation which, according to Machiavelli, should be carefully monitored (The Prince, 1994). Machiavelli also argued that fear keeps the people of a society in line; it â€Å"preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails† (The Prince, 1994). Furthermore, Machiavelli believed fear to be an instrument that can provide a prince with great power because of its reliability and stability. In addition, Machiavelli argued that a person should only trust the things that he or she can control. That being said, a person cannot be forced or commanded to love another person. Therefore, a ruler should only rely on things he or she can control. This is because fear is a necessary means to being respected as a leader, and it is the responsibility of a leader to have control over his or her society; fear leads to obedience, a key aspect to having control over a society (The Prince, 1994). Furthermore, one thing a ruler (prince) can have control over is fear. This is because the people in a society are afraid of punishment and they are intimidated by the ruler, so they act in accordance with the ruler’s laws. Furthermore, fear is a necessary and a key aspect to being successful and powerful in the political sphere. Machiavelli was not someone who was interested in what was morally correct, but rather what was politically beneficial. That being said, just because Machiavelli argued that a Prince should be feared by society, he is not arguing that he should also be hated by his society. This is shown in The Prince when he wrote â€Å"Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred† (The Prince, 1994). This quotation is significant because it shows that Machiavelli viewed the concept of hatred as a very bad thing; he saw hatred as the end. That being said, in his view, it is important if a ruler is not loved by the people that they are also not hated by the people. Furthermore, through the eyes of Machiavelli, a ruler (prince) should be feared by the people, but never hated by the people (The Prince, 1994). In the mind of Machiavelli, fear is an important element of politics, not just for its own sake, but for many other reasons. Fear is an emotion of reliability, as well as an instrument for control over a society. Fear is necessary for the sake of the greater good of a society. Furthermore, fear ought to be used appropriately and it is not to be taken lightly, as it should not lead to hatred. In conclusion, Machiavelli viewed fear to be a means to effective leadership; he argued that it pushes people together and it results in security and stability of society (The Prince, 1994). Fear is a way to maintain power and authority over society, and thus it should play an important role in politics according to Machiavelli.

Venus de Willendorf vs. Barbie

Venus de Willendorf is a statuette that first appeared during the Upper Paleolithic period. The exaggerated carvings of the body parts were how the artists of that time viewed women, fat and fertile. History often takes from the past to reinvent the future. Today’s society has the Barbie doll. Ruth Handler created it in 1959. Its long legs and slim figure has been worship by so many, that real women have undergone intense cosmetic surgeries to resemble the doll. Both figurines have gained notoriety based on the representation of women of their era, displayed their own meaning of beauty and cultures’ perception of it. Venus de Willendorf Venus de Willendorf, also known as the Woman of Willendorf, is a type of art statuette that was discovered sum 25,000 years ago. It was discovered in 1908 by the banks of the Danube River near the town of Willendorf in Austria during diggings led by Josef Szombathy. The statuette was carved from a rare oolitic (stone eggs) limestone using a flint tool. This particular type of stone was not available in the area it was located in, thus concluding the statuette was not created locally. Standing 4 3/8 inches (11. 1 centimeters) tall, the figurine is noticeably rounded. It displays obese and voluptuous women’s body parts. It has large pendulous breast as well as a large middle section, thighs, and a pronounced posterior. Her arms are thin and rested high on her breast. There is a braided pattern around the top of the head. Some archeologists identify it as the hair while others say it is a woven hat. The vulva is very detailed, which led scholars to believe the original sculptor had some knowledge about human anatomy. The statuette does not have feet, so it cannot stand on its own. In addition, it does not have facial features, which is consistent with others figures from that era there were found. The large breasts and abdomen along with the detailed nature of the vulva have caused people to believe the Venus is indeed a fertility symbol. The people who carved this statuette lived in a stone-age environment. Fatness and fertility was highly desirable during that time. The Venus was said to have a structure of sexually charged swollen shapes, an epitome of abundant fertility and of eternal sex. She was the woman of all women. For Paleolithic people, accentuating the parts that dealt with reproduction mattered most in the figurines, which is why the breasts and pelvic area were exaggerated most, unlike the buttocks. The artist’s goal was to draw the most attention to those parts. During this era, food was scare so obesity was unlikely. This led artists to believe the sculptor worked from a model, creating a body worth ritualization. Mattel ® Barbie Over the years, Barbie, or Barbie doll, has become a household name for many American families, as well as throughout the world. So, where the idea of Barbie derive? While watching her young daughter play with paper dolls, Ruth Handler noticed she was using her infant like dolls to play adult roles. She shared the idea of creating an adult doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of Mattel, who was less than impressed. After coming across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli during her stay in Europe, Handler was determined to make her idea a reality. In March 1959, Barbie, named after Handler’s daughter, Barbara, was born. Barbie stands a slender 11 ? tall, with long legs, perky breasts, high buttocks, flat stomach, barely there hips, and thighs, displaying an exaggerated hourglass figure. She has long thin arms and her feet are created for wearing high heels. She has long flowing hair with a slender face, long neck, high cheekbone, slanted big blue eyes, and comes wearing make-up. There has been much criticism over Barbie’s size. If her measurements were created in human form, the woman would be 5 feet, 9 inches, measuring 36-18-33, a figure impossible to have or achieve naturally. This known fact created a lot of controversy amongst consumers and anorexia groups. Studies show the average size of an American woman is a size 14, the exact opposite of Barbie. Barbie displays the â€Å"ideal† look of modern culture. Paleolithic Culture vs. Modern Culture. The Paleolithic era is the earliest period of human development that began roughly 2 million years ago. There are three successive divisions of the Paleolithic era: Lower, Middle, and Upper. The most notable feature of that time was evolution of the human species, which went from looking like an ape to more humanlike features, which was a very slow process. The Upper Paleolithic era is known for its increased creations of art and ornaments. One of the most famous Venus figurines to come from that era was the Venus of Willendorf. Barbie has allowed little girls to be more feminine and display etiquette. While some consumers see this as a great thing, naysayers believe it hinders, causing them not to want to play outside, get dirty, and depend on men to do the hard work. At the same time, Barbie has displayed women can have any kind of job. She has more than eighty jobs. In addition to being a model and fashion designer, Career Barbie has been a veterinarian, firefighter, astronaut, nurse, and politician. Because Barbie comes with so many accessories, parents believe it may give little girls a shallow mindset that materialistic items are what matter most. During the Paleolithic culture, men were the workers and women took care of home. Barbie has over eighty jobs, thus showing gender equality among careers. In today’s world, women make up a larger percent of employed individuals. Although the figurines display very different characteristics, both are considered beautiful and desirable within their respective cultures. The Venus was a representation of the women of their time and Barbie is a representation of the ideal woman, according to critics. The main differences between both figurines are their sizes and the eras they were discovered or created. The Venus is naked, much like the women of the Stone Age while Barbie comes with hundreds of accessories and clothes. In Often times, history repeats itself and it shows in the creations of these statuettes. Effects on how Society Views Women The Venus de Willendorf as always maintain her size and exaggerated features, for the meaning behind them is unparalleled. Throughout the decades, Barbie has evolved, taking on a more diverse look to appeal to different nationalities, such Native American, African American, Hispanic, Oriental, and more. While the color and some facial features are altered to resemble the people of each ethnicity, one thing has remained the same and that is her unrealistic size. Theories about the usability of the Venus figurines were said to involve religion while other observers saw it as a sex toy for men. As for Barbie, she has always been the definition of beauty, what little girls and some adult women aspire to look like. In today’s culture, thinner women are considered better looking than full-figured women, thus creating a void between women because of their sizes. This has been an ongoing stereotype for quite some time. It has even led to bullying throughout our schools. Critiques feel instead of displaying Barbie in the thinnest form, she should be created in different sizes, showing that beauty does not define your size. Conclusion The Venue of Willendorf, commonly known to some as Nude Woman, is on display at the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna. She sits in a glass case and the only thing that allows it to show is the light illuminated from above. The case is places within what looks to be a resemblance of a temple that reads, Venus von Willendorf. Despite the controversies surrounding the perception of Barbie, it continues to be the world’s bestselling doll. The collection of Barbie includes Vintage Barbie, Pop Culture Barbie, Holiday Barbie, Malibu Barbie, and the list goes on. Barbie’s appearance has changed over the years, with the exception of her body shape, of course. It is how we identify her. The same goes for the Venus and her exaggerated curves. Both figures had played a pivotal role in how people of their time view a beautiful woman. Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. The sooner we accept this notion, the more we can build up confidence in little girls who will someone day grow to become women.ReferencesGerber, R. (2009). Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her. HarperCollins. McElvaine, R. S. (2000). Eve's Seed: Biology, the Sexes, and the Course of History. McGraw-Hill. Rogers, M. F. (1999). Barbie Culture. SAGE Publications.Sayre, Henry M. (2012). Discovering the Humanities, 3rd Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions. Enger, Crissi. (n.d.). Types of Barbie. eH ow. Retrieved April 11, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5491736_types-barbie.html Witcombe, Christopher. (n.d.).The Venus of Willendorf. Art History Resources. Retrieved from March 12, 2013 from http://arthistoryresources.net/willendorf/willendorfwoman.html

Book guns germs and steel by jared diamond Essay

Book guns germs and steel by jared diamond - Essay Example Logically, Diamond’s contention is predominantly based on his argument that Eurasian civilization is more of an upshot of opportunity and need, and not of cleverness or ingenuity. He argues that civilization is not derived from exceptional intelligence but crops up as a result of a series of growth and progress, both politically and economically, which are caused by some requirements or preconditions. Consistent with Diamond’s argument, the colonization of Africa by the Europeans can be attributed to â€Å"accidents of geography and biogeography – in particular, to the continents’ different areas, axes, and suites of wild plant and animal species. That is, the different historical trajectories of Africa and Europe stem ultimately from differences in real estate† (401). While it is substantial that Diamond places much more stress and importance on the role of geography in the expansive scope of the history of civilizations, his confined and contracted description of geography may present a concern towards the readers. Geography covers the sphere of humanities and the social sciences. It does not merely take in purely geographical thoughts but also, it encompasses other related fields of study, especially in its investigation and description of the relationship between societies and the environment. Providing explanation for the disparities in wealth, control, and authority among world civilizations and diverse communities over time must take into consideration the social, economic, and geopolitical links, together with their connections to environmental traits and environmental change, in an effort to connect international, district and local levels of analysis. These descriptions must also take the impact of human thoughts and imagination, as well as the socio-cultural procedures in forming the geographical and environmental backdrop. In an attempt to take

Processing of Pre-MicroRNA to MicroRNA Research Paper

Processing of Pre-MicroRNA to MicroRNA - Research Paper Example Thus, the paper will also discuss the five activities of the processing of pre-MicroRNA into MicroRNA (Grosshans & Slack, 2002, pp.17-19). In the study involving photogenic elements, scientists normally use samples from animals before testing their results on human beings. In most biochemical laborites, one would find mice especially the Drosophila, Arabidopsis, and elegans type. These animals provide some useful biochemical samples, which scientists study to inform on certain biological and biochemical issues. Just like human beings, mice also have microRNA. Through cloning and sequencing, scientists extract microRNA for study purposes. Various studies have shown that both human beings and mice have over two hundred to three hundred inimitable microRNA genes. The studies also explain that in organisms, human beings and mice included, microRNAs are homologous in nature. Consequently, this is a clear indication that microRNAs play significant roles by representing comparatively old and essential regulatory pathways (Gallo et al., 2006, pp.6156-6159). As seen above, the genome hosts pre-MicroRNA and other photogenic elements. Within the genome, sequence encoding of microRNA takes place. However, since there are mechanisms that control microRNA expression, the encoding of microRNA will involve only known genes. In most cases, these genes occur in various flimsy locations within the human chromosomes, and one of the chief characteristic about them their independently transcription shape. It is imperative to note that the primary microRNA transcripts (pre-microRNA) are the ones that encode strands of microRNA. In general, such encoding produces the microRNAs that have the same orientation as pre-microRNA. Clearly, this is an indication that there is a microRNA promoter, which is responsible for such transcriptions. In most cases, the genome stores microRNA genes, and here, these genes appear in form of cluster.

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Paper Assignment Essay

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Paper Assignment - Essay Example His philosophy is connected to practical work, politics which also intends at people becoming good. He explains how virtue of character results from habit. Aristotle suggests that the correct approach to study controversial issues such as politics and ethics which entails discussing what is true about what is just or beautiful is to start is mostly agreed as true by people who have had good upbringing, exposure, and experience in life and to work from there to higher understanding (Aristotle 19). Aristotle strongly suggests the highest goods for any human and the highest objective and intention of human practical thinking is happiness and well being. He also argues that happiness gets well understood as dynamic and stable ongoing and a way of being in action and it’s specifically appropriate for the human. He suggests that the best virtue and the most complete one is the happiest one. According to him, an excellent person is one who is good at living life and the one knows how to live well and beautifully. Aristotle also asserts that virtue for humans must involve reason in speech and thought as it is the most important aspect of human nature and living. Aristotle discusses what ethics is and how it helps to improve human life. Aristotelian ethics explains what makes virtuous character to be possible which in turn forms the main basis for happiness in human life. He describes the various steps necessary in order to achieve happiness. He suggests that righteous actions done with the guide of right teachers’ leads to the creation of the right habits (Aristotle 37). This in turn develops a good stable character and behavior wherein the habits voluntarily lead to the achievement of well being and happiness. Concurrently he does not equate character with habit. He says character is like knowledge or health meaning it’s a kind of stable disposition which should be maintained and pursued with some effort hence they are determined by the individual . On the other hand, good habits are considered as a precondition and basis for good character. In his philosophy, Aristotle argues that ethics ensures accuracy and it can become observed in an objective way. He points out that things which are beautiful and just must involve great inconsistency and disagreement and as a result they get thought to belong to convention and not nature. Because of this he explains that it is vital not to demand a lot of precision in a similar manner as to how a mathematician gets demanded to carry out demonstrations. But it is important to identify what is beautiful and just as he says people are good judges of what they become acquainted with. He discusses what all good things in nature have in common (Aristotle 52). According to him good things don’t seem to have same name and nature by chance and this explains why different humans have different ways of getting happiness. In his philosophy, Aristotle emphasizes that there is only one highest aim of happiness and it should be similar to that held by politics because what is nice for an individual is less divine and beautiful compared to what is good for a group of people. According to him the objective of political capacity should include the aims of all the pursuits so that the outcome is human good. Aristotle's ethical theory significantly reflected his metaphysics. Unlike Plato, he proclaims that that the virtue or goodness of a thing lies in the identity of its particular nature. The highest good in humans is the habitual and

Sales Promotion Techniques Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sales Promotion Techniques - Research Paper Example â€Å"Sales promotion refers to those marketing activities other than personal selling, advertisement and publicity, which stimulate consumer purchasing and dealer effectiveness, such as displays, shows and expositions, demonstrations and various non-recurrent selling efforts not in the ordinary routine. Its purpose is to increase the desire of salesman, distributors and dealers to sell a certain brand and to make consumers more eager to buy that brand† (Sales Promotion Methods & Ideas, 2009) Even good quality products may fail in the market in the absence of good sales promotion activities. On the other hand even cheaper quality products may excel in the market with the help of quality sales promotion activities. The present market is filled with thousands of products manufactured by different business groups from different countries. It is difficult for the customers to decide which product is better or which one is worth for the money they spent. Only through effective prom otion activities an entrepreneur can convey the characteristics and worth of his product to the consumers. Various techniques must be developed and used in the market through sales promotion activities in order to convince the consumers. Sales promotion is important for introducing a new product into the market and also to sustain the movement of the existing products in the market. The major sales promotion techniques are Discounts and deals, Increasing Industry Visibility, Price-based consumer sales promotion, Attention-getting consumer sales promotion etc Discount deals are one of the prominent sales promotion strategies which are adopted by most of the manufacturers and service providers. It is not possible for a manufacturer to sustain the sales of a product in a constant manner because of the increased competition from the market. Thus same product may experience fluctuations in its sales during different seasons of an year. In order to sustain the

Effectiveness of Project finance in wealthy countries Research Paper

Effectiveness of Project finance in wealthy countries - Research Paper Example Qatari oil and natural gas reserves are over 15 billion barrels and 26 trillion cubic metres respectively. Oil and gas revenue account for over 50 percent of its total GDP and 70 percent of all government revenues. Over 85 percent of all export earnings are from gas and oil. In fact, Qatar is the largest exporter of Liquefied natural gas (LNG). It is also the third largest country after Russia and Iran with largest gas deposits. In addition, Qatar relies heavily on foreign labour. Since oil and gas were discovered and extraction commenced in the 1950’s, Qatar’s economy has experienced high real gross domestic product growth rate each year. According to Blanchard, the country recorded 16 percent real gross domestic growth rate in 20102. Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world and has the highest per capita income in the Arab world. The GDP and per capita income was $128 billion and $67,000 in 2010 respectively. In addition, Qatari citizens and residents enjoy higher standard of living as compared to most countries in the world. Oil and gas sector generated over 70 percent revenues to the exchequer and the government does not levy income tax on all its citizens. According to CIA, the budget revenues and expenditures were estimated to be $47.32 billion and $31.61 billion respectively in 20103. Qatar has one of the lowest tax rates in the world, a situation that has attracted direct foreign investment. Furthermore, the country can grant t ax exception for about 12 years. Although economic growth and development is largely attributed to proceeds from huge deposits of oil and gas, the government has developed political, social, economic policies that promoted high levels of governance and transparency; reduced business process bureaucracies; and improve political stability, making it one of the stable Arab states in spite of political turmoil in neighboring Arab states. Economist, the World Bank and Transparency international have

Compare and contrast the difficulties International Maritime Essay

Compare and contrast the difficulties International Maritime Organisation (IMO) have faced and develop scenarios explaining why working at international level is a comprimise - Essay Example Through a process of closely coordinated efforts of its designated committees and subcommittees, it is responsible for rendering professionalized services in all safety aspects of maritime This also applies to the context of technical consultations and special problem solving, where the necessity of expert consultations are also required. Due to administrative and procedural delays, there are many aspects of marine endangerment which continue to plague international sea trade. These problems are difficult to contain even for a multinational agency under the aegis of United Nations Organisation. One underlying aspect that needs to be understood is that while the IMO is a regulatory body that adopts law making, it is for the individual countries to implement the proposed laws by changing their respective legislatures to accommodate the IMO directives. If this is not forthcoming, the very purpose of initiating laws would seem to be an exercise in futility. â€Å"The problem is that some countries lack the expertise, experience and resources necessary to do this properly. Others perhaps put enforcement fairly low down their list of priorities.† (International Maritime Organization, Frequently asked questions) The IMO was operationalized in 1959, within a minimum of 21 member states, but as of now, there are 167 Member States and 3 Associate Members. (IMO Member States 2002).Several governmental and non-governmental agencies (NGOs) also contribute immensely to the overall functioning of the IMO. It is constantly endeavouring for enhancing the safety and security aspects of movements on the high seas, especially in the modern era of international terrorism and oceanic piracy. The responsible role it now plays in world oceanic trade as an independent institution  is very commendable, and it is now believed to be one of the most useful, effective and progressive agencies of the United Nations Organisation. The importance of the performance

Xbis wk5 discussion question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Xbis wk5 discussion question - Essay Example It has enabled monitoring of employees work and use of emails enhancing business ethics. In case of research work carried out by a manager to decide on something, IT use has a great advantage. IT reduces uncertainty, transform data volumes into manageable levels, while boosting confidence of the results. According to Dursteler, â€Å"digital dashboards are real time visualisation tools of critical business indicators that help in decision making† (Dursteler, 2012). Indicators, therefore, give a snapshot of a company at any given time. The management of a company after getting real time information can take action and prevent some results, which could deviate from the expected. A management cockpit is a room used by managers to control an operation without disturbance from the rest of the team. It was common during the World War II and it has gained importance today where it is used by management to control companies. Management cockpits are needed for two reasons. The first one is effective information supply, which assumes that managers have a pool of data, most of which cannot be used for decision-making and thus need to be sorted out. Information presented is standardised to enable better management decisions. Secondly, management cockpits enable effective management collaboration and coherence. Management team is characterised by people from different expertise and background who can tackle a certain task in many different ways. Their coherence influences the entire company to achieve its objectives. Thirdly, managers revisit management issues severally every year enabling better results and correction of goals where

Why we use reflection Essay Example for Free

Why we use reflection Essay It is important that we use reflection in order to further develop our skills in practice. No matter which reflective cycle chosen it is important that you identify what has been learned from the experience, how it has helped, if it is negative, how to overcome the problem in the future, and how it relates to theory and knowledge you have been taught. Reflective practice has been identified as one of the key ways in which we learn from our experiences in practice (Jasper 2003). As a concept for learning, reflective practice was introduced in the 1980’s (Jasper 2003). Boyd Fales (1983 cited in McGuinness 2009) suggests that â€Å"learning from experience can be very personal and, because of this, the process of reflection must allow the individual to address all aspects of each situation encountered†. There are many types of reflective cycle and they are only there to offer a guide and format to reflection. Schon (1983) suggests that â€Å"we can engage in one of two ways; either by reflecting on action, after the experience, or by reflecting in action, during the experience†. I researched many different cycles before selecting the one I thought was right for me. I will explain 3 I could have chosen and then explain the cycle I used and why. Firstly is Gibbs model of reflection (1988) (appendix 1). The pros to using this method are that it is very simple and directional. It splits your work into 6 sections and gives you a very structured essay. However I find it does not give you much help as to what you need to include within your essay. It is very basic and does not expand upon each section. The second cycle is John’s model of reflection (1994) (appendix 2). This model also provides structure and more detailed information of what to include by prompting with suggestional questions. This being said, I found the questions to be a bit lengthy and over complicated reflective practice. The final model was Atkin’s and Murphy’s model of reflection (1994) (appendix 3) I thought that this model was very directional and to the point offering a 5-sectioned essay plan, however it was still too basic for my learning style and therefore I found it best not to use it. For the purpose and intent of this essay I shall be using Driscoll reflective framework (1994). The reason for this is that I found it the most suited for me to follow. His reflective cycle uses just three simple questions as the main body of the framework,  which are then expended upon in greater detail. Driscoll’s framework has since been updated in 2000 (appendix 4). Introduction This reflective essay is based on a negative experience I had as a student operating department practitioner while on placement in anaesthetics. My reason for choosing this experience is that I found it to be a very valuable way to learn what needs to be done in order to ensure the smooth running of an operating department. This particular experience had some good issues to explore. Throughout the duration of this essay I will be using fictitious names for all patients and staff in order to protect anonymity and confidentiality. This is in order to comply with the codes and conducts set out by the health professions council (HPC). Due to word limitation the main focus of this essay will be surrounding the first patient and the complications that arose prior to anaesthesia, such as communication, consent, allergies, and the importance of all of these things. What? a description of the event One morning I came into work and found out I was going to be involved in a urology list that involved 4 patients; 1 female and 3 males, all needing different urological procedures. You would have thought that after the lengthy pathway that a patient goes through before finally having their surgery, everything would run smoothly when getting to theatre. This was not the case on this particular morning. Not one patient was appropriately fit for surgery on that day. We were setting up our anaesthetic room for the morning list. Before sending for the patient you should always see both the anaesthetist and the surgeon, the reason for this is so that the patient is not sitting in the anaesthetic room for longer that they need to be as they may be extremely nervous. Typically theatre lists start at around 9am however on this particular day we had seen neither the anaesthetist nor surgeon so were unable to send for the first patient. At 9.05am the junior anaesthetist, Dr K, came in explaining she had seen the patients however we still had to wait as Dr F, the consultant anaesthetist, had to go and see the second patient on the list as there were concerns with proceeding with his surgery. After explaining this she then went on to brief us about the rest of the patients. The first patient was Mrs. G. Dr K informed us that  this patient told her that she has a latex allergy and comes out in welts when it touches her. It was questionable as to whether or not we should proceed with her surgery. The surgeon then phoned our theatre shouting at the staff, asking who it was that told everyone his patient was allergic to latex. This is because Mrs. G had now told the surgeon, Mr. B, that she did not have a latex allergy. Whilst on the phone Mr. B stated that he wanted the patient to be collected immediately for a prompt start as soon as he got down to theatre. Finally Mrs. G arrived in the anaesthetic room, however when I was running through the checklist with her, asking her several important questions, such as when was the last time you ate and drank, and obviously, do you have an allergies? To which she responded, yes, I am allergic to latex. We could have still cancelled the procedure however now she was in the anaesthetic room the anaesthetist and surgeon were both happy to proceed. This unfortunately was not the end of the complications with this patient’s procedure. When shown the consent form to confirm the surgery she was having done and that she had signed it herself previously that day, she was also consented for a cystoscopy, Mrs. G was unaware that she was also having this and when asked if she was aware of the procedure she told us that she did not know what a cystoscopy was, even though she had consented to the procedure. After finally checking in the patient and making sure she was comfortable and aware, we continued with the anaesthetic induction. So what? – an analysis of the event Whilst Dr K was explaining the complications with each patient I thought of how key communication is within a theatre team. Without that communication all of the patients could potentially have had further problems when finally arriving for their procedure, be it during induction, during surgery or in recovery. Communication is not just important between the staff, but as shown it is extremely important between healthcare workers and patients. For example, it should not have taken as long as it did for someone to find out that Mrs. G had a latex allergy. This should have been picked up during her pre assessment or even when she was admitted to the ward. When patients have an allergy they should always have an extra wristband stating their allergy. (Trust Policy 2010). Many patients suffer from fear and anxiety surrounding anaesthetic procedures, it is therefore important that a clear and effective  communication takes place between the anaesthetist and patient prior to coming to th eatre. If this is done correctly it increases patient compliance and satisfaction (Kindler et al 2005). The most effective form of communication is face to face however, there are many different ways this can be achieved, for example, written forms such as graphs and notes. There are also non verbal forms using body language and touch. It is vital that all patients understand what their procedure is, how it will be done, recovery rate and anaesthetic procedures, regardless of their mental competency. It is vital that you know how to communicate in different forms because every patient deals with stress and nervousness in their own way, some will come in and cant stop talking, some won’t say anything, others will be shaking and others may be experiencing some form of chest pains, low blood pressure and a very fast heart rate. Anxiety levels of patients are much higher when admitted to hospitals, this is believed to be due to the thought of the procedure/surgery and the fear of the pain they may feel post operatively (Clancey et al 2002). Communication between staff members, as well as patients, is continuous, from the moment they enter the hospital, to pre admission, the ward, theatres, recovery etc. All staff are there to aid the patient to a quick and effective recovery. When Mrs. G came down to theatre and was asked about her consent form, I found it appalling that she had not been given this effective communication as every patient is entitled to and deserves the best form of care possible. When consenting a patient, the Dr should inform the patient of the full procedure and explain any doubts, questions or worries that the patient may be feeling as well as explaining the full procedure to them. (Brigden 1998) In Mrs. G’s case this was not done therefore left her confused and slightly nervous. We explained the procedure to her and told her there was nothing to worry about and it was just a routine procedure that is done with the other. This leads me on to the issues surrounding informed consent. It is the legal and ethical right of a patient to direct what happens to their body. In order for their consent to be valid it must be voluntary and they must be considered mentally competent to make the decision. (Brigden 1998). In order for consent to be considered legal and valid it is essential that the patient be deemed competent to make the decision and their consent must be voluntary (Hind and Wicker 2000). When obtaining consent from patients it is essential  that you find out whether they have any individual needs and priorities, such as religions beliefs, occupation or other factors that may affect their treatment. For example, Jehovah witnesses will not accept any form of blood transfusion as it is not recognised in that religion. If however the patient is deemed to be incapable of making an informed decision under the mental capacity act e.g. they are unconscious, then it is not, as it is typically assumed, relatives or a care giver that has the right to give consent for them, but is generally two doctors that have the right to make the decision. (Radfo rd et al 2004). This being said in an emergency situation where consent can not be obtained, providing that the treatment necessary is directly linked with what needs to be done to ensure patients safety and health, then you can provide medical treatment to whoever may need it. If, for example, the patient has previously refused treatment and you are aware of this fact, but the case is now deemed emergent, you cannot proceed and must respect the patient’s previous wishes. Once the patient is stable and mentally aware, you must inform them of what has been done and make sure they understand fully. (Kinder et al 2005). Sadly Mrs. G was already nervous about her procedure before she found out she had been misinformed. Also discovering her latex allergy could cause complications to herself and her surgery increased anxiety when she arrived in the anaesthetic room. This sent her heart rate racing. It went from a normal steady 86 beats per minute (BPM) to an irregular 176 bpm. Luckily Dr F is an extremely calm and sensible consultant anaesthetist and knew exactly how to handle that situation in order to keep her calm and lower her heart rate. All of these things should have been explained to her prior to her surgery, or better still prior to her attendance of the hospital. After I reassured her of what she was having done and had held her hand for a while, she finally understood and calmed down, therefore allowing us to proceed. This made me think of how people cope with stress and anxiety, and it showed me that everyone deals with things differently, just by explaining what was happening and having bodily contact with Mrs. G helped her greatly. She was very thankful and happy with the level of care she received in the anaesthetic room. After the list had finished I started to wonder why the world health organisation checklist (W.H.O) was not co mpleted. The W.H.O checklist should be completed at 3 stages during each operation; prior to  anaesthetic induction known as sign in, immediately after induction or just before the incision of skin time out, and finally once the operation is complete before going to recovery sign out. (World Alliance for Patient Safety 2008). One of the questions asked is ‘does the patient have any allergies?’. If the team had completed the checklists prior to the start of the list then the complications should have been located and would have meant that they would be dealt with accordingly. For example, the issues surrounding Mrs. G’s latex allergy would have been able to be avoided if we had known before she was due to come down. It is vital that patients with latex hypersensitivity must go first, in a theatre that has had all latex products removed. It is trust policy that the theatre must be latex free for at least 1-2 hours. As none of this was done it was very questionable as to whether this patient could have her surgery or not. We informed the theatre floor person, who agreed that she thought the risk was too great as patients allergic to latex can go into anaphylaxis. These can all be incredibly dangerous when under anaesthesia. She told us that if the surgeon and anaesthetist decided to proceed then we should complete an incident report form, just in case any reaction was to occur throughout the procedure. Now what? – proposed actions following the event After looking into the aspects of this experience I have found it very useful in furthering my skills and knowledge into becoming an operating department practitioner. The issues surrounding informed consent, patient anxiety, communication between staff members as well as the patients and the surgical safety checklist are all linked together in one way or another. Had all of these been carried out correctly the list would more than likely ran smoothly. However there is no sure fire way to guarantee something else would not have occurred hindering us further. I can use the information I have researched in practice as I now have a better understanding of how the peri-operative department should work. Each member of the team should ensure that these issues are dealt with at the time they arise. They should not be passed around from person to person. It is the staff’s responsibility to make sure the standards and expectations are maintained. Each patient has the right to their own dignity and modesty and should all be treated with respect. Treat patients how you would wish to be treated if you were having  surgery. Each hospital has a set of trust policies that should be adhered to, it is expected that any new members of staff read them so that they are aware of the procedures and standards that should be met. Information about the NHS and its practices can be found in vast quantities in libraries or on the internet. This is also there to provide support and assistance to further your knowledge and ensure correct procedures are carried out. The points previously discussed are just some of the reason it is vital that reflection is so important to health care professionals, it is essential for maintaining a high standard of care.

Psychology References Essay Example for Free

Psychology References Essay Select something you either strongly like or dislike (e.g., reading, competitive sports, flying, snakes, etc.). Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you: 1. Briefly describe your like or dislike (one to two (1-2) sentences). 2. Describe the subfield (e.g., cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, psychoanalytic psychology, etc.) you believe is best suited for providing psychological insight into your preference (the fact that you like or dislike the thing you do) and why you believe it is so. 3. Discuss how biological bases of behavior (including sensation and perception) have contributed to your preference. 4. Analyze how engaging in or reacting to your preference (e.g., playing competitive sports or encountering a snake) affects your state of consciousness during that engagement. 5. Discuss the role that learning has had on the fact that you like or dislike the thing you described. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: †¢ Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. †¢ Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: †¢ Distinguish between the major schools of thought in psychology. †¢ Discuss the biological factors that influence behavior. †¢ Describe the major theories of learning, memory, cognition, consciousness, development, and social psychology. †¢ Use technology and information resources to research issues in psychology. †¢ Write clearly and concisely about psychology using proper writing mechanics. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Examining The Refugee And Immigrant Children Social Work Essay

Examining The Refugee And Immigrant Children Social Work Essay   Rossiter and Rossiter review a study that was conducted in order to attain a deeper perspective of the migrating youth into Canadian society; they discuss the risk factors both in the community setting and within the individual. These studies first discussed negative factors affecting the youth and positive factors assisting the youth to not fall into criminal behavior. Lastly, both authors discuss a solution that I would like to classify it in order to understand these gap and misinterpretation between a trouble both within and outside the youth.   Rossiter and Rossiter (2009) state that youth who migrate to Canada with their family are faced with issues from back home, such as pre-migration violence and trauma were reported to be predisposing risk factors for youth involvement in violent and criminal activity in Canada: many youth from refugee camps have witnessed or experienced violence (e.g. rape, murder, and torture) and suffer from depression, nightmares, flashbacks and or disturbed sleep patterns (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p. 9). A youth arriving in a country that has already developed their own culture and unique mother of tongue can further create a bigger barrier for the youth in terms of acclimating to this new society, their new home.   Social services representative discuss the complications of integration that can cause stress or anxiety-all their symptoms basically prevent them from learning and adapting (As cited by Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p.9). These youth experience pressure to fit in when it comes to the school system. They are encountered with peer pressure or alienation (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p.9) as association with antisocial peers, however, can lead to violent altercations and crime (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p.9). Education was one area where it was classified as a positive impact encouraging youth to act in a positive manner (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p.4).   Due to the alienation that youth experience due to the want of fitting in within their peers, criminal justice representative said education was seen as extremely important for immigrant and refugee youth: Not having [education] is whats creating the push in the other direction, and having it is what would save them (As cit ed by Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p. 13). Creating these barriers furthermore sets this youth to drop out and as a school is seen as a recruitment into drug-related crimes (Pg.10). While seeing the complications that the lack of education can cause we can acknowledge the importance of school and education towards the future of the youth.   Rossiter and Rossiter (2009) discuss how youth first entering Canada with their families are seen to be lead by the government into subsidized housing (p.11) due to their lack of finances thus, these youth may not have the same economic standing as their peers. This makes the youth feel uncomfortable leading to the youth having to deal with an inner struggle between wants and needs (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p. 9). The authors made it clear that contributing factors such as: family support and stability, socio-economic status, physical and mental health, age of arrival, language proficiency, interpersonal skills social networks, personal resilience, employment opportunities and housing and neighborhood, among others (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p. 4) are seen as a pushing negative factor and also a helpful positive factor for the youth to get out of troubles in the criminal system. The authors prescribe mentorship and school activities to assist these youth out of the negativ e criminal behavior (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p. 13-14). They discuss how teachers are often unaware of the challenges faced by immigrant and refugee students, and the education system itself is ill prepared to meet their complex needs. Isolation and a lack of social support at school and in the wider community mean that immigrant and refugee youth may be left with few options, and antisocial peers involved in drugs, crime and gangs may be perceived as attractive alternatives (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p.16). Family and community support along with Maslows hierarchy of needs should be in place in order to assist these youth.   Families seen to be living in poverty are often unable to meet the physiological and safety needs of their children; at-risk youth who go to school without breakfast or lunch and live in subsidized housing may be especially vulnerable. Youth who lack close relationships to family, school and community or who suffer from feelings of inadequacy or failu re are easy targets for gangs who promise to fulfill their needs for belonging and self-esteem. (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p.16). The authors review the negative and positive influences that contribute to the idea of where funding should be focused. The authors provide the reader with a qualitative research method to get a better understanding by talking to adults who experienced youth criminal activities due to the barriers put forth. It is also important to note that the authors touched upon the lack of statistical research that is brought forth to the public that shows if immigrant and refugee youth are the only ones big in numbers in the jail system.   Refugee children in Canada: searching for an identity written by Fantino and Colak (2001) provide an overview of migration issues that arise and the troubles that these children are faced with pre and post arrival into Canada. Fantino and Colak (2001) discuss how the children migrating with their families bring with them issues that they face while coming to a new country as a refugee trauma from witnessing violent crimes, language difficulties, family disruption, and adjustment to a different culture-in addition to the challenges that accompany childhood and growing up (p. 587). Fantino and Colak (2001) draw comparison between immigrant children versus a refugee child. They both write how both classes deal with migration and endure the push-and-pull forces of home and school, which often work in opposite directions (p.589). As we are taught to believe that immigrants face less barriers due to their receipt of citizenship Fantino and Colak do not fail to portray the similarities of both groups.   Both may encounter societys discrimination and racism, and developing a sense of identity-while trying to bridge generational and cultural gaps (Fantino and Colak 2001, p.589). Perhaps the greatest threat to these children is not the stress of belonging to two cultures but the stress of belonging to none (p.589.) If these children receive a sense of belonging this can open up and increase their self-esteem and further avoid future barriers and inner fights within the child.   One specific concentration that Fantino and Colak (2001) bring forth is the desire for children in the school setting to be accepted by their peer group, be seen as a dependent and a master by interpreting for their parents (Fantino and Colak, 2001, p.589) these factors can contribute to the sense of belonging discussed earlier. These children are in essence parentified as they face the pressure of interpreting for their parents (p. 589).   This pressure can have a dramatic effect on the child as they are given adult responsibility in settings they are not familiar with. Fantino and Colak (2001) wonder if children really do adapt better to society (p.591). They discuss the trouble of parents with the lack of communication they have with their children (p.590). Fantino and Colak refer to these refugee children as children without history (p. 594). Both authors bring forth ideas of the host country providing a positive act in order to make integration as a positive role for the c hild and family.   One key factor in determining success is the reception of newcomers by the host society (p.589). Task force on mental healthi issues affecting immigrants and refugees (1998) writes that settlement support services, schools, health and social services and the community at large play a crucial role in assisting and supporting children to adjust and integrate into Canadian society (As cited by Fantino and Colak, 2001, p. 589). Fantino and Colak (2001) believe that in order for successful integration we must not ignore the parents who might also be facing trauma prior to arrival. They state that their challenge is to meaningfully integrate their history with the present and future realities of Canada (Fantino and Colak, 2001, p.595) it is only until we as Canadians work as a team to provide a safe haven for newcomers where we can assist and cater to their needs to provide them with adequate housing and support systems. As Fantino and Colak discuss migration trouble pre and post migration both authors do not fail to give Canadians a role on easy adaptation and this sense of guidance makes the struggle of migration as a societal problem and not solely a problem just with the migrating child with their family     Analytic discussion:   Both readings discuss the resolutions and the causes of what a child and youth experience as they migrate to a new country. The identified theme of the harm of migration to the individual at hand arises concerns and a deep look at why changes should be in place to assist the migrating newcomers. By looking deeply at the barriers/causes placed by society we will gain insight on understanding why. Both articles gather information by using a qualitative research method that asks children and adults who were deviant youth in the past about problems faced by both immigrant and refugee children and youth; both articles looked at the trouble faced within the individual and the trouble put on by society. Both articles answer questions of why and how these issues arise, both articles discuss solutions and the lack of statistics that would help to really understand the criminal system in regards to over population of immigrant and refugees in the institution. As both articles take on such approaches to understanding migration and the effect it has on children regarding identity and youth portraying criminal behavior I will provide an analytic discussion in regard to the theme of troubles of migration faced by the immigrant and refugee child and youth. By discussing how the comparison of both articles both discussed the lack of identity the youth and child face, both articles discussed support systems, whether it was lacking or being seen as a great contributor for successful migration, education as a primary target for success in the individual and lastly community assistance that the host community must act upon. As all articles discuss the implication pre and post the childs and youths migration I still believe that further questions need to be asked in order to get a more holistic and complete view of migration difficulties and criminal behavior that the child and youth experience.   Who is a refugee or immigrant youth or child when they come to Canada? It is to this thought that we can look at the identity of these young adults and children being challenged when entering a new country such as Canada. We are taught through both articles that when an individual such as a youth and child enter Canada we must realize the issues they have faced at home that might of led them to migrate: trauma from witnessing violent crimes, language difficulties, family disruption, and adjustment to a different culture-in addition to the challenges that accompany childhood and growing up (Fantino and Colak, 2001, p. 587). When one reads such statements I cant help but ask why arent these individuals dealing with the issues back home? Could it be that the government can no longer be trusted? Why migrate? Is Canada being portrayed to other countries as a loving, welcoming country? If so, we must change this. Canada being classified as a harmonious country or not has issues of its own. We are dealing with employment difficulties, high taxes, and are still involved in a war where other cultures are still being seen as a threat. Are we setting up this migrating youth with unrealistic expectations of Canada? Is this our fault as Canadians that we are simply setting up a trap for this migrating victims to have a difficult life in Canada?  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The issues back home which may have pushed their migration to Canada is not the only issue that these age groups experience. They also witness and experience issues in their new land, and this act should simply put the blame on us, on Canadians.  Support system in the school setting is seen to be lacked and to be a great contributor to be the line of helping the youth and child to avoid criminal behavior. The development of positive relationships with caring adults in the school setting, such as ESL or mainstream teachers, counselors and school resources officers, was also considered to be a protective factor. In some schools, member of ethno-cultural communities offer approved courses designed to help students develop identity and intercultural competence (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p. 14).   After school programs where the student can receive assistance in studies or being involved in recreational activities can provide an outlet for the student to develop an identity by taking interest in other activities and also assisting with developing relationship with other students or guides. This not only provides them with a family setting in the school atmosphere but also an family unit when parents struggle to understand the school setting or simply when parents do not have much involvement with their children due to work or emotional difficulties. Dedicated workers such as these are helping youth exit gangs, offering them opportunities for success and keeping others from becoming involved with drugs and crime (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p. 14) As this form of assistance provides the assistance of the host community it shows how we can contribute positively to the outcome of the future of the new generation. As this is so, we must be aware of the access these children a nd youth have to schooling. Funding is needed for better schooling not only for these newcomers but also for youth all around. In Canada the cost to incarcerate a youth for 1 year is approximately $100,000 (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p.3), and sending your child to school has no cost then leaves the question of why spend so much in incarcerating youth involved in criminal activity when such money can go into schooling where programs can arise from? As we should be addressing the crime taken in each community (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p. 3) we know that education can be seen as a way out for these youth to avoid them from falling into a trap of gang involvement and provide these children with a sense of identity and skills this is an investment that will not only help the migrating newcomer individual but where society would also benefit from. Derwing et al. (1999) and Watt and Roessingh (1994,2001) state that studies of school dropout rates of immigrant youth have indicated th at 46-74% of immigrant youth whose native language is not English fail to complete high school (As cited by Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p. 4) doesnt society see the need for funding?   Community assistance needs to be put in force in order for these youth and children to experience an easy adaptation to Canadian society. Communities provide a learning experience by comforting the individual and providing an exit from any future criminal activity that might come through the youths and childs life. These could be centralized in a love reception center, with ongoing follow-up and support in school and community setting (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p.17.) Providing these follow-ups with children, youth and their families will give these newcomers being a immigrant or refugee a voice and provide a further perspective of changes and improvements that could be more active.   Social services assistance: including language translation services; help in location permanent housing and accessing English language classes; a community orientation; referrals to health and social services; including professional counseling services; and other services as needed (Fantino and Col ak, 2001, p. 590). Such services can also be seen to benefit the family unit as a whole as it is helping all members of the family to access and be aware of the services provided by the host community, and can also be seen as a contributor in helping family bonds strengthening when migration can be viewed as a challenging phase for the family. Permanent housing should include specifications and be geographically located where criminal behavior is not the face of that community. Peer ambassador programmers that carefully match newcomers with more established immigrants from the same culture can also be very helpful (Fantino and Colak, 2001, p.590) If newcomers encounter other newcomers they will feel a sense of   hope as they will see that their present challenges were possible to be overcome; this will provide the recent newcomer with a sense that they can do it. We can make a change, so why in a country where 11.2% of the total population of 31 million identify themselves as members of a visible minority (Fantino and Colak 2001, p.588) are being faced with such troubles? In a country where employment is seen as hard to get regarding youth employment why are we not addressing this problem? We realize that the Canadian Baby Boomers are affecting work labor in the present society (Foot, 1998, 82) so how can we assist these youth to find a job when the baby boomers are occupying the majority of the labor market? Do we need more jobs specifically targeted to this population? Why are we still letting in refugee and immigrant families when we can barely assist those already in Canada? Why is Canada still setting up a trap for these newcomers? As I agree with the standings and arguments/solutions that both articles make, I do believe that more questions need to be asked, mostly questions regarding Canada and why Canada is still letting this happen. Heller (1995) along with Jiwani (2002) and Roberts (2002) state that ethnic minorities and those with English or French language difficulties, are disproportionately represented in the Canadian criminal justice system (as cited by Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p. 2) and Canadas lack of providing statistics related to race and ethnicity can further show that numbers need to be put into place in order to understand migration issues and complication. Without numbers can it be fair to say that Canada is contributing to the problem? Without numbers can Canada take a position and assist solely on word of mouth? Providing this overview can be frustrating to understand how to tackle such an issue of migration, but I do believe that in order for us to understand, numbers that are lacked in the prison system if minorities really do make up the population in the jail system needs to be placed. Rossiter and Rossiter state that such a study might increase discrimination towards these individuals (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p.3) but how can we help a group without knowing statistics? Since Rossiter and Rossiter tackles such a perspective it leaves the question if Fantino and Colak say that the host community must assist these newcomers due to the issues surrounding this population how can we assist youth as a community when we are unaware of youth involvement in criminal behavior for example? Without data, Canadians are left in the dark, and this must change.   We must make a change to recognize these newcomers diplomas (Rossiter and Rossiter, 2009, p.4.) and degrees to set them up for the work field in order for fairness and these barriers to fall down in favor of those newcomers. My approach to the solution of ending criminal behavior is to look at societal resolutions and also understand the change that needs to be placed. I believe that working with the individual and not for the individual will further assist these individuals on a personal identity level and guide them through the services that can help. Both articles bring upon an analytical overview of migration and the effects brought on by the host community and the services lacking these migrating youth and children. As we understand migration to have a negative effect on individuals we also must not rule out the good that migration can do, such as providing a safe haven for these newcomers from escaping from the harsh realities they faced back home. By communities gathering as a welcoming committee in order to provide the newcomers with a welcoming atmosphere the community must do more than accept the realities of just adapting to a mosaic country. We must work together to provide support for the ch ild, youth and their families. We must acknowledge the contributions that each youth and child carries within them and be culturally accepting. It can be instilled that the children are our future, and no matter what country these children and youth come from, all should be given a fair opportunity.   Ã‚  

England Changed My Life :: Personal Narrative essay about myself

England Changed My Life    Question Answered: Recall a multicultural experience that has positively impacted your educational career. Discuss your experience and describe the ways in which you have benefited from this experience.    It all started with an unfortunate and disheartening circumstance. The father of my oldest and dearest friend, Caitlin, had been transferred. Caitlin would no longer be living down the street from me. In fact, she would be over 4,000 miles away just south of London, England. To a pair of twelve year old girls, England was an unimaginable land of tea-drinking fops living on an island almost an eternity away. Needless to say, the day of her departure was an unhappy one. However, three years older and a world wiser, we girls have come to appreciate and even enjoy the influence this situation has upon our lives.    Six months after Caitlin and her family moved away from Pittsburgh, I found myself in plane destined for Heathrow airport. Not only did I arrive with an unnecessary amount of luggage, but also a head full of pre-conceived notions. First and foremost, I believed that everywhere in the world would be exactly like the United States. This idea was proven false five minutes after stepping off the plane. Walking into the parking lot, I took notice of a petty detail I would have otherwise been oblivious to. The license plates were strikingly different! This simple aspect was enough to make me realize that I was no longer at home. Throughout that first day, many stereotypes of the English that I had long believed were each erased from my mind. As it turns out, not everyone likes to drink tea, there isn't a garden party every evening, and the Queen most definitely does not ride around in a horse-drawn carriage with a magnificent entourage all day greeting the simple peasant folk. Luckily, I r ealized these things before I had an opportunity to make a fool of myself and severely offend the people I met.    Not only did my experience in England increase my social aptitude, but also greatly improved my understanding of the world as a whole. When I returned to school in the following months, I could grasp the concept of different cultures and countries. They were no longer simply spots on a map, but real places filled with interesting people leading fascinating lives.

Mathew Malefanes Painting of Nelson Mandela Essay -- Art

Mathew Malefane's Painting of Nelson Mandela Mathew Malefane was born in Soweto; he was one of the privileges children and went to a school in Cape Town to study filmmaking. He now makes documentaries in Johannesburg. He taught himself to paint, and this painting Of Nelson Mandela made a very deep impression on all black Africans. Mathew Malefane chose to paint Nelson Mandela for a number of reasons. One could be as a role model to all black Africans as he fought for their rights and freedom. It could be symbolising slavery, or the Apartheid. A painting is a very good way to show emotion and feeling, and he could of painted Nelson Mandela, as he was delighted and pleased that he was set free. Nelson Mandela stood up for his rights and for the rights of all black people. He believes that they should be equal and respected as human beings. As he stood up and believes this he was put in prison for 20 years. As he was imprisoned there was many protests and riots, and when he was released he was voted for the government. He then won the election, and gave moving, emotive, and touching speeches, which won over all the Africans and he finally became the leader of the African National congress. In the painting, the uses of certain colours are very symbolic. The background is painted in blocks of yellow, green, and black. These are all the colours of his flag. The yellow is surrounding his head, and this symbolises him coming into the light and out of the dark prision he was in. T...

Gawains Departure from the Peregrinatio :: Essays Papers

Gawain's Departure from the Peregrinatio The journey that Gawain takes from Arthur's court to Bertilak's castle, then to the Green Chapel, and back to Arthur's court clearly fits the pattern of a medieval peregrinatio. Writers of the Middle Ages used the peregrinatio or pilgrimage to describe spiritual progress through a worldly metaphor. The motif is used by Dante in the Divine Comedy (where the narrator, on his "journey through life," is diverted from the earthly world to a pilgrimage through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise); and Chaucer uses it in the movement of his pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. Dante's journey to Beatrice and Chaucer's from the sinful Tabard Inn to the tomb of St. Thomas Beckett a place where the pilgrims can receive absolution for their sins obviously represent spiritual as well as literal movements in the traditional peregrinatio. The Gawain-Poet, clearly familiar with the tradition of peregrinatio as we can see by his use of it in Pearl, uses it here not to demonstrate his hero's movement toward spiritual perfection (which was traditionally the aim of the itinerant), but rather to parody the notion of the possibility of such progress. Gawain is supposedly the purest of Arthur's knights, yet his preoccupation with Christian doctrine and with Mary (both shown in the device on his shield and inhis frequent Christian prayers) is undercut by his more urgent concerns retaining his life and his worldly reputation. In the Gawain-Poet' s handling of the peregrinatio motif, Gawain falls short of his reputation as a faultless knight and fails in the goal of his journey. Yet as he comes less to embody knightly ideals, he becomes more individual and finally can represent, if anything, only a picture of a solitary human being in a difficult world. In the disjunction between the conventions of the peregrinatio and the actual events of Gawain's journey is revealed a shift away from the pilgrimage fable towards realism, a movement also discernable (as Sacvan Bercovitch shows1) in the romance elements of the poem. It will be useful here to sketch briefly the traits and various ramifications of the peregrinatio motif in the Middle Ages. Though the motif was used literally, it was more often described in moral terms. Every man's life is a journey from birth to death, from the temptations of the world to one's symbolic reward, from a bodily to a spiritual existence, from sin to salvation (or damnation). Gawain's Departure from the Peregrinatio :: Essays Papers Gawain's Departure from the Peregrinatio The journey that Gawain takes from Arthur's court to Bertilak's castle, then to the Green Chapel, and back to Arthur's court clearly fits the pattern of a medieval peregrinatio. Writers of the Middle Ages used the peregrinatio or pilgrimage to describe spiritual progress through a worldly metaphor. The motif is used by Dante in the Divine Comedy (where the narrator, on his "journey through life," is diverted from the earthly world to a pilgrimage through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise); and Chaucer uses it in the movement of his pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. Dante's journey to Beatrice and Chaucer's from the sinful Tabard Inn to the tomb of St. Thomas Beckett a place where the pilgrims can receive absolution for their sins obviously represent spiritual as well as literal movements in the traditional peregrinatio. The Gawain-Poet, clearly familiar with the tradition of peregrinatio as we can see by his use of it in Pearl, uses it here not to demonstrate his hero's movement toward spiritual perfection (which was traditionally the aim of the itinerant), but rather to parody the notion of the possibility of such progress. Gawain is supposedly the purest of Arthur's knights, yet his preoccupation with Christian doctrine and with Mary (both shown in the device on his shield and inhis frequent Christian prayers) is undercut by his more urgent concerns retaining his life and his worldly reputation. In the Gawain-Poet' s handling of the peregrinatio motif, Gawain falls short of his reputation as a faultless knight and fails in the goal of his journey. Yet as he comes less to embody knightly ideals, he becomes more individual and finally can represent, if anything, only a picture of a solitary human being in a difficult world. In the disjunction between the conventions of the peregrinatio and the actual events of Gawain's journey is revealed a shift away from the pilgrimage fable towards realism, a movement also discernable (as Sacvan Bercovitch shows1) in the romance elements of the poem. It will be useful here to sketch briefly the traits and various ramifications of the peregrinatio motif in the Middle Ages. Though the motif was used literally, it was more often described in moral terms. Every man's life is a journey from birth to death, from the temptations of the world to one's symbolic reward, from a bodily to a spiritual existence, from sin to salvation (or damnation).

Organisational Behaviour: A Case Study Essay

Question one. Learning is a process of adapting to a change of behaviour or the ability to alter one’s way of acting as a result of influence from constant practice or experiences (Michas and Berry, 2000). Learning can either be viewed as a process or as a product of an already completed process. As a process, learning is viewed as a transformation of behaviour or a change in the mental state of an individual while as a product, learning is studied under the basis of various learning theories. The learning theory seeks to explain how and to what extent such a change is bound to occur. This theory is very essential in organisations because it helps to create high level professionals at the workplace. Depending on the situation and the willingness of the workers, different organisations can apply different learning theories at different times. Three main perspectives of this theory are known. This include behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism. Behaviourism focuses mainly on the physical aspects of learning. According to Miller and Pace (2006), a change in behaviour is not influenced by the individual’s emotions or personal motives but rather, it is a lasting change in behaviour which occurs when triggered by a change in the surrounding environment. This approach has been found to yield changes such as discrimination, associations among other skills which do not require in depth internal processes. For instance, from the case study given, Diane’s behaviour changed when she started working at La Maison where the environmental factors taught her to be hard working and efficient in her work. Cognitivism perspective deals with matters linked to the brain-system. In this case, a learning process involves the internal processes which includes how the mind receives, organises, stores and retrieves data or any information received. It concentrates on the mental aspect of the the leaner’s thoughts, beliefs, ideas and attitudes towards the organisation. This approach of the learning theory has been in very helpful in explaining the intricate forms of behaviour which involve reasoning, solving problems and processing data to alter ones behaviour (Niederhausler et al, 2002). In the case study, this kind of learning theory is seen when a worker’s behaviour in an organisation are influenced by factors such as manager’s attitude, organisational culture among other factors which are not visible physically. The constructivism approach on the other hand views learning as a process of constructing new ideas and concepts. It is more or less the opposite of behaviorism in that it focuses on how an individual molds a certain form of behaviour emanating from past knowledge or experiences. From the case study, the constructivism kind of learning approach is evident where we see that Diane had learnt from previous experience how to give fast and quality services to the customers by balancing several plates on her arms. This was a positive kind of behaviour which ensured faster delivery much to the satisfaction of her customers. In an organisational concept, there are specific qualities associated with learning or change of behaviour in organisations. This depends on what is learned, how and when it is learned. Different organisations differ in their methods of learning mainly due to the fact that every organisation represents a collective combination of individuals from different backgrounds and more so, it consists of a units which have different roles and values which they use to achieve their future goals (Billett, 2007). According to Prange (1999), it is the individuals who learns and not the organisations which they work for. In this case, he argues that learning is a process which primarily takes place in the human brain. Another argument put forward by Perkins (1997) says that even though learning may take place in organisations, it is not always positive. That is, not all organisations learn well and in a way which is bound to propel their future goals into the right direction. For instance, different workers in an organisation may hold different views concerning the organisation’s future success depending on the kind of leadership style deployed in the organisation by its leaders. The three perspectives of the learning theory, behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism have several strengths as well as weakness on the workers of an organisation as observed from the case study given. The behaviourism concept of the learning theory has an advantage in that, every worker has a clear and concise goal which he or she is set to achieve and thus any change in the environment can stimulate its achievement automatically. However, this approach has been criticized in that the workers may at times encounter a situation in which the right stimulus do not occur thus hindering the achievement of the desired goals. For instance, if the workers in a hotel are used to responding to a certain stimulus such as tips in order to work effectively, the efficacy would sharply drop ones the tips cease to exist. For the cognitivism approach, the learners are trained to work in a certain way consistently with or without a stimuli. This is advantageous in that it avoids inconsistencies in the work place and ensures customer satisfaction t all times. On the other hand, this may be disadvantageous in that the workers mind may become accustomed to doing the same thing such that it may be very difficult for them to adapt to any slight change in the organisation. The constructivism approach is useful in that the leaner is able to adapt to many changes which may occur in the organisation based on previous situations. However, this approach has a major drawback in that it in some situations, divergent thinking may cause problems in the organisation. From the case study given, Diane the learner has a change of behaviour which is affected by the change in the environment or the climate created by her boss which makes her strive to do every thing in a perfect way. However, when she is quarreled, her attitude changes and she starts to do things in a slow inefficient manner. In this case study, a positive aspect of cognitive learning theory is also seen whereby, Diane’s behaviour is influenced by the high tips she gets from the customers and this motivates her to work harder even when the motivation she is getting from her boss is very minimal. In addition, it can also be deduced from the case study that all the workers at the La Maison where Diane works are taught how to work under pressure and work with excellence. This behaviour has been shaped by the workplace culture of practice from the instructions given by Godot their manager. This reflects a constructive learning approach. Question two. From the case study, the environment and the authoritarian leadership style exercised by Godot the manager of La Maison has a great impact on the behaviour of the workers and Diana in particular. From the organisational culture which emphasises on excellence and team-work, Diane behaviour was immediately inclined towards working to her best potential since the beginning which ensured that she did a good job. However, her behaviour changed when she was quarreled by the boss and she decided to work slowly and her efficiency was greatly reduced. Other factors which helped to shape Diane’s behaviour include the tips she got from the customers which motivated her to work more in order to get more tips. This forced her to go back to her efficient working pace even when her morale had really been put down by her boss. Many positive and negative reinforcements, punishments and extinction forces which may be used by Godot and his customers may be identified from the case study. Among the positive reinforcements used by Godot include his dedicated and industrious attitude towards his work which motivated the workers to put more effort in their work. His vision and the culture of team-work which he emphasised on also made the employees to work together to satisfy all the customers. However, Godot had very bad emotional outbursts and tempers which negatively affected the workers’ efficiency. For instance, after putting so much effort, Diane felt discouraged due to the fact that her boss did not even notice her hard work but instead, he was very quick to quarrel her when she committed a simple mistake. The insults he hauled towards the workers when the restaurant was crowded and they were unable to keep pace with the high number of customers also lowered the workers’ morale. In terms of punishments, Godot believed in punishing the workers when they went wrong by imposing fines to pay the price of their mistakes. This made the workers to feel angry and disappointed thus become less efficient in their work. As a good manager, Godot can improve the worker’s efficiency through complimenting them for their hard work and correcting them in the right way where they go wrong instead of insulting them. In addition, he should strive to improve his relationship with his workers in order to motivate them. The positive reinforcements acquired from the restaurant customers include good compliments to the workers and tips in terms of money for their efficient services. Negative responses such as less tips when the services were less efficient also helped to motivate Diane to work harder in order to please them and get more tips. Thus, by being appreciative, the customers helped to shape the behaviour of the workers in a positive way. Question three. The various reinforcements and punishments discussed above had a positive as well as a negative impact on Diane’s behaviour. For instance, when Diane dropped a bowl of bouillabaisse, she was fined the price of the bouillabaisse and the cost of cleaning the carpet she stained, as a punishment for her mistake. This made Diane feel very angry, disappointed and confused and as a result, there was a visible decline in her performance. This was a very negative impact on Diane’s behaviour. On the other hand, Godot’s industrious and dedicated type of attitude helped to shape Diane’s behaviour in a positive way in that she became very dedicated and efficient in her work much to the satisfaction of the customers and this conferred an overall benefit to the restaurant. The customer’s appreciative nature and the compliments they gave to Diane helped to motivate her more to work with greater efficacy. When the customer’s tips dropped, she was forced to go back to her original working pace in order to please the customers. This positively shaped her behaviour as it taught her to be hardworking and committed in her work at all times regardless of her boss’s attitude. Question four. Hourly pay rates and tips from customers especially in restaurants have proved to be very effective in reinforcing positive behaviour in workers. The hourly pay rates motivate the workers to work for long in order to maximise their pays and thus ensuring that high productivity at the workplace is achieved. The tips on the other hand inspire the workers to work extra hard in order to satisfy the customers who will in return give them larger tips. If the services are of poor quality, the customers are unsatisfied and they thus do not feel obliged to give tips to the workers. In the case of La Maison restaurant studied above, the hourly pay rates of $15. 0 offered plus the tips from the customers proved to be very effective in shaping Diane’s behaviour as well as that of other workers. The tips averaging around 20 percent per day motivated Diane to work harder because she knew that better the services meant more tips for her. When her efficiency in services declined, her tips also went down by almost half and this forced her to step up her pace in order to get back to where she originally was. In this case, it can be deduced that the use of hourly pay rates and tips can help an organisation to make more money because of the high quality services delivered by its workers. Conclusion. From the case study above, it is clear that every organisations has a great role to play in shaping the behaviour of its workers. An organisation can either have a positive or a negative impact on the attitude and behaviour of its workers depending on the kind of leadership style practiced by the leader and also the culture of that particular organisation. It is therefore upon the leaders to adopt the right kind of leadership which is geared towards cultivating a positive attitude in their workers as this will help them to work harder and maximise the profits incurred by the organisation.

The beach, the place I come to when I finish the day

The beach, the place I come to when I finish the day†¦. It's the perfect place to relax after the pressure of working at a Caribbean bar. Everyday I come to the beach and sit around, it allows me to cool off from work and think about how bad or good my day has been. The beach is always empty at this time and is perfectly located, right outside my house. Stretching a mile in either direction there is plenty of room for people to go who want to be alone, who want time to gather their thoughts and work out what has actually happened to day nd what hasn't. It's also the time when you usually realise you forgot to do something, that's basically why I come here. As I look off down the beach I see the island as night approaches, in the distance the lights of hotels come on, the occasional car lights, the boats in the harbour turn their lights on and the lone cruise ship coming in lit up like a Christmas tree. The sunsets in the distance falling slowly behind the vast spread of water and already high in the sky the moon begins it's over watch. The beach, now cast in a reddish old light begins to cool off from the hot day and the sea, sparkling in the fading light rolls quietly in. The palm trees behind, mostly in shadows sway in the gentle breeze. The occasional bird fly's in to roost and the night creatures come out. On the beach a small crab dashes from hole to hole in search of food and like an opaque blob a jellyfish patiently waits for the sea to return. By now the beach is quiet, only the relaxing sounds remain, the sea as it sloshes up the beach the breeze as it gently blows through the alms, the birds calling their night calls and the nocturnal animals announcing that they are awake. I feel much more relaxed and cooled off now, it like someone has lifted all the weight of the days work off my shoulders allowing me to slouch here and do nothing. I start to play with the sand as a sit and stare out to see, I feel the grains running though my fingers like dry water, the coolness of the sand also helps to relax me. Also the cool breeze coming in from the sea seems to refresh me from the typical Caribbean heat. As I look around and consider going in another crag sidesteps in front of me, its legs sounding like small pebbles as the hit the sand, I smile as it randomly changes direction as though it were lost on to him is a vast desert like beach. Sitting here, alone makes me feel like nothing matters, that however bad things can get there is peace you just need to know where to find it and I have, here. Sighing I get up and plod back into my house, thinking of the horror awaiting me at the bar tomorrow.

Learning outcomes assessment Essay

In order to capture the full attention of the audience, the speaker should be sensitive enough in communicating with his audience. I have learned the suitable voice and tone that you should use in order to express the content of what you are trying to say. It was also discussed that the speaker should convey the content of his discussion by figuring out what the audience needs to know and providing them what they need to know. The best way to disseminate this information is by using proper communication strategies and techniques. Using the right words at the right time is one of the essential components that you should always keep in mind. Whether you’re speaking in a formal or informal manner, proper usage of words should always be taken into consideration. Knowing your target audience will also keep you on track in terms of writing. The student will understand how to tailor their writing to readers of different cultures, with different background knowledge and expertise. If you’re able to decipher this and apply it to your written material, your target audience will appreciate the outcome. Moreover, I was able to generate ideas and practices that I should use in writing. Contemplating and arranging my thoughts are basically part of it. But in terms of working with others, I should be aware of their ideas and how to collate it to be able to come out with a better product. I also learned the techniques on how to write aiming for clarity, coherence, correctness, and conciseness. Achieving these factors will make my written material more reliable and interesting rather than writing without direction. Editing my own work is also an important thing that I learned and will apply whenever I will write. If I have incorporated peer and instructor feedback on my work, I will be able to determine in which I should improve. Through this, I can find my strength and weaknesses and build my own goal in terms of writing. Writing isn’t a complex process, it just tests your ability to express your ideas and organize it into a readable material.

Mobile Query and Processing in Mobile Database Environment

MOBILE QUERY AND PROCESSING IN MOBILE DATABASE ENVIRONMENT Agustinus Borgy Waluyo1 1 Bala Srinivasan1 David Taniar2 School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Monash University, Australia {Agustinus. Borgy. Waluyo, Bala. Srinivasan}@infotech. monash. edu. au. 2 School of Business Systems, Monash University, Australia David. [email  protected] monash. edu. au Abstract Mobile database is a new context of database application in wireless environment. It introduces unique type of queries, and query-processing strategies that are different to traditional databases. We classify mobile database query into two categories, especially context-awareness query and adhoc query. Context-awareness query is further classified into location dependent, context dependent, and hybrid query. As for the query processing, we define three strategies namely mobile client, on air, and server strategy. Mobile client and on air strategy relates to caching strategy and broadcast strategy respectively. Finally, we include some challenges in mobile databases. 1. Introduction Recent advances in wireless technology have led to mobile computing, a new dimension in data communication and processing. Many predict a new emerging, gigantic market with millions of mobile users carrying small, battery-powered terminal equipped with wireless connection [1,2,10]. The mobile computing environment provides database applications with useful aspects of wireless technology, which is known as mobile databases. This advance technology has created a new age of nomadic database users. Basically, these users are simply accessing a database through a network. However, the network is now applied in wireless environment, and has several novel properties, which include user’s locations are constantly changing, the likelihood of losing connections is much greater than in a traditional network, and asymmetric communication environment in which the wireless bandwidth for uplink communication is smaller than downlink communication [11]. In general, mobile user communicates with a Mobile Base Station (MBS) to carry out any activities such as transaction and information retrieval. MBS has a wireless interface to establish communication with mobile client and it serves a large number of mobile users in a specific region called cell. In mobile environment architecture, each MBS is connected to a fixed network as illustrated in Figure 1(a). Mobile units or mobile clients in each cell can connect to the fixed network via wireless radio, wireless Local Area Network (LAN), wireless cellular, or satellite. Each of the wireless networks provides a different bandwidth capacity. However, the wireless bandwidth is too small as compared to the fixed network such as ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) can provide speed up to 155Mbps [7]. 55 Wireless Network Mobile Base Station Mobile Base Station Wireless Network High speed Wired Network Fixed Host Fixed Host Crossing Crossing Mobile Client Query Query Processing Strategy Data Repository Query Result 2 Mobile Base Station Mobile Base Station Query Taxonomy = Mobile Client = Wireless Network 1 (a) Mobile Environment Architecture (b) Query Application in Mobile Environment Figure 1. Mobile Environment Architecture and Query Processing Figure 1(b) depicts the query processing in mobile databases. Mobile client initiates a query, and retrieve the data from data repository. The data repository is available in the fixed network. The query is transmitted through wireless channel, and the result is obtained using certain query processing strategies. As can be seen in Figure 1b, a sign of number 1, and 2, which is attached in query taxonomy, and query processing strategy respectively, correspond to the main content of this paper. Driven by differences between wired and wireless environment results in differences of type of queries, query processing mechanisms as well as communication technology. It is the aim of this paper to provide comprehensive query taxonomy, and processing strategy in mobile databases. Figure 2 shows a detailed structure of this paper. Subsequent sections in this paper are organized as follows. Section 2 describes query taxonomy in mobile databases. Section 3 contains the query processing strategies, and section 4 discusses some challenges in mobile databases. Finally, section 5 concludes the paper. In this paper, the term mobile client, mobile device, mobile user, user and client are used interchangeably Location D ependent Q ueries C ontext Aw areness Taxonomy C ontext D ependent Q ueries Hybrid Q ueries A d Hoc Q ueries M obile Q uery and Processing M obile C lient Processing Strategy O n Air Server Figure 2. Structure of Paper 56 2. Query Taxonomy In this section, we classify type of queries in mobile databases. The queries can be entirely new and specifically applied in the wireless environment, while the other can be a common type of query in traditional databases. 2. Context Awareness The word ‘context’ implies a variety of aspects. [14] defines the word context into three categories namely computing context, user context, and physical context. Computing context relates to computing resources such as network connectivity, bandwidth, printer, and workstations. User context associates with user’s needs, preferences, roles, profile, and alike. Physical co ntext involves environment issue, which include lighting, noise, traffic, temperature, and humidity. [5] adds another category of context called ‘time context’, which refers to time of a day, week, month, year, etc. 6] defines context as either the aspect of physical world or condition and activities in the virtual world. It is further described that context information can either be transient when the context associates with the environment at a point of time or persistent when the context involves a history of transient context. In simple words, we can always define that context relates to who, when, where, and what. Context awareness creates a new class of applications in mobile computing. With context awareness, mobile device is expected to adapt constantly in a wide range of dynamically and continually changing situations. It is important for the device to be able to aware of the situation, environment, and tasks that the mobile client is performing as well as will be performing in the near future. The utilisation of context information in an application minimises the amount of user involvement in a service by providing related information. Having known the context of the query enables the device to pre-fetch all data that is highly related and likely to be queried in the near future. With this query, client only initiates a single request and all related data will be retrieved implicitly. This technique avoids client to have multiple request that result in energy efficiency. Example: To find restaurants information in current region. The query will result of retrieving restaurants based on user’s preferences such as Italian, Chinese or fast food as well as pre-fetching maps, traffic and weather condition, which is likely to be queried next. Most applications have been focusing on location awareness rather than context awareness as a whole. Thus, we classify mobile database queries into location dependent queries, context dependent queries, and the combination thereof. 2. 1. Location Dependent Queries Location dependent query is a class of queries that are motivated by mobile clients. In this type of query, the location of the mobile client is a parameter of the query. The value of the location parameter can be provided by the client or a global positioning system (GPS). An example of this query is a traveler’s information system that provides information on hotels, restaurant, bars and the like, to motorists. Processing of queries must be based on knowledge of the user’s location. For queries services that are ahead of the current route, direction of motion and speed are necessary to be taken into account. Recent technology provides a new feature in automobiles, which offers 57 navigational aids as a built-in feature. In general, each location updates generate two direct costs, particularly transmission cost, which refers to the cost to inform the server of the new location, and server processing cost, which corresponds to the cost of updating the system containing the location of the mobile unit. The location parameter can be in any objects, such as taxis, trucks, and helicopters. This class of query can be further classified into two categories: (i) Continuous query, and (ii) On-demand query. Continuous query The continuous type of query includes real-time monitoring of mobile objects. This is different compared with conventional queries, which are based on an instant of the database at some moment in time. Real-time monitoring queries are continuous for monitoring purposes [3, 13]. Examples: (i) To request information about nearby tourist attractions, hotels, or shopping center while traveling. With this type of query, users only need to send a query once and notification of the updated information about nearby tourist attractions, hotels, or shopping center will be sent automatically as they move to different regions. ii) This query also helps tourists whenever they are close to a certain situation such as dangerous zone or traffic jam by providing some alerts to mobile user. Figure 3 shows an illustration of real-time query monitoring. In this application, the system must be able to provide the accurate query results and update them in real time whenever some mobile cl ients enters or exits the region defined by the query. This class of query can be referred as range-monitoring queries. The range-monitoring queries are removed from the system only when the user explicitly ends the query. Server End Query Query i Response i New Region Updated response i Region 1 Mobile Client 1 Moves to Region 2 Mobile Client 1 Figure 3. Continuous Query On demand query The on demand location dependent query is different from continuous query in a way that its database management does not manage the query but only the location of each mobile units in specified regions. Figure 4 illustrates on demand query. Every mobile unit is registered under one location server that manages the user profiles and is called the home location server. Location information of mobile clients can be stored at predefined sites like the user’s home location server in a network. Consequently, the search space for a user’s location can be reduced. However, when a mobile user crosses any boundaries of a cell, the information at the predefined site has to be updated accordingly. This type of query does not have to specify when to end the query since the server does not keep the query but the location [12]. Examples: To retrieve nearby hospital, police station or petrol station in the area. 58 Server Q uery i R esponse i Q uery j R esponse j Region 1 M obile C lien t 1 M oves to Region 2 M obile C lien t 1 Figure 4. On Demand Query When the parameter is an object, and mobile client requests an object that satisfies location criteria, then the situation becomes different. Figure 5 illustrates on demand query with location object parameter [8,15]. Examples: (i) Taxi operator wants to see how many free taxis are currently in a certain region. They can find free taxis and allocate them to another region that require more taxis or send them directly to the nearby customer. (ii) Tourists who come to the country, where there are no designated bus’ stops, nor timetable. They can utilize mobile device to retrieve incoming buses within a pre-defined time. Server Object Query Object Result Location Tracking Location Info Mobile Client Object Figure 5. On Demand Query with Location Object Parameter 2. 1. 2 Context Dependent Queries This type of query requires maintenance of an internal representation of user’s needs, preferences, roles, profile, etc. With these parameters, application will be able to decide the situation and task that a user is currently performing, and adapt to change of user needs and roles. This enables mobile device not to just retrieve the required information but also some other information that is highly relevant [6,8]. Examples: (i) Tourist wants to see list of restaurants in a town. Rather than retrieving the entire list of restaurants, the query retrieves the restaurants based on user’s preferences and need such as cuisine preference, price, occasion, etc. (ii) A business person wants to check the closest meeting schedule. The query retrieves the time as well as previous history of the meeting, people involved, client accounts, meal preferences, required data, etc. 9 2. 1. 3 Hybrid Queries Hybrid queries represent a combination of location dependent and context dependent queries. This type of query requires the system to maintain all parameters of context-awareness queries including location parameter. Examples: (i) A Traveler wants to find restaurants in the region that he/she will enjoy and within 10 minutes of current travel distance, (ii) A teenager wa nts to check movies in the nearby cinemas that he/she will like, and the show time can be met while considering current travel distance. These queries are very useful for nomadic users since it not only considers the users’ preferences and needs but also the location of the user. More sophisticated application utilizes a variety of sensors to monitor the environment as well as user’s action in order to provide assistance of the tasks being performed by the user. This application requires the ability to process data streams in real-time, analyze and interpret it precisely. The main point in context awareness query is to accurately analyze the environment and user’s intention, regardless of where the context information is obtained from. It is a difficult challenge since there is a possibility of conflicting data, and the need to have efficient processing to provide a useful application to the user. 2. 2 Ad Hoc Queries Ad Hoc queries are commonly utilised queries in traditional DBMS. This type of query explicitly mentions the required information in the query statement, and does not involve any context awareness information. Thus, the query result is only based on the actual query itself. Examples: (i) University student wants to retrieve his/her academic record or personal details. ii) Travelling sales person inquires about product availability, price, etc. 3. Query Processing Strategy We divide query-processing strategy for mobile databases into three parts, namely: (i) mobile/client strategy, (ii) on-air strategy and, (iii) server strategy. Mobile/clients strategy relates to how client manipulates and maintains the data in its cache efficiently and effectively. On-air strategy corresponds to data broadcasting stra tegies. With this strategy, the number of mobile users does not affect the query performance. Server strategy relates to designing techniques for the server to accommodate multiple requests so that the request can be processed as efficiently as possible. We claim that query processing for mobile databases is very much centered around the issues of caching, broadcasting, and scheduling. Figure 6 shows the architecture of query processing in mobile databases. 60 C Strategies lient OA n ir Strategies Server Strategies Figure 6. Query Processing in Mobile databases 3. 1 Mobile Client Strategy Mobile client’s strategy defines a number of strategies to maintain cached data items in clients’ local storage. As stated earlier, wireless communication channel in general suffers to narrow bandwidth while it is also inherently asymmetric communication, in which the downstream communication bandwidth from a server to the mobile client is much larger than the upstream communication bandwidth from clients back to server. Due to the above reason, caching of frequently accessed data items in a client’s local storage becomes important for enhancing the performance and data availability of data access queries. Another advantage of caching is the ability to handle fault tolerance. This is related to the characteristics of mobile computing in which each mobile client connects or disconnects from the network frequently. In some situation, the MBS may not be accessible due to problem like signal distortion. However, a query can still be partially processed from caches and at least some of the query results can be returned to the user [9]. Three main issues characterize a caching mechanism. These issues include caching granularity, caching coherence strategy, and caching replacement policy. Caching granularity relates to determining a physical form of cached data items. Caching coherence strategy or invalidation strategy involves cache invalidation and update schemes to invalidate and update an out-dated cached item [4]. Caching replacement policy is needed to retain the frequently accessed database items in a client’s local storage. The more effective a caching replacement policy in keeping the frequently accessed items, the better a query will perform and the more queries could be served during disconnection situation. 3. On Air Strategy In this scheme, the server periodically broadcasts the frequently accessed data items to clients through one or more broadcast channels, but the clients may not cache the data item of interest. This situation might occur when the client does not have enough memory or space to cache the required data. The behavior of this channel is unidirectional which means the server disseminates a set of data periodically, via this type of c hannel to a multiple number of users. A complete broadcast file is referred as a broadcast cycle. In this scheme, the client needs to listen to channel and filter the required data over the channel, which is also generally known as push-mechanism. Figure 7 shows on air query processing. 61 The advantage of broadcasting channel is its scalability. The number of users in the cell and the request rate do not affect the performance of the server. Thus, the utilization of bandwidth is better and the server workload is lower as compared with point to point/on-demand communication. Consequently, the power utilization of the client to retrieve information is also improved. However, it is very important to have good strategies to maintain the overall response time of the client to obtain information from the channel or else the advantages of data broadcast will be diminished. B ro ad cast C h an n el = listen in g to th e chan n el = retriev in g th e d esired data M o bile C lie nt Figure 7. On Air Query Processing 3. 3 Server Strategy This strategy considers the problem of pull-based broadcast scheduling where mobile clients send queries to the server through dedicated or point-to-point channel, server process the query, and send the result back to the client. The strategy concerns with broadcast and disk scheduling. Broadcast scheduling is to determine how queries to be served efficiently in the server considering a number of factors such as the length of the query, the wait time and the popularity of the items. Data scheduling is related to how data is placed on the disk that improves the query response time. The possibility of combining these two methods for query processing strategy is an interesting issue to be explored. B road cast server C ach e S erver D isk S erver T r a n sm itte r S erver Figure 8. Broadcast Server Architecture A database server is able to enhance the data retrieval performance by incorporating its own main memory and cache to store those database items frequently accessed by most mobile clients. Figure 62 8 shows architecture of broadcast server. A query can be processed either in the disk server or cache server. If the relevant data items have been retrieved earlier then the query is processed in the cache server. After processing a query, the results are transmitted to the transmitter queue, which subsequently send the data items through the wireless channel. 4. Challenges in Mobile Databases This section discusses some challenges in mobile database environment. The general concept that has been outlined in this paper contains an enormous issue to investigate. However, due to the limitation of page, only a few numbers can be mentioned. Location management is an important issue in mobile database research. Since the number of user population carrying mobile devices increases linearly with the service demand, the communication traffic for locating users also increases accordingly. This situation requires an efficient strategy for location tracking and management. Location management is a very essential factor in providing context awareness services. Context security introduces a new issue to be considered. Since context information may contain a very confidential and private data. It is necessary to ensure privacy issue protection for every user in a network. Caching management strategy, which includes caching granularity, caching coherent issue, and caching replacement strategy, requires a thorough investigation. A good caching management strategy is able to analyse, predict, and adapt to changing of user’s context in order to assist user in performing tasks. As for processing issue, data caching in mobile databases enable clients to obtain a high computing speed as server, by involving a much smaller data items volume. The asymmetric communication in mobile environment has made it a better reason to employ caching strategy. Broadcast scheduling is another issue to investigate. Generally, the more number of data to be broadcast, the more requests will be served from the data broadcast and this will reduce the chance of mobile clients to send the request to the server. However, at a certain point the advantage of the broadcast data will be diminished if there is too many data in the roadcast cycle. Consequently, it will severely affect the query response time since mobile users have to wait for considerably long delay before they receive the desired data. Therefore, it is essential to decide what data to be broadcast that serves most of the requests since the query access pattern is changed dynamically. 5. Conclusions Recent emergence of w ireless technology enables people to conduct activities, business, or transactions anywhere and anytime without any attachment to stationary computer like used to be. Nomadic people are now able to access email, news, weather, and query to the central database server using wireless devices. Mobile database focuses on the query issue that is the dominant operation in mobile computing. Since mobile database is a new dimension of database application, the type of query, query processing strategy, and communication technology that involves in the application are different than what applies in traditional databases. We have defined query taxonomy as well as query processing strategy in mobile databases. Query in mobile databases are categorized into context-awareness query and ad-hoc query. Context- 63 awareness query is further classified into location dependent, context dependent, and hybrid query. Query processing in mobile databases includes mobile client, on air, and server strategy. Mobile client and on air strategy corresponds to caching strategy and broadcast strategy respectively. Finally, we discuss a few challenges that open enormous opportunities for research in mobile databases. 6. References 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. ACHARYA S. , ALONSO R. , FRANKLIN M. AND ZDONIK S. 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