Bad Nutrition

Food is one of the basic needs of man. From the creation of the world through the medieval ages until this period of globalization, this inevitable need has not left the tables. Besides other needs like shelter and clothing, food is one of the elements of survival. Nutrients available for human actions are obtained from food. As a living thing, man performs such functions as movement, respiration, irritability and response to the environment, growth and development, as well as excretion. Energy is needed for these functions. It is obtained from food.Without food, man starves and eventually dies of starvation. Worst still is a deadly death when he is exposed to bad nutrition. The question is: what is nutrition? What constitutes good nutrition? What is the concept of bad nutrition? What difference is there between good and bad nutrition. What are the effects of bad nutrition on the individual and locality where it is prevalent? What factors promote bad nutrition? What steps can be take n to reduce the incidence of bad nutrition? Definition of concepts Nutrition is the process of obtaining nutrients from the food we eat.It is one of the basic functions of man. Nutrient is obtainable from carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water, roughages and fats and oil. Each of this class of food is indispensable and anything that constitutes an imbalance in its proportion will cause bad nutrition. Good nutrition is when one consumes these classes of food in the right quantity; this implies that it is not too much and not too small. It also included balanced diet; this is ensuring that all classes of food are eaten in a meal session.Each class of food has specific role in the individual: carbohydrates are good sources of energy obtainable from rice, sorghum, yam, wheat, grains. Proteins can be of animal or plant source; they are found in meat, fish, egg, and are the precursors of amino acids, the building blocks of life. Proteins provide the framework for growth and de velopment. Fats and oil are also effective energy sources; while vitamins are useful for metabolism, minerals and water help to maintain homeostasis of electrolytes and fluids within the internal milieu of an individual. Taking each class in every meal in the appropriate proportion is good nutrition.On the other hand, bad nutrition is eating too much or too little. Epidemiology This problem is a cosmopolitan problem with a global distribution. Because of the affluence and wealth of developed countries, the challenge is that of consuming too much food. Most people patronize eateries and fast food centers to eat burgers and similar food stuff which do not contain all the classes of food in the right proportion. This leads to an increasing trend in the incidence of eating disorders such as anorexia and obesity with their concomitant psychological and physical ailments.This underscores the fact that bad nutrition is not restricted to any region of the world as it affects all. In view of this, bad nutrition is even a worse problem in less developed and developing nations where food is not readily available. Bad leadership constitutes the top factor here; it promotes corruption and misappropriation of public funds. Money allocated to provision of food is diverted to public pockets and who suffers for this? The citizens of course. They are left with no other option that to manage and service on the little meal they can provide for their family from subsistence farming.Wars and political instability in these nations also constitutes plaques that consume the land, productive forces and will that could have been useful in agriculture. Poverty and illiteracy form inseparable twins that perpetuate their bad nutrition. Besides, bad Nutrition plagues a large number of people in America. It is profound to note that quite a number of people in this country do not know what constitutes good nutrition; they only eat! The combinations of food they consume do not enrich the body with essential nutrients in a way.The age of fast foods, snacks and McDonald burgers have made life apparently ‘easy’ but this ease gradually paves the way for the accompanying effects of bad nutrition. Besides the fact many are not aware of good nutrition, those who know do not actually vigorously encourage its practice. The health education in this aspect of our lives is not sufficient. As a result, the problem persists. Unhealthy Nutrition Unhealthy foods are usually very easy to distinguish from healthy meals. The quantity is either insufficient or excessive. Bad food can be described as anything that produces an excess of nutrients or a shortage.The quality of meal also matters. When we eat the same type of food for a long period, it Is very likely that bad nutrition is in practice because some peculiar nutrients may be absent from what we eat. Food with large amount of fats and oil are not healthy; they are toxic to the blood vessels and promote obesity. Foods wit h copious amounts of carbohydrates, fast food, and sweets need to be avoid or eaten in small amounts. People respond to nutrition and the pressures of society in different ways. Food cannot be divorced from prevailing environmental conditions and social circumstances.While some people are able to adapt properly, others do not. Sometimes, social pressures force people to change their dietary habits especially when they see eating as an escape route from their life’s challenges. Such people end up becoming obese and with poor self-image. Apart from obesity, there are other eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, psychogenic vomiting and eating disorder not otherwise specified. Eating disorders Anorexia is a mental disorder causing the person to uncontrollably lose weight by refusing food. It is common among school girls and female university students.Its prevalence is more in the upper social class than the lower class, and more a problem in the developed nations. F actors that usually promote this include personality traits that drive the individual to look pleasant and fashionable; social belief that thinness is attractive among young ladies. Psychological basis for this disorder is more important: a struggle for control and a sense of identity lead affected individuals to relentlessly pursue thinness by eating too little. As a result, they are thin and weigh less than the standard for age and gender.There could also be other symptoms like depressed mood, social withdrawal and lack of sexual interest. To maintain this shape, they induce vomiting and engage in excessive exercise. On the other hand, Bulimia refers to episodes of uncontrolled excessive eating. The central features here include an irresistible urge to overeat and accompanying extreme measures to control body weight. There is also an overvalued idea concerning self-image and body shape. It is often confused with anorexia because both can occur at the same time. Episodes are usuall y preceded by stress and breaking of self-imposed dietary rules.Overeating relives tension but is soon followed by guilt and disgust. Subsequently the individual induced vomiting. In many cases, there are symptoms of depression but menstrual abnormalities are absent. Obesity constitutes an important disorder: it is a medical condition characterized by excess body fat. When the body mass index is greater than 30kg/square meters, the diagnosis of obesity can be made. At least, 20% of adults in the States will meet this criterion, as the case is in UK. It tends to be aggravated by environmental and social influence that encourage overeating of high calorie foods and lack of exercise.The psychological aspect is not significant, as the case is in anorexia and bulimia. Hazards of bad nutrition Certainly numerous problems can occur because of improper dietary habits. Some of these can be psychological as it is in cases of anorexia and bulimia. This will necessitate mental state and psychia try assessment. These conditions usually also present with disturbances of mood especially depression. They usually require behavior and cognitive therapies because of the devastating effects of the eating disorder may have on the individual.Obesity is closely related to diabetes mellitus as both conditions promote insulin resistance and a state of increased glucose level in the blood. The pancreas is therefore overworked and later ceases to produce insulin. Diabetes is a chronic debilitating disease that affects every organ of the body; it usually presents with neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy as a result of micro vascular disturbance caused by the abnormally elevated plasma glucose level. Patients are predisposed to infections, ulcers and immunosuppression.Bad nutrition also adversely affects the heart and blood vessels. Excessive consumption of foods with fats and oil can cause an elevated level of cholesterol. This leads to formation of atheromatous plaques that thicken a nd block blood vessels. Heart disease occurs when arteries near the heart are blocked by cholesterol. There is also increased level of bad cholesterol in form of low density lipoproteins LDL but an expected reduction in the level of good cholesterol in the form of high density lipoproteins HDL. This is closely related to the onset of high blood pressure-hypertensive diseases.Aggressive health education on what constitutes is a primary prevention strategy. Legislation to stop/reduce sale of ‘bad’ food can also help. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders and the sequelae of bad nutrition is equally important. Reference ? Frances Sizer and Eleanor Whitney. Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies. Thomson and Wadswoth Publishing House. Ninth Edition. ? Good Nutrition. www. revolutionhealth. com/healthy-living/food-nutrition/food-basics/facts ? Breaking Bad Nutrition Habits. www. eating-healthy. org/breaking-your-bad-nutrition-habits

Causes of the English Civil War

Causes of The English Civil War In this assessment I will be analysing the many causes and roots of the English Civil war which broke out in 1642. The English civil war was a long chain of conflict and rivalry, which was set between two very powerful forces, who consisted of The Royalists (King Charles I, and his supporters), and the Roundheads (Parliament, and their supporters).The feud erupted on the 22nd of August 1642, and lasted for 7 years, when its final action took place in 1649. There were many reasons for this intellectual battle, including political arguments, economical arguments and also religious arguments, which will be categorised and stated in this essay. To begin with, one of the fundamental causes of The Civil War includes a religious argument, about James I’s and Charles I’s dedication to the ‘Divine Rights of Kings’.The Divine Rights of Kings was a religious doctrine, which states that a monarch is to have no authority to the will of hi s/her people, deriving the right to rule directly from the will of only God. James and Charles were both very firm, believers of The Divine Rights of Kings especially that, as to begin with James expected a great amount of attention from Parliament, by letting him make his own decisions, and did not expect any of his decisions to be argued with.However at this time, Parliament consumed a major advantage over James, as parliament contained a great amount of money, whereas James was constantly short of it. It was from his father that Charles acquired to also be a very strong devotee to the Divine Rights of Kings, as he realised the damaged relationship which was left between his father and Parliament, and blamed this action entirely on Parliament. This led to a complete ignorance with the Parliament, from Charles, and set his Godly rights to do as he pleased.But this action was considered a huge shock to Parliament, during this time, as parliament had experienced to be more powerful u nder the period of the Tudors, and anticipated current Kings and Queens to listen and abide by their commands, just like Elizabeth I had done, by being a succeeding sovereign, listening wisely to the Parliament, and standing by their rules. But the actions of Charles meant that the power of Parliament had been undertaken by the monarch, and their reputation continued to weaken. Because of this parliament now despised Charles very much. All these actions shows that TheDivine Rights of Kings is implied as a very significant reason to foundation of the civil war, as it is considered as the main reason for the start of the whole dispute and disagreement between the Royalists and Roundheads. This whole feud continued to develop, as parliament were increasingly getting more frustrated, with the fact that James I and Charles I, were acting even more foolishly upon idiotic decisions they made. An important political reason for this is that both Charles I and James I, thoughtlessly and carel essly, choses the most unhelpful advisors for themselves.James I choose the Duke of Buckingham, for the most idiotic reason; because he was good looking. James thought that the Public would be attracted to this reason, but unfortunately were not, as Buckingham came out to be very stupid and a waste of choice. Charles also foolishly chose his advisor, by selecting his best friend the Earl of Strafford, which was a he mistake as he public hated him, which led to a bad impression on the king. Another action that Gave Charles a bad impression was the amount of money that was wasted by him, by spending a hefty amount on insignificant things, such as cloths, parties and palaces.But this meant that Charles was continuously losing his money, and therefore, always ended up asking Parliament for more money. Charles found other ways to get more money, as he also need money for a war taking place against Spain at the time. One way Charles’s used was asking Parliament to increase taxes, s o that he could gain the money he needed, but unfortunately this didn’t happen as Parliament refused to give the money to Charles, as Parliament had a list of demand to get more power off the King.But Charles did not take any of this, as he would not allow his power to be destroyed and taken away by Parliament, and in a terrible rage of anger he made the simple decision to shut down Parliament in 1629 for 11 years, which changed England politically, as it meant that there was now less control over England, to guide its path! making this decisions also lead to consequences, as now that Parliament was gone, he needed to depend another resort to get more money.In 1635, Charles decided made a very important economic decision to resort to the ancient custom of demanding ship money. Ship money was an ancient tax, when kings were able to order coastal towns and villages to pay for the expenses of the navy and ships. However, Charles demanded more ship tax the following year, and int ended to ask for it every year. But this gained Charles a vast amount of complaints. Especially when in 1637, a man named John Hampden was prosecuted for refusing to pay ship tax. This made people very angry. And eventually in July 1641 ship tax was abolished.

Realism in Sweat Essay

In Zora Neale Hurston’s short story â€Å"Sweat† the author uses rhythm and repetition to shape her theme of survival and empowerment by simulating labored and conscious footsteps, rhythmic pounding of sledge hammers along a chain gang, and the loud beats of an anxious and overworked heart. This rhythm and repetition builds tension as Delia, the protagonist, finds within herself the strength necessary to survive and overcome the abuse with which she lives, and eventually conquering her abusive husband, Sykes, by allowing a snake’s venom to take over his blood stream, killing him. The rhythm and repetition found in the short story â€Å"Sweat† simulate the echoes of someone repeating to herself the motivational words necessary to her survival. It is the author’s use of rhythm and repetition that create detailed characters, plausible events, and the comprehensive and complex detail of banal activities of everyday life representative of realism in literature. In â€Å"Sweat,† Hurston tells the story of Delia, a middle-aged, black woman who works very hard washing clothes for white people to support her cheating, unemployed husband, Sykes, who continually berates her during bouts of physical abuse. Hurston uses accents in her rhythm to accurately and realistically simulate the sounds and actions of a washer woman bringing to life the torturous and necessary day to day activities of Delia. According to Kennedy, readers â€Å"favor a stressed syllable with a little more breath and emphasis† (429), and the author uses this technique to simulate in detail Delia’s mind and heart. True to the realism movement, Delia describes her life as, â€Å"Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat† (233), as she works to grow beyond the poverty of her past. In reading this, one can hear Delia’s feet drag and pound, drag and pound, drag and pound. The author’s attention to detail allows the reader to hear and feel both rhythm and repetition with these phrases consisting of three words, each word being one syllable, and each phrase ending with, â€Å"and sweat. It is both the fact that Delia speaks to herself, as well as the words she uses, that inform the reader that Delia is pushing herself through the plausible life of a post Civil War washer woman in hopes for something better, and at the same time fighting for her survival. With the words â€Å"work† and â€Å"pray† the reader learns that the story’s protagonist is fighting for survival, hoping for survival, and begging her God for the assistance necessary for her survival . Delia’s life is one of begrudging hard work necessary for survival. When reading Delia’s words to her selfish husband, â€Å"Sweat, sweat, sweat† (233), the reader pictures the swinging sledgehammer of a southern slave sweating through life as he works endlessly in the heat of the sun. It is the rhythm of her words that allows the reader to envision an enslaved man swing the hammer back, up and over his head, and then come crashing down as the business end of the heavy tool connects with the rock at the very instant the reader hears Delia say, â€Å"Sweat. Despite the abolition of slavery, Delia’s life is one of servitude. Her master is Sykes. Her sledge hammer is â€Å"her knotty, muscled limbs, her harsh knuckly hands† (234). The reader feels the anxious dread of Delia as she works day in and day out at a hideous, painstaking job in order to earn the money necessary to feed herself and her husband, as she knows that the reality of her life is that she is the only person on whom she can depend to prevent her from becomin g homeless and/or dying from starvation. One begins to wonder how Delia survives the torment and abuse she receives from her husband, but she does. Delia accepts the abuse, and it strengthens her. The reader can feel and hear the rhythmic, â€Å"duh DUM, duh DUM, duh DUM,† pattern of Delia’s heart beat stronger and stronger in the author’s words, â€Å"Her tears, her sweat, her blood† (234). Her heart is tired. Her heart is overworked. Delia knows this. She feels this. She wants it to end. She works hard, and like other muscles, her heart gets stronger as it works. Delia continues to work her mind and body as endures the long, hard hours of work, as well as the physical and mental abuse of her husband. She will not succumb to the endless pain and suffering. The reader knows she is fighting in that she cries and works. One who is going to give into difficulty does not continue to work. Instead a person who wishes to give in lies down to die. Delia wants to survive. She fights for her survival everyday as she works, bleeds, cries, prays, and sweats. It is this drive to overcome that motivates Delia to continue existing in a Hell she hopes to someday escape. Hurston uses rhythm and repetition to create realistic details of the life of Delia as she shapes the theme of empowerment and survival in her short story â€Å"Sweat. † The author describes in detail the back breaking day to day reality of a Post Civil War woman as she strives with every ounce of her being to overcome the poverty of her past, and escape the bonds of slavery held by her husband.

Quotation Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Quotation Analysis - Assignment Example Therefore, competitive professionals that include artists and athletes are needed to endure pressure and pain to attain professional excellence. It expresses the belief that for one to develop solid large muscles they need to train and constantly suffer sore muscles. This idiom has also been used in the field of education to encourage the poorly performing students to press on and work harder despite the challenges they face. It is through hard work that they will be assured of better results (Wimmer, 96). Therefore, the phrase â€Å"No pain, No gain† means that God rewards those who work hard. In life nothing comes the easy way instead one has to work for it. If anyone desires to be successful and enjoy a brighter future, he must be ready to endure the challenges and problems that come along the way. For example, in education if a student desires to have good results and better grades he or she must be ready to sacrifice so many things, put in more time and work extra

International Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

International Human Rights - Essay Example Despite ideological difference among these great personalities, they have accepted that it is most essential to build â€Å"a world in which all people might enjoy certain basic and inherent rights simply by virtue of being human beings.† However, there is no denial that shaping up of the International Human Rights movement as one of the most powerful mediums to claim judicial rights for the oppressed has not been at all a smooth process. Despite several obstacles, success of the mass movements during the 18th and 19th century, in different parts of the world clearly aspired leaders of the movement for further success. The consecutive World Wars of the 20th century, the Cold War and series of civil wars in different parts of the world provided a clear picture to all human beings, irrespective of the apparent factors of discrimination that to which extent forms of brutality can be extended. Such realisation turned out to be the strongest foundation for the International Human R ights movement and contemporary leaders of the movement also found a strong platform that helped them â€Å"to champion the cause of international human rights as never before.† Currently, the scope of human rights has become so vast and pervasive that legal scholars of this discipline have gone to the extent of claiming it â€Å"an inherently multidisciplinary enterprise.†3 Consequently, if a glace can be projected over the range of aspects which have been encompassed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights UDHR, it can be said that such claim is not an exaggeration at all. The UDHR has brought several issues within its scope, starting from rights to life and all those related issues that support evaluation of such right, protection from torture, presumption of innocence, economic, educational and social security rights.

Individual marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Individual marketing plan - Essay Example gement, this airline was subjected to massive financial losses during the period of 2010, As a result of minimization in its passenger count and increase in the flight charges (Guardian News and Media Limited, 2014). The potentiality of this airline was also affected by the economic turmoil during the period of 2009 that turned out as a disastrous chain of events against the premium flight service suit that this brand has developed over its functional years (IG, 2014). Taking these aspects into consideration, the discussion henceforth will focus towards creating a marketing plan for boosting up the business process of British Airways in the near future. The detailed elaborations of such aspects have been provided in the later portion of the discussions. The success rate of the marketing plan associated with British Airways will specifically rely upon the present situation of the UK market. As per the current records, the economic conditions prevailing within the UK has stabilized to a major extent after being subjected to the 2009 economic recession. The stabilization factor also encompasses the growth of tourism and other business sectors that has the potential of laying intensive positive impacts towards the growth of this leading airline brand. Previous records in this respect points toward the excessive travel rates of this brand, within low-income economies, that resulted in its decline (IBISWorld, 2014). Thus, the primary marketing strategy that is worth suggesting concentrates on the development of cost effective travel packages that will help the brand in regaining its hold over the competitive flight travel market. In addition, the growing pace of the small and medium scale business processes has also supported the need fo r increasing flight travels, creating a potential market space for growth (BA Media Ltd., 2013). However, the period after the 2009 recession, has also addressed the introduction of multiple new players within the market that has

Surf Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Surf Culture - Research Paper Example Although surfing as we perceive it today became popular in the 1950s and 1960s, the sport is much older. Surfing was both a pastime as well as a training module and exercise regimen in the ancient Hawaiian culture, where priests would engage in ritual dances and chants to please the sea so as to provide good waves for surfing. Surfing for the ancient Hawaiians was also a means of resolving conflicts and they took great pride in testing their skills in fierce contests. As it became popular in California and Australia, in the early twentieth century, the invention of new varieties of lighter, better-designed surfboards with improved maneuverability made the sport more accessible to greater numbers of people. What revolutionized the sport perhaps more than any other invention was that of the wetsuit that allowed surfers to experiment with new and daring surfing maneuvers and enjoy the sport in all weathers. Today the subculture of surfing has become a way of life in many parts of the wo rld especially Hawaii, California, Florida and Australia. Surfing has numerous characteristics that tend to contribute to group cohesiveness. The beach which is the natural meeting ground of surfers is a place that all can share. Since surfers meet at particular places where the waves are rideable, their interactions help form connections on the basis of the shared interest, and the excitement and intensity of the sport adds a special bond of belonging to the group.

Client Evaluation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Client Evaluation - Assignment Example In this Client Evaluation, the company that has been considered is Saria. It is a company who provides all kinds of repair and installations related to the cable plants. It is a very reputable company. The main aim of the company is to gain the reputation as the industries best. The industry to which the company belongs is the fiber optics industry. The company was established in the mid 2000’s and since then it has been moving forward with all the positive zeal. The services that they are providing are all relevant to the field of fiber optics. Their main idea is that they need to continue to perform according to the expectations of their clients, critics and as well as their own aims and goals. They are known to be able to solve the most serious of problems related to the interconnection and automation problems. The offer range of facilities related to the fiber optics and automation, they provide the fiber optics and automation services for aircrafts, ships, network setups at the factories and the companies and as well as the military bases. Their providence of services at the military bases proves that they have the sleekest and advanced form of the automation and the engineering related to the fiber optics technology available to the general world. This proves the fact that they are the best of the best in the industry that is why they are being hired or employed by the airbases and various military bases to provide them with the communications and interconnectivity infrastructures. Copper is a very expensive metal, but it has been considered as the best for of conductor that could ever be used for the purpose of the communications. Saria has acquired the technology and the people actually required to have the implementation of copper-infused technology in the communications infrastructure.  

Is Google Making Us Stupid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Is Google Making Us Stupid - Essay Example The article of Nicholas Carr, â€Å"Is Google making us stupid? What the internet is doing to our brains,† argues that the Internet and other technologies have changed the modern generation. It has made many people lazy and changed the way people perform their daily life activities. Carr is right when he argues that the Internet and social networking sites have changed the way people think. This is because having access to information faster through the use of the Internet has contributed to significant changes. For instance, many students nowadays use Internet for carrying out research studies. They no longer use their brain to find solutions to the issues, but rather use Google to find information faster; thus Google is making students lazy and stupid (Carr 341). Technology is making the society move towards a positive, direction, but too much dependent on technology is creating more harm than good. Carr views many changes the Internet is causing as a loss rather than a bene fit; thus he raises awareness on the impact that the Internet is creating in the contemporary society. He attempts to reveal the way Internet is changing the ways students are writing and learning in the current generation. Carr reveals the way skills of many people have been eroded thus he says, â€Å"am not thinking the way I used to think† (Carr 340). Therefore, these changes have contributed to poor concentration in reading books; thus spending much time on the Internet. Although the Internet has contributed to positive changes, over reliance on the Internet has changed the way the brains of students function; thus affecting cognitive memory of the Internet users. The Internet has changed the way students perform their work in school; hence, many of them have become lazy because they cannot read books for a long time. The age of globalization, which is contributed by the increased technology development, has created more harm than good. Many students no longer perform eff ectively in school because many of them spend much time in social networking sites. Students also do not read hard because of much time spent on the Internet (Carr 340). Carr further argues that the Internet has changed the brain of many individuals; thus contributing to varied changes. For instance, Carr notices that many students cannot read books for more than one hour, and this has led to poor performances in many schools. This means that the minds of students have nowadays changed in that one cannot read a book for more than three pages before turning into the Internet. This has become just like an addict because many students cannot spend their entire day without using technology for varied activities. For instance, the increased social disorders that have risen are contributed due to more time spend on social networking sites and the Internet. Additionally, Carr notices that many students have become lazy because over dependent on the Internet for varied activities. Many stud ents do not work hard by reading their books, but rather spend time in the Internet or social networking sites. Google is making many of them lazy and stupid because they depend on the Internet for carrying out their research or assignments. Students do not spend their time in the libraries reading printed books because they believe that, with Google, everything is possible. They use Google for carrying out research work because it is easier and saves time than searching books from the library categories. Although, this is crucial because Google directs them to the required material, but it is making many students become lazy. Wellmon (78) argues that Google search engine is making us stupid or smart; thus giving way to complex and productive questions. Thus, the time students spend in social networking sites than books have impacted performance of many students in their various learning institutions. Internet has contributed to the new form of writing and reading styles. Many stude nts spend much of their time interacting with

History the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

History the world - Essay Example Other factors that lay behind the flourishing of commerce along Indian Ocean in the postclassical millennium included: the sudden rise of Islam, the spread of Arab communities across the coastal lines, technological advances such as larger ships and magnetic compass, the availability of goods that were desired by other cultures around the Indian Ocean, coherence and unity among the traders and Muslims, the efficiency of the long distance trade, the increasing high demand for trade goods across the coastal lines, and the dependence on each other through the linked agricultural and pastoral societies across the Indian Ocean. The flourishing of the Indian Ocean commerce can also be attributed to the relationship between the world of Indian Ocean and the rise of Srivijaya. The controlling of the Malacca strait was a factor, this is because Srivijaya was the shortest and the closest way that led to China and Indian Ocean. Boats were taxed at Srivijaya when they passed through the Malacca strait which led to the production of wealth. There were also rare and expensive objects such as spices and gold which attracted traders. Srivijaya was also a center of Buddhism teaching and practice, this also flourished commerce in the region. The operations of trading network in the Indian Ocean differs from the one in the Silk Roads from the fact that ships in the Indian Ocean could accommodate heavier and larger cargoes than camels along the Silk Roads. This means that the trade networks in the Indian Ocean had more goods and bulk products carried to the market, while the Silk Roads were largely limited to luxury goods for the few traders in the mass market. The trading network in the Indian Ocean involved large ships which were less expensive and carried more cargo. The trade also had multiple locations with many direct routes, more efficient times of travel, and centered in India. The agricultural and pastoral people that were linked by the trade network also

Brewing - Beer Essay Example for Free

Brewing Beer Essay The history of beer dates back hundreds of years prior to written history. Besides water and tea, beer is one of the most-frequently consumed beverages in the world. Contrary to popular belief, that all beers are typically the same, there are many variances in color, flavor, strength, production method, ingredients and origin. Beer can be divided into 2 broad sub-categories: ale and lager. Ales were the first type of beer ever created before brewers knew the role yeast played during the beer making process. Ale yeasts flocculate at the top of the fermentation tank and are brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation. The yeast ferments the beer quickly, which gives it a full bodied and fruity taste. They also contain hops, which gives the bitter herbal flavor that helps balance the sweetness of malt and preserve the beer. After fermentation, ales are usually aged no more than a few weeks or so. Most are served close to room temperature and contain rich aroma and flavor. There are many different types of ales including brown ales, pale ales, dark ales, mild ales, strong ales cream ales, Burton ales, German ales, Belgian ales, and more. Each type of ale differs in color, flavor, strength, and origin. The second type of beer is called a lager, the most popular style of beer in the world. Some have stated that lagers account for 90% of beers consumed across the globe. Many feel that this is attributed to the more watered down lagers produced in the United States. Lager is derived from the word â€Å"lagern† in German, which means, â€Å"to store†. A lager is a type of beer that is brewed using bottom-fermenting yeast at lower temperatures and is aged for a much longer time than ales creating a cleaner, clearer beer. The yeast used in lagers, Saccharomyces Uvarum, produces fewer ester by-products than seen in ales, allowing other flavors, such as hops, to become more noticeable. The range of flavors noticeable in lagers is more limited than ales. They are always going to be hoppy, malty, sweet, or dry. There is nothing wrong with these flavors, but there are fewer variations, which explains why many people insist that all beers taste alike. They are invariably served cold and can pair easily with a wide variety of food. There are some fundamental differences in the way ales and lagers are produced. There are three main discrepancies between the making of ales and lagers: types of yeast, temperature and time, and additional ingredients. In terms of the variances in yeast, ales typically use yeast that ferments at the top of the fermentation tanks. The yeast normally rises to the top closer to the end of fermentation. Also, there are chemicals that are produced in ales, called esters that inhibit a sweeter, fruity taste to the beer. However, in lagers, the yeast used is classified as â€Å"bottom-fermenting† yeast, meaning that the yeast ferments at the bottom of the fermentation tanks. One of the benefits of using bottom fermenting yeast is that brewers can reuse the left over yeast to produce more beer. Unlike the fruity, sweeter tastes of ales, the yeasts used in lagers do not add any flavor to the beer itself. Much of the taste in lagers can be attributed to other ingredients, including malts and hops. The second major differences between the production of ales and lagers are temperature and time. The yeast used in ales usually ferments better in warmer temperatures, usually around room temperature or close to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. One of the benefits of being able to ferment at this temperature is that ales can age and mature faster than lagers. While ales are best produced in warm temperatures, lagers are made primarily in colder temperatures, around 45 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. As stated earlier, lager is derived from the German word â€Å"lagern† meaning to store. Production of lagers is all about the â€Å"lagern† storing process. Lagers have historically been produced in more European countries where the climates are typically colder. The unique combination of cold temperatures and the bottom fermenting yeast, causes lagers to have much more of a mild, crisp taste. Something else that adds to the taste of a beer, are additional ingredients. The last major difference between ales and lagers are there supplementary ingredients. Ales typically have more of a malty taste, due to an elevated amount of hops, malts, and roasted malts that are added during production. Ale brewers, typically have more leeway with how they produce their beer, and tend to add a several different ingredients during brewing, like the ones mentioned above. These extra ingredients are referred to as, adjuncts. Brewers of lagers only have a few, simple ingredients: malted grain, hops, yeast, and water. The production method of lagers is somewhat due to the stringent Reinheitsgebot Law, also known as the â€Å"German beer purity law†. This law prohibits any adjuncts during the brewing process of lagers, only permitting water, barely, and hops as ingredients. Tea and water maybe two of the most consumed beverages in the world, but beer is right behind in a close third. Beer is gradually becoming more and more popular. This is evident through the new trends of beer companies that have begun to accommodate for the new low calorie beer trend. Corona, Heineken, and Anheuser-Busch have led the pack by producing â€Å"Corona Lite†, â€Å"Heineken Lite†, and â€Å"Budweiser Select†. With more and more companies attending to these trends, beer has broadened their target market. Overall, these companies are innovating the deeply historic production of ales and lagers, that will appeal to people now, and into the future. Although there are a variety of differences between ales and lagers, they do share one common trait, which is that people have enjoyed them across the world for centuries upon centuries. Works Cited Eddings, Bryce. Beer Styles 101 All Beers are Either Ales or Lagers. About. com 17 July 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://beer. about. com/od/beerstyles/a/BeerStyles101. htm. Mork, Rachael. Understanding Different Types and Beer Pairings of Beer. Life123 04 March 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://www. life123. com/food/cocktails-beverages/beer/understanding-different-types-of-beer-and-beer-pai.shtml. Thadani, Rahul. Lager vs Ale. Buzzle 29 May 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://www. buzzle. com/articles/lager-vs-ale. html. Rich, Stephen. Ales vs. Lagers. Modern Gentleman 10 July 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://themoderngentleman. ca/2010/ales-vs-lagers/. Viljanen, Susanna. Beer brands,types,styles and brewing. Did You Know? 06 February 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://didyouknow. org/beer/. Zagata, Darlene. Lagers vs Ales. Livestrong 23 December 2009: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://www. livestrong. com/article/67308-lagers-vs-ales/.

Obesity in America Essay Example for Free

Obesity in America Essay Did you know that between 1980 and the year 2000, the obesity rates had doubled among adults in America ? About 30% of the adult population in America is suffering from obesity . Since 1980 , overweight rates have doubled among children and adults . Most people still do not practice healthy behaviors that can prevent obesity because they are lazy. More than 50% of American adults do not get the recommended amount of physical activity to provide health benefits . More than a third of young people in grades nine twelve do not regularly engage in vigorous physical activity . If more people in America would get out and do physical activities then this could reduce the amount of obese people and they could live happier and healthier . If people do not eat healthy and lack physical activity , then they may get diabetes and become obese . One cause of people in America becoming obese is because they do not eat healthy . If they would eat healthy then they would not have such high cholesterol and they would live a little longer . People should start eating more healthy foods such as fruits , vegetables , and non-artificial foods . These foods can be purchased at the local grocery store , gas station , and even at food market . These foods are normally cheaper than the other fatty foods and fast food restaurants , such as McDonald’s , Burger King , and artificial foods that contain grease . Fast food restaurants are one of the main causes of obesity because people love it and are addicted to it . People can get addicted to these restaurants very easy because it is quick , easy , taste good , and they do not have to do dishes . What these people don’t realize is what this food is doing to their bodies until they take a look at a scale and see that they have put on a massive amount of wait due to all the calories they have taken in . While these products might look appealing and tasty , they contain a wealth of hidden health hazards which are not only dangerous if eaten in large quantities but are a major cause of obesity , especially in children . For example , Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by Morgan Spurlock . Spurlock’s film follows a 30 day period from February 1 to March 2 , 2003 during which he eats only McDonald’s food . The film documents this lifestyle’s drastic effect on Spulock’s physical and psychological well being , and explores the fast food industry’s corporate influence , including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit . Spurlock dined at McDonald’s restaurants three times per day , eating every item on the chain’s menu . Spulock consumed an average of 9 Big Macs per day during the experiment . As a result , the 32 year old man gained 24  ½ lbs , and a cholesterol level of 230 . He experienced mood swings , sexual dysfunction , and fat accumulation in his liver . It took Spulock fourteen months to lose the weight gained from his experiment using a vegan diet supervised by his future wife , a chef who specializes in gourmet vegan dishes . The reason for Spulock’s investigation was the increasing spread of obesity throughout U . S society , which the Surgeon General has declared â€Å"epidemic† and the corresponding lawsuit brought against McDonald’s , it was alleged , became obese as a result of eating McDonald’s food Spurlock points out that although the lawsuit against McDonald’s failed . Subsequently many state legislatures have legislated against product liability actions against producers and distributors of â€Å"fast food †. Much of the same criticism leveled against tobacco companies applies to fast food franchises whose product is both physiologically addictive and physical harmful . Eating fast food can be very harmful to the human body . Fast food is a horrible choice to go and can be extremely dangerous if you don’t watch what , and how much you eat . Another cause of obesity can lack of physical exercise . Not exercising can be a reason why people put on weight because they do not burn any of the fat that they gain . People are so lazy now days and are addicted to electronics such as televison , video games , radio , computers , and etc . These electronics are killing Americans slowly because they forget all about going outdoors and doing something physical . Since the year 2000 , they have developed so much electronics and robots for our society that we do not have to do any work which leads us to laziness . Both diet and physical activity play a critical role in controlling your weight . You gain weight with the calories you burn , including those burned during physical activity, less than calories you eat or drink . When it comes to weight management , people vary greatly in how much physical activity they need . You may need to be more active than others to achieve or maintain a healthy weight . Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health . For example , you don’t have to spend much time with teenagers to know that the average adolescent would rather devote an afternoon to sitting in front of the tv , computes , or video games console than working out . In recent years , as physical education classes have been progressively cut from cash strapped public school curriculums , teens have had even more time to lounge , slouch , hangout , or do anything but break a sweat . In simple terms , body weight is a reflection of the balance between two variables : the calories a body takes in and the calories it burn off . As fa as the average U . S teen is concerned , the study suggests , the culprit behind weight gain is not decease in exercise but an increase consumption . Of course , that doesn’t mean teens are getting adequate exercise . Analyzed data from nearly 16,000 high school students between ages of fifteen and eighteen , who took part in the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention ‘s longitudinal Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey , about their physical . He and his team found that in 2007 , only 34.7% of teens met federal physical activity recommendations , which call for activity strenuous enough to cause heavy breathing for a total of an hour a day for five or more days a week . An effect of eating fast food and lack of physical activities is getting diabetes . Diabetes is a disease where your treatment plan may need to be adjusted over time . For people with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar is uncontrolled , adding insulin replaces what your body isn’t adequately making to help control blood sugar . Regardless of how you feel about your diabetes , its important to get your blood sugar under good control . Along with a program of diet , exercise and other diabetes medicine . Insulin may help you improve you blood sugar control . There are two types of this disease , type one and type two , which is also called onset diabetes . The first type , type one diabetes , cant be prevented because people who have this type are born with a compromised pancreas . These people have to rely on insulin injections throughout their life to maintain reasonably favorable health . People with type two diabetes develop this condition over time and have to rely on oral medication and in some cases insulin injections . People with adult onset diabetes were born with a healthy pancreas but they were either born with a susceptibility to the disease o other factors played a role in the development of the problem. The primary reason why people with a healthy pancreas develop this disease is poor diet , being overweight and sedentary lifestyle . These are all factors a person can control and limit his or her chance of developing this condition . The main reason people develop type two diabetes is because they become overweight . People who do not exercise and lead sedentary lifestyle are prone to developing type two . There is some evidence that adult onset type can be reversed , or at least controlled . Another effect of not eating healthy and lack of physical activity is becoming obese . Becoming obese is not a very good thing because there are many types of dangerous things that can happen any given moment . People that become obese also miss out on a lot of events and fun activities . They are limited of what they can do because they are so overweight that they cant move fast , they need help getting things and showering . They also may no longer eat certain foods anymore because it contains too much sugar . People should watch their weight and what they eat before they become overweight and have to live this way and trust me this is not the way to live . Just ask 43 year old , Shannon Cooper . Shannon Cooper had been living a normal life with her children of three . She had been so lazy and didn’t want to do anything because she had forced her three children to do all the chores around the house . Well 3 years later Shannon had to pay the price for all this because little did she know , she had a low metabolism and put on an enormous amount of weight . She had been eating McDonald’s almost every day and didn’t find anything wrong with eating all this fast food . All the food had went straight to her body and she is now bed bound and can’t shower own her own , get up and move around , or even use the restroom by herself . She now has her three kids feeding her , bathing her , and she has to urinate into a plastic bag mounted on the side of her heavy duty bed . Reporters say that Shannon will never live the same life as she had before unless she has liposuction done and that is something she cant afford . She is also unemployed because her leg structure cant support all of her massive weight she has gained to get up and maneuver around . Reporters asked her if she could go back three years , would she do it all over again and she said no . Shannon says it’s not worth all of the stress and embarrassment to her and her children . This story is hash so it should change anybody’s mind about their diet and what they eat . People may get diabetes and become obese if they do not get enough exercise or physical activity . People in America should watch what they eat if they do not want to end up like some of these people and be bed bound for possibly the rest of their lives . They do not only hurt themselves by doing this to their body , but they hurt their loved ones and the people around them , because they cant spend time with t hey family and friends . They are always worried that maybe you will seriously injure yourself someday or possibly loose you by death . If our society really care about the people around them then they will not only help themselves watch their health , but they would help other people on their diet and persuade them to get more exercise in by running or going to the gym . It is amazing by how the slightest things can change a person life by taking a little walk around the block once a day or even once a week . Just always remember that exercise and a little more vegetables or fruit can change ones life for them and others around them . Work Cited 1) http:/www./imdb.com/title/tt0390521 2)http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/activity.htm 3)http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/overview.html 4)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/obesity_in_america 5)http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/dimtext/kin/people/heavie.htm

Naval Helicopter Landing Gear Engineering Essay

Naval Helicopter Landing Gear Engineering Essay The landing gear, is a structure (or mechanism) attached to the fuselage (or the body) of the aircraft, helps the aircraft during landing, take-off and ground handling operations. The landing gear plays important role absorbing the crush (or thrust) while landing and thus ensure lower crush related injuries and material damages. For achieving this crush worthiness require optimum design of the springs of the landing gears. I have started the process of the optimum design of the landing gear mechanism through theoretical hand calculations. After I established a base design through hand calculation; I shifted to the ADAMS tool. The ADAMS tool seemed to be very powerful for achieving the optimum mechanism design solution through number of iterations. For the sake of simplicity, I have considered non-retractable type of landing gear for this study. Also, I have considered using only helical compression spring and no torsion spring for this design study. Research on Naval Helicopter Landing Gear The naval helicopters operate in much severe landing conditions compared to the commercial helicopters. Hence, while designing the naval helicopter landing gear all the necessary landing conditions should be taken care. In this section I am going to discuss about the types of landing gear and few practical examples about the usage of the landing gears. History and evolution: The first wheeled landing gear appeared in Santos-Dumonts No.14 bis on 1906 soon after the Wright brothers famous flight. Initially, the landing gear used to have bungee as shock absorbing elements. The Ford trimotor landing gear, which used rubber discs and rebound cables, was the predecessor of the modern days shock absorbing landing gear. During World War-II, the shock absorbing landing gear had developed further. Use of the spring and lever came into the landing gear system design. After the world war, the landing gear design matured further to give modern days sophisticated landing gear system. Types of Landing Gears: All of the landing gear used in helicopters can be broadly classified in three categories: Tail dragger Landing Gear: Two main gears are placed under the mid of the fuselage and one tail gear is placed under the tail of the helicopter for the tail dragger landing gear arrangement. This type of landing gears are used in older helicopters (e.g. Seahawk) Tri Cycle Landing Gear: In this configuration, there are one nose wheel and two main gears at the mid of the fuselage. Most of the modern helicopter has this landing gear configuration. Tandem Landing Gear: Large aircrafts use multiple wheels in line for each of the landing gears and this configuration is known as Tandem. Examples about the usage of the landing gears in naval helicopters: Landing Gear for Seahawk S70B: The Seahawk is an US naval aircraft manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Connecticut. Fig.1: Showing a Seahawk in operation (Image source: http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/seahawk/seahawk2.html) The chopper has energy absorbing two-wheel tail dragger type of landing gear arrangements. The landing gear design is much simpler compared to the other naval helicopters. Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight: Sea Knight is a marine transport helicopter, manufactured by Boeing Vertol. Fig.2: Showing a Sea Knight (Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USMC_CH-46.jpg) The Sea knight has tricycle type of landing gear system. Each of the landing gear has twin wheels. Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King: The Sea King is an anti-submarine amphibian helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky. It is fitted with retractable type trail dragger landing gear arrangement. MH-53E Sea Dragon: This is a three engine powered large navy helicopter designed for heavy lifting and Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM). It is fitted with twin-wheel tricycle configuration of landing gear system. Development of the Landing Gear Mechanism The landing gear mechanism should be strong enough to withstand the specified stringent landing conditions of this assignment. I am planning to develop a landing gear mechanism using two double rear landing gears and a nose landing gear. All the landing gear will use helical compression springs only. Fig.3: Top view of the landing gear arrangements for the concept As the above figure shows, the concept will have the centre of gravity somewhere in between the front and the rear landing gears. Selection of the proper compression spring is the key to the success of the mechanism. Hence I have started with the hand calculation to arrive at the preliminary spring design parameters. Hand Calculation Total mass = 5126 kg Hence, Sprung mass on each spring = 1025.2 kg For zero initial velocity: Say, max. Deformation of spring =35 mm So, spring rate K = 292.9142857 N/mm For normal landing: Initial velocity of helicopter = 0.5 m/sec Spring rate k = 292.9142857 N/mm Now, using the formulae: 0.5*m*v^2=0.5*k*x^2 Max deformation of the springs =0.935414347 mm For hard landing: Initial velocity of helicopter = 3 m/sec Initial velocity of deck = 3 m/sec So, Relative velocity between the helicopter and the deck = 6 m/sec Spring rate k =292.9142857 N/mm So, Max deformation of the springs = 11.22 mm For crush landing: Initial velocity of helicopter = 15 m/sec Spring rate k = 292.9142857 N/mm So, Max deformation of the springs =28.06 mm Since, the deformation values from the hand calculation are well below 30 mm with the spring rate of 292 N/mm. So, I think it is good to go ahead with these values and check the acceleration results and vibration results by creating the ADAMS model. Developing ADAMS Model The ADAMS models of the landing gear mechanism are created by the ADAMS/View. I have come out with two ADAMS design based on the already discussed mechanism concept. The following steps are followed to create each of the ADAMS models: Unit Setting: I choose to use the units as: Length Millimeters, Mass Kg, Force Newton, Time Second, Angle Degree, and Frequency Hertz. Following consistent units are important for getting accurate results. Gravity Setting: I activated the gravity. Points: Points are the basic building block of the whole mechanism. Box: This option was used for creating the deck. Torus: All the wheels were created using the torus option. Link: The structure and the axels were created using the link options. Translational Spring Damper: This option was utilized for creating all the helical compression springs of the designs. Contact: The contact option was used for simulating the contacts between the deck and the wheels. Revolute Joint: The joints between the wheels and the axels were created using the revolute joint option of ADAMS. Translational Joint: For simulating the vertical descent speed of the helicopter and vertical speed of the deck it was required to create transitional joints between the structure and space and between deck and space. ADAMS Mechanism Design-1: Fig.4: ADAMS model of the design option-1. Fig.5: ADAMS point table for the design option-1. ADAMS Mechanism Design-2: Fig.6: ADAMS model of the design option-2 Fig.7: ADAMS point table for the design option-2 The basic difference between the design opton-1 and the design option-2 is in the height of the design. After reviewing the initial displacement results (which I will present in the next section) of the option-1, I have decided to increase the height, as for the specified test condition the structure is hitting the deck for design option-1. Result Comparison for Option-1 and Option-2: Fig.8: Deflection plot of the structure for crush landing condition The above plot is showing the comparison of the deflection of the top frame (structure connected to the fuselage), it shows that the option-1 has much higher deflection. The deflection value for the option-1 is even higher than the clearance between the structure and the deck. Means, for option-1, the structure will hit the ground for extreme condition. So, Option-2 is a better design. Testing ADAMS model in Various Landing Conditions Different landing conditions specified for this assignment is simulated in ADAMS for the design option-2. Normal landing: Here the vertical descent speed of 0.5 m/sec is applied at the translational joint between the structure and space. Result is shown below: Fig.9: Normal landing acceleration plot The result for the normal landing test for the design option-2 is showing that: the maximum acceleration is 6.8 m/sec2. Hard Landing: For the hard landing test, I applied vertical descent speed of 3m/sec at the joint between the structure and space and vertical deck speed of 3m/sec at the joint between the deck and space. Here is the result: Fig.10: Hard landing acceleration plot The above plot is showing that the maximum acceleration value for the hard landing test of the design option-2 is 19.3 m/sec2 . Crush Landing: In order to simulate the crush landing condition, I applied the vertical approach speed of 15 m/sec at the joint between the structure and space, keeping the deck stationary. The result of the crush landing test is shown below: Fig.11: Acceleration plot for the crush landing test The above plot is showing that the maximum acceleration value for the crush landing test is 206.6m/sec2. Running Vibration Analysis in ADAMS The naval helicopter will be kept in landed condition over the aircraft carrier. The aircraft carrier will be oscillating continuously under the influence of the sea waves. The purpose of the vibration analysis is to find out the resonating frequency of the landing gear mechanism under the sea oscillation. For simulating the sea wave oscillation, I created five kinetic actuators placed at the centre of each of the axels and placed one output channel at the centre of gravity of the top structure. Frequency response analysis: The frequency response analysis (FRA) shows the amplification of acceleration for each frequency values. The FRA plot for the design option-2 is shown below: Fig.12: Frequency response plot for the design option-2 The FRA plot above is showing a pick at 2.5 Hz. The pick is the resonating frequency of the landing gear mechanism. Results of the Different ADAMS Analysis Maximum acceleration for normal landing = 6.8 m/sec2. Maximum acceleration for hard landing = 19.3 m/sec2. Maximum acceleration for crush landing = 206.6 m/sec2. Resonating frequency of the mechanism = 2.5 Hz. Conclusion The conceptual design of the naval landing gear is simulated using ADAMS for the specified landing conditions. The results from the simulation are showing that the maximum acceleration values are well below the specified maximum limit for this assignment. The ADAMS vibration simulation is showing the resonating frequency for the mechanism as 2.5 Hz.

Essay --

Francisco was the illegitimate son of Gonzalo Pizarro Rodrà ­guez de Aguilar, an Extremaduran nobleman who had fought with distinction in wars in Italy. There is some confusion as to Francisco's date of birth: it is listed as early as 1471 or as late as 1478. As a young man, he lived with his mother (a maid in the Pizarro household) and tended animals in the fields. As a bastard, Pizarro could expect little in the way of inheritance and decided to become a soldier. It is likely that he followed in his father's footsteps to the battlefields of Italy for a time before hearing of the riches of the Americas. He first went to the New World in 1502 as part of a colonization expedition led by Nicolà ¡s de Ovando. San Sebastià ¡n de Uraba and the Darià ©n In 1508, Pizarro joined the Alonso de Hojeda expedition to the mainland. They fought the natives and created a settlement called San Sebastià ¡n de Urabà ¡. Beset by angry natives and low on supplies, Hojeda set out for Santo Domingo in early 1510 for reinforcements and supplies. When Hojeda did not return after fifty days, Pizarro set out with the surviving settlers to return to Santo Domingo. Along the way, they joined an expedition to settle the Darià ©n region: Pizarro served as second-in-command to Vasco Nuà ±ez de Balboa. First South American Expeditions In Panama, Pizarro established a partnership with fellow conquistador Diego de Almagro. News of Hernà ¡n Cortà ©s' audacious (and lucrative) conquest of the Aztec Empire fueled the burning desire for gold among all of the Spanish in the New World, including Pizarro and Almagro. They made two expeditions in 1524-1526 along the western coast of South America: harsh conditions and native attacks drove them back both times. On the second trip they vis... ... 1532, Atahualpa agreed to meet with the Spanish: the Spanish treacherously attacked the Inca, capturing him and murdering thousands of his soldiers and followers. A King's Ransom Pizarro and Atahualpa soon made a deal: Atahualpa would go free if he could pay a ransom. The Inca selected a large hut in Cajamarca and offered to fill it half full with golden objects, and then fill the room twice with silver objects. The Spanish quickly agreed. Soon the treasures of the Inca Empire began flooding into Cajamarca. The people were restless, but none of Atahualpa's generals dared attack the intruders. Hearing rumors that the Inca generals were planning an attack, the Spanish executed Atahualpa on July 26, 1533. Read more: Francisco Pizarro Biography (Explorer/Conquistador) | Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/franciscopizarro.html#ixzz2nGtqOFex

Truman Scholarship Candidate :: essays research papers

The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") has proven unsuccessful in its goal of empowering people with disabilities to enter the workforce. Although 19.4% of the population have some disability,1 they constitute only 4.3% of the workforce.2 The group's unemployment rate stands at almost 17%, nearly three times the national average.3 A survey for the National Organization on Disabilities found that current levels of employment of people with disabilities between the ages of 16 and 64 have actually dropped two percentage points since 1986, four years before the civil rights legislation was passed.4 The Social Security Administration has additionally reported a decline since 1990 in the percentage of disabled Americans who are working while receiving Supplemental Security Income ("SSI").5 Several factors account for these high levels of unemployment. Health insurance is perhaps the most significant. Disabled people receiving SSI or Social Security Disability Income ("SSDI") lose their federal health insurance if they earn more than $500 per month in income for nine months, a powerful incentive not to work.6 In turn, employers are wary of hiring people with disabilities for fear of driving up insurance premiums for their businesses. Secondly, a further disincentive to work exists in wages, where recipients of SSI or SSDI often earn more by not working. This is particularly true among the severely disabled, where most work available will pay only slightly more than minimum wage.7 Thirdly, ADA has yet to be properly enforced. Eight federal agencies are currently involved in the investigation of varied complaints,8 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") lags ten months in its investigations of complaints.9 A visually impaired job hunter wrote in the New York Times that when he tried to file a complaint with EEOC, "I was told that my complaint would be kept on record and if a number of such complaints for the same employer accumulated, 'action would be taken.’"10 An additional factor in the high levels of unemployment among people with disabilities is business's lack of knowledge about ADA and the cost of meeting its provisions. Most disabled workers do not need any special accommodations,11 and only 22% of accommodations cost more than $1000. Sixty-seven percent of accommodations cost $500 or less.12 Furthermore, making new construction fully accessible increases costs by no more than one percent.13 Finally, employer prejudice and stereotypes about the disabled affect their employment. Myths persist that those with disabilities have lower attendance rates and safety records and are less capable of performing their jobs than their nondisabled counterparts, although studies have shown that disabled employees achieve similar levels of excellence in each of these categories.

John Howard Griffin and Black Like Me :: Black Like Me Essays

John Howard Griffin and Black Like Me John Howard Griffin was a journalist and a specialist on race issues. After publication, he became a leading advocate in the Civil Rights Movement and did much to promote awareness of the racial situations and pass legislature. He was middle aged and living in Mansfield, Texas at the time of publication in 1960. His desire to know if Southern whites were racist against the Negro population of the Deep South, or if they really judged people based on the individual's personality as they said they prompted him to cross the color line and write Black Like Me. Since communication between the white and African American races did not exist, neither race really knew what it was like for the other. Due to this, Griffin felt the only way to know the truth was to become a black man and travel through the South. His trip was financed by the internationally distributed Negro magazine Sepia in exchange for the right to print excerpts from the finished product. After three weeks in the Deep South a s a black man John Howard Griffin produced a 188-page journal covering his transition into the black race, his travels and experiences in the South, the shift back into white society, and the reaction of those he knew prior his experonce the book was published and released. John Howard Griffin began this novel as a white man on October 28, 1959 and became a black man (with the help of a noted dermatologist) on November 7. He entered black society in New Orleans through his contact Sterling, a shoe shine boy that he had met in the days prior to the medication taking full effect. Griffin stayed with Sterling at the shine stand for a few days to become assimilated into the society and to learn more about the attitude and mindset of the common black man. After one week of trying to find work other than menial labor, he left to travel throughout the Southern states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. November 14, the day he decided to leave, was the day after the Mississippi jury refused to indict or consider the evidence in the Mack Parker kidnap-lynch murder case. He decided to go into the heart of Mississippi, the Southern state most feared by blacks of that time, just to see if it really did have the "wonderful relationship" with their John Howard Griffin and Black Like Me :: Black Like Me Essays John Howard Griffin and Black Like Me John Howard Griffin was a journalist and a specialist on race issues. After publication, he became a leading advocate in the Civil Rights Movement and did much to promote awareness of the racial situations and pass legislature. He was middle aged and living in Mansfield, Texas at the time of publication in 1960. His desire to know if Southern whites were racist against the Negro population of the Deep South, or if they really judged people based on the individual's personality as they said they prompted him to cross the color line and write Black Like Me. Since communication between the white and African American races did not exist, neither race really knew what it was like for the other. Due to this, Griffin felt the only way to know the truth was to become a black man and travel through the South. His trip was financed by the internationally distributed Negro magazine Sepia in exchange for the right to print excerpts from the finished product. After three weeks in the Deep South a s a black man John Howard Griffin produced a 188-page journal covering his transition into the black race, his travels and experiences in the South, the shift back into white society, and the reaction of those he knew prior his experonce the book was published and released. John Howard Griffin began this novel as a white man on October 28, 1959 and became a black man (with the help of a noted dermatologist) on November 7. He entered black society in New Orleans through his contact Sterling, a shoe shine boy that he had met in the days prior to the medication taking full effect. Griffin stayed with Sterling at the shine stand for a few days to become assimilated into the society and to learn more about the attitude and mindset of the common black man. After one week of trying to find work other than menial labor, he left to travel throughout the Southern states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. November 14, the day he decided to leave, was the day after the Mississippi jury refused to indict or consider the evidence in the Mack Parker kidnap-lynch murder case. He decided to go into the heart of Mississippi, the Southern state most feared by blacks of that time, just to see if it really did have the "wonderful relationship" with their

Citizen Cane Questionaire

Citizen Kane Questionnaire View the movie CITIZEN KANE (1941) for discussion in class on week four and to submit week five. Be sure to view the film at least twice before workshop number four. Read the information in this syllabus about this movie. Research it online at http://www. filmsite. org/citi. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Citizen_Kane, http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0033467/, http://www. cinepad. com/reviews/kane. htm, etc. Then complete the following questionnaire A. Literary Elements (Describe in one or two sentences) 1. Structure (storytelling formatThe storytelling format for this film was more of an investigation kind of way, searching for the meaning of the word rosebud. Flashbacks used throughout the film to fill in information that could lead to the meaning of the words. 2. Plot (story) The story is about a man who becomes a tycoon. While gaining riches, wives and possessions he loses his soul. He dies and some journalists want to discover the meaning of his dyi ng words â€Å"rose bud†. 3. Theme (message) The theme message for this film is that money and power do not make a person. Not all the power and money one person may have is going to fulfill the happiness one desires. . Three moral issues in the story Power cannot buy happiness nor can it fulfill it. There were a few social issues, one of them being family and marriage issues such as divorce. Kane’s fame and wealth cannot save him from his secret relationship. B. Mise en Scene: Theatrical Elements (give two examples each, noting briefly what you have observed and where in the film) 5. Unusual Sets/Backdrops A. ) The scene where Kane and his wife were at a cafe or restaurant and the back drop was a wilderness or forest and they threw in animated birds flying through the backdrop.B. ) Another element was enormous fireplace at Kane’s residence. 6. Historic Costuming A. ) Their costumes represented the era and their social status. B. ) Kane wore a thick, heavy fur c oat that represented his status; having great deal of money. 7. Notable Makeup A) Kane’s makeup in the early stages young and youthful and at the end, it showed him 85 and old-marriage scene, young and when his second wife was leaving him, it depicted him old with a cane B) Makeup shown when his second wife dressed up to sing opera at their theatre she wore heavy makeup . Composition (vertical lines, ceiling framing) A. ) There is a ceiling frame scene, where Kane and his friend come across the reporter that had fallen asleep; on the review of wife’s performance. The camera focused on his friend using a low angle showing the corner of the ceiling his head. B. ) In the theatre, during one of the performances the camera scrolls up looking at nothing but the structure of the building. As the camera, scrolls up there were walkways or railing that went across the screen. 9. High key lighting (happy)A) When he meets his second wife and goes to her place she is lit up and lig ht depicting happy. B) There is high lighting used while watching the marching girls; cheering and happy music playing in background. 10. Low key Lighting (mystery) A. ) There is a face in the dark when Kane goes to meet someone for information about something. The dark shadow over the face shows that there is a secret. B. ) In the start of the film appears to be several men in a darkened room; appears mystererious, searching for answers. All men stay in the dark when that scene ends. C. Low key lighting used when fireworks launched into the sky. 11. Notable Acting (and movement) A. ) The end of the movie Kane destroys his second wife’s room, breaking glass, flipping tables over, throwing everything on the ground, showing his anger, frustration and pain. B. ) Notable acting when Kane slaps his second wife across the face when she was complaining about the reviews in the paper about her performance. C. Cinematography (give two examples each, noting briefly what you have observ ed and where in the film) 12. Notable camera angles (low angle, high angle, etc. A) There is an extremely low angle when the boy receives a gift. B) There is a low angle during one of the opera performances when the camera looks down at the singing coach sort of under the stage. 13. Notable Framing (two shot, three shot, four shot, foreground framing) A) There is a three shot frame when Kane is typing the review. B) The scene where in the background, through the window, a boy can be seen playing outside. C) There is foreground framing in the reflection shot from the window of Kane dancing. 14. Notable Framing (close-up)A) The scene when Kane says, â€Å"Rosebud† with an extreme close-up of his lips. B) At the end of the movie when camera zooms in on Kane’s childhood sled focusing in on â€Å"Rosebud† 15. Notable lenses (deep focus, fish eye) A) The scene with the boy playing in the snow, seen through the window while his mother signs documents has deep focus. B) The scene where Kane’s wife is laying in the chair, the meds on the table; seen up close and the focus remains clear to the bedroom door in the distance. 16. Notable Camera Movement (crane shots, hand-held, etc. A) There is a crane shot; camera breaks through the sign and into the broken skylight into the El Rancho Nightclub B) Crane shot- Emily went to Susan’s home and going up the stairs into her home is one depicted. 17. Forced perspective A) The wedding scene of Emily and Kane are using forced perspective of the White House. B) There is a Scene showing Kane’s home, gate seen in the background on top of the hill. D. Editing—Assembly and Printing of film (give two examples each, noting briefly what you have observed and where in the film) 8. Special Effects (animation, matting) A) There is animation in two of the scenes where they show you a map WB. B) There is also picnic scene where animated birds are flying. 19. Transitions (dissolves, wipes, fades) A) Dissolving scene is when Thatcher, Bernstein, Kane are in a room, three are at a table and Kane is in the back. That letter reading shows 1929 and it dissolves. B) Earlier scene in beginning of film shows monkeys then it proceeds and you see the castle . In all that area all picture is showing dissolving.C) The Xanadu scenes were also dissolving scenes. D) His campaign scene showing his face in the background also dissolves. 20. Montage A) The scene at the â€Å"breakfast† table shows marriage nice and sweet then shows it falling apart. B) Another scene; Thatcher calls Kane Charles at Christmas time and he opened a Christmas present. This portrayed Thatcher young, Kane young, then next scene is reading a letter from Kane, and he is aged. D. Sound (give one example each) 21. Diegetic music A) When Kane receives the trophy.B) After the scene where Kane is typing the review. 22. Non-diagetic music A) After Kane leaves in the trophy scene thee is non- diegetic music. B) Sound transition; there was clapping going from one scene to another. 23. Notable or unusual music A) There is notable military music by the Teddy Roosevelt scene in the beginning of the film. B) The scene where you see the mannish woman there is echo and ironic music then you hear audio the audio transition and are less subtle 24. Layering A) There was voice overlay at the beginning with Thatcher and two employees.Thatcher is upset with Him for working at the newspaper and losing money. B) When Kane was throwing his big party with dancing girls there was laughter and chaos, much vocal overlay. 25. Audio transitions A) There is an audio transition when Kane yelling transitions into the horn honking. B) Audio transition scene when Kane is giving a speech and the scene transitions through different speeches. 26. Dead screen A) There is dead screen after the montage of scenes going through the newspaper headlines the film goes into a dead screen.

Evacuation

Evacuations have become more common in today's world than many people realize. They are majorly the results of fires, floods or any calamity that occurs within our homes. Other storms like hurricanes upon their occurrence make mass-scale evacuation. Some occurrence takes place as a result of the activities done by man on land and some exist naturally. For example, transportation and industrial accidents that take place end up in releasing harmful substances at homes, places of work or along the water bodies, which make people to leave their homes and even places of work. However, the amount of time one leaves depends on the nature of the hazard. In case the event is in form of weather condition, you might have a day to ready. Some disasters do not give people time to pick their basic necessities and they end up vacating without any single asset. For this matter, planning ahead is very essential.An organized evacuation can result to either confusion, injury to the people vacating or damage of the property vacated. Therefore, when developing an emergency action plan, it is important to determine factors like the conditions under which evacuation would be necessary, evacuation procedures like routes and exits. Some important symbols also include fire, emergency and disaster planning diagrams, stairwell, security camera, sprinklers, and roof access, among many others. In this plinth, the paper aims at designing a well furnished evacuation plan with proper mapping, planning exit doors, and the plan for the disable. It will also pinpoint the importance of planning in advance for evacuation as well as stating some of the safety equipments and alarms. The safety equipment herein is good quality smoke detector, regular maintenance and the survival kits in case of emergency.Mapping Map is very instrumental in the design of evacuation plan. It provides instant clarity during the occurrence of the event. Some of the elements to consider include the basic layout of the property like the walls and the doors. This is very important because it help in showing the outside of the property for the people to go to in case of the emergency. The compass in the corner is also instrumental and it should indicate the direction of North with a capital letter â€Å"N.† The exit points like the doors should be left wide open most of the time for clear accessibility during exit. The marshal area, the point where the evacuees meet should be safe and a distance from the building site to provide enough protection from fie and any onsite peril like chemicals and explosive materials.Planning in Advance Apparently, planning in advance help in preventing most of the problems thereafter. Planning should start as far as the foundation of the building is laid. In planning, there should be a well stated chain of command, the person responsible for assessing the situation, the one in charge of high building, and even notifying the emergency services. It is important to plan and make everyone knows his or her role and be trained how to perform it. For instance, posting an evacuation plan on each floor, and identifying a trained personnel helps a lot in the getting people out in case of the disaster. The personnel ensure that everyone is accounted for and taken care of during the event. Planning for a visitor managing system also assist in the provision of a digital visitor log, this in return helps in account for any of the non-employee who might be present in the building during the occurrence.Planning Exit doors and Surveying the SiteSpecific evacuation procedures should be well planned and designed. Location of the emergency equipment like, routes, and exits like the doors, windows, should be marked and kept clear, open and safe all the time. They should be without any obstructions. In case of any building with interior spaces like the stairwells, painting should be done for clear visibility. Also, survey should be done in these places regularly to and reports made to the personnel responsible so that in case if damage, repair is made at an early stage. Evacuation plan suitable for disabled people Managers and the owners of institutions have the sole responsibility of providing the emergency facilities for people with disability. Disability like hearing, visually, speech, mentally should be taken care of. The elderly persons and children should also be considered in this case. A means of communication to people with hearing and seeing problems should be provided so that they are accommodated in case of the event. Color coding for the room identification should be simple and easy to identify for the disabled. Moreover, the employees should be taken to seminars and workshops and trained adequately on how to handle unexpected behavior as well as providing necessary assistant to people with such problems. Additionally, they should be made aware on how to handle mentally impaired persons and make good attempts to communicate with them efficiently, in a loving and caring manner.The Importance of Planning in Advance for EvacuationIt is important to understand that disasters are has to happen in every society. The response and recovery of the disaster starts and end at the local level and therefore it is important for the community to work together so as to prevent, avoid or control the occurrence of such phenomenon. Advance preparation ensures that most of the problems are controlled or saved. It is very important to alert the family members or the workers on how to respond to the cyclone watches and warnings for it helps them escape the danger within a short period of time. Children at the age of between nine and eleven when taught how to call police or fire department will help them save their lives in case they are alone in the house. Listening to instructions from the officials in various departments within the office helps one to prepare in advance to vacate the room when they inform you to do so. The fly away kits, which are the small bags or backpacks that contain family documents like the identification cards, the ATMs, credits cards should be kept in plastic bags to keep them dry most of the time. The kit helps in gathering most of the items like medicine, money and any important document before departure. Maintaining important credentials like the education, birth, marriage certificates, immunization records easily allow the foreign workers to grab their files quickly and plan for their travel back to their home countries or the adjacent states for safety.Testing the Escape Plan Plans must be checked, assessed and updated sporadically to ensure that they are up to date. Any contingency plan is better than failing to plan completely. It is important to test the workability of the plan to ascertain yourself that it is functional. Practicing the plan made underway will ensure that the problems and the weaknesses in the plans are identified at their primary stages and the corrective measure taken before everything goes a mess. Practicing also enables the planners to exactly know what they are required to do and where they should go at what particular time.Safety Equipment and AlarmNo one plans for an emergency or disaster, especially the ones that affects their lives. The truth is that the emergencies and disasters can strike anyone, anytime and anywhere and therefore preparing for them is very essential. One can be forced to vacate the house, work place or company at the time he or she least expected. In this precept, it is important to avail the safety equipment and alarms so that in case of any emergency, one is caught on the safe side. Good Quality Smoke Extinguishers and Fire Detectors Fire detector and smoke extinguishers is very appropriate and should be very effective. It must be able to sound a strong warning to all people within the premise in all circumstance. In as much as there are different types of fire alarms, one should consider the appropriate one for that risk assessment. Before installing the detector system, it is inherent to discuss with the local fire authority and advise accordingly. There are series of factors one should consider before installation. Ensure that the escape route is short, clear passageways to all the escape routes, the escape are kept free from any obstructions. It is very instrumental to install the emergency lighting system so as to provide enough light in the room in case of the event.Regular Maintenance Maintenance should be done regularly to ensure that the systems are in good conditions always. The personnel should do frequent check up on the workability in order to avoid the last minute rush. During assessment, the personnel may require that you provide portable multi-purpose fire extinguishers so that people on your premises can tackle a fire in its early stages. These fire extinguishers should be installed, tested and maintained in accordance with manufacturers' directives. In smaller business grounds, you may only need one or two transportable extinguishers. However, larger, big premises require a number of portable extinguishers, which are situated in suitable locations. Survival kits in case of Emergency The employees may need personal protective equipment to help them vacate the room in case of an emergency. Protective kits and equipment must be based on the likelihood of the hazard at work place and the ability of the workers to use them. Some of the safety kits in this case are the safety glasses, goggles or the face shields for protection, the chemical suits, gloves, hoods and boots for body protection against chemicals. It also important to have the hard hats and the safety shoes for head and foot protection. ConclusionIt is inherent to state that evacuation plan is very fundamental in our day to day life. It is not only used at home, but also in offices, big and small companies and any enterprise because a disaster is never planned for. It can occur to anyone, anywhere irrespective of the statues, social class, or the geographical locality. When planning for the evacuation plan, it is important to take care of all groups of people, the able and the disabled, the young and the old, and those living in low and high roofs. Also, it's important to take the preventive measure to avoid the occurrence of the event both at home and at work place, and in case it takes place there should be ways through which the victims find their ways out. Maintenance of the equipments used is very vital since it helps in ensuring that they are in good conditions always. They should also be tried always to ensure their workability and to avoid not only using them during crisis.

Assess the Contribution of Functionalism to Our Understanding of Families and Households

Contributing what they have to offer to families and households is something that functionalists seem to do in a variety of ways. Functionalism is a consensus theory (as stated in Item A). This means that it argues society is built on a consensus, or a general agreement amidst members on how society should be ordered and organised. They believe that family is one of the pivotal social institutions (which are parts in society involved in the socialisation process) along with mass media, education and peer group). Functionalism looks at the family functions and jobs that they perform.The functionalist George Murdock believes that the nuclear family is universal, therefore meaning that it’s found worldwide, and that is the best family type/institution for performing the 4 functions that functionalists believe are the foundations of successful families. Sexual function (Staying with one sexual partner and fulfilling their sex drive, this is beneficial as it avoids conflict. ) Econ omic function (administering food and shelter for members of your family, this is positive as it protects them and keeps them healthy). Reproductive function (Delivering the future generation, beneficial so that humans don’t die out).Educational function (Whereby you teach your offspring the norms and values in society this being profitable as your children will then be accepted into things such as education and will begin the education process of further things). A strength of Murdock’s effort implies how the nuclear family operates functions to benefit both the individuals and society. This means that it is positive for everyone, and has a gratifying effect on everyone. However a weakness would be that he also ignores that other families (such as step families, extended families etc. ).This means that he doesn’t take into account that they can also perform some of the functions. This is negative because it suggests that his ideas aren’t completely thoro ugh or fair. Talcott Parsons disputes that there is such thing as a ‘functional fit’ (the idea that the functions the family performs and the dominant type of family in a society are shaped by the needs of that society) between society and the family, and depending on the type of society the family is in, that has an effect on the shape the family takes (for example, what type the family is, nuclear, etc. ). So the family changes as society does.Parsons claims that the main type of family in pre-industrial society was the extended family, which is groups of people either related by marriage, blood, or adoption that’s outside the nuclear family; it can be extended vertically via grandparents etc. or horizontally (aunties, uncles, etc. ) However the main type of family in industrial society is the nuclear family (which is parents and children). Parson also believes that there is such thing as social mobility where your family can easily move around the class system ; however this can cause conflict, due to ascribed and achieved statuses your family.For example, a child gets a higher job than one of its parents (i. e. plumber and doctor). To prevent this conflict, the 2nd generation moves out to start their own nuclear family. Another mobility would be geographical mobility, whereby you can move around more easily due to the family only being small. Another thing Parson believes is that over time family has lost functions due to other social institutions, such as the education function, whereby before the kids would stay at home, and the parents would teach them things they thought were important (i. . mothers- daughters cooking etc. fathers- sons hunting). However the family still performs two functions:Primary socialisation, this is where you learn norms and values off your parents, and stabilisation of adult personalities, (aka the â€Å"warm bath theory) this is where the family is classed as a place to relax and de-stress after work. A st rength of Parson’s ideas is that it shows how the families change to meet the means and needs of society. This means that is can account for things such as how the families do change and patterns for the change.An example of what it backs up would be the organic analogy (the idea that social institutions are the organs to keep us going and that the people are the skin). This is positive because it gives us a deeper understanding on family. However a weakness of Parson’s beliefs would be that it only looks at the middle class, American families. This means you cannot generalize it to anyone out of those categories. It also is historically incorrect and thinks woman should be homemakers, yet men need to work.This is negative because again it isn’t as detailed and explained as it should be in order for us be able to accept it. Concluding, Parson’s and Murdock’s ideas suggest how the family functions and how it benefits society and family members, yet it ignores the negative aspects of family life such as child abuse or violence to men/women. There are also other conflicts between other ideas such as Marxists believing that the family only benefits the working class, and feminists believe that families only benefit men.

Assess the Usefulness of Functionalism for an Understanding of the Family

Assess the usefulness of functionalism for an understanding of the family. Functionalism is a structural theory in that it believes that the social structure of society (social institutions such as economy, education, media, law, religion and family) is responsible for shaping us as individuals. Functionalists are interested in how the family functions for the greater good or society and in particular, how it contributes to maintenance of social order. Functionalist's view of families and households is mainly a positive view. In this essay, I will assess the understanding of families and households through a functionalist view.All over the world family life is differs by huge variation and diversity. But in the UK and according to functionalists who take the more traditional view of family believe it should be a small group of people living together, including the mother father and usually two or three children and are biologically related. The children should be the product of roman tic love. A famous sociologist George Peter Murdock (1949) defines the family as: â€Å"A social group characterised by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction.It should consist of adults of both sexes with at least two who maintain a socially approved relationship, which has created one or more children of their own. Therefore Murdock’s definition is based on the nuclear family – a stereotypical two-generation family made up of a heterosexual couple with dependent offspring. This definition was popular with functionalist sociologists who suggested that this is the ideal type of family which people should aim to have. Murdock’s four key functions are: Stabilisation/regulation of the sex drive (sexual) Reproduction of the next generation (reproductive)Socialisation of the young (educational) Meeting its members’ economic needs, providing food shelter etc (economic) Sociologists criticise Murdocks approach on the family saying it’s t o ‘rose-tinted’, which means it’s all a bit pretty and wonderful and he ignores conflict that happens in the family. Feminists believe women are oppressed in the family and Marxists argue the family meeting the needs of capitalism, not the members and society as a whole. Parsons, there is a clear division of labour. According to his studies, the husbands has an â€Å"instrumental role†, he is armed for success at work so that he can provide for his family.Wives on the other hand have an â€Å"expressive role† where they are expected to emotionally support their husbands and children. The male role is economic breadwinner and head of household, whereas the female role is nurturing and childcare. Lastly, the family members receive nurturing and un-conditional love and care from the mother. This nuclear family type, as mentioned above, is seen as the ideal. We see this in wider parts of society such as the media who portray this in such things as adver tisements, where there will be a family with a mother who is preparing the food, the male getting ready for work and two or three children.This is known as the ‘cereal packet family’. Functionalist see the family as a primary agent of socialisation, it teaches its members its culture by sharing common norms and values. So functionalist believes the family is crucial to order and created consensus. Another Functionalist, Talcott Parsons (1965) believes the family is a ‘personality factory’ who produces children with shared norms and values and has a strong sense of belonging to society.Another key point functionalists believe the family is crucial for is controlling society daily for example with marriage it keeps sexual relationships under control and monogamous. This is seen as socially acceptable when kept in a heterosexual marriage, so it stops chaos and disorder from unregulated sexual relationships. Parsons argues that a function of the family is that of a stress reliever for the male after a hard day of working, this is known as the ‘warm bath theory’ as all the hardships of modern working life is forgotten.Therefore functionalist sees the family as both beneficial for society and for the individual. But other sociologists such as feminists would argue this, as they believe the family is only serving the needs of men and oppresses women. According to Fran Ansley women are ‘takers of shit’ â€Å"When wives play their traditional role as takers of shit, they often absorb their husbands’ legitimate anger and frustration at their own powerlessness. † This would counter the warm bath theory and suggest males take their anger out on women, rather than see the family as a stress relief from their jobs.This could explain domestic violence. Parsons (1955) the family can perform many functions. The functions that it performs will depend on the needs of society. This is known as the ‘functional fit’ theory. Pre-industrial society = extended family (three generations living under one roof) Industrial society = nuclear family (just parents and dependent children). As society changed, the ‘type’ of family that was required to help society function changed.Industrial society has two essential needs which require a nuclear family to work: A geographically mobile workforce and a socially mobile workforce. Loss of functions ,Parsons also argues that the family in modern society has lost many of its functions as it has become a unit of consumption only (rather than also being a unit of production) This means that in modern society the nuclear family has just two essential or ‘irreducible’ functions: Primary socialisation of children Stabilisation of adult personalities.Sociologists such as Young and Willmott (1973) ; Laslett (1972) argue that the pre-industrial family was nuclear, which defeats all points made by Parsons and why a lot of people do n’t believe his argument is very reliable. To conclude I believe that the usefulness of functionalism for understanding the family has become dated, every key point they make can be argued or disproved with actual statistics and fact. I believe it would have been more credible in the mid-1900s where gender roles where a lot more evident and accepted.Also they take the nuclear family as the norm, ideal and most apparent family type in modern society which Is false, and Michael Andersons (1980) research proves Parsons functional fit theory wrong, as the extended family was the structure best equipped to meet the needs of early industrial society, due to the benefits such as older kin looing after children whilst parents worked. Therefore I don’t believe functionalism is very useful to get an overall understanding of every aspect of the family.