Student Loan Crisis

Student Loan Crisis Beginning in the 1960’s the distribution of federal and non-profit funds have given students all over the United States the opportunity to pursue post-secondary educations. Although this method has given students the ability to go to college financially, the majority of the students are not able to pay the money back when finished causing debt. Currently students in the United States owe more than $1 trillion dollars worth of federal and private student loans.Surprisingly this number has surpassed the country’s credit card debt which is $852 billion dollars. This years presidential election has many serious & interesting topics being discussed such as gay marriage & immigration, but the topic of student loan debt is of high importance and relates to the majority of the country. More specifically student loans are affecting African Americans more than any other race today. Due to the economic state of the country and their lack of knowledge on student loans the majority of African Americans are unable to repay their loans.Student loan debt is one of the biggest issues facing African Americans in the 2012 presidential election due to their limited knowledge on student loans, cost of college, and the economy of the United States. The lack of knowledge on student loans combined with the cost of college causes numerous burdens on young black individuals but at the same time affects the country as a whole. One factor that African Americans frequently ignore or are unaware of is their ability to pay back their loans on time.Sophia Kerby says, â€Å"Studies show that only 37 percent of students are able to repay their loans on time. † (Kerby 1). Black students are borrowing tremendous amounts of money not knowing if they have the ability to pay the money back on time. Student loans are also causing the increased rate of African American dropouts in the country. For example, Ann-Marie Adams explains, â€Å"that 69 percent of bla ck students listed debt loads as a key reason for dropping out of college†.The inability to pay and the realization that they will not be able to pay off their loans causes them to end their academic pursuits. This is astonishing because according to Adams 60% of jobs in America require a college education, and due to their enormous student loans they will not get that chance to receive a college education. In order for blacks to succeed and compete in corporate America they need to receive some form of post-secondary education. Not only is receiving an education important to the black community, but it is also important to the overall country as a whole.The country’s economy needs educated individuals coming into the workforce, and if students are not able to finish their education then the economy will suffer. Ann-Marie Adams says, â€Å"America cannot have a  vibrant democracy and a robust economy with an uneducated populace† (Adams 1). The cost of college u ltimately causes black students to never get the chance to receive a post-secondary education or place unnecessary burdens on their lives. Either way these young bright minds do not have a fair chance to contribute to the resurrection of this once dominant economy.The educating of aspiring black college students and their parents on the dangers off student loans is imperative, so these young individuals will have the opportunity to contribute to the nation’s economy. The high rate of unemployment doesn’t give the majority of African American graduates the ability to pay back their student loan debt causing lingering affects to the black community. According to Ann-Marie Adams, up to 80% of the blacks in the graduating class of 2010 graduated with some form of student loan debt (Adams 1).With this high rate of African Americans leaving school with debt there is a demand for employment, but there are not enough jobs for them to obtain. The margin of â€Å"African Americ an youth at 30 percent†¦compared to the white youth unemployment rate of 16 percent† shows that African American graduates have a distinct financial burden (Kerby 1). The youth unemployment rate for African Americans is almost doubled compared to the youth unemployment rate for white Americans. This makes it that much more harder for black Americans to find sources of repayment since white Americans are able to get jobs easier.According to Adams, the average African American graduates with roughly 30,000 dollars worth of student loan debt (Adams 1). As the younger generation of blacks leave college with student loan debt that they are unable to payback, their ability to become homeowners and their ability to increase their wealth has diminished. Charlene Crowell explains, â€Å"The domino effect of debt begins with a student loan and then delays the ability to qualify for a mortgage†¦the ability to gain wealth is limited if not stymied†. The domino effect is t he main reason he majority of the black community is unable to reach the middle class. A college graduate in debt and not having the ability to pay their loans off in time because no jobs are available is the scenario for many blacks causing them to experience poverty. Julie Margetta Morgan says, â€Å"With high unemployment and underemployment and so few options for dealing with debt, it should come as no surprise that the delinquency rate on student loans is so high† (Morgan). The below average economic state of the United States doesn’t give African Americans the ability to successfully pay their debt back on time.Student loans are not only a detriment to African Americans individually, but they are affecting the economy as well. Like preciously stated, student loan debt is preventing African Americans from finishing college and being able to be an educated contributor to the country’s workforce. There are many methods that can be used to help prevent and fix the crisis. For example, probably the simplest method but the most effective will be informing young African Americans and their parents about the dangers of student loans and the steps used in taking out a reasonable loan.For example: There was an approximate 16 percent increase and 12 percent increase among black and Hispanic students, respectively, that took out private loans, from the 2003 ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œ04 to 2007 ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œ08 school years. While federal loans have lower interest rates than private loans, doubling the rate will bring the two closer together, making students of color more vulnerable to defaulting on their loans (Kerby) This shows how simple information on the benefits of a federal loan over a private loan could have prevented these families from taking on private loans.Holding seminars and presentations for high school students & parents would increase their knowledge resulting in better judgment. Another way of helping the African American community with the stud ent loan crisis is consistently funding aid programs for the low-income students. Kerby states, â€Å"Students who will lose eligibility or be cut from the Pell Grant program†¦will likely turn to loans to make up the difference† (Kerby 1). If these programs are funded properly then this will decrease African American’s need for student loans and ultimately decreasing the average student loan debt post-graduation.These two solutions will of course not completely fix the crisis, but they will jumpstart the needed repairing. Student loans have been a part of this country’s history for roughly fifty years and it has not caused any problems until this recent decade. This topic should be of high importance in the presidential election because it affects every citizen in someway. Whether it’s a parent unable to send their child off to college financially or a college graduate living in their mother’s house with $20,000 worth of debt, it affects us al l.The country needs to hear the truth and the facts about this crisis because this debt will keep increasing unless the individuals at risk are informed. The fact that this is the number one form of debt in our country today surpassing credit card debt is shocking. Every student planning to go to college or parent sending their child off to college should know the basics of student loans because one small signature can ruin the rest of their lives. Works Cited Adams, Ann-Marie. â€Å"Student Debt in the Black Community: Hampering Our Ability to Enter the Middle Class. Washington Post. The Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2012. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. . Crowell, Charlene. â€Å"The Domino Effects of Debt: Student Loans Trigger Financial Stress from Students To Retirees. † The Domino Effects of Debt: Student Loans Trigger Financial Stress from Students To Retirees. N. p. , 24 Aug. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 012. . Harkin, Tom. â€Å"The Debt Crisis In Higher Ed. † Time 180. 18 (2012): 44-51 . Print. Kerby, Sophia. â€Å"How Student Debt Impacts Students of Color. † Center for American Progress. N. p. , 26 Apr. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. . Morgan, Julie

Class Perceptions on Personal Choice

Have we ever thought of what governs us when we make a choice? Are we ruled by certain cultural or ethnic perspectives, or do we value our feelings toward the person, who is expected to accompany us through joys and sorrows for the rest of our lives? Very often, cultural and class perceptions play the predominant role, when we make a romantic choice.In his novel A Room with a View, E.M. Forster ironically depicts the increasing conflict between the real and the pretended and the impact, which class and social prejudice may have on what we call â€Å"true passion†. A Room with a View is an ironic depiction of the social narrow-sightedness and the lack of sincere spontaneous response to the feelings, which may change under the pressure of artificial class and cultural views of the conservative society.Literature critics of the post-war period emphasize the growing level of British cultural self-consciousness that has gradually turned into a misrepresented set of class and cultur al perceptions. â€Å"With the post-1945 decline of Britain as an economic, political, and military power, its international standing as well as its own sense of national identity have been increasingly determined on the level of cultural production† (Freedman 79).Forster’s novel suggests that with time, this cultural consciousness has transformed into cultural and class prejudices that falsely positioned England as the predominant source of cultural trends in Europe. In this context, Forster’s Lucy reveals the hidden facets of English cultural perceptions.Lucy’s character reflects the growing gap between her inner promptings to love and the external social pressures that tell her what she is expected to tell or to do. Lucy â€Å"was accustomed to having her thoughts confirmed by others†¦ it was too dreadful not to know whether the was thinking right or wrong† (Forster), and even when she is prepared to take the single and the most appropriate decision, the distorted English visions of culture and class raise her doubts as for what she has to do.Forster uses Italy as the mirror and the prism for evaluating the negative potential of cultural and class perceptions in the then England. The battle for a room with a view is actually the battle for nothing, because a room with a view will never offer any benefits to a person, who is too blind to see anything behind the window. Lucy’s battle over her happiness is very close to the situation, where the blind is persuaded that the room with a view is much better than the room without the one. â€Å"How do you like this view of ours, Mr. Emerson? – I never notice much difference in views.– What do you mean? – Because they’re all alike. Because all that matters in them is distance and air† (Forster). In the same manner, Lucy is coming to the realization that her relations with Cecil are nothing but an empty combination of the social prejudi ce and the decision that was imposed on her by the norms and traditions of her surrounding. â€Å"As Forster’s narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that there must be something wrong with ‘development’ in a code of behavior which can mistake delicacy for beauty, while treating frank talk about baths and stomachs as indecent, and kisses as insults† (Taque 94).This cultural and class blindness and the fight for a better view are the central themes that accompany Lucy in her long journey to personal revelation. She is stifled by the air of indifference toward her feelings and desires; she is confronted by the need to follow the imposed behavioral code that evidently does not satisfy her inner strivings to be happy. Italy and the Italians open her eyes on the realities of her drastic existence within the narrow space of the social and class prejudice.When she hears Mr. Beebe’s remark that â€Å"Italians are a most unpleasant people. They pry everywhere, they see everything, and they know what we want before we know it ourselves. We are at their mercy† (Forster), she has nothing but to conclude, that her life and her future are at the mercy of the socially blind norms, which govern her choice.For once, Lucy has to pause and rethink everything that was going through her mind and her soul. George leads her to re-considering her values. She is overfilled with emotion: â€Å"some emotion – pity, terror, love, but the emotion was strong – seized her, and she was aware of autumn. Summer was ending, and the evening brought her odours of decay, the more pathetic because they were reminiscent of spring.That something or other mattered intellectually?† (Forster). A bright literary parallel between the English cultural norms and the odours of decay suggests that if Lucy fails to defend her right to choose, she will be doomed to spend the rest of her life in the pressuring atmosphere without any hope for moral and sp iritual resurrection.Mr. Emerson is correct stating that â€Å"we need a little directness to liberate the soul† (Forster); Lucy is searching some free space where she will be protected from the strong winds of English cultural and class perceptions. She wants to be free to express her feelings without a fear of being condemned. Ultimately, she has the right for spontaneous feeling without any tint of reason, which conservative England is so actively imposing on her.

Essential of investments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Essential of investments - Assignment Example The accrued interest on the bond turned out to be $2.42. The YTMs were calculated using the YIELD function on excel, with settlement date and maturity date taken at a difference of 10 years, coupon rate being 14% and then reduced to half at 7%, the bond price being $900, redemption value being $1000, and 1 coupon annually. The YTM based on what the firm promised is 2.55%. However, based on what the investors expect after the lenders and the firm agreed to lower the payments the YTM became 1.80%. The expected YTM is lower than the YTM investors were actually promised. a. The initial price is calculated as P=$705.46, with [n=20, I/Y=8, PMT=50, FV=1000]. The price in the next period would be P=$793.29, with [n=19, I/Y=7, PMT=50, FV=1000]. Therefore the HPR is 19.53% calculated as, [{50+(793.29-705.46)}/705.46] c. The 6% coupon bond performed better than the zero coupon bond in either case, when the interest rose or when they fell. This is probably due to the fact that the 6% coupon bond has a higher convexity. This shows that whenever we compare the change in yields of bonds by equal amounts as is in this question, the bond with higher convexity will always outperform the one with lower convexity. The duration was approximately equal but the convexity of both the bonds were different in this example which is always positive implies that the convexity effect always favors the higher convexity bond. d. Such a scenario where the bonds would be priced at the same yield to maturity if the rates changed in equal amounts cannot exist. No investor would buy a bond with a lower convexity as it always underperform the higher convexity bond. The price of the lower convexity bond will be low with a high YTM, which means that the higher yield is to compensate the investor for investing in a lower convextiy bond. The top-down method of security valuation is approach used

Incarceration of the Mentally Challenged Term Paper

Incarceration of the Mentally Challenged - Term Paper Example Recently, it has been a common practice of the mentally challenged being locked in the prisons which has forced many to argue on the best practice of this incarceration. Mostly this has happened without the prior scrutiny of the culprits and their disorders (Grob, 243). It is a common knowledge that the mentally disabled persons have various and highly demanding needs which need be addressed in the best way possible. Significantly, other than pushing to protect the society they live in, the mentally challenged have the need to be cured of their illness which compels them to break the laws. Remarkably, the mentally ill persons are not in the position of making the right decisions due to their abnormalities. They commit themselves to actions without the prior knowledge or awareness of the emergent repercussions and consequences they will suffer as result. Notably, in the absence of their mental disorder these persons would be upright and function normally as the other healthy people. I n view of this, exemplary procedures and measures must be established by the concerned authorities to safeguard the incarceration of this suffering group of human kind (Grob, 245). Although the number of persons with mental retardation is minimal an increasing population of this has fallen within the jurisdiction of the criminal justice system. For a long time, the issue of locking the mentally challenged in the prisons has not been the best practice. As a fact, in many states little or no provision has been made for the mentally ill offenders accruing to inequitable harsh dispositions which are very expensive to the states (Grob, 245). More over many mentally challenged persons have been incarcerated for offences they have never committed. In the course of their arrest and subsequent prosecution, many are the times the perceived offenders confess of doing what they never did. This has been occasioned by their childlike ways of thinking and fear of the authorities leading to little long term perceptions. Essentially, such acts and confessions have forced the mentally retarded to wave their rights without a clear knowledge of what they are really doing (Larson et al. 240) In addition, the mentally ill are bound by numerous misfortunes. These people are jobless and as a consequence they make no income. During the pretrial incarceration only those who can afford bails which are typically accorded to the employed or with stable and secure living conditions are saved the unjust and cruel treatment in the prisons. Remarkably, by virtue of the retarded lacking bails condemns them to unfair incarceration (Larson et al. 244). Another challenge faced by the mentally ill is in the issue of securing a plea bargaining during the court process and ultimate sentencing. Though unaware, these persons provide the prosecutors with highly incriminating evidence against themselves than the normal persons. This makes them less successful in bargaining for their punishment within th e law. Furthermore, aggressive prosecutors are continuously lowering the credibility of their testimonies which makes them highly unreliable. Factually, the mentally retarded are serving long jails and high rate sentences since they cannot be accorded probations. This has been necessitated by the inequalities of the justice system which advocates granting probation to those of sound mind and possessing great education and work backgrounds (Larson et al. 246). Notably, the

Marketing Planning and Strategy (Global Exchange Rate Effects)1 Assignment

Marketing Planning and Strategy (Global Exchange Rate Effects)1 - Assignment Example For exporting companies the most favorable conditions are when a national currency is week. Gali and Monacelli (2005) demonstrate the case which implies that in countries with weak currencies, what seems good for the exporters, the exchange rates fluctuations are usually high, what decreases the favorability of the situation. Currencies often have inflations at those times, and it implies additional difficulties, as to prognosing that inflation, planning pricing policy, and making urgent decisions when situation changes abruptly. In the example by Taylor (2009) the financial crisis in August of 2007-2008, which touched the whole world, especially South America and Asia – important strategic US trading partners, the exchange rate sharp changes caused the change in the structure of trading in general. For example, the exporting companies in countries with weakened currency have got the

Hull City Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hull City Marketing Strategy - Essay Example Chocolates are commonly used in Christmas time, which presents a good opportunity for Thornton to promote their products. The company continues to adapt new strategies to meet consumer’s needs and be competitive during Christmas time in Hull. It has established various strategic plans for the business to create a competent organizational process, increase its sales and margins, incentives and measurability. Different media channels will be used to promote the campaign slogan â€Å"Christmas time-chocolate heaven†. The slogan will strengthen the image of Christmas time as a great time to celebrate and have a relaxing moment using Thornton’s range of products such as variety of chocolates wedding favors, corporate gifts, and hampers boxes. The case study of the Company will provide an opportunity to evaluate the whole aspect of planning for considerable growth during Christmas time. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 4 SWOT MATRI X 5 11 Marketing Objectives 6 111. Target Markets 7 IV Product Offering 8 V. Brand/Product Positioning 8 VI Marketing Strategies 9 Consumer Behavior 9 Marketing Mix For The Marketing Strategy 10 Product 10 Place 11 Price 11 Promotion 12 Vii Implementation and Control 14 Sales Increase Objectives 14 Increased Product/Brand Awareness Objectives 14 Viii Budget 14 Appendix 15 Appendix 1 15 Appendix 2 17 Appendix 3 17 Appendix 4 17 Available at: Financial Times LTD 2012, Thorntons PLC Markets data: http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/Tearsheets/Business-profile?s=THT:LSE 18 Works Cited 19 Introduction Christmas time is an entertaining forum where the concept of gift exchange is much eulogized. It is a season that main waits with expectations as they appreciates and end the year with the loved ones. Indeed, this season raises the need to exchange gifts to the loved ones and as chocolate remains the best gift for someone special. In the British culture, chocolates augment love language and thought as romantic (Hull City, 1961). During Christmas time, most young couple regard exchanging gifts to their partners as a sign of love and appreciation. Particularly, most men pamper their women with gifts as they are beings who are relationship oriented. In most cases, women are given chocolates as presents as it enhances the feeling of being cared, pampered, and loved. Many people believe that there are creative ways of using chocolates in Christmas time besides eating them. For instance, Clayton (2009) believes that it can creatively used in bedroom for sensual treat and a key ingredient of feeling good. Thornton can utilize this to promote their products during Christmas season as a perfect way of showing appreciation to the loved ones and creating a relaxing moment. To promote products, the marketing strategy plan will present a SWOT matrix, identify the marketing objectives along with target group, product/brand positioning, and product offering. Eventually, the compa ny will present the budget implementation and control of marketing planning. This will create a platform to understand the key strategies of being competent during Christmas seasons. In doing this, we will highlight the major competitors of the company to highlight the possible strengths, opportunities, threats and weaknesses of the

MGMT345 U4 IP Diversity Training Manual IV Research Paper

MGMT345 U4 IP Diversity Training Manual IV - Research Paper Example Department of Labor, n.d.). The act defines religious beliefs to include both theistic and non-theistic. Title VII requires organisations to accommodate employees whose sincere requirements of his religion conflict with the requirements of the work upon notice of request unless id doing so there will be undue hardship in the workplace. Title VII defines accommodation as an adjustment that will allow the employee to be able to practice his/her religion (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.). The need for accommodation may stem from the beliefs of a person conflict with a particular task of the position or the application process. Accommodation requests in most cases relate to work time table, attire, or religious expression at work. Hardship is said to have occurred if the accommodation is costly, can compromise safety at work, reduces work efficiency, infringes on other employees’ rights, and requires fellow employees to do more than their fair share of work that is hazardous or burdensome. Hardship maybe apparent if the accommodation is in violation of the conditions of collective bargaining agreement or job rights through a ranking system. The cost hardship to the organisation must be more than a minimum impact on the organisation. The hardship on an organisation cannot be a speculation but must be genuine (U.S . Department of Labour, n.d.). Orthodox Jews also called Frum Jews consider themselves the guardians of the commandments (Orthodox Jews.com). They are divided into Hasidic and Yeshivish Jews. The word Frum stands for observant (Orhodox-Jews.com). The Hasisdic culture bans people from going to college. Part of Hasidic Jewish culture is remaining segregated which includes being isolated from non Frum Jews. It is part of isolation not to watch tv and in most homes, computers are banned from children. A belief that can be accommodated at work is their dressing which is rather conservative. Another belief that can be accommodated at work is

Poltical science - political philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Poltical science - political philosophy - Essay Example This distinction would suggest that he held philosophy in high regard and felt it was even necessary for the proper function of a society. This seeming inconsistency between the rigid restriction of philosophy among the people and the importance of philosophy to the proper governing of that society prompts the question; did Plato believe the philosopher posed a danger to the state or a benefit? To answer this question, it is necessary to delve into Plato’s description of the perfect leader which includes an investigation into the concepts of morality and ethics as well as an understanding of the restrictions and opportunities he envisioned for his ideal society’s exposure to philosophy. As seen in the writings of Plato regarding Socrates, which some will argue is a blending of the two philosophers’ ideas, one of the requirements for a leader is that he be a moral and ethical man. To be a moral and ethical man, it is necessary that this man must first know â€Å"his spiritual self as it really is, including all its shortcomings, strengths and potentialities† (Sahakian, Sahakian, 1966, p. 32). As Plato was a disciple of Socrates and the source of much of the information we have regarding much of what this man had to say, Socrates’ concept of ethics is relevant to an understanding of Plato’s views. According to Socrates, it is the man who does not know himself who cannot accurately judge his own capabilities and his own unique path to the greatest good based on accurate use of his strengths and knowledge of his weaknesses. Socrates takes this another step by suggesting that knowledge of oneself will instruct from within regarding those thin gs which are good (moral and ethical) and those things which are not. He suggests this by claiming that things that are good will make us feel happy inside while things that are bad will be immediately

Team Leader Interview Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Team Leader Interview - Research Paper Example The size of a team differs in every organization. This is due to the fact that different organizations and departments have dissimilar objectives, different goals and different expectations in terms of success and the final product. For every organization, to determine how many members will make up the team, different variables and factors are considered (Drouin, 2013). One major factor that is considered is the expectations that the leaders and management have on the team. Different expectations determine how big or small a group is. When the expectations are too high, an organization might decide that the best way to achieve them is by forming a large team (Avery, Walker and Murphy, 2001). In addition, it is important to consider the roles that each of the team members is going to play. If each individual in the team will handle different aspects in the task, the team size might be different as compared to when all team members will handle similar aspects in the task as noted by Mountain and Davidson (2011). Another factor that is considered is the amount and extent of cohesiveness and the level of interconnectivity that is found in a team. Cohesion and interconnectivity are pertinent towards ensuring successful teamwork. When the connection and cohesion is high, the number of members in the team can be less and when it is low, the number should be increased (Edger, 2012). It has been hard to determine the optimum team size, but researchers propose that effective memberships are made of between 4 to 11 members (Robbins and Judge, 2013). However, recommendations brought forward by researchers suggest that 7 to 12 members is an optimum number for problems necessitating high quality decisions (Drouin, 2013). Secondly, when it is important to reach a consensus on a conflict, 3 to 5 members is essential and lastly, when quality and consensus is deemed most

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 214

Assignment Example I believe that this is the sign that he was extremely talented. As the presented puts it, every next text that was writer afterward simply expanded the ides which were created in his two fundamental works. The first one is called The World as Will and Representation and the other one is called On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason. Another aspect of his life that really influenced me as the decision that he made when he was young. It is said that he could pursue many different careers, including running a business, but he knew that his accomplishments would lie in the academic field. Having learned about the idea which were develop by this philosopher, I must admit that he is truly one of the most wise scholars of his century and the science would have been greatly damaged in case Schopenhauer had chosen a different field of activity. It was suggested in the video that he was able to influence a considerable number of people who were later recognized as prominent individuals as well. It is quite remarkable to see the way he treated the concept of will and tried to use it in order to explain the world as it is. I believe that a careful examination of his legacy is beneficial to all

Critical thinking Essay Example for Free

Critical thinking Essay Utilitarianists are often persecuted for holding a morality in which the end always justifies the means, no matter how repulsive it may be to intuitional moral standards. Hare attempts to quiet controversy by combining act and rule utilitarianism in daily life in such a way that internal moral standards are satisfied and overall good is promoted. Kymlicka stays firm in his opposition to Hare’s theories and shuns the idea of consequentialism having intrinsic value greater than that of intuitive moral standards. Hare’s process of critical thinking combined with intuitionism leads to a flawless conclusion based on systematic procedure that will benefit the most people in the long term even against Kymlicka’s well thought out arguments. Kymlicka thinks that utilitarianism bypasses immediate obligations that should be fulfilled. He believes that utilitarianists’ foresight actually hinders their ability to do what is â€Å"right† or â€Å"just† in the present. He also believes that utilitarianism gives too much weight to illegitimate preferences, meaning that utilitarianists can often choose to do the worse option in consideration in order to satiate a desire for immoral happiness. In the specific case that he puts forward, Kymlicka uses the simple example of an everyday action in which a loan is given to him and he faces the moral dilemma of whether or not he should repay it. He believes that the utilitarianist might keep the money or give it away rather than repaying it if he thought that it would produce the most good in the end to himself or some other party. One may argue that by loaning out money it is consensual and therefore cannot be categorized as theft when the amount is not repaid. However, the loan was made with the qualification and equal understanding that the money would be repaid. Since Kymlicka uses the term â€Å"loan,† he is very much aware that he has the obligation to pay the money back. This may be called breaking a promise as well as theft, so it is doubly breaking a moral standard. Herein lays Kymlicka’s problem with utilitarianism and its criteria of morality. Phil 434 First Writing Assignment 1. Due Mon. Sep 13 Hare believes that there are two levels to moral thinking – critical and intuitive. Critical thinking is systematic and calculated while intuitive thinking is vaguer and based on feelings rather than a systematic procedure. It is said that each person starts at the intuitive level and then progresses to the critical level with age and maturity in understanding. He uses the example of two beings from opposite ends of the spectrum to show what one must be to think purely critically or intuitively – an archangel and a prole. The archangel has no human flaws thus can think critically all the time, and a prole has human flaws to an extreme degree thus must rely on intuitive thinking all the time. Consequentialism is the major theme of critical thinking, which aims to promote the most good to the most people in the end. He postulates, however, that since the human condition is flawed and cannot predict with certainty and without bias what is best in the long run, intuition must be used. Where intuition comes from is a controversial subject – but most believe that upbringing and environment have a strong effect on it and therefore may be tampered with. Since both levels have the possibility to be flawed, they must be used in conjunction. Vacillating between the two is the only way to make good moral decisions throughout one’s entire life. It can be argued that the two levels agree many times in normal day-to-day cases since there is a commonality to moral thinking, such as the law of non-maleficence. Both place in high respect accomplishing what is â€Å"good,† but both have different criteria as to what qualifies – namely what promotes the most good versus what you intuitively know to be the right thing to do. According to the utilitarianist, in a perfect world, critical thinking would be used all the time. Since humans have limits, however, Hare allows and even encourages intuitionism to be used and used often even though he views critical thinking to be superior. One cannot expect to sever himself of all emotion and possess the capability to see the exact outcomes of all possible Phil 434 First Writing Assignment 2.

Implementation Of Steganography For Audio File Format Computer Science Essay

Implementation Of Steganography For Audio File Format Computer Science Essay Abstract The project entitled Audio Steganography is the application developed to embed an audio file in another audio signal. It is concerned with embedding information in an innocuous cover Speech in a secure and robust manner. This system makes the Files more secure by using the concepts Steganography and Cryptography. Steganography, poor cousin of Cryptography is the art of hiding messages inside other messages such that the very existence of the message is unknown to third party. The goal of cryptography is to make data unreadable by a third party, the goal of Steganography is to hide the data from a third party Through the use of advanced computer software, authors of images and software can place a hidden trademark in their product, allowing them to keep a check on piracy. This is commonly known as watermarking. Hiding serial numbers or a set of characters that distinguishes an object from a similar object is known as finger printing. Together, these two are intended to fight piracy. The latter is used to detect copyright violators and the former is used to prosecute them. But these are only examples of the much wider field of Steganography. The cover data should not be significantly degraded by the embedded data, and the embedded data should be as imperceptible as possible. The embedded data should be as immune as possible to modifications from intelligent attacks or anticipated manipulations. Thus it is necessary that the hidden message should be encrypted. 1. Introduction 1.1Synopsis 2 .System configuration 2.1 Software requirements 2.2 Hardware requirements 3. System Analysis 3.1 Feasibility study 3.2 Existing system 3.3 Proposed system 3.4 Analysis report 4. System design 4.1 System description 4.2 Functional requirements 5. UML Diagrams 6. Implementation 7. Testing and Debugging 8. Output Screens 9. Conclusion 10. Bibliography Introduction 1. Introduction Synopsis Encryption of data plays a vital role in the real time environment to keep the data out of reach of unauthorized people, such that it is not altered and tampered and sending the in audio format is most secured way to transfer the data through the network. The Audio Steganography is software, which tries to alter the originality of the file into some encrypted form and embed the file into an audio file. Then the users can easily and securely carry the compressed data wherever he wants. The major task of the Audio Steganography is to provide the user the flexibility of passing the information implementing the encryption standards as per the specification and algorithms proposed and store the information in a form that is unreadable. The Application should have a reversal process as of which should be in a position to de embed the data file from audio file and decrypt the data to its original format upon the proper request by the user. While the Encryption and Decryption is done the app lication should confirm the standards of authentication and authorization of the user. The Entire application should strive to achieve a user friendly Graphical User Interface, which need to be in a self-learning mode for the end user. The System Should provide all the functional standards of proper navigation with in the environment, which makes it possible for the users to have a smooth flow while working under the environment. The Overall system should provide proper menu based navigation for easier navigation and operation. The Application should be designed in such a way that, as soon as it starts create a Buffer and associate this buffer to some homogeneous data environment, the application should ask the user for the Encryption Key details and should start its functionality upon the logistics that are provided with in this key. The key should be designed in such a way that it prevents the unauthorized persons from stealing the information at any point of time. This is some part of securing the data from third party people. And the other way of securing the data is using Steganography in which embedding the encrypted file in to a audio file. If any one track that file they only see the audio file not the data. The application of De-embedding, Decryption and de compress should be a reverse process at the other end and should be translated only when the receiver of the data applies the proper reversal key. The Decryption process should have a log-based methodology that will take care of any errors that may be encountered while the system is under utilization and should record all those events, which are above the general standards of security. This system basically uses the Blowfish encryption algorithm to encrypt the passwords. This algorithm is a 64-bit block cipher with a variable length key. This algorithm has been used because it requires less memory. It uses only simple operations, therefore it is easy to implement. 1) Blowfish Algorithm Implementation Module 2) Steganography Module 3) Compression Module 4) GUI Module System Configuration 2. System Configuration 2.1 Software Requirements: Operating System Windows NT/2000 (Client/Server). 2.2 Hardware Requirements: Software requirements Front-end: Java J2SDK 1.5, Swings. System Configuration Pentium III Processor with 700 MHz Clock Speed 256 MB RAM, 20 GB HDD, 32 Bit PCI Ethernet Card. System Analysis Feasibility Study Fact Finding Techniques In this system we are going to develop a facility to a user that he will not face any difficulty at the time of usage like data missing, one way contacts, one view contacts. As we are developing this system with an encoding technique of images the user will not be bothered on which camera support is using, as well in sound. As we are maintaining one technique of speed controlling the frame relay will not be a problem for the user like over speed display, hanged display. 3.1 Feasibility Study A feasibility study is a high-level capsule version of the entire System analysis and Design Process. The study begins by classifying the problem definition. Feasibility is to determine if its worth doing. Once an acceptance problem definition has been generated, the analyst develops a logical model of the system. A search for alternatives is analyzed carefully. There are 3 parts in feasibility study. 3.1.1 Operational Feasibility: Question that going to be asked are Will the system be used if it developed and implemented. If there was sufficient support for the project from the management and from the users. Have the users been involved in planning and development of the Project. Will the system produce poorer result in any respect or area? This system can be implemented in the organization because there is adequate support from management and users. Being developed in Java so that the necessary operations are carried out automatically. 3.1.2 Technical feasibility Does the necessary technology exist to do what is been suggested Does the proposed equipment have the technical capacity for using the new system? Are there technical guarantees of accuracy, reliability and data security? The project is developed on Pentium IV with 256 MB RAM. The environment required in the development of system is any windows platform The observer pattern along with factory pattern will update the results eventually The language used in the development is JAVA 1.5 Windows Environment 3.1.3 Financial and Economical Feasibility The system developed and installed will be good benefit to the organization. The system will be developed and operated in the existing hardware and software infrastructure. So there is no need of additional hardware and software for the system. Existing and Proposed System 3.2 Existing System In the traditional architecture there existed only the server and the client. In most cases the server was only a data base server that can only offer data. Therefore majority of the business logic i.e., validations etc. had to be placed on the clients system. This makes maintenance expensive. Such clients are called as fat clients. This also means that every client has to be trained as to how to use the application and even the security in the communication is also the factor to be considered. Since the actual processing of the data takes place on the remote client the data has to be transported over the network, which requires a secured format of the transfer method. How to conduct transactions is to be controlled by the client and advanced techniques implementing the cryptographic standards in the executing the data transfer transactions. Present day transactions are considered to be un-trusted in terms of security, i.e. they are relatively easy to be hacked. And also we have to consider the transfer the large amount of data through the network will give errors while transferring. Nevertheless, sensitive data transfer is to be carried out even if there is lack of an alternative. Network security in the existing system is the motivation factor for a new system with higher-level security standards for the information exchange. 3.3 Proposed System The proposed system should have the following features. The transactions should take place in a secured format between various clients in the network. It provides flexibility to the user to transfer the data through the network very easily by compressing the large amount of file. It should also identify the user and provide the communication according to the prescribed level of security with transfer of the file requested and run the required process at the server if necessary. In this system the data will be send through the network as a audio file. The user who received the file will do the operations like de embedding, decryption, and decompress in their level of hierarchy etc. Analysis Report 3.4 System Analysis People for long time have tried to sort out the problems faced in the general digital communication system but as these problems exist even now, a secured and easy transfer system evolved and came to be known as the Encryption and Decryption of the data and converting the file to audio format to be transferred using the cryptographic standards and Steganography. The advantages of this Audio Steganography are: High level Security Cost effective transfer In this fast growing world where every individual free to access the information on the network and even the people are technically sound enough in hacking the information from the network for various reasons. The organizations have the process of information transfer in and out of their network at various levels, which need the process to be in a secured format for the organizational benefits. If the organizations have the Audio Steganography System, then each employee can send the information to any other registered employee and thus can establish communication. The audio file that the employee sends reaches the destinations within no time in an audio file format where the end user need to de embed the file, decrypt it and de compress and use for the purpose. The various branches of the organization can be connected to a single host server and then an employee of one branch can send files to the employee of another branch through the server but in a secured format. System Design 4. System Design The System Design includes the maintenance of the secure file transfer service with a prescribed encryption format and split at the interested level of encryption, and embed process and the receiving service at the other end with de-embed and decryption process. The design also includes the provision of facility to the user to manipulate the concerned information according to his personal use and communication process. The design also needs to provide the communication channel to the user to communicate with other registered users through the mailing services in a reliable and secured format. Authorization and authentication services are preferred most for this purpose. The System Design includes the maintenance authorization services, File and directory services with a prescribed encryption format at the interested level of encryption and the receiving service at the other end with decryption process. The design also includes the provision of facility to the user to manipulate the concerned information according to his personal use. The design of Audio Steganography system, basically involve the interface architecture, Security services, and communication system. In the interface design we involve with the design of the user interface with GUI standards and a proper navigation system where the user need to enter into the flow of transactions authorization services are check and further access is provided into the system. Then the user needs to select into the operations provided through the GUI where compression, encryption, embedding, de-embedding, Decryption, Decompressing and sending of the file, General information and exit are provided. Here the Encryption and decryption and services are provided connecting to the security services module where the encryption and decryption are carried out using the cryptographic standards implementing the Blowfish algorithm. After the compression process is completed the user is selecting the file for encryption. After encryption of the file is completed the user is to select the file for embedding it to the audio file and sending through the network to the desired user by specifying the targeted users system IP address in the panel designed. Then the system gets connected to the targeted user and delivers the file in audio format after which the user working with the Audio Steganography software should go for the option De-Embed Files and decrypt the file by selecting the file path by which the file gets decrypted and decompress the file and is viewed on the system. 4.1 System Description The Audio Steganography system is designed basically in four different modules they are GUI module, Compression Module, Security System module, Steganography Module, Connection Manager Module. GUI Module basically deals with the design of the interface which include the service of providing the user with the flexibility of accessing the file system and selecting the required file for the transfer. It should also provide the system to collect the information from the user to check the authorization in providing the access to the file system. The interface is also to consider the design, which include the services of sending and receiving of the files with encryption and decryption standards. The Compression module basically deals with the compress and decompresses the file, which is used to send the file very easily which reduces the uploading time. Security implementation module considers the implementation of the encryptions and decryption standards in transfer the files from one system to another in a distributed environment. The system design, even need to support the user to select the level of encryption he/she needs to perform depending upon the file to be transferred. The basic algorithm used in this purpose is the Blowfish where the user can enter the key depending upon level encryption he is interested. The Connection Manager deals with the architecture, which supports the system to identify the end users for the communication and establish the communication. Connection and disconnection of the communication channel between the users for the access of file system and file transfer services. The Connection Manager receives the IP address to be connected and the file to be sent then establishes the connection and transfers the file. Functional Requirements: The Modules of the system are: 1) Blowfish Algorithm Implementation Module 2) Steganography Module 3) Compression Module 4) GUI Module Blowfish Algorithm: Blowfish is a block cipher that encrypts data in 8-byte blocks. The algorithm consists of two parts: a key-expansion part and a data-encryption part. Key expansion converts a variable-length key of at most 56 bytes (448 bits) into several sub key arrays totaling 4168 bytes. Blowfish has 16 rounds. Each round consists of a key-dependent permutation, and a key- and data-dependent substitution. All operations are XORs and additions on 32-bit words. The only additional operations are four indexed array data lookups per round. Sub keys: Blowfish uses a large number of sub keys. These keys must be precomputed before any data encryption or decryption. The P-array consists of 18 32-bit sub keys: P1, P2,, P18. There are also four 32-bit S-boxes with 256 entries each: S1,0, S1,1,, S1,255; S2,0, S2,1,..,, S2,255; S3,0, S3,1,, S3,255; S4,0, S4,1,..,, S4,255. Encryption and Decryption: Blowfish has 16 rounds. The input is a 64-bit data element, x. Divide x into two 32-bit halves: XL, xR. Then, for i = 1 to 16: XL = XL XOR Pi xR = F (XL) XOR xR Swap XL and xR After the sixteenth round, swap xL and xR again to undo the last swap. Then, xR = xR XOR P17 and XL = XL XOR P18. Finally, recombine xL and xR to get the cipher text. Function F looks like this: Divide XL into four eight-bit quarters: a, b, c, and d. Then, F (xL) = ((S1, a + S2, b mod 232) XOR S3, c) + S4, d mod 232. Decryption is exactly the same as encryption, except that P1, P2, P18 are used in the reverse order. Generating the Sub keys: The sub keys are calculated using the Blowfish algorithm: 1. Initialize first the P-array and then the four S-boxes, in order, with a fixed string. This string consists of the hexadecimal digits of pi (less the initial 3): P1 = 0x243f6a88, P2 = 0x85a308d3, P3 = 0x13198a2e, P4 = 0x03707344, etc. 2. XOR P1 with the first 32 bits of the key, XOR P2 with the second 32-bits of the key, and so on for all bits of the key (possibly up to P14). Repeatedly cycle through the key bits until the entire P-array has been XORed with key bits. (For every short key, there is at least one equivalent longer key; for example, if A is a 64-bit key, then AA, AAA, etc., are equivalent keys.) 3. Encrypt the all-zero string with the Blowfish algorithm, using the sub keys described in steps (1) and (2). 4. Replace P1 and P2 with the output of step (3). 5. Encrypt the output of step (3) using the Blowfish algorithm with the modified sub keys. 6. Replace P3 and P4 with the output of step (5). 7. Continue the process, replacing all entries of the P array, and then all four S-boxes in order, with the output of the continuously changing Blowfish algorithm. In total, 521 iterations are required to generate all required sub keys. Applications can store the sub keys rather than execute this derivation process multiple times. Steganography: Steganography is art of hiding information in ways that prevent the detection of hidden messages. Steganography derived from Greek, literally means Covered Writing. It includes a vast array of secret communications methods that conceal the messages very existence. Theses methods are including invisible inks, microdots, character arrangement, digital signature, and covert channels and spread spectrum communications. In this technology, the end user identifies an audio file, which is going to act as the carrier of data. The data file is also selected and then to achieve greater speed of transmission the data file and audio file are sent. Prior to this the data is embedded into the audio and then sent. The image if hacked or interpreted by a third party user will open up in any audio player but not displaying the data. This protects the data from being invisible and hence is secure during transmission. The user in the receiving end uses another piece of code to retrieve the data from the audio file. The module deals with identifying the hidden data in the audio file. The module receives the audio file that is then browsed to remove the associated data. The data is then removed from the audio file. Compression and Decompression: Compression reduces the average code length used to represent the symbols of an alphabet. Symbols of the source alphabet, which occur frequently, are assigned with short length codes. The general strategy is to allow the code length to vary from character to character and to ensure that the frequently occurring character has shorter codes. We use utility package for compression. This technique maps arbitrary input into printable character output. The form of encoding has the following relevant characteristics. The range of the function is a character set that is universally re-presentable at all sites, not a specific binary encoding of that character set. Thus, the characters themselves can be encoded into whatever form is needed by a specific system. For instance, the character E is represented in ASCII system as a hexadecimal 45 and in EDCDIC- based system as hexadecimal- c5. The character set consists of 65 printable characters, one of which is used for padding. With 2^6 = 64 available characters, each character can be used to represent 6 bits of input. No control characters are included in the set. Thus, the message encoded in Radix-64 can traverse mail-handling system. That scans the data stream for control characters. The hyphen character - is not included. Graphical User Interface: This project is developed using graphics in java swings. The options available are displayed in a menu format, like in an online editor. Clicking on any particular menu item through mouse or through keyboard a dropdown menu is displayed, listing all the options available under that menu item and the user can select the needed actions according to their wish. UML Diagrams Use case Diagram Sender: Receiver: Use case Description: Use case name Compress Participating actors Sender Flow of events The user selected file will be compressed Entry Condition User must select the file. Exit condition Successful or Un Successful Compression of file. Quality Requirements Display proper error messages while compression. Use case name De Compress Participating actors Receiver Flow of events The user selected file will be de compressed Entry Condition User must select the file. Exit condition Successful or Un Successful De-Compression of file. Quality Requirements Display proper error messages while de-compression. Use case name Encrypt Participating actors Sender Flow of events The user-selected file will be encrypted with a given key. Entry Condition User must select the file and must give the key for encryption. Exit condition Successful or Un Successful Encryption of file. Quality Requirements Display proper error messages while Encryption. Use case name Decrypt Participating actors Receiver Flow of events The user-selected file will be decrypted with a proper key. Entry Condition User must select the file and must give the key for decryption. Exit condition Successful or Un Successful Decryption of file. QualityRequirements Display proper error messages while Decryption. Use case name Embed Participating actors Sender Flow of events The user-selected encrypted file will be embedding with selected audio file. Entry Condition User must select the one encrypted file and one audio file for embedding. Exit condition Successful or Un Successful Embedding process. Quality Requirements Display proper error messages while Embedding two files. Use case name De-Embed Participating actors Receiver Flow of events The user-selected audio file will be de-embedding to encrypted file. Entry Condition User must select the audio file for de-embedding. Exit condition Successful or Un Successful De-embedding of file. Quality Requirements Display proper error messages while De-embedding. Use case name Send File Participating actors Sender Flow of events The user-selected file will be send to the given host. Entry Condition User must select the file to send and must know the IP address of the destination host. Exit condition Successful or Un Successful sending of file to the destination host. Quality Requirements Display proper error messages while Sending the file. Class Diagram: Sequence Diagrams Sender: Receiver: Activity Diagram for Compression, Encryption, Embedding Sending Encryption System Sender Activity Diagram for De-Embed, Decrypt Decompress Receiver Decryption System Software Overview FEATURES OF THE LANGUAGE USED About Java Initially the language was called as oak but it was renamed as Java in 1995. The primary motivation of this language was the need for a platform-independent (i.e., architecture neutral) language that could be used to create software to be embedded in various consumer electronic devices. Java is a programmers language. Java is cohesive and consistent. Except for those constraints imposed by the Internet environment, Java gives the programmer, full control. Finally, Java is to Internet programming where C was to system programming. Applications and Applets An application is a program that runs on our Computer under the operating system of that computer. It is more or less like one creating using C or C++. Javas ability to create Applets makes it important. An Applet is an application designed, to be transmitted over the Internet and executed by a Java -compatible web browser. An applet is actually a tiny Java program, dynamically downloaded across the network, just like an image. But the difference is, it is an intelligent program, not just a media file. It can react to the user input and dynamically change. FEATURES OF JAVA Security Every time you that you download a normal program, you are risking a viral infection. Prior to Java, most users did not download executable programs frequently, and those who did scanned them for viruses prior to execution. Most users still worried about the possibility of infecting their systems with a virus. In addition, another type of malicious program exists that must be guarded against. This type of program can gather private information, such as credit card numbers, bank account balances, and passwords. Java answers both of these concerns by providing a firewall between a networked application and your computer. When you use a Java-compatible Web browser, you can safely download Java applets without fear of virus infection or malicious intent. Portability For programs to be dynamically downloaded to all the various types of platforms connected to the Internet, some means of generating portable executable code is needed .As you will see, the same mechanism that helps ensure security also helps create portability. Indeed, Javas solution to these two problems is both elegant and efficient. The Byte code The key that allows the Java to solve the security and portability problem is that the output of Java compiler is Byte code. Byte code is a highly optimized set of instructions designed to execute by the Java run-time system, which is called the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). That is, in its standard form, the JVM is an interpreter for byte code. Translating a Java program into byte code helps makes it much easier to run a program in a wide variety of environments. The reason is, Once the run-time package exists for a given system, any Java program can run on it. Although Java was designed for interpretation, there is technically nothing about Java that prevents on-the-fly compilation of byte code into native code. Sun has just completed its Just In Time (JIT) compiler for byte code. When the JIT compiler is a part of JVM, it compiles byte code into executable code in real time, on a piece-by-piece, demand basis. It is not possible to compile an entire Java program into executable code all at once, because Java performs various run-time checks that can be done only at run time. The JIT compiles code, as it is needed, during execution. Java Virtual Machine (JVM) Beyond the language, there is the Java virtual machine. The Java virtual machine is an important element of the Java technology. The virtual machine can be embedded within a web browser or an operating system. Once a piece of Java code is loaded onto a machine, it is verified. As part of the loading process, a class loader is invoked and does byte code verification makes sure that the code thats has been generated by the compiler will not corrupt the machine that its loaded on. Byte code verification takes place at the end of the compilation process to make sure that is all accurate and correct. So byte code verification is integral to the compiling and executing of Java code. Javac Java Virtual Machine Java byte code Java Source .Java .Class The above picture shows the development process a typical Java programming uses to produce byte codes and executes them. The first box indicates that the Java source code is located in a. Java file that is processed with a Java compiler called JAVA. The Java compiler produces a file called a. class file, which contains the byte code. The class file is then loaded across the network or loaded locally on your machine into the execution environment is the Java virtual machine, which interprets and executes the byte code. Java Architecture Java architecture provides a portable, robust, high performing environment for development. Java provides portability by compiling the byte codes for the Java Virtual Machine, which is then interpreted on each platform by the run-time environment. Java is a dynamic system, able to load code when needed from a machine in the same room or across the planet. Compilation of Code When you compile the code, the Java compiler creates machine code (called byte code) for a hypothetical machine called Java Virtual Machi

A case study of NPower, a leading energy supplier in United Kingdom

A case study of NPower, a leading energy supplier in United Kingdom In the past the training and development approaches were not followed by many organizations. It was believed that the managers or leaders are born not made. Activities of training the employees were considered the wastage of time and resources. However, with the passage of time it was understood by the theorists and the organizations themselves that training and development is very important for human resource building. Now training and development is one of the important functions of human resource management. Training is not considered as a cost rather it is considered as investment on the employees which ultimately become the assets of an organization (Beardwell, 2004). Different methods and techniques are available to train and develop the human resource and those methods and techniques are modernized with critical analysis and their effect on human behaviors. There is one way to train the employees is to give them theoretical knowledge about the skills and give them an understanding of theories and procedures developed by different big organizations and theorists. This type of training and development comes under cognitive approach which majorly focuses on lectures, discussion, demonstrations etc. However the case company, npower does not follow this approach as they believe more in practical training rather than verbal or written training. Npower train their employees in real time working conditions where they understand the skills and adapt them and implement them on their job in the same time. This allows more sold grasps on the concepts and techniques as bookish knowledge might be different from the practical knowledge. And this also does not allow the generation of any conflict between the bookish knowledge and its practical implementation. This type of training and development comes under behavioral methods. Npower puts the responsibilities on the employees shoulders and delegates the decision making power to their employees which give them a sense that they are the part of the organization. In this way the employees feel more responsibility on their shoulders and this enhances their leadership skills and capabilities. The company involves the employees of all levels in the decision making process as they trust the competencies of their staff. The decision making power is delegated to all levels depending upon the criticality of the decision and the risk associated with it. The strategic decisions which involve high risk are the responsibility of the top management. As designing and implementing the strategies gives a direction to all the organization and it is very important to show a right direction to the organization otherwise the whole venture will be a complete failure. After the strategically decision, comes the tactical decision which is required to be made for the proper implementation of strategies decided by the top level executives. Tactical decision is at the discretion of the managers. This is because it involves fewer risks as compared to the strategic decisions. Managers are in a better position to take such decision because they understand the strengths and weaknesses of their team members. This allows the managers to learn the analytical and managerial skills and furthermore the skill of taking strategy in to implementation phase. The next level of decisions is the operational decisions which are delegated to the low level employees. For instance an employee does not have to wait for the approval of his manager if he finds that a part of a machine is required to be changed. Such type of operational decision is taken by the employees themselves and this increases their operational skill and knowledge. In this way npower delegates the decision making power at different levels and provides a platform of learning and development of the skills of their employees. This enables the organization to build a force of skilled human resource that gives them a competitive advantage over the others in the market. Training and Development Theories and Npower Approach Competitive advantage is referred to that ability of an organization which is not possessed by the other organizations and it is a competitive advantage which leads the organization to the top positions. There are many organizations in the world who are leading the markets by gaining competitive advantage in different fields of their business activities. One of the way in which a firm can attain a competitive advantage over the competitors is by building a force of superior human resource (Beardwell, 2004). Now the question arises that how this force of superior human resource can be build. The answer lies in a very important function of human resource management i.e. training and development. It has been observed that the employees or labor working in a competitive environment of market always welcome the training and development programs which can enhance their skills and knowledge (Davis Bostrom, 1993). Now days every job holder understands that to sustain and grow in the career it is very important to polish their skills. It is not that time where one degree or diploma is sufficient for the whole life. Employees actively participate in several programs which are organized by their organization and it has been observed that in some organization employees demand from their human resource department to arrange such training and development programs. Successful organization of today has built their human resource work force over the passage of time. There is no doubt that this work force is a highly valuable asset for any organization and the only possible way to build this workforce is training and development (Barney, 1986). There are several theories available in literature which emphasize on the importance of training and development in the organization and provides different alternative methods for training and development. A discussion of four major theories of training and development is given below. Theory of reinforcement This theory emphasizes on the learning behavior of a person and suggests that the learner will repeat that behavior which is attached with a positive outcome or result. Skinner an economist of behaviorist school of thought proposed the theory of reinforcement and suggested that the training and development programs should be aligned with the organizational objectives and a positive outcome should be expected with such training and development programs. Further elaborating this concept suggested in reinforcement theory, it can be argued that there are several techniques available in human resource practices which can be associated with the training and development programs and the required suggestion by this theory can be fulfilled. Different types of rewards in the form of bonuses, salary raises, promotion and awarding of certificate after the training program can be associated with the training and development activities and these rewards will definitely gen erate a positive outcome. If this is done by an organization then according to the Skinners theory of reinforcement the trainer i.e. the employee will show more interest in the training and development programs held by the organization. Theory of Learning Types The theory presented by Gagne emphasized on learning of intellectual skills. These are such skills which are found rare among the persons. He suggested by different learning types in his theory and each learning type contains some external and internal conditions. The five categories of learning which Gagne defined in his theory include intellectual skills, verbal information, attitudes, cognitive strategies and motor skills. Theory of Experiential Learning Experiential and cognitive types of learning are differentiated by experiential theory of learning presented by C. Rogers. According to Rogers, the wants and needs of the learner are addressed by this type of learning. Experience gives the person a maturity and increases the learning power along with the knowledge. Due to the personal involvement, the learner is able to conduct a self-evaluation test, which allows him to understand the effect of learning on his/her attitude. The case company npower seems to follow this theory as the company puts an engineer in different working conditions and allows him to understand different fields of work. This helps the employee to gain experience and that person skills grow by gaining experience with the passage of time. Theory of Social Learning Social theory presents a new view of learning i.e. social. According to the presenter of this theory, Albert Bandura, direct reinforcement cannot address all types of learning. Here by direct enforcement means the training and development programs that is organized to enhance the skills. According to this theory such programs are not address all learning types as there are some social elements which cannot be taught. Those elements are learned by the leaner from his/her surroundings. Such type of learning is called observational learning and this learning is associated with the understanding of different human behaviors. The first type of learning defined in this theory is through observation. In an organization the environment and the surroundings plays a very important role. The environment should be very professional and the surroundings should be in such a way that the people (employees) learn from them. This theory also suggests that it is not necessar y that the behavior is changed after learning something. It is expected that a persons behavior changes after learning something, but it is not in all cases. Furthermore the theory also explains about the mental states which play a vital role in learning process. If the mental status of the person is negative regarding any learning activity then he will not take part in that learning process and even if he is forced to do so, he will not gain any positivity from that process. In organizational training programs the mental state can be made positive regarding the training and development programs by associating the rewards and benefits with such programs which will motivate the employees and help to build a positive mental state. The case company also follow this theory as it allows the employees to learn from the surrounding and provides an environment where they can learn from their supervisors/managers and coworkers. Change Management and Human Resource Management For the organizations throughout the world, constant change has become a necessity for the success and growth. Due to the intense competition in the market organization find them in a continuous process of change in order to cope up with the market and customer needs (Chandler, 1992). In this way change management has become a permanent function or activity of any business. Many organizations increase their effectiveness by using change strategically. However, for an effective change in an organization it is required that proper thoughtful planning is done and the employees acceptance is taken by properly communicating the benefits of change to the employees. Human resource department should be involved form the initial phase of change process (Beardwell, 2004). Change in the organization brings the impact on the minds of the employees and the change in employees attitudes cannot be neglected in this process which should be the prime responsibility of HR department to manage and to m ake that impact on the minds of the employees positive (Buchanan Hucczynski, 1991). It has been observed in different organizations where the change has been brought by the management, that many of the people are uncomfortable with the change. So human resource management functions should be facilitating the change management in the organization and should focus on the removal of those discomforts among the employees brought by the change process. Human resource department should ensure that the reasons and benefits of the change process are properly communicated to all the employees and all the employees are clear about the change process. For effective change process implementation it is very important that employee resistance should not be there and employee resistance majorly occurs when they are not clear about the process and the benefit of the change (Buchanan Hucczynski, 1991). Simply imposing the change in the organization will not result in the effective and successful c hange implementation. Furthermore, this will impose a bad impact on the employees mind and will affect the performance of the employees as the employees will have to work in the new changed environment forcefully and it is very much understood that desired outcomes and results cannot be taken by force. Human resource should be actively involved in the change process and this will bring a real change in the organization. The case company npower, engages it employees in all the decision making process. In the case study Strategic Spare Parts Project is discussed, which is an example of the employee involvement in the business decisions and polices. So the company considers the employees thoughts and suggestions which are very important for bringing change in the organization. Npowers HRM PESTEL Analysis To identify and evaluate the external forces that can affect the organization directly or indirectly, PESTEL analysis is sued. This tool helps to examine and providing an in-depth analysis of all those forces under different heads which can potentially or currently affect the organization. PESTEL analysis is not only to evaluate the forces that can affect the whole organization; this analytical tool can also be used to identify the forces which affect the specific business units or functions of an organization. The human resource polices of the case company npower are under discussion and a PESTEL analysis is conducted of those external forces or factors which can affect the human reduce policies , practise and procedures of the company. Political Forces RWE npower is a leading organization in United Kingdome providing the energy services to the UK market. At United Kingdome there are different legislations which protect the consumer and employee rights. Furthermore there are laws which are used to maintain a fair competition in the market. So, the change in any kind of law and procedures will affect the human resource policies and practices directly. Furthermore, RWE npower is not only operating in UK, it is a German based organization and operating in different countries. So the changes in the laws and procedures in any country will affect the internal human resource policy of the organization. For a clearer understanding lets consider an example of a law in United Kingdome where the minimum wage rate of a labour is 3.59 pounds per hour. If at any time UK government increases it to 4 pounds per hour or more then HR polices of the company will be affected directly and immediately. Economic Forces Economic factors which can affect the HR policies of the case company can involve the change in inflation rate and the global economic condition (Beardwell, 2004). The change in inflation rate will force the company to follow the laws which suggests the organization to increase the salaries and other benefits according to the inflation rate. On the other hand the economic condition of the country as well as the world also affects the businesses (Kelly, 1999). In the recent global economic recession several organizations were forces to reduce their workforce and a downsizing trend was scene in many big multinationals. Due to globalization where the organizations have to expand in different location across the globe the economic forces and their impact also changes (Rioux, Bernthal, Wellins, 2008). For instance the economic condition in Europe will be much different as compared to economic condition in Asia. So, globalization gave birth to the need of managing several economic factors at different geographical locations. Social Forces Several social factors are there which affect the npowers human resource strategies and polices. To provide the employees and labours with a safe and healthy environment is necessary for every organization operating in United Kingdome. There are several legislations that ensure that each employee or labour is fully insured. So, changes in such legislations and laws immediately affect the human resource policies of the organization operating in United Kingdome. In social factors there is also a factor of globalization that affects the organizational HRM policies. As due to globalization the world is becoming a smaller place to operate. Several organizations are operating worldwide which include several cultural and geographical differences. The organization has to manage those cultural and geographical differences. It is not possible for a multinational cooperation such as npower to maintain a static HRM policy for all it business units across the globe. Each geographic al location has its own norms, believes and culture which have to be recognized by the organization. The human resource policies and procedures should support and correspond to the local employees and market needs (Rioux, Bernthal, Wellins, 2008). For the case company which is operating in different geographical locations the human resources management has to be a strategic function rather than simply an administrative function. The company has to consider the local requirements of the labour and employees and haver to focus on utilizing the exiting local talent in order to save the operational and administrative cost of the organization. Technological Forces Technology is changing very fast. It is very important for an organization operating in competitive business world to automate the human resource function (Beardwell, 2004). The manual working and the procedures are now obsolete as it wastes a lot of time and resources. To be quick and dynamic organization must have to automate their processes. Npowers human resource policies and practices will be affected with the change in the technologies. With the introduction of new technology the demand of the employees and the market increase and if the organization does not match up with the new technology then it will face a problem to retain the experienced and skilled workforce. Environmental Forces The health and safety act of United Kingdom puts a binding on the organization to provide healthy and safe environment to the employees. Environmental forces include mostly the weather changes. Human resource polices are indirectly affected by the environmental changes. Due to the change in weather it is quite possible that the employees have to be provided with different protective suits or air-conditioned plants etc. Legislative Forces The government of United Kingdome have passed different laws and regulations and currently there are several laws and regulations which are to be considered by the case company while designing any human resource policy. United Kingdoms Legal Environment Through law the stability and security of the people is ensured and justice is provided according to it to the accused. Just like criminal and social laws there are also the business laws and legislations which are implemented by the state to ensure that the right of different stakeholders are protected. At United Kingdome several laws are there which protect the rights of employees, right of consumers and also there are laws which are to maintain the fair competition in the market and ensure that no organization manipulates the market. A fair and healthy competition is good for the industry as well as for the consumers, but to ensure this atmosphere in the business market the government has taken several steps towards this by implementing certain legislations. As discussed in the PESTEL analysis of npower, the legislative factors also plays and important factor and can affect the human resource policies of the company. Here, different legislation or acts implemented by the government of United Kingdome. For protecting the consumer rights the first legislation under discussion is the consumer Credit Act. It was implemented in 1974 by the UK government and according to this all such business who want to provide credit facility to their customers will have to take approval from Director General of fair trading. For the organization like case company it is not possible to work only on cash, so the organization have to give credit facilities to the corporate clients such as British Telecom, Wembley Stadium and Ford. The enterprise that is found to mislead the customer regarding the price through its promotions can be held accountable under the consumer protection act which was implemented in 1987. Under this act all the organization have to pre sent the actual price of the product or service and if there are any other charges or taxes with the price those should also be presented to the customer in the promotions. The equal pay act which was implemented in 1970, suggests the organization to equally pay the candidates without any discrimination of gender. Another act implemented in 1974 suggests the organization to provide the employees a safe and healthy working environment. The minimum wage act implemented by the UK government in 1998, bound all the enterprises not to pay less than 3.59 pounds per hour. Office of Trading (OFT) is responsible for maintain a healthy competition in the market and to ensure that no organization can create its monopoly. The fair trading act was implemented in 1973 under which Office of Trading can recommend that business to MMC (Monopolies Mergers Commission which is found to be chagrin high prices form the consumer or performing such activities which are against the interest of public. Office of Trading can also set the price ceiling in order to eliminate the monopolistic behaviour of the organizations.

Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodman Brown

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† portrays the growth of Young Goodman Brown through vivid symbolic setting. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is an allegory in which the setting is very important to the theme of the story. Throughout the narration, detailed setting and emblematic characters surround Goodman Brown. Goodman Brown is an Everyman character, which could be any one of us, struggling with his Puritan heritage, more specifically his spiritual faith. The setting is first introduced during a conversation between Goodman and his wife â€Å"Faith† which is symbolic of his struggle with his spiritual faith throughout the story. Standing in the doorway of his own home he turns to confront his wife, who encourages him to stay at home with her, the first expression in the story of his internal conflict with his â€Å"faith†. Walking away from his wife, he begins to question himself in several ways. Why is he leaving? What is he longing for? Where exactly is he going? â€Å"â€Å"Poor little Faith!† Thought he, for his heart smote him. â€Å"What a wretch am I to leave her on such an errand!†Ã¢â‚¬  (391) Without knowing the exact answer to any of the questions he enters the woods, dark and dreary, which Hawthorne uses to express the sense of evil. To understand the significance of the setting you have to understand the background of the Puritan culture which Hawthorne doesn’t state but expects the reader to know. Puritans live their lives for God. They believe everyone and everything is evil and one must live his life so to not unleash this inborn sin. Throughout the story, Goodman struggles with his own image of faith. Just as any young adult may step back and question their initial upbringing, he too, questions his forefathers. He doesn’t want to become who they were, the common feeling among younger generations. Brown could be any one of us who as we mature begin to discover flaws in our families and acquaintances we knew not existed. Continuing down his path in the woods he runs across a man â€Å"in grave and decent attire†. The word â€Å"grave† suggests the danger and seriousness of the journey. Soon the author persuades us that this man represents the devil in Goodman’s struggle with his beliefs. The man is willing to lead Goodman deep into the forest, or in other words, deep into sin. The man even addresses Brown telling him... ... himself from the generations before; he cannot completely separate himself from his parent’s faith and culture without losing his own identity. Hawthorne displays vivid setting throughout â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† to help him deal with the insecurities concerning not only his character but also his own forefathers and his own faith. The setting in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is critical to understanding the internal struggle for maturation of the main character. From â€Å"Faith† his wife, his journey through the dark and lonely yet demon- populated woods, supernatural happenings, Hawthorne takes his readers on an adventure filled with symbolic setting. To fully appreciate and understand â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† one must recognize with and pull out the expression of allegory Hawthorne uses to fulfill the curiosity in young maturing minds. Goodman Brown could be any of us, struggling with the inconsistencies in our own lives, and the unknown journeys we will venture to take while trying to form our own identities of self and mature into functioning adults in our society. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodmam Brown", The Story and Its Writer, 4th ed. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston:

The Virtue and Vice of Reason in Mores Utopia Essay -- Thomas More Ut

The Virtue and Vice of Reason in  More's Utopia   When reason permeates society, it does not necessarily imply greater happiness. When brought to the point of rationalization, or when there are errors in the analysis used in reasoning, reason tends to have adverse effects. On the other hand, when analysis is well thought out, and the correct conclusions are drawn, reason can have an overwhelmingly positive effect on a society. Many may think that Sir Thomas More's Utopia infers that reason must be the foundation, and even the preoccupation, of any perfect society. In fact, according to Dr. Evans, More's contemporaries had no doubt that More was attempting to depict a perfect society, one firmly based upon the precepts of reason. However, More injects several major flaws in the Utopian system, which subverts the possibility of that society being truly ideal. In his attempt to expose the inherent limitations of reason, More presents us with the Utopian society, which both benefits and loses from reason in their handling of material we alth, religious toleration, and respect for human life. More uses the Utopians' total rejection of material wealth to present the possibility of reason overcoming petty greed. The Utopians' realization that material wealth has little value is, at least on face, one of the higher pinnacles of their civilization. As Raphael says, "Nor can they understand how a totally useless substance like gold should now, all over the world, be considered far more important than human beings . . ." (89). With this statement, Raphael is pointing out one of the great flaws of any capitalistic society, that human beings often pursue gold and riches at the expense of human dignity and morality. Some human beings, ... ...posing ideas within it, Thomas More is not only exposing the limits of reason, but he is encouraging intellectual discourse and diversity of opinions. He is challenging individuals and society as a whole to not accept the so-called "perfect society," but to think about the consequences that would occur if a Utopian system were to be adopted. Yet he presents to us the notion that even reason has its limitations and is only as good as the person who analyzes the situation. There is no perfect society, no perfect individual, and certainly no Utopia, but that does not mean that we should not strive toward that end. When we use reason, a perfect state of society, or a perfect individual is by no means guaranteed, but at least it's a step in the right direction. Works Cited: More, Thomas. Utopia, ed. And trans. HVS Ogden. AHM Publishing Corporation, Illinois, 1949.

Why Does Being A Philosopher Help In Philosophical Practice? :: Philosophers Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Why Does Being A Philosopher Help In Philosophical Practice? I think of personal consulting and much of what others call therapy as like dancing with another person. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow and sometimes the hardest part to learn is how to stay out of your partners way. You must understand your partners way of moving very well indeed if you are to follow it, move with it and know what will embellish and accentuate and what will interrupt. The 'dance' of personal consulting requires the kind of intellectual ability we should expect a well trained philosopher to have even if it also calls for traits and skills philosophers are not likely to have. Philosophers are specialists in understanding people who are notoriously hard to understand. What philosophers do is listen to and think about other philosophers and their job is to pit their minds against the minds of some of the greatest intellects our civilisation has known, 'understand which is not the same as memorising', what those thinkers did say, would say, avoided saying, assumed or presupposed; who influenced them and how; which ideas connect with which; and how it all fits together. They must be able to do this so well that they can take the part of any major philosopher, know that philosopher so well that they can become him or her 'from the inside'. All academic disciplines breed a degree of self criticism that goes with a sense of never knowing as much as one ought to know, but this is especially true of philosophy which has historically been one of the most self critical and introspective of disciplines. Indeed the popular image of not being good for much owes a great deal to philosophers criticisms of themselves from Socrates on, and perhaps the world at large would not have had enough imagination to change the discipline with being useless if the philosophers had not themselves intimated as much. It is no wonder that philosophers are insecure given the stature of the minds against which they must match wits and given the complexity of the problems with which they deal. Granted philosophers tend to be 'out of touch' with their feelings — a drawback in a consultant— which would be shared by representatives of other disciplines such as psychiatry, psychology or medicine, but they are well used to keeping themselves in focus, to bringing a question back to 'what do 1 make out of all this?

Pursuing Perfection: Society, Media and Beauty

Beauty has been long defined as a set of attractive features a certain individual appreciates. It is a generally accepted notion that beauty remains to be declared by the one who sees. However, as time went by, people’s sight blurred and along the chaos, this individual’s notion of beauty became the one and only truth. Being sensitive to what is real beauty is as dull as it sounds inefficient.To simply redefine what is beauty is never simple. Influenced from certain icons, highlighted by flashing media, and affirmed by many socialites, beauty has become more than a description of the face. Women had to be always pretty and slim.Men had to be muscular and strong. It has become a high demand in the market where hobbies and little appreciation became obsessions. The American society would almost chant miracles by cosmetic surgeries. The media plays a major influence, the society tolerates the subtle imposition, and the person within grasps the whole idea with both arms. Me dia Affirmation Media affirms the silent speculation of how people define beauty. People think they will not fit in with other people and ad commercials will show them how they can be happier when they are as beautiful as their models. It will be a challenge, the ad would say, but worth doing so.Little did the audience know that they were simply trying to sell their products that truthfully caring for their lives. To be young and full of physical life is the only key to happiness. According to website Media Awareness Network, ads take advantage of the insecurities of the people. Those who are not beautiful should use their products. When they use the products, and achieve the kind of beauty they desire, then their lives would be worth living. These ads could be as simple as the right clothes to wear for the season or the latest trend in cosmetic surgery available in the market today.Regardless of what product it is, it will make their lives perfect, or so their ad says so. Media has presented different options: shampoos, soaps, perfume, lipstick, make-up, clothes, accessories, shoes, bags, and even underwear. Media would allow people to choose to make them feel the freely did so. But each item on the racks and shelves of malls and grocery stores lead to say one thing: if you want to be beautiful, use it until you are. Society and the Tasty Bait In this regard, media hands over a product as a bait, and society takes a bite on it.In any generation of people, what others think and feel about a certain person mattered a lot to that person. It dictates how they should fit in into society and how they can be truly happy when they are truly beautiful. When the ads say a person will have to be slim so that others would even find true friends, then it would seem then that the basis of relationships is shallow to begin with. For every culture, beauty is defined differently. However, in the latest trends of fashion and influences, and the rise of a global market, one con strued definition has crossed borders.It made the world want that kind of beauty. The kind that is rather superficial than appealing to certain existential individuals and society is most appealed by it. It is one thing to have all forms of media present a definition of beauty, it is another when the rest of society applies these bait to everything it was intended for. Website Associated Content noted that media distorts the meaning of beauty but the society takes as it is. One could even say that society even confirms the ads and everybody else should follow. People should always be beautiful and sexy no matter who or where they are.Weakling Within There will always be the option to not follow the trends and be themselves no matter how eccentric they are. But as the society dictates, the individual is more inclined to follow. This means that other affairs associated with that person is influenced by the constantly changing trends. YGoY Beauty Tips even noted that even in employment , employers also consider the physical attributes of a person before hiring them under their wing. However, as observed of majority of America, they failed to consider other attractive qualities of a person that cannot be observed by the eye by first glance.Being intelligent with a great sense of humor can also be considered as beautiful. The individual is weak and insecure. It has made them quite gullible and the companies have taken advantage of this by blasting all avenues of media possible solutions. They are saying, one will have to feel beautiful to be less miserable. With ads presenting mostly physical beauty than essential beauty, an individual will assume that beauty should start from the skin, instead of from the heart. Companies catered to the fears and insecurities and turned them around to make them buy the product to solve their problems.These assumptions, according to the abovementioned website, were affirmed by a research study. People strongly believe that physicall y beautiful people are happy and content with their lives. It has become their personal goals to reach this level. They failed to see that without being the epitome of beauty, one can achieve great happiness as well. But because the society applies what the media says, an individual bends to these trends. As another article from Associated Content said, beauty is demanding. Conclusion In the end, the definition of beauty today is the misconception of what is really most important in life.It deludes the public and make them feel secure enough to get into the next day. It pushed people to believe that you always have to fit in. Little did these people know that they are just being succumbed to buy certain products and make other people happy. Certain people bend for it and others end being obsessed with it. Beauty became a form of evil when it should be most appealing even with eyes closed. Beauty has been defined by media, as a marketing strategy to continually have their products on sale. Society takes on the definition beyond that an economic exchange. They made it as a way of life, indulging at what the media offered.The individual succumbs to the manipulation to alleviate their own insecurities. With this, one loses the essence of being an individual. Being who you are no longer mattered and fitting in did. Being happy is not being able to express oneself completely. Instead it is about being beautiful and always appealing to anyone’s eyes. They pursue perfection. But how could anyone continuously look at a person’s face, and appealed by it, if the words that come out of their painted lips are not as the plastic face has promised? References (2005). What are the notions of beauty in society. Retrieved November 20, 2008 from http://beautytips.ygoy. com/general-tips/effects. php. (2006, December 20). Society and the pursuit of society. Retrieved November 20, 2008 from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/103679/society_and_the_pursuit_of_b eauty. html? cat=9. (2008). Beauty and body image in the media. Retrieved November 20, 2008 from http://www. media-awareness. ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty. cfm. Little Lady. (2006, November 8). Media distortion of beauty. Retrieved November 20, 2008 from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/84381/media_distortion_of_beauty. html? page=1&cat=60.