Sqc – Statistical Quality Control

Statistical quality control (SQC) The application of statistical techniques to measure and evaluate the quality of a product, service, or process. Two basic categories: I. Statistical process control (SPC): – the application of statistical techniques to determine whether a process is functioning as desired II. Acceptance Sampling: – the application of statistical techniques to determine whether a population of items should be accepted or rejected based on inspection of a sample of those items. Quality Measurement: Attributes vs Variables Attributes:Characteristics that are measured as either â€Å"acceptable† or â€Å"not acceptable†, thus have only discrete, binary, or integer values. Variables: Characteristics that are measured on a continuous scale. Statistical Process Control (SPC) Methods Statistical process control (SPC) monitors specified quality characteristics of a product or service so as: To detect whether the process has changed in a way that w ill affect product quality and To measure the current quality of products or services. Control is maintained through the use of control charts. The charts have upper and lower ontrol limits and the process is in control if sample measurements are between the limits. Control Charts for Attributes P Charts – measures proportion defective. C Charts – measures the number of defects/unit. Control Charts for Variables X bar and R charts are used together – control a process by ensuring that the sample average and range remain within limits for both. Basic Procedure 1. An upper control limit (UCL) and a lower control limit (LCL) are set for the process. 2. A random sample of the product or service is taken, and the specified quality characteristic is measured. . If the average of the sample of the quality characteristic is higher than the upper control limit or lower than the lower control limit, the process is considered to be â€Å"out of control†. CONTROL CHA RTS FOR ATTRIBUTES p-Charts for Proportion Defective p-chart: a statistical control chart that plots movement in the sample proportion defective (p) over time Procedure: 1. take a random sample and inspect each item 2. determine the sample proportion defective by dividing the number of defective items by the sample size 3. lot the sample proportion defective on the control chart and compare with UCL and LCL to determine if process is out of control The underlying statistical sampling distribution is the binomial distribution, but can be approximated by the normal distribution with: mean = u = np (Note – add the bars above the means used in all the equations in this section) standard deviation of p: sigmap = square root of (p(1 -p ) / n) where p = historical population proportion defective and n = sample size Control Limits: UCL = u + z sigmap LCL = u – z sigma p is the number of standard deviations from the mean. It is set based how certain you wish to be that when a l imit is exceeded it is due to a change in the process proportion defective rather than due to sample variability. For example: If z = 1 if p has not changed you will still exceed the limits in 32% of the samples (68% confident that mean has changed if the limits are exceeded. z = 2 – limits will be exceeded in 4. 5 (95. 5 % confidence that mean has changed) z = 3 – limits will be exceeded in . 03 (99. % confidence) c-Charts for Number of Defects Per Unit c-chart: a statistical control chart that plots movement in the number of defects per unit. Procedure: 1. randomly select one item and count the number of defects in that item 2. plot the number of defects on a control chart 3. compare with UCL and LCL to determine if process is out of control The underlying sampling distribution is the Poisson distribution, but can be approximated by the normal distribution with: mean = c standard deviation = square root of c here c is the historical average number of defects/unit Con trol Limits: UCL = c + z c LCL = c – z c Control Charts for Variables Two charts are used together: R-chart (â€Å"range chart†) and X barchart (â€Å"average chart†) Both the process variability (measured by the R-chart) and the process average (measured by the X bar chart) must be in control before the process can be said to be in control. Process variability must be in control before the X bar chart can be developed because a measure of process variability is required to determine the -chart control limits.R-Chart for Process Variability: UCLR = D4(R) LCLR = D3(R) where is the average of past R values, and D3 and D4 are constants based on the sample size -Chart for Process Average: UCLR = X bar + A2(R) LCL = X bar – A2(R) where X bar is the average of several past values, and A2 is a constant based on the sample size Other Types of Attribute-Sampling Plans Double-Sampling Plan: Specifies two sample sizes (n1 and n2) and two acceptance levels (c1 and c2 ) 1. f the first sample passes (actual defects c1), the lot is accepted 2. if the first sample fails and actual defects > c2, the lot is rejected 3. if first sample fails but c1 < actual defects c2, the second sample is taken and judged on the combined number of defectives found. Sequential-Sampling Plan: Each time an item is inspected, a decision is made whether to accept the lot, reject it, or continue sampling. Acceptance Sampling Goal: To accept or reject a batch of items.Frequently used to test incoming materials from suppliers or other parts of the organization prior to entry into the production process. Used to determine whether to accept or reject a batch of products. Measures number of defects in a sample. Based on the number of defects in the sample the batch is either accepted or rejected. An acceptance level c is specified. If the number of defects in the sample is c the atch is accepted, otherwise it is rejected and subjected to 100% inspection. Sqc – Statistical Quality Control Statistical quality control (SQC) The application of statistical techniques to measure and evaluate the quality of a product, service, or process. Two basic categories: I. Statistical process control (SPC): – the application of statistical techniques to determine whether a process is functioning as desired II. Acceptance Sampling: – the application of statistical techniques to determine whether a population of items should be accepted or rejected based on inspection of a sample of those items. Quality Measurement: Attributes vs Variables Attributes:Characteristics that are measured as either â€Å"acceptable† or â€Å"not acceptable†, thus have only discrete, binary, or integer values. Variables: Characteristics that are measured on a continuous scale. Statistical Process Control (SPC) Methods Statistical process control (SPC) monitors specified quality characteristics of a product or service so as: To detect whether the process has changed in a way that w ill affect product quality and To measure the current quality of products or services. Control is maintained through the use of control charts. The charts have upper and lower ontrol limits and the process is in control if sample measurements are between the limits. Control Charts for Attributes P Charts – measures proportion defective. C Charts – measures the number of defects/unit. Control Charts for Variables X bar and R charts are used together – control a process by ensuring that the sample average and range remain within limits for both. Basic Procedure 1. An upper control limit (UCL) and a lower control limit (LCL) are set for the process. 2. A random sample of the product or service is taken, and the specified quality characteristic is measured. . If the average of the sample of the quality characteristic is higher than the upper control limit or lower than the lower control limit, the process is considered to be â€Å"out of control†. CONTROL CHA RTS FOR ATTRIBUTES p-Charts for Proportion Defective p-chart: a statistical control chart that plots movement in the sample proportion defective (p) over time Procedure: 1. take a random sample and inspect each item 2. determine the sample proportion defective by dividing the number of defective items by the sample size 3. lot the sample proportion defective on the control chart and compare with UCL and LCL to determine if process is out of control The underlying statistical sampling distribution is the binomial distribution, but can be approximated by the normal distribution with: mean = u = np (Note – add the bars above the means used in all the equations in this section) standard deviation of p: sigmap = square root of (p(1 -p ) / n) where p = historical population proportion defective and n = sample size Control Limits: UCL = u + z sigmap LCL = u – z sigma p is the number of standard deviations from the mean. It is set based how certain you wish to be that when a l imit is exceeded it is due to a change in the process proportion defective rather than due to sample variability. For example: If z = 1 if p has not changed you will still exceed the limits in 32% of the samples (68% confident that mean has changed if the limits are exceeded. z = 2 – limits will be exceeded in 4. 5 (95. 5 % confidence that mean has changed) z = 3 – limits will be exceeded in . 03 (99. % confidence) c-Charts for Number of Defects Per Unit c-chart: a statistical control chart that plots movement in the number of defects per unit. Procedure: 1. randomly select one item and count the number of defects in that item 2. plot the number of defects on a control chart 3. compare with UCL and LCL to determine if process is out of control The underlying sampling distribution is the Poisson distribution, but can be approximated by the normal distribution with: mean = c standard deviation = square root of c here c is the historical average number of defects/unit Con trol Limits: UCL = c + z c LCL = c – z c Control Charts for Variables Two charts are used together: R-chart (â€Å"range chart†) and X barchart (â€Å"average chart†) Both the process variability (measured by the R-chart) and the process average (measured by the X bar chart) must be in control before the process can be said to be in control. Process variability must be in control before the X bar chart can be developed because a measure of process variability is required to determine the -chart control limits.R-Chart for Process Variability: UCLR = D4(R) LCLR = D3(R) where is the average of past R values, and D3 and D4 are constants based on the sample size -Chart for Process Average: UCLR = X bar + A2(R) LCL = X bar – A2(R) where X bar is the average of several past values, and A2 is a constant based on the sample size Other Types of Attribute-Sampling Plans Double-Sampling Plan: Specifies two sample sizes (n1 and n2) and two acceptance levels (c1 and c2 ) 1. f the first sample passes (actual defects c1), the lot is accepted 2. if the first sample fails and actual defects > c2, the lot is rejected 3. if first sample fails but c1 < actual defects c2, the second sample is taken and judged on the combined number of defectives found. Sequential-Sampling Plan: Each time an item is inspected, a decision is made whether to accept the lot, reject it, or continue sampling. Acceptance Sampling Goal: To accept or reject a batch of items.Frequently used to test incoming materials from suppliers or other parts of the organization prior to entry into the production process. Used to determine whether to accept or reject a batch of products. Measures number of defects in a sample. Based on the number of defects in the sample the batch is either accepted or rejected. An acceptance level c is specified. If the number of defects in the sample is c the atch is accepted, otherwise it is rejected and subjected to 100% inspection.

The Decline of Literacy and Education in America

The Decline of Literacy and Education in America Attention Getter: One of the major problems in America today is the decline of literacy and education. A recent study found that only 50% of high school students in major cities graduate. A 2007 study by the National Endowment for the Arts proved that Americans read less and not as well as previous generations. Americans teenagers are ranked behind countries such as Poland, Korea, France and Canada in reading. Many educators believe illiteracy is to blame for negative teen endeavors.Literate, educated people are more like to partake in positive activities because they are more confident. Psychological Orientation: Education is taken for granted in America. Americans are worried about all the wrong things and that is why our country is suffering. Speaking correctly is laughed at. Memorizing historical events and multiplication tables is outdated because we have Google and calculators. We would rather read pre-digested textbooks than ori ginal sources. We spend more time on our phones and watching reality shows than visiting libraries.We are not concerned with spelling because we have auto-correct. It has become difficult to put in the hard work of literature because we spend our time writing in 140 characters. We believe school should be entertaining, if learning is not fun it is not effective. That education is the job of the professionals and not the parents. Statistics don’t lie. Our modern education system is not working. We are failing to demand the best in students we let them get by instead of making them do what they are capable of. Resulting in our failure to compete in the global economy.We are far less literate and educated than our competitors. Logical Orientation: There are many reasons for the decline of literacy and education in America but I believe technology, parents, and unqualified teachers hold the biggest responsibility. Body I. What impact does technology have on literacy and education ? A. New media- radio, cinema, television, computer are making writing obsolete. B. Lack of reading causes our brains not to decipher the meaning of words. II. What impact do parents have on literacy and education?A. Today’s parent does not work with their child. B. They use technology as a baby sitter instead of using it to educate their children. III. What impact does people with learning disabilities not being taught properly have on literacy and education? A. The teachers do not care are not qualified. B. Their parents feel it is professionals job to help their child learn and not theirs. Logical Closure: I believe that the way for Americans to increase literacy is to stop taking education for granted. Technology is not all bad.Parents should use technology to educate their children instead of using it as a baby sitter. Teachers should truly care and Truancy laws should be enforced. Psychological Closure: Instead of being brainwashed with fashion, reality tv, and cell pho nes we need to be brainwashed with math, reading, and science. Clincher: It was Clive Lewis that said â€Å"We all want progress but if you are on the wrong word, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road. † It is not to late to stop the decrease in literacy. Promote education not entertainment.

TRADE secrets paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TRADE secrets paper - Essay Example In addition, there was no policy at Dana that prevents the employees from copying files for personal use. History of such case shows that the plaintiff must prove misappropriation of trade secrets by the employees. In addition, some cases base their arguments on the doctrine of inevitable disclosure to protect employees from accusations of misuse of company secrets (Lang 467). Several questions arose before the court, and these were was the American Axle an aggressive competitor of Dana Ltd, did employees misuse the trade secrets, did American Axle use the trade secrets, and finally, were the employees poached from Dana or they were laid off? The court ruled in American Axle’s favor by noting that the case for misuse or misappropriation was not proved (Dana Ltd. v. American Axle and Mfg. Holdings, Inc. 1). In addition, American Axle demonstrated that they were not competitors of Dana, and thus, they would not need to use their secrets to further their business. Finally, there was no policy at Dana Ltd that prevented employees from copying files for personal use. I agree with the ruling because there was insufficient evidence to prove misuse or misappropriation of company secrets by the

It is intended that small claims should be subjected to a process that Essay

It is intended that small claims should be subjected to a process that is easy to use and cheap for litigants. To what extent do - Essay Example This is important, because the small claims court is clogged with cases, according to the Bello (2010). There were 84,000 cases that were heard in the small claims court system in 2008, which most commonly include consumer compensation cases for faulty services, faulty goods and personal injury; cases for wages owed; and debt recovery for corporate creditors (Bello, 2010). The purpose of the small claims court, according to Bello (2010) is that they are informal courts – litigants can represent themselves, because the focus is on a process that is easily understandable to everybody. Evolution of the Small Claims Courts The evolution of the small claims court procedures have evolved. In 1973, according to the Bello (2010), the upper limit for the small claims court was only ?75. Obviously, the amount has grown substantially by then, and is going to grow even more. More importantly, the process has been streamlined by the changes in the Civil Procedure Rules which stated that, i n 1998, that there would be one set of rules for the civil claims in the high court and the county court, and that there would be special provisions made for small claims. ... This TCE Act, according to the HM Court and Tribunals Service, instituted a way of handling reviews and appeals. There is an Upper Tribunal, which decides appeals from the First-tier Tribunal. Each of these tribunals are also split into Chambers, each of which have their own rules and procedures. What this has done, according to the HM Courts and Tribunals Service, is provided a single mechanism by which a litigant may appeal the tribunal's decision. The Upper Tribunal's decision is not final, however, as it may also be appealed to the Court of Appeal (HM Court and Tribunal's Service). Mediation Probably the most important method that is being used to streamline the process of small claims, is the process of mediation. This has made the process cheaper and easier to use, at least in theory. Tagg (2010) explains that mediation in the English and Welsh courts began around 20 years ago with commercial disputes, and around 10 years ago for small claims issues. The rules of mediation are governed by Civil Justice Reforms implemented in 1999, and codified in the Civil Procedure Rules. In the small claims court system, according to Tagg (2010), there were reforms put into place in 2005/2006, in which the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) was made free to users. This is because the low amount of the claims would make paying for mediation not cost-effective. The small claims mediation service, which was implemented in the Manchester County Court after the reforms, was the most effective, and resulted in the greatest satisfaction and settlements. So, this was rolled out across England and Wales, and has since become well-established. This is a voluntary service (Tagg, 2010). The mediation process has some aspects in common, according to Reid (2007). Reid

COMMUNITY POLICING Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

COMMUNITY POLICING - Term Paper Example of partner in community policing, application of window broken approach in community policing and relation of community policing and the Chicago department of police. Community policing is used to decrease the increasing rate of crime with the help of people. Community policing is also known as neighborhood policing. It highlights one important idea that it can reduce the crime by demanding the active involvement of people in the process of detectiing a crime. It addresses the issues of crime in the society, the fear of people about the crime, criminals and vandals in the society, problems and issues taking place where the attention of the police is not reached. This notion is designed to work with the use of organizational strategies making sure the involvement of people in a systematic way and by the use of problem solving techniques. Therefore it can address the immediate problems of society and will help to keep the social order in the desired way. Over the last twenty five years, the notion of community policing has been evolving and it has grabbed the attention of the state government in America. The violent crime control and Law enforcement was enacted in the United States in 1994 and it ordered to create a community police who are supposed to work in the community areas encouraging the involvement of people in that particular area to reduce crime and bring social order and harmony. â€Å"In addition, a new agency, the Office of Community Oriented Police Services (COPS), was created to carry out this mission, and to administer extensive funding and implementation of community policing programs across the country. According to the latest estimates, community policing is widespread, with approximately 80 percent of larger municipal and county police departments employing an average of twenty or more community policing officers.† (Willis). â€Å"A community policing concept paper is created with a vision statement definition of community policing, an outline of

Unit 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Unit 7 - Essay Example ith the baseline, I will be able to know the progress of the project and provide the manager with detailed, accurate data on the progress of the project. My plan will be to provide the manager with project progress report every Monday after the start of the project detailing the costs used for the week, the work done during the week, and the estimates of project progress for the coming week. The main tools that I will use in the course of reporting to the manager are interim and baseline plans basing on the data from the budget, cost, time, and duration estimates from the project plan. During the start of the financial year a new data management systems was being installed in the company and a colleague and I were tasked with the reporting of the progress of the project by the Management systems team to which I am the manager. Using baseline and interim plans, we were able to give weekly reports to the CEO over the six weeks duration of the project that was very successful. Every Monday morning, we ensured that we delivered a report to the CEO detailing finish date, work completed during the  previous week and present plans for undertaking in the coming week. The project was lauded by the CEO during the managers meeting after the system proved effective in managing the high data flow in the company. Problem solving skills are important for all team members because problem solving skills by all team members increases team productivity at the workplace, aids in avoiding recurrence of problems, and results in professional effectiveness (Butterfield, 2009). When each member has problem solving skills seeking alternative solution is easy, increases the ability to cooperate as a team for the achievement of set goals, aids in understanding the severity of a given problem, and evaluate strategies of using available resources as a team to resolve the problem. When problem solving skills is available on all members and not some it creates a conducive environment for

Million Dollar Invention Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Million Dollar Invention - Scholarship Essay Example I have this belief that each DNA strand in human beings eventually spin off into various functions and develop certain intricacies which dictate if that particular DNA chain will result in a future illness for a person. By following the DNA strands development rather than manipulating it for specific scientific purposes, I believe I will be able to unlock the reasons as to why certain people are predisposed to certain illnesses. I realize that my dream of unlocking the secrets that the human DNA holds in relation to our illnesses may seem laughable at the moment. But take a step back and just think about it. The human DNA is the basis of human life and yet are still merely discovering the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the nitty gritty of how it functions and how it affects our health and well being. Therefore, studying its evolution until it produces an illness is something that will definitely have a positive effect in the development of future health care solutions. After successfully analyzing and segregating the DNA chains by the resulting illnesses, I will then concentrate on developing a medical test that shall successfully identify the DNA markers that each person carries which can tell the medical professional exactly what kind of illnesses the person he is treating shall be prone to. This should effectively eliminate or lessen the existence of certain illnesses since the development of the DNA chain into that particular strand can now be retarded, prevented, or cured. Such a medical discovery shall definitely be far ahead of its time and would definitely result in my names addition to the roster of noted names in the scientific field that have discovered and/or prevented illnesses from happening. More so when the public finds out that I managed to accomplish all of those things with only a million dollars backing my scientific and medical

Media related report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media related report - Essay Example In the music industry generally, music companies offer various pertinent details about the music album to the media in an effort to create curiosity as well as anticipation. The artist gives interviews to the media regarding the music album and releases previews on  the websites  so that the fans can listen to them and wait eagerly for the album’s release on the due date. The producers used various sources of media for generating interest  among  the fans by making announcements on their websites.  For Diving Board, avenues such as concert venues regarding the status of continued postponement of the release date and its reasons was posted. The producers of the album initially announced that the artist was not happy with the songs and  tracks,  so he was writing new tracks  of  the music album.  In this way, they succeeded to keep the music album in constant limelight for  one  year before its release and created  a lot of  speculation everywhere.   Finally, Sir Elton Johan gave an interview to Robert Copsey on Digitalspy.com and  also  gave them  a preview  of the new album, The Diving Board on Jul 16, 2013 (Copsey, 2013). He  also  talked about the passion  throughout  his life - music.  The premier single of this album was released on June 24,  2013,  and the music album was available  at  the market for pre-order.   When  the music  album was released in the market, various websites wrote reviews regarding this music album on their sites.   Before the release, most of them wrote reviews regarding the Elton John returning to his musical roots in 1970s and several reviewers were sceptical due to many postponements. After release of the album, the reviewer at Rollingstone.co.uk wrote on Sept 13, 2013 that this was a completely different musical style of the artist from the last album. He (Elton John) evoked the spirit of 1970s and reclaimed his legacy with which he made his name. Rolling Stones added that the work reminded  the

Embedded Formative Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Embedded Formative Assessment - Essay Example In essence, there were certain types of instructions issued by the teacher that seemed especially effective. For instance, the teacher would take us out to the field to learn about various phenomena and concepts related to the subject he was teaching. I think this was especially helpful because we used to directly learn about the concepts in practical situations hence we did not only enjoy his teaching lessons but we used to perform well in his subjects. Another approach that the teacher used in class was the discussion sessions whereby every student participated hence improving the general grade of each one. I think that besides the effective instruction methods, the teacher also used various assessments including but not limited to continuous class tests, end of syllabus exams, and a number of research papers. It is worthy to note that the types of assessments used matched the instructions employed in various ways. In his instructions, the teacher always encouraged class participations in order to keep every student at par with the topic of discussion. Perhaps I have to reiterate that this was the most interesting teacher and class in my entire academic life at least up to this point and

Social Media and Social Issues Essay Example for Free

Social Media and Social Issues Essay A study on the role of social media in shaping and publicizing Social issues Mohana Sudhan Mayilsamy, Assistant Professor, School of Communication, Dr. G. R. Damodaran College of Science, Avinashi Road, Coimbatore 641014. e-mail:[emailprotected] com, Mobile: 9944223455, Fax: 0422-2591865. Abstract Social media, especially social Networking Sites are turning up as an essential mode of interactive and informing media in the recent past. Especially, it is being considered as a platform for both promotion and publicizing social issues. But, the credibility and the truth of the news travelling in the networks as blogs and posts is a debatable issue. The paper starts with examining the powers enjoyed by the social networking sites and social media in the controlling the mass, uncategorized audience as well the informed citizens. Focus group observation method has been employed and analysis of the media in content handling have been done despite the rules and regulations imposed by the self-regulatory bodies in India and the loopholes present. With the findings the author concludes the need for a regulation of content in social media and a code of conduct for content management in Indian scenario. Key Words: Media, Social Networking Sites, Media effects, Social Media, Opinion seeking Introduction to the study: Do we rule the media or the media rules us? Has always been the question of researchers in media and in common users of media as well. The prophecy â€Å"Medium is the message† by Marshall McLuhan, gives a clear picture of how media has been ruling us and is ruling even now though the communication tools change, and he has emphasised this in many of his works including the Global village concept to technological determinism, where media plays a major role in deciding the content and ideology of users and not the users. But with the advent of advanced technologies and interactive devices, wiz, computer, mobiles and the increasing usage of Internet and other communication technologies, communication has got a radical change. Each and every day, yet another new technology is being diffused into the minds of the people every day and even people keep on getting used to all the technologies. The gratifications approach has been found valid for the day, as people select media in a wide spread manner. Social Networking Sites, an outcome of interactive services offered by social media and communicative tools like Internet and intranet have brought the world too handy, enabling people to interact and discuss virtually. A share in a social networking site can reach hundreds even millions in time depending upon the connectivity of the users. This makes people getting flattered on the networking sites and makes them spend hours and hours hanging over the net. It offers various services like e-mailing, instant messaging, sharing photos and videos, make friends and so on. With the increase in its need and usage, the information flowing in the Social Networking Sites is unpredictable. The content travelling in the social media is very vast and in an uncontrollable way, thereby creating a non-centred authority to control news. The news gets its own form in the media as it delineates to people and gets a different perspective and form as it reaches the end user. This makes Social Networking sites, a threat to harmony in society. Maybe they are perceived as elements of social elevation, but it depends on the audience it reaches. If the audiences are well informed and are able to take a good decision, then the flow of news would not be a problem, but since social networking sites are being used by diversified audience, there should be a control imposed over the content to have a good and healthy environment in the country and make it stable in development. Social Media: The term  Social Media  refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies in communication and making it interactive. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein, define social media as a group of Internet-based applications that allow the creation and exchange of  user-generated content†. Social media is rather a media for social interaction, than social communication. Equipped with modern technologies and speedy Internetworking, social media has changed the way of communication between people, groups and organisations too. There are various categories of social media which includes online magazines, Internet forums, weblogs, social blogs and Social Networking forums. Further Kaplan and Haenlein categorises Social media into six types, namely, collaborative projects, likewise Wikipedia, blogs and microblogs likewise twitter, content communities like Youtube, social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, virtual game worlds and virtual social worlds. Among them Social Networking sites have become the most popular and highly used media as it provides more chances for Interactivity and presence. It is also being used as a marketing tool to market ideas, products, as well business. Social Networking Sites: Social networking sites, commonly abbreviated as SNS, are the interactive websites and forums that allow users to maintain an account, create a profile, find friends, chat, interact, conduct discussions, ask questions and so on. They act as a platform between users to share ideas of their own to the known and unknown, as per their wish. Social Networking sites, hit India with the increased number of Indian immigrants to the entire globe for employment. It arose as a tool for communicating with their families, and later on with the increased usage of technologies, it became a part and parcel of day to day life. We can easily say that there are hardly 10 out of 100, without at least an account in any of the social networking sites. Facebook – a general introduction: Facebook presents a lot many features and is being listed as the first in social networking sites on usage. It is basically a forum started in a university to keep in track with the friends and alumni and soon the interactive features, that it provided and the regular usage of people made it an eminent site. Soon it fore run social networking giants Orkut and yahoo that where dominant in India and has a membership of more than 800 million active users throughout the world. It allows the users to connect with people they know or do not know, share photos and videos of themselves or general interest, post comments and update any information as stories and comments, and comment and give opinions on others inputs. The ethical concerns noticed are Invasion of Privacy, dissemination of information without consent, unknown affiliation and so on. The status in India: Taking the case of India, the Social Networking sites are taking a new form and are becoming the lobby for people to hang out and discuss on various issues, ranging from personal to public, make posts and opinions on various social concerns and create pages on whatever issues they wish to. But this is going to a level that anyone can write or post any material on an issue without the approval of either the administrator of the networking site or the Government and transport down to any user of the network despite the user is a friend or not, through public postings. This poses a threat to the privacy of the users and also the news that gets transported. It takes a new form at every user’s page depending upon the understanding of the user on the issue. This increases the diversion of the perspective of the news. The most important social Networking sites in India based on their usage are Facebook, Twitter, Orkut and MySpace. A recent study in the UK showed that most Britons have a strong desire for the regulation of social network sites like MySpace and Facebook. In fact, 9 out of 10 people said there should be tighter regulation and, according to  The Guardian, 89% said there should be a set of widely accepted rules to help prevent personal information from being abused. – An article by Bobbie Johnson, Technology correspondent, The Guardian. With Social Media playing a major role in India, and especially Social Networking Sites, acting as monsters in the media arena, and as catalysts in determining the social issues, people who use these media are not mere demographies and rather perspective targets of the messages travelling in Media. So they need to be approached as careful as possible and since each and everyone differ in ideologies and conceptual, utmost attention should be paid in transferring news that help in decision making. Objective of the study: The study aims at understanding the media content that has always been a debatable issue ever since its inception. It is the final output which reaches the audience as the face of media. Various media disseminate the same content at the same point if time in various formats, under various control factors. Here, the aspects various controls and various formats determine the content, controls more on a large and aspects on a lesser part. Because, the amount of control decides what the message should be and what it cannot be. In the context of social media, which has tremendous feathers waving along 360 degrees, content management is a tedious process. That too, in a country like India, with diversified users of media, with a diversified mindset, content can be a dangerous thing, if it is not taken due care of. For example, we can quote the Anna Hazares IAC campaign, which gained the utmost interest of the social media, and has been listed as the best discussed topic of the year in the Facebook. India, as a democratic country has vested its own citizens with the Right to Speech and expression, but on the other hand, those rights are limited to the extent where the harmony and peace of the country is not disturbed. Social Networking Sites, because of the freedom they provide, intuit people to speak on all the news they wish and give chances for opinion by anyone, no matter whether they are aware of the topic or not. This may account to false perception of any News by the society and can bring in confusions and problems to the society. This does not mean that there should be restriction on using the sites, which can account to anti – democratic, but there needs a monitor over the information that flows in the Net, so that there can be a check over what can be discussed and what need not be. Theoretical perspective: The study works on the theory of Media effects finds its impact on the study and in specific, Catharsis effects and Reinforcement theory holds well. The theory goes as follows: Reinforcement theory  is one of the limited effects media model applicable. The theory generally states that people seek out and remember information that provides cognitive support for their pre-existing attitudes and beliefs. The central assumption of the theory stated that people do not like to be wrong and often feel uncomfortable when their beliefs are challenged. The theory of Catharsis effects also applies to the impact of media on user attitude behaviour. The term â€Å"catharsis† is derived from the Greek word ‘katharsis’ which means cleansing, purging, or purification. In the way, the theory is used in communication research, it implies that the execution of an aggressive action under certain conditions diminishes the aggressive drive and therefore reduces the likelihood of further aggressive actions. Secondly, the theory of Media advocacy also holds good for the study. Media advocacy is a sort of development communication, which involves the strategic use of media in shaping public opinions, mobilising community activities and in influencing decision makers in policy change. It shifts the focus of an issue from persona frame to social frame. Since Media advocacy stresses on policy change, it always confronts interaction with power vested authorities and hence it has the following advantages: i. Since media advocacy is always focused in gaining access to news than advertising it is highly cost effective and the users need not spend more on promotion of ideas and issues. ii. The effects of public policy are long lasting. They set the standards for the expected change, and transform it down to more number of users for a long period of time. Hence , though Media advocacy is involves planning, skill sets, creativity and also long time commitment, it is preferred more in addressing public issues on a major. Sometimes, Media also needs advise where it lags behind and need to be changed. The media academicians stand as the resource providers when media needs an advice and change. Methodology used: Content analysis of the social networking sites, has been done to analyse where some social networking sited go wrong and fail to cater to the needs, security and safety of the data and content of the society. This has been taken as a primary data which is further analysed and some predominant flaws in the dominant Social Networking Sites were exposed. A panel discussion on â€Å"The Need for a National Media Policy† to regulate the content and functioning of all the media including print, electronic and Internet and Social Networking Sites was conducted to analyse the trend prevailing in Media, and the situations that create the need for a National Policy on Media in India were arrived at. This was carried out with an expert panel of five members from various industries of media with around seventy five media students from various colleges as participants and was also allowed to interact and give their inputs wherever needed. Intensive observation method has been applied for analysis of the transmission of news in SNS. A sample size of fifty respondents comprising of teachers and media students who have a base knowledge of news and society is selected and were posted a question and asked to give opinions on that. Then the responses with the comments were again posted in for discussion and the results were analysed based on the parameters set and analysis was done. Outcome of the study: The content analysis of Social Networking Sites arrived at the below mentioned flaws prevalent as well with some earlier cases that were stated as the disadvantages of Social Networking Sites. I. Lack of Identity of users: There is no strict measure in verifying the real identity of the users in all the Social Networking Sites. So, anyone can own any number of accounts in a single SNS, provided they have an additional e-mail id. This in turn also does not look for any identity verifications. This shows the lag of control over the identity of the user and hence cannot execute actions or take action on ignorant people, which may lead to causalities. The case carried by The Times of India, reveals that how a genuine person has been under custody of the court for around 55 days. Lakshman Kailash, employed as software engineer by HCL and a resident of Kodihalli gets arrested in Bangalore on August 31, 2007 under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and spends 50 days at Yerawada Jail in Pune. He is charged with defaming Chatrapathi Shivaji, one of the founders of the Maratha Empire, by allegedly uploading an insulting picture of the latter on Orkut, a social networking site (SNS). This was based on the complaint filed by a Pune resident, Dhiraj Ramchandra Ghate, the Pune Police arrests Kailash apparently based on his IP address through Airtel, his Internet service provider. However, they later learn that one Kiran Reddy, a resident of Bangalore, was the actual culprit. After the intervention of the State Human Rights Commission of Maharashtra, the police set Kailash free. This can show the level of trauma, the convicted would have underwent, when he was in jail, and this is a single incident and if there would have been identity of the members in all SNS, this would have been avoided. II. Invasion of Privacy: Case I Facebook has had a lot many issues regarding Invasion of privacy ever since beginning. You can protect your data to general public users but cannot narrow down to the level of protecting them from being viewed by your friends. Facebook explicitly states their restrictions and user expectations of user content in their terms of use. In particular, Facebook does not allow users to in any way make available any content that we deem to be harmful, threatening, unlawful, defamatory, infringing, abusive, inflammatory, harassing, vulgar, obscene, fraudulent, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable. In January 2006, Facebook shut down a group titled I Hate Jesus after Facebook received complaints from other users about the group. As Facebook explained to the groups creator in an email, Hate groups of any kind are not tolerated on the site, even if they are meant to be comedic. Even then, this has been done after a bombarding of complaints have been filed to the administrator to close the group. Hence, in this way Facebook does not have an automatic control over the management of the content. Case II Also, as per the rules there is no practical way to protect public content so that only trusted friends can view it. Not only does the publisher risk their pers onal information being used for offensive purposes (identity theft or otherwise), but if they change their minds, it is nearly impossible to remove something permanently from the Internet. Search engines can keep copies of web pages long after they have been removed. So, one cannot confine that their privacy is secured even if the user has deleted the account. Information Gathering by Social Networking Sites: Another major issue that raises substantial privacy concerns is the accumulation of private information by social networking services. With more than  800million users, Facebook stores an immense volume of private data that is constantly expanding: 250 million photos  new photos are uploaded to Facebooks servers every day. In addition to private photographs, Facebook stores many other types of personal information that users submit, including relationships, political views, sexual orientations, and credit card numbers. Facebook also keeps track of its users purchasing habits through the Beacon affiliate program: even when users decline to publish stories on Facebook about their purchases, the information is still sent to Facebooks servers. This Information Gathering by Social Networking Sites, has been posing a threat in content management of users. Intensive Observation Method: Intensive observation method of Social Networking sites revealed at the following flaws, which cannot be a major issue to discuss, but can become at a point of time. Dissemination of Information without consent: The Facebook users can comment, share, like and post stories create any blog in Facebook in any of the user’s links, irrespective of privacy. This can be delivered down to all the Facebook users throughout the world, if posted as a public post. In this the content can become inappropriate to some users, which gives a chance for misleading opinions, deviating audience to a wrong perspective, and even leading to mishaps depending on the intensity of the issue. This has been experimented by selecting a sample size of 50 respondents, segmented in two categories: i. General Audience: People who are users of Facebook and members of Social Networking sites, but do not have an in-depth knowledge of Media effects and other terms. 25 people comprising of students and college teachers represented the sample. i. Informed Citizenry: People who are users of Social Networking sites, equipped with the knowledge of effects of Media were selected. 25 people comprising of students and teachers from the Media Department represented as samples. A question was posted into the Facebook profile of the respondents, and responses for the question is analysed. Question for Response: Do you think India is in a need to change its way of governance. Wha t will be your options? Please post your opinion and comments. Options: 1. Military Regime 2. Monarchy ( Again Colonialism) 3. Communism 4. Leave as it is (Democracy). Analysis and Interpretation of data: I. The content analysis of Social Networking Sites revealed up with the following ethical concerns: i. No confirmation of identity of the users is carried out in any of the Social Networking Sites, which can be avoided. ii. Facebook does not have an automatic control over the management of the content. iii. One cannot confine that their privacy is secured even if the user has deleted the account. Hence it raises the possibilities of data being utilised by anyone later on. iv. This Information Gathering by Social Networking Sites, has been posing a threat in content management of users. II. The analysis of collected data of Intensive Observation revealed that a majority of people opining Military regime as the need for the day. If such surveys or opinions can be posted in a site which contains most vulnerable audience likewise, youth and teenagers, that can pose a threat to the harmony of the country. Outcome of the study: †¢ Although these are serious ethical constraints, there are reasons to believe that, for the most part, social networks are counteracting to these challenges. For example, although large centralized repositories of data are necessarily vulnerable to malicious insiders, social networks have had few reported problems of this variety. This may be the result of an organised content management and highly scrutinized employees. †¢ Users post information to social networking services in order to share it with others: a breach of privacy that lets anybody view photos that you only intended for your friends to view may be damaging, but it is likely less damaging than a breach of privacy that reveals your PIN number or your medical history, which you intended for nobody else at all to see. Though these advantages exist, Social Networking sites, on a whole are a threat to the society, unless and otherwise, a content management code is defined to manage the content keyed into Social Networking sites, and also a team to monitor the content in sites, and if possible, the real identity of the members of the sites can also be kept in track, so that any mishaps, demeaning of personality’s images cannot happen. Suggestions of the Panel Discussion Committee: Indian Media is in the stage of its peak at development, though it’s in a learning curve on the part of ethics to be maintained and measures in finding newsworthiness. †¢ There can be a self-regulatory body to reframe the working nature of the Social Networking Sites and on the content they carry. †¢ If media is not ready to go with that, Government can formulate and execute a Media Law, which is still under progress since 2003, that can make the Indian Media come under control. †¢ The policies cannot be called as controls, but regulations on a moderate level, that cannot curb the working nature of media. Some regulations on governing International media clients operating in India, can be arrived at, because it is observed that more than 50% of the Indian media is under the monopoly of Foreign media organisations. I would like to thank the Indian Government, that i was fortunate they have come up with a notion to develop a code of conduct for the content of Social Networking Sites. To conclude with, we can again remember the quote by Marshall McLuhan,† Medium is the message†, which states the deciding authority lies in the hand of media, which should look upon the well being of the society as the first and foremost function. References: Klaus Bruhn Jensen (2003). â€Å"A Handbook of Media and Communication Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies†. Routledge Publishers. Lelia Green (2001). â€Å"Communication, Technology and Society†. Sage Publications. http://www. communicationencyclopedia. com/public/tocnode? id=g9781405131995_yr2011_chunk_g97814051319958_ss9-1 http://www. facebook. com/press/info. php? statistics http://startups. in/view/asides/software-engineer-sues-airtel-for-20-crore-rupees/

Junk and Fast Food

Junk and Fast Food Junk and fast food sale should be limited or banned in public schools as these food items have no nutritional value. Regular intake of junk food causes obesity and many other health related problems for children in the future. The main cause for the increase in sales of snacks and junk food is its increased availability and misguidance of nutritional value. Vending machines are installed in public schools which has given a boost to the sales of junk food. This junk food not only lacks in nutrition, but also it is the main cause of obesity in the young population and rise in heart problems in the adolescents. Nutritional Quality of Junk and Fast Food There is a conflict between the education of healthy diets at childs home and classroom and the availability of junk and fast food at lunch such as burgers and chips (Hoerr, 386). Not only the children consume the junk food available but also they consume soft drinks which are an added unhealthy intake. Young teenagers studying in public schools are the heaviest consumers of junk and fast food. They obtain around 25 to 40 percent of their total energy from junk and fast food (Hoerr, 386). The vended junk and fast foods are the least dense in Vitamins, fiber, protein and iron (Hoerr, 386). Type of items that are usually available for sale at the public schools is bakery sweets, candies, chips, biscuits and burgers. All these items are calorie filled with little or no nutrition. Nutritious food helps the child in school to gain energy as well as nutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamins and proteins. These nutrients are good for health of the child and keep the child active. A proper meal in the school allows the child to obtain these nutrients that are necessary for a healthy body and brain. Rise in Demand for Junk and Fast Food The total sale of vended snacks and other fast food available at the public schools increases continually every year (Hoerr, 386). Since the 1990s the sale of junk food and snacks has been predicted to rise every year by the food marketers. Marketers of the fast food and junk items have got a new market to focus on which is the adolescents in public schools. Fast food and vended snacks have become a popular choice for the youngsters, who need readily available food, when they feel hungry, and food which can be consumed easily and quickly (Hoerr, 386). This increasingly popular fast foods and snack items are the main factors which lead to obesity in the young people attending schools. Regular intake of this type of junk food with no nutrients causes obesity in children and other health related problems. According to a survey in New York and Atlanta, of the total 18% of daily fat calorie intake, the junk food contributed to almost half of the fat intake in adolescents (Hoerr, 386). Therefore half of the daily fat intake can be avoided by stopping the intake of junk food and fast food. The snacks marketers are now targeting public schools as their new target markets for increasing their sales of their junk and fast food items. Through the installation of unrefrigerated vending machines in public schools, the marketers were able to increase the sale of junk food products. Not only this, but through the misinterpretation of nutritional value of their products, they are able to make the adolescents consume junk food in place of breakfast. 6% of the youngsters (Hoerr, 386) who were surveyed in New York and Atlanta said they took junk food in place of breakfast. Obesity and Other Health Issues The availability of junk and fast food in public schools allows more calories for each meal (S.B Communications, 95) for the children and youngsters. Physical exercise has been diminished in the schools because of the introduction of new activities such as computer studies and gaming. Our lifestyle has become more and more dependent upon technology. Technology and innovation has given birth to new transport methods which are faster and require less walking to get to your destination. Children used to go out and play for fun and entertainment. The adolescents had other outdoor activities which helped in burning their fat intake, but nowadays the youngsters have other replacements such as computer games, internet and television. These platforms require no physical activity and therefore the fat intake from junk food does not get utilize. These were some of the reasons because of which the youngsters are getting more obese and gaining fat in their bodies. However, the main reason for the increased number of cases in obesity is the rising trend of having junk and fast food in replacement of meals. In the 1970s, a typical child used to watch television for an hour daily but nowadays a child watches television for three hours (S.B Communications, 95). This caloric intake of junk and fast food combined with no physical activities, has caused an increase in obesity rate to 20% from 5% (S.B Communications, 95) since the 1970s. The rate for African American adolescents is even higher and has reached 35% (S.B Communications, 95). The only way to reduce these rates is to restrict or completely ban the sale of junk and fast food in public schools. The regular intake of junk and fast food does not only increase a persons weight but also causes other health concerns. Especially in young adults, the regular consumption of fast food can reduce the ability of the body to fight the germs as there is very less nutritional intake. This causes the bodys defenses to be weak against any germs attacks. Other health issues that the regular consumers of fast food and junk food can experience are cardiac unrest, Coronary Artery Risk Development, increased waist circumference, lower insulin resistance and imbalance between the developments of High-Density Cholesterols and Low-Density Cholesterols in body. Although obesity causes some of the above mentioned diseases and health issues, but the person consuming junk food regularly is bound to have some or all of these health problems. Most of the junk foods have high sugar contents, which reduce the resistance of insulin to produce controlled sugar for the body. The adolescents and children in public schools can develop these diseases at a very early stage because of junk food intake. Hence junk and fast food items sale should be banned or at least restricted in all the public schools to protect the youngsters from developing these diseases and falling prey to obesity. Junk Food and Education on Nutrition According to a faculty member of Department of Nutrition, University of Nevada, the children and youngsters should be taught the basics of nutrition and how important it is to get involved in physical exercise (Omaye, 108). According to this member of faculty, labeling food as junk and trying to get it out of the schools is not important (Omaye, 108) as education on basic nutrition and exercise is. I would strongly disagree to the view point of this faculty member and would support the suggestion of US Dept. of Agriculture which has defined â€Å"competitive foods to be those other than the ones served in the school lunch/breakfast program and offered at schools† (Omaye, 108). The US Dept. of Agriculture has suggested that alternatives to the current fast food should be developed and offered at public schools. This competitive food will be more nutritious and healthy than the junk and fast foods available for sale at the public schools nowadays. On the other hand, the faculty member in University of Nevada, Department of Nutrition, has suggested not to restrict the sale of junk food in public schools instead the children should be taught about the nutritious foods and importance of exercise. This is very similar to suggesting that drugs should be available for sale to the children but they should be taught about the adverse affects of abusing drugs. We should understand that most of the children and the adolescents are not mature enough to think about the adverse affects of the junk food and fast food. They like the taste of the junk food and the convenience of having fast food whenever they feel hungry. Trends towards Nutritious Snacks According to the research conducted by Hoerr and Louden in 1993, there is a demand for healthy and nutritious snacks in public schools (Hoerr, 389). In their research, they placed vending machines labeled ‘healthy snacks near to the junk food vending machines in a number of public schools. They recorded more sales from the vending machines selling healthy and nutritional snacks than the one selling junk food. This clearly shows that the youngsters have a preference for nutritious snacks over junk and fast food. Although some nutritious snacks are available in the market, but they have not been able to eye the competent junk and fast food brands in the market. One reason for the poor success of nutritional snacks is the unavailability of vending machines at the places where junk food vending machines are placed. Another reason for their failure is that not many nutritious snacks have been developed for unrefrigerated vending machines (Hoerr, 389). Conclusion According to a study conducted by Marcia Dadds, almost one third of the school children in New York are overweight (Dadds, S63). Most of the students did not like the lunch offered at school and spent $3 to $7 (Dadds, S63) on fast food meals. Although most of the students know about the health, appearance and weight problems that the junk and fast food cause but still they are unable to give it up because of the established taste. Because of the problems the fast food and junk food cause to the health of children and because of no nutritional value, it should be available in a restricted manner or completely banned from public schools. Other alternatives such as nutritious snacks should be embraced by the public schools for the betterment of health and future of the children.

A Violent Message in the Art of Popular Culture Essay -- Pop Culture R

A â€Å"Violent† Message in the Art of Popular Culture Many people believe that present-day music cause division, tension, and sometimes violence. However, it is acknowledged as art in popular culture. Art in popular culture revolves around action movies, television sitcoms, and provocative song lyrics, which have themes centered on explicit sexuality. Art in popular culture is embodied in music, dance, photography, and other artwork that embraces the ills of the world and acknowledges that they are appealing to the senses of people who live in a not so perfect world. Many critics say that popular culture is a product of generation X. A messed up group of people. What is wrong with popular culture? Why do the baby boomers regale this era of popular culture an era of madness? The answer is blatantly clear. Popular culture accepts the flaws of all its admirers and participants. For example, music in popular culture is generally deemed as negative. However, a positive consequence is that it has an international language and every one around the world can relate to what it communicates. Art in popular culture encompasses a common language, especially the art of music. This language rejects the sophisticated, civilized, intellectuals. For instance, popular culture inhibits the old, boring, classical music that operated out of the same musical dictionary and responded to the same chords. Whereas, music in popular culture rejects harmony as being important and values improvisation that breathes life-giving rhythm in non-structural chords. Music in popular culture is a genre distinct from both folk and classical music genres. According to The New Harvard Dictionary, it differed from the former being composed and notat... ...lent in this country. Some examples of Manson’s music, which can influence youth of today or could have taken the life of the young teenager previously mentioned are Dried Up, Tied Up and Dead to the World; Get Your Gun; Cake and Sodomy; Organ Grinder; Snake Eyes and Sissies; and etc. It is funny how rap and hip hop is essentially the only thing deemed violent, but popular culture stems from chaotic and violent factors. The two examples above can vouch for the previous statement. When looking at other outcomes of popular culture such as slasher movies with explicit sex scenes; talk shows that depicts American women as housewives or whores; or people like Monica Lewinsky who shows her bloomers to married men, popular culture music genres are just artistic expressions that mirror societal values in popular culture. Sometimes people do not like the reflection.

The Hundred Years War? Essay -- War England France Papers

The Hundred Years' War The start of hostilities in 1337 sees the balance of power stacked distinctly in the favor of France. Its population is large, its lands fertile, and its cities prosperous. A population of over 10 million make it one of, if not the strongest population base in Western Europe, with Paris laying claim to title as perhaps the sole great city in Latin Christendom . In contrast, the population of England totals only a third or a fourth of its adversary, with lands less developed and people less prosperous. Additionally, England still faces challenges from Scotland to the north, and though slightly less perilous in nature, revolts of the Welsh and Irish to the west. The marked difference in resource base allows French kings to continually field larger armies for the entire duration of the conflict. The defensive nature of the war for France also conveys considerable inherent advantages. Siege weapons have yet to catch up to the fortifications of the day, and larger walled cities and strongholds are often considered impregnable , requiring attacking armies to resort to the lengthy process of starving out a garrison before the city could be relieved. "The worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities. " Such a process, as in the case of Calais, could take months on end, with a high cost in men and resources which imposed a severe limitation on how much territory could be assaulted, broken, and held in any given amount of time. An army invading a territory as vast as the lands of France, whose landscape is dotted with fortified towns and castles, would be hard pressed to make any permanent inroads without the most tenacious and lengthy of operations. Defending a consolidated position of home territories al... ...t had enjoyed for so long not only vanish, but take root in the minds of their adversary, turning the balance of power so far from their favor as to make the continued struggle in the last years of the war entirely hopeless, carried on only due to the stubborn national pride of an island never willing to concede defeat. Bibliography Burne, Lt-Col. Alfred H. The Crecy War. Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1955. Burne, Lt-Col. Alfred H. The Agincourt War. Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1956. Giles, Lionel (translator). The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Hodder and Stoughton, 1981. Oman, Sir Charles. A History of The Art of War in the Middle Ages, Volume II. Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1924. Perroy, Edouard. The Hundred Years War. Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1959. Thompson, Peter E. (translator). Contemporary Chronicles of the Hundred Years' War. The Folio Society Ltd, 1966.

Slade Plating Case Management Summary Essay -- Business Management Stu

Slade Plating Case Management Summary Despite the success of the Slade Company as manufacturer of metal products designed for industrial application, the production manager, Ralph Porter, was concerned about the dishonesty among employees in the Plating Department. Some of the workers were misusing the punch in-out system for those who wanted to leave early or arrive late. Given the long working hour and low payment, they lacked of motivation in performing their tasks, resulting in the dishonest action. However, because of informal groupings among some of them, they operated as a team to work harder doing peak orders. Therefore, the desired output of the department was still satisfied. Yet, some employees who were not in the main group were slack off and misused the system even during the peak period, which potentially resulted in internal conflict in the department. Thus, in order to motivate employees and prevent the dishonesty, we propose to remove punch in-out system and launch a better payment system with both financial and non-financial incentives. Also, the working environment should be improved with various campaigns to enhance the unity in the department. We also move an employee who could not perform fully his talent to other department to maximize his capacity. With these solutions, the Slade Company could motivate their employees, encourage the teamwork, avoid internal conflict, and finally increase the productivity in the Plating Department. Analyzing the present situation There were 38 workers in the Plating Department of the Slade Company. Their jobs, working conditions, values and tasks varied significantly. They were all dependent on each other as they only received their workload after work at the previous stage was done. Work was supervised by a punch in-out system and a supervisor, Otto Schell. Payment was low and the working hours were long due to the company policy to keep training and benefit cost down by requiring overtime instead of hiring new workers. In addition, informal groupings were formed in the department, which significantly affected the daily run of the work. The largest group was the Sarto group, which could practically influence the whole department as others tended to copy this group’s ideas and values. Without doubt, this group was a real driving force of the department, both ... ... However, for Herman Schell, he is found to be inappropriate and non-manageable and thus to be removed from the department, to say, â€Å"promoted† to other department to maximize his personal abilities and talents that we unfortunately cannot utilize in this department. This, we acknowledge, is a very easy and usually not the manager’s way to solve an issue like that. But we believe we just identified the case when a significant and sustainable change is not likely at all and by getting rid of him would eliminate the conflict source from the group and enhance group dynamics on the floor in all. Of course, a con to that is the feeling of safety, the lifetime job experience of the workers. Yet, we believe this does not endanger the good workers’ positions and therefore does not pose threat to the regular employee. A reason why he might not have been sacked before – apart from the general practice of the department – is probably the family ties to Otto Schell, the supervisor. In our opinion, such ties can be good but in no way shall be hindering performance, and this shall not be a base for delivering improper results both professionally and personally in the workplace.

Gap Model

Gaps Model of Service Quality Table of Contents Executive Summary3 Customer Gap4 Example of Customer Gap4 Listening Gap5 Example of Listening Gap6 Standard Design And Standard Gap7 Example of Design and Standard Gap8 Service Performance Gap9 Example of Service Performance Gap10 Communication Gap11 Example of Communication Gap12 Closing Gap12 Diagram of Gap Model of Service Quality 13 Bibliography14 Customers realize that the current system is not flawless. Companies see that providing better service quality will create and obtain the customers loyalty, continuation of business and enhance the quality of the organization.Service quality is suppose to be consistent, reliable and accountable for any business, however gaps in service quality can lead to unsatisfied customers and loss of business. The Gaps Model of Service Quality is used to fix the gaps of the service that is being provided. They include: †¢ The Customer Gap- The difference between customer’s expectations and perceptions. †¢ Gap 1 (Listening Gap) –The difference between the customers expectations of service and the companies understanding of those expectations. Gap 2 (Service Design and Standard Gap) – The difference between the company or firm understanding the customer expectation and development of customer-driven service designs and standards. †¢ Gap 3 (Service Performance Gap) – Represents the development of customer-driven service standards and the actual performance by the companies employees. †¢ Gap 4 (Communication Gap) -The difference between the service delivery and the service providers external communications. †¢ Closing Gap- Closing gaps 1-4 and keeping them closed.Real life experiences are a way to illustrate how gaps in service quality can be addressed and predetermined in every day life. Possessing too many gaps in a service that are left unnoticed or unfixed can lead to a decline in the company and the overall reputation of the business. Learning how to close the Gaps is a way to reflect the type of foundation and service quality that the business will demonstrate through services. Customer Gap The Customer Gap is critical in delivering quality service as it is the backbone of the model. The Customer Gap is the difference between customer expectations and perceptions in service quality.Customer expectations deals with what a customer believes should or will happen in the service. In order to deliver quality service the firms need to close the gap between what the customer expects and what they perceive will happen (Services, 32). Managers can find this hard to do because in some cases they are not in direct contact with the customers; rather it is their employees that are. This can be a problem because it is important to get a clear understanding of the customer’s wants and or needs to fulfill the customer’s expectations (Bianca, 1).The customer’s behavior does have an effect on the qu ality of service that they feel they are provided with as well. Example of Customer Gap An example of this would be my last trip to Applebee’s. I was not too fond of going to Applebee’s because the last time I went I expected my food to be a certain way but it did not come out that way. The staff and even the managers seemed to give me a problem because my food was not cooked to my liking. A new store opened up in Yonkers so I decided to try out the new restaurant with my family.Already having a chip on my shoulder about going was enough to make me not hungry. However their service was amazing from the minute we walked into the door to when we walked out. Everyone had a kind smile and was very attentive to my families’ special needs. They also payed close attention to my nephew who loved the attention. The food came out fast and tasted amazing and was every bit to my liking. One meal came out wrong, or not to my father’s expectation and they kindly took i t back and fixed what he wanted.Applebee was fulfilling their mission to have every customer leave happy, and the next thing we knew the manager came over with another drink as my father waited for the meal and then he brought it to the table himself and apologized. They had great deals that did not break our pockets and they did not rush us. Overall the experience was exceptional and we now make it our weekly dinner stop. Applebee’s staff changed my feelings about their restaurant. The manager devoted their time to us, and proved that the company understands the customer’s expectations as well as their perceptions of service quality.Listening Gap Gap 1 also known as the Listening Gap is the difference between the customers expectations of service and the companies understanding of the customers expectations. As stated in the customer gap another cause for this gap is because a firm is not meeting the expectations of the customers or the firm is faulted for not knowing what these unique expectations are. This again can be because the managers lack direct communication with the customer or even because they are not prepared to address the situations at hand.This is a problem because upper management or whomever is in charge can start a bad pattern of bad decision making which initially will provide bad quality service to the customers. There are four key factors that are responsible for the gap in provider gap one which includes inadequate marketing research orientation, lack of upward communication, insufficient relationship focus and inadequate service recovery. Inadequate marketing research can cause a large gap because the firm has insufficient marketing research which means that the firm does not acquire adequate information from the customers.Firms should use customer interviews or surveys to get feedback to see if they are reaching the customers expectations in order to stay closer to the customer. Lack of communication between management a nd the customers is a reoccurring problem in some firms because there is little direct communication if any on behalf of management (Service, 1). There can also be a lack of communication between the employees and management which creates havoc in the company because employees do not understand what management knows or is expecting. Firms also show lack a of relationship focus which is crucial (Services, 34-36).Keeping communication with current customers should be top priority rather then focusing only on new customers. This happens when firms worry more about new transactions then they do about the relationship with existing customers. The gap continues to widen with insufficient service recovery which is critical in provider gap 1. This happens when the firm does not take the time to listen to the customer’s complaints or when they do not make amends when something has gone wrong. Service recovery strategies are used on behalf of the firm to guarantee ways to fix the probl em or their unfulfilled promise.This is a huge problem because if the situation is not properly fixed then the gap continues to widen. Example of Listening Gap I currently have Sprint as my cell phone provider and I absolutely hate calling if there is something wrong with my bill, and I’ve only had to do it three times. When I call I get connected to the customer service department and give them all my information. From there they transfer me over to the billing department. At the billing department I have to explain myself again and then I get put on hold.Most of the time its not long but then I have to get switched to another department, then I have to explain myself all over again and the more it happens the more frustrated I get. I immediately get upset and wonder, â€Å"If I pay my service on time every month then why they can’t they provide me with the exceptional customer service that they promised? † I am a paying customer and I except not to be transfer red around and for you to solve the problem for me. It’s just that simple. Miss communication is a big problem with Sprint but if you are paying for something you want it to work right.This is a good example of Gap 1 because there are many people listening to my problem but no one can seem to help me. This does hurt my relationship with the company because if problems like this continue to happen because of miss communication it will lead me in the direction of a new cell phone service. Standard Design and Standard Gap Provider Gap 2 also known as the Service design and Standard Gap is the difference between the company or firm understanding the customer expectation and development of customer-driven service designs and standards.Most companies have a problem with this because they experience difficulty when they are translating customer expectations into quality necessities that employees would be able to understand and then be able to perform. The service design and standar ds gap include poor service design, absence of customer-driven standards and inappropriate physical evidence and servicescape. In any firm an important component of the business is to have a solid marketing strategy that everyone in the firm understands as well as maintain and presents their understand to each customer.All people involved with the company need to be on the same page working with the same concepts which are usually the customer needs and expectations or else there will be a large gap (Brown, 2). Having the same vision creates an understanding of a new service or an existing one. In order to avoid this gap it is important for the company to design a service that is developed and or improved as carefully as possible avoiding oversimplification and incompleteness.Not understanding the customer’s standards creates a situation in which the standards do not reflect the customer’s expectation then the quality of service to the customer is going to suffer. When the standards do reflect the customer’s expectations then the company will most likely do extremely well and will have a positive impact on the company. The servicescape is the way the service is delivered such as reports, signage, or equipment (Services,36-38). By effectively understanding the customer driven standard, physical evidence, and servicescape the firm will be able to close both the customer gap and Gap 2.Example of Standard Design and Standard Gap For this example of Service Design and Standard Gap the instance that I recall that affected me was a cruise that I took in the Caribbean. I had gotten sick and was sent to the ship infirmary. They had two nurses that took care of me. The only problem was an hour later a new shift of nurses came in. The two new nurses were very different then the first two and did everything completely different. The first two nurses new that I was sick with my Diabetes but they said that they were going to take care of me and re hydra te me.The second shift thought that I was too sick and wanted to send me off the ship to a hospital. The only problem with this situation was they were not thinking in the best interest of me. They were thinking of the easiest way to get me off the ship for liability purposes. The second shift ladies kept fighting with the first shift ladies right in front me like I was not there. It made me feel very uncomfortable and scared on top of being sick. As they were fighting back and forth and from what I could hear they both had two very different ideas and different topics during their fight.It seemed to me that their vision and understanding of the rules and regulations were two very different missions. To me it seemed like their entire strategic plan was different. The worse part was they were showing this through their argument. They were all very unprofessional but the second shift didn’t seem to keep my best interest up front. My expectations were to feel comfortable and be taken care of in a quality manor. This was not done therefore to me there was a large gap in service design and the standard gap. Service Performance Gap The Service Performance Gap is the third gap in which the firm is doing well.However like any company they are going to make sure that everything is in place from systems to the people and make sure the service is being delivered to its highest. This model represents the development of customer-driven service standards and the actual performance by the company employees. The gap will widen if the service delivery falls short or the standards are not backed up by support (Service, 1). Therefore employees should get paid according to how well they are doing their job and exceed the customer’s expectations . There are many reasons why a gap could widen, and most involve the human resource department.This is by the company not hiring the right person for the job. As in they do not have good teamwork, they lack empowerment, there ’s inappropriate compensation or even inadequate technology. The customer is another factor in the service performance gap. The customer needs to play their positive role as well. Customers can negatively influence their quality of service by simply using too much of the providers time or becoming disruptive to other customers. The gap can also be because the capacity of inventory is underutilized or over utilized.For example when the company’s capacity is inadequate to handle the company will loses sales. Operating strategies such as cross training would be a way to manage the supply of the company. It is important to motivate and control the mediators to meet the company’s goals (Services, 38-39). Example of Service Performance Gap The example I have for the service performance gap is my most recent trip to A & P to get some last minute groceries. There were many factors that have influenced my decision to go to A & P rather then Stop and Shop or another marke t. The most important influence to my decision was my past experience at A & P.The last time I was there I talked to a man in the Seafood department and he took the time to talk to me about how to cook certain Seafood in a way that would be new to me. He gave me advice and also gave me recipe cards to make it easier when I got home. He took the time with me to help and explain to me the best type of fish or crab legs and really showed how well he knew his job. It was a very pleasant experience. Other factors influencing my decision were the great deals that they had, amazing actually for this week, and word of mouth from my neighbor was having a seafood night like I was.There was also explicit service that was nonpersonal and personal. For example I saw and add in the paper for this week with the sale and a few days ago the seafood worker told me about the deal and to wait. This is a great example of how gap 3 can be narrowed down with the employees being properly educated and excee ding customer service quality. Communication Gap Provider gap 4 also known as the Communication Gap is the difference between the service delivery and the service providers external communications. A large part of Gap 4 is the difference between the actual and promised service.Broken promises, over promising, and false advertisement are example of what can widen the gap. Failing to communicate with the customer and using exaggerated promises is what employees do to try and serve them to their expectations. A way to narrow the gap would be to properly communicate with the customer and educate them to be able to use the service properly(Services, 42-43). With communication come service transactions and the relationship that you build with the customer which is important in the communication gap because as an employee you are in direct communication with the customer.Pricing products at a reasonable price is also important, as well as strategizing how to keep customer expectations high by improving service delivery. Overall communicating properly with the customer and understanding their expectations should and will improve their perception. Example of Communication Gap An instance that still gets me upset to this day in which explicit service promises were exaggerated to the point where I was disappointed was for an oil change by Goodyear.I was extremely upset because when I asked how long it was going to take they told me only a half hour to 45 minutes. I waited 2 hours and they then told me that they did not have the correct funnel for the job and had to wait to get one. I was extremely pissed off because they did not have the decency to tell me what was going on. This was horrible service because it was like they kept lying to me when they said only a few more minutes. Goodyear then told me that they were sorry and then did not make me pay, however it still took up a lot of time, without any communication.I then learned that I would not go back to Goodyear be cause even though I made the appointment days earlier they did not have the supplies needed or the decency to communicate with me. Closing Gap The last gap is the closing gap where everything is put together. In order to close the customer gap all of the gaps 1-4 need to be closed and they also need to stay that way(Services, 43). It is very important to make sure that the customer is pleased with the customer service they were provided. By making sure they are satisfied with their service is a way to keep the customer coming back to continue to do business with the company. pic] Works Cited Bianca, Audra. Organizational Gap Analysis. E How. 22, November 2010. http://www. ehow. com/about_5304768_organizational-gap-analysis. html Brown, Gene, Plenert, Gerhard. Gap Analysis. Reference for Business. 21, November 2010. http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Ex-Gov/Gap-Analysis. html. Service Gap Analysis. Project Tools. 21, November 2010. http://projecttools. co. uk/ProjectToo ls/Gap. htm Services Marketing, 5th Edition, by Bitner, Mary Joe and Valerie A. Zeithaml, published by McGraw Hill, 2009.

Ethics and Abortion Essay

Nicky was 18 when she started dating with James. They had unprotected premarital sex. After a few weeks, she found out that she was pregnant so she asked an advice from her doctor. She wasn’t ready for a baby yet. She still had her ambitions in life and she didn’t want to give up her social life. So she and James decided to abort the baby (â€Å"Real Life: Abortion (Nicky’s Story),† 2003). Yes, you read it right. In this time of one-night stands, premarital sex and unwanted pregnancies, abortion has become a common resort from responsibility. Abortion is the removal of an embryo or a POC (Product of Conception) from the uterus. Basically, there are two types of abortion: the spontaneous abortion and the induced abortion. Spontaneous abortion is the type that is caused by accident and/or by natural cases. It can also be caused by environmental factors. On the other hand, induced abortion is caused by human action. It is further categorized into therapeutic and elective. Therapeutic abortion is the act of removing the fetus from the uterus for reasons of safety and/or survival in the part of the mother, to preserve the mother’s health, to terminate pregnancy that would result in a child born with congenital disorders, and to selectively reduce the number of fetuses to lessen health risks regarding multiple pregnancies. Meanwhile, elective abortion is the kind of abortion performed for any other reason. There are two different but parallel theories regarding abortion—the consequential theory and the deontology theory. The consequential theory believes that an act is morally right if and only if it contributes to the common good(Williams, 1973. ). It outrightly supports abortion—may it be therapeutic or elective. In therapeutic abortion, if the mother life is at risk in having the pregnancy, then the consequential theory allows for such action. If having a baby destroys a person’s future career, then abortion is okay. Consequential theory denies that moral rightness depends solely on the anything other than the consequences (B. Hooker, 2000). Nonetheless, what makes this morally wrong is not the abortion itself but the consequences it may bring to the mother such as emotional trauma. Consequential theory ignores all morally relevant factors to the consequences as opposed to whatever the circumstances there may be(Mill, 1861). However, deontology theory asserts otherwise. Deontological ethics or duty-based ethics does not consider an act as good or evil per se but classifies the action as it is being performed or on the process of performing devoid of prejudice or pre-established ethical principles. It judges morality by evaluating the nature of the actions and the will of the person involved rather than what is achieved(Kay, 1997). It is also known as nonconsequentialism. Deontological judgment depends on the object or original nature of the act. It typically involves two important elements, prerogatives and constraints. Prerogatives deny that one should always choose the option with optimistic consequences and constraints place limitations on the actions that the person may do in order to bring about his own personal good. Thus, from the deontological parlance, abortion, because it takes away life, upsets nature’s way of creation, and denies the natural capacity of a woman to give birth, is objectively and intentionally malicious, although it could be justified in extreme cases which would merit for an exception. These two theories, in essence are different but somehow, they are compatible with each other. They do not really contradict each other, rather, they are analogous. Analogous theories are truly and essentially different but necessarily contradictory with each other in principle but they could have similar effects or conclusion per application that is why they are analogous—partly the same, partly different. In the present society, most women view abortion consequentially. They justify abortion by consequences it may cause. Let’s take Nicky’s situation as an example. Nicky believes that the abortion of their baby is right mainly because it was not yet the right time for them to have a baby. If she were to continue with her pregnancy, what would have happened? She would have lived a miserable life—not having a job or a career and tied down with a baby. What if her boyfriend James left her? Could she find another man who would readily accept her despite her past? There were lots of things to be considered—school, financial stability, and emotional stability. These and a lot more questions ran through Nicky’s mind before she decided to go with the abortion. Obviously, it is not easy to try to confuse one’s conscience. But if we look at it closely, it is a matter of rights. Women’s rights. Everybody makes mistakes. Nicky did a mistake by engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse with her boyfriend. Nevertheless, continuing the pregnancy could also be a mistake. Abortion, when we look at its consequences, is not a mistake. According to the Women’s Rights, â€Å"women have the right to bodily integrity and autonomy†. Whether or not the woman decides to resort to abortion of the fetus inside her body, it is her right to decide on that. Aside from that, women also have the right to parenthood and marriage. Women who have committed abortion should not be discriminated by the society. True, it is not such a nice image but hey, women are humans. Women have rights—equal rights—and dignity(â€Å"2006,† Human Rights Watch).

The Problem That Has No Name

Friedan points out that the average age of marriage was dropping and the birthrate was increasing for women throughout the 1950s, yet the widespread unhappiness of women persisted, although American culture insisted that fulfillment for women could be found in marriage and housewifery; this chapter concludes by declaring â€Å"We can no longer ignore that voice within women that says: ‘I want something more than my husband and my children and my home. ‘ â€Å"All [women] had to do was devote their lives from earliest girlhood to finding a husband and bearing children,† (Friedan 16).This philosophy may seem out dated today. With the great feminist movements from the women of the Victorian Era and the 1970's the idea that women can only be housewives is a thing of the past, but not of the distant past. In  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† the main character is the perfect housewife who faces the problem of losing her husband; a real tragedy for any woman at any time, but even more so for the totally dependent, pregnant housewife. â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter,† by Roald Dahl, is one of those stories that forces readers to question what is good and what is evil, what is just and what is unfair.The Feminine Mystique  implicated  women's magazines, other media, corporations, schools and various institutions in U. S. society that were all guilty of relentlessly pressuring girls to marry young and fit into the fabricated feminine image. Unfortunately, in real life it was common to find that women were unhappy because their choices were limited and they were expected to make a â€Å"career† out of being housewives and mothers, excluding all other pursuits.Betty Friedan noted the unhappiness of many housewives who were trying to fit this feminine mystique image, and she called the widespread unhappiness â€Å"the problem that has no name. † According to Betty Friedan, the so-called feminine image benefited advertisers and b ig corporations far more than it helped families and children, let alone the women playing the â€Å"role. † Women, just like any other humans, naturally wanted to make the most of their potential. How Do You Solve a Problem That Has No Name? In  The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan analyzed the problem that has no name and offered some solutions.She emphasized throughout the book that the creation of a mythical â€Å"happy housewife† image had brought major dollars to advertisers and corporations that sold magazines and household products, at a great cost to women. She called for society to revive the 1920s and 1930s independent career woman image, an image that had been destroyed by  post-World War II  behavior, women’s magazines and universities that encouraged girls to find a husband above all other goals. Betty Friedan's vision of a truly happy, productive society would allow men and women to become educated, work and use their talents.When women igno red their potential, the result was not just an inefficient society but also widespread unhappiness, including  depression  andsuicide. These, among other symptoms, were serious effects caused by the problem that had no name. In an excerpt from her book, â€Å"The Feminine Mystique†, Betty Friedan defines women's unhappiness during the Fifties as †the problem that has no name. † She identifies â€Å"the problem that has no name† as upper-middle classed suburban women experiencing dissatisfaction with their lives and an inarticulated longing for something else beside their housewifely duties.She pins the blame on a media perpetuated idealized image of femininity, a social construction that tells women that their role in life is catch a man, keep a man, have children and put the needs of one's husband and children first. According to Friedan, women have been encouraged to confine themselves to a very narrow definition of â€Å"true† womanhood, fors aking education and career aspirations in the process by experts who wrote books, columns and books that told women during that era that their greatest role on the planet was to be wives and mothers.The role of a â€Å"real† woman was to have no interest in politics, higher education and careers and women were taught by these experts to pity women who had the nerve to want a life beyond the cult of true womanhood. If women expressed dissatisfaction with their charmed lives, the experts blamed their feelings on the higher education they received before becoming a housewife. During the fifties, little girls as young as ten years were being marketed by underwear advertisers selling brassieres with false bottoms to aide them in catching boyfriends and American girls began getting married in high school.America's birthrate during this time skyrocketed and college educated women made careers out of having children. The image of the beautiful, bountiful Suburban housewife was accept ed as the norm and women drove themselves crazy, sometimes literally to achieve this goal. Friedan ultimately concluded that â€Å"the problem that has no name† is not a loss of femininity, too much education, or the demands of domesticity but a stirring of rebellion of millions of women who were fed up with pretending that they were happy with their lives and that solving this problem would be the key to the future of American culture 1.According to Betty Friedan, how were women pressured into accepting the role of â€Å"housewife† in the post-World War II years? 2. What is the â€Å"problem that has no name†? What caused the problem? 3. What solutions does Friedan suggest? The Feminine Mystique  is credited as having started the second wave of feminism in America. With this in the forefront of my mind this week, I tumbled through the first chapter of  The Feminine Mystique. Uncertain as to what I would find when I started out, I was a bit astonished to fin d the ideas of this feminist hero a bit hyperbolic and too general to reach the conclusions that she does.I want to get your take on it,  though. So whether you’ve read it or not, read below and let me know what you think. First of all, Betty Friedan defines â€Å"the problem that has no name† as â€Å"a strange stirring, a sense of dissatisfaction† which results in each suburban American housewife asking herself the silent question â€Å"Is this all? †Ã‚  as she does the daily chores, makes meals, drives the kids to and fro and then goes to sleep beside her husband at night. Friedan also says â€Å"the problem† is seen in  a mother of four who dropped out f college when she was nineteen and later told Friedan: â€Å"I’ve tried everything women are supposed to do – hobbies, gardening, pickling, canning, being very social with my neighbor, joining committees, running PTA teas. I can do it all, and I like it, but it doesn’t leave you anything to think about – any feelings of who you are. I never had any career ambitions. All I wanted was to get married and have four children. I love the kids and Bob and my home. There’s no problem you can even put a name to. But I’m desperate. I begin to feel that I have no personality.I’m a server of food and a putter-on of pants and a bedmaker, somebody who can be called on when you want something. But who am I? † The question this young mother asks is one ubiquitous in the minds of all women. One, I know which I have asked myself. Its a question that needs an answer, whether you’ve gone to college or not, had a career or not, or gotten married or not. This young mother is aware of her actions and seems to have struggled with the thought that if she is the sum of her total daily actions, she is a nobody and therefore, offers no significance or value to the world . . . seems indeed nightmarish.This is exactly what Friedan wants young women to think – that  we are what we do. That we are the sum of our total daily actions. If we go so far as to say yes, everyone is thus marginalized into the mundane deeds of their lives. Really, if a mother is just a putter-on of pants, a server of food, and a bedmaker, then any CEO or manager is just a signer of documents and a filler of a chair in meetings. Such a generalization sounds absurd and laughable about a CEO – likewise, to me, it seems that it is absurdity to think that a wife and mother is only a putter-on of pants, a server of food, and a bedmaker.We all know that a CEO does more than signs documents and sits in a chair in meetings. He or she leads a company or organization. He or she establishes a culture for a team to function in. He or she manages the team which has been entrusted to them by a board or founder. It is indeed a sobering position – that of a CEO. Likewise, a mother does more than puts pants on their children, serves foo d, and makes the beds. In comparison to the â€Å"career† world, the work of a wife and mother is focused on people not percentages.Since I’m not a mother, I cannot speak from personal experience to all that a mother does. If you read this and you are a mother, what do you do everyday? Do you feel that you are what you do? Or do you see it as the duty of a greater responsibility? And if it’s not to much to ask, why do you do what you do? If you read this and you are not a mother, what does the position of mother seem to you? What does it mean to be a mother? Do you think they are only the maker of sandwiches and beds? In the meantime, keep living the dream. As listed below **, we can see that the definition of â€Å"housewife†Ã¢â‚¬â€œwhat Ms.Friedan was really wrestling with when she penned her thoughts–emphasizes that a woman who manages the household that she and her husband and children take refuge in, is given much authority. This woman is â₠¬Å"in charge†, she is a â€Å"manager†, she â€Å"takes care of domestic affairs†. ( Every government in the Western world has an office of Domestic Affairs! ) A woman who is married and sees to the affairs of her household or domicile is in a position of tremendous authority and influence, she directly impacts all of the individuals–husband, children, neighbors, etc. ho move within her sphere of sovereignty. According to Rita W. Kramer, author of â€Å"Peanut Butter On My Pillow†, â€Å"we let housewifery become a mediocre,monotonous task when we fail or refuse to see the nobility of it. † Since 1979 I’ve been married to the same, outstanding husband, and since 1981 I’ve birthed 9 children and with my husband have raised them up to be responsible students, then productive professionals, then husbands, wives and parents as well as committed community members.If there’s a â€Å"problem without a name† it would be ho w to find the correct noun to accurately envelope ALL that being a housewife really entails: cook, laundress, cleaning supervisor, the encourager, exhorter, cheerleader, behavior modifier, and even above all that†¦. the keeper of the home†¦the one who tries, although imperfectly, to protect and preserve a safe haven for all of those who take refuge within our walls. **Definitions of â€Å"Housewife†: a wife who manages a household while her husband earns the family income wordnetweb. princeton. du/perl/webwn A woman who manages a home and takes care of domestic affairs. http://www. nps. gov/archive/hofu/TEACHERS/vocab. html a married woman in charge of a household merriam-webster. com/dictionary Here’s to each and every woman who finds the rare jewel of contentment in her full time job as wife and mother, If you ask a young girl what she wants to be when she grows up, she may tell you she wants to be a doctor, lawyer, or even a teacher. That is what any child would perceive their future to become, just like their parents.But what that little girl is unaware of, is that if she had lived a little over 150 years ago, her future dreams would be quite different. Women living a life of religious freedom, having a voice in government, and attending schools is normal in our everyday lives as we reach the new millennium . However, women did not always have an equal say or chance in life. In our American History, women have demonstrated and worked for reform of women's rights. Through seven generations, it took many meetings, petition drives, lobbying, public speaking, and nonviolent resistance to make our world the way it is now.The Women's Rights Movement begins its task on July 13th, 1848, where a lady named Elizabeth Cady Stanton decided enough was enough, and she started the fight for her rights as well asall women's rights. Within the next week of her decision she held a convention in Seneca Falls called, â€Å"A convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman†. Stanton created a list to present called â€Å"Declaration of Sentiments† which stated areas in life where women were treated unjustly. *1)    After the second day of the convention, every resolution on her declaration was passed except the one that called for women the right to vote. As time passed, however, many conventions were held all the way up to the Civil War. Women just like Stanton, such as Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Sojourner Truth traveled throughout the country lecturing and organizing for the next forty years. A 72 year battle includes many speakers, political strategists, organizers, lobbyist, and so forth, until what is needed is done. Thousands of people participating in the movement to now win â€Å"that most basic American civil right†