Information Security Issues Associated with Internet Connectivity Essay

Information Security Issues Associated with Internet Connectivity - Essay Example The report presents some recommendations such as apply some policy, training their employers and employing softwares for security checks. With the advanced technology that we have right now, security issue has become an essential problem for any organization, which uses the Internet, around the world. As stated by Charles and Shari (23, 2002), the security of an organization is important to protect it from any criminal damage. The software vulnerabilities and social engineering in an organization system that cyber-criminals target is the most important issue in security measures. The aim of this research is to investigate how to protect an organization that uses Internet connection from being targeted because of the vulnerability of their system. This report will discuss general issues related to Internet connectivity, software vulnerabilities, social engineering and specific vulnerability which is Cross Site Scripting (XSS). It will also provide a discussion and recommendation that will help organizations against hackers and other criminal activities directed in breaching their security. Hacking a system or a database is the largest threat to network security for most organizations. IP addresses can easily be obtained through search engines like Google and Yahoo. As a result, the Internet gives easy access to an organization’s system or database for millions of unknown users in the world. And because the users are unknown, it creates additional challenges to the security departments. In addition to the countless unknown users, the links of different systems and database between organizations through the use of the World Wide Web makes it easier for one to access the linked systems. Moreover, the linked access introduces a considerably magnified potential for virus spread. The vulnerability of the system is the primary weakness of an

Influence of celebrities X parents Essay Example for Free

Influence of celebrities X parents Essay Invasion of the celebrities in homes around the word have an impact in children life. Celebrities are everywhere. Media like television shows, Internet, and magazines make the presence of celebrities constant in daily live, and this presence result an influence under younger. Sometimes this impact agrees with parents’ values but sometimes diverges. While parents work hard to give a good education for their children, the widely spread of some celebrity behavior make a mess in younger minds. As well as parents, personalities have a meaningful presence in young lives. Appearing al the time celebrities concur with parents for children attention. Occasionally, teenagers prefer to be in front of television watching their favorite shows than spend time with family. In some cases, celebrities can have a positive influence under children. Teens might admire a disciplined athlete, a philanthropic actor and also they might be impressed by parents ethical conducts. It is known that misbehavior of celebrities is widely divulged, and adolescents that are exposed to these behaviors might change their comportment. Young usually follow the celebrities tends like hairstyles, clothing, and even ideal. Opinions and values may change and sometimes can go against the father and mother principles. Family usually teaches their successors what is right and wrong. However, celebrities behavior like the singer Justin Bieber, that get involved in a minor scuffle with paparazzo, may give to children an impression that it is normal, and also they may think that these conducts are acceptable by society. The disclosure of celebrity lives may make children mind sometimes resulting in a divergent values of their parents, in other perspective agree with parents education. The incessant presence of personalities involves the younger mind and leads boys and girls to change their behavior. Comportment example tends copied from children. The comportment can come from TV stars and parents. Depending the type of example, younger shift their thoughts to better, but maybe it can prompt in a behavior in opposite to their parents. Notably, as well parent celebrities easily influence children. For this  reason, parents cannot underestimate their power, and they have to assume the control of their children.

PC Vs Mac Essay -- Compare Contrast Personal Computer Macintosh

When purchasing a personal computer, buyers used to grapple with the decision: a Macintosh from Apple Computer or a Microsoft-based PC? Microsoft effectively won that operating system debate years ago and claims more than 90% of the PC operating system market. But in the push to legally sell digital music, Apple and Microsoft, and their incompatible file formats, are at it again. Consumers are in the position of having to choose as hardware makers line up behind either Microsoft or Apple's software format. Hewlett-Packard's recent surprise decision to snub longtime PC partner Microsoft and offer Apple music software on its PCs shows how unpredictable this battle may be. "Microsoft lost the first round of the digital music war," says Phil Leigh, an analyst with research firm Inside Digital Media. Apple's iTunes software "was good enough to persuade (H-P) . . . to switch. That's huge." For now, Dell, which battles H-P for PC market share dominance, promotes music in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio (WMA) format on its computers -- as do most Windows-based PCs. Likewise, most portable music devices sold today -- with the exception of Apple's best-selling and acclaimed iPod -- use Microsoft's format. That means consumers who use portable music players and buy songs from Apple must use the iPod; consumers who purchase from non-Apple online music stores must use portable devices based on Microsoft's format. Adding to the digital disorder: Sony is set this summer to launch yet another music service, Connect, with songs that can be transferred only to Sony devices, such as mini-disc players. "There's a lot of confusion about different formats," says Mike McGuire, analyst with research firm GartnerG2. "But the dig... ...with Pepsi of 100 million songs from iTunes. Will other PC manufacturers follow in H-P's footsteps? Leigh thinks so; Apple wouldn't comment. Only time will tell. Consumers "will decide which format works, and whether that should be Apple's or Microsoft's," McGuire says. TEXT OF INFO BOX BEGINS HERE Dividing up digital music Apple and Microsoft have different formats for digital music. What plays where: Music service Plays on Apple's iTunes Music Apple iPod, Macs and Windows PCs with iTunes or RealPlayer version 10 software. Will soon play on H-P Windows PCs and branded iPods. Musicmatch, Bestbuy.com, Walmart.com, Napster, BuyMusic.com, MusicRebellion.com: PCs with Microsoft's Windows Media Player, Musicmatch, RealPlayer or Winamp software. Digital media players from Dell, Rio Audio, Creative Labs, Gateway, Samsung, iRiver; all Pocket PCs.

How Does Medieval Literature Exhibit the Roles of Men and Women Essay

How Does Medieval Literature Exhibit the Roles of Men and Women Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The medieval literature is full of stories of the perilous adventures and the valorous heroes. Many sections of the medieval literature are ironic and usually comprise a message. The characters in the medieval literature are frequently kings, knight, or Queens, such as in the Chaucer’s, Sir Gawain, the Canterbury tales, and the Greek knight. Majority of the supporting characters in these tales are in one-dimensional and defined by their roles and tasks in the society. However, the main characters in the medieval literature exhibit the sign of independence and are not exclusively defined by the society’s expectations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Knight, the medieval realms never appeared to be surprise whether women are nobles or peasants, they were not only confined to household duties such as cooking, sewing, spinning and weaving but also hunted food and fought in battles. In the wife bath’s tale, a knight the major character raped a woman .From this it shows that the women rights were not valued and any one in top authority could violate these rights without any of the consequences for Knight violated the right willingly (Chaucer, 119).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, the women were not valued much to men; there was no equality of women to women. This is well illustrated when the immortal Knight, must do everything he can to find out what women want in their lives, orders from the queen. When he meet old woman after he had travelled almost everywhere, the woman responds to the question that all they want is to be equal to men. In another incident is evident that women are not esteemed or rather not much repudiated .Another Knight often insults the woman who agreed to marry. He calls her ugly and evil, he berates her in every imaginable way. He does not appreciate her stature appreciate her stature and blemish the reputation of all women (Chaucer, 136).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sir Garran exhibits the position men should hold on the society, According to him, men should be there to respond to the challenges facing the women. He faces critics from other Knights when he says that each should be unique in the way that they respond to the challenges and in the way, they perceive their roles in the society .In addition, he says that they must preserve their integrity and reputation. When one of Knight insults the woman married, Sir Garwan responds that should not happen to knights (Bennett, 121).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the role of women is portrayed in the tale, the vulnerable and Assertion of the wife of Bath community was very different in Chaucer’s time; the women were suppressed and the men dominated the society. The destructive and manipulative nature of the women was much emphasized by men. Just like eve in the bible, the women were blamed for the failure/downfall of a man. Through the Bath of wife, Chaucer tries to investigate the hardship of the self-realization in a woman in the restricted environment. Alison, the wife of bath, symbolizes antifeminism searches and stereotypes for peace and happiness in a patriarchal community. Unluckily, Alison is never in harmony with who she actually is as woman (Chaucer, 105). Chaucer’s uses a series of satires to ultimately illustrates that under her apparently certain appearance; there conceal the soul of a defenseless, lost woman. In Green Knight and Sir Gawain, Sir Gawain is as well a kni ght. He is from King Arthur’s Knights of Round Table, a very important at that time. The Knights were anticipated to be brave, honest, and chivalrous. After the Green Knight proposes and enters his dispute, Sir Gawain is courageous enough, as the knight could be, to intensify to the challenge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As we see from these tales, men are portrayed to be courageous, honest, and hardworking. The men in the society dominate the women. These show the lowed position of women in the society. They are discriminated, and viewed to have negative effect in the society. The man decides the roles of their women and has power of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The control and dominance in the wife of Chaucer is the Wife Bath story. Alison, the main character recognizes dominance of his husband as the major purpose of her story and life. Alison is a headstrong and controlling woman. She desires to dominate her husband. She trusts that, in order to be her companion, a man needs to be submissive and that she remains the head of the household. Although she has been married for several times, she has never accepted to be dominated by a man. She says out of her five marriages, two were bad husbands and three were good husband. The wife of the Bath is aggressive to get what she wants and nothing can stop her because she lives for dominance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, characters in the medieval literature are different and unique in their behavior; however, each character plays a role to exhibit the role of men and women in the society. According to Albert in his book Medieval Sexuality, a girl says â€Å"I can’t mind if am beaten by man but a woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (52).This shows that characters in the book do not exhibit understanding of their rights and roles as men and women they should hold in the society. In medieval literature it is evident that women had hard times while men lived harsh lives, perhaps all in effort to perform their roles. References Chaucer. â€Å"Conversion and Convergence: The Role and Function of Women in Post-Medieval Icelandic Folktales.†Scandinavian Studies  2 (2012): 165. Blumenfeld-Kosinski, Renate. â€Å"Medieval Life Cycles: Continuity And Change.†Ã‚  Medieval Review  (2014): Source document

Diwali Experience

â€Å"Diwali Delight† The best feeling is to have all your long-time unseen relatives and friends gather around together and have a blast. Recently on my dad’s birthday, the day of October 26th, the start of Diwali, can be as delightful as any of your cultural holidays. Diwali is the festival of lights. Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. My dad was the first one to come to the United States in my whole, family, which makes me second generation Indian. He came from India for his masters in Alabama by the usual way of transportation: By flight.My family celebrates Diwali in three main ways: By lighting firecrackers, having a big family feast where only the men cook, and also by dancing to traditional Indian music. Diwali doesn’t just bring me boats load of fun, but also helps me recognize how light helps us in our everyday lives. As most people know, the lighting of firecrackers on Diwali Is we ll-known as the main event. Usually by 7 or 8’oclock, the neighborhood starts erupting. In our family it is traditional to go to our cousin’s house for this part of the event.All of the guests get one whole bag full of a different variety of firecrackers. The types include sparklers, rockets(which you blast), And also chain crackers, which are a hundreds of normal firecrackers put together. As the final crackers explode and the pictures are taken, we all head to our house, where we start the dinner feast. It is a custom in our family to let all the men cook a feast. As all the cars enter our driveway, all the men put on their baking gloves, and get ready to make a mess in the kitchen, while the women get very cautious about them and the children are playing in the backyard.As we hear a big scream from the parents for dinner, all the children quickly evacuate into the house. As we enter, our nose gets filled with the delightful aroma of the food. The food items prepared vary every year, which keeps us in anxiety. Recently, we had a type of Indian bread with different curries. Last but not least, we dance to traditional Bollywood music, which includes classical, vocational, and some of R&B music. After our food digests, we play music from an ipod and everybody dances in joy.In conclusion, Diwali is always a great experience with your family members. I am proud that I am second generation Indian, and that we have a chance to celebrate Diwali. In my opinion, I believe our family celebrates this holiday the best by lighting up firecrackers, having a big family feast, and by dancing to traditional music. As said before, Diwali doesn’t just bring fun, but helps me recognize the importance of light in our everyday lives, which is believed to be the motive in our culture to celebrate this holiday.

censorship of american music essays

censorship of american music essays Although is clearly states in the first amendment that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances," censorship in America still exists in a big way. I think censorship can be applied to almost anything, including music of all kinds. "Music censorship is the term used to describe the act of editing, altering, or preventing the listener from hearing the music as the artist created it in order to either deny certain information or to act as a moral gatekeeper of potentially harmful material" (cwrl.utexas.edu/~barndollar/courses/spring98/students/fabfive/index.html). The Censorship of music in the United Stated is documented as far back as 1954, when "Michigan congresswoman Ruth Thompson introduces a bill in the House that would ban mailing of any pornographic recording, punishable by five years imprisonment and a $ 5,000 fine" (http://ericnuzum.com/banned/fifties.html). Even Elvis Aaron Presley, The King of rock-n-roll was once thought of as obscene. In 1957, when he appeared on the Ed Sullivan show for the third time, the cameramen were told to only film him from the waist up. "Elviss dancing was considered lewd" (http://ericnuzum.com/banned/fifties.html). In 1964, "Indiana Governor Matthew Welsh asks the State Broadcasters Association to ban the song Louie, Louie by the Kingsmen because he considers it to be pornographic." (http://ericnuzum.com/banned/fifties.html). This trend has continued all the way up to the nineties, and Im sure it wont stop any time soon. In the past ten years especially, music has been under attack by many law makers, prosecutors and critics of morality and good taste. One attack on this freedom comes from...

Biology coursework Essay Example

Biology coursework Essay Example Biology coursework Paper Biology coursework Paper In Madeleine L`Engle`s children`s novel A Wrinkle in Time, the mitochondria in one of the characters starts to die. Describe what would happen to people who lost their mitochondria, and explain why it would happen. It is important to note that mitochondria are cellular organelles and it functions in the energy production within the cell. It is an inevitable component of the cell, in whose absence all cellular functions that require energy cease to be exist, or are replaced by less effective ones.   Anything that happens to the mitochondria first affects the metabolic status of the cell, the tissue in which it is found and the organ formed. Mitochondria functions in the production of energy for various cellular functions such as maintenance of membrane permeability and pumps, transport within the cell, synthesis [anabolism] and catabolism of cellular structures. All these would be lost when mitochondria are lost or reduced in number in an organism. People who lost their mitochondria would experience widespread dysfunction of organ systems. Since there is no energy production, there is lethargy and death may ensue if there is timely intervention addressing the cause of the insult. One of the most dramatic environmental changes today is the increase in carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere. We usually hear about it in connection with global warming, but that’s not the only issue. What effect would increased carbon dioxide have on plants? If more trees are planted, would this stand to have any effect on atmospheric levels? Evaluate. Carbon dioxide is an important raw material used by plants, for the production of glucose through photosynthesis. It is produced as a waste product of metabolism in most animals. An excessive concentration of carbon dioxide saturates the atmosphere and there is a distortion in the balance of the ecosystem. This amount can be toxic to plants. Its influence on global warming also contributes to its influence on plants. Carbon dioxide has a limited concentration in atmospheric air, less than 1%. An increase on this amount affects the availability of other constituents of air. Such cycles such as nitrogen, carbon and oxygen are affected creating an imbalance that may be incompatible with life including plants. It is noteworthy that the stomata of the plants are closed and there is reduced uptake of carbon for plant use and transport within the plants transport system. Why is it accurate to think of each human being as the owner of a library of ancient information? This can be explained using biological concepts. Man is made up of cells, as its unit basic structure. This comprises the nucleus and cytoplasm. The nucleus contains the genetic material of each human being, and it is very useful as the control centre of all activities each cell carries out. In this nucleus is the genetic make-up of the individual that contains information that inherited from parents. One notices a sequential and generation inheritance of information through parent and offspring, which is modified through the ages by primary genetic changes, adaptive formulations, and environmental factors. This inheritance constitutes the pathway by which each human individual becomes an owner of a library of ancient information encoded into microscopic structures called genes.   This encoding has helped reduce the space to contain the avalanche of information so that it can be available within the nucleus of the cell. This also points to the fact that the cell is really not as simple as we may think, as Darwin presumes. It is a complex structure reduced to appreciable size. The amount of information stored in the nucleus has proven to be larger than that of the Universe. Each man owns the cell, the information contained therein; heredity and genetics being major contributors.

How to Develop High School Science Fair Projects 3 Key Tips

How to Develop High School Science Fair Projects 3 Key Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Interested in science? Science fair is a great way to pursue your interest in science. It can help you figure out if you’re interested in a career in research. It’s also a good activity for your college application, especially if you win awards. I should know! I placed 3rd in my state science fair and won an award from NASA #sciencenerd #brushingdirtoffmyshoulders. What exactly is science fair? How do you compete and win? In this guide, I’ll explain exactly what you need to do to develop winning high school science fair projects and why you should consider participating in this challenging but fun extracurricular. What Is Science Fair? Science Fair is a competition at which students (in grades 6-12) present the results of a scientific experiment thatthey conducted. The experiment must fall into one of the following categories (this may vary slightly depending onthe state you live in): Animal Biology Animal Physiology Behavioral / Social Science Biochemistry / Molecular Biology Chemistry Earth/Space Sciences Ecology Engineering Applications Engineering Research Environmental Management Mathematics Computer Science Microbiology Pharmacology Physics Plant Biology Plant Physiology There are two levels of science fair competition, middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12). I’m going to focus on high school science fair competitions, but much of my advice holds true for middle school science fair competitions as well. Some high schools conduct an in-school science fairthenadvance their winners to the county or regional science fair.This varies by state. Some states have regional science fairs (where several counties are grouped into one competition) while other states have individual county science fairs. Some such as California have a mix of regional and county science fairs. The winners of the county or regional science fair then advance on to the state science fair. Each state hosts their own science fair and selects winners. Who Can Compete in High School Science Fair? Any high school student with a project idea that fits into one of the above categories can compete in science fairs!However, each high school is only allowed a specific number of entries into the regional or county science fair.This may vary slightly from region to region.The maximum number of entries per school into the RegionalScience Fair is usually around 13. Most high schools host a school-wide science fair to decide who they’ll send to the RegionalScience Fair.Small schools may just send all interested students (without hosting a school-wide science fair) if they have less than 13 projects to send. How Do You Sign Up for Science Fair? Talk to your guidance counselor about how to sign up to compete in science fair.Usually, one of the science teachers at your high school will be in charge of science fair for your school. Ask your guidance counselor who that person is, then check with that person to learn what you need to do to sign up.You’ll likely need to have a good idea of what your project will be when yousign up! You should sign up as soon as you can.If you’re a Freshman, sign up as soon as you start school.If you’re a Sophomore, Junior, or Senior, you also should sign up at the start of the school year, or sign up at the end of the previous school year to compete the following year. Deadlines will vary from school to school andregionto region.The important thing is to sign up as soon as you decide you want to compete in the science fair; depending on your project idea, you might need special approval before you can sign up or start your experiment. How to Develop High School Science Fair Projects When brainstorming science fair project ideas, I recommend starting with the science fair competition categories (see above).Are any of the areas of particular interest to you?Is there a burning question you had in one of your science classes that you’d like to try and answer? Was there a recent scientific discovery that you found interesting? What was interesting about it? Is there something else you’d like to test that’s related to that discovery? Is there a problem you have, or you see in the world? Do you have an idea of how to fix it?For example, I’d always been interested in how oil spills were cleaned up. I knew bacteria and fungi were sometimes used to clean up oil spills, and I wanted to know which was faster at cleaning up oil spills.That ultimately was the topic of my science fair project. If all of this is drawing a blank, I recommend reading some articles on Science Daily to see if you find anything interesting.Why is it interesting? Do you want to know something more? Once you have your basic project concept, read each of the three considerations below to make sure it's a top-notch idea. Consideration #1: Is it a Good Science Fair Project Idea? What makes a good science fair project idea? I'm defining "good" in this context as a project that will grab the attention of judges and give you a better chance of winning awards. A good science fair project idea will meet the following qualifications: Be unique. Try to come up with an original concept. How do you test the originality of your concept? Do a Google search for your potential idea. If you come up with 5 or more exact matches for your idea, consider picking a different one. If you come up with less than 5 matches,you might have a good project idea! Beapplicable in some way. Try to come up with aproject that will be useful to the world. For example, the results of my project (whether bacteria or fungi cleaned up oil faster) would help in the event of future oil spills. Someone could use the results of my experiment and clean up an oil spill more efficiently. Projects don't need to change the world, but it is helpful if the results of the experiment mean something. As another example, let's look at anaward-winning project from 2015.For this project, the student took chicken breasts and sutured them together in 3 different ways. The student then ran a test to see which of the 3 sutures held together longest under heavy weight. The results of this experiment apply tothe field of medicine. A surgeonmay choose to use the suture technique that held together the longest in lieu of the other suture techniques. What's an example of a non-applicable project? In my middle school science class, we conducted an experiment to see if ketchup or mustard would run down an incline faster. This experiment really had no application to the real world. Consideration #2: Is the Project Idea Feasible? After doing this preliminary round of brainstorming, start to think about feasibility.Can you realistically conduct this experiment with the resources you have at yourdisposal and in the given time frame (likely a month or two - depending on how early you start)? Next, create a basic schedule so you stay on track.I recommend that you conduct yourexperiment and finish it at least 2 weeks before the science fair.You need time to organize the data, write up the results, get the board made, etc. (I’ll discuss this more in-depth below.) For resources, do you have access to a lab through your high school? If you don’t, consider reaching out to local community college professors or to local scientists to see if someone would be willing to be your mentor for your science fair project and let you use their facilities.The mentor would be there to oversee your use of their facilities. It’s doubtful a lab would let you use their facilities without a supervisor. For example, for my project, I needed an incubator thatneither my school nor I had. Luckily, my uncle worked at the local community college and was able to get me access to a mentor and the incubator at the lab. Also, make sure that whatever project you choose you can complete withinyour given time frame.For example, don’t plan to measure how bird population size changes over 5 years after the introduction of a predator species.This is a terrible idea for 2 reasons.One, you don’t have 5 years to conduct an experiment to present at the science fair.Two, you definitely wouldn’t be allowed to introduce a predator into the wild. Some project ideas will require a much larger time commitment that others. Take this into consideration when picking your project.How much time do you have in your schedule to dedicate to science fair? Some projects might only take a single day or weekend.For example, if your experiment wasdetermining which acidic fruit could conduct the most electricity, you could do it in a day. All you would need to do is buy the fruit and buy an electrical conductivity meter. Stick the meter in the fruit and write down the results. Others require you to do something every day for several weeks or months.For example, if your experiment was determining whether fungi or bacteria is better at cleaning up an oil spill, you’ll need a lot more time and advanced planning. You’ll need to monitor your Petri dishes on a daily basis for several weeks to track the progress. Consideration #3: Does Your Project Follow Science Fair Rules? My next point is aboutfeasibility. What experiments are you allowed to do for science fair?Most states have rules regarding the types of science fair experiments students can conduct. Beyond having to fit your experiment into one of their categories (as I mentioned above), you have to obey certain rules about the use of animals, humans, animal tissue, human tissue, hazardous materials, and/or microbes in your experiment.The use of these things isnot prohibited (I used microbes in my experiment). However, you need to get approval in certain cases. These rules will vary by state, so find your state’s and county’s science fair rules by searching Google for â€Å"[State Name] Science Fair Rules† or â€Å"[County Name] County Science Fair Rules.† If one of the potential experiment ideas that you brainstormed passes each of the considerations mentioned (i.e. you have the resources to complete the experiment in the time allowed without breaking any rules), then you should next try to nail down more specificcomponents of the experiment. How to Go From an Idea to Reality Once you've come up with a good science fair project idea that's feasible and doesn't break any rules, how do you take it from an idea to reality? Start by trying to phrase the idea as a question.All experiments should answer a question. What is the question you're trying to answer? For my experiment (on bacteria and fungi cleaning up oil spills), my question was "do bacteria or fungi clean up oil spills faster?" Once you have your question, try to figure out what your independent variable, dependent variable, and controlshould be for your experiment. The independent variable is what you change in the experiment, and the dependent variable is what changes as a result of the change you made. For my experiment, the independent variable is whether bacteria or fungi is used. The dependent variable is how much oil was cleaned up.The control is what you use as the standard of comparison for your other samples. It ensures the reliability of your test by showing nothing else was affecting the results. For example, in my experiment, the control was simply oil in a Petri dish with nothing else. If oil had dissipated from that control Petri dish, I would know there was something else affecting the cleanup of oil. After figuring out your variables, try to figure out how you will measure the results.This can often be the trickiest part of planning your experiment. For my experiment, I checked the Petri dishes once per week for 2 months. At each visit, I put the Petri dishes on a grid and countedthe number of grids that didn't have oil in them. This was not a perfect measurement, but I didn't have any better tools at my disposal. If you're having trouble coming up with the question, variables, or measurement for your project idea, consider talking to your science teacher(s). Theywill likely have advice on what question, variables, and measurements to use. These teachers have seen many years worth of science fair projects and will know if your project is feasible and can give you advice on how to best execute the project. You can alsoresearch similar projects online with a simple Google search. See how those experiments were conducted and if you could do something similar. Once you come up with your idea, you need to get it approved by your science fair coordinator before starting the experiment.Your science fair coordinator is likely one of the science teachers at your school. Ask your science teacher or your counselor who the science fair coordinator is.The coordinatorwill know if you need to submit paperwork before starting your project or if you can get started without further paperwork. How to Present Your Science Fair Project At the science fair, you'll be expected to have a board that presents the results of your experiment and a packet that is basically a printed version of your board. On the day of the science fair, you'll spend most of the time standing next to your board waiting for a judge to approach you. The judges are typically volunteers with a science background (former science teachers or scientists). You will present your entire experiment to the judges, and then they will typically ask you a few questions about your experiment (I'll discuss this more in-depth below). You'll likely go through this process more than once. At some science fairs, you present to each judge individually (most fairs have at least 3 judges per category). Also, some science fairs have additional judges from companies that give out supplemental awards. For example, at my state science fair, NASA sent their own judge that, separate from the state judges, heard presentations and asked questions. You might also be asked about your experiment by parents and fellow science fair competitors. What Should You Include on Your Science Fair Board? I've includedanexample of a science fairboard below to demonstrate how your board should look. The actual topic of this board is a little too juvenile for a high school science fair (it was probably presented at a middle school science fair), but the visual presentation of the board is the same as you'd expect atthe high school level. Flickr/Oddharmonic Before we dive into the content of the board, you should make sure the board is visually appealing. Make sure it isn't too cluttered. Make sure to include some pictures or graphics (I'll discuss this more below). Your board's appearance will be the first impression people have of your experiment, so make sure it's a good first impression. At the top of your board, you should have the title of the experiment. It can be something clever like the one in the picture (the experiment was trying to find out if shampoo helped carnations hold color dye better) or it can be more basic (i.e. Does Shampoo Help Carnations Hold Dye?). The front page of your presentation packet should be a cover page with your experiment name and your name. In the following section, Ilistwhat you should include inboth your board and in your packet. Examples (using the carnation experiment) are highlighted in blue: Problem (or Experimental Question):What was the question you were trying to answer with your experiment? Does shampoo help carnations hold color dye better than acetone? Hypothesis: What did you think the answer to that question is? I think shampoo will help carnations hold color dye better than acetone. Materials:What did you use to conduct your experiment? 24 carnations, Dove brand shampoo, red color dye, acetone, a measuring cup, etc. Variable:What was the independent variable, dependent variable, control? As I said before, the independent variable is what you change. The dependent variable is what changes because of it. The independent variable iswhether acetone or shampoo was used. The dependent variable is the color of the carnations. Procedure:What steps did you follow to conduct the experiment (be as detailed as possible). 1. Place 2 carnations into a vase with 2 ml of shampoo, 2 ml of red dye, and 2 ml of water. 2. Place another 2 carnations into a separate vase with 2 ml of acetone, 2 ml of red dye, and 2 ml of water. Data/Graphs:What data did you collect? Can you present it as a table or graph? (If you can, you should.) After two days, the carnations in the shampoo mixture were pink, and the carnations in the acetone mixture were red. Conclusion:What were the results of the experiment? I found that the carnations absorbed the dye better with acetone than with shampoo. The carnations in the acetone mixture turned a deep red while the carnations in the shampoo mixture only became a light pink. As I said above, when presenting your experiment, you’ll be asked questions about your experiment. How can you best prepare for these questions? Most importantly, know your project details inside and out. Know how your project results applyto the real world.For example, if your experiment is which fruit has the most conductivity, you could discuss how viable an option fruit is as a source of alternative energy (even if it’s not).Even if your experiment would not be realistic in the real world, it is great to show that your knowledge of science goes beyond your project. Brainstorm what questions you might be asked. Some examples include:How did you come up with the idea for your experiment?What did you use as your control? What do your results tell you? Then, try to answer all of the questions you’ve brainstormed.Write your answers down.Perfect them.This way you’ll be prepared to eloquently answer the questions you’re asked. What Are the Benefits of Participatingin Science Fair? Competing in science fair has many benefits. Through science fair, you'll get to meet like-minded students who are interested in science. If you get to go on to county/regional/state competitions, you'll make science-interested friends from other schools as well! Science fair is a great opportunityto test out whether you’d like to pursue a career in scientific research. It's great to try and find your passion in high school so you don't waste time and money during college trying to figure out what you want to major in.By doing science fair, hopefully, you'll find out if science isa subject you want to continue studying or not. If you compete in science fair, you can potentially be recognized for your scientific ability by receivingawards from your school, county, region, state, or other science fair sponsors (such as NASA). If you win an award, it looks great onyour college application. Colleges love to see students who were recognized for their talents!Additionally, science fair is a free experience that won’t cost you anything other than time and maybe a little money for supplies for your experiment.I highly recommend competing in science fair if you’re interested! There are a couple of cons to competing in science fair. Science fair can be extremely time-consuming. Ifyou're worried about not having enough time, I recommend doing a more manageable project (an experiment that can be completed in a shorter time frame). Sciencefair projects do not need to take a lot of time. Just because an experiment doesn't require a lot of time doesn't make it any less sophisticated than other more time-consuming projects. Also, some studentsfind science fair boringif they don't care that much about science. I still think it's valuable to try science fair once if you have any interest in science. If you find science fair boring then, at least, you figured out science is probably not your desired career path, and you can move on to exploring your other interests. What’s Next? Interested in learning more about other extracurricular activities? Learn about Model UN and how to join your high school newspaper. Looking for something to do this summer? Check out the Emory Pre-College Program and the Boston University Summer Challenge! Looking to get started on SAT/ACT preparation? Check out our ultimate SAT/ACT study guideschedule and plan! Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PROJECT MANAGEMENT - Essay Example ontingency to accommodate the risk of incurring unidentifiable but normally occurring costs within the defined scope† (â€Å"What is Cost Baseline,† n.d.). This is referred to as a â€Å"financial plan prepared for every major expense category, such as administrative cost, financing cost, production cost† ( â€Å"Cost Budget†; â€Å"Budget,† n.d.). It essentially contains the list of all planned and expected revenues and expenses which is defined by Sullivan & Sheffrin (2004) as the â€Å"plan for saving and spending.† This is considered as one of the vital plans to be taken up before starting to operate a business because this report helps in the proper allocation of resources, â€Å"evaluates performance and formulates plans† (Ward, n.d.). Cash flow report is also called as the statement of cash flows or funds flow statement (Helfert, 2001). Previous accountants termed this as the flow of funds statement (Bodie, Kane & Marcus, 2004). This report mainly tackles on the change of cash all throughout a business year. The change of cash involves three major categories; operating cash flow, investing cash flow, and financing cash flow (Comiskey & Mulford, 2000). It is further defined by Erich Helfert (2001) as the â€Å"financial statement that shows how changes in balance sheet accounts and income affect cash and cash equivalents, and breaks the analysis down to operating, investing, and financing activities.† This report has been employed by companies because â€Å"it eliminates allocations which might be derived from different accounting methods, such as various timeframes for depreciating fixed assets† (Epstein & Jermakowicz, 2008). This report is usually used by companies to determine â€Å"the costs of multiple resources for all periods during which the resources are available between a specified start and end time† (â€Å"Resource Costs Summary Analysis,† n.d.). It is quite helpful to minimize certain unnecessary expenditures and to find out practical and long-term

Tips for Effective Oral Presentations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tips for Effective Oral Presentations - Essay Example In this easy, some tips on how to make an effective presentation are discussed. The issue of stage fright, which is a major hindrance to making an effective oral presentation and how to manage it, is also discussed. At the end of this discussion, there should be clarity on how one can make an effective oral presentation. Keywords: Oral Presentation, Effective, Stage Fright Introduction When making an oral presentation, it is very important for one to be able to present thoughts and ideas effectively. Oral presentations are usually very popular in job interviews, and especially when one starts working (Gupta, 2008). So everyone is encouraged to practice oral presentation even before friends and family so as to perfect the skill before the very important time. Ones ability in this area can either make or break his or her career. This is because a person can be very hard working in the job he or she is doing, but if he or she does not have good skills in oral presentation, his or her gr owth will not be seen (Aquino, 2008). There are people who have a certain potential for communication, but this does not mean that they are good at oral presentation. The techniques involved would be very beneficial to such people, to sharpen up their skills more. Effective oral presentation skills make a person more popular among colleagues, for example, a manager who has good skills in oral presentation is likely to be popular among his juniors (Gupta, 2008). What is Oral Presentation? Most of the time, people tend to confuse oral communication with oral presentation, but the two are totally different. According to Gupta, â€Å"oral communication is an interactive process of sharing information† (2008, p. 91) with people. Oral presentation on the other hand refers to a proper way of transmitting messages to an audience. It is important to note that effective oral presentations are important for the growth of a company or organization one is working for, especially when the partners or donors of the funds are present. Characteristics of an Effective Oral Presentation Purposeful: When being composed, an oral presentation should be directed to a definite purpose and one that is clear, because it is aimed at conveying a message to the audience (Rizvi, 2005). Interactive: Any oral presentation should involve the speaker, as well as the audience (Rizvi, 2005). Formal: This is what differentiates oral presentation from other forms of presentations. As said earlier, it is usually emphasized during job interviews. Thus, it is usually used in formal situations. Audience Oriented: This means that the topic has to be dealt with from the perspective of the audience (Rizvi, 2005). Importance of an Effective Oral Presentation Employers usually put great emphasis on oral presentation skills, than in any other form of communication skills. Gupta asserts that an oral presentation has the potential to educate, inspire and persuade more effectively than any other individ ual mode of communication (2008). At some point in ones career, he or she may be asked to make a presentation, and this is the reason why most of the business people rank oral presentation skills as among the most important factors responsible for their success. A good oral presentation can work wonders for any person who is looking for lucrative job offer from a company he or she has dreamt of working with

Total Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Total Quality Management - Essay Example This approach to quality helps in sustenance of success and business profits in the long run. Moreover, adopting TQM approach is also a long-term commitment and cannot be achieved through simple practices. TQM is more of a philosophy and a culture that infuses focus on quality, improvement, as well as innovation. Hence, this approach uses a combination of different practices, tools and techniques. The present discourse explains application of one such technique at the accounting section of Al Faisaliah, in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in an overall improvement and sustenance of their performance in terms of key results; further this approach helped in identifying non-performing areas and in stabilizing new practices that replaced conventional methods of working in order to sustain high performance. Basically, application of TQM happens in two phases namely the human resources phase and application of tools and techniques phase. The process of TQM requires commitment from employees an d effective coordination and communication along with new methods of working. Both phases are closely linked to each other in the process of TQM application because achieving total quality is possible only through strong commitment, teamwork and application of various tools, techniques and practices produce high-quality and/or sustainable results. One such comprehensive approach, or tool, to achieving continuous improvement in all business areas is the Six Sigma methodology. About Six-Sigma, Tennant (2001) suggests that Six Sigma, as an approach to TQM, can be viewed as a vision and philosophy that can direct an organization, department, and team or function towards highest quality standards; as a metric, a symbol, a goal and a methodology to help an organization maintain highest quality standards. However, this approach cannot be considered as the end solution or guarantee of success; and is a complex mix of different tools and techniques. This methodology can be applied to manufac turing as well as service industries. Just as TQM is a measure of continuous improvement, Six Sigma methodology is most suitably applicable to achieve continuous improvement in quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, timeliness, and any other measurable business attribute; however, six sigma cannot be applied to situations or processes that lack historical data and tangible metrics. Intangible objectives such as employee motivation, commitment etc can also be improved by using Six Sigma methodology only if these subjective attributes can be converted to measurable objectives and can be measured to derive a quantifiable number that can describe the present status. Despite presence of proven and efficient quality tools and techniques in the market, some companies have embraced Six-Sigma methodology as their guiding force towards TQM. The pioneers of this technique are Motorola and General Electric (GE), both adopted this technique to improve their manufacturing quality and waste reduction. General Electric embraced Six Sigma much more rampantly than any other firm in their manufacturing as well as service sectors. They attribute cost reduction, customer satisfaction improvement, Wall Street recognition and corporate synergies to application of Six Sigma methodologies. Six Sigma is embedded into GE’s culture. This company employs over 4000 Black Belts and 10000 Green Belts across its businesses, and has set a benchmark for Six

Primark Strategic Analyses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Primark Strategic Analyses - Assignment Example Primark was first established in 1969 in Ireland as Penneys, and is currently operating a total of 154 stores in the UK, Spain and Ireland. Primark has become a leading player in the UK fashion industry, showing huge growth while other players were finding it hard to maintain their income stream, with some even closing the doors of some unprofitable stores. The latest company results showed a increase of 30% in annual profits, with sales 17% up reaching the 1 billion. With great successes with some of its fashions such as its rage of military jackets, with more than 250 thousand sales up to date. With the UK fashion market becoming stagnant and consumers having less money to spend due to increasing interest rates, high house prizes and rising utility cost. Primark is offering high fashion and low prices to bargain hunting consumers. Yet Primark does not only provide consumers with low cost fashion, it has developed the ability to quickly turning out designs inspired by the catwalk and red carpet. Giving its consumers access to generic fashions developed from high label brands. This strategy seem This strategy seems to not only be paying of in the UK, but also in Spain and Ireland. Primark opened its second shop in Spain on the 20th of September, and planning to open an additional 15 stores by the March 2007, expanding its business internationally. Currently they are employing over 18,400 people, which will increase to over 24000 by end of 2007. Analyses and Evaluation In order to analyse and evaluate Primark's position within the fashion market, we need to look at internal and external factors influencing its operations. Maybe the most basic, but effective tool that can be used is the SWOT analyses. This will give us a very good indication of Primark's current success as a fashion retailer. The strength and weakness part of the model look at the internal factors of an organization, and the opportunities and threats analyse the external factors that effects the companies ability to function successfully within a market. Internal Factors Strengths From the Primark website it is possible to derive some of its strengths such as: Full range of high quality, low priced fashion merchandise Generic fashion products reflecting high fashion world trends Established customer base Localised recruiting practices within international organisation Computerised Custom Clearance System Dedicated warehouse and distribution service From the above derived from Primarks website it is possible to see why this organization have the ability to undercut its competitors in the UK fashion industry. By manufacturing their merchandise in countries such as China and India with low labour costs, and then importing the goods via a very effective custom clearance system, and distributing it via a very efficient distribution system, gives them the ability to price their competitors out of the market. With a six week period from design to shop, they have the ability

Developmental psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Developmental psychology - Essay Example As children enter into an era of experiences, every experience is new for their memory according to which the structures in the brain or schema are reshaped, impacting the linguistic, cognitive, social, and emotional development of children. This notion proves that knowledge cannot be transferred directly from the teacher to the learner. In other words, in order to make children learn, knowledge must be constructed or reconstructed in such a manner so that ‘information’ is easily accessible to the children (Ryan & Cooper, 2000, p. 346). Piaget and Vygotsky emphasised upon the significance of social perspectives in developmental psychology but in different directions. Piaget was formally involved in discovering the social interest of child development. In contrast, Vygotsky emphasised the influence of the specific content of external structuring resources (Miller & Carpendale, 2004, p. 3) and theorised that social interaction shapes intellectual development. Vygotsky believe in language development and thought through social interaction. While conducting various developmental experiments his view for social interaction revolves around egocentric speech. According to the ‘Socio-cognitive theory’ it is already proven that children seek new understandings only with the help of social interaction (Johnson, 2003). This new understanding is what today perceived as ‘new technology’ helpful in providing new learning methods not only to children, but to us so that we can equip ourselves with new tec hnological advances that makes learning easier and interesting for our children. One such tool which has influenced our perception and methodology in context with children social development is the use of computers. Researchers reveal that since computers are introduced in the classroom and at homes, educators and parents have debated over

Primark Strategic Analyses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Primark Strategic Analyses - Assignment Example Primark was first established in 1969 in Ireland as Penneys, and is currently operating a total of 154 stores in the UK, Spain and Ireland. Primark has become a leading player in the UK fashion industry, showing huge growth while other players were finding it hard to maintain their income stream, with some even closing the doors of some unprofitable stores. The latest company results showed a increase of 30% in annual profits, with sales 17% up reaching the 1 billion. With great successes with some of its fashions such as its rage of military jackets, with more than 250 thousand sales up to date. With the UK fashion market becoming stagnant and consumers having less money to spend due to increasing interest rates, high house prizes and rising utility cost. Primark is offering high fashion and low prices to bargain hunting consumers. Yet Primark does not only provide consumers with low cost fashion, it has developed the ability to quickly turning out designs inspired by the catwalk and red carpet. Giving its consumers access to generic fashions developed from high label brands. This strategy seem This strategy seems to not only be paying of in the UK, but also in Spain and Ireland. Primark opened its second shop in Spain on the 20th of September, and planning to open an additional 15 stores by the March 2007, expanding its business internationally. Currently they are employing over 18,400 people, which will increase to over 24000 by end of 2007. Analyses and Evaluation In order to analyse and evaluate Primark's position within the fashion market, we need to look at internal and external factors influencing its operations. Maybe the most basic, but effective tool that can be used is the SWOT analyses. This will give us a very good indication of Primark's current success as a fashion retailer. The strength and weakness part of the model look at the internal factors of an organization, and the opportunities and threats analyse the external factors that effects the companies ability to function successfully within a market. Internal Factors Strengths From the Primark website it is possible to derive some of its strengths such as: Full range of high quality, low priced fashion merchandise Generic fashion products reflecting high fashion world trends Established customer base Localised recruiting practices within international organisation Computerised Custom Clearance System Dedicated warehouse and distribution service From the above derived from Primarks website it is possible to see why this organization have the ability to undercut its competitors in the UK fashion industry. By manufacturing their merchandise in countries such as China and India with low labour costs, and then importing the goods via a very effective custom clearance system, and distributing it via a very efficient distribution system, gives them the ability to price their competitors out of the market. With a six week period from design to shop, they have the ability

THE FINAL SELF-REFLECTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

THE FINAL SELF-REFLECTION - Essay Example I designed my pet’s house when I was fifteen. I always wanted to learn how to draw maps and design structures of buildings, roads, and bridges. The fantasy grew into my ambition, and I wanted to learn more about architecture. My passion made me explore more about these issues, and I joined a local library to study the related literature. I have also studied a number of journals and articles that have increased my interest. My basic inspiration was a family friend, an uncle who was an architect and was helping my father in a project regarding designing a low cost orphanage facility in Congo. He inspired me into creating structures, and this increased my enthusiasm about architecture. Thus, I planned to extend my degree in architecture so that I may be able to excel in my field of interest and be a useful professional in my career. I feel it important to state here how pleasing it was for me to pursue architecture. I enjoyed the architectural studies a lot, and came to know about modeling, materiality and aspects of interaction between people and buildings. I learnt how to work in teams to achieve the goals. I gained knowledge of many architectural softwares and programs, like Rhinoceros, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. In my university, I have been a very active student, and have always gained the praise of my teachers and peers. I was a student representative in my first and third years. I also possess interest in games, and have stayed part of the volleyball team in my second year. I also deem it important to describe some of personal qualities. I can prove to be an ethical leader for teams, since I plan my work according to rules and standards. I care about my co-workers; keep in view the goals and objectives; and, have a broad vision regarding the advancement of my semester projects. My leadership qualities have always made me succeed in all university projects that I have taken so far, and I am proud

Child Protective Services Essay Example for Free

Child Protective Services Essay Ice users in the state of Hawaii, estimated to have reached 30,000 in 2003, were spending as much as $1. 8 billion every year to maintain their addiction in what has been referred to by U. S Attorney Ed Kubo as the â€Å"highest usage of ice in the country. † (Sinq, 2003) Ice refers to methamphetamine, a strong, extremely addictive stimulant which could be introduced to the body by smoking, sniffing, oral ingestion, or injection and affects the nervous system. (Drug-Rehabs. org, n. d. ) The substance was believed to have been discovered in Japan sometime in 1919 and was actually used as a nasal decongestant in 1932. It was manufactured legally as non-medical tablets in the United States, taking the form of â€Å"dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) and methamphetamine (Methedrine). † It rapidly became a favorite among athletes, university students, and even long distance truck drivers – people who need to stay alert for long periods of time. An injectable form was developed during the 1960s but was subjected to severe restriction under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. (Drug-Rehabs. org. n. d. ) Today, Prosecutor Peter Carlisle of Honolulu said that adult people in Hawaii have been turning to ice instead of alcohol – in fact the highest number of adult ice-users (by state) in the entire country is found in the state of Hawaii. In Honolulu, it was estimated that about 38% of all those arrested for various offenses have been found positive for methamphetamine. Moreover, while the average rate of sentenced methamphetamine traffickers for the entire country in 2001 was placed at 14%, the rate for Hawaii had been 51%. (A Message from Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle, 2007) This only means one thing: ice trafficking in Hawaii has grown to be a very flourishing industry, which, to some people, indicates that ice abuse has already reached epidemic proportions in the state. As a matter of fact, recorded deaths attributed to methamphetamine use have also been steadily on the rise since 2000 when 34 persons were believed to have died from using the substance. In 2001, the number rose to 54 then climbed to 62 in 2002 before decreasing slightly to 56 deaths during the year 2003. In 2004, ice-related deaths rose again to 68 and as of the middle of May 2005, there were already 38 ice-related deaths in the state of Hawaii. According to Dr. Kanthi De Alwis, Chief Medical Examiner of Honolulu, majority of deaths from ice were due to the substance’s effect on the human brain and heart. He said that ice weakens and enlarges the heart, and blocks the coronary arteries. In some of the cases, Alwis said, blood enters the brain, killing the ice user almost instantly. (Drug-Rehabs. org, 2005) User death did not prove to be the only adverse effect of the ice epidemic on Hawaiian society. A much more damaging consequence had been its effect on children. In fact it was observed that although abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs also resulted to fractured families, ice addiction had proven to be more powerful and destructive, consuming â€Å"parents’ lives so quickly that experts placed it in a class of its own. † (Dayton, 2003b) As of 2003, almost 85% of the 7,000 children who were under foster care were children of ice users. Most of these children were traumatized. They also showed signs of being â€Å"angry† and were often destructive in their ways, aside from the fact that most of them lagged in their school work. Many of them have expressed their belief that their parents abandoned them either because something was very wrong with them, or their parents simply stopped loving them. If left unattended, experts feared that these children might end up as substance abusers themselves. At the very least, they are expected to suffer from the long-term effects of living with constant violence and chaos in the family. This is what some health professionals are trying to prevent, according to Jack Maynor who works as a child counselor in a spouse-abuse shelter. (Dayton, 2003a) In many cases, children were separated from their parents because of the parents’ addiction to ice. Families where either or both parents are ice addicts are characterized by violence, child abandonment, or both. Peggy Hilton of the East Hawai’i Child Welfare Services said that there are people who become totally addicted to methamphetamine in only a matter of a couple of weeks. She explained that ice is characterized by â€Å"extreme levels of domestic violence [and that] after a binge, ice users ‘crash’ and can sleep for days, leaving the children in the house to fend for themselves. † According to officials of the Child Protective Services, they are separating up to forty children from their parents every month due to ice addiction in the Big Island alone. (Dayton, 2003b) The effect of parents’ addiction to ice among Hawaiian children has been very extensive. Professionals working with children of methamphetamine abusers often talk about the depressing experiences of these children. James Jolliff, a clinical psychologist from Waimea, recalled working with a girl who found her ice addict father hanging from a tree in their backyard in an attempt to kill himself. He said that while her father was rescued from that suicide attempt, the girl was traumatized and would remain to be so for a long time to come. (Dayton, 2003a)

Literature Review On Flexible Work Practices

Literature Review On Flexible Work Practices This literature review will attempt to appraise and analyse previous works conducted in the field of flexible work practices and work-life balance and its impact on employees. Theories such as Atkinsons flexible firm model (1984), Handys Shamrock organisation concept (1985), psychological contract and Border theory will be used to support this writing. Flexible Work Practices The origin of flexible work practices can be traced back to the 1970s when organizations in Europe experienced challenges as a result of globalization, growth of the product market, advanced technology, and a demand for reduction in the cost of labor (Sarantinos 2007). In response to this, the policy makers recommended two different ways (the low road and the high road) of managing the situation (EPOC, 1999). The`low-road` involves price competition, reduction in earnings and other benefits that were designed for the employees. In contrast, the `high road` includes technical innovation, quality endorsement and the development of the work force. Due to the social orientation of the regulatory authorities and the large number of organizations, the high road was considered to be more appropriate. Employees were however expected to cope with these developments, and this can be regarded as the starting point or the foundation of flexibility for both the employer and the employees (EPOC, 1 999). According to Rose (2008) flexibility is mostly analyzed from the perspective of revolution within the structure of employment relationship and it aids in conforming rapidly to changes in the world of technology and market opportunity. Piore (1998 cited in Rose 2008) argues that flexibility enables the workforce to be multi-skilled and it also promotes a cordial relationship between workers and management towards achieving the organizational goals and objectives. In addition, Dyer (1998) states that the ability to increase workers competencies and involvement will lead to a reduction in the level of absenteeism and increase employee satisfaction as well as the organizational productivity. Furthermore, Armstrong (2006) maintains that flexibility helps in preserving a sense of balance between work and other activities outside work. In a research conducted on Human Resource specialists from 585 organisations in United Kingdom, CIPD (2005) found a rise in the number of employees making us e of flexible contract of employment. However, Pollert (1991 cited in Creagh and Brewster 1998) suggest that drawbacks such as reduced training and development, high job insecurity and low wage should be considered while adopting these practices. It can be argued that there is no widely acceptable definition of the term flexibility in spite of its possible benefits. According to Blyton and Morris (1992: 2), flexibility is defined as the adaptability or responsiveness to pressure and it is generally represented as the opposite of rigidity. Similarly, Bucki and Pesqueux (2000) describe flexibility as the ability to vary according to needs thereby reflecting the ability to stay operational in changing conditions. Furthermore, Benner (2002: 14) states that flexibility refers to the ability to change or react to changes with little penalty in time effort, cost or performance. In addition, (Smith 1989: 203 cited in Legge 2005: 178) defined flexibility as labour market and labour process restructuring to increased versatility in design and greater adaptability of new technology in production. Again, Pilbeam and Corbridge (2006: 104) posit that flexibility is the ability of an organisation to adapt the size, composition, responsivene ss and cost of the people inputs required to achieve organizational objectives. From the above definitions, it is important to note that flexibility is influenced by changes in the economic situation, increased competition, labour market volatility and changes in the world of technology. Wilson et al (2008) explains that different meaning could be ascribed to the term flexibility. According to the author, flexibility can be identified with high commitment work practices and it includes career development, team work, and multi skilling. Presumably, these practices should increase employee satisfaction and motivation and ultimately an increase in the firms competitive advantage. On the contrary, some organizations adopt flexible practices which involve the use of low-priced casual workers for the purpose of meeting changes in customers demand and generating performance benefit. EEF (2009) also maintains that the word flexibility can be analysed from two perspectives. For the employees, flexibility is often used to depict the right to demand for work practices such as home-working, term-time working, part-time working, flexitime and job sharing, annual or compressed hours. Thus, flexibility helps in creating a wide range of motivating jobs and a better working condition for the employees (Dyer 1998). From the employers point of view, flexibility is often used as an abbreviation of the flexible labour markets. It enables the employer to regulate the way work is done in order to meet up with changes in demand (EEF 2009). Thus, flexibility ensures that the organisation remains globally competitive. According to (Bouchikhi and Kimberly cited in Mullins 2007), one of the major challenges that organisations encounter within the flexible labour market is an understanding of individuals wants; and the need to support employee-driven flexibility. Furthermore, Pilbeam and Corbridge (2006) analyzed the term flexibility from two contexts. The first is from the employers viewpoint and it is concerned with the managements pursuit of workers flexibility in order to increase profitability and maximize efficiency. The second aspect is seen from an employees perspective and it is generally addressed by means of rearranging or restructuring of the patterns of work. The study of flexibility from the employees perspective remains the focus of this write-up as it involves the endorsement of flexible working practices to improve work-life balance. Several writers such as (Blyton and Morris 1992; Atkinson 1984; Bramham 1994; Sparrow and Marchington 1998 cited Pilbeam and Corbridge 2006, Lewis et al 2003; Torrington et al 2008; Armstrong 2006; Legge 2005; Dyer 1998) have attempted to identify the different types of flexibility which exists in the workplace. They include functional, numerical, financial geographical, temporal, skills and structural flexibility. Functional flexibility affords management the ability to quickly re-assign workers between different tasks based on jobs requirements (Sisson and Storey 2003). Furthermore, Dyer (1998) maintains that such movement enhances on-the-job training and it also increases employees satisfaction and productivity. Functional flexibility is associated with the core workforce within the Atkinson model (Lewis et al 2003). Atkinson argues that the core workforce is expected to apply their skills across a wide range of tasks in order to contribute significantly to the achievement of organisational success (Marchington and Wilkinson 2008). According to Torrington et al (2008), the rationale behind functional flexibility is to enable employees acquire the skills needed to embark on different assignments, thus ensuring versatility within the work place. However, Legge (2005) argues that functional flexibility is about work amplification and managements ability to exert control over the work force. Nev ertheless, functional flexibility increases employees competencies and ensures a quick response to demand (Mabey et al 1998). Numerical flexibility is the firms ability to increase and reduce the number of work force in response to fluctuations in the demand for product or services (Armstrong 2006). Price (2006) maintains that there is difficulty in achieving this form of flexibility with the core workforce; and Blyton and Morris (1991) conclude that numerical flexibility can be achieved through the use of the peripheral employees within the Atkinsons model. Working practices which incorporates elements of numerical flexibility includes part-time employment, self employment, short-term contracts, job sharing, homework, and agency temps. (Dyer 1998). According to Sparrow and Marchington (1998), numerical flexibility increases employees empowerment because if gives an opportunity for individuals to define their own job. Legge (2005: 178) however argues that one of the reasons why organizations adopt numerical flexibility is to suppress the permanency of employment relationship; thereby making employee redunda ncy an acceptable practice within the employment relationship. (Conclude with statistics) Financial flexibility is the ability of an organization to regulate employment overheads by allocating labour costs to substantiate the supply of and demand for labour so as to increase profitability. It includes payment in relation to performance and the use of local market rates in establishing the cost of labour. To be applied, it requires the utilisation of temporal flexibility as well as the application of non- consolidated bonus pay and non- pensionable payment to steer clear of any expense that encourages a rise in cost (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2006). In addition, financial flexibility supports the implementation of functional and numerical flexibility (Dyer 1998). Temporal flexibility has to do with the arrangement of working hours so as to meet up with production demands. Its aim is to maximise productive time and minimise unproductive time. However, Muller-Camen (2008) argues that the aim of temporal flexibility is to reduce the payment of overtime premium, even though it helps in coping with high customer demand. Geographical flexibility involves the ability of organisation to engage the employee in distant working and it is achieved through better use of technology. To be applied, the employee requires access to organisations facilities from home usually for specific occasion or as situation demands. Arguably, geographical flexibility ensures job security and it enhances efficiency in the execution of work (Stredwick 2000). Forms of flexibility are flexible time, part-time working, overtime, job rotation, shifting, compressed hour, annualised hour, term time Two influential frameworks that address flexibility at the organisational level include Atkinsons (1984) flexible firm model and Handy (1985) shamrock organisation. The flexible firm model was developed by Atkinson in 1984 and it is useful in evaluating the general concept of flexibility (Stredwick 2000). The model contains all the various forms of flexibility discussed above and it also recognises some of the consequences of the flexible work force. Atkinsons (1984) flexible firm Atkinson reinforces an optimist view to flexibility, he argues that economic recession and technological changes have encouraged employers to make their firm more flexible thereby increasing productivity (Rose 2008). Atkinson believes that flexibility addresses the rigidities associated with the rules of employment established under scientific organisation designs where management control over workers was used to increase productivity (Dyer 1998). Atkinsons flexible firm model provides a framework based on breaking internal hierarchical labour markets by creating a core and a periphery workforce; and the author further argues that the flexible firm has a variety of ways of meeting the need of human resources (Torrington et al 2008). The core work force is made up of highly skilled workers (such as management, technical staff and other professionals) who are considered critical to organisational success by their ability to sustain the organisations competitive advantage (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2006). They are highly regarded by the employer, well paid and they are involved in the firms decision making (Torrington et al 2008). In addition, they tend to have development and career opportunities in order to secure their long-term commitment to the organisations. In return, these employees are expected to be functionally flexible by applying their skills across a wide range of tasks in order to contribute significantly to the achievement of organisational success (Marchington and Wilkinson 2008). Whittington (1991 cited in Dyer 1998) however challenge the benefits associated with the core workforce and argues that improved working conditions and better pay is achieved through work intensification. In addition, Ursell (1991 cited in Dyer 1998) maintain that the scope of decision making associated with the core workforce is likely to be very limited and found that budgets, performance appraisals and selection techniques are being used to both monitor and control the extent of autonomy given to the core work force. The peripheral workforce is characterised by low wages, low job security with little or no autonomy in their work Dyer (1998) and are subdivided into several segments. The first group is known as the first peripheral. Employees in this group are drawn from the secondary labour market and they have skills and knowledge profile which is general rather than specific to the core business of the organisation (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2006). They are employed on contracts with some degree of permanence. They are important but not critical to organisation success as their skills and knowledge will normally be readily available in external labour market. Consequently, they cannot expect similar degrees of security as their colleagues from the core even if they display some functional flexibility (Marchington and Wilkinson 2008). Instead of having a career, these group of employees only have job (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2006). They can be regarded as labour on call providing a buffer stock of reso urces enabling the organisation to expand and contract organically Rose (2008); hence they are seen as numerically flexible. Marchington and Wilkinson (2008) however argue against categorising all workers in this group as peripherals because some part time workers are critical to the success of the business given their close contact with customers and their contribution to business goals. Examples include administrative, secretarial, sales, production and supervisory staff. The second peripheral group comprises individuals who find it hard to break into internal labour market and whose employment experiences tend to be precarious, with little realistic prospect of employment security (Marchington and Wilkinson 2008). They consist of beck and call workers (such as caterers, cleaners or assembly workers) characterized by casual, zero hours or core hours contract of employment (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2006). They have a limited contract of employment (either short term or part time) and they enjoy even less security (Torrington et al 2008). In addition, they have relatively restricted reward package and they can easily be replaced. They provide dynamic forms of numerical and financial flexibility and they can be said to have work rather than jobs or career. Examples include cleaners, drivers, caterers etc. Beyond the peripheral group are those individuals who are clearly external to the host organisation but employed by another employer or in self employment (Marchington and Wilkinson 2008). This group also includes labour provided through contracts for services and the sub-contracting of work to other organisations. Workers supplied through agencies also fit into this category (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2006). In contrast to the first and second peripheral, this group also include elite portfolio workers who possess skills for which there is high demand. They provide work on a paid for result or consultancy basis, and where the correspondingly high rewards compensate for any lack of employment security or regularity (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2006). Examples include information technology providers, teachers and lecturers, interim managers or even chief executives. Critiques of the flexible firm model The flexible firm model has been criticised as not been backed up by facts Muller-Camen (2008); and (Legge 2005; Torrington 2008) highlights the vagueness in the model as to whether the model is a description of trends or a prescription of the future. Sarantinos (2007) however claims that the model maintains clarity in classifying the different kind of flexibility and it highlights the methods which organisation are adopting in order to achieve a flexible model. Nonetheless, Dyer (1998) maintains that the notion that organizations have pursued flexibility by introducing core and periphery labor management strategies has been disputed. According to the author, rather than flexibility representing a fundamental shift in the way work is organized, it is more about intensifying the control of capital over labor by using new management techniques. In a research conducted on a group of scientists, Whittington (1991) found that market pressure had forced the research staff (who theoreticall y fall into the core category) to work harder and to respond rapidly to shifting client needs. Subsequently, (Ursell 1991; Smith 1991) argues that although the flexible firm model may use different tactics, the goal of flexible firms is the same as that of management under the Fordist model that of achieving management control over committed workers and utilizing the knowledge of the employee in the pursuit of profit. In addition, the status of the periphery workforce as opposed to the core is also challenged. According to Lewis et al (2003), the flexible firm analyses have a tendency to trigger different feelings among the employees especially the classification of employees into core and peripherals. Furthermore, (Geary 1992 cited in Pilbeam and Corbridge 2006) argues that the division of employee into peripherals perpetuates inequality and contradicts the main maxim of human resource management which is to value and develop employees as the organisations major asset. Similarly, Torrington et al (2008) maintains that this division is incompatible with the best practice approaches to HRM which seek to increase peoples management and development in order to achieve the goals of the organisation. Besides, Torrington et al (2008) also argues that this could lead to a negative effect on employees psychological contract, which according to Lewis et al (2003) is a tool used in analysing the employment relationship that exists between the employer and the employee. HANDY SHAMROCK PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT There have been major changes in the economy (as discussed above) over the last few decades leaving employees with different requirements from work. In addition, employees level of education has greatly improved with an increased knowledge of their preferences, and the ideas they develop exceeds that of the former generation (Stredwick and Ellis 2002). This changes have resulted into a transition from traditional contracts (where the employee perceives that the employer guarantees a job for life in response to their allegiance), to contracts where employees loyalty is dependent on a rise in earnings and increased training (Smithson and Lewis 2003). Such changes have been summarised as a move from relational contracts, depending upon reciprocal trust and commitment, to the one that is transactional, based upon negotiation and short term economic exchange (Herriot and Pemberton 1995 cited in Lewis et al 2003). Arguably, these changes affect employees attitudes and behaviour; and the psychological contract is considered to be a relevant tool in understanding and managing these changes (Conway and Briner 2005). This is because the psychological contract evaluates the individual aspect of employment relationship and this appears to be associated with flexibility advancement (Guest 2004). In addition, psychological contract presents a peculiar insight into the effect of flexible work practices (Guest 2004). It is a concept which has the capacity to explain the transformation that people goes through in the employment relationship (Arnold 1996). The term psychological contract was first used by Argyris in 1960 to explain the relationship which exists between a group of employees and their foreman (Coyle-Sharpiro 2000); though Conway and Briner (2005) argue that Argyris work was not subjected to theoretical analysis. According to Guest (2006), the psychological contract is the perception of both parties to the employment relationship, organization and individual of the reciprocal promises and obligations implied in that relationship. Another definition that focuses more on the employee is by Rousseau (1995). The author defined psychological contract as an individuals beliefs shaped by the organisation, regarding the terms of an exchange agreement between individuals and their organisation. Guest (1998) however argues that Rousseaus definition of the psychological contract is defective because it focuses on employee alone and he stresses the fact that the contract is the perception of both parties to employment relationship. C IPD (2003) further explains that the psychological contract is unlike the formal contract of employment and it is largely unwritten. It focuses on each partys perception of the employment relationship, it involves sincerity, reciprocated trust, and a duty of care; and it is more effective compared to the written contract in affecting employees behaviour (Stredwick and Ellis 2003). Coyle-Shapiro (2000) argues that the content of the psychological contract is influenced by employees view of the employment relationship. A positive psychological contract is directly related to job fulfilment and commitment which ultimately will result in an increase on performance. Similarly, a reduction on performance is likely to occur when the psychological contract is negative. With the introduction of flexible work practices, some employees (especially the peripherals) might assume that the organization has failed in developing their potentials thus reneging on its obligations. In an investigation conducted on some workers in a Swedish hospital, and result shows that individuals on flexible employment demonstrated higher levels of jobs insecurity and reduced organisational commitment (Sverke et al 2000). Arguably workers on flexible contracts are mostly associated with low benefits and they enjoy less opportunity towards training and development (Atkinson 1984). Consequently, they experience job dissatisfaction, mental discomfort and a negative life outside of work Guest (2004); leading to a reduction in loyalty and poor performance regarding organizations objectives. This is known as the violation or breach of the psychological contract (Rousseau 1995). (Morrinson and Robinson 1997 cited in Conway and Briner 2005) however argue that there is a distinction between breach and violation of the psychological contract. Subsequently, Kramer (2006) refers to a breach of the psychological contract as the perception held by someone in a relationship that another person in the relationship has failed to perform the promised obligations; and violation is referred to as the intense emotional reactions that comes with breaches (Morrinson and Robinson 1997 cited in Conway and Briner 2005). According to Conway and Briner (2005), the main way of understanding how the psychological contract affects employees reaction is when breach occurs. Employees who perceive breaches in the psychological contract think about their relationship with the organisation from a negative point of view, and demonstrate increase intention to quit the organisation (Robinson and Rousseau 1994). Similarly, Cortvriend (2004) found that violation is positively related to employee de-motivation, negative attitudes towards the job and withdrawal from the organisation. Furthermore, (Robinson and Morrison 1995 cited in Arnold 1996) found that employees who perceive a violation in their psychological contract usually report negative organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). OCB is defined as a readiness to contribute beyond literal contractual obligations (Organ 1988: 22 cited in Coyle-Shapiro). Based on the above discussion, flexibility is directly related to perception of job insecurity and a breach of employees psychological contract; as a result, flexibility is portrayed as an unconstructive theory. Guest (2004) however stresses that this should not be used as a global conclusion. Consequently, Marler et al (2002) emphasis the fact that different employees consent to flexible employment for different reasons; hence they should not be treated the same way. Furthermore, Guest (2004) attempted to differentiate between workers on the margin of employment and knowledge worker whose contract of employment is by choice. Workers on the margin of employment are those whose competencies are low and those with poor bargaining power thus they experience unfavourable treatment from employers. As a result, they suffer increase job insecurity and reduced opportunity for training and development. On the other hand, knowledge workers are those who incline towards flexibility and whose em ployment contract is by choice (Capelli 1991). They consist of temporary workers, part-time or even self employed. These workers embrace flexible work practices and they have the capacity to move between employments as they desire. In contrast to general assumptions, workers who choose flexible contract enjoy higher job satisfaction and they suffer no insecurity in their employment. In a general research conducted by the IPD into the present disposition of the psychological contract, findings revealed that the psychological contract was in an improved condition than expected (Stredwick and Ellis 2003). 81% of participants affirmed that their employers were fair in dealing with them, and 72% believed that their organisation will honour its undertakings and obligations (Stredwick and Ellis 2003). Guest and Conway (1999) however attempted to assess the state of psychological contracts of core employees with the peripherals and found that a better state of psychological contract was reported by the peripherals. However, Dyer (1998) argues that the reason for this is because the peripheral workers exhibit more of transactional relationship and they tend to respond more quickly to changes in the composition of the psychological contract with changes in their pay. This argument can be supported by a survey conducted in the American aerospace industry with a sample of 1 99 employees on permanent contract and 24 employees on flexible contract (Pearce and Randel 1998). Pay differentials exists within the work place with employees on flexible contract earning more than those on permanent contract. Results show little or no difference in perceived job security, performance and job satisfaction between temporary and permanent workers. In a survey carried out for the UK Department of Education and Employment on 607 workers who enjoy flexible work practices (Tremlett and Collins 1999), 68% mentioned choice of work, reduction in workload and an improved work-life balance as some advantages of flexibility. Conversely, 79% mentioned the negative aspects of flexibility as job insecurity, difficulty in working as a team, reduced benefits and treatment lower than that of permanent workers. However, (Pearce and Randell 1998) argues that the perceived effect of flexible work practice can best be determined by employees career preference; that is, whether the choice of flexible contract was intentional or not. In the UK survey reported by Tremlett and Collins (1999), 147 out of 607 did not want a permanent job. As the main reason for this, they cited not wanting the commitment that goes with permanent employment (21%), the loss of freedom to choose the work they wanted to do (19%), being too old (18%) and general lack of int erest in permanent employment (18%). WORK-LIFE BALANCE Work-life balance initiative was developed as a result of changes within the work force involving an increase in the number of women, ageing population (author); and increased understanding of the importance of employees management to organisational success (Maxwell 2005). The rapid growth of this practice was supported by government legislation which introduced the right to request flexible working also known as family friendly policy (CIPD 2010). This right was initially available for parents with children below six years of age or with disabled children below the age of eighteen years. However, there is an ongoing consideration to extend the right to parents with children under the age of sixteen years (Pitt 2009). The aim of this policy is to ensure that skills and experience needed to sustain the economy is readily available by allowing parents (especially mothers) balance work with other family responsibilities. However (Lea 2001 cited in Torrington et al 2008) argues that this policy could prevent women with family responsibilities from being hired thereby hindering womens employment prospect. Nevertheless, Manfredi and Holliday (2004) maintain that the practice impacts positively on womens career path. Another reason for the growth of family friendly policy is an increase in the number of aged people. According to Manfredi and Holliday (2004), the population is ageing thereby leading to a rise in caring responsibilities for elderly parents in addition to child care responsibilities. This however, led to carers of some specified group of adults becoming eligible for this right from April 2007. As a result of growing recognition of employees in sustaining competitive advantage, this right was further developed into work-life balance policies to include employees without family responsibilities and who desire to benefit from flexible work practices for personal reasons (Fleetwood 2007). This arguably will reduce the risk of alienation and ensure that all employees are seen as business investments and valuable assets (Maxwell 2005). According to Work foundation (2003b) work-life balance is defined as the ability of employees to achieve a satisfactory equilibrium between work and non work activities such as caring responsibilities and some other interests. Similarly, employers for work-life balance also defined WLB as about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work leading them to enjoy an optimal quality of life. Furthermore, DTI (2005) defined work-life balance as being about adjusting working patterns regardless of age, race or gender, so everyone can find a rhythm to help them combine work with other responsibilities or aspiration. In addition, Heckerson and Laser (2006: 27) define work-life balance as a state whereby the needs and requirements of work are weighed together to create an equitable share of time that allows for work to be completed and a professionals private life to get attention. The concept of work-life balance is based on employees capability to synchronize respon sibilities at work and other interests outside work without causing conflict. According to IDS (2008a), work-life balance involves the availability of flexible work practices developed to enable employees participate in activities outside work in addition to fulfilling their job responsibilities; thus it is designed to promote flexibility (Maxwell 2005). Fleetwood (2007) argue that there is an inextricable link between the practices associated with work-life balance and that of flexible working. The author however stresses the differences between employee flexibility (employer unfriendly) and employer flexibility (employee unfriendly); and further states that employer and employees flexibility should not be used interchangeably because the former constrains work-life balance, while the latter enhances work-life balance. Work-life balance practices that make up employee flexibility are working time arrangements (such as home working, part tim

Fighting Charges of Assimilation in Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun and

Fighting Charges of Assimilation in Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun and The Cosby Show The critical reception of The Cosby Show, an enormously popular television sitcom in the 1980's, roughly paralleled that of A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry's highly acclaimed play of the 1950's. Both the television series and the play helped change the way Blacks are portrayed in the entertainment media. But despite being initially greeted with critical praise, both subsequently fell under heavy scrutiny by many critics for being too assimilationist. However, in both cases, the charges of assimilation may perhaps be too harsh. A Raisin in the Sun, a drama of a middle-class family in Chicago, should not be regarded as a wholehearted endorsement of black assimilation into "white society. " Instead, the play offers a rather realistic view of the complexity of struggles that involves this issue. The Cosby Show, a comedy series about a successful upper-middle-class black family in New York, must also not be viewed as an endorsement of black assimilation into "white society ." Instead, the sitcom dealt with universal family issues and posited traditional family values and morals. But most importantly of all, both tried to do away with the prevailing negative black stereotypes in order to promote more positive and realistic representations. The claim that A Raisin in the Sun expresses the idea of black assimilation can be somewhat justified. Walter Lee Younger and George Murchison openly and consciously admit that desire for the white lifestyle. George has willingly denounced his race rather than uplifted it and is the epitome of a black man that has fully assimilated into the White mainstream. Walter, on the other hand,... ...revolution, not the just the entertainment industry. Works Cited Color Adjustment.Videotape. Dir. Marlon Riggs. Narr. Rudy Dee. California newsreel.1991. 87 min. Crenshaw, Anthony. "The Cosby Show Changed the Way Blacks are Viewed." Once Upon a Time in the Eighties. (1995) n. pag. Online. Internet. 3 Aug. 1998. Link to above site: www.engl.virginia.edu/~enwr1016/amc2d/cosby.html Pouissant, Alvin. "The Huxtables: fact or Fantasy." Ebony. Oct. 1988. 72-74. Turner, Darwin T. "Visions of Love and Manliness in a Blackening World :Dramas of Black Life Since 1953." The Black Scholar. vol. 25. No.2. 2-12. Link to the Lorraine Hansberry Page: http://www.%20accd.edu/sac/english/bailey/hansberr.htm Link to an interesting site which provides some helpful info and question about A Raisin in the Sun: www.randomhouse.com/acmart/raisintg.html