Soren Kierkegaard Vs. Friedrich Nietzsche

Soren Kierkegaard Vs. Friedrich Nietzsche Free Online Research Papers Soren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche are widely regarded as the two greatest thinkers of the 19th century. Known as the fathers of the existentialist movement, these two philosophers have revolutionized the way we see the world. Even though it has been over a century since they have both died, the very fact that their texts are being taught in modern curriculum’s, is a testament to how influential their works truly are. Though both men have similarities, in the sense that they wish to discover the true meaning of ones existence, they both come to two completely different conclusions. Though both state philosophy as a means to enrich and appreciate the life you possess, Religion, the major difference between these two thinkers, is what is wrong with their purposed ideas of living a meaningful life. Kierkegaard, in of his works Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments states: ‘Without risk there is no faith. Faith is precisely the contradiction between the infinite passion of the individual’s inwardness and the objective uncertainty. If I am capable of grasping God objectively, I do not believe, but precisely because I cannot do this I must believe. If I wish to preserve myself in faith I must constantly be intent upon holding fast to the objective uncertainty, so as to remain out upon the deep, over seventy thousand fathoms of water, still preserving my faith.’ One can wholeheartedly disagree with Kierkegaard, for the simple reason that faith is not a standard for belief. One does not need to believe, because they can not objectively deduce. Kierkegaard’s philosophical opinions were greatly shaped by his religious views, one of the most famous being his theory on The Knight of Faith. Kierkegaard defined the Knight of Faith as â€Å"the individual who is able to gracefully embrace life†. He is an individual who relies on acceptance of the absurd as a means of life. The Knight of Faith is willing to step over ethical boundaries for what he believes is a higher purpose. In his work Fear and Trembling Kierkegaard expands on this thought. Kierkegaard’s example of such a knight was the biblical figure of Abraham. When Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, he wrestled with the decision. How could he take the life of his beloved son? His heart heavy with sorrow, Abraham took his child to the top of a mountain and raise d his hand to kill his son; at the last minute, the angel of the LORD prevented him from doing so. Instead of Isaac, Abraham sacrificed a ram that was trapped in a thicket nearby. Abraham was rewarded with the life of his son, because of his faith in the absurd. Kierkegaard claims Abraham, out of love was willing to kill, and because he was sacrificing his son to god, out of love, he is the true knight of faith. This is what is most confusing. Abraham travels to the top of the mountain to kill his son, believing it will all work out, based on nothing rational. Based on simple ethics, he is going to become a murderer. His loyalty and faith in god puts him above human ethics and morals. This notion is absolutely insane. This notion, that if an act is done out of love, and you receive a message from god, than your actions are suddenly justifiable. Kierkegaard believed Abraham such a hero, that he not only idolized him, but wept, because he did not believe his faith to be as strong as his. This perfectly connects to his theory of angst. This concept of angst (anxiety) is used to define the feelings of fear and insecurity of the free thinking human being. Kierkegaard meant this in regard to fear of failing in your responsibilities to god, although a person of none, or a different faith, can attribute the same principles to their fear of not living up to their own morals and beliefs. Simply replace God, for anybody whose opinion matters to you, your family, and friends, significant others. The problem of anxiety applies to these situations. You wish so hard to please these people, but the fear of disappointing them is always present in your mind. In his works Kierkegaard frequently speaks of the sub specie aeterni (from the perspective of eternity). It was in his opinion that ones life should be viewed from the perspective of eternity. Kierkegaard believed all humans were a synthesis of the finite (body) and the infinite (soul) Kierkegaard defined humanity as a tension between the finite and infinite, a tension that should not be disregarded but intensified. For example a guitar is not useful when silent; it’s at its most beautiful when being played, the strings vibrating. For Kierkegaard life was not meant to be lived in just a state of religious solitude, like a monk, one must suffer to experience true â€Å"tension†. Those who center their lives on being practical are missing out on spirituality. According to Kierkegaard these people feel hopelessness because they are not experiencing the spiritual aspect of the human experience, thereby unable to be fully human. Where Kierkegaard loses some of his readers is the notion that the finite and infinite synthesis can only occur through god. He lives by the idea that through god people can avoid depression, and this feeling of nihilism. In his text The Sickness unto Death Kierkegaard claims we are all in a state of despair. He states that society as a whole is failing to live up to the true human experience, even going so far as to state it is in fact a SIN in this condition once we have been taught the word of Christ. What if we aren’t in a state of despair? What if we don’t feel our lives are meaningless, and sinful? If someone was not of the Christian faith, perhaps Kierkegaard’s views on sin and despair were irrelevant in his/hers way of life. Without using faith or atheism to analyze his texts, one can gather from Kierkegaard’s works a simple message. Rely on no person or facts of this world to provide you with answers to philosophical and ethical questions. We are the ones who will have to live with the choic es we make. We will be held responsible by our consciousness four our ethical decisions. Therefore we should act according to our own personal beliefs: we should do what makes sense to us. Do we really need go to provide us our moral compass? The next philosopher being discussed would argue no. Friedrich Nietzsche was an atheist. This belief was a major influence in most of his works, going so far as to state â€Å"god is dead†. In his text Thus Spoke Zarathustra he states: God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it? Nietzsche does not mean the literal death of god, but a metaphorical death. Nietzsche hoped that with the death of god, society would finally be able to create their own sense of morals and ethics. He hoped for people to lose their faith in god and come to the realization of nihilism. Defined as the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more meaningful aspects of life, most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or value. Nietzsche hope through nihilism humanity would be forced to re-evaluate their very foundations, foundations deeper than Christianity and other abrhamic religions. Understand that Nietzsche was not a fan of nihilism; in fact he was quite fearful of it. â€Å"I praise, I do not reproach, [nihilisms] arrival. I believe it is one of the greatest crises, a moment of the deepest self-reflection of humanity. Whether man recovers from it, whether he becomes master of this crisis, is a question of his strength! It is possible. . . . (Complete Works Vol. 13) He saw it as a stepping stone to reach the greater realization of what he believed to be the ultimate way of life, the Will to Power, to become the ÃÅ"bermensch. Research Papers on Soren Kierkegaard Vs. Friedrich NietzscheBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionCapital PunishmentGenetic EngineeringArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Incorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Homework Invention and Transformation Key Points

Homework Invention and Transformation Key Points Invention of Homework: Who Is to Blame and Did He Hate Students That Much? Probably every student sitting over fill-in test sheets, verb lists or math problems has wondered at least once who designed the after-school learning process a.k.a. homework and why he did it. Obviously not for the love of science and learning, since such loads of homework just overburden students and make them sleepy and tired all the time. But why, then? Because students were too loud and nasty and so it was a kind of punishment to make them learn even at home? Or because a teacher was lazy, busy or absent and so students had to catch up with the curricula on their own? Well, the history of homework is not that dramatic or mysterious, but it does contain some useful insights that can benefit both students and teachers. A Bit of History Although no source provides clear mentioning of homework through the long history of education up to the 19th century, it is most probable that it existed in this or that form all along the way. Doing observations, composing verses and speeches in rhetoric in the antiquity, memorizing prayers and Biblical texts in the middle ages, acquiring knowledge about the natural world from books and from nature in times of the Industrial revolution – it all required work beyond classroom walls. Besides, methods of teaching and available supplies before the invention of the printing press meant that most things had to be learned by heart. So information was either copied from valuable books or from teacher’s voice and learned after classes, or learned in class through chanting and mnemonic tools, thus being homework done in class. Some cite Marcus Quintilian, a famous Roman orator and teacher, as a first person to explicitly assign homework, but there is no clear written evidence for it. However, Quintilian was a first humanist teacher who focused on the needs of child and benefits of early education, so his influence is recognized today even without reference to homeworking. The appearance of the printing press meant that books were made available to a much wider audience, and so opportunities to make kids study after classes efficiently became wider. Fiction and non-fiction literature of early modernity sometimes mention children learning their lessons after classes to be able to recite them in class on the next day. Thus homework was in full bloom long before the thorough overhaul of education in the 19th century and the establishment of a truly comprehensive and standardized educational system. Homework Timeline In the 19th century and closer to the 20th century needs of developing economy and advances in child psychology and physiology meant that educational approaches and beliefs had to be reconsidered if they were to prepare kids for the life in new conditions. Class time was limited and standardized, a content of study aligned all across the country and made more practical, teachers were certified and the outcome of education was also outlined in measurable terms. Learning was to be intense, but class time could not host all information and activities anymore. Thus homework became an important part of education, but it also became regulated and quantified, relying not only on memorization but on independent work and creativity as well. The name of Roberto Nevilis is sometimes connected to the history of homework but he cannot be credited with inventing something that actually existed long before. It is possible that he was the first to put forward a scientific foundation for how to assign homework, but we will never know it for sure. Nevertheless, the real value and proper rationing of homework were being tested and adjusted well into the 1930s, when an explosion in psychological studies helped understand educational needs of children and how they can be nurtured and supported, not destroyed, by homework. Namely, there are benchmarks that differentiate useful homework from a homework dispensed as a punishment: Educationally useful homework is feasible (i.e. practically sound and accomplishable) It is not excessively large and difficult (part of feasibility) It is dispensed when students are independent enough to study without a teacher. These are basic requirements that apply to any kind of homework. Thus when students claim that they cannot cope with homework load because it consumes all their time it means that the first two commandments of good homework are breached and its benefits rapidly decline. But how does homework work? It is not a pun, there are scientific explanations of the process of knowledge acquisition that do point to the necessity of homework. Read them through, and you will never doubt the necessity of homework as such. Today no one doubts that proper homework helps to consolidate the freshly acquired knowledge and provides an opportunity to work independently and to find out what pace and methods of learning work out for every particular student. Thus good homework targets at achieving these goals and at enabling students to get the maximum of benefits from every topic studied. in class, the material is newly acquired and comprehended. Everything happens in time-pressed manner, where after learning new topic students are to take tests, do exercises or engage in some other unrelated kind of activities because the curriculum is wide and time is scarce; to get a better understanding of material repetitive reading and analysis are required, and they can happen out of class only. So reading and analyzing at home improves understanding and internalizing of knowledge; scholarly concepts can be tricky to grasp in class on the go, so at home, where nothing distracts and time permits, their assimilation and memorization happen more easily and naturally; memorization cannot happen immediately, every student has their own memory capacities, and what one remembers immediately, the other can memorize only after reading it a dozen times; what is repeated at time intervals and rehearsed at home is learned much better than something learned in the classroom only; homework gives time and space to be creative, to come up with new ideas, play with them, research, and so on. So indeed it is a tool of boosting creativity and independence. But we will remind again, all these good things happen only when homework is feasible and limited in time. If all free time of students is consumed by learning only, the benefits of homework turn into downsides. Besides, when assigning homework teachers and instructors need to take into consideration that acquisition and internalization of material happen through various kinds of activities, not only through reading and writing. The learning process includes several stages: initial perception understanding of perceived concepts consolidation formation of skills application of skills in practice. Every mentioned stage needs its own methods of work, and teachers are to select combinations of these methods to include into homework so that every aspect of the learning process was involved and activated. It is a complex task indeed, but if performed properly, homework turns from a nightmare into a cool journey full of discoveries and wonders. Genuine Goals of Homework Believe it or not, but homework was not created out of spite towards naughty students. It was born out of necessity and proved its value across continents and times. Different countries apply different standards in regard to the amount of homework. There were times when this load was on the rise, then the tide receded and kids had more freedom, now the high tide of a home task is back again. But no matter where properly measured and diversified homework enables students to do more than in class and to do so in comfort: students can plan their work as they want they can study without someone assessing them they do not have to haste or put a stop in the middle of a sentence to turn the test in they choose the pace and rhythm they use all the sources they need. Thus home task supports the academic activities performed in the class and provides space for more activities that help students know more and study better. Indeed, they memorize the stuff learned in class, revise and refresh in memory previously learned things and consolidate and apply newly acquired skills. That’s the goal of a good education, and homework is an integral part of the path towards it. But in addition to these purely academic benefits, homework develops in students more general life-saving skills: responsibility, self-planning and will basics of self-education research and information evaluation skills, use of various sources information processing capacities (analysis, synthesis, hypothesizing, analogy, etc.). These primary and secondary goals and benefits can all be achieved – and are achieved – under a proper application of homework and its types. Combination of different varieties of assignments is a key to helping students learn and not killing their curiosity. But what are these types? Optimal Types and Scopes of Homework Types of homework are the same as types of work in class, and so a combination of several of them makes home learning not so boring and more effective: Initial acquisition of information from textbooks/lectures Written exercises Oral exercises Memorization exercises Creative tasks Large written projects Craft projects Lab work, experiments, field work. Each kind of work is valuable in itself, but when put together in moderate amounts and diversified, they work wonders when assigned for home performance. If you need any kind of the above-mentioned tasks, just let us know and you will get the A-grade assignment completed as fast as you need it. Homework and Improved Education: Mission Possible? So what’s the conclusion? It looks obvious now that canceling homework is implausible and senseless since it will hurt the educational process. After receiving information in class students need to consolidate it, refresh in memory and apply in practice. It all can be done successfully at home only when time permits and a student is relaxed. If all conditions of good homework are met, it will work wonders for students’ skills and grades. And of course, it is wrong to believe, as some teachers do, that homework is a way to discipline kids and teach them time management. It is not. It is neither a punishment nor a mechanical tool of oppression. It is a valuable addition to the class time that helps students learn better and learn more. But teachers should understand this role of homework and organize it properly and reasonably, in the first place. In other words, they should learn their lesson.

Riordan Corporate Compliance Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Riordan Corporate Compliance Plan - Essay Example The officials and the directors of Riordan are obligated to comply with all state corporation requirements, the Articles of incorporation, and its By-Laws. This is crucial as it entails for maintaining harmonious working relationship in the company, minimise conflicts arousal and in case they arise should be tackled in the best way possible. (ii) Legal Liability of Riordan Administration Looking at the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Riordan Industries, their dedication and commitment towards ensuring high ethical standards, as well as compliance to the applicable laws in all its practices, is outstanding in the company. In order to make sure that the operations in all programs and service delivery are conducted with compliance to appropriate laws and uphold high ethical standards; a Corporate Compliance Plan is inevitable. ... The steps outlined in the Plan are crucial to the company in the prevention of negative and uncalled for actions; further, facilitate the company to benefit from risks and eventually roll predictions to the benefit of the company (Biegelman, 2008). There is crucial necessity to look into given matters that could extend into many larger inconveniences and challenges if the company fails to manage assertively, the activities involved. (iii) Legal options In the eventual arising of legal problems concerning Riordan Manufacturing, the most probable and cost effective method will be employed. Whenever applicable, Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) will be imperative for use instead of the traditional forms of litigation to save the company time, money and possible public analysis. The reason behind the use of ADR at Riordan is because it will lead to an effective way of resolving the current dispute and enhancing business competition with each other. The following section looks into th e ADR of Riordan in details. Alternative Dispute Resolution Riordan Manufacturing will incorporate the use of ADR where possible in its quest to handle disputes, differences, discrepancies, controversies and dissension among the employees. There are instances where the employee engages in illegal activities or hinders proper investigations; in such circumstances, the employee is subject to litigation or cessation of duties. Further, the employee is right to obtaining of legal counsel whenever situations warrants for, and at the employee’s expense. Whenever a case has a direct bearing on the welfare of the organization, legal counsel can be provided at the employer’s

Oral history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Oral history - Essay Example Mr Skipper, a supporter of the Democratic Party has had quite an interesting career with because of the all the issues and controversy surrounding his dismissal as county superintendent and his unending support for the vocational, adult, and special education of the minorities. He was an activist and this is apparent from his demands that all students should have equal access to text books and his conflicts with the religious leaders over high school play Mrs. Best Not only has Mrs Best campaigned very eagerly for the right of the women particularly married women to be in high level teaching jobs, she has also fought for the rights of school which have a majority of ethnic students to have better access to the state funding and textbooks. Skipper His record reflects his struggle as he spoke against racism and lay stress over the "cultural pluralism vs. "melting pot" issue. He created much controversy with his proposals to teach Communism and sex education in the classroom. Dick debates whether the Superintendent should be an administrator or a primarily an educator and the fear of politicizing this office. Yes she has played a vital role to get the

European Terrorism in the 1970’s and 1980’s Essay Example for Free

European Terrorism in the 1970’s and 1980’s Essay In a post World War II era, terrorism and covert terrorist actions became a major weapon against the governments of many European nations. In most cases, terrorism â€Å"had two purposes: to make life unendurable for the [country], and to ensure the active support of the population by executing traitors and collaborators . † Even more, â€Å"a great number [of terrorist incidents] are directed against American targets or are related to a spillover from the problems in the Middle East . † With that said, a close look will be taken to answer three questions regarding European terrorism in the 1970’s and 1980’s which include how the European governments confronted the threat, what methods the European governments took to deal with these terrorist groups, concluding with an analysis of what motivated the terrorists. To begin with, a look will first be taken into how the European governments confronted the threat of terrorism in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The terrorist violence â€Å"during the postwar era in Europe has been characterized primarily by a combination of attacks by terrorist cells and hate crimes by individuals or small gangs of people—many of them racist skin heads . † In order to confront the terrorist actions, the European governments, for the most part, sought to compromise with a form of â€Å"conflict resolution † instead of direct action and retaliation that the United States has become so fond of employing. At first, the ideaology was to react on the defensive, without direct reaction, as it was believed that the terrorists would soon become tired of their actions and protest and the nation could move on. However, by the early 1970’s public â€Å"outrage at terrorist attacks † fueled the need for governments to act decisively in order to remove and dissemble the threat. For the first time in history, pressure was placed upon the nations that harbored and supported the terrorists . Essentially, the methods in dealing with the terrorist groups were, in the beginning, to simply let the terrorists have their say, and to attempt to negotiate, if possible. However, as the public began to find out that the heinous crimes committed on their front yards was related to terrorist actions, the European governments were forced to take direct and decisive action against the terrorists. Their methods included allocating more funds for defense and counter-terrorist measures and intelligence and to â€Å"delegitimize terrorists, to get society to see them for what they are—criminals—and to use one of [their] most important tools, the rule of law, against them . † The main defense against terrorism became the effectiveness of counter-intelligence measures and an enlightened society who no longer viewed terrorists with the pity they once deserved. The motivations of the terrorists were, at one time, honorable—as they were fighting against oppression and they didn’t employ any violent acts. However, â€Å"it will be sufficient to define political terrorism as a tactic employed by non-state actors involving the threat or use of fear-inducing forms of violence in an attempt to attain certain political objectives . † This, essentially, is terrorism in its most basic form—violence to get a fear-based reaction. However, terrorism breaks down into a much deeper psychological philosophy in which â€Å"the label of ‘terrorists’ [applies] to certain peoples struggling, by the only means within their power, to win or regain the fundamental rights recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Charter . † By this definition, a terrorist can be any human being facing oppression of their basic, most fundamental human rights, and is not necessarily the racially profiled stereotype that modern society has been taught to believe. Even more, throughout â€Å"history there [have] been political, social and economic situations in which endlessly and unjustly oppressed groups or races had to exercise their right to violence, their right to resist oppression by every means available . † In seeking truth and justice in their nation or culture, many terrorists choose the violent way of expressing their need for honored human rights. Moreover, â€Å"the question was not one of defending crime and violence but rather one of accepting the fact that such behavior, no matter how repugnant it appeared, had a motivation that all lovers of justice, freedom and human dignity could understand, even if they disapproved of it . † Essentially, terrorism is, as the United States public has been led to believe after the events of 9/11, the most heinous action that a human being can take in order to harm another person or nation. However, in order to understand the motivations of the terrorist, it must be recalled, and inherently understood, that they are humans too. They might be facing oppression, or they might be members of a religious cult who believe that nations who flaunt their materialism need to be punished, but the essence of the terrorist is that they are motivated by the need to fight and stand up against oppression against any odds. Overall, terrorism and covert terrorist actions have become a major weapon against the governments of many European and Western nations. Terrorism was meant to highlight the oppression that a people felt against their country, however, in many cases, terrorism evolved into brutal murders and heinous crimes. From the analysis of the three questions regarding European terrorism in the 1970’s and 1980’s, which included how the European governments confronted the threat, what methods the European governments took to deal with these terrorist groups, followed by an analysis of what motivated the terrorists, a conclusion can be drawn as to the insidious motivations of the terrorists and the evolving methods that the European governments were forced to employ to keep pace with the evolving nature of the terrorist crimes. Bibliography. Aston, Clive C. A Contemporary Crisis: Political Hostage-Taking and the Experience ofWestern Europe. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1982. Crozier, Brian. The Rebels: A Study of Post-War Insurrections. Boston: Beacon Press, 1960. Martin, Gus. Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues. New York: Sage Publications, 2006. Oliverio, Annamarie. â€Å"US versus European Approaches to Terrorism: Size Really Does Matter. † Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice. 2008. http://policing. oxfordjournals. org/ cgi/content/abstract/2/4/452 Schmid, Alex Peter and Ronald D. Crelinsten. Western Responses to Terrorism. London: Routledge, 1993.

The Powerful Effect of Fake News Essay -- Media Today News TV Essays P

The Powerful Effect of â€Å"Fake News† Introduction From the beginning days of the printing press to the always evolving internet of present day, the media has greatly evolved and changed over the years. No one can possibly overstate the influential power of the new media of television on the rest of the industry. Television continues to influence the media, which recently an era of comedic television shows that specialize in providing â€Å"fake news† has captivated. The groundbreaking The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and its spin-off The Colbert Report have successfully attracted the youth demographic and have become the new era’s leading political news source. By parodying news companies and satirizing the government, â€Å"fake news† has affected the media, the government, and its audience in such a way that Bill Moyers has claimed â€Å"you simply can’t understand American politics in the new millennium without The Daily Show,† that started it all (PBS). Old Media In order to understand new media, one must first have a solid background of the old media. The old media traces its origins back to the â€Å"elite or partisan press [that] dominated American journalism in the early days of the republic† (Davis 29). With the advent of the penny press around 1833, the press changed its basic purpose and function from obtaining voters for its affiliated political party to making profit (Davis 29). With more available papers, individual companies competed with each other with â€Å"muckraking journalism†Ã¢â‚¬â€investigative journalism exposing corruption—and â€Å"yellow journalism†Ã¢â‚¬â€sensationalist journalism that completely disregarded the facts (Davis 30). The press continued to evolve its journalistic approaches and next shifted to â€Å"lapdog journalism,† r... ...l Moyers. Originally broadcast July 11, 2003. Retrieved March 27, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_stewart.html. Peyser, Marc. â€Å"The Truthiness Teller; Stephen Colbert Loves This Country Like he Loves Himself. Comedy Central’s Hot News Anchor is a Goofy Caricature of Our Blustery Culture. But he’s Starting to Make Sense.† Newsweek 13 February 2006: 50 Sabato, Larry J. Feeding Frenzy: Attack Journalism and American Politics. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers, Inc., 1991. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay. â€Å"Laugh, and the Voters Laugh With You, or at Least at You.† New York Times 26 February 2006, New England ed.: Week in Review 1, 14. Wasserman, Edward. â€Å"Murder by Media: The Dean Scream.† Knight Ridder Newspapers 23 February 2005. Wolper, Allan. â€Å"Ethics Corner: Did Critical Media Send Dean Packing?† Editor & Publisher March 2004: 25.

Variable Pay Plan: Gain Sharing

Employers are often faced with the challenge of looking for ways to boost productivity and profitability while at the same time, motivating employees to accomplish organizational goals. For many employers, variable pay plans have risen to meet this challenge. A variable pay plan ties pay increases to increased performance and productivity. One of the more popular group variable pay plans is called gain sharing. Under gain sharing pay programs, both the employer and the employee benefit from increased productivity. Therefore, gain sharing has often been referred to as a win-win pay program since it is an incentive strategy that ties pay to productivity. Gain sharing is a type of incentive plan designed to increase productivity by linking pay directly to specific improvements in a company†s performance. Gain sharing is used primarily when quantitative levels of production are important measures of business success. Gains are shared with unit/department employees on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual basis according to some predetermined formula calculated on the value of gains of production over labor and other costs. The plan lets employees reap some of the rewards of their efforts through teamwork and cooperation and by working smarter and harder. Gain sharing plans offer the following:  · Directly ties pay to some important measure of company performance  · Results in productivity improvements when installed  · Appropriate for all groups of employees  · Improves communications and teamwork among employees  · Increases employee awareness of â€Å"the big picture†  · Improves job satisfaction and employee relations  · Increases employee participation through involvement in the system Gain sharing pay programs have the following disadvantages:  · Time consuming to design, implement and administer  · Requires employee orientation, education and training  · Accurate and timely production and cost data must be available  · If not already in place, gain sharing requires a shift to participative management and employee involvement Once you decide to add a gain sharing plan to your company you must pick the type of plan you wish to implement into your company. The following is a description of different types of plans a company could implement. A Value Added Plan is the cost of materials and services is subtracted from sales to determine a value added figure. Employee costs are then compared to this figure to arrive at a value added index. This index is compared to value added for future periods to determine if there has been an improvement in productivity. To the extent that employee costs are less than would be the case by applying a value added index to a value added, there is a productivity gain to be shared. A major challenge with this type of plan is removing the effects of automation from productivity gains. The Rucker Plan, essentially, this is a value added plan that contains special adjustments to account for base wage and other price changes, capital expenditures, and other costs unrelated to employee productivity. The Scanlon Plan is one of the more familiar gain sharing plans. It involves calculating total payroll costs and dividing by sales plus finished inventory figures to determine a plan ratio. Employee shares of productivity gains are determined by improvements of this ratio. The Improshare plan tells that increased productivity is determined by looking at the number of working hours that are saved in producing a number of finished units in a given period of time as compared to a base period. Its proponents stress that this measure leads to less waste and better quality control since only finished products are used in measuring the gains. The next is the Par Plan. This plan goes beyond other gain sharing plans by rewarding any successful effort to improve productivity. It does not single out gains solely from a productivity improvement standpoint. A â€Å"par† figure is determined based on all manufacturing costs compared to sales. Any improvement in this ratio determines the gain to be shared. The Gallway Plan gives employee incentives. The incentives under this plan are based solely on reduction in labor costs. The labor value of each product is determined and becomes a basis for determining the gain in productivity that is shared with employees. The first step in designing a gain sharing program is to determine what is to be accomplished by instituting a gain sharing plan. Is the objective to improve productivity? To reduce costs? To maintain or increase market share? Is the objective to improve organizational communication, employee relations or to promote employee participation in the organization? Is the objective to replace a compensation structure that no longer reinforces organizational goals such as improved product quality or customer service? The next stage is to determine how employees will be grouped under the program. Will employees be grouped by geographic location, product or service line, organizational group, payroll category or other employee characteristics? However the group is defined, it is important that it be self-contained and able to function as a â€Å"team. † The third step in developing a gain sharing plan is to determine what measures of performance are necessary to meet the stated objectives of the gain sharing plan. Measurements may be financial, operational or a combination of financial and operational. The fourth step in developing a gain sharing plan is to design the key elements of the program. Key issues at this stage include how do you measure productivity measures and award bonuses, handling variations in performance, and allocating or sharing the gains. After the plan has been developed and administrative issues addressed, the next step is to implement the plan and get employees actively involved in a team approach to performance improvement. This step might be accomplished by using formal or informal suggestion systems, quality circles, training sessions or set managed work groups with regular meetings. The final step after the plan is implemented is to ensure that it stays current with the development of the organization. During this phase of the process, a clear statement of plan documents outlining conditions under which the plan may be suspended, terminated or modified should be developed.

Activity and Disengagement Theory and Care Provision Essay

During the ageing process, the elderly can belong to either the activity theory or the disengagement theory. There are many services that can help the elderly to age in the way they wish. The services usually provide help to individuals so they can remain active, social and physical. All these things help the individual to keep physical and mentally healthy. The services may include day centres for elderly people, this would encourage them to stay active and to also be social and interact with others heir age. Services which are available for the elderly could include Nursing assistants which can help individual to become more independent, Occupational Therapy which is using specific activities to prevent disability and it also promotes independent function in all aspects of daily life. This will help the elderly remain physically fit and active. Volunteers will come and spend time with those who are disengaging, they will go for walks with them, play cards or even watch a film with them, to ensure they are coping and are not alone. Those who do this will also observe them and see what support they need. These services are there to support those who may not have many friends or family to stay socially active, these services are there to enable individuals them to remain socially active and to also make friends. Free travel passes are available for those over 60, these enable individuals to travel around their area for as long as they want. Residential care is also available for those who can no longer cope on their own at home, it allows them to interact and also go out on day trips as well as being able to se friends. These services will an able their self esteem to rise and become more comfortable. Those who do remain active, there are charities, clubs, community care and church’s that provide activities for them to enjoy. Older individuals may move into sheltered housing as the financial side may be becoming to much for them to handle as well as being alone. All services aim to make individuals self esteem and confidence rises. They all provide respect and support. These se rvices give the individual a choice as to how active they wish to be. All individuals are encouraged to stay socially active to prevent them from disengaging. The medical service provision in care homes enables the staff who work their to understand what medical care is needed when caring  for individuals. Care homes and hospitals have arrangements with the individuals GP so they can have a weekly check up to ensure their needs are being cared for. When a care home knows the residents medical history, they can be cared for in the best way possible. If a care home knows in advance who they are caring for, so they can ensure they have the right equipment and care is available for when they arrive. Managers conduct regular reports to ensure they are up to date and are caring for their residents correctly. Each place where an individual’s are cared for, there has to be a medically registered individual on site to ensure all medical situations are being done correctly, also Nurses are on call 24 hours a day. Assessments are done to ensure the residents are safe and their needs are being met.

A Study On The Informal Economy Social Policy Essay Essay Example

A Study On The Informal Economy Social Policy Essay Essay Example A Study On The Informal Economy Social Policy Essay Essay A Study On The Informal Economy Social Policy Essay Essay The informal economic system defined to include all economic units that are non regulated by the province and all economically active individuals who do non have societal protection through their work ( ILO 2002 ) , is as perennial and omnipresent as human society. Discourse on it nevertheless, came to visible radiation in the early 1970ss with assorted surveies in 3rd universe states. Notwithstanding its ineluctable nature, conceptualisation and definition has been a job for policy shapers every bit good as those within academe. Myriad arguments have come up on the issue with diverse positions and redresss: some position informal workers as a nuisance to be eliminated or regulated ; others see them as a vulnerable group to be assisted through societal policies ; still others view them as enterprisers to be freed from authorities ordinances ( Chen 2006:26 ) . But neither the theoretic ideas nor touchable thoughts have provided a comprehensive model on how to near planetary informality and the new challenges it pose to policy shapers. This essay critically examines the place of ILO influenced by the legalist position on formalising the informal economic system. Are at that place vested involvements in advancing the nice work docket? Is the nice work agenda simply a pretense behind which informality continues to run? Does the nice work attack take into history constructions and establishments? The essay will dig into the statement of who benefits in formalising the informal economic system acknowledging the fact that the informal caput porter pay day-to-day levies to the local authorities systems in Ghana but do non have any benefit. A outline on informal economic system and nice work docket will foremost be outlined and how this applies to the caput porter in Ghana. Finally, a decision will be drawn with some policy recommendations. Positions on Informality The informal economic system was foremost discovered in Africa in the early seventiess due to the laterality of big graduated table ego employed who do non fall within the formal economic system. Economic anthropologist Keith Hart coined the term in his series of surveies in Africa on the urban labor markets where he distinguished between pay earning and self employment. He emphasized on entrepreneurial dynamism and diverseness of people in the informal sector ( Hart 1990 ) . This led to the development of three schools of thought dualist, legalist and structuralist positions which all attempt to gestate, explicate and turn to the challenges of this complex phenomenon. The dualist posit the position that informal economic system is peripheral or fringy and result out of the inadequate occupations in the formal economic system and will withdraw with the development of the modern sector ( Hart 1973 ; ILO 1972 ; Sethuraman 1976 ; Tokman 1978 ) . The position therefore call for policy focal point on support for the informal economic system endeavors and workers in the signifier of credits and concern development services with the premise that the informal economic system will melt away with more formal occupations. The structuralists, nevertheless, suddenly refute the dualist attack and postulate that formal and informal economic systems are inextricably connected and mutualist the informal economic system continues to be because it is subordinated to the formal economic system and enables the formal economic system to cut down costs and increase net incomes ( Moser 1978 ; Castells and Portes 1989, Bromley 1994 ) . Hence policy focal point should be on changing the unequal relationship that exists. The legalist attack spearheaded by De Soto ( 1989 ) subscribes to the impression that informality is as a consequence of the excessive over ordinance by the province ( rigid mercantilist ) and therefore the solution to the job of informality is a liberalising model deregulate, de-bureaucratize and privatise. The attack therefore advocators for formalizing and the nice work docket follows straight from this position despite influence from other models. Notwithstanding the diverseness of these constructs, informality continues to turn in new pretenses and different signifiers even in the industrialised states. It is deserving adverting that none of the positions adequately explains or prescribes solutions to the jobs of informality given its heterogenous and multi metameric nature. Consequently, policy shapers are faced with the quandary of whether to eliminate or formalise the informal economic system. This has led to the suggestion of different ways of supplying support for those in the informal economic system which include licensing, proviso of micro recognition, preparation every bit good as enabling environment for corporate action ( Chen 2006 ) with more accent on formalizing. In malice of these suggestions, apprehension of the formalisation procedure varies and different histrions tend to specify formalisation to accommodate them. Intrinsically, policy shapers view formalising as a manner of licencing informal work and seting in topographic point revenue enhancement constructions. Conversely, the different informal workers and endeavors see formalising as a agency to achieve support and have the inducements and benefits of formality. Hence in formalizing, there are striking differences in footings of involvements and demands which should reflect in the policies of states. The institutional capacities, mechanisms and resources particularly in developing states are nevertheless, inadequate to provide for the broad fluctuations. The above jobs question the feasibleness of formalising the informal economic system and De Soto s legalist attack to informal economic system. Are the provinces in many states good equipped to enable workers and endeavors in the informal economic system travel upward into formality? Formalization may non be that simple as envisaged it can be debatable and a incubus to policy shapers. Despite the complication, the informal economic system can be reframed to productively interact with the context and histrions every bit good as cut down the associated exposure and hazards. Consequently, new models have emerged to take attention of the policy challenge of diminishing the cost of working informally ( Chen 2006:90-1 ) or cut downing the nice work shortages of working informally ( ILO 2002 ) . The ILO nice work docket title-holders the emerging consensus refering the demand to develop a model that is appropriate and able to react efficaciously to the jobs faced by those in the informal economic system. However is this docket executable in the mist of all these quandaries? What can the ILO Decent Work do for Informality? The ILO ( 2002 ) defines decent work as productive work which generates an equal income, in which workers rights are protected and where there is equal societal protection providing chances for work forces and adult females to obtain productive work in conditions of freedom, equality, security and human self-respect . Decent work has been categorized into two different attacks. Some analysts have classified it into 11 measuring classs based on employment chances, acceptable work, equal net incomes and productive work, nice hours, stableness and security of work, equilibrating work and household life, just intervention in employment, safe work environment, societal protection, societal duologue and workplace dealingss, and the economic and societal context of nice work ( Ghai 2006:27 ) . The other attack positions nice work from the position of security in which there are seven security indexs labour security, employment security, occupation security, work security, skill reprodu ction security, income security and representation security ( ILO 2002 ) . Therefore deficiency of entree to these indexs at the macro ( national ) , meso ( endeavor ) and micro ( Individual ) ( Ghai 2006:27 ) degrees leads to decent work shortages. These securities and indexs are unaccessible to workers in the informal economic system albeit pockets of workers in the formal economic system besides have shortages for illustration the working hapless . Hence in looking at the state of affairs of those in the informal economic system, nice work shortages are the chief features and apparent are poor quality unprotected and remunerated occupations, the absence of rights to work, inadequate societal protection and deficiency of representation particularly among adult females and immature workers ( ILO 2002:8 ) . The nice work attack hence recognizes that all those who work hold rights at work, irrespective of where they work ( ILO 2002: 8 ) and should hold nice work. Notwithstanding this, a one-size-fit all policy can non be developed for all sections. Decent work programmes necessitate to take into consideration the diverseness in labor markets, multi-segmented nature of informality, the function of authorities, establishments every bit good as cultural and historical backgrounds of states. Decent work should hence be seen as a end to be achieved increasingly from immediate to long term ( ILO 2002 ) . The immediate term focal point is to acknowledge and give protection to those working in the informal economic system, the short/medium and long term schemes are to heighten upward motion into formal decent occupations and the creative activity of formal nice employment chances for all severally. Work should therefore meet nice work conditions which are seen as a beginning of self-respect, satisfaction and fulfilment to workers ( Ghai 2006:11 ) . Restrictions of Decent Work Paradigm The nice work docket is a benign effort to informality but ILO unlike the World Bank and IMF do non hold the capacity to implement and guarantee that authoritiess adhere to the nice work programme. Besides, while the ILO outlined the securities that will do informal work decent, it does non supply penetrations into how these securities can be met and whose duty ( single, province, market, and other histrions ) it is to turn to and happen solutions to the shortages. Furthermore, ILO does non indicate out how to prioritise the securities in state of affairss where it is impossible to hold all seven fulfilled. The inquiry is shall we prioritise or shall we seek to accomplish at the same clip all the seven securities? Furthermore, pieces Chen ( 2006:27 ) assert that capacity of establishments, funding for inducements and societal protection, unequal formal occupations and employers non willing to change over as the jobs that impede formalizing, she seems to bury about the vested involvement and structural determiners that could impede nice work. For illustration institutional obstructions such as the local authorities units in Ghana may smother the nice work docket as integrating nice work model will impede the benefits they enjoy from the informality. Who benefits from formalising: local authorities or caput porter ( Kayayei ) ? Before looking at the caput porter and the local authorities systems in Ghana, it is of import to hold background information on the caput porter concern. The caput porters popularly referred to as kayayei in Ghana are female immature misss who migrate from northern parts of Ghana to the south preponderantly Accra and Kumasi. Like other informal concerns, the kayayei are self employed and prosecute in transporting goods on their caput from one topographic point to the other, unpacking shops particularly in market topographic points every bit good as assist purchasers in transporting purchased goods to assorted locations for a negotiated fee ( Argawal et al 1997, Opare 2003, Awumbila 2007 ) . Agarwal et Al ( 1997 ) further indicates that these misss are portion of the informal conveyance construction of Ghana that transport burden from one topographic point to the other and this commercial caput burden carrying is to be understood within the construction of economic activities of ad ult females in the informal economic system, and the importance of junior-grade trading as the prevailing business of adult females. Similarly, ILO ( 2004 ) and Awumbila ( 2007 ) notes that occupations engaged by these Kayayei wage low rewards, have low productiveness which leads to unstable incomes. The intent of their engagement nevertheless, is to attain sufficient nest eggs to change over to a more moneymaking and less backbreaking business ( Awumbila 2007:3 ) . These caput porters lack official enrollment, work in extremely competitory market topographic points, have shortages in all seven securities, and are exposed to diverse hazards and dazes. Their day-to-day exposure goes from running after coachs for concern to torment from metropolitan agents for payment of day-to-day levies. These caput porters nevertheless, have assorted endurance schemes which include corporate recognition and insurance ( susu and adashi ) strategies and organisation of semi-permanent connubial brotherhoods to cut down their exposure within the labour market ( Awumbila A ; Ardayfio-Schandorf 2008, Argawal et al 1997, Opare 2003 ) . Much of the literature on the kayayei phenomenon negotiations about migration and supports but barely talked about is the levy they pay to the local authorities systems in Ghana but do non derive any signifier of societal protection. Their activities like other informal concerns are non recognized but they are regulated by the metropolitan assemblies in the signifiers of day-to-day levies. They pay 50 Ghana pesewas daily levy to agents of the assemblies and are hijacked in the class of their operations to pay before they can go on with their activities. It is nevertheless, ill-defined what the revenue enhancements collected from these misss are used for. They do non acquire any signifier of benefits, inducements or societal protection from the local authorities. Evans ( 1989:582 ) describes the instance of Zaire predatory province in which province functionaries squeeze resources from civil society without any more respect for the public assistance of the people than a marauder has for the public assistance of its quarry . This predatory province scenario best describes the relationship between the local authorities and the caput porter in Ghana. The metropolitan governments benefits from the informality of the caput porters and do non hold any respect for their public assistance. In such a instance, implementing the nice work attack will function as a dis-benefit to the authorities who merely plays an timeserving appropriation function. Hence, such constructions may function as obstructions to the nice work programme. Chen ( 2006:15 ) indicates that many activities in the informal economic system do non bring forth adequate end product, employment or income to fall into bing revenue enhancement brackets but these misss though do non b ring forth adequate income are still taxed and this farther worsen their state of affairs. Conclusion and policy recommendations Once the local authorities acknowledge the legality of the caput porters through revenue enhancement, they are obliged to supply them with protection. For illustration their activities could be regulated by seting in fixed monetary values for transporting goods to certain distances to cut down their exposure in footings of dialogue. State should supply kayayei with vocational and negotiation accomplishments preparation, acknowledge them in the labor Torahs and give basic security like wellness attention, shelter, protection from eviction and torment can buffer them against hazards and dazes in their day-to-day activities. For case paying the premium for these caput porters in the Ghana national wellness insurance strategy will take attention of their wellness demands and farther heighten their work. Similar public assistance financess like the Bidi Workers Welfare and Head Loaders Funds in India could be established to supply societal security benefits for these caput porters. In add-on, their micro insurance strategies and schemes could be enhanced particularly the susu and adashi systems. These signifiers of corporate parts could be transformed into common systems of societal security. The function of the province is critical in advancing such systems by supplying an enabling environment and suited policy model to include these strategies. Furthermore, the local authorities systems should acknowledge and protect the rights of the caput porters since they play a facilitative function being portion of the conveyance sector in Ghana. As Opare ( 2003 ) noted the kayeyei make utile part to the Ghanese economic system and should be recognized as such and provided with the necessary protection to enable cut down nice work shortages. Should these be considered for the societal protection policies, it will assist cut down the insecurity, exposure and material want faced by these caput porters. Mentions Agarwal, et Al ( 1997 ) Bearing the weight, the Kayayoo Ghana s Working miss kid , University of Ghana: Centre for Social Policy Surveies Awumblia, M. ( 2007 ) Internal migration, exposure and female porters in Accra, Ghana Poster Session Paper presented at the Population Association of America 2007 Annual Meeting, New York, N. Y. Awumbila, M. A ; Ardayfio-Schandorf, E. ( 2008 ) Gendered poorness, migration and support schemes of female porters in Accra, Ghana Norsk Georgrafisk Tidsskrift Norse Journal of Geography, 62 ( 3 ) September 2008, pages 171 179 Castells, M. A ; Portes, A. ( 1989 ) World Underneath: The Origins, Dynamics, and Effectss of the Informal Economy in Alejandro Portes, Manuel Castells and Lauren A Benton ( explosive detection systems ) , The Informal Economy: Surveies in Advanced and Less Advanced Developed Countries, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Chen, et Al ( 2006 ) Informality, Gender and Poverty ; A Global Picture Economic and Political Weekly, 27th May 2006 Chen, M. ( 2006 ) Rethinking the Informal Economy: Linkages with the Formal Economy and the Formal Regulatory Environment In Guha-Khasnobis et Al ( explosive detection systems. ) Associating the Formal and Informal Economy: Concepts and Policies pp 75-92 Oxford: New York, Oxford University Press Chen, M. ( 2004 ) Rethinking the Informal Economy: Linkages with the Formal Economy and the Formal Regulatory Environment A paper prepared for presentation at the EGDI-WIDER Conference Unleashing Human Potential: Associating the Informal and Formal Sectors 17-18 September 2004, Helsinki Finland Chen, et Al ( 2004 ) Mainstreaming Informal Employment and Gender in Poverty Reduction: A Handbook for Policy-Makers and Other Stakeholders . London: Commonwealth Secretariat. De Soto, Hernando. ( 1989 ) The Other Way: the Economic Answer to Terrorism . New York: Harper Collins. Evans, P. ( 1989 ) Predatory, Developmental and other Apparatus: A Comparative Political Economy Perspective in the Third World State Sociological Forum, ( 4 ) , 4 1989 Ghai, D. ( 2002 ) Decent work: Concepts, theoretical accounts and indexs , DP/139/2002, Education Outreach Programme, International Institute of Labour Studies ( IILS ) Discussion Paper, Geneva, ILO. Ghai, D. ( 2006 ) Decent Work: Aims and Strategies International Institute for Labour Studies/ International Labour Office, Geneva, ILO Hart, K. ( 1973 ) Informal Income Opportunities and Urban Employment in Ghana , in the Journal of Modern African Studies, 11 ( 1 ) , 61-89. International Labour Conference ( 2002 ) Conclusions Refering Decent Work and the Informal Economy Geneva: International Labour Office. Available online at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc90/pdf/pr-25res.pdf [ Accessed 7 January 2010 ] ILO ( 2002 ) Decent Work and the Informal Economy , Report VI, International Labour Conference, 90th Session, International Labour Office Geneva. Available online at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc90/pdf/rep-vi.pdf [ Accessed 7 January 2010 ] ILO ( 2004 ) Working out of poorness in Ghana: The Ghana nice work pilot programme . Geneva, Switzerland: The International Labour Office. Moser, C. ( 1978 ) Informal Sector or Petty Commodity Production: Dualism or Independence in Urban Development , World Development, 6, 1041-64. Sublime portes, et Al. ( 1989 ) The Informal Economy John Hopkins University Press Opare, J.A. ( 2003 ) Kayayei: the adult females head porters of Southern Ghana , in Journal of societal development in Africa, 18 ( 2 ) , 33-48 Sethuraman, S V ( 1976 ) The Urban Informal Sector: Concept, Measurement and Policy , International Labour Review, 114 ( 1 ) , 69-81. Tokman, V. ( 1978 ) An Exploration into the Nature of the Informal- Formal Sector Relationship , World Development, 6 ( 9/10 ) , 1065-75.

How to Determine the Mass of a Star

How to Determine the Mass of a Star Nearly everything in the universe has mass, from atoms and sub-atomic particles (such as those studied by the Large Hadron Collider) to giant clusters of galaxies.  The only things scientists know about so far that dont have mass are photons and gluons.   Mass is important to know, but objects in the sky are too distant. We cant touch them and we certainly cant weigh them through conventional means. So, how do astronomers determine the mass of things in the cosmos? Its complicated.   Stars and Mass Assume that a  typical star  is pretty massive, generally much more so than a typical planet. Why care about its mass? That information is important to know because  it reveals clues about a stars evolutionary past, present, and future. Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope identified nine monster stars with masses more than 100 times the Suns mass. They lie in the star cluster R136 in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud. Mass is an important characteristic when figuring out the life spans of stars. NASA/ESA/STScI Astronomers can use several indirect methods to determine stellar mass. One method, called  gravitational lensing, measures the path of light that is bent by the gravitational pull of a nearby object. Although the amount of bending is small, careful measurements can reveal the mass of the gravitational pull of the object doing the tugging. Typical Star Mass Measurements It took astronomers until the 21st century to apply gravitational lensing to measuring stellar masses. Before that, they had to rely on measurements of stars orbiting a common center of mass, so-called binary stars. The mass of  binary stars (two stars orbiting a common center of gravity) is pretty easy for astronomers to measure. In fact, multiple star systems provide a textbook example of how to figure out their masses. Its a bit technical but worth studying to understand what astronomers have to do. A Hubble Space Telescope image of Sirius A and B, a binary system 8.6 light-years away from Earth. NASA/ESA/STScI First, they measure the orbits of all the stars in the system. They also clock the stars orbital speeds and then determine how long it takes a given star to go through one orbit. Thats called its orbital period.   Calculating Mass Once all that information is known, astronomers next do some calculations to determine the masses of the stars. They can use the equation Vorbit SQRT(GM/R) where SQRT is square root a, G is gravity, M is mass, and R is the radius of the object. Its a matter of algebra to tease out the mass by rearranging the equation to solve for M.   So, without ever touching a star, astronomers use mathematics and known physical laws to figure out its mass. However, they cant do this for every star. Other measurements help them figure out the masses for stars ​not in binary or multiple-star systems. For example, they can use luminosities and temperatures. Stars of different luminosities and temperatures have vastly different masses. That information, when plotted on a graph, shows that stars can be arranged by temperature and luminosity. Really massive stars are among the hottest ones in the universe. Lesser-mass stars, such as the Sun, are cooler than their gigantic siblings. The graph of star temperatures, colors, and brightnesses is called the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, and by definition, it also shows a stars mass, depending on where it lies on the chart. If it lies along a long, sinuous curve called the Main Sequence, then astronomers know that its mass will not be gigantic nor will it be small. The largest mass and smallest-mass stars fall outside the Main Sequence. This version of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram plots the temperatures of stars against their luminosities. The position of a star in the diagram provides information about what stage it is in, as well as its mass and brightness. European Southern Observatory Stellar Evolution Astronomers have a good handle on how stars are born, live, and die. This sequence of life and death is called stellar evolution. The biggest predictor of how a star will evolve is the mass its born with, its initial mass. Low-mass stars are generally cooler and dimmer than their higher-mass counterparts. So, simply by looking at a stars color, temperature, and where it lives in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, astronomers can get a good idea of a stars mass. Comparisons of similar stars of known mass (such as the binaries mentioned above) give astronomers a good idea of how massive a given star is, even if it isnt a binary. Of course, stars dont keep the same mass all their lives. They lose it as they age. They gradually consume their nuclear fuel, and eventually, experience huge episodes of mass loss at the ends of their lives. If theyre stars like the Sun, they blow it off gently and form planetary nebulae (usually). If theyre much more massive than the Sun, they die in supernova events, where the cores collapse and then expand outward in a catastrophic explosion. That blasts much of their material to space. Composite image of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant that heralded the death of a very massive star. NASA/ESA/ASU/J. Hester A. Loll By observing the types of stars that die like the Sun or die in supernovae, astronomers can deduce what other stars will do. They know their masses, they know how other stars with similar masses evolve and die, and so they can make some pretty good predictions, based on observations of color, temperature, and other aspects that help them understand their masses. Theres much more to observing the stars than gathering data. The information astronomers get is folded into very accurate models that help them predict just exactly what stars in the Milky Way and throughout the universe will do as they are born, age, and die, all based on their masses. In the end, that information also helps people understand more about stars, particularly our Sun. Fast Facts The mass of a star is an important predictor for many other characteristics, including how long it will live.Astronomers use indirect methods to determine the masses of stars since they cant directly touch them.Typically speaking, more massive stars live shorter lifetimes than the less massive ones. This is because they consume their nuclear fuel much faster.Stars like our Sun are intermediate-mass and will end in a much different way than massive stars that will blow themselves up after a few tens of millions of years.

Critical review report of Coastal Zone Management Essay

Critical review report of Coastal Zone Management - Essay Example â€Å"The national CZM Program is based on the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, which is implemented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. The Coastal Services Center is a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration devoted to serving the nations state and local coastal resource management programs by linking people, information, and technology.† (Coastal Zone Management) Coastal zone management is very essential because there have been a lot of changes in the global environment in the recent decades. There must also be development of these resources for better utilization and bringing awareness to people. There must be wise use of these resources which build the wealth of the nations. Hence the coastal zone management is very important for every nation. In today’s world, with the changing climatic conditions globally and with the green house effect it is very important to maintain the coastal waters. The earth is made up of 75 percent of water. The coastal region is less than fifteen percent in the world but it holds more than fifty percent of the world population in it. It is also one of the major natural resources which add to the wealth of the nations. Management measures must be taken for control against erosion, sedimentation, to retain the nutrients etc. It is also important to understand the behavior of the coasts and prevent them from being destroyed either by natural sources or physical sources. Flooding and erosion are the major problems faced by the coast due to natural reasons. Polluting the coast would be physical reasons of destroying the efficiency of the coast. All this will cause decrease in the number of tourists visiting the coastal areas. And also affect the fifty percent of the world population who live with in 200 kilometers of