Wireless Sensing and Control of a Dam

Wireless Sensing and Control of a Dam Introduction CE 1.1 I did this project as a graduate Electrical Engineering while pursuing my Bachelor of Engineering in the field of Electrical Engineering from Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology, Balochistan. I wanted to conduct a project that would envelop wireless sensing and thus wanted to learn about different electrical activities that would be needed and thus learn about its design and how to implement it. I was able to improve my written and oral presentation skills as well as my interpersonal skills by the successful completion of this project. Background CE 1.2 For my final project as an undergraduate in electrical engineering, I wanted to start working on a project in my second year itself. I wanted to learn about the different and commonly used electrical/electronic components, the working mechanism and the implementation in complex projects. This motivated me to conduct a project that could control a mechanism remotely. And thus I got the idea of wireless sensing of a dam. I had studied during my bachelors that sensing in the Oil and Gas industry is becoming very important. I had learned that regular sensing of data is required that are extracted from the process execution, such as Oil Reservoir Tanks need a pressure breathe valve control and level sensing for the proper daily operations of their machinery, Thus, I concurred that in Water Reservoir Dams where regular recording of water level is required for accurate discharging of water through channels. And it is due to this reason that I selected the Wireless Sensing Control of Dam for my project. CE 1.3 The objective of my project is to design a system, which can sense level, and flow rate of a water reservoir dam, it can also control the channel gates wirelessly. CE 1.4 CE 1.5 I successfully completed this project by engaging in the following activities: For the purpose of Level sensing, I used a small tank for the implementation and presentation of the prototype. The maximum height of the tank to be measured is 16 inches and the minimum height is 8 inches. For channel gate controlling, I used a system that contains a solenoid valve which is an electromechanically operated valve for the flow of water to be switched on or off. For wireless control, I equipped the remote stations with sensors as well as a wireless module to send and receive the information. The range of the wireless module is limited to 10m. I equipped the base station with a GUI software that is user-friendly. I then mechanically designed the sensor to operate in all weather conditions. I completed the project within the time frame specified by the university. I conducted detailed literature review on all the components used here. Personal Engineering Activity CE 1.6 I approached a senior professor with an idea of conducting a project with wireless sensing. Along with my group members, I had a lot of brainstorming sessions and review meetings with my project supervisor to select a suitable topic. I suggested that I work on a project that was concerned with designing and manufacturing a system based on wireless sensing and regulating the process of water present in the dam and the supervisor agreed to this and asked us to begin working on this by first conducting a literature review on all the components we would require and the working of this project and to start working on this project. CE 1.7 I used the following components in this project and have explained the reasons why: For level sensing, I equipped my system with MAXBOTIX LV-EZ1 ultrasonic transducer that transmit and receive the ultrasonic radiations that are being reflected back from the surface of the liquid. I selected this model because it is a very low cost sonar ranger; it is also reliable and could be triggered internally or externally. To release water in the channel, I used a solenoid valve which was the only option I had. The microcontroller that I used in the remote station is ATmega16A. I selected this microcontroller because it is a low power 8-bit microcontroller allowing me to optimize power consumption against processing speed. The signal is then transmitted to the RN-41N CLASS 1 Bluetooth module to be transmitted wirelessly. I selected this model because it is cheap and relatively easy to operate. I used a DC power supply of 3-3.6V. The computer interface controller is equipped with MAX232 for serial communication and an internal Bluetooth device which is installed in the laptop for wireless communication. I used the MAX232 circuit because it is a dual driver/receiver and I found that it is valuable for implementing RS-232 in devices that generally dont bother with any voltages outside the 0 V to + 5 V extend, as power supply design does not need to be made more confused only to drive the RS-232 in this situation. I used the Development board called AVR-P-40 which supports Atmel ATmega16A controller. It is compatible with ICSP 52 pin connector for in-circuit programming. I used ULN 2003 Darlington arrays to withstand peak currents of 600mA. I designed the Graphical User Interface (GUI) using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 with C # for user interface. I selected an aquarium shape tank for the project. However, this alternative was very difficult and also had some problems because it was quite complex to put the ultrasonic level sensor inside the tank and calibrate it. Thus, I came across with the development of another mechanical design and observed that there was an apparatus present in the laboratory of the civil engineering department that would work as a prototype of a dam. The working of this prototype would be: The data from the remote station is received by the base station. The base station consists of a wireless Bluetooth receiver and a computer interface controller. The wireless Bluetooth receiver will detect the data coming from the remote station which is treated to the computer interface controller. The computer interface controller will save the data to a flash drive and also to a computer which can be analyzed using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) The data coming from the remote station is detected by the wireless receiver which is treated to the noise filter circuit to eliminate noise from the signal. The data decoder decodes the incoming data and removes any errors from this data. This information is send to the computer interface controller. The remote station is consisting of two major parts: The Main board and wireless controller.ÂÂ   The sensor attached to the main board is Ultrasonic level Sensor. This sensor will relay the information to the main board and is used to control all the sensor information which will be transferred to the wireless controller to send the data wirelessly to the base station. The data from the sensor is directly sent to the microcontroller which is being processed by it to be transmitted in the form of digital bits. The ULN 2003 is connected to drive the solenoid valve which is normally closed. If the Level increases from its threshold level, the solenoid valve will open automatically and releases the pressure. When the pressure drops back to the threshold, the valve will be closed automatically. The power to all the circuit is connected to the +12 volt DC. After the data is sensed by the sensor, it will be transmitted through a wireless transceiver operating at frequency 2400 MHz. The wireless controller consists of transmitter, power amplifier, control signal receiver and data encoder. The data coming from the sensor is treated to the data encoder and sent to the transmitter. The control signal receiver also operates at 2400 MHz which is used to activate the data encoder to send data to the transmitter module. The power amplifier is used to support larger coverage by increasing the transmitting power CE 1.8 The problems I encountered during this project were: I had difficulty with the lengthy procedure to record data which is significant for the project. I offered the idea of installing a dot-matrix printer which will give readings in a hard copy regarding the inflow, discharge and temperature of water. For the project to run effectively, constant data recording was needed, which was a complex task. I came up with a key to solve this issue by recording the data in a flash memory which has the ability to save standard information of the parameters in a soft copy and will be accessible anytime, anywhere. I had problems to check the level of water density in concern with the threshold level. It was quiet a risky task to open the regulator when the density of water is high. In order to resolve this problem, I suggested the management with the system design that will operate the channel gate regulator automatically without labor involvement in order to avoid the risk element. Summary CE 1.9 I successfully completed the project titled Wireless Sensing and Control of a Dam along with my team members. I learned how to wirelessly sense and control a prototype of a dam and studied and learned about all the electrical/electronic equipment that I used in this project. I completed this project by taking the help of the Civil Engineering Laboratory and the technicians in the lab. I was able to improve my written, oral and interpersonal skills.

Parenting Styles in Different Cultures Essay

Parenting style is one of many factors that strongly influence child development. One’s choice of parenting style is most often molded by their cultural background. American parents use a myriad of parenting styles, all of which have their roots in various cultural beliefs about which method is best to raise a child. In 1971, clinical and developmental psychologist, Diana Baumrind, recognized three different categories of parenting styles that she believed described most parents’ methods (Berger, 2011). Parents who fell into the authoritarian style of parenting set high standards and strict rules for their children. Disobedience was not tolerated and was met with harsh consequences, often physical. The authoritarian parent rarely showed affection or concern for their children’s emotional needs. On the other side of the spectrum was a permissive style of parenting that was characterized by no boundaries or discipline, but did include a lot of parental involvement and affection. Authoritative parenting was the third style Baumrind identified. She believed this style produced the most happy, well-adjusted, and successful children and adolescents (Baumrind, 1971). An authoritative parent set high clear standards for their children. They respected their children’s opinions and concerns and offered plenty of support and encouragement. This style is often referred to as the balanced or â€Å"democratic† style. Later a fourth category was added by Maccoby and Martin, who recognized a neglectful parenting style (Berger, 2011; Maccoby & Martin, 1983). The neglectful parent provided for the basic needs of their children, but nothing else. This style involved no demands, boundaries, emotional support, guidance or affection. The mother and father that utilized this method basically detached from their children. While these four categories are still widely used today to classify the types of parenting, many recent studies indicate that the results of Baumrind’s research are not culturally universal. â€Å"Parenting styles developed on North American samples cannot be simply translated to other cultures, but instead must reflect their sociocultural contexts† (Chao, 1994). This paper will further research the variability of effective parenting styles across cultures and explore some of the reasons for these variations. Based on the results of initial research and subsequent studies, Baumrind was a firm advocate of the authoritative parenting style claiming that it was the most successful of the parenting types in producing a positive child outcome (Baumrind, 1971). Authoritarian parenting tended to raise children who performed well academically and had a low involvement in problem behavior. However, they also had â€Å"poorer social skills, lower self-esteem, and higher levels of depression† (Darling, 1999). In contrast, while permissive parenting tended to raise children who had higher levels of self-esteem and were better socialized, they didn’t perform well in school and exhibited more problem behavior (Baumrind, 1991). Children raised by neglectful parents had the most negative results, with poor academic performance, low self-esteem, and high involvement in problem behavior (Baumrind, 1991). For years these results were extrapolated and generalized to describe all families and, although her work continues to be influential (Berger, 2011), many recent studies have found Baumrind’s conclusions regarding the success and failure rate of each of the parenting styles to be inaccurate when applied to a broader population. This is primarily due to her ethnocentric research design (Chao, 1994). The demographic for Baumrind’s study sample consisted of 100 preschool children that were mainly of white, European-American, middle-class families in California (Berger, 2011). Influential variables such as culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, family size, religion, and the individual temperaments of both parent and child were not controlled or accounted for. If they were, very different results would have been found because each culture has different goals, values, and expectations of their citizens. Thus, the children will be socialized under different conditions. Aut horitarian and permissive parenting styles practiced in select cultures outside of the European-American context exemplify this. Criticized by many Westerners for its harshness and controlling approach, authoritarian parenting has found more success in Asian and Arab cultures (Grusec, Rudy, & Martini, 1997; Dwairy et al., 2006). In Asian cultures, which would include the Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Japanese, etc., Confucian principles are strongly embraced, and therefore, profoundly shape social relationships and moral ethics. In particular, Confucius stressed that a person should respect and obey authority without question, and to seize every opportunity to learn and perfect oneself (Chao, 1994). Rooted in this philosophy, Asians have chosen to use a very strict, controlling, and restrictive approach to parenting. Recently adding fuel to the notion that Asian’s authoritarian parenting style is harsh, oppressive, and sometimes even cruel, is the controversial book, â€Å"Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom,† by Amy Chua (2011), a Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Chua’s book shares her experiences raising her two daughters â€Å"the Chinese way.† Some of her memoirs describing her authoritarian parental tactics were viewed by the American public as disturbing. Chua (2011) shares that she never allowed her daughters to have a play date, be in a school play, attend overnights, date boys, attend school dances, watch TV or movies, or make any grade less than an A in school. Furthermore, she required her girls to be number one in every class, drilled them daily in Math and Chinese, and made them practice violin and piano three hours a day. Chua recognizes that she was intentionally very strict like most traditional Chinese families, but she was very involved and loving as well. Chua admits to threatening, yelling, and even calling her children degrading names at times in order to motivate them. She believes that most Westerners cringe at this type of parenting approach because they are interpreting her methods based on Western culture instead of Chinese culture. What Asian parents and children recognize as a training environment, Westerners interpret as a controlling one. Ruth Chao (1994), from the University of California, points out a critical difference between Western and Asian authoritarian parenting. The Western version described by Baumrind, â€Å"emphasizes an absolute standard of conduct from children without explaining, listening, or providing emotional support† (Baumrind, 1971). Chao (1994) describes authoritarian parenting as, â€Å"encompassing a set of standards of conduct enforced by parents and the community. These standards are imposed not to dominate the child, but rather to assure familial and societal goals of harmonious relations with others and the integrity of the family unit.† Based on these different interpretations of authoritarian parenting, it is apparent why the two culture’s results are so dissimilar. Among European-Americans, the style is associated with parental hostility and dominance (Martà ­nez, 2008). But for most Asian children, parental obedience and strictness is usually interpreted as parental concern, caring, and involvement, motivated by their parents’ belief that they are capable of excelling (Chao, 1994). Because they feel loved and supported by their parents, Asian children have higher self-esteem when raised with the authoritarian style than do European-American adolescents (Chao, 1994). Similarly, some studies have shown that in Arab societies, authoritarian parenting is not associated with low self-esteem or other negative effects on adolescents’ mental health as it is in Western societies (Dwairy, Achoui, Abouserie, & Farah, 2006). The permissive or indulgent parenting style is often considered too lax by the European-American culture. They found that with this approach children and adolescents were â€Å"more likely to be involved in problem behavior and perform less well in school, but they had a higher self-esteem, better social skills, and lower levels of depression† (Darling, 1999). Like authoritarian parenting however, permissive parenting has found more success outside of the European-American culture. For example, in a research study designed to establish which parenting style is associated with optimum youth outcomes among adolescents of Spanish families, the results found indulgent parenting to be the best approach in the Spanish cultural context (Garcà ­a & Gracia, 2009). This study attributed permissive parenting’s high success rate in Spain and Italy to the style’s compatibility with their â€Å"horizontal collectivist† culture (Garcà ­a & Gracia, 2009). Horizontal collectivism â€Å"perceives the self as a part of the collective and sees all members of the collective as the same; thus equality is stressed† (Singelis et al., 1995). Therefore, parenting styles that lack a hierarchal parent-child relationship, are low in strictness, and high in affection work best. In their study, Garcà ­a and Gracia (2009) found that Spanish adolescents raised by indulgent parents had higher self-esteem, were more socialized, and performed well in school. Garcà ­a and Gracia (2009) concluded that the most successful parenting style was determined by a country’s culture type, based on the dimensions of equality value and perception of self. The findings of other research studies seem to support this conclusion. Martà ­nez and Garcà ­a (2008) conducted a similar study in Brazil, another horizontal collectivist culture, and found that permissive parenting was favored there as well. Another study in Mexico found that authoritative and permissive parenting had equally positive outcomes (Martà ­nez, Garcà ­a, & Yubero, 2007). Garcà ­a and Gracia (2009) use their theoretical idea to account for the variance of preferred parenting styles across cultures, stating: In a cultural context, such as Spain, which has been described as horizontal collectivistic, egalitarian rather than hierarchal relations are emphasized, and strictness in parental practices would not have the positive meaning they would have in other contexts such as the United States—characterized by vertical individualism—or Asian cultures—characterized by vertical collectivism. This statement would explain the success of strict authoritarian parenting in Asiatic and Arab countries and authoritative parenting in the United States. Neglectful or uninvolved parenting is the least successful parenting style in European-American culture (Berger, 2011; Darling, 1999). In fact, it is universally viewed as a destructive approach to child development (Darling, 1999). A child who receives the message that they are worthless or unloved is going to have very low self-esteem and suffer from weak social skills. Very often, children with uninvolved parents stop relying on their parents and try to provide for themselves so they don’t feel the sting of rejection and disappointment. A study by Maccoby and Martin (1983) researched adolescents between the ages of 14-18 in four areas: psychological development, school achievement, internalized distress, and problem behavior. Their results concluded that adolescents from homes with neglectful or uninvolved parents scored the lowest in all areas (Maccoby & Martin, 1983). Another more recent study performed at Brigham-Young University indicated that teens from homes that prov ided accountability and warmth were least prone to heavy drinking (Bahr & Hoffmann, 2010). This does not fair well for children raised by the neglectful approach because both warmth and accountability are absent. Although authoritative parenting isn’t as generalizable as Baumrind once thought, it is still more widely successful across cultures than any of the other styles. Many of the studies mentioned in this paper found that, if authoritative parenting was not the most successful in producing a positive child outcome, then it was almost always the second most effective. This was the case among Arab, Asian, Spanish, Brazilian, and Mexican adolescents (Grusec et al., 2007; Dwairy et al., 2006; Garcà ­a & Gracia, 2009; Martà ­nez & Garcà ­a, 2008; Martà ­nez et al., 2007). However, the United States isn’t the only country in which authoritative parenting outranks the other styles in producing a positive child outcome. Research has shown that Great Britain finds this parenting type most effective as well. One study, conducted by Tak Wing Chan (2011) from Oxford University, found that British children raised in authoritative homes were associated with high self-esteem and well-being, and were less likely to engage in problem behavior, such as smoking, drinking, fighting, or have friends who used drugs. Additionally, when compared to those from permissive and authoritarian families, authoritative-raised adolescents made higher grades and stayed in school longer (Chan & Koo, 2011). The French also seem to advocate an authoritative style of parenting. In the recent book by Pamela Druckerman entitled, â€Å"Bringing Up Bà ©bà ©,† a work that people have been calling the next â€Å"Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom,† the author explained French methods for parenting (Kingston, 2012). During an interview, Druckerman said of French parenting that, â€Å"it’s a balance between what North Americans view as old-school parenting where parents have a lot of authority, and a much more modern form of parenting where they speak to children and listen to them but don’t feel they must do everything children say† (Kingston, 2012). This description certainly falls in to Baumrind’s definition of authoritative parenting. In a study of French adolescents regarding parenting style and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, researchers found that adolescents whose parents provided both parental control and emotional support were less likely to partake in activities involving those substances (Choquet et al., 2008). While this paper could continue on and on, its point has clearly been made that culture plays a large factor in determining the most effective parenting style. Based on the information gathered, one can see that Baumrind’s conclusion declaring the authoritative style as the best form of parenting cannot be accurately applied to all families across all cultures. It is not as simple as translating her model of parenting to fit other cultural contexts, because each culture has a different set of values, ideologies, history, and goals. Behaviors are not interpreted in the same way. Even in the United States, Braumind’s model does not always fit. For example, low socioeconomic status is associated with a more strict authoritarian style (Berger, 2011). African-Americans are also associated with more parental control and blended families bring in multiple parenting styles. As demonstrated by Americans’ criticisms toward Asian parenting, it is important to not stereotype other cultures parenting approaches because they might not be accurately interpreted. References Bahr, S.J., Hoffmann, J.P. (2010). Parenting style, religiosity, peers, and adolescent heavy drinking. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 71(4), 539-543. Baumrind, D. (1971). Current patterns of parental authority. Developmental Psychology Monographs, 4(1, Part 2). Baumrind, D. (1989). Rearing competent children. Child development today and tomorrow (p. 349-378). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Baumrind, D. (1991). The influence of parenting style on adolescent competence and substance abuse. Journal of Early Adolescents, 11, 56-95. Berger, K. (2011). The developing person through the life span. (8 ed.). New York: WORTH. Chan, T. W., & Koo, A. (2011). Parenting style and youth outcomes in the uk. European Sociological Review, 27(3), 385-399. doi: 10.1093/esr/jcq013 Chao, R.K. (1994). Beyond parental control and authoritarian parenting style: Understanding Chinese parenting through the cultural notion of training. Child Development, 65(4), 1111-1119. Choquet, M., Hassler, C., Morin, D., Falissard, B., & Chau, N., (2008). Perceived parenting styles and tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use among French adolescents: Gender and family structure. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 43(1), 73-80. Chua, A. (2011, January 8). Why chinese mothers are superior. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html Darling, N. (1999). Parenting style and its correlates. Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, 1-3. Retrieved from ERIC database (ED427896). Dwairy, M., Achoui, M., Abouserie, R., & Farah, A. (2006). Parenting styles in Arab societies: A first cross-regional research study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37(4), 1-18. Garcia, F., & Gracia, E. (2009). Is always authoratative the optimum parenting style? evidence from spanish families. Adolescence , 44(173), 101-131. Grusec, J.E., Rudy, D., & Martini, T. (1997). Parenting cognitions and child outcomes: An overview and implications for children’s internalization of values. Parenting and children’s internalization of values: A handbook of contemporary theory (p. 259-282). New York: Wiley. Kingston, A. (2012). Why the french are better parents: The interview. Retrieved from http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/02/10/why-the-french-do-it-better-and-why-your-toddler-should-be-eating-braised-endives/ Maccoby, E.E., Martin, J.A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child interaction. Handbook of child psychology, 4, 1-101. Martà ­nez, I., Garcà ­a, J. F., & Yubero, S. (2007). Parenting styles and adolescents’ self-esteem in Brazil. Psychological Reports, 100, 731-745. Martà ­nez, I., & Garcà ­a, J. F. (2008). Internalization of values and sel f-esteem among brazilian teenagers from authoratative, indulgent, authoritarian, and neglectful homes. Adolescence, 43(169), 13-29. Singelis, T. M., Triandis, H. C., Bhawuk, D. P. S., & Gelfand, M. J. (1995). Horizontal and vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism: A theoretical and measurement refinement. Cross-cultural research, 29(3), 240-275. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Horizontal collectivism is a term that comes from a two-dimensional concept in which the horizontal-vertical spectrum measures the value of equality versus the emphasis on hierarchy, and the individual-collective spectrum measures the perception of self as an independent individual versus the perception of self as a part of the collective or community (Singelis, Triandis, Bhawuk, & Gelfand, 1995).

Lennie & George in “Of Mice & Men” Essay

In the story â€Å"Of Mice & Men†, John Steinbeck creates a pair of low-class companionship as the story’s main character. This pair of companionship, George and Lennie is very different from each other, nothing alike, no matter talking about their figures, personality, IQ, etc, except that they both carry the same American dream as they spend their hard days traveling together and working in the ranch. Lennie is portrayed as being childlike. He looks up on George as a parental figure: â€Å"Lennie’s lips quivered and tears started in his eyes.† Lennie seek reassurance from George like a child does from their parents. He displays the excitement of a child: â€Å"Tell me about the rabbits, George. Tell me about the rabbits.† Steinbeck suggests that Lennie’s dependent on George and that we all need companionship even if the relationship is unequal. Not only is Lennie portrayed as being childlike, but also very forgetful: â€Å"I forgot, tried not to forget. Honest to god I did George†. Lennie always gets in trouble, and always needs George to help him out.: â€Å"Course you did. Well, look Lennie— if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like u always done before, I want you to come right here and hide in the bush†. Not only does he make himself in trouble but also gives trouble to George: â€Å"An’ whatta I got, I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get. Steinbeck wants to give the readers a hint or preparation that a serious event is going to occur with Lennie, he also wants to convey that although Lennie is big, it doesn’t mean that he has a big brain nor can he be independent and look after himself. Lennie is also being put in a character with characteristic’s like an animal: â€Å"His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse.† Lennie enjoys keeping mice, but as a result always kills it:† They were so little, I’d pet them, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinch they heads a little and they was dead— because they were so little.† Steinbeck wants to show that a big man also has a sensitive side, and that being strong also has disadvantages, especially for Lennie who enjoys to pet mice and as a result kills it very quickly due to his big, strong hands. Lennie’s physique is described by Steinbeck as being big, strong looking, but is also described to have body parts in which imitating an animal: â€Å"A huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.† Although Lennie is very immature, but he is a very helpful and great worker : â€Å"Say, you sure was right about him. Maybe he ain’t bright, but I never seen such a worker.He damn near killed his partner buckin’barley. There ain’t nobody can keep up with him. God, awmighty I never seen such a strong guy.† Steinbck points out that even an immature, childish man like Lennie with low IQ, can also work better than a normal man, and that we should always give a chance to people like Lennie to work like a normal person with no prejudice against them. Lennie is a very simple minded man, and does whatever George tells him to do. He never thinks for himself and won’t bother to rate if it was dangerous or not, he simply just does as he says, like master and servant: â€Å"Tell you what made me stop that One day a bunch of guys were standin’ around Sacramento River.I was feelin’pretty smart. I turned to Lennie and says â€Å"Jump in† and he jumps, couldn’t swim a stroke. He damned near drowned before we could get him.† Not only does Lennie always listen to Georges demands, but he also never rejects him and never dares to argue with him. â€Å"He never got mad with it neither. I’ve beat the hell outa him, and he could bust every bone in me just with his one han’, but he never lifted a finger against me†. Steinbeck expresses to readers that Lennie looks up at George at a higher status, like an idol and believes that whatever George tells him to do, is  for his own good, which is why he listens to George not minding if it is dangerous or not. Where as the other main character in the story â€Å"Of Mice & Men†, known as George, is totally different from Lennie. George is suggested to protect Lennie too much, and that he doesn’t let Lennie talk when he is suppose to. When he sells Lennie too much, people might mistaken that George is hiding something about Lennie.: â€Å"Then why don’t you let him answer? What you trying to put over?†. George also uses a special technique to make Lennie listen to him, from this technique he gives pressure to Lennie so that he will always keep George’s words in mind.: â€Å"But you ain’t gonna get in no trouble, because if you do, I won’t let you tend the rabbits.† Steinbeck points out that George is protecting Lennie too much, and that he should always let him try and let him communicate more, socialize more and approach the outside world more, or else he would depend on George too much and takes it as an advantage. George is also suggested to be smart, and has a lot of common sense. He uses his sensitive sensitivity to teach and lead Lennie to the right track: â€Å"Tastes all right, don’t really seem to be running though. You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running, Lennie.† Not only is George sensitive but he is also very smart in the ability to judge correctly: â€Å"You never had none, you crazy bastard. I got both of ’em here. Think I let you carry your own work card?† Steinbeck shows the readers that it is an advantage for Lennie to be looked after by George, for George has the power to untie him from troubles he makes, and knows what’s best for him. Steinbeck also tells the readers, that the people with the same problems as Lennie should always be helped and be guided to the right way, instead of being discriminated. George also gets very fed up with Lennie sometimes, having to escape with Lennie from the troubles Lennie has caused from time to time.: â€Å"God a’mighty, if I was to live alone I could live so easy. I could get a job and  work, and no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want.† But on the other hand, he also cares a lot about Lennie’s feelings, and always persuades him to think towards the positive side when Lennie is depressed.: â€Å"Aw, Lennie! I ain’t taking it away jus’ for meanness. That mouse ain’t fresh, Lennie; and besides, you’ve broke it pettin’ it. You get another mouse that’s fresh and I’ll let you keep it a while.† Steinbeck suggests that in order to be companionships, we will have to care for one and another’s feelings, Steinbeck also coveys that there aren’t any perfect pair of companionship, for there has to be arguments between people, since humans are born with these characteristics. George having to be a trustworthy companionship with Lennie, always believes in his partner no matter what happens. He will always trust Lennie for whatever he does, and the decisions he makes.: â€Å"Lennie never done it in meanness. All the time he done bad things, but never done one of them mean.† George makes the relationship between Lennie and him like a family, George tells Lennie about their dreams, and how they are different to other people, as if it’s going to come true. George gives hope to Lennie making him feel better and have a target so that he won’t feel that he is working for nothing and that they are working to make their dream come true.: † But not us! An’ why? Because †¦because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Steinbeck tells the readers that although these low-class workers are poor and lonely, they haven’t got a stable home. But George and Lennie are different. For they carry a hope, a dream. This is why George and Lennie are never lonely. Steinbeck also suggests that an American dream in those days, does not come true easily. Overall I think that John Steinbeck wants us to know that we should use Lennie and George as an example to how we should treat people with the same problems as Lennie is facing. Instead of discriminating them, we should always give them a hand of trust to help them. John Steinbeck also suggests  that although Lennie may have mental problems, but from this information, it doesn’t mean that Lennie is useless. He may be stupid, but he is very hard working and may be better than most normal workers working in the ranch. John Steinbeck also wants us to know that although people like Lennie often creates serious problems due to his stupidity, this doesn’t suggest that he can use his low IQ, and stupidity as an excuse to not face the problem and just find another job, not caring what he had done before.

Corporate Social Responsibilit Essay Example

Corporate Social Responsibilit Essay Example Corporate Social Responsibilit Essay Corporate Social Responsibilit Essay Yes, companies do have cultures of their own. This is because companies have a set of beliefs and behaviors as they involve groups of people with relationships, perceptions, and behaviors.   However, a company’s culture is more critically considered compared to the freer culture that an individual chooses for himself. Being a business, they are often expected to justify their actions and beliefs that support these actions.   Because of this, companies need to carefully choose and structure their norms such that it would be reasonable to its employees, gain approval from their market, and beneficial to their business. Although it has been argued that businesses are not expected to behave as society does, I still believe that a business is a member of society.   A company has most of the rights and obligations as each individual and is therefore bound to the legal and moral codes specific to the society.   This status of being a member of the community is what motivates a company to be socially responsible.   A company participates in both social issues and legal matters of the state, as in cases where a company leads in setting standards of living that could, through their lobbyists, influence new laws.   Moreover, a company plays an important role in advocating social issues when the government alone is unable to provide for the community.   A company, therefore, is concerned for the society because of the underlying notion that, even if it exists for profit, it is part of- if not one with- the community. CSR is very important to society as it plays a major part in its economic and social growth. A company that is socially responsible could help cultivate a society with the presence of its business, but it could also affect them negatively. We note that a company is, internally, also a society. It defines its principles upon following what may be a legal code, but also with profit returns as their goal.   The actions that a company does basing on these principles would determine their level of responsibility.   As an outcome, the society’s people and economy could either be well-developed or stagnant. How a company handles its social responsibility creates a profound effect on the community, and so it is imperative that a society is actively concerned in its programs. There are both advantages and disadvantages to each of these behaviors, and it is important that whichever a company adopts, extremity should be avoided as it may not be beneficial to both the company and society.   However, being a strict constructionist could prove better for a company, as CSR and philanthropy, albeit controlled and used as strategy, are still embedded in their goals. Being a strict constructionist, a company is specific in following not only legal standards but also moral codes. Since profit is the primary concern, it is important for a company to earn its market’s trust by delivering good standards, and loyalty by investing profit back into society.   These non-profit programs that a constructionist company initiates following a moral code are often the reasons why it is viewed as an ethical purist.   Overall, being a strict constructionist still allows a company to help the society but in a more practical strategy, needed for expansion- which create s more business opportunities and plenty of room to help. Yes, it is possible for a company to address both profit concerns and social responsibility at the same time, or â€Å"do well by doing good†.   By repackaging their products and services to fit a specific community, a company is able to expand their market to majority of the world’s population. Since they are provided with affordable commodities, technology, healthcare and education as well as employment, consumers patronize a company’s products and services and provide profit returns. Microfinance that turn profits and pooling of financial resources for a loan are some of the trends used to help people improve their standard of living- especially the poor and working poor- in financial terms. By providing affordable rates and lending money even to the low-income class, people become motivated to pay for their loans, and profit is ensured.   Another example of â€Å"doing good† but with a different kind of approach to ensure a more long-term â€Å"do ing well† is the collaboration of toy company Lego and scientific equipment company National Instruments (NI) where they sponsor a Science and Technology competition attended by 9- to 16-year-old students. By exposing the young to their products, they not only promote Science and Technology but also guarantee brand recognition and future market, when the kids grow to become buyers themselves. A company must adhere to the rules and standards specific to their marketed society in order to be able to, in the first place, stay in business. For this reason, the type- even presence- of CSR depends largely on the culture of a society as well as its social concerns.   A society that is particular to the rights of its individuals warrants the company to pay attention to the treatment of its employees and to have strategically impacting CSR activities. On the other hand, a society that is, say, well-supported by its government may not set a very high expectation in the company’s CSR involvement. With the society’s norms and present social concerns in mind, a company must adjust to these factors and design a CSR strategy that would create a positive effect to the society, or at least not hurt its image.   As a result, the quality and density of a company’s CSR activities vary from state to state. The presence of a company do not always benefit a society, and this conflict come in different situations. Multinational companies often involve a long chain of production, which could be rigged in the process and cause harm to consumers at the end of that chain. These result to news of food and chemical scares that have been known around the world or counterfeiting problems. Also, for-profit lending firms who view microfinance as money-well place higher costs for their loans and mortgages, even up to twice the amount of the loan, and end up hurting consumers’ credit instead of helping them to alleviate their standard of living. However, businesses sometimes hurt the society in the process of trying to help its members.   In order to effectively deliver or affordable products and services and offer employment to a community, another group of people is displaced.   These adverse effects could either be intentionally or unavoidable brought by the company but sadly, there is no universal standard that would prevent companies from falling into harmful ventures. IT systems are used in order to manage and report on a company’s CSR. Through information technology, a company is able to quantify their toxic emissions and determine whether they need to manage or reduce amounts of input.   With the results, the company is presented with the opportunity to help reduce the amount of pollution towards the environment.   However, IT systems themselves- especially the hardware- contain a great amount of toxic. Aside from that, these data-gathering technologies consume a lot of electricity and air conditioning, which would produce harmful greenhouse gases.   In the end, the employment of IT as part of CSR could enable a company to help the planet but also raise environmental problems in the process. For me, tool regulation and strategic usage determines the balance between the two opposite effects. Some societies do not have a strong stance on transparency between company and consumer, but it should be a requirement for a more trusted business.   Patronizing a business involves trust on the part of the customers. It is then their right to be well-informed about the products that they use and services that they employ.   As customers place their trust on a company by availing their products, it is the company’s responsibility to make sure that the customers understand the process to which they engage in.   Failure in this part results to issues that could be harmful for the customer.   Aside from that, nondisclosure of certain characteristics and aspects of a product or service would make the customer distrust a company and the company loses business. Corporate Social Responsibility, 8 Nonprofit programs, like any investment, should be cultivated with a strategy.   I agree that these programs should be run like business in order to make CSR work out for the company as well as the society. Handling nonprofits as one handles any business requires a well-defined procedure and guarantees a positive outcome. Furthermore, the program is evaluated to determine whether it has been successful, or needs further detailing.   Giving without a goal may contribute to the company’s visibility but it still tends to be irrelevant to the society and therefore ineffective. This is why â€Å"smart philanthropy† is a significant principle in most companies as it enables them to be active in philanthropic activities and also promote their company’s reputation: do well by doing good. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion We hope for a better community once businesses, especially large-scale ones, enter the society but at some point adverse effects and behaviors happen, and the community is affected. Once a business goes wrong, the society’s economy, people, and even environment would suffer.   Businesses, on the other hand, are affected by the beliefs and behaviors of the society.   A company that has no regard for the norms are criticized and since the society is its market and reason for existence, its policies need to be adjusted accordingly. Therefore, the relationship between company and society is inter-dependent: the company relies on the society for revenue, and the society looks up to the company for economic leadership. Because of this relationship, a company makes it a point to be socially responsible and invests profit back into the community so to gather loyalty and be able to expand at the same time. These programs that show responsibility, in turn, would encourage customers to patronize products and services.   In totality, corporate social responsibility is what keeps this relationship balanced and intact.

Duramold - Fairchild - Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose

Duramold - Fairchild - Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose In the late 1930s, aircraft of composite materials began to appear made of plastic-impregnated wood materials called duramold. The most famous and largest aircraft of duramold construction was the eight-engine Howard Hughes flying boat dubbed the Spruce Goose. Sherman Mills Fairchild According to the Fairchild Corporation, In the mid-1930s, Fairchild pioneered the application of composite structures to airframe design and production - duramold. The adhesive bonding processes and techniques are still followed in the manufacture of composite structures today. Fairchild also developed the first nine-lens mapping camera for the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1936. Duramold Aircraft Spruce Goose The Spruce Goose was not the first airplane to use duramold material. Many small planes had been built using duramold during the early thirties by the Fairchild Aviation. The Spruce Goose was originally conceived by Henry J. Kaiser, a steel maker and builder of Liberty ships. The aircraft was designed, constructed, and engineered by Howard Hughes and his staff. The Spruce Gooses exterior was created with material using the duramold process of laminating plywood and it was the largest plane ever to fly. In 1947, Millionaire Howard Hughes became the first person to pilot the Spruce Goose. Spruce Goose Howard Hughes Becomes The First Person To Fly The Spruce Goose In 1905, Howard Hughes was born in Houston, Texas. Hughes inherited the patent rights to an oil tool drill made by the Hughes Tool Company. A millionaire, Howard Hughes both inherited and made his own money. An adventurous soul, he formed the Hughes Aircraft Corporation and loved to pilot planes and break aviation records. After flying across America, Howard Hughes turned to movie making and formed his own motion picture studio.

Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Film - Essay Example This work gives an analysis of the famous painting by the Polish director Roman Polyansky, who immediately gained recognition in Hollywood. A complex, intricate intrigue (Los Angeles private researcher Jake Gitts is hired by a wealthy young woman Evelyn Mulray to investigate a petty but suspicious affair, and as a result he intervenes in large, stubbornly revealing frauds in land and water speculation) and most importantly gloomy Secrets hidden behind the facade of calm and prosperity. Intentional thickening of colors in the image of the atmosphere of mystery and anxious expectation. The mandatory theme of rock that dominates people persistently pursues them and leaves no hope even for a cheerful, always brilliant "black wit" hired detective who wins professionally, but loses in love and generally in life ... he issue of morals is evidently shown in the movie. Chinatown starts with pictures of a man that cheats on his wife with a different woman. The pictures show the two lovers in different positions of sexual congress, although no private parts are shown (Polanski). As the film proceeds, Gittes and Evelyn are shown in a scene just after completing a sexual act. The scene is very erotically charged, and the viewers may be titillated by what they do not see. In the same movie, some characters smoke cigarettes, but the most eye-catching scene is when Evelyn Mulwray smokes a cigarette in bed next to Gittes. Also, the Chinese happen to receive all the racism attacks in the film noir. One such scene is the long winded sexual joke that was narrated by Gittes about  Chinese men. All these attributes of the style of the film noir are present in the work of Roman Polyansky, and first of all - the motive of evil destiny, embodied in the obsession of the hero about the inevitable defeat in the accursed Chinatown. In "China Town" not only carefully recreated the environment of the 30-ies, but also used various cultural, cinematographic allusions, links, reminders.

Research and Development Methods Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

And Development Methods - Research Proposal Example It is used to deal with wide arrays of data and information related to students. The idea is to implement this system in Kidbrooke School to enhance the efficiency of student management along with improving the quality of teaching in an effective manner. This system is easy and simple to use and helps in availing wide varieties of data and information in a hassle free manner (Bonig, 2012). The simplicity of this system can be enhanced by using computer database and database language in the form of SQL and Access. Furthermore, important design considerations and principles are in the form of visibility, system feedback, uniformity, simplicity of tasks, and easy to access and use. The basic importance of the proposed student management information system is based on the fact that, it helps in collecting wide arrays of students’ details in the form of personal details, lecture details, subject details, grades, and feedback. This system can be considered as quite beneficial and us eful for students and teachers considering the fact that minute details can be garnered with ease and thus enhancing and strengthening the information framework. The next part of the discussion presents the objectives and questions related to the proposed system. The current system is based on manual settings and the newly proposed system is aimed to automate all the processes. In this regard, few questions need to be explored and investigated. The formulated questions are as follow: In order to further address and investigate the project’s objectives and questions; it is important to have an understanding over the requirements specifications that will help in understanding the benefits and usefulness of the proposed system. The specification of requirements has been illustrated in a critical manner. Under this system, students will be able to feed all their information that can be accessed by the management of the