Operating System and Microsoft Corporation Essay

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational software corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services related to computing. The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975. Microsoft is the world’s largest software maker measured by revenues.[3] It is also one of theworld’s most valuable companies.[4] Microsoft was established to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. It rose to dominate the personal computeroperating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems. The company’s 1986 initial public offering, and subsequent rise in its share price, created an estimated three billionaires and 12,000 millionaires from Microsoft employees. Since the 1990s, it has increasingly diversified from the operating system market and has made a number of corporate acquisitions. In May 2011, Microsoft acquired Skype Technologies for $8.5 billion in its largest acquisition to date.[5] As of 2012, Microsoft is market dominant in both the PC operating system and office suite markets (the latter with Microsoft Office). The company also produces a wide range of other software for desktops and servers, and is active in areas including internet search(with Bing), the video game industry (with the Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles), the digital services market (through MSN), and mobile phones (via the Windows Phone OS). In June 2012, Microsoft announced that it would be entering the PC vendor market for the first time, with the launch of the Microsoft Surface tablet computer. In the 1990s, critics began to contend that Microsoft used monopolistic business practices and anti-competitive strategies includingrefusal to deal and tying, put unreason able restrictions in the use of its software, and used misrepresentative marketing tactics; both the U.S. Department of Justice and European Commission found the company in violation of antitrust laws. Microsoft is the undisputed leader in the market for operating systems (Sheremata 1997). The Microsoft Corporation has produced the vast majority of operating systems for all personal computers (PCs); moreover, operating systems that Microsoft has created are Windows95, Windows 3.1, and DOS. They also have produced the leading spreadsheet and word processors for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. They own 85% of the market share with their office software Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Microsoft Exchange, and Microsoft Access. Not surprisingly, most of us have used some if not all of these products and/ or services provided by the Microsoft Corporation. How did the Microsoft Corporation develop into a software monopoly? For the most part, one or several combinations of the following forge monopolies: an amalgamation of smart business decisions, mistakes by competitors, and at times some shady tactics that a company might employ to become a market leader and monopoly of today. Microsoft had its beginning during the 1970s when IBM was the computer hardware giant of the industry. In 1975 Microsoft was the producer of programming languages for MIPS Altair 7500 (Conigliaro1996). In 1981, Microsoft purchased an operating system for an Intel based 8086 chip from a small company named Seattle Computer Products and redesigned its product to sell it to license it to IBM for its new personal computer (PC) (Conigliaro1996). The redesigned product was released under the name MS DOS 1.0. IBM being a monopoly at that time in the hardware department, by allowing Microsoft to provide the operating system to its PCs, then an outside source, relinquished control of the software industry to this up-and-coming powerhouse. Microsoft retained the right to license their operating system to other manufacturers and helped spur the massive IBM clone industry. Microsoft became one of the leaders in the computer industry during the 1980s with the help of technologies that help provide PCs for an information hungry age and with Microsoft providing the operating systems for a high percentage of the PCs sold. By the late 1980s, Microsoft controlled the operating system market; versions of MS-DOS ran over 80% of personal computers (Conigliaro1996). However, Microsoft did not control any of the application markets, this honor went to Lotus, which at the time had the top spreadsheet, 1-2-3 and WordPerfect had the leading word processors, WordPerfect. When Microsoft introduced Microsoft Windows 3.1 in the 1990s, it locked in Microsoft in the driver seat for what is now the software monopoly that exists. Soon after, Microsoft introduced Excel 3.0 for Windows and Word for Windows 2.0. Lotus and WordPerfect did not realize the effects that Windows 3.0 would have on the industry and did not plan ahead for the evolution (Gleick 1995). The claim has also been made that Microsoft used its control over the operating system and graphical user interface markets to help growth in the applications market. Some executives spoke of the â€Å"Chinese Wall†, that is some of the developers learned to take advantage of the operating system before other companies could who did not have the access (Gleick 1995). They were also accused of when introducing new technology called object linking embedding (OLE) in Windows, they would provide the technology to Excel 3.0 developers to incorporate it into Excel before the technology was available to other companies. Making it possible for applications on a system to work with other applications made by Microsoft before competitors could have a chance to compete and provide the same or a comparable application. With the introduction of Windows 3.1 (an update on 3.0) and Microsoft having the edge, Microsoft’s Excel, Word and Office started to dominate the application market. The dawn of Microsoft the monopoly empire was on the horizon. In the 1990s Microsoft began to diversify with its dominance over the application and operating systems it began to get into producing products for multimedia, business operation systems, and now even games and online services. They have been accused of shady business practices when they attempted to purchase Intuit, the software company that owns Quicken, the world’s most popular personal finance manager. And Microsoft’s pairing Windows 95 with The Microsoft Network, both moves are threatening to new competitors because of the barriers they create. They also generate risks to innovation and competition through the entire industry. Microsoft has used its power as the leader in the market with operating systems to grow into the power that it is now. A combination of good business tactics, regretful business choices by competitors, and finally Microsoft using its new power has made Microsoft untouchable by competitors. We have several examples of monopolies in our past as a nation, and we have found that monopolies have a tendency to stiffen innovation. With computer systems innovation is important to continue and stay ahead of the market. The example we can think about is IBM, when IBM split its business it opened the door to several new businesses that have only helped society. Is Microsoft going to help society if it is ordered to split? We can only wait and see. By making Microsoft split it will open the door to new ideas from small entrepreneurs that might have the next great operating system. # Microsoft has long enjoyed Olympian profit margins, using its monopoly power to maintain prices on its software even in tough times. But now, amid a terrible downturn and rising competition, CEO Steven A. Ballmer is shifting to a scrappier approach. He is cutting prices on a variety of fronts, from flagship Windows and Office products to newfangled Internet services. The idea is to accept lower margins in some businesses but boost overall earnings by going after a grab bag of growth opportunities. These range from expanding its share of big companies’ software purchases to lowering the price of Office software so consumers in emerging markets pay for it rather than pirate it. With the outlook so cloudy, â€Å"we’re focusing on gaining share in those areas that are most critical,† says Stephen A. Elop, who heads the business division. On July 13, Elop demonstrated the new Office 2010 in New Orleans. While Microsoft expects most customers to pay for the program the way they always have, less powerful, ad-supported versions will be available free on the Web. The company is also charging a monthly fee for online applications, such as the e-mail program Exchange, which is about a third as profitable as selling the software on CDs. And on Oct. 22, Microsoft’s new Windows 7 PC operating system will go on sale in stores for $40 less than the $240 it charged when it launched its Vista program in 2007—the biggest price cut on a new version of Windows in years. All of these moves amount to a risky experiment in price elasticity. By lowering prices, the company hopes to increase sales of existing products while making fast headway with new ones. If the company can gain enough market share to cover its massive costs in Web services and Internet search—notably, its vast data centers—every extra dollar will be pure profit. â€Å"I’m not saying it will be easy,† says Ballmer. â€Å"But we have great opportunities to grow total profit dollars.† ONLY $29 IN CHINAMicrosoft is cutting the price of Office and offering the free versions of Word, Excel, and other programs to head off competition from Google and other rivals that offer similar software at little or no cost. Microsoft has so many promotions for Office that its effective price is $100, down from $150, and even lower in such countries as Brazil and India. But the experience is sparking optimism at Microsoft about the new strategy. The company says unit sales of Office surged 415% in the second half of last year. The most aggressive price cut has come in China, where Microsoft says 95% of Office installations have been pirated. Since it began testing a $29 offer in China last September, sales have soared morethan 800%. The low price was â€Å"like taking firewood from under the cauldron† of piracy, says Liu Tianxiang, a vice-president with Beijing Federal Software, a Chinese software distributor. He figures Microsoft has sold 80,000 copies of Office in China since the trial started. Now Microsoft intends to make the low price permanent. Not surprisingly, Microsoft continues to hunt for ways to offset price cuts. It hopes to boost the bottom line by encouraging Windows 7 software users to upgrade more often. Since the program CD will come loaded with multiple versions, users who buy the cheaper Starter edition can easily pay later to get premium features. Of course, that risks annoying users—when rivals such as Google are trying to lure customers with cheaper alternatives. But in the current economy, there’s no risk-free way to stay ahead.

The similarities or and differences of studying in private university and government university Essay

?The similarities or and differences of studying in private university and government university A university is an institution of higher education and research which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is a corporation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education. Actually, University was divided into two which are state university and private university. Public or state universities operate in whole or in part on state or federal funds. This means all students regardless of race, religion and gender. Conversely, private institutions may make exemptions, such as women-only campuses, or men-only, and religious schools. There are similarity and contrast of state university and the private university; the similarity of state university and private university is both universities require the student to have a bachelor’s degree but both of them also have differences which are the cost for student, the program available and the standard score for student’s success. The first similarity of state university and private university is both universities require the student to have a bachelor’s degree. Actually, a bachelor’s degree is the first degree a student can receive in his or her academic career, with the exception of the associate’s degree. The bachelor’s degree is sometimes awarded after learning an associate’s degree, though it is often the first degree that is gotten. Whether or not an associate’s degree can be gotten first depends upon the area of study. Both of the universities have the same standard to get bachelor degree. Not only that, state university and private university also have the differences which are the cost that must be paid by the student, the program available and the standard of scoring for student success. The first difference is the cost that must be paid by students. Many people assume a public college is cheaper than a private college because of tuition fees are reduced for state residents. But the posted â€Å"sticker price† of a private college is rarely the real price. If a private college strongly appeals to you, consider waiting for its financial aid offer before making a final decision. More often than not, private colleges offer the scholarships and grants that significantly cut your actual cost, even bringing it close to the cost of a public college. Public college cost gets trickier for out-of-state students. Public colleges are largely supported by state taxes. This means that put-of-state students. Whose families have not paid these taxes; usually owe higher tuition than in-state students. Paying out-of-state tuition often put the cost on a par with the cost of private colleges. The second difference is programs availability. Many private universities do not offer as wide a range of classes and major options as public schools do. If you are looking for a specific major, it will often be harder to find a private school that offers that option and once you do find that university, it may be out of state and therefore out of budget. On the other hand, large public universities are often able to offer a wider range of subjects for you to study as well as more teachers to cover them. And the last difference is the standard of scoring for students test. Actually, both universities are not the same in scoring for student’s success. For example, the students are learning the same material and taking the same tests, they are getting the different score because the both of the universities have different grade of the test. Actually, what really differs between the two universities is the school atmosphere in which the student learns the material. The students result formed through their school experiences are usually dramatically different. Based on this explanation above, state university and private university have several similarities and differences. The similarity is both universities require the student to have a bachelor’s degree. And the differences from both of them are the cost for student, the programs available and the standard score for student success. In my conclusion, the effect from the several similarities and differences are to help the students to decrease their problems and to make their learning process joyful. For recommendation, this explanation is about choice and initiative on the parts of the students and the lectures.

Book Review . Discuss the process of maturation of Frederick Douglass Essay

Book Review . Discuss the process of maturation of Frederick Douglass from childhood to adulthood. Make sure that you employ a - Essay Example The first theme that manifests in Douglass’s narrative is that of inequality. African American slaves got treated cruelly by their slave masters who viewed them as not being human beings. He begins his narrative by stating that he was not aware of his birth date. He states that neither did he ever meet a slave who could tell his or her birth date (Douglass 1). Meanwhile, the white children could tell their birth date. This shows the inequality that slaves got born into. He narrates of how when his master died they got valued together with livestock as his family shared property. He states how slaves of all kind got ranked with sheep, swine, and horses (Douglass 51). This shows that slaves got viewed as equal to animals by their masters. This was a form of racial inequality. Another theme that manifests itself is that of the path to freedom. Douglass aims to show that he believes education and a progressive urban environment as the keys to freedom. He remarks that a city slave is freer than a slave on a plantation. He notices this when he gets moved to Baltimore, Maryland. He views a city slave as getting fed and clothed better than a slave on a plantation (Douglass 38). In spite of the decency accorded to the city slave, he later notes that there still was much injustice to the slaves whether in the city or plantation. Douglass also believes that education can play a key role towards the freedom of the slave. He strives to learn as much, but again the more he learns, the further he casts doubts on whether knowledge would earn his freedom. He remarks that the more knowledge he acquires, the more his eyes open to the endless evils of slavery (Douglass 47). When Hugh Auld forbids his wife from teaching Douglass, he realizes that this was a witty way through which slaveholders kept their slaves. Auld tells his wife that education ruins slaves. Douglass views that slaveholders hide knowledge from slaves to keep them unaware of the evil that is slavery. Dougla ss embarked on self-education as the key towards his ability to free himself. In his narrative, Douglass also shows the theme of Christianity. He highlights that there exists two forms of Christianity at the time; the real and hypocritical form of Christianity. According to him, there exists Christianity of the land and that of Christ (Douglass 95). Douglass believes the real Christianity gets practiced by him and the whites who preach against slavery. The hypocritical Christianity gets practiced by whites such as Mr. Covey who totally ignore and hide the real ideals of Christianity. He makes a distinction between the two by stating the real Christianity was based on charity and peace. The false Christianity revolves around the immoral and violent actions of slaveholders. Douglass, through his narrative, shows how the slaveholding masters in the south use Christianity to spread their evil deed of slavery. Conclusion The narrative by Douglass presents an emotional and quite moving st ory about his life as a slave until he becomes a free man. He is born a slave and recounts losing his mother at a remarkably young age. He encounters the brutality of slavery at a very early age when he witnessed his aunt Hester getting whipped. He undergoes harsh treatment and cruelty from his slave masters and whites while growing up. In spite of all this hardships, Douglass still manages to remain upbeat and pursue self education even when Mrs. Auld stops teaching

Monetary economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Monetary economics - Essay Example flow of capital can be supported with the example of Argentina which has experienced the floating exchange rate in the economy and the volatility and the evolution of the exchange rate which was not affected severely due to the international crisis in spite of the rise or the increase in the exchange rate. The arguments in favour and against the topic can be highlighted with the help of the statement that emphasizes that floating exchange rate is effective in implementing the monetary policy and ineffective or inefficient in implementing the fiscal policy whereas in case of the fixed exchange rate it is effective in implementing the fiscal policy and it is unable or incapable for formulating the monetary policy. In order to derive at the conclusion in ascertaining whether the floating rate has been able to control the inflow and outflow of cash it is required to consider various factors which includes the inflation rate, the credibility of the policy makers, the flexibility in the labour market, the size and the openness in the economy, maintaining of capital mobility and the extent of financial development. The main aim or the objective of floating exchange rate in controlling the inflow and the outflow of capital is reducing the volatility in the exchange rate and also maintaining the monetary stability in the economy (Arnold, 2008). The floating exchange rate generally considers the economic and financial structure and policies in the economy and the intervention of the central bank in the foreign exchange market either dealing in the spot market or dealing in the forward market for developing the regulation and reserves of the capital inflow and capital outflow. The floating exchange rate focuses on increasing the capital inflow and mitigating the excessive capital outflow. The balance of payment is considered as an important instrument for controlling and dealing with the related inflow and outflow of capital in the economy. Balance of payment is

Myocardial Infarction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Myocardial Infarction - Research Paper Example When a portion of myocardium is affected thus, the function of the whole heart is affected resulting in blood supply to other parts of the body like brain and vital organs (Fenton, 2008). This leads to multiorgan dysfunction. Arteries that supply the muscles of the heart are known as coronary arteries. These arise from the aorta and lie on the surface of the heart. There are 2 main coronary arteries, namely the right and left coronary arteries. The right coronary artery supplies the right ventricle and the left one supplies the lower parts of the heart. Most of the left ventricle is supplied by left anterior descending coronary artery. The circumflex artery supplies the back portion of the left ventricle (Zevit, 2006). Atherosclerosis, which results in coronary artery plagues is the most common cause of myocardial infarction. Other causes of myocardial infarction are respiratory failure, profound anemia, cocaine abuse, carbon monoxide poisoning, anamolous coronary artery and coronary artery vasospasm (Fenton, 2008). Risk factors for myocardial infarction are advanced age, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, male gender, abnormal lipid profile, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, family history of ischemic heart disease and hypertension. Compensatory mechanisms Physiological response to myocardial infarction include increased heart rate, increased mean arterial pressure, increased respiratory rate and raised serum cortisol levels (Cherrington et al, 2002). Medical treatment The goals of treatment in a patient with myocardial infarction are to restore oxygen supply to the heart, to prevent worsening of ischemia, cause relief of pain and finally to prevent and also manage various complications related to myocardial damage. Treatment of patient diagnosed to have myocardial infarction includes oxygen administration, aspirin, sublingual nitrate, betablockers and pain relief using morphine. Administration of aspirin in the prehospital phase or even after immediate arrival to t he hospital has shown to decrease mortality and chances of reinfarction. Those allergic to aspirin must be administered clopidogrel. Sublingual nitrate decreases preload and also decreases paon. However, this drug must not be administered in right ventricular infarction and hypotension. Betablcokers decrease the heart rate and hence decrease the oxygen demand of the myocardium. Morphine decrease pain and thus demand of oxygen. Further treatment depends on the type of infarction (Fenton, 2008). In STEMI, immediate reperfusion therapy must be initiated and this includes either percutaneous coronary interventions or thrombolytic therapy. NSTEMI patients must receive antiischemic treatment along with percutaneous coronary interventions. Reperfusion therapy must be started immediately in STEMI patients. Percutaneous coronary interventions are better than thrombolytic therapy (Fenton, 2008). These are done after angiogram. Adjunctive intravenous heparin therapy is given for maintenance of patency of the arteries (Fenton, 2008). The patient under discussion was given aspirin, heparin, Vitamin E,B and D and protonix. Protonix is proton pump inhibitor and it is give in conjunction with aspirin therapy because of risk of gastrointestinal complications following aspirin therapy. Nursing management Nursing management

Culture and Health paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Culture and Health paper - Essay Example Moreover, cultural factors are significant in health problems such as obesity, drug addiction, and child sexual abuse. Socioeconomic and cultural issues therefore underlie key global health problems, such as the spread of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, infant deaths as a result of preventable diseases, and diseases from environmental contaminations as well as social pathologies. This paper is a discussion on how the cultural behaviors and Islamic culture contribute to the spread of cholera and its impact on the community. According to Grim and Hsu (2011), the present global estimates of Muslim population cited in several academic literature approximately fall between one billion and two billion people. The results of the research carried out in 2009 showed that the population of Muslims across the globe is approximately 1.57 billion of 6.8 billion people inhibiting the world. Presently, Muslims are thus approximated to be 25% of the world population (Grim & Hsu, 2011). A big Muslim population is found in Asia-Pacific zone totaling approximately 62% of global Muslim population. In Middle East and North Africa, Muslim population is around 20% of the total international Muslim population. More than half of the territories and states in North Africa and Middle East have 95% or higher Muslim populations (Grim & Hsu, 2011). Asia presents the four largest Muslim populated countries across the world. The largest Muslim populated country in the world is Indonesia. It comprises of 202,867,000 Muslims, which is 12.9% of the global Muslim population. The next leading Muslim populated country is Pakistan with a Muslim population of around 174,082,000, translating to 11.1% of global Muslim population. India is reported to be the third-largest country of Muslim inhabitants with an approximate of 160,945,000 Muslims, accounting for 10.3% of global Muslim population. Bangladesh is occupied by around 145,132,000 Muslims,

Grand Canyon University's History and Christian Heritage Essay

Grand Canyon University's History and Christian Heritage - Essay Example With regard to GCU's mission, the method of its enforcement is compatible with the university's Christian heritage. As claimed by Dr. Ray, Christian education is an "education with a spirit and soul". He further said that the foundation of Christian training were moral, mental, physical, social and spiritual - all of which are based upon the holy scripture, the bible. To become global citizens, effective communicators, critical thinkers and responsible leaders are consistent with Christian education. The university's four pillars, namely, academic advancement, Christian camaraderie, extracurricular excellence and wellness and well-being are all consistent with its history and Christian heritage. To note, academic excellence is one of the reasons why the Grand Canyon College was given accreditation in 1968. Athletic competition was the other reason. The school had long been active in sports and other extracurricular activities. These inclinations are all in line with Christian educati on as envisioned by Dr. Ray. ... 28). He further said that the foundation of Christian training were moral, mental, physical, social and spiritual -- all of which are based upon the holy scripture, the bible (Ray, as cited in Helfers, p. 28). To become global citizens, effective communicators, critical thinkers and responsible leaders are consistent with Christian education. The university's four pillars, namely, academic advancement, Christian camaraderie, extracurricular excellence and wellness and well-being are all consistent with its history and Christian heritage (â€Å"Four,† n.d.). To note, academic excellence is one of the reasons why the Grand Canyon College was given accreditation in 1968. Athletic competition was the other reason. The school had long been active in sports and other extracurricular activities. These inclinations are all in line with Christian education as envisioned by Dr. Ray. Diversity is one aspect that the university is trying to nourish. The founders of the university wanted t he school's name to be inclusive and all-encompassing (Helfers, 2000). Thus, the term Baptist was not included. According to Helfers (2000, p. 27), they aimed to welcome "students of all faiths or no faith." Presently, it has been accepting students of different religious backgrounds. Also, it has been employing faculties coming from over twenty denominations (â€Å"GCU,† n.d.). All these facts reflect the university's history and Christian faith. Personally, the university's statements correspond to my own set of values and traditions. I have been a believer of Christian faith since I was a child. The Baptist and Catholic Church both believe in Jesus Christ. Thus, I found it easy to understand the school's history and Christian heritage. Basically, what differs

Extra credit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Extra credit - Assignment Example This passage provides a picture of the reading plan by stating that it consists of previewing, reading, marking and reviewing. These steps are fundamental for a reader as they provide easier approach to the reading material by identification of the primary ideas of the book and determining how long one can to complete reading it (Textbook Reading Resource, 4). However, this passage accounts for the necessity of reading in a quiet and comfortable place. The reading should be in slots such as 20 pages in 50minutes. For the case of mapping, the reader can do it by applying two approaches namely the fishbone and branching. These two methods simplify complex maps into simpler material to comprehend. In addition, three alternatives to mapping can be applied in a bid to understand the mapping trends. They include outlines, flashcards and listing ort category (Textbook Reading Resource, 13). On equal measure, this passage suggests an easier way to read a textbook. The SQ3R is easier an efficient way for one to read and comprehend something complex to remember. The method involves reading the words not ideas or concepts (Textbook Reading Resource, 20). In conclusion, their passage provides an easy reading plan, which will make the readers read procedurally and be able to understand the contents. In addition, the SQ3R makes reading simpler and fascinating when reading complex materials. For the case of mapping, fishbone and branching approaches are fundamental in interpret ting the map

Dead and Breakfast Essay Example for Free

Dead and Breakfast Essay The person who killed dusty could have been anyone of these people, they all had motive but only one of them was desperate enough to kill one of his closest friends. (7:20)The murderer must have been wearing gloves when he set the table again because he left traces of sodium, carbon, iron, and gold. When the Murderer saw his chance, he took it. 7:25)Right when the table had been set and no one was around he slipped the Potassium cyanide into Dustys cup. Now potassium cyanide is a hard thing to come by and only someone who had worked with it for many years would have known the right amount to give to Dusty to make him drop dead. (7:35) Dusty returns down stairs to finish his breakfast. (7:40) Dusty takes one drink then five minutes later he drops dead. Now let me fill you in on how all this evidence plays into this. Mr. Horace Throat had been experiencing some money problems with the mob and really need this auction to go well. Horace was counting on Dusty to help him out but when he let him down, he snapped. Horace had been working in metal finishing for many years and he used the same gloves as he did to work as he did to place the cyanide in the drink, which is how the traces of gold ended up on the table. Second Dusty was the only one of that group of people who had already had potassium cyanide on him because he was already doing work for Dusty. Horace Throat killed one of his closest friends and best buyers of many years just for money to pay off the mob.

Research Spotlight on Homework Essay Example for Free

Research Spotlight on Homework Essay Some researchers are urging schools to take a fresh look at homework and its potential for engaging students and improving student performance. The key, they say, is to take into account grade-specific and developmental factors when determining the amount and kind of homework. So, whats appropriate? What benefits can be expected? What makes for good homework policies? Research doesnt have all the answers, but a review of some existing data yields some helpful observations and guidance. How Much Homework Do Students Do? Survey data and anecdotal evidence show that some students spend hours nightly doing homework. Homework overload is the exception rather than the norm; however, according to research from the Brookings Institution and the Rand Corporation (see the Brown Center 2003 below). Their researchers analyzed data from a variety of sources and concluded that the majority of U.S. students spend less than an hour a day on homework, regardless of grade level, and this has held true for most of the past 50 years. In the last 20 years, homework has increased only in the lower grade levels, and this increase is associated with neutral (and sometimes negative) effects on student achievement. How Much Is Appropriate? The National PTA recommendations fall in line with general guidelines suggested by researcher Harris Cooper: 10-20 minutes per night in the first grade, and an additional 10 minutes per grade level thereafter (e.g., 20 minutes for second grade, 120 minutes for twelfth). High school students may sometimes do more, depending on what classes they take (see Review of Educational Research, 2006). What are the benefits? Homework usually falls into one of three categories: practice, preparation, or extension. The purpose usually varies by grade. Individualized assignments that tap into students existing skills or interests can be motivating. At the elementary school level, homework can help students develop study skills and habits and can keep families informed about their childs learning. At the secondary school level, student homework is associated with greater academic achievement. (Review of Educational Research, 2006) What’s good policy? Experts advise schools or districts to include teachers, parents, and students in any effort to set homework policies. Policies should address the purposes of homework; amount and frequency; school and teacher responsibilities; student responsibilities; and, the role of parents or others who assist students with homework. Reference: Cooper, H. (2003). A synthesis of research. Review of Educational Reseach, volume 76, Retrieved January 09, 2013, from http://www.nea.org/tools/16938.htm Reasons why students should not have homework Homework is supposed to ensure that all students retain the material covered in the classroom, but for many children it is an unnecessary chore and actually hinders their learning. Children learn best when they are interested in the subject. Positive mental attitude makes learning even challenging things much easier. Negative mental attitude, however, makes retaining knowledge harder and creates stress in a learner. It also takes much longer periods of time to complete. As a result children hardly have any time to develop their talents through extracurricular activities, or to spend adequate time with family and friends. Instead of being burdened with much resented huge loads of homework, children should have the opportunity for more self-directed and interactive learning at school to generate their interest and build in them positive attitude towards learning. Teachers should be more creative and use multimedia like computers and video presentations to make covered subjects more engaging involving childrens input more. Students should be allowed to suggest activities and projects they would like to do. In the present school system it is usually the teacher who decides what and how children should learn in class and at home. This promotes passivity and a sense that learning is a necessary evil rather than exiting opportunity to learn about the world we live in. This is very ineffective, making kids bored, stressed, and frustrated. Not to mention that it is often parents who do the reluctant kids homework therefore homework doesnt help them to learn at all. They get their grades, but end up having learning gaps that will come out later on and hinder their success. Children who are struggling themselves with loads of homework lack the time to develop other than academic passions and experience very unhealty stress that cen result even in a depression. The numbers of children who take antidepressants is rapidly growing. Students who are defiant about their homework often have very strained relationship with their parents. It is a source of contention in too many families and contributes to deep emotional problems in these children and also inevitably may cause depression and substance abuse. The age of kids taking street drugs is getting lower and lower. Children as young as ten in some countries have a drinking problem and homework overload can be an indirect cause of that. That is why I think students should not have homework, but be able to have enjoyable learning experience at school and freedom to be encouraged by the teacher to expand their knowledge on their own terms at home, and to be rewarded for the extra effort instead of being forced to do homework they dont like. Reference: Tehrani, E. (2009). Reasons why students should not have homework. Retrieved January 09, 2013, from http://www.helium.com/items/1309973-why-students-shoul-not-have-homework The Truth About Homework In high school, some studies do find a correlation between homework and test scores (or grades), but it’s usually fairly small, and it has a tendency to disappear when more sophisticated statistical controls are applied. Moreover, there’s no evidence that higher achievement is due to the homework even when an association does appear. It isn’t hard to think of other explanations for why successful students might be in classrooms where more homework is assigned—or why they might spend more time on it than their peers do. The results of national and international exams raise further doubts. One of many examples is an analysis of 1994 and 1999 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or TIMSS, data from 50 countries. Researchers David P. Baker and Gerald K. LeTendre were scarcely able to conceal their surprise when they published their results last year: â€Å"Not only did we fail to find any positive relationships,† they wrote, but â€Å"the overall correlations between national average student achievement and national averages in [amount of homework assigned] are all negative.† Consider the assumption that homework should be beneficial just because it gives students more time to master a topic or skill. (Plenty of pundits rely on this premise when they call for extending the school day or year. Indeed, homework can be seen as a way of prolonging the school day on the cheap.) Unfortunately, this reasoning turns out to be woefully simplistic. Back â€Å"when experimental psychologists mainly studied words and nonsense syllables, it was thought that learning inevitably depended upon time,† the reading researcher Richard C. Anderson and his colleagues explain. But â€Å"subsequent research suggests that this belief is false.† The statement â€Å"People need time to learn things† is true, of course, but it doesn’t tell us much of practical value. On the other hand, the assertion â€Å"More time usually leads to better learning† is considerably more interesting. It’s also demonstrably untrue, however, because there are enough cases where more time doesn’t lead to better learning. In fact, more hours are least likely to produce better outcomes when understanding or creativity is involved. Anderson and his associates found that when children are taught to read by focusing on the meaning of the text (rather than primarily on phonetic skills), their learning does â€Å"not depend on amount of instructional time.† In math, too, as another group of researchers discovered, time on task is directly correlated to achievement only if both the activity and the outcome measure are focused on rote recall as opposed to problem-solving. Carole Ames of Michigan State University points out that it isn’t â€Å"quantitative changes in behavior†Ã¢â‚¬â€such as requiring students to spend more hours in front of books or worksheets—that help children learn better. Rather, it’s â€Å"qualitative changes in the ways students view themselves in relation to the task, engage in the process of learning, and then respond to the learning activities and situation.† In turn, these attitudes and responses emerge from the way teachers think about learning and, as a result, how they organize their classrooms. Assigning homework is unlikely to have a positive effect on any of these variables. We might say that education is less about how much the teacher covers than about what students can be helped to discover—and more time won’t help to bring about that shift. Regardless of ones criteria, there is no reason to think that most students would be at any sort of disadvantage if homework were sharply reduced or even eliminated. But even if practice is sometimes useful, we’re not entitled to conclude that homework of this type works for most students. It isn’t of any use for those who don’t understand what they’re doing. Such homework makes them feel stupid; gets them accustomed to doing things the wrong way (because what’s really â€Å"reinforced† are mistaken assumptions); and teaches them to conceal what they don’t know. At the same time, other students in the same class already have the skill down cold, so further practice for them is a waste of time. You’ve got some kids, then, who don’t need the practice, and others who can’t use it. Furthermore, even if practice were helpful for most students, that wouldn’t mean they needed to do it at home. In my research, I found a number of superb teachers (at different grade levels and with diverse instructional styles) who rarely, if ever, found it necessary to assign homework. Some not only didn’t feel a need to make students read, write, or do math at home; they preferred to have students do these things during class, where it was possible to observe, guide, and discuss. Finally, any theoretical benefit of practice homework must be weighed against the effect it has on students’ interest in learning. If slogging through worksheets dampens one’s desire to read or think, surely that wouldn’t be worth an incremental improvement in skills. And when an activity feels like drudgery, the quality of learning tends to suffer, too. That so many children regard homework as something to finish as quickly as possible—or even as a significant source of stress—helps explain why it appears not to offer any academic advantage even for those who obediently sit down and complete the tasks they’ve been assigned. All that research showing little value to homework may not be so surprising after all. Reference: Kohn, A. (2006). The truth about homework. Retrieved January 09, 2013, from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2006/09/06/02kohn.h26.html?tkn=RVRFTkNGGXy32nbQpdGsSFt01V8aHU5cZ3wG

Employment Among Peoples With Disabilities Social Work Essay

Employment Among Peoples With Disabilities Social Work Essay Companies decisions to hire and retain employee can be influence of variety of factors. The study examines factors that influence companies decision to hire a person with disabilities in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. While not denying the fact that there are numerous factors contributing to the companies decisions to hire disabled people. According to the Department of Social Welfare Malaysia, persons with disability is any person who is unable to obtain for himself/herself, fully or partially, the normal requirements of an individual and / or is unable to participate fully in the community due to shortcomings either physically or mentally and whether it occurred since birth or later in life. There are six categories of disabilities that are identify and registered in the department that is first hearing disability including deaf and mute, second is vision disability including blind that is eyesight less than 3/60 for the good eye even with vision support equipment (eye glasses) and low visi on/partially sighted that is eyesight less 6/18 but equal or better than 3/60 for the good eye even with vision support equipment (eye glasses), third is physical disability such as Polio, Amputee, Muscular Dystrophy, Myopathy, Neuropathy, Osteogenesis Imperfecta and others, fourth is Cerebral Palsy such as Hemiplegia that is Cerebral palsy that affect half of the body, Diplegia that is Cerebral palsy that affect both legs and Quadriplegia that is Cerebral palsy that affect all limbs, fifth is learning disability that is Global Development Delay (for children age People with disabilities are often being socially excluded in our Malaysian Society (Malaysian Care Organisation). Negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities has been identified as a barrier them to particiapte fully in society (Hasnah Toran et al., 2009). Without a concerted effort and awareness from companies and public as well, there is no improvement for this people to participate fully in society. Malaysia passed the Person with Disability Act (PWDA) in 2008 as part of its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN convention). According to this Act, those persons with disabilities shall have equal access to public facilities, amenities, services and buildings, public transport, education, employment, information, communication and technology, cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport (www.thenutgraph.com). This Act as a basis for equalization of opportunities for person with disabilities, to eliminate discrimination and harrasment against them and to promote their full participation as equal citizens of this country (Zulfikri Osman, 2003). 1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT There are 15,409 PWDs registered with the State Welfare Services Department in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah as at July 2010, including those with physical or mental disabilities, hearing and vision impairment, cerebral palsy as well as intellectually challenged according to Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun in the Daily Express( 10 October 2010). According to her, there are many other PWDs out there have not registered to the department and urges to do so and the society must adapt to their needs and accord them the same right. There are some approaches and campaign done by government to improve the standard of living disabled persons. In general, the reaction of the private sector towards employment of disabled people may be due to misperception about people with disabilities. Hooi (2000a, p. 4) quotes Bathmavathi Krishnan, a senior disabled librarian in Kuala Lumpur: Most employers are reluctant to employ the disabled because of concerns regarding safety regulations, the need to modify premises such as installing ramps, disabled-friendly toilets and extra medical costs. Mariah Abdul Rahman (Hooi 2000a, p. 4) a web-lab manager in MIMOS Bhd, cites prejudice and the fear of uncertainty among employers as the main reasons why people with disabilities find it difficult to seek employment. In this era of globalization and digitization where competitive pressures of the new economy spill over into the lives of the rich, poor and disabled people, the need for a decent job is even more fundamental to a life of dignified existence: The work that we do has a crucial impact on our social and material well-being, in terms of income, class, status, influence, social relationships and personal identity (Barnes, Mercer Shakespeare 1999, p.1 10). The purpose of this study is to investigate companies attitudes towards employment of persons with disabilities in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah . 1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 1) The objective of this study is to investigate factor that influence companies attitudes toward the employment of persons with disabilities. 2) To recommend suitable employee for the private company. 1.3 SCOPE OF STUDY The scope of the study covers a few selected Private companies in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Sembulan, Tanjung Aru, Lintas, Inanam and Likas). 1.4 SIGNIFICANT OF STUDY This study is significant because it seek to measure the companies opinions and view in hiring persons with disabilities. This study will benefit the government, disabled people, employers and local universities as there were few empirical studies in this area. Hence the findings from this study can be used by the government and employers to develop better effort in developing disabled people to live in better living conditions and in the workplace. 1.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS The terms used in the study are defined for ease of understanding 1.6.1 Disability person Those who have long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society (Social Welfare Department of Malaysia). Disability is defined according to the American Disability Act: 1) A person who has a physical of mental impairment, which substantially limits a major life activity, 2) Has record of that impairment that is used by the employer to discriminate against the individual, and 3) Is regarded by others as having such an impairment, whether impaired or not (this category includes AIDS/HIV) (Fersh Thomas, 1993; Spechler, 1996; Presidents Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, 1993). 1.6.2 Private Company Business firm in the private (non-public) sector of an economy, controlled and operated by private individuals (and not by civil servants or government-employees) (retrieved from businessdictionary on 18 October 2010). 1.6.3 Attitude` An attitude is a learned predisposition to behave in a consistent favorable or unfavorable way with respect to a given object (Schiffman Kanuk, 1994). Attitude is a combination of beliefs and feelings that influence behavior (Brostrand, 2006). author (Brostrand, 2006). While Triandis, Adampoulus, and Brinberg (1984) also defines attitude as an idea or belief is driven by feelings and produce a certain behavior in a social situation. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Hiring People with Disabilities A 1994 study by Ford attempted to determine where employers received information about the ADA and their training in hiring people with disabilities. Participants were also asked what services they needed to employ people with severe disabilities and in what areas they were lacking information. Responses included lack of information about supported employment, disability, building modifications, employer benefits, laws, funding, rehabilitation technology devices and services, and service providers. When participants were asked whether they were able to provide the rehabilitation technology necessary to employ an individual with a disability, 74% said they were not. When asked to state why, 23% said lack of funds, 22% indicated lack of expertise, 19% did not know where to go for training, and 14% stated it was due to low priority, lack of time, lack of feedback, or personal constraints. Twenty-six percent of employers surveyed said they had never made a referral to a vocational rehabi litation agency for an employee with a disability. When asked why, 36% said they did not even know it was possible, 24% did not know where to refer to, 26% said it was not their job, and the remaining 14% stated it was not in their best interests or in the best interests of the employee with the disability (Ford, 13 1994). The results of this study indicate that employers need more information and assistance in employing people with disabilities. Employers Attitudes While some studies have explored the need employers have for information, other studies have investigated employers attitudes towards hiring people with disabilities. One study on employers attitudes made use of a scale developed by Kregel and Tomiyasu (1994) This scale measured the attitudes of 170 employers toward workers with disabilities and towards the ADA. The results of this study found that while 96% of the 170 employers interviewed knew of the ADA, only 36% said they would support mandated quotas for hiring people with disabilities. The employers were asked about their satisfaction and previous experience with people with disabilities in the workplace; 73% had previous experience. Of that 73%, 78% were satisfied with the performance of the worker with a disability, 11% were somewhat satisfied. Overall, this study found employers to have a positive attitude towards people with disabilities. The employers did acknowledge that in order for the transition into the workforce to be successful they needed to provide a good effort. On the other hand, employers did not feel they had to create jobs or employ persons with disabilities themselves. They did feel assistance would be necessary to hire a person with a disability, but few felt it would be too expensive. In addition, although these employers saw people with disabilities favorably, they believed the hiring of a person with a disability would depend on the extent or severity of the disability. The employers also expressed some personal concerns, which included fears of not being able to communicate with the employee and fear of the employee with a disability making special demands (Kregel Tomiyasu, 1994). Building Relationships Developing relationships between vocational rehabilitation agencies and employers will increase communication and benefit both. Employers will receive assistance in the logistics of hiring an individual with a disability and VR will more successfully place clients into open positions within those companies. Accommodation is one area where employers struggle to know what is necessary and how to implement it. When accommodating workers with disabilities it is important for companies to realize that they do not have to do it on their own. It is suggested that companies take a proactive approach. Some suggested guidelines are: 1) Designate a company representative to oversee ADA compliance. 2) Create and maintain cooperative relationships with other companies and community resources. 3) Ensure that all company policies are compatible with ADA prescriptions 4) Consult rehabilitation professionals to assist in the formulation and review of accommodation options, and preparation of work and non-work environments. (Mullins, Rumrill, Roessler, 1994, p. 16) Attitudes of Society and Employers Due to attitudes or society and, more specifically, employers, job placement and job development for individuals with a mental disability can be challenging in itself; add the concept of job development, and you have an even more complicated situation. In job placement, the job placement specialist works with individuals with mental illness in various types of vocational environments, finds out that they may be more like a salesperson attempting to sell a product to community employers. The product that the job placement specialist is promoting to community employers is his or her clients abilities and skills. The motivation for this action is that community employers have what rehabilitation professionals and their consumers want-a job in an integrated community setting. However, acquiring this vocational goal is not as easy as it sounds-get the job (University of Wisconsin-Stout, 1983). The placement to specialist needs to be persuasive, because if he or she is not able to promote their clients to employers in the community, the unemployment rate may stay the same or even worsen (Fabian Waterworth, 1993). In order for this event to take place, the job placement specialist must create a working relationship with the employer in order to create a positive working environment for his or her client. Malaysian empployers attitude A study by Zulfikri Osman (2003) on Malaysian employers attitudes toward hiring persons with disabilities found that Malaysian employers are found to be discriminative in hiring disabled workers. Jobs offered to disabled workers are normally for lower position. The Ministry of National Unity and Social Development thhrough its working group on legislation had drafted a proposed Act to be called Person with Disabilities Act. However, these federal initiatives, as important as they are, have not changed the way many employers feel about hiring the disabled people. The study also found that, those surveyed perceived their organizations had been unfair in offering jobs while at the same time do not provide special training programs tailored for disabled workers. On the positive side though, organizations gave the same benefits and salary schemes, equal opportunity for advancement and are socially responsible in term of employment oppotunity given to disabled workers. However, employers d o not really care about disabled people involvement in building. Moreover, organizations seemed to prefer normal prospective employees, during selection and recruitment, to disabled people. The cross tabulations revealed that the private sectors employment of disabled workers declined sharply. The three hypotheses were then tested and found that training and development policy and the legal and ethical environment were proven to have significant relationships with employers attitude individually. However, an organization unique workplace environment was not. Although the strengths of each relationship were not established the significance of two out of three, are thought to be good for future research and prediction on employers attitude. Finally, the findings raised the need for a review of existing legal provisions to ensure equal employment opportunity for all. A study by Noraini Mohd Salleh, Khalid Abdullah and Nor Aishah Buang (2001) on Job Opportunities for Special Needs Poplulation in Malaysia found that the special needs populations short comings or their handicapping factors were not the stumbling blocks of their career development and education has played a major role towards their success. Seven hundred fourthy six special needs individuals (blind, low vision, deaf, mentally retarded, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, epileptic, stutter, physically disabled, spastic, and with speech problems) with jobs were identified and some of the jobs undertaken by the special needs population are classified as: professional, semi-professional; skilled non-professional and unskilled non-professional. Hundred fourty government agencies and private companies were located. These employers or potential employers suggestions for their clients or potential clients training to be more specific and suitable for the job market; in line with the countrys nee ds; business bias; inclination towards industrialization: electronic, information technology; food and tailoring. A study by Prabha Ramakrishnan (2007) on Critical Factors Influencing Employment of Disabled Persons in Malaysia. There are four factors covered by the study that are namely, the organisational commitment to employment of disabled people, attitude attitude towards disabled workers, the organisational policies on disability, and the employment opportunities for the disabled people. The first three factors constitute the independent variables, and the last one, the dependent variable. The first variable organisational commitment to employment of disabled people. The second variable is attitude towards disabled workers. The third variable organisational policies on disability. Overall, these three independent variables significantly explain the variance in the dependent variable, i.e. employment opportunities for the disabled persons. The findings of this study show that the organisational commitment to the employment of disabled people is fairly favourable. This is indicated by a highe r organizational commitment by companies that employ disabled workers; it is also shown by a higher emphasis for training employees towards disability issues. However, there is no significant difference in the recruitment of disabled workers between organisations that employ no disabled persons and those that employ disabled persons. The overall attitude towards employment of disabled people is not actually favourable, although the co-workers perception of disabled staff is fairly favourable. While the organisational perception on the need for supervision of disabled employees is somewhat favourable, the organisations that currently employ disabled persons are of the opinion that greater supervision is needed. The general perception on the current organisational policy for employment of disabled persons is not really favourable, although organisations that employ disabled people perceive themselves to have a more favourable policy. Findings on the barriers to employment of disabled people indicate that Malaysian organisations perceive the lack of related experience in managing disability issues as the most significant barrier. Other barriers, in descending order, are the lack of education on disability topics, lack of required skill and training, cost of supervision of disabled workers, attitude towards and stereotyping of disabled workers, lack of knowledge about accommodation issues, cost of training for disabled employees, and the cost of accommodation for the disabled workers. Although the Malaysian government has provided incentives to the private sector and set quota for the public sector to improve the employment rate of disabled persons, overall research findings show that disability employment and opportunities for such employment is low in Malaysia. Ganapathy (Jayasooria 2000) in 1992 identified five reasons for low hiring of disabled persons in Malaysia; first reason is the absence of a nation-wide register of job seekers among disabled persons because the Government and voluntary agencies were not well coordinated, the second reason is the prejudice existing against disabled people, the third is the poor access to public facilities, the fourth reason is the restricted location of employment more concentrated than distributed, and, the fifth reason is reluctance of employers to modify or adapt machinery and facilities for disabled workers. 2.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Independent variables Dependent variable Co-workers perception Companies attitudes Work performance Managements perception on the need for supervision Figure 1 INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: Co-workers perception Co-workers perception towards disabled workers either favorably or non-favorably that affect on companies attitudes in hiring them. Work performance Work performance of disabled workers such as their skills and abilities in performing their task that affect on Companies attitudes. Managements perception on the need for supervision Managements perception on the need for supervision of disabled workers after hiring them that either favorably or non-favorably. DEPENDENT VARIABLE: COMPANIES ATTITUDES Companies attitude is referring to their opinions and views and what factors that influence them in hiring persons with disabilities. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHOD 3.1 Research Design For the purpose of this study, the research design will be sample survey. The research demands for information from people in five places in Kota Kinabalu which are Sembulan, Likas and Tanjung Aru. It means the administration of questionnaires will be distributed to sample of selected company. Types of approaches being used is by a questionnaire survey. 3.2 Unit of Analysis As this study will address the companies attitudes towards employment persons with disabilities, unit analysis will be the employer and employee of the selected private companies. 3.3 Sample size The sample size for the purpose of this study is 50 respondents which taken randomly in that five places of selected private companies. 3.4 Sampling Technique Five places in selected area will be selected for closer analysis of companies attitudes towards employment of persons with disabilities. The type of sampling is random sampling technique to select the sample. The sampling frame for this study was produced by a compilation of names of corporations and smaller businesses from telephone directories and from the Labour Department List. A list of organisations was tabulated and a number was assigned to each organisation. The organisations were selected using the statistical random numbers table. 3.5 Research Measurement/instrument The variables and their measurement are outlined in the following sections. Co-workers perception Co-workers perception towards disabled workers either favorably or non-favorably that affect on companies attitudes in hiring them. It is interval scale; a set of statement can be developed to assess respondents perceptions. The respondents can agree or disagree using five-point Likert scale: strongly disagree= 1, disagree=2, neutral= 3, agree=4, strongly agree=5. Work performance Work performance of disabled workers such as their skills and abilities in performing their task that affect on Companies attitudes. The respondents can agree or disagree using five-point Likert scale: strongly disagree= 1, disagree=2, neutral= 3, agree=4, strongly agree=5. Managements perception on the need for supervision Managements perception on the need for supervision of disabled workers after hiring them that either favorably or non-favorably that affect on companies attitudes. strongly disagree= 1, disagree=2, neutral= 3, agree=4, strongly agree=5. 3.6 Data collection The data for this study will be collected thorough survey questionnaire. This method was chosen because it easier to deliver and collected. 3.7 Data Analysis For this study, data analysis was done by quantitative methods where statistical analysis was conducted in descriptive of statistic. Descriptive statistics methods were used to compute frequencies, measures of central tendency such as the mean, median and the mode and dispersion such as the range, the variance and the standard deviation. The data collected from the survey questionnaire were analysed using Statistical software tool (SPSS 17.0).

Essay --

Forrest Gump was written by Eric Roth and stars Tom Hanks in the lead role. The movie portrays the life of a man (Forrest Gump). With an IQ of 75, he goes through everyday life and changing the world around him without even realizing. The life of Forrest takes place in America from the 60’s all the way up to the 90’s. Through his journey he meets various people from presidents to musicians which he influences along with the people around him. He becomes a media icon, and also influences very critical historical events. He does many things throughout the film but due to his mental state he is totally unaware of his impact on the world. During the rest of the film Forrest meets a few individuals all striving for personal dreams and trying to find something bigger than themselves to give meaning to their lives. He meets a military lieutenant whose goal is to follow the footsteps of family members who died as heroes in war, another soldier who dreams of opening a shrimp business and the love of his life Jenny who longs to be famous and touch the lives of others. Sadly, the dreams of those around him end in despair. Meanwhile the main character achieves this success that everyone else wishes fro without even realizing it or caring for that matter. The film is a great display of existentialism and the point that we must create our own meaning to life. â€Å"I don’t know if we each have a destiny or we’re all just floating accidental-like in the breeze.† Is one of the quotes by Forrest that attempts to address the topic of whether things in life happen because of destiny or chance? All the incidents that happen to Forrest during the movie all turn out better in the end. For example, him having to wear leg braces meant he was also teased by ... ...and Forrest on the ship where he decides to â€Å"make peace with God† by throwing himself in the water as a sign of baptism. That is where he realizes and accepts life as something worthy to live, not heroic death. From there questions arise such as â€Å"Does God really exist or is he just an unproven belief?† Forrest is asked by Dan if he has found Jesus and his reply is â€Å"I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for him†. So if God really did exist and we needed to be â€Å"saved† by him shouldn’t we know we needed to be looking for him? Sarte would say the chance and God would ultimately cancel each other out and leave us with the decision to do what we believe is right; creating your own destiny. The movie doesn’t only cover a lot on existentialism, but does a fantastic job of encouraging people to stray away from the â€Å"bigger picture† and add value to the â€Å"littler picures†.

Puritanism, and The Salem Witch Trials :: essays papers

Puritanism, and The Salem Witch Trials Puritanism refers to the movement of reform, which occurred within the Church of England. It began at the time of the Elizabethan settlement of 1559 and ended at the end of the Rump Parliament with the ascension of Charles II to the British throne in 1660. The American Puritans clearly understood that God's word applies to all of life. Their exemplary lives and faith, contrary to popular myths, are a highpoint of Christian thinking. Puritan legal history specifies some of their loyalties and compromises. Today, scholars continue their dispute over the degree to which the Puritan colonists influenced American law, morality, and culture. In the area of law, this image is supplemented by lurid accounts of witch trials and corporal public punishments. The best example of this was during the seventeenth century. The Salem witch trials began in 1692, and lasted less than a year. The first arrests were made on March 1, 1692 and the final hanging day was September 22, 1692. The first noted arrest, was of Tituba, a Carib Indian from Barbados. She was Reverend Samuel Parris' slave. Her role in the witch trials includes the arrest and confession of witchcraft on March 1, 1692. In January of 1692, the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris became very ill. When she failed to improve, the village doctor, William Griggs, was called in. After much deliberation, Griggs concluded that the problem was witchcraft. This put into motion the forces that would ultimately result in the death of nineteen men and women. In addition to those nineteen people, one man named Giles Corey was crushed to death. Seventeen others died in prison and the lives of many were irrevocably changed. To better understand the events of the Salem witch trials, it is necessary to understand the time period in which the accusations of witchcraft occurred. There were the ordinary stresses of 17th-century life in Massachusetts Bay Colony. A strong belief in the devil, factions among Salem Village fanatics, and rivalry with nearby Salem Town all played a part in the stress. There was also a recent small pox epidemic and the threat of an attack by warring tribes created a fertile ground for fear and suspicion. Soon prisons were filled with more than 150 men and women from towns surrounding Salem.

Factors That Influence Teen Pregnancy Essay

The issue of how to prevent teenage pregnancy revolves around what factors are identified as the causative influences. Some researchers regard prevention programs, regardless of how well thought out and implemented, as doomed, because the issue of teenage pregnancy involves the social whole. Males (1993), for example, thinks that current programs of all sorts, will not succeed because of a discrepancy between reality and strategies for prevention. In a similar vein, Davis (1989), argues that since teenage pregnancy is covered under a broad social blanket, it needs to be handled at that level. Further, as Furstenberg (1991:136) notes, the epidemic of teenage pregnancy will not go away unless we are willing to â€Å"resolve conflicting cultural and political tendencies toward sexuality. † He makes a good point by arguing that the factors which stigmatized early childbearing, or out of wedlock childbirth, have virtually vanished and it is this lack of stigmatization which has resulted in an increase in teenage sexuality and pregnancies. However, since holistic solutions are less likely to be implemented we can only hope to deal with the symptoms of teenage pregnancy, i. . births to teenagers. These symptoms can be prevented by intervention at any of the four following intervening variables (Flick 1986): – age of entry to sexual unions – use/nonuse of contraception – abortion/non-abortion – adoption/non-adoption. Only two of these factors, however, are true preventive variables: delayed age of entry to sexual unions; and use of contraceptives. Each of these factors, however, is, in turn, influenced by a variety of different social indicators. For example, peer pressure, adoption of prosocial values, better parent-child communication, and increased self-esteem are only a few of the many variables that influence a child’s decision to delay first intercourse or use contraceptives. This report will begin with a discussion of age at entry to sexual unions and contraceptive use or non-use. These are prime candidates for prevention strategies since the relative importance attributed to these factors has formed the framework undergirding programs that either encourage abstinence or effective dissemination of contraception technology to teens.

The Catcher in the Rye and The Outsider novels hold

The Catcher In the Rye are both among the most important novels of the twentieth century. The modern world's general moral change and the individual's alienation from the society serve as the main, basic topic for both novels which is still relevant to any twenty first century reader. Since many people find themselves in the same position of feeling like an outsider from society In their own worlds, I intend to outline how It still finds relevance today.Both characters, Meursault and Holden Caulfield share the same sense that they are lienated from the worlds in which they live in which is important to a twenty first century reader as many people have problems assimilating themselves into society. Like Holden, teens today also resist conforming to society's norms as is also highlighted in The Stranger with the protagonist Meursault. Salinger chooses to narrate his novel so that the novel that depicts his protagonist, Holden's, transition from adolescence to adulthood.In contrast, Cam us writes his novel In order to record the events leading up to, and the last days before, the execution of his main character, Meursault. Through the employment of settings, characterisation and endings, both authors imply that society's pressure on the individual to fit in plays a major part in both of these climaxes, this has huge importance to any twenty first century reader as the topic Is still challenged in todays society. Both characters Meursault and Holden Caulfield suggest that society pressures individuals to fit in and conform to.Holden is a teenager struggling with the fact that everyone has to grow up, which to him means that you have to become â€Å"phony' or corrupt. Holden distances himself from the adult world and so to stay a child he gets imself expelled from schools. While on the other hand Meursault does things for no real reason. He is completely aloof, unattached and almost an unemotional person. He does not think much about events or their consequences, no r does he express much feeling In relationships or during emotional times.Both of these characters express their detachment from society which is relevant for many people in the twenty first centurys society as many people find difficulty finding their place within civilization. Holden's conversational tone and choice of words Illustrates his rebellion from adult ociety as a stereotypical teenager. His frustration with adults Is characterized by his persistent use of words like â€Å"goddamn,† â€Å"puked,† â€Å"hell,† â€Å"crap,† and â€Å"moron. † When Holden describes Jane's stepfather, he talks about how he would â€Å"run around the goddamn house naked†.He continues using this word when he tells the reader how Sally was conversing with a college friend, â€Å"they continued their goddamn boring conversation†. This relates to a twenty first century teenager in particular as they also have their own language to separate themselve s from their parents such as In the ries desperately to have almost a direct conversation with the reader, aware of his audience; he attempts to impress the audience by exaggeration or repetition through a narrative tone. There is a sense that Holden wants the audience to like him as he utilizes the audience as a counsellor as outpours his ideas.This is relevant to many teenagers in the twenty first century as they try to find their place in civilization or a school society and may go to extreme lengths to find themselves and create a reputation for people to remember them by. In The Outsider, it is almost the opposite ith Meursault. Through short clinical sentences and abrupt punctuation it highlights a detached character. Instead he lists a logical thought process and lays out what he thinks, almost unaware of a reader highlighted in the opening lines, â€Å"I'll catch the two o'clock bus and get there in the afternoon.Then I can keep the vigil and I'll come back tomorrow night. I asked my boss for two days off†¦ † This almost list style of writing enables the reader from building a connection or impression to the character as there doesn't seem to be much depth to his emotions or opinions. Meursault is unlike Holden in the sense that he does not crave attention and want people to like him his actions throughout the book explain how he is a stranger to society as he cant fathom why everyone around him is so interested in his being.The story examines the uncertainty of Justice: the public official compiling the details of the murder case tells him repentance and turning to Christianity will save him, but Meursault refuses to pretend he has found religion; emotional honesty overrides self-preservation, and he accepts the idea of punishment as a consequence of his ctions as part of the status quo. The actual death of the Arab as a human being with a family is seems almost irrelevant, as Camus tells us little more about the victim beyond the fact tha t he is dead.Indeed, Meursault is never even asked to confront, reflect or comment upon the victim as anything other than as a consequence of his actions and the cause of his current predicament. The humanity of the victim and inhumanity of murdering another human being is seemingly beside the point. The book holds huge relevance to the twentieth century reader as an interesting motif in The Stranger is that of watching or observation. Camus is writing a book about our endless search for meaning: that we are all looking for a purpose in our lives.The characters of The Stranger all watch each other and the world around them. Meursault watches the world go by from his balcony. He later passively watches his own trial; the world around him is a fascination to Meursault. He keenly observes the sun, the heat, the physical geography of his surroundings. The eyes of the Jury and witnesses at his trial, finally the idea of the watching crowd, representing the eyes of ociety, as he is an out sider of the world he surrounds himself in.To conclude, both The Stranger and The Catcher in the Rye are both relevant to different people within the twenty first century society for many different reasons, but both novels were written with the same topic of how one fits into society. Due to both characters in the novels being from different age groups within society it allows them to become important to people within those same age groups today as many face the same dilemma of finding themselves an outsider within their society.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories Essay

In these stories we have three totally different villains, all with their own motives. Before we actually meet Dr Roylett we hear about him from his step-daughter, Miss Stoner. She describes his violent past and his current behaviour. Then, subsequently, we see his violence for ourselves as he storms in to Holmes’ office and bends the fire poker, threatening Holmes. During the di nouement , when we are told of his crime, we realise how clever and cunning he is, and how he had organised the murders; with the bell pull and ventilator. We can take from this that he was a very cold-hearted man who cared more about money, than his own kin. In â€Å"The Cardboard Box† Jim Browner commits a double murder out of jealousy. Miss Cushing gives a description of him. She says that â€Å"a little drink would send him stark, staring mad†. This makes us think that he could be a dangerous man. When he finds out that his wife is having an affair he threatens to kill her lover if he is ever seen in her company again. When he sees them together he goes mad and carries out his threat, in a spur of the moment, jealous rage. The villain in â€Å"Silver Blaze† is a different kind of criminal. We believe, at first that John Straker, is the victim of a brutal murder. At the end we find out that, in fact, he was attempting to sabotage the horse in his care, so he would win a bet that he had against him. Therefore, the motive in this story is money. John Straker never did win the bet because whilst trying to injure the horse, Silver Blaze put up a struggle and he was struck in the head by the horses hoof. The Sherlock Holmes stories all follow the classic structure of detective stories. The clues are set out throughout the stories so that the reader can try to work out the crime too. Red Herrings are often used, to throw the reader off the scent and make sure we don’t work it out too soon. These stories all have a di nouement, where Holmes explains the crime, and tells how he solved it. These three stories, especially â€Å"The Speckled Band†, have an emphasis on exotic features which would have intrigued the Victorian audience. The British empire in that time took up a large percent of the globe so they would be interested in the lands that their country owns. Things such as Dr Roylett’s â€Å"pets† would have fascinated them because in Victorian times, the majority of people didn’t travel, so they had no contact with exotic things. The reference to gypsies in two of the stories would have had an effect on Victorian readers because in those times, gypsies were believed to cast spells and would frighten the reader. For a Victorian reader justice would have been more important than how it was executed and in these stories, justice is always given. Although, Holmes sometimes takes the law into his own hands and becomes the judge and jury. â€Å"I am no doubt indirectly responsible for [his] death, and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavily upon my conscience. † The world that Holmes lived in is very different to the world we live in now. The methods of detection were very nai ve and weren’t nearly as accurate as the forensic detection we use today. Holmes is an upper class citizen as most detectives may have been in those days whereas the modern detective is either a member of the police force or a professional private detective. The age of the talented amateur has passed. Even though the Sherlock Holmes stories might not be as successful today as they were in Victorian times because of the difference in societies due to time, Sherlock Holmes is still one of the most famous fictional detectives of all time. I believe that this is because his stories set the basis for modern detective novels and films. I also think, that because it was one of the original detective stories it is more compelling. Overall, the likeable characters, intriguing plot, gripping climax and the sense of realism have made the Sherlock Holmes stories very successful, in the past and present. Kathryn Thompson Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Analysis of poem “Muliebrity” by Sujata Bhatt Essay

The poem muliebrity by Sujata Bhatt, talks about the power women possess and the character of women, who take pride in what they do, even if it is just picking cow-dung. The poet speaks of a girl, who is a representation of village women, who does the tedious job of picking cow-dung outside a temple and the girl is described in a very reverential manner. The title of the poem muliebrity, suggests womanhood. The connotation of the title, status and power of a woman, is reflected in the poem where the author uses the words greatness and power. The poet talks about her imperative childhood experiences through her poems, using an optimistic tone, to make it more affective. With a delightful tone, she describes the scenery at the village. There is use of enjambment in the poem, to stress on how long ago the poet saw the girl and it could also suggest a feeling of nostalgia. A very simple tone and language is used in the poem, to indicate the simplicity of the situation. The poet says that she has thought so much about the girl, suggesting that the poet respects the girl and is in awe of the way the girl holds her head high, despite the fact that she does a menial job of picking dung. The poet ponders on why the girl does something that isnt usually expected to be done by her and stresses on the dignity of labour showing how, even though it is an undermining task, she does it happily. She is impressed by the girls commitment and dedication to her work. A very positive approach is shown towards the work done, as expectations do not stop the girl from doing what she wants to do. The poet, very intricately describes the feminine movements and attitude of the girl toward her job. she talks about the way she moved her hands and waist, indicating the presence of womanhood in the girl, and even though her job is to scoop dung, which is considered as a very demeaning job, she has retained the femininity in her and still has pride in herself. Even further in the poem, the author depicts the independence of the girl, as she says power glistening through her cheekbones. The poet also describes the stench of the atmosphere in which the girl has to work, as she says smell of cow-dung and smell of monkey-breath. On the contrary, the smell of freshly washed clothes and of canna lilies is also  mentioned, which tells us that though the girls job is not very dignified, the poet approaches the girl very positively. The girl picks up dung outside a temple, which shows that she is serving the society. The poet interprets this job as one which is very respectful. She uses visual imagery, as she describes the surroundings of the girl and the repulsive smells in so much detail, that the audience would be able to imagine the situation. The smells besiege the poet separately and simultaneously, which tells us that though all these smells are present together, she describes them individually so that it has a deeper impact on the readers. The poet says that she doesnt want to use the girl as a metaphor, and as a role model for every other woman, but she doesnt want to forget the girl, who retained the womanhood in her, irrespective of her job. The poet explores all the feminine qualities of a woman through this poem, elegance, pride, dignity, independence and the way a woman presents herself to the world, having a strong and powerful personality. The poet indirectly conveys to her audience how an ideal woman should be, possessing all the above qualities, and even though the poet mentions that she doesnt want to use the girl as a metaphor, she subtly expresses that every woman should exhibit such traits. Even as the girl picks up cow dung, she feels good about herself, as she is doing this job for her living, and she takes pride in it, which is what the poet tries to tell the audience. The image of the girl is portrayed very well, and the author uses the girl effectively to explore womanhood. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muliebrity

Advancement Of The Spinning Wheel History Essay

Advancement Of The Spinning Wheel History Essay A spinning wheel is a machine utilized for the conversion of fiber into yarn or thread, which is then used to make cloths (McCloskey, 1981). Its main functions are to combine fibers into a thread or yarn and then gather it in a bobbin so that it may be used as thread for the loom. It works on the principle that if you hold a bunch of fibers together and you pull a few out, the few will separate from the rest. These are pulled while being twisted at the same time hence forming a thread (Redford, 1931). The spinning wheel was invented between 500 and 1000 AD. However, the years 1400- 1800 are the ones referred to us the era of the spinning wheel (Jefferson, 1972). Unfortunately, no real spinning wheels survive from medieval times hence the only reliable evidence comes from images and records written during that time (McCloskey, 1981; North, 1979). It improved from the spindle, which was barely a stick with some weight attached. However, somewhere between 500 and 1000 A.D., An inventor turned the spindle sideways and added a pulley, which he then connected to the drive wheel. With this, the spinning wheel was ready for the work a head. Unfortunately, the merchants vehemently opposed the wheel when it hit the Western Europe markets blaming it for producing lumpy and uneven thread hence lowering the quality (Redford, 1931). There still rages a controversy about the development of this invention with some arguing that it was made in China for silk and ramie spinning while others believe that it was made later in India in order to cater for its cotton industry (McCloskey, 1981). However, spinning technology had been around for quite sometime before majority of the people embraced it and this makes it very hard to pinpoint a specific year or time and claim that is when specific improvements were done to it (Hurt, 1954). Come the 18th century the industrial revolution brought about a very big shift in the spinning industry and the mechanization of the spinning wheel be gan (McCloskey, 1981). One of the highly acclaimed inventors of the spinning wheels is Mr. James Hargreaves. Noticing an overturned spinning wheel which continued turning while the spindle was vertical, gave him the idea that several spindles could be organized to function at the same time from that position (Jefferson, 1972). Later he developed a model, which had eight spindles hence leading to increased output by his family members. News of his inventions caused his house to be attacked by jealous spinners and in the process all his machines were destroyed. Later, Mr. Hargreaves named his invention the spinning Jenny and patented the device in 1770. The spinning wheel led to higher output per person. In thread making, output increased by a factor of more than 10. With that, the production of rags and subsequently cheap paper revolutionized the printing industry (Hayek, 1954). The faster rate of spinning led to increased demand for the spinning wheels and with this agriculture was well on the way to being mechanized (Ashton, 1957). Later, Richard Arkwright’s new invention, a water- frame spinning roller was out in the year 1968.Eleven years Later in 1979, Samuel Crompton came up with a ‘spinning mule’ which was a combination of Arkwright’s water frame and Hargreaves Jenny (Hayek, 1954).

Is Genetic Modification of Foods Good Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Genetic Modification of Foods Good - Essay Example They are a wave for the future since they provide an alternative that helps in increasing food production. However, much concern has been brought to light by farmers, citizens and scientists on the conduct of research and merits of genetically modified foods. They benefit humankind, animals and their environment. Genetic modified foods have increased food security in the growing population. In the environment, they provide a friendly environment by repelling bio herbicides and bio insecticides. They conserve water, soil and energy by reduction of irrigation and solar energy. Due to their ability to grow and mature fast, they give food security during times of hunger and food shortage. They facilitate growth in both animals and crops. In crops, they enhance quality and taste, this by increasing its nutrient content and maturity of the crop. They reduce maturation time, by speeding up the growth period. They improve the resistance to pests, diseases and herbicides affecting growth of p lants. In animals, they facilitate better yield of eggs, milk and meat by providing animals with the required nutrient for their productivity. They improve diagnostic methods of handling animals and promote health by ensuring constant supply of animal feeds with the required nutrients. ... microbes in soil), unintended shift of transgenics by means of cross-pollution, and loss of fauna and flora biodiversity (Eugene and Santaniello 102). Genetically modified foods affect ethics, access and intellectual property by violating intrinsic values of natural organisms by changing their metabolism and meddling with nature through genes mixing. They stress animals by objecting to consume their genes in plants and vice versa. In access of property there is unethical practices as modified food production is dominated by a few organizations thus it increases dependence on industrialized foods by many developing countries. This leads to exploitation of developing countries and their natural resources by foreign nations. They pose the danger of mixing different metabolisms that result to food poisoning, once different substances have been mixed, it may result in early expiry of the product, which may affect the health of an individual. Combination of different enzymes results in rea ction of foodstuff in the human body, whose result may be unknown even to the researchers (Eugene and Santaniello 112). In an article by Jones he asks, â€Å"Does the human race really need genetically modified food?†, given that in the field of agriculture, small biodiversity farms are actually productive and the food produced is healthy for human consumption (Simmons 62). He argues that people should use food produced from farms rather than the modified food, which pose dangers to the human health. Politics and economics at all levels have often prohibited food from getting to hungry people, not a deficit in production. These similar causes have also contributed to a lot of poverty, which prevents citizens’ ability to meet

Assignment (Economics) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

(Economics) - Assignment Example As the equilibrium price is higher with a monopoly, consumer surplus will be lower than it would be under competition. If the NPS values consumers more than firms, the monopoly outcome may not be desirable. With only one firm, there may be efficiency gains. For example, it may be that the firm needs to employ fewer employees to service all of the visitors to Yosemite relative to the combined number of employees given competition in the market. Hence average total costs may be lower with only one firm. It is therefore possible that the firm posts lower prices and sells more units yielding a surplus to society. 4. Monopolistic competition has some of the same characteristics as monopoly and some of the same characteristics as perfect competition (hence the name "monopolistic competition"). List a few of these similarities. Perfect Competition: Economic profits tend to be eliminated in the long run, the relatively free entry of new firms, the long‑run price and output behavior, zero long-run economic profits, and have many buyers and sellers. The entry and exit of firms in monopolistic competitive firms will eventually cause each firms economic profits to fall to zero. Hence, eventually, each firm earns normal profits, i.e. profit = 0. When some firms earn positive economic profits at one time, new firms will end up entering the market and the increased competition will reduce all firms economic profits to zero. 7. Complete this statement by filling in the blanks with the words "increase" or "decrease": The entry of an additional firm in a mon. comp. market decrease the profit per unit of output because entry increase the price and increase the average cost of production. 8. Consider the Utica Slappers, a hockey team that plays in an arena with 8,000 seats. The only cost associated with staging a hockey game is a fixed cost of $6,000: The team incurs this cost regardless of how many people attend a game. The demand curve for hockey tickets has a slope of

Gun Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gun Control - Essay Example There are strict measures to control the use of guns. This paper will analyze gun control among the Americans in relation to the rights of the individual to own a gun. 2. Gun Control Winkler (16) mentions that, the rights to own a gun became integral in the American population when the white settlers required protection to guard self from attacks from unknown armies, animals and Native Americans. The justification was that Americans has a responsibility to protect themselves. Moreover, guns were used for hunting which is a sport culture in the country. Firearms are categorized into handguns, long guns and automated guns. Handguns include pistols and weapons that can be used with one hand. Long guns are specially manufactured for hunters to engage in sport. Automated guns and semi automated guns are perceived to be a preserve of the military. Automatic and semi automatic guns as well as rifles are registered by those possessing them. Dealers of the automatic guns must be licensed. The purchase of machine guns is a preserve of the military and is costly since they are scarce. The long guns are not considered as weapons for crime but for sport. However, reports show that the long guns have been used for suicide in some instances. Handguns are commonly used to commit crime. Proponents of use of guns argue that groups conducting gun control describe the different types of firearms with a motive to discriminate certain guns as unsafe for the public. Gun control activists are tent to discourage and disapprove the use of automatic guns for personal defense. Citizens in some states are allowed to own semi automatic guns. Some citizens have gone to the extent of improving the semi automatic machines so that they may resemble the automatic gun. The manufacturers of firearms claim that over a third of the guns are hand guns. The number of casualties resulting from use of fire arm for crime is very high in the United States. Many citizens believe that the guns act as securi ty for them if they show it for defense when there is a possible attack. Many citizens claim that they have used handguns for self defense for self defense especially at their residence and at work. The guns can be used to scare away trespassers in the home place. Thieves breaking into homes can be chased away with hand guns (McClurg et al, 101). Guns are also used to capture criminals by wounding them if they are armed. Criminals who are aware that that those they attack is armed fail to proceed if they learn that they are armed as Kleck (34) mentions. Studies conducted reveal that population with access to firearms is likely to commit homicide that populations without crime. The high number of murders recorded in the United Sates is blamed on the large number of civilians owning guns. Consequently, Americans who witness an attempted or completed armed attack is very large. Prisoners serving a jail term confess having an armed firearm when they were conducting the crime (Lott 78). Kleck (39) mentions that several states in America recommend that guns be kept without loading. When selling guns, dealers ensure that the citizen has the correct reasons for obtaining a gun. The guns should not be given to people who pose a threat to the public population. The certificate and license for ownership of arms dictates the number of ammunitions and firearms that citizens are