Rebbecca Skloot Henrietta Lacks

In Rebecca Skloot’s â€Å"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,† the ethical issue of the hospital taking Henrietta Lack’s cells seems be a very major deal and plays an important role throughout the entire book. The books starts off telling you of Mrs. Lacks’ life struggles which helps build an emotional appeal to her. Rebecca Skloot painted a vivid picture of Henrietta’s life to help give the readers a greater of how immoral the doctors were when they took her cells without her permission. Henrietta was a part of a very poor family.The book describes how they didn’t have very much money so they left their home in Roanoke, VA to go to MD for a better job opportunity for her husband, David Lacks, which was also her 1st cousin. The doctors at John Hopkins typically felt like they had the right to take certain things from their patients who were in the public ward since they were a giving away a costly service for free. They felt like they were entitled to some kind of payment so taking cells from unaware patients was a justified trade-off in their eyes.Henrietta had six children, so it safe to say that it was hard just living off of her David’s salary. The book described that several things were wrong with Henrietta, besides the cervical cancer. Henrietta also had syphilis and gonorrhea. Henrietta wasn’t the only person in her household that had medical problems either. Henrietta’s daughter, Elsie, was simple and Henrietta also had a couple of very young children. Her medical problems and her children’s medical needs were very costly, so as it was common for poor folk, they just ignored them.Henrietta’s family were too poor to afford health care and would continue to be to poor enough to afford health care after the doctors began to sell her cells without her permission and well after her death, even up to the point that this book was being written. Henrietta’s cells were her prop erty and no had the right to make a profit of it without her permission. Henrietta’s cells were taken against her will, so they were stolen! Her cells great impacted medical research. They have been used to find cures for cancer and AIDs, to test human’s sensitivity to certain products, gene mapping, and were used to test vaccines for polio.Henrietta’s cells were very instrumental for the production of modern medicine and also very profitable as well. They greatly impacted the lives of people all over the world, but it seems like they almost did nothing for Henrietta and her family. Henrietta’s cells were used to help advance medical research, but still Henrietta’s family still couldn’t afford health care. Her family wasn’t informed that her cells had been taken until almost 20 years after her death in the 70s. Henrietta’s family just struggled through life like they hadn’t changed medical research for ever.Henriettaâ₠¬â„¢s cells were the first â€Å"immortal cells†, yet it was horribly immoral for the scientists and doctors to steal it from her and then use to them to make millions, while her family barely made it by day to day. The HeLa cells, the cells from Henrietta Lacks, were used to grow tons and tons of cells. The cells, though token wrongly, were used to do very positive things. The people in public wards were used wrongly as guinea pigs. The doctors had no right to steal from them and test on them, just because they couldn’t afford health care. They had rights!They were human beings! They deserved the right to be notified and they deserved the right to be asked for their permission of whether or not they wanted to give small parts of their body to be researched on, no matter how miniscule. They belonged to the patients and therefore they had the upmost right to be informed and given some type of payment for their contributions. If I own some land and my neighbor decides he wants to grow some crops on it without my permission, because he felt like I wasn’t using it and he grows one of the most successful batch of wheat or corn.Do I not deserve some of the credit or some of the proceeds? Yes, it was his seeds that he used and his labor and also his tools, but my neighbor also used my land and therefore my neighbor is indeed indebted to me and owes me a portion of what he received. This is the exact same for Henrietta Lacks situation. Their tools were used to grow the HeLa cells, but they still took cells from Henrietta and her family was definitely entitled to gaining something.I completely agree with Rebecca Skloot’s position on this problem and she was definitely depicted this story in a very well delivered way and I believe that she did indeed address this ethical issue and even went into it a little more when she mentioned the Tuskegee experiment with syphilis. All in all, Ms. Skloot did a very excellent making this story very underst andable and very attractive. She delivered an amazing story on how the health system betrayed one of their patients and took advantage of her and treated public ward patients immorally wrong.

Beowulf – Critical Review

I believe Beowulf was written with an Anglo-Saxon foundation, but there was an attempt at relating Christian beliefs to the Anglo-Saxon ways. The main character of the poem, Beowulf, is portrayed as an Anglo-Saxon warrior. Beowulf's values and the way that other characters in the poem acted were also primarily Anglo-Saxon. The traditions of Beowulf's people support the Anglo-Saxons in several ways throughout the poem. On the other hand, there are many instances in the poem where it is easy to recognize the Christian themes that were included. Beowulf is a great Anglo-Saxon hero in the poem and possesses several unexplained supernatural powers. From this, you can only assume that he is above humans and â€Å"normal† people. One explanation for Beowulf's strength is that the Anglo-Saxon writer is relating Beowulf directly to the Great White Bear of the North, which is an Anglo-Saxon myth. Several details support this, including the breakdown of Beowulf's name into the root language. â€Å"Beo†, meaning bee, and â€Å"-wulf† meaning enemy support this because the â€Å"enemy† of the â€Å"bee† is the bear. Knew at once that nowhere on earth had he met a man whose hands were harder; his mind flooded with fear-but nothing could take his talons and himself from that tight hard grip. â€Å"(Beowulf pp. 46-47, ll. 751-755) This quote from the poem is referring to when Beowulf fought Grendel in Herot, and he holds Grendel in what seems like a â€Å"bear† hug, which supports Beowulf being the Great White Bear of the North. When Beowulf travels to Grendel's home at the bottom of the lake he acts in a very Anglo-Saxon way. After killing Grendel and his mother, he decapitated Grendel and brought his head as a souvenir to Herot. This action is very contradictory to Christian ways, but would be a normal act for an Anglo-Saxon warrior in war. In Beowulf's war against the Franks in which he was the only survivor he supported Anglo-Saxon ways. â€Å"He had killed no less than thirty of the enemy in hand-to-hand conflict, one of them, the Frankish champion Daeghrefn, he slew with his bare hands. The poet informs us further that Beowulf was the only man on his side to survive the battle. His own triumph over the enemy was so complete that, though his fellows all lay dead, he held the field alone and stripped from the bodies of the thirty men he had slain the armor to which his victory over them gave him honorable title. â€Å"(Malone p. 144) Beowulf acted as an Anglo-Saxon warrior in the way that they were very materialistic, and taking the armor and leaving one's friends behind would be common in war. All the ways Beowulf acts in war situations throughout the poem are Anglo-Saxon and the author meant to portray him in this way. Beowulf's values in the poem and also the way in which the dragon and Grendel's mom act reflect Anglo-Saxon attitudes. Prior to his death, Beowulf asked for a large tower to made on the coast so that people would never forget him after his death. â€Å"Wiglaf, go, quickly, find the dragon's treasure: we've taken its life but its gold is ours, too. Hurry, bring me ancient silver, precious jewels, shining armor and gems, before I die. Death will be softer, leaving life and this people I've ruled so long, if I look at this last of all prizes. â€Å"(Beowulf p. 108 ll. 744-2751) Here Beowulf asks Wiglaf to bring treasure before his death, which shows Beowulf's materialistic views. This supports the theory that Beowulf performed all of his actions for fame and glory, not charity. Performing these actions for fame does not support Christian values at all and is more evidence on how Beowulf is primarily an Anglo-Saxon character. The dragon that Beowulf battles in the end of the poem shares with Grendel's mom the fact that they both were getting revenge on their enemies. Each character was violated in one way or another, the dragon getting his gold cup stolen and Grendel's mom defending her son. According to Anglo-Saxon beliefs revenge is tolerable, and because neither of these characters acted first in battle, they were justified. However, if one were to look at Christian beliefs, revenge is not tolerable and neither the dragon or Grendel's mom would be justified in their violent acts of revenge. Beowulf does have an attitude that differs between Christina values and Anglo-Saxon values. Depending on the situation, Beowulf will express one or the other. â€Å"Yet he makes Beowulf an admirable Christian except when Christianity and the warrior code conflict. Then Christianity comes off a poor second-as it did with most Anglo-Saxons. â€Å"(â€Å"Chapter 4-The Anglo-Saxon View† p. 33) This is an example of the order that Beowulf's priorities were set and also how his community influenced him to lean more towards the ways of Anglo-Saxons. The way the poem begins and ends with pagan funerals supports the poem being more Anglo-Saxon than it does Christian. â€Å"There can be no doubt that Beowulf's cremation is a pagan rite. Unless Beowulf is a good deal older than most scholars believe, the funeral is a traditional archaism. (â€Å"The Anglo-Saxon View† p. 33) The funeral in the beginning of the poem was for the Danes' great king, Shild. The funeral at the end of the poem was held for Beowulf, the great king of the Geats. Each of these kings was buried with gold or had a monument built to be remembered by, which were traditions of the Anglo-Saxons. King Shild was brought much treasure to his death, â€Å"Next to that noble corpse they heaped up treasures, jeweled helmets, hooked swords and coats of mail, armor carried from the end of the earth. â€Å"(Beowulf p. 24 ll. 6-39) Beowulf was cremated at the end of the poem, surrounded by war gear, â€Å"A huge heap of wood was ready, hung around with helmets, and battle shields, and shining mail shirts, all as Beowulf had asked. â€Å"(Beowulf p. 120 ll. 3137-3140) The poem ends in a tragedy, Beowulf dies and his men mourn him. This contradicts Christianity because according to the Bible, Jesus died, and then rose again to look over all mankind. These two stories are not parallel and this rejects the idea that the poem is primarily Christian. Beowulf is a warrior who dies as an Anglo-Saxon hero, but there is no evidence to show that he dies as a Christian hero. Despite all of the evidence that the poem is totally Anglo-Saxon, there is a good deal of Christian references in the poem. There are many lines and situations that can be interpreted as Christian. â€Å"Our Holy Father has sent him as a sign of His grace, a mark of His favor, to help us defeat Grendel and end that terror. â€Å"(Beowulf p. 35 ll. 381-384) This is a very blatant reference to the Anglo-Saxons referring to the Christian God as their own. â€Å"There is no doubt whatever that the Beowulf-poet has gone out of his way to exclude all the old pagan gods from an active place in his poem. The one referred to throughout by Hrothgar and Beowulf alike is the one, providential God of the Christians. â€Å"(McNamee p. 332) Another event in the poem that could be interpreted as Christian is when Beowulf travels to the lake of Grendel. Many symbols can be found here, such as the lake being hell, and after Beowulf kills Grendel's mother it seems as though Heaven shines upon him. â€Å"Her body fell to the floor, lifeless, the sword was wet with her blood, and Beowulf rejoiced at the sight. The brilliant light shone, suddenly, as though burning in that hall, and as bright as Heaven's own candle, lit in the sky. (Beowulf p. 72 ll. 1567-1573) Another example of Christianity in the poem is the reason for Grendel terrorizing the Danes. He is not necessarily evil, but Grendel could actually be seen as a monster sent by God. â€Å"And, assuming a little different position, one notes that Grendel is the agent, not the enemy of God; he was sent to punish the Danes and the poet was only adding his touch of cunning subtlety when he said Godes yrre baer [he bore God's anger]. â€Å"(Baum p. 358) This author is writing that Grendel is not evil, but he is actually good and was meant to torture the Danes for their behavior. The many references to Christianity express the author's inner Christianity and I believe that he was an Anglo-Saxon man originally, who was either converting to Christianity or was a converted Christian who was trying to promote Christianity by relating it to Anglo-Saxon ways. Overall Beowulf is a poem that can be interpreted in so many ways, and the author left that up to his readers. I have come to believe that the poem is primarily an Anglo-Saxon one, but I do not deny the idea that Christian vales, themes, and ways were added or included.

Fluid Boundaries in Reality TV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Fluid Boundaries in Reality TV - Essay Example Reality TV constructs the boundary between the ordinary and extraordinary by depicting and contributing to ambiguities between reality and fiction. Bourdon explores the changing definitions of reality TV in â€Å"Self-Despotism: Reality Television and the New Subject of Politics†. He notes that while the media industry was initially slow to label the genre of reality TV, scholars used the label to help them analyse the growing social interest in it: â€Å"Among academics, reality television is an ideal notion for theorists like Jason Mittell who seek to...use them simply as one element of a set of wider ‘discursive practices’ that help to categorize texts†. The category launches and supports scholarly inquiries. Reality TV, however, has changed dramatically since the anthropologist, Margaret Mead, called attention to the new Public Broadcasting System series, An American Family, which captured the lives of the Louds, a middle-class California family. Mead d escribes the show as â€Å"a new kind of art for,† an innovative form that can be â€Å"as significant as the invention of drama or the novel†. Sanneh, in the article â€Å"The Reality Principle,† stresses that since An American Family, reality TV has become an â€Å"amorphous category† because of emerging new forms of TV shows that depict themselves as reality TV, such as What Not to Wear and The Apprentice. She is concerned of the â€Å"reality† in some of these current reality TV shows, when assumptions about beauty are based on fiction

Understanding strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Understanding strategic management - Essay Example h of the global airlines and predicts $560 billion in its revenue with the net profits of about $8.9 billion, the European air sector is expected to have loss of $1.3 billion (IATA, 2010). In particular, the number of the UK airports’ passengers has fallen by 7.3% - the biggest fall in the overall history of records (Milmo, 2010). In spite of the all-European negative trend, the Ryanair’s business has been stable and strong – today the company reports about the growth in profits in â‚ ¬ 318.8 million over 2010 (RAa, 2010). As it is claimed in the Ryanair Annual Report 2010: â€Å"All the key indicators including traffic growth, market share, unit costs, profits, new route and base development, confirm that Ryanair continues to successfully roll out our unique low fares formula across Europe for the benefit of our passengers, our people and our shareholders† (RAa, 2010, p.6). However, one cannot but admit that the competitive environment of the global airline industry is changing dramatically, entailing challenges for even successful businesses. In order to respond appropriately to these emerging challenges, companies should constantly analyse, evaluate and formulate anew their strategies. The history of Ryanair began in 1985, when the company launched the first short daily route from Waterford in the Ireland to London Gatwick, pioneering the low-fares flight’s operating model in Europe. Thanks to a number of reasonable strategic decisions and changes provided by the company’s executives, the Ryanair have managed to strengthen market position enormously. Today Ryanair Limited is the largest and top-ranked low cost (or no-frills) airline company at the European passenger airline market. It serves low-fares, point-to-point routes from the so called â€Å"Ryanair’s bases of operations† consisting of about 40 airports in Ireland, the UK, Continental Europe and Morocco (RAa, p. 53). Table in Appendix A exhibits statistics of the Ryanair operational performance

Solutions of Slow Housekeeping Services In Palomar Hotel Research Paper

Solutions of Slow Housekeeping Services In Palomar Hotel - Research Paper Example   According to the customer comments from the data collection, the time taken for cleaning a room, the delays in response to customer calls, and the delays of delivering extra towels indicate the slow performance of housekeeping service to customer needs. Therefore, Palomar Hotel needs to solve the situation of above slow services problem to avoid major effects on customer satisfaction. There are two effective solutions to improve the slow housekeeping service, which are additional training for the staff that deals with housekeeping services, and the upgrading of the Property Management Systems (PMS). Additional TrainingAdditional training to the staff to provide more refresher information to guide them in responding to customer requests will improve the level of speed with which housekeeping services are conducted. Additional training will enable the employees to learn how to handle customer request and the response to give to ensure the customer feels attended to. In providing th e additional training, the provision of cleaning services for the rooms is enhanced. The staff is educated on the right times to handle cleaning and retain cleaning material nearby to handle any requests for cleaning services.When a customer call is received, the procedure that it follows to ensure a response is provided is vital. Additional training to equip the staff with confidence and the right attitude to work will provide the staff with motivation that will help increase their speed and efficiency.   

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Education - Essay Example This exercise takes five minutes. At 9:28, Mrs. Ted asks the front-benchers to recollect the papers and at 9: 29, the papers are again on her desk. In the last minute, she asks every front-bencher to make a list of the numbers of their respective rows and give the list to her. Its 9:20 and only ten minutes are left to the end of the first period. Mrs. Brown asks all students to submit their papers to her. All children get up at once and rush towards the teacher’s desk. They make a rough pile of assignments on her table. Papers are piled up haphazardly and the order of rows is not followed. Children take about four minutes to do this activity. At 9:24, Mrs. Brown arranges the papers and counts them. She then compares the number of papers with the attendance sheet. At 9:30, she leaves the class with the pile of assignments in her hand. She will check the papers at home and will return to the class the following

Self Defense And International Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Self Defense And International Law - Case Study Example However the action initiated by the Republic of Bona by invading Malox can be termed as legitimate on the grounds of self defense as stated by the Republic of Bona. According to the Article 51 of UN Charter, the guidelines laid down by the United Nations Security Council will not weaken the rights of self defense of the member state of United Nations against armed attack carred out on them, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security. The invasion is legitimate on the grounds of self defense, until the Security Council takes stringent measures against the Malox Government. But instead, the Republic of Bona could have brought to the notice of Security Council, that it has evidence to show that the Alliance is responsible for the massacre that has taken place. Even though, one of the UN Security Council member, Kumara is an ally of the Alliance, he cannot on his own dismantle the efforts of the Bona Republic to counter terrorism. Then the Security Council may decide what measures, not involving the use of armed force, are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it may call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures. These may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations as laid down in the Article 41 of United Nations Charter of International Laws. In this process, the Bona Republican has used cluster bombs, white phosphorus and depleted uranium to locate and destroy the Alliance terrorist camp before further more attacks on themselves. The arms that have been used by the Bona Republican are Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) which not only kills persons but will degrade the environment. The degraded environment will make the life on the particular place not only difficult but the persons living there will be effected in the sense, they may get physically or mentally handicapped. The next generation childs may be born physically or mentally handicapped as wel. Such mass destruction will also lead to failure in plantation and degradation of other human necessities. On the grounds of humanitarian, use of such WMD's shall be avoided, just to destroy the Allaince Terrorist Group. However, United Nations has condemned the use of WMD's that has severe and drastic effect on the life of human beings and the next generation. Massive amo unts of circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that the use of DU ammunition has known to cause dramatic side effects, such as health problems, stillborn babies, toxic and poisonous land, water supplies, and residential territories. Such ammunitions is unethical for we will demean ourselves as a civilized

Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Supply Chain Management - Essay Example The linking of information systems on the Internet, provides the business with one set of information, such as status of counts in the warehouse and the consumers’ payment information, while the customer finds out through the company’s Internet portal just how much of the product the business has, and the projected delivery dates. Amazon.com is one such example of purchasing online with a two-sided supply chain infrastructure. In the wholesale jewellery components industry, the more you buy, the greater discount you get on your supplies, as shown in the figure (1) above. Therefore, the ability to see the discounts in the components ordering sheet, allows for cost savings up front. Alternatively, showing online how many components are left in stock, particularly if there are only a limited few, or if it is in the process of being discontinued, gives a business time to find other resources and get the purchasing infrastructure up and running in time for the next order (Fire Mountain Gems, 20115; Ackerman & Bodgraven, 2007). Account holders also see all previous orders in case they want to re-order a particular item, or a complete former order. Shipping is a standard USD 5.00, no matter how much you order, a bargain for larger orders. For such a company, communicating with its customers, including dealing with complaints and developing resolutions, is essential to continued successful relationships to provid e what the customers want. The purchasing and chain management infrastructures must be efficient and reliable, both inside the business and outside to the customers (Ackerman & Bodgraven, 2007). To achieve such efficiency, requires a joint venture correlation between the IT department (handles database and web development), the product purchasing department, and the sales and marketing department, each of whom provide the information required as to what is needed for an online

Frankenstein (Norton Critical Editions) book Essay

Frankenstein (Norton Critical Editions) book - Essay Example Victor has other two siblings particularly brothers: William and Ernest. Due to his obsession with the study of outdated science theories, Victor chooses to enroll in the University of Ingolstadt in Germany (Shelley 19). Weeks before he leaves for school, his mother Caroline succumbs to death after suffering from scarlet fever. This paper will seek to compare and contrast education of young monsters, parallel to the education of Victor and his creation. As the book reveals, Victor underwent formal education unlike the monster, which had to learn on its own. According to the narrator, Victor had pervasive interest in studying outdated science theories specifically those that focused on attaining natural wonders. As a result, he attended the University of Ingolstadt where studied well and excelled in subjects such as chemistry and other sciences. During his time in school, Victor developed a secretive technique that involved imbuing of inanimate bodies especially with life. This shows that Victor attended a formal school with teachers and other students and in a school like environment. Thus, he acquired formal education, which is not the case with the monster (28). As the story unveils, readers are meant to understand that the monster attained education through self-training. Predominantly, it is seeable that when the monster disappeared from the room where Victor created it, it went to seek refuge in thick bushes close to a cottage where the DeLacy family lived and to a surprise, it spent a whole year observing the members of this family. The story points out that the monster leant how to read, became self-aware, and discovered its hideous physical state. In addition, the source explains that, during its stay, the monster discovered a shoulder bag of lost books, which it used to teach itself how to read. It also stood by the pool where it found out that its physical appearance was different from that of humans (37). This entails that the monster’s mode o f education or rather acquiring knowledge was through practice, self-learning, and observation. Victor’s education is parallel to that of his creation in that, they both had quest for knowledge. Consequently, Victor went to a school to receive education while the monster had to educate itself. Victor’s interests First, Victor displays an infatuated possessiveness for Elizabeth. He undergoes a series of mentally related breakdowns but his father restores him by reinstating his former wealth status and his mother fulfils his passion for Elizabeth by lending him her hand in marriage. Apart from his interests for Elizabeth, Victor had an obsessive passion for studying outdated science theories. Victor grew up knowing that je could understand probably explain the things surrounding him if he could study outdated science theories (42). Following this believe, he developed a covert skill in which he could instill inert bodies with life. In other words, he developed a way of c reating creatures and filling them with life. This was yet another of his interests. Victor and Henry’s interests Victor Frankenstein and Henry Clerval were long-time acquaintances. Henry developed intensive interest for care, poems, and sense. When Victor was studying at Ingolstadt University, he spent a while without communicating with his family. Henry chose to relocate to where Victor was in order to take care of Victor. This shows that Victor was passionate about taking care of his friends. On the other end, when Victor brought the

Education - Children's Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Education - Children's Rights - Essay Example First, it is illegal that these children were in the United Kingdom because they had been trafficked there. The county council of Kent said that it did not know what had happened to the children who had gone missing from their foster parents or children’s homes. The disappearance of these children has sparked a lot of concern that has led to fresh calls to reform how trafficked children are cared for in the country. The rights of many children are being abused at different levels all over the world. For example, in this case, the children who have been trafficked into the United Kingdom are forced into cannabis farming, prostitution and benefit fraud among others (Archald, 2010). According to international legislation, in the case of children, the use of force or other forms of intimidation, such as fraud, deception, abduction, the abuse of power, or a position of vulnerability doesn’t need to be present in order for the crime to be termed trafficking. The UN Protocol t o Avert, Suppress and Penalize Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children also describes child trafficking as trafficking in human beings. The International Labor Organization convention 182 defines it as a form of child labor. The children fall back into the hands of people operating in various criminal networks across the world. The news of the mysterious disappearance of these children is said to have come on Anti-Slavery day when data was released by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and the Homes Offices in the United Kingdom (Pardeck, 2006). Over the past years, the number of children who had been sent to the Home Office had gone up significantly. Vietnam is seen to have produced the largest single group of victims, totaling to forty eight. It is closely followed by Nigeria with twenty nine and Romania with twenty three. Children were trafficked for a number of reasons such as sexual exploitation. The female children were made to work as prostitute s so as to earn money for whoever introduced them to the act. These children are being denied their right to education. The aims of education are not being taken seriously by the perpetrators (Pardeck, 2006). For example, children were born in societies that acknowledged their rights. Children’s rights have been totally ignored because they cannot defend themselves their rights are totally violated the right to education being the most affected. The director of Kent County Council is on record saying that there is no way of preventing the trafficked children from leaving the care given to them by the council. This could only be ensured by keeping the children under lock and key, which would be a gross violation of their right. Pardeck (2006) suggests that the council should encourage these children to talk to them so that they can establish grounds of trust. Theoretically, Aristotle insisted on the value of children education (Pardeck, 2011). He stipulated all forms of practi ces that would ensure that children continued to grow in all manners and means. Trafficking and abusing children is one major impediment to their education and a gross violation of their rights. He states that for children to grow up bright and intelligent, they need education. This education cannot be possible if the children are involved in activities such as prostitution. The education should at all times be consistent with general aims that have been set. This is through set syllabi all over the world. He insisted that children should ensure that they

Implementing EMS Recommendations Essay Example for Free

Implementing EMS Recommendations Essay Introduction After an audit had been performed for Riordan Manufacturing, faults were found in current procedures and solutions created to make them more sustainable. Listed below are some barriers that may occur when implementing Riordan’s new strategies and the necessary steps needed to overcome those barriers. Identified as well are methods currently in place to ensure systematic monitoring of the new sustainable practices that have or will be put in place. Identify Barriers Riordan Manufacturing has to identify the barriers they must overcome to become a sustainable organization. The barriers must be broken into two parts, external and internal barriers (Ruark, 2013). External barriers are those that Riordan must follow because of federal laws, state laws, and local policies. Another external barrier is the suppliers the organization contracts to do additional work whether in the United States or another country. The organization is responsible for those non-sustainable issues that the contractor creates. Internal barriers are the ones that the company creates, but can control. The organization will have to hire Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) that understand the issues, create a plan to overcome those issues, and maintain the progress. The SMEs must have the funding in place to start doing their work. They must communicate their findings and provide solutions to Riordan Manufacturing management. Communication is the largest barrier to overcome. The SMEs must establish a target and conduct a plan. Another internal barrier is change, and people don’t like change. The leadership must work hard to get the employees on board to help with the changes. Creating an  additional department supervised by the SMEs that handles these barriers will make Riordan manufacturing a success. How or why they might occur Barriers occur for many reasons, and some of the reasons they occur is the lack of communication from the management down to the lowest level. Communication must flow up and down to understand the organizations target and intents. The communication flow will allow the employees to understand the policies and procedures that Riordan Manufacturing has put in place. Another reason barriers occur are due to the lack of training that the employees do not receive. Having properly trained employees will assist with the proper flow of communication as well as the process and procedures that Riordan will implement. The cost to Riordan Manufacturing to implement any new sustainable plan will be a short term profit lost for the organization. The last important reason barriers occur is because resources are not in place as well as the SMEs to provide the guidance to become sustainable and maintain sustainability. Consider financial, social, ethical, technical, and practical aspects of business Financial cost, social concerns, and the environment are important aspects to the approach in becoming compliant with any legal requirements. The practical aspects barrier Riordan Manufacturing will encounter will be trying to improve their facilities with new pipes, air vents, and drainage systems. Implementing the new measures will have an impact on the technical barrier in the operations of the facilities to produce a product that can cause delays in production. Ethical and social issues are important to any organization that is trying to create and maintain their Environment Management System (EMS). The organization cannot allow anyone to use products or change manufacturing processes as that will be unethical. Describe methods currently in place or necessary to ensure systematic monitoring of new sustainable practices.   Riordan Manufacturing will implement some of the new processes recommended to deal with the oil, ink and the solvent issue. They will make sure to measure the air quality in the factory, recycle the oil keeping track of how  much oil is been used, and how much solvent is been separated from the water. They have several measures of monitoring the three areas in the different facilities, but will need to improve in reporting and making changes when needed. How are they measured or monitored? Updating the existing reporting process for all the areas and conduct meetings with the leadership, employees and stakeholders to see what the best approach to any situation is. Adding additional measures to analyze any situation will allow Riordan Manufacturing to understand what is working and what is failing. Monitoring the air pollution and pounds of waste in all the Riordan Manufacturing facilities will allow them to keep track in monthly bases to improve sustainability. What happens if a recommended practice is not working as it was intended? Different courses of action (COA) must be completed for any one task. This COA allows the organization to decide on the best approach when dealing with any issue. The COA will outline the process, produces, and cost to the project. This different COA also provides the leadership with the different solutions to one issue. If the COA selected is not working they have other COA for the same situation they can quickly implement to solve any problem. Conclusion Riordan manufacturing will implement new solutions to help make them more sustainable. Of course, Riordan will need to identify their internal and external barriers to overcome, and once found putting strategies in place to overcome and avoid them. One of the biggest barriers is communication. Having a barrier of communication prevents the flow of understanding of policies and procedures as well as the targets and intents put in place by Riordan. Updating the reporting system as well as adding an additional measure to analyze situations, will allow Riordan to see which processes are successful and which ones failed. Failed processes will be dealt with by putting together multiple courses of action so that solutions can easily be switched if one is not working as well as anticipated. Business organizations have an obligation to help sustain and preserve the environment for future generations. Riordan has taken the initiative in  developing strategies that will incorporate sustainable business practices to ensure that the company and the employees leave less of a carbon footprint for future generations. Reference Ruark, C. A. (2013, August 9). Eliminating Barriers to Small Business Sustainability. Retrieved from Triple Pundit: http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/08/eliminating-barriers-small- business-sustainability/

Late Development And The Challenges Facing Late Developers Economics Essay

Late Development And The Challenges Facing Late Developers Economics Essay On the world stage, the list of the wealthiest countries has been dominated by European nations for the past six hundred years. Mid-last century a shift occurred that has seen the emergence of Asian countries growing at rapid rates. The surge was led by Japan and was quickly followed by those now known as the Asian Tigers. What problems did these countries overcome to grow so quickly while at the same time so many other nations are trapped in the quagmire of poverty and debt? Additionally, what challenges do the countries attempting development later than others face if they wish to emulate the Asian Tigers? This essay will briefly explain the problem of late development before outlining the challenges faced by late developers. Broadly speaking development implies wish to shift from an undesired state to a more desirable state; in this case a movement away from the situation of inequality and poverty to that of more equality and less poverty. Inequality in terms of social, cultural, economic and political needs is widespread in the world, not just between nations but within populations of nations. Such inequality leads to the poverty experienced by the populations of the undeveloped and developing nations of the word, causing millions of needless deaths every year around the world. Before any explanation or hypothesis regarding development of nations can be carried out, the term poverty requires discussion. An orthodox view of poverty is not having sufficient money to buy food and other basic material needs  [1]  . An alternate view of poverty is where people are not able to meet their own material and non-material needs through their own effort. The subtle difference between the two definitions will be expanded later in this essay. Additional to discussing poverty, the term development needs discussion. To determine the status of a nation as developed, developing or underdeveloped requires the use of a metric, criterion or standard of some kind. Which form of measure is hotly debated and is a very contentious issue. Different measures that can be used are national gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, level of economic industrialization or the Human Development Index (HDI) to name a few and the selection of which one determines the rankings of nations. During the Cold War, the terms First, Second and Third World were used to describe the USA, Soviet and non-aligned blocks of countries. The term Third World became synonymous with underdeveloped and developing countries and to this day is misused to describe these countries. THE PROBLEMS OF LATE DEVELOPMENT The same problems face developing countries, regardless of the metric used to measure a nations development ranking. The prime problem facing developing nation is their late start compared to the more advanced industrialised countries that are generally accepted as being developed. Late development precludes nations from using the first mover advantages of economies of scale, positive network effects and the ease of sourcing investment funds  [2]  . Nations that get a head start in an industry have the ability to compete evenly against other nations starting at the same time in that industry. As capacity builds, the high costs of initial production, research and development, and low levels of output alter because of innovation and improvement leading to more effective and cheaper production methods, enhanced products, and higher levels of output. All these factors enable the distribution of fixed costs, such as production and transport costs, across the greater output, thus lowering the final cost of an item. These economies of scale enable the first mover to produce a product at a lower cost than a late developer, which in turn, allows the first mover to either undercut late starters or make more profit when selling at the same price  [3]  . Late developers hence need to find ways around the economies of scale factor such as using cheaper local labour for production, leveraging off any local raw materials or new areas to in novate. A good example of the economies of scale at work is the early motor vehicle industry. The Ford Motor Company is generally credited with the first use of a production line type manufacturing method in the automotive industry that enabled Ford to mass produce cars at prices much cheaper than the completion. Follower companies adopted the same technology, but not after Ford had gained a significant market share in North America and enabled the company to create a world-wide manufacturing base that was not seriously challenged for over half a century  [4]  . Starting an industry or sector of technology first attracts people and firms into the area where that technology is found, thus creating a centre of excellence in terms of equipment and personnel. The network effect  [5]   of a centre of excellence also adds to the economics of scale effects, as raw material supplies are only shipped into one area and conversely distribution centres can also be centralised. Additionally, distributed manufacturing within such a network is sped up and costs reduced due to close proximity, thus reducing costs and time effects. Late starters wishing to build their own competing centres of excellence face the obstacle of attracting expertise away from established areas. The inability to match wage rates and favourable conditions of established centres of excellence need to be countered at the new location, often by government subsidies, low tax rates and favourable trade conditions. Well known examples of successful secondary centres of excellence are the Japanese automotive industry following America and the New Zealand and Australian movie production centres following in the footsteps of Hollywood and Bollywood. The effects of globalisation and easy flow of information and technology are continuing to reduce the need to physically concentrate people and industry; hence the network effects are being reduced for the first mover. Sourcing investment funds for any new industry is a challenge, yet sourcing funds to compete against a developed nations established industry is even more difficult. The first mover nations have the advantage of having the first opportunity to attract investment capital, whether internal to the nation or externally via foreign investment. Regardless of the source of investment funds, late developers seeking funding must compete against established industries with proven return rates and known levels of risk, therefore pay higher interest rates. These higher interest rates further erode the profit margin of the late developer and make their products less attractive on price and company success rates lower. THE CHALLENGES FACING LATE DEVELOPERS In light of the problems face by late developers, why is striving for development so important? United Nations former Secretary General Kofi Annan described a developed country as one that allows all its citizens to enjoy a free and healthy life in a safe environment implying that developing and undeveloped countries citizens do not enjoy a free and healthy life in a safe environment. The orthodox, or liberalist, view of development describes its purpose as the requirement to move from a subsistence economy to an industrialised and modern economy  [6]  . Compare such a view with the alternate or more socialist view, where the purpose of development is to create human well-being through sustainable societies in social, cultural, economic and political means. These two viewpoints differ significantly but suffer from overlapping sets of challenges that need addressing to successfully develop a nation. The orthodox view of development identifies a strong trend between development and industrialisation. This view sees industrialisation as a better path for growth of a nation than agriculture or resource extraction as there is a greater potential for capital accumulation. This growth is due to the higher productivity achieved with successful industrialisation, which in turn leads to better wage growth, better skill and expertise growth, and the unlimited potential of the free-market. Such an approach generally requires a top-down governmental control process, using external capital investment to attract technology and stimulate private sector growth. Using industrialisation as the pathway to growth and development has the disadvantages of exposing a nation to both the good and bad aspects of globalisation. Fast and freer information flows, financial deregulation, access to technology and exposure to the global villages cultural influence can have positive and negative effects on both markets and populations. The effects of global financial institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and open finance markets can lead to a nations own monetary policy having little control on capital availability and exchange rate control; a critical factor in ensuring a stable economy  [7]  . Ostensibly, small and vulnerable nations can be either manipulated easily or must flow global trends with few ability to cause self-determination in the globalised finance market. The alternate view of development takes a different approach to development. In this view the final target of development is not necessarily parity with developed nations using convention metrics, such as GDP per capita, but a more holistic vision of a journey towards self-sufficiency, self-reliance and unity rather than outright fiscal wealth. In this respect, development is more a process rather than a target. The fundamental difference to the orthodox view is that the alternate view is a bottom up process and involves the respect of nature and culture, political inclusion of marginalised groups and local control of resources and investments. Comparing the two very different approaches identifies that there are challenges to both, including some common challenges. The orthodox view has the advantage of potentially providing greater growth rates and hence reducing inequality between nations, but often at the cost of higher internal inequality as the gap between the richest and poorest within a nation widens. This effect is sometimes called the unavoidable consequence of economic growth  [8]  . Opponents to the orthodox view also content that sustained development is only viable through further growth within a global free-market, which benefits the suppliers of the initial capital more than the nation seeking development  [9]  . Conversely, the alternate view of development suffers the potential problem of creating slower growth rates than embracing outright industrialism and its side effects. This approach also requires assistance from external to the country, but more often in the form of education and material re sources, rather than direct capital injection. The Chipko movement in India and the rubber tapper movement in the Amazon are examples of successful grass roots versions of the alternate development methods  [10]  . Both are relatively small scale and limited to regions and ethnicities rather than whole nations. Both approaches suffer from the challenges of overcoming education, literacy, environmental and health issues which all slow rates of growth. Additionally, corruption is seen as a huge obstacle to developing nations, specifically in autocratic and flawed democracies. Later in the development cycle nations that grow strongly need to be able to keep their exchange rate competitive by neutralize the tendency of the exchange rate to head toward overvaluation  [11]  . This problem is related to the Dutch disease  [12]  , the policy of growth with foreign savings, and to exchange rate populism. CONCLUSION In summary, it can be seen that development of countries is import to reduce the gap between the most advanced nations in the world and the least. Development leads to a reduction in suffering by people who cannot meet their own needs through their own means, while at the same time enabling societies to become sustainable in economic, political and cultural terms. The process of development is slow and the challenges are many. Overcoming the problems of being a late developer is complex and difficult, but demonstrably possible as the Asian Tiger nations and other Newly Industrialised Countries have proven. Striving to industrialise by increasing exports has been a successful development strategy for the Asian Tiger countries, but not all nations have been successful using this technique. Local political, geographical and geological environments can both help and hinder development, as can the effects of globalisation by open both market and financial flows. While the history of development success shows that the crux of change is primarily national and local, such change now takes place in an increasingly globalised world of ever tighter political, economic, and cultural ties. The problems faced by developing nations are many and no universal answer or solution exists. Each nation that wishes to develop needs to create a development plan unique to their nation, based on their specific politics, cultures, resources, skills and geography. Only then can real and sustains development occur. Word Count = 2050

Ethical Debates on Music Sharing

Ethical Debates on Music Sharing To file share or not to file share? That is the question. Should free music off the internet be legal? Who is in the right- Napster or the music industry? There are some of the topics I hoped to discuss when I invited four journalists to my house to debate the controversial issue of online music. Ding-dong! â€Å"Uh-oh†, I think, wiping my hands on a paper towel. â€Å"They must be here early.† Its six-thirty, my guests arent due to arrive until seven, and I am already a half-hour behind. The lobsters are still boiling on the stove, the chunky potatoes are rock-hard and my spinach salad lies in pieces all over the kitchen floor. Things arent off to such a good start. I am supposed to be hosting a small, informal discussion tonight with a few journalists. The topic of the forum concerns the recent legal uproar about online music organizations such as Napster, Morpheus and Kazaa. I have invited a variety of people; some of whom have clashing opinions. I am looking forward to a heated and intellectual discussion; which will be good because I am planning on writing a book on the subject of online music. I havent decided yet whose side I am on; the music industry or the internet music providers. Hopefully, tonights discussion will provide me with some insight as to which side to stand on. Or maybe, I wont have to choose a side†¦who knows? As I walk to the front door, I cant help but feel just a little bit anxious, but excited at the same time. â€Å"I wonder who it is†¦who had the nerve to be fifteen minutes early?† I think to myself. I open the great oak door to find Tobey Grumet, a journalist from Popular Mechanics magazine. â€Å"Hows it going?† he asks casually as he walks through the entryway. â€Å"Its nice to finally meet you.† I say. I cant help but stare at him. I had heard that he was good looking, but geez! He has shoulder-length blonde hair that he has pulled back into a ponytail. He has chiseled features, but not too chiseled. He is wearing gray tweed pants that are only slightly baggy, a black woolen sweater and a hemp necklace. â€Å"Wow, nice place,† he remarks as he walks into my dining room. â€Å"Do you own this house?† â€Å"Yeah, I do..† I reply, shaking my head to get out of my trance. He follows me into the kitchen, and, seeing the state that it is in, offers to help me get ready. â€Å"Its a good thing I got here first. I dont think that Michael Miller would appreciate this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he remarks as he is chopping up a tomato for the salad. â€Å"That guy is a total corporate pushover† he continues, his chopping getting a little bit more intense. I smile politely. I want to be completely impartial tonight, and I try very hard not to let what Tobey is saying affect my opinion of Michael Miller, a journalist a PC Magazine. We work in silence for about ten more minutes. By the time the doorbell rings again, the only thing left to do is drain the water out of the potato pot. â€Å"Thank you so much for all your help,† I exclaim as I walk to answer the door. â€Å"You are a lifesaver!† â€Å"No problem!† Tobey shouts after me. Who should be at the door, but Michael Miller. â€Å"Nice to meet you† he says to me in a grave manner. He is a short, thin man of about 45, with graying hair. His gray Armani suit looks a tad bit too big on him. â€Å"Goodness, Mr. Miller,† I exclaim. â€Å"You are making me feel like a bum in my jeans and turtleneck!† â€Å"Please,† he replies, â€Å"I apologize for the way Im dressed. You must forgive me; I just came from a journalists convention downtown. I didnt have time to change.† â€Å"No worries,† I assure him. One by one, they all arrive; Brian Smithers and Margaret Popper. We chat informally for a few minutes in the study over bourbon. I am mostly quiet, making mental observations of the ways my guests treat each other. For the most part, they seem to be enjoying each others company. Even Tobey seems to be getting along with Michael Miller. Next, my guests are all seated while I bring out the food. Our conversation starts out very formal. Then, I bring out the big question: â€Å"So, does anyone have any thoughts on the new online music providers like MUSICNET?† There is a short silence. My guests look at their plates, as if thinking about the best way to answer the question. I know all of them are thinking hard about the question; being journalists to major technology magazines, this kind of issue is a major obsession with them. It was finally Michael Miller who breaks the ice. â€Å"Well,† he says, putting down his fork, â€Å"I think its obvious that the Napsters of the world were breaking the law and cheating legitimate musicians out of money.† â€Å"Wait a second,† protests Tobey. â€Å"Dont you think its a little bit unfair to say that? Its not like the ‘musicians arent getting enough money anyways. And it isnt the musicians who are getting gypped, its the multi-million dollar music companies like BMG.† â€Å"The real issue isnt about money, its more about the reputations of musicians,† says Margaret Popper, a journalist at Business Week. She tucks her short brown bob cut back behind her ears. â€Å"Doesnt it concern anyone here that free online music allows people to essentially preview albums? Most people wont buy an album just for one song if they can listen to it beforehand for free. These online music providers are contributing to a complete decrease in album sales.† â€Å"Look,† says Brian Smithers, â€Å"you are all missing the point. Free online music is about more than just getting music. Did you ever stop to think that independent musicians use these providers to get out there? It is a fabulous resource for people who arent affiliated with the music industry giants like EMI and BMG.† I sit back and watch interested. So far, Ive got two for free online music, two against it. I ask another leading question. â€Å"Do you think it should be legal to create and share music files online for free?† Again, there is a slight pause. Brian Smithers raises his shaven head and replies, â€Å"Well, yes, absolutely. I mean, think about it. You are already paying for internet service. Why shouldnt the music be free? The internet is a place where everyone can come together and share things. It is a community. It should be free.† â€Å"No,† snaps Michael Miller, â€Å"the music that is shared online is part of an industry. An industry has a major goal to make a lot of money. How are industries supposed to make any money, and keep the economy going, if people can get music for free? It is cheating them out of money.† Brian looks directly at Miller with a glare in his eyes. His eyebrow ring glints in the light. â€Å"This is exactly what I am talking about. People who are obsessed with corporate America. Well, I hate to break it to you, but life isnt all about corporations. Its the little people who matter too.† â€Å"Whoa, hold on there partner!† exclaims Miller. â€Å"I am not suggesting that. But when something is copyrighted, by law that copyright cannot be broken. Its a legal thing.† As the night wears on, the conversation grows more and more heated. My guests remain stubborn and stick to their original points until it is time for them to go. As the last car drives off down the street, I head to the kitchen to wash dishes. My mind starts to wander. Napster launched in early 1999. It was the first of its kind; the idea and technology for sharing music files online had never been dreamed of before. (Brown) It quickly became wildly popular; after all, what music listener could argue with free music? Soon after its emergence, several other Napster copy-cats came onto the scene. Also soon after its launch, the Recording Industry Association of America made Napster its â€Å"public enemy number 1† (Brown). Napster was the first to be hit with claims of illegality by the music industry. According to Janelle Brown in her article on www.salon.com, bands such as Metallica complained that they were being cheated out of copyright money, and they claimed that CD sales were dropping. The Supreme Court ultimately decided that the music industry was correct to demand that Napster shut down (Brown). One by one, the music industry and the courts put a stop to all free online music. Napster wanna-bes continue to emerge, but they will be br ought to court sooner or later and receive the same fate as Napster. Although the ruling has been made final, there are still many activists who continue to argue the validity of free online music. My guests on both sides had brought up valid points. But in order to write my book, I realize I would have to take a side. This was not a black and white issue. I think about the opposing sides. I definitely agree with Michael Miller about the legalities of free online music. Copyrights are protected under the law. But, on the other hand, it is very difficult to monitor what goes onto the internet. There are plenty of things on the internet that are supposedly protected under copyright laws, but they are still there and can be accessed for free. No one is bothering to go to the Supreme Court over these things. I dont think that it should be different for music. Additionally, Margaret Poppers point that free online music hurts musicians reputations is very hard to swallow for me. I dont believe that big name bands like Metallica care about their reputations as much as they care about milking as much money as they can. The same goes for companies like EMI and BMG. Brian Smithers had br ought up an interesting point about the internet being a community. I think about how this remark could potentially add to my book. The idea that the internet is increasingly replacing traditional social settings has always been a topic of major interest to me. I find it fascinating how much things can change over time, yet not really change. People are still communicating with each other and participating in a community, but many have found a different medium for doing so: the internet. Instead of sitting around in a coffee shop discussing the latest popular album that everyone just has to buy; now people can congregate on the internet. Most online file-sharing sites have a place where you can talk to people and share your opinions on the music. The more I think about it, I also like the idea of being able to preview an album before I actually decide to buy it. There are a lot of albums out there that, in my opinion, only have one good song on them. I dont want to be throwing seventeen dollars down the drain if I can save that money by realizing beforehand that the album might not be very good. I dont think that this is the case a lot of the time. Most likely people will preview an album and then decide that they really like it, so they will go out and buy it. If anything, being able to preview an album is a good thing because it puts pressure on mainstream musicians and record companies to produce the finest work they can. Most songs on an album are â€Å"filler songs†, that is they are there simply to take up space on the album, and arent usually very good. Ive come to the conclusion that I will write my book on the advantages of online music file-sharing. Before I started this project, I really didnt have strong feelings either way about online file-sharing. I have used free sharing, such as Kazaa and now Lime Wire, but I never stopped to think about what I was doing. I did have more of a bias towards favoring online file-sharing, but mostly because it allowed me to download music for free. I also never knew very much about the Napster court case. To me, that was the defining moment of sort of the end of free music downloads. I knew that Napster was going to not be free anymore, but I didnt know why. Now I know the specifics of the case, and I favor Napsters side. As an avid music lover, and a consumer, I think I have the right to listen to music for free before I go out and buy it. It might decrease CD sales by a small percentage, but the music industry is still huge. And perhaps putting musicians on the spot by listening to their songs for free and then deciding whether or not to buy their album is a good thing. It puts more pressure on them to spend time making their music as good as it possibly can be. I think that the most compelling argument for me was Tobey Grumet. He argues that the controversy, although it is claimed to be about reputations, is more about money. This is absolutely true the more you think about it. Many little band names do not have a problem with free file sharing. It is the very popular bands signed under big label names, like Metallica, that are causing an uproar. I dont see how their songs being on Napster is harmful to their reputation. If anything, its good because it means that people like their songs. It doesnt harm their reputations as musicians; it more than likely helps it and allows them to be recognized as a very influential band in the history of modern rock music. My sources, I think, were all very legitimate. They all came from magazines that our library subscribes to. Salon.com is most likely biased towards free online file sharing, but the information that I got from them was purely fact-based, like when Napster was launched and so forth. I think that I got a good variety of journalists opinions on the issue of online file-sharing. Each of them had to take an opinion on the subject because it is part of their job. And, for the most part, I dont believe there was any kind of prior incentive to their taking one side or the other. Each of them has an extensive technological background and I think they looked at the issue pretty objectively. I learned a lot about online music from this project. I never realized what an important part of the technology community it plays. It is fun to download free music, rate it, and perhaps even discuss it with fellow music lovers. And it is convenient and thrifty to be able to check out albums before you decide to buy them. My final decision is that online music is a positive aspect of the internet that I hope, somehow, will continue to remain free and entertain music lovers through the means of the internet.

The Effect Of The Russian Orthodox Religion On The Cult Essays -- essa

The Effect of the Russian Orthodox Religion on the Cult Orthodox Christianity has had an immense effect on the culture of Russia. The adoption of the Orthodox faith from Constantinople by Prince Vladimir in 988 introduced cultural influences that profoundly affected the Russian consciousness. As the people embraced Orthodoxy it developed a uniquely Russian flavor and rooted deep in the fertile Russian soul. Orthodoxy had a major impact on politics, art, and nearly every other aspect of Russia's culture. Orthodoxy helped forge Russia's world view and defined her place in the world. The church affected the thought patterns and motivations of a whole culture and changed the way Russians thought about themselves and the ways that they lived their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The church acted as a unifying factor for the Russian nation. Church holidays and fasts enriched and brought meaning to the cycle of seasons and sowing in the subsistence society. Russians possessed a deep religious faith and from it they derived a sense of purpose in the universe and the promise of salvation. The church nourished and preserved the culture of Russia during centuries of internal strife and foreign intervention. Orthodox people feel a strong sense of community and brotherhood towards one another through a shared bond of faith. As a result of this emphasis on community, the rights of the group tend to take precedence over the rights of the individual in Russian culture. The Orthodox and Catholic faiths had an adversarial relationship for years. As this rift deepened and grew increasingly antagonistic, the rift between the East and the West also grew. The difference in religion between Russia and Europe can largely explain the vast differences that developed in their cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Tsar of All Russia derived his power and right to rule from his status as God's chosen representative on earth. As it is God alone who bestowed power on the tsar, it was in the best interest of the monarchy to protect and promote the church. This conception of the tsar possessing a divine right to rule contributed to the political passivity of the Russian people. In the Byzantium tradition the concept of symphonia defined the relationship between the church and the state and acted as a balance on the unlimited power of the tsar. As the head of the church and the... .... Those who refused to change their rhythms of worship were called Old Believers and they were executed and silenced by the authorities. The Old Believers insisted on following the old forms because they feared committing heresy. The way they saw the situation was that Rome had fallen because of heresy. Moscow was the last seat of Orthodoxy and if Russia fell from the grace of God, it would mean the end of the world. The basic issue in the schism was the relationship between the Russian and Orthodox churches. Some felt that since Russia had adopted Orthodoxy from Byzantium she should remain a ‘junior partner'. Others felt that it was Russia's destiny to be a leader and to free her Eastern brethren.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Orthodox relegion has been essential to the people to bring them a sense of hope and destiny and a glimpse of heaven on earth. The choice of Orthodoxy was as influential as the Mongul Yoke on the formation of the Russian character. Orthodoxy brought the people a lot of joy, created a sense of community, intensified the countries isolation, created beautiful art, started wars, complicated politics, and best of all, reminded the people to love each other.

Factional Terror, Paramilitarism and Civil War in Haiti Essay -- Haiti

â€Å"Factional Terror, Paramilitarism and Civil War in Haiti: The View from Port-au-Prince, 1994-2004† is a scholarly article discussing the observations made by J. Christopher Kovats-Bernat in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, during the country’s heavily violent civil war. The article goes into great detail in order to discuss the events leading up to the civil unrest, taking into consideration many of the political, economic, and cultural influences that prompted the 1994 coup-d’à ©tat and the resulting ten years of extreme violence. The author, though, attempts to investigate the country’s bloodshed using the methodology developed by anthropologist Carolyn Nordstrom, who believed that war is not a static event but instead one that shapes and is shaped by historical, social, and cultural contexts. Therefore, Kovats-Bernat attempts to investigate the country’s current bloodshed by taking three separate questions into consideration; what pol itical advances led up to the war, what social aspects characterises the war’s violence, and how has the war affected the day-to-day-lives and cultural identities of Haitians? Kovats-Bernat describes the three key concepts that he wishes to utilize in order to make such an investigation into the life of Haitians during the civil war: political history, social analysis of material conditions, and cultural context. However, he does not seem to aptly follow all definitions that he provides for each of these concepts all throughout his paper, at least not in a concise manner that is easily understood by the reader. Take ‘cultural context’, for example. Kovats-Bernat clearly states that by cultural context he means â€Å"individual and community narratives of violence... within a larger symbolic world... ...ulk of this academic journal discusses primarily the â€Å"political developments that led to the war† (p.123), and therefore Kovats-Bernat has been successful in considering at least one of the three aspects that he had hoped to discuss. However, he does seem to be lacking when it comes to discussing his other two clearly define key concepts– exactly what the author originally claimed would result in ambiguous, subjective, and inaccurate observations. The author has not successfully been able to put an individual or community ‘face’ to the issue, and seems to focus more so on history rather than ethnography. Had he instead been successful in presenting Haiti’s political history as well as a more in-depth social analysis of material conditions and discussion of cultural context, there would be a much greater basis upon which I could express my confidence in the evidence.

Essay --

Thirty Years’ War The Thirty Years' War was a series of wars fought in the Holy Roman empire, involving most of the countries within, the war lasted 30 years. This war massively affected europe and created a cultural divide between catholics and protestants. Philip III of Spain attempted to continue the foreign policy views of his father, Philip II, which basically meant that Spain had to be kept ready for war. Thus in 1618, when Ferdinand II, heir apparent to the throne of Bohemia, began to slash certain religious privileges enjoyed by his subjects there, they immediately appealed for aid to the Protestants in the rest of the empire and to the leading foreign Protestant states: Great Britain, the Dutch Republic, and Denmark (Trueman). Even though the war between the German Catholics and German Protestants were all in the Holy Roman Empire were both Christian it slowly spread was more of a fight over the balance of power. There were two sides in the Thirty Years’ War the Protestant League and the Catholic League. The Protestant League consisted of Frederick of Bohemia who was the leader of the Protestant princes, Denmark led by king Christian IV, Sweden led by king Gustavus Adolphus, and the Netherlands led by the house of orange all financially supported by king of France Louis XIII. The Catholic League consisted of the leader Duke Maximillian of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire Led by Emperor Ferdinand II, and king of Spain Philip IV (Billiet). There were five major phases of the Thirty Years’ War the Bohemian Revolt, Palatinate phase, Danish intervention, Swedish intervention, and the French intervention (Thomas). In the Bohemian phase a group of Bohemian Protestants captured the governors of prague and threw them out of the palace w... ...ing both flanks the remaining infantry moved to attack the Tercio of Naples (the best unit in the Spanish army). The German infantry failed horrendously, and the Spanish veterans held their ground due to some help from the musketeers in the woods. The spanish managed to wound Brunswick and drove his army off the field. The Protestants lost 3,000, 500 were wounded, and 1,500 captured. The spanish couldn’t have asked for a better fight. The Spanish suffered 300 dead and 900 wounded. The following day the Spanish cavalry obliterated the remaining Protestant infantry as they marched. Of the 24,000 men that left the Palatine that day only 3,000 Protestant cavalry managed to reach the next town (Thomas). As shown many times in historical past battles like the persians vs. the greeks numbers don’t matter its the strategy and will of the people to protect their way of life.

My worldview as a Christian Essay

This essay is for the purpose of formally stating my worldview as a Christian and demonstrating how I perceive reality when it pertains to certain issues. While this will not have changed much from my original worldview outline, it serves to expand on the issues and give intelligent analysis to my beliefs. As this semester draws to a close, and I re-evaluate my worldview outline, I a consistency between my beliefs and those presented in the course material. After analyzing the major questions, I have been able to find academic support for each belief that I hold. The first question we were asked was ‘Who is God, and what is he like?’ my initial answer was that God is the creator of heaven and earth, the supreme celestial being that oversees and influences everyday events. As to His characteristics, I believe that he is absolutely just while being full of grace. He is absolute power, under perfect control. He has intense emotions, but perfect reactions to them. That is who God is to me. The second question was about humans, what they were, and what happened when they died. A human is a being created in the image of God, with capabilities for reason, and an innate understanding of right and wrong. When a human dies, they go to one of two places. Those who have chosen to follow God will go to heaven. Those who don’t will go to hell. The third question was ‘what is the nature of the universe?’ When I hear that, I have to ask what they mean by nature. I have to look around and say ‘is it the actual physical world, and how it fits into a bigger picture? I would assume so, and say that by nature, what God created was good, And was later polluted by sin. The most confusing question was ‘how do I know what I know, and how do I know it’s true?’ I know what I know because of what I’ve been told, and what I’ve experienced, and how I apply it through the filter of my faith and values. And I kn ow that I know because if I didn’t know that I knew I wouldn’t be able to analyze this question about knowing. The next question was the only one that my answer changed slightly. What is right and wrong, or does it exist? Right exists, but wrong is only the absence of right, not something in and of itself. And the only way we can discover it is through the experiences, of ourselves and others, and through the filter of God’s word. Is life pointless or is there a purpose? If we believe God creates us, we must believe that there is a reason. I believe my purpose is to help people through hard times, since I have gone through enough hard times that I can empathize with them. Each person has a unique attribute that helps them glorify God in some way. What core commitments are consistent with my worldview, and how do they impact my life? I’m still not exactly sure about what is meant by core commitments, but the actions and values that I hold myself to identify key aspects of my worldview. I would say that the things I do are very consistent with my moral and spiritual beliefs. My worldview is based a lot on faith, and I try to find reason for what I believe. I do need to evaluate if the beliefs that I have actually have base in reality, scientifically and morally. I have very strong beliefs and opinions, as a result of coming from a very opinionated family. My worldview is very consistent with the perspectives expressed in the coursework. I have a fairly weighty background in biblical studies from other schools, and so have been exposed to this subject more than the average student. As a result, my worldview has been shaped by what I have learned, and there were few if any contradictions between what I believe and what was presented. My worldview passes (to my knowledge) all of the four tests of a worldview. In the test of evidence, my worldview draws from personal experience and scientific reason, and assumes (if not proves) the existence of a God who embodies the characteristics I have identified. In the test of logical consistency there is no reason to doubt what I have seen or read, and I try not to act outside of my beliefs in a way that would cause any inconsistency to be evident. In the test of existential repugnance, it is possible to live the life that I am attempting to live in the ‘outside’ world. Anyone can live a moral life and follow specific rules about how we should govern ourselves, but not on their own. And the test of human nature is consistent with my belief on the nature of humanity. Nothing about humanity suggests that we are not designed by a higher being, and everything points to inherent value that other creatures do not and can not possess. My worldview affects everything about my actions, because I will not leave that frame of reference without changing part of my worldview. I cannot act outside of my worldview, because I will always analyze things based on what I assume to be right information, and will act accordingly. My worldview has stayed consistent throughout this course, and if it has changed at all it has been a subconscious change. I have had a good upbringing and a solid background in biblical studies, so I did not hear anything that was shockingly new or revolutionary. Cosgrove, M. P. (2006). Foundations of Christian thought: faith, learning, and the Christian worldview. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications. Strobel, L. (2000). The case for faith: a journalist investigates the toughest objections to Christianity. Grand Rapids, Mich.: ZondervanPublishingHouse. Wilkens, S., & Sanford, M. L. (2009). Hidden worldviews: eight cultural stories that shape our lives. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academi

Factors affecting women working in the pharmaceutical sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Introduction Thanks to its considerable oil resources, Saudi Arabia has evolved from a relatively poor country to become the world’s dominant oil producer and one of the wealthiest regions in the Middle East. There is international pressure on the rulers to embrace political and social reforms, including enhancing the participation of women within the national workforce. Research Background Interesting findings about working women in adjacent Jordan have been generated by the country’s National Centre for Human Resource Development, which has carried out research into the experience of women workers in the private sector, namely in the Communications, Internet and Pharmaceuticals industries. This research was prompted because of recognition that â€Å"women’s participation in the Jordanian labour market is growing and the fact that women’s participation is often hindered by social perceptions, practices and sometimes legislation† (Peebles, Darwazeh, Ghosheh and Sabbah, 2007). Given the size and scale of Jordan (population approximately 6.5 million) compared with Saudi Arabia (population approximately 27.1 million), it seems likely that some of these hindrances will also apply to Saudi Arabia. The pharmaceuticals industry in Saudi Arabia is the richest in the Gulf region[1] and among the largest of all those in the Middle East: â€Å"Saudi Arabia represents 65%, or $1.7 billion of the pharmaceutical market in the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)[2], which is currently valued at $2.7 billion per year[3]† (Issa, Al-Ammar and Mostafa, 2009). Proposal The research proposal is to examine the factors affecting women working in the pharmaceuticals industry, with particular reference to perceived advantages and barriers. It is anticipated that the issues arising will include those touching on human rights, equal opportunities and discrimination; religion and education; legislation, including family law; cultural norms; and also resistance to radical change within the community of Saudi Arabian females. Academic Literature Academic treatises on women in Muslim cultures include a synopsis of literature reviews produced by the Library of Congress (Offenhauer, 2005), which includes chapters on women’s roles in the productive economy as well as in the domestic setting. Maryland University’s Professor in the Department of Business and Executive Programs, Dr. Dorothy Minkus-McKenna, researched entrepreneurship among Saudi Arabian women albeit on an exploratory basis and without the benefit of statistical data, and noted the different ways in which ‘success’ is measured and valued. This provides useful background information about women’s perceptions of their role in the workplace. In a further look at entrepreneurship, another study (Sadi and Al-Ghazali, 2009) sought to establish what motivated women entrepreneurs and pinpointed barriers as being a lack of co-ordination and governmental support; limited competition due to market domination; a dearth of market studies; poor support from the internal community and the general restrictions imposed by society. Whilst limited, the available literature serves to confirm that women in Saudi Arabia struggle to establish themselves in the workplace on an equal footing with men. Overall Aim and Objectives The aim of the research is to identify the key factors that act as obstacles to women working in the pharmaceuticals sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). To achieve this, the focus of the research will be on the pharmaceuticals company, Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries[4], one of the largest research-driven companies producing veterinary, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals products in KSA. The objectives of the research will be to establish: Whether societal and cultural norms in KSA act against women making progress in the workplace. Whether the impact of legislation relating to the workplace has an adverse affect on women. Whether childcare responsibilities interfere with women’s progress in their working lives. Whether financial pressures, and related issues, have a bearing on working women. In relation to the pharmaceuticals sector: Whether there are perceptions that some jobs are more appropriate for women than others. Whether gender bias, marital status, personal appearance and religious discrimination have a bearing on recruitment techniques and practices. Whether there are perceived or real barriers to women achieving management positions. Research Methodology and Methods A number of methods will be used in order to achieve the objectives. Secondary research will establish the required information on cultural and societal norms, and legislation. Primary research will provide the quantitative and qualitative information pertaining to women in the workplace. Participants will be invited to complete a questionnaire without disclosing their name. In this way their anonymity will be protected and it should ensure that they are able to be open and honest about their workplace experiences without any fear of reprisal. Online questionnaires will enable participants with access to a computer to respond relatively quickly and easily, however paper questionnaires can also be issued if this is deemed more suitable for certain members of the sample population. Primary Research A questionnaire designed to elicit the required information will be prepared for workers at the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). The Authority was established on 10th March 2033 and is charged with ensuring that drugs and foodstuffs manufactured for consumption by humans and animals are safe; this includes chemical and biological substances and also medical equipment. SFDA has been chosen because it has a relationship at some level with all the pharmaceuticals companies in Saudi Arabia, and it also sets the standards and regulations as to how they operate. Questionnaire 1: The survey will include a sample of both male and female workers at SFDA, based on the demographic of people of working age in Saudi Arabia. Current estimates indicate that the ratio of males to females aged 15–64 years is approximately 5:4, however it is not known exactly how many female workers are currently employed at SFDA. Ideally, a sample of 180 employees would include 100 men and 80 women. The questionnaire will ask workers about their educational background prior to employment, to provide information on their current position at SFDA. Data will be gathered on their responsibilities in the workplace, and also those outside work relating to childcare and care of any other dependants. Questions about the impact the job makes on their financial situation will be included. Finally, the questionnaire will seek to establish the career plans of participants and their experiences of training and promotion. Questionnaire 2: Directed at Human Resources (HR) personnel, this questionnaire will ask about participants’ interview techniques when recruiting staff, including the extent to which personal questions about an applicant’s marital status, social status, place of residency and childbearing plans are discussed. Peebles, Darwazeh, Ghosheh and Sabbah (2007) found it was common practice among HR professionals in Jordan to ask personal questions at job interviews, which the staff justified on the basis that this was a way of obtaining information about the character of an applicant, and of determining their suitability for work-related travel or overtime. The questionnaire will ask about the types of jobs, and the opportunities for training and promotion, that are available to men and women, with the intention of determining whether these are on an equal footing. Qualitative information on the perceived commitment levels of female and male employees will also be sought. Other Methods Data collection could also be achieved via a longitudinal study, that is where the researcher spends a considerable period of time embedded in the organisation in order to observe interrelationships and company operations on a day-to-day basis. Structured or semi-structured interviews could be conducted with workers and HR personnel as an alternative to a survey. One or more focus groups could be convened to discuss the findings of the survey, in order to provide enhanced qualitative information. These methods have been considered and rejected as they are either too time-consuming and impracticable. Secondary Research Reports and articles by other researchers concerned with female workers in the Middle East and their work experiences in pharmaceuticals companies will be studied to obtain an overview of the sector and the key issues relating to women workers. Very basic statistical information about SFDA is also available on LinkedIn[5] where a few members of staff are also listed. Data Analysis Information from the questionnaires will be analysed to elicit clear information on the position of women working in pharmaceuticals in KSA – their educational background, experience of recruitment, training and promotion and any barriers they have encountered in terms of their advancement in the workplace. Qualitative information will provide the context for the statistics. Planning and Critical Analysis Permission will be needed from the SFDA Executive Management to conduct the survey among a sample of staff members, and the researcher’s contact person within the company could facilitate this. If permission is not granted, it may still be possible for some members of staff to participate in a private capacity (for example, via LinkedIn) although participants may be hesitant and it may be difficult to attract 180 people by this method. SFDA may wish to alter the wording or the questions in the survey to suit company needs, however any proposed changes will have to be carefully scrutinised by the researcher before any changes are agreed. Alternatively, another pharmaceuticals company could be used, such as Merck Serono, which has a base in Saudi Arabia but company headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and a UK office. Limitations The surveys are limited to a selection of the working population in one specific organisation and although a degree of extrapolation is possible the findings will not represent a comprehensive and in-depth view of the country’s entire pharmaceuticals sector. Timescale Obtaining permissions and approvals and distributing questionnaires will take up to five weeks, with data analysis in week six and writing up of the findings in weeks seven – ten. References: BBC (2012). Saudi Arabia profile. Online. 16th January. [available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14702705] Issa, N.A., Al-Ammar, A.I. and Mostafa, S. (2009) Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industries in Saudi Arabia. American Health Lawyers Association. Minkus-McKenna, D. (2009). Women Entrepreneurs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Working paper. http://bit.ly/yCoxTY Offenhauer, P. (2005). Women in Islamic societies: a selected review of social scientific literature. Report. Library of Congress. Online. [available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/Women_Islamic_Societies.pdf] Peebles, D., Darwazeh, N., Ghosheh H. and Sabbah, A. (2007) Factors Affecting Women’s Participation in the Private Sector in Jordan. Research Report. National Center for Human Resources Development. Sadi, M. A. and Al-Ghazali, B. M. (2010). ‘Doing business with impudence: A focus on women entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. Research paper.’ African Journal of Business Management Vol. 4(1), pp.1-11, January. Online. [available at: http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM]. Saudi Food and Drug Authority. [available at: http://www.sfda.gov.sa/En/Home/Topics/about/]

Chapter 3: Research Design and Methodology Essay

Chapter 3: Methodology and Design Chapter 3 Research Design and Methodology 3.1 Aims This investigation was concerned generally to see how new technologies come into the everyday lives of different people, and how in turn these people engage with these offerings: the way they are appropriated, including adoption, learning and struggling, but also other strategies for non-adoption, or arms length appropriation. Particular issues include the influence of knowledge, use and resource on ICT appropriation within and between domains of the life-space, addressing both opportunities for crossover and reinforcement of boundaries. More broadly it asked how the appropriation of technologies, such as the PC, the mobile phone and the Internet is proceeding now that certain technical elements and skills have left the domain of the early adopter. The study started from three motivations: 1. To study everyday use and context of technology in its broad rather than narrow definition, covering the whole of the life space. This sought to overcome the limitations of previous research that focuses rather exclusively on the home, or work, or clubs only, and generally neglects crossovers, (except when work comes in to the home in the case of tele-work). It is also sought to explore how the computer and some other technologies cross over between domains, and the supposed convergence of television, computer and telecommunications technologies. 2. A ‘person centred’ approach to living with technology, rather than an ‘artefact centred’ approach. With so many products being developed, rather than follow the uptake of a specific selected technology, which may fail, or succeed, this study looks at what is actually appropriated or engaged with by the respondents in different circumstances during a period of intense technological change. 3. A sociotechnical approach to appropriation, based  on three levels. Rather than being artefact or system centred, the study recognises the socio-cultural nature of innovation in the ‘information society’. It seeks to understand: Chapter 3: Methodology and Design a) The biographies and appropriation of things or artefacts themselves. b) The biography and appropriation and reinvention of proposed uses, programmes and visions that accompany artefacts. Often a particular technology may fail, but it is only a step on the way to adoption and development of a class of services such as home shopping, or the mobile office, computers in education. In an age of multiple competing technologies and service providers, the class of service is another key level of analysis. Reinvention of services and changes in attitude often occurs ahead of technical innovation, but nevertheless can be seen as part of the innovation process. c) A third level is that of issues on the macro scale, but affect individuals and communities – issues such as privacy, reliance on technology, the effect on the news media, on national identity, the idea of progress through technology etc. This includes â€Å"tales of technological utopianism† (Kling and S., 1988) and dystopianism, as well as more concrete issues such as copyright. These may be harder to grasp, but they are central to the idea of the information society, are the subject of extensive academic business and policy work, and are debates that are accessible to everyone. They are also represented by particular products – such as government legislation, which is in its turn ‘consumed’ in its own way. 3.1.1 Research Questions From these general aims, a number of specific research questions and issues emerged and were further refined in the course of developing the research design. The main questions are summarised below: 1. What are the crossovers between work and home and other domains of life in the experience and appropriation of new ICTs? How does technology help break down boundaries, or used to reinforce them? 2. What are the issues that make adoption and use of ICTs difficult, such at they create ambivalence between benefits and problems, and need practical and social resources to cope with them 3. How important is the local social network as resource and factor in the diffusion of technologies, and the appropriation process? (This question was particularly interesting since some of the technologies in question are ‘network’ technologies, and their use depends on having other people to use them with). 4. Why do people not adopt new ICTs that are becoming popular all around them, and what does it mean to be a non-adopter? Can we also ask how people resist technical change? Chapter 3: Methodology and Design These questions throw light on the greater issue of whether we can question an individualistic consumption and ownership model. Two secondary questions that motivated the research, but are not examined in this thesis in details are: 1. How are people experiencing the convergence of technologies, industries etc, and engaging with the industry driven development of new classes of services and uses. Are there types of classes of uses developed by users, or parts of everyday life that are not part of the industry and policy agenda. How are, and may people respond to the key services that are being developed for new technical platforms, and what applications and services appear to be proving most relevant and popular? 2. How do the academic and policy issues around the innovation and appropriation of new ICTs form part of the experience of people not necessarily engaged with them directly? How do these issues become apparent and how do people engage with them? In these questions issues of personal, social, functional and technical ‘context’ is be central. The Social Shaping of Technology perspective suggests a social constructivist perspective on one hand – the way that  technologies, uses, concepts and roles are constructed in context and in ‘use’, but on the other hand stresses the influence of the characteristics of the technology, and in this case information and communications, in shaping the meanings and context. While the meanings of technologies may be shaped by the broader social and cultural context, and discourse, the technology itself has a powerful reverse effect. Most studies of technology and innovations have found the same broad trends in use and adoption of ICTs, with age, gender, money and occupation being important predictors of attitudes, use and rate of adoption. Assumptions are made about the difference between the way men and women, or the young and the old, approach technology, and are addressed by industry. However as ICTs become less ‘technological’, and digital computing technology becomes more and more ubiquitous, I wanted to take a critical Chapter 3: Methodology and Design stance, not looking for stereotypes but trying to see from ‘bottom up’ observation how and why there may be different approaches to new ICT between people, based not only on demographics, but also on a range of other influencing factors. Do changes in employment, education and expectations alongside changes in technology challenge our stereotypes of women and men, or the old and the young? In order to tackle this sort of issue I needed to study a number of different milieu, with a range of people of various ages, occupations, resources, attitudes to technology etc, in order to get a range of different examples to compare and contrast. However the number of people I could interview would be limited by my time and the type of research method I chose. 3.2 Designing the Field Work This research design builds on research done into use of technology and media in the home in the various other spaces using a qualitative research method1. This discussion of the methodology attempts to present some of the specific tools and experiences used to inform the design of the research and the development of an interpretation. 3.2.1 Studying the Process of Adoption and Domestication Some studies of technology are aimed at building up a picture of the use of technologies in a social system at a particular time in a generally stable situation. Others investigate the process of domestication from the moment a technology is adopted. The processes leading up to adoption are generally investigated in hindsight. Diffusion studies tend to look in hindsight at the diffusion of an innovation though a community, following one particular technology. Adoption studies, even those concentrating on word-of-mouth, and personal influence, do not look closely at the actual process of interactions in details, and seldom use qualitative research methods. In my research I wanted to look at natural setting over a period of time, to try and see what natural encounters there were with technologies, why and how these occurred, and how people engaged not only with technologies, but with ideas about them too. I wanted to see how people linked innovations into their existing cultural and technical world, how different technologies were interpreted, and how they were appropriated. I wanted Chapter 3: Methodology and Design to uncover this process and seek to understand in the context of the everyday activities, relationships, background and events of the respondent. In particular, I wanted to see how processes within the social network played a role in the way people encountered and coped with innovations. I developed a method of research, many elements of which I were reinforced by observations from number of researchers from different disciplines. Rogers (Rogers and Shoemaker, 1971) suggests that diffusion research needs to be much more processoriented than is general. It should be qualitative, and follow sequences of events over time, to try and get closer to understanding the actually adoption process. He also suggests that instead of focusing on single innovations, we should see them as part of clusters, with adoption of one linked to others, especially when boundaries between technologies is not very clear. These clusters or complexes need to be investigated in an  evolutionary sequence. He suggests we have to look for how these links are made by potential adopters, and not rely on the classification of experts. In particular, he suggest not falling for the empty vessel fallacy, assuming that potential adopters do already have the knowledge and skills (â€Å"indigenous knowledge systems†) to evaluate and use innovations relevant to their lives. In fact this is the approach of sociology of technology and of consumption – to understand how interpretations of an innovation are arrived at in the culture in which it emerges or is introduced. Developing research out of the consumer research paradigm, Mick and Fournier (Mick and Fournier, 1995) criticise the lack of research that focuses on the on the context of consumption, the pre- and post-adoption aspects of consumption and the role of symbolic. They developed a methodology using phenomenological interviews to give insight into emotional responses, as well as rational explanations given in retrospective interviewing. In particular, they recommend multi-method approaches used in longitudinal inquiries in natural settings (Mick and Fournier, 1998). Moores, who did several details studies of the domestication of radio and satellite TV suggest that future research should look to a range of ICTs, not just media technologies, and look outside the home as well as inside (Moores, 1996). Some have started to do this Chapter 3: Methodology and Design sort of research, such as Frissen and Punie (1998), who study the role of technologies in the lives of busy people.  Haddon, who has conducted much research in this field, makes a number of suggestions about the type of research that needs to be done to understand how people are appropriating the Internet (Haddon and Hartman, 1997). These include what the phenomenon symbolises to different people, including concerns that may make them wary; how they first encounter the Internet, what support they have and any problems they face; how it is perceived and maybe used in relation to other technologies and media; and where it can possibly fit into the time structures of households and individuals. (Haddon and Hartman, 1997). Technologies must not only be put in the context of other technologies and the social context, but in terms of the activities that people do to make them relevant and meaningful. It might be more interesting to go beyond what people actually say about the idea of electronic commerce to consider whether current purchasing practices might favour consumption via the Internet. For example, if a particular household only buys goods and services from offices and shops and pays in cash, not even using a credit card, then arguably they are far removed from electronic commerce over the Internet – such a development would be a major new innovation for them. Whereas for someone already tele-shopping by some means, doing so over the Internet is a variation or extension of what is familiar to them. (Haddon and Hartman, 1997). In studying a long term process of adoption, obviously it is important to find out what people actually do in their everyday activities, to understand how particular products, such as home shopping services could be relevant, and how their adoption may correspond to existing practices, or represent radical changes in activities. In some ways we are trying to find out what people might ‘need’, not in terms of specific solutions, but as â€Å"an invisible phenomena that can be deduced from the structure of everyday life† (Desjeux, Taponier et al., 1997, p.253). 3.2.2 Focusing on the Life-Space and Technology Venkatesh studied the appropriation of computers in the home and suggests that sociotechnical studies have to â€Å"attempt to capture the structure and dynamics of computer adoption and use in the home, by looking at the interaction between the social space in which the family behaviour occurs and the technological space in which technologies are embedded and used.† (Venkatesh, 1996) This is similar to much of the domestication research that tries to understand the structure of the moral economy in the home Chapter 3: Methodology and Design (Silverstone, Hirsch et al., 1992; Silverstone and Hartman, 1998). This involves looking at symbolic and practical structures of the home in terms of time, space, activities, roles, power relations, rules, and use of technologies. Studies of the workplace and computerisation take a similar view, looking to understand not only the formal organisation of work, but also the many informal relationships and activities. The aim is to build a model from the ‘bottom up’ model of â€Å"how the user will derive value from the product or service† (Carey and Elton, 1996, p.41/42), how they will make sense of in light of all their experiences across the life-space2. The intention of this study was to link the various domains of life, to study the ‘moral economy’ of both home and the work place, but also through relationships and activities that cross boundaries. Into this study of the greater life-space I needed to study how technologies arrive in this space and how they are domesticated. To do this I had to look at all the domains of activity and types of activity that made up people’s lives, and could be affected by new ICTs. The following figure gives some of the possible areas of application of technology. Chapter 3: Methodology and Design Chapter 3: Methodology and Design 3.2.3 Gaining Access One problem is to gain access to respondents, and the problems of being able to study them, and gain some familiarity with their world, or share their ‘reality’. Social science methodologies propose many different ways in which this can be achieved, and guidance on the extent to which involvement in a respondent’s life world is necessary to for particular descriptive or analytic ends. Practical problems include getting people to speak to the researcher at all, then getting them to be open, co-operative, and sincere in discussing the aspects of their lives that interest the researcher. More fundamental for research methodology is the reliance on the personal descriptions of the respondents, who may either intentionally conceal or mislead the researcher, or unintentionally mislead them. In studying someone’s life world, it is unlikely that the respondent will be able to comprehensively and thoroughly describe not only their opinions and thoughts, but the details of everyday activities and relationships, and the context in which they conduct them, especially in the space of a relatively short interview. Participant observation is a method that tries to surmount these obstacles, but at the expense of huge effort by the researcher, and can only be carried out in a situation where the researcher can actually live or work within a small group over an extended period of time. Since I intended to look at a number of groups, and across the social network of one particular member, this type of methodology is impossible. What is more, gaining access to the work place or social clubs may be possible, but living in private homes is very difficult. Only a few researchers have tried this (for example, James Lull in order to examine media use (Lull, 1990)). I wanted to study the way people encountered new technologies over a period of months or even years, when in fact key events may only occur very infrequently, so this did not make much sense. Other research methods used in media studies include asking the participants to keep diaries. This again is does not get any closer if especially if salient events occur very infrequently and outside the period of research interaction. I wanted to interview not only users of new technology for whom the technology had a direct personal relevance, but also non-users for whom it did not. I expected that during Chapter 3: Methodology and Design the process of research many of the respondents would be likely to encounter and form opinions on new ICTs and have some engagement with the process of innovation and diffusion, however unwillingly. I had to find a method that would enable me to gain access to people who did not have any interest in the subject of research- new media technologies, and who would be difficult to contact or engage with though a research method based on current users. Especially for these people I had to develop a number of tactics to bring out the discussion of new ICTs, and to build an understanding of each person’s life-world and the way that they encountered and engaged with ICT  innovations. 3.3 Initial Concept of Research Method Instead of selecting a range of established social groups, say a workplace, a club, a nuclear family, a group of friends, a shopping centre, I decided from the outset to use an Informer approach, taking as my point of entry an individual who would to some extent participate in the research as a co-researcher, and provide entry into their social ‘world’. Blumer suggest that the researcher â€Å"seek participants in the sphere of life who are who are acute observers and who are well informed†(Blumer, 1969, p.41). The research design then involved mapping the various other people that these respondents engaged with (both in relation to specific uses of ICTs and more generally) in different domains of their life sphere. I would then conduct interviews with those they work with, their family, their friends, and ask them to report on their experiences of traditional and new media and communication technologies. The Informant, and the others they identified, would not be selected on the basis that they personally use or buy any particular technology – given the symmetry principle that non-use is just as interesting as use. The crucial point is that it is the Informant’s social network and individuals within it that are being studied, not only the key Informants themselves. Whilst the selection of the initial informants would obviously have an important influence over research outcomes, any such shaping by the researcher would then be diffused as the interviews moved out to the networks identified by the Informants. Although such an approach does not Chapter 3: Methodology and Design eliminate the bias inherent in selection of respondents this kind of snowballing method does open up the range of people interviewed. The involvement of the Informant was conceived as being important for practical and theoretical reasons as well – an informant will have to be engaged as a co-researcher who will provide access for the researcher to their social groups. I did not presume that the Informant’s position would  be un-problematic, but anticipated that there would be many difficulties with their relationship to the research, and their role in forming the opinions of their groups. In fact the informant role as a point of passage between social groups is very important – however they are unlikely to be unique points of passage in real life. By interviewing a number of people who shared similar experiences and knew each other, or knew a common contact this method would also enable me to compare the experience and interpretations the respondents had of particular events, shared spaces, relationships and each other. This would make the study satisfy some of the basic demands of an ethnographic study. The aim was to conduct this study on a longitudinal basis – with the idea of repeating the fieldwork after maybe 1 year, by which time I expected that there would be appreciable changes in the discourses and use of technology in society in general and in the groups being studied. Interviews were conducted on a semi-structured basis with the help of a schedule of questions and issues (included in the Appendix). I also explored the use of other devices to prompt responses in a less structured way. Having carried out a ‘dummy run’ with these research instruments on friends and fellow students, I then undertook an initial ‘pilot study’ with the first group of interviewees. Since I was attempting an experimental and rather unstructured research design, which potentially threw up further problems, for example in data analysis, the pilot study provided an important opportunity for assessing and refining the research design. Chapter 3: Methodology and Design 3.3.1 Designing the interviews I was not trying to trace the network of influences, but rather study a group of people who interact at home, work and in other social situations, and compare their different approaches and study how they influence each others, and how the influence of third parties is passed on and ‘negotiated’ in the group. There is no need to do a complete network analysis for this, but in putting together the sample, an informants ego (personal) network is to be the basis for selection. I had to design an interview guide that would investigate the individual’s background, their everyday activities, major and minor events in their lives and their relationships with others. This would include information on activities that are currently the target of the development of ICTs, such as workplace activities, shopping, banking, media, entertainment, communications and information use. I mapped out the range of areas of life that I might have come up in the following Table. I would then focus on the knowledge and use of ICTs and how they were engaging with them. Since I was investigating the adoption process, I also tried to find out how they went about adopting new products, covering information seeking, advice taking, buying, learning etc, for what ever product. This included the importance of different personal relationships in making decisions, finding out information, and forming opinions, compared with reliance on ‘public sources’ such as shops and media. I also asked about broader issues to do with the development of technology and its impact on society, attitudes towards change, and if they had knowledge of in policy issues involved in the ‘information society’. Chapter 3: Methodology and Design The interview was flexible enough to range over issues that the respondents brought up. The main topics covered are in the table. Background, life themes and history Education background Family background Life history Important relationships Resources Everyday activities and recent events Events Life changes Work activities Domestic life 3 Shopping practices Information, Media and Communication Information use and attitude Media use Work communication Friends and family communication ICT use and knowledge ICT use ICT adoption Social Network’s use of ICTs ICT attitudes Engagement with ICTs Knowledge about ICTs Problems with technology Knowledge of implementation of ICTs in government and industry Policy issues on ICTs Table 1 Topics covered in interview schedule 3.3.2 Primary analysis of success of first pilot interviews, and comments for proceeding with concluding research on pilot. The initial respondents were found through an acquaintance, a primary school teacher who agreed to help. She named a colleague and her family as her closest network, whom she shared most things. The details are given in the next chapter. The first set of interviews was conducted in January 1997. All eight interviews were transcribed. The interviews explored the life of the participant – looking at domestic, social, employment, and economic situation, and some life history. It then looked at a number of everyday activities drawn from the original ‘plan for looking’ at new media in everyday life. The interviewing approach started not from technology, but from particular activities, and attitudes towards those activities, the social relations involved, and included instances of specific technologies. The questioning aimed to find out what the important activities, preoccupations and relationships are in the participants’ lives, and their attitudes and practices around them. Then more particular questions were asked about technology in everyday life, based on the earlier remarks of the participant, and introducing new themes. There was not an attempt to get them to define ‘technology’, or Chapter 3: Methodology and Design use my vague definition, but technologies were seen in the context of particular practices, activities and expectations. I was happy with the results of the first interviews. They laid considerable groundwork for asking about the changes in use and expectations about technologies in context over the last year. However I made changes to the question schedule, mostly as a result of how I actually conducted the interviews, but also to reinforce some of the background material. For example, I needed to bring out more details of the relationships between the participants, and ask their opinions on the other’s attitudes to information, technologies and the other activities and interests identified in the research plan. I also asked more about significant others that I was not interviewing, who lay outside the social circle of the principal informant. 3.3.3 Finding and engaging respondents I found the rest of the respondents by focusing on finding principal informants with specific backgrounds that I thought would be interesting in the light of particular interpretations of the technology: these included computer entrepreneurs, artists, senior business managers, students and unemployed teenagers. I also wanted informants who would be interested in the topic and agree to help me persuade their family, colleagues and friends to help me. Through word of mouth and email-lists and a local cybercafe I found three informants who put me in touch with their personal networks. Details of the respondents are given in the next chapter in summary and in the Appendix in much fuller detail. 3.3.4 Conduct of the interviews While I only met most of the respondents for the interviews twice, I spent a considerable amount of time with the Informants. I usually met them once to explain the purpose of the work, and get an idea if they would be interested and willing to help, and also if they could provide me with a network to interview. In particular, I met frequently with the informants in Groups 2 and 3, who were developing very interesting multimedia projects. This included spending the night on the floor of one while visiting his home in Chapter 3: Methodology and Design a snowstorm in the north of Scotland. I visited them where they worked and in their homes for the first and second interviews, and in the case of groups 1and 3, travelled to visit other members of the group with them. I made the interview the focus of a meeting in which I also tried to develop an understanding about how they lived, where they worked, the relationships with others, their interests and engagement with the subject by observation and in conversations around the interview. These conversations were used to make myself feel at home, and to make the respondent realise that I was not coming to grill them about their knowledge of complex technologies, which worried some of them. The conversations also revealed things about their relationships with others in the network, and sometimes raised issues that would not have come out in the rather more formal interview. Coming to the second round of interviews was easier in some respects, probably due to familiarity of the interviewee with me and the process of the interview, and the more relaxed relationship between me and the interviewee However, while some of the respondents had had many experiences with new technologies over the gap, others had had almost none, and could not see the point of the interview. Nonetheless it was important for me to find out why they had not, and find out what they knew about the experiences of others in their network. 3.3.5 Second Stage Empirical Data Collection The Second Interviews focused on current attitudes and use of technology, and investigate experiences and changes in activities, personal situation and  technology awareness since the first interview. It looked for the role of others in these experiences. I attempted to get participants to tell more in-depth stories about their encounters with technologies, and the way these experiences were communicated and shared at the time, and subsequently. I also wanted to try some other interview techniques to enriched the research. This is not quite ‘triangulation’ but a way to expand and deepen the understanding, rather than perform any alternative or cross-checking. For this I included interviewing in groups and using pictures to stimulate talk: Chapter 3: Methodology and Design 1. To discover what each participant knows about and is ignorant of, in relation to technological developments that have been announced by the ‘supply side’ of industry and government, particular functions and uses of new media technology, or issues raised by multimedia use. In the first interviews I waited to the very end to ask about awareness of the Internet, Digital TV etc, and offered short explanations if the participant did not know and wanted me to explain. Otherwise I did not. I wished to pursue a similar course this time, finding out how aware of these developments they are today. I used pictures, and scenarios based on their particular ‘life-worlds’. This way I hoped to discover the depth of knowledge, and interest in developments in multimedia. This will enhance my understanding of what technologies or ideas the participant comes into contact with. 2. To investigate the importance of the close social network, and to use it as a reflexive tool to bring out shared experience, and differences in attitudes and knowledge. To do this I interviewed some of the respondents in pairs or group. This was aimed at bringing out stories that did not come up in our individual talks, and to bring up more details about the relationships. It was also an attempt to give me a closer insight into shared experiences around technologies, uses of technology and attitudes including what views are held in common, what has not been shared by the participants, how they rate different sources of information and influence, and their impressions of future developments in new media technology. 3. To investigate the interaction between different areas of everyday life:  home, work, social, public, the different relationships with people in these different domains, different communications patterns, and the boundaries created between these areas. 4. To investigate changes in multimedia. Originally the research tried to focus on the aspects of everyday life that the supply industry has been predicting would be affected by new technology: e.g. shopping, information, communication at home and work, a range of work practices and activities, education and training, banking, entertainment etc. The questions explored these areas, focusing in Chapter 3: Methodology and Design advance on the issues that were arising from the supply side agenda, but allowing the respondent space to speak about how new technology was coming into their lives, and look for areas where it might do. Over the time of the research, a great many changes have come about in the use of ICTs – often in areas quite banal, and with unforeseen applications and technologies. The second interviews tried to uncover those experiences, and applications that have developed that are outside the main areas of hype. The interviews looked for ways that new technology came to be judged or coped with. I specifically looked for engagement and utility dimension of relationship to information, communications, learning or entertainment systems. The exercise showing the photographs was somewhat successful, although with some people they had no idea about any of the issues involved. The photos mean that it was easier to introduce the subjects. Sometimes it felt like going over old ground. Doing the interviews in groups led to some more information being divulged and the discussion that ensured were interesting as they revealed differences in knowledge, and attitude between those in the groups, be they a couple, a family etc. 3.4 Analysis of Data I interviewed 29 people in 4 groups, with two sets of interviews, with each interview lasting between one and two hours. Computer-aids were used to assist the management and analysis of the mass of interview transcripts. The first job was to try and extract from this material quotes corresponding to all the issues I had raised, and look for new ideas and issues arising directly from the respondents words. The NUDIST package proved extremely helpful with its powerful facilities for cross-referencing excerpts. Crucial to this is the elaboration of a set of reference terms. I developed a rough set of terms in analysing initial interviews from the first group – and subsequently refined these in the light of a larger number of responses. The aim was to balance on the one hand an openness to a wide range of responses, and on the other the need to group these experiences. This enabled a simultaneous investigation of the data from the ‘bottom up’, i.e. from the interviews themselves, and from the ‘top down’, engagement based on Chapter 3: Methodology and Design themes derived from existing theory and research questions. The categories generated and classified are listed in the Appendix. They proved very helpful in analysis, building up a picture of important dimensions of the experience of ICTs. However, as we see in the detailed empirical chapters, it was necessary to generate further more detailed schema for analysing particular aspects and processes in ICT adoption (and nonadoption). The use of computer-tools allowed considerable flexibility in this respect. These nodes were then linked further together in a number of emerging themes relevant to the network, technology, technology problems and attitudes, non-adoption, adoption, knowledge, communication and information use. Searches of the marked texts enabled groups of quotes reflecting different issues to be bought together quickly. However there was still a need to structure this in a simpler and more straight forward way in order to actually write the stories and compare and contrast experiences. 3.5 BEAN (Background, Events, Activities and Network) To structure the resultant data a framework was needed that would focus on particular dimensions of everyday life relevant to understanding the way  that people encounter technologies, think about them, adopt and use them. The approach I chose was to look at the data from four angles: Background or personal history, Events, Activities and the social Network or BEAN to make an easily memorable acronym. This gives a way to assemble the contextual information, and to highlight crossovers and boundaries in the consumption, use and domestication process. It also gives framework for then moving to analysis based on domestication, appropriation, adoption, diffusion, and consumption models. These dimensions are obviously not independent: activities are related to the network, and changes in activities and relationships. Many events could be argued to be particular types of activities that people take part in. Background or Personal History: The respondents all have a history of experiences, of use and adoption of technologies and services that influence their activities and attitudes during the study. The personal history goes beyond this to broader history of relationships, education, and other activities. This dimension includes reflections on the Chapter 3: Methodology and Design life course of the individual or group. It looks at the possibility of personal innovativeness. Events: There are three types of events that influence the adoption and appropriation of innovations: life course events, cyclical events, and one off social events or technological experiences. These events may be periods of considerable length (such as particular project at work, or the learning period for a new innovation). Activities: these describe the spheres of everyday life in which the respondent takes part, such as work, school, family life, community life, and the activities they engage in within those spheres. The use and attitude to information, technologies and communication is examined within the context of these activities. These include work tasks, domestic tasks, leisure activities, media use etc. Activities will reflect, but not be actually linked to the stages of the respondents’ life course. Changes in activities are linked to events. Network: the personal network describes the relationships of the respondent, with whom they share spaces, ideas, decisions, experiences etc. The network is not fixed, but evolves over time. These are now examined in more detail: 3.5.1 Background/Personal History Background and personal history approach looks for the attitudes, experiences, knowledge and motivations of the respondents: Life themes, Motivations, values, attitudes that are broadly continuous during our lives, or through long periods. They include certain ‘psychological’ factors related to ‘innovativeness’, enterpreneurialism, self-centredness etc. outlook on life, attitude towards relationships and community, priorities. At any one time certain themes may be more apparent or easily expressed than at others. They can also develop over time as a result of major events and experiences (e.g. (Douglas and Isherwood, 1979, 1996; Douglas, 1996) and work on lifestyles (Chaney, 1996)). It is not obviously not possible to look at why these exist in detail: where the line between ‘genetic’, early life shaping, and later life changes is, and how we can change ourselves. Past life projects, Past life events: Chapter 3: Methodology and Design The past experiences and events that shape attitudes, knowledge, social network, Knowledge, values, priorities and attitudes: The attitudes and knowledge that are carried forward at each stage of life to the next. Routines, repertoires, habits, beliefs: There is nothing deterministic about the influence of our past on our present, new life projects can draw on this knowledge and experience, but can also be attempts to overcome, change or retreat from aspects of earlier life projects. At the level of technology, media, information and communications there are: ß ß ß ß ß ß Experience of using and seeing technology, personal and vicarious Education in ICT Interest in innovation, new products and services Interest in information about the world Attitudes towards technically mediated or interactive activities. Particular experiences, personal habits and routines, myths and beliefs about ICTs, 3.5.2 Network The personal network is those people we have relationships with in our daily life. It ranges from close and intimate relationships of family friends, through colleagues in ‘public life’ to casual, weak relationships, acquaintances etc. These relationships can be voluntary or obligatory, friendly or hostile, or anywhere in between. Networks associated with life projects e.g. family, work colleagues, friends from other activities Knowledge and resources associated with networks: The network brings with it knowledge and resources, obligations, division of responsibility and resources). Shared myths of social groups in the networks, History of relationships, shared experiences, knowledge of and about those in the network. Symbols with meaning exclusive or special to the network. Cross over of networks. Different networks in our lives can be kept separate or overlap. People have different sorts of networks – strong, close, highly connected, weak and dispersed, radial – an individual is part of several not overlapping networks. Self-perception within network, Relates to our own perception of our place within a network – our status, value, contribution etc. Chapter 3: Methodology and Design Functional and symbolic roles in networks: Responsibilities, status, influence, specialisation, demands. This includes what we do in the network, and how we are respected – the moral and the ‘economic’ roles and the stereotypes and images of others in the networks. At the level of ICTs there are: ß ß ß ß ß People in network who use new technology Those who are trusted and accessible for information and advice Those who are considered examples, opinion leaders Status of technology knowledge and use in a relationship Use of technology in mediating relationships 3.5.3 Activities These are the things we do – they are not always rationally explained by goals, and often emerge from compromises and restrictions, as much as from voluntary choice. Activities include routine ‘everyday’ activities. They include maintain and developing relationships, motivation and goals, actions, consumption, creation and production, communication, and learning. Current life projects The activities that make up and support our life projects i.e. Work status, family status, leisure interests. These life projects are linked closely to life stage. These include all the things we do as part of jobs, studying, maintaining our relationships, managing our home, being a citizen, and a consumer. Childhood Adolescence Leaving home Student Early unemployment 20s Early Family Delayed Single Delayed Family Maturity in work Older children Motherhood Children leaving home Divorce Second Family ‘Empty Nest II’ Early retirement Young elderly Old Elderly Table 2 Possible Life stages Current Goals and motivations: (Why, what) These are specific to life projects and to more general life themes, and are the reasons why we undertake (most of) our activities. Chapter 3: Methodology and Design Priorities and pressures: Limits of time, space, efficiencies sought – we prioritise activities according to pressures and restrictions, often trading off between different demands, projects and motivations. Interactions: Many of our activities are related to our interactions with others: our network Crossover between life projects: Management of boundaries: we have activities aimed at maintaining boundaries between different areas of life, or trying to bridge them. Knowledge associated with activities: Tacit and explicit knowledge related to activities. Myths associated with the activities and the institutions. Knowledge needed to perform activities: At the level of ICTs: ß ß ß ß ß ß ß ß Activities using ICTs Activities where ICTs currently in common use Activities where use of ICTs are currently being innovated Communication circles and patterns Information work – processing information, finding information Education Activities were there is pressure for efficiency improvements Time hungry activities 3.5.4 Events Events are particular sorts of activities that take a short time to achieve and stand out as remarkable against normal activities. They normally involve a change in regular or routine activities and have a significant effect, but can themselves be cyclical or regular as well as unique. Appropriation and domestication process events are very important as they often mark important stages in personalisation, in changing attitudes, in making rules, learning and in changing relationships. Events picked up on in the interviews were those that occurred before or during the period of study. Since this was done by self reporting, only the events that they found significant to the questions (which were varied) were reported. However the questioning was designed to reveal a range of events. Chapter 3: Methodology and Design One class of events I call ‘life events’. I group life events into two categories, major, those that have involve upheaval, and minor, things that may not involve much change, but can be the opportunity or cause of change. Of course there is cross-over, and with hindsight a minor event could be the cause of major change (a new friendship that ends in marriage, or a new interest that leads to a career or major leisure activity). Major life events are events that involve considerable material, relationship and symbolic upheaval. They include marriage, divorce, changing job, major injury, moving house, starting and finishing education, redundancy, entering relationship. How these effect different people is of course a subject for other research, but for my purposes, I see them as important trigger events, and the research shows they can have some considerable effect both in the material acquisition of ICTs. Minor events include minor illness, holidays, buying large items, promotion, making new friends, new activities. Life events: Significant events in life projects – often changing points between one project and a new one. Annual events: Regular practical and symbolic events that are marked by activities of the individual or shared in their group, organisation. Often mark cycles of life, and can be connected to particular life projects. Some may be linked to a subculture, others drawn from more universal culture (public holidays, festivals) Network events: Events that involve the network, these particularly relate to forging or changing relationships. Boundary events: The boundary event initially marks the change from one regime to another, but can also be an event that confirms the boundary when it is challenged. For example, boundaries in relationships, domains in life, the start and end of life projects, the making of rules. Often they are symbolic activities marking other changes (e.g. beating the bounds, initiation rites, and special anniversaries). I also include events that become important in defining boundaries, or for breaking them down: e.g. getting a computer that enables work to be done at home, a decision not to get a computer to keep home and work separate, a family decision to limit TV viewing for children. Appropriation events: Chapter 3: Methodology and Design Related to technology events – but particularly to do with the adoption of new innovations, and important events in the appropriation and integration of them. Technology events: Remarkable events with the use and adoption of technology, maybe a number of small events that are linked together in the mind of the respondent. One of the problems of one-off interviews is to try and understand how people change their minds, and when. One model would be to assume that there are specific events or experiences during which people either gain information, or have to make decisions and analyse and take evaluate that information or knowledge according to their values, circumstances, goals, relationships and resources. However, under this model how ‘large’ or explicit are these events. For some people there may be definite times when decisions or knowledge and attitude formation, affirmation or change occurred. For others there may be a slow accumulation of knowledge, through minor events, or for example, constant use of a technology. Any event may also only be a marker or a crisis point in some underlying situation, something that is the cummulation of chronic problems, or a trigger that tips the balance in favour of adoption. Equally there may be a decision against adoption. A vaguely neutral or negative position may be crystallised by a particular event. Sometimes it is an event from outside (e.g. the arrival of a bill), or an individual deciding that enough is enough. 3.5.5 BEAN and models of consumption and Domestication The analysis was helped by linking the BEAN framework to two other analytic frameworks, the domestication model and the consumption model of Holt (1995). By working with these I was able to derive grid indicating a range of issues to look for in relation to how people used and interpreted ICTs both in use and in the process of domestication. Again, these were used as a guide in the analysis of the data, rather than as boxes to be filled in from to illustrate every possible combination. Chapter 3: Methodology and Design Activities Experience mediated by work, domestic, leisure, social activities Network Experience in context of other people – their influence. Events Context or trigger for adoption shapes experience Personal History Attitudes built over time and experience Integration Integration of ICTs through everyday activities. Meanings through using/doing Integration in a social space (moral economy) Meanings through sharing.? Appropriation at a time of change. Integration work time learning Classification Classification against other specialities in institutions Others to classify oneself with and against in relation to ICTs Play Activities that are shared around ICT use, maintenance, purchase etc The people with whom innovations, adoption, use are shared. Developing relationships around ICTs Bring into contact with new people, obliged to reconsider identity Shared events Personal capacity to appropriate and personalise ICTs and innovations developed through experience (scripts, creativity) Attitudes to others v.v. ICTs developed over time and experiences Experience (Subjective) Table 3 The BEAN approach and. Holt’s consumption model Past experiences of using and adopting innovations and ICTs Chapter 3: Methodology and Design Activities Appropriation Objectification Network Events Personal History Appropriation imposed from outside, or seen as fitting activities of household – from work to media use. Activities enable appropriation (resources, money, knowledge) Object brought into the home and placed relevant to activities intended for: work, play, individual or group use. Discussion, debate within household, and with, networks outside – enrolling expertise, and resources Event for whole household – e.g. moving, or for individual e.g. new job, school. Or regular event, e.g. Christmas. Media event Past experiences of ICTs in the home, and the experiences of individuals appropriating from outside Debate over where it should be placed, in what context, how it can be moved. Who is in control; Who is expert set. Discussions of new acquisition Routines of sharing, Emerging rules of use, disputes over use, sharing, discussion integrated into routines, everyday life. Changing relationships of control, expertise. Tool to challenge or re-enforce. Bringing knowledge, attitudes from outside network in, developing knowledge that is translated out again. Attitudes of those outside. Changing boundaries. Others come into to use†¦ Conflict over changing boundaries The installation event, ceremony, the gift giving event, Previous experience with ICTs of different sorts, Breaking points, rule making points, particular events demanding use, decisions to restrict, change use, upgrade, Attitudes to others v.v. ICTs developed over time and experiences. Preexisting routines how they fit new acquisition, preexisting hierarchies Events: use of ICT for/by people from outside. Particular discussions outside home, experiences outside that are brought in, real or electronic. Willingness to share home experience with outside, pre-existing relationships with outside. Incorporation Integration into the activities in the home, routines of space and time – changes in activities Changing existing routines and activities (e.g. displacement, replacement of activities) Conversion Changing boundary of activities. Use of ICT at home that change outside activities (e.g. work routines) bring activities into the home – e.g. socialising in home, electronic or ‘real’. Reinforcement of boundary. Table 4 The BEAN approach and the domestication model 3.6 Preparative Work and Reflections on the Research Process In preparing the research, and developing an understanding of the process I would be investigating in others, I reflected on my own experience and everyday life, using a number of the tools from the literature and those I was developing myself. As I Chapter 3: Methodology and Design developed the research from the original rather different conception, and noticed a number of issues that would subsequently become important. These tools included keeping a diary of my own social network and contacts, and a diary of my own adoption of the mobile telephone, in the context of the issues raised by the BEAN, Domestication and Consumption models, recording my own subjective reactions and thoughts and learning, the practical aspects of learning and using a mobile phone, particular events, and the reactions of other others over a period of two years (These are given in the Appendix). This gave considerable insights into a personal technology that created ambivalence and crossed over into all domains of life, and into the way I could engage with those I was interviewing, and the sort of issues I would have to investigate. Finally, in parallel to the formal research, I was continually watching the way I saw people using and talking about new ICTs, and asking for stories, which were usually forthcoming in response to finding out what I was investigating. These stories reinforced what I was finding in the interviews, and in many ways pushed the direction of the research. One aspect was constant trade in ICTs between people, gifts, sharing etc. Second was the importance of individuals who were enthusiasts and earlier adopters in their social networks, who provided resources, help and encouragement for others. This was true for groups of experienced users, who needed someone to keep them updated on new technology, and for novices who needed a first step on the ladder. Third were the constant problems that were encountered, and the stress that went along with the benefits of use. A number of events also prompted and encouraged my research. One of these was a major trial in the US of an English au pair accused of murdering a child in her care. At the time of the judgement the judge chose to put the verdict on the Internet. He did this not out because the Justice Department had instigated it as a policy, but because his son had persuaded him it was an good thing to do. This was a very public demonstration of the cross-over of influence between home and work in the adoption of the Internet. Chapter 3: Methodology and Design 1 Interpretative or ‘qualitative’ research, developed in the 20th century based on the ethnographic research of the Chicago school, especially George Herbert Mead. Herbert Blumer, who developed the ideas of Symbolic Interactionalism based on the work Mead suggests â€Å"The task of scientific study is to lift the veils that cover the area of group life that one proposes to study† (Blumer, 1969)p.39. Interpretative research stresses the importance of the individual and intersubjective interpretation in understanding social processes, but also in the actual practice of social science – there is the’ double hermeneutic’ (Giddens 1976) of the researcher interacting and interpreting Mead (1934) in (Prus, 1996)) the social situation that is being studied. The ethnographic method calls for the researcher to put themselves in the shoes of the other person (Berger and Luckmann, 1966), to share the reality of the ‘life-world’ of the other. Al though a theoretical basis is important, the researcher should use ‘inspection’ with a great deal of flexibility to investigate presumptions. The social situation should be approached from different angles and be imaginative, free, flexible, creative. Interpretative research stresses the importance of the individual and intersubjective interpretation in understanding social processes, but also in the actual practice of social science – there is the’ double hermeneutic’ (Giddens 1976) of the researcher interacting and interpreting (Mead (1934) in (Prus, 1996)) the social situation that is being studied. However, what ever the lengths a researcher may go to take the other’s stand point they are inevitably going to interpret the social situation according to a formal and informal logic that they bring to the research process. What a researcher should do therefore is to try and make explicit both to themselves, and to their readers is not only the theoretically imposed interpretative window or frame, but the emotional, personal and contingent influences on their interactions with the those whose liv es that are studying and on the interpretative process. 2 Desjeux et al. (Desjeux, Taponier et al., 1997) suggest four main dimension of investigation of the everyday to investigate the link between the social and the technical : Delegation of responsibility, to machines, to other people in the social network, and to commercial providers; Routines; Planning of activities; Improvisation. 3 Shopping is an area where there is considerable promise for new technology for home shopping, information gathering etc. There are very different types of use of technology in different retail outlets and for different goods, and different goods lend to mail order etc. Mail order is also an established business used by may people, from books and CDs, to clothes, consumer electronics, white goods, almost anything. The mail order market serves different groups. Catalogues that sell a wide range of goods are generally providing a planned credit service for low income purchasers. Other products such as books and music are sold though clubs and mail order because overheads are lower, and they service a regular purchasing habit. They can also provide a greater choice, and operate on lower overheads than high street retailers. There are specialist mail order services for products that are not normally available except in specialist shops, and mail order companies can offer better prices based on lower overheads and economies of scale from a country wide or global market. There are also more and more single range or brand name mail order services from high street retailers and others, for whom mail order is a form of direct marketing. They run services as a complement to high street operations. Mail order and use of direct marketing information resources has been a big area of development in multimedia around mass market e-commerce