Socrates and his trial Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Socrates and his trial - Research Paper Example In addition, more knowledge about the teachings and life of Socrates are available through the memoirs of Xenophon (Aristophanes, Irvine and Plato 14). Historical records describe Socrates as an individual who neglected his personal affairs in order to spend much of his time discussing a number of concepts, which include piety, justice as well as virtue. He taught his fellow citizens at all places whenever they congregated around him to hear his teachings. These citizens usually gathered around him in order to seek wisdom about how to conduct them justly and right. They wanted this kind of knowledge in order to shape and guide the moral as well as the intellectual improvement of their community, Athens. Socrates used a powerful method in dialogue known as the Socratic Dialogue or Dialect in order to draw forth knowledge and understanding from his students. He did this through his pursuit of a series of questions posed at the students as well as examining the implications of the answe rs that they gave for the questions (Aristophanes, Reeve and Xenophon 45). Socrates valued morality so much that he equated virtue with the knowledge of the true self of an individual. He argued that nobody in his or her clear and pure mind committed a wrong act knowingly or intentionally. In addition, Socrates looked down upon the soul. He claimed that the soul was the seat of both moral character as well as waking consciousness. He also argued that the universe was purposively mind-ordered. As such, he gravely criticized the religious as well as the political institutions of the Athenians and the Sophists. These criticisms made him so many enemies that Aristophanes burlesqued his position in the society. As such, the authorities feeling offended by the criticisms from Socrates decided to fix him by putting him through trails and charging him for corrupting the people (Danzig 23). These enemies made true their threats and held Socrates accountable for the teachings he gave his foll owers about justice, virtue and morality within the society. In 399 B.C, Socrates faced trial with charges of corrupting the morals o the youth within Athenian, as well as facing accusations for religious heresies. Most people believe in the modern times that the arrest of Socrates stemmed primarily from the influence that he held over Critias as well as Alcibiades, who in an earlier perspective betrayed Athens in one way or another. He faced conviction from his charges without many pleas to argue out his innocence. He resisted all the attempts and efforts made to rescue or save his life from impending death. He got a death sentence, whereby he was to drink a cup of poisoned hemlock, and he did this willingly (Johnson). All these accounts of the life and trial of Socrates are only available through the stories made by Plato in the Phaedo, Crito and Apology. Consequently, the death of Socrates through drinking of poisonous hemlock marks one of the most famous usages of the poison in early history. Socrates, whom most philosophers, as well as, the Greek descendants consider him as the father of Greek philosophy, faced trial for impiety and corruption of the youths of Athens with his teachings and criticisms. He became a controversial figure in the city of Athens and as such created many enemies through the hatred that he aroused in many of the people he criticized their way of life or traditions, such as the religious factions and the political dispensations. He therefore created many

FORENSIC ACCOUNTING Money Laundering and organized Finance

FORENSIC ACCOUNTING Money Laundering and organized Finance Money laundering poses a serious threat to individuals, businesses, financial systems, markets and governments as this financial crime affect the health of human beings and destruct the development of a country, for example developing countries loses billions every year to countries such a Switzerland. In the recent years White Collar crime has become the potential threat to the continued existence of capitalists economy , which now force the international and regional government begin to acknowledge that money laundering has become a threat to the global economy development, financial systems as well as to the global community. Due to the growing of organised crime such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, terrorism and tax evasion. Money laundering is believed to be the third industry by some academic researchers, with an estimated 2% to 5% of gross domestic products (GDP) of the world. This essay will also provide a literature review in order to better understand the theories of money laundering and the roles and responsibilities of professional bodies. Which also include the review of international and national policies and legislation frameworks designed to prevent money laundering? Final the finding and recommendations of this essay clearly shows evidence which suggest that professionals are vectors and advisers of money laundering, therefore, such illicit seems to be made easy by various professions who collaborate and contribute to this growing problem, in particularly the banks, professional bodies such as Auditors, Accountants and Lawyers, are argued to play a pivotal role in smoothing the progress for money launders to conceal the proceeds of their corrupt activities INTRODUCTION This study will attempt to examine the relationship between money laundering and Fraud, as well as its global network and the seriousness of these crimes effects in the global economy and the social consequences for the international community. Furthermore, put in plan words the problem of money laundering in the UK, reflecting on whether anti-money laundering laws introduced in the past decades has in some why improved the control of this criminal activity. Summers (2000), states that the observable fact of money laundering is a characteristic of organized crime with researcher and academic estimating that the money laundering generate about US$100 billion; while the British Intelligence estimated that the total amount being laundered annually is about US$500 billion..The illicit drug trade alone is estimated to generate about US$300 billion of which a significant part would require laundering; this is also supported by Wolfensohn (2002). As there are many studies that critically examine money laundering and the factors that contribute to money laundering etc, there are still few and far between studies actually looking into the factors that contribute to the increase of money laundering in developing countries and match up to whether developed countries preaching for regulations and monitoring money laundering to the rest of the world , while ignoring their contribution in promoting this complex crime in developing countries indirect and direct. Problem statement White Collar crime has become the potential threat to the continued existence of capitalists economy. Money laundering for instance is assumed to take a large portion of white collar crime global, as statistics predict that almost 5% of the world gross domestic product (GDP) is lost to money laundering each year (IMF, Website ). Research aim and objectives The primary objective of this essay is to explore and identify the level that underpins the bureaucracy of money laundering, looking at both point of views (Developed Countries perspective and developing countries point of view), and measuring the preventing of money laundering. Also as to give comment on the accuracy to whether the join combat efforts are realistic. Research methodology The present study is an attempt to explore and explain the international legal systems in combating money laundering and fraud the legal framework in the global scale. The methodology of this study will gather information from secondary sources, which are already in publication, such as academically journals, books, professional articles, the internet and any other publications (Sekaran, 1992). Furthermore, the study will make an effort to find out the relevance of the information so as to possible present appropriately, to explore some of the factors that are part of the cause to money laundering and fraud. Therefore as the study will be only based on published secondary information we will reach a conclusion that does not point toward our own opinion but the critically review of the conclusion of the previous studies in this have concluded. Assumptions made in this report As the definition of money laundering constitutes a range of dynamic criminal activities, this study make assumption that money laundering includes trafficking, fraud, corruption and terrorism as all these crimes share a common feature, which lead to proceeds of illicit being laundered in some way or another. Therefore, all these above mentioned crimes are to be money laundering for this study. Investigation Outline The first section of this essay will provide a brief introduction of the objectives and assumptions made throughout the essay, as well as attempt to introduce the research question and give an overview of the subject area. This will be followed by the second section, which reviews previous studies and the critics of the conclusions of these studies. Section three will then briefly communicate the theories of money laundering and the factors that cause money laundering developing countries, followed by a short history and the definition accepted by this essay. Section four will provide evidence found by this study and a critically suggestions. Finally section five will reach a conclusion. Literature Review In order to understand the present and future of money laundering, it is important to first give a brief explanation of the background history of its origin. According to Bosworth et al, (1994), money laundering originated in the USA during the 1930s, Despite the fact that there are several publications studies in the literature of critically examining the subject area, their point of view seem to give attention to the legal and regulatory framework, adding to analysing the stages of cash placement or analyzing causes and remedies of legislations that contribute to money laundering, however, there is little done, in other words a number of empirical studies are rather limited to study whether there is a linkage between the developing and developed countries, and if are there any lessons learned? According to a study by Wolfensohn (2002), stated that at least US$1trillion is believed to laundered every year using progressively more highly developed methods such as the wiring transfer of funds across boarders, in addition these complex methods involve employing services and advice of professionals such financial advisers and accountants (Sikka, 2003; Arnold and Sikka, 2001; Aloba, 2002; Bakre, 2007;). Mitchell et al., (1996) study exposed actions carried out by some of these professionals and companies in Accounting such as Jackson Company; Grant Thornton Partners; Coopers and Lybrand; and a cabinet minister in the UK government, who were all caught up in money laundering of illegal transferring money from AGIP to Kinz Joallier SARL. The professional body of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) was passed on with the case to investigate the professional misconduct of its members. Even though the High Court had previously dealt with the case and gave its own judgment, which found that the two Accountants who were caught up in the act of money laundering, the courts ruling stated that these professionals actually knew that their action were against the law and obviously laundering money, the Judge found them guilty, however the professional body itself (ICAEW) it appears that did not view it the same way as the Court did. Furthermore when the investig ation and disciplinary committee of the ICAEW was criticised it argued in defence that it was not provided with insufficient evidence to warrant the bringing of a disciplinary case against any of its members in this case of money laundering (see Letter of May 9, 1994). On the other hand, BCC I investigated the global closure in 1991 and uncovered a massive amount of criminal activities including money laundering in a number of countries around the world, which involved bribery of government officials, arms trafficking, the sales of nuclear technologies, the support of terrorism, tax evasion, and smuggling operations, as well as massive financial frauds (Arnold and Sikka, 2001). According to the 400 page report by Arnaud Montebourge (2001) The City is an impenetrable fortress with a status, rights and custom of its own, a closed universe where every financier, banker or businessman chooses silence above all else. The report stated that it had taken the British an extraordinary amount of time to respond to Swiss tip-offs before ordering 19 banks to freeze funds linked to former Nigerian ruler, Sanni Abacha [BBC News, October 10, 2001]. A Harvard-educated Colombian economist, Franklin Jurado, used the services of accountants to launder $36 million in profits, from US cocaine sales for the late Colombian drug lord Jose Santacruz-Londono, by wiring it out of Panama, through the offices of Merrill Lynch and other financial institutions, to Europe. In three years, he opened more than 100 accounts in 68 banks in nine countries: Austria, Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, and Monaco. Some of the accounts were opened in the names of Santacruzs mistresses and relatives, others under assumed European-sounding names. Keeping balances below $10,000 to avoid investigation, Jurado shifted the funds between the various accounts. He established European front companies with the eventual aim of transferring the clean money back to Colombia, to be invested in Santacruzs restaurants, construction companies, pharmacies and real estate holdings (UN, 1998) cited in Garnaut, J. (2006). According to the UN General Assembly, corrupt politicians, government officials and other criminal organizations increasingly sub-contract the task of money laundering to specialized professionals (such as accountants, lawyers and bankers) because the methods required to circumvent law enforcement officials are becoming ever more complex (see UN Special Session on the World Drug Problem 8-10 June, 1998). Professionals (such as Accountants, lawyers and bankers) are used not only to conceal the origin of the source of the proceeds, but to manage the subsequent investment into legitimate real estate and other assets. Money Laundering Introduction In anticipation of comparatively recently notion of money laundering were subjects that, although continuously reported and chattered about, were not studied to a great extent. it gives a quite out of the ordinary impression for the fact that well know crime stories such as the Medellin cartel to the notorious Al-Qaida network that have been taking place up to the September 11. Therefore, this can be arguable that beyond doubt it point out that organised crime has evolved a great deal fitting itself into a far-reaching socio-political changes, complex technological developments and diverse culture environments. According to Murilo Portugal, Deputy Managing Director of the IMF: Global financial stability hinges on collective action at the international level, but also on effective national systems. Robust anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism regimes are an important pillar of the international regulatory and supervisory system and part and parcel of the current efforts to strengthen the global financial framework.. Therefore, due to the out of the ordinary of money laundering and the new developing complexity of the techniques used by launders it is hard to keep accurate information of this sort of crime. What is Money Laundering? Although the observable fact of money laundering has taken on increase attention, from every country in the world its notion is still a controversy in the criminological phraseology. In anticipation of the concept of money laundering phrase, which has almost been talked about and documented over for the past seven decades, it is extraordinary that this subject has been given fewer research studies, regardless of the fact that organised crime has been part of the society for such a long time. Money laundering has been defined as the cover up of unlawfully get your hands on assets or proceeds so the can be then made to appear as they have been acquired in a lawfully manner. On the other hand, money laundering can mean different thing to different countries and organisation as there are variations on the definition of money laundering, nevertheless, almost certainly accepted definition that fit within the framework and the global idea intended to provide a global definition of money laundering is the one outlined (UN Organised Crime Convention). Article 6 of the convention regards the following conduct as money laundering: (i) the conversion or transfer of property, knowing that such property is the proceeds of crime, for the purpose of concealing or disguising the illicit origin of the property or of helping any person who is involved in the commission of the predicate offence to evade the legal consequences of his or her action; (ii) The concealment or disguise of the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement or ownership of or rights with respect to property, knowing that such property is the proceeds of crime; (iii) The acquisition, possession or use of property, knowing, at the time of receipt, that such property is the proceeds of crime. According to FATF, money laundering is defined as: . . . the processing of a enormous number of criminal acts to generate profit for individual or group that carries out the act with the intention to disguise their illegal origin in order to legitimize the ill gotten gains of crime. Any crime that generates significant profit extortion, drug trafficking, arms smuggling and some kind of white collar crime may create a need for money laundering (FATF). The process of money Laundering Alternatively money laundering operates in the same manner as a lawful business in terms of the financial operations. Therefore money launders in their set of business operations act upon the intention of introducing funds originated from criminal activities into the economy so that it appears legitimate. For this to be achieved funds or proceeds need to pass through a long way before it take on the appearance of a legal financial transaction. The procedures used in a money laundering process, theoretically, include three all-embracing stages known as placement, layering and integration. (I) Placement: This is the first stage in the money laundering process. It involves the introduction of the proceeds of criminal activity into the main stream financial system. This may involve the opening of bank account with genuine or fictitious names and the subsequent lodgement of funds in the account. This is the most vulnerable stage; (ii) Layering: This process involves the creation of a complex layer of financial transactions with the aim of evading the audit trail. The launderer may as well decide to purchase high valued commodities such as automobiles, jewellery, etc., and exporting to a different jurisdiction. Or better still, it may involve the purchase of shares of companies at the stock market; (iii) Integration: This stage involves the recycling of the laundered wealth to the direct benefit of the Launderer to appear as if it was derived from legitimate activity .It may involve the selling off of some valuable items which were purchased during the layering process. Causes of Money Laundering In a recent study ( cited on Ribeiro, 2002:Galvao, 2000); it is argued that money laundering causes bizarre changes, such as when the demand of money increases it also increases the risk and precariousness of the banking sector and financial systems. In addition, money laundering creates corruption, fraud, bribery, white collar crime and all other financial crimes. It is also worth contemplating whether some of the key drivers of money laundering in developing countries are due to the complexes of western regulations? According to Linell (1999), the western countries such as USA UK, approach the challenge against money laundering from a cost to benefit approach. For example the enforcement officers evaluate the cost of resources and compare it with the value of the crime in order for them to investigate; evidently this is an open door to launders to curse developing countries. Another report by Moore (2004), accuses Britain to be a safe Haven for money laundering. Moores reports fou nd fairly estimate that between  £25bn to  £40bn of dirty money is laundered in the UK each year from all over the world. This opens a question to whether globalization and technology, developed countries and professionals could be the main drivers of money laundering in developing countries (Killick, M. (2004). Globalisation and Technology To understand how increasing technology can have an adverse effect on money laundering, it is worth reflecting why the criminal considered technology as their shelter to hide their proceeds. Drawing attention to the revolutionary impact of technological advancement on organized crime, particularly money laundering as well as the concept of globalization, it is clear for one to argue that the combination of these two has deregulated the simply customs of state control over their own territory or location. There is no doubt even there is a lack of academically evidence to support this, globalization and technology has created more opportunities for criminality than it has for preventing them committing these crimes. for example, Tinker (1980), argues that globalisation has created profit generation organisations, such as the MNCs that work against the moral of local economy, particularly in developing countries. Money Laundering and the Professions in Developing Countries What is the relationship between the professionals such as the Accountants, Auditor and the Lawyers, and money laundering within the developing countries? Can their role be found been in a contradictory to be of capital accumulation ambition. According to Hoogvelt and Tinker, 1978 the money launders and the professional groups are seen as a protection of capitalism for the developed capitalist countries. For this reasons, capitalistic purpose of the Western economic powers, reflected within the formation of the multinational corporations (MNCs) as well as other overseas capitalists which produce offsprings of capitalist relations in developing countries, is arguable be the cause of contradictory placement between the corrupt ruling leaders and those you have influential powers in developing countries and the good governance, accountability and transparency-preaching Western capitalist world ( Bakre, 2005, 2006a). Wade, 1996 suggested that the alleged reason of bringing investments to developing countries is mainly based on the highly praised globalization. On the other hand, one can question whether globalisation benefits these developing countries. Hirst and Thompson, 1996, argue that this capital mobility is not in point of fact turning out a substantial shift of investment and employment from the developed countries to the developing countries. Therefore, the notion that these developed countries and globalisation would be of assistance to boast the economies of these developing countries. This seems to suggest that the MNCs and other foreign capitalists operating in foreign countries may not be relied upon to subordinate their own capitalistic interest to the interest of those countries where they operate, especially developing countries. However, the notion that the developed capitalist economies would help to jump start and boost the economies of developing countries through investments, which would eventually get rid of corruption and poverty, has been the acclaimed cornerstone of globalization ( Groom, 2001). Accountants and Auditors The external auditors, PriceWaterhouse, were in the dual position of acting as private consultants and tax advisors to the BCCI management to further their private interests, while the State was relying upon them to perform public interest functions by acting as an external monitor and independent quasi-regulator (Arnold and Sikka, 2001). For this reason, it can be argued that Britain and other western countries are still providing safe haven for money launderers and those who commit financial crimes (Moore, 2004). Another evidence is found in the document on BBC News website( ),it accuses Londons development to be clearly doing well as a result of its banking secrecy codes, which ignores the publics interest. Another example is the report by the African Business (online), which claim hundreds of billions of rand from white-collar crime have been laundered through South Africas financial system, but no convictions have yet been made (African Business, July 1, 2002). Deloitte Touchà © forensic services manager, Rupert Haw, says the global trend suggests that crime bosses earn their income in developing countries but invest it in more secure and sophisticated financial systems in developed countries (African Business, July 1, 2002) The Duty to Report Unlawful Conducts. It is obvious that for effective enforcements to tackle money laundering and fraud, the state should put in place a clear role of reporting duties for individuals and companies as well as professional boards involved in preventing. According to Masciandaro and Portolano (2003) Barret (1997), money laundering threatens the growth of the economy and the socioeconomic development of a country. Therefore, the development and robust economy can only achieved if both developing countries and developing countries put a balancing effort in combating money laundering, such as good governance and regulations that are not charlatan. From this perspective, the next following paragraphs will provides the evidence, which suggests that the developing countries and its ruling elites, public bodies, professional bodies and individuals as mentioned above are hypocrites in their role to prevent money laundering in developing countries. According to a report Hypocrisy of the developed countries and global bodies: evidences Money laundering is a global problem which significantly affects both developed and developing countries. This essay suggests that the problem should be tackled by both developed and developing countries, rather than shifting the burden on poor developing nations that have no resources to combat this global crime [Ekaette, 2002]. At the same time, readily available evidence indicates that some authorities in African countries steal government funds that are meant to serve the public and wire the money into some implicit accounts in banks in England, Switzerland, France, Germany, the USA, the Cayman Islands and Bahamas and [Agabi, 2002]. As in the case of the former Zaire (Congo) President Mabuto Seseko who was helped by the British government to win the elections in a fraudulent way. Furthermore, during is time in power it is claimed the western opportunely looked the other way and maintained their silence, while he was stealing the state money, laundering funds into overseas bank accounts (mainly Switzerland). With the continued protest from the several developing countries to those countries that function as haven for ransack funds from developing countries to assist in the recovery of the stolen funds in their banks, many of the countries, particularly the former colonial power, Britain, have refused to cooperate. While some others (such as Switzerland) have been promising to cooperate, sometimes these promises end up not being followed by these Countries. Secondly, from a developing countrys point of view, the Western countries uses criticisms of the developing countries as in the case of (Mabuto Seseko) as a means of benefiting from the issue of money laundering, while pretending to be implementing actions of the same anti-money laundering and anti-corruption preaching Western economic powers suggest hypocrisy. For example, while countries such as South Africa and Nigeria, and 28 other developing countries have so far given their support to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, except France, all the other member countries of the so called Financial Action Task Force, FATF, that have been jointly threatening Africa countries economic sanctions, have not yet endorse the UN Conventions Against Corruption (see This Day, June 9, 2007). Moreover, it was during the 2002 meeting on the Global Organisation of Parliamentary against Corruption (GOPAC) that Australia, Canada and Italy  [1]  made pledges to set in motion machiner y to amend their banking laws to facilitate easy recovery of the developing countries looted funds in the banks in their countries [The Guardian, November 5, 2002]. Strangely enough, while countries such as USA, Britain, France, Germany, and Switzerland which serve as havens for looted funds from African countries expressed serious concern over the growing incidence of corruption especially in developing countries, such pledges were not made by any of these countries. For example in the case of , Raul Salinas de Gotari, brother of the former President of Mexico, Carlos Salinas de Gotari was able to transfer $90 million to $100 million between 1992 and 1994 by using a private banking relationship formed by Citibank New York in 1992 (see US General Accounting Office, 1999). The funds were transferred through Citibank Mexico and Citibank New York to private banking investment accounts in Citibank London and Citibank Switzerland. Yet, Britain and the United States are both powerful and leading member countries of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that claim to be fighting money laundering globally. Conclusion Nonetheless, it is clear from available evidence shown in this essay that money laundering is one of the major challenges faced by the developing countries and if it is not tackled In time it will became the main destructive force to the economic and social development of this countries as it affect economic growth, reduces productivity in the economys real sector by diverting resources and encouraging crime and corruption, and can distort the economys long-term economic development. This essay highlighted observable facts of Money Laundering and its origins, as well as the patterns and implications it has in the developing countries. it is crucial to make a note of the hypocrites approach the western countries take, however a accurately study is recommended to effectively identify whether this claims exist. The resources against money laundering should be strengthened to ensure that the professional and MNCs wont continue to abuse the financial systems. Final Global responses to the challenges of money laundering should be tighter than at present.

Fusion: Harnessing the Power of the Sun Essay -- physics fusion

History It has been a well-accepted fact that the sun is a source of great power since the early part of this century. In 1929, scientists first theorized that the energy production in stars was created by fusion: nuclear reactions involving light elements reacting to form heavier elements. By the late thirties, H. Bethe had analyzed most of our sun's nuclear fusion cycle. Fusion in our sun is caused when deuterium and tritium, both Hydrogen isotopes, react (in the presence of large amounts of heat) to form Helium, energy, and an extra neutron. Man-made fusion reactions were thought to be impossible until the first uncontrolled fusion reactions were witnessed when nuclear bombs known as "George" and "Mike" were detonated in 1951 and 1952, respectively. Efforts to control fusion energy began in the 1950s. By 1955 scientists had witnessed the enormity of the task. A successful fusion reaction would not only require temperatures in excess of 50x106 K, but would also need to be isolated for a long enough time so the reaction could produce more energy than required to begin the reaction. The most promising fuels for fusion reactions are deuterium, and tritium. Deuterium and tritium both are hydrogen isotopes. Deuterium is a stable isotope and is naturally found in water, while tritium is very unstable, radioactive, and must be man-made. Several methods for containment exist. They include the Tokamak generator, inertial containment, and mirror confinement. The Tokamak Problems with early power plants led to the development of the Tokamak. An old design, known as the linear pinch method, suffered from large energy losses at the ends of the plant and macroscopic plasma instabilities. To overcome these problems, a new design ... ...llion degrees, the fuel ignites and fusion occurs. The reaction then spreads through the compressed capsule, producing energy several times greater than what was deposited by the beams. The majority of research so far involving this type of fusion has dealt with laser beams. These powerful flashes of light, with varied wavelengths and duration, are focused on the capsule to initiate fusion. However, our modern lasers are very inefficient. To be used in a commercial fusion plant, laser technology would first have to greatly improve. Another option in Inertial Confinement is ion beams instead of lasers. The ion beams are much more efficient, but are still very experimental. The biggest problem is the beam's short span. An intense enough beam to cause the reaction only lasts about 10 nanoseconds. To compensate, scientists must compress the beam and make it stronger.

“Death of a Salesman” Detailed Analysis Essay

ARTHUR MILLER Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), The Crucible (1953) and A View from the Bridge Miller was often in the public eye, particularly during the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s, a period during which he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee, received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Prince of Asturias Award, and was married to Marilyn Monroe. SUMMARY It is important to bear that the story is told through the mind and memory of Willy Loman and there is a constant back and forth between two periods ,1928 and 1942.The first period is one of the happiness and contentment when Willy Loman is young and dynamic and the children ,Biff and Happy are running about in shorts ;the second is one of gloom and discontent -Willy is now old and ,virtually out of a job and the children are grown up and gone their different ways. The play is thus structured in such a way to show the pleasures of the past ,the dreams and hopes the characters had and how these aspirations had turned sour. Willy Loman had built his life in such a way that he had finally trapped himself in an impossible situation. Willy Loman ,the protagonist in the play was a travelling salesman in the services of the wagnor company for 34 years. When his old boss died ,his son Howard took over the administration of the company .Willy’s family consists of three other members ,his wife Linda, Biff,the elder son and Happy, the younger son. Willy unexpectedly returned on the same day he had left for New England territory on a business tour. Linda felt that her husband is thoroughly  exhausted both physically and mentally and he has almost reached the breaking point. Willy, who is 63, has driven the car off the road twice or three times and when he reached home he was found to be panic stricken ,desolate and shattered. Willy liked his eldest son Biff,who was wellknown as a football champion. Though he is 34 , it is unfortunate that he could not settle in life. Inspite of the fact that three colleges offered him scholarship in recognition of his proficiency in football, he did not join any college . Happy, the women chaser also could not settle in life. For the next two days, immediately after his unexpected return, Willy’s mind was rather disturbed with thoughts of today’s realities inter mingled with yesterday’s half forgotten episodes. He felt that it was mistake on his part not to have followed his elder brother Ben ,who dared his way into the diamond minds of Africa and amassed fabulous wealth . Willy’s guilty consciousness pricked him at the flash back scene of Boston hotel room, when his son Biff makes a surprise visit and finds his father having an affair with a strange lady .After this episode, Biff seemed to hold a grudge against his father and could never again bring himself to trust Willy. As suggested by Linda, Willy visits Howard, the young Boss and request for a change of job in the New York City office as he is physically and mentally incapacitated as a travelling sales man. When the request was unceremoniously turned down by Howard and Willy dismissed from service he protest â€Å"You ca nnot eat orange and throw the peel away; man is not a piece of fruit†. Willy is very much frustrated and disillusioned at the behavior of capitalists who lacked the human milk of kindness, sympathy and gratitude. Biff’s attempt to raise a loan from Bill Oliver, the proprietor of sports goods company also failed. Oliver, who once liked Biff immensely, now refused to recognise him now because Biff has stolen a fountain pen, Charley ,Willy’s neighbour extended a helping hand in those days of adversity. He ,not only advanced a loan to him but also offered him a job to him. But Willy refused to accept it with a false sense of dignity. The two sons invited the father for a dinner party at a prominent restaurant in the city. But Happy picked up two call girls and left the place along with Biff,  leaving Willy alone. Willy felt humiliated and this experience was shocking and unbearable when Biff and Happy returned home, Linda ordered them out of the house by the next morning. She was planning to commit suicide on a particular night .Willy was left alone while all others went upstairs. He has insured his life for 20,000 dollars. Once he dies, the family will be entitled to receive the amount from the insurance company. So Willy got into his car and drove madly through darkness, only to kill himself. His funeral was attended only by Linda, the two sons, charley and his son Bernard. Linda could not stand the strain of separation from her beloved husband; but still she stooped down and dropped flowers on the grave of Willy. DEATH OF A SALESMAN AS A TRAGEDY: According to the traditional views based on Aristotelian cannons, the tragic hero was to be a person of high rank and status. So that his down fall could produce an inevitable emotional effect on the audience. In ancient Greek tragedies, fate or destiny is mainly responsible for the downfall of human beings. But Shakespeare and Marlow attributed human misfortune mainly to the personal draw backs of the tragic heroes themselves and hardly to the hidden forces which we describe as fate or destiny. Miller generally departs from both these concepts of tragedy as in the tragic hero in the Death of a sales man belongs to the middle class. He does not hold the view that tragic effect can be produced only by the downfall of a highly placed individual in society. It matters not at all whether hero falls from a great height or small one, whether he highly conscious or dimly aware of what is happening ,if the intensity is their ‘America grows like a giant in unimaginable proportions ‘. Willy symbolically stands for all the low men in American business community not just salesmen -who in a way sell themselves. Willy sells himself and in the process wears himself out and he is finally discarded when he is no longer useful. Willy begins as a salesman 36 years ago, opens up unheard of territories to their trade mark, but in his old age they take his salary away. It is pity that once Willy’s energy is exhausted by the work that  society has assigned to him, he is thrown aside and dismissed by the son of his old boss. Willy protests, â€Å"you cannot eat the orange and throw them peel â€Å". Man is not a piece of fruit no doubt ,Willy loman is a superannuated employee, but he is rejected and ill treated by his employer at the end of his career. Even a change of job with less travelling was denied to him. But still it may not be fully correct to say that Willy is wholly a victim of the prevailing social system. His own responsibility of his tragedy is by no means insignificant or negligible. In the first place he failed to realize his own limitations and short comings Willy has the conviction that success depends on personality, contacts and good cloths and that these will bring everything one wants in life. Obviously Willy is a prey to that magical book of Dale carnegie’s ‘How to win friends and influence people ‘ we know that mistake is that Willy had chosen a wrong profession for himself under the impression that the selling profession is the best in the world. Secondly the sense of guilt which he carries with him due to his past infidelity to his wife has also serious repercussions in his mental stability .His affair with the woman in the hotel when he was visited by Biff hangs on his conscience. Biff’s discovery of Willy’s infidelity marks the crucial turning point in the relationship between the father and the son .There after Biff no longer believes Willy . Another point to be noted is Willy’s incurable optimism .He has had higher expectation about the future of his elder son Biff who looks so charming as the Adonise in Greek mythology and who has earned high reputation as a good football champion. Biff has become disillusioned .For Biff ,life came to be an end with his match. He could neither make a mark in business nor could he go back to school to finish his course. Ironically Bernard who never represented University of Virginia, Bernard who pleaded to carry Biff’s helmet or shoulder guards , prospered. Bernard wins glory by pleading before the supreme court ,but he does this without any pushing from his father. According to Willy, they ought to be success at all; for both Charley and Bernard were not well liked. These tragic experiences shatter Willy’s conception of American dreams. No human or super natural agency interfered his life .The sense of frustration and psychological neurosis upsets his  mental equi librium and shatters him to pieces. CHARACTER LIST WILLY LOMAN: An insecure, self-deluded traveling salesman. Willy believes wholeheartedly in the American Dream of easy success and wealth, but he never achieves it. Nor do his sons fulfill his hope that they will succeed where he has failed. When Willy’s illusions begin to fail under the pressing realities of his life, his mental health begins to unravel. The overwhelming tensions caused by this disparity, as well as those caused by the societal imperatives that drive Willy, form the essential conflict of Death of a Salesman. BIFF LOMAN: Willy’s thirty-four-year-old elder son. Biff led a charmed life in high school as a football star with scholarship prospects, good male friends, and fawning female admirers. He failed math, however, and did not have enough credits to graduate. Since then, his kleptomania has gotten him fired from every job that he has held. Biff represents Willy’s vulnerable, poetic, tragic side. He cannot ignore his instincts, which tell him to abandon Willy’s paralyzing dreams and move out West to work with his hands. He ultimately fails to reconcile his life with Willy’s expectations of him. LINDA LOMAN: Willy’s loyal, loving wife. Linda suffers through Willy’s grandiose dreams and self-delusions. Occasionally, she seems to be taken in by Willy’s self-deluded hopes for future glory and success, but at other times, she seems far more realistic and less fragile than her husband. She has nurtured the family through all of Willy’s misguided attempts at success, and her emotional strength and perseverance support Willy until his collapse. HAPPY LOMAN: Willy’s thirty-two-year-old younger son. Happy has lived in Biffs shadow all of his life, but he compensates by nurturing his relentless sex drive and professional ambition. Happy represents Willy’s sense of self-importance, ambition, and blind servitude to societal expectations. Although he works as an assistant to an assistant buyer in a department  store, Happy presents himself as supremely important. Additionally, he practices bad business ethics and sleeps with the girlfriends of his superiors. CHARLEY- Willy’s next – door neighbor. Charley owns a successful business and his son, Bernard, is a wealthy, important lawyer. Willy is jealous of Charley’s success. Charley gives Willy money to pay his bills, and Willy reveals at one point, choking back tears, that Charley is his only friend. BERNARD – Bernard is Charley’s son and an important, successful lawyer. Although Willy used to mock Bernard for studying hard, Bernard always loved Willy’s sons dearly and regarded Biff as a hero. Bernard’s success is difficult for Willy to accept because his own sons’ lives do not measure up. BEN – Willy’s wealthy older brother. Ben has recently died and appears only in Willy’s â€Å"daydreams.† Willy regards Ben as a symbol of the success that he so desperately craves for himself and his sons. THE WOMAN – Willy’s mistress when Happy and Biff were in high school. The Woman’s attention and admiration boost Willy’s fragile ego. When Biff catches Willy in his hotel room with The Woman, he loses faith in his father, and his dream of passing math and going to college dies. HOWARD WAGNER – Willy’s boss. Howard inherited the company from his father, whom Willy regarded as â€Å"a masterful man† and â€Å"a prince.† Though much younger than Willy, Howard treats Willy with condescension and eventually fires him, despite Willy’s wounded assertions that he named Howard at his birth. STANLEY – A waiter at Frank’s Chop House. Stanley and Happy seem to be friends, or at least acquaintances, and they banter about and ogle Miss Forsythe together before Biff and Willy arrive at the restaurant. MISS FORSYTHE AND LETTA – Two young women whom Happy and Biff meet at Frank’s Chop House. It seems likely that Miss Forsythe and Letta are prostitutes, judging from Happy’s repeated comments about their moral character and the  fact that they are â€Å"on call.† JENNY – Charley’s secretary THEMES, MOTIFS & SYMBOLS THEMES Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. THE AMERICAN DREAM Willy believes wholeheartedly in what he considers the promise of the American Dream- that a â€Å"well liked† and â€Å"personally attractive† man in business will indubitably and deservedly acquire the material comforts offered by modern American life. Oddly, his fixation with the superficial qualities of attractiveness and likeability is at odds with a more gritty, more rewarding understanding of the American Dream that identifies hard work without complaint as the key to success. Willy’s interpretation of likeability is superficial-he childishly dislikes Bernard because he considers Bernard a nerd. Willy’s blind faith in his stunted version of the American Dream leads to his rapid psychological decline when he is unable to accept the disparity between the Dream and his own life. ABANDONMENT Willy’s life charts a course from one abandonment to the next, leaving him in greater despair each time. Willy’s father leaves him and Ben when Willy is very young, leaving Willy neither a tangible (money) nor an intangible (history) legacy. Ben eventually departs for Alaska, leaving Willy to lose himself in a warped vision of the American Dream. Likely a result of these early experiences, Willy develops a fear of abandonment, which makes him want his family to conform to the American Dream. His efforts to raise perfect sons, however, reflect his inability to understand reality. The  young Biff, whom Willy considers the embodiment of promise, drops Willy and Willy’s zealous ambitions for him when he finds out about Willy’s adultery. Biff’s ongoing inability to succeed in business furthers his estrangement from Willy. When, at Frank’s Chop House, Willy finally believes that Biff is on the cups of greatness, Biff shatters Willy’s illus ions and, along with Happy, abandons the deluded, babbling Willy in the washroom. BETRAYAL Willy’s primary obsession throughout the play is what he considers to be Biff’s betrayal of his ambitions for him. Willy believes that he has every right to expect Biff to fulfill the promise inherent in him. When Biff walks out on Willy’s ambitions for him, Willy takes this rejection as a personal affront (he associates it with â€Å"insult† and â€Å"spite†). Willy, after all, is a salesman, and Biff’s ego-crushing rebuff ultimately reflects Willy’s inability to sell him on the American Dream-the product in which Willy himself believes most faithfully. Willy assumes that Biff’s betrayal stems from Biff’s discovery of Willy’s affair with The Woman-a betrayal of Linda’s love. Whereas Willy feels that Biff has betrayed him, Biff feels that Willy, a â€Å"phony little fake,† has betrayed him with his unending stream of ego-stroking lies. MOTIFS Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes. MYTHIC FIGURES Willy’s tendency to mythologize people contributes to his deluded understanding of the world. He speaks of Dave Singleman as a legend and imagines that his death must have been beautifully noble. Willy compares Biff and Happy to the mythic Greek figures Adonis and Hercules because he believes that his sons are pinnacles of â€Å"personal attractiveness† and power through â€Å"well liked†-ness; to him, they seem the very incarnation of the  American Dream. Willy’s mythologizing proves quite nearsighted, however. Willy fails to realize the hopelessness of Singleman’s lonely, on-the-job, on-the-road death. Trying to achieve what he considers to be Singleman’s heroic status, Willy commits himself to a pathetic death and meaningless legacy (even if Willy’s life insurance policy ends up paying off, Biff wants nothing to do with Willy’s ambition for him). THE AMERICAN WEST, ALASKA, AND THE AFRICAN JUNGLE These regions represent the potential of instinct to Biff and Willy. Willy’s father found success in Alaska and his brother, Ben, became rich in Africa; these exotic locales, especially when compared to Willy’s banal Brooklyn neighborhood, crystallize how Willy’s obsession with the commercial world of the city has trapped him in an unpleasant reality. Whereas Alaska and the African jungle symbolize Willy’s failure, the American West, on the other hand, symbolizes Biff’s potential. Biff realizes that he has been content only when working on farms, out in the open. His westward escape from both Willy’s delusions and the commercial world of the eastern United States suggests a nineteenth-century pioneer mentality-Biff, unlike Willy, recognizes the importance of the individual. SYMBOLS Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. SEEDS Seeds represent for Willy the opportunity to prove the worth of his labor, both as a salesman and a father. His desperate, nocturnal attempt to grow vegetables signifies his shame about barely being able to put food on the table and having nothing to leave his children when he passes. Willy feels that he has worked hard but fears that he will not be able to help his  offspring any more than his own abandoning father helped him. The seeds also symbolize Willy’s sense of failure with Biff. Despite the American Dream’s formula for success, which Willy considers infallible, Willy’s efforts to cultivate and nurture Biff went awry. Realizing that his all-American football star has turned into a lazy bum, Willy takes Biff’s failure and lack of ambition as a reflection of his abilities as a father. DIAMONDS To Willy, diamonds represent tangible wealth and, hence, both validation of one’s labor (and life) and the ability to pass material goods on to one’s offspring, two things that Willy desperately craves. Correlatively, diamonds, the discovery of which made Ben a fortune, symbolize Willy’s failure as a salesman. Despite Willy’s belief in the American Dream, a belief unwavering to the extent that he passed up the opportunity to go with Ben to Alaska, the Dream’s promise of financial security has eluded Willy. At the end of the play, Ben encourages Willy to enter the â€Å"jungle† finally and retrieve this elusive diamond-that is, to kill himself for insurance money in order to make his life meaningful. LINDA’S AND THE WOMAN’S STOCKINGS Willy’s strange obsession with the condition of Linda’s stockings foreshadows his later flashback to Biff’s discovery of him and The Woman in their Boston hotel room. The teenage Biff accuses Willy of giving away Linda’s stockings to The Woman. Stockings assume a metaphorical weight as the symbol of betrayal and sexual infidelity. New stockings are important for both Willy’s pride in being financially successful and thus able to provide for his family and for Willy’s ability to ease his guilt about, and suppress the memory of, his betrayal of Linda and Biff. THE RUBBER HOSE The rubber hose is a stage prop that reminds the audience of Willy’s desperate attempts at suicide. He has apparently attempted to kill himself  by inhaling gas, which is, ironically, the very substance essential to one of the most basic elements with which he must equip his home for his family’s health and comfort-heat. Literal death by inhaling gas parallels the metaphorical death that Willy feels in his struggle to afford such a basic necessity. QUESTIONS The play ‘Death of a Salesman’ revolves mainly around a conflict between ? What are the reasons for Willy’s failure as a business man? American dream in the play ‘Death of a salesman’. What is the central theme of the play ‘Death of a salesman’. The father son conflict in the play ‘Death of a salesman’. The hotel scene in the play ‘Death of a salesman’. The role of mother Linda Loman in the play ‘Death of a salesman’. Why did Biff Loman leave the school? The significance of the title’Death of a salesman’. Why did Willy commit suicide? The flash back scene in the play ‘Death of a salesman’. Miller’s play as a critique of the American way of life.

Manage health and social care practice to ensure positive outcomes for individuals Essay

Understand the theory and principles that outcome-based practice 1.1 – Explain â€Å"outcome based practice?† Outcome based care is described as putting the individual/ service user/tenant at the centre of the care service and not prescribing a generic service for everyone. It is about delivering high quality meaningful outcomes to every individual ensuring they live meaningful, fulfilling lives to their fullest potential. Outcome based practice is the way in which we can empower staff to look at and encourage individuals/service users/ tenants to take an active part in the delivery of their care. Empowering them to challenge their own abilities, learn, make informed choices and set achievable and measurable goals and acquire positive outcomes. 1.2 Critically review approaches to outcome based practice? Outcome based practices are reviewed regularly for individuals /service users by reviewing care plans, for staff it is through supervision and appraisal. Both are reviewed looking at what has been done well what we have learnt and how we have adapted to improve areas over the past weeks, months and even years. It is also reviewed through quality assurance as the tenants, their families and staff give feedback. Any issues or conflict that arise as a result can be resolved by working together. The quality assurance manager also audits information to ensure areas are in place and to a high standard, the manager writes reports and feedback is given to support the team. 1.3 Analyse the effects of legislation and policy on outcome based practice? Government legislation ( the health and social care act 2008) is to ensure that outcome based practice is adhered to. Examples of this include the care and protection of vulnerable adults, safeguarding, respect and dignity. These outcomes are also covered in company policies and procedures and  regulation which is governed and enforced by CQC. The purpose of these is to ensure all services users and their families and staff regardless of age creed, colour and sexuality are treated as equals. To promote equal opportunities and empower all to take and active role and responsibility in their own lives setting measurable and achievable goals to make a positive change. 1.4 Explain how outcome based practice can result in a positive change to individual lives? It demonstrates how good support, guaranteed by person-centered planning, can change the path of a person’s life in a positive way. If people who use services are to have positive control over their lives, if they are to have self-directed lives within their own communities then those who are around the person, especially those who do the day to day work need to have person centered thinking skills. Only a small percentage of people need to know how to write good person centered plans, but everyone involved needs to have good skills in person centered thinking, in the value based skills that underlie the planning. Discussion of a model that local authorities could move forward from buying a volume of provision eg hours, days, etc to a process based on the provider delivering a set of pre-determined outcomes. This has ensured greater user satisfaction, greater flexibility of service and support provided. For example one of our tenants has a predetermined amount of hours per week of staff support which she utilizes as she wished and from her perspective can fully meet her support need as it can be flexible and empower her to live a fulfilling life in the manor she wished to at a time that she chooses. Outcome 2 Be able to lead practice that promotes social, emotional, cultural, spiritual and intellectual wellbeing 2.1 Explain the psychology basis for wellbeing? There is no question at all about the fact that psychological health is important with respect to how we function and adapt, and with respect to whether our lives are satisfying and productive. What the researchers argue about is whether psychological health is a single factor, or whether distress and well-being are actually two separate issues. While the argument continues, the verdict is clear: general well-being does not simply mean that you are free from anxiety and depression. It involves something more. But for general purposes, it can usually be said that it’s two sides of the  same coin. Usually, people are either happy or they’re not, and if their mood isn’t good, they are often distressed to some extent. Psychological health and well-being should also not be confused with the question of whether or not you suffer from mental or emotional disorder. The research on well-being concerns itself with the feelings of normal individuals, or subjects from the general population. When we talk about psychological health, we are referring to how ordinary people are doing in life. In other words, if you are feeling distressed, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are mentally ill. Psychological wellbeing is a more sustainable practice and character driven view of wellbeing: Self-acceptance – a major source of wellbeing and living a happy life is self-acceptance, or the attitudes that we hold about ourselves. Self-Growth – Growing as a person and expanding ones knowledge is a life long process. This is about taking a curious view of life and interceded view which enhances us to seek opportunities as a person.

The Right Grammar for the Personal Statement

The Right Grammar for the Personal Statement Grammar means a lot. At the same time, it can be really tricky. If your dream is to become a high class advocate, journalist or professional writer, the abilities to both – write and speak well are the must-haves. Clients, colleagues as well as everyone else you will be interacting with will judge how smart you are by how well you can speak and write. Excellent writing and speaking skills are essential for the personal statement that you may be cracking on with now. Make sure you know how to impress your tutor with the proper grammar of your project. Use Commas You will be surprised to know that commas are important. Make sure to use them when writing a personal statement. First of all, you need comma when writing a list or a series. In case there are only two elements in the list, no need to use comma. Have you got more than two elements in the list? Don’t forget to put comma after each of them, including the one before the â€Å"and†. Short Sentences Stay away from long sentences. Keep your writing concise. In case you see that some of the sentences of the personal are too long, and separated by commas only – or worse, there are no punctuation sings at all – do your best to break the sentences down with more full stops. Me, Myself I If you happen to be the subject of the sentence, â€Å"myself† and â€Å"me† are not the best idea. Have you ever heard the sentences like â€Å"myself likes green† or â€Å"me walks into the kitchen†? Using â€Å"I† is the right choice for the examples mentioned above. One of the worst mistakes in this case is the incorrect plural possessive like the following: â€Å"My aunt and I’s vase†. Sounds dreadful, don’t you think? The right variants will be to say â€Å"our vase†, â€Å"my vase† or even â€Å"the vase my aunt and I use / possess†. Correct Foreign Names and Words When dealing with the unknown words and foreign names, make sure to follow the generally accepted rules – either use of the original form of the names or the English translation. As a rule, students face with this kind of problems, when dealing with the language like Latin, Greek and Danish, etc. that have diagraphs. As an example, take a look at Oedipus and Edipus. While these forms are equally correct, the first one is more generally known and accepted when the question is about the English language. The number one piece of advice for every essay writer may sound as READ THE ESSAY OUT LOUD. That’s right. Make certain to read what you have written from A to Z out loud. Does the essay sound right for you? Even the most inexperienced writers can always say that something does not pleases our ears even if they cannot say what exactly is wrong. It is recommended to circle all the segments of the text that seem to need some correction. Do not forget to give some grammar attention to the mentioned area. CustomWritings.com personal statement writing service can provide you with professional writing assistance on any topic and discipline. Contact us now!

Free Essays on The Crusades

The Crusades The crusades were military expeditions launched against the Muslims by the Christians in an attempt to regain the Holy Land. They took place between 1095 A.D. and 1270 A.D. It was one of the most violent periods in the history of mankind. The starting point of the crusades was on November 18, 1095 A.D. When Pope Urban II opened the Council of Clermont. On November 27, outside the French city of Clermont-Ferrand, the Pope made an important speech. He called upon everyone to help the Christians in the east to restore peace. The crowd's response was very positive. Garments were cut into the shape of a cross, which was attached to people's shoulders in an imitation of Christ (Matthew 10:38). (1) The original object of the First Crusade was to help Christian churches in the east. The new goal became to free the Holy Land from Muslim control, especially Jerusalem. Pope Urban II stayed in France until September 1096 to provide leadership and guidance for the members of the First Crusade. He urged churchmen to preach the cross in France. Urban wanted the crusading army to be mostly made up of knights and other military personnel. Since the news of his speech at Clermont spread through the west, people from all social classes and occupations joined the Crusade. As a result of Urban losing control of personnel, violence was launched against the Jews of northern France. This violence was mostly instigated by bands of the urban and rural poor led by men like Peter the Hermit and Walter Sans-Avoir. These groups lacked supplies and discipline. They attempted to reach Constantinople but most of them never got that far. The leaders in lands that they passed through were frightened and killed many of the crusading bands. Some did get to Constantinople and traveled across the Bosphorus in August 1096. There they split into two groups. One tried to overtake Nicaea and was unsuccessful. ... Free Essays on The Crusades Free Essays on The Crusades The Crusades The crusades were military expeditions launched against the Muslims by the Christians in an attempt to regain the Holy Land. They took place between 1095 A.D. and 1270 A.D. It was one of the most violent periods in the history of mankind. The starting point of the crusades was on November 18, 1095 A.D. When Pope Urban II opened the Council of Clermont. On November 27, outside the French city of Clermont-Ferrand, the Pope made an important speech. He called upon everyone to help the Christians in the east to restore peace. The crowd's response was very positive. Garments were cut into the shape of a cross, which was attached to people's shoulders in an imitation of Christ (Matthew 10:38). (1) The original object of the First Crusade was to help Christian churches in the east. The new goal became to free the Holy Land from Muslim control, especially Jerusalem. Pope Urban II stayed in France until September 1096 to provide leadership and guidance for the members of the First Crusade. He urged churchmen to preach the cross in France. Urban wanted the crusading army to be mostly made up of knights and other military personnel. Since the news of his speech at Clermont spread through the west, people from all social classes and occupations joined the Crusade. As a result of Urban losing control of personnel, violence was launched against the Jews of northern France. This violence was mostly instigated by bands of the urban and rural poor led by men like Peter the Hermit and Walter Sans-Avoir. These groups lacked supplies and discipline. They attempted to reach Constantinople but most of them never got that far. The leaders in lands that they passed through were frightened and killed many of the crusading bands. Some did get to Constantinople and traveled across the Bosphorus in August 1096. There they split into two groups. One tried to overtake Nicaea and was unsuccessful. ...

Word Choice Assume vs. Presume - Proofread My Paper

Word Choice Assume vs. Presume - Proofread My Paper Word Choice: Assume vs. Presume When people mix up the words â€Å"assume† and â€Å"presume,† it’s not because they’re similarly spelled. Rather, it’s because they’re close in meaning, since both can mean â€Å"suppose.† But there’s a subtle difference in how these terms are defined, so you should be careful not to confuse them in academic writing or other situations where precision is important. Assume (Take for Granted) If we â€Å"assume† something, we are supposing it to be true without evidence. For example, if we help ourselves to something at a deli counter in a shop because we think it’s a free sample, only to then get the shop owner asking us if we plan to pay for it, we might say: Sorry! I assumed it was a sample! We’d then probably buy twice as much as we need of said product, because we’re prone to overcompensation. Regardless, the word â€Å"assume† implies jumping to a conclusion. Quick, grab a free sample while hes not looking!(Photo: Unsplash) A second meaning of â€Å"assume† is to â€Å"take up† or â€Å"adopt† something, such as a duty at work: When Boris retires, I will assume his responsibilities. Or a physical position, like when police frisk a suspect: As they made the arrest, the police told him to â€Å"assume the position.† This use of â€Å"assume† is less common, but it’s worth keeping in mind in case you come across it anywhere (especially in professional settings). Presume (Guess Based Upon Evidence) The word â€Å"presume† means to make a guess based on available evidence. The most famous example of this is probably when the explorer Henry Morton finally found David Livingstone in the African jungle. As a greeting, Morton then said: Dr. Livingstone, I presume? â€Å"Presume† is the correct term here because David Livingstone was the only white European known to be in that part of Africa at the time, so Henry Morton could be fairly sure that he’d found the right person when he came across a white man other than himself! This also made him an easy target for wildlife.(Image: Wellcome Images/wikimedia) A secondary meaning of â€Å"presume† is to do something without permission, such as in: Do not presume to tell me what I know about grammar! This use is related to the word â€Å"presumptuous,† which describes failing to observe the limits of acceptable behavior. Assume or Presume? Since the secondary meanings of these words are very different, it should be easy to avoid confusions. It’s when they’re used to mean â€Å"guess† or â€Å"suppose† that it gets tricky. One helpful memory aid is the joke that â€Å"assume† makes an â€Å"ass† out of â€Å"u† and â€Å"me,† since this spells â€Å"assume† as well as warning against the hazard of making assumptions! Remember: Assume = Take for granted without evidence Presume = Guess to be true based upon what is known

Analyzing aspects of the employment process Essay

Analyzing aspects of the employment process - Essay Example ying weaknesses and strengths as well as opportunities for improvement and skills development" (Introduction: Performance Appraisal). Hence, the importance of performance evaluation becomes obvious and can be applied to our organization through various methodologies including graphic scale, checklist, forced choice, ranking, paired comparison, forced distribution, MBO, and BARS (Dessler, 2000) as well as with the aid of incentives, bonuses and word of appreciation and a pat on the back. Research by Luis et al. (2001) suggests that performance evaluation when applied adequately can reap massive fruitful results including improved customer satisfaction diffusing from employee satisfaction, ameliorated work performance and product quality, ease in retaining trained and diligent work force and so on and so forth. Planning and strategic decisions about recruiting include both internal and external recruiting. There are various internal sources of recruiting that work effectively to accomplish the targeted organizational goals. As Buford, Bedeian & Lindner (1995) & Zoller (1996) define, "recruiting is the process of generating a sufficiently large group of applicants from which to select qualified individuals for available jobs" and apart from the external sources including media advertising, walk-ins, public and private employment agencies, educational institutions, state agencies, government programs, direct recruiting (Lindner & Zoller), there are internal sources that are effective. These internal sources of recruiting include employee referrals and internal job postings (Lindner & Zoller). Good, experienced, trained and hard working employees when make referrals, organizations must feel obliged. This is because, employee referral is one internal source that has so far proved quite effecti ve in the recruiting procedure worldwide. Employee referrals minimize the work load and share the responsibility with the management which otherwise remains solely responsible for recruiting the right people at the right time (Lindner & Zoller). What makes this internal source effective is the reason that those applicants that are referred by the working employees have a clearer picture of the organizational expectations, aims and vision and can shape their expectations from the organization and their duties accordingly in a better fashion than applicants that are recruited directly through other sources (Lindner & Zoller). Another very effective internal source of recruiting is internal job postings. Vacancies year round can be filled in by the working as well as the deserving employees that can be found, located and analyzed internally through the application of performance appraisal. "These vacancies may represent promotions (upward moves) or transfers (lateral moves). Posting an d circulating notices of vacancies maximizes employee awareness of job openings. The notice should include such items as title, department, job summary, qualifications, and salary and should be placed on bulletin boards,

Human Resources Administration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Resources Administration - Assignment Example The issue regarding the sales representative of the company is about performing unethical behavior within the company. The sales representative of the company has violated the rules of the working guidelines of the company by selling certain products into the flea market. In other words, the sales representative of the company has performed a kind of fraudulent practice that could adversely cost the company in the long term. The unethical or fraudulent practices are generally carried out due to several reasons. The reasons for performing certain fraudulent practices within a company or an organization can be owing to ensuring their survival in the business or reducing the burden of financial problems by executing unethical practices within the company. In this case, the sales representative has performed unethical and conducted fraudulent practice with the company by selling certain products into the flea market. The crucial reason of the sales representative for performing such fraudulent act is due to the financial burden that the sales representative faced while being separated from his spouse. It has been recognized that the accused sales representative of the company, Bruce has performed an unethical as well as fraudulent act by selling certain products of the company into the flea market. The sales representative of the company has purchased certain products by participating in the staff purchase program that is allowed by the company every month to its employees. The sales representative got the idea of selling the products into the flea market that he acquired from the staff purchase program which is conducted by the company for the sake of their employees. In order to respond towards the fraudulent or unethical practice that is performed by the sales representative, certain major actions need to be taken into consideration. The key action would be to

Human Resources Administration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Resources Administration - Assignment Example The issue regarding the sales representative of the company is about performing unethical behavior within the company. The sales representative of the company has violated the rules of the working guidelines of the company by selling certain products into the flea market. In other words, the sales representative of the company has performed a kind of fraudulent practice that could adversely cost the company in the long term. The unethical or fraudulent practices are generally carried out due to several reasons. The reasons for performing certain fraudulent practices within a company or an organization can be owing to ensuring their survival in the business or reducing the burden of financial problems by executing unethical practices within the company. In this case, the sales representative has performed unethical and conducted fraudulent practice with the company by selling certain products into the flea market. The crucial reason of the sales representative for performing such fraudulent act is due to the financial burden that the sales representative faced while being separated from his spouse. It has been recognized that the accused sales representative of the company, Bruce has performed an unethical as well as fraudulent act by selling certain products of the company into the flea market. The sales representative of the company has purchased certain products by participating in the staff purchase program that is allowed by the company every month to its employees. The sales representative got the idea of selling the products into the flea market that he acquired from the staff purchase program which is conducted by the company for the sake of their employees. In order to respond towards the fraudulent or unethical practice that is performed by the sales representative, certain major actions need to be taken into consideration. The key action would be to

Human Resources Administration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Resources Administration - Assignment Example The issue regarding the sales representative of the company is about performing unethical behavior within the company. The sales representative of the company has violated the rules of the working guidelines of the company by selling certain products into the flea market. In other words, the sales representative of the company has performed a kind of fraudulent practice that could adversely cost the company in the long term. The unethical or fraudulent practices are generally carried out due to several reasons. The reasons for performing certain fraudulent practices within a company or an organization can be owing to ensuring their survival in the business or reducing the burden of financial problems by executing unethical practices within the company. In this case, the sales representative has performed unethical and conducted fraudulent practice with the company by selling certain products into the flea market. The crucial reason of the sales representative for performing such fraudulent act is due to the financial burden that the sales representative faced while being separated from his spouse. It has been recognized that the accused sales representative of the company, Bruce has performed an unethical as well as fraudulent act by selling certain products of the company into the flea market. The sales representative of the company has purchased certain products by participating in the staff purchase program that is allowed by the company every month to its employees. The sales representative got the idea of selling the products into the flea market that he acquired from the staff purchase program which is conducted by the company for the sake of their employees. In order to respond towards the fraudulent or unethical practice that is performed by the sales representative, certain major actions need to be taken into consideration. The key action would be to

Human Resources Administration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Resources Administration - Assignment Example The issue regarding the sales representative of the company is about performing unethical behavior within the company. The sales representative of the company has violated the rules of the working guidelines of the company by selling certain products into the flea market. In other words, the sales representative of the company has performed a kind of fraudulent practice that could adversely cost the company in the long term. The unethical or fraudulent practices are generally carried out due to several reasons. The reasons for performing certain fraudulent practices within a company or an organization can be owing to ensuring their survival in the business or reducing the burden of financial problems by executing unethical practices within the company. In this case, the sales representative has performed unethical and conducted fraudulent practice with the company by selling certain products into the flea market. The crucial reason of the sales representative for performing such fraudulent act is due to the financial burden that the sales representative faced while being separated from his spouse. It has been recognized that the accused sales representative of the company, Bruce has performed an unethical as well as fraudulent act by selling certain products of the company into the flea market. The sales representative of the company has purchased certain products by participating in the staff purchase program that is allowed by the company every month to its employees. The sales representative got the idea of selling the products into the flea market that he acquired from the staff purchase program which is conducted by the company for the sake of their employees. In order to respond towards the fraudulent or unethical practice that is performed by the sales representative, certain major actions need to be taken into consideration. The key action would be to

What is the effect of Tariff imposed by the US to Chinese solar panels Essay

What is the effect of Tariff imposed by the US to Chinese solar panels manufacture industries and on US producers - Essay Example Since the World Trade Organization provides for a free trade among its member states, such a move to impose tariffs on Chinese solar panels may not only infringe WTO trade agreement, but also bring disagreements that jeopardize the good trade relations that the country has had with China (Goldenberg, 2012). To better the situation for the American manufacturers, the commerce depart promised to enforce tariffs of 2.9 percent to 4.73 percent. This was after it was established that the Beijing government was offering unlawful grants to the Solar panel makers (Goldenberg, 2012). Some of the manufacturers acknowledged receiving government support and other cheap loans from the government. Though the imposition of the tariffs aims at leveling the unfair competition by Chinese manufacturers, some of the American based solar installation companies that rely on Chinese solar panels articulated their respite that the minimal tariffs imposed would not cause an increment in prices (Goldenberg, 2012). During his campaign trail, Obama indicated that renewable energy has for long been America’s innovation since solar power was first discovered at Bell Labs. Most of the countries have made efforts to promote clean energy sources to save the environment and reduce the effects of global warming (Goldenberg, 2012). The energy secretary noted that United States had overthrown China in clean energy investment by far. However, this growth in America’s clean energy was brought about by the low costs of Chinese solar panels. The increased demand for Chinese made solar panels has increased the United States solar panel imports from Chinese. This in turn resulted to the death of home grown solar manufacturing companies such as Solyndra and Evergreen Solar companies. This has resulted to embarrassment of Obama’s administration. Imposition of tariffs on the Chinese-made solar panels can assist the growth of the domestic solar panel manufacturers. Unfair competition, as noted

E-commerce and Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-commerce and Marketing - Assignment Example The aim of this paper is to examine the importance of social media marketing. The different elements of social media have been highlighted and discussed. The paper also discusses the promotion strategies which Xazha a small scale retailer in United Kingdom is supposed to adopt so as to maximize their profits. Lastly the paper also includes the factors which the small scale enterprise is supposed to consider before adopting the promotion strategies. Social media Its application in marketing has highly increased and it is being used as a base for client development. The insight of marketing through the social media has shifted in a very high rate and it is no longer seen as a trendy but as a flexible means. The big three sites which are ; Facebook, twitter, and Google have become a part and parcel of any business whereby each retail is seeking for a place in the traditional and modernized market place (Jaffrey, 2011). According to a report released in the year 2012, almost 60% of the marketers are spending time online focusing on promoting their products. It was also found out that 43% of the people who are in the age group of (20-29) are spending approximately 10 hours or more in a week on the social Medias. Most of them are chatting or just browsing. 58% of the businesses which use the social medial for promoting their products have been reported to increase their sales in the previous three years (Jaffrey, 2011). Facebook The site is mainly used by the youths. They find new friends and view their friend’s pictures among other activities. However, Facebook has been adopted for advertising. The businesses are creating Facebook pages which the Facebook users are in a position to view. The businesses can then use the pages they have created to promote their products, build, the organization’s brand as well as offering deals (Jaffrey, 2011). Twitter Just like face

How can the Nurses collaborate to prevent and manage Pressure ulcers Research Paper

How can the Nurses collaborate to prevent and manage Pressure ulcers (bed Sore) - Research Paper Example The panel came up with recommendation on preventive strategies such as patient education, clinician training, development of communication and terminology materials, implementation of toolkits and protocols. Behavioral aspects like adherence of the healthcare provider as well as the patient were also given recommendations. The collaborative effort of the learned American healthcare professionals who have the resources and determination has transformed the impending challenge of the CMS policy to an opportunity for the improvement of the hospital system and its patients. The Pressure Ulcer Collaborative project, coordinated by the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA), was conceptualized based on the negative effects of pressure ulcers such as pain and disfigurement on patients, the burden of care to the healthcare industry, and the state and federal reporting requirements – the U.S. Health and Human Services in particular calls for a 50% reduction in pressure ulcers among nursing home residents by 2010. A comparative method to analyze data based on the guidelines developed by the NJHA Quality Institute Department and the Department of Continuing Care Services was used by the 150 organization who participated in the project. After a 12-month period (October 2005 to October 2006), the incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers among the participating organizations showed a 30% decrease. By May 2007, the end of the second year of the Pressure Ulcer Collaborative project, a 70% decrease was achieved. The skin assessment, Braden assessment, and frequency of skin assessment requirements to meet the guideline criteria were not sufficient at the onset, thus the project was rolled out in all organizations who participated by April 2006 only. The project was able to give the healthcare staff a more detailed and comprehensive focus on patient care improvement, access to guidelines and protocols, and commitment to consistency and standardization in

Ch 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ch 1 - Essay Example Discuss This From Deming’s Point Of View. You Should Focus On The High School Level. Merit pay can be defined as the bonus paid to the employees in terms of their better performance (Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, â€Å"Merit Pay†). It can be stated that merit pay has also been given to the teachers for their better performances in teaching the students. Deming’s 14 Points can be observed as the series of points designed for enhancing the performances of a company’s management and for providing appropriate training to the employees to perform better in the allotted tasks (Pippenger, â€Å"W.  Edwards  Deming’s  14  Points  of  Management†). From Deming’s 14 Points viewpoint, it can be observed that politicians and educational boards are emphasizing more on merit pay in order to improve the teaching quality of the teachers in guiding the students effectively. In relation to the context, it is assumed that the educa tional boards desire to implement business models into the operational process in order to operate efficiently similar to industry or company. This is because Deming’s 14 Points help the employees to improve their working effectiveness through creating long-term and positive relationship with the company. Keeping in knowledge about the consequences after the implementation of Deming’s 14 Points, it can be stated that the politicians and the educational boards can seek to implement the principles of Deming in order to enhance the teachers’ quality along with strengthening the relationship among the teachers, students and higher officers of the high school (Winn and Green, â€Å"Applying Total Quality Management to the Educational Process†). However, it is also observed that merit pay to the teachers also can play a negative role because the merit pay in the high schools can destroy the thought of working in a team along with breaking the relationship among the teachers in teaching students effectively (Ravitch, â€Å"My View: Rhee is wrong and misinformed†). Question 2: Each Person In The Group Should Select One Of Deming’s 14 Points And Relate It To A Personal Experience They Have Had At College. Discuss The Benefits Obtained From The Point Being Used Or Discuss The Problems Caused From The Point Not Being Used. Be Specific In Your Response. According to the presented scenario, ‘every employee should be involved in transforming the management according to Total Quality Management (TQM) approach in order to succeed in enjoying the full advantages of the planning’ principle has been selected among the 14 points of Deming’s principles for fulfilling the objective of the paper. From the personal perception about this principle, it can be stated that every member or staff of a college should be involved in the decision making process. It would facilitate to ensure that every staff has the proper and righ t information about the strategies that have been considered in the operational process for improving or developing their educational processes in order to facilitate information sharing and train students for better qualification. By implanting this principle within the colleges operations, they will enjoy certain advantages while achieving their primary objectives. The advantages that can be identified include the fact that through the incorporation of this process, the teachers would work in a team or in a group in order to lead the educational process of a college systematically and communicate with each other effectively

How can the Nurses collaborate to prevent and manage Pressure ulcers Research Paper

How can the Nurses collaborate to prevent and manage Pressure ulcers (bed Sore) - Research Paper Example The panel came up with recommendation on preventive strategies such as patient education, clinician training, development of communication and terminology materials, implementation of toolkits and protocols. Behavioral aspects like adherence of the healthcare provider as well as the patient were also given recommendations. The collaborative effort of the learned American healthcare professionals who have the resources and determination has transformed the impending challenge of the CMS policy to an opportunity for the improvement of the hospital system and its patients. The Pressure Ulcer Collaborative project, coordinated by the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA), was conceptualized based on the negative effects of pressure ulcers such as pain and disfigurement on patients, the burden of care to the healthcare industry, and the state and federal reporting requirements – the U.S. Health and Human Services in particular calls for a 50% reduction in pressure ulcers among nursing home residents by 2010. A comparative method to analyze data based on the guidelines developed by the NJHA Quality Institute Department and the Department of Continuing Care Services was used by the 150 organization who participated in the project. After a 12-month period (October 2005 to October 2006), the incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers among the participating organizations showed a 30% decrease. By May 2007, the end of the second year of the Pressure Ulcer Collaborative project, a 70% decrease was achieved. The skin assessment, Braden assessment, and frequency of skin assessment requirements to meet the guideline criteria were not sufficient at the onset, thus the project was rolled out in all organizations who participated by April 2006 only. The project was able to give the healthcare staff a more detailed and comprehensive focus on patient care improvement, access to guidelines and protocols, and commitment to consistency and standardization in

British Empire and American Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

British Empire and American Revolution - Essay Example Later the Sugar act was reformed and tax was slashed to 3 pence a pound with new customs service .There was huge resistance in paying tax and towards the end of 1766, the tax was reduced to a penny for a barrel. Stamp Act of 1765 was another policy reformation declaring tax on that legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, playing cards, and hand bills. A stamp is affixed to confirm the tax payment. Colonies revolted against Stamp Act and threatened to boycott British goods. The British parliament revoked the stamp act in 1766 due to colonial pressure yet reinstating parliamentary supremacy by passing the declaratory act. There were duties imposed on paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea imported into the colonies leading to colonial boycotts hampering the trade by 50%. Boston Massacre in 1770 was a reactive outburst of tension developed between British soldiers and the local crowd. The crowd was throwing snowballs at British soldiers and panicky soldiers killed 5 people. Boston Massacre paved way for the emergence of committees for correspondence .These committees gained more momentum by destroying the British colonial assets like ships. Monopoly on tea was granted in 1773 by parliament as a resource plan to rescue the East India Company from financial crisis. This act enabled East India Company to handle both the shipping and the sale of its tea, thereby decreasing the price of tea. This created havoc in colonies and they boycotted tea to express their revolt. Angered by the colonial revolts, Britain government introduced Coercive Acts, in 1774 closing Boston port, transferring the colonial trials to other colonies or Britain and enabling the soldiers to reside in private homes and finally revoking the self government in Massachusetts. Britain ai med at isolation of colonies by introducing Coercive Acts but on the contrary the act united the colonies to a greater extent leading to formation of First Continental congress boycotting English goods. The year 1775 and 1776 witnessed clear outburst of colonies towards British Colonial policies leading to death of nearly 73 Britain Warriors. Thus the above cited incidences paved for the revolt process with greater degree of resistance and colonies evolved as a battalion to combat against the British colonial policy and they succeeded in their mission after the war of American Independence leading to liberalization of colonies. Bibliography Gipson, Lawrence Henry. The British Empire before the American Revolution. New York: Knopf, 1939-1970. Essay 2 Fundamental change with regard to the colonists, slaves, Native Americans and women after American Revolution. . The American Revolution brought a series of changes in colonial rule and had a drastic impact not only political but also on all

Design Limitations for Speakers

Design Limitations for Speakers Introduction There are many factors which determine the characteristics of a loudspeaker; to produce a successful design a careful balance of many factors must be achieved. Most of the challenges and considerations of loudspeaker design stem from the inherent limitations of the drivers themselves. Desirable Characteristics Real-Word Implementation For a coherent approach to loudspeaker design to be established, one may elucidate the problem by considering two main sets of criteria; the desired characteristics of the finished system and the limitations which impinge on the achievement of these desired characteristics. The key desirable characteristics for the finished system are listed below. Reproduction of all frequencies across input range Flat frequency response across input range Adequate Damping Good Efficiency Adequate SPL or perceived loudness Minimal distortion Minimal noise Many of the above considerations are quite obvious. In terms of frequency response it is desired that the response of the system as a whole should be as flat as possible, since to truthfully reproduce a signal all frequencies across the input range should be represented equally. Weems (2000, p.14) notes that â€Å"smoothness of response is more important than range†. Naturally noise and distortion are undesirable for accurate signal reproduction. Damping is an important concern; when a signal is no longer applied to a loudspeaker there will be a natural tendency for the cone to continue to move under its own inertia. Thus damping must be employed in order to ensure that the SPL generated by such movement is sufficiently low and relatively inaudible. Rossing (1990, p.31) refers to damping as â€Å"loss of energy of a vibrator, usually through friction†. This is a simplification, however, the back EMF generated by the driver and the varying impedance seen by the amplifier of the crossover/driver network play an important role. As Weems (2000, p.17) rightly says â€Å"there are two types of damping, mechanical and electrical†. Another quite obvious consideration is that the loudspeaker must indeed be loud enough. This is related to the issue of efficiency, since the more inefficient the speaker, the more power will be needed to drive it. The choice of enclosure design plays quite a significant role here, as will be seen shortly. In terms of limitations, there are several immediate problems posed by the nature of the drivers themselves that must be addressed. Firstly, the sound from the back of the speaker cone is 180 degrees out of phase with the sound from the front. This phase separation means the sounds will cancel each other at lower frequencies, or interfere with each other in a more complex manner at high frequencies; clearly neither is desirable. In some senses it would be ideal to mount the drivers in a wall with a large room behind, the so-called â€Å"infinite baffle†, having the sound from the rear of the cone dissipate in a large separate space, being thus unable to interfere with the sound produced by the front. In reality this is impractical; however some provision must be made to isolate sound from the rear of the cone. To this end, some sort of enclosure must be made for the drivers, yet this presents a new set of considerations. Without an enclosure, a loudspeaker is very inefficient when the sound wavelengths to be produced are longer than the speaker diameter. This results in an inadequate bass response; for an 8 inch speaker this equates to anything below around 1700Hz[1]. So the infinite baffle is terribly inefficient in terms of the SPL produced at lower frequencies. Furthermore, the free cone resonance of the speaker works against the flat frequency response that is desired; input frequencies close to the resonant frequency will be represented too forcefully. Another real-world complication is the fact that for high-fidelity applications, no one loudspeaker will be able to handle the entire range of input frequencies; â€Å"the requirements for low frequency sound are the opposite to those for high frequencies† (Weems, 2000, p.13). Higher frequencies require less power to be reproduced, but the driver must respond more quickly, whereas low frequencies require a larger driver and hence greater power to be effectively realised. In view of the above, multiple drivers must be used, with each producing a certain frequency range of the input signal; at the very least a woofer and tweeter are required. In order to deliver only the appropriate frequencies to each driver, a device known as a crossover must be implemented. This can take the form of passive filter circuits within the speaker itself, or active circuitry that filters the signal prior to amplification. In the latter case, multiple amplifiers are needed, making this a more costly approach. The fundamentals of crossover design will be dealt with in a separate document and are hence not dealt with in detail here. Enclosure Design Faced with the reality that an enclosure is in almost all cases a practical necessity, perhaps the most important aspect of speaker design in the design of the enclosure itself. The first step in producing a successful design is to decide upon the drivers to be used and use this as a basis for choosing a cabinet design, or to decide upon the desired cabinet type first and allow this to inform the choice of driver. In general, most of the design work with regard to the cabinet is focused firmly toward the woofer, since the enclosure design is most critical with regard to midrange/bass performance. In typical 2-way designs, the tweeter is mounted in the same box as the woofer, but it is the latter which largely defines the cabinet dimensions. In the past the design of enclosures was often something of a hit-or-miss affair, however the research of Thiele (1971) and Small (1973) has led to a much more organised design process. Most transducers today are accompanied by a comprehensive datasheet of Thiele-Small parameters, which allow most of the guess work to be taken out of enclosure design. Ignoring more exotic enclosure designs, the first question is whether the enclosure should be ported or sealed (it should be noted that in reality even â€Å"sealed† enclosures are very slightly open or â€Å"leaky† in order to allow the internal pressure to equalise with the surroundings). If a driver has already been chosen, this can be determined from the Efficiency Bandwidth Product, which is defined as: EBP = Fs / Qes(1) Where Fs is the free air resonance of the driver and Qes the electrical Q or damping. In general, an EBP of 50 or less indicates a sealed box, whilst an EBP above 90 suggests a ported enclosure (Dickason, 2000). In between, the choice of enclosure lies more or less with the designer and a driver that falls in the middle should perform acceptably in either closed or ported situations. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of sealed vs ported enclosures? A sealed enclosure is very simple to build, whilst a ported enclosure requires some degree of tuning to ensure the port is matched correctly to the driver – in the ported or â€Å"bass reflex† design a tube extends into the cabinet allowing some air to escape from inside; if correctly tuned the air that leaves the port is delayed in phase by 180 degrees, hence reinforcing the sound from the front of the cone. With a sealed enclosure the air inside acts as an approximately linear spring for the transducer cone and assuming the driver has a low Fs, a healthy bass extension with a gentle roll-off of -12dB per octave can be expected. The disadvantages are several; the enclosure may need to be quite large to achieve an acceptable Qtc (the damping value for a sealed system) and efficiency is poor. Further, with a sealed enclosure the driver reaches maximum excursion at resonance, which translates to greater distortion. Therefore a driver for use in a sealed enclosure requires quite a large linear throw to perform well. By contrast, in correctly tuned ported enclosures the driver is maximally damped at resonance, so a large linear throw is not critical and distortion is lower as a result. The basic methods of sealed and ported cabinet design shall now be explained. Sealed Enclosure Design To design a sealed enclosure the basic methodology is quite straightforward; the essential challenge is simply to find the optimum volume for the cabinet for the chosen driver. First one must decide on the value of the damping constant Qtc; the optimum value is 0.707 since it gives the lowest -3db break frequency and hence the best potential for bass extension, as well as good transient response. If the enclosure size is too large at this optimum value then Qtc may be increased, resulting in a trade-off between bass performance, transient response and enclosure volume. However, the more Qtc is increased, the more boomy and muddy the sound will become. Depending on the application, the enclosure size may not be important; in this case an optimum Qtc is encouraged. Once Qtc is known, the constant ÃŽ ± may be calculated using the below formula, where Qts is the total Q factor of the driver at resonance (this may be obtained from the manufacture’s data sheet). ÃŽ ± = [Qtc/Qts]2 – 1(2) Having calculated ÃŽ ±, the correct enclosure volume Vb is trivial to determine using the relationship below. Note that Vas is the equivalent volume of air that has the same acoustic compliance as the driver; again this may be obtained from the datasheet or experimentally. Note from equation (1) that a lower Qts will result in a higher ÃŽ ±, and hence a smaller enclosure. Thus for two transducers with equivalent acoustic compliance, a lower Qts will result in a smaller enclosure. Vb = Vas/ÃŽ ±(3) Assuming the required box volume is acceptable, one may then also calculate the resonant frequency of the system (fs is the free-air resonant frequency of the driver): (4) Once fc is known the -3db break frequency may also be found: (5) Recall that below this frequency the roll-off is -12dB per octave and one can gain a fairly good impression of the bass performance to be expected. Naturally it is desirable for f3 to be low for maximum extension into the bass area, hence a low fs is a characteristic one should look for when choosing a driver for sealed enclosure use. If it is felt that the break frequency is too high, then a different driver must be selected for the sealed implementation. Ported Enclosure Design For ported cabinet design, the equations are more complex and it is generally not practical to attempt to design such an enclosure by hand. Instead there are a number of free and commercial software calculators available that simplify the process. One good freeware calculator is AJ Vented Designer[2]. Using such a program enables the designer to quickly ascertain what size enclosure and port is required for a given driver and whether this is feasible – for certain combinations the port may not physically fit within the enclosure for example. In addition, the program also plots the theoretical frequency response of the design, which simplifies matters greatly. Acoustic Damping and Avoiding Resonance In addition to the type of enclosure and the calculation of the required volume, diameter and size of ports (if ported), there are several other design considerations. Firstly, standing waves within the enclosure must be minimised. Thus enclosures are often stuffed with fibreglass, long-fibre wool or polyurethane foam. In addition to standing waves and the resonance of the enclosure, one must also bear in mind the possibility of dimensional resonances with sealed designs. To avoid this it is prudent to ensure that length, width and height of the enclosure are all different and to not centrally mount the drivers. The choice of cabinet material and thickness are also factors that require careful consideration; in general wood is the most appropriate material and a thicker structure is likely to be more rugged and be less susceptible to undesirable vibration. The structure should also be isolated from the floor since vibrations passed to a floor (especially a wooden floor) can cause the floor to vibrate which will muddy or colour the sound. Spikes or stands are commonly used to achieve this. Conclusion There are many factors that affect speaker design but perhaps the most important is that of the enclosure itself. More exotic enclosures such as band-pass and transmission line configurations are beyond the scope of this document, however it should be noted that there are many different approaches beyond the common sealed or ported methodologies. As with any engineering problem, successful speaker design requires a careful balance of many often opposing factors to be reached. Sources Borwick, John. (2001). Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook, Focal Press. Dickason, V. (1995). The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, Audio Amateur Publications. Rosenthal, M. (1979). How to select and use loudspeakers and enclosures, SAMS. Rossing, T. (1990). The Science of Sound, Addison-Wesley. Weems, D. (2000). Great sound stereo speaker manual, McGraw-Hill. 1 [1] Nave R, Coupling Loudspeaker to Air. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/hframe.html [2] http://www.ajdesigner.com/speaker/index.php