Analysis of Unilever’s Risks and Risk Management Strategies Essay

With the rapid development of modern economy, companies are always exposed to risks which are penetrating to all walks of life and not only exist in the products market, but also exist in financial market (Ballou, 2005). It is undoubtedly that risks jeopardize the company’s development in that they may increase the cost of a company’s operation and make it harder for a company to make a crucial decision. Accordingly, it is essential to know risks and find out risk management strategies. This essay will firstly map out Unilever’s business model and have a brief analysis on it. Following this, it will illustrate specifically risks Unilever is exposed to in light of the business model. Meanwhile, it will point out some risks Unilever has not managing enough. Next, the essay will assess some risk management strategies Unilever has taken to mitigate or avoid the risks. Finally, it will recommend the company some more risk management strategies in order to help it mitigate or prevent risks. Analysis of Unilever’s Business Model Business Model A business model, strictly speaking, is the organization’s core logic for creating value (Jane & Susan, 2000). After over 80 years’ development, Unilever has become one of the largest suppliers of consumer products in the world. Its strong portfolio of foods, home and personal care brands is trusted by consumers the world over. Unilever’s top 13 brands account for total sales of over EUR23 billion and top 25 brands represent nearly 75% of the sales (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). Unilever is a well-operated company, and its business model is mapped out as follows: Key Partners Suppliers Contractors Distributors Key Activities Research Design Production Sale Value Proposition Produce innovative and good-quality personal and household care goods for consumers and try to make people feel good and comfortable every day; Produce and sell nutritious foods, such as tea, ice cream, dressing to people and to make them enjoy a better life. Customer Relationships Deliver goods to customers via various channels Customer Segments Huge segment of customers Customers all over the world Key Resources Brands /Labels Employees Production Sites & Lines Technology Information, Intellectual Property, Embracing Diversity Channels Malls Supermarkets Stores Groceries Pharmacies Terminal Markets Cost Structure Research cost, design cost, production cost, supply and sale cost, marketing and promotional spend, management cost Revenue Structure Sales of the consumer goods the company researches, designs and produces. Analysis of the Business Model The business model mapped out above indicates that a multi-national enterprise like Unilever has an integrated and inseparable business chain which is global on the one hand, and multi-level on the other hand, that is, its economic activities involve employees, suppliers, producers, storage, terminal markets, retailers, customers and other beneficiaries (Ian, 2009). Such business model enables Unilever to become a world top supplier of consumer products. However, each coin has two sides. Since the Unilever’s business chain connects each other so closely and relates to numerous parties and factors, thus the company’s whole operation is rather vulnerable and is easily subject to various risks. Risks Exposed to Unilever in light of the Business Model Market Uncertainties As a top supplier of consumer products, Unilever’s business activities are operated within a global, vigorous and competitive market. Its business development is subject to the condition and change of the whole market. Firstly, economic condition plays a crucial role on the development of Unilever’s business as consumption demand and purchase ability of consumers directly influence the sale of the products. 2008 and 2009 were relatively tough years for Unilever due to the global economic crisis (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). The economic downturn reduces consumers’ wealth and makes them unable to buy as many products as before. Meanwhile, customers purchasing ability was greatly undermined and turned to buy those inexpensive but substantial products rather than those top-grade products. Customers’ reactions affect Unilever’s turnover, profit and cash flow. Next, more and more companies are targeting the market of consumer goods due to the attraction of billions of consumers. Thus, the market of consumer goods is just like a piece of pie and is shared by more and more competitors. Therefore, the whole market is uncertain and Unilever has to be well prepared for the fight against the economic uncertainties and the industrial fierce competition. Financial Instability The interest rate risk is a risk brought to the value or the cash flow or profitability of a company when the change of the interest rate occurs. To clarify it more specifically, the floating interest rate exposes the company to the risk of the increased interest cost and the increased borrowing afterwards; while the fixed interest rate makes the company subject to the risk of the loss of the fair value. Meanwhile, as a multinational company whose business activities are operated in more than 180 countries, Unilever is exposed to the risk of the fluctuation of the exchange rate during the process of the change of currencies and the actual value of the currency may be decreased due to such fluctuation (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). Provided that Unilever does not handle the issue of interest rate and exchange rate well, the company may be subject to the exposure of the reduction of cash flow, turnover, profits which may subsequently adversely impact the company’s credit rating, ability to raise funds and confidence of investors. Environmental Risk As a top producer of consumer goods, some waste water is generated for disposal and the company also discharges some CO2 from energy that the company uses in the process of the production (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). In case the said issues are not dealt with appropriately, the environment will probably be polluted. One of the Unilever factories in Brazil discharged a great deal of stink smell to the air due to the false operation in 2008 which impacted upon more than 100 thousand people’s normal life and Unilever was imposed a fine of 10 million Brazilian Real by the Brazilian government due to such pollution (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). Similar accidents will greatly damage the reputation of the company as not only the government but also common people’s awareness of environmental protection has been greatly improved nowadays. Accordingly, Unilever is exposed to the environmental risk which may result in the heavy fine and adverse reputation. Loss of Customers Unilever’s extraordinary achievement obtained nowadays is on the one hand because of the superior products it supplies and on the other hand is inseparable to the customers’ sufficient trust of the company and its brands. However, the following three factors may undermine customers’ trust to the company and its brandsï ¼Å¡ a. Products fail to meet high product safety standards. Quality inspectors in each state have set many standards and are doing lots of inspection work to ensure the safety of products sold in the market. In case the product is found insecure or with any shortcomings, customers will feel disappointed; b. Lack of new products and technical capability. Customers have quite high requirements on products. Lack of new products and technical capability will push customers to other supplier of similar consumer goods; c. The service and product provided by the competitive company is better than Unilever. Loss of customers’ trust may be caused by several reasons, while the result is simply the loss of the company’s cash flow and the damage of the company’s growth and profitability. Operation Risk Each step of Unilever’s business activity is separable to each other (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). For example, the company’s production of goods is conditioned by the timely and secure supply of the raw-material, while the successful sale of goods needs effective storage and distribution capability. However, the supply of the company’s raw material, mostly agriculture products, is based on the secure and sufficient agricultural production which may be influenced by weather, water scarcity, and farming practices. Similarly, the storage and distribution of products is usually influenced by the storage and distribution capability, the cost of it and the local social stability. Any issue of the foregoing may badly influence Unilever’s normal production and sale and subsequent cash flow, turnover, and profit and other business indexes. Risk of Employees and Talents Unilever is a company with more than 300 operation agencies in 88 countries, more than 1000 well-known brands and sells its products in more than 150 countries. Thus the successful operation of the company not only depends on the superior products, but also needs appropriately qualified employees. In the event that the company suffers high employment turnover rate, it may be exposed to the risk of high cost of training, suspended market share and loss of some investment opportunities which will impact the smooth development of the company and undermine the company’s capability of competitiveness in the market. Legal Risk Unilever is doing business in more than 150 countries. Different country has very different legal system and regulations concerning the employment, the product safety, the pricing, the intellectual property rights, the disclosure, the environment and other factors (Ian, 2009). Legal risk may probably bring a suit to the company and will do harm to the company’s reputation in local market. Other Risks exposed to but not identified or Elaborated by Unilever Unilever has found out and elaborated some risks exposed to the company; however, there are some risks which have not aroused Unilever’s great attention: Risk of New products Exploitation In order to confront the industrial competition, Unilever needs to exploit continually new products to attract customers and consolidate the relationship with customers. The exploitation of a new product basically involves following steps: design, research, selection of the scheme, the involvement and allocation of the resources, the production and promotion of the products. However, there are some uncertain factors existing in the process of new products exploitation, such as technology, market, fund and environment and each uncertain factor may lead to the unsuccessful exploitation, loss of cost or negative reputation to the company (Michel, 2001). Physical Risk A company is unavoidably exposed to some natural disasters or accidents (Jane, 2000), such as fire, windstorm or earthquake which will cause the property damage or employees’ body injury. Such damage or injury will cause the company’s normal operation affected and subsequently, turnover, cash flow and profitability will be impacted. Other risks The company is also exposed to other risks such as fiscal, tax and so on. Interaction of Risk Factors Economic Downturn ↠ → Market Uncertainties ↙â†â€" ↓↑ Risk of New Product Exploitation↠ → Financial Instability ↓↑ â†â€"↘ ↓↑ Legal Risk ↠ → Loss of Customers ↓↑ ↙â†â€" ↓↑ Risk of Employees and Talents ↠ → Operation Risk All risks illustrated above do not exist independently but rather influence interactively (Geert, 2008). The economic downturn will lead to the financial instability which may cause the company to operate adversely and the subsequent poor operation may cause the company to face more fierce industrial competition and environmental risk. The said issues are easy to lead to the loss of employees and talents which may also subsequently lead to poor operation and vice versa. To sum up, the factors function with each other and the company has to take some effective and holistic measures to defend these risks. Assessment of Unilever’s Risk Management Strategies Unilever has recognized that most of the risks exposed to it may become material obstacles to the company’s further development. Accordingly, it has tried to taken some effective and structured measures to identify and then exploit the key risk management strategies for the business (Michael, 2007). The specific risk management strategies it has exploited are as follows: 1. Unilever has been carefully monitoring economic indicators and consumer behavior in different areas through extensive and professional research in order to respond quickly and take new and flexible measures to meet the changing demand of customers. 2. In order to deal with the issue of financial instability, the company has been making efforts to get access to global debt markets through various ways such as short-term or long-term debt programs. Unilever attaches great importance to the fluctuation of interest rate, trying to have different types of financial services and balance the risks between floating and fixed rate interest after a professional prediction and assessment of the interest rate; Regarding to the foreign exchange rate, Unilever sets a policy which limits the operating companies’ financial foreign exchange exposures so as to minimize such risk. 3. Unilever has made a series of standards and policies for the procedure of design, manufacture, and distribution of products to ensure the high standards of products’ quality. Unilever also has a â€Å"Sustainable Development Group† which is comprised of five external specialists, engaging in the company’s development of the strategy. Unilever also has specific policy concerning products recall in case there’s products quality incident. 4.Unilever has set complete and effective contingency measures and system to ensure the material supply or to share the production task between different production sites or to use substitute materials in case of the lack of the material. The company also calculates the cost of transportation and distribution from time to time and to adjust the policy and service promptly to optimize the cost. These measures enable the company to operate well. 5. Unilever needs to find a way to attract, develop, train and retain qualified employees. The company has an admiring human resource system. It has established Resource Committees to identify employees’ skill and capability, define employees’ career paths. It also provides numerous opportunities for employees to improve their skills, leadership abilities through training and coaching. Meanwhile, Unilever shall take measures to enhance employee’s risk management ability. Ballou and Heiger (2005) propose â€Å"shifting the employee’s attitudes about risk management to include monitoring, measuring, and controlling certain risks while sharing, avoiding, and accepting that other risks will not occur effectively in a short period of time†. 6. Unilever has set policies to make sure employees follow policies and abide by local laws and regulations in all relevant aspects concerning its business and activities. Regarding those crucial issues and activities, the prior legal check and consent are needed in the company. In a word, Unilever has been making great efforts to build effective, reasonable and practicable strategies for risk management. The boards have overall responsibility for Unilever’s risk management and the company has a Code of Business Principles which stipulates the standards of business operation and requires employees to abide by the code. The above strategies enable Unilever to operate its business well in the global market. New Risks Exposed to Unilever and Recommended Risk Management Strategies Besides risk management strategies mentioned above, the writer will recommend some more strategies for Unilever and try to give it some ideas on better monitor and manage its risks. Transfer and Divert Risks In order to avoid the damages and losses brought by such risks to the development of the company, Unilever may select to transfer risks by applying for insurance. Modern insurance system is the idealist way to transfer risks (Mike, 2006). For example, Unilever may transfer the risks of property, employers’ liability and business interruption by applying for the insurance of Property All Risks, Employer’s Liability and Business Interruption so as to transfer risks to the insurance company. Establish an Effective Control System Risk management is not only to establish a risk management for business procedure, more importantly, the company shall establish a comprehensive and effective risk management control system to make sure the effective implementation of the risk management strategy. The company can establish a Risk Management Committee in the head office and shall be directly responsible for the board of directors. â€Å"The board needs to be consulted on matters of risk management and it needs to be able to give guidance to the risk management committee in its deliberations. To do this effectively the board needs to ensure the whole company is engaged in managing risk, thereby making it an intrinsic part of the company culture†. (Corporate Governance: An International Review, 2009, 546-558). The function of the Risk Management Committee is to implement the risk management, to be especially responsible for the risk supervision of the whole company and to make unified risk management policy and procedure; each branch of the company shall establish an independent risk supervisor, responsible for the risk management and to report the matter of risk to Risk Management Committee without consent of the local manager. Establish a Database of Risk Accidents Database of risk accidents is a tool to effectively predict and assess the risk. The data in the database shall include both internal and external data concerning risk accidents. â€Å" We can try to estimate how bad this problem is by looking at the historical severity of these events in relation to any risk factors that we define and then examining the prevalence of these risk factors†(Michel, Dan and Robert, 2001). Through correct analysis of such data, the company will learn a lesson and consider its risk management policy and procedure so as to judge whether the company will prevent the occurrence of the risk accident and how to take precautious measures to avoid the occurrence of similar accidents. Conclusion In conclusion, risks exist in the whole process of business operation, any company shall attach great importance to the risk management to effectively predict and avoid the risk. Unilever is a company which has well recognized its major risks and taken effective risk management strategies. Research on risk and risk management strategy is a long journey and need all employees of the company to make effort and abide by the policy and standards to monitor and manage risks proactively. References Ballou, B. & Heitger, D. L.2005. A building-block approach for implementation COSO: Enterprise risk management-integrated framework. Management Accounting Quarterly, 6(2):1-10. Geert Bouckaert and John Halligan, 2008, Managing performance: international comparisons. Routledge, 2008, pp221-225. Ian Brown, Adam Steen, and Julie Foreman. 2009. Risk Management in Corporate Governance. A Review and Proposal Corporate Governance: An International Review, 2009, 17(5):546-558. Jane Linder, Susan Cantrell, 2000, Changing Business Models: Surveying the Landscape, Business Publisher: Accenture, Pages: 1-15 Michel C., Dan G. and Robert M., 2001, Risk Management, McGraw-Hill. Michael R. Czinkota, Ilkka A. Ronkainen, 2007, International marketing, Cengage Learning, 2007, p417-422. Mike Walker. 2006. Managing international risk. International Business Briefings. The Institute of Risk Management. 2006. P 5-6. Unilever Annual Report, 2009, Unilever Annual Report, from: http://annualreport09.unilever.com/downloads/Unilever_AR09.pdf (Accessed on May, 25, 2011)

Elements of Energy Efficient House

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY Elements of an Energy-Efficient House You have much to consider when designing and building a new energy-efficient house, and it can be a challenge. However, recent technological improvements in building elements and construction techniques also allow most modern energysaving ideas to be seamlessly integrated into house designs while improving comfort, health, or aesthetics. And even though some energy-efficient features are expensive, there are others that many home buyers can afford. While design costs, options, and styles vary, most energy-efficient homes have some basic elements in common: a wellconstructed and tightly sealed thermal envelope; controlled ventilation; properly DOE/GO-10200-1070 FS-207 July 2000 This house in Illinois has many energy-efficient features, including advanced framing techniques, insulated sheathing, and an advanced ductwork system. It was built by Town and Country Homes as part of DOE's Building America Program. DEP A NT OF ME EN RT ST A AT E S OF M ER This document was produced for the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a DOE national laboratory. The document was produced by the Information Services Program, under the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC) is operated by NCI Information Systems, Inc. , for NREL / DOE. The statements contained herein are based on information known to EREC and NREL at the time of printing. No recommendation or endorsement of any product or service is implied if mentioned by EREC. Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste ICA Photo by Sara Farrar, NREL/PIX07134 CLEARINGHOUSE GY ER sized, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems; and energy-efficient doors, windows, and appliances. Thermal Envelope A thermal envelope is everything about the house that serves to shield the living space from the outdoors. It includes the wall and roof assemblies, insulation, air/vapor retarders, windows, and weatherstripping and caulking. Wall and Roof Assemblies Most builders use traditional wood frame construction. Wood framing is a â€Å"tried and true† construction technique that uses a potentially renewable resource—wood— U N IT ED to provide a structurally sound, long-lasting house. With proper construction and attention to details, the conventional wood-framed home can be very energyefficient. It is now even possible to purchase a sustainably harvested wood. Foundation walls and slabs should be as well insulated as the living space walls. Some of the available and popular energyefficient construction methods include the following: Optimum Value Engineering (OVE). This method uses wood only where it is most effective, thus reducing costly wood use and saving space for insulation. The amount of lumber has been determined to be structurally sound through both laboratory and field tests. However, the builder must be familiar with this type of construction to ensure a structurally sound house. Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). These sheets are generally made of plywood or oriented-strand board (OSB) that is laminated to foam board. The foam may be 4 to 8 inches thick. Because the SIP acts as both the framing and the insulation, construction is much faster than OVE or stick framing. The quality of construction is often superior because there are fewer places for workers to make mistakes. Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF). Houses constructed in this manner consist of two layers of extruded foam board (one inside the house and one outside the house) that act as the form for a steel-reinforced concrete center. It’s the fastest technique and least likely to have construction mistakes. Such buildings are also very strong and easily exceed code requirements for areas prone to tornadoes or hurricanes. Insulation An energy-efficient house has much higher insulation R-values than required by most local building codes. An R-value is the ability of a material to resist heat transfer, and the lower the value, the faster the heat loss. For example, a typical house in New York might have insulation of R-11 in the exterior walls and R-19 in the ceiling, while the floors and foundation walls may not be insulated. A similar, but welldesigned and constructed house will have insulation levels that range from R-20 to R-30 in the walls and from R-50 to R-70 in the ceilings. Carefully applied fiberglass batt or rolls, wet-spray cellulose, or foam insulation will fill wall cavities completely. Foundation walls and slabs should be as well insulated as the living space walls. Poorly insulated foundations have a negative impact on home energy use and comfort, especially if the family uses the lower parts of the house as a living space. Also, appliances—such as domestic hot water heaters, washers, dryers, and freezers— that supply heat as a byproduct are often located in the basement. By carefully insulating the foundation walls and floor of the basement, these appliances can assist in heating the house. While most new houses have good insulation levels, it is often poorly installed. In general, gaps and compaction of insulation reduce its effectiveness. Photo by Craig Miller Productions, NREL/PIX02452 Air/Vapor Retarders Water vapor condensation is a major threat to the structure of a house, no matter what the climate. In cold climates, pressure differences can drive warm, moist indoor air into exterior walls and Workers install a structural insulated panel. 2 This house in Arizona features a passive solar design with overhangs above the south facing windows. The best windows are awning and casement styles because these styles often close tighter than sliding types. ttics. The air condenses as it cools. The same can be said for southern climates, just in reverse. As the humid outdoor air enters the walls and encounters cooler wall cavities, it condenses into liquid water. This is the main reason why some buildings in the South have problems with mold and rotten wood after they’re retrofitted with air conditioners. A vapor retarder is a material or structu ral element that can be used to inhibit the movement of water vapor, while an air retarder can inhibit airflow, into and out of a house’s envelope. How to design and install vapor retarders depends a great deal on the climate and on the chosen construction method. However, any water vapor that does manage to get into the walls or attics must be allowed to escape. Regardless of climate, water vapor migration should be minimized by using a carefully designed thermal envelope and sound construction practices. Systems that control air and water vapor movement in homes rely on the nearly airtight installation of sheet materials on the interior as the main barrier. The Airtight Drywall Approach (ADA) uses the drywall already being installed along with gaskets and caulking to create a 3 ontinuous air retarder. In addition, seams where foundation, sill plate, floor joist header, and subfloor meet are also carefully sealed with appropriate caulk or gasket material. Consult your local building codes official on the best vapor retarder method to use in your area. Windows The typical home loses more than 25 percent of its heat through windo ws. Even modern windows insulate less than a wall. Therefore, an energy-efficient house in a heating-dominated climate should, in general, have few windows on its northern, eastern, and western sides. Total window area should also not exceed 8 to 9 percent of the floor area for those rooms, unless the designer is experienced in passive solar techniques. If this is the case, then increasing window area on the southern side of the house to about 12 percent of the floor area is recommended. This is often called solar tempering. A properly designed roof overhang for south-facing windows will help prevent overheating in the summer. North, east, Photo by Sara Farrar, NREL/PIX08155 and west windows should have low Solar Heat Gain Coefficients (SHGC). South windows with properly sized overhangs should have a high SHGC to allow winter sun (and heat) to enter the house. The overhang blocks the high summer sun (and heat). If properly sized overhangs are not possible, a low SHGC glass should be selected for the south windows. At the very least, you should use windows (and doors) with an Energy Star ® label, which are twice as energy efficient as those produced 10 years ago, according to regional, climatic guidelines (note: houses with any kind of solar tempering have other guidelines). The best windows are awning and casement styles because these often close tighter than sliding types. In all climates, window glass facing south without overhangs can cause a problem on the cooling side that far exceeds the benefit from the winter solar gains. when compared to other houses of the same type and age. You can accomplish most air sealing by using two materials: caulking and weatherstripping. Caulking can be used to seal areas of potential air leakage into or out of a house. And weatherstripping can be used to seal gaps around windows and exterior doors. Controlled Ventilation Good air sealing alone may reduce utility costs by as much as 50 percent. Since an energy-efficient house is tightly sealed, it needs to be ventilated in a controlled manner. Controlled, mechanical ventilation prevents health risks from indoor air pollution, promotes a more comfortable atmosphere, and reduces air moisture infiltration, thus reducing the likelihood of structural damage. Furnaces, water heaters, clothes dryers, and bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans expel air from the house, making it easier to depressurize an airtight house if all else is ignored. But natural-draft appliances may be back-drafted by exhaust fans, which can lead to a lethal buildup of toxic Weatherstripping and Caulking You should seal air leaks everywhere in a home’s thermal envelope to reduce energy loss. Good air sealing alone may reduce utility costs by as much as 50 percent Ceiling light fixture Electrical wires penetrating vapor barrier Joints at attic hatch Vents from bathroom and kitchen Joints at interior partitions Joints between wall and ceiling Joints at windows Electric meter Electrical service entrance Electrical panel Electrical outlets and switches Plumbing stack penetration Chimney penetration of ceiling Holes through air-vapor barrier Joint between bottom plate and floor Cracks around doors Joint between joists and basement wall Service entrance for cable TV, telephone, fuel, etc. Air leakage can occur in many places throughout a home. 4 Heating and Cooling Systems Stale room air return Specifying the correct sizes for heating and cooling systems in airtight, energy-efficient homes can be tricky. Rule-of-thumb sizing is often inaccurate, resulting in wasteful operation. Conscientious builders and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning contractors size heating and cooling equipment based on careful consideration of the thermal envelope characteristics. Outside air inlet Fresh air supply Air-to-air heat exchanger Exhaust air Heat recovery ventilation. Generally, energy-efficient homes require relatively small heating systems, typically less than 50,000 Btu/hour even for very cold climates. Some require nothing more than sunshine as the primary source of heat along with auxiliary heat from radiant in-floor heating, a standard gas-fired water heater, a small boiler, a furnace, or electric heat pump. Any common appliance that gives off â€Å"waste† heat can also contribute significantly to the heating requirements for such houses. If an air conditioner is required, it’s often a small unit and sufficient for all but the warmest climates. Sometimes only a large fan and the cooler evening air are needed to make the house comfortable. The house is closed up in the morning and stays cool until the next evening. Smaller-capacity heating and cooling systems are usually less expensive to buy and operate. This helps recover the costs of purchasing more insulation, and other energy-efficient products, such as windows and appliances. Always look for the EnergyGuide label on heating and cooling equipment. The label will rate how efficient it is as compared to others available on the market. In climates where summer cooling requirements dominate, light-colored materials and coatings (paint) on the exterior siding and roof can help reduce cooling requirements by up to 15 percent. Carefully selected and placed vegetation in any climate also contributes to reduced cooling and heating loads. ases in the house. For this reason, sealedcombustion heating appliances, which use only outside air for combustion and vent combustion gases directly to the outdoors, are very important for ventilation energy efficiency and safety. Heat recovery ventilators (HRV) or energy recovery ventilators (ERV) are growing in use for controlled ventilation in airtight homes. These ventilators can salvage about 70 per cent of the energy from the stale exhaust air and transfer that energy to the fresh air entering by way of a heat exchanger inside the device. They can be attached to the central forced air system or may have their own duct system. Other ventilation devices, such as through-the-wall or â€Å"trickle† vents, may be used in conjunction with an exhaust fan. They are, however, more expensive to operate and possibly more uncomfortable to use because they have no energy recovery features to precondition the incoming air. Uncomfortable incoming air can be a serious problem in northern climates and can create moisture problems in humid climates. Therefore, this ventilation strategy is only for arid climates. Other systems pull outside air in with a small outside duct on the return side of the furnace. Generally, energyefficient homes require relatively small heating systems. 5 Energy-Efficient Appliances Higher efficiency appliances provide a measure of insurance against energy prices and emit less air pollution. Appliances with relatively high operating efficiencies are usually more expensive to purchase. However, higher efficiency appliances provide a measure of insurance against increases in energy prices, emit less air pollution, and are attractive selling points when the home is resold. Home buyers should invest in high-efficiency appliances—such as water heaters, clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, and refrigerators—especially if these appliances will be used a great deal. Because all major appliances must have an EnergyGuide label, read the label carefully to make sure you buy the most efficient appliance. To help you choose wisely, major appliances with an Energy Star ® label exceed the federal government’s minimum efficiency standards by a large percentage. Energy-efficient lighting helps keep energy bills down by producing less heat and reducing cooling requirements. Fluorescent lighting, both conventional tube and compact, is generally the most energyefficient for most home applications. always done before. They may need more training if they have no experience with these systems. Building and Buying Before you start a home-building project, the building site and its climate should be carefully evaluated to determine the optimum design and orientation for the house. There are energy-related computer software programs that can help with these evaluations. The design should accommodate appropriate insulation levels, moisture dynamics, and aesthetics. Decisions regarding appropriate windows, doors, and heating, cooling and ventilating appliances are central to an efficient design. Also the cost, ease of construction, the builder’s limitations, and local building code compliance should be competently evaluated. Some plans are relatively simple and inexpensive to construct, while others can be extremely complex and, thus, expensive. An increasing number of builders are participating in the federal government’s Building America and Energy Star ® Homes programs, as well as local home energy rating programs, all of which promote the construction of energy-efficient houses. Many of these builders construct energy-efficient homes to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Construction costs can vary significantly depending on the materials, construction techniques, contractor profit margin, experience, and the type of heating, cooling, and ventilation system chosen. Because energy-efficient homes require less money to operate, many lenders now offer energy-efficient mortgages (EEMs). EEMs typically have lower points and allow for the stretching of debt-to-income ratios. State and local government energy offices can be contacted for information on region-specific financing. In the end, your energy-efficient house will provide you with superior comfort and lower operating costs, not to mention a higher real estate market value. The building site and its climate should be carefully evaluated to determine the optimum design. Advantages and Disadvantages Houses that incorporate all of the above elements of energy efficiency have many advantages. They feel more comfortable because the additional insulation keeps the interior wall at a more comfortable and stable temperature. The indoor humidity is also better controlled, and drafts are reduced. A tightly sealed air/vapor retarder reduces the likelihood of moisture and air seeping through the walls. They are also very quiet because the extra insulation and tight construction helps to keep exterior noise out better. But these houses also have some potential disadvantages. They may cost more and take longer to build than a conventional home if there’s a lack of builder familiarity with new construction techniques and products available on the market. Even though the house’s structure may differ only slightly from conventional homes, the builder and contractors may be unwilling to deviate from what they’ve 6 Resources The following are sources of additional information on energy-efficient houses: The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC) P. O. Box 3048 Merrifield, VA 22116 1-800-DOE-EREC (1-800-363-3732) E-mail: doe. [email  protected] om Web site: http://www. eren. doe. gov/consumerinfo/ EREC provides free general and technical information to the public on many topics and technologies pertaining to energy efficiency and renewable energy. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Building Technologies Department MS 90-3111 Berkeley, CA 94720 USA Phone: (510) 486-6845; Fax: (510) 486-4089 Web site: http://eetd. lb l. gov/btp/btp. html Provides information on past and current research in buildings energy efficiency. National Renewable Energy Laboratory The Center for Buildings and Thermal Systems 1617 Cole Blvd. Golden, CO 80401 Web site: http://www. nrel. gov/buildings_thermal Provides information on energy-efficient buildings. Organizations American Solar Energy Society, Inc. (ASES) 2400 Central Avenue, G-1 Boulder, CO 80301 Phone: (303) 443-3130; Fax: (303) 443-3212 E-mail: [email  protected] org Web site: http://www. ases. org A national advocacy organization dedicated to the use of solar energy in buildings. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Buildings Technology Center P. O. Box 2008, MS-6070 Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6070 Phone: (865) 574-5206; Fax Number: (865) 574-5227 Web site: http://www. ornl. ov/ORNL/BTC/ Provides information on research in buildings energy efficiency. Building America U. S. Department of Energy Office of Building Systems, EE-41 1000 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D. C. 20585-0121 Web site: http://www. eren. doe. gov/buildings/ building_america/ Works with the home building industry to produce quality homes that use up to 50 percent less energy without costing more to build. Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) 1331 H Street, NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20005-4706 Phone: (202) 628-7400; Fax: (202) 393-5043 E-mail: [email  protected] org Web site: http://www. bicouncil. org Promotes the use of energy-efficient and passive solar building design and construction. Web Sites Building Energy Software Tools U. S. Department of Energy Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs Web site: http://www. eren. doe. gov/buildings/tools_ directory/ Describes many energy-related software tools for buildings, with an emphasis on renewable energy, and energy efficiency. Efficient Windows Collaborative Alliance to Save Energy 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 900 Washington, D. C. 20036 Phone: (202) 857-0666; Fax: (202) 331-9588 E-mail: [email  protected] rg Web site: http:/ /www. efficientwindows. org/ Provides unbiased information on the benefits of energy-efficient windows, descriptions of how they work, and recommendatio ns for their selection and use. Cool Roof Materials Database Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Web site: http://eetd. lbl. gov/coolroof/ Assists with the selection of roofing materials that reflect instead of absorb the sun’s radiant energy. Energy Star ® U. S. Department of Energy and U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Phone: (888) STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937) E-mail: [email  protected] gov Web site: http:/ /www. nergystar. gov/ Provides lists of Energy Star ®-qualified products, including appliances and windows, as well as information on its energyefficient homes program. Green Buildings Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development Web site: http://www. sustainable. doe. gov/buildings/ gbintro. htm Provides information and links on energy-efficient buildings. (Continued on page 8) 7 Continued from page 7 The Residential Energy Efficiency Database Web site: http://www. its-canada. com/reed/ Provides a wide-range of information on energy-efficient houses, includ ing house plans. The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook, M. Crosbie (ed), J. Wiley, 1997. Available for purchase from ASES (see Resources). Residential Windows: A Guide to New Technology and Energy Performance, J. Carmody, S. Selkowitz, and L. Herschong, Norton Professional Books, 1996. Phone: 1-800-233-4830; http://www. wwnorton. com/npb/. Insulation Fact Sheet, U. S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 1997. Available from ORNL in PDF and HTML at http://www. ornl. gov/roofs+walls/insulation/. Print version is available from EREC (see Resources). Zip Code Insulation Database Oak Ridge National Laboratory Web site: http://www. ornl. gov/~roofs/Zip/ZipHome. html Provides information by zip code on the most economic insulation levels for new or existing homes. Reading List The following publications provide further information about energy-efficient home elements. The list is not exhaustive, nor does the mention of any publication constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Periodicals Energy Design Update. Published by Cutter Information Corporation, 37 Broadway, Arlington, MA 02474-5552; Phone: (800) 964-5118 or (781) 648-8700; Web site: http:// www. utter. com. This monthly newsletter contains information for professionals interested in energyefficient building technologies. Product reviews appear regularly. Environmental Building News. 28 Birge Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301; Phone: (802) 257-7300; Web site: http://www. BuildingGreen. com. This bimonthly newsletter covers a wide variety of topics. The Journal of Light Constru ction. Published by Builderburg Partners, Ltd. , 932 West Main Street, Richmond, VT 05477; Phone: (800) 375-5981. This monthly journal often features articles on energy conservation techniques for the home builder. Home Energy Magazine. 2124 Kittredge Street, #95, Berkeley, CA 94704; Phone: (510) 524-5405; E-mail: [email  protected] org,; Web site: http://www. homeenergy. org/. It’s a source of information on reducing energy consumption in the home. Solpan Review. Published by Drawing-Room Graphic Services, Ltd. , P. O. Box 86627, North Vancouver, BC V71 412 , Canada; Phone (604) 689-1841. This bimonthly newsletter features articles on energy conservation for the building industry, including information on new products and energy-efficient practices in residential construction. Books, Pamphlets, and Reports Buildings for a Sustainable America Case Studies, B. Miller, ASES, 1997. Available from ASES or SBIC (see Resources). Building Green in a Black & White World, D. Johnston, Home Builder Press, 2000; Phone: (800) 223-2665; http://www. builderbooks. com. Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, A. Wilson and J. Morrill, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 2000; Phone: (510) 549-9914; http://aceee. org/. The Efficient House Sourcebook, R. Sardinsky, Rocky Mountain Institute. Available from SBIC (see Resources). Energy Savers: Tips on Saving Energy and Money at Home, U. S. Department of Energy. Available in PDF and HTML at http://www. eren. doe. gov/consumerinfo/energy_ savers/ or print version from EREC (see Resources). Fine Homebuilding: Energy-Efficient Houses, Fine Homebuilding magazine. Available from SBIC (see Resources). Moisture Control Handbook: Principals and Practices for Residential and Small Commercial Buildings, J. Lstiburek and J. Carmody, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. , 1993. Available from the Building Science Corporation at (978) 589-5100 (phone); (978) 589-5103 (fax); or http://www. buildingscience. com. 8

Leonard Bernstein Impact

Michelle Walk Music 174 Impact presentation â€Å"Music can name the unnamable and communicate the unknowable. † Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein was born August 25, 1918. Now usually, one would not look for a birth date, rather death. This is treasured because, what is truly important is not only ones life; but also and especially, our founders of music and arts. His death date was October 14, 1990. This presents us with the ideal window of what he achieved during his life span. But, for all the years that Bernstein was in profession, no span of time could successfully capture just how much he has contributed to music as a society and art.Bernstein was a proud graduate of Harvard in 1939 (with prior knowledge in two other institutes of learning), landing him a job just a short year later. Coincidentally, his first career landed him as assistant conductor in the New York Philharmonic in 1940. He had the opportunity to substitute an ill Bruno Walter at Carnegie Hall; which h e vicariously accepted, producing instant critical praises. Soon after, various musicians worldwide were pleading him to be a guest conductor at their performances. One in his era may also recognize (following his jumpstarted career) his first successful large scale piece as: Symphony No. Jeremiah (in just 1943). Being the New York Philharmonic conductor remains one of his most important contributions to music. One of the most vital periods in his career was 1958-1969 where he produced over 300 out of 400 or more lifetime pieces, in just 11 years. Specifically, the young people’s concerts with the New York philharmonic was a televised show that ran for 11 seasons. He inspired the fledgling generations to procure music in their everyday lives with a passion, and also presented audiences to live music programs.He led this into the Philharmonic’s center stage for works, and focused on a strong educational mission to blend with the music. In addition, he produced and perfo rmed more concerts with the NY Philharmonic than any conductor before himself. Bernstein also had the great opportunity to direct at the premiere of the Philharmonic Hall, which is now Avery Fisher hall in the Lincoln Center in NY! Two very large musical compositions of Bernstein’s were: he directed all the music for the original play â€Å"west side story† and â€Å"Candide†. These 1900-American-Opera creations introduced a new idea to scriptwriters.It combined (what is referred to as) opera and jazz swings to create this new notion. Through the music and its sole style, it revealed character and social consciousness. Both received critical acclaim and many other plays of his were turned to famous films. Many of his concepts were rooted in his (returnings) to his previous places of study. This includes but is not limited to returning to teach classes and lectures. He did this a lot at Tanglewood, MA. Even throughout all his praise and review, he remained a virt uous man through his travels.Bernstein was the first American in Milan to conduct an opera. Not only was he appraised by his co-workers, yet he was friends with many of his musical rivals, and best friends with Aaron Copland. Also, he was one of the leading advocates of American composers, such as lifelong friend Copland. Various opportunities such as these helped him to receive his life title of Laureate Conductor. He also received an international prize in 1990 which he used all the money to fund Bernstein Education through Arts, a school for the passionate young student.Several Philharmonics in the world still hold a Beethoven/Bernstein festival in such conductor’s honors. In 1985, the National Academy of Recreational Arts and Sciences rewarded him for lifetime achievement. Many viewers absolutely adored Bernstein through this aspect, as well the fact that he engaged almost all of his audiences in his performances. Daughter of Bernstein, Jamie Bernstein always had a positi ve comment about her â€Å"Ambitious? †[Yes, she did use the question mark] father. â€Å"In the 1970's, Bernstein [†¦] back into a student again [to prepare Charles Eliot Norton lectures] at Harvard.He immersed himself in Chomskyan linguistics, absorbing an entire new field of knowledge, [†¦] apply the principles of linguistics to music — thereby creating a brand new field of study, and turning himself back into a teacher again in the process. Ambitious? Oh, yes! Was he in over his head? Completely! He was never happier than he was in those 18 months on the Harvard campus, reveling in his dual roles as student and teacher. † What does this mean explicitly? That Bernstein was not only a successful composer and avid musician, but a powerful teacher and enthusiast of the music of his time, and past times as well.In his memory, he can be enthused with 20 Grammy awards on top of his numerous achievements including writing two books, three plays, even appea ring on a postage stamp. But of course what remains important are his 400 or more composed pieces in his days. Sources WORKS CITED: (direct quotation within text and consulted) Bernstein, Jamie. â€Å"Leonard Bernstein: a Born Teacher. † Educator. (2008): n. page. Web. 24 Sep. 2012. ;lt;http://www. leonardbernstein. com/educator. htm;gt;. â€Å"Leonard Bernstein. † BrainyQuote. com. Xplore Inc, 2012. 24 September 2012. http://www. brainyquote. om/quotes/authors/l/leonard_bernstein. html (within title of document) WORKS CONSULTED: Schiff, David. â€Å"Bernstein, Leonard in Oxford Music Online. † Bernstein, Leonard. (2008): n. page. Web. 24 Sep. 2012. ;lt;http://www. oxfordmusiconline. com. ezproxy. uwc. edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/02883? q=leonard bernstein;amp;search=quick;amp;pos=1;amp;_start=1;gt;. Sputnik, Dr. â€Å"Leonard Bernstein. † (2012): n. page. Web. 24 Sep. 2012. ;lt;http://www. nndb. com/people/532/000031439/;gt;. † Leonard Berns tein. † 2012. Biography. com 24 Sep 2012, 10:33 http://www. biography. com/people/leonard-bernstein-9210269

Knowledge Management and Information Strategy Coursework

Knowledge Management and Information Strategy - Coursework Example A review of literature on the factors that influence success and failure of Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) implementation projects is conducted. This is followed by a summary of the crucial managerial and technological factors that support a successful performance of KMS implementation project. To understand this issue better, the paper derives qualitative data on National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) related to the subject matter. NTPC is an Indian power generation company and it is one example of firms that have implemented KMS recently. Content analysis is applied on the data and a detailed outline of the implementation approach undertaken by this company is given. The challenges encountered during the process, the technology adopted and the benefits derived from the project are also examined. The analysis of this company finds that the KMS project has encountered numerous challenges and its return to the company can be termed as average. It emerged that some of the challe nges have emerged from failure to incorporate some of the crucial factors in the implementation process such as the use of motivational aids. The company needs to incorporate all crucial factors in the implementation process and to find strategies to minimize or overcome the challenges in order to increase value of the project. With the rapidly changing business world organizations are finding it necessary to leverage on KM in a way that any new knowledge is shared across the organization and stored for future use. The concept has gained prominence since the mid 1990s following the work of Peter Drucker. Knowledge is being viewed as a key resource in business for economic growth by developing a competitive edge. Fernandez and Sabherwal (2010, p. 56) defined KM as doing what is needed to get the most out of knowledge resources. KM involves enhancing knowledge creation and sharing it within organization and

Laughter in The Heptameron (Navarre) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Laughter in The Heptameron (Navarre) - Essay Example In First Day, Story One, humor can be found in the way the wife of St. Aignan juggled her husband, the Bishop of Ses and Du Mesnil as her lovers. Navarre used the woman's servant to show the serving lady's critique on her mistress' sexual morality when she wrote; 'The good woman felt sorry for him (Du Mesnil). There he was, a good-looking, well-bred young man, so much in love, and so badly treated in return!' (Navarre 72). It could be noted that Navarre did not directly criticize the seemingly lack of sexual morality in her characters. The servant was her mouthpiece to point out the fact that Du Mesnil had no moral sexuality in pursuing her mistress. He was described as 'good-looking' and decidedly capable of finding suitable, eligible love interests. Since he chose to indulge in a married woman, he was partly responsible for the treatment he received when he had no access to his married lover. Du Mesnil had been made the comic fool by his persistent trust in the woman. He fell into her trap and was slain by St. Aignan's servants. It was funny how the wronged and weak brought destruction upon themselves. Navarre used a combination of dialogue and narrative to show showed how gullible Du Mesnil was; 'Off he went, never dreaming that she was planning to trap him, while she took his servant back to her house and gave him some supper.' (Navarre 73). It was not a surprise that the woman who lacked sexual morality was also lacking in moral scruples. The weak St. Aignan made a fool of himself when we read that he showed off his pretended valor when; 'he thrust his dagger a dozen or so times into the body of the man on whom he would never have dared lay a finger had he been alive.' (Navarre 74). St. Aignan made a comical figure with his false bravery. It was a critique on the weak huaband who could not comment nor do anything on his wife's moral sexuality while his Du Mesnil was alive. It was comical how events did not turn out the way the characters planned them. St. Aignan planned to get rid of his wife. Navarre's narration said that he made a wax doll to cast a spell of ill will on her because he felt that; 'It was she who was at the bottom of all this trouble, and he was quite certain she would never renounce her wicked ways.' (Navarre 77). He had no sexual morality because he did not want to preserve the sexual relations that bond him to his wife. The same could be said about the woman. She wanted to rid herself of the restriction that imposed sexual morality on her so she devised her own measures to save her skin while condemning her husband. Although she did get past criminal jurisdiction for her wickedness, she did not enjoy a good life thereafter. At the end of the story, Navarre revealed that the story teller was Simontaut, whose objective was to chastise women who lacked sexual morality. Navarre incorporated the critique on sexual morality in the form of a witty exchange amongst her story tellers, Simontaut, Parlamente and Oisille. Sinc e this story was a moral condemnation of a woman's marital infidelity, Navarre had set the stage for the next story teller, Oisille, who said she was compelled to tell a story to contrast with this and redeem the virtues of good women with good sexual morality. (Navarre 71-78).

Stagnant Performance of Textile Industry of Pakistan Essay

Stagnant Performance of Textile Industry of Pakistan - Essay Example Industry is even experiencing other issues that have taken place internally, the workforce is under trained and the productivity levels are lower, there is a lack of leadership within the industry, the industry has failed to differentiate and add value. Other internal issues that are hurting the industry very badly includes high rate of inflation, low rate of production of power and increased rates of interest at which bank loans and funds are provided. Body There has been an increase in the demand for clothing and textile industry goods throughout the world (FAINI, 1992). Past two decades have experienced tremendous amount of success of the industry of textile. During the period 1990 the total export of textile conducted throughout the world was 212 billion and after 18 years it increased by $401 billion (Ahmed, 2012). Pakistan even witnessed an increase in the amount of textile goods produced and exported during the era of 1990 to 2008. During the period of 1990, Pakistan exported $3.6 billion worth of textile related goods and by 2008, this figure increased to 11 billion (SHARMA, 2006, p.19, LOPEZ ACEVEDO, 2012, p, 1999). Pakistan has experienced growth in the industry but has faced various obstacles and challenges due to which the growth rate has been slow. Pakistan’s share in the export of textile has declined to 1.81% during 2008 from 2.23% as recorded in 2005 (SCHAFFER, 2009, p.344). During this three years period the production of textile has remained volatile due to heavy increase in power prices and low amount of availability of power. Pakistan faces various problems due to which the growth of their textile industry has remained sluggish. The main element of any textile industry is cotton raw material and... This paper gives an insight into Pakistani textile industry and gives recommendations on its further development. The major role in the success of the textile industry of Pakistan has been plated by Cotton which is a very important raw material for the nation. Pakistan is regarded as the fourth most producer of cotton raw material and third most user of this raw material throughout the world. It is expected the industry will continue to grow and become one of the reason of economic growth in the economy of Pakistan. This industry has proven to attract foreign money into Pakistan’s economy and it is responsible for hiring the highest number of employees in Pakistan and there is no other industry that can replace it. Over the previous four decades the textile industry of this nation has displayed its strength in the international arena. Textile industry of Pakistan is not new and has a very huge history. The day when Pakistan gained existence on the world map, it had only two te xtile mills operational within the nation. Later, due to policies adopted by the government, the industry grew at a very fast pace. Today it is the leading sector of Pakistan and is the major contributor for the success of the economy of Pakistan and the manufacturing industry. The paper states that cost of production can be further decreased with the adoption and implementation of machinery that produces higher amount of bales as compared to the quality of bales being produced currently.

Employee Loyalty at Investment Banks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employee Loyalty at Investment Banks - Essay Example (Berkowitz, 189) But, while spending on the human loyalty principal is likely to remain stable in the immediate future, as past overinvestment unwinds, the longer-term benefits for the global economy are likely to continue, or even accelerate, in the years to come. While technological change is an ongoing process, there are periods during which technological progress is especially rapid, resulting in new products and falling prices of existing products that have widespread uses in the rest of the economy and these are the period when the aspect of human indulgence becomes extremely important. Earlier examples include textiles production and steam power in the industrial revolution, railroads in the nineteenth century, and electricity in the early twentieth century (the automobile could also be included, but its development was relatively gradual). The effects of such revolutions have generally occurred in three (often overlapping) main stages and human elements and their loyalty, though hardly mentioned, always remained an integral part of the progress. (Kar, 145) Thus while dealing with the banking investment sector, it is important to understand the nature of loyalty of an employee in order to evaluate and measure the loyalty rate. This is a very important aspect of the research for determining the key factors influencing employee loyalty at investment banks in today's world. Once the loyalty level is measured it would be easier and logical to determine the causes of the frequency. This way a complete evaluating formulation could be prepared in this context. (Lamb, 243-245) Literature review In this review, analysis would be done on the role that the sales and management strategy, both historically and in the context of contemporary society, in the context of the topic selected. In addition, analysis would also be done on the ethnic and cultural diversity, and legal and ethical considerations that relate because the aspects of security certainly stand on the edge of privacy and confidentiality. Lastly it would be looked upon to identify the common trends in the banking industry and management strategy of behaviours of potential customers from the context of investment banking employees that appear in the literature. The literature would be used to demonstrate the importance of the topic to field as a whole. As a prelude to this research it would relevant to mention that in this context of determining the key factors influencing employee loyalty at investment banks in today's world and the two most important texts would be Border's Banking: Fire of the Mind and Dos' Future of Thought Process in Financial History for their detailed analysis of the subject. Both of the writers takes the loyalty concept of employees as a marketing variable and works on the principals of Management to determine their behaviours. Literature in the realm of research performed on the advances in sales and

Research about The Thanksgiving Day Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

About The Thanksgiving Day - Research Paper Example Thanks giving actually aim to gather all the family members so that they know the value of being together; thanks giving also pay special thanks to God for all his blessings. Just because of the importance of the tradition I have decided to explore it more from the past. In this research essay we will focus on the history and analysis if this tradition of thanks giving day. If we talk about the US culture than every fourth Thursday of November, every year, is celebrated as the thanks giving day. The main purpose of celebration is to share your emotions with the family, friends and any other people to whom we want to say thank you. A very special tradition of this day is the arrangement of special meal for the family which is to be served to the entire family in a gathering. The purpose of this meal is to gather family members at one meal because in daily routine life they do not have much time to sit together and enjoy a meal (Wallendrof & Arnold, 1991). It is compulsory for every family member to be at that particular meal and sit with the whole family. In United States of America, the tradition of Thanks giving day was started nearly four hundred years ago. There is long story behind this decision of celebrating the official thanks giving day. Every year the day is fixed but the date is changed therefore the President of the country announces a local holiday on this day at the start of the year (Wallendrof & Arnold, 1991). If we research about the history of thanks giving celebration then we may come to know the fact that it started in 1692 in America. At that time, the Governor of the state announced to gather at a meeting hall. He said that people and their wives and the children or we can say every single [person of the family should come and then they will say thank you to the God who is the creator of everything. According to their thoughts, they must thank God for the crops, which they

This house believes that.International Business will have to manage Essay

This house believes that.International Business will have to manage significant shifts in global power over the next few decad - Essay Example These developed nations hold the key to production while the emerging economies provide mainly the labor and infrastructure necessary for the investment. Technological upgradation has been a key to economic growth and the developed nations have proven this. Technology aims to create objects which are vital for human living. With new developments in research and owing to globalization, these economies like China and India have also realized the importance of technological development (Johnson & Turner, 2009, pp. 1-3). On the grounds of progress in technology it can be inferred that US reigns supreme though India and China have been investing constant efforts towards the same with China a few steps ahead. Technology is usually purchased and sold in the form of capital products incorporating machines and other systems of production. Information regarding technical and commercial aspects is subject to property related rights. In fact there are six elements connected to technology. These are â€Å"geography, culture, economy, people, business, and government† (Li-Hua, 2004, p.28). China has one of the most composite legislative and political systems and this creates hindrances for businesses. The government takes a clear role in issuing licenses and in spite of the loose ends in legislation China is encouraging towards foreign investments. Government has also issued the intellectual property rights in order to protect the â€Å"copycat reputation† of the nation. The business houses need to safeguard against â€Å"confidentiality, corruption and conflict of interest† (Ripard, 2010). India despite her colonial history has higher level of acceptance towards foreign investments. India’s regulations have been loosened and the economy opened when the country faced sudden crisis in balance of payments (Kochanek, 1974, pp. 118-119). Recently both America and India have shown their doubts regarding the products of the telecommunications sector fro m China. Experts suspect that, â€Å"India’s move to obstruct the orders from the Chinese telecommunications has kicked off a sequence of events that resulted in billions of dollars of lost revenue for global telecom market vendors and significant project delays for India’s telecom service providers† (Petrou, 2010). Chinese equipments involve a risk of security, according to Indian buyers and this might risk important information which might lead a firm to ethical problems. Even United States have raised security related issues and the senators from US requested the Obama administration to go through a submission of quotation from Huawei Technologies in China. The crucial causal factors behind the success of Chinese vendors are cheap labor, â€Å"a home-field advantage in China’s hot telecom market† and â€Å"access to an almost unlimited line of credit through government banks†. These facilities are likely to persist. (Petrou, 2010) China, especially Beijing has future plans for forming an environment which facilitates â€Å"homegrown next-generation mobile technology and electric cars†. When assistance was provided to the Chinese local producers in the form of energy resources and technologies at subsidies Beijing received the accusation of breaking free trade principles. This led to filing of a case in the WTO by Washington. China is working fast to create self reliance in the field of

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 13

Marketing - Essay Example sly existed between countries of various parts of the world and has thereby paved the way for economic development through the process of creation of internal and domestic demand for products and services of international brand, quality, design and stature. It is of considerable importance to state that the need of economic development has led to the process of opening up of economies around the world. The emergence of new and developing economies around the globe has played a catalytic role in the process of increasing the level of competition in the marketplace. So quite naturally, this has led to the process of increasing the demand for standardised and high quality goods and services in regions all over the world. In an attempt to maintain a level of standardization, the services sector all over the world has focused on implementing various new tools and strategies that considerably helps in the process of developing a significant benchmark of service delivery and retaining of authentic quality. With the growth, penetration and continuous evolution of technology, the global services sector has broadened its extension to delivering services to clients who are located in various parts of the world. It is of significant importance to state that in an attempt to do so, the services sector has increasingly embedded the technology platform as a medium of delivery in their entire service delivery model. It can be said that the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel is part of the highly popular brand of hotel chain which is trademarked by the group Hilton Worldwide. The hotel offer hospitality sector based service offerings, which are found to be falling within the category of mid-range pricing. The hotel and its esteemed services are mostly targeted consumers all over the world, who essentially form the segment of business men and leisure travellers. Talking in a more detailed manner, it can be said that the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel is a part of the independently operating chain

Is there a relationship between weather temperature and the incidence Essay

Is there a relationship between weather temperature and the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) in people aged 65 and older - Essay Example One of the physiological responses to cold, external environments is vasoconstriction. When this takes place, particularly in the elderly, myocardial infarction is a likely event. The purpose of this research paper is to discuss how variations in weather temperatures may be related to the occurrence of myocardial infarctions in individuals over 65. This paper will also seek to identify risk factors and identify the biological mechanisms involved in myocardial infarctions as pertaining to the elderly. Numerous studies have indicated the event of myocardial infarctions in the elderly during colder temperatures based on mortality rates of individuals: â€Å"Seasonality in coronary heart disease (CHD) events, with a winter peak and summer nadir, has been recognized for many decades and across diverse populations† (Gerber, Jacobsen, Killian, Weston, & Roger, 2006). In a study conducted between 1979 and 2002, â€Å"2,066 SCD (48% women) and 2,676 incident MI (43% women) were recorded in Olmsted County. The mean age (SD) was 78 (13) years at SCD and 68 (14) years at incident MI (p As early as 1938, scientists were noting incidence of myocardial infarctions occurring more prominently during times of colder weather conditions. What has been difficult to assess,

For Which of the Boys Essay Example for Free

For Which of the Boys Essay The boy that I felt the most sympathy for in The History Boys would have to be Posner. The portrayal of his character compared to that of the other boys is entirely different. Throughout the play, Posner is shown to be an outsider; too young to understand most things, and even to be included in Hectors inappropriate behaviour. It is evident from the start that Posner has feelings towards Dakin, however Dakins behaviour towards Posner is far from romantic, hence we can sense that he doesnt return the romantic feelings that Posner so desperately desires. This immediately creates sympathy for him, as it shows that he has no hope of happiness with the person whom he clearly loves. As the play progresses and develops, we can see that Posner is confused about his sexuality and is tormented by the idea that hell never fit in anywhere. He confesses his feelings and worries to Irwin who sympathises, however this does nothing to comfort Posner. As the other boys begin to change their attitudes towards life and learning, Posner seems to remain the same and spend more time with Hector. This could be viewed as very odd behaviour, as the other boys seem keen to avoid any time alone with Hector due to his ephebophilia. This, again, highlights the fact that Posner is extremely lonely and confused, therefore is willing to seek comfort with even the most inappropriate of people. When the disastrous event of the motorcycle accident happens at the end of the play, we are given an insight into just how much it affected the boys in years to come. While it seems that the others have moved on in life, Posner is described to have periodic breakdowns and to have been the only one that truly took everything to heart. This proves that Posner was really affected by those particular years of his life, despite the fact that he was never directly targeted by Hector. Overall, Posner is presented as a confused, lonely character which generates large amounts of sympathy from the audience.

Definition of Community in Community Health Nursing

Definition of Community in Community Health Nursing Give a definition of what a community is it is not solely geography, but includes factors of culture, ethnicity, age, etc. Consider principles of community care and critically discuss how a PHN in Ireland could ensure that care provided in her particular community is both inclusive and comprehensive. Introduction A community may be defined in many different ways. Community care can also be defined differentially, maybe in relation to a fundamental philosophy, may in terms of imposed limitations and definitions of community delineation. Discussion One definition of;community’ is â€Å"A social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage† (http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/Training/Indicators/Cmmunty.html). This notion of community identifies the key elements of community in relation to healthcare that concern healthcare service providers and policy makers. Communities can be defined in terms of their location, but it is not enough to delineate communities in terms of specific areas, because communities are not simply collections of people who are in close proximity with each other by happenstance (Webb, 1986). Communities occur because of features which bring people together, often because of need, such as family support, or because of common interest, such as healthcare support groups. However, not all groups which share a common interest are communities (Trevilion, 1993). Location and purpose seem to be aspects of com munity, sharing not only common interest but common activities and common purposes, common concerns and common needs (Sines et al, 2005). Culture, ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality, all of these can be characteristics which define a community, but they could also be different elements of identities and needs within a particular community. For example, it is possible to talk of traveller community health, traveller women’s health, gay men’s health, and the like, and thus we are referring to communities which may exist within geographical communities, or despite geographical boundaries (McMurray, 2003). Within the United Kingdom, issues surrounding community health and wellbeing have concerned healthcare providers, particularly in defining distinct communities or sectors of communities, in order to identify health needs and develop and mobilise services in order to meet those needs (Lewis, 1999). However, these needs and the communities focused on have been traditionally limited to government-defined communities or definitions of who belongs to what community (Lewis, 1999). More recently, the re-orientation of UK healthcare services towards a more patient-centred model has led to the upsurge of service user involvement in design, development and evaluation of services (Pickar et al, 2002; Simpson et al, 2006; Tait and Lester, 2005; Telford and Faulkner, 2004; Humphreys, 2005). This could be viewed as a means of breaking down the traditional hierarchical barriers between ‘the community’ or communities being served by healthcare providers, and the providers themselves (Telford and Faulkner, 2004). Addressing community needs can be informal, local, or national and formal, and seems to form part of governance strategies in the UK and Ireland (DoHC, 2001). Such strategies also now seem to focus not only on the service user information role, through gathering feedback and through service user involvement (Poulton, 1997), but also the need for greater collaboration, within and between healthcare and community/ social care/ voluntary sector agencies (Cumberledge, 1986; Fisher et al, 1999). These are all very good ideals, but in order to make user involvement and collaborative approaches work, information needs to be applied to practice, and practice needs to be changed for the better. This requires staff at some level to enforce these changes. It might be that the Public Health Nursing role within the Irish community healthcare context could be viewed as one of the loci for the enforcement of community-oriented healthcare provision. However, more information is needed on how this ‘enforcement’ of change could be achieved through this role. For example, collaborative care planning, needs assessment and care provision has existed for decades (see for example, Webb, 1986), but this kind of joined up working is still not a reality of practice, with failings in communication and challenges of interprofessional working still dogging the footsteps of primary healthcare providers (Poulton and West, 1999). If healthcare providers cannot work well with each other, they set a poor example for joined up working with community-focused or community-derived groups, as well as individuals who identify themselves as belonging to certain communities. Community services within the Irish context cover both health services –primary, secondary and tertiary – and social care services, all of which are supposed to meet the needs of the individual and the community. However, provision and suitability of services can vary by location. Because of the diverse nature of communities, it might be difficult to provide services which meet all community needs in any given location. This would suggest a need for flexibility of care provision, and again underlines the need for good inter-professional, inter-disciplinary, and inter-agency working. Public Health Nurses are accustomed to working with multiple professions and agencies, but there is a need to re-evaluate concepts of diversity in relation to the communities which occur within their sphere of practice. Conclusion Community is a term which encompasses many aspects of social life. Healthcare services which have a community focus would have to be very flexible, adaptable, and even creative, because of the increasingly diverse nature of communities. This diversity emerges not only from social changes, some of which are driven by economic, media and technological changes, but also by new understandings of communities and their inherent components, differences and similarities. Community focused models of service design and provision are those which would involve service users in design, planning, governance and evaluation of services, but such involvement must be representative of the increasing diversity of the communities concerned. Public health nurses are in a good position to access and support all sectors of the community within the Irish context, and to support service users to provide input into all levels of health and social care provision, even into healthcare professional education. However, understanding communities is an ongoing issue and services must be designed to reflect the true needs of each community. As such, they must be responsive rather than prescriptive. References Cumberlege, J. (1986) Collaboration. London: Centre for Advancement of Interprofessional Education Department of Health and Children (2001) Primary Care: a New Direction. Available from: http://www.dohc.ie/publications/pdf/primcare.pdf?direct=1 Accessed 10-11-08. Fisher, B., Neve, H. Zoe, H. (1999) â€Å"Community development, user involvement and primary health care: community development has much to offer primary care groups.† British Medical Journal 318 (7186) 749-750. Humphreys, C. (2005) Service user involvement in social work education: a case example. Social Work Education 24 (7) 797-803. Lewis, J. (1999) The concepts of community care and primary care in the UK: the 1960s to the 1990s Health and Social Care in the Community 7 (5) 333-341. McMurray, A. (2003) Community Health and Wellness A Sociological Approach. 2nd Ed. Elsevier, Australia Pickar, S., Marshall, M., Rogers, A. et al (2002) â€Å"User involvement in clinical governance.† Health Expectations 5 187-198. Poulton, B.C. (1997) Consumer feedback and determining satisfaction with services. IN: Mason, C. (ed) Achieving Quality in Community Health Care Nursing London: Macmillan Press. Poulton, B. and West, M. (1999) The Determinants of Effectiveness in Primary Health Care Teams. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 13:1 Simpson, E.L, Barkham, M, Gilbody, S. and House, A. (2006) Involving service users as researchers for the evaluation of adult statutory mental health services. The Cochrane Library 3 Sines, D., Appleby, F. and Frost, M. (2005) Community Health Care Nursing 3rd Ed. Bath: Blackwell Publishing. Tait, L. Lester, H. (2005) â€Å"Encouraging user involvement in mental health services.† Advances in Psychiatric Treatement 11 168-175. Telford, R. and Faulkner, A. (2004) Learning about service user involvement in mental health research. Journal of Mental Health 13 (6) 549-559. Trevillion, S. (1993) Care in the Community a Networking Approach to Community Partnership. London: Longman Van Teijlingen, E.R., Hundley, V., Rennie, A.M. et al (2003) Maternity satisfaction studies and their limitations, Birth 30 (2) 75-82. Webb, A. (1986) Collaboration in Planning a pre-requisite of Community Care. In Webb, A. and Sistow, G. Eds. Planning Needs and Scarcity. Essays on Personal Social Services. London: Allen and Unwin

Discipline-Based Art Education Curriculum

Discipline-Based Art Education Curriculum The discipline-based art education program relies on several different curriculum theories. At times, the theories overlap and contradict each other, which is a reason why the DBAE has endured much criticism, as well as praise since its inception. The focus of this paper is to connect the theories to the four disciplines of DBAE by using the readings from EDU-707, Curriculum Theory, and Research. Introduction The aims of the discipline-based art education are to provide art educators with a curriculum that is equal in vigor as the core curriculum subjects. Noddings (2003) would conclude that the DBAE curriculum, which parallels with core subjects, is rationalized through planned objectives and goals. Constructing a school curriculum, or a set of courses, must begin with a purpose or at least knowing the answer to why is this important to teach and learn? Eisner (1967) states, if one is to build curriculum in a rational way, the clarity of premise, end or starting point, would appear paramount (p. 250). In the early 1900s, school curriculum was questioned and mainly because of the changes that were taking place in society. There was a tremendous growth in popular journalism, the rapid advancement of railroads, and the migration of people from a predominately rural base moving into more urban locations (Kliebard, 2004). The industrial revolution was replacing the farm-based way of life and students needed a different type of education to help society in the future. The purpose of education is summed up neatly by Bobbitt who states, [Education is] the function of training every citizen, man or woman, not for knowledge about citizenship, but for proficiency in citizenship (Flinders Thornton, 2004a, p. 11). Additionally, Eisner (2001), DBAE founder and Stanford University Professor of Education and Art, offers, the function of schooling is not to enable students to do better in school. The function of schooling is to enable students to do better in life (p. 369). The DBAE curriculum is shaped by connecting different and at times conflicting beliefs. Few can argue that the main purpose of DBAE is to offer teachers a theoretical framework for learning and teaching the arts (Patchen, 1996). However, the foundations of DBAE have been under constant scrutiny since its inception. The criticism focused around being too prescriptive, eliminating individual creativity, and not representing all cultures. The differing analysis from academic experts is likely because the arts require a novel or creative response. Therefore, developing the particular behaviors needed for students to be successful it is hard to identify (Eisner). Another factor in the construction of the DBAE is how the world viewed art education in the 1960s. During prior decades art was influenced by national and political issues reflecting on post-war thinking. The approach was a belief of independence and democratic personality, which shaped art activities (Freedman, 1987). Therefore, the DBAE creators found a necessity for a disciplined approach. By definition, the term discipline means a field of study, as well as gaining control by enforcing the order. Both descriptions of discipline imply a set of parameters. Setting restrictions on instruction is designed to help teachers uniformly teach art education, which includes a responsibility of providing foundational knowledge. Art teaching in DBAE focuses on four disciplines: art production, art history, art criticism, and art aesthetics. Art Production Art production is students learning skills and techniques to produce personal, original artwork. This change signifies a different model from one of creative self-expression which had controlled art education throughout the previous decades and one in which Greene (1995) would contend that to be yourself is to be in process of creating a self, an identity (p. 20). Greene is certainly an advocate for individualism, creativity, and an awareness of oneself. However, the creators of the DBAE saw creativity through the lens of an essentialist. The orientation of an essentialist classroom should revolve around the teacher. The teacher should also be the model to which students should try to emulate. If the teacher is the focus of an essentialist classroom, Counts (Flinders Thornton, 2004c) believes that they should take the next step and reach for the power and help construct the curriculum. The DBAE founders value the art product by using known exemplary works of art and treat art as a p rocess moving from the outside inward. The founders contend that students view aspects of the exemplary as a process of discovery about responding, understanding, and thus creating. There is a flaw in this methodology because which of the many different societies have excellent pieces of art for students to follow? Kliebard (2004) suggests that what a society values and incorporates it into the curriculum is tough because it cannot take into account the different segments of society and what they feel is worthy of study. The emphasis of DBAE art production is for students to create art physically. The problem for teachers lies with assessing students levels of achievement in their art creation. Eisner (2001) proposes that creating standards and the measures of performance help teachers and school administrators to be accountable. Dweck (2000) offers that there are two different types of goals to assess; one is a performance goal or how well students completed the assignment and the second is a learning goal, which assesses what the student learned while creating. In an ideal setting, educators should strive to evaluate both performance and learning goals. An assessable performance goal in a DBAE classroom is the students demonstration of proper techniques used in the exemplary pieces to create a new work of art. Because art instruction uses exemplary work, teachers can assess the performance of a student who is developing intuition and reasoning behind why a piece is considered exemplary. Assessing a learning goal is more difficult because of individual experiences. Sumara and Davis (1999) suggest learning is an act of (re) cognition, meaning that people who see things for the first time helps them make meaning to what they already know. Conversely, Greene (1995) offers that students have to develop their imagination for learning to take place. Depending on a students previous experiences, an art teacher using the DBAE approach would need to create individualized rubrics to assess learning. Furthermore, a student self-reflection would be of great benefit to the assessment process. Art History Art history is studying the artistic accomplishments based on culture and history. Students educated through DBAE instruction begin with observing exemplars. The choices of exemplars have received the most criticisms because of the lack of representation in different societies, gender, and minorities. The section of curriculum devoted to art history has roots with Perennialism qualities. From a Perennialist perspective the exemplars are mainly chosen from Western European artists; predominately individuals who are white and male. The program meritoriously excluded other genres and narrowed students ability to think critically by telling them the exemplars were the only necessary or worthy pieces of work to study. Taliaferro Basziles (2008) statement regarding the lack of diversity is powerful as she writes, Cartesian rationality, which à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡attens out the role ones racial history plays in considering a rational line of thought (p. 381). What she is offering is without diver sity and representation of multiple the points of view, the consumer is knowledge is incomplete, and they forced to take the perspective provided. In effect the lack of representation oppresses, even eliminates many cultures and genders from history. bell hooks (Darder, Baltodano, Torres, 2009) reminds us of the importance of hearing each others voices, individual thoughts, and sometimes associating these voices with personal experience makes us more acutely aware of each other (p.138). Unfortunately, the designers of the DBAE rely heavily on the great works specifically within Western European art history, in essence taking the status quo route of it was good for previous generations, so it must be good for the next generation. The Perennialist teacher is supposed to focus on personal development, but it appears that the art history framers of the DBAE approach are interested in developing one point of view, one level of emotion, and providing one genre of great work. Wang (2008) would argue this narrow focus further perpetuates the social hierarchy that exists in a predominantly privileged white society. She would advocate for a teacher to use caution, but to introduce other great works by minorities, females, and other marginalized individuals to provide students with a broader intellect. Additionally, if we look at Freires idea of an educational banking system, the DBAE is in full compliance. Freire (2003) describes the banking concept as education that regards men as adaptable, manageable beings (p.73). The use of exemplars, solely based on one society, provides students with the knowledge they may or may not need or use. The teacher deposits the notion that exemplary x IS a piece of great work and the student accepts and memorizes it and later regurgitates it back to the teacher. There is a complete lack of variety and opinions given toward the exemplars. Freire (2003) believes the students have to work at storing the deposits delivered to them not to d evelop an awareness which may result in transforming the opinion. Certainly, the teacher engages students in a dialogue, but the conversation revolves around what the teacher believes is important and offers no other alternatives. The criticism of the art history strand using the DBAE approach is justified. The lack of women, people of color, and modern artists exemplars gives students a disproportionate view of art history. The heteronormative thinking of art history in DBAE, as Sumara and Davis (1999) remind us, does not broaden a viewers perception or increase their understanding of what makes a piece of work worthy of being an exemplary. Students need to be able to develop various frameworks; this could occur through the study of designated, restricted art examples. Maybe even more than the advancement of multiple lenses, students need the capability to be instinctive regarding artistic choices and develop relations among those choices to help shape his or her reality. Art Criticism The goal of art criticism is to be able to interpret and evaluate for the purpose of understanding and appreciating works of art. To be able to interpret and assess art, students must be able to experience and process the art; additionally, teachers need to place a high level of importance on student perception and decision making. Therefore, art criticism relies on Existentialist and Constructionist theories. An existentialist teacher encourages student responses and desires student self-awareness, and hooks (Darder, Baltodano, Torres, 2009) reflects these traits when she describes her classroom as a place where everyone has a voice and students continually practice self-awareness to reinforce their position on a topic. Baszile (2008) offers that literature suggests reflection is a racially neutral practice. However, she would strongly disagree because of her experiences while attending a predominately White campus for preservice teachers. Her reflection experiences demonstrate a d ismissal of race and background, which left a void in her growth process. As a DBAE teacher, it is imperative that their voice and reflection be neutral to encourage honest and open dialogue between the students. The more students review and discuss art the more they build their knowledge base to think critically about art. Largely based on interest and critical thinking, it is the DBAE teachers responsibility to foster an environment where students can question ideas and have the flexibility ability to develop competencies in areas that interest them. Doll (1993) uses the term recursion to describe developing competence through reflective practices and building upon previous knowledge, in essence, he is suggesting that students are critically thinking. Dewey is an advocate for building on prior learning which involves experiential, hands-on learning. He would appreciate students in a DBAE classroom would have ample opportunities to connect art to other subjects during their experimentation and analysis. Dewey offers that school departmentalizes subjects and nothing could be worse for students as they quickly pass from one subject to the next, often with no conscious isolation. For students t o effectively interpret and analyze art, they have to be able to draw from many experiences. The experiences must repeatedly occur, because the childs present experience is in no way self-explanatory. It is not final, but transitional (Dewey, p. 279). Greene (1995) calls the experiences bringing the unknown to consciousness, which can provide pure enjoyment for students. Students who revel in the learning process are far more likely to find success with Blooms upper levels of critical thinking skills of creating, analyzing, and evaluating art. Art Aesthetics Art aesthetics is defining, making judgments, and exploring the relationships between art and ideology and morality. The existential properties of students working toward finding personal meaning and value in art is a basic foundation of art aesthetics. Students are responsible for determining if the art is beautiful or ugly and if the art is an accurate or poor example of the period it was intended to represent. Doll (1993) proposes that thoughts on thoughts is the way we make meaning. He continues by suggesting for one to have a sense of self they must interact with the environment, with others, and with culture. Addams (Flinders Thornton, 2004b) defines culture as things that are passed through generations and have value and meaning. For a student to appreciate and be able to provide an appropriate aesthetic point of view they have to develop a deep understanding of themselves and their culture. Students who have not developed the skills can often base their opinions on preconcep tions and biases when they are engaging in objective criticism of art. According to hooks (Darder, Baltodano, Torres, 2009), biases shape the way knowledge is given and received. An incorrect belief on a piece of art does not help a student achieve an understanding of a culture or how that culture fits within the world. Furthermore, ideas based on falsehoods often transfer to next generations that further perpetuate the bias and the need for future correction. The preservation of untruths can be dangerous because as Baszile (2008) offers the false self-system works from within and often convinces people that it is normal or fact. In the world of art, DBAE teachers have a responsibility to their students to help them understand falsehoods and how to break the cycle of biases and ignorance. In essence, DBAE teachers are Social Reconstructionists in that they are contributing to reshaping society by providing students with necessary skills to make qualified judgments and finding relationships between the art world and real world. Counts (Flinders Thornton, 2004c) states that if teachers could locate the courage, intelligence, and vision, they could become societal change-makers. At the very least, teachers touch the future each day and have the ability to help students view culture and society in different ways. Counts is adamant about teachers making a stand, making a difference. His statement, If the schools are to be really effective, they must become centers for the building, and not merely for the contemplation (Flinders Thornton, p. 32) should resonate with DBAE teachers. As their students find new relat ionships between art and society, and art and their thinking, they are also building a capacity for intellect and appreciation of different cultures. Freire (2003) saw teaching and learning as a method of examination in which the child conceives and reinvents the world. Furthermore, he stresses education consists in acts of cognition, not transferals of information (p. 79), which is precisely what DBAE art aesthetics strand aims to achieve. Conclusion Viewing discipline-based art education from the perspective of different curriculum theories offers the reader a chance to make connections to what and why the founding writers of the DBAE saw to be important. The origins of the DBAE stem from previous decades of art instruction being a break for regular classroom teachers, and an arts and craft slice of the students educational day. By creating an art curriculum that includes rigorous standards, art education benefits art instructors by focusing their efforts, and more importantly all students because of the critical thinking. While there are still flaws within the DBAE approach, the successes require schools to provide the necessary, valuable time for art instruction and learning in mainstream education. References Baszile, D. T. (2008). The oppressor within: A counterstory of race, repression, and teacher reflection. Urban Rev, 40, 371-385. doi:10.1007/s11256-008-0090-1 Darder, A., Baltodano, M., Torres, R. (2009). 7 Confronting Class in the Classroom. In The critical pedagogy reader bell hooks (2nd ed.). New York and London: Routledge. Dewey, J. (1976). The Middle Works, 1899-1924. In The child and the curriculum. London and Amsterdam: Southern Illinois University Press. Doll, W. E. (1993). A post-modern perspective on curriculum. New York and London: Teachers College, Columbia University. Dweck, C. S. (2000). 3 Achievement Goals: Looking Smart Versus Learning. In Self-theories and goals: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. New York and London: Psychology Press. Eisner, E. W. (1967). Help or hindrance? The School Review, 75(3), 250-260. Eisner, E. W. (2001). What does it mean to say a school is doing well? The Phi Delta Kappan, 82(5), 367-372. Flinders, D. J., Thornton, S. J. (2004a). 1 Scientific Method in Curriculum-Making by Franklin Bobbitt. In The curriculum studies reader (2nd ed.). New York and London: RoutledgeFalmer. Flinders, D. J., Thornton, S. J. (2004b). 3 The Public School and the Child Immigrant by Jane Addams. In The curriculum studies reader (2nd ed.). New York and London: RoutledgeFalmer. Flinders, D. J., Thornton, S. J. (2004c). 4 Dare the School Build a New Social Order by George S. Counts. In The curriculum studies reader (2nd ed.). New York and London: RoutledgeFalmer. Freedman, K. (1987). Art education and changing political agendas: An analysis of curriculum concerns of the 1940s and 1950s. Studies in Art Education, 29(1), 17-29. Freire, P. (2003). 2. In Pedagogy of the oppressed (30th Anniversary ed.). New York and London: Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. Greene, M. (1995). 2 Imagination, Breakthroughs, and the Unexpected. In Releasing the imagination: Essays on education, the arts, and social change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Kliebard, H. M. (2004). 1 Curriculum Ferment in the 1890s. In The struggle for the American curriculum, 1893-1958 (3rd ed.). New York and London: RoutledgeFalmer. Noddings, N. (2003). 4 The Aims of Education. In Happiness and education. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Patchen, J. (1996). Overview of discipline based music education. Music Educators Journal, 83(2), 19-27. Sumara, D., Davis, B. (1999). Interrupting heteronormativity: Toward a queer curriculum theory. Curriculum Theory, 29(2), 191-208. Wang, H. (2008). Red eyes: Engaging emotions in multicultural education. Multicultural Perspectives, 10(1), 10-16. doi:10.1080/15210960701869330