Friday, September 6, 2019
Sustainable energy storage and distribution Essay Example for Free
Sustainable energy storage and distribution Essay Sustainable energy storage and distribution Introduction            Sustainable energy refers to the provision of viable energy development which responds to the present energy demands without compromising the possibility of future generations to meet their energy demands (Robinson Schut, 2014). Some of the technologies which support sustainable energy comprise of the renewable sources of energy like solar energy, hydroelectricity, wind energy, geothermal energy, wave energy, tidal power, bioenergy and various technologies planned to improve the energy efficiency. In the current world, the cost of energy has decreased drastically and continues to decrease due to the continuous use of renewable energy. Most of the modern technologies utilized for sustainable energy are economically competitive (Moseley Garche, 2014). Notably, effective government policies promote the confidence of the investors in sustainable energy while expanding this market. A considerable progress has been made and continues to be pursued in the transition of energy from different fossil fuels into sustainable ecological systems up to a point where different researches support renewable energy. Solutions            As revealed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), hydrogen generated through electrolysis offers the solution to fluctuating renewable energy sources. The hydrogen generated through renewable electrolysis provides the promising solutions in transportation sectors and electric power (Moseley Garche, 2014). As depicted through the study by NREL, renewable electrolysis utilizes electricity generated from renewables to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen. From this process, the hydrogen produced can be used as a medium of energy storage which can store renewable energy until an engine or full cell transforms it to electricity (Robinson Schut, 2014). Additionally, this hydrogen can be combined again with CO2 to generate synthetic gas used in transportation applications and power plants. Moreover, this hydrogen can be generated within the off-peak seasons or during the periods when there is extra renewable energy. Since the h ydrogen is convertible back to electricity at times when there is insufficient renewable power, this assists in the stabilization in utility grid. The excess hydrogen may be used as fuel to run vehicles and other purposes.            Secondly, different nations have embraced various ways of storing energy for future use since the traditional way of using batteries seem to be expensive and not sustainable. Many nations are now using the current energy technology to store energy from renewable resources instead of batteries which can be used for future use. Some of these technologies include pumped hydro storage and flywheels (Moseley Garche, 2014). Flywheels are suitable for low and high power applications since they store energy in motion form through a rotating mass which demand frequent cycling.            In addition, pumped hydro storage of renewable energy is capable for storing energy in water form elevated at a high position. This is achieved through pumping water when the supply of electricity is high and utilizing gravity in the transportation of water down when there is high demand for electricity with low supply. Pumped-storage facilities are very economical because of the differentials in off-peak prices since it offers important services in ancillary grid. The projects initiated using this type of technology has offered energy storage capability and the transmission ancillary grid advantages in Europe and US. Currently, more than 40 projects in pumped-storage are operating in USA providing more than 20GW in the national grid systems (Robinson Schut, 2014). This pumped-storage hydropower provides the solutions in energy balancing, storage capacity, ancillary grid, and stability like the network frequency reserves and control. This is because the plants used in pumped storage can respond to potential changes in electrical load within a few seconds.            Another storage medium which provides the solution to alternating renewable energy sources is the use of compressed air energy storage (CAES). This is similar to the pumped hydro storage through output, storage capacity and application although it utilizes the ambient air instead of water. The use of CAES technology has gained popularity more than pumped hydro because it provides storage in large scale without any geographic restrictions. In the CAES technology, the compressed ambient air is driven into underground caverns or storage tanks. When the need for electricity arises, the air compressed and stored in tanks is expanded to drive motors which eventually generate power (Moseley Garche, 2014). The current advancement in CAES technology has improved its efficiency, the fuel used and storage methods. In addition, CAES possess many advantages compared to other different types of energy storage since the ambient air utilized is free and the technologies and material utilized are abundant and well understood.            Moreover, batteries have been used for long to store energy from many renewable sources. People using the solar energy can use the lead-acid batteries to store energy for future use. Despite the fact that some of these batteries are not durable, the use of rechargeable batteries offers the solutions for power storage in rural areas (Robinson Schut, 2014). The use of lithium-ion batteries have created a recent attention in renewable energy storage since they take longer before recharging and their weight is much less compared to the traditional lead-acid batteries.            Some of the current proposed solutions in the storage of energy include the proposed potential gravity power storage which involves the storage of energy without losses (Moseley Garche, 2014). This project has been in progress since 2013 and experts reveal that if finalized, it will respond to the current problems encountered in sustainable energy solutions. Current policies            The current renewable policies supported by the US government include the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). These two policies were primarily enacted by the US federal government to reduce the demand of the power from fossil fuels like petroleum and coal while decreasing the related carbon emissions. Through these policies, the American nation has reduced the carbon emissions significantly since 2007 up to date. The PTC is an incentive offered by the federal government to offer financial support in the development of renewable energy in America (Robinson Schut, 2014). The companies which produce electricity from geothermal, wind and bioenergy qualify for the federal PTC. These companies are eligible for incentive in the production of renewable energy for ten years since the beginning of their operations.            Together with the state standards in renewable resources, PTC has supported many development projects in wind power. As disclosed by the Department of Energy in USA, these development supported by PTC has resulted in many economic benefits in the production and distribution of electricity. Between 2007 and 2010, the production of wind power in America tripled with an approximate 550 manufacturing companies distributed in 44 states (Robinson Schut, 2014). Consequently, the cost of producing electricity from renewable sources like wind in US has reduced considerably over the last two years.            Moreover, different nations and states have adopted various policies supporting greater investment and other adoption in renewable technologies in renewable energies. Some of these policies include the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) which needs electric utility providers to offer particular percentage. The RPS is a policy which opens the alternatives to increase the production of energy from the renewable sources like biomass, solar, geothermal and wind. In USA, according to the rules of RPS, some companies must generate certain fraction of power from renewable sources of energy which are acknowledged (Moseley Garche, 2014). When these companies produce electricity from the renewable resources, the federal government requires them to supply to other organizations at a certain fee. Despite the fact that the RPS depends majorly on the private sector to produce energy, the federal government offer some financial support in order to incr ease the private investment in renewable use of energy.            Another environmental policy which affects the changes in the storage and transmission of the production of sustainable energy is the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). SEPA assists environmental local agencies to identify any environmental impact that may result from the decisions made by government (Hendrickson, 2012). This act was enacted through the Washington Legislature in the year 1971. Since many projects proposed in the production, storage and storage of renewable resources by the private sector must get approval from the relevant authorizes, SEPA intervenes in the adoption of the proposed solutions in energy storage. Notably, SEPA advises the federal government on any environmental issues that may result in any proposed solutions. Moreover, SEPA also advises the local governments on the construction of different projects proposed in the states, particularly the on renewable energies.            Furthermore, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) enacted in 1970 through the US environmental law offers the procedure or implementation of objectives in the federal agencies. According to the current legislations of NEPA, all the states must provide effective sustainable renewable energy storage facilities that do not affect the future generations. Various states need to regulate the production and regulation of renewable sources of energy (Sukumar, 2014). NEPA assists the private developers in individual states on the objectives formulated to engage in better production of renewable power. NEPA also provides instructions on the impact of different solutions in the production of renewable energy. Since most of the projects in renewable resources are supported by private developers, NEPA offers directions on how to go in different projects. Challenges            Some of the challenges associated with the implementation of the current and previous policies related to the production, storage and transmission of renewable energy include the poor implementation process through poor funding. Many proposals have been formulated to venture in advanced technological production and storage of renewable energy but only a few have been implemented (Hendrickson, 2012). This is because private developers in renewable energy seek funding from the government which takes a lot of time before responding. As depicted through the current report by NEMA, many private developers venturing the renewable energy technologies lack the appropriate muscle to put into practice what they have put into plan (Robinson Schut, 2014). Different nations struggle to attain sustainable energy to meet their demands. However, in these nations, the proposals by different private developers in the associated renewable energies are still pending.            Another challenge is the limited awareness and confidence in the use of renewable technologies. As divulged by NEPA, the public require more information on solar technologies. Better programs are needed to educate builders, designers and other potential users of renewable energy in the industrial, commercial and residential sectors (Hendrickson, 2012). Most consumers lack the basic information in the use of renewable energies like solar and wind. Lack of effective programs to protect the manufacturing and installation of renewable energy has hindered effective implementation of RPS. The governments need to educate their citizens on the current available renewable sources of power that they can purchase and use in their homes. In addition, the change in governments from one reign to another affects the transition in the implementation process aimed at increasing the production of renewable power. This is because, each government that comes into power they want to actualize their manifesto in order to lure support in the next elections. Since 1980, the American private sector has been formulating different approaches to solve the demand for electricity (Hendrickson, 2012). However, lack of transition in the leadership of projects in renewable resources has resulted in many pending projects which are useful in the nation. Therefore, poor transition of leadership from one government to the other has resulted in the delay of many projects which are significant in the improvement of renewable energy production and utilization. NEPA claims that the poor funding process in renewable energy projects is as a result of lack of effective transition from one government to the other.            Furthermore, political influences in many nations affect the implementation process in policies related to renewable energy. Since the policies supporting the production, distribution and utilization of renewable energy must be approved and enacted through parliamentary sittings, some political struggle in terms of personal interest affect their enactment (Sukumar, 2014). Despite the fact that some of these policies affecting renewable energy are beneficial to the entire nation, lack of significant support during the enactment process hinder the significant progress in renewable energy projects. For instance, in America, the political swings from republican government to democratic government affect the approval in projects in renewable sources of energy like nuclear. There is a big struggle in passing of policies in the current government due to political struggle.            The wide spread utilization of renewable energy in USA has also been hindered by the state and federal policies and other market imperfections which subsidize the competing sources of energy (Hendrickson, 2012). Some these policies which affect the implementation of renewable energy projects include the price controls through federal governments in the oil and gas prices. Through these subsidizes, the renewable sources are unable to compete effectively in the market and attain a competitive advantage over other sources of energy due to the cost of production and distribution required (Moseley Garche, 2014). Despite the fact some of the environmental policies support sustainable energy production, the subsidies provided by the federal governments in other sources shy off private investors in this sector. Alternative methods            Through technology, the production and storage of hydrogen has been made easy using the Nano-technology. Some fuels such as gasoline used in renewable energy production lead to carbon footprint and pollution. Experts reveal that hydrogen is a clean source of renewable power when the two problems of easy accessibility and safe storage are solved. A team of scientists in USA have invented the nano-composities from magnesium which are air stable used in the hydrogen storage. The Nano-composites particles are formed through magnesium metal and mixed with other polymers associated with Plexiglas (Moseley Garche, 2014). Notably, the Nano-composite technology form of hydrogen storage is able to absorb and release hydrogen in any conventional temperature without the metal oxidation taking place. As claimed by the DOE of America, the Nano-technology invented recently, is one of the major steps in the storage advancement of hydrogen since it is abl e to overcome the challenges in kinetic and thermodynamic (Sukumar, 2014).            Moreover, the use of technology in different renewable resources has resulted in the invention of better methods in storage and distribution of power. Some of these current technologies include the use of leviathan energy in the wind turbine production, reflective dishes in solar energy, use of cells which are spherical and the utilization of clean energy from algae.            In wind power, new technologies have been developed in the production of energy in areas with low wind and other offshore sections. Experts have developed better designs in blades, mooring systems in ocean and efficient turbines (Hendrickson, 2012). Through these technologies, cheaper wind energy has been produced in different states in America. Most of the American experts reveal that these new technologies will allow better utilization in the existing grid through driving the power grid to minimize transmission impact required to distribute wind power in different cities.            Since the struggle for power in different nations hinders the implementation of different projects in renewable energy, separation of powers would solve the procedures followed in the implementation process (Hendrickson, 2012). Most of the private invented projects in renewable energies are affected by competing political interests in power and therefore, separating the powers involved in the national renewable policies will eventually solve the implementation process.            Furthermore, in order to attract more investment and use of renewable energy, the Energy Commission in America have formulated the solar partnership in new homes which provides incentives to attract people to install solar panels in their new homes. This program encourages new house owners in America to use solar panels due to their efficiency in energy at all times. According to the energy commission in America, the solar partnership in new homes aim at installing more than 400MW of power through solar energy by the end of 2016 (Sukumar, 2014). Through this partnership, people who are building new homes are able to get solar panels at subsided prices which are affordable. Since the solar panels have been built using the current technology, their durability and ability to trap energy from the sun attract more people to buy them.            In other nations like German, the formulation of programs with market incentives like the MAP, aims to lure more people to use renewable sources of power. Through the MAP program, people building new houses are encouraged to obtain a specific share in the amount of energy they consume from renewable energy (Moseley Garche, 2014). Alternatively, those people with old buildings are been provided with financial assistance to renovate their buildings in order to use renewable energy.            Moreover, people with small homes, can apply for large and small solar panels, effective heat pumps and furnaces which are biomass-fired with feed systems which are automatic through the MAP project (Sukumar, 2014). The change in lifestyle from rental houses to personal houses which utilize the modern technologies in the production of renewable energy has also solved the fluctuating power problems in different nations. Many people now prefer to build or buy modern houses through mortgages which have effectively increased the use of renewable energy in homes.            In conclusion, in order to attain sustainable energy in the world, the governments ruling different nations need to understand their roles in supporting of projects in renewable energy. Despite the fact that different private developers have constituted various approaches in tapping and generation of energy, without the financial support required in this project the problem of electricity will continue to increase. Since different government and other non-government policies affect the production and distribution of renewable energy, all the government must evaluate the viability of the projects presented by the private developers in renewable energy. As depicted from this essay, it is evident that through government incentives in the production and purchase of better equipment, there is a recommendable increase in the use of renewable power. References Hendrickson, C. (2012). Sustainable Energy Challenges for Civil Engineering Management. Journal Of Management In Engineering, 28(1), 2-4. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.00000 Moseley, P. T., Garche, J. (2014). Electrochemical Energy Storage for Renewable Sources and Grid Balancing. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Robinson, M., Schut, D. (2014). RAIL AS THE SUSTAINABLE BACKBONE OF THE ENERGY EFFICIENT TRANSPORT CHAIN A WORLD VIEW. OIDA International Journal Of Sustainable Development, 7(4), 19-30. Sukumar, S. (2014). LAW AS A MEDIUM OF CHANGE, TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT USE OF CLEAN ENERGY. OIDA International Journal Of Sustainable Development, 7(3), 45-54. Source document
Panera Bread Essay Example for Free
Panera Bread Essay What are the Panera Bread’s primary sources of competitive advantage? In your judgment, are these sources of advantages sustainable? Why or why not? Panera’s primary sources of competitive advantage are: (1) the distinctive nature of its bakery products, (2) its brand strength, (3) the atmosphere of its restaurants, and (4). its position in the restaurant industry Yes,Panera Bread Co. (NASDAQ: PNRA) operates the signature restaurant chain Panera Bread, selling hand-crafted breads, sandwiches, salads, and drinks. Panera Bread bakery-cafes are often associated with the concept of â€Å"fast casual†, a mixture between fast food and more upscale casual dining. Customers still pay for their food at the counter, like a traditional fast food restaurant, but Panera arranges tables and chairs to be conducive to group meetings. Most Panera Bread restaurants are located in suburban strip malls and regional malls. As of December 29, 2009, Panera had 1,380 bakery-cafes, spanning 38 states, as well as some locations in Canada. Traditionally, companies like Panera have suffered in recessions, which decrease the frequency with which consumers eat out at restaurants. 1] However, Panera’s strategy during the recession has been â€Å"to stay consistent and not to react to the recession†, keeping costs constant and offering new salads and sandwiches. [2] As a result, Panera’s â€Å"fast casual†niche (between casual dining and fast food) contributes to its relative success; this positioning allowed it to avoid discounting wars and maintain its margins by attracting customers with a higher quality product perceived to be a good value for the money. Panera bread has a great meal of Bacon Turkey Bravo with 28G of fat per meal.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Different Forms Of People Management Commerce Essay
Different Forms Of People Management Commerce Essay At the end of the nineteenth century many workers were employed in the manufacturing sectors, where they had to put in long hours and conditions were often harsh. The welfare state did not exist and no work could mean destitution. However, even in such unenlightened times some employers did value their workers and took on a paternalist role for their employees. Such famous names as Cadbury, Rowntree and Bournville, all chocolate manufacturers, and Lever, a soap manufacturer, all took their employees` welfare very seriously and established the provision of health and education as part of their role as a responsible employer. These enlightened employers tended to be Quakers and were some of the first employers to employ welfare officers. The welfare officers were often women and were concerned not only with visiting sick employees but also with supervising moral welfare. We will take an overview of the state of debate. THE STATE OF DEBATE The question of whether human resource management has the capacity to transform or replace deeply rooted models of personnel management and industrial relations, or could become fully worked-through theory of management, is one that cannot be answered in a simple manner. Human resource management has many cogent critics and many sceptical supporters. Initial criticism which claimed that it was `old wine new bottles` ,the restatement perspective outlined earlier in this chapter, still has strong adherents (Keenoy and Anthony, 1993). Others see it as a version of `the emperor`s new clothes` (Legge, 1989) or a `wolf sheep`s clothing` (Armstrong, 1987) The 1990s have seen a growing sophistication in the nature of the debate involving HRM. One very strong characteristic is the desire on the part of a number of commentators to explore the consequences of implementing HRM techniques for organizations. Thus the nature of the argument now strongly incorporates the concept of HRM outcomes rather than relying largely on descriptions of styles or types of HRM philosophies. Part of this development has been promoted by the realisation that traditional sources of competitive advantage, such as technological supremacy, patents, capital and so forth, are very much less important than they were in a world in which many countries can display equal advantage in at least some of these critical aspects (Pfeffer, 1994). Thus the extent to which an organization can mobilise is internal human resources may hold the key to achievable advantage in the future (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990). The general managerial epithet that `people are our greatest asset` is a tried clichÃÆ' ©; what distinguishes the most recent work is its focus on the recourse based model of HRM and the particular mix ofskills and attributes that can be developed and applied to economic performance. Thus Huselid (1995) has argued that high performance work practices have an economically and statically significant impact on such employee outcomes as turnover and productivity and both short- and long-term measures of corporate financial performance. In my opinion is, the importance of HRM as rhetoric that speaks to the concerns of a wide range of stakeholder groups-personnel and line managers, government and academics-should not be underestimated. We will take an overview of the chances in external environmental factors and HR practices and strategies. CHANGE-MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES These are required if organizations are to be effective in developing an innovative and fast moving organisation that keep up with the fast pace of development in a modern society. Organizations need to be adaptable and flexible, which means that policies and objectives need to be place to manage change. Many of the IT industryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s need to be adaptable and fast changing to keep up with changes in modern technology. For example, Apple Computers` market share was in decline due to monopoly of the Microsoft windows operating system, but it has reinvented itself with the iPod, and is now leading the way in music technology. Without change management objectives Apple would have found it much harder to respond to rapid changes. For this reason the recruitment, selection and development strategies all need to feed into the change management objectives. Policy formulation and management of change This means using HR policy to identify and manage change in a business environment. This extends from Harward model, which has not identified change effectively to ensure competitiveness. Apple Computers managed to develop the iPod and gain competitive advantage by having policies for managing innovation and change. Nevertheless, these assumptions inform the practices and policies of management, and hence define the organizational and conceptual space that HRM fills and generate the multiple meanings of which HRM is constructed. We shall examine some of them in greater detail shortly. Competing interpretations of organisations and management When we stand back from the concrete world of managing to that of theories about organizations and management, we find that not only have very different interpretations been made overtime, but there exist simultaneously several strongly competing interpretations. Again, we can only skim over this material, but u can pursue the issues by reading, for example, Child (1969), who traces the development of management trough in Britain or Morgan (1986), who examines in a very accessible way eight different metaphors or ways that theorists as well as others have construed organisations. Brunsson (1989) throws a different light on the nature and goals of organising, based on his research in Scandinavian municipal administrations. He suggest that the outputs of these kinds of organizations are `talk, decision and physical products`. He proposes two ideal types of organization that depends on action for its legitimacy. Talk and decisions in the action organization lead to actions, whereas the outputs of the political organization are talk and decisions that may not lead to action. Having now examined some of the choices managers make to deal with the tensions within organizations and some of the competing interpretations offered by theorist of those tensions and choices, we need to stepback even further to become aware of the ways of thinking and of seeing that inform their assumptions. First, however, we shall examine the next layer of the context of HRM. THE CONTEXT OF HUMAN RECOURCE MANAGEMENT Human resource management cannot take place in isolation from the internal organization or the external environment where the political, economic, societal, technological and international context can have an impact on how the organization operates and how HRM is managed within that context. The context (the external and internal environment within which HR operates) within which HR takes place will impact on organizational polices and have implications for the functions of HR. this has been highlighted earlier in the example of the Beardmore conference Hotel, whose flexible benefits reflected the local society and culture as well as the economic environment, where managers recognised the need to attract and retain staff at that time. Context has many layers, which build up to impact on how the organization does business. THE ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT To operate successfully the organization needs to ask itself the following questions. What business are we in? How can we carry out our business to be as effective as possible and to meet out stakeholders`(identifiable clusters of people who have an economic and/or social interest in the performance of an organization) needs? The organizational context is also influenced by external context; it interacts with its environment and this in turn impacts on HR. for this reason, HR practices need to be designed to reflect the organizational context. However, in a fast-changing working environment this is often difficult to achieve: new technologies are developed, governments and attitudes change policy will, in turn, inform practice but needs to be flexible enough to respond to the influences of the external environment. For example, changes in practise, which in theory has meant a reduction in working hours for some workers. The approaches adopted by managers to resolve the tensions in organizations; The existence of several stakeholders in the employment relationship; Their differing perspectives upon events, experiences and relationships; Their differing aims, interest and needs; The interplay between formal organization and individual potential. These tensions have to be resolved through the process of management, or rather, continuously resolved, for these tensions are inherent in organizations. THE EXTERNAL CONTEXT The external environment influences the external context of the organization. An organization would not be effective if it ignored the external context of politics, economics, society and technology. In London and the south-east of England, there is a shortage of key workers, such as nurses and teachers, and many workers have been employed from abroad to fill the vacancies. For organizations, this means a review of policies to ensure that new workers` needs are considered. On a practical side, new aspect of training may have to be delivered to meet language needs. To do this an organization needs to operate as an open system (system influenced by the external environment and inputs, making it complex and difficult to control), which can change to meet the needs of its external environment. The political context The political context not only refers to the type of government in power at the time, but also, whether the country is democratic or not. In UK the political context changes depending on which political party is in power. In the past, the conservative government has tended to favour the employer over the employee; an example of this was the removal of the minimum wage. Traditional labour governments have focused on the employee and have had close links with the unions. With new labour the lines have become somewhat blurred: although they have reintroduced the minimum wage, they have also formed close links with industry by encouraging public/private partnerships. With every change of government the HR practitioner needs to identify the impact on the organisation and the HR department. The economic context The economic context refers to health of the nation. If business is booming and unemployment is low, it may be harder to find and retain staff. In times of economic decline, unemployment increases and greater choice of labour is available to the employer. However economic decline may also mean that your organisation has to downsize and HR department will than face the dilemma of dealing with redundancies. An organization may also need to answer to shareholders, who expect to see a healthy return on their investment. For the HR professional this could mean developing operations overseas where labour is cheaper, such as prudential moving its call centres to India. It may also mean outsourcing some or all of the functions of HR, as the organization pursues its competitive advantage. An example of outsourcing is discussed in the technology transformation box. The social context the social context refers to the culture, politics ,leadership and management style that influence the organization. An HR manager must be able to identify the culture within which the organization operates. This means he or she needs to recognise and understand the values the organization is trying to promote. However, they also need to understand the culture and society from which their employees are recruited. An HR manager should not underestimate the importance of the social context of business as, in many instances. Businesses have foundered due to a lack of understanding of the culture. Examples are Euro Disney Paris, whose lack of understanding of European culture and its failure to embrace all things American had a serious impact on business. Or, Wal-Mart in Argentina, which failed to understand how the argentines liked to shop, and could not understand why business was not booming in its bright and shiny new supermarkets. CONCLUSIONS HR goes in to decline-outsourcing and downsizing has removed the HR specialist from organisations and placed the HR role with the overworked line manager. The HR function will be closely integrated in to the vision and strategy of the organization and it will continue as it has done in the past, due to the limitations of labour markets, unions, legislation, etc. this implies that it stands still and does not develop. Whatever the view of HR and how it develops in the future, it is important to understand where it has come from and what has influenced it.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Mortuary Practices and Afterlife of the Choctaw Essay -- Sociology, Tr
The Choctaws thrived in the fertile sandy, red-clay soil, rolling hills, and dense forests, located in the Central Hills of the east-central region of Mississippi. The estimated population after early European contact was between 15,000 and 20,000 and was the second largest group of Native Americans in the Southeast (Blitz 1988:127). The Choctaws in the Southeast were a matrilineal society. Traditionally, women preformed tasks related to domestic life. Among these responsibilities were creating pottery and utensils, food preparation, and planting and harvesting crops. The majority of their diet consisted of agricultural products such as corn, pumpkins, squash, and beans. Women would also accompany men on hunting excursions in order to provide food preparation. After the hunt, women were responsible for transporting the slain animal back to the village for processing of skins, bone, and meat (Carson 1995:495-6). The greatest responsibilities of the Choctaw men were hunting and warfare. During the fall and winter months, their primary food source was deer. Their accomplishments on hunting adventures directly reflected upon their social status and importance within the tribe. When a Choctaw tribal member became terminally ill, it was common practice for the medicine man to inform the family of impending death (Swanton 1931:170). Upon death, the Choctaws believed that the spirit of the dead continued on a voyage to either the good hunting ground or the bad hunting ground. This journey would take many days, which would require the proper provisions. A dog would sometimes be slain in order to accompany his master on the long journey. After the introduction of horses, they, too, were killed so that the spirit had means of t... ...uilt or fear, and attempt to dodge the stones. Slipping from the log, he would fall into the raging river and over the waterfall, landing in rapidly swirling pool of water. Pulling his beaten, tattered, and unclothed body from the water, the shilup, begins his journey into the bad hunting grounds. Every step is filled with the pain from briars, thorny trees, chestnut burs. The sun never shines and cold winds are always present. Every spirit encountered is an enemy with no safe place to take refuge. Food is scarce, due to unfertile soil, and hunger is constant. The bad hunting grounds are perpetually lonely, with only the joyous sounds coming from the other side of the mountains. The doomed spirits constantly struggle to climb the treacherous mountains, but to no avail. They are eternally destined to an afterlife of desolation (Campbell 1959:149-52).
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Classical Liberalism VS Classical Conservatism Essay -- American Gover
Are you Republican or Democrat? Maybe you are Conservative or Liberal? What do these terms mean and how did they begin? Classical Conservatism is defined as â€Å"a political philosophy emphasizing the need for the principles of natural law and transcendent moral order.†(Frohnen, Beer, and Nelson, 2006) Classical Liberalism is described as â€Å"a philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets.†(Hudelson, 1999) These two ideas have shaped our philosophies and parties for centuries to come. These philosophies were made possible by many bright men of the time like Edmund Burke, John Adams, John Locke and Adam Smith. Classical conservatism or traditional conservatism, Burkean conservatism, and Toryism, is a party that has re-expressed their convections to fit the time. (Frohnen, Beer, and Nelson, 2006) In classical conservatism, many parties have adapted their view points. One of the first parties in American that adapted the philosophies of conservatism was the Whigs. The Whigs opposed monarchial power, advocated internal reform of administration, and freedom under the law. They believed in balancing orders in the common wealth and religious toleration. (Kirk, 1953) One person highly recognized for his work in the public sector for conservatism was Edmund Burke. Edmund Burke was born January 12, 1729 in Dublin, Ireland, and died July 9, 1797 in Beaconsfield, England. (Lock, 1999) During his sixty-eight years, he was a very smart and good man; He was an Irish statesman, author, orator, and political theorist and philosopher. Edmund Burke was known for supporting the American Revolution but opposing the Fr... ...ssical conservatives are scared of it, but they do know that is needed with some restrictions, or as modern liberals would say, â€Å"safety nets, lots and lots of safety nets.†Classical liberals love the free market system because of what it can do for the economy and society. Classical liberalism and classical conservatism are closely based as seen by Edmund Burke who was admired for his political philosophies from both classical liberalism and classical conservatism. Yet, with any group of people, not everyone is going to agree, and parties form even if it over a small issue. Consider the christian faith, there are many different denominations because of the beliefs in minor doctrine, but they all believe that Jesus is the Son of God, like the classical liberals and classical conservatives believe in the Constitution. So, what party are you in?
Monday, September 2, 2019
Birth: The Beginning of Life Essay -- Birthing Birth Essays
Birth: The Beginning of Life Birth: a definition For all mammals (with platypuses being the exception), parturition is the beginning of life as we know it. More specifically, birth is the means by which non-human primates and human primates alike begin their experience of the world. I am interested in the significance of childbirth the method by which it is carried out, its implications for the birthing mother, and the way that the birthing process is viewed by different societies. Both birth and the postpartum period involve a certain degree of danger for the birthing mother, her nascent child, and her entire family or community. Because childbirth is so dangerous (the average lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy related causes is about one in fifteen in some poor countries, MacCormack 1), most cultures have distinct patterns that determine how the birthing process will be carried out. The birthing process involves different birthing positions; different rules concerning who is allowed to be present during the time of birth; mechanisms for deciding where birth takes place; and different ways by which mother and child deal with labor, birth and postpartum. "As a life crisis event, birth is everywhere a candidate for consensual shaping and social regulation the particular pattern depending on local history, ecology, social structure, technological development, and the like" (Jordan 4). By exploring the original human condition of childbirth one is able to gain insight into the universal biosocial phenomenon known as the birthing process. In addition, I am interested in studying childbirth because, as women's work, it is usually not given enough attention in the traditionally male-dominated field of anthropology. "Unt... ... Peoples. London: J. Cape, 1971. Hrdy, Sarah Blaffer. The Langurs of Abu: Female and Male Strategies of Reproduction. Cambridge, MA:, Harvard Univ. Press, 1997. Jordan, Brigitte. Birth in Four Cultures: A Cross-cultural Investigation of Childbirth in Yucatan, Holland, Sweden, and the United States. 4th ed. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 1993. Lawlor, Robert. Voices of the First Day: Awakening in the Aboriginal Dreamtime. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Trad. Ltd., 1991. MacCormack, Carol P., ed. Ethnography of Fertility and Birth. 2nd ed. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 1994. National Geographic Society. "Among the Wild Chimpanzees." National Geographic Video, 1984. Pinker, Steven. "Why they kill their newborns" New York Times Magazine 11 Feb. 1997: 52-55. Smuts et. al. eds. Primate societies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Porter’s 5 Forces Analysis Essay
Threat of New Entrants. The average person can’t come along and start up a bank, but there are services, such as internet bill payment, on which entrepreneurs can capitalize. Banks are fearful of being squeezed out of the payments business, because it is a good source of fee-based revenue. Another trend that poses a threat is companies offering other financial services. What would it take for an insurance company to start offering mortgage and loan services? Not much. Also, when analyzing a regional bank, remember that the possibility of a mega bank entering into the market poses a real threat. Power of Suppliers. The suppliers of capital might not pose a big threat, but the threat of suppliers luring away human capital does. If a talented individual is working in a smaller regional bank, there is the chance that person will be enticed away by bigger banks, investment firms, etc. Power of Buyers. The individual doesn’t pose much of a threat to the banking industry, but one major factor affecting the power of buyers is relatively high switching costs. If a person has a mortgage, car loan, credit card, checking account and mutual funds with one particular bank, it can be extremely tough for that person to switch to another bank. In an attempt to lure in customers, banks try to lower the price of switching, but many people would still rather stick with their current bank. On the other hand, large corporate clients have banks wrapped around their little fingers. Financial institutions – by offering better exchange rates, more services, and exposure to foreign capital markets – work extremely hard to get high-margin corporate clients. Availability of Substitutes. As you can probably imagine, there are plenty of substitutes in the banking industry. Banks offer a suite of services over and above taking deposits and lending money, but whether it is insurance, mutual funds or fixed income securities, chances are there is a non-banking financial services company that can offer similar services. On the lending side of the business, banks are seeing competition rise from unconventional companies. Sony (NYSE: SNE), General Motors (NYSE:GM) and Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT) all offer preferred financing to customers who buy big ticket items. If car companies are offering 0% financing, why would anyone want to get a car loan from the bank and pay 5-10% interest? Competitive Rivalry. The banking industry is highly competitive. The financial services industry has been around for hundreds of years, and just about everyone who needs banking services already has them. Because of this, banks must attempt to lure clients away from competitor banks. They do this by offering lower financing, preferred rates and investment services. The banking sector is in a race to see who can offer both the best and fastest services, but this also causes banks to experience a lower ROA. They then have an incentive to take on high-risk projects. In the long run, we’re likely to see more consolidation in the banking industry. Larger banks would prefer to take over or merge with another bank rather than spend the money to market and advertise to people.
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