Aqa-Scly1-W-Qp-Jun11

General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary Examination June 2011 Sociology Unit 1 Wednesday 18 May 2011 For this paper you must have: ? an AQA 8-page answer book. SCLY1 9. 00 am to 10. 00 am Time allowed ? 1 hour Instructions ? Use black ink or black ball-point pen. ? Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Examining Body for this paper is AQA. The Paper Reference is SCLY1. ? This paper is divided into three sections. ? Choose one section and answer all of the questions from that section. Do not answer questions from more than one section. ? Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. Information ? The marks for questions are shown in brackets. ? The maximum mark for this paper is 60. ? Questions carrying 24 marks should be answered in continuous prose. In these questions you will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist v ocabulary where appropriate. G/T64897/Jun11/SCLY1 6/6/ SCLY1 2 Choose one section and answer all of the questions from that section.Section A: Culture and Identity Total for this section: 60 marks Read Items 1A and 1B below and answer questions Item 1A Interactionists see a person’s identity as arising from interactions with other people and from how those interactions are interpreted. For example, social expectations about what is an appropriate leisure activity for an older person may influence what that person does in their spare time. This choice of leisure activity may affect how they see themselves and how others see them, both of which contribute to their sense of identity.Item 1B For Marxists, culture in society reflects ruling-class ideology. It expresses the distorted view of the world put forward by the dominant class and is important in maintaining the system of social inequality that exists in capitalist society. Functionalist sociologists argue that the culture of society reflects the shared values of that society. Society needs a shared culture to run effectively, and various agencies play their part in socialising members of society. 0 0 1 2 Explain what is meant by ‘socialisation’. 5 0 1 to 0 5 that follow. (2 marks) Suggest two reasons, apart from the one mentioned in Item 1A, why leisure choices may vary across different age groups. (4 marks) Identify three characteristics and/or concepts associated with interactionist views of culture and identity, apart from those mentioned in Item 1A. (6 marks) Examine sociological explanations of the ways in which ethnicity may shape social identity. (24 marks) Using material from Item 1B and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of the role of culture in society. (24 marks) 0 3 0 4 0 5G/T64897/Jun11/SCLY1 3 Section B: Families and Households Total for this section: 60 marks Read Items 2A and 2B below and answer questions Item 2A Many people see childhood as a natural stage of l ife that is determined by biology. What is expected of children is shaped by their age. However, sociologists suggest that childhood is a social construction. For example, changes in the laws regarding compulsory education and access to the labour market have shaped the experiences of children today. Item 2B Feminists take a critical view of the family.They argue that family life maintains and promotes gender inequality. For example, this is reflected in the domestic division of labour. Housework and childcare in the family, which are carried out mainly by women, are unpaid and hardly recognised as work at all. However, some sociologists suggest that feminist theories ignore the extent of family diversity. In fact, family roles and relationships are varied and therefore women’s experiences of family life are more diverse than some feminists suggest. 0 0 6 7 Explain what is meant by the ‘social construction’ of childhood (Item 2A). 0 6 to 1 0 that follow. 5 (2 mar ks) Suggest two ways, apart from those mentioned in Item 2A, in which government policies and/or laws may shape the experiences of children today. (4 marks) Identify three reasons why the birth rate has fallen since 1900. Examine the reasons for changes in the divorce rate since 1969. (6 marks) (24 marks) 0 0 1 8 9 0 Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the contribution of feminist sociologists to an understanding of family roles and relationships. (24 marks) Turn over for Section C Turn over ?G/T64897/Jun11/SCLY1 4 Section C: Wealth, Poverty and Welfare Total for this section: 60 marks Read Items 3A and 3B below and answer questions Item 3A In the United Kingdom, there is a mixed economy of welfare provision. This means that a range of different individuals and organisations provides welfare. The state benefits system is part of this provision and includes some benefits that are universal and others that are means-tested or selective. Voluntary groups also provide welf are services alongside the state and other providers.Item 3B Some sociologists suggest that the attitudes and behaviour of the poor themselves are a significant factor in the existence and continuation of poverty. The poor have a distinct subculture that is different from the rest of society. This subculture encourages certain attitudes and behaviour that keep the poor locked in poverty. However, other sociologists question the existence of a set of different norms and values among the poor. Instead, they suggest that poverty arises from the structure and organisation of society. 1 1 1 2 Explain the difference between income and wealth. 1 1 to 1 5 that follow. 5 (4 marks) Suggest two advantages of welfare benefits being universal, rather than selective (Item 3A). (4 marks) Suggest two advantages of welfare provision by voluntary groups (Item 3A). (4 marks) 1 1 3 4 Examine the reasons for the increasing inequality of wealth in the United Kingdom since the 1970s. (24 marks) Using mate rial from Item 3B and elsewhere, assess the view that the attitudes and the behaviour of the poor themselves are responsible for poverty. (24 marks) 1 5 END OF QUESTIONS Copyright  © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. G/T64897/Jun11/SCLY1

Freshman Year Survival Guide

Freshman Year at Howard University: Survival Course Being a freshman at Howard University can be the start of a great life for a young black person. Student’s freshman year is the year that can mold or break them. Being a freshman at any college is very opportunistic. However, at Howard if a student starts of their college career strongly, it can propel them to do well their remaining years at the university. On the other hand, at Howard University if a student doesn’t address school seriously they can run into an abundance of distractions that can hurt a student’s college career.In saying that, it’s evident that the social scene at Howard University is prelevant enough to swallow a student’s time and focus. How would freshman students know how to balance out the fun and still focus on their education without previous knowledge of how Howard is? It would be very difficult to say the least. Howard University should require mandatory courses and meeti ngs that freshman attend to tell them how to get through their freshman year the correct way. One might ask, what does the proposed way of getting through your freshman year consist of?I think the prototypical freshman year should consist of getting solid grades, joining clubs that has other students from the same states, maybe getting a job on campus your second semester, and having an easy transition to becoming an independent person, would be the main components. In addition, clubs and groups can be very effective to students coming from sheltered backgrounds. In addition, students who will have always been organized have a vision of what they should live up to or excel beyond.Furthermore, these mandatory courses would just be a three credit hour course taken one of the semesters of the year. To reiterate, there are lot of books written on how to get through your freshman year of college. I think that a book could be written on how to get through your freshman year specifically a t Howard University as well as a course being taught about the book. In high school, students were required to go to advisory meetings. So that the students could be hear what the school thought was necessary for them to know.So I think that college freshman should be required to do the same thing. On the other hand, sometimes, mandatory meetings in freshman dormitories are held that exemplify about ways to help freshman get through their first year at Howard. However, not all students attend these meetings and miss out on important information for them. If students had to attend seminars that teach them how to get through their year by showing the futures of a balanced student and a student who parties too much, I think they would follow the right path.Likewise, one of the biggest reasons why students struggle or even drop out their first year of school is because they can’t balance partying and extra curricular activities with school. That is why students should be shown wh at happens when a freshman at Howard takes the wrong route by almost dropping out. Easily, freshman could easily get too wrapped up in everything else besides school because of Howard University’s environment.So when students attend these seminars and classes they can see the careers of a prototypical student and worst possible student at Howard University. Obviously, freshman year for a student at any school is important. Students should have the opportunity to know the best and worst they can do as they take on a big change in their life. At a University as prestigious as Howard University, why not ensure future greatness by attempting to make the freshman of Howard as comfortable and informed as possible. Word Count: 627

Critically evaluate the effectiveness of crisis intervention in social Essay

Critically evaluate the effectiveness of crisis intervention in social work - Essay Example The social worker should aim at generating this partnership from the beginning, hoping to carry this relationship through until the situation is resolved. This can be done by allowing the service user to identify the issues they face and try to come up with alternate solutions to that of the crisis situation. Social workers are free to suggest an alternative route however they should be careful to try not to impose their thoughts on the service user as they must be free to use their own judgment and consider the best solution for their situation. Some theorists and social workers suggest that crisis intervention does not focus on anti-oppressive or anti discriminatory practice because the nature of the intervention work is to alleviate the presenting crisis situation and not the underlying problems that may precipitate the event. Although models of crisis intervention are intended to be brief, to the point, focusing on the surface issues, social workers can integrate anti oppressive and anti discriminatory practices by working with the service users and including any environmental issues or structural oppression to the action plan. The action taken can either be a recommendation to another agency or by putting into practice another theory to their upcoming work. The definitions of crisis pinpoint a crisis as being a hazardous event. Crisis is described as time-limited periods of psychological distress that people need to overcome, but cannot do so by using tried and tested methods of coping (Caplan, 1964, p.73). The approach of crisis intervention originates from the mental health work and stresses on the prevention and not disease treatment. The formulation of this concept was done by Erich Lindemann and Gerald Caplan from 1940’s and 1950’s, where they researched on how people responded to situations that are psychologically dangerous. It is imperative to take into account that crisis in this case does not mean an urgent situation or disaster,

Costs associated with occupational and corporate crime Essay

Costs associated with occupational and corporate crime - Essay Example Income tax violation is a popular white-collar crime. According to an article in New York Times, tax evasion costs governments around the globe more than $3.1 trillion annually. Such a whopping loss of more than $3.1 trillion in annual revenue is a very big issue, yet it is exceedingly hard to catch white-collar criminals. According to a report published by the World Bank in 2011, more than 5.1% of global GDP never reaches the government offices in the form of taxes. Europe is currently facing a crisis because of this rampant tax evasion. The highest amount of tax revenue is lost by the US, about $337 billion. The US is followed by South America and Italy (Werdigier). Embezzlement is a kind of occupational crime and research claims that â€Å"the annual cost of embezzlement is 12.42 billion dollars† (Zarka). Yet, research suggests that the highest costs are associated with white-collar crimes. For example, it is claimed that â€Å"the American business community lost $50 bill ion in 1980 to white-collar crime† (Eitzen cited in Long), which is more than 10 times the costs associated with all street crimes. These are just cost estimates because truth is that occupational and corporate crimes cannot be accurately measured. White-collar criminals are hard to catch because of their high position which is why jails are crowded with socially and economically disadvantaged offenders who have committed some kind of low-class street crime. Many problems are encountered by researchers who try to uncover costs associated with occupational and corporate crimes. It is always easier to estimate costs associated with street crimes because people behind these crimes have no occupational or corporate background. These are jobless people typically belonging to poor class. But, the problem with occupational and corporate criminals is that the higher professions and

Haagen-Dazs's E-Business Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Haagen-Dazs's E-Business Analysis - Essay Example HÃ ¤agen-Dazs is a very old brand of ice cream that was first introduced in 1961 by the Polish immigrants Rose Mattus and Reuben. In the beginning, the business had only offered three flavors of ice cream. These flavors included chocolate, vanilla, and coffee. Additionally, the first business shop was established in the Brooklyn, New York in 1976. After that, this business evolved to a huge extent and became a huge corporation. Presently this United States based business is having its franchises all through the United States and over 54 nations all through the world. Moreover, HÃ ¤agen-Dazs also manufacture ice cream, cakes, bars, frozen yogurt, and sorbet. This business was launched by Reuben Mattus who was a young industrialist and having a fervor for excellence and a dream for offering the best ice-cream ever at that time. The establishment of business was aimed to offer quality ice cream to the community. Additionally, the business was initiated as a small business setup and then it turned into a huge business setup. In addition, the ice cream products of the HÃ ¤agen-Dazs brand rapidly developed a loyal customer market. HÃ ¤agen-Dazs initial achievements were attained through idle talk as well as great honor. Moreover, without taking the advantage of any advertisement technique the business of HÃ ¤agen-Dazs grown rapidly. Initially, the ice cream was simply available at gourmet shops located in New York afterward its delivery extended all through the United States. ... Initially, the ice cream was simply available at gourmet shops located in New York afterward its delivery extended all through the United States (HDIP, Inc., 2011). Presently this business is one of the main and biggest ice cream businesses in US and this business is offering a variety of ice cream products. This aspect enabled the business to attain higher customer satisfaction, confidence along with market share. Figure 1Main page of Haagen-dazs, Source: http://www.haagen-dazs.com/ 3- Branding This section discusses some of the main aspects about products branding available at Haagen-Dazs business. In this scenario I will outline different approaches and policies to assess the overall branding tactic and policy of the business: 3.1- Branding Basic Theme Haagen-Dazs has established the business brand on the basis of its high quality ice cream flavors. In this scenario this business offers a variety of quality based and luxury ice cream brands for mature people. In the start Haagen-D azs introduced the ice cream product which was approximately for all time inexpensively available ice cream at the marketplace. Initially the business has tried to pay great attention towards the household, men, women and children marketplace. However in current years Haagen-Dazs has proficiently introduced a latest idea of ice cream product that ice cream could be of high-status, special, tasteful and good looking. Through this type of business and product marketing the Haagen-Dazsturn became one of the bestselling brands among the fantastic-quality brands of this category (Adbrands.net., 2011) and (ICMR, 2011). 3.2- High Quality Haagen-Dazs has established the basic theme ‘no compromise on ice cream quality’ for its business. Haagen-Dazs recognized that

Organize a debate on the vietnam war, iraqi war or any controversial Essay

Organize a debate on the vietnam war, iraqi war or any controversial historical event that has taken place within 40years. Write - Essay Example Hussein did not comply with the inspection, prompting the United Nations to draft a resolution seeking for serious consequences if the Iraqi leader dismissed the UN Security Council’s strict inspection of the alleged dangerous weapons. Now, had Hussein not cultivated nuclear weapons, he could have freely let the team inspect and let his conscience be freed. If there were no impositions of serious actions towards terrorism, Iraqi people would still remain to witness a never-ending siege of terrorism, hiding behind Hussein’s dictatorship. Second justification, had the U.S. and its allies not launched the war, global security is at stake (Copson 4). The Al Qaeda terrorist organization has established connections with the radical leader, and the creation of nuclear weapons is a stepping stone to Iraq’s claiming to govern the world under his tutelage. The war was an indication, moreover, to other countries, which are cultivating destructive weapons to learn a lesson f rom the war in order for them to stop. For instance, Libyan dictator Gaddafi was reported to have ceased creating weapons of mass destruction upon knowing what happened to Saddam Hussein. Furthermore, Iraqis were freed from the regime of Saddam Hussein, which clearly would not happen if the United States remained relaxed. It is a concession that war yields damages, both life and property. However, it is also true that the clear and present danger posed by these weapons would turn out killing millions of people than one expected if there are no actions to stop violence and terrorism. Therefore, the war in Iraq in 2003 was worth it. Negative Side’s Justifications. It is ironic to talk peace while using violence to achieve it. This basic premise holds true to everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion and ideology. The 2003 Iraq war was an exaggerated action for an unproven claim that Iraq owns weapons of mass destructions (Prados and Ames par. 15), and posited questions to the real motive of the United States in waging the war; therefore, it is not worth it. First, the war killed, not just the alleged supporters of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda, but including children and civilian citizens. If Hussein’s body is highly important, then the United States should have launched a manhunt operation against him and his supporter so as to avoid collateral damages (Abrams and Gungwu 12). Secondly, the war was a burden to the fiduciary situation of the United States and to its allies. Curtis and Payne stated that while the world enjoyed Hussein’s loss, the cost of the war was â€Å"disproportionate† (45). Third justification, the motive of the United States was highly questionable. If the war was rested on the ground of justified reasons, there would be no other reason beyond the goal of global peace. The war was not a matter of â€Å"necessity,† but a â€Å"choice† (Harvey 1); therefore, it has clear motives. To name it explicitly, the oil reserves served as an indication of economic domination. Inasmuch as the pro-war were convinced of the presence of nuclear weapons, anti-war was also sure that the United States, under the cloak of salvaging Iraq from dictatorship, also eyed on the rich oil reserve of the country. Fourthly, the Iraqi people were now freed from one dictator, but the leadership was governed by people with vested interests. U.S. had various allies during the war, and it is highly anticipated that economic benefits of the war are likely

Behavioral Psychology Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Behavioral Psychology Assignment - Essay Example Eating a lot of food and healthy quantities of vitamin-enriched food can lead to quicker and more complete development in a baby. For example, eating foods that are high in fat increases the development of the myelin sheath in neurons, which prevents degenerative neurological conditions. The nicotine in cigarettes can cause birth defects as well as lead to a premature birth of an undeveloped baby. 3. Many childhood and developmental psychologists acknowledge that children are always learning through observation. Children see actions performed and then integrate them into their personality. This can be proved using the famous Bobo doll experiment conducted by Bandura, which showed that aggressive behavior can be learned through observation. 4. The first stage is trust vs. mistrust, which occurs during infancy. Here the biggest hurdle to overcome is establishing the trusting relationship with the caregivers. The second stage is Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. Here the main source of anxi ety is learning to become self-sufficient or being forced to rely on others. The third stage is Initiative vs. Guilt. This is when the initial development of a consciousness starts with the fundamental question of whether one is good or evil. The fourth stage is Industry vs. Inferiority. Here, one focuses on what can they do in order to be a successful member in society. The fifth stage is Identity vs. Role Confusion. This is where the main neuroticism of self starts in that a person must establish one’s identity. After overcoming this stage, they enter the sixth stage of Intimacy vs. Isolation in that they enter a stage dominated by the searching for acceptance and relationships. In the seventh stage, Generativity vs. Stagnation, one looks back and says what do I have to provide for something of value for society. The last stage is Ego Integrity vs. Despair. In this, the main question is based on looking back on one’s life and asking themselves if they accomplished wh at they wanted. 5. In college, a student must become more independent and aware of one’s own finances. Being considered an adult, they must learn how to function and prioritize the usage of funds. In terms of personal development and social development, they are both interconnected in that friends will form the primary network of support. Therefore, the development of the individual is based on a collective scale. 6. The first need is that of physiological needs. In domestic violence, this is maintaining oneself as far as keeping away from injury and promoting good health. The second need is safety and that the person must feel safe both in a physical sense and in a psychological sense. The third need is through love/belonging. Having a good social support and feeling loved is essential in maintaining psychological congruence. The fourth need is self-esteem in that the person must feel confident in himself or herself. The last level is self-actualization and requires the pers on to transcend the fact they have experienced domestic violence and gain new insight from the experience. 7. Industrial psychologists operate on operant conditioning, which comes from transactional leadership principles. The uses of reinforcements are used to increase a desired result and the uses of punishment in order to make sure things are done in a proper manner. 8. Syphillis is a bacterial infection that is a sexually transmitted disease, which spreads as a result of contact

Compare or Contrast Sonny's Blues & Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare or Contrast Sonny's Blues & - Essay Example ers try to conceal their true identities but they do not understand that they cannot disconnect themselves from their history and that their identity remains intact with their history. Sonny’s Blues characterizes Sonny and his brother as two counterparts of African American race. Sonny wants freedom from suffering while his brother accepts everything and locks his true personality. Both of them try to get rid of Harlem as its environment was criminalizing its inhabitants. According to Baldwin, disaster waits for the dwellers of Harlem and â€Å"some escaped the trap, most didn’t†. Sonny’s brother shows submissiveness by accepting what comes his way while Sonny stands as a revolutionary. In Everyday Use, Walker portrays two sisters, both standing in contrast to one another. Maggie accepts her identity and is submissive while Dee rejects her identity and wants freedom and proves that she is different. She feels that she is oppressed by her past as after telling about her changed name she says, She feels herself oppressed being a part of her race and wants to get rid of her identity. However, she cannot break her linkage to her roots. Both the stories reveal that the African Americans even after gaining freedom go through a phase that is depressing and pressurizing for them as they still consider themselves subjugated or ignored by the society in which, they exist. Some characters try to break their links with the past but they cannot, however, some accept their status and own their history. Sonny and Maggie want to lead their lives by being attached to their heritage and fight with their own selves to know better about themselves. Sonny as an African American boy takes refuge in crime to some extent and later on in Jazz music while Maggie takes refuge in her home and accepts her status and feels herself connected to her history and is the righteous owner of her mother’s belongings for which, she is proud of. Jazz music stands as a source of connection for

Religions of the Caribbean and Latin America Essay

Religions of the Caribbean and Latin America - Essay Example This religion is seen not only in Haiti, where its origins lie, but also in Mexico and South America, and most famously in New Orleans, where its practitioners have included Dr John, the shaman Drummer, and Marie Laveau, the New Orleans healer. It is from the academic studies of this religion that we have received some of the most powerful images of modern mystery faiths. It is also known as Vodou, Vodun, and many other variations, depending upon the writer concerned. As at attempt at compromise, Voodoo will be used to discuss the Haitian religion as a cultural signifier, while Vodun (which means spirit or sacred) will be used to discuss the actual religion of the area. Vodun, moreover, is not the only religion in the area based upon the entwined influence of African Gods, Christian imagery, and native American shaman faiths. Other interesting religions of the area include Santeria, the faith of the Yoruba in Cuba and the Diaspora, Candomble, and Umbanda. These three religions are referred to under the umbrella term of ‘Macumba’.'Macumba'. While this essay will study the differences and similarities between the Vodun and Santeria, the other religions of this region are also worthy of mention, as they have produced transculturation in differing ways, especially Umbanda, which is unusual even for the area: Umbanda in perhaps the youngest of these forms only emerging in 1904 and strangely enough being a fusion not of Christian and African beliefs, but Hindu, Buddhist and African beliefs. (Patrice, 2003, page 7) Even such a well-known religion such as Jamaican Rastafarianism, which is fundamentally a Christian religion, combines elements of a pan-African religious perspective, including There would be a mystic return to the African homelandlinked to notions of cultural recovery through a spiritual connection to the African homeland. The belief in the soul's return to Africa after death was widespread in the Caribbean. (Olmos and Paravisini-Gebert. 2003, page 156-7) Rastafarianism is a connection between the deeply religious Christian community, and the equally religious Pan-African faiths of the Caribbean. Furthermore, the idea of a spiritual movement back to Africa after death ties it in strongly to the Vodun, Candomble, and even Espiritismo, which is the Creole interpretation of spiritualism in areas such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Southern states of the United States. In all the religions of the Caribbean so far discussed, the importance of spiritual connection with the dead, with ancestors in Africa, and direct contact with the gods, or Lwa, who will be discussed later. Voodoo is seen by outsiders as a very 'dark' faith, one in which the priests and priestesses kill their enemies through magic, the famous 'voodoo' dolls, and rites which involve animal sacrifice (and human sacrifice too, it is alleged). Other myths of voodoo imagine the creation of many Zombies as workers, have become the staple of horror movies, and TV shows such as 'Hex'. Santeria, while associated with Vodun, concentrates much more upon the worship of Gods in the guises of Catholic Saints. The very name means 'Worship (or way) of the Saints", and so provides a perfect example of the mixing of Christian and African religions in this melting pot of faiths known as the Caribbean. This essay seeks to analyze the true religions of Vodun and Santeria, approaching the faiths through a history of the people, from a consideration of the cultural influences of both religions, to the nature of the worship before Slavery was abolished. The role of Voodoo in Haiti and New Orleans will be considered,

Issues Regarding the Global Environmental Ethics and Green Spiritualit Essay

Issues Regarding the Global Environmental Ethics and Green Spirituality - Essay Example In the individualist deontologist approach, the adult mammals are thought to have more value than other species. As per ( Palmer,2011,pg.20)â€Å"These environmental ethicists consider that individual organisms have value in themselves, the value that is not necessarily linked with experience, nor to do with states of affairs within the organism. In the holistic approach, the whole of the living beings and the ecosystem is considered as an aesthetical unit.T he most appealing approach is the holistic approach because it considers all living being and ecosystems important. The relationship among living being and nature is given a spiritual meaning. In that sense, we have the obligation to protect nature as our home and Mother. Nature is our home and we need to see the environment as ourselves because of its destruction we destroy ourselves. We need to amend environment policy to reduce air and water pollution, global warming and animal extinction. The author Patrick Dobel in his essay greening of spirituality attempts to bring forth the idea of how religious values the environment and living beings. He has written about the traditional Christian and Jewish view on the environment by giving reference to the Biblical text. The Judeo – Christian view on environmental ethics is presented by the author. He writes that Christianity is an environmentally friendly religion which is peace-loving and tolerant. He argues against people who think Christianity manipulate the environment. He believes that Christianity supports caretaking of environment and sharing benefits equally among all. Patrick Dobel states that the stewardship imperative supposes that the ethical, as well as ecological restrictions, are endowed, adding the mandate to disburse the gains fairly (28-32) The author claims that both Islam, Native American tribal religions have exploited nature. The author does believe that the environmental crisis has its roots in the western world. Industrialization occurred first in West and hence they used natural resource excessively which accounted for environmental exploitation.  

Two Thumbs Up for Phantom of the Opera Musical Essay Example for Free

Two Thumbs Up for Phantom of the Opera Musical Essay The musical play Phantom of the Opera is really extraordinary. The Angel of Music is really a catchy song that put viewer’s attention on stage. The actors and actresses managed to do their performances with majestic skills and enthusiasm. The presentation of design and visual arts added an overall impact on the play. Various points that were highlighted in the play were props, musical score, voicing, choreography, the story and the turn of events. Being able to see the musical is a once in a lifetime experience. The major characters are well selected and they are credible enough in playing their roles. Most song performances are acted out with richness and smoothness of their voices as they sing and act in the entire stage. The songs were also well selected and no doubt that it captures the mind and soul of viewers. It feels like they were also in the stage acting out and singing all throughout the show. There are parts of the introductory scenes that were too fast phased. There are some parts where could have been prolonged to provide a clear and deep meaning of what is intended for the whole story. One thing that is notable is the scene of Mega and Christine as they sing the song â€Å"Angel of Music†. The song has both clarity and ambiguity in a sense. The message of Christine while singing the song exhibited clarity. For once, she was able to show that there is an â€Å"unseen stranger† and this is the angel of music who has been teaching her and helping her excel in singing for the people. This made the audience more endowed to the scene and carefully watches the progress of Christine’s story. The characters of Phantom and Christine are really amiable. Though Phantom’s character is monstrous, it still catches sympathy from the audience because of the way the actor played his part. Same with Christine’s character who is really well refined and her expressive eyes are really endearing. Her transition from a simple lady to a wonderful woman in the end proven that she is worthy of all happiness in the end. The antagonists in the play also did a fantastic performance on their part. Overall acting of the characters made viewers a clearer understanding of the whole story. They acted out with elegance and professionalism. The lightning and music sets the mood of the audience. Taking an eye off the stage means losing the chance of seeing more surprising moments for the piece. Costumes are designed with brilliance and freshness to make the audience up to date without loosing the era of British touch. The lights set the mood of the audience along with the music and sound effects to predict future scenes and make them more fasten into their seats. Facial expressions of the actors and actresses made the story more meaningful. It allows audiences to unite with their lamentations and triumphs in the whole musical. Phantom of the Opera has a dramatically and artistically focused story that hinges on a series of conflicts. Christine’s character is redefined by her surroundings as well as the other people around her. The musical theme, motifs and textures really depicted the development of the character, attitude and emotion of characters. The creativity and vividness of the musical made it really memorable. Audience will remain fastened into their seats from the start until the end. It showcased undying effort and enthusiasm of casts and crews. The entire musical was able to put the script into the big picture without sacrificing anything. It revealed the artistry of each person on and off stage. The Phantom of the Opera is truly great. The moving performances will never bore any single audience. It keeps the crowd alive and makes them feel like they belong on each and every scene. This musical is worthy of your time, money and effort. Given the chance to rate this piece, I will not hesitate in rising up two thumbs. The best words to describe it are perfect, brilliant and magnificent. A stage musical to die for.

Vitamin C Effect on Apple Browning | Experiment

Vitamin C Effect on Apple Browning | Experiment This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of Vitamin C concentration on the enzymatic browning of apples. Apple slices were dipped into Vitamin C solution of different concentration ranging from 0 mg to 100 mg. They were left under room temperature and conditions for 24 hours before the browning index was measured. There was a general decrease in browning index as Vitamin C concentration increased with 80 mg showing the lowest browning index. Pearsons product-moment correlation coefficient established a strong negative correlation between the two variables investigated with a 5% confidence level. The results supported the experimental hypothesis. Research and Rationale The browning of certain fruits such as apples, pears, peaches and bananas is caused by an oxidation process known as enzymatic browning which requires three factors: substrate, which consists of polyphenolic compounds; a polyphenol oxidase (PPO), an enzyme that can catalyze the first step in the reaction; and oxygen, a reactant.[1,3] Enzymatic browning is mostly undesirable but is inevitable when these fruits are subjected to mechanical injuries or processing. When fruits are sliced or the skin of the fruit is pierced open, the enzyme PPO which exists in the cells are released and exposed to the surrounding air. Upon contact with oxygen in the atmosphere, PPO reacts with oxygen and starts catalyzing the conversion of polyphenolic compounds into quinones. Quinones are not dark in color but are readily polymerized to form complex brown polymers. [12] 369words Prevention of undesirable enzymatic browning is of utmost importance to the food processing industries because browning of fruits will cause deterioration of quality, alteration of flavor and color of fruit products, causing industries to incur losses and wastage of food. Preventive steps include inactivation of enzyme by heat denaturation, the use of acid to inhibit enzyme activity and the use of bisulfites to interfere with browning.[1] In this practical, I am looking at the function of Vitamin C in preventing enzymatic browning. The function of Vitamin C as a natural antioxidant to the browning of sliced apples was first discovered by Dr. Szent Gyorgi, a Nobel Prize Winner. Vitamin C, a strong reducing agent and reactive species, prevents enzymatic browning by reacting with oxygen, inhibiting the PPO enzyme and disallowing oxygen to react with the phenolic compounds. Borenstein (1965), Sapers and Dougles (1987) and Sapers and Ziolkowski (1987) stated that ascorbic acid is a more effective inhibitor of enzymic browning than are sulfites or erythorbic acid. Besides that, Taeufel and Voigt (1964) stated that ascorbic acid is the most significant inhibitor of PPO because it has no detectable flavour at the concentration used which would interfere with the acceptability of the final processed product. Also it has no corrosive action upon metals, in addition to its vitamin value. The biggest advantage of using Vitamin C as a browning inhibitor is it is natural and healthy. [6] Vitamin C is the most widely used as a food additives in inhibiting discoloration due to enzymatic browning because Vitamin C has quite powerful reducing properties together with its obvious physiological acceptance and safety. Moreover, Vitamin C becomes a very common food additive due to its worldwide legislative acceptance and many of its technical uses. The availability of crystalline Vitamin C to a very high standard of purity in industrial quantities has undoubtedly been of assistance in the growth of the market. [2] Apples are chosen as a material in this experiment because apple is a very common fruit used in the food industry and is always included in our daily diet for its high nutritional value. Moreover, apples brown rapidly after being bruised due to their high polyphenolic compound contents. The pale coloration of apples gives an easily observable and clear indication of the amount of browning. Vitamin C is applied on the surface of cut apples to slow down the oxidation process. In the experiment, the amount of browning was indicated by the browning index of the apples. The higher the browning index, more enzymatic browning that took place. According to Eskin et al. (1971)[6] reported that food material must be treated with an adequate amount of Vitamin C to totally halt the browning process, otherwise browning is only slightly delayed, up to the point at which all the Vitamin C is oxidized. Therefore, the aim of experiment is to investigate the relationship between Vitamin C concentration and enzymatic browning of apples, determining the ideal concentration which inhibits enzymatic browning most effectively. Experimental hypothesis The higher the concentration of Vitamin C, the slower is the enzymatic browning of apples. Null hypothesis There is no significant correlation between the concentrations of Vitamin C and the enzymatic browning of apples. Planning A trial experiment was conducted to help me choose the most suitable methods to conduct the experiment, the best 2 quantification methods and the range of concentration of Vitamin C to be used in the real experiment. Methods involved Preparing Vitamin C of different concentration A standard Vitamin C solution of concentration 4mg/ml was prepared by dissolving two 500mg Vitamin C tablets in 250ml of distilled water and homogenised in a volumetric flask. Six different concentrations of Vitamin C solutions of 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100mg with the same total volume of 25 ml were prepared by serial dilution method. To make Vitamin C solution of 20mg, 5ml of the stock solution was mixed with 20ml of distilled water. To make 40mg, 10ml of stock solution was mixed with 15ml of distilled water and so on. 5ml of buffer at pH6.5 was added into each solution. A control solution of only distilled water was also prepared. Preparing the apple cubes A total of 30 freshly cut apple cubes of dimension 2.0-2.0 cm were prepared. Each five apple cubes were dipped into one of the solutions prepared. The apple cubes were then placed on separate Petri dishes and left at room temperature and conditions for 24 hours. Collecting data The apple cubes were examined with 3 different methods. Firstly, the intensity of the colour of the browned apple cubes was examined using a colour scale from 1 to 9. The percentage coverage of browned parts of the apple cubes was also examined using a 2-2cm quadrat. Lastly, the apple cubes are homogenised in a blender for 2 minutes, followed by centrifuging at 10000 rpm. After filtering the solution, the browning index of the clear fruit juice obtained was determined by measuring the absorbance at 420nm using a spectrophotometer.[7,5] Trial results From the results obtained, I learnt that increasing Vitamin C concentration does have an effect on the browning of apples and the most preferable method of quantification was measuring the browning index. The results obtained from measuring the percentage coverage and colour intensity were less significant and these observations were very subjective. Besides that, I realised that the trial results were inconsistent and did not show significant difference in all the quantification methods used. This may be either caused by errors and limitations occurred during the trial experiment or the concentration of Vitamin C used was not high enough. However, according to Linus Pauling Institute in Oregon State University, the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C for normal healthy adult above age 19 is around 75 to 95mg.[4,9] Thus, increasing the Vitamin C concentration was not advisable. Therefore, subsequent experiments were carried out by using the same Vitamin C concentrations but steps were taken to ensure the errors and limitations were minimised. Vitamin C stock solution was heated to ensure complete dissolving but the temperature of heating cannot be too high to prevent breakdown of Vitamin C. Procedures were repeated once to get more reliable results and the number of apple cubes used were increased from 5 to 10. This could help eliminate any browning happening due to chance. Besides that, all the apparatus used for the cutting and handling of the apple cubes were cleaned thoroughly and free from rust as rust can accelerate the browning of apples. Apparatus Petri dishes, measuring cylinder, glass rod, beaker, boiling tubes, filter funnel, normal laboratory spectrophotometer, cuvette, pestle and mortar, water bath, knife, dropper, volumetric flask, blender, centrifuge, knife, marker pen Materials Distilled water, apples, Vitamin C tablets, label stickers, filter paper Variables Manipulated: Concentration of Vitamin C (mg) Serial dilution technique was used to make the same volume of lime juices containing different Vitamin C concentration. The Vitamin C concentrations used were 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100mg. The control was distilled water to allow comparison to be made. Responding: Browning index (ABS) The browning index was determined by blending, centrifuging, filtering and measuring the percentage absorbance at 420nm of the oxidised apple cubes. Controlled: Types of apples, pH of Vitamin C solution, surrounding temperature All the apples used in the experiment were of the same type, same origin and were bought from the same supermarket at the same time. The pH of the solutions was kept constant using a buffer at pH6.5. The apple slices were placed in separate Petri dishes in the laboratory under normal room temperature. Real Experimental Procedure Six different concentrations of Vitamin C of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100mg were prepared. Sixty apple cubes were cut with 10 apple cubes dipped into each concentration. The apple cubes were placed in different Petri dish and left at room temperature and condition for 24 hours. The apple cubes were then homogenised in a normal blender for 2 minutes centrifuged at 10000rpm and filtered. The absorbance of the clear apple juice at 420nm was measured using a spectrophotometer and the reading of the spectrophotometer was recorded as the browning index. The experiment was repeated once. Safety Precautions Gloves were worn when dealing with Vitamin C tablets to prevent the tablet from being contaminated. Vitamin C solutions were prepared in situ and sealed after the preparation to prevent any loss of Vitamin C due to oxidation. Care was taken when cutting the apple into cubes with knife to avoid cutting the hand. Knife and all the apparatus involved in the handling of apple cubes were cleaned thoroughly before the experiment and were make sure to be free from rust as rust can accelerate enzymatic browning. Apples were made sure to be healthy and not bruised when they were purchased. All glassware and apparatus were clean and free from laboratory chemicals. Special glassware and equipment, stored away from all sources of laboratory chemical contamination, and reserved only for food experiments was used.[8] Data Collection in Main Study Statistical Analysis There is a quite clear negative correlation between Vitamin c concentration and the browning index. This relationship was further proven by using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient[10,11] to test the linear dependence between the two variables being investigated. The correlation coefficient, r ranges from -1 to 1. A value of 1 implies that a linear equation describes the relationship between X and Y perfectly, where as Y increases, X increases. A value of -1 implies that when Y decreases, X increases. A value of 0 implies that there is no linear correlation between the two variables. The negative value of r indicates a negative correlation between the two variables investigated. The critical value for 5% confidence level = 0.811, which is smaller than the value of r calculated from the data of the real experiment. Therefore, the PMCC analysis showed that there is a statistically significant negative correlation between the concentration of Vitamin C and the browning index. The null hypothesis can be rejected. Data Analysis The graph showed that the increasing Vitamin C concentration brings about an overall decrease in the browning index of the apple cubes by 69 %. From 0 mg to 80 mg of Vitamin C concentration, the browning index decreases almost linearly. Although there was a slight increase in browning index from 80 mg to 100 mg, the value of Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, r = 0.942 re-affirmed that there is a strong negative correlation between Vitamin C concentration and browning index. The browning index is an indication of the proportion of oxidised phenols[7] during apple storage of 24 hours in the experiment. A lower browning index indicates a lower proportion of reacted phenolic compounds. In other words, the lower the browning index, the lesser the enzymatic browning taking place in the apple cubes. When the apples were cut into cubes, they were exposed to oxygen and enzymatic browning was initiated. By coating the apple cubes with a layer of Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid (AA) which is a very strong reducing agent, the process of enzymatic browning was inhibited as AA prevented O-quinone from being converted to its colored end product. Besides, AA competed with polyphenol oxidase (PPO) to react with oxygen. AA also formed a barrier to prevent oxygen from reacting with the substrate of the enzymatic browning process. The mode of AA action upon phenols can be summarized as follow: [6] O -diphenol +  ½ O2 O quinone + H2O O -Quinone + AA O- diphenol + dehydro AA A A +  ½ O2 dehydro AA + H2O With increasing Vitamin C concentration, more Vitamin C was made available to prevent the oxidation of phenols, thus the amount of oxidised phenols which contributed to the absorption at 420 nm was reduced and the browning index decrease. From the graph, the Vitamin C concentration that gave the lowest browning index was 80 mg. The browning index at this concentration was 86% lower than that of 0 mg. This showed that 80 mg was the ideal concentration which inhibits enzymatic browning happening in the apple cubes most effectively. Vitamin C concentration of 0 mg was used as a control in this experiment to show that Vitamin C did play a role in inhibiting enzymatic browning. The browning index at 100 mg was higher than that at 80 mg when it was expected to be lower. This may be due to another type of browning, known as non-enzymatic browning taking place in the apple cubes in which ascorbic acid was found out to play a role in some non-enzymatic browning. The non-enzymatic browning may have produced end products which also caused absorption at 420nm. As ascorbic acid affects non-enzymatic browning, the higher ascorbic acid concentration at 100 mg contributes to more non-enzymatic browning than that at 80 mg, contributing to a slightly higher browning index. [1] Evaluation In food processing industries, the average effective level of Vitamin C used for apple halves is 660mg/kg[2], which is also equivalent to 0.66mg/g. The total mass of all the apple cubes used in the experiment for each concentration was 45 g, so the ideal concentration of Vitamin C should be 29.7mg which almost three times lower than the ideal concentration obtained in the experiment. This may be due to errors and limitations which had arisen during the experiment. Apples are very porous and thus very difficult to treat. It is difficult to get ascorbic acid solution into sufficiently intimate contact with the fruit, which is important to maintain the quality of the fruit.[2] In this experiment, the apple cubes were only dipped into the Vitamin C solution and the solution did not have time to diffuse completely and reach every cell in the apple cubes. Besides that, this experiment was carried out under normal room temperature in which enzymatic browning occurs at a faster rate. The apple cubes were left at normal room conditions and constantly exposed to air, thus more ascorbic acid was needed to inhibit enzymatic browning as compared to vacuum packed processed apples. Moreover, a delay in adding ascorbic acid after the cutting of apples will cause permanent browning as the enzyme was not inactivated rapidly enough to prevent any appreciable oxidation to occur before ascorbic acid was added. [2] 3074 words The apples may be subjected to mechanical injuries during handling which may contribute to browning of the apples. Therefore, the apple cubes were handled as carefully as possible. A stainless steel knife was used to make sure there was no rust which could accelerate browning of the apple cubes. Different types of apples have different amount and types of phenolic compounds, substrates of enzymatic browning, which would affect the rate and amount of browning happening.[1,2] Apples of the same origin and type were bought at the same time at the supermarket to minimise this limitation. Further enzymatic browning may occur during the blending of apple cubes which may affect the final browning index. To prevent this, during blending, 50cm ³ of Vitamin C solution of that particular concentration which the apple cubes where dipped into was added. The quantification method used in this experiment has been simplified as the materials and apparatus available in my college laboratory was limited. The experiment can be improved using a more accurate and advanced method, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) assays [6,7] which measures the effect of Vitamin C on the activity of PPO directly so that the results obtained would be more reliable. Other improvements of this experiment include soaking the apple cubes longer in the Vitamin C solution and cutting the apples into smaller pieces to increase their total surface area to volume ratio for rapid diffusion of Vitamin C solution into the apples. Further studies on the type of food additives that affect the enzymatic browning of apples could have been investigated and their effectiveness compared. [6] Conclusion There is a negative correlation between Vitamin C concentration and enzymatic browning with 80 mg as the ideal concentration of Vitamin C which significantly reduced enzymatic browning by 86%. This was determined by the decreasing browning index as the Vitamin C concentration increases. Sources Evaluation Sources 1 to 4 are published books by food experts and also accredited universities. Moreover, books which are published are usually reviewed by other experts from that particular field prior to publication. Therefore, the information from these sources is reliable and factual. Sources 5 to 7 are online journals about Vitamin C and its effect on enzymatic browning, the quantification method of browning and the factors affecting enzymatic browning. These journals are peer-reviewed and so should contain sound scientific information. Furthermore, the information in these journals has been found to correlate each other, implying that they are highly regarded as reliable sources. Cumulative word count: 3349 words Sources 8 to 12 are websites which are well established and have many viewers. Therefore, the information they provide must have been screened and reviewed by experts to ensure they are sound and correct.

Lundie Conservation Area Analysis

Lundie Conservation Area Analysis Introduction The purpose of this document is to identify the character and appearance of the Lundie conservation area and also to define special qualities of architectural and historic interest. This document is seeking to find out if the area merits being considered as a Conservation Area and the protection it merits. This information will be used to manage change in the Conservation area to ensure its preservation or enhancement. The character analysis in this document, together with Angus Council’s Development Plan and Advice Notes that relate to development in conservation areas, will inform the assessments of development proposals and other changes against the impact on the character or appearance as stated in the Planning Act, 1997 under the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas. There are major parts of the character and appearance of Lundie that cannot be overlooked that, they need to be stated as guidelines for designers and developers to conform to. Character appraisals provide the opportunity to inform residents about the special needs and characteristics of the area and help developers identify and formulate development proposals. 1.1 Purpose of the Guidance This appraisal will be a tool which be used to control and manage and also help to point out the special interest and also be abreast with the changes in the area. It serves as supplementary planning guidance to the Angus area council. The design guidance established will aid the assessment of development proposals. 1.2 Objectives of the Guidance The character appraisal will; Provide background information regarding the historical and architectural interest of Lundie, in particular the conservation area Review the existing conservation area Help local authorities to develop a management plan for the conservation area by analysing what is positive and negative, and identify opportunities for beneficial change or the need for additional protection and restraint. 1.3 Methodology Visual Analysis and Art-Historical Analysis was used in this document to appraise the character of Lundie conservation area. Aesthetic, Perceptive and Phenomenological Analysis was used as the basis for the general Visual analysis. It, thus, is an attempt to relate judgment from visual analysis through what was experienced with my eyes by moving through the conservation area, navigating my way from one place to another by identifying landmarks and also by looking at the emotional and conceptual connections co notated through the ‘meaning’ of the place and ‘structure’ of the place to the particular assessment criteria such as scenic beauty, what makes the place deserve the status of a conservational area, architectural interests, archaeological interests and community historic preference. The main purpose of this kind of study is to identify, measure, and evaluate the characteristics or qualities of Lundie Conservation area. Art-Historical Analysis was also u sed to analyse historical and monumental interests in the area by recording the historical, archaeological and architectural character. Existing literature on Lundie conservation area was also consulted. Though realising the fact that analysis by aesthetic qualities is very personal, depending highly on the individual’s taste and socializing experiences, using the other forms of analysis mentioned above which in is not subjective but to some extent objective, helped to achieve a balanced character appraisal. 1.4 Location and Setting Lundie is a parish and small hamlet in Angus, Scotland, 10 miles (16km) northwest of Dundee, situated at the head of the Dighty valley in the Sidlaws, off the A923 Dundee to Coupar Angus road. In 1882-4, Frances Groomes Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Lundie like this, â€Å"Lundie, a village and a parish of SW Forfarshire. The village stands 3 miles WSW of Auchterhouse station, 6 ESE of Coupar-Angus, and 9 NW by W of Dundee, under which it has a post office. The parish is bounded N by Newtyle, E by Auchterhouse, S by Fowlis-Easter in Perthshire, and W by Kettins. Its utmost length, from W by N to E by S, is 4 miles; its utmost breadth is 3 miles; and its area is 4296  ¼ acres, of which 1075/6 are water†. 1.5 Reason for Designation This is an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. The Conservation Area will consist of the whole village of Lundie, including: — The Manse, Smithy Cottage, Gamekeepers Cottage, (The Edinburgh Gazette 27 September 1991). Lundie has significant architectural and historic interest as. The Lundie parish church which was dedicated to St Lawrence was once the property of the priory of St Andrews. Inside the church is a War memorial plaque commemorating parishioners who died in World War 1. Preserving and enhancing these key features led to the designation of the whole village of Lundie as a Conservation Area in 1991. 1.6 Lundie Conservation Area and The Conservation Area Boundary Lundie Conservation Area was designated on 8th of July, 1991 (The Edinburgh Gazette 27 September 1991) and an Article 4 put in place on the 16th of September, 1992. (The Edinburgh Gazette 20 October 1992) Using the Church as the pivot, the conservation area encompasses the main Lundie village where most of the properties are. It starts from the Smitty Cottage on the north-western side, goes around the Sawmill Cottage on the north then down to Kirkton FarM Cottage. It continues down to the Old School all the way to Oaksydix building on the south-eastern side, then around the Lundie Mill and goes up along the road to Rowanholme building. It then goes down along the road on the left towards the Manse building to the south. It then goes up north to the Well and then extends to the right towards the Village Hall past the Pump to Smitty Cottage. 1.7 Conservation Areas More than 600 conservation areas are in Scotland and of this, 19 are under the Angus Council. Conservation areas can be said to be places within or the entire village, town or city which contain areas of special historic or architectural character which needs protection or enhancement. They are designated by planning authority as being areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which they have the desire to preserve or enhance. These interests create the character of an area and any new development should be carefully assessed to ensure that it if permitted, will blend into the character of the area and not cause a blight on the character of the area. Designating a conservation area should not be seen as prohibiting change but as a means to carefully manage change to ensure the character and appearance of these areas are safeguarded and enhanced for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations. The public are consulted on any proposals to d esignate conservation areas or change their boundaries. The management of conservation areas is under the management of the local authority it falls under. 1.8 The Legal and Policy Framework Conservation areas identification can be traced back to the coming into force of the Civic Amenities Act, 1967. The government BY then recognised how important it was to protect areas in totality as against individual buildings, from indiscriminate developments and wide scale demolition of buildings in areas selected for slum clearances. Therefore, while individual buildings of special or unique characteristics may be of important, what should be considered is the group value of the buildings in the area, the buildings orientation, street design, public space and greenery which all contribute to the character and identity of a place. Considering it carefully, these same factors make up or come together to form the character of a conservation area. This 1967 law is now one way or the other replicated in The Town and Country Planning Act, 1990 and The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act of 1990. The Planning Act of 1990 empowers local planning authorities to review a lready existing conservation areas within their jurisdiction, designating new areas and coming up with character appraisal or place analysis and management plan proposals for the protection, preservation and enhancement of these conservation areas. Consent is required from the appropriate authority for any activity that is going to change or in any way affect the character of the area. The character or appearance of a conservation area through the demolition of a building and/or the construction of a new building can be significantly altered and lose some of the justification for its designation. 1.9 Conservation Areas in Angus There are currently 19 Conservation Areas in Angus of which Lundie Conservation Area is part of and six of them including Lundie conservation area have Article 4 Directions on them. The Article 4 Directions are further ways of making sure that these conservation areas maintain their character and uniqueness. There are additional laws that control the way in which buildings can be altered and planning permission is needed if such alterations are deemed to affect the character of the conservation area and trees in conservation areas are no exception. Angus Council is committed to preparing character appraisals for all the conservation areas under it and in addition it also publishes guidance on matters affecting these conservation areas. A planning application which is seen to have the potential to disrupt the character of a Conservation Area must be published in the local press and a notice posted near the site. Angus Council must then give a 21 day period for objections and comments to be put across before considering the application.

Hijacking the Web :: Browser Hijacking Internet Technology Essays

Hijacking the Web There are certain things we take for granted. The sun will rise in the morning. I will go to class from 8 to 9:30 in the morning. My cat will greet me at the door when I get home. I will start up Internet Explorer, and Yahoo.com will appear as my homepage. All of those events happened last Tuesday except for one. As a frequent user of the Internet, I like specific settings for the programs I use. I have personal preferences set for AOL Instant Messenger, Outlook Express, and especially for Microsoft Internet Explorer. As sad as it may be, I have a routine when I get home from class. The first thing I do is check my email. Then I browse the news on Yahoo.com. I like to know what is going on in the world, and Yahoo News provides that information. However, last Tuesday when I started up Internet Explorer, Yahoo.com did not appear as my homepage. Instead, I was taken to an alternate search engine, one I had never heard of. Since I am so particular in my Internet settings, I knew for a fa ct that it was not I who had changed my start up page. Author Mike Healan and many others describe this practice as hijacking. â€Å"There is a despicable trend that is becoming more and more common where the browser settings of web surfers are being forcibly hijacked by malicious web sites and software that. . . modifies your default start and search pages† (Healan). Naturally, I went to the options menu and changed the home page back to Yahoo.com. Thinking far too highly of my computer savvy skills, I thought I had fixed the problem. Wednesday afternoon rolled around, and I proceeded with the usual routine: sun, class, cat, Internet, etc. At my computer, I started up Internet Explorer expecting to see the all-to-familiar Yahoo website on my screen. To my shock and horror, the anomalous search engine popped up in Yahoo’s place. I will spare the reader from repeating the long string of colorful metaphors that I used in reaction to seeing this. Nevertheless, I knew that I would have to resort to more drastic actions. In my Writing for the Web course, the topic of spyware was discussed at length. One student recommended a piece of freeware that prevented malicious programs from changing settings and sending unwanted information to various shady businessmen.

Ways To Fight The Drug War Essay -- essays research papers

Drug use has risen sharply in the United States in the past 40 years, with an estimated 23.6 million teenagers using illegal drugs within the past year. Preventing drug use has been a major issue in the area of politics, schools, or within families. Drug abuse occurs whenever the use of a drug causes physical or mental harm to the user. So far, society has been abusing drugs since the later nineteenth century, a time when the sale, purchase, possession, and use of drugs was not regulated. Dangerous drugs such as morphine, opium, and cocaine were used mainly for medical purposes including cures for depression, nervousness, alcoholism, and menstrual cramps. Because of the availability of these powerful drugs, people became addicts. In 1900, there were actually more narcotic addicts in the US than there are today; however, most of the users who became addicts were medical addicts. Very few users took drugs for recreational use only. In 1914 as an effort to curb drug abuse in the United States, the government passed the Harrison Act, which made illegal to obtain a narcotic drug without a doctor’s prescription. There were nearly half a million addicts at the beginning of 1920 and by 1945 there were only 30,000 to 40,000 addicts. The demand for drugs began to rise again in the 1960’s and continues to rise today. With this scary thought in mind, the United States needs find a solution to the rising drug problem, and fast.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every year, more drugs are di...

A Detailed Business Report of One Medium Size or Large Business :: Business Management Studies

A Detailed Business Report of One Medium Size or Large Business I have been asked to produce a detailed business report of one medium size or large business. My well- planned business report should contain: Ø The objectives, organisational structure and communication channels that operate within the business. Ø An examination of how these factors, interrelate in a way that can affect the success of the business. Ø An explanation of how quality assurance and control assurance and control systems help the business to add value to its products. Ø Consideration of alternative methods of quality assurance and control. Ø Consideration of how well the business is meeting its objectives. Ø An explanation of the impact of ICT upon the internal and external communications of the business. E1- The classification of the business according to its ownership, and an explanation of the benefits and constraints of this type of ownership. Mixed Economy – Businesses fall into two categories: A Private Enterprise or a Public Enterprise. In private there are businesses such as sole proprietors, partnerships, limited companies and franchises. In the public section you have public corporations, government departments and local authorities. I have written detailed descriptions of some of these below. Sole Trader - A sole trader is a one-person business, commonly found in trades where only small amounts of finance are required to set up and where there are very few advantages to the existence of larger organisations (e.g. hairdressing, newsagents, market traders). Sole traders often employ waged employees, but they alone have to provide all the finance (often savings and bank loans) and accept all the risks of the business venture. In return, they have full control of the business and enjoy all the profits. A sole trader faces unlimited liability for his/her debts and it is referred to as an unincorporated business – this means that there is no legal difference between the business and the owner. Partnerships – A partnership consists of between 2 and 20 individuals. Each partner is responsible for the debts of the partnership and therefore you would need to choose your partners carefully and draw up an agreement on the responsibilities and rights of each partner. Partnerships are relatively easy to set up and will generate more capital. The most common examples of a partnership are doctor’s surgeries, veterinarians, accountants, solicitors and dentists. Most partners in a partnership face unlimited liability for their debts. The only exception is in a Limited Partnership. This is where a partnership may wish to raise additional finance, but does not wish to take on any new active partners. Private Limited Company - Often private limited companies are small,

A Definition of Collaborative vs Cooperative Learning Essay

I have been searching for many years for the Holy Grail of interactive learning, a distinction between collaborative and cooperative learning definitions. I am getting closer to my elusive goal all the time but I am still not completely satisfied with my perception of the two concepts. I believe my confusion arises when I look at processes associated with each concept and see some overlap or inter-concept usage. I will make a humble attempt to clarify this question by presenting my definitions and reviewing those of other authors who have helped clarify my thinking. Collaboration is a philosophy of interaction and personal lifestyle whereas cooperation is a structure of interaction designed to facilitate the accomplishment of an end product or goal. Collaborative learning (CL) is a personal philosophy, not just a classroom technique. In all situations where people come together in groups, it suggests a way of dealing with people which respects and highlights individual group members’ abilities and contributions. There is a sharing of authority and acceptance of responsibility among group members for the groups actions. The underlying premise of collaborative learning is based upon consensus building through cooperation by group members, in contrast to competition in which individuals best other group members. CL practitioners apply this philosophy in the classroom, at committee meetings, with community groups, within their families and generally as a way of living with and dealing with other people. Cooperative learning is defined by a set of processes which help people interact together in order to accomplish a specific goal or develop an end product which is usually content specific. It is more directive than a collaboratve system of governance and closely controlled by the teacher. While there are many mechanisms for group analysis and introspection the fundamental approach is teacher centered whereas collaborative learning is more student centered. Spencer Kagan in an article in Educational Leadership (Dec/Jan 1989/1990) provides an excellent definition of cooperative learning by looking at general structures which can be applied to any situation. His definition provides an unbrella for the work cooperative learning specialists including he Johnsons, Slavin, Cooper, Graves and Graves, Millis, etc. It follows below: â€Å"The structural approach to cooperative learning is based on the creation, analysis and systematic application of structures, or content-free ways of organizing social interaction in the classroom. Structures usually involve a series of steps, with proscribed behavior at each step. An important cornerstone of the approach is the distinction bet ween â€Å"structures† and â€Å"activities†. â€Å"To illustrate, teachers can design many excellent cooperative activities, such as making a team mural or a quilt. Such activities almost always have a specific content-bound objective and thus cannot be used to deliver a range of academic content. Structures may be used repeatedly with almost any subject matter, at a wide range of grade levels and at various points in a lesson plan. † John Myers (Cooperative Learning vol 11 #4 July 1991) points out that the dictionary definitions of â€Å"collaboration†, derived from its Latin root, focus on the process of working together; the root word for â€Å"cooperation† stresses the product of such work. Co-operative learning has largely American roots from the philosophical writings of John Dewey stressing the social nature of learning and the work on group dynamics by Kurt Lewin. Collaborative learning has British roots, based on the work of English teachers exploring ways to help students respond to literature by taking a more active role in their own learning. The cooperative learning tradition tends to use quantitative methods which look at achievement: i. e. , the product of learning. The collaborative tradition takes a more qualitative approach, analyzing student talk in response to a piece of literature or a primary source in history. Myers points out some differences between the two concepts: â€Å"Supporters of co-operative learning tend to be more teacher-centered, for example when forming heterogeneous groups, structuring positive inter- dependence, and teaching co-operative skills. Collaborative learning advocates distrust structure and allow students more say if forming friendhip and interest groups. Student talk is stressed as a means for working things out. Discovery and contextural approaches are used to teach interpersonal skills. † â€Å"Such differences can lead to disagreements†¦. I contend the dispute is not about research, but more about the morality of what should happen in the schools. Beliefs as to whast should happen in the schools can be viewed as a continuum of orientations toward curriculum from â€Å"transmission† to â€Å"transaction† to â€Å"transmission†. At one end is the transmission position. As the name suggests, the aim of this orientation is to transmit knowledge to students in the form of facts, skills and values. The transformation position at the other end of the continuum stresses personal and social change in which the person is said to be interrelated with the environment rather than having control over it. The aim of this orientation is self-actualization, personal or organizational change. † Rocky Rockwood (National Teaching and Learning Forum vol 4 #6, 1995 part 1) describes the differences by acknowledging the parallels they both have in that they both use groups, both assign specific tasks, and both have the groups share and compare their procedures and conclusions in plenary class sessions. The major difference lies in the fact that cooperative deals exclusively with traditional (canonical) knowledge while collaborative ties into the social constructivist movement, asserting that both knowledge and authority of knowledge have changed dramatically in the last century. â€Å"The result has been a transition from â€Å"foundational (cognitive) understanding of knowledge†, to a nonfoundational ground where â€Å"we understand knowledge to be a social construct and learning a social process† (Brufee, Collaborative learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge, 1993). Rockwood states: â€Å"In the ideal collaborative environment, the authority for testing and determining the appropriateness of the group product rests with, first, the small group, second, the plenary group (the whole class) and finally (but always understood to be subject to challenge and revision) the requisite knowledge community (i. e. the discipline: geography, history, biology etc. ) The concept of non- foundational knowledge challenges not only the product acquired, but also the process employed in the acquisition of foundational knowledge. â€Å"Most importantly, in cooperative, the authority remains with the instructor, who retains ownership of the task, which involves either a closed or a closable (that is to say foundational) problem ( the instructor knows or can predict the answer). In collaborative, the instructor–once the task is set– transfers all authority to the group. In the ideal, the group’s task is always open ended. † â€Å"Seen fr om this perspective, cooperative does not empower students. It employs them to serve the instructor’s ends and produces a â€Å"right† or acceptable answer. Collaborative does truly empower and braves all the risks of empowerment (for example, having the group or class agree to an embarrassingly simplistic or unconvincing position or produce a solution in conflict with the instructor’s). † â€Å"Every person, Brufee holds, belongs to several â€Å"interpretative or knowledge communities† that share vocabularies, points of view, histories, values, conventions and interests. The job of the instructor id to help students learn to negotiate the boundaries between the communities they already belong to and the community represented by the teacher’s academic discipline, which the students want to join. Every knowledge community has a core of foundational knowledge that its members consider as given (but not necessarily absolute). To function independently within a knowledge community, the fledgling scholar must master enough material to become conversant with the community. † Rockwood concludes: In my teaching experience, cooperative represents the best means to approach mastery of foundational knowledge. Once students become reasonably conversant, they are ready for collaborative, ready to discuss and assess,†¦. † Myers suggests use of the â€Å"transaction† orientation as a compromise between taking hard positions advocating either methodology. â€Å"This orientation views education as a dialogue between the student and the curriculum. Students are viewed as problem solvers. Problem solving and inquiry approaches stressing cognitive skills and the ideas of Vygotsky, Piaget, Kohlberg and Bruner are linked to transaction. This perspective views teaching as a â€Å"conversation† in which teachers and students learn together through a process of negotiation with the curriculum to develop a shared view of the world. † It is clear to me that in undertaking the exercize of defining differences between the two ideas we run the risk of polarizing the educational community into a we versus them mentality. There are so many benefits which acrue from both ideas that it would be a shame to lose any advantage gained from the student-student-teacher interactions created by both methods. We must be careful to avoid a one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to education paradigms. As a final thought, I think it behooves teachers to educate themselves about the myriad of techniques and philosophies which create interactive environments where students take more responsibility for their own learning and that of their peers. Then it will become possible to pick and chose those methods which best fit a particular educational goal or community of learners.

HAPA children Essay

The present paper describes the results extracted from qualitative naturalistic ethnographic observation that was conducted among the sample of college students, both multi- (â€Å"Hapa†) and monoracial, to investigate their childhood experiences in regard to racial identity. The research immersed the concepts of â€Å"race† as a new social construct and of multiracial identity against the three coping strategies: a race-conscious, a race-neutral, and a class-conscious one. To reflect the multiplicity and worthiness of individual responses, the method of in-depth interview was chosen. Results showed that there is strong correlation between racial identity in comfortable/uncomfortable self-positioning and the socio-economic status of the family, psychological climate within a family, the presence/absence of role-models, and the degree of racial awareness in the broader (school) context. More research is needed to assess the type of correlation between multiracial identity in regard to â€Å"Hapa† children and educational level of their parents, the period of naturalization in the current locality, and gender of â€Å"Hapa† subjects, as well as the effect of coping strategies on multiracial identity. Introduction The word race refers to a class of people who are perceived as physically unique on the basis of certain traits, such as skin color, hair texture, and facial features. These unique features allow people to distinguish others’ origins based on their appearance. However, when interracial marriage became more popular, the population of mixed-raced children increased dramatically, and people can no longer identify others’ race based on their appearance. Interracial relationships became a trend and part of American culture. The U.   S. earlier census established six categories for race: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White, and Hispanic or Latino. However, in the 2000 Census there were already sixty-three categories for race (there were eleven subcategories under â€Å"Hispanic ethnicity† alone). Interracial marriages include unions among these 63 groups. Regardless of what types of ethnic groups are involved in the relationships, one important outcome of these relationships is children. An identity crisis has become the most debated issue about mixed-raced children. The research will focus on the identity development of one distinct mixed-raced group, the Hapa. â€Å"Hapa† is a Hawaiian word used to describe half-Hawaiian mixed-raced children. Nowadays, the word â€Å"Hapa† has become a popular term to describe half Asian and half White children. The research will compare the differences in developing identity between Hapa children (a mixed-raced group) and children of a single race. It is argued here that Hapa children tend to have a harder time when developing their identity in comparison to children of a single race. Cross’ model of Black racial identity development (Cross, 1971; found in Tatum, 2004, p. 117+) was adopted to assess individual perceptions and experiences in regard to race and identity within a sample of college students. Modern discourse on the issues of race and multiraciality was analyzed to identify four possible sets of factors (socio-economic status, the SES, acculturation, national origin, and demographic characteristics; in Morning, 2001, p. 61+) affecting self-identification in a race-biased context. The U. S. college students were recruited to participate in the survey on the point. The present research fits into the paradigm of qualitative, naturalistic and ethnographic research (Boas, 1943; Blumer, 1969; Lincoln and Guba, 1985; Woods, 1992; LeCompte and Preissle, 1993; in Cohen et al. , 2000, p. 136). (3) It is qualitative since it operates non-numeric data, i. e. the data is derived from observations and conversations and not from statistic analysis. The aforementioned respondents shared their feelings and attitudes on the point of racial issues in political, cultural, and social spheres in regard to phenotypical and ideological conceptualizations of â€Å"race. † The research is naturalistic since the testing of hypotheses took place in natural and naturalistic environments as opposed to artificial and controlled settings such as laboratories. The research is ethnographic since it dealt with people in their variety and subjectivity of perceptions but still constituting a cultural group (â€Å"Hapas†). Thus, the key characteristics of qualitative, naturalistic and ethnographic research being the set of flexible constructions of meanings on the issue of â€Å"race† taken by the â€Å"insiders† of a community can be observed here. The present research paper is structured along the traditional model. In the Literature review section, current interpretations of race, multiraciality and identity development are analyzed to be applied further to the current research. In the Method section, the research strategies and tools of the present investigation are discussed within the framework of qualitative, naturalistic and ethnographic investigation. In the subsequent sections, the data collected through the questionnaires and interviews is discussed. The Conclusion section summarizes the facts revealed in the survey and restates the hypothesis to arrive at the implications for the further study and practice in regard to the issues of race and identity. Literature review Spencer underlined that multiracial identity is deeply rooted in the assumptions â€Å"that race exists and that the offspring of persons from two different racial groups is a multiracial individual† (1999, p. 88). There is a popular concept of phenotypes or â€Å"physical expressions of genetic inheritances† (Ifekwunigwe, 2004, p. 4) lying in the foundation of the theory about human races. Recently, however, more and more researchers have started to argue the notion of â€Å"discrete or pure biological ‘races’† (Jones 1996, Rose et al. 1984; in Ifekwunigwe, 2004, p. 3). They stressed the importance of internal differences that persisted within a group modeled as a solid biological race. The modern concept of racial formation predicts that race is a social construct to a greater extent than a biological one. Ropp drew a bottom line in the argument stating that multiracial subjects did not fit into the biological race network (2004, p. 263). Omi and Winant defined the process of racial formation as â€Å"the socio-historical process by which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed† (1994, p. 55). In the first edition of the book, they argued that â€Å"racialization [is the] extension of racial meaning to a previously racially unclassified relationship, social practice of group† (Omi & Winant, 1986, p. 64). Williams stressed that â€Å"races have been socially constructed in such a way that they have remained separate, monoracially-boundaried, exclusive, and unequal† (p. 168). The reference to races being created â€Å"socially† implies that people create the network of prejudices, attitudes and perceptions masking their personal and political bias by referring to skin, hair and other physical or â€Å"phenotypical† parameters.

Sachin – the God of Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar is perhaps the best thing to happen to not just INDIA and INDIAN Cricket, but the sport in general. He is easily the most worshipped Cricketer across the globe. More than 34,000 runs scored on all kinds of home and away turfs at an unbelievable 48. 74 is testimony enough of the astounding consistency he has shown during the breath-taking 23-year International Career. He is pretty obviously the most prolific run-getter of all times. Technically too, He is the most complete batsman of modern era. Be it hooks, pulls, cuts, punches, drives, sweeps, slogs or lofts, He can play it all. Be it spin, swing or pace, He can tackle it all with seamless audacity and grace. Sachin Tendulkar is probably the greatest exponent of the game. While scoring the astonishing number of runs He has, Tendulkar has invented millions of ways of piercing the field and coaxing the ball towards the patrolled rope; at times using the bat like a sword used to slash enemies; and at times carefully using it like a surgeon’s knife used to pierce the deepest of tissues. Adaptation, accumulation and consolidation have seemed synonymous with Sachin Tendulkar, evidence of which is the big-hundreds He scored against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand after 2009, when He was in His late-30s, in a format presumed to be a youngster’s paradise. Apart from the staggering achievements and brilliant technique, what puts Tendulkar in a league of His own is the kind of impact and influence He has had on modern-day Cricket. Time and again, He has demolished and pulverized top-notch bowling attacks into instant submissions; something no one else has managed to do so effortlessly and so consistently. What elevates Tendulkar’s greatness is the fact that He has achieved all these records and laurels while constantly being under tremendous pressure from a billion people and while being under constant scrutiny of the national media. The greatness lies in the fact that Tendulkar has still never crumbled under this constant pressure and has on most of the occasions stood up, lead the pack and delivered. The humility and modesty He has displayed during the enthralling journey has ensured that He is not just followed and loved, but worshipped by the Nation from the bottom of the heart. Fames, riches, mansions, fast-cars, limelight and anything else that comes His way as a perk for being the greatest Cricketer He is seem to have left Him absolutely unfazed. His moorings have always remained on firm ground and remain so till date. Sachin Tendulkar has spell-bound the nation like no one else. There might be a couple of personalities whose exploits in their respective professions have enthralled the nation, but even they have not been able to sustain it for as long as Tendulkar has. He is diminutive, yet the tallest INDIAN alive.

Community Based Participatory Planning As Renovation Policy Environmental Sciences Essay

City of Tehran is enduring from huge dilapidated countries which involve both societal every bit good as physical diminution. This job has been reflected in urban development policies that have been established by authorities governments every bit good as the metropolis counsellors and private stakeholders. To face with this job, Tehran municipality has established a chief redevelopment organisation. During the last decennaries assorted policies has been adapted and implemented by this organisation. The paper would reexamine and analyse these policies and the result of their executions. The policies vary from strictly physical redevelopment of the dilapidated countries which does non requires the engagement of the local occupant in the planning and design procedure and have relied wholly on cardinal determination devising and support. On the manus, participatory planning procedure was promoted and new attacks have been adopted to profit from the bing societal capital and to construct upon the strengths of the occupants and their societal webs to suggest programs and to implement them. Khazaneh is located in southern Tehran, and is the focal point of an existent redevelopment undertaking reported in this paper. Here a participatory planning attack is adapted and new local councils are established to seek occupants ‘ penetrations into the local program and to inform them of the thoughts of contrivers. This has provided a bipartisan planning system, which is embracing both the ends of the cardinal planning system every bit good as the purposes of the local community. Keywords-Tehran, Dilapidated vicinities, Renovation, Participation.IntroductionCities are unrecorded entities that are dynamic and active and are invariably restituting themselves cell by cell. Cities grow bit by bit, during which vicinities are shaped. As dynamic entities, their physical quality and societal position alteration over clip. This dynamic being normally self-repairs itself in both physical and societal sense. However sometimes this natural procedure of determining and reshaping is interrupted or malfunctioned. At such times/places, the natural growing procedures are non equal to keep the quality of life and environment. This malfunction may be due to absolute poorness as in slum status, or due to comparative poorness and inequality which itself causes a barbarous circle. In this state of affairs normally deprived countries take form and as a consequence, dilapidated vicinities go a world of metropoliss. To interrupt this barbarous circle it is required to step in and mend the malfunction of these metropoliss, to be able to make the ego fix and eliminate the bedraggled vicinities. Normally any intercessions to cover with rundown countries of metropoliss in order to heighten quality of life are conducted from top-down, as it is normally conducted by governments with small engagement of occupants. Any intercession without citizen engagement has societal, economical, cultural and political effects that should be considered. One the most of import negative responses is opposition of citizen to any betterment of the vicinity as they do non swear governments.techniques of redevelopmentsIn order to restitute dilapidated vicinities assorted methods can be adopted. Habibi and Maghsoudi ( 2005 ) acknowledge four types of intercessions in the deprived vicinities. Preservation and healthful method: that enhances environmental qualities Preservation and adorning method: that enhance and continue the picturesque and architectural quality of the metropolis, such as continuing ocular corridors and old edifices and making a feasible construction for the vicinities Rebuilding of metropoliss: as it happens after any catastrophes. Man made or natural catastrophes. This method of redevelopment is aimed to retrace national pride. Renovation of bedraggled vicinities can done with any of this methodsDilapidated vicinity in metropolis of TehranTehran, the capital and largest metropolis of Iran is located in southern inclines of Alborz Mountains and is stretched over 40 kilometers to the south towards desert. Teheran is merely 200 old ages old, and merely during the past half century had a rapid population growing and physical enlargement. The metropolis had a really fast growing during both the 2nd Pahlavi rein and particularly the past one-fourth century after the Islamic Revolution. Rundown vicinities are the sad world of metropolis of Tehran. Dilapidated or rundown vicinities are the most of import job of metropolis of Tehran, as: The country of the bedraggled vicinity in Tehran is 3268 hectare which is 15 % of the metropolis country About of half of the lodging units of the metropolis are located in this vicinities Approximately 40 % of Tehran ‘s population is populating in these vicinities. They are among the poorest people of the metropolis. Physical, functional, substructure, transit services, environmental factors, societal and economical status are really hapless in these countries. Unhealthy life conditions and risky locations Most of these countries are located in the southern portion of the metropolis Table I compares the services degrees of these countries with norm of these indexs in the metropolis degree. As can be considered lodging countries is twice as it is the remainder of the metropolis which a mark of instability. Table I Comparing per centum and per capita of land utilizations in bedraggled vicinity and metropolis of Tehran Land usage Dilapidated Vicinities Average in City of Tehran Proposed criterion for Tehran Percentage Per capita Percentage Per capita Residential 29.04 18.76 23.54 22.77 20.93 Green countries 3.63 1.39 8.46 8.18 9.12 Urban services 5.35 2.05 6.03 5.84 10.9 Retails and offices 5.30 2.03 3.47 3.36 1.94 Transportation system and storage 1.79 .69 4.49 4.34 5.19 Roadss 27.32 10.45 18.73 18.11 24.81 Some of the physical indexs of decrepitude of vicinities as defined by ministry of lodging and urban planning in 1999 are ; A- Poor quality of the constructions of the edifices that can non defy even low magnitude temblor forces, B- unequal permeableness of vicinities specially unequal auto entree to such countries. C- Small grain in the morphology of these countries ( less than 200 square metres ) . In add-on to the above standards of acknowledging dilapidated vicinities harmonizing to different definitions the common standards for acknowledgment of these types of vicinities are: Lack of societal, economic every bit good as physical quality Lack of proper entree, substructure and services in the vicinities Vulnerability of constructions to natural catastrophes due to old and unstable constructions Inability to restitute edifices due to poorness and deficiency of capital for investing Out migration of occupants and societal instability due to replacement of new occupants with weaker economical base Legal jobs due to inheritance Torahs and endowment ordinances Some of the jobs that rose in Tehran due to the dilapidated countries are: Economic and societal inequality as a consequence of polarisation in the metropolis ( Abbaszadegan, Rezazadeh 2006 ) . Domination of physical orientated urban planning that does non concern with societal and economical conditions Lack of handiness due to narrow and unequal roads which causes hapless permeableness of vicinities Low value of belongingss in the disadvantaged countries of the metropolis, therefore the redevelopment of the private land and belongingss is non economically plausible Lack of adequate and appropriate services Low building quality which causes edifices to rundown quicklyPrecedence TO RENOVATION OF TEHRANHowever urban redevelopment was an issue in Tehran, after entry and blessing of Tehran ‘s maestro program in 1969, the issue gained a new impulse. This program proposed 2000 hectares of the lowest quality residential vicinities to be renovated within a 25 old ages period, in which 600,000 people would be replaced from their topographic points of abode. Tehran ‘s Renovation Corporation was established in 1972 and in 1977, the South Tehran Renovation and Reconstruction Corporation was established where extended dilapidated countries of the metropolis were located. In 1995 a new mission statement for the redevelopment corporation was developed harmonizing on which this corporation could advance development in these countries through funding. This funding is through Bankss and other fiscal institutes and could besides be through portions every bit good as credits. Since 2004 authorization programs for bedraggled countries were proposed ; this was conducted in three stages. After execution of each stage the programs were evaluated and the range of the work was revised. This alterations and alterations were chiefly off from the up-bottom type attack towards a stronger citizen participatory attack. Renovation Corporation of Tehran assigned the undermentioned ends for redevelopment of bedraggled vicinities: Safety: increasing safety of edifice in facing Earth temblors. Equity: to do equal chance for development of the metropolis and non to hold polarized metropolis by regenerating dilapidated vicinities and eradicate poorness, heightening quality of life in the disadvantaged countries and doing equal chances for all citizens of the metropolis. Revival: heightening sense of citizenship and sense of belonging to districts and giving significance to topographic points through utilizing individuality component and maximising engagement of occupants in redevelopment procedure in the disadvantaged countries Capacity edifice: utilizing chances that have been offered for the redevelopment of bedraggled vicinities in order to increase the capacity of the metropolis in conformity with its national, regional and international functions.THE CONTEMPORARY RENOVATION PROCESSThe Reconstruction of Tehran shows a transition from the autocratic Reconstruction towards participatory Reconstruction. One of the major Reconstruction undertakings of Tehran is related to Navaab vicinity. This old and dilapidated vicinity was located in southern parts of Tehran, which is now dissected with a north-south main road into two parts. The Reconstruction of the next vicinity has been conducted without seeking any engagement from the people. These intercessions were chiefly technocratic, autocratic and top-bottom. The occupants of these three vicinities were chiefly hapless and vulnerable and in all instances they were displaced. Merely in the last two instances, the Moft Abad and Khoob Bakht neighborhoods the supplanting was into the nearest possible topographic point to their old vicinity. Jabbari and Hasanzadeh ( 2008 ) have shown that these vicinities which are revitalized through a top-down and autocratic attack have confronted many jobs. These jobs are summarized in table II. TABLE II THE EXPERIENCE OF RENOVATION IN THREE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS IN TEHRAN Standards Salsabil Moft Abad Khoob Bakht Intervension attack Technocratic, autocratic and top-down Technocratic, autocratic and top-down Technocratic, autocratic and top-down Socio-economic group Poor and vulnerable Poor and vulnerable Poor and vulnerable Placelessness much Not known Not known supplanting Compulsory ( completed ) Compulsory in next countries Voluntary in outlying countries ( In advancement ) Compulsory in next and outlying countries ( In advancement )Engagement IN URBAN RENOVATIONContrasting to the autocratic attack is the participatory attack which is a bottom-up attack and seeks citizen engagement. Participatory planning is an urban planning paradigm which emphasizes affecting the full community in the strategic and direction procedures of urban planning or community-level planning procedures. In urban redevelopment procedure, engagement is a new attack which could be applied in both planning and design procedure. Cowan ( 2005 ) believes that engagement is a procedure in which involved the populace with the alterations in the metropolis, therefore its application would supply a key to development in all facets of urban life. Harmonizing to Oxford dictionary engagement is people ‘s mental and emotional engagement in societal activities and encourages them to assist each other in order to accomplish group ends. Here the three chief issues of importance in engagement are involvement, helping and undertaking duty. Sherry Arnstein ( 1971 ) introduced this construct as a contrasting and alternate to autocratic attack of planning. Smith ( 1973 ) argued that citizen engagement is an indispensable component in doing the planning procedure a acquisition system. This leads to a strengthening of the definition and function of communities in the urban system, and to an unexpected demand of contrivers who would follow a participatory planning procedure. Shirvani ( 1985 ) identifies two types of attacks in the overall strategy ; these are facilitator attack and political militant attack. Harmonizing to Shirvani ( 1985 ) , facilitator attack uses participatory methods for both job definition and coevals of design solution. Sanoff ( 2000 ) defines facilitation as ‘a agencies of conveying people together to find what they wish to make and assisting them find ways to work together in make up one's minding how to make it ‘ . Sherry Arnstein ( 1971 ) equates citizen engagement with citizen authorization which explains it through the participatory ladder. It starts from the lowest degrees of engagement which are use and therapy to middle scope of engagement which includes ratting, confer withing and conciliation, and eventually at the highest degree of engagement are partnership, deputing power and eventually citizen control. As is seen in lower degrees of the engagement ladder, the act is merely formal and there are non any true power handed into the citizens. However at the in-between scope there are non much to lose, so informing and confer withing are practiced. However the highest degrees involve passing in power to citizens. In Tehran, there was an enthusiasm toward application of participatory planning in redevelopment procedure. However, this attack has non been really successful at first, since in this procedure supplying fiscal resources and societal support were hard. During the first two old ages of its beginning merely 400 residential units were renovated and occupants were non take parting in the procedure as was expected, which disappointed Members of Tehran City Council. However, for a successful participatory planning attack, the procedure must be turned into a procedure of increasing enthusiasm and passion for redevelopment. This includes: Increasing degree of services Enhancing the quality of life Bettering the societal position Promoting sense of topographic point fond regard Following this alteration of attitude and attack, go forthing the autocratic Reconstruction and using participatory attack, the Renovation Corporation of Tehran, had to alter the range of the work in three stages. Table III compares these three stages. There are considerable alterations in favour of increasing citizenship power. One of these alterations which were proposed in the 3rd stage was constitution of Local Renovation Offices. Table III PHASES OF RENOVATION SCOPE OF WORK AND APPROACH Phases and undertakings Scope of work Approachs and Actions Phase I 2006-2007 Imam Ali Classifying societal groups Appraisal of safety and security issues Survey of societal issues through questionnaire Designation of stakeholder groups Maximum intercession Provision of 4 secret plan agglomeration programs without societal study Procurement of land and devastation of edifices to make unfastened infinites Stress on appropriate physical design Phase II 2007-2008 Saboonpaz-khaneh Analyzing population denseness and socio-economic diverseness Interview with stakeholders and helpers Sing development and effectual treating societal institutes for execution procedure Establishing Local Office was discussed, but non realized Presence in mosques to inform people and do usage of their thoughts Investigating societal capital Regular intercession Participating in public meetings and listening to occupants Discontinuing informing people and public engagement procedure Reducing figure of agglomerative packages, normally restricting to two packages Continuing the bing local construction and forestalling high degrees of intercession Leaving redevelopment of residential packages to occupants Proposing stimulating undertakings Phase III 2008-2010 Khazaneh Differentiation between demographic and societal surveies Sing the quality of occupant ‘s leisure clip Investigating occupants ‘ demands Investigating positive and negative societal features Stressing the function of civil establishments and vicinity councils Measuring societal capital and its function in redevelopment Acknowledging of formal and informal webs of power in vicinity Establishing Local Renovation Office for audience 1- constitution of the office 2- advancing engagement of stakeholder groups 3- developing the local redevelopment commission 4- participatory planning Minimizing intercession Supplying necessary public services Supplying appropriate residential types Developing incorporate programs with advisers in next countries Developing proposal in 3 types of upper limit, lower limit and regular intercession Stress on redevelopment promoting undertakings Establishing the vicinity Renovation Office for informing, showing and polishing program based on occupants ‘ demands Stressing structural support Supplying awards for agglomeration of packages Increasing FAR for larger agglomerative packages Developing specific guidelines for the countryLocal redevelopment officeIn 2008 Renovation Corporation of Tehran decided to establish local redevelopment offices in bedraggled vicinities. The chief committee of these offices was to ease the occupants ‘ engagement in the redevelopment procedure. The Scopess of work of these offices are: Facilitation: to acknowledge stakeholders and doing regular meeting with occupants Publicizing and publicity: to heighten economic and societal position Commiting: to advance forming societal every bit good as economical groups that advocate redevelopment and rehabilitation of the deprived vicinities. Members of these offices are from local territory boroughs, local counsellors, local clergy, members of local stakeholders such as adult females ‘s leaders, local retail representatives. One of these offices has been established in Khazaneh vicinity that is one of the bedraggled vicinities in southern Tehran. Writer of this article was involved in activities of this office during 2008-2010. One of the challenges that this office was faced with was happening common land to discourse jobs, as different stakeholders preferred to raise their ain issues. Therefore it was critical to hold their assurance that all the issues will be dealt with harmonizing to the precedences of the vicinity as it was put frontward by the local council.DecisionThe redevelopment experience in metropolis of Tehran shows that in any urban intercession in order to restitute the bedraggled vicinities, it is critical to hold clear schemes that maximize citizen engagement and continue the spirit of topographic point. Sing the above scheme the undermentioned recommendations are advised: In the planning scheme human cost and benefit should be considered as the chief indexs of redevelopment policy Residents should actively take part in be aftering their hereafter, as they should be good informed and portion of planning procedure Residents ‘ function in all the programs should be crystalline The governments and local counsellors should move transparent so that occupant can swear their activities and programs All kinds of engagement techniques and proper methods of communicating should be employed in order to understand the local jobs and issue and reassigning thoughts and programs in order to acquire equal responses Any kind of gentrification is non recommended If replacing of occupants is necessary, it should be clearly explained, as of how it affects different groups and stakeholders. Different planning and design options should be presented in order to supply assorted picks for occupants Assorted local capacity and invention should be recognized Non-governmental organisations should be mobilized for the redevelopment of deprived countries and they should take part in different phases of planning and design procedure Encouraging policies should be considered in order to carry occupants to restitute their summation houses and edifices