Econ

In order the units are: 1. Analyzing and measuring the size of the economy. 2. Explaining, measuring and analyzing how prices and inflation are determined in the long-run. 3. Explaining the determination and measurement of unemployment in the long-run. 4. Analyzing and interpreting the role of financial markets (including exchange rates) in the economy. 5. Analyzing the business cycle and recommending appropriate fiscal and monetary policy. Course Description: This course will consist of on-line lectures and hands-on activities. All of the work to be handed in will take lace through Papilla.You will need to complete the readings and you need to complete them before lecture. Studies show that reading before lecture improves exam performance, on average, by 22%. This is a free lunch: you have to do the reading sometime, so by doing it earlier rather than later you will boost your grade without any extra work! Textbook: Principles of Economics for GUCCI, by N. Gregory Manama. Coinage Le arning. The Economics department has negotiated a custom bundle of the textbook, along with an Papilla, subscription for $87. 50. The Papilla obstruction includes access to the digital edition of the textbook.This is the least costly option. You should purchase a copy ahead of time, or have the bookstore ship the textbook to you (be sure to allow plenty of shipping time). Alternatively, you can purchase a stand alone access to Papilla (which includes the e-book version of the textbook) for $134 for one quarter of access and $149 for two quarters of access. The course web page will provide detailed instructions on how to access the course Papilla site. You need to have access to Papilla by the start of the course. If you don't purchase a copy from the bookstore you will have to purchase the more expensive stand alone access to Papilla.Communication in an Online Class Almost all communication will take place through the forums on the class website. There is a forum set up for general questions. You will also be assigned a TA. Questions that are not appropriate for the general forum should be directed first to the TA. If it is a question that can only be answered by the professor, then the TA will forward your message along. Office hours are by appointment. There are many dents enrolled in this course, so it may take 1-2 business days to receive a reply. The class is located at http://summer. Learn. Gucci. Du.The GAP is a set of voluntary multiple choice questions (90 in total each week with a Sunday at 1 1 :45 p. M. Deadline) that you can work through in Papilla to earn up to 450 points that are added to your total points used to compute your letter grade. There is no penalty for not participating: every question that you answer correctly will earn you an additional point. The GAP questions are open-book. Therefore, with the GAP oh can insure yourself against a lower than expected grade on the midterm and final exam by completing additional work.The GAP is a gre at opportunity to earn the letter grade that you hope to achieve! Example of GAP: To see how the GAP might work for you consider the following hypothetical scenario. A student received 630 Assignment points (90%), 400 Midterm points (80%), 700 Final points (70%) and 280 Participation points (93%). Without doing any of the GAP work, this student would receive a total score of 2010 (80%) which would translate to a letter grade of B. Now suppose that this student correctly answered 50 GAP questions each week in Papilla.Then the GAP would increase the total score by 250 points, bringing the total to 2260 or a letter grade of A-. The GAP program allows you to put in as much work as you want, through studying hard for the exams or working through the GAP assignments, to earn the grade you deserve. Page 2 of 5 A Remark on Academic Honesty: It is the university policy that academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at the University of California, Irvine. Here is hat I ex pect: ; All exams are closed note/closed book exams. With the exception of assignments, you may not receive or elicit assistance from another person or student. ; I define cheating as using the aid of notes, books, other students, or any programs in a calculator. Code of Conduct All participants in the course are bound by the University of California Code of Conduct, found at http://www. Cop. Du/chophouse/accorder/subspecies/ass/ chuck. HTML. Students with Disabilities: If you need support or assistance because of a disability, you may be eligible for accommodations or services through the Disability Services Center at US Irvine.For more information, contact this office at (949) 824-7494 (voice), (949) 824-6272 (TTY), at www. Disability. Gucci. Du or stop by the center at Building 313 on the US Irvine map. A Remark about Electronic Communications: This course has a number of â€Å"social media† outlets to increase interaction. I may choose to not answer some of your questions . Some questions may require you to see me in person. Since all communication in this course will be written it is important to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of on-line communication.The advantages are that you have more opportunity for careful and thoughtful expression. The disadvantages are that it misses more subtle communication cues such as body language and tone. Please be aware that there is always the possibility of miscommunication and compose your comments in a positive, supportive and constructive manner. Course Schedule (tentative): Date 7/28 Issue Introduction to Class Course Orientation Become familiar with the course website and Papilla. Measuring and analyzing the size of the economy (caps. 23- 25) 2 8/04 3 8/11 Econ Two main vulnerabilities of the diamond industry: price of diamond linked to supply and value diamond linked to belief that they are rare and therefore special, and thus suitable token of sentiment. Dabbers exercised monopoly power by effectively controlling production and distribution of diamonds, thus controlling supply and ability to control pricing. When the market started to shift as other sources of diamonds were discovered, Dabbers still held an advantaged position as they had sole control of the distributors, which gave them the power and Influence to broker a deal with these emerging suppliers.This combined with a large and successful marketing campaign Increased sentimental value and perception of scarcity, which Increased consumer's willingness to pay the prices, set by the cartel. The perception of scarcity ultimately made demand Inelastic, and allowed for Dabbers to set an optimal linear price. While price discrimination is often seen as the best way to increase consumer surplus and minimize dead weight loss, in Dabbers case, as is the case with many luxury goods, its high price signals its value to the consumer, and the consumer can then signal their status to others when the wear he product.The difficulty of diamond mining lent itself to a spirit of cooperation out of necessity. It is not an undertaking that could be done successfully on a small scale, and it was impossible to know for certain which land claim was â€Å"lucky' and would produce a good output. This, in addition to problematic mining conditions over time, lead to the cooperative partnerships between the miners. This laid the groundwork for the formation of the Dabbers cartel. The idea of collusion between the suppliers to form a monopoly was perceived as a rare opportunity to exercise market control over apply and price.A better resolution for the dispute with the Israeli dealers might have been to attempt to address the issue influencing their actions (worries about financial sec urity during an economic depression) by offering support O. E. Stock options) rather than pointed threats, they could have avoided the damage done to the diamond market, as well as relations with other members of the cartel. While the actions they took did showcase the cartels authority, and signal to those In the cartel that defection would not be tolerated, It also exposed the fallibility of the cartel, and ultimately signaled the beginning of the end the diamond monopoly.The Soviets had the leverage to take down the cartel In Its entirety, as they provided the largest supply of the highest quality diamonds, and had the means to produce and distribute at a competitive price. When the cold war ended and the state no longer held sole control of the Soviet diamond industry, as well as a Canada monopoly had passed for the cartel. No longer able to control the market, Dabbers reorganized itself into an efficient and highly competitive vertically integrated model.

Gothic Literature Essay

American Gothic Literature is a chance to experience the bizarre and scary natures of an individual. Authors such as Hawthorne, Faulkner and O’conner use the written word to paint these gothic images in the minds of their readers. Supernatural appearances and motifs such as ghosts and monsters, are embodiments of people’s deepest fears and longings. Authors often use creepy settings because it is what revolves around the event. For example, In The Cask of Amontillado it creates a creepy setting, â€Å"I busied myself among the pile of bones of which i have before spoken, throwing them aside†(83).This gives us a suspicious and vigorous feeling of who’s pile of bones that is? It creates an idea that murder has occurred. Another ideal of a direful set is in the story The Raven when the narrator says, â€Å"A distinctly dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor†(467). He clearly tells us what he remembers in December. About the fire tugging its ghost upon the floor. The dreadful settings makes the appearance of it’s leading to the event. Descriptions of characters let’s us know what the character will or may do.For example, In A Rose for Emily, the character Emily demands, â€Å"I want arsenic†. She demands wantin arsenic letting us predict what she may do with it. It gives us clues making a Gothic story more interesting. In Addition, the author of The Masque of the Red Death wrote, â€Å"His vesture was dabbed in blood and his broad brow, with the scarlet horror†(122). The Masque of Red Death is about to attack showing himself in blood with his scarlet horror. It scares the people primarily as to just killing them for a more captivating event .By creating an obscure character, people attend achieving Gothic greatness. The event is the climax of the story with many unexpected tragic stories. For example, in Good Country People Hulga yells at at Manly Pointer, â€Å"‘Give me my leg! ’ sh e screamed and tried to lunge for it, but he pushed her down easily†(12). Hulga did not expect for Manly Pointer to steal her bogus leg. He has always presented himself as a good Christian that is nothing but noble. Furthermore, an unforeseen event makes occurs in A Rose For Emily, â€Å"Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head.One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust, dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand iron-gray hair†(12). Even though Miss Emily aparted herself from the outside, her murder of Homer was sudden. Miss Emily having Homer’s dead body for so many years conveys there is more than just a solitary feeling in her. Death is usually where the story ends in a Gothic story to follow the sequence of fascinating menacing literature. Abnormal semblance of specters draw the structure of the people’s inmost anxiety and desire.

How is Stanhope Represented in the First Two Acts of ‘Journey’s End’?

Stanhope is the captain in command of an infantry company on the front line. Although he is a highly ranked officer, Stanhope is still only a boy. He has been out in the trenches for nearly three years, (having come straight form school at he age of eighteen) and has commanded his company for a year. The character of Stanhope is fundamental to the play as a whole; we learn this almost straight away as he is spoken about before he appears on stage. The play begins with a conversation between two officers – Osborne and Hardy – and it is from them that the reader gains a first impression of Stanhope. His drink problem is immediately addressed as Hardy asks, ‘Drinking like a fish, as usual? ‘ This presents him in a fairly negative light however; this feeling is soon displaced as Osborne begins to defend him and offers some reasoning as to why Stanhope seeks solace in alcohol. We learn that he is in fact an extremely competent and well respected commander – ‘He's a long way the best company commander we've got' and this point is emphasised in Act two as Raleigh writes in his letter, ‘He's the finest officer in the battalion, and the men simply love him. Sherriff presents Stanhope as hard working, and this is mentioned various times throughout the two acts. Osborne says (when defending him against Hardy) – ‘He's commanded this company or a year – in and out of the front line. He's never had a rest. Other men come over here and go home again ill, and young Stanhope goes on sticking it, month in, month out. ‘ He is precise and meticulous in his duties as captain. When Trotter asks if he can go on duty half an hour later so he can finish his meal Stanhope refuses, unwilling to risk upsetting the schedule. He is also horrified at the state in which Hardy leaves the trenches, commenting that they smell like cess pits; all this adding to the image that Sherriff creates of him as a fine officer. Stanhope is extremely worried about Raleigh's appearance as he is frightened he will write to his sister and tell her what he has become. His quick temper becomes apparent as he demands Raleigh hands his letter over – he shouts, ‘Don't ‘Dennis' me! Stanhope's my name! ‘ and even snaps at Osborne. Raleigh describes an incident at school, ‘I remember once at school he caught some chaps in a study with a bottle of whisky. Lord! the roof nearly blew off. He gave them a dozen each with a cricket stump. ‘ This is ironic considering what Stanhope has become, yet it gives the reader an insight into what he was like before the war and how it has affected him. It quickly becomes apparent that Mason is scared of Stanhope; we see an example of this when Mason accidently gets apricots instead of pineapples – he is extremely concerned about what the captains reaction may be. This further enforces the idea of Stanhope having a short temper. Stanhope has a close relationship with Osborne, much like that of a father and son. Being twice his age, calm and level headed, Osborne is there to look after Stanhope when he gets too ‘tight' or to comfort him when he fears for his sanity. The scene where Osborne tucks Stanhope into bed shows his vulnerability. He is only a boy after all, and this is demonstrated effectively as he says, ‘Yes – I go sleep. ‘ Osborne defends Stanhope against Hardy and says, ‘I love that fellow. I'd go to hell with him. ‘ Stanhope is a deep thinker – ‘It's a habit that's grown on me lately – to look right through things, and on and on – til I get frightened and stop. He see's beneath the surface of things, one of the qualities that make him a fantastic captain. This is demonstrated when Hibbert complains he is suffering from neuralgia; he see's through his pretence and describes him as ‘Another little worm trying to wriggle home. ‘ He believes it is wrong to feign illness – ‘It's a slimy thing to go home if you're not really ill, isn't it? ‘ Despite his disliking for Hibbert, after his initial threat to shoot him he is understanding and comforting, even offering to accompany him on patrol. He has a real sense of decency, evident throughout the two acts. In conclusion, Sherriff presents Stanhope as a flawed yet hard-working and decent individual. Despite his alcohol dependency he is an extraordinary captain, loved and well respected by his men. The reader learns all this through Stanhope's actions, stage directions, what the other characters tell us about him and their responses to him. Sherriff presents him as a tragic hero, troubled and hardened by his experiences.

Business Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Management - Research Paper Example The Spain team has the responsibility of expanding the firm’s product into the Latin America and Eastern European marketplaces. The team should take over the marketing function of the company. The Finland team has existing relationship with many European carriers. The Finnish deal included the acquisition of a product line of games. The Finland team should take over the function of supply chain and logistics. 2. Digital Chocolate is a major player in the gaming industry. The exact market share of the company is not provided by the case study, but it is stated that the 10 largest gaming companies (which includes Digital Chocolate) hold 70% of the market share in the gaming industry which is valued at $34 billion. Overall my assessment is that the company has done a good job penetrating the marketplace and is doing well financially. The firm was able to establish deals with 200 phone carriers. The arrival of the iPhone and the subsequent Apple Application store helped Digital Ch ocolate establish a greater presence in the mobile gaming sector. The company was able to obtain 10 million downloads of its titles within the first 100 days of the Apple App store launch. In 2009 Digital Chocolate ranked first among Pokergamer.biz Quality Index.

'An investigation in to why consumers may choose to buy a BMW as Essay

'An investigation in to why consumers may choose to buy a BMW as oppose to another brand of car' this could involve examinin - Essay Example An insight into the BMW brand BMW brand seeks to convey the message to consumers that BMW means â€Å"the ultimate driving machine,† and influence the behavior of the consumers. BMW has been successful in creating awareness and ‘esteem value’ of its cars and strengthened its position in the market over the period of time. BMW is synonymous with luxury car and treated as status symbol by the consumers. The brand equity has been built by branding efforts highlighting quality and excellence in performance of its products on a continuous basis. An overview of consumer behavior and the buyer decision making process This section will study and analyze the consumer behavior and its importance in marketing and give an overview of the buyer decision making process in relation to BMW cars. Cars are usually not purchased very often and cost a large amount of money – making them high investment purchases. Problem Recognition The consumer needs a car to travel socially and/or for work purposes/commuting; the need for a car is most likely an active problem (i.e. the consumer is aware that he/she needs a car) Information Search Potential customer researches different makes and models of cars and may look in to indirect competition such as public transport or bicycles. Evaluation of Alternatives The consumer will narrow the choices down until he/she come to a decision; the consumer will normally narrow down from makes that they are aware of, then ones that they would consider buying, then down to a small choice until they come to a decision. Purchase Decision The consumer will take in to account what their family and friends think of the car that he/she has decided to buy – consumers will also asses the risks involved with the purchase such as the financial and social risks. Post Purchase evaluation After purchasing, customers will continue to evaluate the car, this stage is vital to ensure future sales and promote brand loyalty for BMW. Effec tive after sales service plays an important role in enhancing the customer satisfaction. Symbolic Consumption Purchases carry symbolic meanings and can satisfy individual, social, or cultural needs. Driving a car that is perceived to be sporty, luxurious and exclusive can promote individualism and self esteem. Self-concept attached to the product helps to establish the user’s identity. In order for conspicuous consumption to be rewarded and thus maintained in society, individuals must attach symbolic meaning to products that infer something about their owner. This tendency to attach meaning to products is referred to as symbolic consumption. (Belk, Bahn and Mayer 1982; Belk, Mayer and Driscoll 1983). Symbolic consumption involves the owner as an encoder trying to communicate something about themselves through purchasing a product and a decoder who understands the symbolic message; for example: consumers may purchase an expensive car such as a 7-series BMW to show that they ar e well-off; although demographics such as age, gender and social class effect individuals' ability to form impressions about owners of cars. Research shows that children's ability to make inferences about others based on product ownership

Research and Analysis of Business Problems Essay - 2

Research and Analysis of Business Problems - Essay Example , the superficial view is quite deceptive as the company is facing challenges in the forms of union problems, huge debts and environmental ripples like price rise, etc. In this report I have presented an overview of the problems and tried to evaluate and analyze them. The prime problem at Ford is its debt. Concerned about the financials of the company, the management has decided to reduce the existing workforce in order to reduce the annual payroll budget and thus achieve some financial relief. This in turn has triggered employee unrest and has troubled the management-union relationship at Ford. It has been suggested that the company should take to brainstorming sessions through joint management councils to sort out problems and adopt a collaborative approach to find the solutions. Collective bargaining should be patronized to appease the employees and white collar compensation should be reduced to gain their confidence. The company should divest and at the same time protect employee rights through regulatory contracts. Ford Motor Company (Ford), headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, is a global leader in the automotive industry. The company has manufacturing facilities and distribution network spread over six continents. Globally it has 90 plants a workforce of more than 200000 employees (Ford Motor Company-a, n.d., â€Å"Ford Global†). Currently the company follows General Motors (GM) and stands at second position in terms of sales volume (Freep-a, 2010, â€Å"January Auto Sales†). The corporate goal of Ford, as reflected through its mission statement, is "to become the worlds leading Consumer Company for automotive products and services" (Samples-Help, 2006, â€Å"Ford Motor Company Mission Statement†). Ford has also encapsulated its organizational plans and goals in the form of â€Å"One Ford Mission† (Ford-a, n.d., â€Å"One Ford†). According to this composite statement, Ford wants to work as a goal oriented team which strives to attain automotive leadership

What is he demographic transition and why is it important today Essay

What is he demographic transition and why is it important today - Essay Example As the birth and death rates are identical in this phase therefore this phenomenon results in a very slow population growth and the population remains almost stationary over the period of time. The high death rates at this stage are imputed to lack of knowledge about disease prevention and shortages of food supply. Since in the days of yore, there was a lack of clean drinking water, scarcity of good food hygiene, and ineffective sanitary systems therefore it resulted in very high death rates. Diseases pertaining to water and food such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhoea were discerned as fatal diseases and they were common killers at those times. A handful of child survived their early stages of life. Similarly, high birth rates at those periods are ascribed to all the factors that are linked with high fertility. Since the death rates among the children remained high therefore mothers craved for new children and there was no question as to the need for children even if the measures to control them had existed. The second stage of demographic transition (beginning of industrialization) observes a rapid decline in the death rate while the birth rate remains at the same level. As a consequence of this, the gap between deaths and births grows wider which in turn increases the population of the country. The drastic decline in death is ascribed to different factors. Firstly, economies observe massive improvements in their food supply furnished by higher yields as farming processes are refined and improved. Such improvements include crop rotation, selective breeding, and seed drill technology (Montgomery 2005). Secondly, development in country’s infrastructure improves the transportation system and hence it saves from death due to starvation. Finally, there are substantial improvements in the realm of public health, specifically during the

Business five Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business five - Essay Example My insurance firm ensured that it has the license of operation renewed every month to avoid any hiccups with the authorities. The company also has a personal lawyer with whom we liaise with to understand better what we are and not supposed to carry out in the firm. The social context of the organization is also very stable. This is seen by the numerous funds that we offer to the less fortunate through corporate events. Moreover, we show social responsibility by employing locals. The economic environment of the organization happens to run very smoothly. The amount of money brought back to the company as profit continues rising with each passing year. The interest rates thus go down and an increase in clients is in line (Adams, 2008). The managerial condition of the organization is close to perfect. This as I run the organization with strict rules which if not followed could lead to the person indicted getting a penalty that subsequently may ruin any chance of promotion. The operational condition is in the same manner and I ensure that I delegate the right responsibilities to the capable persons. With this, there is assurance that all operations will run smoothly. After the last board meeting, the organization’s major shareholders settled down on the running of a very diverse and critical project. Due to my steadfastness in the job, I was delegated the task of managing the project and giving them feedback. The project was market diversification by marketing the organization to other regions. The person most suitable or best acquainted with the respective area manages this and similar projects. Time management is one of the major factors to observe in the organization. Due to this, I ensure that all the respective parties for various activities complete their jobs in a timely manner. On my side, when I am given a project to oversee, I ensure I set up a time table that I divide to various section

Module 6 Reflections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Module 6 Reflections - Essay Example One key area that outstood in the module was the coding and interpretation of data. Through the lecture I got so much insight on the best strategies of analyzing the data. I remember vividly the lecturer’s commandments of data analysis. The first thing addressed was that there is need to have a thorough understanding of the literature presented. The second point involved adequate preparation while the other thing was to organize archival data in clear batches. Through these steps plus the reading from the textbook helped me have a solid understanding of the best approach to data analysis. I remember very well reading that data is supposed to be reviewed before it is coded. Another area of concern was in understanding the whole aspect of validity. I went through the textbook to gain further insight on the topic hence I was able to get a number of concepts about the topic. It was not ringing into my mind the so called external and internal validity but I sought help from a friend who distinguished the two aspects for me in concise details. According to what I understood, internal validity deals with the extent to which research findings minimizes the biasness that is achieved through the research while external validity refers to the generalizability of a research to other populations. Upon getting, the basic information through the lecture to the text, which provides some great insight on most of the aspects, learnt in class. Dr. Long shed some good light on the ways of dealing with substance and rigor in qualitative research. Even if validity had proven somehow tricky to get the full concept behind it, Long mentioned the distinction between validity and credibility. However, despite the understanding one question still lingers in my mind and requires someone to give me an elaborate description. The difference between credibility and reliability is the area of concern. In module 4, I had encountered a number of challenges in differentiating between

Sport Scale Essay Example for Free

Sport Scale Essay ABSTRACT The primary purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to assess sport fan motivation. Also, the new measure was employed to examine the relationship between sport fan motivation and ethnic identity. One hundred sixty nine college students from two southeastern institutions participated in this study. Data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Bivariate correlation, t test, ANOVA, and descriptive statistics. The Fan Motivation Scale (FMS), developed in this study, consisted of six components with 22 items. The number of items under every component range from 5 to 2 items (quality of the game 4 items, escape 5 items, boredom avoidance 5 items, social 3 items, entertainment 3 items, and sport atmosphere 2 items). In addition, two hypotheses were tested in the current study. The first hypothesis was that ethnic identity is positively related to sport fan motivation. The second hypothesis assumed that there was a difference between African Americans and European Americans in their ethnic identity. The results revealed the FMS is a reliable measure with an overall alpha score of 0. 90. Significant differences were found between participants in the total FMS and some of the subscales based on gender and ethnicity. However, the outcomes of the samples examined in this study do not support the first hypothesis. Therefore, no significant relationship was found between sport fan motivation and ethnic identity. Regarding the second hypothesis, a significant difference was found between African Americans and European Americans in their ethnic identity. vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Sports have become an increasingly important part of our society. Sports fans represent a significant percentage of sport consumers, because 70 percent or more of Americans watch, read, or discuss sports at least once a day (Iso-Ahola Hatfield, 1986). From 1985 to 1998, attendance has significantly increased at the four major sports in the United States. Major League Baseball (MLB) had the largest increase in the number of people attending games (24. 2 million, a 50% increase), followed by professional basketball (10. 3 million, a 89% increase), professional football (5. 7 million, a 40% increase), and professional hockey (5. 6 million, a 49% increase). The number of people attending college sporting events has also increased during this time period (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000). Additionally, more television programming time is being devoted to sporting events. The ESPN was the fifth highest ranked television network in 2000, in terms of revenue, it was estimated to be $2. 1 billion (McAvoy, 2000). With the increase of interest in sports has become an increased interest of sports fans as consumers. Sport teams and companies are very interested in attracting as many consumers as possible to purchase game tickets or products. Therefore, sport marketers should acknowledge the factors that drive fans to follow sport by attending, watching on television, or purchasing products. However, understanding the notion of sports fans is not simple because their attitudes and behaviors are not determined by a single motive or factor but rather occur for a variety of reasons (Mashiach, 1980). Statement of the Problem There has been a growing interest in the study of sport fan motivations in recent years to better understand fan behaviors (Bilyeu Wann, 2002; Funk, Mahony, Nakazawa, Hirakawa, 2001; Funk, Mahony Ridinger, 2002; Funk, Ridinger, Moorman, 2003; Gantz, 1981; Kahle, Kambara, Rose, 1996; Lee, 2002; Mahony, Nakazawa, Funk, James, Gladden, 2002; Pease Zhang, 2001; Trail James, 2001; Wann, 1995; Wann, Bilyeu, Brennan, Osborn Gambouras, 1999; Wann, Brewer, 1 Royalty, 1999; Wann, Schrader Wilson, 1999). Some of these studies have introduced measures of different consumption motives of sport fans. In addition, researchers have examined the relationship between fan motivation and other variables such as team identification, involvement, gender, and race. The measures used in previous studies to assess fan motivations vary in length and number of components. However, some of the components are used in all or most scales such as the entertainment component, the family component, and the friends component. They also share very similar items with regard to similar components. Items used in most previous scales often begin with the words â€Å"I like†, â€Å"I enjoy†, or â€Å"I feel† which raises a validity issue for the measures because the aforementioned words represent satisfaction and attitude rather than motivation. Fan satisfaction relates to the happiness and pleasure associated with the outcome of a sporting event while fan attitude represents the opinion and feelings an individual has about a sport team or sporting event. On the other hand, sport fan motivation refers to the reasons that drive individuals to support sport teams, be loyal to them, buy team/sport related products, watch and attend sporting events. The Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to assess sport fan motives. Also, the new measure was utilized to examine the relationship between fan motivation and ethnic identity. The Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework of this study includes the discussion of two concepts. First, the Fan Motivation Scale and its content will be introduced. Second, the notion of ethnic identity and why it should be correlated with sport fan motivation will be presented. The prior research (Wann, 1995; Funk, Mahony, Nakazawa, Hirakawa, 2001; Bilyeu Wann, 2002) identified various motives that could drive fans to attend sporting events. Some of these motives are related to personal needs (entertainment and financial 2 gain), social needs (bonding with family and group affiliation), and psychological needs (self-esteem and achievement). In attempt to measure the motives of sport fans, the researchers introduced different scales. These scales comprised different number of motives ranging from 7 motives with 16 items to 18 motives with 54 items. The length of some of the scales was not the only problem. The major concern for previous scales is in the content validity, the extent to which items used in the scale accurately represent fan motives. In fact, all previous scales included items that are more related to attitude and satisfaction then motivation. The reason for this problem is the lack of clear definition of sport fan motivation. The current study is going to view sport fan motivation as the reasons that drive individuals to support sport teams, be loyal to them, purchase team/sport related products, watch and attend sporting events. In addition, this study will employ a review of related literature and the prior effort made on fan motivation scales to develop valid and reliable measures of sport fan motivation. The proposed Fan Motivation Scale (FMS) will measure six motives: social, entertainment, escape, aesthetic, psychological, and amotivation. The social motive assesses the extent to which individuals participate in sporting events as spectators because they desire to spend time with their families (Gantz, 1981; Wann, 1995). Also, to some individuals, group affiliation is an important motivation of being a sport fan. Sport spectating provides a fan with opportunities to share time with others who enjoy the same activities. A fan may want to keep contact with a group of fans and seek refuge from a feeling of alienation (Branscombe Wann, 1991; Smith, 1988; Wann, 1995). The entertainment motive includes items that represent the desire of some individuals to have a good time and enjoy the excitement associated with sporting events. Some fans might enjoy a sport because of its entertainment value. Sport spectating provides fans with leisure pastime activities similar to watching movies or television. One advantage of sport spectating is that few special skills, if any, are required (Zillmann, Bryant Sapolsky, 1989; Wann, 1995). The escape motive of sport fans assesses the desire of sport fans to escape or diverge from their everyday lives. Attending a sporting event gives many people an 3 opportunity to temporarily forget about their troubling, dissatisfying, or boring lives (Smith, 1988; Lever Wheeler, 1984; Wann, Schrader Wilson, 1999). The aesthetic motive of sport fans appeals to those that are motivated by the aesthetic value of the sport. Some fans enjoy sports because of the competition between highly skilled athletes. The beauty, grace, and other artistic characteristics make some people enjoy sporting events (Milne McDonald, 1999; Wann, 1995). The psychological motive is a factor that motivates sports fans and gives them a feeling of accomplishment and achievement when the fans’ favorite team or player is successful. Sports fans tend to associate themselves with a successful team or player in order to create and sustain a positive self-concept (Branscombe Wann, 1991; Milne McDonald, 1999; Sloan, 1989). Amotivation refers to the state of lacking an intention to act. When amotivated, individual’s action lacks intentionality and a sense of personal causation (Ryan Deci, 2000). Amotivation results from not valuing an activity (Ryan, 1995), not feeling competent to do it (Deci, 1975), or not believing it will yield a desired outcome (Seligman, 1975). Some individuals might go to sport events and watch sport games because they have nothing else to do, bored, and want to kill time. These types of reasons had been neglected in previous studies of sport fan motivation. As mentioned earlier, prior research has examined the relationship between fan motivations and other variables such as sport involvement, team identification, and some demographic factors of selected sport fans. However, the ethnic identity of sport fans has been ignored in the literature. It might be assumed by some researchers that the race factor is enough representation of an individual’s ethnic background. It is, however, only part of the concept. Ethnic identity is defined as â€Å"a process of coming to terms with one’s ethnic-racial membership group as a salient reference group† (Smith, 1991, p. 182). Smith (1991) defined an ethnic group as â€Å"a reference group called upon by people who share a common history and culture† (p. 181). According to Gordon (1985), culture influences our social standards, values, cognitions, social perceptions, attributions, feelings, and sources of motivation. Individuals develop their ethnic identity through their social interaction with others. Through their interactions they begin to view themselves as others view them 4 (Stryker, 1980). Ethnic identity is viewed as part of social identity and it was defined by Tajfel (1981) as â€Å"that part of an individual’s self-concept which derives from his knowledge of his membership of a social group (or groups) together with the value and emotional significance attached to that membership† (p.255). An ethnic group is composed of a number of individuals who share a sense of group identity based on their unique culture, which include values, morals, and various customs, as well as shared origins. In the larger society, ethnic groups tend to maintain a sense of peoplehood (Dublin, 1996; Kornblum Janowitz, 1974; Portes, 1996). Forty years ago, Tumin (1964) defined an ethnic group as â€Å"a social group which, within a large cultural and social system, claims or is accorded special status in terms of complexity of traits which it exhibits or is believed to exhibit† (p.123). Distinguishing between ethnic groups is not always simple. Some ethnic minorities, such as African Americans, may have obvious physical differences that set them apart from other ethnic groups within the United States, but many biracial individuals present an ambiguity because they belong to two or more ethnic groups, which makes ethnicity a subjective construct (Root, 1992). Studying ethnic identity is very important because it is the foundation for what an individual believes about himself or herself. Given the significance of ethnic identity, many researchers have been studying this construct. Phinney (1990) reviewed 70 studies of ethnic identity published between 1972 and 1990. She found that most of the studies have used one of three theoretical frameworks to examine ethnic identity. The first framework is the social identity theory which ethnic identity is considered a component of social identity. Social theory refers to the need for an individual to be a member of a group that provides him or her with a sense of belonging that contributes to a positive self-concept. The second framework is the acculturation prospective. The concept of acculturation refers to changes in the cultural attitudes, value, and behaviors that result from interactions between two distinct cultures (Berry, Trimble, Olmedo, 1986). These kinds of changes are normally the concern of a group of individuals, and how it relates to the dominant or host society. Ethnic identity can be an aspect of acculturation in which the focus is on the individuals and how they relate to their own group as a subgroup of the larger society (Phinney, 1990). The third framework is developmental framework, where ethnic identity is viewed as a process by which people construct their ethnicity. 5 Erikson (1968) indicated that identity is the outcome of a period of exploration and experimentation that normally takes place during adolescence and leads to a decision of commitment in various areas, such as occupation, and religion. This view of ethnic identity suggests age as a factor is strongly related to developing one’s ethnic identity (Phinney, 1990). Phinney (1990) mentioned that most studies have focused on certain components of ethnic identity. These components include self-identification as a group member, a sense of belonging to the group, attitudes about one’s group membership, and ethnic involvement (social participation, cultural practices and attitudes). Self-identification represents the ethnic label that one uses for oneself. The ability of children to label themselves with the right ethnic group was the addressed in a study by Aboud (187). Another issue was the relationship between incorrect labeling and poor self-concept (Cross, 1978). Adults are expected to know their ethnicity but the issue is what label one chooses to use for himself or herself. However, some ethnic groups have a little choice in what ethnic title they can use for themselves often because of their distinctive skin color or culture (language, dresses, customs, etc. ) which distinguishes them from other groups. Additionally, some individuals have two or more ethnic backgrounds and they identify themselves as members of more than one group. Ethnic self-identification is an important but complex component of ethnic identity (Phinney, 1990). The feeling of belonging to one’s own group is an important element of ethnic identity. Some researchers have tried to assess the sense of belonging by either asking people how strong was their relationship with their groups or how separate they feel from other groups (Driedger, 1976). Members of every ethnic group can have positive or negative attitudes toward their own group. Some of the positive attitudes related were pride in and pleasure, satisfaction, and contentment with one’s group (Phinney, 1990). Negative attitudes include dissatisfaction, displeasure, discontentment, and a desire to hide ones identity (Driedger, 1976). People who display no positive attitudes or express negative attitudes can be seen as denying their ethnic identity (Phinney, 1990). In addition, the involvement in the social life and cultural practices of one’s ethnic group is considered a strong indicator of one’s ethnic identity. The social and cultural practices 6 that represent the involvement component include language, friendship, social organizations, religion, cultural traditions, and politics (Phinney, 1990). Phinney (1992) developed the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) with the purpose of assessing ethnic identity among various ethnic groups. The scale was designed to measure three components of ethnic identity: affirmation and belonging, ethnic identity achievement, and ethnic behaviors. Roberts, Phinney, Masse, Chen, Roberts, and Romero (1999) examined the validity of the MEIM and conducted factor analysis with a large sample. The outcomes suggest that the scale measures two components of ethnic identity: ethnic identity search and affirmation, belonging, and commitment. Ethnic identity search refers to a developmental and cognitive component. Affirmation, belonging, and commitment represent the affective component. However, the scale has been proven to be a valid and reliable measurement and it will be used in the context of this study. More discussion of the scale is provided in the method section. Researchers have indicated that positive relationships do exist between ethnic identity and self-esteem, self-concept, psychological well-being, achievement, and satisfaction (Phinney, 1992; Roberts et al. , 1999; Delworth, 1989). However, it is the purpose of this study to examine the relationship between ethnic identity and motivations of sport fans. According to Phinney (1990) some.

Presentism Eternalism And Special Relativity Philosophy Essay

Presentism Eternalism And Special Relativity Philosophy Essay In this essay I hope to show that it is not necessarily true that Einsteins Special Theory of Relativity refutes presentism. It is not my aim to show that presentism is correct, nor is it my aim to show that eternalism is incorrect. I aim to show that it is naÃÆ' ¯ve for eternalists to assume that STR favours the eternalists view on time over the presentists view. I will start this essay by explaining and defining the views of the presentist and eternalist. For any valuable work to be done in defending presentism against the claims of STR, I believe a sound understanding of what both presentism and eternalism entails is needed. I will make it clear how presentism and eternalism differ and make it clear what is meant when they say something exists. I will then move onto discussing STR. I hope to explain STR in as clear a manner as possible, although I will not be explaining it in the depth found in physics papers. I will consider the postulates that make up STR and consider the imp ortant paradoxes these lead to. In particular, I will discuss the paradox of the speed of light and the paradox of simultaneity, as these are a concern to the presentists view. With STR adequately explained (in enough detail that I may hope to defend Presentism against its claims) I will move onto considering the arguments Philosophers have brought forward in an attempt that STR supports a 4D model of the universe, and as a result refutes Presentism. I will consider the Rietdijk-Putnam argument, and Penroses version of this argument, The Andromeda Paradox. By explaining these arguments I hope to show clearly the problem that STR poses for presentism. Finally, I will consider two defenses  [1]  of Presentism against the claims of STR. The first defense is brought forward by Hinchliff (2000), and the second defense is brought forward by Markosian (2004). I find the latter defense to be the more compelling, and I will explain why I think this. I will conclude by offering my reasoni ng for thinking that STR does not necessarily refute presentism. I start this essay by defining the terms presentism and eternalism, and by discussing what they mean when they say something exists. Section 1- Defining Presentism and Eternalism I start this section by considering presentism. To show what presentism actually entails, I think its important to first consider where the view comes from. Presentism can be traced back to McTaggarts famous 1908 paper The Unreality of Time. In this paper, McTaggart highlights two ways in which we experience time. These ways form what he calls the A-series and B-series. The A-series is a tensed series where events are arranged using tensed properties such as past, present or future. The B-series is a tenseless series where events are arranged relationally using terms such as before or after. McTaggart claims that the A-series is essential to time as events only change with respect to their tensed properties, and time must involve change (p26, McTaggart, 1927). No change occurs in the B-series. If event A is before event B, then event A will forever be before event B. Those who claim that we should talk about time using tenses, and claim that the A-series is essential to time are know n as A-theorists. Those who think tensed expressions are reducible to tenseless expressions, and claim that the B-series is essential to time are known as B-theorists. Some A-theorists advocate presentism, and some B-theorists advocate eternalism. Of course, it is not always the case that A-theorists are presentists, and not always the case that B-theorists are eternalists. Zimmerman notes two other views that the A-theorist could hold; the growing-block theory and the moving spotlight theory (Marcus, 2012). These will not be considered in this essay. Now that Ive explained where eternalism and presentism come from, I will move onto actually defining presentism. There are a number of ways in which presentism has been defined. In this essay, I will take presentism as the view that only things in the present exist or as Markosian (2004) defines it: Necessarily, it is always true that only present objects exist (p1, Markosian, 2004) The presentist distinguishes the present as being special over the past or the future, in that it is only objects in the present exist. The presentist believes in an absolute (universal) present, where all events happening now, exist. No events (or objects) that exist, exist in the past or future. We can see why the presentist will claim that the A-series is essential to time and why the B-series is not. Only in the A-series can objects or events be located (temporally) in a present moment. The B-series does not treat the present as being any more real than the past or future. Its hard to see what would count as the present in the B-series, as all events are arranged relationally as either before or after other events. Its important to note here that necessarily, it is always true that only present objects exist is not the same as saying only the present exists as some have interrupted it (e.g. Davidson, 2003).The presentist may say that the past and future exist (in some sense of the word exist), but no objects exist in the past or future. Nor does presentism equal the tautology that is only present objects exist at present (Vallicella, 2003). Nor is it the claim that all objects that have existed, and that will ever exist, exist in the present now. Its easy to see the difference between these statements when the flow of time is taking into account (the presentist view accounts for the flow of time, whereas the externalist view does not). The diagram below shows the presentists view. In diagram (a), the present moment (now) happens to be a moment in 1967. The presentist would say that only things (or objects) in this moment in 1967 exist. Nothing exists in the past or future. In diagram (b), the present moment (now) happens to be a moment in 2013. The presentist would say that only things (or objects) in this moment in 2013 exist. No objects exist in the past (which now includes 1967) or future. Now that I have defined presentism and made it clear how I will be referring to it in this essay, I will move onto defining eternalism and in the process, contrast it with presentism. Eternalism can be thought of as the main rival to presentism. As mentioned previously, the eternalist sees the B series as being essential to time and denies the existence of the A-series. Eternalism is the view that objects in the past and future are equally as real as objects in the present. objects from both the past and the future exist just as much as present objects (Markosian, 2010) Others have said that Eternalism is the view that all times are real (p326, Ladyman, 2007), but I see this is open to further interpretation. I will be interpreting all times are real as meaning objects can equally exist in the past or future. Its not hard to see how this contrasts with the presentists view, nor is it hard to see why eternalists accept the B-series. All times in the B-series are treated equally. Theres no special property given to a present moment. Eternalism is sometimes referred to as the block universe view, as the past, present and future all exist in a closed 4-dimensional Space-time block (p2, Peterson Silberstein, 2009). Presentism, on the other hand, may be thought of as endorsing a 3D view of the universe. As Valente (2012) puts it in The Relativity of Simultaneity and Presentism: For an eternalist (four-dimensionalist) a 3D object is just a slice of a four-dimensional (4D) worldline of a timelessly existing 4D world (or block universe) in which all the slices (i.e. the 3D objects) are actually all given at once. For a presentist, the 3D world consists of all 3D objects and fields existing simultaneously at the moment now or present. (p4, Valente, 2012) Presentism and Eternalism can be visually imagined as in the diagram below. Presentism features a present moving with the flow of time. Time to the eternalist can be imagined as a block  [2]  which contains the past, present and future, along will all objects and events. (Savitt, 2008) The differences between presentism and eternalism can be further shown by using an example. I will consider the example used by Lombard (2009) in his paper Time for a Change: A polemic against the Presentism Eternalism Debate. Lets take the statement Dinosaurs exist. Dinosaurs are not included on the presentists list of things or objects that exist. Dinosaurs are however included on the eternalists list of things or objects that exist. Of course, as Lombard points out, the eternalist is not saying that there are dinosaurs, that is, right now (p58, Lombard, 2009). As the eternalist believes that objects exist in the past, in the same way as they exist in the present, they must insist that dinosaurs nevertheless exist (p58, Lombard, 2009). This is point that can lead to confusion. Its important to understand what we mean by the word exist in the statement Dinosaurs exist. Markosian (2004) gives a brilliant explanation of what we should mean by exist in his paper A Defense of Presentis m. In what follows, I will consider this explanation and make it clear what exist means. Markosian highlights two ways in which we may think about the word exist. The first sense in which we may think of the statement Dinosaurs exist is what Markosian calls the temporal location sense. Under this interpretation, Dinosaurs exist is synonymous with Dinosaurs are present. Under the temporal location sense of the word, the eternalist will agree that no non-present objects exist right now i.e. Dinosaurs do not exist right now. However, this is not what we will be taking the eternalist to mean when they say Dinosaurs exist. Markosian calls the other sense of exist, the ontological sense. Under this interpretation Dinosaurs exist is synonymous with dinosaurs are now in the domain of our most unrestricted quantifiers, whether it happens to be presentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦or non-presentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p2, Markosian, 2004). The eternalist will agree with this. The presentist will argue that dinosaurs are not now in the domain of our most unrestricted quantifiers, as dinosaurs do not exi st in the present (now), and only things that exist in the present will be included in the domain of our most unrestricted quantifiers. Under this interpretation of exist the disagreement between the presentist and the eternalist becomes clear. According to presentism, dinosaurs do not exist i.e. dinosaurs are not included in the things that our most unrestricted quantifiers range over. According to eternalism, dinosaurs do exist i.e. dinosaurs are included in the things that our most unrestricted quantifiers range over. For the Presentist what objects our most unrestricted quantifiers range over is a changing matter of fact (p13, Kehler, 2011). This is because the objects of the present are forever changing as time passes (in line with change in the A-series, as discussed earlier in this essay). The opposite is true for the eternalist. What objects our most unrestricted quantifiers range over never changes (in line with the unchanging B-series as discussed earlier). With presentism and eternalism defined and discussed, and the difference between the two made clear by discussing the meaning of exist, I will move onto the next section of this essay. In the next section, I will be considering Einsteins Special Theory of Relativity (STR). I will be considering the postulates that make up Einsteins theory and discussing some of the paradoxical consequences of these. I will then discuss the arguments Philosophers have come up with in an attempt to show that STR implies a 4D view (eternalism). These arguments will be the Rieldik-Putnam argument, and I will construct my own version of Penroses Andromeda Paradox. Once STR is made clear, I will conclude the section by considering what these arguments mean for both presentism and eternalism. Section 2 The Special Theory of Relativity: the Thorn in Presentisms Side As this is a Philosophy essay, and not a Physics paper, I will not be going into any great detail in explaining Einsteins Special Theory of Relativity (STR), and Im unlikely to do it justice. I will, however, explain the theory in enough detail so to allow me to adequately discuss the arguments in support of the 4D model and against presentism. This will also help me in defending presentism in the final section of this essay. Without adequate knowledge of STR and its paradoxical nature, its unlikely I, or any other philosophers, would be able to even start defending presentism against its claims. I start by considering the postulates behind STR. In 1905, Albert Einstein presented STR in his paper On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies. The theory itself is derived from a number of postulates, of which two can be said to form the heart of Special Relativity (Hamilton, 1998). The first postulate is the Principle of Relativity: There is no absolute rest frame of reference (p1, Lee, 2012) The second postulate is the Principle of Constancy of the Speed of Light: The speed of light c is a universal constant, the same in any inertial frame (Hamilton, 1998) Together, these postulates open up paradoxes which lead Philosophers to the thought that STR implies 4D view of time (eternalism). Inertial frame (or inertial reference frame) here will be defined as frames of reference in which Newtons first law of motion is observed. Newtons first law of motion is that every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force (Benson, 2010). Before Special Relativity, the speed of light was thought to depend on the speed of the person observing and the speed of the source from which the light came (Lawerence, 2002). An experiment was conducted in the late 1800s by Michelson and Marley in the hope that this was correct (Carlip, 1996). As the earth orbits around the sun at .01% the speed of light (Lawerence ,2002), Michelson and Marely hoped they would be able to show that a light beam moving along with the orbit of the earth would be .01% slower than a light beam going perpendicular to the orbit of the earth. To their surprise, this was not the case. Every attempt to find a difference in the speed of light failed. The light always took exactly the same amount of time to travel down either leg (Lawerence, 2002) Since light always travelled at the same speed in the experiments  [3]  , Einstein took the constancy of the speed of light to be a fact of nature, and from it, formed the second postulate of STR. Now that the history behind STR has been discussed, and the postulates of STR have been explained, I will move onto discuss how these postulates lead to some interesting paradoxes. The second postulate leads to an interesting paradox. In order to understand the problems that STR poses for presentism, its important to understand what this paradox entails. I will construct this paradox by way of example, based on the example used by Hamilton (1998). Lets pretend Im standing on the surface of the Earth  [4]  . Im wearing a helmet on my head. The helmet has the ability to emit a powerful flash of light. My friend Bob has a super car which just so happens to be capable of moving at a constant half the speed of light (1/2c). Bob is moving in a straight line from my right to my left. At the very point that Bob passes me, my helmet lets out a flash of light. This light expands at the same speed (c) in all directions. According to the second postulate of STR, the speed of light is constant for both of us. This means that from my frame of reference, the light expands at the same speed in all directions, and that from Bobs frame of reference the light expands at the s ame speed in all directions (even though he is moving at half the speed of light away from the light source). The paradox here is that, from our own frame of reference, we both believe we are at the centre of the flash of light. Its not possible that we are both at the centre of the flash of light. Before considering the solution to this paradox, I will discuss the example of this paradox as shown by Penroses (1989) Andromeda Paradox. Using his Andromeda Paradox argument, Penrose attempts to show that the Universe is a pre-determined 4D Space-time block, which causes problems for presentism. Penrose (1999) asks us to consider two people (Jack and Jill) walking past each other on the street. Jack is walking towards the Andromeda Galaxy  [5]  and Jill is walking away from the Andromeda. From STR it can be said that Jack and Jill have different ideas about what events are presently happening in the Andromeda Galaxy. It would take light from the Andromeda Galaxy 2.5 million years to reach either person, and as such, they dont know what events are happening, but whether or not they know of the events happening is of no importance here. An event on Andromeda that Jack thinks is present (from his frame of reference), is an event that Jill still thinks is yet to happen (from her frame of reference). To Jill, the event is in the future. Penrose calculates the event is 5  ¾ days behind in time for Jill. One can calculate that their planes (or spaces) of simultaneity at the instant at which they pass each other on Earth intersects the history of the world line of Andromeda about 5  ¾ days apart (Savitt, 2008) Our planes of simultaneity  [6]  are different. The diagram below shows this: (modified from BobC_03, 2012) With the paradoxes explained, I can consider what they mean for both Presentism and Eternalism, and show how the minowski Universe appears to favour Eternalism. Its possible that an event in Andromeda is in the present (and according to Presentism does exist) for Jack, but the same event is in the future (and according to Presentism does not exist) for Jill. Here lies the problem that STR its paradoxical nature poses for Presentism. As can be seen, the problem has at the heart of it the second postulate of STR. No matter what speed they walk past each other in opposite directions, if Jack and Jill were to measure the speed of light (in their own frames of reference), they would get the same result. no matter at what speed or in which direction they or the source of the light are moving, must come to the same result when they measure the speed of light (Savitt, 2008) If its not known whether an event is present or past, then how can presentists hold the view that only things in the present exist? What things are in the present are both different for Jack and Jill. In an attempt to solve this, the presentist might try to say that the event is taken to be present or future depending on whether it is present or future in the absolute rest frame (p5, Eichman, 2007). However, according to STR there is no absolute rest frame, or absolute simultaneity, and therefore, there can be no absolute present. If we assume that STR is true, the following argument against Presentism can be constructed: (1) STR is true. (2) STR entails that there is no such relation as absolute simultaneity. (3) If there is no such relation as absolute simultaneity, then there is no such property as absolute presentness. (4) Presentism entails that there is such a property as absolute presentness. (5) Presentism is false. (p29, Markosian, 2004) Now that STR has been discussed adequately and that the trouble it poses for Presentism has been highlighted, I can move onto the final section of this essay. In the final section, I will consider two ways in which philosophers have tried to defend presentism against the seeming threat posed by STR. The first defense is brought forward by Mark Hinchliff (2000) in his paper A Defense of Presentism in a Relativistic Setting. The second defense, and the defense which I find more compelling, is brought forward by Ned Markosian (2004) in his paper A Defense of Presentism. I will explain why I find this defense more compelling, and why I think Hinchliffs defense doesnt work. Section 3 Defending Presentism The first defense against STR that I will consider is what Hinchliff calls The Point Model. In the point model, Hinchliff claims that in STR the present is to be identified with the here-now (pS579, Hinchliff, 2000). In other words, a presentist can argue that in STR, only a single space-time point exists; the here-now. Hinchliff does not hold this view himself and says that he knows of no one who actually holds this view (S579, Hinchliff, 2000). Nevertheless he feels its worthy enough to discuss. A standard objection against this model is to say that its lonely, in that nothing but the here-now exists. This objection is easily refuted however. Saying its lonely is akin to rejecting solipisism because theres no other people. Something stronger is needed in order to reject either the Point Model or solipsism. Putnam (1967) offers a better objection against the view however. Putnam says that anything that is past must have previously been present (p246, Putnam, 1967). Under Point prese ntism however, there are events in the past which have never been present. Therefore, Point Presentism violates the conceptual truth that what is past was present (S579, Hinchliff) This can be shown by way of example. Lets pretend an event occurs which is space-like separated from my here-now. It is therefore not in the present from my frame of reference. When time moves on, the event is however included in my past here-now, without ever being in the present, and therefore violated a conceptual truth. A presentist may try to argue that point presentism does not violate a conceptual truth, but this would lead them to trouble when trying to explain how certain objects of the present (objects that exists) cease to exist (fade into the past). I do not think this is a suitable defense of presentism against STR. I think if a presentist is to hold their view, then they must look for a way of fitting the outcomes of STR into that view. Point presentism attempts to change presentism in such a way that makes it compatible with STR, and fails to do so. Presentists should rather attempt to change STR in such a way that makes it compatible with presentism. I believe this is what Markosian (2004) attempts to do in his defense of presentism. I will now consider this defense and explain why I find it more compelling than Point Presentism. In his defense of presentism, Markosian (2004) considers whether STR contains enough philosophical baggage built into it to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ entail the proposition that there is no such relation as absolute simultaneity (p31, Markosian, 2004). If this is not the case, then there is no reason to assume that STR poses problems for presentism. Marksoian asks us to consider two different types of STR (p31, Markosian, 2004): STR+ : This version of STR does have enough philosophical baggage built into it to entail that there is no such thing as absolute simultaneity. STR-: This version of STR does not have enough philosophical baggage built into it to entail that there is no such thing as absolute simultaneity. Markosian rejects STR+ and accepts STR-. I believe the reasons for why he thinks this is key to any presentist wishing to defend their view against STR. All empirical evidence which suggests that STR+ is true, equally supports STR- (p31, Markosian 2004). Just because it is not physically possible to determine whether two objects or events are absolutely simultaneous (p31, Markosian) does not entail that there is no such thing as absolute simultaneity, and no absolute present. Consider the Andromeda Paradox as explained earlier. From their own frame of reference (or plain of simultaneity) their idea of what event is present is different  [7]  . The presentist is able to agree with this view. Agreeing with this, does not mean they must reject their view on absolute simultaneity or their view that an absolute present exists. It may be the case that an absolute rest frame is not accessible to us. The presentist can reject the first postulate of STR. With this said, it seems the etern alist is unable to refute presentism by appealing to STR, and it looks likely that any such argument will end in a stalemate. The eternalist and presentist view with regards to STR can be summed up as follows: Eternalist STR is true and entails there is no absolute simultaneity or absolute present. Therefore, presentism is incorrect. Presentist STR being true does not entail there is no absolute simultaneity or absolute present. It entails that these are not accessible to us, but nonetheless may still exist. According to me, they do exist. Its impossible to say whether either view is true or false (How would one prove that there is or isnt an absolute rest frame?), resulting in a stalemate. Its certainly seems that its not necessarily true that STR refutes presentism. Conclusion In this essay, I have achieved what I had set out to do. I have defined and explained what both presentism and eternalism entail. Ive made it clear what the differences between the two are and Ive shown that its important to understand what the word exists mean when discussing both views. I have also explained and discussed the Special Theory of Relativity. In doing so, I have shown how the paradoxes it leads to, causes problems for presentism, and have shown why the eternalist might try to attack presentism using STR. Finally, I considered ways in which the presentist may try to defend their position against STR and the eternalist. I have shown that any attempt by the eternalist to use STR against presentism will result in a stalement. The empirical evidence which supports STR+ equally supports STR-, and the presentist only needs to reject STR+ and accept STR-. The problem with using STR to attack presentism is that STR+ must be assumed to be true. It is not necessarily the case tha t STR+ is true, and the presentist may use this point in defending their position. STR+ (or a theory with the same consequences) may be shown to be true someday, but until that day comes, the eternalist should make use of some other weapon in trying to attack presentism. Word Count 4629 Student ID 1818201

can you remember birth? Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Freud, people are unable to remember when they are born because it is a traumatic experience, and such experiences are placed in the unconscious, meaning they are forgotten, unintentionally. Being born is a traumatic experience because of the fact that a fetus is, basically, being pulled from an environment that it has gotten used to over the course of nine months. This environment is one in which there was food, warmth, and comfort. When the child is born, it comes into a cold, dry, loud place, totally unlike the warm, muffled sounds of the womb, and it is a shocking experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For a newborn, this is not only too much for their brain to process, it shocks them into repression. In sociology, this rapid introduction into a new world is known as culture shock, in which the subject being introduced has no idea where they are or what to do, and there is a type of panic. This panic causes the brain to lose the information, that is called repression. By definition, repression is the process by which the unpleasant or traumatic incident is pushed into the unconscious and forgotten. There are about 100 billion different nerves and receptors in the brain of a newborn, but they work at such a rudimentary level, that they are incapable of holding that information. This could also be a reason why birth is a forgotten part of life and pushed to an unconscious level in the brain. The brain functions as the center of human thought, and those thoughts that are unpleasant, or cause trauma, are, somehow, forgotten. This repression forces those thoughts away from the conscious brain. Some people say that they have dreams of being born, and this is not totally ridiculous. These people have such dreams because the repressed memories are resurfacing in the dream, and people experience these visions. Often times, they do not even remember having the dream or having the sensation of being born because it is a part of the unconscious. Freud says that†¦ repression is one of the strongest and most regularly used defense mechanisms because it is easier to put something out of one’s mind, than to try to ignore it (Wood 433). According to a study by Nelson and Ross in 1980, the following hypothesis was formed: Children would show early childhood amnesia and that this could be tested by comparing obtained e... ...hildren remember very few things that they want to, or the things that have not been repeated throughout their lives. Birth is an event in the life of a child that is very traumatic because of the type of â€Å"culture shock† that they experience. When pulled from their mother’s womb, a child enters a cold world, where they are forced to breathe differently and are no longer secluded from the rest of the world around them and their mother. It is a memory that is repressed unintentionally, but is still there, as Freud would tell one, without hesitation. The unconscious controls the instincts of people and reactions to the world around them, and is as much a part of life as the conscious mind or the preconscious mind, but serves the roll of a storage space or closet, in which humans hide their deepest thoughts and most unpleasant thoughts, as well. Those who are able to remember their birth are people that have something called total recall, which means they know and understand everything about their own life history, including the trauma of birth and all the unpleasant events that will follow during their lifetime. But that is highly unlikely and these persons are few and far between.

Essay --

Global warming is one of the most serious issues that the human species face today, yet the majority of the population does not pay attention to it. People are not aware of the dangers and do not care about it much because the main effects will affect the next generation and not themselves. Global warming is happening and it is the reason for changing weather and weather extremes such as earthquakes, floods and wildfires. Global warming is caused by societies lifestyle and these lifestyles destroy the environment and affect the whole world. The use of cars, trains, planes, as well as wasting energy for people’s entertainment has a price; this price is that society is in danger. The common definition of global warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants (Global warming, Wikipedia). Moreover, the effects of global warming will bring ecological and social changes. Because there is no exact way to predict the effects of global warming, it is almost impossible to say how strong global warming will affect life in the future. Scientists blame the greenhouse gas effect in combination with societies greenhouse gas emissions for the rising temperature. The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is emitted back towards the earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere, it results in an elevation of the average surface temperature above what it would be in the absence of the gases (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Simply, global... ... of extreme weather and melting ice caps are indicators of global warming. Because these things will affect society, there are important decisions that have to be made in the present as well as in the future to secure people’s lives and lifestyles. The world community is aware of this serious issue and do already prepare for projects to slow down global warming, but they still have to improve. If the world leaders stop worrying about this issue, the future generations could be in danger. The future lifestyles will be affected by the decisions made in the present day. Society has much to improve to save energy and to lower greenhouse gas emissions. There are also small things people can do to help. Individuals can live a life without wasting energy or polluting the environment. Without effort, global warming endangers the quality of life for the future generations.

digital photography artists :: essays research papers

Famous Digital Artists   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jody Dole is one of the featured artists in the book â€Å"Digital Image Creation†. He is a fine-art and advertising photographer. His first successful piece was an ad campaign for Smirnoff Vodka. In five years he was able to become a successful, well=known artist, gaining international recognition for his still-life photography.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nash Editions is a company built up of artists. Its founders are Graham Nash and Mac Holbert. The company has the best reputation within the fine-art digital printmaking world. The reason for this is because they use their own custom built scanner along with Macintosh computer systems and iris printers. Some of Nash Editions featured artists are David Byrne, Eileen Cowin, Carol Flax and Olivia Parker. Nash Editions is constantly staying up to date with their state-of-the-art technology and with the creativity of their staff.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another famous digital photographer is Charly Franklin. He specializes in a surreal style. Most of his images are of landscapes, and a lot take place on the beach. At first, Frankin had to set up elaborate sets to get the desired image, but with the technological advances with computer programs, he is now able to do most of his work on the computer. Every image he has produced since 1991 has been digitally manipulated. His work is in high demand, by corporate companies, and some of it has been published in Communications Arts, Print, Photo Metro and even on the cover of Graphics Design Annual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The last artist we researched is Joyce Neimanas. Joyce is a member of the faculty at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago since 1973. Her work has been in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the California Museum of Photography and many others.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born to James and Sara Roosevelt on January 30, 1882 in Hyde Park, New York. His father was a prominent land owner and a businessman with a large amount of wealth. His mother came from a prosperous family and was known for her â€Å"aristocratic manner† and her independence. Franklin D. Roosevelt was his parents’ only child and they spoiled him very much. The Roosevelts lived in a large estate with many workers attending to the farm. Franklin D. Roosevelt was home school until he was a teenager. Once 14, his parents sent him to the Groton School. The Groton School was a school for private education offered only to the sons of the most wealthiest and powerful in America. Roosevelt was not very athletic or popular; however he did try to become more athletic as he progresses in years at Groton. After graduating high school, Franklin decided to attend Harvard College in 1900 and graduated in 1903. While he was at Harvard, Franklin officially declared himself a Democrat. He also went on to attend Columbia Law School, although he was not that interested in studying law. Roosevelt political life was constantly growing during its life time. Roosevelt political life all began in the state senate from Duchess County, New York. Although it was dominated by Republicans and Roosevelt being Democrat he won the race with nearly over a thousand of votes. In the state senate, Roosevelt was an advocate for the farmers in his region. In 1912, when re-elections were held, Roosevelt was re-elected to the state senate. He would later fashion a relationship with Louis Howe, who would be his chief political adviser in the near future. In 1914, Roosevelt tried to win the Democratic nomination for a New York seat open in the U.S. Senate. Although he failed at the task, he did learn that any feuds he had he would have to mend if he wanted his political career to survive. Roosevelt than went on to become the governor of New York, but a snag occurred in his career due to the Great Depression. He believed in procreation and kept working to finding solutions while President Hoover was losing favor with the American people. Franklin Roosevelt was in a prime position now to run for the presidency. Franklin Roosevelt ran against President Herbert Hoover for the presidency in 1932. Franklin Roosevelt won the election by a landslide in the popular and Electoral College votes. He ran again in 1936 against Alfred Landon and won once again. In the election of 1940, Roosevelt ran against Wendell L. Willkie who was a true Democrat at heart. In Roosevelt’s last bid for presidency in 1944 he ran against Republican nominated Thomas Dewey. He beat him with no competition with majority of popular and Electoral College votes. Democrats also had a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This made his first term real easy to make changes to the government swiftly. His vice presidents were John Garner, Henry Wallace, and Harry Truman. He was elected to four terms which lasted from 1932-1945. Roosevelt had many domestic affairs task to complete while he was in office. His first challenge would be to rescue the country out of the worst depression in history. Many Americans lost their jobs, savings, and bank failures occurred in 1933. Roosevelt rescued the nation through his various New Deal policies. The First New Deal took affect soon as Roosevelt became president in 1932. Congress and Roosevelt worked together diligently to pass bills that were suppose to end the economic trouble of America. The First New Deal stabilized America’s financial system, provided help to the citizens without jobs, and restarted the capitalist economy. In addition to fixing the economy, Roosevelt had another immediate task he had to solve which was stabilizing the nation’s banking system. On March 6, he declared a bank holiday which stopped people from withdrawing their money from the banks. Roosevelt called Congress into an emergency session where they enacted on his banking proposal. The new act would allow the federal government to inspect and re-open banks that could be salvage and close the banks that were damaged. On March 12, Roosevelt went on the radio to speak to the citizens to inform them of his plan, encourage them to put their money back into the banks, and promise them that their money would be safe. Within a few weeks people were putting their money back into the bank and he had succeeded in gaining back America’s trust. In the financial sector he established numerous laws that stockbrokers and investors had to comply by to reduce commercial banks from engaging in investment banking. The Securities Act required corporations to release accurate information about the stocks to investors. The Glass-Steagall Act insured the savings of citizens and prevented banks from using citizens’ money in investment banking. The Federal Housing Administration allowed for many Americans to buy homes or renovate their homes. Roosevelt had succeeded in reviving the nation’s economy. Roosevelt dealt with foreign affairs during his presidency except most of his problems revolved around the Great Depression. Roosevelt believed the depression was a problem that America had created and didn’t want the help of any other county. By removing the United States from the international gold standard, he made the economy worse by trying to inflate the currency to give money to the poor farmers. Roosevelt however fixed his mistake and began to work with England and France to stabilize the international economic system. In 1934, Roosevelt won the passage of the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act which allowed the U.S. to grant most favored nation status to countries America traded with. In 1933, he also changed the relationship with the Soviet Union; Roosevelt established official ties between the two nations. Roosevelt wanted to improve relations and expand America trade opportunities with the Soviet Union. One of the best foreign policies was his â€Å"good neighbor† policy to the Latin American countries and other countries in the western hemisphere. Roosevelt in foreign affairs did very well for the country and tried to keep the peace and fix the economic woes the nation was facing. Roosevelt appointed eight Justices, Hugo Black, Stanley Forman Reed, Felix Frankfurther, William O. Douglas, Frank Murphy, James F. Byrnes, Robert H. Jackson, and Wiley Blount Rutledge, to the Supreme Court. The Great War had its origin in Europe and was growing quickly; however the United States decided to remain neutral through the beginning of the war. Congress passed many bills to ensure that the U.S. didn’t become involved in the war. On September 1, 1939 World War II had began. France, Britain, and soon the United States became allies and Japan, Germany, and Italy were allies. Roosevelt wanted to help his counterparts but his hands were tied with the Neutrality Act. Ties between the U.S. and Japan were becoming toxic due to the U.S. giving small aid to China. War came for the United Stated unexpectedly on December 7, 1941 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor naval base. Congress declared war on Japan on December 8 and three days later Italy and Germany declared war on the United States. America finally had entered World War II. America had many successful wins such as the liberation of Paris in 1944, commonly known as â€Å"D-Day.† The Allies were closing in Germany and the war was coming to a close with the victory near for the Allies, but Roosevelt dies before he could see the victory. During his presidency, Roosevelt was married to his cousin Eleanor Anna Roosevelt. They married on March 17, 1905 and they had six children, but one died in its infancy. His son James joined the Marine, his other two sons, John and Franklin, joined the navy, and his third son joined the Air Force. The First Lady did tasks such as support the New Deal Policies of the president and became an advocate for the civil rights. She traveled around to make sure that things were going as plan with her husband’s policies. Eleanor and Roosevelt had a political relationship more than a political relationship. Eleanor had found out about an affair Franklin was having with her secretary and offered him a divorce in the early years of their marriage. Although the two didn’t divorce due to political reasons, they never regained their intimacy back in their relationship. As a result, Roosevelt continued to have affairs with various women. Unfortunately, President Roosevelt wasn’t able to finish his fourth term because he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. His Vice-President Harry Truman became president after his death on April 12, 1945. Roosevelt died n April 12, 1945 in Warm Springs, Georgia. The legacy of President Roosevelt is by far one of the greatest. He was the only president to serve four terms and he accomplished more than all his predecessors in the White House. He was able to recover the nation’s economy during the Great Depression and contribute to the U.S. victory in World War II. FDR is ranked as one of the nation’s greatest president. He connected with the American people and did everything in his power to ensure success came of the government. He set a new bar of expectation of the future generations of presidents. I personally rank President Roosevelt as one of the nation’s greatest president. He was able to pull the U.S. out of the Great Depression; something that previous presidents could not accomplish. He also made policies that are still in effect today that help shape the finance of the U.S. which is important. I think every president can look at what President Roosevelt did and take something from his twelve years in office. He really cared for the American people and pushed for a good economy and keeping the peace. Work Citied Leuchtenburg, William E., ed. American President:Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945). Millercenter.org. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. Roberts, Jeremy. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Learner Publications Company, 2003. Print.

A compare and contrast Analysis of “The Metamorphosis” and “The Things They Carried” Essay

Society’s alienation and misunderstanding of humanity can transform once life, both Gregor Samsa and Norman Bowker suffered from isolation. Freedom is truly conquered when one is at full peace spiritually; one can be imprisoned in its own thoughts, desires and memories. To follow I will provide examples form both narrative texts were both characters are imprisoned in their own thoughts, desires and memories. In the process of discovering true freedom Gregor is pressured by society and his family to support them after his father lost his job. â€Å"At the time Gregor’s sole desire was to do his utmost to help the family to forget as soon as possible the catastrophe that had overwhelmed the business and thrown them all into a state of complete desire.† Trapped in a jam box where he must be exceptional, with a work mentality to support the family. Hating his job as a travelling salesman, but must continue doing it to pay off his parents’ debts all he talks about is how exhausting the job is, how irritating it is to be always travelling: making train connections, sleeping in strange beds, always dealing with new people and never getting to make new friends or even a loved one. We can see this on the text when he has the magazine cover instead of a real picture with a friend or a loved one (pg 89). â€Å" Hung the picture which he had recently cut out of an illustrated magazine and put into a pretty gilt frame. It showed a lady, with a fur cap on and a fur stole, sitting upright and holding out to the spectator a huge fur muff into wich the whole of her forearm had vanished!† Leaving behind his desires as a human being all he will think about was his father’s debt and how much he will have to work to help his family. Gregor had earned so much money that he was able to meet the whole family expenses. We can see evidence in the text on (pg 111). â€Å"They had simply got used to it, both the family and Gregor; the money was gratefully accepted and gladly given, but there was no special uprush of warm feeling.† His family has used Gregors noble hearth for their own benefit, for comfort since he was able to meet the whole family’s expenses and in returned cold hard words, and isolation were given to him, no love. No true family love disgusted by the truth cockroach he had become, an animal treated like one left in the dust, completely alone slowly becoming a curse in his sister’s eyes and the rest of the family. We can see some of the sister’s rejection toward Gregor when she brings in the food on (pg 107). â€Å" But his sister at once noticed, with surprise, that the basin was still full, except for a little milk that had been spilled all around it, she lifted it immediately, not with her bare hands, true, but with a cloth and carried it away.† Trapped inside a body that repulses his family months passed by and Gregor is physically and mentally abused by his father several times, starving for true family love. At the end of the text when Gregor finds humanity, he feels no shame about anything or anybody he moves toward the music fights towards something that he felt passion about without thinking about the others. Is when Gregor truly understand the meaning of freedom and what it is to be human. On the other hand Norman Bowker and courage soldier, a survivor from the Vietnam War who fought for our freedom. A true warrior earned 7 medals in his soldier journey and he will not see the greatest in him. Having difficulty adjusting to everyday life in the late afternoon on the Fourth of July holiday, Norman drives around the lake on his dads Chevy for hours, passing time and thinking about his life before the war, as his memories from Vietnam. He remembers driving around the lake with Sally before the war thinking about how his friends have gotten married or moved away to find jobs. Complete alone, isolated from his family and the world he imagines a conversation with his dad. We can see that Norman Bowker has no pride in him constantly putting himself down like it was no brave thing to accomplish the 7 medals on (pg 162). â€Å"Well this one time, this one night out by the river†¦ I wasn’t very brave.† â€Å" You have seven medals.† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å" Seven. Count ‘em. You weren’t a coward either.† â€Å" Well, maybe not. But I had the chance and I blew it. The stink, that’s what  go to me. I couldn’t take a goddamn awful smell.† Norman continues to drive around the lake while listening to the radio and thinks more about courage and cowardice was something small and stupid. Thinking about the incident that led up to Kiowa’s death on that rainy shit field and recalls the scene with great detail as the memories play again and again in his mind. Torturing him every second, thinking that he could have done more, and extra effort would have saved him and putting the guilt on him. His consciences was stronger them him unable to cope with his life, trapped in thoughts. The war was over and his not free, his locked in in his horrible memory punishing him every second of his life, complete alone from the world and eventually killed himself. He hanged himself. Overall both text Frank Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis and The Things They Carried contributed me to a better constructive symbol of what means to be human since we see the downfalls and rises from each character. Gregor provides the strength to fight for your beliefs for what moves you in life as a person. I realized that one has to enjoy life have friends spend time with their love ones and grow as a person, not just work because at the end you may never know what can happen and Norman Bowker taught me that we have to be at peace with our sol and mind, learning to forgive ourselves to turn the page of that horrible experience we had in life, even if sometimes can take a life time.

Human Resources Integration Essay

Hugh McCauley, the Chief Operations Officer of Riordan Manufacturing, has placed a service request, SR-rm-022 to integrate all existing Human Resources tools into a single integrated application across all plant locations. The business would like to take advantage of a more sophisticated, state-of-the-art, information systems technology to replace their current Human Resources Information System or HRIS (Riordan Manufacturing, 2006.) In response to this request, this document will outline the following items. The information-gathering techniques and systems analysis tools proposed for this project. Critical factors to ensure the sucessful gathering of information required for the project. Description of the project scope and the areas of project feasibility, and key stakeholders of which requirements will be collected are also discussed. INFORMATION GATHERINT TECHNIQUES AND SYSTEMS ANALYSIS TOOLS To ensure project success, it is important to gather your key stakeholders together to discuss the system. Key Stakeholders for this project would be key management personnel, IT staff, and users of both the legacy system, and the new system. Your key stakeholders will also be the first level of intelligence gathering performed. Key management personnel such as Hugh McCauley, the COO, who can give the corporate view of the legacy and the new system. HR Director Yvonne McMillian and Payroll/Tax Clerk Anan Richlich can give an exact use case on the HRIS system, and will be the two primary sources of legacy information. Director Yvonne can determine training requirements with the help of the IT department. The IT department can provide information about the legacy system and the capabilities of the current infrastructure of the business. IT can also judge and approve new requirements, privacy structures, and future support needed to maintain the  system. Face-to-face interviews will allow information gathering from these key individuals. Questions, an outline of topics, and a primary agenda will be provided beforehand to maximize the use of available time in hectic schedules. We will also be occasionally meeting to discuss the direction the system is heading, timelines, priorities, and key players’ lists to ensure success of the project. There is another primary source of information which needs addressing, and this is the group of people who handle information we will be adding which did not exist in the legacy system. This group can submit examples of their files, which will determine another part of the scope of the system, and use cases of how that information is gathered. After this information has been collected, documented and studied, the system development process can begin. The system will be designed using the Joint Application Development (JAD) method. JAD is a prototyping method which gathers our key players listed above, along with other designated individuals to collectively refine business requirements while in conference with the design team of the software and the support team from IT. â€Å"The JAD process also includes approaches for enhancing user participation, expediting the development, and improving the quality of specifications. It consists of a workshop where knowledge workers and IT specialists meet, sometimes for several days, to define and review the business requirements for the system.† (Joint Application Design – Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, n.d.) Using this prototyping method ensures that each key factors such as project support and misdirection will not be an issue. This also ensures that the project gets the continued support it will need in the future to succeed. SCOPE AND FEASIBILITY During the Analysis phase of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), several areas of project feasibility come into play. As discussed above, determining fully the system requirements ensures that you are filling the need of the system. â€Å"A preliminary study is then conducted to confirm and evaluate the need. A proposal of how the need may be satisfied is then made.† (Scope of Feasibility Analysis | Bicara Property, n.d.) The necessity of the system, as well as the improvements and requirements of the new system, will all be handled within the JAD process, allowing final project scope and requirements development. These developments can be realized  financially to allow final budgetary requirements determination. All of these determinations hinge upon the proper system scope being defined. During this process, the unique considerations are also shared. In this project, the request was to â€Å"Create a detailed system design and a project implementation plan required to complete the project. The project should be completed in approximately six months allowing new system utilization in the second quarter of next year.† (Riordan Manufacturing, 2006.) This design process includes checks and balances, giving the project the fullest chance of success. During the entire process, oversight will be maintained by corporate leadership. Final approval before entering the next phase of the SLDC allowing equipment purchasing approval from the COO, Hugh McCauley. By following this process, we can ensure this project produces a system which fulfills the requirements, bringing a â€Å"sophisticated, state-of-the-art, information system† to Riordan Manufacturing’s Human Resources Department. (Riordan Manufacturing, 2006.) During the JAD process, two methods were determined to fit the requirements, building a system in-house using programmers’ already on staff or using off the shelf software from a major corporation. To fulfill user testing requirements, a trial version of the BambooHR software was tested by staff and management. The BambooHR software fulfills all the requirements with less downtime for the company, saving valuable resources and eliminating the need for more support staff to be hired. The design process for this system began by gathering relevant data for the current system and by building both requirements for the new system and use cases of the current processes in the Human Resources department. After gathering and sorting the new system requirements using the Joint Application Design process, it is now possible to continue to design both the application architecture and apply the tools of system analysis to describe the information systems. SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE The client/server architecture is one of the most prevalent system architectures used in corporations. With Riordan’s requirements to allow multiple sites access to data and to ensure that data remains secure, the data will be stored on the server, and access routed through a secondary  application server. The application server hosts the applications which access the data, allowing a lower cost local machine, and can allow both intranet access and outside access using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection to create a secure encrypted link between the client and the server. This style of client/server architecture is referred to as a three-tiered architecture due to the three tiers involved in accessing the data. Although this method may seem bulky at first, this will allow many different benefits for data security and lower overall cost of the system as requirements are lower for the client computers. The determined requirements for multiple locations to share and modify data leaving with Riordan only required to supply the client systems with no additional support necessary for a data server or application server. Eliminating the current architecture on hand will save maintenance, upgrade and support costs, both in monetary and staff requirements. The chosen software, Bamboo Human Information Resource System (HRIS) follows the same requirements recommended in terms of hardware as those designed using system analysis. ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAM SECURITY CONTROLS Security is the ability to protect the information system from disruption and data loss, whether caused by an international act (e.g., a hacker or a terrorist attack) or a random event (e.g., disk failure, tornado.) according to SYSTEMS TEXTBOOK. In modern corporations, internal threats can become much more dangerous than external threats. To combat both types of threats implementation of the following security protocols will be included in the system: DATA Data must be kept secure and confidential, protected from both internal and external threats at all times. Data encryption and passwords will be used in addition to other security features to protect employees. Data stored externally to the server, such as the outsourced benefits data will be reviewed for security procedures and evaluated annually. Currently the data is decentralized, being stored in different offices and by various methods, creating a security problem that the new system can correct. The first step  to addressing this will be to ensure secure storage of all data. Consolidating data allows secure controls on the access each person has to the secured data by both the application used to access the server, and the access controls given them when they log in. This will also allow multiple applications to access the same data, while leaving greater flexibility to find the best software to fit multiple needs. Each user can add, remove, and manipulate only the data they are given access to, no matter the platform the data is being accessed form. PROCESSES Some legacy processes consolidation will occur as the data is consolidated, and certain processes would benefit from using third party software thereby gaining security certificates and minimizing the amount of knowledge and training required for our Information Technologies department. Many of the software suppliers will assist with training, modification and installation making the transition from the legacy system easier on staff. INTERFACES System interfaces describe how the system shares information with outside sources such as outsourced data, user requests, and internal data sharing. As Intrusion Detection and Identity Management systems will protect the internal data interfaces, as discussed above, the user interface design process needs to be addressed. As many of the users currently only have forms built for their information and no system to store them in, Riordan Manufacturing can evaluate different third party solutions for a web-based system. Using a web-based system, such as Bamboo HRIS allows applications to be placed on a remote server, lowering the cost of the clients used and saving valuable money and resources. Employees accessing the application server via the intranet will use username/password combinations to decrypt data on their local machine, while access from external sources, including employees at a remote site will use a private key encryption system to decrypt their data. This process minimizes the amount of data stored on the individual clients in case of theft or destruction of client resources. NETWORK The network consists of the backbone, data server, application server, firewall, and clients. There are four processes that will be used to protect  the network from unauthorized access: Implementation of Intrusion Detection System – This system conducts real-time monitoring of the network, database, traffic, and user access and activity to find possible intrusion or security risks. Log Management Program – Almost all software produces logs which store information on user access, file management, and data modification to name a few examples. Consolidating these logs into easier to read and understand can help identify potential security risks. Identity Management Systems – Control access to resources and data based on the users identification within the system, i.e. the user’s login credentials.   Training for Security Measures – The best security system will not function to its highest potential unless staff are trained in the use of the system. This training includes proper in-processing and out-processing procedures to protect from unauthorized access. Although the Systems Development Life Cycle is a continuous cycle, the final step for this Human Resources Information System project is the Implementation and Operations phase. This is the most expensive and time-consuming phase due to the amount of personnel, resources, and time involved. According to Valacich, George, and Hoffer (2012), there are seven major activities, coding, testing, installation, documentation, training, support, and maintenance. This document will explore the first six activities, giving a brief description and the plan for implementation at Riordan Manufacturing of the Bamboo Human Resources Information System. It is important to ensure that each of these activities are adequately defined, as many of them are conducted multiple times during the life of the system, and some are carried out on a daily basis. Building proper procedures for staff and support personnel to follow ensures that all upgrade or modification testing is accomplished to the same standards as the original system. CODING Coding is the process by which designs are transferred into the physical form that is computer software. As the selected system requires no coding, this  aspect will not be planned for TESTING Testing is an involved process which begins with the first section of code and continues throughout the life of the system. There are several different methods of testing in use today, some in which the code is run to verify operation and output, and some in which a code error review is conducted without operation. The Inspection method involves a physical inspection of the code, checking for syntax, grammar, or other fundamental errors before running the code while ignoring the purpose of the code. The inspection method usually removes the majority of errors found in the program. A Walkthrough allows testing of the code for functionality and to determine if the code fulfills the design requirements identified by the design team. Desk Checking, another form of checking and verifying code involves running the code with paper and pen to determine the logical validity of the code without running any lines of code. The previous methods of testing are focused on catching issues when writing code and may not apply to the code purchased off the shelf, or in modular form to work within an existing system. With the cost of development for code, especially in smaller companies this may not be a viable option, however even if purchasing prepackaged code, there are tests which should be run to ensure no problems will be found during installation. After the code has been validated by manual means, or for purchased code, it can be processed by a program, such as a compiler, to verify that there are no significant errors by Syntax Checking. Syntax Checking can also be run automatically each time the program saves a file to identify issues which arise causing the system to need maintenance. Code is generally written in modular form in today’s environments, and there are methods of testing which lend themselves well to this. Unit testing is designed to test each individual module or unit to verify operation before the modules are combined together into a system. Testing individual modules may seem to be difficult as many modules share data and information, the way to fix any call errors is by using Stub Testing. During Stub testing, lines of instructions are inserted in the code to emulate a response from an outside source allowing the program to complete without errors. After testing the modules, they are combined and tested again during Integration testing, using a top-down approach to verifying communications and data sharing logic is sound. The final method  to discuss is System Testing, the act of testing the finalized system, using the same top-down approach from the Integration phase. The software chosen for Riordan Manufacturing to satisfy the needs listed is off-the-shelf giving limited testing requirements. Alpha Testing was accomplished during the final steps of the JAD, or Joint Application Design, process and beta testing will commence using key stakeholders in the project once final project approval has been given. INSTALLATION The installation process involves transitioning from the legacy system to the new system and can occur in several different approaches, direct, parallel, single location, and phased. â€Å"Each installation strategy involves converting not only software but also data and (potentially) hardware, documentation, work methods, job descriptions, offices and other facilities, training materials, business forms, and other aspects of the systems† (Dennis, Wixom, & Roth, 2012, ). Each of these different installation methods has their positive and negative aspects, and can be combined to fit the needs of the business requirements. The Direct Approach is a cold turkey shut down of the legacy system with no transition time, which can be dangerous if there are issues with the new system, or if support or training are lacking, however, this can drive the new system as there is no choice but success. In the Parallel installation method, the legacy system is left running allowing a safety net; however, this requires support for both systems causing increased cost to the business. A Single Location approach can allow for adjustments before all sites are brought online, however while the other locations continue to use the legacy system, data must be bridged between the two systems and the same additional costs of the Parallel system are incurred. Finally the Phased approach gradually transitions between the two systems, making transitions easier for the staff, yet limits the newer system to the constraints of the older system as they must share data. For Riordan’s new HRIS, the direct approach will be combined with the phased approach. Currently only the corporate site is using the legacy system, and phasing the other locations onto the system will allow training in phases by location. DOCUMENTATION Documentation of a system comes in several different forms each of utmost  importance. To ensure that the system can be adequately supported and repaired, System documentation is required. To ensure that users properly understand the system, User documentation such as a user’s guide, release description, system administrator’s guide, reference documentation and user acceptance are required. Systems documentation, user’s guide and reference documentation for this system is provided by Bamboo HR after purchase of the system is completed, and acceptance sign-off will be completed as the final step of the installation. TRAINING As systems can only function to the level at which users can operate the system, user training is tantamount to success of an installation. User training can occur in many different forms, classroom led training, literary resources, and online training, all of which are educational tools to heighten productivity and ensure system success. Support staff will also be trained to understand not only how the user accomplishes tasks within the system, but also the how the system performs these tasks if repair or maintenance is to be conducted. Training on the HRIS will be carried out by BambooHR using several different methods for different topics. As the system will be maintained by an outside company, the focus for Riordan will be user training. All staff will be trained using online methods with documentation support for using the new system as all pertinent employee information will be handled through the online system to include benefits, vacation time, and training. Specialist training will be available for the following procedures; benefit tracking, recruitment, employee and management training, employee tracking, login management, payroll activities, report management, change requests and performance reviews by BambooHR. In addition, IT support staff will receive refresher training in application program interface to allow for interactivity and continued development of the system as business needs change. SUPPORT Support of a system is conducted not only on the system itself, in terms of upgrades for the hardware and software, and backups of the data, but also support for the users. With any system, issues occur during use, and an avenue for users to report these quickly and accurately, and receive assistance for problems is required. Tracking these reported problems can  help system analysts and support staff determine if there is a fix for the software or hardware, or if more user training can solve the issues. CONCLUSION Purchasing the Bamboo HRIS program has both tangible and intangible benefits for Riordan Manufacturing. The financial aspect, $16,512 a year ($8 per employee for 172 regular employees) dwarfs the price of purchasing and installing the required hardware to run an on-site system, while removing the current outsourcing which exists for benefits management. Provided training, customer support, security support, data migration, business report design and security upgrades add to the overall corporate value and dispensing of the legacy system releases it support personnel while lowering utility and maintenance bills. 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