Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Proposal - Essay Example It discussed the timing and frequency, as well as tools and sources of information. Forecasting methodologies were also explained with a brief discourse on how to interpret the forecasted data. The goal of the authors in this book is to present accounting as an essential part of the decision making process of various users such as the voter, the taxpayer, the government official, the business manager, and the investor. It discussed relevant issues on the analysis and preparation of financial statements and their utilization to achieve a company’s objectives. Viscione aims to teach the student or the manager to use financial analysis in the decision making process. The book covers topics such as evaluating financial performance, tools for financial planning, cost of capital and capital budgeting techniques, among others. Abstract: The research aims to determine the rationale for managers opting to pad their budgets to address contingencies. It would discuss implications of padding the budget and find out alternative methods to meet financial challenges given the uncertainties in the competitive environment. This chapter clearly showed alternative options available to managers to avoid padding the budget. It also presented concepts in budgeting which would help a decision maker in making plans and strategies for control. The authors presented a concise section on capital budgeting techniques and other aids to managerial decisions. Theories on capital budgets are clearly explained and practical applications are explored through demonstration problems and exercises. Capital budgeting techniques were clearly presented through a discussion of measuring the rate of return of an investment. Topics on the determination of cash flows and other additional considerations to aid in the decision making process are also

Corporate Strategy Part A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Strategy Part A - Essay Example rated by the communication industry in 2013 was $81,447.9 million and that of the consumer electronics industry was $247.2 billion despite minor fluctuation. The market value of the industries has attracted numerous domestic and international companies and as a result competition has increased considerably. Most prominent companies operating in these industries are Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, Dell, Blackberry, Amazon and Nokia (Market line, ‘Global communications equipment’, http://advantage.marketline.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/Product?pid=MLIP1262-0005, 2014, (accessed 10 August 2015); Market line, ‘Global - Consumer Electronics’, http://advantage.marketline.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/Product?pid=MLIP1271-0012, 2014, (accessed 10 August 2015)). The business environment has become highly dynamic with heavy exposure to various uncertainties. In this regard, strategic management plays an important role for managing uncertainty by means of decisions, investments and processes. Moving ahead on this notion, the paper assesses and compares environment, market and business strategies of two renowned companies, Apple and Blackberry for understanding their competitive approach and future prospect. Market and industry analysis is essential for companies because it presents vast scope for understanding current and future market size, growth rate and profitability of industry, pricing structure of the industry, market trends and key success factors for the company with respect to its competitors. Michael E. Porter (‘The five competitive forces that shape strategy’,  Harvard business review, vol.  86, no. 1, 2008, pp. 25-40) has proposed the five force model for industry analysis and the framework has been implemented to assess industry environment of Apple and Blackberry along with brief SWOT analysis. The communication equipment and consumer electronics industry chiefly comprises of small buyers and individual consumers who predominantly end users of the

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Otec Environmental Sciences Essay

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Otec Environmental Sciences Essay The oceans cover a little more than 70 percent of the earth surface. This makes it the worlds largest solar energy collector and energy storage system. On an average day, 60 million square kilometers if tropical seas absorb and amount of solar radiation equal in heat content to about 250 million barrels of oil. The history of mankind, have depended upon its ability to conquer the forces of nature, and to utilize these forces to serve its needs. Energy technology is certainly one of the most important factors in the emergence of mankind as the dominant species of this plant. The invention of the practical steam engine by James watt, brought about development of large factories, steam ships and the steam locomotive. First wood was used, then coal. About the same time, the use of coal instigated advances in metallurgy .petroleum from natural seepage has been used since ancient times for lighting, lubrication and waterproofing. The introduction of drilling for oil greatly increased the s upply of oil. The industrial revolution switches in to high gear. One problem is that the natural seepage is limited and in a few years the elements will be used. The development of nuclear power was touted as the answers to all mankinds energy woes. It not turned out that way. The elimination of government subsidies for nuclear power plants has made them quite unaffordable. When it went so bad no insure in the world will write disaster for nuclear power plant The concept of OTEC (ocean thermal energy conversion) has existed for over a century as fantasised by Jules Verne in 1870 and conceptualised by French physicist, Jacques arsene d arsonval in 1881. Despite this an operating OTEC power facility was not developed until the 1920s. 2.2 WHAT IS OTEC OTEC, ocean thermal energy conversion is an energy technology that converts solar radiation to electric power. OTEC systems use the oceans natural thermal gradient, consequently the temperature difference between the warm surface water and the cold deep water below 600 metres by about 20c, an OTEC system can produce, a significantly amount of power. The oceans are thus a vast renewable resource; with the potential to help us in the OTEC process is also rich in nutrients and it can be used to culture both marine organism and plant life near the shore or on land The total influx of solar energy into earth is of thousands of time as a great as mankind total energy use. All of our coal, oil and natural gas are the result of the capture of solar energy by life of the past. There have been, any projects for harnessing solar energy, but most have not been successful because they attempt to capture the energy directly. The idea behind OTEC is the use of all a natural collectors, the se, instead of artificial collector. 2.3 HOW OTEC WORKS Warm water is collected on the surface of the tropical ocean and pumped by a warm water pump. The water is pumped through the boiler, where some of the water is used to heat the working fluid, usually propane or some similar material. The propane vapour expands through a turbine which is coupled to a generator that generating electric power. Cold water from the bottom is pumped through the condenser, where the vapour returns to the liquid state. The fluid is pumped back into the boiler. Some small fraction of the power from the turbine is used to pump the water through the system and to power other internal operations, but most of it is available as net power. There are two different kinds of OTEC power plants, the land based and the floating plant. First, land based power plants, the land based pilot plant will consist of a building. This building will contain the heat exchangers, turbines, generators and controls. It will be connected to the ocean via several pipes, and an enormous fish farm (100 football areas) by other pipes. Warm water is collected through a screened enclosure close to the store. A long pipe laid on the slope collects cold water. Power and fresh water are generated in the building by the equipment. Used water if first circulated in to the marine culture pond (fish farm) and then discharges by the third pipe in to the ocean, downstream from the warm water inlet. This is done so that the outflow does not reenter the plan, since re use of warm water would lower the available temperature difference. While, the other OTEC power plants is floating power plants, the floating power plant works in the same way as the land base d the apparent different is that the floating plant is floating. Where actually OTEC can be used, OTEC can be sited anywhere across about 60 million squares kilometres of tropical oceans anywhere there is deep cold water lying under warm surface water this generally means between the tropic of cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. Surface water is these regions, warmed by the sun, generally stys at 25 degrees Celsius or above. Ocean water more than 1000 meters below the surface is generally at about 4 degrees C. 2.4 TYPES OF OTEC There are three types of OTEC designs: open cycle, closed cycle and hybrid cycle. Closed cycle Closed cycle systems use fluid with a low boiling point, such as ammonia, to rotate a turbine to generate electricity. Here how it works. Warm surface sea water is pumped through a heat exchanger where the low boiling water point is vaporized. The expanding vapour turns the turbo generator, then clod, deep seawater pumped through a second heat exchanger condenses the vapour back into a liquid, which is then recycle through the system Open cycle Open cycle OTEC uses the tropical oceans warm surface water to make electricity. When warm seawater is placed in a low pressure container, it boils. The expanding steam drives a low pressure turbine attached to an electrical generator. The steam, which has left its slat behind in the low pressure container, is almost pure fresh water. It is condensed back into a liquid by exposure to cold temperature from deep oceans water Hybrid cycle Hybrid system combines the feature of both the closed cycle an open cycle system. In a hybrid system, warm seawater enters a vacuum chamber where it is flash evaporated into steam, similar to the open cycle evaporation process. The steam vaporizes a low boiling point fluid that drives a turbine to produce electricity 2.5 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF OTEC The advantages of OTEC is the uses OF OTEC is clean, renewable, its natural resource. Warm surface seawater and cold water from the ocean depths replace fossil fuels to produce electricity. Second, its suitably designed OTEC plants will produce little or no carbon dioxide or other pollutant chemical Third, OTEC system can produce fresh water as well as electricity. This is a significant adapted in island areas where fresh water is limited, other there is enough solar energy received and stored in the warm tropical oceans surface layer to provide most, if not all, of present human energy needs and last the use of OTEC as a source of electricity will help reduce the state almost complete dependence on imported fossil fuels. The disadvantages of OTEC is produced electric at present would cost more than electricity generated from fossil fuels at theirs current costs. Second, OTEC plants must be located were a difference of about 20;c occurs year round. Ocean depths must be available fairly close to shore based facilities for economics operation. Floating plant ships could provide more flexibility. Third, there is no energy company will put money in this project because it only has been tested in very smell scale and last, the construction of OTEC plants and lying of pipes in coastal water may cause localised damage to reefs and near shore marine ecosystems. 2.6 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF OTEC OTEC systems are, for the most part, environmentally benign. Although accidental leakage of closed cycle working fluids can pose a hazard, under normal conditions, the only effluents are the mixed seawater discharges and dissolved gases that come out of solution when sea water is depressurized. Although the quantities of outgassed species may be significant for large OTEC systems, with the exception of carbon dioxide, these species are benign. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and can impact global climate; however, OTEC systems release one or two orders of magnitude less carbon dioxide than comparable fossil fuel power plants and those emissions may be sequestered easily in the ocean or used to stimulate marine biomass production. OTEC mixed seawater discharges will be at lower temperatures than sea water at the ocean surface. The discharges will also contain high concentrations of nutrients brought up with the deep sea water and may have a different salinity. It is important; ther efore, that release back into the ocean is conducted in a manner that minimizes unintended changes to the ocean mixed layer biota and avoids inducing long-term surface temperature anomalies. Analyses of OTEC effluent plumes suggest that discharge at depths of 50-100 m should be sufficient to ensure minimal impact on the ocean environment. Conversely, the nutrient-rich OTEC discharges could be exploited to sustain open-ocean Mari culture

Mending Wall Essay -- essays research papers

What is so important about mending a wall? Robert frost a down to earth, phenomenon has used his supernatural skills to write a poem which may seem to be a simple, ordinary poem, yet what lays hidden behind the veils may be unraveled. That is the spiritual world that you and me may learn to understand the philosophical basis of human nature that provokes the human revolution. Believe it or not this poem was ingeniously devised by Robert Frost to articulately open up a world of ideas that acumen imagination and its complexities. That is what I will be elaborating on in terms of textual evidence. Like many of Frost’s poems, ‘mending wall’ involves a journey. We are introduced to two farmers in an annual meeting at the wall that separates their properties. They walk the length of the wall, repairing damage that has been done during the year. This process allows Frost to probe the whole question of communication or, more precisely, the way we put up walls and create barriers between ourselves. As happens in this poem, Frost moves in his thinking from a basic, natural setting to an abstract consideration of human behavior. The very first word of the poem establishes the sense of that which colours its entire atmosphere. This opening line establishes a mystery; there is ‘something’ that doesn’t want the wall to be there. Whatever it is, it is a powerful force: it creates a ‘frozen grounds swell’ that attacks the wall from the base, forcing the boulders on the top to tumble off. Wintertime is when the destroyer does its work. The effect is not a small one, but a gap contrived is as wide as two people are. The question is ‘what has caused them?’ In this stanza, he breaks from his consideration of this mysterious wall-hater for the moment to discount hunters as culprits. He knows that hunters damage walls. He has repaired the damage they have done. They cause a lot of damage to let the dogs get at rabbits that hide amongst the rocks of the wall. The hunting image becomes, however, but a dramatic aside to the main concern of the poem. A more earthly consideration of an expression of that force which is responsible for the unexplained gaps which seasonally and mysteriously appear in the wall and await discovery in the spring with all the patience of the cosmos. We return to the air of mystery. These gaps that appear just seem to have happened, with no one seei... ... not go behind this saying to test whether it has any validity. Frost has tried to guide him behind it with his questioning, but to no assistance. The neighbour in fact takes pleasure in repeating this piece of derived ‘wisdom’. The poem leaves us with a somewhat comic character who like an untested saying, derived from his father, who probably derived it from his, and so on back into the ‘old-stone’ age. His neighbour ends the poem, in something of an anticlimax and wins the ‘argument’; the wall is fixed and they will meet again next year. A strong feature of Frost’s poetry is his use of symbols. He starts a story and gathers an additional meaning and significance as the poem develops. The wall represented barriers, divisions, irrational and unnatural dividers that keep people apart, nature symbolises a unifying force, the stone-age man represent unthinking man and that civilisation has passed him by while spring symbolises a new birth in nature. Changes of seasons are important on Frosts’ poem where the neighbour rejects the chance for a new start. So as you can see this poem is just a poem about mending a wall, but it has significant meaning which relate to human behaviour.

Psychology and Divorce

mpact on Children * Divorce doesn't just affect the couple who are splitting; children feel the impact, too. A disadvantage is the negative impact it will have on children. Researchers and psychologists accept that divorce can negatively affect toddlers and teenagers, according to the University of New Hampshire. Toddlers will often believe they are to blame for a divorce, while teenagers may feel pressured into siding with one parent. The results are that a child will grow up doubting his ability to marry and can suffer depression because of the break-up of his family.Disadvantage: Psychological Effect on Adults * An argument against divorce is its negative effect on a couple's psychological health. â€Å"Divorce has been rated the number one life stressor,† according to Arizona State University. Adults can suffer a negative psychological balance, including high levels of anxiety, unhappiness and depression. Your psychological and emotional well-being can, therefore, be sever ely damaged by divorce, and it can affect the rest of your life. * Advantage: Impact on Children * The impact of divorce on children has been stated previously as a disadvantage.However, there is an advantage to a child's parents splitting up. A child who experiences divorce may mature quicker and develop responsibility at a younger age. If a child's father moves out and she has younger siblings, she may have to take on a co-parental role with her mother. This exposure will give her a sense of responsibility that other areas of her life can benefit from. Also, children will benefit from divorce if there is a high level of conflict in their parents' marriage. It is unhealthy for children to be around parents who fight and criticize each other. Advantage: Personal Growth *An advantage to divorce is the personal growth a person goes through after the event. â€Å"Divorced individuals report higher levels of autonomy and personal growth than do married individuals,† says Miami Un iversity professor of philosophy, Robin L. Graff-Reed, in her article, â€Å"Positive Effects of Stressful Life Events: Psychological Growth Following Divorce. † This is because divorced individuals have to become self-sufficient and cope with the pressures of everyday life by themselves. After divorce, individuals can develop the personal skills that can help them work towards a better quality of life for themselves and their children.

Ethnic Literature Essay

The term â€Å"ethnic† when in conjunction with the word â€Å"literature† in the academic discourse community of students, often brings out mixed feelings of excitement and dread. On the one hand, students understand that they will be getting away from the canonical American literature – which can equal boring in their eyes; on the other hand, students interpret the term â€Å"ethnic literature† to mean distinctive – which can equal confusing or ambiguous – and perhaps at times not relatable because it is outside their scope of experiences. Perhaps before jumping into why it matters, the term â€Å"ethnic literature† should be defined first and because I am still learning how to interpret this term myself, I searched for a suitable one I could agree with. I found one in an article entitled â€Å"Assessing Teachers’ Knowledge of Multi-Ethnic Literature†, and the article actually used another source themselves to come up with a workable, layman’s definition. Ethnic literature as defined by D. E. Norton (as the article’s source) is, â€Å"Literature about racial or ethnic minority groups that are culturally and socially different from the white Anglo-Saxon majority in the United States, whose largely middle-class values and customs are most represented in American literature† (qtd. in Hager & Thompson 22). I think this definition works well to define what ethnic literature is on a surface level, but the more I dig in, I feel that this idea goes much deeper. I asked myself, who can write about ethnic literature? Can anyone just pick up a pen so to speak and tell a story about a young Japanese boy, or a Hispanic family? Can an African-American writer write about Hispanic or Chinese people and claim it is ethnic literature? And the answer to myself is no. Why? Because unless that African-American has been submersed in the Hispanic or Japanese culture from the time of childhood, how are they going to capture the very essence of being, thinking, and living day-to-day in that culture? And even if that African-American had, they would still most likely have a different perspective from the average Hispanic or Chinese person because of being different themselves (i. e black) and perhaps are treated different by the community at large which corrupts the â€Å"normal† cultural thinking. At this deeper level I am trying to get at, I find John M. Reilly’s article â€Å"Criticism of Ethnic Literature: Seeing the Whole Story† helpful in acquiring this. He states that, â€Å"the assertion of ethnicity in literature can be made only through a procedure by which the writer resolves formal problems†¦ what moves from recognition of identity to creation of a strategy for handling reality still is not literature until the individual author sustains her or his ethnic identity through a sequence of formal choices† (4). I am interpreting this to mean that as a reader of this literature, I should see and feel throughout the story (perhaps subtlety) that in some way, the characters mindset (and perhaps actions) in the story differ from my own specifically because of the culture they have grown up in in, which has shaped that character’s thinking. There are thoughts and feelings – ideas, I don’t understand without further explanation from the author, which is sometimes provided, and sometimes not. An example of this is in Brando Skyhorse’s novel The Madonnas of Echo Park, I find myself wondering what the significance of the jacaranda trees mentioned in different parts of the book. Looking up what they are, it becomes apparent to me as jacaranda trees are native to Central America – roots back to their homeland. The blossoms from the trees fall and are scattered everywhere. Felicia in chapter 2 states that â€Å"there’s no way getting away from them† (25). Basically meaning, you cannot escape who you are and where you come from. I would not have understood this had I not explored the history of that tree to uncover the significance in the book. Another example is in Seventeen Syllables in the story â€Å"Seventeen Syllables†. The story about a Japanese family is easy to read, but is hard to connect with as I don’t share the same philosophies about a woman’s place in the Japanese culture. A specific instance in the story was when Mrs. Hayashi, Rosie’s mother received her the first place prize for her stellar Haiku. When the man from the newspaper presented her with a package, Mrs. Hayashi, stating she knew it was unorthodox, asked if she might open it because she was very curious. (Yamamoto 17). At this point, I am thinking to myself, â€Å"I don’t get it – why wouldn’t she open it? † but upon reflection, I considered the patriarchal society that is dominant in this culture, and perhaps it is the wife’s obligation to consult or have the husband open the gift, even if it is not specifically for him. Yet another example is in Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. To come specifically to the point, I do not understand this idea of why it is understood that Dominican men are supposed to be these â€Å"manly men† that women flock to and fall on their knees for. That the sexual appetite along with innate sense of charisma from Dominican men is expected, and when it’s lacking, it doesn’t go unnoticed. â€Å"Anywhere else his triple-zero batting average with the ladies might have passed without comment, but this is a Dominican kid we’re talking about, in a Dominican family: dude was supposed to have Atomic Level G, was supposed to be pulling in the bitches with both hands† (24). Why is this idea so indoctrinated in this culture according to the book? This is perhaps something I will never understand, except that it is a part of their culture. All of these examples are all good and well, but the important question is why is ethnic literature important? What can be gained from reading it? From a most basic viewpoint, it is a highly effective vehicle for helping people understand themselves and the world around them. Thompson and Hager in their article state that, â€Å"multi-ethnic literature mirrors and validates the experiences for minority groups and juxtaposes the familiar with the less familiar for mainstream children† (22). In other words, through reading ethnic literature, readers can find ways to connect with others around them that are different. The article also states that when readers are exposed to divergent thoughts, language patterns, value systems, and different ways of living, that it can open up awareness about others and create compassion and understanding towards them that might not have happened without the literary exposure (23). To sum it all up, I will never argue against the instruction of ethnic literature in the school setting. In fact, I think teaching it should begin right from the beginning in kindergarten, and perhaps one day we won’t need the designated term â€Å"ethnic literature† – perhaps one day it can just be â€Å"American Literature† and part of the regular American canon of literature. Works Cited Diaz, Junot. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. New York: Penguin, 2007. Print. Reilly, John. M. â€Å"Criticism of Ethnic Literature: Seeing the Whole Story†. Critical Approaches to Ethnic Literature. 5. 1 (1978): 2-13. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. Skyhorse, Brando. The Madonnas of Echo Park. New York: Free Press, 2010. Print. Thompson, Deborah L. and Jane Meeks Hager. â€Å"Assessing Teachers’ Knowledge of Multi-Ethnic Literature†. Yearbook of the American Reading Forum. 1990. 21-29. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. Yamamoto, Hisaye. Seventeen Syllables. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2001. Print.

What do you understand by disenfranchised grief Research Paper Example

What do you understand by disenfranchised grief Research Paper Example What do you understand by disenfranchised grief Paper What do you understand by disenfranchised grief Paper Introduction Grief is an unfortunate but inevitable constituent of human being. There is no 1 who can get away from its effects, effects or bequest and as such it forms a cardinal portion of life. Accurately specifying heartache is an backbreaking procedure. One could state that it is the intense sorrow that is caused by a peculiarly disconcerting event, for illustration the decease of a loved 1. However, such wide accounts merely offer an abstract apprehension of the topic. For when we scratch underneath the surface of the issue we find a complex field of significances and premises that underlie this most common of conditions. One such avenue of aside will be the focal point of this work ; disenfranchised heartache. Disenfranchised heartache is no less prevailing than any other sort of heartache and although its name is non by and large used as a definitional description it is however something to which we have all at some clip been cognizant of or so suffered from. In trying to clear up and pro ffer a compendious significance of disfranchised heartache, we could get down by stating that it is a sort of heartache that is non publically recognised. We can all appreciate and understand the sort of heartache that emanates from the standard protections of loss. However, the really term disenfranchisement ( traditionally refering to the right to vote ) denotes the loss of some right or privilege, the remotion of which is by and large considered to be unfair or unjust. Therefore, in the sense presently under treatment, disenfranchised heartache occurs when the receiver is either unwilling or unable to demo their feelings due to a fright of slight or reproach from other members of society. It is the scrutiny of this signifier of heartache that is the ultimate concern of this work. Offered below is a elaborate expounding that outlines the features, happening, procedures and cases of disfranchised heartache along with the effects and possible redresss. Shaping ‘Convention’ GRIEF’ Grief can basically be viewed as the emotional response that individual adopts following the loss of something to which they hold beloved. However, although the emotional reaction is frequently the most prevailing to loss, it is non to merely one. Often, those who are enduring heartache can exhibit physical or behavioral alterations that stem from a psychological beginning. Therefore, in this sense although the two are frequently intertwined, heartache should be understood as a separate entity to mourning. Whilst heartache is the reaction a individual adopts to loss, mourning is defined as the existent province of loss itself. Furthermore, although experts have in the past attempted to sketch different phases of the grieving procedure that are universally applicable, in recent old ages this method has been the topic of alteration. Grief is a extremely individualized procedure and therefore is affected by a whole overplus of factors that alteration depending on the single mourner and the fortunes in which they live. Such fortunes could include: different household make-up ; the features of the environing society or the spiritual and religious beliefs of the mourner and those around them. Such is the traditional construct of heartache. Whilst bearing this in head allow us now look at how disfranchised heartache differs from this apprehension. ORIGIN AND DEFINITION OF DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF It was Kenneth Doka who foremost defined in clear and apprehensible footings the construct of disfranchised heartache by gestating a type of heartache that lay beyond the normal protections of sorrow ( Doka, 2002 ; p.3 ) . For Doka, the disenfranchisement of heartache occurs when it is felt that sorrow or heartache can non be publically shown due to a fright of slight or non credence from society. As such, the normal grieving procedure is impeded by society’s impact and the mourner is non allowed to prosecute the normal procedures that are involved in grief declaration. This fits nicely with the common apprehension of disenfranchisement, which normally pertains to the loss of voting privileges that have been removed from the person in an unfair mode. In this case it is social norms and misconceptions that have removed the griever’s right to sorrow and ensue in the heartache being sustained whilst besides being unacknowledged and concealed from those on the exterior. Wor den ( 1991 ; p.32 ) has outlined that in order for heartache to be dealt with efficaciously ; four necessary constituents need to unify. First, the world of the heartache has to be accepted ; 2nd, the ensuing hurting caused by the heartache of loss must be sustained and experienced by the mourner ; thirdly, the mourner has to accommodate and set to the alterations that have occurred and get down to cover with the infinite that has been left by the absence of the loss ; eventually, the multitudes of emotion that has come about as a consequence of the loss must be re directed at another relationship, therefore relieving the extent of the hole that has been created. It is when these procedures are interrupted or even halted by society that the mourner is incapable to covering efficaciously with their sorrow ; disenfranchised heartache is the consequence. Doka ( 2002 ; p.27 ) outlines four different ways in which disenfranchised heartache can happen and therefore be characterised. The first case occurs when the relationship between the mourner and the object of loss is non recognised by society. It is a natural, albeit frequently subliminal feature of society that different relationships are ranked in order of their importance. For illustration, the relationship between a female parent and kid would rank higher than that between two work cos include the mentally decrepit, the really old and the really immature ( nevertheless every bit is discussed below, I consider the latter is more hard to confirm ) . Finally, disenfranchised heartache occurs when society does non recognize or more pertinently prefers non to recognize the loss that has occurred. For illustration, some deceases such as those related to the Aids virus or to suicide cause alarm and frequently embarrassment on the portion of both the mourner and society in general. As s uch, the loss sustained is non publically endorsed or acknowledged due to the hard society has in accepting it. Although illustrations of disfranchised heartache have been briefly offered above, it is necessary to analyze in item the clime and conditions in which it occurs. Examples AND OCCURANCES First, it is necessary to chase away a common misconception that is often made by ordinary people when they attempt to measure and understand heartache. It is frequently felt that heartache preponderantly consequences from decease, nevertheless, there are many cases where sorrow and heartache can ensue from loss that does non affect decease ( Worden ; 1991 ; p.62 ) Therefore, lets us ab initio look at illustrations of disfranchised heartache that occur independently of decease. A authoritative illustration that is often used to represent the being of disfranchised heartache is the loss that is sustained by a female parent that has given her kid up for acceptance ( Raphael, 1984 ; p.253 ) . This issue besides fits into all four of the definitional parametric quantities suggested by Doka and outlined above. First, acceptance frequently takes topographic point under shroud of secretiveness which necessarily consequences in the remotion of recognition. Furthermore, acceptance is constantly viewed as the determination of the female parent ; a determination that does non needfully hold to affect the child’s acceptance. As such, the position taken by society is by and large a negative one and consequences in the loss sustained non being viewed as of import ( Raphael, 1984 ; p.254 ) . In add-on, the relationship between female parent and kid has been severed at birth and hence, in society’s construct the relationship is non recognised. The fact that t he female parent is considered to be at mistake can do embarrassment on the portion her and her household and besides negate her right to mourn her loss. Therefore, the natural heartache that would usually be considered her right has been removed because of society’s construct and ranking of badness ; her heartache has been disenfranchised. Another illustration of where disfranchised heartache emerges from a non decease state of affairs is when a kid leaves the household place for the first clip and the parent or parents are left by themselves. Above all, it is by and large considered that this ‘empty nest syndrome’ is a natural portion of a child’s development and something that all parents at some clip have to digest. The badness evaluation that society bestows on this signifier of loss is of course really little when compared to other, more’ serious’ losingss. Given this, although other people may admit the fact that this procedure can be unpleasant, they however mostly ignore the heartache that can ensue ( Raphael, 1984 ; p.309 ) . In add-on, it is frequently the instance that the decease of famous person can do heartache that is either non recognised or non endorsed by society. Although in some instances, a authoritative illustration being Princess Diana, a mass spring of corporate heartache can follow from the a famous person decease, but on the whole this is non common. Furthermore, although at the outset public heartache may be blunt and echt this by and large tends to lessen as clip base on ballss. However, for some people the acuteness of the loss is so drawn-out that it continues long after both the event itself has past along with the attending dedicated to it by the general populace and mass media. The single mourner is hence distanced from the remainder of society as a effect. In add-on, its is frequently ( though of class non universally ) the instance that people who feel they have developed close links and bonds with famous persons they have neer met may be enduring from some signifier of reclusion or deficiency of close personal contact with other people. Therefore, the close friend and household web that is in many instances is deemed indispensable to successfully covering with the procedures of loss are non present. When viewed in concurrence with societies deficiency of recognition of the loss itself, it is clear how the impact of the loss itself can be compounded. The above illustrations provide a clear indicant of how disfranchised heartache can happen without the constituent of decease. However, although farther elaborate scrutiny is non required, there exists a whole overplus of other non decease related losingss that fit neatly into the definitional standards of disfranchised heartache. These can include: losing 1s occupation or retiring from work ; detecting that either you or a close friend or household member have contracted a serious disease, and out-migration from 1s place state to another or even migration within 1s ain state. However, although as we have seen, disfranchised heartache can ensue from state of affairss where decease is non present ; the antonym is evidently besides the instance. The decease of a kid during childbearing is frequently cited as an illustration of where the heartache ensuing from decease can be disenfranchised. As with acceptance, society by and large considers that as the maternal nexus between female parent and kid has non been forged the loss sustained is non every bit grave as could hold been the instance. Therefore, in this case both the relationship and the loss itself have failed to be acknowledged by anyone on the exterior ( Spall and Callis, 1997 ; p.81 ) . In add-on to this, it has been efficaciously argued that some member’s society are incapable of properly understanding loss and the heartache that ensues. Children are frequently suggested to organize portion of this group and it is surely the instance that the really immature are shielded from loss so as to f orestall confusion and hurt. However, trying to utilize Doka’s definitional standards in this case is debatable. Whenever the decease of a parent is discovered there is an immediate flow of sorrow and apprehension for the kids who have been left behind. Therefore, it can non be said that society fails to admit the loss that has been sustained. Furthermore, although ( as stated above ) on juncture those close to the kid may try to screen them from the impact of loss this does non needfully intend that they believe the kid incapable of understanding or gestating what has taken topographic point. However, in the instance of the mentally decrepit it is surely true that an unadulterated disenfranchisement of heartache is at drama. Due to their mental incapacity such people are considered to be unable to sorrow in the traditional mode. In contrast to kids, the social acknowledgment of loss is far less and besides, whereas kids are deemed capable of increasing cognition and understa nding with age, the same is non the instance with the mentally ill. Due to their mental province, it is frequently felt that they will neer to the full understand what has occurred and hence will neer sorrow in the same manner and under the same force per unit area as a mentally healthy individual ( Doka, 2002 ; p.97 ) We can therefore see the cases where disenfranchised heartache can show itself. However, in order for us to derive a full apprehension of the status it is necessary that we spend clip measuring the impact this signifier of heartache can hold on the mourner themselves. IMPACT AND EFFECTS OF DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF The ultimate consequence that accompanies disenfranchised heartache is that the normal procedure of heartache declaration is thwarted. As we saw in the above subdivision concerned with definition, four factors make up the traditional procedure that allows us to decide heartache. Let us rapidly run over them once more: First, the world of the heartache has to be accepted ; 2nd, the ensuing hurting caused by the heartache of loss must be sustained and experienced by the mourner ; thirdly, the mourner has to accommodate and set to the alterations that have occurred and get down to cover with the infinite that has been left by the absence of the loss ; eventually, the multitudes of emotion that has come about as a consequence of the loss must be re directed at another relationship, therefore relieving the extent of the hole that has been created. The job with disfranchised heartache is that the normal procedures of grief declaration are thwarted. Usually it is the societal acknowledgment that aids us in covering with our heartache. However, when heartache is disenfranchised it is constantly hidden from position and therefore the heartache that is sustained is concealed by the mourner. This leads to legion jobs chiefly the intensification and aggravation of the loss. Normal reaction to grief such as ch oler, solitariness, and fright are non dealt with in the usual mode and as such remain concealed underneath the surface for considerable lengths of clip. Besides, it can sometimes be the instance that heartache that has been disenfranchised is suppressed to such an extent that it is neer efficaciously dealt with. When this occurs it has a negative knock on consequence for the remainder of the griever’s life. In peculiar, if heartache has non been successfully dealt with in the first case so it is likely that a similar consequence will happen when farther heartache is encountered ( Doka, 2002 ; p.105 ) . This so compounds the original job. In add-on, the fact that disfranchised heartache is non openly recognised by society and those around us means those who suffer from it can farther retreat from close human contact. The embarrassment that frequently accompanies disenfranchised heartache so causes intensification of this difficultly. Kaufmann ( 1999, p.75 ) offers us a compen dious elucidation of this inclination by asseverating that the loss of community that may happen as a effect of disfranchised heartache Fosters an staying sense of solitariness and forsaking . Furthermore, mourning rites are a traditional portion of heartache declaration, nevertheless they are notably absent in instances of disfranchised heartache ( Littlewood, 1992, P ; 26 ) . All this leads to foster backdown and inability to successfully cover with the loss that had been suffered and future losingss that are yet to happen. In add-on, the fact that the ensuing heartache remains concealed and subdued for a considerable clip impacts upon the individual’s mental and physical wellness. Physiological jobs ; mental frailty and an addition in unusual and unnatural behavioural forms non merely function to protract the heartache sustained, but besides contribute farther to the procedure of societal and emotional backdown and denial. The concluding subdivision of this piece will briefly trade with the possible methods that can be adopted to cover with disfranchised heartache and following this I will offer my decisions. POSSIBLE RESOLUTIONS TO DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF Ultimately, it is the methods of grief declaration that Doka suggested that signifier the best method of covering with disfranchised heartache. First, it is critical that the heartache that is being sustained is identified as disfranchised and so openly recognised by those around the mourner ( Doka, 2002 ; p.134 ) . Of class this could turn out hard as the mourner is frequently likely to hold hidden their feelings for a long clip. Besides, the fact that declaration rites have non or could be used for the intents of relief, means that those around the individual concerned should make all that they can to show and move upon the heartache that is being sustained. Although such methods could travel a long manner to assisting an person who is enduring from disenfranchised heartache we must bear in head that we are mentioning to a status that is serious and drawn-out. As such, in many instances it may be that small can be done for the mourner from within his or her close personal contacts. Ultimately, there will be many cases where professional aid must be kind in order to successfully battle the features and implicit in causes of disfranchised heartache. Decision We have seen how disfranchised heartache is defined and understood. Furthermore, we can see the happenings where such heartache nowadayss itself, the impact that this has on the single sick person and some possible techniques and methods that could be employed to turn to such jobs. However, in reasoning I would wish to offer my ain really brief appraisal. Throughout this work it has been presupposed that it is the sick person that has the job. However, if we live in society where such annihilating heartache can stay unknown for old ages ; possibly we should reconsider where the mistake for this most atrocious of ailments really resides. Bibliograhpy Worden, William.Grief guidance and grief therapy: A Handbook for the mental practician.London: Routledge, 1991. Doka, Kenneth.Disenfranchised Grief: New Direction and Challenges and Strategies for Practice. New York: Research Press, 2002. Raphael, Beverley.The Anatomy of Bereavement. London: Routledge, 1984. Callis, Stephen and Spall, Bob.Loss, Bereavement and Grief. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes: 1997. Kaufmann, J.Disenfranchised Grief. New York: Workman, 1999. Littlewood, Jane.Aspects of Grief. London: Routledge, 1992.

Mothers Who Kill Their Children

Mothers Who Kill Their Children The nation is always shocked by criminal cases such as Andrea Yates, a mother of five who methodically drowned her children in a bathtub then calmly called the police to report it, but mothers who kill their children is a more common crime than we might think. According to the American Anthropological Association, more than 200 women kill their children in the United States each year. Three to five children a day are killed by their parents. Homicide is one of the leading causes of death of children under age four, Yet we continue to persist with the unrealistic view that this is rare behavior, says Jill Korbin, an expert on child abuse, who has studied at length about mothers who killed their children. We should detach from the idea of universal motherhood as natural and see it as a social response, Nancy Scheper-Hughes, medical anthropologist says. Theres a collective denial even when mothers come right out and say, I really shouldnt be trusted with my kids. The three major factors that often play a role when mothers have killed their children are - postpartum psychosis, psychotic breakdowns brought on by factors such as jealousy and abandonment and domestic violence. Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Psychosis Postpartum depression is a common problem that can occur within four weeks of delivery of a baby. It can affect both mothers and fathers, although only a small percentage of fathers experience it. Common symptoms include depression, feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, fear, guilt, the inability to bond with the new baby, and a feeling of worthlessness. If left untreated, it can lead to postpartum psychosis. Postpartum psychosis is much more severe and dangerous. Symptoms include extreme insomnia, obsessive behavior, and auditory hallucinations where voices instruct the mother to commit suicide or to mutilate and/or murder her child/children. Often the mother believes such acts will save the child from a life of misery. Psychotic Breakdowns In some cases, children are murdered as a result of the mother experiencing a psychotic breakdown brought on by an intense feeling of abandonment and jealousy in cases where the father of the children has left the home. In some cases, the need to seek revenge overtakes reason. A look at the roles of women who are currently on death row, and the crimes that put them there, shows that women who kill their children are indeed not as rare as we would like to believe. Patricia Blackmon was 29 years old when she killed her 2-year-old adopted daughter in Dothan, AL in May 1999. Kenisha Berry at age 20, covered her 4-day-old son with duct tape resulting in his death. Debra Jean Milke was 25 when she killed her 4-year-old son in Arizona in 1989. Dora Luz Durenrostro killed her two daughters, age 4 and 9, and her son, age 8 when she was 34 years old in San Jacinto, California in 1994. Caro Socorro was 42 years old when she killed her three sons, ages 5, 8 and 11, in Santa Rosa Valley, California in 1999. Susan Eubanks murdered her four sons, ages 4, 6, 7 and 14, in San Marcos, California, in 1996 when she was 33. Caroline Young was 49 in Haywood, California when she killed her 4-year-old granddaughter and 6-year-old grandson. Robin Lee Row was 35 years old when she killed her husband, her 10-year-old son and her 8-year-old daughter in Boise, Idaho in 1992. Michelle Sue Tharp was 29 years old in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania when she killed her 7-year-old daughter. Frances Elaine Newton was 21 when she murdered her husband, 7-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter in Houston, Texas. Update: Frances Elaine Newton was executed on September 14, 2005. Darlie Lynn Routier was 26 in Rowlett, Texas when she was convicted of killing her 5-year-old son. Teresa Michelle Lewis killed her 51-year-old husband and 26-year-old stepson in Keeling, Virgina when she was 33 years old. Korbin said that there are usually clues that are obvious to those who are around parents who end up killing their children. Prior to a homicide, lots of lay people know these men and women are having difficulty parenting. The public has to be better educated in recognizing how to intervene and how to support child abuse prevention, she said.

Postal Abbreviations for Provinces in Canada

Postal Abbreviations for Provinces in Canada Accurate addresses do not just help lower costs by eliminating redelivery and extra handling;  being accurate also reduces the carbon footprint of mail delivery and gets mail where it needs to go faster. It helps to know the correct two-letter province and territory abbreviations if sending mail in Canada. Accepted Postal Abbreviations The two-letter abbreviations for Canadian provinces and territories that are recognized by Canada Post for mail in Canada are based on the English spellings of the names, though the two letters also appear in the French spellings. Northwest Territories, for instance, uses the initials NT, which is the first letters of each word in English, but the first and last letters of the French Nord-Ouest. The country is divided into administrative divisions known as provinces  and territories. The 10 provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon. Province/Territory Abbreviation Alberta AB British Columbia BC Manitoba MB New Brunswick NB Newfoundland and Labrador NL Northwest Territories NT Nova Scotia NS Nunavut NU Ontario ON Prince Edward Island PE Quebec QC Saskatchewan SK Yukon YT Canada Post has specific postal code rules. Postal codes are an alphanumeric number, similar to a ZIP code in the United States. They are used for mailing, sorting and delivering the mail in Canada and are handy for other information about your area. Similar to Canada, the U.S. Postal Service uses two-letter postal abbreviations for each state and territory in the United States. The Canadian and the United States postal services have an agreement to avoid overlapping of postal abbreviations to avoid confusion when mail is sent between the neighboring countries. Mail Format and Stamps Any letter sent within Canada has the destination address of the center of its envelope with a stamp or meter label on the top right corner of the envelope. A return address, although not required, can be put on the top left corner or the back of the envelope. The address should be printed clearly or in an easy-to-read typeface. First Line: Name of recipientSecond Line: Civic address (street address)Last Line: Municipality name, a single space, the two-letter province abbreviation, two full spaces, and then the postal code. Any additional information should appear between the second and last lines. Some rural mail does not include a civic or street address and requires such additional information. If you are sending mail within Canada, a country designation is not necessary. If you are sending mail to Canada from another country, follow all of the same instructions as listed above, but add the word Canada on a separate line at the very bottom.   First-class mail to Canada from the United States is set at international rates, and thus costs more than a letter mailed within the United States. Check with your local post office to be sure you have the correct postage (which varies based on weight.) More About the Canada Post Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post (or Postes Canada), is the crown corporation that functions as the countrys primary postal operator. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada, founded in 1867, it was rebranded as Canada Post in the 1960s. On October 16, 1981, the Canada Post Corporation Act officially came into effect. This abolished the Post Office Department and created the present-day crown corporation. The act aimed to set a new direction for the postal service by  ensuring the postal services financial security and independence.

Texas' war for independence from Mexico and the Guadalupe Treaty Essay

Texas' war for independence from Mexico and the Guadalupe Treaty - Essay Example These expansionist policies were a reflection of aggression on the side of the United States’ administration and can only be considered to have propagated unfairness and injustice on the Native American and Mexican people who lacked sufficient defense mechanisms to protect themselves from the unjust acts of the United States. The Battle of San Jacinto, organized by General Houston, between Texans and Mexicans and was important for the emancipation of Texas from Mexico, and involved a harsh confrontation between who led a group of Texans and Mexicans. Although Houston was later elected as the president in an independent Texas, other individuals such as Stephen F. Austin equally contributed their efforts to ensuring the independence of Texas from Mexico (Hammeken 374). The war lasted less than ten minutes, even as Texans won the victory (Winters 143). This war was critical, as it marked the beginning of the strained relationship between Mexico and the United States, as these two countries shared a common interest of owning the then independent Texas. It was in this regard that Polk commissioned the Mexican War that followed shortly after. The United States wanted to possess Texas, which had just gotten independence from Mexico; but Mexico claimed Texas was still its possession, and this resulted in disagreements between the United States and Texas. This was a major contributing factor to the Mexico-American war that lasted between the years 1846 and 1848, even as President Polk of the United States called for the Mexican-American war as a strategy of achieving the goal of his administration with regard to expansion of the country. Polk did not employ any democratic procedures in negotiating with Mexico over his objectives. Instead, it was coercion and war, which all lead to the victimization of the inferior party, and in this case, Mexico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Federal Contracting activities of a specific company Essay

Federal Contracting activities of a specific company - Essay Example This has become necessary following increase security concerns especially in wake of worldwide terrorism and the need for significantly raising the bar on global safety, security and criminal prevention, detection and surveillance. Lockheed would work with two other companies to install this 10 year contract- Accenture and BAE Systems Information Technology. The major responsibilities of Lockheed would be in terms of providing â€Å"program management and oversight as well as development of biometric and large systems, the company said.† (Gross, 2008). Necessary identification and passage of passenger in major airports of the US. In the case of Ports, it has been assigned to verify credentials of nearly 1.1 Million dock Workers in the US ports â€Å"over five years.† (Biometrics, 2008). Lockheed has crafted robust and enduring partnerships with federal governments through contracts and covenants. This is through mutual respect, trust and professionalism which underpin contractual obligations and its execution, especially under trying circumstances. Our contracts go a long way in building a two way partnership that has stood the test of time and challenges. Lockheed depends largely on Government Funding for sustaining research work and this is essential for making out a strong client - vendor affiliation. In the 21st Century, Lockheed has provided ideal partnerships for federal government, in terms of providing excellent State-of-the –Art technological support and support. In terms of social security, citizens of the US who are not able to work need the benefits of Social security. The influence of Lockheed’s technology is found in many areas of government accountability and in critical areas of public performance. In the postal department, through systems provided by Lockheed, the US postal dept. is now capable of sorting and sending 600 Million letters per day. (Information technology, 2008). Information Technology

Business Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Business Economics - Essay Example There is an inverse relationship between a country’s current account and its foreign debt, all things remaining equal. This can be observed from the current account and foreign debt statistics of Australia, in the current year. In the year 2009 there is a deficit in Australia’s current account. This is because of a continued rise in its net foreign debt which results in a negative impact on a country’s current account. As shown in the figure below – the total current account deficit for the year 2009 amounts to $6346 million. Revenue gains received by a country help in increasing the balance in its current account while excessive expenditure leads to a deficit. Thus, if a country imports more goods and services than the goods and services it exports, it leads to a deficit in its current account and vice versa (Daly, 2004). The above figure shows an increase in Australia’s net foreign debt, over the years from $506,355 million in 2006- 07 to $616,650 million in 2008 – 09 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009), thus indicating that its exports far exceeds its imports, and the savings are relatively lower as well. Thus, it can be said that there is an inverse relationship between current account deficit and foreign debt of a country, as the foreign debt increases, with savings remaining constant, there is a deficit in the current account while, a reduction in foreign debt, increase in exports, increase in savings, etc would lead to a surplus in the country’s current account. Another significant relationship between CAD (current account deficit) and foreign debt of a country is the fact that as the country experiences a CAD it leads to an increase in foreign borrowings, which is required to pay off the deficit, which ultimately leads to a further increase in foreign debt. As the fore ign debt rises, the interest on it rises simultaneously,

How Water Pollution Affect the Productivity of Elodea Canadensis Essay

How Water Pollution Affect the Productivity of Elodea Canadensis - Essay Example The conclusion from this study recommended that laundry detergents manufacturing companies, need to review and revisit the chemical components forming the detergents. There should be a paradigm shift to a chemical substance considered as a cleaning substance consisting of organic chemicals. Pollution is a human created issue which has been affecting the environment negatively. Especially, water pollution has become more significant as water is a vital factor for human life both as a need of the human body and as a requirement in agricultural processes which serve humans. As the human population is increasing, the demand for water is increasing as well. Water is the main cleaning agent we use in our daily lives. However, throughout the history, we have never used solely water for cleaning purposes. For instance, before detergents and washing machines, people used to clean their clothes around a river by beating them on the rocks around the river. The leaves of some plants produced lat her which acted as the first detergents used by humans. Today, we use laundry detergents inside our washing machines, with water. However, if observed closely, these artificial detergents cause more harm than good. The researcher states that especially human impact which enhances the water pollution is an essential topic to investigate. There are very simple and easy steps to hinder the damage we do to the water resources around us. Also, the damage is not only done to the water, but also to us, since we use the polluted water in our daily lives.

A Critique of Paradise Lost (Domestic Division) by TERRY MARTIN HEKKER Essay

A Critique of Paradise Lost (Domestic Division) by TERRY MARTIN HEKKER - Essay Example But in its efforts to tie in the author’s experience with the greater debate on women’s choices regarding family and career, the article offers nothing really new except probably with the shocking revelation that even women into their 60s, almost forever married by today’s standards could still be dumped by their husbands. Furthermore, some of the arguments pertaining to the debate tend to be contradictory or ambivalent. Hekker succeeds in making a significant emotional pitch for presenting herself as a cautionary tale of a woman who though, already in her four decades of marriage and well into her senior years could still be discarded by her husband with all the emotional and financial hardships of dealing with the aftermath. The article mostly centers on her case alone, and in a passing reference, to those of her two friends who were also divorced by their husbands and which she remarkably noted that among them, â€Å"they’d been married for 110 years†. What makes the article even more poignant is that the author wryly compared herself and her friends to â€Å"outdated kitchen appliances†: â€Å"Like them†, she wrote, â€Å"we were serviceable, low maintenance, front loading, self-cleaning and (relatively) frost free. Also like them we had warranties that had run out. Our husbands sought sleeker models with features we lacked who could execute tasks wed either never le arned or couldnt perform without laughing.† It is indeed quite shocking and repulsive to note that there are men, for example the author’s ex-husband who could treat a marriage of forty long years like it was nothing – although the husband’s reasons for leaving the marriage are not revealed to the readers, the sympathy goes to the author who watched herself struggled financially while her husband gallivanted with his new wife in Mexico. However the article’s main strength which is its emotional appeal of how men could abandon women also

Critical analysis of inadequate childcare Term Paper

Critical analysis of inadequate childcare - Term Paper Example Even now, the country seeks to increase the population growth rate, and has resorted to attracting immigrants and permanent residents. It is therefore to Canada’s interest for the nation’s birth rate to rise, in order to spur a natural increment in the population. It is for this reason that the state gives careful attention to the childcare benefits that are supposed to encourage established and healthy adults to have and raise children. The media report The media report relates the plight of several mothers who find the Toronto childcare subsidy program sorely deficient for the purpose of enabling them to work or study. Jennifer (student), Elise (work-at-home) and Sarah (career woman) found childcare either inaccessible or unaffordable, and believe that the 237,000 licensed child care spaces in Ontario inadequate to accommodate the roughly 1.2 million children under 12 in need of child care. The situation has created a gender disadvantage against women, since most sing le parents with young children in need of child care are women. ... Analysis in light of gender studies The dilemma faced by those mothers featured in the media report is supported by academic inquiry. Studies on childcare and parental benefits have been found to be gender discriminatory. For instance, the delivery of maternity and parental leave benefits through unemployment insurance tends to reinforce the gendered nature of the benefit, since maternity is not a form of unemployment and is not accorded its own recognition as such; likewise in the case of parental leave benefit being made contingent on labor force attachment of a specific kind which may discriminate against some women without the requisite affiliation (Calder 99). Tax and benefits laws contribute to the problems of unequal treatment between two-parent families and one-parent (usually headed by the mother) families, with the latter being discriminated against (Battle, et al. 2). Lost in the discussion on gender equality in social benefits is the realization that the effect on many mo thers of not finding full-time gainful employment confines her and her young offspring to a life of poverty. There is an inherent disconnect in the ideals associated with motherhood – of being at home for young children to provide proper nutrition, instruction, and emotional support – and the imperative of finding a job to sustain the family (Zeytinoglu, et al. 178). In the sixties, the Canadian federal government provided half of the welfare costs per province, and mandated that beneficiaries need not work for them to claim their benefits. This made benefits an absolute right. At present, this approach had been modified; the federal government had halved their subsidy, and allowed provinces to adopt work-for-welfare programs. For most of

A Critique of Paradise Lost (Domestic Division) by TERRY MARTIN HEKKER Essay

A Critique of Paradise Lost (Domestic Division) by TERRY MARTIN HEKKER - Essay Example But in its efforts to tie in the author’s experience with the greater debate on women’s choices regarding family and career, the article offers nothing really new except probably with the shocking revelation that even women into their 60s, almost forever married by today’s standards could still be dumped by their husbands. Furthermore, some of the arguments pertaining to the debate tend to be contradictory or ambivalent. Hekker succeeds in making a significant emotional pitch for presenting herself as a cautionary tale of a woman who though, already in her four decades of marriage and well into her senior years could still be discarded by her husband with all the emotional and financial hardships of dealing with the aftermath. The article mostly centers on her case alone, and in a passing reference, to those of her two friends who were also divorced by their husbands and which she remarkably noted that among them, â€Å"they’d been married for 110 years†. What makes the article even more poignant is that the author wryly compared herself and her friends to â€Å"outdated kitchen appliances†: â€Å"Like them†, she wrote, â€Å"we were serviceable, low maintenance, front loading, self-cleaning and (relatively) frost free. Also like them we had warranties that had run out. Our husbands sought sleeker models with features we lacked who could execute tasks wed either never le arned or couldnt perform without laughing.† It is indeed quite shocking and repulsive to note that there are men, for example the author’s ex-husband who could treat a marriage of forty long years like it was nothing – although the husband’s reasons for leaving the marriage are not revealed to the readers, the sympathy goes to the author who watched herself struggled financially while her husband gallivanted with his new wife in Mexico. However the article’s main strength which is its emotional appeal of how men could abandon women also

Essay on the Russian Revolution Essay Example for Free

Essay on the Russian Revolution Essay The Russo-Japanese War lasted from 1904 to 1905, and arose from both Japan and Russia’s desire for expansion and dominance in Korea and Manchuria. Russia suffered many great defeats in this war, against a nation that was considered inferior and was not one of the Great Powers. This humiliated the people of Russia, and caused them to lose confidence in Tsar Nicholas II, as well as causing great military, economic, and political problems for Russia. When the Russo-Japanese War erupted in 1904, Russia was not fully prepared to involve itself in a war. The Trans-Siberian Railway was not completed and would not be until 1905, so Russias army was not fully mobile. Russia’s inability efficiently mobilize caused them to lose battles to the Japanese and to eventually lose the war itself. The Russians were optimistic; as they were sure their vast superiority of numbers would easily defeat the tiny Japan, but this was not to be. Japan, with their advanced technology destroyed the Russian Army, armed with their primitive weapons as compared to the Asians. Huge military defeats were caused by the Russo-Japanese War, which highlighted the weakness of the military and caused national humiliation. Russia, all along had prided themselves on military excellence. An example of such a defeat was in January 1905 when the army had to surrender their Port Arthur naval base in Northern China, which they had possessed before the start of the war. Another example of a great failure of the military was at the Battle of Tsushima in May 1905. The Russian Baltic fleet consisting of the 35 warships had sailed from northern Europe to the Far East, only to lose 25 warships in a defeat by the Japanese navy. The crushing of Russian’s military added impetus to the 1905 Revolution, as it made the people of Russia aware of the weakness of their military and ashamed to be Russian. They were losing to a nation very few had heard of and it was humiliating,  this caused the opposition to autocratic rule by the Tsar Nicholas II. The Russo-Japanese War brought about economic problems for Russia, and this therefore meant there was a significant lack of money to solve any other problems present Russia. The war, as all wars do, cost an extreme amount of money. As it resulted in failure no money could be gained from the invaded territories. Russia had already had economic problems, and its economy was still far behind that of other Great Powers. Russia needed more money to invest in the economy to enlarge it, to make it more comparable to other Great Powers. The backwardness of Russia compared to these other Great Powers was another source of national humiliation for the people of Russia. Furthermore, the lack of money meant that the government could do nothing about the living and working conditions in towns and cities, or the problems in the rural areas of Russia. Consequently, the economic problems brought about a dent in national pride and Russia’s being unable to solve any of its other problems due to financial constraints. Both the peasants and the landowners were suffering. People were starving Agriculture was very behind that of other countries, as under the Witte system nothing had been done to improve it. Therefore the land was not cultivated properly, and famines occurred quite regularly such as the one in 1902 as well as the one in 1905, even with all this the peasants were still required to provide food for the Russian Army at war. There were also political implications of the Russo-Japanese War. The war was fought in the very far eastern reaches of the country, far away from where the majority of the population lived, and hence they must have felt removed from it, especially as news was still slow to travel. There was therefore little public enthusiasm for the war. Many people felt there was little justification for it: public opinion was not on the side of the war. Moreover, the military was very ill-equipped for the war. This showed to the people of Russia the government’s failings, and caused people to turn away from the Tsar as a leader, and look elsewhere, such as to political groups who were prepared to take radical action to achieve their aims, the people had lost faith in the Tsar. Political groups such as the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks took advantage of the peasant discontent and tried to turn the peasants against the Czar and more towards radicalism and liberalism. On Sunday, 22nd January 1905, more than 200 000 workers, led by a priest of the church by the n ame of Father Gapon, took  part in a peaceful demonstration in St. Petersburg (later known as Petrograd, and then Leningrad). They proceeded to the Winter Palace to present a petition to the Tsar. The petition, written by Gapon, made clear the problems and opinions of the workers and called for improved working conditions, fairer wages, and a reduction in the working day to eight hours and medical benefits. Other demands included an end to the Russo-Japanese War and the introduction of universal suffrage. They also wanted a parliament, or a Duma, to represent their views. The unarmed demonstrators were shot at by the Tsars troops (The Imperial Guard). This is referred to as the â€Å"Bloody Sunday†. There were many outbursts after that. Troops mutinied, peasants rose up and there were strikes and riots emerged. In the October Manifesto which was drafted by Sergei Witte, who became Russias first prime minister, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to : (1) Grant to the population the inviolable right of free citizenship, based on the principles of freedom of person, conscience, speech, assembly, and union. (2 ) Without postponing the intended elections for the State Duma and insofar as possible †¦ to include in the participation of the work of the Duma those classes of the population that have been until now entirely deprived of the right to vote, and to extend in the future, by the newly created legislative way, the principles of the general right of election. (3) To establish as an unbreakable rule that without its confirmation by the State Duma, no law shall go into force and that the persons elected by the people shall have the opportunity for actual participation in supervising the legality of the acts of authorities appointed by it† A Duma was elected in 1906, dominated by the middle-class Kadet party, the Duma was supposed to be able to enact legislation that would bind even the Tsar but even this proved too radical in its demands for the Tsar. The Tsar was determined to preserve his autocracy even in the context of reform and he restricted the Dumas authority in many ways. The Tsar issued the Fundamental Laws. It stated in part that Tsars ministers could not be appointed by, and were not responsible to, the Duma, thus denying responsible government at the executive level. Furthermore, the Tsar had the power to dismiss the Duma and announce new elections whenever he wished. He also restricted the franchise to the property-owning classes. The Tsar never allowed the Duma to be anything more than an advisory committee. This idealized vision of the  Romanov monarchy blinded him to the actual state of his country. With a firm belief that his power to rule was granted by Divine Right, Nicholas assumed that the Russian people were devoted to him with unquestioning loyalty. This ironclad belief rendered Nicholas unwilling to allow the progressive reforms that might have alleviated the suffering of the Russian people. Tsar Nicholas II tried to deal with the pressures for change by increasing police powers; there was brutal suppression of dissent and the civil rights granted in 1905 gradually restricted. Witte resigned and was replaced in July by Stolypin, who combined ruthlessness in dealing with unrest with a thoughtful programme of agrarian reform which tried to remove the legacy of debt and land hunger and create a class of peasant farmers loyal to the regi me. Stolypin had fallen out with the Tsar even before he was assassinated in 1911, and after this Nicholass ministers were of limited ability. Even before the start of the First World War unrest was breaking out again, but the onset of war, and the rapidity and magnitude of Russian defeats, greatly weakened the political and economic structure of the country. Alexis, Tsar Nicholas IIs son suffered from haemophilia, where his blood was unable to clot after bleeding due to a lack of platelets in the blood. Rasputin claimed to be a holy monk from the remote wastelands of Siberia, and was able to use his supernatural healing powers to heal Alexis. Granted, Rasputin could ease some of Alexis pain, but most of what he did seemed a scam .The Tsarina (the Tsars wife) doted on her son and thus naturally treated the monk better, since Grigori Rasputin did what doctors couldn’t do, which was to help her son with his sickness and to help stop his pain. In 1911 Stolypin ordered Rasputin out of St. Petersburg, and the order was obeyed. Stolypins minister of religion, Lukyanov, on the reports of the police, ordered an investigation that produced abundant evidence of Rasputins scandalous deeds. From this time on, the Tsarina detested Prime Minister Stolypin. After Stolypin was assassinated, the Tsarina brought Rasputin back to St. Petersburg. Rasputin abused his authority and replaced many ministers with his own family and friends, regardless of whether the previous ministers were good. Some of his decision in the countrys administration were also foolish and led to many problems. This naturally led to people disliking Rasputin severely and thus blaming the Tsar for his trust in this incompetent person. In 1915 Tsar Nicholas II unwisely chose to take direct command of field operations, personally overseeing Russia’s main theatre of war, leaving his German wife, Tsarina Alexandra as regent in charge of affairs in the capital. Alexandra was very unpopular with the Russian people, who accused her of collaboration with the Germans. Alexandra had no experience of government and under the influence of Rasputin constantly appointed and re-appointed incompetent new ministers, which meant the government was never stable or efficient. This was particularly dangerous in a war of attrition, as neither the troops nor the civilian population were ever adequately supplied; the country was plunged into further state of crisis. By 1917 the regime was in a parlous state with revolutionary unrest spreading among the troops and workers, peasants seizing the large estates and (a decisive new factor compared with the events of 1905) signs of disunity and disaffection amongst the ruling à ©lite and police, first shown in the murder of Rasputin by conservative nobles on Dec. 31, 1916. When Nicholas II entered the First World War, his desire was to restore the prestige that Russia had lost during the Russo-Japanese war. Nicholas wanted to galvanize the diverse people in his empire under a single banner by directing military force at a common enemy, namely Germany and the Central Powers. A common assumption among his critics is that he believed that by doing so he could distract the people from the ongoing issues of poverty, inequality and poor working conditions that were sources of discontent. Instead of restoring Russia’s political and military standing, World War I lead to horrifying military casualties on the Russian side and undermined it further. By 1915 (during World War I), there were manifold signs that the economy was breaking down under the heightened strain of wartime demand and the Tsar’s mis-management of the country’s funds. Over fifteen million men joined the army( due to conscription), which left an insufficient number of workers in the factories and on the farms. Conscription also stripped skilled workers from the cities and they had to be replaced with unskilled peasants. The result was widespread shortages of food and materials. Factory workers had to endure terrible working conditions, including twelve to fourteen hour days and low wages. Many riots  and strikes for better conditions and higher wages broke out. Although some factories agreed to the requests for higher wages, wartime inflation nullified the increase. Industrial workers went on strike and effectively paralyzed the railway and transportation networks. What few supplies were available could not be effectively transported. As goods became more and more scarce, prices skyrocketed. People were suffering, they began to turn to prostitution or crime( there was an increase in crime), people were begging, they were tearing down wooden fences to keep stoves heated for warmth. Also famine threatened many of the larger cities. The vast demand for factory production of war supplies and workers caused many more labor riots and strikes. In addition, because more factory workers were needed, peasants moved out of the country and into the cities, which soon became overpopulated, and living conditions rapidly grew worse. Furthermore, as more food was needed for the soldiers, the food supply behind the front grew scarce. Soldiers themselves, who were suffering from lack of equipment and protection from the elements, began to turn against the Tsar. This was mainly because as the war progressed, many of the officers who were loyal to the Tsar were killed and they were replaced with discontented conscripts from the major cities who were much less loyal to the Tsar. Russia’s first major battle was a disaster. In the 1914 Battle of Tannenberg, over 120, 000 Russian troops were killed, wounded or captured, while Germany suffered only 20,000 casualties. In 1915, things took a critical turn for the worse, when Germany shifted its focus of attack to the Eastern front. The superior German army destroyed the unequipped Russian forces. By the end of October 1916, Russia had lost between 1.6 and 1.8 million soldiers with an additional two million prisoners of war and one million missing. Soldiers went hungry and lacked shoes, ammunition and weapons. Rampant discontent lowered morale, only to be further undermined by a series of military defeats. The Tsar was blamed for all these crises and what little support he had left began to crumple. As this discontent grew, the State Duma issued a warning to Nicholas in November of 1916 stating that disaster would overtake the country unless a constitutional form of government was put in place. In typical fashion, Nicholas ignored them. The people were upset with the Tsar and his lack of care about his people. He was the reason they were suffering. The people were disgusted with his inept handing of the  country. Alexander Kerensky was a young and popular lawyer who gained a reputation for his work as a defense lawyer in a number of political trials of revolutionaries. Afterwards he gained a reputation for his work as a defence lawyer in a number of political trials of revolutionaries. He was elected to the Fourth Duma in 1912 as a member of the Trudoviks, a moderate labour party who were associated with the Socialist-Revolutionary Party. He was a brilliant orator and skilled parliamentary leader of the socialist opposition to the regime of the ruling Tsar, Nicholas II. When the February Revolution broke out in spring of 1917, Kerensky was one of its most prominent leaders: he was a member of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma and was elected vice-chairman of the Petrograd Soviet. He simultaneously became the first Minister of Justice in the newly formed Provisional Government. Kerensky became the Minister of War and the dominant figure in the newly formed government and in July of that same year he became Prime Minister. However, as Prime Minister he made two major errors. He ensured that Russia stayed in a war that was detested in the country itself. The overwhelming bulk of the population wanted Russia to withdraw from the war. There must have been few families, especially among the poor, who had not experienced personal tragedy between 1914 and 1917. His second mistake was not to offer the peasants land. Lenin did just this and immediately got the support he and the Bolsheviks needed at the expense of Kerensky. Kerensky also invited the Mensheviks to take part in the administration. To undermine the support of the Bolsheviks, Kerensky ordered that elections should take place for a constituent assembly. The elections were to be held in January 1918. Lenin had called for such elections earlier in 1917, so he could not object to this. As Kerensky argued, it was simply an extension of the democratic process denied to the people by the Romanovs. However, all the evidence indicated that the Bolsheviks would have done less well than other groups including the Mensheviks. On September 1st 1917, Kerensky declared Russia a republic. Vladimir Lenin was exiled in neutral Switzerland, when he heard of the revolution he made arrangements with the German government for permission to travel back to Russia. German officials agreed, evidently assuming that Lenin’s activities might weaken Russia, or if the Bolsheviks  came to power, lead to Russia withdrawing from the war with Germany. He arrived in Petrograd in April 1917. Lenin demanded that the Provisional Government give â€Å"All Powers to the Soviets† in addition to the speedy conclusion of the war without annexation, the renunciation of all secret diplomatic agreements, the control of factories by workers and the immediate seizure of land by peasants. He convinced his Bolshevik supporters that the seizure of power by the Soviets would be the signal for a European-wide socialist revolution. To prepare for the seizure of power, his Bolshevik supporters set out to win support from the masses in the soviets. Vladimir Lenin was the architect and first head of the USSR, led the October Revolution, which was effectively a coup detat. Lenin justified his violent seizure of power from the Provisional Government as merely a transfer of authority to the soviets, the popular councils elected by workers and soldiers that sprang up everywhere after the fall of the tsar. Lenin declared the formation of a Soviet government, withdrew Russia from World War I, and invited the peasants to take charge of the land that had formerly belonged to the nobles, state, and church. At the same time, Lenins government quickly moved to shut down opposition political parties and to censor the press, introduced conscription for the Red Army, and requisitioned grain from the peasants in order to fight the bloody Russian Civil War of 1918–1920. In January 1918, Lenin closed down the Constituent Assembly after the Bolsheviks won only 24 percent of the popular vote. In 1918, Lenin renamed the Bolshevik Party as the Communist Party. Although Lenin was ruthless, he was also pragmatic. When his efforts to transform the Russian economy to a socialist model stalled, he introduced the New Economic Policy, where a measure of private enterprise was again permitted, a policy that continued for several years after his death. In 1918, Lenin narrowly survived an assassination attempt, but was severely wounded. When Lenin was badly injured in a failed assassination attempt on August 30, 1918, his government quickly responded with the September 5, 1918, announcement of a policy of Red Terror that would take the form of arrests, imprisonments, and murders. Trotsky was a Marxist and for a long time worked as an independent  revolutionary in Russia. Before 1914 he had attempted to bring about great cooperation between the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks but her failed. In 1917, after the March Revolution, he returned from exile in America. In July, he decided to join the Bolsheviks. Leon Trotsky was a Communist theorist, prolific writer, leader in the 1917 Russian Revolution, and the peoples commissar for foreign affairs under Lenin and then head of the Red Army as the peoples commissar of army and navy affairs. He was also elected as the President of Petrograd Soviet. Joseph Stalin was a Bolshevik leader who became prominent only after Lenin’s return to Petrograd in April 1917. Although Stalin was very much a secondary figure during the October Revolution, he did gain Lenin’s attention as a useful ally. Stalin had a very important, yet secretive job. He was to provide disguises and safe houses and to arrange safe passage out of Petrograd to Finland, with guides and bodyguards, for Lenin, had the revolution not worked out as planned. Following the October coup, Lenin gave him a position in the government as commissar of nationalities. As Stalin was a member of an ethnic minority as he was from the central Asian region of Georgia, not Russia. Lenin felt he would be an effective ambassador of sorts to the many ethnic minorities within the former Russian Empire. After the revolution, Stalin became increasingly powerful and eventually succeeded Lenin as leader of the Soviet Union upon Lenin’s death in 1924. Kerensky Provisional Government fell On October 25-26, 1917when Vladimir Lenin and his Bolshevik supporters overthrew it in the October Revolution (coup d etat). There are many reasons as to why the provisional government fell. The Provisional Government fell because they insisted to continue fighting in the First World War, although things were going so badly. Millions of soldiers were dead and injured, also the soldiers lacked proper equipment and weapons to fight effectively, and they also had little to no training in war tactics. Also the failure of the Brusilov offensive is an important factor. The Provisional Government also did not solve the economic problems that Russia was facing. There were stills strikes and riots. Shortages continued and the people saw now improvement. By this time there was subsequent unpopularity of Alexander Kerensky who the most prominent person off the Provisional Government (War Minister and Prime Minister). Also in October with the crisis building, the Bolsheviks saw the opportunity to seize important institutions in Petrograd  such as banks and railways. The Russian Civil War, which broke out in 1918 shortly after the revolution, brought death and suffering to millions of people regardless of their political orientation. The war was fought mainly between the Red Amy (Reds), consisting of radical communist and revolutionaries, and the Whites consisting of: the monarchist, conservatives, liberals and moderate socialist who opposed the drastic restructuring championed by the Bolsheviks. The Whites has backing from nations such as the UK, France, USA and Japan. Also during the Civil War, Nestor Makhno led a Ukrainian anarchist movement which generally cooperated with the Bolsheviks. However, a Bolshevik force under Mikkhail Frunze destroyed the Makhnovist movement, when the Makhnovists refused to merge into the Red Army. In addition the so-called â€Å"Green Army† (nationalist and anarchist played a secondary role in the war, mainly in Ukraine.

The arc welding of mild steel

The arc welding of mild steel Introduction The microstructure of a material is significant when it comes to the properties and characteristics of a particular material. It would be perfect if the properties and characteristics, which are related to the microstructure, of the parent metal, heat affected zone and the weld metal is the same. However the probability of occurrence of such a situation is very less since the parent metals are used in the wrought form and the weld metals are used in the cast form. Wrought materials got superior strength, ductility and toughness when it is weighed against the materials in the cast form. Even then the weld metal properties draws near the properties of the wrought material, since it is a minuscule casting which is rapidly cooled. This situation is particularly related with the ferrous materials, which includes mild steel also (Houldcroft and John, 1988). The report holds the information regarding the development of microstructure during the arc welding of mild steel plate, changes which occur in the heat affected zone and the change in the structure of the steel when the carbon equivalent of the steel was increased. Mild steel Steel with a low carbon content of 0.25% is known as mild steel. Mild steel is easy to weld and fabricate because of its low carbon content since it would not get harden by heat treatment. This leads to the lack of hardened zones in the heat affected zones and welds, even though there is quick cooling. As the carbon content increases, the ease in welding reduces because of the quenching action (Davies, 1993). Welding Welding is primarily classified into two welding methods and they are (1) Plastic welding and (2) Fusion welding. It can be further fragmented into eight divisions on the basis of its specific processes and they are (1) Cold welding, (2) Thermit Welding, (3) Gas welding, (4) Resistance welding, (5) Arc welding, (6) Braze welding, (7) Forge welding, (8) Induction welding. The welding processes such as Cold welding, Pressure welding, Resistance welding and Forge welding comes under the Plastic welding division whereas the welding processes such as Gas welding, Thermit welding, Induction welding and Arc welding belongs to the Fusion welding processes (Clark, 1962). Arc welding The electrode material and shielding technique are the basis of classification of Arc welding processes. In mass production, the automatic welding technique is very important and the Arc welding technique is well adapted to it. Added on to this, Arc welding technique imposes a lot of flexibility to the joining of both thin and heavy sections of a material. Another trait of Arc welding process is that the heat application in this particular welding process is highly concentrated when compared to other welding processes (Clark, 1962). Microstructure of weld metal The microstructure of the weld metal is primarily dependent upon the alloy content of the carbon steel. Whereas in carbon, carbon manganese and micro-alloyed steel, the weld metal microstructure is mainly affected by the welding procedure and composition of the weld. According to Lancaster, 1999, the microstructure of Carbon-Manganese alloy steel is affected by the aspects such as cooling rate, composition, plastic strain and the presence of non-metallic nuclei. Figure 2.1 shows the effect of cooling rate and composition on structures produced in the weld. The above details show that the steel containing less than 0.30% C will have similar microstructures after the welding process. During the Arc welding of mild steel a number of discrete structural zones, such as unaffected, transition, refined, coarsened, fusion and deposited metal zones are formed. These zones are shown in the diagram and it is compared with the relevant section of the iron-iron carbide diagram. Many of these zones will not be having discrete line of demarcation and they appear to be merged together (Clark, 1962). Unaffected zone In the unaffected zone, the parent mild steel is not heated to an adequate amount to reach the critical range. Therefore, the structure is unchanged and the unaffected zone represents the archetypal grain structure of the parent mild steel. The figure shows the microstructure of the unaffected zone of mild steel. It consists of a typical combination of ferrite and pearlite (Clark, 1962). Transition zone Next to the unaffected zone, there exists a region where there is a temperature range, between the A1 and A3 transformation temperatures, in which a limited allotropic recrystallization takes place and this particular zone is known as the transitional zone. The transition zone has a microstructure of both ferrite and pearlite. But the size of the pearlite region will be different from that in the unaffected zone. The pearlite region will be much finer which is due to the heating of the mild steel to the critical range and due to the cooling after the heating process. During the heating process, the pearlite will be transformed into austenite and then transformed into finer pearlite grains on cooling (Clark, 1962). Refined zone After the transition zone, comes the refined zone. In this zone, the temperature is heated just above the A3 temperature and the finest grain structure exists in this region as a result of the extensive grain refinement. The figure shows the microstructure of the refined zone of the mild steel. The microstructure consists of much finer structures of pearlite and ferrite. These structures are formed from the austenite which existed at a temperature just above the upper critical temperature (Clark, 1962). Coarsened zone The region next to the refined region is known as the coarsened zone. In this zone, the temperature is higher than the A3 temperature and the grain structure will be coarsened. When it comes to the coarsened zone, the microstructure will be dominated by pearlite grains and ferrite will be of smaller grain. Due to the prevailed rate of cooling, the pearlite will show a higher rate of finer grains than that existed in the original pearlite areas, when it is magnified (Clark, 1962). Fusion zone The actual melting of the parent metal takes place when the temperature is higher than the solidus and the zone in which this takes place is known as the fusion zone. In the fusion zone, the microstructure will be of a very coarse structure. This type of structure is common in mild steel where the particular structure is formed from the large austenite grains when the cooling rate is of a medium pace. The following figure shows the microstructure in the fusion zone (Clark, 1962). Deposited metal zone The deposited metal zone is a zone along with the fusion zone where there is a coarse grain structure and it happens when a filler metal is added to the weld. The structure of deposited metal zone is shown in the figure. As you can see in the figure, the microstructure consists of columnar structure of ferrite and pearlite (Clark, 1962). Heat affected zone The possibility of performing a welding process without building up a thermal gradient in the parent metal is almost negligible. The temperature and the speed of the welding process is very influential in deciding the spread of heat into the parent metal. The thermal gradient will get compressed by the high power welding at high speed (Houldcroft and John, 1988). The schematic sketch of a weld, heat affected zone and relevant portion of the iron-carbide phase diagram is shown in the figure 3.1. The base metal is heated up to a peak temperature and it varies along with the distance from the fusion line. If the lower critical temperature, A1, was surpassed by the peak temperature, then there will be a transformation from ferrite to austenite. This transformation will be complete and an austenitic microstructure is formed when the temperature goes beyond the upper critical temperature, A3. The ferrite structure is stable at room temperature and has bcc crystal structure whereas the austenite structure is stable at high temperature and has fcc crystal structure (Raj et al, 2006). The heat affected zone of an arc weld in steel is classified into three regions, such as supercritical, intercritical and subcritical regions, from a metallurgical perspective (Lancaster, 1999). The supercritical zone The supercritical zone can be classified into the grain growth region and the grain refined region. Coarse grain heat affected zone (CGHAZ) is the term which is used to refer to the region of heat affected zone where extensive growth of austenite grains takes place when the temperature goes beyond the temperature of 1300 degree Celsius. The region next to the CGHAZ, which is at a temperature range of 900 to 1200 degree Celsius, is known as the Fine grained heat affected zone (FGHAZ). In this region of the steel, the austenite grain size remains small (Raj et al, 2006). The intercritical zone The intercritical region is narrow when compared to other zones and partial transformation takes place in this zone. The region of HAZ, which is having a temperature range in between the critical temperatures A1 and A3 is referred as Inter critical heat affected zone (ICHAZ) (Raj et al, 2006). The subcritical zone In the subcritical zone, not much observable alteration in the microstructure will be there except the occurrence of a small region of spheroidization, which is difficult to detect. The tempered zone and unaffected base material comes under this zone (Raj et al, 2006). The microstructures such as ferrite and other metastable phases are formed during the cooling cycle of a welding process, from an austenite microstructure which was formed at high temperatures. For welds produced with adequate pre-heat or for high heat input welding, the cooling rate will be less and this leads to the formation of a mixture of ferrite and carbides whereas in a high cooling rate scenario, microstructures such as bainite or martensite are formed from austenite. The formation of bainite and martensite is also affected by the amount of carbon content and alloying elements. This particular trait of steel to form a hard microstructure such as bainite or martensite from austenite phase when cooled at high rate is generally referred to as hardenability and this increases with the austenite grain size and alloy content of the steel. Therefore in the case of mild steel, the microstructure of the heat affected zone (HAZ) is of carbide and ferrite after performing an arc welding even if it is performed without any preheating (Raj et al, 2006). The effect in the increase of carbon-equivalent of steel The carbon equivalent plays an important role in deciding the microstructure of the steel. Along with this, the cooling rate during the welding process too plays a decisive role in this regard. The probability of formation of martensite or bainite in high carbon equivalent steels is high and in order to avoid that situation, use of distinctive techniques, such as preheating and post-heating are required (Clark, 1962). Carbon equivalent calculation In order to discuss about the effect of carbon equivalent in deciding the microstructure of mild steel during the arc welding process, first we have to discuss the formula which is used to calculate the carbon equivalent of steel. The carbon equivalent can be calculated by the formula. CE= C% + (Mn%)/6 + (Cr%+Mo%+V%)/5 + (Ni%+Cu%)/15 (Davies, 1993). This formula is relevant to the plain carbon and carbon manganese steel but it is not applicable to micro-alloyed high strength low-alloy steel or low alloy Cr-Mo type. Due to Ito and Bessyo, the formula used by Japanese Welding Engineering Society is Pcm= C + Si/30 + (Mn+Cu+Cr)/20 + Ni/60 + Mo/15 + V/10 + 5B (Lancaster, 1999). As mentioned in the previous sections, the formation of hard microstructures such as bainite and martensite is dependent upon the cooling rate as well as the carbon equivalent in the steel. During the welding process of mild steel, the heat will be absorbed faster by the steel and creates a sudden fall of temperature (Raj et al, 2006). Here, steels with three different carbon contents are compared with the help of an Iron-Iron Carbide Equilibrium diagram. The steel with less than 0.83 percent carbon content is known as hypo-eutectoid steels, steel with 0.83 percent carbon content is known as eutectoid steel and steel with more than 0.83 percent carbon content is known as hypereutectoid steel (Clark, 1962). Steel with 0.1% carbon content This type of steel belongs to the hypo-eutectoid steel. As you can see from the Iron-Iron carbide diagram, when a 0.1% C steel is cooled at an appropriate rate from 2800 F to room temperature, a mixture of austenite and delta solid solution is formed from the delta solid solution and liquid. On further cooling, grains of austenite are formed from the former followed by formation of ferrite and austenite. By the time the cooling is done till the room temperature, a microstructure of ferrite and pearlite will be formed (Clark, 1962). Steel with 0.8% carbon content This form of steel has a composition which is very near to the composition of eutectoid steel. During the process of cooling of this steel from 2800F, the transformation starts from the molten state into a liquid and austenite form. Then on further cooling, formation of austenite followed by the eutectoid called pearlite will occur (Clark, 1962). Steel with 1.2% carbon content This form of steel belongs to the hypereutectoid steel. During the cooling process of this steel from 2800F, the transformation starts from the molten state of steel into a liquid and austenite form. Then on further cooling, there will be formation of austenite, combination of austenite and cementite, and ends with ferrite and cementite at room temperature (Clark, 1962). Conclusion Microstructure of steel is a very important deciding factor when it comes to its properties and behaviour. It is obvious from this report that the cooling rate during the welding process, composition of weld metal and the type of welding process plays a vital role in the formation of the different form of microstructures in the weld metal. The weldability and hardenability of the steel depends a lot on the carbon content of the steel to be welded. As the carbon content of steel increases, the weldability of that particular steel decreases and its hardenability increases. This proves that the composition of the weld metal plays an imperative role in the characteristics of a welded material. This report illustrates that the weldability of mild steel is quite good and the role of composition of mild steel in achieving so. It also gives you an idea about the various changes that occur to the microstructure of the mild steel during the arc welding process. References Clark, D. and Varney, W. (1962) Physical metallurgy for Engineers. 2nd edition New York: D Van Nostrand Company. Davies, A.C. (1993) The science and practice of welding, vol 2, The practice of welding. 10th edition Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Houldcroft, P. and John, R. (1988) Welding and cutting. 1st edition Cambridge: Woodhead-Faulkner Limited. Raj, B., Shankar, V. and Bhaduri, A. (2006) Welding Technology for Engineers. 1st edition Oxford: Alpha Science International Limited. Lancaster, J.F (1999) Metallurgy of Welding. 6th edition UK: Abington Publishing.