Organizational Essay

Table of Contents Introduction Organizational culture is an important part of any organization, for this is the principles a company stand for. Without a strong, stable culture, an organization is sure to fail sooner than later. I will now discuss the subjects briefly mentioned in assignment 1. 1. The organizational culture of the organization where I work: 1. 1. A) Definition of Organizational culture and 4 types of cultures. Organizational culture refers to the shared values, norms, visions, symbols, beliefs, habit, working language between people sharing a working environment. There are, according to (Greenberg, 2011) four types of organizational cultures that exist. (Control) Hierarchy culture: These are typically large, bureaucratic corporations where smooth production, without wasted time is important. Stability, control, internal focus, standardization and integration are key principles to this system. Leaders in such a system should organize, monitor and coordinate the people and process thoroughly. (Compete) Market culture: These organizations are also concerned with stability and control, but rather than focusing on internal factors, they focus on external. This system is concerned with competition. They look at all the other organizations competing in the same market and then focus on their relationships- or transactions with suppliers, customers, contractors, unions, legislators, consultants, regulators etc. They believe that they’ll achieve success by focusing on effective relations (external). (Collaborate) Clan culture: Inward focus is important, same as the hierarchy system, however clan cultures emphasizes flexibility rather than control and rigidness. At such organizations, the well-being of workers comes first. It is said that people working in a clan-cultural environment feel related to their co-workers due to the warm, friendly nature. (Create) Adhocracy: This culture refers to the opposite of bureaucracy, focusing on flexibility and the external environment. It’s all about opportunities, problem-solving and outcome. These type of companies should always be up to date regarding development and technology. Typical example of such organizations is software-developing companies. The culture of the organization where I work: The organizational culture at my company is the Create or Adhocracy culture (defined above) According to Waterman’s theory (cited in Greenberg, 2011) an Adhocracy culture goes beyond the ordinary bureaucratic lines to capture opportunities, solve problems and get results. In my organization, we focus on innovation and creativity. Team work is essential, because software engineers have to split up the work due to the work-load. 2. How are new employees accommodated in the organization? Accommodation can refer to special needs of some employees or just taking account and respecting all members’ race, ethnic group, color, nationality, social origin, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, sex, opinions, family status and source of income. In my company, respect is a very important aspect, we accept every member the way they are. Supporting each other rather than rejecting. (Denison, 1990). In my organization, we use a process called â€Å"Onboarding†. Onboarding is the process whereby information, training, mentoring and coaching is provided to new members. This makes new members feel welcome and informed. This also increases productivity from the beginning, reduces costs due to flaws and saves co-workers training time. According to (Parker, 1993) this process includes four stages to let new employees â€Å"onboard†. Acquiring is the first step we use in the onboarding process: In this first step, newcomers will be introduced to co-workers. The group in which the employee will work is already decided before his/ her arrival. The employee will now get the opportunity to talk to other group members to create a mental picture of what the work will include. Accommodation is the next step, new employees are provided with all the necessary resources to make their working experience pleasant. In my company, new employees get a computer, which stays at the office at all times. This computer will have all the newest software on it, ensuring that the employee can do the tasks effectively without any discomfort. Assimilation is step 3 of onboarding. The intern will now be allocated to a more experienced member. This member will show the intern around, showing him where everything is and given him a crash-course about what will be expected of him. The intern can now shadow the person to get the hang of things. Please do note that the newcomer is expected to have all the skills needed to obtain this job. Like the necessary degrees etc. , which was considered before appointing the job to the person? Acceleration: In this stage, new members engage in their working tasks, still learning as they go, but now they are able to feel comfortable in their working environment. In this stage the results are brought to the table and fairly employees now have the chance to perform and show everybody what their made of. 3. How my organizational culture can be improved: Before discussing the stages I shall take to do so, there are a few core principles that should be in place. Values are the first, which means the core values and believes of the company should be spelled out very clearly. All employees should know what the company stands for. Second are goals. When everyone knows what the goals and milestones of the company are, they know what is expected of them. Consistency is the next fundamental point- keeping the standards and goals high. Communication, important in every aspect of life is also important to improve the culture in organizations. The last point is celebration- everybody needs some reward for good work done. This will motivate employees to work hard to reach the upcoming goals and having fun in the workplace is fundamental. (Denison , 1990). The above is not the strategies I will follow to improve my organizational culture, its important elements that forms the basis of a good organizational culture. The stages of improvement include strategies to spread the culture throughout the company and beyond the borders of the company and let everyone be aware of them. I believe through doing that, the culture will improve. Here follows 6 strategies Symbols: Symbols are, according to (Ornstein, 1986) those objects, not needing words to be described. The symbols of an organization can rest in the waiting room, the size of the building, the awards hanging around, the atmosphere when you walk into the doors etc. these symbols let you know what the company is all about. Thus, it spells out the organizational culture. Slogans- Phrases that summarize the organizational culture: Slogans are those catchy tunes or saying things unique to a certain company. The slogan can tell you a lot about the companies’ culture, because the companies â€Å"heart† is captures in a few phrases. Thus, the employees and public can grasp the essence of the organizations- whereas the culture is improved. Stories: These are the re-authoring of important and catchy moments in the company’s history. The telling of these stories can re-introduce important values to employees. (Martin, 1982). These stories might be told in a formal way (in a meeting) or informally (employees drinking coffee). These stories remind employees how â€Å"we use to do it around here† and indirectly creating some expectations or guidelines. Through this the employees get a clear understanding of what the company cherishes. Jargon: These are the everyday language used in the company. Companies may also create their own phrases or words, which are understood by each other. These jargons might become unique to this company, but may also spread out to the public, making the company â€Å"famous† for their unique words. According to (Carroll. 1993) Jargons are especially popular in the high-tech world (like my company is). Ceremonies: These special events celebrate whatever it is that it most essential to the company. By looking at the reason for celebration, you will get to know the core beliefs and values of a company. Therefore, by hosting ceremonies, the employees and public can see what is valued the most. This will strengthen the culture of the organization. Lastly is Statements of Principle: Defining culture through writing: This means bringing forward a statement of principle. In this statement lie the core values of your company, reinforcing and clarifying the qualities of the company. (Carroll, 1993). Bibliography Carroll, P. (1993). Big blues: The unmaking of IBM. New York: Crown. Denison, R (1990). Corporate culture and organizational effectiveness (3rd ed. ) Oxford, England: John Wiley & Sons. Greenberg, J (2011). Behavior in Organizations. Martin, J. (1982). Stories and scripts in organizational settings. In A. Hastorf & A. Isen (Eds. ), Cognitive social psychology (pp 255-306). New York: Elsevier-North Holland. Ornstein, S. L. (1986). Organizational symbols: A study of their meanings and influences on perceived psychological climate. In J. Greenberg, Behavior in Organizations (p 520). London: Pearson Publications. Parker, M (1993). Postmodernism and organizations. Sage Publications ltd.

The Blue Sword CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It was two days later when, as the morning sun shone down on them, Harry first saw Istan again; and she altered their course a little to the north, for it was not the town she was aiming for, but Jack Dedham's garrison. She prayed to anything that might be listening that he would be there, not off on some diplomatic sortie or border-beating. She could not imagine trying to explain her errand to anyone else; she did not think Jack would conclude that she was mad. She did think that anyone else – even Dickie; especially Dickie – would. But even if Jack were at the fort, and believed her story, would he help her? She didn't know, and didn't dare make guesses. But she and Terim and Senay, even with Senay's father's reinforcements, would not be very effective by themselves. Rather more effective than I would have been by myself, though, she thought. The first evening, after Senay and Terim had joined her, and after the animals were settled and the other two human beings were asleep, Harry had cut herself a long straight slender branch from a tree, and stripped it with the short knife she kept in one boot. When they set out that evening she tied it lengthwise to Sungold's saddle, so it rubbed against her right leg as she rode, but at least it did not threaten either of her companions, who rode close at her sides. They eyed it, but said nothing. When she first recognized Istan looming out of the dawn light at them, she paused, took out her knife again, and deliberately ripped several inches of hem from her white tunic, unlashed her branch, and tied the raveling bit of cloth to one end of it. She tucked the other end just under one leg, and held it upright with one hand. â€Å"It is a sign that we come in peace,† she explained, a little sheepishly, to her friends; their faces cleared, and they nodded. It was still very early. The town was silent as they skirted it; nothing, not even a dog, challenged them as they rode toward the fort. Harry found herself watching out of the corners of her eyes, looking for any odd little wisps of fog that might be following them. The dogs ought to bark. She didn't see any fog. She didn't know if either of her companions was a fog-rouser; and she knew only too well that she did not know what she herself was capable of. They rode up to the closed gate of the fort, the horses' hooves making small thunks in the sandy ground, kicking up small puffs of grit; she thought of the fourposter pony, who was no doubt drowsing in his stall now, dreaming of hay. Harry looked at the fort gate in surprise; as she remembered, and she was reasonably sure that she remembered correctly, the gate was opened at dawn, with reveille, and stayed open till taps at sunset. The gate, wooden and iron-barred, in a wall of dull yellow brick, was higher than her head as she sat on Sungold, looking up; and its frame was higher yet. They rode right up to it, and no one hailed them; and they stood in front of it, at a loss, their shadows nodding bemusedly at them from the grey wood before them and Harry's little flag limp at the end of its pole. Narknon went up to the gate and sniffed it. Harry had never thought of the possibility of not being able to get inside the fort in the first place. She rode up next to the gate and hammered on it with her fist. As her flesh struck the solid barrier it sent a tingle up her arm, and a murmur of kelar at the base of her skull told her that she could walk through this wall if she had to, to pursue her purpose. In that instant she realized exactly how Corlath had stolen her from the bedroom that at present was not so far from where Sungold stood; and she understood as well that the kelar must see some use in her errand at the Outlander fort to back her so strongly; and for that she did not know whether to be glad or sorry or fearful. And if fearful, for the sake of whom? Her new people – or her old friends? And she had a quiver of wry sympathy for how the Hill-king must have felt, walking up the Residency stairs in the middle of the night; and then she tipped her head back to stare at the Outlander wall, and touched her calf to her Hill horse's side, to move him away from that wall. â€Å"Since when is this gate closed during daylight?† she shouted; and Homelander speech tasted strange in her mouth, and she wondered if she spoke the words as a Hillwoman might. With her words, the spell, whatever spell it might be, was broken; and the three Hill riders suddenly blinked, as if the sun had grown brighter; and a small panel shot back, beside the gate and above their heads; and a man's face glared down. â€Å"Where did you come from, Hillman, and what do you want of us?† He looked without pleasure at the white rag. â€Å"We came from the Hills,† Harry said, grinning, â€Å"but I am no Hillman; and we would like speech with Colonel Dedham.† The man scowled at her. She suspected that he did not like her knowing Jack's name. â€Å"He does not speak to Hillfolk – or those who ride like Hillfolk,† he added disagreeably. By now there were several faces peering over the wall at them; Harry did not recognize any of them, and found this strange, for she had known at least by sight nearly all of Dedham's men. She had not been gone for so many months that it seemed likely the entire complement of the fort could have changed. She squinted up at them, wondering if her eyes or her memory was playing her tricks. She frowned at her interlocutor's tone. â€Å"You could bear a message to him, then,† she said, trying to decide if it was worth the possibility of some kind of uproar if she said her name. â€Å"Hillfolk – † began the man at the window, and his tone was not encouraging. â€Å"Oh, Bill, for the love of God, the new orders say nothing about rudeness,† said one of the faces at the fence. â€Å"If you won't carry a message as requested, I will – and I'll be sure to mention why an off-duty man had to do it.† â€Å"Tom?† said Harry hesitantly. â€Å"Is that Tom Lloyd?† There was a tense and breathless silence, and the man at the open panel hissed something that sounded like â€Å"witchcraft.† The voice from the fence came again, slowly but clearly: â€Å"This is Tom Lloyd, but you have the advantage of me.† â€Å"True enough,† said Harry dryly, and shook back her hood and looked up at him. â€Å"We danced together, some months ago: my brother, Di – Richard, collected favors from all his tall friends to dance with his large sister.† â€Å"Harry – † said Tom, and leaned over the fence, his shoulders outlined against the light, his face and hands as pale as the desert sand. â€Å"Harry?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry, shaken at how strange he looked to her, that she had not recognized him before he spoke. â€Å"I need to talk to Colonel Dedham. Is he here?† Harry's heart was in her mouth. â€Å"Yes, he is: reading a six-months-old newspaper from Home over a cup of coffee right now, I'd say.† Tom sounded dazed. â€Å"Bill, you wretch, open the gate. It's Harry Crewe.† Harry's legs were tight on Sungold's sides, and the big horse threw his head up and shivered. â€Å"He don't look like Harry Crewe,† Bill said suddenly. â€Å"And what about the two with him – her? And that funny-colored leopard?† â€Å"They're my friends,† said Harry angrily. â€Å"Either open the gate or at least take my message.† â€Å"I can't leave my post – another man'll have to take the word. I won't open the gate to Hillfolk. It's Hillfolk it's closed for. Tom's too easy. How do I know you're Harry Crewe? You look like a bloody Darian, and you ride like one, and you can't even talk right.† Harry's pulse began to bang in her ears. â€Å"For pity's sake – â€Å" â€Å"Not you, Tom,† said Bill; â€Å"we already know as how you're off duty. Get another man what's on.† â€Å"Don't bother,† said Harry, between her teeth; â€Å"I'll take the message myself. I know where Jack's quarters are.† She dropped her pole in the dust, and, conscious she was doing a supremely stupid thing, she brought Sungold a few more dancing steps away from the gate, turned him, and set him at it. He went up and over with a terrific heave of his hindquarters, and Harry had reason to be grateful for the perfect fit of her saddle; but once in the air he seemed to float, and look around, and he came down as lightly as a blown leaf. He trotted two steps and halted, while Harry tried to look calm and lofty and as though she had known what she was doing all the time. The leap was over in a few seconds, and no one had expected anything so incredible, even from a Hillman; now men were shouting, and there was a crowd all around her. She thought no one would shoot her out of hand, but she wasn't quite sure, so she waited, instead of going in search of Jack Dedham as she had threatened. Sungold stretched his neck out and shook himself. Narknon flowed over the gate behind them – there was a howl of fear and wrath from Bill – and the cat trotted to Sungold and crouched under his belly. But she did not have to look for Jack after all, because the row at the gate brought him at a run scant seconds after Sungold's leap. He rounded the narrow corner of some dark building opposite the place where Sungold stood. The horse lifted first one foot and then another, unaccustomed to such noisy reckless human beings, but still obedient to his rider's wishes. He replaced each foot in just the print it had left. Jack came to a halt, barely avoiding running into them. Sungold pitched his ears toward the balding grey-haired Outlander who stood now, stock still, staring: his eyes traveled from the big chestnut horse down to the laconic cat, up to the horse's rider, and his jaw visibly dropped. Harry's hood was still back on her shoulders, and her bright hair flamed in the young sunlight; he recognized her immediately, although he had never seen such an expression on her face before. A moment passed while he could think of nothing; then he strode forward with a cry of â€Å"Harry!† and raised his arms, and she, a young girl again with a young girl's face, ungracefully tumbled off her horse and into them. He thumped her on the back, as he might have one of his own men back from an impossible mission and long since given up for lost; and then he kissed her heartily on the mouth, which he would not have done to any of his own men; and Harry hugged him around the neck, and then, embarrassed, tried to back away. He held her shoulders a minute longer and stared at her; they were much of a height, and Tom Lloyd, looking wistfully on, found himself thinking that they looked very much alike, for all of the girl's yellow hair and Hill clothing; and he realized, without putting any of it into words, that the girl he had danced with months ago, and thought about as he blacked his boots, and lost sleep over when she disappeared, was gone forever. Harry drew a hasty sleeve across her eyes; and then Tom, emboldened by his commander's behavior, hugged her too, but backed away without meeting her eyes; and Harry, even preoccupied as she was, was briefly puzzled by Tom's air of farewell, and she guessed something of what her brother had never told her. The whole fort was aroused; there were dozens of men standing around staring, and asking questions of one another; some were in uniform, and some looked like they had fallen out of bed a minute before; a few carried rifles and were looking around wildly. A few of those rifles were pointed at Narknon, but the cat had sense enough not to move, or even yawn and display her dangerous-looking fangs. The Outlanders asked each other questions, and there was a lot of shrugging; but while their colonel's evident delight in their sudden Hill visitor allayed any immediate fears they might have, Harry thought they looked tense and wary, as men may who live long under some strain. â€Å"What should I ask first?† said Jack. â€Å"Why are you here? Your horse tells me where you've been these months past – God, what an animal – but I am totally awestruck by the intelligence †¦ although, come to think of it, I don't seem to be surprised. Do you know that the entire station turned out to look for you when you vanished? Although I doubt in fact that you know anything of the sort; I flatter myself I searched as painstakingly as anyone, but what the Hills take, if they mean to keep it, they keep it, and I rather thought they meant to keep you. Everyone was sure the Hillfolk did have something to do with your evaporating like that – although it was more a superstition than a rational conclusion, as nary a trace of anything did we find; no rumors in the marketplace either. Amelia, poor lady, had well-bred hysterics, and Charles chewed his mustaches ragged, and Mrs. Peterson took her girls south to Ootang. And your brother stopped talkin g to everybody, and rode three horses to death – and he takes good care of his horses, usually, or I wouldn't have him here. I don't think he even noticed when Cassie Peterson left.† Harry blushed, and looked at her feet. â€Å"So you see, he does care – you've wondered, haven't you? He wasn't too fond of his commanding officer there for the weeks that it lasted, for I couldn't somehow work up the proper horror – oh, I was worried about you, but I was also †¦ envious.† He looked at her, smiling, wondering what her reaction would be to his words, wondering if he had said the right thing, knowing that the truth was not always its own excuse; knowing that his relief at seeing her made him talk too much and too freely – a reaction that had, often enough in the past, gotten him into trouble with his superior officers. And Harry looked back at him, and she smiled too, but she remembered the vertigo of the Outlander girl alone in a camp of the Hillfolk, surrounded by a people speaking a language she could not speak, whose hopes she did not understand, whose dreams she could not share. The people of the Hills had been her own people's foes for eighty years and more, for she was born and bred a Homelander; how could Jack – even Jack – speak of envy? Her smile froze, and her tunic napped against her back and hips, for she had, somehow, lost her sash, and she had hung Gonturan from Sungold's saddle, so as to look, she hoped, a little less like immediate war. Lost her sash. A Hillman would never lose his sash. What was she? Damalur-sol. Ha. She laid a hand on Sun-gold's shoulder, but when he turned his head to touch her with his nose she was not comforted, for he had lived all his life in the Hills. She wished bitterly that her brother had told her of Tom Lloyd, months ago. That was something she might have understood, and Tom was kind and honest. She swallowed and looked at Jack again, and he saw memory shining in her eyes, and he smiled sadly at her, and was sorry for any further pain his thoughtless words had given her. â€Å"Child,† he said quietly, â€Å"choices are always hard. But do you not think yours is already made?† Harry's fingers combed through her Hill horse's mane, and she said, â€Å"There never was a choice. I ride the only way open to me, and yet often and again it seems to me I am dangerously unfit for it.† She laughed a little and shakily. â€Å"It seems to me further that it is very odd that fate should lay so careful a trail and spend so little time preparing the one that must follow it.† Jack nodded. â€Å"It is not the sort of thing that is recorded in official histories, but I believe that such thoughts have come not infrequently to others – † he smiled faintly – â€Å"ensnared as you are.† Harry's hand dropped back to her side and she smiled again. â€Å"Colonel, I shall try not to take myself too seriously.† â€Å"And I shall try not to talk too much.† They grinned at each other, and knew that they were friends, and the knowledge was a relief and a pleasure and a hope to each of them, but for different reasons. Then Jack looked her over again, as if noticing the travel stains for the first time and said in a deliberately bright tone: â€Å"You look like you could use a bath †¦ My God, that sword: you're carrying a king's ransom casually across your pommel.† â€Å"Not casually,† said Harry somberly. â€Å"Questions later,† Jack said, â€Å"but I will hope that you will answer them. First food and rest, and then you will tell me a very long story, and it has to be the true one, although I don't promise to believe it.† â€Å"I am not quite alone, † said Harry, smiling again. â€Å"Will you let two friends of mine past your formidable gate as well?† â€Å"Not so formidable,† said Colonel Dedham. â€Å"I wish I'd arrived a minute earlier and seen that jump. I don't believe it.† â€Å"It's true, sir,† said Tom. â€Å"I believe it's true, I just don't believe it,† said Jack. â€Å"No doubt all of your story will be just as impossible. And just to start with, what is that?† he said, pointing at Narknon, who still had not moved. â€Å"She's a hunting-cat, a folstza. She adopted me soon after †¦ I left here.† Narknon, deeming the moment right, stood up slowly, and opened her big green eyes to their fullest extent, batted the long golden lashes once or twice at Jack, and began to pace toward him, while he gamely held his ground. Narknon paused a step away and started to purr, and Jack laughed uncertainly; whereupon the cat took the last step and rubbed her cheek against the back of his hand. Jack, with the look of a man who throws dice with the devil, petted her and Narknon redoubled the purr. â€Å"I think I'm being courted,† said Jack. â€Å"Narknon has an excellent sense of whose side it is most expedient to be on,† said Harry. â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"Yes, we will let your companions come in in the traditional fashion. Unbar the gate, there, Shipson, and be quick about it, before anything else comes over it. I don't like the new standing orders, and they obviously aren't much good besides.† Jack looked up from Narknon, who was now leaning her full weight against his legs and tapping her tail against the backs of his thighs, to gaze again at Sungold. â€Å"A real Hill horse. Can they all leap over Outlander forts before breakfast?† â€Å"No. Or they may, but most of their riders have more sense than to try it. Particularly after a journey such as we've had.† The excitement of seeing Jack again, and the reassurance of the warmth of his welcome, drained away from her, and she remembered that she was exhausted, and the sense of coming home to a place that was no longer home oppressed her further. â€Å"I'd like the bath and the food, and we all have to have sleep. But most of the story will have to wait; I'll tell you what I must, but †¦ we don't have much time.† â€Å"You are here for a purpose, and I can guess some of it. I'll try not to be stupid.† The gate opened, and Terim and Senay rode quietly through and stopped by Sungold's flank and dismounted. Harry introduced them, and they bowed, touching their fingers respectfully to their foreheads, but without the last flick outward of the fingers that indicates that the one addressed is of superior rank. When she said in Hill-speech, â€Å"And this is Colonel Dedham, whose aid we are here to seek,† she was pleased with the way her Outlander friend in his turn bowed and touched his fingers to his forehead, only glancing at her with mild inquiry. â€Å"I am sorry,† said Jack as he led the way to his quarters, â€Å"but I speak only a little of your Hill tongue. I must ask you to tell me what I need to hear in my own language, and apologize to your friends for the necessary rudeness of excluding them.† This was spoken in heavily accented but perfectly adequate Hill-speech, and Terim and Senay both smiled. â€Å"We understand the need for speed and clarity, and it would not have occurred to us to take offense,† said Terim, who had a king's son's swiftness for turning a diplomatic phrase; and Senay simply nodded. So Jack Dedham cleared off the table in the second of the two small rooms that were his, the table in question accustomed to duty as a dining-table and writing-desk, as well as a convenient surface to set any indeterminate object down on; and his batman brought breakfast for three. The three ate their way through it with enthusiasm, and the man, grinning, brought second breakfasts for three. â€Å"Make it four, Ted,† said Dedham. â€Å"I'm getting hungry again.† When they were finished, and Harry was staring into her teacup and realizing with uneasy chagrin that she'd rather be drinking malak, Jack filled his pipe and began to produce thick heavy clouds of smoke that crawled around the room and nosed into the corners. â€Å"Well?† he said. â€Å"Tell me in what fashion you have come to seek my aid.† Harry said, staring at the worn tips of her Hill boots, â€Å"The Northern army will be coming through the mountains †¦ soon. Very soon. Corlath's army is camped on the plain before the wide gap – the Bledfi Gap, we call it – the Gate of the North, you know, in the Horfel Mountains – â€Å" Jack said from a cloud of smoke: â€Å"The Gambor Pass, in the Ossander range. Yes.† â€Å"We want to plug the northwest leak, the little way through the mountains above Ihistan – where an undesirable trickle of Northern soldiers could come through and – â€Å" â€Å"And raze Istan, and go on to harass Corlath.† Harry nodded. â€Å"Not just harass; there are not many Hillfolk to fight.† â€Å"That explains, no doubt,† said Jack, â€Å"why there are only three of you – and a cat with long teeth – for the northwest leak, as you call it.† Harry smiled faintly. â€Å"It was almost one of me, alone.† â€Å"I would hazard, then, that you are not precisely here under Corlath's orders.† â€Å"Not exactly.† â€Å"Does he know where you are?† Harry thought about it, and said carefully, â€Å"I did not tell him where I was going before I left.† Her ribs missed the pressure of a sash. Dedham blinked a few times, slowly, and said, â€Å"I assume I am to conclude that he will be able to guess where you've gone. And these two poor fools decided to throw their lots in with an outlaw? I am impressed.† Harry was silent for a minute. For all her brave words to Jack at the fort gate, she felt that the path she had thought she was following had blurred and then lurched underfoot as soon as Sungold had jumped the wall. It was difficult for her now to remember who she was – damalur-sol and sashless – and why she was here, and where she was going; her thoughts ambled around in her head, tired and patternless. She remembered Luthe saying to her: â€Å"It is not an enviable position, being a bridge, especially a bridge with visions†; and she thought that in fact a nice clear vivid vision would be a great boon. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. â€Å"Corlath did not take at all kindly to Sir Charles that day, did he?† Jack smiled without humor. â€Å"Not at all kindly, no.† Harry scowled. â€Å"He's still cutting off his nose to spite his face, ignoring the northwest pass.† â€Å"Ritger's Gap,† said Jack. â€Å"He probably doesn't look at it that way, though. He came to us offering an alliance of mutual support, true, but he was doing us a favor by giving us the benefit of his spies' work in the north – which Sir Charles, in his less than infinite wisdom, chose to disbelieve. I would assume that your Corlath will now simply wipe out as many Northerners as he can, and what's left of his Hillfolk in the end will retreat to those eastern mountains of his. Whether or not the western plains are overrun with unchecked Northerners is not, finally, of great interest to him one way or another. Our decision not to help only means a few more divisions of the Northern army to harry them in their Hills: unfortunate but not of the first importance.† â€Å"If the Homeland got behind the attempt to throw back the Northerners – â€Å" â€Å"There was never any chance of that, my dear, believe me,† replied Jack. â€Å"You are attempting to be logical, I suspect, and logic has little to do with government, and nothing at all to do with military administration. â€Å"You are also still thinking like a Homelander – an Outlander, if you wish – for all you've learned to ride like a Hillman,† and his eyes settled on Gonturan, hanging by her belt over the back of Harry's chair. â€Å"You know Istan is here, and it seems like a waste to you that we should be obliterated without a chance; and you were also fortunately absent that day, and did not hear Sir Charles being insufferable. Sir Charles is a good man in many ways, but new things disconcert him. The idea of an alliance between Hill and Outlander is blasphemously new.† You are also still thinking like a Homelander – an Outlander, if you wish – for all you've learned to ride like a Hillman. The words hung before Harry's eyes as if sewn on a banner and then thrust into the ground at her feet as her standard. She looked at nothing as she said, â€Å"You are working up to telling me that there is nothing that can be done.† â€Å"No; but I am working up to telling you that there is no possibility of there being done what ought to be done – I agree with you, our, or at any rate my, country should get serious about the threat from the North. It is a real threat.† He rubbed his face with his hand, and looked momentarily weary. â€Å"I am glad you have put this chance, little as it is, in my hand. My orders, of course, forbid me to go skylarking off to engage the Northerners at Ritger's Gap or anywhere else – the official, illogical attitude is that this is a tribal matter, and if we stay quietly at home with our gates closed the wave will break and flow around us. I know this is nonsense, and so do a few of the men who've been here more than a few years. I've been brooding for months – off and on since Corlath's unexpected visit; I believed what he told us that his spies had brought back from the North – whether or not it's worth my pension to go try and do anything abou t it. I rather think it is, as we're sure to be killed if we stay at home and I'd rather be killed out doing something than have my throat slit in bed. You're just the excuse I've been looking for; it's been a bit hard to determine which dragon a solitary St. George should take on, when there seem to be dragons everywhere.† Harry looked at Jack, conscious of Terim and Senay at her elbow, and a furry shoulder pressed against her feet under the table. The sense of dislocation was almost a physical thing, like a stomachache or a sore throat; but Jack's words now eased the sore place a little. The bridge could stretch to cross this chasm, perhaps, after all. She was still alone and still scared, but for the first time since she had ridden away from Corlath's camp she felt that her errand was not necessarily a mad one; and so her conviction that she was doomed to it was therefore a little less terrifying. And perhaps it did not matter in what world she belonged if both worlds were marching in step. And now that Jack believed her, she could depend on him; for Harimad-sol was still laprun, and while she was glad of Terim and Senay, they looked up to her, and she didn't entirely like the sensation. The old friendship with Jack had taught her what kind of man he was, and he would not be embarrassingly awed by Harimad-sol and her legendary sword. The literal-minded pragmatism of the Outlander psyche had its uses. But as the weight of solitude eased, his words laid a new weight on her: Were her perceptions so wrong then? Was she in fact thinking like a Homelander – and had she, then, betrayed her new allegiance? She opened the palm of her right hand, and looked at the small white scar that lay across it. What did Corlath think of her desertion? Had Luthe's fears for her been correct, and had she not been able to see the right way when the ways divided before her? â€Å"Harry.† Jack reached across the table and pulled her right hand toward him. â€Å"What is that?† She closed her fingers till what she suddenly felt was her brand of Cain disappeared. â€Å"It's a †¦ ritual I went through. I'm a king's Rider.† â€Å"Good Lord. How the – excuse me – how did you manage that? Not that I ever doubted your sterling qualities, but I know something of that tradition – king's Riders are the, um, the elite †¦ â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† said Harry. Jack only looked at her, but her mouth went dry. She swallowed and said, â€Å"They thought it would be †¦ useful †¦ to have a damalur-sol again.† â€Å"Lady Hero,† said Jack. â€Å"Yes.† She swallowed again. â€Å"Cor – Corlath said that this war had no hope, and something like – something like a damalur-sol was a little like hope. I – I have seen Lady Aerin – do you know about the Water of Sight? – and so they think I must be someone important too.† Jack studied her as a botanist might study a new plant. â€Å"Blood calls to blood, evidently. Although Richard is the straightest arrow I've ever seen: maybe it only runs from mother to daughter.† Harry brought her head up sharply and stared at her old friend. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Surely you know,† Jack said, frowning. â€Å"Your great-grandmother – mother's mother's mother – was a Hillwoman; one of rank, I believe. That was before we'd gained a proper foothold here, or we were at least still struggling to keep what we'd got. It was a terrible scandal. I don't know much about it; it makes Richard quite green even to think about it. Young Dick turns green rather easily about some things: but some curious sense of honor compelled him to tell me, as his commanding officer, so that I could make allowances if he went off screaming into the Hills of his ancestors, I suppose. The blood taint that Fate has seen fit to hand him seems to prey on his mind.† Jack had been watching her closely as he rattled on, and broke off abruptly. â€Å"My dear, you must have known of this?† Harry sat still in her chair, where she was sure she would sit forever, gazing in amazement at the story Jack had just told her. She must have looked very queer, for Terim said to her anxiously, â€Å"Harimad-sol, what is wrong? You look as if you have seen your father's ghost. Has this man said aught of ill to you?† Harry roused and shook her head, which felt thick and heavy. â€Å"No; he has just told me something that bewilders me even as it makes all plain.† Senay said softly: â€Å"Sol, might we know what it is?† Harry tried to smile. â€Å"He has said that my mother's grandmother was a Hillwoman, and thus the blood of your Hills runs in my veins.† The two looked back at her with the sort of surprise and consternation she was sure was still plain on her own face. Terim said: â€Å"But we know you must be one of us, or the king's madness would not come to you, and everyone knows that it does: already there are tales told of Harimad-sol at the laprun trials. The Water of Sight shows you things, and Lady Aerin speaks to you, and your eyes turn yellow when you are held by some strong emotion. In fact, they are yellow now.† Harry laughed: a little laugh and a weak one, but still a laugh, and she said to Jack, â€Å"My friends are not the least surprised by this intelligence, for all that it shakes me to my soul and makes my heart beat too fast – with fear or joy I am not quite sure. They say they have known me for a Hillwoman all along.† â€Å"I've no doubt that's true,† Jack said dryly. â€Å"You may be sure Corlath would have made no Outlander his Rider, even if the Lady Aerin ordered him to.† â€Å"But why was I never told?† Harry mused, still trying to collect her thoughts together in one place so that she could look at them. Perhaps she was a better-constructed bridge than she had realized; and she thought of beams and girders, and almost laughed; how Outlanderish an image that was, to be sure. And as she labeled that bit of herself Outlander she then was free to label some other bit Damarian; and she felt a little more like herself all over, as though she were fitting into her skin a little more securely. She still was not sure what she was, but at least she need not be unhappy for not knowing: and now, perhaps, she had the missing pieces she needed to begin to learn. â€Å"I think,† Jack said slowly, â€Å"that I have an idea about that. I had assumed that you did know, but I remember now how Richard and I talked about you when you were to come out here – he seemed to think it would be bad for you in a particular way – † He frowned, trying to remember clearly. â€Å"You were evidently a little too, um, bohemian for him, and he obviously thought living in the land of your grandmother's mother was going to aggravate the tendency. But I never thought he would, er †¦ â€Å" â€Å"Protect me from myself by keeping me in ignorance?† Harry smiled ruefully. â€Å"Well, I didn't know, but I'm not surprised. Angry maybe – how dare he? – but not surprised. He takes the man's responsibility toward his frail female relations very seriously, does Dickie. Drat him. Where is my inestimable brother? Here?† Jack was smiling at her, as she sat with her sword hilt touching her shoulder when she gestured. â€Å"No,† he said, â€Å"he's off being diplomatic, which is something he shows some brilliance at, for me and Sir Charles. We'd like some extra men here, just in case this silly tribal matter gets out of hand, and I would only get red and froth at the mouth, while Richard can look earnest and beseeching, and may even have some effect.† He looked gloomily at the table. â€Å"I torment myself, now and again, wondering whether, if Corlath had given us a bit more warning about what he had in mind, if Peterson and I could have brought Charles around – even a little – this mess we're in might have been, even a little, less of a mess. But it is not, as we say when we are being diplomatic, a fruitful source of inquiry.† Harry was thinking, For that matter, why didn't Mummy or Father tell me about my mysterious inheritance? They must have known, to tell my wretched brother – indeed, it must have been generally known to some extent; that explains why we were never quite the thing – I always thought it was just because we didn't give the right sort of dinner parties and spent too much time in the saddle. She went hot and cold, and her last shred of doubt about whether she had chosen wisely when she chose the Hills over the country that had raised her dissolved; but she had loved her family and her home, and she was without bitterness. She yanked her attention back as Jack began to speak again: â€Å"It's been a little anxious here lately. There is something, or there are somethings, hanging around the town and the fort; and twice my men have gone out scouting and found signs of battle; and once there was a corpse.† His face was drawn and old. â€Å"It wasn't quite human; although from a distance it would probably look human enough.† Harry said softly: â€Å"I have been told that much of the Northern army is not quite human.† Jack was silent for a little, then said: â€Å"In simple numbers I can't promise much. I don't want to risk forcibly anyone's neck but my own, as we will be going against orders, but there are a few men here I know who have the same attitude toward the Northerners that I do. I will put it to them.† Harry said, â€Å"So, how many and how quickly?† â€Å"Not very and very. Those of us who will go have been quivering like so many arrows on so many bowstrings for weeks; we'll be grateful for the chance to snap forward. Look: you and your friends can have a bath and a nap; and we should be able to march at sunset.† There had been something obscurely troubling Harry since she entered the fort so precipitously; and at first she had put it down to the confusion, to her first sight of Outlanders since she had ceased to be one herself; and the troubled reflections that this recognition had brought her. But the sense of not-quite-right, of a whiff of something unpleasant, or a vibration in the air, increased as the rest of her relaxed. She looked around her now, able to think about this specific disturbance, to focus on its cause if her kelar would point the way. She turned her head one way and another; it was much worse in the small closed space that was Jack's rooms. It was as she put her hand over the blue stone on Gonturan's hilt that she finally understood what it was. â€Å"One last thing,† she said. â€Å"Yes?† said Jack, but it took Harry a little time to put it in words. â€Å"No †¦ guns. Rifles or revolvers, or whatever it is you use. They'll only, um, go wrong.† And she shivered in the proximity of Jack's hunting-rifles hung on the wall, and two revolvers on belts hooked over the back of an unoccupied chair. Jack tapped his fingers on the table. â€Å"Not just rumors, then?† he said. Harry shook her head. â€Å"Not just rumors. It's not something I've seen, about guns – but I know. I know something of what the Hillfolk do, or are – and even if we could stop whatever it is we do, and I can't, because I usually don't know what I'm doing in the first place – I know too that, whatever it is, it will ride with those that we will be facing. And – and the presence of yours in this room,† and she waved her hand, while the other one still rested on the blue gem, â€Å"is making me feel †¦ edgy. It's the sort of thing I'm learning to pay attention to.† The room was suddenly smaller and darker than it had been before Harry spoke; Jack stared at her, seeing his young friend and seeing almost clearly the outline of the thing she had taken on in the Hills; and then an unexpected ray of sunlight fell through the window and the blue gem of her sword hilt blazed up as her hand slipped away from it, and her cheek and hair were lit blue. But the outline of her burden was gone. Jack thought, I am going to follow this child, to my death perhaps, but I am going to follow her, and be proud of the opportunity. â€Å"Very well. I believe you. It's rather pleasant to have one's favorite old-wives'-tales borne out as truth. You'll not want infantry anyway; and our cavalry is accustomed to its sabers.† â€Å"Now, about that bath?† Harry said. Ted was told to provide the baths and beds required; she and Senay were led to Jack's bathroom first, and Harry sank gratefully into the water in the tall tin tub, sliding down till the water closed over her face and she looked up at a wavering circular world. She had to come up at last to breathe, and the world opened out again. Senay unbraided and combed her long dark hair, which fell past her knees in well-ordered waves; Harry watched with envy. Her own hair was nearly so long, but it liked escaping whatever it was put into, and bits were always getting caught in things and snapped off; so while Senay's hair smoothly framed her face and smoothly twisted into a knot at the nape of her neck, Harry always had unrepentant tendrils launching themselves in all directions. Senay bound her sleek mane up again as Harry climbed, dripping, out of the tub. Senay slipped into the water with her own grateful sigh, and Harry put on the oversized ni ghtshirt Ted had laid out for her and stumbled into Jack's bedroom, where two cots had been set up by the bed. Narknon finished investigating all the corners of Jack's rooms, while Jack and Ted eyed her warily, soon after Harry finished her bath; but when the cat tried to squeeze herself next to her sol on the bed, Harry was so deeply asleep already that she refused to make room and Narknon, with a discontented yowl, had to sleep humped over her feet.

Civil War Weapons

Lori Robinson HIS 226-IN1 Module 4 Weapons of the Civil War I have to load a weapon? Oh no! Let’s see, first I have to get my cartridge out of the box. I really hate the taste of gunpowder in my mouth when I rip open the cartridge with my teeth. Then I have to pour that powder into the barrel of the gun. What next? Remove the rammer, ram the barrel to set the ammo, and then return the rammer. Then to prime the gun, I have to set my cap, and now I can finally fire a single shot. Am I really expected to remember to do all these steps, for every shot, while at the same time people are shooting at me?What about all the smoke and noise? The noise of the guns and people next to me screaming in pain, or breathing their last breath. It is all so confusing. Is there not any other weapon in can use? The musket I am using now is most likely the Enfield rifle. It is what is called a cap lock rifle. It’s probably the most popular shoulder arm of both armies. The South did have more in the beginning of the war, as they put in a large order from England, and it took a lot of time to produce the second order for the North. There are two types of muskets used during this war.The smoothbore, which is not very accurate, nor does it have a very long range. The rifled-musket is not only more accurate, but because of the rifling, or grooves in the barrel, that cause the ball to spiral, it has a much longer range. Another category of shoulder arms is the carbine. The carbine, used most often by the cavalry, was shorter and lighter in weight than a musket. Carbines are breech-loaded, which means it is loaded between the barrel and the stock. This makes it easier to reload while still on horseback. There are about twenty different types of carbines, and mostly used by Northern troops.Many were actually produced in the North. One exception to this is the Maynard carbine. It is one of the favorites of the Confederate cavalry. Even though it is manufactured in Massachusetts, it continued to be shipped to Confederate States for several months after the war began. People claimed they were using the guns as Southern sportsmen. What if I want a sidearm? (Otherwise known as a pistol. ) There are hundreds of manufacturers and model being used, but there are about 5 or 6 favorites, including the Remington, the Keer, and the Derringer.The Colt was the most commonly used, but the LeMat is one of the most powerful killing models. It is the one carried by Generals J. E. B Stuart and P. T. G. Beauregard. This revolver holds nine rounds plus the capacity of also holding a load of buckshot in a lower barrel. One problem with the LeMat, though is that it doses not hole standard ammunition. Most weapons use either . 44 or . 36 caliber projectiles, while the LeMat fires . 35, . 40, or . 42 caliber ammunition. I wonder what it would be like to be part of an artillery gun crew. It takes five men to load a cannon.Let’s see if I can get all the procedures right. I h ave not gotten to do this yet, but have watched some of my buddies during drills. The first thing they do is to cover the vent hole. Then another man will ream his â€Å"worm† down the barrel to remove anything left for the last shot. Then a third man rams a sponge down the barrel to put out any hot embers. Good thing they do this, as I would not want any of my friends to reload power on top of a fire already in the barrel. Next the powder monkey comes to present the rounds to the loader, who then puts it in the barrel and it is rammed down the barrel again.Now another man sets the primer cord, and after everyone is cleared of the cannon, it is fired. There are two types of artillery cannons being used in this war — field guns and howitzers. The both use anywhere from six to thirty-two pound projectiles for ammunition. Just as with muskets there are smoothbores, rifled barrels and breech-loaded cannons. The rifled barrel cannons were used less often because as the barr els were made of bronze, a softer metal than the iron of the musket, the rifling was often worn smooth with continuous use.The field gun has a longer barrel and is usually fired straight ahead, or maybe a slight 5 degree upward angle. The howitzer has a shorter barrel, used larger ordnance but a small charge. By the way, ordnance is just a military term for cannonball. The field gun had a longer range, but the howitzer was more accurate, with a higher arc. The longer range of the field gun is not even fully used most of the time, as the gunner must be able to see his target in order to adjust his shots. Are these all the weapons used in this war?Or course not! There are the â€Å"edged† weapons. In most cases all edged weapons, are nearly negligible in as far as how many causalities these weapons accounted for. These include sabers, swords, bayonets and military cutlery. Military cutlery is just another fancy term for hand-to-hand weapons, such as the Bowie knife. I heard a f unny story that was passed down from a Georgia boy about another type of edged weapon, the pike. It seems the Georgia governor, Joe Brown, at a time when there was a shortage of firearms, ordered 10,000 pikes.He imagined that he could create effective soldiers to defend themselves on a battlefield with this mid-evil type of weapon that was actually nothing more than a two-foot knife attached to a six-foot pole. The soldiers were trained using these weapons, but I wouldn’t want to go to a gunfight with nothing more than a knife, no matter how long the knife was. In fact, the 34th Georgia regiment was close to mutiny at the thought of going into battle armed with only the pike. Governor Brown wants his men to charge the enemy with â€Å"terrible impetuosity†.He told him men; about the pike â€Å"at least it will never misfire or waste a single charge of powder. † The pikes were only meant as a last-ditch effort to arm the men with whatever could be found until mor e firearms could be furnished. Other weapons like gunships and submarines are being used in the war, but I will save those stories for later. I need to finish this story now so I can get some rest and prepare for battle in the morning. www. civilwarweapons. net

Market-based or Government control Issues surrounding ObamaCare Research Paper

Market-based or Government control Issues surrounding ObamaCare - Research Paper Example Critics labeled PPACA as ?bamaCareto differentiate it from other alternative solutions to America's diverse healthcare problems, such as a fully nationalized healthcare system and improving the current market-based healthcare system (Shi & Singh, 2007, p.ix). This paper seeks to explore the issues surrounding PPACA. A number of authors argued against PPCA, because they assert that it is a socialist intervention that does not fit the market-run socio-economic model of modern society and it is a costly and unconstitutional infringement on individual choices and corporate rights. ObamaCare is fundamentally socialist and does not fit into the market-run socio-economic model of modern society. Williamson (2011) described PPACA as ?ocialist,because it is based on a ?entral planning model,with socialist features of ?ncome-redistribution, economic leveling, the co-opting and nationalization of private enterprises, and the elevation of an elite planning class(p.237). He did not believe that a socialist model can resolve the underlying issues of high medical and insurance costs in the nation, and for him, it will only replicate the 1970s British healthcare issues of poor implementation and poor results. Sultz and Young (2008) highlighted the characteristics of American healthcare that evade an effective socialization process. First, the healthcare system is too large to be managed by the state alone: ?he U.S. health care system is the world's eight largest economy, second to that of France, and is larger than the total economy of Italy(p.xvii). Second, the healthcare system is too complex, because of its labor-intensive levels and the changing, varied roles of healthcare professionals and employees who interact with evolving medical technology and patient preferences (Sultz & Young, 2008, p.xvii). Sultz and Young (2008) argued that the size and complexity of the American healthcare system shaped problems of limited health care access, inconsistent quality, and increasing costs (p.xviii).They stressed that nowadays, the system is more driven by the market than state policies, which only reflects underlying socio-economic paradigms, and so a socialist response to it will not be effective. Shi and Singh (2007) even described the healthcare system as not a system, because it is enormously fragmented. It is ?ragmented because different people obtain health care through different means(p.2). Since it is not even a system, a socialist system will also not work to improve access to it, as well as reduce costs and inequalities. Several sources asserted that Obamacare will not resolve the American healthcare system's weaknesses, because it takes away individual choices through strong government interventions. Atlas (2010) argued that ObamaCare is flawed, because it predominantly eliminates individual choices by enforcing state control. He stressed that ?bamaCare... audaciously [imposes] a strong-armed federal government onto perhaps the most personal of all segments of American life(p.2). He believed that ObamaCare will only reduce individual choices and he hinted that this may have an impact on the ?uperior medical carethat Americans can access now (p.2). Shi and Singh (2007) also did not agree with ObamaCare, because it manifests the growing government control over people's lives. They stressed that around fifty percent of the American public opposed ObamaCare, becaus

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 23

Sociology - Essay Example Among the things I will tackle in my research include the peoples’ sexual attitude, ideology and behaviors, the relationship between sex and marriage for example pre-marital and extramarital sex, child bearing, sexual diversity for instance homosexuality and bisexual relationships, divorce among others (Jeffreys 27). Sexual ratio at birth and the preference or importance attached to children of different gender in the two countries will also be discussed. Population ageing and Age Dependency Ratios is also an important issue when it comes to sexuality. In regard to this concept, the research will look at the impacts of fertility and mortality transitions on the elderly people in both countries and all issues surrounding it. Much emphasis will also be given to the policies that govern sexuality and fertility in these two countries for instance in regard to birth controls and abortion and their consequences. The one- child policy in China is an example. My research will take a form of a critical and synthetic literature review evaluation in regard to the different aspects that are associated with sexuality in both China and the United States of

Work family interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Work family interview - Essay Example She also said that she has a house nanny, who helps her with the care of the children. When I asked her about her work, she said that she loves her work although sometimes it is pretty demanding. She argued that being a teacher sometimes was quite challenging because children give her a hard time (Kerka & Eric, 1991). She teaches children from the ages 6 to 12 years. Sometimes she would take long hours at work while at other times she would leave work early depending on her responsibilities for the day. She explained that on an average day’s work would last roughly eight to ten hours, but on a busy day, it would last the whole day and she would often come home late. When she expected to arrive home late she would call her house nanny to pick the children. Her children were studying in a nearby academy; therefore, she often picked them. She said that her husband was always a busy man and travelled a lot and sometimes would take an entire week from work. However, her husband was a responsible man because he always put sometime for his family despite his demanding job. When I interviewed her husband, he said that he was quite a busy man since his career required him to travel a lot. He said that he would wake up as early as 4 am in the morning and sometimes leave the house before anyone was awake. On a normal day, he woke up at 5 am in the morning and take breakfast that his wife had prepared. Sometimes he would wake up earlier than her wife and prepare breakfast for himself (Lee, Duxbury and Higgins, 1994). Most of the time, perhaps the whole week, he would never see his children since he woke up early. However, on weekends he always kept time for his children, his wife and his family. He argued that sometimes he hated his job because it made him miss his family a lot. Sometimes he wished he was the teacher just like his wife so that he would have time for his children. When her wife was not around, the

21st Century Women's Health Act of 2015 Research Paper

21st Century Women's Health Act of 2015 - Research Paper Example According to Senator Murray, women living in the US are at a precarious situation as far as their reproductive health is concerned. Regardless of the fact that Obamacare has significant increased access to affordable health services that are gender based, conservative politicians from the entire nation have been persistently campaigning at the state and federal level with the aim of overturning the law that safeguards the healthcare rights of women, and they have been successful in some occasions. She further states that there has been significant progress in regards to advancement of the health of women and expansion on access to reproductive care, but there is still a lot of work that has to be done since some of the elected officials are determined to reverse the laws already created. Therefore, it can be considered that the 21st Century Women’s Health Act proposes essential means of moving forward in regards to the health of women. This new law emphasis on a number of key aspects in terms of the health care of women including their maternity services, offering support for victims of rape and sexual assault, contraception, reproductive rights, abortion as well as preventive care. Eight months after she unsuccessfully attempted to override the decision of the US Supreme Court on contraceptive coverage, Senator Patty Murray came out with another proposal that sought to safeguard access to reproductive health services by women. This wide-ranging bill will obligate the state Medicaid programs to provide comprehensive coverage for all types of birth control, necessitate hospitals to avail free emergency contraception to sexually assaulted patients while at the same time ordering studies on the manner in which state enact laws to limit access to abortions as well as other family planning methods and services. This bill seeks to reverse the laws that are considered by Senator Murray to be taking the nation backwards and dealing with the officials who are

Who were the Neanderthals, and what caused their extinction Did they Essay

Who were the Neanderthals, and what caused their extinction Did they influence Homo sapiens, either genetically or culturally - Essay Example Also, These Neanderthals are also genetically associated with the â€Å"Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH)† by some anthropologists based on genetic and cultural evidence, while there is still an ongoing debate about the conformity of the proposition. Anatomically modern humans are the most immediate ancestors of the humans, and possibilities of interbreeding amongst the species are still being investigated. However, scientific study of genetics indicates that humans and Neanderthals have only been found to have ancestral connections about 550,000 years ago. However studying evolution from a cultural perspective indicates a strong sense of connection between early humans and the Neanderthals. These species, the Neanderthals were first discovered in 1829. In 1856, when Neanderthal specimen was found in a cave in Germany the scientists were amazed at the discovery as it was very unique and distinctive from other fossils previously been found, as the skull was oval in shape with th ick and strong bones along with a retreating forehead (Delson 2006). The name Homo Neanderthals was suggested to these unknown species by the geologist William King in 1864 when these were found in the Neander valley in Germany (Jordan 1999). However, after a lot of research the scientists were able to discover the fact that the species discovered in 1829 were the same as these found later. Neanderthals had a strong body built with a heavy structure and a shorter height, ideal to absorb more heat so that they can survive in cold climates. Sexual dimorphism between both genders was comparatively unclear. To shed light on the causes of extinction associated with the Neanderthals, it is first crucial to study their modes of survival and their lifestyles. These species relied on the plants to acquire nutrition for their survival. However, due to the colder climates that they had to face, possibilities are that the plant supplies would have adequately dropped during the winters. Due to t his factor they had to diversify their food sources including meat in their diet to fulfill their nutritious requirements (Shipmen 2008). Anthropological remains like sharpened tools for cutting and ripping away meat preys indicate that these species were seasonal meat hunters. Moreover, when scientists studied the plaque over the teeth of the remains, they even found out that these species incorporates mollusks, sharks and other marine species as their diets. Amongst other anthropological evidences, a flake tool sophisticated in its built was also found which was made after breaking off the stones from the surfaces, though it wasn’t as complex as those tools found amongst other ancestral species associated with humans. Moreover, having studied the anatomy of their bodies, it was concluded that their arms were rather asymmetric which are indicative of the fact that they used thrusting techniques to capture preys, which means that they utilized larger animals for consumption. Along with these remains, other significant discoveries were the needle like tools which can be used for sewing garments to wear. Moreover, Neanderthals are also found to have used fire for various purposes. Thorough analysis of the locales draws attention towards shallow pits along with other even shallower grave like structures. This indicates that these people used to bury the dead into graves and hold funerals to carry these events. The settings also reflect that these species used to live in a nuclear family setup while some instances indicate social gatherings and events to be a part of their lives as well.

Cultural Event Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Cultural Event Report - Essay Example Among the attendees were myself and five of my friends. All cell phones were to have been switched off completely as even video and music recordings were both proscribed. People were supposed to have dressed up, since the festival was a nocturnal show. Upon attending the festival themed Power of Our Voice, our group’s initial reaction was that of excitement and amazement, as different performing artistes graced the stage. Among the many performances that graced the occasion, Aretha Franklin and D’Angelo’s performances remained the most appealing. Aretha Franklin’s performance was central in the festival, as it remained present from the onset of the show, right to the four-day festival’s closing night. Franklin sang the famous song I have Never Loved a Man, much to the delight of the mammoth crowd. The song presented Franklin with the power to showcase her gift in working out her vocals. As she sang, slideshows were screened to help the fans sing along. However, technical glitches and the garbling of sound mixes accompanied the show as minor hitches. At the same time, a greater part of the audience felt shortchanged by the fact that Franklin’s greatest hit, Respect was not featured during the festival. While many cited oversight, others thought that lack of adequate time had precipitated this mishap (Rothman, 1). Nevertheless, the spirit of discontentment among the fans drowned in the sea of glee as Franklin eventually changed into her gold-accented caftan costume. As the stage lights finally came alive upon her, her regal carriage became outstanding and made her maintain her centrality in the stage. Because of Franklin’s astounding performance in this music festival, Franklin became the first person to receive the Power Award, because of her contributions to the world of music. In this festival, D’Angelo attempted to recapture his streak as the soul and R&B

Museum Project Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Museum Project - Movie Review Example The personages in the art piece are elongated, and the artist has emphasized linear decoration as well as remote facial expressions. The artist also uses decoration technique that was common in the 14th century known as punched decoration. This is evidence in the painting where one can see flattened pieces of metalwork with designs embedded in the piece. To the viewers’ one could say that this painting is unusual and unique. The audience can see that the child is wearing a coral necklace depicting that it will protect him from evil while also he is holding a goldfinch in his hand symbolizing his future sacrifice. The donor Knight on the left can be said to possess an affluent, aristocratic background because of the Cross of Malta that he wears on his sleeve (Soares 1). The other man on the right dressed in red can be said to be a high-ranking church official because of the style and colour of his clothing. These two instances of portraiture represent the increasing grandness of the individual in the Renaissance era. The child and Madonna are painted in tempera on wood, and the viewer can see the different armaments of the painting’s dimensions. The aspect of the painting is 48.75 by 21 inches and was painted in Late Medieval. According to Soares, the inscriptions and markings of the painting are Cecchus Petri de Pisis Mepisit AD MCCCLXXXVI, which are painted along the bottom of the painting frame (1). The use of punched decoration by Pietro is one of the painting’s characteristic that was used in the Early Italian Renaissance painting. This technical innovation used is depicted by the use of flattened pieces of metalwork with designs embedded in the art piece (Soares 1). The Renaissance paintings had engaged frames, which were made of wooden strips affiliated to the outside edge of the panel, which is the case in Madonna and Child painting. This is also evident in the painting Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata

Human Resource Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Resource Management - Coursework Example The need is to understand how the both Competency-Based Pay and traditional Job-Based Pay methods are bringing in value for the sake of the organizations and the aspiring employees more than anyone else. The two methods look to be different but are doing more or less the same work, yet in varied capacities which is a point that needs to be comprehended in a proper way. The Competency-Based Pay and traditional Job-Based Pay are inherently different within their work ideologies and should always be treated as such. 2. There are no easy answers to the question of what causes people to act irresponsibly. For years psychologists assumed that some employees were simply more accident prone than others, and that accident-prone people generally caused more accidents. Explain how to reduce unsafe acts through Selection and Placement, and Employee Participation. Unsafe acts that could lead to accidents within the workplace realms can be avoided if employee selection measures are handled in a pr oper way. ... This would mean that they are working to their strengths and thus given the room to exploit their own basis. This is in the form of moving ahead with the changing times. Similarly, employee participation is significant because it warrants the proper role of the employees in a quantifiable way because the quality of the employees is manifested adequately. This is the reason why employees give in their best when they are chosen correctly and the organizations in this day and age reap the rewards incessantly. The element of accidents also reduces within the realms of the organizations and the employees start giving in their cent percent day in and day out. 3. List three factors leading to job stress and identify three suggestions for reducing job stress.   The three factors that lead to job stress include working beyond a certain time that is due, excess of work (both due and undue) and lastly doing work in a way that has not been asked of the individual under consideration. These thr ee factors touch upon the significant areas that lead to job stress within the organizations of today, and which lead to immense problems for the employees in essence (Minter, 1999). The there suggestions that could be given to reduce the job stress ailment is to make sure that the work is completed within the stipulated time so that there are no hangovers of the work realms in the future. Also work should be ascertained in such a manner that there is believability within its completion steps. More work means more job stress for the person who is undertaking such realms, and it is always good to estimate what kind of work he is entering into before actually going about committing the same. Also job stress could

Medicine and Health Issues Essay Example for Free

Medicine and Health Issues Essay Employees in the health care system manage a wide variety of health issues and diseases. This course has provided you the opportunity to take a broad look at many of these health issues. The next step is for you to look at how disease trends will influence the delivery of health care in the future. Write a 1,700- to 2,100-word paper explaining how demographics and disease trends are likely to influence health care delivery services in the future. Include the following sections: †¢Aging oDescribe the current age composition of the U. S. population and how it is expected to change in the next 10 to 20 years. oIdentify the factors that support this trend. †¢Environmental factors †¢Changing demographics oExplain how the aging trend is likely to increase or decrease the health issues covered in this course. Include examples of at least two relevant diseases. oExplain what can be done to reduce health complications related to aging. Include at least two examples. †¢Obesity oDescribe the current rate of obesity in the United States and how it is expected to change in the next 10 to 20 years. oIdentify the factors that support this trend. †¢Environmental factors †¢Changing demographics oExplain how this obesity trend is likely to increase or decrease the health issues covered in this course. Include examples of at least two relevant diseases. oExplain what can be done to reduce health complications related to obesity. Include at least two examples. †¢The Future oExplain how health care delivery will adapt in the future to provide care for age-related health issues. oExplain how health care delivery will adapt in the future to provide care for obesity-related health issues. Include at least four sources other than Human Diseases: A Systemic Approach. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Recycling Behavior Among University Students

Recycling Behavior Among University Students The purpose of our study is to find the factors affecting multimedia students to recycle. We have four independent variables which are health consciousness, health consciousness, rewards convenience, and one dependent variable which is students recycling behavior. What appears unavailable is documentation on critical issues involved and how to address them. This paper, therefore, examines the attitudes portrayed by students towards recycling. We used survey questionnaire to collect data from 100 respondents. The government and the community can use our findings to find ways to make people recycling more and save energy. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Chapter Overview This chapter clearly provides much insight into the importance of the current research. It begins with a quick study on the background of the research. It includes the question in detail and how to get to the answer or solution. There will be an interpretation of what this study is all about and also the scope of the study. This chapter will finally conclude with a brief overview of the research. Background of the research Recycling is a much needed thing in order to keep this planet from turning into a trash dump. A lot of people feel that recycling is a waste of time and insignificant, but it takes less than a minute to throw a paper in a recycle bin just like it take a minute to open a wrap and eat a sweet. But they should know that whatever recycling they do can make a difference for instance one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a T.V for 3 hours, a single glass jar saves enough energy to light a light bulb for 4 hours.    So for everything you recycle it does save energy.   In Malaysia tones of waste are produced, 19000, and all them end up in landfills and there are 230 landfills in Malaysia. And 80 percent of this landfills will be filled in two years, which is really bad because if the landfills reach that capacity in only two years, what capacity would they be in another two years to come?(David Gutierrez, December 2010) What people believe is that not many things can be recycled; maybe years ago it could be believed to be true but not today. Nowadays anything can be recycled; paper can be bound into newspapers, manuals, school books and paper boxes, metals like aluminum, sauce cans and tins, plastics, glass, beverage cartons etc. And there are companies in Malaysia that encourage recycling and they provide recycling machines SMIC (M) Sdn Bhd which provide recycling services of waste, Nikkhsin Sdn. Bhd. Which recycles Aluminum Claddings Automotive Engines : Export Automotive Parts Accessories : Export Disposal Services Garbage Disposal Service, Lian Hong Trading, Kent Soon Recycle Centre Sdn. Bhd, Ganapathy Metals, GMS Purna Impex and Edar Bagus. Mentioned above are the recycle centers that could be found in Malaysia. Recycling is a lesson that one should be taught in a young age, but I shows that most people know about recycling when they are old enough to understand and able to make their decisions. MMU would find ways in which to get through to the students and how the students respond to the information is up to them, thats what our research would be mostly looking, how Multimedia students respond to the education given about recycling. Recycling  does not cost anything, it takes only a little extra time, and one can make an amazing difference to the world. In many regions  recycling boxes  are not provided which people can use to collect recyclable materials for collection at the same time as their domestic waste. 1.3  Objective The research question and also the objectives are established in order to provide a sense of direction on the topic that is being investigated. The research question of this study is to find out: What are the factors affecting MMU students to recycle? The main objective or the reason why we are doing this research is for us to examine the To determine problems faced by students in recycling? To identify factors affecting students to recycle 1.4 Scope of study In accordance of the topic we are studying which is recycling; since this topic is wide we have to narrow it down to the students studying in Multimedia University. The main focus of this study is to find out the effects of recycling, as in the positive of recycling and also the negative of recycling among the students. This study is limited to students only. The geographic scope is limited to the country of Malaysia. These limits nevertheless offer a reasonable base and rationale for the scope of study. The data was collected through a questionnaire survey which was completed by students with the intention of measuring the effects of recycling among students in MMU. Organization Research This part is going to make more factual information by using the following chapter that are given by the textbook and also an order from our perspective lecturer/tutor. Chapter 1: The research is lead by studying the effects ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ which are related to the research objectives and justifications. And it may lead us to a conclusion why recycling is important to our environment and also to our health. Chapter 2: This chapter is going to present a review of the definition of recycling and ways to increase education relating to reuse reduce and recycle, basically programs adopted by MMU to encourage its students to recycle. Chapter 3: This chapter will present the research methodology that was employed in the research, it clarifies how we get the data, and analysis this raw data to organize it into a useful and easy way to make others fully understand it. Chapter 4: The major findings and insights that are emphasized by us in this research which are to discover the basic reasons why some students recycle while others do not recycle at all, and the effectiveness of the programs that were offered by the university in encouraging recycling. Chapter 5: This is the final chapter, conclusion from the research findings and discussions. And also it highlights the limitations associated with the research and a proper recommendation for future research in the specific area, because nowadays everything can be recycled therefore there wont be any excuse students will give for not recycling and many programs provided to learn about recycle and how to do it. 1.6 Justification for Research Looking at the fact that not so many people do not recycle, and thats because the majority do not know anything about recycling , it could that some of them do not know the importance of recycling and finally some will want to recycle and because of lack of resources that will be hindered. That is why we do this study to find the answer to all those questions and to put the 3R perspective .into use. This 3 concept are the main purpose of the recycling which is 3R. From this perspective, we intend to study the recycling behavior among the MMU students. Nowadays, almost all universities is applying environmental friendly concept. Due to this concept, we are looking deeply into these experiences, to learn from the MMU undergraduates and start revealing how the students can inform us to move into the realm of wide-spread institutional transformation. The reason we agreed together to have recycling as our project is mainly because nowadays almost all universities in the world had organize several campaigns about the recycling. MMU also joined in organizing campaign relating to environmental friendly. For example, MMU Convocation 2010s ConvoFests theme is green. Hence, our objective is to know how actively MMU undergraduates feel towards environmental-friendly concept. Apart from it, we will use survey method to gather information that needed by collecting raw data from MMU undergraduates. For the importance, recycling no doubt is really vital nowadays. This is because this will affect the industry future and the environment. At current, we are mainly focused on the undergraduates in the university. If we found out that undergraduates are actively involved in this field, shows that in future there would be more people involved in recycling. This will contribute to environmental-friendly. Our study will benefit a lot of people mostly the government and the community in the vicinity will be benefited. The government will be benefited in terms of the fact that now the environment will be less polluted thus more industries will be built,   The more materials recycled, the less energy is expended to create new materials, the more resources conserved and the more trash and pollutants are kept from entering the environment. Recycling helps to keep water and air clean, saves the wildlife and keeps trash off the streets.   Recycling also helps to control Municipal Services Fees by reducing the total amount of trash to be taken to landfills. And the community will be benefited in terms of clean air to breath and less trash in their streets, good health will also be a benefit to the community because the trash now is recycled rather than being thrown all over. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 definition of recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution by reducing the need for conventional waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Or plainly it is returning an item back to its original condition so that it can be reused. Recycling behavior includes environmental consciousness, health consciousness, rewards and convenience. Some of these attributes can be measured objectively while others, in our case, are measured according to students perception. Recycling is so important to the welfare of our community.Majority students already know that recycling helps conserve natural resources, and also know that recycling saves space in our landfills. On the other hand, few know that recycling waste products conserves water, energy, trees, and helps reduce pollution in our drink ing water and air. But for some products its crucial to conserve them example conserving energy by way of recycling is a crucial environmental benefit because it takes far less energy to make new products and put them into working order using recycled waste than it does to make them from entirely new material. In dealing with students more reinforcement should be taken into consideration, like ways to encourage them to recycle, and research shows that rewards work for students. Nevertheless, it seems hard to match the evidence that the reward reinforcement is one of the most effective promotion techniques (Geller et al., 1975; Witmer and Geller, 1976; Luyben and Bailey, 1979; Hamad et al., 1980; Vining and Ebreo, 1990; Needleman and Geller, 1992. 2.2 Definition of students recycling behavior From todays perspective, modern recycling behavior would appear to have commenced in the seventies, when households were exhorted to save paper, cardboard, metals and other materials in an attempt to combat the energy crisis (Ackerman, 1997). The recycling drive involved not only a general urge to take action and reduce wastefulness, but also more specific reactions to the spread of litter, and to the threat of pollution from landfills. Hence, it seemed logical to assume that recycling was not only a high involvement form of behavior but also that there would be many differences between recyclers and non-recyclers (Lansana, 1992). The recycling behavior of students differs with every student, some recycling because they fill it is important in their lives and some of them do not recycle because they see no need to recycle. Recycling behavior is considered as a high commitment since it is considered a environment conduct and in addition the predominant environmental literature emphasizes the idea that individuals who are reluctant to recycle, or who neither recognize the importance of, nor express interest in, recycling waste are the same individuals who are most interested in extrinsic stimuli such as prizes, gifts and financial rewards (Vining and Ebreo, 1990; Oskamp et al., 1991; Dahle and Neumayer, 2001) the study explains that some students recycling behavior is encouraged by rewards or extrinsic value rather than recycling because it is the right thing to do. Study shows that students who behave (focus on external reinforcement) that way have less information about recycling. To be more specific, the response to the reward technique is explained by pointing out that consumers have not assimilated good enough knowledge and evaluations, such as ecological conscience (Bohlen et al., 1993); beliefs ab out recycling (Scholder, 1994); ecological concern (Dunlap and Van Liere; 1984; Bohlen et al., 1993); a favorable attitude toward recycling (Biswas et al., 2000) and recycling involvement (McGuiness et al., 1977; Black et al., 1985. 2.3 factors affecting students to recycle There are lots of factors that affect students to recycle; some factors can be controlled while others cannot be controlled, these factors include collection method (segregated or mixed materials) ,space for collection and storage of reusables and recyclables ,geographical location, particularly in relation to markets for reprocessing materials ,size of institution and volume of recyclable material ,other important factors include local authority facilities, charging structure and support  only to name a few. In fact, consumers learning requirements regarding recycling are easily satisfied since beliefs about recycling have already been acquired by the average citizen and the waste-collection system has reached a high standard of convenience which reduces its perceived cost (Ackerman, 1997). Study shows that educating students about recycling could help also, the factors given above could all exist but when students do not know anything about recycling then everything becomes vague. Education on recycling in fact is one of the major factors affecting recycling, the knowledge gained by students through that education can help them choose whether they want to recycle or not. The question is whether or not recycling continues to be of the high involvement category, and if it is not, whether to assume that responders and no responders to the reward technique display significant differences in terms of knowledge and evaluations. To understand this seemingly paradoxical framework it must be appreciated that nowadays recycling is often not high involvement behavior, since recycling has long since become part of contemporary culture and is no longer regarded as a novelty (Rogers, 1995). 2.4 Relationship between recycling and students behavior Nevertheless, according to recent research, the high involvement decisions model is not the only one which is valid for explaining both ecological (Hartmann et al., 2002) and recycling behaviors (Ratneshwar et al., 2003) and it therefore seems possible to represent recycling behaviors by using other hierarchies of effect (Diaz and Beerli, 2004). Such approaches are based on the fact that (1) much previous evidence points to the existence of associations or correlations, and not of cause and effect relationships, in recycling adoption models (Schlegelmilch et al., 1996) and (2) no works have been found that contradict the protocol of classic effects. Basically the above writers explain that there is a difference between recycling and the behavior of students or their attitude. Some students or in this case majority feel there is an importance in recycling and they want to learn more about recycling because they will like to recycling in the future. But because of less education given about it they Havre no choice but not to recycle. Another group is those students with negative attitude; they feel there is no need to recycle because is none of their business to recycle but some of them need a nudge or a push for them to recycle. And to push students to recycle is through extrinsic benefits or rewards, they need that for them to change their attitude towards recycling, and research shows that rewards are a good way to make students recycle and they respond to that more than anything else involved. According to Petty and Cacioppos elaboration likelihood model, the individual is not motivated to think about recycling but about the promised reward. Therefore, responders engage in recycling via the so called peripheral route and thus show little interest in recycling itself (Young, 1984; Katzev and Pardini, 1987; Vining and Ebreo, 1989).The predominant environmental literature emphasizes the idea that individuals who are reluctant to recycle, or who neither recognize the importance of, nor express interest in, recycling waste are the same individuals who are most interested in extrinsic stimuli such as prizes, gifts and financial rewards (Vining and Ebreo, 1990; Oskamp et al., 1991; Dahle and Neumayer,2001). CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction This chapter explains about the design and research method. Firstly, research question has been identifying by the review, hypotheses and theoretical framework. The dependent variable of the research is recycle behavior while the independent variables are; environmental consciousness, health consciousness, rewards/ incentives, nearness or convenience. Second part of this chapter, it will discuss the hypothesis development. 3.2 Research Framework Environmental consciousness STUDENTS RECYCLING BEHAVIOUR Nearness/convenience Rewards/incentives Health consciousness Based on the theoretical framework, it have total of 4 independent variables which will be analyzed towards one dependent variable in this study. The dependent variable which is, Recycle Behavior would be affected in a positive or negative manner based on the independent variables influences. 3.3 Hypothesis Development Hypothesis 1: H0= Environmental Consciousness does not influence Recycle Behavior. H1= Environmental influences Recycle Behavior. Hypothesis 2: H0= Health Consciousness does not influence Recycle Behavior. H1= Health Consciousness influences Recycle Behavior. Hypothesis 3: H0= Rewards/ Incentives does not influence Recycle Behavior. H1= Rewards/ Incentives influences Recycle Behavior. Hypothesis 4: H0= Nearness or Convenience does not influence Recycle Behavior. H1= Nearness or Convenience influences Recycle Behavior. Dependent Variable Dependent Variable is a variable that can be change by the Independent variables or the variable that is being measured in an experiment. Recycle Behavior is our study dependent variable. A habit had by the people to process used material into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful material. It saves a lot of sources. (Environmental Assistance Office (EAO), Infrastructure, Design, Environment, and Sustainability (IDEAS) Center, UNC Charlotte, 2009). Independent Variable Independent and dependent variables are related to one another. The Independent part is what you, the experimenter, changes or enacts in order to do your experiment. The dependent variable is what changes when the independent variable changes. The dependent variable  depends on the outcome of the independent variable. From the study we have 4 Independent variable; Environmental Consciousness, Health Consciousness, Rewards/ Incentives, and Nearness or Convenience. Environmental Consciousness: mean that there is no better measure of environmental responsibility than direct observation of young people, over a significant period where people are minimizing their environmental impact, reducing consumption and reusing and recycling materials. (Bill Hampel and Roger Holdsworth, 1996). H1= Environmental Consciousness influences Recycle Behavior. Health Consciousness: recycle behavior relationship for health consciousnesses is for good health. (Debasmita Chanda, 2006) Example: To have a better life environmental with less pollution problem. H1= Health Consciousness influences Recycle Behavior. Rewards/ Incentives: the expectation of reward when you to do the recycle. Example: Jenny take the 1kg of the tin to recycle, there have a return of RM 3 for the 1kg tin as the reward. H1= Rewards/ Incentives influences Recycle Behavior. Nearness or Convenience: Convenience was determining when students will recycle or not. (Environmental Assistance Office (EAO), Infrastructure, Design, Environment, and Sustainability (IDEAS) Center, UNC Charlotte, 2009) H1= Nearness or Convenience influences Recycle Behavior 3.4 Data Sources We are collecting our study data sources through the internet. Variable Name Description Sources Recycle Behavior A habit had by the people to process used material into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful material Environmental Assistance Office (EAO), Infrastructure, Design, Environment, and Sustainability (IDEAS) Center, UNC Charlotte, 2009 Environmental Consciousness there is no better measure of environmental responsibility than direct observation of young people, over a significant period who are minimizing their environmental impact, reducing consumption and reusing and recycling materials Bill Hampel and Roger Holdsworth, 1996 Health Consciousness recycle behavior relationship between the health consciousness for good health Debasmita Chanda, 2006 Rewards/ Incentives the expectation of reward when you to do the recycle Nearness or Convenience Convenience was determining when students will recycle or not Environmental Assistance Office (EAO), Infrastructure, Design, Environment, and Sustainability (IDEAS) Center, UNC Charlotte, 2009 3.5 Data Collection Method Data collection is simply how information is gathered. There are various methods of data collection such as personal interviewing, telephone, mail and the Internet. There are several data collection methods, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Data was gathered through questionnaires. The items for the questionnaire have formulated according to the questionnaire design. A questionnaire is a set of the question which to record the respond of the answers. According to this research, we decide to use questionnaires that we personally administer to suit the topic of our study. Through the knowledge, we know that questionnaires are popular means of collecting data, but difficult to design and often require many rewrites before an acceptable questionnaire is produced. A questionnaire is composed of questions or statements. A way to learn how to write questionnaires is to look at other samples of questionnaires. Questionnaires may be designed to gather either qualitative or quantitative data. Quantitative questions are more exact then qualitative. Any question must be carefully crafted, but in particular questions that assess a qualitative measure must be phrased to avoid ambiguity. Qualitative questions may also require more thought on the part of the participant and may cause them to become bored with the questionnaire sooner. In general, we can say that questionnaires can measure both qualitative and quantitative data well, but that qualitative questions require more care in design, administration, and interpretation (Schmidt, H. J., 2000) Our study is finding out the recycle behavior among the student, therefore we have formulated the questions to the student in MMU. 3.6 Questionnaire Design Our questionnaire has been distributed to the student in MMU. The questionnaire has been divided into three parts: Part A, B, and C. As Part A of the questionnaire is focus on the personal detail of the student, however the second part is look on the student frequency of recycle. Part C is the independent variables of the study. 3.7 Sampling Method Sampling is the act, process, or technique of selecting a suitable sample, or a representative part of a population for the purpose of determining parameters or characteristics of the whole population. From the study, we decide to use convenient sample as our sampling method. A convenience sample results when the more convenient elementary units are chosen from a population for observation. 3.8 Sample Size We are selecting our study sample size is 100 of MMU student. We felt it was the best and was suitable for the population this is so because in research it has been stated that a sample size between the range larger than 30 and less than 500 is appropriate. The smaller the group size, the harder it is to be certain that the normal curve assumptions have not been violated (Todman and Dugard, 2001). Sample size is one of the four inter-related features of a study design that can influence the detection of significant differences, relationships or interactions (Peers, 1996). 3.9 Unit of Analysis In our study we are interested and gather the information of MMU students. In case of our research we will be focusing to collect the data from the MMU student. Unit of analysis of our research is an individual. 3.10 Pilot study This study is conducted among 4 random students to find out whether it is easily understand by the respondents. The study also knows the recycle behaviour of the respondent. It helps the young generation to create a better future and save the resource to re-use. This study was very successful, because all students understand the questionnaire without confusing when the respondent questioning. The only issue through the study is some of the questions are quite like similar, but meanings of the questions are difference. 3.11 Data analysis Techniques Once the questionnaire is completing gather, the data is done according to the dissertation. We are using SPSS software through the computer to do the data analysis. Regression and correlation analysis was applied to analyze data. The data after the analysis we show it in the table in the next chapter of this. CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Introduction We have distributed 100 copies of questionnaires for our survey. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. Frequencies for each demographic variable were computed. We are using Cronbachs Alpha to assess our reliability (Cronbach, 1951; Hayes, 1998). Higher Alpha coefficients indicate higher scale reliability (Santos, 1999). In addition, Nunnally (1978) suggests that scales with 0.70 Alpha coefficients and above are considered acceptable. Demographic Profile of Respondents Respondents for this study are typically undergraduates of Multimedia University (MMU). As described in Table 4.1.1, majority of the respondents are male (54%), their age is between 21-30 years old (65%). Apart from that, they are taking undergraduate program in MMU (94%), and their income is below RM1000 (59%).Most of them are Malaysian (85%). Besides the race of Chinese (31%), from the Faculty of Business and Laws (79%), are single (99%). From the Table 4.1.2, generally, Majority of the MMU student are recycling (80%). Most of them recycles every month (45%), recycles for years (50%). In Addition, mainly for them to recycle is to save the environment (90%). Most of them recycle plastics (72.5%). For MMU students, they often (29%) recycle in campus. For those who are not recycling, (85%) of them will start to recycle. TABLE 4.1.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE SAMPLES DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE Variable Frequency Percent (%) Gender Male 54 54.0 Female 46 46.0 Age Below 21 years old 35 35.0 21-30 years old 65 65.0 Education SPM / STPM / equivalent 5 5.0 Diploma / Degree / equivalent 94 94.0 Master / Doctorate / equivalent 1 1.0 Income RM1000 and below 59 59.0 RM1001-RM2000 30 30.0 RM2001-RM3000 9 9.0 RM3001 and above 2 2.0 Nationality Malaysian 85 85.0 Non-Malaysian 15 15.0 Ethnicity Malay 37 37.0 Chinese 31 31.0 Indian 19 19.0 Others 13 13.0 Marital Single 99 99.0 Married 1 1.0 Faculty FOSEE 1 1.0 FBL 79 79.0 FIST 10 10.0 FET 8 8.0 Others 2 2.0 Table 4.1.2 PORTRAYS AN OVERVIEW OF THE SAMPLES DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE Variables Frequency Percent (%) Do you recycle? Yes 80 80 No 20 20 If yes, How often do you recycle? Every day 9 11.3 Every week 23 28.8 Every month 36 45 Every year 12 15 How long have you been recycling? Days 3 3.8 Weeks 7 8.8 Months 30 37.5 Years 40 50 Why do you recycle? To save the environment 72 90 For fun 4 5 For tradition (my family does it) 4 5 Others 0 0 What do you recycle? Plastic 58 72.5 Paper 5 6.3 Cardboard 8 10 Cans 6 7.5 Bottles 3 3.8 Others 0 0 If you dont recycle, will you start? Yes 17 85 No 3 15 If you ever lived on campus before(i.e. dorms), how often did you recycle when you live campus? Never 12 12 Rarely 19 19 Often 29 29 Always 23 23 I have never lived on campus or recycling was not available 17 17 4.2 profile of respondents Figure 4.2.1 shows the gender of respondents, and according to the pie chart the most respondents are males with 54% secondly is females with 46%.Reason being that the study way conducted inside the university and Multimedia University is dominated by males than females. Figure 4.2.2 shows the age of respondents, and according to the pie chart the most respondents are those who age from 21-30 . The second largest age of respondents are those whose age is below 21 . Basically all of the respondents age from 21-30 the reason being that all of the respondents are students as the research was conduted in MMU. Figure 4.2.3 illustrates the Educational level of the respondents; most of the respondents of the questionnaire survey are doing degree the reason being most of the students in Multimedia University are from Secondary school and they are not at that satge of doing masters or doctorate yet. is shown by the pie chart just a few number of respondents are doing SPM or they already did their them. F