Saturday, November 30, 2019
Introduction to Alcoholism What is it and How Do You Treat it free essay sample
A paper which defines alcoholism and explores various forms of treatment. The paper introduces alcoholism, defining it as a disease that is chronic, incurable and causes the person to need the alcohol in order to function. The paper discusses symptoms of alcoholism and then proceeds to study forms of treatment such as detoxification and AA. Finally, the importance of the social workers role in alcohol treatment is discussed and stressed. One thing that has not been spoken about is how differently a patient will react to treatment if the patient is also suffering from one of the aforementioned conditions. An alcoholic with an addiction to cocaine will certainly react differently in a detox situation than an alcoholic with a nicotine addiction. Not to mention the possible presence of some type of liver damage, or other serious medical problem that could harm the patient far more than the treatment may be prepared for. We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to Alcoholism: What is it and How Do You Treat it? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Caseworkers face many life-altering decisions when it comes to the management of such cases of alcoholism and their comorbidity. It seems to be so common that research is really needed in order to aid workers recognize all of the possible complications, as well as the more appropriate treatment plan for these patients. (NIAAA, 1991)
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
The Role of Ipcc in Climate Change Essay Example
The Role of Ipcc in Climate Change Essay Example The Role of Ipcc in Climate Change Essay The Role of Ipcc in Climate Change Essay The Project The Role of IPCC in Setting Climate Change Policy This essay will critically evaluate the role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in setting climate change policy. In order to do this, its latest assessment report (IPCC 2007) will be highlighted. The physical science basis of climate change that IPCC relies on in influencing policy on climate change will be reviewed. IPCCs view of climate change will be shown to be the main stream view of climate change. The essay will also review alternative argument on climate change by other scientists such as Svenmark and Calder (2006). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an organization that was established in 1988 by two organizations namely the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) UPI)(IPCC 2008). Its mandate included the assessment of scientific information related to climate change, evaluation of the environmental and socio-economic consequences of climate change and the formulation of realistic response strategies (IPCC, 2007). Based on its mandate, it can be seen that IPCC was to act as the scientific powerhouse to generate evidence based information on climate change that United Nations and other countries and regional bodies will rely on to formulate their climate change policies. Since its formation, IPCC has produced assessment reports (AR) of the scientific evidence related to climate change and formulated response strategies on actions the international community need to take in order to minimize the impact of climate change. It produced the first assessment report (AR 1) in 1990, AR 2 in 1995, AR 3 in 2001 and the latest one AR 4 in 2007. The 2007 report (AR 4) was the most comprehensive of its reports. It was produced in four different volumes and each volume was launched separately at different times throughout 2007 at different locations under the banner ââ¬ËClimate Change 2007. AR 4 confirms most of the conclusions in its earlier documents including : climate change is due mainly to greenhouse gases notable carbon dioxide which is released into the atmosphere by human activities and responsible for global warming; addressed issues of concern to policy makers in national , regional and multinational agencies; the impact of global warming is real and will continue into the foreseeable future; there is the need for societies to adapt to reduce vulnerability and an analysis of the costs, policies and technology required to minimize the impact of climate change. It claimed that its AR 4 report was produced by 500 lead authors and reviewed by 2000 expert reviewers. There is no doubt that IPCC in its publications since 1990 has profoundly affected climate change policies at all the different levels of government. Smith and Stern (2010) have argued that IPCC provide the science of climate change and the causes and in the process highlights the risks of the phenomenon. It is the information about the risks that enables national governments to formulate policies to manage the risks either unilaterally or multilaterally. There is an international consensus that the challenges posed by climate change is best handled through multilateral agreement because climate change will affect all the countries of the world irrespective of whether or not they contributed to the problem. Hence the United Nation has played a pivotal role in bringing the nations of the world together for discussions on appropriate strategies based on reports by the IPCC. The Kyoto Protocol and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC can all be traced to the version of the science of climate change by IPCC. In fact the contributions of IPCC have been recognised as highly significant by the Nobel Prize Committee which named it as joint recipient of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. It was a seal of approval for its vital role in influencing the world climate change agenda. One of main highlights of The Kyoto protocol is the requirement for industrialised nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emission as way to mitigate the impact of climate change. This requirement can be traced to IPCC because mitigation strategy is a major strategy advocated by its Working Group 111 (mitigation of climate change). Although many of the nations of the world have signed the protocol, some industrialised nations notably the United States under President George Bush Jnr refused to sign the protocol on the grounds that the protocol did not commit significant polluters such as China and India to compulsory emission limits (Singer 2007). Both China and India have rejected any attempt to limit their emission of greenhouse gases. Singer (2007) has suggested three reasons why both countries are adamant to any mandatory limits. First, these emissions of greenhouse gases were caused by the industrialised nations in the first place during the industrial revolution and hence it is their responsibility to sort it out. Secondly even if the pas t history is discounted, at the present rate of greenhouse gas emissions, the industrialised nations still produce these gases per citizen than the rest of the world. For example, the average US resident produces six times more greenhouse gas than the average Chinese resident and about 18 times than the average India resident. Thirdly, the industrialised nations are much richer and hence better placed to bear the cost of adjusting their lifestyle to climate change without serious impact on their citizens. Perhaps in addition to these reasons there is the underlying perceptions in developing countries that limiting their CO2 emissions will slow down their rate of economic development which can impact on their other social and political policies especially with respect to poverty reduction and employment. The industrialised countries are equally apprehensive of the impact of mitigation policy of climate change on their economic growth. The three main areas of human activities identified by IPCC as responsible for greenhouse gas emissions are energy use in industrial production and transportation where fossils fuels are burnt, agriculture and deforestation. As Stern (2006) argued any mitigation policy will require some forms of action on all these three areas. For example, energy reduction programmes will require the design of a package of mixed economic activities geared towards energy efficiency. He argued that better technology will be required such as energy saving technology and fossil fuel alternatives for cars and vehicles to reduce their carbon input. Innovations will be imperative from the governments and private sectors in the development and deployment of relevant technologies to move economic activities towards low carbon economies. For developing countries to be involved in mitigation policies, they will need external financial assistance for the development of new technologies (Stern 2006). Closely aligned with IPCC strategy on mitigation of climate change is the strategy of adaptation to climate change. This is within the remit of IPCC Working Group 11 (climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability). IPCC is of the view that although the bulk of greenhouse gases are produced in the industrialised countries, the impact of climate change is and will in the future be felt more in the developing countries (IPCC 2007). Due to their greater vulnerability, developing countries will need to adapt their technology and production processes towards better and cleaner environment. Adaptation policies will also involve diversification of opportunities especially in the areas of agriculture and deforestation. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at its meeting in Cancun (UNFCCC 2010) agreed to provide developing countries financial assistance to enable them address the problems of adapting their technology and increasing capacities and opportunities so that they can cope with the impact of climate change. The Convention agreed to strengthen the Kyotoââ¬â¢s protocol on clean Development mechanisms to drive major investments and technology into environmentally sound and sustainable emissions reduction projects in developing countries. Towards this end, the Convention agreed to provide $30 billion from industrialised countries developing countries to support climate change actions up to 2012 and the objective to increase this to $100 billion by 2020 (UNFCCC 2010). IPCC has continued to be at the forefront in defining the scientific basis of climate change that informs climate change policies all over the world. In AR 4, IPCC stated that ââ¬Ëwarming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global average sea level (IPCC ââ¬âSPM 2007 : 2). It went further to declare that ââ¬Ë most of the observed increase in global average temperature since the mid ââ¬â 20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic GHG concentrationsââ¬â¢(IPCC SPM 2007 : 5). This would suggest that it has resolved the dilemma over the cause of global warming because its earlier assessment report in 1990 had expressed that the cause could be anthropogenic (human activity) or due to natural variability of the earthââ¬â¢s temperature. This shift from human activity as the cause of global warming rather than natural variability has dominated the discourse on climate change in the last decade. It seems to be the mainstream view and the scientific basis of much of the strategies it has proposed to tackle the impact of climate change. Stern (2006) has alluded to this mainstream view when he stated that ââ¬Ë there is now an overwhelming body of scientific evidence that human activity is causing global warming, with the main sources of greenhouse gases, in order of importance being electricity generation, land use changes (particularly deforestation), agriculture and transportation; the fastest growing sources are transport and electricityââ¬â¢ Stern 2006:1). Another influential source that has supported this mainstream view is the UK based Royal Society. The society has more than 1400 outstanding members from all areas of science, mathematics, engineering and medicine organised in a global scientific network of the highest calibre (The Royal Society 2010). The societyââ¬â¢s position seems to endorse the IPCCââ¬â¢s position when it stated that ââ¬Ëthere is strong evidence that changes in greenhouse gas concentrations due to human activity are the dominant cause of the global warming that has taken place over the last half centuryââ¬â¢( RS 2010 :13). Despite these endorsements of IPCC views on global warming and climate change, there are some criticisms about the organization. The latest assessment report, AR 4 in 2007 was alleged to contain some errors. One of such errors was highlighted by Foley (2010) writing in The Independent newspaper where it was reported that IPCC latest report stated that the Himalayan glaciers would be melted by global warming by 2035 instead of the correct figure 2350. That is a large difference of about 300 years. The IPCC relies on the reports it gets from affiliated research centres such as the Climate Research Unit (CRU) based in East Anglia. The anonymous hacking into the dataset and email of CRU in 2009 in what has been described in the mass media as ââ¬Ëclimategateââ¬â¢ has highlighted some form of manipulation of data by the unit in order to support a particular viewpoint. For example, the raw data used by the CRU in projecting Russian temperature was found to have omitted some data sent to it by some Russian Meteorological stations. Page ( 2009) pointed out that there is an argument by some Russian climate sceptics that if those missing data were included it would have significantly reduce the estimate of Russian temperature. This is a serious error especially when Russia accounts for 12. 5 % of the worldââ¬â¢s total landmass and against the backdrop that CRU has always resisted demand for the raw data it uses for its climate change computer modelling (Page 2009). It is doubtful if they had not done the same to other countries in order to strengthen their arguments and position on climate change. There were some other damaging revelations that surfaced in the hacked email released. These have been summarised by Watts ((2009). Firstly, there was the revelation that scientists at the CRU consistently colluded to thwart any Freedom of information requests that would have obliged them to release their raw data and hiding source codes from requests. Secondly, they admitted privately not to use journals that published opposing views and refused to publish such articles in journals that they controlled. Thirdly, it was apparent from their email exchanges that they were privately concerned that there had been no increase in global average temperatures in the last decade and yet they could not explain it because it is contrary to their projections. Data that suggested decrease in temperature were manipulated to hide the decline. Ways were devised to discount warming trends that did not occur in the past when greenhouse gases were increasing. What these revelations suggest is that some of the collaborative institutions that IPCC relies on for scientific evidence for its decisions may actually be feeding it with selective and manipulated data in order to pursue a pre-determined agenda without any regard for opposing views no matter how compelling the arguments. As observed by Calder (2007), there is a tendency for events such as heat waves that supported global warming to make headlines while opposing events like prolonged snow and frost during winter not given the same coverage because it is contrary to the mindset of mainstream views on climate change. Calder (2007) also noted that global air temperatures from America satellites suggest a wobbling or fluctuations between hot and cold with no overall change in temperature since 1999. This levelling pattern he argued is the exact pattern that the rival hypothesis ââ¬â natural variation of atmospheric temperature by the sun would predict. This antithesis to the greenhouse thesis suggests that the sun is a major driver of climate change than greenhouse gases and that when active it can drive atmospheric temperature up and when lazy down. Hence the earth passes through cycles of hot and cold periods. It would appear that proponents of the climate change due to greenhouse gases produced by human activity are not very enthusiastic about this because the mechanism of how the sun changes the earthââ¬â¢s temperature is not well understood and have categorised sceptics as climate change deniers. Svensmark and Calder (2007) both sceptics have demonstrated experimentally how this can happen. The main postulate of natural variation of weather by the sun is that the degree of cloudiness in the air depends on the number of atomic particles arriving at the solar system from exploding stars. The more they are, the more cloudiness. If the sunââ¬â¢s magnetic field is able to deflect much of the cosmic rays, there will be less cloud in the atmosphere and this will result in global warming. The converse holds. Many journals refused to publish his findings presumably because they were not politically orrect. The Royal Society (2010) while agreeing in broad terms with the position of IPCC, however argued that there are not enough data to understand the mechanisms of cloud formation and its impact on climate change. To complicate this, projections of climate change are sensitive to the way the impact of clouds is represented in computer models of climate change. The society noted that currently ââ¬Ëindividual clouds are represented by more approximate methods. Since there are various ways to make these approximations, the representations can vary in climate models developed at different institutes. The use of these different approximations leads to a range of estimates of climate sensitivity, especially because of differences between models in the response of clouds to climate changeââ¬â¢ (Royal Society 2010:14). This would suggest the need for more extensive research on the contributions of natural variations to climate change than is hitherto the case (Coren 2006). Blackman (2009) has noted that in his interview with Hulme, an eminent climatologist and a sceptic of IPCC, did question the almost infallible status given to IPCC in the face of other compelling evidence in favour of alternative theories of the causes of global warming. In the interview, Hulme advocated for a more robust debate on all the possible causes of climate change. It is difficult to understand why a scientific body like IPCC could have made itself so vulnerable to criticisms. Perhaps the clue to the controversies surrounding IPCC may be due to the structural problems within the organization. For a start, IPCC has only a core staff of 10 people. It has thousands of volunteer scientists who contribute to the work of IPCC. They are not paid by IPCC (IPCC 2011). Authors, contributors, reviewers and other experts are selected by IPCC from a list of nominations received from governments and participating organizations. The three Working Groups of IPCC are hosted and financially supported by the Government of the developed country co ââ¬â chair of the working Group. The plenary session that approves reports and budgets is made up of government representatives from all member countries, agencies and research institutions that probably have some links with governments. This sort of structure makes IPCC to be heavily politicised at the expense of good science. Governmentsââ¬â¢ vested interest in climate change debate can be interpreted as self serving because IPCC findings give them the perfect excuse to tax individuals for their carbon footprint. Motorists may find themselves targeted by all manner of taxes on the excuse of climate change. So it is in the best interest of the politicians to exert pressure on IPCC even when such pressure has the potential to lead to bad science. There are indications that some of the scientific evidence they rely on are published in carefully selected journals and commissioned reports by some pressure groups without any form of peer review. It is not surprising therefore that they have been criticised for being economical with the truth by making vague and imprecise statements they know will be difficult to refute but nonetheless accord them with ââ¬Ëhigh confidenceââ¬â¢ status That was the allegation made by the Inter-Academy Council that was set up to investigate errors in the IPCC assessment report 4 (Foley 2010). IPCC as a scientific organization has no laboratory of its own but has to rely on specially designated centres such as the CRU involved in ââ¬Ëclimategateââ¬â¢. In conclusion, the role of IPCC in setting policy on climate change is commendable. It has advocated policies of mitigation and adaptation as strategies to avert the anticipated effects of global warming. It was highlighted that it structure is too tied to national governments and agencies and this is politicising its scientific evidence base. There is the need to have on board sceptics and promote robust debate instead of labelling them as deniers. References Blackman S (2009) Top British Boffin : Time to ditch the climate consensus. Online : www. theregister. co. uk. Accessed on 5/4/2011. Calder N (2007) An experiment that hints we were wrong on climate change. Online : www. timesonline. co. uk. Accessed on 5/4/2011. Foley S (2010) IPCC feels the heat as it is told to get its facts right. Online : www. independent. co. uk/environment/climatechange. Accessed on 3/3/2011. Coren M (2006) The science debate behind climate change. Online: www. articles. cnn. com. Accessed on 10/4/2011. Watts A (2009) Climate ââ¬ËMen behaving badly ââ¬â a short summary for laymen. Online: www. wattsup. com. Accessed on 10/4/2011. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC (2007) Climate Change 2007. Synthesis for Policymakers. Summary for policymakers. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC (2008) Climate Change 2007. Synthesis Report. Geneva : IPCC. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC (2011) structure: how does the IPCC works? Geneva : iPCC. Page L (2009) CRU cherry picked Russian climate data. Online: www. theregister. co. uk. Accessed on 9/4/2011. Singer P (2007) A fair deal on climate change. Online: www. policyinnovations. org/ideas. Accessed on 10/4/2011. Smith L and Stern L (2010). Uncertainty, ambiguity and the risk in forming climate policy. In : Discussion Meeting on Handling uncertainty in science. London: The Royal Society. Stern N (2006) What is the economics of climate change? World Economics. 7 (2): 1-10. Svensmark H and Calder N (2007) The chilling Stars. A new theory of climate change. Cambrdge: Icons Books Ltd. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2010) United Nations climate change conference in Cancun. Bonn: UNFCCC. The Royal Society (2010) Climate Change: A Summary of the Science. London: TRS. Watts A (2009) Climategate ââ¬ËMem behaving badlyââ¬â¢ ââ¬â a short summary for laymen. Online: www. wattsup. com Accessed on 11/4/2011.
Friday, November 22, 2019
What to Expect When Getting Your Drug Test At Work
What to Expect When Getting Your Drug Test At Work Pre-employment drug screening is definitely a practice you should be aware of. Depending on the job you get, your sobriety can affect your job performance- even the safety and lives of other people. Employers are eager to make sure they can trust you and your judgment. Some employers are actually federally obligated to screen employees, such as the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Tests are much more likely in trucking industry, aviation, or mass transit, or for anyone hoping to work with NASA or the Department of Defense.Test TypesThere are two kinds of drug tests: the 5-panel test screen, and the 10-panel test. The 5-panel test screens for the following:CocaineAmphetamine/MethamphetamineOpiates (like heroin, codeine, and morphine)Phencyclidine or PCPTHC (marijuana)The 10-panel test screens for the following:CocaineAmphetamineMethamphetamineOpiates such as heroin, codeine and morphinePhencyclidine or PCPTHC (marijuana)Pro poxypheneMethadoneBarbituratesBenzodiazepinesSome marijuana use might go undetected, particularly if the THC has been removed, as in medical marijuana). Other drugs, like prescription pain medication, might show up. If youââ¬â¢re using any prescription drugs, you should disclose this information before the test- particularly pain medications, certain weight-loss supplements, and drugs like Xanax, Valium, Rohypnol, and Ativan. And if you live in a state where recreational pot use is legal, or you have a prescription for medical marijuana, you might want to consider chatting with an employment lawyer about your options if a drug test scenario comes up.Know the Rules and Your RightsA lot of employers reserve the right to test again once youââ¬â¢re employed. They can ask for a test regularly or randomly, and can demand a test on short notice, giving employees no time to try and cheat.There are limits to how much an employer is allowed to test, given the invasion of privacy. If you feel your rights have been violated, consult the employment laws of your state. Remember: you are also not required to take a test from a prospective employer. Just keep in mind, that might well cost you the job.Knowà What Youââ¬â¢re Getting IntoA few things to keep in mind to make sure you donââ¬â¢t lose a job to a failed drug test:Most tests are urine tests, though this is changing. Saliva tests (easier to pass as they only go back three days), and hair tests (which go back 90 days) are also possible. Employers could even ask to test your blood or nails.You canââ¬â¢t just drink an enormous quantity of water or exercise heavily to get a particular drug to clear your system- thatââ¬â¢s mostly a myth.Certain drugs will stay in different peopleââ¬â¢s systems for different lengths of time. This depends on a number of factors, including individual metabolism, rate and quantity of use, the concentration, etc. The sensitivity of the test is also variable.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
The Summary Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
The Summary Report - Essay Example igation in different terms, policies and steps to prevent the change, and some other crucial factors that pose hinders in the way of the mitigation of climate change. In the context of growing concern for the global warming ââ¬Å"Summery For Policymakersâ⬠is an attempt to save the environment from further disasters caused by global warming. During the recent years the changes that are evidenced in the climate of the world, are a matter of great concern for the scientists and the common people of the world. The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report attempts to find out the ways of mitigation of climate change. For the sake of conveniences, the report renders various aspects of climate change, such as social, environmental, economic aspects, in order to accomplish the task of mitigation fruitfully. The report mainly focuses on the following topics: the trend in the emission of Greenhouse Gas, its mitigation in different terms, policies and steps to prevent the change, and some other crucial factors that pose hinders in the way of the mitigation of climate change. Studies show that emissions of Greenhouse Gas have increased seventy percent over the years from 1970 to 2004. Both man-made and natural factors are responsible for the increase of the emission of the Greenhouse gas. Among the human activity related factors development of science and increasing use of technologies are the major factors that are the most responsible for the apparently abrupt growth rate of green house gases- carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, etc. ââ¬Å"The emissions of these gases have increased at different ratesâ⬠(IPCC, 2007, p. 3). In the study, a thing is remarkable that the emission of greenhouse gases was violent around the years from 1990 to 2004. During these years the violent emissions of Greenhouse gases occurred mainly in the energy supply sector. The emission rate is about 145 percent. The emission scenario is as following: 120 percent from transport, from industry 65 percent, from
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Contract and tort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Contract and tort - Essay Example In the past, liability was automatically imposed for causing injury to another, and this was the province of tort. On the other hand, contract law applied liability, only if there was consent among the parties. However, there is some commonality between the contract and tort laws. This has induced some plaintiffs to proceed against the defendant, under one of these laws. Although, it is not permissible to recover damages twice for the same injury, claimants have taken an active interest in exploring the possibilities offered by these two bodies of law. In fact, a plaintiff may recover by suing in contract, in order to circumvent some difficulty presented by the tort law to his action.3 The situation obtaining in this regard has been clearly described in their Lordships ruling in Henderson v Merrett Syndicates Ltd. In this case the House of Lords held that the defendant company was concurrently liable.4 As such, the defendants in this case were held liable under both contract and tort law. ... Syndicates Ltd directed that irrespective of the relevant nature of the damage,5 concurrent liability betwixt contract and the tort of negligence was to be conceded.6 The situation prevailing, on account of the tort law has no bearing upon the law of restitution, which remains independent of the tort law. However, the tort committed does not inescapably constitute the basis of the recovery. It is the enrichment that results from the invasion or appropriation of the protected interest of the plaintiff that constitutes the basis of recovery.7 Not surprisingly, establishing the elements of the tort of interference is not indispensable for permitting recovery. It is an incontrovertible fact that new needs have arisen, which have not been adequately addressed by the traditional concepts that emerged from tort law.8 This serves to unequivocally demonstrate the independence of restitutionary claims. The principle of concurrent liability in contract and tort was recognised with Hedley Byrne & Co Ltd v Heller & Partners. In this case, it was held by the court that there could be a claim in tort, despite the existence of a contractual remedy.9 The ruling in Hedley Byrne states that assuming responsibility does not place the defendant under a duty of reasonable care to benefit the plaintiff. Jane Stapleton, an eminent legal scholar, has contended that the tort of negligence usually comes into play, with regard to a negligent failure to benefit. In such cases, it is the general practice to impose liability under the tort of negligence. As a consequence, it would be incorrect to consider such cases under contractual liability. 10 This stance is based on the notion that the commencement of the performance of a beneficial service by the defendant immediately places him in a
Saturday, November 16, 2019
A study on gender differences in computer science Essay Example for Free
A study on gender differences in computer science Essay A study on gender differences in computer science field found that despite males and females entering kindergarten with an equal ability in overall mathematics and science performance levels, there was an observable gender gap in mathematics and science by the end of 5th grade (Varma 2010, p. 303). By the end of 5th grade, students perceive that mathematics, science, and computing is for white males (Clewell Braddock 2000, p.90). This trend identified by Varma (2010, p.303) continues from 5th grade through to high school graduation, resulting in males and females entering university with different achievement levels in mathematics and science (Varma 2010, p.303). Due to the differing achievement levels, males predictably had a higher confidence level and positive attitude than females (Varma 2010, p.303). Doube and Lang (2012, p. 66) found that males had a higher self-concept in STEM fields than females despite an equivalent and sometimes lower level of achievement. Females\ low confidence level could also deter them from selecting and persisting in computing courses (Doube Lang 2012, p.66). Vitores and Gil-Juarez (2016, p.666) found there is a decline in the number of women selecting computing and information technology (IT) degree programs across the world. Women found their teachers\ perceptions of female students to be generally lower than those of the male students which also resulted in a decrease in self-confidence and an increase in anxiety toward their field of study (Beyer et al. 2005, p.393). Due to insufficient training and unequal emphasis to male and female students, one significant factor for cultural reproduction is teachers being held responsible for continuing the belief that males dominate the mathematics, science and computing fields (Varma 2010, p.302) giving status to science and technology (Male, Bush Murray 2009, p.456). Male (2010, p.462) suggests that in order to improve the retention of female engineering students, engineering administrators must investigate the existing assumed gender neutral cultures rather than making women fit the current structure. Varma (2010, p.314) suggests teachers in primary and high school need to improve their style of teaching instead of continuing the belief that females are more suited to humanities, social sciences and arts and males are suited to mathematics, sciences, and computing. Another significant factor for cultural reproduction is the lack of significant female role models in computing which would help to change the perception of stereotypes in the field from \geeky\ or \nerdy\ (Varma 2010, p.303). Stereotypes such as antisocial \ geeks\ and having a career that doesn\t require or value personal skills or a career that doesn\t necessarily help others has been identified as a deterrent to female involvement in the computing discipline (Doube Lang 2012, p.66). Sorby (2007, p.2) proposes that \female role models and mentors will be important to increasing gender diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics\ due to women in male-dominated professions reporting they felt threatened by negative stereotypes. Researchers have found that 3D spatial skills such as mentally rotating objects in space are critical to success in a variety of careers, particularly in engineering and science (Sorby 2007, p.1). Several researchers have published evidence to suggest that female spatial skills are greatly behind that of a male (Sorby 2007, p.2). One theory is that spatial ability is related to a male sex hormone, however, the skill is most likely due to a number of factors such as pre-university activities requiring hand-eye coordination such as playing with construction toys, high school classes like shop/woodwork, playing computer games and sports (Sorby 2007, p.2). Sorby (2007, p.2) states that \ since most of those activities have a fairly high degree of gender bias favoring men, it is no wonder that the spatial skills of women often fall behind those of their male peers\. In conclusion, meritocracy is not the reason a greater number of males study the Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) field over females. The lower number of females in higher education STEM enrolments could be due to teachers continuing the belief that males dominate the mathematics, science and computing fields, a lack of role models for women resulting in low confidence and anxiety in this field, stereotypes such as \nerds\ and \geeks\ deterring women from enrolling and gender bias with pre-university activities which don\t allow women to develop the same skills useful to the STEM field. All of these factors could contribute toward males believing they are better suited to the STEM field, resulting in higher enrolments over females. 4102.0 Australian Social Trends 2012, \Education Differences between Men and Women\, Australian Bureau of Statistics, viewed 6 October 2017, http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[emailprotected]/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features20Sep+2012#HIGHER Barnett, S 2007, \Complex Questions Rarely Have Simple Answers\, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. iii. Doube, W Lang, C 2012, \Gender and Stereotypes in Motivation to Study Computer Programming for Careers in Multimedia\, Computer Science Education, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 63-78. Male, S, Bush, M Murray, K 2009, \Think Engineer, Think Male?\, European Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 455-464. Sorby, S 2007, \Developing 3D Spatial Skills for Engineering Students\, Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 13, no.1, pp. 1-12. Varma, R 2010, \Why So Few Women Enroll in Computing? Gender and Ethnic Differences in Students\ Perception\, Computer Science Education, vol. 20 no. 4, pp.301-316. Vitores, A Gil-Juarez, 2016, \The Trouble with \Women in Computer\: a Critical Examination of the Deployment of Research on the Gender Gap in Computer Science\, Journal of Gender Studies, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 666-680.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Electronic Music :: Art
Electronic Music Lets go back to 1916 where Hugo Balle, Tristan Tzara, Marcel Janco, and Richard Hue- Isenbeck are finding the Dada artistic movement. These guys are a bunch of anarchists living in Zurich, Switzerland. The Dada movement preaches the ââ¬Å"essence of spiritâ⬠the freedom of expression, hatred to ââ¬Å"the great warâ⬠(or what we later called World War 1) , with a want to preserve the middle class, while humankind was degrading morally, with little or no hopes for a bright future. This goes in context with this CS3 course in how before world war 1, man thought so much was to come. The Dada movement expressed the deterioration or our civilizations due to wars through sound and not words. They thought sound was more sincere and liberal. These guys noticed that music doesnââ¬â¢t have a specific language, so more people can relate to it. They would rebel against what was happening in the world by creating music based on industrial noises. You have to think that back then everyone listened to polka, piano, and Stravinsky. When all of a sudden this ââ¬Å"Dadaâ⬠movement started using tools to bang on pots and pans to create music. It was not in any way popular, but these guys contributed the base for ââ¬Å"Electronic Musicâ⬠. Electronic Music is basically making noises into music not by instruments, but rather through alternative sources. The Dada Movement didnââ¬â¢t use electricity to make their music mainly because itââ¬â¢s the early 20th century and electricity was somewhat a luxury. So to be honest it was in the 1920ââ¬â¢s that the worlds first synthesizer was born officially launching an era still very active today in all of our lives, yes, called electronic music. The first instrument was made by a Russian electronics genius named Leon Theremin and he called his synthesizer a ââ¬Å"Thereminâ⬠. The cool thing about this synth is that it didnââ¬â¢t have a keyboard like synths do now; it was simply a device that senses changes in electromagnetic waves. Basically you stand in front of it and wave your hands back in fourth and it will make noises and tones out of that. So as everyone else go into Hollywood and Rock N Roll, the world was still not speaking the same language of music. People in the Middle East listened to Um-Kilthoum at the same time Elvis was dancing to the Jail House Rock.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)