Essay on Slavery and the Power of Rhetoric to Effect...

Every great civilization or country has had at least one dirty little time in their history that all would rather forget. America knows this feeling well, especially within the 19th century, the slave era. America was divided, the North was generally against slavery and all for letting the African Americans roam free in a colony in Africa. The South on the other hand viewed African Americans as tools, essential to the economy and work, however still just tools. Tools to be bought a sold and driven until the breaking point just like every other implement in the shed. Fast-forward to the 21st century, slavery is gone from America and has become that dirty period of time†¦show more content†¦With this knowledge in hand, Douglas took to using higher level English and a much more narrative, to the point, factual method of writing. He also commonly used compare and contrast examples to show the stark difference between freedom and slavery â€Å"I was now for the first time in my life a free man†¦ I found myself even more awkward than a country boy in the big city.† (Douglas 59). This communicated directly to his target audience because they were well educated and needed the cold hard facts to sway their point. Douglas also centers his narrative on a scientific, objective theme. He carefully weaves in emotion only were completely necessary and maintains a general overview of the events that happened to him throughout the narrative. In doing so, his audience is provided with a crisp, to-the-point piece that reads much like a political position paper, filled with terse comments that strike home, â€Å"A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master.† (Douglas 41). When considering the fact that Douglas was in fact an uneducated slave and was completely self-taught, it is quite amazing to think that such a piece could be crafted by such a man. Facts are the key in Douglas’s narrative, nothing strays from the truth and nothing is ov er embellished. Douglas realized that he could not afford to lose the confidenceShow MoreRelatedThe Effect of Black Power on the Emergence of Yellow Power1257 Words   |  6 Pages2013 The Effect of Black Power on the Emergence of Yellow Power African-Americans were not alone in the shift to â€Å"ethnic power.† Other minority groups also shifted from the fight for integration and began to adopt the rhetoric of ethnic power and pride in the late 1960’s. By the late 1960’s, a host of other groups began to adopt the rhetoric of â€Å"power†: Red Power, Grey Power, Pink Power, Brown Power, etc. What were the similarities and differences between the rhetoric of Chicano Power, Yellow PowerRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of President Obamas Inauguration Speech1410 Words   |  6 Pagesspeech about the goals they want to reach during their presidency. The president must make a speech that appeals to the audience while being professional. Rhetoric is a useful strategy to utilize in speech making. Obama uses rhetoric to achieve presenting his message of creating hope and change together in America while fixing the economic and social challenges and issues left behind from the previous president. Barack Ob ama uses syntax, the rhetorical triangle, and diction to portray his message. Read MoreImagery Of The Negro And Its Powerful Effect On Black Leaders Essay2346 Words   |  10 PagesDestructive images and negative rhetoric became powerful representation of blacks that began to disseminate across the world as early as the colonial years of settlement of the late 16th century. The Negro’s representation of being destructive and negative was by far the catalyst that fueled whites with hatred for the African and these representations are considered powerful because it is the images themselves that further made it possible to allow white people to justify the cruel treatment of theRead MoreComparison of Two Personal Narratives1264 Words   |  6 PagesThe concept of social stratification is one that can be witnessed universally across all societies, irrespective of geography and culture. Every society has several layers of social strata and each individual falls into at least o ne of these categories. 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As the emancipationist image kept a firm hold amongst ex-slaves, it lost much of its white support and political power. Reconciliation became more about healing, allowing racial injustice of the supremacist movement to seep into the landscape of national healing. why do Union veterans allow the real cause of the war, slavery, to disappear from the memory of the war – Blight strives to answer. Through a culture of remembrance, veterans looked back at their experienceRead MoreCombatting Institutionalized Racism1534 Words   |  6 PagesWhen examining the timeline of slavery in the United States of America, it can seem like a distant problem. The 13th the social implications of this act still echo in our society today. It is hard to believe that it was less than a century ago – barely even fifty years – that the events detailed in Freedom Riders took place, that the actors in this major direct action movement are still alive to tell their stories. It is the goal of this paper to describe what took place across the southernRead MoreWomens Right to Vote1122 Words   |  4 Pagesreceive fair pay and benefits (Farrell, 2006, p. 49). This was educational for me. TWO: I learned about the intelligent and strategically brilliant efforts of Lillie Devereux Blake, whom I had never heard of. Her sense of how to slowly make social changes (Civil War nurses being paid pensions; lobbying for womens rights to serve on school boards) was tactically brilliant. Also, I had forgotten that there were sharp divisions within the suffrage movement, and that leaders like Anthony and BlakeRead MoreCitizenship : The Identity Of The United States1454 Words   |  6 Pagesposition of being a citizen in a particular country/ region. Nakano Glenns definition is much more concentrated, focused on the details, and combines this status of citizenship along with gender and race. Glenn shows how the definition of citizenship changes when including race as well as gender and how this meant that white men were mainly seen as rightful citizens while minorities were effectively left out of this definition. Glenn writes in chapter two titled, Citizenship: Universalism and Ex clusionRead MoreAristotelian Rhetoric: An Evolution of Sophist’s Discredited Methodology1866 Words   |  8 Pages Scholars of rhetoric consider the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, one of the great contributors to our present understanding of this art which, since its early origins and until present, has been a controversial field of study because of its association with persuasion and influence. However, an examination of ancient rhetoric and its development by the Sophists and then a study on Aristotle’s theory on rhetoric and how he concluded his findings direct our attention to whether this Greek philosopher

Music Education And The Language Development Of Young Kids

Music education is important to our generation in many different ways. Music is a huge part of many kids lives and they look up to it as happiness. Music is not just random words build up together, it has meaning and rhythm to it so we can understand the idea behind it. It has brought happiness in many humans and animals lives. Success in intelligence, school, and life. Music has dedicated us to do work and live our life. It is the new hope for younger kids. Everyone enjoys music. Some succeed in life and some do not because music is not provided in their habitat. Unfortunately for many years, music classes are the last elective choice to be added and is the first to be cut so there for, many of the music classes in schools are being demolished. The three main benefits of music education that comes to mind are the language development of young kids, success in and out of school, and how the kids have changes in their behavior with music and without music. Development of language for young kids in school are increasing in a positive way. Kids stay engaged in schools and learn faster than usual. When music classes are prohibited in schools, it gives the kids an interest of doing their work. The effect of music education on language development can be seen in the brain. Relationships between music and language is a big advantage for kids because the test scores and their SAT’s score has improved just because they have experienced with music performance. Kids with participationShow MoreRelatedEssay on Baby DJ School898 Words   |  4 Pagessamples of recorded music to make music†. The educational experience of Baby DJ School is a portal into the wonderful worlds of electro, hip-hop, and house music. Baby DJ school originated in Brooklyn, New York and was opened by Natalie Elizabeth Weiss, DJ, composer and playwright. She opened the school in order to â€Å"attribute gross and fine motor skills, spatial reasoning, and langua ge skills and foster a special bond between caretaker and baby.† The school provides an interactive music program for toddlersRead MoreBenefits Of Using The Arts896 Words   |  4 Pagesexposure. The research behind this paper will show that art belongs in the K-12 curricula in schools since education is fundamental to a child’s development. Almost everyone loves music, whether by playing an instrument, singing, or listening to it. Schools really make a mistake when they cut theirs arts budget dues to financial restraints. The study of art is equally as valuable. Take music for instance; instrumental training, musical training, creates long lasting changes in brain structure andRead MoreThe Importance of Music in Education1426 Words   |  6 PagesFinal Paper The Importance of Music in Education Whether we choose to believe it or not, music is a very present thing in one’s day to day lifestyle. From turning on the radio in the morning, to listening to it while grocery shopping, putting in our headphones while we study, music is always there. Music is also extremely underrated, which is why so many public schools are constantly threatening to take away music programs all the time. But why is music education so vital in the growth of studentsRead MoreThe Benefits of Music Education Essay990 Words   |  4 PagesBenefits of Music Education Due to budget cuts, students all across America are missing an opportunity that could benefit them greatly. Many changes all across America are cutting the fine arts program out of schools. 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Imagine a classroom in which children sing every day, establishing singing as an important social and cultural experience in each child s life. Singing is celebratory and social, establishing meaningful connections to children s lives and experiences, such as b irthdays, welcomes, sports events, and festivals (Ministry of Education, 2001). Researchers recognized that musical activities reinforce many aspects of language development. For example:Read MoreMusic Education At A Young Age1194 Words   |  5 Pagesdevaluing the importance of music. School districts are forced to cut spending on music education and replace it with other important classes, such as physical education. Music classes were the first to be cut because given a small to budget elementary schools, school officials have seen that music classes were unnecessary to education and believe that it has no benefit. I disagree with this statement because I believe it is crucial to have music education at a young age. 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The Subject of Affirmative Action Free Essays

Considering the subject of affirmative action the following questions frequently are raised: Is there a clear understanding of affirmative action roles/goals? What are the pros/cons of these programs? What are the â€Å"loop holes† in the system? Does seniority play a role in affirmative action? Addressing these key questions may help us all in our daily routine, as administrators and/or potential administrator in the public/private sector. Affirmative action programs throughout the United States have long been a controversial issue particularly concerning employment practices (public/private) and university student and/or staff recruitment. Most public agencies have some type of instituted affirmative action program. We will write a custom essay sample on The Subject of Affirmative Action or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to Cheryl Perry-League, Director of Equal Opportunity of the Port of Oakland, every business operating on Port of Oakland owned land must have a standing affirmative action program on record and businesses bidding to do work for the Port of Oakl! and must have an acceptably diverse workforce. To understand the role and/or goals of affirmative actions programs we should define what the broad definition of what affirmative action is and what caused its development. The phase â€Å"affirmative action† was used in a racial discrimination context. Executive Order No. 10,925 issued by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. The order indicated that federal contractors should take affirmative action to ensure job applicants and employees are treated â€Å"without regard to their race, creed, or national origin. † A person could define this statement as an order to imply equal access and nothing else. Subsequently, Executive Order 11246 issued by President Johnson in September 1965, â€Å"mandated affirmative action goals for all federally funded programs and moved monitoring and enforcement of affirmative action programs out of the White House and into the Labor Department. Affirmative action â€Å"refers to various efforts to deliberately! take race, sex, and national origins into account to remedy past and current effects of discrimination. Its primary goal is to ensure that women and minorities are widely represented in all occupations and at all organizational levels† (Tompkins, 1995, p. 161). Another definition of affirmative action according to Barbara Bergmann is â€Å"planning and acting to end the absence of certain kinds of people-those who belong to groups that have been subordinated or left out-from certain jobs and schools† (1997 p. 7). Tracing the history of affirmative action, laws against racial discrimination have proved inadequate for workplace integration because they often provide remedies only after the fact. Affirmative action requires proactive steps to provide equal opportunities in employment as well as access to education. Many affirmative action programs were born from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII references to affirmative action programs were brought about â€Å"because of! the history of discrimination in the United States, certain groups are viewed as disadvantage in the current marketplace. Thus affirmative action laws impose temporary requirements to correct underutilization of these groups (e. g. , goals and timetables for increasing the number of minorities and women in a facility)† (Gutman, 1993, p. 9). Prior to these laws and the Title VII law, the U. S workforce was primarily dominated by white males. Although, still somewhat white male dominated, quotas that were designed through affirmative action programs have helped achieve some representation of women and minorities in the current work force. Some remedies brought about through affirmative action programs include goal setting, quotas, and timetables. The term goal â€Å"refers to specific outcomes which, when achieved, will result in equal employment opportunity and equitable representation† (Hall Albrecht, 1979, p. 47-78). Goals and hiring quotas vary somewhat in their fu! nction. Goals generally are long range plans that organizations use and there are no expected minimum or maximum limitations. Quotas by comparison, â€Å"establishes a definite number of people who must be hired. A Company cannot by law, use quotas unless it has been ordered to do so by a court to remedy a past action† (Hall Albrecht, 1979, p. 47-78). Deficiency correction is the primary target of goal setting through affirmative action. For an organization to be effective with goals, they must be realistic, attainable, and monitored by the human resource department. Affirmative action programs generally achieve their set goals through several common practices called outreach programs. First, there are special recruiting programs where women and minorities will most likely be found. These special outreach programs often target black universities and female dominated educational facilities. A second outreach program involves special advertising. Generally, this is also implemented ! in areas that are heavily populated by women and minorities similar to that of recruiting programs. Through outreach programs like the ones mentioned above, goals can be attained to achieve equity and representation without forgoing higher educated and skilled applicants. These programs can be justified because discrimination is still apparent in the United States today. A 1990 study by the University of Chicago†s National Opinion Research Center found that the majority of white Americans still believe blacks to be inferior. For example, 53% of non-black respondents said they thought blacks were less intelligent than whites, 62% said they thought blacks were less patriotic, 62% said they thought blacks were lazier, and 78% said they thought blacks â€Å"preferred to live off welfare. † The National Assessment of Educational Progress, a series of national standardize tests, evaluates students on their proficiency in reading, writing and science. They divide and co! mpare these results to better understand the effectiveness of public schools. Their results suggest a large imbalance in the educational quality received by whites and other races. The most noticeable imbalance in the three fundamentals of learning was the most important, reading. When students cannot read well, they usually cannot succeed in other subject areas. With the background of affirmative action and its programs established we should evaluate some of the problems with affirmative action and if affirmative action programs work. Opponents against affirmative action programs often believe that the system currently in place is a misuse of the original intent of affirmative action. The programs as they apply now are detrimental to the operation of the job market, to white males, and to the groups it is supposed to benefit. They further contend affirmative action causes reverse discrimination. It is not good practice for Opponents â€Å"pro† affirmative action to use it as a way! to make up for past discrimination. Another problem caused by affirmative action is that it often places a stigma on any groups, which receive preferential treatment, especially on individuals who earn positions because of their ability. Opponents of affirmative action programs believe that these programs when handled properly through the human resources department within an organization can minimize the negative references received regarding hiring practices. Nye states â€Å"that positive information regarding an employee†s job qualifications should minimize assumptions of incompetence associated with affirmative action hiring programs. In other words, when co-workers have information that clearly describes an individual†s job qualifications, they should be less likely to assume that he or she was hired solely on race or gender†(1998). By making this information available within the organization, it would help remove the pressures from the employee and co-worker regarding the hi! ring practices. This could further help the organization in the area of productivity, public relations within the community, and morale. By increasing morale, you maybe able to retain more employees, recruitment made easier, and motivate employees into a very competitive workforce. Opponents of affirmative action also do not believe that women and minorities will be treated fairly without affirmative action programs. Opportunities in today†s workplace are extremely competitive. Glazer states that â€Å"the battle over affirmative action today is a contest between a clear principle on the one hand and a clear reality on the other. The principle is that ability, qualifications, and merit, independent of race, national origin, or sex should prevail when one applies for a job or promotion, or for selective institutions for higher education, or when one bids for contracts. The reality is that strict adherence to this principle would result in few African Americans getting jobs, admissio! s, and contracts† (1998). With that being said, women and minorities cannot possibly have a fair chance in today†s society without positive affirmative action programs. However, with affirmative action, it has been noted that their incentives to achieve success may be decreased because â€Å"preferential treatment can lead to the patronization of minorities and women workers and students. By â€Å"patronization† I mean the setting of a lower standard of expected accomplishment because of the belief that these people are not as capable of meeting a higher standard† (Loury, 1997). With a white male dominated workforce, negative public perceptions, and low self-esteem of applicants, affirmative action offers a solution for race and gender equity. Further stated, everyone in America should be afforded equal opportunity. If this cannot be achieved voluntarily, then we must continue to take action to remedy these situations. Opponents of affirmative action won a landmark victory, in 1998, wi! th the passage of California†s Proposition 209. This proposition abolished all public-sector affirmative action programs in the state in employment, education and contracting. Clause(C) of Prop. 09 permits gender discrimination that is â€Å"reasonably necessary† to the â€Å"normal operation† of public education, employment and contracting. In 1998, The ban on use of affirmative action in admissions at the University of California went into effect. UC Berkeley had a 61% drop in admissions, and UCLA had a 36% decline. This decline strengthens the position of the Pro side of affirmative action. However, a contingency plan has been established. According to a source (who asked to remain nameless), UC Berkeley has a program to actively recruit more minority students that falls out of the guidelines established by prop. 09. These types of â€Å"loop holes† can ultimately hurt the various studies on the effectiveness of anti-affirmative action laws. â€Å"Loop holes† are exceptions to the ! rules or standards. It†s a way around the system. Opponents for affirmative action might feel that the Washington State government utilized such a â€Å"loop hole† in 1997. Under an affirmative action program criticized as the ultimate example of preferential treatment by supporters against affirmative action, the Washington State government hired more white men than African Americans did or any other minority group. In fact, white men fell second to white women being hired (Brune). The program in question is Washington State†s â€Å"plus three† program, according to Tom Brune of the Seattle Times, â€Å"allows the state to hire people who qualify for affirmative action over finalists with higher job-test scores. White men qualify because the state†s affirmative action policy cover not only people of color and women, but also Vietnam-era veterans, disabled veterans and people with disabilities. Majority of the veterans are white men and nearly half of them are disabled in the State of Washin! gton†. Another example of how affirmative action works for the disadvantaged can be found in Hayward, California. Bonnie Kellogg was admitted into the government†s Small Business Administration program that gives her company competitive advantages in its quest for government and large corporate contracts. Prior to 1995, Kellogg†s chances of getting into this program, officially known as the 8(a) Business Development program, would have been slim to none. However, in 1995 court ruling stemming from a law suit by a white business owner alleging â€Å"reverse discrimination† relaxed government standards. This ruling as allow for whites, Egyptians and Iranians, who fall outside the SBA†s minority designation easier access to the program. This relaxation of the rules as helped non-minorities business owners greatly. Report K. Oanh Ha of the Knight Rider Tribune finds a, a big statistical change. From 1968 until mid-1998, only 40 businesses owned by whites and non-minorities out of 13,40! 0 firms nationally were admitted, were admitted into the 8(a) program. So far this year, 74 non-minority companies have been admitted. 1999) Seniority must be examined because in my opinion it is the most widely used preferential treatment policy in the American workplace? With affirmative action being view as preference by many Americans and seniority being an unchallenged â€Å"rule-of-thumb. † In an article by Paul Rockwell he explains, â€Å"The seniority system may be legitimate, but it is no less preferential in its execution than affirmative action. When layoffs take place by seniority, many highly skilled women, many well-qualified people of color, among others, are bumped out of their jobs by less qualified older white males. In a seniority system, the last hired is the first fired, whether the employee is more skilled and competent than an employee protected by seniority. (1999). † Richard Lester, author of Manpower Planning, believes that seniority places less qualifi! ed employees ahead of employees who are often better educated, more skilled in computers. Arthur Whitehill Shin Ichi Takezawa in Work Ways, concluded the same thoughts â€Å"Younger worker in some cases are more competent than older workers because of [them being} better education, greater adaptability and physical fitness. The public sector and much of the private sector have recognized seniority for quite sometime. We can find this system practiced by older teachers at various universities who are often protected by tenure. Professor Daniel Barber has even stated in candid conversion that when he was the department chair for the Master of Public Administration he took care of the tenured faculty first. Knowing this, why do Opponents of affirmative action, have appeared to be, judgmental of about so-called â€Å"merit† and â€Å"preference†, why isn†t there the same concern about the biggest workplace exception to strict meritocracy – Seniority? Seniority is yet another way to protect th! e â€Å"good ‘o boys networks†. Found in many of the historically white male dominated professions, for example, Firefighters, police, school superintendents, and college professors. Coming from a public sector background (Disabled Army War Veteran, Bureau of Prisons office administrator, Department of Veterans Affairs administrator, and to many federal internships to count) I support the seniority system in those places where affirmative action is still in place. Workplace should reflect the diversity of the community it serves, seniority is a fair system of labor management relations. Seniority gives employees for the personnel problems and private preferences of an employer. However, seniority is a widely used exception to strict merit system only if the workplace is democratic and applied with affirmative action the workplace can become more inclusive. Where affirmative action is repealed, seniority loses some of its legitimacy. I argue that only loses some of its legitimacy be! cause I personally was retained as an employee in a seniority situation. I was the last hired but I was not fired. In short, the scope of seniority and affirmative action are similar. The goal of seniority is job security and affirmative action is integration; both goals are good for America. The American labor movement has a major stake in seniority. The movement should embrace affirmative action because in good conscience it should not take advantage of one and not honor the other. Basically, benefiting for seniority practices but opposing affirmative action for others. If affirmative action is repealed, seniority should go as well. Labor unions and movements should concentrate on saving affirmative action. At a time when all progressive social policies are under attack, unity between women, labor, and people of color is imperative. Seniority and affirmative action should stand or fall together. CONCLUSION Ultimately, the controversy surrounding affirmative action programs t! oday will continue into the future. Society as a whole does not appear to be ready to relinquish its negative perception of the hiring practices brought about by Title VII. However, the benefits brought about this act has greatly increased the opportunity for women and minorities in employment that may not have otherwise been available. These programs have offered hope to some if not all-socioeconomic groups that they will be afforded the opportunity of equal employment and/or representation in our society. Furthermore, human resource departments in the public sector will have to become more skilled in implementing positive affirmative action programs if we are to reap the full benefits from them. Finally, Affirmative action is not a cure-all. It will not eliminate racial discrimination, nor will it eliminate competition for scare resources. Affirmative action programs can only ensure that everyone has a fair chance at what is available. They cannot direct us to the social pol! icies necessary so people do not have to compete for scarce resources in the first place. The larger question to ask is why are there not enough decent paying, challenging and safe jobs for everyone? Why are there not enough seats in the universities for everyone who wants an education? Expanding opportunity for people of color means expanding not only their access to existing jobs education, but also removing the obstacles that cause these resources to be limited. How to cite The Subject of Affirmative Action, Essay examples

Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases free essay sample

Epidemiology Communicable Diseases HIV or the Human Deficiency virus is like other viruses including the flu, but the one thing that makes this virus so different than any other is that the body is unable to clear this one out completely. Once someone is infected, there is no cure. Over time, HIV can also hide or mask itself in the bodys cells. The cells within a persons body that fght off infection are called CD4 cells or T cells. HIV attacks these cells and copies or replicates itself inside these cells, then destroys them. HIV over time will estroy so many of these cells that the body is unable to fght off infection anymore. When this starts happening, AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome happens which is the final stage of HIV. HIV is transmitted through someones blood or bodily fluids which can encompass semen, breast milk, vaginal fluids, and rectal mucous (AIDS. We will write a custom essay sample on Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page GOV, 2013) and usually it is passed from one person to another through sexual contact; however, HIV can also be transmitted through childbirth or IV drug use. Healthcare workers are also at risk from infected bodily fluids. Fluids from an nfected person can deliver the virus to someone elses bloodstream. Within 2-4 weeks, and up to as late as 3 months, exposure to HIV can happen with a sudden onset of flu like symptoms including fever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes or ulcers in the mouth (CDC, 2013). Sometimes no signs or symptoms of infection are present in someone with HIV. Certain individuals may feel sick as HIV turns into AIDS or have occasional bouts of sickness, but not really know or feel they are infected. When HIV progresses to HIV, he flu like sign and symptoms mentioned earlier can become far more severe. Many of the complications stemming from HIV are opportunistic infections, which happen in patients with a weakened immune system (CDC, 2013). Some of these opportunistic infections include tuberculosis, salmonellosis, cytomeglaovirus, candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis, toxoplasmosis, cryptosporiosis, Wasting Syndrome, neurological problems, and kidney disease (Mayo Clinic, 2013). Specific skin cancers including Kaposis Sarcoma and lymphomas also happen in patients who are HIV positive (Mayo Clinic, 2013). Antivirals are the treatment for HIV and presently there is no known cure. Treatment most often involves combinations of different drugs to avoid creating strains of the virus that are immune to single drug treatments (Mayo Clinic, 2013). The number of CD4 or T cells monitors treatment response. The viral load should be undetectable while undergoing antiviral therapy. The count is checked when treatment starts and usually monitored every 3-6 months. Even if someone has an undetectable viral load, the spreading of HIV is still a possibility. According to estimates and numbers provided by the CDC, about one and half million people 13 years of age and younger is HIV positive. Demographics also show that almost 20% of people who are infected do not know they have the virus. The CDC estimates that now every year, there are about 50,000 new cases diagnosed (2013). At risk groups include gay men, bisexual people, and African Americans (CDC, ) Young Atrican American males are at greatest risk tor contracting HIV among various ethnicities and races (CDC, 2013). An individuals risk for HIV or social determinants of health related to HIV is income, education, geographic region, overty, gender orientation, early childhood experiences, and alcohol or substance abuse. The CDC states, that by reducing the number od new HIV infections and improving the health and well-being of those already infected with HIV depends on changing the social determinants that place people at risk of infection (CDC, 2-13). The epidemiological triangle of HIV consists of three things: the person, the causative agent, or the environment (Smith, 169). The causative agent that causes AIDS is HIV or the virus itself. The host is a person in the case of HIV and the environment is the either the host or the agent, but a factor that influences interaction between the two. The epidemiological triangle consists of three things: the person, the causative agent, or the environment (Smith, 169). In the triangle for HIV, the agent that causes AIDS is HIV or the virus. The host is a person in the case of HIV. The environment is neither the host nor the agent, but something that influences interaction between the two (Smith, 169). The host factors for HIV include age, sex, ethnic background, race, sexual orientation, education, and economic status (Smith, 169). The agent actors or causative agent for HIV are the virus itself and the mode of transmission, life cycle and virulence of the virus (Smith, 169). The environmental factors for HIV include social and economic considerations including family, community, political organization, public policy, regulations, institutions, workplace, occupation, economic status, technology, mobility, housing population density, attitudes, customs, culture, health practices, health services (Smith 169-170). A community health nurse with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS would work in a community or public health setting, educating t risk groups about safe sex practices and the dangers of sharing needles. Ideally, the nurse would connect patients to support groups and services, teach patients or people in the community about the prevention of the spreading of the disease, and help administer treatments and medications. Some important issues that nurses are bringing to the forefront in todays world include implementing strategies to keep HIV patients engaged in routine HIV medical and nursing care, incorporating prevention research findings to help reduce transmission locally and globally, carrying out outine HIV testing in health care settings, ensuring access to antiretroviral drugs, and preparing for emerging issues in HIV care such as diabetes, liver disease, obesity and elder care (Kirton, 2007, p. 8). The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a national organization that chan nels a portion of its funds to the international financing for he fght against HIV and AIDS. It also gives funds to strengthening health systems, as most are inadequate to educate and inform communities and people about the prevention of HIV. Programs supported by the Global Fund give to communities with lifesaving ntiviral therapies and counseling on the prevention of the virus. There is also a local organization called AFAN or Aid for Aids of Nevada that provides support and advocacy for HIV positive people or people who are dealing with HIV in Nevada. AFAN provides direct client service programs, food programs, prevention and education programs, and community outreach. It is the mission of our client service programs to enhance the physical health and psychosocial wellness ot the individuals we serve, while promoting their dignity and improving the quality of their lives (AFAN, 2013). https://www.hiv.gov/ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiv-aids/basics/definition/con-20013732 https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/statistics.html http://www.nsna.org/ http://www.pageinsider.org/afanlv.org http://www.thecenterlv.org/TheCenter_TransResourceGuide_011116.pdf

What Comes First, Topic or Pedagogy

Reading Response for Street Car Named Desire Essay Example

Reading Response for Street Car Named Desire Essay Example Reading Response for Street Car Named Desire Essay Reading Response for Street Car Named Desire Essay Essay Topic: A Streetcar Named Desire Not only did he give it a name that provokes subtle intrigue, but what the title represents and the literary meaning that could be read into its meaning stay true to the plot, settings, and characters In the play. One can imagine the scenes one sees as he/she is riding along In a streetcar. Through the dirty wavy glass, the life and goings-on outside seem surreal. The character Balance sums It up well when attempts to explain herself to Mitch, l dont want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I serpentine things to them. I dont tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth. (Williams, Scene Nine, Pl 17) In the play the audience may never see the real truth. Like life, there are several versions to choose from and the most real Is seldom seen through one snap-shot perspective, tainted by dirty glass. The second physical manifestation of a streetcar that resounds throughout the play Is the incredible noise and racket they produce as they pound their way across the tracks, ringing their bells. The surroundings in the play are constantly filled with literal and advertorial noise. From the constant playing of the blue piano and chatter of individuals in the neighborhoods to the utter chaos of the characters lives and relationships; this streetcar fills the play with noise. Most interesting is how Balance came to arrive in New Orleans both factually and figuratively on a streetcar named Desire. Balance never recovered from the noise of her youth. From the way she was treated by others to the devastating loss of her love, she was driven to the point of self-delusion and destruction. Her mental instabilities, driven by her desires, caused her to be cast into exile by her home town and most of the people she knew. The streetcar continues on, unrestricted by fantasy or opinion. Tennessee does not hold back on how dark desire can be. Although most of the dark noise that happens, such as Stanley beating his wife and raping Balance, seems to be attributed to alcoholism (a desire to escape reality? ), the play still shows much of the petty selfishness, lusts, and greed we all might experience as we travel along on our own streetcars.

How does the Media Shape Our Development of Moral Judgment Research Paper

How does the Media Shape Our Development of Moral Judgment - Research Paper Example How this is happening is the way in which the youth is spending a lot of their time with the media due to their easy access to explicit content. With added convenience children can find stories that encompass violence, sexual promiscuity, theft, and greed in numerous media outlets such as fictional programming, a number of reality shows, music, and through the Internet. Research primarily looks at the effects on morality due to the media by looking at the underlying moral decision making that affects their behaviors. As far as children are concerned their moral development follows a very conventional developmental path. When these children, typically under the age of eight, are presented with an ethical dilemma their judgment of right and wrong is highly reliant on whether their action results in a reward or punishment. However as children mature their judgment takes into account a larger amount of factors, intentions and motives which revolve around recognition of the many conflicti ng rules inherent in moral dilemmas. Such a change can be attributed to the fact that their moral reasoning becomes much more flexible and ‘other’ oriented. ... A majority of the children’s perception found unjustified aggression to be wrong however children who watched programs that encompassed fantasy violence, such as Power Rangers, were more inclined to judge the ‘justified’ aggression being morally correct. Research reinforces this notion seeing as how violence in famous superhero cartoons is mostly seen as justified. Hence in the Krcmar study, it was observed how children who watched fantasy violence and those who watched realistic entertainment violence, such as Cops, were seen to display a lesser advanced moral reasoning strategies, with their primary focus being on rules and how prominent the presence or absence of punishment was as far as moral dilemmas was concerned. In another study which focuses on a similar pattern it was found that children who watched fantasy violence frequently were more likely than those who were light viewers to perceive justified violence as being morally correct. The heavy exposure to fantasy violence also led to these children having a lesser advanced role-taking abilities, which consequently affected their moral reasoning skills, making them less sophisticated (Wilson, 2008). A study also focused on looking at the influence the family had on a child’s television viewing and moral reasoning. It was found that if parents stressed and emphasized on communication within a family the children were less likely to watch fantasy violence that was shown on television and therefore develop higher moral reasoning skills and vice versa (Livingstone, 1996). A longitudinal study conducted by Judy Dunnn and Claire Hughes looked at how the media had an impact on the moral development of â€Å"hard-to-manage† preschoolers when compared with

Research methods (the development of Abu Dhabi) Essay

Research methods (the development of Abu Dhabi) - Essay Example 5. To study the role of Connectivity in the urbanization of Abu Dhabi. Without connectivity no city can be developed to it's fullest for which this objective has to be studied in order to achieve the hypothesis. 6. To study the identity and opportunity as a factor for urbanization of Abu Dhabi. In order for a city to develop it is important that many opportunities are given to the people who live there. It also gives a strong identity. Abu Dhabi till 2030 will be all this to it's its residents. Thus this objective will help in supporting the hypothesis. Every great leader dreams of expanding and enlarging his domain, as did the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Today Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE as well as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, continues to enhance the vision. The Plan set out by Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed provides a contemporary and culturally compassionate platform for the urban development of Abu Dhabi city. The main values outlined by the government for determining the growth of the city under Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, are that, Abu Dhabi will continue to be a current appearance of an Arab City, where the people maintain a healthy and supportive lifestyle. However, this kind of massive expenditure requires a plethora of studies and researches, there are many things to consider for instance the economic outlook, real estate development, sustainability, evolving culture and environment, opportunity and connectivity. A specific kind of research method must be used for the above mentioned factors in order f or this plan to be carried out successfully. The number one thing to be reviewed is the actual vision of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed. Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 should be deeply studied, so that to fully understand which direction His Highness would like to point Abu Dhabi towards. One must understand whether he would prefer to keep his culture and develop the city within the guidelines, or develop the city with a baseline of his cultural heritage adding to it the modern ways, or would he like to completely move away from the cultural side and move towards a modern and innovative city. As per his plans mentioned on September 21st 2007, he would like to evolve the metropolitan into a global city without loosing the Arab culture. The weakness of this study however can be that His Highness might change his mind along the way and decide to change the vision completely. However considering the amount of investment involved in this project, this is very unlikely to happen. "The

The impact of animation for children's psychological development in Essay

The impact of animation for children's psychological development in finding their identities - Essay Example Text Resources that will be consulted 14 13. Conclusion 14 14. References 16 What are animations and what forms they may adopt Since man has the ability to clearly distinguish between thirty frames at maximum over a second, an animation refers to a display of up to thirty images a second which model an illusion of movement. This optical illusion occurs due to persistence of vision and has been used successfully over centuries in the benefit of animation and other movie makers. Animation for kids refers to all the cartoons and other fun movies whose main targeted audience is the kids. Fairy tales are one of the most prized possessions of a kid, often so, because they are said to belong to the children world. As Andersen(1991) says, the fairy tales speak to a child in a language he understands. They are vibrant and colorful, the music is often loud and don’t need a serious voice over because the video alone conveys the message. Beck (2005) believes that animations may also conve y a message. They don’t necessarily have to end with a prince charming falling head over heels with a princess who has it all. It can also convey important messages such as effects of global warming, importance and need of conserving energy, basic human rights etc. At the tender age when children normally enjoy these animations, they are forming their perspective of the world. Obviously what they see will reflect on their personalities hence the animation makers need to ensure that the message conveyed is positive and important. Grant (2006) exclaims that we often see banners promoting positivity and a revolution in the world but then, animation have a much a greater impact than mere pictures and words. Ghertner (2010) exclaims that animations are not just for kids, they entertain the elders just the same. For example, who hasn’t watched ‘Lion King’ or ‘ The Lord of the Rings’? There are so many such epic animations that one wonders if there w ould ever be an end to storytelling; and the answer is no! Animated stories have been there since centuries and there will always be new stories evolving. Bessen (2008) says that one can only hope that this art gains a greater meaning and insight as it progresses since storytelling affect the psyche of young kids and adults alike who watch them and often consider themselves to be the heroes of the story. Picture credit: http://www.dandare.org/FreeFun/Images/CartoonsMoviesTV/LionKingWallpaper1024.jpg Animations Sharpen the Human Brain Over the last two decades one sees the popularity of the use of animations and other graphics increasing by leaps and bounds in the instructional media. Almost all schools rely on animations to teach the kids the basics and the teachers then add on to it. As Gilland (2009) correctly points out, around twenty years ago, one could not have imagined but now robotic schools are well thought for idea. This intrigues one to explore how animations are more eff ective than the teachers themselves. Block (2007) exclaims that it has been experimentally proven by various researches that animations on subject matters really improve a child’s retention and inference abilities. Instead of a teacher telling how Red Riding Hood got scared of the wolves, if a student gets to see it, he is able to infer it better and not only that, he retains the images better than words. The reason why animations Some of these reasons are associated with the affective role that graphics can fulfill. For example, animations may be aesthetically

Understanding Business Organisations

Understanding Business Organisations TASK 1 The government has an important role to play in providing easy, low-cost access to information. Numerous studies and reports call for a more coordinated access for businesses to information on markets, industries and regional economies. In this case, most SME’s want better information about the local and regional economy to help position their businesses and raise competitiveness. Therefore, there is an urgent need for these government funded organizations to play the role of considering a more formal mechanism to listen to the needs of businesses, improve access to information and ensure they provide partial electronic services to people and small businesses through Government portals. The stimulation of the SME’s by these funded organizations can reduce the level of unemployment and contribute to a more equal distribution of economic powers. The development of the SME’s is important for the social and economic development of the country, since they increase competitiveness and mobilize idle funds to productive aims. The business community (the SME’s) has unique information needs that need to be addressed with a specifically designed information system integrated in the National Treasury, Kenya Revenue Authority, Home Affairs State Department and Immigration Office. A multi-faceted approach to information provision is necessary because of the variation in needs, literacy and business prospects. Training needs of both the business managers of the SME’s and information specialists should be identified and recommended as part of the business information system design. TASK 2 UNIT: Understanding Business Organizations TITLE: Technology Advisory Group Task 3 Organization chart for T.A.G ORGANISATION STRUCTURE The structure adopted is functional organizational structure which will involve organizing the activities of the advisory group around areas of specialization. This approach involves a considerable amount of process standardization within the organization, with the real decision-making authority centered at the top of the organization. EFFICIENCY INTO OPERATION BY THE STRUCTURE the organization will achieve significant efficiencies in terms of process flow and management methods as the staff will be allowed to focus on one specific functional area to the exclusion of all else. It is ideal for the organization because it is easier to monitor and update the training of employees when they are focused on narrow functional areas. The organization will also use this approach to cultivate a group of extraordinary specialists who can strongly impact the functions of the company. KEY MANAGEMENT PROFILE Administration and Finance Their role is to provide a general oversight of the operations of the organization.The team will consist of a General Manager, Finance Manager with 1 administrator and ICT Manager with 1 administrator. This team will be responsible for effective planning, delegating, coordinating, staffing, organizing, and decision making to attain desirable profit making results for the organization (Sayles 1979). Marketing and PR   Their function is mainly to increase sales for the organization. Assigned here will be the Head of Marketing, two(2) executives inMarketingand two (2) executives in PR. As the teams begin to work together they need to come up withconcrete and up-to-date plans to maximize profits while creating long-term customers as well as adding value to the product and our services. IT Consultants  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ They play the role of advising businesses on how best to use information technology to meet their business objectives.Two(2) Senior Consultants will be in charge. In addition to delivering advice, four(4) Middle-Level Consultants and four (4) Junior Consultants will oversee the workshops that will look at the technologies that can be underpinned by Superfast Broadband. They will work hand in hand with five(5) IT Trainers, two(2) website administrators and two(2) graphicdesigners to manage, implement, deploy, and administer IT systems of the organization. TASK 5 BUSINESS PLAN FOR T.A.G The intentions of Technology Advisory Group is to offer clients with an all-inclusive assistance through free consultancy and specialist advice on business prospects offered by Superfast Broadband In the form of articles and blogs written by IT specialists.The three year goals for Technology Advisory Group are the following: Achieve break-even by Year 2. Establish along-term contract with the Central Government. Establish a minimum of95% customer satisfaction rate to establish long-term relationships with our clients and create word-of-mouth marketing. T.A.G has established a status for quality work and plans to continue to heighten its image in the trade. The organization endeavors to become a well-known benefactor of IT related guidance to SMB’s through the following: Increasing service backings by consolidating specialist workshops which will look at the technologies that can be fortified by Superfast Broadband, including Cloud Computing, collaboration and interactive websites. Increasing obtainability and accessibility to present and future customers through a range of pamphlets and case studies that give hands-on insights into the enactment of Superfast Broadband by small businesses Crafting innovative, unique, and cost-effective interpretations to hitches currently met by customers. Technology Advisory Group has established community calendaring and groupware applications for use by the organization. This will support in providing a modest, convenient tool for the organization and staff to consolidate, plan, track projects and workshops. T.A.G will leverage its profile-raising services to help offer secondary income streams as the organization will inaugurate induction of free email services, business directories, and other related services which will entice current and prospective customers to our offices and workshops. These will be used to generate advertising proceeds, as well as increase publicity of our range of services. To generate sales, T.A.G has incorporated the use of direct marketing which will focus on Trade Shows. T.A.G will partake in selected local and national shows that will provide an opportunity to develop exposure. This is a very effective tool in creating responsiveness and stimulating lead activity.And also Contact Campaigns as this initiative will encompass various methods of reaching potential customers to generate interest, followed by direct mail to the potential customer. The organization has a well-articulated human resources strategy which ensures that labor regulations are stringently followed and that all pamphlets relating to labor law are upheld hence confirms that the employees are exceedingly inspired to ensure that they are industrious. T.A.G has articulated human resources scheme that is in line with those that directly deal with intensifying through attainment. Strategies that should be put to ensure that the company achieves further growth Marketing strategy The organization has to put more exertion in having access to the global market. It should put more effort in advertising of its services to other parts of the ecosphere that it has not accessed the market. It should discover probable market such as other African republics. T.A.G should upturn the number of workshops and virtual assistance services and through this; the company will offer its customers with a choice of service to pick from. The organization should guarantee that its branding and packaging are of high standard and should change with customers change in taste and fashion. The company should contemplate using publicizing tools such as S.W.O.T analysis in guaranteeing that it retains its control of limited market and as a means to subsist in an atmosphere that has stiff competition. Information system strategy Technology Advisory Group should deliberate on using more than one software when executing a given assignment. The administration should concoct a way in which the systems are incorporated. This is to warrant that proficiency is upheld and the work done is precise and can also certify that fraud activities are curtailed. Human resources strategy The organization should also upturn the number of university fresh alumni who are undertaking management drills. This is decisive in that it will advance new skills and different concepts from these graduates and this will support the Technology Advisory Group in development. It is persons who make an organization to grow therefore, to ensure that T.A.G has a stout pool of human resources, it should contemplate efficient in training for employees to keep them informed on new skills so that the enterprise can keep pace with other major conglomerate corporations in relations to human resources. Competitive Edge The Technology Advisory Group should emphasis precisely on facilitating small and emergent businesses exploit their potential for accomplishment by distinguishing itself in the following means: Cost-effective personal interaction with IT consultant presence: T.A.G should target new expanses with local consultants, permitting it to personally cooperate with small businesses without needing to bring consultants to the region. A diverse network of consultants and alliance partners: By relying on a nationally circulated talent base harmonized to work together tenuously, the organization should be able to bring together an assortment of skills to encounter the needs of its clients. Positioning Statement The Technology Advisory Group delivers much needed skills and experience to small to medium business initiators to help their businesses embrace the Superfast Broadband. Our services are bespoke specifically to the distinctive needs of small to medium businesses and focuses on up-to-date citations of specialist suppliers of Superfast Broadband and allied services that can advance overall business performance. With a scarcity of available talent plus the usual budget pressure usually associated with small businesses, our services provide a cost-effective substitute to attaining faster communications inorder to advance the ways in which they do business. The Technology Advisory Group will position itself as the prominent marketing and management consulting firm focusing solely on small businesses. Projected Profit and Loss Key expenses will comprise the cost of payroll for the growing staff, marketing to endorse the Superfast Broadband in the community, and the organizations rent and devaluation. The organization will show a revenue in the first year which will continue to propagate. This is anticipated due to the high gross margins of marketing internet broadband to small and medium businesses Annual sales projection Annual sales projection Task 6 Formal communication Communication is the process through which one person conveys information to another person through applicable medium. These are the major communication systems implemented as these terms are used recurrently in organizations. Upward communication Is the process of information travels from lower to higher ranks in the hierarchy.Various mechanisms can be implemented by T.A.G to facilitate upward communication. Examples, Suggestion boxes, group meetings and participating in decision-making. This is maintained to get feedback to managers from employees. Downward communication Is the process of information flowing from superior to subordinate – from managers to operating staff.Itis related to the hierarchical structure of the organization as messages seem to get large as they travel downward through successive levels of the organization. Example, annual reports, notices and employee performance feedback. Horizontal communication Flow of messages across functional areas shared among people on the same hierarchical level of an organization. This form of communication facilitates for problem solving, task coordination between departments and project teams. How can intranets and groupware help improve communication? Intranets Organization information can be warehoused centrally and retrieved at any time due to superior internal communications. sharing of resources and best practice as virtual groups can be deliberated to expedite information sharing and collaborative working improved customer service better access to accurate and reliable information by your staff leads to heightened levels of customer service forms can be accessed and completed on the computer, then forwarded as appropriate for approval, without ever having to be printed out, and with the benefit of an audit trail Groupware It facilitates users to post ideas, questions or suggestions on given themes of discussion as it allows users to engage with other members of the group thus enhancing business alliances. It permits users to send messages to other members of the organization and outside of the organization. It ensures that users can retain online calendars viewed by other colleagues to assist with the arranging of meetings and project planning as users are able to identify when members are available or times when they are consumed with other tasks. Task 7 Managing virtual teams Virtual teams are defined as â€Å"affiliated individuals using computer-mediated telecommunications to share information electronically† (Kirkman, Rosen, Tesluk, Gibson, 2009, p. 54). Challenges posed by virtual teams in managing individual teams Physical Observation Limitations managers are physically limited to observe their employees’ performance and efforts, and how to implement effective methods for going about measuring productivity, building trust, and managing teams given their particular constraints (Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson,Tesluk, McPherson, 2002). This renders the manager unable to provide constructive performance feedback and harness the full potential of the team. As a result, monitoring and measuring performance remain problematic and sources of concern (Kurkland Bailey, 1999). Overemphasis on Output Evaluation Evaluation of virtual team performance is a challenge when managers directly focus on outcomes rather than process especially when those results prove difficult to measure and observe.Therefore, Managers cannot accuratelyascertain performance due to reduced capability toobserve and monitor the process. Employee Equity and Organizational Justice Issues Virtual team members may feel organizational injustice when compared to those who are present in the actual workplace. Professionally, employees fear that being â€Å"out of sight† infers being â€Å"out of mind† fororganizational rewards thus becomes a significant challenge whenevaluating members of virtual teams against those at the physical office (Kurkland Egan, 1999). Recommendation on how T.A.G will address this challenges Increasing Information Flow–the virtual team project manager should institute mutual knowledge among team members through team building activities and grant members access to evocative project documentation, which lists acronyms and other project specifics important for team members to understand (Davis Khazanchi, 2007). The â€Å"Balanced Scorecard† – the virtual team manager should create an all-inclusive balanced scorecard based on T.A.G’s priorities when evaluating performance. This may consist of the organization’s values in the fields of growth, profitability and customer satisfaction. This enables managers to have a far more transparent understanding of the effectiveness of their virtual team and create more standardized methods of evaluating future virtual team performance. References: Boddy, D. (2005). Management: An introduction. 3rd edition.England, Pearson education, Prentice Hall. Campbell, D Craig, T. (2005).Organizations and the business environment.2nd edition.Oxford, UK, Butterworth-Heinemann. Davis, A., Khazanchi, D. (2007). Does mutual knowledge affect virtual team performance? Theoretical analysis and anecdotal evidence. American Journal of Business, 22(2), 57-65. Kirkman, B.L., Rosen, B., Gibson, C.B., Tesluk, P.E., McPherson, S.O. (2002). Five challenges to virtual team success: lessons from sabre, Inc. Academy of Management Executive, 16(3), 67-69. Kurkland, N.B., Bailey, D.E. (1999). Telework: The advantages of working here, there anywhere,and anytime. Organizational Dynamics, 28(2), 53-68. Mullins, L.J. (2010). Management and Organizational behavior. 9th  Edition. England, prentice hall financial times.

Turing Machines And Universes :: essays research papers

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites In 1936 an American (Alonzo Church) and a Briton (Alan M. Turing) published independently (as is often the coincidence in science) the basics of a new branch in Mathematics (and logic): computability or recursive functions (later to be developed into Automata Theory). The authors confined themselves to dealing with computations which involved â€Å"effective† or â€Å"mechanical† methods for finding results (which could also be expressed as solutions (values) to formulae). These methods were so called because they could, in principle, be performed by simple machines (or human-computers or human-calculators, to use Turing’s unfortunate phrases). The emphasis was on finiteness : a finite number of instructions, a finite number of symbols in each instruction, a finite number of steps to the result. This is why these methods were usable by humans without the aid of an apparatus (with the exception of pencil and paper as memory aids). Moreover: no insight or ingenuity were allowed to â€Å"interfere† or to be part of the solution seeking process. What Church and Turing did was to construct a set of all the functions whose values could be obtained by applying effective or mechanical calculation methods. Turing went further down Church’s road and designed the â€Å"Turing Machine† – a machine which can calculate the values of all the functions whose values can be found using effective or mechanical methods. Thus, the program running the TM (=Turing Machine in the rest of this text) was really an effective or mechanical method. For the initiated readers: Church solved the decision-problem for propositional calculus and Turing proved that there is no solution to the decision problem relating to the predicate calculus. Put more simply, it is possible to â€Å"prove† the truth value (or the theorem status) of an expression in the propositional calculus – but not in the predicate calculus. Later it was shown that many functions (even in number theory itself) were not recursive, meaning that they co uld not be solved by a Turing Machine. No one succeeded to prove that a function must be recursive in order to be effectively calculable. This is (as Post noted) a â€Å"working hypothesis† supported by overwhelming evidence. We don’t know of any effectively calculable function which is not recursive, by designing new TMs from existing ones we can obtain new effectively calculable functions from existing ones and TM computability stars in every attempt to understand effective calculability (or these attempts are reducible or equivalent to TM computable functions).

Relationships with Children Essay

Unit aim This unit provides the knowledge and understanding which underpins effective communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Unit introduction Successful relationships have a positive effect on learning and behaviour. Being listened to and responded to by trusting adults encourages active engagement by children and young people and supports the development of curiosity, creativity and resilience, which are key characteristics of effective learning. Adults who demonstrate mutual respect, collaboration and negotiation are positive role models who have a significant impact on the behaviour of children and young people. Integral to building and maintaining positive relationships are effective communication skills. It is also essential for those working in support roles in schools to know the  legislation and policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information. This unit provides the essential knowledge and understanding required for working in support roles in schools. Learners will examine the principles of building positive relationships with children, young people and adults. This includes considering reasons why effective communication is important and the effect of social, professional and cultural contexts on communication. Communication difficulties are examined and learners find out how to adapt communication to meet individual needs including how to deal with disagreements with children, young people and adults are studied. The legislation, policies and procedures relating to confidentiality are examined and why children, young people and adults need reassurance about confidentiality are studied. Learners will also consider situations where confidentiality must be breached. This unit applies to all support staff roles in schools and is particularly suitable for those preparing for working in schools and those new to working in schools, including parent-helpers and other volunteers. Learning outcomes and assessment criteria In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit. The assessment criteria determine the standard required to achieve the unit. On completion of this unit a learner should: Understand the principles of developing positive relationships with children, young people and adults How communication supports positive relationships: benefits eg shows respect for individual, values diversity, builds trust, demonstrates genuine interest, respects privacy, encourages autonomy, supports learning, enables effective teamwork, enables negotiation, reinforces self-esteem Principles of relationship building: ways to build relationships eg recognise the uniqueness of everyone as an individual, honesty, dependability, integrity, confidentiality; importance of relationships for learning; know role and responsibilities, how own role relates to colleagues; respect the skills and expertise of others; contribution to effective teamwork; follow organisations expectations and procedures for good working relationships; communicate effectively eg keep colleagues informed, use agreed lines of communication, maintain confidentiality; know own role in relation to parents; differences between professional and personal relationships; contribute to Every Child Matters Outcomes Effect of social, professional and cultural contexts on relationships and communication: eg power relationships, cultural expectations, social differences, prejudice, pre-conception, stereotyping Understand how to communicate with children, young people and adults Skills for communication: verbal skills eg form and tone of expression, questioning, confirming, reflecting; clarifying meaning, encouraging contributions from others, offer choices; non-verbal skills and behaviour eg eye contact, facial expressions, body movement, posture, gesture, muscle tension, touch, proximity, orientation, facial expressions, gestures, active listening; importance of contact and cultural differences in interpretation of non-verbal communications; empathy eg responding to emotional state Adapting communication: ways eg language appropriate, meaning/message, concentrate on one issue at a time, do not give mixed messages, match words to body language, open questions, active listening, encourage discussion and debate; contexts eg hearing difficulties, children with English as an additional Language (EAL), promote thinking and talking in first languages to support understanding, group EAL learners who share the same home language Differences: context eg communication formal, informal, form of address; type of communication eg verbal, language, non-verbal, orientation, confidentiality Adapting communication: use of clear speech and plain  language; different needs eg EAL, hearing difficulty, visual impairment; adaptations eg translator/ interpreter, quiet room, hearing loop, signing, Braille  Managing disagreements: behaviours eg keep calm, encourage individuals to articulate their point of view, find common ground, negotiate a compromise, win-win solutions, support children and young people to deal with disagreements, follow school policy and procedures for behaviour and reporting, restorative justice Understand legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection Legislation, policies and procedures: range eg for home country, human rights eg Human Rights Act 1998, Human Rights Act 2004, for safeguarding children eg Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004, relating to freedom of information eg Data Protection Act, Every Child Matters, policies and procedures in own organisation Reassuring about confidentiality: aspects eg information shared on need to know basis, human right for privacy, protecting information when using social networking sites, buying online, using a mobile phone, procedure in own organisation, whistle-blowing Essential guidance for tutors Delivery This unit should be delivered through a combination of tutor input and active learning experiences. DVDs and case studies will give learners opportunities to link theory to practice. Role play enables learners to develop and practise their interpersonal and communication skills. Discussions, peer observations and peer assessment support assessment for learning and contribute to an understanding of the skills required for effective practice. Learners should also be encouraged to demonstrate an awareness of the importance of communication skills in addressing issues of equality, diversity, and the rights and responsibilities of children and young people. At this level the focus needs to be on understanding the significance of positive relationships in relation to the wellbeing and learning of children and young people and exploring how effective communication enables this. The Emphasis needs to be on understanding the behaviour and communication skills required to develop and maintain positive relationships with children, young people and adults and to provide positive role models. Learners should be introduced to why effective communication is important for establishing and maintaining positive relationships with children, young people and adults. How positive relationships enhance self-esteem and encourage learning could be explored through relevant research. The impact of social, professional and cultural contexts on relationships and communication should also be explored. It is essential that learners understand the communication skills needed to establish and maintain relationships. Learners need to explore ways to meet the communication needs of individuals by adapting communication for different ages and stages of development and for different contexts. Learners should be introduced to the current national legislation for confidentiality and data protection which can be accessed from relevant  government department websites. They should have the opportunity to look at a range of school policies and procedures for confidentiality and data protection and consider how these may impact on working practices. It is essential that learners know the situations when confidentiality must be breached to safeguard children and young people. Learners should be encouraged to share their experience of working in schools through employment, as a parent-helper or work experience. Assessment This is a knowledge-based unit. Evidence from workplace performance is not required. Suggested assessment activities Assessment will be through tasks, projects and other activities completed individually to meet the assessment criteria. Learners should draw on any relevant practical experience of working in schools but will not be assessed directly on workplace performance. For learning outcomes 1 and 2, learners could research and produce a guidance document to use for the induction of new support workers in school to help them understand the principles of developing positive relationships with children and, young people and adults and the skills they need to communicate effectively. Case studies may be used to support explanations. The document needs to include why effective communication is important for developing relationships, the principles of relationship building, explanations of how social, professional and cultural contexts impact on relationships and communications, clarification of the skills required for effective communication, how to adapt communication to meet the needs of  individuals and in different contexts and how to manage disagreements with children, young people and adults, explaining reasons for responses. For learning outcome 3, learners could produce a reference document for all school staff giving details about confidentiality and data protection to include legislation relating to confidentiality and data protection, school procedures for confidentiality and data protection, reasons why it is important to reassure children, young people and adults about confidentiality and why confidentiality may need to be breached. Essential resources Learners will need access to legislation for the relevant home nation and examples of school policies and procedures for confidentiality and data protection. Indicative resource materials Textbooks Bentham S – A Teaching Assistant’s Guide to Child Development and Psychology in the Classroom (Routledge, 2003) ISBN 9780415311083 Blake S, Bird J & Gerlach S – Promoting Emotional and Social Development in Schools: A Practical Guide (Sage Publications, 2007) ISBN 9781412907316 Burnham L – S/NVQ Level 2 Teaching Assistant’s Handbook: Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools, 2nd Edition (Heinemann, 2008) ISBN 9780435449308 Burnham L – Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (Primary) (Heinemann, 2010) ISBN 9780435032043 Burnham L – Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (Secondary) (Heinemann, 2010) ISBN 9780435032050 Dunhill A, Elliott B & Shaw A– Effective Communication and Engagement with Children and Young People, their Families and Carers (Creating Integrated Services) (Learning Matters, 2009) ISBN 9781844452651 Foley P & Leverett S – Connecting with Children: Developing Working Relationships (The Policy Press, 2008) ISBN 9781847420589 Kamen T – Teaching Assistant’s Handbook: NVQ and SVQ Levels 2 & 3, 2nd Edition (Hodder Education, 2008) ISBN 9780340959381 Riley P – Attachment Theory and the Teacher-student Relationship (Routledge, 2010) ISBN 9780415562621 Journals Times Education Supplement (TES) 42 BA029026 – Specification – Edexcel Level 3 Award/Certificate/Diploma specialist qualifications in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (QCF) – Issue 2 – June 2011  © Edexcel Limited 2011 Websites www.education.gov.uk/ Department for Education www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/ Yourrightsandresponsibilities Directgov www.nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/ earlyyears The National Strategies www.tda.gov.uk The Training and Development Agency for Schools www.teachers.tv Teachers TV www.teachernet.gov.uk Teachernet BA029026 – Specification – Edexcel Level 3 Award/Certificate/Diploma specialist qualifications in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (QCF) – Issue 2 – June 2011  © Edexcel Limited 2011

IT Solutions for Small and Medium

IT Solutions for Small and Medium Introduction The Internet of Things (Internet of Things) will grow over the next years in application and adoption. As it grows, its associated technologies will also have to undergo major advancements to accommodate customization and scaling needs of the Internet of Things. For example, privacy, security and semantic interoperability are all features that need further attention.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on IT Solutions for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, other IT advancements like cloud technologies and big data, as well as future networks like in the case of proposed 5G will also have to be considered when contemplating the adoption of the Internet of Things now and in the medium-term. For Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the IT solutions combined with the Internet of Things promise to enhance competitiveness and to make the daily running of businesses easy. E nhancement will come through better customer relationships, better supply chain management and relationships, as well as the provision of an affordable innovative avenue that translates to better services and products. However, the uptake of cloud computing, big data analytics, the Internet of Things, among other features faces the hurdle of overcoming sceptical thoughts about the advancements and their actual need for SMEs (Ruggieri Nikookar 2013). Research mythology The findings of this research come from a secondary literature review guided by the papers title. The researcher relied on internet sources for publications that discuss the present and past features of SMEs adoption of the novel IT features. It also relied on published research findings from other scholars to make deductions and to inform the analysis part of the paper. Application of theory/methods This paper will rely on the theories about diffusion as they apply to technology adoption in reviewing the various rese arch reports and industry reports on the use of technologies. The various states of technology adoption are awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption. The provided states allow practitioners to categorize a country, institution, or sector according to its stage of adoption. Alternatively, adoption could be categorized in the form of two categories; the innovators and the imitators. This would apply to the users of the technology and its creators. SMEs that are innovators would be those that base their decision to embrace the solution independently. Meanwhile, the imitators would be the ones that are influenced by other firms and industry trends to adopt the given technologies.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), behavioural intentions rely on the attitude about the likelihood that a given behaviour will lea d to an expected outcome. At the same time, it will depend on the subjective review of associated risks of the behaviour and the benefits of the outcomes. In this respect, when looking at an SME as a social entity, its behaviour of adoption will depend on its attitude or the known features of adopting, as well as the expected outcomes and the risk associated with the uptake compared to its benefits (Al-Qirim (ed.) 2004). The use of the TPB is informed in part by the fact that in SMEs, the business owners mostly behave like individual decision-makers. At the same time, the secondary literature available shows that new technology adoption, behaviour of SMEs is similar to a person’s processing of adopting technologies. However, in the business case, social influence would translate to influences happening in the competitive environment, such as the need to grow competitiveness or to catch up with the competition (Dahnil et al. 2014). Lastly, the Task-Technology Fit Theory is als o useful in explaining the adoption of technologies. According to the theory, the task and technology characteristic will affect its suitability and performance when used by humans and compatibility affects adoption (Dahnil et al. 2014). Findings A requirement of cloud computing is that the infrastructure must have access to data anywhere, anytime, and on any devices at a level that meets the minimum threshold of quality service. In many European countries and in North America, a high number of individuals have access to broadband and almost all corporate entities are hooked to broadband internet services. The existence of a network of connected individuals and companies provides the market requirement for cloud computing and offers demand for the service (Kloch, Petersen Madsen 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on IT Solutions for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For cloud compu ting to make sense, it has to be combined with broadband and for SMEs; the inclusion of e-commerce makes the uptake more exiting in the business sense. According to Kloch, Petersen and Madsen (2011), there is a huge number of SMEs that still apply manual billing systems, like the use of Excel-like systems. Such SMEs are also ill equipped in their respective IT departments, such that they are unable to embrace advances in the automation of their systems. As a result, they spend most of their human resources on their manual system. For the society, which includes businesses of all sizes, to benefit from the possibilities of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), the applied processes must be efficient. In this regard, there is a need for ease of maintenance, flexibility, and scalability to a worldwide platform. A possible solution has been to remove the hardware limitations caused by the geographical and physical needs of hardware for computing. Instead, solutions are offer ed by cloud computing, which serves as the necessary infrastructure upon which other normal business system services lay (Kloch, Petersen Madsen 2011). In Hong Kong, the existence of an excellent and affordable ICT infrastructure that supports the delivery of secure e-services and the development of the local ICT industry has been instrumental in facilitating the update of cloud computing, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things (So 2013). In addition, market liberalisation has allowed internet access to penetrate throughout the population at an affordable price. In such a geographically small area, in comparison to the mainland China, the broadband penetration is 85 per cent (So 2013). On the other hand, Hong Kong enjoys a mobile penetration rate of 231 per cent, which makes it one of the highest in the world. Typical speeds for users are about 10 Mbps, while peak speeds reach more than 60 Mbps (So 2013). Now and then, SMEs have to deal with the fact that technology comes a long in a way that is so profound, powerful, and universal, such that it changes the way of doing business totally (Ramsey et al. 2003). In theory, the top performing SMEs are the ones that embrace ICT in all their operations.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The reason for this theory is that the services and systems under ICT provide a business with competitive advantages, which are distinctive in the first instance, but they become common after wide adoption. Even then, the businesses that are left out of the ICT bandwagon cannot match efficiencies and scalability enjoyed by their counterparts that are already seeking more robust ICT features to improve their production processes and service delivery, as well as customer and supply chain relations (Ramsey et al. 2003). In 2003, according to research by Ramsey et al. (2003), most SMEs in European countries were not using ICTs, such as the Internet for commercial transactions. They were missing out on the benefits of e-business and the upstream or downstream application. In North Ireland, 83 per cent of business respondents mentioned that they had no strategy for including the Internet or ICT in general as part of their marketing strategy (Ramsey et al. 2003). On the other hand, overwhe lming evidence also presented by Ramsey et al. (2003) shows that despite the numerous possibilities of ICT and the different levels of maturity for e-commerce usages, most SMEs have low-level requirements and they follow non-linear path. Unfortunately, at the time, available models were weak in theoretical underpinning, even though they obliged to the principles of e-business. Nevertheless, most SMEs were subjected to heavy usage of their scarce resources on these models (Ramsey et al. 2003). Zhuge (2011) helps to link human intelligence and control to the advancement of intelligent information processing technologies and their various uses. The research notes that unlike humans, machines can only process pre-designed algorithms and data structures in the cyber space. They cannot move beyond the cyberspace to learn thinking rules or know the effect of linking. Neither can they explain what happens when computing results are added to physical, psychological, and social laws. Neverthe less, researchers, developers, and practitioners are advancing their knowledge and applications that link various spaces to create a complex space, where cyber space is only a part of it. A consequence of such integration is the development of cyber-physical-psychological-socio-mental environment (Zhuge 2011). Indeed, Zhuge (2011) points out the possibilities of linking various spaces to realize a human-machine environment uniting society, cyberspace, and nature. Here, patterns of social individuals’ movements are collected and analysed to reflect the status of the individual or a society. With these patterns, it is possible to provide appropriate services to users and to make the right decisions to change a given status. Thus, the application of the interconnections is helpful to both organizations delivering goods and services and consumers of the goods and services, as it increases understandings of entire systems of components of the system. According to Mui (2012), SMEs adopt business intelligence products and services for growth, differentiation, and agility. They are able to understand their businesses and make better decisions, which should lead to more sustainable growth together with differentiating pursuits and agility. This is what Zhuge (2010) theoretically presumed when contemplating the effect of super networked spaces. Cloud technologies that incorporate in-memory computing allow businesses to obtain immediate answers through a remarkable increase in the speed of analytics. They also get real-time access and deeper insight as they can interrogate a large scope of granular data. Moreover, the solutions are simpler and more cost-effective because the IT complexity burden is low (Mui 2012). With big data analytics, it is possible to employ in-database, predictive algorithms to obtain various insights into internal and external business trends. At the same time, SMEs can access open source algorithms that directly integrate into their big da ta analytics systems, such that they would not have to incur additional programming and customization costs. Moreover, it is possible to embed specific or entire components of the big data analytics framework to existing business platforms and extend the obtained business intelligence into company reports, with delivery options of the information happening real-time to companywide communication channels, such as alerts to smartphones (Mui 2012). The European Commission (2013a) evaluated the current adoption, plans of adoption, and drivers or barriers of big data usage by EU companies. The report shows that big data include hardware and software integration, organization, management, and analysis with the presentation of data that is massive in volume of data and is varied in the breadth of data sources and formats (European Commission 2013a). In addition, there is a velocity characterized by a high speed at which information arrival, analysis and delivery happen, and value character ized by cost of technology and utility (European Commission 2013a). When considering adoption of big data, SMEs have to invest in the following features either as services provided by intermediary companies or as an in-house solution. They need the infrastructure, which includes storage systems, servers, and data centre networking. They also need software to manage and organize data, software to analyse and discover, as well as decision support and automation software. Other than that, companies implementing big data technologies need business consulting services, business process outsources, and other outsourcing services for IT and IT project based. They may also demand support and training services for big data implementations (European Commission 2013a). According to Miller and Mork (2013), SMEs require a plan that considers the entire continuum of big data application from the begging of data collection to the final decision based on the data collected. Thus, the biggest benefi t arises when all stakeholders in the continuum integrate big data solutions. After a decade of the Ramsey et al. (2003) research that reported limited uptake of ICT by SMEs, the European Commission (2013b) report quotes a 29 per cent figure for European companies that are ready for big data uptake. At the same time, a majority of business included in the survey content that they need to re-asses their current information management processes to meet the challenges of data growth. Nevertheless, big data adoption is still in its infancy at 6.2 per cent for SMEs, with 10 to 250 employees (European Commission 2013b). However, from the same survey, trends show that adoption among SMEs will increase significantly due to vertical integration along the supply chain and in particular industries, such as financial, oil and gas, telecom, computers, and electronics where data processing needs are high. Drivers of adoption include the data explosion witnessed in recent years. In fact, compared to 2003 when Ramsey et al. (2003) made their report, 2013 witnessed an extraordinary increase in internet usage and data transfers. The world now creates about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily (Xia et al. 2012). Today, sources of data include social media, digital imaging and video, smart meters, non-traditional networked smart devices, and machine to machine communication in factories. IT vendors are also producing tools for collection, storage, and analysis to meet the emerging needs of dealing with the data. Consumers and customers are also becoming more connected and demand access and availability of ready-to-use information. As consumers demand personalization, they are ceding more privacy to enterprises. Now data and personalization is not only happening in traditional environments like call centres and mobile applications, but also on cars and domestic appliances in the Internet of Things. But, as hinted earlier, resistance to share personal and proprietary data and inform ation will remain hindrances for the adoption and full utilization of cloud computing, big data, social media, and the Internet of Things. For SMEs, the lack of time and resources to study trends and opportunities and threats serves as a barrier for uptake of the IT innovations. Language differences make data analysis complex, just like differences in national regulations on privacy and data usage also complicate matters for SMEs seeking to fully utilize the novelty of the various technologies. According to Duhnil et al. (2014), social media is among the most popular novel IT technologies embraced by SMEs across the world. Social media has become a fresh tool for marketing communication. It fits well with the need to deploy rapid and dynamic campaigns for businesses that are already using other forms of electronic media. Its adoption is helped by the social uptake of the technology and service, which now make it relevant for both businesses and customers (Michaelidou, Siamagka Chri stodoulides 2011). Social media marketing is now a subset of marketing, where the marketing practices, information, and ideas spread through social media online. Nevertheless, social media marketing and usage are not social marketing. The latter is the bigger environment within which the former falls into (Dahnil et al. 2014). End users remain a major factor in influencing the adoption of social media by SMEs; a second influencing factor is the technological orientation of the SMEs, which determines just how compatible the intended adoption will be. A third reason is the management when looked at from the business environment perspective (Durkin, McGowan McKeown 2013). Critical analysis The uptake of cloud computing, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things among SMEs globally has not been very successful in the past decade, as it would be expected. Part of the reason, as elaborated in the findings of this paper, is the misalignment of risk and costs with the expected benefit s of the technologies. As the European Commission (2013a) report stated, the uptake was more in bigger companies than in SMEs, which would be partly attributed to the accessibility of technology. The findings have also shown that SMEs have discontinued systems that would benefit most SMEs in integration, but the integration would be too costly. In this respect, it is not surprising to see that there are many research reports on SME adoption of social media compared to the Internet of Things, Big Data analytics, and Cloud Computing. During the research, this researcher encountered many pointers to social media usage by SMEs, especially in their marketing efforts. It explains why the other features of IT developments have not caught up with business owners. The reason is that they do not directly affect the customer as much as social media does. Most help in the backend, thus they are not readily considered as revenue generating opportunities for the small and medium firms. As Mui (20 12) and Zhuge (2011) showed, the uptake of networked based implementation, such as big data analytics and the Internet of Things depend more on the level of vertical integration. Thus, when one compares firms operating in highly integrated industries, such as the financial sectors, one is most likely to find SMEs that embrace cloud technologies and big data, while those in manufacturing chains may not have deep linkages with vertical partners other than basic business process relations (Schwertner 2013). The limited uptake among SMEs of the mentioned technologies is changing rapidly because the cost of not catching up to the competition is rising. The demand for efficient and usable systems for handling data will also increase among all business sizes, thus SMEs are not spared. As the report by So (2013) on Hong Kong highlighted, and as Zhuge (2011) also contemplated, the future will see the connection of various spaces to realize a multi-networked environment where data gathering a nd analysis will be key to survival and understanding. Thus, SMEs will undoubtedly have to adopt at a faster rate than they currently do. Limitation and implications This research was restricted in scope by relying on secondary literature. It does not provide new information other than the analysis due to the lack of primary data sources as part of its limitation. Another limitation of the research would be the existence of errors in the researches and reports consulted for the study, or biases exist in the scholars’ analysis of their findings. Nevertheless, the paper serves as an important contribution that brings together the analysis of big data, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and social media in one report. Thus, practitioners will be able to get insights at a glance. Lastly, the recommendation to SME owners is that they should embrace these technologies as a matter of survival. Reference List Al-Qirim, N (ed.) 2004, Electronic commerce in small to medium-sized e nterprises, Idea Group Publishing, Hershey. Dahnil, MI, Marzuki, KM, Langgat, J Fabeil, NF 2014, Factors influencing SMEs adoption of social media marketing, Procedia Social and Behavioral Science, vol 148, pp. 119-126. Durkin, M, McGowan, P McKeown, N 2013, Exploring social media adoption in small to medium-sized enterprises in Ireland, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol 20, no. 4, pp. 716-734. European Commission 2013a, Business opportunities: Big data, Report, EC. European Commission 2013b, Horizon 2020 Work programme 2014-2015, http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal4/doc/call/h2020/common/1587758-05i._ict_wp_2014-2015_en.pdf. Kloch, C, Petersen, EB Madsen, OB 2011, Cloud based infrastructure, the new business possibilities and barriers, Wireless Personal Communications, vol 58, no. 1, pp. 17-30. Michaelidou, N, Siamagka, NT Christodoulides, G 2011, Usage, barriers and measurement of social media marketing: An exploratory investigation of sm all and medium B2B brands, Industrial Marketing Management, vol 40, no. 7, pp. 1153-1159. Miller, HG Mork, P 2013, From data to decisions: A value chain for big data, IT Professional, Jan-Feb 2013, pp. 57-59. Mui, E 2012, Do small businesses have big data needs?, Ecosystem Channels Product Marketing at SAP, SAP AG. Ramsey, E, Ibbotson, P, Bell, J Gray, B 2003, E-opportunities of service sector SMEs: an Irish cross-border study, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol 10, no. 3, p. 250. Ruggieri, M Nikookar, H 2013, Internet of things: Converging technologies for smart environments and integrated ecosystems, River Publishers, Aalborg. Schwertner, K 2013, Modern Information Technology (IT): Factor for business efficiency and business driver, Journal of Modern Accounting and Auditing, vol 9, no. 8, pp. 1131-1139. So, G 2013, Public consultation on 2014 digital 21 strategy, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Hong Kong. Xia, F, Yang, LT, Wang, L Vinel, A 201 2, Internet of Things, International Journal of Communication Systems, vol 25, no. 9, pp. 1101-1102. Zhuge, H 2011, Semantic linking through spaces for cyber-physical-socio intelligence: A methodolgy, Artificial Intelligence, vol 5, no. 6, pp. 988-1019.